LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
January 31/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 4,1-20. On another occasion he began to teach by the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land. And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them, Hear this! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." He added, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."
And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. He answered them, "The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that 'they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.'" Jesus said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. But they have no root; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.
"

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
So Now President Bush Won't Call It "Islamic" Terrorism or Extremism?Counterterrorism Blog. January 30/08

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for January 30/08
Sfeir Warns of Attempts to 'Fragmentize' Lebanon-Naharnet
Initial Testimony: Gunshots Came from Shiyah-Naharnet
Jumblat: Relations with Syria Can Safeguard Lebanon's Future-Naharnet
Egypt has Keen Interest in Averting Lebanon Unrest-Naharnet
'General White' Hits Lebanon, Covers Mountains, Blocks Roads-Naharnet
Lebanon War Report Expected to Roast Olmert's Conduct-Naharnet
U.S.: It's Time for Syria to End Support for Terrorism in Region-Naharnet
U.N. Peacekeepers Rescue 14 Lebanese Sailors from Storm-Naharnet
Qassem: Sunday's Events Were 'a Huge Crime-Naharnet
Rioters Set Tires Ablaze in Basta-Naharnet
Security Council Slams 'Terrorist' Attack in Beirut-Naharnet
Fadlallah Urges Speedy Probe into Riots-Naharnet
Shiite Council Denounces the Shiyah 'Crime' as 'Unbearable-Naharnet
Aoun's Bloc: Violence Does Not Solve Lebanon's Problem

Lebanon held hostage-Los Angeles Times
Jumblat: Relations with Syria can Safeguard Lebanon's Future-Naharnet
Israel's Lebanon Disaster-Wall Street Journal
Fallen soldier's father takes blame for son's Lebanon death-Ha'aretz
Lebanon's New Civil War Recipe-Naharnet
Lebanese Army Dragged into Trouble-Naharnet
Syria Doubts Suleiman's Nomination as Consensus Candidate
-Naharnet

Bush makes no apologies in final State of the Union speech-Daily Star
Lebanese Army tight-lipped on progress in riot probe-Daily Star
Next Moussa mission 'will focus on Cabinet shares-Daily Star
Shiite clerics slam 'sinful' killing of protesters-Daily Star
French Embassy denies warning nationals to flee-Daily Star
Israelis fearful after military failed to defeat Hizbullah-Daily Star
Olmert set to face music over botched 2006 war-Daily Star
Palestinian refugees line up to prove they exist-Daily Star
US sharply toughens stance toward Syria-AFP
EDL tries to put best face on mounting power crisis-Daily Star
AUB to host lecture on democracy in India-Daily Star
Severe winter weather paralyzes parts of country-Daily Star
Nonprofit and tour operator join forces to help underprivileged visit Chouf -Daily Star
Middle East leads great year for global tourism. AFP
Kassem: Sunday's events are a huge crime-Naharnet

Rioters Set Tires Ablaze in Basta-Naharnet
Shiite Council Denounces the Chiyah 'Crime' as Unbearable-Naharnet
UNSC Slams 'Terrorist' Attack in Beirut-Naharnet
Lavrov Meets Jumblat, Expresses Support for Arab Initiative
-Naharnet
Hizbullah Demands Speedy Probe into Riots
-Naharnet
Aoun's Bloc: Violence Does Not Solve Lebanon's Problem
-Naharnet
General White' Hits Lebanon, Covers Mountains, Blocks Roads-Naharnet
Olmert Faces Fallout From Lebanon War-Wall Street Journal
Lebanon: Hizbullah criticizes army for shooting-Al-Bawaba
Hezbollah chief meets Lebanon army chief-Ya Libnan
Crossfire War - Hezbollah - Amal Used Grenades in Beirut Riots Sunday-NewsBlaze
Hezbollah demands inquiry into Beirut killings-National Post
Even Reagan Was No Ronald Reagan-American Daily
Aoun's Bloc: Violence Does Not Solve Lebanon's Problem-Naharnet

