LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
September 20/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 8,1-3. Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.

Pope Benedict XVI/General audience of 14/02/07 (©Libreria Editrice Vaticana)
"Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women"
Jesus, as we know, certainly chose from among his disciples 12 men as Fathers of the new Israel and appointed them "to be with him, and to be sent out to preach" (Mk 3, 14-15). This fact is obvious; but, in addition to the Twelve, pillars of the Church and fathers of the new People of God, many women were also chosen to number among the disciples. I can only mention very briefly those who followed Jesus himself, beginning with the Prophetess Anna (cf. Lk 2, 36-38), to the Samaritan woman (cf. Jn 4, 1-39), the Syro-Phoenician woman (cf. Mk 7, 24-30), the woman with the haemorrhage (cf. Mt 9, 20-22) and the sinful woman whose sins were forgiven (cf. Lk 7, 36-50). I will not even refer to the protagonists of some of his effective parables, for example, the housewife who made bread (cf. Mt 13, 33), the woman who lost the drachma (cf. Lk 15, 8-10), the widow who pestered the judge (cf. Lk 18, 1-8). More important for our topic are the women who played an active role in the context of Jesus' mission.
In the first place, we think spontaneously of the Virgin Mary, who with her faith and maternal labours collaborated in a unique way in our Redemption to the point that Elizabeth proclaimed her "Blessed... among women" (Lk 1, 42), adding: "Blessed is she who believed..." (Lk 1, 45). Having become a disciple of her Son, Mary manifested total trust in him at Cana (cf. Jn 2, 5), and followed him to the foot of the Cross where she received from him a maternal mission for all his disciples of all times, represented by John (cf. Jn 19, 25-27).
Then there are various women with roles of responsibility who gravitated in their different capacities around the figure of Jesus. The women who followed Jesus to assist him with their own means, some of whose names Luke has passed down to us, are an eloquent example: Mary of Magdala, Joanna, Susanna and "many others" (cf. Lk 8, 2-3). The Gospels then tell us that the women, unlike the Twelve, did not abandon Jesus in the hour of his Passion (cf. Mt 27, 56, 61; Mk 15, 40). Among them, Mary Magdalene stands out in particular. Not only was she present at the Passion, but she was also the first witness and herald of the Risen One (cf. Jn 20, 1.11-18). It was precisely to Mary Magdalene that St Thomas Aquinas reserved the special title, "Apostle of the Apostles", dedicating to her this beautiful comment: "Just as a woman had announced the words of death to the first man, so also a woman was the first to announce to the Apostles the words of life".


Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Manuela Paraipan: Interview Ahmad Al Assaad 19/09/08
Nasrallah and Developing Events. By: Walid Choucair. Dar Al-Hayat  19/09/08
Will Livni be any different from those who have gone before her? The Daily Star 19/09/08

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for September 19/08
First Unity Government Session under Saniora Marred by Disputes-Naharnet
Berri: Session to Ratify Elections Draft Law Before End of September-Naharnet
Hizbullah to Visit Hariri Soon in Preparation for Hariri-Nasrallah Reunion-Naharnet
Iraq Accuses Hizbullah of Training Militias to Cause Unrest-Naharnet
Security Council Briefed on Situation in Lebanon-Naharnet
Saniora: It is Unacceptable to Live Under the Threat of Arms-Naharnet
PSP-Mustaqbal Meetings to Unify Positions-Naharnet
Gunmen Shoot Lebanese Citizen Near Sidon-Naharnet
Cabinet Discusses Security Measures, Briefed on Ban's Call for Better Border Control-Naharnet
Jouzou for a New Resistance Faction Affiliated with the Army-Naharnet
Khoury: Tensions Prevent Nasrallah-Hariri Meeting-Naharnet
Lebanese Politicians Interviewed by Investigation Commission Into Hariri Crime-Naharnet
Lebanese Cabinet tackles fragile security situation-Daily Star
'Security reasons' forced UN envoy out of Lebanon-Daily Star
Siniora says ties with Syria must hinge on respect for sovereignty-Daily Star
Assad: Relations between Syria and Iran Tightening Daily-MEMRI
Construction in Lebanon increases by 26.5 percent-Daily Star
Fadlallah: Iran's diplomatic success should set an example-Daily Star
Union for Lebanon hails talks as necessity-Daily Star
LOG slams national dialogue as totally ineffective-Daily Star
Former Israeli military chief heaps scorn on Jewish state's failed 2006 war-Daily Star
LAU welcomes new students to two campuses-Daily Star
Dar al-Ajaza al-Islamiyya opens RESCU unit-Daily Star

Assad: Relations between Syria and Iran Tightening Daily
MEMRI/Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad told Iranian TV that "the factors binding Syria and Iran are increasing and multiplying daily," and that Syria has no reason to distance itself from a country that is standing by its side. Assad added that the contacts between Syria and Israel "were not negotiations," even though the media called them so; they were more similar to James Baker's shuttle diplomacy on the eve of the 1991 Madrid Conference.
Source: Al-Thawra (Syria), September 18, 2008

