LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
July 08/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 9,18-26. While he was saying these things to them, an official came forward, knelt down before him, and said, "My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live."Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples. A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. She said to herself, "If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured." Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, "Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you." And from that hour the woman was cured. When Jesus arrived at the official's house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion,
he said, "Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping." And they ridiculed him. When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose. And news of this spread throughout all that land.

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
What has Lebanon's private sector done to keep citizens at home? The Daily Star 07/07/08
Peace on all Middle Eastern fronts? Not quite- By Shlomo Ben-Ami 07/07/08

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for July 07/08
Geagea's Cabinet Line Up Mathematics: Five Days Less than Five Weeks
Aoun: Lebanese Forces should be Represented by One Minister
Hezbollah appears set to dominate government-Los Angeles Times
Canadian military medic killed in Afghanistan blast-The Canadian Press-Naharnet
Geagea's Cabinet Line Up Mathematics: Five Days Less than Five Weeks-Naharnet
Saniora Ends Subsidies to Agricultural Exports-Naharnet
MP Hariri Sues Culprits in His Father's Killing-Naharnet
Who Gets What in the New Cabinet?-Naharnet
Raad: Hizbullah is Represented by 'All' Opposition Ministers
-Naharnet
Israel to Receive Report on Arad
-Naharnet
Sfeir Criticizes Efforts to Change the Lebanese System of Governance
-Naharnet
Iranian Official Denies Hariri-Nasrallah Mediation by Mottaki
-Naharnet
Israel to Exhume Bodies of Hizbullah Fighters for Swap
-Naharnet
New Cabinet Tuesday or Wednesday, Pending Agreement on Distribution of Majority Portfolios
-Naharnet
Israel Successfully Tests System that Intercepts Hizbullah Rockets
-Naharnet
Abbas and Assad Hold Middle East Talks in Syria
-Naharnet
Radio: Israel to receive report on Israeli airman-International Herald Tribune
TV shows bodies exhumed at Israeli cemetery for Israel-Lebanon ...International Herald Tribune
Lebanese leaders in final stages of talks on unity government-Daily Star
Israel hands Hizbullah list of demands before swap-Daily Star
Ankara looks to extend mandate of troops in UNIFIL-Daily Star
Fneish: Swap deal confirms Hizbullah's 2006 victory-Daily Star
Sfeir: Lebanon threatened by greed from far and near-Daily Star
Saudi prince buys Lebanon's LBC satellite TV-Daily Star
Beirut central bank assets grow by 2.24 percent-Daily Star
Lebanon gets better rating on copyright protection-Daily Star
Beirut market reflects political frenzy-Daily Star
UN special rapporteur highlights tragedy of disability in war-Daily Star
Lebanese showcase their creativity at Beirut handicraft exhibition-Daily Star
US Democrats in Lebanon hold Independence Day bash-Daily Star
Damascus blames inmates for deadly prison riots-AFP

TV shows tractors working at Israeli cemetery for Israel-Lebanon prisoner swap
The Associated Press-July 6, 2008
JERUSALEM: Israel TV on Sunday showed video of tractors working at a cemetery for dead Lebanese and Palestinian fighters, part of a prisoner swap between Israel and Hezbollah. Israeli military officials said the exhumation of coffins would begin Monday, and identification of the bodies would continue for several days. The officials, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, said the cemetery, in Israel's north, has been declared a closed military zone so that there will be no coverage of the process. Israel approved the deal last week. In exchange for two Israeli soldiers captured two years ago by the Lebanese guerrillas, Israel is set to free Samir Qantar, a Lebanese who is serving multiple life terms for a grisly attack in 1979 in which a father, his two daughters and two policemen died. Also, Israel will free several other prisoners and return bodies of fighters. Israel has declared that its two soldiers are dead. Their capture set off a 34-day war.
The TV report said there is no firm timetable for carrying out the swap.

Lebanese Daily: Syria Customs Hike Creating Crisis On Lebanon, Jordan Borders
The Lebanese daily Al-Mustaqbal wrote that Syria's decision to raise customs duty on trucks entering Syria is creating a crisis on the Syria-Lebanon and Syria-Jordan borders. The paper said that this move by Syria was taken unilaterally, and is against the agreements signed between Arab countries stating that these countries must facilitate the passage of goods and people among them. According to reports, Syria's surprise customs hike caused a backlog of trucks at the border crossings. Al-Mustaqbal, Lebanon, July 4, 5, 2008

