LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 01/09

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 4,35-41. On that day, as evening drew on, he said to them, "Let us cross to the other side." Leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Quiet! Be still!" The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, "Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?" They were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?"

Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Sermon 63 (©Friends of Henry Ashworth)/The wind dropped and there was great calm
Your heart is imperiled, your heart is taking a battering. On hearing yourself insulted, you long to retaliate; but the joy of revenge brings with it another kind of misfortune - shipwreck. Why is this? Because Christ is asleep in you. What do I mean? I mean you have forgotten his presence. Rouse him, then; remember him, let him keep watch within you, pay heed to him... You have forgotten that when Christ was being crucified he said: «Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do» (Lk 23,34). Christ, the sleeper in your heart, had no desire for vengeance in his. Rouse him, then, call him to mind. (To remember him is to recall his words; to remember him is to recall his commands.) Then, when he is awake within you, you will ask yourself, "Whatever kind of wretch am I to be thirsting for revenge?... He who said, 'Give and it shall be given you; forgive and you will be forgiven,' would indeed decline to acknowledge me. So I will curb my anger and restore peace to my heart." Now all is calm again. Christ has rebuked the sea... This is the moment to awaken Christ and let him remind you of those words: «Who can this be? Even the winds and the sea obey him» Who is this whom the sea obeys? «It is he to whom the sea belongs, for he made it» (Ps 95[94],5); «all things were made through him» (Jn 1,3). Try, then, to be more like the wind and the sea; obey the God who made you. The sea obeys Christ's command, and are you going to turn a deaf ear to it?... Words, actions, schemes, what are all these but a constant huffing and puffing, a refusal to be still at Christ's command? When your heart is in a troubled state, do not let the waves overwhelm you. If, since we are only human, the driving wind should stir up in us a tumult of emotions, let us not despair but awaken Christ, so that we may sail in quiet waters and reach at last our heavenly homeland.

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Gaza’s Blood and the Vampires. By: Mshari Al-Zaydi/Asharq Al-Awsat 31/01/09
Chasing Weapons in Gaza and on Lebanon's Borders-Dar Al-Hayat 31/01/09
ISRAEL: Elections, and the prophecy of pot-Los Angeles Times 31/01/09
We will never forget you/Future Movement/ 31/01/09
If applied…the internal partisan law of the SNSP could indict Hardan with war crimes.Future Movement 31/01/09
Erdogan: Palestine an open-air prison/Israeli News 31/01/09
How Can the World Be Blind to Israel’s Existential Threats?By: Michael Yon /Pajamas Media 31/01/09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for January 31/09
Lebanese Immigrants Complain Demanding Right to Participate in Elections-Naharnet
U.S. envoy Mitchell: Obama gives `priority` to serious Middle East peace talks/Haaretz
Geagea questioned “Khamenei’s agent” about the Iranian diplomats/Future Movement
Egypt slams Hezbollah chief as Iran agent/Future Movement
Chamoun: Council of the South is a ‘supermarket’ that must be closed/Future Movement
Jumblat: Only Solution to Lebanon is Centrist Bloc, No Compromise with Syria-Naharnet
Lebanon's Budget Session Postponed as Berri Now Demands More Funds for South Council-Naharnet
Sayyed Sues Those who Criticized Possibility That he May Run in Elections-Naharnet
Hamas-Run Al Aqsa TV to Begin Broadcasting from Beirut-Naharnet
Berri Refers Bill Proposing Creation of Planning Ministry-Naharnet
Syrian Envoy in Bkirki Soon-Naharnet
Egypt Accuses Nasrallah of Being an Iranian Agent-Naharnet
Hamdan Wants Lebanon to Talk to Hamas-Naharnet
Baroud Says Law Allows Intercepting Phone Calls-Naharnet
U.S. Congress Team Tackles Military Assistance to Lebanon-Naharnet
Geagea, Nasrallah Trade Barbs Over 4 Iranian Diplomats-Naharnet
An Intimate Account of American Peace Diplomacy in the Middle East-Washington Post
State Budget Stumbles-Naharnet
Egypt slams Hezbollah chief as Iran agent-Khaleej Times
Cyprus and Egypt stop Iranian ships with weapons for Hamas and ...AsiaNews.it
Syria denies French envoy's statements on its role towards Hezbollah-Xinhua
Lebanese PM hits back at Hezbollah on missing Iranian diplomats-Xinhua
Saniora Hits Back at 'Blackmailers'-Naharnet
Israel plans more pinpoint strikes against Hamas-Ha'aretz
Hezbollah: Obama same as Bush on Israel-The Associated Press
Hezbollah: Gaza ops was Bush bid to wipe out Hamas-CNN

Chamoun: Council of the South is a ‘supermarket’ that must be closed
Date: January 31st, 2009 Source: Free Lebanon
Nationalist Liberal party leader Dori Chamoun saw that the budget will be approved in spite of the problem over the Council of the South that has an electoral background, calling for the elimination of all councils and funds describing them as “supermarkets”. In an interview with free Lebanon radio, Chamoun considered that “the dialogue table won’t reach the intended results as the illegitimate arms were used for local political reasons.” He said “there are two cultures on the dialogue table, the first wants to build the state and the second considers it a farm.” Chamoun criticized the victory that was announced after the Gaza assault as there are “hundreds of martyrs and thousands of wounded, considering that “Israel had the ability to eliminate Hamas.” F. C.

