LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
November 13/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 17,11-19. As he continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met (him). They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!"
And when he saw them, he said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" Then he said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you."

Saint Bernard (1091-1153), Cistercian monk and Doctor of the Church
Various sermons, no.27/"Where are the other nine?"

In our own day we see many people at prayer but, unfortunately, we see none of them turning back to give thanks to God... «Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?» As I think you will remember, it was in these words that our Savior complained about the lack of gratitude of the other nine lepers. We read that they knew well how to make «supplications, prayers, petitions» since they lifted up their voices, crying out: «Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!» But they lacked the fourth thing required by the apostle Paul: «thanksgiving» (1Tm 2,1) for they did not turn back nor give thanks to God. We see still more in our own day people who implore God for what they lack but a mere handful who seem to be grateful for the blessings they have received. There is no harm in imploring him, but what causes God not to grant our prayers is his finding us lacking in gratitude. After all, perhaps it is even an act of mercy on his part to hold back from the ungrateful what they are asking for so that they may not be judged all the more rigorously on account of their ingratitude... For it is sometimes out of mercy that God holds back his mercy...So you see that not all those who are healed of the leprosy of this world, I mean their manifest complaints, profit by their healing. Indeed, many are secretly afflicted with an ulcer worse than leprosy, all the more dangerous in that it is more interior. That is why it was right that the Savior of the world should ask where the other nine lepers were, since sinners avoid healing. So, too, after his sin, God questioned the first man: «Where are you?» (Gn 3,9).
 

Interview From the Daily Star
Interview with Dori Chamoun, the National Lebanese Party (NLP) 12/11/08


Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports 
Al-Qaida-Iraq's Message to the New Ruler Of The White House. By: Dr. Walid Phares 12/11/08
Might Jumblatt be the man to forge a Lebanese middle? -By Marc J. Sirois 12/11/08
No Israeli Obama, thankfully. By: Amos Carmel/Israel Opinion 12/11/08

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for November 12/08
Lebanon finds 2900 year old Phoenician remains-Reuters - USA
Peres attends rare dinner with Arab leaders. Israel News
Casualties in Shootout with Lebanese Army at Masnaa-Naharnet
Israel to Withdraw from Ghajar Soon-Naharnet

Iran Test-Fires New Surface-to-Surface Missile-(AP)
Fatah Vows to Crack Down on Ain el-Hilweh Terrorists-Naharnet
Lebanese army arrests senior members of Fattah al-Islam-Xinhua
Bin Laden ally 'planned to head for Lebanon-Daily Star
Lebanon and Syria tussle over Islamist militants-Financial Times
Miliband to visit Syria-Reuters UK
Hariri asks Moussa for inquest into Fatah al-Islam claims-Daily Star
Nasrallah urges timely elections, wider dialogue-Daily Star
High Level Lebanese-Israeli Meeting Over Blue Line Violations-Naharnet
Geagea to Aoun: Your Allies are Most Corrupt in the Country-Naharnet
Was US Right About Syria Nukes?TIME
Syria: New Dawn for Humanity-Global Voices Online
Nasrallah: Israeli hands that attack Lebanon will be severed-Ha'aretz
Aoun's Ministers Considering Boycotting Cabinet Sessions-Naharnet
Larijani to Discuss Iraq-US Relations with Nasrallah-Naharnet
Abbas accuses Hamas leaders of 'not wanting' reconciliation-(AFP)
Chamoun's NLP plans to contest four seats in 2009 parliamentary polls-Daily Star
Carter, Brown to visit Lebanon-Daily Star
Kahwaji vows to 'hunt down spies wherever they are-Daily Star
Indonesia - why there is no recession in the world's leading Muslim economy-Daily Star
Aridi promises not to clip MEA's wings-Daily Star
Gulf stock markets take another hit as markets fret impact of global crisis-(AFP)
Salameh advises caution to fend off worldwide recession-Daily Star
Lebanese state 'to pay off all NSSF dues for 2008-Daily Star
Lebanon expects 2.3 million visitors by end of year-Daily Star
Bassil says Cabinet has agreed to cut land-line rates - and cellular is next-Daily Star
$10 million for word on missing Israelis-Daily Star
NDU officials lament reactions to polls-Daily Star
Salloukh backs ban on use of cluster bombs-Daily Star
British and French missions take time out to honor their war dead e of the French ambassador-Daily Star
Safadi Cultural Center opens in Tripoli-Daily Star
Young advertising talents receive awards-Daily Star
Ban Considering Visiting Lebanon Soon-Naharnet
Qahwaji: No Safe Haven to Terrorists From Now on, Beirut a Priority-Naharnet


Lebanon finds 2,900 year old Phoenician remains
Wed Nov 12, 2008
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese and Spanish archaeologists have discovered 2,900-year-old earthenware pottery that ancient Phoenicians used to store the bones of their dead after burning the corpses. They said more than 100 jars were discovered at a Phoenician site in the southern coastal city of Tire. Phoenicians are known to have thrived from 1500 B.C. to 300 B.C and they were also headquartered in the coastal area of present-day Syria.
"The big jars are like individual tombs. The smaller jars are left empty, but symbolically represent that a soul is stored in them," Ali Badawi, the archaeologist in charge in Tire, told Reuters Wednesday. Badawi and a Spanish team from the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona have been excavating at the Phoenician site for years. The site was first discovered in 1997 but archaeologists have only been able to dig up 50 square meters per year. "These discoveries help researchers who work on past Phoenician colonies in Spain, Italy and Tunisia, to pin down a large number of their habits and traditions," said Maria Eugenia Aubet, who leads the Spanish team. "Especially since there are few studies of the Phoenicians in their motherland 'Lebanon'," Aubet said, adding that the remains proved that the Phoenicians were a people who had a vision for life after death. The last excavation was in 2005. A war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas concentrated in southern Lebanon and the tenuous political and security situation in 2007 halted work on the site until this year. A seafaring civilization, the Phoenicians' earliest cities included Byblos, Tire and Sidon on Lebanon's coast. From Tire, the Phoenicians are thought to have expanded into other colonies on the Mediterranean coast.(Writing by Yara Bayoumy; Editing by Dominic Evans)© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved

Lebanese army arrests senior members of Fattah al-Islam
www.chinaview.cn 2008-11-10 18:02:21 BEIRUT, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Lebanese army arrested most of the key figures of Fattah al-Islam in the Palestinian refugee camp of Baddawi in north Lebanon, local As-Safier daily reported Monday. Sheikh Hamza Kassed, 37 years old, a senior figure of Fattah al-Islam was turned over to the Lebanese army Sunday night by Palestinian authorities in the camp. Two more members, Khalid Jaber and Nader al-Ali, were arrested as well.
Khalid al-Itter, who was mentioned during the televised confessions of Fattah al-Islam group in Syria, was arrested in Tripoli on Saturday by the Lebanese security.
The Syrian official TV last Wednesday aired confessions of several Fattah al-Islam members who allegedly carried out the car bomb attack last September in Damascus which killed 17 people. Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora and majority leaders criticized Syria for broadcasting testimonies of terrorist members on its official television, instead of tackling it through proper channels with Lebanon. The report said the arrest is the first sign that the Lebanese army considers at least some of the information in the televised confessions "reliable" following condemnation about their validity by pro-government leaders in Beirut. Fattah al-Islam was engaged in 15-week fierce clashes with the Lebanese army in 2007 at the Palestinian refugee camp of Naher al-Barid. So far, 400 people have been killed, including 168 soldiers. The group also carried out car bomb attacks against the Lebanese army in north Lebanon. Editor: Deng Shasha

Casualties in Shootout with Lebanese Army at Masnaa
Naharnet/A Civil Defense worker was wounded in an overnight clash with a Lebanese army intelligence member at the border town of Majdal Anjar, the daily As-Safir reported Wednesday. It said the clash flared against the backdrop of a traffic preference at the main road to Masnaa between the intelligence soldier and the civil defense member identified as Samer Qassem Mohammed. As Safir said Samer was wounded in the head with a sharp tool and was taken to hospital for treatment.
It said soon afterwards, a group of men attacked the army intelligence member who abandoned his car to take shelter at a roaster that belonged to al-Ajami family which protected him. As-Safir, however, said that when an army force arrived at the scene to evacuate the soldier from the roaster, a fight broke out and shots were fired, wounding two people in the leg. Youths also destroyed the soldier's car and set it ablaze. Beirut, 12 Nov 08, 10:39

Fatah Vows to Crack Down on Ain el-Hilweh Terrorists

Naharnet/The leader in Lebanon of the mainstream Fatah movement on Wednesday pledged to finish off terrorists entrenched in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh to avert an attack by the army on the camp.Fatah Secretarty in Lebanon Sultan Abul Aynein made the pledge in a television interview stressing "there wouldn't be another example of the Nahr el-Bared camp." "Fatah would take the initiative if some Palestinian factions in Ain el-Hilweh decided to refrain from shouldering their responsibilities in protecting our community and arresting some known terrorists," Abul Aynein pledged. He was referring to leaders of the Fatah al-Islam terror network who have been entrenched in a heavily-guarded bunker in Ain el-Hilweh's Ras al-Ahmar neighborhood. He called for repeating the example of the northern Beddawi refugee camp where a joint force from factions loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas' Palestine Liberation Organization apprehended wanted terrorists and turned them over to the Lebanese authorities. Abul Aynein also vowed that there would be no major confrontation with Islamist factions in Ain el-Hilweh, stressing "we'll handle the issue with wisdom." Beirut, 12 Nov 08, 12:27

Israel to Withdraw from Ghajar Soon

Naharnet/Israel is likely to withdraw from the northern part of the southern village of Ghajar within the coming few days, al-Akhbar newspaper said Wednesday.
It said talk of an Israeli pullout from the northern part of Ghajar as well as an understanding on the future of the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms has recently increased at the "hallways of the United Nations."Al-Akhbar said UNIFIL had received a semi-official notification from the Israeli military command about the need to be prepared for a takeover when Israeli troops withdraw from the Lebanese part of Ghajar, occupied by Israeli forces in July 2006. Ghajar has been a long-standing sore point for Israel, Syria, Lebanon and the U.N. after the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, when U.N. inspectors put the ceasefire line directly through the town. The southern half remained part of Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, whereas the northern side became part of Lebanon.
Beirut, 12 Nov 08, 11:57

Larijani Postpones Beirut Visit, French PM Arrives Next Week

Naharnet/Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani postponed a visit to Lebanon at the invitation of his counterpart Nabih Berri, the daily An-Nahar said Wednesday.
An-Nahar did not say why the visit, which was scheduled for Monday, was postponed. Larijani was to hold talks with President Michel Suleiman, Berri, Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun. His talks, according to Lebanese and Iranian sources, were to 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.
Iraq's relations with the United States were expected to be one of the "major strategic topics of discussion" between Larijani and Nasrallah.
An Nahar said French Prime Minister Francois Fillon will head a delegation that will visit Lebanon Nov. 20. It said the delegation is to discuss bilateral relations as well as regional and global developments. Beirut, 12 Nov 08, 10:38

Ban Considering Visiting Lebanon Soon
Naharnet/U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon is considering visiting Lebanon soon, al-Mustaqbal daily said Wednesday. Citing diplomatic sources, the paper said details of the visit were not yet revealed, however. Beirut, 12 Nov 08, 10:01

