LCCC NEWS BULLETIN
FEBRUARY 16/2/2006

Below News From Miscellaneous Sources
Radical sheikh Omar Bakri  makes his return & attacks Hezbollah and all "Al Kufar": -ynetnews-16.2.06
Hamas Web site says group received Hizbollah money-Reuters 16.2.06
Lebanon's president shrugs off demands to quit-Reuters 16.2.06

Below news from the Daily Star for 16.2.06
Siniora expected to see Pope on Lahoud's future
Lahoud pledges to fight attempts to dislodge him
Aoun discusses FPM-Hizbullah accord with British ambassador
Berri to start dialogue after political scene cools
Hamas denies receiving funds from Hizbullah
U.S. renews support for Lebanon as Syria seethes at rally speeches
Political and religious leaders denounce attacks on Lahoud and Assad during demonstration
Interior minister denies reports of rockets at rally
Acknowledging legacy of fallen leader
Program finds employment for disabled
Dakkash: Efforts continue to reach Baabda-Aley by-election agreement
Institute renamed for co-founder Fuleihan
Destruction of offices doesn't break firm's stride
Lebanon plans investor-friendly climate
Syrian authorities briefly detain MPs (AFP)
Rice seeks $75 million to spur democracy drive in Iran
Hamas gets ready to announce nominations for PM and speaker
Lahoud can only be removed through a democratic, consensual process
Don't forget, for Islamists only God's word counts -By Abdel Monem Said Aly
George W. Bush and Dick Cheney are in their bunker -By David Ignatius  
Is Egypt's underdevelopment a boon? By Maria Golia

Lebanese Personalities Condemn Provocation Against Syria
Wednesday, February 15, 2006 - 07:10 PM
Beirut, (SANA) -Lebanese clergy Sheikh Afif Naboulsi denounced on Wednesday the provocative campaign directed against Syria by some Lebanese yesterday. In his weekly religious meeting in Saidon, clergy Naboulsi said what was said yesterday against Syria is totally rejected and has no link to the Lebanese good manners wondering weather some want to make friends with the Zionist entity an disarm the resistance weapons as well make a coup d’etat against her.
He called upon all those keen on national interest to consider this change from some Lebanese forces against the resistance as something odd to the Lebanese political life asserting that every hinder in this respect for the resistance would only serve the Zionist enemy. For his part, Lebanese Sheikh Akl Bahjat Ghaith denounced in a statement toady false accusations and insults that came by some on the anniversary of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri killing.
“ The monotheist sect in Lebanon is washing hands from what said by some of abuses that made a big falsification and brought nothing but division and tension to the Lebanese yard,” the statement said.
Meantime, former Lebanese minister Weiaam Wahaab, said in an interview with the Radio al-Nour in Lebanon that there were a bid to strike the resistance and its weapon noting that was happened yesterday in Beirut was an invitation of Israeli and American offers to interfere in the Lebanese affaires saying that the so called forces of the 14th March just liars and deceptive.
On the same subject, the regional leadership of the Baath Arab Socialist party in Lebanon has condemned on Wednesday the campaign of provocation and false accusations made by some Lebanese statesmen in Beirut yesterday against Syria and the Lebanese presidency.
The leadership refused those who attacked Syria the symbol of Arabism as well the cheap bids that appeared in their speeches. It also refused some daring against the resistance, which liberated the land pointing out that hurting the resistance symbol is a red line. The Leadership underlined that the alternative for this provocation and construction is the national dialogue, which deals with national issues.

