LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
January 16/2012

Bible Quotation for today/Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples
Luke 09/01-06: "Jesus called the twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases. Then he sent them out to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick, after saying to them, Take nothing with you for the trip: no walking stick, no beggar's bag, no food, no money, not even an extra shirt. Wherever you are welcomed by, stay in the same house until you leave that town; wherever people don't welcome you, leave that town and shake the dust off your feet as a warning to them." The disciples left and traveled through all the villages, preaching the Good News and healing people everywhere.

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for January 15/12 
Leanon: Girl Dead, 8 Rescued as Building Collapses in Ashrafieh
Ban to Assad: Stop Killing Your People
Al-Rahi: Lebanon Must Not Be Source of Regional Instability
Hariri via Twitter: Ban’s Visit Aimed at Stressing Need for Lebanon to Respect STL
SANA: Assad Decrees General Amnesty over Unrest
Miqati during Conference on Democracy: We Hope U.N. Will Be More Just in its Resolutions
Miqati to Ban: We Need International Support to Force Israel to Halt Violations against Lebanon
Miqati Heads to Paris in February
Saniora Suggested to Ban that U.N. Demarcate Maritime Border, Determine Economic Zone
Raad Meets Davutoglu, Says Change in Syria Should be Made without Any Foreign Intervention
French FM Slams U.N. Security Council 'Silence' on Syria
Arab League should consider sending troops to Syria: Moussa
UK: No Plans for Western Military Action on Syria, Iran
Iran Hangs 12 Convicted of Serious Crimes
Iran warns Gulf oil states as sanctions mount
U.S. army chief heads to Israel as fears over attack on Iran mount
US concerned over Israeli strike in Iran
Harel and Issacharoff/The argument between Israel and the U.S. is about timelines and red lines
Israel flunks nuclear safety test but ranks above Iran, North Korea
Western intelligence sources tell Time Magazine Israel's Mossad targeted Iranian scientist
A grim outlook for both intervention in Syria and sanctions on Iran
Hezbollah rejects UN chief's call to disarm
Iran Mulls 'Punishing' U.S., Israel, UK for Assassination of Nuclear Scientist
Report: Mossad killed Iranian scientist
Bangkok threat: Terrorist's Swedish connection
Israelis concerned, but still going to Thailand
Qatari emir wants Arab troops in Syria
Ban Visits UNIFIL HQ in the South, Praises Strong Partnership with Lebanese Army
Ban, Davutoglu Meet in Beirut to Discuss ‘Dangerous’ Developments in Syria
Davutoglu Discusses with Lebanese Officials Bilateral Ties, Regional Developments
Gemayel Meets Ban, Says Lebanon’s Sovereignty over Shebaa Farms Key Element
Raad Meets Davutoglu, Says Change in Syria Should be Made without Any Foreign Intervention
Hariri Says No Civil War in Lebanon, Change ‘Imminent’ in Syria
Report: Russian 'Dangerous Cargo' Ship has Arrived in Syria

Girl Dead, 8 Rescued as Building Collapses in Ashrafieh
by NaharnetظA five-storey building collapsed on its tenants in the Ashrafieh neighborhood of Fassouh on Sunday, leaving a 15-year-old girl dead and several people injured, trapped or unaccounted for.“The collapsed building in Ashrafieh is located in Al-Motran Atallah Street and it contains 10 apartments,” MTV reported. Young man Anthony Abdul Karim was pulled out alive while Anne-Marie Abdul Karim, 15, was found dead and her wounded grandmother was rushed to hospital, state-run National News Agency reported.Six other residents were also pulled out alive, according to MTV.
LBC television, meanwhile, said six or seven wounded people were rushed to hospitals near the scene of the collapse. “Red Cross crews have evacuated two people from the collapsed building in Ashrafieh and four other people were wounded,” said OTV. Emergency crews managed to rescue a woman from the Abdul Karim family and an infant, according to MTV. The woman was rushed to Al-Roum Hospital. For its part, LBC said a Sudanese man was pulled out alive from under the rubble. At once, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel and Civil Defense chief Brig. Gen. George Khattar arrived on the scene, with the latter telling MTV that his crews were exerting their utmost efforts to rescue the trapped tenants. Resident Gladys Farhat, who was not in the building at the time of collapse, told MTV that “a pillar fell off the building a month ago.”“Voices are being heard from beneath the rubble and a number of vehicles and bulldozers have been scrambled to the scene,” MTV said.
Speaking to MTV by telephone, Journalist Tareq Karam, an Ashrafieh resident, described the scene as “scary.” “It is the third building on the right in Al-Motran Atallah Street and a part of the building collapsed on the building belonging to the Beirut Water Authority,” he told MTV. Quoting officials from the Beirut Fire Brigade, Future News TV said the building accommodated around 30 residents.
Meanwhile, MTV said “another building faces the threat of collapse near Qasabli Snack.”

