LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِMay 21/2010

Bible Of the Day
Paul's Letter to the Romans 12/9- Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. 12:10 In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate one to another; in honor preferring one another; 12:11 not lagging in diligence; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 12:12 rejoicing in hope; enduring in troubles; continuing steadfastly in prayer; 12:13 contributing to the needs of the saints; given to hospitality. 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don’t curse. 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be wise in your own conceits. 12:17 Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. 12:18 If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. 12:19 Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.”* 12:20 Therefore If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

Free Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Washington is getting sidetracked again/By Michael Young/May 20/10

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for May 20/10
US State Department Denies Change in Policy toward Hizbullah/Naharnet
Sfeir says Syria, Iran intruding in Lebanon/Now Lebanon
Greek PM Meets Leaders in Beirut: We Support Lebanon in Word and Deed/Naharnet
Hariri Encourages Political Stability, Safe Monetary Policies to Gain Investor Trust/Naharnet
Mothers ask Iran to free detained US hikers as humanitarian gesture/Now Lebanon
To promote Arab-Israeli peace, Arabs and Israelis argue against it/Christian Science Monitor
Russia shows US how to deal with Syria/The Guardian
United States to Assist Palestinian Refugees in Syria/US Department of State
Resistance necessary, Hezbollah says/UPI.com
Lebanon charges 12 in mob lynching of Egyptian/Times LIVE
She's Hot and Hezbollah: When Women Are Wielded as Ideological Weapons/Huffington Post (blog)
Miss USA Hailed by Lebanese Hometown -- But No Love From Hezbollah/FOXNews
MESS Report / Israel is learning to live with a nuclear Iran/Ha'aretz (blog)
Limbaugh's take on admin plan to reach out to moderate Hezbollah members: "Why/Media Matters for America
Exiled Iranian diplomat: interview extracts/Channel 4 News
Election campaign battle heats up in Sidon/Daily Star
Obama looks to build up 'Hizbullah moderates/Daily Star
Parliament speaker warns brain drain 'biggest problem we face in Lebanon/Daily Star
World Bank hands $500 million to Beirut for reform drive/Daily Star
Sleiman vows reforms despite difficulties/Daily Star
More bilateral deals signed during Kuwaiti emir's visit/Daily Star
Moussa: Arabs back Lebanese amid threats/AFP
MEA pilots renew demands for better working conditions/Daily Star
Safadi: Lebanese food industry can meet most local demand/Daily Star
Hepatitis support group calls on Lebanese to get tested/Daily Star
AUB Museum society marks 30 years of activities/Daily Star
AUB students hold strike against hike in tuition fees/Daily Star
Nahr al-Bared - three years on/Daily Star
Palestinians to protest failure to address hardships of Nahr al-Bared displaced/Daily Star
Official Closure May 25 for Liberation Day/Naharnet
Jumblat Calls Lahoud, Awaits Hamadeh's Clarification after 'Putting up with Him Alot'/Naharnet
Kuwaiti Emir Stresses His Country's Support for Lebanon before Leaving Beirut/Naharnet
Lebanese Cadets to Attend U.S. Air Force and Naval Academy for First Time/Naharnet
Riachy Denies Criticizing Lebanese Judiciary
/Naharnet
Jezzine Readying for Election Battle after New Alliance Announced
/Naharnet
Israeli Drills Sunday Likely to Disturb Mood during South Lebanon Election Day
/Naharnet
Israeli Troops Preparing for Mass Evacuations in Case of Hizbullah Rocket Strike
/Naharnet
Cassese Clarifies Recent Remarks on Indictment Date: Sorry that I Unwillingly Caused this Misunderstanding
/Naharnet
Mt. Lebanon Prosecutor Charges 12 in Mob Lynching of Msallem
/Naharnet
Souaid: Assad's Statements Imply that Syria is Restoring its Control over Lebanon
/Naharnet
Firzli: Relations with Syria are Part of National Accord, Hariri's Trip is a Positive Step
/Naharnet
Moussa: Arabs, World Oppose Adventures that Infringe on Lebanese Sovereignty
/Naharnet
German FM to Visit Beirut Friday as Part of Mideast Tour
/Naharnet

