LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 07/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 9,35-38.10,1.6-8. Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest."Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.

Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Sermons on Saint John's Gospel, no.15
The harvest is plentiful
Christ, filled with enthusiasm for his work, prepared to send out laborers... And so he has sent out reapers. «For here the saying is verified that 'One sows and another reaps'. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the work and you are sharing the fruits of their work» (Jn 4,37-38). Now what is this? Has he sent reapers without sending sowers? Where has he sent the reapers? Where others had already labored... Where the prophets had already preached since they themselves were the sowers... Who were the ones who thus labored? Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. Read the account of their labors: in all their works a prophecy of Christ is to be found; in this sense, then, they were sowers. As for Moses, the other patriarchs and all the prophets, how much they had to put up with in the cold while they were sowing! It follows that the harvest was already ready in Judah. And we understand that the harvest was ripe at the moment when so many thousands of people brought along the value of their possessions, placed it at the feet of the apostles and, setting down the burdens of this world, began to follow Christ the Lord (Acts 4,35; Ps 82[81],7). The harvest had indeed come to maturity. What was the outcome? Out of this harvest a few seeds were set aside; these sowed the whole world and now see how another harvest rises up that is to be harvested at the end of the ages... It will not be the apostles but the angels who will be sent to gather this harvest.

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Pay Attention to Lebanon’s Presiden cy-By: Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Alawsat 06/12/08
Lebanese lawyer claims Obama was born in Kenya‏- AlArabiya.net 06/12/08
The dangerous illusion of independent terrorists-By: Greg Sheridan- The Australian 06/12/08
Who's winning in Lebanon?Foreign Policy Passport 06/12/08
Lebanon: The Federal Solution. By:Jean-Pierre Katrib, 06/12/08

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December 06/08
Government Sets Rule for Cross-Border Assignments-Naharnet
Lebanese Forces Take Legal Action Against Wahab for Slander-Naharnet
Aoun's Third Day Tour of Syria, Religious Visits And Talk of New Beginnings-Naharnet
Saniora receives Iran's Ambassador-Naharnet
Harb: Aoun's Syria Visit Contradicts History-Naharnet
Hoss Praises Aoun's Syria Visit-Naharnet
Suleiman to Visit Amman-Naharnet
Suleiman Calls for Strengthening the State and Urges Berlin to be Patient with al-Manar-Naharnet
Bush Praises Lebanon's Cedar Revolution-Naharnet
U.N. to Help Lebanon's Election Process-Naharnet
Sheikh Qabalan: Reconciliation is a Must-Naharnet
Pope of the Orient!-Naharnet
Hizbullah Proud of Aoun's Courage-Naharnet
Sleiman advises Lebanese to embrace state as source of strength-Daily Star
Osbat al-Ansar issues fatwa outlawing fighting with LAF-Daily Star
Iranian ambassador says Sfeir welcome in Tehran any time-Daily Star
Baroud, UNDP sign pact to boost ministry's expertise during polls-Daily Star
LOG head mocks Aoun's visit to Syria-Daily Star
Cluster-bomb-riddled areas in South 'virtually occupied-Daily Star
WAED sees FPM alliance as key to electoral victory in Baabda-Daily Star
March 14 shut out of top student offices at AUB-Daily Star
UN House event marks Day of Solidarity with Palestinians-Daily Star
Beirut Book Fair enjoys massive participation after two-year hiatus-Daily Star
Saifi lures seasonal shoppers with discounts, cocktails-Daily Star
Missile-test gear headed for Syria is seized in Dubai-The Virginian-Pilot
Coalition forces target Iranian-backed Hezbollah Brigades in Baghdad-Long War Journal
Jimmy Carter to visit Syria, Lebanon next week-Ha'aretz
Report: Michel Aoun met Mossad agents in Paris-Ynetnews

Missile-test gear headed for Syria is seized in Dubai
Posted to: Military News
By Tim McGlone
The Virginian-Pilot
© December 6, 2008
NORFOLK
The federal government intercepted a shipment of equipment, bound for Syria, used to test ballistic missiles.
The United States has banned the export of anything to Syria except food and medicine. The Middle Eastern nation, which borders Israel, is considered a state sponsor of terrorism because of its support for organizations such as Hezbollah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, according to the State Department.
The U.S. attorney's office filed papers in Norfolk's federal court this week seeking the forfeiture of 12 humidity chambers and 12 vibration test systems, worth about $550,000. The boxy items, each of which looks like a furnace, have multiple purposes including testing ballistic missiles, the court papers say. The humidity chambers are typically used to test missiles that have been sitting out in the dry desert, while the vibration systems are used to test whether the missile can withstand the vibrations necessary to launch. The Commerce Department, conducting a routine review of outbound shipments, noticed that the prohibited items originated from an unidentified U.S. company and were being shipped to Syria through an Ontario company called Polytech International for Supplies and Consultation Inc., according to a court affidavit filed by commerce special agent Philip Kuhn. An investigation determined that Polytech holds an $18 million contract with the Syrian government for the supply and installation of a computer network, the affidavit says. The items were seized in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in February 2007, before they could reach Syria.
They were brought to the port of Hampton Roads and are now stored in a warehouse in New Jersey. Kuhn and the assistant U.S. attorney handling the case declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Polytech declined to comment as well. The unidentified U.S. company is not accused of any wrongdoing.
The government will file a notice asking anyone to come forward to claim the items. If the items are forfeited, they will be disposed of, the court papers say, without specifying how.Tim McGlone, (757) 446-2343, tim.mcglone@pilotonline.com

