LCCC NEWS BULLETIN
FEBRUARY 2/2006

Below News from the Daily Star for 2/2/06
Maronite bishops hit out at a paralyzed and boycotted presidency
Omar Suleiman postpones Lebanon, Syria visit
No end in sight to the ministerial boycott
Nasrallah takes a potshot at 'U.S.-backed politicians'
Jumblatt: Syrian withdrawal hasn't ended attacks
Army raid Qoleilat chalet in search for arms
Dakkash lobbies for Baabda-Aley candidacy
Higher Judicial Council appointments now depend on Lahoud's signature
Aoun's people in Tripoli quit en masse
DNA test confirms remains of French hostage at Anjar
Officials hold meeting to discuss shooting near Ain al-Hilweh
Egypt and Jordan join West in pressuring Hamas
Yes, risk the Arab democratic challenge. By: Micheal Young
Below News from Naharnet for 2/2/06
Security Council Extends UNIFIL Mandate, Urges Lebanon to Deploy More Troops in South
Rice Says Syria is a Problem for Lebanon
Hizbullah: We Won't Disarm Even If Shabaa Is Liberated
Israel's Attorney General Calls for Investigation into Azmi Beshara's Trip to Lebanon
U.N. Envoy: There is Wide Backing in Lebanon for International Tribunal to Try Hariri Murderers
Bush Accuses Iran of Sponsoring Terrorism in Lebanon
Tests Show Human Remains Belong to Former French Hostage
Ghassan Tueni Urges Hizbullah to Follow in Hamas' Pragmatic Footsteps
Bush Tells Iranians they Have Right to Freedom from Government by `Small Clerical Elite'
UN's 5 Permanent Members Agree to Take Iran to Security Council

Hizbullah tells Europe price of mocking Islam
By Leila Hatoum -Daily Star staff-Thursday, February 02, 2006
BEIRUT: Hizbullah's Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned Europe and the world late Wednesday millions of Muslims would "escalate the situation if the humiliation of Prophet Mohammad was not dealt with decisively and strictly" by the appropriate countries. Several newspapers in Denmark, Norway and, recently, France have published caricatures which showed Prophet Mohammad as a terrorist and drawn in a disrespectful manner. Nasrallah said: "The Prophet of 1.4 billion Muslims has been debased ... the Danish Prime Minister said he wouldn't apologize because the newspaper, which published the cartoons making fun of our Prophet, 'didn't break the law and there are freedoms to be considered.'
"Who tells them that this freedom is absolute? OK, if someone decided to blow himself up himself somewhere in Norway or Denmark, then he is also free to do so." He added: "What is worse today is that a French publication steps up and questions what is wrong with what happened. They arrogantly continued 'we have published funny cartoons of holy men of other religions before and no one said anything.' What kind of reason and logic is that? We the Muslims have a different culture. We
don't tolerate our Prophet being humiliated and drawn in an ugly manner."Nasrallah also spoke of boycotting products as one of the steps to be taken. He added that despite the fact that there are over 50 Islamic countries in the world, "the level of dealing with the matter remains below what it should be," indirectly calling for the Islamic states that "possess the first three highest oil reserves" to use their oil power to pressure the European countries to solve the matter.
Nasrallah also addressed  a shooting incident that took place on the Lebanese borders with Israel Wednesday.Israel released a shepherd from the Shebaa Farms and his herd of goats after they crossed the UN-drawn Blue Line.
According to the National News Agency correspondent in Hasbaya, South Lebanon, while Ibrahim Youssef Rahil was herding his goats in the liberated Bastara Farms bordering the Shebaa Farms, an Israeli infantry unit opened fire before kidnapping him. Conflicting reports emerged during the day regarding the details of the incident and the shepherd's fate.
Information made available to Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh early in the day indicated that the Israeli forces had opened fire at two people, one shepherd and one hunter. Sources told Salloukh said that the hunter returned home whereas the fate of the shepherd remained undetermined. Latest reports confirmed that Rahil was released to UNIFIL and was in good condition. But Nasrallah said the Israelis had shot two Lebanese citizens, "with one escaping death and the other still missing." Nasrallah warned Israel that "if the other Lebanese citizen turns out to be dead or hurt the resistance will not wait for anyone's permission or acceptance to severely punish Israel, as we do not expect the UN Security Council to condemn the crime." - Leila Hatoum