Ban to Discuss 1701 with Peres and Livni as Arab and Israeli Leaders Attend Rare Dinner

Naharnet/U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said on Tuesday that he will meet President Michel Suleiman on the sidelines of the U.N. interfaith conference and will hold talks with Israeli leaders on the implementation of Resolution 1701.
"Today and tomorrow I am going to have meetings with (Israeli) President (Shimon) Peres and Foreign Minister (Tzipi) Livni separately to discuss the issues, my forthcoming report on Security Council Resolution 1701," Ban told a news conference. "I am going to discuss all the matters, including Shebaa and the withdrawal of the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) from Gaza and all the current situation on the ground," he said. When asked about his meeting with Saudi King Abdullah and if he had plans to hold talks with Suleiman, Ban said: "Of course, yes." He said he discussed with Abdullah the situation in the Middle East, including the recent Quartet meeting and the situations in Somalia, Lebanon and Iraq. Arab leaders, including the Saudi king, and Israel's president attended the same dinner Tuesday night, a rare encounter that the head of the U.N. hopes will promote understanding and talks.
Ban hosted the dinner for leaders attending the two-day U.N. conference to promote global dialogue about religions, cultures and common values that starts Wednesday. King Abdullah asked the General Assembly to hold the conference as a follow-up to an interfaith meeting he organized with King Juan Carlos of Spain in July in Madrid. Abdullah "exerted a great deal of time and energy to converge the differences of opinions into one. It has been very much a commendable initiative," Ban said during his press conference. He refused to disclose seating arrangements for the dinner, though he said all guests would be eating the same food.
"But sitting in the same room and engaging in (the) same functions — normally in the past they have not been sitting in the same place like this. That is again very important," Ban said before the event began. "I sincerely hope that through their participation in the meetings, and through this social-diplomatic gathering, they will be able to promote further understandings."
So far, 65 countries, including Lebanon, have asked to speak during the two-day meeting, said Enrique Yeves, a spokesman for General Assembly President Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann. President Suleiman will speak on Thursday. The kings of Saudi Arabia and Jordan, the emirs of Kuwait and Bahrain, the presidents of Lebanon, the United States, Israel and Pakistan and the prime ministers of Britain, Qatar, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Djibouti and Egypt are expected to attend. Beirut, 12 Nov 08, 08:05

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

Hariri asks Moussa for inquest into Fatah al-Islam claims

By The Daily Star /Compiled by Daily Star staff
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Parliamentary majority leader MP Saad Hariri officially called on the Arab League Tuesday to form a fact-finding commission to look into "confessions" broadcast by Syrian state television last week by alleged Fatah al-Islam members responsible for a deadly September car bombing in Damascus.
Hariri called Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa Tuesday and urged him to form "an Arab committee that would investigate the confessions," the MP's media office said.
In the broadcast, the suspects said that Fatah al-Islam, an Al-Qaeda-linked group which battled the Lebanese Army last year at the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp, had links to Hariri's Future Movement. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud's visit to Syria drew a series of reactions on Tuesday, with the March 14 Forces expressing fears that Syria was planning to restore hegemony over Lebanon.
Syria and Lebanon on Monday agreed to examine the possibility of better border coordination. Baroud, on a visit to Damascus, agreed with his Syrian counterpart, Bassam Abdul Majid, on the establishment of a joint commission to set up mechanisms for coordinating the policing of the border and the fight against terrorism.
Speaking to the Voice of Lebanon radio station on Tuesday, Baroud revealed details about his visit and stressed that the work of the panel would be "carefully supervised." "The committee agreed upon with the Syrians would work, on the basis of coordination, and it is not a joint committee or a security committee," he said.
On Monday, the head of the anti-Syrian Democratic Gathering, MP Walid Jumblatt, warned any ministers visiting Damascus of "the importance of keeping away from the establishment of joint security committees," which he said may later develop into a justification of Syrian interference in Lebanese internal affairs. "This committee cannot start its work until after the Lebanese Cabinet's approval," Baroud said.
Televised confessions of the alleged Fatah al-Islam members on Syrian official television were also on the agenda, according to Baroud. "The Lebanese stance was crystal-clear regarding this issue in the joint statement," he said. "We asked for more information and details and to look into the investigation and we will take necessary measures accordingly." Also commenting on Baroud's visit, Hizbullah MP Hussein Hajj Hassan said Tuesday Lebanon and Syria were bound by common interests. "Any cooperation in all fields between the two neighbor sates is positive and needed," he added.
Speaking to reporters following a meeting with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, Hajj Hassan said Lebanese-Syrian security "was linked in one way or another," adding that it was in the interest of both countries to cooperate.
Phalange leader and former President Amin Gemayel expressed confidence that the interior minister "will not overlook Lebanon's interest."
Commenting on Baroud's talks in Damascus, he said: "This first contact with Syria is essential, especially on the security level, in order to resolve common problems."
Earlier on Tuesday, Siniora received the head of the United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission investigating the February 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Judge Daniel Bellemare, who detailed his progress and preparations for launching the Special Tribunal.
Also on Monday, President Michel Sleiman headed to New York to represent Lebanon at an interfaith conference being hosted by the United Nations.
Separately, Lebanese Forces boss Samir Geagea lashed out at the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Michel Aoun, saying corruption charges the latter "throws here and there have become rather boring.""The most corrupt in the country are your local and regional allies, among them particularly are the 'Syrian' group in Lebanon," Geagea asserted, addressing Aoun.Also Tuesday, Marada Movement leader and former Interior Minister Sleiman Franjieh said he was not interested in taking part in the national dialogue and criticized some parties for pursuing intra-Christian reconciliation for the sake of what he called "election aims."Speaking to reporters after meeting Aoun at the latter's residence in Rabieh, Franjieh added that he would pay a visit to the seat of the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkirki, with which he has frequently been at odds in the past couple of years, "when the proper circumstances are available." "We want the church to be for all Christians. In such a case we would be honored to be on Bkirki's side," he said. In answering a question about the dialogue, he said: "I'm not enthusiastic about it and I don't seek joining it. We as Maronites are represented in the dialogue by Aoun." However he said he supports calls to adding former Prime Minister Omar Karami, Youth and Sports Minister Talal Arslan and MP Ousama Saad to the list of participants in the dialogue. He added that Aoun was expected to soon visit Damascus and and to return with a "final answer" from the Syrian authorities regarding Lebanese citizens missing in Syria. On the security front, the commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, Major General Claudio Graziano, met with Lebanese and Israeli officials to discuss implementation of UN Security Council 1701, which put an end to the 2006 war. - The Daily Star

