LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
May 05/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 17,1-11. When Jesus had said this, he raised his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began.  I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours,  and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them.
And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for May 04/08
Jumblat Hammers Hizbullah 'Before they March in My Funeral … Or that of Saad Hariri" -Naharnet
Saniora for 'Sound' Relations with Syria -Naharnet
Moussa Leaves Stressing on Dialogue -Naharnet
Barak: Hizbullah's Missiles Can Reach Dimona -Naharnet
Army Sappers Detonate Bomb Near Lebanese Forces Office -Naharnet
Murr Wants Legal Action Against Beirut Airport Reconnoiters -Naharnet
Iranians Suspected of Monitoring Geagea's Residence -Naharnet
Moussa Expects Berri-Hariri Meeting, Presidential Election -Naharnet
National Liberal Party: Election Prior to Dialogue -Naharnet
Hizbullah Criticizes Jumblat, Geagea -Naharnet
Hamadeh Asks Government to Discuss Hizbullah Telephones -Naharnet
Jumblat: Hizbullah Monitors Beirut Airport, Attack Appears Imminent -Naharnet
Moussa: Persisting Presidential Void is 'Serious' Issue -Naharnet
Hizbullah Prides Itself on Being on U.S. Terrorist List -Naharnet
World Powers Agree New Offer to Iran on Nuclear File -Naharnet
Rice: Israelis, Palestinians Should Agree on Final Borders -Naharnet

Jumblat Hammers Hizbullah "Before they March in My Funeral … Or that of Saad Hariri"
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat Accused the Airport Security department of loyalty to Hizbullah, called for banning flights by Iranian jetliners and said the Iranian ambassador should be asked to Leave Lebanon. Jumblat, addressing a press conference at his ancestral palace in Mukhtara, also accused the Hizbullah-controlled Jihad al-Binaa institute of maintaining "a base" overlooking Beirut airport. He said Hizbullah has built its own communications network that also is linked to Syria. He said such practices by Hizbullah were tantamount to declaring its own state.Methods applied to monitor the possible smuggling of weapons through Beirut airport in line with UNSCR 1701 are "worthless as long as commander of the airport security department is penetrated by Hizbullah" Jumblat said. Jumblat charged that Hizbullah's security chief Wafiq Safa practices "security control over Beirut Airport and he decides whether it is allowed to the Army and police to move.""They can practice abductions and assassinations along the airport road or runway number 17," Jumblat said. He accused "Syria's gangs" of killing chief of the army's military operations Gen. Francois Hajj. Jumblat said areas off limits to state security are "reservoirs for booby trapped cars." He said the police department's counter-terrorism expert Wissam Eid had been assassinated "following his success in detecting certain communication related to the Hariri assassination."Jumblat said he has decided to disclose such information "before people march in my funeral or that of (Mustaqbal Movement leader) Saad Hariri."He accused Syrian President Bashar Assad's Regime of possible involvement in the Feb. 12 assassination of Hizbullah's Imad Mughniyeh "being a witness to the Hariri assassination" in 2005. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's Freedom of Movement is "limited," Jumblat said. He said the March 14 majority alliance accepts the 1960 election law "with some amendments.""We have welcomed the formation of a national unity government, but they don't want a president or a government or parliamentary elections," Jumblat charged. Beirut, 03 May 08, 11:25

Saniora for 'Sound' Relations with Syria
Naharnet/Premier Fouad Saniora has called for "the best relations with Syria under the Arab umbrella."Saniora made the call in an address at a dinner he hosted Friday for participants in the Arab Economic Forum. He said Lebanon' wants "sound relations with Syria based on mutual respect for the independence and sovereignty of each of the two states." Saniora, addressing Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa who was invited to the banquet, said: "We are determined on working towards ending this (Lebanese-Syrian) problem by speeding up the election of a president."The Majority Premier also said sit-ins launched by the Hizbullah-led opposition since Dec. 1, 2006, should be "eliminated, constitutional institutions should be reactivated and the economy should receive a boost."
Beirut, 03 May 08, 13:23

Moussa Leaves Stressing on Dialogue
Naharnet/Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa on Saturday time has come to resume dialogue among the Lebanese leaders "within a time frame that leads to the election of a president." Moussa, talking to reporters at Beirut Airport, said "talks I held in Beirut were encouraging."He said electing a president is "vital for Lebanon's stability."Moussa denied reports that Syria was not setting a schedule for him to visit Damascus because Saudi Arabia has not facilitated a visit to Riyadh by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. "These are mere fabrications by the Lebanese media,| Moussa said. Beirut, 03 May 08, 12:47

Barak: Hizbullah's Missiles Can Reach Dimona
Naharnet/Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned that Hizbullah has "thousands of missiles" that can reach as far as the nuclear site in Dimona.
He told Yedioth Ahronot: "We have taken several lessons from the latest war and we are ready now more than ever to face the enemy on different fronts," Barak noted. Commenting on the suggestion by Israeli PM Ehud Olmert to withdraw from the Syrian Golan Heights, Barak said it was in Israel's interest.
"Yet, this has a price," he noted. Beirut, 03 May 08, 12:04 '

