LCCC ENGLISH NEWS BULLETIN
NOVEMBER 30/06

Biblical Reading For today
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 21,12-19.
Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death.  You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.

Free Opinions
Can Aoun survive taking to the streets? By Michael Young 30.11.06
The Lebanese have been let down by both government and opposition-Daily Star 30.11.06
Save Lebanon. By: Randa Takieddin 30.11.06
Christians and Muslims don't know nearly enough about each other -Daily Star 30.11.06
Without international support, Lebanon may go under -By Nizar Abdel-Kader 30.11.06
Take Olmert and Meshaal at their word -By Rami G. Khouri 30.11.06
Iran already 'helping' in Iraq - unfortunately-Los Angeles Daily News30.11.06

Latest New from miscellaneous sources for November 30/11/06
Pope stresses common values among Christians and Muslims-Daily Star
PLO warns of new militant influx-Daily Star
Opposition leaves country guessing as security forces tighten grip on Beirut-Daily Star
Lahoud: Civil servants need not obey orders-Daily Star
Mokheiber meets Sfeir, urges dialogue-Daily Star
UN relief chief predicts end of cluster bombs-Daily Star
Christian leaders mull ban on political banners to end clashes-Daily Star
US delegation pays visits to Siniora, Jumblatt, Murr-Daily Star
Palestinian plight 'at root of region's problems-Daily Star
Moody's downgrades 3 Lebanese banks-Daily Star
LF insists 9 arrested men were Daher's bodyguards-Daily Star
NDU cancels student elections due to 'volatile' political situation-Daily Star
Bush-Abdullah-Maliki talks fall apart at last minute-Daily Star
France stands by US refusal to engage Syria -Daily Star
Lebanese cardinal calls for unity-Spero News
Lebanon: A bumpy road ahead-CNN - USA
Syria behind Gemayel's murder, Cotler suggests-Canadian Jewish News
Bush aims to avert three Mideast civil wars-Globe and Mail - Canada
Syria's ripeness factor-Ynetnews
Lebanon's opposition to hold anti-govt protest-Reuters
Hizbullah Torpedoes Gemayel Initiative for Settlement-Naharnet
Hariri: Jumblat and Myself Are Next in Line-Naharnet
Muslim, Christian Leaders Appeal for Calm Amid Protest Threats-Naharnet
German Foreign Minister To Arrive In Beirut On Saturday-Playfuls.com, Romania
Is Lebanon headed for civil war?Socialist Worker Online
Annan: Iran, Syria should help US in Iraq conflict-Jerusalem Post
PRO-CON: Are direct talks with Syria crucial? No-Kansas City Star
A German Islamist Faces Death Penalty in Syria-Spiegel Online
Leader of Syrian militant faction blows himself up near border
Qornet Shehwan Gathering reconvenes to discuss intra-Christian feud with Sfeir
Siniora vows to remain in office to prevent outbreak of civil war
Muslim religious leaders hold rare summit to denounce deadlock
Bush says 'extremists' undermining government
Security forces break up clash between FPM, LF in Achrafieh
March 14 supporters march in capital to remember slain industry minister
Gemayel calls for dialogue after talks with Berri
Bush won't talk to Tehran if enrichment continues
Pope backs Turkey's EU bid, says Islam is a faith of peace
France, Germany, Britain draw up Iran sanctions draft

Syria behind Gemayel’s murder, Cotler suggests
By DAVID LAZARUS -Staff Reporter
Liberal MP Irwin Cotler, part of a two-member Canadian delegation that went to Beirut last week for the funeral of assassinated Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Amine Gemayel, said he sensed a semblance of “solidarity” among the country’s notoriously fractious religious factions in the wake of the killing. “The grief was palpable,” Cotler, an acquaintance of the Gemayel family dating back 31 years, told The CJN in a phone interview from the Lebanese capital.
Cotler was travelling with Tory MP Jason Kenney, parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and the two men reportedly supported the creation of an international tribunal to investigate a string of almost 15 attempted and successful political assassinations in the country over the last 11/2 years. Cotler told The CJN that the United Nations has already passed a draft resolution to look into the cases, including the March 2005 assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, which triggered the so-called “Cedar Revolution” that drove Syria from Lebanon. Cotler, however, still pointed to Syria as being most likely responsible for the death of Gemayel, 34, who was a critic of Syria and a member of the Maronite Christian Phalange Party.
“It appears to be that,” Cotler answered when asked if he felt Syria was behind Gemayel’s death. Kenney and Cotler later met with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Cotler quoted Siniora as saying that Canada could play a “leading role” in Lebanon’s reform and reconstruction, to be discussed at a special international “donor” conference in Paris next January.
Cotler said he raised the issue of Israeli soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, who were kidnapped in southern Lebanon last July, an act that triggered Israel’s war with the Hezbollah Shiite terrorist group. According to Cotler, Siniora said he didn’t “know anything” about the soldiers’ whereabouts or fate. “He said: ‘I don’t know, I just don’t know,’ and on that point he sounded genuine,” Cotler said. However, Siniora, Cotler related, also pointed to the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the return of the disputed Shebaa Farms to Lebanese possession as important elements in allowing the Lebanese government to “assert its sovereignty” Siniora said if Israel gave back Shebaa Farms, “that issue would be taken away from Syria and Iran,” Cotler reported. He described the atmosphere in the funeral crowd at Beirut’s Martyrs Square as electric, with tens of thousands in the streets grieving and angry. Some, Cotler said, called for Lebanese independence. He said he didn’t see Hezbollah colours among the throngs.
Inside St. George’s Maronite Church for the funeral mass, the Canadian delegation sat close to the Gemayel family and commiserated with them. The family’s grief was, “immense,” Cotler said. “They have suffered so much.” Cotler was referring to Pierre Amine Gemayel’s uncle, Bashir Gemayel, who was assassinated in 1982 only three weeks after being elected president. Cotler was in Lebanon at that time.
He also remembered being in Lebanon during the late 1970s when Pierre Amine Gemayel was just a toddler. Pierre Amine’s father, Amine Gemayel, also served as Lebanon’s president, while his grandfather, Pierre (the father of Bashir and Amine), was known as one of Lebanon’s great power brokers and himself survived several assassination attempts. Cotler said the Gemayels are a Lebanese political family dynasty like the Kennedys in the United States.
Cotler acknowledged, however, that while the Gemayels are one of Lebanon’s most prominent families, the Christian Phalangist movement the family founded, is “a very nationalist Christian rightist movement” that’s also divided Lebanese society. Only two days after Bashir Gemayel’s assassination in 1982, for example, Maronite Christian Phalangist militias, in apparent retribution, committed the massacre of Palestinians at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. Still, it was Cotler’s sense that Pierre Amine Gemayel’s assassination served to bring together Jews, Christians and Shiites in solidarity behind the Gemayel family. Several speakers at the funeral denounced Syria in the strongest of terms.
The ramifications of the assassination, “can cut in different ways,” Cotler said. “It could bring about a reaffirmation of the Cedar Revolution. “There’s some feeling the revolution has been eroding or diminishing and that Syria has been seeking to reinvolve itself and undermine Lebanon’s independence.” In that sense, different religions coming together for the funeral “seemed to be a kind of rallying cry,” he said. Before returning to Canada last Friday, the Canadian delegation met a number of Lebanese officials, including Justice Minister Charles Ruzk, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Michel Pharaon, Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh and Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir.