Nasrallah and "Developing Events"
By: Walid Choucair
Al-Hayat - 19/09/08//
Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, insists on placing his native soil peers among those who were defeated along with Israel in the July 2006 War. In his latest speech, given on the same day President Michel Suleiman resumed the National Dialogue as required by the Doha Agreement, Nasrallah was claiming "to change the face of Lebanon, the region and the world", starting from this war and based on what he called "developing events in Lebanon, leading up to the May 7 incidents, then to the Doha Agreement and to the formation of a National Unity Government", as "the Resistance has gone past the real dangers that threatened it, and left them far behind".
The truth is that, at a time when reconciliations abound, in parallel with security incidents shifting from place to place, Nasrallah's speech included an "effort" to overshoot the discourse of accusations led by Hezbollah and the leaders of the Opposition against their political rivals. Such discourse was the basis for the events, which have led to the situation Lebanon witnesses today. On the other hand, Nasrallah's speech also builds on these accusations and continues to portray the political situation based on such claims, and on the basis of the classifications that were used during the two years of internal political conflict and regional implications.
Indeed, Hezbollah's leadership seeks to maintain its own interpretation of events, and intentionally avoids going back to accusing members of the Parliamentary Majority of "conspiring with the Israeli enemy" (accusations that were falsified), as a victory of the kind it has achieved in the July War is incompatible with the logic of committing to dialogue with the opposing side, in order to resolve quarrels that are being reflected on the ground. Instead, it goes to the extent of addressing the opposing side, as if it were doing it a favor by avoiding the return to such accusations, the use of which it needed to escalate in the past two years. These two years ended in the May 7 "victory" and in obtaining the obstructing one-third in government… and the face of the world changed. However, the main purpose for Hezbollah to avoid returning to the accusations it previously used to mobilize its public, to insist on its one-sided interpretation of events, and to link changing the face of the world with its condition of having more representatives of its allies at the dialogue table, on the domestic front, is to avoid discussing the role of Hezbollah's resistant weapons in changing the domestic political balance of power. This is done, taking into account the regional dimension and affiliations of the use of these weapons, which continues to this day in the neighborhoods and alleys of Beirut, and in a few villages in the mountain.
This is why Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah summarized the two years between the victory of July 2006 on one hand, and the events of May 7, 2008 and the Doha Agreement, on the other, with the expression "developing events", without specifically mentioning any of the events and restricting himself to listing their results… Indeed, those "developing events" include, among other things: the disagreement over ratifying the Special Tribunal for Lebanon to try those accused in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and all related crimes, and before that, over transferring the case of the assassination of Minister Pierre Amine Gemayel to the UN investigation; the resignation of Shiite ministers from the government under the pretext that the Special Tribunal was being imposed on the cabinet and that the session was not postponed; the start of the Opposition's sit-in in Downtown Beirut, surrounding the Grand Serail and demanding to bring down the government, as well as the series of jam-packed protests intended to fulfill this purpose; the events of January 23 and 24, 2007, beginning with blocking roads in the capital and isolating its neighborhoods, and ending in bloody confrontations in the neighborhood of the Arab University; the negotiations and Arab initiatives that included a role for Iran, as well as Saudi and French initiatives, not to mention international and Syrian stances… over "remarks concerning the Tribunal" and the obstructing one-third… The Parliamentary Majority may also like to mention, among such "developing events", the assassinations, such as that of Pierre Gemayel, then of Members of Parliament Walid Eido and Antoine Ghanem, and finally of Brigadier General François Al-Hajj and Major Wissam Eid… on Lebanese soil…
The expression "developing events" summarizes one of the major goals of the Opposition led by Hezbollah, which is to cancel out the effects of the 2005 elections. As for "coming events", after the Doha Agreement, their interpretation by Hezbollah, despite the climate of reconciliations, is based on the idea of predetermining the results of the next parliamentary elections in 2009, on the basis of "the July War leading up to May 7". Asserting that the Dialogue table can be expanded to include Hezbollah's allies, as did Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, resembles imposing choices on the President, who is the appropriate person to take the initiative in this matter. This reflects yet another one-sided perspective, as if General Suleiman did not become President by the votes of both the Majority and the Opposition, but rather as a result of the events of May 7…
Hezbollah's one-sided interpretation of the domestic situation once again squanders the meaning of the July victory, when it exploits it in small internal matters

Iraq Accuses Hizbullah of Training Militias to Cause Unrest
Naharnet/Iraqi intelligence sources revealed that a meeting took place before the end of August between Iran's Revolutionary Guards and Iranian intelligence on one hand, and senior al-Qaida leaders in the presence of a high-ranking Hizbullah official on the other. The daily Al Mustaqbal, which carried the report, said the Iraqi sources identified the Hizbullah official as sheikh H.Kh., who supervises training of Iraqi militias. The sources said the meeting aimed at drafting a plan to be overseen by intelligence officers and Revolutionary Guards deployed in Iraq as well as those working behind Iranian facades represented by religious tourism companies and trade firms. The sources uncovered a three-way Iranian plan which aims at "upsetting security in Iraq through Iranian coordination with the Syrian regime." The plan calls for keeping vigil on movements of "nationalist personalities" residing in Damascus and presenting details of their residency and activities. The same goes for Hizbullah, which has presence in Iraq. The plan, according to the sources, would be launched through stepped up "armed operations" against the Sahwa forces and by targeting political and security officials opposed to Tehran, in addition to activating al-Qaida's sleeping cells in Iraq. The meeting also discussed ways to put an end to initiatives undertaken by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and attempts by these countries to restore the situation in Iraq through their support to national reconciliatory efforts and their re-openness to Baghdad. Beirut, 19 Sep 08, 13:05

