LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 27/2012

Bible Quotation for today/The Word of Life
John 01/01-17: "In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God. From the very beginning the Word was with God. Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him. The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out. God sent his messenger, a man named John, who came to tell people about the light, so that all should hear the message and believe. He himself was not the light; he came to tell about the light. This was the real light—the light that comes into the world and shines on all people. The Word was in the world, and though God made the world through him, yet the world did not recognize him. He came to his own country, but his own people did not receive him. Some, however, did receive him and believed in him; so he gave them the right to become God's children. They did not become God's children by natural means, that is, by being born as the children of a human father; God himself was their Father. The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father's only Son. John spoke about him. He cried out, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘He comes after me, but he is greater than I am, because he existed before I was born.’” Out of the fullness of his grace he has blessed us all, giving us one blessing after another. God gave the Law through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is the same as God and is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Egypt: More conflicts on the path/By Osman Mirghani/Asharq Alawsat/December 27/12
In Syria: Don’t stop intervening/By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat/December 27/12

Syrian Interior Minister Leaves Beirut after One-Week Medical Treatment
Naharnet/Syrian Interior Minister Mohammed al-Shaar on Wednesday left for Damascus via the Beirut Rafik Hariri International Airport aboard a private jet, after spending one week at the American University of Beirut Medical Center for treatment of wounds he sustained in a suicide bomb attack on the interior ministry, Lebanon's National News Agency reported. “Shaar left hospital on Wednesday afternoon,” Turkey's state-run Anatolia news agency quoted medical sources at AUBMC as saying. It was not clear if Shaar's treatment was completed or if he left because of political pressure. Shaar was wounded in a deadly attack on December 12 on the Syrian interior ministry in Damascus. The attack was claimed the next day by the jihadist al-Nusra Front. "His condition is stable and he was able to talk to the people who received him at the airport," a Lebanese minister told Agence France Presse last Wednesday. According to a security source, Shaar was lightly wounded on the shoulder when his office ceiling collapsed. Shaar also escaped another deadly attack on July 18, when four top regime officials were killed in Damascus, among them President Bashar Assad's brother-in-law Assef Shawkat. A Lebanese lawyer said he filed a lawsuit on Monday against Shaar, accusing him of having ordered hundreds of killings in the northern city of Tripoli in 1986. Shortly after he arrived in Beirut for treatment last week, anti-Syrian politicians, including legislators Jamal al-Jarrah and Mohammed Kabbara, called for Shaar's arrest.
The case filed by lawyer Tareq Shandab accuses Shaar, who in 1986 was in charge of security in Tripoli, of "genocide, ethnic cleansing, political assassination and the killing of religious officials and children in Bab al-Tabbaneh, Tripoli, in 1986." It alleges that Shaar and his aides along with "criminal" Lebanese accomplices on December 19, 1986 "killed and slaughtered more than 600 people from the Tabbaneh district."
At the time, Lebanon was immersed in a bloody civil war that broke out in 1975 and left some 150,000 people dead over 15 years.

FSA will stop efforts to free Lebanese pilgrims, spokesperson says
Now Lebanon/Free Syrian Army spokesperson Louay Almokdad announced on Wednesday that his army will stop efforts to free the nine remaining Lebanese pilgrims detained in Syria. “Following the army leaders meeting, we have decided to stop mediating to release the nine remaining Lebanese pilgrims detained in Syria and we have informed [Future Movement leader] Saad Hariri and [Future MP] Okab Sakr of this decision,” Mokdad said in an interview to Future television. “We cannot keep mediating to free the detainees especially that there is a partner who keeps disrupting every time we get close to a solution,” Mokdad added.
The FSA spokesperson also said that “Hariri and Sakr insisted on continuing the negotiations to release the detainees.”In May, 11 Shiite pilgrims were abducted in Syria’s Aleppo while returning from a pilgrimage in Iran.