Save Lebanon
Randa Takieddin Al-Hayat - 29/11/06//
The degree of solidarity with former President Amin Gemayel shown following the assassination of his son, martyr Pierre Gemayel, is great enough to stir all the people of Lebanon to rise to the need to save their country.
Visits of condolence from resigned opposition ministers, Hezbollah MPs, and the expected visits by former minister Suleiman Franjieh, Talal Arslan, and perhaps even General Michel Aoun are signs of hope for this country.
Minister Pierre Gemayel's blood may be the price for saving the Lebanon he loved and worked and died for. Lebanon is in danger. Even Jordan's King Abdullah sounded the alarm bells when he warned that the region is threatened with civil wars: one in Lebanon, another in Iraq and the third in Palestine.
Still, there is a glimmer of hope that all the parties, from the opposition to the majority, will rise to save the situation, because the opposition and the majority are fully aware that a civil war is not in the interests of Lebanon.
The Resistance and Hezbollah confronted the Israeli enemy who sought to ruin and destroy Lebanon and start a civil war in the country, as well as in the Palestinian territories, to displace the Christians. Israel also wants Syria to be weakened, and for it to remain that way.
Did not the head of the Israeli Prime Minister's office himself say as much during the war on Lebanon? He was asked why Israel accused Syria of sending arms to Lebanon, and why it was destroying Lebanon's infrastructure; and why, consequently, did Israel blame Lebanon.
The answer was that Israel could quickly and ruthlessly strike Syria to change the status quo, but that it could not predict the outcome of such a change in the future.
It is obvious that Israel is working to provoke a new civil war in Lebanon, because it is convinced that this would rid it of Hezbollah. It is also clear that Syria is afraid of the International Tribunal, because it is aware of the impact of its outcome on it. Especially since the head of the International Investigation Committee, Judge Serge Brammertz, has asked for a six-month extension on the grounds of the evidence and significant amount of information he collected, and that he seeks further information in order to reveal the truth in a scientific and a professional manner unaffected by political interference.
Today, all the parties in Lebanon must make a move; in the same way they acted to express their condolences to President Amin Gemayel. They also have to be aware of the responsibilities that face the people, who endured many tragedies, destructive wars and worsening economic conditions.
It is impossible for all the people of Lebanon to immigrate to greener pastures. A great majority of the youth have become increasingly fed up with politics and politicians. They suffer because of the country's capricious situation and are tempted to abandon their country.
But where can they go? The doors of Europe are closed due to the high rate of unemployment and it is difficult for many to go abroad because they lack the means.
It is impossible, as any given Lebanese side cannot simply eliminate the others, or pretend that they do not exist. Therefore, it is the duty of every citizen of Lebanon to demand a better future that safeguards national dignity and sovereignty, and by extension, support the legitimate demand for the creation of the International Tribunal. Hezbollah and the Aoun movement represent an important segment of the Lebanese people, and both should play a role in the nation's political decision-making process. Accordingly, the offer made by Minister Marwan Hamada to save the situation, which was turned down by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berry, is a golden opportunity for everyone.Berry could have played the same role of the peacemaker and the savior, the role which is now being played by Amin Gemayel, whose son was martyred, like Ghassan Tueini's son, Gibran, and who has come to realize that salvation lies in reconciliation, not revenge.Saving Lebanon from foreign intervention and from its enemies that seek to destabilize it internally has indeed become an urgent need

Can Aoun survive taking to the streets?
By Michael Young -Daily Star staff
Thursday, November 30, 2006
On Monday evening, I witnessed an edifying spectacle at Sassine Square in Achrafieh. Now I'm beginning to wonder whether the Lebanese ever merited better than the boot of Syrian intelligence agents. At around 10:00 pm, I heard shouting from the Sassine intersection. I went down to have a look, and saw Lebanese Forces supporters on the one side and Aounists on the other separated by two cordons of Internal Security Forces and the Lebanese Army. The Aounists were trying to hang up a poster of Michel Aoun, to replace one that had been burned down by Lebanese Forces backers after the assassination of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel. By midnight, the two groups were hurling insults at each other, and the army sent in truckloads of reinforcements to control the situation. There were more than enough soldiers present, as the warring packs could not have numbered more than 150 to 200 people.
The manifest stupidity of the incident makes one despair that Lebanon will ever be able to find genuine stability. After all the country has been through in two years, indeed in three decades, it is astonishing to still hear slogans redolent with mindless, brutish partisanship: "God, the Lebanese Forces, Doctor [Samir Geagea], and nothing else!" against "God, Lebanon, General [Michel Aoun], and nothing else!" And this from people who most likely work together, live together, and deal with each other on a daily basis. Nor is it enough to blame cretins who would brawl over the picture of one megalomaniac or another. Both Aoun and Geagea must be held responsible for the recklessness of their followers, even as the Lebanese, particularly Christians, really cannot be bothered once again to pay the bill for that pair's cold, destructive brinkmanship.
Part of the problem is generational. A majority of those most active in the streets, whether on the side of March 8 or March 14, are too young to clearly remember the carnage that took occurred between 1975 and 1990. That's why they behave so irresponsibly today. As novelist Jabbour Doueihy has bitingly put it, "they are heading toward war, singing."
The Christian community is divided - never unusual - but it's difficult to see why. The standard-issue Aounist is not so very different than the typical Lebanese Forces enthusiast. What keeps them apart are mainly the mutual antipathy of their leaders and their history of antagonism - but also a tendentious reading of that history. Whether it is Aoun or Geagea, both men have burnished a populist image, oftentimes verging on the demagogical. Divisiveness is their bread and butter.
However, for all the ambiguity that Geagea evokes because of his militia past, a past Aounists understandably cite in expressing their distaste for the Lebanese Forces, he is on the right side of the central issue affecting Lebanon today: defense of the country's sovereignty against Iran and Syria. Aoun, in his visceral hatred of a Hariri system that contributed to his exile and isolation, finds himself on the wrong side - on the side of those who would bring down the Siniora government to help press Iran's offensive against the United States in the region, and who would protect the regime in Damascus from the Hariri tribunal.
Aoun's foolhardiness could prove devastating to Christians. Not for the first time, the general may be about to drive his partisans, and the community at large, into a brick wall. If a report in the Wednesday issue of the daily Al-Hayat is correct, the Free Patriotic Movement has agreed to kick off the protest movement against the government. Given the Sassine clashes, but given, too, the increasing polarization in the Christian community provoked by Gemayel's assassination, it doesn't take much to foresee that Aoun is sending his followers into battle.
If Aoun participates in the Hizbullah-led effort to force the government out, and all the signs are that he will, the question becomes, what does he gain from being perceived as a Christian fig leaf for a possible Hizbullah coup? The general's involvement is important, because neither Hizbullah nor Amal wants their campaign to be seen as solely a Shiite endeavor. But if Aoun agrees to be their vanguard, he stands to lose even more politically than he already has, from an action sure to heighten ambient animosities.
It could be too late for the Aounists. Once it takes to the streets, the opposition risks being discredited because its actions will be interpreted as blackmail by Sunnis, Druze, and many Christians. The government is not sufficiently unpopular for most Lebanese to endorse a weeklong lockdown of the state, as may be the case. Similarly, peaceful demonstrations could turn violent if the government resists resigning, which would again backfire on the organizers. And we haven't even mentioned the possibility of Sunni-Shiite ill feeling - now a serious problem in mixed areas of Beirut - and the likelihood that if the government feels threatened, March 14 would mobilize its own supporters for an explosive standoff.
If it's not too late, however, the Christians in March 14 must rapidly open new channels to the Aounists. This is easier said than done; the general is obstinate. But he is also surrounded by sensible people in his parliamentary bloc, even if their influence pales before that of Aoun's military comrades. At the street level, the March 14 approach to the Aounists must be exactly the opposite of what happened at Sassine. Instead of provoking them, leave them to face the consequences of their actions. Aoun is his own worst enemy. Build a safety net for his followers, but let the general hang himself with his own rope, if he insists on doing so.
***Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR.