Aoun's people in Tripoli quit en masse
Thursday, February 02, 2006-Daily Star
BEIRUT: The general coordinator of the Free Patriotic Movement's Tripoli-Mina committee and founding member of the FPM, Bassam Khodr Agha, said Tuesday that he had resigned from his post due to the party's "violation of the principles that it had been based on." In a statement made after a visit to the Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir, Agha also announced the resignation of all save two of the committee members, the chairmen and members of local committees of various specialization as well as more than 70 FPM activists. Agha said he had presented his resignation to the FPM leader MP Michel Aoun on January 13, 2006, adding that the reason behind this collective resignation is "the violation of the principles in which we believed and for which we strived over the past 17 years."
But Agha pledged in the statement "to keep working on behalf of the country."The FPM released a statement saying: "For behavioral reasons, and after the FPM reprimanded Mr. Agha following remarks made by citizens in Tripoli-Mina about acts he carried out that tarnish the FPM's reputation, Mr. Bassam Agha submitted his resignation from the district coordination committee and the resignation was accepted on January 17, 2006." The statement did not specify what Agha did. The FPM's press office refused to reveal the details of the dispute, but a spokesperson said a press conference would be held in two days to "clarify the issue." "Mr. Bassam Agha wished to give statements to the media that completely contradict the real reasons behind his resignation," the statement added.
"The Tripoli-Mina Committee will hold a news conference to announce the names of the officials in the area committee, the offices expected to be opened and the plan the FPM will adopt during the transitory phase," the statement said.
Sources close to the FPM said that Agha "was refusing to cooperate with other FPM members." They added: "This is strictly an administrative problem that has nothing to do with politics, which is why the FPM accepted the resignation straight away." The Change Movement, a party close to the FPM and in which Agha was also a member, said: "Bassam Agha has no relation whatsoever with the Change Movement, and therefore the movement is not concerned with any statement he has or will make." Headed by Elie Mahfouz, the Movement pledged support to any measure adopted by the FPM in the issue. - The Daily Star

Maronite bishops hit out at a 'paralyzed and boycotted presidency'
By Maroun Khoury -Daily Star correspondent
Thursday, February 02, 2006
BKIRKI: The Maronite Bishops Council said Wednesday it "regretted the almost complete paralysis that the state has reached recently, especially at the level of the presidency which is being 'boycotted' by various officials."
Speaking after the council's monthly meeting, the patriarchal secretary Monsignor Youssef Tawq read a statement, saying the level of paralysis in the government is also a cause for concern, "due to the boycott by several ministers, the absence of various heads of blocs from Parliament and the government's failure to designate members for the Higher Judicial Council."The statement also denounced "the escalating rhetoric used by officials preparing for the election of an MP for the seat vacated by the late MP Edmond Naim," saying: "It is far from following a democratic method."
"The Lebanese are not children to indulge in the outrageous behavior of exchanging verbal accusations that could lead to polarizing our citizens."The council said, with the commemoration of former Premier Rafik Hariri's murder around the corner, it hoped that "the investigation into the assassination will soon identify and punish the culprits to stop others from committing the same heinous crimes."
The council announced that four Maronite bishops will be promoted Saturday at 3 p.m. to archbishops and hoped that worshippers would take part in the celebration for the event. The council thanked Pope Benedictus XVI for mentioning Lebanon in a speech he made on January 9 to the accredited diplomatic corps in the Vatican. The Maronite Bishops Council also expressed solidarity with the Christian citizens of Iraq after the recent bombing of seven churches there which had claimed the lives of many victims.

