LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
June 14/12

Bible Quotation for today/Watchful Servants/The Faithful or the Unfaithful Servant
Luke 12/35-45:Be ready for whatever comes, dressed for action and with your lamps lit, like servants who are waiting for their master to come back from a wedding feast. When he comes and knocks, they will open the door for him at once. How happy are those servants whose master finds them awake and ready when he returns! I tell you, he will take off his coat, have them sit down, and will wait on them. How happy they are if he finds them ready, even if he should come at midnight or even later! And you can be sure that if the owner of a house knew the time when the thief would come, he would not let the thief break into his house. And you, too, must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him. Peter said, Lord, does this parable apply to us, or do you mean it for everyone? The Lord answered, Who, then, is the faithful and wise servant? He is the one that his master will put in charge, to run the household and give the other servants their share of the food at the proper time. How happy that servant is if his master finds him doing this when he comes home! Indeed, I tell you, the master will put that servant in charge of all his property. But if that servant says to himself that his master is taking a long time to come back and if he begins to beat the other servants, both the men and the women, and eats and drinks and gets drunk,46 then the master will come back one day when the servant does not expect him and at a time he does not know. The master will cut him in pieces and make him share the fate of the disobedient.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
A Tale of Two American Martyrs/by Raymond IbrahimlFrontPageMagazine.com/June 13/12
Assad's Houla Propaganda/by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi and Phillip Smyth/National Review Online/June 13/12
Ahmadinejad in Egypt/By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 13/12
Iran’s Quds Force active in Syria - Iranian opposition/By Amr Ahmed/Asharq Alawsat/June 13/12
Moscow…waiting for the right price/By Emad El Din Adeeb/Asharq Alawsat/June 13/12

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for June 13/12
Home Front Israeli Officer: Missile attack would force massive evacuation of Tel Aviv
In joint appearance with Peres in Washington, Clinton condemns Syria for using attack helicopters to quash uprising
Iran attack decision nears, Israeli elite locks down
'Iran nuclear talks plagued by mistrust'
US: Iran to be given 'clear path' to end nuclear impasse
UN puts Syria on list for killing children'
UN concerned over Syria violence escalation
Crimes against children earn Syria a spot on UN's list of shame
UN Observers in Syria Attacked Near Besieged Town
Syria in state of civil war: U.N.
Canada Disturbed by Horrific Violence in Syria
Russia sending attack helicopters to Syria: US
Kuwait's social and labor minister quits: reports
Libyan jihadis claims US consulate attack: SITE
Rift widens over plans for new Egyptian constitution
Report: Iran begins plans to construct country's first nuclear submarine
Armed Clash in Dahiyeh between Moqdad Family Members, 'Hizbullah Gunmen'
Hezbollah, March 8 want to split Sunnis from Army: Jundallah
STL to hear case challenging its jurisdiction, legality
Syrian Refugees Seek Help in Lebanon
Dialogue futile unless Hezbollah’s arms are discussed, Future warns
UAE Citizens again told to avoid Lebanon travel
Wadi Khaled celebrates release of resident
By-Election to Replace Late MP Farid Habib Set for July
Jumblat Reportedly Admitted to Conspiring with Syria, Iran Against Hariri
Heated Debate and Counter-accusations between Raad, Saniora on Proliferation of Arms
Suleiman, Hariri, Aridi, Asiri Deny LBC Report on their Meeting in Saudi Arabia


Armed Clash in Dahiyeh between Moqdad Family Members, 'Hizbullah Gunmen'
إNaharnet/12 June 2012,/Clashes with machineguns erupted on Tuesday in the Beirut southern suburb of al-Kafaat between members of the al-Moqdad family and “others from Hizbullah,” MTV reported. The clashes broke out “after Hizbullah members arrested members of the al-Moqdad family for robbing a store,” MTV said. The TV network said “the fighting erupted as Hizbullah members arrived in al-Maamoura near Rammal Supermarket,” adding that “some Hizbullah members were seen carrying rocket-propelled grenade launchers.” MTV said members of al-Moqdad family attacked a Hizbullah official called “Abu Hadi.” Meanwhile, state-run National News Agency reported “an exchange of gunfire between members of the al-Moqdad family and unknown gunmen in an area between al-Mreijeh and al-Maamoura.” For its part, OTV said the clashes erupted between members of the al-Moqdad and Zoaiter families. Later on Tuesday, the Army Command’s Orientation Directorate issued a statement clarifying the circumstances of the incident. “This afternoon, after an argument between citizens in the al-Kafaat-Hadath area over previous family disputes erupted into an exchange of gunfire with light assault rifles, an army unit intervened, imposing a security cordon around the area,” the statement said. The army unit also staged armored patrols, erected checkpoints across the area and restored normalcy, according to the statement.“Army units are pursuing the gunmen and raiding their hideouts in order to arrest them and refer them to the relevant judicial authorities,” the statement added.

STL to hear case challenging its jurisdiction, legality
June 13, 2012/By Willow Osgood /The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The Special Tribunal for Lebanon will convene Tuesday to hear arguments on the jurisdiction and legality of the establishment of the court, a step that will determine whether it can continue to operate. In the most significant move since the February decision to proceed to trial in absentia, the STL’s Trial Chamber will hear over two days arguments from the defense counsel, as well as the prosecution’s response to the defense motions and observations from the attorneys representing victims. Following what is a common practice for the defense counsel of international courts, attorneys representing the four members of Hezbollah indicted in the 2005 attack that killed former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 22 others filed their motions in early May challenging the legality and jurisdiction of the STL. They argue that the U.N. Security Council overstepped its bounds when it established the court under Chapter VII as the attack did not constitute a threat to “international peace and security.”
The defense also contends that the resolution violated U.N. law, is unconstitutional under Lebanese law and is a violation of Lebanese sovereignty.
The chamber will consider the arguments and rule on its own jurisdiction to try the case. According to a statement from the court Tuesday, if the judges of the chamber rule that the court “has not competence to deal with the crimes under its jurisdiction,” the STL could, pending an appeal, stop operating. The prosecution responded to the defense motions last week, arguing that they did not have the standing to invoke a violation of the Lebanon’s sovereignty, and that the Security Council did not abuse its powers by establishing the court as a measure to maintain international peace and security.
The prosecution maintains that the agreement between the Lebanese government and the Security Council was in accordance with the Lebanese Constitution and that the country’s behavior toward the court indicates that its sovereignty has not been violated. “Lebanon has cooperated with the Tribunal in a number of ways since its establishment. Moreover, the government of Lebanon has never objected to the operation of the Tribunal or its establishment, despite having the ability to do,” the prosecution wrote. “The alleged violation of the sovereignty of Lebanon cannot be sustained in light of these circumstances.”
For their part, the attorneys representing the 58 registered victims submitted observations to the court contending that the STL “is not only an institution with sound legal basis, but is also the only forum competent or capable of giving effect to the rights of the victims to the Feb. 14 attack.”

