LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِApril 07/2010

Bible Of the Day
Ezekiel 34/3-11: "You eat the fat, and you clothe yourself with the wool, you kill the fatlings; but you don’t feed the sheep. 34:4 You haven’t strengthened the diseased, neither have you healed that which was sick, neither have you bound up that which was broken, neither have you brought back that which was driven away, neither have you sought that which was lost; but with force and with rigor you have ruled over them. 34:5 They were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the animals of the field, and were scattered. 34:6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill: yes, my sheep were scattered on all the surface of the earth; and there was none who searched or sought. 34:7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh: 34:8 As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, surely because my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to all the animals of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and didn’t feed my sheep; 34:9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh: 34:10 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; and I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them. 34:11 For thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out."

Free Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Without security, the innocent suffer/Daily Star/April 05/10
Is Arizona's border a gateway for nukes?/Arizona Republic/April 05/10
The blocked channel/Ha'aretz/April 05/10
Inviting the Syrian bazaar/By: Sawsan Mehanna/Now Lebanon/April 05/10

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for April 05/10
At least 25 dead in West Virginia coal mine blast/AP
Canadian dollar hits parity against greenback/Reuters
Feltman in Lebanon, Syria to Examine Improved Ties between the 2 Countries/Naharnet
Achouri to Naharnet: Bellemare Has No Intention to Resign/Naharnet
Israeli Arab Lands in Jail for Allegedly Giving Hizbullah Info on Ashkenazi/Naharnet
New al Qaeda Levant chief plans fresh assaults from Gaza, Lebanon/DEBKA file
Jordan-Israel ties at all-time low'/Jerusalem Post
Al-Qaeda says Hizbullah, LAF hindering terror/Daily Star
Hariri is courting Hezbollah/GulfNews
On the track of Tehran's agents/The Australian
Barry Rubin sends his regrets/Power Line (blog)
LF bloc condemns verbal attacks against party/Now Lebanon
Change and Reform bloc leader MP Aoun speaks after bloc meeting in Rabieh/Now Lebanon
Gemayel calls on Sleiman and Hariri to announce date of municipal elections/Now Lebanon
Hezbollah growing agitated in Lebanon/UPI.com
Reprieve for Lebanese man who was set to die for 'sorcery'/CNN (blog)
In Lebanon, all roads lead once again to Damascus/AFP
Hizbullah, Amal finalize agreement on upcoming municipal polls/Daily Star
Sleiman: Israel not strong enough to attack Lebanon/Daily Star
Hariri to visit Damascus to 'ink new agreements/Daily Star
Islamic Sharia Council calls for STL cooperation/Daily Star
Ex-Journalists Union secretary Mazboudi passes away/Daily Star
ISF contains Roumieh prison protests, frees officers/Daily Star
Army arrests four suspects in rocket attack on Bekaa citizens/Daily Star
UN joins in global day against mines/Daily Star
Lebanon: Spoiled Medicine Shipment from Pakistan Stranded/Naharnet

Reprieve for Lebanese man who was set to die for 'sorcery'
CNN April 05/10
A Lebanese man who had been condemned by a court in Saudi Arabia to die last week for "sorcery" has not been executed, his lawyer said Monday.
May El Khansa told CNN that she got confirmation from Ibrahim Najjar, Lebanon's justice minister, that her client, Ali Hussain Sibat, was still alive.
She added that she had heard Saturday, from sources in Saudi Arabia with knowledge of the case, that the beheading had not been carried out Friday, as originally planned.
Also Saturday, she said, she sent an official letter to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah asking him to pardon her client.
She said she would send more letters of appeal Tuesday to Lebanese government officials asking them to intervene.
Saudi government officials would not comment to CNN about the case.
Justice Minister Najjar said last week that he had urged the Saudi government not to carry out the execution, and Sibat's wife made an emotional plea for mercy from the kingdom's rulers during a CNN interview Thursday.
"All I ask is for the Saudi king and the Saudi government to show him mercy - let him come back to his country and his family," Samira Rahmoon said.
Sibat used to offer predictions and advice to callers on a Lebanese television network. He was arrested by Saudi Arabia's religious police and charged with sorcery while visiting the country in May 2008 while on an Islamic pilgrimage, El Khansa said. Saudi authorities have not disclosed details of the charge for which Sibat has been condemned.
"We can't understand how they could arrest him and charge him and sentence him to death," Rahmoon said. "It doesn't make any sense."
El Khansa said Wednesday that she had been told about the upcoming execution by a Saudi source with knowledge of the case and the proceedings.
Lebanon's government said it had no confirmation that his execution had been set, but Najjar called the sentence "disproportionate."

Conflicting Stories on Burning to Death of A Pakistani Christian Man
http://www.persecution.org/suffering/newssummpopup.php?newscode=12054&PHPSESSID=3ffb882f6c6105cd73b3fc5464a5200b
Washington, D.C. (April 5, 2010)–International Christian Concern (ICC) issued a press release on March 23 entitled “Pakistani Muslims Burn A Christian Man to Death, Policeman Rapes His Wife.” Since the issuance of the press release, we have since received several conflicting reports regarding this alleged incident.
Some sources confirm the report, while others say that Rashid Masih (our previous report said his first name was Arshed) burned himself to death after police tortured his wife.
ICC sent a team to Rawalpindi, Pakistan to investigate the incident ourselves. Our team interviewed Rashid’s family and neighbors. According to their statements, police arrested Rukhsana, Masih’s wife, after her Muslim employer, Shafaqat Ali, accused her of stealing property and money worth more than $500. According to several local sources the Muslim police officers did in fact torture Rukhsana.
Extremist Muslims warned Masih that they would rape his wife and daughter unless Rukhsana returned the stolen property.
To the best of our knowledge, on March 18, Rashid burned himself to death due to the torture of his wife and threats that he received. He died from his injuries on March 22.
Some sources still maintain that Masih was burned to death by Muslims. According to the sources, Pakistani officials bribed Masih’s family to compel them not to reveal the fact. Masih’s case attracted huge international attention and it’s possible that the government or those facing prosecution bribed Masih’s family to hide the truth. This is a common occurrence.
At this point, our press release from March 23 should be disregarded.