Omar Suleiman postpones Lebanon, Syria visit
PM: 'the date for Suleiman's visit has yet to be set'
By Rym Ghazal -Daily Star staff
Thursday, February 02, 2006
BEIRUT: Omar Suleiman, Egypt's intelligence chief, has postponed a visit to Damascus and Lebanon scheduled for this week, contradicting earlier media reports claiming Suleiman arrived in Syria Tuesday and had already met with Syrian and Palestinian officials. "The date for Suleiman's visit has yet to be set," Prime Minister Fouad Siniora told reporters after a meeting with Hizbullah's secretary general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Media reports circulated that Suleiman, a veteran mediator among the Palestinian factions, met with Syrian President Bashar Assad and Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal Tuesday, as part of an Arab diplomatic push to contain the fallout from Hamas' landslide victory in Palestinian elections.
"All the media reports that stated he was coming or came this Tuesday are false," said Siniora, who also called Suleiman's mission part of an "Arab" initiative, and not an "Egyptian-Saudi" one as Egyptian and Saudi officials have said.Syrian sources confirmed that Suleiman did not visit Syria, and is expected "next week."Meanwhile, Suleiman met with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Cairo during Abbas' official visit with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
"It is a regular visit, which added new discussion items such as the recent Hamas majority win and what will be the next steps for the formation of Palestinian government," said Khaled Aref, Fatah Movement representative in Lebanon.
"Naturally Abbas also would have discussed the Palestinian arms issue with the Egyptian president and with Suleiman in order to update and inform him of the file," Aref told The Daily Star.Aref also said that Abbas' trip has "nothing to do with the postponement."
"It is probably Syria that postponed Suleiman's trip, as it has influence over the Palestinian armed groups outside the camps, which is what the Lebanese government seems to be focusing on now," said Aref.
At the same time, a Hamas delegation from Gaza met with Suleiman in Cairo Wednesday, with a meeting "soon to be set" with Meshaal in Syria. "The meeting will be within days with the exact date yet to be announced," said Ali Barakat, a Hamas official in Lebanon, who said the media had "jumped the gun" and speculated the meeting would take place this week. Meanwhile, some Lebanese officials took the news
of Suleiman's postponed visit as an indication of "outside interference.""Suleiman has not been able to confirm when he is coming to Syria and Lebanon as he has yet to be given the green light from abroad," former Prime Minister Omar Karami told the media Wednesday.
"The final decision for his visit will not be decided by us, but by outside forces," he added.Anwar Raja, the commander in Lebanon for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), agreed, saying: "There are definite foreign pressures that are demanding disarmament at an unrealistic speed, not leaving room or time for proper dialogue, leading to more tensions and divisions between the Lebanese government and the Palestinians."
The Syrian backed PFLP-GC is under fire from the Lebanese government as the group is suspected of shooting and wounding two Lebanese municipal workers near Beirut earlier this month. Minister of Youth and Sports, Ahmad Fatfat clarified the Future Movement's position about Suleiman's mission. "Suleiman is coming to assist with the Palestinian disarmament issue," said Fatfat. In spite of a string of announcements by Egyptian officials about the wide nature of Suleiman's visit which is expected to encompass all unsolved problems between Syria and Lebanon, Lebanese officials have stuck to their stance that the visit will focus on Palestinian disarmament.

No end in sight to the ministerial boycott
By Philip Abi akl - Daily Star
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Amal and Hizbullah ministers continue to refuse to end their boycott of Cabinet sessions and in effect the ministerial statement, which highlighted the role of the resistance in liberating occupied territories, and the Taif Accord, which determined the process of decision-making in the Cabinet.
The Shiite ministers suspended their participation in the Cabinet December 12 in protest at a decision to call for the creation of an international court to try those accused in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and for the investigation committee to investigate all the assassinations and assassination attempts in Lebanon since October 2004.
The ministers say they will not return to Cabinet unless the government states that Hizbullah is not a militia but rather a resistance organization, and agrees on the need to make Cabinet decisions through consensus and not majority votes.
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and the Cabinet majority refuse to accept these terms, while the Parliament majority stressed its adherence to the ministerial policy statement, which says: "The government considers the Lebanese resistance is an honest and natural expression of the Lebanese people's national right to liberate its land and defend its dignity in facing Israeli threats and ambitions."
Siniora and the Parliament majority also stressed their adherence to the Taif Accord and Constitution regarding the process of decision-making in the Cabinet. Siniora believes the spirit of the Constitution and the ministerial statement should be the only basis for resolving the ministerial crisis.
The premier has said the Cabinet is able to create the best equation for dealing with the issue of the resistance and did not take a definite position regarding UN Security Council Resolution 1559 in order to avoid facing the international community and to protect the resistance from international opinion. So why is Hizbullah insisting on its demands after it accepted the ministerial statement, and why have Siniora and the parliamentary majority rejected the solutions proposed by the Shiite groups?
A source close to the negotiations said Hizbullah is trying to secure Lebanese cover and a national consensus over the role of the resistance in liberating Lebanese occupied territories by eliminating the militia label mentioned in 1559.
Hizbullah is also trying to reply to campaigns against it by claiming that they are making decisions based on the best interests of neighboring countries.
However, Siniora rejected the conditions set by the Shiite ministers to return to the Cabinet because he refused to put Lebanon in direct confrontation with the international community, which has declared Hizbullah is a militia.
Consequently, Siniora tried to link Hizbullah's weapons to resistance, provided that the role and use of those weapons are limited to liberating occupied land after an official determination that the Shebaa Farms are Lebanese.
However, Hizbullah rejected this solution and instead insisted on its demand that the government affirms the party is not a militia. Political sources said Hizbullah's position is influenced by foreign considerations, adding that the party might not be ready for a compromise. The sources added a solution to the ministerial crisis will be presented during the parliamentary session Thursday; however, other officials ruled out such a claim, saying no solution has yet been reached to resolve the crisis.

