LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 07/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 5,31-47. If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony cannot be verified. But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John's. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form, and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent. You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. But you do not want to come to me to have life. I do not accept human praise; moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Hoop Dreams and Basketball Wars.Times. 06/03/08
The USS Cole and America's election.By Michael Young 06/03/08
No Going Back on the International Court-Randa Takieddine. 06/08

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for March 06/08
Lebanon Crisis Elicits Fierce War of Words in Cairo-Naharnet
U.S. Embassy Renews Warning to Citizens amid Concerns Extremists Could Target Americans-Naharnet
Americans In Lebanon Urged to Adopt Security Measures Amidst ...Naharnet
Israeli forces cross boarder line in south Lebanon-People's Daily Online
HRH Prince Alwaleed receives Amine Gemayel to reaffirm His support ...ArabianBusiness.com (press release)
Moussa Urges Lebanon, Syria to Mend Fences Ahead of Summit-Naharnet
Iran, Saudi Hold Talks in Cairo on Lebanon Crisis-Naharnet
Lebanon Summer Time Begins Midnight March 29-Naharnet
Arab FMs Urge Lebanese Factions to Elect Suleiman President-Naharnet
Mottaki Insists Iran Backs Hizbullah Morally-Naharnet
Haaretz: Hizbullah Has Missiles Capable of Reaching Dimona-Naharnet
U.S. Maintains Show of Strength off Mediterranean amid Rising Tension-Naharnet
Moussa may return to Beirut for yet another mediation bid-Daily Star
Arab foreign ministers grapple with Lebanon, Gaza-Daily Star
Hizbullah: We won't start war, but are 'well prepared-Daily Star
Franjieh backs Sfeir's election plan - if it applies everywhere-Daily Star
Maronite bishops slam use of crisis to help 'foreign projects-Daily Star
Lebanese Option Group blames Hamas for Gaza crisis-Daily Star
Suleiman discusses security in South with Graziano-Daily Star
Spain reassures LAF of commitment to UNIFIL-Daily Star
Jamaa al-Islamiyya head meets Danish ambassador-Daily Star
Iraqis who fled war are still stalked by mental distress-Daily Star
Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers meet in Cairo on Lebanon-Reuters
Hezbollah Says It Is Prepared for War-The Associated Press
Iran supplying Hezbollah, Israel says-United Press International
Hezbollah warns of US gunboat diplomacy-United Press International
Iran Arming Hezbollah via Turkey-Christian Broadcasting Network
Union for Lebanon declares failed state-Daily Star
Campaign looks to raise awareness of domestic violence in Lebanon-Daily Star
Sputtering Lebanese economy fuels rampant child labor-Daily Star
Ain al-Hilweh children protest attacks on Gaza-Daily Star
Setting the record straight about Rafik Hariri University Hospital-Daily Star
How I learned to stop worrying about sectarianism and embraced the Lebanese Restraining Bend-Daily Star
Siniora government mulls wage hikes in bid to appease angry trade unions-Daily Star
Cole Replaced by Two Warships-Naharnet
Sison Inspects USAID Projects in Beqaa-Naharnet
Maronite Bishops Angered by Failure to Elect President-Naharnet
Franjieh Attacks Sfeir and 'Allies'-Naharnet
US Makes Show of Force at Sea in Mideast-Guardian
US warship leaves Lebanon for Gulf-Khaleej Times
Mouallem: Lebanon, Saudi to be Invited to Summit-Naharnet
Arab ministers discuss Syria summit-Aljazeera.net
Franjieh Attacks Sfeir and 'Allies'-Naharnet
Dubai's Emaar in Syria deal with sanctions-linked co-Reuters - USA
Syria to invite Lebanon, Saudi Arabia to summit-Reuters South Africa
Qandil Warns Against an alleged Plot to Assassinate Aoun, Pledges ...Naharnet