The World Council of The Cedars Revolution
www.cedarsrevolution.net
cedarsrevolution@gmail.com
Press Release
White House Advisor is wrong and his statements are confusing the American public, no moderates inside the terrorist group Hezbollah..
Wednesday, May 19th 2010
Washington, DC
By John Hajjar *
We read with great dismay comments made by John Brennan, White House advisor on Counter Terrorism regarding the so-called 'moderates inside Hezbollah’. The Hezbollah terror organization was created by the Iranian regime Terror militia-the Pasdaran, (Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards) in 1981. Hezbollah perpetrated heinous terror attacks against the US Marines operating in the Multinational Peace forces in Lebanon killing 341Marines in 1983. Then Hezbollah blew up the US embassy twice and held American and European hostages in the 1990s.
Hezbollah, as a terror militia operating on Lebanese soil killed, kidnapped and tortured Lebanese citizens for 20 years. In May 2008 it invaded West Beirut and Mount Lebanon killing innocent civilians and burning media institutions. Hezbollah is increasing its arsenal of missiles in full breach of UN resolutions 1559 and 1701. In addition, Hezbollah has perpetrated Terror attacks in Argentina, assisted in attacks against US and Coalition forces in Iraq, trained insurgents in Yemen and formed terror cells in Egypt.
Mr. Brennan, as a US official has stated that there were moderates inside Hezbollah he wanted to reach out to. Mr. Brennan is wrong and his statements are confusing the American public. We haven't seen any statement or document by Hezbollah members who call for moderation. We haven't seen so-called moderates calling for disarming the militia. Mr. Brennan said Hezbollah has members in the Lebanese parliament. Although true, Mr. Brennan draws the wrong conclusion as this means that the terrorist organization has used its weapons and money to penetrate the Lebanese legislature and not the other way around.
We in the World Council of the Cedars Revolution (WCCR) ask Mr. Brennan to give the US public and Lebanese Americans one example of a moderate official inside Hezbollah. He can't because there are none. This is an organization that tolerates absolutely no dissent or nuanced views. It executes the orders of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Mr. Brennan's statements about Hezbollah's “moderates” are an insult and an affront to the Lebanese who were assassinated by the terror organization, to the US citizens and military personnel who were killed by the Iranian funded group and to the Lebanese American community that has been working hard on exposing terror inside Lebanon and on implementing UNSCR 1559 and 1701.
We call on Mr. Brennan to apologize for this insult or to resign. Two million Lebanese Americans won't stand by idle as a US official is disfiguring the truth in Lebanon.

*John Hajjar, National Director, World Council of the Cedars Revolution
E hajjlaw@aol.com

