Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for October 19/12
Beirut bomb kills anti-Syrian intelligence official
Beirut car bomb kills Lebanese security chief
Geagea: Hassan was killed because he uncovered Samaha’s plot
Jumblatt accuses Assad of being behind Hassan’s assassination
Protestors cut off Lebanon roads after Hassan assassination
Hariri accuses Syrian president of being behind Hassan’s assassination
Ashrafieh MP accuses Syrian regime of being behind blast
Iran FM condemns Ashrafieh explosion, says he might visit Lebanon Saturday
Vatican condemns “absurd violence” of deadly Beirut attack
US condemns car bombing in Beirut
March 14 leaders hold urgent meeting following Ashrafieh explosion
Canada Condemns Attack in Beirut
UN Secretary General Ban: Hezbollah UAV to Israel could risk Lebanon stability
Hariri: Hezbollah can no longer hide its "crimes" in Syria
Egypt: Sinai jihadists planning attack on Israel
'Cyprus foils terror attack against Israelis'
Ship seeking to break Gaza blockade set to arrive
'Al-Qaida ideals entrenched in Sinai jihadi groups'
Ahmadinejad - the best PR Israel could wish for
Romney, the bridge builder
Egyptian father: Daughter punished for not veiling
Dozens killed in Syria air assaults

Beirut bomb kills anti-Syrian intelligence official
By Oliver Holmes and Mariam Karouny | Reuters – 49 minutes ago..
BEIRUT (Reuters) - A prominent Lebanese intelligence official opposed to President Bashar al-Assad was killed in a huge car bomb in Beirut in another sign that Syria's civil war is dragging its volatile neighbor into the conflict. Wissam al-Hassan, who led an investigation that implicated Syria and Hezbollah in the assassination of former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri, and seven other people were killed when the bomb exploded in central Beirut on Friday afternoon. Hassan, a Sunni Muslim who was close to Hariri, also helped uncover a bomb plot that led to the arrest and indictment in August of a pro-Assad former Lebanese minister, in a setback for Damascus and its Lebanese allies including Hezbollah. The bombing was the most serious to hit the capital since Hariri's 2005 assassination and prompted Sunni Muslims to take to streets across the country, burning tires and blocking roads in a show of sectarian anger. Hariri's son, Saad al-Hariri, accused Assad of being behind the bombing, while Lebanon's opposition March 14 bloc called on Prime Minister Najib Mikati's government, which includes ministers from Hezbollah, to resign over the bombing.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the "acts of terrorism" and called the murder of Hassan "a dangerous sign that there are those who continue to seek to undermine Lebanon's stability."
"Lebanon must close the chapter of its past and bring an end to impunity for political assassinations and other politically motivated violence," Clinton said in a written statement.
The head of Lebanon's Internal Security Forces, Major-General Ashraf Rifi, described Hassan's death as a "huge blow" and warned that further attacks were likely.
"We've lost a central security pillar," he told Future Television. "Without a doubt, we have more sacrifices coming in the future. We know that, but we will not be broken."
Rubble and the twisted, burning wreckage of several cars filled the central Beirut street where the bomb exploded, ripping the facades and balconies off buildings.
Firefighters scrambled through the debris and rescue workers carried off the bloodied victims on stretchers. In the confusion following the blast, it took several hours before any official word emerged that Hassan had been targeted.
IRANIAN VISIT
Speaking shortly after the bombing, Lebanon's Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour told Reuters that his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi had condemned the bombing and planned to visit Beirut on Saturday. Iran is a powerful supporter of both Hezbollah and Syria's Assad, who is fighting a 19-month-old uprising waged by mainly Sunni Muslim insurgents. More than 30,000 people have been killed since the uprising erupted in March last year. Lebanon's religious communities are divided between those supporting Assad and those backing the rebels, leaving it vulnerable to spillover from the Syrian bloodshed. Two Syrian officers, including General Ali Mamlouk, the head of Syria's national security bureau, were indicted along with Lebanon's former information minister Michel Samaha in August over a plot allegedly aimed at stoking violence in Lebanon. The indictments were an unprecedented move against the more powerful neighbor - a major player in Lebanon's affairs for decades.
As well as being the brains behind the Samaha investigation, Hassan led the investigation into Rafik Hariri's murder seven years ago and uncovered evidence that implicated Syria and Hezbollah - a charge they both deny. An international tribunal accused several Hezbollah members of involvement in the murder.
Hassan, who returned to Lebanon on Thursday night from Germany, had helped uncover many assassination attempts against anti-Syrian figures in Lebanon. He himself escaped several attempts on his life.
BLOOD ON THE STREETS
The bombing, which was reminiscent of scenes from Lebanon's own 1975-1990 civil war, ripped through a street near Sassine Square in Ashrafiyeh, a mostly Christian area.
Mikati said his government was trying to find out who carried out the attack and those responsible would be punished.
Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, whose party still formally supports Mikati's government although he is bitterly critical of Assad and Hezbollah, said Hassan's death left Lebanon unsafe.
"He was our protector. This is a harsh blow but we will not be scared and we should not accuse anyone inside Lebanon so we don't give Bashar an excuse to seize the country," he said.
Syria had long played a major role in Lebanese politics, siding with different factions during the civil war. It deployed troops in Beirut and parts of the country during the war and they stayed until 2005.
In Damascus, Syrian Information Minister Omran Zoabi told reporters: "We condemn this terrorist explosion and all these explosions wherever they happen. Nothing justifies them."
Khattar Abou Diab, a Middle East expert at the University of Paris, said the attack was clearly linked to the Syria crisis and Hassan was one of the few security chiefs protecting Lebanon's sovereignty and independence. "This is now revenge against a man who confronted the Syrians and revenge against a district, a Christian district in the heart of Beirut. Regional powers are fighting in Syria and now also want to fight in Lebanon," he said. Hezbollah condemned the bombing and called on the security forces and judiciary "to exert maximum efforts to uncover the perpetrators and bring them to justice".
The U.S. government also condemned the bombing and reiterated its concerns about increasing sectarian tensions in Lebanon and a spillover from Syria.
French President Francois Hollande urged Lebanese politicians to stay united and prevent attempts to destabilize the country. The Vatican and the European Union also condemned the attack.
Bombings were a hallmark of the civil war but the last such attack in Beirut was in 2008.
Beirut has undergone massive reconstruction to repair the war damage and in recent years has enjoyed a tourist boom, boosted by the city's pulsating nightlife. That source of revenue, crucial to Lebanon's prosperity, is now under threat.
(Additional reporting by Laila Bassam; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Giles Elgood)