Radical sheikh makes his return
Ynetnews 15.2.06: Sheikh Omar Bakri back online, slams anti-Muslim alliance of 'pigs', says Hizbullah 'is not real'
Yaakov Lappin
Extremist Islamist leader Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammad, banned from Britain after encouraging young Muslims to become suicide bombers, has broken his radio silence and reestablished contact directly with his UK followers from his new home in Beirut, Lebanon. Six months before the July 7, 2005 London bomb attacks, Syrian-born Bakri told followers on an Internet chat room to join al-Qaeda, and instructed his listeners to commit acts of terrorism "wherever you are," citing the end of a "covenant of security" with Britain.
On February 13 and 14 of this year, Bakri returned to the same chat room. "The covenant (of security) has been restored," Bakri said on Tuesday evening, February 14. "Now tomorrow, there could be a change of the situation of the reality in Britain and you can do the jihad physically. It's not something rigid. The situation keeps changing," he warned.
Bakri said British Muslims should refrain from carrying out terror attacks on Britain, due to the British government's decision not to implement a number of anti-terror laws, but made it clear the 'ceasefire' was very fragile.
"I can see nowadays, they (the UK government) back down on a lot of things, and they are really giving a sense of security to the Muslim community in Britain. But now, if tomorrow (the British government) issues another new law, if they start to arrest you, and start to attack Muslims, this immediately is another situation," he said.
Bakri also called for Danish cartoonists who drew images of Islam's prophet Muhammad to be killed.
'Hatred will reign forever'
The sheikh's followers appeared excited by Bakri's online return. One user, with the screen name al-Ghurabaa, the name of the group formed by Bakri's British followers, said that sending petitions against the cartoons was useless. "Unless the petition is gonna have anthrax on it then forget about it," he wrote. Barki spoke of an "alliance of kuffars (unbelievers)," between the "pigs of the Jews and Christians." "The animosity of the Jews and Christians is going to be always there. And in particular the Jews," said Bakri. Quoting the Koran, Bakri said: "Verily, you will find the strongest among men in enmity to the believers (Muslims) the Jews and those who are al-Mushrik (unbelievers)."
Speaking of the struggle between the "two camps" of Muslims and non-Muslims, Bakri declared: "The kuffar are one nation all of them together, communists, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, and Jews, Christians, and we are so happy to see them all gathered together against us, because that shows us that we are on the right path. Therefore we should declare day and night to those kuffar, who worship the cow and those who worship the cross declare to them: We reject you. We disbelieve in you. We completely distance ourselves from you. And between us there is going to be animosity and hatred forever until you worship Allah exclusively." Bakri then slammed British Muslim organizations, "those who claimed to be Muslims," describing them as "the fifth column who live among us who puts his fingers with the hands of the kuffars," naming the Muslim Council of Britain, and the Muslim Association of Britain, among others.
'Hizbullah just a propaganda machine'
Turning his attention to his new home country of Lebanon, Bakri, who promotes a fundamentalist Sunni Islamist interpretation, attacked Hizbullah as an Iranian puppet designed to promote Shiite Islam. He expressed frustration with what he said was Hizbullah's "propaganda" and "monopolization" of southern Lebanon. "The reality is, Hizbullah, it is in my opinion, besides that it is Shiite and has allegiance to Iran and has alliance with Syria what people do not know, Hizbullah is a media platform. It is not a real organization that has a real military objective to liberate anything," he said.
Bakri, who participated in an Islamist attempt to overthrow the secular regime of Syria, once again attacked the Syrian government, saying: "Syria, the one that guarantees the security of Israel in south Lebanon, by not letting mujahadeen (holy warriors) go from there to attack. Because they put on the border Hizbullah, and Hizbullah prevents everybody, they don't want anyone there except for them, in order to monopolize the issues of so called resistance in jihad in south Lebanon they lose all credibility. I'm witnessing that in Lebanon now."
"I found it (Hizbullah) just people who want to promote Shiism and promote their own views and ideas, and make the Muslims weaker and weaker. They call for democracy, they call for secularism, they make alliance with the Kuffar. I don't feel Hizbullah has any agenda to liberate any land," he lamented.
'Hizbullah exaggerates attacks on Israel'
"Why is it allowed for Hizbullah to bomb Tel Aviv and to bomb Israel but it's forbidden for others?" Bakri asked. "I can tell you why. Simply because all the rockets Hizbullah launch is part of the framework of normal military exercise between Hizbullah and Israel. This is a necessary tool for propaganda in order to say that Shiites in Lebanon are fighting and to promote Shiism, which is really led by Iran," he said.
"Nasrallah said, you see, we throw at Israel 500 rockets; 500 rockets?! What are you talking about. You see, they throw two missiles, and they say 500 missiles. You can see how they exaggerate things achieving nothing. Hizbullah leaders say they have obedience, to whom? To Christian Maronites, to Lebanese government. Which itself is another tool, to implement kuffar (infidel) law, and alliance with the Syrian regime." Bakri added.
Bakri also mocked Hizbullah's claim that the disputed Sheba farms area, currently under Israeli control, is in fact Lebanese territory. "All that they are talking about is they want to liberate Lebanese land. And by the way brothers, I can tell you something, don't say it to anyone, there is none of the Lebanese land under occupation left. Sheba farms, the Lebanese people say it belongs to Syria."

