LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
July 15/12

Bible Quotation for today
Luke 12/56-59: " He said to the multitudes also “When you see a cloud rising from the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and so it happens. 12:55 When a south wind blows, you say, ‘There will be a scorching heat,’ and it happens. 12:56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you don’t interpret this time? 12:57 Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 12:58 For when you are going with your adversary before the magistrate, try diligently on the way to be released from him, lest perhaps he drag you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 12:59 I tell you, you will by no means get out of there, until you have paid the very last penny.”

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Koura offers a taste of 2013/By: Matt Nash/Now Lebanon/July 14/12
Annan…and his teacher al-Assad/By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 14/12
The Syrian army and sectarianism/By Hussein Shabokshi/Asharq Alawsat/July 14/12
Egypt's Power Struggle and the Fate of Christians/By Aidan Clay/July 14/12

Hezbollah drone crashes in east Lebanon: sources
July 14, 2012 08:00 PM The Daily Star
BEIRUT: An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle belonging to Hezbollah crashed in east Lebanon Saturday afternoon, security sources told the daily star. The UAV, which witnesses said looked like a glowing ball of fire falling to earth, crashed in the Baalbek town of Younin, the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. The crash site was soon cordoned off by members of the resistance, who prevented access to the area and later transported the drone off site to an unknown location. Quoting villagers in the area, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that an unidentified object crashed in the town.
The object, which was in flames, led to a fire in the area prompting Civil Defense teams and security agencies to the scene. The state-run agency later reported the object as that of a reconnaissance aircraft of unknown identity. It said security agencies cordoned off the area, adding that the aircraft was transported from the site and that the crater it left was filled in.

Three officers in Abdel-Wahed case detained again
July 14, 2012/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Three Lebanese Army officers who were released earlier in the month on bail in the case of the May killing of a Muslim preacher and his companion were detained once again Saturday, judicial sources said. Military Judge Riad Abu Ghida took the decision after further questioning of the three officers, the sources said. The three officers as well as eight other soldiers were released on bail July 5 in the case of Sheikhs Ahmad Abdel-Wahed and Hussein al-Mereb who were shot dead at an army checkpoint in the north of the country on May 20. Five other soldiers remain in custody. The release of the soldiers led to road blocks by residents of Akkar, north Lebanon, where the killing took place and where two preachers hailed from. Akkar figures and politicians have also voiced anger over the handling of the investigation and insist that it be referred to the county’s judicial highest authority, threatening disobedience should the case remain in the hands of the Military Tribunal. Prime Minister Najib Mikati has asked Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi to look into the possibility of transferring the case of the Akkar sheikhs' killing to the Judicial Council. If Qortbawi recommends that the case be transferred to the Judicial Council, his proposal would have to be approved by the Cabinet in a vote before any such move is made. Commenting on the news of the detention of the three officers, Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri praised over the Military Tribunal’s decision to detain the three officers once more, saying it improved trust in the army and justice in the country. “Hariri praised the Military Tribunal’s decision to detain once more the three officers in the case of the killing of Sheiks Mohammad Abdel-Wahed and Hussein al-Mereb in Akkar and considered it a step that boosts the trust of victims and residents of Akkar and all the Lebanese in justice and the Lebanese Army,” a statement from the Future Movement leader said. For his part, Future parliamentary bloc leader MP Fouad Siniora said the development put things back on the right track. “What is needed is that the investigation carry on to its completion and that the necessary steps be taken to achieve justice,” he added, according to the National News Agency.

Cyprus detains Lebanese anti-Israel 'terror' suspect: reports
July 14, 2012/Daily Star /NICOSIA: Cyprus police have detained a young Lebanese man who holds a Saudi passport on suspicion of planning a "terrorist attack" against Israeli interests in the country, media reports said on Saturday. A police spokesman said he could not deny or confirm the reports because it was a "sensitive political issue". "This is an issue of security which we take very seriously and we cannot comment any further," the spokesman told AFP. Online news website Sigmalive said the police were tipped off by foreign intelligence services and the man -- who came to Cyprus as a tourist -- was arrested in his hotel room last week. It said the suspect appeared before a closed court for a second time Friday where he was detained in police custody for another seven days. Police are trying to unravel the level of involvement of the suspect, the intended targets and whether he had accomplices on the island. According to Sigmalive the man arrived on the island to plan and orchestrate the blowing up of a plane or a bus. Local daily Phileleftheros said notes with details of Israeli aircraft were found in his possession. State radio said the suspect was staying in the southern coastal resort of Limassol and took photographs of Israeli interests. Police have made no official public statement about the arrest or the investigation. Cyprus had seen attacks against Israeli interests in late 70s and early 80s, but since then the island has been viewed as neutral ground for unofficial Mideast peace contacts