Geagea's Cabinet Line Up Mathematics: Five Days Less than Five Weeks
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said Monday contacts were underway between forces of the March 14 majority alliance to distribute the remaining cabinet seats among themselves, noting that five days more would be less than five weeks needed by the opposition for a similar task.
"It took the opposition five weeks" to agree on its share of cabinet seats, "we have the right to five days" to accomplish the mission, Geagea told reporters at his residence in Meerab. He denied rumors regarding alleged differences within March 14, saying: "What the Lebanese people achieved on March 14 would not be wasted by anyone." Geagea said the Lebanese Forces and Cornet Shahwan would be represented in the new cabinet in line with their real popularity and role.
He said Premier-designate Fouad Saniora "knows what cabinet seats we want."In answering a question as to whether the LF party is interested in the justice portfolio, Geagea said: "The Lebanese Forces was denied justice for over 15 years."He concluded by stressing that it is time for Syria to release all Lebanese detainees it holds after Israel agreed to release Lebanese prisoners. Beirut, 07 Jul 08, 12:47

Aoun: Lebanese Forces should be Represented by One Minister
Naharnet/FPM leader Mp Michel Aoun said one minister only should represent the Lebanese Forces in the new cabinet.
Aoun, following the weekly meeting of his parliamentary block, found strange the on-going delay in the cabinet line up.
was the majority doing during the past few weeks?" referring to the majority's past accusations to Aoun of intentionally blocking the cabinet formation. Aoun said the majority is not capable of renouncing the agreement he had reached with Premier-designate Fouad Saniora concerning the cabinet portfolios. "The majority has no right to delay the cabinet line up for five days, or a day or even a minute", FPM leader added.
Aoun highlighted the recent robbery accidents in the Metn region, accusing the security forces of neglect,
He asked the Justice and Administrative parliamentary committee to speed up its discussions over the new parliamentary elections law in order to adopt is as soon as possible. Beirut, 07 Jul 08, 18:42

LEBANON: Hezbollah appears set to dominate government
Hezbollah and its allies are again apparently the big winners in the latest round of struggling over political power in Lebanon.
Nothing is official yet, but insiders say Hezbollah's main Christian ally, the group led by lawmaker Michel Aoun (below right), will likely have a significant share of government posts in the next government.
"Formally, the Christian group in the opposition has won important portfolios, but it is still Hezbollah, and through it Iran, which have the upper hand," said Ali Al-Amine, a Beirut-based political analyst and editor of a local newspaper.
A high-profile accord brokered in Qatar last May among Lebanese political players ended an escalating armed conflict and led to the nomination of a long-awaited president. The deal gave the Hezbollah-led opposition and Hassan Nasrallah (above, left) veto power over government decisions in the next government.
But until recently, wrangling over the main portfolios had slowed down formation of a Cabinet. Finally, after six weeks of negotiations, Prime Minister-designate Fouad Siniora reached an agreement on Saturday with the opposition regarding the distribution of ministries. He told reporters after meeting with Aoun that the Cabinet lineup will be announced in the "near future."
Although it will only serve until the middle of next year or so, the upcoming Cabinet -- by distributing perks, positions and patronage to various Lebanese -- might well determine the winners and losers of crucial parliamentary elections scheduled to take place in 2009.
The result of those elections may determine whether Hezbollah, which is backed by Tehran and Damascus, or the Western-backed coalition will take control of the country in the coming years.
Based on the agreement, the opposition will get the ministries of labor, youth and sports, foreign affairs, health and industry as well as other key service portfolios -- public works, telecommunications, agriculture and power -- which will go to the bloc of Hezbollah's Christian ally, Aoun.
Control of these highly visible ministries gives Aoun a chance to show his administrative acumen to potential Christian voters.
The critical ministries of defense and interior will be chosen by President Michel Suleiman. Reportedly, Elias Murr will remain the defense minister, although Hezbollah had objected to his nomination earlier, accusing him of belonging to the pro-U.S. camp. Unexpectedly, the sensitive Interior Ministry will be allocated to a prominent lawyer from outside the conventional political arena, Ziad Baroud.
Hezbollah seems to be satisfied with the distribution of the spoils. The group has decided to give up part of its share in the government to its allies as a gesture of support.
On Monday, Nabil Kawouk, a prominent Hezbollah official, told a rally: The Americans will not be able to pass decisions through the Lebanese government because the resistance ensures a balance that protects Lebanese decision-making from foreign interference. Despite the tentative agreement, the formation of the Cabinet has not been announced yet because the Western-backed group, a coalition of Sunni, Christian and Druze parties, has yet to decide on how to distribute the ministries under its control. But it seems already that the Christians in this coalition will control fewer posts than Aoun. Under Lebanon's unique political system, power is shared among Christians, Sunnis, Shiites and Druze. The country is polarized nowadays between two camps led by Sunnis and Shiites. Christians are divided between the two groups.