The Lebanese have been let down by both government and opposition
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Editorial-Daily Star
The fate of Lebanon now hangs in the balance as the country's two main opposing camps prepare to engage in a political arm-wrestle over who will control the state. Having failed to achieve all of its demands through negotiations, the opposition looks set to take its power struggle to the streets in a bid to bring down the current government.
The Lebanese citizens who participate in the upcoming protests have every reason to feel unsatisfied with the current Cabinet's performance. Not only has the government failed to achieve the items outlined in its ministerial statement, it has also arguably backtracked on a number of issues. The protesters have a right to voice their frustrations, just as all Lebanese have the right to engage in demonstrations and other forms of peaceful political expression.
However, all Lebanese - both those affiliated with the ruling March 14 coalition and with the opposition - have a right to know exactly what it is that they will get if the mission to replace the current government is eventually successful. Hizbullah's leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has promised to replace the current Cabinet with a "strong, capable, just and clean" government. No one can argue that these are worthwhile qualities in a Cabinet, but in the absence of a clearly defined political program, nobody can know exactly where that "strong, capable, just and clean" government will lead us.
Opposition leaders have not provided the Lebanese people with any details about the kinds of policies that their new government would pursue. In the absence of any clearly defined political platform, they are asking us to simply bet that one group of leaders would do a better job than the other. In short, they are asking us to gamble with Lebanon's future. No one should ask the Lebanese to play a game with such high stakes and such uncertain outcomes - one that the Lebanese have already played and lost before.
The leaders of both the opposition and the government are guilty of putting their own interests above the welfare of the country. While they have traded their fair share of insults and accusations, neither side has bothered to define its own stances on the issues that will affect the Lebanese people's future. They therefore share equal blame in contributing to a glaring absence of substance in the public debate. And they therefore have both fallen fall short of the desire of Lebanese citizens to have a government that is responsive to its people.

PLO warns of new militant influx
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Thursday, November 30, 2006
About 200 Arab militants arrived recently in Lebanon and have set up an Islamic grouping at a Palestinian refugee camp in the North, a senior official of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) said Wednesday. "About 200 armed elements came to Lebanon over several phases," Khaled Aref said.
He said the militants first joined the Damascus-based "Fatah-Intifada in Lebanon, but a few days ago, they announced their rupture at the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in northern Lebanon."
"They declared that they have formed a new movement called Fatah al-Islam," he said, adding that the militants were Palestinians, Lebanese and a number of other Arabs.
"We don't know their real allegiance," he said, without revealing the countries where the militants came from.
A statement from the pro-Syrian Fatah-Intifada on Wednesday said "Fatah-Islam has no links with Fatah-Intifada."
It said Fatah-Islam was headed by Shaker Issa, a former Fatah-Intifada official "who has been expelled a while ago."
Local daily Al-Mustaqbal said Wednesday that Lebanese authorities had detained two members of the group, Syrian Hussam Mohammad Siyam, known as Abu Mohammad al-Suri, and Saudi-Syrian Mohammad Saleh Salem.
They were held after "a recent incident" at the Nahr al-Bared camp, said the paper, confirming that they were part of the group of 200 militants.
Al-Mustaqbal, which is owned by the Hariri family, said the militants "are part of a terrorist plot by the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad aiming to assassinate 36 anti-Syrian Lebanese figures."
The news came a day after a military leader of a militant Islamist group blew himself up near a Syrian-Lebanese border crossing, wounding two Syrian police officers, officials said. Syrian Omar Hamra, 28, was the military commander of Al-Tawheed Wal-Jihad, one of several militant organizations pursued by Damascus, they said.
The incident took place at 1:45 p.m. on the Syrian side of the Jdaidet Yabous crossing point with Lebanon.
"He was trying to cross the border with false documents. He shot at security forces with a pistol, tried to escape and then blew himself up with an explosive belt," the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said.
Commenting on the incident, the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) accused the Syrian regime of "preparing the scenario of Tuesday's attack in order to perpetrate attacks inside and outside Palestinian camps."
In a statement on Wednesday, the PSP warned of "Syrian attempts to instigate chaos in the Lebanese arena."
Deputy Speaker Farid Makari urged the Arab League and the UN Security Council to look into "Syria's plans to assassinate 36 Lebanese figures."
Makari said in a statement that "the Syrian regime, which is suspected of killing former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, is determined to continue its terrorist attack against Lebanon." "It is a matter of life or death for the Lebanese," he added. "I urge the Arab League and the Security Council to look into the issue in order to preserve the country's security and assist with the implementation of international resolutions," Makari said. Meanwhile, a leading figure in hard-line Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army militia told AFP on Wednesday that his fighters had not received training from Hizbullah in Lebanon or iran. Sahib al-Ameri, secretary general of Sadr's Najaf-based Martyrs' Foundation, a religious body linked to the Sadr movement, denied reports from US intelligence officials that Hizbullah officials had been training fellow Shiites in Iraq."We confirm that the only relationship we have with Hizbullah is a religious one," he said. "We emphasize that we didn't send anyone from the militia to Lebanon and no one from Hizbullah came here to train the Mehdi Army."Ameri said they were ready to back up this assertion with hard evidence and suggested that their accusers be ready to do the same.
On Tuesday, a US intelligence official claimed that 1,000-2,000 Shiite fighters had been trained in Lebanon. - Agencies

Opposition leaves country guessing as security forces tighten grip on Beirut
'I will not specify the Date or time' of protests, says aoun
By Rym Ghazal -Daily Star staff
Thursday, November 30, 2006
BEIRUT: Leaders of the political opposition kept an already tense country guessing on Wednesday as to when and how universally anticipated street demonstrations against the government of Premier Fouad Siniora would play out. "I will not specify the day or time," Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader MP Michel Aoun said in a news conference at his residence in Rabieh. "We are going to take to the streets peacefully and I call on all Lebanese to take part in this movement against the government that has long lost it legitimacy," he added. Aoun called current governing officials "liars" and asked the people "not to believe the rumors spread by the government that there will be killing and violence." The planned demonstrations are intended to be "peaceful," he said.The opposition appeared to be moving toward a mass protest early last week, but any planned action was postponed due to the assassination of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel on November 21.Aoun said that he would "not accept" any criticism directed at his party, which he said "has always been committed to Lebanon's sovereignty, unlike the more seasonal commitments to Lebanon by current people in power."
Despite the FPM's call for the protest, Aoun said he is still willing "to listen carefully and with a positive attitude to proposals for a solution" to Lebanon's political crisis."There is still a path open to solutions," he said.
Aoun said the current political crisis centers on calls for the formation of a government of national unity and a more representative electoral law.
"Besides, how can anyone now trust a government that allows criminals to function within Lebanon like the old mafia of Chicago where people can be killed by unmasked assassins in broad daylight and the security knows nothing?" said Aoun.
Gemayel was assassinated by a group of gunmen at approximately 4 p.m. in a busy area of the northern Beirut suburb of Jdeideh.
Sources close to Hizbullah and the FPM told The Daily Star Wednesday that their supporters are "ready" to hit the streets, and are prepared for a protest that will last "more than a week."Rumors abounded in the capital on Wednesday evening that Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah would speak that night. An unnamed source close to the opposition was quoted by Reuters on Wednesday as saying that there would be a large demonstration in Beirut within 48 hours.Nasrallah, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and fellow opposition leader Aoun had all agreed to the timetable, the source said.
At the same time, the Interior Ministry issued a statement saying that relevant authorities had to be informed of any
demonstrations "three days" ahead of time. The ministry statement said the request form for a demonstration must "clearly outline" the anticipated number of protestors, protest goals, locations and timing. Any other protest would be considered "illegal," the ministry said.However, Hizbullah officials said last week that the opposition would not heed any ultimatums issued by the current "unco Security sources on Wednesday reported a "massive" mobilization of police and army troops throughout the capital and in major towns in the South in anticipation of a protest. The parliamentary majority March 14 Forces has accused the pro-Syrian opposition of seeking to weaken Siniora's government in order to derail plans for an international tribunal to try suspects in the 2005 killing of former Premier Rafik Hariri in 2005. Several Lebanese leaders have warned that any wide-scale protests could disintegrate into street violence and push Lebanon towards chaos. - With additional reporting by Mohammed Zaatari and agencies

