LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
March 12/08
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to
Saint John 8,21-30. He said to them again, "I am going away and you will look
for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come."So the
Jews said, "He is not going to kill himself, is he, because he said, 'Where I am
going you cannot come'?"He said to them, "You belong to what is below, I belong
to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world.
That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe
that I AM, you will die in your sins."So they said to him, "Who are you?" Jesus
said to them, "What I told you from the beginning. I have much to say about you
in condemnation. But the one who sent me is true, and what I heard from him I
tell the world." They did not realize that he was speaking to them of the
Father. So Jesus said (to them), "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will
realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the
Father taught me. The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone,
because I always do what is pleasing to him." Because he spoke this way, many
came to believe in him.
Free
Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
With
brothers like Syria , who needs enemies?. By: Ali Hussein, Ya Libnan. 11/03/08
The Drums of War
in Lebanon.By:
Hussein Shobokshi 11/03/08
The way to exit from Lebanon's morass-By
Paul Salem. 11/03/08
Deputies and Salaries-Ghassan Charbel-Al-Hayat -11/03/08
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for March 11/08
Report: Hadley Tells
Geagea of Strong U.S. Commitment for Free Lebanon-Naharnet
Khalilzad: Hariri Tribunal Ready to Launch Trials-Naharnet
Berri: Lebanon
Solution Linked to Restoration of Syrian-Saudi Ties-Naharnet
Sfeir Worried Over Christian Presence in
Lebanon-Naharnet
Hizbullah Set for New War with Israel,
Report-Naharnet
Sick Man Threatens People at Beirut
Airport-Naharnet
Lebanese-Ivorian Man Among Those Tried in
Paris Over Coup Bid-Naharnet
Saudi Puts End to Rumors of Damascus
Summit Boycott-Naharnet
Kuwait Urges Unity after Tensions Over
Mughniyeh Mourning-Naharnet
Mughniyeh Remembered in Stamp-Naharnet
Berri: Lebanon Solution Linked to Restoration of Syria-Saudi Ties-Naharnet
Russia Criticizes US Ships Off Lebanon-The Associated Press
Lebanon finances secure despite crisis-minister-Guardian
Pacify Lebanon or
Face Mass Suicide-Naharnet
Bush sends Cheney to Mideast to promote peace
vision-AFP
US slams 16th delay of election as 'unacceptable-Daily
Star
Siniora's press office denies receiving request
from Cyprus for water-Daily
Star
Sison visits US-funded ISF training facility-Daily
Star
Kuwait appeals for unity over Hizbullah tensions-Daily
Star
March 14 alliance to unveil political platform-Daily
Star
We can all be Irish for a while: St. Patrick's day
in Lebanon-Daily
Star
Son of Cabinet member dies in London-Daily
Star
Lebanese national shot dead in Venezuela-Daily
Star
Archbishop expresses concern over political crisis-Daily
Star
Watchdog slams new media charter-Daily
Star
NGOs seek to improve lives in Kesrouan-Ftouh-Daily
Star
Legendary oak tree succumbs to elements-Daily
Star
Eco-tour group organizes Bekaa outing to mark
Women's Day-Daily
Star
Slump in Gulf tourists deals blow to struggling
tourism sector-AFP
Iran Unveils Hezbollah Commander Stamp-The
Associated Press
Allies of Syria and Iran Ready for War-Naharnet
Slump in Gulf tourists hits heart of Lebanon's economy-AFP
Sison Visits U.S.
Trained Lebanese Police-Naharnet
Suleiman to Safeguard
Taif Spirit and Confront Israeli Attacks
Lebanon's Shiites criticizes arrests of Shiite clergy in Kuwait-Monsters
and Critics.com
Palestinian Refugees of
Battered Nahr el-Bared Return Home-Naharnet
Rice: Israeli Settlement Announcement
'Unhelpful"-Naharnet
US: Lebanon vote delay 'unacceptable'-AFP
Vatican names 'new sins'.Reuters
Chamoun: Sunnis and Christians Reject Naturalization, Damascus is Capital of
Evil-Naharnet
Alloush: Syria could Facilitate Elections
to Make Summit a Success-Naharnet
MP. Mustafa Hashim
Blasts Syria, Iran for Exploiting Lebanon-Asharq
Alawsat
Report:
Hadley Tells Geagea of Strong U.S. Commitment for Free Lebanon
Naharnet/U.S. National Security Advisor Steven Hadley has told Lebanese Forces
leader Samir Geagea that the United States is strongly committed to help the
Lebanese in building an independent state, An Nahar daily quoted a White House
source as saying. "The United States is still strongly committed to help the
Lebanese people fulfill their dream of building a free, independent and
prosperous state," Hadley told Geagea in Washington on Monday, according to the
source. It said the talks touched on ways to help the Lebanese government
achieve such goals and U.S. worries about "continuous efforts" by Syria and
Hizbullah to "undermine" Premier Fouad Saniora's cabinet. The same source also
told An Nahar's correspondent in Washington that the Hadley-Geagea meeting
"reflects our appraisal of him as a major March 14 movement leader."The LF said
in a statement Monday that Geagea held talks at the White House with Hadley and
Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs John Hannah. It
said Geagea and his accompanying delegation discussed among other issues the
U.S. government's support for the Saniora government, including military and
economic aid. A source close to the LF said that Geagea discussed with the U.S.
officials the issues of the Shabaa Farms area and Lebanese prisoners held in
Israeli and Syrian jails. It said talks also focused on the status of
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and the need for an official U.S. stance on the
issue. The delegation rejected the naturalization of Palestinians in Lebanon,
the source added. Geagea is expected to meet with U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday, according to An Nahar. Beirut, 11 Mar 08, 05:43
Khalilzad: Hariri Tribunal Ready to Launch
Trials
Naharnet/U.S.