The Secretary General of The National Council For The Cedars Revolution hails the UK for banning Hezbollah
Beirut, July 4,2008
The Secretary General of The National Council For The Cedars Revolution, Mr Toni Nissi, in a letter sent to the United Kingdom Foreign Affairs Ministry, congratulated both the People and the Government of the United Kingdom for the bold decision to put Hisbollah on the terrorist list. Mr. Nissi Wrote :
We take this timely opportunity to congratulate you, your government and the whole British Parliament for your courageous and most appropriate decision in declaring Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and placing it finally on the list of terrorists. The people of Lebanon having been the first victims of terror and tyranny initially by the Syrians and now by Hezbollah as proxies for Iran and Syria and having lived for some years under constant threats and attacks by this merciless and extremely dangerous terrorist organization, know only too well the thought process which provoked your determination to take this strong and honorable decision.
In expressing our total support for you in this decision, we pray that the rest of the European nations will see the wisdom, strength and benefit in your action and follow suit at the earliest possible opportunity so that the world may be able to isolate this and other terrorist organizations and put an end to their destruction of decent and innocent communities throughout the Middle East and the rest of the world.
National Council For The Cedars Revolution/Media Office

Canadian soldier on foot patrol killed by explosion in Afghanistan
By Alexander Panetta, The Canadian Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - A Canadian military medic lauded by peers for his quick smile, sharp intellect, and generous heart has been killed by an explosion during an early morning foot patrol in Afghanistan.
Pte. Colin William Wilmot died Sunday in the Panjwaii district near Kandahar city. His age was not released.
He is the 87th Canadian soldier killed in the Afghanistan mission. The Edmonton-based medic was remembered by peers as the top student in his basic medical course and a young man with a perpetually sunny disposition. They said he was not originally scheduled to join the current rotation in Afghanistan, but demanded to be sent. "He quickly marched in to see his regiment sergeant-major to indicate he was eager to serve," said Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson, Canada's top soldier in Afghanistan. "Colin wanted it known that should a spot become available on the mission, he wanted in. "He was selected to fill a vacancy soon after, because he was motivated, he was skilled, and because he was eager to make a difference in the lives of ordinary Afghans." Tributes to Wilmot appeared quickly on the social networking website Facebook as the news spread about his death. Melissa Laagland-Winder of New Brunswick called Wilmot an amazing man. "I am so glad I got to take the time to know you better," she wrote. "Thank you for being a proud Canadian soldier." "We all love you. But you're in heaven now," wrote Dave Mann. "I will keep you in my prayers always." Wilmot is the first Canadian soldier killed in combat since early June and is survived by a fiancee, Laura. More recently, one soldier died in a fall into a well during a night-time patrol, and another died just days ago in a base sleeping quarters for reasons still being investigated. Brendan Downey, a military policeman based in Dundurn, Sask., was posted to a little-known Canadian base in the Arabian desert that offers logistical support to the military operation in Afghanistan. His family praised him as a loyal patriot who was looking forward to the birth of his second child.

Geagea's Cabinet Line Up Mathematics: Five Days Less than Five Weeks

Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said Monday contacts were underway between forces of the March 14 majority alliance to distribute the remaining cabinet seats among themselves, noting that five days more would be less than five weeks needed by the opposition for a similar task. "It took the opposition five weeks" to agree on its share of cabinet seats, "we have the right to five days" to accomplish the mission, Geagea told reporters at his residence in Meerab.
He denied rumors regarding alleged differences within March 14, saying: "What the Lebanese people achieved on March 14 would not be wasted by anyone."
Geagea said the Lebanese Forces and Cornet Shahwan would be represented in the new cabinet in line with their real popularity and role. He said Premier-designate Fouad Saniora "knows what cabinet seats we want." In answering a question as to whether the LF party is interested in the justice portfolio, Geagea said: "The Lebanese Forces was denied justice for over 15 years."He concluded by stressing that it is time for Syria to release all Lebanese detainees it holds after Israel agreed to release Lebanese prisoners. Beirut, 07 Jul 08, 12:47

Saniora Ends Subsidies to Agricultural Exports
Naharnet/Care taker premier Fouad Saniora on Monday ended government subsidies to agricultural Exports. A short statement said the move, that is expected to spark uproar, should be applied immediately by the General Institute for Encouraging investment in Lebanon. However, the Saniora statement, said subsidies would remain suspended pending tacking the issue by the new cabinet that is yet to be formed. Beirut, 07 Jul 08,

