LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 28/2012

Bible Quotation for today/Children of God
01 John 03/01-10: "See how much the Father has loved us! His love is so great that we are called God's children and so, in fact, we are. This is why the world does not know us: it has not known God. My dear friends, we are now God's children, but it is not yet clear what we shall become. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he really is. Everyone who has this hope in Christ keeps himself pure, just as Christ is pure. Whoever sins is guilty of breaking God's law, because sin is a breaking of the law. You know that Christ appeared in order to take away sins, and that there is no sin in him. So everyone who lives in union with Christ does not continue to sin; but whoever continues to sin has never seen him or known him. Let no one deceive you, my children! Whoever does what is right is righteous, just as Christ is righteous. Whoever continues to sin belongs to the Devil, because the Devil has sinned from the very beginning. The Son of God appeared for this very reason, to destroy what the Devil had done. Those who are children of God do not continue to sin, for God's very nature is in them; and because God is their Father, they cannot continue to sin.0 Here is the clear difference between God's children and the Devil's children: those who do not do what is right or do not love others are not God's children.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
U.S. leaders had better heed Israel's warnings on Iran/By Ari Shavit /Haaretz/March 27/12
A gigantic prison/By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 27/12
What would Umar bin Abdulaziz say to Bashar/By Dr. Hamad Al-Majid/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 27/12
What now after Toulouse/By: Emad El Din Adeeb/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 27/12
The Shame of electricity in Lebanon/The stain of shame/Now Lebanon/March 27/12
Syria’s Muslim Brothers pledge a civil state/By: Hanin Ghaddar/Now Lebanon/March 27/12

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for March 27/12
Syria replies to Annan; Homs shelled again
Syria grounds military-age men
Syrian Air Force intelligence chief killed, opposition websites report
Obama vows to cut nuclear arsenal, warns North Korea, Iran
Ahmadinejad says U.S. can no longer dictate policy
Iran warns U.S.: Stop dictating world policy
Baghdad heavily secured against Syrian or al Qaeda attack on Arab Summit
Russian PM Vladimir Putin to visit Israel in June
Turkish Ex-Army Chief on Trial for Alleged Coup Plots
S. Sudan Accuses Khartoum of Airstrikes, Ground Assault
Sarkozy to bar radical imams from entering France
Syria imposes travel ban on men under 42
Amnesty: Iranian execution surge lifts world toll
Maliki faces Syria tightrope at upcoming Baghdad summit
Israel asks Lebanon to prevent Land Day protest from reaching border
March 14 lauds Syria Brotherhood charter
Summit looks to put Beirut on digital map
Lebanese Oil sector to hold 3-day strike over surcharge
Lebanon’s NGOs hold several marches for women’s rights
Lebanese Lawyers strike and warn of escalation
Lebanon’s Justice Minister, Qortbawi: At least 20 in custody for food safety crimes
Phalange Warns against Repeating Antonine Incident in Other Universities
Jumblat Lauds Syria's Muslim Brotherhood Declaration, Slams Fears of Islamist Movements
Land Day rally limited to 5,000 participants, organizers say
Hamadeh: Mikati’s cabinet will not last until 2013 elections
Italian minister voices importance of Lebanon’s stability
Chamoun says he does not agree with Patriarch’s positions
Geagea slams Change and Reform bloc over electricity issue
Lebanese Forces welcomes Syrian Muslim Brotherhood statement
Maronite League supports diplomatic solution to Syrian crisis
Harb: Cabinet cannot agree on anything

 Syria’s Muslim Brothers pledge a civil state
Hanin Ghaddar, March 26, 2012 /Naow Lebanon
From Istanbul, the Muslim Brothers of Syria declared on Sunday their political charter that details their vision of Syria after toppling the current regime. While it is still only ink on paper, the charter clearly endorses a pledge and commitment to a civil, democratic and modern state that respects institutions, not religion, as the basis of political and social life.
The most significant part of the charter is that the Muslim Brothers stressed the concept of citizenship and completely dispensed with the notion of the “Islamic Umma” which usually colors their rhetoric in the region. Their statement, with its 10 straightforward vows, mentions international declarations and agreements more than it mentions Islam and stresses on human rights all throughout.
The charter is an oath by the Muslim Brothers of Syria to “endorse a civil constitution that protects the rights of individuals and groups.” It envisions a republic with a parliamentary system that guarantees the rotation of power and democracy. It calls for a state that guarantees equality between men and women, respects human rights such as “human dignity, equality, freedom of speech and religion, political participation and social justice.” The Muslim Brothers pledge “to abolish segregation and torture, and [to] protect individual freedoms in both the private and the public spheres.”
They also vow to “fight terrorism and prevent revenge, even from those whose hands were stained by their fellow Syrians’ blood. They have the right to just trials under an independent and transparent judiciary system.” I, the liberal, secular, Shia-born woman suddenly felt the desire to live in this utopia. However, this is a pledge and not the definite upcoming reality. If this is a genuine attempt by the Muslim Brothers, it means that they have not only challenged themselves, but also dared all the Muslim Brothers in the region, mainly Egypt, to act responsibly and move forward.
The charter is good news for two main reasons. One, it should reassure the minorities in Syria who still stand closer to the regime because the word “Islamist” frightens them. The Assad regime succeeded in painting a horrific image of the Muslim Brothers in Syria following the Hama events of the 1980s, and presented itself as the secular regime whose main goal is to protect the rights of minorities.
In fact, this charter sounds much better than the draft constitution presented by the Assad regime a few weeks ago in regards to comforting minorities and setting their terrified minds at rest. It also seeks to comfort the Alawites who are associated with the regime and are worried of sectarian revenge once they are on their own. Two, this charter shows the international community that the Muslim Brothers of Syria are ready to let go of the Islamic nation ideology and endorse a modern civil state, not because they detest Islam now, but because they are pragmatic and are willing to move forward.
The Egyptian experience scared most liberals and secularists and made the Arab Spring look more like an autumn. Muslim Brothers and Islamists in general anywhere in the region were associated with the Egyptian brothers, but this charter came out as a brave step by the Syrian Brothers to dissociate themselves from that experience and endorse an Islamic model that is closer to the Turkish Justice and Development Party. Should we believe them? Can we trust they will fulfill these promises when the regime falls and if they achieve political power in Syria? It is still too early to say. This charter is still a contract that needs to be implemented, and it should be translated into reality as much as possible before the fall of the regime.
The Muslim Brothers are heavily criticized for their control over the Syrian National Council and their strong relations with regional powers. When they pledge that the Syrian people should decide independently and democratically their path and future, they need to translate these words into action as they practice politics as the opposition, before taking power. Otherwise, they will lose credibility.
Time will tell. But in any case, this charter will become the main instrument to evaluate the Muslim Brothers in the future. If they fulfill their promises, then we should not be concerned for Syria’s future, and if they don’t, they will be judged and held accountable. They could lose credibility over failed promises, and without credibility, their political future might not be very promising.
*Hanin Ghaddar is the managing editor of NOW Lebanon.