Open Confrontation with Syria
Naharnet/Deployment of U.S. warships off the Syria-Lebanon coastline has shifted the regional confrontation from Beirut to Damascus, an-Nahar's Hiyam Kossaify wrote Wednesday. However, she cautioned that the conflict could head back to Lebanon if the majority opted to elect a president by simple majority after March 15. Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, according to the columnist, are working on a gradual upgrading of pressures on Syria over Lebanon that could climax in the convening of a "substitute" to the Damascus summit grouping leaders of "states that reject Syria's policy in Lebanon and the region." She quoted observers as saying they do not rule out that serious efforts are underway to convene an Arab Summit at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to coincide with the Damascus summit, if the Syrian regime insisted on holding it and "rejecting a serious trend to postpone it that had been relayed to Damascus by Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa."She concluded by warning against any attempt to elect a president by simple majority because it would divert pressures exerted on Damascus and limit effectiveness of a decision by "Arab states and Washington to go into an open confrontation with Syria." Beirut, 05 Mar 08, 14:28

Lebanon Crisis Elicits Fierce War of Words in Cairo
Naharnet/A fierce war of words over the Lebanon crisis broke out between Lebanese acting Foreign Minister Tareq Mitri and his Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem at the Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo. Arab foreign ministers on Wednesday urged feuding Lebanese politicians to elect army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman as their new president ahead of an Arab summit to be held in Damascus March 29-30. The Arab FMs also called on Syria and Lebanon to put their bilateral relations on the right track. The top diplomats from the 22-member league made the appeal in a statement at the end of their meeting to discuss the protracted Lebanese crisis and preparations for the Damascus summit. The daily An Nahar said Thursday the confrontation occurred when Mitri criticized Syria over its stance from Lebanon, prompting violent response from Muallem. It said Mitri and Muallem traded sharp words.
An Nahar, citing well-informed sources in Beirut, said the Lebanese delegation suggested pointing out its view from the Lebanon crisis in which it considered that the "major problem" was not restricted to presidential elections, but was outlined by the Syrian-Iranian intervention in Lebanon.
The delegation argued that the Syrian-Iranian meddling began by encouraging rebellion, by providing anti-government Lebanese groups with arms and by continuing to press ahead with efforts to cripple Lebanon institutions all the way to the presidential void. The delegation, therefore, insisted that the Arabs should deal with the root of the Lebanon crisis. Vehement criticism directed at Muallem by Mitri made the Syrian foreign minister's blood boil.
Muallem hit back at Mitri, accusing the Lebanese majority of inviting U.S. warships to Lebanon in a bid to attract international interference.
The war of words between Muallem and Mitri prompted Saudi intervention. An Nahar said Saudi FM Saud al-Faisal criticized Syria's role in supporting Lebanese factions against the government. Beirut, 06 Mar 08, 07:35

U.S. Embassy Renews Warning to Citizens amid Concerns Extremists Could Target Americans
Naharnet/The U.S. Embassy on Thursday said it was maintaining a travel limit over its personnel in Lebanon amid concerns that radical factions could target U.S. nationals and interests. "There is a general concern that extremist groups may be planning to attack U.S. citizens and interests in Lebanon," an embassy statement said. "The U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens who live, work, or are traveling in Lebanon to exercise responsible security practices," it added.  "Those practices should include awareness of the environment and potentially threatening events such as demonstrations or other public gatherings. The statement urged U.S. citizens to "take care that they maintain a low profile in public and avoid predictable or habitual behavior." The embassy also called on Americans to contact the mission for updated security information and to report "unusual or suspicious occurrences.""The political impasse in Lebanon continues. International and domestic efforts to resolve the impasse have not yet succeeded. The uncertain political situation, the presence of extremist groups in Lebanon, and the series of car bombings over the past few months continue to concern the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon," the statement said.It said that the presence of "U.S. navy ships in the Mediterranean are there in support of our commitment to regional stability." Beirut, 06 Mar 08, 12:48