Beirut car bomb kills Lebanese security chief
October 19, 2012
A powerful car bomb in Beirut killed a senior official linked to the anti-Syrian regime camp in Lebanon on Friday, officials said, further raising tensions over the war in the neighboring country.
The rush-hour bombing in a busy square of the predominantly Christian district of Ashrafieh killed at least 8 people and wounded 78, according to Lebanon's Civil Defense.
A government official said the intelligence chief of Lebanon's Internal Security Forces, General Wissam al-Hassan, was among the dead.
Hassan was close to former PM Saad Hariri, who is hostile to the regime in Syria. He had been tipped to take over as ISF head at the end of this year.
The ISF played a central role in the arrest in August of former Lebanese information minister Michel Samaha, who has close links to Damascus and was charged with planning attacks in Lebanon and transporting explosives. The ISF was also deeply involved in seeking the arrest of those responsible for a host of attacks and assassinations between 2004 and 2008, including the 2005 murder of ex-Premier Rafiq Hariri. Many buildings were badly damaged by the explosion in a street two blocks off of Sassine Square.
The car bomb, which resulted in a power cut in the area, went off in the street behind a commercial center hosting a BEMO Bank branch and near the headquarters of the Christian Kataeb Party.
“There was smoke everywhere, and it looked like war,” said Nadim Daher, whose 79-year-old mother was at the hospital for injuries sustained from the blast.
“I heard the explosion and rushed to my mother’s house [near the blast],” he told NOW in front of Beirut’s Rizk Hospital, adding that there were no ambulances or rescue workers at the scene yet.
“I had to carry my mother on foot to the hospital.”
Slain Lebanese President Bashir Gemayel’s daughter, Youmna, was also at the scene and said she was convinced that the blast was targeting the Kataeb headquarters.
According to a number of residents, the street in which the bomb blast took place was routinely used by Kataeb bloc MP Nadim Gemayel when heading to his party’s headquarters.
Another man – who spoke on condition of anonymity – standing near the site of the blast said that he believed the bomb explosion was a message to the residents of the area.
“I don’t understand why and who could have done this. There are no politicians who live here. The Kataeb headquarters is 70 meters down the street. This is to create conflict. This is Ashrafieh, a Christian area with Kataeb supporters. It’s a statement,” the 78-year-old man told NOW.
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel was at the scene of the first car bombing in Beirut since January 25, 2008, when Lebanon's top anti-terrorism investigator was slain along with three other people.
Both Kataeb bloc MP Nadim Gemayel and Future bloc MP Nohad al-Mashnouq blamed the Syrian regime for orchestrating the explosion.
“The Syrian regime is not [detached] from such kind of explosions, which is political par excellence,” Gemayel told LBC television.
Gemayel, who represents the Ashrafieh area in parliament, also said that “the Syrian regime is collapsing and is trying to move its crisis to Lebanon.”
Meanwhile, Mashnouq told Al-Arabiya: “The explosion is a message sent from the Syrian regime to terrorize the Lebanese people.”
Some 33,000 people have been killed Syria in the 19-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Lebanese political scene is split between pro-Syrian regime parties affiliated with the March 8 alliance and Western-backed forces associated with the March 14 coalition.
The most high-profile car bombing since Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war took place on February 14, 2005 when a massive blast killed former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 other people.
-NOW Lebanon

