LCCC NEWS BULLETIN
FEBRUARY 7/2006

Below News from the Daily Star for 7/2/06
Nasrallah, Aoun produce joint statement on key issues, call for national dialogue
Security forces hunt for riot suspects
Sabaa's resignation 'not enough'
Leaders gather in Bkirki to condemn riots
Bakri: Cartoonists depicting Prophet should be executed (AFP)
Berri: Lebanon's civil peace 'can never be threatened'
Government apologizes to Denmark for angry riots
Farhat slams attack on him at Kahale
March 14 forces blame Syria for riot
Lahoud insists draft law violates Constitution
Lebanon's An-Nahar lands Pikasso advertising award
Danish Consulate sustains only limited damage
Police arrest three suspects in attacks on army post
Students stage protest to condemn Sunday's riots
Action is urgently required if stability is to prevail in Lebanon
Abandon the idea that there is a global Islamist movement -By Alvaro Vasconcelos
Sadr 'at the service' of Syria and Islamic Republic

Below News from Miscellaneous sources for 7/2/06
Extending Opportunities, does not Include Exacerbating the Deadlock in Lebanon. By: Walid Choucair - From Al-Hayat - 7.2.06
Bush's Denunciation of Syria May Portend Regime Change- New York Sun 7.2.07
Lebanon apologises to Denmark for consulate riot-Reuters 7.2.06
A black day for Muslims-SA- 7.2.06
Tehran Danish embassy under attack-rtinews 7.2.06
Beirut Mob Burns Danish Mission Over Cartoons -new york times 7.2.06

Nasrallah, Aoun produce joint statement on key issues, call for national dialogue
FPM: Hizbullah should bear arms while there are occupied territories
By Nada Bakri -Special to The Daily Star
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
BEIRUT: Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah met with Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun Monday, after which the two national leaders issued a joint statement of understanding in support of the resistance's arms for as long as there are occupied Lebanese territories.
After a lengthy and unprecedented tete-a-tete, Nasrallah and Aoun emerged with a joint statement calling for national dialogue to solve all pending issues, implement democracy, draft a new electoral law, establish a strong and modern country and resolve the security situation. The statement was read by Hizbullah politburo member Ghaleb Abu Zeinab and FPM member Gebran Bassil The meeting had been scheduled a few days before Sunday's violent protests, and comes after a series of preparatory meetings between Hizbullah and FPM members to draft the statement.
More importantly, it included unprecedented initiatives from Hizbullah to solve two of the most sensitive issues facing Lebanon: Lebanese-Syrian relations and the return of Lebanese detainees in Syrian jails and South Lebanese Army members from Israel.
"The presence of any Lebanese in Lebanon is better than his presence in the enemy's territory; therefore the solution to the Lebanese people present in Israel requires efforts to bring them back, taking into consideration the social circumstances that cover the issue," the statement said. The statement also gave strong FPM support regarding Hizbullah's arms.
"Hizbullah's arms fall within two frameworks: the first is the justification of its presence, which are nationally acknowledged; and the second is the defining circumstances that lead to invalidating the reasons and justifications for its continuous presence," it said. The Shiite-Christian embrace, which Nasrallah and Aoun repeatedly insisted was "not a political alliance or front against other parties, but rather a political rapprochement," was held at Mar Mikhail Church, located a few blocks from Hizbullah's headquarters in Beirut's southern suburbs.
Both leaders also repeatedly welcomed any party, sharing their vision and endorsing their statement. "This statement is not an alliance but an open invitation for dialogue to solve all pending issues and build a strong country. We are not creating an alliance against anyone but a document that reflects a common vision for Lebanon," said Nasrallah. "Our mutual goals are to protect Lebanon's sovereignty and independence and build a strong country," he added.
The resistance leader described the sit-down as "a much anticipated meeting and a foundation for cooperation based on mutual understandings and a common vision." For his part, Aoun said: "We are not creating a Shiite-Christian front but a political rapprochement over issues of national interest, and this memo should be supported by the government. We are offering solutions to pending issues and everyone is invited to take part in it."
Nasrallah said his alliance with Aoun "does not annul any present cooperation between Hizbullah and other parties."
However, he dismissed the existence of "the quartet alliance" between Hizbullah, the Amal Movement, the Future Movement and the Progressive Socialist Party. He said his political rapprochement with Aoun is "solid and transparent," unlike his past alliances. "Between Aoun and I there is transparency. Be honest and tell me I disagree with you over this and that or I want to disarm you next year ... today we created a clear document and we both have enough courage and honesty to commit to it," Nasrallah said. Aoun said he had not discussed the Baabda-Aley by-election in detail with Nasrallah, but added "every political rapprochement will lead to an electoral understanding, and we will be close in our decisions."
Hinting at the possibility of failing to find a compromise candidate, Nasrallah said: "The results of the Baabda-Aley by-election will be an example for people before they decide to go to early elections."Aoun dismissed allegations that his rapprochement with the leading Shiite party - and the closest ally of Syria and Iran in Lebanon - will upset Christians.
"This statement is not an alliance with Syria but an attempt to define relations with Syria and it did not mention Iran. We should be held accountable based on the context of the paper and on our intentions and they do not go beyond Lebanon," he said.
Nasrallah said the meeting did not cover the issue of the presidency, but insisted his party will support Aoun's candidacy.
"We see in Aoun a serious and competent candidate who enjoys wide popularity," Nasrallah said.
Both leaders condemned Sunday's riots and asked the government for "transparent and thorough investigations." They also refused to lay blame on any party without solid proof of their involvement - in response to March 14 alliances' accusations of Syrian involvement in the riots.

Security forces hunt for riot suspects
Daily Star staff-Tuesday, February 07, 2006
BEIRUT: Security forces have begun a full-scale search for those who turned Sunday's protest in Beirut into a riot that saw violent aggressions against churches, local businesses, and civilian and military vehicles.
Judicial and security sources said there were some 220 suspects currently in custody. Reports on Sunday night said that 192 rioters had been arrested, the majority of whom were Syrian nationals or belonged to pro-Syrian organizations.
The sources said the army is questioning 141 of the suspects, while Internal Security Forces are interrogating 52 others. The remaining suspects are being questioned by state security. The sources said interrogations are focused on the motives behind the violence and the identity of the instigators. Judicial authorities have summoned several persons believed to be behind the violence to take their statements. The sources said the arrests were made based on television and surveillance camera footage of the riots from the media, retail outlets in the area and the Danish Consulate.
Most of those detained have confessed to their crimes, but authorities have not said whether any of those arrested have revealed whether the rioting was organized by a particular party or organization. The sources expected arrests to continue as more suspects are identified by those already in custody and through examining footage taken by surveillance cameras and the media. But the sources said prosecution of those arrested would not take place until preliminary investigations are complete.
The sources say that those who vandalized churches and ISF property would be referred to criminal courts, including the Military Tribunal, because "these crimes are extremely dangerous and should be severely punished." - The Daily Star

Sabaa's resignation 'not enough'
By Therese Sfeir -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
BEIRUT: Reactions to the violent riots that hit the Beirut area of Achrafieh on Sunday continued on Monday, as several officials said that the resignation of Interior Minister Hassan Sabaa "was not enough."Following a meeting Monday with the Beirut Associations' Union, Information Minister Ghazi Aridi stressed the importance of peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians in the face of attempts to instigate strife. Aridi said: "God saved Beirut on Sunday and saved Lebanon from a plan to stir strife." He praised the wisdom of the Christian leaders and religious clerics in dealing with the problem.
"Lebanon prevailed over a new conspiracy through national unity," Aridi added. But Former Minister Suleiman Franjieh accused the "Lebanese Forces, the Progressive Socialist Party and the Future Movement of organizing the demonstration."
"I believe that they have cooperated with the interior minister and decided not to deploy enough security forces," he said.
"They saw how other Arab countries demonstrated against the Danish caricatures and they wanted to show that they were keen on Islam, since they were accused of dealing with Western countries," he added. "This is why we heard [LF leader] Samir Geagea saying earlier in the morning: 'Those are the people of March 14 and nobody should attack them,'" Franjieh said.
Franjieh added: "When the demonstration went out of control, they started to deliver statements denouncing the riots and defending their opinion." During an interview with Tele Liban on Monday, MP Atef Majdalani said "those who accuse the parliamentary majority of organizing the riots aim to achieve personal political goals."
He added that what happened on Sunday was caused by "some intruders and by the lack of a unified political stand."
Majdalani praised Sabaa's decision to resign, saying "other officials should do the same."Deputy Speaker Farid Makari said the interior minister's resignation "is not enough to reassure the people.""What is required is to resolve the gap which the minister talked about, which is the lack of a unified political decision in the Cabinet," he added.
The Lebanese Greek Orthodox League "strongly condemned the attacks that targeted private properties and several churches," and asked about "the reasons for the Interior Ministry's failure to stop such chaos."Reform and Change MP Neamatallah Abi Nasr said "Sabaa's resignation did not resolve the issue," and called for a "comprehensive investigation to identify those who plotted the riot."The MPs of North Lebanon said the Syrian intelligence "is involved in instigating strife between Christians and Muslims."In a statement issued following a meeting on Monday, the MPs praised the behavior of the citizens of Achrafieh and asked the government to immediately compensate for their losses. Loyalty to the Resistance MP Mohammad Raad criticized "the attacks on private properties and churches," underlining the need to "preserve the right to hold demonstrations in a peaceful and civilized manner."
The Lebanese Communist Party said it "is worried about the frailty of the security situation and the prevailing of sectarian feelings when dealing with political issues." President Emile Lahoud said the "Lebanese should adopt a unified stand to face plans aimed at targeting Lebanon's unity and instigating chaos." Lahoud urged "the government, with all its constitutional, judicial and security bodies," to "assume its duties and deal firmly with the riots."

