LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
January 26/2012


Bible Quotation for today/Jesus Accuses the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law
Luke 11/37-53: "When Jesus finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and sat down to eat. The Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus had not washed before eating. So the Lord said to him, Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of your cup and plate, but inside you are full of violence and evil. Fools! Did not God, who made the outside, also make the inside? But give what is in your cups and plates to the poor, and everything will be ritually clean for you. How terrible for you Pharisees! You give to God one tenth of the seasoning herbs, such as mint and rue and all the other herbs, but you neglect justice and love for God. These you should practice, without neglecting the others. How terrible for you Pharisees! You love the reserved seats in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. How terrible for you! You are like unmarked graves which people walk on without knowing it. One of the teachers of the Law said to him, Teacher, when you say this, you insult us too! Jesus answered, How terrible also for you teachers of the Law! You put onto people's backs loads which are hard to carry, but you yourselves will not stretch out a finger to help them carry those loads. How terrible for you! You make fine tombs for the prophets—the very prophets your ancestors murdered. You yourselves admit, then, that you approve of what your ancestors did; they murdered the prophets, and you build their tombs. For this reason the Wisdom of God said, I will send them prophets and messengers; they will kill some of them and persecute others. So the people of this time will be punished for the murder of all the prophets killed since the creation of the world, from the murder of Abel to the murder of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the Holy Place. Yes, I tell you, the people of this time will be punished for them all!  How terrible for you teachers of the Law! You have kept the key that opens the door to the house of knowledge; you yourselves will not go in, and you stop those who are trying to go in!  When Jesus left that place, the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to criticize him bitterly and ask him questions about many things, trying to lay traps for him and catch him saying something wrong.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Al-Assad hanging in the balance/By Tariq Alhomayed/January 25/12 
Victory or defeat/By: Hazem Saghiyeh/January 25/12

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for January 25/12 
U.S. Raid in Somalia Frees American, Dane as Obama Hails Courage of Special Forces
Obama: U.S. is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon
Iran's Ahmadinejad ups rates to stem money crisis
Report in Azerbaijan: Attempt on Israeli envoy's life thwarted
Azerbaijan foils Iranian-Hizballah terror strike against Israel targets and Habad
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz chief warns Hezbollah on overseas terror plots
Israeli Attorney General orders probe against Jerusalem mufti
Israel to UN: Tomorrow will be too late for action against Iran

Iran says sanctions to fail, repeats Hormuz threat

UK could send military assets to Strait of Hormuz
All eyes on Iran in USA Florida presidential debate

Iran: EU oil sanctions will have 'serious consequences'
EU Sanctions Target Iran's Tejarat Bank, Guards Corps
Australia Will Follow EU Ban on Iranian Oil Imports
Iran Summons Danish Envoy to Protest EU Oil Embargo

Turkey Slams France’s ‘Racist’ Genocide Bill, Warns of Retaliatory Measures

Top Commander Says NATO Not Mulling Intervention in Iran, Syria
Europeans and Arabs Seek U.N. Vote on Syria Next Week
Britain, France, U.S. Criticize Russian Arms Sales to Syria
52 Dead, Including 39 in Homs, as Syrian Forces Storm Hama
Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc: Govt. Must Go to Arab League to Stop Syrian Violations
Gulf states to quit Arab League mission in Syria
Moallem says Syria vindicated, blasts Arab "conspirators"
Syria, Bahrain, Yemen get worst ever press freedom ranking
Egypt army hands legislative power to new parliament
Yemen's Saleh seeking exile in Oman
Lebanese banks will abide by Syria sanctions: Salameh
U.N. lauds Lebanese officials for safeguarding stability
Lebanon upholds verdict over general's Israel leaks
STL defense to answer questions on Twitter
 
France ignores Turk threats, vows genocide law in two weeks
Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare meets Mikati, Mansour


U.S. Raid in Somalia Frees American, Dane as Obama Hails Courage of Special Forces
by Naharnet/U.S. Special Forces troops flew into Somalia on a nighttime helicopter raid early Wednesday, freed an American and a Danish hostage and killed nine pirates in a mission that President Barack Obama said he personally authorized.
The Danish Refugee Council confirmed that the two aid workers, American Jessica Buchanan and Dane Poul Hagen Thisted, were freed and "are on their way to be reunited with their families."
Buchanan, 32, and Thisted, 60, had been working with a de-mining unit of the Danish Refugee Council when they were kidnapped in October.
A pirate who gave his name as Bile Hussein told The Associated Press he had spoken to pirates at the scene of the raid and they reported that nine pirates had been killed and three were missing. He said the raid was very quick and caught the guards as they were sleeping after having chewed the narcotic leaf qat for much of the evening. Qat is a stimulant but users often sleep heavily after hours of chewing.
A second pirate who gave his name as Ahmed Hashi said two helicopters attacked at about 2 a.m. about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the Somali town of Adado where the hostages were being held.
The U.S. military's Africa Command, based in Stuttgart, Germany, confirmed that nine kidnappers were killed.
"Last night's mission, boldly conducted by some of our nation's most courageous, competent, and committed special operations forces, exemplifies United States Africa Command's mission to protect Americans and American interests in Africa," said Gen. Carter F. Ham, commander of U.S. Africa Command.
Obama seemed to refer to the mission before his State of the Union address in Washington Tuesday night. By then it was already Wednesday morning in Somalia. As he entered the House chamber in the U.S. Capitol, Obama pointed at Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in the crowd and said, "Good job tonight."
"As Commander-in-Chief, I could not be prouder of the troops who carried out this mission, and the dedicated professionals who supported their efforts," Obama said in a statement released by the White House Wednesday. He said he authorized the rescue mission on Monday.
"Jessica Buchanan was selflessly serving her fellow human beings when she was taken hostage by criminals and pirates who showed no regard for her health and well-being," Obama said. "The United States will not tolerate the abduction of our people, and will spare no effort to secure the safety of our citizens and to bring their captors to justice."
A Western official said the helicopters and the hostages flew to a U.S. military base called Camp Lemonnier in the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti after the raid.
The timing of the raid may have been made more urgent by a medical condition. The Danish Refugee Council had been trying to work with Somali elders to win the hostages' freedom but had found little success.
"One of the hostages has a disease that was very serious and that had to be solved," Danish Foreign Minister Villy Soevndal told Denmark's TV2 channel. Soevndal did not provide any more details. Soevndal congratulated the Americans for the raid and said he had been informed of the action.
Panetta visited Camp Lemonnier just over a month ago. A key U.S. ally in this region, Djibouti has the only U.S. base in sub-Saharan Africa. It hosts the military's Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. The Danish Refugee Council said both freed hostages are unharmed "and at a safe location." The group said in a separate statement that the two "are on their way to be reunited with their families."
Ann Mary Olsen, head of the Danish Refugee Council's international department, was the one who informed the family of Hagen Thisted of the successful military operation.
"They (the family) were very happy and incredibly relieved that it is over," she said.
The two aid workers appear to have been kidnapped by criminals — sometimes referred to as pirates — and not by Somalia's al-Qaida-linked militant group al-Shabab. As large ships at sea have increased their defenses against pirate attacks, gangs have looked for other money making opportunities like land-based kidnappings.
The Danish Refugee Council had earlier enlisted traditional Somali elders and members of civil society to seek the release of the two hostages.
"We are really happy with the successful release of the innocents kidnapped by evildoers," said Mohamud Sahal, an elder in Galkayo town, by phone. "They were guests who were treated brutally. That was against Islam and our culture ... These men (pirates) have spoiled our good customs and culture, so Somalis should fight back."
Buchanan and Hagen Thisted were seized in October from the portion of Galkayo town under the control of a government-allied clan militia. The aid agency has said that Somalis held demonstrations demanding the pair's quick release. Their Somali colleague was detained by police on suspicion of being involved in their kidnapping.
The two hostages were working in northern Somalia for the Danish Demining Group, whose experts have been clearing mines and unexploded ordnance in conflict zones in Africa and the Middle East. Several hostages are still being held in Somalia, including a British tourist, two Spanish doctors seized from neighboring Kenya, and an American journalist kidnapped on Saturday.
SourceAgence France PresseAssociat

Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare meets Mikati, Mansour
January 25, 2012 /The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare, on a farewell visit to Lebanon, met Wednesday with the prime and foreign ministers.
Sources at the Grand Serail said Bellemare, who arrived in Beirut late Tuesday, met Prime Minister Najib Mikati early in the day away from media spotlight. Bellemare then headed to the foreign ministry for talks with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour. The Canadian judge announced in December that, for health reasons, he would resign from his position when the U.N.-backed court’s first three-year mandate ends in March. He has served as STL prosecutor since 2009, when he was appointed by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Bellemare issued a confidential document to Lebanese authorities in October outlining additional steps that could be taken to arrest the four men indicted in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The suspects remain at large. Bellemare is also scheduled to meet with Interior Minister Marwan Charbel and Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi to discuss the STL during his four-day stay.

STL defense to answer questions on Twitter
January 24, 2012/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: The head of the Defence Office at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon will be answering questions on Twitter from members of the public from 3 to 5 p.m. Beirut time Tuesday. Francois Roux will answer questions related to the Defense Office, whose principal duty is to protect the rights of the accused. In late June, the STL indicted four members of Hezbollah in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. Hezbollah denies involvement.

Israel to UN: Tomorrow will be too late for action against Iran
Israel's envoy to the UN Ron Prosor levies harsh criticism at the Security Council, saying it is obsessed with Israel and ignores crimes of other countries.
By Shlomo Shamir /Haaretz/Get Haaretz on iPhone Get Haaretz on Android "The Arab world is in flames and the Security Council is dealing with construction permits in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank)," Israel's United Nations envoy Ron Prossor said in a speech at the UN Security Council on Tuesday. Prosor used the Security Council's monthly meeting on the situation in the Middle East to direct harsh criticism at the body. "The obsession with Israeli and the ignoring of countries where civilians are tortured and killed undermines the credibility and calls into question the relevance of the Security Council," Prosor said. "Iran's efforts to develop nuclear weapons represent the greatest threat to peace and security in the world," Prosor said. "The silence of the Security Council will be very costly. You must act today. Tomorrow will be too late." "The thought of Iran equipped with nuclear weapons should take sleep from the eyes of Security Council member states," Prosor said. "The international community cannot stand by idly while the Ayatollah's regime works to combine extremist ideology with nuclear technology." Prosor also attacked the Security Council for its silence on continued rocket fire at Israel from the Gaza Strip. He mentioned a letter he sent to the council protesting the rocket fire. "But we have still not heard condemnation from the Security Council or the Palestinian Authority," Prosor said. On UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's expected upcoming visit to Israel, Prosor said: "I hope that the Secrtary-General's visit will provide a new perspective on the real barriers to peace and security in the region and illuminate the true problems of terror, extremism and incitement in our region."

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz chief warns Hezbollah on overseas terror plots
By Haaretz /Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz said on Tuesday that Hezbollah and other terrorist groups are trying to conduct attacks against Israeli targets overseas. "During this time period, when our enemies in the north are refraining from actions due to fear of a harsh response, we are witnessing efforts by Hezbollah and other hostile elements to carry out vicious terror attacks far from Israeli territory, for example what we saw in recent reports about attempted attacks in Thailand," Gantz said. Last week, three men were detained after planning to attack two Israelis employed by a Jewish school in Baku, the Azerbaijan Ministry of National Security revealed. In mid-January, a Lebanese-Swedish man was arrested in Thailand on suspicion of being involved in a Hezbollah plot to carry out attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets in Bangkok.

Azerbaijan foils Iranian-Hizballah terror strike against Israel targets and Habad
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report January 24, 2012/A Hizballah cell backed by intelligence from Tehran and external Iranian terror cells in Turkey, Bulgaria, Georgia and Armenia, was captured in Baku on Jan. 19 by Azerbaijan's National Security Ministry (MNS) officers as it was about to launch a series of attacks on the Israeli embassy, Chief Rabbi Shneor Segal and Rabbi Mati Lewis at the Habad center and visiting Israel personages.debkafile's counter-terror sources disclose that two of the Hizballah cell members live permanently in Baku. The third, who resides in Tehran, was recruited by Iranian intelligence to lead the Hizballah operation, which was the first joint Iranian-Hizballah terrorist attack ever discovered. In its sights too were the former Israeli chief of staff Gaby Ashkenazi who was due to visit to the Azerbaijan capital and several local high officials who work with the United States and Israel. They were suspected by Tehran of helping the US and Israel set up an attack on Iran from Azerbaijan.
The two Habad figures are Israeli-born heads of the Jewish community in Baku and the Ohr Avner Chabad Jewish Day School, The cell was rounded up just weeks after a Hizballah terrorist strike against the local Habad center was preempted in Bangkok, thanks to Thai-Israeli counter-terror cooperation. There, Hizballah had intended to take hostages and blow up the Habad headquarters, aping al Qaeda's 2009 outrage in Mumbai.Israel's Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz had this to say Tuesday, Jan. 24: "We stand guard over the nation's security in near and distant arenas. Our borders appear calm. But at the very time that our enemies in the north avoid striking us for fear of painful punishment, Hizballah and other hostile elements are making every effort to bring off savage terrorist attacks against Israelis and the Jewish people in far places." The general added: "I advise them not to test our resolve."Gantz was referring to the constant Hizballah efforts to avenge the assassination of Imad Mughniyeh, the terrorist group's special security chief, on Feb. 12, 2008 in Damascus, and Iran's threats following the death of the Iranian nuclear scientist Prof. Mostafa Ahamdi-Roshan on Jan. 11 in Tehran.
Hizballah and Iran both attributed the attacks to Israel. Our sources can identify the Hizballah terror cell's Baku chief as an Iranian Azeri by the name of Balaqardash Dadashov and the two local operatives as Rasim Aliyev and Ali Huseynov. Found in their possession were guns and explosives said to have been delivered to them by smugglers from Iran, although debkafile's counter-terror sources say they entered Azerbaijan from Armenia. The operation leader Balaqardash arrived from Tehran with a file full of photos of the targeted Israeli figures, plans of the buildings to be attacked, and maps as well as $9,300 to cover the costs of the preparations. Each of the terrorists was promised a fee of $150,000.

