LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
November 12/08
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 17,7-10. Who among you would
say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the
field, 'Come here immediately and take your place at table'?Would he not rather
say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me
while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'? Is he grateful
to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable
servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'"
Saint Patrick (c.385-c.461), missionary
monk, Bishop
Confession, 12-14 (trans. Philip Freeman)/'We are unprofitable servants'
Once I was a crude and ignorant exile who didn't even know how I would take care
of myself in the future (cf Eccl 4,13 Vulg). This much I know for certain:
«before I was afflicted» (Ps 119[118],67) I was like a stone stuck deep in a mud
puddle. But then God, «the Mighty One» (Lk 1,49) came along and in his
compassion reached down and pulled me out, raised me up, and placed me on top of
a wall. Because of this I must proclaim my good news, I must pay God back in
some way for all that he has done for me here on earth and what he will do in
eternity-blessings no one can even imagine. So listen to me well, all of you,
«you who revere him, small and great» (Rv 19,5), especially you wealthy
landowners so proud of your education, listen and consider this carefully: God
chose foolish little me from among all of you who seem so wise and so expert in
the law and so «mighty in word» (Lk 24,19). He picked ignorant Patrick ahead of
all of you - even though I am not worthy - he picked me to «go forth in
reverence and awe» (Heb 12,28)... The love of Christ carried me here to be a
help to these people for the rest of my life, if I may be worthy, and to work
for them with humility and in sincerity. Because of my faith in the Trinity, I
must choose to proclaim the gift of God and his everlasting help confidently and
without fear, to make known his name everywhere, so that even after I die it
might be a kind of spiritual legacy left behind for my brothers and sons, so
many thousands I baptized for God.
Free Opinions,
Releases, letters & Special Reports
Obama’s Road to Damascus-By
John Perazzo.FrontPage
magazine.com 11/11/08
Will
Ahmadinejad be undone by the same public dismay that helped Obama?
The
Daily Star 11/11/08
Two of Three Editorials in the
Ditch.Committee
for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America -11/11/08
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Interview With
Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem 11/11/08
The Islamist Role in the 2008
Canadian Elections.by Raheel
Raza. American Thinker
11/11/08
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for November
11/08
Fatah al-Islam Terrorists
Entrenched in Ain el-Hilweh Bunker-Naharnet
Syria: Uranium Traces Foundat Bombed Site,
Diplomats Say-New York Times
Syria-Lebanon Agree on
Counter-Terror Cooperation-Naharnet
Gemayel Criticizes Palestinian
Military Parade-Naharnet
Maronite League Breaks Ice In Franjieh-Bkirki
Relations-Naharnet
Larijani to Discuss Iraq-US Relations with
Nasrallah-Naharnet
Aoun's
Ministers Considering Boycotting Cabinet Sessions-Naharnet
Geagea Wants Syria's Fatah
al-Islam Militants Turned Over to International Commission-Naharnet
Franjieh
Not Interested in Joining Dialogue, Criticizes Reconciliation-Naharnet
Franjieh-Sfeir Meeting Soon?Naharnet
US Embassy Inaugurates New
Building for Development Cooperative in ...Naharnet
Aoun Accuses parliamentary
Majority of Corruption-Naharnet
Geagea Wants Syria's Fatah
al-Islam Militants Turned Over to International Justice-Naharnet
Beirut and Damascus agree to joint effort against terrorism-Naharnet
'Lebanon wants ties with Abkhazia and South Ossetia-Daily
Star
Sfeir
leads talks for Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops-Daily
Star
Rafsanjani hails return of security to Lebanon-Daily
Star
Berri
meets with Iraqi counterpart-Daily
Star
EFG-Hermes upbeat on Lebanon despite turmoil-Daily
Star
Intel
looks to tackle Lebanon's topography with wireless broadband technology-Daily
Star
AUB
picks up $300,000 for engineering scholarships-Daily
Star
UN
workshop urges Lebanese journalists to try being objective-Daily
Star
Broken bones and body bags: horrors facing Ethiopian domestic workers-Daily
Star
STARCH provides a much-needed springboard for the up-and-coming stars of
Lebanon's fashion industry-Daily
Star
Carter and Brown in Beirut
this Month-Naharnet
Arslan: Syria Managed to
Break Isolation-Naharnet
Hizbullah: Resistance Has
Forced U.S. to Change Behavior-Naharnet
Syria, Lebanon Agree on Counter-Terror Cooperation
Syria and Lebanon decided on Monday to boost border control and
counter-terrorism coordination, as the two neighbors took a new step to
strengthen ties since diplomatic relations were established.
The decision came during the first visit to Damascus by a Lebanese interior
minister since the 2005 assassination of Lebanon's five-time former premier
Rafik Hariri.
Syrian Interior Minister Bassam Abdul Majid in talks with his visiting Lebanese
counterpart Ziad Baroud agreed to set up a commission "to put into place the
basis of coordination in the fight against terrorism and crime."
According to a statement read out to reporters after their meeting, the
commission would also be tasked with establishing a joint mechanism to police
the border.
Baroud was accompanied by Lebanese security chiefs Wafiq Jizzini and Ashraf Rifi.
The visit comes almost three months after Lebanese President Michel Suleiman
made a landmark visit to Damascus and less than a month after Syria and Lebanon
decided to establish diplomatic relations for the first time.
Cross-border smuggling was set to figure high on the agenda of Baroud's talks,
after Syria deployed reinforcements along its border with Lebanon in what it
terms an anti-smuggling operation.
Abdul Majid and Baroud discussed means to boost links between their ministries
and the two countries' security services.
The two ministers also reviewed the "confessions" broadcast by Syrian state
television last week by alleged Fatah al-Islam militants for a deadly September
27 car bombing in Damascus.