Ambassador to the U.N. Zalmay Khalilzad has said the international tribunal that
would try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri was ready to launch trials. "The U.N. has everything it needs for the
first year to activate the tribunal," Khalilzad said in remarks published
Tuesday. Khalilzad, who was speaking before a Security Council meeting in New
York to discuss U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon's sixth report on Resolution 1701, said
the contributions to finance the tribunal have reached more than $50 million,
including $21,3 in pledges. He said a "management committee" had been
established. The committee, which will among other tasks provide advice and
policy direction on all non-judicial aspects of the operations of the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon and oversee expenditures, is composed of France, Germany,
Holland, Britain, the United States and the United Nations, he added. Khalilzad
said progress has been made in the implementation of Resolution 1701, pointing
to the "cooperation" between the Lebanese army and the U.N. peacekeeping force
deployed in southern Lebanon, the $371 million donation from the U.S. to the
Lebanese army and Israel's approval to provide information about cluster bombs.
He called on other countries to contribute in order to strengthen the Lebanese
armed forces and urged both Hizbullah and Syria to stop "arms smuggling which is
in violation of the U.N. resolution" that ended the 34-day war between Israel
and the Shiite group in the summer of 2006.
Khalilzad reiterated the Bush administration's support of the "legitimate"
government of Prime Minister Fouad Saniora until a president is elected in
Lebanon. He accused Hizbullah, Syria "and possibly Iran" of setting new
conditions regarding the presidential election. "This is not acceptable,"
Khalilzad said. Meanwhile, Syria's ambassador to the U.N. Bashar Jaafari sent a
letter regarding Resolution 1701 in which he said that Washington's decision to
deploy warships off the coast of Lebanon "threatens Lebanon's security and
paralyzes UNIFIL's efforts." Beirut, 11 Mar 08, 08:38
Sfeir Worried Over Christian Presence in Lebanon
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir on Tuesday expressed concern over the
Christian presence in Lebanon amid an ongoing power struggle between the
government and the Hizbullah-led opposition. "The uncertainty we are
experiencing is originated by political issues interacted by ulterior motives
and selfishness," Sfeir said during the opening of a conference on "Christian
Presence" in Fatka, Lebanon. Beirut, 11 Mar 08, 23:48
Hizbullah Set for New War with Israel, Report
Naharnet/Hizbullah is all set for a new confrontation with the
Jewish state, a senior defense official told Israel's Ynet News, adding that the
Shiite group has completed its military and logistics preparations for war.
Hizbullah's preparations, according to Ynet News, reinforce the intelligence
estimate that a confrontation in northern Israel is "closer than a wide-scale"
conflict in the Gaza Strip. "This may be one of the reasons why the IDF (Israel
Defense Forces) is not rushing into a comprehensive operation in Gaza," Ynet
News said.
It said senior defense officials, including Defense Minister Ehud Barak,
admitted several months ago that in terms of Hizbullah's rocket arsenal, the
group has "closed the gaps" created after the 2006 summer war. The annual
intelligence review presented to Israeli cabinet ministers Sunday by officials
from the Shin Bet internal security service, Military Intelligence and the
Mossad, said the likelihood for a broad military operation against Hamas in 2008
was slim, according to Ynet News.
It said, however, the possibility that Hizbullah might "resume its violent acts
against Israel" is higher than the prospect of an escalation on other fronts.
"An escalation on one front may lead to a similar situation on additional
fronts," Ynet News said on its website. It said Hizbullah fighters are closely
monitoring movements by the Israeli army along the border with Lebanon. It said
Hizbullah's plans "focus both on the activity in southern Lebanon and in the
Bekaa Valley."
"Another estimate is that Hizbullah has decided to carry out a terror attack" in
response to the assassination of the party's top commander Imad Mughniyeh in
Damascus Feb. 12, Ynet News wrote. "Although there is no evidence that Israel
was involved in the killing, the organization (Hizbullah) will seek to respond
at the first opportunity it gets," Ynet News said. "These estimates illustrate
the risk in an escalation on the northern front this year, as expressed in the
intelligence briefing presented to the cabinet," it added. It said Israeli
troops were "preparing for such a possibility," undergoing excessive exercises
both among soldiers in compulsory service and among reserve forces. Beirut, 11
Mar 08, 10:25
Berri: Lebanon Solution Linked to Restoration of
Syrian-Saudi Ties
Naharnet/Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri stressed that a solution to the ongoing
political crisis in Lebanon "has been and will always be" linked to
normalization of ties between Syria and Saudi Arabia."Normalizing ties between
Syria and Saudi Arabia will reflect positively on Lebanon," Berri said in
remarks published on Tuesday. The speaker said he does not see any prospect for
a settlement to the Lebanon crisis "unless Arab reconciliation is achieved."