حزب الله والحرس الثوري الإيراني يفشلون في ازربجيان
http://www.debka.com/article/21677/
تفيد التقارير أن السلطان الأمنية في باكو/ اذربجيان قد افشلت مخطط ارهابي لحزب الله والمخابرات الإيرانية في 19 من الجاري حيث تم اعتقال مجموعة محلية ممولة من جماعات الملالي للإعتداء على مراكز اسرائيلية من بينها السفير الإسرائيلي ومدرسة نعم هذا هو حزب الله على حقيقته البشعة، جيش ايراني بخدمة ارهاب ملالي ايران وهو حول لبنان الذي يحتله بقوة السلاح إلى ساحة ومنطلق للعمليات الإيرانية الإرهابية ضد الدول العربية وباقي دول العالم. في اسفل التقرير من موقع دبكة بالإنكليزية
 

Report in Azerbaijan: Attempt on Israeli envoy's life thwarted
Attila Somfalvi/Ynetnews
Media outlets say three locals who were arrested last week were paid by Iranian intelligence to kill ambassador in Baku as well as teacher and rabbi from Chabad school
Three Azerbaijani citizens who were arrested by security forces last week planned to attack Jewish targets, including Israeli ambassador to Baku Michael Lotem, a local media outlet reported Tuesday. Israeli sources also speculated that the terror cell members plotted to attack the embassy in Baku and the ambassador. The report was published less than three weeks before the anniversary of the assassination of senior Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh. The men are suspected of plotting to kill a rabbi and a teacher at the Ohr Avner Chabad Jewish Day School in Baku as revenge for the recent killing of a nuclear scientist in Tehran. The Iranian regime claimed Israel was behind the assassination. Two of the suspects were identified as Rasim Aliyev and Ali Huseynov. According to reports, they received instructions from Balagardash Dadashov, who was in contact with Iranian intelligence and received a sniper rifle, pistols and explosive devices to attack Chabad emissaries operating in Baku. It is estimated that the would-be assassins were supposed to receive $150,000 to carry out the hit on the Israeli ambassador. It was reported that Aliyev, Dadashov's brother-in-law, recruited Huseynov and gave him $9,300 as an advance. Dadashov, who is in his 60s, has been wanted since 1995 on charges of murder, abduction of children and other offenses. He reportedly headed a crime syndicate that dealt in arms trafficking, kidnapping and more.According to an Azeri news agency, Dadashov fled to Iraq, where he lived for many years, and then moved to Iran. However, it was impossible to extradite him because Iran is not bound by any extradition agreements.Some four years ago agents from Iran and Hezbollah planned to set off a car bomb near the Israeli embassy in Baku shortly after Mughniyeh's assassination, but the attack was foiled. Israel has issued a travel warning for Azerbaijan. The Counter-Terrorism Bureau suggested that visitors avoid places frequented by a large number of Israelis.
Some 30,000 Jews currently live in Azerbaijan. They enjoy freedom of religion and are rarely targeted by anti-Semites.
IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz recently addressed the terror groups' attempt to attack Israelis overseas. "During this time period, when our enemies in the north are refraining from actions due to fear of a harsh response, we are witnessing efforts by Hezbollah and other hostile elements to carry our vicious terror attacks far from Israeli territory, for example what we saw in recent reports about attempted attacks in Thailand," he said, adding "I suggest that no one test our resolve." Israeli security officials have asked their counterparts in Europe to boost security around Israeli groups for fear of terror attacks initiated by Hezbollah. A number of countries, including Greece and Bulgaria, have consented to the request. **Ilana Curiel, Polina Garaev and Kobi Nahshoni contributed to the report

Israeli Attorney General orders probe against Jerusalem mufti
Aviad Glickman /Ynetnews
Sheikh Hussein suspected of incitement to violence and racism after citing a hadith claiming the end of days will not happen until Muslims kill Jews in religious battle
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein on Tuesday asked Israel Police to launch an investigation against the top Muslim cleric of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Authority over comments he made during a recent rally in Ramallah. Deputy Attorney General Shai Nitzan sent Israel Police a letter asking that it launch a criminal investigation against Grand Mufti Mohammed Hussein on suspicion of incitement to violence and racism. an event celebrating the 47th anniversary of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement last week, Mufti Mohammed Hussein cited a hadith (saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad) claiming that the Earth's end of days will not happen until Muslims kill Jews in a religious battle: "The Hour (of Resurrection) will not come until you fight the Jews. The Jew will hide behind stones or trees. Then the stones or trees will call: 'Oh Muslim, servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.'" The moderator who introduced the mufti at the Fatah event said, "Our war with the descendants of the apes and pigs (i.e., Jews) is a war of religion and faith." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the mufti's comments, which were posted on YouTube by an Israeli watchdog group, as "heinous." He called for an investigation against the Muslim cleric. The mufti said the accusations were part of what he called Israel's incitement campaign against senior officials in east Jerusalem.
Ahmad Rwaidy, an advisor on Jerusalem affairs in Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' office, told the Ramallah-based The Voice of Palestine radio station that Netanyahu's call for an investigation against Sheikh Hussein constitutes an attack on the Palestinian nation's religious and national symbols.
*Roi Kais contributed to the report