Lebanese lawyer claims Obama was born in Kenya‏
Lebanese lawyer claims he was born in Kenya/US court probes Obama’s birth certificate
The lawyer stresses that the Supreme Court should force Obama to show his birth certificate (File)
Dubai (AlArabiya.net)
The U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing Friday the possibility of accepting a lawsuit filed by a U.S. lawyer, of Lebanese origin, aiming at preventing U.S. president-elect Barack Obama from becoming president, citing suspicions over his birth certificate, a Saudi newspaper reported on Friday.
The lawyer, Joseph Farah, argues is his case that Obama does not have a birth certificate proving that he is American by birth, not by nationalization, which might contradict the U.S. constitution, the London-based al-Hayat reported. Farah launched a previous campaign against former U.S. president Bill Clinton through a series of news features over the suicide of the White House lawyer Fence Foster in 1993. Farah, a Christian who leads an anti-Arab and anti-Islam website, gathered more than 45,000 signatures on a document to urge the constitutional authorities to commit the president-elect to show his original birth certificate.
The Lebanese lawyer alleges that Obama wasn’t born in Hawaii as he claims; but in Mombasa, Kenya. He gained the U.S. nationality from his U.S. mother without having the needed conditions or requirements. He stresses that the Supreme Court should force Obama to show his original birth certificate to make sure that he is suitable for the presidency before Jan.20.(Translated to Arabic by Abeer Tayel) http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/12/05/61463.html

Bush Praises Lebanon's Cedar Revolution
Naharnet/U.S. President George Bush said Friday he is handing successor Barack Obama a Middle East in which Iran still seeks nuclear arms and the Arab-Israeli conflict remains the "most vexing problem" but the situation is better with Lebanon's Cedar revolution.
"Despite these frustrations and disappointments, the Middle East in 2008 is a freer, more hopeful, and more promising place than it was in 2001," Bush said in prepared remarks that amount to a wide-ranging defense of his legacy in the region. The U.S. president, who hands the keys to the White House to Obama on January 20, warned again that Washington will not permit Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons -- a view shared by the president-elect.
"We have made our bottom line clear: For the safety of our people and the peace of the world, America will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon," said Bush.
He accused Iran and Syria of supporting terrorism, expressed frustration with the pace of democratic reforms in the Middle East, called the Iraq war "longer and more costly than expected" and said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remained "the most vexing problem in the region." He pointed to Lebanon's "Cedar Revolution" against Syrian sway, Libya's decision to halt its quest for nuclear weapons, Iraq's fledgling democracy, and prosperity in places like the United Arab Emirates.
"There is now greater international consensus than at any point in recent memory" on the need to build an independent Palestinian state living side by side at peace with Israel, he said. "The regime in Iran is facing greater pressure from the international community than ever before. Terrorist organizations like al-Qaida have failed decisively in their attempts to take over nations, and they are increasingly facing ideological rejection in the Arab world," he said.
But "there are still serious challenges facing the Middle East. Iran and Syria continue to sponsor terror, Iran's uranium enrichment remains a major threat to peace, and many in the region still live under oppression," he said. Bush, who made no reference in the speech to Obama, defended his much-criticized approach to ending the 60-year conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, pointing to the U.S.-backed conference in Annapolis, Maryland, in November 2007. "The negotiations since Annapolis have been determined and substantial," he said, though critics note that the talks have yet to yield agreement on any major core issues. "While the Israelis and Palestinians have not yet produced an agreement, they have made important progress," he said. "They have laid a new foundation of trust for the future.(AFP)
Beirut, 05 Dec 08, 23:05

Government Sets Rule for Cross-Border Assignments
Naharnet/The government, meeting under President Michel Suleiman, has set the agenda of Defense Minister Elias Murr's forthcoming visit to Syria, restricting it to three topics only. The topics, according to the daily An-Nahar on Saturday, are: border control, combating smuggling and implementing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701. The decision was taken after the government stressed that it has the sole power to decide on official visits to foreign countries by members of the executive authority and public servants. The report said Murr presented to the government a report on Army Commander Gen. Jean Qahwaji's recent visit to Damascus, which was carried out with the knowledge of Suleiman and Premier Fouad Saniora.
An-Nahar reported that Suleiman said the topic of Qahwaji's visit should have been listed on the cabinet's agenda. Ministers representing the March 14 majority said a wide category of the Lebanese people is rather "sensitive" to topics that are being ignored during visits to Damascus although they are pending issues in the relations between the two states, including border control, border demarcation, combating smuggling, settling the file of missing Lebanese citizens and Palestinian military bases backed by Syria. However, ministers representing March 8 called for tightening relations between Lebanon and Syria. Beirut, 06 Dec 08, 09:28