Gaza’s Blood and the Vampires
By Mshari Al-Zaydi
Asharq Al-Awsat
http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=15560
Khalid Mishal, and this declaration of his, was echoed in neighbouring Egypt by the Muslim Brotherhood (MB). Essam el Erian, a prominent figure and theorist in the MB, wrote an article celebrating the victory and exploring the different ways it can achieve regional gains for both Hamas and the Arab resistance camp. He listed the gains that Hamas had achieved (or rather what Hamas failed to achieve vis-à-vis the Israeli military’s brutal indiscrimination), which Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood sought to transform into self-gain to be used against the Egyptian government and all Arab governments that fail to comply with Islamic Shariaa and carry out Jihad in line with its own vision.
El Erian said that Hamas is a “regional player that must be taken into consideration.”
He advised his brothers around the world to invest in this victory. Furthermore, what is even more dangerous about el Erian’s comments is that he explicitly said that the recent events in Gaza must be used to mount pressure internally and be transformed “to have a political impact upon government,” (Al Hayat, 26 January, 2009).
Hamas and its supporters in the Islamic world – Iran, Syria and other “lost” countries – were in need of Israel’s crime in Gaza. Israel did not hold back and has not shown one ounce of humanitarianism or responsibility for what it has done. It does not care about the magnitude of damage that it has caused or that it has sabotaged the peace process. However, I do believe that now is the right time, more so than ever before, to start a serious process to settle the dispute. Those who are keen to exploit the Gaza issue are doing so in their own interests.
Blood is a liquid full of life; in fact, it is life itself, and the blood of the people of Gaza is being bottled by individuals who feed off it like vampires. As long as Palestinian blood is cheap for those who claim to be defending it, there is nothing wrong with shedding Palestinian blood, whether it is shed by Israel or by those who benefit from the bloodshed that Israel has caused.
This blood is certainly cheap to some Hamas leaders. Wasn’t it the Deputy Chairman of the Hamas Politburo [Abu Marzook] who said during a lecture he gave in Damascus, “We lost 1500 martyrs but our strong women and our hard-working sisters gave birth to over 3500 Palestinian babies during the [Israeli] attacks,” (Asharq al-Awsat, 26 January)?
Was he speaking about mothers, young men and old men who have feelings and dreams and who probably do not care about Hamas’s delusions and projects? It sounds like he was speaking about chicken production!
How very strange…
Didn’t Abu Obeida, the spokesman for the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announce a victory for Hamas, according to the SANA news agency, whilst destroyed buildings were still on fire and bodies under the debris were yet to be pulled out? He indicated that Qassam Brigade fighters killed at least 80 Israeli troops during Israel’s onslaught on Gaza. In a press conference that was held after the ceasefire was announced, Abu Obeida said that as a result of Israel’s military attacks, the Qassam Brigades lost 48 martyrs (only). Therefore, he assessed losses according to the casualties of Hamas’ fighters with no consideration whatsoever for the 1315 Palestinian civilians who were killed and the 90,000 refugees within the narrow Gaza Strip and the thousands of homes that have been destroyed. Approximately US $2 billion worth of damages has been caused and bodies are still being pulled out of the debris.
However the indirect victim of this war has been Hamas’s reputation as it is considered politically irresponsible, reckless and an organisation that gambles with people’s lives in compliance with impure agendas whether Iranian or non-Iranian.
But who can convince the masses in our Arab world of the truth vis-à-vis the alluring speeches?
Discussions on Iran and Syria’s roles, and their exploitation of the Gaza issue, which will be discussed very soon by the new US administration, and how Hamas benefited from pressuring Arab governments that it considers hostile to its project (Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt) and on their real goals, are now clear for those who cannot be cheated by slogans and are not fooled easily.
A number of writers commented on the recent Gaza onslaught. They presented themselves as respectable analysts rather than as people speaking at rallies, as they commented on Gaza in a moral way and discussed the lack of humanitarianism of Hamas and its position in the fight for power and interests in the Middle East. It is as if writers and commentators are expected to fill their columns with calls for demonstrations and condemnation of Israel based on the pretext of “humanitarianism,” which has no place in the discourse of conflict and interest. Even if we set aside serious political talk and hold up banners and chant slogans against Israel, which deserves to be taken to court for the crimes that it committed, the question remains: is humanitarianism a one-way issue? Where is the humanitarianism of Iran and its allies that exploit the blood of Gaza’s people for their own political projects? Where is the humanitarianism in the speeches delivered by Khalid Mishal, Abu Marzook, and Abu Obeida who undervalue the blood of Gaza’s innocent children and women as long as Hamas is “fine”?
Where is humanitarianism if Mishal, following the Gaza tragedy, came out only to demand that Hamas is recognised?
I believe that the new party to invest in the Palestinian blood stock exchange this time is the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and elsewhere. The MB attempted to ride the Gaza blood wave, which it believes will help it achieve its political dream of establishing a Muslim Brotherhood state. If this dream became a reality, its current revolutionary, jihadist and opposition tone would turn into a more practical and pragmatic tone when addressing the West simply because its goal (to gain power) would have been achieved.
This time, the Muslim Brotherhood was clear about some of its objectives; to destroy the existing regime and to establish the Brotherhood state on the debris. The pretext of a wounded Palestine is always ready to be used. Therefore, any attempts to establish peace would not be in the Brotherhood’s interest. Perhaps it accepted the truce and showed tolerance, just as el Erian had advised Hamas leaders to accept the temporary truce and then “gradually” discuss the 1967 borders. However, the Palestinian Cause, in essence – which will take great strength to solve and is exploited emotionally through Hamas and Brotherhood discourse about liberating Palestine from the river to the sea and the solution being in the hands of Arabs and Muslims – is a political and ideological goldmine for the Muslim Brotherhood.
If the Palestinian ideological goldmine remains then destruction will continue and we will have another Hamas, another Gaza, more demonstrations, more cases of one-upmanship, more turmoil, more ideological lies and more bloodsuckers until either Palestinian blood runs dry or the Iranian and the Brotherhood vampires are satisfied, unless Arabs and Muslims put their minds to use to stop the bloodshed. Israel would then be the first victim of the awakening of the Arab mind because opinion is stronger than physical strength.