Protestors cut off Lebanon roads after Hassan assassination
October 20, 2012 /Protestors cut off roads in several majority Sunni areas of Lebanon on Friday following the assassination of a high profile security official, AFP journalists said.
Some of the men blocking Lebanon's roads were armed, the journalists added. Sunni Muslim security official Wissam al-Hassan was assassinated on Friday in a car bomb attack in east Beirut that killed another seven people and left 86 people injured, a government official said. The Lebanese opposition blamed the Damascus regime of President Bashar al-Assad of staging the attack.
Dozens of supporters of the anti-Assad Future movement, which is pitted against Damascus, took to the streets and burned tires to cut off key roads in various provinces in the east, south and north of Lebanon, journalists said, in a sign of protest. The road linking Tripoli, north Lebanon's largest city, and the Syrian border was cut off by enraged protesters. Three bombs were thrown by unknown attackers in the city, though nobody was injured. Elsewhere, Sunni and Alawite gunmen exchanged gunshots. Most of Tripoli's Sunni population is anti-Assad, while the Alawite minority supports the Damascus regime. Assad himself belongs to the Alawite community, which is an offshoot of Shiite Islam. In Tripoli and Marjeh in the eastern Beqaa valley, AFP journalists saw armed men on the streets. They attacked and damaged cars in several areas. Lebanon is deeply divided over Syria's revolt. The pro-West and anti-Assad March 14 camp is bitterly opposed to Assad, while the powerful Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah is allied to Damascus. Syria ruled the small Mediterranean country politically and military for 30 years. It withdrew its troops from Lebanon following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, but the international community and analysts have warned the Syrian crisis may spill over into Lebanon.-AFP

Geagea: Hassan was killed because he uncovered Samaha’s plot
October 19, 2012 /Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Friday said Internal Security Forces Information Branch chief Wissam al-Hassan was killed because he stopped former minister Michel Samaha’s plan to carry out terror attacks in Lebanon. Geagea—who inspected the site of the explosion that rocked the Beirut area of Ashrafieh—accused the “tools of the Syrian regime” of being behind Hassan’s assassination. “Who are the tools of the Syrian regime in [Lebanon]? Should we lie to ourselves and accuse the US, the Israeli or other country’s intelligence of being behind the assassination?” Geagea asked. “Who is [the party] responsible for dozens of assassinations and [assassination attempts] against the March 14 alliance?”
Geagea also said that Hassan's assassination was “a big blow to the Lebanese people, state and government.” However, he said that the Ashrafieh blast would only increase the "determination and principles" of March 14. Hassan was killed on Friday in the huge explosion that rocked the Beirut area of Ashrafieh, which left 8 dead and 78 wounded in mainly Christian East Beirut, in the first such attack in the Lebanese capital since 2008. Hassan was close to former PM Saad Hariri, who is hostile to the regime in Syria. He had been tipped to take over as ISF head at the end of this year.
In August, Internal Security Forces Director General Ashraf Rifi commended Hassan’s work on the case that led to the arrest of former Information Minister Michel Samaha on the charges that latter was colluding with Syrian regime officials to conduct terror attacks in Lebanon. The ISF was also deeply involved in seeking the arrest of those responsible for a host of attacks and assassinations between 2004 and 2008, including the 2005 murder of ex-Premier Rafiq Hariri.-NOW Lebanon

Vatican condemns “absurd violence” of deadly Beirut attack
October 19, 2012/The Vatican strongly condemned Friday's attack in Beirut that killed an anti-Syrian regime security official and at least two others.
"The attack in Beirut deserves the strongest condemnation for its absurd murderous violence," Vatican spokesperson Federico Lombardi said in a statement, adding that the attack was "contrary to efforts and commitments to maintaining peaceful coexistence in Lebanon." "It is to be hoped that this horrible event will not be an excuse for increased violence," Lombardi said. Instead, "Lebanon should represent, as the pope has said repeatedly, a message of peace and hope for its people and those of the entire region."The rush-hour bombing claimed the lives of at least three people including the intelligence chief of Lebanon's Internal Security Forces, Wissam al-Hassan. Another 78 were wounded. The attack revived fears that Syria's civil war would fan divisions in Lebanon, which is divided over the conflict in the neighboring state. It has touched off painful memories of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war and the political unrest that has troubled post-war years, much of it linked to Syrian influence in the country.
Pope Benedict XVI, during a visit to Lebanon in September, called on the international community, especially Arab countries, to work to resolve bloody conflicts in the region, notably in Syria.-AFP

