LCCC ENGLISH
DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 23/08
Bible Reading
of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
according to Saint Luke 1,46-56. And Mary said: "My soul proclaims the greatness
of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his
handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The
Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is from
age to age to those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm,
dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from
their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good
things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped Israel his servant,
remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and
to his descendants forever." Mary remained with her about three months and then
returned to her home.
Pope Benedict XVI
Encyclical «Deus Caritas Est», §41 (©Libreria Editrice Vaticana)«Mary gave
thanks to the Lord»
Mary's Magnificat—a portrait, so to speak, of her soul—is entirely woven from
threads of Holy Scripture, threads drawn from the Word of God. Here we see how
completely at home Mary is with the Word of God, with ease she moves in and out
of it. She speaks and thinks with the Word of God; the Word of God becomes her
word, and her word issues from the Word of God. Here we see how her thoughts are
attuned to the thoughts of God, how her will is one with the will of God. Since
Mary is completely imbued with the Word of God, she is able to become the Mother
of the Word Incarnate.
Finally, Mary is a woman who loves. How could it be otherwise? As a believer who
in faith thinks with God's thoughts and wills with God's will, she cannot fail
to be a woman who loves. We sense this in her quiet gestures, as recounted by
the infancy narratives in the Gospel. We see it in the delicacy with which she
recognizes the need of the spouses at Cana and makes it known to Jesus. We see
it in the humility with which she recedes into the background during Jesus'
public life, knowing that the Son must establish a new family and that the
Mother's hour will come only with the Cross... At the hour of Pentecost, it will
be the disciples who gather around her as they wait for the Holy Spirit (cf.
Acts 1:14).
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters & Special Reports
Credit Lebanon's Cabinet for finally taking care of some overdue business-
Daily Star 22/12/08
The Iraq accord grants the US permission to stay-By
Saad N. Jawad 22/12/08
A new angle on Hizbullah's weapons-By Rayyan al-Shawaf
22/12/08
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for December
22/08
Syrian Agents Arrest
Lebanese Citizen-Naharnet
Lebanon leaders put off reconciliation talks to New
Year-AFP
National Dialogue Adjourned Until
Jan. 22-Naharnet
Aoun:
Resistance Activity Starts After State Fall-Naharnet
Syrian Embassy in Beirut
Operational-Naharnet
Syria
Opens its Beirut Embassy Immediately After Christmas-Naharnet
IAEA chief warns Syria to cooperate with probe-Kuwait
Times
Franjieh-Sfeir Meeting on Christmas?-Naharnet
Clashes in Baalbek Over
Drug Feud-Naharnet
Opposition Prepares Study
to Prove Kheir Fell Foul of Election-Naharnet
Suleiman: Constitutional
Council Members Democratically Chosen-Naharnet
March 14 Alliance Calls
for a Defense Strategy Based on UNSCR 1701-Naharnet
Report: Assad Won't Stop
Arms Flow to Hizbullah-Naharnet
Arslan: Breaking Gaza
Siege a Preemptive Act in Lebanon's Defense-Naharnet
Rival Lebanese parties resume dialogue on national defense strategy today-Daily
Star
Diplomats: Assad says he won't restrain arming of Hezbollah-Ha'aretz
UNIFIL probes abduction of two Lebanese by Israel-Daily
Star
Mapping out a new social policy for the ESCWA region-Daily
Star
Beirut Stock Exchange ends week on rather positive note-Daily
Star
Workshop aims to help displaced Iraqi professionals in Lebanon find jobs-Daily
Star
Sunny times return for Lebanon's tourism industry-
(AFP)
Laughter: Lebanon's weapon of choice in 2006-Daily
Star
Aoun: Resistance Activity
Starts After State Fall
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun on Monday said resistance
activity starts only when the state falls as a result of military action, and
there is "no need for resistance when the state exists." Aoun, talking to
reporters after the weekly meeting by members of his Change and reform
Parliamentary bloc, criticized a defense strategy blueprint proposed by Lebanese
Forces leader Samir Geagea. "He (Geagea) wants to fight Israel with a regular
army while our proposal is based on the resisting people because the regular
army would never be able to establish a balance with Israel," Aoun said. The
