LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
April 29/2012

Bible Quotation for today/The Responsibility of Rulers
Wisdom 06/01-11: "So then, you kings, you rulers the world over, listen to what I say, and learn from it. You govern many lands and are proud that so many people are under your rule, but this authority has been given to you by the Lord Most High. He will examine what you have done and what you plan to do. You rule on behalf of God and his kingdom, and if you do not govern justly, if you do not uphold the law, if you do not live according to God's will, you will suffer sudden and terrible punishment. Judgment is especially severe on those in power. Common people may be mercifully forgiven for their wrongs, but those in power will face a severe judgment. The Lord of all is not afraid of anyone, no matter how great they are. He himself made everyone, great and common alike, and he provides for all equally, but he will judge the conduct of rulers more strictly. It is for you, mighty kings, that I write these words, so that you may know how to act wisely and avoid mistakes. These are holy matters, and if you treat them in a holy manner, you yourselves will be considered holy. If you have learned this lesson, you will be able to defend yourselves at the Judgment. So then, make my teaching your treasure and joy, and you will be well instructed.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Hassan Nasrallah, you are not divine/Hanin Ghaddar/Now Lebanon/April 28/20
Egypt puts itself on trial/By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat/April 28/12
Syria: A drop in violence/By Diana Mukkaled/Asharq Alawsat/ April 28/12
The game of models: Why not several Arab models/By Amir Taheri/Asharq Alawsat/April 28/12

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for April 28/12
French Foreign Affairs Minister Alain Juppe voiced solidarity with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea
Lebanese President, Sleiman rules out postponing 2013 elections
Lebanese Rights group protests treatment of migrant domestic workers
U.K. and Lebanon in the New Middle East
Lebanese Finance Minister Mohammad, Safadi acknowledges labor demands, but points to budgetary constraints
Lebanon's Arabic Press Digest - April 28, 2012
Lebanon: Bomb explodes at Syrian puppet Arab Tawhid Party office in Chouf
Austria keen on investment in Lebanon
Lebanese Syrian-Iranian mercenaries in March 8 eyes Cabinet vote on overspending
Sleiman hits back at Aoun over consensual president remark
Salameh: Money not smuggled from Lebanon to Syria
Aoun: Future Lebanese president should head parliamentary bloc
Revered Druze sheikh laid to rest in Baaqleen
Saudi Arabia's deputy foreign minister urges Gulf unity to confront Iran
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report: US military drills Day One after strike on Iran, deploys F-22s to Gulf
Israel ex-spy warns against "messianic" Iran war
Israeli Former Shin Bet Chief Yuval Diskin continues legacy of moronic Shin Bet leaders'
Former Shin Bet chief: Netanyahu not interested in peace talks
Netanyahu aides: Former Shin Bet chief attacked PM out of personal vengeance
Following criticism of Netanyahu, Israeli ministers attack former Shin Bet chief
Shin Bet chief's vote of no confidence is another blow to Netanyahu and Barak
UN nuclear watchdog to resume Iran nuclear talks in mid-May
Syria arms ship impounded, crew held for questioning
Veteran peacekeeper takes on UN Syria mission
Gunmen hit Syrian army from sea, Moscow slams rebels
Syria condemns Turkey for NATO talk
Saudi Arabia closes embassy in Egypt, Tantawi contacts Riyadh
Saudi Arabia accepts Bin Laden's family on "humanitarian" grounds - Source
ElBaradei returns to Egypt politics with new party

Hassan Nasrallah, you are not divine
http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=389201
Hanin Ghaddar , April 24, 2012 /Now Lebanon
To tell you the truth, this is not really addressed to you. I know you don’t intend to listen, and you will not take anything I say into consideration. It is rather addressed to people who still think you matter as much as you did five years ago. The thing is, you don’t have the same impact.
Most people stopped listening to your speeches and interviews. They are not news anymore, because you have nothing new to say. Redundant and repetitive; that’s what you have become. Yes, we got it, the Syrian regime is your friend, and that’s why you cannot support the revolution in Syria. But you know what, that sounds more and more like word vomit.
You know that innocent people, not armed gang members, are being brutally killed every day by the Syrian regime’s forces and Shabiha. You know that women are being raped and children massacred, but you cannot acknowledge it even if you want to. You are helpless. Probably for the first time in your life, you are helpless.
You probably think about these innocent people, and they might even be haunting you in your dreams, but you are incapable of shaking them off your conscience because you are helpless.
Yes, you know Bashar al-Assad is a murderer. You know that he will not survive the revolution, but do you have any idea how you are going to deal with the consequences? What would you do if the sectarian tension created by Assad spills into Lebanon and causes serious Sunni-Shia hostility?
What about your popularity in the region? You were the brave hero who vanquished the Israeli army in 2006 and brought dignity back to the Arabs. But you know what? These glorious days are over, and the word “dignity” has now gained a new definition. It has nothing to do with your sacred arms and glorious victory. It is now about the power of the people on the street and their fight against their dictators.
Your rhetoric is outdated, and your sacredness lost its meaning to a lot of people in the region. The “umma” you’ve always prided yourself with is now against you.
Let us imagine this farfetched scenario. When the uprising broke out in Syria, let’s say you came out in full support of freedom, or at least clearly asked the Syrian regime to refrain from using violence against the protesters. Can you imagine how popular and loved you would have been today? The Syrian people, from all sects, had photos of you hanging in their shops and homes after 2006. Today they burn your pictures on the streets.
They hate you. The Syrian people hate you. The Egyptians, Tunisians, Libyans and many other Arabs hate you, because you support a tyrant who is killing his own people. The only ones who still like you are your insignificant Lebanese allies and Iran, who might easily sell you out if needed, and you know it.
Every time I ask a Syrian activist how he or she thinks of Lebanon vis-à-vis Syria, they speak with deep resentment of how they stood by you back in 2006 and opened their houses in Syria for the refugees coming from South Lebanon.
Your own supporters do not look up to you the same way anymore, not because they do not like your stances or policies, but simply because they do not sense the same motivation or power they used to sense from you. Many are worried you have lost your charisma. Many feel that you have lost control over your own people because of the corruption and crime that have infiltrated your strongholds. No matter what you say or do, your people are not feeling safe and are constantly trying to emigrate from Lebanon.
Admit it. You are not divine. It is only human to acknowledge one’s mistakes and weaknesses. Do you know about the disappointments many of the “Resistance” supporters feel today? Your position on Syria has alienated a huge number of people who defended you and your party only because you held the banner of resistance. This meant for them that you would do anything anytime to defend the oppressed against injustice. The Syrian revolution has exposed your real face and showed that your real concern is your power, your party and your arms.
No matter how long it lasts, the Syrian revolution will get rid of Assad and his regime, and you will not be able to stay in denial. The government you formed in Lebanon is fragile. Your supporters are already terrified of the future. Your political allies are going to be marginalized. The only thing you will have left is your weapons. The question is: Are you going to use them to buy your ticket back into Lebanon’s political scene and help stabilize the country, or will you use them against everyone and cause both Lebanon’s and your own demise? Think about it before it’s too late, but please, keep in mind that you are human, not divine. Hanin Ghaddar is the managing editor of NOW Lebanon