Lebanese Forces Take Legal Action Against Wahab for Slander
Naharnet/Lawyers for Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea and Environment Minister Antoine Karam presented two legal complaints at the General Prosecutor's office in Beirut against former minister Weam Wahab for criminal slander. In a statement issued by the LF legal division Wahab, was described as someone who uses any television (appearance) to attack and slander politicians. "On the last of such occasions he described some political leaders as tails," the statement said. The statement added:" Every time he (Wahab) slanders Lebanese political leaders, we are reminded that those that left our borders in 2005 won't let us live in peace as they left the longest tail behind." The LF lawyers called for Wahab to be interrogated and punished and for holding him liable for his actions.
Beirut, 06 Dec 08, 16:51

Aoun's Third Day Tour of Syria, Religious Visits And Talk of New Beginnings
Naharnet/Head of Change and Reform Parliamentary Bloc MP Michel Aoun's visit to Syria included on its third day a tour of religious sites in Saidnaya and Homs, and a traditional Arab Abaya (Cloak) that was presented to him. On Friday, Aoun visited the Catholic archdiocese of Our Lady of Peace in Homs, were he met with Christian and Muslim leading figures including: the archbishop and bishop of Homs and Aleppo, and a number of local Muslim clergy.
When presented with the archdiocese's medal and icon, Aoun said:" You want us to bare another cross, yes we can do so.""There is the great cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified, there is also the cross of great causes in which many suffer and die for. It is a message of salvation," He said. He added: "This is nothing new. Our heart is open and it carries with it other open hearts that have the same emotions and feelings that you all feel." "We are in Syria today because there were a lot of shortcomings in the past," Aoun said. He explained saying:" We can only forget such shortcomings by openly talking about them with honesty, by thinking of the future."
" We cannot forget the past but we have to think about it, so as not to repeat past mistakes. If we remain in the past we bury ourselves in it." He said.
Aoun later paid a visit to the Church of Mary (known as our Lady of the Belt). He was received by many popular delegations on the streets. Following a meeting and a luncheon with local bishop, Aoun received many religious figures from Homs. He addressed them saying:" Everyone knows that I come to you carrying the love of Lebanese seeking to holding sold relations with you. I am here to announce the end of the black period that previously enveloped us, to return to a placid life filled with peace and amity." He added" this is the image of a loving Lebanon; the hateful Lebanon is a minority that must repent. We are in front of a new period in which new policies will be made. I hope this will usher a new renaissance." Aoun said. Beirut, 06 Dec 08, 15:52

Saniora receives Iran's Ambassador
Naharnet/Premier Fouad Saniora on Saturday discussed with Iran's Ambassadors Mohammed Riza Shibani the outcome of President Michel Suleiman's recent visit to Iran. Shibani told reporters after the talks the discussion covered "the best practical methods … to implement what has been agreed on by the Iranian and Lebanese presidents." "We also discussed political developments in the region and the ordeal of the Palestinian people in Gaza due to the Israeli siege,' he added.
Beirut, 06 Dec 08, 14:36

Harb: Aoun's Syria Visit Contradicts History
Naharnet/MP Butros Harb said Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun's ongoing visit to Syria has succeeded for being a "controversial development that contradicts the course of history." "Did Syria admit committing mistakes against Lebanon and Aoun, or is it Aoun who has committed making mistakes against Syria?" Harb asked. However, Harb said President Michel Suleiman's visit to Germany did not gain media coverage similar to that of Aoun's because it was a "normal visit by a head of state, who is coordinating with a state that helps Lebanon in monitoring its borders." He said a recent meeting between Army Commander Gen. Jean Qahwaji and Syrian President Bashar Assad without the presence of Defense Minister Elias Murr was "not proper." Beirut, 06 Dec 08, 14:16

Hoss Praises Aoun's Syria Visit
Naharnet/Ex-Premier Salim Hoss on Saturday praised Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun's visit to Syria, saying it reflects a "brave decision by a leader." However, Hoss criticized Aoun's call for Amending the Taef Accord. "Had it been implemented, there would have been no need for its amendment," Hoss said of the Taef accord that ended the Lebanese civil war. "Had the Taef been fully implemented, we would have managed to achieve major progress in overcoming the factional status," Hoss noted. Beirut, 06 Dec 08, 14:01

Suleiman to Visit Amman
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman leaves for Amman on Nov. 14 on a two-day state visit to Jordan during which he would hold talks with King Abdullah.
Suleiman would discuss with the Jordanian monarch bilateral relations and Middle East developments. Suleiman would also receive in audience members of the Lebanese community in Jordan on the second day of his visit, the first by a Lebanese head of state since former President Emile Lahoud's visit in 1999.
Beirut, 06 Dec 08, 13:46