Later in the month, a previously unknown armed group calling itself the "Syrian Revolutionaries—Aleppo Province" said that it was holding the group, while the Free Syrian Army had repeatedly denied its involvement in the abduction. Two of the kidnapped pilgrims – Awad Ibrahim and Hussein Ali Omar – were released in past months.

Why Bassil needs a dictionary
NowLebanon
Dear Reader,
I would like to apologize for publishing my blog post on Friday, a day before Energy Minister Gebran Bassil, affiliated with the Free Patriotic Movement, actually made the DUMBEST statement not only in 2012 but probably in his entire life, or…maybe not. He has after all proven to be full of surprises.
Although Kataeb bloc MP Sami Gemayel and Foreign Affairs Minister Adnan Mansour’s statements on Syrians and Palestinians’ fleeing the unrest in neighboring Syria are not exactly smart, one has to admit that Bassil nailed it this time. Bassil on Saturday called on the cabinet to hold a “special meeting to discuss the proposal of repatriating the refugees on Lebanese soil” because well, he is a good man who does not want anyone to take the place of Lebanese people. Ehem. Say what? Last time I checked you were the son-in-law of Michel Aoun, head of the FPM. You seriously think you got assigned as a minister because of your “skills?”
It seems Bassil is oblivious that he has taken “someone’s place” in a cabinet because his father-in-law happens to lead a political party.
So, the man does not only lack common sense but also a dictionary as he continued to say: “This thinking is not racist.”
Now I am not sure which word he does not clearly understand. But be careful here. Nothing is more dangerous than a man who thinks that he thinks when he does not. And Bassil dares calls his own statement as one that came after a thinking process. So what were you thinking dear minister? Were you thinking about the refugees who fled their homes? Were you thinking of those who lost a husband? A father? A mother? Were you thinking of those young men and women who have no future ahead of them? Were you thinking of those children who left their toys behind? Please do tell. What were you thinking?
And his thoughts went on. “This thinking is not racist. It is rather patriotic and we pride ourselves in it… Our youths are emigrating and it is not acceptable that we give their place to others.”
Yes. He has just prided himself. Racism, in his dictionary, means patriotism.
Gebran Bassil. If Santa didn’t get you a dictionary this year, do humanity a favor, buy one and use it before you actually do any thinking.

Lebanese minister objects to Syrian envoy’s allegations
Now Lebanon/Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour denied Wednesday Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdel Karim Ali's accusations that Lebanese Salafist organizations took advantage of Syrian refugees’ poverty in convincing them to conduct hostile operations against Bashar al-Assad's regime.
“The content of the Syrian envoy’s letter to the Lebanese Foreign Ministry is false,” the National News Agency quoted Abu Faour as saying during a press conference.
“The majority of the Syrians who fled to Lebanon, have fled the criminality of the regime, and not what the envoy called the terrorism of extremist armed organizations.”
Abu Faour also described the Syrian envoy’s letter as “a political accusation and incitement.” He also considered it an exploitation of refugees' situation.
He also condemned the Syrian envoy’s accusation against the Social Affairs Ministry as serving foreign agendas in collaboration with the UNHCR.
“These accusations are not only against the ministry, they are against all the Lebanese state institutions and all that it has been doing regarding the refugees’ issue.”
On December 12, the Syrian Embassy sent a letter to Foreign Affairs Adnan Mansour complaining that the Syrian nationals “who fled the terrorism of extremist organizations in Syria and settled in Lebanon were being forced by Salafist organizations to work according their political agenda and be hostile toward the Syrian government.”
In the letter, the envoy also claimed that prior to the involvement of the Social Affairs Ministry in the UNHCR's distribution of aid, the relief was offered by means of a collaboration between the UNHCR and the High Relief Commission away from what he claims are "policial incentives" that currently "hinder the humanitarian efforts."