Leaders gather in Bkirki to condemn riots
By Maroun Khoury and Karine Raad
Daily Star staff-Tuesday, February 07, 2006
BKIRKI: Politicians and leaders from all faiths made their way to Bkirki Monday to meet with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir and denounce the Muslim riots that broke out on the streets of Downtown Beirut Sunday.
MP Walid Khoury described the violent clashes as "a crime against the country and national unity." He added that rumors of "intruders who infiltrated the protests" were not enough to undo the damage done by the vandalism to Christian churches in Achrafieh. Khoury said that although the condemnation expressed by Premier Fouad Siniora and Speaker Nabih Berri, in addition to several national politicians and religious leaders, was appreciated, Interior Minister Hassan Sabaa's resignation was insufficient. "The entire Cabinet should resign, not to add to the destruction and chaos in the country, but for being responsible for authorizing this demonstration and for failing to take necessary security measures to contain the riots," he added.
Khoury called for the formation of a new national consensus government that would resume dialogue and rally the various national forces. "It is unacceptable to have a government that is unaware of the intruders' presence among the protesters," he said, noting that the government has yet to announce its security plan for the country. National Liberal Party President Dory Chamoun said Lebanon has yet to free itself from the mentality of "30 years of war and destruction."
Chamoun said Sunday's demonstration should have been postponed after protests in Syria turned violent, despite its organizers' good intentions. He further called for cooperation with the government and an end to accusations.
He also denied allegations the March 14 Forces had begun to lose Sunni supporters, insisting Sunni leaders had proved their opposition to division attempts. Asked about his preparations for the by-election to fill the parliamentary seat vacated by the late MP Edmond Naim, Chamoun said he supported a consensus decision to avoid an electoral battle. "However, if other parties want to wage a battle then I hold them responsible, but frankly I wish that they would agree on someone other than me because I truly care about consensus."
Meanwhile, religious, political and popular leaders continued to visit Beirut Maronite Bishop Boulos Matar to condemn the assault on the Mar Maroun Church in Achrafieh. Former Prime Minister Rashid Solh voiced the country's rejection of every "heinous" act committed "against any of the Lebanese who believe that national unity is the only guarantee and goal that the citizens seek." Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh praised Matar for his "wisdom, knowledge and openness" for easing tensions Sunday. Salloukh added that the riots harmed Islam and the Prophet Mohammad and stressed the need to await the results of official investigations. Former MP Nassib Lahoud said: "The Cabinet decisions were preliminary, but the need to fight such acts is permanent and therefore the state should strengthen its security against these kinds of attempts."
He slammed the government for being "careless," but said the national priority was to capture the instigators of the riots.
MP Michel Murr said Lebanon had "survived strife" thanks to Matar and Beirut Orthodox Archbishop Elias Aoude.
"Had our Muslim brothers asked us to participate in their protests against Denmark, we would have, but protests should not have targeted the Mar Maroun and Mar Nicholas churches," he said. Murr wondered whether Sabaa's resignation was an adequate solution, and stressed the need to focus on national security, "which is an issue worth examining more than the number of Syrians and Palestinians who were brought to participate in the protests."
MP Butros Harb said Sabaa's resignation was a laudable initiative that proved to the people that officials in the country were accountable. However, Harb insisted the resignation was not enough, calling on the authorities to punish convicted rioters to the full extent of the law.
Former Speaker Hussein Husseini contacted Matar and Aoude to denounce the vandalism of churches and highlight the need for a judicial investigation into the motivations behind the riots.
Separately, the Consultative Gathering of Religious Authorities met at the Muslim Ulemas Gathering Center in Haret Hreik. Several bishops and representatives of the Middle East Churches' Council were also in attendance.
A statement read by Father Michel Aoun criticized the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad by Danish and Norwegian newspapers. The religious leaders said such a decision was not made out of respect for the freedom of opinion or expression, "but clearly violated values and ethics and blatantly offended the dignity of more than one billion Muslims."
The statement urged the Christian world to "take a clear stand against those who are trying to create a gap between Muslims and Christians under the banner of a conflict of civilizations."It continued that the council "does not acquit Zionism, which is working covertly to instigate strife."

Leaders gather in Bkirki to condemn riots
By Maroun Khoury and Karine Raad -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
BKIRKI: Politicians and leaders from all faiths made their way to Bkirki Monday to meet with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir and denounce the Muslim riots that broke out on the streets of Downtown Beirut Sunday.
MP Walid Khoury described the violent clashes as "a crime against the country and national unity."
He added that rumors of "intruders who infiltrated the protests" were not enough to undo the damage done by the vandalism to Christian churches in Achrafieh. Khoury said that although the condemnation expressed by Premier Fouad Siniora and Speaker Nabih Berri, in addition to several national politicians and religious leaders, was appreciated, Interior Minister Hassan Sabaa's resignation was insufficient. "The entire Cabinet should resign, not to add to the destruction and chaos in the country, but for being responsible for authorizing this demonstration and for failing to take necessary security measures to contain the riots," he added. Khoury called for the formation of a new national consensus government that would resume dialogue and rally the various national forces. "It is unacceptable to have a government that is unaware of the intruders' presence among the protesters," he said, noting that the government has yet to announce its security plan for the country.
National Liberal Party President Dory Chamoun said Lebanon has yet to free itself from the mentality of "30 years of war and destruction."Chamoun said Sunday's demonstration should have been postponed after protests in Syria turned violent, despite its organizers' good intentions. He further called for cooperation with the government and an end to accusations.
He also denied allegations the March 14 Forces had begun to lose Sunni supporters, insisting Sunni leaders had proved their opposition to division attempts. Asked about his preparations for the by-election to fill the parliamentary seat vacated by the late MP Edmond Naim, Chamoun said he supported a consensus decision to avoid an electoral battle.
"However, if other parties want to wage a battle then I hold them responsible, but frankly I wish that they would agree on someone other than me because I truly care about consensus."Meanwhile, religious, political and popular leaders continued to visit Beirut Maronite Bishop Boulos Matar to condemn the assault on the Mar Maroun Church in Achrafieh.
Former Prime Minister Rashid Solh voiced the country's rejection of every "heinous" act committed "against any of the Lebanese who believe that national unity is the only guarantee and goal that the citizens seek."
Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh praised Matar for his "wisdom, knowledge and openness" for easing tensions Sunday.
Salloukh added that the riots harmed Islam and the Prophet Mohammad and stressed the need to await the results of official investigations. Former MP Nassib Lahoud said: "The Cabinet decisions were preliminary, but the need to fight such acts is permanent and therefore the state should strengthen its security against these kinds of attempts."
He slammed the government for being "careless," but said the national priority was to capture the instigators of the riots.
MP Michel Murr said Lebanon had "survived strife" thanks to Matar and Beirut Orthodox Archbishop Elias Aoude.
"Had our Muslim brothers asked us to participate in their protests against Denmark, we would have, but protests should not have targeted the Mar Maroun and Mar Nicholas churches," he said. Murr wondered whether Sabaa's resignation was an adequate solution, and stressed the need to focus on national security, "which is an issue worth examining more than the number of Syrians and Palestinians who were brought to participate in the protests."
MP Butros Harb said Sabaa's resignation was a laudable initiative that proved to the people that officials in the country were accountable. However, Harb insisted the resignation was not enough, calling on the authorities to punish convicted rioters to the full extent of the law. Former Speaker Hussein Husseini contacted Matar and Aoude to denounce the vandalism of churches and highlight the need for a judicial investigation into the motivations behind the riots.
Separately, the Consultative Gathering of Religious Authorities met at the Muslim Ulemas Gathering Center in Haret Hreik. Several bishops and representatives of the Middle East Churches' Council were also in attendance.
A statement read by Father Michel Aoun criticized the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad by Danish and Norwegian newspapers. The religious leaders said such a decision was not made out of respect for the freedom of opinion or expression, "but clearly violated values and ethics and blatantly offended the dignity of more than one billion Muslims."
The statement urged the Christian world to "take a clear stand against those who are trying to create a gap between Muslims and Christians under the banner of a conflict of civilizations."
It continued that the council "does not acquit Zionism, which is working covertly to instigate strife."