Dialogue futile unless Hezbollah’s arms are discussed, Future warns
June 13, 2012 01:38 AM By Hussein Dakroub, Hasan Lakkis The Daily Star
Political figures attend a National Dialogue session at Baabda Palace, Lebanon, on Monday, June 11, 2012. (The Daily Star/Mohammad Azakir)
BEIRUT: The parliamentary Future bloc warned Tuesday that an intra-Lebanese National Dialogue would be futile unless the divisive issue of Hezbollah’s arms was addressed at the next session.
The bloc, which said it would attend the next Dialogue session set for June 25, slammed Hezbollah’s renewed accusations of treason against former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, saying they sent “negative signals” about the aims of some March 8 parties in National Dialogue sessions.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Najib Mikati hailed the outcome of the first Dialogue session between rival political leaders in over 18 months, saying it had laid the foundations to insulate Lebanon from “the policy of regional and international axes and conflicts aimed at sparing it the negative repercussions of tensions and crises in some Arab states.
“This matter has again confirmed the correctness of the policy adopted by our government in what is known as the ‘dissociation policy.’
“This encourages us to proceed with this policy in the interest of Lebanon and the Lebanese,” Mikati said, addressing a Cabinet meeting he chaired at the Grand Serail, according to a statement read to reporters by Information Minister Walid Daouk.
Since the uprising began in Syria 15 months ago, the government has adopted a policy to dissociate Lebanon from the repercussions of the turmoil in the neighboring country.
Mikati said the resumption of Dialogue and the statement issued after the meeting also constituted “a positive message from inside Lebanon to the outside world which is following with interest what is happening here.” The convening of Dialogue, Mikati added, “boosts Arab and international confidence in our capability to overcome difficulties and safeguard our country and people and the achievements that have so far been made.” He said that Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting was held on the eve of the first year since it was formed on June 13.
Thanking the ministers for their efforts in the past year, Mikati called for increasing Cabinet productivity, Daouk said.
Among decisions taken by the Cabinet was the appointment of three judges, Joseph Samaha, Anthony Issa Khoury and Naheda Khaddaj, to the Judicial Council, Daouk added.
A Cabinet session, scheduled to be held at Baabda Palace Wednesday to discuss the draft 2012 state budget, has been put off because Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi fell ill, a ministerial source said.
Mikati also praised the rival leaders’ commitment to avoid fiery political and media rhetoric, saying such a move would help bolster calm in the country.
His remarks came a day after political leaders from the March 8 and March 14 camps agreed during their first National Dialogue session in over 18 months to commit themselves to political, security and media pacification, as well as avoid speeches that fuel sectarian incitement.
Amid growing fears of a spillover of the turmoil in Syria into the country, they also pledged to work to shore up stability and civil peace in order to prevent Lebanon from descending into sectarian strife.
However, Monday’s Dialogue session did not discuss a national defense strategy and how to benefit from Hezbollah’s arsenal as widely expected in line with Sleiman’s invitations to the leaders.
A statement issued after the meeting said a national defense strategy would be a main topic of discussion at the next Dialogue session on June 25.
Referring to the Dialogue session, the Future bloc of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri said in a statement issued after its weekly meeting chaired by Siniora: “The main issue left from previous dialogue sessions, Hezbollah’s arms, has not been addressed yet. This issue will be the topic on the agenda of the next [Dialogue] session. Unless this issue is addressed, Dialogue will be futile.”
In a clear allusion to Hezbollah’s renewed accusations against the Siniora government in 2005, the bloc said: “Some attitudes that surfaced during the session by some parties revived directly or indirectly the language of treason, threats and intimidation and sent many negative signals about the aim of these parties from [attending] these sessions.”
The four-hour session chaired by President Michel Sleiman at Baabda Palace was marred by a heated debate between Siniora and Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad after the former blamed the government for a series of deadly security incidents in the north and the proliferation of arms across the country.
The Future bloc upheld the March 14 memo, dubbed a “salvation initiative,” it presented to Sleiman last week. The memo reiterated the March 14 coalition’s call for the formation of a neutral salvation government, stressed commitment to the Taif Accord and U.N. resolutions and called for keeping Lebanon away from regional conflicts.
Beirut Future MP Ammar Houry said his bloc would attend the next Dialogue session to discuss the thorny issue of arms beyond the state’s control.
“Of course, we [Future Movement] will attend,” Houry told The Daily Star. “Surely we’ll go to the meeting since President Sleiman has promised that the next Dialogue session will discuss the only issue left: weapons.” Sleiman had called for the resumption of National Dialogue, suspended since November 2010, in light of deadly sectarian clashes in the northern city of Tripoli that killed at least 25 people in incidents linked to the turmoil in Syria.
Sleiman’s invitation call has won strong backing from Arab and Western countries which have voiced concerns over Lebanon’s stability.
Meanwhile, Mikati reiterated the government’s policy of not allowing Lebanon to be used as a base for the smuggling of arms or insurgents into Syria.
“We will not allow Lebanese territory, or parts of it, to be used as a conduit for smuggling weapons or gunmen [into Syria] or to establish a buffer zone or an environment where terrorism, extremism or the like could flourish,” Mikati said, addressing army officers during a visit to the Defense Ministry.
He added that the Army was carrying out the government’s “disassociation” policy toward the Syria crisis.
Speaking after meeting with Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn and Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi, Mikati said National Dialogue was the only choice for the Lebanese to reach agreement on divisive issues. “Everyone must facilitate the continuation of this Dialogue no matter what the circumstances are because the alternative is fighting, estrangement and artificial boundaries that were sometimes drawn with blood,” he added. Mikati praised the Army’s role in maintaining security and stability in the country, fighting terrorism and exposing Israeli spy networks.
Noting that Lebanon was facing “many dangerous challenges,” Mikati underlined the significance of maintaining stability and national unity in order to “enable Lebanon to overcome this critical stage in its history.”
Meanwhile, U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly praised the resumption of the National Dialogue, but expressed concern over the recent security incidents in north Lebanon.
“The United Nations warmly welcomes the National Dialogue session launched by President Sleiman and the declaration issued after it, which represents a major step at the national level to promote calm,” Plumbly said after meeting Tripoli and Mount Lebanon Mufti Sheikh Malek Shaar.
“All efforts to bring political players together are very important for Lebanon, and the only way to resolve differences,” he added. – With additional reporting by Nafez Qawas

