LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 26/09
Bible Reading of the day.”
John6/1:5: Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first, that he was
going through the grain fields. His disciples plucked the heads of grain, and
ate, rubbing them in their hands. But some of the Pharisees said to them,
“Why do you do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day?” Jesus,
answering them, said, “Haven’t you read what David did when he was hungry, he,
and those who were with him; how he entered into God’s house, and took and
ate the show bread, and gave also to those who were with him, which is not
lawful to eat except for the priests alone?” He said to them, “The Son of Man is
lord of the Sabbath.”
Free Opinions, Releases, letters &
Special Reports
Iranian Space Program Falls to
Earth.
Aoun, the opportunist/Future News
25/03/09
Clear U.S. stance crucial to
progress in Syria-Israel talks/ By Yoav Stern.Haaretz 25.03.09
Obama: Peace won't be easier under
Netanyahu, but just as necessary.By Natasha Mozgovaya/Haaretz 25.03.09
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for March
25/09
Thousands mourn slain PLO official in Lebanon-AFP
Berri: Why Council of The
South Budget late Despite Agreement with PM?Naharnet
Williams: Appointment of Syrian Ambassador Contributes to Lebanon Stability,
Sarkozy Agrees-Naharnet
Bomb Found Near Gemayel's Home,
Phalange Leader Confirms Threats Against him-Naharnet
Hariri
Maintains Wait-and-See Attitude on Court Ruling-Naharnet
Feltman: Election Results Will Shape U.S. Policy Towards Lebanon-Naharnet
Feltman asks Israel for data on
2006 war mines/Future News
Hariri: Elections, a test for
democracy/Future
News
Assad
Rejects 'Oscillating' Relations with Lebanon, Supports Firm Bilateral Ties-Naharnet
Medhat Killed by
Palestinian-Made Bomb, Funeral to be Held Today-Naharnet
Police Defuse Booby-Trapped Car
Near Gemayel's Home, Arrest Syrian Driver-Naharnet
Souaid: Bekfaya’s explosive, a
flagrant message/Future
News
King Abdullah: “Arabs needs to stay
vigilant in the face of challenges/Future News
Assignment of a Syrian ambassador
and the wisdom of a King/Future
News
Geagea: Jezzini is negligent/Future
News
Medhat's killing deals blow to efforts to repair Palestinian rifts - analysts-Daily
Star
Sleiman approves Syria's nominee for ambassador-Daily
Star
Medhat received death threats - Fatah leader-Daily
Star
Lebanese construction worker abducted in Nigeria-(AFP)
Israelis bring down Hizbullah website - report-Daily
Star
Wife
of cheating husband insists he's innocent of terror-(AFP)
MEA
to receive six Airbus aircraft by May-Daily
Star
Hoss:
BSE's small size spared Lebanon from impact of crisis-Daily
Star
Consumer prices see only 2.5 percent drop since end-2008-Daily
Star
Man
found shot dead in car in Zahleh-Daily
Star
Lebanon moving toward abolishing capital punishment - study-Daily
Star
Police Defuse Booby-Trapped Car Near Gemayel's Home,
Arrest Syrian Driver
Naharnet/Security forces defused Tuesday night an explosive device in a vehicle
parked near Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel's home in Bikfaya and arrested
its Syrian driver, media reports said.
The Phalange website said the bomb was planted under the fuel tank and was
linked with electric wires to the front seat.
It said the driver is named Youssef Mohammed al-Mohammed and police found
several forged passports with him.
Gemayel's security personnel caught the driver of the Honda Prelude while he was
trying to park the car in the vicinity of the former president's home, the site
added.
The Lebanese army immediately cordoned off the area and opened an investigation.
Beirut, 24 Mar 09, 22:57
Bomb Found Near Gemayel's Home, Phalange Leader Confirms
Threats Against him
Naharnet/Security forces defused Tuesday night an explosive device in a vehicle
parked near Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel's home in Bikfaya and arrested
its Syrian driver. The Phalange party issued a statement after midnight, saying
Gemayel's security guards stopped the driver who was carrying explosive devices
linked with electric wires and a detonator. It condemned efforts to "terrorize"
people ahead of the parliamentary elections, saying the incident "was a message
to (former) President Amin Gemayel and the Phalange party for their attempts to
play a national role and run in the elections."
