LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
April 26/09

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 16,15-20. He said to them, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents (with their hands), and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.)

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Jumblatt may have caused offense, but at least he speaks the truth-The Daily Star 25.04.09
Lebanon: Opposition’s project: Authority rather than the state 25/04/09
Release: International Christian Concern (ICC)/Taliban Executes Two Christians in Karachi, Pakistan 25/04/09
Release: International Christian Concern (ICC):Egypt: Convert arrested for marrying Christian 25/04/04
Fact and fiction. By: Jailan Halawi/Al-Ahram Weekly/ 25.04.09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for April 25 /09
'Lieberman: Syria not a peace partner, it supports Hamas, Hizbullah'-Jerusalem Post
Geagea: Coming Elections to Determine Which Lebanon We Want-Naharnet
Moussa: Differences Between Egypt and Hizbullah Left to Diplomatic Initiatives-Naharnet
McCain believes 9-11 terrorists came from Canada/Canadian Press
Lieberman: World leaders must drop 'land for peace' slogans, stop Iran'-Future News
Hizbullah: give us authority or we obstruct the government-Future News
Ban Condemns Hizbullah Activities Outside Lebanon-Naharnet
Moussa Discusses Alleged Hizbullah Cell, Polls with Lebanese Leaders-Naharnet
Report: Mossad-Linked Cell Arrested in South-Naharnet
Bellemare Sticks to April 27 Deadline-Naharnet
Suleiman Welcomes Any Majority that Has Constitution's Spirit-Naharnet
Berry and Hariri discuss developments-Future News
Berri Ready to Ally Himself with Mustaqbal in Beirut 2 District-Naharnet
Rulings Against Alleged Hizbullah Cell Not Subject to Appeal-Naharnet
Cabinet: Elections Security and No Appointments-Naharnet
Aoun Awaits Berri's Answer to his Proposal on Jezzine-Naharnet
Jordan Denies Abdullah Accusation of a Hizbullah Coup-Naharnet
Murr Meets Geagea: I Agree With March 14 Forces Stance on State Legitimacy-Naharnet
Lebanese Forces Accuse Minister Bassil's Bodyguards of Assault-Naharnet
Saad Accuses Saudi Arabia of Intervention to Aid Saniora's Election-Naharnet
SSNP to Continue Supporting Opposition Despite Withdrawal of Candidates in Akkar and Aley-Naharnet
Qahwaji: The Army Stands on Equal Basis With All Parties During Elections-Naharnet
New York man gets six years in jail for airing Al-Manar -Daily Star
Lieberman hits out at Iran, rejects talks with Syria-(AFP)
Kahwaji urges troops to remain neutral during upcoming vote -Daily Star
'Lebanese unity based on unity of Mount Lebanon-Daily Star
Sleiman, Allawi discuss strengthening bilateral ties -Daily Star
Fadlallah: Spy cells signal broad Israeli access -Daily Star
Lebanon issues arrest warrant for Siddiq -Daily Star
France to help train Lebanese prison wardens -Daily Star
Beirut seminar looks at deficiencies in water management-Daily Star
Feirce electoral battle looms over one of Sidon's two seats -Daily Star
UN chief cites reports of factions in Lebanon using child soldiers-Daily Star
Egyptian media says Hizbullah cell planned bombings in Taba -Daily Star
Syria bans Lebanese newspaper for criticizing Aoun-Ya Libnan
Difficult Issues Remain in Lebanon-Syria Relations-World Politics Review
Security forces arrest killers of 65-year-old man -Daily Star
LF students to sue Bassil, bodyguards for assault -Daily Star
Haifa Wehbe says 'I do' in private wedding ceremony-(AFP)

McCain defends Napolitano by saying 9-11 terrorists did come from Canada
Fri Apr 24,
By Lee-Anne Goodman, The Canadian Press
WASHINGTON - John McCain is the latest high-profile politician to repeat the diehard American falsehood that the 9-11 terrorists entered the United States through Canada.
Just days after Janet Napolitano, the U.S. homeland security secretary, sparked a diplomatic kerfuffle by suggesting the terrorists took a Canadian route to the U.S. eight years ago, McCain defended her by saying that, in fact, the former Arizona governor was correct.
"Well, some of the 9-11 hijackers did come through Canada, as you know," McCain, last year's Republican presidential candidate, said on Fox News on Friday.
The Arizona senator's remarks prompted the Canadian embassy to immediately reissue remarks made earlier this week by Ambassador Michael Wilson, who reminded Americans once again that no 9-11 perpetrators came to the U.S. via Canada.
"Unfortunately, misconceptions arise on something as fundamental as where the 9-11 terrorists came from," Wilson said.
"As the 9-11 Commission reported in July 2004, all of the 9-11 terrorists arrived in the U.S. from outside North America. They flew to major U.S. airports. They entered the U.S. with documents issued to them by the U.S. government. No 9-11 terrorists came from Canada."
Crestfallen embassy officials contacted McCain's office soon after his Fox News remarks to set the record straight. McCain, an avid supporter of NAFTA and a powerful friend to Canada on Capitol Hill, recently visited the Canadian Embassy and had lunch with Wilson.
The normally reserved Wilson made his 9-11 remarks on Tuesday following a CBC interview in which Napolitano appeared to believe that the hijackers entered the U.S. from Canada.
She later said she had misunderstood a question asked during the interview and was well aware there had been no Canadian 9-11 connection, but added that the Canada-U.S. border had, in the past, posed a security risk to Americans.
The next day, Napolitano appeared at a border conference and suggested Canada was more lax in its immigration policies than the U.S., alleging Canadian authorities allow people into the country that would not pass muster south of the border.
Napolitano has also ruffled diplomatic feathers with her insistence that the Canadian border must not be treated any differently than the U.S.-Mexican boundary, where a drug war rages and countless illegal immigrants flood into America every year.
McCain expressed some sympathy for Canada on that front on Friday.
"The difference, obviously, is, with all due respect to the Mexicans, there's not corruption on our northern border," he told Fox News. "And, unfortunately, there is significant corruption, great corruption and drug cartels on our southern border."
In Washington for G7 and G20 meetings on Friday, Canada's finance minister expressed frustration that the Canada 9-11 myth lives on.
"It's unfortunate that what is a statement that is not true is being repeated from time to time," Jim Flaherty said. "It's just factually wrong ... I would hope that people wouldn't want to make statements that are inaccurate so that we won't hear much of that anymore."

