LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِMay
19/2010
Bible Of the
Day
Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians
10/19 What am I saying then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or
that an idol is anything? 10:20 But I say that the things which the Gentiles
sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and I don’t desire that you
would have fellowship with demons. 10:21 You can’t both drink the cup of the
Lord and the cup of demons. You can’t both partake of the table of the Lord, and
of the table of demons. 10:22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we
stronger than he? 10:23 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are
profitable. “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things build up. 10:24
Let no one seek his own, but each one his neighbor’s good. 10:25 Whatever is
sold in the butcher shop, eat, asking no question for the sake of conscience,
10:26 for “the earth is the Lord’s, and its fullness.” 10:27 But if one of those
who don’t believe invites you to a meal, and you are inclined to go, eat
whatever is set before you, asking no questions for the sake of conscience.
10:28 But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” don’t eat it for
the sake of the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience. For “the earth
is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” 10:29 Conscience, I say, not your own, but
the other’s conscience. For why is my liberty judged by another conscience?
10:30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced for that for which I
give thanks? 10:31 Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do
all to the glory of God. 10:32 Give no occasions for stumbling, either to Jews,
or to Greeks, or to the assembly of God; 10:33 even as I also please all
men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many, that
they may be saved
Free Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
The Flight of the
Intellectuals/By:
Tony Badran/Now Lebanon/May
18/10
The Obama Administration's Middle
East Disaster: A Brief Summary/By Barry Rubin/May
18/10
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for May 18/10
Hariri Meets Assad after Welcoming
Kuwaiti Emir in Beirut/Naharnet
Assad Not Bothered by Hariri's
Washington Visit, Warns of Those Who Don't Want Lebanon-Syria Harmony/Naharnet
Warm Lebanese Welcome for Kuwaiti
Emir/Naharnet
Hezbollah's 'Disneyland'/Straits
Times
Rebuilding the 'box' around Syria/Los
Angeles Times
Israel dismayed
by agreement/National
In Risky Deal, Turkey
Seeks Security, Trade/Wall Street
Journal
Syria turned down Peres peace
offer'/Jerusalem Post
Lebanese Leader Visits Arab States Before U.S.
Visit/CBS News
Miss USA Rima Fakih 'pride' of hometown in
Lebanon/AFP
Sarkozy: Iran nuclear swap deal is a 'positive
step'/Ha'aretz
Hariri visits Syria amid spat with US, Israel/AFP
Pietton
Meets Geagea, Echoes Morin's View: No War in Sight/Naharnet
Hizbullah Sources: Israel
Will be Bombarded with 15 Tons of Explosives a Day in Case of a War/Naharnet
U.S. Delivers 20 Harley
Davidson Motorcycles to ISF/Naharnet
Leftist Forces in
Nabatiyeh Say Election Candidates Being 'Intimidated'/Naharnet
North Lebanon Election
Candidates Could Reach as High as 4,000/Naharnet
Sfeir Receives Message
from Pope on 90th Birthday/Naharnet
Marouni, Phalange Deny
Gemayel Intends to Sack him/Naharnet
Syria Did Not Set Date for
Kouchner Visit because of his Position over Hizbullah Arms/Naharnet
Mitchell's Advisor Informs
Lebanese Officials About Peace Developments/Naharnet
Long Cabinet Session
Combines 2 Meetings on Thursday/Naharnet
Jumblat: Hariri's Tour
Comes at a Time that Necessitates Aligning Lebanese-Syrian Political Tracks/Naharnet
Geagea: Region Currently
Living Last Quarter-Hour before Storm/Naharnet
Kataeb Asks about
Government Plans in Face of Regional Threats/Naharnet
Attempted Smuggling of 102
Kg of Cocaine from Colombia Thwarted at Beirut Port/Naharnet
Courtroom for Special
Tribunal for Lebanon to Host Taylor Trial/Naharnet
Hariri Meets Saudi King as
Part of Efforts to Garner Arab-Turkish Support to Spare Lebanon Israeli Threats/Naharnet
Sfeir
Receives Message from Pope on 90th Birthday
Naharnet/Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the
Congregation for Eastern Churches, cabled Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir on
the occasion of his 90th birthday. In their letter, Benedict and Sandri also
praised Sfeir on his role as head of the Maronite church in Lebanon for 25
years. Beirut, 18 May 10, 12:43
Syria Did Not Set Date for Kouchner Visit because of his Position over Hizbullah
Arms
Naharnet/French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner is scheduled to embark on a
visit to Lebanon and Syria within the coming days as part of efforts to continue
discussions of the proposed Euro-Mediterranean partnership. The
Euro-Mediterranean Partnership started in 1995 with the Barcelona
Euro-Mediterranean Conference. The European Union stated the intention of this
"partnership" is "to strengthen its relations with the countries in the Mashriq
and Maghreb regions." The daily Al-Akhbar quoted officials at the French Embassy
in Beirut s saying that Syria has not yet set a date for Kouchner's visit. It
said sources pointed out that Kouchner would travel to Syria May 23, while
officials at Baabda Palace stressed that have not been officially notified of
Kouchner's visit. Citing sources following up on Syrian matters, Al-Akhbar said
the main reason Damascus did not set a date for Kouchner's visit was because of
his stances regarding Hizbullah arms and accusations that Syria is smuggling
missiles to Lebanon. Beirut, 18 May 10, 10:02
Hizbullah Sources: Israel Will be Bombarded with 15 Tons of Explosives a Day in
Case of a War
Naharnet/Sources informed in Hizbullah's military branch revealed on Tuesday
that that in case of a new war between the party and Israel, the latter will be
targeted with a "different kind, quantity, and intensity of rockets" than the
July 2006 war. They said that the party has increased its rocket power, and
Israel should be expected to be bombarded with 15 tons of explosives a day if it
waged a war on Lebanon. The sources told the Kuwaiti daily al-Rai: "If we assume
that Hizbullah possesses the same kind, caliber, or parts of rockets that Iran
has, then that means that the Zilzal rocket, which holds a ton of explosives,
and Fateh-110 and M600 rockets, each carrying half a ton of explosives, will be
used in the next war."