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc MP Ahmed Fatfat Says March 14 to Engage in Dialogue with Suleiman Only
Naharnet/Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc MP Ahmed Fatfat revealed on Wednesday that the March 14 alliance is ready to engage in dialogue with President Michel Suleiman solely, rejecting to resumption of the all-party talks with the March 8 foes.“Resuming the national dialogue will not defuse tension,” Fatfat told Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3). He described the dialogue table as a “big lie.”The lawmaker insisted on the resignation of the cabinet as a key condition to resume any political activity. The March 14-led opposition had announced its boycott of government-related activity, including the national dialogue, in light of the assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau head Brigadier General Wissam al-Hasan on October 19. It accused Syria of being behind the crime and blamed the government of covering up for the criminals, demanding its resignation as a condition to ending its boycott. “The parliament can carry out its tasks in the absence of the government, thus the electoral law will not be obstructed,” Fatfat pointed out
He expected discussions over the new electoral draft law to end in one week if the subcommittee tasked with reviewing the electoral system, and the size and number of districts held intensive meetings.
Fatfat rejected the proportional representation electoral law, which was proposed by the cabinet, calling on the March 8 coalition to agree on a unified law and suggest it before the subcommittee.
“We can discuss with the March 8 alliance our previously suggested electoral law, which states the adoption of the small-sized districts,” the MP said.
The opposition had announced on Monday its agreement to return to the parliamentary subcommittee meeting aimed at tackling the new law.
The government approved in August a parliamentary electoral law based on proportional representation and 13 electoral districts, however, the opposition's proposal supports the formation of 50 small-sized districts in a winner-takes-all system, while a plan suggested by the Change and Reform bloc allows every sect to elect its own MPs under a proportional representation system with Lebanon as a single district.

UAE says arrests cell planning attacks
December 26, 2012/By Rania El Gamal/Daily Star
DUBAI: Security forces in the United Arab Emirates have arrested a cell of UAE and Saudi Arabian citizens which was planning to carry out militant attacks in both countries and other states, the official news agency WAM said on Wednesday. The U.S.-allied UAE, a federation of seven emirates and a major oil exporter that has supported Western counter-terrorism efforts in the region, has been spared any attack by al Qaeda and other insurgency groups. But some of its emirates have seen a rise in Islamist sentiment in recent years, and Dubai, a business and tourism hub and cosmopolitan city that attracts many Westerners, could make an attractive target for Islamist militants, analysts say. Those arrested had acquired materials and equipment for use in what WAM called terrorist operations.
"The security authorities in the UAE, in coordination with the related security parties in Saudi Arabia, announced the arrest of an organised cell from the deviant group that was planning to carry out actions against national security of both countries and some brotherly states," WAM said without elaborating.
The phrase "the deviant group" is often used by authorities in Saudi Arabia to describe al Qaeda members.
Emirati political analyst Abdulkhaleq Abdullah told Reuters he believed it was the first time the UAE had announced a suspected attack plot of regional significance.
It "looks like it is a big one, mainly because it includes Emirati citizens and is not confined to the UAE but also has a regional dimension."In August, Saudi authorities arrested a group of suspected al Qaeda-linked militants - mostly Yemeni nationals - in Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia has arrested thousands of suspected militants since the 2003-2006 attacks on residential compounds for foreign workers and on Saudi government facilities in which were dozens of people were killed.
The United States has poured aid into Yemen to stem the threat of attacks from al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and to try to prevent any spillover of violence into Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter.
In 2010, AQAP, a merger of al Qaeda's Yemeni and Saudi branches, said it was behind a plot to send two parcel bombs to the United States. The bombs were intercepted in Britain and Dubai.
The UAE has escaped the upheaval that has shaken the Arab world but moved swiftly to stem any sign of political dissent by detaining more than 60 local Islamists this year over alleged threats to state security and links to a foreign group.Those detainees, who belong to an Islamist group called al-Islah, have confessed to setting up a secret organisation with an armed force whose aim was to take power and establish an Islamic state, local media reported in September. Islah denied the accusations. Many of the detained Islamists come from the more religiously conservative northern emirates such as Sharjah and Ras al-Khaimah, which produced one of the Sept. 11 hijackers. In May 2002, al Qaeda militants sent a letter to UAE authorities saying continued UAE cooperation with Washington in arresting what it called holy warriors would "bring the country into an arena of conflict," according to al Qaeda documents captured by the U.S. military and published by the Combating Terrorism Center at the U.S. military academy at West point.