Iran says sanctions to fail, repeats Hormuz threat
Daily Star/January 24, 2012 08:11 PM By Mitra Amiri
TEHRAN: Iranian politicians said on Tuesday they expected the European Union to backtrack on its oil embargo and repeated a threat to close the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane if the West succeeds in preventing Tehran from exporting crude.
A day after the EU slapped a ban on Iranian oil, Iran's tone appeared defiant, even sceptical, with Tehran insisting that, with the EU faced with its own economic crisis, it needs Iran's oil more than Iran needs its business. The ban is expected to take full effect within six months. "The West's ineffective sanctions against the Islamic state are not a threat to us. They are opportunities and have already brought lots of benefits to the country," Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi told the official IRNA news agency. Speaking in London, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Britain Prince Mohammad Bin Nawaf said the region was witnessing "a very difficult and a very tense situation". "We are seeing every day an escalation in the rhetoric and this definitely does not help in stabilising the area," he told a briefing.
"I think the next couple of weeks will be very critical for the whole region. Hopefully, Iran will adhere to the proposals presented to them." He said Iran's threats to block the strait of Hormuz would have grave consequences on the Islamic Republic and the region. "It will be very difficult to maintain such a blockade against the export of oil but the ramifications of such a decision would be very grave and definitely would escalate the whole situation and God knows where it would lead. "Definitely the Iranians will pay a very heavy price if they gamble and take such a decision," the Saudi envoy said.
The EU wants to press Iran into curbing its contested nuclear programme and engage in talks with six world powers. "The global economic situation is not one in which a country can be destroyed by imposing sanctions," Moslehi said. A spokesman for the oil ministry said Iran had had plenty of time to prepare for the sanctions and would find alternative customers for the 18 percent of its exports that up to now have gone to the 27-nation European bloc. "The first phase of this (sanctions action) is propaganda, only then it will enter the implementation phase. That is why they put in this six months period, to study the market," Alireza Nikzad Rahbar said, predicting the embargo could be rescinded before it takes force completely. "This market will harm them because oil is getting more expensive and when oil gets more expensive it will harm the people of Europe," state TV quoted him as saying. "We hope that in these six months they will choose the right path." EMBARGO PLANS
The embargo will not kick in completely until July 1 because the bloc's foreign ministers who agreed the ban at a meeting in Brussels were anxious not to penalise the ailing economies of Greece, Italy and others to whom Iran is a major oil supplier. The strategy will be reviewed in May to see if it should proceed. Iran, which denies international suspicions that it is trying to design atomic bombs behind the facade of a declared civilian atomic energy programme, has scoffed at efforts to bar its oil exports as Asia lines up to buy what Europe rejects. Iran's foreign ministry summoned the Danish ambassador on Tuesday to complain about the EU's "illogical decision", accusing Europe of doing the bidding of the United States. Emad Hosseini, spokesman for parliament's energy committee, said that if Iran encountered any problem selling its oil, it would store it, adding Tehran retained its threat to shut the Gulf to shipping. The United States, which sailed an aircraft carrier through the strait into the Gulf accompanied by British and French warships on Sunday, has said it would not tolerate the closure of the world's most important oil shipping gateway. Fitch Ratings issued an assessment of the embargo's market impact saying it would likely cause an oil price increase. "However, prices may not necessarily increase markedly from current levels as some of the risks related to the EU ban on Iranian oil appear factored in already," it said. The embargo decision had no discernible impact on oil prices as it was a move that had been flagged well in advance and the threat to close Hormuz seemed remote. Brent crude down slightly at $110 per barrel on Tuesday. U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday that the EU sanctions underlined the strength of the international community's commitment to "addressing the serious threat" presented by Iran's nuclear programme. "The United States will continue to impose new sanctions to increase the pressure on Iran," he said in a statement. Washington applied its own sanctions to Iran's oil trade and central bank on Dec. 31 and on Monday extended them to the third largest Iranian bank, state-owned Bank Tejarat, and a Belarus-based affiliate for allegedly helping Tehran's nuclear advance. The EU sanctions were also welcomed by Israel, which has warned it might attack Iran if sanctions do not deflect Tehran from a course that some analysts say could potentially give Iran the means to build a nuclear bomb next year.

Lebanon upholds verdict over general's Israel leaks
January 24, 2012 /Daily Star/BEIRUT: Lebanon's military court on Tuesday upheld a verdict against a former army general and politician currently allied with Hezbollah who was convicted of leaking information to Israel, a judicial source said. "Lebanon's military appeals court upheld the two-year jail sentence against retired general Fayez Karam but restored his civil rights," the source told AFP. Karam in September was found guilty of contacting Israeli intelligence and providing them with information on Hezbollah and its ally the Christian Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), of which the retired general is a member. The verdict did not find Karam guilty of spying for Israel. Karam was arrested last summer, the first political figure to be detained in Lebanon as part of probe launched in 2009 into Israeli spy networks.
The 62-year-old headed the Lebanese army's anti-terrorism and counter-espionage unit during the 1980s and was close to FPM leader Michel Aoun, who was army chief toward the end of the 1975-1990 civil war. Aoun, who was staunchly anti-Syrian during the civil war, entered into a controversial alliance with the Iran and Syria-backed Hezbollah in 2006, a year after returning to Lebanon from exile in France. More than 100 people have been arrested on suspicion of spying for the Israeli Mossad since April 2009, including members of the security forces and telecom employees. Several have since been sentenced to death, including one found guilty of aiding Israel during its devastating 2006 war with Hezbollah.

Lebanese banks will abide by Syria sanctions: Salameh
January 25, 2012/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Lebanon's banking sector will abide by international sanctions against unrest-swept Syria, central bank governor Riad Salameh said on Tuesday. "Lebanese banks both at home and abroad... will not take any action, especially as concerns Syria, that could expose any of our banking partners or put them in a position whereby they have breached regulations in their countries," said Salameh. Lebanon was fully committed to the implementation of international regulations on banking transparency, he told a conference in Beirut organized by the International Finance Corporation. "The central bank will seriously investigate all complaints (of breaches) and will not hesitate in taking any necessary measures," he added. Lebanon has come under international pressure to abide by international sanctions on neighboring Syria, which include freezing government assets and suspending cooperation with Syria's central bank and some other banks.
Salameh has said Syria has no funds deposited in Lebanon's central bank and Lebanese banking officials say they have adopted strict measures to ensure compliance with the sanctions. These measures include strict control over the transactions of Syrian clients and close monitoring of Syrians who wish to open new accounts. The European Union on Monday blacklisted five banks in Syria as part of efforts to tighten sanctions on the regime. Salameh attributed a decline in local economic growth to the repercussions of "rumors" linking Lebanon's banking sector to Syria.
"Growth in 2011 dropped due primarily to... rumors targeting its banking sector in addition to revolutions and tensions across the region." The United States, which lists Hezbollah as a terrorist group, last year filed a lawsuit against the Lebanese Canadian Bank, accusing it of laundering hundreds of millions of dollars in drug proceeds from an alleged cocaine trafficker with ties to the Shiite militant group.
Lebanon's government, which is dominated by Iranian-backed Hezbollah, has sidestepped taking a firm stand on the Syria crisis in what observers say is a bid to avoid potential sanctions or a spillover of the violence. The United Nations estimates more than 5,400 people have been killed in Syria since March as the regime of President Bashar al-Assad cracks down on a popular revolt.
Salameh also shed light on the broad activities of the Lebanese banks, especially in field of lending to both the private and public sectors. "Our monetary policy has enabled the Lebanese pound to remain stable and has bolstered the confidence in the Lebanese banking sector. All these factors also caused the interest rates to fall while assets continued to grow which ultimately induced lending to small and medium size businesses in Lebanon." Salameh indicated that banking lending rose by 14 percent in 2011 compared to 23 percent in 2010, adding that SMEs received substantial share from these loans.
Salameh noticed that the Lebanese pound has regained the confidence and trust of investors. The governor reiterated that the Central Bank will maintain its monetary policy because this measure allowed the Lebanese pound to remain stable. "This policy is important to keep inflation at bay and to weather the effects of wage increase on the prices of commodities."He assured that the Lebanese banks continue to draw deposits and liquidity.Salameh indicated that loans to the private sector have exceeded the loans to the public sector.The private sector received $40 billion of loans compared to $29 billion to the public sector AFP, Daily Star