Lahoud: Civil servants need not obey orders
By Nada Bakri -Daily Star staff
Thursday, November 30, 2006
BEIRUT: Lebanon's embattled president said Wednesday that civil servants don't have to respond to or abide by the government's orders. In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation, Emile Lahoud said that this "can be one of the peaceful measures the opposition can take in its protests" against Premier Fouad Siniora's government. Hizbullah and its allies, the Amal Movement and the Free Patriotic Movement, have vowed to take to the streets to force Siniora's government to resign. They want veto power in a new national unity Cabinet.
But the March 14 Forces have rejected this demand and accused the opposition of attempting to hinder the creation of the international tribunal to try suspects in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri. The opposition parties have insisted that they support the formation of the international court, but have said that they need time to discuss the draft. Siniora on Wednesday urged the opposition to spare the country "devastating losses" and return to the dialogue table since there is still a chance to resolve differences through negotiation.
"Protests are a democratic and constitutional right ... but since at the end of the day we will still have to sit together and discuss ways to protect national peace and security, why are they insisting on inflicting devastating losses," Siniora said during a news conference at UNESCO Palace in Beirut.
"They are saying they support the formation of the international court, but always fall short from translating these statements into concrete actions," Siniora said. "The international court is not a revenge tool ... it is for the sake country, for freedom, for internal peace and for national unity," he added.
Parliament majority leader MP Saad Hariri said the pro-Syrian parties oppose the creation of the international court because they want to maintain firm control over Lebanon."They don't want the international court because by killing Rafik Hariri they wanted to control the country," Hariri said on Wednesday. "But we will not let them, and together we will defend truth and justice."
Hariri urged his supporters to remain calm in the face of any provocations or clashes the opposition might try to initiate. "We must prove that we have a high level of discipline and we must not be dragged into any clashes or disputes no matter how hard they try to instigate strife," Hariri said.Hizbullah MP Hussein Fadlallah said the protests will be peaceful and respect the Constitution and democratic norms. The street protests "will be democratic and peaceful and they will continue until we realize our goals," Fadlallah said.Speaker Nabih Berri was quoted by his visitors on Wednesday as saying that "he is very worried about the tension in Lebanon and fears that developments in the coming days will have a negative impact on national unity."
Former minister Wadih Khazen said that Berri told him he believes "the margin for negotiations has become very narrow but a quick return to the dialogue table is not impossible."

Mokheiber meets Sfeir, urges dialogue
By Maroun Khoury -Daily Star correspondent
Thursday, November 30, 2006
BEIRUT: Reform and Change parliamentary bloc MP Ghassan Mukheiber emphasized the need to hold dialogue in order to resolve Lebanon's problems. After a visit to Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir on Wednesday, Mukheiber said that his discussions with the prelate focused on the means to "reach possible solutions for the current deadlock."The MP also expressed his bloc's support to the creation of an international court to try former Premier Rafik Hariri's assassins, adding that forming a unity Cabinet with a blocking third would "not threaten the creation of the tribunal if that third was not against it."Mukheiber also stressed the need to restore trust between the country's politicians in order to rebuild constitutional and administrative institutions.
"It is possible to reach solutions, but all parties should deploy efforts to this achieve this purpose," the MP added. The patriarch also received on Wednesday the head of the Phalange Party, Karim Pakradouni, who said that the country "is on the verge of a serious economic crisis" and highlighted the need to promote political stability. Pakradouni said his party was keen on "preventing any strife among the Christians," urging the politicians to return to national talks."We should resolve our problems through dialogue and peaceful and democratic means and not through street demonstrations or by force," he added.

Christian leaders mull ban on political banners to end clashes
Daily Star staff-Thursday, November 30, 2006
BEIRUT: Mediation efforts are taking place among Christian politicians to find ways to stop their young supporters from engaging in skirmishes, which have become frequent due to the tense political atmosphere. One suggestion is to ban the hanging of any political posters to avoid skirmishes like the one that took place in the Beirut neighborhood of Achrafieh Monday night. Youths from the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement clashed after a group of FPM supporters hung a poster of their leader, MP Michel Aoun, in the center of Sassine Square. Governor of Mount Lebanon Antoine Suleiman issued a decree Wednesday, outlining rules for hanging banners and posters. It warned that the hanging of any kind of publicity - political or not - will be penalized. A well-informed source working on the mediation efforts between various Christian groups said that Christian leaders ought to advise their supporters to remove all of their banners, "because this will surely contribute to alleviating the fears of the Lebanese, and more importantly, it will facilitate the task of the Lebanese Army."
"The Lebanese Army has better things to do than track down people who are hanging pictures or those who are ripping them off," added the source.
"Vandalism - acts such as the tearing or burning of the pictures of political figures - reminds people of scenes from the civil war no one wants to remember," the source said.The source said Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir "considers these [efforts] to be a first step toward alleviating tension in the Christian scene" ahead of a meeting of all Christian leaders at Bkirki.
But the source added that the meeting cannot be held before a consensus is reached among the main Christian leaders. - The Daily Star

