LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
January 10/08
Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to
Saint Mark 6,45-52. Then he made his disciples get into the boat and precede him
to the other side toward Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And when he
had taken leave of them, he went off to the mountain to pray. When it was
evening, the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore. Then he saw
that they were tossed about while rowing, for the wind was against them. About
the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. He meant
to pass by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a
ghost and cried out. They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he
spoke with them, "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!"He got into the boat
with them and the wind died down. They were (completely) astounded. They had not
understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were
hardened.
Free Opinions and Releases
Sand Trap/Bush's
Mideast trip has little chance of success, and risks being overshadowed by Iran.
By Michael Moran.Newsweek/09/01/08
Interview with Joseph Bahout: What is at stake is the future of'
Lebanonism. Daily Star. January 09/08
From father to son, Arab despotism
may have merit-By Shlomo
Ben-Ami. January 09/08
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for January 09/08
Kouchner: Syria Went
Too Far in Demands-Naharnet
Moussa in Beirut Wednesday to Promote Arab Plan-Naharnet
Lebanon Transfers $12
Million Fund to Hariri Tribunal-Naharnet
Hariri: Syria is with Presidential Vacuum-Naharnet
Hariri: Syria Wants
Presidential Vacuum-Naharnet
Typhoon Winds Blow Over South: UNIFIL
Bombed, Israel Rocketed-Naharnet
Geagea Urges MPs to Elect Suleiman on
Saturday-Naharnet
Saniora Denounces Attack on UNIFIL-Naharnet
Lebanon To Complain To U.N. Over Abduction
of Shepherd by Israel-Naharnet
Sarkozy-Hariri Consider Support for Arab
Initiative-Naharnet
Israel planned 1991 strike on NKorea-Syria ship: report-AFP
Moussa to pitch Arab League plan in
Beirut-Daily Star
Roadside bomb wounds pair of UNIFIL troops-Daily
Star
Any number of suspects could be behind attack on
UNIFIL-Daily Star
No claim of responsibility as two Katyushas land
in northern Israel-Daily Star
Fadlallah implores Muslims to 'unite their stands-Daily
Star
Beirut to appeal to Security Council over
abduction by Israel-AFP
What Pakistan can teach Lebanon about America's
consistent inconsistency-Daily Star
Beirut cuts deficit spending by 6 percent for
first 11 months of year-Daily Star
World Bank gives Lebanon high marks for banking
access-Daily Star
Lebanese banks see 7.9 percent rise in assets-Daily
Star
Applications invited for Samir Kassir Award-Daily
Star
Modern version of Phoenician boat to spread
Lebanese spirit-Daily Star
Peace cyclist makes pit stop in Lebanon-Daily
Star
History repeats itself while Beirut
musicians create something new-Daily Star
Typhoon Winds Blow Over South: UNIFIL Bombed, Israel Rocketed-Naharnet
Two Rockets Fired
into Israel from Lebanon-Naharnet
Sfeir: Presidential
Elections Should Precede New Cabinet-Naharnet
Geagea Urges MPs to
Elect Suleiman on Saturday-Naharnet
Saniora Denounces
Attack on UNIFIL-Naharnet
Moussa's Visit is to
Test Arab, Syrian Commitments Toward Presidential Elections-Naharnet
Israeli Troops Release Kidnapped Lebanese Shepherd-Naharnet
Fatah al-Islam's
Abssi to Lebanese Army: 'You Will Not Live Safely'-Naharnet
Arabs Share Concerns
on Iran over Hizbullah's Growing Power-Naharnet
American Critic of Israel Meets Hizbullah Official-Naharnet
Closer US Ties With Syria Will Come at a Price, Analysts
Say-CNSNews.com
Skepticism, Anger Greet Bush in Middle East-Voice of America
Kouchner: Syria Went Too Far in Demands
Naharnet/French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has said Syria went too far in
its demands over the election of a new Lebanese president. "The Syrians went too
far in their demands," Kouchner told the pan-Arab daily Al Hayat in remarks
published Wednesday, adding that "elections did not take place in Lebanon
despite the existence of a consensus candidate -- Gen. Michel Suleiman." He said
France had put forward a "document very similar to that adopted by the Arab
League" in Cairo which called for the election of Suleiman as president, the
formation of a government of national unity and the adoption of a new electoral
law.
Kouchner said "Lebanon's friends and not friends of a one sect want presidential
elections to take place in accordance with the constitution which stipulates
that presidential elections should precede the appointment of a prime minister."