"If Arabs shake hands, we will quickly reconcile in Lebanon," Berri added.
Beirut, 11 Mar 08, 23:58
Kuwait Urges Unity after Tensions Over Mughniyeh Mourning
Naharnet/The Kuwaiti government has appealed for unity amid rising sectarian
tension in the Gulf state following demonstrations in support of Hizbullah's
slain commander Imad Mughniyeh. The government is becoming increasingly
concerned after hundreds of people took part in a rally last month to mourn
Mughniyeh who was killed in a Damascus car bombing on Feb. 12. The rally caused
uproar in the oil-rich emirate because Mughniyeh was accused of hijacking a
Kuwaiti plane two decades ago. "The cabinet urges citizens and the media to
avoid issues that could undermine our national unity and the solidarity of the
Kuwaiti people," said a statement issued after the weekly cabinet meeting
Monday. "We should work together to safeguard Kuwait's security and stability,"
said the statement. Since the rally, eight leading Shiite activists including
two former MPs and a prominent cleric have been arrested on charges of being
members of Hizbullah Kuwait, a previously unknown group. Two have been freed on
bail. Hundreds of angry Shiites demonstrated for the second day in a row on
Monday outside the interior ministry in Kuwait City to protest the detention of
Sheikh Hussein al-Maatouq. The protest came after the public prosecution
remanded the six activists for another day in police custody pending
investigation. "I call on Kuwaiti society... to be solidly united and steer
clear from these tensions... which are against our national interests,"
parliament speaker Jassem al-Khorafi told reporters.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 11
Mar 08, 04:37
US: Lebanon vote delay 'unacceptable'
WASHINGTON (AFP) — The White House on Monday condemned delays in Lebanon's
presidential vote as "unacceptable" and urged outside forces to stop meddling in
the deadlocked political process there. "We would highly encourage those who are
interfering from outside of Lebanon to cease and desist and allow the Lebanese
to move forward and elect a president," spokeswoman Dana Perino said. "We are
very concerned."
Such criticisms generally target Syria, which dominated its smaller neighbor
militarily for 29 years before withdrawing, under international pressure, in
2005.
Perino, speaking after Lebanon's speaker's office said that a parliamentary
session to elect the country's president had been postponed from Tuesday to
March 25, warned: "That continued delay is unacceptable."
The decision marks the 16th time since September that a parliament session to
elect a successor to pro-Syrian head of state Emile Lahoud has failed amid a
standoff between the Western-backed government and the Hezbollah-led opposition,
backed by Syria and Iran. Lebanon has been without a president since November,
when Lahoud's term ended. The political crisis is the worst since the end of the
country's 1975-1990 civil war.
'Coexistence, Lebanon's only option'
Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:45:28
Press TV:
Francis Fukuyama speaks at Dubai School of Government
Renowned US philosopher Francis Fukuyama voices his worries for Lebanon's
crisis, saying there is no alternative to coexistence…but war.
"I am worried for Lebanon these days. The problem is their political system is
very strict," said Fukuyama in an interview with Lebanon's Al-Nahar Monday on
the sidelines of his lecture at Dubai School of Government.
"Suffice it to say that the country did not reach a census since 1933," he said.
"However the social situation on the ground has changed since then. The system
seems flexible enough to redistribute power peacefully."
"I hope the country's situation does not lead to Balkanization."
"In any case, Lebanon is in a delicate stage of its history and I do not want to
provide tips. But I think there is no alternative to the formula of coexistence
[between Lebanese political parties] but war," he said.
"No one wants a return to civil war. Therefore I assume that the Lebanese should
reach a formula to live and they should reach peaceful regulations and laws
which allow them to live in this way," he aded.
Russia Criticizes US Ships Off Lebanon
By EDITH M. LEDERER – 7 hours ago
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia told the U.N. Security Council on Monday that the
presence of U.S. Navy warships in the Mediterranean off the coast of Lebanon was
not helping resolve the political crisis in Lebanon. Russia's U.N. Ambassador
Vitaly Churkin, the current council president, said he raised the U.S.
deployment at a closed council meeting on implementation of the U.N. cease-fire
resolution that ended the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah militants in
Lebanon in August 2006. "We pointed out the fact that basically all Lebanese
political forces expressed their concern about that, including the government of
Prime Minister (Fuad) Saniora, and we have said that such acts were bringing up
some unwanted historical analogies," he said.
"So we did not see it as a constructive contribution to the situation in
Lebanon," Churkin said. Saniora's Western-backed government and the
Hezbollah-led opposition have been locked in a 15-month power struggle, with
Hezbollah and its allies trying to force out Saniora's administration. The
deadlock has prevented the country from electing a president since November,
leaving the post empty in a dangerous power vacuum. U.S. Ambassador Zalmay
Khalilzad said he doesn't believe the presence of U.S. destroyers is hampering
efforts by the Lebanese to resolve the political crisis. "We've had forces in
the Mediterranean, in the region for some time," he said. "Those forces are
there to protect our interests and to be able to deal with any contingency that
might develop."