Saudi security forces kill oil province attacker: SPA
July 14, 2012/Daily Star/DUBAI: Saudi security forces shot and killed a man who was among a group that opened fire and hurled a fire-bomb at a police station in the oil-rich Eastern province, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said Saturday. The agency also quoted an Interior Ministry spokesman as saying that four members of the security forces were wounded in a separate attack by masked gunmen on motor-bikes who fired at two patrols in the village of Sehat, also in Eastern Province, early on Saturday. Two men were killed on Sunday in Eastern Province, where most of the country's Shi'ite Muslim minority lives, during protests after the arrest of a prominent Shi'ite cleric. The Interior Ministry blamed the killings on criminals but Shi'ite activists said snipers shot them. Saudi Arabia, the world's No. 1 oil exporter and a key U.S. ally, is sensitive to any unrest in the province in case it is fomented by non-Arab Shi'ite power Iran to destabilise the Gulf region. Tehran denies any involvement. The SPA quoted Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour al-Turki as saying the attack on the police station in Awamiya took place at around 9:30 pm on Friday. One of the four attackers hurled a Molotov cocktail at the station while the three others opened fire, he said. "The security at the position dealt with them in accordance with what the situation requires, which resulted in one being killed while the others fled," SPA quoted Turki as saying. The agency said the second attack occurred at around 1.00 a.m. on Saturday, but gave no information on the wounded men's injuries. The Shiite Rasid website www.rasid.com identified the dead man as 18-year-old Abdallah Jaafr al-Ajami and said local social media websites had published pictures of him covered in blood. It also quoted residents as casting doubt on the police spokesman's report that Ajami was killed while attacking a police station, saying the compound was well protected with concrete barriers and fences

45 officers of Tlass family defect from regime – Businessman Firas Tlass
14/07/2012/By Mohamed Nassar/Asharq Alawsat
Dubai, Asharq Al-Awsat – The eldest son of former Syrian Defense Minister General Mustafa Tlass, Firas Tlass, informed Asharq Al-Awsat that a total of 45 members of the Tlass family have defected from the al-Assad regime, including his younger brother and boyhood friend of Bashar al-Assad, Brigadier General Manaf Tlass. The Tlass family is a prominent Syrian Sunni family with long-standing ties to the al-Assad regime. Mustafa Tlass previously served as Syrian Defense Minister under president Hafez al-Assad, as well as his son and successor Bashar al-Assad, whilst his son, Manaf Tlass, was a childhood friend of Bashar al-Assad whose defection earlier this month served as a shock to the al-Assad regime. The Tlass family reportedly has strong ties to the Free Syrian Army [FSA], with Abdul Razzaq Tlass – nephew of Mustafa Tlass and cousin to Manaf Tlass – serving as the commander of the FSA al-Farouq Brigade, which has fought running battles with regime forces in Rastan and the outlying areas.
Speaking exclusively to Asharq Al-Awsat during a telephone interview from Paris, Syrian business tycoon Firas Tlass strongly denied reports that the al-Farouq Brigade commander had been killed. He also revealed that he is personally providing humanitarian relief and assistance to the brigade, but stressed that he is not arming the FSA. The Syrian businessman also refused to discuss his younger brother’s defection from the al-Assad regime, saying that he is waiting for the dust to settle following this shocking news. Tlass stressed that he supports the Syrian revolution, adding “I support the people, not chaos, and I hope that the country reaches a state of safety, for we are currently experiencing a state of chaos” adding “we require a strong current to place Syria on the right path and move it towards safety.”He also asserted that the Syrian revolutionary movement on the ground is capable of “resolving” the Syrian crisis, far more than those giving their opinions and views on Arab satellite television.
Tlass also revealed that he is in constant contact with Abdul Razzaq Tlass, commander of the FSA’s al-Farouq brigade. He said “I have been in contact with Abdul Razzaq over the past 6 weeks” adding “I love him, for he is my cousin.”
He also called for mass civil disobedience to break out across Syria, adding that the regional situation is very complex and there is significant foreign intervention in Syrian affairs. Firas Tlass told Asharq Al-Awsat that the situation on the ground is not a result of the strength of the al-Assad regime forces but rather due to “regional conflict” adding “many countries are seeking to gain influence and power over Syria.” He stressed that “this is a chess-game… the international community wants Syria to be a failed state."
The Syrian businessman also confirmed that he is aware of the nature of the support that the Syrian revolution is receiving, particularly the FSA, stressing that all the support that reaches FSA brigades is “conditional support”. He stressed that “all this conditional support is linked to future political dictates and agendas.”
As for the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Tlass said that al-Assad remains part of the solution, despite the fact that he is the major reason behind the crisis. He said that the best solution for Syria would be for Bashar al-Assad to hand over power to a national council, adding this can be viewed as a mixture of the Yemeni and Egyptian solutions.
However the Syrian tycoon told Asharq Al-Awsat this the most likely solution would see the “rise of a strong internal current that unites an important part of the revolutionary trend, and which possess a strong and clear political program to govern the next stage” adding “this current would impose itself on the scene and would be capable of negotiating with the regime.” He nominated his cousin Abdul Razzaq Tlass as a figure who can represent the Syrian revolution. Firas Tlass also confirmed that his father, former Syrian Defense Minister Mustafa Tlass, is “saddened” by the current situation in Syria. Mustafa Tlass, the former Syrian Defense Minister, is 80-years old and lives abroad in Paris. Tlass also revealed that he has not liquidated all his business interests in Syria, adding that the regime only began targeting some of his business interests after it became aware of his position towards the revolution. He added that not all of his businesses have been targeted.
The Syrian businessman also told Asharq Al-Awsat that “I was being monitored [by the regime] since September last year, whilst a warrant for my arrest was issued in May…but I had already left Syria by this time.”In an open discussion with the “Syrian Youth dialogue” Facebook group earlier this week, Firas Tlass put forward his view for the transitional phase in Syria. He stressed this should include a “government with a specific formation (perhaps Manaf [Tlass] would be one of its members) however the power in this government would be shared, in other words there would be no president” adding “decisions would be made by vote, and this government’s task would be to protect the transitional phase and allow the country to reach a national constituent assembly elected under international supervision.” Tlass also asserted that he would not speak on behalf of anybody else, and did not want to answer questions about Manaf Tlass’s future plans, saying “I said that I would speak for myself and not cite anyone, and whatever results come from the ballot box I accept” adding “this country deserves what is good, and not a return to the reproduction of power.” He stressed “if Manaf Tlass came to power by internationally observed elections, then that is his right. Whilst if a religious figure or a former solider or an economist or even a Syrian Buddhist convert were elected…then I would respect this." Firas Tlass is the founder and owner of the prominent Min Ajl Suriyya [MAS] company. His company is involved in a variety of fields, including agriculture and manufacturing.

