LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِNovember
30/2010
Bible Of The
Day
Ecclesiastes 3/1-15: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every
purpose under heaven: 3:2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant,
and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3:3 a time to kill, and a time to
heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 3:4 a time to weep, and a
time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 3:5 a time to cast away
stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to
refrain from embracing; 3:6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep,
and a time to cast away; 3:7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep
silence, and a time to speak; 3:8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for
war, and a time for peace. 3:9 What profit has he who works in that in which he
labors? 3:10 I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be
afflicted with. 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also
set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man can’t find out the work that God
has done from the beginning even to the end. 3:12 I know that there is nothing
better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live. 3:13 Also
that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the
gift of God. 3:14 I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing
can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men
should fear before him. 3:15 That which is has been long ago, and that which is
to be has been long ago: and God seeks again that which is passed away
Free Opinions,
Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Arab states scorn 'evil' Iran/The Guardian/November
29/10
It’s our dignity too/Now Lebanon/November
29/10
Latest News
Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for November
29/10
Paris:
Indictment will be Issued Even if Hizbullah Seeks to Topple Government/Naharnet
Canada's Foreign Ministry: Bellemare Carrying out Probe Under Dangerous
Circumstances/Naharnet
Mustaqbal Sources Commenting on Nasrallah Speech: One Cannot React to Anonymous
Indictment/Naharnet
Iran Accuses CIA, Mossad
of Top Nuclear Scientist's Killing/Naharnet
Saudi king urged U.S. to attack Iran: WikiLeaks/Reuters
Khamenei Urges Hariri to
'Consolidate Ties with Nasrallah/Naharnet
Geagea Says Nasrallah's Speech
was Calm and Reasonable/Naharnet
Hezbollah: Evidence held by Hariri court worthless/Washington Post
Fayyad: New conspiracy would be aborted like its predecessors/iloubnan.info
Iranian spies 'used Red Crescent to enter war zones'/The Guardian
Diplomats ordered to gather intelligence on Ban Ki-moon/The Guardian
Iran offers to protect Lebanon and Hezbollah defense needs/Ha'aretz
WikiLeaks: Red Crescent smuggled weapons for Iran/Ynetnews
Merrill Lynch revises growth upward
to 8 percent in 2010/Daily Star
Erdogan: Hizbullah not connected to
Hariri
murder/J.Post
Wikileaks:US Cables Requested
Intelligence on Hizbullah, Hamas, Other Groups/Naharnet
WikiLeaks: Dagan denied plans to
attack Syria in 2007/Ynetnews
Paris:
Indictment will be Issued Even if Hizbullah Seeks to Topple Government/Naharnet
Mustaqbal Sources Commenting on Nasrallah Speech: One Cannot React to Anonymous
Indictment/Naharnet
Nasrallah: Evidence Held by STL Worthless, Court Could be Cover for New Israel
War/Naharnet
STL
Raised in Hariri Tehran Visit, Iran's Approach to Hariri Court Based on
'Stability'/Naharnet
Abadi: Hariri Iran Visit Opens New Page/Naharnet
Jumblat Wants Settlement before Indictment/Naharnet
Iran Offers Military Help
… and a 'Car' to Visiting Hariri/Naharnet
Second RPG Attack on Jabal
Mohsen in 2 Days, Grenade on Bab Tebanneh/Naharnet
Kuwait Lawyer Sues Hariri,
Baroud over 'Illegal Arrest'/Naharnet
Paris: Indictment will be
Issued Even if Hizbullah Seeks to Topple Government
Naharnet/A high-ranking French official said the international tribunal will
issue its indictment in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination case even if
Hizbullah tried to topple the Lebanese government. "No matter what Hizbullah
does to obstruct the government or even topple it … the indictment will be
issued," the source told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat in remarks published Monday.
"Even if Lebanon stops to finance the court, there are enough funds to issue the
indictment," the source said. The official confirmed that French President
Nicolas Sarkozy was working with all Arab officials involved with the situation
in Lebanon to avert a deteriorating situation in the country. Premier Saad
Hariri's visit to Paris this week comes as part of Sarkozy's support for the
Lebanese government, the source told al-Hayat. He added that Syrian President
Bashar Assad's expected visit to the French capital in the next few days was
also aimed at continuing French-Syrian dialogue over Lebanon. Asked about a
possible Syrian rejection of the tribunal's indictment, the source said: "The
court is independent and no one can stop its work … All of us, including Syria,
should calm the situation." "We hope that Lebanon's political life does not
become the victim of an indictment which no one knows when will be issued or
whom it will accuse," the official added. Beirut, 29 Nov 10, 08:01
Khamenei Urges Hariri to 'Consolidate Ties with Nasrallah'
Naharnet/Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told visiting Lebanese
Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Monday that the premier should "consolidate
relations" with Hizbullah.
