LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
June 12/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5,13-16. You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports-Naharnet
Syria: Between the Brink of the Abyss and Constructive Ambiguity. By: Abdullah Iskandar 12/06/08
Lebanon's dream is short-lived-
By Sami Moubayed 11/06/08
Electricite du Liban generates more losses - and excuses - than power- The Daily Star 11/06/08
Hezbollah Attacks Lebanese Villagers.By W. Thomas Smith Jr. 11/06/08
Attack Iran? Experts Differ on If and When.By Josiah Ryan.CNSNews.com 11/06/08

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for June 11/08
Still No Cabinet for Lebanon-Naharnet
Lebanese Army to Use Force to Stop Violations-Naharnet
Hizbullah Awaits Response to Trading Ministers Offer-Naharnet
Gazoline Prices Continue to Soar, Exceed LL 1,600-Naharnet
Kouchner: Security Breaches Delay Cabinet Line-Up-Naharnet
EU, U.S. Urge Lebanon Government to Spread Control-Naharnet
Abul Aynein: Ain al-Hilweh Will Not be Another Nahr al-Bared-Naharnet
Moussa to Use Wedding of Berri's Daughter for Political Action-Naharnet
Kanaan: Largest Christian Bloc Entitled to Finance Ministry-Naharnet
UNRWA Pleads for Funds for Palestinian Refugees-Naharnet
Bekaa Mufti Criticizes Army Performance-Naharnet

Olmert signals readiness for talks with Lebanon-Daily Star
Continuing clashes defy efforts to restore stability-Daily Star
Program gives foreign students crash course on Lebanon-Daily Star
Lebanese cabinet tussle may come down to finance, foreign affairs-Daily Star
Syria's culture minister solidifies rapprochement with visit to France-Daily Star
Journalist faces charges of libel, slander against culture minister-Daily Star
Taking stock of Lebanon's good, bad and ugly-Daily Star
EU, US Urge Lebanon Government to Spread Control-Naharnet
ANALYSIS: Egyptian snub of Syria to dissolve as Damascus returns ...Ha'aretz
Geagea for State of Emergency in Troubled Regions-Naharnet
Suleiman for a Security Policy-Naharnet
Saniora Done with Distribution of Cabinet Posts, Awaits Response-Naharnet
France, Germany Positive About Lebanon's Future-Deutsche Welle
Olmert hopes for talks with Lebanon-Reuters
Lebanese minister says Doha deal in difficulties-Xinhua
Leaving Baghdad: The View From Syria-New York Times

HEZBOLLAH ATTACKS LEBANESE VILLAGERS
Posted by W. Thomas Smith Jr. on 10 June 2008 at 2:23 am UTC
Though receiving only sparse coverage in much of the Western media today, Hezbollah — Iran’s proxy Talibanesque army in Lebanon — launched a series of armed attacks against civilian villagers (including elderly people, women, and children) in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley last night and this morning.
Reports are sketchy as to what exactly spawned the latest attacks, though it doesn’t take much to kick-start Hezbollah’s gunmen. What is known is that Hezbollah (which, in defiance of UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701, justifies its existence and weaponry as “necessary” to resist foreign aggression) has increasingly turned its weapons on the Lebanese citizenry.
Last month’s attacks, which began May 7, were launched after the legitimate Lebanese government attempted to remove the Beirut airport security chief after it was discovered he was directly connected to “Hezbollah,” as well as the government’s discovery of an extensive Hezbollah telecommunications system which the government tried to shut down.
In the end — after Hezbollah’s week-long reign of terror against innocent civilians and pro-democracy supporters (who attempted a brave but somewhat futile defense of their homes and places of business) — the government caved. The army had barely fired a shot. The Hezbollah-connected airport security chief got to keep his job, and his terrorist overlords got to keep their vast telecom system. To pour salt in the proverbial wound, Hezbollah was granted veto power in all government decisions and additional cabinet seats.
Then on May 26, the day after pro-Syrian Gen. Michel Sleiman was sworn in as Lebanon’s president — a deal that was cut in the same regional crisis talks that awarded Hezbollah (and of course, Iran and Syria) its new veto powers — fighting again broke out.
Yes, it was a matter of Hezbollah “again” attacking members of the pro-democracy movement in that country. And, yes, the scope of that reporting was — as it has been today — negligible.
Now we come to last night: Hezbollah fighters “again” attacked villagers, and they did so with rocket-propelled grenades, mortars, and light and heavy machineguns.
Even worse — according to our sources – it took the Lebanese Army at least eight hours to respond. And when the Army did finally roll in, it did not confront Hezbollah directly (with “direct action”).
And don’t get me started on the useless, toothless UN force in Lebanon.
Where is the West in this?!
UPDATE: Just got off the phone with Tom Harb, secretary general of the World Council for the Cedars Revolution, who tells me:
“The general public and members of the pro-democracy majority in Lebanon are calling on the UN for immediate assistance. Additionally, Hezbollah has still not withdrawn from many of the areas of west Beirut they invaded last month.”
More to come.
— Visit W. Thomas Smith Jr. at uswriter.com.