The statement said such "terrorization" efforts will not deter the party from
running in the elections, putting its trust in the security forces in revealing
who is behind attempts to create instability in the country. "I have previously
received threats from parties that in the past warned about assassinations or
assassination attempts," Gemayel told An Nahar daily in remarks published
Wednesday. An Nahar quoted security sources as saying that Gemayel's security
personnel had seen the Honda Prelude in the area in the past two days and when
the driver was arrested a hand grenade and electric wires were found in the
trunk. The driver is named Youssef Mohammed al-Mohammed and police found several
forged passports with him. The Lebanese army immediately cordoned off the area
and opened an investigation. Beirut, 24 Mar 09, 22:57
Hariri Maintains Wait-and-See Attitude on Court Ruling
Naharnet/Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri said he has confidence in the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon, stressing that he will maintain a wait-and-see
attitude and will accept whatever decision comes out of the tribunal. "Today we
have a tribunal. This tribunal will take its course. I have full confidence in
the tribunal and the work that it is doing," Hariri said in comments following
the appointment of Italian Judge Antonio Cassesse as Court President and the
adoption of a set of procedural rules. "I will accept any decision that comes
out because we fought for it," Hariri said, pointing to the end of the climate
of impunity prevailing in the international community. "No matter how long it
takes, we should wait for it and eventually accept whatever decision comes out
of the tribunal," he added.
Hariri's father ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and 22 other people were killed in a
massive bombing on Feb. 14, 2005. Many Lebanese blamed Hariri's assassination on
Syria. Damascus has denied the charge. "We certainly said we believe it is the
Syrians that have committed this assassination but this tribunal is going to
decide and say who committed this crime," Hariri said, adding that he will wait
for the court's ruling "and we will see if we were right or not."
He said he was not worried by the detente between Europe and Syrian President
Bashar Assad last year "because the international tribunal into the murder of my
father was on course and I am confident justice would prevail." On Arab
reconciliation, Hariri said dialogue and unity among Arab states would be
"extremely good" for Lebanon. "They would only bring stability for Lebanon." He
said Lebanon needs this stability in the run-up to elections.
Hariri praised U.S. President Barack Obama's engagement in the region. He said
Obama's vision for the Middle East and his engagement with allies and enemies
alike show "goodwill" and may eventually lead to peace in the region. Hariri
also lauded Obama's overture to Iran. The U.S. president has offered a new
beginning and dialogue with Tehran based on mutual respect. "We have to see
where all this goes," he said, adding that he believed "people" need to talk to
Iran.
"Dialogue is always good. I hope there will be a positive outcome from this
dialogue," he concluded. Beirut, 25 Mar 09, 08:04
Feltman: Election Results Will Shape U.S. Policy Towards
Lebanon
Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman
stressed Tuesday that U.S. support for Lebanon depends on election results,
adding that the upcoming polls will "offer an opportunity for moderate voices"
to reinforce the country's independence. The June 7 polls "provide an
opportunity to continue the process of reinforcing Lebanon's independence and
work to deepen Lebanon's democratic institutions," Feltman told the House
Subcommittee on Middle East and South Asia during a hearing. He also said "the
elections offer an opportunity for moderate voices within Lebanon to continue
their support for a sovereign, stable and independent Lebanon." Feltman stressed
that decisions on the shape and composition of the next government can and
should be made by the Lebanese themselves, adding that U.S. assistance to
Lebanon will be evaluated following the elections.
"We anticipate that the shape of the United States' assistance programs in
Lebanon will be evaluated in the context of Lebanon's parliamentary election
results and the policies formed by the new cabinet," he said. The former U.S.
ambassador to Lebanon lauded the March 2 National Dialogue communiqué in which
Lebanese leaders called for all parties to refrain from violence and create a
positive atmosphere ahead of the elections.
He told the subcommittee headed by Gary Ackerman that the election results will
hinge on a handful of seats, located primarily in Christian-dominated areas.
"How these Christian voters divide along March 14 or March 8 lines will
determine who has the majority in the next parliament and the next cabinet,"
according to Feltman. He reiterated that Hizbullah continues to receive weapons
from Syria and Iran in violation of U.N. Security Council resolution 1701.
"Hizbullah clearly remains a danger to Lebanon and the region," Feltman
stressed, adding that the Shiite group's "violent actions" against Lebanese
citizens in May 2008 reveal that the party is a threat to peace and stability.