Meanwhile, a senior French security source told Al Hayat in Paris that Syria and
its allies "give the impression that they do not desire the election of Gen.
Michel Suleiman as President." Beirut, 09 Jan 08, 08:36
Moussa in Beirut Wednesday to Promote Arab Plan
Naharnet/Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa is due in Beirut Wednesday on
a delicate mission to promote an Arab plan aimed at ending the prolonged
political crisis.Moussa, armed with international support for the Arab foreign
ministers' initiative, will seek the approval of the feuding Lebanese parties
for the three-point Arab plan which was endorsed in Cairo on Sunday. Moussa was
confident there was a big chance to end the Lebanon stalemate.
He told the pan-Arab daily Al Hayat that he is "hopeful" about achieving good
results. The plan calls for the immediate election of Gen. Michel Suleiman as
President for Lebanon, formation of a national unity government and drafting a
new electoral law. While the stance of the Hizbullah-led opposition regarding
the Arab initiative remained unclear, the majority March 14 alliance has already
announced its approval of the plan. The daily An Nahar on Wednesday said the
opposition was likely to propose to Moussa the idea of equal shares of
government posts such as the opposition, the majority and the new president will
get a 10+10+10 distribution of cabinet posts. As Safir newspaper, meanwhile,
said Moussa will meet upon arrival with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri at Ain
al-Tineh. It said the Arab League chief would then head to the Grand Serail for
a meeting with Prime Minister Fouad Saniora. Berri told As Safir in remarks
published Wednesday that the Arab plan was "not subjected to explanation, but
rather should be implemented straight away."
Berri said that his talks with Moussa would focus on the first phase of the plan
which deals with the presidential election according to constitutional norms,
"meaning without complications."The Speaker reiterated that Gen. Michel Aoun
remains the opposition's negotiator as far as the formation of the unity
government is concerned. Beirut, 09 Jan 08, 07:53
Hariri: Syria Wants Presidential Vacuum
Naharnet/MP Saad Hariri said Syria wants Lebanon to remain without a president,
stressing that French President Nicolas Sarkozy supports the country.
"Syria's Lebanese election candidate is a (presidential) void," Hariri said in
remarks published by the pan-Arab daily Al Hayat on Wednesday. "This was the
reason why French President Nicolas Sarkozy suspended (diplomatic) contacts with
Syria," Hariri added, stressing that Sarkozy will "not abandon Lebanon." Hariri
said French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner assured him that France will
"soon" send 250 million Euro fund as promised at the Paris-3 conference. He also
revealed that Europe, Moscow and influential Arab countries agreed to cooperate
on putting the Arab plan into practice. Beirut, 09 Jan 08, 11:02
Berri Demands 10+10+10 Cabinet Share
Naharnet/Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri was quoted as saying that the cabinet
balance can only be achieved through a 10+10+10 distribution of government
posts. Visitors quoted Berri as saying that if it turned out that the Arab
initiative after the formation of a new government such as the president is
given 6 ministers, the majority 14 and the opposition 10, "then this formula
would be considered imbalance." He said such a formula would allow the majority
March 14 together with the President "to take any decision" while it strips the
opposition from taking decisions along with the head of state. "The opposition
will not accept that," Berri was quoted as saying, adding that the cabinet
balance "is based on a 10+10+10 government (share)." Beirut, 09 Jan 08, 10:03
Lebanon Transfers $12 Million Fund to Hariri Tribunal
Naharnet/Lebanon has transferred $12 million fund to the Special International
Tribunal that would try suspects in the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik
Hariri and related crimes, according to a report by the daily Al Hayat on
Wednesday. Al Hayat, citing diplomatic sources, said Prime Minister Fouad
Saniora's government sent the amount on Tuesday. The sources said that the
amount came to add up to $5.5 million fund previously sent to the U.N. by the
Lebanese government
In June, a senior U.N. official said that it is likely to take at least a year
for the Special Tribunal to begin operations as funds have to be generated.
According to the applicable rules, the Tribunal will not be established until
there are sufficient financial contributions to create the court and run it for
a year and enough pledges to meet the expected expenses of another two years.