Koura offers a taste of 2013?
Matt Nash/Now Lebanon/July 14, 2012
If you ask the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, there shouldn’t even be an election.
Tomorrow the northern, mostly Christian, district of Koura is holding a by-election to fill a parliamentary seat left empty by the May 31 death of Lebanese Forces MP Farid Habib. Traditionally in Lebanese politics, when an MP dies in office, someone from his or her family will run uncontested and “hold” the seat until the next general election. Not this time.
The rumor mill has it that both Koura MP Farid Makari (a March 14 ally) and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri pushed the LF and Habib’s family to run a relative. Instead, LF leader Samir Geagea has said, the party contacted its top brass in Koura and, through internal discussions and balloting, chose Fadi Karam—a dentist making his first foray into politics—as their candidate.
Geagea argues that selecting Karam was done in line with the LF’s by-laws and stands as a testament to the party’s rejection of familial dynasties. The SSNP, of course, sees things differently.
In announcing his candidacy, the SSNP’s Walid Azar called Karam’s nomination a “provocation” and said, “It is the leader of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, who imposed the battle on the area.” (Azar could not be reached for an interview.)
It is not surprising the party sees it this way. Firstly, the majority of Koura’s population is Greek Orthodox—the same sect as SSNP founder Antoun Saadeh—and historically the district has been a stronghold for the SSNP and allies like the Lebanese Communist and Marada parties. Amioun, the “capital” of Koura and its largest city, has a long-standing reputation as SSNP turf.
Karam’s family—which divides itself between support for the LF and the SSNP—is from Amioun. For the SSNP, the idea of the LF both bucking tradition and trying to pit a son of Amioun against his own city was just too much. So an electoral battle there shall be.
From a governance perspective, Sunday’s poll is not really all that important. It’s only one seat of 128, and the next general election is less than a year away. But therein lies why both sides are taking it seriously—as a bellwether for 2013. All of Lebanon’s political parties will be watching the margins in Koura on Sunday.
In 2009, some 27,400 voters cast ballots in Koura—a turnout of around 47 percent.Pollsters Abdo Saad, from the Beirut Center for Research and Information, and Rabih Haber, of Statistics Lebanon, told NOW that 4,700 Sunnis voted, as did 5,000 Maronites. Haber said 300 Shia also went to the polls, but Saad said there were more like 600 or 700. The remaining 18,000 to 22,000 electors are all Greek Orthodox, both men agreed. Despite the district’s diversity, all three of its parliamentary seats are reserved for Greek Orthodox candidates. Both Saad and Haber said their surveys suggest the LF’s Karam is favored to win, though Saad cautioned that his data was gathered “two weeks ago.”
While the March 14 list won Koura in 2009, the margin of victory was not enormous. On average, the difference between the two lists was 2,029 votes (or 7.4 percent), Haber said. Immediately after the election, March 8 accused March 14 of winning merely on the back of votes from Sunnis and expatriates flown in to participate. Those same accusations are flying this year as well.
Arguably the two most interesting questions in advance of Sunday’s election are: How will the Sunnis vote, and how will supporters of Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement vote. Let’s look at the last one first. Three years ago, the March 8 list in Koura consisted of candidates from the SSNP, Marada and the FPM. Marada’s candidate fared best with 12,201 votes, followed by the FPM with 12,154 and the SSNP with 11,980.
This time around, the LF is clearly trying to use the SSNP’s support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against Azar. In a brief telephone interview, Karam told NOW, “There are two types of speech in this election. Our speech is speech of democracy and respecting others. The other speech is speech of war and going back to past.” Geagea directly named Assad in urging supporters to vote on Sunday.
Watch turnout numbers among the Christian communities after the vote. Is it true, as some argue, that on-the-fence Christian voters are turned off by both Aoun’s defense of Assad and having the SSNP as an ally? If Christian turnout is low and the LF wins in a landslide, there will be a tangible reason to suspect Aoun is in trouble in 2013. That said, the Aoun-Geagea rivalry is particularly bitter, and voters uneasy with the FPM may suppress their concerns just to spite the LF.
Ibrahim Ramadi, an FPM supporter close to the party’s leadership in Koura, told NOW that he feels both sides are particularly excited to prove their strength and predicts a turnout even higher than in 2009—which would be odd for a by-election. As for the Sunnis, there is also speculation that former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s 15-month absence from Lebanon has lost him support. Mustafa Hamoui, a Lebanese blogger with a keen political eye, points to a bridge over the main coastal highway in Koura as evidence (Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s photo has replaced Hariri’s next to the Sunni village of Qalamoun). Low Sunni turnout would indicate Hariri’s critics are right (Hariri’s media office released a message saying he calls on supporters to vote Karam, and his brother, Ahmad, visited Koura recently). However, anger at seeing their co-religionists killed in Syria could be a galvanizing factor for the community. The real victory in Koura will be over bragging rights and momentum. In 2013, Lebanon’s Christians will again likely decide which political coalition represents the majority, which itself is something of a referendum on Aoun. The former general shocked the political establishment with a tsunami of support in 2005, only to see it ebb in 2009. The question of where he stands in 2013 will begin to be answered tomorrow.