Berri: Lebanon's civil peace 'can never be threatened'
By Karen Mneimne -Special to The Daily Star
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
BEIRUT: Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri emphasized that civil peace in Lebanon "can never be threatened" during the opening of a seminar on parliaments on Monday. Convening a seminar on "The Role of Parliaments in National Dialogue" held at the Parliament, Berri stressed that "the Lebanese Parliament and all the Lebanese people reject all attempts to distort the image of Prophet Mohammad and other religions."The speaker and head of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union also voiced his support for the official statement released after Sunday's extraordinary Cabinet session, adding that Parliament maintains the right to question the Cabinet about the implementation of the statement. The seminar, attended by former Belgian Finance Minister MP Jean Jacques Viseur, addresses questions regarding the role of parliamentary councils.
Berri said a parliament is "an arena for holding national dialogue," adding that in this arena different opinions, fears and concerns are tackled and solutions are developed by MPs. MPs, he said, can "initiate a public discussion and play an active role in the process of forgiveness and reconciliation."
Berri said parliamentary councils enact legislation that deals with crises, wars and also protects the national interests, citing former war-stricken countries such as "Sierra Leone, Argentina, Chile, Rwanda, Kosovo and Northern Ireland."
The speaker said parliaments in these countries had played a leading role in enacting compensation and reconciliation laws, revealing the truth behind atrocities and discounting the justifications for broad human rights violations.
Berri said that history has taught that the process of national reconciliation consists of three stages: "eliminating fear, rebuilding confidence and creating a spirit of understanding." He said that since Parliaments is composed of members from different religions, sects and political forces, "it is a national platform for exchanging thoughts freely and publicly."
Similar seminars and workshops have been held in Lebanon over the years, with the cooperation of the United Nations Development Program. These seminars have paved the way for discussion projects, law proposals, the promotion of human rights and universal education, among others.

Government apologizes to Denmark for angry riots
By Nafez Qawas -Daily Star correspondent
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
BEIRUT: Lebanon on Monday apologized to Denmark for angry riots that resulted in the torching of the Danish Consulate in Achrafieh. A peaceful protest against cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad, initially published in Denmark, turned quickly into violence and destruction Sunday. The official apology was announced by Information Minister Ghazi Aridi after Sunday's emergency Cabinet session. During the session, Interior Minister Hassan Sabaa submitted his resignation, which has yet to be accepted by the Cabinet. Sabaa has been temporarily replaced by his deputy, Sports and Youth Minister Ahmad Fatfat. The minister said he had resigned because "internal security lacked a unified political decision and lacked the necessary personnel and equipment," and stressed that "security can no longer be politicized."
Sabaa called for "unity in political decisions so that security apparatuses can fulfill their obligations."
Aridi said a meeting would be held between Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and President Emile Lahoud to decide on a replacement once Cabinet approves the resignation. He added that investigations would show whether there will be additional resignations from the Internal Security Forces. Asked if demonstrations would be banned outright after Sunday's riots, Aridi said: "The Cabinet hasn't made a decision yet and this issue was never raised in the session."
For the first time in eight weeks, Monday's Cabinet session was chaired by Lahoud at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, and included the five Shiite ministers who ended their boycott last week. Lahoud called for an immediate investigation, including of the security apparatuses, to be opened into Sunday's riots.
The president highlighted the need for such investigations, "especially as hours before the riot broke out information was circulated that something was going to happen." Meanwhile, Siniora said it was evident that the riots were planned in advance "to violate the law and security.""This is not the way people defend Islam," he said. The rioting has "tarnished Lebanon's civilized image and has nearly threatened its unity. What happened has made us all losers and has abused the Muslims and the Lebanese," Siniora added.Prior to the Cabinet session, Siniora attended a meeting of the Higher Judiciary Council.
Later reporting to the Cabinet the details of the meeting, Siniora said: "The council pressed personal charges against all those who committed violations and crimes." Siniora added that "the council also lifted any protection from all persons who participated, planned and carried out the operation."
After its session on Monday, the Cabinet also announced it would appoint a Higher Relief Committee to survey the damages in Achrafieh and determine the level of compensation. Army Commander General Michel Suleiman said he had submitted a report on Sunday's clashes, while ISF Director General Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi said "shortages should be tackled immediately to rebuild the security institutions." The Cabinet also discussed the issue of Palestinian arms, both inside and outside of the refugee camps, and emphasized the need to implement previous Cabinet decisions calling for disarmament.
Siniora also met on Monday with former Minister Fares Boueiz, Iranian Ambassador Masoud Idrisi, and Army Commander Suleiman. The premier also met with the vice-consul from the Danish Embassy, Birgitte Harb. No details about the meeting were released to the media.

Farhat slams attack on him at Kahale
Daily Star staff-Tuesday, February 07, 2006
BEIRUT: Baabda MP Abdullah Farhat, who is part of the Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc, denounced the attack that targeted him Sunday in the Aley area of Kahale. The MP was participating in a protest condemning the assaults on churches in Beirut. "I was passing by Kahale and I stopped to join the demonstrators; then I was surprised by people carrying flags of the Free Patriotic Movement, who started to shoot at my car," Farhat said Monday."I am sure those people do not belong to the FPM but are intruders who wanted to provoke a conflict," he added.

March 14 forces blame Syria for riot
Soueid accuses iran of financing efforts to stir sectarian strife
By Majdoline Hatoum -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
BEIRUT: The March 14 Forces accused Syria and Iran of attempting to instigate new civil strife in Lebanon, and asked international bodies, as well as the Lebanese government, to take action regarding this issue. "The riot that took place on Sunday was an attempt at a security coup by the Syrian regime, aiming at turning Lebanon into another Iraq," former MP Fares Soueid said, following a four-hour meeting of representatives of the March 14 Forces in Druze leader Walid Jumblatt's house in Beirut. Reading from a statement, Soueid addressed the United Nations, the Arab League, and the Lebanese government, asking them to protect Lebanon in the face of foreign attempts to cause civil strife in the country.
"The entrance of a group of radical Jordanian Muslims into Akkar, and the help they received from former Lebanese MPs ... the entrance of large numbers of Syrian special forces, and other groups of non-Lebanese fighters from the Palestinian Public Liberation Front-General Command ... the distribution of large sums of money, coming from a regional non-Arab state to a number of pro-Syrian groups and politicians ... all this information we are presenting for the UN, the Arab League and the Lebanese government, and we ask them to take action," Soueid said. In response to a request for clarification, Soueid said the "regional non-Arab state" was in fact "Iran." "This is common knowledge by now," he said.
He added that the March 14 Forces committee was responsible for all the information presented at the news conference.
"We ask the Lebanese government to file a complaint with the UN Security Council against the Syrian regime, for its outrageous interference in Lebanon's internal affairs," Soueid said. He added that the government has a one-week notice to answer questions about a number of issues, including identifying security officers who showed negligence in performing their job during Sunday's riot, unveiling the course of investigations in all security breaches in Lebanon since the attempt on MP Marwan Hamade's life in October 2004 and investigating corruption issues linked to the former Syrian influence in Lebanon.
When asked if the March 14 Forces would call for the Cabinet's resignation in the event that the government did not present convincing answers, Soueid said: "Definitely not."
"We will have another meeting to discuss further action, but we will not call for the Cabinet's resignation," he said.He added that former Interior Minister Hassan Sabaa, who resigned following Sunday's riot, was not solely responsible for what happened. "This is the responsibility of the government as a whole" Soueid said. Sabaa's resignation is currently pending a meeting between President Emile Lahoud and Premier Fouad Siniora, who have not yet agreed whether to accept it.
But according to a source close to Baabda Presidential Palace, this meeting is not likely to take place soon.
"Sabaa's resignation apparently occurred as a formal way to decrease the public anger on Sunday," the source said.
Soueid questioned the timing of the Shiite ministers' return to Cabinet, less than 48 hours before Sunday's events, which he described as "the explosion rocking Lebanon right now.""Did this return occur so that they could protect themselves from any criticism?" he asked.Asked about the meeting that was taking place at the same time between Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader MP Michel Aoun, Soueid said: "We support everything that gathers the Lebanese. But our main disagreement with Nasrallah and Aoun is the fact that they refuse to hold the Syrian regime responsible for the security instability in Lebanon right now."
Other political parties held their weekly meeting Monday too, with the FPM holding the government responsible for Sunday's riot, and calling for full compensation for the residents of Achrafieh. The Future Movement parliamentary bloc also held a meeting to discuss the latest events, and denounced Sunday's events. The Phalange Party also held a meeting headed by its higher president, former President Amin Gemayel, who condemned the riot and warned against new strife in the country.
"We have to be careful, and make sure things like this do not occur again," he said. He added: "If no reaction occurred yesterday, it does not mean that the event will pass by this easily. We will not accept any demonstration of this kind in the future.""Such a criminal act will never cause a problem between us and [MP Michel] Aoun's FPM," the MP added.
According to Farhat the attack was "aimed at hampering dialogue between the two parties."
As for the riots that occurred Sunday in Achrafieh, Farhat said: "I believe there are hidden organizers who aim to destabilize the political situation for well-known purposes, especially as most of the demonstrators were not Lebanese."
In a statement issued Monday, the union of Baab-da mukhtars denounced the attack. "Once again, intruders attempted to strike the country's security and stability, by attacking MP Farhat, who is known for his openness and moderation, and his keenness for national unity and dialogue," they said.It called on the government to adopt "immediate measures to put an end to plans aimed at stirring strife in the country." - The Daily Star

