LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
November 01/08
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint
Luke 14,1-6. On a sabbath he went to dine at the home of one of the leading
Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully. In front of him
there was a man suffering from dropsy. Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law
and Pharisees in reply, asking, "Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?"
But they kept silent; so he took the man and, after he had healed him, dismissed
him. Then he said to them, "Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a
cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?"
But they were unable to answer his question.
John Paul II/Apostolic Letter "Dies Domini", 61 (copyright Libreria Editrice
Vaticana)
"The sabbath was made for man" (Mk 2,27)
As the seventh day blessed and consecrated by
God, the "shabbat" concludes the whole work of creation, and is therefore
immediately linked to the work of the sixth day when God made man "in his image
and likeness" (Gn 1:26). This very close connection between the "day of God" and
the "day of man" did not escape the Fathers in their meditation on the biblical
creation story. Saint Ambrose says in this regard: "Thanks, then, to the Lord
our God who accomplished a work in which he might find rest. He made the
heavens, but I do not read that he found rest there; he made the stars, the
moon, the sun, and neither do I read that he found rest in them. I read instead
that he made man and that then he rested, finding in man one to whom he could
offer the forgiveness of sins". Thus there will be for ever a direct link
between the "day of God" and the "day of man". When the divine commandment
declares: "Remember the Sabbath day in order to keep it holy" (Ex 20:8), the
rest decreed in order to honour the day dedicated to God is not at all a burden
imposed upon man, but rather an aid to help him to recognize his life-giving and
liberating dependence upon the Creator, and at the same time his calling to
cooperate in the Creator's work and to receive his grace. In honouring God's
"rest", man fully discovers himself, and thus the Lord's Day bears the profound
imprint of God's blessing (Gn 2:3), by virtue of which, we might say, it is
endowed in a way similar to the animals and to man himself, with a kind of
"fruitfulness" (Gn 1:22, 28). This "fruitfulness" is apparent above all in
filling and, in a certain sense, "multiplying" time itself, deepening in men and
women the joy of living and the desire to foster and communicate life.
Free Opinions,
Releases, letters & Special Reports
EMP: The Next Iranian strategic threat to the US
Mainland?By Walid
Phares 31/10/08
Assad and Street Demonstrations.
By:Farid
Ghadry 31/10/08
Losing the Lebanese Front: “Are We Crazy?”By:
W. Thomas Smith Jr 31/10/08
Hariri-Nasrallah: What was the Outcome?By Tariq
Alhomayed 31/10/08
Phoenician Blood Endures 3000 Years, DNA Study Shows-National
Geographic 31/10/08
Time to
turn Lebanon's judges loose so they can set the rest of us free.
The Daily Star
31/10/08
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for October
31/08
Sison: It's Appropriate that Lebanon Be Treated by Syria as an Equal-Naharnet
Syrian Troops Deploy Off Bekaa-Naharnet
Lebanon
needs to make more progress on disarming militias, UN ...UN
News Centre
Olmert plans to resume indirect talks with
Syria-Ha'aretz
Iran: Hizbullah Prevented Israel, U.S. from Swallowing Arabs-Naharnet
Clergyman Negotiates End
of Jail Mutiny-Naharnet
Suleiman Calls for Just
Middle East Settlement-Naharnet
Four Generals Bound for
The Hague? Maybe Not…-Naharnet
Murr: Deputy Premier to
Museum District, Not Grand Serail-Naharnet
Geagea: Marada Needs More
Time for Reconciliation-Naharnet
Berri for Ousting Devils
from Mosques and Churches-Naharnet
Lebanese-Egyptian
Committee Concludes Meetings-Naharnet
Bellemare to Break the
Silence Soon-Naharnet
Ban
Urges Hizbullah to be a Political Party-Naharnet
US condemns jailing of Syrian dissidents-Reuters
Aoun:
Hizbullah and I Are Inseparable, I will Visit Damascus ...Naharnet
Egypt's
Intelligence, Counter-Terrorism Experience Back Lebanon
Damascus
demonstration stays peaceful as thousands protest deadly raid by US troops-(AFP)
Rival
Lebanese politicians display thaw in relations at opening of Shiite center-Daily
Star
Report: Syria cuts diplomatic ties with Iraq over US raid-Ha'aretz
Bomb explosion in south Lebanon refugee camp-Earthtimes
(press release)
UN chief urges Hezbollah to be political party-International
Herald Tribune
West Fears Hezbollah Presence in Latin America-IranVNC
Hezbollah is training Islamic fundamentalists-Ya
Libnan
Exclusive: Petraeus Wants to Go to Syria; Bush Administration Says No-ABC
News
Lebanon says Syria to put more troops on border-Reuters
Respected judge quits over delays in judicial postings-Daily
Star
Sleiman uses Rome visit to call for Middle East peace-Daily
Star
Najjar denies saying four ex-generals are bound for The Hague-Daily
Star
Violence, abuse stalk women and children who fled Nahr al-Bared-Daily
Star
State
of the Arab environment 2008: 'A lot has been achieved, but much more is still
needed-Daily
Star
Lebanon's trade deficit soars in first nine months of 2008-Daily
Star
Multiple factors figure to let air of out Lebanese real estate-Daily
Star
Security forces break up riot involving Islamist inmates at Roumieh-Daily
Star
Ceremony remembers IC preschool director Randa Khoury-Daily
Star
Olive-based firewoood offers cheaper, eco-friendly alternative for heating-Daily
Star
Phoenician Blood Endures 3,000 Years, DNA Study
By: Amitabh Avasthi
for National Geographic News
October 30, 2008
Ancient maritime traders of the Mediterranean may have left behind a large
genetic footprint in the region, where 1 in 17 men still harbors Phoenician DNA,
according to a new study. The findings could fill a gap in the history of the
Phoenician civilization, which originated two to three thousand years ago in the
eastern Mediterranean—in what is now Lebanon and Syria—and included prominent
traders, according to Chris Tyler-Smith, lead author and associate researcher at
National Geographic Society's Genographic Project. (The National Geographic
Society owns National Geographic News.)
Bible-Era Artifacts Highlight Archaeology Controversy (April 18, 2004)
Native American DNA Links to Six "Founding Mothers" (March 13, 2008)
"By the time of the Romans they more or less disappeared from history, and
little has been known about them since," Tyler-Smith added. "Our motivation was
to really identify their genetic traces."
(Related: "Who were the Phoenicians" in National Geographic magazine, October
2004.)
The new research could also help scientists understand the genetic impact of
other human migrations, such as military campaigns by the Greeks and the
Mongols, Tyler-Smith said.
DNA Markers
Tyler-Smith and colleagues used historic and archeological records, along with
information from DNA samples.
The research team analyzed the Y chromosome of 1,330 men from historic
Phoenician trading centers in the Mediterranean regions of Syria, Palestine,
Tunisia, Morocco, Cyprus, and Malta.
Unlike mitochondrial DNA—which is passed down from mothers—the Y chromosome,
passed down by fathers, is thought to provide more detailed genetic information.
Analyses of the Y chromosomal data revealed the presence of at least seven
related genetic lineages from places around the Mediterranean Sea where
Phoenicians had lived.
These lineages suggest that the Phoenicians contributed their genes to at least
six percent of the modern populations of historic Phoenician trading outposts.