Washington is getting sidetracked again
By Michael Young
Daily Star/Thursday, May 20, 2010
Political Washington has a gift for getting sidetracked into marginal disputes. The latest example is the decision of 12 Republican senators to block approval of Robert Ford, who was recently named the US ambassador in Damascus, because of reports that the Syrians have sent Scud missiles to Hizbullah.
The State Department has a different perspective. It believes an ambassador in Damascus is necessary to better relay the Obama administration’s messages to Syrian President Bashar Assad. This is partly due to the fact that Assad’s man in Washington, Imad Mustapha, is mistrusted by his American counterparts.
The senators, in a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, responded that Ford’s appointment would be a concession, even a reward, “if engagement precludes prompt punitive action in response to egregious behavior, such as the transfer of long-range missiles to a terrorist group.” The Republicans want new sanctions to be imposed on Syria, or a deadline from the administration to determine whether engagement is working before new sanctions are put in place.
The points of view on both sides conceal a far more significant problem. Undue focus on whether an ambassador should be sent to Damascus or not is secondary to the fact that the Obama administration is not really clear about how to bring about a change in Syrian behavior where it has demanded such change – namely Syria’s ending its destabilization of Iraq, its support for Hamas and Hizbullah, and its efforts to reassert its hegemony over Lebanon.
Naming an ambassador should only be a means of advancing policy. But because the policy is unclear, the appointment process has taken center stage. For the State Department to defend an ambassador as necessary to get Assad’s ear is ridiculous. In itself, the transmission of messages is not, and should not be, what justifies a significant political reversal, especially when the previous ambassador was pulled because the US assumed that Syria had ordered the assassination of Rafik Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister.
On the other hand, the Republicans, by making Ford the issue, have also confused matters. The sanctions they are demanding may be justified, but sanctions, like the dispatching of an ambassador, do not in themselves constitute policy; they are instruments of policy. What the Republicans (and Democrats) should be asking of the Obama administration is whether its engagement strategy with Syria has any chance of succeeding – and if not what must be done to ensure it succeeds – and whether American strategy is cohesive, so that a dialogue with Syria does not actually give it wider latitude to pursue those very aims that Washington is seeking to undermine.
If the dispute over an ambassador is a red herring, oddly enough so too is the discussion over Scuds. If or when a war occurs between Hizbullah and Israel, it is probably fair to say that Syrian Scuds will not be a major part of it. Assad will continue to push against the red lines in his relationship with Israel, but not to the extent of supplying significant quantities of powerful missiles that may invite massive Israeli retaliation against Syria. Moreover, fueling and firing a Scud takes time, so that Hizbullah would doubtless do so far away from the southern border, in areas under its control. Most of those areas happen to be located too close to Syrian territory for comfort.
Syrian weapons to Hizbullah appear to be there to serve a more complex purpose. I continue to believe that the primary Syrian objective is to create the proper conditions for a Syrian military return to Lebanon. This is not an easy venture, or one guaranteed of success. However, reversing what happened in 2005 has been very much on Assad’s mind since he lost the Lebanon that his father bequeathed to him and that Hafez Assad had spent two and a half decades fighting hard over in order to consolidate Syrian rule. That loss was a bitter one for Bashar, striking at the very heart of his political self-esteem.
But there are more pragmatic reasons as well. Only a military presence allows the Syrian regime to control Lebanon’s Sunni community, with the implications this has domestically for Assad. It also allows Syria to stifle its old bugbear, the Maronite community, where Samir Geagea has made headway at a time when the Aounist movement is losing steam. But perhaps most important, only if Syria is physically present in Lebanon can it turn the “Hizbullah card” to its advantage by projecting itself as the sole actor able to contain the party – which it would nevertheless allow to pursue a “resistance’ agenda, since Syria could use this as leverage whenever it needs to bargain with the Arab states, the US, Israel, even Iran.
If Syria can guarantee that the next war between Hizbullah and Israel is particularly vicious and that Hizbullah can hold its own (Syria’s passing of game-changing weaponry, for example more effective anti-aircraft missiles, would help do so), this could open up numerous possibilities. Israeli retaliation would be ferocious, the Lebanese state and government would emerge from the maelstrom discredited and weak, United Nations resolutions on Lebanon would effectively collapse, and Hizbullah would be perceived by Arab states and Israel as a major regional menace, which Assad could then use as a wedge to facilitate acceptance of a Syrian military comeback.
The absence of a credible UN-sponsored post-conflict framework would be Syria’s opening. No one, least of all the Israelis, would take seriously a new international force in southern Lebanon. That conviction could swing the Americans. Subcontract Lebanon to Syria once again and everyone is happy, the rationale might go.
That’s where the hard questioning should come in Washington. If Syria’s energies are primarily geared toward reestablishing a military presence in Lebanon, then American engagement of Damascus will not change much in Bashar Assad’s plans. Washington needs to move beyond Robert Ford to address the real issue: Syria’s intention to again use Lebanon as the platform from which to become a dominant Arab state.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR. His “The Ghosts of Martyrs Square: An Eyewitness Account of Lebanon’s Life Struggle” (Simon & Schuster) has just been published.

Obama looks to build up 'Hizbullah moderates'

Thursday, May 20, 2010
WASHINGTON: The Obama administration is looking for ways to build up “moderate elements” within the Lebanese Hizbullah movement and to diminish the influence of hardliners, a top White House official said on Tuesday.
John Brennan, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, met with Lebanese leaders during a recent visit.
“Hizbullah is a very interesting organization,” Brennan told a Washington conference, citing its evolution from “purely a terrorist organization” to a militia to an organization that now has members within the Parliament and the Cabinet.
“There is certainly elements of Hizbullah that are truly a concern to us. And what we need to do is to find ways to diminish their influence within the organization and to try to build up the more moderate elements,” Brennan said.
He did not spell out how Washington hoped to promote “moderate elements” given that the organization is branded a “foreign terrorist organization” by the United States.
“We don’t deal with them,” he acknowledged.
Last month, the US and Israel accused Syria of arming Hizbullah with increasingly powerful missiles and weapons technology. Brennan said he raised those concerns during his recent visit to the region. – Reuters