The Lebanese Detainees file handed to PM by Human Rights groups
Date: January 30th, 2009 Source:Future Movement
A joint delegation of the Human Right Foundation and the Committee of Parents of Lebanese Detainees in Syrian prisons visited Prime Minister Fouad Siniora at the Grand Serail today and briefed him on the developments of this bitter issue.
The delegation discussed ways to deal with this humanitarian issue, especially after it entered a languish phase due to the Syrian rejection to tackle this ordeal with transparency and positivity. It stressed on "the importance of distinguishing between the detainees in Syrian prisons and the missing persons during the civil war” and warned of some politicians’ attempts to exploit this humanitarian cause for electoral purposes. "Prime Minister Siniora was delivered a report on the detainees’ conditions. The report affirmed that the Syrian regime has repeatedly denied the presence of any Lebanese detainees in its prisons, and hence refuses to release the names of the Lebanese held by the regime, thus violating the international law. They pleaded to the Prime Minister to raise this issue seriously, and demanded the appointment of a mediator to the Lebanese state who would handle comprehensively this file.The report urged to separate between the Lebanese political prisoners in Syria and the Lebanese who are serving sentences and penalties in Syrian prisons. The Syrian authorities exploited the Syrian - Lebanese joint committee to deliberately promote a list of convicted Lebanese prisoners serving sentences for criminal reasons. However the Syrian list had omitted the Lebanese detainees in military and security prisons. In a statement released to journalists at the Grand Serail, Fatima Abdullah a member of The Committee of Parents of Lebanese Detainees, called Hassan Nasrallah to intervene to determine the fate of their relatives alike the detainees and missing persons in Israel. N.S

Jumblat: Only Solution to Lebanon is Centrist Bloc, No Compromise with Syria
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said the only solution to Lebanon is the creation of a centrist parliamentary bloc that would stand by President Michel Suleiman. "A unilateral government ruled by March 14 has allowed (March 8 Forces) to gain veto power," Jumblat said in an interview published Saturday by the daily Asharq Al- Awsat. Jumblat expressed March 14 coalition's willingness to "help facilitate the creation of a centrist bloc." He denied this was a "trick" by the ruling majority to bring more MPs into its ranks. Jumblat said he also informed a Hizbullah delegation he met recently that "a compromise with Syria is not possible." Beirut, 31 Jan 09, 11:12

Budget Session Postponed as Berri Now Demands More Funds for South Council
Naharnet/A special session on state budget was postponed for 10 days when Lebanese leaders failed to agree over funding for the "Council for the South," particularly after Speaker Nabih Berri requested more than double the amount of money he had earlier demanded. The daily An Nahar on Saturday said Berri rejected a proposal that earmarked LL 30 billion for the Council for the South and demanded LL 150 billion instead. Prime Minister Fouad Saniora rejected the raise.
An Nahar said that during Friday's Cabinet session an envelope was distributed among the ministers that included two unsigned documents proposing the required amounts for the 2009 Council for the South budget totaling LL 150 billion. Berri had earlier demanded LL 60 billion to be earmarked for the Council, an amount also rejected by Saniora. A government source said President Michel Suleiman, who had stepped in trying to defuse the tension between Berri and Saniora, had proposed LL 30 billion for the Council for the South. The source said Berri rejected Suleiman's offer and demanded LL 150 billion increase instead. The argument ended here. And Suleiman, according to the source, decided to postpone the session for 10 days to give more time for consultations. Beirut, 31 Jan 09, 08:47

Sayyed Sues Those who Criticized Possibility That he May Run in Elections
Naharnet/Brig. Gen. Jamil Sayyed, charged with complicity in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's murder, has pressed charges against Ayman Sharrouf and Abdel Salam Moussa for publishing an article in the daily Al Mustaqbal about March 8 Forcers' intention to nominate him for the 2009 parliamentary elections. Sayyed said the article, written jointly by Sharrouf and Moussa on Jan. 28, 2009, provided "false and misleading information that could (jeopardize) the investigation."
He said the writers attacked him after being "disturbed" by recent news that March 8 Forces intended to nominate the former head of Lebanon's General Security Department (Surete Generale) for the upcoming parliamentary elections. Sayyed is among four pro-Syrian generals who have been detained on charges of involvement in Hariri's assassination. Beirut, 31 Jan 09, 10:03

Syrian Envoy in Bkirki Soon
Naharnet/A Syrian businessman who is a "friend of the Syrian leadership" will visit Bkirki soon to deliver a letter to Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir. Al Akhbar newspaper said Saturday that the envoy, of Lebanese origin, would carry with him a letter from a Syrian prelate that focuses on the "amount of respect Damascus has for Bkirki and the Patriarch." Beirut, 31 Jan 09, 11:40