Ban to Assad: Stop Killing Your People
by Naharnet/United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday issued a call to Syria's Bashar Assad to stop killing his people, warning the embattled president he was heading for a dead end.
Ban said in a keynote address at a conference on Arab world democracy in Beirut: "Today, I say again to Assad of Syria: Stop the violence. Stop killing your people. The path of repression is a dead end,"
"The winds of change will not cease to blow. The flame ignited in Tunisia will not be dimmed," he stated. Ban also called for an end to Israeli "occupation" in the Arab world, saying the illegal building of settlements worked against a two-state solution. "The Israeli occupation of Arab and Palestinian territories must end. So must violence against civilians," he added. "Settlements, new and old, are illegal. They work against the emergence of a viable Palestinian state," said the U.N. secretary general. "A two-state solution is long overdue. The status quo offers only the guarantee of future conflict."
Organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the conference entitled "Reform and Transitions to Democracy" opened in Beirut on Sunday, bringing together a slew of dignitaries from countries that suffered under dictatorships. Among the speakers are Egyptian presidential hopeful and former Arab League chief Amr Moussa and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, whose country has emerged as a key regional player in the Middle East. On the eve of the gathering, Ban and Davutoglu held talks on the "dangerous trajectory" of the crisis in Syria during a meeting in Lebanon, Ban's spokesman said.The United Nations estimates more than 5,000 people have been killed in Syria as Assad's forces crack down on anti-regime protests now in their 11th month.

Al-Rahi: Lebanon Must Not Be Source of Regional Instability
by Naharnet /Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi stated on Sunday that Lebanon will not be an open ground for foreign forces to wage their wars at the country’s expense.He said during his Sunday sermon at Bkirki: “Lebanon must not be a channel or a source of instability in the region.”“The Lebanese and international community should exert efforts in declaring Lebanon a neutral country in order for it to continue on serving its mission and acting as a factor of peace in the Middle East,” he added.“Through its positive neutrality, Lebanon will be able to commit to joint Arab issues and the peace process,” he explained.“This requires the improvement of Lebanese defense capabilities and limiting the possession of arms to the official state institutions,” al-Rahi stressed.Addressing the situation in Lebanon, he said: “Lebanon is not a unified state, but a number of statelets whose funds are being squandered by wealthy individuals at the expense of the people and their dignity.”Interior Minister Marwan Charbel had stated recently that Lebanon will not serve as a base for terrorists. He made his remarks in response to Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn’s claims that al-Qaida members had infiltrated Lebanon.

Hariri via Twitter: Ban’s Visit Aimed at Stressing Need for Lebanon to Respect STL
by Naharnet/Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri stated on Sunday that United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s visit to Lebanon is aimed at stressing the need for Lebanon to implement Security Council resolutions.He said via Twitter that the U.N. chief also sought to emphasize the need for Lebanon to respect the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.Addressing Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s speech on Saturday, the former premier said: “Hizbullah does not want to admit that there are different opinions in the country on its weapons.”Nasrallah stated on Saturday that Ban’s concern about his party’s arms gives him comfort and happiness, vowing that the party will grow stronger.Ban told a press conference following talks with Lebanese leaders on Friday that he was "deeply concerned" about the military prowess of Hizbullah.Nasrallah vowed that his party will not give up its arms, stressing that the “resistance, army, and the people are the only guarantee” to safeguard Lebanon.

