LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
June 24/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 7,1-5. Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,' while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye.

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
MP, Houry: Hizbullah Resisting Lebanon's Stability 24/06/08
Whose Interest Does Michel Aoun's Obstruction Serve?Elias Harfoush 24/06/08
It took a nun to put Lebanon's high and mighty in their place- The Daily Star

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for June 23/08
Guns Fall Silent in Tripoli after Killing 10, Wounding 55 People
Opposition Pressures Majority … Electoral Law before Cabinet-Naharnet
Saniora Condemns Tripoli Clashes-Naharnet
Nahr al-Bared Reconstruction Fund Launched-Naharnet
Jumblat for Discussing Hizbullah Weapons in Light of Armistice Accord with Israel-Naharnet
Aoun Preaches Trouble in Bekaa, Hammers Saniora-Naharnet
Hariri: It is Time for Security Forces to Enforce Law and Order
Fighting rages in north Lebanon for second day-Reuters
Death toll in north Lebanon clashes rises to 6-Xinhua
6 Killed, 40 Wounded as Efforts Fail to End Tripoli Clashes-Naharnet
Hizbullah Trades its Way Out of Cabinet Crisis: Deputy PM, Telecommunications Posts for Aoun-Naharnet
Saniora in Vienna for Nahr al-Bared Donors Conference-Naharnet
Hizbullah Vows to Expand Defense Capabilities, Warns against Conspiracy-Naharnet
Aoun: Battle is with Saniora, Not Suleiman-Naharnet
Report: Hizbullah Demand Delays Prisoner Swap Deal-Naharnet
Official Exams Postponed in Tabbaneh, Qobbeh-Naharnet
Larijani: Iran Supports Unity for a Stable Lebanon-Naharnet
Top Member of Jund al-Sham Wounded in Blast near Ain el-Helweh-Naharnet
Soeid Accuses Aoun, Hizbullah of Seeking to Pressure the President-Naharnet
Vatican delegation beatifies Lebanese priest-Daily Star
Father Jacob Haddad Kabouchi venerated-Ya Libnan
Sarkozy pledges allegiance to Israel at start of three-day visit-AFP
Four killed as supporters of rival camps clash in Tripoli-AFP
Sectarian Clashes Kill 3, Wound 30 in Northern Lebanon-Voice of America
More sniping in Lebanon over formation of new cabinet-Daily Star
Siniora speaks out ahead of Nahr al-Bared summit-Daily Star
Speculators bet on formation of new cabinet, drive prices higher on Beirut Stock Exchange rise
EIU predicts increase in Lebanon's economic growth

6 Killed, 40 Wounded as Efforts Fail to End Tripoli Clashes
Naharnet/Heavy armed clashes between pro- and anti-government supporters raged in the northern city of Tripoli Monday despite stepped up efforts to end the fighting which killed six people and wounded 40 others. News reports said a mortar shell fell in the heart of Tripoli, hitting the Grand Mansouri Mosque.
Intensified meetings that lasted well into Sunday night at the residence of Tripoli's Sunni Mufti Sheikh Malek al-Shaar failed to put an end to the fighting which broke out earlier in the day. Shaar called on the security forces to deploy in the embattled districts in force and respond firmly to any security violation.
Fighting erupted around 6 am Sunday two hours after unidentified assailants in Baal Mohsen, a predominantly Alawite district loyal to the Hizbullah-led opposition, hurled hand grenades at Bab al-Tabbaneh, a mainly Sunni Muslim area that backs MP Saad Hariri's Mustaqbal Movement.
Families representing Bab al-Tabbaneh reportedly did not attend the meetings at Shaar's residence, arguing that their rivals possess unmatched arms power.

