LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
November 23/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 20,27-40. Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to him, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us, 'If someone's brother dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother.'Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman but died childless. Then the second and the third married her, and likewise all the seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be? For all seven had been married to her." Jesus said to them, "The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise. That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called 'Lord' the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive." Some of the scribes said in reply, "Teacher, you have answered well." And they no longer dared to ask him anything.

Saint Justin (c.100-160), philosopher, martyr
Treatise on the Resurrection, 8 (Migne 1994, p.354 rev.)"He is not God of the dead, but of the living"
The flesh is precious in God's sight; of all his works it is the one he prefers and so it is natural that he would save it...Don't you think it would be ridiculous if something that was created with so much care, that which the Creator considers to be more precious than anything else, were to fall back into nothingness?When a sculptor or painter wants the images they have fashioned to remain to testify to their glory, they restore them once they have deteriorated. And would God see his property, his work, fall back into nothingness and exist no more? We would call a «laborer of uselessness» anyone who built a house to destroy it or who allowed it to fall into ruins when he might have kept it standing. In the same way, would we not be accusing God of creating the flesh without purpose? But no, the Immortal one is not like that; he who is by nature the Spirit of the universe cannot be a fool!... The truth is that God has called the flesh to be born again and has promised it eternal life. Because wherever the good news of man's salvation is proclaimed, it is proclaimed also for the flesh. For what, indeed, is man if not a living being endowed with intelligence, formed of soul and body? Does the soul alone make a man? No, for it is the soul of a man. Are we to call «man» the body? No, we say that it is the body of a man. So if neither of these two elements makes up man by itself alone, it is the union of the two that we call «man». However, it is man that God has called to life and resurrection: not part of him but the whole man, namely soul and body. So wouldn't it be absurd if, while both exist according to and within the same reality, one of them should be saved and the other not?

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports 
 Obama's Mideast peace platform comes into focus. By Amir Oren, Haaretz 22/11/08
My desire is to see a world free of nuclear weapons-By Ban Ki-moon-22/11/08
Lebanon's politicians aren't doing anything to earn democratic support- The Daily Star-22/11/08
Telling the truth about Occupied Jerusalem.By Marc J. Sirois-22/11/08
In Somalia, piracy and state breakdown-By Rami G. Khouri-22/11/08
Ping-pong diplomacy.By: Bassel Oudat. Al-Ahram Weekly 22/11/08
Journalists shouldn't.By:Hussain Abdul-Hussain. Al-Ahram Weekly 22/11/08

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for November 22/08
Syria must choose between 'peace or belligerence': Peres-AFP
Independence Day: Military Parade in Beirut and Secret Hizbullah Maneuvers in the South-Naharnet
Suleiman's Independence Day Address: Independence Requires Sacrifices-Naharnet
Lebanon marks Independence Day-Africasia
Iran hangs man convicted of passing secrets to Israel-Jerusalem Post
Germany bans Hizbullah's TV station-AP
Syria: We won't allow another IAEA visit-AP
Report: Hezbollah carries out military drills in south Lebanon-Ha'aretz
Lebanese Christian leader to visit Damascus for peace-Xinhua
NY Times: Hizbullah Influencing Young Minds-Naharnet
Awad Clan Delegation at Yarze-Naharnet
Decomposed Body Found Close to Former Syrian Intelligence Center in Anjar-Naharnet
Video Shows Assassination Training by Fatah al-Islam-Naharnet
Fillon offers helping hand for Lebanon's 2009 polls-Daily Star
Gemayel: Aoun Made his Choice and is Committed to the Syrian ...Naharnet
Aoun: I am Going to Damascus Because Peace is Worthy of a Visit-Naharnet
Lebanon Restricts Activity of Syrian Oppositionists-Middle East Media Research Institute
Somali pirates boost defenses around tanker-(AFP)
Sleiman says independence requires sacrifices-Daily Star
Moussa: No comment on Hariri's request for probe-Daily Star
Fadlallah raps European stance on resistance-Daily Star
Hizbullah urges Iraqis to reject US military pact-Daily Star
US to provide Lebanon with M60 tanks-Daily Star
Germany announces partial ban on Al-Manar broadcasts-Naharnet
One dead as army troops clash with gunmen near Tripoli-(AFP)
Lebanese in Paris have another independence bash-Daily Star

Independence Day: Military Parade in Beirut and Secret Hizbullah Maneuvers in the South
Naharnet/Lebanese Hizbullah conducted secret military maneuvers north and south of the Litani River Saturday morning, coinciding with a military parade by Lebanese armed forces in downtown Beirut celebrating Independence Day. The al-Arabiya television network stated on Saturday that Hizbullah is not using any weapons in its maneuvers; rather training its elements on mountain deployments and other military actions.
The television network pointed that the Lebanese party is conducting its maneuvers despite UNSCR 1701, a resolution that bans Hizbullah from south of the Litani River.Hizbullah did not issue any official response on the issue, as it mostly keeps mum over its military maneuvers and capabilities.
On Saturday morning the Lebanese state celebrated its 65th independence day anniversary, an event that was attended by the President of the republic Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Fouad Saniora , Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and Lebanese and foreign dignitaries.
Symbolic units from all branches of the Lebanese armed forces participated in the official military parade in downtown Beirut. President Suleiman placed a wreath at the Statue of Martyrs at the beginning of official celebrations. For the first times since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war in Lebanon two military Hawker Hunter aircrafts participated in the parade. Lebanese military technicians succeeded in rehabilitating and refitting the 1959 aircrafts following a long state of dormancy during the troubled war years.
Helicopter squadrons flew over the military parade carrying the national flag.
At the end of the parade President Suleiman accompanied by Prime Minister Saniora, Parliament Speaker Berri left to Baadda's Presidential Palace to receive official delegations and citizens congratulating them on the occasion. The last official military parade in downtown Beirut was held in 2005. It is worth noting that for the first time since the end of the civil war representatives of the Syrian armed forces were not present at the parade celebrations. Syrian forces departed from Lebanon on 26 April 2005. The 2007 independence anniversary coincided with the end of President Emile Lahoud's term in office amidst state institutional paralysis; President Lahoud's allies at the time resigned and boycotted the government leaving the parliamentary majority March 14 Forces alone in government.
In 2006 Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel was assassinated on the eve of Independence Day celebrations; his assassination came as part of a chain of assassinations against major figures opposing Syrian policies in the country beginning with the February 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Harir in downtown Beirut.
Beirut, 22 Nov 08, 12:50