Feltman in Lebanon, Syria to Examine Improved Ties between the 2 Countries

Naharnet/ssistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman will embark on a trip to the Middle East mid-April that would include both Lebanon and Syria.
Pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat on Tuesday said political circles in Lebanon pay special attention to Feltman's upcoming tour and believed it indicates the U.S. Administration's desire to follow-up on the successive developments in the region, particularly the situation in Iraq in light of the elections' outcome and the Palestinian-Israeli issue which is witnessing tension.
Ministerial and parliamentary sources told Al-Hayat that Feltman's visit to Beirut and Damascus is aimed at examining the improved relations between the two countries.
Beirut, 06 Apr 10, 09:11

Achouri to Naharnet: Bellemare Has No Intention to Resign

Naharnet/Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare's spokeswoman Radhia Achouri said Tuesday that the court's Prosecutor has no intention to resign and "is as committed to his mission as ever.""What has been reported by the newspaper in question is absolutely false," she told Naharnet about a report by the French-language daily L'Orient Le Jour.The newspaper quoted official sources as saying that Bellemare has informed U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon about his intention to resign over attempts by some parties to politicize the court at the expense of the truth behind ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's murder. Sources close to the secretary-general also told Naharnet that Ban has not received any signal from Bellemare about his intention to resign. The sources stressed that the tribunal is functioning in a systematic manner and its work is based on professional legal standards.
Sources informed about the administrative work of Bellemare's office in Beirut told Naharnet that the Prosecutor is intensifying his activities lately and is satisfied with his work.
They said that reports about Bellemare's intention to resign reflect the wishes of those leaking such information and not the status quo. They also warned that the Prosecutor would expose the parties behind the obstruction of his mission if he came under pressure.The denials came after Journalist Emile Khoury, quoted official sources as saying that the U.N. secretary-general is making strong efforts to convince Bellemare into staying in his post. The Prosecutor's doubts over the retention of his post emanate from the campaign launched against the tribunal and this "offensive" could delay the verdict against Hariri's suspected killers, Khoury wrote.
The newspaper said it was necessary to take measures against false witnesses and not to charge members of a certain party who had been called as witnesses. Such members could be involved individually or could have been "bought or manipulated by a third party." L'Orient Le Jour said that once a new U.N. Security Council resolution is needed to extend the tribunal's three-year mandate, local, Arab, regional and international parties would engage in a dispute that could delay the financing of the court for the years to come.
The daily also warned that judicial proceedings could be transferred from the STL to the Lebanese judiciary after a power crisis that could result from the insistence of pro-Syrian ministers that the deal between the court and the cabinet, which led to the establishment of the tribunal, was made at a time of "an illegitimate government" that didn't have Shiite representation. Beirut, 06 Apr 10, 08:40

Suleiman Heads to Doha

Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman flew to Doha on Tuesday to meet with the Qatari emir and participate in the anniversary of the Federation of GCC Chambers.
Suleiman will be a guest of honor at the ceremony marking 30 years since the establishment of the federation's secretariat-general.
A ministerial delegation comprising Ali al-Shami, Adnan Kassar, Mohammed al-Safadi, Abraham Dedeyan, Adnan Sayyed Hussein and Youssef Saadeh accompanied Suleiman in his one-day trip. The president "will hold with (emir) Sheikh Hamad bilateral talks that will focus on bilateral ties, Arab-Arab relations and the situation in the Middle East," Suleiman's media office said in a statement. The head of state will later address guests during a dinner banquet thrown by the emir, it said. Earlier in the day, Suleiman met with Kazakhstan's prime minister, Karim Masimov. The PM told reporters that his visit aims at finding ways to improve ties between the two countries. Beirut, 06 Apr 10, 10:21

1 Killed, 7 Wounded in Clashes between Football Fans, Army in Ansar

Naharnet/A teenager was killed and seven other people were wounded, including two Lebanese army soldiers, in clashes between supporters and troops during a football match in the southern town of Ansar. The state-run National News Agency identified the victim as 17-year-old Kamel Mohammed Najem. In the 60th minute in the game, NNA said, cheering between the two teams developed into a hassle and soon into clashes at Ansar Stadium. The two teams were playing to decide which team will play in Division 4. The referee stopped the game to give the army time to get the fans out of the stadium, NNA said. It said things dramatically developed outside the stadium, where fighting took place between a number of fans and army soldiers tasked with keeping law and order at the arena. NNA said shooting sparked stampede in which Najem was killed and five other fans were injured. Two army soldiers also were wounded. Beirut, 05 Apr 10, 21:40

Arslan: Recovery of Lebanese-Syrian Ties Would Save Lebanon from 'Game of Nations'

Naharnet/Lebanese Democratic Party leader Talal Arslan said Tuesday that the return of Lebanese-Syrian ties to the right track would save Lebanon from the "game of nations."
During a press conference a day after his meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus, Arslan said: "Corruption by some Lebanese deeply harmed" Lebanese-Syrian ties.
He said he discussed with Assad demarcation of the border which according to the Syrian president would start from the north and would go all the way to areas that are still occupied by the Jewish state. "There is no way to discuss demarcation at the Shebaa (farms area) because they are still under Israeli occupation," the MP told reporters.
Syria's state-run news agency, SANA, said Monday that Assad and Arslan discussed efforts exerted to consolidate Syrian-Lebanese relations.  Addressing politicians, Arslan said: "It's time to adopt serous policies" that would put the interest of the people above anything else. He also criticized all-party talks, saying the national dialogue's agenda, which is limited to the defense strategy, is not enough. "The limitation of the topic to the resistance arms is an Israeli demand." He said the Lebanese Democratic Party has finalized its point of view on the defense strategy and would send it to President Michel Suleiman on Wednesday. On ties with Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat, Arslan said: "There is ongoing coordination and everything is going in the right direction." Beirut, 06 Apr 10, 14:00

Jumblat, Arslan Confirm Electoral Alliance

Naharnet/PSP Secretary-General Sharif Fayyad announced Tuesday his group's decision to "cooperate" at the regional and national levels as well as in all fields with Talal Arslan's Lebanese Democratic Party, including cementing an electoral coalition. "Together we will face up to upcoming challenges against the region and we will confront difficulties at the national and regional levels," Fayyad said during a meeting between the two parties held at the Progressive Socialist Party headquarters in Beirut. "We shall work together in Cabinet and join efforts in Parliament as well as cooperate in the forthcoming municipal elections," Fayyad stressed. In turn, Democratic Party Secretary-General Walid Barakat pointed to the historical role of Arslan and Jumblat which "contributed to the establishment of a national unity government."
Beirut, 06 Apr 10, 14:53