Thank you, Wael Abu Faour
Hazem al-Amin/Now Lebanon/July 13, 2012
The Lebanese government announced that it has suspended aid destined to the Syrian refugees who have fled to Lebanon, including the reception of the wounded and the sick in hospitals. The harshness of this announcement entails feelings of revenge, since government aid to the refugees never reached a level that would justify its suspension. In this sense, this political announcement aims to say that the wounded, the sick and those families that left their villages, cities and homes out of fear of being killed are unwelcome in our country, one where the government represents – at best – half of the Lebanese people. The announcement coincides with the sixth anniversary of the July War, during which the Syrians welcomed about 200,000 Lebanese displaced in Syria who were fleeing Israeli bombardments. Interestingly, the person who engineered the “honorable” stance of the cabinet representing “half of the Lebanese people minus one” is Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour, a member of the Progressive Socialist Party, i.e. the party that moved from the cold bosom of the Syrian regime into the warm bosom of the revolution. The young minister said: “The coverage of healthcare expenses for Syrian refugees has been suspended rather than stopped altogether in order to redevelop a new mechanism that would make sure no exploitation occurs.” The government and the young minister feared for the minor amounts paid by the cabinet of oil ships and money laundering to some Syrian sick and wounded. This is transparency and integrity at an extraordinary moment of vigilance. As for the generosity of providing care for the wounded, no one can undermine its foundations, which are rooted in the ethics of Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour, who hails from the Mountain and who has engineered the decision and still felt no need to resign. Rather than being motivated by political or technical reasons, the decision denotes revenge. It would not hurt a pro-Syrian government to treat a few members of the Syrian opposition who are wounded and sick, as this might gloss over some of its shortcomings.
Technically speaking, squandering and mismanagement of minor sums of money – if it is indeed taking place – are merely a drop in the sea of public squandering. Furthermore, the losses resulting from the unethical substance of the decision are many times greater than the ones incurred by the “chaotic coverage of expenses.”
The government has decided to stop welcoming wounded who might die as a result of their being denied hospital treatment. There is nothing worse than proclaiming such a decision. This clarity sheds light on one aspect of the tragedy, one which even the level of the crimes committed against these people in their country did not succeed in revealing. “We will not welcome wounded Syrians.” Who dared to say it before the Lebanese government? Many have undoubtedly failed to welcome wounded Syrians in practice, but no one has dared to proclaim it, engineer it based on decrees and laws, and announce it in press conferences. The worst is that it is being implemented by ministers who claim to support the [Syrian] revolution.
Maybe we ought to paint a clearer picture of the government for the Lebanese people to see after this decision. On a day that will come soon enough, a wounded person will come from Syria – either a man or a woman – in front of a Akkar hospital and hospital staff will tell him/her: Sorry, we cannot allow you in … Wait outside until you die. The wounded person will do as told and wait outside for a slow and normal death. We say “Thank you” to the Lebanese government, to Wael Abu Faour and to Najib Mikati. One must not forget either that the government of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement has stopped providing treatment to wounded Syrians on the anniversary of the July War following which they had said, “Thank you, Qatar.” This article is a translation of the original, which appeared on the NOW Arabic site on , Friday July 13, 2012