In the broadcast, the suspects said that Fatah al-Islam, a group which battled
the Lebanese army last year, had links to the anti-Syrian bloc of Saad Hariri,
the parliamentary majority leader in Beirut.
Baroud became the first Lebanese interior minister to visit Damascus since
Syrian troops pulled out of Lebanon in April 2005 after a 29-year deployment,
following charges of Syrian involvement in the Hariri murder. Damascus has
repeatedly denied the change. (AFP) Beirut, 10 Nov 08, 18:02
Fatah al-Islam Terrorists Entrenched in Ain el-Hilweh Bunker
Naharnet/Leaders of the Fatah al-Islam terror network have set up a fortified bunker-base
at the southern Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh to avert a crackdown
by the mainstream Fatah faction.
The pan-Arab daily al-Hayat said Fatah al-Islam's leader in Lebanon, Abed Awad,
and his deputy, Ousama al-Shehabi are based at the heavily fortified bunker in
Ain el-Hilweh's Ras al-Ahmar district.
The bunker, according to the report, is protected by surveillance cameras and
scores of bodyguards to confront a possible attack by Fatah fighters.
Fighters of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah had arrested Fatah
al-Islam militant Mohammed Hassan al-Doukhi in Ain el-Hilweh and turned him over
to the Lebanese authorities.
The report said Awad and Shehabi had smuggled 50 Kilograms of TNT from Ain el-Hilweh
to wanted terrorist leader Abdul Ghani Jawhar, who was based at the northern
camp of Baddawi.
Part of the explosives shipment was used in Tripoli's Tall and Bahsas bomb
attacks against the Lebanese Army, according to the report.
Sources in Ain el-Hilweh told Naharnet the Fatah al-Islam bunker is protected by
gunmen from Jund al-Sham group that are deployed on rooftops and entrances to
the Ras al-Ahmar neighborhood.
Awad and Shehabi believe that the mainstream Fatah faction would launch a major
attack on their bunker with the aim of arresting them and turning them over to
the Lebanese authorities.
Such a role by Fatah aims at averting a showdown between Fatah al-Islam and the
Lebanese Army in Ain el-Hilweh, similar to the crackdown by the army on the
terrorist group's main base at the northern refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared nearly
two years ago, which resulted in demolishing the camp and displacing its
population.
Ain el-Hilweh has an estimated population of 90,000 refugees and is located on
the southern edge of Sidon, provincial capital of south Lebanon.
Any crackdown by the army on Awad's terrorists in Ain el-Hilweh would have
"catastrophic" results on the camp as well as on Sidon, one source said.
"Nothing would save the camp and Sidon except an attack by Fatah, and probably
other factions, on the Fatah al-Islam bunker," the source stressed.
Beirut, 11 Nov 08, 10:37
Aoun's Ministers Considering Boycotting Cabinet Sessions
Naharnet/Ministers representing Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc are considering
boycotting cabinet sessions unless assailants who had attacked bodyguards of
their comrade, Cabinet Minister Mario Aoun, were punished.
An-Nahar daily said the CRB ministers were considering boycotting only cabinet
sessions held at the Grand Serail and presided over by Premier Fouad Saniora.
Aoun said his bodyguards were beaten up by Grand Serail guards on Saturday, when
his advisor arrived in the minister's car as the cabinet session was underway.
One bodyguard suffered from brain concussion and the other made it with a
fractured arm, Aoun said.
Grand Serail sources said Aoun's bodyguards arrived in a car as the cabinet
session was underway, with minister Aoun taking part in the meeting.
As the car was under electronic search at the entrance, in a routine procedure,
the scanner system indicated the need for further checking of the vehicle.
"At that point, one of the bodyguards who is a security officer came out of the
car protesting against the further search and stating that the vehicle belongs
to minister Aoun," the source told An-Nahar.
"While arguing with guards he tried to pull a side weapon. Grand Serail guards
intervened, a quarrel developed and ended by deterring the two bodyguards," the
source added.
Aoun had said his car was "frisked by police dogs in a non-precedent move."
He was apparently referring to explosive-detecting dogs that are usually used
after electronic search recommends further frisking of vehicles entering
government buildings. Beirut, 11 Nov 08, 12:55
Gemayel Criticizes Palestinian Military Parade
Naharnet/Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel on Monday criticized a military parade
organized by the mainstream Palestinian Fatah movement at the southern refugee
camp of Ain el-Hilweh.
"This parade reflects disrespect by the Palestinian factions to Lebanon's
sovereignty and independence," Gemayel told reporters after presiding over a
meeting of the Phalange Party's politburo.
"We are concerned that such parades might lead to more friction and
confrontations between Palestinian factions within refugee camps and their
environs, the cost for which would be paid by innocent Lebanese and Palestinian
civilians," he added.
"The time has come for the state to tackle this issue," Gemayel concluded.
Beirut, 10 Nov 08, 22:26
Franjieh Not Interested in Joining Dialogue, Criticizes Reconciliation
Naharnet/Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh on Tuesday said he does not want to
take part in the Conference on National Dialogue and criticized intra-Christian
reconciliation for having "election aims."
Franjieh, talking to reporters after meeting Free Patriotic Movement leader
Michel Aoun at the latter's residence in Rabiyeh, said his visit to Bkirki
"would take place when the proper circumstances are available."
"We want the church to be for all Christians. In such case we would be honored
to be on Bkirki's side," Franjieh added.
In answering a question about the Conference on National Dialogue, he said: "I'm
not enthusiastic about it and I don't seek joining it. We, Maronites, are
represented in the dialogue by Aoun."
However Franjieh said he supports calls for adding ex-Premier Omar Karami,
cabinet minister Talal Arslan and MP Ousama Saad to the list of participants in
the national dialogue.