Assad inner circle takes hard line in Syria conflict
NICOSIA, (AFP) — The Syrian vice president's criticism of leader Bashar al-Assad has highlighted the cracks in the regime's highest ranks, pitting supporters of compromise against the president's hardline inner circle.
Assad's closest aides believe the regime should keep fighting and that they can still win a war against rebels which has left more than 44,000 dead in almost two years.
"Power has become increasingly concentrated in the hands of just a few people in Assad's clan, which has grown autistic and seems to have chosen to just keep going," Paris-based expert Karim Bitar told AFP.
Assad's circle includes his brother Maher, 44, who heads the army's elite Fourth Division and his wife Asma, an analyst told AFP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.
The group also includes Assad's notorious businessmen uncle Mohammed Makhluf, 80, cousin Rami Makhluf, 43, and Damascus security chief, Hazem Makhluf, 41.
Like Assad, all are members of the minority Alawite community, except his wife, who is a Sunni Muslim.
Presidential affairs minister since 2009, Mansur Azzam, 52, and former Al-Jazeera journalist Luna al-Shibl are also close to Assad. Both are members of the Druze community.
Alawite Hussam Sukkar, a security advisor to the president, is also key, as are two Sunni veterans: National Security director Ali Mamluk and Political Security chief Rostom Ghazali.
"This is the group that takes the decisions," the analyst said. "Bashar, who runs the show, only listens to people who owe him, for the most part, for their rise."
But several high-level officials, members of the state apparatus and part of the army command, understand -- like Vice President Faruq al-Sharaa -- "that neither the rebels nor the army can secure an all-out victory," said Bitar.
"As such, they are hoping for a negotiated solution, which would prevent them all being swept away should Assad fall,."
In an interview published in a pro-Damascus Lebanese daily, Sharaa, who for 22 years served as foreign minister, said he favours a negotiated solution to the conflict, rather than the president's strategy of crushing the revolt militarily. Assad "does not hide his desire to press on militarily until the final victory (and he believes that) after this, political dialogue will actually still be possible," Sharaa told Beirut-based Al-Akhbar.
Experts say that out of those who share Sharaa's views, two women stand out.
One of them is Buthaina Shaaban, a 59-year-old Alawite who was close to Assad's father Hafez, and worked as his translator before becoming minister of expatriate affairs. In 2008, Shaaban became Bashar al-Assad's advisor. The other is Najah al-Attar, a 79-year-old Sunni, who was minister of culture from 1976 to 2000, and was then appointed vice president along with Sharaa in 2006.
"It seems this group has been totally excluded from decision-making, because they think the war should end with no winner or loser," said a former minister who took a distance from the regime when the revolt broke out in March 2011. Assad's clique, the minister added on condition of anonymity, "treats them like cowards."
The journalist who interviewed the vice president for Al-Akhbar said "Sharaa is not in the decision-making circle, and communicates infrequently with the president."
On Sunday, Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi played down Sharaa's assessment. "It is one opinion among 23 million opinions in Syria, which is a state led by institutions and leaders who will give the final opinion," he said.
After 50 years in power, differences have emerged even among Alawites, as young members of this offshoot of Shiite Islam are killed daily in battle.

In Syria: Don’t stop intervening
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
Today in Syria everybody is beginning to think about and prepare for the post-Assad era, despite what continues to be said in this regard. Of course, there are those who talk naively and others who are talking maliciously. Therefore, one must be cautious about the next stage, and this must be handed far better than it was elsewhere, and this includes the manner of dealing with the Syrian revolution.