Swiss Defense strategy, which is the base for Geagea's blueprint, "is based on a
regular force, which requires a major budget. "The system that suits Lebanon is
resistance not planes," Aoun explained. Aoun said the Internal Security Forces
intelligence branch, better known as the data agency, should be called off. "If
they do not halt it this year, it would be halted the next year," Aoun said. He
accused the branch of seeking to "cover up for crimes, not exposing them." Aoun
also hammed the Higher Relief Authority saying its funds have been spent on
"paving roads in Kesrouan." Aoun said none of the Majority MPs should be
re-elected in 2009, insisting that holding the elections nationwide in one day
is "not possible." Beirut, 22 Dec 08, 20:10
Syrian Agents Arrest Lebanese Citizen
Naharnet/Syrian security agents arrested Lebanese citizen Alwan Jaafar who had
attacked a Lebanese Army Checkpoint and killed a soldier. The communiqué said
the arrest on Sunday was carried out as a result of cooperation between Syrian
security services and the Lebanese Army's Intelligence Directorate. Jaafar and
other assailants attacked a Lebanese Army checkpoint in the eastern Hermel
district on July 30, killing a soldier and wounding several others. Beirut, 22
Dec 08, 20:21
Syrian Embassy in Beirut Operational
Naharnet/Three Syrian diplomats headed by a deputy head of mission on Monday
reported to duty at the Syrian Embassy in Beirut's Harma Street, a government
source said. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, identified
the deputy head of the Syrian mission in Beirut as career diplomat Shawqi
Shammat.
In a related development, a diplomatic source said Lebanon's foreign ministry
would inform Damascus in the "coming hours" of the Lebanese ambassador's name.
Lebanon would only make public the name of its ambassador after Syria approves
the accreditation, a move expected in 40 days in line with the Vienna Convention
that governs diplomatic relations in the world. The source, however, said Syria
has not informed Lebanon of its ambassador to Beirut. Syrian Foreign Minister
Walid Muallem said earlier the Syrian Embassy in Beirut would be inaugurated
after Christmas. Beirut, 22 Dec 08, 19:14
National Dialogue Adjourned
Until Jan. 22
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman adjourned a national dialogue session until
Jan. 22 and participants at Monday's meeting decided to form a military
committee to study defense strategy suggestions. The third round of dialogue was
held Monday to discuss a defense strategy and Russian arms supplies for Lebanon
amid reports that the parliamentary majority is seeking an inquiry into
Hizbullah's call for resistance to "liberate" Palestine. The pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat
said Monday that the majority March 14 coalition wants to find out exactly what
Hizbullah meant by declaring that it would continue with the resistance until
Palestine is liberated and whether this is a sign that the party would maintain
its weapons even after the liberation of Shebaa Farms. "We are responsible, like
all Arabs and Muslims, to completely liberate Palestine, from the river to the
sea," Hizbullah's second in command Sheikh Naim Qassem told a Hizbullah rally
against the Gaza siege in southern Beirut on Friday. "Palestine is the central
cause and we are committed to liberating it," Qassem said, adding that "we would
not give up the cause of Palestine. We are with you to liberate all the land."
Al-Hayat said that in that case, Qassem's statement suggests that the defense
strategy be upgraded from defensive to offensive.
The daily said March 14 also wants to find out the motives which led some
political sides to deal "cautiously" with the Russian arms supplies for Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the daily As Safir said Suleiman was willing to answer all questions
related to expansion of the dialogue table.
It said the President will also make an intervention on the seriousness of
threats and Israeli practices -- be it via daily violation of Lebanese airspace
or crossing the Blue Line and kidnapping civilians -- in addition to military
maneuvers which never stopped since the July 2006 war on Lebanon and the threats
that are often issued by Israeli leaders and officers.
As Safir said a declaration by Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun
on Sunday that he was not against "direct" talks between Lebanon and Israel
provided Syria takes part may reveal a certain trend in the course of the peace
process, including Lebanon, and thus will affect the defense strategy issue.
Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan said that LF leader Samir Geagea's strategy was
very similar to the Swiss model which has a unique military institution
somewhere between an army reserve and a regular army.
Aoun had proposed his own defense strategy during the last dialogue session in
November. His blueprint, however, which was based on promoting "popular
resistance" as means to safeguard Lebanon against any potential Israeli
aggression, was met with harsh criticism by March 14 leaders.
The daily also quoted MP Mohammed Raad, head of Hizbullah's parliamentary bloc,
as saying that he would listen to Geagea's defense strategy plan without forming
judgments beforehand. Druze leader Walid Jumblat, for his part, told As Safir
that he is going to be a listener during Monday's session, pointing that he had
already presented his ideas. Jumblat suggested that since it is going to take a
"long time" to agree on a defense strategy that the leaders engage in talks to
resolve the issue of Palestinian weapons outside refugee camps. MP Butros Harb,
meanwhile, notified As Safir that he will submit his own defense strategy
blueprint and his stance from Hizbullah arms. Harb said his plan is based on the
rule that Lebanon's unity and survival are the most important, and therefore,
remain a priority to resistance's weapons. Sources close to Mustaqbal leader
Saad Hariri also told As Safir that the parliamentary majority leader's opinion
regarding the defense strategy is based on the idea that the decision over war
and peace should be central.
The Defense Strategy proposal presented Monday by Lebanese Forces leader Samir
Geagea aims at prevent subjecting Lebanon to an open confrontation with Israel
while providing the country with a defensive option based on the Swiss strategic
model in which, the Lebanese state continues to hold an overall decisive
decision making process, moving away from militarizing. The strategy is in two
folds; it calls for adopting indirect means to thwarting any external aggression
against Lebanon through developing the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) into a
decisive strike force (according to available means), and diplomatically through
positive neutrality in which the Lebanese state would engage with the
international community in regaining land currently occupied by Israel.
The first fold of the Defense Strategy focuses on centralizing all military
related decisions with the legitimate military forces of the Lebanese state.
This calls for adopting qualitative combat tactics via the activation of Special
Forces currently serving with the LAF. These units are to include army, navy and
mountain Rangers and Air Borne forces. This calls for increasing unit's size
from 5,000 to 20,000 elements working under five regional commands.
The amalgamation of the above units is to be drawn together as Special Forces
that will spearhead all military operations. This is coupled with the formation
of National Guards directly working in a military and administrative capacity in
providing support to the Special Forces.
All other LAF units continue to operate in their normal capacity. In short this
strategy adapts Hizbullah's successful military model, while implementing it
under the legitimacy of the Lebanese state and generalizing the model over the
entire Lebanese regions.
The second tier of the Defense Strategy is based on recognizing the importance
of international legitimacy in particular UNSCR 1701 concerning the Israeli
occupied Shebaa Farms, and the deployment of United Nations International Force
in Lebanon (UNIFIL) south of the Litani River.
In short this calls for adopting a diplomatic choice in which the Lebanese
people would agree all together to ask the Syrian state to sign an agreement
with Lebanon clearly recognizing the Lebanon's sovereignty over Shebaa Farms
without having to currently demarcate the occupied area.
If this does not happen, the Lebanese state would request from the U.N. Security
Council to unilaterally demark the Shebaa Farms and place them under UNSCR 425.
The LF Defense Strategy sited a similar example when this model was previously
used when demarking the Kuwaiti-Iraqi border.
In conclusion the LF proposed strategy works on moving Lebanon away from any
external conflicts that could affect the Lebanese domestic situation. It simply
aims at lifting Lebanon off the regional arena of conflict via the adoption of
positive neutrality, while holding true to the Palestinian legitimate cause and
international resolutions that affirm a return of Palestinian refugees back to
their homeland. Beirut, 22 Dec 08, 08:41
Syria Opens its Beirut Embassy Immediately After Christmas
Naharnet/Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said the opening of the
temporary building of the Syrian embassy in Beirut would be immediately after
the Christmas holidays. In an interview with the daily as-Safir on Monday,
Muallem said: "Normally we would inaugurate the embassy and appoint its
diplomatic staff, after which we would appoint the ambassador whose name remains
to be under discussion." He affirmed that the Syrian Foreign Ministry has chosen
the building of the Syrian-Lebanese Bank in the Hamra district of Beirut to host
its diplomatic mission and ambassador to Lebanon.