Moody's downgrades 3 Lebanese banks
Political uncertainty behind new 'd-' rating
Thursday, November 30, 2006
BEIRUT: Moody's Investors Service has downgraded the financial strength ratings (FSRs) of the three rated Lebanese banks (Bank Audi, BLOM Bank and Byblos Bank) to "D-" from "D."The three banks' FSRs were placed on review for a possible downgrade in July 2006 following the outbreak of the Israeli war on Lebanon. The outlook for the banks' foreign currency deposit (B3) and debt (B2) ratings has also changed to negative from stable, while the outlook on the new FSRs is now stable.
This rating action was triggered by the recent political tensions in the country subsequent to the resignations of six Cabinet ministers and the assassination of another. As a result, Moody's has recently changed to negative the outlook on Lebanon's B3 foreign currency government bond rating as well as on the respective foreign currency bond (B2) and deposit (B3) country ceilings. According to Moody's sovereign rating rationale, the current political tensions are likely to undermine the government's standing, further calling into question its ability to implement much-needed economic reforms.
According to Moody's, the three rated Lebanese banks are heavily exposed to Lebanese sovereign risk, either directly or through placements with the Central Bank (Banque du Liban) that is itself highly exposed to the sovereign, which now has a B3 rating with a negative outlook. Such a rating implies a high degree of political and economic risk, and is only marginally above the Caa1 rating level.
Concurrently, Moody's considers that a "D" FSR, which on a standalone basis maps to a Ba2 rating, is no longer consistent for banks having around a third of their total assets and multiple times of their equity invested in such a very low grade investments with very weak creditworthiness. This has inevitably raised the banks' overall risk profile, and has undermined their economic solvency, warranting a lower FSR.
Moody's notes that despite the high current liquidity of banks, some degree of liquidity risk should be considered in the event that the political situation deteriorates, further compromising depositors' confidence. Deposit conversions from local currency to foreign currency combined with deposit transfers outside the country is a likely scenario that could stretch the banks' liquidity positions and resources. Although past political shocks have been absorbed by the banking system through the banks' high liquidity levels and with the Central Bank's coordination and liquidity mechanism, the current situation appears relatively more serious, with a high level of uncertainty that could leave the banks vulnerable to a potential significant capital flight.
In addition, some repercussions on the banks' asset quality are expected to gradually surface as a result of the month-long conflict that took place in July-August 2006 which caused a severe degree of destruction of the country's infrastructure. Higher level of problematic loans, increased provisions and loan rescheduling are expected to arise primarily due to the resulting economic slowdown. However the expected levels of non-performing loans are likely to remain consistent with those of similarly rated banks, particularly given the banks' low loan exposures, which on average are less than 25 percent of their total balance sheet size. At the same time, Moody's notes that banks are likely to continue to be profitable considering the high-yielding instruments obtained by the Central Bank in exchange for immediate liquidity to facilitate depositors' needs during the recent crisis. - TradeArabia News Service

LF insists 9 arrested men were Daher's bodyguards
Daily Star staff-Thursday, November 30, 2006
BEIRUT: The Lebanese Forces denied a second time on Wednesday media reports that nine LF members with US- and Israeli-made weapons were arrested late Monday. "The news being reported is unfounded and aimed at sowing strife and destabilizing the country," an LF statement said.
Media reports earlier this week said that veterans of the LF's Civil War-era "Collision and Swat" squad were arrested in Kesrouan, north of Beirut, in the midst of a training exercise. The LF said that nine men arrested by the Lebanese Army on Monday were bodyguards of Pierre Daher, general manager of local satellite television station LBCI. "The LF urges the Lebanese not to be influenced by such provocations but unify stands in order to face conspiracies being hatched against them," the LF statement said. Several local newspapers said Wednesday that the army had confiscated weapons, maps with directions to the homes of MPs Michel Aoun and Michel Murr in Rabieh, and unspecified monitoring systems.
"Our party is political and far from the issue of weapons," LF MP Antoine Zahra told Voice of Lebanon radio station on Wednesday. "How can such information leak into media outlets while investigations should be conducted secretly?"
Hizbullah's Al-Manar television broke the story on Monday. An-Nahar daily reported Wednesday that 22 LF personnel had been arrested.
"A human-sized plastic doll was found in one of the cars, along with a picture of Aoun," An-Nahar quoted the television report as saying.
Zahra dismissed the report. "It is really silly to mention Aoun's picture ... as if he is an unknown figure," Zahra said.
While Daher said the maps were "merely invitation cards from [businessman] Jacques Sarraf with directions to his home," Al-Manar said the map was found beneath one of the car seats, adding that the nine arrested people confessed to being part of the LF's armed forces. - The Daily Star

U.S.: No point for Israel to talk to a Syria that supports terror
From Ha’aretz:
There is no point for Israel to hold negotiations with Syria as long as the latter continues to support and facilitate terrorism, United States National Security Adviser Steven Hadley said on Tuesday. "Here is Syria, which is clearly putting pressure on the Lebanese democracy, is a supporter of terror, is both provisioning and supporting Hezbollah and facilitating Iran in its efforts to support Hezbollah, is supporting the activities of Hamas," Hadley said, in Riga alongside President George W. Bush for a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit. "This is not a Syria that is on an agenda to bring peace and stability to the region, and I think Prime Minister Olmert said, under those circumstances, with that kind of Syrian policy, how can you talk about negotiating on the

Hizbullah Torpedoes Gemayel Initiative for Settlement
Hizbullah has anew torpedoed a fresh offer for a settlement to rescue Lebanon from one of its worst political standoffs as the pro-Syrian Shiite party turned down an initiative by ex-President Amine Gemayel. Gemayel, overall head of the Christian Phalange Party and leader in the anti-Syrian March 14 Forces, proposed on Tuesday a 10-day truce to give a chance for a peaceful solution to the current deadlock. But Hizbullah MP Mohammed Raad was quick to slam the offer as "not an appropriate settlement" to the crisis. "Settlements appear to be missing so far," Raad said after a meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri on Tuesday. He warned that the opposition's "timeout has neared … and it is going ahead with its (threatened) actions."
Karim Pakradouni, President of the Phalange party, said his group has called for a 10-day political truce during which "all parties will avoid escalation."
"During those 10 days, the government will not take decisions to which the opposition may object, and they, in turn, will not take to the streets," he told Agence France Presse. Pakradouni said Gemayel, father of slain Industry Minister, Pierre Gemayel, visited Berri on Tuesday to deliver the request to the opposite camp, led by Hizbullah. He said a return to national roundtable talks -- organized by Berri and which collapsed early November when all five Shiite cabinet ministers resigned -- would prevent Lebanon from "falling into the abyss."
A sixth pro-Syrian government minister has also stepped down. The leading daily An Nahar, citing sources close to Berri and the opposition, said Wednesday that Gemayel's proposal was "more of ideas than an initiative," adding that it lacked "political significance." Also Tuesday, Muslim religious leaders appealed on pro- and anti-Syrian factions in Lebanon not to resort to street protests.
The official heads of the Shiite, Sunni and Druze confessions held an emergency meeting at the headquarters of the Druze community in Beirut before jointly calling on Saniora and Berri. The calls came after repeated threats from Hizbullah and its Christian ally General Michel Aoun to take to the streets to topple Prime Minister Fouad Saniora's government. An Nahar quoted the same sources as saying that the religious' appeal was "not of great importance," adding that Berri "was now not in a position to expect anything." They did not elaborate. The opposition had decided to postpone by at least a week plans to take to the streets after last Tuesday's assassination of Pierre Gemayel, the sixth critic of Syria to be murdered over the past two years. The crisis centers on calls for the formation of a government of national unity, a demand seen by many as a bid by the pro-Syrian opposition to regain its influence within the leadership, now dominated by anti-Damascus forces.(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 29 Nov 06, 09:15

