LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
January 27/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 3,20-21. He came home. Again (the) crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Naming Names from Gaza to Damascus and All the Way through Lebanon-By: Raghida Dergham. January 26/08
Another assassination in Lebanon: What does this one mean? The Daily Star. January 26/08
Syria: Who Needs Annapolis?TIME. January 26/08

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for January 26/08
German FM condemns attack in Lebanon-Xinhua
Mess in Lebanon-Khaleej Times
Leaders across political spectrum condemn latest assassination-Daily Star
Bomb kills key ISF terror investigator-Daily Star
Lebanese business condemns assassination of security officer-Daily Star
Site of assassination holds grim details-Daily Star
Head of UNIFIL's South Korean contingent hands Command to successor-Daily Star
Lebanon moves up in the world - danger-wise-Daily Star
Palestinian issues land on global agenda-Daily Star
Lebanese ICT companies weather political, economic challenges - study-Daily Star
From London to Lebanon and back again with love-Daily Star
Syria warned over bombing-Gulf Daily News
'Obvious' Plan to Divide Lebanon: Patriarch-AINA
March 14 to Arabs: Don't Allow The Assad Regime to Control Lebanon Again-Naharnet
Ban Condemns Latest 'Terrorist' Attack in Beirut-Naharnet
UN chief condemns attack in Lebanon, calls for restraint and justice-Jerusalem Post
White House condemns attack in Lebanon-AFP
Anti-terror investigator among four dead in Lebanon blast-AFP
Moscow to assist to recover Lebanon life-Russia-InfoCenter
Army Confiscates Large Cache of Weapons in Sidon-Naharnet
Damascus Rushes to Distance Itself from Eid Killing-Naharnet
International, Arab Community Condemn Eid Assassination-Naharnet
Local Denunciations of Eid Crime-Naharnet
Opposition for Two Eyes Treatment by Arabs-Naharnet
Villagers Block International Road to Syria after Eid Bombing-Naharnet
National Day of Mourning For Eid, Comrades-Naharnet

Leaders across political spectrum condemn latest assassination
By The Daily Star -Compiled by Daily Star staff
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Various Lebanese groups, the international community and Arab states condemned Friday's assassination of a key Lebanese anti-terrorism investigator that was seen as part of a campaign to dismantle Lebanese institutions. The leader of the parliamentary majority, MP Saad HaririSaad-Hariri-Profile Sep-07 , indirectly pointed the finger at neighboring Syria. "This attack is a clear message to all Arabs that the future of Lebanon will remain under the stranglehold of crimes and terrorism despite all the initiatives to resolve the political crisis," Hariri said. "That compels us to call once again on Syria to stop its interference in Lebanon."
However, Syria itself, which pulled its troops out of Lebanon after three decades under strong pressure after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005, condemned the killing, blaming it on "Lebanon's enemies."
The official Syrian Arab News Agency quoted a government official as "condemning the attack perpetrated this morning in Beirut and affirming that it aimed at Lebanon's security and stability." The opposition Free Patriotic Movement, headed by MP Michel Aoun, also condemned the killing, saying, "the perpetrators should be uncovered and brought to justice at once." Hizbullah also condemned the bombing and sent a delegation to Internal Security Forces (ISF) commander General Ashraf Rifi to pay condolences. United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon also deplored Friday's "terrorist" attack.
"The secretary general strongly condemns the terrorist attack today in Lebanon that reportedly killed an officer of the ISF" and three others, his press office said in a statement. Captain Wissam Eid, 31, a member of Lebanon's ISF and his bodyguard were killed along with three civilians.
Ban, who is currently attending the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of DavosDavos-City-Guide Jan-08 , reiterated his call "on the people of Lebanon to continue exercising restraint and for those behind this and previous attacks to be brought to justice."
"This latest act of terrorshould not be allowed to undermine the security, stability and sovereignty of Lebanon," the UN statement said.
The Security Council was also considering issuing its own statement condemning the attack.
The White House also "strongly" condemned the attack, according to White House spokeswoman Dana Perino, who blamed "those who seek to undermine Lebanon's institutions and democratic processes and to delay further the selection of a new Lebanese president."
At the State Department, spokesman Tom Casey said the car bombing "does appear yet again to be another attack on individuals who are part of the institutions and democratic structures in Lebanon." Britain, France, Russia, Saudi Arabia and other countries as well as the European Union, and the Arab League also denounced the attack. "This is another in a disturbing series of recent attacks by those who wish to destabilize Lebanon," said Britain's Foreign Office. "His death must not be allowed to derail the pursuit of justice" in the string of killings in Lebanon.
If "some people think that these assassinations can sink a solution to the current [political] crisis to their advantage, they are wrong," said EgyptianForeign Minister Ahmad Abu al-Gheit. Lebanon has been without a head of state since Emile Lahoud left the presidency at the end of his term at midnight on November 23 with no elected successor because of a standoff between the ruling coalition and the Hizbullah-led opposition. In Riyadh, Saudi King Abdullah, who was meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, joined the condemnations and called for unity to foil "the schemes of those who do not wish well for Lebanon."
Arab League chief Amr Moussa warned the latest attack could "affect the unity of Lebanon." The country is "sliding toward the abyss because of the failure to reach a compromise" on electing a new president, said Moussa, whose organization has a plan which has so far failed to break the deadlock between feuding parties.
Russia expressed "deep concern" after the latest deadly bombing, saying that it showed there was a political "vacuum" in Lebanon.
"The report of a fresh explosion in Beirut ... evokes deep concern," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said in a statement
"It reflects the danger of the continuing vacuum of presidential power in Lebanon," Kamynin added.
"Consultations on electing a new head of state by consensus are being unjustifiably delayed, which is being exploited by destructive forces. The continuing delay on this key question is unacceptable," he said. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana condemned the deadly car bombing, which he said was clearly aimed at fomenting instability. "Yet again I express my utter condemnation at the continuing wave of bomb attacks in Beirut," the EU high representative for foreign and security policy said in a statement. "It is clear that the main intention behind these attacks is to foment instability," he added. "As attempts to foster dialogue continue in good faith, others exert efforts to pursue a sinister agenda." - Agencies