Suleiman Calls for Strengthening the State and Urges Berlin to be Patient with al-Manar
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman on Friday made the second call in 48 hours to strengthen the state and disclosed that he had asked German authorities to take time in dealing with a ban on Hizbullah's al-Manar Television. Information Minister Tareq Mitri said the president made the remarks to ministers during the cabinet meeting at the Baabda Palace. German officials told Suleiman the al-Manar television case is being handled by the judicial authorities and politicians cannot interfere in it, Mitri quoted the president as saying. After banning screening of al-Manar's transmission in Germany on charges of promoting terror, a German political party also asked the Berlin government to ban Hizbullah members. Mitri said Prime Minister Fouad Saniora also stressed to ministers that the state is "the only choice for the Lebanese people." Earlier in the day, Suleiman told a visiting a delegation from the "Coalition for a Stable Independence" from Zahle that "Lebanon gains strength through its state." He told his visitors not to despair, to move away from sectarian polarization and to work on fostering national unity and coexistence in the country.
Suleiman also received Interior Minister Ziad Baroud. Discussions centered on current developments related to the ministry.
On Wednesday, Suleiman urged Arab states to deal with Lebanon through its head of state who is "in charge of relations with other states." Suleiman made the rather striking remark in an address to Arab ambassadors accredited to Berlin. After emphasizing on Lebanon's good relations with all Arab states, Suleiman told the Arab ambassadors: "We have groups and parties that have links to and relations with this state or that. This is a source of wealth. "These friendships should be invested in the interest of entente and in the interest of Lebanon." "We want the (Arab) states to deal with the state of Lebanon, specifically with the head of state, who is in charge of relations with other states," Suleiman stressed.
His remark coincided with a visit to Syria by Change and Reform Bloc leader Michel Aoun who was received by President Bashar Assad at his People's Palace.
"This does not mean at all that states should not deal with friends, be they individuals or groups, but there is a level for dealing with the head of state and (another) level for dealing with others," Suleiman noted. He said Lebanon's relations with Syria have "been placed on the proper track … it is based on frankness between President Bashar Assad and myself." Beirut and Damascus would exchange diplomatic missions and ambassadors before end of the year, Suleiman reiterated.
"This would be followed by steps topped by exchanging information on terror," he concluded. Beirut, 05 Dec 08, 15:21

Harb Ridicules Aoun
Naharnet/MP Butros Harb on Friday criticized Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun's call for amending the Taef accord, warning that it would hurl Christians into "civil war" that they oppose. "The Christians would not agree at all to a distribution of powers along the lines of a tripartite concept," Harb told reporters after meeting Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea at the latter's residence in Meerab. "Had it not been for Aoun's wars against Syria we would have not gone to Taef," Harb recalled. He also criticized Aoun for "asking the Lebanese to apologize to him and, through him, to Syria." "The Lebanese people did not shell Syria by artillery, did not displace Syrians from their homes by occupying their land, did not oppress the Syrian people and did not increase the numbers of widows and orphans in Syria," Harb recalled. Aoun's visit to Syria "strengthens Syria's influence in Lebanon … and does not serve Lebanon," Harb stressed. Beirut, 05 Dec 08, 20:53

U.N. to Help Lebanon's Election Process
Naharnet/Lebanon on Friday signed a protocol with the U.N. Development Program (UNDP) to provide help for the 2009 parliamentary elections process.
Interior Minister Ziad Baroud, who signed the document, said the project would "buildup capabilities of the interior ministry and its institutions … to upgrade readiness for the elections." "The project's outcome … would emerge even before the elections," Baroud pledged. He said a similar agreement would be signed soon with the European Union. Beirut, 05 Dec 08, 20:40

Sheikh Qabalan: Reconciliation is a Must
Naharnet/Lebanon's highest ranking Shiite cleric on Friday declared support for the international tribunal that would try suspects in the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and urged the Lebanese to forget the "black pages of the past." "We are full of mistakes, be they minor or major, let us hurry up to salvage humanity from the darkness of hatred, the nightmare of injustice and the black past," Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan said in his Friday sermon. He urged politicians to refrain from "shattering thoughts and placing obstacles in the path of reform." "We must achieve reconciliation," Qabalan stressed. Beirut, 05 Dec 08, 20:29

Pope of the Orient!
Naharnet/The Arab Socialist Baath Party in Lebanon on Friday proclaimed Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun "Pope of the orient."The Baath Party's leader in Lebanon, Fayez Shokor, made the announcement to reporters after talks with parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. "Aoun went to Syria as a Christian patriotic leader and definitely he would come back as a leader at the level of the orient … it would be correct to say he went as a Christian leader and would return a Pope of the orient," Shokor said according to remarks distributed by the state-run National News Agency. Aoun's visit to Syria, according to the Baath leader, is "in the interest of both states." Beirut, 05 Dec 08, 18:38

Hizbullah Proud of Aoun's Courage
Naharnet/Hizbullah on Friday said it feels "proud" of Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun's "courage, and honesty." Hizbullah's parliamentary bloc, in a statement after its weekly meeting, also paid tribute to Aoun's "courage and clear approach to the needed relations with Syria along the line of frankness regarding past mistakes … with a view of building the future." The bloc called for lifting the blockade imposed on Gaza. It called the various Lebanese factions to rally around President Michel Suleiman's efforts aimed at bolstering Lebanon's image.Beirut, 05 Dec 08, 17:49