Whose Interest Does Michel Aoun's Obstruction Serve?
Elias Harfoush
Al-Hayat - 23/06/08//
As much as the opposition in Lebanon, represented by Hezbollah, escalates against the appointed Prime Minister and his political team, it becomes clear how pale and insignificant the role was of deputy Michel Aoun, the leader of the Change and Reform Bloc in his sectarian campaign against the Sunni community and the powers of the prime minister, in his personal campaign against President Michel Suleiman, and in his targeting the ministerial posts whose candidates the president believed it was his prerogative to nominate. Aoun has proved that he is a glass front for the real positions dictated by the real driving force of the opposition, namely Hezbollah.
For a short while, Aoun's supporters among the Christians believed that his moves were triggered by "patriotic" motivations tied to retrieving the status of the Christians in the political system and fending the ghost of sectarianism off the internal strife through his famous "understanding" with Hezbollah, an understanding which Aoun considered a form of preserving national unity.
However, the recent campaign by Hezbollah's officials against the state and its institutions and their warnings over the appointments in security positions which they believe should be stamped with their seal of approval revealed the real role of General Aoun as a façade to serve several purposes; to allow Hezbollah to penetrate the first tier Christian leaderships; to place Maronite impediments in the face of Michel Suleiman's era; to use Aoun as part of the campaign against the PM powers enshrined in the Taef Accord, against the Future Movement, and against the conciliatory Saudi role in the Lebanese conflict, a role which Hezbollah had avoided targeting directly before the new escalatory phase it has recently entered.
All this makes Aoun's obstruction of the formation of the first cabinet in the new era understandable. This obstruction targets three primary powers, though it serves no direct interest of Aoun's or of the Christian side that he claims representing. This only proves the theory that Aoun represents a glass façade.
The first power targeted by Aoun's campaign is the president himself. It is no secret that the obstruction of the government is primarily a blow to the era of President Michel Suleiman who came to power supported by distinguished regional and international momentum although he still lacks significant domestic support which he can use to expand the locus of his rule. Aoun is still far from getting over his "complex" triggered by the rise of another Maronite to the Baabda Palace, and hence his explicit demand for expanding his share in the cabinet to "compensate for his sacrifice" of the presidency. Such targeting does not only weaken the presidency, a Christian position that the leaders of the majority had worked diligently to reactivate after a long phase of paralysis, but it also weakens the state itself since the presidency is associated with a significant symbolic weight that represents the unity of the state and the strength of its institutions.
The second targeted power is Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and the status of the Sunni community in Lebanon. As usual, Aoun launched a campaign by proxy, one that does not serve any of his presumed interests but rather the interests of the Hezbollah-led camp which did not hide its annoyance with the reappointment of Siniora to lead the new cabinet. Aoun's short-sighted campaign has pushed the Sunni leaders, including those who were in the opposition where Aoun sees himself as a lead figure, to adopt a united stance in defense of the premiership.
The third targeted party by Aoun's campaign is the Taef Accord and everything it represents on the regional level as well as its role in rebuilding the domestic political balances. Regardless of the remarks that any side may have regarding this accord, including Aoun himself, it is worth recalling that it was those wars which Aoun waged by proxy in 1989 and 1990 that imposed the Taef Accord balances that Aoun opposed and continues to oppose in what became Lebanon's new constitution. Yet, the new campaign against the Taef Accord conceals a much bigger demand that has nothing to do with Aoun and his interest, mostly the demand to redistribute power in the state among three partners, namely the Shiites, Sunnis and Christians on the basis of the demographic and political power that Hezbollah believes its popular base enjoys today and which was not noted in the Taef Accord seventeen years earlier.

Guns Fall Silent in Tripoli after Killing 10, Wounding 55 People
Naharnet/Guns fell silent in the northern town of Tripoli Monday evening as troops moved into the contested neighborhoods of Tabbaneh and Baal Mohsen after clashes claimed 10 lives and wounded 55 people in 36 hours. The deployment followed one hour of heavy exchanges with Mortars, Rocket-Propelled Grenade launchers, machine guns and automatic rifles. Helmeted troops manning armored personnel carriers moved into the contested districts following contacts by mediators with leaders of the feuding groups in predominantly Sunni Muslim Tabbaneh and the predominantly Alawite Baal Mohsen district that is backed by the Hizbullah-led opposition. Scared residents followed army vehicles across deserted streets of Tabbaneh, covered by a blanket of debris and glass shrapnel that testifies to ferocity of shelling that had targeted the district. Tongues of blaze short up from several apartments and smoke billowed from bullet-scarred vehicles deserted in the streets. The Army Command, in a communiqué, said security forces are moving in following mediation efforts carried out by spiritual and political leaders.  It warned against the deployment of gunmen in the streets, vowing to use force against them to enforce law and order.
The deployment coincided with a statement by Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri to Tripoli citizens urging them to cooperate with the security forces, practice self-restraint and avoid attempts to lure them into factional conflicts designed by foreign powers. Beirut, 23 Jun 08, 16:41

Houry: Hizbullah Resisting Lebanon's Stability
By Dalia Nehme-Naharnet/
MP Ammar Houry accused Hizbullah of sponsoring a conspiracy of scattered violence to "resist efforts aimed at achieving Lebanon's stability."
Houry, in an interview with Naharnet, said "weapons that were said to be used in resisting Israel surfaced in many Lebanese areas to resist, not Israel, but efforts aimed at achieving Lebanon's stability." Houry refused to comment on a proposal by Hizbullah to nominate Free Patriotic Movement official Issam Abu Jamra deputy Premier."The person in charge of receiving such proposals is Prime Minister-designate Fouad Saniora. Making such proposals through the media sends them to the wrong address," Said Houry, a member of the Mustaqbal Parliamentary Bloc.
The proposal was made by Hizbullah MP Hassan Fadlallah in a television interview. "Saniora sources say no such proposal has been received. There is no point in commenting on something that hasn't happened," Houry noted. Houry said the constitution does not set a time limit for forming cabinets and the majority is the only side that has the right to ask Saniora to abort his mission "and the majority hast done that."He welcomed any effort by Qatar to facilitate efforts aimed at forming a new cabinet. However, Houry said, "a political-security problem remains pending. It is related to the opposition. Hizbullah has assigned (FPM leader) Michel Aoun to carry out the political assignment aimed at blocking the cabinet formation""Hizbullah handles the security chapter of this issue through sparking tension in Beirut, the Bekaa, the north and other areas also to block the cabinet formation pending regional developments," Houry added. Beirut, 23 Jun 08, 16:03