World outrage at Syria "massacre", but no action
14/07/2012/AMMAN/BEIRUT, (Reuters) - The United States has branded Syria's leaders murderers after an attack on a village by President Bashar al-Assad's troops left dozens dead, but there was no break in the deadlock among world powers over how to bring about an end to the bloodshed. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also condemned what his monitors on the ground had seen as an "indiscriminate" bombardment that included rocket-firing helicopters of the town of Tremseh in rebellious Hama province, and he questioned Assad's commitment to a U.N.-sponsored peace plan for Syria. But at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S. diplomats and their Western allies continued to run up against a refusal on the part of Russia to lift its veto on harsher sanctions or any steps Moscow views as imposing "regime change" in Damascus. There was "indisputable evidence that the regime deliberately murdered innocent civilians", said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, demanding access for U.N. observers who on Thursday were spectators to hours of bombing and gunfire, but were kept out of the village by Syrian troops. As video evidence of casualties from the attack on the village emerged on the Internet, Ban said: "I condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the indiscriminate use of heavy artillery and shelling of populated areas, including by firing from helicopters."
Accounts from opposition activists cited a death toll ranging from over 100 to more than twice that figure - either way one of the bloodiest incidents in 17 months of conflict.
One group said rebel fighters rushed to reinforce the village after it came under attack by infantry, artillery and air forces, leading to a battle that went on for seven hours.
In a pattern seen at other settlements in recent months, rebels accused irregular militiamen, known as shabbiha, from Assad's Alawite minority, of swooping on the battered village, home mostly to Sunni Muslims, and of finishing off their neighbors in a sectarian attack some called ethnic cleansing. Syrian state television accused "armed terrorist groups" of committing a massacre at Tremseh, but gave no death toll.
"GRIM REMINDER"
Assad, who succeeded his late father 12 years ago, has plenty of firepower to suppress the opposition and can count on backing both from Shi'ite Iran, hostile to the Sunni Arabs who lead most states in the region, and has also been protected from sanctions by Syria's old Cold War ally Russia. Moscow rejects Western governments' insistence that Assad must go and says a peace process must come from within Syria. It is hosting the U.N. special envoy, Kofi Annan, at the Kremlin next week, as diplomats at the Security Council will be resuming efforts to narrow differences over raising pressure on Damascus.
Annan called the events at Tremseh a "grim reminder" that U.N. resolutions calling for peace were being flouted and wrote to the Council urging it to penalize Syria for failing to comply. But talks on Friday showed little progress. One senior Western diplomat said: "The problem is Russia. "I'm not saying they are not working behind the scenes, but clearly it hasn't worked and they have to admit that either they haven't been pushing Assad hard enough or they have and they have failed to persuade him ... At the moment, the effect of what they are doing, maybe not the intention, but the effect, is just to give space for the massacres to continue." French President Francois Hollande said he was urging Russia - and China, which shares Moscow's suspicion of Western powers' appetite for intervening in sovereign affairs - to change tack. "A regime has decided to use force to crush its own people," he said. By blocking sanctions that might force Assad aside, Russia and China would let "chaos and war take hold in Syria" in way that would harm their own interests.
REBEL FORCES
Critics of the approach by Western powers, loath to undertake direct military involvement of their own, say the revolt in Syria could lead to a wider, sectarian conflict and bring to power radical Islamists hostile to non-Arab nations.Washington and its European and Arab allies are wary of the rebel forces, which have proved fractious among themselves, but believe an erosion of support for Assad within the elite - as seen in high-level defections in the past week - may in time allow for a period of political transition without him.
Clinton appealed to the veto-wielding Russians and Chinese on the Security Council to join the Western drive against Assad. "History will judge this Council," she said in a statement.
"Its members must ask themselves whether continuing to allow the Assad regime to commit unspeakable violence against its own people is the legacy they want to leave."
Russia withheld blame while condemning the violence and called for an inquiry into events at Tremseh. "This wrongdoing serves the interests of those powers that are not seeking peace but persistently seek to sow the seeds of interconfessional and civilian conflict on Syrian soil," the foreign ministry said. A local activist named Ahmed told Reuters there were 60 bodies at the mosque, of whom 20 were identified: "There are more bodies in the fields, bodies in the rivers and in houses." Opposition video segments posted on YouTube provided evidence that dozens had met a violent death. One piece of film to appear on the Internet showed the corpses of 15 young men with faces or shirts drenched in blood. Most wore T-shirts and jeans. There were no women or children. Other videos showed rows of bodies wrapped in blankets, sheets and makeshift shrouds, some leaking blood. One man pulled aside a blanket to display a carbonized corpse. Men placed wrapped bodies in a breeze-block trench for burial. In a mosque packed with grieving women and distraught men, bodies were collected, identified and prepared. Children stepped gingerly among the corpses covering the floor.