Hezbollah, March 8 want to split Sunnis from Army: Jundallah
June 13, 2012/ By Antoine Amrieh The Daily Star
TRIPOLI, Lebanon: Sheikh Kanaan Naji, the head of the powerful Islamist group Jundallah, has spoken out for the first time since the beginning of violence in Tripoli to call the events “part of the Syrian issue,” saying that Hezbollah and March 8 are attempting to drive a wedge between Sunnis and the Lebanese Army.
Since its formation in the 1970s in Tripoli, Jundallah has emerged as the dominant force in the northern city’s Islamist Committees, which Naji heads. Jundallah has so far not taken part in the Tripoli clashes, and Naji told The Daily Star he decided to break his media silence to speak about the connection between Tripoli’s violence and the Syrian uprising, as well as efforts to split the Sunni population from the Army. Since the Syrian Army’s 2005 withdrawal from Lebanon, Naji said Hezbollah, which supports the Syrian regime, has “insisted on ruling the country through involvement in government and repeatedly obstructing its work.
“Today, Syria wants to prevent us from supporting the uprising,” Naji said, denying that the rebel Free Syrian Army has a presence in Lebanon.
“We sympathize with the uprising morally,” he said, “but not by embracing the Syrian Army ... all events taking place in Tripoli are related to the Syrian uprising and how it develops, and thus the Syrian regime is threatening a security explosion [inside Lebanon] to prevent us from supporting the uprising.”
Naji continued that “supporting the uprising is an honor for us, and we will not be subjected to threats. We will confront every attempt by the Syrian Army to enter Lebanon again, not just in Tripoli but at the borders as well.”
Hezbollah and March 8 are inciting sectarian strife in order to drive a wedge between Sunnis and the Lebanese Army, Naji said, citing the killing of a prominent anti-Assad Muslim sheikh and his companion at a Lebanese Army checkpoint in Akkar in late May as evidence for this.
Almost immediately after the shootings, angry protesters took to the streets in Akkar, Tripoli, and Beirut.
“We have informed the army command that the aim of the incident is to divide the Sunnis from the army and that the incident was deliberate and calculated,” Naji said. But he insisted that “the Lebanese Army is a necessity, and will remain the institution that guarantees peace and stability in the country, despite some violations [it has made].”
Addressing those who he said want to divide Sunnis from the Army, Naji said: “Cease your efforts; we will not clash with the Army. We also say to all groups that we will continue to support the Army, and hope investigations will continue in the Akkar incident.”
Of the Tripoli clashes, largely in the neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh, Jabal Mohsen and Qobbeh, Naji’s participation is not in the Lebanese interest.
“We will not allow division between us,” he said. “We will not stop supporting the Syrian uprising and embracing it socially and morally ... we will give all our support to Syrian refugees,” but said they cannot become part of Lebanon’s security equation.
“Those who are supporters of the Syrian regime have the right to express their opinions freely, but without violating the law,” he added.
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt Monday said that the events in Tripoli were aimed at putting pressure on Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government so as to bring it down. For his part, Naji said that “unfortunately some see the events in Tripoli as an opportunity to topple the government, but in our opinion this is not the way to bring it down.”
Naji said that his “message to local and regional groups is ‘halt your attempts to tamper with security.’”
After Tripoli’s neighborhoods were calmed, in part due to deployment of the Lebanese Army, there were attacks on several Alawite-owned businesses.
Politicians from across the political spectrum have condemned the attacks, and Naji called them “a game [intended] to make Alawites feel targeted. We call on the government to deal with this issue with justice.”
“Change in Syria will take place sooner or later,” he said, speaking of the issue he believes is driving events in the north. “If things spiral out of control [in Lebanon], it will affect all groups.”

UAE Citizens again told to avoid Lebanon travel
Manal Ismail
Jun 13, 2012
Save this article
The National/Another travel warning for Lebanon was issued to UAE citizens by the foreign ministry yesterday.
LebanonMinistry of Foreign AffairsTravel tips and adviceIt was the second warning issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since clashes erupted last month in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, between supporters and opponents of the Al Assad regime in Syria.
According to Wam, the state news agency, the ministry advised UAE citizens to "avoid non-essential travel to Lebanon and Syria for the time being for their own safety".
Juma Mubarak Al Junaibe, the ministry's undersecretary, said the travel advisory was issued out of concern for the safety of citizens.
He urged citizens who insisted on travelling to exercise caution and vigilance, stay updated with the latest travel information on the ministry's website and register for the Tawajedi service, which offers assistance in case of emergency abroad.
Some Lebanese expatriates said the warnings were "unnecessary" and that they "exaggerated" the situation in the country.
"It's not worth the warning," said Rami Mohammed, 28, from Dubai. "If there is something small, issuing a travel warning will make it seem far bigger and cause tourists to panic.
"Such things are normal in Lebanon and usually only affect areas where tourists and visitors would not go - such as the borders or camps."
Despite the advisory, Marie-Anne Diab, who lives in Abu Dhabi, still planed to go home for the summer.
"Lebanon always has its ups and downs. I've been in Lebanon when the situations were far worse," said the psychiatrist, who was in Lebanon during the 2006 war, in which more than 1,000 civilians died.
"So something like this is not going to prevent me from going to visit my parents. The situation doesn't call for it."
However, Dr Diab did not disagree with the advisory.
"We're natives, so we're used to it. But people who are not familiar with this environment may find it uncomfortable and not know how to handle it," she said. "It may be a better idea to tell foreigners and tourists to avoid travelling there during this time."
Emiratis are beginning to take the advice seriously.
Omar Darwish, from Dubai, was planning to travel to Lebanon for two weddings this summer. He did not change his plans after the first travel warning was issued. Now, however, he has cancelled his flight. Despite the travel advisory, Mr Darwish was still required to pay Emirates Airlines a Dh100 penalty for cancellation.
A customer service representative confirmed that economy class customers are still required to pay penalty fees despite the advisory, although the amount varies depending on the class of ticket.
For Mr Darwish, it was a small price to pay for his safety.
"We're hearing scary things - that people from the Gulf are being kidnapped and that it's generally unsafe," he said. "My friend's father, who works with the embassy, also told us that travelling to Lebanon now isn't such a good idea.
"There are so many other destinations to visit, so there's no reason to make myself vulnerable to that kind of danger."