Miqati during Conference on Democracy: We Hope U.N. Will Be More Just in its Resolutions
by Naharnet /Prime Minister Najib Miqati stated on Sunday that the United Nations will be the primary sanctuary for people seeking peace, security, freedom, and democracy.
He said during a conference on “Reform and Transition to Democracy” at the Phoenicia Hotel: “We hope the United Nations will be more just in issuing resolutions and implementing them.
“Lebanon’s experience with Israeli occupation is the best evidence of this, as the Jewish state still violates Lebanese sovereignty on a daily basis,” he noted. He cited its ongoing occupation of the Shebaa Farms and northern section of the village of Ghajar, adding that Lebanon “has on the other hand committed to respecting international resolutions, including U.N. Security Council resolution 1701.”“It is committed to its full implementation and its right to liberate its occupied territory through all possible means,” Miqati added. The Israeli occupation is the main causes for instability in the region, he stressed.
“Democracy has become the Arab people’s primary main choice of rule,” he continued. “Democracy cannot be established without the rise of a strong state, development of the economy, and rejection of extremism and terrorism,” said the premier. “The Lebanese government has set as a priority administrative reform and the development of the democratic system through devising a new electoral law that properly represents all Lebanese factions,” stated Miqati.“God willing, Lebanon will remain an example of democracy, freedom, openness, moderation, and mutual coexistence between its religions,” he stressed.Addressing the Arab Spring, he remarked: “It is time to launch an economic plan that would break boundaries between Arab countries.”The prime minister therefore suggested the establishment of an Arab free trade zone, “which would pave the way for the construction of peaceful Arab societies that are longing for prosperity and development.”Present at the conference were U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, Egyptian presidential hopeful and former Arab League chief Amr Mussa, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

SANA: Assad Decrees General Amnesty over Unrest
by Naharnet /Syria's President Bashar Assad has decreed a general amnesty for crimes committed during unrest in the country over the past 10 months, the official SANA news agency said on Sunday.
"President Assad issued a decree stipulating a general amnesty for crimes committed during the events between March 15, 2011 and January 15, 2012," SANA reported, without elaborating.
Assad's regime has been rocked by a popular uprising since March, and the United Nations estimated in mid-December that a crackdown on the movement has killed more than 5,000 people.
The government in Damascus says far fewer have been killed while accusing "armed terrorist gangs" backed by foreign powers of being responsible for the violence.Since November, the regime has announced that it will release nearly 4,000 prisoners "without blood on their hands."In early November, it promised an amnesty for gun owners who surrender their weapons to police within eight days.On May 31, Assad issued a general amnesty for all political prisoners, including members of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood.And on June 21, he declared an amnesty covering all crimes committed before June 20, according to SANA.SourceAgence France Presse.

Report: Mossad killed Iranian scientist
Western intelligence sources tell Time Mossad behind assassination of nuclear expert last week; 'I don't feel sad for him," Israeli official says Dudi Cohen /Ynetnews/14.01.12/Israel's Mossad was behind the recent killing of a senior Iranian nuclear scientist, Western intelligence sources told Time Magazine.
"Like three previous Iranian scientists ambushed on their morning commute, the latest nuclear expert to die on his way to work was a victim of Israel's Mossad," Time reported Saturday. Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan was killed by a bomb placed on his car by a motorcyclist in Tehran on Wednesday, prompting officials in Iran to blame Israel for the assassination. "Yeah, one more," a senior Israeli official reportedly told Time in reference to Roshan's killing. "I don't feel sad for him."Intelligence sources told the magazine last week's attack "followed the pattern of previous operations planned by Mossad and carried out over the past two years by Iranians trained and paid by Israel's spy agency." Speaking in Cuba, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad commented Thursday on the latest assassination, saying that Iran was "being punished for no reason."Speaking before students at Havana University, Ahmadinejad said: "Have we ever attacked anyone? Have we sought more than we need? Never. We only want to pursue justice." Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Thursday that those behind the killing of a nuclear scientist in Tehran would be punished.