Jumblatt accuses Assad of being behind Hassan’s assassination
October 19, 2012/Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt on Friday accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of being behind the assassination of Internal Security Forces Information Branch chief Wissam al-Hassan.“We lost a great friend who was among the most faithful to [late Prime Minister] Rafiq Hariri,” Jumblatt told Al-Jazeera TV.Jumblatt also said that the Lebanese and Syrian people will triumph with political means.“We will resist with politics because unlike the Syrian [regime], we do not have criminal security apparatuses,” Jumblatt added. “Assad destroyed Syria and wants to destroy Lebanon.” Jumblatt also told LBC television that Bashar al-Assad was avenging Hassan for uncovering former Information Minister Michel Samaha’s attempt to smuggle explosives into Lebanon from Syria. The PSP leader for refraining from accusing any Lebanese party, “whether Hezbollah or any others for being behind the assassination, because we would be doing what Assad wants us to do.”“There is an apparatus for the Syrian intelligence which is still spread in Lebanon, and there are several Michel Samahas in the country,” he added. Hassan was killed on Friday in the huge explosion that rocked the Beirut area of Ashrafieh, which left 8 dead and 78 wounded in mainly Christian East Beirut, in the first such attack in the Lebanese capital since 2008. Hassan was close to former PM Saad Hariri, a main pillar in the Lebanese opposition and hostile to the regime in Syria. He had been tipped to take over as ISF head at the end of this year.
In August, Internal Security Forces Director General Ashraf Rifi commended Hassan’s work on the case that led to the arrest of Samaha on the charges that latter was colluding with Syrian regime officials to conduct terror attacks in Lebanon. The ISF was also deeply involved in seeking the arrest of those responsible for a host of attacks and assassinations between 2004 and 2008, including the 2005 murder of ex-Premier Rafiq Hariri.-NOW Lebanon

Hariri accuses Syrian president of being behind Hassan’s assassination
October 19, 2012 /Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri on Friday accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of being behind the assassination of Internal Security Forces Information Branch chief Wissam al-Hassan. During an interview with the Future Movement over the phone, Hariri pledged that he “would not remain silent on this horrid crime.”“Wissam al-Hassan was a friend and a brother for late Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, he was a brother to all the Hariri family,” the former PM added.Hassan was killed earlier on Friday in a huge explosion that rocked the Beirut area of Ashrafieh, which left 8 dead and 78 wounded in mainly Christian East Beirut, in the first such attack in the Lebanese capital since 2008. Hassan was close to Saad Hariri, who is a main pillar in the Lebanese opposition and hostile to the regime in Syria. He had been tipped to take over as ISF head at the end of this year.In August, Internal Security Forces Director General Ashraf Rifi commended Hassan’s work on the case that led to the arrest of former Information Minister Michel Samaha on the charges that latter was colluding with Syrian regime officials to conduct terror attacks in Lebanon. Hassan also presented evidence to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon investigating the 2005 assassination of Rafiq Hariri. The tribunal indicted four Hezbollah members for the murder. -NOW Lebanon

Hollande urges protecting Lebanon from destabilization attempts
October 19, 2012 /French President François Hollande on Friday urged Lebanese officials to protect their country from "all attempts at destabilization," following the bloody car bombing in Beirut.
"The head of state calls on all Lebanese political officials to maintain Lebanon's unity and protect it from all attempts at destabilization, from wherever they come," Hollande said in a statement.
He said it "is a great loss" that the intelligence chief of Lebanon's Internal Security Forces, Wissam al-Hassan, was among those killed in the car bomb attack in Beirut.
He paid tribute to "a man devoted to his country, its stability and its independence.""France hopes that all light is cast on this terrorist act," he said, recalling his country's "commitment to Lebanon's security, stability, independence and sovereignty."Hassan was killed earlier on Friday in a huge explosion that rocked the Beirut area of Ashrafieh, which left 8 dead and 78 wounded in mainly Christian East Beirut, in the first such attack in the Lebanese capital since 2008. -AFP

Iran FM condemns Ashrafieh explosion, says he might visit Lebanon Saturday
October 19, 2012 /Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour on Friday received a phone call from his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi, who offered his condolences following “the terrorist explosion in Beirut’s Ashrafieh.”Salehi voiced his “fear that the disagreements between [the Lebanese] would [worsen] because there are those who want to exploit the criminal incident.”
The Iranian minister also called on all Lebanese to “remain united and avoid slipping into danger.” Salehi told Mansour that he might visit Lebanon on Saturday for few hours. In turn, Mansour condemned the explosion and said that “it targets Lebanon’s stability and security.”Internal Security Forces Information Branch chief Wissam al-Hassan was killed on Friday in a huge explosion that rocked the Beirut area of Ashrafieh, which left 8 dead and 78 wounded in mainly Christian East Beirut, in the first such attack in the Lebanese capital since 2008.
He was close to Saad Hariri, who is a main pillar in the Lebanese opposition and hostile to the regime in Syria. He had been tipped to take over as ISF head at the end of this year.
In August, Internal Security Forces Director General Ashraf Rifi commended Hassan’s work on the case that led to the arrest of former Information Minister Michel Samaha on the charges that latter was colluding with Syrian regime officials to conduct terror attacks in Lebanon. Hassan also presented evidence to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon investigating the 2005 assassination of former PM Rafiq Hariri. The tribunal indicted four Hezbollah members for the murder. -NOW Lebanon

Canada Condemns Attack in Beirut
October 19, 2012 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today made the following statement:
“I am shocked and deeply troubled by the car bomb attack in Beirut today, which claimed the lives of several civilians.
“Brigadier-General Wissam al-Hassan, who was also killed in the attack, played a key role in the investigation of former prime minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination and in the arrest of prominent pro-Syrian politician Michel Samaha.“Canada strongly condemns this cowardly act of terrorism and supports efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“On behalf of all Canadians, I extend my deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those killed, and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured.
“Canada is a strong supporter of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and its efforts to render justice for acts of terrorism in Lebanon, including the Hariri assassination and related cases.”