Geagea: Coming Elections to Determine Which Lebanon We Want
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said that the coming June parliamentary elections shall determine "which Lebanon we want."
During a meeting with supporters for launching the electoral machinery for March 14 Forces in Baabda on Saturday, Geagea said: "the other party believes that Baabda district is in its own pocket, while the district is in no one's pocket."
"Baabda shall confront forgeries, false promises, bright slogans that distort facts as well as those that dig non-existing mass graves. If you want Lebanon in the state it is now with unlimited arms and a semi state, if you want the Lebanon of assassinations and instability, if you want the truly corrupt Lebanon that began in 1990, then go safely and vote for March 8 Forces," Geagea said.
He ended by urging supporters to vote for the cedar revolution and March 14 Forces if they seek a just country, the Special Tribunal, a Lebanon of knowledge, stability, culture, ambition and creativity.
Beirut, 25 Apr 09, 17:54

Moussa: Differences Between Egypt and Hizbullah Left to Diplomatic Initiatives
Naharnet/Arab League chief Amr Moussa discussed with the country's three top leaders on Saturday the upcoming parliamentary elections, the crisis between Egypt and Hizbullah and latest developments in Lebanon and the region.
Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa denied news that he is in Beirut to help settle the Egypt-Hizbullah crisis.
"This issue is to be left to ongoing diplomatic initiatives, there is no need to talk about this now," Moussa said.
When asked by reporters whether he has any solution to offer on the current crisis his reply was quick and to the point saying: "I represent the Arab League, if you have any question concerning the Egyptian stance then I urge you to pose your question to the Egyptian ambassador."
Moussa again refused to comment on the Egypt-Hizbullah crisis, but managed a diplomatic response saying: "However, I would like to refer your attention to President Michel Suleiman's statements to the daily [pan –Arab] al-Hayat when he spoke of quiet and diplomatic efforts that he is undertaking as are others."
Moussa denied news that he would be carrying a Lebanese message to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on the issue.
"I arrived to Beirut this time to participate in celebrating Beirut as 'World Book Capital' this is also an opportunity to meet with friends and with Speaker Berri who is a friend, naturally we talk about existing issues be it the [parliamentary] elections, the Lebanese and regional situation," Moussa told reporters.
He wished the Lebanese good elections.
Moussa met with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri and Premier Fouad Saniora before heading to UNESCO palace to attend a ceremony to announce Beirut "World Book Capital City 2009."
The president, the speaker and the prime minister also attended the ceremony.
Moussa said after meeting Saniora at the Grand Serail that he was following up the elections closely and that the issue of the alleged Hizbullah cell arrested in Egypt was part of his discussions. Beirut, 25 Apr 09, 12:31

New York man gets six years in jail for airing Al-Manar
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Associated Press
NEW YORK: A Pakistani immigrant whom a prosecutor called "Hizbullah's man in New York City" has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison for airing the Lebanese group's television station. US District Judge Richard M. Berman handed down a sentence of five years and nine months to Javed Iqbal, who had pleaded guilty in December to providing aid to a terrorist group. Iqbal, 45, admitted as part of a plea agreement that he used satellite dishes on his Staten Island home to distribute broadcasts of Al-Manar, the TV station of Hizbullah. Assistant US Attorney Eric Snyder said Iqbal recruited Al-Manar, even traveling to "the belly of the beast, South Beirut," to meet with its general manager. "He was, in a very real sense, Hizbullah's man in New York City," Snyder said.
Snyder said Iqbal bought special satellite equipment to allow Al-Manar to provide 24-hour programming from November 2005 through May 2006 so Hizbullah could use it to recruit followers and suicide bombers. Prosecutors said that Iqbal's business was paid $28,000 monthly for at least five months for airing the station to its North American customers. Iqbal's lawyer, Josh Dratel, said his client didn't intend to aid Hizbullah as he tried to build his Brooklyn-based satellite television company, HDTV Limited. Dratel called the airing of Al-Manar "one discreet and narrow aspect" of an otherwise legitimate broadcasting company that also aired Christian programming, adult entertainment, a Jamaican channel and a gay and lesbian channel. Before Iqbal was sentenced, he had Dratel read aloud a statement he had written. The statement said that he did not make any profit by airing Al-Manar and that the resulting criminal charges had "hurt me financially, emotionally and physically." It asked for leniency from the judge. In court papers, Dratel argued that Iqbal does not possess any ideology sympathetic to terrorism or other political doctrine, and he noted that one of HDTV's partners was a city police officer.

Syria bans Lebanese newspaper for criticizing Aoun
Naharnet/Published: Friday, 24 April, 2009 @ 7:59 PM in Beirut
Beirut - Reporters Without Borders issued the following statement with regards to the banning by Syria of the distribution of Lebanese newspaper Al-Diyar and the threats that have been made against its editor, Charles Ayoub for criticizing General Michel Aoun. Reporters Without Borders condemns the distribution ban which the Syrian authorities have imposed on the privately-owned Lebanese daily Al-Diyar since 22 April and the threats that have been made against its editor, Charles Ayoub, a Lebanese politician with a pro-Syrian stance. The ban follows the publication in the newspaper of a series of columns by Ayoub criticizing another politician with a pro-Syrian position, Michel Aoun, accusing him of corruption. The two men are rival candidates in the June parliamentary elections for the Mount Lebanon district.
“Political tension is mounting in Lebanon in the run-up to the election,” Reporters Without Borders said. “The Syrian ban on Al-Diyar is further evidence of this. Nonetheless, the political in-fighting should spare the media and allow room for a wide range of views to be expressed.”Al-Diyar has been having problems ever since Ayoub announced that he would be a rival pro-Syrian candidate to Aoun in the election. Several issues were censored in Syria in recent months. The activities of its journalists have been monitored. And Ayoub was told he would be killed if he did not stop publishing his controversial columns. The Syrian distribution ban, introduced on 22 April until further notice, has reinforced the impression that the pro-Syrian camp has closed ranks against Ayoub’s candidacy in the elections.
Ayoub told Reporters Without Borders: “I refuse to change the content of my newspaper despite the warnings I have received. I will continue to express my opinions about the elections and the candidates, and about corruption. For example, I proposed to Michel Aoun that we both release our bank account details for the sake of more transparency. I am surprised by this ban, but it is the censors who decide.”

Ban Condemns Hizbullah Activities Outside Lebanon
Naharnet/U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon expressed concern about Hizbullah operations outside Lebanese territories, saying interference in another country's internal affairs constitutes a violation of sovereignty. Despite major steps forward in the implementation of resolution 1559, "Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias continue to threaten the stability of the country," Ban said in his six-month report to the U.N. Security Council Thursday. He also expressed concern about the possibility of violations of an embargo on arms smuggling through the Syrian border, saying Hizbullah continues to claim that it has acquired more advanced military technology.
Ban said there should be more cooperation between Syrian authorities and Lebanon to control the border.
He said Hizbullah continues to possess huge military infrastructure capabilities, in clear violation of 1559. In the 9th report on 1559, the U.N. chief also said he was worried about statements made by the Hizbullah leadership during the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, in which it urged the Egyptian army to back Hamas fighters.
Such remarks "reveal that Hizbullah operates outside Lebanese territories," according to Ban. "I condemn the unjustified interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign country," he stressed, saying the disarming of Hizbullah and its transformation to a political party are necessary for Lebanon to regain its full sovereignty and political independence. That's why Ban urged all parties that have influence on Hizbullah, in particular Iran and Syria, "to encourage this process."
He also touched in his report on the issue of the alleged Hizbullah cell seized in Cairo for planning attacks in Egyptian territories.
The Secretary-General reiterated that the presence of arms and training carried out by different militias across Lebanon constitute a challenge to the Lebanese Armed Forces. Resolution 1559, adopted in September 2004, called for the withdrawal of the Syrian army from Lebanon, the holding of elections without foreign intervention and the disbanding of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias in Lebanon. The report said the presence of armed groups and militias create an atmosphere of fear during the period of parliamentary elections. Ban slammed the deadly assault on a Lebanese army patrol in the Bekaa valley on April 13, saying the attack is a clear indication of the spread of arms and the presence of armed groups which constitute a direct threat to the country's stability. As for Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, the report said there was tension lately between members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Hamas, stressing that it was time to implement a 2006 decision by Lebanese leaders to disarm Palestinian factions outside the camps. Beirut, 25 Apr 09, 07:49