The Syrian army and sectarianism
By Hussein Shabokshi/Asharq Alawsat
An article published in the New York Times newspaper claims that the Syrian army has reached very dangerous levels of sectarianism. It reveals that in every batch of graduates from the Syrian military academy there are 1,000 affiliates of the Alawite sect (which Bashar al-Assad’s family belongs to), compared to just 100 from the Sunni sect and 100 others representing all the remaining diverse mix of sects and minorities. It is no secret that positions in the Syrian army, especially leadership posts, have always and still are allocated to members of the Alawite sect, and if a Sunni is in a position of leadership then the post has no real meaning or executive powers. Hafez al-Assad, who came to power from the environment of a non-sectarian army, realized that he had to “dilute” the identity of the army to maintain his power. Thus he began to promote the idea that the country’s nationalist, pan-Arabist army should by definition serve to defend the Baath party, and during that period many important families began to guide their children towards trade and business, and away from a military career. Hafez al-Assad exploited this issue well and began to lure dozens, then hundreds, then thousands of his own sect to enroll in the military. But let us consider the numbers: Amidst the violence and force of the Syrian revolution, which has lasted for over 17 months and claimed the lives of more than 17,000 people, the Syrian army - which is estimated to consist of around 400,000 recruits - has become weary of its war against the people, with signs of division emerging amongst its components. There is also another issue of growing importance, namely that 80,000 young people, mostly from the Sunni sect, have refused to participate in compulsory military service, and there are also increasing numbers of those refusing to execute the orders of their superior officers, telling them to carry out specific operations against the residents of besieged cities. The Syrian army, which used to promote the idea that it was a secular and nationalist entity, and did not distinguish between the sons of one country, is full of layers of distinction and preference. The army’s Fourth Armoured Division includes an elite selection of the Alawite sect, assigned to protect the regime and its close inner circle. The same goes for the Republican Guard, with estimates suggesting it has 60,000 elements, and the intelligence services, where those enrolled amount to 150,000. There is a widespread conviction that this army was organized in such a complex and competing hierarchy in order to consecrate its primary role of protecting the regime from the people. Hafez al-Assad was always aware that in order to seize power and dominate, he must have a long term plan to ensure the loyalty of the most important institution in the country, the army. We also saw this clearly during the gradual transfer of power to Bashar al-Assad, who adopted various military positions until he inherited the presidency after his father’s death. The news of the defection of Manaf Tlass, a military figure close to the president and responsible for one of the most vital divisions in the Syrian army, came as a very shocking surprise to Bashar al-Assad’s supporters, because Manaf Tlass had a longstanding friendship with the Syrian president, and was considered one of the most important elements of the regime. However, the comments issued by the al-Assad regime’s media were far from realistic. They suggested that Manaf Tlass had no value in the Syrian army’s military system, and that he had no real weight. The bitter truth that we should all be aware of by now is that this regime is nothing but a sectarianism breeding machine. It has channeled all its resources towards this endeavor ever since it was able to establish the very idea in the first place. The regime’s governance and interests are all strongly linked to sectarianism, and its loyalties and priorities also adhere to this. The scenes that we are witnessing in the chapters of the Syrian revolution are the natural product of injustice, discrimination, racism and sectarianism, and the outraged Syrians have paid the price for this for many years.

Annan…and his teacher al-Assad
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat,
It is clear that the Syrian revolution has embroiled Mr. Annan – along with his initiatives and plan –in Syrian affairs. It is as if Annan today is trying to steal Walid Muallam’s job, for what he is doing to save al-Assad is far more tangible than anything that Muallem is capable of, particularly as Annan’s latest initiative towards Syria would not grant al-Assad an opportunity, but rather would completely save him! Therefore the talk about calming the situation in the country in a “step by step” manner means that Annan wants to strengthen al-Assad on the ground after his control of Syria began to slip. As for Annan’s statement that we must collect the arms that are in the “wrong hands”, this was frightening and provocative, for does Annan want to say that the Syrian opposition is an armed, terrorist opposition, as al-Assad has always asserted? This would mean that Annan has begun to adopt the positions of al-Assad, and his rhetoric! What is even more dangerous than all of this is that Annan wants to continue pursuing his initiative, without putting a time limit in place, or taking this initiative to the UN Security Council under Chapter VII of the UN charter, which authorizes the use of military force. Without this, any new initiative would be meaningless. However much of the suspicion surrounding Annan’s positions disappears when we read and contemplate what was published by the Lebanese al-Akhbar newspaper this week. The newspaper initially published the minutes of the meeting between al-Assad and Annan, and then the next day it issued a retraction. This is something that we have become accustomed to from the Bashar al-Assad regime, and the newspapers affiliated to it, not to mention the newspapers affiliated to Hezbollah in Lebanon. We would initially see information being leaked about al-Assad’s meetings with visitors, and then following this it would be said that this information was taken out of context or that parties within the al-Assad regime were attempting to highlight al-Assad’s position. However these are lies and tricks that we have become accustomed to from the al-Assad regime. The al-Assad regime utilized this policy when it promoted the lie of reform during the early days of its rule in Damascus, as well as following the assassination of Rafiq Hariri, and indeed during every recent crisis in Lebanon and Iraq. Al-Assad also utilized this tactic with regards to his meetings with Saudi Arabian, Turkish and French visitors recently, and others. The Lebanese al-Akhbar newspaper report depicted Annan as if he were a student listening to his teacher, Bashar al-Assad, who was putting forward one idea after another to him. Al-Assad appeared relaxed and confident, whilst Annan mumbled responses and admiration. What is even worse than this was what was reported regarding Annan’s belittling of the Syrian opposition in Cairo, and his description of the Syrian revolutionaries as armed terrorist groups being supported from abroad. As if massacres and crimes against humanity are not taking place in Syria, and what is happening in the country is not a real disaster, the report also showed the tyrant of Damascus mocking US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and explicitly disparaging the state of Qatar. The report also claimed that Annan participated in this. This was issued in a report by a newspaper with well-known ties to the al-Assad regime and its allies in Lebanon.
Therefore Annan’s position means that the situation is increasingly urgent, and this is to save the Syrian people from Annan himself, as much as from the tyrant of Damascus. The simple reason for this is that whilst al-Assad kills, Annan justifies and expresses regret. This brings to mind the famous [Arab] proverb that “if you kill one person then you must seek the help of a lawyer, but if you kill dozens then you must seek the help of a lobby, which will carry out propaganda campaigns on your behalf.” This is what al-Assad is doing today, thanks to Annan’s approach.

Israel advised to brace for Syrian missile attack – conventional or chemical
DEBKAfile Special Report July 14, 2012/As the already unthinkable pace of slaughter in Syria accelerates further, Western military sources warned Saturday, July 14, that not only Israel, but additional strategic targets in Middle East lands deemed enemies by Bashar Assad should prepare for him to launch surface-to-surface missile attacks. The assaults would start out with conventional warheads, but as the regime continued to be hammered, the beleaguered ruler might well arm the next round of missiles from his huge stockpile of mustard gas - not to mention sarin nerve poison and cyanide.
Western intelligence sources say Assad has a list of targets ready to go. Analyzing the Syrian war game taking place last week, they calculated that Wednesday and Thursday, July 11 and 12, the Syrian army practiced shooting missiles at strategic centers in Israel, Turkey and Jordan. But while most Western officials now confirm that Assad has moved his WMD warheads and shells out of storage, they are already divided on what it means. Some US officials are soft-pedaling the menace, offering the theory that the Syrian ruler is only safeguarding his unconventional weapons from falling into rebel – or what he calls “terrorist” – hands. Other Western intelligence watchers, especially in Britain, believe he is preparing a campaign of ethnic cleansing at centers of revolt and report that chemical weapons have already been transferred to Homs, Latakia and Aleppo for operational use. That is one game-changing predicament facing the West. It would quickly assume a regional dimension if Turkey, Israel and Jordan were to come under Syrian missile assault. Air and missile reprisals against Syrian military or regime centers would carry the danger of Hizballah retaliation from Lebanon leading to direct attacks from Iran. Before going down that road, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan – who are not on speaking terms – would certainly confer with US President Barack Obama.
Even then, their consultations would not necessarily lead to action. For example, three weeks have gone by since Syria shot down a Turkish Air Force reconnaissance jet and yet after, close consultation with Washington, the Erdogan government was persuaded to leave the incident without response. Administration officials explained to the Turks that covert warfare carried a price in failure and casualties.
This US attitude might well embolden the Syrian ruler to risk his arm with limited missile strikes against Turkey and Israel and bank on the Obama administration twisting their leaders’ arms behind their backs to prevent them making any serious response.

Canada Condemns Massacre in Syria
Canada Condemns Massacre in Syria
July 13, 2012 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:
“Canada is appalled by reports that more than 200 Syrians have been brutally murdered in the city of Tremseh near Hama. The use of artillery, tanks and helicopters by Syrian security forces, confirmed by the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria, is evidence of the barbarity of this regime.
“The international community cannot stand by and allow these atrocities to continue.
“Canada urges all members of the UN Security Council to come to agreement on a resolution that will impose tough, binding economic sanctions against the regime.
“Those countries blocking any meaningful attempt at a resolution will be held accountable for their decisions.
“The senseless bloodshed in Syria is unconscionable. Those in a position to influence Syria must do their part to bring about an immediate end to the violence.
“Canada stands with the people of Syria in the face of this unspeakable horror.”

Egypt's Power Struggle and the Fate of Christians
By Aidan Clay
07/13/2012 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) — In defiance of Egypt’s top generals and highest court, Muslim Brotherhood presidential-elect Mohammed Morsi reopened parliament on Tuesday. In only his third week in office, Morsi’s rapid-fire pursuit to broaden the Brotherhood’s power openly challenges the country’s ruling military council. Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority fears that the restoration of parliament, which will grant greater powers to Islamists, will be used to institute Sharia law and stifle religious freedoms.
On July 10, Egypt’s lower chamber, the People’s Assembly, convened despite a ruling by the Supreme Constitutional Court on June 14 ordering the parliament’s dissolution. Saad el-Katatni, the assembly’s speaker, told lawmakers the session was being held to seek a “second opinion” by an appellate court in an effort to reinstate the Islamist-dominated legislature. The court, however, did not concede to the chamber’s request, upholding its earlier ruling that the parliament had been elected unconstitutionally and that its dissolution was “final and binding”.
If the parliament were to be reinstated, the Muslim Brotherhood—which holds nearly half the seats in the Islamist-dominated assembly—would head both the legislature and the presidency. Yet, a Brotherhood-controlled civilian government appears to be what Egypt’s ruling generals fear most. Only a week prior to Morsi’s announcement as president, the military announced a constitutional declaration on June 17 that expands their control over civilian politicians and strips the head of state of most of his powers. Morsi’s move to defy the court ruling by reconvening parliament was not only considered to be illegal by the military council, but also a direct challenge to the establishment’s authority.
In a warning to the president, the military said it would support the country’s “legitimacy, constitution and law” by upholding the court’s ruling. “[This is] language that means [the military] will not stand by and watch the rulings of the country's top court ignored or breached,” the Christian Science Monitor reported.
Despite the military’s grip on power, Bret Stephens, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, argues that Egypt has already been “lost” to Islamists and that a radical future, similar to what was seen in Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution, lingers on the horizon. “Egypt under the Brotherhood will seek to arm Hamas and remilitarize the Sinai. By degrees, it will seek to extract concessions from the U.S. as the price of its good behavior. By degrees, it will make radical alliances in the Middle East and beyond.”
However, Daniel Pipes, the President of the Middle East Forum, argues the contrary, saying that the military, not the Brotherhood, has the ultimate power in Egypt. “Not only was the [presidential] election symbolic, but it was also illusory, in that the military leadership scripted it,” Pipes wrote in an op-ed for the National Review. “[Mohammed Morsi’s] job is undefined. A military coup could brush him aside… Mohamed Tantawi is the real ruler of Egypt. Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), field marshal, and minister of defense, he serves not only as the commander-in-chief but also as the effective head of all three of Egypt’s branches of government… The [military] exploits the Muslim Brotherhood and other proxies as its civilian fronts, a role they are happy to play, as it has permitted the Islamists to garner an outsized percentage of the parliamentary vote and then to win the presidency.”
Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority, who make up 10 percent of the population, hope that Pipes is right, fearful that if the Brotherhood gains leverage over the military, the country could quickly transition into an Islamic state.
“There is a Brotherhood strategy to work toward building an Islamic country,” Yousef Sidhom, editor of the weekly Watani newspaper and a Coptic Church official, told The Associated Press. He added that the Brotherhood will withhold government positions from Christians, tax non-Muslims, and base education around Islam.
The Brotherhood will not likely concede to pressure by the military, vowing to “fight in the courts and the streets to reinstate the Parliament,” according to The New York Times. Prior to the reconvening of parliament, the Brotherhood’s Secretary-General Mahmoud Hussein called for a “million-man march” to “regain the parliament” and denounced the military’s hold on power. A few hundred protestors supporting the Brotherhood responded to the call in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Monday, chanting, “We love you Morsi,” and “Down with military rule.”
“This may end being a game of 'chicken' [to see] who withdraws his decision first,” Dr. Omar Ashour, a scholar at the Brookings Doha Center and director of the Middle East Politics Graduate Studies Program at the University of Exeter, told msnbc.com.
Christians and all Egyptians anticipate the power struggle, which Reuters labeled “a war of attrition,” to be far from over. More battles lie ahead, including the drafting of Egypt’s constitution, the right of which was stripped from the parliament last month in a decree that authorizes the military to appoint the body to write the document. In this confrontation for power, nothing less than the very ideals of Egypt’s revolution—mainly that a democratically elected government would replace the military—are at stake.