LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
June 04/08
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to
Saint Mark 12,13-17. They sent some Pharisees and Herodians to him to ensnare
him in his speech. They came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are a
truthful man and that you are not concerned with anyone's opinion. You do not
regard a person's status but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we
not pay?" Knowing their hypocrisy he said to them, "Why are you testing me?
Bring me a denarius to look at." They brought one to him and he said to them,
"Whose image and inscription is this?" They replied to him, "Caesar's." So Jesus
said to them, "Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to
God.' They were utterly amazed at him.
Free
Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
For Lebanon, now is not the time for politics as
usual- The Daily Star 03/06/08
The Axis of Weakness-By: DANIEL FREEDMAN.
Wall Street Journal 03/06/08
Not just a gesture-By Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz Correspondent 03/06/08
Olmert and Abbas are too weak for a border pact-By
Yossi Alpher 03/06/08
Keep expectations low for a Golan deal-By
Hasan Abu Nimah 03/06/08
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for June
03/08
Suspect Arrested at Beirut Airport with Silencer-equipped Pistols-Naharnet
Lebanon's new president congratulates convicted spy on his release ...International
Herald Tribune
UPDATE 1-Lebanon's Azour sees lower interest rates-guardian.co.uk
Saniora: The Nations
Needs Stability-Naharnet
Sayyed Ali Amin Rejects Faqih Rule and Demands Investigation in Hizbullah
Assault-Naharnet
Saniora Faces Obstacles that Could Delay Cabinet Make-Up-Naharnet
Mofaz: Giving Golan Heights to Syria would mean Iran on our borders-Jerusalem
Post
SPECIAL REPORT:Hezbollah active in Nigeria-Middle
East Times
Geagea: Cedar
Revolution Would be Reflected in New Cabinet-Naharnet
Assad to Announce from
Baabda Exchange of Ambassadors-Naharnet
McCain for Undermining
'Hizbullah's Appeal'-Naharnet
Security Council Extends Hariri Murder
Probe Mandate-Naharnet
Terrorists Reportedly Readying Sabotage
Attacks in Lebanon, on UNIFIL-Naharnet
Remains of 5 Israeli Soldiers Released to
Families-Naharnet
UAE Wheat Aid to Syria-Naharnet
Aoun's "Ransom" to Free Constituencies-Naharnet
PLO official says foiled bomber was not from Ain
al-Hilweh-AFP
Suleiman to host Sarkozy for talks at Baabda
Palace-Daily Star
Saudi king, Mubarak discuss Lebanese issues-Daily
Star
South Korean peacekeepers to stay another year-Daily
Star
Ghanem paints unity cabinet as necessary evil-Daily
Star
Amal stresses need to shield reconciliation
process-Daily Star
Lebanese Shiites don't want Iranian-style regime -
Qabalan-Daily Star
Fatah al-Islam claims responsibility for weekend
blast near Nahr al-Bared-Daily Star
Hizbullah OKs prisoner swap plan - report-Daily
Star
GLC blasts decision to hike public transport rates-Daily
Star
Solidere shares rocket back to $35 after
profit-taking scramble-Daily Star
USAID backs NGO in Baalbek-Hermel-Daily
Star
Two in custody, third sought after Tripoli heist-Daily
Star
Workshop addresses child labor in Sidon-Daily
Star
AUB announces recipients of 2008 honorary
doctorates-Daily Star
Lebanese student, Palestinian journalist win press honors-Daily
Star
Global scourge clips wings of Lebanon's beekeepers-Daily
Star
Ramlet al-Baida ceremony launches 11th annual
coastal clean-up effort-Daily Star
Suspect Arrested at Beirut
Airport with Silencer-equipped Pistols
NaharnetA Lebanese army patrol arrested a man trying to
smuggle silencer-equipped pistols to Beirut airport and handed him over to
police for interrogation.
The suspect was identified as Mahmoud Abdul Hadi Qronfol, 41. Qronfol was
arrested at the army checkpoint near the Middle East Airlines headquarters. Upon
searching his car, soldiers found five pistols fitted with silencers and extra
ammunition clips.Soldiers also found in Qronfol's car Lebanese and foreign bank
notes, several outfits and a laptop computer. The suspect was handed over to the
police department's intelligence branch for interrogation. Qronfol has been
wanted since May 25 for the illegal possession of weapons. Beirut, 03 Jun 08,
17:51
Tissue from 5 Israeli Soldiers Identified
NaharnetThe Israeli military said Tuesday it has
identified the remains of five soldiers from body parts transferred from Lebanon
earlier this week.