Hizbullah: give us authority or we obstruct the government
Date: April 24th, 2009 Source: Future News
Prominent governmental sources commented on Friday on the latest statements of Hizbullah’s leaders, including that of MP Muhammad Raad.
Hizbullah’s leaders declared that the effects of the Doha agreement will reside after the June 7 parliamentary elections, regardless of the elections’ results.
MP Muhammad Raad declared on Thursday that ‘March 8’ alliance seeks to acquire the majority of the parliament in order to eliminate the effects of the practices the ‘March 14’ coalition had done since the elections of 2005. The sources described Raad’s statement as “dangerous” adding that it indicates that the political polarization will remain after the elections, and that the issues that were imposed after the assassination of martyr PM Rafic Hariri will prevail over the upcoming phase.
The sources pointed out that the main problem in the precedent phase was that ‘March 8’ coalition refused to recognize the results of the elections of 2005, denying the parliament’s majority its right to govern the country. The sources added that the ‘March 8’ alliance has declared that if ‘March 14’ coalition won the elections, it will not change its former policy and will demand the right to veto the government’s decisions and to block the parliament. On the other hand, the opposition says that it is seeking to obtain the majority of the parliament to erase the effects of ‘March 14’ coalition. According to the same sources, these statements carry dangerous connotations that include in addition to regular decisions, other significant decisions such as the international tribunal and the related issues.
The sources concluded that ‘March 8’ coalition declines to recognize its counterpart unless the latter was under its authority and unless it submitted to its decisions.
“Practically, the leaders of ‘March 8’ alliance are saying: it is either that we govern the country and seize the authority, or we will obstruct the government in case the ‘March 14’ coalition won”, the sources said.

Opposition’s project: Authority rather than the state
Date: April 25th, 2009 Source: Future News
All of the Lebanese must be aware that if the sovereign project of ‘March 14’ coalition did not prevail during the June 7 parliamentary elections we would all be in a highly dangerous phase. Lebanon now is at a grave crossroad, which does not tolerate engaging in narrow estimations. The ballots to be casted on the 7th of June will determine the general direction of the country, which is one of the two: either to return to the tutelage regime or to move forward with the project of “building the state” rather than taking over the authority as the minority is trying to do. The project of the minority is only about authority and occupying it, which is proved through the insistence of the leaders of ‘March 8’ alliance on the right to veto, or the “obstructing third”. What does the minority mean with the slogan ‘resistance’ which it raises at the expense of civil peace and the blood of the Lebanese in all regions, and what is the political scope and the costs of this slogan? How will ‘change and reform’ be implemented without providing the mechanisms of political, economic, and social stability, and within the opposition’s insistence on “obstruction” under the pretext of participation? The Lebanese have experienced all kinds of slogans, and they all know that it costs lives and blood, poverty and displacement. The Lebanese also know that the agreements and settlements heaved by these slogans were plunged instantly due to a composite regional decision by the Syrian Regime, Israel and the US. This phase is history and Lebanon will not return to it no matter how high the costs were, and everyone should remember that rigidity in politics prompts wars, and that displaying military power arouses a similar action. Imagine how our country would be within such a quandary?

Lieberman: World leaders must drop 'land for peace' slogans, stop Iran'
Date: April 24th, 2009 Source: Jerusalem post
The international community has to "stop speaking in slogans" if it really wants to help the new Israeli government work toward a solution to the Palestinian conflict and help bring stability to the Middle East, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday, in his first interview with an Israeli newspaper since taking the job. "Over the last two weeks I've had many conversations with my colleagues around the world," he said. "Just today, I saw the political adviser to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Chinese foreign minister and the Czech prime minister. And everybody, you know, speaks with you like you're in a campaign: Occupation, settlements, settlers..."
Slogans like these, and others Lieberman cited, such as "land for peace" and "two-state solution," were both overly simplistic and ignored the root causes of the ongoing conflict, he said. The fact was, said the Israel Beiteinu leader, that the Palestinian issue was "deadlocked" despite the best efforts of a series of dovish Israeli governments. "Israel has proved its good intentions, our desire for peace," he said. The path forward, he said, lay in ensuring security for Israel, an improved economy for the Palestinians, and stability for both. "Economy, security, stability," he repeated. "It's impossible to artificially impose any political solution. It will fail, for sure. You cannot start any peace process from nothing. You must create the right situation, the right focus, the right conditions."
He said the government would be completing its thorough foreign policy review in the next two weeks, and that it would be made public for the first time at the scheduled May 18 White House talks between US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
The foreign minister spoke as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Israel on Thursday that it risks losing Arab support for combating threats from Iran if it rejects peace negotiations with the Palestinians. Clinton said Arab nations had conditioned helping Israel counter Iran on Jerusalem's commitment to the peace process.
In the course of his wide-ranging interview, which will appear in full in Tuesday's Jerusalem Post Independence Day supplement, Lieberman insistently refused to rule in, or rule out, Palestinian statehood alongside Israel as the essence of a permanent accord, but emphatically endorsed Netanyahu's declared desire not to rule over a single Palestinian. Equally emphatically, he said no peace proposal that so much as entertained the notion of a "right of return" to Israel for Palestinian refugees could serve as a basis for negotiation.
"It cannot be on the table. I'm not ready to even discuss the 'right of return' of even one refugee," he said. But he also made clear that Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state was not a precondition for progress. "You know, we don't want to torpedo the process," he said. "But somebody who really wants a solution, somebody who really desires a real peace and a real agreement, must realize that this would be impossible to achieve without recognizing Israel as a Jewish state."
Lieberman said the new government would have no dealings with Hamas, which needed to be "suffocated," and that the international community also had to maintain the long-standing Quartet preconditions for dealing with the Islamist group.
The real reason for the deadlock with the Palestinians, said Lieberman, "is not occupation, not settlements and not settlers. This conflict is really a very deep conflict. It started like other national conflicts. [But] today it's a more religious conflict. Today you have the influence of some non-rational players, like al-Qaida."
And the biggest obstacle to any comprehensive solution, he said, "is not Israel. It is not the Palestinians. It's the Iranians."
Lieberman said the prime responsibility for thwarting Iran's march to a nuclear capability lay with the international community, not Israel, and especially the five permanent members of the Security Council. He was confident that stringent economic sanctions could yet achieve the desired result, and said he did not even "want to think about the consequences of a crazy nuclear arms race in the region." He said it would be "impossible to resolve any problem in our region without resolving the Iranian problem." This, he said, related to Lebanon, Syria and problems with Islamic extremist terror in Egypt, the Gaza Strip and Iraq.
Nonetheless, Lieberman stressed that Israel did not regard stopping Iran as a precondition for Israeli efforts to make progress with the Palestinians. Quite the reverse, he said. "No, we must start with the Palestinian issues because it's our interest to resolve this problem. But there should be no illusions. To achieve an agreement, to achieve an end of conflict, with no more bloodshed, no more terror, no more claims - that's impossible until Iran [is addressed]."
Noting what he called Syria's deepening ties with Iran, Lieberman said he saw no point whatsoever in resuming the indirect talks with Damascus conducted by the last government. "We don't see any good will from the Syrian side," he said. "Only the threats, like 'If you're not ready to talk, we'll retake the Golan by military action...'"
Asked whether it troubled him to be perceived as an extremist in some circles, including overseas, Lieberman laughed and said, "So it's easy for me to surprise them."
He said he believed his international colleagues "respect me, and that they understand that I say what I mean, and I mean every word that I say."
As to whether his legal problems - he is under police investigation for alleged corruption - or other factors might lead to his ouster from the job, he said he believed this coalition would serve its full term, and that he would serve the full term as foreign minister.