Saniora Condemns Tripoli Clashes
Naharnet/Prime Minister-designate Fouad Saniora condemned fierce battles that raged in the northern town of Tripoli. "We really condemn every use of weapons against these civilians and the use of weapons inside the country," Saniora told journalists in the Austrian capital, where he was attending a donors conference to collect funds to rebuild a destroyed Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon. "These are really acts that will undermine the stability of the country," he added. "We are making every effort to put an end to these conflicts because this is neither helping Lebanon nor the stability of the country."(AFP-Naharnet)
Beirut, 23 Jun 08, 18:35

Report: Hizbullah Demand Delays Prisoner Swap Deal
Naharnet/A prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hizbullah is not expected to take place soon, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported Monday, citing a demand by the Shiite group for the release of Palestinian prisoners as a major stumbling block. The newspaper said that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert held several meetings with senior defense officials Sunday during which a number of issues were raised that appear to have delayed Israel's response to German mediator Gerhard Konrad.
Haaretz quoted sources from Olmert's office as saying Hizbullah demanded to include the release of Palestinian prisoners in the exchange deal under which Hizbullah would hand over to Israel two soldiers captured in July 2006 in return for Samir Qantar who is serving multiple life sentences for killing four Israelis in a 1979 attack.
The daily said Olmert insisted two months ago that the deal wouldn't include Palestinians, saying Israel's "final" offer was the release of Qantar, four Hizbullah fighters captured during the July-August 2006 war as well as remains of "some" militants killed during the conflict.
"However, contrary to what had been previously reported, it appears that Hizbullah has once more revived its demand for the release of Palestinian prisoners as part of the deal," Haaretz said. A gentleman's agreement arrived at the Tripoli meetings failed to halt the violence and forced postponement of official exams in the embattled areas. The daily Al Hayat on Monday said Bab al-Tabbaneh families, who accused Syria of being behind the bloody fighting, demanded a halt to hostilities against their town. Meanwhile, the pro-government ruling majority accused Hizbullah of seeking to take revenge against Tripoli.
"Hizbullah is seeking to shift its battle -- after invading Beirut -- to the Bekaa, and now Tripoli's turn has come," MP Mohammed Kabbara said.
The violence also came amid stalled efforts by Prime Minister-designate Fouad Saniora to form a new government following an agreement in Doha last month that ended an 18-month political crisis which nearly brought the country to civil war. Fears have mounted in recent days that the security situation could deteriorate with clashes erupting in various parts of the country between supporters of the ruling majority and the opposition, which is backed by Syria and Iran.
Beirut, 23 Jun 08, 08:35

Hizbullah Trades its Way Out of Cabinet Crisis: Deputy PM, Telecommunications Posts for Aoun
Naharnet/Hizbullah has offered a new way out of the ongoing cabinet crisis.
The offer, made by Hizbullah MP Hassan Fadlallah, suggested that Prime Minister-designated Fouad Saniora give Free Patriotic Movement official Issam Abou Jamra the position of deputy prime minister, while the telecommunications seat goes to one of FPM leader Michel Aoun's parliamentary bloc members.
The daily As Safir on Monday said officials from both MP Saad Hariri's Mustaqbal Movement and Aoun's Reform and Change bloc refused to comment on Hizbullah's offer. It quoted sources close to Aoun as saying that the FPM leader, however, continued to cling to a demand for a sovereign ministry.
A senior opposition official also told As Safir that the anti-government camp is likely to ask Qatar to intervene again "for the sake of salvaging the Doha deal."
The official said that the opposition was not willing to tolerate any further delay over the formation of the new government, particularly since Saniora never let go of his first offer – which gives the opposition 10 portfolio ministers, including one top post, an offer rejected by the Hizbullah-led anti-government March 8 coalition.
Hizbullah international relations officer Nawwaf Mousawi, meanwhile, accused the pro-government camp of "conspiring" against Hizbullah.
Mustaqbal MP Azzam Dandashi hit back, saying: "Such stances are indication that schemes are being prepared to launch new attacks and raids against unarmed civilians in a bid to hamper the birth of the new cabinet and to achieve political gains." Saniora had earlier attacked Aoun, accusing him of challenging President Michel Suleiman's quota in the new cabinet in an effort to "compensate for losing the presidency." While ongoing consultations continued between Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and MP Saad Hariri, Aoun-Saniora talks halted. Berri, in remarks published by As Safir Monday, expressed disappointment over failure to form the new cabinet. "The cabinet should have been formed during the first week" of tasking Saniora with the mission, Berri said. "Unfortunately, it was not."
Beirut, 23 Jun 08, 10:32