He said Aoun would visit Syria and bring with him a "final answer" from the
Syrian authorities regarding Lebanese citizens missing in Syria.
Syrian President Bashar Assad "excels dealing with men like himself," Franjieh
said in apparent reference to Aoun.
Beirut, 11 Nov 08, 13:18
Larijani to Discuss Iraq-U.S. Relations with Nasrallah
Naharnet/Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani heads to Beirut Thursday on a visit to
Lebanon at the invitation of his counterpart Nabih Berri.
Larijani is to hold talks with Berri, Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
and Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun.
Larijani's talks, according to Lebanese and Iranian sources, would focus on
bilateral relations, Iraq's future, the Palestine cause and Iran's relations
with the Arab world in light of the "special ties" between Tehran and its Syrian
and Lebanese allies.
The sources said Iraq's relations with the United States would be one of the
"major strategic topics of discussion" between Larijani and Nasrallah.
The sources said Larijani would also meet President Michel Suleiman. Beirut, 11
Nov 08, 11:06
Hariri for Arab Fact-Finding Mission into Syrian Claims
Naharnet/Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri on Monday urged the Arab League to form a
fact-finding mission to look into Syrian allegations that his movement was
financing the Fatah al-Islam terror network.
A statement released by Hariri's press office recalled, however, that the Ain
Alaq crime, blamed on Fatah al-Islam, is under the jurisdiction of the
international commission probing the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik
Hariri and related crimes.
Assigning an Arab League fact-finding commission to look into Fatah al-Islam
crimes would "block attempts by the Syrian regime to blame Lebanon for spreading
terror, which is a game that only the Syrian regime excels in," the statement
said.
It accused Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime of "trying desperately to
stretch its hands to control Lebanon's national sovereignty. We are confident
that it would fail." Beirut, 10 Nov 08, 18:48
Aoun Accuses Parliamentary Majority of Corruption
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun on Monday called for changing
commander of the Internal Security Forces in Mount Lebanon for "bad conduct."
Aoun, talking to reporters after a meeting by members of his Change and Reform
bloc, accused the parliamentary majority of "corruption."
He accused the prime minister of "usurping powers of the foreign minister and
other ministers."
Aoun defended his defense strategy blueprint, challenging other political
factions to "propose defense strategies based on Lebanon's points of strength."
He also criticized the tax law, calling for amending it. Beirut, 10 Nov 08,
22:10
Franjieh-Sfeir Meeting Soon?
Naharnet/Marada movement leader Suleiman Franjieh would visit Maronite Patriarch
Nasrallah Sfeir in Bkirki after the conclusion of meetings by The Council of
Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon, pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported
Tuesday.
Maronite League sources told the newspaper that a meeting was held between Sfeir
and a joint League-Marada delegation away from media glare to set the stage for
Franjieh's visit to Bkirki after the conclusion of several conferences at the
Maronite Church's seat.
The Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon held its 42nd session
in Bkirki on Monday under the auspices of Sfeir.
The council is expected to conclude its meetings on Saturday when it will issue
a statement on the issues being discussed and the decisions made.
The sources also told al-Hayat that the expected meeting between Sfeir and
Franjieh could help the Maronite League relaunch efforts aimed at achieving
reconciliation between Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun, Former
President Amin Gemayel, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea in addition to the
Marada chief.
Beirut, 11 Nov 08, 08:15
Carter and Brown in Beirut this Month
Naharnet/Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is expected to visit Lebanon and Syria this
month as part of a tour of several countries in the region, official Lebanese
sources told As Safir daily.
The same sources also said that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will visit
Beirut on Nov. 27.
In April this year, Carter visited Damascus and met with Syrian President Bashar
Assad.
He also held talks with the exiled leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, despite U.S.
and Israeli warnings.But Carter, who brokered the 1978 Israeli-Egyptian peace and was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, has defended what he calls his personal peace
mission. He says Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, must be engaged in order
to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Beirut, 11 Nov 08, 06:24
Geagea Wants Syria's Fatah al-Islam Militants Turned Over to International
Commission
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Monday urged the government to ask Syria
turn over the alleged Fatah al-Islam militants to the international commission
probing ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination.
The commission, Geagea said, would be able to establish the "truth, which we are
prepared to accept." He made the remarks to a delegation from the Dentists'
Syndicate in north Lebanon.
He said Premier Fouad Saniora's cabinet should have "postponed" Interior
Minister Ziad Baroud's visit to Damascus and dispatched a team of security
officials to be briefed on Syria's files related to the alleged testimonies made
by Fatah al-Islam's arrested militants.
"We support normalization of relations between Syria and Lebanon because there
is no interest in maintaining the present status of relations," Geagea stressed.
He said the Syrians "do not appear serious in pursuing the setting up of normal
ties with Lebanon." Beirut, 10 Nov 08, 21:47
Arslan: Syria Managed to Break Isolation
Naharnet/Minister of Youth and Sports Talal Arslan on Monday praised Syria for "managing
to abort all plans devised to isolate it."
Arslan, addressing a rally in the Syrian Sweida Province, said such success
"forced all western nations to extend bridges of dialogue to Damascus."
Arslan recalled that he had "prevented sedition in May" between the Druze
community of Lebanon and Hizbullah, vowing that he "would not allow its
recurrence." Beirut, 10 Nov 08, 21:14
Aoun Accuses parliamentary Majority of Corruption
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun on Monday called for
changing commander of the Internal Security Forces in Mount Lebanon for "bad
conduct." Aoun, talking to reporters after a meeting by members of his Change
and Reform parliamentary bloc, accused the parliamentary majority of
"corruption."
He accused the prime minister of "usurping powers of the foreign minister and
other ministers." Aoun defended his defense strategy blueprint, challenging
other political factions to "propose defense strategies based on Lebanon's
points of strength." He also criticized the tax law calling for amending it.