Tears, Wrath and Calls for Vengeance Mark Funeral of Slain Police Counter-Terrorism Officer
Women, their eyes brimming with tears, ululated in grief as men, faces pouring wrath, waved clinched fists, chanted Islam's war cry of Allah Akbar and called for vengeance during the funeral procession in north Lebanon of two slain counter-terrorism police officers.
Floods of mourners marched in the funeral processions of Maj. Wissam Eid and Aspirant Officer Ousama Mireeb in the northern towns of Deir Ammar and Tripoli on Saturday chanting an Islamic slogan pledging that "Killers are to be killed". "Those who shed your blood, their blood would be shed," the mourners chanted.
The pledge for vengeance was repeated during prayers at Tripoli's Tinal Mosque, especially when Eid's father, Mahmoud, kissed his son's coffin that was draped in a Lebanese flag. Several mourners opened fire in the air from automatic rifles as Mireeb's funeral progressed slowly across the crowded streets of Tripoli into the family residence at the Bab Tabbaneh district, prior to burial in Bab al-Raml grave Yard. In Deir Ammar, Eid's hometown that is close to the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp where Fatah al-Islam terrorists were entrenched last summer, Wrath rather than grief, marked the procession.
Mosque minerates blared chants of "Allah Akbar" (God is Great), which is rather a war cry in Islam seldom used in funeral processions.
"The Martyrs are beloved by Allah, and the criminals are Allah's enemies," mourners shouted, waving clinched fists to express anger, amidst the crackling of automatic rifle fire. Several chants attacking Syria and the regime of President Bashar Assad were made by mourners in Tripoli and Deir Ammar, as the bodies of Mirreb and Eid were carried to their respective graves.
The crime that also killed three civilians and wounded more than 40 has been perceived as an attempt aimed at destroying state institutes in trouble-ridden Lebanon.
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, commenting on the assassination said "what is going on aims at stripping the country of all its constitutional institutes."
The patriarch added that "what is happening is not an act carried out by Lebanese only, it involves participation from outside Lebanon, it aims at fragmenting the country.""The hidden scheme has been exposed, it is a programmed destruction of all institutes, no red lines," the patriarch cautioned.
The March 14 alliance blamed Eid's crime on Syria and accused the Damascus Regime and its allies in the Hizbullah-led opposition of blocking implementation of the Arab initiative that supports election of Army Commander Gen. Michel Suleiman President.
Eid, 31, played major roles in analyzing mobile telephone and e-mail contacts related to the assassinations of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri in 2005, the twin bus bombings of Ein Alaq in 2007 and the assassination of Gen. Francois Hajj, chief of the army's military operation on Jan. 12, 2007.
His work, according to ranking security officials, also managed to detect "established links" between Fatah al-Islam terrorists and Syria's intelligence apparatus.
Such evidences compiled by the late Eid could help "implicate Syria" in the serial killings that targeted Lebanon since Oct. 1, 2004, when minister of communications Marwan Hamade suffered serious wounds in a car bomb assassination attempt. Beirut, 26 Jan 08, 13:58

Police Martyrs Honored, Decorated
The Internal Security Forces Command on Saturday honored and decorated Maj. Wissam Eid and Aspirant Officer Ousama Mirreb who were assassinated by a powerful car bob explosion the day before. A police band played the death Hymn as the two coffins, draped in Lebanese Flags, were carried by colleagues at the Beirut headquarters of the ISF. ISF commander, Gen. Ashraf Rifi, said it is the force's destiny is "to confront threats and achieve victory, irrespective of sacrifices."
"The hands of treachery can kill you, but cannot confront you," Rifi said. "Wissam, Ousama, we promise you to continue our march against terror and in defense of the homeland," he added.The two martyrs were decorated medals of bravery pinned to their coffins, prior to putting them in Ambulances for Funeral prayers in the northern town of Tripoli prior to Burial in their respective home towns. In north Lebanon's Muslim and Christian sector schools and business closed in mourning as posters of the two martyrs were lifted in the streets in preparation for the funeral processions. Beirut, 26 Jan 08, 11:23

Mufti Jouzou Blames Opposition for 'Every Drop of Blood'
The Sunni Muslim Mufti of Mount Lebanon Sheikh Mohammed Ali Jouzou on Saturday blamed the Hizbullah-led opposition for "every drop of blood that has been shed."Jouzu, in a statement, said: "The opposition is considered responsible for every drop of blood shed on the land of Lebanon. The opposition is responsible for the victims of serial assassinations. The opposition is responsible for bombing crimes here and there.""Since March 8 (2005) and the declaration of loyalty to the Syrian regime, the opposition indirectly said it approves the assassination of martyr ex-premier Rafik Hariri," Jouzou added. He noted that "March 14 leaders have been targeted, one after the other, and the threats were made from here and there by spokesmen for Hizbullah and the opposition, only to be followed by implementation, implementation of the death sentence by blowing off March 14 men."Jouzou said attacks targeting the Army and Internal Security Forces are "sort of terror that accompanies efforts to foil all international, Arab and Lebanese initiatives and the opposition is considered responsible for them.""Should we charge the opposition with high treason?" he asked. Addressing the opposition, Jouzou said: "You are conspiring against the homeland under the slogan of partnership, consensus and dialogue. You don't want partnership, you do not want consensus, you do not want dialogue."He added: "You want to Kill Lebanon and you want to destroy Lebanon … for the sake of the Syrian Regime." Beirut, 26 Jan 08, 12:45

Wahab: Opposition Capable of 'Decisive' Action
By Dalia Nahme
Lebanese Unification Movement leader Wiam Wahab on Friday said the opposition is capable of taking "decisive" action to win the confrontation with the majority.
However, he told Naharnet the "opposition wants to win the battle and the country, not to win the battle and lose the country."
The Hizbullah-led opposition, according to Wahab, has been undergoing "continuous consultations for 15 days" to decide on future moves.
Such consultations, he said, "consider all options within the framework of protecting the people's interests and refraining from damaging them."
In answering a question about the nature of such options, Wahab said: "Some are proposing open-ended moves, others are proposing mobile actions by the day in different areas and there are also proposals for something similar to civic disobedience."
"The opposition realizes that it holds that card of decisive action and it is capable of carrying it out."
Commenting on the assassination of police counter-terrorism Captain Wissam Eid, Wahab said: "Basic information we got from friends among the officers says Capt. Eid was linked to the Ein Alaq and Fatah al-Islam investigations. I think that targeting him falls within this circle."
In any case, Wahab added, "Lebanon is the target. There is an agenda to make the situation in Lebanon similar to that in Iraq."
He accused the Internal Security Forces of "focusing efforts on parties opposed to Walid Jumblat and the Hariris instead of penetrating terrorist networks."
According to Wahab "Lebanon has become like Iraq, but with a different pace. Killing is a daily issue in Iraq but it is being carried out here on a weekly base."
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat is "instrumental in a major agenda to destroy the country," charged Wahab.
He accused Jumblat of having "almost crazy dreams" that go along the alleged lines of "changing the Syrian regime and carrying out a strike against Iran."
"Jumblat is dragging Lebanon into the big game, not Hizbullah. Hizbullah's stand is clear, in case Israel attacked us Hizbullah and the army would certainly respond," Wahab said.He also targeted Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri, charging that the latter is "taking vengeance from Lebanon because he believes that Lebanon oppressed his father, and he holds some of the Lebanese responsible for the assassination."He said Hariri is "non experienced in politics, he can be bluffed."Wahab said the Arab initiative was "finished and the Taef accord is dead.""The Taef has fallen. Let us sit together" to discuss a replacement accord, he added. Wahab also launched a vehement attack on the judiciary, accusing judges of "corruption." Beirut, 25 Jan 08, 20:08

Majority Parliamentary Team Heads to Cairo
A four-member parliamentary delegation representing the Majority March 14 Alliance left for Cairo Saturday to deliver a memo to Arab foreign ministers.
The team, would deliver the memo to Arab League Secretary general Amr Moussa who presides over the foreign ministers' meeting Sunday.
The team grouped MPs Samir al-Jisir, Jawad Boulous, Faisal al-Sayegh and Qassem Abdul Aziz, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
Moussa is to brief the foreign ministers on outcome of his latest mission in Beirut and Damascus aimed at implementing the Arab Initiative that supports the election of Army Commander Gen. Michel Suleiman. The March 14 majority adopted Friday a memo pleading with the ministers to prevent placing Lebanon anew under the control of Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime. Beirut, 26 Jan 08, 14:28