'General White' Hits Lebanon, Covers Mountains, Blocks Roads
Naharnet/Fast winds, torrential rains and snow hit Lebanon Tuesday as police cautioned that bad weather would persist for three days. Three people were injured in a landslide in the southern Nabatiyeh province as snow covered most mountains of Lebanon's western range. Police issued warnings to motorists against heading to mountainous areas, noting that roads are covered with thick fog, snow and ice. Snow covered most villages of the upper Chouf region southeast of Beirut, as well as the Zghorta-Dinnyeh sector in the north. The weather forecast registered –10 degrees in the central Bekaa valley, as police and the education ministry ordered schools closed in mountainous regions during the storm. Fast winds registered 70 kilometers per hour, according to Beirut airport weather forecast. The storm inflicted damage to fields, power and telephone networks in mountainous regions as citizens rushed to stockpile on food supplies. The Army command, in a communiqué, said its naval vessels in coordination with UNIFIL's navy rescued 14 crew members of the Lebanese-flag freighter 'Victory Gevo' which was drifting off the southern Sidon coast due to high waves and fast winds. The rescued sailors hold Lebanese, Syrian and Egyptian nationalities. They were evacuated to Beirut Naval base and are in "good conditions," the communiqué said. The fate of the freighter could not be determined, however. Beirut, 29 Jan 08, 19:04

Initial Testimony: Gunshots Came from Shiyah
Naharnet/Initial testimony about Sunday's deadly riots in Beirut showed that the Lebanese army officer who was in charge of the Mar Mikhael post where protests originally broke out was a Shiite Muslim and that the building where the shooting occurred lies in the Shiyah district. The report carried by the daily An Nahar on Wednesday said there was no need for additional military back up at the beginning when the protest was still restricted to a small activity by a group of young men who blocked the road opposite the army post with burning tires. It said troops manning the position informed the protestors that they were going to remove the tires and reopen the road. But the protestors responded by tossing stones and sticks at soldiers, wounding one of them, according to the report. It said other rioters, meanwhile, tried to unarm a trooper and attempted to climb on top of an armored vehicle. The army then fired warning shots in the air to disperse the protestors, the report added.
It said it was at that point that shooting came from the neighboring Shiyah district where army vehicles received several bullet riddles, prompting troops to fire back.
Several people were wounded in the shooting, the report said. It said the building where the shooting occurred is located in Shiyah and not at Ein el-Rummaneh where it was originally thought. Meanwhile, the pro-opposition al-Akhbar newspaper said Hizbullah and Amal movement were waiting for the results of the investigation into Sunday's riots before announcing their stance regarding their support for consensus presidential candidate army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman.
The paper said Hizbullah and Amal would convey their stand to Arab League chief Amr Moussa, who is expected to return to Beirut soon to resume efforts to implement an Arab plan aimed at ending the prolonged political crisis. Moussa has warned that "if blood spills over into the streets, chaos will prevail and there will be different positions and many forces will interfere." The Arab League chief put particular blame for the crisis on pro-Syrian groups in Lebanon, saying they intentionally held up the elections with new demands. Moussa also warned that an Arab leadership summit scheduled for March 28 in Damascus might be put off if the Lebanese crisis remained unresolved. Military police have begun investigations into Sunday's incidents that left eight people killed in violent riots in Beirut's southern suburbs. The protests which began in Mar Mikhael at 4 pm Sunday quickly spread to reach other areas of Beirut. A security source said outcome of the investigation will be formally announced "so that measures against the military institution as well as against those proven to be involved in beyond-limit acts can be taken." Twenty-three suspects were also being interrogated by the army in connection with Sunday's unrest. Beirut, 30 Jan 08, 09:14

Sfeir Warns of Attempts to 'Fragmentize' Lebanon
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir on Wednesday lamented attempts to slice Lebanon and urged the Lebanese to unite, the National News Agency reported. "There are hands working to fragmentize the country and all its institutions, including the presidency, the government and parliament," NNA quoted Sfeir as telling a delegation from the Federation of Iqlim al Kharroub municipalities. "There are those who are also working to fragmentize the army and religious institutions," he added. His comments came after eight people were killed in riots in the Shiyah district of Beirut's southern suburbs Sunday. The protests against power cuts quickly degenerated into street violence despite the army's attempts to contain the riots. The military, which launched an investigation to determine where the shots came from, said it only fired in the air to disperse the crowd. Sfeir also urged the Lebanese to unite because only the people could "rescue" Lebanon.
He said Lebanon's 18 sects should "fraternize" and "cooperate" so that the country could flourish. Beirut, 30 Jan 08, 13:13