Saniora in Vienna for Nahr al-Bared Donors Conference
Naharnet/Prime Minister-designate Fouad Saniora arrived in Vienna Sunday night to take part in an international donors conference on the reconstruction of the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon. Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, Finance Minister Jihad Azour, the head of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee Khalil Macawi and several advisors and specialists accompanied Saniora to Austria. The conference which convenes at the request of the Lebanese government on Monday will also be attended by Arab League chief Amr Moussa, EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner and Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik. About 31,000 refugees were relocated from the camp after deadly clashes raged for more than three months last year between Fatah al-Islam fighters and the Lebanese army, leaving much of the shantytown reduced to rubble. According to Lebanese estimates reconstruction could total 249 million dollars. A first donors conference held in September raked in 55 million dollars in emergency aid. Beirut, 23 Jun 08, 04:16

Hizbullah Vows to Expand Defense Capabilities, Warns against Conspiracy
Naharnet/Hizbullah has vowed to continue developing its defense capabilities and warned the ruling majority camp against conspiring against it. "Whether we agree on a defense strategy with the majority or disagree, this will not change the reality that the resistance will continue to expand its defense capabilities," said Hizbullah international relations officer Nawwaf Mousawi. Mousawi was also quoted as warning against any attempt to "stab the resistance in the back." "This measure had been used in the past and failed," Mousawi warned, in reference to the May violence in which Hizbullah took control over most of West Beirut. He also warned that Hizbullah will not allow any official from reaching top security or military posts "unless the resistance is sure of his loyalty to the nation" and he who does not "conspire against the resistance." Mustaqbal MP Azzam Dandashi hit back, saying: "Such stances are indication that schemes are being prepared to launch new attacks and raids against unarmed civilians in a bid to hamper the birth of the new cabinet and to achieve political gains." Beirut, 23 Jun 08, 13:08

Aoun: Battle is with Saniora, Not Suleiman
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun said his battle was one with Prime Minister-designate Fouad Saniora and not with President Michel Suleiman. "President Suleiman has nothing to do with the cabinet crisis," Aoun told the daily Al Akhbar. "It's a crisis to do with the premier-designate who has failed to set up" the government, Aoun added. He urged Suleiman to relaunch fresh parliamentary consultations to name a new prime minister, "because Saniora has failed." Aoun described Saniora as a "project" for a civil war, instead of "pushing (the regime) toward dialogue and understanding."
He also accused Saniora of "failing"" to form the new cabinet. Aoun said Speaker Nabih Berri was likely to call parliament into session in a bid to ratify the electoral law in conformity with the Doha deal."I expect the (ruling) majority to obstruct this session," Aoun said. On the violence in the northern port city of Tripoli, Aoun claimed to be the first to warn of such confrontations.He accused the ruling March 14 coalition of "distributing weapons" to their supporters "and today they have moved the battle from the Bekaa to Tripoli." Beirut, 23 Jun 08, 12:03

Report: Hizbullah Demand Delays Prisoner Swap Deal
Naharnet/A prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hizbullah is not expected to take place soon, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported Monday, citing a demand by the Shiite group for the release of Palestinian prisoners as a major stumbling block. The newspaper said that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert held several meetings with senior defense officials Sunday during which a number of issues were raised that appear to have delayed Israel's response to German mediator Gerhard Konrad.
Haaretz quoted sources from Olmert's office as saying Hizbullah demanded to include the release of Palestinian prisoners in the exchange deal under which Hizbullah would hand over to Israel two soldiers captured in July 2006 in return for Samir Qantar who is serving multiple life sentences for killing four Israelis in a 1979 attack.
The daily said Olmert insisted two months ago that the deal wouldn't include Palestinians, saying Israel's "final" offer was the release of Qantar, four Hizbullah fighters captured during the July-August 2006 war as well as remains of "some" militants killed during the conflict. "However, contrary to what had been previously reported, it appears that Hizbullah has once more revived its demand for the release of Palestinian prisoners as part of the deal," Haaretz said.
Beirut, 23 Jun 08, 11:15

Larijani: Iran Supports Unity for a Stable Lebanon
Naharnet/Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has said Tehran backs unity among all Lebanese factions to restore stability to the country, Islamic Republic News Agency said. Larijani made the remark on Sunday during a meeting with Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri's envoy Qabalan Qabalan. "The Islamic Shura Council and other institutions in the Islamic Republic back the unity of all independent Lebanese parties to restore stability and security to Lebanon," IRNA quoted Larijani as saying. He expressed regret over efforts by western countries and the U.S. in particular to sow discord in Lebanon. The Iranian speaker, according to IRNA, also invited Berri to visit Tehran. Beirut, 23 Jun 08, 07:11