In our modern history, there are two experiences that we must mediate on, namely the Afghan and Iraqi experiences. In both experiences, Arab and Western intervention proved to be a costly failure, whilst the ultimate consequences of this were catastrophic. In Afghanistan, at the time of the Soviet invasion, the situation was portrayed as if this were jihad, which was not true. Indeed the gravest and most critical mistake that occurred was allowing the so-called “mujahedeen" to rise up against those who had previously sponsored and armed them, whether in the region – Saudi Arabia and others – or in the West, such as the US, Britain and others. Therefore, half-intervention is far more dangerous than non-intervention. This was the lesson learned from Afghanistan which was transformed into a den of terrorists. As for Iraq, the gravest mistake was failing to realize the fact that the Americans were determined to invade. There should have been Arab intervention; this is not to champion the invasion, but rather to temper the raging American bull that rushed to dissolve Iraq’s army and tear apart the country’s social fabric, then handed Iraq as a whole over to Iran. Accordingly, the lesson learned from the invasion of Iraq was that comprehensively refraining from intervention in this case resulted in the sacrifice of a major and important Arab state. Today, we are facing the Syrian experience, which is completely different from all other Arab experiences. Syria is a state that every wolf in the region covets, particularly Iran, Hezbollah and Israel. Whilst the Muslim Brotherhood and other extremists also covert Syria, particularly when considering its religious history. It is extremely easy to tickle the sentiments of naïve people with regards to Syria's historical role in wars and invasions. What is even more dangerous is the cunning propaganda about the presence of the Al Qaeda organization in the country. The aim of such propaganda is not apparent today, but this will be clear to see tomorrow. To clarify, whenever the presence of extremists is rumoured in Syria today, nobody is able to either confirm or deny this. Therefore, we find many intellectuals who initiate discussion with the conditional phrase "in the event that there are extremists…". However the real objective of those who have promoted this malicious campaign regarding the claims of Al Qaeda presence is to ensure that following al-Assad’s ouster, when terrorist operations are carried out, it would be easy to say that Al Qaeda is behind all this, along the lines of what happened in Iraq. In reality, Al Qaeda only operated in Iraq under the auspices of Iran; al-Zarqawi, just like other Al Qaeda leadership, visited Tehran; whilst Iran is now hosting many of these same leaders today. Therefore rational Arabs must today draw up a clear strategy for the post-Assad era; a strategy that must continue even after the tyrant is toppled, regardless of the situation. This strategy must confront all those who continue to bear arms following the al-Assad ouster with an iron fist. Furthermore, all the Arab Spring mistakes must be avoided, most notably the Muslim Brotherhood coup in Egypt. Thus, to put it simply, what is required is for those who are intervening in Syria to continue this intervention even after al-Assad is toppled. They must not stop this intervention, for half-intervention is more dangerous than non-intervention, as evidenced by the Iraq experience.

State Department vague on Makdissi’s whereabouts
By Mohamed Ali Saleh
Washington, Asharq Al-Awsat – The US State Department refused to confirm or deny knowing the whereabouts of former Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi. Makdissi has not been seen in public since the news of his defection from the al-Assad regime in November. Britain’s Guardian newspaper reported on Tuesday that Makdissi is currently present in the US and was “co-operating with US intelligence officials who helped him flee to Washington one month ago.”Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat a US State Department official refused to confirm or deny the report.
Refusing to comment on CIA operations, the official However did stress that what was important is that “the supporters of the al-Assad regime are turning away from him, one after another” adding “we are always glad to hear this, and we expect more resignations and defections from those around al-Assad”.
Just two weeks ago, US State Department Deputy spokesman Mark Toner denied that Makdissi was present in the US, adding that the US State Department is well aware of the former Syrian Foreign Ministry’s importance. Whilst just one day prior to this, Toner told a press conference “we believe Jihad Makdissi is in London” but added ‘we cannot confirm this.” He also stressed that the US State Department was “not aware of him reaching out to [any] US embassy.”
For their part, Syrian officials have denied that Makdissi had defected from the al-Assad regime, claiming that he has instead taken three months of administrative leave. Whilst Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV – known to staunchly follow the al-Assad regime line – announced that Makdissi had been sacked for making statements that were not in line with the government’s official position.