Nasrallah takes a potshot at 'U.S.-backed politicians'
By Leila Hatoum -Daily Star staff
Thursday, February 02, 2006
BEIRUT: Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah lashed out at "those who say that America supports them," saying "let the Americans save themselves from the troubles facing them in Iraq first."
Speaking at a rally Wednesday to mark Ashoura, Nasrallah attacked "those who wager on U.S. support to create change for their own interest at the expense of the people of Lebanon and the region" - a reference to the March 14 Forces.
For the past two months Lebanon has been in political stalemate because of a Cabinet boycott by Shiite ministers.
However, reports the ministers would resign were denied by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora after a meeting with Nasrallah late Tuesday. Siniora said not one of the five Shiite ministers will resign from the Cabinet as "discussions and dialogue are ongoing." "We are progressing slowly but surely," he said.
iniora added that MP Saad Hariri made "an important step in the face of the international community when he said that UN Security Council Resolution 1559 can be implemented only through dialogue among the Lebanese."
The Premier said his Cabinet had taken a unanimous stand in calling for an end to Palestinian weapons outside the refugee camps, which is "a step that has to be taken by the Palestinians through a discussion based on trust..."
On Wednesday, Nawaf Mousawi, Hizbullah's head of foreign relations, issued a statement criticizing Telecommunication Minister Marwan Hamade for comparing members of the resistance to "parrots."
"Hamade has dared to describe and compare the heroic acts and stands of Hizbullah to parrots," said Mousawi, adding: "We say that Hamade is a liar" who frequently speaks "without thinking." He added, "May God safeguard the Lebanese from the robots which are being moved and controlled from Paris and Washington," referring to Hamade and Hariri. Separately, Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, who is close to Hizbullah and the Amal Movement, said Resolution 425 has yet to be fully implemented, since "the Shebaa farms are still under Israeli occupation. We don't reject UN Security Council resolutions, but there are things that need to be studied more." Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Fatfat said "the role of the resistance is a subject that needs the consensus of the Lebanese and that should be solved through a national dialogue. No one says that demarcating the borders is to disarm the resistance. Our aim is to make clear to the UN that the Farms are occupied Lebanese territory and that for as long as there is occupied land the resistance is legitimate."
Meanwhile, rumors Hariri will return to Beirut before the one year anniversary of his father's February 14 assassination were denied by sources close to the Future Movement. Hariri met with Jordan's King Abdullah in London Wednesday.