Revered Druze sheikh laid to rest in Baaqleen
April 28, 2012 /Druze Sheikh Abu Mohammad Jawad Walieddine was laid to rest on Saturday. (NOW Lebanon)
A funeral was held on Saturday for Druze Sheikh Abu Mohammad Jawad Walieddine, a well-respected figure in the Druze community who died of natural causes on Friday.
According to a press statement, the funeral was held in Baaqleen in the Chouf district and it was attended by Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader MP Walid Jumblatt, Lebanese Democratic Party leader Talal Arslan, Minister of Social Affairs Wael Abu Faour, Minister of Transportation and Public Works Ghazi Aridi, Arab Tawhid Party leader Wiam Wahhab, Lebanese Army Chief of Staff Major General Walid Salman, in addition to others. Representatives of President Michel Sleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Najib Mikati and former Premier Saad Hariri were also present at the funeral.
-NOW Lebanon
French Foreign Affairs Minister Alain Juppe voiced solidarity with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea
April 28, 2012/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: French Foreign Affairs Minister Alain Juppe voiced solidarity with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea following the recent attempt on his life and praised Geagea's role in the political arena. "I once again express my solidarity with you,” Juppe was quoted as saying by the LF’s press office Saturday. “France immediately condemned the cowardly attempt, calling for no effort to be spared in uncovering the circumstances behind this terrorist act which reflects a desire to destabilize Lebanon,” he added. Earlier this month, Geagea said sniper fire targeted him while he was outside his residence in Maarab. He held a news conference the same day, describing the circumstances of the incident. “I ... am convinced that developments in the Arab world over the past year provide a golden opportunity for Christian sects and not the beginning of a regressive era,” Juppe said. “I realize the concern of some sects in witnessing the fall of regimes that claim to be secular and that guaranteed a degree of protection in return for, as you have mentioned in your letter, subservience,” he added. Juppe was referring to a letter he recently received from Geagea. He said that Christians would have better protection under true democracies. The French official also saluted the LF leader's "courage" in calling on Christians to “regain their leading role by betting on democracy in the Middle East.”“It is necessary for Christian communities to engage in this struggle for democracy so as not to marginalize themselves,” Juppe said.

Lebanon's Arabic Press Digest - April 28, 2012/The Daily Star
Following are summaries of some of the main stories in a selection of Lebanese and pan-Arab newspapers Saturday. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports.
As-Safir
Army intercepts ship at Salaata port carrying arms from Libya
The Lebanese Army was able to intercept a ship carrying arms in Lebanon's regional waters Friday morning. The ship began in Libya and sailed to Egypt before beinf forced to dock in Lebanon.
Military sources said the ship, called "Lutfallah II," is Sierra Leonean flagged and was intercepted [some distance from] the Salaata port in the north having come from Alexandria port. It was carrying containers with light weaponry and ammunition.
Lebanese security sources said the ship left Libya for Alexandria and then made its way to Lebanon's regional waters; its owner is Syrian and its agent is Lebanese.
Witnesses on the scene said they saw the Lebanese Army inspect three containers on the Egyptian ship.
An-Nahar
Feltman in Beirut next week. The spending crisis to Parliament again?
Will the issue of spending with its intertwined crises gradually make its way back to Parliament after the Cabinet failed to reach a consensual agreement on this matter?
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri forwarded the draft laws that authorize overspending in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 to the Finance and Budgetary Parliament Committee.
Although Berri's step is a normal part of the process given that the Cabinet transferred these proposals to Parliament, it can be seen as an attempt to break the cycle which is threatening the survival of the Cabinet.
Ministerial sources told An-Nahar that Berri's move will allow for further discussions on how to allocate funds for spending via a legal mechanism accepted by Parliament and Cabinet.
Al-Akhbar
Aoun and Audi re-conciliate in Ashrafieh
The Free Patriotic Movement launched its election campaign in Ashrafieh, Beirut with former General Michel Aoun paying a visit of reconciliation to Bishop Elias Audi. He then had lunch with a number of possible candidates from the movement in a restaurant.
Following a severance of communication that lasted three years, head of the Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun visited Beirut Metropolitan Orthodox Archbishop Elias Audi at metropolitan headquarters in Ashrafieh. Sources close to the meeting told Al-Akhbar that the visit is related to the upcoming elections, adding that discussion focused on the relationship between the two since 2009. Sources added that the atmosphere was positive and that the two discussed regional developments and their repercussions on the situation of Christians in the east.
The sources also said that Aoun seeks to build an honest, open relationship with various spiritual leaders and that he will reconcile with many other Christian figures aside from Audi.
Al-Mustaqbal
A festival by Future Movement Saturday in support of the Syrian people
The campaign by the Aounist movement and Hezbollah continues against President Michel Sleiman after he refused to sign a decree authorizing the Cabinet's overspending of LL8.9 trillion; Hezbollah has gone so far as to call on the government to stop disrupting political life.
Meanwhile, the opposition's criticism of the government also continued with the latest salvo coming from former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora who said: "We cannot trust this government with public affairs and its most recent decisions were both pitiful and funny.”
Amid all of that, the Syrian situation remains present as the Future Movement prepares Saturday a festival in solidarity with the people of Syria in the neighborhood of Tareek Al Jadidah where the secretary general of the movement Ahmad Hariri is expected to give a speech along with MP Ammar Houri.