Egypt Accuses Nasrallah of Being an Iranian Agent
Naharnet/Egypt accused Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah of being an "Iranian agent" and taking orders from Tehran a day after the Shiite party's secretary general denounced Cairo for keeping the Rafah border crossing with Gaza closed. "The statement of Hizbullah's Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, on Thursday Jan. 29 in which he criticized Egypt proves once again and with no doubt that he is an agent for the Iranian regime and takes orders from Tehran," a top Egyptian official said. Nasrallah on Thursday renewed his attack on Egypt, saying he "denounces" Cairo for refusing to open the Rafah crossing and for telling the Islamic and Arab world that he has opened it. In December, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit harshly criticized Nasrallah for urging Egyptians to pressure their government into opening the country's border with the Gaza Strip. "If you do not know, let me tell you that the Egyptian armed forces are tasked with defending Egypt. If need be, they will also protect Egypt against people like you," Abul Gheit said after Nasrallah urged Egyptians to take to the streets "in millions" to force the government to open the Rafah crossing. Beirut, 30 Jan 09, 14:54

Hamdan Wants Lebanon to Talk to Hamas
Naharnet/Hamas representative to Lebanon Osama Hamdan on Friday called for a "comprehensive Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue" not restricted to the Palestinian Authority. Hamdan made the call during a Hamas-sponsored rally in the northern refugee camp of Beddawi to celebrate "victory and steadfastness" in Gaza, where more than 1,300 Palestinians were killed and over 5,000 wounded in 22 days of war between Hamas and Israel. He also urged President Mahmoud Abbas' Palestinian Authority to "halt coordination with the Israeli enemy." Hamdan also said Hamas wants the PA to "launch intra-Palestinian dialogue based on adopting the resistance agenda as a strategy." Beirut, 30 Jan 09, 21:46

Geagea, Nasrallah Trade Barbs Over 4 Iranian Diplomats
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Friday rejected Hizbullah accusations of the LF's involvement in the disappearance of four Iranian diplomats during the civil war, saying such allegations are aimed at tarnishing the party's image ahead of the parliamentary elections. Geagea was responding to Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's comments in which he claimed the Israelis have provided Hizbullah with a report on the four Iranians, saying they were kidnapped by the Lebanese Forces at a checkpoint in north Lebanon and killed later. "Taking advantage of the situation and accusing the LF of involvement ahead of the elections is understandable but is not acceptable," Geagea stressed during a press conference in Merab. When asked if the LF kidnapped the Iranians, Geagea said: "I could say that I have no link to the case of the four diplomats whatsoever but I decided not to reply to questions about incidents during the war unless the case is officially opened. If they want to open the files of the war they are welcomed."
"We regret that Sayyed Nasrallah brought up this issue in particular at this time and in this way" and accused the LF of involvement in the disappearance of the diplomats after 27 years, Geagea said. He wondered why Nasrallah hasn't called for an investigation into the issue, saying the Hizbullah chief should have asked who assassinated western diplomats during the Lebanese civil war. "I would have hoped that our political foes would retaliate through political means and not accusations of treachery," Geagea told reporters. "In reality they are agents to foreign sides." He said he was ready to cooperate with security and judicial authorities on the case "but not through accusations." LF MP Antoine Zahra also said Thursday that his party was not involved in the case of the four Iranians who went missing during Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon. Beirut, 30 Jan 09, 13:15

Hamas-Run Al Aqsa TV to Begin Broadcasting from Beirut
Naharnet/Hamas-run Al Aqsa TV will begin broadcasting an hour a day from Beirut for hour daily in an effort to develop its broadcasting capabilities outside Gaza, the daily Al Akhbar said Saturday. Al Aqsa TV was hit during the 22-day Israeli offensive on Gaza.

We will never forget you
Date: January 31st, 2009 Source: Future Movement
The 14 march forces could not be the best choice to build a state as it is conceived in the West in general and Europe in particular, but could you imagine what would be the situation if the March 8 forces are to be assigned with this mission, knowing their militia type thinking.
The catalyst to this thinking is the wave of speeches given by these forces focusing on criticizing the government, as a tool to assert their political presence. It is obvious that it would not end with the issue of the Council of the South and the aid money, as all concerned know the electoral purpose of this subject, and what is true about their claims in this issue is equivalent to the credibility of those forces when preaching about their goal of building a unifying state.
The realities go beyond to the talk of “civil war” in case the majority forces win the upcoming parliamentary elections, as stated of one of “thank you Syria” gang members through Manar TV. This talk could not be taken as a verbal threat as who closes down a constitutional institution and paralyzes the work of a government, and occupies private properties downtown Beirut, and forbids medias from expressing freely its opinions and invades a whole city on 7 May, and considers the Christians in his political thinking as 2nd class citizens and are the suspects whatever the situation is, and above all do not raise the voice objecting our bloodshed, is capable of transforming threats into actions.
The answer to all what previously happened will only be through participating in the anniversary of February 14 as it represents a continuous political situation since hatred blew up Martyr President Rafic Hariri and continued till martyr Major Wissam Eid.
This date represents the driving public force on the path of building the state as an entity as the Lebanese face 2 choices: either the state or the mini state. What is certain none of us will choose the mini state as the Cantons experience resulted in the “Iklim el Tiffah” war, the “Cancellation” war and the different “Suburb” wars. The Lebanese answered firmly by refusing the “Ghettos” and the “isolated” regions and will not accept but the unifying State and reject the unilateralism, while embracing participation and not the control.
How can we depend on March 8 gang in building the unifying state, particularly they would not miss any opportunity to use the sectarianism and incitement to catalyze their followers? Why should there be a civil war if opposing political forces win the elections? Why do people of the North or Akkar and Baalbek and Hermil are forbidden from having development funds they truly deserve? What justify attacking a government in which you take part and participated in writing its Ministerial declaration?
The answer to all what happened since February 2005 is looming, and can say it has even started: The International Tribunal as the incubator of justice for all and protector of the freedom of expression and political activity; the fall of all the “red lines” beginning with Nahr el Bared; the return of the South to the country with the deployment of the Lebanese army in the area to exercise its duty in protecting the borders; the defense Strategy; closing down the embezzlement and fraud Funds, the Health care, the investment promotion and job creation; the coherent but not clutched security; the independent justice to protect the rights of the citizen and citizenship not to intimidate them.
The answer would not be completed but through the massive participation in the 14 February anniversary as a prelude to burry 7 May and its consequences. They previously tried to intimidate by invading “Ashrafieh” and “Ain Alak” explosion and other booby trapped cars in the whole eastern part of Beirut. It is up to the Lebanese Muslim and Christians today to renew their oath of attachment to their freedom and country as a State and not as a Farm run by the 8 March gang.
Each of us should think a little of how would our life be if this gang is to be in charge of the country.

