LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
January 14/09


Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 1,21-28. Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!" The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, "What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him." His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.


Saint Jerome (347-420), priest, translator of the Bible, Doctor of the Church
Commentary on Saint Mark's Gospel, 2; PLS 2,125f./"Quiet! Come out of him!"

«Jesus rebuked the demon and said: 'Quiet! Come out of this man.» The Truth has no need of the Liar's testimony... «I do not need to be recognized by the one I have determined to cast out. Quiet! May my glory burst forth from your silence. I don't want it to be your voice that offers me praise but your torment, for your expulsion is my triumph... Quiet, and come out of this man!» It is as though he were saying: «Come out of my house; what do you think you are doing under my roof? I am wanting to enter so, quiet!, and come out of this man – of man, that being endowed with reason. Leave this dwelling made ready for my benefit. The Lord wants his house; come out of this man»...See how precious man's soul is. This runs counter to those who think that we humans and the animals are endowed with exactly the same soul and are moved by the same spirit. On another occasion the demon was cast out of a single man and was sent into two thousand pigs (Mt 8,32); the spirit that is precious is opposed to the spirit that is base; one is saved, the other lost. «Come out of this man, get into those pigs; go where you will, go to hell. Get out of man, namely what belongs to me; I won't let you possess man since it would injure me if you were to settle in him in my stead. I assumed a human body, I dwell in man: that flesh you possess forms part of my flesh. Come out of man.»

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
The Price of Individual Wars. By: Elias Harfoush/Al-Hayat 13/01/09
Rice, Eager to Depart, Heartily Defends Record.By Glenn Kessler.
Washington Post 13/01/09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for January 13/09
Israel says it's sending top negotiator for 'decisive' talks in Egypt-AP
Lebanese Composer Mansour Rahbani Dies at 83-Naharnet
Qatar's Call for Emergency Summit Awaits Approval by Two Thirds of Arab States-Naharnet
Heated Arguments in Lebanese Cabinet, Discussions Resume on Tuesday-Naharnet
Lebanese Cabinet Approves Cellular Deal-Naharnet
Aoun Criticizes Neutral Candidates in the Parliamentary Elections-Naharnet
Murr: UNIFIL Plastics Not Explosive
-Naharnet
Berri: A Rare Chance Allowed Israel to Attack Gaza
-Naharnet
President Suleiman Urges Palestinians to Unify Ranks
-Naharnet
Lebanese Parliament Session on Saturday to Hear Ban Speech
-Naharnet
Efforts to Bring Together Jumblat, Raad Resume
-Naharnet
Report:Lebanese National Dialogue Postponed for Few Days
-Naharnet
Progress Made in Probe Into Rocket Attack on Israelfrom Lebanon
-Naharnet
Shots fired at Israeli patrol on Jordan border-AP
Israelis strike 60 Gaza targets-BBC News

Israeli leader warns Hamas of 'iron fist'-AP
Lebanese Cabinet accepts invitation to emergency Arab League summit-Daily Star
New York Times proffers Beirut as prime destination-Daily Star
Time runs short for deminers working in south Lebanon-Daily Star
Bloodbath in Gaza 'boosts Hizbullah's case for resistance-Daily Star
UNIFIL peacekeepers may owe huge debt to sniffer dog after bomb scare-Daily Star
Gaza: a tragedy for the region-Daily Star
Will Hizbullah intervene in the Gaza conflict?-Daily Star
EIU study lowers Lebanon's growth forecast again-Daily Star
AUB helps Palestinian children cope with bloodshed in Gaza-Daily Star

Lebanese Composer Mansour Rahbani Dies at 83
Naharnet/Veteran Lebanese composer and musician Mansour Rahbani, a well-known figure in the Arab world, died on Tuesday after a battle with illness. He was 83. The National News Agency said Rahbani was recently hospitalized for suffering from acute influenza. He was later placed in Hotel Dieu hospital's intensive care unit for three days under observation by this doctors. Rahbani was born in 1925 in the town of Antelias, north of Beirut.
He was the brother-in-law of Lebanese singing diva Fairuz, for whom he composed many poems and songs along with his older brother Assi. The two men were known as "the Rahbani Brothers."Following Assi Rahbani's death in 1986, Mansour's name came out for the first time after he wrote the play Summer 840. He later wrote and produced other grand theatrical plays, including The Will, The Last Days of Socrates, Moulouk al Tawaef, The Last Day, Hekm al Rehyan, Gebran and the Prophet, Zenobia, and The Return of the Phoenix which is now playing in Casino du Liban. Beirut, 13 Jan 09, 12:01