Sleiman rules out postponing 2013 elections
April 28, 2012/ The Daily Star
BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman ruled out postponing the 2013 parliamentary elections if parties fail to agree on a new electoral system, and added that his insistence on proportional representation does not place him in confrontation with the Druze and Sunni communities. "Elections should take place regardless of the system to be adopted ... we are seeking to amend the law and modernize it so that it becomes compatible with Lebanon’s system, pluralism and the Taif Accord," Sleiman told Al-Joumhouria in an article published Saturday. He reiterated his rejection of a return to the 1960 election law which adopts the qada as an electoral district and was used in the 2009 round, voicing his support for proportional representation. Lebanon’s current system is based on a winner-take-all mechanism. Despite the insistence on the part of Sleiman, Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the March 8 coalition on adopting proportional representation, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and MP Walid Jumblatt reject such an electoral law. Sleiman said the process is democratic and the draft law prepared by Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, currently under study, will be discussed in Cabinet and in Parliament, adding that both the Future Movement and the Progressive Socialist Party are not for the 1960 electoral law. Asked whether his insistence on proportional representation might place him in confrontation with the Druze and the Sunni communities, Sleiman said: “I do not put myself in confrontation with anyone.”As for the March 14 coalition’s call to form a neutral, technocratic government tasked with overseeing the 2013 elections, Sleiman said that none of the political parties in the government supports such an idea. “If the Cabinet resigns or is forced to collapse, then we could think about it. But for now, the Cabinet will persist,” he said. Sleiman also said that although his call for the resumption of National Dialogue sessions fell on deaf ears last year, he was renewing the it, adding that the sessions should focus on incorporating Hezbollah’s arms into a national defense strategy.Asked whether Hezbollah would agree to the strategy, Sleiman said: “They have to for their own sake and the sake of the state.”

Syria arms ship impounded, crew held for questioning
April 28/12/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Military Prosecutor Judge Saqr Saqr ordered Saturday that the 11-member crew of the Syria-bound weapons ship "Lutfallah II" be held for questioning, sources close to the matter said.
The sources told The Daily Star that the Sierra Leonean-flagged ship was carrying light, medium and heavy weaponry.Saqr requested that the military police question the suspects and find out at which port the arms were loaded and to whom they were to be delivered.In a statement released Saturday, the Lebanese army confirmed the confiscation of weapons on board the ship. "The army intercepted Friday off the northern coast the Sierra Leonean-flagged commercial vessel "Lutfallah II”; the army and relevant authorities inspected the vessel and confiscated three containers with a large quantity of assorted arms as well as heavy, medium and light ammunition."The statement added that the eleven detained crew members are of various Arab and foreign nationalities. President Michel Sleiman praised the army Saturday for seizing the ship, saying the measure is part of preserving civil peace and a translation into action of the Lebanese state's decision to prevent the country from becoming an arena of conflict for others or a conduit for settling accounts.According to his press office, Sleiman also stressed the importance of keeping the army and security forces alert to ward off risks that might incite strife, disturb stability, or adversely affect Lebanon's relationship with its neighbors. Lutfallah II, headed for Syria, was impounded by Lebanese authorities and transported to the Lebanese Navy base in Beirut port Saturday, after having been intercepted in Lebanese waters Friday and forced to dock at Salaata port. The ship had left Libya for the Egyptian port of Alexandria and was on its way to Syria when it entered Lebanese waters. The Lebanese Navy intercepted the vessel and directed it to Salaata in the north, whereupon an inspection of its cargo was carried out and weapons were discovered.
The owner of the ship is a Syrian identified as Mohammad Khafaja and its Lebanese agent is Ahmad Bernard. Khafaja and Bernard have been arrested, as has the customs agent tasked with unloading the ship's contents -- listed as engine oil. The ship was transported Saturday to Beirut port accompanied by three Navy vessels. There is no confirmation on whether the ship intended to dock in Lebanon.
Syrian authorities have repeatedly charged that weapons are being smuggled from Lebanon into Syria to assist rebels seeking the ouster of President Bashar Assad.