They continued that Hizbullah will not rely on the balance of terror, but "the
strategic balance, in light of its capabilities" allowing it to launch at least
ten of any of the above mentioned rockets on a daily basis, culminating in about
15 tons a day. They added that during the July 2006 war, Hizbullah launched some
4000 rockets and missiles, including Katyusha and Fajr rockets among others. The
total weight of explosives in the 33-day war amounted to some 50 tons, "which is
about 15 percent of what the party is capable of today."
As for the short range rockets, such as Grad, Fajr, and Khaybar, holding a
weight of explosives ranging from 10kg to 45kg, Hizbullah can launch about 600
of them daily, equaling 27 tons.
The sources said: "It is up to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to
estimate the number of tons of explosives that will fall on the Israelis because
he decides when the war will begin, but he will definitely not be able to
control the rockets' trajectory, size, or where they will land."
In addition, they stressed that Israel's current anti-ballistic missile system
"will only be able to affect 10 to 20 percent of our rocket attacks, meaning
that it is guaranteed that 25 tons of explosives will be hitting their targets
daily," which equals half of what was launched against Israel in the entire
33-day war. The sources noted that Israelis were only supplied with gas masks in
preparation for a next war if it took on a biological aspect, saying that they
were not provided with protective suits that guard them from mustard, cyanide,
or VX gases in case Syria became involved in the war, and if Israel were the
first to use non-traditional weapons. Furthermore, the Hizbullah sources said:
"If the war were to be long, then Israel will not escape massive economic losses
that will cripple the Jewish state … for a long time, especially in light of the
deteriorating economic situation in Europe and the United States." They
concluded that the Israeli Air Force commander's belief that Israel can defend
itself from simultaneous Hizbullah and Hamas attacks is "inaccurate, because
Israel can decide when to start the war, but it cannot deter Hizbullah on its
own, which is something it learned from the July 2006 war. Beirut, 18 May 10,
17:10
Assad Not Bothered by Hariri's
Washington Visit, Warns of Those Who Don't Want
Lebanon-Syria Harmony
Naharnet/Syrian President Bashar Assad denied any "chills" in ties with Prime
Minister Saad Hariri and vowed to help Lebanon at all levels.
"Syria has learned from past experiences in Lebanon, and no longer interferes in
Lebanese internal affairs," Assad told a number of intellectuals participating
in the Arabism and the Future Conference held in Damascus. "Damascus is ready to
help Lebanon in all fields, including economic development that would reflect
positively on Lebanon," he pledged.
Assad's remarks came on the eve of Hariri's visit to Damascus Tuesday. "We will
listen to him (Hariri) and to what his government wants and we will help and be
positive," Assad stressed.
Assad said Syria "does not impose a Lebanese state shape up which is the
responsibility of the Lebanese themselves. "Syria is only concerned with
patchwork if the need arises," he explained. Assad believed that the various
political opinions and stances concerning Syria affect relations between the two
neighboring countries. "There are those who try to reflect their personal
opinions and readings on what is happening in Lebanon in terms of ties with
Syria," he went on to say, warning that some political parties have been
affected by the return of harmony between Lebanon and Syria. "For our part,
however, we are realistic in the approach to the relationship with the Prime
Minister and we view ties based on clear-cut rules without ignoring that some
people have been affected by renewed Lebanon-Syria relations," Asked if Damascus
was uncomfortable about Hariri's visit to the U.S. May 24-25, Assad, surprised
by the question, replied: "Annoyed? Absolutely not." Beirut, 18 May 10, 07:43
Geagea: Region Currently Living Last Quarter-Hour before Storm
NAharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea warned that "the region is
currently living the last quarter-hour before the storm," adding that Lebanon
can avoid it "through placing the strategic decision (of war and peace) in the
hand of the government -- and no one else."In an interview with the Kuwaiti
daily al-Rai to be published Tuesday, Geagea said that PM Saad Hariri's
forthcoming visit to Washington is "normal, and targeting it is for the sake of
regional interests," noting that "thinking of any changes to the Cabinet at the
moment resembles complete suicide."He noted that the visit of Kuwaiti Emir
Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah to Beirut "comes within the context of a long
track of Lebanese-Kuwaiti ties, which have not been marred by any defects over
the years." Geagea described the Lebanese-Kuwaiti relations as "exemplary." On
the other hand, Geagea said that the time "is maybe not appropriate to talk
about Hizbullah's weapon and where they should be and why they are in this
status. But, wherever these weapons exist, if their command moves to Beirut,
rather than Tehran or Damascus, that alone can make us cross more than half the
way toward avoiding the storm."Geagea hoped that "in this new period, the
Syrians would refrain from using Lebanon in their cold or hot wars with the
other parties, whether regional or international." "But it seems that the
situation is different than that." Geagea concluded by saying that "mistaken are
those who believe that the political balance of power in Lebanon has witnessed a
dramatic change." "It is true that some changes have happened, but they are not
sufficient to speak of the majority turning into a minority or the opposite.