Moussa Discusses Alleged Hizbullah Cell, Polls with Lebanese Leaders
Naharnet/Arab League chief Amr Moussa discussed with the country's three top leaders on Saturday the upcoming parliamentary elections, the crisis between Egypt and Hizbullah and latest developments in Lebanon and the region. Moussa met with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri and Premier Fouad Saniora before heading to UNESCO palace to attend a ceremony to announce Beirut "World Book Capital City 2009." The president, the speaker and the prime minister also attended the ceremony. Moussa said after meeting Saniora at the Grand Serail that he was following up the elections closely and that the issue of the alleged Hizbullah cell arrested in Egypt was part of his discussions. Beirut, 25 Apr 09, 12:31

Report: Mossad-Linked Cell Arrested in South
Naharnet/Security forces arrested on Saturday a cell linked to the Israeli Mossad in southern Lebanon, Future News TV reported. The TV station said police arrested three members of the cell during raids in Jezzine, Nabatiyeh and Sidon. Voice of Lebanon radio said, however, that security forces arrested a person from al-Mantash family in Nabatiyeh and a Palestinian named al-Awad in Sidon. It added that authorities were still looking for the third suspect. Police lately uncovered an Israel spy network dubbed "al-Alam cell." Former security services officer Brigadier General Adib al-Alam, his wife Hayat Saloumi and nephew Joseph Semaan al-Alam -- also a security official – were charged on Thursday with spying for Israel. They are accused of informing Israel about Lebanese and Syrian military and civilian sites with the aim of facilitating Israeli attacks. Beirut, 25 Apr 09, 12:16

Bellemare Sticks to April 27 Deadline
Naharnet/The international tribunal's general prosecutor Daniel Bellemare has asked pre-trial judge Daniel Fransen not to extend the April 27 deadline for announcing his decision regarding the fate of the top four security generals held in connection with the murder case of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri.
Fransen had issued a ruling asking Bellemare to "either justify the need to keep the prisoners in Lebanon in custody or to order their release by April 27."
Informed sources told An Nahar daily in remarks published Saturday that Bellemare will officially inform Fransen about his decision on the four generals on Monday.
Sources in The Hague told As Safir newspaper that Fransen will announce his decision in the same week, probably Tuesday or Wednesday which means that the four generals could possibly be released either Wednesday or Thursday.
The four generals are Jamil Sayyed, Ali Hajj, Raymond Azar and Mustafa Hamdan who respectively headed the General Security Department, the Internal Security Forces, Military Intelligence and the Presidential Guards Brigade. Meanwhile, the interior ministry announced that it received from the justice ministry a copy of the "Order on Conditions of Detention" issued by the Special Tribunal's president Antonio Cassesse. The ministry said it immediately referred the order to the general directorate of the internal security forces for implementation of Cassesse's decision. The cabinet, in its turn, discussed the issue of a Memorandum of Understanding between Lebanon and the court. An Nahar quoted ministerial sources as saying that the relations between the two sides should be settled ahead of an expected visit by the tribunal's president to Lebanon. However, March 8 ministers refused again to sign the MoU, agreeing to give the justice minister the authority to coordinate with the court. Beirut, 25 Apr 09, 09:18

Suleiman Welcomes Any Majority that Has Constitution's Spirit
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman said he welcomes any majority that would be formed after the parliamentary elections, stressing such a majority should include all sects. "Such a majority can rule if it includes representatives from all factions, meaning it could resemble the constitution's spirit," Suleiman told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat in an interview published Saturday. He reminded that in the past few years Lebanon was similar to a two-party state. "This is something difficult in a country that has 17 or 18 sects." Suleiman expected that the June 7 elections would lead to close results between the March 8 and 14 forces.
The president also reiterated that the presence of independent MPs is "healthier for political and democratic life."
As for ties with Syria, Suleiman described his relations with Syrian President Bashar Assad as "excellent," stressing that there was "mutual respect" between the two leaders. Syrian authorities "are ready to reconsider singed agreements between the two countries if the Lebanese side and its constitutional authorities consider that they (the treaties) include articles that are against their interests," the president told al-Hayat from Baabda palace. He lauded the decision to establish diplomatic ties with Syria and to exchange ambassadors between the two countries, saying "what looks impossible at times could become possible at another time." About the crisis between Egypt and Hizbullah and reports that Lebanese official institutions were aware of forging the passport of the alleged Hizbullah cell leader, Suleiman said: "Until now these are only media reports. Our policy in this subject is calm in order to find a solution." "This issue shouldn't be talked about much. The state is performing its duties and the president is dealing with the issue in order to find a just solution for everyone," Suleiman stressed. Beirut, 25 Apr 09, 08:37

Berri Ready to Ally Himself with Mustaqbal in Beirut 2 District
Naharnet/In an unexpected move, al-Mustaqbal movement leader Saad Hariri visited Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh Friday night to discuss formation of a list in Beirut 2 district. Berri had told An Nahar newspaper ahead of the meeting that he was ready to enter in a bilateral alliance with the movement in Beirut 2 to implement the Doha agreement. Hariri's visit to Berri came after he met with Hajj Hussein Khalil as part of efforts to settle the issue of Beirut 2 after it was not possible to give Nuhad Mashnouq and Hani Qobeisi uncontested wins as a result of former MP Adnan Araqji's insistence to run in the elections against Mustaqbal candidate Mashnouq. As Safir newspaper said the list that includes Mashnouq and Qobeisi is expected to be announced next week. The announcement will come amid formation of a coordination bureau between al-Mustaqbal and Berri's Amal movement. As for Hariri's Beirut 3 ticket, its announcement is awaiting the final touches on the negotiations with Jamaa Islamiya to include its candidate Imad Hout in the list. As Safir quoted Hariri as telling his visitors that he will not abandon Jamaa Islamiya unless it does so first. A meeting will be held between Hariri and former MP Asaad Harmoush from the Jamaa leadership on Saturday, according to al-Liwaa newspaper.
It quoted a source from the grouping as saying that Jamaa was not ready to enter into an alliance with MP Ousama Saad in Sidon even if there was no agreement with al-Mustaqbal. Beirut, 25 Apr 09, 09:49

Rulings Against Alleged Hizbullah Cell Not Subject to Appeal
Naharnet/Egyptian judicial sources said the upcoming 7-25 year imprisonment verdicts against 49 alleged Hizbullah cell members will not be subject to appeal.
The sources told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat that the case could be referred either to a military or emergency court, adding that any ruling by either two courts won't be subject to appeal. The verdict will be issued against 49 people, 24 of them in absentia. The Egyptian prosecution is currently getting more information on key Hizbullah suspect Mohammed Qabalan pending a decision to ask Lebanon to hand him over to Egypt or bring him to trial. Beirut, 25 Apr 09, 11:49

Cabinet: Elections Security and No Appointments
Naharnet/Cabinet on Friday failed to deal with administrative appointments linked to the parliamentary elections but agreed to prioritize the issue of security on the eve of the parliamentary elections. The issue of appointments wasn't even discussed, according to Information Minister Tareq Mitri. An Nahar daily said Saturday that President Michel Suleiman asked Minister of Administrative Reform Ibrahim Shamseddine to postpone discussion of the subject so that all appointments, including Constitutional Council membership, are carried out in a single basket. Several ministers told al-Liwaa newspaper at the end of the cabinet meeting held at Baabda palace that there were no intentions to make the appointments. The ministers also ruled out holding a cabinet session next week because of Suleiman's scheduled three-day visit to Britain. Tourism Minister Elie Marouni told LBC on Saturday that until now there has been no suggestion of names for administrative appointments. He added that he didn't expect a session for appointments next week because of the president's planned trip abroad. The government, however, stressed the need to adopt strict security measures on the eve of the June 7 elections. Beirut, 25 Apr 09, 11:02