Jumblatt: Syrian withdrawal hasn't ended attacks
Thursday, February 02, 2006-Daily Star
BEIRUT: The head of the Progressive Socialist Party, MP Walid Jumblatt, said that "the withdrawal of the Syrian forces from Lebanon does not mean an end to attacks against Lebanese civilians and prominent figures."
In a letter addressed Tuesday to the participants in the World Council of the Socialist International held in Greece on January 30-31, Jumblatt said the "series of assassinations and assassination attempts that started in October 2004 is aimed at forcing the Lebanese to accept the extension of the term of President Emile Lahoud."
He added: "Your colleagues in the PSP and the forces of March 14 are being intimidated and threatened."
"The Syrian regime is increasing its attempts to hit the stability in Lebanon through providing terrorist groups with weapons and to strike the Lebanese-Israeli truce, as well as imposing compulsory asylum on the MPs of the majority calling for the country's independence," Jumblatt said. He also noted that the latest speech of Syrian President Bashar Assad "expressed Damascus' true intentions to enter Lebanon in the Syrian pen in light of the new Iranian tutelage." Jumblatt called on participants in the council to support Lebanon and save democracy, adding that he could not attend the council due to "the dramatic circumstances the country is witnessing."
A delegation from the PSP participated to the council and returned to Beirut Wednesday. - The Daily Star

Qoleilat chalet in search for arms
Thursday, February 02, 2006 - Daily Star
BEIRUT: A Lebanese Army unit raided a tourist resort in Chekka, North Lebanon Wednesday, searching a chalet belonging to businessman Taha Qoleilat before detaining him for interrogation. Qoleilat was released two hours later.
The Military Public Prosecutor's office reported that the raid was carried out after the Lebanese Army received a tip about the presence of weapons in the chalet.
No weapons were found, however, and Qoleilat denied the possession of arms.
Taha Qoleilat is the brother of the Bank Al-Madina former executive secretary Rana Qoleilat, who judicial investigators have implicated in the bank scandal involving $1.2 billion in embezzled funds. Rana remains at large after her release from custody about 10 months ago.
Taha faces several lawsuits pertaining to the Bank Al-Madina scandal as well, including embezzlement of bank funds, money laundering and racketeering.
He was also one of the former Syrian regime's major allies in Lebanon. Senior Syrian intelligence officers, including the former head of Syrian intelligence in Lebanon, Major General Rustom Ghazaleh, were also reportedly involved. - The Daily Star

Dakkash lobbies for Baabda-Aley candidacy
Former MP hopes to spare district vicious electoral battle
By Nada Bakri -Special to The Daily Star
Thursday, February 02, 2006
BEIRUT: Former MP Pierre Dakkash's attempts Wednesday to rally support for his nomination as "a compromise candidate" for the Baabda-Aley by-election received positive responses from the various politicians he visited.
Dakkash is running for the Maronite seat vacated last month by the death of MP Edmond Naim, who ran as an independent on the Lebanese Forces' list.
"Everyone is in favor of a peaceful settlement, but they are still holding out from announcing their final decision until they complete discussions with their allies. Everyone wants to save the area an electoral battle," said Dakkash, after meeting with former President and Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel.
Dakkash said Gemayel told him he favors consensus over elections but that he is waiting to finish discussions with party members and allies before announcing his decision.
In his efforts to secure support, Dakkash also met with Sheikh Naim Qassem, Hizbullah's deputy secretary general, and Lebanese Democratic Party leader Talal Arslan.
Dakkash said he will finish his tour Friday evening when he is scheduled to meet with Druze leader and Chouf MP Walid Jumblatt. Sources close to Jumblatt said he would not participate in the electoral battle but rather support a compromise candidate to spare the country a political battle at this critical time.
Hizbullah and Amal are both believed to be supporting Aoun's candidate. Dakkash said after his meeting with Qassem: "I discussed with Qassem the attempts to prevent the country having an electoral battle and he supported and blessed these efforts."
However, Qassem told Dakkash "the party will announce its decision once all the candidacies are final."
Asked if the LF leadership or March 14 political forces were in favor of reaching consensus, Dakkash said: "I sensed a readiness from the LF and the different March 14 politicians to spare the district an electoral battle."
Meanwhile, Arslan said his party supports Dakkash.
"Supporting Dakkash's candidacy truthfully means that we are sparing the district a battle," Arslan said.
Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun suggested endorsing the candidature of Dakkash earlier this week to spare the sensitive electoral district - made up of Christians, Shiites and Druze - any national division.
The LF leadership however, have repeatedly insisted
that the region can only be spared division if an LF candidate wins uncontested. National Liberal Party leader Dory Chamoun who also announced his candidacy last week said he would withdraw in favor of a compromise candidate.
"I am not seeking a parliamentary seat but rather I am trying to prevent the region an electoral and political battle; therefore I will support any compromise candidate," Chamoun told The Daily Star. "If all parties decide to support Dakkash, I will do so too." But Dakkash said that if he withdraws his candidacy, he will support television journalist May Chidiac, another candidate running as an independent.