Hence, I consider that all the talking about changes to the Cabinet in Lebanon
aims at political and psychological pressure and at pushing the political
atmospheres into tension." Beirut, 17 May 10, 21:51
U.S. Delivers 20 Harley Davidson Motorcycles to ISF
Naharnet/U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michele Sison on Tuesday presented 20 Harley
Davidson motorcycles to Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi at
the ISF Mobile Forces headquarters in Dbayeh, in attendance of the ISF Command
Staff. "The motorcycles are state-of-the-art police vehicles, identical to ones
used by American law enforcement agencies, which will enable the ISF to perform
its law enforcement, safety and traffic management functions. They are outfitted
with specialized police equipment including enhanced steering and braking
capabilities and lights and sirens with mounted microphones and speakers," said
a communiqué issued by the U.S. Embassy. In addition to the 20 new motorcycles,
the United States also provided spare parts and technical assistance to
refurbish an additional 24 Harley Davidson motorcycles already in the ISF fleet.
The value of the project, including the new vehicles, parts and refurbishment,
totals $498,000. Speaking at the hand-over ceremony, Sison characterized the
donation as filling a specific need for the ISF: "Today, we add another iconic
American vehicle to the ISF arsenal ... The capability that these Harley
Davidson motorcycles will provide the ISF is something that the ISF officers who
enforce the law in Lebanon have been asking for … These impressive and easily
recognizable motorcycles will certainly assist the ISF in projecting its
presence in the eyes of the Lebanese citizens, and if I might add – doing so
with great style." Beirut, 18 May 10, 16:24
Leftist Forces in Nabatiyeh Say Election Candidates Being 'Intimidated'
Naharnet/The Committee of Leftist Forces in the southern city of Nabatiyeh on
Tuesday issued a statement in which it said that municipal election candidates
were being "pressured" to quit.
The statement emphasized the importance of participation in elections "on the
basis of upgrading a development plan, inclusive of the forces and figures in
the city that are active at the social level and reputed for their fairness."
The Leftist forces, however, noted that some of the names that are being
mentioned "do not meet the minimum requirements for Nabatiyeh."
The statement condemned what it called as a campaign aimed at "intimidating and
pressuring leftist candidates and other independent youth runners." "These
tactics are contrary to democracy and contradict earlier statements made by
party leaderships," the statement added. Beirut, 18 May 10, 11:26
North Lebanon Election Candidates Could Reach as High as 4,000
Naharnet/North Lebanon is to witness tough competition in towns and villages
among candidates in the municipal election race due in the Northern Province May
30.
Press reports on Tuesday said the number of candidates exceeded 2,000 in the
last two days ahead of the deadline to submit nomination papers. Sources,
however, said the number of candidates in the Northern Province could reach as
high as 4,000. The town of Bibnin is going to witness the largest electoral
battle as three lists are competing as well as eight for mayor's seat. In
Fnaidiq, however, a quieter battle is expected to go on between two lists – one
headed by incumbent municipal head Samih Abul Hay and a rival alliance backed by
the prominent Zakariya family as well as former MPs Wajih al-Baarini and Mahmoud
al-Mrad. In Minyara, the electoral process is taking a clear trend of political
division between March 8 and March 14 groups as incumbent municipal head Tony
Abboud, who belongs to the Syrian Social Nationalist Party and is backed by
leftist parties as well as the Free Patriotic Movement and former Cabinet
Minister Yaqoub Sarraf, will rerun for city council presidency. Competing with
him will be a rival list headed by Salim al-Zouri who enjoys support from the
Lebanese Forces, the Phalange party and Mustaqbal Movement. Al-Liwaa newspaper
on Tuesday said the town of Halba in the Akkar province is also to witness
fierce competition between two groups – one backed by Mustaqbal Movement and
allies from the March 14 coalition which support former municipal head Abdul
Hamid Halaby who his preparing a list that comprises Christian and Muslim
candidates, and the other supported by March 8 forces who back incumbent
municipal chief Saeed Sharif al-Halaby. Beirut, 18 May 10, 10:47
Mitchell's Advisor Informs Lebanese Officials About Peace Developments
Naharnet/Frederick Hoff, the advisor of U.S. special Middle East peace envoy
George Mitchell, is scheduled to hold meetings with Lebanese officials on
Tuesday to discuss with them the peace process. Hoff arrived in Beirut on Monday
after talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem in Damascus and other
officials. On Tuesday, he kicked off his visit to Beirut with talks with Foreign
Minister Ali al-Shami at Bustros palace. According to An Nahar daily, the U.S.
envoy will inform Lebanese officials about Mitchell's success in launching
indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Diplomatic sources told the
newspaper that Hoff's visit was not linked to preparations for Prime Minister
Saad Hariri's trip to Washington on May 24. Beirut, 18 May 10, 08:45
Marouni, Phalange Deny Gemayel Intends to Sack him
Naharnet/Phalange MP Elie Marouni denied on Tuesday that the party's leader,
Amin Gemayel, was seeking to sack him from his post in the Phalange leadership
in Zahle.
"Such reports are fabricated," Marouni told several Lebanese TV stations after
As Safir newspaper said Gemayel informed the Phalange politburo on Monday about
his intention to fire the MP from the party's leadership position in Zahle.
According to As Safir, Gemayel held the lawmaker responsible for the failed
municipal elections' management in the eastern city.