Gunmen hit Syrian army from sea, Moscow slams rebels
April 28, 2012/By Ed Cropley/Daily Star
BEIRUT: Gunmen in inflatable dinghies killed several security officials in an attack on a military unit on Syria's Mediterranean coast, state media said Saturday, the first seaborne assault reported during the revolt against President Bashar Assad. The night raid, along with the killings of at least 15 people in violence in two areas near the capital, underlined the threadbare state of a U.N.-brokered cease-fire deal that has Western leaders talking of tougher steps to stop the bloodshed. Russia, Damascus' most powerful ally, stepped up its criticism of anti-Assad militias, condemning what it called "barbarous" attacks designed to scuttle the two-week-old truce engineered by U.N.-Arab League mediator Kofi Annan. Syria's official SANA news agency said several gunmen and soldiers died in fighting that followed the coastal attack near the northern port of Latakia, 35 kilometers south of the Turkish border."The fighting ... resulted in the death and wounding of a number of military personnel while the number of those killed from the terrorist group was not known because they attacked the military unit at night," SANA said. It did not state the nationality of the attackers.
Damascus has accused Turkey of allowing weapons and funds to flow to insurgents throughout the 13-month-old uprising, the latest in a wave of revolts against rulers across the Arab world. Turkey also plays host to the leadership of the rebel Free Syrian Army.
Lebanese authorities found weapons including rocket-propelled grenades and rifles on board a ship intercepted in the Mediterranean which may have been trying to supply Syrian insurgents, security sources said.In a village north of Damascus where army defectors had taken refuge, activists said Syrian forces killed at least 10 people. And overnight, five members of the security forces were killed in an explosion targeting two vehicles near Damascus, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.The United Nations says Syrian forces have killed 9,000 people since the start of the revolt in March 2011. Syrian authorities blame foreign-backed militants for the violence and say 2,600 soldiers and police have been killed.
Annan's April 12 ceasefire has led to only modest reductions in the level of daily carnage, with both sides accusing each other of multiple breaches of the truce.On Friday, a suicide bomber killed nine people when he detonated an explosives belt outside a Damascus mosque.SANA said six officials killed in that blast were buried on Saturday, along with a further 16 army and security personnel killed in separate incidents elsewhere in the country of 23 million.Most independent media have been barred from Syria, making it hard to verify accounts of events on the ground. SANA named all the people it said were buried on Saturday.
The Damascus suicide attack was just one of five explosions to hit the capital on Friday, creating the impression insurgents may be changing tactics and embarking on a sustained bombing campaign aimed at the seat of Assad's power. "The action is picking up and it seems the (rebels) and Assad's forces are starting to battle it out in Damascus as well," said one activist based in the capital who uses the name Mar Ram. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has accused Damascus of breaking its pledge to withdraw heavy weapons and troops from towns, and said he is "gravely alarmed by reports of continued violence and killing in Syria." Syrian media hit back, saying Ban was inflaming the conflict by ignoring "crimes and terrorist actions" committed by anti-Assad militiamen. "His focus on shamefully pointing at Syria, as usual, encourages these groups to continue to commit more crimes and terrorist acts," the state newspaper Tishreen said.
Russia also piled in, saying the disparate rebel groups trying to topple Assad appeared determined to trash what is left of the U.N.-backed peace initiative.
"Attempts by the irreconcilable opposition to increase tension even more and incite violence cause particular alarm," Moscow said in a statement. "The aim is clear: to ruin a solution in Syria based on Annan's plan."U.N. monitors are trickling in and officials say 30 of a planned 300-strong mission should be in place by Monday to reinforce observers already stationed in anti-Assad hotbeds such as Idlib, Hama, Homs and Deraa. The slow build-up, more than two weeks after the truce came into effect, has been derided by Assad's foes and intensified frustration in Western capitals, where leaders want firmer measures imposed on Damascus sooner rather than later.The presence of the monitors has emboldened many thousands of protesters to resume demonstrations after weeks of military crackdown, but activists say Assad's forces responded swiftly. Security forces carried out house to house raids in the Damascus suburb of Irbin on Saturday, arresting demonstration leaders who welcomed the observers a week ago, two resident activists said. France says that if Assad's forces do not return to barracks, it will push next month for a "Chapter 7" U.N. Security Council resolution - which could allow action ranging from economic sanctions to military intervention. Russia and China have made clear that they would veto Libya-style military action and have resisted the idea of sanctions.