Sfeir says Syria, Iran intruding in Lebanon
May 20, 2010 /Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir said on Thursday that Lebanon is going through a difficult period, and that Syria and Iran are intruding in the country’s domestic affairs, the National News Agency (NNA) reported. “Eventually, we seek to solve this problem as much as we can,” Sfeir said.
He said that “there are 17 sects in Lebanon that seek to coexist peacefully despite the problems that come from outside [the country].”
The patriarch also stressed on unity, which he said will help “save Lebanon.” -NOW Lebanon

New Iranian Ambassador hands credentials to Sleiman

May 20, 2010 /The new Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon, Ghadanfar Roken Abadi, handed over a copy of his credentials to President Michel Sleiman on Thursday, according to a statement issued by the president’s office. Abadi replaces former Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Shibani, whose term ended in October 2009.
The new ambassador arrived in Beirut on Monday to take over the post.-NOW Lebanon

Michel Aoun
May 19, 2010
On May 18, the Lebanese National News Agency carried the following report:
The head of the Change and Reform bloc in parliament, Deputy General Michel Aoun, presided over the bloc’s weekly meeting in Rabieh. Following the meeting, he stated: “In today’s meeting, the budget was the main topic on the agenda. We all expressed concerns toward the behavior of the government which seems to be insisting on stalling its ratification. What is ‘uglier’ than waiting and wasting are comments and reports in the press saying that some are “aiming and shooting at” the budget as though they wish to postpone its ratification. This preemptive war against us will not work. The budget should be discussed because it has faults and we will not allow its passage that way. We will take our time and will not let them pass their mistakes.
“We have been living without a budget for the last five years, and after we checked the figures, we found during that time, the government spent over $11 billion over the budget… This is an illegitimate expenditure which is not allowed by law nor anywhere else. We will not conceal mistakes and will not allow their continuation through a budget we neither discussed nor corrected...
“Yes, we are ‘aiming at’ the Cabinet and we want to ‘aim at’ whoever drew up the budget, whoever is making mistakes and whoever wishes to ratify the budget the as with the parliamentary electoral law when they eventually said they had no time to introduce reforms. The same was also seen at the municipal elections. Here it was said we could not adopt the reforms because we have run out of time.
“Time wasting is always used by the government to allow the passage of issues which cannot be ratified. This year, there will be no waste of time and let everyone understand that. Let all those who are in the government and the parliament discuss [the budget] and take their time. Let them work more than two hours a week to ensure its ratification…
“During our meeting, we also discussed the municipal situation in the South. The elections will be held and everything will be fine with God’s will. At this point, I would like to point to the media controversy surrounding the interference of (Parliament Speaker) Nabih Berri in the South elections. It was noticed that some media outlets proceeded with their reports even after our joint statement was issued… I spoke to Speaker Berri and he told me he was not interfering which means he is not. Any politician can interfere in Jezzine and if he has influence, he is welcome. I will not oppose him even if he were to oppose my deputies there. If we cannot win Jezzine, it means we cannot win it.”
What is your comment on Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri’s visit to Syria today?
It is something normal. There are joint issues, especially in regard to international and regional policy, the Palestinian cause, the meetings in Turkey and the uranium agreement.
What about the domestic situation?
I do not think that this will be discussed during the visit, which marks a prelude for the visit to the United States. The Prime Minister wanted to tour Arab countries to learn about the common political stands which certainly concern Lebanon…
Why are we hearing talk about the threat of seeing the government resign? We heard President Michel Sleiman talking about this in the media yesterday.
Neither I nor my ministers are talking of the government’s resignation. I do not know if anyone mentioned his intention to resign. I believe these are rumors. Every day, I express my views on the work of the government but this in no way means it should resign. I am a fighter so even if I am not pleased with my status in the government, I will not leave it and will try to fix the situation…
Regionally, developments whether in terms of the visits of foreign ministers or American officials in addition to Iran’s surprise yesterday, point to the existence of a turning point in the political inclination in the region. How true is that and will it have a negative or a positive impact on Lebanon?
We have been waiting for this to happen for a long time. Therefore, we cannot say we have changed our policy or that something was imposed on us. The maneuvers you are hearing about, whether in terms of the Scud missiles, the atomic bomb or the targeting of the Gulf among others are mere rumors to eventually find exits to situations which may be complicated... Whoever knows what is happening in the geopolitical or geostrategic space can differentiate between maneuvers to find exits and reality…

Russia: The Return?