The website of Khamenei's office said he was pleased that Hariri and Hizbullah
chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah currently had good ties, adding "these relations
must be more consolidated."
"As long as the occupying Zionist regime exists, Lebanon needs resistance,"
Khamenei said in reference to Israel. "The only element of deterrence against
the occupying Zionist regime is the element of resistance," he was quoted as
saying. Hariri was on the third and final day of an official visit to Iran. He
had been told on Sunday by Iran's Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi that Tehran was
prepared to help the Lebanese army. Khamenei echoed comments made by President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a meeting with Hariri, during which the Iranian leader
called for the Beirut government and Hizbullah to work together against Israel.
"If the government and the resistance form part of the same front, this country
will follow the path of greatness and development, and the Zionist regime will
not be able to do it the least harm," he said. Hariri later held a joint press
conference with first Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi.
The premier stressed that it was the duty of the Lebanese to preserve Lebanon's
stability. "The assistance of friends is an added value," he said.
He also hailed Saudi-Syrian efforts to avert an explosive situation in Lebanon.
Hariri said national unity preserved the army-people-resistance equation which
is adopted by the Lebanese government.Turning to Iran's controversial nuclear
program, the premier said Lebanon will not be part of any international group
that aims to pressure Tehran. Lebanon supports Iran's right to have nuclear
power for peaceful purposes, he told reporters.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 29 Nov 10,
11:53
Geagea Says Nasrallah's Speech was Calm and Reasonable
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Monday lauded Hizbullah leader
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's speech which he described as calm, reasonable and
democratic.
On Sunday, Nasrallah warned that Israel could wage a new war on Lebanon after
the publication of indictments by the international tribunal probing the murder
of ex-premier Rafik Hariri.
He urged the Lebanese to unite and "protect the country" ahead of the results of
the U.N. probe.Nasrallah did what is required, Geagea told the Central News
Agency. The Hizbullah leader "called for confronting the indictment with
logic."He reiterated there was no way to compromise on the court. Beirut, 29 Nov
10, 14:34
Wikileaks:US Cables Requested Intelligence on Hizbullah, Hamas, Other Groups
Naharnet/Secret documents revealed by WikiLeaks said Iran used ambulances to
smuggle weapons into Lebanon during the 2006 war between Hizbullah and Israel.
Washington also ordered its diplomats in 2008 to probe a possible al-Qaida
presence in a border zone between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil, according to a
confidential cable released Sunday by WikiLeaks. The State Department cable on
"reporting and collection needs" was sent to the US embassy in Asuncion. It
revealed a U.S. concern about the possibility of al-Qaida and other terror
networks operating in the Paraguay-Argentina-Brazil border zone, which has a
history of immigration from Arab countries. The cable requested intelligence on
terror groups and supporters including al-Qaida and other Islamist militant
groups such as Egypt's Jamaa Islamiya; Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip; and
Lebanon's Hizbullah. Washington requested any evidence of the terror groups
raising cash through human smuggling, drug running and other criminal
activities, and any details of training networks and ties with other groups. The
U.S. State Department also wanted to know if Paraguay's government supported its
declared "war on terror". It asked Asuncion diplomats to report on Paraguay's
plans to confront any terror threat, "including support for or opposition to the
United States in the war against terrorism; Paraguay's position in regional and
international fora, including support for or objection to U.S. counterterrorism
policies". WikiLeaks published more 250,000 confidential cables, releasing them
to the Spanish daily El Pais, Britain's The Guardian, The New York Times,
France's Le Monde and the German magazine Der Spiegel. The cable on Paraguay was
published by The Guardian and made available on its Internet site.(AFP) Beirut,
29 Nov 10, 06:37
Iran Accuses CIA, Mossad of Top Nuclear Scientist's Killing
Naharnet/Twin blasts in Iran's capital killed a top nuclear scientist and
wounded another Monday, with Tehran swiftly blaming the CIA and Mossad for the
attacks apparently carried out by men on motorcycles. Slain scientist Majid
Shahriari and Fereydoon Abbasi Davani, who survived the attack, were senior
figures in Iran's nuclear program, which the West suspects of having military
aims. Tehran denies the charge. Tehran police chief Hossein Sajedi-nia said the
scientists were targeted on their way to work in two different parts of the
capital by men on motorcycles who attached bombs to their cars. "Dr. Shahriari
was killed and his wife and driver were injured. Dr. Abbasi and his wife have
been injured," he was quoted as saying in media reports. Iran's presidential
office and interior minister accused the U.S. and Israeli intelligence services,
the CIA and Mossad, of killing the two who were also professors at Tehran's
prestigious Shahid Beheshti University. "The Zionist regime this time shed the
blood of university professor Dr. Majid Shahriari to curb Iran's progress," the
office of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a statement posted on its
website. Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said the "Mossad and the CIA
are the enemies of Iranians" whose "desperate terrorist act against the two
academics shows their weakness and inferiority." Israel's foreign ministry
declined to comment on the reports. Shahriari was "in charge of one of the great
projects" at Iran's Atomic Energy Agency, the Islamic republic's nuclear chief,
Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.