Bangkok threat: Terrorist's Swedish connection
Thailand terror suspect married to Swede, believed to have used passport to aid Hezbollah
Dudi Cohen/Ynetnews/15.01.12/The suspect detained in Bangkok on suspicion of planning to blow up Israeli targets in Thailand has been identified as 47-year-old Hussein Atris, an Lebanese man holding a Swedish passport. An examination of the passport, which was obtained by Ynet, revealed that Atris was born in southern Lebanon and married a Swedish woman in 1996. The marriage made him eligible for a Swedish passport, which he allegedly exploited for the benefit of Hezbollah's terrorism apparatus. According to reports by Swedish media, Atris previously owned a hair saloon in Gothenburg, before returning to Lebanon more than 10 years ago. Moreover, one of his relatives, Germany resident Muhammad Atris, was involved in the past in the Iranian assassination of four Kurdish opposition figures in 1992.
Meanwhile, Thai police were looking for Atris' accomplice, who is believed to be in his 30s or 40s. Police in Bangkok published the suspect's composite portrait, which bears great resemblance to Hezbollah operative Naim Haris. The latter's photo was unusually published last year, by the Shin Bet, which at the time identified him as an operative in charge of recruiting Hezbollah agents worldwide. Iran is believed to have prepared a broad infrastructure for recruiting agents in Thailand by setting up schools, cultural and religious facilities for the benefit of the country's Muslim population. These institutions have been disseminating anti-Israeli and anti-American propaganda materials.
Iran and Hezbollah may have now chosen Thailand as the target for a terror attack against Israel, possibly to avenge the recent killings and blasts in Iran, or to take revenge for the assassination of Hezbollah's military chief Imad Mugniyah some four years ago.

Iran Mulls 'Punishing' U.S., Israel, UK for Assassination of Nuclear Scientist
by Naharnet /Iran is looking at "punishing" those behind the assassination of one of its nuclear scientists, a senior military official said on Saturday, pointing the finger at the United States, Israel and Britain. "We consider committing a terrorist act of killing a scientist to be a threat to the nation... We are looking at punishing those who were behind the scenes of the martyrdom (assassination) of Mostafa Ahmedi Roshan," the deputy chief of Iran's joint armed forces, Masoud Jazayeri, was quoted as saying by several media. Iran's response will be "tormenting" for those responsible, he said, adding: "The enemies of the Iranian nation, such as the United States, Britain and the Zionist regime, should be made accountable for their actions." Ahmedi Roshan, a 32-year-old deputy director of Iran's main uranium enrichment plant, was killed along with his driver on Wednesday when assassins on a motorbike fixed a magnetic bomb to his car. He was the third nuclear scientist to have been murdered in similar circumstances in Tehran over the past two years. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Thursday that the "abominable" killing was committed "with the planning or support of the intelligence services of the CIA and Mossad" of the United States and Israel. Khamenei said in a statement that Tehran would "continue with determination" its nuclear activities, which Western governments suspect masks a drive for a weapons capability despite repeated denials. Some media close to Iran's conservatives have called for "retaliation" against Israeli officials. Washington has strongly denied any involvement with the assassination. Israel, widely seen as the prime suspect, has neither denied nor confirmed involvement, in line with its policy of not commenting on intelligence matters. Tehran has formally demanded that the U.N. Security Council condemn the "terrorist" killing. Its foreign ministry has also sent letters to the U.S. and British governments accusing them of involvement in the scientists' assassinations, newspapers reported on Saturday.SourceAgence France Presse.