Bin Laden ally 'planned to head for Lebanon'
Daily Star staff/Wednesday, November 12, 2008
BEIRUT: The "radical preacher" once described as Osama bin Laden's "ambassador to Europe" plans to flee his legal troubles in the United Kingdom and head for Lebanon, British press reports say. The Evening Standard newspaper reported Monday that Abu Qatada was "back in custody ... after being suspected of plotting to flee the country."Qatada, who was freed in June after a failed bid to deport him to Jordan on charges of terrorism, had been held at his West London home but is believed to have been planning to flee to Lebanon, despite not having a passport, the daily wrote.
The UK Borders Agency received a tip that Qatada was planning to flee, the daily reported. An emergency session of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission was then convened and ruled that he had "attempted to breach one of his 22 bail restrictions" before a judge "ruled in favor of the Home Office's application to cancel bail as a temporary measure." Government lawyers will now apply for him to be locked up permanently. The Evening Standard quoted a government source as saying "the Middle East would have been his most likely destination - probably Lebanon."Another daily, the Sun, quoted government sources as saying: "We believe there is sufficient evidence to prove that he was planning to jump bail and flee Britain. In view of the strict bail conditions and the fact he has no passport, it would have been a pretty audacious plot." Lebanon's army fought a three-month battle last year to dislodge the Fatah al-Islam militant group from the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp, in which at least 400 people died. - The Daily Star

Miliband to visit Syria
Wed Nov 12, 2008 8:
Foreign Secretary David Miliband is to visit Syria as part of a tour of the Middle East next week in an effort to improve relations, his office said on Wednesday.
Miliband will visit Israel, Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian territories and Syria, a spokeswoman said, giving no details of specific dates.
She said the visit was part of efforts to develop "a strong UK-Syrian partnership based on mutual trust, shared interests and a vision for a stable peaceful and prosperous Middle East."The visit follows talks last month in London between Miliband and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem and is the latest in a series of overtures between Syria and European nations, particularly France and Britain, seeking an end to Syria's strained relations with the West due to its support of Iran.
(Reporting by Avril Ormsby; Editing by Louise Ireland and Kate Kelland)

Lebanon and Syria tussle over Islamist militants
By Ferry Biedermann in Tripoli
Published: November 11 2008
Lebanon and Syria have become embroiled in a bitter war of words that runs counter to their recent political rapprochement and centres on mutual accusations of support for militant Islamist groups. Syrian television last week broadcast what it said were the confessions of members of the Lebanon-based Fatah al-Islam faction, admitting responsibility for a bomb attack in Damascus in September that killed 17. The Lebanese authorities yesterday said they had arrested five of the militants on suspicion of involvement "in terrorist acts". The controversy arises from televised claims by the militants that they had been financed by Lebanon's anti-Syrian Future movement. The movement, led by Saad Hariri, son of murdered former prime minister Rafiq Hariri, is Lebanon's main Sunni political party.
The Future movement has denied the allegation. Ahmad Fatfat, a former cabinet minister, called it "a fabrication by the Syrian security services that can only prove their own involvement with Fatah al-Islam".
Fatah al-Islam is the best known of a plethora of Sunni Islamist groups, known as Salafis, which are ideologically linked to al-Qaeda and which have a presence in north Lebanon, in and around the port city of Tripoli. Lebanon's army fought a three-month battle last year to dislodge the group from the Palestinian refugee camp Nahr al-Bared, in which about 400 people died. Fatah al-Islam grew out of a Syrian-supported Palestinian faction and Lebanon's anti-Syrian bloc says Damascus is still involved with the group. The Lebanese authorities have arrested several cells in recent weeks, said to be linked to the group, in connection with lethal bomb attacks on the army in Tripoli in August and September.
Damascus, meanwhile, has repeatedly accused Salafi groups of involvement in violence in Syria. President Bashar al-Assad has sent about 10,000 troops to the border in what Syria says is an attempt to contain them. Syria and Lebanon on Monday agreed to examine the possibility of better border controls between the two countries. The Lebanese minister of interior, on a visit to Damascus, agreed with his Syrian counterpart on the establishment of a joint commission to set up the mechanisms for co-ordinating the policing of the border and co-operation in the fight against terrorism.
The two countries also agreed to establish full diplomatic relations this summer for the first time since both became independent in the 1940s. But Syria's posturing over the Salafists has prompted the US to warn Damascus against interfering in Lebanon. Washington's ties with Syria were further strained last month when US forces carried out a raid on a Syrian village on the Iraqi border, killing eight people, according to Damascus. The US accuses Syria of not doing enough to stop al-Qaeda fighters from crossing into Iraq.
Anti-Syrian politicians see the latest Syrian moves as an attempt at intimidation, possibly linked to next year's parliamentary elections in Lebanon. Tareq Mitri, information minister, last month told journalists that the Salafist threat was exaggerated.
"Tripoli is not Kandahar, it's just Tripoli," he said, playing down the extent of the violence that has cost the lives of about 40 civilians and soldiers since May.
Apart from their apparently limited number, much of what is known about the Salafists is a matter of dispute. The movement is splintered and divides into openly anti- and pro-Syrian factions. Members vary in their ideological affiliation with al-Qaeda and have different financial backers with wildly diverging agendas.
The sharpest division seems to run between groups for whom anti-US and general anti-western motives trump local politics, and those for whom antiSyrian, anti-Shia, antiHizbollah and anti-Iranian sentiments dominate - to the extent that they co-operate with the US-backed mainstream Sunni Future movement.
The anti-Syria group came to prominence when fighting broke out in Lebanon in May in which the Shia Hizbollah movement and its pro-Syrian allies overran Sunni neighbourhoods in Beirut. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008