Jumblat: Relations with Syria Can Safeguard Lebanon's Future
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat stressed during talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the importance of electing a president immediately, announcing that normal relations with Syria can safeguard Lebanon's future. "This situation and the status of (political) vacuum will have an impact upon all factions in Lebanon," Jumblat told Al Arabiya satellite television network Tuesday. "Therefore, the mission of (Arab League chief) Amr Moussa has got to succeed when he returns (to Lebanon) Feb. 3." Jumblat stressed that presidential election is a priority. "Going into details regarding formation of the new government is useless," Jumblat said, adding that electing a president is the key to stability. On the Special International Tribunal to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri and related crimes, Jumblat said: "We will see in (a few) months or maybe years who is guilty of these assassinations."
Jumblat said his talks with Lavrov emphasized the need to maintain "positive Lebanese-Syrian relations regardless of our stance today and regardless of the tensions." "We cannot stay in this state of tension where one party does not believe in Lebanon while the other is in a constant state of animosity."
"We simply can't. There's got to be a compromise. But in order to reach this compromise, there's got to be a President," Jumblat told Al Arabiya.
On Monday, Jumblat told the Russian news agency Novosti that it was "impossible for democratic Lebanon to coexist with Syria's dictatorship."
On Moscow's stance, Jumblat said Russia will make financial contributions to the international tribunal to try suspects in Hariri's murder and related crimes and labeled the move "positive.""We are aware that Russia has friends and relations in the Middle East and we will see how we can reach stability together (with them)," Jumblat said, stressing that the key to Lebanon's stability was presidential elections. Beirut, 30 Jan 08, 10:39

Egypt has Keen Interest in Averting Lebanon Unrest

Naharnet/Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said his country has a keen interest in averting unrest in Lebanon, reiterating Cairo's support for speedy presidential elections in line with an Arab League plan to end the political crisis. His comments came during telephone contacts Tuesday with Prime Minister Fouad Saniora and Arab League chief Amr Moussa. An Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman said Abul Gheit separately discussed with Saniora and Moussa the latest developments in Lebanon in light of Sunday's bloody riots that left eight people killed. The discussions also tackled the outcome of the Jan. 27 Arab ministerial meeting on Lebanon and Gaza. Arab foreign ministers urged Lebanon's feuding factions on Sunday to resolve their long-running political crisis and vote for army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman in a new parliamentary session set for Feb. 11, the 13th attempt to choose a president. Moussa has held several rounds of talks with political leaders in Lebanon to spur them to elect a new president and end the crisis which has left the country without a president since November 24. On January 5 he proposed a three-point Arab initiative calling for Suleiman to be elected president, the formation of a national unity government in which no one party has veto power, and the adoption of a new electoral law. Lebanon's ruling March 14 coalition has accepted the plan but the Hizbullah-led opposition is demanding a third of the seats in a new government so the opposition can have veto power. Beirut, 30 Jan 08, 10:14