Lahoud insists draft law violates Constitution
President rejects proposal aimed at resolving dispute over Higher Judicial Council appointments
By Raed El Rafei -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
BEIRUT: President Emile Lahoud refused to sign a law related to the appointment of members of the Higher Judicial Council on Monday, stating that it "clearly violated terms of the Constitution and the national reconciliation pact."
The Parliament, which largely approved the law last Monday, will have to review it before submitting it to a second round of votes. The law, which was proposed by MP Boutros Harb, was aimed at putting an end to weeks of political bickering between Lahoud and the Parliamentary majority over the appointment of five judges to the Council.
Until the Council is appointed in full, a judicial investigator to look into the assassination of the late An-Nahar general manager Gebran Tueni cannot be appointed. The law, which grants the already appointed members of the Council the authority to select the remaining judges to its five vacant seats, was regarded as violating Article 57 of the Constitution, in a statement issued by the Presidential Palace. The article gives the president, after consultations with the Council of Ministers, the right to request the reconsideration of a law once during the period prescribed for its promulgation.
The statement also said: "The five members of the Judicial Council already in place cannot appoint other members as they do not have the requirements of a constitutional institution or a judicial authority." Currently, The Higher Judicial Council, the highest legal authority in the country, consists of 10 members, three of which are permanent seats held by the head of the Cassation Court, the state prosecutor and the chairman of the Judicial Inspection Committee, and two which are elected by the Cassation Court. These five members are already in place.
The remaining judges are selected by the justice minister and appointed by a decree which must be approved by the president and prime minister.Contacted by The Daily Star, Harb did not wish to comment on the president's move, adding that he needed time to study it. Meanwhile, the Administration and Justice Parliamentary Committee refused Monday to take into consideration Lahoud's suggestions concerning a law for the organization of the Druze sect and a law related to the Constitutional Council.These two laws which were voted for by Parliament earlier were rejected by the president, who returned them to Parliament in January. Concerning the law related to the Druze sect, the committee said that "the law did not exclude one group of the Druze as the president suggested," arguing "the members of the Druze Council proposed in the law will be elected rather than appointed."As for the law regarding the Constitutional Council, which mainly reviews laws passed by the Parliament, the committee considered the arguments raised by the Presidential Palace as "invalid."
The law gives the committee the right to interview candidates to the Constitutional Council before appointing them, which was considered by Lahoud as a violation of the principle of separation between the legislative and the judicial powers
The Arab Center for the Rule of Law and Integrity called for appointing urgently members to the Higher Judicial Council as well as the Constitutional Council. The Center said that it was currently studying the law voted by Parliament adding that "they welcomed any move aiming at the promotion of the total independence of the judiciary."The Center also called for strengthening the role of the Constitutional Council and expanding its functions as a guarantee to the Constitutionality of laws.

Danish Consulate sustains only limited damage
Lower floors completely wrecked
By Rym Ghazal -Daily Star staff-Tuesday, February 07, 2006
BEIRUT: Black, burnt and broken, the "Tabaris 812" building that housed the Danish Consulate, stands as proof of the fury of thousands of protesting Muslims in Lebanon, but ironically, the consulate survived the torching. "The Danish Consulate stands untouched," said Alexander Vasdekis, the property manager for the 10-storey building in Achrafieh. Inside the once luxurious building, walls are charred, with floors covered in ashes, twisted metal and shattered glass. But that was the scene up to the third floor of the building, with the fourth onwards only coated in smoke and dirt without any serious damage.
"It is a mess on the lower floors, with over $18 million in damages," said Vasdekis, who is allowing the owners and employees of the 27 companies housed in the "Tabaris 812" building to visit the premises using the fire escape stairs.
"It is sad, as the protesters in the end just hurt themselves, as most of the companies here were Lebanese," said Vasdekis, as he passed by the burned out escalators in the center of the ground floor of the building. Some of the major companies include Bank Lati, LOTO, Management House, Jedeco, Team/Young & Rubicam, Intermarket, Asdaa, and MediaH, the offices of the last four companies have "been completely destroyed." "They don't exist anymore, all that is left are ashes," said Talal Makdessi to The Daily Star. Makdessi is the CEO of four of the companies that perished in the fire as they were located on the first and second floors. Makdessi estimated about $1.5 million in losses, but the financial damages are not "the biggest problem." "We can always open new offices, it is no problem. But given what happened, who now has the confidence to reinvest?" he said. Makdessi expressed anger over what happened and said: "They came with flame throwers, how was that a religious protest?"He added that the protesters had tried to create a sectarian division.
Makdessi also mentioned that there were cameras inside the building that recorded "the people that looted and burned."
"This information is in the government's hands, and so if they don't do anything about it, I will consider the government as an accomplice in this crime," he said. Bank Lati was also completely destroyed, as it was located on the ground floor and the floor above it, with piles of glass and charred documents covering its floors, along with a caved in roof.
"Even the skeletons of the computers are gone, which makes me believe that they were stolen," said Joseph Lati, who was inspecting the premises for any items to salvage. Lati estimated about $4 million in losses, but said that clients should not be worried, as all "critical information, data and belongings are safe."
"We put everything in a safe that can survive an atomic bomb," said Lati, " because we didn't trust the state to keep the building safe."Clients can access their accounts through the other branches of the company, added Lati, "and we are giving out chocolate too," he laughed. At the same time, the Lebanese Army Command released an official statement urging citizens with "complaints about attacks on their property with proper documents" to come to an office that will open on the first floor of the Samaha Building in Fouad Shehab Avenue, near the Sofil Center. The office will be open from February 7 until the February 12, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Meanwhile, officials from the Austrian Embassy, thanked the Lebanese government for "trying their best.""There has only been material damage, and no damage to life," said Manfred E. Moritsch, deputy consular of the Austrian Embassy that is located on the eighth floor of the building. "We were lucky that nothing happened to our embassy, just few signs of attempted break in such as scratches and stone marks on the bullet proof door," said Moritsch, who also added that the Austrian Embassy will move to an office in the EU mission in Gemmayzeh for the time being.
"I just hope this event will be the last damage resulting from the cartoons," he said.

Police arrest three suspects in attacks on army post
By Mohammed Zaatari 0-Daily Star staff
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
SIDON: Three new people, including a Muslim cleric, were arrested on Monday on suspicion of throwing a hand grenade at the Lebanese Army barracks in Beirut last week. According to security sources, a police unit raided an apartment on Awqaf street in Sidon at around noon, seizing machine guns, missiles, bombs, ammunition, hand grenades, detonators and maps.
Policemen were seen carrying several white bags and cardboard boxes of weapons and ammunition out of the apartment and loading them into four Internal Security Forces vehicles. The sources said the apartment that was raided belongs to Sheikh Mohammad al-Ansar, and is located in a building belonging to the Dar al-Awqaf (the Islamic Endowment Center).
The raid was carried out after unidentified individuals provided information about the bombing that targeted the Lebanese Army's Prince Bashir barracks in Ramlet al-Baida.
Another police unit raided a residential apartment along the eastern boulevard of Sidon, seizing weapons and ammunition.
That apartment belongs to an Islamic activist - identified only as H. K. Since the blast, 14 suspects have been arrested in a series of raids on homes and mobile phone shops. Telephone tapping revealed that the suspects were connected to illegal activities in the Lebanese territories. Detectives are trying to decipher some coded messages that were recorded during telephone calls and are comparing the messages with the suspects' statements.
Meanwhile, MP Bahia Hariri held a meeting at the family residence in Majdalyoun to discuss proposals to ease security tension in Taamir and the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp. To avoid future escalations, the Lebanese Army also completed the installation of surveillance cameras at the entrances of the camp to monitor vehicles and drivers entering and exiting the camp.
The initiative falls within the framework of an agreement between Lebanese and Palestinian officials.
An initial order that the Lebanese Army write down the names of people entering and exiting the camp was criticized for creating traffic congestion.

Action is urgently required if stability is to prevail in Lebanon
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Editorial
While demonstrations against caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad have been occurring across the region, the violent protest that erupted in Beirut on Sunday took on another, more disturbing dimension. The hooligans who set fire to the building housing the Danish Consulate did not limit their anger to attacks on Denmark; they laid siege to an entire neighborhood in the Christian quarters of Achrafieh. Because Lebanon's religious communities are so highly polarized along sectarian lines, the violence had the frightening potential to ignite civil war. Indeed, many Lebanese have accused pro-Syrian elements in the country of organizing the riots in an effort to do just that.
That this ghastly outcome was avoided is due in large part to Christian leaders, particularly Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, who encouraged the residents of Achrafieh not to react in anger, and to the residents themselves, who showed remarkable restraint as they watched their properties being ransacked and destroyed. The Christian leadership and the young residents of the neighborhood should be commended for their calm in the face of extraordinary provocation.
The violence has drawn strong condemnation from citizens of all faiths and leaders of all religious communities, demonstrating the fact that despite their differences, and despite their politicians' incessant bickering, the Lebanese just want to live together in peace. But the incident itself has reopened historical wounds that will require considerable attention and effort if they are to heal. The first step toward healing will be to compensate the victims for damages to their property. This will need to happen quickly, and therefore the private sector is better equipped to address this than is the government. It would be doubly beneficial if a charitable fund were created by Muslim businessmen, who by leading an effort to compensate victims of the violence would reinforce cross-communal feelings of good will.
The government, however, will need to address the long-term needs of the Lebanese by strengthening a sense of national unity. Prime Minister Fouad Siniora ought to move quickly to work with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to implement the speaker's initiative for national dialogue. There is no time for delay; the political situation in Lebanon is like powderkeg that can easily ignite. While this outcome was averted on Sunday, there is no guarantee that future incidents will be met with such cool-headed responses.