March 14 lauds Syria Brotherhood charter
March 27, 2012/ By Hussein Dakroub The Daily Star
BEIRUT: A statement by Syria’s banned Muslim Brotherhood movement promising a democratic pluralistic state after the fall of President Bashar Assad’s regime won praise from March 14 politicians and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt Monday. The head of the Progressive Socialist Party hailed the Brotherhood’s statement, saying it represented a vision of moderation and political pluralism in a country that has been ruled by a one-party system for four decades. “The latest statement by the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria has affirmed moderation, diversity, plurality, coexistence and equality,” Jumblatt said in a speech he delivered at an International Socialism conference held in Istanbul at the weekend. The full text of the speech was released by the PSP Monday.
Referring to the election victories by the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and an Islamist party in Tunisia following the ouster of the two countries’ autocratic presidents in popular uprisings, Jumblatt said: “The example of Egypt and Tunisia has also confirmed this trend. Why is there fear of or intimidation from Islamist movements?” The Muslim Brotherhood, which has been outlawed by the government in Syria, issued Sunday a charter outlining its blueprint for a political system in Syria in a post-Bashar Assad era. It said the charter emanated from the principles of Islam which are based on freedom, justice, forgiveness and openness. The movement said it was committed to a future Syria with “a modern civil state” based on a civilian constitution to be drafted by an elected assembly as a result of free and honest elections.Men and women would enjoy equal rights in the future Syria, the charter said. It promised “a rotating pluralistic democratic state” with a parliamentary republican system.
It also pledged a state committed to human rights and public freedoms, including the freedom of thought, expression, media and religion.
The future state will enjoy the separation of powers and a system of accountability in governance, the charter added.
The Brotherhood said the country’s military and security bodies would be responsible for protecting the people and the nation rather than defending any government or regime.
The future Syria will be committed to fighting terrorism and would use all legitimate means to liberate its occupied territory, while maintaining support to the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, the Muslim Brotherhood added.
The charter promised to establish the best evenhanded relations with Arab countries, and particularly Lebanon, “whose people have suffered as did the Syrian people from the horrors of the regime of corruption and tyranny.”
The March 14 Secretariat General hailed the Brotherhood’s charter as a “historic document” both in its timing and content.
“This historic document constitutes a fundamental and qualitative addition to the promises of the Arab Spring, especially in Syria,” the March 14 Secretariat said in a statement.
“The document proposes a sound and firm basis for a new social contract in Syria,” the statement said.
The Brotherhood’s charter was also welcomed by the Lebanese Forces.
“The Lebanese Forces read with a positive and calm eye the statement of the Muslim Brotherhood group in Syria under the slogan of a pledge and a charter that safeguards rights, eliminates fears and represents a national vision and in which the group affirmed its commitment to ‘a pluralistic, democratic state,’” the LF’s media department said in a statement.
“The LF welcomes this charter, particularly pertaining to Lebanon, hoping that what matters is implementation,” it added.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s top Christian and Muslim religious leaders met Sunday to urge the bolstering of national unity, and lamented the political divisions in the country.
However, a heated argument flared during the meeting, held at the Maronite patriarchate in Bkirki, between Druze religious leader Sheikh Naim Hasan and other spiritual leaders over the wording of the statement on the Syrian crisis, sources close the participants told The Daily Star.
Following their meeting, chaired by Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai, the religious leaders expressed their condemnation of the ongoing violence in Syria and their deep sorrow over the victims who fall every day. “They prayed to God to preserve Syria’s security, unity and safety,” their statement said.
Hasan demanded adding a sentence to the statement saying: “A peaceful solution in Syria should be based on the Arab League initiative.” The initiative called on Assad to step down.
But this demand was rejected by Rai, Grand Mufti Mohammad Rashid Qabbani and Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan, the deputy head of the Higher Shiite Council, who considered the grounds that it constituted an unjustified involvement in details of the Syrian crisis, the sources said.This prompted Hasan to issue a statement from the Druze religious headquarters in Verdun, expressing reservations over the Syrian portion of the statement, the sources added. Referring to Lebanon, the participants stressed the need for national unity, based on religious coexistence, “to protect from the effects of the events in the region on Lebanon.” – With additional reporting by Maher Zeineddine

Brotherhood statement
March 26, 2012 /The Lebanese Forces on Monday welcomed Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood statement that the party would share power and respect democracy if President Bashar al-Assad was toppled.
The LF especially welcomed the part of the statement that tackled Syria’s relations with Lebanon, and said it was looking forward to its implementation. The Brotherhood’s declaration vowed to build a state that would become a source of stability for Lebanon and build ties based on equality with “a country whose people have suffered as much as the Syrian people in the face of injustice and tyranny.” Syria's Muslim Brotherhood leader, Mohammad Riad Al Shaqfa, said on Sunday that his party is committed to building a democratic country “that cherishes gender and religious equality and respects human rights.” Syria has witnessed anti-regime protests since mid-March 2011. The United Nations estimated that more than 8,000 people have been killed in the regime’s crackdown on dissent. Lebanon’s political scene is split between supporters of Assad’s regime, led by Hezbollah, and the pro-Western March 14 camp.-NOW Lebanon