Geagea questioned “Khamenei’s agent” about the Iranian diplomats
Date: January 30th, 2009/Future Movement
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea criticized Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah after he accused the Lebanese Forces of the disappearance of the four Iranian diplomats during the Lebanese civil war.
Geagea said that Nasrallah culminated the tragedies of the civil war with his allegations on the kidnapped Iranians diplomats, “because he is Khamenei’s legitimate agent in Lebanon,” according to LF leader.
“Speaker Nabih Berri told me that he knows the reality behind the fate of the diplomats during the national dialogue session in 2006. When he was engaged in the National Salvation Committee that was formed after the invasion he asked the Former President Bachir Gemayel about this issue while the latter said the concerned parts have the information,” Geagea stated in a press conference held in Mehrab on Friday.
He added “serious investigation is taking place by the Lebanese services, but Hezbollah does not want to acknowledge it.”
“Nasrallah was an ally to those who know the truth about the kidnapping of four Iranian then which prevented him from revealing the details,” Geagea noted.
He added “Sayyed Nasrallah was supposed to hand over the Israeli reports on the fate of diplomats to the Lebanese state then, but he is exploiting this issue at this period to expose the LF, now that the elections are approaching, which is totally unacceptable.”
Geagea asked “Is there a solution to the dilemma of the Lebanese imprisoned at Nasrallah’s closest allies in Syria? “Is the Iranian diplomat issue more important than the Lebanese detainees in the Syrian prisons? “We believe there are many other important issues such as the demarcation of the Lebanese borders, the disarmament and many other important problems to be resolved,” he argued.
Geagea said “Sayyed Nasrallah should have questioned the fate of many people or the identity for those who were responsible for assassinating foreign diplomats, such as the Military French attaché and the American ambassador, and he should have reported the information to the appropriate security services instead.”
Geagea dubbed the smearing campaign launched against the Lebanese Forces as an electoral war.
“Despite the investigation was referred to the Intelligence services but still they refuse to believe the facts inscribed because they insist on their accusations and are determined to distort the image of the LF,” he noted. He asserted that they ready to cooperate with the Lebanese services about this issue, “but if the dilemma was only meant to file charges against us, we wouldn’t agree,” Geagea concluded.

If applied…the internal partisan law of the SNSP could indict Hardan with war crimes
Date: January 31st, 2009 Source:Future Movement
The internal crisis splitting the Syrian Nationalist Social Party revealed the corruption, defect and hegemony exercised by its leadership due to the absence of an internal bylaw that could convict if applied its president. The constituent body of the “Renaissance Movement” presided by Milad Sebhali presented to the President of the SNSP Asaad Hardan a list of clear demands to restore the party to its previous state in conformity with the demands of the Syrian regime through its agents in Lebanon to halt all kinds of abuses, particularly that Damascus is upset with the spread of the opposition movement inside the party and the way Hardan is handling the problem.
Close sources to the party revealed that the Syrian Intelligence leadership summoned the party president and the head of the constituent body of the “Renaissance Movement” to Damascus in an effort to solve the conflicting issues, but the meeting between the two men was useless as Hardan is still practicing his hegemony over the party. The sources said that among Sebhali’s demands: the removal of Hardan from the post of president and organize new internal elections once the voters list review is done, as the previous voters lists that led Hardan to the presidency as a successor to Ali Kanso, is confined to his supporters, but all the other cadres opposing him were neutralized and not allowed to participate in the elections for fake reasons such as not settling their annual membership fees or because they were opposing the internal organization controlled by Hardan.
The opposition accuses Hardan of financial and moral corruption and to prove their claims they refer to the huge palace he built and cost him several hundred of thousands of dollars at a close distance to the house of the founder of the party Antoun Saadeh which is still in ruins.
Among the other demands, one which particularly embarrass Hardan, is the internal law of the party which the sources said “the goal of this law is to held accountable the previous leaders of the party responsible for the crimes committed against members of the party during the period of internal disputes that was incited during the Syrian trusteeship over the eighties”.During that period, dozens of followers were liquidated and the most prominent was the assassination of Mohammad Slim the head of the party in the “Sarafand” area in southern Lebanon, who opposed the Syrian interference in the internal affairs of the party, and one of the critics to abandoning the role of the party in the resistance upon Syrian direct orders, to give the monopoly of the resistance to Hezbollah.
The sources assert that the liquidation of Slim was executed by the internal arms of the Syrian intelligence inside the party.
The same sources said that if the internal bylaws of the party should be applied, it could lead to a direct accusation to Hardan who would be forced to stand in front of an internal partisan court that would expose him and his career, which is a red line forced by the current leadership of the party and the Syrian regime sponsoring him.