Beirut, 10 Nov 08, 22:10
Two of Three Editorials in the Ditch
November 10, 2008
by Eric Rozenman
http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&x_outlet=38&x_article=1555
Starting shortly before the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, Washington Post
editorials generally have been superior to the newspaper's foreign news desk
reporting on Arab-Israeli subjects. That is, they have been stronger factually,
more timely, better balanced. But two of three commentaries in late October and
early November left the road.
Positively
In "Mr. Assad's Medicine; After sponsoring terrorism against three of its
neighbors, Syria plays the victim when its own border is breached" (October 28),
editorialists again outstripped news coverage.
The Post dismissed Damascus' charges of "criminal and terrorist aggression" by
the United States for a commando raid on "foreign fighters" in Syria near the
border with Iraq. "This from a regime whose most notable activities of the past
few years have been the serial assassination of senior Lebanese politicians,
including former prime minister Rafik Hariri; the continuous and illegal
supplying of weapons to the Hezbollah militia for use against Israel and
Lebanon's democratic government; the harboring in Damascus of senior leaders of
Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups [emphasis added]; and — most
relevant — the sheltering of an al-Qaeda network that dispatches 90 percent of
the foreign fighters who wage war against U.S. troops and the Iraqi government."
In one sentence of commentary Post readers found more focused, substantive
coverage of Syrian action than in a number of the paper's foreign news
dispatches on Lebanon, Israel and Syria. It's also more accurate, the headline
and text referring to terrorism and terrorist groups. And though Hezbollah
terrorists are misleadingly termed a militia, the headline refers precisely to
terrorism and the text to terrorism and terrorist four times, among them "Iran
and the terrorist movements it sponsors." That includes Hezbollah.
The editorial acknowledges that "Israel has intervened in Syria several times to
defend its vital interests, including bombing a secret nuclear reactor." It
accurately describes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as a "dictator" and his
government as "a criminal regime ...." And it updates the state of diplomatic
developments. It is opinion informed by relevant news. That's what makes
editorials worth reading.
Negatively Once
The same cannot be said for The Post's commentary "An ‘Idiot Wind'; John
McCain's latest attempt to link Barack Obama to extremism" (October 31) and "A
Middle East Vote; Shortly after the next American president takes office;
Israeli elections will set the prospects for U.S. diplomacy'" (November 1).
The Post repeats Columbia University Prof. Rashid Khalidi's non-denial of Sen.
McCain's (R-Ariz.) charge that Khalidi was "a PLO spokesman" as "this idiot
wind." McCain made the assertion late in his race against Senator and now
President-elect. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). The editorial says Khalidi has been a
friend of Obama's.
In a letter to the editor, CAMERA pointed out that
Khalidi taught at the American University of Beirut in the 1970s and early ‘80s,
when the Soviet-supported Palestine Liberation Organization conducted
anti-Israeli terrorism and participated in Lebanon's civil war. The editorial
notes that "in the early 1990s, he worked as an adviser to the Palestinian
delegation at peace talks in Madrid and Washington sponsored by the first Bush
administration," as if that ruled out a PLO spokesman's role.
Prof. Martin Kramer, Wexler-Froman Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near
East Policy, Adelson Institute Senior Fellow at the Shalem Center in Jerusalem,
and Olin Institute Senior Fellow at Harvard University, supplies some Khalidi
biography The Post omitted:
On Sept. 5, 1976, The Los Angeles Times identified Rashid Khalidi as "a PLO
spokesman."
On Feb. 19, 1978, The New York Times described Khalidi as "an American-educated
Palestinian who teaches political science at the American University of Beirut
and also works for the PLO."
A 1979 documentary, "The Gun and the Olive Branch: The Palestine Liberation
Organization," produced for Pacifica Radio in Berkeley, Calif., refers to
Khalidi as "official spokesperson for the PLO" and "the leading spokesperson for
the PLO news agency, Wafa." The interview took place "at the headquarters of the
PLO in Beirut."
In 1982, The New York Times referred to Khalidi as "a director of the
Palestinian press agency, Wafa." According to Kramer, "Khalidi's wife also
worked as an English translator for the PLO's press agency, Wafa."
As for Khalidi's advisory role to the Palestinian delegation at Madrid and
Washington in the early 1990s, the Palestinian delegates could not be PLO
members. Khalidi's team of advisors reportedly served as conduit between the
delegates and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat.
CAMERA's letter concluded that "The Post displays unwarranted credulity in
echoing Khalidi's dismissal of the McCain campaign's description of him as a
former spokesman for a terrorist group."
The Post has not published CAMERA's letter. It has, however, printed one by
former Post Middle East bureau chief, Thomas W. Lippman. Lippman is now an
adjunct scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C. According to
him, "it should be noted that Mr. Khalidi was indeed 'a PLO spokesman.' In the
early years of the Lebanese civil war, Mr. Khalidi was the Beirut-based
spokesman for the Palestine Liberation Organization, and his office was a stop
on the daily rounds of journalists covering that conflict."
Campaign charges, as a rule, are not CAMERA's concern. The Washington Post
helping the influential Rashid Khalidi erase the PLO from his autobiography is.
Negatively Twice
The editorial "A Middle East Vote: Shortly after the next American president
takes office, Israeli elections will set the prospects for U.S. diplomacy"
(November 1) mirrors the foreign desk in over-emphasizing Israel's ability to
promote Arab-Israeli peace and under-emphasizing Palestinian responsibility for
its absence.
It asserts that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud "Abbas's moderates in
the West Bank and the militant Hamas in the Gaza Strip are negotiating to end
their rift, but even if they succeed, the qualms [emphasis added] of Israelis
over Hamas's fundamentalist agenda will remain." This sentence encapsulates the
upside-down view of Palestinian-Israeli news too often at work on the foreign
desk and, frequently absent from editorials the past two-plus years.