Syria Supports Tripartite Distribution of Power, Sfeir Sounds the Alarm: Programmed Destruction of Lebanon Underway
Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa is to tell foreign ministers that Syria and its allies want a distribution of power in Lebanon on a tripartite base as Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir sounded the Alarm warning against programmed destruction of state institutes.
Sfeir, commenting on the assassination Friday of police counter-terrorism expert Capt. Wissam Eid, said "what is going on aims at stripping the country of all its constitutional institutes."The patriarch added that "what is happening is not an act carried out by Lebanese only, it involves participation from outside Lebanon, it aims at fragmenting the country.""The hidden scheme has been exposed, it is a programmed destruction of all institutes, no red lines," the patriarch cautioned.
The March 14 alliance blamed Eid's crime on Syria and accused the Damascus Regime and its allies in the Hizbullah-led opposition of blocking implementation of the Arab initiative that supports election of Army Commander Gen. Michel Suleiman President.
The pan-Arab daily al-Hayat published "excerpts" of Moussa's reports to be presented to Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo on Sunday to assess outcome of his mission in Beirut. According to the newspaper, Moussa said in his report that he proposed a formula for power sharing in the forthcoming cabinet based on 13 seats for the majority, 10 for the opposition and seven for the president. The March 14 majority said, according to the report, it was ready to "consider" the secretary general's proposal, while the opposition rejected it, insisting on a three-tens recipe.
Moussa's report, according to al-Hayat, notes that Syrian officials told the secretary general during his Damascus visit that "the tripartite formula (10+10+10) is the logical formula because it achieves the needed balance between the parties and guarantees implementation of the Lebanese concept of no conqueror-no vanquished."Moussa's report does not refer to the assassination of Eid, 31, who played major roles in analyzing mobile telephone and e-mail contacts related to the assassinations of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri in 2005, the twin bus bombings of Ein Alaq in 2007 and the assassination of Gen. Francois Hajj, chief of the army's military operation on Jan. 12, 2007.
His work, according to ranking security officials, also managed to detect "established links" between Fatah al-Islam terrorists and Syria's intelligence apparatus.
Such evidences compiled by the late Eid could help "implicate Syria" in the serial killings that targeted Lebanon since Oct. 1, 2004, when minister of communications Marwan Hamade suffered serious wounds in a car bomb assassination attempt.
Meanwhile, Lebanon observed a day of national mourning to denounce the terrorist crime that killed Eid, his bodyguard and three civilians in addition to wounding 37 others. The 10:00 a.m. blast on a road junction along the Hazmieh highway just east of the capital also demolished and damaged scores of cars, police reported.
All the victims, except for Eid and his bodyguard -Sergeant Ousama Mireeb- were civilian motorists using the vital highway linking Beirut with eastern mountains.
The sources said Eid, a communications and computer engineer, was a prime target for the terrorists and forces behind them."
Eid survived a hand grenade attack at his residence in south Beirut in Feb. 2006 and was wounded in north Lebanon while chasing Fatah al-Islam terrorists last summer. The attack was the third attempt on officers of the police department's intelligence branch.
Deputy head of the branch, Col. Samir Shehadeh, suffered major wounds in a roadside bomb attack against his car north of Sidon in Dec. 2006 and has immigrated to Canada. Beirut, 26 Jan 08, 09:16

Army Confiscates Large Cache of Weapons in Sidon
The Lebanese army on Friday seized a large cache of weapons hidden in a small juice shop in the southern coastal city of Sidon and detained one man, a security official told AFP. "The weapons included AK-47 assault rifles, anti-tank RPG missiles and a large amount of ammunition found in a secret hiding place inside the shop," the official said. He said the owner of the shop was being sought while the owner of another nearby store was detained for questioning.
The incident took place amid mounting tension in Lebanon which has been grappling with a deep political crisis and a series of assassinations, the latest of which killed the country's top anti-terrorism investigator on Friday. Captain Wissam Eid died along with his bodyguard and two civilians in the car bomb attack that took place in a Christian suburb of Beirut.(AFP) Beirut, 25 Jan 08, 22:05

Bomb kills key ISF terror investigator
Bodyguard, three civilians also perish
By Hani M. Bathish -Daily Star staff
Saturday, January 26, 2008
BEIRUT: A powerful bomb killed a key Internal Security Forces (ISF) investigator and at least four other people in a Beirut suburb on Friday.
The attack next to the Chevrolet-Hazmieh highway, which targeted Captain Wissam Mahmoud Eid, head of the technical office at the ISF's Intelligence Bureau, also wounded at least 40 other people.
Security sources said the bomb was placed in a BMW car parked on the side of an exit ramp. The explosive charge, estimated at 60 kilograms of TNT, was believed to have been detonated by remote control, according to judicial sources.
The blast left a 5-meter-wide crater and sent plumes of black smoke into the air. Several vehicles on the highway at the time, as well as others parked in an adjacent lot, were also destroyed. Firefighters rushed to the scene to battle the blaze as Civil Defense and Lebanese Red Cross personnel worked to rescue people who were trapped in their cars by the explosion.
Eid had been investigating several terrorist bombings and assassinations that have taken place in Lebanon since 2005, including the slaying of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Eid, who hailed from the Northern village of Deir Ammar, was 31 years of age and single. He joined the ISF in April 2001. Also killed in the car with Eid was his bodyguard, First Sergeant Osama Mashhur Mereb, a 30-year-old from Akkar who was married with two children. Eid was given a posthumous promotion to the rank of major and Mereb was made an adjutant. The three civilian bystanders killed in the blast were identified as Elie Fares, Saeed Elias Azar and Alain Sandouk. The bombing was not the first to target officials linked to the Hariri investigation.
In February 2006, a hand grenade was thrown at Eid's home. He was not at home at the time and escaped injury. Eid was also involved in the standoff with Fatah al-Islam militants along Mitain Street in Tripoli in May 2007. Lieutenant Colonel Samir Shehadeh, deputy head of the ISF Intelligence Branch, was wounded on September 5, 2006, in a blast south of Beirut that killed four of his bodyguards.
After hearing the news, residents of Deir Ammar burned tires and blocked the main highway in the town for three hours before mediation efforts allowed security forces to reopen the road. Prime Minister Fouad Siniora declared Saturday an official day of mourning. Interior Minister Hassan Sabaa, speaking to the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation, said the perpetrators' target was security in the country, adding that Eid was among the ISF's most valuable officers.
"This is not the first time the security forces are targeted in this way. This will not affect our moral, nor deter us from our mission ... There is a determination and a desire to work toward freedom and sovereignty," he said. The ISF's director general, General Ashraf Rifi, who visited the bomb site shortly after the attack, said the bombing targeted a valuable ISF employee who played a vital role in several investigations.
"After the targeting of General Francois Hajj [chief of operations for the Lebanese Armed Forces], today a very important ISF officer has been targeted but we are continuing in our mission, whatever the cost, to protect this country," Rifi told reporters after inspecting the blast site. "We will not be scared off or deterred by such actions.""The message has been received. It is a terror message sent to us by targeting our martyr Eid, who was working on the technical aspects of all cases involving terrorist bombings in the country," Rifi added. Also at the scene on Friday was the government representative to the Military Tribunal, Judge Jean Fahd, followed by Military Investigating Magistrate Rashid Mizher and State Prosecutor Said Mirza. The Red Cross initially confirmed four dead, but one of the civilians died a few hours later. Most of the wounded were taken to hospitals in the area. "Around 40 people who suffered minor injuries were admitted to hospitals," Georges Kettaneh, director of the Lebanese Red Cross, told The Daily Star. "Most of the injuries were from flying shrapnel and burns."
Retired General Elias Hanna, now an analyst and university lecturer, said Eid may have been targeted because more senior officers were out of reach.
"When MPs were about to elect a new president MPs were being targeted, when General Michel Suleiman was named as the consensus candidate Hajj was targeted," he said. "Now the target are the security institutions in the country."
He said while no one knows for sure why Eid was targeted, it all depends on what he was working on at the time.
"Maybe he spoke to people during his investigations which led him to other people," Hanna said. "Who knows where he got to in his investigation? Maybe he was killed because the assassins could not get to more senior officers, or maybe he got somewhere in his investigation." A funeral for Eid and Mereb will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday at ISF headquarters in Achrafieh, after which their remains will be taken to their respective hometowns, Deir Ammar and Tripoli.