Top Member of Jund al-Sham Wounded in Blast near Ain el-Helweh
Naharnet/A top Islamist militant was critically wounded on Sunday in a blast near the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Helweh in south Lebanon which injured four others, a security official told AFP. Imad Yassin, a senior member of the Jund al-Sham Islamist group, was wounded along with two of his bodyguards when a charge placed in a rubbish bin exploded in the Taameer Ain el-Helweh area outside the camp, the official said. A woman and an eight-year-old girl were also slightly wounded in the blast which prompted several families to flee the area. Tension was high inside the camp with fighters from the mainstream Palestinian Fatah faction deploying to prevent an escalation, an AFP correspondent reported. Members of extremist groups believed to have links with al-Qaida have settled in Lebanon's Palestinian refugee camps in recent years, especially in Ain el-Helweh, the largest camp, near the southern coastal city of Sidon. The camps are outside the control of the Lebanese authorities, with Palestinian factions in charge of security. Clashes in recent months have erupted between Jund al-Sham militants and Fatah fighters in Ain el-Helweh.(AFP) Beirut, 22 Jun 08, 21:38

Father Jacob Haddad Kabouchi venerated
Published: Sunday, 22 June, 2008
Beirut - Cardinal Jose Sarajeva Martinez on Sunday declared in the name of Pope Benedict XVI father Jacob Haddad Kabouchi venerated.
Kabouchi's beatification ceremony was held in downtown Beirut and attended by Lebanon's President Michel Suleiman, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Premier-Designate Fouad Siniora.
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir also attended the ceremony, regarded a national event in Lebanon being the first of its kind.
Veneration
In Christianity, veneration (Latin veneratio), or veneration of saints, is a special act of honoring a saint: a dead person who has been identified as singular in the traditions of the religion, and through them honoring God who made them and in whose image they are made. It is practiced by the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and some members of the Anglican Communion, Veneration is often shown outwardly by respectfully bowing or making the sign of the cross before a saint's icon, relics, or statue. These items may also be kissed.
In Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglo Catholic theology, veneration is a type of honor distinct from the worship due to God alone. Church theologians have long adopted the terms latria for the sacrificial worship due to God alone, and dulia for the veneration given to saints and icons. Catholic theology also includes the term hyperdulia for the type of veneration specifically paid to Mary, mother of Jesus, in Catholic tradition. This distinction is spelled out in the dogmatic conclusions of the Seventh Ecumenical Council (787), which also decreed that iconoclasm (forbidding icons and their veneration) is a heresy that amounts to a denial of the incarnation of Jesus.
Now, the Roman Catholic tradition has a well established philosophy for the veneration of the Virgin Mary via the field of Mariology with Pontifical schools such as the Marianum specifically devoted to this task
The Lebanese top leaders attended the ceremony . Lebanon's President Michel Suleiman with the First lady Mrs.Wafaa Suleiman( C) , Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri ( L) and Premier-Designate Fouad Siniora with Mrs Houda Siniora


Line of dignitaries on hand as thousands attend Beirut ceremony
By Anthony Elghossain
Daily Star staff
Monday, June 23, 2008
BEIRUT: Miraculous, perhaps. Tens of thousands of Lebanese gathered in Martyrs Square in Downtown Beirut on Sunday to witness the beatification of Yaaqoub Haddad, the late Capuchin priest who gained fame for his prolific work in founding an order of nuns, expanding the Capuchin school network and conceiving or establishing a number of religious and social institutions, some of which have gained iconic status in Lebanon.
Haddad, who died more than 50 years ago, took a step toward sainthood in the first beatification ever to take place outside the Vatican - and people flocked to the capital to observe the ceremony.
The service itself was presided over by a representative of Pope Benedict XVI, and the head of the Vatican's office for sainthood, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, in tandem with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir.
Attended by a litany of Eastern Christian prelates, other clerics, international envoys and local political figures, the event also included the Lebanese political troika of President Michel Sleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
Thunderous applause greeted Sleiman as he arrived minutes before the Mass, and ovations were repeated many times during the ceremony, which bestowed one of the highest honors in the Christian tradition upon a Lebanese priest mere meters away from an Ottoman-era mosque in the heart of the capital. Indeed, while respectful or appreciative clapping often arose, the loudest rounds of applause came after "the nation" or the "Lebanese cedars" were mentioned in one context or another.
A procession of the cross was held before Western Catholic - Latinized - renditions of Syriac and Arabic Christian chants held the massive gathering rapt. As Cardinal Martins read out a message from the pope, "hoping that this beatification will lift Father Yaaqoub of Ghazir as a happy servant of the Lord," a white veil cloaking a portrait of the late priest was lifted, symbolizing recognition of Haddad's beatification.
"The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father," the Maronite patriarch said as he took the pulpit, evoking reverent silence through the assembled thousands. "The hope of so many Lebanese was realized today - that hope was the raising of Father Yaaqoub's portrait above the altar of the Catholic Church."
Sfeir then outlined how Haddad "passed through the narrow door leading to sainthood," attributing the priest's ability to walk "the difficult road of a saintly life to three virtuous practices: surrender to the will of God, Christian modesty and the work of mercy."
"Father Yaaqoub would say that 'All God has given me belongs to Him and the poor of Lebanon," added Sfeir, in reference to his first point regarding the late pastor. "He built hospitals, schools and took care of the sick, yet he was a man of simple means - Father Yaaqoub put his trust in the grace of God."
Sfeir, describing the four "pillars of modesty" that characterized Haddad's life, again quoted the priest, saying: "Do not bestow virtue upon yourself that is not present within you; credit the Lord for that which is good in us; do not praise yourself in the presence of others; and do not count the shortcomings of those close to you in order to raise yourself."With the sun beating down on the packed city center and with Lebanese girl scouts handing out hats and bottled water, the patriarch closed by attributing Yaaqoub's work of mercy to his love of mankind, saying that "the measure of love is to love without measure."
Applause and chatter followed Sfeir's sermon but soon gave way to quiet laced with anticipation as an orchestra and choir provided a powerful undercurrent for the placing of testimonials at the altar. Intermittent cheers rose from the crowd as a key to the city of Ghazir, a copy of the Capuchin statutes, the late monk's scapular and various other relics of Yaaqoub's life were presented, but in another display of a distinct nationalist bent, roars of approval met the presentation of a young cedar as a symbol of the expansion of Haddad-founded institutions throughout Lebanon and abroad.
Once communion had been received, Sister Mary Makhlouf, who heads the Sisters of the Cross order of nuns, a network founded by Father Yaaqoub, capped the ceremony in a speech touching upon the broader meaning of the day. In the shadow of Mohammad al-Amin Mosque, the nun spoke of "seeing Jesus in Father Yaaqoub, overcoming the divisions, barriers and [narrower] affiliations in the nation that is a humanistic message."
The sister continued, as the crowd met nearly her every word with an ovation, saying that "sainthood is not a restriction, but a good turn ... and can lead one to the message of salvation. It matters not who, where and how we are - we all need someone to love, to help and be helped by."
"This nation, whose concept was founded on the contact of cultures, must - no matter what the differences and difficulties facing us - serve as a model of coexistence," she said. "The 17 communities that form this country should be a source of wealth, rather than discord ... Lebanon should spread its wings like an eagle and shed light into the heart of darkness, as the sky is lit by the rising sun."
Sister Mary ended by expressing her hope that "the years spent for Lebanon and the Lebanese people in an appeal [to heaven] will be accepted, allowing Lebanon to remain."