Lebanon: MP Blasts Syria, Iran for Exploiting
Lebanon
10/03/2008
By Sawsan Abu-Husain
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat- Member of the Future Trend Bloc in the Lebanese Chamber
of Deputies Mustafa Hashim has levied stinging criticism at Syria and Iran,
saying that both countries have exploited his country to achieve gains in their
conflict with the United States and Israel.
Hashim told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Arab nations "are aware and understand that
Syria is hindering the solution in Lebanon," and that if Syria objects to the
fact that "the Shab'a Farms are Lebanese," it has to present the maps that prove
this.
Deputy Hashim stresses that deciding who represents Lebanon at the Arab summit
is not in the hands of Prime Minister Fouad al-Siniora, "but it is in the hands
of the Council of Ministers collectively," because it is the entity that
performs the duties of the president in the light of the current presidential
vacuum. Hashim emphasizes that the Future Trend wishes "not to link the
convening of the Arab summit (scheduled to be held in Damascus at the end of
this month) to the election of the Lebanese president."
Hashim points out that the memorandum that he presented as a member of the
Lebanese parliamentary delegation to both Arab League Secretary-General Amr Musa
and Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu-al-Ghayt during the delegation's recent
visit to Cairo included the demand for the demarcation of the borders with
Syria; saying that, "The Shab'a Farms are Lebanese. These are the borders of
Lebanon, and if Syria objects, it has to show us the maps [that prove its
claim]."
Regarding the possibility of dialogue with Syria to put an end to the current
disputes, Deputy Hashim says that the Lebanese dialogue table has shown in the
past the importance of establishing normal relations with Syria, and "at the
Chamber of Deputies all agreed, both the majority and the opposition, on the
need for the demarcation of the borders and the establishment of diplomatic
relations [with Syria]; then Prime Minister Fouad al-Siniora went to Syria, but
unfortunately the dialogue did not continue."
With regard to the fear that the entire aim of the Arab initiative is only to
elect the Lebanese president, and to keep the government of current Prime
Minister Fouad al-Siniora as it is, the Lebanese deputy explained that, "Such
fears are unfounded, because as soon as the president is elected, the government
will submit its resignation, and a new government will be formed. However, this
solution is hindered by the Lebanese opposition, with Iran and Syria behind it.
Iran wants to keep the Lebanese card as a hostage in its dialogue with the
United States about its nuclear dossier, and Syria wants to exploit the Lebanese
card to strengthen its position in the negotiations with Israel if there is
peace."
Regarding assurances requested by the opposition at the quadripartite dialogue
sponsored by the Arab League secretary-general, the Lebanese deputy points out
that the majority has asked for the participation of all in the decision on war
and peace: "This should be a unanimous Lebanese decision, and not in the hands
of a single group on the Lebanese arena. His Eminence Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah
has declared an open war on Israel after the assassination of Imad Mughniyah,
and by this Hezbollah wants the decision of war to be left up to it."
Hashim says that the recent visit by the majority delegation to Egypt was to
deliver a memorandum to Musa and Abu-al-Ghayt to stress the importance of the
Arab initiative in resolving the Lebanese crisis on the basis that it is the
only initiative that is capable of settling and resolving the crisis. He added
that, "The majority has offered all the facilities to make the initiative
succeed. The memorandum (presented to the Arab League and Cairo officials)
explains the viewpoint of the majority with regard to the identification of
those who place obstacles in the way of the initiative, and the memorandum also
includes the demand for the demarcation of the borders with Syria."
With regard to whether the international tribunal still is behind the Lebanese
crisis, Deputy Hashim told Asharq Al-Awsat that "We believe so, and we believe
that Hezbollah is under pressure. It is well known that the opposition ministers
withdrew from the government when the issue of the tribunal was presented, and
then they resigned from the government after the system of the tribunal was
ratified at the Council of Ministers. They said: We have reservations. We asked
them to submit these reservations to the Lebanese people and to the UN Security
Council, or to the Chamber of Deputies, but they refused."
With regard to whether the disarming of Hezbollah is at the core of the problems
of the Lebanese crisis, Deputy Hashim stressed that, "No one in Lebanon talks
about disarming Hezbollah. Everybody is calling for drawing up a defense
strategy of which the weapons of Hezbollah are a part." Hashim explains that
Sheikh Saad al-Hariri, leader of the Future Trend, has stressed that the article
about the disarming of Hezbollah in the UN Security Council resolution is
rejected, and "it is the subject of discussion among the Lebanese groups within
the framework of a common defense strategy."
The Drums of War in Lebanon
10/03/2008
By: Hussein Shobokshi
The drums of war are beating in Lebanon and its leaders are loudly welcoming
violence and destruction. It is as if the Lebanese and their leaders are craving
some kind of disaster as they have failed to learn their lessons from the crisis
of 1958 or the 1975 civil war that together lasted for over 20 years.