Site of assassination holds grim details
Residents looking for loved ones, investigators crowd blast area
By Nicholas Kimbrell
Daily Star staff- Saturday, January 26, 2008
BEIRUT: The metal guard rail hangs from the highway overpass like a Christmas garland, the mangled frame of a large road sign dangling beside it like a misshapen ornament. The road is littered with chunks of concrete too large to be lifted without strenuous effort.
This wreckage stands about 10 meters above a massive crater - the site of a car bomb loaded with 60 kilograms of TNT (some estimated 70) which killed Internal Security Forces (ISF) Captain Wissam Eid, his driver, and at least three others Friday morning. Some security officials claimed that six had died. Over three dozen were said to be wounded in the blast, some critically.
In an adjacent parking lot, there are the skeletal shells of blackened cars, still parked in neat rows. Those nearest to the explosion are simply heaps of charred metal. No doors, no windshields, no upholstery - some had burned for hours. Others, further from the blast, are more intact. There is a white Mercedes, a Peugeot, a Honda, all gray from smoke, their windows shattered. The security official standing nearby says that 45 cars were blown up, burned or "broken" in the explosion.
Just after 10 a.m. the car bomb was remotely detonated in Hazmieh, a predominantly Christian suburb in eastern Beirut. The car was parked beneath the six-lane overpass of the highway. It exploded as Eid's car was passing by.
Scores of people arrived with the first responders as towers of smoke billowed from the wreckage. In video footage obtained by The Daily Star, tagged 10:05 a.m., hundreds of people can be seen running on and below the highway to the site of the blast. A video from 10:17, at the site of the attack, shows a footless leg and the remnants of a hand extending from a bloodstained blanket.
A five-story Nokia building stands above the parking lot, not 30 meters from the center of the explosion. Every window is missing - not broken, but missing. The sheets of glass were blown completely from their frames. One pane lies shattered but intact some 20 meters across the street.
People had been working in the Nokia Building and the attached Meatel Building. In a remarkable stroke of luck, the wall of the building most directly facing the explosion had no windows. This alone saved the lives of many inside.
Those nearer the blast were not as lucky. The remains of one of those who was killed was initially unidentifiable.
A miraculously unaffected sign stands just across the street from the bomb's crater. It points east and reads: Mount Lebanon Hospital.
Just above the sign are two advertisements, equally unchanged. One is for Fructis Shampoo, the other is for Florid Aluminum. They stand in stark contrast to blackened debris, empty window frames, and twisted chasses that litter the rest of the area.
Beneath the far side of the overpass there is a 2-meter-high mound of dirt and rubble that runs parallel with the highway for dozens of meters.
A security official says that pieces of metal, concrete, and plastic were blown as far as 400 meters in the blast. This reporter follows the police officer's suggestion and walks about that distance eastbound on the highway. A twisted, 8-meter metal poll lies in the middle of the road near a couple of hubcaps.
By the afternoon the site is completely cordoned off. The shouts, screams and sirens give way to a methodical police investigation. Fewer people arrive in search of loved ones and those looking for belongings are turned away.
A French television crew is denied entry, and they begin filming from behind the yellow crime-scene tape. As they are filming, a large Nissan van and a covered personnel carrier arrive with dozens more ISF men.
The inbound traffic lanes above the site are completely blocked. Policemen, on site now for seven hours, smoke and show pictures. They smile the weary, bewildered smiles of those less worried for themselves than for their country. "This f**king place," says one.
The Beirut-bound lanes of the highway are closed for kilometers - as far as one can see. As the sun sets the road takes on an eerily abandoned, post-apocalyptic feel. Off the highway in a cafe, the young proprietor asks about the blast. His brother works in the Meatel Building, and he says he ran, in terror, to the site moments after the explosion. Above the counter there is a picture of another young man about his age. "This is Tony," he says, "my best friend. He was killed in the Antoine Ghanem explosion in September."

Lebanese business condemns assassination of security officer
'The continued crisis will lead to disaster'
By The Daily Star
Saturday, January 26, 2008
BEIRUT: The assassination of a key security officer on Friday triggered widespeard condemnation from the business community in Lebanon.
But what was significant about the condemnation was the strongly worded statement from the president of the Economic Committee Adnan Kassar, who urged politicians to stop wasting time and reach a settlement to spare the country from any further bloodshed.
Kassar said the Lebanese are fed up with the daily bickering between the politicians, adding that the deadlock has become very unbearable.
"We have warned on more than one occasion about the negative consequences of the sharp political dispute on the country in general and the economy in particular," Kassar said. He urged politicians to cast aside their differences and refrain from making inflammatory statements. "Politicians should avoid making statements and engage in a dialogue for the benefit of the country," Kassar said. He called on all Lebanese to support the Arab League initiative unconditionally and speed up the election of army commander General Michael Suleiman as president. The private sector says that the spate of bombings and the political deadlock have caused enormous losses to the economy, adding that these security incidents will discourage investors from making any financial commitment in Lebanon.
It stressed that the country would not be able to achieve any growth or attract tourists this year if the status quo remained. Kassar has made many attempts to bring the rival politicians together but his efforts failed to produce any results. The business community threatened in the past to take drastic actions to compel politicians to end their differences but apparently there was no consensus on the types of measures that should be taken. At one point, some of the businessmen and merchants had called for an open strike which failed to get any support from the remainder of the business community. The president of the Beirut Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ghazi Qoraitem, also denounced the assassination, which also claimed the lives of several other people."The continued political crisis will lead the country to a disaster and for this reason the Lebanese must find ways to settle all their differences as soon as possible," Qoraitem said. He repeated calls for the election of a president and the formation of a new government. "The political leaders must respond positively to the Arab League initiative," he said. Nadim Assi, president of Beirut Merchants Association, joined the chorus of businessmen condemning the attack. "Apart from the human casualties, the bombing on Friday caused huge material damages to the shops and properties in the vicinity of the explosion," Assi said. - The Daily Star

Another assassination in Lebanon: What does this one mean?
By The Daily Star
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Editorial
Some conclusions can already be drawn from Friday's assassination of Internal Security Forces (ISF) Captain Wissam Eid on the edge of Beirut by a powerful car bomb. First, Eid was a key player in the investigation of the series of attacks that have rocked Lebanon for almost three years, his principal contribution having been to develop capacity in terms of using science to unravel at least some of the crimes in question. There is a strong possibility, therefore, that he was targeted (and this was not the first time) because someone thought he was close to a breakthrough or had the potential to reach one. Second, it is obvious that the assailants were able to gather accurate intelligence on Eid's activities, as well as on his movements. Third, the first two points indicate that Lebanese investigators are becoming increasingly professional, that this is making them more vulnerable to attack, and that they should therefore be spared the politicization that has been aimed at them.
Sadly, the performance of the country's security forces has become a target for polemical attacks by politicians from all parts of the spectrum, including both opposition and pro-government parties. Few spectacles are more disturbing than watching and listening as politicians heap abuse on members of the ISF and other security organizations as they struggle to cope with multiple challenges from within and without. It is not as though such remarks contain useful suggestions as to how conditions might be improved; instead they are designed solely to score political points.
The technical advancements that Eid helped to achieve are proof that Lebanon is not the hopeless case described in the most recent issue of Forbes magazine, which ranks this country the eighth-most dangerous place in the world to visit (up from 11th last year). It is not enough, though, for a single outstanding officer to perform at a high level: There is also a dire need for agencies like the ISF to build institutional procedures and memories that can outlive any and all individuals - and therefore continue their contributions long after they have retired, changed jobs or been cut down by assassins.
Whatever the precise nature of Friday's attack, it is clear that the Lebanese will not be able to take any aspects of security and stability for granted until the political situation gets sorted out. If the antagonists cannot find a way to at last settle their differences, the deterioration will continue - as will Lebanon's progress toward unseating Somalia at the dubious "top" of Forbes' ignominious list.

