LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
DECEMBER 20/2006

Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1,5-25.
In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years. Once when he was serving as priest in his division's turn before God, according to the practice of the priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense. Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering, the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.
But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of (the) Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the holy Spirit even from his mother's womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord." Then Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." And the angel said to him in reply, "I am Gabriel, who stand before God. I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.But now you will be speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time."
Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He was gesturing to them but remained mute. Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home. After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she went into seclusion for five months, saying, So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others.

Free Opinions
Arabs must practice dynamic engagement, not traditional docility -Daily Star 20.12.06
If wars start in the mind, then impose peace of mind-By Mohammad Sammak 20.12.06
Political chaos dissuades two-thirds of Wilde Trio-By Michael Bluhm 20.12.06

The conspiracy against Lebanon-By Adib F. Farha. Christian Science Monitor 20.12.06
Lebanon's turmoil drains nightlife in downtown Beirut.Monsters and Critics.com 20.12.06
Can Lebanese Christians survive Islamic divisions? By Maria Abi-Habib 20.12.06
In history that reads like yesterday, not even the names have changed-By Paige Austin 20.12.06

Latest news from The Daily Star for December 20/06
Assad asks Russia to lead Mideast peace talks
Moussa resumes bid to broker compromise in Beirut
Syrian envoy to UN frets 'politicization' of Hariri probe
New TV crew held for alleged break-in
Israeli warplanes swoop low over Tyre
Karami accuses Cabinet of 'ruling out' mediation efforts
Sfeir hosts delegation from FPM at Bkirki, voices hope for 'return to normal'
Norwegian premier affirms support for Siniora's 'legal government'
Civil Service Minister speaks on general budget
March 14 Forces produce petition to impeach Lahoud
For some, protesting has become a full-time job
Tight squeeze for olive farmers in Chouf
Downtown demonstrators turn to creative pursuits

Latest news from miscellaneous sources for December 20/06
Israel denies receiving message from Syria-United Press International
Arab League head tries again to end Lebanon crisis-Reuters
Libya to execute HIV medics CNN
Moussa Back in Beirut to Reactivate Mediation
U.S.: Iran, Syria Pumping Money to Hizbullah
Berri Aggravated After Tribunal Plan Published in Official Gazette
Moscow Allegedly Seeking to Broker Deal between Lebanon and Syria
Brammertz Briefs U.N. on his Report, Annan Recommends Extension of Probe Mission
Blair Accuses Syria of Undermining Lebanon Government
U.S. Senators Discuss Political Crisis with Lebanese Leaders
Report: Saniora Wants Moscow's Help in Normalizing Ties With Syria

Maronite bishops urge Christian leaders to reconcile-AsiaNews.it
Berri Aggravated After Tribunal Plan Published in Official Gazette-Naharnet

Protesters deny Sfeir accusation of 'sinful behavior'
Pick a channel: TV stations take sides in war of words
US reiterates support for UN probe of Hariri killing
Opposition raises the stakes with call for early legislative elections
Unlikely rodent turns up in mountains
Domestic workers' plight during war inspires new emergency fund
Thanks for 'strenuous efforts' on Police Day
Visiting US senators hold talks with top officials
European, Arab envoys mount flurry of diplomatic activity
Merchants win opposition promise to loosen siege
Anti-sectarian group welcomes negative reactions to ad campaign
Don't expect an able Iraqi Army soon -By Andrew Exum
The Iraq Study Group gets the linkage wrong on peace-
By Yossi Alpher

Olmert, Blair stress backing for Abbas

Latest news from Miscellaneous sources for December 20/06
Lebanese opposition demands early elections-Reuters
Israel's Mossad: Syria is arming Hezbollah rapidly-People's Daily Online
Hezbollah Acknowledges Higher Losses than Previously Admitted-Committee for Accuracy in Middle East
Iraq, Lebanon to Top Putin, Assad Agenda-The Moscow Times - Russia
US: Hezbollah recovers, and Iran helps-Seattle Post Intelligencer
Crisis in Lebanon: Hizballah, Siniora, and Arab League Mediation-Washington Institute for Near East Policy
LEBANON: INTERVIEW - HEZBOLLAH NOT AGAINST INTERNATIONAL COURT-AKI - Rome,Italy
Blair Accuses Syria of Undermining Lebanon Government-Naharnet
Lebanon Hariri UN probe head says makes progress-Reuters
Hemmer Claims *Parade of Democrats* Headed To Syria, Forgets To ...News Hounds
Israel: No Point Talking To Syria-All Headline News
Siniora: I've asked Assad for talks on Lebanon-Syria ties-Ha'aretz
Olmert: Israel wants peace with Syria-Ynetnews
Lebanon Hariri UN probe head says progress made-Reuters
Kerry urges reconciliation in Lebanon-NDTV.com

Clinton and Royal - Sharing ambitions not handshakes?Washington Post
'We want understanding through dialogue'-Gulf News

Maronite bishops urge Christian leaders to reconcile
by Youssef Hourany
A special commission is expected to meet Christian political leaders, currently split between majority and opposition. Arab League secretary general should renew his mediation efforts, but the opposition no longer wants a national unity government; instead, it is demanding early elections.
Beirut (AsiaNews) – The Lebanese Church is offering its assistance to Christian political leaders, split between government and opposition, in order to start a process of reconciliation. Church sources told AsiaNews that a three-member commission within the synod of Maronite bishops is being set up in order to organise meetings between Christian leaders. The commission should include Mgr Samir Mazloum, vicar general of the Maronite Patriarchate; Mgr Youssef Bechara, archbishop of Antelias of the Maronites; and Mgr Paul Matar, Maronite archbishop of Beirut.
The commission will meet with Maronite leaders, starting with General Michel Aoun, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and el-Marada Party leader and former minister Suleiman Frangieh. The bishops will focus first on reconciling Geagea and Frangieh before convening everyone to a meeting under the chairmanship of Maronite Patriarch, Card Nasrallah Sfeir, and in the presence of all Maronite bishops and superior generals of religious orders. The same sources told AsiaNews that Patriarch Sfeir wants to achieve this reconciliation before an inter-Maronite meeting is convened. He fears a repeat of a 1976 meeting chaired by then Patriarch Antoine Khoraiche. The meeting between Lebanese Forces leader Bachir Gemayel and Tony Frangieh (father to ex Minister Suleiman Frangieh) ended in failure as well as the tragic killing of Tony Frangieh, his wife and daughter as well as 30 other people at the hands of the Lebanese Forces led by their northern commander, Samir Geagea.
Speaking to AsiaNews, Mgr Bechara Rahi, Maronite archbishop of Jbeil, expressed his support for any initiative that would lead the country out of the current crisis that is destroying it. He reiterated the need to listen to the language of reason “far from hatred and the spirit of vengeance”.
He reiterated the position of the Maronite Church, which insists on the need to find a global solution to all of the problems that are undermining the social fabric of Lebanon through dialogue, “the only remedy blessed by God”.
The Maronite bishops’ initiative comes at a moment of great tensions. Today Arab League secretary general Amr Moussa is back in Beirut to continue his mediation. He is expected to discuss with both majority and opposition leaders a plan that would solve the controversial issues of a national unity government and “minority block” as well the setting up of an international tribunal to judge those responsible for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and other political crimes that occurred in the last two years. Both issues are central to the conflict between majority and opposition. For the government, backed by the United Nations, the creation of the tribunal remains is a must. But for Lebanon’s opposition led by Hezbollah, a movement backed by Syria and Iran, a government of national unity was no longer an objective; instead, it announced yesterday that they wanted early elections. Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun, who current president Émile Lahoud would like to see as his successor, said that “our priority is no longer a government of national unity, but early elections”. He announced that street protests that began on December 1 would escalate in order to bring down the government led by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. In light of the situation no one knows what to make of a statement by the Arab League’s ambassador to Lebanon, Abdel Rahman El Silh, who said that an inter-Lebanese agreement could be achieved before the Christmas holiday. The ambassador added that Saudi Arabia unreservedly supported his initiative.