Spoiled Medicine Shipment from Pakistan Stranded

Naharnet/Lebanese customs have confiscated a shipment of expired or spoiled medicine imported from Pakistan. The daily As-Safir on Tuesday said the container had been sitting at Beirut port since the beginning of March amid repeated attempts by the Pakistani company to bring in the imported cargo into Lebanon. It said that a previous bid to bring in the same drug shipment failed after it was discovered. The company importing the shipment into Lebanon, however, has made a second try.Meanwhile, a shipment of spoiled wheat from Ukraine was still sitting at Beirut port, pending lab results to be announced on Tuesday which would determine its fate. Beirut, 06 Apr 10, 07:41

Hizbullah Declines Comment, UNIFIL Takes Qaida Threats Seriously

Naharnet/UNIFIL reportedly said that al-Qaida threats should be taken seriously after one of Saudi Arabia's most wanted terrorists slammed the Lebanese army, Hizbullah and Sunni leaderships in Lebanon for defending Israel's security and hindering the infiltration of Qaida members into northern Israel. Saleh al-Qaraawi, who is on the list of 85 most wanted terrorists, said in an interview published Monday by Qaida-linked websites that his organization should have confronted "the traitors in Lebanon, Hizbullah and UNIFIL." "All of them are protecting southern Lebanon in favor of the security of the Jews," he said. Qaraawi also criticized Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah for "condemning" rocket attacks on Israel "and, yet, vowing more attacks on the Jewish state." "We take these threats seriously," a UNIFIL source said in remarks published Tuesday by the daily Al-Mustaqbal. Qaraawi accused Lebanon's Shiites of controlling the Lebanese army intelligence which "didn't defend Sunnis" during bloody clashes that broke out May 7, 2008. The fighting was sparked by a government move to shut down Hizbullah's telecommunication network and remove Beirut airport's security chief Wafiq Shqeir over alleged ties to Hizbullah. Al-Mustaqbal said that while Hizbullah declined comment, commander of the Palestinian Armed Struggle in Lebanon, Brig. Gen. Munir Maqdah, was surprised by the "timing" of Qaraawi's statement. Beirut, 06 Apr 10, 08:32

Abboud: Nightclubs Forbidden in Jemmayzeh

Naharnet/Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud said nightclubs are forbidden in Jemmayzeh, given that they are not allowed to be located within buildings. "I cannot give permits for nightclubs or pubs in Jemmayzeh and, therefore, there is no legal exit to open anything other than a restaurant," Abboud said in remarks published Tuesday by the daily Al-Liwaa.
"Adherence to law is what is needed as well as shutting down at a specified hour," Abboud said. He said clubs must be turned into restaurants with a pledge not to disturb the population.
Abboud stressed that surveillance cameras will be installed on Jemmayzeh's main street. He said Jemmayzeh Street will only be open to cars owned by Jemmayzeh residents.
Abboud said visitors can either enter on foot or park their cars in Charles Helou station. A Special means of transport will carry visitors to Jemmayzeh Street, he also revealed.
Jemmayzeh residents have protested against the noise on the streets and of the loud music nightclubs and pubs caused. Beirut, 06 Apr 10, 13:02

Israeli Arab Lands in Jail for Allegedly Giving Hizbullah Info on Ashkenazi

Naharnet/An Israeli Arab was sentenced to five years and eight months in jail for giving Hizbullah information on the Israeli army's chief of staff, Israeli media reported.
Rawi Sultani, a 23-year-old resident of Tira attended the same gym as army commander Gabi Ashkenazi, was charged late last year with collecting information about the chief of staff's daily routine. Israeli Intelligence officials suspect Hizbullah was seeking to assassinate Ashkenazi as a revenge for the Damascus killing of the Shiite group's commander Imad Mughniyeh.
According to the indictment sheet, a Hizbullah agent named Slaman Hareb established contact with Sultani during a trip to Morocco in 2008.
The man later allegedly gave the agent information via e-mail about the gym's location, access roads and security arrangements, number of Ashkenazi's security guards, what weapons they carried, as well as what the army chief wore and which route he took to the gym. The indictment said Sultani allegedly met the agent's brother, Sami, in Poland on December 23, 2008. The man asked Sultani to help Hizbullah collect information on Israeli sites, military bases and public figures. The Israeli Arab allegedly agreed. The prosecution said Sultani conspired to give the enemy useful information and knowingly maintained contact with a foreign agent. The verdict deems the information on Ashkenazi's personal details "harmful to the chief of staff's personal wellbeing and security." Beirut, 06 Apr 10, 14:59

Change and Reform bloc leader MP Aoun speaks after bloc meeting in Rabieh
April 6, 2010 /Now Lebanon
- Lebanese actor Rodrigue Ghosn and his family were assaulted during Good Friday’s ceremony in St. Mikhail’s church [in Chayyah]. The perpetrators were identified. We hope the party they belong to will help turn them in to the authorities.
- Drug trade has increased [in the country], especially within the youth. Drugs, whether the type that was [confiscated] in Ouyoun Orgosh [on Saturday] or the type whose use is spreading throughout schools and universities, should be controlled.
- I call on all organisms that work against drug use to meet [here] in Rabieh on Saturday to establish a political plan and find solutions to [drug-related] issues.
- I call on [everyone] to give the matter high importance to resolve it efficiently.
- We stand by our position that we want the draft municipal electoral law to be approved [in the parliament] like it was approved in the cabinet. If not, we will participate in the municipal elections [scheduled in May] according to the current municipal electoral law.
- We call on women to join us. Women have the right to run [for municipal elections] and should work for legal equality with men, because there are discrepancies between men and women[‘s rights].
- A Middle East Airlines (MEA) employee recently briefed me on his unfair treatment, and here I say that MEA chairman Mohammad al-Hout should give the employee his rights.
- Lebanon overcame the period of instability, and neither Israel nor Al-Qaeda can violate that.
- We want to increase national income and consider that investments are profitable.
- There are many projects [we can make], and we do not need to increase the Value Added Tax (VAT) by 5%.
- We are ready to create a beneficial project from the electricity for the state, and the 2010 state budget should be issued [by the cabinet] without an increase in taxes.
- Neither a possible alliance with MP Michel al-Murr [in the Metn] during the municipal elections nor establishing the Tashnaq party as a mediator between Murr and the Free Patriotic Movement have taken place yet.
- We will call on everyone to partake in a developmental project for each town [during the municipal elections].
-We hope that competent people from all sects will be appointed. Not taking into account a person’s political affiliation when hiring state employees would be a significant progress.
-Setting a proper mechanism for the administrative appointments is possible, however, if the state is unwilling to implement the adequate criteria, the mechanism will fail.