Security Council Briefed on Situation in Lebanon
Naharnet/The United Nations' Mideast envoy has hailed the launch of the first national dialogue session at Baabda Palace but said the security situation remains unstable in Lebanon. The U.N. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) Robert Serry also told the Security Council on Thursday that Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace continue on a daily basis. "In Lebanon, where some security incidents had occurred, efforts to establish dialogue had continued," he said. While praising the dialogue launched on Tuesday and reconciliation reached last week in the northern port city of Tripoli, Serry said: "Despite those positive developments, the security situation remained precarious. Army First Lieutenant Samer Hanna had been killed on 28 August, and on 10 September, a member of the Lebanese Democratic Party, Saleh Aridi, had been killed by an explosion." Serry also cited clashes in the Bekaa valley and renewed fighting in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh. "The situation in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon's (UNIFIL) area of operations remained generally quiet, but Israel's air violations continued on a daily basis," he said. On negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Serry said the peace talks are at crossroads 10 months after their leaders agreed to try to reach an accord this year. Both sides need to step up their efforts to meet that goal, he said. "While there are some positive developments, there are also several factors that cause concern," Serry told the Security Council. "The important period ahead must see decisive advances towards peace."On the Gaza Strip, Serry reported that the humanitarian situation remained "extremely grim" given the continued Israeli closures, with imports decreasing by 21 per cent over the past month and U.N. priority projects stalled by the shortfall in materials. Beirut, 19 Sep 08, 05:25

Saniora: It is Unacceptable to Live Under the Threat of Arms
Naharnet/Premier Fouad Saniora told guests during an iftar he hosted at the Grand Serail on Thursday that the Lebanese wanted to live in "a capable state" and urged stronger commitment to reach reconciliation. "The choice of the Lebanese was and will always be a strong and capable state" that maintains security, Saniora said.He called for dialogue to resolve all differences among the Lebanese."Dialogue requires bigger commitment from our part and a serious effort to reach reconciliation," Saniora said. "It is not acceptable that citizens live under the threat of arms."Dialogue "gives us national immunity against foreign" efforts to "hit internal unity," he said.He hoped to forge better relations with Syria based on mutual respect, adding that the Lebanese government was making every effort to find a solution for the issues of Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons, border demarcation between the two countries and arms outside Palestinian refugee camps.
Saniora also called for the full implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701 that brought an end to the Israel-Hizbullah war in 2006.
Beirut, 19 Sep 08, 08:48

PSP-Mustaqbal Meetings to Unify Positions
Naharnet/State Minister and Progressive Socialist Party official Wael Abu Faour has met with Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri in Qoreitem.
New reports said the meeting which took place Thursday evening was aimed at reaching a joint position regarding both the national dialogue and reconciliation efforts. Jumblat, who had been quoted as criticizing Hariri advisors, stressed on the strong ties between the PSP and Mustaqbal "within the principles of the March 14 Forces." Beirut, 19 Sep 08, 14:55

Gunmen Shoot Lebanese Citizen Near Sidon
Naharnet/Unidentified assailants on Thursday opened fire from a speeding car at Lebanese citizen Eid Harb in the Kfar Falous area east of Sidon, wounding him seriously. Harb was admitted to Jbaily hospital near the southern port city of Sidon for treatment, and his condition was termed "serious."
Identity of the attackers could not be established immediately. However, security sources said Harb is the father of a young man who opened fire nearly three days ago at two shepherds in the Jezzine region, killing one and wounding the other. The shepherds were affiliated with Hizbullah that controls the region near the Sujud Hills where a Lebanese army helicopter had been attacked and its captain killed. Beirut, 18 Sep 08, 13:48

First Unity Government Session under Saniora Marred by Disputes
Naharnet/The first meeting of the Lebanese national unity government held under Premier Fouad Saniora has been marred by disputes, particularly over electricity distribution in Beirut. The new unity cabinet held a lengthy meeting at the Grand Serail on Thursday where the main focus was on recent security breaches that have plagued Lebanon. News reports on Friday said the session was marred by several disputes, most importantly over the distribution of power in Beirut.
They said that while Energy and Water Minister Alain Tabourian argued that power should be distributed equally among the regions in line with the government platform, many cabinet ministers disagreed. Information Minister Tareq Mitri said at the end of the 7-hour Cabinet meeting the government believed that Beirut, as the capital of Lebanon, had exceptional needs.
"For that reason the ministers disagreed with the decision to increase power rationing in Beirut," Mitri said. Other reports said State Minister for Administrative Development Ibrahim Shamseddine walked out of the Cabinet session to express dismay and frustration at the atmosphere that prevailed over the meeting.
The daily An Nahar said Shamseddine believed the meeting was not up to the people's standards "where real decisions are taken by the Cabinet."
Telecommunications Minister Jebran Bassil has also reportedly protested against what he called "political and electoral asphalt," arguing that this issue was not the responsibility of the Higher Relief Council.Bassil pointed to the asphalting of roads and public gardens in the regions of Kesrouan and Jbeil (Byblos) under the pretext that they were indirectly damaged by Israel's 2006 war on Lebanon. Saniora hit back, saying the Higher Relief Council had spent compensation money on people whose homes were destroyed during Israel's latest aggression on Lebanon. Saniora said the Council had also spent money on expanding and improving roads that had received damage from indirect hits during the war. Beirut, 19 Sep 08, 08:40