Sources told the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat that Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi
Salloukh has informed Prime Minister Fouad Saniora of the Syrian decision.
One floor of the five-story building in Maqdisi Street will be dedicated to
house embassy staff while the remaining four floors will be designated to
operate as the Syrian diplomatic mission bureaus, the sources said. However,
Lebanon was not officially notified of the date when the Syrian diplomatic
mission would permanently move to a new headquarter pending the purchase of a
building or a parcel of land on which the embassy will be constructed. The
sources also indicated that Lebanon has not yet received an official nomination
by Damascus of its ambassador to Beirut. However, Lebanese sources close to
Damascus hinted that Makram Obeid, a former Syrian minister and current
ambassador to Madrid, could occupy the post. Beirut, 22 Dec 08, 09:39
Franjieh-Sfeir Meeting on Christmas?
Naharnet/A Christmas day meeting could be held in Bkirki between Maronite
Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh and Free
Patriotic Movement chief Gen. Michel Aoun, al-Liwaa daily reported Monday. It
said the expected inter-Christian reconciliation on Thursday could take place
during a visit by Franjieh and Aoun to the seat of the Maronite church. The
newspaper quoted sources as saying that President Michel Suleiman could sponsor
the talks.
Beirut, 22 Dec 08, 09:34
Clashes in Baalbek Over Drug Feud
Naharnet/Gunmen battled with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons in
the eastern city of Baalbek Sunday night in a drug related violence, An Nahar
daily reported. It quoted security sources as saying that the shooting took
place in al-Sharawnah and Tal al-Abyad between supporters of two people from the
Jaafar clan. Security forces arrived on the scene of the incident only after the
escape of the gunmen, the newspaper added. Beirut, 22 Dec 08, 09:07
Opposition Prepares Study to Prove Kheir Fell Foul of
Election
Naharnet/The March 8 alliance is currently preparing a legal study to prove that
the election of Antoine Kheir to the Constitutional Council was in violation of
the Council Formation law. Last week, Parliament elected five members to the
Constitutional Council. March 8 Forces opposed the election but did not have a
majority to overrule it. The daily As-Safir on Monday said that Article 4 of the
law stipulates that a Council member's term is limited to six non-renewable
years. Kheir is a former member of the Council and cannot be re-elected, March 8
Forces claim. Beirut, 22 Dec 08, 11:10
Suleiman: Constitutional Council Members Democratically
Chosen
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman said that the five members of the
Constitutional Council had been democratically chosen.
"The election process of Constitutional Council members was a sign of
democracy," Suleiman told ministers at a Cabinet meeting held Saturday.
The daily An Nahar on Sunday said Suleiman's stance was meant as a response to
those who said Baabda was not content to the way the majority had bypassed a
previous agreement on a number of candidates and imposed new names when they
went to vote. Information Minister Tareq Mitri said following the meeting that a
Cabinet session will be held soon to elect the remaining five members of the
Constitutional Council. Cabinet on Saturday appointed Judge Shukri Sader as head
of the State Consultative Council and Ghaleb Ghanem as head of the Higher
Judiciary Council, Mitri said. Beirut, 21 Dec 08, 13:33
March 14 Alliance Calls for a Defense Strategy Based on UNSCR 1701
Naharnet/The March 14 Forces on Sunday called for the adoption of a national
defense strategy based on U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701. "The national
dialogue headed by the president should quickly move in adopting a defense
strategy based on UNSCR 1701," the alliance's general secretariat said in a
statement. "The international resolution is Lebanon's only guarantee," it said.
The statement also urged the Security Council to put an end to violations of
Resolution 1701. It denounced the abduction of the Tarraf brothers by Israeli
troops at the southern village of Blida. "This dangerous behavior violates UNSCR
1701 and Lebanese national sovereignty," the coalition said. It also called on
the government to adopt all necessary measures to control the border with Syria.