He was also a member of the so-called SESAME project on nuclear cooperation in
the Middle East.
The other scientist, Abbasi Davani, was targeted by U.N. Security Council
sanctions under Resolution 1747 adopted in March 2007. He was identified as a
senior defense ministry and armed forces logistics scientist. The 52-year-old
was "one of the few specialists who can separate isotopes," and has been a
member of the elite Revolutionary Guards since the 1979 Islamic revolution, one
report said. "The two were cooperating with the defense ministry in the field of
nuclear research. Shahriari was the head of a project that sought to achieve the
technology to design nuclear reactor core," said the hardline Rajanews website.
The police chief said the assailants had managed to escape and that "nobody had
yet claimed responsibility" for the attacks. In January, Masoud Ali Mohammadi,
another Iranian nuclear scientist involved with the SESAME project, was killed
in a bomb attack which Tehran blamed on "mercenaries" in the pay of Israel and
the United States. Salehi warned "enemies" of Iran they were "playing with fire"
in reaction to the assassination.(AFP) Beirut, 29 Nov 10, 10:11
Mustaqbal Sources Commenting on Nasrallah Speech: One Cannot React to Anonymous
Indictment
Naharnet/Mustaqbal sources, commenting on Sunday's speech by Hizbullah leader
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, believed no one could react to an "anonymous"
indictment. "We cannot judge an indictment in advance since we are not familiar
with the content," one source told As-Safir newspaper in remarks published
Monday. "If Mr. Nasrallah was aware of the details, as he hinted during his
speech, this does not apply to us," he added. The sources hailed Nasrallah for
speaking in a "clam tone," adding that they share his desire to avoid a
confrontation. The sources said they also support Nasrallah's call for a "quiet"
follow-up on this issue in a climate of stability.Beirut, 29 Nov 10, 10:30
Canada's Foreign Ministry: Bellemare Carrying out Probe Under Dangerous
Circumstances
Naharnet/An official at the Canadian foreign ministry lauded Special Tribunal
for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare's efforts to build a strong case against
ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassins.The Canadian government respects "the
independence of the prosecutor as he is building a strong case based on
evidence," the official told An Nahar daily published Monday.
Bellemare and his team are carrying out an investigation under "dangerous and
difficult circumstances," he said.The official refused to comment on the
Canadian CBC report that said Hizbullah was involved in Hariri's murder.
Instead, he said: "Canada continuously supported the international investigation
commission and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon."