March 14 to Arabs: Don't Allow The Assad Regime to Control Lebanon Again
The March 14 majority on Friday pleaded with Arab Foreign Ministers not to abandon Lebanon so that it would not be put again under the control of Syrian President Basher Assad's regime. In a memo addressed to Arab foreign ministers scheduled to meet in Cairo on Sunday, the majority alliance said:
"The Lebanese People pleads with you not to abandon Lebanon and not to give Lebanon's decision again to the Syrian Regime."
The Memo also urged Arabs to adopt a "united stand to safeguard this country (Lebanon) and renew the Lebanese people's hope in their state, constitutional institutions and presidency."Irrespective of obstacles placed to confront the Arab initiative "we declare to you our determination to proceed with defending Lebanon's sovereignty, its democratic system and coexistence outlined by the Taef accord," the memo said. "We urge our brethren, the Arab foreign ministers, not to shut the doors, but to pump new life into the Arab initiative that (others) want it to die at the door steps of the Syrian regime and its interests," it added. The Lebanese majority wanted the Arab foreign ministers to adopt a "new historic declaration demanding the holding of the presidential election in Lebanon and rejecting all sorts of constitutional void by electing consensus candidate Gen. Michel Suleiman immediately."Beirut, 25 Jan 08, 20:55

International, Arab Community Condemn Eid Assassination
International and Arab community condemned Friday's assassination of Lebanon's top anti-terrorism investigator that was seen as part of a campaign to dismantle Lebanese institutions. "We strongly condemn the terrorist bombing in Beirut" that killed Captain Wissam Eid and three other people in a mainly Christian district of the capital, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. Perino blamed "those who seek to undermine Lebanon's institutions and democratic processes and to delay further the selection of a new Lebanese president". At the State Department, spokesman Tom Casey said the car bombing "does appear yet again to be another attack on individuals who are part of the institutions and democratic structures in Lebanon". EU, Russia, Britain, France, Russia, Saudi Arabia, other countries and the Arab League also denounced the attack. EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana condemned Friday's deadly car bombing in Beirut which he said was clearly aimed at fomenting instability in Lebanon. "Yet again I express my utter condemnation at the continuing wave of bomb attacks in Beirut," the EU high representative for foreign and security policy said in a statement.
"It is clear that the main intention behind these attacks is to foment instability. As attempts to foster dialogue continue in good faith, others exert efforts to pursue a sinister agenda," Solana added. Russian foreign ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said "The report of a fresh explosion in Beirut... evokes deep concern."
"It reflects the danger of the continuing vacuum of presidential power in Lebanon," Kamynin added in a statement.
"Consultations on electing a new head of state by consensus are being unjustifiably delayed, which is being exploited by destructive forces. The continuing delay on this key question is unacceptable," he continued. "This is another in a disturbing series of recent attacks by those who wish to destabilize Lebanon," said Britain's Foreign Office. "His death must not be allowed to derail the pursuit of justice" in the string of killings in Lebanon.
The Spanish government on Friday "energetically condemned" the car bombing that killed a senior Lebanese intelligence officer.
"The government of Spain energetically condemns this morning's savage terrorist attack in Beirut," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
"The government of Spain is confident that those responsible for this brutal act will be identified and brought before justice and expresses its condolences to the Lebanese people for this tragic loss of human lives," it added. In Egypt, Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said that If "some people think that these assassinations can sink a solution to the current (political) crisis to their advantage, they are wrong,".
Lebanon has been without a president since pro-Syrian head of state Emile Lahoud stepped down on November 23 with no elected successor because of a standoff between the majority and the Hizbollah-led opposition. Amr Moussa, head of the Cairo-based Arab League, warned that the latest attack could "affect the unity of Lebanon." The country is "sliding toward the abyss because of the failure to reach a compromise" on electing a new president, said Moussa, whose organization has a plan which has so far failed to break the deadlock between feuding MPs. In Riyadh, Saudi King Abdullah joined the condemnation and called for unity to foil "the schemes of those who do not wish well for Lebanon", in a meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Saniora, Lebanon's ambassador told AFP.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 25 Jan 08, 21:59

Damascus Rushes to Distance Itself from Eid Killing
Syria condemned a bomb attack in neighbouring Lebanon on Friday which targeted a security force convoy and blamed "Lebanon's enemies" for it, the official news agency SANA said. It cited a Syrian official as "condemning the attack perpetrated this morning in Beirut and affirming that it aimed at Lebanon's security and stability." SANA said the official had "reaffirmed Syria's permanent attachment to Lebanon's security and stability, and stressed that Lebanon's enemies were behind these attacks in that country." The bombing killed 10 people, including Captain Wissam Eid, a member of Lebanon's Internal Security Forces, according to army and security sources.In Beirut, a senior Lebanese security official said Eid was involved in many investigations concerning bombings in Lebanon.
Many of the blasts have been blamed by Lebanon's parliamentary majority on neighboring Syria, a charge denied by Damascus. Beirut, 25 Jan 08, 22:02

White House condemns attack in Lebanon
WASHINGTON (AFP) — The White House on Friday strongly condemned the attack that killed four people, including a senior Lebanese intelligence officer investigating deaths largely blamed on Syria. "We strongly condemn the terrorist bombing in Beirut today that killed a police captain and many other Lebanese," spokeswoman Dana Perino said. Asked about any Syrian involvement, Perino stressed: "I don't have that for sure."
Perino fixed the blame on "those who seek to undermine Lebanon's institutions and democratic processes and to delay further the selection of a new Lebanese president.""President Bush will continue to stand with the Lebanese people as they strive for security and freedom," she added.
At the State Department, spokesman Tom Casey called the attack "a terrible act of terrorism.""We condemn it and those who are responsible for it. We certainly don't have a sense of who is responsible for this but it does appear yet again to be another attack on individuals who are part of the institutions and democratic structures in Lebanon."

UN chief condemns attack in Lebanon, calls for restraint and justice
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jan 25, 2008 20:50
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Friday he "strongly condemns" the terrorist attack in Lebanon that killed Lebanon's top anti-terrorism investigator.
"This latest act of terror should not be allowed to undermine the security, stability and sovereignty of Lebanon," said Ban, who called on the people of Lebanon "to continue exercising restraint and for those behind this and previous attacks to be brought to justice."
Ban also extended "his sincere condolences to the families of those killed and the government of Lebanon."
A car bomb explosion in eastern Beirut on Friday killed at least four people including Lebanon's top anti-terrorism investigator while he was returning from a meeting on the probe into the 2005 assassination of a former prime minister. At least 38 others were wounded, police said.

