LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
October 20/08
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 22,15-21. Then the
Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap him in speech.
They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know
that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with
the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion, for you do not
regard a person's status.Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to
pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"Knowing their malice, Jesus said, "Why are
you testing me, you hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax." Then they handed him the Roman coin.
He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"
They replied, "Caesar's." At that he said to them, "Then repay to Caesar what
belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."
Saint Anthony of Padua (c.1195-1231),
Franciscan, Doctor of the ChurchSermons for Sundays and feasts of the saints
«Let the light of your countenance
shine upon us» (Ps 4,7)
Just as this coin bears the image of Caesar, so our soul is in the image of the
Blessed Trinity, as one of the psalms says: «The light of thy countenance has
been imprinted upon us» (4,6 LXX)... Lord, the light of your countenance, that
is to say the light of your grace that sets your image within us and makes us
become like you, has been imprinted upon us, that is to say imprinted in our
rational faculty, which is the highest power of our soul and receives this light
as wax receives the mark of a seal. God's countenance is our reason because,
just as we recognize someone by his face, so we recognize God through the mirror
of reason. However, this reason has been deformed by human sin since sin opposes
us to God. The grace of Christ has put our reason right. Hence, the apostle Paul
says to the Ephesians: «Be renewed in your minds» (4,23). The light in question
in this psalm is thus the grace that restores God's image imprinted in our
nature...
The whole Trinity has marked mankind with its likeness. With the memory it
resembles the Father; with the understanding it resembles the Son; by love it
resembles the Holy Spirit... From the beginning of creation man was made «in the
image and likeness of God» (Gn 1,26). The image in his understanding of truth,
the likeness in his love of virtue. The light on God's countenance is thus the
grace that justifies us and brings to light once again our created image. This
light constitutes man's whole good, his true good; it sets its mark on him just
as the emperor's image marked the coin.
That is why the Lord adds: «Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar». It was as
if he said: Just as you repay Caesar with his image so repay God with your soul,
beautified and marked by the light of his countenance.
Free Opinions,
Releases, letters & Special Reports
Iran’s strategic
gamble.By:
Gabriel Calabrese 19/10/08
The Middle-East American Vote Who
is for Whom?/interview with Dr.
Walid Phares/By:Maj. W. Thomas Smith Jr.
19/10/08
Hizbollah basks in its authority-Financial
Times 19/10/08
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for October
19/08
Report: Syria could host Russian missiles-United
Press International
Fneish: Lebanon, Syria Need 'Solid' Relations-Naharnet
Abu
Jamra Rejects Accusations that Saudi behind Terrorism in Lebanon-Naharnet
Wahhab:
Army in No Need for U.S. 'Silly' Weapons-Naharnet
Suleiman Praises Sarkozy's Brave
Initiative on Lebanon-Naharnet
Francophonie Summit Fails To Adopt resolutions on Lebanon-Naharnet
Israel denies knowledge of Bush letter to Assad
offering Israeli ...Ha'aretz
Saniora Declares Lebanon's Solidarity with Iraq
Christians-Naharnet
Adwan: Reconciliation with Marada Next Week-Naharnet
Three
People Wounded in Bekaa Quarrel with Sticks and Daggers-Naharnet
Saniora
Declares Lebanon's Solidarity with Iraq Christians-Naharnet
Saniora: Armed Hizbullah
Wouldn't Control Lebanon-Naharnet
Barak for Peace with Arabs
Based on Economy-Naharnet
UNIFIL Awaiting Outcome of
Lebanese Investigation into Kfar Shouba Terror Cell-Naharnet
Egyptian Magnate Pleads
Not Guilty to Suzanne Tamim's Murder-Naharnet
Chamoun Fears National
Dialogue Just to 'Buy Time'-Naharnet
Suleiman: Lebanon Eager to Become Center for Religious Dialogue-Naharnet
UNIFIL Awaiting Outcome of Lebanese
Investigation into Kfar Shouba Terror Cell-Naharnet
Chamoun
Fears National Dialogue Just to 'Buy Time'-Naharnet
Geagea: Aoun's Tehran Visit Not in Christians'
Interest-Naharnet
Corruption on the Rise in Syria-Institute
for War and Peace Reporting
Karami:
No Decision Yet on Participation in Elections-Naharnet
Move to
Pardon 7,500 Wanted Palestinians in Ain el-Hilweh-Naharnet
Suleiman: Lebanon Eager to Become Center for
Religious Dialogue
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman has stressed the importance of "more
effective participation" of Francophone countries in peacekeeping missions.
In his address to the summit of 55 French-speaking nations in Quebec city,
Suleiman supported efforts to consolidate a fair and comprehensive peace in the
Middle East. "Our people expect us to continue to work for peace and dialogue, a
task that corresponds to Lebanon's message – to become an
internationally-recognized center for religious and cultural dialogue," Suleiman
said. He expressed confidence that Francophone countries would not "slacken" in
supporting an independent, sovereign, stable and prosperous Lebanon. Suleiman
stressed Lebanon's commitment, giving full play to the role of regional and
global institutions, particularly the Francophonie. Beirut, 18 Oct 08, 16:30
Francophonie Summit Fails To Adopt resolutions on Lebanon
Naharnet/The United Nations should host financial crisis talks proposed by French
President Nicolas Sarkozy to reinforce the need for a multilateral fix, UN chief
Ban Ki-Moon said. As sources disclosed that resolutions on Lebanon and Georgia
meanwhile were stuck, and unlikely to pass by the 12th Francophonie summit.