The conspiracy against Lebanon
US officials must make clear that they are not selling out Lebanon to Syria.
By Adib F. Farha
WICHITA, KAN. – As goes Lebanon, so goes the Middle East. That's why Lebanon's democracy must not be allowed to succumb to Syrian dominance and, more ominous, the growing influence of Iran's theocracy. Yet many don't recognize just how serious the situation is. The 2005 Cedar Revolution, which restored democracy to the only Arab country that has ever truly experienced it, is in great jeopardy.
To the public eye, Lebanon's democratically elected leaders are merely locked in a contest of wills with mass demonstrations. But these protests are fueled by Hizbullah, the Shiite militia group sponsored by Iran. That makes this nothing short of a Tehran-backed coup attempt - a counterrevolution with grave consequences for the region:
To help prevent this course of events, US officials must make clear that they are not selling out Lebanon by considering talks with Syria and Iran, as recommended by the Iraq Study Group (ISG). It's also imperative that US senators stop making "fact-finding" trips to Syria and talking with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as Sen. Bill Nelson (D) of Florida did last week.
How Iran fuels Hizbullah
It's worth recalling how this turn of events came about. Emboldened by what the vast majority of Shiites perceive as a "divine victory" in its war with Israel last summer, Hizbullah has become a major power broker in Lebanon. With enormous financial and military support from oil-rich Iran, Hizbullah is said to have restored its military capabilities after suffering major losses this past July.
Iran's riches are also helping Hizbullah win additional loyalty from Lebanon's Shiite underclass. With it, Hizbullah mobilizes the masses to call for increasing the opposition's share in the cabinet. Such a move would give opposition members the power to dissolve the cabinet and to block UN tribunals that would try those who assassinated former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and other democracy advocates. It would also enable them to block cabinet efforts to disarm Hizbullah, as required by two UN resolutions. If this expansion isn't granted, counterrevolutionaries threaten to demand Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's resignation or create their own shadow cabinet.
That's why it's so frustrating to hear some US news reports characterize this counterrevolution as something akin to America's civil rights movements in the 1960s. Hizbullah's supporters are wrongly labeled as poor, disenfranchised citizens trying to get their nonresponsive, non- representative government to notice them.
Mercenaries, not civil-rights activists
While many of the partcipants are poor, the counterrevolution is neither a struggle between two equally legitimate positions nor is Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah a Muslim Martin Luther King Jr. Some are fundamentalist Shiite Muslims bent on "Death to America," which they chant in rallies with fists clenched in anger. The majority of these counterrevolutionaries are mercenaries who first joined Hizbullah to get on its generous Iranian-funded payroll and then got ideologically indoctrinated.
Hizbullah has manipulated Lebanon's democracy to serve Iran's agenda. Emerging from 15 years of bloody civil war that resulted in $100 billion in total damages, the Lebanese central government has been unable to provide its people with a sufficient level of social, educational, and health services. Enter Hizbullah, with a much bigger social budget - and a highly effective recruiting campaign: Few turn down a generous monthly salary simply to stand by for calls to join destabilizing activities when Mr. Nasrallah's trumpet beckons them.
Hizbullah and its cronies have misrepresented Mr. Siniora's attempts to govern by consensus as weakness. They have also misinterpreted the ISG report, which calls for talks with Iran and Syria, as a sign of America's "need" for those countries' cooperation. They see a US "deal" in the offing that would allow them to control Lebanon.
Bush administration officials must appear on Arab media to make it clear that the US is not selling out Lebanon to Syria, as the pro-Syrians in Lebanon are suggesting. At the same time, members of Congress must halt travel to Syria right now, as that would embolden the enemies of democracy in the Middle East.
• Adib Farha is the senior policy adviser for the American Lebanese Coalition. He was an adviser to Prime Minister Siniora while Siniora was minister of finance

Lebanon's turmoil drains nightlife in downtown Beirut
By Weedah Hamzah Dec 18, 2006,
Middle East Features
Beirut - Pub and restaurant owners in downtown Beirut have been angered by pro-Syrian opposition protestors who have been camping out since December 1 in their street, accusing them of bothering their clients and stopping their businesses.
Businessmen who own restaurants or pubs which serve alcohol decided last week to defy the open-ended protests by the opposition, which are led by the radical Islamic Hezbollah and their allies the Shiite Amal movement, and started to open their doors for their regular clients.
When the opposition decided to camp out in the streets of the two main squares in the luxurious downtown area of Beirut to force the anti-Syrian government to resign, most pubs and restaurants in the area were forced to close.
'We decided last week that since our pubs and restaurants can be reached through other main roads to open our doors to our regular customers who like to come, listen to music and have a drink,' said a pub owner who gave his first name as George.
'But the adventure on our behalf proved to be dangerous, as a nearby pub faced a problem when customers were engaged in a verbal confrontation with some Muslim protestors who tried to prevent them from reaching the area,' the pub owner said.
The Lebanese media reported Monday that owners of the Taboo nightclub managed after negotiations with Hezbollah and the Lebanese Army to open their pub's doors on Saturday night.
But as one customer was entering the pub he got into a verbal confrontation with some of the demonstrators, which prompted 'Hezbollah discipline' men, in charge of the security of the protestors, and the army to intervene to stop the confrontation from escalating.
'This is not Hezbollah land. Downtown is for all the Lebanese, for anyone who wants to drink, bring his girlfriend and have dinner as well as listen to music,' said the angry owner.
'The interior decoration of my pub cost almost 400,000 dollars, and now we have been closed for 17 days. We tried but we were not encouraged by the experience of others,' the businessman said.
'We understand the protest is a show of democracy, but when it gets to be that we need Hezbollah discipline men to (create) a human shield between the shops and the protestors to protect our businesses and customers, we prefer to stay closed and lose money,' he added.
The restaurant owners who lost a lucrative summer season due to the July-August war between Hezbollah and Israel say the current political crisis which has closed major roads in the central district could force them out of the area.
'We are thinking to relocate our business if downtown wants to stay an area where accounts between the various political factions are settled,' restaurant manager Raja Saad said.
This is the second time Beirut's downtown has been taken over by protestors.
Its wide squares were filled in 2005 by protestors who blamed Syria for the assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri.
The demonstrations then helped to force Damascus, which has vehemently denied any links with the Hariri assassination, to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, thus ending 30 years of military presence.
But the scene Monday was reversed: the Syrian-backed opposition has now taken over the squares, sleeping in tents and demanding the resignation of a government controlled by allies of Hariri's son, Saad, who is the head of the anti-Syrian majority.
Despite the protests, the downtown area, which was heavily renovated after Lebanon's civil war ended in 1990, aims to be the heart of Beirut's shopping and tourism district. © 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Berri Aggravated After Tribunal Plan Published in Official Gazette
Publishing of the international tribunal's by-law in the official gazette has generated another head-on collision between Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Premier Fouad Saniora, an-Nahar reported Tuesday. It quoted sources close to Saniora as saying that including the law in a special appendix of the official gazette last Thursday makes it applicable as of the publishing date, without the need to have it ratified by parliament, which upset Berri. However, an-Nahar quoted sources close to Berri as saying that he regarded publishing the law by the official gazette tantamount to referring it to parliament for deliberation. The new controversy over such a procedural move would further deteriorate the already strained relations between Saniora and Berri, according to an-Nahar. Berri's Amal movement is one of the factions taking part in downtown Beirut's open-ended sit it which is led by Hizbullah in an effort to topple the Saniora majority government. The cabinet reaffirmed earlier in the month its approval of a Special International Tribunal for Lebanon to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and related crimes. The document was forwarded to President Emile Lahoud for approval, but he returned it to the government without bearing his signature. Lahoud refused to endorse the plan, maintaining the cabinet was no longer legitimate after the resignation of six ministers. The constitution says the government can submit a draft law to parliament even if it is not signed by the head of state, or it can issue it in a decree through publishing it in the official gazette. An-Nahar said the law was published in the official gazette under appendix 59. Beirut, 19 Dec 06, 14:03