Davutoglu Discusses with Lebanese Officials Bilateral Ties, Regional Developments
by Naharnet /Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu discussed with Lebanese officials on Saturday bilateral ties and regional developments.
Davutoglu arrived at Beirut airport on Saturday morning and headed to Baabda palace for talks with President Michel Suleiman.
A statement issued by Suleiman’s press office said Davutoglu described Turkish-Lebanese ties as “excellent” and stressed Ankara’s rejection to shove Lebanon into the regional turmoil. He later went to Ain el-Tineh and met with Speaker Nabih Berri. Following his talks with the speaker, the Turkish FM met with Premier Najib Miqati at the Grand Serail. “The Arab Spring began from Lebanon,” he stated after talks with Miqati. Davutoglu stressed that “stability in Lebanon is important as it is the base of stability in the region.” “We hope that the other countries take Lebanon as an example of Democracy through its free and fair election,” the FM noted. Davutoglu later on met with Maronite Patriarch Beshar al-Rahi. He told reports that the meeting was “successful.”  Davutoglo revealed that he invited the Patriarch to visit turkey. The meeting, according to the FM, tackled “the importance of preserving each sect’s traditions in the region especially in Lebanon.” Asked if the meeting discussed the developments in Syria, Davutoglu said: “we’ve stressed on the importance of respecting all religions and sects as Lebanon is an example of coexistence.”He confirmed that he will meet with a high-ranking Hizbullah official. Davutoglu will attend a U.N. conference on democracy in the Arab world on Sunday. The two-day "Reform and Transitions to Democracy" conference is organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).SourceAgence France Presse.

Report: Russian 'Dangerous Cargo' Ship has Arrived in Syria
by Naharne/A Russian ship suspected of carrying munitions for Damascus arrived in the Syrian port of Tartus on "January 11 or 12," shipping expert Mikhail Voitenko told Agence France Presse Saturday. "The ship Chariot arrived at Tartus on January 11 or 12," said Voitenko, basing his conclusions on an examination of data from the vessel's automatic identification system (AIS) transponder."After leaving Limassol, the ship set sail for Tartus. After travelling two-thirds of the way, the team unplugged the AIS transponder," he added. He believed that the vessel has docked at the Syrian port, he said. It was Voitenko who in 2009 revealed the mysterious disappearance of an Arctic Sea ship, an incident that sparked international concern. A source from the ship’s operator Westberg told AFP Friday that the ship transporting "dangerous" cargo was bound for Syria. According to Russian media, the vessel may be transporting up to 60 tons of ammunition supplied by Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport through freight company Balchart. The Chariot stopped over in Cyprus for refueling and was allowed to set sail from the port of Limassol after its Russian owners agreed to change the destination to Turkey rather than Syria. But the crew decided to revert to its original itinerary after leaving the Cypriot port, according to a Westberg source.Westberg Ltd, which is headquartered in St Petersburg, could not be reached by AFP Saturday. The United States on Friday raised concerns with Russia and Cyprus over the ship. For 10 months now Syria has been in the grips of an uprising against the regime of President Bashar Assad. According to U.N. estimates in December, the government crackdown has cost more than 5,000 lives. Western leaders have called for the embattled strongman to step down but Moscow has steadfastly stuck by its ally. SourceAgence France Presse.