• Abbas' "moderates" in the PA's West Bank administration disseminate
anti-Israeli, anti-Jewish incitement virtually indistinguishable from Hamas'
bloody indoctrination. Like those of its Islamist rival, PA schools, newspapers,
radio and television, mosques and summer camps deny Israel's legitimacy and the
Jews' history as a people in eretz Yisrael. They insist on the non-existent
Palestinian Arab "right of return" to the Jewish state. They do not, as previous
agreements require, promote peaceful coexistence.
• Hamas is not a "militant" organization but one of those "Palestinian terrorist
groups" whose senior leaders are harbored in Damascus, as the editorial "Mr.
Assad's Medicine" specified.
• Israelis do not have "qualms" — misgivings or doubts — over Hamas'
"fundamentalist agenda"; they recognize an enemy committed to jihad against the
Jews and their state.
But minimizing Palestinian obstacles to peace permits The Post to focus on
"right-wing leader Binyamin Netanyahu" as someone likely "to put off a
settlement with Palestinians indefinitely. Mr. Netanyahu is seen as inflexible
and untrustworthy by many in Washington; his election could spell a fractious
period in Israeli-U.S. relations." Who are some of the "many in Washington" who
see Netanyahu "as inflexible and untrustworthy"? No names or even agency
affiliations are cited. Meanwhile, Kadima Party leader Tzipi Livni "appears
genuinely committed to a peace deal, though she has appeared less flexible on
its specific terms than Mr. [Ehud] Olmert," Kadima's former leader and
care-taker prime minister. So Livni, though better than "inflexible" Netanyahu,
is "less flexible" than Olmert. "Moderate" Palestinians' "flexibility" is not
addressed.
The Post omits that when Netanyahu was prime minister from 1996 to 1999, he
negotiated agreements with the Arafat-led PA that required Israeli territorial
withdrawals and other concessions. Also omitted is that his Likud Party, on
Israel's political spectrum, is not "right-wing" but center-right, as the Labor
Party is center-left, not "left-wing." There are Jewish parties to the right of
Likud and the left of Labor. Instead of accuracy, The Post editorial
over-emphasizes Israel's role and minimizes Palestinian responsibility in
obstructing negotiations. That structural bias in Post news coverage should not
be allowed to re-infiltrate the paper's editorials.
INTERVIEW WITH SYRIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER
'America's Role Is Central'
Syria has great hopes that President-elect Barack Obama can help push the Middle
East peace process forward. "This truly is the time to come to a comprehensive
peace," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem tells SPIEGEL ONLINE in an
interview. He also wants to see direct talks with Iran.
REUTERS
Horses roam the Golan Heights: "It is out right to bring the line back to where
it was on June 4, 1967."
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Mr. Minister, what do you think of the vote that America has
cast?
Moallem: I am happy about the result of the American election and I congratulate
President-elect Barack Obama. I hope that he will help us make a dream come
true: a Middle East of peace, of stability and prosperity. There is no way
around it: To achieve this, America’s role is central.
REPRINTS
Find out how you can reprint this SPIEGEL ONLINE article in your publication.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Syria is a neighbor of Iraq, Israel, the Palestinian territories
-- and it is Iran's best friend. Which Middle East conflict would you like to
see Obama tackle first?
Moallem: The Arab-Israeli one because this conflict aggravates and fuels all
others. This truly is the time to come to a comprehensive peace between Syria,
Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinians.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Obama is hardly in a position to solve this alone. What can
Syria offer him?
Moallem: Our readiness for dialogue, our moderation.
THE WORLD IS WATCHING
Germany: Hopes for an End to US Unilateralism
Japan: Little Hope for Obama in Tokyo
France: Sarkozy Happy for his "Buddy" Obama
Israel: Skeptical of Obama's Middle East Policy
Great Britain: Managed Expectations in London
Russia: Rockets and Best Wishes
Kenya: Obama's Granny Celebrates
China: Beijing Mistrustful of the New America SPIEGEL ONLINE: The new US
president would probably even be happier if you stated that you are
fundamentally opposed to a nuclear-armed Iran.
Moallem: I am even advocating a whole Middle East without weapons of mass
destruction. Israel has nuclear weapons …
SPIEGEL ONLINE: … but you have particularly close ties to Iran. How do you want
to counter the concerns of the world and the incoming US administration about
Iran's nuclear program?
Moallem: The Iranians have assured us that their program is peaceful and that
they need nuclear energy. We trust them.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Do you have have any first indications as to how Iran's
leadership feels about Obama's election?
Moallem: We have not discussed this with our friends directly but I think that
they understand quite well what this change in America means -- and how to deal
with it. I am sure that the result of this election will improve dialogue.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: The US isn't the only country that will soon have new
leadership; Israel also faces new elections. Could you imagine reaching a peace
treaty with Benjamin Netanyahu if he were to become prime minister again?
Moallem: If it is based on (United Nations) Security Council resolutions and on
the land-for-peace concept we will sign a deal with any prime minister of
Israel.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: You are currently engaged in indirect negotiations with Israel
in Turkey. Will these hold through the 10-week transition period until the new
US administration enters office?
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem: "The Iranians have assured us that
their program is peaceful and that they need nuclear energy. We trust them."
Moallem: These negotiations are now in the hands of the Turks. We hope that they
can bring them back on track as they promised. Israel had asked the Turks to
interrupt these talks because of the political situation in Israel.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: What do you see as the main sticking points in those talks, and
where do you see room to maneuver?
Moallem: There is no room for maneuver. The Golan Heights, the territories
occupied by Israel, are Syrian and it is our right to bring the line back to
where it was on June 4, 1967.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: What about the question of the refugees?