Berri: Session to Ratify Elections Draft Law Before End of September
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri said Friday he would call for a parliamentary meeting to ratify the elections draft law before the end of September
He told reporters following a meeting with President Michel Suleiman at Baabda Palace that discussions focused on the president's trip to the U.S. and the United Nations. Regarding the ongoing security breaches, Berri said the various political parties have held several meeting to agree on removing pictures resembling political leaders."But the brethren in the Mustaqbal Movement have asked for extra time" to make the decision Berri said, wondering when that extra time ends.
He said head of the Administrative and Justice Committee Robert Ghanem had promised to hand in the elections draft law on Sept. 23.
Beirut, 19 Sep 08, 14:57

Cabinet Discusses Security Measures, Briefed on Ban's Call for Better Border Control
Naharnet/The Cabinet on Thursday discussed security measures and decided to refer the assassination of Talal Arslan's senior aide to the Judicial Council, Lebanon's highest court. Information Minister Tareq Mitri said after the 7-hour meeting at the Grand Serail that the Cabinet discussed "a number of security, judicial and behavioral measures."  Both the interior and defense ministers briefed the Cabinet on measures to counter security threats, Mitri said.
"Dialogue is the key to reducing differences between the various parties," he stressed. "Differences in positions are a necessity," Mitri said. "It is not acceptable, however, to turn these differences into acts outside the law."He said reconciliation efforts should continue "in order to improve the handling of security conflicts."
Mitri said Prime Minister Fouad Saniora briefed the Cabinet on U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon's call to "better control our border."Ban has informed Lebanon about his interest in the Israeli-occupied village of Ghajar and Shebaa Farms and called for better control over the border. Mitri said the Cabinet decided to refer the assassination of Arslan's senior aide Saleh Aridi to the Judicial Council. On the issue of living standards, Mitri said the Cabinet disagreed with the energy and water minister's decision to increase power cuts in Beirut. Beirut, 18 Sep 08, 19:07

Khoury: Tensions Prevent Nasrallah-Hariri Meeting
Naharnet/Mustaqbal Movement official Ghattas Khoury on Thursday said persisting tensions block reconciliation with Hizbullah.
Khoury, in a television interview, said President Michel Suleiman had proposed a meeting between Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri. "We had informed the president that he can proceed with the required contacts to facilitate the meeting," Khoury said.
However, he said: "But if they don't want to apologize to Beirut, there is no need to open old wounds." He criticized Nasrallah for defending in a recent statement the May attack on Beirut. If the Hariri-Nasrallah meeting is to be held "there should be agreement on a number of principles, because using weapons for domestic purposes strips the resistance of its reason to exist." "No resistance faction uses weapons domestically," Khoury noted.
"If using weapons for domestic purposes is permitted, then Hizbullah, which is at odds with Mustaqbal movement today, could use its weapons against the Progressive Socialist Party tomorrow and after that against the Free Patriotic Movement," he concluded.
Khoury made the remarks a few hours after the pro-Hizbullah daily al-Akhbar said preparations were underway for a Hariri-Nasrallah meeting.
The report said aides to both leaders would hold discussions to agree on the venue of the proposed meeting that would be the last in a series of reconciliation efforts that started in Tripoli. Hariri had called for an "honorable reconciliation," stating that such move requires "valiant men." Beirut, 18 Sep 08, 12:44

Jouzou for a New Resistance Faction Affiliated with the Army
Naharnet/Mount Lebanon Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Ali Jouzou said Thursday he would apply with the interior ministry for a permit to set up a resistance faction affiliated with the army command. Jouzou, addressing an Iftar banquet hosted by the Sunni Religious Institute, said setting up the resistance faction under army auspices "would allow us to possess weapons like others." The Mufti was apparently referring to Hizbullah. Jouzou said "we all back Jihad against the Israeli enemy and we all support weapons that fight Israel … but when these weapons are pointed at the Lebanese people they result in catastrophe." "Do we want to build a homeland for all its people or we want to tear it apart?" he asked. Beirut, 18 Sep 08, 13:21

Hizbullah to Visit Hariri Soon in Preparation for Hariri-Nasrallah Reunion
Naharnet/Hizbullah officials have reportedly held several backstage meetings with MP Saad Hariri over the past few days to pave the way for a reunion between the Mustaqbal Movement leader and Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. The report, carried by the daily Al Akhbar on Friday, said a meeting is likely to be held between a high-level Hizbullah delegation and Hariri in Qoreitem. It said the delegation will either be headed by Hizbullah's Executive Council chief Hashem Safieddine or deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem. Al Akhbar quoted sources close to Mustaqbal Movement as saying there will be no timetable for the Hariri-Nasrallah meeting. "Let them exchange blame during the first half hour of the meeting, then discuss general issues during the second half," one Mustaqbal source said. The paper said contacts between the two parties have never stopped, not even during critical political moments. It said contacts persisted through Police chief Brig. Gen. Ashraf Rifi and Col. Wissam al-Hassan from one side and Hizbullah's coordination liaison and coordination committee head Wafik Safa. Al Akhbar said continuing contacts had prevented escalation of several disputes. The paper said Rifi had also ensured the first contact between Safa and Druze leader Walid Jumblat following the May events in which Hizbullah took control of most of West Beirut. Beirut, 19 Sep 08, 10:00