Canada Disturbed by Horrific Violence in Syria
June 12, 2012 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:
“I am deeply disturbed by the dangerous escalation of violence in Syria.
“The Assad regime’s use of helicopters to attack civilians and its reported plans for further massacres demonstrate yet again that it places no value on human life. Rather than fulfill his promise to stop the violence, Assad seems determined to slaughter innocent Syrians in a desperate attempt to cling to power.
“Canadians were horrified by the disturbing details of the latest reports documenting the Assad regime’s abuse of children, including senseless killing, torture, sexual abuse and use as human shields.
“All parties must respect the ceasefire, cooperate with the UN observers and support the efforts of UN-Arab League Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan to resolve the crisis.
“We urge Russia and all members of the UN Security Council to come together and adopt tough binding sanctions against this reckless regime.”

Report: Iran begins plans to construct country's first nuclear submarine
By The Associated Press | Jun.12, 2012/Deputy commander of Iranian navy says Iran has developed 'peaceful nuclear technology' and has both the capability and the right to build a submarine.
A semiofficial Iranian news agency is reporting that the country has begun to design its first nuclear submarine. The Tuesday report by Fars quotes the deputy navy chief in charge of technical affairs, Admiral Abbas Zamini, as saying Iran has begun "initial stages" of designing the nuclear-powered craft. Adm. Zamini says Iran has developed "peaceful nuclear technology" and has both the capability and the right to build a submarine. Iran and the West are odds over Tehran's nuclear program. The U.S. suspects it is aimed at developing weapons technology, a charge Iran denies. Iran has domestically built several small submarines over the past years. It has recently overhauled one of the three non-nuclear Russian Kilo-class submarines it bought in 1990s.

Home Front Israeli Officer: Missile attack would force massive evacuation of Tel Aviv
DEBKAfile Special Report June 12, 2012/Col. Adam Zusman, Home Front Commander of Israel’s Dan region (Tel Aviv and its environs), told AFP Tuesday, June 12, "In case of a missile attack on the centre of Israel, especially unconventional attacks and if buildings are destroyed, the population from Tel Aviv and other cities will be evacuated and relocated in other areas of the country."
The officer did not say to where the roughly two million inhabitants of the Dan region’s core towns of Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, Holon, Petakh Tikva, Ramat Hasharon, Ramat Gan, Givatayim, Bein Brak, Herzliya, Or Yehuda, Givat Shmuel and Kiryat Ono, would be evacuated. debkafile’s military sources estimate they will be relocated in the southern mostly desert Negev region. The outer Gush Dan ring includes some 3 million people. Col. Zusman said Israel continued to face serious threats from Iran and its allies, the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah and Gaza's Hamas rulers. He did not refer to Syria.
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In joint appearance with Peres in Washington, Clinton condemns Syria for using attack helicopters to quash uprising
By Natasha Mozgovaya | Jun.12, 2012 | Haaretz
Secretary of State appeared alongside Israeli President at Washington event; Peres to raise issue of convicted spy Jonathan Pollard in a meeting with President Obama.
WASHINGTON - Israeli President Shimon Peres and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared on Tuesday at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, where they spoke about the escalating violence in Syria, the negotiations with Iran and the peace process with the Palestinians.
At the event, Clinton expressed deep concern over Russia's reported shipment of attack helicopters to the Syrian regime. "Attack helicopters on the way from Russia to Syria will escalate the conflict quite dramatically," she said. The event was held a day before Peres was scheduled to meet U.S. President Barack Obama – a meeting at which Peres promised to raise the issue of clemency for convicted Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard “on humanitarian grounds."
On Tuesday, two U.S. lawmakers circulated a “Dear Colleague” letter, expressing support for Peres’ bid for clemency. Pollard has spent more than 26years in a federal prison for passing classified information to Israeli officials. Congressmen Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Christopher Smith (R-NJ), are behind the initiative. In a letter to Obama, the duo wrote: "Mr. Pollard has expressed remorse for his actions, and his health is reportedly declining - he has recently been hospitalized for kidney and gallstone problems. It is also clear that Mr. Pollard has served a disproportionately severe sentence. A number of people convicted of spying for other countries, ranging from the former Soviet Union to South Korea, have been given lighter sentences than Mr. Pollard. We would not expect that Mr. Pollard would be treated any better than anyone else who has committed similar acts, but we certainly do not believe he should be treated any worse."
On the situation in Syria, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in briefing on Tuesday that the U.S. "has been pushing the Russians for months to break their military ties with the Syrian regime, and they haven't done it." Instead, she said," they keep reassuring all of us that what they're sending militarily to Syria can't be used against civilians.
“But now what are we seeing? We're seeing the Syrian government using helicopters to fire on their own people from the air. So our question remains, how can the Russians conscience their continued military sales to Syria?” asked Nuland.
Nevertheless, Clinton stressed that the U.S. still supports Kofi Annan's plan. "We do so because he represents both the United Nations and the Arab League", she said.
"It's quite unprecedented to have a joint special envoy who is speaking for two organizations that have seen their common interests in trying to bring an end to the violence and help to precipitate and then shepherd through a political transition,” said Clinton.
“The six-point plan that former Secretary-General Annan laid out is a good plan. Of course, it's not being implemented, and of course, the contempt and rejection of the first principle of that plan - namely the cessation of violence by the Assad regime -has certainly been a grave assault not only on the lives of the Syrian people, but on the international effort intended to bring an end to this ongoing conflict,” said Clinton. In mid-July, the UN Security Council will decide whether or not to extend the observers mission that, as Clinton noted, is becoming more and more dangerous.
Peres stated that it is better for Arab nations to deal with the situation in Syria themselves – so that no other countries will be blamed for interventionism. "They are ready, let them take the responsibility, let us support them in any way we can. The Arab league should and can do it,” said Peres.
Speaking about changes in the Middle East, Peres expressed optimism with regard to the possibility to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians. "To have a state you need to build a nation and Palestinians started to build a nation," he said.
Commenting on the Arab Spring, Clinton urged to regard the transition with patience. "We need both humility and patience,” she said.
"We have to remember we [the U.S.] didn't have a straight line - we didn't include everybody in the first run, we excluded women, we had to fight a civil war to free slaves. Time has sped up, but work that has to be done is much harder today than even when the Berlin wall fell. Every step is now scrutinized,” said Clinton.
Clinton also commented on upcoming nuclear talks with Iran, to be held in Moscow. Peres expressed skepticism regarding the talks, claiming that the Iranians "are taking advantage of the American democratic process.” "I am quite certain the Iranian regime is under tremendous pressure from the Russians and Chinese to come to Moscow prepared," Clinton said.
“The Russians have made it very clear that they expect the Iranians to advance the discussion in Moscow, not just come, listen and leave. The unity and resolve that was shown so far is of real significance,” continued Clinton. "Let me talk about Iran without passion, to be really straight and cool, and say Iran -- the Iranians are not our enemies. In history we had many very friendly relations," Peres said, "So I'm asking myself, why are we really against Iran? Is it just because of nuclear bomb? Not only. They are the only ones that want to renew imperialism -- we can't accept it"