Suleiman's Independence Day Address: Independence Requires Sacrifices
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman on Friday described independence as "a continuous struggle," adding that it cannot be achieved without sacrifices.
In a televised speech delivered before 165 university students at Baabda Palace, Suleiman said: "The nation and independence are built on sacrifices."
On the eve of Independence Day, he urged the Lebanese to build a capable and just state, far removed from political polarizations.
He said work over the past six months has focused on "setting priorities, setting a vision that protects independence based on dialogue, consensus and reviving institutional work." These achievements "have led to a general atmosphere of accord on all levels," Suleiman said.
He also stressed the importance of an independent judiciary, saying: "Lebanon's independence cannot be achieved without the independence of the judiciary and the building of strong institutions."The president called on the government to deal with "economic, social, livelihood, educational and health issues" which are burdening the Lebanese. "Young people can question and hold us accountable. We are in a democratic system that allows this," Suleiman added. Beirut, 21 Nov 08, 21:28

Awad Clan Delegation at Yarze
Naharnet/A delegation from the Awad clan visited the defense ministry compound in Yarze on Friday to discuss the issue of wanted Fatah al-Islam leader Abdel Rahman Awad. The delegation met with Deputy Director of Military Intelligence Brig. Gen. Abass Ibrahim. Palestinian sources disclosed to the daily al-Balad on Saturday that the delegation included the brothers and relatives of the wanted terrorist. The delegation informed Abass that it would accept any Palestinian consensus for action against Awad. The clan refused to accept responsibility for the security consequences of any action, according to the paper. The daily said that contacts between Lebanese military intelligence and Palestinian leaders from various organizations have intensified with the aim of arresting wanted individuals including Ossama al-Shahabi, a religious official of Fatah al-Islam accused of recruiting new elements, Mohammed Ahmed al-Doukhi, the group's media official, in addition to Awad. Beirut, 22 Nov 08, 11:32

November 21, 2008 (8:00 p.m. EST)
No. 220
Canada Welcomes Adoption of UN Human Rights Resolution on Iran
The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, welcomed the adoption of a resolution on the human rights situation in Iran, following a vote at the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly earlier today.
"The adoption of this resolution is a clear signal of the international community's concern for the human rights of people in Iran. It sends a message of hope to the victims of state-sponsored brutality and to the human rights defenders who seek to effect positive change in Iran," said Minister Cannon. "At the same time, the Iranian regime is called upon to respect fully its human rights obligations, in law and in practice."
With the passing of this resolution, Canada continues its leadership in the world by serving as the lead coordinator for this resolution, which expresses serious concern about the systemic human rights violations committed by the Government of Iran. The resolution was co-sponsored by 42 other UN member states and was supported by 70 in the vote earlier today. As in previous years, the Iranian delegation attempted to use procedural manoeuvres to block the Committee from considering the resolution on its merits. Yet again, the Iranian efforts to hide their abuses failed.
Pursuant to the resolution adopted last year, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued a report highlighting serious violations of human rights in Iran, such as the execution of juveniles, stoning and amputation, widespread discrimination against cultural, religious and linguistic minorities, censorship, and harassment of human rights defenders and women's rights activists.
"With this resolution, and those presented in previous years, international attention has been drawn to the flagrant human rights abuses in Iran," said Minister Cannon. "We continue to call on the Iranian government to take concrete steps to respect the human rights of all people in Iran.
"We will continue to promote Canadian values, such as freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, on the world stage. All Canadians can be proud of Canada's principled foreign policy."

Report: Hezbollah carries out military drills in south Lebanon
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service
Hezbollah engaged in military practice drills south of the Litani River on Saturday, according to a report by the pan-Arab satellite news station Al-Arabiya and cited by Israel Radio. Though the maneuvers focused on force deployment in mountainous areas and did not include any live fire exercises, holding such exercises south of the Litani would be a breach of the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which bans any Hezbollah activity there.
Resolution 1701 calls or a full cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, who engaged in a month-long conflict in southern Lebanon during the summer of 2006. The resolution also calls for withdrawal of both Israeli and Hezbollah troops from southern Lebanon, to be replaced by UNIFIL peacekeeping troops. It also requires Hezbollah to disarm. Hezbollah would not comment on the veracity of the report, according to Israel Radio. Defense Minister Ehud Barak met last month with the commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon to protest Hezbollah's continued arms smuggling from Syria, in violation of Security Council Resolution 1701. Barak said the Israel Defense Forces is closely monitoring the Lebanon border, and has seen Hezbollah gaining strength over the past two years, with close Syrian assistance. "The repeated violation of 1701 could lead us to upset of the delicate balance that exists in Lebanon, and it poses a substantive danger to the entire region," Barak said. The UNIFIL commander also met last month with IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, who similarly complained to the visiting UNIFIL commander about continued arms smuggling. The two also discussed Israel's withdrawal from the divided border town of Ghajar.