Nasrallah and yesterday's hymn sheet
By Amir Taheri/Asharq Alawsat
Is Hassan Nasrallah a “Zionist agent”?
Normally, the answer should be: God, forbid! And, yet, this was the charge leveled against him last week by, Deputy Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) General Jamaleddin Abroumand. The general was commenting on reports about the penetration of an unknown drone into Israel’s air space. Seizing every opportunity to praise his paymasters in Tehran, Nasrallah had rushed to his TV studio to claim that the drone had been made in Iran and sent to Lebanon as part of a strategy to keep Israel under pressure. The general did not mention Nasrallah by name; but his remarks included big hints about the intended target. “Those who link the drone incident to Iran are carrying out Israel’s psychological war against the Islamic Republic,” Abroumand said. Since no one, not even Israel, had linked the drone to Iran, it was obvious that the general was referring to Nasrallah.
The drone incident had come just days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had announced early elections in which fear of “a nuclear-armed Iran” would be the main theme of his campaign.
Concern about Israel’s safety is also a consideration with a segment of the Jewish electorate in the United States. That concern could change enough votes in some swing states, notably Florida and Ohio, to threaten President Barack Obama’s re-election hopes.
Tehran, however, regards Obama as the lesser of two evils and is determined to do nothing to sabotage his re-election.
Obama has already given the Islamic Republic four more years in which to pursue its nuclear ambitions. When Obama entered the White House Iran had around 400 centrifuges enriching uranium up to 3.5 per cent. Now it has 12,000 enriching up to 20 per cent. The consensus in Tehran is that if Obama gets four more years, Iran would have enough time to develop a full nuclear cycle and impose it as fait accompli. At the other end of the spectrum, Tehran does not want Netanyahu to win the next Israeli election.
To achieve those two objectives Tehran has been trying to cool things down on a number of issues. It has agreed to a new round of talks on the nuclear issue, helping Obama claim that his goal of a negotiated settlement may still be attainable.
“We have every hope of achieving results very quickly,” the European Union’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Sunday. (She is in charge of negotiations with Iran on the nuclear issue.)
Tehran has also toned down its support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, at least verbally. On Monday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad implicitly rejected al-Assad’s boast about beating the opposition into submission.
“The solution to the problem in Syria is not to allow anyone to impose his views on the nation,” Ahmadinejad said. “The people of Syria must express their will in genuinely free elections.”
An even more telling sign of Tehran’s intention to cool things down to help Obama and hinder Netanyahu came in a speech by “Supreme Guide” Ali Khamenei in Bojnurd, northeast Iran.
“What the Zionists say is not significant enough to merit an answer,” Khamenei said, clearly hoping to cool down talk of Israeli pre-emptive attacks.
Hopes of impacting the American and Israeli elections are not the sole reason for Tehran’s change of hymn sheet.
Khamenei and Ahmadinejad have been rattled by the recent run on the Iranian currency, the rial, which has pushed the economy to the edge of the precipice. While the economic crisis has many reasons, including mismanagement and hastily introduced reforms, there is no doubt that talk of war has been a factor in people’s rush to buy dollars.
Before the recent run on the rial, bellicose talk had been the flavour of the day in Tehran. Men wearing military caps or white or black turbans would appear on TV to promise imminent wars that would wipe Israel off the map, bring America to its knees and conquer the world for the “Supreme Guide”.
General Hossein Salami could claim that the IRGC was poised to destroy the US military machine in the Middle East. “We are not impressed by their hardware,” the general said. “To us, all that is rusty iron.”General Hassan Firouzabadi, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, had to appear on TV to call for an end to “all that talk of war.”
Historians know that many wars start with loose talk, often prompted by hyperbolic optimism. It is when victory appears to be within reach at a low cost that the signal is given for war.
Thus, in referring to “the Zionist psychological war against the Islamic Republic”, General Abroumand was echoing General Firouzabadi.
A master of hyperbole, Nasrallah praised the wayward drone as if it were a flying miracle of science, technology and Khomeinism. Perhaps he did not know that more than 40 countries produce and/or use drones, according to the Institute for Strategic Studies. In fact, Nasrallah could buy a simpler and cheaper version of the drone from the Hamleys toy store in London and propel it with remote control over the Shabaa Farms. It is possible that Nasrallah was not aware of the change of tune in Tehran. His Iranian controllers must have forgotten to inform him that they now wanted to cool things down because talk of war could harm Obama and help Netanyahu. In other words, the puppet was singing from yesterday’s hymn sheet.