Lebanese Forces welcomes Syrian Muslim Geagea slams Change and Reform bloc over electricity issue
March 26, 2012 /Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea addressed the electricity issue and slammed the Change and Reform bloc, saying the latter wanted decisions made its way or no electricity would be generated, according to a statement issued by Geagea’s press office on Monday. Asked if Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s cabinet may collapse due to the electricity issue, Geagea asked: “Is there a cabinet to collapse in the first place?” The issue of electricity has sparked controversy, especially since Mikati had reservations over Energy Minister Gebran Bassil’s proposal to rent power-generating ships. The statement also said that the LF leader met with Kataeb bloc MP Sami Gemayel, and quoted Geagea as saying that the meeting with Gemayel was “very good.”-NOW Lebanon

Chamoun says he does not agree with Patriarch’s positions
March 26, 2012 /National Liberal Party leader MP Dori Chamoun told Akhbar al-Yawm news agency on Monday that Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai took positions that he did not agree with.
“We do not at all support [the Patriarchate’s] interference in political details. [The Patriarchate] may specify national principles, but it is unacceptable for the patriarch to present a certificate of good conduct to an immoral country,” Chamoun said in reference to Syria.Chamoun added the Syrian regime “killed and displaced” Lebanese people.“Does a regime like that deserve a certificate of good conduct?”In an interview with Reuters earlier in March, the Patriarch said that “the closest thing” to democracy in the Arab world was Syria and that he was against “turning the Arab Spring into winter.”-NOW Lebanon

Harb: Cabinet cannot agree on anything
March 26, 2012 /March 14 MP Boutros Harb said on Monday that the current cabinet could not agree on anything, “although it gathers people from the same [coalition].”“Is it acceptable that we could reach a moment when all the members of the Higher Judicial Council resign because [Change and Reform bloc leader] MP Michel Aoun still insists that a particular person [be assigned as the head of the council]? Is it possible for a Lebanese official to [have] such [mentality]?” Harb asked during an interview with the Voice of Lebanon (100.5) radio.Head of the Higher Judicial Council, a post which is usually reserved for the Christian Maronite sect, is reportedly a controversial issue between President Michel Sleiman and Aoun.
-NOW Lebanon

Maronite League supports diplomatic solution to Syrian crisis
March 26, 2012 /The Executive Council of the Maronite League said on Monday that a diplomatic solution to the Syrian crisis would help Lebanon avoid the repercussions of the violence in Syria, the National News Agency reported. Following its meeting, the league also welcomed the international initiative led by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan to resolve the Syrian crisis on the basis of launching dialogue between the Syrian regime and the opposition. Syria has witnessed anti-regime protests since mid-March 2011. The United Nations estimated that more than 8,000 people have been killed in the regime’s crackdown on dissent.  Annan’s peace plan in Syria calls for a UN-supervised halt to fighting, with the government pulling troops and heavy weapons out of protest cities, a daily two-hour humanitarian pause to hostilities and access to all areas affected by the fighting.-NOW Lebanon

Jumblat Lauds Syria's Muslim Brotherhood Declaration, Slams Fears of Islamist Movements
by Naharnet /Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat praised on Monday the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood’s statement on the developments in their country, saying that it reflected the Sunni population’s openness to regional changes. He said: “The Muslim Brotherhood demonstrated moderation, diversity, and equality.” He made his remarks in Turkey where he took part in the Socialist International conference in Istanbul. “This same openness has been demonstrated in the Muslim Brotherhood in Tunisia and Egypt, so why are there growing fears of Islamist movements?” wondered Jumblat.
Addressing Russia’s position on the Syrian crisis, he wondered: “Shouldn’t pleasing the Arab world, which has a Sunni majority, reflect positively on the former Soviet states that have a majority of Sunnis?”
“It is time to stop the statements of some Russian strategic analysts who have defended the Syrian regime at any cost,” added the PSP leader.
“Are Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s warnings over a civil war in Syria a way of making the Syrians choose between a settlement with the ruling regime or a potential war?” he asked.
“Is this the most Russia can do?” he wondered. “It is strange how the Arab initiative on Syria, which called for ending the violence, releasing political prisoners, and withdrawing the army from the streets, has developed into demanding a two-hour ceasefire per day,” noted the Druze chief. “Is this the most that the international community can do?” he continued.
Jumblat stressed the need for reaching a political solution to the Syrian crisis, warning that its continuation will lead to a civil war that will negatively affect the entire region.
He renewed the PSP’s position that the Syrian refugees in Lebanon need to be protected and provided with the necessary aid.
Syria's Muslim Brotherhood will share power and respect democracy if President Bashar Assad is toppled, its leader said on Sunday.
"The regime is trying to show that the Muslim Brotherhood are trying to control Syria alone," Mohammad Riad al-Shaqfa told a news conference in Istanbul in remarks translated into English.
"We want a democratic Syria and we do not want to control the country alone," he said, ahead of the international conference of "Friends of Syria," scheduled in Istanbul for April 1.
During his Turkey trip, Jumblat held talks with a delegation from the Syrian opposition before which he stressed the need for their unity and reaching a political solution to the crisis.
Upon his return to Lebanon, he commented on U.S. Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen’s recent visit to Lebanon, saying that he “supports sanctions against the Syrian regime, while keeping in mind the ongoing dispute between the U.S. administration and Hizbullah.”
He added however that he rejects targeting the funds of Lebanese in various banks around the world.
Cohen had warned Lebanese officials against allowing Syria or Iran to use their country to evade international sanctions.
He said the essential message that he delivered to the officials is that they should take the utmost precaution and be sure that Lebanon would not slide towards permitting Syria or Iran to use it in an attempt to evade the sanctions. The American official held talks with Prime Minister Najib Miqati, Central Bank Governor Riyad Salameh and a number of representatives from the Lebanese banking sector last week.
SourceNaharne