A Step closer to sainthood
BEIRUT: The man who would become Abouna Yaaqoub Haddad Kabouchi - literally, Father Jacob Haddad the Capuchin - was born Khalil Haddad in the Kesrouan village of Ghazir in 1875. The young Haddad spent his childhood in Lebanon and Egypt before joining the seminary for theological studies at the age of 18, when he received the moniker "Brother Yaaqoub." In 1998, a woman from the village of Maghdouche, about 5 kilometers southeast of Sidon, said Yaaqoub's spirit cured her of a malignant tumor. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI officially attributed the miracle to the Lebanese priest.
Kabouchi was beatified on Sunday, making him one step closer to sainthood. Beatification, which requires the recognition of one miracle, can be seen as allowing the Catholic faithful to pray to the soul in question for intercession, whereas canonization - the declaration of sainthood - makes obligatory a belief in the ability to intercede. - The Daily Star

Sarkozy pledges allegiance to Israel at start of three-day visit
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Monday, June 23, 2008
TEL AVIV: French President Nicolas Sarkozy proclaimed his friendship for Israel at the start of a three-day visit on Sunday but also said Israeli security depended on the creation of a Palestinian state. "I have always been Israel's friend," Sarkozy said upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport. The visit is the first to Israel by a French president in almost 12 years. "I am more convinced than ever that the security of Israel will only be truly guaranteed with the birth of a second state, a Palestinian state," said Sarkozy, whose visit will also take him to the Occupied West Bank. He expressed certainty a peace accord between Israel and the Palestinians can be reached in the near future, adding "this agreement would enable the two peoples to live in security."
Sarkozy and his wife - supermodel-turned-singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy - were greeted by Israeli President Shimon Peres and Premier Ehud Olmert before reviewing a guard of honor. Olmert said Sarkozy's visit was proof of the French president's support for the Jewish people and Israel. "In all our talks I have found in you deep understanding for Israel's security needs and the challenges it has to face." From the airport, France's first couple headed to Occupied Jerusalem for talks with Peres followed by dinner with Olmert, who has been dogged by a graft scandal.
On Monday, Sarkozy is due to address the Israeli Knesset.
The trip, one of several high-profile visits by world leaders to mark the Jewish state's 60th anniversary, was aimed at underlining the strength of Franco-Israeli relations, in contrast with the tensions that marked ties under former French President Jacques Chirac, perceived in Israel as being pro-Arab.
Olmert has described the current mood as a "honeymoon" between the two countries.
In an interview with Israeli media, Sarkozy said earlier that France "will always be by Israel's side when its existence and security are at stake." But he also said Israel had to do more to move forward the peace process with the Palestinians, and particularly to halt settlement activity in the Occupied West Bank.
"As I've said on several occasions, freezing settlements, which are the main obstacle to peace, is crucial," Sarkozy said. Israeli authorities have announced the construction of hundreds of new homes for Jewish settlers in the Occupied West Bank in recent months, infuriating Palestinians and drawing international criticism.
Sarkozy plans to travel to Bethlehem on Tuesday for talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. In addition to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Sarkozy was also expected to discuss other regional issues following his recent contacts with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. For some in Israel, though, the real star of the visit is the first lady. "Carla in Israel with her husband," the Hayom paper said in a headline, while public radio played some of her songs ahead of the presidential couple's arrival