Lebanon is being dragged into a new war. The time has come for people to be
killed, for the homeland to be uprooted, for freedom to be restricted, for the
dream to be terminated and for coexistence to end.
The Lebanese dream was over before it begun. The Lebanese used to take pride in
the fact that they had somewhere to be attached to; this is no longer the case.
Lebanon is near its end at the will and satisfaction of its leaders and their
supporters. There are no solutions and there is no place for rationalism and
conscience and perhaps they no longer have a place in their hearts for Lebanon.
All options are possible.
The countdown to the battle has begun. There are those who benefit from war and
destruction, which is an unfortunate situation. They have succeeded in
eradicating the Lebanon that once was, as coexistence and freedom disappeared,
agreement ended and division transformed from a taboo word to a “reality”
experienced by everyone. Allegations and justifications to prolong the situation
became too much. But the truth is clear and irreproachable; nobody cares about
Lebanon especially its leader who beat the drums of war that will destroy the
country and leave nothing behind.
Khalil Gibran Khalil made no mistake when he truthfully wrote about the vast
differences between his Lebanon and the Lebanon of others. While the former is
an aesthetic, civilised and ideal vision of what Lebanon should be, the second
is a vision in which there is no room for goodness, hope or dreams.
Lebanon today is on its last legs. If one day they used to say that little
Lebanon is protected by the persistence of its people then Lebanon will continue
to be a distant memory of what should have and could have been. But the Lebanese
will not wake up from the joy of self torture, which has been practiced for a
long time. They will only realise after it is too late, after a full generation
of its hopeful children has passed away and opportunities for peace and the
promises of the future have vanished.
Let the Lebanese enjoy the seeds that they have sown in their Lebanon. Let them
be happy with those who fought for power, those obsessed with leadership and
those who are deluded by their victories. Let them all taste disappointment.
Forget Lebanon and let it enjoy what its leaders are offering. Forget Lebanon
and let it see the results of its leaders’ thoughts. Let them enjoy it as they
beat the drums of destruction and death.
***Hussein Shobokshi
A Businessman and prominent columnist. Mr. Shobokshi hosts the weekly current
affairs program Al Takreer on Al Arabiya, and in 1995, he was chosen as one of
the "Global Leaders for Tomorrow" by the World Economic Forum. He received his
B.A. in Political Science and Management from the University of Tulsa.
Vatican lists "new sins," including pollution
By Philip Pullella
Posted Mon Mar 10, 2008 6:00am PDT
A faithful holds the cross during a mass at a Catholic church on the outskirts
of Changzhi, Shanxi province December 23, 2007. The Vatican has told the
faithful that they should be aware of 'new' sins such as causing environmental
blight. (Stringer/Reuters) VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Thou shall not pollute the
Earth. Thou shall beware genetic manipulation. Modern times bring with them
modern sins. So the Vatican has told the faithful that they should be aware of
"new" sins such as causing environmental blight. The guidance came at the
weekend when Archbishop Gianfranco Girotti, the Vatican's number two man in the
sometimes murky area of sins and penance, spoke of modern evils. Asked what he
believed were today's "new sins," he told the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore
Romano that the greatest danger zone for the modern soul was the largely
uncharted world of bioethics. "(Within bioethics) there are areas where we
absolutely must denounce some violations of the fundamental rights of human
nature through experiments and genetic manipulation whose outcome is difficult
to predict and control," he said.
The Vatican opposes stem cell research that involves destruction of embryos and
has warned against the prospect of human cloning.
Girotti, in an interview headlined "New Forms of Social Sin," also listed
"ecological" offences as modern evils. In recent months, Pope Benedict has made
several strong appeals for the protection of the environment, saying issues such
as climate change had become gravely important for the entire human race. Under
Benedict and his predecessor John Paul, the Vatican has become progressively
"green." It has installed photovoltaic cells on buildings to produce electricity
and hosted a scientific conference to discuss the ramifications of global
warming and climate change, widely blamed on human use of fossil fuels. Girotti,
who is number two in the Vatican "Apostolic Penitentiary," which deals with
matter of conscience, also listed drug trafficking and social and economic
injustices as modern sins. But Girotti also bemoaned that fewer and fewer
Catholics go to confession at all. He pointed to a study by Milan's Catholic
University that showed that up to 60 percent of Catholic faithful in Italy
stopped going to confession. In the sacrament of Penance, Catholics confess
their sins to a priest who absolves them in God's name.
But the same study by the Catholic University showed that 30 percent of Italian
Catholics believed that there was no need for a priest to be God's intermediary
and 20 percent felt uncomfortable talking about their sins to another
person.(Editing by Keith Weir)
With brothers like Syria , who needs enemies?
Monday, 10 March, 2008 @ 8:16 PM
By: Ali Hussein, Ya Libnan Volunteer
Beirut - For the sixteenth time the Lebanese elections of a president for the
republic have been postponed by the pro-Syrian Speaker Nabih Berri and all
fingers are pointed at Syria for blocking the vote.