Moussa Back in Beirut to Reactivate Mediation
Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa flew into Beirut Tuesday to resume mediation efforts aimed at settling differences between the majority-backed government of Premier Fouad Saniora and Hizbullah-led protestors trying to topple it.
Moussa is to hold separate talks with Saniora, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri, according to his agenda for the day. The Arab League official's renewed effort came one day after the Hizbullah-led opposition warned that it would step up its protests against the Saniora government if the mediation failed to meet its demands for a national unity government. Saniora and pro-government leaders of the March 14 Forces have rejected Hizbullah's demands as a Syrian-backed coup d'état.  "The different groups of the opposition at a meeting on Monday decided to call, as a priority, for early legislative elections," former Premier Omar Karami told reporters. He said the decision was taken "to resolve the crisis provoked by the obstinacy of the illegitimate government."
"We will cooperate as much as possible with Amr Moussa and wish him luck," added Karami, who is one of few Sunni politicians allied with Hizbullah.
"But if the governing faction continues with its maneuvers ... consequently, there is no escape from a calculated escalation," Karami said.
The daily As Safir said Tuesday that with the opposition lifting up the ceiling of its demands by calling for early parliamentary elections first, little hope was seen for a breakthrough in the political impasse. As Safir quoted a senior opposition leader as warning that among the stepped up measures would be the resignation of anti-government legislators. Addressing the ruling majority, the unnamed opposition leader was quoted by the daily as saying: "You will find out that we are not maneuvering and that our demand will be translated at the right time into clear-cut measures that will include the resignation of legislators."
Hizbullah and its allies have been holding an open-ended sit-in since December 1 outside the Grand Serail in downtown Beirut in a bid to topple Saniora's government. Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun also told reporters on Monday that "the solution to the crisis lies in early elections." Lebanon's last elections were held in 2005, after the end of almost 30 years of Syrian hegemony, and resulted in an anti-Syrian parliamentary majority. The majority has accused the opposition of seeking to block an international tribunal that would try suspects in the 2005 assassination of ex-premier Rafik Hariri and related crimes. The March 14 coalition blames the crimes on Syria. The opposition wants a new unity government with greater representation, ensuring veto power, to organize a parliamentary ballot on the basis of a new election law to be followed by presidential elections. The anti-Syrian camp wants the ouster of pro-Damascus President Emile Lahoud whose term was extended for three years in September 2004 under pressure from Syria. The Saniora cabinet has resisted the round-the-clock pressure of street protests organized by Hizbullah in downtown Beirut.(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 19 Dec 06, 08:30

U.S.: Iran, Syria Pumping Money to Hizbullah
Money from Iran, Syria and private donors around the world have reportedly been pouring into Lebanon to help rebuild Hizbullah strongholds, and arms may not be far behind, according to U.S. officials. The officials, familiar with the efforts to restock everything from kitchen shelves to arsenals following this summer's war with Israel, say the losses Hizbullah sustained during the 34-day war have been recouped with the help of Iran, Syria and private donors around the world. They concluded that the result is an emboldened Hizbullah that has staged massive protests in Beirut this month aimed at toppling the moderate government of Prime Minister Fouad Saniora. Hizbullah's supporters, particularly Iran, have been generous.
"They were able to supply families with places to live and new furniture while they rebuilt their homes. It all has to be paid for, including the workers, and there is no problem doing it," said one of the officials. The outgoing U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, told Congress this summer that Iran provides "perhaps up to $100 million a year or more" to Hizbullah. That aid flow has since increased, with U.S. officials now saying it could top $200 million annually, even before the surge that came after this summer's conflict.
Much murkier is the influx of arms. One U.S. official said the porous border with Syria provides plenty of area where shipments can move.
But other officials said the United States has a hard time quantifying what is coming across the sparsely guarded 155-km line.
The U.S. official said Hizbulllah is believed to be in the market for the C-802, an anti-ship cruise missile; the Israelis say it was used against one of its Navy warships in July.
Small, portable anti-aircraft missiles called "MANPADS," including the SA-18, are also of interest to Hizbullah, as well as anti-tank guided missiles and improvised explosive devices. Small arms, already rampant in Lebanon, may also be moving in.
The official said Iran has access to the items on Hizbullah's wish list and remains the group's only reliable supplier. "It is a question of what Iran wants to replenish," said the official. This comes despite an embargo approved by the United Nations Security Council in August, which calls for the disarming of Hizbullah and bars the supply of weapons to Lebanon without the government's approval. The United States and many of its western allies consider Hizbullah a terror group. But it also has political elements that control 14 seats in the 128-member Lebanese Parliament and provides social services, including schools and health care, in the areas of Lebanon that it dominates. The work legitimizes the organization to some governments, which allow fundraising and other activities to bolster Hizbullah. Hizbullah has become a formidable power in Lebanon since its July-August war with Israel. That battle was sparked by Hizbullah's capture of two Israeli soldiers, who have not been returned.
Popular discontent for Hizbullah emerged following the fighting, but that has been muted with time and effort from the group's leadership.
Now, Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is calling for the ouster of Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's government. His group and its allies want more than a third of the seats on the cabinet, which would give them veto power on key decisions.
On Dec. 1, the Hizbullah-led opposition began staging massive protests in downtown Beirut, forcing Saniora to live in his office in the Grand Serail, surrounded by security forces and barbed wire. The opposition warned Monday that they would step up their anti-government protests if mediation by the Arab League does not meet their demands for a national unity government. Saniora and his supporters have rejected Hizbullah's demands as a Syrian-backed coup. At the U.S. State Department on Friday, spokesman Sean McCormack acknowledged Hizbullah has flexed some "political muscle" by mobilizing street protests, but noted there is a vocal opposition to those protests. While Hizbullah does provide social services, he said that's not a sufficient basis for a modern state. "Is that a stable foundation for a state or a people, in which your basic services are really funded by a state sponsor of terror ... who really can, at the snap of a finger, pull your country into a war with another country, without your consent?" McCormack asked. Yet Nasrallah -for now - is considered by U.S. officials to be powerful and growing in stature. He has made calculated moves designed to maintain unity among supporters, many of whom are weary of fighting after the country's 15-year civil war. In contrast, Saniora's coalition has been in a fragile spot, with little agreement on how to deal with Hizbullah. For Lebanese Hizbullah opponents, there's an even more worrisome trend. As it builds strength at home, it is also serving as a role model to other Shiite groups in the region.
U.S. officials, including new Defense Secretary Robert Gates, recently disclosed that Hizbullah is training Shiite fighters in Iraq. U.S. officials say they have traveled in groups of 15 to 20 to the Bekaa Valley and to Beirut for training in the use of improvised explosive devices, mortars, sniper attacks and other operations common to combat in Iraq.
While some intelligence officials estimate that as many as 2,000 have received this training, other U.S. officials express doubt about such high figures.
Yet the officials agree that Hizbullah is interested in Iraq to support Iranian goals, including a return to Shiite dominance in Iraq after more than 1,300 years. Hizbulllah also wants to convert its perceived military success this summer against Israel into a greater political role.
The leader of Iraq's most powerful and violent Shiite militia, Muqtada al-Sadr, is beginning to mirror Hizbullah, perhaps hoping for the same success.
According to the report from the high-level Iraq Study Group, "Several observers remarked to us that Sadr was following the model of Hizbullah in Lebanon: building a political party that controls basic services within the government and an armed militia outside of the government."(AP)
Beirut, 19 Dec 06, 14:57