Gemayel: Aoun Made his Choice and is Committed to the Syrian-Iranian Axis
Naharnet/Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel has accused Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun of being part of the Syrian-Iranian axis.
Aoun "made his choice and is committed to the Syrian-Iranian axis," Gemayel said in an interview with the weekly al-Massira magazine on Saturday.
He also said that the issue of Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shouba Hills was a lie aimed at keeping Hizbullah's arms.

Gemayel said Syria was taking steps to normalize relations with Lebanon.
Naharnet/"Lebanon is ready to normalize relations with Syria. However, the question is Syria ready? It does not take any practical steps in doing so, a matter that reinforces doubt among the Lebanese to make them wonder about its true intentions." He said the March 14 Forces will participate in the 2009 parliamentary elections through a unified list. "Lebanese voters are facing a historic test; either they vote for positive neutrality, not to commit to any axis; or for a Lebanon that is part of a regional and Arab axis that could embroil it in endless struggles," Gemayel said. In answering Aoun's comment that presidential powers are at the Grand Serail and not in Baabda, Gemayel said: "What we want is to fortify the position of the presidency not to doubt it." Beirut, 21 Nov 08, 21:49

Aoun: I am Going to Damascus Because Peace is Worthy of a Visit
Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun has said his upcoming trip to Damascus is aimed at starting a new era, adding that peace deserves a visit.
"Previously, I engaged in battle and returned to my country. But today I am starting a new era," he told An Nahar daily in remarks published Saturday.
"Syria left Lebanon and diplomatic relations began with it," he said. "Those who want to improve have to have the courage to make this change for the sake of life."
When asked if the Lebanese who have suffered as a result of Syria's presence in Lebanon agree with his visit to Damascus, Aoun said: "Of course they do because they know that it is in the interest of the nation.""When Gen. Charles de Gaulle visited Germany he said that peace is worthy of a visit," Aoun told An Nahar.
He said the date of his visit to Damascus was set on the day President Michel Suleiman was elected. "At the time I told (Syrian Foreign) Minister Walid Muallem that I would go (to Damascus) in the fall. Now I am keeping my promise," Aoun told the newspaper. Muallem has disclosed that he invited Aoun to the Syrian capital as he accidentally met him in one of Parliament's hallways during Suleiman's election. Addressing those who are criticizing his trip, Aoun said: "Are you calling me to account because I want to bring my country back to a stable (situation)? Aoun said that he was visiting Damascus as a "Christian from the Levant" when asked if he was going to Syria as its foe in 1990 or as the head of the largest Christian parliamentary bloc.He described Damascus as "the cradle of Christianity." Beirut, 22 Nov 08, 05:55

Lebanese Christian leader to visit Damascus for peace
www.chinaview.cn 2008-11-22 18:01:42 Print
BEIRUT, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun said that his upcoming visit to Syria is aimed at starting a new era of peace and stability, local An-Nahar daily newspaper reported Saturday.
Peace is worth the visit, because it is in the interest of both nations, Aoun said.
Those who want to have an improved situation should have the courage to make changes for the sake of life, Aoun told An-Nahar in an exclusive interview.
When commenting on those who are criticizing his visit, Aoun simply questioned, "Are you criticizing my visit because I want to bring my country back to stability?"
As the head of majority of Christian Members of Parliament and the Christian opposition Michel Aoun is to visit Syria for the first time before the end of this year, local media announced on Oct. 30. Aoun's visit to Syria represents a major development after more than three decades of animosity between the two sides, the report said. His visit was decided on May 25, 2008 when Lebanese President Michel Suleiman was elected. Aoun was Syria's first enemy in Lebanon when he headed the transition government in 1988. He was ousted by a Syrian military operation on the presidential palace on Oct. 13, 1990 and exiled in France for 15 years before returning after Syrian troops pulled out of Lebanon in 2005. Editor: Yao

Lebanon Restricts Activity of Syrian Oppositionists
Xinhua/Following the announcement of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Lebanon and Syria, the Lebanese authorities have reportedly agreed to restrict the activity of Syrian oppositionists operating in the country. According to the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, Syria has asked Lebanon to monitor and restrict the oppositionists' activity as a confidence-building measure and as part of the new era in Lebanon-Syria relations. The paper reports that, in compliance with this request, the Lebanese security apparatuses have required Syrian oppositionists to either desist from activity against the Syrian regime or leave the country. The oppositionists have been warned that if they remain in Lebanon and continue their activity, the security apparatuses may not be able to protect them from Syria's allies in Lebanon.(1)
The Lebanese daily Al-Safir reported, citing an official Lebanese source, that Lebanon has assured Syria that measures will be taken against the oppositionists – "the [same] measures used against any group attempting to harm an Arab country, as mandated by the agreements and [mutual] commitments [that exist] among the Arab states."(2)
A reflection of the oppositionists' plight is the recent decision by Syrian oppositionist Mamoun Al-Homsi, a former Syrian MP, to leave Lebanon for Washington, D.C. Al-Homsi explained that he was forced to flee Lebanon, where he had resided for two years, after discovering that the Syrian security apparatuses planned to have him assassinated.(3)
The following are excerpts from a statement published by Al-Homsi and from an article by Syrian oppositionist Jihad Saleh, who lives in Lebanon, about the situation of Syrian oppositionists in the country.
Al-Homsi: I Survived a Plot by the Syrian Forces of Darkness
In his statement, published October 13, 2008, Mamoun Al-Homsi explained: "I chose to live in Lebanon because it was an oasis of democracy surrounded by the talons of the [Syrian] dictatorship, and losing blood every day in its struggle to prevent the renewal of the [Syrian] patronage...
"The decision to stay in Lebanon was a difficult one, since, as the whole world knew, the Assad regime was [constantly] sabotaging its security and stability... [However], I saw it as my national duty to remain [there], despite the attendant dangers and worries. My spirit never flagged and I never feared the [Syrian] dictatorship – considering that I have published statements and [expressed] my opinion even while incarcerated in a [Syrian] prison, thereby exposing myself to depraved and brutal tortures methods and inhuman treatment.
"[But] a few days ago, the forces of oppression managed to find me and ambush me, with the help of a [Syrian agent] who had been planted in an anti-Syrian media outlet. Thanks to Allah the Almighty, I survived the plot, [but now] I was faced with a difficult choice – to leave [Lebanon, or to put my life in jeopardy]. I [left] not out of fear but in order to complete my noble duty towards our precious country and our beloved and tortured people.
"I thank the Lebanese people, whom I love and who deserve freedom and independence, and I am also deeply grateful to the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon, which helped me to safely depart for Washington."(4)