Lebanon apologises to Denmark for consulate riot
06 Feb 2006 12:48:40 GMT
BEIRUT, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Lebanon apologised to Denmark on Monday for the burning of its consulate during a protest over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, and some Lebanese politicians accused Syria of using the furore to stir sectarian tension.
Sunday's riot in Beirut and similar attacks on Danish and Norwegian missions in Damascus were among the worst seen in a worldwide Muslim uproar over the cartoons, first published in a Danish newspaper and reprinted in some other European papers. "The cabinet denounces the riots and the targeting of the Danish Embassy which harms the image of a civilised Lebanon," the government said in a statement after a late-night emergency meeting. "(We) present our apology to the state of Denmark." Lebanese Christians also expressed anger over the riots by Muslim protesters in the Christian Ashrafiyeh district, during which a church, cars and shops were also vandalised.
Several Lebanese politicians, including Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and Christian leader Samir Geagea, blamed the rioting on pro-Syrian saboteurs they said had infiltrated the protest.Security sources said more than 300 people had now been arrested, more than half of them Syrians and Palestinians. "The Syrians are trying to say that the Lebanese are not capable of ruling themselves," Geagea said. Syria ended three decades of military presence in Lebanon in April after an international and Lebanese outcry over the Feb. 14 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri. Many Lebanese blame Damascus for the bomb that killed Hariri and later blasts and assassinations. Damascus denies any role.
Interior Minister Hassan al-Sabaa resigned hours after Sunday's rioting. The government, dominated by ministers from an anti-Syrian coalition, ordered a full investigation, but stopped short of openly accusing Damascus of having a hand in it.
CHRISTIAN ANGER, FEAR
Angry Christians said the riots inflamed sectarian tensions and rekindled memories of the country's 1975-1990 civil war. "Those who did this were not defending Prophet Mohammad. They don't care about Prophet Mohammad or Jesus Christ," George Zaytouneh, 58, told Reuters near the charred consulate building. Avdes Kazazian, a 45-year-old driver, said the destruction brought back unwanted civil war memories. "I am afraid tension between Muslims and Christians may escalate. It looks like things are heading in this direction," he added.
Security forces used tear gas and water cannons on Sunday to try to disperse about 20,000 demonstrators, who in turn damaged police and army vehicles and three fire engines. One protester died after jumping from the third floor of the blazing consulate building. Police said 33 people, including 21 security men, were wounded.  Danish consulate staff had left Lebanon a day earlier. Scores of Danes and Norwegians left Damascus on Sunday in response from a request from their governments. In Lebanon there appeared to be little response to a similar request from Copenhagen. It was not clear how many Danes live in Lebanon. Lebanese Muslim and Christian politicians and religious leaders urged restraint. Muslim leaders condemned the stoning of the church. Newspapers also sought to calm sectarian tension.
"The Lebanese nation defeats strife in Ashrafiyeh," read the front-page headline of the As-Safir daily.

'A black day for Muslims'
06/02/2006 07:56 - (SA)
Beirut - Muslim rage over caricatures of the prophet Muhammad spilled out of Syria on Sunday into neighbouring Lebanon where thousands of rampaging protesters - undaunted by police tear gas and water cannons - torched the Danish mission and ransacked a Christian neighbourhood.
Muslim clerics denounced the violence, with some wading into the mobs trying to stop them barehanded. Copenhagen ordered Danes to leave the country or stay indoors, in the second day of Mideast violence against its diplomatic outposts. The first apparent victim of the political fall-out from the violence was Interior Minister Hassan Sabei, who submitted his resignation during an emergency cabinet meeting chaired by President Emile Lahoud.
Sabei said 1 200 security men and 1 600 army troops had been deployed in the area and had done their best to prevent what was supposed to be a peaceful protest from turning violent. "But things out of hand when elements that had infiltrated into the ranks of the demonstrators broke through security shields... ."
Protests all over the world
Earlier on Sunday Saniora said before meeting with top Islamic leaders that about 200 people, more than half of them Syrians and Palestinians, were detained by security forces and were being questioned. A police statement said 76 Syrians, 35 Palestinians and 38 Lebanese were among the detained. The Danish and Norwegian missions in Syria were set ablaze by thousands of protesters on Saturday in what until then had been the most violent in a string of angry demonstrations across the Muslim world. The Syrian state-run daily newspaper Al-Thawra said Denmark was to blame because its government had not apologised for the September publication of the caricatures of the prophet in the Jyllands-Posten. The drawings subsequently have been republished in several European newspapers as a statement on behalf of a free press.
In Copenhagen, Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller called for cooler heads to prevail.
"The government has no intention to insult Muslims,"
The growing Muslim outrage and increasingly violent protests found their way onto the agenda of a German meeting of the world's top defence officials, who appealed for calm and urged respect for both religious and press freedoms.
In Beirut, the protest spiralled out of control for several hours and spread to the Christian neighbourhood where the Danish Embassy was located. The Danish Foreign Ministry urged Danes to leave Lebanon quickly. The violence on Saturday in Damascus prompted a similar warning. Another Muslim cleric, Yahya Daouk, said a peaceful and civilised protest was planned, but some "hooligans" ignored calls for restraint. "They attacked us and beat us," he said.
After attacking the Danish mission, protesters began stoning the nearby St Maroun Church, one of the city's main Maronite Catholic churches, and private property in the Ashrafieh neighbourhood.
Legislator Saad Hariri, a Sunni Muslim who heads a majority bloc in Parliament, said "it is a black day for Muslims in Lebanon. There have been displays of anger in other parts of the Muslim world, such as in Afghanistan, Iraq and Egypt.

Tehran Danish embassy under attack
06 February 2006 17:54
Hundreds of demonstrators have pelted the Danish embassy compound in Tehran with petrol bombs and rocks late this evening, as protests over cartoons portraying the Prophet Mohammed spread across the Muslim world.
Denmark had earlier asked the Iranian authorities to increase security at the embassy, following weekend attacks on
its embassy in Damascus and its consulate in Beirut, which were both burned by angry demonstrators.
Iran's commerce minister announced today, however, that all trade with Denmark had been suspended.
Anger at the cartoons rose across east Africa: at least one person was killed in a protest in Somalia and Djibouti banned the import of Danish products.
In Kenya, the country's main Islamic group announced plans for a mass protest against Denmark.
Qatar's Chamber of Commerce said it had halted dealings with Danish and Norwegian delegations, urging Muslim states to do the same. In Bahrain, parliament formed a committee to contact Arab and Islamic governments to enforce the boycott. In Strasbourg, the Council of Europe described as 'unacceptable' the violence of the past few days.
Freedom of opinion and expression is protected by European human rights law, 'even in cases when the views expressed were offensive,' said Secretary General Terry Davis. Denmark told its nationals to avoid Muslim countries even as it pursued diplomatic efforts to defuse tension over the publication of the cartoons.
The foreign ministry warning lists 14 Muslim countries travellers should avoid following violent protests against the
cartoons, which first appeared in a Danish daily.
They are Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Sudan, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.
Protests in Asia
Earlier today, there were demonstrations and riots across muslim Asia against the cartoons Authorities in Afghanistan say three people have been killed during clashes between police and protestors. Two were killed in gunfire from among protestors at the main gates of Bagram Airbase, 60km north of the capital Kabul. A crowd of about 5,000 people had gathered to protest outside the US-led coalition's Bagram headquarters.Five protestors and eight police officers were wounded in the incident.
And in the eastern province of Lakhman, a third protestor died after being shot during a demonstration. In Somalia, a 14-year-old boy was shot dead and several others were injured after crowds attacked police. There have also been demonstrations in Indonesia, India, Gaza, Thailand and New Zealand. The cartoons were first published in a Danish newspaper in September and have since been reprinted in several publications, most of them European.
UK police have govt support
The British government has said the behaviour of some Muslim demonstrators outside the Danish Embassy in London in recent days was completely unacceptable. A Downing Street statement added that the police would have the government's full support in any actions they wished to take as a result of the protests. Police have been criticised for failing to arrest some of the London demonstrators, as they carried signs threatening to kill those who published the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. Earlier, some of Lebanon's political leaders accused Syria of being behind the attack on the Danish embassy in Beirut yesterday. The mission was ransacked and burnt during the violent protests.
The attack on the embassy has resulted in the resignation of Lebanon's Interior Minister, Hassan Sabeh.