"Our longstanding policy remains in effect: should Hizbullah renounce
terrorism—both in Lebanon and abroad—and submit to the rule of law and the
authority of the Lebanese state, we would reconsider this status," he said in
reference to Britain's decision to start contacts with the Shiite group's
political wing.
Feltman also brought up the issue of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon that will
try ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's suspected assassins.
The court "cannot be traded away or shackled as part of a regional political
deal," he said.
Feltman turned to his recent visit to Lebanon and Syria with Dan Shapiro, Senior
Director for the Middle East and North Africa at the National Security Council,
saying it was aimed at stressing that Lebanese elections should be held without
interference.
"The institutions of the Lebanese state have been set back in motion and the
yoke of Syria's dominance over Lebanon has been cast off. Lebanon must now take
ownership of its own future," the diplomat said in his testimony. "We will
continue to seek full implementation of all U.N. Security Council resolutions on
Lebanon and remain engaged with our partners in working toward this goal," he
said. Feltman pointed out that the Obama administration is also continuing
efforts to strengthen Lebanese state institutions and to support the
government's efforts to extend its authority throughout Lebanon.
On peace efforts in the region, Feltman said: "Lebanon will play a key role in
the long-term effort to build lasting stability and peace in the Middle East. So
will its neighbor, Syria." He added that the U.S. is ready to support any
dialogue between Lebanon and Israel, hoping that the issue of the border village
of Ghajar will be solved "as a demonstration that diplomacy, rather than
Hizbullah's weapons, can best secure Lebanon's interests." Beirut, 25 Mar 09,
08:31
Williams: Appointment of Syrian Ambassador Contributes to
Lebanon Stability, Sarkozy Agrees
Naharnet/The appointment of the first-ever Syrian ambassador to Beirut was
welcomed by U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams who said it
would contribute to Lebanon's stability. Syria has named Ali Abdel Karim Ali its
first ambassador to Lebanon and President Michel Suleiman on Tuesday approved
his appointment. The appointment was "a really welcome development," Williams
said. "It's very timely and completes the process of establishing diplomatic
relations between Syria and Lebanon," he said, adding that "I've no doubt that
this will further contribute to stability in Lebanon." Lebanon opened its first
embassy in Damascus last week and named Michel Khoury as ambassador. Syria
opened its Beirut embassy last year, but without appointing an ambassador.
Meanwhile, Elysee Palace issued a statement describing the move as "historic."
The appointment "represents a historic change on the road to normal relations
between the two countries," the statement said. Beirut, 25 Mar 09, 10:14
Assad Rejects 'Oscillating' Relations with Lebanon,
Supports Firm Bilateral Ties
Naharnet/Syrian President Bashar Assad says he wants firm bilateral relations
between his country and Lebanon but rejects an "oscillating" relationship.
Assad told As-Safir newspaper in remarks published on Wednesday that he supports
bilateral relations ties but will not accept "oscillating" relations or those
based on "political interests." He continued to say that he was willing to
cooperate with most Lebanese officials but indicated that he would not work with
those who "don't believe in Lebanon's Arab [identity], or that Israel is an
enemy, or that don't support the resistance." He added that he would like to
engage in dialogue with those with whom he differs in order to "convince [those
individuals] of what we believe." With regard to the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon Assad indicated he would cooperate in the matter "so long as the rights
of Syrian citizens are preserved" and the trial is not politicized. The Syrian
President also discussed the situation in the greater Middle East saying that
"the plane of Arab reconciliation has taken off" but indicated that relations
between some Arab countries are still strained.
Concerning talks with Israel, Assad said that "there is nothing serious [with
regard to] indirect negotiations" which have been cut off since the recent
events in Gaza.
Assad's remarks coincide with President Michel Suleiman's approval of the first
Syrian ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abdel Karim Ali. Beirut, 25 Mar 09, 10:24
STL Appoints President, U.N. Chief Names Head of Defense
Office
Naharnet/The Special Tribunal for Lebanon announced on Tuesday the appointment
of Italian Judge Antonio Cassesse as tribunal president and the adoption of a
set of procedural rules. Both Cassesse and Belgian pre-trial magistrate Daniel
Fransen will assume their duties full time in the near future, the STL said in a
statement.
It added that the tribunal has set "the rules of procedure, evidence and arrest
in addition to drawing up the guidelines for the appointment of a defense
attorney."