Moscow Allegedly Seeking to Broker Deal between Lebanon and Syria
Moscow was reportedly seeking to broker a deal by which Lebanon would give up accusing Syria of involvement in the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri in exchange for Damascus refraining from trying to bring down Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's government.
"Damascus greatly needs Moscow's support on the question of creating a U.N. tribunal on the case of the killing of Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri," the daily Kommersant said Tuesday. "Moscow expects from Syria support for its latest initiatives aimed at raising Russia's role," the paper said.
Assad and Putin were to discuss a U.N. plan to set up a Special International Tribunal for Lebanon to try suspects in the Hariri murder, Yevgeny Posukhov, a Russian diplomat in Damascus said. Syria has been accused in Western capitals of having a hand in that killing.
Russia will also try to advance its plans to become a serious broker in the Middle East during Assad's visit in Moscow, according to Kommersant.
Putin will seek Assad's support for holding a Middle East conference in Moscow bringing together "opposing sides -- Lebanon, Syria and possibly Iran and the Palestinian authority and Israel," the Kommersant said.Kommersant also said Syria is looking at buying MiG-29SMT fighter jets from Russia as well as possibly Amur-1650 submarines, Yak-130 planes and additional Pantsir-C1 air defense systems.
Also to be discussed will be the possibility of expanding a supply base in the Syrian port of Tartus used by the Russian navy to turn it into a fully-fledged naval base, the paper said. In an interview with Rossiiskaya Gazeta newspaper, Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa said that Moscow played "a very important role" in the region. He also hinted that Syria would like to buy more Russian weapons systems -- trade that has angered Israel and raised eyebrows in Washington -- saying that Russian weapons supplies had been "very necessary for us."
Russia is pushing to recover some of its lost Soviet-era influence in the Middle East. Assad's visit comes on the heels of a trip to Moscow by Saniora.
Russia is a member of the so-called Middle East diplomatic quartet together with the European Union, the United Nations and the United States.
Although Russia has relatively close relations with Israel, Moscow was at the forefront of objections to Israel's offensive against Hizbullah last summer.
Moscow wants "to confirm via Syria that Russia is still present in the Middle East," said analyst Alexei Malashenko of the Carnegie Moscow Center.
For Damascus on the other hand, the visit is a "trump card... in negotiations with the United States and other Western countries that don't have a united approach to Syria," he said. Also likely to feature in the talks are calls for Syria and Iran to be consulted on efforts to curb the burgeoning violence in Iraq, despite U.S. opposition. Defense analyst Pavel Felgenhauer said that Syrian hopes of modernizing its military with purchases from Moscow would be the "most concrete and important" part of Assad's visit."Syria basically has a big wish-list because their military is obsolete," Felgenhauer said. The Syrians "will be very interested in anti-aircraft missiles, new fighter jets, (and) modernization of their tank park," he said.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 19 Dec 06, 11:53

Brammertz Briefs U.N. on his Report, Annan Recommends Extension of Probe Mission
Chief investigator Serge Brammertz has cited progress in gathering crime scene evidence and probing potential perpetrators in ex-premier Rafik Hariri's assassination."The commission has made progress in the two main areas of its investigation in the Hariri case - developing crime scene evidence and investigating potential perpetrators," Brammertz said Monday. Briefing the UN Security Council on his 22-page report, submitted to the U.N. last week, he said his panel "has reached a critical stage" in its probe. An Nahar newspaper on Tuesday quoted sources from the parliamentary majority as saying that U.N. chief Kofi Annan recommended to the Security Council the extension of Brammertz' mission for another six months.
It said diplomatic sources in New York told some members of the parliamentary majority that Annan asked for an extension until June 15, 2007.
The sources said that Security Council members have a 24-hour time limit to oppose the recommendation or it becomes effective.
Brammertz also said that the panel and Lebanese authorities both "believe that placing information concerning suspects and witnesses in the public domain would make it difficult for sensitive witnesses to step forward and engage with the commission and may be prejudicial to future trials before a tribunal."The Belgian prosecutor noted that his team's objective was "to collect evidence that will be admissible before a future (international) tribunal" that is to try suspects in the Hariri murder.
He said that he could not say when his probe would be completed, noting that "an investigation of this complexity takes time." The U.N. report, the sixth to look into the February 14, 2005 bombing that killed Hariri and 22 others on the Beirut seafront, sought to establish the geographic origin of the suspected bomber, an unidentified male whose "complete tooth and other biological parts found on the crime scene" are being analyzed by experts. The first phase of analysis showed that "the individual did not spend his youth in Lebanon, but was situated in the country in the last two to three months before his death, the report said.
"The report discusses the type of area in which the individual lived during the last 10 years or so of his life, although at this stage no specific region can as yet be derived from the analysis," the panel said. The inquiry commission said it "will continue to request Syria's full cooperation, which remains crucial to the swift and successful completion of its work." Brammertz's German predecessor Detlev Mehlis had implicated in the Hariri slaying senior officials from Syria, which for decades was the power broker in Lebanon. Damascus strongly denies any connection with Hariri's slaying.
Syria's U.N. envoy Bashar Jaafari on Monday noted that the Brammertz report "clearly shows that Syria's cooperation has been satisfactory and has come in a timely way."While pledging continued Syrian cooperation, he warned, "the greatest risk facing this investigation is that some parties in our region and beyond ... are exploiting this investigation in order to reach politicized conclusions which have no relationship whatsoever with the requirement of an investigation and which are not based on any proof."
Brammertz said that since last September 15, 10 new formal requests for help had been sent to five states other than Syria, bringing the total number of such requests to roughly 60 since March. He said that while most states had responded positively, "the lack of responsiveness by certain (unnamed states) has impeded or slowed down the work of the commission on several fronts."The Belgian prosecutor meanwhile said that a final report by outside experts endorsed his panel's assumptions that the Hariri attack consisted of only one blast of an RDX-based high explosive used in military and industrial application. He also pointed to a considerable number of links between the Hariri case and six of 14 other attacks against anti-Syrian Lebanese personalities or entities. He said further analysis will be done in the next three months "to develop these links." Similarly, the commission will continue to help Lebanese authorities investigate the Nov. 21 assassination of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel - an event that pushed lingering political tensions in the country to a new crisis point. "It is the preliminary assessment of the commission that minister Gemayel was the subject of surveillance as part of a planned assassination operation against him," Brammertz said, adding that 250 exhibits from the crime scene have been sent to a laboratory for forensic research and analysis.(AFP-Naharnet-AP) Beirut, 19 Dec 06, 07:39

Blair Accuses Syria of Undermining Lebanon Government
British Prime Minister Tony Blair has accused Syria of undermining Premier Fouad Saniora's government, urging Damascus to make a choice to be "constructive for peace." "If Syria makes a choice to be constructive for peace, to support democratic governments, not undermine them, then we remain open, of course, to being constructive with them," Blair told a joint media conference with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem on Monday. "But if contrary to that they are supporting people engaged in terrorism or supporting the undermining of a democratically elected government, in this case the Saniora government in Lebanon, it's not us refusing to have anything to do with them, it's that the principles by which we are acting are transgressed," Blair said. He was referring to Saniora, who is facing Hizbullah-led protests calling for the resignation of his government.
Blair called for an initiative to jumpstart the dormant Middle East peace process. "It is important for us ... I think for the whole of the international community, to support people who want a genuine two-state solution -- a state of Israel and a state of Palestinians living side by side in peace," Blair told a joint news conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Ramallah. "I hope therefore that we will be in a position over these coming weeks to put together an initiative that allows us both to give that support, in particular for reconstruction and development, and to alleviate the suffering and plight of the Palestinian people. "But also crucially that gives us a political framework within which we can move forward on that two-state solution." Abbas said he was ready to meet Olmert for "serious" talks on the peace process that have been stalled for about six years since the Palestinian intifada erupted in 2000.(AFP-Naharnet) (AP photo shows Blair lighting a candle for the Jewish Holiday of Hanukkah with Olmert, not seen, during a press conference in his Jerusalem residence) Beirut, 19 Dec 06, 10:27