Hariri: Jumblat and Myself Are Next in Line
Parliament's majority leader Saad Hariri has said that he expected Druze leader Walid Jumblat and himself to be next in line for assassination after Pierre Gemayel's murder last week. Hariri, in an interview with the Egyptian Al-Ahram daily Tuesday, said "the series of assassinations are ongoing and now it's the turn of two: Walid Jumblat and Saad Hariri."
The son of slain ex-Premier Rafik Hariri also reiterated that the Syrian intelligence was behind his father's murder in a February 2005 suicide truck bombing on the Beirut seafront. Lebanon has been rocked by a series of assassinations, murder attempts and bombings since October 2004. Anti-Syrian politicians have been the targets of such attacks, the latest of which was the killing of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel.
About Hizbullah, Hariri told the newspaper that since the Shiite group is backed by Iran its hands are shackled and cannot make its own decisions.
In a separate interview with Canadian television, Hariri said that Syria fears the international tribunal that will be set up to try his father's suspected assassins because the investigation into the murder has implicated Syrian officials. Damascus denies the charge. "I understand the edginess of the Syrian regime. But what I don't understand is the protection that some Lebanese provide it," he said. "Why are they obstructing the international court? Why are they protecting the criminals?" Hariri wondered.
The anti-Syrian parliamentary majority accuses Hizbullah and its allies of hampering efforts to set up the court. Early November, six pro-Syrian cabinet ministers resigned two days before an extraordinary cabinet session approved the tribunal. Hariri also urged Syria to stop meddling in Lebanon's internal affairs. "Syria is not playing a positive role, neither in Iraq nor in Lebanon. I think Syria has to change its behavior and accept the fact that both Lebanon and Iraq are independent countries. It has to stop its interference in its neighbors' affairs," he said.
Hariri slammed Syrian protégé President Emile Lahoud, saying he is protecting the Assad regime rather than working for Lebanon's good.
"All he cares for is Syria," Hariri said about the president whose term was extended for three years in 2004 under a Syrian decision.
"There are other parties who put Iran's interest before Lebanon's interest," Hariri added, in a clear reference to Hizbullah which is accused of receiving weapons and funding from Tehran.Asked if he thought Lebanon would witness another civil war, Hariri said "The Lebanese people do not want civil war. I believe Syria and Israel are the ones who want civil war in Lebanon." He also urged Lebanon's top rival leaders to return to the negotiation table to solve the current political impasse after roundtable discussions in parliament collapsed earlier this month over a dispute on the international tribunal and demands by Hizbullah and its allies for a the formation of a national unity government. Beirut, 29 Nov 06, 11:10

 Golan Heights? Seems to me that’s a sensible position."
German Foreign Minister To Arrive In Beirut On Saturday
News Staff.© 2006 DPA
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is to arrive in Beirut on Saturday, December 2 for talks with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora and Shiite House Speaker Nabih Berri, a Lebanese Foreign Ministry source told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. The German official is also to inspect German forces patrolling Lebanon's coast as part of the United Nation Interim Forces in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL).  Germany has sent 2,000 military personnel to Lebanon in the country's first mission in the Middle East since World War II. Germany is currently commanding the UN naval force which is monitoring the coast to prevent any arms shipment to the Lebanese militant Shiite group, Hezbollah. UNIFIL is enforcing a truce which ended fierce conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah militia in July and August 2006 that killed around 1,200 civilians in Lebanon and over 160 Israelis. The war was sparked by the capture of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah.© 2006 DPA

Bush says 'extremists' undermining government
Moallem accuses us, france of interference
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
US President George W. Bush accused Iran and Syria of undermining the government in Lebanon on Tuesday. "That government is being undermined, in my opinion, by extremist forces encouraged out of Syria and Iran," Bush said during a stopover in Estonia before heading to a NATO summit in neighboring Latvia. He added that a democratic Lebanon "will be a major defeat for those who articulate extremist point of views."
Meanwhile, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem accused the US and France Tuesday of interference over Lebanon and rejected similar accusations leveled by Paris on Damascus. Moallem branded as "nonsense" US and French allegations surrounding Syria's role in the killings of Lebanese political figures. "We know who's interfering, the Americans and the French," he said, speaking on the sidelines of a Euromed summit of EU and Mediterranean foreign ministers held in Tampere, Finland.
"We are playing our role according to the interest of our people and the regional interest, we are playing a constructive role," Moallem added.
French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy on Tuesday reaffirmed the need for Lebanon's "sovereignty, independence and desire for freedom" to be respected. "It [Lebanon] should not be held hostage to special interests which are not its own," he said. Both Paris and Washington refuse all contact with Syrian leaders and have regularly accused Damascus of attempting to destabilize Lebanon. Syria came under renewed suspicion after last week's assassination of an anti-Syrian Lebanese Cabinet minister, Pierre Gemayel, in Beirut.
Gemayel was the latest in a series of political opponents of Damascus to be killed in the past two years. Bush and French President Jacques Chirac agreed Monday on the need to back Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's embattled government. "The leaders agreed on the need for the international community to support the Siniora government, including with financial assistance. They discussed the upcoming donor conference that France will host on Lebanon," Gordon Johndroe, the spokesman of the US National Security Council said.
Siniora's Cabinet sent pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud a draft accord Monday to establish an international tribunal to try the alleged killers of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Two of Syria's allies in Lebanon, Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Speaker Nabih Berri, said Friday they supported the creation of the tribunal, but said that their priority was to achieve greater representation in Cabinet. The tribunal accord needs to be approved by the Parliament, but Berri says Siniora's Cabinet is no longer constitutional after six opposition ministers quit the government on November 11 to demand a larger say in the decision-making process.
The acting US ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, challenged the opposition parties to prove their support of the tribunal. "If Hizbullah and Amal support the establishment of the tribunal," he said, "then presumably they can express that by voting in favor of the agreement in Parliament, where it will then receive ... an overwhelming vote." Bolton said he understood that if Lahoud doesn't decide on the accord within 15 days, the government can submit the tribunal agreements to Parliament for ratification by a simple majority. "We'll wait and see if this doesn't play out inside Lebanon," he said.
Bolton was asked about a letter sent to the UN Security Council Friday by the Syrian government suggesting Damascus may not cooperate with the tribunal because it was not consulted on the plan. "They haven't cooperated adequately from the beginning," he said. "And if I were in their shoes, I guess I'd worry even more about establishing a tribunal than the investigation. So no surprises there from Syria, as usual." - Agencies, Naharnet

Security forces break up clash between FPM, LF in Achrafieh
By Nour Samaha -Daily Star staff
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
BEIRUT: Youths from the Lebanese Forces (LF) and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) clashed in Achrafieh late Monday night after a group of FPM supporters hung a poster of their leader, MP Michel Aoun, in the center of Sassine Square. Mario Chamoun, the FPM youth group leader, told The Daily Star Tuesday that they had gone to Sassine Square to replace a poster of Aoun which was torched and torn down by the LF after last week's assassination of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel.
"We were very surprised to find more than 100 members of the Lebanese Forces in the square when we went to replace the poster," Chamoun said. "They tried to prevent us from hanging the picture by throwing bottles and other objects at us.""They were also shouting insults about General Aoun and [Hizbullah chief] Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah," he added. After repeated unsuccessful attempts to contact spokespeople, MPs, ministers and youth group members of the Lebanese Forces, The Daily Star had to go to print without additional comment from their side.
According to eye-witnesses, there were between 150 and 200 people gathered in the square in Achrafieh, with approximately 2,000 army and special police separating the two groups. "Bottles were being thrown and insults were being shouted from the LF side," witness Walid Abou Serhal said of the event, which lasted from 9:30pm until around 12:30am. "The Aounis could've thrown some bottles back, but not when I was looking. They definitely were not insulting the LF leaders, though."
He added that it was not just youth supporters who were involved, but men "in their 50s" took part in the standoff. "This is not the end," Abou Serhal continued. "I think there will be more clashes between the groups, but this is among the supporters, not the leaders, because at least there is a little bit of attempted harmony with the leaders." Another witness, Joseph Absa said that while bottles were thrown from both sides, there was no actual fighting because the police and the army came between the two groups. "The army closed the square down so no one could stop or enter, which eventually led to the crowds dispersing after the picture was hung," said Absa.
Already hanging in Sassine are numerous LF flags, plus a banner of LF leader Samir Geagea and slain President-elect Bashir Gemayel, as well as a poster of Pierre Gemayel. Sassine Square had returned to normal on Tuesday, despite an increased presence of army personnel patrolling the streets - and the presence of the new Aoun poster. "We cannot understand why the Lebanese Forces would try to stop us putting a picture of the general there," said Chamoun. "We have no problem with the pictures and flags of their political party." "Personally, I am worried about an escalation between the youths and students during this time of tension. We don't want anyone to get hurt, and this is why we've been keeping a low profile and not retaliating," he added.