Israel says it's sending top negotiator for 'decisive' talks in Egypt
By Ibrahim Barzak And Josef Federman, The Associated Press
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Israel's chief negotiator will go to Egypt for "decisive" talks on a ceasefire with Hamas, officials said Tuesday, as the sound of battles between Israeli troops and Palestinian fighters rang out in the crowded streets of Gaza City.
With international outrage mounting over the toll on Gaza's civilians, Israel's decision to send Defence Ministry official Amos Gilad to Egypt on Thursday could be a signal of progress. Gilad had postponed the trip for days.
Diplomatic efforts to end 18 days of fighting have moved slowly, in part because of the wide gaps between Israel and Hamas, who do not negotiate directly.
Israel says it will push forward with the offensive until Hamas ends all rocket fire on southern Israel, and there are guarantees the group will stop smuggling weapons into Gaza through the porous Egyptian border.
Hamas has said it will only observe a ceasefire if Israel withdraws from Gaza.
Much of the diplomacy focuses on an area of southern Gaza just across the Egyptian border that serves as a weapons smuggling route, making Egypt critical to both sides in any deal.
Israel wants smuggling tunnels along the border sealed and monitored as part of any deal, and has been bombing the tunnels throughout the campaign.
The push into the Tel Hawwa neighbourhood was the farthest Israel has moved into Gaza City, and brought ground forces within 1.5 kilometres of the crowded city centre. Gaza hospital officials say more than 900 Palestinians, half of them civilians, have been killed over more than two weeks of fighting.
Palestinian rocket fire has been greatly reduced, but not halted altogether, since the offensive was launched. Some 15 rockets and mortar shells were fired toward Israel on Tuesday, causing no injuries, the army said. A total of 13 Israelis have died since Dec. 27.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was headed to the region Tuesday to press for a ceasefire, and a Hamas delegation resumed talks in Cairo with Egyptian intelligence officials.
Israeli military officials say that depending on what happens with what they described as "decisive" talks in Cairo, Israel will either move closer to a ceasefire or press on with an even tougher stage of its offensive. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing sensitive policy matters.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has vowed to press forward with an "iron fist," despite growing international calls for an end to the fighting.
Israel's army has largely avoided the difficult terrain of Gaza City's narrow alleyways and crowded neighbourhoods.
Palestinian medical officials reported at least 21 people killed in fighting Tuesday throughout Gaza, though the Israeli army suggested the number could be higher.
One resident, Khader Mussa, said he fled his house while waving a white flag as the Israeli forces advanced. He spent the night huddling in the basement of a relative with 25 other people, including his pregnant wife and his parents.
"Thank God we survived this time and got out alive from here. But we don't know how long we'll be safe in my brother's home," Mussa, 35, told The Associated Press by telephone.
Several buildings were on fire, witnesses said, including a lumberyard. The sounds of battle could be heard clearly around the city of 400,000 as the Israeli forces, backed by artillery and attack helicopters, moved in. Israeli gunboats shelled the coast from the west.
The Israeli military said it carried out some 60 air strikes overnight, hitting groups of Hamas fighters holed up in a hotel, a house and a mosque. It said it also struck 15 squads of gunmen, rocket launching sites and 15 smuggling tunnels along the Egyptian border.
The army said it had killed or wounded about 30 fighters, and that three soldiers were wounded in overnight clashes. Among them was an officer who was seriously wounded when a bomb exploded in a northern Gaza house that he was searching. Weapons, including a machine-gun, were later found in the house, the military said.
Dr. Moaiya Hassanain, a Palestinian Health Ministry official, said dozens of calls for ambulances had been received, but they could not be dispatched because of the fighting.
The Gaza fighting has raised tensions around the region and galvanized anger toward Israel throughout the Arab world. On Tuesday, at least one gunman opened fire at an Israeli army patrol along the desert border between Israel and Jordan, the military said. There were no casualties, and Jordan said the claim was "baseless."
There was a similar shooting on the Israel-Syria border Sunday, and last week fighters in Lebanon fired rockets into an Israeli town in an apparent attempt to draw Israel into a second front.
The Israeli military has tightly controlled information from the battlefield, but indications have been that Hamas has not put up a serious fight.
Of the nine Israeli soldiers killed during the offensive, four were killed in "friendly fire incidents," a military inquiry concluded. Repeated Hamas claims of spectacular attacks on the Israelis have turned out to be false.
Speaking in parliament Tuesday, Israel's military chief said his troops have achieved a lot but "still have work to do" in fighting Hamas in Gaza.
"The soldiers are doing exceptional work, with many achievements in inflicting damage on Hamas, its infrastructure, its government and military wing," he said.
But the fighting has raised concerns about a looming humanitarian disaster in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people are without power and running water.
The Israeli army said about 100 truckloads of humanitarian aid, including wheat, flour and medical supplies, were expected to be let into the territory Tuesday. The aid was sent through during a daily three-hour lull that Israel has declared to allow humanitarian supplies to be delivered.
In Brussels, the European Union's aid chief said Tuesday that Israel has not respected international humanitarian aid during the war. EU Commissioner Louis Michel, speaking in a published interview, cited the high number of civilian casualties and difficulties of delivering aid to the needed.
In Oslo, Norway, meanwhile, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Karen Abu Zayd, urged the Israeli army to do more to allow supplies into the besieged area. "We are getting a lot of help from the Israeli Defence Forces on the one crossing that's open to get more and more trucks in, but it's just not enough," she said.