Qatar’s Emir Favors Sending Arab Troops to Syria
by Naharnet/The Emir of Qatar has said that Arab troops should be sent to Syria to stop a deadly crackdown that has claimed the lives of thousands of people over the past 10 months. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani's comments to CBS "60 Minutes," which will be aired Sunday, are the first statements by an Arab leader calling for the deployment of troops inside Syria. They come amid growing claims that a team of Arab observers dispatched to the country to curb the bloodshed has failed in its mission.
Asked whether he is in favor of Arab nations intervening in Syria, Sheik Hamad said, "For such a situation to stop the killing some troops should go to stop the killing."
Excerpts of the interview were sent to The Associated Press by CBS a day before it was to be aired. Qatar, which once had close relations with Damascus, has been a harsh critic of the 10-month crackdown by President Bashar Assad's regime. The wealthy and influential Gulf state withdrew its ambassador to Syria in the summer to protest the killings. Arab League observers began work in Syria on Dec. 27, to verify whether the government is abiding by its agreement to end the military crackdown on dissent.
But far from bringing a halt to the violence, the mission has coincided with an apparent increase in killings. A U.N. official said Tuesday that about 400 people have been killed in the last three weeks alone, on top of an earlier estimate of more than 5,000 dead since March.
SourceAssociated Press.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
January 14, 2012 /Now Lebanon
On January 14, Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah delivered a speech on the occasion of the Arabaeen rituals. His speech followed the statement of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who said earlier that he was deeply concerned about the military prowess of Hezbollah.
“In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Peace be upon you. I salute you all for your great and honorable participation in this ceremony [the conclusion of Arbaeen mourning] despite the cold weather. We say to Hussein and [those who were killed with him], you are alive in our hearts; you are our blood, our heartbeats and our dignity. We will always follow your steps until martyrdom.
We have faced [our enemies] with the spirit that Hussein showed since 1982. We tell all those who are plotting against our nation and its people, wealth and resistance that our masses fill all the squares and our men fill the fronts. Every country has a front for the resistance. Do all that you can, you will not [intimidate] us.
This square which witnessed the beginning of the Islamic resistance in Lebanon and the first resistance military parade. From this square, we confirm firmly that we insist on adopting the choice and discipline of the resistance. This choice, this path, these weapons - along with the army and people - is the guarantee for Lebanon’s security.
We tell [UN chief] Ban Ki-moon that we are happy you, the US and Israel are concerned and worried that we have weapons. What is important for us is that all our people in Lebanon know that there is a Resistance. This resistance will persist.
What was the result of the [work] of the Arab League, the European Nations, the US, and the UN for decades? The result is that Palestine is still occupied. The resistance in Lebanon accomplished liberation. The resistance in Gaza and Iraq also accomplished liberation. Then, what is the substitute for resistance?
I have never said that I refuse dialogue; I said that there are some people that want the dialogue in a bid to disarm us. Their goal will never be achieved. However, we welcome every dialogue aiming at setting a defense strategy.
We should mention Imam Moussa Sadr and his companions. We support the government’s efforts to reveal the truth behind his disappearance.
I would like to confirm our keenness on civil peace. We are keen that no disagreement regarding any local or regional issue leads to any kind of instability. We are keen on stability, preventing thefts and crimes, [but] it is the responsibility of the state and the army to prevent them and not the responsibility of the Resistance. We are keen on the government and call on its prime minister and ministers to deal with the livelihood issues.
Lebanon cannot be isolated from the events in Syria. We are the country which is influenced the most by the events in Syria. We call on the Syrian opposition outside and inside the country to respond to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s call for dialogue. We also call them to relinquish arms. We call for the prevalence of stability in Syria.
The behavior and the incitement of foreign countries regarding the crisis in Syria is not useful. I tell those governments: If you are really keen on Syria, then you should all [agree] to resolve the crisis in Syria instead of inciting [strife] and worsening the crisis.
We must strictly condemn the blasts that targeted Iraq and which left hundreds dead. I call on all [Iraqi] parties to condemn these attacks, especially suicide bomb attacks, which target people who have different ideologies and beliefs.
Killing the nuclear scientists in Iran will not stop Iran’s development and aim to develop nuclear technology. [Our enemies] want us to be [distracted with entertainment], they do not want us to be nations that produce and export science.
In Bahrain, we call on the regime to meet the people’s demands and launch a serious dialogue with the opposition.
On this occasion, we cannot forget Palestine. The enemies of this nation do not want its factions to reconcile. The only option for the people of Palestine is resistance. Our way to dignity, prosperity, security is achieved by clinging to the option of resistance.
Peace be upon Imam Hussein, his son Ali, all his sons and friends. Peace, Mercy and Blessings of God be upon you all.”