UN Secretary General Ban: Hezbollah UAV to Israel could risk Lebanon stability
By JPOST.COM STAFF 10/18/2012/ For fear of Jerusalem retaliation against Beirut, UN Secretary General Ban calls on Hezbollah to cease military activities in or out of Lebanon, urges IAF to stop daily flights over Lebanese airspace. Photo: Ki Price / Reuters
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday that Hezbollah's decision to send an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) into Israeli airspace earlier this month could risk stability in Lebanon by prompting Israeli retaliation. On October 6th, Israeli fighter jets shot down an Iranian-made Hezbollah UAV that flew over the Negev and was believed to have been sent to gather intelligence.
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora claimed that the UAV that flew over Israel was sent at Iran’s behest, and that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah did not consult with the Lebanese government before sending the drone.In a report released Thursday on the statue of UN Security Council Resolution 1559, Ban urged Hezbollah to cease any military activities inside or outside of Lebanon, calling Hezbollah's launch of the drone into Israel "a reckless provocation." Resolution 1559, passed in 2004, called on Syria to withdraw its forces from Lebanon. Additionally, it called for the disbanding of all militias and for the extension of the Lebanese government’s control over all Lebanese territory. Israeli officials have said that given Hezbollah's participation in the Lebanese government, Jerusalem would consider reacting to any Hezbollah attack on Israel with retaliation on the Lebanese state. Ban also called on the Israeli Air Force to stop its daily flights of fighter jets as well as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles over Lebanese airspace.
"These overflights are violations of Lebanese sovereignty," Ban said. "I have deplored them and demanded that they cease immediately," he added.

Assad is Karadzic Version 2.0!
By Emad El Din Adeeb/Asharq Alawsat
I was astonished when following the testimony of the former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic in front of the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague, on charges of committing crimes against humanity in Bosnia. He was just like Bashar al-Assad in the interview he gave for Addounia television channel six weeks ago!
Both men issued several denials and put forth a desperate defense. They attempted to place the blame on others, and tried to prove that they were in fact “angels on earth”.
So what exactly did Karadzic say?
The man said he was a “peace activist”, who did everything in his power to reduce the fighting. He claimed that the number of Muslim victims was highly exaggerated, and that the problem in Bosnia and Herzegovina was never a sectarian one, but rather it came down to the fact that there were some Muslim extremists who were carrying out acts of subversion against the law!
Karadzic described himself as a mild mannered man who writes poetry. He claims to have written poems for children, advocating peace! (At this point tears almost flowed from my eyes)!!
The man then attempted to demonstrate that his orientations were never sectarian or anti-Islam, saying that he loves Muslims and has no quarrel with them, and that he even had a Muslim barber!
Karadzic confirmed all this before the judges, and before the victims’ families who could hardly believe their ears when he said that he had worked to stop the conflict, and that he did not know exactly what was happening on the battle front.
In my opinion, if God’s will is not implemented with regards the Syrian President, and if he doesn’t meet his maker in one way or another, then his fate will be the same as that of Karadzic, and I think he will use the same defense logic as used by the former Bosnian Serb leader.
But I do not know how al-Assad will explain, before an international tribunal, the use of bomber aircraft, heavy field artillery and missile batteries against civilians, or even against rebels who only carry guns?
How will President Bashar explain to the world his rejection of all attempts at dialogue and a political settlement?
How will President Bashar explain his inability to prioritize the interests of the Syrian people and leave at the outbreak of the revolution with pride and dignity, thus sparing immense bloodshed and avoiding the collapse of the economy and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of innocent people?
More importantly, how will this man and his associates stand before the greatest judge in the universe on the Day of Reckoning? Will they deny and reject the facts once again?


Hariri: Hezbollah can no longer hide its "crimes" in Syria
October 18, 2012/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri accused Hezbollah Thursday of fighting alongside Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces against rebels, while strongly denying the party’s charges that his Future Movement was involved in the 19-month-old bloody conflict in Syria.
“The Lebanese -- Shiites, Sunnis and Christians -- know very well, even from the mouths of senior Hezbollah officials, the nature of [the party’s] involvement in what it alleged to be ‘a jihadi duty’ alongside the machine of killings, repression, crackdown and subjugation facing the Syrian people,” a statement released by Hariri's media office.
“There is no longer anything that can help to cover up this clear crime committed by Hezbollah first against Lebanon before Syria, especially it is fully aware that the days of its ally in Damascus are numbered,” it added.Hariri was apparently responding to Hezbollah’s deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem who has accused the Future Movement of intervening in the Syrian conflict by sending money and arms to anti-regime rebels fighting to oust Assad.
Hariri also rejected accusations by Hezbollah MPs and its media outlets that Future MP Okab Saqr was involved in the Syrian conflict by aiding armed Syrian opposition groups.
“MP Okab Saqr has been assigned by [former] Prime Minister Saad Hariri to follow up the situation in Syria and coordinate with Syrian opposition political parties concerning the Future Movement’s media and political support for the Syrian people in facing the killing machine directed by the criminal Syrian regime and its regional allies,” the statement said. It added that Saqr, who has been living out of Lebanon for 18 months, was tasked with ensuring humanitarian assistance to the victims of the war in Syria, including the wounded, displaced and orphans.
Saqr was also tasked with making contacts with Turkish authorities as part of efforts to secure the release of Lebanese held in Syria, in addition to helping some Lebanese journalists doing their jobs there, the statement said.
It lashed out at the Lebanese government’s disassociation policy on developments in Syria. “It is up to the Lebanese people to judge the Lebanese government that has distanced itself from the blood of the Syrian people after it was formed by Hezbollah which controls its decision-making,” the statement said.
It added that while the government has adhered to a disassociation policy, “Hezbollah has upheld the jihad duty against the Syrian people.”