"The Phalange politburo didn't discuss such an issue either last week or in its
last meetings," Marouni stressed to Future News. Such a report is aimed at
eliminating the Phalange in Zahle, he said, although he told al-Jadeed TV that
he didn't know who was spreading such "rumors." The party also strongly denied
the report saying "it aims at targeting the achievements of MP Marouni and the
Phalange in Zahle." Beirut, 18 May 10, 12:20
Kataeb Asks about Government Plans in Face of Regional Threats
Naharnet/Phalange Party's politburo on Monday voiced its disappointment over how
the municipal elections in Lebanon were approached, saying that they have
"diverted attention away from fateful matters and direct and ongoing threats
against Lebanon." The party made its stance after its weekly meeting, headed by
former president Amin Gemayel.
It went on to say, in a statement, that the elections have also turned attention
away from the repercussions that regional crises have on Lebanon. Kataeb
wondered what the government plans are as to confronting these dangers, asking:
"Is it prepared militarily, if that is a probability? Or does it plan on
addressing them diplomatically and bolstering its internal front, if that is
possible?"The party also addressed governmental matters such as the 2010 state
budget and its financial, sociopolitical, and developmental aspects.
Furthermore, the politburo addressed Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir's recent
trip to Akkar Sunday, saying: "It affirms the Christian presence throughout
Lebanon, especially in the North, and it bolsters the foundations of
Islamic-Christian coexistence." Beirut, 17 May 10, 19:19
Courtroom for Special Tribunal for Lebanon to Host Taylor Trial
Naharnet/The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) announced Monday that it will
host the Special Court for Sierra Leone's (SCSL) trial of former Liberian
President Charles Taylor beginning 17 May 2010. The SCSL will be relocating from
the International Criminal Court's (ICC) courtroom in The Hague. A Memorandum of
Understanding was completed between the STL and the SCSL which made the move
possible. Under the agreement, the SCSL will pay for all trial-related costs.
"The newly constructed courtroom was made available to the SCSL in the spirit of
inter-tribunal cooperation. The work of the STL will continue to progress and
will not be affected by the move," a press release issued by the STL said.
Beirut, 17 May 10, 18:08
The Canadian Counterterrorism Money Solution
5-17-2010
Canada is adopting a new bill (Bill S-7) that will allow victims of terrorism to
sue for terrorist acts in Canadian court, putting an onus of responsibility and
accountability on terrorist states and/or organizations. Albeit a complicated
task, it is a step in the right direction, targeting the pocketbooks of these
reprobates.
For too long innocent taxpayers have been exploited by the Islamic fringe and
although Bill S-7 won't significantly benefit taxpayers directly, theoretically
it balances the books a trifle in offsetting the reprehensible monetary
endowments enjoyed by this fringe. Some examples: Hundreds of polygamous men who
have brought their wives from abroad into Ontario are now being supported by
state welfare; Mohamed Omary--on welfare for two decades--has alleged links to
terrorism and toured Europe; and Mahr Arar, still listed as a U.S. terrorist,
successfully sued Ottawa for 10.5 million dollars (on taxpayers' backs) due to
an RCMP investigative "injustice."
To a lesser degree, yet still examples of the frittering away of taxpayer
dollars, are the indiscriminate sums doled out to informants. For example,
Shaher Elsohemy, the Muslim businessman who was paid $4 million by the RCMP to
infiltrate a core group of "Toronto 18" suspects, plotting bomb attacks in
southern Ontario:
The lucrative deal between the Mounties and their prized informant included
cash, cars and homes for him, his wife, his daughter, his parents and his two
brothers …
There is also Mubin Shaikh who successfully negotiated a tax free 2.7 million
dollars after going back to the RCMP Oliver Twist style.
In the early stages of the investigation, he happily accepted $77,000 to
infiltrate the group … Shaikh went back to the RCMP and asked them to boost his
reward to an even $300,000. They agreed.
Two years later… Shaikh is proving to be as much of a Crown liability as an
asset. As star witnesses go, he has become more star than witness. Since the
arrests, he has outed himself on national TV, proclaimed the innocence of some
of the accused, snorted cocaine on the taxpayers' dime, and pleaded guilty to
threatening two 12-year-old girls. During his recent testimony at the youth
trial, the Crown accused its own hired mole of fudging facts to protect the
defendant.
….And now, after all that, Mubin Shaikh wants more cash -- more than 30 times
the dollar figure he originally agreed to.
There are those who argue that these millions are well spent, given the
catastrophic outcome of what could have occurred without their help. Pelting
huge sums of money at informants for their service is inarguably the simplest
route. Yet the unfriendly portrayal of Shaikh in Macleans provides a menacing
inside scoop and provokes a need for scrutiny of the methodologies used by the
RCMP, calling into question its level of investigative expertise. Its sloppiness
in the Arar case is no less sobering.
Now, a new frontier in Canada has emerged in this war on terror which could
offer some promise, even though tricky to enforce: Bill S-7--the Justice for
Victims of Terrorism Act. The bill allows lawsuits against any person, group or
country that supports or abets attacks, to be filed through Canadian courts.
The bill is nothing new. One precendent lawsuit involves the Libyan government's
role in the disastrous 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie,
Scotland. Libya subsequently agreed to compensate Lockerbie relatives to avoid a
diplomatic row, and retire the issue through a peaceful settlement to normalize
its relations with the United Nations (UN) and the U.S., a key point.
Meanwhile in a separate legal action through a Manhattan federal court, families
of victims of the 9-11 terror attacks and a 1983 bombing of U.S. Marines in
Lebanon have filed a lawsuit against Iran for $2.6 billion, citing its
involvement as a state supporter of terrorism. But, given Iran's history of
calling 9-11 a "big lie" and its irrational anti-Semitic ramblings about
obliterating Israel, it's doubtable Iran will pay up.