"Our findings suggest that the Phoenicians left behind a genetic legacy that
persists till modern times," Tyler-Smith said.
Colin Groves is a biological anthropologist at Australia National University in
Canberra who was not associated with the study.
"I think this is a very neat finding," said Groves, adding that the study
provides enough evidence for a clear genetic link between ancient Phoenician
traders and persons now living in some of these historic trading towns.
However, he notes that the researchers looked only at Y chromosomes, indicating
a line of descent from a male ancestor.
"This means that you will find such genetic traces only if there has been an
unbroken male line in that area," Groves explained. "If a man has only
daughters, his Y chromosome lineage dies out."
Groves also cautions that one should not interpret the findings as suggesting
the Phoenicians were restricted to a certain place.
"It means only that Phoenicians were there, and presumably in sufficient numbers
that chance events have not eliminated the Y chromosome traces."
Sison: It's Appropriate that Lebanon Be Treated by Syria as an Equal
U.S. Ambassador Michele Sison said her country's relations with Lebanon are
growing, adding that Syria should treat Lebanon "as an equal, not as a client."
"The American-Lebanese relationship is a strong one. It's robust, it's growing
and I have seen this relationship grow even in the time that I have been here,"
Sison told The Daily Star in an interview published Friday.
About the establishment of diplomatic relations between Beirut and Damascus, the
U.S. diplomat said: "It is appropriate that Lebanon be treated by Syria as an
equal, not as a client, but as a neighbor and an equal."
She described the setting up of ties as "a positive step." But said Damascus
needs to delineate fully the Lebanese-Syrian border and to respect Lebanon's
sovereignty.
The ambassador told the English-language daily that many things have changed
since she came to Lebanon in February.
"There's a new president, the parliament is functioning, the electoral law has
been passed and preparations are under way for the spring 2009 parliamentary
elections," she said.
She told the newspaper the law passed by parliament is a Lebanese issue, adding
that her country hopes "to see in Lebanon, as in anywhere else in the world,
free, transparent elections."
Sison said the U.S. policy is to strengthen key institutions of the Lebanese
state and "a pillar of that policy is the strengthening of the Lebanese Armed
Forces (LAF) and the Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF)."
"The army program has grown over the last two years to around $410 million and
the ISF assistance program in just the course of this year - and we only
launched it in February - has gone up to $70 million, and that's training and
equipment," she said.
When asked if it was true that about half of the military funds pledged ($410
million) have been delivered, the U.S. diplomat said: "I'll tell you a little
about the U.S. equipment procurement pipeline. All of this amount has been
contracted, for the $410 million. We've had a large quantity of that delivered.
I would term the rest as in the pipeline ... You will see, we will highlight
continuing deliveries through this pipeline."
She described "a bit overblown" media reports that there has been some
controversy in Washington over the type and size of military assistance and
weapons to the Lebanese Armed Forces.
"What we are delivering is what (the LAF) has asked for. They identify the
need," Sison told her interviewer.
Asked about warnings by some analysts about fighters coming across from Iraq to
northern Lebanon, Sison said: "We feel that control of the borders is absolutely
essential. I think that the LIBAT (Lebanon Independent Border Assessment Team)
II report that you saw come out in August clearly indicated a path to be taken."
Beirut, 31 Oct 08, 06:55
Syrian Troops Deploy Off Bekaa
Syria has deployed extra troops on its borders with east Lebanon's Bekaa Valley
to combat smuggling and arrest fugitives, a Lebanese army official said on
Thursday.
"Syria is deploying soldiers along the length of the border of eastern Lebanon,
as it did in September on the northern border," said the official who asked not
to be further identified.
"These reinforcements have been positioned for the same reasons which
necessitated the deployment in the north, to combat smuggling and prevent wanted
persons escaping across the Syrian-Lebanese border," he said.
"The Syrian troop movements have been coordinated between commanders of the
Syrian and Lebanese armies," he said.
A local official, meanwhile, said almost 3,000 troops equipped with armored
vehicles and heavy weapons had been deployed in a region facing the eastern
Lebanese village of Ersal.
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, after contacts with his Syrian counterpart
Bashar Assad earlier this month accepted that the troop movements along the
border were aimed at tackling smuggling.
In September, the Lebanese army revealed the deployment of 10,000 Syrian Special
Forces troops in the Abboudiyeh region along the northern border.
Members of the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority in Lebanon, however, warned
that Damascus could be setting the stage to return its forces to their country.
Syria, a longtime powerbroker in its smaller neighbor, withdrew its troops from
Lebanon in 2005 after a deployment of three decades.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese Army Command said Gen. Jean Qahwaji was informed of the
development by Chief of Staff of the Syrian Army Gen. Ali Habib.
The statement said Habib informed Qahwaji by telephone of the Syrian army's
deployment off Lebanon's eastern borders "in the coming few days, after they
completed their deployment off the northern borders of Lebanon."
It said the deployment falls in line with "arrangements aimed at halting
smuggling and preventing the illegal crossing of individuals."
The Syrian move came a few days after U.S. troops attacked what they described
as a base for transiting terrorists from Syria into Iraq. Syria said the attack
killed eight civilians in a building under construction.
Beirut, 30 Oct 08, 21:22
Egypt's Intelligence, Counter-Terrorism Experience Back Lebanon
Egypt has decided to provide Lebanon with intelligence assistance to abort plans
for launching attacks against some Arab countries from zones that are not under
state security.
Sources informed on the Lebanese-Egyptian talks, both in Beirut and Cairo, said
in addition to providing Lebanon with such vital intelligence information, Egypt
has decided to provide the Lebanese army and security forces with weapons and
ammunition needed to confront threats.
Cairo also wants to upgrade contacts with Lebanon's intelligence community to
help the country cope with forthcoming challenges posed by "terrorist cells"
operating in sectors of Lebanon that are not under state control, according to
the sources.
They said the Egyptian government also is considering possible assistance to
Lebanon in "training on the setting up and managing intelligence networks based
on Egypt's experience" in combating terror.
Sources accompanying Premier Fouad Saniora in his visit to Egypt said such
security-military assistance along with economic-socio-agricultural
understandings, aim at backing Lebanon's state authority to confront "influence
of regional powers that seek to penetrate Lebanon."
"Egypt has taken a clear decision to block holes used by some regional powers to
set up intelligence bridge heads in Lebanon that can operate to serve respective
regional interests," according to the sources.
Beirut, 30 Oct 08, 16:46
Aoun: Only a Nuclear Bomb Can Separate Me from Hizbullah, I Will Visit Damascus
Before Year's End
Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun has reportedly vowed to remain
inseparable from Hizbullah and told his partisans that he would visit the Syrian
capital before the end of 2008.
As Safir daily on Friday said that Aoun told a gathering of FPM members who are
seeking to run in the upcoming parliamentary elections that nothing but a
nuclear bomb separates him from Hizbullah.
The head of the Change and Reform bloc said during the meeting that he would
visit Damascus before the end of this year, specifically during the stage that
would follow the exchange of ambassadors between Lebanon and Syria.