Hezbollah slams Eutelsat for blocking Iranian channels
October 18, 2012/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Hezbollah slammed Thursday European satellite provider Eutelsat over its recent decision to take off air a number of Iranian television and radio broadcasters and mocked the EU over the affair.
“These arbitrary decisions will not hide the truth and will not prevent the targeted channels from finding avenue to remain active and voice the truth ... despite all actions taken by the West and their Arab followers,” a statement from the Lebanese group’s media office said. On Monday, Eutelsat banned the broadcast of 19 Iranian television channels and radio stations as a result of sanctions by the European Union, which hopes to pressure Iran back to negotiations over its suspicious nuclear program. Vanessa O'Connor, a spokeswoman, told Agence France Presse that the channels operated by Iranian state broadcaster Irib have been blocked for viewers in Europe and elsewhere as of Monday morning. Iran’s Press TV, which is among the 19 channels, says Irib could seek legal action against Eutelsat. In its statement Thursday, Hezbollah also mocked the decision and reasons behind terminating the broadcasts.
“What is revealing is that the European firm claims that its decision came as a result of pressure from the European Union, which only a few days ago received a Nobel peace prize, and here it is now working to deprive all rights to freedom of expression through legal means,” the statement said. “The decision to take off air [the channels] ... is an assault on freedoms, which the West so often praises, and is a violation to all laws regulating this international media sector. The decision lacks any logic that can be accepted or justified,” the group said.
Hezbollah’s media office voiced total solidarity with the targeted channels and urged Eutelsat to rescind its “arbitrary” decision. - With AFP

Egypt: Sinai jihadists planning attack on Israel
18/10/2012/By Yousri Mohamed
El-Arish, Asharq Al-Awsat – Egyptian security sources revealed that a number of Sinai-based jihadists had completely disappeared, increasing the likelihood of a retaliatory strike being carried out against Israel following the killing of two prominent Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip last week. The Egyptian security source also informed Asharq Al-Awsat that Cairo was in the possession of information confirming the presence of a terrorist sleeper cell in hiding in the mountains of the Sinai Peninsula, adding this sleeper cell was awaiting “zero hour” to launch their retaliatory attack.
The Egyptian security source, who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, revealed that Egyptian authorities are in a race against time to obtain actionable information about the nature of the planned operation, and whether this will target Red Sea tourists or Israel directly. This comes after Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis threatened to carry out large-scale revenge attacks against Israel after an Israeli air strike killed Tawhid wal-Jihad emir Hisham al-Saedini and Ansar al Sunnah emir Ashraf al-Sabah on Saturday.
The security source, who is based in northern Sinai, informed Asharq Al-Awsat that “until now, we have no information about this operation, but the disappearance of a large number of jihadist elements over the past period increases the likelihood of a large-scale armed operation being launched within Sinai or based from Egyptian territory.” The source said that Egypt’s security and intelligence apparatus is doing everything in its power to obtain any information about any prospective operation in this regard.
He added that Egyptian security forces do not intend to carry out any pre-emptive operations in the Sinai Peninsula in the forthcoming period, stressing that the Egyptian authorities have no desire to increase tensions in the region or escalate any potential conflict.
The security source also revealed that Egypt’s security apparatus is in possession of confirmed information that a large number of jihadists are in hiding in the mountainous regions of southern Sinai. It is extremely difficult for the Egyptian military and security forces to reach these remote mountainous regions, particularly without logistical support from the local population.
The Egyptian security source, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, claimed that the jihadists who have disappeared most likely represent a sleeper cell waiting for “zero hour” to launch their attack. He added that the security forces in Sinai have been in a state of high alert since the threats regarding a retaliatory attack issued by the Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis group.
Sources also confirmed that there is tension between the Egyptian security apparatus and the local Bedouin population in Sinai, adding this is most likely affecting Egypt’s intelligence-gathering capabilities.
Local eye-witnesses residing on the border between Egypt and Israel confirmed that the border region is witnessing large-scale security and military mobilization, particularly by Israeli military forces which have stepped up their patrols in the region.
Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis issued a statement threatening revenge attacks against Israel following the targeted assassination of its senior leaders on Saturday. The statement read “we in Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis say to the Jews that the blood of our brothers in Palestine is our blood and their revenge is ours, and the blood of Abu al-Waleed [Hisham al-Saedini] and Abu al-Bara’a [Ashraf al-Sabah] will not go in vain without repayment. It is retaliation and just punishment against your blood and security, so wait for our response and the pain of our revenge.”