Yet such legal suits are still promising beyond the compensatory factor. They
serve as one critical part of a multifaceted strategy in the War on Terror: to
isolate, marginalize, embarrass and hopefully shed light on the heinous crimes
of terrorists and their impact on innocent victims. Sadly enough, there are
still too many ignoramuses among us branding the West as evil and Israel as an
Apartheid State while Islamist lunatics vehemently spread their Salafi
ideologies within our very borders.
Forcing terrorist organizations and States into a position of public
accountability before the international community is a welcome strategy that
Canada has wisely endorsed through Bill S-7. Hopefully we will see more of this
in the West.
By Christine Williams
www.frontpagemag.com
© 2010, Assyrian International News Agency. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use.
http://www.aina.org/news/20100517162523.htm
Iran Agrees to Ship Uranium to Turkey; West Unimpressed
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu/Arutz Sheva
Iran has surprised the West again and agreed to a plan, announced by Brazil, to
ship its nuclear reactors’ low-grade uranium to its new ally Turkey, which in
return will give Tehran fuel rods of medium-enriched uranium for a "medical
research reactor."
The shipment of the low-grade uranium ostensibly would prevent the possibility
that Iran could use the material to build a nuclear weapon. However, Germany and
Britain remain unimpressed. Iran would continue to be able to produce high-grade
uranium, and Turkey would return the low-grade uranium if it does not ship fuel
rods within a year.
No announcement was made concerning what Turkey would do with the low-grade
uranium, which would be stored under supervision of United Nations and Iranian
authorities.
Western countries were diplomatically polite but unimpressed. “Iran must take
the steps necessary to assure the international community that its nuclear
program is intended exclusively for peaceful purposes," White House spokesman
Robert Gibbs stated.
Recently-elected Prime Minister David Cameron’ spokesman Steve Field said, "Our
position on Iran is unchanged at the present time. Iran has an obligation to
reassure the international community, and until it does so we will continue to
work with our international partners on a sanctions resolution in the United
Nations Security Council."
German government officials also questioned the agreement by which, according to
the Iranian Foreign Ministry, “Enrichment of uranium to 20 percent will continue
inside Iran."
Russia, which has opposed harsh sanctions, also expressed skepticism. "One
question is: will Iran itself enrich uranium? As far as I understand from
officials of that state, such work will be continued. In this case, of course,
those concerns that the international community had before could remain,"
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said.
The new deal, announced after meetings between Iran, Brazil and Turkey, meets
most of the terms of an arrangement that Iran originally accepted, with one
important exception—the stipulation that Turkey would return the low-grade
uranium if it does not supply fuel rods within a year.
Turkey, which rapidly has embraced Iran while dropping its former friendly
relations with Israel, announced that the deal means “there is no ground left
for more sanctions or pressure.”
Western officials commented that the arrangement does not change assumptions
that Iran’s enriching uranium would give it the opportunity at any time to begin
building a nuclear weapon.
The deal gives Iran a tool to claim diplomatic victory and accuse the West of
being stubborn if it does not accept the arrangement.
Iran Prepared to Block Gulf Oil and Wreck Western Economies
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu/Arutz Sheva
Iran’s recently-concluded war games concentrated on preparations to block the
Persian Gulf and wreck Western economies in the event that the United Nations
Security Council tries to place harsh sanctions against it.
Forty percent of the world’s oil and gas sails through the Persian Gulf, and an
Iranian blockade would cause an inflationary spike in energy prices and a fuel
shortage that could cause catastrophe for the West, which is dependent on
Iranian crude to fuel their gas-hungry economies.
Public affairs consultant Lenny Ben-David, a former senior Israeli diplomat in
Israel’s embassy in Washington, pointed out on Cutting Edge.com Monday that the
Islamic Republic stopped, searched or photographed several Western ships durng
the eight-day war games.
The Revolutionary Navy searched a French and an Italian vessel for
"environmental" checks, buzzed the U.S. Eisenhower in what American officials
called a “close encounter,” and patrolled the Gulf, also known as the Straits of
Hormuz, stopping and checking destroyers and cargo ships.
The Iranian Air Force also drove away a U.S. reconnaissance drone that was
monitoring Iran's massive Gulf military exercises that concluded last Thursday.
During and after the war games, Tehran issued daily press releases boasting of
new and advanced speed boats, an anti-submarine torpedo and advanced arms for
attacking ships.
Ben-David noted, “While the press focuses on the Iranian military exercises,
uranium enrichment, and long-range missile development, the navies of dozens of
countries have been relatively quietly gravitating toward the Persian Gulf. “
The war games exercises in the Gulf sent a clear signal to the West regarding
what may be in store if it succeeds in placing tough sanctions against Iran as a
way to try to force it to comply with international rules on the development of
its nuclear program.
Iran’s government and semi-official media reported that the Revolutionary Guards
tested a new speedboat that can destroy enemy ships, sending a pointed reminder
that it is capable of blocking the Gulf. Iran also successfully fired an
anti-submarine torpedo durng the war games, Iran's Press TV reported. “The
submarines had managed to enter the waters of the hypothetical enemy and pass
the enemy's linking lines,” it stated.
Iran’s Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said the war games aimed
to demonstrate that Iran has full control over shipping activities in the Gulf
area.
Armed Forces Commander Major General Ataollah Salehi announced Tuesday that two
medium-range cruise missiles were launched from Iran’s southern coast and hit
mock targets that were moving on the sea. Iranian news agencies said the missile
also can evade radar systems because it flies at a low altitude.
"It's past the epoch when America would change the regime in a country by just
dispatching a warship,” Salehi added. “We have been able to challenge the U.S.
not only in the sea but also in all international arenas.”