The Price of Individual Wars
Elias Harfoush     Al-Hayat 
    - 12/01/09//
The battle of Gaza has proven, as have before it Israel's wars against Lebanon, that the time of Arab wars against Israel has ended. What we mean by "Arab wars" are those wars which the Arabs fought together, under a single military strategy aimed at reaching a single goal.
The war of 1973 was the last of these wars, and it is because it was so that it was able to return some land and some dignity. Arab history has continued to mention it as a late correction, one which has remained a single occurrence, of the catastrophe that befell the Arabs and their lands in 1967, as a result of poor planning and estimation in entering the war, and also because slogans and radio enthusiasm replaced fighting abilities in facing Israel.
After 1973, the Arabs entered the era of individual peace and individual wars. Individual peace was able to return their lands to each of Egypt and Jordan, as it was able to give the Palestinians a chance of returning their authority, even if limited, to their own land. Individual wars, on the other hand, have often produced disastrous results.
The Palestinian Resistance fought the war of 1982 alone on Lebanese soil, supported as usual by a fair number of protests, slogans and declarations of support. It ended up ousted from the most significant position it had obtained, being at the border to confront Israel, and sent to Tunisia and other lands of exile. Hezbollah also fought its war alone in 2006, and Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, eventually had to confess that, if he had known what the war on Lebanon would result in, he would never have approved of it. That war also ended with Hezbollah forces being moved away from the direct lines of confrontation.
As for the Palestinians, they too have fought their disproportionate battles, whether in the two Intifadas or in the various confrontations with the Israelis in different regions of the occupied land. The gains that they did achieve, whether in politics or on the battlefield, were not at all proportional to their great sacrifices and to the large number of casualties. The war taking place today in Gaza is only further evidence of the danger of individually deciding to go to war against an enemy armed with the latest technology, and with underestimated international diplomatic and political support, and against a political situation in the Arab world and the region which no longer agrees with the individual strategies and plans of the forces that are behind these wars.
What adds to the danger of such individual action is that the forces which Hamas had thought would be its main support in this war have also retreated to protecting their own interests and figuring out the opportunities of exploiting this war. Of course, here we are not discussing the forces which the Islamic movement considers to be "neutral," but rather those that are allied to Hamas, whether in the Arab World or in the region. It is noteworthy, for instance, in a regional power of the size of Iran, which is considered the main reservoir for the ideology and ethics of Islamic resistance, to see the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, speaking to Iranian youths who seek to enroll and join the Palestinian fighters, saying: "It is important for you to realize that we cannot do anything on this level!", at a time when he accuses countries in the region of having "let down" the Palestinians.
Kamenei admitting his inability to do anything could have been considered of the utmost realism, and Hamas leaders should have thus listened to his words carefully, had they not been preceded by other words. Indeed, before the start of the battles, Kamenei himself spoke of "the duty of all Mujahideen and believers in the Muslim World to defend the innocent women and children of Gaza."
There is nothing wrong with governments of the region taking a few steps back and weighing their decisions carefully, in the face of the coming changes, and especially when nearing the arrival of a new US administration, one that has been suggesting the possibility of opening dialogue channels, instead of adopting a posture of confrontation, with the Iranian regime and the regimes and forces allied with it in the region. However, it is wrong, and in fact criminal, for Gaza, with its children, women and elderly, to be the fuel necessary to prove the ability of those regimes and forces to walk the path of realism and toss aside the slogans of yesterday, if there is indeed a price appropriate for this

Is there anyone who Wishes to Stop the Massacres in Gaza?
Elias Harfoush Al-Hayat - 11/01/09//
There is a race of diplomatic efforts taking place which aims at reaching a ceasefire, one that would stop the Israeli killing machine and thus put an end to the fall of casualties among the Palestinians. There is also a race of relentless attempts to exploit this tragic situation to serve the political interests of parties benefiting from it.
The ceasefire resolution that was taken by the Security Council, as a result of intense pressures from the Arab ministerial delegation which followed negotiations in New York, could have represented a suitable prelude for ending this painful episode of disproportion between the numbers of Palestinian and Israeli casualties (at least 770 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, as opposed to thirteen Israelis, ten of them soldiers). However, both parties in this confrontation have concluded that approving such a resolution and committing to its clauses is in neither of their interests. Indeed, Israel has considered that it neither protects its interests nor ensures the security of the inhabitants of the towns and settlements that are being targeted by the rockets. As for Hamas, it has declared that the resolution "does not take into account the goals and aspirations of the Palestinian people, but rather fosters Israel's security interests and aims at saving the face of the occupation after the series of failures it has faced in the Gaza Strip".
Are there any goals that are more important right now for the Palestinian people than to stop the massacres perpetrated by Israel? Will all the cries and calls, including those of international humanitarian organizations who accuse the Israelis of deliberate killing and of violating the most basic international laws for the protection of civilians during war, be sufficient to put an end to these violations?
It is in Israel's interest to complete its killing spree to the very end. This has always been its policy to begin with: to use the greatest amount of force and perpetrate the highest rate of massacres to force the Palestinians and Arabs to submit and accept the guarantees which Israel claims and demands in order to protect its existence in our region. The Hebrew State has proven throughout the various periods of conflict that it is capable of doing so. In fact, it has proved successful at this, first and foremost because of the weakness and internal division of the Arabs (and currently of the Palestinians), and also as a result of the sympathy and support it enjoys from most countries around the world, and most prominently of course from the United States. Israel now has the opportunity to complete the confrontation until it reaches its desired end, under the pressure of internal elections in which no political party can afford to be satisfied with any less than the objectives that were announced for this war, and during a period of hiatus between a departing US administration, whose policy has been fully identified with that of Israel, and a coming administration which heralds possibilities of openness to the different parties in the conflict, including the Hamas movement.
As for Hamas, it considers this war to be an "opportunity" to once again assert its existence on the political map of Palestine and the region. Perhaps this is what the movement means when it justifies its objection to the UN resolution by stating that it "was not a party" in the talks that led to it. Within such a political context, the death toll becomes, from the perspective of the Islamist movement, a burden for those in Israel who made the decision to wage war and for those who have appointed them and kept quiet about their crimes, more than it is for the families of the victims, as well as for their fellow Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims. The latter were in fact supposed, as they still are, to use all and any means that would prevent the aggressors from continuing to perpetrate their crimes, not to say not to provide the aggressors with the pretexts they can use to continue their offensive.
This is precisely where lies the difference between, on the one hand, Arab officials, in addition to the international diplomats who wave supported them, who rushed to reach a ceasefire that would put an end to Israel's massacres while awaiting the completion of the remaining arrangements that would allow for a permanent solution, one which would include lifting the siege and ensuring the security of the crossings, as well as the issue of weapons smuggling into Gaza, and, on the other, those who consider the war to be part of a political process that can only end in complete victory. Such a victory, on the Palestinian side, clearly seems to come at an extremely high cost. Thus it becomes legitimate to ask about the meaning and the purpose of such a victory, assuming it is even one that can be achieved.
If Israel is able to endure this war until it reaches its desired ends, as long its own death toll does not so far represent a means to apply pressure on the political decision to stop the war, is it sound for Hamas to behave in the same way, when faced with the tremendous number of Palestinian casualties so far, at an average of 70 victims per day? Is the absence of a political calculation machine in Gaza sufficient to justify this kind of behavior, one which is moving towards its inevitable end?