Yes, risk the Arab democratic challenge
By Michael Young - Daily Star
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Almost as soon as Hamas had won a majority in Palestinian legislative elections last week, politicians and publicists began spinning the results to buttress their agendas on Middle Eastern democracy. Not surprisingly, the arguments tended to gravitate toward absolutes, though much about regional democratization forestalls this. What works in one society may be a calamity in another; what an election victory shows about a group's popularity may have nothing to do with that group's criminal behavior. Democracy will continue to be cacophonous because that is its nature, and the nature of the Arab societies in which it is supposed to take root.
Take the two broad arguments greeting the Hamas victory. One side argued it was generally a good thing, because Palestinians had managed a peaceful transition of authority, permitting voters to settle their scores with a corrupt Fatah movement that had led the Palestinian Authority into chaos. Palestinians did not really vote in an Islamic state, this narrative continues, but sought an alternative to the despair of the moment. That's why Hamas' greatest challenge will be to satisfy the public's expectations for an amelioration of socio-economic conditions, making less likely a resort to violence. Deep down, advocates of this line suggest, Hamas is pragmatic and will accept a settlement with Israel along the 1967 borders, if East Jerusalem is made the capital of Palestine.
The other side retorted that such optimism was ludicrous. Hamas may have been ambiguous during the election campaign, but never renounced its objective to regain control over the whole of geographic Palestine, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean. It did not delete from its charter the aspiration to destroy Israel, even though it recently saw a tactical advantage in not highlighting this. Elections were a mistake, proponents of this line of reasoning continue, because Hamas is much stronger and now has a national platform to pursue its destructive policies. At a wider level, the fetish of democracy has thus been proven detrimental, because true democracy has no business bringing to power fundamentally undemocratic, indeed terrorist, groups.
It's difficult in Hamas' case to agree with one of the sides while ignoring the protests of the other. The movement is hardly a bearded version of, let's say, the Christian Democrats (indeed it's not even a bearded version of Fatah), and violence will continue to be at the center of its endeavors. It will not soon renounce to recapturing all of Palestine, because it will not soon reject its deeply held beliefs that Israel is illegitimate, that the Oslo process was a terrible mistake, that Palestinian refugees from 1948 have a right to return to their towns and villages of origin, and that killing Israeli civilians is acceptable because Israelis do the same.
Hamas will surely have to address the day-to-day worries of its countrymen, but that hardly diminishes the fact that the movement feels it can deal with Israel in a far more successful way than the Palestinian Authority (PA) did. This means shaping a different approach than that of PA President Mahmoud Abbas, who sought, but could never deliver, Palestinian disarmament in exchange for Israeli concessions.
But should such realities cast doubt on the need for Middle Eastern societies to embrace democracy, even if Islamists use this to come to power? No, at least not in principle, though there will be many occasions where one's worst doubts are confirmed. Democratization cannot come with illusions: for certain groups it will be an instrument of leverage into positions of leadership, followed by subsequent efforts to empty democracy of its meaning. But that's where societies, but also the international community, must show there is a high price to be paid for reinforcing intolerance.
Why insist on democracy? First, because the stalemate imposed by autocratic Arab regimes, particularly secular regimes, will give at some stage, and may lead to Islamists' seizing authority anyway, without a pluralistic system in place to create social power centers offsetting them. Even in secular states such as Egypt, Syria and Jordan, Islamists have strongly infiltrated the system, so that the despots, eager to buy legitimacy through Islamic credentials, have ceded much by way of secular values. Rather than limiting the ambitions of Islamists, this behavior has only bolstered them. Elections may indeed represent a final stepping stone for Islamists to take power, but a controlled, albeit genuine democratic opening beforehand would allow alternative groups to gain strength.
A second reason making the pursuit of democracy worthwhile is that it instills, at least in some societies, a notion of systematic accountability and transfer of authority. Iraq's Shiites may vote Islamist, but they also have had the opportunity to be asked about their views three times in 2005. It would be very difficult for an autocratic leadership to deny them this prerogative in the future. And with the habit of free elections comes the public's growing aggressiveness in evaluating its leaders.
Even in Iran, a country where elections have kept conservatives in power for two decades, voting is bound to lead to the emergence of more liberal forces once the system has had time to find an equilibrium and judge the merits of the revolutionary generation embodied by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It may take time, but the mechanism of accountability is there, and was already twice used as a platform of protest against the system when Iranians voted for Mohammad Khatami as president.
A third reason is that democracy imposes transparency. When parties are obligated to clarify their positions to an electorate, they have to live with the consequences. Hamas' haziness on its pursuit of terrorism is disturbing, but the implications are also clear for everyone to see. The movement cannot forever hide its intentions, and voters, but also those pouring billions of dollars into Palestinian society, now have a paper trail to assess. Palestinians, in turn, can determine where their interests lie, and force Hamas in one direction or another. A fourth reason is the march of history. Democracy must reach Arab societies at some stage, after decades of debilitating authoritarianism. The Islamist wave is partly due to the abject failure of secular Arab nationalist states to let their peoples breathe. Denying a process to transcend these circumstances makes no sense. The road will be bumpy, and will be made bumpier by Arab regimes' refusing to ease their societies into a slow process that can absorb the contradictions inherent in democratization. Nor must counterfeit democracy substitute for an authentic opening.
Islamists may well win the first round in many places, and in some they might even try to ensure no second round follows. That's why domestic and foreign democratic barriers preventing this must be enhanced. But simply insisting that Arab states should perpetuate the deadlock of today would not only ensure Islamists gain strength by counter reaction, it also displays remarkable contempt for the desire of Arabs to be counted.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR.