Israel Aerospace Industries chairman Yair Shamir commented that the cruise
missile “is an extremely serious danger." He noted that the missile was supplied
by Ukraine before being upgraded in Iran.
The Air Force also claimed successes. Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Air
Force for Operations General Seyed Mohammad Alawi told Fars News Agency that
Phantom warplanes fired new missiles that hit and destroyed their targets.
The Obama Administration's Middle East Disaster: A Brief Summary
By Barry Rubin*
May 18, 2010
http://www.gloria-center.org/gloria/2010/05/obama-me-disaster
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Every day I wake up hoping to have good news to report about U.S. foreign policy
in the Middle East. There are some positive things-regarding U.S.-Israel
bilateral relations-but other than that it is hard to find anything but failure
and incompetence.
We are now one-third of the way through the Obama Administration and,
regrettably, it has not learned very much at all about understanding the world
situation and correcting its mistakes. The time for wishful thinking is over: if
it hasn't made major corrections by now, the Obama Administration is very
unlikely to get any better during the rest of its term.
I hope you, dear readers, don't get tired of this theme because this is indeed
both the most important thing that's happening and it's happening on many
fronts. The Israel-Palestinian one is the least problematic compared to the
others.
Here are nine huge problems going on right now that are not being addressed by
the U.S. government and are barely comprehended by the U.S. debate and large
portions of the mass media. I defy anyone to show that any of these points is
inaccurate. You can claim they are exaggerated, but not by much. You can claim
that the U.S. government lacks options, but it is not even trying to find or
develop them, nor is it telling the public the truth about these issues.
1. Iran again outmaneuvers the United States, undercutting sanctions. It's now
the second half of May, do you know where your sanctions are? The problem isn't
just that Tehran now has a new plan to ship out half its enriched uranium (only
leaving it with the other 50 percent for building bombs!) but that this scheme
was engineered by two countries the Obama Administration has extolled as
friends: Turkey and Brazil. Despite constant assurances to the public (illusions
it also believed and which misled its policy), the Obama Administration cannot
depend on Russia or China to support sanctions.
What is going on is a diplomatic battle between Iran and the United States to
see which can have more influence on the positions taken by other countries on
the Iran nuclear issue. Here's what's really amazing: Outside of Western and
Central Europe, Iran is winning this competition. Despite Obama's vaunted claims
of popularity, his government didn't build real alliances in the Third World or
persuade people of the extent of the Iranian threat so the United States doesn't
get their support. In addition, they view Obama as weak and not a reliable
friend, so why should they go out on a limb for him? There could be no better
proof that respect and credibility is more important in international affairs
than shallow popularity and flattery.
2. Russia has just signed a major arms' deal with Syria and is moving toward
being diplomatic patron and arms' supplier of an Iran-Syria-Turkey-Hamas-Hizballah
alliance. While the United States has tremendous potential leverage over Russia,
it isn't being used and the administration continues to pretend Moscow will
support serious sanctions against Iran. Meanwhile, Russia is rebuilding its
hegemony over former Soviet territories and neighbors. And the Obama
Administration is blind toward Turkey's defection to the other side and the
growing Islamism within Turkey itself.
3. The Administration is simply not dealing with nor even informing the public
of Iranian cooperation with al-Qaida as well as Tehran's covert war on the
United States in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is still entangled with illusions of
engaging Iran, which thus open the door to the kind of problems discussed in
points 1 and 2 above.
4. The government has no real understanding of Iranian strategy or the kind of
containment that would be needed once Tehran has nuclear weapons. It thinks-and
this is no exaggeration-that the Middle East would not change very much with a
nuclear-armed Iran and that U.S. credibility and deterrence would not be
substantially damaged.
5. The Obama Administration continues to engage Syria despite that regime's
continued war against America in Iraq, takeover efforts in Lebanon, support for
revolutionary Islamist groups and sabotage against any progress in peacemaking.
A new development is the announcement by the UN-sponsored international tribunal
that it will issue indictments in September. If it is honest at all, Syrian
leaders will be openly declared as responsible for terrorism and assassinations
in Lebanon.
6. The Obama Administration continues to pour money and support into Pakistan
even while aware that the Pakistani government is not helping very much against
al-Qaida and the Afghan Taliban, not to mention its sponsoring a war of
terrorism on its neighbor India. Incidentally, some similar things--on a much
smaller scale--apply to Yemen which has been really unhelpful to U.S.
counterterrorist efforts lately. Might some pressure and even quiet threats be
useful?
7. The U.S. government and mass media cannot even speak honestly most of the
time about the nature of the revolutionary Islamist threat.
8. The Obama Administration's policy of winning Arab state support for its
policies by flattery and distancing itself from Israel has failed. Arab leaders
alternate between bemoaning Washington's weakness and complaining that it isn't
doing anything. Here's a remarkable speech by one of Saudi Arabia's most
powerful leaders, Prince Turki al-Faisal, former Saudi intelligence chief and
former ambassador to Washington and London, saying that Obama is no different
from past U.S. presidents, has done nothing for the Arabs, and they are
demanding a lot more. Naturally, they are not offering to do anything to help or
support the United States.
9. A policy of distancing itself from Israel--although this should not be
exaggerated--has not yielded any material benefit for U.S. interests. By doing
so, and making a freeze of construction on settlements its main theme, the Obama
Administration wrecked the chance for any Israel-Palestinian contacts for about
a year and have moved them back from direct to indirect talks. The policy is now
making the Palestinian Authority think that it need merely sabotage talks and
believe that this will yield more U.S. pressure on Israel and unilateral
concessions for itself. Moreover, while the administration continues to isolate
Hamas, its basic approach is to preserve the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip. In
short, the U.S. policy is making it harder, rather than easier, to make progress
toward a just and stable two-state solution.