Gemayel calls on Sleiman and Hariri to announce date of municipal elections

April 6, 2010 /Following his meeting with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir in Bkirki on Tuesday, Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel told reporters that President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Saad Hariri should once and for all officially announce the scheduled date of the upcoming municipal elections, which are tentatively taking place in May.
Gemayel said that Minister of Social Affairs Selim Sayegh – who is also a Kataeb member – will bring the issue forth for discussion during Wednesday’s cabinet session.
He added that his discussions with Sfeir touched on the sectarian distribution of civil servants in public institutions, voicing his deep concern on the alleged underrepresentation of Christians in administrations. This comes after the government decided last week to make 10,000 Internal Security Forces (ISF) staff members full-time employees, two-thirds of whom are Muslims, as well as to recruit 4,000 new members from both genders. “Such decisions do not serve [Lebanon’s] interests,” said Gemayel, adding, “Sectarian balances should be respected in all public institutions.” He commented on Lebanese-Syrian relations, saying that he supports having the best possible ties with Damascus. “However, they should be based on mutual respect.”
-NOW Lebanon

Inviting the Syrian bazaar

Now Lebanon
Sawsan Mehanna, April 6, 2010
During his latest interview on Al-Manar television, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad epitomized – in part – Syria’s new policy in dealing with Lebanon. The very choice of the television station, to begin with, bears witness to Syria’s renewed interest in Hezbollah and its secretary general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
During the interview, the Syrian president insisted that his country does not interfere in Lebanon’s political details, yet he still dedicated approximately two-thirds of the interview to discuss these details. This indicates, if anything, that Syria’s former interest in Lebanese affairs remains unabated. This interest in Lebanon comes as no surprise since that country was – and still is – a mailbox used by Damascus to send messages to the whole world. The Syrian regime tackles every crisis with an apparent “coolness” since it can vent from the Lebanese stage.
Therefore, if one wants to know what is going on in Damascus, one merely has to observe the various episodes of security instability in Lebanon and the media campaigns, which usually serve as a decoy.
What is it that the Syrian regime is worried about these days? Why was this interview held at this specific time? Why was Al-Manar singled out for it?
Any observer of Syria’s pragmatic behavior is quite aware that the Syrian regime is keen to take measured political steps and keep its reactions under check, “cooking” its policies on the desert sand.
Then what concern other than the Special Tribunal for Lebanon causes this chronic headache plaguing the Syrian leadership for the past five years?
The Syrian president dubbed the Special Tribunal for Lebanon as “the bazaar of international tribunals.” Since bazaars usually go by the law of offer and demand, is the Syrian regime thus trying to invite some kind of international bazaar, the kind of which it masters and excels in? This question is relevant, especially since the accusation of involvement in former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination still hovers above the Syrian regime as long as no indictment has been issued.
Hence, looking onto the media campaigns against the Lebanese president, the security agreement with the United States, PM Saad Hariri and – as of late – against the UNIFIL, are these campaigns tantamount to veiled threats, or are they preemptive anticipation by Hezbollah to confront the indictment?
It may be that Syria wants to focus the spotlight on Hezbollah in an attempt to invite the international bazaar and clear its own name. If accused of being behind Hariri’s assassination, Hezbollah may brandish the threat of Sunni-Shia strife, which – in turn – may result in covering up the investigation results. In so doing, Damascus would have gotten rid of the STL sword hanging over the head of its ruling regime by threatening to ignite a civil war in Lebanon. One cannot help but ask: what is the price to be paid by Syria to Hezbollah? Or rather, what price is likely to be paid to Syria by the international community?
**The views of the author do not necessarily reflect those of NOW Lebanon

Without security, the innocent suffer

Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Editorial/Daily Star
As the saying goes, the more things change … On Monday, militants attacked the US Consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan, not long after a suicide bomber had detonated himself at a political ceremony in nearby Dir. Over 40 people died in both incidents, and scores more were wounded. The militants even used a truck bomb and rocket launchers in the US Consulate attack, but they only managed to knock down part of the building’s wall.
The day before, three suicide car bombs targeting the Iranian and Egyptian embassies in Baghdad left about 200 people dead or wounded, although no embassy personnel were reportedly among the casualties. Before that, some 30 Iraqis were rounded and executed in a village just south of the capital.
Last week began, of course, with coordinated suicide bombings in the Moscow subway, which also claimed the lives of more than 30 morning commuters.
With bodies of the innocent still piling up around Asia, it seems to us the politicians in the affected countries do not have their priorities in the right order. We see that they, like politicians everywhere, are focusing too much on their own political fortunes and not putting the security of the citizens at the top of their priorities.
Iraq’s political elite is enmeshed in post-election wrangling to form a cabinet, while the country remains a ticking time bomb, threatening to explode again into civil war. Russia might still be the second most-powerful nation on earth – it most certainly has the second-largest nuclear arsenal – and yet it cannot prevent female suicide bombers from striking in the heart of Moscow.
Pakistan – and the US – are making a concerted effort to battle militants, but fighters can still mount operations against high-value targets and government institutions.
Violence such as we have witnessed almost daily during the past week will simply not be stamped out by one country acting alone. Agreements exist among many of the nations hit for various forms of security cooperation, but borders throughout Asia remain open to easy movement by Islamist militants.
There needs to be a much more intensive combined effort to fight against this scourge of violence. Politicians of the affected countries must for once shelve their personal interests and agendas and develop a comprehensive strategy to protect their citizens. The politicians have their own individual interests, but the terror appears to us much the same wherever it strikes. Many of the militants float back and forth between the various battlefields, and their grievances often sound similar.
In the end, however, it is the innocent civilians who pay. The militants cannot reach ambassadors and high-ranking officials; militants merely send messages to the elites with the blood of innocents. The message that the politicians need to receive is that the security and stability of the people they supposedly represent, needs to take precedence over all else.