Lebanon will have to provide 49 percent of the funds. Senior U.N. officials have
said about $30 million could be needed to finance the court's first year, but
that amount may change depending on whether the Tribunal is housed in existing
buildings, a renovated complex or an entirely new structure. Beirut, 09 Jan 08,
07:31
Iran should not underestimate
Israel: Peres
http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=mideast&item=080109103346.hnnaki2j.php
Israeli President Shimon Peres on Wednesday warned arch-enemy Iran not to
underestimate Israel's resolve to defend itself, as he welcomed US President
George W. Bush on a landmark visit. "We take your advice to not underestimate
the Iranian threat. Iran should not underestimate our resolve for self defence,"
Peres said.
He also urged Bush to help confront the "madness" of Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah.
Peres also said this will be a moment of truth for Middle East peace.
"On your way here you said that 2008 should be the pathway from words to action,
from aspiration to reality. Indeed, the next 12 months will be a moment of
truth," he said. ©2008 AFP
Arab League pushes plan to end Lebanon crisis
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ib2PRhF0vJ5l9uifOBqBCf8v94lg
BEIRUT (AFP) — Arab League chief Amr Mussa was expected in Beirut Wednesday in a
bid to push rival political leaders to accept a joint Arab proposal to end the
country's long-running presidential crisis. The initiative is based on a
three-point plan that calls for the election of army chief General Michel
Sleiman, the formation of a national unity government in which no one party has
veto power and the adoption of a new electoral law. Lebanon has been without a
president since November 23, when Emile Lahoud stepped down with no elected
successor because of a bitter power struggle between the Western-backed majority
and the Hezbollah-led opposition, supported by Syria and Iran. A vote in the
Lebanese parliament to elect a new head of state has been postponed 11 times,
and lawmakers are now due to meet again on January 12 for a fresh attempt. The
Arab League plan is the latest in a string of international proposals to end the
stalemate that is threatening the country's stability. It has received wide
backing from the international community as well as Lebanon's ruling majority.
The militant Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah, which has insited on having a third
of the cabinet seats in the next government so as to have veto power over key
decisions, has given it a cautious welcome. Hezbollah MP Mohamad Haidar said his
party wanted to make sure that under the plan there would be "no winner and no
loser".
"We want to make sure that under the proposed formula, no party will be able to
impose its decisions in the next government," he said.
There is speculation that that if Mussa leaves Beirut empty-handed, Saturday's
latest parliament session to elect a president would be postponed, possibly
until Spring. There is also speculation that the vote may keep getting delayed
until the next legislative elections in 2009, when the opposition could win the
majority in parliament. Mussa on Wednesday was to meet on his arrival with
parliament speaker and opposition leader Nabih Berri and then with Prime
Minister Fuad Siniora followed by a meeting with Sleiman.
Sand Trap
Bush's Mideast trip has little chance of success, and risks being overshadowed
by Iran
http://www.newsweek.com/id/86857
By Michael Moran, Council on Foreign Relations | Special to Newsweek
Jan 8, 2008
This week, U.S. President George W. Bush turns his attention to the search for a
comprehensive peace between Arabs and Israelis, flying to the Middle East as his
own nation increasingly focuses on the question of who will succeed him. Like
his predecessor, Bill Clinton, and his father, George H.W. Bush, the president
enters his final year in office with newly minted peace negotiations under way.
As he made clear in his January 5 radio address , Bush holds the view that U.S.
security depends at least in part on solving the ancient enmity in the Holy
Land.
Coming less than six weeks after the launch of the Annapolis peace process, much
of the president's agenda will be devoted to moving talks forward between the
Israelis and Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas have held follow-up talks aimed at advancing
the Joint Understanding agreed to in November 2007 at Annapolis. Stephen Hadley,
Bush's national security advisor, says three important changes in the Middle
East provide reasons for optimism-most of all, "a dramatic change in the Israeli
assessment of their strategic position and their long-term interests."
White House optimism aside, doubts proliferate. Steven Erlanger, chief Jerusalem
correspondent of the New York Times, tells CFR.org in a new interview that
Israelis have little faith that Bush's trip or the Annapolis process itself will
bear fruit. In the Washington Times, Chuck Freilich, a former Israel national
security adviser now with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, judges
the prospects for the Bush trip as being so poor that "the stage is set for dark
comedy."
If achieving progress there-no sure bet-was all the mission had to accomplish,
odds would be long enough. But myriad other challenges will intervene as Bush
moves from Israel and the West Bank to the Arabian Peninsula and Egypt. The
long-term stability of U.S.-allied governments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and
Pakistan remain uncertain. Efforts by France and the Arab League to broker a
solution to a constitutional crisis in Lebanon also remain in play, and major
nonstate actors, Hamas, Hezbollah, and al-Qaeda, will strain every muscle to
prevent diplomatic success on Bush's watch.