Land Day rally limited to 5,000 participants, organizers say
March 27, 2012 02:24 AM
By Mohammed Zaatari The Daily Star
Zeid Daher of Hezbollah and Yasser Ali of Hamas inspect the site.
SIDON, Lebanon: An event to mark Land Day will take place as scheduled Friday but with a maximum of 5,000 people taking part due to safety concerns, organizers told The Daily Star.
The committee organizing the march, which is expected to attract several hundred international activists along with thousands of Lebanese and Palestinians, met Monday and decided that the number of people gathering at Beaufort Castle in Nabatieh would have to be limited in number.
Organizers had hoped that up to 30,000 people might take part in the event, which commemorates a violent crackdown in 1976 by Israeli forces against Palestinians protesting land confiscations.
It is being held this year under the banner of a “Global March to Jerusalem,” with similar gatherings planned in the Palestinian territories, Jordan Egypt.
But after a protest last May to commemorate the Palestinian Nakba of 1948 turned deadly at the Lebanese-Israeli border, with at least 10 people killed by Israeli troops, the organizers of the Land Day event proposed three different routes for their march, with none approaching the border area. They settled on Beaufort Castle, near the village of Arnoun, but members of the organizing committee visited the site Monday and voiced concerns that it could only handle 5,000 people. Beaufort Castle is located on a steep hill. Members of the organizing committee, which includes representatives of Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as civilian groups, expressed their worries about the venue, which is located on an outcropping with steep slopes on all sides. A member of the committee, who requested anonymity, said that much of the enthusiasm for the event was waning because the authorities refused to give permission for a gathering south of the Litani River.
“We respect the decisions of the Lebanese Army and the Lebanese government, but it would have been better for the preparations to take place two months ago,” he said.
Organizers had said they feared that concerns about the Beaufort Castle location might force them to relocate altogether, to Martyrs’ Square in Sidon, where hundreds of Lebanese and Palestinians killed in the 1982 Israeli invasion are buried. The deputy mayor of Arnoun, Ahmad Alawieh, told The Daily Star that his village would welcome the Palestinians and other activists, and said the castle still served as a reminder of resistance to Israeli occupation, and would be a suitable site for the event.

Baghdad heavily secured against Syrian or al Qaeda attack on Arab Summit
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report March 25, 2012, 11:06 PM (GMT+02:00) Tags: Baghdad Arab League security measures Al Qaeda Syria 100,000 troops drafted in to secure Baghdad's Green ZoneThe three-day Arab summit, the first to be held in Baghdad in more than two decades, opens Tuesday March 27 after Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Emirates obtained a promise from Iraq’s Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki not to invite Iran and receive only a low-ranking Syrian official. Although Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was invited to former summits, Maliki bowed to those conditions because he badly needed to boost Iraq’s credibility in the Arab world and demonstrate its recovery from years of violence. And so, Iran will be absent and Syria represented by its foreign Minsiter Walid Moallem - not by is president, Bashar Assad. Gulf rulers also insisted in a low-profile Palestinian delegation. Palestinian leaders are in low standing in most Gulf Arab capitals these days.
Egypt is to send a low-ranking delegation because its acting ruler, Field Marshal Mohammed Tantawi, is unable to leave Cairo in the tense weeks leading up to the first post-Mubarak presidential election in June and the general state of domestic unrest. Two days before the summit opening, Baghdad and its environs are in heavy security lockdown to ward off terrorist threats: Around 100,000 extra security forces were drafted in to man hundreds checkpoints along with SWAT teams. War-weary Baghdad citizens complain about huge traffic jams and other disruptions.
Large security and military teams armed with advanced anti-terrorist electronic gear have also flown in ahead of the Arab rulers. At the same time, Western sources familiar with conditions in Iraq are skeptical about these blanket security measures being 100 percent proof against the various terrorist organizations active in Iraq, especially the local al Qaeda affiliate. Its lairs have never been so close to such an important gathering of Arab big wheels in one place. Even a small attack in their general neighborhood would give any terrorist group unprecedented propaganda exposure and is therefore an opportunity not to be missed. It might help that al Qaeda gets most of its funding from Iraqi Sunni factions supported by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf emirates. They might well have forked out extra bonuses as incentives for al Qaeda to keep the peace for the three days of the summit, although the maze of violent groups in Baghdad is such that no one can be sure of controlling them. Conducting the event in the heavily-fortified Green Zone of Baghdad, seat of government and foreign embassies, is no guarantee of safety. Even this enclosed enclave is frequently prey to mortar and rocket fire. Western security experts also point out that Syrian President Bashar Assad has a beef with most Arab rulers, who denounce his brutality, especially those supporting the anti-regime rebels with arms and cash.Only three months ago, Prime Minster al-Maliki accused Assad of sending terrorists to Baghdad to blow up explosives-packed cars and shell Iraqi government and foreign embassy buildings. Iraqi intelligence experts are convinced that the heavy rocket attack on Turkish embassy in Baghdad, January 18, was carried out as warning message from Damascus to Ankara to stop meddling in the Syrian crisis.