Bush's Denunciation of Syria May Portend Regime Change
By MEGHAN CLYNE - Staff Reporter of the New York Sun
February 6, 2006
WASHINGTON - President Bush's denunciation of Syria on the heels of anti-Western violence there - sparked by the publication in the West of political cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad - could be the first step toward regime change in Damascus, Syrian opposition leaders said yesterday.
The violence spread to neighboring Lebanon yesterday, where demonstrators set fire to the Danish Consulate in Beirut - which also housed the Austrian Embassy and the Slovakian consul - and then spread the destruction through one of the city's Christian neighborhoods, killing at least one person, the Associated Press reported. The Syrian regime exercises significant influence in Lebanon, and, according to AP accounts, 76 of the 200 people arrested for the riots were Syrian and 38 were Lebanese. On Saturday, Muslim rioters in Damascus torched the Danish, Norwegian, Chilean, and Swedish embassies, purportedly expressing outrage over Danish political cartoons featuring Islam's foundational prophet. The illustrations, including depictions of Muhammad with a bomb in his turban and of Muhammad lamenting that heaven has run out of virgins for suicide bombers, initially were published in September in Denmark's largest daily newspaper, Jyllands-Posten. The newspaper commissioned the cartoons from Danish artists to illustrate the dangers of self-censorship.
Some forms of Islam prohibit any depiction of Muhammad, favorable or unfavorable, as idolatrous.
The cartoons were reprinted last week across Europe by newspapers in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and Hungary, setting off an international uproar that has led to massive demonstrations and violence in some Muslim countries. Demonstrations also have rocked Europe, including protests by Muslims in Denmark, France, and Britain. The Palestinian Arab terrorist group Hamas called for slayings in response to the cartoons, which it labeled "an unforgivable insult," according to the AP. The anti-Western violence in Syria prompted a swift response from the Bush administration, which issued a statement condemning the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad for assisting the riots.
"The Government of Syria's failure to provide protection to diplomatic premises, in the face of warnings that violence was planned, is inexcusable," the White House statement said. "We will hold Syria responsible for such violent demonstrations since they do not take place in that country without government knowledge and support," the statement added, calling the demonstrations in Damascus "outrageous acts."
The president of the American based opposition group Rally for Syria, Mohammed Aljbaili, told The New York Sun yesterday that the regime was "encouraging these particular demonstrators to achieve certain political gains."
One goal, the Syrian exile said, was for the secular Baathist dictatorship to gain credibility among the country's Islamists, especially since Mr. Assad and his ruling family are part of Syria's Alawite Muslim minority. The country is overwhelmingly Shiite. "They are trying to be seen as pro-Islam, and defenders of the prophet and the writing of Islam and the Koran," Mr. Aljbaili said. "The real people who believe in Islam and believe in religion - I don't believe they were behind this."
The embassy attacks in Damascus and the violence in Beirut, Mr. Aljbaili said, could also lessen the Western diplomatic presence in both Syria and Lebanon as European countries withdraw their diplomatic representation out of safety concerns. Having violent protesters effect the withdrawal of European observers in Beirut and Damascus, Mr. Aljbaili said, was a shrewd method of erecting obstacles to an international, U.N.-led investigation into the assassination of a former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri.
The president of the Washington based Reform Party of Syria, Farid Ghadry, raised questions about the timing of the riots, given that the offending cartoons were initially published in September. The exile said that the embassy attacks bore all the fingerprints of President Ahmadinejad of Iran, who met with Mr. Assad and a noted Lebanese terrorist, Imad Mugniyah, in Damascus late last month. Mr. Ghadry likened the Syrian attacks on the Western embassies to the Iranian assault on the American embassy in 1979. Mr. Ahmadinejad is said to have been one of the perpetrators of the 1979 attack.
This weekend's assaults, Mr. Ghadry said, were a "war-waging message," warning Western powers not to interfere in Middle East affairs. Iran, Mr. Ghadry said, was likely using Syria as a proxy, and the riots there served the dual purpose of getting Western powers to back off both the Hariri investigation and their mounting pressure on the Ahmadinejad regime over its nuclear ambitions.
The administration's harsh language against the Syrian regime after the assaults could be maneuvering by the Bush administration in advance of taking a sterner position against the Assad dictatorship, against which America has exhausted all diplomatic avenues for reform, Mr. Ghadry said, prompting increasing signs of fatigue from the administration.
Faulting Syria for the violence could be the first step toward issuing an executive order identifying regime change in Syria as official American policy, Mr. Ghadry said, based on signals to the exile community. Highlighting the Assad dictatorship's role in the attacks against Europeans would be an early move to garner European support for democratic, Syrian-opposition-led regime change, according to the exile. Mr. Aljbaili, too, said the statement was "a change in the Syria policy, and it shows that the American government is going a little more aggressively." Messrs. Ghadry and Aljbaili said independently that it was possible the regime-supported violence would sow discord among the Syrian people and foment internal hostility toward the Assad dictatorship.
In Europe, meanwhile, the outrage and violence over the cartoons is forcing Western countries to steel themselves in defense of their civilizations, a scholar of the Middle East and a former board member of the U.S. Institute of Peace, Daniel Pipes, said. Denmark and other countries would now have to determine whether they would be governed by the religious rules of their immigrants, or whether Muslims would be governed by European traditions and laws.
Mr. Pipes, who also writes a column in the Sun, said the outrage over the images was genuine. "Over the centuries, Muslims have acquired a romanticized, idealized view of Muhammad ... he is a sensitive topic as no other is." The depiction of the prophet, he said, was a "flashpoint" of Christian-Muslim tensions dating back 14 centuries.
Mr. Pipes anticipated further violence in response to the cartoons, particularly in France, where Muslims rioted after two African youths were killed by police. A "second French intifada" stemming from the cartoons was possible, the scholar said.
Muslims were expressing their objections against European states "because they believe there should be censorship," Mr. Pipes added, saying it would be impossible to communicate to outraged Muslims why Western papers were not prohibited by state censorship authorities from printing the allegedly blasphemous cartoons.
"When you say, well, the same thing happens to Jesus, they dismiss that as Western decadence," Mr. Pipes said.
Indeed, cartoons scornful of Judaism and Jews are common in the Arab press. Yesterday on CNN's "Late Edition," the Saudi ambassador to America, Prince Turki al-Faisal, was asked about the "double-standard" in the Arab world, after being shown examples of cartoons in Saudi publications depicting Jews drinking blood and superimposing a Nazi swastika on a Jewish Star of David.  "You have to take into account, though, that the issue of Palestine and the unresolved issue of Palestine is a generator of most of this feeling that we have in the Arab world, particularly towards Israel," the ambassador told anchor Wolf Blitzer yesterday. "And the need for resolution of that problem, I think, will go a long way to meeting the requirements of things like that not happening," he added.

Extending Opportunities…Does not Include Exacerbating the Deadlock in Lebanon
Walid Choucair Al-Hayat - 06/02/06//
Freezing the solutions of the internal Lebanese crises and the difficulty to adopt any solution to solve the ministerial crisis, which relatively restrained the action of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's Cabinet, have only one explanation: the standoff persisted for other reasons than the ones circulated openly and for which many exits were proposed.
It was unconvincing to many that the conflict was over the expression "the resistance is not a militia" the Secretary General of Hezbollah insisted on being adopted by the Cabinet as a condition for the return of the five Shiite Ministers representing "Amal" and Hezbollah to the cabinet, ending their boycott of the Cabinet sessions.
In view of the series of stances, the mediation efforts, and the drafts circulated by the conflicting parties, the issue seems to go far beyond its apparent reflection. Otherwise, the statements of the leader of the "Future Bloc," MP Saad Hariri, at the doorstep of the White House last Friday, that Lebanon needs an internal dialogue in order to deal with the issue of "Hezbollah's" arms and the provisions of UN resolution 1559, as well as his assertion that Hezbollah is an organization that resisted the Israeli occupation several times, would have been reassuring for the alleged obsessions of the party. The latter wants guarantees from the majority of Siniora's Cabinet to end the split within the Cabinet, which had repercussions on the administration of public affairs and economic and social dilemmas in the country.
If the causes of the conflict and split were confined to reassuring the resistance, the stances PM Siniora previously announced and reiterated yesterday in the Parliament, stressing that the resistance could never be dubbed by anything else but Resistance, would have been enough two days ago to end the stalemate. Moreover, prior to that, the expression stated in the ministerial statement, corroborated by everybody and upheld by the Head of the "the Democratic Parliamentary Gathering," Walid Jumblatt, and the Christian ministers from the majority, would have been sufficient. It reads as follows: "The Lebanese government considers that the Lebanese resistance is a sincere and natural expression of the national right of the Lebanese people to liberate their territory, defend their dignity in facing the Israeli aggressions, threats, and ambitions, while seeking to complete the liberation of the Lebanese territory, and continue to reject settlement, which violates the Arab Palestinian right and goes against the National Reconciliation Charter".
"Hezbollah" focused on this text of the Ministerial statement that was issued on July 25, 2005. This is what led the leadership of the majority to call for an alternative to what the party wants as an exit to return. However, Hezbollah insisted on refusing this alternative. The latter stipulates that the resistance should be confined to liberating Shebaa farms until their Lebanese identity is recognized by demarcating the borders with Syria and asserting Lebanon's sovereignty on its territories, thus allowing to remove it form the reference to UN Security Council resolution 242 and referring it to UNSC resolution 425. Otherwise, it will remain compliant to the Syrian sovereignty before the international law. In addition, the majority is calling for underlining the Cabinet decisions with respect to the international frame for the trial related to the assassination of PM Rafik Hariri, the extension of the International Investigation to incompass other crimes, and the decision to consider the Palestinian arms outside the camps unacceptable and call for ending their presence.
The party rebuffed all these additions and settled for what PM Siniora said yesterday. As such, it refused that any commitment from the Lebanese parties in the cabinet includes allowing the issue of the resistance arms to be part of the UN resolution 1559 provisions, but rather to make it part of a Lebanese consensus, including Hezbollah and "Amal", over what is required form Syria to assist the Lebanese government, regain Shebaa farms, and deal with the Palestinian arms held by organizations allied to Damascus…
This is the core of the problem. Despite lengthy talk about a way out related to the Resistance (it is not a militia), the public opinion did not forget that the five ministers suspended their participation in the Cabinet to protest over the issue of the international court and the expansion of the international investigation to include other crimes. Both issues are contested by Damascus under the pretext of resisting the US pressure exerted thereon through the international investigation on PM Hariri's assassination.
The leaders of the majority had no alternatives but to maintain an atmosphere of positive communication to convince the public opinion about the search for solutions and curtail the escalating political and sectarian crisis. The escalation weighed down on the leaderships of "Amal" and Hezbollah as well as amongst their proponents. It is important for the leaders of Hezbollah to be aware that they do not have the leverage of re-igniting the crisis just because the majority leaders, chiefly MP Saad Hariri, were able to solicit the understanding of the US to extend the opportunity for the Lebanese to seek a solution through dialogue for the resolution 1559 clause related to the militias. It was an achievement in itself. It is important for Hezbollah to be aware that it is not another extension of the opportunity to exacerbate the deadlock, once again, in light of the international probe findings about the responsibility of the Syrian officers in PM Hariri's assassination and the extent of the US pressure on Damascus.
In this sense, Hezbollah, similar to the forces of the Lebanese majority, should seize the opportunity offered to the country by the international community. However, the opportunity does not compensate for the decay of its image as a resistance, due to the latest crisis, whereby its alliance with Syria prevailed over the requirements of its Lebanese standing. The solution to this ministerial crisis may stop the decay, but regaining the party's image requires a greater deal of independence from the requirements of its alliance with Damascus.