Syrian Oppositionist: The Syrian Evil Has Returned to Lebanon in Diplomatic Guise
MEMRI
In an article on the oppositionist Syrian website www.thisissyria.net, Syrian journalist and human rights activist Jihad Saleh protested against the persecution of Syrian oppositionists in Lebanon, and expressed sorrow that some Lebanese are willing to serve as ambassadors of the Syrian regime. He wrote:
"With the [current] carnival of mutual [rapprochement] between the Syrian regime... and the new Lebanese government, and the preparations for the exchange of ambassadors and establishment of embassies... some Lebanese politicians have gotten ahead of themselves, and are [already] loading their guns and rifles, and aiming them at the Syrian oppositionists living in Beirut...
"The Syrian security apparatuses and some Lebanese leaders are jointly concocting a security agreement [as a basis] for exemplary relations [between the two countries]. The first [act] in this new festival of the Syrian regime is to expel from Lebanon the democratic, nonviolent Syrian [opposition], which is fighting the Ba'th culture of tyranny. [These Syrian oppositionists] were forced into exile in Lebanon, or fled there seeking refuge from the oppression and arrests [in Syria]... They hoped to find a new homeland, a safe haven where they would enjoy some freedom.
"[Unfortunately, however,] there are forces in Lebanon... which are doing a song and dance, [advocating] the Syrians' return [to Lebanon] in the guise of diplomats. In an attempt to please and gain the love of the ruling family in Damascus, they have begun to aim arrows at the Syrian opposition in Lebanon. [Pro-Syrian forces in Lebanon have been] drawing a connection between [the Syrian oppositionists] and the armed terrorists(5) – a depraved act meant to malign the Syrian oppositionists and to present their free, democratic and nonviolent activity as terrorism that will ultimately shatter the peace [between the various sectors in Lebanon]...
"This, of course, is a storm in a teacup, since the Lebanese state and people realize the true nature of the activity carried out by the Syrian intellectuals, who [merely] express their honest opinion about the policy of the Syrian regime against the [Syrian] people and homeland, and about the criminal violations of human [rights] in Syria. The [activity of the oppositionist] Syrian forces [in Lebanon] is completely open and transparent. It complies with the principles of justice and nonviolence, and is based on the right to freedom of speech and expression. [The oppositionists] break no regional, international or even Lebanese laws...
"[The Lebanese people] know that the activists of freedom and democracy in Syria supported Lebanon's aspirations to become a democratic, independent and sovereign homeland. The Damascus-Beirut Declaration(6) clearly attests to the noble Syrians' solidarity with their Lebanese brothers, and to the condemnation and opposition they expressed regarding the military presence of the [Syrian] regime in Lebanon throughout the 30 years of patronage and occupation...
"The majority of intellectuals both inside and outside Syria [believe in] the principles of democracy for Syria and independence for Lebanon.
"However, we are [now] seeing some [Lebanese citizens] supporting the Syrian security apparatuses under the pretext of diplomacy... [These Lebanese] are welcoming with open arms the Syrian evil which has arrived from Damascus in a new form. Exploiting the presence of the Syrian opposition in Lebanon, they are maligning it with absurd, biased and cowardly accusations – which is a black mark on Lebanon's history of democracy and freedom... It is painful that some [Lebanese] see themselves as ambassadors of Assad's regime in Beirut."(7)
Endnotes:
(1) Al-Akhbar (Lebanon), October 21, 2008.
(2) Al-Safir (Lebanon), October 17, 2008.
(3) Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), October 17, 2008.
(4) www.rabeadamascus.com, October 13, 2008.
(5) For example, an October 15, 2008 article on the website www.champress.net, which is affiliated with the Syrian regime, implied a link between the Syrian oppositionists and the terrorists in Lebanon by claiming that both are supported by Saudi Arabia.
(6) The Damascus-Beirut Declaration, issued on May 12, 2006 and signed by several hundred intellectuals from Syria and Lebanon, called to rectify relations between the two countries "from the root." For more information, see MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis No. 286, "Wave of Arrests of Syrian Intellectuals Following the Beirut-Damascus Declaration," July 11, 2006, http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&ID=IA28606. (7) www.thisissyria.net, October 22, 2008.