Lebanon War Report Expected to Roast Olmert's Conduct
Naharnet/Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert braced for the release of a key report into Israel's 2006 war in Lebanon, expected to roast his conduct during the conflict and spark fresh calls for him to quit. The government-appointed commission headed by former judge Eliyahu Winograd is to issue its final report on Wednesday, eight months after an interim inquiry found the premier and other political and military leaders responsible for "severe failures."
Ahead of the report, an official with Olmert's main coalition partner Labor called on him to resign over the war, widely considered a failure in Israel for failing to halt Hizbullah rocket fire and retrieve two seized soldiers. "The interim report of this commission had already demanded that the prime minister assume his responsibilities for the failures of the Lebanon war," Eitan Cabel, secretary general of the centre-left Labor, told public radio.
"Olmert supporters invoke all sorts of arguments (for him to remain in power), like the need to continue the peace process with the Palestinians or the battle against Hamas or Iran, but nothing justifies him remaining in command," he said. Although the final Winograd report is not expected to contain a direct call for Olmert to resign, an official closely involved in the commission's work has told AFP that "the report will be as harsh as the previous one."
Families of those killed in the conflict, reservists and politicians have renewed calls for Olmert to step down.
The 62-year-old Olmert, widely considered to be one of Israel's savviest politicians, is the only senior leader criticized in the preliminary report to have hung on to his job after the war. Former army chief Dan Halutz quit a year ago and ex-defense minister Amir Peretz was ousted from the ministry and the head of his Labor party less than two months after the Winograd interim findings. Olmert, who has also been embroiled in allegations of corruption, has been quoted as saying he has "absolutely no intention" of stepping down. His future largely depends on Labor -- if the party quits the government, it would leave Olmert's coalition short of the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member parliament. Labor's chairman, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, has said he would decide on whether to quit only after the report is released.
Although he has hinted he did not wish to bring down the government, he might be unable to resist public pressure. An opinion poll published by privately owned Channel 10 television found that 58 percent of Israelis wanted the prime minister to step down if the commission's criticism of his conduct of the war was "very severe", against 23 percent who said he should stay on whatever the findings.A second poll carried by public radio found that 51 percent of Israelis believed the premier would manage to keep his job against 39.4 percent who thought he would be forced to quit. Olmert's departure would likely lead to new elections which opinion polls suggest would bring victory for the right-wing Likud party. "The public dynamic will develop according to the degree of criticism in the report and the ability of those calling for Olmert's resignation to create momentum," said Nahum Barnea, a senior columnist in the mass-selling Yediot Aharonot daily. The spiritual leader of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, the third largest coalition partner, said on Tuesday his movement will not quit. "Do not fret because I am with you," a party official quoted rabbi Ovadia Yossef as telling Olmert in a telephone conversation. The conflict between Israel and Hizbullah, sparked after the Shiite group seized two soldiers in a deadly cross-border raid on July 12, killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers. The report was expected to focus on Olmert's controversial decision to order a massive ground offensive in south Lebanon 60 hours before a U.N.-brokered ceasefire agreement was due to take effect on August 14. Thirty-three Israeli soldiers were killed in the offensive launched just one hour after the final version of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 was presented to Israel.(AFP) Beirut, 30 Jan 08, 08:36

U.S.: It's Time for Syria to End Support for Terrorism in Region
Naharnet/Washington said it is time for Syria to end its support for terrorism in the region and stop its alleged abuses of human rights, toughening its stand toward a country it has courted for a new U.S. peace drive. State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey issued the statement Tuesday after earlier condemning Syria for jailing former MP Riad Seif and demanding his immediate release along with other detained dissidents. "It is time for the Syrian government to modify its behavior, end its support for terrorism in the region, and provide its citizens with the rights they deserve," it said. The formal statement appeared to crystallize a cooling U.S. stance towards an Arab government it has courted in the hope it would support Washington's new push for Middle East peace.
In November, Washington welcomed Syria's participation at the international conference in Annapolis, Maryland that launched the first serious Palestinian-Israeli peace talks in seven years. However, last week the State Department said it was "unfortunate" that Syria hosted a meeting of Palestinian rejectionist groups.
And during a tour of the Middle East earlier this month, U.S. President George Bush told Syria and Iran to stop "interfering" in Lebanon's affairs and urged the country to hold a vote to choose a new president. U.S. officials also condemned a bombing in Beirut last week that killed several people, including a senior Lebanese intelligence officer investigating earlier deaths largely blamed on Syria. But Syria also condemned the attack.
When asked for comment earlier Tuesday, Casey was quick to condemn Syria's arrest of Seif, which a human rights watchdog said had occurred on Monday, and called for his immediate release along with other dissidents. Syrian authorities charged Seif with a series of national security offenses Tuesday, according to the National Organization for Human Rights in Syria. A further 10 dissidents who attended last month's meeting of the National Council of the Damascus Declaration were charged with the same offenses on Monday. The Damascus Declaration calls for radical democratic change in the country, and has united communist, nationalist, liberal and Kurdish parties. Bush has applauded the formation of the grouping, saying "the brave men and women who formed this council reflect the desires of the majority of Syrian people to live in freedom, democracy, and peace." Casey's statement said Seif's arrest and "lack of transparency" in the proceedings against the 10 others "are yet another example of the Syrian regime's contempt for the universally-recognized right of free expression of ideas, and its blatant attempts to silence and intimidate the Syrian people." It urged Syria to fulfill "its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and cease its harassment of Syrians who are peacefully" advocating democratic and political reform. Casey told reporters earlier that the U.S. government was all the more concerned about Seif's arrest because of his medical condition. In August last year, the State Department called on Syria to lift a travel ban on Seif so that he could get treatment overseas for what the human rights watchdog says is prostate cancer. Seif was sentenced to five years in prison in 2001 on charges of attempting to subvert the constitution. (AFP) Beirut, 30 Jan 08, 08:06

U.N. Peacekeepers Rescue 14 Lebanese Sailors from Storm
Naharnet/U.N. peacekeepers rescued 14 Lebanese sailors caught in choppy seas on Tuesday as Lebanon was hit by torrential downpours, strong winds and snowstorms, officials said. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said that its Maritime Task Force "rescued 14 sailors from a disabled ship following an extensive search and rescue operation at sea over four hours." The crew sent a distress signal after their ship "suffered several leaks" 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Beirut port, UNIFIL said. U.N. helicopters took part in the operation lifting the sailors to safety. Just one sailor sustained minor injuries.
Lebanon has been hit by heavy rains and hailstorms with winds packing up to 100 kilometers (60 miles) per hour and snow falling on high ground over 600 meters (2,000 feet), weathermen said. Police urged motorists to avoid mountain roads with the rough weather predicted to persist into Wednesday.
On Tuesday, three people were injured in floods in the southern town of Nabatiyeh, Lebanon's National News Agency said.(AFP)(This picture was released by UNIFIL of the MV Gevo Victory cargo ship caught in choppy waters off the Lebanese coast.) Beirut, 30 Jan 08, 08:06

Qassem: Sunday's Events Were 'a Huge Crime'
Naharnet/Deputy Hizbullah Leader Sheikh Naim Qassem has described Sunday's riots as a " huge crime" and vowed a "response" by the Shiite group. The death of eight people during street violence in Beirut's Shiyah district was "a huge crime and we will respond accordingly," Qassem said Tuesday. He demanded a "rapid, public and fruitful investigation."Qassem also stressed that Hizbullah "has no place for Islamic-Christian or Sunni-Shiite unrests." Beirut, 29 Jan 08, 22:09

Security Council Slams 'Terrorist' Attack in Beirut
The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday strongly condemned last week's "terrorist attack" which killed four people, including Lebanon's top anti-terrorism investigator, in Beirut. In a statement read by its president for the month, Libya's U.N. Ambassador Giadalla Ettalhi, the 15-member body "condemned in the strongest terms" the attack that killed Captain Wissam Eid, a member of Lebanon's Internal Security Forces, his bodyguard and two civilians.
Last week, U.N. Chief Ban Ki-moon also slammed the attack. "The members of the Security Council reiterated their condemnation of all targeted assassinations of Lebanese leaders, particularly since October 2004 and demanded an immediate end to the continuous use of intimidation and violence against Lebanese officials and institutions," the statement noted. Council members also stressed the importance of bringing "the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of this heinous crime" to justice as well as the need "to put an end to impunity in Lebanon." They also underscored the "importance of the unity of all the Lebanese people and of political dialogue."(AFP) Beirut, 29 Jan 08, 21:27

Shiite Council Denounces the Shiyah 'Crime' as 'Unbearable'

Naharnet/The Higher Shiite Islamic Council on Tuesday denounced the Shiyah "crime" committed Sunday against demonstrators who were staging "legal and peaceful" protests. The council, in a statement issued after an extraordinary session under deputy chairman Abdul Amir Qabalan, said "what has been committed against some of our children is unbearable."The statement noted that "peaceful and legal activities … should not be confronted with live bullets, violence and killing."
"Brutality of the sinful aggression and … crime committed against the southern suburb was beyond imagination," the statement added. It warned that "the political future hinges on the level of serious and responsible handling of the crime and the culprits."The council is "keen on the army's role in safeguarding security and stability and defending the homeland and advises the army command to be vigilant regarding attempts to lure it into conflicts with those who had defended and protected it," the statement said. It urged the Army Command to "shoulder its responsibility by speeding up the investigations aimed at detecting those who opened fire at unarmed civilians." Beirut, 29 Jan 08, 17:21

Aoun's Bloc: Violence Does Not Solve Lebanon's Problem
Naharnet/Gen. Michel Aoun's Change and Reform Bloc on Tuesday said the Shiyah events should convince the various parties to the ongoing crisis that "violence does not solve Lebanon's problem."The bloc, in a statement after its weekly meeting at Aoun's residence in Rabiyeh, said "dialogue, understanding and consensus … are the base needed to achieve stability, balance, justice and true partnership in the authority and decision making."It called for adopting a "code of honor and national principles, both at the moral and legal levels" to shepherd intra-Lebanese relations. It praised "discipline by citizens on both sides of what had been known as the confrontation line, which reflects their belief in and adherence to principles included in the understanding between the Free Patriotic Movement and Hizbullah."Such an understanding, according to the statement, serves as the "base for any intra-Lebanese understanding."Contrary to tradition, the statement was recited by Bloc member MP Ibrahim Kanaan, which adds credibility to reports that Aoun is recovering from a surgery, details of which have not been disclosed.
Beirut, 29 Jan 08, 18:33

Lebanon's New Civil War Recipe
Naharnet/Army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman is no more accepted by the Hizbullah-led opposition as a presidential candidate and the army itself is no more trusted by the opposition to maintain security, as-Safir's managing editor Sataa Noureddine wrote Tuesday. "This is the primary outcome of (last Sunday's) Mar Mikhael battle. This is the most significant indication that civil war is now a fait accompli," Noureddine added. "Lebanon's history tells us that when a major sect loses confidence in the army it opts for auto security as a legitimate alternative. Its collision with other sects becomes inevitable," he noted.
However, "safeguards still prevent the outbreak of civil war. The army has not fallen totally, and would not be fragmented soon. Its commander, theoretically, remains a consensus candidate for president," he wrote. Nevertheless, Noureddine added, "the opposition's insistence on pacifying him (Suleiman) in the presidential race cannot but inflict major harm on the military institute." "The Mar Mikhael battle was neither accidental, nor was it a protest, but also it did not reflect a decision to launch civil war now," he wrote. Noureddine concluded by noting: "It was the first step in a long and winding path that would end only when Syria is reassured regarding its internal security that is threatened by the international tribunal" that would try suspects in the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and related crimes. "Organized void is over and organized chaos has started, but it would last only for a few weeks." Beirut, 29 Jan 08, 13:43

Lebanese Army Dragged into Trouble
Naharnet/Lebanon's political crisis has taken a dangerous turn with the army being dragged into the conflict between pro-and anti-Syrian camps following deadly riots that have raised fears of civil war, analysts say. Sunday's unrest pitted angry demonstrators protesting power cuts against the army of Gen. Michel Suleiman, who is tipped to fill the vacant seat of the presidency. "The army has been dragged into the conflict... and is now stuck between a rock and a hard place," particularly with Suleiman's name linked to the presidency, said Amal Saad-Ghorayeb of the Carnegie Middle East Center.
Two Hizbullah members were among six Shiite Muslims killed Sunday along the former 1975-1990 civil war "Green Line" between Christian and Muslim areas of Beirut. Hizbullah, and Amal movement, an ally which also lost two of its members in the riots, have demanded a "serious" army probe into the bloodshed.
"Having (six) young men killed in one night, all of them from one religious sect is not going to go down very easy," said Ousama Safa, head of the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies. "There is some agent provocateur, somewhere in the groups, trying to push this escalation further and... to squeeze Gen. Suleiman and indirectly tarnish his image. "His chances to become president are getting slimmer by the day," said Safa. Both analysts agreed that an investigation and swift results would have to be a priority if the anger that swept the streets of Beirut's mainly Shiite southern suburbs is to be defused.
But Saad-Ghorayeb warned of problems ahead, amid repeated accusations among the opposition that army soldiers fired on demonstrators during Sunday's riots.
"If the army is responsible and admits its responsibility, it will be a problem because it will mean that it is against the opposition," she said.
"If the army says 'it wasn't us', but does not uncover the culprits, then it will appear biased in the eyes of the opposition because non-attribution will basically mean covering up for the real culprits," she added. In any case the army is facing a "real danger because it is increasingly seen, by whichever side, as not being neutral," she said. Retired army general Wehbe Katisha remained confident, however, that the army will survive the storm of unrest but admitted that "all the incidents that we are witnessing are a reflection of the political crisis." For Safa, Sunday's riots were meant as a political message to a meeting of Arab League foreign ministers that urged Lebanese lawmakers among the anti-Syrian ruling majority and the opposition to elect Suleiman.
"Unfortunately these messages are getting more and more dangerous, and they are drawing us very close to the point of no return," he said.
Safa acknowledged there were fears of civil war but stressed that "is not in the interest of any of the major mainstream political opposition groups to go down the civil war path. "But I think they are being dragged into it against their will," he said.
"What we saw (Sunday) is probably the beginning of things like this and unless you get people around one table trying to deal with this you will not be able to stop it," Safa warned. Saad-Ghorayeb agreed: "These things have a way of snowballing and anger mounts," she said. "It is inevitable that civil strife of this kind will continue and even increase so long as there is no political compromise," she added.(AFP) Beirut, 29 Jan 08, 12:23

Syria Doubts Suleiman's Nomination as Consensus Candidate

Naharnet/Syria has doubted the nomination of Army Commander Gen. Michel Suleiman for president, stating that he does not enjoy the backing of all Lebanese factions, an-Nahar's Rosana Boumounsef wrote Tuesday. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, according to Boumounsef, told Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo last Sunday that "it is not correct" that Suleiman enjoys the unanimous backing of all Lebanese factions. This, she wrote, was meant to "cast doubt" on Lebanese and Arab backing for Suleiman's nomination and calls to elect him president. Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa had warned that he would not return to Beirut to resume his mission had the Arabs failed to "clarify the context of his report," Boumounsef wrote. However, she added, Moussa could return to Beirut mainly to work on "preventing an escalation in the security situation."Diplomatic sources were quoted as saying Moussa would try to re-arrange a new meeting grouping ex-President Amin Gemayel, MP Michel Aoun and MP Saad Hariri to "consider all controversial issues."Boumounsef concluded by asking: "Did the Arab initiative pass away, or is there still hope in repulsing it?" Beirut, 29 Jan 08, 12:41

So Now President Bush Won't Call It "Islamic" Terrorism or Extremism?
By Andrew Cochran-Counter Terrorism  
I noticed something unusual last night during President Bush's State of the Union speech - he never used the words "Islamic" or "Islamist" to describe the most dangerous forms of terrorism and extremism which the U.S. and the West face in the Middle East and around the world. Contrast that to his 2007 SOTU speech (emphases mine):
"Al Qaeda and its followers are Sunni extremists, possessed by hatred and commanded by a harsh and narrow ideology. Take almost any principle of civilization, and their goal is the opposite. They preach with threats ... instruct with bullets and bombs ... and promise paradise for the murder of the innocent... These men are not given to idle words, and they are just one camp in the Islamist radical movement. In recent times, it has also become clear that we face an escalating danger from Shia extremists who are just as hostile to America, and are also determined to dominate the Middle East. Many are known to take direction from the regime in Iran, which is funding and arming terrorists like Hezbollah - a group second only to al Qaeda in the American lives it has taken... The Shia and Sunni extremists are different faces of the same totalitarian threat. But whatever slogans they chant, when they slaughter the innocent, they have the same wicked purposes. They want to kill Americans ... kill democracy in the Middle East ... and gain the weapons to kill on an even more horrific scale."
And take a look at a segment in his 2006 SOTU:
"No one can deny the success of freedom, but some men rage and fight against it. And one of the main sources of reaction and opposition is radical Islam -- the perversion by a few of a noble faith into an ideology of terror and death. Terrorists like bin Laden are serious about mass murder -- and all of us must take their declared intentions seriously... By allowing radical Islam to work its will -- by leaving an assaulted world to fend for itself -- we would signal to all that we no longer believe in our own ideals, or even in our own courage."
Why did President Bush retreat from the obvious? Who imposed upon him, employing what logic, to depart from his past clear and accurate statements on the nature of Islamic-based terrorism and extremism?
On Sunday, Walid Phares suggested (or hoped) that the President would "Define the enemy, clearly and strategically. For the changes in definitions over the past seven years have left the public in quest for a definitive knowledge about who are we fighting and why." I guess Walid - and the rest of us - will have to wait for the next State of the Union message.
January 29, 2008