Lebanese Politicians Interviewed by Investigation Commission Into Hariri Crime
Naharnet/The U.N. commission investigating the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and related crimes has recently sped up efforts and interviewed a number of Lebanese politicians. Such politicians have been reportedly interviewed for the first time since the Feb. 14, 2005 crime.
The commission, according to a western diplomatic source, appears in a hurry to conclude its mission and finalize all its files, especially in light of the non-cooperation by several states with its mission. Canadian Judge Daniel Bellemare, who heads the commission, was reportedly heading to concluding his mission by preparing a charge sheet before yearend. The charge sheet, better known as the final report by the investigation panel, would be referred to the international tribunal's prosecutor, a step that would practically activate activities of the special court on the Lebanon crimes. Bellemare has been offered the post of the tribunal's prosecutor when the investigation commission's term expires late in December. Beirut, 18 Sep 08, 08:52

LOG slams national dialogue as 'totally ineffective'
Daily Star staff/Friday, September 19, 2008/BEIRUT: The Lebanese Option Group (LOG) described on Wednesday the outcome of the national dialogue meeting held earlier this week at the Baabda Palace under the sponsorship of President Michel Sleiman as "totally ineffective." "The meeting failed to address the core issues plaguing Lebanese politics," according to a statement by LOG. The group said the dialogue session on Tuesday failed to tackle "decisive issues" such as the defense strategy or Hizbullah's arms. - The Daily Star

Security reasons forced UN envoy out of Lebanon
'The amazing thing ... is that no one asked why'
By Nicholas Kimbrell -Daily Star staff
Friday, September 19, 2008
BEIRUT: The United Nations' special coordinator for Lebanon, Johan Verbeke, was transferred out of the country last month because of threats to his personal safety, a security source close to the UN told The Daily Star on Thursday. Speculation regarding Verbeke's sudden transfer was renewed Thursday morning following a report in Belgian's Le Soir newspaper that suggested the envoy had faced security dangers in Beirut that resulted in his transfer.
"He left for security reasons," the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. "This was certainly the case ... He was only in Beirut for three or four days."
Ambassador Verbeke, a career diplomat from Belgium, was named special coordinator for Lebanon on April 16, and he was transferred less than four months later. Verbeke was reassigned as special representative and head of United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia just as the Georgian-Russian conflict reached its height in early August. Verbeke was replaced by Michael Williams, of the United Kingdom. Belgium's ambassador to Lebanon, Johan Verkammen, could not cite the reasons for Verbeke's reassignment but he confirmed the move. "Indeed, [Verbeke] has been transferred to Georgia," Verkammen told The Daily Star.
The UN maintains that Verbeke was transferred for personal reasons. UN associate spokesman Farhan Haq told The Daily Star in an email on Thursday that he had no comment on recent reports concerning Ambassador Verbeke, "other than to note that he had to depart Lebanon for a period of time because of family reasons.""He is currently working in New York," Haq added, "and will soon travel to his new post in Georgia."
Pascale Kassis of the UN Information Center in Lebanon also told The Daily Star that "personal reasons" were behind the transfer, which took place at a "crucial time for Georgia." But according to the security source close to the UN, Verbeke was indeed transferred because of security fears.
"There was a threat on an Al-Qaeda affiliated website," the source said. " They [the UN] took it seriously and moved him out of here."
A UN press release dated August 5 noted that Verbeke's extensive experience with the word body had included stints as chairman of the Security Council sanctions committees on Cote D'Ivoire, Iran and Al-Qaeda/Taliban. Le Soir, citing what it described as "sure and independent sources from the UN," also reported that Verbeke was threatened by "extreme Islamist fundamentalists" living in Lebanon. An urgent transfer request was then issued from Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the paper went on to say. News outlets reporting on Verbeke's transfers have suggested that the threats came from Lebanese-based groups, but the security source disagreed. Citing the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Internet threat, the source said, "It was not from a Lebanese group."
"The amazing thing here," the source added, "is that no one asked why - even after [Verbeke] was transferred to Georgia."
Al-Qaeda and allied militant groups have targeted UN officials and offices in recent years. The group's North African affiliate killed some 17 UN workers in a car-bombing outside the world body's office in Algiers last December. And in 2003, Sergio Vieira de Mello, the UN's top envoy to Iraq, was killed along with 21 members others by a truck-bombing outside his office in Iraq.

Former Israeli military chief heaps scorn on Jewish state's 'failed' 2006 war
By The Daily Star
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Friday, September 19, 2008
Former Israeli military Chief of Staff Moshe Yaalon issued a harsh criticism of the Israeli Air Force's operations during the summer 2006 war, saying it failed in its mission, Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Thursday. According to Haaretz, Yaalon made the remarks on Tuesday during a military and security conference at the Armored Corps Museum. "There was an air agenda and a dictatorial way of thinking and after this way failed, there were those who placed the blame on others," he said. "If they had determined the right objectives, the war could have been finished from the air within five days," the daily quoted Yaalon as claiming.
"An air agenda was part of the decision-making process," Yaalon added. "The air force leadership thought that this was their opportunity to put on a show. After the war, they pushed their responsibility onto their inferiors."
According to Haaretz, the former chief of staff compared the government decision-making process prior to the war with the process that lead to operation "Grapes of Wrath" in 1996, during which Israeli forces killed hundreds of people, including more than 100 civilians sheltering at a United Nations compound.
"Many discussions were held prior to the Grapes of Wrath operation, whereas before the Second Lebanon war, there was a two-and-a-half-hour talk which did not define any military goals," he said.
"It was decided to carry out a retaliatory mission that wasn't even called a war."Haaretz pointed out that it was not the first time that Yaalon had attacked the military leadership over its performance during the summer 2006 war. Yaalon's remarks come amid mounting speculation over a possible impending attack by Hizbullah to avenge the killing of top military commander Imad Mughniyeh in a car bombing in Damascus in February. Israeli officials have threatened a brutal response to any new Hizbullah attack. Haaretz had on Tuesday quoted a senior officer in the Israeli military as saying that the Lebanese resistance group has made downing an Israeli aircraft flying over Lebanon one of its top priorities. Brigadier General Yossi Baidatz, a senior military intelligence officer, told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Hizbullah considers hitting an Israeli aircraft in Lebanese airspace advantageous because it would be viewed as politically acceptable by all the country's sectarian groups. "On the one hand they are jihadists but on the other they fear an Israeli response," Baidatz said. "Their solution is to down an aircraft over Lebanon." - The Daily Star