Iran, the new human rights defender?
Tehran takes aim at Canada’s treatment of its Aboriginals, in the wake of the Attawapiskat crisis
By Gustavo Vieira |
On Jan. 3, Iran summoned Canada’s envoy to Tehran to protest Canada’s “blatant violation of human rights.” Tehran took aim at Canada’s treatment of its Aboriginals, in the wake of the Attawapiskat crisis. Three days later, on an Alberta radio show, Prime Minister Stephen Harper called Iran “the world’s most serious threat to international peace.” This less than amicable exchange captures the current state of affairs between Canada and Iran, badly strained since the death of the Iranian-Canadian journalist Zahra Kazemi in an Iranian prison in 2003.
“I couldn’t stop laughing,” says professor Saeed Rahnema, an Iran specialist at York University. “I mean, there are serious problems with Canada’s dealings with its indigenous peoples, but the Iranian regime is the very last government that could mention human rights. They couldn’t care less for human rights.”
Pointing fingers at Western countries to deflect pressure from abroad is common practice for Iranian diplomacy, and Canada, for years, has been at the forefront of the international push to improve Iran’s human rights record. The issue is at the top of a very short list of topics Ottawa will discuss with Tehran, which also includes Iran’s nuclear program and the episode resulting in Kazemi’s death. Canada-Iran relations have been severely limited for a long time, with Kazemi’s death sparking the downward spiral, says Reza Marashi, research director of the National Iranian American Council. But while Iran likes to amp up the rhetoric, it will also do what it can to avoid international isolation, says Marashi, including asking Canada to let it open consulates in cities like Vancouver. Ottawa has so far rejected the offer.
 

The Real Heroes of Syria
Farid Ghadry Blog
The Free Syrian Army, represented by Col. Riad al-Asa'ad and Col. Ahmad al-Hijazi, has become too popular for the players in today's Syrian theater. For Assad, the danger is obvious and the only solution is to replace the leadership of the FSA with his agents and to follow-up by assassinating the real FSA leadership to absorb its phenomenon so dangerous to his regime.
For the Arab League, the FSA has become an impediment because of its popularity in regard to its policy to force Assad to share power with the Muslim Brotherhood led by the SNC opposition. But at the same time, the FSA is the complete player to manage a non-diplomatic solution to the Syrian crisis should this possibility become a reality; as such, the safety of its leadership is essential.
This is the reason why the SNC, looking more and more like the dough on the edge of an unbaked pie, is in a panic mode because its leadership cannot see an exit strategy. The organization cannot do more than threaten the FSA with cutting off their funding if the Colonels do not comply with its demands.
For the government of PM Erdogan, whose foreign policy is well synchronized with the Arab League but with a minor twist, the FSA shelf life has no expiration date as of yet; but matters will change if the ship's engines in Syria are stalled and water keeps gushing in its hull. Turkey, I believe, for the foreseeable future will keep the FSA safe, especially that its leadership has nothing but kind words to say about the Turkish government.
For the people responsible for the Syrian policy in the Obama administration, ignoring the FSA has but one logical purpose anchored in their hope they can catch a glimpse of glory for their policies of appeasement and the outsourcing of the Middle East to PM Erdogan.
Rejecting their policy of appeasement is tantamount to accepting failure, something some US diplomats have the habit of repudiating. This conclusion, of course, does not apply to all US diplomats many of whom would adopt a different Syrian policy if the top officials at Foggy Bottom had the gumption to listen to them.
For Obama himself, the last he wants is a situation that could very well get out of hand in an election year; the Russian ships docking in Tartous was a clear signal to the White House to avoid adventurism à la Libya and Obama seems to heed that advice.
All in all, the leadership of the FSA is being harassed, intimidated, hammered, threatened, and assailed by everyone while carrying on its back the responsibility of protecting Syrian citizens from the terror of Assad.
If there is a hero in the Syrian Rebellion of 2011, the FSA leadership gets my vote for its steady and wise steering of their precious ship in murky and dangerous waters.