Saudi Arabian Officials Assault, Strip Search Christian Prisoners
ICC Urges Saudi Arabia to Release the Prisoners
http://www.persecution.org/2012/01/24/saudi-arabian-officials-assault-strip-search-christian-prisoners/
Washington, D.C. (January 24, 2012) – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Saudi Arabian officials strip searched 29 Christian women and assaulted six Christian men after arresting them for holding a prayer meeting at a private home in Jeddah. The prisoners are currently being held at Briman prison in Jeddah.“We feel humiliated because the security officials stripped searched us. They used the same glove to search several of us at the same time. Some of my friends are suffering from physical pain to their private parts due to the unsanitary condition of the strip search. We haven’t committed any crime. We are imprisoned for worshipping the God of heaven and earth,” said one of the female prisoners during an interview with ICC. Speaking to ICC, another prisoner said, “A high-ranking security official insulted us saying ‘you are non-believers and animals.’ He also said, ‘You are pro-Jews and supporters of America.’ We then responded, ‘We love everyone. Our God tells us to love everyone.’”In a message for Christians around the world, the prisoner said, “We want you to help us to get out of prison in every way you can, including prayer. Please tell your governments about our plight, contact human rights organizations and others and inform them about us.”ICC’s Jonathan Racho said, “The Saudi Arabian officials are committing serious violations of human rights by detaining and mistreating the Christians. It is outrageous that the officials indefinitely incarcerate innocents for practicing their faith. We urge the Saudi officials to release the prisoners and respect their religious freedom.”
Please sign this petition asking the Saudi Arabian government to release the Christian prisoners.
Call the Saudi Arabian Embassy in your country and ask them to release the prisoners.
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All eyes on Iran in Florida presidential debate
With Romney slipping in the polls, and Gingrich gaining momentum, the debate turned into an acrimonious bout between the two Republican frontrunners. The two, however, could agree on one thing: the Iranian threat.
By Natasha Mozgovaya/Haaretz
In just two weeks, the U.S. Republican primaries turned from what seemed as a almost inevitable result (with former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney riding high in polls, with highest number of party endorsements and with victories in two states) to the big unknown - with three candidates claiming a victory each (Rick Santorum in Iowa, Mitt Romney in New Hampshire, Newt Gingrich in South Carolina). Mitt Romney is slipping in the polls, while reporters’ mailboxes are exploding of attack ads from each camp. The next few days promise to bring even more negativity.
During Monday night’s Republican debate, held at the University of South Florida in Tampa, the candidates spoke about taxes, "Obamacare", electability and the hypothetical 3 A.M. call reporting on the Cuban dictator's death. Former speaker Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney clashed again and again, with Romney criticizing Gingrich's failed leadership and his lobbyist ventures.
“You spent now 15 years in Washington on K Street, and this is a real problem, if we’re going to nominate someone who not only had a record of great distress as the speaker, but that has worked for 15 years lobbying”, Romney said to Gingrich.
Gingrich defended his work for Freddie Mac, saying: "I've never done any lobbying.... The only report in the newspaper was in the New York Times in July of 2008, which said I told the House Republicans they should vote no, not give Freddie Mac any money because it needed to be reformed".
He also retorted that he is "not going to spend the evening trying to chase Governor Romney's misinformation", promising to list it on his website, and calling on the audience to watch videos of Mike Huckabee and John McCain's attacks against Romney from 2007-2008.
Talking about his electability, Gingrich turned to former President and conservative icon Ronald Reagan, saying that "in 1980, when Ronald Reagan started the year about 30 points behind Jimmy Carter, and when the Republican establishment described his economic ideas as "voodoo economics," Reagan just cheerfully went out and won the debate, won the nomination, and won the general election."
Mitt Romney attacked Gingrich again, saying that in 1994 he was given an opportunity to be a leader, and "at the end of four years, he had to resign in disgrace from his job as speaker. In the 15 years after he left the speakership, the speaker has been working as an influence peddler in Washington".
The candidates were also asked to comment on Iran’s threatening to close the Straits of Hormuz. Was it, in their opinion, an act of war?
Mitt Romney said "of course it's an act of war,” adding that it is “appropriate and essential for our military, for our Navy to maintain open seas…we want them to see that we're so strong they couldn't possibly defeat us. We want to show Iran any action of that nature will be considered an act of war, an act of terror and America is going to keep those sea lanes open".
Newt Gingrich responded by saying that the United States has historically sought peace, saying it is dangerous that “Iranians think that in fact this president is so weak they could close the Straits of Hormuz and not suffer substantial consequence." On the other hand, Congressman Ron Paul said that the root of the current Iranian threats are the international sanctions being imposed on the Islamic Republic.
"We're blockading them", he said. "Can you imagine what we would do if somebody blockaded the Gulf of Mexico? That would be an act of war.” Paul further stated that taking on Iran would be “the most foolish thing in the world to do.” Senator Rick Santorum said Iran had committed several acts of war: "They are holding hostages; they are attacking our troops; the IEDs, the improvised explosive devices that are killing our troops in Afghanistan and killed them in Iraq.” “You look at these ships that have been attacked by Iran. Embassies were attacked by Iran…It is a long list of attacks, of warlike behavior, on the part of this regime," Santorum added. Santorum focused his attack on President Obama's policy, saying "Obama's Iran policy has been a colossal failure. It's been a failure because he's not been true to the American public about the threat that Iran poses to the world -- not just to Israel but to the world and to the United States.”