Lebanon has been without a president since November 23 , when the pro-Syrian
president Emile Lahoud had to step down at the end of his extended term. Syria ,
during its occupation of Lebanon forced the Lebanese parliament to extend
Lahoud's term in 2004 . Syria's president Bashar al -Assad back then threatened
Lebanon's former Prime minister Rafik Hariri to destroy Lebanon if Lahoud term
was not extended.
Hariri was assassinated on February 14 , 2005 in a massive explosion in downtown
Beirut. Syria was accused of being behind the murder.
The Cedar Revolution erupted following Hariri's murder and held on March 14 the
largest protest in the Lebanese history urging Syria to get out of Lebanon.
Under pressure by over 1 million Lebanese that marched in downtown Beirut and
helped by International pressure Syria had to withdraw its troops from Lebanon
in April 2005 after 29 years of occupation.
The Syrian troops may have left , but Syrian intelligence remained in Lebanon
and its Hezbollah-led allies continued its influence and... the assassinations
continued
Here is a chronology of attacks on politicians and other figures in Lebanon
since former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri was killed with 22 other people in
2005
June 2, 2005 - Samir Kassir, journalist opposed to Syria's role in Lebanon, was
killed in Beirut by a bomb in his car.
June 21 - Former Communist Party leader and critic of Syria George Hawi was
killed in Beirut by a bomb in his car.
July 12 - Car bomb wounded caretaker Defense Minister Elias al-Murr and kills
one person in a Christian area north of Beirut.
Sept 25 - May Chidiac, a Christian television journalist critical of Syria, was
seriously wounded by bomb in her car.
Dec 12 - Gebran Tueni, staunchly anti-Syrian member of parliament and Lebanese
newspaper magnate, was killed by a car bomb in Beirut.
Nov 21, 2006 - Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel was killed by gunmen. U.N.
Security Council approves plans for tribunal to try suspects in the
assassination of Hariri and subsequent attacks.
June 13, 2007 - Anti-Syrian parliamentarian Walid Eido and six other people
killed by a car bomb near a Beirut beach club.
Sept 19 - Car bomb in Beirut kills seven people, including anti-Syrian Christian
lawmaker Antoine Ghanem.
Dec 12 - Car bomb killed Brigadier General Francois al-Hajj, the army's head of
operations, and a bodyguard in a Christian town east of Beirut. He had been
tipped to become the next army chief to replace General Michel Suleiman who was
nominated to be the next president
Jan 15, 2008 - A car bomb attack in a Christian area of Beirut kills at least
three people and wounds 16, in an explosion that damaged a U.S. embassy car and
destroyed others.
Jan 25 - Wisam Eid, a captain in a Lebanese police intelligence unit, is killed
in a bomb explosion in mainly Christian east Beirut. At least five other people
die in the attack. Eid knew more about the assassination of Rafik Hariri more
than anyone else in Lebanon.
Syria was accused of being behind all the above assassinations , but Syria
denies any wrongdoing
But Syria along with its allies have been fighting the establishment of the
International Tribunal to try the killers of Hariri and the related crimes.
Many observers are of the opinion that Syria's price for ending the blocking of
the elections of a president is the scrapping of the International Tribunal.
The Arab League members met in January 2008 and issued a three point plan to end
the Lebanese political crises . Syrian Foreign Minister was in the meeting and
voted for the plan.
The Arab league Secretary General Amr Moussa visited Lebanon four times since
the plan was adopted to try to resolve the crises , but in the end he gave up
because he finally realized that the opposition may be physically in Lebanon ,
but its orders are coming from Syria with the help of Iran. Moussa visited Syria
twice since his first visit to Lebanon this year , but to no avail . Syria
continued to block the election of a Lebanese president .
The three point Arab peace initiative /plan calls for the immediate election of
the president to be followed by the formation of a national unity government
based on the constitution, to be followed by a new electoral law . A step by
step approach for ending the crises .
But Lebanon's Iranian and Syrian backed opposition has refused to elect Army
chief General Michel Suleiman as president unless their basket of demands is
agreed to by the ruling majority. The basket includes a government of national
unity in which the opposition will have a veto power, approval of all the
government top appointments and holding parliamentary elections based on 1960
electoral law.
All the demands by the opposition amount to the return of the Syrian occupation
according to the leaders of the anti-Syrian March 14 alliance .
An Arab summit is scheduled to be held in Syria at the end of March and since
Lebanon is a founding member of the Arab league , everyone expected that Syria
will cooperate by telling its allies to go ahead and vote for Suleiman and end
the crises. Everyone was hopeful that tomorrow will be the day when Lebanon will
have a president ..but alas this won't happen as evidenced by the 16th
postponement by Syria's ally Berri. The date is now set for March 25th , 4 days
before the summit in Damascus, but few are optimistic about the prospects of
electing a president on that date.
The majority of the Lebanese are outraged at Syria for its continued efforts to
destabilize the country .
Dory Chamoun the head of the National Liberal Party of Lebanon declared Monday
after a meeting with Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani, the Mufti of the republic "
Damascus is the capital of evil for Lebanon"
Lebanon's leading columnist MP Ghassan Tueni on Monday sounded the alarm,
accusing Syria and Iran of seeking to unleash total chaos in Lebanon and warning
that Lebanon's fire could eat up all the Middle East.