Beirut, 29 Nov 10, 09:43
Kuwait Lawyer Sues Hariri, Baroud over 'Illegal Arrest'
Naharnet/A prominent Kuwaiti lawyer who previously defended people suspected of
al-Qaida links said he filed a lawsuit on Sunday against Prime Minister Saad
Hariri over his alleged illegal detention and mistreatment. "Today I filed a
civil lawsuit against the Lebanese prime minister (Saad Hariri) and interior
minister (Ziad Baroud) for being illegally detained and mistreated in Beirut,"
Osama al-Munawer told AFP. The lawyer, who said he was seeking unspecified
damages, accused Lebanese police and intelligence agents of holding him for
questioning for two days in July last year. "Interrogators asked me for
information about my (former) clients and... said they had been requested to do
so by Kuwaiti authorities," Munawer said, adding he was held in small cells
along with many prisoners. Munawer said he plans to file a criminal case against
the Lebanese officials before European courts since Kuwaiti courts have no
jurisdiction over Lebanese officials. A Kuwaiti court would start looking into
from January 20, he added.(AFP) Beirut, 28 Nov 10, 18:50
Merrill Lynch revises growth upward to 8 percent in 2010
Political tensions hamper efforts to implement reforms, cause economic slowdown
By The Daily Star
Monday, November 29, 2010 /Naharnet
BEIRUT: Merrill Lynch raised its forecast for Lebanon’s real GDP growth to 8
percent in 2010 and 5.9 percent for 2011, from earlier forecasts of 6.5 percent
for this year and 5.1 percent for next year. But it warned that the existing
political tension in the country could jeopardize reforms if the situation
deteriorated. It said economic growth has averaged 9 percent over the past three
years, driven by an increase in tourism activity, a boom in construction and a
surge in the retail sector, as reported by Lebanon This Week, the economic
publication of the Byblos Bank Group. It noted that the year-old government of
national unity has been unable to implement the long-delayed structural reforms
due to the lack of political consensus, but added that the restoration of
political stability since May 2008 and having a government in office had raised
confidence in the economy.
It said Lebanon has posted about 25 to 30 percent in cumulative growth since
2008, as the economy benefited from global and regional financial turmoil.
It noted that non-resident inflows into the banking sector, which is the main
engine of economic activity, have dramatically increased due to the wide
interest rate differential, the global financial crisis and problems in the GCC.
As a result, the balance of payments generated surpluses of $3.5 billion in 2008
and $7.9 billion in 2009, and is likely to post a surplus of about $5 billion in
2010 as the pace of inflows moderates. However, Merrill Lynch indicated that
politics continues to hinder progress, as the approval of the 2010 budget and
prospects for the 2011 budget remain blocked by divisive issues and political
considerations. In addition, the implementation of structural reforms such as
privatization and reforming the state-owned Electricite du Liban remains slow or
elusive.
Furthermore, in the absence of a budget, the Finance Ministry has to limit its
Eurobond issuance to refinancing purposes only. It noted that economic activity
seems to have slowed down in August and September on increased concerns about
political volatility and resulting uncertainty. But it said that the economic
slowdown may prove to be temporary, should the pending Special Tribunal for
Lebanon (STL) issue be resolved without further destabilization. It expected the
STL’s indictment to pose some risk to spreads in the near term, but added that
the experience of the 2006 war showed that the fallout should be limited. It
considered that the risk-reward of investing in Lebanese assets is more
appealing now, given Lebanon’s recent underperformance in all asset classes and
the potential for an eventual solution to the political uncertainty.
Merrill Lynch noted that real estate prices have been increasing by 20 percent
to 25 percent annually over the last couple of years, and have somewhat
stabilized this year. It expressed concerns about the prime real estate sector,
where most of the demand has come from Gulf investors and Lebanese expatriates,
and where demand may slow down due to the large numbers of transactions over the
past few years. It added that speculative demand has picked up, as well as
domestic banks’ exposure to real estate mortgages and contractors from a low
base. It said that given the importance of the banking sector in financing the
government’s deficit, there may be room for the Central Bank to withdraw the
Lebanese pond reserve requirements exemptions it implemented in mid-2009,
particularly as credit growth remains buoyant. It forecast the fiscal deficit at
8.5 percent of GDP this year, down from 9 percent of GDP in 2009, as overall
expenditures may remain limited due to the lack of a budget, while revenues
benefit from the continued growth.
It also forecast the public debt to decline to 133 percent of GDP at end-2010
and 131 percent of GDP in 2011 from 149 percent of GDP at end-2009, and for
gross external debt to regress from 177 percent of GDP at end-2009 to 267
percent of GDP in 2010 and 159 percent of GDP at end-2011.
It expected the current account balance to continue to post wide deficits of
10.8 percent of GDP in 2010 and 10.3 percent of GDP in 2011. – The Daily Star
Hariri's prized gift from Iran
Monday, November 29, 2010
Editorial
What with blacked-out Mercedes being the diplomat’s ride of choice, Saad Hariri
probably doesn’t have much use for an Iranian-made car. But when the prime
minister returns from his first official visit to Tehran he will do so clasping
a gift of far greater import. Hariri brought with him to Iran nothing less than
a statesmanlike riposte to suggestions that Turkish (and Sunni) Prime Minister
Recip Erdogan’s Beirut visit was devised as an antidote to Iranian (and Shiite)
President Mahmood Ahmadinejad’s last month. What he got in return was an
unqualified commitment to Lebanon’s wellbeing. The prime minister has made a
habit of not discussing domestic issues during recent diplomatic outings. In
Tehran, avoiding a display of Lebanon’s dirty laundry not only demonstrated
recognition of what Iranian support in Lebanon has traditionally meant; it also
took in to account Iran’s burgeoning regional clout.