Hamas Web site says group received Hizbollah money
15 Feb 2006 12:43:25 GMT
By Nidal al-Mughrabi - GAZA, Feb 15 (Reuters) - A Hamas Web site disclosed on Wednesday that fighters from the Palestinian militant group had received funding and training from the Iranian-backed Hizbollah movement in Lebanon, a link long denied by Hamas leaders.
A Hamas spokesman in Gaza declined to comment on the information on the Web site, www.info@alqassam.ws, run by the group's armed wing, Izz el-Deen al-Qassam.
There was no immediate comment from Hizbollah in Beirut.
The site said Hamas, which is dedicated to Israel's destruction and won the Jan. 25 Palestinian election, received funds from Hizbollah to set up the first Hamas cell in the occupied West Bank after an uprising began in 2000.
Over the course of three years, members of the cell -- 10 of whom were eventually killed or jailed by Israeli security forces -- carried out attacks that killed 18 Israelis.
Hamas member Jaser al-Barghouthi, who formed the cell and recruited its gunmen, sent emissaries to Lebanon "to be trained by Hizbollah and return with needed funds", the Web site said, without giving a figure.
The Internet site did not say whether Hizbollah had provided money or training for other Hamas cells.
Israel has alleged for years that Hizbollah, one of its most bitter enemies and instrumental in its decision to withdraw from southern Lebanon in 2000 after 22 years of occupation, has been giving Hamas funds and logistical support.
Israel considers both groups to be terrorist organisations, a view supported by the United States.
Asked about the Web site report, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said: "We have been following this for quite some time now. Hizbollah attempts to create a Hizbollah presence through local proxies in the territories.
"We have seen them deal with different extremist Palestinian groups, including Hamas," he said, calling Hizbollah "the long arm of Iran". Hamas has carried out nearly 60 suicide bombings since the uprising started, but has largely observed a truce Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reached with Israel a year ago.Israel says it cannot consider dealing with Hamas until the group recognises its right to exist, disarms and accepts Israeli-Palestinian interim peace deals. (Additional reporting by Jonathan Saul in Jerusalem)

Lebanon's president shrugs off demands to quit
Wed Feb 15, 2006
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's President Emile Lahoud, a staunch ally of Syria, rejected on Wednesday demands by the country's anti-Syrian coalition to resign, vowing to see out his tenure that expires in 2007.
"The president has never cared about threats regardless of their source, never backed away from challenges and never yielded to blackmail," Lahoud's office said in a tough-worded statement.
"He is committed to his oath (as president) until the last day of his constitutional tenure."
Calls for Lahoud's ousting have intensified since the February 14, 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri and the subsequent withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon.
In a mass rally marking the anniversary of his killing, Hariri's son and parliament majority leader Saad al-Hariri branded Lahoud an agent of Syria, and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt all but called for a national revolt to oust him.
Lahoud's office said the president reserved the right to take legal action against Jumblatt's repeated attacks.
Many in Lebanon believe Syrian pressure to extend Lahoud's term by three years in 2004 sparked a head-on collision between Hariri and Damascus that led to his killing. An ongoing United Nations inquiry has implicated senior Syrian officials and their Lebanese allies in the murder, including four generals loyal to Lahoud. They have all denied any role. U.N. investigators questioned Lahoud in November as part of their inquiry but he was not named as a suspect.

UN demands Lebanon explain arms trucks crossing from Syria for Hizballah
February 15, 2006, 2:12 PM (GMT+02:00)
Anti-Syrian Druze leader Walid Jumblatt has alleged the Lebanese army intercepted truckloads of arms and missiles, but allowed delivery to the Hizballah and possibly Palestinian militias in southern Lebanon. US ambassador to the UN John Bolton said any continued supply of weapons from Syria to armed groups inside Lebanon is a violation of UN Security Resolution 1559. Tuesday, UN officials demanded an explanation from Beirut. If true, it would be an alarming development, they said.
"Lebanon should not remain an open battlefield against Israel and this state-within-state status should end," Jumblatt said.