The dangerous illusion of independent terrorists
Greg Sheridan, Foreign editor | December 06, 2008
Article from: The Australian
WHEN US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was in India this week, all the talk was about "non-state actors" and the challenge they throw up to the international system. The assumption was that the Pakistan-based terrorists responsible for the murders of about 175 people in Mumbai, and the injuries to hundreds more, were non-state actors.
Yet it may be that since the 9/11 attacks in New York, the world has completely misconceived the age of terror.
The radical increase in the lethality, range, political consequence and strategic influence of terrorists comes not from their being non-state actors at all. Instead it comes from their being sponsored by states.
Sometimes they are the instruments of states and at other times they make strategic alliances with states.
A terrorist group operating without any state sponsorship is an infinitely less dangerous outfit than a terrorist group operating with the co-operation of even the most ramshackle state.
However, states not only co-operate with terrorists, in many cases they direct and even found the terrorists.
Consider the prime example, al-Qa'ida. For a long time al-Qa'ida was the very image of decentralised, non-state globalisation. Men in caves, it was said, could bring death and destruction in New York.
Yet that image, powerful and pervasive as it was, does not really capture the truth about al-Qa'ida. Al-Qa'ida began life in its campaign against the Soviet Union's occupation of Afghanistan, with the support of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
The US, too, was supporting the mujaheddin in Afghanistan, though it certainly didnot support transnational terrorism. After Osama bin Laden fell out with the ruling family in Saudi Arabia, he moved the centre of his operations to Sudan. Al-Qa'ida and its leadership would not have been able to keep going, much less consolidate as a global, revolutionary terrorist movement, without the safe haven and other facilities that the Sudanese provided for at least the first half of the 1990s.
Then, from 1996 onwards, al-Qa'ida headquartered itself in Afghanistan, where its ideological soul mates, the Taliban, were running the country.
The infrastructure the Taliban provided to al-Qa'ida was crucial. Tens of thousands of jihadists went through terrorist training camps that al-Qa'ida ran on Afghan soil.
Even after the 9/11 attacks, the US did not move immediately to attack Afghanistan and depose the Taliban. Rather it gave the Taliban a choice: they could avoid US military action if they handed over bin Laden and the other al-Qa'ida leadership.
What saved al-Qa'ida was the refusal of its state sponsor in Kabul to give it up. When the Taliban leadership escaped from Afghanistan, the al-Qai'ida leadership escaped with it. Nonetheless, al-Qa'ida at least has an independent existence apart from its succeeding state sponsors.
In the case of Iran, this is not so clear. Iran sponsored Hezbollah as its representative force in Lebanon. Increasingly, Tehran has taken direct control of Hezbollah.
Hezbollah undoubtedly commands some genuine popular support in Lebanon, but increasingly it is run as a unit of the Iranian state. That is one of the reasons it has been relatively quiet in the past 12 months. Iran plays these games with a lot of precision.
Hezbollah is a particular type of terrorist organisation. It is certainly capable of suicide terrorism, but it has become in effect a standing terrorist army, with its most important investment being in medium and even hi-tech missiles that it can launch at Israel whenever Iran gives the order.
Thus Hezbollah is less a non-state actor, as the popular jargon has it, and more an instrument of state power that nonetheless provides its state sponsor with political distance or a level of plausible deniability.
When Hezbollah struck Israel, Israel struck back against Lebanon, including Beirut, but the real return address on the Hezbollah rockets was Tehran. If Israel had attacked Iran it would have been accused of starting a Middle East war, but Hezbollah's rockets have the capacity to paralyse the northern half of Israel.
Similarly, Hamas is the Palestinian branch of the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood organisation. But its primary capacity is a conventional military capacity, especially the rockets it is now acquiring. It receives support from one big state, Iran, but it also constitutes on its own a kind of state power in Gaza.
Terrorists have to operate from somewhere. There are three alternatives. They can operate in what is truly ungoverned space, such as much of contemporary Somalia. Or they can operate clandestinely, against the wishes of a governing authority, as say the terrorist groups that have gathered in London. But of necessity such operations tend to be small and furtive. It is the third option that allows terrorists to grow to their full potential: where they are operating as either allies or agents of a sympathetic government.
Which brings us to Mumbai.
Pakistan has for many years been a significant state sponsor of terrorism. Its military intelligence agency, ISI, founded the Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist group, initially to harass India in Kashmir. The ISI also founded the Taliban to ensure a pro-Pakistan government in Kabul.
Even when Pakistan allegedly turned against terror and rounded up a few al-Qa'ida leaders, it never captured a Taliban leader. Nor did it ever really try to.
Now US intelligence has determined that former leaders of the ISI and other former Pakistani military figures trained the terrorists who perpetrated the Mumbai massacres.
Even if the impotent Pakistani civilian Government was not directly involved in the Mumbai massacres, it makes sense to see the long campaign of terror against India as sponsored by at least part of the Pakistani state. Given the Pakistani state also pioneered the idea of the Islamic nuclear bomb, this should sound the gravest alerts.
Thus it may be that modern terrorism is not so much the emergence of non-state actors on to the strategic field but, rather, the latest refinement of state power, giving the option of state military and terrorist action with plausible, or at least politically useful, deniability. If anything, therefore, we have tended to underestimate the strategic importance of terrorism.