Lebanon expects 2.3 million visitors by end of year

By Dana Halawi
Special to The Daily Star
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
BEIRUT: Tourism Minister Elie Marouni said on Tuesday that around 2.3 million people would visit Lebanon by the end of this year. But the minister stressed that a big chunk of these visitors are Lebanese living abroad. He added that the aim is to drive this number up to 3 million in the near future, which will increase the tourism sector's contribution to gross domestic product from 9 to 20 percent.
"This places a huge responsibility on the private sectors, namely the banking and financial sectors, for them to be able to satisfy the growing needs of comers who wish to deposit their money in Lebanese banks. It also holds the public sector responsible of maintaining a good infrastructure and be ready to host the huge amount of visitors providing them with transportations to hotels and residences," said Marouni.
His remarks came during a news conference organized by Visa at the Phoenicia InterContinental Hotel to discuss the influence of electronic payments on the tourism industry while examining how Lebanon can take advantage of various opportunities to achieve greater success in the sector.
According to Tony Gougassian, Visa Inc. area manager for Qatar and the Levant, tourism spending in Lebanon has been positively influenced by the growing use of electronic payments in the country.
"Tourism spending using electronic payments grew by 12 percent between 2004 and 2007 and reached 25 percent of the total tourism spending in Lebanon this year," Gougassian told The Daily Star.
Visa operates the world's largest retail electronic payments network providing processing services and payment product platforms. According to the corporation's statistics, payments volume worldwide using Visa grew 15 percent between 2007 and 2008 to reach $699 billion.
Gougassian stressed on the implications that e-commerce has for the Lebanese tourism, saying that it has given rise to a new channel, which will help drive business and economic growth in the future.
Marouni emphasized the important role that the Lebanese tourism sector plays in driving the local economy forward.
"This forum does not only highlight the attributes of e-payment solutions, but it also offers a space for us all, as specialists in the field, to come together and strengthen the performance of key economic sectors in Lebanon such as the financial, industrial and agricultural sectors," said Marouni

Al Qaeda-Iraq's Message to the New ‘Rulers of the White House’

Dr. Walid Phares
November 11, 2008
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Reactions to the election of a new U.S. President are fusing from across the Arab and Muslim world. Reflecting the fundamental interests of the various regimes and movements, the most radical groups – including al Qaeda – have been sending messages in different directions. While we will come back later to draw a wider map of these attitudes, hopes or worries, let's note a particular declaration made by al Qaeda's central figure in Iraq (or so he is projected to be) in which he outlines his conditions to deal with America in the new era.
Two days ago, a Jihadi outlet, Al-Furqan, released an audio speech by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, self-described as the "emir of the Islamic State of Iraq." The less-than-half hour internet broadcast was titled "Message to the New Governors of the White House (and Other Christian Leaders)." It can also be translated as "to the new rulers," i.e. the President and Vice President-elect. After a mandatory "theological" segment taking on Christians and Jews and apostate Muslims, the speech wandered erratically between issues high on the Jihadist agenda worldwide, particularly on the necessity for the United States to call it quits in the region and to pull out. In essence al Baghdadi, one of al Qaeda's most lethal "generals" on the battlefields of the Middle East, asked the United States under the new Administration to withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan and to pull its military presence from the Muslim world. Interestingly, his message to whom he described as the new "Governors, or technically, masters" of the White House, connect with a dominant theme throughout not only al Qaeda's command but also the Jihadist forces and regimes around the world. Ideologically, despite their divisions and diverse strategies, the Salafists and Khomeinists have a common approach on how to deal with the United States. And this attitude has been embodied by multiple speeches, statements, and declarations since the early 1990s. From the powerful doctrinal positions of Sheikh Yusuf al Qardawi on al Jazeera, al Qaeda's Osama Bin laden and Ayman Zawahiri, to President Ahmedinijad, the "agenda" is one: the United States must pull its forces outside the region and keep them inside its own borders. Al Baghdadi and many other Jihadist commanders, commentators and activists see the big picture as an effort, or a Jihad, against all Kuffar (infidel) forces in the region. In his speech addressed to the new U.S. leadership, al Qaeda Iraq’s "emir" also warned France and Russia from interfering inside the borders of his Caliphate to come. He specifically asked the "White House, the Elysee and the Kremlin" to back off Iraq, Afghanistan and Chechnya. Listening to the audio allows one to understand the mindset of the terrorists we're dealing with: they have a one world view even if they are "local," which contradicts the recent assertion by many experts in the field. And to underline the Jihadist historical view of the world, "Abu Omar" reminds America that a century ago, America was a "neutral" nation, growing peacefully until it began intervening in foreign wars, including the conflicts with empires, fascists and the Soviets. And as I argued in my book Future Jihad, he revels that the U.S. menace is really about provoking changes within Muslim countries – changes, of course, which would encourage democracy against Jihadism. Increasingly, observers of this global movement must see the overarching dimension of the conflict with the Salafists and Khomeinists. It is not about Bush or Obama, nor about Chirac or Sarkozy, Yeltsin or Putin. It is about pushing for a Jihadi agenda. "Get your troops out and be neutral in this conflict," has become the main slogan of Jihadi propaganda for many years now. If anything it clearly indicates to analysts that the Salafist agenda, for example, wants to settle scores with local societies and seize power in Arab and Muslim lands without being delayed by U.S. power. This is the core of their contemporary confrontation with Washington's policies. They want to establish Taliban regimes in as many countries they can, including Iraq and Afghanistan. Al Baghdadi ends his summations by revealing his conditions for a "new stage." In addition to pulling out and not interfering with the action of his movement, he wants an immediate release of all prisoners. Even more revealing was his offer to sell oil to the U.S. at a fair price and authorize commerce with America. Stunningly to many, al Qaeda acts as if it is already the forthcoming Caliphate, setting the agenda for the entire region. It is not surprising to me, because for decades I have argued that democracies are dealing with a force possessing a political agenda of its own, not with individuals who are reacting to Western – or American – foreign policies. If anything, these statements by al Qaeda, and other similar attitudes expressed by political propagandists, reminds us of typical totalitarians in action: using Terrorism when they judge it efficient to confuse their foes and consolidate their positions when necessary. The national-socialists and the fascists of the 1930s and WWII are, in this sense, authentic predecessors to the 21st century Jihadists.
***** Dr. Walid Phares is the Director of the Future Terrorism Project at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and the author of The Confrontation: Winning the War against Future Jihad.