New al Qaeda Levant chief plans fresh assaults from Gaza, Lebanon

DEBKAfile Special Report April 6, 2010, 11:38 AM (GMT+02:00)Tags: Al Qaeda Gaza Lebanon Saleh Al-Qaraawi
New al Qaeda regional chief: Saleh Al-QaraawiIn introductory interviews to Islamist websites, Saleh Al-Qaraawi, the newly-appointed al Qaeda chief in the Levant (Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and the Palestinian territories) threatens to loose a fresh wave of attacks on US and Israeli targets as well as UN peacekeepers in South Lebanon. debkafile's counter-terror sources report that Al-Qaraawi (aka Star of Piety), a Saudi aged 40, is on the oil kingdom's list of 85 most wanted terrorists. He is married to the daughter of another terrorist high on the wanted list, Sheikh Hazeima.
Al Qaeda's sites present Al Qaraawi as Commander of the "Abdullah Azzam Brigades," named for Osama bin Laden's precursor as the jihadi organization's founding ideologue in the late 1980s.
He is thought to be a personal appointee of al Qaeda's No. 2, Ayman Zuwahri, who is chief of operations for the Middle East region.
In one of the interviews, the new man says the time has come to intensify attacks on Israel from two bases: the Gaza Strip, where al Qaeda has established a stronghold, and Lebanon.
Our military sources report that the cluster of groups affiliated to al Qaeda, which have sprung up in the Gaza Strip under the Jalalat umbrella, keep their hand in with the occasional Qassam or mortar attack across the border into Israel. But most of their energies go into building up their power base in the southern areas of Khan Younes and Deir al-Balakh and pushing Hamas out. Building on Al Qaraawi's rich operational experience in Saudi Arabia - high command of the Saudi arena is said to be on his resume - his new job is to inject fresh impetus into cross-border offensives from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
As for assaults on US targets in the Levant area, al Qaeda plans to use the Kingdom of Jordan as its main arena, as it has in the past.
Al Qaeda's most ambitious operation from Gaza was mounted eleven months ago, on June 8, 2009, when a large contingent of raiders, some on horseback, swept across the border at several points from north to south.
An estimated 10 gunmen attacked a Golani infantry patrol and tried to kidnap Israeli soldiers. In the ensuing battle, a back-up al Qaeda force fired mortars from inside the Gaza Strip.
That operation failed in its purpose but demonstrated the scale of attacks the Islamist organization is planning to mount from the Gaza Strip against southern Israel.
Three months later, on Sept 11 2009, al Qaeda marked the date of its New York atrocity by firing two 122mm Grad missiles from the Qlaileh area in South Lebanon into Western Galilee, where they exploded on open ground near Kibbutz Gesher Haziv.

The blocked channel

Haaretz/05/04/10
According to a special report commissioned by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, there is no chance for negotiations between Israel and Syria in the near future. The report, the main points of which were published in Haaretz on Sunday, bases its pessimistic conclusions on the results of meetings between its two authors - Sarkozy's adviser on Middle Eastern Affairs and the head of the Middle East desk in the French Foreign Ministry - and senior Israeli officials. One does not have to study a report, be it French, American or any other to conclude quickly there is no chance at this time for talks between Syria and Israel. Israel is unwilling to withdraw from the Golan Heights, and Syria is not prepared to accede to Israel's demand to disengage from Hezbollah and from Iran. Thus, ostensibly, the channel of communication between the two sides is blocked, preventing any chance of a breakthrough. Advertisement
However, the concepts "at this time" and "in the near future" are misleading and deceptive. Timetables depend on political priorities, and we have seen that heads of state respond in times of need to international pressure that endangers the status of their countries. Just as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu changed his position on the principle of a two-state solution, under the right circumstances withdrawal from the Golan Heights could stop being a vital condition. Policy is a dynamic thing, as France knows, having changed its Middle East policies several times, including its attitude toward Syrian President Bashar Assad. Wisdom consists of preparing conditions for a change of policy and creating a foundation for peace. That is also the mission of the French president, who has been involved in steps in the Middle East. France is not an observer nor a commentator; it is an important country in the European Union and the partner of the United States in its moves against Iran. It must be hoped that the report compiled by two of its top diplomats will present a challenge to France and not bring efforts to move ahead on negotiations between Israel and Syria to an end. Israel, for its part, should not wait for external pressure or the next war. It must declare its intention to withdraw from the Golan Heights and return the occupied territory to its owners under conditions to be achieved during talks. The presentation of preconditions, like the demand that Syria detach itself from Hezbollah and Iran, rather than discussing security arrangements that would neutralize their impact, guarantees the failure of any negotiations.