UN puts Syria on list for killing children
12/06/2012/UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A U.N. report released Monday includes Syrian government forces and their allied "shabiha" militias for the first time on a list of 52 governments and armed groups that recruit, kill or sexually attack children in armed conflicts. In Syria, it said, children as young as 9 years old have been victims of killing and maiming, arbitrary arrest, detention, torture, and sexual violence, and have been used as human shields. "In almost all recorded cases, children were among the victims of military operations by government forces, including the Syrian armed forces, the intelligence forces and the shabiha militia, in their ongoing conflict with the opposition, including the Free Syrian Army," the report said.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's annual report on children and armed conflict during 2011 names 32 "persistent perpetrators" that have been on the list for at least five years, including the security forces of seven countries. That's double the number in 2010, and Ban expressed grave concern at "the unacceptably high, and growing, number" of long-term abusers of children.
Radhika Coomaraswamy, the U.N. special representative for children and armed conflict, said that while new crises erupted in 2011 "with a heavy toll on children such as in Syria, and also in Libya, violations against girls and boys have come to an end in other parts of the world."
But the so-called "list of shame" with 52 names — including four new parties in Syria, Yemen and Sudan — is still too long, she said in a statement.
A resolution adopted by the U.N. Security Council in 2005 took the first major step to prevent the victimization of young people in war zones by addressing the exploitation of children as combatants and identifying governments and armed groups that recruit child soldiers. In 2009, the council voted to also name and shame countries and insurgent groups engaged in conflicts that lead to children being killed, maimed and raped.
The secretary-general said the United Nations has received reports of "grave violations" against children in Syria since March 2011, when protests against President Bashar Assad's government began.
The report quoted a former member of the Syrian armed forces saying that in December, during protests in Tall Kalakh, his commander gave an order to shoot during the break-up of the demonstrations and he saw three girls, who appeared to be between 10 and 13 years old, killed. A former member of the intelligence forces was quoted as saying he witnessed the killing of five children in a secondary school during demonstrations in Aleppo in the last quarter of 2011.
The report said the Syrian military and the shabiha used children as young as 8 on at least three occasions last year.
In an attack on the village of Ayn l'Arouz in Idlib province on March 9, 2012, it quoted a witness as saying several dozen boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 13 were forcibly taken from their homes and "used by soldiers and militia members as human shields, placing them in front of the windows of buses carrying military personnel into the raid on the village."
The United Nations also has collected dozens of accounts of eyewitnesses from children as young as 14 years old who were tortured in detention, as well as from former members of the Syrian military who were forced to witness or carry out acts of torture, the report said.
Most child victims of torture described being beaten, blindfolded, subjected to stress positions, whipped with heavy electrical cables, scarred by cigarette burns and in one case subjected to electrical shock to the genitals, the report said. One witness reported seeing a boy about 15 years old die as a result of repeated beatings. Another 15-year-old repeatedly beaten with heavy electrical cables during interrogation reported at least 20 other children his age or younger being held in detention, it said.
The report detailed many other serious human rights violations against children across the globe.
For example, in Somalia, the U.N. documented 7,799 child casualties of conflict last year, just in the three main hospitals in the capital Mogadishu. It also documented the recruitment of 948 youngsters by the Islamic militant group Al-Shabab and 242 cases of rape and sexual violence.
In Afghanistan, the report said 1,325 children were killed or injured in 2011, 30 percent by improvised explosive devices placed by armed groups. It said 316 cases of underage recruitment were reported, the majority by armed groups notably the Taliban as well as the Haqqani network and Hezb-e-Islami.
"In 2011, 11 children, including one 8-year-old girl, were killed while conducting suicide attacks" in Afghanistan, the report said. "Some children unknowingly carried explosive packages."
In Iraq, the report said 146 children were reportedly killed and 265 injured as a result of violence last year, mainly by armed groups including al-Qaida and the Islamic State of Iraq. The U.N. said 294 children were also indicted or convicted of terrorism-related charges.
Since the uprising in Libya began in February 2011, the report said the presence of children in armed forces and armed groups "was broadly reported" along with numerous grave violations. It said child casualties were not systematically document but it said 129 cases of killing and 247 cases of maiming of children were recorded.
In Ivory Coast, the U.N. registered 271 cases of sexual violence, including six against boys.
On a positive note, the report said parties to conflicts in Nepal and Sri Lanka were taken off the list after they successfully completed Security Council-mandated programs to end the recruitment and use of children. It said five parties in Afghanistan, the