Hazem Saghiyeh, May 18, 2010
Now Lebanon
Many Arab observers and commentators rushed to sing the praise of “Russia’s return” to the Middle East, saying that Moscow’s latest weapons deal with Syria and some tough statements by President Medvedev recently bear witness to this return.
Since we always implicitly hail showdowns, this return should elicit a joyful reaction.
In reality, the standstill characterizing the settlement process in the region and Israel’s exceptional intransigence, which is hardly likely to be resolved by the US-sponsored indirect negotiations, may provide a partial explanation for the Arab and Islamic relief with regard to the Russian “return”. However, it is feared that our consciousness about weapons will drive us to gloss over essential considerations that confine this “return” to a stricter and more realistic framework.
As we know, the Russian economy relies unilaterally on raw materials, especially oil, and cannot go very far with this confrontation policy. Yet we also know that Moscow’s current actions are the result of two rivalries: the first pits it against the United States at a time of relative US weakness, thus allowing Russia to bet on ameliorating its conditions in the negotiations with Washington by adopting escalatory – or seemingly-so – positions. However, this rivalry has already been tested on the Iranian issue and it seems clearer, day after day, that the Russians are etching closer to the US position on sanctions, even if this similar conclusion is taking the shape of many twists and turns. Needless to say, Washington and Tel Aviv deem that what is genuinely at stake are the relations with Tehran, not Damascus.
The second rivalry pits Medvedev against his PM and “strongman” Vladimir Putin. Medvedev actually expressed many times his wish to break free from the clout of Putin, thanks to whom he was elected in the first place. He thus developed his own, more liberal opinions regarding the economy and relations with the West, and does not plan to relinquish Russia’s influence and standing worldwide to his competitor alone. It is a well-known fact that this bartering chip, along with economic growth, is the cornerstones of Putin’s popularity, as Russia was hungry for these positive results following the general degradation during Boris Yeltsin’s rule.
Yet, even if we assume that Russia is on the verge of a Soviet super-return inaugurated by the latest weapons deal, which may remind some of the famous weapons deals with Egypt and Syria in the mid-1950s, does history look set to repeat itself?
In fact, the events of that period coincided with the rising tide of Nasserism, which consolidated the state’s military might and rallied a wide wave of popular Arab support. Now, it seems that there are no Arab institutional and popular incubators capable of providing the stage needed for a similar Russian return. At the time, beginnings were being tested, whereas it is better not to conduct any experiments with the ends we have now, no matter how rugged and stumbling the path of politics may seem. This holds all the more true, considering that if all the talk about a Russian return proves true, Iran is the only country qualified enough to host such a transformation. Would this make us, Arabs, mere pretexts for extending Iran’s influence?
Once again, it would be better to allow reason to intervene to control wild emotions.
**This article is a translation of the original, which first appeared on the NOW Arabic site on Monday, May 17, 2010

Jumblat Calls Lahoud, Awaits Hamadeh's Clarification after 'Putting up with Him Alot'

Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has held a telephone conversation with ex-President Emile Lahoud for the first time since the extension of the former head of state's term in 2004.At the time, the Druze leader was one of the strongest opponents of the extension which took place under pressure from Damascus during the era of Syrian hegemony over Lebanon. Al-Akhbar newspaper said Thursday that when Jumblat called Lahoud, the former president was in a meeting. Lahoud later telephoned the lawmaker who said: "We don't want to be the captives of the past; the future is ahead of us."Circles close to Lahoud confirmed that the phone conversation was positive "particularly that Jumblat interpreted his political speech through practical steps.""That's what's important," the circles told al-Akhbar.
The newspaper said that Jumblat also intends to visit former MP Faisal al-Dawoud, in a move that has made his reconciliations with former foes almost complete.
However, contacts between the Druze leader and MP Marwan Hamadeh are still cut pending a clarification about his links to criticism of Jumblat by journalist Ali Hamadeh.
"I put up with Marwan a lot," the PSP leader told al-Akhbar. "I am waiting for a clarification if he disagrees with what his brother (Ali) wrote."
On the other hand, Jumblat has nice words to say about Telecommunications Minister Charbel Nahas, who is backed by Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement leader.
The Druze leader has backed Nahas against a campaign of criticism. He is "an excellent young man," Jumblat reportedly told Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
The lawmaker also hailed Hariri on his response to the Obama administration about Hizbullah arms. The premier has told Jumblat that he informed the Americans the following: "Stop (Israeli) violations of (Lebanese) airspace first and then we could discuss the issue."Jumblat told al-Akhbar that Hariri's visit to Damascus earlier in the week and before his trip to Washington was "good and important."About President Michel Suleiman, the PSP chief said that the head of state should be given more authorities to have a bigger role. "Today, he (Suleiman) is the head of the political bureau of confessions that is run by consensual democracy." Beirut, 20 May 10, 09:02