US reiterates support for UN probe of Hariri killing
By Leila Hatoum -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
BEIRUT: The United States repeated its support late Monday for ongoing UN investigations into the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri, hours before chief investigator Serge Brammertz was to brief the United Nations Security Council on his latest findings.
Benjamin Chang, a spokesman for the US mission to the UN in New York, told The Daily Star in a telephone interview late Monday that "the US fully supports the work of the [UN probe] led by Brammertz" and "welcomes Brammertz's report," which was made public last Tuesday.
UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told The Daily Star in a separate interview Monday that according to procedures, part of Brammertz's briefing to the council "will be open to the public, but after the briefing on the report, the UN Security Council will be convening in a closed session to further discuss the findings with Brammertz."When asked about states who were not cooperating with Brammertz in the investigations, Chang said the US "will not comment on the report because the investigations are still ongoing." But he added that the US "also calls upon everyone to cooperate with the [UN probe] on the matter of the investigations."Brammertz reported that 10 UN-member states did not cooperate with the UN probe, even when they were asked by the probe to extend help or answer certain queries. Several UN Security Council resolutions issued between 2005 and 2006 had called upon all countries to fully help the international investigations. A United Nations chief spokesman had said last week that "cooperation with Brammertz ... is very important."
Brammertz's "technical and procedural report," as Lebanese officials described it, didn't name new suspects in the crime, nor did it present new evidence. On the formation of a tribunal of an international character to try suspects in the case, Chang said: "We support the formation of the tribunal."
"This is a demand made by the Lebanese government ... We believe that it was an important step taken by the Lebanese government to approve the [draft] of the tribunal, which was proposed by the Lebanese Cabinet."The US "will not be interfering in the formation of the tribunal of an international character to fast-forward or slow the process of its formation. Forming the tribunal is a legal process," said Chang.
The spokesman added that "we believe it is a Lebanese issue and it is in the hands of the Lebanese legislative body now that the Lebanese Cabinet has sent it to Parliament."Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier Monday that his country "will not accept the politicization of the issue of the tribunal." Putin added that Russia "will not allow using the tribunal as a pressure tool on Syria, nor as a means to solve disputes between Damascus and Beirut." - With agencies

Opposition raises the stakes with call for early legislative elections
Compiled by Daily Star staff -Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Hizbullah and its allies called Monday for early parliamentary elections after the ruling anti-Syrian coalition refused to meet opposition demands for veto power in the government. "The different groups of the opposition at a meeting on Monday decided to call, first of all ... for a new law for parliamentary elections, and secondly ... early parliamentary elections," pro-Syrian former Prime Minister Omar Karami told reporters.
He said the decision was taken "to resolve the crisis provoked by the obstinacy of the illegitimate government."
The call for early elections, an escalation in opposition demands, could complicate Arab League efforts to end Lebanon's political crisis that many fear could turn violent. Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa is due in Beirut on Tuesday to meet with rival Lebanese politicians.
He held talks Sunday with officials in Saudi Arabia, which supports Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's government.
"We will cooperate as much as possible with Amr Moussa and wish him luck," Karami said in a statement. "But if the governing faction continues with its maneuvers ... and throwing a wrench in the works - naturally the situation cannot stay as it is. Consequently, there is no escape from a studied escalation."Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh said that the opposition was attempting to retract promises it had made to Moussa.
Hamadeh said the opposition was deliberately misconstruing Moussa's proposal to form a consensual Cabinet - in which the anti-Syrian coalition would be represented by 19 ministers and the opposition by 10, with the remaining minister designated as "neutral" - as granting the opposition 11 ministers, and thereby veto power.
The opposition is also pushing, Hamadeh added, for a draft law to form an international tribunal in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri to be revisited by a special judicial committee that Moussa has suggested be formed. The draft would then be referred to pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud, who would refer the it to the new Cabinet, which would refer it to Parliament, "which could take till 2010," Hamadeh said.
Asked whether the escalation of the opposition's demands will hinder Moussa's efforts, the minister said "the Arab League chief's proposal included, in a later stage, presidential elections followed by parliamentary elections, which we welcome and challenge anyone who can say he will win in these elections over us ... I expect Amr Moussa to be carrying with him real Arab pressure."
The opposition has been staging a round-the-clock protest in central Beirut since December 1 to press its demand for a national unity government in which it would possess veto power. Siniora's Western-backed Cabinet has so far refused to yield to the opposition's demands, saying capitulation would give way to more Syrian and Iranian influence.
Siniora met Monday with two US senators, Democratic Senator and former presidential candidate John Kerry and Democratic Senator Christopher Dodd, who had come to Lebanon to discuss the current deadlock and solutions.
Meanwhile, opposition leader MP Michel Aoun said the opposition would escalate protests in the streets after the holiday season if their demands were not met.  He did not say how. Aoun accused Siniora of foiling Moussa's initiative, telling reporters after a weekly meeting of his parliamentary bloc that "the solution to the crisis lies in early elections." Pro-government leaders say the opposition's main goal is to derail the formation of the international tribunal. Hizbullah and its allies say they support the idea of the tribunal, but want to discuss the details.
Lebanon's last elections were held in 2005, after the end of a Syrian military deployment which lasted almost three decades, and resulted in an anti-Syrian parliamentary majority for the first time in 30 years. Meanwhile, Syrian President Bashar Assad was due in Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Monday against a background of turmoil in the Middle East, where Moscow is pushing for a greater role.
Assad and Putin will discuss the political crisis in Lebanon, the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Iraq in a search of "means to resolve the crises," said Yevgeny Posukhov, a Russian diplomat in Damascus.
Assad and Putin were also to discuss the international tribunal, Posukhov said. Moscow supports the establishment of an international tribunal, he added, and Putin will look to reassure Assad it will "not be used as a means of pressure on Syria." - With agencies

Unlikely rodent turns up in mountains
By Maher Zeineddine -Daily Star correspondent
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
ALEY: Researcher Mounir Abu Said announced Monday that desert jerboa rodents have been found in uncharacteristically mountainous areas in Lebanon. Abu Said said the initial discovery was made about two years ago, but that he had waited to unveil the presence of jerboas in Lebanon until a scientific study had been completed and published in Zoology in the Middle East, a German scientific magazine.
"What is weird is that such a desert animal was found in snowy regions," Abu Said, the head of a scientific research center in Aley, told The Daily Star.
The jerboa is a long-tailed rodent that hops. "We discovered jerboas in the highlands of the Bekaa region of Ersal in 2004 at an altitude of 2,000 meters ... It was the first time we detected this mouse-sized animal," he said. "Last year we found jerboas in Qornet as-Saouda, Lebanon's highest summit, at an altitude of around 3,000 meters after former Minister Suleiman Franjieh brought them to our attention," he added. "Jerboas live in Arab countries. However, those discovered in Lebanon are different; they are bigger and have longer ears." Jerboas are nocturnal creatures that stay underground during the day, the researcher said.
"Jerboas are omnivores," he added. "They eat plants, seeds and insects. But the most important thing is that they contribute to the airing of soil."

Visiting US senators hold talks with top officials
American lawmakers head for syria next, despite white house objections
By Nafez Qawas -Daily Star correspondent
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
BEIRUT: Two key US senators visited Prime Minister Fouad Siniora at the Grand Serail on Monday as part of a Middle East tour to learn more about various crises affecting the region. Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, an unsuccessful challenger to US President George W. Bush in the 2004 elections, and Senator Christopher Dodd of Connectivut, both Democrats, held talks with Siniora that covered both the Lebanese scene and the wider region. A report by the National News Agency said the two senators listened to the premier's views on the government's efforts to resolve the political and economic deadlock. Siniora also told Kerry and Dodd about Lebanon's preparations to convene an international donor conference scheduled in France next month with the aim of revitalizing the national economy following the devastating July-August war with Israel, the agency said.
The senators made no comments following the meeting. The senators also discussed the local crisis with Speaker Nabih Berri at his residence in Ain al-Tineh. No details of their talks were disclosed and the Americans did not speak to reporters after their meetings.
However, Amal MP Ali Bazzi, who was present at the meeting, told The Daily Star on Monday that the delegation listened to Berri's views regarding the latest developments in Lebanon and the region. He added that Berri emphasized the need for a "balanced and just US position toward the Lebanese people."
Bazzi said that the Lebanese side reiterated its support for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, highlighting Israel's continuous violations of Lebanon's airspace. Kerry and Dodd also held separate meetings with MP Saad Hariri, MP Walid Jumblatt and Defense Minister Elias Murr. In comments after meeting Murr, Kerry said the Lebanese should move away from "the ideologies of extremism" to help promote a political solution in Lebanon, an apparent reference to Hizbullah and its allies. Kerry said he supported attempts aimed at achieving "political reconciliation among rival Lebanese factions."Kerry, a harsh critic of the Bush administration policy in Iraq, arrived here after visits to Egypt, Jordan and Iraq. Dodd, who is considering a run for US president in 2008, also was in Iraq, his third trip there since the war began. The two are due to visit Syria on Tuesday for talks with President Bashar Assad. The two senators' trip to Beirut came on the eve of a visit by Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa to resume his mediation efforts to end the Lebanese crisis. Moussa last week managed to get the pro-government parties and the opposition to agree on the outlines of a national unity Cabinet, but the rival factions failed to bridge other differences that threaten to scuttle the deal. - With agencies