The President and the Scale
Ghassan Charbel Al-Hayat - 12/01/09//
Lebanon is fully concerned by the Gaza events. Israel's massacres there have strained the Lebanese, Arab and Islamic streets. Such tensions are multiplied inside the Palestinian camps scattered in Lebanon. Also, the small country has other reasons for concern: the Gaza war is the first broad confrontation of the Israeli army after the July 2006 setback. This war smacks of Israel's feeling of revenge and desire to retrieve its dignity and "deterrence" capacity.
It is not easy for Lebanon to coexist with a long war in Gaza and the sight of big and small corpses under the rubble. It is also not easy for the Palestinian camps to practice self-restraint until the end. Likewise, it is not easy for Hezbollah to observe for very long the attempt to crush both Gaza and Hamas. The matter is not easy for all Arabs either, regardless of their diverging opinions. It is also not easy for Iran, which expressed a strong wish to be involved in the Mediterranean, and more specifically in the heart of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
In Beirut, which was worried by the rockets fired at Northern Israel, coexistence with this war remains difficult. When journalistic curiosity got the best of me, I went to Baabda palace to conduct my investigations. I saw President General Michel Suleiman busily following the details of this dangerous unstable situation - particularly after the Security Council's resolution failed to consecrate a ceasefire. I found the President aware of the gravity of the situation, but I also sensed his great confidence in Lebanon's ability to overcome this phase without paying its price. I felt that the lines of Baabda palace were open to the parties that are able to cause or prevent the escalation of the situation.
I felt that the President's assurance - which is relative in the dangerous and unstable situation - is the fruit of many elements, the first of which is the unified stance of the Lebanese government towards the ongoing events, despite the deep political divisions and the decisive parliamentary elections scheduled for next June. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the consensual president's main concern, or rather primary obsession, is upholding the unified stance.
As for the second element, it is the prevailing feeling in the country that Lebanon's contribution to support the Gaza inhabitants must be made under the Arab umbrella, while respecting Lebanon's obligations towards the international legitimacy - and without saddling the country with further burdens whilst it is still nurturing its previous wounds. The third element is the President's credibility he has built up in his relations with all the Lebanese, the resistance, and Syria during the last tumultuous years.
What a difficult mission Michel Suleiman is faced with. The Lebanese divisions run deep, the Arab divisions run deep, and the international situation is hazy on the eve of Obama's inauguration. The open battle of roles and cards in the region since the demise of Saddam Hussein's regime and the July war exceeds the capacities of the small country that is unable to turn into a big player or open playground. Perhaps this is why the President speaks like someone whose eyes are constantly on the balance and its scales.
What a difficult mission Michel Suleiman is faced with. He wishes to keep the idea of the State and institutions alive, and he knows that Lebanon lives beneath the remains of the State and institutions. Through the repeated dialogue meetings, he is attempting to weave an umbrella that would protect the slow steps from internal and external winds.
Between the March 14 and March 8 camps, between the Doha and the Taef agreements, between the adherence to constants and the need to adapt to changes, the President's task seems extremely hard - not to say impossible.
The President speaks with moderation and caution about the forces and the people. He is aware of the abilities of the State and the limits of his role. He tries to muster up some force for the State and the country without giving up, taking risks, or rushing. He still has the dream of the State as well as the ability to talk to everyone, and tries to have the capacity to wait, in a dangerous and unstable situation

Is There a Lebanese-Syrian Divergence?
Abdullah Iskandar Al-Hayat - 11/01/09//
The repercussions of the Israeli offensive on Gaza have so far spared Lebanon. The official and popular reactions have been limited to condemning and denouncing the Israeli war crimes in the Strip, in total solidarity with the Palestinian people in the face of the Israeli killing machine. The rockets fired two days ago at Nahariya from South Lebanon offered the Lebanese government, the political parties, the UN and the states contributing to the UNIFIL an opportunity to confirm the need not to embroil Lebanon in any field confrontation with the Israeli troops, as this will jeopardize the country, the Security Council Resolution 1701 and the UNIFIL missions.
Even though Hezbollah has attributed its ambiguous stance to the nature of its strategy in confronting Israel, the cabinet - of which it is part - has consensually declined to see South Lebanon turn into a battlefield in the current confrontation. As such, the official stance has prevailed over field neutrality, with the parties to the government, including Hezbollah, supporting the measures taken by the army in cooperation with the UNIFIL to prevent any party from opening the Lebanese front in light of the assault on Gaza. Such a party has been repeatedly identified as the Damascus-based armed Palestinian factions with bases in Lebanon.
The rockets launched from the South were described by many as a message to the Lebanese State. But most importantly, the content of this message must be well-understood, not to mention its impact on the situation in Lebanon.
This message does not target the status quo in the South nor does it threaten to blow it up. Lebanon, Israel, the countries of the region, and influential capitals all know that such a step is impossible without a Hezbollah decision. In turn, this decision is not linked to enthusiastic impulses but to a series of regional calculations. Most probably, this message was addressed in light of Lebanon's participation in the Arab ministerial delegation to the UN and its Foreign Minister's involvement in the Saudi-led efforts to reach the Security Council Resolution 1860 on a ceasefire in Gaza. Fawzi Salloukh is said to represent the opposition in the national unity government.
As such, Lebanon's approach to the offensive differs from Syria's. Following his meeting with his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, who arrived in Syria to promote the Egyptian initiative, Syrian President Bashar Assad called for an Arab Summit even if unattended by all member states. The aim was to reject the initiative that became a goal to attain in the Resolution 1860. In turn, Syria's foreign minister branded as "short-sighted" the Arabs' referring the case to the Security Council. For this reason, the Syrian diplomacy rejected the efforts by the delegation, including Salloukh's who hailed their results. As for Tishreen newspaper, it described the Resolution 1860 as "tailored to Israel's conditions."
Amidst the prevailing Arab divisions, the Lebanese diplomacy has adopted a stance different than Syria's in a matter of paramount importance to Syria. Lebanon has not opposed Syria's policy in this respect nor has it rallied behind a particular Arab axis. But at the very least, it has not taken Syria's considerations into account. This takes place for the first time since the Taef Agreement in the late 80s and the policy of the concomitance of tracks.
The question has to do now with this conflict; how it will impact the bilateral relations in the next stage and Lebanon's ability to uphold such a conflict - especially when the Israeli killing machine stops in Gaza, accounts are made, and prices are demanded. Moreover, there is the issue of the Syrian approach to Lebanon in light of the unhurried exchange of ambassadors, which was supposed to take place before the end of 2008. The issue is also related to the effects it will have upon the allies of Damascus in Lebanon and their conduct in Parliament until the coming parliamentary elections scheduled for next June. Moreover, there is the relation with President Michel Suleiman, who enters into a political atmosphere that is different than the one produced by the Doha agreement, which had led to his election.
 