Moscow…waiting for the right price
By Emad El Din Adeeb/Asharq Alawsat
One of the strangest statements I have ever heard was the recent statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry about the current situation in Syria…Moscow said it had no objection to the departure of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, if the Syrian people agree to the move! Oh come on! Is this the first time you have heard of the Syrian people’s desire to get rid of al-Assad? Did the Russian Foreign Ministry not hear about the massive demonstrations in Daraa, Aleppo, Deir al-Zour, Jisr ash-Shugur, Homs, Hama and Rif Dimashq? Did Moscow not hear about the Syrian people forming an alternative parliament in exile, in recognition of the current collapse of legitimacy inside the country? Do the millions who protest every Friday in all Syrian cities, their sole demand being the overthrow of the regime, not reach Moscow? Does Russia’s military intelligence service not know about the losses inflicted upon al-Assad’s army, and their lack of armor and ammunition, which had to be replenished recently by warships carrying weapons to the port of Banias last week? Did Moscow not hear, see or read about a new military unit that has been formed in the country, going by the name of the Free Syrian Army, consisting of officers and soldiers who have refused to serve in the regular army, and opted to join the peaceful demonstrators instead? We hope that senior politicians in Moscow show us more respect and stop defending the regime, for they know – before anyone else – that it is doomed to a tragic end.
The worst thing about this Russian role is that Moscow is greatly helping to raise the cost of this regime’s inevitable end, through its positions in the Security Council and through its continued arms support to al-Assad. It seems clear that Moscow, despite the fact that it knows the regime is doomed, wants to barter for a better price before it leaves al-Assad to his inevitable fate. Russia wants to secure several international guarantees, most importantly ensuring a continued strategic presence in the Mediterranean waters through the facilities granted to the Russian fleet in Lattakia, Tartus and Banias. Moscow is also interested in facilitating access for Russian companies working in the field of oil and gas, securing them the right to explore off the coast of Lebanon.
The final hour is approaching before Russia changes its stance, as long as it receives the right price!

Iran’s Quds Force active in Syria - Iranian opposition
By Amr Ahmed/Asharq Alawsat
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – The Iranian opposition has condemned Tehran’s support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the Iranian government’s backing of the crimes being committed by al-Assad regime forces. In a joint-statement signed by 16 political movements, the Iranian opposition condemned the “full partnership” between Tehran and al-Assad and expressed its support of the Syrian revolutionaries and their demands for freedom and the ouster of the al-Assad regime. For his part, Iranian opposition political activist Nour al-Din Hosseini told Asharq Al-Awsat “we, as Iranians, do not want to be partners in the regime’s crimes.”
The joint-statement was signed by 16 Iranian political movements, including the Green Movement, as well as a number of foreign opposition groups like the Students’ Green Movement of Vancouver, Austin for Iran, and 22 Khordad Group Hamburg. The statement was addressed “to the brave people of Syria” and condemned “the tragedies of Deraa, Homs and Hama” adding “we are horrified by the massacre of more than ten thousand Syrian citizens by al-Assad’s brutal regime, and we salute you and you resistance.”
The Iranian opposition stressed that “what makes the tragedies of Syria even more painful for many Iranian is the full partnership of the Islamic Republic of Iran with the Bashar al-Assad regime. The similarities of the tracing method, the suppression techniques, the identical operational tactics used against the civilian protesters by pro-government Shabiha militia in Syria and by Basij militia in Iran…are but a few of the numerous signs that warn us of the involvement of the Iranian regime with the al-Assad regime.” The statement added “recently the Iranian security and military officials are publicly bragging about the presence and involvement of the Quds Force (the special branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp) in Syria in support of the Syrian government.”
The Iranian opposition also called on the international community to take action to topple the Bashar al-Assad regime, stressing “it is evident that as long as the al-Assad regime stays in power, the brutalities will intensify and restoring peace will remain uncertain. We invite all Iranians and the international community to not remain silent and to stand against the crimes of the al-Assad regime” adding “our silence in s a license to kill.” The statement also called on “the people of Syria to prevent the al-Assad regime from spreading ethnic and religious division among them. We hope that after the fall of al-Assad, Syria will become a country in which all citizens are equal without any ethnic or religious discrimination.”
The Iranian opposition groups concluded the statement to the Syrian people by saying “we salute your resistance and we support you and your struggle until the end.”
The opposition media in Iran has been strongly focusing on the situation in Syria since the outbreak of the revolution, stressing its disapproval and condemnation the Iranian backing of the al-Assad regime. The “Green Voice of Freedom” website, which is affiliated to the Iranian reformist opposition movement, published a report recently detailing the abuses and transgressions that have been committed by al-Assad regime forces and the pro-regime Shabiha militia in Syrian cities since the outbreak of the popular revolution. Iranian opposition activist Nour al-Din Hosseini, who is affiliated to the opposition “Green Voice of Freedom” website, informed Asharq Al-Awsat that “all members of the opposition Green movement strongly oppose the Iranian government’s support of Bashar al-Assad, we believe that al-Assad is trampling over the fate of the Syrian people…carrying out crimes against humanity against his own people” adding “any person that supports Bashar al-Assad is an accomplice to his crimes.”
He also stressed that “the Iranian opposition has clarified its solidarity with the Syrian people and its rejection of Iran’s support for al-Assad” whilst he also asserted that no secret communication is taking place between the Syrian and Iranian opposition.

Ahmadinejad in Egypt?
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
Whilst talking to Egyptian delegates in Iran, the Iranian President said that he did not see any reason why not to visit Egypt, after the departure of those who do not want him there. In Tehran, Ahmadinejad said: “In Cairo, officials used to reject our presence in Egypt, and now they have left…However, we will wait to receive a formal invitation, and when that time comes I will visit Egypt immediately”.
In other words, Ahmadinejad wants to put forth the idea that Egyptian-Iranian differences are mere personality differences, rather than differences in interests and national security. He wants to suggest that had the former regime continued to remain in power, the opposition between the two countries would have continued in the same fashion. The Iranian President is trying to exploit Egypt’s rejection of its former regime in the interests of his own country, in a populist manner, whereby he wants to say to the Egyptians that Iran was wronged by Mubarak, just like you.
This is not all, of course. According to what was reported by the Egyptian delegates, Ahmadinejad spoke about what he called a Western conspiracy aiming to break up the Arab and Muslim world, striking its military and strategic strength. Ahmadinejad claimed that: “the solidarity of Egypt and Iran would be guaranteed to dispel the arrogance of the Zionist enemy, and limit America”, and that “the resilience of the people, with the Egyptians at the forefront, would crystalize a new Middle East without America and Israel”. Ahmadinejad also told his Egyptian visitors that the US will set out conditions for lending money and helping their country, whilst Iran would not impose any conditions for its assistance! As I mentioned above, what is this other than populist, opportunistic discourse; a discourse that is in fact insulting to Egypt and the Egyptians? Ahmadinejad, by talking in this way, is fundamentally establishing the preconditions he wants for Egypt: He wants Egypt to be free of those who do not want Iran, he wants an Egypt of resistance and opposition, i.e. to dismantle peace agreements with Israel, which would mean a new war, and he wants Egypt to act like Hezbollah and the al-Maliki government; subservient to the Supreme Guide.As for those who believe Ahmadinejad, or think that he wants what’s best for Egypt, they should consider Iran’s other alliances in the region. Iran is allied with al-Qaeda in Iraq and with Afghanistan, and yet Tehran was the one who provided assistance when Washington first invaded Iraq. Iran is also allied with Hezbollah, Hamas and Syria, and at times it has also enjoyed Turkish and Qatari sympathy, especially after the war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, when the “opposition and resistance” camp came to prominence. Here the Egyptians must ask themselves: What have these alliances brought to the region as a whole, or to the respective allies, or even to those who have sympathized with Iran? Now we see Turkey and Qatar standing with the defenseless Syrian people to protect them from the al-Assad killing machine, while Ahmadinejad’s Iran is the only Islamic country supplying al-Assad with weapons, funding and personnel. Here are the Iraqis struggling to overthrow the al-Maliki government while Tehran stands by it with all its strength, so is Iran really the state that Egypt should ally with? Should the page be turned on the past with Iran, based on promises and slogans? This is not right of course. The Egyptians must be well aware that the idea of a renewed Iranian presence in Egypt comes just as they are voting to choose their new president, and by extension deciding whether Egypt will be a civil or religious-based state. If it is a civil state, Egypt may resume relations with Iran but in accordance with its own interests, but if it is a religious one, will it be thrown into the arms of Iran and the Wali al-Faqih?
 