Al-Assad hanging in the balance
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
What is certain today after the Arab stances and decisions issued last Sunday in Cairo following the Arab ministerial meeting is that the fate of Damascus’s tyrant now hangs in the balance, but who will come to his aid? Bearing in mind that Sunday’s events, whether the stances or decisions, have many important implications.
There was the courageous and responsible Saudi stance, represented by the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, with his meeting with the Syrian opposition and afterwards his highly significant speech that he made at the Arab League meeting, in which he prioritized important points above mere rhetoric, especially when he responded to al-Assad’s attack on the Arab states by saying: “is it in the Arab nature for a ruler to kill his own people?”. The other significant matter is the new Arab initiative towards Syria, which means that in reality, the tyrant of Damascus is now caught between the blades of the scissors: the Arab initiative stipulates his removal from power, and if he rejects this it means that matters will be pushed to the Security Council. The irony here is that the Qatari Prime Minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim, remarked that this new initiative is similar to the Gulf initiative for Yemen. Yet this was an initiative that Doha withdrew from, and labeled a failure, and here I say it is ironic because Sheikh Hamad today is engaged in a similar initiative with Syria, on the day that Ali Abdullah Saleh is finally leaving Sana’a!
However, this is not the subject of the discussion. What is important about the new Arab initiative towards Syria is that it makes provisions for dialogue, a new constitution, and parliamentary and presidential elections, under Arab and international supervision, with specific dates and deadlines, as soon as al-Assad hands over power to his deputy, Farouk al-Sharaa. It is important that this initiative came about through an Arab consensus, albeit with Algerian reservations to transfer matters to the Security Council - which would mean the inevitable internationalization of the issue and despite Lebanon distancing itself from the initiative. In reality, Lebanon distanced itself from the Arab world ever since its government became the government of Hezbollah, meaning that it is an ally of al-Assad. Lebanon has effectively sold its consent for the new Arab initiative, alongside the other prominent sellers Iraq and Algeria, which is another story altogether; the story of Iran’s allies.
The Arab consensus here means that al-Assad is now alone, and today he must accept the Arab initiative, or declare his rejection of it, which subsequently entails the matter being transferred to the Security Council. Prince Saud al-Faisal’s meeting with the Syrian opposition, as well as the content of his speech, mean that the Arab ceiling has been raised significantly. There is no longer any room for al-Assad’s tricks; the Syrian opposition is just around the corner from achieving Arab recognition. In fact, the new Arab initiative already suggests implicit recognition of the Syrian opposition, whereby it stipulates that al-Assad’s deputy must engage in formal negotiations with them. Here an important point remains, namely that the situation on the ground is not going to help the al-Assad regime, but rather it will be exposed to ongoing losses, not to mention the systematic erosion of its prestige, especially with some areas of Syria falling into the hands of the Free Syrian Army. All this means that the situation on the ground may not even grant al-Assad the chance to negotiate, and indeed this is what we expect. Thus the reality of the situation today suggests that al-Assad is hanging in the balance, and who will come to his aid: The Arab initiative, the revolutionaries or the Security Council?

52 Dead, Including 39 in Homs, as Syrian Forces Storm Hama
by Naharnet /Syrian security forces killed 52 people across the country on Tuesday as troops stormed Hama following large protests in the flashpoint central city, activists said. "The Syrian armed forces stormed the neighborhoods of Bab Qubli and al-Jarajmah in Hama, firing heavy machineguns," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Activists in the city said that troops had gone on the offensive after large demonstrations earlier in the day. "Since the morning, entrances to Hama have been blocked ... Syrian troops stormed the city from its northern and western entrances," Saleh al-Hamwi, spokesman of the General Revolution Commission, told Agence France Presse by telephone. Anwar Amran, another anti-regime activist in Hama, said tanks had entered the city and there had been "heavy machinegun fire" in three different neighborhoods. Meanwhile, the Local Coordination Committees, the main activist group spurring protests on the ground, said security forces killed 52 people across the country, "including 18 who died when shelling destroyed two buildings in the Homs neighborhood of Bab Tadmur."Thirty-nine people were killed in the central opposition bastion Homs, five in Hama province, three in the southern province of Daraa, the cradle of the uprising, two in the flashpoint northwestern province of Idlib, two in Damascus province and one in the northern province of al-Raqqa, the LCC said. For its part, the London-based Observatory said two civilians were killed in Hama province and one in Homs, Syria's third-largest city. "A civilian was killed by gunfire from a checkpoint ... in the Bab al-Sibaa neighborhood of Homs," one of the focal points of protests against President Bashar al-Assad's regime that erupted in March last year, it said. Another two civilians died in Hama province when security forces fired on the car they were traveling in near the Tibah al-Imam locality, the Observatory added. Separately, Syrian security forces reportedly opened fire in Idlib province in an attempt to disperse some 10,000 people gathered for the funeral of Radwan Rabi Hamada, an anti-regime protester killed in the town of Saraqeb on Monday.Observatory chairman Rami Abdul Rahman said security forces fired heavy machineguns after Hamada's burial in the village of al-Bara. And in the southern city of Daraa, clashes broke out between deserters and the regular army, the watchdog added. The United Nations estimates that more than 5,400 people have been killed in Syria since last March.The regime blames the violence on "armed terrorist gangs" backed by foreign agitators.SourceAgence France Presse.

Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc: Govt. Must Go to Arab League to Stop Syrian Violations
by Naharnet /The Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday expressed its condemnation and concern over what it called “the escalating violations by the Syrian regime’s forces against Lebanese sovereignty.”In a statement issued after its weekly meeting under former premier Fouad Saniora, the bloc denounced “the attack against the three fishermen in al-Arida, which led to the martyrdom of teenager Maher Hamad,” warning that “suck attacks will leave the residents of the border areas without jobs.”“This attack indicates disrespect for the Lebanese state and its independence and sovereignty and for the Lebanese people’s dignity. The Syrian regime’s repeated attacks cannot be tolerated and it is unacceptable to remain silent over them,” Mustaqbal lawmakers said in their statement. “In the face of the shameful laxity of the government, which did not act or demand an apology over these unacceptable attacks, the Mustaqbal bloc calls on the government to break free of the captivity of foreign hegemony and to go to the Arab League to seek an end to these violations, because it is unacceptable anymore to leave things unaddressed,” they added.On the other hand, the bloc condemned “the behavior of the Lebanese foreign minister (Adnan Mansour) at the Arab League, as he has become the official spokesman of the Syrian regime.”The conferees also voice their regret over “the Syrian regime’s negative response to the Arab League’s (new) initiative to resolve the crisis in Syria.”Syria said Tuesday it will spurn further Arab efforts to resolve its political crisis. "Enough of the Arab solutions from now," Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said, accusing the Arabs of "plotting" to internationalize the crisis and taking decisions while "knowing that they will be rejected" by Damascus. His remarks came after the Arab League called on Syria's President Bashar al-Assad to hand over power to his deputy and to clear the way for a unity government within two months, in a surprise weekend announcement. "We do not want Arab solutions. We said that two days ago when we refused the initiative and when the ministers council decided to turn to the Security Council," said Muallem. "We categorically refused (this proposal)." "The solution is a Syrian one based on the interests of the Syrian people ... based on the completion of the reform program proposed by President Bashar al-Assad," he told a televised news conference. Muallem also said Syria had no choice but to confront armed groups the government claims are fomenting violence.  The U.N. says the Syrian regime has killed more than 5,400 people since March.