Shots fired at Israeli patrol on Jordan border
JERUSALEM – AP/The Israeli military says one or more gunmen have opened fire on an army patrol along the Israel-Jordan border. The military says there were no casualties in the incident, which took place along the desert frontier between the two countries in southern Israel. The details remain unclear. But tensions are high in the region because of Israel's devastating offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israel and Jordan signed a peace agreement in 1994 and the border is usually quiet. There was a similar shooting incident Sunday along the Israel-Syria border.
Israelis strike 60 Gaza targets

Qatar's Call for Emergency Summit Awaits Approval by Two Thirds of Arab States
Naharnet/Prime Minister of Qatar Hamad Bin Jassem Bin Jaber al-Thani announced Monday that his country has called for an emergency Arab summit scheduled for Friday at Doha to tackle the Gaza situation. However, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said the call requires approval by two thirds of the league member states. Moussa also said a ministerial meeting is scheduled for Friday in Kuwait to tackle the Gaza situation. Sheik Hamad, who also is foreign minister, said the emergency summit should "look into measures capable of putting an end to the Israeli aggression on Gaza in light of Israel's refusal to respect UNSCR 1860." Kuwait is to host an Arab Economic Summit on Jan. 19-20. A meeting by Governors of Arab Central Banks is scheduled for Wednesday to set the stage for the economic summit. Beirut, 12 Jan 09, 22:35

Heated Arguments in Cabinet, Discussions Resume on Tuesday
Naharnet/The government on Tuesday will resume discussion of the state budget bill for fiscal 2009, a day after a cabinet session witnessed heated arguments on electricity, the health ministry's budget, the Council of the South and the Central Fund for the Displaced. An Nahar daily said that Health Minister Mohammad Jawad Khalifeh expressed reservations on the draft budget because it failed to allocate more funds for the health ministry. As for discussions on the power crisis, a Cabinet member told An Nahar that an argument broke out with Energy Minister Alain Tabourian over a suggestion to increase electricity tariffs. As Safir daily said Finance Minister Mohammed Shatah suggested increased tariffs but Tabourian refused claiming fuel prices are decreasing worldwide. The newspaper said the issue will be discussed again in Tuesday's session. Minister of Administrative Reform Ibrahim Shamseddine, according to An Nahar, brought up the issue of the Central Fund for the Displaced and the Council of the South, asking when they will be cancelled since the budget bill does not mention them. Beirut, 13 Jan 09, 09:01

Cabinet Approves Cellular Deal
Naharnet/The Lebanese Cabinet on Monday granted two firms rights to operate cellular communication services. Information Minister Tareq Mitri said Egypt's Orascom and Kuwait's Zain won the tender to operate the two networks. He did not disclose further details. However, the cabinet decided to resume on Tuesday discussion of the state budget bill for fiscal 2009, Mitri said. Beirut, 12 Jan 09, 23:10

Aoun Criticizes Neutral Candidates in the Parliamentary Elections
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun on Monday criticized efforts to form a neutral parliamentary bloc in the forthcoming elections, charging that neutral politicians are "like water, tasteless, colorless and odorless." Forming a neutral parliamentary bloc, Aoun added, would "damage the balance of powers" within the house. "They would nominate disguised candidates and term them neutral candidates," Aoun told reporters after the weekly meeting by members of his Change and Reform parliamentary bloc. President Michel Suleiman, according to Aoun, "does not want a parliamentary bloc … he is not our foe and we are not his foes."
On Sunday, Aoun urged all those who don't have a chance to win the parliamentary elections to withdraw their candidacies because he won't back anyone who has limited capabilities. "Those who have announced their candidacies and don't have a chance to win (they should) withdraw because I won't support anyone who can't (even) become head of municipality," Aoun told a visiting delegation from the Engineering Alumni Association. "Or else I could take technocrats and support them" because they would be more useful later, he said. "We welcome all FPM friends who want to announce their candidacies under three conditions: First they should harmonize with colleagues, second they should support change and reform and third they should have the biggest chance among their colleagues to win the elections," Aoun said. Beirut, 12 Jan 09, 18:28

Murr: UNIFIL Plastics Not Explosive
Naharnet/Defense Minister Elias Murr said Monday plastics found in a garbage truck serving Italian peacekeepers in south Lebanon "were not explosive material."
Murr, talking to reporters prior to a cabinet session at Baabda Palace, said the two people arrested in connection with the case have been released.
Press reports said two cleaning workers were arrested Sunday upon discovery of the plastics in their truck at the main gate to the headquarters in the southern town of Tibnin of the Italian Battalion serving with the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon. Beirut, 12 Jan 09, 22:00