Chamoun's NLP plans to contest four seats in 2009 parliamentary polls
Politician says he expects Jumblatt to extend support

By Nicholas Kimbrell
Daily Star staff
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Interview
BEIRUT: Dori Chamoun and three other candidates from his National Liberal Party (NLP) will be running in the spring parliamentary elections, Chamoun told The Daily Star during an interview Tuesday. NLP candidates will be running in the Baabda-Aley, North Metn, and Kesrouan districts, and Chamoun will be on the ballot in the Chouf and is expected to have the support of Progressive Socialist Party and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt.
"I would have run a long time ago if there hadn't been Syrian occupation, if the Parliament hadn't been a sort of tool in the hands of Syria," Chamoun said from his office at the NLP headquarters in Sodeco.
"In 1992," he said, "during Syrian occupation, it was obvious that the electoral law was made in such a way to bring the maximum pro-Syrians into Parliament. Now had we accepted to be part of all those people who succumbed to Syrian occupation, we were offered as many seats as we wanted, on condition that we joined the game. We refused. We refused two elections in succession."
"My running for elections has been a very long wait," Chamoun added.
All of the NLP candidates will be running in hotly contested districts and almost certainly against allied candidates from the March 14 coalition. But Chamoun seemed confident of the party's chances, particularly his own.
"We have a big base in the Chouf, we have a very large base, and our base is not only the Christians, it is a multi-confessional base. The same base that used to back Camille Chamoun when he was, at the time, leader of the Chouf," said Chamoun, son of the former president.
Chamoun also seemed confident that he would receive some backing from Jumblatt, leader of Lebanon's most powerful Druze family and a major power-broker in the Chouf. "Mr. Jumblatt was our enemy. We hope that this time there will be an alliance within the framework of the 14th of March movement. I'm looking forward to this alliance," he said.
When asked directly whether he expected electoral support from Jumblatt, Chamoun said without hesitation, "Yes and he has mine." He noted that this partnership, between the Christians and Druze, historical enemies in Mount Lebanon, could help to "reinstall the faith between the two that had been lost in the Mountain."
As for running against fellow Christian politicians from the March 14 camp, Chamoun was confident that there would be plenty of room for competing candidates. "I think there is enough room and that we have enough political base, enough popular base. We are not imposing somebody [on the electorate]. We want to participate," he said.
In the Chouf, he will be up against the Lebanese Forces candidate George Adwan, whose father, Chamoun pointed out, had been a supporter of Camille Chamoun.
"There has to be a point when you make certain choices," he said, adding that "there is bound to be a bit of [anger]. In Lebanon, the love of power and the lust for power and for seats is unfortunately a common disease."
The NLP leader and former mayor of Deir al-Qamar (the new electoral law required candidates to resign from elected posts six months before the election), also said that his party proudly counts itself a member of the March 14 coalition.
"We are part of March 14. If you want to take the essence of March 14, our party Al-Ahrar is the essence of all the principles on which March 14 is based," Chamoun said. These principles, he added, are based on the idea of a free, independent, democratic and modern Lebanon, acting as integral party of the international community and the Arab League.
"When others were flirt[ing] with the Syrians, we were the people who stuck and turned our backs to the Syrians," Chamoun said.
While praising the principles of March 14, Chamoun seemed pessimistic about the prospects for Christian reconciliation. He said that part of the Christian community, aligned with the March 8, or opposition, camp, did not share the beliefs and attitudes of the rest of the community, making political reconciliation quite difficult.
Concerning a potential rapprochement between March 8-aligned, Marada chief Sleiman Franjieh and March 14-aligned Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, Chamoun offered a simple request: "All we ask them to do, whether it is Sleiman Franjieh or Samir Geagea, is to abide by the Lebanese law and by the Lebanese Constitution and everything will be OK. We're not asking them to kiss each other or go to bed together."
In general, Chamoun seemed doubtful that there could be meaningful dialogue with the March 8 camp. "We can't communicate with someone who is on a diametrically opposite line of thought and action," he said, adding that, "we are for a single state, we are for a strong army and they are aligned with Hizbullah, which is a state within a state."
He described Hizbullah's ally, Free Patriotic Movement leader and former military commander Michel Aoun as a "sham," saying he had lied to the country and the Christians.
"Let's summarize everything of Michel Aoun by saying one thing: that he is mad," Chamoun said. "The guy is mad, and if you follow his logic in everything he talks about, it's the logic of somebody who has only one aim and this is to get into the driver's seat. He wants to become the president of this country."
In relation to Aoun, he cited an old proverb, saying that the mistakes of the clever man are usually very big mistakes. Chamoun's father, Camille, appointed Aoun to a senior military post and his brother, Dani (who was murdered along with members of his family in 1990), supported Aoun's bid to be a temporary president in 1989.
Chamoun said that Aoun made a deal with the Syrians to escape from Baabda Palace during the siege in 1990 and a deal with Syria and its Lebanese allies when he returned from exile in Paris in 2005.
Chamoun also called Aoun's alliance with Hizbullah "dangerous" for Lebanon. Hizbullah, he said, has methodically pursued a policy of "electoral and geographic expansion," with the aim of creating a Shiite Islamic state in Lebanon. "Michel Aoun is giving them the necessary cover," he said.
He added that although many Christians supported Aoun in the 2005 elections, "the snow is starting to melt."
"We need to convince the people from within that there cannot be two states," he said.
Expressing the hope that Lebanon would emerge as a peaceful and multi-confessional society, Chamoun said, "I personally, frankly speaking, would like to see Lebanon neutral like Switzerland."
He said his vision was of a land of culture and prosperity, "not a land of shitty little wars."
Of Syria, Chamoun said the establishment of diplomatic relations was positive but that Syria's "appetite [for dominance in Lebanon] was still there."
He added, smiling, that one of his dreams had been to become the first Lebanese ambassador to Damascus.
Chamoun also outlined the policy the NLP will pursue if three or four of its candidates are elected. He said that privatizing money-losing Electricite de Liban would be a priority, as would pursuing alternative forms of energy and environmental stewardship. These platforms could help reform policies on trade, agriculture and public health, he noted. When asked whether he thought he would win, Chamoun expressed considerable confidence. "I think it's a pretty sure thing," he said.
"We've been living in the shade a little bit," Chamoun added. "Now we have come out in the sun."