Will Livni be any different from those who have gone before her?
By The Daily Star
Friday, September 19, 2008
Editorial
Long before Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni became a serious contender for Israel's top political job, she delivered a speech at a conference in which she related the story of an event that altered her perception of the Arab-Israeli conflict. She described to her audience an outing with one of her two sons, who at that time was just a young boy. The two were enjoying what began as a normal day until they encountered a roadblock surrounded by angry-looking strangers, an unnerving experience which she said terribly frightened her young child. Livni added that the uncomfortable event served to strengthen her resolve to ensure that children no longer have to grow up in fear. If Livni can succeed in cobbling together a coalition government, she may end up well positioned to create an opportunity for Israelis, Palestinians and Lebanese to achieve their shared goal of raising their children in happy, healthy environments.
First, Livni would have to recognize that on the other side of the as-yet-undefined Israeli border, children are enduring the same sense of terror that was suffered by her son, often on a daily basis. The only difference is that Israeli children have far better odds than their Palestinian and Lebanese counterparts of surviving these frightening experiences. And when the Arab children are lucky enough to escape death, they are frequently subjected to recurring nightmares of cluster bombs, checkpoints, blockades and sonic booms. As a mother, Livni has seen firsthand the immediate psychological impact that children suffer when they experience overwhelming fear, so surely she can imagine what might be the cumulative effect of growing up under such terrifying conditions. Indeed, fear is what perpetuates the cycle of killing that has been playing itself out in Palestine and Israel for the last few decades.
Despite the fact that we all understand this basic rule of human dynamics - even though some Israelis and Arabs pretend that they do not - no Israeli prime minister has proven capable of securing a comprehensive peace deal, even though Arab leaders have given them a blueprint in the form of the Arab Peace Initiative. Perhaps Livni might prove herself to be man enough for the job if her actions as premier emanate from her concerns for the wellbeing of children - both hers and ours.