The indication that Beirut would welcome Iranian support of Saudi-Syrian efforts
to avert a fresh Lebanese crisis is both positive and realistic. Positive,
because Iran’s commitment to stability means a lot, given the size of who is
committing; realistic, because Hariri knows the sway Tehran exerts on its
Lebanese allies.
It’s worth recalling that Rafik Hariri was one of the first Arab prime ministers
to undertake a state visit to post-1979 Iran. Both Saad Hariri and Ahmadinejad
will recall the historical significance of Lebanese-Iranian contact. The irony
that the name of Iranian-backed Hizbullah is now being uttered in the same
sentence as Rafik Hariri’s death will not be lost on either party.Hariri will
soon return to Iran to sign trade agreements, taking bilateral relations to
another level. On an economic plain, the two countries aspire to bolster mutual
interest, irrespective of Lebanese factionalism. The same cooperation should be
courted among political climes.
Hariri’s Iranian sojourn should not be viewed as one group’s triumph, just as
Ahmadinejad and Erdogan’s visits ought to benefit the entire country. Closely
timed trips from Iranian and Turkish premiers demonstrate that regional regimes
have far more in common than they do in opposition when it comes to the good of
Lebanon.
The hope is that the Iranian government will work toward Lebanon’s best
interests, that it won’t seek to differentiate between or prioritize bickering
groups. If regional backers recommend reconciliation then resolution ought to
follow. It is, of course, disappointing that Lebanon’s quandary has reached the
stage where outside intervention is the sole solution. But if Iran has joined
more traditional regional makeweights in wanting to reset Lebanese foundations,
the likelihood decreases that warring parties can tear them down.
Saudi king urged U.S. to attack Iran: WikiLeaks Module body
Sun Nov 28, 5:14 PM
By Arshad Mohammed and Ross Colvin
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Saudi King Abdullah has repeatedly urged the United
States to attack Iran's nuclear program and China directed cyberattacks on the
United States, according to a vast cache of U.S. diplomatic cables released on
Sunday in an embarrassing leak that undermines U.S. diplomacy.
The more than 250,000 documents, given to five media groups by the
whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, provide candid, tart views of foreign leaders
and sensitive information on terrorism and nuclear proliferation filed by U.S.
diplomats, according to The New York Times.
Among the revelations in Britain's Guardian newspaper, which also received an
advance look at the documents, King Abdullah is reported to have "frequently
exhorted the U.S. to attack Iran to put an end to its nuclear weapons program."
"Cut off the head of the snake," the Saudi ambassador to Washington, Adel al-Jubeir,
quotes the king as saying, according to a report on Abdullah's meeting with
General David Petraeus in April 2008.
The leaked documents, the majority of which are from the last three years, also
disclose U.S. allegations that China's Politburo directed an intrusion into
Google's computer systems, part of a broader coordinated campaign of computer
sabotage carried out by Chinese government operatives, private security experts
and Internet outlaws, the Times reported.
The newspaper also said documents report that Saudi donors remain chief
financiers of Sunni militant groups like al Qaeda, and that the tiny Persian
Gulf state of Qatar, a generous host to the U.S. military for years, was the
"worst in the region" in counter-terrorism efforts, according to a State
Department cable last December.
The newspaper said many of the cables name diplomats' confidential sources, from
foreign lawmakers and military officers to human rights activists and
journalists, often with a warning: "Please protect" or "Strictly protect."
The White House condemned the release of the documents, saying their release
could endanger the lives of people who live under "oppressive regimes" and
"deeply impact" the foreign policy interests of the United States and its
allies.
"To be clear -- such disclosures put at risk our diplomats, intelligence
professionals, and people around the world who come to the United States for
assistance in promoting democracy and open government," White House spokesman
Robert Gibbs said.
"By releasing stolen and classified documents, WikiLeaks has put at risk not
only the cause of human rights but also the lives and work of these
individuals," he said.