Makdissi reportedly angered Damascus when, speaking during a press conference, he said that the al-Assad regime will never use chemical weapons against civilians and would only contemplate using such arms in the event of foreign intervention, thereby tacitly admitting that Syria was in possession of such arms.
Sources close to Makdissi previously informed Asharq Al-Awsat that the senior Syrian official had been contemplating leaving Syria for a long period of time before his defection, but had been waiting to ensure the safety of his family before taking any action. The source claimed that Makdissi was able to transfer his family members, including his parents, to Beirut and from there to London, before he himself fled the country.
Following his reported defection from Syria, opposition sources revealed that Syrian regime forces had burnt the Makdissi home to the ground in retaliation. The opposition Syrian Military Council confirmed that “regime forces set fire to the home of the Syrian Foreign Minister spokesman located in Damascus’s upscale al-Mezza district.”
Makdissi is the most senior al-Assad regime member to defect since the defection of Syrian Prime Minister Riyad Jihad in August. Makdissi is a former senior diplomat at the Syrian embassy in London; he worked closely with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Mualem and Syrian Information Minister Adnan Mahmoud. Makdissi was appointed spokesman for Syria’s Foreign Ministry shortly after the uprising against the al-Assad regime erupted in March 2011. During his tenure as Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Makdissi strongly supported the al-Assad regime’s actions, including in the wake of several massacres. When government forces were blamed for the deaths of some 103 Syrian civilians, including 49 children, in an incident known as the Houleh massacre late May, Makdissi dismissed this as a “tsunami of lies.”
Makdissi is a member of Syria’s Christian minority, which has largely backed the al-Assad regime. He had previously been viewed as something of a “hero” to al-Assad regime loyalists, being crowned with numerous affectionate titles such as “the regime’s man” and even “al-Assad’s James Bond”. However following news of his defection, Makdissi has largely been dismissed as a traitor and foreign agent.

Egypt: More conflicts on the path!
By Osman Mirghani/Asharq Alawsat
The two phases of the constitutional referendum have come to an end, but has the crisis in Egypt? The answer is a clear no, for not only does the crisis remain, it may indeed have been further complicated. Conducting a referendum in such an atmosphere does not grant the constitution the required legitimacy, nor does it enjoy the consensus that a reference expressing the hopes and aspirations of all the Egyptian people of all political, ideological and religious affiliation and social categories should! The Egyptian people should feel as if this document guarantees the rule of institutions, as well as protects their rights and safeguards their freedoms without distinction or exception.
One might argue that President Mursi needed to complete the constitutional project in order to finish the democratization process and ensure that Egypt as a whole is devoted to the battle for stability, security and the economy. In addition to this, there is also the pledge, made by Mursi’s (now resigned) Vice President Mahmoud Mekki to consider the fate of the disputed constitutional articles and have the legislative authority amend these following the next elections. However this logic is like someone who knows that the foundation of his building are unsound but driven by greed and quick profit insists on completing this construction project in the hope of carrying out renovations at a later date, risking the ultimate collapse of the building because it is built on weak foundations. If everybody is convinced that the new constitution will require amendment, why is there a rush to pass this? Why not wait until there is agreement on the disputed constitutional articles before submitting this constitution as a whole for referendum so that people can vote on a complete document that does not require amendment or modification just months after its drafting has been completed? The constitution is the architectural blueprint for the rule of institutions; it specifies powers and balances and is the guarantee for rights and freedoms. Any imbalance in the constitution will mean an imbalance in the foundations of the structure of the state. Governments change however the constitution should be unaffected by changes in the ruling party every 4 or 5 years, particularly in democratic states where the constitution is a guarantee regarding the non-predominance of any party in power. In addition to this, the constitution should serve as a guarantee to prevent any government exceeding its legitimate powers or infringing upon other authorities or the guaranteed freedoms and rights of the people.