Berri: A Rare Chance Allowed Israel to Attack Gaza
Naharnet/Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday said Israel "benefited from a rare chance … to strike at Gaza."Berri, addressing foreign Consuls accredited to Lebanon, said Israel "benefited from the intra-Palestinian split and the inter-Arab split … to attack Gaza." He said UNSCR 1860 on Gaza was adopted "but would not be implemented." Lebanon, he said, is "heading to recovery, though at turtle speed." Beirut, 12 Jan 09, 18:17

Efforts to Bring Together Jumblat, Raad Resume
Naharnet/Efforts to set up a meeting between Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Walid Jumblat and Head of Hizbullah's parliamentary bloc Mohammed Raad have resumed, As Safir newspaper reported Monday. It said progress was made to bring the two sides together after Lebanese Democratic Party (LDP) chief Minister Talal Arslan resumed his mediation between the PSP and Hizbullah. As Safir quoted Jumblat as saying that during his meeting with Arslan at the latter's residence in Khaldeh last Monday, the LDP leader "suggested to resume contacts" to arrange a meeting between the PSP chief and MP Raad. "I informed him (Arslan) that I am ready (for such talks)," Jumblat told the daily. Sources close to the contacts between both sides told As Safir that Jumblat wants the meeting with Raad to pave the way for future talks with Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Beirut, 12 Jan 09, 09:32

Report: National Dialogue Postponed for Few Days
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman has decided to postpone the national dialogue session to January 26, As Safir daily reported Monday. It said the session that was scheduled to discuss Lebanon's defense strategy at Baabda Palace on Jan. 22 will be held on the 26th because Suleiman is planning to attend an Arab economic summit in Kuwait. During the last session, Lebanese leaders decided to form a military committee to study defense strategy suggestions. As Safir quoted sources as saying the next dialogue session will be followed by another meeting in March, the last talks before the parliamentary elections set for June 7. Beirut, 12 Jan 09, 08:57

UN chief heads to Mideast to press Gaza resolution
By EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer Edith M. Lederer, Associated Press Writer –
UNITED NATIONS – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon heads to the Mideast on Tuesday to step up diplomatic efforts to get Israel and Hamas to adhere to a U.N. cease-fire resolution in the Gaza Strip and allow humanitarian aid into the devastated Palestinian territory.
Since Israel launched its air and ground offensive on Dec. 27, Ban said he has been on the phone constantly with top officials in the Middle East, Europe and the United States promoting a cease-fire. But he said phone calls aren't a substitute for direct talks with leaders who have influence on the parties.
"To both sides, I say: Just stop, now," the U.N. chief told a news conference Monday. "Too many people have died. There has been too much civilian suffering. Too many people, Israelis and Palestinians, live in daily fear of their lives."
The secretary-general said he was trying to visit all countries that "can make a difference." He will meet senior officials in Egypt and Jordan Wednesday, then head to Israel, the Palestinian-controlled West Bank, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria and Kuwait where he said an Arab League summit may add an extra session to tackle the Gaza conflict. His itinerary does not include a stop in Gaza because of the ongoing conflict.
Ban said he will be discussing an immediate cease-fire with Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, who is hosting separate talks with the Israelis and Hamas, and pressing Israel's leaders, and the presidents of Turkey and Syria, who have influence with Hamas, for a halt to the fighting.
He added that he has been discussing the conflict with the Americans, Israel's closest ally, every day.
Ban said he would also be encouraging diplomatic initiatives — including one by Mubarak — to open border crossings, strengthen border security, provide humanitarian assistance, protect the Palestinian population in Gaza, and reunite Hamas-controlled Gaza and the Fatah-controlled West Bank.
Ban said the United Nations maintains diplomatic relations with the Palestinian Authority, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas whom he will visit in Ramallah, but U.N. officials have only technical contact with Hamas representatives, which seized control of Gaza from Abbas' government in 2007.
"I urge again that Hamas militants — they must stop, they must look to the future of the Palestinian people," he said.
The Security Council resolution adopted Thursday by a vote of 14-0, with the U.S. abstaining, "stresses the urgency of and calls for an immediate, durable and fully respected cease-fire, leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza."
The U.N. chief will return to New York on Jan. 20, just before Barack Obama's inauguration.

The Israeli air force supported ground troops in Gaza
BBC 13/01/09/Israel says it attacked more than 60 targets overnight in Gaza as its offensive against Hamas entered its 18th day. The air assault came as Israeli troops advanced in the southern and eastern suburbs of Gaza City. The Israeli military also announced another three-hour ceasefire, starting at 0900 local time (0700 GMT), to allow aid lorries into Gaza. The truce coincides with visits by UN and Red Cross officials to Gaza. On Tuesday, the western areas of Gaza City also came under shellfire from Israeli gunboats. The Israeli military has denied a Hamas claim that it had destroyed two Israeli tanks. The BBC's Aleem Maqbool, on the Israeli-Gaza border, said Israeli shelling had continued despite the three-hour humanitarian ceasefire. The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, has implored Israel and Palestinian militants to halt the fighting in Gaza immediately. Ban Ki-moon calls for an immediate ceasefire
Ahead of a trip to the region to push for a truce, Ban Ki-moon said too many people had died and there had been too much civilian suffering.
"My message is simple, direct and to the point: the fighting must stop," Mr Ban told a news conference in New York ahead of his departure on Tuesday for the Middle East. "In Gaza, the very foundation of society is being destroyed: people's homes, civic infrastructure, public health facilities and schools."
His diplomatic tour will see talks with the leaders of Egypt, Israel and Syria as well as the Palestinian president in Ramallah.
However, UN officials say he will not be meeting representatives of Hamas, and it is not clear whether he will go to Gaza itself during his week-long trip.
Also on Tuesday, an Israeli army patrol in the West Bank came under fire from inside Jordan, the army said. No-one was hurt in the incident and the patrol returned fire. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Palestinian militants will keep on feeling Israel's "iron fist" as long as Hamas fires rockets at Israel.
But a senior Hamas leader, Ismail Haniya, said the group was "approaching victory". "After 17 days of this foolish war, Gaza has not been broken and Gaza will not collapse," he said in a televised address from a secret location in Gaza.
Death toll
Both Hamas and Israel rejected last week's UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Palestinian medical sources say 910 people have been killed in Gaza so far, of whom 292 were children and 75 were women. Israeli officials say 13 Israelis, including three civilians, have been killed.
On Monday, casualty reports from Palestinian medics ranged from nine to 26 dead, while Israel said five of its soldiers had been injured, one of them seriously.
Israel is preventing international journalists from entering Gaza, making it impossible to independently confirm casualty figures.
Meanwhile, reports suggest diplomatic efforts between Egypt and Hamas in Cairo are progressing.
After meeting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Middle East Quartet envoy Tony Blair said the elements were in place for a ceasefire agreement.
"I am hopeful we can put an agreement together but it's going to have to be worked on very hard and it's got to be credible," he told journalists.
Israel hopes the scale of its operation will greatly reduce the number of missiles fired from Gaza into southern Israel, while eroding support for Hamas.