IRAN: CONCERN ABOUT POSSIBLE COUP IN SYRIA
Tehran, 6 Feb. (AKI) - The Iranian Republican Guard has reportedly been put on alert to forestall a coup in ally Syria by military figures loyal to former vice president Abdul Halim Khaddam, currently in exile in France. In a reportage from Damascus, the Iranian website Saztab - close to the Republican Guard (Pasdaran) - announced the Pasdaran are examining the backgrounds of many army and airforce officers considered close to the former vice president.
Late last year, in an interview with the al-Arabiya network, Khaddam denounced the government of Syria's president Bashar al-Assad, saying it had committed many mistakes during its domination of neighbouring Lebanon.
Khaddam, a veteran aide to Syria’s late President Hafez al-Assad, stepped down in June 2005, almost five months after the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.
According to Baztab, Abdolhalim Khaddam who several weeks ago announced he wanted to create a government in exile, is mobilising discontented officers to overthrow the regime of presdent Bashar al-Assad.
The former vice president, according to the site, can count on the support of France, the US and Israel in effecting 'regime change'.

Saniora, Qabbani Say Riots outside Danish Consulate Give Wrong Image of Islam
Prime Minister Fouad Saniora condemned Sunday riots outside the Danish Consulate in Beirut, saying some protesters had deliberately misbehaved to instigate strife. Speaking in a telephone interview with Future TV, Saniora said the demonstration was infiltrated by rogue elements who had brought with them tear gas and fireworks to cause trouble. They were able to take control of some vehicles belonging to the Internal Security Forces and the Lebanese army, said the premier.
The demonstration was held to protest the publishing of cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammed in Danish and other European newspapers. The prime minister said the protesters' behavior was unacceptable and gave a wrong and unwanted image of Islam. "This is not the way we should defend Islam and Prophet Mohammed," said Saniora. "I am very sad for what I am seeing and hearing," he added. Saniora was referring to protesters who hurled stones at a nearby church and damaged property in the Christian neighborhood of Ashrafiyeh.
Grand Mufti Mohammed Rashid Kabbani also denounced the violence, saying there were infiltrators among the protesters whose aim was to "harm the stability of Lebanon." Speaking on Future TV, he appealed for calm and said there were some who were trying to "exploit" the protests to cause trouble and "distort the image of Islam."
Beirut, Updated 05 Feb 06, 13:13

Beirut Mob Burns Danish Mission Over Cartoons
By KATHERINE ZOEPF and HASSAN M. FATTAH
Published: February 6, 2006
BEIRUT, Lebanon, Feb. 5 — Protesters angry over Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad clashed with Lebanese security forces on Sunday, setting a building housing the Danish Mission on fire and attacking a nearby church.
The sectarian tone of the violence in the predominantly Christian Achrafieh section of East Beirut on Sunday raised fears of deepening divisions in Lebanon a year after a former prime minister, Rafik Hariri, was assassinated, setting off political crises in Syria and Lebanon.
An early morning march through downtown Beirut soon exploded into violence, when a breakaway crowd surged toward a high-rise building that houses the Austrian and Danish Missions, chanting obscene anti-Danish slogans in Arabic and vandalizing cars, office buildings and a Maronite Catholic church nearby. Other protesters burned Danish flags and flags bearing images of the cross. Lebanese security forces fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, but a group managed to make its way to the building, breaking windows and setting it on fire. The fire quickly spread through the building, and witnesses said they saw people jumping out of windows to escape the flames. Reuters reported that one person had died. A Dutch news photographer at the scene was beaten when several demonstrators mistook him for being Danish.
Demonstrators also attacked police officers with stones and set fire to several fire engines, witnesses said. Lebanese security forces regained control over the area within two hours, using water cannons and bullets fired over protesters' heads. The Danish Foreign Ministry on Sunday urged Danes to leave Lebanon. On Saturday, protesters set fire to the Danish and Swedish Missions in Damascus, Syria. "This was a worst-case scenario, a nightmare scenario," said Thomas May, the Danish consul general in Dubai. "I don't think anyone in their wildest imagination would have expected an escalation like what we have seen."
Late on Sunday, the Lebanese interior minister, Hassan al-Sabaa, offered to resign over the way the episode was handled. The Interior Ministry said that 21 members of the country's internal security forces had been injured, and a source in the state security service, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to provide the information, said that 174 people had been arrested and that most of them were not Lebanese.
Lebanese Muslim leaders quickly condemned the attacks and appealed for calm. Lebanon's grand mufti, Muhammad Rashid Kabbani, denounced the violence, saying there were infiltrators among the protesters trying to "harm the stability of Lebanon."
Muhammad Khalil, an Islamic teacher from Akkar, in northern Lebanon, and an organizer of the march, said: "The burning of buildings and the destruction of cars is unacceptable. This was supposed to be a peaceful demonstration, but people who love God and Muhammad are becoming overwhelmed by their anger."
On Sunday night, several Lebanese Christian political parties, including the Phalangists, the Aounists and the Lebanese Forces, held an unusual counterdemonstration near the Maronite church that was damaged during the earlier protest. "We are here to say that nobody can get the Christians out of Lebanon," said Mark Mahfouz, 34, a member of the Lebanese Forces. Prime Minister Fuad Saniora also urged calm, declaring that "this is absolutely not the way we express our opinions."
But many Lebanese also spoke of unity, the memory of the 15-year sectarian civil war still fresh in many minds. At the counterdemonstration, a Christian woman who would give her name only as Rita and who lives near the Danish Mission said men leaving the demonstration had entered the bakery where she worked.
"They were apologizing," she said, and saying, " 'We didn't mean for this to be a violent demonstration. We only wanted to say that we stand behind the name of Muhammad. But we believe that we are all Lebanese together.' "
Katherine Zoepf reported from Beirut for this article, and Hassan M. Fattah from Safaga, Egypt. Lina Sinjab contributed reporting from Damascus.

Interior Minister Walks Out After Rowdy Street Protests in Beirut
Interior Minister Hassan al-Sabaa announced Sunday that he has placed his resignation at the disposal of the President and the Prime Minister following rowdy street demonstrations in Beirut.
The demonstrators, who allegedly included Syrian and Lebanese activists, also ransacked the Saint Maroun church in Jemmayzeh, fuelling sectarian sensitivities as the country was preparing for the first anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. At least 30 people were injured in the confrontations between the Internal Security Forces and the demonstrators who took to the streets ostensibly to protest cartoons in a Danish newspaper mocking the prophet Mohammed. The angry street manifestations in Beirut occurred a day after similar protests in Damascus resulted in the burning of the Danish and Norwegian embassies in the Syrian capital.
Interior Minister Hassan al-Sabaa walked out during an emergency cabinet meeting at the Baabda Palace. He said that dozens of the protesters in Beirut on Sunday were Palestinians and Syrians. He added that he had submitted his resignation to the President and the Prime Minister. Politicians throughout the day had criticized Sabaa for failing to foresee chaos in the streets where the Danish embassy is located despite calls by Muslim priests on Saturday for street displays of anger.
Ironically, the emergency cabinet session that saw the walkout of the interior minister was the first in almost eight weeks which was attended by the five Shiite cabinet members who had boycotted the government over a disagreement as to whether executive decisions would be taken by consensus or a majority vote. Beirut, Updated 05 Feb 06, 22:26

Geagea Criticizes Interior Ministry for Failing to Prevent Riots
Christian leader Samir Geagea criticized the way the Interior Ministry handled the riots that spread in Beirut's Christian neighborhood of Ashrafiyeh Sunday during a demonstration against the publishing of cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammed in European newspapers. Geagea, who heads the Lebanese Forces, said it was unacceptable that the ministry and Security Forces failed to take immediate measures to contain the riot.
"Is it possible that not one detainee has been arrested throughout the day?" asked Geagea. The riots lasted at least two hours during which protesters hurled stones at a nearby church and buildings and overturned cars. He said that ministers representing the LF would demand the cabinet to hold accountable those who caused damage to people's property. For his part, Hizbullah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Kassem condemned the riots. Kassem said holding a peaceful rally was a legitimate right for all the people but added that the attacks against St. Maroun Church and people's properties were unjustifiable. He blamed the organizers for failing to maintain order at the demonstration. Beirut, Updated 05 Feb 06, 14:51