Who's winning in Lebanon?
Thu, 12/04/2008 - 9:31pm
The explosive events that regularly occur in Lebanon tend to obscure, rather than reveal, the balance of power in the country. Analysts have a habit of taking the latest news as proof that the country is completely dominated by America and its allies, or by Syria's proxies in Lebanon.
By far the worst example of this is former Middle East correspondent Thanassis Cambanis, who pontificated recently in the Middle East Bulletin that, "Hezbollah, Syria and Iran are stronger in Lebanon that any point in the last decade." Cambanis went on to argue that this new balance of power required the United States to reconcile itself to negotiations with those sympathetic to Hezbollah.
Are Hezbollah and Syria really stronger than at any point in the last 10 years? Syrian troops occupied Lebanon until 2005. Until that time, all of the country's major Christian leaders were either in exile for their anti-Syrian views, or imprisoned. The Sunni and Druze political leaders were uniformly loyal to Syria, an alliance these Lebanese politicians broke in 2005 and one that has never been revived. The Syrians strong-armed Lebanese parliamentarians into accepting their hand-picked choice for president in 1998, and then into unconstitutionally extending his term in 2004. The main thing we learn from Cambanis's analysis is that he doesn’t have the first clue about recent Lebanese history.
Hezbollah recently won an important victory against the government through an armed invasion of Sunni areas of Beirut. But they were fighting against attempts by the Lebanese government to rein in their autonomy -- a fact that Lebanese parties had assented to quietly until just a few years ago, out of fear of the power of Syria and its allies. Syria occupied Lebanon for 25 years, and it was never reasonable to assume that all Syrian influence would be eradicated immediately. A little perspective shows that, rather than being in ascendance, Syria and Hezbollah's clout in Lebanon is close to its historical low, and the balance of power is not nearly as grim as some would have us believe.

U.S. targeting Hezbollah fighters in Iraq
Published: December 04, 2008
BAGHDAD, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- U.S. forces working alongside their Iraqi counterparts have increased pressure on Hezbollah fighters believed trained by Iranian forces, an analysis says.
U.S. special operations forces and the Iraqi military have captured six members of the Hezbollah Brigades and killed one other militant in missions targeting the group's leadership in Baghdad since Dec. 1, says a review by The Long War Journal, an online magazine examining the so-called war on terror.
The report says the U.S. special operations unit, Task Force 88, is likely behind the raids.
The Hezbollah Brigades, an affiliate of the Iranian-backed "special groups," have been high on the target list of military operations since 2006. The U.S. military has shifted its language steadily by also including the Mehdi Army on its list of "special groups" cells operating in the country.
Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr ordered his Mehdi Army to stand down following a series of raids during the summer. Sadr recently pledged to re-arm his militia as the Promised Day Brigades, though U.S. military officials have dismissed the threat.
The Iranian Quds force, a special unit in the ideologically motivated Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution, is seen as increasing its activity through its proxies in Iraq in the wake of Iraq-led summer offensives in Basra, Amarah and Baghdad's Sadr City.
© 2008 United Press International. All Rights Reserved.