Aoun Awaits Berri's Answer to his Proposal on Jezzine
Naharnet/The discord between Speaker Nabih Berri and Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun over Jezzine district is still dependent on Hizbullah mediation amid reports that the MP is waiting for an approval by Berri on his proposal. As Safir newspaper said a new round of talks were held on Friday between Aoun and a Hizbullah delegation headed by Hajj Hussein Khalil who kept contact with Berri to inform him about latest developments.
Berri circles said that "every problem has a solution" while Hizbullah circles insisted that the party is working on preventing the formation of two opposition lists that would run against a March 14 ticket in Jezzine. Al-Liwaa newspaper, however, said that Aoun is still waiting for answers from Berri and Hizbullah on proposals he made to solve the problem. The proposals include: The withdrawal of Berri's candidate MP Samir Azar or formation of a list by the Free Patriotic Movement that would be backed by opposition forces or leave options free, including Azar running on a single-seat basis. A meeting will be held in the next few hours between Amal, Hizbullah and FPM representatives to find an "adequate solution," according to the daily. Beirut, 25 Apr 09, 10:15

Jordan Denies Abdullah Accusation of a Hizbullah Coup
Naharnet/An informed Jordanian source denied King Abdullah had told several U.S. lawmakers that he was concerned about a Hizbullah coup against the Lebanese government after the parliamentary elections. The source denied to An Nahar newspaper a claim by U.S. congressman Mark Kirk that Abdullah had expressed concern about the possible Hizbullah coup in the aftermath of the elections. The source stressed that Abdullah told the lawmakers he expected Hizbullah to win in the elections that would be held in a "calm atmosphere." "The king never talked about a coup. He only said that Hizbullah is claiming it would win the majority in parliament," the source told An Nahar. Beirut, 25 Apr 09, 10:32

Murr Meets Geagea: I Agree With March 14 Forces Stance on State Legitimacy
Naharnet/Parliament member Michel Murr said he is running as an independent candidate in the 2009 elections. However, he added that he agrees with March 14 Forces stance concerning the Lebanese state and legitimacy. Following his first meeting with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea at his residence in Maarab on Friday, Murr told reporters: "The independent [electoral] list in the Metn [region] and that of March 14 Forces includes the Lebanese Phalange and Lebanese Forces in addition to independent candidates." Murr said, that he had discussed with Geagea details that would ensure the full list's victory. Murr expressed his hope that Metn voters should "reflect about their current legislative representatives, their record in terms of strikes, political infighting, slandering the Christian Maronite patriarchy and in dividing the Christian line." He called on Metn residents to hold their MPs accountable, himself included, adding that he personally pulled out of his coalition with MP Michel Aoun because of such practices. Beirut, 24 Apr 09, 22:21

Lebanese Forces Accuse Minister Bassil's Bodyguards of Assault
Naharnet/The Lebanese Forces (LF) Student's Section accused the bodyguards of telecommunications minister Jebran Bassil of assaulting students on their way back from Batroun. In a published statement on Friday the LF Students Section said that they had established "friendly checkpoints" commemorating the 2005 withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon, two bodyguards for minister Bassil slandered (LF) young people on their way back from Batroun.
The statement said that this erupted into an attack on a vehicle at another checkpoint by the bodyguards resulting in three injuries. It went on to add that the LF Students Section reserves the right to take legal action against his bodyguards, holding the minister accountable for the incident. Beirut, 24 Apr 09, 21:41

Qahwaji: The Army Stands on Equal Basis With All Parties During Elections
Naharnet/Lebanese army Commander Jean Qahwaji said during a meeting with high military officers on Friday that the armed forces play an important role in defending the nation and maintaining its stability regardless of regional and international developments. He added that the armed forces are to remain on equal distance with all Lebanese political parties at the June legislative elections. Qahwaji said: "the basic principle for the military in maintaining security is to chase criminals and deal with security incidents…the army is the extended arm of the state, it is the protector of all Lebanese regions, sects and people." He pointed the military successes of the army during the 2008 campaign at the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al Bared against Fatah al-Islam terrorists adding that terrorist elements targeting the military in Tripoli last summer were arrested "while our cooperation with a friendly and brotherly state continues in working on locating those that had escaped." The military Commander called on the military to remain alert in the south and to employ all available energies in confronting any possible Israeli aggression, and not to allow any party to drag the military into a confrontation whose timing does not suit the nation. "work is ongoing on developing the Lebanese military and its capabilities," Qahwaji said. Beirut, 24 Apr 09, 17:58

Release: International Christian Concern (ICC)
Taliban Executes Two Christians in Karachi, Pakistan
Increasing Instability in Pakistan Puts Minorities at Risk
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 24, 2009) - International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that the Taliban, emboldened by their success in Swat Valley and advance near Islamabad, have attacked a Christian neighborhood and executed two residents after Christians held a rally protesting graffiti ordering them to convert to Islam or die.
On April 20, residents of Taseer Town in Karachi woke up to find pro-Taliban messages chalked onto the walls of two churches. The messages included, "Long Live the Taliban," "Talibanization is our goal," and "Embrace Islam or Prepare to Die." The next day, the Christians residents staged a protest in the hopes of attracting the attention of the local government to provide protection. Officials, however, did nothing.
The night of the protest, April 21, more than 100 masked terrorists invaded Taseer Town with automatic rifles. The terrified Christian residents ran to their homes and locked themselves inside.
According to Asif Stephen, a Christian politician, one of the protesters said, "We were protesting peacefully and all of sudden, a few militants carrying the latest weapons rushed in. Some of the attackers entered homes and pillaged money and jewelry and abused the women and burned their properties. The elderly were injured and one child fell to the ground and died in my friend's arms."
The Taliban militants went door to door, breaking into Christian homes and dragging the elderly and the women out into the street by their hair. The Taliban leaders shouted, "You infidels have to convert to Islam or die. Why did you wash up warnings inscribed on walls of church and home doors? How dare you are to take out procession against Taliban?"
The terrorists sexually assaulted several women and physically abused dozens more with clubs, iron rods, and whips. They set a number of homes on fire. When two Christians resisted, the militants killed them execution-style directly in front of their families. The identity of those killed has not yet been confirmed.
According to AsiaNews, police have arrested seven of the Taliban militants involved in the attack. However, they are unsure who was behind the incident.
Jeremy Sewall, ICC's Advocacy Director, said, "The Pakistani government has created an opening for terrorists to attack Christians indiscriminately by acceding to their demands in the Swat Valley. Formerly, Christians in the major cities of Pakistan experienced discrimination, but up till now they had not had to fear threats of forced conversion or execution on a wide scale. This attack is a harbinger of worse to come if the Pakistani government continues to cower in the face of Muslim radicals."
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You are free to disseminate this news story. We request that you reference ICC (International Christian Concern) and include our web address, www.persecution.org.