Muslim religious leaders hold rare summit to denounce deadlock
By Maher Zeineddine and Nafez Qawas -Daily Star staff
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
BEIRUT: Lebanon's Muslim religious leaders gathered at the Druze sect's headquarters in Beirut Tuesday to denounce the political deadlock plaguing the country and its "negative and dangerous repercussions." The summit was attended by Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani, Higher Shiite Council vice president Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan, and Sheikh Akl Naim Hassan.
The meeting of the top spiritual leaders from the Sunni, Shiite and Druze sects, respectively, is extremely rare in Lebanon.
"The Lebanese should be aware that divisions [between the parliamentary majority and the opposition] are threatening national unity, which Lebanon's enemies are taking advantage of in order to distort our country's civilized nature, stab its unity and hamper its march toward progress and prosperity," Mohammad Sammak, the designated spokesperson for the summit, said after the meeting.
The religious leaders stressed the need to "cling to national unity and fully implement the Taif Accord," he added.
While highlighting the need for all parties to respect the freedom of speech and diversity within Lebanese society, the spokesman said the sheikhs also voiced rejection of any foreign interference in Lebanon's internal affairs. Support was also expressed for "revealing the truth" behind last week's murder of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel and trying those accused of the "horrible crime" before an international tribunal. The clerics also hailed the resistance and the Lebanese Army for the "sacrifices they made during this summer's war with Israel." They called on all governmental institutions and civil society organizations to focus on the "deteriorating living conditions" in which many Lebanese are living, "in order to put an end to immigration and find solutions to the issues of poverty and unemployment."After the summit, the clerics met with Speaker Nabih Berri.
"We asked Berri to launch a quick and urgent initiative in order to halt the dangerous decline which the country is witnessing," Qabbani said.
"We call on all parties not to resort to the streets because it is the only guarantee to preserve Lebanon's unity and security," the Sunni leader added.
The grand mufti urged Lebanon's leaders to adopt "constitutional and democratic means, notably dialogue, to withdraw the country from the crisis it is plunging into and reach a comprehensive national unity."The clerics then met with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
Echoing Qabbani, Qabalan urged all parties against holding demonstrations to achieve their goals, saying: "Lebanon is in dire need of unity not partition, of fraternity not hostility."Calling on both Muslims and Christians to refrain from inflaming "tension and inflammatory speeches," the Higher Shiite Council vice president urged the Lebanese to preserve Beirut, "the capital of capitals."
"We should protect Beirut ... not by demonstrations and riots but through democracy and wise politics," Qabalan said. "Lebanon should remain the center of attraction in the Arab world and the non-Arab world."
Democratic Party leader Talal Arslan, a rival of Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, lashed out at the summit Tuesday, which he described as a "materialistic and ill-intentioned meeting lacking any spirituality.""The title is a spiritual summit between Islamic religions for the sake of national unity, while the truth is that the summit is far from spirituality because participants are speaking on behalf of their political leaders," Arslan said: "They are not independent; therefore their decision is not ... Before they meet let them settle problems inside their sects."

Siniora vows to remain in office to prevent outbreak of civil war
Hizbullah mp warns street protests are imminent
By Nada Bakri -Daily Star staff
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
BEIRUT: Lebanon's prime minister said on Tuesday that political parties had turned the country into a battlefield for regional conflicts, and added he would remain in office to prevent the outbreak of civil war. "We have turned Lebanon into a battlefield for regional conflicts ... This logic is suicidal," Siniora said during a television interview with Al-Arabiyya news channel.
Siniora vowed to prevent civil war from breaking out again in Lebanon, which is still reeling from the devastating 1975-1990 Civil War.
"We want to avoid discord. My presence here [in the government], and that of many others will prevent discord and civil war because even if there is war ... in the end, we will have to sit back together" to settle disputes with dialogue, he said. "I still have hope, and continue to seek that there will be no street protests," he said. "We are constantly working to prevent the outbreak of any clashes. My presence in office is to prevent strife and to prevent civil war," Siniora said. But Hizbullah MP Mohammad Raad said following a visit of Hizbullah's bloc to Speaker Nabih Berri Tuesday that street protests are imminent."The opposition has run out of time and it will go ahead with its decisions and its actions," Raad said.
The capital's streets were mostly empty as reports and rumors circulated of possible demonstrations, which Hizbullah and their allies refused to deny or confirm late Tuesday.MP Saad Hariri urged players to return to the dialogue table to find solutions.
"I urge everyone to return to dialogue because we cannot be part of the axis and the regional conflicts, and we have to work as Lebanese for the best interest of Lebanon," the parliamentary majority leader said in statements televised Tuesday.
Earlier this month, six ministers allied with Hizbullah resigned from Siniora's Cabinet after key cross parties talks failed to reach a deal on the formation of a national unity government. The pro-Syrian forces want one third plus one seats in Siniora's Cabinet, which would give them veto power.
The March 14 Forces have agreed on the formation of a national unity government that will include more Hizbullah allies, but they rejected their demand for veto power, accusing them of trying to hinder the formation of the international court to try suspects in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. "We all support the formation of a national unity government where everyone will have a say ... but if they want through that to hinder decisions, we are against it," Hariri told Canadian television.
Siniora urged the resigned ministers - two from Hizbullah, three from the Amal Movement and one allied with pro-Syrian president Emile Lahoud - to return to their duties. "The government will carry on with its duties but it is suffering from the absence of our resigned colleagues," Siniora said.
"I will not appoint anyone to replace them because I am still hopeful they will return to their ministries," Siniora said.
Earlier in the day, Siniora asked Jordan's King Abdullah to raise the issue of Israel's violations of Lebanese airspace during the monarch's talks with US President George W. Bush in Amman, scheduled for Wednesday. Siniora's office said in a statement the prime minister urged King Abdullah in a telephone call to discuss with Bush "issues that interest Lebanon." The statement said the key issues were Lebanon's demands that Israel halt military overflights, which Beirut and the United Nations say violate a Security Council resolution that ended the 34-day war with the Jewish state in August, and an Israeli withdrawal from the Lebanese half of Ghajar village. It also said Lebanon wanted to resolve the dispute over the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms, which Israel and the UN say are Syrian, while Lebanon and Syria say they are Lebanese.
US Department of State Under Secretary for Management Henrietta Fore, following a visit to Siniora Tuesday, reiterated the United States' support to the government. Fore, who is on a two-day visit to Lebanon, said she "reaffirmed the strong support of the United States to work with the government of Lebanon and the Lebanese people to realize their aspirations for a peaceful and prosperous, sovereign and secure country."