On Iran, the right Benjamin is the one in uniform
By Amir Oren/Haaretz
From serene Ottawa to tense Washington, Gantz was accorded a lot of attention, because the folks there know that without his explicit recommendation there won't be an attack on Iran.TORONTO - The students in the Canadian armed forces' joint command and staff program are being introduced for the first time to thinking on the command level. These future majors come from the ranks of the ground forces, air force and navy. In their ethics classes they look at a case study from a foreign army on a distant front - the case of Eli Geva, a commander of an Israel Defense Forces armored brigade, who had to decide how to proceed in Beirut knowing that civilians would be hurt. The instructor had his students put themselves in the position of a career officer like Geva, who couldn't take the pressure and quit. Would they do the same? In discussions at the Center for National Security Studies at the Canadian Forces College here, as well as at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service in Ottawa, a lot of curiosity was expressed about the decision-making process in Israel - how senior IDF officers think and act, relations between the ranks of the political and military leadership, and internal decision making when it comes to the Iranian nuclear issue. The Canadian Army has completed its mission in Afghanistan and feels slightly uncomfortable with the army's traditional lethal role. It prefers to be portrayed, as its recruiting slogan states, as "serving Canadians at home and around the world" - as medics, not fighters, a Boy Scout troop, one of its officers said. From here, territorial disputes in the Middle East look as out of context as a snowplow in a spring heat wave.
Young people and professionals here get proper monetary remuneration as an incentive to enlist and stay in the army. A master corporal in his fifth year makes about $6,000 a month. Majors get $9,000, and specialist medical officers with the rank of colonel earn $24,000 per month - $4,000 more than the Canadian Forces chief of staff. When senior officials at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service are asked if they are the counterpart of Britain's MI5, which deals with internal security, or MI6, which deals with intelligence functions abroad, they say they are really an MI "5 and a half." Combating terrorism is the agency's responsibility even outside of Canada's borders, but without the offensive capabilities of Britain's MI6, Israel's Mossad or the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. It's an antiquated policy that is about to be changed. And in the interim Canadian passports have been doing reserve duty in the operations of a certain Israeli organization.
Despite the well-known complexity of Canada's relations with its American neighbor to the south - of which the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 is a reminder - Canada is above all the U.S. defense establishment's closest partner. It is also an important player in the "ABC" trio of Australia, Britain and Canada - countries that are treated as members of an extended family in Washington. The Americans keep them in the loop, except when it comes to things that would be secret even within the family.
Last week Gen. Walt Natynczyk, chief of the Canadian defense staff, hosted IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz on a stopover the Israeli made on his way to Washington for a third meeting in six months with the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey. Gen. Dempsey carefully packaged Gantz's U.S. visit. Three days before the Israeli's arrival, Dempsey was interviewed on PBS television's Charlie Rose show and distilled the disagreement between the United States and Israel over the Iranian nuclear program as one of timing. He also noted that the U.S. military had been simulating possible scenarios involved in an Iranian response to an Israeli attack - a reference to the "Internal Look" war games conducted by the U.S. Central Command.
By the time Gantz arrived from Canada, The New York Times had learned that Iran's response was projected to included hundreds of American war dead, which of course would be chalked up to Israeli haste. As soon as Gantz's visit was over, Dempsey quickly informed anyone who was interested that he had informed his Israeli visitor about the facts of life. In diplomatic speak, it was a "regular and candid dialogue" of crucial importance in light of the "common threats and challenges." If such a hint was not enough to encourage hope that the IDF and the Israeli intelligence community would restrain Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, a week ago, on St. Patrick's Day, Dempsey celebrated with a 69th infantry unit - the descendant of the so-called fighting Irish Brigade, whose traditional motto is "gentle when stroked, fierce when provoked." America is just like that unit, Dempsey seems to indicate. Better not to provoke it and witness its friendly demeanor replaced by firm determination. From serene Ottawa to tense Washington, Gantz was accorded a lot of attention, because the folks there know that without his explicit recommendation there won't be an attack on Iran. In the current Israeli reality, when it comes to Benjamin Gantz and Benjamin Netanyahu, the right Benny is the one in uniform. On this issue, the prime minister is dependent upon the Benny at the chief of staff headquarters. In the Canadian military, the question has not yet been raised over whether, 30 years later, when it comes to the crunch, Gantz will find himself facing the same pressures as Eli Geva.

U.S. leaders had better heed Israel's warnings on Iran
By Ari Shavit /Haaretz
On the one hand, we cannot exclude the possibility that the senior Israeli officials briefing us are bluffing. On the other hand, what we journalists hear in closed rooms is staggering. Something quite extraordinary has been happened in recent months: Israeli leaders have taken to openly threatening to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities before Christmas 2012. In public speeches, such as the one given by Prime Minister Netanyahu at the AIPAC Conference in Washington three weeks ago, an analogy is being made between 1944 and 2012. In private meetings there is even more direct talk of the need to take military action later this year. The message conveyed by Israeli decision makers is clear and blunt: Time is up. It’s now or never. If the international community doesn’t stop Iran by summer, Israel will soon strike. As the current Israeli leadership is rather isolated, only a handful of journalists have been directly exposed to this somber message. The unique situation puts us professionals in a moral dilemma. On the one hand, we cannot exclude the possibility that the senior Israeli officials briefing us are bluffing. They have a vested interest in doing so, in order to put pressure on the American administration and the world powers. The direct talk of imminent war sometimes seems too surreal to be real. On the other hand, what we journalists hear in closed rooms is staggering. The officials talking to us seem to be genuine and earnest. The sources are top-notch and what they say is consistent with what we know of the preparations being made by the IDF. There are no blunt lies here. There is no cheap spin. So are we to self censor priceless information indicating war might break out soon? The latest victim of the publish-or-censor dilemma is Jeffrey Goldberg. For years, Goldberg has been the leading American journalist covering the Israel-Iran crisis. In September 2010, he published a remarkable piece in the Atlantic Monthly, forecasting an Israeli air strike on Iran. In early March 2012, he conducted an in-depth interview with President Barack Obama regarding Israel and Iran. In his Bloomberg columns, Goldberg monitors the unfolding Mideast drama with precision and insight. And yet, distinguished columnists such as Roger Cohen of the New York Times dismiss Goldberg’s information and analysis. They claim that an Israeli attack on Iran (with no American support and cooperation) is insane and therefore would never happen. Personally, I hope Cohen is right. An Israeli air strike on the Islamic Republic is the worst way to stop its nuclear project. But up to this point, all diplomatic attempts to stop the Ayatollahs have failed. Recently imposed sanctions are biting, but they do not really discourage the Shiite fanatics. By 2013, Israel might lose its military potency vis-à-vis Iran. So temperatures are rising in Jerusalem. As time is running out the Goldberg scenario becomes more and more likely. What he hears from his sources, and what I hear from my sources, lead us to believe the coming summer is a crucial one. If senior Israelis are now shouting gewald, American decision makers and opinion leaders had better pay close attention.