Journalists shouldn't
By:Hussain Abdul-Hussain*
Al-Ahram Weekly
Syrian propaganda is behind stories of Lebanese terror in Syria, and some journalists are playing along, writes Hussain Abdul-Hussain*
Seymour Hersh, investigative reporter with The New Yorker, concluded a two-week trip to Damascus during the first half of October, according to The Guardian. The British daily reported that Hersh was in the process of writing a piece on Syria, yet one can only wonder what Hersh will reveal this time, more than a year after publishing one of his most uninformed pieces on terrorism in Lebanon.
Hersh's expected report fits perfectly, with or without his knowledge, into a concerted Syrian propaganda campaign to prove that Saudi-funded terrorism is taking hold of northern Lebanon and, consequently, spilling over to Syria. The Syrian campaign started in early September when President Bashar Al-Assad, upon receiving his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy, accused unnamed Arab countries of instigating terrorist groups in northern Lebanon. For this purpose, Al-Assad called on his Lebanese counterpart Michel Suleiman to deploy Lebanese army units north.
On 26 September, Al-Assad deployed massive troop numbers on the Syrian side of Lebanon's northern border in an attempt to convince the world that Damascus feared a terrorist penetration into its territories. A day later, a bomb went off in Damascus killing civilians only. If the Damascus bombing was a terrorist attack, like Syrian authorities would later claim, then it was the clumsiest attack radicals have so far executed.
Yet Damascus was determined to show the world that it was the victim of Lebanese-grown, Saudi-funded terrorism. Hersh was seen in Beirut and Damascus during early October. But since Hersh's piece was scheduled to run at a later time, Damascus was impatient.
Pro-Syrian Lebanese media started reporting on Hizbullah and the Lebanese Army Intelligence unveiling a Lebanese spy ring that worked for Israel and moved freely between Lebanon and Damascus, with some stories concluding that links could be proven between this ring and the killing of Hizbullah's leader Imad Mughniyah in Damascus earlier this year. Pending further investigations, the capture of this ring seemingly proved one thing: that Lebanon was the source of sabotage inside Syria.
Still anxious to prove how disturbing "Lebanese terror" had become for Damascus, Syrian media put out, on 8 November, three reports. In the first, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported the confessions of so-called ringleaders responsible for the Damascus bombing of 27 September. According to the report, the terrorists belonged to Fatah Al-Islam, a radical group that fought with the Lebanese army during the summer of 2007 in the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr Al-Bared in northern Lebanon.
On that same day, Syria's state-run TV aired similar confessions, this time by Wafa, the daughter of Fatah Al-Islam's leader, Shaker Al-Absi, in which she said that her father and his group received funds from Lebanon's lawmaker and Sunni heavyweight politician Saad Al-Hariri. Syrian official media reports were coupled with an op-ed in The Asia Times. Sami Moubayed, an analyst close to the regime, entreated from America's President-elect Barack Obama the following: "Help Syria combat Islamic fundamentalism that has been flowing into its territory from north Lebanon and Iraq. The deadly 27 September attack in Damascus... should have been a wake-up call for the Americans that unless cooperation is forthcoming from the US, Syria might become a battleground for extremists."
On 10 November, pro-Syria Lebanese lawmaker Michel Aoun entered the fray by commenting on Syrian accusations of Al-Hariri funding Fatah Al-Islam, highlighting an American report by none other than Hersh, saying that Hersh's story was proof enough that Al-Hariri stood behind this Sunni radical terror. So what did Hersh exactly write that is being repeatedly quoted by Syria's protégés in Lebanon?
On 5 March 2007, The New Yorker ran a story entitled "The redirection" in which Hersh tried to prove that the pro-Washington Lebanese government, an ally of Al-Hariri and Saudi Arabia, had taken Fatah Al-Islam under its wing. Hersh based his findings on his conversation with a certain Alastair Crooke, "who spent nearly 30 years in Mi6, the British intelligence service," and was working in a Beirut think tank at the time.
Crooke told Hersh that one "Sunni extremist group, Fatah Al-Islam, had splintered from its pro-Syrian parent group, Fatah Al-Intifada, in the Nahr Al-Bared refugee camp, in northern Lebanon." Crooke added: "I was told that within 24 hours they were being offered weapons and money by people presenting themselves as representatives of the Lebanese government's interests -- presumably to take on Hizbullah."
Thus a rumour was born based on Crooke, who was "told" the government offered Fatah Al-Islam arms and money "presumably to take on Hizbullah".
Despite this flaw in Hersh's story, some information could not be disputed: Fatah Al-Islam was a splinter group of Fatah Al-Intifada, one of half a dozen Palestinian factions loyal to Syria and based in Lebanon. Splinter group does not mean anti-Syrian for, in Lebanon, several opposed factions are allied to Syria at the same time.
The story of Fatah Al-Islam shows undisputed Syrian involvement in its creation. Its leader Al-Absi was arrested but released from prison in Syria in 2005, only three years after his arrest. Why would Syria let out a terrorist of the caliber of Al-Absi at a time it throws in prison people of much lesser weight, such as opposition figure Aref Dalila, who spent eight years behind bars before being released for health reasons?
Also in a story by sources more credible than The New Yorker and Hersh, The Associated Press (AP) reported 8 June 2007, 20 days into Fatah Al-Islam's battle with the Lebanese army, that Al-Absi "was received with open arms by Fatah Uprising and its deputy leader, Abu Khaled Al-Amleh, who was based in Damascus."
Ibrahim Abu Mohamed, an official of Fatah Uprising, told AP that his group trained Al-Absi's men in Yanta and Halwa in eastern Lebanon, close to the Syrian border. But when Fatah Uprising officials in Lebanon alerted their superiors in Damascus that Al-Absi's men "were behaving strangely", they were swiftly dismissed and told the group was in Lebanon for the "struggle" and to fight the "Zionist enemy", AP quoted Abu Mohamed as saying.
In a nutshell Syria released Al-Absi from prison, sent him and his men for training in the camps of its staunchest Palestinian allies in Lebanon, dismissed accusations of strange behaviour against him, then invited Hersh to write in The New Yorker that a certain Crooke told him that he was "told" that the Lebanese government, Al-Hariri and the Saudis were behind the group and offered it money and weapons.
This time, Damascus is up to a similar propaganda scheme, and it invited Hersh once again to the region. The Guardian wrote about Hersh's supporters saying they believe "that his mistakes -- and even the wilder allegations he sometimes makes in speeches -- should always be put in the context of his hit rate."
But in a region as sensitive as the Middle East, there is no room for error in reporting. Hersh should realise that by pretending to highlight unfounded rumours, he ends up taking sides and vindicating one faction against another, a role that respectful journalists should never play.
* The writer is a journalist based in Washington, DC.