Israeli leader warns Hamas of 'iron fist'
By IBRAHIM BARZAK and CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA, Associated f … GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stood within Hamas rocket range Monday and warned Islamic militants that they face an "iron fist" unless they agree to Israeli terms for an end to war in the Gaza Strip. Hamas showed no signs of wavering, however, with its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, saying the militants were "closer to victory."
Despite the tough words, Egypt said it was making slow progress in brokering a truce, and special Mideast envoy Tony Blair said elements were in place for a cease-fire.As Olmert spoke in the Israeli city of Ashkelon, Israeli tanks, gunboats and warplanes hammered suspected hiding places of Hamas operatives who control the poor, densely populated territory just across the border.
After nightfall, flares and explosions lit up the sky over Gaza and heavy gunfire was heard in parts of the coastal territory of 1.4 million people.
Hamas' fighters battled Israeli troops on the outskirts of Gaza City and launched 15 rockets at southern Israel. The group's prime minister insisted on an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the opening of blockaded border crossings as part of any truce.
"As we are in the middle of this crisis, we tell our people we, God willing, are closer to victory. All the blood that is being shed will not go to waste," Haniyeh said on Hamas' Al Aqsa television. But he said the group was also pursuing a diplomatic track to end the conflict that "will not close."
Haniyeh sat a desk in a room with a Palestinian flag and a Quran in the background. His location was unclear; Israeli airstrikes have targeted militant chiefs, and most are in hiding.
The fighting began Dec. 27 and has killed more than 900 Palestinians, about half of them civilians, according to Palestinian medical officials. Thirteen Israelis, including 10 soldiers, have been killed. As diplomats struggled for traction in truce efforts, Olmert said Israel would only end military operations if Hamas stops rocketing Israel, as it has done for years, and is unable to rearm after combat subsides.
"Anything else will be met with the Israeli people's iron fist," Olmert said. "We will continue to strike with full strength, with full force until there is quiet and rearmament stops."A few hours before Olmert spoke, a rocket hit a house in Ashkelon but caused no casualties. Olmert addressed regional mayors in the relative safety of the basement of a public building during his two-hour visit; he has toured other towns hit by rockets since the war began.
Later, he tempered his tough talk, saying: "I really hope that the efforts we are making with the Egyptians these days will ripen to a result that will enable us to end the fighting."Ashkelon is 10 miles from the border with Gaza. The Israeli military says Hamas has Iranian-supplied rockets that can reach 25 miles into southern Israel.
Inside Gaza, an Israeli battalion commander identified only as Lt. Col. Yehuda said troops had not met significant resistance and had found several houses booby-trapped either with regular explosives, or by sealing the windows and doors and opening cooking gas valves.
"A couple of days ago, an armed squad popped up from a tunnel that was concealed by a nearby building. We took them out with tank fire and a bulldozer," he said.
In another incident, the commander said, his men spotted a suicide bomber on a bicycle.
"He ran off to take cover in a building, presumably to draw us in," Yehuda said. "We demolished the building on top of him with a bulldozer."
Brig. Gen. Eyal Eisenberg said troops were "tightening the encirclement" of Gaza City and were "constantly on the move."
The comments by Yehuda and Eisenberg were approved by Israeli military censors. They spoke to a small group of reporters who accompanied Israeli units inside Gaza. Israeli forces have not allowed journalists to enter Gaza to cover the war.
Israeli warplanes pounded suspected Hamas positions in Gaza City, and navy gunboats fired at least 25 shells. Smoke billowed over buildings.
At least 20 Palestinians died Monday, some of them from wounds suffered on previous days, Gaza health officials said.
A girl, a doctor and a Hamas militant were killed in the northern Gaza Strip, said Basim Abu Wardeh, head of Kamal Adwan hospital.
The doctor rushed to evacuate the wounded from a building where two airstrikes had taken place and was killed by a third, Abu Wardeh said. Four other medics were injured, one critically. The Israeli military said four soldiers were injured, one seriously, in what an initial inquiry concluded was a "friendly fire" incident in northern Gaza.
Israel has sent reserve units into Gaza to help thousands of ground forces already in the territory, and fighting has persisted despite a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire. Egypt has assumed a role as mediator between Israel and Hamas.
Talks "are progressing slowly but surely because each party wants to score some points," Hossam Zaki, the spokesman for Egypt's Foreign Ministry, told the British Broadcasting Corp. "We would like to be able to bridge some gaps and then proceed immediately to a cease-fire."
Zaki, however, said Egypt could not provide certain guarantees that Israelis seek, such as a halt to rocket fire.
"We'll enhance our efforts, but this is not an issue between Israel and Egypt," Zaki told the BBC. "It is an issue between Israel and Gaza, and this is something that will have to be worked out, as the (U.N.) Security Council says, in Gaza."
Much of the diplomacy focuses on an area of southern Gaza just across the Egyptian border known as the Philadelphi corridor that serves as a weapons smuggling route, making Egypt critical to both sides in any deal. The name of the corridor is an Israel military label.
Israel wants those routes sealed and monitored as part of any peace deal, and has been bombing tunnels that run under that border.
"I think the elements of an agreement for the immediate cease-fire are there," Blair said in Cairo. He added that, while more work needed to be done, he hoped to see a cease-fire "in the coming days."
Israeli Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad planned to travel Tuesday to Egypt for talks.
In Paris, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said European military observers should be sent to Gaza to monitor any eventual cease-fire.
Israel's chief military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Avi Benayahu, said the fighting was "difficult and complex" and that Hamas militants were setting boobytraps and firing missiles from the rooftops of civilian homes.
"There is a whole city built underground in Gaza. Lots of big weapons warehouses," Benayahu said. Soldiers also uncovered a tunnel dug inside Gaza that led 300 yards into Israel, he said.
In Monday's fighting, the army said it carried out more than 25 airstrikes, hitting squads of gunmen, mortar launchers and two vehicles carrying Hamas militants.
It said ground troops came under fire from militants in a mosque. An Israeli aircraft attacked the squad, and Israeli troops then took over the mosque, confiscating rockets and mortar shells.
With Israeli troops surrounding Gaza's main population centers, Israeli leaders have said the operation is close to achieving its goals. Security officials say they have killed hundreds of Hamas fighters, including top commanders, but there has been no way to confirm the claims.
Aid agencies said they have resumed relief operations in Gaza, but fighting still prevents them from evacuating the sickest people and reaching all those who need help.
The international Red Cross said it brought in seven truckloads of medical supplies and would distribute them to hospitals overwhelmed by the influx of patients.
International aid groups, however, say Israel is not doing enough to protect Palestinian civilians as well as aid workers. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced and many basic food items are no longer available, the office of the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator said.
As many 88 percent of Gaza's residents now require food aid, up from 80 percent before the war, said Helene Gayle, president of the international aid agency CARE.
The three-hour lull in fighting that Israel allows for humanitarian aid to move around Gaza is not sufficient, she said.
**Barzak reported from Gaza City; Torchia from Jerusalem. Carley Petesch in New York and Eliane Engeler contributed to this report.
 