Turkey Slams France’s ‘Racist’ Genocide Bill, Warns of Retaliatory Measures
by Naharnet /Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday slammed as discriminatory and racist a bill passed by the French Senate making denial of the Armenian genocide a crime.
"The proposal adopted in France is tantamount to discrimination, racism and violates freedom of thought," Erdogan said in the parliament during an address to his fellow deputies.
Turkey's Foreign Ministry also strongly condemned the decision, saying the law should not be finalized to "avoid this being recorded as part of France's political, legal and moral mistakes."
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose party supported the bill, must sign it into law, but that is largely considered a formality.
If the law is signed, "we will not hesitate to implement, as we deem appropriate, the measures that we have considered in advance," Turkey's Foreign Ministry said. It did not elaborate on the measures.
France's parliament approved the bill late Monday, risking more sanctions from Turkey and complicating an already delicate relationship with the rising power. Officials in Sarkozy's government insisted the vote didn't directly target the country. Turkey, which sees the allegations of genocide as a threat to its national honor, has already suspended military, economic and political ties, and briefly recalled its ambassador last month when the lower house of parliament approved the same bill.SourceAgence France Presse Associated

Victory or defeat?
Hazem Saghiyeh, January 23, 2012 /Now Lebanon
As is usually the case with him, our colleague Ali al-Amin raised a few days ago (Al-Balad, January 15, 2012) an issue, which he regarded as indispensable. It is “the new phenomenon in Lebanon,” which was described by Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV as “the journey of hundreds of Shia citizens – some of them barefoot – to Baalbek on foot  to commemorate this anniversary,” the 40th day of Hussein bin Ali’s martyrdom. Amin reminded of late Imam Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah’s stance on such practices, as he labeled those who do so as “being crazy.” More importantly, the writer warned against sectarian activities that “highlight specificity” and broaden the gap between Shia in Lebanon and other Lebanese nationals, Sunni or Christians. Important though this issue is, it brings to mind yet another observation that is no less expressive of Hezbollah’s current situation. “Walks” to a given shrine or tomb are part of famous practices denoting religiousness in the history of all religions.
Thirteenth-century Europe, for instance, saw the adepts of several Christian movements self-flagellating to atone for their sins while moving from one place to another wearing unified garments and brandishing flags. They also carried whips, long nails and candles. They staged processions for a whole month, days and nights included, in order to atone for their sins with their blood, thinking that this would keep natural disasters and the plague epidemics at bay. This behavior is certainly masochistic and does not fit the shouts of political victory, which denote a sadistic trend. It is an otherworldly practice rather than an earthly one. Therefore, Khomeini’s Iran – whether before, during or after the Islamic Revolution – noticeably proposed to channel pain in all its forms toward the enemy rather than toward oneself.
The Khomeini doctrine represented the greatest politicization of “Jihad” in modern history, and the theory of the “Guardianship of the Jurist” consecrated men of religion as heads of political authority, thus giving precedence to yielding influence over yielding to influence. As an offshoot of this tradition, the speeches of the Hezbollah secretary general transformed “victory” into the compass of political propaganda. Divine victory was thus based on missiles reaching what lies way beyond Haifa and brought the day on which Israel would cease to exist closer. This article does not aim to declare a preference for anyone of two religious orientations, Masochist defensive one and another, which is sadistic and offensive. Hezbollah is either victorious, in which case there is no need for journeys on foot, or defeated, in which case this victory rhetoric becomes superfluous. This blending most probably reflects a fear of defeat, which hides underneath all these victory shouts.
*This article is a translation of the original, which appeared on the NOW Arabic site on Monday January 23, 2012

Obama: U.S. is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon
By Natasha Mozgovaya /Haaretz
In his State of the Union address, President Obama reminds Americans he fulfilled his election promises, declares 'iron-clad' commitment to Israel's security.
The United States is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and will take no options off the table to achieve that goal, U.S. President Barack Obama said in his State of the Union address on Tuesday.
Obama said a peaceful resolution of the Iran nuclear dispute is still possible if Iran changes course and meets international obligations. He said Iran's regime is "more isolated than ever before, its leaders are faced with crippling sanctions, and as long as they shirk their responsibilities, this pressure will not relent."
While Obama could not engage in the same personal attacks that have characterized the Republican primaries debates, his words were unmistakably marked by the election-year. He began by reminding American citizens that he has fulfilled his elections promises, including bringing troops back from Iraq, and reminding them of one of the most symbolic accomplishments of his administration: killing al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden.
"For the first time in nine years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq," he said. "For the first time in two decades, Osama bin Laden is not a threat to this country. Most of al-Qaida’s top lieutenants have been defeated. The Taliban’s momentum has been broken, and some troops in Afghanistan have begun to come home."
He praised U.S. troops and compared their teamwork to the current condition of U.S. society.
"Imagine what we could accomplish if we followed their example," he said.
"Think about the America within our reach: A country that leads the world in educating its people. An America that attracts a new generation of high-tech manufacturing and high-paying jobs. A future where we’re in control of our own energy, and our security and prosperity aren’t so tied to unstable parts of the world. An economy built to last, where hard work pays off, and responsibility is rewarded."
Iron-clad commitment to Israel
Israel was mentioned briefly in the speech. While speaking about U.S. leadership around the globe, Obama said U.S. ties with its oldest alliances in Europe and Asia are deeper and stronger than ever. "Our iron-clad commitment to Israel’s security has meant the closest military cooperation between our two countries in history," he said.
"Anyone who tells you otherwise, anyone who tells you that America is in decline or that our influence has waned, doesn’t know what they’re talking about. That’s not the message we get from leaders around the world, all of whom are eager to work with us."
Obama promised that, despite planned cuts in the military budget, his strategy would ensure the U.S. maintains the "finest military in the world."
Ultimately, Arab fate is in hands of the people
Speaking on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the Egyptian uprising that led to the fall of President Hosni Mubarak two weeks later, Obama also discussed the Arab Spring.
Regarding Syria, he said he has "no doubt that the Assad regime will soon discover that the forces of change can’t be reversed, and that human dignity can’t be denied," but warned that it was still uncertain what the end of this "incredible transformation" will be.
"We have a huge stake in the outcome," admitted Obama, "And while it is ultimately up to the people of the region to decide their fate, we will advocate for those values that have served our own country so well. We will stand against violence and intimidation. We will stand for the rights and dignity of all human beings – men and women; Christians, Muslims, and Jews. We will support policies that lead to strong and stable democracies and open markets, because tyranny is no match for liberty."
American optimism
The Republican candidates' sloganeering has referred to "restoring" America, "fighting for America" or calling to "Believe in America." Obama went for the same tone on Tuesday night.
"We can do this", he said. "I know we can, because we’ve done it before. At the end of World War II, when another generation of heroes returned home from combat, they built the strongest economy and middle class the world has ever known. My grandfather, a veteran of Patton’s Army, got the chance to go to college on the GI Bill. My grandmother, who worked on a bomber assembly line, was part of a workforce that turned out the best products on Earth."
Obama, whose speech was intercepted several times by lengthy standing ovations, spoke about American optimism and promise.
"The defining issue of our time is how to keep that promise alive. No challenge is more urgent. No debate is more important," he said.
"We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by. Or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules. What’s at stake are not Democratic values or Republican values, but American values. We have to reclaim them."
Rebuilding the economic house of cards
Obama reminded Americans of how the U.S. got into its current economic situation, when in 2008 "the house of cards collapsed."
"We learned that mortgages had been sold to people who couldn’t afford or understand them. Banks had made huge bets and bonuses with other people’s money. Regulators had looked the other way, or didn’t have the authority to stop the bad behavior. It was wrong." he said.
"It was irresponsible," he added, "And it plunged our economy into a crisis that put millions out of work, saddled us with more debt, and left innocent, hard-working Americans holding the bag."
"In the six months before I took office, we lost nearly four million jobs. And we lost another four million before our policies were in full effect," he pointed out. Then, Obama - who has been accused by one of his rivals as being a "food stamp president" - said that "in the last 22 months, businesses have created more than three million jobs. Last year, they created the most jobs since 2005. American manufacturers are hiring again, creating jobs for the first time since the late 1990s."
"Together, we’ve agreed to cut the deficit by more than $2 trillion. And we’ve put in place new rules to hold Wall Street accountable, so a crisis like that never happens again."
Obama discussed how the U.S. auto industry was on the verge of collapse when he took office, but said that now, "General Motors is back on top as the world’s number one automaker. Chrysler has grown faster in the U.S. than any other major car company. Ford is investing billions in U.S. plants and factories. And together, the entire industry added nearly 160,000 jobs."