Hamas praises Turkish PM
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3664439,00.html
Hamas legislator lauds 'daring and responsible' anti-Israel views expressed by Turkish leader Erdogan
Associated Press Published: 01.30.09, 19:38 / Israel News
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan drew praise Friday from Hamas for confronting President Shimon Peres over civilian casualties in Gaza. The Turkish leader also said that "everybody should take sides," despite Turkish efforts to mediate in the Middle East. "We consider this a daring and responsible position that expresses the pulse and outlook of the Islamic nation and confirms the rights of the Palestinian people," Hamas legislator Mushir al-Masri Mashir said of Erdogan's confrontation with Peres. "It is a position more advanced than those of the Arab and Islamic regimes." Heated Exchange
Peres: Outburst won't hurt Israel-Turkey ties / Roni Sofer and AP President says his heated public exchange with Turkish PM Erdogan was not personal, defends his unusually passionate speech as called for in response to verbal assaults on Israel over Gaza
"No one should portray the killing of those children or women as a simple job accident," Erdogan said at the inauguration of a subway station in Istanbul on Friday. "Being silent in the face of oppression is oppression itself."
Red and white Turkish flags flapped next to green Hamas banners at rallies throughout Gaza City on Friday, as well as the ruins of a bombed-out mosque in the Gaza refugee camp of Jebaliya. Later, about 5,000 Hamas supporters rallied in front of the ruined Palestinian parliament, some waving Turkish flags and carrying pictures of Erdogan. The dispute about Israel's offensive took place at a panel discussion there on Thursday. It ended when Erdogan told Peres: "You kill people," and then stalked off the stage.Peres said Friday his heated public exchange with Erdogan was not personal and ties between the two nations won't change. He said he spoke afterward with Erdogan.

Turkish PM walks off stage over Gaza
At Economic Forum in Davos, Erdogan tells Peres 'you are killing people'; Israeli president responds: You would do the same if rockets would fall on Istanbul
Associated Press Published: 01.29.09, 21:25 / Israel News
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan walked off the stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, red-faced after verbally sparring with Israeli President Shimon Peres over the fighting in Gaza.
Muslim World
Turkish Jews fearful of anti-Semitism after Gaza / Reuters
One of largest Jewish communities in Muslim world faces threatening public atmosphere following Operation Cast Lead. 'I feel worried, sad and scared for myself and for my country's future, which is leaning towards racism,' says Jewish journalist
Erdogan was angry after being cut off by a panel moderator after listening to an impassioned monologue by Peres defending Israel's recent offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Erdogan declared to Peres: "You are killing people." A finger-pointing Peres told Erdogan at Thursday's panel that he would have done the same if rockets had been falling on Istanbul.
The confrontation saw Peres and Ergodan raise their voice shouting, highly unusual at the elite gathering of corporate and world leaders, which is usually marked by learned consensus seeking and polite dialogue. It showed how emotions remain frayed over Israel's offensive against Hamas that ended less than two weeks ago. The packed audience at the Ergodan and Peres session, which included President Obama's close adviser Valerie Jarrett, appeared stunned.
'I was very sad that Ergodan left'
Afterward, forum founder Klaus Schwab huddled with Erdogan in a corner of the Congress Center. A press conference with both men was scheduled for 8:30 pm (1930 GMT)
"I have known Shimon Peres for many years and I also know Erdogan. I have never seen Shimon Peres so passionate as he was today. I think he felt Israel was being attacked by so many in the international community. He felt isolated," said former Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik said.
"I was very sad that Ergodan left. This was an expression of how difficult this situation is."
Amr Moussa, the former Egyptian foreign minister who now leads the Arab League, said Ergodan's action was understandable. "Mr. Ergodan said what he wanted to say and then he left. That's all. He was right." Of Israel, he said, "They don't listen."
Ergodan brushed past reporters outside the hall. His wife appeared upset. "All Peres said was a lie. It was unacceptable," she said, eyes glistening.
Earlier Thursday Peres met Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and asked him to help prevent arms trafficking from Iran to Gaza.
Peres said that "Israel has learned from Russia that there are some measures a country must resort to when it has no other choice. This was the case in Gaza; it was not out of choice that we launched (the offensive), but out of necessity.
"We had to stop the incessant cycle of terror that harmed Israel's women and children; but nevertheless, Israel wants peace," the president said.