High Level Lebanese-Israeli Meeting Over Blue Line Violations

Naharnet/United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Commander Major general Claudio Graziano met on Tuesday with high level military officials from Lebanon and Israel to discuss the implementation of UNSCR 1701. UNIFIL official spokesperson Yasmine Bozian affirmed that Graziano "met with high level military officials from the Lebanese armed forces and Israeli forces at U.N. headquarters at Naqoura. Discussions focused on the implementation of UNSCR 1701, in particular Blue Line violations, and Ghajjar village, to prevent any incidents on the line."UNIFIL is composed of land and naval forces exceeding 13,000 members from 29 countries. In 2006 United Nations Security Council under its resolution of 1701 expanded UNIFIL's role in south Lebanon (south of the Litani river). The resolution ended military activities between Israel and Hizbullah in July 2006. Beirut, 11 Nov 08, 20:31

Nasrallah urges timely elections, wider dialogue
Sayyed warns supporters not to bet on Obama

Daily Star staff/Wednesday, November 12, 2008
BEIRUT: Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Tuesday that it was crucial for Lebanon's 2009 legislative elections to be held "on time." "Not holding the elections or postponing them would be very dangerous," Nasrallah said in a speech to mark Martyrs Day that was broadcast via video link to a gathering of resistance supporters in Beirut's southern suburbs. It would be in the interests of all parties, he argued, to hold free and fair elections "without obstruction or postponement."
Nasrallah also stressed the need to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 and called on MPs to adopt a constitutional amendment for that purpose.
He also reiterated his loyalty to his allies in the opposition, vowing that "recent reconciliations or meetings do not breach this firm commitment."
Nasrallah said reconciliation efforts were "welcomed and we have our hand extended to all."
"Reconciliations are a national interest, all groups are interested in having a calm political situation," he added.
Concerning broadcasts on Syrian television last week of confessions by alleged Fatah al-Islam militants for a deadly September bombing in Damascus, Nasrallah called for "a serious and transparent investigation."
In the broadcast, the suspects said that Fatah al-Islam, an Al-Qaeda-linked group which battled the Lebanese Army last year at the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp, had links to Parliamentary majority leader MP Saad Hariri's Future Movement. Nasrallah and Hariri met for their own reconciliation session in late October.
"We support Lebanese-Syrian security coordination and we are sincere in our calls that justice be removed from politics," he added.
He also thanked Lebanese Army intelligence for last month's arrest of a cell that collaborated with Israel. "I hope the day comes when evidence shows that Israel is involved in the bombings and assassinations that happened in Lebanon," he said.
Nasrallah stressed that equipping the army was "a priority," adding that discussions of a national defense strategy should be completed "soon."
"Despite disagreements ... all groups agree that the Lebanese Army should have an integral role in defending Lebanon," he said, adding that it was "a pity" that a proposal by his ally, Free Patriotic Movement leader and MP Michel Aoun, to integrate Hizbullah with the military, had not been well received.
He also called for the number of participants in the dialogue to be expanded "so we can face burdens together and transform the dialogue table into a true forum for discussion."The sayyed also cautioned his supporters against expecting a change in US foreign policy with the election of President-elect Barack Obama.
"Our Arab world, our Third World and our African world can empathize with Obama because of his past or the color of his skin, but politics and interests are a different story," he said. "Don't exaggerate hopes nor give people high expectations so that no one is disappointed or makes miscalculations," he added. "I don't want to anticipate events, but logic dictates that we not bet on changes in injustice or believe that he will be more lenient or less unfair than his predecessor."
Nasrallah also paid tribute to fallen resistance fighters "with great pride," thanking them for their "efforts and struggle." - The Daily Star, with AFP

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

Might Jumblatt be the man to forge a Lebanese middle?