Moussa Urges Lebanon, Syria to Mend Fences Ahead of Summit
Naharnet/Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa announced that the Summit set for Damascus at the end of March will take place on time, but he urged Syria and Lebanon to mend their fences ahead of the meeting. As Arab foreign ministers met in Cairo Wednesday to plan their annual summit's agenda, the fractious body was buzzing with rumors that Egypt and Saudi Arabia would boycott the meeting to show their displeasure with Syria's meddling in Lebanon's severe political crisis. "The ministers called for putting the Syrian-Lebanese relations on the right track," said Moussa at the closing press conference.
Following an Arab initiative calling for the deadlocked Lebanese parties to put aside their differences and elect a new president, Moussa carried out several unsuccessful diplomatic trips to Beirut to attempt to solve the problem. "There is an Arab consensus that there should be a Lebanese president, this will ease everything," he said. The ministers' final statement called for the election to happen on an "exact" date, an apparent reference to the March 11 parliamentary session that will mark the 16th attempt to fill the post of president, vacant since November.
A senior diplomat from the anti-Syrian camp was quick to say, however, that if the Lebanese president was not elected, some countries might reconsider their participation. "This is not final," he said. "Today's decision is not a green light to the Syrians. It might be yellow one -- this was the message of today's meeting."
The ministers also discussed the deadlock in the Arab-Israeli peace talks, warning that the Arabs may reconsider their historic 2002 land-for-peace initiative if Israel continues its actions against the Palestinians. "The continuation of the Arab side working towards peace will be linked to Israel's readiness to commit to peace," Moussa said. "This situation will be evaluated on what Annapolis achieves in the progress of time," he added referring to recent talks in the U.S.
"We don't see that there is any tangible progress at this time," he said. Moussa also confirmed that all Arab countries would be attending the summit, but he could not say at what level. Individual countries often show their displeasure with the state of regional affairs or specifically the host countries by not sending their head of state. U.S.-backed Arab states, such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, were reportedly threatening to boycott the March 29-30 Summit if no president is elected in Lebanon by then. At the heart of Lebanon's crisis is the three-month presidential deadlock that moderate Arab countries blame on Syria and its Lebanese allies, such as Hizbullah. The failure to elect a new Lebanese president has compounded a yearlong power struggle between the government of Prime Minister Fouad Saniora and the opposition led by Hizbullah.
In January, Arab foreign ministers -- including Syrian FM Walid Muallem -- unanimously adopted a three-point Arab plan for Lebanon. The blueprint backs Lebanese Army Gen. Michel Suleiman as the country's next president, calls on Lebanon to form a national unity government and adopt a new election law.
Saudi Arabia has so far refused to set a date for Muallem to travel to Riyadh to deliver an invitation to King Abdullah to attend the summit.
Syria fears that a poor showing at the annual summit, the first to be held in Damascus, will further isolate President Bashar al-Assad's regime which faces charges of meddling in Lebanon.(AP-Naharnet) Beirut, 06 Mar 08, 11:38

Iran, Saudi Hold Talks in Cairo on Lebanon Crisis
Naharnet/Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal and his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki have held brief talks in Cairo on the Lebanese crisis and an Arab summit to be held in Syria later this month. Faisal and Mottaki met for nearly 90 minutes Wednesday, said officials at Cairo airport where the two leaders held talks.
The officials gave no further details except for saying that Faisal was leaving Egypt at the end of the Arab League meeting while Mottaki was on a stopover in the Egyptian capital. Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa called for solidarity to overcome the Lebanese political crisis.
"Solidarity, in the form of national reconciliation, is our only way out of the current crisis and future crises," Moussa said in his opening speech at the foreign ministers meeting in Cairo on Wednesday. Beirut, 06 Mar 08, 11:46

Lebanon Summer Time Begins Midnight March 29
Naharnet/Clocks will be advanced one hour in Lebanon at midnight March 29, ushering in seven months of daylight-saving time. The move will put Beirut 3 hours ahead of Greenwich Meantime. Clocks will have to be returned to wintertime at midnight of the last Saturday of October.
Beirut, 06 Mar 08, 09:31

Arab FMs Urge Lebanese Factions to Elect Suleiman President
Naharnet/Arab foreign ministers on Wednesday urged feuding Lebanese politicians to elect Army Commander General Michel Suleiman as their new president ahead of an Arab summit March 29-30. The top diplomats from the 22-member league made the appeal in a statement at the end of a meeting in Cairo to discuss the protracted Lebanese crisis and preparations for the summit to be hosted by Syria. The ministers "invite Lebanese leaders to elect the consensus candidate, General Michel Suleiman, at the date which has been set" for his election, to fill a post vacant for more than three months, a statement said. Lebanon has been without a president since November, when pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud quit at the end of his term. But efforts to hold a vote in parliament have foundered since September, with 15 sessions scrapped amid fierce disputes between Lebanon's ruling parliamentary majority and an opposition. A new session has been set for March 11.
Saudi and other Arab leaders have threatened to boycott the summit in Syria if the Lebanese fail to elect a president and resolve their differences. Egypt and Saudi Arabia accuse Syria of blocking efforts to elect a new president for Lebanon, which was under Syrian military domination for 29 years until Damascus withdrew its troops in 2005. The Arab ministers also urged the Lebanese leaders "to agree to set up a national unity government as quickly as possible," the statement said. They also reiterated their support for a three-point Arab rescue plan for Lebanon which calls for the election of Suleiman, the creation of a national unity government in which no party has veto power and a new election law.(AFP) Beirut, 05 Mar 08, 22:09