Fact and fiction
By: Jailan Halawi /Al-Ahram Weekly
Jailan Halawi sifts through the confusion surrounding news reports of the uncovering of a Hizbullah cell in Egypt
News that a Hizbullah cell had been uncovered in Egypt has dominated the domestic media agenda since it broke. That the cell was allegedly intent on using Egyptian territory to launch a spate of retaliatory operations against Israeli interests and targets has sent national security analysts into a tailspin.
The first news item appeared on Wednesday 8 April, announcing the arrest of 49 Hizbullah members and sympathisers led by a Lebanese national, Sami Shehab. The group was soon being dubbed by the press as a "Hizbullah cell", suspected of smuggling weapons and ammunition, plotting attacks, spying, forging official documents and preparing explosive devices. It was then revealed that members of the group had in fact been arrested between December and January, that of the 49 suspected recruits 13 remain at large, Shehab's real name was Mohamed Youssef Mansour and that the operations being planned against Israeli targets were intended to avenge last year's assassination in Damascus of Hizbullah military leader Imad Mughniyeh.
It is unclear what reasons lie behind the timing of the decision to reveal the news.
On Thursday 9 April Prosecutor General Mahmoud Abdel-Meguid ordered the men be remanded for 15 more days pending investigations. During interrogation on Tuesday, Shehab denied all charges. On 10 April Hizbullah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, said in a televised speech by the group's Lebanese based Al-Manar satellite channel, that "brother Shehab" belonged to Hizbullah and was in Egypt strictly on "a logistical mission". Nasrallah denied there was any intention of conducting armed missions or espionage.
While acknowledging that Shehab led a Cairo-based cell of nearly 10 members, Nasrallah insisted his only task was to "provide logistical help to Palestinian brothers, transporting ammunition and individuals for the benefit of the resistance inside Palestine".
Hizbullah supports Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other groups in Gaza.
A security source, speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly on the customary condition of anonymity, insists that any aid offered to the Palestinian resistance must be done in such a way that "neither violates the sovereignty of other countries nor places their national security at stake".
The source added that "regardless of how Nasrallah wants to portray himself, what he said [in his speech] provides the Egyptian authorities with enough reason to raise charges against him along with his cell".
Shehab is reported to have been moved to head logistical operations following an injury sustained in 2006 while fighting Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon. Both his parents are said to have been killed in the conflict.
The network is said to include 12 Egyptians along with Palestinian, Lebanese, Syrian and Sudanese members of the cell. Security sources say the suspects were found to have $2 million in funds as well as quantities of weapons and ammunition. The group is thought to have rented an apartment building in Cairo along with additional properties, in Southern Egypt, in several Red Sea resorts, a villa on the Suez Canal and apartments close to the Israeli border, in order to keep the ships they allegedly wish to target under close surveillance.
Meanwhile, security forces are combing the Sinai Peninsula in pursuit of 13 missing Hizbullah operatives. Ten are believed to be Lebanese and the remaining three from Sudan. They are thought to have taken refuge in the rugged mountains of Nekhil and Wadi Firan. There have also been reports of a search for three Palestinians in the Sedran area, near Nuweiba.
When news of the cell first broke preliminary reports appeared claiming the prosecutor- general had concluded the case. Yet when political analysts and lawyers sympathetic to Hizbullah questioned the legality of a case built on "investigations" in which the suspects had no legal representation claims that the case had been concluded were retracted, with the relevant authorities saying that the interrogations were ongoing. Reports that the Bar Association had refrained from defending any of the suspects also proved untrue. In recent days it became clear Islamist Lawyer Montasser El-Zayat was defending Shehab and 12 other suspects, leading a team of three lawyers affiliated to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.
On Tuesday El-Zayat said Shehab had asked him to convey his apologies to Nasrallah for failing to accomplish his "logistical mission" and also to reveal that though Shehab had requested permission to conduct retaliatory operations for Mughniyeh's assassination against Israeli targets in Sinai that permission had been refused.
Soon after, El-Zayat denied he had said that.
Sources close to the investigations contradict El-Zayat's account of Shehab's request, saying he had already confessed to taking orders from Nasrallah to conduct armed operations against tourists, both from Israel and other countries, in Egypt, using suicide attacks, booby-trapped vehicles and by planting bombs.
In a seemingly unconnected development, an Israeli tourist vacationing with his family in Nuweiba was stabbed by a Libyan worker on Monday, announced South Sinai Governor Mohamed Hani Metwalli. The injured man was taken to the Israeli coastal city of Eilat and treated at the Yoseftal Hospital. Hospital officials say he was released after receiving stitches for wounds to his face. His assailant managed to flee, leaving behind his passport, and is currently being sought by the police.

Egyptian media says Hizbullah cell planned bombings in Taba
Customs officials to take special measures with Lebanese
Daily Star staff
Saturday, April 25, 2009
BEIRUT: Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for Arab Affairs Salaheddine Abdel-Rahman disclosed information to Arab ambassadors in Cairo on Friday on the investigation into the alleged Hizbullah cell suspected of carrying out operations in Egypt, Egyptian media said.
According to the reports, an Egyptian security official said Friday that strict instructions were issued to the country's Interior Ministry, specifically to seaport and airport officials in charge of checking Lebanese passports and identity cards.
"A legal source added that the members of the alleged cell would be brought before the Egyptian court next week," the reports said.
Meanwhile, interrogation of the so-called Hizbullah cell has uncovered that the group was tasked with monitoring the Suez Canal, Egyptian media reports said.
Press reports from Egypt on Friday said Hizbullah detainees belonging to a six-member "Port Said cell" have confessed that prime suspect Sami Shehab had assigned them to buy a boat to monitor the Canal.
Egypt's Al-Akhbar newspaper identified them as Ayman Mustafa, Ihab Ahmad, Ihab Assayed, Ibrahim Issam, Mohammad Abdel-Fattah and Hasan al-Manakhli.
It said the detainees also confessed that Shehab, whose real name is Mohammad Youssef Mansour, had asked them to rent a fish shop in Port Said for use as cover to monitor the Suez Canal and ship activity.
Meanwhile, pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat quoted well-informed sources as saying that interrogation has uncovered that the Hizbullah cell, which includes 49 suspects - including Egyptian, Lebanese, Palestinian and Sudanese members - had planned three major car bombing attacks in tourist cities on the Red Sea and the Sinai area.
The sources said the suspects admitted to knowing key Hizbullah suspect Mohammad Qabalan and confessed to meeting him several times.
Interrogation has also revealed that Qabalan was planning, with the help of other Hizbullah intelligence men who accompanied him to Egypt, to carry out three major attacks using explosive belts and booby-trapped cars in Taba, it added.
Sources in Lebanon, meanwhile, told An-Nahar newspaper that Hizbullah was avoiding an escalation of the crisis with Egypt and is showing flexibility toward resolving the issue in the best possible way.
Well-informed sources told the paper that Hizbullah was willing to "turn the page on the crisis" if Egypt hands over Shehab to Lebanese authorities.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Thursday his country will "hit with an iron fist anyone who messes with its national security."
"Egypt will not allow the presence of anti-peace powers on its territories," Mubarak said in a veiled attack on Hizbullah.
Mubarak accused "certain forces" in the Middle East of attempting to harm Egypt's security, adding that the country's enemies were cynically taking advantage of the Palestinians for their own narrow interests.
"We are aware of your plans ... We will expose your plot and catch you," Mubarak vowed. "Stop [exploiting] the Palestinian issue and be warned of Egypt's fury." - The Daily Star, with Naharnet