Interview Ahmad Al Assaad
written by: Manuela Paraipan,
18-Sep-08
WSN: I know you have a party and also the Lebanese Option Gathering (LOG).
AHMAD AL-ASSAAD: The party is part of the gathering. The Lebanese Option Gathering [LOG] is a gathering of many Shia figures and my party is part of it.
WSN: When did you start the party?
AA: The al-Kafaat Party was founded four and a half years ago.
WSN: And the Lebanese Option Gathering?
AA: One year ago.
WSN: Why do you think there is a need to have another structure aside from the al-Kafaat Party?
AA: I believe this new structure is the key to solving Lebanon's problems as long as the Shia situation is as it is. It is the need to bring about change in the community. The idea behind the gathering is to bring all the Shia voices that have a different view and opinion than Hizballah’s together, to give the people a choice between Shias that are truly Lebanese and Shia - let's put it this way - that are not truly Lebanese.
WSN: How do you assess the situation of the Shia community from a socio-political perspective?
AA: Its simple. You come from the Eastern Block countries. It is like it used to be under Ceausescu. When you had elections, 99% had to vote for him. And we saw that when people had a free choice and alternatives, we saw the kind of percentage the communist parties are now getting in elections. It's the same thing here, even worse because in your countries if you were not a communist, a true communist, you were a traitor. But here you are not only a traitor, but also you are not a man of God, a Muslim, a Shia. There is a lot of pressure, and it takes courage to be able, in these circumstances, to say: “I don't agree with you.”
WSN: Why do we keep hearing that all or most of the Shias are with Hizballah?
AA: The story that Shias are with Hizballah is far from being accurate. Iran is spending a lot of money in Lebanon, and that's why they are able to have a base of supporters, services and a social network to pay salaries. If the funds are cut today from Iran, I will show you tomorrow who will stay with Hizballah: No one.
The good thing is that not all Shias are profiting from Hizballah's services, or maybe Iran is not sending enough money. Either way, there is still a big minority that is not profiting from Iran and that is not happy with the present situation. Like other Lebanese, they have no jobs, no prospects for the future and they are afraid to express this. My job and my colleagues’ job is to convince these people to come out and express their views freely and openly.
WSN: Is it a job that can be easily done?
AA: It’s a tough job, but it's the key to solving Lebanon's dilemma. The elections are coming, and no matter what happens, even if the majority wins more seats in the parliament - let's say anything between 70 to 90 seats - and if you change some aspects of the Shia representation of the parliament members, we are still back to the same status quo. As long as we have Hizballah saying that only it represents the Shia community, we are not moving one inch. In order to move forward you have to move with all the communities in Lebanon, and as long as Hizballah has the monopoly over the Shias, Hizballah will hinder and block any movement towards achieving a true Lebanese state.
WSN: What about Amal? What role is there for Amal within the community?
AA: Amal is a nice decoration. There is no Amal. It’s a beautiful thing to put in your window to show that there is an alternative, but Amal does not exist anymore.
WSN: Are you saying that if we take Speaker Berri out of the picture there is nothing else left?
AA: I feel sorry for Mr. Berri, and many of us have come to a point where we think that he is so weak, that we feel sorry for him. He is just a puppet. He is not a statesman but that is the path he chose. He is able, but he is not willing to stand up to the Iranians and the Syrians. He is happy to be the speaker of the parliament, and he does not really want to confront the dangers we face. Amal does not have the privileges it used to have: Money and funds, and he used to put people in government jobs. Those jobs existed only on paper. These kinds of actions do not take place anymore. Now the budget of the Council of the South is not as big as it used to be. It used to be around US$380 million but nowadays is under US$40 million; around here we say that the cow has no more milk. Thus, Mr. Berri has nothing. It is all Hizballah. They have the funds. He is just a follower with a beautiful etiquette called Amal.
WSN: How can you counter Hizballah's hegemony over the community? You talked about the services, but there are also the arms.
AA: I don't worry about the arms in the Shia community. Hizballlah will think long and hard before using arms again, especially using them within the community. Hizballah does not give a damn about the Sunni, Druze, Christians and so on. Like them or not, as long as they are in control of the community, they can go on like this forever.
You have to understand that for them it is important to have a certain image in the community. Although that image has been broken because of what they did in 2006 and in May; still, they are working to preserve the bits that were left intact. Let's not forget that the people of Hizballah who are in its militia are in the towns and villages. They are part of the society and it’s not easy for Hizballah to take the weapons and turn them against other Shias. This is why I don't worry about the weapons. I do worry about the money, the immense funds they have, and this is very difficult to match and it makes the base of competition unequal. If they would give me half of their money we would have no problems, but I don't think they are that generous.
WSN: Are the substantial financial resources of Hizballah the main impediment for other Shia voices to be heard?
AA: This is the main issue, and that is why people are with Hizballah. Not because of the rhetoric, but because people are in need. The people are getting poorer and they (Hizballah) want them to get poor in order to keep them hostage. If Lebanon is on its feet and gets to be a prosperous country in the 21st Century - and Lebanon deserves to get to that stage because we as Lebanese are truly gifted people - then the people will no longer be need of Hizballah.
Every chance Hizballah has to bring poverty, to bring Lebanon to the days of chaos, they take it with great enthusiasm, because this is what they need to be successful.
WSN: What can you tell me about the LOG plans for the immediate future, having in mind the upcoming elections?
AA: We want to have a coalition of Shias all over the country, from southern Lebanon to the Beqaa, Beirut, Dahyeh and elsewhere, and present people with a choice: Elect a Shia that belongs to Iran or elect a Shia that belongs to Lebanon.
WSN: You talked of generalized poverty. Does the gathering have an economic plan for reforms to put forward?
AA: The truth is that you can't do anything as long as you have Hizballah. The days of communist totalitarian use of the economy are long gone, and economic growth and jobs come from investment. Lebanon is not getting any serious investments, although the Gulf countries are fed up with money because of the increased oil prices worldwide. Very little of the money is coming to Lebanon. There is no rule of law and there is no state. There is the state of Hizballah, and understandably, no one wants to take unnecessary risks. As long as Hizballah is in control of war and peace and decides from one day to another to have chaos, no one will come here.
After the 2006 war, we had a little economic boom. This was because we Lebanese are good at lying and we even believed the lie ourselves; we kept saying that there is no worry about Hizballah. They are in the south; it will have no impact on Beirut, Saida or other places you invest in. The 2006 war came and showed the lie we sold to the outside world and that we believed in.
The point is to weaken Hizballah, to put pressure on it to become a Lebanese party, and the only way to do this is from within the Shia community.
WSN: What is your opinion about the March 14 group and its political leadership?