This referendum was carried out in a tense and charged atmosphere, whilst there is a basic lack of consensus regarding the constitution itself, not to mention the presence of accusations of voter fraud and manipulation. In addition to this, two thirds of the Egyptian electorate ultimately did not vote in this referendum. This means that the constitutional document does not represent the majority of the Egyptian people, nor does it enjoy the required legitimacy. The continuation of an atmosphere of crisis, division and confrontation means that Egypt is as far from possible from the atmosphere of stability required to establish a proper democratic structure or carry out parliamentary elections in a healthy and correct manner. This is not to mention rescuing the Egyptian economy from looming disaster, which represents the most important and critical issue over the coming weeks and months. There are numerous indications that Egypt’s financial and economic situation has entered a very critical stage, which was characterized as “high risk” by Prime Minister Hisham Qandil in statements made a few days ago. Egypt’s budget deficit has increased sharply, whilst national debt is also rising rapidly due to a lack of funding. In addition to this the value of the Egyptian Pound is decreasing, which will lead to a rise in the price of all imported goods.
When President Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood took the decision to fight the battle over the constitution – rather than postpone this and choose consensus and stability over partisan interests and calculations – they were well aware of this catastrophic situation. Evidence of this can be seen in Mursi, in order not to provoke further public anger prior to the referendum, withdrawing the economic decisions he had issued which would result in the prices of many vital commodities witnessing a big increase. The government also asked the International Monetary Fund to postpones negotiations regarding an urgent $4.8 billion loan because the terms of this loan will include the imposition of corrective economic “austerity’ measures that will certainly increase the cost of living for most Egyptians. However postponing difficult decisions for the future is nothing more than a temporary maneuver until after the referendum, and this is a maneuver that may have led to Egypt’s economy entering an even more critical stage because postponing treatment only allows more time for the patient’s condition to deteriorate.
The biggest battle in the coming period will be over the economy, but this will not be the only battle that Egypt will face; there are numerous other looming battles that the relevant forces are gearing up for. We will no doubt see battles over the judiciary and the media after the Muslim Brotherhood – along with its Islamist allies – fired the first shot against these institutions, raising the slogan of “purification” and issuing accusations of conspiring against “the legitimacy”. It is as if they believe that this “legitimacy” is something that only the president possesses, rather than something that is also shared by other institutes that should be protected by the constitution, particularly the judiciary which should be immune from political pressure, and which in turn should protect freedom of expression and the media. There are a lot of statements from Muslim Brotherhood and Salafist leaders that reveal their premeditated intentions to deceive the judiciary and media, the latest of which was issued by Salafist leader Dr. Yasser Burhaimi. Speaking during a seminar on the new constitution, he said “the constitution court must be cleansed in any way possible.” The man also revealed plans to control al-Azhar, adding that maneuvers are being conducted to pass a law permitting the Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar to be deposed, after the Islamists were unable to include a similar article in the constitution.
In this tense atmosphere, the current Shura Council – which has been granted legislative powers – should look at adopting laws that will govern the forthcoming parliamentary election, including political rights laws as well as laws to amend constituencies. These are issues that could ignite even more battles, particularly as the Shura Council is ruled by the Brotherhood and their allies. However many others have raised question about the Council’s legitimacy, particularly as it was elected in precisely the same manner as the People’s Assembly, which was later dissolved, whilst only 6 percent of the eligible electorate participated in these elections.
Egypt is on the verge of witnessing huge battles that will only serve to increase the country’s suffering and division, however if a miracle should come to pass and all parties sit down at the table for serious dialogue, this could save Egypt from the disastrous path that it is traversing.

Iran bans flights during call to Islamic prayer-report
DUBAI, (Reuters) - Iran's parliament has banned on airplanes from flying in the country during the Azan call to Islamic prayer, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Wednesday.
"According to the new directive, airplanes are banned from flying during Azan, especially during the call to morning prayers," Mehr quoted the spokesman for parliament's cultural committee Ali Taheri as saying.