European, Arab envoys mount flurry of diplomatic activity
By Therese Sfeir -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
BEIRUT: Foreign ambassadors made diplomatic rounds in the capital on Monday in continuing efforts to find a solution to the political deadlock gripping the country. French Ambassador Bernard Emie said the government crisis could be resolved through "the creation of an international tribunal" to try suspects in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri and "the unity of the Lebanese."
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri, the ambassador said: "We believe that the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the holding of the Paris 3 Conference are closely linked with a political solution to the current situation."
The European Council "adopted a declaration on Lebanon, in which it voiced its determination to support Lebanon's independence and unity" during a session last week, Emie said.
"The European Council reiterated its full support for the efforts of the Lebanese prime minister and his legitimate Cabinet to maintain dialogue with all Lebanese parties and face challenges pertaining to the implementation of 1701 and reconstruction projects," Emie said.
Egyptian Ambassador Hussein Darrar said he hoped an initiative by the Arab League secretary general would succeed where other efforts have failed.
"Amr Moussa did not come to Lebanon with an initiative because the solution is in the hands of the Lebanese," he said after meeting Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani.
Asked about reports that Moussa's efforts had failed, he said: "The secretary general is returning on Tuesday and if his initiative had failed, he would not have decided to return here and waste his time." Darrar also met Monday with senior Shiite cleric Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah.
"All parties should know that the required solutions cannot be imported and do not come from Egypt," he said. "The adequate solutions should be made in Lebanon."Meanwhile, Amal MP Anwar Khalil said the deadlock would be resolved in the near future.
"The majority of Lebanese are facing the same living conditions and consecutive economic crises. They have no choice but national unity and true partnership," he said. However, Future MP Walid Eido lashed out at the opposition, saying: "The demonstrations held in Downtown Beirut are not only a carnival but also an invasion that will lead to more debt and destruction."
"Is there a decision to destroy the country?" he asked in a statement. MP Ibrahim Kenaan, a member of the Reform and Change parliamentary bloc, told the Voice of Lebanon radio that Lebanon's economic crisis was not the result of the ongoing demonstration, but rather the fault of the sitting government. In related comments, acting Foreign Minister Tarek Mitri told Voice of Lebanon Monday that Russia "fully supported the draft of the international tribunal."
Mitri accompanied Siniora on an official visit to Moscow last week, during which the Lebanese delegation met with President Vladimir Putin.

Can Lebanese Christians survive Islamic divisions?
Many fear sunni-shiite problems are being transferred
By Maria Abi-Habib -Special to The Daily Star
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
BEIRUT: Lebanon is the latest Arab country to be engulfed in a Shiite-Sunni squabble and some Christians worry that their community is factionalizing along these lines as their leaders pick sides between the Muslim sects. "The way [Christians] see it we are facing a Sunni-Shiite confrontation in the region. In Iraq it's a military conflict but in Lebanon it's political," said Jean-Paul Katrid, a self-described social and political activist. "In Lebanon, as Christians we are split. Instead of the Christians acting as a buffer or safety valve by keeping a distance from these two blocs, we're dividing between the Lebanese Forces [LF] and the Free Patriotic Movement [FPM], the two biggest Christian blocs. What we fear is that the Shiite-Sunni split is being mirrored in this divide."
The FPM is allied with Hizbullah, while the LF and the Phalange are allied with the largest Sunni party, the Future Movement, in the March 14 Forces coalition, which holds the majority in the current government.
But Tourism Minister and LF member Joe Sarkis isn't worried about Muslim divisions impacting the Christian community.
"It looks as though the problem is a Sunni-Shiite one," Sarkis told The Daily Star. "Sunnis are united ... and Shiites are [butting heads] with them. The Christians and Druze are not on the front lines of this conflict. The [Christian] community is not united on the stance they should take" with the internal Muslim divide.
But Reform and Change bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan sees the Shiite-Sunni crevice as having transferred to the Christians. Kanaan says the FPM is attempting to transfer the Shiite-Sunni fracture from a sectarian level to a national level through a fair electoral law.
"We need to [transfer] the Shiite-Sunni conflict to a national level rather than leave it in its current sectarian form," where it has the most potential to do damage, he said.
Kanaan believes the ability of Christians to mediate between the two Muslim branches was weakened by the 2000 electoral law used in 2005.
Many Christians feel that the law marginalized their power through gerrymandering.
When the Syrian occupation ended, Hizbullah, Amal, the Future Movement and the Progressive Socialist Party began discussing new elections, excluding most Christian parties from their meetings, Kanaan said.
"The political system and government that was formed [resulted from] a Shiite-Sunni power struggle and the Christians were marginalized," Kanaan said. "The path to [national reconciliation] is for Christians to come into the government and bridge the gap between [Shiites and Sunnis]. Also, we need to create a constitutional formula allowing everyone to participate in shaping the future of this country and to [heal] sectarian rifts."
Attorney Dory Sakr, a Maronite, agrees.
"The problem is that not only are they killing our Christian politicians but they're dividing the ones that are left," he says, in reference to a string of assassinations of Christian politicians in the past two years. "They want to involve the Christians in this cold war. The Christians on the streets are divided 50-50 ... In the future the Christians will be only 25 percent of the population. We can't go into more wars and be divided into two."
Some Christians fear the rifts will weaken the community at a time when they need to unite to protect their minority status in a stumbling democracy.
"I think the best option is that it's quite democratic to be divided politically and socially. However, it's unacceptable for Christians not to agree on important existential issues that touch on their existence as a minority," Katrid said. "It's important for Christians to unite and keep an area free for democratic differences and to establish common ground for their relations with Muslims."
Kanaan laments the Christian role as a mediator between Lebanon's sects.
"In the past, Christians were allied with Sunnis and Shiites, but now the split between Sunnis and Shiites is more intense," he said. "The difference is that, before, the Christians were able to play a role in bridging the gap between Sunnis and Shiites and other sects."

Pick a channel: TV stations take sides in war of words
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
BEIRUT: Watch a pro-government channel in Lebanon and you're likely to hear newscasters describe the Hizbullah-led opposition as "Syrian-Iranian coup engineers" aiming for "a dictatorship of the minority." But turn to an opposition channel and you'll hear the Western-backed Cabinet called an "illegitimate government," or even "clinically dead" and being kept alive "by US injection."
The media war of words has escalated in step with the political crisis that was sparked last month when six opposition ministers resigned from Cabinet amid opposition demands for a greater say in the government.
The tensions grew after the November 21 assassination of anti-Syrian Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel and peaked with mass street protests that have thronged the capital since the start of December.
These days, each of Lebanon's television stations, with their varied religious and political leanings, are spinning the story as they see it through newscasts, video montages and word choices that could hardly be described as neutral.
"We swear on the deaths of all of our martyrs that you [Syria] will not come back to Lebanon," sounds a voiceover on Future TV as images are shown of six prominent anti-Syrian figures that have been killed in the past two years.
Future TV is owned by MP Saad Hariri, whose father Rafik Hariri was assassinated in bomb blast in February 2005.
The anti-Syrian majority, headed by the younger Hariri, has blamed the killing on Syria, which Damascus denies.
It has also accused opposition figures of aiming to reintroduce Syrian sway in Lebanon after the outcry over Hariri's murder forced Damascus to begin withdrawing its troops a month later.
Al-Manar television, which is run by the Iranian- and Syria-backed Hizbullah, has responded with a video showing hundreds of thousands of protesters calling on American- and French-backed Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to resign.
"The Lebanese government is in good health ... except for its countless problems," the video says before listing the "defects, ranging from corruption to insecurity, which characterize the Cabinet."Each side accuses the other of inciting sectarian unrest.
Future TV broadcasts a video showing Hizbullah supporters raising their yellow flag on Riad Solh Square in central Beirut outside the government's offices, where protesters have been camping out since December 1.
Al-Manar shows images it says depict "armed militants from the Future Movement" of Sunni MP Hariri attacking Shiite demonstrators on their way home from the rally. One Shiite was killed in a street fight outside the rally this month. Newspapers are also taking part.
The pro-government Al-Mustaqbal writes of a "tug-of-war" within the opposition, which includes pro-Syrian Shiites and traditionally anti-Syrian Christian followers of Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Aoun.
It also describes "Syrian pressure on its allies in Lebanon aimed at making any attempt at mediation fail."
The Al-Akhbar daily, which is close to the opposition, accuses the government of "blocking mediation by creating a new crisis."
Even as media from both camps pointed to a "truce" brokered by Arab-led mediation efforts this week, the denigration campaign showed no sign of abating. Nicknames for the president and prime minister have started to stick.
The majority has labeled pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud as "residue" from the era of Syrian tutelage.
The opposition taunts Siniora as "the prisoner" of his government offices backed increasingly by a "majority illusion." - AFP

Anti-sectarian group welcomes negative reactions to ad campaign
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
BEIRUT: The classified ads appeal for fresh Shiite faces at a modeling agency. The parking lots are marked "For Maronites only." And a sign at doctor's office reads: "Muslim Sunni." None of the signs are real, but part of a provocative advertising campaign which aims to take its warning against sectarianism to the airwaves with a series of television commercials in the coming weeks.
The campaign was conceived by children of Lebanon's 1975-1990 Civil War, who are now young professionals mainly in their 30s alarmed by the way society continues to isolate people of different backgrounds and beliefs.
"Lebanon is quite tribal," said Asma Andraos, 35, one of the founders of the civic group 05Amam, adding that people can be "blunt" when it comes to religion and politics.
"Very often you'll get into a taxi, and the driver will ask your name, then where you are from, and then more questions. What he is trying to find out is what religion you are - a) if you're Christian or Muslim and b) if you're Orthodox, Maronite, Sunni or Shia," she said. "We are trying to say we have a problem. What we want to do is raise a debate."
The ads have shocked Lebanon since they began appearing in eight major newspapers last month and on hundreds of billboards across the country.
"Get the latest hairstyle from a qualified Armenian Orthodox coiffeur," and "Real estate for rent: Greek Catholic owners and neighbors," reads a panel of classified ads, distinguished only as a public service announcement by small print below: "Stop sectarianism before it stops us."
"Of the 300 billboards we had, about 50 of them have been pulled down or destroyed," said Edmund Rabbath, 36, another founder of the group.
"But it's good. We're happy about that because it means we have reached our aim. We want reactions, positive and negative," said Rabbath.
Rabbath is among some 20 people who formed 05Amam after being on the frontlines of mass demonstrations last year which forced the withdrawal of longtime power-broker Syria from Lebanon and the subsequent election of an anti-Syrian majority Parliament.
United in grief and anger after the February 14, 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, group organizers camped out by the thousands on the government's doorstep to call for a new leadership under the rallying cry of "Syria, out."
Their demonstrations were dubbed "the Cedar Revolution" by the US State Department, after the tree on the Lebanese flag which protesters waved incessantly on Martyrs' Square in downtown Beirut.
A core group formed 05Amam, which takes its name from the year, 2005, and the Arabic "Al-Mujtamah Al-Madani" which means "civil society." "Amam" also means "forward."
"Our requests last year were national requests," recalled Rabbath. "We were asking for the withdrawal of Syria and an international tribunal into the Hariri killing."
By pure coincidence, the 05Amam group launched its advertising campaign on November 12, a day after five pro-Syrian ministers resigned from the Cabinet after being included by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora last year.
Since December 1, thousands of opposition protesters led by Hizbullah and Christian followers of longtime-exile and former general MP Michel Aoun have been camping in Downtown Beirut, near the same grounds that hosted the campout leading to Syria's withdrawal.
They are demanding a greater say in the government, the resignation of Siniora, and are threatening to form their own interim government unless they gain a one-third blocking share of the Cabinet.
The protests have sparked deep dismay among those who took part in last year's demonstrations because they believe Iran and Syria are mobilizing Hizbullah supporters to block the formation of a Hariri tribunal, which could see Syrian suspects tried.
"Personally speaking, they have the right to ask for whatever they want," said Rabbath. "But now I think their orders are not Lebanese in origin, and the people camping out are doing so on the order of their parties."
Andraos, who said that among the diverse members of 05Amam is a Christian who supports Hizbullah, noted that the group had not intended to launch the mock ad campaign at such a volatile time, but "it just makes it clearer how dangerous things can get."
Sectarianism "is what drove Lebanon to civil war," said Andraos. "And it's possibly how today's opposition, which was initially a political thing, is now turning into a confessional thing." The group has received hundreds of emails, some from people who are panicked but most from people who applaud the tongue-in-cheek message.
"It is important to raise awareness about this issue," wrote one man who described himself as a Jew of Lebanese origin. "Because Lebanon is the home of all Lebanese whether they be Christians, Muslims or Jews."
The group is working to finalize a series of 15-second television ads that it hopes will start running later this month or early next year.
Already, one channel has expressed interest in running the ads for free, though organizers declined to say which one for fear that other channels may be unfairly deterred. "It is as if the Civil War never happened. None of us have learned any lessons," Rabbath said. - AFP