Assad's Houla Propaganda
by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi and Phillip Smyth
National Review Online
http://www.meforum.org/3261/assad-houla-propaganda
Throughout the Syrian conflict, Western media sources have accepted bait provided by Bashar al-Assad's most prodigious propagandists, who regularly weave tales of anti-Assad, al-Qaeda-style groups' expelling or murdering members of minority groups. These claims touch on issues that play well for Bashar Assad's regime, especially the claim that without the regime, the country will turn into Iraq.
The outcome of Assad's removal, assuming that Syria or even its Sunni heartland can hold together, may well be a new Sunni Islamist regime. However, this does not excuse the regime's attempts to disseminate patent falsehoods.
In a post on National Review Online, John Rosenthal quotes a June 7 article from a German newspaper, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), that discusses the recent massacre in Houla. Rosenthal also cites an article written by Mother Agnès-Mariam de la-Croix, of the St. James Monastery in Syria, regarding a massacre of 50 that took place in Homs in March.
The line immediately presented by the Syrian regime regarding the Houla massacre was that anti-Assad "armed terrorists" carried it out. This is the same line the regime took regarding Homs. Now, FAZ alleges that not only did opposition-group members carry out the Houla massacre, but the victims were principally Alawites — that is, part of Assad's religious sect — along with some Sunni families that had converted to Shiism.
One might be tempted to think that FAZ has got hold of a real scoop, but the truth is that these allegations have their origins on outlandish conspiracy websites. Often, the many propaganda purveyors with a direct interest in defending Assad have engaged in a circular routine of feeding one another details. In turn, these narratives find their way into legitimate outlets.
For example, in March, Agenzia Fides, an official Vatican publication, republished (almost verbatim) material provided by the Syrian propaganda website "Syria Truth." The article claimed that jihadists had expelled Christians from Homs. This information eventually found its way into outlets such as the Los Angeles Times. When we demonstrated the dubious veracity of these claims, Syria Truth went ballistic. A subsequent McClatchy article corroborated our refutation.
In the fog surrounding the Houla massacre, there seems to be more seepage of hazy data into mainstream outlets.
A June 5 article by Thierry Meyssan argued the same point as the FAZ article: namely, that the massacre arose in the context of a nearby rebel offensive against the Syrian army, and that some of the victims were Sunni families that had converted to Shiism. Meyssan is a well-known French 9/11 conspiracy theorist who believes that the Beslan Massacre in Russia — an action in which Chechen and Ingush jihadists killed hundreds of Russian schoolchildren — was actually planned and directed by the CIA and the U.S. government.
In turn, Meyssan cited Mother Agnes's affiliated outlet Vox Clamantis, which on May 26 issued a press release claiming that the Syrian army was not in the vicinity of Houla and did not bombard the area. The outlet then offered the purported testimony of an anonymous eyewitness from Kfar Laha, a town in the vicinity of Houla.
This supposed eyewitness claimed that on the night of the massacre, armed rebels first entered into a hospital at around 8 p.m., murdered all those inside, removed the corpses, and then burned the hospital. Next, the rebels entered Tal Daw at around 10 p.m.and proceeded to massacre some Alawite families. Then, all the corpses were gathered and taken to a mosque in Houla to show to the U.N. observers and create the impression of a massacre perpetrated by the Syrian army.
Like Nizar Nayouf of Syria Truth, Mother Agnès-Mariam often assumes the slick veneer of a moderate; she even wrote an open letter to Assad about the condition of people affected by the fighting in Syrian hospitals. It's hard not to conclude that Mother Agnès-Mariam is little more than another Assad propagandist using her religious credentials to push a particular narrative.
According to the Swiss newspaper Le Courrier, Agnès-Mariam was "comfortable among [Assad's] security services," and she told their reporter it was hoped he could "dismantle the propaganda of Western media."Thierry Meyssan also conducted a revealing interview with Mother Agnès-Mariam about Middle Eastern Christians. During the interview, the mother superior repeated the typically farcical Assad line that the dictator was truly trying to "reform."
Agnès-Mariam told Meyssan that she "deplored the fact that the so-called opponents didn't accept President Bashar Al-Assad's invitation to debate with him the series of reforms which he is in the process of carrying out."(Of course, it would be of no consequence to the sister (who never recanted her earlier statements) that in leaked private e-mails Assad told his wife, "We are going to adopt [a plan that left him in power] instead of the rubbish laws of parties, elections, media [i.e., actual democratic reforms].")
Mother Superior Agnès-Mariam continued by claiming that the opposition was just a puppet in a conspiracy guided by foreign powers. She also proffered the Assad narrative of Arabism, arguing that Middle Eastern Christians are truly Arabs. Many Middle Eastern Christians (including Eastern Catholics such as the Chaldeans and Maronites) have not adopted the Arab identity, but Arabism is part and parcel to Assad's own ideology.
Going back to Meyssan's June 5 article, the conspiracy theorist cites a May 31 TV report from a Russian news channel known as Vesti24. In a report reprinted on Meyssan's site, Vesti24's Marat Musin follows the pro-Assad line, which should come as no surprise given Musin's past reports on Homs, which promoted claims that French military officers are present in Syria assisting the rebels. Thus, based on interviews with "law enforcement officials" and Syrian army soldiers, Musin advances the claim that the victims were loyalist civilians — Sunni families who had converted to Shiism — and portrays the entire affair as a "provocation" by the opposition designed to trigger an intervention by NATO countries, which according to him "directly threaten to bomb Syria."
Though this review of the evidence might seem tedious, it should now be apparent that FAZ is not reporting a new theory: Rather, the outlet is simply recycling dubious claims coming from pro-Assad propagandists and conspiracy theorists.
The claims made by Meyssan et al. are not ignored by the mainstream media because the media want a narrative of a heroic, popular, democratic uprising against a brutal regime. Indeed, legitimate reports on gross human-rights abuses by rebel forces and members of the opposition have been widely documented and circulated by non-governmental organizations such as Human Rights Watch and prominent publications such as Der Spiegel. Instead, the claims of Meyssan and his ilk are ignored because they have no basis in reality.
Accurate reporting in Syria is difficult, and has been made more so by the widespread violence. And despite the existence of legitimate data furnished by Syrian citizens, there is a cottage industry of nonsensical reports presented specifically to alter the perceptions of observers. Autocratic regimes retain their own propagandists and have a cordon of "useful idiots" disseminating the former's data for their own reasons; Syria is no different. Damascus has its "Baghdad Bobs"; they've just been taken more seriously. As the West sits on its hands to see what may become of Syria, analysts must be circumspect in assessing the situation.
*Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi is a student at Brasenose College, Oxford University, and an adjunct fellow at the Middle East Forum. Phillip Smyth is a journalist and researcher specializing in Middle Eastern affairs. He travels regularly to the region.