Lebanon's dream is short-lived
By Sami Moubayed
DAMASCUS - The Western media virtually stopped covering events in Lebanon after Lebanese leaders signed the Doha agreement that led to the election of Michel Suleiman as president in May. It seemed like a fairytale come true, in which after years of war and blood everybody made up and lived happily ever after.
But that is not how things operate in the real world; certainly not in Lebanon.
At the Doha conference, it was decided that all parties would immediately elect army commander Suleiman. That has been done. It was decided that the sit-in staged by the Hezbollah-led
opposition in downtown Beirut for 18 months would come to an end. That also has happened.
All parties decided to refrain from using arms - under any circumstances - in Beirut. That has not happened and there have been almost daily reports on shootings, quarrels - and deaths - coming out of the Lebanese capital.
One of the most recent was a report of an attack on a partisan of the Future Movement of parliamentary majority leader Saad al-Hariri, in Bir Hasan, a neighborhood near the Kuwaiti Embassy in the capital. He was badly injured by armed men dressed in parliamentary police uniform, ostensibly loyal to parliament speaker and opposition leader Nabih Berri.
Then three people were wounded in a clash between pro-Hezbollah and pro-Hariri people in the Bekka Valley, close to the border with Syria. In addition to the sniping - and armed men roaming the streets at night, looking for trouble - several attacks have been recorded against the Lebanese army.
Shaker al-Abbsi, the mastermind who led the war against the army in May and June last year in the northern village of Naher al-Bared, issued a statement this week (similar to ones issued by Osama Bin Laden), accusing Sunni leaders of Lebanon (in reference to Hariri) of treason and of receiving funds from the US government. He then opened fire on Shi'ite Hezbollah, accusing it of terrorizing Sunni districts in Lebanon in the battle that erupted on May 7 this year.
He said, "The objective of Saad [Hariri], [Hezbollah leader Hasan] Nasrallah, and [Palestinian President Mahmud] Abbas is to humiliate the people. One is taking orders from [US President George W] Bush, and the other from the devil's verses in Teheran." He said the time was ripe for "vengeance" in Lebanon.
Additionally, the media war between opposing camps has not ended, with Hezbollah's al-Manar TV and Hariri's Future TV spreading nothing but venom against each other.
The only positive development - apart from the election of Suleiman - has been the June 7 visit by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Beirut. In addition to meeting his new Lebanese counterpart, Sarkozy met with over 80 politicians, including senior members of Hezbollah, to devise a Franco-Lebanese strategy for the country's future.
By meeting with Nasrallah's envoy over lunch, Sarkozy was making himself heard in Washington, effectively saying: "We will do what it takes to get Lebanon up and running. US concerns over the background and agenda of Hezbollah do not concern us. We will do what we believe is in France's best interests in the Middle East."
Earlier, Sarkozy had snubbed the Americans when he invited a delegation from Hezbollah to Paris for round-table talks held with Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. When hostilities broke out in Beirut in mid-May, Sarkozy issued a statement calling for dialogue, falling short of condemning either Hezbollah or Syria.
One Lebanese, admiring Sarkozy's persistence, commented, "When [former Palestinian leader] Yasser Arafat was doing the hajj [pilgrimage] to Mecca, he refused to strike at [the manifestation] of the devil [as done by Muslim pilgrims during a haj ritual]. Arafat argued, 'Why should I strike at the devil; I may need him one day, for Palestine'. And this is how pragmatically Sarkozy is dealing with the Lebanon file, refusing to strike at anybody - despite American pressure - because he needs all parties to bring peace to Lebanon."
In addition to cuddling up to Hezbollah, Sarkozy made several overtures towards Syria. The first was to invite President Bashar al-Assad to visit Paris to attend a Mediterranean conference on July 13. "The Syrian president, whom I contacted by telephone, expressed his desire to participate. I think that his presence is most likely," said the French leader from Paris at a press conference with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi before arriving in Beirut.
If it materializes, this would be Assad's first trip to Europe since relations soured, under pressure from the United States, in 2005. Then in an interview published in three Lebanese dailies on June 6, Sarkozy said his country would "resume contacts with Syria only when positive, concrete developments occurred in Lebanon, with a view to getting out of the crisis". He added, "One has to concede that the Doha accord, the election of President Suleiman and the return of Fouad Siniora as prime minister are such developments." He wrapped up by saying, "I have drawn the conclusions and I have called Assad to tell him of my desire to see the implementation of the accord continue."
Sources close to his office told reporters in Beirut that Sarkozy will send two envoys to Damascus, Jean-David Levitte, a presidential advisor, and Claude Gueant, the office's secretary general, to help turn a new page in Franco-Syrian relations. The source added, "Everything depends on how things develop, whether at the level of a Syrian embassy being opened in Beirut or respect for civil peace in Lebanon."
For their part, the Syrians (who refused to comment to these press leaks) have welcomed the messages coming from Paris. They have expressed, according to Suleiman, their readiness to exchange diplomatic relations with Lebanon for the first time since the two countries were separated by France in 1920. Syria has also stressed it will soon appoint an ambassador to Paris (through the pro-government daily al-Watan newspaper) a post that has been vacant since 2006, when relations soured under ex-president Jacques Chirac.
A Syrian source added, "It is also not unlikely that we resume [with the French] talks over the Syria-European Union partnership agreement, while France chairs the EU as of next month." That agreement was signed preliminary in 2004 and then ratified by the EU parliament, but it was then called off after the assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri in 2005, under pressure from Paris and the United States.
As part of the economic rapprochement between the two countries, a French firm has been granted a license to build two large cement factories in Syria, for US$1.2 billion. This could lead to the Syrians granting France the right to construct their metro system, a tender that had previously been earmarked for either Iran or India.
Meanwhile, the Americans frowned at the sweet talk being exchanged between Damascus and Paris, especially after three phone calls between Sarkozy and Syria's Assad. "France and the United States share the same wish for peace and stability in the region," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, noting, "Washington will ask Paris for clarification." He added, "At the same time, the United States has serious concerns over the Syrian government's behavior."
Making things worse is that the Lebanese have failed - nearly 20 days after Suleiman's election, on creating a new cabinet. Shortly after everybody returned from Doha, it was decided that Siniora, the March 14 party heavyweight, would be called in to form another cabinet. Bringing him down (and preventing him from creating another cabinet) was one of the pillars of the Hezbollah-led opposition's program.
They accused him of dividing Lebanon, showing favoritism towards pro-Hariri Sunnis, and of selling out to the Americans and the Saudis. Hezbollah had launched a loud war against him after the summer war of 2006, saying that he and his team had called on Israel, via the Americans, to prolong its war on Lebanon, hoping that this would crush Hezbollah. It was a sharp slap in the face for the opposition to see him being called in for another round at the premiership - but by commanding a parliamentary majority he had the constitutional right to do so, and in the spirit of the Doha agreement they let it pass.
The second stumbling bloc came with regard to the makeup of the Siniora cabinet. According to the Doha deal, the prime minister would preside over a 30-man cabinet. Sixteen of its seats would be held by the pro-Western majority, known as March 14. And 11 would be held by the Hezbollah-led opposition, giving it veto power within the cabinet to drown any legislation related to the inquiry into Hariri's death or regarding the arms of Hezbollah. The final three seats would be named by the president.
It has now been decided that the three seats will be Defense and Interior, to be filled by a Maronite and a Greek Orthodox, and the third seat will be for a Catholic as a minister of state with no portfolio.
The two Shi'ite parties, Amal and Hezbollah, will get five seats, including minister of foreign affairs, and they will be named by speaker Nabih Berri. The rest of the opposition's six portfolios would be divided between Sunni, Druze and Christian forces allied to Hezbollah and Amal.
The March 14 coalition gets the Ministry of Finance (traditionally held by Siniora) along with services-related cabinets, like Telecommunications. Opposition leader and presidential hopeful Michel Aoun - who was never too pleased with the Doha agreement because it denied him his last chance at becoming president - supposedly gets two of the five Maronite seats in the Siniora cabinet. He has his eyes set on everybody else's ration; that of the Shi'ites, Sunnis and fellow Christians. He is demanding the Ministry of Finance "to see why they [the Hariri team] have monopolized it for so long". He is also demanding the Ministry of Health, although it is earmarked for his ally Nabih Berri.
Whenever confronted by friends or allies, he tells the press, "They cannot form the cabinet without us [the Free Patriotic Movement] and if they want to try, let them." He always adds, "We are in a hurry, we want the cabinet formed. it can be formed in a week's time."
Another problem is confessional - rather than political - representation. One of the conditions of the Doha agreement is that no party walk out on the cabinet under any circumstances. In 2006, Amal and Hezbollah resigned from the Siniora cabinet, and immediately labeled it unconstitutional because it no longer included any Shi'ites. This time, the March 14 coalition gets to name a Shi'ite, so if Hezbollah walks away, there would still be Shi'ite representation. In return, Hezbollah gets to name a Sunni. March 14, to date, has been uneasy with Hezbollah naming Sunni ministers in the cabinet.
Suleiman, the new president, is upset that his era is off to a rough start, thanks to the bickering of politicians. So is the Maronite patriarch, Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir. This week, sources close to Siniora mapped out their own version of the cabinet - without naming ministers - and put forward a draft cabinet, which was immediately and flatly rejected by Hezbollah and Michel Aoun.
The euphoria following the Doha agreement is fast dissipating.
**Sami Moubayed is a Syrian political analyst.
**(Copyright 2008 Asia Times Online (Holdings) Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact us about sales, syndication and republishing.)

Still No Cabinet for Lebanon
Naharnet/Squabbling between the majority and the opposition over who should control the powerful defense and finance ministries is holding up formation of a new government in Lebanon.
Prime Minister-designate Fouad Saniora held a series of meetings on Tuesday with the various politicians again failing to reach a compromise on the defense and finance ministry portfolios. The daily An Nahar on Wednesday said that while the pro-government ruling majority insists that the defense and interior ministries stay with the President, Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun apparently wants the defense post on grounds that Saniora still clings to the finance portfolio.
It said this demand, however, was not only rejected by the majority, but by President Michel Suleiman himself "who does not believe in separating his security role" between the defense and the interior ministries. The opposition also insists on not giving up on the foreign ministry post.
But former President Amin Gemayel denied that Saniora was clinging to the finance ministry. News reports had quoted Saniora as saying that he would rather "go home" than relinquish a powerful post he held for several years under the late premier Rafik Hariri. Sources close to Nabih Berri said the speaker hailed Saniora for remarks in which he said that no one confession should monopolize any cabinet portfolio.
Press reports said Berri was likely to meet with Suleiman on Wednesday. The pro-opposition newspaper Ad Diyar, meanwhile, said the latest cabinet make-up provided the following breakdown of the key posts:
- Berri's AMAL Movement to take the foreign ministry
- MP Saad Hariri's al-Mustaqbal Movement to take the finance ministry
- Suleiman to take the defense ministry
- Aoun's FPM to take the interior ministry
Ad Diyar said the interior ministry portfolio remains the "major obstacle."
It said Hariri has yet to agree with giving the interior ministry to Aoun's bloc.
MP Wael Abu Faour of Druze leader Walid Jumblat's Progressive Socialist Party has suggested that Aoun chooses one of two portfolios – finance or foreign.
In the last cabinet, the foreign ministry was the only one held by the opposition. It was held by Fawzi Salloukh of the AMAL movement.
"We agreed in Doha that the sovereign (cabinet) posts should be equally divided between the opposition and the parliamentary majority," Abu Faour said.
"Given that the interior and defense portfolios would go to the President, I suggest that Aoun declares which of the finance and foreign portfolios he wants," Abu Faour added, insisting that the opposition cannot "get both ministries."Aoun is adamant he wants the finance ministry, a stand rejected by Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea and other pro-government leaders. Beirut, 11 Jun 08, 07:05

Lebanese Army to Use Force to Stop Violations

Naharnet/The Lebanese army on Wednesday said it will use force to stop violations in Beirut.
A communiqué issued by the army command said "some youths seek to gather and carry out provocative, irresponsible acts in various areas of the capital."
The statement called on "everybody" to refrain from such acts "in an effort to reduce tension and spread peace and stability."
The army warned violators that it would "deter them by force" if needed. Beirut, 11 Jun 08, 13:35

Gazoline Prices Continue to Soar, Exceed LL 1,600

Naharnet/Gazoline prices continued to soar upward Wednesday. The price of 20 liters of 98 and 95 octane gasoline rose LL 1,600 while the price of 20 liters of kerosene rose LL 1,400 and diesel by LL 1,700. Beirut, 11 Jun 08, 14:12

Kouchner: Security Breaches Delay Cabinet Line-Up
Naharnet/French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has said hazards still exist in the formation of a new Lebanese government.
"Frequent security breaches, in most cases serious, delay the formation of the government," Kouchner was quoted as telling the French parliament. Beirut, 11 Jun 08, 10:49

EU, U.S. Urge Lebanon Government to Spread Control

Naharnet/The European Union and the United States have called on the Beirut government to spread control over all Lebanese territories. The call came at a summit between U.S. President George Bush and EU leaders in Slovenia. A statement issued Tuesday at the end of the summit expressed hope that the Doha agreement would be implemented. The leaders renewed their "commitment to the principles of sovereignty and independence of Lebanon." They also pledged support to the Lebanese government. They called on all political parties, including Syria, to commit to U.N. Security Council resolutions 1559, 1701 and 1757.They also requested "full cooperation" with the international tribunal to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri. Beirut, 11 Jun 08, 10:47

Hizbullah Awaits Response to Trading Ministers Offer

Naharnet/Hizbullah said Tuesday it has not received a response to its offer to trade two Shiite ministers for a Sunni and a Druze. The stand was outlined by head of Hizbullah's parliamentary bloc Mohammed Raad. Raad, talking to Hizbullah's al-Manar television, said "some logic is needed to overcome obstacles facing the government line-up. The mission could be accomplished in a week time."He said putting the Israeli-occupied Shebaa farms under the guardianship of the United Nations "wouldn't regain the territory to Lebanese sovereignty." Beirut, 10 Jun 08, 21:35

Moussa to Use Wedding of Berri's Daughter for Political Action
Naharnet/Arab League chief Amr Moussa will travel to Beirut on Friday to attend the wedding of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's daughter.
The pan-Arab daily al-Hayat said Moussa is likely to use the wedding, which is due on Saturday, to hold contacts with the various political parties to inquire about the "obstacles" facing formation of the new government. Beirut, 11 Jun 08, 09:25

Kanaan: Largest Christian Bloc Entitled to Finance Ministry
Naharnet/MP Ibrahim Kanaan believed that Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc is entitled to the finance ministry portfolio in the new cabinet.
"Why is the largest Christian parliamentary bloc not entitled to the ministry of finance after it was taken over by one political group in 1990?" Kanaan questioned.
Kanaan denied in a television interview that delay in announcing the cabinet line-up was related to Aoun's request for the finance ministry post, but rather the ruling majority's "desire to monopolize power." He believed that the slow formation of the new government was a means to kill time until the 2009 parliamentary elections.
"But this will not take place," he stressed. Beirut, 11 Jun 08, 08:28

Bekaa Mufti Criticizes Army Performance
Naharnet/Bekaa Mufti Sheikh Khalil al-Meis on Tuesday criticized the Lebanese Army performance in regions contested by Hizbullah and Mustaqbal Movement partisans. Meis, addressing a press conference, said the army was launching arrests in Saadnayel-Taalabaya region "targeting victims more than criminals."
He urged a halt to the wave of arrests at present so that it would not provoke a confrontation with the army. Mufti Meis made the remarks after a meeting he sponsored at the Bekaa Azhar complex grouping leaders of the Sunni community in the central and western Bekaa sectors. The meeting was also attended by Christian personalities and heads of municipal councils in the Bekaa. Meis expressed hope that clashes would not be renewed and declared commitment to peaceful coexistence among the various communities. Beirut, 10 Jun 08, 20:33

Suleiman for a Security Policy
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman called for adopting a security policy, saying only politics can safeguard civic order. Politics, according to the president, also sponsors security and security leads to prosperous economy. Suleiman made the remarks to a delegation representing Lebanon's economic authorities headed by ex-minister Adnan Kassar. The president spoke of the ordeal that the Lebanese people are going through due to the ongoing economic hardships. "Lots of proposals and good ideas (in this regard) should be considered. However, the priority is to safeguard Lebanon," Suleiman said. Beirut, 10 Jun 08, 18:08

Geagea for State of Emergency in Troubled Regions

Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has called for declaring a state of emergency in areas contested by Hizbullah and majority partisans.
Geagea, in an interview with al-Markaziya newsletter, said those involved in acts of violence should be apprehended and referred to the military tribunal and held accountable for what they have done. He said naional dialogue should be launched at the Republican Palace under the auspices of President Michel Suleiman immediately after formation of the new cabinet. The nation's priorities, according to Geagea, are "security, security and security." Beirut, 10 Jun 08, 17:43

Attack Iran? Experts Differ on If and When
By Josiah Ryan
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
June 10, 2008
(CNSNews.com) - Iran's support of Iraqi insurgents and the nuclear threat Iran poses to Israel warrants a U.S. military strike, argued former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton and Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.).
But experts from the libertarian Cato Institute and the conservative Heritage Foundation urged a go-slow approach.
"Attacking Iran at this stage would be horribly premature, both in terms of the state of their nuclear program and in terms of their activities in Iraq," saidChristopher Preble, director of foreign policy Studies at the Cato Institute.
"As with any country, if I were to advocate attack, I would have to be convinced that the threat that they pose to us was sufficient and that there were no other means available and that action was likely to put us in a more secure position," he said.
"I think we've got to be prepared to take aggressive military action against the Iranians to stop them from killing Americans in Iraq," Lieberman said on CBS's Face the Nation on June 10, 2007. "To me, that would include a strike over the border into Iran, where we have good evidence that they have a base at which they are training these people coming back into Iraq to kill our soldiers."
John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told The Telegraph on May 6, that he favors a strike on facilities where Iran is believed to be training Iraqi insurgents.
"This is a case where the use of military force against a training camp to show the Iranians we're not going to tolerate this is really the most prudent thing to do," Bolton said. "Then the ball would be in Iran's court to draw the appropriate lesson to stop harming our troops."
But Jim Phillips, a senior analyst at The Heritage Foundation, told Cybercast News Service Friday that until Iran is involved in a terrorist attack against an American target somewhere other then Iraq, he would not advocate a U.S. military strike.
"I think it [attacking Iran] should remain an option, but it should only be considered once all other possibly are exhausted. It should be a last resort," Phillips said. "It's certainly not something I would push to do right away unless there is some kind of intelligence report I am unaware of."
Press reports on Friday quoted Israel's deputy prime minister as saying that Israel would attack Iran if it continues to pursue its nuclear weapons program. "Other options are disappearing," Shaul Mofaz was quoted as saying. "The sanctions are not effective. There will be no alternative but to attack Iran in order to stop the Iranian nuclear program."
But Preble and Phillips said the U.S. should try to deter Iran from its nuclear program and from its involvement in Iraq by exploring other options.
"A lot of other countries have chosen not to develop nuclear weapons even though they have the technical ability to do so. The crucial question is, why have they chosen not to do so?" said Preble.
"The U.S. has put as many economic sanctions as it can on Iran but it needs to pressure its friends and allies to follow suit. It should also be supporting separatist groups around the periphery of Iran in retaliation for Iran's support of Iraqi insurgents," said Phillips.
But Lieberman said that if the U.S. does not act against Iran, "they'll take that as a sign of weakness on our part and we will pay for it in Iraq and throughout the region and ultimately right here at home."
"We can tell them we want them to stop that, but if there's any hope of the Iranians living according to the international rule of law and stopping, for instance, their nuclear weapons development, we can't just talk to them," Lieberman said.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates told a press conference on Apr. 23 that Iranian involvement in the Iraq war has been responsible for up to 200 American deaths in Iraq. "What the Iranians are doing is killing American servicemen and women inside Iraq," he said.

A true example about Hezbollah way of governing
10, 2008 4:17:22 PM
1- This is what Hezbollah believe in and take order from
2- This is what considered the best governing system (Wileyat el Faqih) by Hezbollah
3- This is what Hassan Nossralla is proud of
UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF ASKS IRAN TO STAY EXECUTION OF FOUR JUVENILE OFFENDERS
The top United Nations human rights official has asked Iran not to execute four people sentenced to death for crimes they committed when they were under the age of 18, reminding the country of its obligations under international law.
High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour expressed her concern today over reports that the four men – Behnoud Shojaaee, Mohammad Fadaaee, Saeed Jazee and Behnam Zaare – are at imminent risk of execution.
Ms. Arbour “acknowledged the steps taken by the Iranian authorities to subject these cases to closer judicial scrutiny, and to encourage settlements between perpetrators and victims’ families,” according to a news release issued by her office.
“But she reminded the Iranian authorities of the absolute prohibition on the application of the death penalty for juvenile offenders under international law,” it added.
New York, Jun 10 2008 9:00AM

Lebanese cabinet tussle may come down to finance, foreign affairs
Rival parties lay competing claims to last remaining sovereign portfolios

Compiled by Daily Star staff
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
BEIRUT: Lebanon spent another day waiting for the formation of a new unity cabinet on Tuesday, but senior figures from both the ruling March 14 camp and the March 8 opposition alliance expressed confidence that the difficulties would be ironed out. Former President Amin Gemayel met Prime Minister-designate Fouad Siniora, telling reporters afterward that the latter had forwarded two different formulas to the rival parties and was awaiting their responses.
Gemayel denied that Siniora was insisting on keeping the Finance Ministry in the hands of one of his confidantes, contradicting news reports quoting the premier as stating that he would rather "go home" than relinquish control of a portfolio he held for several years under the late Rafik Hariri.
Gemayel also defended the principle of empowering recently elected President Michel Sleiman by giving him major ministries in the new cabinet.
Political sources said Tuesday said that both of Siniora's formulas have given the president two out of the four sovereign - defense, finance, foreign affairs and interior - portfolios, leaving one each for March 8 and March 14. It has been widely reported that Sleiman is keen on the security-related interior and defense ministries.MP Ibrahim Kanaan of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) told The Daily Star on Tuesday that the opposition had no fears about the implementation of the Doha agreement despite the delay in the formation of the new cabinet.
Kanaan added that Siniora has not yet presented a "complete" proposal on how the next cabinet would look.
"None of the proposals that reached us were complete ones," Kanaan said.
He also reiterated FPM leader MP Michel Aoun's demand that the finance portfolio, currently held by March 14 loyalist Jihad Azour, change hands.
"We are trying to say that true democracy requires the rotation of power ... Some parties are acting as if they own some ministries," he said, referring to Siniora's alleged insistence on retaining the Finance Ministry.
However, a source close to Siniora told The Daily Star on Tuesday that the incumbent prime minister believes that no party has the right to monopolize any portfolio.
"Siniora is not against Aoun's position when it comes to power rotation," the source said. "On the contrary, the prime minister believes that adopting such a principle contributes to reform in state institutions."
Progressive Socialist Party MP Wael Abu Faour suggested that Aoun get the opposition's sovereign portfolio. The Foreign Ministry was the only one held by the opposition in the last cabinet, and it went to Fawzi Salloukh of Speaker Nabi Berri's Amal party.
"We agreed in Doha that the sovereign portfolios should be equally divided between the opposition and the parliamentary majority ... Given that the interior and defense portfolios would go to the president, I suggest that Aoun says which of the portfolios of finance and foreign he wants ... The opposition cannot get both ministries," Abu Faour said.
Aoun has made it clear that he wants finance, a stand rejected by Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea .
"Aoun is saying that no party should monopolize any cabinet portfolio," he said. "If this is his position, why doesn't he take the Foreign Ministry from his allies in Amal? ... The Foreign Ministry has been in the hands of Amal for the past 18 years."
In a separate development on Tuesday, Sleiman received Russ-ian Ambassador Sergey Bukin at the Presidential Palace in Baabda. Bukin told Sleiman that Russia was looking forward to enhanced economic and military cooperation with Lebanon.
Sleiman stressed the need to develop bilateral relations and expressed gratitude for Russia's support of Lebanon in both regional and international forums.
Sleiman also received a delegation headed by the head of the Palestinian diplomatic mission in Lebanon, Abbas Zaki.
"I am glad to see the different Palestinian factions united in one delegation ... Palestinian unity is essential in order to avert Israel's plans to divide the Palestinian people," the president was quoted as saying, referring to the feud between Hamas and Fatah.
Zaki congratulated Sleiman on his election as president and said that the Palestinians were looking forward to open a new page of relations with Lebanon.
Sleiman said unpleasant past experiences in Lebanese-Palestinian relations should be set aside and voiced support for the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes. Sleiman also said he backed efforts aimed at reconstructing the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared near Tripoli, which was destroyed during last year's battles between the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Fatah al-Islam militant group

Syria: Between the Brink of the Abyss and "Constructive" Ambiguity
Abdullah Iskandar
Al-Hayat - 11/06/08//
It seems, perhaps for the first time since the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in February 2005, that Syria has moved away from the "brink of the abyss" policy that it has adopted as part of its defiance strategy, whether in Iraq or in Lebanon, in inter-Arab relations, or in its focus on the special strategic ties with Iran. During this period, Syria was openly and practically determined to engage in wide scale confrontation through domestic tools in Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories. It was also involved in verbal war with the international community, especially with the tight American-French alliance and with the majority of Arab countries, hence the low level Arab representation at the Damascus Summit last March. For a while, Syria appeared alone in its commitment to a form of escalation that almost brought down all the fundamentals of joint Arab policy and evolved into a regional military confrontation.
Since the Annapolis Conference for peace in the Middle East last November, and more specifically since the election of General Michel Suleiman as president on 25 May, Damascus has ambiguously and vaguely transformed its management of the inflammable regional issues. To retrieve unprecedented diplomatic activity in Arab and international directions, and since Annapolis, Syria has suggested that it is pursuing the mainstream peaceful path as expressed in the Arab peace initiative. With its mere attendance at the conference, it signaled that it did not object to pushing the Palestinian-Israeli track forward with American sponsorship. Then came the revelation of the indirect Syrian-Israeli negotiations with Turkish mediation to show that Damascus was not maneuvering over its peace choice with Israel. With the election of a president in Lebanon, Syria was showing responsiveness to the general Lebanese, Arab and international calls to end political void in the land of cedars and to allow institutions to play their role in resolving domestic conflicts.
While no one will risk offering a decisive interpretation of Syria relinquishing the brink-of-abyss policy, it is still difficult to predict how far the new Syrian approach will go, especially that Damascus has yet to offer a new reading of this approach while it confirms the continuity of its policy and indicates that change - in case there was any - was the result of a change in behavior on the other side. This ambiguity in the "new" Syrian positions is most likely intended to preserve the mobility and flexibility required in the coming period. Similarly, ambiguity is maintained with respect to changes in decision-making positions in Damascus in concurrence with the Syrian diplomatic offensive.
In this context, it is significant, at least for Syria, that President Bashar Assad is a guest in several Arab capitals, if only in his capacity as the head of the Arab summit which demands action to handle general Arab issues. All this precedes a foreign tour for President Assad, a tour for which the Syrian diplomacy is mobilizing all efforts in an attempt to highlight its significance.
At the time when Washington still attempts to keep Syria under siege, calm preparations are underway for a French-Syrian summit in Paris, even if it only came on the sidelines of the Mediterranean Union Summit next month. France, which had until recently severed any contacts with Syria, is interested in returning to normal relations with Damascus on the eve of assuming presidency of the European Union. This move has upset Washington which has announced that it will seek an explanation from Paris over this change in position.
The diplomatic siege surrounding Syria has been broken. Yet, basic questions have yet to find convincing answers. How far will the talks with Israel go given the expiring presidential term in the US and the political instability of Ehud Olmert's government? How far will Damascus go in encouraging the internal Palestinian dialogue? Will it pressure its Palestinian allies to offer the necessary concessions to ensure the success of this dialogue? How far will Damascus go in translating into actions its declared concern over domestic peace in Lebanon and interest in normalizing relations there? Will it utilize its relations with its Lebanese allies for this purpose? Most probably, the ambiguity in responding to all these questions is more a part of the new approach rather than a change in the positions over these issues. Ambiguity is a necessity for the policy of keeping the door ajar, which has allowed Syria to partly break the imposed siege