"Hands off Lebanon," out cried Tueni in an article setting the options under the
headline "pacify Lebanon or (face) mass suicide" and published by the leading
Lebanese daily an-Nahar.
Back in October 2007 Egyptian Foreign Minister Abul Gheit urged foreign states
not to interfere in the Lebanese presidential vote, echoing an outcry by the
late Anwar Sadat: "Hands off Lebanon." "It is up to the Lebanese people to
decide themselves," Abul Gheit said. The late Egyptian President Sadat launched
his famous "hands off Lebanon" outcry in the mid-1970s, during the early stages
of the civil war that lasted until 1990
The Lebanese people are going to have to rely on the current Arab leaders to
tell Syria "hands off Lebanon" and to tell Syria " there won't be a summit in
Damascus , if the Lebanese president will not be there and that no Arab leader
will attend if there is no Lebanese president ".
Lebanon's prime minister Fouad Siniora said last week that it is important to
correct the Lebanese-Syrian relations
Syria does not recognize Lebanon as an independent state , refuses to demarcate
the border with Lebanon and refuses to establish diplomatic relations. This is
what Siniora was referring to .
Siniora also was quoted as saying Lebanon may be too small country but it is too
big to swallow
The majority of the Lebanese are sick and tired of Syria's attitude towards
Lebanon. Syria tries to pretend to be a brotherly nation but one analyst decried
Syria's attitude when he said:" with brothers like Syria who needs enemies ?
The way to exit from Lebanon's morass
By Paul Salem
Commentary by
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Clouds of war hover over Lebanon. The country is adrift without a president and
with a contested government as well as a Parliament whose doors have been closed
since late 2006. Tensions between rival groups spill over regularly into street
clashes amid news that they are arming and training. The tense calm between
Hizbullah and Israel may be broken as Hizbullah vows to retaliate for the
assassination of Imad Mughniyeh, its head of operations. Israeli actions in Gaza
are adding fuel to the fire. Syria is increasingly nervous as the establishment
of the Hariri tribunal nears; and the United States and Saudi Arabia are raising
the pressure on Damascus through political, financial and, recently, naval
means.
Is there a safe passage through this morass? Domestically, the steps that we
Lebanese should take are clear. Open-ended bargaining should end in favor of a
constitutionally sound approach. This begins by electing a president - and
luckily there is a consensus candidate - enabling the president to fulfill his
function as empowered patron of the political negotiation process. This process
should lead to the formation of a government - especially one of national unity
that includes all major groups and that can rebuild, under the president's
aegis, Lebanon's shattered internal unity. This would help shield the country
from the gathering regional storms.
Among this government's first goals would be to attend to Lebanon's defense and
security framework. First it must strengthen the army. It is scandalous that
after four years in which the Lebanese Army has kept the peace under very
difficult conditions and won a critical battle against the Fatah al-Islam
terrorist group, and at a time when the army is tasked with bolstering the
sovereignty and independence of the state, it has received very little in terms
of regional and international support. While Hizbullah has fully rearmed and
while international fleets sail up and down the Lebanese coast, the Lebanese
Army has received little more than partial logistical support and used Humvees
to accomplish its gargantuan tasks.
Furthermore, with Hizbullah inside the new government, the government must
develop a "national defense strategy" that incorporates Hizbullah's proven force
and fighting capacity into the strengthened national army. This can come in the
form of a border defense force or other such arrangements that exist in other
countries. Ultimate war and peace decision-making, however, must be in the hands
of the state, and ultimate command over military means must be in the hands of
the army. The state and reconstructed army, however, must provide very credible
answers to the recurring threat of Israeli attacks against the South and must
include a realistic mechanism to finally control the Lebanese-Syrian border.
On the political front, the new government's most urgent task is to adopt an
electoral law. The current Parliament's term ends in June 2009 and the way
things are going today we are likely to arrive at that date without having been
able to hold elections, thus entering into a period of even more complete
institutional bankruptcy than today. To hold the elections we must draft an
electoral law by the fall of 2008 at the latest. The government should at long
last open and read the proposed draft law prepared by the government-appointed
National Election Commission in June 2006, which I participated in drafting.
That should be the starting point for debating electoral reform, not backroom
deals by political bosses.
That law proposes lowering the voting age, creating an independent electoral
management body, enabling expatriate voting, strictly controlling the abuse of
money in campaigns, strictly controlling the abuse of private television
stations, preventing vote-rigging, introducing measures to protect voting
secrecy and to combat vote buying, and boosting women's representation. These
measures would have a revolutionary effect on politics in Lebanon - measures
that most political bosses from both camps today would probably not favor.
The law also introduces proportional representation, which would allow diverse
groups and parties to enter Parliament so that each community is not represented
merely by its communal bosses. Elections are the basis of any republic; and a
truly reformed electoral law is the most important step to help rebuild our
ruined political culture.
At the regional level, there is continuing need for international attention.