Moallem: The right of return, as laid down in Resolution 194, does not mean that
the 4 million Palestinians will return at once. Their right is clear, but they
have to decide.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Wouldn't this be a good time for Syria to get rid of the Hamas
leaders whom you still harbor in Damascus?
Moallem: The Hamas leaders in Damascus are refugees. We are hosting them just as
we are hosting a half-million other Palestinians. All of them, no doubt, are
seeking to return to their homeland, but for that to happen they need to have
their own state back.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: The new American president would likely welcome any move by
Syria to cut its support for Hezbollah.
Moallem: We are currently seeking good relations with Lebanon as a state. This
does not contradict our good relations with Hezbollah. As long as there are
Lebanese territories occupied (by Israel), Hezbollah will remain a legitimate
movement of resistance.
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SPIEGEL ONLINE: What happened in the US last week and what will probably happen
in Israel soon are democratic decisions. When will Syria become democratic? When
will the Syrian government change as routinely as in the US, according to a
democratic vote?
Moallem: God gave it that Syria is in the center of three major crises: Iraq
with the Americans, Palestine (with its neighbor) Israel -- and Lebanon. This
imposes on us the necessity to reform our country gradually and according to the
challenges of our neighborhood.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Will Syria stick with its plan to open embassies in Baghdad and
Beirut?
Moallem: Yes.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Even though US commandos started an air raid on a Syrian target
from Iraqi territory two weeks ago?
Moallem: Yes. We know that Iraq is under occupation. It was American troops who
violated our sovereignty. I hope that our good, neighborly relations with the
Iraqis
Part 2: 'We Don't Want Syria to Experience What Iraq Has'
SPIEGEL ONLINE: American sources say that Syria knew in advance of the commando
operation. Is that true?
Moallem: This is a fabricated story by the Americans. It has nothing of truth to
it. They were confused, and they were late with their own statement from
Washington. And then they leaked this story to the media. It is totally untrue.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: If it is untrue, then why didn't the Syrian army respond? Why
didn't you protect your citizens?
Moallem: Frankly, we did not expect such an aggression. We don't understand why
(it happened) -- especially now that Syria is exerting enormous efforts to
tighten its side of the border. Anyway, we are not Georgia. We were seeking
wisdom not to escalate the situation.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: The situation would improve even further if Damascus gave the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to all the facilities in Syria
it wants to inspect.
Moallem: Seven months after an aggression against a Syrian military position
near Deir al-Zor, Israel went to the IAEA and claimed that Syria intended to
build a nuclear reactor. This is totally untrue. We have allowed inspectors to
visit the site. They spent three days there, they took samples and analyzed
them. I assure you: They did not find the materials needed to build a reactor --
graphite, for example. They came to Damascus fulfilling a memorandum of
understanding between Syria and the agency in which we allowed them to visit the
site once.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: The IAEA would like to see three other sites as well.
Moallem: We do not want Syria to experience what Iraq has experienced. You
remember the big American lies before the war in Iraq. Now they want to see this
location, then they want to see three other locations and then, maybe, another
four. We are not ready to repeat this. This will harm our national security.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Part of Iraq's tragedy was that Saddam Hussein failed to clear
up any doubts.
Moallem: We assure the world that we do not have any nuclear intention, no
intention to build a nuclear military capability. It costs a lot of money, it is
useless -- and the only country in the world that ever dared to use nuclear
weapons was the United States.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Do you think the changing of the guard in Washington will
present greater opportunities?
Moallem: We have always been ready for dialogue with the Americans. Just six
weeks ago I sat with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in New York. It was a
very positive discussion and we agreed to follow up. But certain people in this
administration disliked this opening and they wanted to block it -- with this
air raid on Syrian territory.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Do you think it is possible that the outgoing administration
could repeat such a strike?
Moallem: With this Bush administration all possibilities are open. But this
administration has a moral duty to pave the way for the new government in a
positive manner. And the European leaders have a double responsibility to
encourage stability in the Middle East and to inform the new administration
about the need for cooperation between the US, Europe and the regional powers.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier wants to engage
Syria in dialogue …
Moallem: We appreciate Minister Steinmeier highly because he was the first who
opened up to Syria. I myself negotiated with him. We admit that we have gaps in
our positions but we were determined to continue this dialogue.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Chancellor Merkel, however, is skeptical.
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Moallem: I don't know why she is skeptical. If I knew why, I would address her
concern.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: She has repeatedly criticized Syria for its role in Lebanon.
Moallem: After the agreement of Doha, which Syria supports, after electing a new
president and composing a government of national unity in Lebanon, after our
determination to establish diplomatic relations with Lebanon -- after all this,
I think, Madam Merkel would serve Lebanon better by opening up to Syria.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: In a best-case scenario, how do you see the Middle East in four
years, when the US next goes to the polls?
Moallem: This will depend on America's new vision of the Middle East -- it
cannot be a black-and-white one -- and it will depend on Israel’s political will
to come to a comprehensive peace agreement. It will also depend on whether we
regional powers act accordingly.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Do you have a last word for the outgoing Bush administration?
Moallem: Bye-Bye.
Interview conducted by Bernhard Zand.
The Islamist Role in the 2008 Canadian Elections
by Raheel Raza
American Thinker
November 8, 2008
http://www.meforum.org/article/2007
If you are Canadian and Islamist, you probably voted for the New Democratic
Party (NDP), which won 18.2% of the vote on October 14, 2008. This was an
increase in of about 1% in the vote and led to seven more seats from the 2006
elections. However, the party could not budge itself from its permanent 4th
place in Canada's parliament. Endorsed by the Canadian Islamic Congress (CIC),
the left-leaning NDP has shown an incredible lack of understanding of the
Islamist agenda and how soft jihadis are using democratic institutions by
manipulating our respect for multiculturalism.