LF students to sue Bassil, bodyguards for assault
Daily Star staff
Saturday, April 25, 2009
BEIRUT: The Lebanese Forces (LF) Students Office issued a statement on Friday accusing two of the bodyguards of Telecommunications Minister Gibran Bassil of attacking a convoy of LF students which were heading back to the northern coastal town of Beirut. The students had just finished a day-long event organized by the LF to mark the four-year withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. According to the LF statement, Bassil's bodyguards attacked one of the LF cars and "hit with rifles the LF students inside the car." The head of the LF's Students Office Charbel Eid said the LF will file a lawsuit against Bassil and his bodyguards. - The Daily Star

Lebanon issues arrest warrant for Siddiq
By Dalila Mahdawi /Daily Star staff
Saturday, April 25, 2009
BEIRUT: Lebanese Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said Thursday that Lebanon has issued an arrest warrant for a key suspect in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri, despite not receiving any official information regarding his alleged arrest in the United Arab Emirates.
Media reports last week quoted an unidentified Arab diplomat in Dubai as claiming Mohammad Zuhair Siddiq had been arrested in the emirate and that Syria had requested his extradition. In later reports, Siddiq was said to have been transferred to police in Abu Dhabi by their counterparts in Sharjah.
"Lebanon has issued an absentee arrest warrant for this suspect and the Interpol has been informed," Najjar told reporters after a meeting with his French counterpart Rachida Dati. "In all cases, this issue is within the jurisdiction of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon," he added, referring to the UN-sanctioned tribunal tasked with prosecuting Hariri's assassins. The five-time premier was killed along with 22 others in a massive car bomb along Beirut's seafront in February 2005. Lebanon had not received any information from authorities in the UAE, Najjar said.
Siddiq, purportedly a former Syrian intelligence agent, was arrested in a Paris suburb in October 2005 under an international arrest warrant requested by a Lebanese prosecutor. He was placed under house arrest after French authorities refused a request to extradite him to Lebanon, saying they had failed to receive guarantees Siddiq would not face the death penalty if convicted. Siddiq disappeared in March 2008, prompting accusations by his brother that France had "liquidated" him.
In 2006, Siddiq claimed Syrian President Bashar Assad and his then-Lebanese counterpart Emile Lahoud had ordered Hariri's murder. The UN tribunal initially considered Siddiq a key witness in their investigation, but made him a suspect after his testimonies were discredited. Officials at the Hariri tribunal reported in March receiving telephone calls from Siddiq, but said his whereabouts remained a mystery.
Only four other suspects are currently held in connection with Hariri's death - generals Raymond Azar, Ali Hajj, Mustafa Hamdan and Jamil al-Sayyed. The tribunal's general prosecutor Daniel Bellemare will submit his decision on whether the men should be released on April 27, his spokesperson Radia Achoury told As Safir on Friday. Bellemare was eager to stick to the deadline "unless circumstances warrant otherwise," she added.
The four generals have never been formally charged, but were taken into custody on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and terrorism - accusations their lawyers say are based on the Siddiq's discredited testimony. Lebanon's investigative judge Saqr Saqr lifted arrest warrants for the men earlier this month, and the men will most likely be released from Roumieh prison if not charged.

Jumblatt may have caused offense, but at least he speaks the truth
By The Daily Star /Saturday, April 25, 2009
Editorial
There is a politician in Lebanon by the name of Walid Jumblatt. Earlier this month, Jumblatt inadvertently sparked a controversy when his private comments during a political visit were leaked to the public. Jumblatt's remarks about some of his March 14 allies have provoked the usual run of commentary and interpretation, spin and justification, along with a general sense of "how dare he" engage in such sectarian rhetoric.
Whether or not one believes that the issue is a tempest in a teapot, Jumblatt was obliged to send an emissary to Bkirki, to reassure the Maronite patriarch about his stance on Christian-Druze reconciliation, among other things.
In defense of Walid Jumblatt, we should remember a few items from recent history:
He was the one who said he was responsible for sectarian massacres during the Civil War.
He was the one who said he kept two sets of accounting books: one for official tax purposes, and one for keeping track of how his businesses actually ran.
He praised the Islamic resistance to the skies.
He aligned himself with the Syrian regime, and praised Hafez al-Assad to the skies.
He publicly wished death on Paul Wolfowitz, before aligning himself with the Americans and praising the Bush doctrine to the skies.
But if Jumblatt's most recent notoriety is a case of sectarian agitation, Jumblatt's critics should name those politicians who are innocent of such a practice. Let he who is without sectarian sin cast the first stone. Will it be the Phalange? Or the Amal Movement? Or the Lebanese Forces, or Hizbullah? Where are the country's politicians who never engage in such calculations or use such rhetoric?
If one heard the comments of Jumblatt's colleagues in the political class about "the other," the Druze leader's remarks might be quite innocent in comparison.
These other politicians think and talk this way, but they keep it off the record, and they're smart to do so. Jumblatt was "caught" this time, but he's also one of the very, very few who occasionally uses the same language in public.
Jumblatt is a breath of fresh air, because he's the one who tells the Lebanese that there's an ugly reality running the country, the mentality of sectarian calculations and clannishness. Jumblatt doesn't mince words; he raises his hand and points at the problem.
With Jumblatt, you get reality, not sugar-coated lies about coexistence, as if diversity exists nowhere else in the world but Lebanon.
He may not be better than other politicians in this country, but he's certainly not worse.

Lieberman hits out at Iran, rejects talks with Syria
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Saturday, April 25, 2009
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said in an interview published Friday Iran was a key obstacle to resolving the Mideast conflict and rejected resuming indirect talks with Syria. The biggest obstacle to any comprehensive solution "is not Israel, it is not the Palestinians. It's the Iranians." the right-wing minister told the English-language Jerusalem Post
The daily also said Lieberman cited Syria's deepening ties with Iran - Israel's archfoe - and added that he saw no point in resuming the indirect talks with Damascus conducted by the last government.
"We don't see any good will [from] the Syrian side. Only threats like: 'If you're not ready to talk, we'll retake the Golan by military action,'" he said.
An immigrant from the former Soviet Union who lives in a West Bank settlement, Lieberman said the real reason for the deadlock with the Palestinians "is not occupation, not settlements and not settlers."
"It started like other national conflicts ... today it's a more religious conflict," he said.
"And everybody, you know, speaks with you like you're in a campaign: occupation, settlements, settlers," he said, adding that "slogans" like "two-state solution" are overly simplistic and ignore the conflict's root causes.
The Haaretz newspaper reported Friday that Premier Benjamin Netanyahu has criticized EU calls to freeze a planned upgrade of ties until his government commits to the Middle East peace process. "Don't set conditions for us," the daily quoted him as telling visiting Premier Mirek Topolanek of the Czech Republic, which currently holds the EU presidency. "We are in the process of reviewing our policy; don't rush us," Haaretz quoted Netanyahu as saying during the meeting.
The European Commission made it clear Thursday a planned upgrade of bilateral ties would not be implemented at this stage.
"We expect a stop of all activities undermining our objective of a two-state solution," said EU commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, citing the expansion of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories "which is continuing on a daily basis." - AFP, with The Daily Star
l WASHINGTON: Israel risks losing support from Arab nations against Iran if it does not make progress in Mideast peace talks with the Palestinians, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday.
"For Israel to get the kind of strong support it's looking for vis-a-vis Iran, it can't stay on the sidelines with respect to the Palestinians and the peace efforts," Clinton told legislators on the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee. - AFP