Ping-pong diplomacy
By: Bassel Oudat
Al-Ahram Weekly
Will talk do more than bluster, asks Bassel Oudat from Damascus
A US delegation affiliated with President-elect Barack Obama visited Syria on 12 November and met with two figures close to the Syrian government. The US delegation, comprising intellectuals, academics, and politicians from several US states, aimed to find out more about the impact of Obama's election on the region, explore Arab reactions, and examine the future of US relations with the Syrian government.
Throughout his election campaign, Obama spoke of change. One thing the Syrians care most about is a change in the US foreign policy regarding their country. They told the delegation that eight years of attempts at isolation and intimidation by the Bush administration did little to improve ties between the two nations.
The meeting took place at the Arab Institute for International and Diplomatic Sciences in Beirut. Syrian media made no mention of the visit. The delegation is on a regional tour of six Middle East countries, including Lebanon and Jordan to gather information about Arab reaction to Obama's election and the prospects of peace and dialogue in the region. The US consul in Damascus briefed the delegation on Syrian reaction to US policies.
A Syrian source attending the meeting told Al-Ahram Weekly that Syria's former ambassador to Egypt Issa Darwish also briefed the American visitors on Syrian views of US policy. Darwish spoke at length about Syria's position on Iraq, Lebanon, and the Palestinian resistance, explaining what he considered to be the best way of promoting ties with the new administration. Darwish discussed the possibility of the return of US oil companies to work in Syria and conveyed to the Americans the reaction of Damascus to the recent US attack on Al-Sokkariya near Abu Kamal.
Darwish, who said that he was not speaking on behalf of the Syrian government, told the Americans that the Bush administration acted provocatively and aggressively with Syria. Washington, he said, withdrew its ambassador from Damascus for no good reason, refused to hold dialogue, imposed sanctions on Syria, and tried to isolate it. At one point, the Bush administration made unacceptable conditions for resuming the dialogue with Damascus. For example, Washington asked Syria to cut off its relations with Iran, Palestinian organisations, and Hizbullah. Washington also wanted Syria to change its policy on Lebanon and approach its conflict with Israel in a different manner.
The Syrians told the US delegation that Damascus is interested in defusing tensions in the regions, is earnestly pursuing talks with Israel, and wants the Americans to sponsor and participate in these talks. Damascus holds no grudges towards the US administration and believes that the best way to sort out problems is through dialogue.
Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad said more than once that Syria and Israel cannot reach agreement without active US participation in the talks. During Al-Assad's visit to Paris in July, the Syrian president said that American sponsorship would be needed for the two sides to move into direct talks. Unfortunately, the US administration refused to sponsor the talks unless Syria complies with several conditions that Damascus found unacceptable.
Thanks to French mediation, Syria changed its regional policy towards Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon. It has managed to improve its ties with Europe, and was generally under the impression that the changes it made in its regional policies had Washington's implicit approval. Syria hopes to resume talks with the US administration and cooperate with Washington in the same way it does with Paris. It supports the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq according to a clear timetable, the Syrians told the visiting delegation.
Speaking to members of the Arab interim parliament early this month, the Syrian president criticised the draft of the security agreement between Iraq and the US. In what is believed to be a veiled reference to the US attack on the Syrian village of Al-Sokkariya, Al-Assad said that the US-Iraqi agreement "would turn the Iraqi territories into a base for attacking neighbouring countries".
It is worth noting that a Syrian academic delegation visited the US a few months ago for talks with civil society groups, academics and political figures. The Syrian delegation outlined the Syrian position on regional issues, the peace process and US politics. One of the chief members of this delegation was Samir Al-Taqiy, who told the Weekly that "the delegation acted in a non-official function, offering academic views and political analysis." Al-Taqiy said that Damascus is hoping that the new administration would mediate future direct talks between Syria and Israel.
Syrian officials felt great relief at Obama's election victory. In their view, a Republican victory would have meant the continuation of the Bush policies of isolating and punishing Syria. The Bush administration showed no appreciation for the extensive changes Syria has introduced in its regional policy. Instead, Damascus found itself bullied by both Israel, which attacked Al-Kobar in December 2007, then by America, which recently bombed Al-Sokkariya.
Darwish told the US delegation that Syria has been trying for several years to mend fences with Washington, which withdrew its ambassador from Syria three years ago, right after Al-Hariri's assassination. It also pressured its European allies to slam sanctions on Syria and brushed off Syrian gestures of goodwill.
Those who attended the talks told the Weekly that the US delegation "listened carefully" to the Syrian point of view and showed "understanding" of Syrian needs. The Syrians are hopeful that the visit would influence Obama's future Middle East policy and pave the way for rapprochement. Recalling the ping-pong diplomacy that brought the US and China closer decades ago, Syrian interlocutors voiced the hope that Syrian-US relations would soon be on the mend.
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved

Iran hangs man convicted of passing secrets to Israel
AP/Ali Ashtari in court. Ashtari was sentenced to death for "spying for Israel."
Ali Reza Jamshidi told The Associated Press that Ali Ashtari was hanged on November 17 after being sentenced to death on June 30 by a revolutionary court in Teheran. It was the country's first known conviction for espionage linked to Israel in almost a decade. Jamshidi said Ashtari was found guilty of relaying sensitive information on military, defense and research centers to Israeli intelligence officers. The 45-year-old electronics salesman supplied military, security and defense centers across Iran. Iranian officials have said the material that Ashtari allegedly passed to Israeli intelligence officials included information on Iran's Atomic Energy Organization. A top Iranian intelligence official said that the announcement of Ashtari's hanging was part of an "intelligence battle" with the secret agencies of Iran's enemies, the official IRNA news agency reported. "We had specific intentions with announcing the execution of Ashtari ... we want to show that new intelligence battles with enemy's intelligence services have begun and that intelligence battles have become more serious," IRNA quoted the head of Counterespionage Department at the Intelligence Ministry as saying. The news agency didn't identify the intelligence official by name, which is customary in Iran.
The semi-official Mehr news agency quoted the same official as saying Saturday that Ashtari's body was handed over to his family last Monday and later buried.
Jamshidi, the spokesman, said Ashtari was arrested in 2007 after cooperating with the Israeli foreign intelligence agency Mossad for three years. Prior to his trial, Iranian officials accused Ashtari of trying to "create a link" between Iranian experts and Israeli agents.
Iran and Israel have long been enemies. But the ruling against Ashtari is the first time since 2000 that an Iranian court has convicted an Iranian citizen of charges of espionage for Israel. The ruling against Ashtari was handed down by Iran's Revolutionary Court, which handles security issues.
A closed-door trial in 2000 convicted 10 Iranian Jews of spying for Israel and sentenced them to prison terms ranging from four to 13 years. All were released before serving out their full sentences. Ashtari's hanging comes amid rumors of Israeli intentions to attack Iran's nuclear facilities because of charges that Iran is seeking to build nuclear weapons.
Israel, the United States and many Western countries contend that Iran's nuclear program is intended to produce nuclear weapons. Iran denies that, saying its program is for peaceful purposes. Earlier this year, Israel Aerospace Industries unveiled its Eitam airplane, which is equipped with sophisticated intelligence-gathering systems.
Israel also launched an advanced spy satellite in January able to track events even at night and in cloudy weather - all of which could be used to spy on Iran.
In 1981, an Israeli air attack destroyed an unfinished nuclear reactor in Iraq. Israel also hit a suspected nuclear facility in Syria September 2007.

Syria: We won't allow another IAEA visit
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
VIENNA, Austria
A senior Syrian official on Friday all but ruled out new visits by UN inspectors probing allegations that his country had a covert program that could be used to make nuclear weapons. Satellite photos showing suspected Syrian nuclear reactor before and after alleged IAF strike.
Syrian refusal to allow inspections could doom the International Atomic Energy Agency's efforts to follow up US assertions that a site reportedly bombed by Israel last year was a nearly finished reactor that could have produced plutonium. Syria allowed the IAEA to visit the site near the desert town of Al Kibar in June but has since turned down requests for more inspections. "We will not allow another visit," said Ibrahim Othman, the head of Syria's atomic agency. He said the IAEA had agreed with Syria that there would be only be one visit. The IAEA has said it agreed to make one initial visit, but has requested others. The IAEA has said it suspects three other sites may have been nuclear-related and linked to the bombed location. Othman described the three sites as (non-nuclear) "military bases" that could not be visited by outsiders, although higher Syrian authorities could decide otherwise.
An IAEA report this week heightened concerns about Al Kibar, saying that satellite imagery and other evidence showed it had the characteristics of a nuclear reactor. It also said that soil samples taken from the bombed site had a "significant number" of chemically processed natural uranium particles.
A senior UN official, who demanded anonymity because the information was restricted, said the findings were unusual for a facility that Syria alleges had no nuclear purpose, but Othman dismissed the findings. "Collecting three (uranium) particles from the desert doesn't mean there is a reactor there," he told reporters on the sidelines of an IAEA meeting on Syria and Iran. Gregory L. Schulte, the chief US delegate to the IAEA, said the IAEA report reinforced suspicions "that Syria was secretly building a nuclear reactor." The US has said it believes Syria was working on the reactor with North Korean help.
Iran, meanwhile, heaped scorn on US allegations that Tehran's advances in uranium enrichment was moving it closer to nuclear arms capability, saying US President George W. Bush was "dreaming" of any excuse to give Washington an excuse to provoke confrontation. The US has not ruled out military action unless Iran stops enrichment and heeds other UN Security Council demands.
For years, Iran has been the focus of international concerns that it might seek to develop nuclear arms. It has been under IAEA investigation since 2002 - and UN sanctions since 2006 - due to revelations of covert atomic activities, allegations that it had past plans to develop such weapons and its refusal to stop enrichment, which can produce both reactor fuel and fissile warhead material.
Schulte said Iran's defiance of the UN Security Council ban on enrichment is "deeply troubling because it is only a small step from the low enriched uranium that Iran is now stockpiling to the highly enriched uranium that Iran would need to build a bomb." Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, its chief IAEA delegate, dismissed Schulte's allegations. "Bush many times was dreaming I am sure" that Tehran would kick out IAEA inspectors and break out of the Nonproliferation Treaty as an excuse for confrontation, said Soltanieh - adding that was something his country would not do.