Saniora, Qabbani Say Riots outside Danish Consulate Give Wrong Image of Islam
Prime Minister Fouad Saniora condemned Sunday riots outside the Danish Consulate in Beirut, saying some protesters had deliberately misbehaved to instigate strife. Speaking in a telephone interview with Future TV, Saniora said the demonstration was infiltrated by rogue elements who had brought with them tear gas and fireworks to cause trouble. They were able to take control of some vehicles belonging to the Internal Security Forces and the Lebanese army, said the premier.
The demonstration was held to protest the publishing of cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammed in Danish and other European newspapers. The prime minister said the protesters' behavior was unacceptable and gave a wrong and unwanted image of Islam. "This is not the way we should defend Islam and Prophet Mohammed," said Saniora. "I am very sad for what I am seeing and hearing," he added. Saniora was referring to protesters who hurled stones at a nearby church and damaged property in the Christian neighborhood of Ashrafiyeh. Grand Mufti Mohammed Rashid Kabbani also denounced the violence, saying there were infiltrators among the protesters whose aim was to "harm the stability of Lebanon." Speaking on Future TV, he appealed for calm and said there were some who were trying to "exploit" the protests to cause trouble and "distort the image of Islam." Beirut, Updated 05 Feb 06, 13:13

Danish Government Calls on Danes to Leave Lebanon
The Danish government on Sunday called on its citizens to leave Lebanon after protesters set fire to the Danish consulate in Beirut. The announcement came a day after the Danish diplomatic staff in Lebanon left to Copenhagen amid outrage among Muslims around the world over cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammed. "All Danes are asked to leave the country. Danes should remain indoors until the travel possibilities are clarified," the Danish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Lebanese demonstrators, who attacked the building housing the Danish consulate, also attacked other property in Ashrafiyeh, a Christian neighborhood in Beirut.The demonstration was held to protest the publishing of cartoons depicting Prophet Mohammed in a Danish newspaper last September. The cartoons were reprinted in other European publications.
"The situation in Lebanon has developed very negatively on Sunday," the Danish ministry said. "The situation in Beirut is not under control." The staff of the Danish embassy in Beirut headed to Copenhagen Saturday night shortly after thousands of Syrians in Damascus enraged by caricatures of the prophet torched the Danish and Norwegian embassies.
The provocative images appeared in a series of 12 cartoons that a Danish newspaper published in September to challenge Islam's ban on depicting the prophet. The caricatures lampooned him, with one cartoon showing the prophet wearing a turban shaped as a bomb with a burning fuse.(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, Updated 05 Feb 06, 13:50

Chirac: Killing of Rafik Hariri Will Not 'Go Unpunished'
President Jacques Chirac assured family members of slain former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri that the assassination would not go unpunished. At a ceremony following the striking of a commemorative medal honoring Hariri, Chirac expressed hope that the former prime minister's sacrifice would serve as an inspiration and an example to Lebanese youth and the region.
Hariri and 22 others were killed by a truck bombing in Beirut a year ago -- on Feb. 14, 2005.
A U.N. commission investigating the killing has implicated top Syrian security officials in the assassination.
"The authors of this cowardly attack must know that the international community will do everything to find them so that they answer for their crime," Chirac said Saturday. "This abominable crime will not go unpunished."
Hariri's widow, Nazek, was tearful during the ceremony at the Hotel de la Monnaie. Hariri's son Saad also was present.
In a major show of honor, Chirac compared Hariri, a friend, to Gen. Charles de Gaulle, saying the two men had defended the same goals: "to give his country its place in the world, to give his people their national pride."(AP)(Photo shows President Jacques Chirac and widow of slain ex-Premier Nazek Hariri)
Beirut, Updated 05 Feb 06, 09:54
Protesters Torch Danish Mission in Beirut
By JOSEPH PANOSSIAN, Associated Press Writer
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Muslim rage over caricatures of the prophet Muhammad grew increasingly violent Sunday as thousands of rampaging protesters — undaunted by tear gas and water cannons — torched the Danish mission and ransacked a Christian neighborhood. At least one person reportedly died and about 200 were detained, officials said.
Muslim clerics denounced the violence, with some wading into the mobs trying to stop them. Copenhagen ordered Danes to leave the country or stay indoors in the second day of attacks on its diplomatic outposts in the Middle East.
In Beirut, a day after violent protests in neighboring Syria, the crowd broke through a cordon of troops and police that had encircled the embassy. Security forces fired tear gas and loosed their weapons into the air to stop the onslaught.
The protesters, armed with stones and sticks, damaged police and fire vehicles and threw stones at a Maronite Catholic church in the wealthy Ashrafieh area — a Christian neighborhood where the Danish Embassy is located.
Flames and smoke billowed from the 10-story building, which also houses the Austrian Embassy and the residence of Slovakia's consul. Protesters waved green and black Islamic flags from broken windows and tossed papers and filing cabinets outside.
Witnesses said one protester, apparently overcome by smoke, jumped from a window and was rushed to the hospital. Security officials said he died.
Thirty people were injured, half of them members of the security forces, officials said, making it the most violent in a string of demonstrations across the Muslim world. All the injuries were from beatings and stones.
Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said before meeting with top Islamic leaders that about 200 people were detained, and police said they included 76 Syrians, 35 Palestinians and 38 Lebanese.
The first apparent victim of the political fallout from the violence was Interior Minister Hassan Sabei, who submitted his resignation. It was not immediately clear if the resignation was accepted.
Sabei said authorities had tried to prevent the protest from turning violent.
"Things got out of hand when elements that had infiltrated into the ranks of the demonstrators broke through security shields," he said. "The one remaining option was an order to shoot, but I was not prepared to order the troops to shoot Lebanese citizens."
Sabei, like other Lebanese politicians and Grand Mufti Mohammed Rashid Kabbani, spiritual leader of Lebanon's Sunni Muslims, suggested Islamic radicals had fanned the anger.
Kabbani said outsiders among the protesters were trying to "distort the image of Islam."
The United States accused the Syrian government of backing the protests in Lebanon and Syria.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a statement that the resentment over the caricatures "cannot justify violence, least of all when directed at people who have no responsibility for, or control over, the publications in question."
The Danish Foreign Ministry urged Danes to leave Lebanon. The violence Saturday in Damascus prompted a similar warning.
"The government has no intention to insult Muslims," Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller said on public radio in Copenhagen. "We are trying to explain to everyone that enough is enough."
The Syrian state-run daily newspaper Al-Thawra said Denmark was to blame because its government had not apologized for the September publication of the caricatures in Jyllands-Posten.
The drawings — including one depicting the prophet wearing a turban shaped as a bomb with a burning fuse — have since been republished in several European and New Zealand newspapers as a statement on behalf of a free press.
In Malaysia, the editor of a small newspaper on remote Borneo Island resigned for reprinting the caricatures and, in a statement Monday, the newspaper apologized and expressed "profound regret over the unauthorized publication." The Sunday Tribune was the only newspaper in mainly Muslim Malaysia to reprint any of the caricatures.
Islamic law is interpreted to forbid any depictions of the Prophet Muhammad for fear they could lead to idolatry.
Denmark's Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said he disapproves of the caricatures, but insisted he cannot apologize on behalf of his country's independent press.
Thousands also took to the streets elsewhere in the Muslim world and parts of Europe, including some 3,000 Afghans who burned a Danish flag and demanding that the editors at Jyllands-Posten be prosecuted for blasphemy.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai urged forgiveness.
"God instructs us to forgive. Therefore, we — as much as we condemn it strongly — must stay above this dispute and not bring ourselves ... to equating ourselves to those who have published the cartoons," he said on CNN's "Late Edition."
Stepping up the pressure, the Islamic Army in Iraq, a key group in the insurgency fighting U.S.-led and Iraqi forces, posted a second Internet statement Sunday calling for violence against citizens of countries where the caricatures have been published.
A Lebanese security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak to the press, said Danish diplomats had evacuated the mission in Beirut two days earlier, anticipating the protests.
The protesters, who came in buses from all over Lebanon, waved flags and banners.
"There is no god but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God!" they shouted as they pushed against riot police.
Many Muslim clerics were among them.
"Regretfully, the march did more harm to the prophet than it did good," said Sunni Sheik Ibrahim Ibrahim, who was in the crowd. He said he and others tried to stop the mob, but "we got stones and insults."
European leaders also urged calm and respect — both for religion and freedom of the press.
"The violence now, particularly the burning of Danish missions abroad, is absolutely outrageous and totally unjustified, and what we want to see is this matter being calmed down," British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said in London, adding that the media must exercise its free speech privilege responsibly.
Lebanon's most senior Shiite Muslim cleric, Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, issued an edict banning violence, saying it "harms Islam and Prophet Muhammad the same as the others (the publishers of the cartoons) did."
But Iran's Foreign Ministry announced Tehran had recalled its ambassador to Denmark, joining Syria, Saudi Arabia and Libya in pulling diplomatic representatives. Iraqi Transport Minister Salam al-Maliki also said his country would cancel its contracts with Danish firms and reject reconstruction money from Copenhagen.