As a political ideology, in the long-term Islamism seeks to establish an Islamic
state in the North America, but this is barely mentioned by the suave and
polished young Islamists who appear in expensive suits and with a flourish of
legalese and the right disarming accents. While a Taliban style overthrow is
unlikely, in the short term, Islamists hope to fundamentally change western
foreign policy in favor of the foreign governments that fund them and
organizations they ideologically adhere to, such as the Muslim Brotherhood.
Recognizing this threat, Marc Lebuis, who runs "Point de Bascule", invited
moderate Muslims Tarek Fatah, Salim Mansur and me to participate in a conference
in Montreal to address the infiltration of Islamists into the Canadian political
system, where the first real arena has been the NDP.
The NDP was founded by social democrats, and was originally, as noted by Mansur,
a critical opponent of Communism, and a key element in "denying communists in
Canada the opportunity to acquire any shred of legitimacy by posing as defenders
of the working people." Today, however, it allows itself to be used by an
equally potent ideological enemy, radical Islamism. The working class in the
West now includes immigrants, who as ethnic and religious minorities complain of
the classic oppression against which the NDP wishes to be a voice of protest.
But, the NDP fails to distinguish between the socio-economic concerns of Muslim
immigrants in Canada and the well-funded, ideological organizations that purport
to speak for them.
The Canadian Islamic Congress (CIC) is one such organization. The President of
CIC, Mohammad El-Masry, is notorious for his anti-Semitic statements, his call
for Sharia courts in Canada, and agitation for an anti-Israeli foreign policy.
Canadian Muslims mattered in this national election because they were, some
argued, a swing vote in certain ridings. El-Masry endorsed the NDP, and
encouraged voter registration to bolster it. Jack Layton should have repudiated
Elmasry's support but did not.
Toronto NDP candidate and lawyer, El Farouk Khaki caused a stir recently when he
defended a Muslim youth convicted for his involvement in a terrorist camp in
Canada. After the judge threw out the youth's defense that "no real Toronto
terrorist group existed because its goals were too fanciful to be achieved,"
Khaki stated that if you are Muslim in Canadian courts you will be presumed
guilty until proven innocent. He went on to accuse the judge of having an
anti-Muslim bias. This plays into the victimhood complex Islamists want Muslims
in the West to fall into. Khaki was not chastised by NDP leader Jack Layton or
any other party candidate.
In Montreal, the NDP paraded Samira Laouni, as "the first veiled candidate," in
the province. She ran from the riding of Bourassa and made no attempt to hide
her support for what she referred to as "real Shariah." She did not win. Jack
Layton should have vetted out NDP candidates who favor Sharia like Laouni, whom
Mansur has called a "CIC operative."
It seems strange that with Canadian forces fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan,
the same support for Taliban style orthodoxy is allowed in Canada. Besides pro-Sharia
politicians like Laouni, Islamists are spreading their message on the street. In
Mississauga, Ontario, a woman by the name of Farhat Hashmi runs an Islamic
school for girls. Hashmi wears a full niqab (face covering) and encourages young
girls to emulate her. She is known for promoting a very conservative Islamic
ideology that is based on Wahhabism. She, like other Islamists is in favor of
Sharia in Canada.
The results of the Canadian election were an eye-opener because all Muslim
candidates from all parties lost, with the exception of Yasmin Ratansi, who for
some time has been trying to distance herself from her Muslim identity despite
being the first Muslim woman to get elected to the Canadian parliament..
This is a clear indication that because of the incessant and unreasonable
demands by Islamists, Canadians punished all Muslims. Most ordinary Canadians,
well-meaning and decent folks, are fed up with demands for unreasonable
accommodation and are no longer willing to put up with politics disguised as
religion in the public sphere. Although Canadians are politically correct and
diplomatic in public, the election result shows their true feeling about the
trend that Muslims who may have an Islamist agenda are not welcome in Canada. Of
course, the usual suspects are already screaming Islamophobia - again.
There is no rampant Islamophobia in Canada - only an attempt at gradual
Islamization.
Yasmeen Ratansi was first elected in 2004 but when she sought the nomination of
her party, some Imams denounced her as not being Muslim enough because she did
not cover her hair and wore skirts. She is currently Chair of the Standing
Committee on the Status of women.
In two districts (ridings as they are called in Canada) the Muslim candidates
who lost were openly hostile to the Islamist agenda. Wajid Khan in Toronto and
Rahim Jaffer in Edmonton. It is rumored that the full force of the Islamist
establishment and the mosque structure came out to defeat these two Muslims
because they were seen, in the words of one cynic "too good looking to be
considered authentic Muslims".
Elsewhere, a leading supporter of the Islamist causes and past Member of
Parliament, Omar Alghabra, was defeated. He has previously condemned Canadian
newspapers that called Hamas and Hezbollah "terrorist" organizations, advocated
the complete repeal of Canada's anti-terrorist laws, and supported Sharia law in
Ontario. Throughout the urban districts of Canada, many Islamists tried to sneak
through but met with thumping defeats. Along with the Islamists, many secular
and liberal minded progressive Muslims were also trounced in what may be
described as "collateral damage."
The lesson for all Muslims is written on the wall: If they are unwilling to
stand up to the Islamists in their communities and stop the influence of Saudi
Arabia and Iran, we will all suffer because of the actions of a few.