Baghdad heavily secured against Syrian or al Qaeda attack on Arab Summit
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report March 25, 2012/The three-day Arab summit, the first to be held in Baghdad in more than two decades, opens Tuesday March 27 after Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Emirates obtained a promise from Iraq’s Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki not to invite Iran and receive only a low-ranking Syrian official. Although Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was invited to former summits, Maliki bowed to those conditions because he badly needed to boost Iraq’s credibility in the Arab world and demonstrate its recovery from years of violence.
And so, Iran will be absent and Syria represented by its foreign Minsiter Walid Moallem - not by is president, Bashar Assad.
Gulf rulers also insisted in a low-profile Palestinian delegation. Palestinian leaders are in low standing in most Gulf Arab capitals these days.
Egypt is to send a low-ranking delegation because its acting ruler, Field Marshal Mohammed Tantawi, is unable to leave Cairo in the tense weeks leading up to the first post-Mubarak presidential election in June and the general state of domestic unrest. Two days before the summit opening, Baghdad and its environs are in heavy security lockdown to ward off terrorist threats: Around 100,000 extra security forces were drafted in to man hundreds checkpoints along with SWAT teams. War-weary Baghdad citizens complain about huge traffic jams and other disruptions. Large security and military teams armed with advanced anti-terrorist electronic gear have also flown in ahead of the Arab rulers. At the same time, Western sources familiar with conditions in Iraq are skeptical about these blanket security measures being 100 percent proof against the various terrorist organizations active in Iraq, especially the local al Qaeda affiliate. Its lairs have never been so close to such an important gathering of Arab big wheels in one place. Even a small attack in their general neighborhood would give any terrorist group unprecedented propaganda exposure and is therefore an opportunity not to be missed. It might help that al Qaeda gets most of its funding from Iraqi Sunni factions supported by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf emirates. They might well have forked out extra bonuses as incentives for al Qaeda to keep the peace for the three days of the summit, although the maze of violent groups in Baghdad is such that no one can be sure of controlling them. Conducting the event in the heavily-fortified Green Zone of Baghdad, seat of government and foreign embassies, is no guarantee of safety. Even this enclosed enclave is frequently prey to mortar and rocket fire. Western security experts also point out that Syrian President Bashar Assad has a beef with most Arab rulers, who denounce his brutality, especially those supporting the anti-regime rebels with arms and cash. Only three months ago, Prime Minster al-Maliki accused Assad of sending terrorists to Baghdad to blow up explosives-packed cars and shell Iraqi government and foreign embassy buildings. Iraqi intelligence experts are convinced that the heavy rocket attack on Turkish embassy in Baghdad, January 18, was carried out as warning message from Damascus to Ankara to stop meddling in the Syrian crisis.

The stain of shame
Now Lebanon/March 26, 2012
Ships or power plants? Who cares? Just make a decision! The country is trying to move forward and make itself competitive while experiencing the biggest real estate – residential and commercial – boom in its history. The result: the private sector is setting a pace with which an imbecilic government cannot keep up. But even more important than the economic and infrastructure needs are those of the Lebanese people. Every time the light goes out is a reminder their government appears not to care one jot, either for their livelihood or their dignity.
The situation is not destined to get better any time soon. It was reported on NOW Lebanon on Saturday that within four to six months, a five-year maintenance project on the Zouk and Jiyyeh power plants will begin. The work, we were told by a member of the Energy Ministry (surely that’s the non-Energy Ministry), would take up to five years and reduce our power output even further.
Things could not be any worse for the so-called most vibrant and exciting country in the region. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitive Report for 2011-2012, Lebanon ranks 141 out of 142 in “quality of electricity supply.” We are behind Angola with only Nepal ranking lower.
This government – although we could be talking about every government since the end of the civil war – has failed in its duty to its people, ignoring or paying scant attention to our electricity and water needs. There is no focus. Politics is primitive, ugly, partisan and sectarian, defined by in-fighting and self-interest. The electricity scandal – let us not mince our words – is a stain of shame on modern Lebanese society. But five years? Does the ministry, any ministry, or even the government for that matter, know what it will be doing next week, let alone in five years? It is comforting that the state knows how long we will have to get by on less power but has no idea as to when our national malaise will be cured once and for all. The government talks of ships and new power plants but nothing happens, and in 20 years, not one plan to resolve the issue and meet capacity has been seriously adopted. Meanwhile, demand is increasing as new, more modern buildings are being thrown up.
But it is not only the practical limitations that affect our ability to function as a nation. There is also the drain on the soul, on living with the expectation of sudden darkness. Even for those who are lucky enough to have access to a generator, it can take its toll.
And of course Lebanon being Lebanon, there is a grubby side to the culture of neglect. What little revenue streams the state has at its disposal have been depleted even further by theft, while it is an open secret that after two decades of state failure, unscrupulous private suppliers with significant lobbying powers have stepped in to make up the shortfall. Knowing Lebanon as we do, it is a fair bet to assume that these business owners have a vested interest in the state’s inability to do its job. The energy crisis must be the priority on the government’s agenda. As the summer tourist season approaches, the state must be seen to act. Prime Minister Najib Mikati, a man who by all accounts does not need to feather his nest, must make electricity his number one priority. Private suppliers must be regulated, while a tender must be announced for the complete overhaul of Lebanon’s national grid. Bids should be public and the whole process must enjoy an unprecedented level of transparency. In the meantime, the government must do everything in its power to establish a stop-gap solution. If Lebanon is not destined to limp on for another 20 years, there can be no other way.