Saudi Arabia closes embassy in Egypt, Tantawi contacts Riyadh
April 28, 2012/Agencies /RIYADH: Saudi Arabia closed its Cairo embassy Saturday and recalled its ambassador following protests over a detained Egyptian human rights lawyer. Egypt’s military ruler moved swiftly to “heal the rift.”The unexpected escalation followed days of protests by hundreds of Egyptians outside the Saudi Embassy in Cairo and consulates in other cities to demand the release of Ahmed el-Gezawi. Relatives and human rights groups say he was detained for allegedly insulting the kingdom's monarch. Saudi authorities denied that and said he was arrested for trying to smuggle anti-anxiety drugs into the oil-rich kingdom. It was the worst diplomatic tiff between the two regional powerhouses since Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries broke off diplomatic ties with Egypt after it signed a peace deal with Israel in 1979. Diplomatic relations were restored in 1987. El-Gezawi's case has revived long-standing resentment over the treatment of Egyptians working in Saudi, which is a destination for more than a million Egyptians searching for better jobs. The lawyer flew to Jiddah on his way to perform a minor pilgrimage, called umrah, to Islam's holy shrines in the Saudi cities of Mecca and Medina, said his sister Shereen el-Gezawi. The fact that he was arrested on his way to perform a religious rite further enflamed Egyptian sentiment.
His family said he had been convicted in absentia and sentenced to a year in prison and 20 lashes by a Saudi court for insulting the king. However he was not notified of the court's ruling ahead of his Saudi trip. El-Gezawi had earlier filed a lawsuit in Egypt against King Abdullah over the alleged arbitrary detention of hundreds of Egyptians. Outside the Cairo embassy earlier this week, protesters chanted, "Down, down with Al-Saud!" referring to the Saudi royal family. The demonstrators called for the expulsion of the Saudi ambassador in Cairo, and some raised their shoes alongside a picture of Abdullah, a sign of deep contempt in the Arab world. Others climbed over the walls of the embassy in Cairo. In the consulate in the port city of Suez, protesters blocked staff from leaving Thursday, prompting the military to evacuate them.The Saudi news agency, quoting a foreign ministry official, said the protests were "unjustified" and attempts to storm the missions threatened the safety of diplomatic staff, in a violation of international conventions. The protests, the official statement said, were a violation of the "sanctity and sovereignty of diplomatic missions."The agency also said the ambassador was recalled for "consultation."
The head of Egypt's ruling military council contacted the Saudi government Saturday over its "surprise decision" to withdraw its envoy to Cairo, the Egyptian state news agency reported.
Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi was working to "heal the rift" that had resulted from the decision. "The Field Marshal conducted contacts with the Saudi authorities to work to contain the situation," the state agency MENA said.Egyptian protesters also were resentful of their government's reaction to the case of el-Gezawi, raising questions about whether it does enough to protect its citizens. Many activists also claim Egypt curbs its criticism so as not to alienate the wealthy kingdom or endanger Egyptian jobs there. Egyptians also held rallies outside the Foreign Ministry in Cairo, demanding the Egyptian ambassador in Saudi Arabia be questioned over his handling of el-Gezawi's case.

Saudi Arabia's deputy foreign minister urges Gulf unity to confront Iran
Associated Press/04.28.12, /Integration will help counter regional threats, including Iran's nuclear ambitions, Saudi prince says.Saudi Arabia's deputy foreign minister says Gulf Arab states must seek full integration of key affairs such as diplomacy and defense. Speaking at a conference Saturday on Gulf youth issues, Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah said integration will help counter threats including Iran's nuclear ambitions and spillover of Arab Spring popular uprising. Prince Abdulaziz's comments highlight strong Saudi support for unity efforts among the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council. The Western-allied bloc has increasingly discussed closer coordination to battle Arab Spring-inspired opposition and confront regional rival Iran. Last year, a Saudi-led military force came to the aid of Bahrain's embattled monarchy against an ongoing uprising by the country's Shiite majority.

Israeli Former Shin Bet Chief Yuval Diskin continues legacy of moronic Shin Bet leaders'
Attila Somfalvi/ 04.28.12/Ynetnews
Defense establishment officials slam former Shin Bet chief for leveling personal criticism at Netanyahu, Barak
Officials in the defense establishment fired back at former Shin Bet Chief Yuval Diskin, who on Friday deemed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak unfit to lead the Israeli government. "Diskin's statements aren't new or surprising," one state official told Ynet. "(…) He had always opposed a strike (on Iran), and asserted that it would spur the development of a nuclear weapon in the country. What is surprising is the timing of his statements, and his references to the prime minister and the defense minister.
"It's peculiar; Diskin doesn't complain about Barak and Netanyahu's past decisions, and doesn't claim that it's impossible to work with them. It appears like an attack planned by (former Mossad Chief) Dagan and Diskin, but their motives are unclear." Saturday evening, sources close to Prime Minister Netanyahu responded to the criticism, saying that Diskin spoke irresponsibly and out of personal frustration for not being appointed head of Mossad.Diskin accused Netanyahu and Barak on Friday of peddling the "false notion" that an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities would bar the country from developing an atom bomb.
Speaking at a conference in central Israel, Diskin declared his distrust in the two ministers' leadership capabilities.
"I don't trust management that relies on messianic leadership. Our two messiahs from Caesarea and from the Akrirov Towers are not fit to stand at the helm of the government," he said.
'Another moron'
A senior minister who has a close relationship with Netanyahu slammed Diskin's choice of a personal attack, and said his statements were highly inappropriate.
"He perpetuates a grand legacy of moronic Shin Bet chiefs," the minister said.
Vice Premier Silvan Shalom issued a response to Diskin's statements as well: "Things like that shouldn't be said. This whole discussion on the Iranian issue should be conducted differently. I have great appreciation for Diskin, he was an excellent Shin Bet chief. But with all due respect, the opinions of the Mossad and the IDF chief have more weight are much more determinant.
"I trust that Barak and Netanyahu are managing the situation in a fitting manner… Everyone is united on the fact that Israel cannot live with a (Iranian) nuclear bomb… The disagreement is over the timeline."
He added that he is "a big believer" in the power of economic sanctions over the Islamic Republic.
Minister Limor Livnat joined Diskin's critics, asserting that the manner of his conduct was "unbefitting" of his standing.
"It is unfortunate that he evades responsibility, and chooses to attack the prime minister for reasons that are unclear, in a way that could be damaging to Israel," she said.
MK Carmel Shama-Hacohen hinted that Diskin's choice of timing for his statements was politically motivated.
"If this was really his opinion about the prime minister and the defense minister, we would have expected him to voice it in real time instead of waiting for an election year to suddenly remember that the leadership is unfit and dangerous for the state's security," he said.
*Moran Azulay contributed to the report