Iran's Ahmadinejad ups rates to stem money crisis

By REUTERS 01/25/2012/Increases bank rates to 21% in attempt to stabilize rial, reverse dash for dollars, gold over sanctions fears; Ahmadinejad policy a U-turn ahead of parliamentary elections.
TEHRAN - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad agreed to increase bank interest rates on Wednesday, hoping to halt a spiraling currency crisis intensified by new Western sanctions.
"The economy minister has announced Ahmadinejad has agreed with the approval of the Money and Credit Council to increase interest rates on bank deposits to up to 21 percent," the official IRNA news agency reported. Sanctions the United States and the European Union announced over the last month - targeting Iran's vital oil exports and its central bank - exacerbated fears about the economy and worsened a dash for hard currency. The rial was already losing value since a decision last April to cut interest paid on bank deposits to a range of a 12.5-15.5, below inflation which is currently around 20 percent, prompting many Iranians to withdraw savings and buy gold and foreign currency and pushing up the price of both.
But the dash for those safe havens accelerated sharply after the new sanctions were announced, resulting in the rial losing 50% of its value against the price of dollars available on the open market in just one month.
Monday's decision marks a policy U-turn for Ahmadinejad, who faces a political test in March 2 parliamentary election. He previously vetoed efforts by Central Bank Governor Mahmoud Bahmani to increase rates. The rial's slide is a huge risk to already rising inflation as Iran is heavily reliant on imported consumer and intermediate goods whose prices have surged as the rial has depreciated.
Trying to pop the bubble. The West hopes the economic pressure will force Iran to curb the nuclear work they fear is aimed at making bombs but which Tehran says is entirely peaceful.
Ahmadinejad's representative in parliament - which is already highly critical of the president and may become more so after March 2 - said the new policy would burst what he called the bubble of gold and dollar prices. "The effects of the new decision will be clear in the market very soon and the bubbles being created for foreign currency and gold will be removed," the ISNA news agency quoted Mohammad Reza Mirtajedini as saying. The deputy head of parliament's economics committee criticized the government for reacting late to the crisis which he said had "no reasonable, logical basis".
"Increasing the bank deposit interest rates is an appropriate tool for people's investments but doing it in a hasty manner and the current inflamed situation of the market will not solve any problem," Mostafa Motavarzadeh told the semi-official Fars news agency.
The price of 8.133-gram gold coins dropped on the news, local media reported, to 8,500,000 rials, reversing most of last week's 45% increase when the price rose to 10,100,000.
The effect on the price of dollars was negligible however with ISNA saying the price had fallen on the news to 22,500 rials from 23,000 rials - still double the central bank's official "reference rate" of 11,293 rials.However, exchange agencies contacted by Reuters said they had no dollars to sell, reflecting either a shortage of notes or a reluctance to sell in such a volatile atmosphere.

France ignores Turk threats, vows genocide law in two weeks
January 25, 2012/ By Nadege Puljak/Daily Star
PARIS: France on Tuesday brushed off angry threats of retaliation by Turkey and vowed to enforce within a fortnight a new law banning denial of the Armenian genocide.
The French Senate on Monday approved the measure which threatens with jail anyone in France who denies that the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turk forces amounted to genocide. That sparked a furious reaction in Turkey, where hundreds protested outside the French embassy in Ankara and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced the move as "tantamount to discrimination and racism".Erdogan warned that his Islamist-rooted government would punish Paris with unspecified retaliatory measures if Sarkozy, whose right-wing UMP party initiated the bill, signed it into law. But Sarkozy appeared undeterred.
"The president of the republic will promulgate the law punishing denial of the genocide of the Armenians in 1915 within the normal timeframe," which is two weeks, a Sarkozy aide said.
France has already officially recognised the killings as a genocide, but the new law would go further, by punishing anyone who denies this with up to a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros ($57,000).
Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their forebears were killed in 1915 and 1916 by the forces of Turkey's former Ottoman Empire.
Turkey disputes the figure, arguing that 500,000 died, and denies this was genocide, ascribing the toll to fighting and starvation during World War I and accusing the Armenians of siding with Russian invaders.
Armenia hailed the passage of the bill through the French Senate, with President Serzh Sarkisian writing in a letter to Sarkozy: "France has reaffirmed its greatness and power, its devotion to universal human values."
The world's largest Muslim body, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, meanwhile rejected the bill as inconsistent with historical facts. Turkey's ally Azerbaijan blasted the French vote, with the foreign ministry saying the move was "against the principles of democracy, human rights, freedom of speech and expression".
In Washington, State Department Victoria Nuland said that "this is a matter between Turkey and France... we want to see good relations between them."
Amnesty International meanwhile, criticised the law, saying it would violate freedom of expression.
"This bill, if implemented, would have a chilling effect on public debate and contravene France’s international obligations to uphold freedom of expression," said Amnesty's Europe and Central Asia director Nicola Duckworth.
"People should be free to express their opinions on this issue -- in France, Turkey and elsewhere," she said. "French authorities are failing to comply with their international human rights obligations."
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, who has publicly said he was against the bill, appealed Tuesday to France's "Turkish friends" for calm, but his call went unheeded.
Erdogan said: "We will implement our sanctions step by step, without any retreat. We'll publicise our action plan according to the developments on the ground."
When France's lower house passed the bill last month, Ankara recalled its envoy to Paris for consultations and froze political and military ties with Paris while vowing to impose "permanent" sanctions if the measure is finally adopted.
If it takes effect, the law is expected to hurt diplomatic and trade ties between the two NATO allies, and Turkey has drawn up contingency plans.
Possible new sanctions include lowering diplomatic ties to the level of charge d'affaires and halting cultural and scientific cooperation.
The Turkish government has so far avoided calling for a full boycott of French products under pressure from the Turkish business community.
Trade between Turkey and France was worth 12 billion euros ($15.5 billion) in 2010, with several hundred French businesses operating here.
The Turkish press on Tuesday expressed collective fury over the bill, accusing France of breaching the right of freedom of expression.
"Shame on you, France" the daily Vatan said. "France, where the ideal of freedom was born, has delivered the hardest blow to the freedom of expression," it wrote.