Islamic-Centered Constitution Dissolves Hopes of Christians, Liberals in Egypt
Aidan Clay, Regional Manager for the Middle East
Washington, D.C. October 19, 2012 (International Christian Concern) - Violent demonstrations broke out in Cairo's Tahrir Square on October 12 between Egypt's secularists and Islamist supporters regarding a widening dispute over the country's constitution. A proposed version of the document is grounded in Islamic jurisprudence, failing to protect the religious freedoms of minorities and the rights of women, while also granting judicial authority to Egypt's Islamist president.
More than a hundred Egyptians were injured last Friday when street fighting erupted in Cairo between young secularist revolutionaries and the Muslim Brotherhood's core supporters. The violence signified Egypt's broadening division over the country's new constitution-a draft of which was released last week-and the role of Islam in the country's affairs. While moderates say the constitution favors Islamists, the Muslim Brotherhood defend the legality of the assembly that drafted the document, claiming the body was justly appointed by a democratically elected parliament and therefore has authority to write the constitution. Among the concerns of liberals are provisions in the new charter relating to Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC), which are almost identical to the outgoing constitution. In the draft, President Mohammad Morsi-like ousted President Hosni Mubarak before him-has the power to appoint the head of court and its 15 members after receiving nominations from lower courts.
According to Tahani el-Gibaly, a member of the SCC, the provisions are "disastrous" because they place the SCC under the grip of executive, rather than as an independent body. Islamist parties, led by the Brotherhood, have already solidified control of the legislature, winning nearly 75 percent of the seats in parliamentary elections earlier this year. In June, the Brotherhood claimed executive authorities when their candidate, Morsi, won the presidential election. If the provisions remain as they stand now, the SCC will be consolidated under Islamist rule.
The SCC still has time to dissolve the constitutional assembly, however "President Mohamed Morsi would move quickly to appoint a new assembly that would be of a similar makeup," explained Hani Sabra, a reporter with Foreign Policy.
"Egypt's Islamists have made it clear that they are willing to move ahead with their version of the constitution without buy-in from secularists or the [Christians]," wrote Sabra. "A new constitution will not settle Egypt's transitional woes... Young revolutionaries who sparked the movement to oust Mubarak... are increasingly unhappy with Islamist efforts to monopolize politics."
Liberals and Christians have also denounced provisions of Article 2 of the constitution which states that the "principles of Islamic Sharia are the main source for legislation." If the articles stand, Islamic law will govern every aspect of Egyptian society.
The constitutional assembly has failed to "preserve constitutional articles [by] allowing Egypt to be turned into a religious state," said the Maspero Youth Union, a political movement created to defend the rights of Coptic Christians. "It takes Egypt back to the Middle Ages, shatters the basis of a modern state, legalizes theocracy, and opens the door for countless legal problems, let alone blackmail by opportunists who feign religiosity."
Barry Rubin, the director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center, has long warned about the growing threat of Islamist policies in Egypt. Following the charter's release, Rubin's analysis on Egypt's Islamist agenda-ignored by much of the West-rings truer now than ever before.
"The battle... is being waged by Islamists who want their interpretation of the religion to be declared as the only acceptable version," Rubin wrote in February. "Westerners don't understand that when that happens anything more moderate or flexibly traditional becomes illegal and punishable. The Islamist counter-Bill of Rights proclaims that the country's people have no freedom of speech or freedom of religion, no right to free assembly or of the press."
For interviews, contact Aidan Clay, Regional Manager for the Middle East:
clay@persecution.org

Question: "How do I identify my spiritual gift?"
GotQuestions.org/Answer: There is no magic formula or definitive test that can tell us exactly what our spiritual gifts are. The Holy Spirit distributes the gifts as He determines (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). A common problem for Christians is the temptation to get so caught up in our spiritual gift that we only seek to serve God in the area in which we feel we have been gifted. That is not how the spiritual gifts work. God calls us to obediently serve Him in all things. He will equip us with whatever gift or gifts we need to accomplish the task He has called us to.
Identifying our spiritual giftedness can be accomplished in various ways. Spiritual gift tests or inventories, while not to be fully relied upon, can definitely help us understand where our gifting might be. Confirmation from others also gives light to our spiritual giftedness. Other people who see us serving the Lord can often identify a spiritual gift in use that we might take for granted or not recognize. Prayer is also important. The one person who knows exactly how we are spiritually gifted is the gift-giver Himself—the Holy Spirit. We can ask God to show us how we are gifted in order to better use our spiritual gifts for His glory.
Yes, God calls some to be teachers and gives them the gift of teaching. God calls some to be servants and blesses them with the gift of helps. However, specifically knowing our spiritual gift does not excuse us from serving God in areas outside our gifting. Is it beneficial to know what spiritual gift(s) God has given us? Of course it is. Is it wrong to focus so much on spiritual gifts that we miss other opportunities to serve God? Yes. If we are dedicated to being used by God, He will equip us with the spiritual gifts we need.