Aoun, according to the newspaper, also promised to finalize the list of FPM
election candidates before year's end. Beirut, 31 Oct 08, 08:33
Lebanon needs to make more progress on disarming militias, UN envoy says
30 October 2008 – Lebanon has made “no tangible progress” towards disbanding and
disarming militias operating on its territory, a senior United Nations official
told the Security Council today, warning that the continued activities of these
groups could undermine the staging of parliamentary elections scheduled for next
year.
Terje Roed-Larsen, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on the implementation
of Security Council resolution 1559, told the Council that both Lebanese and
non-Lebanese armed groups posed a threat to national sovereignty and stability.
Resolution 1559, adopted by the Council in 2004 amid concern about the ongoing
tensions within Lebanon, calls for free and fair elections in the Middle East
country without interference from foreign groups and also for the disbanding of
all militia.
But Mr. Roed-Larsen said that while some “major strides” have been taken in the
past six months regarding the resolution – most notably the holding of a free
presidential poll in which Michel Suleiman was chosen – many elements have still
not been implemented.
“The violence that erupted in Lebanon and spread widely across the country in
May of this year served as a shocking illustration of how armed groups outside
the control of the Government of Lebanon brought the country to a near state of
collapse, and engraved psychological scars on the civilian population,” he said.
The clashes in May, despite the subsequent political accord that led to the
holding of presidential elections, “may have prompted, if not accelerated, a
process of re-armament.”
The envoy said Hizbollah’s armed component was the most significant militia in
the country, and he urged the group to comply with relevant resolutions and
transform into a political party proper.
“The organization maintains a massive paramilitary infrastructure separate from
the State, including a secure network of communication, which the group itself
deems an integral part of its arsenal.
“In May of this year, Hizbollah employed civil disobedience but also elements of
these military assets to protect this very structure. These assets, and
Hizbollah’s resort to armed action in response to a political decision by the
Government, are a direct challenge to the fundamental authority of that
Government and its attempts to consolidate its sovereignty.”
He added that “the emergence and apparent strengthening of extremist elements
and foreign fighters based largely in and around Tripoli” was also a grave
concern, and these elements had conducted lethal attacks against Lebanese armed
forces.
The disarmament of all militias “should take place through a political process
that will lead to the monopoly on the use of force by the Government of Lebanon
throughout all of its territory,” he stressed.
But Mr. Roed-Larsen also noted that Lebanon and Syria have recently held
high-level talks on Lebanese sovereignty, political independence and territorial
integrity, and have agreed to establish full diplomatic relations for the first
time.
The envoy cautioned, however, that the Syrian-Lebanese border remains porous and
easily penetrated, smuggling activities are ongoing and militia groups are
allowed to straddle the border.
In addition, he said Israeli aircraft continue to violate Lebanese airspace by
conducting over-flights, which he said must end.
Ban Urges Hizbullah to be a Political Party
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon wants Syria and Iran to support the transformation of
Hizbullah to a political party, U.N. envoy Terje Roed-Larsen said Thursday.
He said the secretary-general is very concerned that fighting last spring
between anti- and pro-government gunmen "may have prompted, if not accelerated,
a process of rearmament in Lebanon."
"The violence that erupted in Lebanon and spread widely across the country in
May of this year served as a shocking illustration of how armed groups outside
the control of the government of Lebanon brought the country to a near state of
collapse, and engraved psychological scars on the civilian population," he said.
Roed-Larsen is Ban's envoy dealing with implementation of Security Council
resolution 1559 that included demands for the disarmament of all militias in
Lebanon and the extension of government authority throughout the country.
Briefing the Security Council on Ban's eighth report on the resolution adopted
in 2004, Roed-Larsen pointed to "major strides" the last six months — election
of a Lebanese president, plans for parliamentary elections and establishment of
diplomatic relations for the first time between Beirut and Damascus.
The envoy cautioned, however, that the Syrian-Lebanese border remains porous and
easily penetrated, smuggling activities are ongoing and militia groups are
allowed to straddle the border.
In addition, he said Israeli aircraft continue to violate Lebanese airspace by
conducting over-flights, which he said must end.
He added there has been "no tangible progress towards the disbanding and
disarming of militias."
Roed-Larsen described "the armed component of Hizbullah," as "the most
significant Lebanese militia" which maintains "a massive paramilitary
infrastructure separate from the state, including a secure network of
communication, which the group itself deems an integral part of its arsenal."
"In May of this year, Hizbullah employed civil disobedience but also elements of
these military assets to protect this very structure. These assets, and
Hizbullah's resort to armed action in response to a political decision by the
government, are a direct challenge to the fundamental authority of that
government and its attempts to consolidate its sovereignty," Roed-Larsen told
the Council.
He said Ban is urging Hizbullah to transform itself into "a political party
proper" and wants the group's allies Syria and Iran in particular to encourage
that process.
The U.N. chief also is concerned that non-Lebanese militias in Lebanon,
including Palestinian movements, have not been disarmed, Roed-Larsen said.
He reiterated Ban's conviction that disarming Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias
"should take place through a political process that will lead to the monopoly on
the use of force by the government of Lebanon throughout all of its territory."
He added that "the emergence and apparent strengthening of extremist elements
and foreign fighters based largely in and around" the northern port city of
Tripoli was also a grave concern, and these elements had conducted lethal
attacks against Lebanese armed forces. Beirut, 31 Oct 08, 04:17
Losing the Lebanese Front: “Are We Crazy?”
By: Maj. W. Thomas Smith Jr.
30 Oct 2008
In the wake of Sunday’s counterterrorist raid into Syria by U.S. special
operations forces, a number of America’s traditional enemies – specifically Iran
and the leaders of its regionally based terrorist allies and proxy armies,
including Hizballah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP),
and others – have sharply condemned the U.S. action.
The PFLP, for instance (as reported in the Teheran Times), states that the
strike: “requires a united Arab stance against the policies of the United States
in the Middle East, and that this strike comes in order to boost John McCain in
his elections campaign.” (So at least we know who the bad guys do not want to be
elected in the U.S. next Tuesday.)
PFLP representative Jamil Majdalawi adds, “The U.S. administration and its
security agency always spread lies about Iraqi weapons, and now are spreading
lies about Syria. … This all falls as part of the lies and manipulation
practiced by the U.S. security agency.”
Such rhetoric is not at all surprising.
What may be surprising to many Americans, however, is to hear Lebanese Pres.
Michel Sleiman and Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora also condemn the
attacks.
Siniora says the raid was “unacceptable.” Sleiman says it was a “flagrant
violation of a sisterly Arab state's sovereignty,” and he reportedly told Syrian
Pres. Bashar Assad that the raid “contradicts international law.”
I must confess I’m not surprised by either Sleiman’s or Siniora’s comments. They
have both proven time-and-again that they are not willing to confront Hizballah,
a Talibanesque Shia terrorist kingdom operating outside of UN convention and
within the sovereign state of Lebanon. (Hizballah also has frequently called for
the “death of America” and – with the very strong support of Iran and Syria --
Hizballah continues to expand its operational scope far beyond Lebanon’s
borders.)
Sleiman and Siniora also have proven time-and-again that they are nothing less
than “puppets” of Hizballah’s primary supporters, Iran and Syria (I have written
about this extensively). And both men are clearly smacking up to Iran and Syria
despite the fact that both Iran (through Hizballah and elements of Iran’s
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operating in Lebanon) and Syria (with its army
massed on the Lebanese borders, special operators purportedly on the ground at
certain times and in certain sectors of Lebanon, and intelligence operatives
working throughout Lebanon) pose a clear and present danger to the sovereignty
of Lebanon.