Bomb hoax forces Danes to evacuate embassy in Syria
Wed Feb 1, 2006 8:07 AM ET
DAMASCUS (Reuters) - A telephoned bomb threat against the Danish embassy in Damascus forced staff to evacuate the building on Wednesday while security personnel cordoned off streets and searched the complex, witnesses said.
A diplomatic storm has blown up over cartoons deemed offensive to Islam and the Prophet Mohammad that were published in a Danish newspaper in September and republished in Norway last month and in the French paper France Soir on Wednesday.
No bomb was found and staff were allowed to return to the embassy after an hour, the witnesses said. The embassy had no immediate comment on the incident. Earlier this week the Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the cartoons as an offence to Muslims and Arabs and demanded the Danish government punish the offending paper, Jyllands-Posten. About 200 demonstrators gathered in front of the embassy on Tuesday to protest against the cartoons, witnesses said.
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said his government cannot apologize on behalf of independent media that have only exercised their right to free speech, but Jyllands-Posten has apologized for offending Muslims.
France Soir said it was reprinting the cartoons in the name of freedom of expression and to fight religious intolerance.
One of the caricatures depicts the prophet wearing a turban shaped like a bomb. Islamic tradition prohibits realistic depictions of prophets, and considers caricatures blasphemous.

UNSC extends Lebanon peacekeeping mission
By ASSOCIATED PRESS-UNITED NATIONS- Feb. 1, 2006 0:34
The UN Security Council on Tuesday extended the mandate of its peacekeeping mission in Lebanon by another six months, and urged Lebanon to deploy more troops to take full control of the south.
The council resolution again noted violence along the so-called Blue Line, drawn by the United Nations to mark Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in May 2000. UN peacekeepers now numbering about 2,000 peacekeepers have been deployed in the area since 1978. The peacekeepers' mandate was set to expire at midnight. The troops are stationed near the volatile Chebaa Farms area. Lebanon and Syria say Shaba Farms is Lebanese territory, but UN cartographers who surveyed the border after the Israeli withdrawal said it belongs to that part of Syria which Israel has occupied since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. The resolution, adopted unanimously, said that Lebanon needs to "do more to assert its authority in the south," an area dominated by Hezbollah. It called for more Lebanese troops and internal security forces in the region, and better coordination between those bodies and the UN peacekeeping mission