In a statement, the military said the forensic examinations have been completed.
It said some parts that could not be identified would be buried.
The soldiers were killed during Israel's 2006 war against Hizbullah. Hizbullah
turned over the remains on Sunday after Israel freed a convicted Hizbullah spy.
Tuesday's military announcement was the first confirmation that the remains were
of Israeli soldiers. The spy's release and the remains handover have fueled
speculation that a prisoner swap is in the works. Israel is believed to be
holding seven Lebanese, while Hizbullah has two Israeli soldiers whose capture
sparked the war.(AP) Beirut, 03 Jun 08, 21:11
Saniora Faces Obstacles that Could Delay Cabinet Make-Up
Naharnet/Prime Minister Fouad Saniora has run into
obstacles on the formation of a new cabinet, raising the possibility of a delay
due to a dispute over the distribution of key portfolios. Press reports on
Tuesday said the major obstacle facing the government make-up was that the
various political groups were competing over cabinet seats. The daily An Nahar
said Saniora held closed-door meetings that began Monday afternoon and lasted
well into the night. It said Saniora refused to give any statements after the
meetings. Political sources said former President Amin Gemayel and Lebanese
Forces leader Samir Geagea were unlikely to participate in the new cabinet as
believed. They said an example of the dispute is that Free Patriotic Movement
leader Michel Aoun has demanded the ministries of finance, public works, health,
social affairs as well as the agriculture or industry.Beirut, 02 Jun 08, 20:58
Sayyed Ali Amin Rejects Faqih Rule and Demands
Investigation in Hizbullah Assault
By Dalia Nehme
Naharnet/Moderate Shiite cleric Sayyed Ali al-Amin said
the Shiites in Lebanon and the Arab world support their states and reject the
Iran-styled Faqih rule, and called for a judiciary investigation in assaults
carried out by Hizbullah against Beirut.
Amin, in an interview with Naharnet, said the "Shiite communities in Lebanon and
the Arab world believe in state rule and do not believe in the rule of the Faqih
in Iran."
"The Faqih rule in Iran has become a political regime. If I support any
(foreign) political regime this means that I would disagree with the political
regime that rules me. This is totally unacceptable," Amin said.
Amin, who was removed by the Hizbullah-influenced Higher Shiite Islamic Council
from his post of Mufti of Tyre and Mount Amel, criticized Hizbullah leader
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's recent speech as "non moderate."
"It was a strongly-worded speech not different from previous fiery speeches,"
Amin said of Nasrallah's address on the eighth anniversary of Liberation Day.
Amin praised President Michel Suleiman's oath address saying it was "moderate
and reflected the viewpoint of the Lebanese people."
Asked to comment on the Higher Shiite Islamic Council's decision that removed
him from the post of Mufti, Amin said: "We don't have militias to force the
council to withdraw its decision."
He was referring to Hizbullah's attack against West Beirut on May 8 that forced
Premier Fouad Saniora's former government to withdraw two decisions that
Hizbullah had opposed.
Amin said the "silent majority" of Shiites that he belongs to is mushrooming and
"in the forthcoming elections we would support whoever reflects its views" that
contradict Hizbullah and allied AMAL Movement, headed by Parliament Speaker
Nabih Berri.
Amin asked if the Hizbullah assault on Beirut was "launched upon a permission
from Iran … This would pose a major problem to Iran in the Arab and Muslim
worlds."
Amin called for the formation of "investigation committees" to look into what
has happened in Beirut.
"The Doha Accord should have included a clause on the investigation committee
because it would re-assure the population."
Amin also said Hizbullah "should apologize" for what it has done and the
government should pledge to refer what has happened to the judiciary.
An Nahar also reported conflicts within the opposition itself and the majority
itself over details of the new cabinet line-up.
The political sources did not rule out the likelihood of a delay in the cabinet
make-up until after the arrival of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Lebanon
on Saturday.
They said the interior ministry portfolio would not be given to an officer as
earlier thought. While caretaker defense minister Elias Murr was almost certain
to keep his post.
Sources had earlier said that retired Brig. Gen. Nabil al-Ghafri and former
military police chief, from the southern village of Alma al-Shaab, was nominated
for the interior ministry portfolio.
Meanwhile, the daily As Safir said that the finance ministry is likely to stay
with Jihad Azour.
As to the Shiite names, As Safir said the Shiite minister to be named by the
ruling majority was presumably MP Ghazi Youssef or Doreid Yaghi, deputy leader
of Walid Jumblat's Progressive Socialist Party.
The Sunni nominees, however, were almost certainly going to MP Samir Jisr in
addition to two Sunni candidates from Beirut and another two from Sidon (Saniora
and MP Bahia Hariri), As Safir said.
It said Druze candidates remain restricted to MP Wael Abu Faour and Sharif
Fayyad, while the opposition had reportedly not yet decided on the Druze name to
be filling one of its cabinet seats.
As Safir said some opposition leaders favored nominating former cabinet minister
Wiam Wahhab to the new government.
As to the Greek Orthodox names, the daily said the only nominees considered were
Elias Murr, Issam Abu Jamra, Tareq Mitri and another MP from the majority.
Meanwhile, the Armenian Tashnag party demanded that Alain Tabourian be given a
cabinet post or that the minister of state portfolio be the share of Hovig
Mekhtarian. Beirut, 03 Jun 08, 07:09
Geagea: Cedar Revolution Would be Reflected in New Cabinet
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir
Geagea said Tuesday the effect of the Cedar Revolution would become obvious in
the forthcoming cabinet for the first time since the move was launched three
years ago. Geagea, talking to reporters at his residence in Merab, said: "We
have a free Republican Palace and I hope that the forthcoming cabinet would
reflect the real balance" of powers in the nation. "Only the democratic practice
would regain rights of the Christians and all communities," Geagea stressed. The
Lebanese Forces would be represented in the government "in line with its real
popularity," he said. Geagea said his party is working for reforms to the
election law, mainly approving the right of Lebanese citizens overseas to take
part in the vote. Beirut, 03 Jun 08, 14:15
Assad to Announce from Baabda Exchange of Ambassadors
Naharnet/Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has reportedly
decided to postpone an official visit to Lebanon that was scheduled for mid-June
until the end of his Arab tour. The daily As Safir said Tuesday Assad's visit
will be a turning point in the history of Lebanese-Syrian relations where the
Syrian president is expected to announce from the Presidential Palace in Baabda
normalization of relations between the two neighboring countries, including the
exchange of ambassadors.
Citing well-informed Lebanese sources, the daily said Damascus, which had sent
an invitation to Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun to visit Syria, has
decided to convey similar invitations to a number of Lebanese leaders. The
sources said Aoun accepted the invitation and promised to visit Damascus once
Assad ends his Lebanon trip. Assad, who arrived in Abu Dhabi Sunday, is due to
visit Kuwait on Tuesday. He also visited Dubai, where he met with the emirate's
ruler Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum, who is also UAE vice president and
prime minister. The two leaders discussed "the peace process in the Middle East"
and the situation in the Arab world, WAM said. They hailed the recent Lebanese
reconciliation accord and the launch of a peace process in Lebanon.
Beirut, 03 Jun 08, 11:19
McCain for Undermining 'Hizbullah's Appeal'
Naharnet/Republican White House candidate
John McCain has said the international community should not "cede" Lebanon's
future to Damascus and Tehran, urging it to "undermine Hizbullah's appeal." "The
international community needs to more fully empower our allies in Lebanon – not
only with military aid but also with the resources to undermine Hizbullah's
appeal: better schools, hospitals, roads and power generation, and the like,"
McCain told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's Policy Conference (AIPAC)
in Washington Monday. "We simply cannot afford to cede Lebanon's future to Syria
and Iran," he stressed.
He said Hizbullah gunmen took up arms against the Lebanese last month, starting
the worst internal fighting since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war.
"In the process, they extracted an agreement for a new political arrangement in
which Hizbullah and its allies can veto any cabinet decision," McCain told the
powerful U.S.-Israel lobby. He also warned that a nuclear-armed Iran would
threaten Israel. "The threats to Israel's security are large and growing, and
America's commitment must grow as well," McCain said in his speech. "A sponsor
of both Hamas and Hizbullah, the leadership of Iran has repeatedly used violence
to undermine Israel and the Middle East peace process," he said. He said Tehran
"has trained, financed, and equipped extremists in Iraq who have killed American
soldiers fighting to bring freedom to that country. It remains the world's chief
sponsor of terrorism and threatens to destabilize the entire Middle East, from
Basra to Beirut."About Israeli soldiers held by Hamas and Hizbullah since summer
2006, McCain said: "These men are being unlawfully held, and they must be set
free and returned home to Israel." Beirut, 03 Jun 08, 06:08
Security Council Extends Hariri Murder Probe Mandate
Naharnet/The U.N. Security Council has
unanimously extended for another six months the mandate of the U.N. commission
investigating ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's Feb. 2005 assassination. Resolution
1815, drafted by France, renewed the mandate on Monday until December 31, 2008.
But the 15-member body also stated its readiness to terminate the mandate of the
International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC) headed by Daniel
Bellemare earlier "if the commission reports that it has completed the
implementation of its mandate." The resolution said it took note of a May letter
by Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Saniora urging the council to back Bellemare's
request for a six-month extension of the mandate which expires June 15, 2008.
After the adoption, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Zalmay Khalilzad, who chairs the
council this month, underscored the importance of concluding the investigation.
"The Commission has a clear mandate. It is moving forward, it certainly has the
support of the Security Council and our support, it's very important that there
is accountability for what happened in Lebanon," he told reporters.
He stressed that this was "not only important for the sake of Lebanon, but also
more broadly because political assassination is an instrument. It's a threat to
international peace and security." Last April, Bellemare cautioned against
expecting early indictments and urged the Security Council to give his team more
time to complete its work. In his first appearance before the council since he
took office last January, the Canadian former prosecutor then disclosed that
indictments in the case would not be filed immediately after the U.N.-backed
tribunal is established. He said the time gap ideally "should be as short as
possible" but he insisted that "the admissible evidence will have to be
carefully and objectively considered in light of the applicable prosecution
threshold." Bellemare succeeded Belgian Serge Brammertz at the head of the probe
to uncover who was behind the death of Hariri and 22 others in a massive
explosion on the Beirut seafront on February 14, 2005. Brammertz' German
predecessor Detlev Mehlis had implicated senior officials from Syria, which for
three decades was the power broker in Lebanon. But Damascus has strongly denied
any connection with Hariri's death. Bellemare is to become the special
tribunal's prosecutor once the U.N. probe of the Hariri and related cases is
completed.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 03 Jun 08, 04:59
Remains of 5 Israeli Soldiers Released to Families
Naharnet/The remains of five Israeli
soldiers handed over by Hizbullah as part of a prisoner swap have been released
to their families, the Israeli army has announced.Hizbullah handed over Sunday
to the International Committee of the Red Cross what it said were the remains of
Israeli soldiers killed in the summer 2006 war, but no details were released on
the number of bodies involved. "The remains have been given to the families of
the fallen soldiers from the summer 2006 war waged against Hizbullah and will be
buried," an army spokesman said Monday. The Israeli army on Sunday said the
remains would undergo forensic examination. The body parts were handed over to
Israel in exchange for the release of Lebanese-born Nessim Nisr, who had been
jailed on charges of spying for the Shiite group.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 03 Jun
08, 05:37
UAE Wheat Aid to Syria
Naharnet/The United Arab Emirates said on
Monday it would provide half a million tons of wheat to Syria to help it cope
with rising prices, as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visited the oil-rich
Gulf country. The aid was decided by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan
as a token of "solidarity" between the two countries, and the wheat will be
bought on the international market, the official WAM news agency said. Khalifa
had a made a similar gift to Yemen while giving Egypt one million tons of wheat.
Assad, who arrived in Abu Dhabi Sunday, had a second round of talks Monday with
the UAE president which focused on "joint Arab action" and bilateral
cooperation, according to WAM. He also visited Dubai, a booming UAE member,
where he met with the emirate's ruler Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum, who
is also UAE vice president and prime minister. The two leaders discussed "the
peace process in the Middle East" and the situation in the Arab world, WAM said.
They hailed the recent Lebanese reconciliation accord and the launch of a peace
process in Lebanon, it added.
Assad is due to visit Kuwait on Tuesday.(AFP) Beirut, 03 Jun 08, 06:06