Netanyahu aides: Former Shin Bet chief attacked PM out of personal vengeance
By Barak Ravid and Gili Cohen/Haaretz
Officials close to PM, Defense Minister say scathing attack by Yuval Diskin is 'irresponsible,' 'petty,' and motivated by Netanyahu's unwillingness to name him Mossad chief. Following a harsh attack by former Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin, aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak criticized Saturday the one-time security official, calling his comments "irresponsible" and petty." Earlier in the day, comments made by Diskin during an event in his local town of Kfar Sava on Friday came to light. During the event, the former intelligence chief unleashed a scathing attack on Netanyahu and Barak, saying he had "no faith" in their leadership. Diskin criticized Netanyahu and Barak on their bellicose stance on Iran, as well as on what he called the premier's unwillingness to advance peace talks with the Palestinian Authority.
An official response from the two arrived late Saturday, leaving Likud ministers to fend for their party leader, with some accusing the former Shin Bet chief of acting from resentment and personal interests.
However, on Saturday evening, officials in both Netanyahu's and Barak's offices responded to the attack, with aides to the prime minister calling Diskin's comments "irresponsible and motivated by personal frustration. Netanyahu's aides added that the former Shin Bet chief made the remarks because he was frustrated for not having been named head of the Mossad by Netanyahu, and for the premier's decision to name Yoram Cohen the new Shin Bet chief, rather than a candidate backed by Diskin. In another response to the comments, Barak's aides said, "We congratulate Diskin for his entrance into political life. It's embarrassing and saddening to see the loosening of responsibility and judgment and the foul language used by a man who served the public for many years."
"Diskin is acting in a petty, irresponsible way, motivated by personal frustration. He's harming a heritage of generations of Shin Bet heads, as well as the organization's operational norms and values," Barak's aides added.

US military drills Day One after strike on Iran, deploys F-22s to Gulf
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report April 28, 2012, 11:12/ Israel US Air Force Persian Gulf USAF F-22s deployed to Persian GulfUS Navy, Air Force, ground, intelligence and special forces units based at home, in Europe and the Middle East, took part this week in a special exercise ordered by President Barack Obama to simulate reactions to a potential US-Israel strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, debkafile’s exclusive military and Washington sources report.Sunday, April 22, the US also transferred a number of advanced stealth F-22 fighter bombers, believed to be from the 302nd Fighter Squadron 302, from the joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska to the Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.
According to our sources, the F-22 jets will join the F-15s of the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing which were transferred to the Al Udeid base a month ago.
Their mission will be to destroy the Iranian air force and air defense batteries so as to clear the way for US and Israeli bombers to go into action against Iran’s nuclear sites and the strategic infrastructure of its army and Revolutionary Guards Corps.This unprecedented US buildup of air might - supplementing the aircraft on the decks of the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Enterprise, to be joined by a third carrier as soon as the offensive gets underway – shows Tehran that the Obama administration is serious about using military means as extra pressure on Iran to give way in diplomatic negotiations – both with the six powers and with the US through clandestine channels.Both moves took place as the United States and five other world powers prepares for the second round of talks with Iran scheduled for next month to rein in its nuclear program.The comment Israel’s chief of staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz made to AP on April 26 about “other countries” having readied their armed forces for a potential strike “to keep Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons” referred to the deployment of the F-22 stealth jets. He did not name the other countries.
His comment was received in Washington as Israel’s strongest message till now that it will not be alone in attacking Iran but will have partners, presumably the US - and possibly also Britain, France, German, Holland or Italy.At the end of the US exercise simulating Day One of this attack, debkafile reports that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey submitted to the White House three conclusions:1. Iran’s response to a military strike will be “measured,” both to limit the damage to the regime and to conserve military resources for a possible follow-up attack;
2. The Iranians will go back to work on building a nuclear weapon within a short time;
3. The destruction of core elements of its nuclear program is expected to change Iran’s attitude in negotiations, making it less cocky and more submissive to international demands.

Israel ex-spy warns against "messianic" Iran war
28/04/2012
JERUSALEM, (Reuters) - A former Israeli spymaster has branded the country's leaders unfit to tackle the Iranian nuclear program because of what he called the "messianic feelings" behind their threats to launch a pre-emptive war on Iran. Other veterans have come out against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak recently, but the criticism from former domestic intelligence chief Yuval Diskin was especially strong."I have no faith in the prime minister, nor in the defense minister," Diskin, who stepped down as head of the Shin Bet a year ago, said in a speech partly broadcast by Israel Radio on Saturday. "I really don't have faith in a leadership that makes decisions out of messianic feelings."
The catastrophic terms with which Netanyahu and Barak describe the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran have stirred concern in Israel and abroad of a possible strike against a uranium enrichment program Iran says has peaceful ends. World powers have been trying to curb Tehran through sanctions and negotiations that are due to resume next month.
Although Israel has threatened a pre-emptive strike if diplomacy fails, some experts believe that could be a bluff to keep up pressure on Iran, making it harder to interpret the swirl of comments from the security establishment. Diskin's remarks came days after Israel's military chief, Lieutenant-General Benny Gantz, said Iran was "very rational" and unlikely to build a bomb in the face of world opposition, apparently undermining the case for a strike.By using the language of religious fervor that Israelis usually associate with Islamist foes, Diskin appeared even more damning of Netanyahu and Barak, who have often crafted strategy alone and whose relationship dates back to service in an elite commando unit four decades ago.
The former head of Israel's Mossad foreign intelligence service, Meir Dagan, has ridiculed the idea of a strike on Iran.
Diskin, who spoke on Friday, said he was not necessarily opposed to Israel attacking Iran's nuclear sites pre-emptively, though he cited experts who argue that such an action might backfire by accelerating Tehran's quest for a bomb.Yet going to war was not a job for Netanyahu, a second-term premier, nor Barak, Israel's most decorated soldier, Diskin said.
"I have seen them up close," he said. "They are not people who I personally, at least, trust to be able to lead Israel into an event on such a scale, and to extricate it."
The Prime Minister's Office and Defence Ministry had no immediate response to Diskin's remarks. A Netanyahu deputy, Silvan Shalom, rebuked the former spymaster and sought to assure Israelis that democratic process guided the government strategy.
"Not everyone thinks the same thing. This is not a decision that would be made by two people," he told Israel Radio.
"Ultimately, with all due respect to everyone, the one who is more important on this matter is the military chief of staff," Shalom said, referring to the general whose comments had appeared at odds with the official line. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons, but Western nations as well as Israel fear it plans to build a bomb.