Cassese was born in 1937 and was the first president of the International
Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia from 1993 to 1997.
In New York, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon appointed French François Roux
as head of STL's defense office, the STL said. Roux was later sworn in.
"The STL's judges, public prosecutor and the registrar were recently sworn in,"
it added. The names of the remaining nine judges will "be announced once
security measures are fully in place for their protection," the STL said. Four
of the 11 judges are Lebanese.
The international tribunal to try the suspected killers of Lebanon's former
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri opened on March 1 with pledges to provide justice to
victims of terrorism. The tribunal was created by a 2007 U.N. Security Council
resolution and will apply Lebanese law. It has an initial, renewable, three-year
mandate.
The attack on Hariri on the Beirut seafront was one of the worst acts of
political violence to rock Lebanon since the 1975-1990 civil war and led to the
withdrawal of Syrian troops after a 29-year presence. Beirut, 24 Mar 09, 18:45
Aoun, the opportunist
Date: March 25th, 2009 Source: Future News
The political opportunism never found better illustration than at the time of
the last meeting with the press of MP Michel Aoun, Monday, in Rabieh.
The general, ever in lack of creativeness in political matter, declared, after
having held a meeting with" the cream" of the deputies of his two allies, Amal
movement and Hezbollah: "We don't agree around all files. But we are to
nevertheless collaborate from what we have in common ".
In principle, the elections are a political deadline during which an adversary
tries to beat the other, while getting round the common points that unite them,
putting the differences to seduce the electorate and to win the battle forward.
It is in principle, the case between two adversary’s policies.
But it is never the case within the same group, of the same alliance. Except if
it is about the group of all surprises, the one of
"Thank you Syria"... This attitude reveals a political opportunism without
boundary-marks and lightness opposite the citizens.
Absolutely nothing justifies the declaration of Aoun. Nothing absolves him of
his responsibilities opposite his voters. That he tells them therefore that what
unites him with Hezbollah whose diary obeys the dictations of Iran and Syria.
That he says what he thinks Amal movement therefore, that he speaks of his
quarrels with this last about the candidacies in the circumscriptions of the
south, that he retails the machinations of all partisans of Amal within the
public administration that he speaks day and night of the struggle against the
corruption and makes his warhorse of it. To the bottom, what pushes Aoun toward
a collaboration with his two allies, in spite of the divergences that separate
them, is this same opportunism that had pushed him to change, entirely, the
stands for which he opted when he was in exile in Paris. The sought-after goal
is the same: the power, at all price, at the cost of the civil wars, to occupy
the downtown of the capital, to turn against the principles for which his
partisans died… still this sickly quest of the power. On time where the
political divisions become more pronounced in the country, nothing permits to
say that the next elections will be the opportunity to conduct a national span
reconciliation between all communities, so much that the group of March 8
insists on qualifying its political adversaries of "traitors", so much that it
values what Lebanon is in progress a currency of exchange in the negotiations
between the United States, Israel, Iran and Syria.
It is true that Aoun is as unforeseeable as disappointing. But a little decency
nevertheless…
Obama: Peace won't be easier under Netanyahu, but just as
necessary
By Natasha Mozgovaya, Haaretz U.S. Correspondent
25/03/2009
U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday called the status quo of the current
Palestinian-Israeli conflict unsustainable, but said he was optimistic that the
peace process was moving in "the right direction."
When asked by reporters at his second White House news conference whether a
right-wing government led by Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu and foreign
minister-designate Avigdor Lieberman would make peacemaking more difficult,
Obamas responded:
"It's not easier than it was but I think that it's just as necessary. We don't
know yet how the Israeli government will look like and the future leadership of
the Palestinians," he said.
It was the only foreign policy issue raised in the nearly hour-long news
conference. Remarkably, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were never raised and
no one mentioned Pakistan, which is at the center of U.S. efforts against
al-Qaida terrorism.
"What we know is that the status quo is unsustainable. It's critical for us to
advance the two state solution where they live side by side in peace and
security," Obama told reporters.
"We're not going to have a peace at the Middle East right away," he added. "What
I'm confident about is that we're moving in the right direction."
Obama mentioned that he had appointed former Senator George Mitchell as his
special envoy for Mideast peace talks and that this demonstrated the
administration's determination to press ahead regardless of the obstacles.