Holding talks at the UN secretariat in New York, he said, would "lend universal
legitimacy to this endeavor and demonstrate a collective will to face this
serious global challenge."
The secretary general met with Sarkozy at the 12th Francophonie summit, where
the French president pressed for a meeting of the Group of Eight (G8)
industrialized nations, and others, to mull an overhaul of the global financial
system.
A senior Bush administration official said in turn the US president would prefer
to host the talks himself in the United States, where the global crisis started
with a collapse of the US subprime mortgage market.
The official however did not specify a date for the gathering.
The Francophonie, its agenda seized by the financial crisis, was expected on
Sunday to call for an "urgent and coordinated" response to the meltdown,
according to a draft common statement seen by AFP.
The grouping of 55 French-speaking nations is the first to hold a north-south
forum since the financial meltdown, offering the prospect of assessing its
impact on poorest nations.
"It's strongly paradoxal that the developing world has not yet been truly
touched by the crisis. But they are also clearly, extremely worried," said a
senior aide to Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Sarkozy and Harper urged Friday at the start of the three-day Francophonie
summit for crisis talks by year's end.
"We both agree that there is no time to lose, and therefore, I fully subscribe
to your idea of convening such a forum in early December at the latest," Ban
said in a letter to Sarkozy.
The UN chief offered "strong support" for holding "an expanded, emergency G8
summit to address this urgent problem, and also to include the participation of
the secretary general of the United Nations, as well as the heads of the World
Bank and the International Monetary Fund."
"Such a format will allow us to more effectively act upon a crisis which
requires a global solution through cohesive international partnership," he said.
Sarkozy, whose country holds the revolving presidency of the European Union,
urged a revamping of the world's financial system. He insisted on "ambitious and
pragmatic solutions" to current hardships.
And he said talks must at least include Group of Seven industrialized nations
(G7) and Russia, and preferably also China, India, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil
and "an Arab country," likely Egypt, to succeed.
Later, Bush was hosting Sarkozy and European Commission chief Jose Manuel
Barroso at his Maryland retreat to discuss plans for coping with the most severe
global financial turmoil since the 1929 market collapse that ushered in the
Great Depression.
Bush has conceded a need for reforms, but in a speech in Washington on Friday
also warned against possible "undesirable consequences" of new regulations on
the economy.
Harper's spokesman urged "caution to avoid worsening the crisis."
"We need to reflect on the stakes, how we arrived here, who is responsible, and
what happened," Sarkozy told some 2,000 delegates of the Francophonie Friday.
"And we must draw lessons from it."
"The world must change," he said.
Ban said a solution must also not derail UN efforts to eradicate poverty, fight
against the effects of climate change and address a food crisis.
Saturday, Francophonie leaders were also trying to mull an agreement on the
environment, before turning to threats to the French language the next day.
An African delegation proposed unrestricted travel within the Francophonie,
notably for students.
Belgium sparred with Egypt over its proposed amendment of a resolution promoting
press freedoms and guaranteeing journalists' safety in troubled zones, that
would ban religious caricatures.
And Armenia's full membership to the Francophonie was accepted, while Thailand
and Latvia were offered "observer" status.(AFP)
Beirut, 19 Oct 08, 14:22
Three People Wounded in Bekaa Quarrel with Sticks and Daggers
Naharnet/Cautious calm prevailed over the Bekaa Valley town of Qaa al-Rim and Hazzarta
Sunday as army patrols launched house raids for suspects in a quarrel that
wounded three people the day before.
The wounded were identified by police as Qaa al-Rim citizens Elie Saliba, Moussa
Kfouri and Maroun Tannouri.
Sticks and daggers were used in the quarrel that started in Qaa al-Rim with a
group of young men from the near by town. Beirut, 19 Oct 08, 14:05
Suleiman Praises Sarkozy's Brave Initiative on Lebanon
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman has praised his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy's
"brave move" of engaging Syria in return for backing his Lebanon initiative.
The state-run National News Agency said Suleiman met Sarkozy for 30 minutes in
Quebec on Saturday and the two discussed Lebanon and regional developments.
The report said Sarkozy enquired from Suleiman on the situation in Lebanon,
expressing his "definite will to help."
Suleiman, the report added, briefed Sarkozy on "accomplishments recently
achieved, which bolstered stability" in Lebanon.
Sarkozy asked about progress of the march to establish diplomatic ties between
Syria and Lebanon and Suleiman replied by saying the issue has been "positively
settled and has reached the stage of choosing a venue for the Syrian embassy in
Beirut. The two ambassadors would be accredited before end of the year."
Sarkozy also asked bout the election law and Suleiman "assured him that the law
has been passed by parliament and the security situation is constantly
improving."
Suleiman also assured Sarkozy that the Army is "in good shape, especially after
appointing a new commander" for the military establishment.
The Lebanese president also discussed with his French counterpart the issue of
Palestinian refugees, and the need for their return home to eliminate the threat
of naturalizing them in Lebanon.
Sarkozy invited Suleiman to make a state visit to France in February and
Suleiman invited his French counterpart to visit Lebanon.
Sarkozy pledged to visit Beirut in the spring after the 2009 Parliamentary
elections, the report added.
Beirut, 19 Oct 08, 09:09
Adwan: Reconciliation with Marada Next Week
Naharnet/Deputy leader of the Lebanese Forces George Adwan said the meeting between his
party and the Marada Movement would be held "late next week."
He said contacts to set the schedule for the meeting would be held with
President Michel Suleiman upon his return from Canada.
He said Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun would "attend" the
reconciliation between the Lebanese Forces and Marada movement.
If Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel "wants to attend, why not?" Adwan said.
Beirut, 19 Oct 08, 13:56
Saniora Declares Lebanon's Solidarity with Iraq Christians
Premier Fouad Saniora on Sunday telephoned Iraqi President Jalal Talabani to
declare solidarity with Iraq's Christians and urge their speedy return to their
homes in the town of Mosul.
"The Lebanese people back all efforts exerted by the Iraqi government to
safeguard the social fabric of the state of Iraq," Saniora reportedly told
Talabani.
"Christians in Iraq, as in any other Arab state, are an integral component of
the national fabric," Saniora stressed.
He said the "pluralist nature of our societies is based on values and ethics
from both Christianity and Islam."
Beirut, 19 Oct 08, 13:48
Saniora: Armed Hizbullah Wouldn't Control Lebanon
Naharnet/Premier Fouad Saniora warned against rearming Hizbullah, saying it would not
help in "settling problems, or even establishing control over Lebanon."
"This is what Hizbullah would notice," Saniora told the Financial Times.
Saniora declared support for "excellent relations with Syria" and said Lebanon
is ready for "security cooperation with Syria as two adult brothers, based on
respect for Lebanon's independence and sovereignty."
Saniora said whoever wins the 2009 parliamentary elections "should rule the
country."
"The majority should rule and the minority should be the opposition … this is
democracy," Saniora concluded.
Beirut, 19 Oct 08, 11:07
Barak for Peace with Arabs Based on Economy
Naharnet/Deputy Israeli premier-Defense Minister Ehud Barak said future peace deals with
the Arabs should be of economic nature.
Barak said the "essential condition for future peace accords is to be based on
economic principles. Economy is the factor that makes peace stable and
convincing to the public."
"There are lots of common factors between Israel and the free world as well as
between Israel and the moderate leaders of the Arab world. That is why we would
cooperate to achieve peace with them," Barak told Israeli television.
He proposed to Kadima Party leader Premier-designate Tzipi Livni a three-layer
plan for peace with the Palestinians, Syria and Lebanon.
The talks with the Palestinians and Syrians would be managed through "two
circles and simultaneously."
"After achieving progress in the negotiations with the Syrians, we expect the
road to be paved for peace negotiations with Lebanon too," Barak added. Beirut,
19 Oct 08, 10:36
Egyptian Magnate Pleads Not Guilty to Suzanne Tamim's Murder
Naharnet/Egyptian tycoon Hisham Talaat Mustafa and an ex-policeman who was his alleged
accomplice sat side-by-side in metal cage in a packed Cairo courtroom Saturday
and pleaded not guilty to involvement in the brutal slaying of Lebanese pop
singer Suzanne Tamim.
Mustafa, a stalwart of Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party, is charged with
paying retired policeman Mohsen al-Sukkari $2 million to kill Tamim, 30, whose
throat was cut in a luxury Dubai apartment in July.
"I ask for God's protection for he is my best advocate," Mustafa told the packed
Cairo courtroom, wearing white. "I'm innocent."
"It didn't happen. I presented all evidence to prove that it didn't," he added.
Sukkari, who was detained in Dubai shortly after the killing, said: "I didn't do
it."The case has mesmerized millions across the Middle East. They were shocked by
the allegations against Mustafa and just as surprised that authorities arrested
the real estate mogul and lawmaker.
Mustafa is a close friend of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's son, Gamal, and
part of a powerful group long known as the untouchables because they were seen
as above the law in Egypt's hierarchical class-based society.
But a month after the killing, Mustafa was stripped of his parliamentary
immunity and arrested on charges that he ordered the killing of Tamim, who
friends say left Cairo to break off her relationship with the married tycoon.
The magnate's lawyers requested that their client be released on bail, saying
his imprisonment endangered the well-being of the people who worked for him.
"This is very dangerous not only on the defendant but on his 11 companies ...
and the 60,000 employees and workers who work for him," lawyer Hafiz Farhoud
said.
But the judge refused the request to release Mustafa, the owner of luxury hotels
and beach resorts in Egypt and a leading force in developing upscale
Western-style suburbs around Cairo.
The prosecution admitted into evidence Tamim's white trousers, a Swiss army
knife, fingerprint reports, DNA tests, security camera tapes and transcripts of
phone conversations between the two men allegedly about the murder.
Prosecutors are also expected to present a dozen witnesses, including policemen
from the United Arab Emirates. The singer was found with multiple stab wounds
and her throat slashed.
The prosecution alleges that Mustafa paid Sukkari $2 million to carry out the
killing and helped get visas and tickets for the security man as he trailed the
singer first to London, then to Dubai.
Tamim rose to stardom in the late 1990s but then hit troubled times. Her life
had been marred by domestic disputes, including a rocky marriage with her second
husband and agent who had accused her in 2004 of being behind an attempt on his
life.
Egyptian media said Tamim had a relationship with Mustafa over a three-year
period that ended several months before her death.
According to Dubai investigators, Sukkari stalked Tamim to her apartment in the
swanky Dubai Marina complex and got inside using an ID of the management company
from which she had recently bought her place.
Blood-soaked clothes were found dumped outside the building, and police say the
killer's face was captured on security camera footage.
Security was tight outside the downtown Cairo courtroom Saturday, with dozens of
riot police surrounding the area and often scuffling with the large numbers of
journalists covering the trial.
The judge adjourned the trial until Nov. 15.(AP-AFP-Naharnet)
Beirut, 19 Oct 08, 05:50
Geagea: Aoun's Tehran Visit Not in Christians' Interest
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said Saturday that a visit to Iran by
Christian rival Michel Aoun was "not in the Christians' interest."
"Aoun's visit to Tehran isn't in the Christians' interest nor is it in the
Lebanese interest," Geagea said in a late night interview with al-Jazeera
television network. "I personally won't visit Iran."
He stressed there was no link between his visit to Cairo Oct. 8 and Aoun's
current visit to Tehran.
Geagea said Iran was not in favor of the International Tribunal since the
Persian state "is aware that it will be hurting its regional ally" Syria. "Iran
doesn't wish to weaken its regional position."
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of
ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and related crimes. Many blame Damascus for Hariri's
killing. Syria, however, denies involvement.
Geagea said his talks in Cairo with Hosni Mubarak focused on the disputed
Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms area in light of the Egyptian president's
continuous efforts, together with the U.S., to pressure Israel to evacuate the
zone.
"After recovering Shebaa Farms, we could normalize the situation in Lebanon so
that arms are not to remain in possession of Hizbullah," he added.
Geagea said Mubarak supports a free, sovereign and independent Lebanon.
When asked about whom his enemies were, Geagea said that while Egypt and Saudi
Arabia are political allies, Iran is a political foe.
"Syria, however, was more than a foe. It was an enemy in the previous phase,
pending what the new phase is bringing," he explained.
Geagea said there were no signs that France is moving toward a rapprochement
with Syria.
On efforts to reconcile him with longtime Christian rival, Marada Movement
leader Suleiman Franjieh, Geagea said he does not mind Phalange party chief Amin
Gemayel attending the reunion."Tonight Dr. Samir Geagea relays his apology to both the Franjieh and Karami
families," he said.
Geagea vowed to maintain his alliance with Druze MP Walid Jumblat in the
upcoming parliamentary elections, stressing that George Adwan "is still our
candidate." Beirut, 18 Oct 08, 23:50
Chamoun Fears National Dialogue Just
to 'Buy Time'
Naharnet/National Liberal Party leader Dory Chamoun expressed fear Saturday that
the national dialogue was just a "way to buy time."
His remarks were made during a mass at Mar Mtanios Church in Sodico to
commemorate the 18th anniversary of the killing of his brother, Danny Chamoun,
and his family. On the issue of reunion among the various Lebanese political
parties, Chamoun said reconciliation first starts as an "inner" process.
"No nation is capable of living without a free, fair and democratic state,'
Chamoun said, adding that this can only be achieved through adhering to the
principles and fundamentals stipulated in the Constitution. He believed there
were "groups" that are determined to go on doing "evil" deeds in an attempt to
"change Lebanon's real face." Beirut, 18 Oct 08, 20:30
UNIFIL Awaiting Outcome of Lebanese
Investigation into Kfar Shouba Terror Cell
Naharnet/Investigation into the
alleged Kfar Shouba cell accused of intent to commit terrorist acts was ongoing
Saturday, a day after a military judge announced that a police officer and two
civilians were arrested for possession of explosives. UNIFIL political advisor
Milos Strugar said the U.N. peacekeeping force was in "constant contact" with
the Lebanese army "which is in charge of safeguarding the peacekeepers and their
positions."He told LBC television on Saturday night that UNIFIL is awaiting
outcome of the investigation by Lebanese authorities. "We are not to interfere
in the interrogation with the Kfar Shouba terror cell," he added.
On Friday a military judge accused a police officer and two civilians possessing
explosives with the intent to commit terrorist acts, a judicial official said.
"The three men were caught in possession of vials containing unknown substances
which have been sent to a laboratory to determine their contents," the official
told AFP on condition of anonymity. The officials say the three were arrested
this week after security troops confiscated weapons and vessels containing a
liquid possibly used to activate explosives. "The military judge has accused
them of possession of illegal substances and has ordered their detention," the
official said.
The three were arrested in the Kfar Shouba district in southern Lebanon, local
press reported, though the date of their arrests was not specified.
"The accused are not linked to the attacks that recently took place in Tripoli,"
the official said referring to two bus bombings that targeted Lebanese soldiers
leaving over two dozen people killed. Lebanese authorities announced last Sunday
the arrest of a "terrorist network" thought to be behind three deadly attacks
against the army since May. The cell is thought to be linked to the al-Qaida
inspired Fatah al-Islam group, that fought a deadly 15-week battle with the army
in the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon last year, a
security official said.(Naharnet-AFP-AP) Beirut, 18 Oct 08, 21:34
Karami: No Decision Yet on
Participation in Elections
Naharnet/Former Prime Minister
Omar Karami hasn't made up his mind yet whether he will participate in the 2009
parliamentary elections. Karami said Saturday that he has not finalized a
position yet on taking part in the elections or even the likelihood that his
son, Faysal, will run for elections. "Sectarian division contradicts with
building a modern state," Karami told the Independent Lebanese Forum in the
northern city of Tripoli. He said parliament's approval of a new elections law
"took the country back to sectarianism." Karami said the reason why he did not
visit Saudi Arabia was because he has not yet received an invitation from
Riyadh. Beirut, 18 Oct 08, 17:06
Move to Pardon 7,500 Wanted
Palestinians in Ain el-Hilweh
Naharnet/Islamic Palestinian
figures in Ain el-Hilweh have decided to launch an initiative to find a way out
to the 7,500 arrest warrants issued in absentia for Palestinians living in the
southern refugee camp. These dignitaries told the daily As-Safir that the pardon
should not include those wanted for criminal acts.
They said the pardon should cover non-violent criminals only. Beirut, 18 Oct 08,
17:37
Geagea: Aoun's Tehran Visit Not in
Christians' Interest
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader
Samir Geagea said Saturday that a visit to Iran by Christian rival Michel Aoun
was "not in the Christians' interest."
"Aoun's visit to Tehran isn't in the Christians' interest nor is it in the
Lebanese interest," Geagea said in a late night interview with al-Jazeera
television network. "I personally won't visit Iran." He stressed there was no
link between his visit to Cairo Oct. 8 and Aoun's current visit to Tehran.
Geagea said Iran was not in favor of the International Tribunal since the
Persian state "is aware that it will be hurting its regional ally, Syria.
"Iran doesn't wish to weaken its regional position." The Special Tribunal for
Lebanon is to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri
and related crimes. Many blame Damascus for Hariri's killing. Syria, however,
denies involvement. Geagea said his talks in Cairo with Hosni Mubarak focused on
the disputed Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms area in light of the Egyptian
president's continuous efforts, together with the U.S., to pressure Israel to
evacuate Shebaa Farms."After recovering Shebaa Farms, we could normalize the
situation in Lebanon so that arms are not to remain in possession of Hizbullah,"
he added.
Geagea said Mubarak supports a free, sovereign and independent Lebanon. When
asked about whom his enemies were, Geagea said that while Egypt and Saudi Arabia
are political allies, Iran is a political foe. "Syria, however, was more than a
foe. It was an enemy in the previous phase, pending what the new phase is
bringing," he explained. Geagea said there were no signs that France is moving
toward a rapprochement with Syria. On efforts to reconcile him with longtime
Christian rival, Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh, Geagea said he does
not mind Phalange part chief Amin Gemayel attending the reunion. "Tonight Dr.
Samir Geagea relays his apology to both the Franjieh and Karami families," he
said.
Geagea vowed to maintain his alliance with Druze MP Walid Jumblat in the
upcoming parliamentary elections, stressing that George Adwan "is still our
candidate."
Beirut, 18 Oct 08, 23:50
Zimbabwe Crisis
Reports/Corruption on the Rise in Syria
(18-Oct-08)-Institute for War and
Peace Reporting
Attempts to curb corruption in Syria have only scratched the surface of this
all-pervasive problem, local analysts say.
Syria was ranked 147 out of 180 countries in the international watchdog
Transparency International’s 2008 corruption perception index, released last
month. This poor placing is getting steadily worse, falling from 93rd in 2006 to
138th last year.
Of the Arab countries, only Sudan and Iraq had lower rankings in 2008, at 173
and 178 respectively.
A political analyst based in Damascus traced the spread of corruption in modern
Syria to the beginning of late president Hafez al-Assad’s rule, when favours
were handed out to officials to win their loyalty and stabilise the regime.
The problem is now so widespread that it will be difficult to eliminate corrupt
practices, according to analysts.
Towards the end of Hafez Al-Assad’s rule, efforts began to be made to root out
corrupt officials. The then prime minister Mahmud al-Zuabi was sacked after
being accused of corrupt practices in March 2000. The Syrian press reported that
al-Zuabi, who had held office since 1987, committed suicide after his dismissal.
In 2005, President Bashar al-Assad, who had succeeded his late father in July
2000, fired 81 judges in an apparent attempt to clean up the judiciary. The
following year, the assets of Mustafa Mero, who had served as prime minister
from 2000 to 2003, as well as of officials from his government, were frozen.
Once again, the allegations concerned corruption, which Mero had been
specifically tasked with fighting when he was prime minister.
In recent years, the authorities have also spearheaded anti-corruption campaigns
designed to tackle graft among lower-level government workers and the judiciary.
Despite these efforts, many Syrians believe corruption is on the increase, and
the subject is widely reported in the press. In February, the official newspaper
Tishreen reported that 99 per cent of respondents believed corruption was
widespread in government and in the judiciary. Analysts say it is now accepted
practice for officials to take bribes. The low salaries paid to public-sector
workers makes them more susceptible to earning money on the side, especially
given Syria’s difficult economic climate.
"In the past, a bribe was paid under the table in secret, but now it’s done in
public,” said a Damascus-based lawyer. “It’s become a normal part of daily
life.”
The political analyst explained, “To make a traffic offence disappear, to
conclude a government contract, or to obtain a construction license illegally –
there’s a price for everything, large or small big. The motto is that anything
is possible for money." While it is acceptable to discuss corruption in the
press, there are also red lines – the media cannot mention the involvement of
powerful individuals until the government publicly announces it is targeting the
specific figures concerned.
Some highly-placed figures believed to benefit from corrupt practices are close
to the regime. In February 2008, the United States imposed economic sanctions on
Rami Makhluf, a businessman who is a cousin of President al-Assad, alleging that
he benefited from public-sector corruption.