Beirut, 21 Dec 08, 17:52
Report: Assad Won't Stop Arms Flow to Hizbullah
Naharnet/Syrian President Bashar Assad has reportedly told a number of European
foreign ministers and senior diplomats that he will not stop arms flow to
Hizbullah in Lebanon. "I am not Israel's bodyguard," he said, according to
Israeli daily Haaretz. The newspaper also quoted an Israeli government source as
saying the officials who met Assad had the impression that the Syrian president
was serious about negotiations with the Jewish state. It said, however, that
Assad held on to his uncompromising stance. The source said Assad told the
European officials that Damascus was willing to take significant steps in its
talks with Israel only after the Jewish state announces it would withdraw its
troops from the entire Golan Heights. Assad also reportedly said that despite
the ongoing Turkish-mediated indirect talks, he sees no possibility of progress
before the Israeli elections in February. Beirut, 22 Dec 08, 12:12
Arslan: Breaking Gaza Siege a Preemptive Act in Lebanon's Defense
Naharnet/Minister of Youth and Sports Talal Arslan called on the Lebanese to
participate en masse in an upcoming protest to lift the Israeli siege of Gaza.
"You cannot keep silent," Arslan told visiting delegations of municipality
heads, clergymen and students. "Breaking this imposed siege on Gaza is a
preemptive act in Lebanon's defense," he said. On the abduction by Israeli
forces of two Lebanese brothers, Arslan said: "It was no accident for the enemy
to kidnap the Tarraf brothers at the time when popular action is moving from
Lebanon in support of Gaza."The Tarrafs were tortured the same way Palestinians
are being tortured, he said, adding "it is the same form of inexcusable racism.
The enemy only understands how to humiliate Arabs whether Palestinian or
Lebanese."He called on Arab governments to act responsibly."No one can claim
that he is safe from barbaric Israeli attacks that sadly enjoy" international
support, he charged. Beirut, 21 Dec 08, 16:53
SALHANI: Selfish Middle East leaders holding region
back
Claude Salhani MIDDLE EAST TIMES
Monday, December 22, 2008
The end of the year is generally a good time for reflection. It is a time to
take stock of what has been accomplished during the past 12 months and to look
forward to what one hopes to achieve over the coming year. In the case of the
Arab world, it's been a dismal year, and the outlook for 2009, regretfully,
hardly looks any better.
The region's leaders have demonstrated complete lack of political foresight.
Their inability to place petty quarrels aside, combined with absolute lust for
power that takes precedence over national or pan-Arab interests, helped once
again to keep the Middle East trailing behind other regions.
The Palestinian-Israeli peace talks have been treading water while Hamas, now in
full control of the Gaza Strip, and the Palestinian Authority, which is able to
implement its authority only on the West Bank, continue to squabble. The
possibility of settling the Israeli-Palestinian dispute has never been closer,
with encouraging statements from both sides. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
recognized in an interview granted to Yediot Ahronot earlier this year the need
for Israel to withdraw from "nearly all, if not all, of the [occupied]
territories."
And Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said: "We don't just seek
peace. We seek a meaningful and lasting peace with Israel. We seek strong ties
with Israel. We seek strong economic ties between the independents states and
Israel and Palestine. We seek warm relations with Israel. We do not want to get
to the point where we just accept each other."
Yet instead of focusing their energies on solving the issues and creating a
better future for their people, Hamas and the PA continue to battle each other.
And the Palestinians are not alone in that category. Lebanon hardly fares better
with recent armed clashes proving that in Lebanon, at least, the bullet remains
a more convincing form of politics than the ballot. How depressing.
At least Lebanon has a ballot. Other countries in the region pass power from
father to son as though running the country were a family business.
In Libya, Moammar Gadhafi has been in power since 1969; in Egypt, Hosni Mubarak
has been president since 1981, and if he could have his way, Mr. Mubarak would
hand power over to his son Gamal; in Syria, Hafez Assad came to power in 1970
and ruled until his death in 2000, when he has replaced by his son Bashar.
During that same period of time, the U.S. has had 10 presidents: Johnson, Nixon,
Ford, Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush and
President-elect Barack Obama.
*Copyright 2008 The Washington Times, LLC