AA: A bunch of amateurs, although not all of them. I have good friends in March 14, friends that are ethical, solid, open, real statesmen, but unfortunately, they are not the decision makers. The decision makers lack many of the qualities that are needed to confront and overcome Hizballah. We lost so many chances since 2006 because of this lack of quality and decisiveness within March 14, most recently in Qatar at Doha. The unity story, its a big lie, another defeat for Lebanon, another point won by Hizballah.
WSN: Any positive change in the relationship between Syria and Lebanon now that President Sulayman visited President Bashar al-Assad?
AA: I don't see any change and naive are the people who think that the Syrians are going to give us anything of value. Now the headlines about the embassy exchange, but is this the main problem we have with Syria? The whole problem?
The Syrians will not make any real concession to Lebanon for the simple reason that they are scared to death by the International Tribunal, and they believe that when the facts come to the table, the decision makers of the world will decide what to do with those facts based on their respective interests. It is important for Syria to hold on to the cards they have even more firmly, in order to trade them.
I believe that the International Tribunal will do what it can to bring about all the facts that it can, but its up to the important countries of the world to decide what to do with these facts. They took Milosevic to prison because it was in the interest of these countries to do so. On the other hand, with Qaddafi, they decided to live with him and make him pay a monetary penalty.
For the Syrians, Lebanon is the main card and they will not let it go or allow it to become weaker, simply because their fate depends on it.
WSN: What is Lebanon's main card? Why should we pay attention to whatever happens in Lebanon?
AA: I believe that Lebanon - and not because I am Lebanese - plays an important role at a global scale. We have another cold war going on, and this time it is not between West and East, capitalism and communism. This time it is between the free world and the so-called Islamists. I say so-called because I was raised as a Muslim and I know what Islam is and what Shia Islam is. These people have made the biggest forgery of a great religion and tradition.
If we cannot win the cold war in Lebanon, in a place that has a history of democracy, freedom of speech and a tradition of openness, how are we going to win it elsewhere?
It is very simple. If we win the war in Lebanon it means that we are able to win it elsewhere, while losing it in Lebanon, means that its only a matter of time until the whole region falls to these so-called Islamists. No matter how much people are disappointed by March 14, we have to keep on doing our job because what happens in Lebanon will have great consequences throughout the region.
WSN: What is your view on United States policy towards Lebanon?
AA: I am for McCain. I believe this is a gentleman who knows the regimes here, knows how they think, their nature, how to deal with them. He has the experience, the knowledge and intelligence to bring about the necessary pressure on these regimes.
Sometimes the people in the West, being used to certain standards and ethics, believe these concepts are universal. They think you can convince anyone of them just by talking. Disappointingly, this is naive thinking. Many of the regimes, especially the Iranian and to some extent the Syrian regime understand only the language of strength, power, and pressure. Reason and logic are just Chinese to them.
I hope and I believe that Mr. McCain will be elected as the next president. This would be a very good thing for Lebanon, for the Middle East and the world.
WSN: How do you see European policy towards your country?
AA: I see a lot of hypocrisy from the Europeans. They are great in philosophy, in making theory, but they don't have the backbone to do anything, and they are hypocrites because in order to have a role, a stupid, tiny role, they are willing to have it at the cost of principles. For example, if we look at the recent opening of the French toward the Syrians. Why did the French do this? What are we getting out of it? Nothing. A stupid embassy? As if our problems will be solved once the embassy is here!
WSN: What objective do you think the French had to motivate them to follow such a course?
AA: The whole thing was done because France wants to have a role. And this role comes at the expense of the basic principles. There is a lot of double standard in the Europeans, and I don't like this. I know how they deal with me, and I am very frank and say things how they are. The European embassies are scared to death when they see me.
WSN: Why is that?
AA: They are afraid that Hizballah will think that they have a good relationship with me, and they think about the soldiers they have in UNIFIL, that maybe this will have consequences for them.
I don't approve of the European Union policy here, I don't think it’s a policy; they have no moral high-ground anymore. Sometimes just to aggravate them I say, thank God for the yanks.
WSN: Lebanon has a consensus president. Is he able to do his job properly under these circumstances?
AA: This is a president that prolongs the status quo, not a president that brings a solution. In Lebanon, we are used to living in the gray - not black and not white. This is a big problem in the politics of the country. Mr. Sulayman is a nice guy, but he is not the guy that can make the strong decisions that are necessary for building a sovereign Lebanon. This is why our gathering was always for the fact that the majority in the parliament should have imposed even if Hizballah & Co. would not have accepted; they should have elected a true Lebanese president, like Nassib Lahoud.
WSN: You are talking of the 50 + 1?
AA: Exactly. They should have done that. Freedom does not come on a plate of gold or silver; you have to sacrifice and to be able to go all the way. You have to do your duty first and then ask for or expect help from the outside. The status quo works to the benefit of Hizballah, and now we have a situation where they feel they are more powerful. They hope to be able to control the next parliament.
WSN: Is this likely?
AA: It is too soon to tell. However, after what happened in May and after they saw that the March 14 men are men of paper and under pressure they all fall, in case they lose the elections, what you have seen in May 7 and 8 will be just a small example of what they will do. Hizballah will use any pretext to sabotage the results, because now that they are encouraged they know that what they can't take through law or diplomacy, they can get by sheer force.
I really hope that if this happens, March 14 will stand its ground and not give up as easily as they did recently.
WSN: You are clearly not content with the European policy in Lebanon. Do you have a message for the Europeans?
AA: I want to say to the Europeans that we have a common enemy and this enemy is an enemy of all humanity and this is the so-called and I explicitly say, the so-called Islamic movement. This is an enemy that will not simply vanish into thin air. If we do not face it and make it weaker, it will become stronger and a menace to Lebanon, and especially Europe, because of its proximity to the region. I want to remind the Europeans of Hitler, and of the naïveté of some at that time, believing that one could talk to Hitler, that one could coexist with him. Just look back and see what happened. Do not forget your history.
These Islamic movements are even worse than Hitler, so stop stalling for time, stop escaping reality; take actions no matter how difficult these actions will be. In a generation’s time, and even sooner, the problems will be bigger than now. The Europeans know deep down that there is no other choice than to face the enemy, but their problem is that oftentimes the tiny interests and gains in politics matter more to the politicians than unpopular, tough decisions. This is a problem that can no longer be postponed and we have to work together to solve it.
Ahmad al-Assaad was born in Taibeh in southern Lebanon. In 1986, he earned his BA in Mathematics from the University of Utah. Two years later, he earned his MA in Amsterdam. He embarked on a career in wood manufacture and trade, and, in 2003, he moved back to Lebanon.
**He currently heads the Lebanese Option Gathering.