As the political analyst put it, "Corruption costs the country billions of liras
a year, but putting a stop to it is a political issue. Is the regime capable of
stopping it? How can that happen when the regime itself is deeply involved in
corruption?"
One economist noted that as the government shifts from socialist to market
economics, “mafias” with both political and financial clout are emerging as the
new owners. These groups “monopolise key sectors and engage in illegal practices
so as to make more profits”, he said.
The size of the grey economy can be judged from the finance ministry’s estimate
last year that it lost about 3.7 billion dollars annually to tax evasion, worth
about 40 per cent of the government budget. As well as political will, a
successful anti-corruption effort would require Syria to have an independent
judiciary, not to mention transparency in reporting the scale of corruption. On
the need for publicly-available statistics, the economist said, "The first
problem when dealing with Syrian economics is the absence of data, or the low
level of confidence in official data, which make any economic analysis closer to
an estimate than to the truth."
(Syria News Briefing, a weekly news analysis service, draws on information and
opinion from a network of IWPR-trained Syrian journalists based in the country.)
Hizbollah basks in its
authority
By Lionel Barber and Roula Khalaf in Beirut
Financial Times/
October 17 2008
In spite of his modest title of labour minister and his spartan office in a poor
neighbourhood of Beirut, Mohammed Fneish speaks with an authority bordering on
overconfidence, an attitude that testifies to the power of Hizbollah, the
militant Shia group, in Lebanon.
Mr Fneish, a senior party official who sports a stubble beard and has a
penetrating gaze, says the "American project" in the Middle East has been
defeated since Hizbollah bloodied Israel in a month-long war in 2006.
Lebanon itself, he says, has returned almost to "normality" since May, when
Hizbollah's muscle-flexing led to a power-sharing deal that gave the opposition,
led by the militant group, veto-power in a new government.
The opposition, suggests Mr Fneish, did Lebanon a favour when it sent militants
to the streets of west Beirut to intimidate its pro-western opponents: the May
events, after all, precipitated a solution to a two-year stand-off that had
paralysed government institutions.
"Suppose May had not happened," he says. "There would not have been a solution
and the country would be completely divided. There would have been an explosion
because we would have had no government, no president, and no parliament."
True, a national dialogue between Lebanese parties has been launched but it is
looking to forge a "national defence strategy" rather than the specific
disarming of the group, which world powers had demanded.
Mr Fneish, the most senior Hizbollah figure in the government, is unapologetic
about the challenge that the group - whose militant wing is stronger than the
national army - poses to the state. He argues that Lebanon is a unique case,
where a paramilitary group can happily co-exist with the state.
"You cannot apply notions of western political science in Lebanon," he says. "Is
it sacred that the army is the only force that can carry weapons? If society
approves that you can have the official army and then you can have another
popular force that works alongside it, then what is the problem?"
Hizbollah has much to boast about. As its backers, Syria and Iran, have
weathered US pressure in the past few years, it too has confronted the
pro-western parliamentary majority which had sought to disarm it.
Today, some of its most aggressive adversaries are looking for reconciliation
and accommodation, rather than confrontation. No one is expecting Hizbollah's
disarmament any time soon.
Hizbollah has also been busy rearming, and rebuilding the infrastructure
destroyed by Israel two years ago.
The southern suburbs of Beirut, the main Hizbollah stronghold, are a
construction site where new buildings are rising again. A more secure mood has
allowed one businessman to open up a "Buns and Guns" restaurant that trades on
the Hizbollah success, by offering "Kalashnikov" sandwiches and "mortar"
burgers.
The party has also turned its attention once again to bolstering its propaganda
power. At the Hizbollah-backed al-Manar television station, Abdallah Kassir, the
general manager, says he is refocusing on expanding his website and making new
programmes. But even if the stars have aligned in Hizbollah's favour recently,
the militant group might be over-estimating its authority, and basking in
misguided self-assurance.
Though it is Lebanon's most powerful force, its room to manoeuvre in south
Lebanon, and its ability to taunt Israel, has been constrained by the presence
of thousands of UN troops. As western diplomats point out, not a single shot has
been fired on the border since the end of the 2006 war.
The group remains under close watch by Israel, and many analysts expect the
Israeli army will eventually attempt another military assault.
Hizbollah has also suffered blows over the past year. Imad Moughniyah, one of
its top commanders, was killed in a car explosion last February in Damascus. In
August, a senior Syrian military official who is said to have played a central
role in providing weapons to Hizbollah, was assassinated.
Most significantly, Hizbollah's show of force in May has alienated large swaths
of Lebanese society, weakening its ability to confront any Israeli attack. As
Fouad Siniora, the Lebanese prime minister, points out, the country's unity was
an important factor behind Hizbollah's ability to stand up to the Jewish state.
"Like everywhere else in the world, it [the resistance] swims in friendly
waters, it does not swim in unfriendly waters," he says.
Speaking to the Financial Times from his spacious office in the splendour of the
Grand Serail, the former Ottoman barracks renovated to house the prime
minister's office, Mr Siniora warns that a parallel state can exist for a while
in Lebanon but not forever. "Two captains in one ship will send the ship
sinking," he says.
Other Hizbollah critics argue that the balance of power in Lebanon and the wider
region could shift once again, particularly if a new US president launches more
credible efforts to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict and deals more effectively
with Iran.
One political leader acknowledges that the parliamentary majority is keeping its
head down for now - "until the winds blow in a different direction".
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
Phares on CR Radio: Lebanon's
Army Must become a strategic force.
In his fifth radio address via the CR News Radio Program from
Washington DC, Professor Walid Phares said Lebanese pressure groups and friends
of Lebanon in the United States and worldwide are working on getting a real
strategic support to the Lebanese Armed Forces so that Lebanon's Army would
become a strategic force in Lebanon, able to reign in all militias, confront the
terrorists and control all borders." He added: "however if weapons are sent to
Lebanon while Hezbollah controls the defense decisions inside the Lebanese
cabinet, this will lead to problems we've seen in the past. First, US and
international support must deal with that issue. any support to the Lebanese
Army must be part of a strategy which will enable this Army to cover all of the
country, starting with counter terrorism capacity."
The Middle-East American Vote – Who is for Whom?
By: Maj. W. Thomas Smith Jr.
19 Oct 2008
A conversation about the forthcoming U.S. presidential election with Dr. Walid
Phares
By W. Thomas Smith Jr.
With less than two-and-a-half weeks remaining before Americans go to the polls,
the question remains: For whom will America’s citizens of Middle-Eastern origins
cast their votes? It’s not as cut-and-dry – pardon the cliché – as most
Americans might believe. There is no single voting bloc, and no candidate who
has yet garnered the necessary support among the broader Middle-East American
electorate.
What we do know – according to Middle East terrorism expert and political
analyst Dr. Walid Phares – is that the majority of Arab Muslims will probably
vote for Sen. Barack Obama, whereas an “overwhelming majority” of Middle Eastern
Christians – including a minority of Muslim reformers – will cast votes for Sen.
John McCain (arguing – according to Mideast and South Asian Americans For McCain
on Saturday -- that a vote for McCain is “a vote against the proliferation of
Jihad in America”). Phares also says voters will be influenced by Middle East
regional dynamics – which are complex, fluid, and can change rapidly – between
now and election day.
W. THOMAS SMITH JR: Do we have any estimation of the numbers of Americans from
the Middle East – or Americans of Middle Eastern ancestry – and how many might
actually be voting in the November elections?
DR. WALID PHARES: There are approximately six-million or seven-million Americans
of Middle Eastern descent. These numbers include large communities of Arabs,
Iranians, Turks, as well as Lebanese, Copts, Assyrian-Chaldeans from Iraq and
others. The possible voting bloc might realistically be around one-million which
is an important number in this election.
SMITH: What about the majority of Americans of Middle Eastern descent or
Arab-Americans? Many non-Arab-Americans believe most Arab-Americans to be
Muslim.
PHARES: Yes, that is a common misperception. In fact, the majority of Middle
Eastern Americans – particularly Arab-Americans – are Christians. About 76
percent of all Americans from Middle Eastern descent are Christians whose
ancestral roots hail from populations, which have historically been persecuted
in their countries of origin.
SMITH: So how might these communities vote in this election?
PHARES: Among the Arab Muslim voting bloc – which is 24 percent or more of all
Middle Eastern Americans – the segments of voters who favor attitudes in the
region opposed to U.S. policy and the war on terror, will vote for Sen. Obama.
This means that a large majority from the 24-percent group – Palestinians,
Syrians, Iraqis, Egyptians – will cast their vote for the Senator from Illinois.
However, a significant number from the Arab Muslim voting bloc who are opposed
to oppressive regimes in the region, such as Syrian-Americans,
Iranian-Americans, and Black Africans from Darfur will most likely vote for Sen.
McCain as they are opposed to the ‘cutting of deals’ with oppressive regimes in
the region.
Within the aforementioned 76 percent of the Christian Middle Eastern vote, a
large majority will be voting for Sen. McCain.
SMITH: Why these specific percentages and predictions?
PHARES: There a several reasons. First, Lebanese-Americans – a majority group of
all Middle Eastern Americans as a single group of 1.8 million – will cast most
of their votes for McCain. They will do so because of the Hezbollah threat in
Lebanon and Obama’s projected policy of cutting a deal with Iran, Hezbollah's
backer.
Secondly, Egyptian Copts – Christians – will primarily vote McCain because they
fear a similar deal between an Obama administration and the Muslim Brotherhood
in Egypt.
Third, Christian Iraqis such as the Chaldean community in Michigan and the
Assyrian community in Illinois will in all likelihood vote overwhelmingly for
McCain because of the consequences of a rapid Iraq pull-out under Obama, and
what those consequences would be for Christians in that country.
Fourth, when we consider the Southern Sudanese – African Christians: they are
expected to vote for McCain because of yet another possible deal with the
Khartoum regime at the expense of their kin.
So, in the final assessment – and against projections by the mainstream media –
while a majority of Arab Muslim Americans will vote for Obama, an overwhelming
majority of Middle East Christian Americans plus a strong minority among Arab
Muslim Americans will vote for McCain.
SMITH: Which swing states do these communities have a presence in?
PHARES: Swing states where Middle Eastern Americans have a significant presence
include Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Illinois, Virginia, and North
Carolina.
SMITH: Which among these communities are better organized for this election?
PHARES: Many Arab and Muslim American organizations have been preparing for this
showdown for more than a year now. The Obama campaign has a solid outreach
effort targeting these organizations, many of which have a strategic interest in
a massive change in U.S. foreign policy toward the region.
In states like Virginia, efforts by these groups have been enormous. The
outreach to voters in the communities has been systematic. They project to turn
more than 60,000 votes in Virginia with 48,000 in two counties only.