Rice, Eager to Depart, Heartily Defends Record
By Glenn Kessler

Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 13, 2009; Page A06

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice didn't blink.

Told that Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said recently the United States simply can't deliver on its promises because of deference to Israel, Rice explained away the diplomatic dispute that distressed Siniora and then pointedly claimed credit for U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Israeli-Hezbollah war that devastated Lebanon.

"There would have been no 1701 without me," she declared in an interview with Washington Post editors and reporters.

In a conversation that stretched to 75 minutes -- and which Rice seemed reluctant to end -- the secretary of state said she was counting the hours until Jan. 20. But she yielded little ground in defense of her own record or the administration's performance over the past eight years. After being peppered with questions about regrets, she joked, "Aren't you going to say, 'Aren't you thrilled that . . .?' "

What was more important than current controversies, she argued, slapping the table for emphasis, is how the decisions look 25 or 30 years later. "If you get very focused on whether someone thinks your policies are popular, you won't do the right thing," she said.

Arguing that Iraq shows signs of becoming an inclusive state -- it even "declared Christmas a national holiday" -- Rice said that if the country eventually emerges as a democratic, multiethnic state that has friendly ties with the United States, "that will be more important than what anybody thought in 2002 or 2003."

Rice added: "That's not to say that it didn't come at great cost. I myself will be haunted by the lives that were lost. I will always think about the people I visited at Walter Reed or at Bethesda and wonder what their lives are like. I also know that nothing of value is won without sacrifice."

On North Korea, Rice made the case that the Bush administration has made unappreciated strides in eliminating that country's nuclear weapon programs. When Bush became president, North Korea's plutonium-based nuclear facility was already frozen, with 8,000 spent fuel rods under international supervision. After a dispute with the Bush administration, North Korea restarted its facility and processed the fuel rods into nuclear weapons material, even testing a nuclear device in 2006.

But Rice argued that events turned out for the best. "Yes, it's unfortunate that they reprocessed in that period of time, creating some stockpile of plutonium, but, frankly, given the attention now on their program . . . I think it is a very good development" because, she said, nations in the region now have joined together in a diplomatic process to persuade Pyongyang to give up the weapons it built.

Even in her final days as secretary, Rice has had to deal with war in Gaza and the controversy surrounding last week's decision to abstain from a U.N. Security Council vote on a cease-fire resolution. The abstention surprised many observers because Rice had spent three days in New York working on a resolution.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert took credit yesterday for the U.S. abstention. "I said, 'Get me President Bush on the phone,' " he said in a speech, saying he had interrupted Bush during a speech and demanded that the United States not vote in favor of the resolution. Olmert said Bush then called Rice. "She was left pretty embarrassed," Olmert said.

Rice, who said the vote was "not an easy decision but a right one," declined to discuss her conversation with Bush. "I am not going to talk about anything more than that except to say I think you know my relationship with the president," she said. "I have a relationship in which we can discuss these things and come to the best decision."

Rice, who will return to Stanford University and write books, including one on her parents, offered praise for President-elect Barack Obama. She noted that she was impressed by his performance on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "From the very beginning, he was someone who asked probing questions, good questions, but no polemics, no fireworks . . . really soliciting information, not speaking for the camera. . . . Those are characteristics that bode well."