Lebanese rally draws 500,000 to mark Hariri’s death
February 15, 2006 Monday Morning
In his opinion, the Lebanese alternative should be a return to the option of the state and the Lebanese legality. This necessitates transposing Lebanon from the scene of the regional conflict to an exclusively national scene, while not turning our backs on the international community.
Khazen believes that the government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora has failed on the political, eco! nomic and security levels, since the return of the Shiite ministers to meetings of the Council of Ministers cannot in itself prevent other “hitches” in the long or short terms if the current problems are not resolved.
Finally, he affirmed that the Bloc of Reform and Change is in favor of choosing a compromise candidate for the Baabda-Aley by-election. Otherwise, he hopes the election will take place in an atmosphere of authentic democracy.
The Arab initiative
Why did the Arab initiative to deal with the Lebanese crisis fail?
Although the war has ended in Lebanon, certain dossiers remain linked in one way or another to Damascus. Egypt plays a role through the intermediary of General Omar Suleiman, head of the Egyptian intelligence service, who has for some time been in charge of the Palestinian dossier. The fact that Suleiman was designated to fulfill this delicate mission gives it a serious and positive character, since he! is known for his skill in dealing with difficult missions.
I believe that the Palestinian weapons held outside the camps, especially those of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command, led by Ahmad Jibril, cannot be justified; they do not in any way benefit the Palestinian cause. We need to deal with this problem without any further delay through a dialogue with Damascus, with which several PLO groups are connected.
What precise issues are the subject of the inter-Lebanese conflict and who is preventing reconciliation at the national level?
The problem lies in the fact of knowing how Lebanon can be transposed from the regional to the local scene. This should be reflected by the return to the option of the state and Lebanese legality, priority being given to the establishment of a modern state on the bases of unanimously accepted constant principles. Several pending issues should be settled without delay, especially concer! ning the Resistance, in order to dissipate the fears of Hezballah and its allies. This cannot be accomplished except at a round table, and this is the responsibility of all the parties without exception.
This is also the case in regard to Lebanese-Syrian relations. Here we note the necessity of formally delineating the frontier between the two states and of establishing diplomatic relations between them.
It’s also urgent to establish an equilibrium among the various forces on the ground so that none of them is tempted to try and dominate the others or exercise hegemony.
I can’t help feeling that the present cabinet, which is now in its eighth month, has failed on the political, economic and security levels. That’s why it is requested to change tactics and open up to all sections of the political class in the interest of the nation.
Some claim that Lebanon is being governed from abroad. Is that your view?
The cabinet alone is responsible si! nce it enjoys the support of the majority in Parliament. It should be able to deal with all matters in dispute in cooperation with its allies.
Take the security dossier, for example. We can see that after the attack on May Chidiac, followed by the assassination of MP Gibran Tueni, the measures put in place to maintain security have been timid and insufficient. If the government is incapable of managing this dossier, it should say so.
And it is clear that Lebanese-Syrian relations pose a great problem with many contentious points. Can the government resolve these?
In regard to what some people call French or American “tutelage”, it’s important to stress that France and the United States play a role through international legality, which adopts resolutions to remedy the situation, whether these resolutions please us or not!
But the demarcation of the frontiers and the establishment of diplomatic relations are not matters in the hands of Paris or Washington, but of Damas! cus. If our two countries had had sound diplomatic relations, Resolution 1559 would not have been adopted and, whatever anyone may say, this resolution is the natural consequence of the non-application by Damascus of the Taef Agreement.
By-election
What is the position of the Bloc of Reform and Change in regard to the by-election in the Baabda-Aley constituency?
We support Dr. Pierre Dakkash, who in our view is the candidate of understanding and compromise. But if there has to be a battle, let it take place in a democratic atmosphere, far from all tension, with the voters choosing, in complete freedom, a successor to the late Dr. Edmond Naïm.
Between alliance and support
Will the alliance between the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) with Hezballah have any influence on Christian voters?
There’s a difference between alliance and support. The dialogue continue! s between the Free Patriotic Movement and Hezballah and it is beneficial for everyone. In the event of an electoral contest, Hezballah will back the FPL candidate.
We obtained a majority of Christian votes at the last legislative elections [in May-June of 2005], so we consider that we’re in a strong position in the constituency.
How do you see relations among Christian groups and factions, in particular between the Lebanese Forces and the FPM?
Each Christian party has its position and role, and this kind of diversity is normal. The domination by one faction of a whole confessional community would be an abnormal situation. The communities are today lacking in equilibrium.