Erdogan: Palestine an open-air prison
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3664532,00.html
Turkish PM, in exclusive interview with Washington Post, explains recent comments about Gaza operation, encourages engaging Hamas; says Turkey's relationship with Israel not over, but that leaders must 'check themselves', reassess actions regarding Palestinians.
Ynet Published: 01.31.09, 11:24 / Israel News
After the Turkish Prime Minister blasted Israel for Operation Cast Lead in Gaza this week, sparking bi-national tensions by walking offstage at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Recept Tayyip Erdogan explained in his position towards the operation and the conflict in general in an interview published Saturday.
Erdogan, in the Washington Post's Lally Weymouth, said in response to the question as to why he had "pushed the Turkish-Israeli relationship to its limits" that this was taking "the wrong view," noting that Turkey has been active in promoting the regional peace process.
Turkish Mediation
Turkey urges Obama to redefine Mideast terrorism / Associated Press
Ankara asks new US administration to 'redefine terror and terrorist organizations in the Middle East,' set new foreign policy in Mideast accordingly
"At the request of Syria, we entered a phase of working together with Israel and Syria indirectly to get them to talk with each other. We are mediators in that process. This was an example of how much importance we put on peace in the Middle East," he said. "We also took part in the peace talks between Israel and Palestine."
He clarified that he was referring to December meetings between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Despite Abbas' Fatah connection, Erdogan emphasized the importance of engaging Hamas in the process.
"When I was talking with Prime Minister Olmert, I said regarding the Palestine-Israeli talks it would not be correct not to include Hamas in the negotiations. They entered the election in Palestine and won the majority of seats in the parliament," he said, adding that Olmert had not agreed to speak with Hamas.
Within the context of these negotiations, Erdogan said he had believed he could potentially secure the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, in exchange for Hamas prisoners.
"I said to Prime Minister Olmert that if you want us to mediate in order to get the Israeli soldier freed, we can do this and we believe we can achieve something. But . . . once the soldier is free, Israel should (release from jail) Hamas's speaker of parliament and its members of parliament," he said.
Hamas: Political will of the people
Erdogan was subsequently asked why he has such a close relationship with Hamas "which is an arm of Iran and is run by (Hamas politiburo chief Khaled Mashaal) who lives in Damascus."
In response, he said, "First of all, Hamas is not an arm of Iran. Hamas entered the elections as a political party. If the whole world had given them the chance of becoming a political player, maybe they would not be in a situation like this after the elections that they won."
"The world has not respected the political will of the Palestinian people. On the one hand, we defend democracy and we try our best to keep democracy in the Middle East, but on the other hand we do not respect the outcome of . . . the ballot box," he explained.
"Palestine today is an open-air prison. Hamas, as much as they tried, could not change the situation. Just imagine, you imprison the speaker of a country as well as some ministers of its government and members of its parliament. And then you expect them to sit obediently?"
Erdogan explained his frustration against the operation in Gaza as being linked to December advancements between Israel and Syria, in which Turkey was trying to facilitate direct talks.
"Olmert's last sentence (as he left meetings in Ankara) was, "As soon as I get back I will consult with my colleagues and get back to you." As I waited for his response, …on December 27, bombs started falling on Gaza."
Evaluating the end result
"Since December 27 there have been almost 1,300 dead, 6,000 injured, no infrastructure left, no buildings left, everything is damaged, Gaza is a total wreck. It's all closed, under total siege," the prime minister said.
"The United Nations Security Council makes a decision, and Israel announces it does not recognize the decision. I'm not saying that Hamas is a good organization and makes no mistakes. They have made mistakes. But I am evaluating the end result," he said.
Regarding a future role for Turkey in the region, Erdogan said that sending Turkish peacekeepers into Gaza was "totally out of the question. Only maybe as observers. It would be a major mistake for us to send security forces."
He also asserted that Turkey and Israel's relationship was not over and that they had "a serious relationship." But, he said, "the current Israeli government should check itself. They should not exploit this issue for the upcoming elections in Israel."
'I'm not anti-Semitic'
In this same vein, he denied allegations of anti-Semitism and expressed his anger at the outcry of American Jews against his recent comments on the operation in Gaza.
"As an individual, I have always declared that anti-Semitism is a crime against humanity. As a prime minister I have always been against anti-Semitism and my frustration is against the current Israeli government because they did not act fairly toward us," he stressed.
In response to a question about the anti-Semitic signs around Turkey recently, he said, "these are individual attempts." He also called recent picketing against the Israeli consulate "democratic demonstrations."
"There are demonstrations in the United States, even in Israel. Everything we have said is against the current Israeli government, nothing against Jews. In my speeches I have stated very clearly that anyone who even thinks about doing anything against the Jews in Turkey will find me against them," he stressed.
In a final question, Erdogan was asked about new US President Barack Obama and whether it was expected that he would play a more even-handed role between Palestinians and Israelis.
"There is no justice right now. We expect justice from now on," Erdogan responded.

How Can the World Be Blind to Israel’s Existential Threats?
By: Michael Yon
January 30, 2009 -
Pajamas Media;
It is amazing to me that there is so much confusion over who the terrorists are, who wants war, and who wants peace.
I heard Benjamin Netanyahu, the person who could soon become Israel’s new prime minister, speak this week at the Jerusalem Conference. The most pressing point that he talked about was that under no circumstances should Jerusalem be divided. Many believe that if Jerusalem were to divide, the terrorist group Hamas would set up a headquarters here, which would result in Iranian agents — who also wish to see genocide against the Israelis — setting up shop within the confines of Jerusalem.
It is amazing to me, as an American who travels the world on a near-constant basis, that there is so much confusion over who the terrorists are. Hamas is a terrorist organization that condones and facilitates suicide bombings and will kill every Jew on the planet if they have the chance. Meanwhile, Israel is an energetic democracy with a vibrant press. I could sit right here in Jerusalem and write bad things about Israel and Jews, and nothing would happen. Maybe I wouldn’t get invited somewhere or would be called an anti-Semite, but that would be it. Neither the Jews nor the Israelis would harm me, though they likely would write bad things about me. I came to Israel with no press accreditation and at the airport they knew that I was a writer. Yet they let me in and have allowed me to freely roam the country. Today I was in very close proximity to Mr. Netanyahu. Mr. Netanyahu talked about how, in this very hotel, Rehavam Ze’evi had been murdered just a few floors above our heads. The security seemed incredibly lax by American standards. Bernard Lewis and other extremely smart people were there.
Israel is a free country that abides by the rule of law. By contrast, if a writer were to go to Gaza or Iran, for instance, and start writing bad words, he might wind up on the news, dead. Israel allows Christians and Arab Muslims to worship freely, while Hamas wants to see us all at the bottom of the sea. Hamas, supported by Iran, is clear about their goals: they want to wipe out Israel completely, utterly, with finality. But it’s not just Israel that Hamas wants to kill; they want to kill all Jews everywhere. Complete genocide.
And when Iran has the capacity to launch rockets over to Europe or the United States, one can count on it happening. If they can manage to hatch nuclear weapons, we could see Israeli cities annihilated, leaving Israelis with little choice other than to respond with nuclear weapons, which could leave millions dead. If Iran gets nuclear weapons, Iraq will want them, as will other nations who are threatened by Iran. I’ve lived in Europe for about six years, and it is easy to imagine Europe being engulfed in a massive religious and race war. America is relatively sedate on the racial front, but Europe could explode if a serious terrorism wave were to sweep through.
It is simply astounding that many foreign governments do not see this for what it is. Good Muslims are murdered by Muslim extremists in probably dozens of countries, yet certain European governments insist that there is some sort of moral equivalence between Hamas and the democracy called Israel. At this conference, I hear incredulous Jews who are concerned that their soldiers and political leaders might be charged with war crimes and arrested if they travel to Europe. This is just one example of the racism that vexes Europe and keeps it behind where it could be. Imagine for a moment that Cuba were launching missiles at Florida. We would sink their navy, shoot down their air force, wipe out their army, and kill Castro. Yet thousands of rockets have been raining down on Israel, while many members of the international community demand that Israel do nothing. These rockets are advertised to be small and not much of a nuisance, but each one carries about 15 times more explosives than a hand grenade. Hamas favors launching the rockets when kids are going to or coming from school. Clearly they are trying to murder the children who are growing up under attack. The Israelis have proven time and again that they will choose peace if given a chance. Hamas, when given a chance, chooses war.
I hear great concern that our new administration will turn its back on Israel, leaving Israelis to fend for themselves. But these feelings are not limited to the Israelis. Concern comes from numerous allies that the United States might go cold. I’m hearing these concerns from Iraqis, British, Lithuanians, and Israelis, to name a few.
I can safely be called anti-war. But being anti-war does not mean we can hide our heads in the sand in regard to the proximate and growing threat from Iran. If you want to see World War III unfold, just sit quietly about Iran. Iran could be the opening chapter of an apocalyptic era.