Is Arizona's border a gateway for nukes?
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/viewpoints/articles/2010/04/04/20100404davis-nukes.html
By: Rich Davis
The Arizona Republic
April 06, 2010/
Viewpoints
Nuclear proliferation in far-off places like Iran and Pakistan threaten peace and prosperity in Arizona. The math is simple. Iran and Pakistan are cozy with extremist groups that are intent on using nuclear material against their enemies. Arizona may not be the enemy of extremist groups like Hezbollah, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and al-Qaida, but America is, and Arizona happens to have the ideal porous border for nefarious activity. What's more, there is a growing relationship between extremist groups and drug traffickers. The latter are well entrenched at our southern border.For the past several years, the focus of our border has been on illegal immigration, and rightfully so. But the proliferation of nuclear material in Iran and Pakistan forces us to look anew at our border as a national-security challenge that must be addressed.
Like an aircraft carrier on the high seas, we must be able to defend our last major line of defense against aggression. For the carrier, it may be 250 nautical miles from the ship; for Arizona and America, it is our border. When I served President George W. Bush at the White House as his director of terrorism prevention, great effort was spent working to secure nuclear material around the world. But recent events in Iran and Pakistan increase the likelihood that nuclear material will, at some point, fall into the hands of extremist groups that are intent on using it. Understanding the nuclear programs in Iran and Pakistan and their corresponding relationships with extremist groups sheds more light on the problem.
In defiance of the international community, Iran continues to enrich uranium. According to Iranian President Ahmadinejad, Iran now has the capacity to enrich uranium to 20 percent - demonstrating that weapons-grade enrichment is feasible. Although a nuclear Iran creates many strategic problems for the world, it's that nation's existing weapons transfers to Hezbollah that are game-changing.
According to Maj. Gen. (retired) Isaac Ben Israel, chairman of the Israeli Space Agency and confidant to successive Israeli prime ministers, Iran has provided unmanned aerial vehicles and seven types of rockets to Hezbollah. The most sophisticated rockets have a range of 186 miles, the entire length of Israel. Ben Israel also explained that Iran funneled Russia's most sophisticated anti-tank weapons, the Kornet and Metis-M to Lebanese Hezbollah.
As a result, Hezbollah, a recognized terrorist organization, has some of the most sophisticated battlefield weaponry available. If advanced weaponry can be transferred from Iran to Hezbollah, so can nuclear material or devices. Pakistan already has nuclear weapons and a growing amount of nuclear material. But, in Pakistan, extremist groups are gaining strength. There are 30 terror groups, including al-Qaida and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba. These two groups are the most ambitious extremist groups in Pakistan, and neither is seriously threatened by the Pakistani government. In the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba demonstrated its capability by using special-forces tactics, global positioning systems, satellite phones and hijacked fishing vessels to coordinate simultaneous attacks. We all know what al-Qaida did in 2001.
Al-Qaida, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Hezbollah have declared interest in acquiring and using weapons of mass destruction against their enemies.
Even more concerning is the growing relationship between extremist groups and the drug trade. In recent years, extremist groups have been funding operations through drug money. Further, known associates of terror groups have mixed with some of the same document forgers and illicit service providers that drug cartels use. This intersection of people is a major cause for concern.
Unclassified evidence of this problem can be seen through the development of new offices in the U.S. Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice and State where programs have been established to better understand and defend against the nexus between terrorism and narcotics. Simply put, there is growing concern that drug cartels, which are masters of smuggling, might decide to aid one of these extremists groups.
According the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, "most of the (350-mile Arizona/Mexican) border consists of inhospitable desert and steep mountain ranges, which are sparsely populated, infrequently patrolled by law enforcement and ideal for drug smuggling." Of course, a smuggling route for drugs can also be used for people, weapons or nuclear devices.
In 2006, Congress passed legislation to develop a stronger southern border, which was to include a fence, sensors and other technical measures. To date, the border has yet to see these improvements.
The lack of progress has been the result of the deep division among our political leadership and populace over the issue of immigration. But the march of nuclear proliferation and extremism requires that all leaders redefine border security as a matter of national security.
There is potency in approaching our southern border in this manner. Even ardent opponents of border-security measures for reasons of illegal immigration are willing to strengthen the border against extremist groups and nuclear smuggling.
As with any approach, a system capable of preventing the entry of a nuclear device at our border must allow for and even foster legitimate commerce and the cultural and economic benefits of trade between Arizona and Mexico. Both Mexico and Arizona derive billions of dollars in economic benefit as a result of our trade with each other, but this is not guaranteed.
God forbid, should an extremist group get their hands on highly enriched uranium or plutonium and attempt to detonate a nuclear device in the United States, our airports, land borders and seaports will close for an indefinite period. The lives lost would be great, our way of life would be impeded far beyond what we have seen since 9/11 and the economies of Arizona, the United States and Mexico would be seriously weakened.
When it comes to the southern border, the key to advancement is in preventing the smuggling of nuclear devices by extremist groups. And, yes, by addressing this national-security threat at our borders, we will also reduce other illicit activities such as trafficking of humans, weapons and drugs.
**Rich Davis is a visiting scholar with the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University. He is an associate member of the Permanent Monitoring Panel on Terrorism, World Federation of Scientists, and CEO of ARTIS Research. Reach him at rdavis@artisresearch.com.