Protesters deny Sfeir accusation of 'sinful behavior'
'He's talking about the honor and reputations of his own girls - none of whom has sinned'
By Nour Samaha -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
BEIRUT: By Monday, the 18th day of the sit-in in Downtown Beirut, most of the tents in the tent city have been lined with padding for the winter and outfitted with small heaters. The crisp air is filled with laughter and nargileh smoke, and there is little distinction between one party and another, as the supporters have all swapped scarves, flags, bedding and phone numbers.However, a controversy now surrounds the women present at the demonstration. After weeks of rumor and innuendo, Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir accused demonstrators of "sinful behavior" on Sunday, implying that protesters of both sexes shared tents, while others have accused Shiite opposition groups of performing temporary marriages (zawaj moutaa) in order to give young men and women a means by which to legitimize sexual relations.
"This is completely untrue," says Rabab Sadiq, a coordinator of women's activities and a supporter of the demonstration in the Riad al-Solh Square section of the demonstration.
"Firstly, the Hizbullah and Amal women of the demonstration are not allowed to spend the nights here. No women, not even married couples or families, spend the night. We only come in the mornings and then leave in the evenings," she explains. "Secondly, while the zawaj moutaa is practiced in the Shiite tradition, it is still a religious ceremony and this is a political demonstration.
"One has nothing to do with the other," she adds, noting that even if the women wanted to spend the night at the demonstration, it was not possible due to lack of space. "Some of the men can't even find the space to sleep!" she said.
Fatima Assaf, a 19-year-old Hizbullah supporter and student at the Lebanese University, attends the demonstration for approximately eight hours a day to take part in various activities and meet new people from the other parties.
"I don't want to sleep over," she says. "Not only because they don't allow women, but also because our tradition doesn't allow it, and it's not necessary. That's what the men are for."
Zahra, a Free Patriotic Movement supporter, is outraged by Sfeir's comments.
"How dare he listen to rumors and make these kinds of accusations?" she shouts. "He shouldn't try to criticize the honor of his Christian girls! We are educated, respectable people - we are not prostitutes!"
Zahra says the patriarch should make the effort to come down and see what the demonstration actually involves before believing rumors and passing judgment.
"He's talking about the honor and reputations of his own girls - none of whom has sinned. He just doesn't like the idea of us as Christians mixing and becoming one identity with Shiites, Sunnis and Druze. Our girls don't stay overnight and there is no reason for them to do so - we have men to do that for us."Furthermore, does he honestly believe that in a camp where at least half a dozen people share one tent, people will be having sex? We, as Lebanese, are not those kinds of people! We are civilized," Zahra says.
However, FPM youth leader Mario Chamoun told The Daily Star that "we respect what the patriarch said, because everyone is entitled to freedom of speech, but at the same time we as a party also respect civil rights and equality, so we do not discriminate against girls sleeping in the tents.
"We have no official strict policy prohibiting girls from sharing tents with each other or with boys, especially if there is no room for them elsewhere.
"As far as we are concerned, everyone is behaving appropriately and ethically. We are respectful people."
Syrian Social Nationalist Party supporter Firas al-Shoufi explains the layout of the camp.
"We have a total of 13 tents, two of which are girls only. Every night we know exactly who is staying and where. If there is anyone new who joined for the evening we know about it," he says.
Sitting at a small table playing cards is a group of five young men from the Hizbullah camp, smoking nargileh and talking about the previous night of "partying" with their FPM comrades.
"We're friends with people from all parties, but us personally, we're very good friends with the Aounis," says 24-year-old Hassan Hamieh, sporting a wide grin.
"The other night we were in their camp, and all of us were dancing and eating and drinking.
"There are some pretty girls in the Aouni camp," Hamieh continues with a shy smile.
"We don't like girls as skinny as that," he says, pointing to the nargileh pipe, "but then we don't like them enormous either, and some in the Aouni group are just perfect."

Arabs must practice dynamic engagement, not traditional docility
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Editorial
Moments like this do not come along very often in history, when a global power embarks on a broad reassessment of some of its key policies and their underlying doctrines. When they do, however, it should be a time for action by both the superpower and the smaller countries around the world that are likely to feel the full brunt of any change in direction. Once again in modern history - like 1920, like 1948, like 2001, and other moments - this is a time when the Arab world must recognize that change may be in the air, and that Arab views and interests must impact on how that change occurs. The United States is going through a moment of substantial rethinking of several of its policies in the Middle East and environs, including issues related to Iraq, Iran, Syria, Arab-Israeli peacemaking, Lebanon, Sudan, fighting terror, countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, promoting democracy, and a few other lesser issues. Some of this rethinking will lead to revised policies; other instances will only affirm existing directions.
Historically, the Arab world has been the absent player in deliberations on the Middle East. On the few occasions when some leaders tried to engage Western powers, the results usually depended more on the strategic interests of London, Paris and Washington than on the rights or concerns of the people of the Arab world. It would be tragic for our societies and our political leaderships to replay this political horror film once again. Docility, dependence and detachment have been poor policy guidelines for Arabs who gaze at Western countries - if not now also at closer places like Israel, Turkey and Iran - and wonder what our fate will be when the policy decisions are made.
The United States, for better or for worse, is the dominant foreign power in this region. Its army and diplomats abroad, alongside its politicians and lobbies at home, will have a huge say in our region's fate for perhaps generations to come. Arab parties, from governments and political groups to civil society institutions and powerful individuals, must recognize this reality. They must find ways to have inputs into the debates in Washington and other Western capitals - and not just self-serving ideas from isolated regimes that seek only to protect themselves and their cousins, as has often been the case in the past when Arab leaders reached out to Western counterparts.
Mechanisms abound for impacting on the US policy debate, in the mass media, churches, mosques and synagogues, think tanks, educational institutions, and by lobbying officials. Governments, corporate leaders and civil society working together throughout the Arab world could effectively contribute to the debate now going on in Washington, and individuals on their own could do so as well, if they put their mind to it. This is the time to make the decision to do so, because leaving the future of our region to the whims of worried politicians in Western capitals is a recipe for another century of strife.

Libya to execute HIV medics
 December 19, 2006
TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) -- A court on Tuesday convicted five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor of deliberately infecting 400 children with the HIV virus and condemned them to death, provoking shouts of approval from the children's relatives.
"God is great!" yelled Ibrahim Mohammed al-Aurabi, the father of an infected child, as soon as the presiding judge finished reading the verdict in the Tripoli courtroom. "Long live the Libyan judiciary!"
Bulgaria swiftly condemned the decision, and reiterated its belief that the children were infected by unhygienic conditions in their Benghazi hospital.
"Sentencing innocent people to death is an attempt to cover up the real culprits and the real reasons for the AIDS outbreak in Benghazi," said parliamentary speaker Georgi Pirinski.
The Bulgarian and Palestinian defendants did not react as the judgement was delivered. They have the right to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The presiding judge, Mahmoud Hawissa, took only seven minutes to confirm the presence of the accused -- who all answered "yes" in Arabic -- and read out his verdict and sentence in the longest and most politicized court process in modern Libyan history.
The six defendants, detained for nearly seven years, had previously been convicted and condemned to death, but Libyan judges granted them a retrial last year after international protests over the fairness of the proceedings.
An international legal observer, Francois Cantier of Lawyers Without Borders, promptly criticised the retrial for failing to admit enough scientific evidence. Research published this month said samples from the infected children showed their viruses were contracted before the six defendants started working at the hospital in question.
"We need scientific evidence. It is a medical issue, not only a judicial one," Cantier said at the court after the verdict. (Watch report of the sentencing)
Bulgaria's Pirinski made the same point in Sofia, saying: "The court has not taken into account the unquestionable judicial and scientific evidences for the innocence of the medics."
The long trial of the six foreign medical workers has held up the efforts of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's to rebuild ties with the West. Europe and the United States have called for their release, indicating that future relations with Libya would be affected by Tuesday's verdict.
But Libyans strongly supported a conviction. Some 50 relatives of the infected children -- about 50 of whom have already died of AIDS -- waited outside the court early Tuesday morning, holding poster-sized pictures of their children and bearing placards that read "Death for the children killers" and "HIV made in Bulgaria."
After the verdict, relatives at the court gates chanted "Execution! Execution!"
In Bulgaria, hundreds of people had staged peaceful protests in support of the five nurses on Monday.
Europe, the United States and international rights groups have accused Libya of prosecuting the six foreign staff as scapegoats for dirty conditions at the Benghazi children's hospital.
Luc Montagnier -- the French doctor who was a co-discoverer of HIV -- testified in the first trial that the deadly virus was active in the hospital before the Bulgarian nurses began their contracts there in 1998.
More evidence for that argument surfaced on December 6 -- too late to be submitted in court -- when Nature magazine published an analysis of HIV and hepatitis virus samples from the children.
Using changes in the genetic information of HIV over time as a "molecular clock," the analysts concluded that the virus was contracted before the six defendants arrived at the hospital -- perhaps even three years before.
Idriss Lagha, the president of a group representing the victims, rejected the Nature article, telling a press conference in London on Monday that the nurses had infected the children with a "genetically engineered" virus. He accused them as doing so for research on behalf of foreign intelligence agencies.
When the defendants were allowed to give evidence last month, they denied intentionally infecting children.
"No doctor or nurse would dare commit such a dreadful crime," said nurse Cristiana Valcheva, adding that she sympathized with the victims and their families.
A second Bulgarian, Valentina Siropulo, testified that of her seven years in Libya, "I've spent only 6 months working as a nurse and the rest of the time in prison."
Gadhafi, who has been trying to refashion his image from leader of a rogue state, got his government to ask Bulgaria to pay compensation to the children's families.
But Sofia rejected the idea as indicating an admission of the nurses' guilt.
**Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.