Chasing Weapons in Gaza and on Lebanon's Borders
Walid Choucair Al-Hayat - 30/01/09//
The international parties that seek to take part in the land and maritime monitoring to combat arms smuggling to the Gaza Strip are increasing; the groups that are being tasked with this mission are snowballing in number. Every day there is a new announcement that a state or its naval vessels are part of the international monitoring of arms smuggling.
Washington's announcement that the new Obama administration is preparing, with the participation of Israel and leading European states, an international conference over the agreement the former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice concluded with her Israeli counterpart, Tzipi Livni, on fighting weapons smuggling by sea by using a high-tech monitoring system and conducting maritime patrols off Gaza, reveals that the Obama team has helped the administration of former President George Bush work out the arrangements to end the war on Gaza and is now following up these arrangements after Obama's inauguration. This is nothing new in the traditions of transitional periods of government in the US. As a matter of fact, the exiting administration generally takes steps in the interest of the incoming administration (in agreement with it). It takes responsibility for these steps on behalf of the new administration and is burdened with the negative points, especially if military, while the new administration deals with the consequences and builds for the coming phase…of steps. Thus, the administration of then-President Bill Clinton bombed Iraq in 2000, two weeks before handing over power to Bush, as a prelude to the offensive policy that the latter followed subsequently against Iraq, and up to the invasion of 2003.
It is natural for many people to think that the Bush administration supported the widely-expected Israeli war on Gaza on behalf of the incoming Obama administration, because the goal was to weaken an important card in the hands of Iran (and with it Syria) before engaging in dialogue with it (or them) over the Iranian nuclear issue and the general situation in the region. Thus, Obama takes office "with hands clean" of Palestinian blood, but pursues pressures aimed at "paralyzing" a portion of Hamas' military capabilities, in parallel with accelerating steps to exploit some of the consequences of the "dirty deed" that Israel carried out, with full cover and support from the Bush administration.
If the appointment of Senator George Mitchell as Obama's special envoy to the Middle East indicates a revival of the peace process, because the man symbolizes an "impartial mediator" due to his report on the reasons for the Israeli-Palestinian confrontation after the outbreak of the second Intifada in 2000, then this is a positive step. However, this does not eliminate the fact that the Obama administration is exploiting the war on Gaza in the ensuing period of diplomatic activity.
The monitoring of weapons smuggling is apparently one of the first steps that indicates the previous agreement in this regard, as evidenced by the growing number of states that are taking part. France has withdrawn two ships from the Lebanese coast after sending a frigate to Gaza, while Germany is reducing its contingent off Lebanon in favor of sending it to the Palestinian coast, as a prelude to distributing tasks among several European and Arab countries, according to what has been leaked about Washington's intention to convene a conference in Copenhagen for this purpose.
However, international cooperation in monitoring arms is not something new that arose at the end of the Bush presidency and the beginning of the Obama term. This cooperation began years ago and was deepened in the UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended Israel's 2006 war against Lebanon. Obviously, there is an international decision to strip the Palestinians of the ability to obtain weapons and more rockets, in parallel with striping Iran of the ability to use some or all of its regional cards in military terms, in exchange for negotiating with it over others (Iraq).
If the monitoring of the Palestinian coast will occupy the West in the coming months, in this context, the international monitoring of the Lebanese-Syrian border will be, according to European circles, an important element that sees more follow-up and pursuit. These circles believe that the issue of ending the armed Palestinian presence in the refugee camps will be an area of focus and pressure in the coming months, since it is one of the links in the chain of stopping the process of armament. It is no coincidence that it was discussed during the visit by Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Murr to Damascus this week.