Hariri Encourages Political Stability, Safe Monetary Policies to Gain Investor Trust

Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri told the Arab Economic Forum on Thursday that the 2010 state budget reconciles the needs of citizens and the requirements of economic stability.
The forum held at the Phoenicia Intercontinental hotel was attended by 200 Arab and regional companies from 20 countries. Political stability, economic reforms and safe monetary policies are essential to gain the trust of investors, Hariri said. "We are keen on preserving investors' trust that's why we insist on adopting safe monetary policies."He told the forum that Arabs would lose the opportunity to rise to levels that guarantee a bright future for youth if they isolate themselves. On Lebanon, he said the country is entering a new stage that lays the foundations for a strong economic and development stage. "The current government is working on safeguarding the country from regional tension," he said.
Among those who addressed the forum was Arab League chief Amr Moussa who said the region is in a transitional stage but has a promising future. Beirut, 20 May 10, 11:58

Greek PM Meets Leaders in Beirut: We Support Lebanon in Word and Deed
Naharnet/Greek PM Meets Lebanese Leaders: We Support Lebanon in Word and Deed
Visiting Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou on Thursday met President Michel Suleiman and held two rounds of talks with his Lebanese counterpart Saad Hariri.
Local media said talks focused on latest regional developments as well as bilateral relations and ways of developing and enhancing them.
Papandreou arrived at the Grand Serail at 9:15 am, where he was met by Hariri, Foreign Minister Ali al-Shami, Information Minister Tareq Mitri as well as other political and diplomatic officials. The Greek premier took part in the opening session of the Arab Economic Forum before heading to Baabda Palace for a meeting with President Suleiman.
After midday, Papandreou and Hariri held a second round of talks at the Grand Serail.
Hariri is to throw a lunch banquet in the honor of the Greek prime minister after they hold a joint press conference.
Papandreou, who arrived in Beirut Wednesday evening, said Greece supports Lebanon "in word and deed."
He praised the "new era of political stability" in Lebanon "which helped restore its position in the international arena."
Papandreou vowed that Greece, together with the European Union, will push forward with a new initiative aimed at resumption of indirect Israel-Palestinian talks.
"We will spare no effort with our partners in the European Union to improve the atmosphere surrounding the new initiative aimed at launching indirect Israel-Palestinian negotiations," Papandreou said in an interview published Thursday by the daily An-Nahar.
He stressed the need "not to allow a setback to disrupt the progress that had been achieved" in Middle East peace talks.
Papandreou took part in the opening session of the Arab Economic Forum Thursday. Beirut, 20 May 10, 12:22

UNESCO Threatens to Remove Qadisha Valley from World Heritage List

Naharnet/The Qadisha Valley, which has been the site of monastic communities since the earliest years of Christianity, is under the threat of removal from UNESCO's World Heritage List.
An Nahar daily said violations in the valley in the north led UNESCO's World Heritage Center to warn Lebanon that it would put the area on the List of World Heritage in Danger which is the first step in dropping it from the World Heritage List.
Culture Minister Salim Warde has sent letters to President Michel Suleiman and Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir asking for assistance to find a solution to the "Valley of the Saints."
"The monasteries of the Qadisha Valley are the most significant surviving examples of the fundamental demonstration of Christian faith," says the UNESCO website.
However, An Nahar reported that violations, such as picnics, restaurants and other building projects in the area, are tarnishing the valley's image.
The newspaper even went on saying that all-terrain vehicle (ATV) races are taking place at the valley's entrances and sewage is flowing into it. Beirut, 20 May 10, 08:03