**Raheel Raza writes for Islamist Watch, a project at the Middle East Forum.
Obama’s Road to Damascus
By John Perazzo
FrontPageMagazine.com | Tuesday, November 11, 2008
History will record that Barack Obama’s first act of diplomacy as America’s
president-elect took place two days after his election victory, when he
dispatched his senior foreign-policy adviser, Robert Malley, to meet with
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad—to outline
for them the forthcoming administration’s Mideast policy vis-à-vis those
nations. An aide to Malley reports, “The tenor of the messages was that the
Obama administration would take into greater account Egyptian and Syrian
interests” than has President Bush. The Bush administration, it should be noted,
has rightly recognized Syria to be not only a chief supporter of the al Qaeda
insurgency in Iraq, but also the headquarters of the terrorist organization
Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the longtime sponsor of Hamas—the terrorist army
whose founding charter is irrevocably committed to the annihilation of Israel.
Yet unlike President Bush, Obama and Malley have called for Israel to engage in
peace negotiations with Syria.
A Harvard-trained lawyer and Rhodes Scholar, Robert Malley is no newcomer to the
Obama team. In 2007, Obama selected him as a foreign policy adviser to his
campaign. At the time, Malley was (and still is today) the Middle East and North
Africa Program Director for the International Crisis Group (ICG), which receives
funding from the Open Society Institute of George Soros (who, incidentally,
serves on the ICG Executive Committee).
In his capacity with ICG, Malley directs a number of analysts who focus their
attention most heavily on the Arab-Israeli conflict, the political and military
developments in Iraq, and Islamist movements across the Middle East. Prior to
joining ICG, Malley served as President Bill Clinton’s Special Assistant for
Arab-Israeli Affairs (1998-2001), and as National Security Adviser Sandy
Berger’s Executive Assistant (1996-1998).
Robert Malley was raised in France. His lineage is noteworthy. His father, Simon
Malley (1923-2006), was a key figure in the Egyptian Communist Party. A
passionate hater of Israel, the elder Malley was a close friend and confidante
of the late PLO terrorist Yasser Arafat; an inveterate critic of “Western
imperialism”; a supporter of various revolutionary “liberation movements,”
particularly the Palestinian cause; a beneficiary of Soviet funding; and a
supporter of the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. According to American
Thinker news editor Ed Lasky, Simon Malley “participated in the wave of
anti-imperialist and nationalist ideology that was sweeping the Third World
[and] … wrote thousands of words in support of struggle against Western
nations.”
In a July 2001 op-ed which Malley penned for the New York Times, he alleged that
Israeli—not Palestinian—inflexibility had caused the previous year’s Camp David
peace talks (brokered by Bill Clinton) to fall apart. This was one of several
controversial articles Malley has written—some he co-authored with Hussein Agha,
a former adviser to Arafat—blaming Israel and exonerating Arafat for the failure
of the peace process.
Malley’s identification of Israel as the cause of the Camp David impasse has
been widely embraced by Palestinian and Arab activists around the world, by
Holocaust deniers like Norman Finkelstein, and by anti-Israel publications such
as Counterpunch. It should be noted that Malley’s account of the Camp David
negotiations is entirely inconsistent with the recollections of the key figures
who participated in those talks—specifically, then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud
Barak, then-U.S. President Bill Clinton, and then-U.S. Ambassador Dennis Ross
(Clinton’s Middle East envoy).
Malley also has written numerous op-eds urging the U.S. to disengage from Israel
to some degree, and recommending that America reach out to negotiate with its
traditional Arab enemies such as Syria, Hamas, Hezbollah (a creature of Iran
dedicated to the extermination of the Jews and death to America), and Muqtada
al-Sadr (the Shiite terrorist leader in Iraq).
In addition, Malley has advised nations around the world to establish
relationships with, and to send financial aid to, the Hamas-led Palestinian
government in Gaza. In Malley’s calculus, the electoral victory that swept Hamas
into power in January 2006 was a manifestation of legitimate Palestinian “anger
at years of humiliation and loss of self-respect because of Israeli settlement
expansion, Arafat’s imprisonment, Israel’s incursions, [and] Western lecturing
…”
Moreover, Malley contends that it is both unreasonable and unrealistic for
Israel or Western nations to demand that Syria sever its ties with Hamas,
Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or Iran. Rather, he suggests that if Israel were to
return the Golan Heights (which it captured in the 1967 Six Day War, and again
in the 1973 Yom Kippur War—two conflicts sparked by Arab aggression which sought
so permanently wipe the Jewish state off the face of the earth) to Syrian
control, Damascus would be inclined to pursue peace with Israel.
Malley has criticized the U.S. for allegedly remaining “on the sidelines” and
being a “no-show” in the overall effort to bring peace to the nations of the
Middle East. Exhorting the Bush administration to change its policy of refusing
to engage diplomatically with terrorists and their sponsoring states, Malley
wrote in July 2006: “Today the U.S. does not talk to Iran, Syria, Hamas, the
elected Palestinian government or Hezbollah…. The result has been a policy with
all the appeal of a moral principle and all the effectiveness of a tired
harangue.”
This inclination to negotiate with any and all enemies of the U.S. and Israel—an
impulse which Malley has outlined clearly and consistently—clearly has had a
powerful influence on Barack Obama.
It is notable that six months ago the Obama campaign and Malley hastily severed
ties with one another after the Times of London reported that Malley had been
meeting privately with Hamas leaders on a regular basis—something Obama had
publicly pledged never to do. At the time, Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt
minimized the significance of this monumentally embarrassing revelation, saying:
“Rob Malley has, like hundreds of other experts, provided informal advice to the
campaign in the past. He has no formal role in the campaign and he will not play
any role in the future.”
But indeed, within hours after Obama’s election victory, Malley was back as a
key player in the president-elect’s team of advisors—on his way to Syria. Mr.
Obama, meanwhile, received a most friendly communication from Hamas,
congratulating him on his “historic victory.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Perazzo is the Managing Editor of DiscoverTheNetworks and is the author of
The Myths That Divide Us: How Lies Have Poisoned American Race Relations. For
more information on his book, click here. E-mail him at wsbooks25@hotmail.com