The Christian and Muslim-reformer vote is not as organized because its ‘causes’
and narratives are not unified. But if the leadership of these groups move
together in a joint call to support their preferred candidate, McCain, they may
pull nationwide about a million votes versus the other camp which can get
250,000.
So in sum, if the leadership of the U.S. Middle Eastern communities who support
democratization in the region explain to its constituencies the nature of deals
to be concluded with radical regimes and organizations by an Obama
administration, a major shift can occur in their voting pattern, especially in
the sensitive swing states.
So far this hasn't happened.
— Visit W. Thomas Smith Jr. at uswriter.com.
Iran’s strategic gamble
Iran increasingly seeking to extend its sphere of influence to
Latin America
Gabriel Calabrese
Published: 10.19.08, 18:38 / Israel Opinion
The world community is waiting in anticipation to see the next American
president's stance on confronting Iran’s nuclear threat. Yet it appears that
Tehran has decided not to wait and has moved on its own to develop a means of
attacking the US from its own backyard.
While the Latin American Left has consistently complained about North American
interference in Venezuela's domestic affairs, it has completely ignored the
dangerous infiltration of Iran's radical regime.
Over the past six years, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has allowed Iranian
leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to increasingly meddle in his country's affairs.
Putting Venezuela at the center of a new, troublesome initiative, shaping Latin
America's future is part of Iran's strategic gamble against the West.
Traditionally considered a "zone of peace," Latin America is mutating into a new
sanctuary for those who sympathize with radical Islam.
Hugo Chávez opened Latin America's doors to Iran's fundamentalist regime,
sealing the alliance through 11 meetings with Ahmadinejad
and visiting Tehran on six occasions since assuming power. Chávez is a principal
champion of Iran's nuclear ambitions and has routinely supported radical groups
in the Middle East, even calling Israel's 2006 military offensive in Lebanon a
"new Holocaust." But Chávez has not only supported extremist ideologies far from
his own country, as some unscrupulous politicians have done in the past: he has
woven these movements directly into the Venezuelan landscape.
One of those groups is Hizbullah-Venezuela, which has grown by taking advantage
of the discontent and marginalization of indigenous communities. The vacuum that
was created after Chávez expelled Christian Evangelicals from the country is
used by Hizbullah to indoctrinate the Indian community of Wayuu-Guagira.
One of its leaders, ex-Marxist Teodoro Rafael Darnot, now claims to bring about
the kingdom of God in Venezuela through his activities, and works with the
Chavez government. The motto appearing on Hizbullah-Venezuela's website states:
"The brief enjoyment of life on earth is selfish. The other life is better for
those who follow Allah." While Venezuela remains a Christian cultural zone, the
government's cooperation with Iran reflects strategic desires, and does not
reflect any Venezuelan demographic change.
Iranian threat growing far broader than Mideast
Last November Chávez proposed to his "ideological friend" Ahmadinejad a plan to
build a joint "anti-imperialist" army to fight the “Great Satan” and defend the
nations from a possible US attack. He also called Iran "a friend to trust"
during the sixth Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas summit (ALBA) that took
place in Caracas. During the summit, Chávez praised Ahmadinejad's promises to
share Iranian scientific developments with Latin America. They also agreed to
invest billions of dollars in every country that cuts its ties with the US.
"This fund, my brother," Chávez said, "will become a mechanism for liberation."
Confirming the foreseeable repercussions that such statements may trigger,
journalist Patricia Poleo reported on July 9 that Venezuelans of Arab ancestry
are being recruited under the auspices of Tarek el Ayssami, Venezuela's
vice-minister of the interior, for combat training in Hizbullah camps in south
Lebanon.
These developments imply a serious shift of alliances in Latin America. Iran and
Hizbulllah are now present in the Tri-Border Area that binds Puerto Iguazu
(Argentina) Ciudad del Este (Paraguay) and Foz do Iguacu (Brazil); They operate
at Maicao in Colombia, in Margarita Island in Venezuela, at Monkey Point in
Nicaragua as well as in Bolivia and Ecuador. Chávez's sympathy toward the
leftist terrorist group FARC is switching to radical organizations of Islamic
backgrounds.
Leftist radical groups are realizing that, after all, their goals are not much
different to the ones proposed by Islamic fanatical organizations, and are ready
to leave their communist façade and adopt a set of beliefs seemingly in total
contradiction to their former causes as long as they provide them the elements
and means to overthrow democratic societies.
As a result of North American inattention to its own hemisphere, Iran is finding
a new proxy for its global aspirations; without the need to “export” any
terrorists, Iran is growing them on Latin American soil. Ahmadinejad has
traveled to Latin America three more times than Bush has, leading some Latin
American countries to seek a separate accommodation with Iran.
The Iranian threat is growing far broader than the Middle East and will be at
the forefront of the next US Administration, no matter which government gets
elected. Iran's sphere of influence is systematically filling the gap wherever
liberal democracies are leaving a vacuum, be it Gaza, Lebanon, or Venezuela.
Unless there is an active policy to counter Iranian strategy, the so- called
axis of evil may gain a new member: Venezuela.
**Gabriel Calabrese is completing his studies in international relations and
Latin American studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Calabrese is doing
a traineeship at the Foreign Ministry of Israel and is currently in Washington,
D.C. where he is completing an internship at The Israel Project, a strategic
communications organization