http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=5270
Lebanon’s Bishops : national harmony and punish those responsible for Hariri’s death
by Youssef Hourani -February, 2006 - On the eve of the anniversary of the ex premier’s death, the Maronite Bishops that the inquiry proceeds until those guilty are brought to justice. An appeal for national harmony : avoid clashes between Christians over the Naim seat.
Beirut (AsiaNews) – An appeal for national harmony and above all between Christians, and a request that the inquiry into the death of ex premier Rafik Hariri proceeds until those who are guilty are brought to justice: these are the two aspects of Lebanese public life on which Maronite bishops concentrated in their monthly meeting, held today in Bkerke , in the presence of the Patriarch Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir.
In a press statement the bishops criticise a lack of consensus and collaboration between the authorities and the central governing body. The bishops also underline the need to avoid an inter Christian conflict in the run up to the election of a replacement for the constituency of the late Lebanese Forces member of parliament, Edmond Maim, which has witnessed conflicting declarations from general Aoun and Geaga
The document which marks the 1st anniversary (February 14th ) of Hariri’s assassination also appeals to those in charge of the Hariri inquiry, that they make seek the truth, the only path capable of restoring calm to Lebanese society, and they urge that strong sanctions be imposed. Finally they recommend that security measures be put in place to avoid any similar occurrences in the future.

MEDIA ADVISORY
FDD Middle East Expert Walid Phares Visits Europe to Discuss Iran, Lebanon, Hezbollah and the Future Jihad against the West
Will address policymakers, media at events in Vienna, Brussels, London and Paris
Washington, D.C. (Jan. 27, 2006) Dr. Walid Phares, a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) and author of the new book Future Jihad, will make multiple stops in Europe next week to discuss the Middle East and terrorism with policymakers and the media:
Roundtable on Iran, Vienna, Jan. 31: The European Foundation for Democracy (EFD) will host Dr. Phares at a roundtable discussion on Iran in Vienna, Austria in advance of the International Atomic Energy Agency meeting scheduled there on Feb. 2. The panel will discuss nature of the current regime in Iran, its attempts to obtain nuclear weapons, political issues inside Iran and what might be done to deal with this crisis. Other panel participants include: Reuel Marc Gerecht, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute; Ladan Archin, Country Director in the Near East and South Asia Department of the Department of Defense responsible for Iran; Professor Nicola Pedde, a professor at the University of Rome; and Roberta Bonazzi, executive director of the European Foundation for Democracy.
Future of Lebanon, Brussels, Feb. 1: the European Foundation for Democracy will co-host an inter-parliamentary dialogue between members of the European and Lebanese Parliament at the European Parliament in Brussels on the future of Lebanon. Dr. Phares will discuss efforts to liberate Lebanon from Syrian rule, disarm Hezbollah, and create a stable, democratic government. Other participants include: General Philippe Morillon, former French commander of the UN peacekeeping mission in former Yugoslavia and former member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, Abdallah Hanna a Member of the Lebanese Parliament; representatives of the UNSCR 1559 Committee Tom Harb; and Dr. Rachid Rahme of the Council for the Cedars Revolution.
Mideast Policy and Terrorism, Brussels, February 2: Dr Phares will meet with the Belgian Defense Minister, members of the NATO committee in the European Parliament, MEP from France, Czeck Republic, Belgium and the EU Commission to discuss the "cultural roots of Terrorism and the reforms needed to address these crisis in the Middle East."
Book Events, Brussels Feb. 2, London, Feb. 7 Dr. Walid Phares will discuss his new book, Future Jihad, Terrorist Strategies against America. Topics will include the history of Jihadism and new strains of mutant terrorism that will emerge to threaten Europe and the West. The Brussels event will be co-hosted by Paulo Casaca, Member of European Parliament, and the European Foundation for Democracy.
Book Event, Paris February 8:Â Dr Phares will be hosted by the Group for Democracy in the Middle East to introduce his new book
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) is a non-partisan Washington, D.C.-based policy institute dedicated exclusively to promoting pluralism and identifying the ideologies that drive terrorism. FDD is engaged in the worldwide war of ideas to support the defense of democratic societies under assault by terrorism.
The European Foundation for Democracy (EFD) is a non-partisan Brussels-based policy institute dedicated to defending democratic values and promoting freedom.  EFD was founded after the terrorist attacks in Madrid and London to support the defense of European civil society and to unite organizations and individuals across the ethnic and political spectrum within the European system and across Europe in key member countries.