Lebanon: The Federal Solution
Jean-Pierre Katrib, Hudson-NY,
http://www.hudsonny.org/2008/12/lebanon-the-federal-solution.php
On May 21 2008, an agreement brokered between Lebanon’s feuding factions at Doha, Qatar ended days of armed unrest and 18 months of political stalemate. For many, this was a welcoming development given the urgency of the situation. Yet, for others, it evoked the bleak chapters that preceded the eruption of civil warfare in 1975. In any case, the troubles of May, like related antecedents, exposed the shortcomings of the political system in solving disputes and preserving stability. Given this reality and amid the current tense calm in Beirut, are there any other alternatives to Lebanon’s existing political system? If so, could federalism be the answer to the country’s perpetual crises? Or are the Lebanese destined to have momentary settlements every time a crisis unfolds and communal relations deteriorate?
A federal formula for Lebanon will not be a panacea for the country’s complex political problems. Nonetheless, it will help the Lebanese deal with those problems more effectively. In theory, by combining regional self-rule with national shared-rule, it will ensure that there are the checks and balances required to prevent abuses of power. It will encourage new voices to emerge by offering more leadership opportunities, enabling those who were “losers” at the national level to become “winners” at the regional level. It will bring government closer to the people and encourage a more responsive administration. As such, citizens will enjoy greater access to public authorities, and there will be no more remote or forgotten regions serving as hubs for extremism.
But to reach an effective federal solution, a set of factors must be present. Primarily, Lebanon’s leading Christian, Sunni, Shia and Druze communities must reach an agreement on the federal project. Other grappling federations, such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, have demonstrated that the broader the consensus on federalism, the more viable the project would be. On the other hand, while federalism should be nurtured on the inside, it should be equally encouraged from the outside. Wars after 1945 have been as much within countries as between them, with devastating results for peace and security. It is in such a context, that the international community - and particularly its leading federations like the US, Canada and Switzerland - should weigh in with their shared experiences (successes and failures) on how to best administer composite and destabilizing societies like Lebanon’s.
In practical terms, and as with Belgium, which moved step-by-step since the 1970s from a francophone-dominated unitary structure to a bilingual federal arrangement in 1993, Lebanon could adopt a similar approach by implementing the long overdue notion of administrative decentralization as a gradual basis for an ensuing wider political decentralization. Administrative decentralization was specified in the reforms section of the Taif agreement, but has stalled ever since. Last spring, President Michel Suleiman readopted the concept in his inaugural speech as one of his primary objectives. And just recently, former president Amin Gemayel pressed the case for expanded decentralization at a rally organized by his Kataeb party. Another practical measure could be establishing a government-appointed expert commission tasked with studying the merits and particulars of a federal option for Lebanon. And as with the Fouad Boutros electoral law commission of 2005, which drafted a new election law for the government, the suggested commission would include academics, civil society actors and constitutional experts.
Both administrative decentralization and a commission on federalism could be workable starting measures in the short and medium term. However they will necessitate constant encouragement from the international community. If stability is to be reached in Lebanon and an all-out confrontation averted, then the time is ripe for the Lebanese, the Arab states and the international community to seriously consider new governing options for Lebanon, and that ought to include a federal alternative.
Lebanon’s political system and its limits
Lebanon is a unitary parliamentary republic. It is the sum of eighteen heterogeneous religious communities- mainly Maronite, Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Christians, Sunni and Shia Muslims, Druze, and a host of lesser denominations. Since its first constitution in 1926, the political system has been characterized by the logic of proportional confessional representation within state institutions and under public administration. This logic was predicated on a homegrown version of consensual democracy where the approach was one of forging political consensus among the leading communities within the Lebanese kaleidoscope.
When independence was gained in 1943, the unwritten National Pact determined the representation of religious communities in the state institutions. Parliamentary seats and government portfolios were allocated on the basis of confessional proportionality, with an overall Christian-to-Muslim ratio of six to five, turned six to six after the 1989 Taif Agreement that ended the 15-year civil war. The Pact reserved the presidency to a Maronite Christian, the post of prime minister to a Sunni Muslim and the position of speaker of parliament to a Shia Muslim. Given the central role of all three posts in the political process, the constitution thus provides representatives of the confessional communities with the chance to block the political process. While these safeguards may be reassuring for the confessional communities, they also facilitate political stalemate.*
Another limitation touches on the decision-making process within the government itself. The constitution includes specific procedures for cabinet decisions on ‘national issues,’ such as constitutional amendments, general mobilization of the army, declaration of war and peace, etc. Such issues should be decided by cabinet consensus, or by two-thirds of cabinet members who are balanced in terms of confessions.** However, if consensus or two-thirds of votes is not guaranteed, decision-making would be stalled and the country prone to shakeups, as the constitution does not specify a clear-cut mechanism for redress.
Hence, what holds the Lebanese social fabric together is not the law, as is the case in the West, where law has become the supreme conscience of society, nor the central authority in Beirut, but rather the political consensus of its religious communities. This formula, though potentially workable, remains delicate and exposed to periodic crises due to its intrinsic limits and the influence of regional and international forces.
The case for federalism
Following the withdrawal of Syrian troops in April of 2005, the failure of the Lebanese cabinet in fostering consensus on decisive and deep-seated issues has demonstrated that the retreat of the occupier is not enough to reunite the Lebanese around a common ethos. Mainly because Lebanon’s society is inherently divided along communal lines exhibiting incongruous collective identities and divergent, if not clashing political persuasions. Thus, even if the occupier retreats the country will remain vulnerable to political paralysis, or worse, armed hostilities as witnessed lately in the bloody clashes of early May 2008. These clashes were precipitated by a protracted political crisis that paralyzed the institutions since November of 2006 and were only diffused through a Qatari-brokered compromise at Doha. And if anything, this compromise has confirmed that in times of crisis it is invariably internal compromise and the direct intervention of the West and the Arab world that ultimately reconstitutes the Lebanese polity and decides its fate.
Essentially, Lebanon’s perpetual crises are organic- that is emanating from within. They are the result of a unitary structure that is too centralized and limited to accommodate at par the socio-political grievances, existential fears and concerns of all communities, hence causing disenchantment and polarization. This polarity, in turn, attracts external actors in a predatory fashion at times and benevolent at other, as each collectivity will seek foreign patrons to better the standing and welfare of its constituency. Often at the expense of the central government and other communities. In general, this is the case of the Sunni community with respect to Saudi Arabia and Iran/Syria vis-à-vis the Shia community.
In the wake of the recent crisis, there is a growing realization that increased territorial autonomy could give groups more confidence in their ability to preserve their distinctiveness, hence reducing polarization and enhancing political stability. The key in mixed, divided or composite societies like Lebanon, emerging from a recurring history of conflict and mistrust, is to nicely combine national and communal interests and, at one and the same time, avoid both secessionism and the tyranny of one community over the other. This is where a federal formula steps in as a middle-ground solution. By dividing and sharing powers and responsibilities, federalism will enable communities to ensure effective representation through regional/provincial self-rule, while genuinely promoting unity and integration through national/central shared-rule.
It should come as no revelation to anyone familiar with Lebanon’s human geography, that the country is divided into de facto constituent units, where the predominance of one community is visible in each. Christian predominance is highly visible in most areas of Mount Lebanon, such as North Metn and Keserwan, in addition to other areas in the North for example. Sunnis are primarily concentrated in the North in such areas as Tripoli and Akkar, as well as in main cities such as Sidon in the South. The Shia are chiefly located in Southern areas like Nabatiyeh for instance, in addition to their significant presence in Baalbek-Hermel. And the Druze are predominant in the mountainous areas of Aley and the Shouf.
Yet, while territorial divisions can provide a certain measure of autonomy for communities, the existence of groups that are not geographically concentrated means that other mechanisms are necessary to assure that the rights and freedoms of all are protected throughout the country. In other words, what would be the status of the Shia in the predominantly Christian district of Jbeil, the Sunnis in predominantly Shia Baalbek, and the Christians and Druze in such areas as Marjeyoun, located in the heart of the predominantly Shia South. Potential mechanisms could include the establishment of an Office of the Ombudsman (or mediator), as in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which works closely with the human rights chamber to ensure that the rights of the national minorities are respected and is answerable to the federal parliament. Or like in Belgium, where along with territorial federalism, a non-territorial “community” order of government was pioneered to handle matters pertinent to the “person,” such as education and health.
**Jean-Pierre Katrib is a human rights activist and political analyst based in Beirut.
* The recent deadlock before the Doha agreement between Amal leader and Hezbollah ally Shia speaker Nabih Berri and the pro-March 14 Sunni premier Fouad Siniora serves as a stark reminder of the above. Berri, for instance, closed the legislature for several months to hinder the so-called ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘illegitimate’ cabinet. Further, before the end of his term, pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud refused to countersign on several ministerial decrees that required the signature of both the Sunni premier and Maronite Christian president to come into effect.
** This provision explains the rationale behind the Hezbollah-led opposition’s acquisition of one-third of cabinet members at Doha