To all of this might be added that given the poor performance and inaccurate
understanding of the region it holds, the administration is not likely to
respond well to crises arising from Iraq, Afghanistan, Egyptian succession, or
many other issues likely to arise.
The Flight of the Intellectuals
Tony Badran, Now Lebanon
May 18, 2010
Paul Berman is someone who takes ideas – especially pernicious and toxic ones –
very seriously. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Berman wrote a penetrating
work, Terror and Liberalism, which delved into the dark ideologies of the Arab
world. His latest book, The Flight of the Intellectuals, further explores these
ideas, their history and some of their proponents. He also unsparingly
criticizes Western liberals for their inability to properly stand up to them.
Berman is a writer in residence at New York University who excels at
intellectual history, and is a dogged critic of totalitarian and fascist
ideologies of both the Left and the Right. He has a knack for precise and
thorough research, with a sharp eye for detail. And despite his profound
knowledge, Berman is a down-to-earth, affable guy, which makes talking to him an
exceptional treat.
The main subject of his new book is Tariq Ramadan, the self-described “Salafi
reformist” grandson of the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the
intellectuals and journalists who have reacted to his ideas. Admirers view
Ramadan as the embodiment of a reformed Islam; a bridge between Islam and
modernity whose approach offers an “alternative to violence.” Critics see in him
a deceptive obscurantist who engages in double discourse on issues such as
violence, women’s rights and so on.
In his book, Berman diligently chronicles this debate, and identifies the
central problem with Ramadan: He can’t and won’t break with his grandfather’s
dark and violent legacy. Instead, he stands by it (when he’s not evasive and
ambiguous about it), or resorts to selective omission and revisionism when
discussing it, and is highly defensive about it.
And yet, prominent liberal intellectuals and journalists in the West continue to
give him a pass. In fact, they themselves indulge in similar evasion and willful
blindness when faced with the violent legacy of the Islamist movement, which his
grandfather, Hassan al-Banna, founded, and the various offshoots that draw their
inspiration from the ideas of Banna and his associates and disciples. Even more
problematic, some of them, like journalists Ian Buruma and Timothy Garton Ash,
wrote approving profiles of Ramadan while attacking critics of the obscurantism
that he upholds. Specifically, they targeted author and former Dutch
parliamentarian, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, whose life is under constant threat by people
whose doctrinal beliefs descend from the teachings of Ramadan’s grandfather.
This lack of earnestness and injustice has left Berman frustrated and indignant.
Writing the book, he tells me over the phone, was a yielding on his part to “the
lure of annoyance” over the larger problem: “the refusal or inability of
intellectuals and journalists in the US and the West to come to grips with the
kinds of doctrines that are cropping up.” Instead, they prefer to “project
fantasies onto what they’re reading.”
Berman was also “shocked, or depressed, to observe how few American
intellectuals, or intellectuals of Western backgrounds in general, have taken
the trouble to read the various people with whom we’ve found ourselves in some
kind of struggle.” And so, the book in fact has a “double theme: Ramadan on one
hand but also the systematic way in which he’s interpreted according to wish
fulfillment.”
Berman detects in Ramadan’s work what he calls “a system of vocabulary
substitution.” Ramadan will use vocabulary that sounds palatable to Western
liberal ears but which in fact carries a very different definition – indeed, an
entirely different conceptual frame of reference. Berman quips that Western
intellectuals hear “the first 15 minutes” of Ramadan and declare him the
reformer they’ve been searching for. What interests Berman is the sixteenth
minute and beyond.
And he dissects every last minute of it. He also presents his readers with the
latest historical research on the relationship between Nazi foreign policy and
two of Ramadan’s heroes: his grandfather (Banna) and the Mufti of Jerusalem,
Muhammad Hajj Amin al-Husseini, of whom Banna was an ardent supporter. This is
the legacy that Ramadan cannot and does not wish to break from.
The chapter dealing with this, entitled “The Cairo Files,” is, to me, the most
fascinating in Berman’s book. It shows in detail why Berman does not shy away
from the term “fascist” when dealing with the ideologies that have plagued the
Arab world throughout the twentieth century into the present.
Similarly, he finds that the bulk of Ramadan’s ideas are not only unoriginal,
but also, his epistemology is based on a pre-modern premise. It recycles the
thought of the twelfth century Islamic philosopher al-Ghazali. He concludes in
his book that “in Ramadan’s version, the old ideas have reemerged as crackpot
ideas.”
This remark about crackpot ideas reminded me of a quote by the late American
statesman and scholar Hume Horan, who studied Arabic at Harvard with the famed
Sir Hamilton Gibb. The quote is found in Robert Kagan’s The Arabists, in the
course of Horan’s reminiscing about reading Arab nationalist and Baathist works
under Gibb. “I remember being so disappointed,” Horan said. “Finally I was
beginning to be able to penetrate this difficult language, and all I found was,
well, half-baked philosophy and pseudo-intellectualism.” In the end, Ramadan is
not much different.
If so, why should anyone care? For one, “engagement,” specifically with the
so-called “Muslim world,” is the new buzzword in Washington these days. A
corollary of this view is the enterprise of engaging Islamist groups, like
Hamas, Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood. While al-Qaeda is viewed as being
beyond the pale, surely these groups who participate in political life are
different. And certainly, then, Ramadan becomes a perfect interlocutor, in this
framework.