Security analysts tended to agree that the release of the documents was a severe
blow to U.S. diplomacy, undermining the confidentiality that is vital for
foreign leaders and activists to talk candidly to U.S. officials.
"DEVASTATING"
"This is pretty devastating," Roger Cressey, a partner at Goodharbor Consulting
and a former U.S. cyber security and counter-terrorism official, said in an
e-mailed comment.
"It will constrain foreign leaders from being upfront and honest in their
conversations with American diplomats and it will also make U.S. diplomats
hesitant to put in diplomatic cables what they really think, for fear of it
being leaked."
The pending documents release had been widely reported for more than a week and
expected on Sunday.
The U.S. government, which was informed in advance of the contents, has
contacted governments around the world, including in Russia, Europe and the
Middle East, to try to limit damage.
The White House warned readers that the field reporting in the documents is
often incomplete and does not necessarily reflect, or even shape, policy
decisions.
Emile Hokayem, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic
Studies, said the dramatic revelation that Saudi King Abdullah counseled a U.S.
strike on Iran may have been exaggerated for diplomatic effect.
"The concern of the Arab Gulf states on the Iran nuclear program has been very
acute since 2002. They've had a very difficult time talking about their
concerns.
"It's very possible that the Gulf states have in private adopted very aggressive
rhetoric just to stress the urgency of the issue," Hokayem said. "But I
personally doubt that there is an appetite for war as such."
Among the disclosures reported by The New York Times were:
-- suspicions Iran has obtained sophisticated missiles from North Korea capable
of hitting western Europe, and the United States is concerned Iran is using
those rockets as "building blocks" to build longer-range missiles;
-- allegations that Chinese operatives have broken into American government
computers and those of Western allies, the Dalai Lama and American businesses
since 2002;
-- talks between U.S. and South Korean officials about the prospects for a
unified Korea should the North's economic troubles and a political transition
lead the state to implode;
-- the South Koreans considered commercial inducements to China to "help salve"
Chinese concerns about living with a reunified Korea that is in a "benign
alliance" with Washington, according to the American ambassador to Seoul;
-- reporting that Saudi donors remain chief financiers of Sunni militant groups
like al Qaeda, and the tiny Persian Gulf state of Qatar, a generous host to the
American military for years, was the "worst in the region" in counterterrorism
efforts, according to a State Department cable last December;
-- Since 2007, the United States has mounted a secret and so far unsuccessful
effort to remove highly enriched uranium from a Pakistani research reactor out
of fear it could be diverted for use in an illicit nuclear device.
WikiLeaks reported earlier its website was under attack, but said media outlets
would publish some of the classified documents it had released even if the
group's website crashed. None of the documents were visible on its site late on
Sunday.
(Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball, William Maclean, Missy Ryan, Phil
Stewart and John Whitesides; Writing by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Philip
Barbara)
Jonah, the Whale, the Assyrians,
Christianity and Islam
GMT 11-29-2010 5:23:53
Assyrian International News Agency
(AINA) -- The story is familiar to readers of the Bible. God instructs Jonah to
go preach to the people of Nineveh, capital of Assyria. Jonah refuses and boards
a ship bound for Tarshish. But it is very hard to run away or hide from God. God
sends a great storm and Jonah is cast overboard, where he is swallowed by a
whale and delivered three days later to Nineveh. There he preaches, and his
message is accepted. The Assyrians repent.
That was in the 7th century BC.
In the 6th century AD a great plague hits the Assyrians in north Mesopotamia
(present day north Iraq). Assyrians are Christians at this time, and have been
so since 33 AD, when Thomas converted them only four months after the
Crucifixion. Assyrians were the first converts to Christianity outside of the
Apostles and Disciples.
Prayers are offered to God to help with the plague. The Assyrian church,
recalling Jonah's visit to Assyria almost exactly 1000 years earlier, asks
Assyrians to hold a fast for salvation, and the Assyrian do, and the plague
subsides. Thus began Jonah's fast.
The Rogation of the Ninevites, as it is known, is observed by all Assyrian
church denominations as well as most other Eastern churches (Maronite,
Ethiopian, Coptic, Eritrean). It is a three day fast, from February 14 to 16,
where no food or drink is consumed. In Assyrian tradition, on the third night,
just before going to sleep, young men and woman eat a handful of parched barley
and salt (called pokhoon). If the man or woman dreams of a person offering them
water that will be the person they may possibly marry.