Pay Attention to Lebanon’s Presidency
06/12/2008
Asharq Al-Awsat,
By: Tariq Alhomayed/the Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat,
I do not believe that Lebanese President Michel Suleiman was irritated by the reception received by Michel Aoun in Syria even though Suleiman spoke to Arab ministers in Berlin only recently about the importance of Arab states and Lebanon cooperating through the Lebanese presidency.
The reception that Aoun received in Damascus − where he was given a copy of the Quran and where attributes and titles that provoke laughter were bestowed upon him − is not the only important matter here; this is merely part of the bigger picture.
Even if it is impossible for him to say so, the Lebanese president is beginning to realize that the Syrians and their allies in Lebanon are trying to marginalize the momentum that has been built up around the Lebanese presidency over the recent period and to minimize the importance of Baabda and its influence.
The way that the Syrian President received Chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces [Jean Kahwaji] and the issuing of a statement were salient matters, as the Lebanese military commander suddenly jumped onto the political scene through the gates of Damascus. This is not even something that Suleiman did, in such a provoking manner, when he headed the Lebanese army.
Therefore, the way that Aoun was received in Damascus is not important. What is more important however is the content, as we are seeing a clear alliance now between Syria and Nabih Berri, and it appears that the chief of the Lebanese military has also joined it, as well as Aoun and Hezbollah, even if the nature of the relationship between Hezbollah and Syria is ambiguous today.
This alliance is simply the encircling of the Republic’s president, the constricting of his role and the deduction of the international momentum that he acquired as a consensus president. When the international centers of power feel that the president’s role within Lebanon is being marginalized, his visits would be standard protocol only.
Syria has gone beyond the pressure of the necessity of electing a consensus president and the formality of opening embassies for the sake of France breaking Syria’s international isolation. Therefore, Syria cheered for Suleiman, as his picture with the Syrian president portrayed the message that Syria had facilitated matters.
However the plan has changed today as Damascus does not want France anymore; its eyes are now firmly on Barack Obama and this is something that does not require communication with the Lebanese president, as Suleiman’s picture was merely one to hang up in the Elysees.
Accordingly, it is not in the interest of Damascus to see the Lebanese president gaining international respect and keeping a reasonable distance [from Syria] despite some of Suleiman’s statements that were made to appease Syria and fend off its evil. Consequently, Damascus seeks to cling to Lebanon through allies and militias, not through centers of legitimate authority.
Syria’s goal is to control official centers by helping allies reach these positions, not through alliances with people who are already in these positions. The current Lebanese military commander came after a man who was a candidate [tipped to become army chief] after Suleiman and was removed by way of assassination. This is important to remember.
Therefore, one must state that it is crucial now to pay attention to protecting the Lebanese president politically and with regards to security, as all indicators show that an alliance is forming in Lebanon in order to marginalize the role of the Lebanese president.
Either Michel Aoun will become the new Emile Lahoud or the center of power will be devoid of its value and will be encircled by alliances, making the president’s role secondary. The latter, regrettably, is in the nature of Lebanon, and it means the targeting of the Lebanese president if need be.