Germany bans Hizbullah's TV station
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Germany has banned Hizbullah's television station on grounds that it violates the country's constitution, an Interior Ministry spokesman said Friday.
The US banned Al-Manar in 2004, saying it incited terrorist activity. Hizbullah is not banned in Germany but is under observation by the domestic intelligence agency, which tracks extremists. The Al-Manar ban prevents German satellite television companies from offering the channel.
Government spokesman Markus Beyer said Al-Manar programming was forbidden on Nov. 11 under Article 9 of Germany's constitution, which says that organizations cannot operate with the purpose of violating "international understanding." Beyer was not more specific, but Al-Manar is known to be staunchly anti-Israel and frequently broadcasts footage of Hizbullah gunmen. Al-Manar's public relations chief, Ibrahim Farhat, declined to comment, saying station management would issue a statement later. In 2005, Al-Manar broadcast a program that portrayed Jews killing a Christian child to use its blood for matza. When French satellite television banned the channel for airing a 29-part Ramadan special which quoted extensively from the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Hizbullah spokesman Ibrahim Mousawi said the ban resulted from 'political pressure by the Jewish lobby.' Arabic-language Al-Manar is based in Beirut and broadcasts locally and by satellite. It has no physical presence in Germany. The television station is largely funded though not operated by Iran.
*Jerusalem Post correspondent Jonny Paul contributed to this report.

Canada: New trial for leader who made anti-Semitic comments
 Ohad Pas Published: 11.22.08, 08:53 / Israel News
After claiming Hitler ‘fried’ Europe’s Jewry to keep them from ‘taking over Germany,’ former prominent aboriginal leader David Ahenakew to be tried once more for inciting hatred after appealing original conviction
TORONTO – Canadian aboriginal leader David Ahenakew will appear before a Saskatchewan court next week after successfully appealing his original 2005 conviction on anti-Semitic incitement charges. In a recorded 2002 interview with Saskatoon StarPhoenix reporter James Parker, Ahenakew praised Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler as having “cleaned up a hell of a lot of things” with the systematic killing of Jews, gypsies, homosexuals and other minorities during World War II.
A former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Ahenakew was granted a new trial after a higher court ruled the judge who found him guilty of willfully promoting hatred failed to take into account that the prominent politician made the controversial comments during a heated discussion with Parker, and did not consciously set out to incite. Ahenakew was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, and was subsequently stripped of the Order of Canada, which he was awarded in 1978 in recognition of his efforts to advance education within his community. “The Jews damn near owned all of Germany. Prior to the war. That, that's how Hitler came in, that he was going make damn sure that the Jews didn't take over Germany or Europe. That's why he fried six million  of them you know,” Ahenakew is heard telling Parker in the audio recording of their conversation after asserting the war itself had been started by Jews. When asked by Parker how he could justify the Holocaust, Ahenakew said that was “how you get rid of a disease like that.” Jewish human rights group ‘Bnai Brith’ – the only organization granted third-party status in the trial – is expected to send a representative to observe the proceedings.

ANALYSIS / Obama's Mideast peace platform comes into focus
By Amir Oren, Haaretz Correspondent
Last update - 14:03 22/11/2008
Eight weeks before Barack Obama is sworn into office, signs have emerged over the weekend that point to what is turning out to be the new administration's plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This is the conclusion that one reaches when considering the upcoming appointment of Hillary Clinton to the position of secretary of state; the reports that Obama could name retired general James Jones to the position of national security adviser; and the president-elect's reliance on the advice of Brent Scowcroft, who served as national security adviser in the administrations of Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush. Obama and Scowcroft are said to have spoken at least twice since the election.
Despite the attention being paid to Clinton, no less important is the move made two days ago by Scowcroft and the man who succeeded him in office as national security adviser to Jimmy Carter, Zbigniew Brzezinski. In an op-ed piece penned for the Washington Post, Scowcroft (whom John McCain considered naming as a special envoy to the Middle East) and Brzezinski (who was close to Obama during the initial stages of his candidacy for president) offered a kind of first draft of "The Obama Plan."
The former NSA chiefs - who represent a wide, bipartisan consensus by dint of their service to Democratic and Republican presidents - praise President Bush's peace efforts over the last year and call upon Obama to lend "priority attention" to the Israeli-Arab peace process. Even though they do not name names, one can clearly notice an effort to influence on the election results in Israel so as to favor moderate candidates - Tzipi Livni and Ehud Barak - over Benjamin Netanyahu.
The crux of their plan to solve the conflict centers on four principles which they believe Obama ought to adopt and publicly declare as policy:
An Israeli withdrawal to the 1967 lines, with slight alterations that are to be mutually agreed upon.
Compensation for Palestinian refugees in lieu of exercising the right of return to pre-1948 Israel.
Jerusalem as a "real home" to two capitals.
A demilitarized Palestinian state.
In order to allay Israel's security concerns over handing over territory to a Palestinian government that is incapable of combating terrorism, the two former national security advisers recommend stationing an international force, perhaps that of NATO, for peacekeeping purposes, securing Israel, and training Palestinian forces.
Scowcroft and Brzezinski believe it is of urgent necessity for Obama to publicly declare his support of these principles. Doing so would go a long way towards Hamas moderating its positions and taking part in the process before the elections for the Knesset ? "a complicating factor" - in February. In addition, the ex-NSA chiefs believe that such a declaration would create diplomatic momentum which "would provide the Israeli people a unique chance to register their views on the future of their country.