Mottaki Insists Iran Backs Hizbullah Morally
Naharnet/Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has said that the Islamic Republic, which along with Syria is accused of arming and financing Hizbullah, provides only "moral support" to the Shiite group. "Our support to the Lebanese resistance is a moral support," Mottaki told Agence France Presse in Geneva on Wednesday. "We support their position in resistance, their position to insist on standing up to the attacks and aggressions of others," he said of Hizbullah. He also said Iran will not hold new talks on its nuclear program after the U.N. Security Council passed a third round of sanctions. The sanctions approved Monday ordered a freeze on assets of additional Iranian officials and companies with links to the country's nuclear and missile programs and banned for the first time trade with Iran in some goods that have both civilian and military uses. "We believe that the action taken by the Security Council has been a bullet shot towards the dignity of the Security Council," Mottaki said. "The nuclear activities of the Islamic Republic of Iran have been peaceful," Mottaki stressed.He also insisted that the tightened sanctions will have no impact on Iran's economy.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 06 Mar 08, 05:08

Haaretz: Hizbullah Has Missiles Capable of Reaching Dimona
Naharnet/Iran is arming Hizbullah via Turkey and some of the missiles could reach the Dimona area, the Israeli daily Haaretz quoted a senior government source as saying. The source told Haaretz that Brigadier General Yossi Beiditz, head of the IDF research department, informed European Union ambassadors in a briefing last week that Iran continues to transfer arms and equipment to Hizbullah. "Some of the weapons include long-range missiles that are being transferred through flights using Turkey's airspace, as well as overland though Turkey, under the guise of civilian cargo."From Turkey, the missiles are transferred to Syria and then Lebanon. Turkey has not permitted the use of its territory for such transfers," Haaretz reported on its website.The same source said that according to Beiditz, some of the missiles have a maximum range of 300 kilometers, "capable of reaching the Dimona area from Beirut."The southern town of Dimona houses Israel's secretive nuclear reactor. "According to intelligence so far available to Israel, the maximum range of missiles in Hizbullah's arsenal had been 250 kilometers," the daily said.
According to Haaretz' source, Beiditz told the EU ambassadors that the missiles currently in Hizbullah's possession are more accurate and capable of carrying larger warheads. Beirut, 06 Mar 08, 04:36

HRH Prince Alwaleed receives Amine Gemayel to reaffirm His support to Lebanon
Posted on Thursday, 6 March 2008
Industry Sector Government
Country Saudi Arabia
Press Release Content
HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Alsaud, Chairman of Kingdom Holding Company (KHC), received at his office Mr. Amine Pierre Gemayel, Former President of Lebanon on Wednesday March 5th 2008.
The meeting was also attended by Mr. P. J Shoucair Executive Director for International Investments at KHC. The meeting began with a cordial exchange of greetings between Prince Alwaleed and Mr. Gemayel who thanked the Prince for giving him the opportunity to meet with him.
During the meeting the two discussed the current situation in Lebanon which has negatively impacted the economy there. Furthermore, the two discussed positive ways to support Lebanon during this time.
The two also touched upon the warm and long established friendship between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, HRH's strong relationship with Lebanon and the surrounding Arab countries including Syria and its leader President Bashar Al Assad.
In 2006 Prince Alwaleed was awarded the "Umayyah National Medal" by the President of Syria. The medal is the country's highest civilian honor in recognition of the Prince's achievements and his main investments in Syria. In addition, Prince Alwaleed was also awarded two medals in Lebanon in recognition of the Prince's economic and social contributions to the country.
In 1998, The National Cedar Decoration of the Commander Order was awarded to Prince Alwaleed by Former Lebanese President Elias Harawi in recognition of the Prince's economic and social contributions to Lebanon. In 2002, The National Cedar Medal, Order of the Grand Officer was awarded to Prince Alwaleed by Lebanese President Emile Lahoud.
Mr. Gemayel said that he was eager to find a solution to solve the current crisis in Lebanon to reach peace and unity. Moreover, both, HRH and Mr. Gemayel agreed that the proud nation and people of Lebanon have the strength and ability to overcome these difficult times and unite, reaching a brighter future.
HRH expressed his willingness to help Lebanon in any way that he can to renew its security and economic infrastructure. Furthermore, Mr. Gemayel also commended HRH on his continuous humanitarian contributions to Lebanon that do not discriminate between religion and creed, which are made through the Alwaleed bin Talal Humanitarian Foundation in Beirut.