By Marc J. Sirois /Daily Star staff
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Pity the poor soul who one day endeavors to pen the definitive biography of Walid Jumblatt, a man whose political orientation has taken more turns than any of the cars in his extensive collection. The hats Jumblatt has worn include those of feudal hetman, postmodern warlord, national legislator and Cabinet minister. His primary political vehicle is called the "Progressive Socialist Party," but his origins and his lifestyle send a very different message. Famous for his outspokenness, he is derided by detractors as a loose cannon but hailed by admirers as a straight talker.
A constant on the Lebanese political scene for more than three decades, he has been on virtually every side - or none at all - at one time or another. He rendered long years of yeoman service for the Syrian regime, but later blamed it for the assassination of his father. He frequently aimed vehement criticism at late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, but then joined the latter's son Saad as a staunch ally. He spent most of his career issuing passionate condemnations of US policy in the Middle East, but then allowed himself to be its tool. He was a champion of Hizbullah's right to resist Israeli occupation, but then became a leading critic of the Shiite party's insistence on retaining its arms.
Since the clashes that threatened to plunge Lebanon into another full-fledged civil war in May, Jumblatt has added caveats to or backed away from many of the stances that follow the "buts" in the preceding paragraph - but he has not come full circle. He has allowed that his relations with Damascus are beyond repair, but he has stopped upping the ante on a near-daily basis. He remains officially a part of the March 14 Forces grouped around Saad Hariri's Future Movement but has taken to admonishing his colleagues when they stray too far into the province of partisan/sectarian foolishness. He continues to want good relations with Washington but no longer apologizes for its excesses - or expects its timely support. He still wants more state control over how Hizbullah's arsenal is used but now says the issue is an "internal" one.
What to make of all this? The answer to that often depends on perspective. When they are not grousing about his propensity for ignoring the March 14 party line, Jumblatt's (current) allies will tell you that he is the consummate pragmatist. And when his (current) foes are not happily predicting his inevitable return to their fold, they will say he is a cynic who goes with the flow.
In the fuller sense of what Jumblatt's evolution means for the future of Lebanon, however, it would be wasteful to reduce his personality and positions to the sound-bites at whose utterance he is so famously adept. Like anyone else, the Chouf MP sometimes ventures into rhetorical excess. Taken as a whole, however, his politics are generally quite consistent within the framework of a given phase, except for those times when he is in transition - and that appears to be where he has been since May.
Anyone who thinks this is the result of intimidation doesn't know much about Walid Jumblatt. Like all flamboyant political icons, his flaws are often more prominent than his qualities, but as even his enemies will freely acknowledge, he is no coward.
No, Jumblatt is re-positioning himself and his tribe - including adherents of his principal Druze rival, Youth and Sports Minister Talal Arslan - to ensure that whenever the music stops, his community will have at least its fair and share of chairs.
The entire Lebanese political order has been in flux since the assassination of Rafik Hariri and almost two dozen other people in February 2005, and we now appear to be in a decisive phase. As always, the new status quo in Lebanon will be heavily influenced by the state of affairs in the broader Middle East, and by the policies and priorities of foreign powers near and far. By coincidence, several of those outside actors are themselves in periods of transition: Israel and Iran are both scheduled to hold elections next year, the Palestinians might have a civil war of their own over whether they go to the polls, too, Israel and Syria have resumed indirect negotiations after an eight-year hiatus, and the American electorate has just taken a revolutionary step by sending Barack Obama to the White House. And looming over all these shifting conditions are the clouds of a global financial storm whose potential to bring down the world economy can be expected to preoccupy some of the international system's most important leaders for the foreseeable future.
All of this is to say that Lebanon and the Lebanese may have to fend for themselves for a while, which is not necessarily a problem. If people like Jumblatt play their cards right, the process could be the one that finally turns this deeply flawed state of many mutually suspicious peoples into a single nation for which diversity is a prime source of strength and stability.
If this homegrown shakeout is to be more effective than all the foreign-flavored ones that have preceded it, though, he and at least a few others will have to get beyond their usual roles as either kingmakers or spoilers. That practice has only served to undermine both the efficaciousness and the reputation of "consensus" in Lebanon's model of asterisk democracy, leading all sides to use it as blackmail against one another. Instead of being a lynchpin on whom political feuds are won and lost and partisan resentments intensified at every turn, Jumblatt might be one that holds together new coalitions, some of them temporary, by adopting a new standard for action both inside and outside of Parliament. He might, in fact, be a central ingredient in the development of a nationalist bloc of the sort on which President Michel Sleiman has recently ruminated.
Whatever one calls it, such a grouping would ideally begin by rebuilding the credibility of consensus as a means of holding the Lebanese political model together even as the state was prepped for fundamental change. Its positions on various issues would be determined by national interests rather than business, family, sectarian, tribal, and regional ones - or the shameless horse-trading that these frequently produce.
This could provide some structural integrity for the state if and when some of its institutions finally undergo the renovations mandated a generation ago by the Taif Accord. Jumblatt alluded to one facet of this last week when he stressed the need for a non-sectarian Parliament. In theory, that is a great idea. In practice, however, Lebanon lacks the one mechanism required to push through that kind of change: an independent judiciary that could be relied upon to protect those communities, especially Christian ones, that would stand to suffer at least short-term losses if sectarian quotas were abandoned or substantially altered.
To break the logjams over this and other quandaries, some parties will have to break ranks and meet each other half-way. Jumblatt might be in his element in this role, shepherding larger players into sometimes uneasy partnerships for the sake of the greater good. What better way for this man of many hats to cap his career than as a radical of the middle?
**Marc Sirois is managing editor of THE DAILY STAR. His email address is marc.sirois@dailystar.com.lb.