MP Hariri Sues Culprits in His Father's Killing
Naharnet/MP Saad Hariri on Monday lodged a legal suit against culprits in the 2005 assassination of his father, ex-Premier Rafik Hariri. The claim, the first by the Hariri clan, was filed at Examining Magistrate Saqr Saqr's office, the state-run National News Agency reported. The case was filed by lawyer Mohammed Matar, representing MP Hariri, the short report added. Beirut, 07 Jul 08,

Who Gets What in the New Cabinet?
Naharnet/Efforts exerted to form the new cabinet are focusing on distributing seats and portfolios among the March 14 majority alliance factions after the Hizbullah-led opposition has agreed on its share. President Michel Suleiman's share also has been settled by nominating Elias Murr to handle the defense portfolio, Ziad Baroud to handle the interior ministry and a Roman Catholic personality as minister without portfolio. The opposition got the seats of labor, youth and sports and a minister without portfolio for Hizbullah; foreign, health and industry for AMAL; public works, telecommunications, agriculture, power and the seat of vice premier for Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc. The main challenge to be handled yet is how to distribute 11 seats among the March 14 forces.
The 11 portfolios to be filled yet are: finance, education, justice, public works, economy, ministry of the displaced, information, environment, culture, administrative development and tourism.The challenge facing March 14 forces is: Who gets what?
The public works portfolio that, among other powers, controls Beirut Airport, is the focus of a competition between three major March 14 factions, Walid Jumblat's Democratic Gathering, Samir Geagea's Lebanese Forces, and Mohammed Safadi of the Tripoli Gathering.
Such a competition touches sensitive factional grounds between the Druze, Christians and Sunnis.
Lebanese Forces MP Antoine Zahra said his party wants a "balanced cabinet."He said the LF does not want to be represented by two Maronite ministers but its "popular and political impact should be taken into consideration."If the LF was "marginalized, it would not take part in the cabinet," Zahra said.
However, Democratic Gathering member Wael Abu Faour said "consultations persist to crystallize a cabinet."The Democratic Gathering and Jumblat's Progressive Socialist Party are "very flexible" in efforts to form the cabinet, Abu Faour said. He explained that the telecommunications portfolio, which the PSP had controlled in the outgoing cabinet, is now part of the opposition's share. "Instead, we were offered the public works portfolio," Abu Faour said but avoided indicating that the party insists on filling the seat. Another problem facing the line-up efforts is that Hizbullah might nominate Talal Arslan, a Druze, to a cabinet seat.
Such a move would lead March 14 factions to nominate a Shiite personality to a cabinet seat, which opens the gate to competition between Saad Hariri's Mustaqbal Movement and Jumblat's PSP. Hariri reportedly prefers to nominate MP Ghazi Youssef to a cabinet post, while Jumblat prefers PSP official Duraid Yaghi.
Hariri also reportedly wants to nominate Ghattas Khoury, a Maronite, to a cabinet seat. This strips other Maronite members of the March 14 alliance from a seat reserved to Christians. When predominantly Shiite Hizbullah crossed the factional boundary by nominating a Druze, it opened the door to a non-desired competition among its foes of the March 14 alliance. Beirut, 07 Jul 08,

Israel to Receive Report on Arad
Naharnet/An Israeli negotiator was in Europe on Monday to pick up a report compiled by Hizbullah on a long-missing Israeli airman, part of a prisoner swap deal between the two sides, defense officials in Jerusalem said. Negotiator Ofer Dekel is to receive the report from a U.N.-appointed German official who mediated the deal. It is supposed to detail efforts Hizbullah made to find out what happened to airman Ron Arad after his plane crashed in Lebanon in 1986.
Arad was captured alive by Shiite militants and changed hands several times before disappearing without a trace two decades ago. There have been reports that Arad was transferred to Hizbullah and then to Iran, but no reliable evidence on his fate has ever surfaced. In exchange for the report on Arad, Israel is to provide information on four Iranian diplomats who disappeared in Lebanon in 1982. Iran claims they were kidnapped by Lebanese Christian militiamen, who delivered them to Israeli troops. Israel has long denied holding them. The exchange of reports is part of a wider deal in which Israel is to hand over to Hizbullah five Lebanese prisoners in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers. The soldiers' capture in a July 2006 cross-border raid touched off Israel's second war in Lebanon.
One of the Lebanese prisoners, Samir Qantar, has been held in an Israeli prison nearly 30 years for his role in a 1979 infiltration attack that Israelis perceive as one of the cruelest in their history. Israel had hoped Qantar would be a bargaining chip to wrest information from Hizbullah about Arad's fate, but recently concluded that Hizbullah has no new information about the airman. Last week, the Israeli Cabinet voted to trade Qantar for the bodies of the Israeli servicemen, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. On Sunday, Israel TV showed video of tractors beginning the process of exhuming the bodies of Hizbullah fighters that also are to be handed over as part of the deal. No firm timetable for carrying out the swap has been announced, but Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has said it would take place in mid-July.(AP) (Photo shows Ron Arad) Beirut, 07 Jul 08,