Hariri is courting Hezbollah

As ties improve between Saudi Arabia and Syria, the Lebanese prime minister moves closer to the resistance movement
By Sami Moubayed, Special to Gulf News
Published: 00:00 April 6, 2010
During his upcoming visit to Damascus this month, Prime Minister Sa'ad Hariri will be reminded of the need to "protect and embrace" the arms of Hezbollah, in light of recent media allegations linking the party to the 2005 assassination of his father, Rafik Hariri.Image Credit: NINO JOSE HEREDIA/Gulf NewsDamascus has recently made it clear that Hezbollah holds the key to harmony between Syria and Lebanese officials. That explains why Walid Junblatt's Damascus visit came only after he pledged unconditional support for the Lebanese resistance, while Hassan Nasrallah accepted his apology and approved his visit. During his visit, Junblatt was accompanied by a member of Hezbollah and told that all future contacts with Syrian officials will be made through Nasrallah.
During his upcoming visit to Damascus this month, Prime Minister Sa'ad Hariri will be reminded of the need to "protect and embrace" the arms of Hezbollah, in light of recent media allegations linking the party to the 2005 assassination of his father, Rafik Hariri. Hezbollah is visibly pleased with these developments. It wants to empower Hariri so that he can evolve into a reliable and sustainable ally and, eventually, rid himself of unwanted alliances. In particular, Hezbollah believes Hariri's alliance with the Lebanese Forces (LF) of former Maronite warlord Samir Geagea, a staunch critic of Hezbollah, was forced on him.
In 2005, the LF and Hariri teamed up to achieve two short-term objectives: taking power and getting the Syrians out of Lebanon. Apart from these aims, they had nothing in common — as evidenced by the differences that erupted between them after the June 2009 parliamentary elections. Hariri wanted a Lebanon strongly allied to the Arab world and was willing to walk the extra mile to bring Hezbollah on board, granting it veto power within the Cabinet, giving certain posts to its ally Michel Aoun, and hammering out a Cabinet policy statement that promised to protect Hezbollah's right to arms. The LF was furious and behind closed doors its officials began to criticise the new prime minister. In any event, the LF had never forgiven Rafik Hariri for seeing to it that Geagea remained behind bars throughout his two terms as prime minister between 1992 and 2004. Regional heavyweights such as Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia were glad to see the Hariri-Geagea alliance finally fall apart.
Jettison Lebanese Forces
Hezbollah is toying with the idea of an internal change within the Hariri Cabinet — granting the prime minister enough ammunition to get rid of his two LF ministers and replace them with co-operative Christians. The Christian umbrella that Hariri needs has already been granted by Aoun, meaning he can effectively rid himself of Geagea's men, with minimal damage to his Cabinet coalition and no damage to his credibility in the Christian street. This might explain the sudden emergence of a new coalition, the Popular Opposition Front, headed by staunch Hezbollah and Syria ally and former prime minister Omar Karami. The front, which hopes to serve as a "shadow Cabinet", includes Christian figures like Elias Firizli, Albert Mansour and Elias Saba and is backed by strong Hezbollah ally and former president Emille Lahoud. Karami, it must be noted, would never approve of his allies joining a Cabinet that has Geagea's men in it, given that the latter was convicted and jailed for the 1988 murder of his brother, former prime minister Rashid Karami. No doubt, Hariri sees the Geagea alliance as an embarrassment forced on him five years ago and would be happy to do away with it.
Last week, the prime minister met with media officials at the offices of his Future Television company. Hariri explicitly instructed that no anti-Syrian material be broadcast on Future TV — a clear departure from the policy since 2005 — and that Syria be given the same respect as Saudi Arabia. More evidence of the close relationship between Hezbollah and Hariri is the recent action of his trusted Interior Minister Ziad Baroud. The latter was expected to send a group of Lebanese soldiers from Internal Security for counter-terrorism training with the US military in Jordan. Before signing off on the travel permits, Baroud requested that all clauses in the Lebanese-US agreement signed by Hariri's predecessor Fouad Siniora that make derogatory statements about Hezbollah are removed.
On April 13, Hariri will visit Damascus in search of support to carry out his coup against the LF. Saudi Arabia would like Hariri to remain in power. That simply means giving in to all of the demands made by Syria and Hezbollah. The more he gives in to what these two players want, the more likely it becomes that Lebanon will stabilise, Saudi Arabia believes.
The Saudis feel indebted to Syria for helping them with the recent Iraqi elections, which led to the defeat of the hated Nouri Al Maliki and victory of Saudi Arabia's ally Eyad Allawi. Syria played a pivotal role in securing Al Maliki's defeat by getting its allies in Sunni strongholds such as Anbar to vote for Allawi. Syria is also pushing Moqtada Al Sadr, who won 40 out of 70 seats for the Iraqi National Alliance, to say no to any comeback for Al Maliki or his team. The Syrians have leverage over Al Sadr — leverage that Saudi Arabia lacks. The price for the ‘Saudi' victory in Baghdad will apparently be collected in Beirut, creating a perfect scenario for Hezbollah and Syria, at the expense of Geagea.
**Sami Moubayed is editor-in-chief of Forward Magazine in Syria

'Jordan-Israel ties at all-time low'

By JPOST.COM STAFF
06/04/2010 06:51
King Abdullah says Jerusalem's actions on the ground make him extremely concerned.
Jordan’s relationship with Israel is at an all-time low since peace was established 15 years ago, Jordanian King Abdullah says in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published Monday night.
When he met with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu a year ago, Abdullah told the paper, “I was extremely optimistic by the vision he had for peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians and the Israelis and the Arabs. However, I have to say that over the past 12 months, everything I've seen on the ground has made me extremely skeptical.
“There's been a lot of words, but the actions on the ground have made me extremely concerned about how straightforward Israeli policy is,” he said. “And I'm probably one of the more optimistic people you will meet in this part of the world.”
Tensions revolving around holy place in Jerusalem and the West Bank, he said, were particularly troubling, and “could ignite Muslim frustration and anger, which we do not need today.”
“Unfortunately,” Abdullah noted, “for the first time since my father made peace with Israel, our relationship with Israel is at an all bottom low. It hasn't been as bad as it is today and as tense as it is today.
“The political trust is gone, there is no real economic relationship between Jordan and Israel,” Abdullah said. “I mean, obviously there was the golden period of the wonderful relationship between my father and Prime Minister [Yitzhak] Rabin, and after the death of Rabin, again there was a resurgence with [then-prime minister Ehud Barak], but it's just been a decline since then.”
Abdullah, who flies to Washington on Saturday for an official visit, will ask US leaders to redouble peacemaking efforts in the region, especially Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
“I think wasting too much time is something that we all have to be very concerned about because there is tremendous tension [in the region],” Abdullah said. “The status quo is not acceptable. What will happen is that we will continue to go around in circles until the conflict erupts, and there will be suffering by peoples because there will be a war.”
“There are those out there on all sides unfortunately, rejectionists … who will do everything they can to spoil the future of Israelis and the Palestinians.”
Abdullah said he was worried about Israel’s long-term future if a solution to the conflict is not found in the next few years. Israel’s standing in the international community is very low these days, he said, with the Europeans, the Russians, the Chinese and even the Americans becoming increasingly frustrated with Israeli politics.
And Israel’s real problems, he added, were from within: “The Arab-Israeli population in Israel proper, in eight to ten years, will be 50% of Israel. The Israelis have a major challenge on the future of their existence.
“Wouldn't it be better today when you're in a stronger position to make peace not only with your neighbors but with the whole Arab-Islamic world than kicking this problem down the road two or three years where your options become reduced? “
Abdullah culminated by saying Syria, which has recently seen an improvement of relations with Jordan, is interested in peace talks with Israel, but is distrustful of Netanyauh’s government.
“Yes, they are ready to talk,” he said, “but again I think everyone is still trying to decide what this Israeli government is all about. The rhetoric is positive, but actions on the ground show us something completely different, so there is frustration from Syria towards Israel