Anti-terror investigator among four dead in Lebanon blast
BEIRUT (AFP) — Lebanon's top anti-terrorism investigator was slain along with three other people in a powerful car bombing that ripped through a neighbourhood of Beirut on Friday, officials said. Captain Wissam Eid, 31, a member of the Internal Security Forces (ISF), and his bodyguard were killed along with two civilians, a security official told AFP. He said 38 other people were wounded, with nine taken to hospital.
"Eid was a key member of the ISF and was involved in many investigations related to terrorist bombings in Lebanon in recent years," the official said. "He was involved in sensitive probes and this is a major loss for us." The official added that Eid had in February 2006 narrowly escaped another attempt on his life when someone threw a grenade in front of his Beirut home. Another official from the ruling majority said Eid was on his way back from a meeting of the UN commission investigating the 2005 assassination of former premier Rafiq Hariri when he was killed.
Hariri's death in a massive car bomb and a number of similar attacks over the past three years have been blamed by the Western-backed parliamentary majority on neighbouring Syria, which has denied involvement.
Brigadier General Ashraf Rifi, head of the ISF, said the car bomb was yet another attempt at destabilizing the country as it grapples with its worst political crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war. "This is a message to the Internal Security Forces following the message sent to the army in December when General Francois el-Hajj was killed in a car bomb" last month, Rifi told reporters at the site of the blast.
Prime Minister Fuad Siniora declared a national day of mourning on Saturday when Eid and his bodyguard are to be buried.
Friday's explosion took place shortly after 10 am (0800 GMT) near a highway overpass in Hazmiyeh, a mainly Christian district in eastern Beirut and an area that houses a number of office buildings. Local residents and office workers, some screaming and others in shock, could be seen running amongst blazing vehicles searching for friends and loved ones. "It was an apocalyptic vision," said Ghandour Mashlab, a real estate agent who was at the site.
The security official estimated that the bomb, which blasted a five-metre (16-foot) wide crater into the road, consisted of at least 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of TNT. A senior member of the anti-Syrian majority pointed the finger at Damascus.
"This bombing is proof that the (Syrian) mukhabarat (intelligence) have infiltrated Lebanese security services,' the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP. Syria, however, condemned the killing and blamed "Lebanon's enemies".
The bombing was also widely denounced by the international community and Arab states. UN chief Ban Ki-moon said the latest attack "should not be allowed to undermine the security, stability and sovereignty of Lebanon".
"We strongly condemn the terrorist bombing in Beirut today that killed a police captain and many other Lebanese," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
Britain's Foreign Office said it should not be allowed to derail the probe into the string of killings in Lebanon. In Riyadh, Saudi King Abdullah called for unity to foil "the schemes of those who do not wish well for Lebanon" while Arab League chief Amr Mussa warned that the latest attack could "affect the unity of Lebanon."
The country is "sliding toward the abyss because of the failure to reach a compromise" on electing a new president, said Mussa, whose organisation has been trying to convince feuding MPs to agree on a plan to break the deadlock.
Russia expressed "deep concern" after the latest deadly bombing, saying it showed there was a political "vacuum" in Lebanon.
Lebanon has been without a president since pro-Syrian head of state Emile Lahoud stepped down on November 23 with no elected successor because of a standoff between the majority and the Hezbollah-led opposition. In February 2005, five-time prime minister Hariri was killed by a huge bomb on the Beirut seafront. The backlash against his killing resulted in Syria withdrawing its forces from its small neighbour after nearly 30 years.Later on Friday, a security official said a large cache of weapons was found in the southern coastal city of Sidon.

Moscow to assist to recover Lebanon life 25.01.2008
www.rian.ru
Moscow is to assist Lebanon to ‘overcome its present painful period’ and to recover the common way of life of the country, which lives without president for two years, said Alexander Saltanov, the vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, after the meeting with Lebanon parliament speaker and one of opposition leaders in Beirut.
The Russian diplomat said the Lebanon authorities’ decision to elect the General Michel Suleiman as the president of republic was a way to break the deadlock. The Russian side hopes that the League of Arab States at its meeting January 27 is ‘to make constructive and positive decisions, which corresponds to Lebanon people interests’.The Russian vice-minister of Foreign Affairs arrived in Lebanon yesterday as a part of his Near East tour, during which he has visited Egypt, Jordan and Syria.www.rian.ru

Army Confiscates Large Cache of Weapons in Sidon
The Lebanese army on Friday seized a large cache of weapons hidden in a small juice shop in the southern coastal city of Sidon and detained one man, a security official told AFP. "The weapons included AK-47 assault rifles, anti-tank RPG missiles and a large amount of ammunition found in a secret hiding place inside the shop," the official said. He said the owner of the shop was being sought while the owner of another nearby store was detained for questioning.
The incident took place amid mounting tension in Lebanon which has been grappling with a deep political crisis and a series of assassinations, the latest of which killed the country's top anti-terrorism investigator on Friday. Captain Wissam Eid died along with his bodyguard and two civilians in the car bomb attack that took place in a Christian suburb of Beirut.(AFP) Beirut, 25 Jan 08, 22:05

Opposition for Two Eyes Treatment by Arabs
The Hizbullah-led opposition on Friday addressed a memo to Arab foreign ministers asking them not to be biased in favor of any party in Lebanon.
The memo to the ministers who would meet in Cairo on Sunday said that each of the majority and opposition is an eye "to the same face. None of them should be favored at the expense of the other and none of them should be allowed to lead the other."
"We adhere to the Arab solution based on understanding and neutrality by which it would be capable of protecting Lebanon against external intervention … commanded by Israel's priorities at the expense of the Lebanese and all the Arabs," the memo said.
Beirut, 25 Jan 08, 21:09

Local Denunciations of Eid Crime
Parliamentary Majority Leader Saad Hariri indirectly accused Syria of involvement in the Beirut car bomb attack which killed a Lebanese intelligence officer and three other people on Friday. "This attack is a clear message to all Arabs that the future of Lebanon will remain under the stranglehold of crimes and terrorism despite all the initiatives to resolve the political crisis," Hariri said in a statement. "That compels us to call once again on Syria to stop its interference in Lebanon and pushes us to block a plan for a Syrian takeover of our country's independence," Hariri said. "Lebanon is not the theatre of the Syrian regime's score-settling," he added. The U.S. embassy in Beirut condemned the car bombing that killed a senior Lebanese intelligence officer and said that the attack was yet another attempt to destabilize the country. "This crime is yet another direct and hideous attack against Lebanon's state institutions," the embassy said in a statement. "This attack is the latest in a series over the last three years targeting those who are working to protect the Lebanese and secure Lebanon's independence and sovereignty.
"The United States, like Lebanon's other international friends, remains firmly committed to supporting Lebanon's legitimate institutions, its democracy and independence." The blast came 10 days after a similar attack targeted a vehicle from the U.S. embassy. No one in the U.S. car was killed but three other people who were driving in the area died. That bombing was the first such attack against U.S. interests in Lebanon since the mid-1980s and came during a visit to the Middle East by U.S. President George Bush. A Lebanese security official paid tribute to the slain officer and his role within the Internal Security Forces.
"Eid was a key member of the ISF and was involved in many investigations related to terrorist bombings in Lebanon in recent years," the official said. "He was involved in sensitive probes and this is a major loss for us." Another official said Eid was on his way back from a meeting of the U.N. commission investigating the 2005 assassination of former premier Rafiq Hariri when he was killed. Hariri's killing in a massive car bomb and a number of similar attacks over the past three years have been blamed by the Western-backed parliamentary majority on neighboring Syria, which has denied involvement. Brigadier General Ashraf Rifi, head of the ISF, said the car bomb was yet another attempt at destabilizing the country as it grapples with its worst political crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war. "This is a message to the Internal Security Forces following the message sent to the army in December when General Francois el-Hajj was killed in a car bomb," Rifi told reporters at the site of the blast.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 25 Jan 08, 21:52