Arab initiative highly obstructed
www.chinaview.cn 2008-03-04 20:14:20 Print
BEIRUT, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Former Lebanese president Amin Gemayel said on Tuesday that an Arab initiative aimed at ending Lebanon's crisis is "highly obstructed," local Voice of Lebanon (VOL) radio reported. "I do not personally encourage any meeting before things are clear," Gemayel said in an interview with VOL, referring to proposals for new meetings between the opposition and ruling coalition representatives in Cairo.
"We do not want to give the people unrealistic hopes," said Gemayel who is in Saudi Arabia on a visit, adding that he would "gather all support from Lebanon's friends in order to stand against those violating the constitution." In February, Gemayel attended meetings between opposition leader Gen. Michel Aoun and majority leader Saad Hariri in Beirut which were sponsored by Arab League (AL) Secretary General Amr Moussa.
Local media reported on Tuesday that a number of phone discussions between Moussa and Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri proposed "new ideas" to reach an agreement before the next presidential election session scheduled for March 11.
Meetings between Lebanese delegates from the opposition and ruling coalition, sponsored by Moussa in Cairo, were considered in the discussions, said the reports.
During his prior missions to Beirut, Moussa has failed so far in convincing the two Lebanese rival blocs to accept an Arab plan which was endorsed in Cairo on Jan. 6. The three-point plan aimed at immediately electing Lebanese Army Commander General Michel Suleiman as Lebanese president and proceeding to forming a government of national unity and drafting a new electoral law. Lebanese presidential seat has been vacant since former president Emile Lahoud ended his term on Nov. 24, 2007 and the sharply divided Lebanese parliament has delayed the elections for 15 times without a consensus.

No Going Back on the International Court
Randa Takieddine
Al-Hayat - 05/03/08//
Waiting for Syria's ideas about the international court to try the killers of former Prime Minister martyr Rafic Hariri is futile.
The international court is not in the hands of the Lebanese law; rather, it has been part of the international law for more than a year. This is because Syria's allies in Lebanon closed down Lebanon's Parliament. Hence, the court was set up under Chapter Seven of the United Nations Charter.
Those who try to find solutions for the Lebanese issue by changing the international law are undertaking a mission impossible, since the court can no longer be abolished.As for finding solutions or guarantees for Syria regarding this issue, the law governing the court, as stipulated by UN Security Council Resolution 1757, gives immunity to "a head of state" but nothing more. The law governing the court also provides for a potential trial in absentia.
Those who talk today about finding ideas for the international court are seeking a new course of action in the Security Council and new negotiations among the US administration, Britain, France, Russia and China. This is not possible at present, since these states have veto power and have made financial commitments to the court's funding.
How can someone looking for a solution imagine President Nicolas Sarkozy, for example, retreating from what he has repeated openly or in his talks with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, and Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, when he affirmed that France had paid its financial commitments to the court and was determined to see the accused go on trial.
States like the US and France, which have made financial commitments to the establishment of this court, cannot retreat or give guarantees to this or that party before the investigation ends and the verdict is issued.
Only banana republics are able to give invisible guarantees before learning the identity of the accused and the information available to the international investigator and public prosecutor.
The regimes that know what has been committed can ask for guarantees, but giving them before the end of the investigation is unreasonable. Whenever the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon receives a senior official and discusses this issue with him, he always notes that "there is no going back on the international court."
In addition, it would have been better for Syria and its allies not to close the Lebanese Parliament for more than a year, since this prevented the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora from referring the resolution to establish the court to the Parliament. Consequently, Siniora sent a letter to the UN Secretary General, followed by the court's ratification by the Security Council under Chapter Seven.
If Parliament weren't closed, the international court would have been formed under the Lebanese law by virtue of which the accused can be exchanged between Lebanon and Syria. Perhaps this would have been more advantageous to the Syrian side.
Despite the developments and massacres in Gaza by Israel, and despite the Syrian proposals to trade in its cards - pressure on Hamas to stop rockets at Israeli regions and pressure on Hizbullah to speed up the election of a president - in exchange for ideas about the international court, this proposal could be acceptable by Israel but not by the world. Even if Israel wants to pressure the US to accept a Syrian deal, how can the Americans give up on the international court?
Arab countries, small and large, which are trying to find solutions to the disastrous situation in Lebanon and Palestine, should ensure that their actions continue to involve no going back on the international court after the matter has become the province of international law.
A different course of action needs to be adopted, even if the problem lies in the attempt to obstruct the political system. The roots of the problems gripping Lebanon lie in the attempt to obstruct the international court