A Tale of Two American Martyrs
by Raymond Ibrahim/FrontPageMagazine.com
June 12, 2012
http://www.meforum.org/3260/american-martyrs
Apologists for Islamic persecution of Christians regularly argue that the animosity is not driven by religion, but rather a "sectarian" divide, by any number of "indigenous" factors—poverty, intertribal conflicts, political machinations, etc. Other times, persecuted Christians are portrayed as Zionist agents and rapists, spies and traitors—anything other than people killed for their Christian faith.
Joel Shrum (L) and Jeremiah Small: Martyred in the lands of Islam.
Consider, however, the following two stories which deal with, not indigenous Christians—that is, not members of the native framework with its complex socio-political factors—but American Christians; not Zionist spies, but teachers who were, nonetheless, killed last March for sharing their faith with Muslims, for behaving like Christians.
First, on March 1, Jeremiah Small, a "beloved teacher and friend" who taught at a Christian school in Iraq, was shot to death by an 18-year-old student, even "as he bent his head to pray at the start of a morning class. The 33-year-old teacher from Washington state took bullets to the head and chest and died at the scene." According to students, "Mr. Jeremiah's hands were still folded in prayer when he fell"; others say a day before the shooting "a heated discussion" broke out "during which the pupil threatened to kill the teacher because of conflicting religious views."
The official story, however, as reported by the mainstream media, such as the Wall Street Journal, is that the source of the quarrel is a "mystery," and religion is unlikely; mention that he was murdered during prayer is also withheld.
Yet there are more indicators that he was likely murdered for sharing his Christian faith. According to this article, which interviews family and friends, Small "was a devout Christian who frequently praised Christianity and prayed in the classroom, and his friends in Washington said his evangelism is what motivated him to teach in Iraq… but he wasn't pushy." A pastor who once interviewed Small says "He knew he was putting his life on the line… He felt this was a way to serve and touch some lives for God." His parents—who wrote on Facebook "Our oldest, Jeremiah was martyred in Kurdistan this a.m."—do not appear to doubt the context of his murder. Finally, it is interesting to note that the Muslim father of the pupil who killed Small condemned Christian evangelists, portraying them as "more dangerous than al-Qaeda."
Speaking of al-Qaeda, on March 18, Joel Shrum, another American teacher, was shot dead eight times in Yemen by gunmen on a motorcycle. The assassins, who escaped after the attack, are members of the al-Qaeda linked "Supporters of Sharia" (which recently beheaded a "witch"). The group issued a message saying, "This operation comes as a response to the campaign of Christian proselytizing that the West has launched against Muslims," calling Shrum "one of the biggest American proselytizers."
Shrum's employers strongly denied the charge: 29-years-old, Shrum "was an American development worker who had been working in Yemen with his wife and two children since 2010. Unfortunately Joel S. has been accused of being a part of a proselytizing campaign, but the staff of ITDC, which consists of Muslims, Christians and other religions working together, has continually focused on human development, skill transfer and community development," adding that "Joel S. was a very professional employee who highly respected the Islamic religion." (Note the boilerplate kowtowing to Islam, which one would have thought unnecessary—at least in this context.)
However, an interview with Shrum's wife makes clear that, not only was Shrum a devout and open Christian, likely to share his faith: "He lived in the reality that we are all created in the image of God and that nothing can separate us from the love of God…. These truths were an inspiration for everything that he did." Moreover, there is no reason to doubt his Islamic murderers when they say he was killed for "proselytizing." There are many other Americans in Yemen: if al-Qaeda was simply targeting American infidels in general, there would be more random killings.
To conclude, Small and Shrum were not missionaries devoted to proselytizing Muslims—if so, they would have probably been killed earlier—but they were Christians who were not hesitant to share the Gospel with anyone showing interest, including the Muslims of Iraq and Yemen. This was enough to kill them—the one by a student, the other by al-Qaeda.
Finally, it is well to recall that these two Americans had nothing in common with the indigenous Christians of the Muslim world; the arguments used to dispel the persecution of the latter—sectarian strife, political machinations, etc.—do not apply to the former. Instead, the only thing they have in common is Christianity. This reaffirms, yet again, that the animosity that killed the Americans Small and Shrum, is the same animosity that persecutes and sometimes kills the Islamic world's Christian minorities—an animosity based on religious intolerance, nothing more nor less.
*Raymond Ibrahim is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum.