LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
January 17/14

Bible Quotation for today/Who Is the Greatest?/Temptations to Sin
Matthew18/01-09: "At that time the disciples came to Jesus, asking, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” So Jesus called a child to come and stand in front of them, and said, “I assure you that unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven. The greatest in the Kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child. And whoever welcomes in my name one such child as this, welcomes me. “If anyone should cause one of these little ones to lose his faith in me, it would be better for that person to have a large millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the deep sea. How terrible for the world that there are things that make people lose their faith! Such things will always happen—but how terrible for the one who causes them! “If your hand or your foot makes you lose your faith, cut it off and throw it away! It is better for you to enter life without a hand or a foot than to keep both hands and both feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye makes you lose your faith, take it out and throw it away! It is better for you to enter life with only one eye than to keep both eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

Al-Sayyed Goes to The Hague with a Mission, Politicians Convince Angry Relatives Not to Confront him
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 January 2014/ The arrival of former General Security chief Jamil al-Sayyed at the seat of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague to attend the trial in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination caused a stir among the relatives of the victims in the series of bombings that targeted Lebanese figures since the assassination attempt against MP Marwan Hamadeh in October 2004.
The journalists that are pro-March 8 considered al-Sayyed's presence in The Hague newsworthy, giving a political presence to the alliance with respect to the huge existence of March 14 figures, who were accompanied by a large number of journalists aboard former Prime Minister Saad Hariri's private jet. The reporters are residing in luxury hotels and Hariri has put at their disposal transportation vehicles to take them back and fourth between their bases and the STL's headquarters. The relatives and families of the victims of the series of murders and assassination attempts expressed their anger at al-Sayyed, calling for confronting him at the court's entrance to prevent him from entering the building. Some of the angry relatives mulled to ask STL judges not to grant al-Sayyed the permission to attend the start of the trial for being a provocative person.
March 14 officials, in their turn, urged the families to exercise self-restraint and worked on preventing any move that would turn attention away from the indictment against four Hizbullah members, which the prosecution will discuss at the start of the trial. Any wrong move in the reaction to al-Sayyed's provocative presence would help him achieve his objective, the March 14 officials warned. They said the former general security chief is seeking to hinder the process of the trial by luring the families of the victims to confront him outside the STL building or inside its halls to delay the trial. The officials also believe that al-Sayyed had a double mission to work in favor of Hizbullah and the security and intelligence agencies of Syrian President Bashar Assad to follow-up the trial closely and study the steps that the party and the Syrian regime should take in following up the mission of the STL. They also accused al-Sayyed of seeking to interfere in the trial to bring up the case of his arrest along with three other pro-Syrian generals during the initial phase of the investigation into Hariri's murder. Such an interference is aimed at drowning the judges in the details of his arrest to prevent them from moving forward with their attempts to reveal more evidence and information in Hariri's assassination and several other attacks linked to it.
One of the Lebanese politicians who is in The Hague to attend the start of the trial told the relatives of the victims, who complained about al-Sayyed's “provocative presence,” that they should get used to seeing him there.
“If his presence is annoying you, then his future presence will heal your wounds,” he said.

March 14 Politicians: The Hague is for the Court and Beirut is for the Government
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 January 2014/Lebanese politicians who are in the Netherlands to attend the start of the trial in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's Feb. 2005 assassination have rejected to discuss about the new cabinet formation process and stressed that “The Hague is for the court and Beirut is for the government.” But former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, deputy Speaker Farid Makari, MP Sami Gemayel and other March 14 alliance politicians say they want a government in Lebanon as strong as the court is in The Hague. They said the pressure exerted on March 14 in the past 10 years to give up its support to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon has failed and will also fail in giving up the true meaning of an “all-embracing” cabinet and the rotation of power in the legislative and executive authorities. “The acceptance to discuss about an all-embracing government does not mean we are giving up our political plan that this cabinet should adopt,” they said. The officials rejected to link the tribunal's mission with the political life in Lebanon, stressing that the March 14 camp has never tied the functioning of Lebanon's constitutional institutions with the work of the STL. But they accused the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance of using the constitutional life to obstruct the formation of the tribunal.The officials stressed that they hold onto their stance since 2005 not to turn the court into a legal tool to make political gains at the expense of their rivals. Yet they would not allow the March 8 camp to turn Lebanon’s constitutional institutions into a political tool to force March 14 into giving up its support for the STL. The March 14 officials considered that the start of the trial on Thursday morning makes the “government-tribunal” equation void. March 8 should be realistic and give up its strong efforts to bury the truth in the killings and assassination attempts that Lebanon witnessed in the past 10 years, they said. The March 14 officials stressed that the start of the trial would not have negative repercussions on Lebanon's stability. But they said that the results of the trial and the verdicts would leave their mark on Lebanon's political life.

Car Bomb Kills 3, Hurts Dozens in Hermel, 'al-Nusra in Lebanon' Claims Attack
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 January 2014/..A car bombing targeted on Thursday the eastern town of Hermel, a Hizbullah stronghold, killing at least three people and wounding more than 26, in an attack claimed by an apparent al-Nusra Front offshoot. The explosion ripped through Hermel's main square where the Serail is located. Hermel is a predominantly Shiite town and lies near the Lebanon-Syria border. A group calling itself “al-Nusra Front in Lebanon” claimed responsibility for the attack in a Twitter message. “With the help of God, the bastion of Iran's party (Hizbullah) in Hermel has been rocked by a martyrdom operation carried out by one of the 'lions' of al-Nusra Front in Lebanon, in response to the party's crimes against the women and children of the Sunni community in Syria,” the tweet said.
The group called on Sunnis across Lebanon to “close their ranks to confront the Party of Satan (Hizbullah).” The alleged Nusra offshoot described Hizbullah as “foolish and coward.” “It is foolish in its security evaluations and coward for placing its bases in civilian areas,” it added. Al-Nusra Front is the main rebel group fighting to topple the Assad regime. It is al-Qaida's arm in Syria and is listed by the United States as a terrorist organization. It is not clear whether al-Nusra Front in Lebanon has links to the Syrian rebel group. The health ministry said human remains were found near the site of the blast. Red Cross Operations Director George Kettaneh said some of the wounded were in serious condition and would be taken to hospitals in the eastern city of Zahle. Reports said the bombing was caused by a suicide bomber after witnesses saw human remains in the mangled car, a black Kia four-wheeler, which was parked near the Canadian Bank. The bank's manager is among the dead, they said. Al-Jadeed TV reported that the suicide bomber was wearing an explosives belt and the car was loaded with explosives. The army issued a statement saying three people were killed and several others were wounded in the bombing. It did not confirm whether the attack was a suicide bombing. In another statement issued in the evening, the army said the blast resulted from around 30 kilograms of explosives that were placed in a Kia SUV carrying a fake license plate with the number 266271/M. Caretaker Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil asked the hospitals in the eastern Bekaa region to treat the injured at the expense of the ministry. Hermel's mayor, Sobhi Saqr, told Hizbullah's al-Manar TV that the attack occurred as students were on their way to schools and while employees were going to work. "It was a very big blast," Saqr said. Later, State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr ordered security forces to carry out the preliminary investigations in Hermel blast and tasked Judge Kamal Nassar to inspect the site of the explosion. The army command urged citizens not to gather in the targeted area to avoid another bombing and facilitate the task of the military and the specialized agencies.
Earlier this month, a suicide car bombing shook the district of Haret Hreik in Beirut's southern suburbs. That bombing was the fourth attack in Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hizbullah bastion, since the party announced it was fighting in Syria. As well as the Iranian embassy suicide attacks in November, the southern suburbs also suffered an August 15 bombing and a blast earlier the same month.

STL Trial of 4 Hizbullah Members Kicks Off
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 January 2014/..The in absentia trial of four Hizbullah members accused of murdering former Premier Rafik Hariri in February 2005 opened at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague on Thursday. The February 14, 2005 seafront blast killed 22 people including Hariri and wounded 226, leading to the establishment by the U.N. Security Council of the STL in 2007. Although the attack was initially blamed on four pro-Syrian Lebanese generals, the court in 2011 issued arrest warrants against Mustafa Badreddine, 52, Salim Ayyash, 50, Hussein Oneissi, 39, and Assad Sabra, 37, all members of Hizbullah. The four suspects were indicted in 2011 with plotting the attack, but have not been arrested. A fifth, Hassan Habib Merhi, was charged late last year in the case and is also still at large. Presiding Judge David Re said prosecutors will call hundreds of witnesses in a trial likely to take months. "We will proceed as if the accused are present in the courtroom and have pleaded not guilty," Re told the STL. "The onus is on the prosecutor to prove their guilt."
Hariri's son Saad was in the courtroom, at the back behind the victims' representative. His hands were folded as he listened attentively. The STL said the trial will allow the Lebanese people to see evidence being presented and challenged, as well as witnesses testifying and being cross-examined in public. "No one in Lebanon can fail to have been affected directly, or indirectly, by the attack in downtown Beirut that on 14 February 2005, killed Mr. Rafik Hariri," said Prosecutor Norman Farrell. "The people of Lebanon have a right to this trial and to seek the truth," he said, showing the court a photograph taken shortly after the blast of smoke, flames and Hariri's vehicle on fire. The photos included a smoldering, rubble-strewn crater around 12 meters across and the flaming wreckage of the truck. He told judges attackers packed "an extraordinary quantity of high grade explosives" into a Mitsubishi truck to kill Hariri. "The force of the blast was such that Mr. Hariri was thrown from his car and it's reasonable to conclude that he died quickly at the scene," said co-prosecutor Alexander Milne.
Milne said the blast created "a man-made hell."
He showed videos of the immediate aftermath and photos including one he said showed Hariri's body covered by a plaid blanket. Senior Trial counsel Graeme Cameron then proceeded to analyze the telephone data and activity linked to Hariri's actions following his resignation from government on October 20, 2004 and until his assassination in 2005. The indictment had revealed the existence of a number of telephone networks, which the Prosecution had color-coded, used by the accused. Cameron explained how the networks of blue and yellow phones were active in monitoring the slain premier's activity, noting that they decreased when he was abroad and increased when he was present in the country. The surveillance operations focused on Hariri's movement near the parliament building and his Qoreitem residence in Beirut and his Faqra residence outside of the capital.
They increased in activity in December 2004 and continued until the assassination. Activity on all telephone networks ceased after the assassination. Cameron also addressed the case of Abu Adas, who was used by the co-conspirators to be falsely accused in the assassination. After a brief biography of the Abu Adas, Cameron spoke of how he became more devoted religiously and how, between December 2004 and January 2005, he met at a mosque in Beirut's Tariq al-Jadideh neighborhood a man identified as Mohammed. Mohammed told Abu Adas that he was a Muslim, but he was raised Christian at an orphanage and he sought to learn Islam in order to marry a Muslim woman. Analysis of the telephone networks used by the accused during this period should prove as evidence that Oneissi was indeed Mohammed, whom Abu Adas had met at the mosque, revealed Cameron. The purple telephone network was linked to communication between the accused over Abu Adas. The session was then adjourned with Cameron expected to resume on Friday morning the rest of his intervention.
The session will continue at 10:30 am Beirut time.

U.S. Urges 'Restraint, Thorough Investigation' after Hermel Blast
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 January 2014/The U.S. embassy in Lebanon on Thursday condemned the “terrorist bombing” that rocked the Bekaa town of Hermel, urging all parties to exercise restraint and calling for “a thorough investigation.” “The United States condemns today’s terrorist bombing in Hermel. We extend our condolences to the victims and their families,” the embassy said in a statement. “We urge all parties to exercise calm and restraint and refrain from retaliatory acts. We support the Government of Lebanon's efforts to conduct a thorough investigation,” it added. The embassy underlined that Washington “continues to support the institutions of the Lebanese state to ensure a stable and sovereign Lebanon,” commending the Lebanese army and the Internal Security Forces for “their role in maintaining Lebanon’s security.” It called for bringing to justice “any parties involved in this attack.” On Thursday morning, a likely suicide bombing rocked the town of Hermel in the Bekaa, a Hizbullah stronghold, leaving at least three people dead and dozens others injured.

Army Seizes Shells, Ammo in Arsal-Bound Car
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 January 2014/The army on Thursday intercepted a car carrying shells and ammunition on the al-Namliyeh Bridge in Dahr al-Baydar in the Bekaa, state-run National News Agency reported. “The Lebanese army stopped on the al-Namliyeh Bridge a gray Mazda carrying a license plate with the number 149011/T and driven by Lebanese national Bilal Hasan Khalaf,” NNA said. “It was heading for Arsal and five RPG shells and a quantity of ammunition of various calibers were found in it,” the agency added. Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis more than two years ago, the army has seized several vehicles carrying arms, ammo and explosives from and to Syrian territory. On Tuesday, the army raided places in the Bekaa town of Kamed al-Lawz and arrested Abdullah Azzam Brigades top official Jamal Daftardar. And on Thursday morning, a likely suicide bombing rocked the town of Hermel in the Bekaa, leaving at least three people dead and dozens others injured.

Army 'Asks for CCTV Footage' in Antelias in Bid to Track Robbers of Hermel Bomb Car
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 January 2014/The owner of the booby-trapped Kia Sportage that exploded Thursday in Hermel confirmed in a TV interview that the SUV was stolen from outside his house in Antelias on November 10, 2013. Nazrat Kasbar Shahinian told al-Jadeed television that he had immediately reported the theft to the Antelias police station around two months ago. He confirmed that the vehicle is a black Kia Sportage that was manufactured in 2010, the thing the was also verified by the car's registration papers and the theft report. Shahinian said he was deeply saddened by news of the deadly explosion, wishing “if only it had been sold as spare parts instead of being blown up against innocents.” The man noted that he has received a phone call from the army's intelligence directorate, which asked him to provide it with the theft report. He also revealed that “army intelligence has requested the footage captured by security cameras in the area from which the car was stolen, in a bid to identify the culprits.” On Thursday morning, a car bombing targeted the eastern town of Hermel, a Hizbullah stronghold, killing at least three people and wounding more than 26. Reports said the bombing was caused by a suicide bomber after witnesses saw human remains in the mangled car. Al-Jadeed reported that the driver was wearing a suicide belt and that the car was loaded with explosives.

Driver Loses Control of Water Tanker, Crashes into 7 Vehicles
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 January 2014/..One person was killed and five others wounded after a water tanker driver lost control of his vehicle near Hotel Dieu hospital in Beirut's district of Ashrafieh. In the rush-hour accident, the truck crashed into seven cars. According to the state-run National News Agency, one person was critically wounded in the accident. The Traffic Management Center said the truck lost its brakes and the driver couldn't stop his vehicle.

Mansour Meets Iranian Judicial Delegation Following up on Iran Embassy Bombing Investigation
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 January 2014/An Iranian judicial delegation, headed by deputy Justice Minister Abdul Ali Mirkouhi, held talks in Thursday with caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour on the investigation into the twin bombings that targeted the Iranian embassy in Beirut in November, reported the National News Agency. The delegation voiced its readiness to cooperate with and offer its expertise to Lebanese authorities in the ongoing investigation and their fight against terrorism. “Iran was among the first countries to suffer from terrorism and we have garnered sufficient expertise in this field,” remarked Mirkouhi. “Iran condemns all types of terrorist attacks that target people and the security of countries,” he continued. “No country in the region can confront this threat alone, which therefore requires international or regional cooperation among them,” he added. “We must all continue to cooperate together in order to put an end to this danger that it threatening the future of the region,” he stressed. Prior to meeting Mansour, the delegation had held talks with Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji. The delegation is expected to hold talks with a number of Lebanese officials during its visit, including caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, caretaker Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi, and General Prosecutor Samir Hammoud. At least 20 people were killed during twin suicide bombings near the Iranian embassy in Beirut on November 19. The al-Qaida-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was aimed at pressuring Iran's ally Hizbullah to withdraw its fighters from Syria.

Hariri Lauds STL Trial: Gloating over Refusal to Turn in the Accused is Pointless
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 January 2014/Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri described on Thursday the launch of the trial of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon as an historic day for Lebanon. He said from The Hague: “The course of justice will not halt and there is no point for some sides to continue gloating over their refusal to hand over the accused.”He made his remarks in reference to Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah assertions that the accused in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri will never be found. The STL had accused five Hizbullah members of being behind the February 2005 assassination. Hariri continued: “The refusal to hand over the accused to the STL is an additional crime to the assassination.” “Justice will take its course and there is no point after today to attempt to halt it,” he stressed. “We could not have believed that there are some among the Lebanese who could have assassinated Rafik Hariri and sold themselves to the Devil,” he stated from the Hague where the STL trial kicked off on Thursday. “This is a harsh truth, but it is the reality,” he lamented. The former premier asserted that the STL has “opened the first pages of real justice” and will pave the way to end impunity and political assassinations. He also thanked all those who contributed to the launch of the trial, as well as the various Lebanese authorities that cooperated with the international investigation team.

Mustaqbal: Real Iranian Support for Lebanon Lies in Making Hizbullah Withdraw from Syria
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 January 2014/The Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc stated on Thursday that it looks forward to the establishment of Iranian-Lebanese ties based on mutual respect to each country's people, lamenting that this has not yet happened. It said after its weekly meeting: “Iranian support for Lebanon does not lies in diplomatic statements, but in ceasing to employ Hizbullah in the fighting in Syria.” The bloc made its remarks in light of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif's recent visit to Lebanon. Commenting on the launch of the trial of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the Mustaqbal bloc said: “The launch demonstrates that the rights of the martyrs will not die and that the criminals will not escape punishment.”“The criminals will be exposed before the Lebanese, Arab, and international communities and they will be held accountable for their actions, which will serve to protect the future and safety of Lebanese political life,” it added. The proceedings of the STL trial got underway at The Hague on Thursday. It is aimed at trying the suspects behind the February 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The Mustaqbal bloc also condemned Thursday's bombing in the Bekaa region of al-Hermel that left at least three people dead and 26 wounded. “Such a bombing serves the enemies of Lebanon, stability, and coexistence,” it continued. It urged the concerned security and judicial agencies to intensify their efforts to uncover the criminals and terrorists behind this attack.

Harb Stresses Consensus among March 14 alliance after Independent MPs Meet Geagea
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 January 2014/March 14 independent MP Butros Harb stressed that the March 14 alliance has an agreement over the broad headlines of the cabinet formation process, stressing that the formation of a neutral cabinet remains better than vacuum amid the delicate situation Lebanon is passing through. “There is a comprehensive meeting over the main principles with the Lebanese Forces,” Harb said after talks with head of the LF party Samir Geagea in Meraab on Wednesday night. Harb, who was at the head of a delegation of March 14 independent MPs, pointed out that the visit is linked to the ongoing consultations with the sovereign political powers in the country that believes in the democratic system. “It was an occasion to discuss the situation in the country and the cabinet formation process,” the MP said, stressing that “nothing would divide the March 14 alliance.”
He stressed that the March 14 coalition is holding onto the Baabda Declaration and its rejection to the formula of the “Army,people, and resistance.” The March 8 alliance and mainly Speaker Nabih Berri have called for keeping discussions on the policy statement until after the formation of the cabinet. He has also stuck to the army-people-resistance formula.
But the March 14 camp, which is holding on to a deal with its rivals on several of the government's aspects, has insisted on having the Baabda Declaration as the basis of the policy statement. Harb stressed that the attendees “positively” tackled the progress of cabinet formation. “If our principles were accepted then we will deal positively with any suggestion but if they were rejected we will not participate in any lineup,” he noted. Asked about the substitute of failing to form an all-embracing cabinet, Harb said that the matter is in the hands of President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam. “We will decide our stance based on their decision,” he added. The government formation process has witnessed an intensified a political activity in an attempt to end the standstill since Salam was appointed in April.
The cabinet formation process was put on the front burner after Speaker Nabih Berri proposed a revised 8-8-8 government formula and Suleiman said he would form a so-called neutral cabinet if the political rivals don't agree on an all-embracing government within ten days. Amid the Lebanese Forces' rejection of Hizbullah's participation in the cabinet, the March 14 camp has reportedly accepted the 8-8-8 formula in principle, but it is awaiting answers pertaining to the ministerial policy statement and the rotation of portfolios among political parties. The 8-8-8 formula divides ministers equally between the centrists and March 14 and 8 alliances, in which each get eight ministers with “decisive ministers” for the March 14 and 8 coalitions.

Jumblat Voices Fear over Regional Developments, Says Saudi Arabia Agrees on Formation of Cabinet
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 January /Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat expressed fear on Thursday that the ongoing developments in the region would have negative repercussion on Lebanon, saying that Saudi Arabia voiced consensus over formation of a new cabinet. “The formation of a new cabinet will persuade lawmakers to attend parliament session, which would facilitate the presidential elections,” Jumblat said in comments published in al-Akhbar newspaper. The Druze leader said that he will not comment on the ongoing dispute over the ministerial statement until it the cabinet is formed. He urged political foes to separate between the cabinet formation process and the upcoming presidential elections. The March 8 alliance and mainly Speaker Nabih Berri have called for keeping discussions on the policy statement until after the formation of the cabinet. He has also stuck to the army-people-resistance formula. But the March 14 camp, which is holding on to a deal with its rivals on several of the government's aspects, has insisted on having the Baabda Declaration as the basis of the policy statement. Jumblat praised efforts exerted by al-Mustaqbal movement leader Saad Hariri to form a new cabinet, stressing that the distribution of political portfolios hasn't been discussed yet.
He expressed hope that discussing the details “will not cause any dispute.” Jumblat said that he “cannot ignore the role played by Iran in the region, in particularly, after the United States didn't.”
He called on political foes to exploit the changes in the region to “safeguard Lebanon from the repercussions of the Syrian turmoil.” Concerning Caretaker Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour's recent visit to Saudi Arabia on his behalf following Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif's visit to Lebanon, Jumblat described it as “positive.” He noted that “Saudi Arabia doesn't mind the formation of a new cabinet.”
“I have been always forthright with the Saudis and I take into consideration the delicate political situation in Lebanon.”Jumblat slammed “some March 14 officials,” without naming them, over their attempt to obstruct the ongoing endeavors to form a new cabinet. The government formation process has witnessed an intensified a political activity in an attempt to end the standstill since Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam was appointed in April. The cabinet formation process was put on the front burner after Berri proposed a revised 8-8-8 government formula and President Michel Suleiman said he would form a so-called neutral cabinet if the political rivals don't agree on an all-embracing government within ten days. Amid the Lebanese Forces' rejection of Hizbullah's participation in the cabinet, the March 14 camp has reportedly accepted the 8-8-8 formula in principle, but it is awaiting answers pertaining to the ministerial policy statement and the rotation of portfolios among political parties. The 8-8-8 formula divides ministers equally between the centrists and March 14 and 8 alliances, in which each get eight ministers with “decisive ministers” for the March 14 and 8 coalitions.

Lebanese Officials Condemn Hermel Blast, Call for Unity
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 January 2014/Lebanese politicians denounced on Monday the terrorist suicide bombing that targeted the Bekaa town of Hermel, a stronghold of Hizbullah, considering it a further attempt to “ignite the situation in the country.” President Michel Suleiman called for solidarity among politicians and the Lebanese people to “fortify the country.” “It's a new ring in the series of explosions carried out by those who are harmed by stability in Lebanon,” he said in a statement. The president praised the efforts exerted by the army and security forces, demanding the arrest of the offenders behind the blast. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati called for unity among politicians in order to protect the country and forestall “evil” from affecting the country. According to a statement issued by Miqati's press office, the caretaker premier followed up the blast that rocked Hermel with the competent security authorities. Miqati also instructed the National Disaster Operation Center, headed by Higher Defense Council chief General Mohammed Kheir, to follow up the situation and carry out the necessary measures. Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam also slammed the attack, considering it a “disgraceful terrorist act.” “The ongoing sedition acts are taking the lives of innocent people,” Salam said.
For its part, the March 14 general-secretariat condemned the attack “in the strongest terms,” saying “this coward incident is part of a series of similar incidents that has been moving from one region to another.”
“The general-secretariat stresses that controlling the border by the Lebanese army -- with the support of U.N. forces as allowed by (Security Council) Resolution 1701 -- is the only way to put an end to such incidents,” it said.
Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat deplored the bombing, calling for further cautious measures to prevent terrorism from striking Lebanon. “Justifying terrorist acts is political foolishness,” he stressed.
For his part, caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel called for calm in Lebanon, pointing out that there are attempts to destabilize the situation in Lebanon.

Bassil Says Lack of Confidence Among Foes Threatens Cabinet Lineup
Naharnet Newsdesk 16 January 2014/Caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil stressed on Thursday that the Free Patriotic Movement is working on dismantling the acute political lineups, accusing the March 14 alliance of contradicting itself. “We are contributing with the political foes to bridge the gap and reach an all-embracing cabinet,” Bassil said in an interview with al-Akhbar newspaper. He considered that the the “main obstacle is lack of confidence between the rival parties.” Asked if the MP Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc is absent from any political endeavors set to form a new cabinet led by Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam for rejecting the principle of rotation of portfolios, Bassil said that “negotiation haven't reached this matter yet.” “This issue will be discussed in phase two of negotiations and we will have a clear stance over the matter,” the caretaker Minister pointed out. Bassil expressed fear that some sides “might have foreign agendas and is wasting time.” He pointed out that any attempt to form a defacto cabinet is mere talks, warning that it would “explode.” The government formation process has witnessed an intensified a political activity in an attempt to end the standstill since Salam was appointed in April.
The cabinet formation process was put on the front burner after Speaker Nabih Berri proposed a revised 8-8-8 government formula and President Michel Suleiman said he would form a so-called neutral cabinet if the political rivals don't agree on an all-embracing government within ten days. Amid the Lebanese Forces' rejection of Hizbullah's participation in the cabinet, the March 14 camp has reportedly accepted the 8-8-8 formula in principle, but it is awaiting answers pertaining to the ministerial policy statement and the rotation of portfolios among political parties. The 8-8-8 formula divides ministers equally between the centrists and March 14 and 8 alliances, in which each get eight ministers with “decisive ministers” for the March 14 and 8 coalitions.

Geneva II against the background of fake coexistence and real coercion

By: Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Alawsat
If one were to summarize the crises currently threatening to tear apart the Arab world, the word “coexistence” would quickly come to mind. We Arabs have forgotten the true meaning of the word “coexistence” and its implications in the sense of possible partnership over homeland, values and destiny.
Our ruling elites—always claiming to act in the name of the people and infrequently under the banner of freedom fighting, progress and the resistance—understand “coexistence” according to their own mood swings and exclusive definitions. These elites consider whatever they say to be right, while anyone who opposes them is either a takfirist or a foreign agent. As a result, we are paying a heavy price for this situation, which will either result in the fragmentation of our Arab countries or create further chaos and invite the hegemony of our regional neighbors.
Regarding the Syrian crisis, several international sides are implicitly seeking to put down the Syrian revolution by way of rehabilitating President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime, on the pretext that it is the only power capable of repelling the extremist jihadist and takfirist groups.
The Syrian regime moved early on to accuse its opponents of being takfirists—and this was a ploy that spread like wildfire from Lebanon to Iran. However, these same opponents rose against it in a spontaneous peaceful uprising that started in Dera’a around three years ago. At that time, neither the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) nor the Al-Nusra Front, nor any other extremist Islamist groups, existed in Syrian territory. Nevertheless, the Syrian regime took the decision to “teach its people a lesson”—and this was translated into all-out war.
Iran then chose to defend the ruling junta it had long nurtured and sponsored regardless of humanitarian, ethical and democratic concerns. Russia and China both decided that Syria was a playground they should exploit to blackmail the United States, a retiring rudderless superpower. Last but not least, and for obvious reasons, Israel practically confirmed that it would prefer Assad—whose true nature it knows well—to remain in power over having to gamble on an unknown alternative that may be emboldened by a public mandate.
Thus, with US collusion, the priorities have changed and political discourse has been transformed after Russia, China and Iran intransigently defended Assad. While Washington refrained from providing any effective support to resolve the crisis, and in the process saved millions of Syrians from the regime’s killing machine, Moscow and Tehran beefed up the Syrian regime’s military capabilities in terms of weapons and fighters. The plot thickened when the Syrian regime facilitated the entry of takfirist and jihadist groups—some of which have been infiltrated by state intelligence—into Syria in order to justify its scorched-earth policy. In fact, the regime released convicted terrorists from its own prisons, who were later joined by former detainees from Iraqi prisons who joined under dubious circumstances, to spread chaos across the country. Moreover, the Syrian regime effectively used its political fifth column to good effect. The latter, represented by the regimes’ agents and collaborators, carried out the set task of confusing, dividing and discrediting the opposition they had infiltrated.
Today, Washington and the Western capitals are threatening to decrease their support to the opposition groups—which is at an all-time low both in terms of the situation on the ground in Syria and the humanitarian crisis—unless they agree to participate in the forthcoming Geneva II peace conference. This threat is being made despite the lack of any guarantees as to ending Assad’s rule and starting the transitional period.
In fact, with the date of Geneva II fast approaching, the rebels’ chances of securing the upper hand on the ground is diminishing in light of the pincer movement it is facing from the Syrian government military on one hand and ISIS and other like-minded extremist groups on the other. This is not to mention the opposition losing its bearings amid the bogus international promises, the bloody battle it is fighting against the regime and the Iran-led Shi’ite militias, and the backstabbing practiced by ISIS and others of that ilk.
The aim, it seems, is to deplete the revolution and bring it to its knees and rehabilitate Assad. This is something that we should expect to see happen at Geneva, particularly if the US maintains its position.
In the meantime, in Lebanon, which has become part of the Syrian scene, there is talk that the prime minister-designate is moving closer and closer to forming a new cabinet, and this can clearly be seen in the hectic meetings being held by those mediating these negotiations. The Lebanese scene has taken on an added dimension, with international voices expressing the need to end the political vacuum in the country. The latest such call came during the meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri in Paris, not to mention recent remarks made by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Beirut. These two occurrences came as the countdown to the start of the proceedings of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon began.
What is strange, however, is that the March 8 Alliance, which is linked to the Damascus–Tehran axis, is still insisting on forming a “national inclusive cabinet” despite the fact that the two cabinets it dominated since 2004 were anything but “inclusive.”
On Tuesday, Hezbollah MP Muhammad Fneish emphasized the prospect of political partnership, saying: “Lebanon must not be ruled by any single faction, whether the majority or the minority.” The same MP said: “Until further notice, Lebanon’s political system, social make-up, and the political equations around it do not allow one faction to own the political decision-making in the country.”
What rings most true in this statement is the expression “until further notice,” which means “based on the current balance of power.” When the circumstances are favorable, Hezbollah will impose its will, disrupt consensus and defy political partnerships. The Shi’ite militia also seemingly forgets at will the accusations of treason and takfirism it directs against its opponents as it bullies them into allying with it as per its own conditions, in order to provide the much-needed political cover for its arms—the same arms it directs against the Lebanese people rather than the enemies of the country.
At this point, let us deal with Iraq, Iran’s third card in its Middle Eastern project. In Iraq, the term “coexistence” is defined in a bizarre manner, only rivaled by the official Iraqi concept of sovereignty.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki is currently pursuing the same strategy his ally, Assad, is following in Syria. This strategy sends a clear message to the international community: either you recognize that we and our Iranian benefactors are moderate, and thus you cooperate with us, or you will have to deal with Al-Qaeda and its affiliates. No need here to dwell much on the hidden exploitative and intersecting relationship between Iran and Al-Qaeda. Isn’t it surprising how the Al-Qaeda-linked ISIS fighters were able to suddenly appear in the cities of Anbar province after Maliki prepared to strike the sit-ins in the predominantly Sunni province? Isn’t it strange how the Syrian scenario, which we have witnessed in the rural areas of Aleppo, Idlib and Raqqa, has been reconstructed within a few days in Fallujah and Ramadi? Under such circumstances, can anyone be optimistic about the prospective outcomes of Geneva II?

A Better Approach to Geneva: Aid the Syrian Opposition Now
David Pollock /Asharq Alawsat
Resuming direct U.S. material support for anti-Assad forces offers the only serious prospect, even if modest, for halting Syria's downward slide and its damage to U.S. interests.
Amidst final preparations for the Geneva II conference on Syria next week, the available policy options are poor. The conference's chances of more than mere procedural or very partial outcomes, such as limited ceasefires and humanitarian-access agreements, are slim. But simply walking away from the Syrian crisis or direct military intervention in it offers even worse prospects.
In this difficult situation, one of the issues worth considering is renewing U.S. nonlethal assistance to the nonjihadist opposition. The U.S. assistance was halted on December 11, after the Islamic Front of opposition militias seized a Free Syrian Army (FSA) warehouse near the Turkish border. The aid had been sparse and slow in coming anyway, but it was, to quote one FSA commander, considerably "better than nothing." American officials are now reportedly reconsidering this decision, and even trying to talk to the Islamic Front directly -- but lingering concerns about possible terrorist diversion of U.S. assistance are apparently holding up a new decision.
Today, however, a crucial new factor in the internal opposition equation has emerged. All across northern Syria, the FSA, the Islamic Front, and the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) militia are engaged in mortal -- and sometimes successful -- combat against the al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) gangs and other extremists. Furthermore, the Islamic Front pointedly excludes Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda affiliate and U.S.-designated terrorist organization, even if one Islamic Front militia, Kataib Ahrar al-Sham, keeps up informal contact with it. The best way to reinforce this trend of the opposition standing up to the jihadists is to support those fighting the jihadists.
Providing aid is already the declared U.S. policy, and well within the parameters of action that could contribute at least to modest success in advancing U.S. interests, while addressing Syria's terrible ongoing tragedy. The United States should now resume, accelerate, and expand the scope of these deliveries. Even "nonlethal" aid can help protect the Syrian people against the regime's assaults, and save many lives.
In addition, providing meaningful aid to the Syrian opposition right now would help achieve several urgent policy goals. First, and most immediately, it would encourage a comparatively credible opposition delegation to go to Geneva, not walk out, and agree to meet again -- the minimal short-term U.S. objectives. Second, by putting greater pressure on Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, aiding the opposition would improve the odds that the regime might agree in Geneva or even before to more tangible steps, such as easing the flow of humanitarian aid. Such pressure is essential; a January 14 UN announcement revealed that the regime continues to obstruct even food and polio vaccine supplies to besieged civilians. Third, by giving more Syrians more tools to sustain and defend themselves, it would probably reduce the destabilizing refugee outflow to neighboring Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq. Fourth, by empowering the less extreme elements of the opposition, it would help marginalize the most extreme anti-Assad fighters. Last, and perhaps most important, resuming aid would help restore the reputation of the United States and its allies for doing something to stop mass slaughter and to uphold its promises.
Besides the impact on developments inside Syria, another set of reasons to resume the support for the opposition is to clarify what is U.S. policy toward Iran. As Iran's support becomes central to Assad's survival, U.S. policy toward Syria will increasingly be read as an indicator of U.S.-Iran relations, especially in the wake of the current tactical nuclear deal with Iran. Resuming U.S. aid to the opposition would help calm apprehensions among U.S. allies, in the Gulf and beyond, that Washington will acquiesce to Iran's regional hegemony in return for Tehran agreeing to a nuclear compromise. In addition, by reinforcing regional U.S. allies and options, the resumption of aid would provide an extra incentive for Iran to negotiate an acceptable long-term nuclear agreement. And solid ties with the Syrian opposition are a good insurance policy to preserve core U.S. regional relations and interests in case the Iran deal goes sour.
In this connection, the constant debate about Iranian participation in the Geneva conference is a distraction. It obscures the true nature of Iran's massive continuing support for thousands of extremist sectarian militiamen, whether belonging to Hezbollah from Lebanon or Liwa Abu Fadl al-Abbas from Iraq or Iran's own Qods Force, now fighting for Assad inside Syria. Even worse, the endless debate over Iran's presence in Geneva obfuscates the real mandate of this international gathering, as agreed in the "Geneva I" declaration of mid-2012 that Iran continues to reject and as stated in the invitation letter to this Geneva conference: the need for a ceasefire and for humanitarian access and the need for a "transitional governing body" leading to democracy in Damascus.
The last refuge of those against aiding the Syrian opposition is that, whatever the merits, it is now too late to do so with any hope of success. It is true that Assad's regime has temporarily gained the upper hand by its ruthless, scorched-earth, and heavily armed assaults against its own citizens, aided substantially by foreign forces from Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, and even further afield. And it is true that these developments are making the regime more confident, even arrogant. But such propaganda offers no real evidence that this tide cannot be turned again, as it has several times in Syria before.
Earlier this week, Secretary of State John Kerry said that he is determined not just to stanch the Syrian refugee exodus but also "to save Syria." The policy options for doing that are poor. And the one option that offers some modest prospects for halting the downward slide is to resume direct U.S. material support for the Syrian opposition.
**David Pollock is the Kaufman Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of Fikra Forum.