In the 21st century a different kind of plague has hit the Assyrians: genocide
-- a relentless campaign to exterminate the Assyrians (report), and all other
Christians, from the Middle East. It has recently begun again in Iraq with the
overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003, but it has been ongoing since the advent of
Islam in 630 AD.
Thirty genocides, large and small, have been committed against Assyrians by
Muslims since 630 AD (see here). The Turkish genocide of Assyrians, Armenians
and Greeks in World War One claimed the lives of 750,000 Assyrians (75%), as
well as 1.5 million Armenians and 500,000 Greeks.
We can calculate the average time between genocides committed against Assyrians
in the interval 661 AD to 1992 AD, and that is (1992-661)/30=45 years. Every 45
years on average there has been genocide against Assyrians by Muslims. It is
even worse in the modern period. From 1842 to 1992 there were 13 genocides; the
average interval for that period is (1992-1842)/13=11.5 years.
What should Christians do about this continuing holocaust? How should the
Christian world address the immediate problem of Assyrians in Iraq today?
58 Catholic Assyrians were massacred On October 31 in Our Lady of Deliverance
Syriac Catholic church in Baghdad. This was the latest incident. A genocide has
been ongoing in Iraq since June 26, 2004, when the first church was bombed. 66
churches have been bombed since then, and thousands of Assyrians killed. Nearly
50% of Assyrians have fled to Syria and Jordan (report).
Click here for pictures from inside Our Lady of Deliverance Syriac Catholic
Church. WARNING: violent, graphic images.
The mood of the Assyrians in Iraq is now of flight. If they could, Assyrians
would leave Iraq today en masse. Should this be allowed to happen? Should the
oldest Christian community be allowed to disappear from its cradle? Should
Assyrians, who have lived continuously in their ancestral lands since 4750 BC,
be allowed to leave to perhaps never return again?
The Assyrians accepted the word of God, as delivered by Jonah, 700 years before
the coming of Christ. Assyrians were the first to accept Christ. Jonah's message
was of repentance and it was heeded. Christ's message was of love and it was
heeded. The Assyrian church endeavored in the most remarkable missionary
enterprise in Christian history, reaching to China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan and
the Philippines. The Mongolian alphabet is based on Aramaic. The Buddhist
ecclesiastical structure is modeled on the Assyrian Church of the East. "Torah
Borah" is Aramaic for "arid mountain."
The Assyrians accepted Jonah and his message from God, and for this God made
them "the work of my hands" [Isaiah 19:23-25] and the "rod of my anger" [Isaiah
10:5]. He also assigned to them a task to be completed upon the Second Advent:
The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall
condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a
greater than Jonas is here [Matthew 12:41].
Christendom must stand united in defense of Christians, and in particular the
Assyrians of Iraq. Let it begin with a simple gesture: let all Christian
churches observe the Rogation of the Ninevites this year, in solidarity with
their Christian brethren, the Assyrians of Iraq, who are on the frontline of the
clash of Islam with Christianity.
When the Muslims entered Our Lady of Deliverance church in Baghdad on October
31, they shot at the Cross until it disintegrated; they immediately shot Father
Tha'ir; one of them approached Father Wasim, standing behind the pulpit, and in
response to Father Wasim's request that he join him in prayer he detonated his
suicide belt, killing Father Wasim and many others; they shot the parishioners
while taunting them that they will go to hell as infidels; they shouted "Alahu
akbar!" as they detonated their suicide belts; they demanded the release of two
Christian women in Egypt whom they mistakenly believed to have converted to
Islam and who were being held against their will by Egyptian Christians. The
Muslims who committed the massacre were thinking purely in religious terms. They
acted in defense of Islam and (in their minds) of two persecuted Muslim women in
another country.
It is time for Christians to unite and come to the defense of Assyrians and
Christendom, and to stop the Islamic onslaught.
By Ashur Shirsha
Ashur Shirsha, an Assyrian from Iraq, is a contributing columnist to AINA.
It’s our dignity too
November 29, 2010
http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=219348
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah gave a speech on Sunday where he once again
accused Israel of assassinating former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. (NOW
Lebanon)
The excuses are coming thick and fast. Last week, we were given a hint as to the
contents of Hassan Nasrallah’s Sunday speech at a graduation ceremony of
Hezbollah students, when March 8 media asked us to believe that the Special
Tribunal For Lebanon (STL) – via the material apparently leaked to the Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) which pointed the finger at Hezbollah in the 2005
assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri – had it all wrong.