Army Sappers Detonate Bomb Near Lebanese Forces Office
Naharnet/Army Sappers on Saturday safely detonated an explosive charge planed near the Lebanese Forces office in the town of Byaqout, north of Beirut.
The charge was made up of a hand grenade, the safety pin on which had been removed, and set to detonate if moved. Army sappers detonated the charge in place after covering it with dirt. No casualties were reported. Beirut, 03 May 08, 11:40

Murr Wants Legal Action Against Beirut Airport Reconnoiters
Naharnet/Beirut Airport Security commander Brig. Gen. Wafiq Shqeir has informed superiors that he coordinated with Hizbullah to investigate a report about a camera monitoring a runway and found out that it belonged to the Hizbullah-sponsored Jihad al-Binaa institute.  Meanwhile, Defense Minister Elias Murr, who had asked for the investigation, referred the issue to the General Prosecutor's office requesting legal action regarding the case that falls within the lines of "preparation for a terrorist act against state security, security of officials using executive jets in addition to security of the army deployed in the airport and private airline companies."
Shqeir, in a memo published by the daily an-Nahar, reported that the camera, the container it was concealed in and other containers belonged to Jihad al-Binaa Institute and were not placed within the airport compound and its immediate vicinity, which means that the suspicious objects were not in an area under the jurisdiction of Shqeir's security department. The wireless monitoring cameras, according to Shqeir's report, were placed to guard against trespassers and thieves within the framework of security arrangements applied by the Jihad al-Binaa institute. An-Nahar published copies of three documents related to the incident of Beirut Airport monitoring that has been blamed on Hizbullah. The first document, dated April 30, was a memo addressed by Defense Minister Elias Murr to the military intelligence directorate asking for a "detailed report" regarding a camera monitoring Beirut Airport. Murr said in his memo that the response by the military intelligence directorate would be referred to Premier Fouad Saniora, Interior Minister Hassan Sabaa, the Central Security Council and the office of the General prosecutor's Office. That indicated that the issue would be followed up further by the government and might be referred to the general prosecution for legal action.
The second memo, also dated April 30, was issued by Director of military intelligence Brig. Gen. Khoury in response to Murr's memo. The third document, dated May 2, was issued by Shqeir. Khoury's report said the military intelligence informed Shqeir of the suspicious object on April 23.
However, Shqeir's memo said he was informed of the issue a day later, on April 24.
Khoury's report said three people in civilian outfits took the camera out of the container on April 28.
Shqeir's report said a joint team, including members of Hizbullah, checked the suspicious container on April 28, noting that the location is used by Jihad al-Binaa and the cameras are part of the security arrangements adopted by the institute to guard against trespassers and thieves, noting that the location is not within the airport's security perimeter. Shqeir's report, as published by an-Nahar, did not disclose further details pertaining to what happened to the monitoring camera, or what it had monitored specifically and whether it was capable of monitoring the airport's western runway used by executive jets.
Murr had noted in his memo that the camera was also capable of monitoring the military Air Base, the airport's VIP Lounge and posed a "direct threat to state security."Murr, in his memo, noted that the western runway, presumably monitored by the camera, had been used by Saniora, Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri and the defense Minister of Spain. Beirut, 03 May 08, 09:23

Iranians Suspected of Monitoring Geagea's Residence
Naharnet/Three Iranians and a Lebanese man living in Hizbullah-controlled south Beirut were arrested last week on charges of monitoring the residence of Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea in Meerab, security sources reported Friday. The report came hours after Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat accused Hizbullah of monitoring a Beirut airport runway used by executive jets and warned against a terrorist attack targeting an aircraft using the facility.
The sources told a local newsletter the four men were spotted in a rented car near Geagea's residence last week. Upon checking the plate number of the red-painted car it was found owned by a car rental company based in south Beirut and it had been rented to three Iranians and a Lebanese man.  Police interrogated the four who claimed to have lost their way as they were on a trip along the "Jesus Trail", and ended up in Meerab, northeast of Beirut. Jesus Christ, according to biblical history, visited south Lebanon and may have reached as far as the Sidon coastline, 45 kilometers south of Beirut. Meerab, however, is almost 80 kilometers north of Sidon. One of the Iranian suspects said in his testimony that he visits Lebanon because he is married to a Lebanese woman. The two others said they were students at the Beirut Arab University and the Islamic University, respectively. The three, however, did not know Arabic and asked for interpretation to Farsi during their interrogation, which sounded strange, especially for alleged students at BAU and IU that teach in Arabic. The three also said they resided in an apartment owned by a Lebanese friend in south Beirut, a Hizbullah stronghold that is off limits to Lebanese police and state authority. It also could not be determined why the Iranian, who claims to be married to a Lebanese woman, was residing with friends in south Beirut and not with his wife's parents. The four were set free after the investigation, but lawyers following up the case demanded further interrogation of the four in light of contradictions in their testimonies. However, the Iranian embassy officially asked the Lebanese judiciary to postpone for four days the issuing of a subpoena, the central news agency reported.Mystery shrouds whereabouts of the four, while Geagea's lawyers demand expanded investigation with them in light of information about a possible attack targeting residence of the Lebanese Forces leader either by rockets or projectiles loaded with chemical or biological warheads, the report added. Beirut, 02 May 08, 15:50