Hoop Dreams and Basketball Wars
Wednesday, Mar. 05, 2008
By ANDREW LEE BUTTERS/CHTAURA
Basketball is Lebanon's most popular sport, and for of a small Middle Eastern country with a population of a mere 4 million, the Lebanese have a surprisingly good game. Lebanon often ranks near the top of the Asian championships, lagging just behind the likes of China (population 1.3 billion). But even on court, the country's toxic brew of sectarianism and politics cause as much excitement as the athletes. All 12 of Lebanon's semi-professional basketball teams have some sort of religious or political affiliation. And despite the fact that fans from rival teams are segregated into stands on opposite sides of the court, fights break out so regularly that the government barred all spectators from league games for a few months last year. Even when there's no violence, games resemble political rallies — with flags, political salutes, and the chanting of slogans hailing political leaders — rather than simply sporting events.
And that's a problem, because in Lebanon, politics have a way of turning ugly. The country fought a devastating civil war from 1975 to 1990, mostly along religious lines: Christian vs. Muslim. Today the battles lines are forming once again between, on the one side, Christian and Sunni Muslim groups allied with the U.S.-backed government, and ranged against them, Shi'ite Muslim and Christian groups that form an opposition movement supported by Syria and Iran.
These tensions — heightened by concern over the possibility of another war with Israel — often spill onto the court. Because Lebanon's Shi'ites generally prefer soccer (perhaps reflecting their status as a traditionally disenfranchised minority), the main hoops action tends to be Christian vs. Christian, and Christian vs. Sunni. In fact, basketball is an extension of politics to such a degree that when General Michel Aoun, a Christian leader, turned against the country's mainline pro-government Christians, one of the first things he did was start a new basketball team, the Blue Stars.
Last Friday night at a game hosted by a team from Achrafieyh, a Christian neighborhood in Beirut, the home crowd shouted: "God, Achrafieyeh and the Doctor!" in reference to a Christian leader who once attended medical school. They also tried to distract a rival player with a gay slur intended to be particularly insulting to Muslims. "Toot, toot, toot! Khaled is a fruit!"
That basketball has become a reflection of the country's disunity is one of Lebanon's sad ironies: The sport was brought here by American missionaries and educators in the early 20th century as part of a Wilsonian nation-building project among the colonized peoples of the Middle East. The hope may have been that sports could help foster the values of a civil society that erased boundaries between Christians and Muslims, East and West, but that never happened. "In Lebanon, we never have progress," said Ellie Fawaz, a legendary Lebanese player who himself was taught basketball by an American missionary. "Instead, we have war."
Still, basketball in Lebanon has had its transcendent moments, such as in 1999 and 2000 when Sagesse, a Christian team, won the Arab club championships two years in a row and the whole country shut down in celebration. And the players here — a mix of locals with a bit of imported American talent — are professionals in the best sense. "It's the opposite of America," said Demetric Shaw, a player visiting Lebanon from Fort Worth, Texas. "Here the fans fight, but the players never do."
The biggest problem facing Lebanese basketball, however, may not be politics, but economics. Even before recent political upheavals, Lebanese teams were having trouble competing with oil-rich teams from the Gulf who have been buying up top players. But Pierre Kakhia, the head of the local basketball federation, has developed a typically Lebanese response to a financial crisis: tap into the vast network of talented people all over the world who have Lebanese ancestry, and lure them back home to the Switzerland of the Middle East. "We're looking abroad for the tallest Lebanese," he said.