Kahwaji urges troops to remain neutral during upcoming vote
Murr announces alliance with LF, Phalange in Metn
Daily Star staff/Saturday, April 25, 2009
BEIRUT: Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) General Jean Kahwaji urged troops on Friday to remain at an equal distance from all Lebanese political groups during the June 7 parliamentary elections. Speaking during a meeting with high-ranking military officers, Kahwaji said the LAF play a key role in defending the nation and preserving its stability, regardless of regional and international developments.
"The basic objective of the military is to maintaining security, to chase criminals and deal with security incidents; the army is the right arm of the state, it is the guardian of all Lebanese regions, sects and people."
"We are working hard to develop the Lebanese military and boost its capabilities," he said.
As Kahwaji spoke to officers Friday, candidates in the polls continued campaigning and alliance building, with two surprise meetings taking place.
Speaker Nabih Berri met with parliamentary majority leader MP Saad Hariri at the speaker's residence in Ain al-Tineh. There were no reports on what the two discussed before The Daily Star went to press.
Meanwhile, Lebanese Forces (LF) boss Samir Geagea held rare talks with MP Michel Murr at the former's residence in Maarab on Friday evening. After the meeting, Murr confirmed his alliance with the LF and the Phalange party in the Metn district.
He added that he will announce the Metn ticket "in the next 48 hours."
"I am not a member of the March 14 Forces but I converge with them on themes such as the rule of the law and the authority of the state," Murr said, while expressing hope that his alliance with the LF and the Phalange Party would be a "fruitful" one.
Murr added that he will pay "weekly visits to Maarab if that proves necessary."
Meanwhile, Hizbullah pursued its mediation efforts between Berri and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun in a bid to resolve the discord over the Jezzine district list.
According to pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat on Friday, Aoun still insists on excluding MP Samir Azar from the list, while Berri considers Azar a "red line."
Amal MP Yassine Jaber admitted to Voice of Lebanon radio Friday that disputes over Azar's candidacy were creating discord in Jezzine.
Al-Hayat said Hizbullah was trying to convince Aoun to keep Azar on the list so that the opposition would not run in Jezzine with two separate lists against the ticket of the March 14 Forces.
Informed sources, however, told the Central News Agency (CNA) that Aoun will possibly get his three Christian candidates Ziad Aswad, Michel Helou and Issam Sawaya which means that Azar would be excluded from the opposition's list. The CNA also said that Aoun might form a list that would run against the March 8 ticket.
Also on Friday, Siniora's media office issued a statement responding to comments made by the head of the Nasserite Popular Organization MP Osama Saad. Saad had accused Saudi Arabia of interfering in the electoral process in Sidon "by paying large sums of money and in exerting pressure" in favor of his opponent Siniora. Saad said the visit earlier this week of Saudi Information Minister and former Saudi Ambassador Abdel-Aziz Khoja was aimed at promoting Siniora's electoral campaign.
"The kingdom has not and will not interfere with Lebanese parliamentary elections," Siniora's media office said. "It's sad to here such a rhetoric especially that no one dictates the decisions of Sidon's residents."
Also tackling the issue of electoral funding, Hizbullah's candidate for the Shiite seat in the Tyre district, Nawwaf Moussawi, accused the March 14 Forces "of paying large sums of money" to voters to secure victory in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
"These elections are important and decisive, and they will shape our future," he said during a gathering in the Beirut suburb of Ghobeiri on Friday. Moussawi said a "new page in Lebanon's history will be turned" if the opposition wins.
"However, if the current parliamentary majority wins, then Lebanon's future would be "unknown," he said.
Meanwhile, Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel said elections in Beirut's southern suburbs had "special characteristics especially that it is a Hizbullah stronghold."
"The residents concerns should be taken into consideration," he said, in reference to Christians who vote there. He said there was "not a suitable atmosphere for them to vote freely in that region."
He called on the Interior Ministry to transfer some polling stations in the southern suburbs "out of its geographical boundaries, so that all voters could cast their votes freely." - The Daily Star
US fears Hizbullah victory in elections
BEIRUT: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed concern about a possible win by Hizbullah in the June 7 parliamentary elections and said Cairo realized the increasing alliance between the Lebanese group and Hamas after an alleged Hizbullah cell was seized in Egypt, An-Nahar newspaper reported on Friday.
"We are currently supporting the Lebanese government, which has Hizbullah in it and we are doing so because such balance is in the interest of the US to back efforts against extremism," Clinton said in a testimony before a House appropriations subcommittee Thursday, according to An-Nahar.
She said the elections were important for enhancing the leadership of the current Cabinet, which, she added was making efforts to prevent Hizbullah's victory.
On Wednesday, Clinton was quoted as saying that the US would not reach any agreement with Syria at the expense of Lebanon. The top US diplomat made the remarks during a testimonial for the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committee. - The Daily Star

UN chief cites reports of factions in Lebanon using child soldiers
By Dalila Mahdawi
Daily Star staff
Saturday, April 25, 2009
BEIRUT: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has implicated political factions in Lebanon as recruiting and using children for armed violence and political mobilization. In his annual report to the Security Council on children and armed conflict, Ban on Wednesday documented serious violations against children in Lebanon and 19 other countries, and listed 56 other governments or rebel militias as recruiting or purposefully targeting children during the period between September 2007 and December 2008.
There was no evidence of child recruitment by the Lebanese Armed Forces or Lebanon's other regular forces, the UN chief said, but noted "reports of use of Palestinian children by Palestinian armed factions and groups in the Palestinian refugee camps." He made particular reference to the 2007 Nahr al-Bared conflict, where Islamist group Fatah al-Islam engaged the Lebanese army in deadly fighting that reduced the camp to rubble.
A 2005 Security Council resolution established a group to monitor and report on the use of child soldiers or on the purposeful targeting of children in conflict. In his report, Ban urged the council expand its mandate to include sexual violence.
"Widespread and systematic rape and sexual violence against children, both boys and girls, is increasingly a characteristic of conflict, often perpetrated in a rule-of-law vacuum," the UN chief said.
Armed political factions in Lebanon made widespread use of child soldiers during the country's 1975-1990 Civil War, but the practice petered out with the end of hostilities. There have, however, been allegations that children were recruited by rival factions in the May 7, 2008 clashes, which killed at least 65 people, and there are fears that child recruitment will resurface if a new conflict emerges. Poverty in politically volatile areas is a crucial factor in facilitating the recruitment of child combatants, child-rights organizations say.
Lebanon has yet to ratify the 2002 Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which raises the minimum age for engage in armed conflict to 18, although a proposal for ratification was submitted to Parliament in February of that year, the report noted.
No further measures to ratify the protocol had been made since the UN's Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy visited Beirut in April 2007, despite receiving assurances from Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Hizbullah's Parliamentary Deputy Mohammad Raad, the report said.
"The widespread and easy availability of illicit small arms and light weapons in conflict and troubled areas continues to represent a major factor in enabling the recruitment and use of child soldiers," Ban said. "These weapons are increasingly cheap and simple to operate and carry, therefore easily placed in the hands of children who can be quickly trained to use them."
Children in Lebanon will also continue to face serious threats from some one million unexploded munitions left over from war with Israel in 2006 "because of the unprecedented usage of cluster munitions in residential areas, villages, schools and agricultural lands, and as long as there is lack of information on the cluster bomb strike data and the clearance of the munitions," added the report.
When contacted by The Daily Star on Friday, a Human Rights Watch representative said political groups in Lebanon had not made substantive use of child combatants in the last few years. "In 2008 we did not document any systematic use of child soldiers," said the group's senior researcher Nadim Houry.