"By appointing George Mitchell we signaled that we're going to be serious from
day one," the president said. "How effective these negotiations will be we will
wait and see. I'm a big believer in persistence."
Mitchell is expected to return to the region in a further effort to get peace
talks under way shortly after the Israeli government is fully in place in April.
'Clear U.S. stance crucial to progress in Syria-Israel talks'
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
Israel News, 25/03/2009
A clear United States position on Israel-Syria peace negotiations was essential
to progress in the talks, Syrian President Bashar Assad was quoted as saying by
a Lebanese daily on Wednesday. In light of the absence of such a position, A-Safir
quoted Assad as saying, significant progress was unlikely in the near future.
"We don't expect much, at least in the foreseeable future, within this
framework," the paper quoted Assad as saying. "Especially since [U.S. President
Barack Obama] has announced clear positions on Iraq and Afghanistan, but we
haven't heard an American position yet on the peace process."
Assad also reiterated his assertion that Syria would engage in peace talks with
any Israeli government, whatever its political orientation.
"The government in Israel is a government, not left or right," he was quoted as
saying. Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, sent a message
to Syria before last month's election promising that a government under him
would "not provoke war" and would be interested in "seriously and genuinely
exploring" a peace process. In January, officials from Netanyahu's Likud party
met with senior Syrian figures in Washington to prepare the ground for further
exchanges after Israel's next government takes office, Likud sources said. The
officials, however, did not express any willingness to make concessions or
withdraw from the Golan Heights, as Assad says is necessary
Iranian Space Program Falls to Earth
The Omid satellite will crash in the next few days after only a few weeks in
orbit.
March 25, 2009 -
by Ardeshir Arian Pajamas Media
Iran made a lot of fuss about its so-called “homegrown” Omid (Hope) satellite,
launched during the 30th anniversary of the Islamic revolution. Now it looks
like it’s going to crash back to earth.
A few days ago, Iran’s space officials stated in a surprise announcement that
the satellite will be ending its “successful” mission around March 25. What they
meant to say is that their satellite has gone rogue and cannot be controlled
anymore.
This claim of success by Iran’s officials was not anticipated because they did
not mention the short life span of their pride and joy, which was launched on
February 3. Some Iranian websites say that because of Omid’s battery life of two
months, it was doomed to destruct from the start. Now the question is how that
could be possible given that most satellites use solar panels as their basic
source of energy production.
The breaking news from Iran came only after the information was released by NASA
that the Omid satellite was losing altitude and was about to enter the earth’s
atmosphere. Omid was placed in a 312-kilometer orbit above the earth, where the
optimum apogee for this kind of satellite is around 378 km (the perigee was 245
km). The Iranian bird lost about 29 km in altitude in the first 40 days.
Iranian sources tell Pajamas Media it was because of this revelation by the
Americans that Iranian space officials announced the news in a hasty effort to
save face, while claiming a huge success and pretending that everything was
going according to plan.
Omid was launched from the outskirts of the Iranian deserts, supposedly on a
rocket called Safir (Ambassador). But our sources believe that not only was
Safir not manufactured by the Islamic Republic of Iran, but that it was, in
fact, secretly imported from Russia and assembled to make Ahmadinejad and his
government look good, especially so close to the upcoming presidential elections
in June.
This would not be the first time that the Islamic government has used Russian
technology to launch a domestically assembled satellite into space. In 2005, the
Russians lent their expertise to Iran and sent Iran’s Sina-1 satellite into
outer space. But for Omid, Iran paid an enormous amount of money to claim that
the entire program, from manufacturing the launch vehicle and satellite to
directing the actual launch, was an Iranian operation.
As a matter of fact, news was leaked by patriotic Iranians at the space agency
that an amount of $1 billion was missing from the account of the Iranian Space
Agency right after Omid went to orbit. Our sources believe that this money was a
huge payoff to the Russians so Iran could claim the full glory by itself. One
billion dollars for a toy satellite that came down almost as fast as it went up.
A real satellite at a fraction of the cost could have served the same purpose
for an average of 15 to 20 years and with a lot more capability.
News about Omid was all over the government-run media at the time of its launch
and Iran gloated constantly about becoming a member of the exclusive space club
for days. But since the news about the satellite coming down has hit the fan,
they have been have walked a lot softer — probably because they did not want to
damage the Norooz (Iranian New Year) celebration, which arrived with the first
moment of spring on March 20.