Saudi King Discusses Lebanon Crisis with Saniora
Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz on Friday discussed with Lebanon's Premier Fouad Saniora obstacles facing implementation of the Arab initiative.
The state-run National News Agency, in a dispatch from the Saudi Capital of Riyadh, said the talks included a "general assessment of the situation in Lebanon, especially the Arab initiative and efforts exerted by Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa to put it into effect and the obstacles it had recently faced."
Saniora's talks in Riyadh followed a visit to Cairo where he discussed the Lebanon crisis with Egyptian officials.
Saniora's mission comes ahead of a meeting scheduled for Cairo on Sunday by Arab foreign ministers to assess Moussa's mission.
Moussa is to present a report to the ministers on outcome of his efforts in Lebanon and obstacles facing implementation of the Arab Initiative that backs the election of Army Commander Gen. Michel Suleiman president to be followed by the formation of a government in which the opposition does not hold veto powers and the majority does not control more than half of the seats.
Beirut, 25 Jan 08, 16:35

Syria: Who Needs Annapolis?
Thursday, Jan. 24, 2008 -TIME
By ANDREW LEE BUTTERS/DAMASCUS
Neither rain, nor snow nor sleet from a huge storm the night before could dampen the militancy of the aging all-stars of 60 years of Arab conflict with Israel gathered at a trade union resort hotel outside Damascus on Wednesday. It was the biggest gathering of radical Palestinian factions since the signing of the Oslo Peace Accord in 1993, with Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command attending along with the Lebanese Hizballah organization — an all-star cast of organizations branded as terrorist by the U.S.
Beneath portraits of Syrian President Bashar al Assad and his late father, Hafez, one speaker after another called for an end to peace negotiations with Israel, demanded a lifting of the Israeli siege of Gaza, and urged Palestinians and Arabs to unite against Israel. "Zionists are bastards, and will always be bastards," said Hamas chief Khaled Meshal. "They will never be legitimate."
With melted snow dripping into the conference hall, decorated in burlap sacking to evoke the inside of a bedouin tent, the setting could hardly have born less resemblence to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, scene of the U.S. sponsored Middle East peace conference last November. That, of course, was the point.
By hosting this belligerent, anti-Annapolis conference, the Assad regime seemed to be symbolically turning its back on the U.S.-led peace effort. For over a year, Damascus had been calling for a resumption of peace negotiations with Israel, not least at the Annapolis meeting itself. But though a brief thaw in U.S.-Syrian relations ensued, the resumption of hard-line posturing seems to suggest that Syria wanted more than the Bush Administration was willing to deliver. Syria's main beef with Israel is the occupation of the Golan Heights (captured by Israel in 1967), but the Assad regime has long been concerned that the U.S. is trying to isolate or even topple it.
Still, it's not clear that that Syria's rejection of Annapolis means it seeks confrontation with Israel. Despite the presence of Meshal and a few other leaders, a look at the graying conference attendees — mostly third-tier political cadres sporting corduroy suits, leather trench coats, and other 70s fashion statements — suggests that the best minds of the resistance are busy elsewhere.
Syria may be betting that after President Bush's lackluster tour of the Middle East, the Annapolis process will simply die a natural death. Or perhaps Damascus believes it can cut a better deal after Bush leaves office. Already there are whispers in Washington that an incoming Democratic administration might be willing to allow Syria to return to Lebanon — which it occupied until forced out in 2005 — in return for peace with Israel.
In the mean time, of course, Damascus can bask in the accolades of its more militant allies. "Syria is a partner of the resistance in Palestine and Lebanon, and it can get a share of the victories in Palestine in Lebanon," said Ibrahim Amin Sayeed, chairman of the political council of Hizballah, which gets its weapons from Syria and Iran. "And there are many victories ahead.