Not on the itinerary, but very much on the agenda, is Iran. In Israel, Defense
Secretary Ehud Barak has been promising a session with Bush that will lay out
Israel's serious disagreements with the recent shift U.S. intelligence agencies
made on Iran's nuclear program. A National Intelligence Estimate made public
late last year concluded Iran suspended its effort to build a nuclear weapon in
2003.
And it is not only Israelis who question Washington's new tack on Iran.
Sunni-led Arab states worry about Iran's rising influence in the region-its
Hezbollah proxy in Lebanon, its toehold in Gaza via support for Hamas, and its
influence on the Shia-dominated Iraqi state. Gulf Arabs, including the Saudis,
fear the recalibrated U.S. intelligence on Iran might signal Washington's
weakness and embolden Tehran. Iran's future ambitions, nuclear or not, will
figure prominently in Bush's talks with Saudi King Abdullah and with the leaders
of the Gulf Emirates, too. Mark A. Heller, a national security specialist at Tel
Aviv University, suggests Bush would be better off canceling his Arab visits and
flying, instead, to Tehran.© 2008
Finkelstein meets Hezbollah officials
Published: 01/08/2008
http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/106289.html
U.S. academic and author Norman Finkelstein met with Hezbollah's top official on
a visit to Lebanon. Finkelstein, author of "The Holocaust Industry: Reflections
on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering," is on a weeklong visit to Lebanon. On
Monday he met with Hezbollah's commander in southern Lebanon, Nabil Kaouk, The
Associated Press reported. A vociferous critic of Israel, Finkelstein resigned
as a political science professor at Chicago's DePaul University last year when
he was denied tenure after his views and scholarship came under fire."After the
horror and after the shame and after the anger there still remains a hope, and I
know that I can get in a lot of trouble for what I am about to say, but I think
that the Hezbollah represents the hope. They are fighting to defend their
homeland," Finkelstein told reporters, according to AP. Finkelstein toured the
sites of some of the heaviest fighting during the Second Lebanon War in the
summer of 2006 as well as Palestinian refugee camps, including Sabra and Shatila
Lawson Kass Hanna
Subject: Distributing Weapons
Tue, 8 Jan 2008
I heard that the Syrian agents in Zgharta are still distributing weapons.I would
like to ask the followers of the Syrian agents in Zgharta not to get involved in
this war as it will mark their end. If someone convinced you that you will win
this war, and actually you can't, the only result would be to open the door
again for the thieves of Chekka, Lottery, Hhealth ministry to go back to the
institutions and increase their wealth. as for you, you will stay in the same
situation of poverty as it happened in the past when they amassed their wealth.
If you lose this war, the result for you would be catastrophic because you will
lose your loved ones. As for these thieves ,who used you in the past to make
money, will not be affected. they are not in need anymore for Issam Fares and
Gilbert Shagouri's help. They have a lot of money in foreign banks and they can
live in luxury at he French Riviera beaches.
Lawson Kass Hanna's Message for today
Subject: Iranian tactic
To all the Lebanese patriotic people, The axis of evil (Iran and Syria) is
facilitating the process for the Arab ministers in order to elect a Lebanese
president. they are facilitating with the intention to buy some time and to show
the western world that they have good intention in Lebanon. at the same time,
they are asking Hezbollah and their allies not to accept any resolution and to
keep things moving in a viscous circle. the whole issue is about time. the axis
of evil is counting on the time when the western world will be desperate after
seeing that the Lebanese people can not resolve their issues. if this works, the
western world will have much more interests to deal with Iran to resolve these
issues. that's why it is important for the patriotic leaders in Lebanon to have
a plan and work only according to this plan. they should not trust any word the
axis of evil is saying. the patriotic leaders should have a clear plan on how to
protect the Lebanese people and the government. they can not be a reaction.
Bahout: What is at stake is the future of 'Lebanonism'
Professor discusses role of country amid regional polarization
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Interview
Editor's note: The following is an interview with Joseph Bahout, a professor of
political sociology and research associate at Sciences Po in Paris by
bitterlemons-international.org (BI).
BI: How would you describe the political dynamic in Lebanon?
Bahout: One issue is the constitutional framework: what does the presidency
mean? Under the Taif agreement, the presidency doesn't mean as much as it used
to. The president has lost a lot of his authority; to a large extent he is now
perceived as an arbitrator and a moral figure above politics. But due to the
last three years of unhealthy polarization that has taken things to the verge of
political divorce, the fact of getting to agree on a president has itself become
very difficult. Add to this that the two conflicting camps initially perceived
that the mere fact of accepting the candidate of the other camp was a kind of
political defeat.