What now after Toulouse?
Emad El Din Adeeb/Asharq Al-Awsat
What I dreaded and duly warned against in my article a few days ago - regarding my fear about the "Toulouse crime" in which four people were killed, three being children - has happened.
At the conclusion of my column, I wrote "due to all this, I pray to God that the perpetrator is not one of us", meaning that he is not of Arab or Muslim descent, or a member of the French North African expatriate community. Unfortunately, the perpetrator was identified as young Mohamed Merah, an Arab Muslim of Algerian descent who belonged to a third generation of North African immigrants, having been born in France and acquired French citizenship. However, Merah would later come to reject French society, imprisoned in his own misconceptions and extremist thoughts, whilst adopting Arab and Islamic slogans. Mohamed Merah, by declaring that he was an Arab and a Muslim who advocated al-Qaeda's ideology, and following the discovery of the arsenal of weapons he was hiding in his house, has greatly improved the reputation and standing of Mrs. Marine Le Pen, president of the extremist right-wing Front National party, known for its radical trend against French minorities, mainly the Arab Muslim immigrants, who were already suspected of the crimes in Toulouse. Following a 24-hour silence, and after Mrs. Le Pen confirmed the Arab and Muslim identity of the perpetrator Mohamed Merah, she addressed the French public to warn against the danger of the extension of the extremist Salafi current to which Merah belonged. Emphasizing that the case was not an individual one, she pointed the finger at specific Gulf states which she accused of funding the current. Le Pen demanded that the French government take deterrence measures, and she promised that if she won the presidency, she would handle such currents that threaten the unity of the French society "with all the force and severity of the law". It was not surprising that President Nicolas Sarkozy then met four times in 48 hours with leaders of the Jewish and Muslim communities in France, with the aim of containing the situation before it develops into confrontations on the street, in a manner that threatens the fabric of the French "secular state".
Of course, all presidential candidates benefited from the story by riding the wave through media and political activities. The prime beneficiary was Sarkozy himself, who played a "strong" role by brandishing the force of law with one hand, and stressing the power of political unity on the other.Everyone is trading on our mistakes, and the Arabs seem to be experts in – voluntarily - granting historic opportunities for others to benefit.

What would Umar bin Abdulaziz say to Bashar?
By Dr. Hamad Al-Majid/Asharq Al-Awsat
Jarrah Ibn Abdullah, Governor of Khorasan, once wrote to the Umayyad Caliph Umar ibn Abdulaziz stating that the people of Khorasan were wild and rebellious, and nothing but the whip and the sword could control them. Umar replied: “Your theory that nothing but the whip and the sword could control your people is absolutely nonsensical. Truth and justice can control them; spread truth and justice in your reign”. Umar said that it was a “lie” to believe that the sword and the whip could guarantee to solve the people’s worsening temperament, so what would Umar tell Bashar al-Assad today, who has deployed his tanks, armored vehicles, army, intelligence, henchmen and Shabiha to kill, torture, rape and terrorize? In fact, Umar could not deter the criminal tyrant from his crime by merely chastising him with the word “lie”, because the Bashar al-Assad regime is based on denials, hypocrisy and falsifying the facts: His statements are lies, his parliament is a lie, and his explanations of the suffering of his people are lies. In his people’s demands for freedom Bashar sees nothing but lies, because he is a liar who ultimately believes his own fabrications. Here we see a revolution that has been ongoing for over a year and neither the President nor his regime recognizes that their fall is inevitable, and that the debate only centers around the question of “when?” Bashar lies and then believes what he is saying, and the problem is that he does not realize, nor does he want to realize, that he is working against his own interests, those of his family and his inner circle.
I hope that Bashar and his wife stop being preoccupied – even for a few minutes – with the trivialities of their leaked emails, in order to pay attention to the rare courage of the Syrian people. This courage has transformed from confronting al-Assad’s brutality, dictatorship and Shabiha with bare chests, into scenes of dancing and singing songs of death, as if the people are heading towards “joy” rather than the death and arrests that no one knows the true scale of except God. The Arab people can no longer bear the horror of what has been transmitted by mobile phone cameras, which are only the tip of the iceberg. Yet the brave Syrian people hold a firm belief and remain certain to the point that they do not pay attention to these painful, tragic scenes, these proud people have begun to see this wicked, arrogant regime as nothing but a handful of despicable mercenaries and intoxicated thugs
“And [remember] when He showed them to you, when you met, as few in your eyes, and He made you [appear] as few in their eyes so that Allah might accomplish a matter already destined” (Surat al-Anfal, verse 44). I am impressed that the Syrian people no longer care about the defeatist international attitudes, or the empty promises coming from near and far. In short, what is taking place in Syria is now outside the realm of human beings; God will accomplish a matter that is already destined. Bashar al-Assad and Saif al-Islam Gaddafi are two grotesque examples of the sons of bloody, autocratic tyrants. They are the ones who disproved the theory that only rulers who come to power riding on the back of a tank will naturally govern their people in accordance with their military backgrounds and harsh upbringings. Bashar al-Assad told his people that he was a humble, civilized doctor, and he was incapable of being like his father. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was a graduate of British academic institutions. Both of them lived amongst Western democracies, but then returned to their countries as if nothing had happened. Prophet Nuh, peace be upon him, was wary of this and warned against the tyrants of his time: “My Lord, do not leave upon the earth from among the disbelievers an inhabitant…Indeed, if You leave them, they will mislead Your servants and not beget except [every] wicked one and [confirmed] disbeliever” (Surat Nuh, verses 26 and 27).