And if nothing else, the Lebanese government’s cavalier – perhaps “cowardly” is
a better word – acceptance of the Iranian-Syrian-Hizballah axis in Lebanon is
slowly (so as not to attract too much international attention) and methodically
crushing the life out of the majority, pro-democracy movement in Lebanon.
Yet we – the American taxpayers – may be indirectly supporting this madness.
The Lebanese government is eagerly accepting millions-of-dollars worth of U.S.
support for the Lebanese armed forces (Read my analysis on this). And the U.S.
government is foolish enough to continue throwing money into this weak,
terrorist-infiltrated Lebanese government (a government that refused to fight
terrorists killing their own people on their own territory in May and since
then) that now condemns our own counterterrorist actions.
Are we crazy? Are they?
— Visit W. Thomas Smith Jr. online at uswriter.com.
“W. Thomas Smith Jr. provides some of the best commentary and expert analysis
available.”
Hariri-Nasrallah: What was the Outcome?
30/10/2008
By Tariq Alhomayed/Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat,
I listened to dear friend Mustafa Nasser speak about the congenial atmosphere of
the meeting between Saad al Hariri and Hassan Nasrallah, and how jokes were
exchanged between the two figures, as if there were no major disagreements
between them even though there are, according to Nasser.
This is good, however it does not mean that questions will not be raised about
the possibility of achieving real success in communication rather than merely
appeasing the situation. As for the reasons behind the Hariri-Nasrallah talks, a
well-informed source in Beirut told me that the meeting was beneficial to the
public interest of both Sunnis and Shia because with all the tense media
reports, there are problems on the ground.
The source explained that the meeting was constructive regarding communication
between the two leaders, and this might be reflected in wider issues that affect
the makeup of Lebanon, especially considering the existence of important
investigations and issues such as the International Tribunal investigating the
assassination of Rafik al Hariri and Syrian threats towards northern Lebanon.
According to the source, there is an opportunity to understand Hezbollah’s
thinking and the nature of its ties with Syria. Moreover, the source emphasized
that he did not understand the reasons that Hezbollah was keen to communicate
with the March 14 Alliance now, especially since the situation in the region is
still heated.
This is the crucial point; did the Hariri-Nasrallah meeting only take place to
appease the situation even though there is still a deep-rooted dispute, the
causes of which still exist, for example the debate on Hezbollah arming certain
Sunni groups in Tripoli? Who is benefiting from this meeting: Lebanon, Nasrallah
or Hariri?
The regional situation is still complicated. For example, what is Hezbollah’s
relation to Syria today especially that there is information that indicates that
relations are stressed. What is the nature of Syrian-Iranian ties today at a
time when nobody can be certain of anything?
More importantly, we must remember Syria’s enthusiasm to reach a peace agreement
with Israel and to break its international isolation, and Iran, which is under
pressure from the financial crisis, and the region, as it awaits the outcome of
the US presidential elections.
It is evident that Hezbollah will benefit the most from appeasement today since
it has achieved what it wanted both militarily and politically through the
Beirut coup. All that it needs now is to free itself of blame and distance
itself from suspicions of sectarianism and loyalty to Iran.
The issue of Hezbollah’s subordination to Iran was settled when Nasrallah
himself admitted that he is a proud member of Wilayat-e-Faqih and we all know
what belonging to the Wilayat-e-Faqih involves.
Of course we all want Lebanese unity but the crucial question is: how will
Lebanon benefit from this meeting? What we have seen so far is an attempt to
improve Hassan Nasrallah’s image but this is difficult for one simple reason;
our disputes with Hezbollah are strategic, they are not related to creed or
emotion.
Will Hezbollah stop undermining and overruling the Lebanese state? Will it
prioritize Lebanon’s interests over Iranian interests? Will it take a positive
stand regarding the International Tribunal and will Nasrallah pledge not to take
up arms again against the unarmed civilians of Beirut, particularly the Sunnis?
Will Nasrallah apologize publicly for those actions? I highly doubt it!
Lebanon says Syria to put more troops on border
Thu Oct 30, 2008
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria will deploy more troops along its border with Lebanon
in an effort to stop smuggling, the Lebanese army said on Thursday.
The deployment along Syria's side of Lebanon's eastern border follows the
stationing of hundreds of Syrian troops on Lebanon's borders in the north -- a
region where Damascus has warned of a threat from Islamist militancy. Lebanese
army chief Jean Kahwaji and his Syrian counterpart Ali Habib discussed the
deployment of Syrian army units "along the length of the eastern border in the
coming few days," the Lebanese army said in a statement.
It did not say how many troops would deploy. The Syrian army had completed its
deployment on its own side of Lebanon's northern border, the statement said,
adding that the two commanders had discussed the new steps in a phone call."This
deployment comes in the framework of measures to stop smuggling and prevent the
movement of people illegally across the borders," the statement said. Witnesses
in Lebanon said Syrian troops had already started to deploy.
Syria's deployment in the north was a cause for concern among anti-Syrian
Lebanese politicians, who feared that Damascus might be planning to intervene in
its smaller neighbour. Syria controlled politics and security in Lebanon until
2005 when the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri triggered
international pressure that forced it to end its 29-year military presence in
the country.
Northern Lebanon has been the scene of a series of recent attacks on the
Lebanese army. The public prosecutor this week accused 34 Islamists, including
Lebanese, Saudis, Syrians and Palestinians of carrying out the deadly bombings.
Syria has said a vehicle used in a suicide attack in Damascus last month had
crossed into the country from an Arab neighbour. It has not said which country.
Syria's Arab neighbours are Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon.
(Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Giles Elgood)
Report: Syria cuts diplomatic ties with Iraq over U.S. raid
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
Damascus has decided to cut off its diplomatic relations with Iraq in response
to a deadly raid carried out by the U.S. on Syrian soil earlier this week, Al-Arabiya
reported on Thursday. Syria has also decided to reduce its troops on the border
with Iraq, according to a report from Syrian television.
The Syrian government has demanded Washington apologize for the strike of the
Abu Kamal border community and earlier this week threatened to cut off
cooperation on Iraqi border security if there are more American raids on Syria
territory. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari called his Syrian
counterpart late Wednesday to express Iraq's rejection of the attack and stress
his government's keenness to avoid any political escalation that would damage
relations between the two countries. Washington has not formally acknowledged
the raid but U.S. officials, speaking to the media on condition of anonymity,
have said the target of the raid was Badran Turki al-Mazidih, a top al-Qaida in
Iraq figure who operated a network of smuggling fighters into the war-torn
country. The Iraqi national also goes by the name Abu Ghadiyah.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Syrian riot police ringed the shuttered and closed U.S.
Embassy in Damascus on Thursday, as tens of thousands of Syrians converged on a
central square for a government-orchestrated protest to denounce the raid. The
embassy was closed because of security concerns related to the protest, and the
American school was also shut for the day. The Syrian government has ordered the
closure of the school, expected within a week, and the immediate closing of the
American cultural center linked to the embassy. Though Syria has long been
viewed by the U.S. as a destabilizing country in the Middle East, in recent
months, Damascus has been trying to change its image and end years of global
seclusion. But American accusations that Syria wasn't doing enough to prevent
foreign fighters from crossing its borders into Iraq remains a sore point in
relations. Syria says it is doing all it can to safeguard its long, porous
border.