The Lebanese daily As-Safir claimed that CBC had been naïve in believing that
the security officer and apparent computer whizz, Captain Wissam Eid, had
managed to map out a network of cell phones belonging to Hezbollah operatives
and place them all at the scene of the crime.
Couldn’t we see that it was all a set-up by Israeli intelligence? The Hezbollah
members in question were simply going about their work uncovering Mossad agents
in Beirut (as one does), when those clever Israelis killed Hariri and 21 other
innocents and then transferred all their phone activity to the Hezbollah
mobiles.
There is no evidence that they did this, but Hezbollah’s secretary general
believes that Israel has the technology to do this and that is enough to
exonerate his own party. (If Bellemare made a similar allegation based only on
his personal assurances, he’d be laughed out of court. Then again, the STL
doesn’t have God on its side.)
Israel, he said, could clone any SIM card and then make a phone call or send a
text message to that number that will show up on that person’s phone records.
Indeed, so clever are the Israelis that they were able to get the numbers of all
the Hezbollah operatives on duty that day around the Saint Georges Hotel and pin
the huge bomb blast on them. Stunning!
Thank goodness we have Nasrallah to set us straight on what could have been a
very embarrassing accusation. Not surprisingly, with such a wealth of expertise
at his fingertips, Nasrallah really got into his stride and set about destroying
STL Chief Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare and his alleged case against the Party of
God. (We say alleged because Bellemare hasn’t issued any indictments, so we have
to assume that Hezbollah knows something the rest of us don’t.)
Nasrallah is apparently convinced that, if and when Bellemare comes at his party
members, he will be brandishing phone records. Hence his assertion that the
STL’s so-called phone evidence has no value and that the Lebanese telecom sector
is shot through with Israeli moles that know our every movement.
The reality is that Nasrallah is skillfully turning attention away from the
tribunal, which he has dismissed as worthless, and throwing a security concern
at the government. What Nasrallah forgets is that we saw what happens when the
government tries to address security matters, and felt the full force of
Hezbollah’s wrath, on May 7, 2008.
What next? Will Nasrallah tell us that Israel also killed Captain Eid even
though Eid was convinced that Hezbollah was involved? Why kill him when his
theory was beginning to be taken seriously?
So what does Nasrallah suggest? He tells us that those who speak of a resolution
to the crisis after the issuance of the indictment might be too late. If
Nasrallah loves Lebanon as much as the next man, why doesn’t he offer solutions
instead of simply delivering bleak warnings or calling anything he doesn’t like
an Israeli-American plot.
In truth, Nasrallah is missing the point. All his babbling about US-Zionist
projects and the wild theories of Israelis hacking into the mobile network to
frame Hezbollah for the Hariri murder may serve his party’s longevity but it is
draining the life blood out of Lebanon, and once again Nasrallah has shown that
Lebanon plays second fiddle to his own fiendish agenda.
Nasrallah told the graduates that the STL is an attack on the party’s dignity.
Does he think Hezbollah has a monopoly on dignity? The rest of the nation is
entitled to theirs too.
Iranian VP: We depend on Hariri to
resolve the Lebanese crisis
November 29, 2010
http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=219355
“We depend on the wisdom and statesmanship of Prime Minister Saad Hariri to
contain the Lebanese domestic crisis through his ability to solve all problems,”
NOW Lebanon’s correspondent on Monday quoted Iranian Vice President Mohammad
Reza Rahimi as saying.
Asked whether Iran would pressure Hezbollah in order to strengthen the country’s
stability, Rahimi answered that “Iran does not see that problems have reached
this point in Lebanon.”
“We trust that all the controversial issues will be resolved within the Lebanese
government.”
Regarding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), Rahimi said, “Iran supports
the discovery of the truth but in its true meaning. [Iran] wants this court to
distance itself from abuses.”
Hariri met with Rahimi on Monday and signed nine memoranda and bilateral
cooperation protocols, NOW’s correspondent added.
Monday marks the third and final day of the PM’s official visit to Iran.
Tension is high in Lebanon amid unconfirmed reports that the STL will soon issue
an indictment in its investigation of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s 2005
assassination. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported on November
21 that the STL has telecommunications evidence strongly linking Hezbollah to
the murder.
In a speech on Sunday, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said
that any evidence based on the telecom sector is valueless because Israel
controls the sector, and that a compromise must be reached before the indictment
is issued.
-NOW Lebanon