The head of the Aviation Organization, Hamid Reza Pahlevani, said aircraft will be allowed to take off 30 minutes after the call to the morning prayer so that passengers have the time "to carry out their religious duties", the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported.Iran has practiced Sharia law since its 1979 Islamic revolution. Hardliners have pressed for stricter enforcement of religious measures since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won office in 2005 promising a return to the revolution's values.Taheri also said serious attention will be given to observing the strict Islamic dress code for women working at airports or airline companies.
Women in Iran are obliged to cover their hair and wear long, loose clothing to disguise their figures and protect their modesty. Violators can be flogged, fined or imprisoned.

GGC to set up joint defence system
Asharq Al-Awsat/Manama, Asharq Al-Awsat - In a statement issued on Tuesday at the end of a two-day summit of the Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), GCC leaders demanded an immediate halt to Iran’s "interference" in their internal affairs. "The council expressed its rejection and condemnation of the continuing Iranian interference in the affairs of the Gulf Cooperation Council's states and called on Iran to stop these policies," the joint statement said. The six member council made up of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, also condemned Iran's "continued occupation of the three Emirati islands" of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb, which are located in the strategic Strait of Hormuz entrance to the Gulf. On the conflict in Syria, the statement, read by GCC Secretary-General Abdulatif al-Zayani, asked, “the international community for serious and swift moves to stop these massacres and these severe attacks that contradict all religions and international laws and humanitarian principles."
The GCC called on the international community "to provide all forms of urgent humanitarian aid" for the people of Syria.
GCC leaders also stressed the importance to move toward a Gulf Union and the development of a "common defense system".
“The summit has agreed to establish a joint military command for member countries’ naval, air and ground forces. They have also endorsed the GCC security pact,” GCC Secretary-General Al-Zayani said.
Referring to the joint defence system, the leaders affirmed their commitment to “The principle of joint collective security through the development of military capabilities and self-development of each of the GCC states and the commitment to promote the development of the Common Defence System to defend the achievements of the states.”
It was also announced that GCC countries and other donors have agreed to give $ 8 billion for the reconstruction of Yemen. The GCC will also help Yemen to strengthen its security.
Meanwhile, the Sakhir Declaration issued at the end of the summit emphasized the importance of GCC transforming into a single entity in response to the aspirations of the GCC citizens and meet the challenges they face. It stressed that an attack on any GCC state would be considered as an attack on them all, and that any threat on one of them would be considered as a threat on all member states.
The summit leaders affirmed their commitment to implementing all the decisions for GCC’s integration in all areas, and their compliance with the timetable for the establishment of the Gulf common market, adding that they would work to remove impediments to the application of the GCC Customs Union.
The declaration also noted the steps that have been taken to implement the decision of the Supreme Council on the timetable for achieving the common Gulf market and joint developments with regard to the areas stipulated in Article III of the Economic Agreement, especially in the areas of movement and residence for GCC nationals, the practice of trades and professions, movement of capital, tax measures, equality of treatment between nationals of the GCC in receiving education, health, social services, employment in government and private sectors, and social insurance and retirement.
The summit stressed the need to promote the spirit of citizenship among GCC nationals through familiarization with the council’s activities, achieving full Gulf citizenship to strengthen the social and family fabric and ties of kinship and cohesion, facilitating economic activity for GCC citizens, and intensifying communication between the Shura and National Councils in member states.
The summit welcomed the opening of the Vienna-based King Abdullah Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue to promote a culture of dialogue and fight extremism. The leaders condemned the outrageous terrorist bombings that occurred recently in the city of Manama, Bahrain that killed a number of innocent people, stressing full solidarity with Bahrain in its efforts to maintain its national unity and consolidate security and stability.
The Supreme Council welcomed the opening of the International Excellence Center for Curbing Violent Extremism (Hidayah) in Abu Dhabi where experts and expertise are pooled from various countries in order to combat extremism.The summit affirmed the right of countries, including Iran, to harness peaceful nuclear energy on the condition that the operating country adopt responsibility for the safety of its nuclear facility whilst taking into consideration environmental safety in the large geographic region and the need to fully comply with standards of safety and security and non-nuclear proliferation.