Israel must be pressured to avert an onslaught on Gaza, which risks once again
drawing Lebanon and other players into conflict. Iran, Syria and Hizbullah must
be dissuaded from overreacting to Mughniyeh's assassination. Pressure must
continue on Syria to reverse its policies in Lebanon - both with the aim of
ending the threat of assassination against anti-Syrian politicians and pushing
Damascus to compel its Lebanese allies to rejoin the constitutional process.
Syria must be convinced of a two-state solution: Syria and Lebanon, sovereign
states, living side by side.
As for the Hariri tribunal, its creation should be advanced quickly. The
institution has hung over Lebanon and Syria for three years, and it is time that
the truth comes out, that justice be done, and that Syria and Lebanon deal with
the serious political repercussions that might follow from its conclusions. Only
after facing those truths and overcoming them can the two countries look forward
to a post-tribunal relationship.
**Paul Salem is director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. He wrote
this commentary for THE DAILY STAR.
Deputies and Salaries
Ghassan Charbel
Al-Hayat - 10/03/08//
The Arab politician said he was pessimistic about the future situation in
Lebanon: Thick fog, no visibility, deep divisions, and horrible interferences.
He spoke about a struggle of axes in Lebanon and a struggle of axes over
Lebanon. In his opinion, all the issues of the region are present in the land of
the Cedars: the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Iranian nuclear file, the
Iranian-American tug-of-war, the inter-Arab conflicts, the struggle over
regional leadership, the aftermath of war in Iraq, the international
resolutions, the arms of the resistance, and the international tribunal.
The politician confirmed his love for Lebanon. He considers it an Arab need par
excellence. He sees in Lebanon an experience of coexistence and openness whose
failure would ultimately reflect on Arab conditions. He has no clue where
Lebanon is heading. Civil war is unlikely for now, but there are no guarantees
that this would always be the case. Nothing indicates that this country will
become another Algeria…the circumstances and the institutions are different.
Another Cyprus in this country is also too difficult to attain. An Iraqi
scenario is more likely. It is possible to speak of an Afghani scenario. The
continued deterioration of state institutions is pushing Lebanon to the ranks of
collapsed states. If so, a Somali experience may be the most likely scenario in
the end.
The weather was lovely and the boats glittered on the surface of the river. I
felt proud to belong to a country whose leaders insist on keeping it in the
headlines and news bulletins. Nothing matches the feeling of belonging to a
country that is promised to become another Algeria, Cyprus, Iraq, Afghanistan or
Somalia. I felt deep gratitude to all those who have contributed to this
promising future, both among the Lebanese and non-Lebanese. I felt very grateful
to a country that insists on learning nothing from its own tragedies or the
tragedies of others.
The politician sensed my discomfort with this meal of choices. He realized how
upset I was with those who have turned Lebanon into a mop and transformed its
dignity into a doormat. He decided to introduce some banter to the tragic
scenario. He said that if he were Lebanese, his job of choice would be
parliament membership. He noted a level of luxury unknown in the history of
world parliaments. Deputies have been getting paid for almost fifteen months
without doing the work they were elected to do. Some of them have showed up on
cable TV screens many more times than showing up at the Place d'Etoile. A few
have even become celebrities, competing for fame with the likes of Mahmoud
Yassin, Nour al-Cherif, Yahya Fakharani and Adel Imam.
I felt deeply disgraced. I told him that generalization was unfair in this
context and pointed his attention to the fact that entering Lebanon's parliament
might guarantee an easy salary but it might expose one to the risk of
assassination. He laughed and said that he did not necessarily have to belong to
the March 14 camp. In this case, he would prefer to belong to the opposite camp,
and more specifically to be associated with General Michel Aoun. Such
association, he pointed, would give him incredible flexibility in dealing with
all issues without exception: the arms of the resistance, the Syrian role, the
blocking third, and the international tribunal. Even on the issue of
assassinations, he could condemn the assassination and accuse the victim's
family of using the blood of their son to achieve political gains. I commented
saying that this reading of the conduct of Aoun's Movement bore injustice, but
he immediately responded by saying that he liked the general and appreciated him
but still believes that he poorly placed himself while allowing some of his
followers to carry him away. He also added that the general would eventually
turn out to be among the biggest losers.
The politician called for what he referred to as the "Spring Truce." Speaker
Nabih Berri would call upon all deputies who refuse to attend presidential
electoral session to donate their salaries since the closure of parliament to
the families of workers whose jobs were terminated at closed or stumbling
businesses as a result of the opposition sit-in in the central district of the
capital. Speaker Berri would then demand all local and Arab cable TV stations
not to host Lebanese deputies to avoid revealing the Lebanese dirty laundry at
home and overseas. Any deputy who makes an appearance on TV screens must be
punished, warned, accused, threatened to have his salary and pension cut, and
forced to attend at Parliament even if no sessions were held.
I do not share the suggestions made by the Arab politicians. It is true that
they may be beneficial for Lebanon, but they would be harmful to our colleagues
at satellite TV stations. In addition to this, I personally think that Speaker
Berri is too tender-hearted to raise the issue of deputies and salaries