Naming Names from Gaza to Damascus and All the Way through Lebanon!
Raghida Dergham
Al Hayat - 25/01/08//
Davos - There are times when naming names becomes inevitable because any reluctance to do so, whether in the name of diplomacy, politics or any other consideration, may terribly discredit the hesitant party and hurt the victims of harmful maneuvering, be they innocent civilians in Palestine or an entire generation in Lebanon. There are times when entrusted mediators or self-proclaimed backchannels have to act according to their consciences under a moral and political responsibility that obliges them to name things as they are. There are times when accountability becomes inevitable because turning a blind eye, shifting blame, accepting an imposed status quo, or giving in to games aiming at buying time and eluding obligations can be costly for all concerned parties. The list of those who should be confronted and demanded to end excess today bears several names:
* The Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak who is lusting to get even with the Palestinians whom he believes were responsible for sabotaging the opportunity he had to enter history in the Camp David and Taba negotiations and stripping him of premiership to hand it over to Ariel Sharon. Today, Barak is getting ready to inflict a "collective punishment" on Palestinian civilians in revenge, while negotiating with Syria through backchannels to retrieve Syrian influence and control back into Lebanon as part of a regional deal that combines the fictitious hope of separating Syria and Iran and the anticipation that Syria can be preserved as a sponsor of radical organizations to weaken the Palestinian Authority.
*Nabih Berri, Lebanon's Speaker who has abducted the democratic process and turned the parliament from a democratic institution into a commodity serving narrow personal, financial and political interests. Berri has repeatedly obstructed the democratic process by practically refusing to open the gates of parliament to hold electoral sessions. He is abusing his authority as speaker and jeopardizing the future of Lebanon while obstructing Arab and international mediation efforts with calculations, equations, and formulas dictated by Damascus. It is time to hold Berri directly accountable for his actions, especially that many others are aware of various means to hold him accountable, even legally.
* The entire ruling power in Iran - and not just President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad - must see a serious Arab stance informing it that its escalations are claiming Palestinians who fall victims of the bitter occupation and are equally worsening the Palestinian humanitarian plight. Hence, it has become essential to name things as they are with respect to the service that suspicious radical forces are offering to Israel.
* Damascus which buys and sells in the name of the "resistance", avoiding and evading its responsibility while flirting with Israel through different channels. Damascus uses Palestinian factions to weaken the Palestinian Authority position against Israel. It is neither ready to launch serious resistance against Israel in a manner that would engage the Syrian front, nor is it willing to end its maneuvers that weaken the Palestinian Authority that has adopted the path of negotiation as a means to establish a Palestinian state. It is therefore time to name things as they are, to disclose the roles played by the Syrian regime in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq to the detriment of the Palestinians, Lebanese and Iraqis, and against the Arab interest in general.
* Washington, which blindly sides with Israel, awakes every seven years toward the end of the presidential term in search for a historic accomplishment the outgoing president can add to his resume by establishing the Arab-Israeli peace. Anyone who knows the ABCs of the Middle East crisis is aware that all that is needed is an American bold step, whether at the administration, government or congress level, to demand Israel to stop evading peace and its obligations. As long as Washington lacks the courage to harness its influence with Israel to this end, it will continue to play with fire, not only in terms of the impact another American failure will have on moderate powers in the region, but also in terms of endangering American national interests.
*So is the case with Europe, Russia and the United Nations, which all constitute the so-called "Quartet" tasked with resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict. Each of these parties possesses multiple elements and tools to pressure various players. These parties now face a moral responsibility to stop maneuvering by merely contenting with simple meetings and statements here and there. If Israel truly plans to reoccupy Gaza, then the keys to halt such an incursion lie in the hands of Russia, Europe and China, not only in the hands of the US.
* The Arab-Islamic radicalism which inflates the Palestinians with the empty language of instigation and protest must stop blackmailing the Palestinian cause. There is no honor in instigating a nation under occupation as this only adds insult to injury. In particular, Russia can exercise influence with the main radical figures in Damascus. Accordingly, it has a moral duty to calm them down, especially that Moscow seems to be applying the dual diplomacy of negotiation and resistance.
* Moderate Arabs should not be absolved of accountability either. They have failed, at least for now, to win supporters, since they lack a comprehensive integrated strategy. Often chasing illusions, leading Arab moderates are often too hesitant to name things as they are. If the Arab moderation axis has truly chosen to support the Palestinian choice to negotiate, then the time has come for it to address all the concerned parties in Arabic, Persian, English, Russian, Hebrew and French to boldly name things as they are and as follows:
The Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is the sole party that defends Palestinian rights. As for Hamas, which has turned against the Palestinian Authority, it has ended up buying and selling the Palestinians so long as it puts itself, its ideology, power, and loyalty to Damascus and Tehran above any other national Palestinian considerations.
Israel is determined to exploit Arab and Islamic radicalism - stretching from Damascus and Tehran through Hamas and other Palestinian organizations - to weaken its negotiating partner, the Palestinian Authority, on two tracks. The first is Hamas and Gaza - by highlighting the failure of the Palestinian Authority to control Gaza and making Hamas aware that the Palestinian Authority is unable to exert political control on the Palestinian arena front. The second is the Syrian track where Israel courts Damascus, not because the Golan Heights are a priority for either side, but simply because the mere talk about a potential revival of negotiations with Syria will divert attention away from the Palestinian track.
Had Israel been seriously intent on delivering peace, it would have directly dealt with the two main sources responsible for weakening its negotiating partner and for strengthening Hamas and other missile-launching organizations, namely Damascus and Tehran.
Yet in reality, and in any case, the Palestinians should carefully consider the following question: What have the Palestinians of Gaza come to gain from the aid they receive from Tehran and Damascus and from the support that Hamas enjoys with its split with the Palestinian Authority and the democratic process that brought it to power in the first place?
Those missiles are not a new form of serious resistance to the Israeli occupation. They are just means to provoke the savage Israeli retaliation in defiance of international humanitarian law. The Palestinian right to resistance is fundamental under occupation, and no one has the right to ask the Palestinians to give up their resistance. However, the choice of resistance is not confined to military action especially that history is laden with numerous examples, where civilian resistance has proved more effective than military action.
Once again, and in any case, what did Syria offer the Palestinians in Gaza other than a "conference" on resistance held in Damascus with the aim of weakening the Palestinians negotiating with Israel? Since when has Iran put Palestinian interests ahead of its own with anything more than slogans and words? So far, the historic truce between Iran and Israel, between the Persians and the Jews, has not been radically influenced by the Palestinian cause. Israel has even played the godfather in the Iran-Contra deals…
In addition, since the Hamas coup d'état that received Syrian and Iranian applause, what have Tehran and Damascus offered to the Gaza Strip under "Hamas" control in order to improve the Palestinian situation? No evidence whatsoever can prove that Iranian and Syrian funds poured in to support institutions in Gaza. On the contrary, there is evidence of short-selling the people of Gaza to serve Iranian and Syrian interests.
On the other hand, the Palestinian Authority represented by the Abbas-Fayyad government, continues to effectively and practically resist the Israeli occupation. It has embarked on building the Palestinian state brick by brick, against Israel's will, and with international participation and supervision. It is through this process that international attention can be brought to Israeli breaches of international laws and to Israel's attempts to elude the obligations of peace.
It is through this methodology adopted by the Abbas-Fayyad government that Israel's intentions to implement a policy of "racial cleansing" can be exposed. Israel can also be confronted by putting the Palestinian house in order, a goal that can be attained by laying the foundations of the state. This government has opted for negotiations with Arab support and on the basis of the Arab peace initiative. Neither Iran nor Syria has the right to weaken the Palestinian negotiating cards with Israel or to undermine the foundations of the Palestinian state. With their subversive attitudes and by using the "resistance" as an excuse to support the opponents of the Palestinian Authority, both Iran and Syria are doing nothing but the biggest of all favors for Israel.
Israel will remain a loser, even when it thinks that it is emerging as a winner. It is constantly escaping by running forward with a besiege mentality that will eventually lead to its disintegration if it does not change course. Information has it that Israel intends to return to Gaza militarily under the pretext of wiping out the Hamas leadership. Ultimately, neither Syria nor Iran will be a direct party in the Gaza war to save "Hamas" or to spare the Palestinians the next massacre.
Israel will commit atrocious massacres in Gaza in the name of purging Hamas and others, but the blatant reality is that Ehud Barak is driven by his racist hatred for the Palestinians and for what he believes was the responsibility of former Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in his failure and the failure of his proposals. As a matter of fact, Israel too is politically bankrupt and has proven its own failure.
In its war that Hezbollah manipulated it into, Israel was reduced into a minor militia-fighting power that applies excessive force to the extent of systematically razing the infrastructure of an entire nation in its hunt for militants. It is also in a state of continuous attack on Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, as it desperately runs from peace and its obligations.
In this era of collective punishment looming in Gaza and the West Bank, there is one and an only right choice, the choice to allow the Palestinian Authority to be solely in charge of the Palestinian people. It is time for Hamas and the other organizations made in Damascus and Tehran to stop manipulating and dancing to serve Israel at the Palestinian expense. It is the dance of Arab, Israeli, and Iranian radicalism which incidentally serves a temporary interest common to all these radical forces.
This dance holds Lebanon hostage until the regional games are in order. It is time to name things as they are, and this has become an Arab responsibility. When Arabs meet to listen for the outcomes of the efforts and mediations conducted by the Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, they must muster all their courage to name those obstructing the election of a president in Lebanon. They have to be courageous enough to disclose Syria's responsibility for this obstruction and for the presidential void it has created with Iranian coordination. Amr Moussa's responsibility is to avoid letting diplomacy or any other considerations take over his conscience. Otherwise, he will have participated in murdering Lebanon and in the ensuing political assassinations

Mess in Lebanon
Khaleej Times
26 January 2008
WITH attack after attack taking out elements of Lebanon’s anti-Syrian establishment, it is only natural for immediate shock and anger to point the finger at Damascus. But with Lebanon refusing to budge as proxy battle field for the region’s numerous battles, there is equal weight in the Syrian counter-argument, that elements out to discredit the Asad regime are at play in Lebanon’s continuing nightmare, clearly the worst since the end of the long civil war.
The only thing that can be said with certainty is the obvious that is long since buried in the country’s hostile political climate. The worst sufferers are none of the principal political players — pro-Syrians, West-backed groups, Islamists, etc, — but rather the common people of Lebanon, who have yet to find calm since the civil war started in ’75. When security is loose enough to allow political vindication and assassination at will, economic imperatives governing the common man’s life go haywire and existence revolves around day-to-day subsistence.
That is unfortunate, to say the least, for a country that promised to become the region’s economic and business hub not too long ago. That such fortunes have come about to govern the erstwhile mythical Switzerland of the Levant goes to show how continuous foreign interference can tear a country’s social and political fabric to shreds. Lebanon’s people deserve better. They have endured way too many hardships to continue letting bickering political interests burn down more of the country.
It is also little surprise that Lebanon remains without a president, even more than two months have passed since pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud hanged his boots on Nov 23. There can only be so long the stalemate can persist. And since Lebanon’s own people are too low on the political rung to matter where decisions are made, it must again be the international community that should step in and restore order. It can accomplish that in two ways.
One, by getting interfering elements to back off; and two, by ensuring strong platforms like the UN take up the matter with appropriate sincerity. Failing that, we have another failing state on our hands to add to the region’s already suffering fortunes.