Bomb explosion in south Lebanon refugee camp
Posted : Thu, 30 Oct 2008 /Author : DPA
Beirut - A bomb exploded late Thursday inside the Palestinian refugee camp of
Ain al-Hilweh, east of the southern port city of Sidon, according to Lebanese
and Palestinian sources. The bomb went off near an office for the mainstream
Palestinian Fatah movement, causing panic and material damage.
In recent months, there have been several clashes in Ain al-Hilweh between Fatah
and the mainly Sunni Jund al-Sham (Soldiers of Damascus), an Islamist group. The
Lebanese Army does not enter the camps, leaving the responsibility for security
to Palestinian factions. The Palestinian camps in Lebanon are considered fertile
breeding ground for extremist groups. There are about 12 camps scattered across
Lebanon, which house some 367,000 Palestinian refugees who live in miserable
conditions. Copyright, respective author or news agency
UN chief urges Hezbollah to be political party
The Associated Press/ October 30, 2008
UNITED NATIONS: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wants Syria and Iran to
support the transformation of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group from an armed
militia to a political party, a U.N. envoy said Thursday.
Terje Roed-Larsen said the secretary-general is very concerned that fighting
last spring in which Hezbollah's gunmen and Shiite allies defeated Sunni groups
backing the pro-Western government "may have prompted, if not accelerated, a
process of rearmament in Lebanon."
Roed-Larsen is Ban's envoy dealing with implementation of a 2004 Security
Council resolution that included demands for the disarmament and disbandment of
all militias in Lebanon and the extension of government authority throughout the
country.
Briefing the council on Ban's latest report, Roed-Larsen pointed to "major
strides" the last six months — election of a Lebanese president, plans for
parliamentary elections and establishment of diplomatic relations for the first
time between Lebanon and Syria.
But, he added, there has been "no tangible progress towards the disbanding and
disarming of militias."
He said Ban is urging Hezbollah to transform itself into a political party and
wants the group's allies Syria and Iran in particular to encourage that process.
The U.N. chief also is concerned that non-Lebanese groups in Lebanon, including
Palestinian movements, have not been disarmed, Roed-Larsen said.
He reiterated Ban's conviction that disarming Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias
"should take place through a political process that will lead to the monopoly on
the use of force by the government of Lebanon throughout all of its territory."
West Fears Hezbollah Presence in Latin America
The Los Angeles Times newspaper reported an unnamed Western
anti-terrorism official expressing concern over Venezuela fostering Hezbollah.
On August 27th, the Los Angeles Times newspaper reported an unnamed Western
anti-terrorism official expressing concern over Venezuela fostering the
Iranian-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon; by way of establishing a base for
operations in Latin America.
The newspaper quoted the anonymous official, stating that Hezbollah may benefit
from the close ties between Iran and Venezuela so as to move [quote] “people and
things” into Latin America.
Iran-Venezuela affairs have strengthened since the 2006 bilateral trade
agreements between Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In May of this year, Tehran and Caracas announced the
creation of a shared bank, and a month earlier, the two countries signed 15
cooperation agreements in the areas of energy, construction and agriculture. But
relations between both countries have also solidified through their shared
antagonism toward the U.S. Earlier this year, a US State Department report on
terrorism said that Iran and Venezuela began weekly flights between their
capitals, and the passengers were not subject to proper checks. Among the
passengers was a suspect in the plot to bomb New York's John F. Kennedy
International Airport.
On June 18th, the United States Treasury Department designated two individuals
based in Venezuela as supporters of Hezbollah, and froze their U.S. assets. One
of the individuals was said to have met with senior members of the Shiite
militant group to discuss “operational issues, including possible kidnappings
and terrorist attacks”.The same unnamed source was quoted by the LA times as
saying that the relationship between Iran and Venezuela “preserves the
capability of Hezbollah and the [Islamic] Revolutionary Guard [Corps] to mount
attacks inside Latin America” adding that “it’s becoming a strategic
partnership”.
The daily also quoted an expert at the Washington Institute for Near East
Policy, saying that Hezbollah “has long operated in the Lebanese communities of
Latin America” and that besides receiving a multimillion-dollar boost from Iran,
“it finances itself by soliciting or extorting money from the Lebanese diaspora
and through rackets such as smuggling, fraud and the drug and diamond trade in
South America and elsewhere.”
The U.S. accuses Iran of funding and arming the Lebanese militia group, but
Tehran says its role in Lebanon is a positive one and that it provides only
moral support for Hezbollah.© IranVNC 2008. All rights reserved.
Damascus demonstration stays peaceful as thousands protest
deadly raid by US troops
By Agence France Presse (AFP) /Friday, October 31, 2008
DAMASCUS: The US Embassy in Syria shut its doors on Thursday as thousands
marched through Damascus to protest a deadly American raid on a village near the
Iraqi border that Syria branded a barbaric act. Security was boosted around the
area housing the US Embassy, which decided to close because of the potential
threat of violence, although protesters stayed away from the mission.
"Colonialists, listen, the people of Syria will never be brought to their
knees," cried youths as they massed in the city center, waving Syrian flags and
pictures of President Bashar Assad.
Demonstrators, including civil servants and students, waved Syrian flags and
banners reading "No to American terrorism" and "American democracy - the killing
of civilians at Abu Kamal," the area targeted in Sunday's US raid. "I want to
denounce this act of American terrorism. We are going to liberate Palestine, and
Syria will liberate its occupied land," said a Palestinian woman named Shaimaa.
The protest wound down after several hours with no reports of violence, with
security tight in the Abu Rummaneh area where the US Embassy as well as the
Saudi and Iraqi missions are located. The US Embassy announced on its Web site
that it had closed Thursday because of a possible demonstration and warned
American citizens to stay away from the area.
It said the decision was made "due to past demonstrations which resulted in
violence and significant damage to US facilities and other embassies," adding
that the American school would also be temporarily shut. In September 2006, a
failed attack on the US Embassy left four attackers and one Syrian security
agent dead.
Damascus says eight civilians, including children, were killed in a helicopter
assault on Sunday launched by US troops from Iraq on a Syrian village, which has
provoked condemnation from a number of foreign governments. A US official in
Washington has said that the operation targeted a top militant who smuggled arms
and fighters into Iraq but officially the State Department and Pentagon have
declined to comment.
Syria on Tuesday protested to the Security Council over what it branded a
barbaric action, with the official press calling it a "cold-blooded war crime."
US commanders say Syria is the main transit point for foreign militants crossing
into Iraq. But Syria had also been commended by US commanders for efforts to
halt militant's entry into Iraq along its porous border. Iraqi National Security
Adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie said a controversial security pact being negotiated
Washington would prevent the US military from launching attacks on Iraq's
neighbors. "There is a very clear article in the SOFA [Status of Forces
Agreement] draft that says the US cannot, should not, launch any operation from
Iraqi soil against other countries," Rubaie said on Wednesday.
Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Meqdad said his government - which has
already demanded the closure of the American school and the US cultural center -
is awaiting an explanation from Washington and Baghdad before deciding whether
to take further retaliatory steps.
Syria and the United States have long had rocky relations. In 2004, Washington
imposed sanctions against Syria, accusing it of helping insurgents in Iraq and
Hizbullah in Lebanon. It recalled its ambassador to Damascus after the 2005
assassination of Lebanon's former Premier Rafik Hariri, reducing US diplomatic
representation to charge d'affaires level.On Thursday, North Korea condemned
Sunday's raid as an "unpardonable, inhuman" act.Jordan's Parliament demanded
that the international community take measures to stop such acts, which MPs said
"entrench violence and hatred" in the region. - AFP
Syria puts more troops on Lebanese border
BEIRUT: Syria has deployed extra troops on its border with
eastern Lebanon to combat smuggling and arrest fugitives, a Lebanese Army
official said on Thursday.
"Syria is deploying soldiers along the length of the border of eastern Lebanon,
as it did in September on the northern border," the official told AFP, asking
not to be identified."These reinforcements have been positioned for the same
reasons which necessitated the deployment in the North, to combat smuggling and
prevent wanted persons escaping across the Syrian-Lebanese border," the official
said.
"The Syrian troop movements have been coordinated between the heads of the
Syrian and Lebanese armies," he added.
A local official, meanwhile, said almost 3,000 troops equipped with armored
vehicles and heavy weapons had been deployed in a region facing the eastern
Lebanon village of Irsal. Lebanese President Michel Sleiman, after contacts with
his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad, earlier this month accepted that the troop
movements along the border were aimed at tackling smuggling. - AFP
Sleiman uses Rome visit to call for Middle East peace
By Hussein Abdallah /Daily Star staff
Friday, October 31, 2008
BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman urged the international community on Thursday
to enhance its efforts to reach just and comprehensive solutions for all Middle
East conflicts. "Such solutions should be based on international resolutions and
on the Arab Peace Initiative, which was launched in Beirut in 2002 ... This
initiative is clear on rejecting the naturalization of Palestinian refugees
outside their homeland," Sleiman said after meeting Italian President Giorgio
Napolitano in Rome.
The initiative offers normal ties between Israel and all Arab states in return
for Israel's complete withdrawal from all occupied Arab land and a fair
resolution of the refugees' plight. Sleiman also stressed the need to "assist
Lebanon in confronting ongoing threats, particularly working on the full
implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 [which ended the 2006 war
with Israel], and protecting Lebanon against any aggression that would target
its people or infrastructure as well as helping it in facing the danger posed by
terrorism."Turning to local politics, Sleiman urged all parties to continue
moving on the path of reconciliation and dialogue.He also thanked his Italian
counterpart for "Italy's continuous support for Lebanon" and expressed
satisfaction at the economic cooperation between Rome and Beirut, in addition to
Italy's military aid to the Lebanese Armed Forces.
For his part, Napolitano told reporters that Italy would not stop its support
for Lebanon and would push for the implementation of international resolutions
relating to this country. He added that stability in Lebanon had witnessed
remarkable progress under Sleiman. The president, who arrived in Rome Wednesday,
is scheduled to visit the Vatican on Friday. Also Thursday, Lebanon and Egypt
signed agreements covering tourism, administrative development, cultural
cooperation and the exchange of workers. The agreements were signed by Prime
Minister Fouad Siniora and his Egyptian counterpart, Ahmad Nazif. Siniora
arrived in Cairo late on Tuesday and was expected to extend his stay in the city
to meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Friday. At a joint press conference
with Nazif, Siniora said that commercial trade with Egypt would reach $700
million by the end of 2008. He added that he had asked Egyptian officials to
support Lebanon both militarily and economically.
"Our Egyptian brothers have promised to provide the Lebanese Army with equipment
and training ... Egypt will also provide us with gas and electrical power."
Nazif said that Egyptian gas would begin flowing to Lebanon as of January,
adding that electric power generated in Egypt would reach Lebanon through Jordan
and Syria. Asked about a possible visit to Egypt by Hizbullah officials, he said
that "Cairo's doors will always be open to all Lebanese factions with no
exceptions."
Nazif described national dialogue in Lebanon as "a big achievement," adding that
it would help enhance peace and stability in the country. The second round of
dialogue will kick off at Baabda Palace on November 5, grouping the 14
politicians who signed last May's Doha Accord. The first session was held in
mid-September and was also attended by Arab League chief Amr Moussa. Siniora
held talks with Moussa in Cairo later in the day.
Also Thursday, Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea said that the Maronite
League has informed him that the Marada Movement needed more time to be ready
for reconciliation with the LF. Geagea said he informed league officials, who
visited him at his home in Maarab, that he was awaiting "any new move toward
reconciliation." "The other side said they need more time for psychological
preparations and they want to start by a media truce and we are not against
that," he said.
Maronite League head Joseph Tarabay told reporters that his organization was
trying its best to create a "positive atmosphere that would help in ensuring the
success of intra-Christian reconciliation."Despite Geagea's remarks, his wife,
MP Sitrida Geagea, said on Thursday that the decision to reconcile did not lie
with Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh. "Unfortunately, the decision is in the
hands of Syria," she said. In a separate development, an explosion was heard
late Thursday at Sidon's Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp. No details were
available when The Daily Star went to press
Rival Lebanese politicians display thaw in relations at
opening of Shiite center
By Hussein Abdallah /Daily Star staff
Friday, October 31, 2008
BEIRUT: Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Walid Jumblatt was a special
guest at the opening of the Imam Al-Sadeq complex in Beirut's southern suburbs
on Thursday. Jumblatt, a stalwart of the anti-Syrian March 14 Forces, sat with
Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Reza Shibani, shook hands with Hizbullah number two
Sheikh Naim Qassem, and traded kisses with the group's senior MP, Mohammad Raad.
The PSP chief was accompanied by a delegation of legislators from his Democratic
Gathering parliamentary bloc. The complex, a cultural and religious center, was
launched by Sayyed Jawad al-Shahristani, representing Iraq-based Ayatollah Ali
al-Sistani, a well-respected Shiite religious authority. Qassem, Speaker Nabih
Berri, Higher Shiite Council vice president Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan, and
Sistani's representative in Beirut, Hamed al-Khafaf, delivered speeches at the
opening ceremony. Sunni Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani, who also attended
the ceremony, apologized for not having prepared a speech.Future Movement leader
Saad Hariri was represented by his cousin, Nader Hariri.
Berri addressed the crowd, stressing the need to avoid "dividing Lebanon along
green lines" - a reference to the Civil War-era division of Beirut into
Christain and Muslim sections - on the way to next year's parliamentary
elections. "Reconciliations are more than just good and encouraging, but we do
not want the reconciling parties to end up engaging in electoral wars that would
recreate divisions and enmities among the people," he said.