“The Muslim Brothers are defined as ex-lunatics who’ve evolved into something
reasonable,” Berman remarks when I raise this angle. “And then we have Ramadan
who’s presented as one of us – a liberal whose only difference with us is that
he chooses to express his liberalism in an Islamically-derived language.”
But Berman’s idea of “engagement” is quite different. “I’ve insisted on my own
definition of the word engagement,” he tells me. “There are two definitions of
engagement: One is you take somebody’s ideas seriously and you argue against
them. The other is you lie down like a carpet in front of them.”
In the second conception of “engagement,” the view is, as Berman quips, “We must
engage these people, so you invite them to participate with you in a love fest.
I think there’s an alternative: that’s actually to argue with them and to put up
the arguments.”
And this is Berman’s critique of Western liberals. For him, “there is a war of
ideas going on and liberals have to engage in this battle. Islamists are
ideological movements. We have to come to grips with that.”
Reading Berman’s book and talking to him, one comes away with two reasons why
this hasn’t happened: mediocrity and fear.
**Tony Badran is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Michel Sleiman
May 18, 2010
On May 16, the Kuwaiti News Agency KUNA carried the following report by Sheikh
Mubarak al-Dueij al-Sabah:
Lebanese President Michel Sleiman confirmed today the importance of the visit of
His Highness the Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah to
Lebanon, saying that its benefits will be seen in all Arab states, benefiting
the Arab cause, solidarity and position.
In an interview with KUNA’s CEO Sheikh Mubarak al-Dueij al-Ibrahim al-Sabah,
President Sleiman praised the role that was played by His Highness the Prince
during the Arab economic, developmental and social summit held in Kuwait last
year, where he secured unprecedented Arab reconciliation…
The Lebanese president described repeated Israeli threats to his country as an
attempt to elude international pressures and Arab and Palestinian rights issues.
He said that confronting Israel is conducted through the unity of the Lebanese,
Palestinians and Arabs. He then welcomed the visit of His Highness the Prince to
Lebanon, stating: “When Sheikh Sabah comes to Lebanon, he is coming to his home.
We consider the context of the visit to be ordinary because the relationship
between Lebanon and Kuwait is exceptional. There were always relations of
solidarity and mutual support, especially regarding political positions and the
support of development and economy in Lebanon.”
He pointed out that the benefits of this visit, which is part of a tour that
also includes Egypt, Syria and Jordan “will be seen in all Arab countries and at
the level of the Arab cause, position and solidarity.” He then described this
visit as important in terms of its timing, in light of the tensions in the
region, Israeli threats to Syria and Lebanon, the obstruction of the peace
process and the failure of the efforts exerted by American President Barack
Obama.
President Sleiman also praised the role of GCC countries and especially Kuwait
in enhancing stability in Lebanon by offering aid and loans, adding that Kuwait
has been standing alongside Lebanon since 1966 and has offered loans to build
important projects from which the Lebanese benefit to this day…
President Sleiman continued that the Prince of Kuwait “proposed ideas during the
economic summit to secure Arab complementarity, through the establishment of the
Arab Free Trade Zone and the Arab Customs Union. All these steps will secure the
establishment of the joint Arab market.”
Asked about Arab reconciliation which was undertaken by the Prince of Kuwait
during the Arab economic summit, he said: “His Highness is known for resolving
thorny issues through mediation” adding: “He was preparing for these
reconciliations during the Kuwait summit, as I spoke to His Highness about it
during one of my previous visits to Kuwait before the summit.”
The Lebanese president then pointed out that reconciliation witnessed a few
obstructions although a lot was achieved, stating: “We are awaiting the final
part.” He praised the role of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King
Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz's role in Arab reconciliations during the Arab economic
summit.
Regarding recent Israeli threats to Lebanon, President Sleiman told KUNA: “We
know that these threats and accusations are an Israeli attempt to elude
international pressures and Arab and Palestinian rights,” adding: “While Israel
is issuing its threats, it is resorting to racist measures against the
Palestinians by building settlements, ratifying laws and adopting decisions
affecting religious sites and places of worship causing the ongoing prosecution
of the Palestinians.”
He also stated: “The confrontation of Israeli threats is secured through our
unity as Lebanese, the unity of the Palestinians and the unity of Arabs. We must
also enhance Arab military power and adopt resistance in solidarity with the
armies and the people when resistance is needed.”
On the other hand, the Lebanese president described the current security
stability seen in the country as the “Lebanese challenge,” since the components
of society, i.e. the eighteen sects, were able to establish a stable political
regime. He indicated that during the last couple of years, Lebanon witnessed two
consecutive democratic elections, and the formation of a national unity
government twice as well. This facilitated the gradual introduction of
investments and the improvement of Lebanese economy… Asked about the extent of
the consensus between the Lebanese powers over the defensive strategy, President
Sleiman said that the meetings being held by the national dialogue committee may
not have quick results but are useful. They are leading towards the
establishment of a unified concept for the different political forces, in order
to unify the principles and the measures which will allow us to benefit from
Lebanon’s capabilities to build this strategy…
Asked about Lebanese and Arab efforts being deployed to prevent the eruption of
additional tensions in the Middle East, he said: “All the visits I am making
fall in the context of these efforts and all the visits that the Arab leaders
are making also aim to calm the situation.” He then digressed and said: “I
cannot say we are eliminating these tensions, but these efforts are useful and
are clarifying the position of the Arab states, our perception of the situation
and our determination to defend our interests. When we all speak the same way
based on the same doctrine with countries around the world, we are at least able
to prove we are unified in our perception of threats and can consequently limit
these threats…”