Sfeir Criticizes Efforts to Change the Lebanese System of Governance
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir has criticized the Lebanese system of governance that merges both the majority and opposition in a cabinet, saying it paralyzes the nation. "In other states, the majority rules and the minority practices opposition, but in Lebanon the two parties want to rule," Sfeir told believers in Sydney. The government, according to Sfeir, has become like a "carriage with two horses pulling it from the front and two horses pulling it from the rear."
"So how can it move?" he asked. "When we last visited Australia (in 1993) we visited parliament and we saw the opposition on one side and the majority on the other. They discuss everything and who can martial more votes rules the nation," he added. "Since 1920 and until two years ago the system was functioning normally in line with a majority and minority base produced by election," Sfeir explained. "Why have they changed now?" he asked. Asked if immigrants would vote in the parliamentary elections scheduled for 2009, Sfeir replied: "Efforts are being exerted in this direction and we will see. Some factions are supporting the trend, others are not." Beirut, 07 Jul 08,

Iranian Official Denies Hariri-Nasrallah Mediation by Mottaki
Naharnet/An Iranian official has denied media reports that his country's foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki will mediate between Lebanese MP Saad Hariri and Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) said. The official told ISNA on condition of anonymity on Sunday that Tehran will continue efforts to help reach national unity in Lebanon. Iran "has announced that it won't back any single party in Lebanon and that it has good relations will all sides," the official added. Beirut, 07 Jul 08,

Israel to Exhume Bodies of Hizbullah Fighters for Swap
Naharnet/The Israeli army will begin exhuming bodies of Hizbullah fighters ahead of a prisoner swap with the Shiite group in exchange for two captured Israeli soldiers, officials said. The army on Sunday declared a cemetery for enemy combatants near Amiad in northern Israel a closed military zone as representatives of the military rabbinate began preparing to exhume the remains of the Hizbullah men, a defense official said. "The process of exhuming is expected to begin tomorrow (Monday) and will last several days... as part of the process to retrieve the abducted soldiers," the official told Agence France Presse on condition of anonymity. Israel TV showed tractors working at the cemetery. The report said there is no firm timetable for carrying out the prisoner exchange. But Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah last Wednesday said that the swap would take place within two weeks after the Israeli government approved the deal, brokered by a U.N. mediator Gerhard Konrad. An Israeli government official said on Sunday that the exchange was "not expected to take place this week." Under the deal, Israel would release five Lebanese prisoners, the remains of Hizbullah fighters and an undetermined number of Palestinians in exchange for the bodies of soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. The two were captured by Hizbullah in a deadly cross-border raid on July 12, 2006 that sparked a devastating 34-day war in Lebanon that killed more than 1,200 people in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the cabinet last week that the two reserve soldiers were dead.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 07 Jul 08,

Israel Successfully Tests System that Intercepts Hizbullah Rockets
Naharnet/Israel has successfully tested a new defense system designed to intercept rockets fired from southern Lebanon and the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, public radio reported on Sunday. The "Iron Dome" system is expected to be fully operational within a year and will be able to intercept the military-grade Katyusha rockets used by Hizbullah and the cruder Qassam rockets favored by Hamas. Citing Israeli security officials, public radio said the system would also be effective against mortar fire which has a much smaller window of warning. In January Prime Minister Ehud Olmert viewed a prototype of the 200-million-dollar system, which is being developed under contract by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, an Israeli arms manufacturer. Iron Dome is part of a multi-layered defense system aimed at protecting Israel from both short-range missiles fired by militants in Gaza or Lebanon and longer-range missiles in the arsenals of regional foes Iran and Syria. Since the outbreak of the latest Palestinian uprising in 2000 Israeli communities near the border with the Gaza Strip have come under frequent rocket and mortar attack, leaving them in a constant state of fear. The attacks have slowed since a truce between Israel and Hamas came into force on June 19, but the fragile Egyptian-brokered agreement has been tested by occasional rockets and mortar rounds fired by smaller armed groups. Israel also came under sustained attack during its 2006 war with Hizbullah, when more than 4,000 Katyusha rockets were launched at northern Israel in 34 days, sending hundreds of thousands of residents fleeing south.(AFP) Beirut, 07 Jul 08,