The game of models: Why not several Arab models?
By Amir Taheri/Asharq Alawsat
With the “Arab Spring” still in the headlines, academics and politicians are debating the direction that affected countries might take. There is speculation about the “Turkish model” as an inspiration for new governing elites in Arab countries. Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has encouraged that view by assuming a high profile with regard to the uprisings.
At the same time, Iran claims that the “Arab Spring” would lead to the adoption of the Khomeinist model. Tehran tried to encourage that view by organising an “Islamic Awakening” conference and creating a secretariat to press the claim.For their part, some American and European politicians hope that Arabs would adopt the Western model.How valid are such claims?
All three are based on three questionable assumptions. The first is that a nation could take any socio-political model off the shelf, just as one picks a product in a supermarket.
Real life, however, is different. Even where new ruling elites share ideological affinities they do not adopt each other’s models. In 1949, China fell under Communist rule but did not, indeed could not, adopt the Soviet model. The North Korean Communist model has little in common with that of Communist Cuba.
Western democracies do not follow a single model either. France’s democratic capitalism is quite different from that of Italy. Although its Constitution was shaped by Americans, Japan is not based on an “American model” even if such a thing existed.
At symbolic levels, virtually all nation-states have many features in common. All have a flag, a national anthem, some sort of parliament, and a standing army. Most also have a national currency.
With the tide of globalisation, the economic and cultural landscape is also becoming increasingly uniform. Today, one finds the same shops and cafes from Brasilia to Bangkok, passing by Bratislava and Baghdad. Some call this new world “The Great Everywhere.”
However, beyond symbolic levels, we have a world of diversity in which countries develop their way of life according to their history, culture, tradition and aspirations.
The second assumption is that what is known as this or that model is fixed and immutable. In real life, however, a nation’s political system, like its economy, could and does develop and change.
Take the “Turkish model”, for example. Originally, it meant the coexistence of an Islamist government alongside a secular army with a foreign policy of mild hostility to the United States.
Over the past decade, however, Erdogan and his party have accepted the secular foundations of the Turkish republic. In government, their “lite” version of Islamism has been more directed at securing privileges for their supporters rather than imposing real or imagined religious values.
In foreign policy, Erdogan’s government has gone out of its way to maintain close ties with NATO and the United States. Ankara’s decision to host NATO’s missile shield, largely directed against Iran, and cooperate with the European Union on Tehran’s nuclear project, have dramatically reaffirmed Turkey’s alliance with the United States.
The third assumption that needs to be questioned is that the Arabs are somehow incapable of developing a model, indeed models, of their own.
As an adjective, the word Arab is applied to many different countries with different historic backgrounds, traditions and socio-economic structures. Even Algeria and Morocco, though close neighbours, are on quite different trajectories.
What is known as the “Arab Spring” is not a single event just as the 1848 revolutions in Europe were a cluster of different events, rather than an upheaval following a mythical model.
The process of change in countries collectively known as the “Arab World” is likely to produce many different models in both domestic and foreign policies.
Nevertheless, a number of common trends are already visible.
Syria, after liberation, plus Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt are likely to join the North African states in redirecting the orientation of their “historic view” towards the Mediterranean world and Europe. That trend would exclude radical shifts towards anti-West, or even anti-Israeli, postures. In Egypt, national interests dictate the maintaining of the Camp David Accords while good relations with the US and the European Union are vital for developing a new economy to cope with mass poverty and unemployment.
At the same time the Gulf countries are increasingly likely to look to the East, as China becomes the world’s biggest importer of crude oil. Iraq is likely to remain a lone wolf, at least for a while, if only because it has to face multiple challenges to its national identity.
Another trend is towards the acceptance of power-sharing, as something that even if not desired, has become inescapable. In many of the countries concerned, coalition politics is likely to evolve into the matrix of government.
The military-based state, a model developed in different versions by several Arab countries after shaking off colonial rule, is likely to be relegated to the oblivion of history. Having failed in all its versions, that model enjoys little support outside those nostalgic for the ancien regime.
Most parties in “Arab Spring” countries have specifically rejected the idea of adopting the “Turkish model”. The most prominent exception is Tunisia’s Ennahda (Awakening) party which publicly sees itself as an Arab version of Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP). But even there, what is meant by the “Turkish model” is the acceptance by Ennahda of Tunisia’s partially secular political system.
As for the Khomeinist “model”, Iran’s tragic experience serves as a warning rather than an example to everyone in the region. If anything, opposition to Khomeinism may become a unifying factor in the foreign policies of the emerging “Arab Spring” nations, the traditional Arab states and Turkey.
In the academic game of “models”, why remain fixated on Turkish, Iranian and Western models? Why shouldn’t different Arab nations develop different models of their own?