The most recent reconciliation bid was Sunday's secret meeting between Hariri
and Hizbullah's leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
In the aftermath of the meeting, some news reports said that the Nasrallah-Hariri
reconciliation was only aimed at reducing Shiite-Sunni tensions, while others
said the move might be followed by specific deal that would reflect on the 2009
polls. Berri also stressed the need to arrive at a national defense strategy
that would enable Lebanon to confront continuous Israeli threats. Berri voiced
support for the Lebanese Army and said the North and Tripoli in particular were
not safe havens for terrorists, but rather victims of terror. Qassem said
Lebanese parties should "organize their political differences without having to
cross any limits," adding that the Taif Accord should be fully respected by all
parties. Hizbullah's number two said that the recent reconciliation between
Hariri and Nasrallah had been more about content than form."The reconciliation
is a path to sort out political differences and block attempts to ignite
internal strife," he said
Respected judge quits over delays in judicial postings
By Andrew Wander /Daily Star staff
Friday, October 31, 2008
BEIRUT: One of Lebanon's most respected judges, Ralph Riachi, has resigned from
his post on the Supreme Judicial Council in protest at continued delays in
appointing new judges. More than 100 qualified judges have been waiting for more
than two years to fill the vacant posts, a process which requires a meeting of
the council. Under Lebanese law, the council must agree on appointments and pass
them to the Justice Ministry before the new judges can be appointed.
The meeting in which appointments would have been made had been scheduled to
take place on Thursday, but not enough members of the 10-judge council turned up
to validate the decision. The meeting was declared inquorate, prompting Riachi
to hand in his resignation in protest.
"In two years we have not nominated any new judges. Last Monday I told them that
I would resign if we failed to nominate the judges at this meeting," Riachi told
The Daily Star. "Only the president [of the council] and three other people were
present. No one sent any apologies. They did not come to the meeting. I do not
know why." Riachi has resigned on principle once before, when he believed the
Constitution was being violated. But he is held in such high regard that every
official, from the premier down, refused to accept his resignation, and the
decision that prompted his resignation was rescinded. He said Thursday he did
not know whether his resignation would prompt the nomination of the new judges,
but felt obliged to act. "I did what I had to do," he said. Riachi had been
tipped as one of the judges to sit on the UN tribunal for the assassination of
former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, but informed sources say that he has
declined the appointment, at least for now
Security forces break up riot involving Islamist inmates at
Roumieh
Daily Star staff/Friday, October 31, 2008
BEIRUT: Security forces on Wednesday contained a prison riot among Islamist
inmates at Roumieh Central Prison, Lebanon's largest. According to a report
carried by the state-run National News Agency, "limited" chaos spread inside the
Roumieh facility after Islamists entered into a quarrel. Security forces inside
the prison intervened to control the clash. "The situation inside of Roumieh is
under control," Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud said.
Inmates also rioted at Roumieh in April, taking seven wardens hostage and
setting cells on fire. That incident began with a quarrel between prison guard
Suleiman Suleiman and Palestinian inmate Youssef Shaaban, who is serving a life
sentence for his role in assassinating a Jordanian diplomat in Beirut in 1994.
The quarrel escalated after a few Palestinian and Lebanese prisoners intervened
on Shaaban's side. The seven hostages were later released. - The Daily Star
Time to turn Lebanon's judges loose so they can set the
rest of us free
By The Daily Star /
Friday, October 31, 2008
Editorial
Thursday's resignation of Judge Ralph Riachi sends a very disheartening message
on the subject of Lebanon's ability to right itself after all the travails of
the past three years. The kernel of the issue is that despite the apparent end
of the power struggle that paralyzed the machinery of the Lebanese state between
November 2006 and May 2008, more than 100 qualified judges available to fill
vacant posts have not been able to do so. There are several possible reasons why
certain judicial officials have been unwilling to move on this matter, but all
lead to the same conclusion: Something is very wrong with the system - and with
at least some of the people who are supposed to make it work.
Insulating the judiciary against the unending intrigues of Lebanon's political
class should be a top priority. Sectarian, tribal and mafia-style rivalries have
already reduced too many parts of the Lebanese state to personal fiefs for
modern-day lords, making it all the more necessary that the country's courts be
available as reliable and respected arbiters. Instead, politicians and their
marionettes are content to make a mockery of judicial independence in order to
perpetuate the failed practices of the past.
The Taif Accord, which ended Lebanon's 1975-1990 Civil War and is outwardly
regarded by most politicians as something just shy of holy scripture, is in fact
scorned and trampled by them in practice. One of its terms is the abolition of
the dysfunctional confessional formula under which appointments of all sorts are
meted out (usually to the cronies of politicians). Another is the creation of an
independent judiciary. Neither condition has been met, and everyone knows it.
There are plausible reasons for having kept the sectarian system in place
because it offers a measure of predictability in a Lebanese political
environment characterized by all manner of dirty deals. The rich and powerful
have no reason to trust one another, so maintaining the status quo allows them a
level of comfort and might even prevent conflict by making it more difficult for
any one group to gain too much power. On the other hand, it further entrenches a
so-called "elite" with deeply vested interests in a status quo that punishes the
vast majority of Lebanese.
No such excuses exist for blocking the wholesale emancipation of the judiciary.
In fact, only by allowing judges to do their jobs without political interference
of any sort can the groundwork be laid for an undoing of the confessional mess
that infects everything else. If and when the judiciary is allowed to do its
job, the mutual suspicion that sectarianism breeds among all Lebanese might
begin to dissipate and allow merit to prevail as the only consideration in
filling government jobs
EMP: The Next Iranian strategic
threat to the US Mainland?
By Walid Phares
Over the past seven months I have been interacting with US Homeland Security and
European defense officials and experts on a the potential next threat to the
West, more particularly against mainland America. The signature of that
strategic menace is EMP: Electro Magnetic Pulse; a weapon of the future, already
available in design, construction and possible deployment. As eyes are focused
on the Iranian nuclear threat, and as we began recently to understand that the
missile advances are as important then the fissile material development,
attention is now being drawn by private sector projects and some in the defense
world to what can cause a wider circle of damages and thus more deterrence
against US national security.
In short, and I borrow from the Project "Shield America.org," an electromagnetic
pulse (EMP) attack could be triggered by a nuclear warhead detonated at high
altitude over America. The resulting blast would create an EMP, a shockwave that
could "cripple military and civilian communications, power, transportation,
water, food, and other infrastructure." Even if a high-altitude EMP kills nobody
at first, it would paralyze a large section of the United States. The lingering
practical and economic effects would take anywhere from hours to years to
resolve: when secondary effects are considered, an EMP could be even deadlier
than a direct nuclear strike against the mainland. Indeed, Rep. Roscoe Bartlett
has written: "Where the terrorist airliner attacks of 9/11 killed thousands, a
terrorist EMP attack could indirectly kill millions and conceivably cause the
permanent collapse of our entire society."
By realizing how fundamental and irreversible is the reliance of the United
States on electronics for every aspect of its citizens' lives, we can also
realize how this makes the U.S. vulnerable to an emerging threat.
Which brings about the issue of identifying the origination point of such a
menace. Many indicators direct us to Iran. In previous articles on CTB and other
outlets I have focused on the "missiles threat" as a dossier by itself
independently from the "Nuclear" file for a rational consideration: Missiles can
be used to deliver nuclear weapons, but also "other weapons" including chemical
and biological. In the case of Hezbollah's mini war of July 2006 with Israel,
large rockets and small missiles were conceived as classical but were
strategically aimed at chemical sites as well. Hence the missile threat is
diverse. In the case of the EMP weapon system, we need to look at Iran's
missiles capability also from the perspective of delivering a blow, not just to
Israel or US and Western targets in the region, but also across large bodies of
water.