25 dead in US coal mine blast, 4 still missing in country's worst mine disaster since 1984
By Lawrence Messina, The Associated Press
MONTCOAL, W.Va. - The death toll in a U.S. coal mine explosion rose to 25, making it the country's worst mining disaster in more than two decades, officials said Tuesday as they worked to clear the mine of poisonous gases so they could try to find four missing miners.
Rescuers began drilling three deep holes to vent methane and carbon monoxide from the mine, but it will take until evening to get the first hole done and see if the mine air will allow rescue teams to enter, Governor Joe Manchin said.
The blast rocked Massey Energy Co.'s sprawling Upper Big Branch mine, about 30 miles (50 kilometres) south of Charleston, Monday afternoon.
Manchin said at an early morning news briefing that while drilling on at least one of the three holes was slated to begin soon, it would take perhaps 12 hours before the drilling was complete and rescue teams could be sure of their safety in the mine, meaning the search wasn't expected to resume before 6 p.m. (2200 GMT).
"It's going to be a long day and we're not going to have a lot of information until we can get the first hole through," Manchin said.
The drills need to bore through about 1,100 feet (335 metres) of earth and rock, he said.
"All we have left is hope, and we're going to continue to do what we can," Kevin Stricklin, an administrator for the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, said at a news conference. "But I'm just trying to be honest with everybody and say that the situation does look dire."
Though the cause of the blast was not known, the operation run by Massey subsidiary Performance Coal Co. has a history of violations for not properly ventilating highly combustible methane gas, safety officials said.
Stricklin said officials had hoped some of the missing survived the blast and were able to reach airtight chambers stocked with food, water and enough oxygen for them to live for four days. However, rescue teams checked one of two nearby and it was empty. The buildup of toxic methane gas - a constant problem at the mine - and of carbon monoxide prevented teams from reaching other chambers, officials said.
A total of 31 miners were in the area during a shift change when the blast happened, officials said. Some may have died in the blast and others when they breathed in the gas-filled air, Stricklin said. Eleven bodies had been recovered and identified, but the other 14 have not, said Manchin, who returned to the state after being out of town. Names weren't released publicly, but Manchin said three of the dead are all members of the same family.
"Everybody's just heartbroken over this and the impact on these families," said mine safety director Joe Main, who was headed to West Virginia.
It is the most people killed in a U.S. mine since 1984, when 27 died in a fire at Emery Mining Corp.'s mine in Orangeville, Utah. If the four missing bring the total to 29, it would be the most killed in a U.S. mine since a 1970 explosion killed 38 at Finley Coal Co., in Hyden, Kentucky.
After a record low 34 deaths last year, Main said he and others believed coal mining had turned the corner on preventing fatal accidents.
"There's always danger. There's so many ways you can get hurt, or your life taken," said Gary Williams, a miner and pastor of a church near the southern West Virginia mine. "It's not something you dread every day, but there's always that danger. But for this area, it's the only way you're going to make a living."
In Monday's blast, nine miners were leaving on a vehicle that takes them in and out of the mine's long shaft when a crew ahead of them felt a blast of air and went back to investigate, Stricklin said.
They found nine workers, seven of whom were dead. Others were hurt or missing about a mile and a half inside the mine, though there was some confusion over how many. Others made it out, Manchin said.
In a statement early Tuesday, Massey Chairman and CEO Don Blankenship offered his condolences to the families of the dead miners.
"Tonight we mourn the deaths of our members at Massey Energy," Blankenship said.
Massey Energy, a publicly traded company based in Richmond, Virginia, has 2.2 billion tons of coal reserves in southern West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, southwest Virginia and Tennessee. It ranks among the top five U.S. coal producers and is among the industry's most profitable. It has a spotty safety record.
In the past year, federal inspectors fined the company more than $382,000 for repeated serious violations involving its ventilation plan and equipment at Upper Big Branch. The violations also cover failing to follow the plan, allowing combustible coal dust to pile up, and having improper firefighting equipment.
Methane is one of the great dangers of coal mining, and federal records say the Eagle coal seam releases up to 2 million cubic feet of methane gas into the Upper Big Branch mine every 24 hours, which is a large amount, said Dennis O'Dell, health and safety director for the United Mine Workers labour union.
In mines, giant fans are used to keep the colorless, odourless gas concentrations below certain levels. If concentrations are allowed to build up, the gas can explode with a spark roughly similar to the static charge created by walking across a carpet in winter, as at the Sago mine, also in West Virginia.
**Associated Press writers Allen G. Breed, Vicki Smith, Tom Breen and Tim Huber in West Virginia and Sam Hananel in Washington contributed to this report.

Canadian dollar hits parity vs. U.S. dollar
By Claire Sibonney
TORONTO (Reuters) The Canadian dollar rose to one-for-one footing with the U.S. currency on Tuesday, hitting its strongest level since July 2008, boosted by rising commodity prices and expectations for higher domestic interest rates. At 7:38 a.m. (1138 GMT), the Canadian dollar was at C$1.0008, or 99.92 U.S. cents. Earlier, the currency rose to C$0.9999 to the U.S. dollar or $1.0001. "It's been heading toward parity for weeks and it was inevitable. There's no surprise," said Jon Gencher, director of foreign exchange sales at BMO Capital Markets, "We've been calling to have the prospect of higher rates in Canada. You have the prospect of higher commodity prices and it's building to it."
The currency, nicknamed the loonie for the bird depicted on the one-dollar coin, last reached parity with the greenback on July 22, 2008, when it hit C$0.9999 to the U.S. dollar, or $1.0001. "This time seems to be a more of a sustainable move. I think for the next little while, we are certainly going to hover around parity," Gencher added.
Canadian economic fundamentals and an improving international economic outlook have provided support for the Canadian dollar as a string of stronger-than-expected data raised expectations for higher interest rates.
The Bank of Canada has a conditional pledge to hold the key interest rate at an all-time low of 0.25 percent until the end of June, provided inflation stays tame, but market players have begun to price in an earlier rate hike as the economy heats up fast after the recession.
"The Canadian dollar remains better placed on almost every front, including the monetary policy outlook, a healthy banking system and rising commodities," said Audrey Childe-Freeman, strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman.
The most recent favorable data was the report on Friday that showed employers in the United States, Canada's largest trading partner, created jobs in March at the fastest rate in three years as private firms stepped up hiring.
That followed a stronger-than-expected Canadian gross domestic product report for January.
(Reporting by Claire Sibonney, Jennifer Kwan and London FX desk; Editing by Padraic Cassidy)