Syria: A drop in violence!
By Diana Mukkaled/Asharq Alawsat
Twenty, or perhaps thirty, people were killed in Homs.
This is how news headlines appear when handling the Syrian situation. The number in the headline could be less or more, but this does not matter except when an incidental phrase such as "including three children" is added. Slowly, but in a semi-systematic manner, news items about the revolution in Syria have shifted into focusing on figures and statistics, rather than details, names or stories. Is there anything more inhumane than this? The most dangerous thing a revolution or an ordeal - like that which the Syrian people are experiencing - can inflict is when its cause, tragedies or stories shifts into a mere accumulation of statistics. This is a situation whereby we become indifferent to what is happening, and seek only to have a brief and uninformative summary that does not even reveal what is really happening on the ground. The manner in which we are covering and keep track of the situation in Syria has been shaken. Isn't it true that the majority of us turn our faces away from internet links of “cruel” footages and videos that contain images of injured people or even children dying in Syria? Here, we return to an essential point in covering the Syrian revolution; namely that these images that we avoid are images of real people with stories, tales and tragedies, not a mere accumulation of statistics. Every Syrian citizen must have his own story; hence we can get away from the statistics regarding the number of killed and injured. The child who was killed in Homs should have his own story told to the world, as should his mother and family. This also applies to the girl in Idlib and the child in Deraa.
This is with regards to the technology utilized in covering the revolution. As for the ultimate objective of covering the news of the revolution, we feel disgraced and disappointed in admitting that the Syrian regime is successful in remaining in power thanks to tyranny as well as to the world's failure in alleviating the Syrian people's suffering. It is an equation in which the media has been an utter failure; the media has shifted the news of the Syrian ordeal from a story about living flesh and blood into mindless statistics. The Syrian news item has become a tedious tragedy which we do not want to pay attention to for fear that it could befall us, as happened in the past year of the revolution.
In news, for example, it is said that "thirty-four people were killed yesterday, in an indication of the decrease in violence thanks to the presence of international observers."
The revolution is becoming weaker with the more time that passes. This is the source of the evil Syrian regime’s success. Thirty deaths do not represent a drop in violence, but rather the regime’s persistence and clear determination to continue with the killing. To deny 30 victims their minimum right of equity by refusing to condemn the regime that has killed them means that we have entered a perverse stage where we are grateful that the killer was content with taken “only” 30 lives. This is precisely the logic behind this statement that violence has decreased thanks to the presence of international observers. In fact, this represents a real injustice to the victims of those killed on the day that “violence decreased.”What would you feel if it was your own family member who was killed on this day, and the media lauded the “decrease in violence”? Does this not truly represent a terrible injustice against the victims?

Egypt puts itself on trial!
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
For the great and enlightening Egyptian actor Adel Imam to be tried for insulting Islam, and sentenced to three months imprisonment, means only one thing, namely that Egypt has taken the decision to put itself on trial! Targeting Adel Imam, in this retaliatory manner, means that the time has come for us to express our pessimism regarding the future of Egypt, politically, economically, artistically and culturally.
Over the past months, I have sidestepped talking about the situation in Egypt, whether about the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces [SCAF], the Muslim Brotherhood, the Salafists, or other political powers. This was not out of indifference to Egypt or its importance in the Arab world, or even out of a sense of compassion towards the situation unfolding in the country, but rather because Egypt is living day by day, not based upon any long-term plans or views, whether from those who have long been part of the decision-making process or the revolutionaries. Egypt is not following any long-term vision, but rather is living based upon instinct and a desire for revenge against everything. We now see all of Egypt today, with its long history, retaliating against a great artist who in his famous “Al-Zaeem” [The Leader] play, dared to say what the Muslim Brotherhood themselves would not against Mubarak whilst he was still in power!
Whoever places Adel Imam on trial today on charges of insulting Islam deserve to be put on trial themselves for disparaging Egypt, its culture and diversity, and supporting the terrorists that Adel Imam himself waged war on in his films. Indeed the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafists failed to say anything against these same terrorists who stuck Egypt during the 1990s, or who attempted to harm Egyptian unity by targeting the country's Coptic community. At the same time, Adel Imam was more courageous than anyone else, as he challenged and waged war on terrorism, whilst portraying Egypt in a golden light, not just in front of the region or the world, but in the eyes of the Egyptian people themselves! Adel Imam was more daring than the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafists, not to mention those who consider themselves to be symbols of the Egyptian revolution today, whether we are talking about politicians, religious figures, economic figures or even intellectuals; this is because the great Egyptian actor Adel Imam dared to criticize the government, corruption, election fraud, and many other issues whilst Mubarak was still in power, not merely after the Egyptians had taken to the streets against him! Adel Imam was in Tahrir Square long before the Muslim Brotherhood, Salafists, and Egyptian intellectuals.
Therefore it would represent a huge scandal for Adel Imam to be imprisoned today, for this would mean that Egypt had chosen to put itself on trial in front of the eyes of the Arabs and the world. This would be, without a doubt, the worse trial, and would mean that all hope in Egypt’s cultural and artistic future is lost, not to mention the country’s political future. Imprisoning Adel Imam is not like excluding a political force, rather this is an attempt to exclude a cultural or artistic vision! The Muslim Brotherhood in particular – or let us say all opponents of Mubarak – complained of the [political] exclusion that they suffered during the Mubarak era, in which case targeting Adel Imam in this manner means that they are no different, or indeed worse than, Hosni Mubarak himself, for the imprisonment of this great actor would be no different than the imprisonment of Ayman Nour or Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim, during the Mubarak era.
In conclusion, with the latest news, perhaps the time has come to say that Egypt’s future does not bode well, and that a revolution that pursues artists like Adel Imam is not so much a revolution, but rather an example of Egypt putting itself on trial.
* This column will be on hiatus for the next two weeks.