Four killed as supporters of rival camps clash in Tripoli
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Monday, June 23, 2008
TRIPOLI: Four people were killed, including a policeman, and at least 33 others wounded in North Lebanon early on Sunday morning in clashes between armed opponents and supporters of the parliamentary majority. The clashes subsided during the day, but in the evening there were reports of renewed violence.
Policeman Samer Rashid was hit by a stray bullet inside his home in the Al-Qobbeh district of the Northern port city of Tripoli, a security official said.
Another man, Bourhane al-Khatib, died after being hit by a bullet in the heart during clashes at Jabal Mohsen, a medic said after the 22-year-old was taken to a hospital in the nearby Palestinian refugee camp of Beddawi. Ahmad Hussein al-Sayyed and a member of the Abdullah family were also killed.
According to a security official, many of those wounded were caught in the crossfire or hit by stray bullets while inside their homes. As calm was restored in the afternoon, representatives of the feuding parties met in Tripoli and agreed on the army taking charge of security and for gunmen to keep off the streets, said a participant who declined to be identified.
Tripoli's Sunni Mufti Malek al-Shaar hosted a number of meetings at his residence in the city in an effort to put an end to the clashes. Shaar called on the security forces to deploy in the area in force and react strictly to any security violation. After the meetings, former Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to take control of the city and for politicians not to cover for trouble makers. Colonel Toufic Younes of LAF intelligence also attended the meeting, as the armed forces appeared to be mediating between the warring factions.
In addition, Education Minister Khaled Qabbani said end-of-year exams would take place as scheduled in Tripoli's schools on Monday. The fighting broke out at 4:15 a.m. in Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, northern districts of Tripoli, a security official told AFP, with reports of assault weapons, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades being used. He said pro-majority Sunni militants fought with a group of Alawites, a Shiite sect whose members mostly support the Hizbullah-led opposition. The fighting spread to Al-Qobbeh in eastern Tripoli where an AFP correspondent said families were seen fleeing the area.
At least 27 people were wounded in Bab al-Tebbaneh and Al-Qobbeh and were taken to the Islamic Hospital of Tripoli, a security official said. One had a severe wound to the head. Bab al-Tebbaneh and Al-Qobbeh are mainly Sunni districts, while Jabal Mohsen residents are predominantly Alawite.
A military spokesman told AFP that "the army is still deployed in the zone which separates the two sides and has not changed its position."
"The fighting has eased in intensity and we are working to contain it," he added, even as armed militiamen could still be seen on street corners leading to Bab al-Tebbaneh. Similar clashes occurred in various regions in May when at least 65 people were killed, stoking fears that Lebanon was heading for a new civil war.
An accord reached in Doha on May 21 between the opposition and government ended an 18-month-long political crisis which sparked the clashes.
The agreement resulted in the election of Michel Sleiman as president, ending a six-month vacuum in the top job.
But tensions have remained high, and last Tuesday three people were killed in clashes between pro- and anti-government residents in two villages in the Bekaa Valley.Sunday's clashes occurred amid continuing failure to form a national unity government as envisaged under the Doha agreement. - With agencies
l SIDON: A top Islamist militant was critically wounded Sunday in a blast near the Palestinian Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in Sidon which injured four others, a security official told AFP. Imad Yassin, a senior member of Jund al-Sham, was wounded along with two of his bodyguards when a charge placed in a rubbish bin exploded in the Taamir area outside the camp, the official said.
A woman and an 8-year-old girl were also slightly wounded in the blast, which prompted several families to flee the area. Tensions were high inside the camp, with fighters from the Palestinian Fatah faction deploying to prevent an escalation, an AFP correspondent reported. Members of extremist groups believed to have links with Al-Qaeda have settled in Lebanon's Palestinian refugee camps in recent years, especially in Ain al-Hilweh, the largest of the country's dozen camps. - AFP