That's the internal picture. Regionally and internationally, since the summer
every observer has come to understand that if in fact the March 14 majority camp
accepts a consensual president at the expense of the hard core of its political
agenda, it would be perceived by the US and the West as [yielding to] the
Syrian/Iranian axis. And if the March 8 opposition camp accepts a March 14
candidate, this is perceived as a Syrian/Iranian defeat.
BI: But now the two camps agree on [the commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces,
General] Michel Suleiman.
Bahout: After the first phase of deadlock, when the constitutional period ended
on September 22, a political "joker" was introduced by the majority in the
person of Suleiman. He is perceived as a mild figure and a hidden pro-Syrian.
His nomination was aimed to maneuver the opposition into a corner. But the
opposition replied by raising the stakes once more and demanding to discuss the
political agenda upon which Suleiman would govern. They agreed to Suleiman but
demanded to talk about a package deal for the next seven years regarding
Hizbullah, the role of the resistance, the UN resolutions, the future of
relations with Syria, etc. March 14 replied, "let's elect Suleiman first, then
discuss these issues."
BI: What is at stake here for Lebanon and for the region?
Bahout: If you adopt my reading that [former Premier] Rafik Hariri's death and
the turmoil of March 2005 were a turning point, then what is at stake internally
is a new definition of Lebanonism. At stake regionally is the role of Lebanon in
regional polarization. Will Lebanon be part of an axis of moderates or remain a
part of the axis of resistance defined by Tehran, Damascus, etc? Third, at stake
is, in the best case, a redesigning of the Taif agreement in order to cope with
the new facts on the ground since 2005, and at worst a new agreement to replace
Taif, but only after a period of high tension if not turmoil, since the balance
of power is not clear yet.
This is masked by phrases like "we have to think again about the real
prerogatives of the president" stated by [opposition leader MP] Michel Aoun, or
the Shiites asking for a new three-thirds division (one-third Shiite, one-third
Christian and one- third Sunni). This is the local aspect. The regional aspect
is a struggle about Lebanon itself.
BI: How much depends on local Lebanese actors and how much on external forces?
Bahout: It is difficult to make that distinction, but I think that so far the
international effort, particularly by the French, has over-focused on Syria.
There are several flaws here. One is allowing Syria to gain international
preeminence through the Lebanese scene. Second, even if Syria wants to
facilitate a settlement, some parts of the opposition escape its influence: the
Aoun faction is genuinely Lebanese; Hizbullah is playing to defend its own and
Iran's agenda; and Iran fears letting Syria escape their alliance. Third, the
Syrians felt entitled to claim a higher price when they saw that the entire
world was coming to talk to them about Lebanon.
We also should not neglect the inter-Arab tensions, at least between Saudi
Arabia and Syria. These are playing a huge role in blocking progress. Hence the
external aspect is probably more important than the internal.
BI: How long can this drag on?
Bahout: If nothing dramatic occurs, this limbo could last until at least
April-May. The constitutional reason is that Parliament cannot convene to amend
the Constitution to allow Suleiman to be elected before March-April. For the
moment, Parliament is merely an electoral college. That's why the current
attempts are not likely to succeed. To amend the Constitution the president must
summon Parliament - but we have no president. At the regional and international
level, something has to change in the balance of power among the US, Iran and
Syria to end the crisis. So it could go on until the next American elections.
BI: How will this affect internal security?
Bahout: Security could easily get out of hand unless there's a proper device to
maintain it, such as a minimal agreement among the parties to live with the
current vacuum. The majority continues to threaten to resort to a 50
percent-plus-one formula in order to force a solution and impose a president.
This is a scarecrow, but it could become a reality if encouraged by the US. I
think this would trigger a potentially violent reaction by the opposition.
BI: Finally, how is stability in South Lebanon likely to be affected by a
prolonged stalemate?
Bahout: I see no direct correlation. UNIFIL has nothing to fear from the
internal Lebanese scene [unless one of two things happen]. If Osama bin Laden's
threats are serious - he recently blamed Hizbullah for accepting the UNIFIL
presence - or if Syria's relations with the French and other Europeans derail,
then something could happen with UNIFIL to send a message. But today Hizbullah
has no interest in opening another front in the South.