A gigantic prison
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
The UN-Arab League peace envoy to Syria Kofi Annan has received the al-Assad regime’s response to his six-point proposal, but he is yet to disclose the content of this response. Likewise, we do not know whether the reply this time came in a written form, or if it was a “no-paper” response, as the tyrant’s regime has done in the past, but nevertheless is this a cause for optimism as some believe?
I do not think so. Any regime that accuses the CNN television station of being behind the bombing of a pipeline in Syria cannot be relied on for any logical solutions; the al-Assad regime simply wants to buy time as usual. Now we see the al-Assad regime turning Syria into a mass prison, where those under the age of 42 are prevented from leaving the country. It seems that the tyrant’s prisons are now overflowing, and likewise the stadiums and schools where the Syrians are also being detained. The regime can no longer find any additional detention centers to suppress the Syrians, and so it has set out to transform Syria into one gigantic prison. How, after all this, can we rely on Mr. Annan’s mission?
Throughout the entire first year of the revolution, the al-Assad regime did not provide any evidence that it actually understood what was happening on the ground; the regime believed that murder and intimidation were the solutions. Thus there is no hope of the regime cooperating with Kofi Annan’s mission, described by Russia as the last chance before Syria descends into civil war. The reality is that there is a war already taking place on the ground, but it is not a civil war, it is a war being waged by a heavily-armed criminal regime, supported by Russia and Tehran, with the sole aim of suppressing the Syrians uprising against it. Thus we must not rely on Mr. Annan’s mission, and this is not because I am skeptical towards it, but rather because the al-Assad regime cannot meet its requirements. Nothing can bring a solution to Syria today except the departure of the al-Assad regime, anything other than this is a waste of time and lives, and endangers the future of Syria.
The al-Assad regime today does not seek to resolve the crisis, but rather to eliminate it with its security forces. However, it is not capable of doing so, despite the Free Syrian Army’s relatively weak arsenal of weapons. It is noticeable that every time the regime announces that it is in control of a Syrian city, we find that this city soon becomes the subject of shelling and bombardments, meaning that the regime has actually lost control of large parts of the country. Hence the al-Assad regime’s response is not important, and neither is what Moscow says, what is important here is what is happening on the ground, where the reality is taking shape and matters are being resolved.
We cannot rely on Annan’s mission when killings, shelling, starvation and humiliation are part of the Syrians’ daily life, and have been for more than an entire year. How can we rely on Annan’s mission when forced displacement continues in Homs, in a manner that makes the observer wonder whether this is the plan to organize the Alawite state that many are talking about?
Hence we can say that whether or not the al-Assad regime responded to Annan’s plan, this is all part of Bashar al-Assad’s process of buying time, and prolonging the Syrians’ suffering. Therefore, the best way to maintain the Syrian entity is to accelerate the departure of the tyrant of Damascus.

S. Sudan Accuses Khartoum of Airstrikes, Ground Assault
by Naharnet/Sudanese aircraft and ground troops attacked multiple positions in South Sudan's oil rich border regions Monday, sparking fierce battles and prompting Southern President Salva Kiir to warn of war. "This morning the (Sudanese) airforce came and bombed... areas in Unity state," Kiir said at the opening of a ruling party meeting in the southern capital Juba.
"After this intensive bombardment our forces... were attacked by SAF (Sudan Armed Forces) and militia," he added, noting his troops had since fought back and crossed into a key northern oil field.
"It is a war that has been imposed on us again, but it is they (Khartoum) who are looking for it," said Kiir, adding that he did not want conflict to resume. However Sudanese army spokesman, Sawarmi Khaled Saad, said only "limited clashes" had occurred between his forces and those of South Sudan along the disputed border between the two countries. Kiir said Southern troops, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), had driven northern forces back across the undemarcated border and seized Khartoum's key oil field of Heglig, parts of which are claimed by both sides. "They attacked our forces and our forces were able to repulse them... and they ran," Kiir added. "The last information that came to me was that our forces have also taken over Heglig." South Sudanese army spokesman Philip Aguer said that fighting was ongoing when he last spoke to frontline troops, just over an hour before dusk. "There are casualties but we don't have the full report... at the last communication, which is very difficult, there was still fighting," Aguer said, but also added the army did not want the clashes to spiral into war. "This was an act of self-defense on behalf of the SPLA, and we still commit ourselves to all the security agreements between us -- despite all this fighting we are committed to peace," Aguer added.
SourceAgence France Presse.

Their problem or ours?
Hazem Saghiyeh, March 26, 2012
Now Lebanon/One would wish that Lycée Français schools would observe a minute of silence for fallen Lebanese or Palestinian children, or that they would explain to their students how Israel is benefiting from the crimes committed by Al-Qaeda.
However, the Lycée Français schools are not doing so because they are French public schools and this is not part of their functions. By saying “French public schools,” we refer essentially to two things: first, the central role of lay schools, according to France’s historical experience, in fusing the people and the nation; and second, the ties linking these schools to France’s domestic and foreign policy, regardless of what we may like or dislike in this policy.
The criminal act carried out by an Al-Qaeda operative led to the death of three children and French nationals. It took place on France’s territory and was – first and foremost – a French matter. Accordingly, it is not comparable, in the eyes of the French state, to similar crimes committed elsewhere against other victims.
This is all but natural. For instance, would it be conceivable for us in Lebanon to require students to observe a minute of silence for innocent victims in Chechnya, Washington or Mogadishu?
Had we done that, of course, we would have demonstrated an exceptionally noble stance. However, government matters are unfortunately not run this way.
This issue, which has taken a sharp aspect, is not the first of its kind. In reality, Lycée Français schools have long been criticized for “westernizing” Lebanese students and teaching them more about the history of France than about the history of Lebanon or the Arabs. While this may be true, it remains nonetheless our problem rather than that of the Lycée Français schools, which are clearly and unequivocally lay French public schools.
Why, for instance, do we not establish national schools similar to these, where students would observe a minute of silence for Lebanese and Palestinian victims and learn Lebanese and Arab history?
Cheap instigators have risen to complain about “Lebanese students observing a minute of silence for Jewish victims.” This manner of dealing with things is the same one that depleted both minds and consciences in this part of the world. Schools similar to the Lycée Français have already closed down in Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and others. And who knows? Lycée Français schools might do the same in the future and save us from such a hefty concern!
This article is a translation from the original, which appeared on the NOW Arabic site on Monday March 26, 2012 .