More sniping in Lebanon over formation of new cabinet
By Hussein Abdallah
Daily Star staff
Monday, June 23, 2008
BEIRUT: The parliamentary majority and opposition remained at odds on Sunday over distributing the different portfolios in the new cabinet, as the deadlock over forming a new government persisted almost one month after the election of President Michel Sleiman.
Prime Minister-designate Fouad Siniora told reporters after meeting with Sleiman at the Presidential Palace on Saturday that it was up to the opposition to decide which sovereign portfolio it wanted. "There are only four sovereign portfolios [interior, defense, finance and foreign affairs]. This is how it always used to be," he said, responding to reports about possibly increasing the sovereign portfolios to five or even six. "The president wants the interior and defense ministries, and I support his demand ... This leaves us with two other ministries, from which the opposition should choose one."
The prime minister said he would continue his contacts with Sleiman and Speaker Nabih Berri in a bid to eliminate the obstacles facing the forma-tion of the new government. Siniora also denied that the opposition had given him a two-day deadline to form the new cabinet or quit, as did Berri.
"We did not discuss deadlines," Berri was quoted as telling local daily An-Nahar. "However, it is the prime minister's duty to speed up the formation of the new cabinet," he added. Late last week, MP Ghassan Tueni of the ruling March 14 Forces coalition advised Siniora to resign if he failed to form the new government by Tuesday. Tueni called on Siniora to abandon the mentality of the past period - a reference to the power struggle between November 2007 and last month - in order to succeed in his mission. Asked about reports that a Qatari envoy would soon arrive in Lebanon in an effort to "save the Doha agreement," Siniora said he was not aware of such reports and stressed that distributing portfolios in the next government was an internal Lebanese issue.
Qatari sources told The Daily Star on Sunday that the arrival of a Qatari envoy is for the time being out of question, as Doha believes the Lebanese must now solve their own problems. Meanwhile, news reports said that the opposition had rejected another formula for the new cabinet and insisted on getting two sovereign portfolios in the next government.
The reports said that Siniora had forwarded to the opposition a formula that offers it nine portfolio ministers out of its 11 minister quota, but the opposition rejected the formula for the simple reason that only one of the nine ministries is a sovereign portfolio. The opposition was earlier presented with two eight-portfolio formulas. Both formulas also included only one sovereign ministry and were immediately rejected. Meanwhile, caretaker Energy Minister Mohammad Fneish said that distributing the different portfolios in the new cabinet was the "name" of the current crisis. Fneish warned against any attempt to distribute cabinet portfolios in a way that is aimed at eliminating some parties.
He also indirectly accused the parliamentary majority of trying to trigger a feud between Sleiman and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun. Aoun has reportedly objected to keeping caretaker Defense Minister Elias Murr in his post as he believes that Murr is not a neutral figure. Aoun believes that keeping Murr in his current post is equivalent to giving the majority an additional minister in the government. The retired general has reportedly asked Sleiman to abandon Murr, but did not receive a clear answer from the newly elected president. Siniora told the Austrian daily Der Standard on Sunday that Aoun was challenging the president's quota in the new cabinet in a bid to compensate for losing the presidency.
Meanwhile, caretaker Public Works and Transportation Minister Mohammad Safadi said that the delay in forming the new cabinet was reflecting negatively on the security situation in the country. Safadi called on Siniora and Sleiman to come out with a reasonable cabinet formula despite some parties' objections.
"The people cannot afford more delay ... The state has started to lose respect for its authority," Safadi said

It took a nun to put Lebanon's high and mighty in their place
By The Daily Star
Monday, June 23, 2008
There were lots of reasons why Sunday's beatification of Father Yaaqoub Haddad in Downtown Beirut was meaningful for so many Lebanese, and it was a nun who pointed out the most important ones. It took the memory of a saint to get so many politicians and clergymen of different orientations in the same place, but it was Sister Mary Makhlouf who captured the relevance of the moment for today's Lebanon - and therefore for tomorrow's. What she told those gathered to celebrate Father Yaaqoub's like of service and sacrifice was what that far from being a weakness, the diversity of Lebanese society should be its most important strength. The past few years have had a highly corrosive effect on several parts of the Lebanese body politic. The country's system of confessional power-sharing lends itself to such divisiveness, but the real problem has been an abdication of responsibility by too many of those who wield spiritual and/or temporal influence. Far from leading the general population toward reconciliation and mutual respect, these have exacerbated tensions both between and within individual sects. Instead of condemning, disavowing and ridiculing the accusations of apostasy and treachery that have been slung from one end of the political arena to the other, those who should know better have fanned the flames of discord in a cynical attempt to shore up their own "credentials."
There have been exceptions, of course, but the fiery rhetoric has driven many of them to silence, making uninhabitable the middle ground to which most Lebanese would naturally gravitate. Instead, those who paint their political rivals as threats to the very survival of the country have come to dominate the public stage. Sister Mary's message was plain: The man whose memory was celebrated on Sunday would have been appalled at such small-minded demagoguery, and those who claim to honor his contributions can only smear them if they fail to adopt his own philosophy of cherishing diversity as the mark of a blessed people.
Perhaps the most famous of Father Yaaqoub's endeavors was his prolific establishment of schools in Lebanon, a legacy that survives to this day and has educated countless Lebanese of many backgrounds. In fact, there are hundreds of millions of people - of all faiths - around the world whose earliest memories include having been chastised by nuns when they misbehaved in class. Many of them also recall that some of their most valuable lessons were learned in the same environment. If Sister Mary's public interpretation of Father Yaaqoub's philosophy can shame Lebanon's political and religious leader into behaving themselves, he should be credited with another posthumous miracle.