Geopolitical projections, including developments which may take place in Iraq
and Afghanistan, tell us that Iran may find itself free from constraints to
equip itself with long range missiles able to reach US mainland at some point in
the near future, not only from mainland Iran, but also from other locations
closer to America, including at the hands of terrorist forces.
As a result of these geopolitical consideration I believe it is pressing for the
defense and counter terrorism community to increase the level of efforts in this
emerging field of threat and begin a public awareness campaign to educate
citizens in this regard.
I would like to draw the attention of our readers to a recently developed
project in the private sector, (www.shieldamerica.org) as a platform for
discussion and analysis.
*Dr Walid Phares is the Director of Future Terrorism Project at the Foundation
for the Defense of Democracies.
October 30, 2008
Petraeus Wants to Go to Syria; Bush Administration
Says No
Petraeus Proposed Visiting Syria But Was Rejected By Bush
Administration
By JONATHAN KARL
Oct. 30, 2008
RSS Apparently Gen. David Petraeus does not agree with the Bush administration
that the road to Damascus is a dead end. A Syrian protester holds an
anti-American placard during a demonstration against the last U.S. raid... A
Syrian protester holds an anti-American placard during a demonstration against
the last U.S. raid on a village near the Syrian-Iraqi border, in Damascus,
Syria, today. ABC News has learned, Gen. Devid Petraeus proposed visiting Syria
shortly after taking over as the top U.S. commander for the Middle East. The
idea was swiftly rejected by Bush administration officials at the White House,
State Department and Pentagon. ABC News has learned, Petraeus proposed visiting
Syria shortly after taking over as the top U.S. commander for the Middle East.
The idea was swiftly rejected by Bush administration officials at the White
House, State Department and the Pentagon.
Petraeus, who becomes the commander of U.S. Central Command (Centcom) Friday,
had hoped to meet in Damascus with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Petraeus
proposed the trip, and senior officials objected, before the covert U.S. strike
earlier this week on a target inside Syria's border with Iraq.
Officials familiar with Petraeus' thinking on the subject say he wants to engage
Syria in part because he believes that U.S. diplomacy can be used to drive a
wedge between Syria and Iran. He plans to continue pushing the idea.
Related
Syria Pulls Troops off of Iraqi Border?Iraq Nervous About U.S. Raid of SyriaRaid
Into Syria Complicates Iraq's Ties"When the timing is right, we ought to go in
there and have a good discussion with the Syrians," said a Defense Department
official close to Petraeus. "It's a meaningful dialogue to have."
Petraeus would likely find a more receptive audience for his approach in an
Obama administration, given Barack Obama's views on the need to engage America's
enemies. The Bush administration's objections to Petraeus' proposed trip don't
come as a surprise. The United States barely has any diplomatic relations with
Syria. There is a U.S. Embassy in Damascus, but there has been no ambassador
there since 2005. The last senior U.S. official to visit Syria was Speaker of
the House Nancy Pelosi in April 2007, a trip the White House strongly opposed.
At the time, President Bush said, "Sending delegations hasn't worked. It's just
simply been counterproductive." When she was in Syria, Pelosi said the "road to
Damascus is the road to peace." At the time, National Security Council spokesman
Gordon Johndroe shot back: "Unfortunately, that road is lined with the victims
of Hamas and Hezbollah, and the victims of terrorists who cross from Syria into
Iraq. It's lined with the victims in Lebanon, who are trying to fight for
democracy there. It's lined with human rights activists trying for freedom and
democracy in Syria."
Assad and Street Demonstrations
Washington - Oct. 30, 2008
By: Farid Ghadry
It is not unusual in Syria to see large demonstrations against the United States
or whomever is the enemy of the day is. We have grown accustomed to these
because we understand their motives and how they happen.
Demonstrations start with a very simple premise: Build fear, build hate. In
Syria, we have two kinds of demonstrators: Those who do it out of fear and those
who do it out of hate.
Fear in Syria is used to contain the masses; not dissimilar from the act a sheep
dog performs in rounding the flock. If you instill enough fear in the people,
you can pretty much mold them to your liking and push them to do anything; and
for those kindred spirits, Assad has Sednaya and Tadmur prisons to break you and
break your family along with you.
Standard procedures of our security services, when a demonstration is ordered by
Assad as this anti-American one has, is to send hundreds of security agents in
their black Peugeots and armed either w/Kalashnikovs sticking out of their
windows or visible handguns around their waists into town to round the flock.
They disperse in the vicinity of the area where a demonstration is to start by
covering a circle whose diameter runs across the square where the march begins.
And since successful demonstrations are measured by numbers of attendees, the
agents knock on every door and every shopkeeper within that circle and simply
wave their hands. The wave by itself is meaningful representing a motion of
someone who is pushing the air away from his waist. No words are uttered in most
cases and no orders are barked. Just a wave.
There is no such thing as not complying. People immediately close their shops,
leave their offices, and descend form their homes to gather at the starting
point; usually, it is the Martyrs Square honoring our dead during French
colonialism. Banners, flags, and slogans on posters are waiting for them to
pick-up. This fear group, in certain instances, has to wait for the hate group
until it arrives and sometimes, because of their fervor, the hate group awaits
the fear group.
The hate group is the one organized amongst associations and professional
organizations along the Ba'athist ideology. Within the group, there are two
categories of people: The voluntaries and the forced.
The voluntary group participates in demonstrations because it has been flooded
with hate messages on Syrian TV and in newspapers; they become emotionally
charged against whatever the regime instills in their minds and washes their
brains with. In this instance, they charged them emotionally by telling them
that Bush killed Syrian children and women. Very few of these people actually
support the regime, instead they support messages of hate, and a demonstration
is something they look forward to because in real life they cannot express
themselves but only when the government tells them to. So, if you see high
emotions, as described in some Syrian Blogs, you know why such is happening.
The forced group, on the other hand, is similar to those rounded at their shops
and offices, the difference is that the group receives orders to demonstrate
from its hierarchy and not from the security agents. Most Syrians within that
group are professionals who are neutral and, out of fear, participate but with
no emotional attachment whatsoever. They stay at the tail end of the line
carrying posters with glazed eyes and thinking of their dinners and their
families. They are never approached by the media and they like it this way.
Anytime there is an impromptu demonstration, security agents are responsible to
round as many men as they can. A demonstration like the one taking place today
in Damascus has been organized ahead of time and is mostly filled with the
voluntary and the forced groups.
In conclusion, Syrian demonstrators have either been manipulated with false
propaganda or are forced into the street either because of fear or because of
orders from their hierarchy. None of the groups support the regime but the
demonstrations are intended to show the opposite and that is why only interviews
with those manipulated voluntaries show-up on Blogs or in news agencies such as
AP. By demonstrating against the US policy in Syria, they look like they support
the regime, by demonstrating at all to vet their anger, they show us a side
intended to scare US diplomats and politicians.
These demonstrations are staged theatrics and do not express the majority of
Syrians who deep down are happy to see the US conduct operations inside Syria to
further weaken a regime that oppresses them and keeps them languishing in
poverty.