March 14 supporters march in capital to remember slain industry minister
By Iman Azzi -Daily Star staff
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
BEIRUT/JDEIDEH: Thousands of Lebanese attended rallies commemorating slain Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel on Tuesday; some came to remember the man, while others were there to support his politics. "It was a tragedy and I'm here today to honor Pierre Gemayel," said Eliane Nasser, speaking at an afternoon rally in Jdeideh, the Beirut suburb where Gemayel was murdered. "It's been a week and we need to remember him. I would go down to Martyrs Square and show support for a free Lebanon too but I don't have time."
More than 1,000 supporters gathered in Jdeideh to hear youth members of the Lebanese Forces, the Phalange Party, the National Liberal Party, the Progressive Socialist Party and the Future Movement speak. As the crowd dispersed, old recordings of speeches by Gemayel's assassinated uncle, President-elect Bashir Gemayel, played. Some, like Nasser, headed home, while many reconvened at the Phalange Party headquarters in Saifi. As the sun set, several hundred people, mostly youth, marched to behind the An-Nahar Building, singing the national anthem in front of a statue of journalist Samir Kassir, who was killed by a car bomb in July 2005.
"It was unfair to kill Pierre Gemayel," said Sandra Saleha. Her statement drew loud applause from several supporters gathered around her. "Justice needs to be fulfilled but I don't know who to blame.""This was first about the Christians, then March 14," declared Roger Feghali, a 21-year-old student at Sagesse University. "The Phalange Party must become stronger now or else his death will be in vain."
"I don't know," Saleha admitted when asked if she still believed in the ideals of the March 14 Forces, "I know that I am loyal to the Lebanese Forces from the bottom of my heart." Elie Khoueiry agreed. "I love the Lebanese Forces but I am with all those who want the best for Lebanon. I like Samir Geagea, but Pierre Gemayel was our leader too. We're like family."
The demonstrators next entered the gravesite of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, but most of those entered the memorial were Muslim supporters of the March 14 Forces. Many of them chanted "Abu Bahaa," then sang the national anthem again. "We are here for freedom and to make those responsible accountable," said Mahmouda, a Druze from Beirut, wearing a scarf of the Progressive Socialist Party.
Mirvat Falou draped a Lebanese flag across her chest and held a candle in her left hand. Her friend wore a black veil and a blue scarf displaying Hariri's image around her shoulders."We are here to assist in prayers for Pierre Gemayel," said Falou, 25. "We are all Lebanese; if we remain united there can be no problems. The problems come from outside the country.""I love Hariri," said another girl, Dima. She said she supported the March 14 cause because it could help unite the country. "All of these deaths are not good for Lebanon," said Khoueiry, a Phalange scarf tied around his head. "Or for the hope of a democratic Lebanon."

Gemayel calls for dialogue after talks with Berri
Former president, karami suggest solutions to political crises
Daily Star staff-Wednesday, November 29, 2006
BEIRUT: Former President Amin Gemayel took a break from receiving condolences for a few hours Tuesday to visit Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri at the latter's Ain al-Tineh home. In remarks afterward, Gemayel, the father of late Indutsry Minister Pierre Gemayel, who was gunned down in the capital last week, said that "the visit was an occasion to discuss all political views and we hope that all the people who are loyal to this country would help us ease tensions and resolve problems through dialogue."
"We have to say enough martyrs, and we have to think about the people, the owners of firms, hotels or shops, and the employees who lost their jobs due to the current situation," the former president said.
"We are concerned about the future of the Lebanese people; we have to resolve our problems in order to save ourselves from the crisis," he added.
Reports said Gemayel presented Berri with a plan drafted in partnership with former Prime Minister Omar Karami to resolve the current deadlock.
Separate media reports Tuesday said Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun was planning to visit Gemayel in Bikfaya to pay his condolences.
Sources close to the FPM told The Daily Star that Aoun had "every intention" of visiting the Gemayel family home, but that the retired general was awaiting word from Bikfaya. Sources close to Gemayel had no comment on the potential visit. Karami paid his condolences Tuesday at Gemayel's residence in Sin al-Fil.
Karami said he had reached a possible solution with Gemayel to the country's current problems. The former premier identified three main issues in need of resolution: "The presidency, the international tribunal that would try former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's assassins and the creation of a national unity Cabinet with a blocking third.""We could find solutions to these problems and we hope that they would be approved by all the Lebanese," he said.
However, Karami stressed the need to abide by the Constitution, saying violating the document would "cause serious problems in the future."
"This country cannot be ruled but with agreement and dialogue," he added. Karami called for the formation of a legal committee of March 14 and opposition members to look into the draft of the international tribunal, "since some Lebanese parties have concerns about it." The election of a president should only be achieved through an agreement by both parties, he added, calling for the nomination of a candidate that could be approved by all factions. Karami said that the blocking third would not hinder the decision-making process of a new Cabinet. Former Prime Minister Rashid Solh and resigned Environment Minister Yacoub Sarraf also paid their condolences to Gemayel on Tuesday. Gemayel later received a telegram of condolences from former US President George H. Bush. - The Daily Star

Qornet Shehwan Gathering reconvenes to discuss intra-Christian feud with Sfeir
By Maroun Khoury -Daily Star correspondent
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
BKIRKI: A meeting of leading Christian political figures is expected to be held soon in Bkirki, members of the newly revived Qornet Shehwan Gathering said Tuesday. A delegation from Qornet Shehwan visited Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir at Bkirki on Tuesday, one week after the assassination of one of its former members, Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, to discuss solutions to divisions within the Christian sect.
Following the talks, in which the delegation handed Sfeir a statement drafted during an earlier emergency meeting of the gathering, MP Butros Harb said the idea of holding a Christian summit had been discussed. "Participants will try to forge a consensus about national stances in order to avoid any discord between the Christians that could lead to clashes or skirmishes, similar to the ones recently taking place," he added.
Hundreds of supporters of the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces, two of the leading Christian parties in Lebanon, clashed in the Beirut neighborhood of Achrafieh Monday night.
Many leading figures attended the meeting in Bkirki, including MPs Samir Franjieh and Antoine Zahra; former MPs Nassib Lahoud, Fares Soueid, Mansour Bone, Gabriel Murr and Kamil Ziadeh; National Liberal Party president Dory Chamoun and National Bloc president Carlos Edde. A notable addition was the presence of Michel Mukataff, son-in-law of former President Amin Gemayel. This is the first time Mukataff has entered the political sphere. Following the meeting, Harb read a Qornet Shehwan statement to reporters, saying the main divisive issue among Christians was the continued presence of President Emile Lahoud in his post.
"For Christians to reach full partnership, and to be able to actually partake in decision-making, Syrian hegemony over the post of president ought to be abolished," Harb said. Harb added that Lahoud's refusal to refer Gemayel's assassination to the Civil Judicial Council, which if continued could prevent any sentence being issued in the killing, "motivates the assassins, whoever these are, to pursue their plan of murdering all the figures of the 'Independence Intifada.'"The gathering considers Gemayel's murder to be an attempt to jeopardize the establishment of an international tribunal to try those involved in the 2005 assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri.
"In addition, our colleague's murder aims at shoving the country back to the position it was in previous to the 'Independence Intifada,' which was crafted by the hands of both Christians and Muslims," the statement said.
The gathering welcomed last week's decision by the UN Security Council to include the latest killing in the investigation of the Hariri slaying, saying continued attacks on Christian figures were meant to undo a "Christian-Muslim bond that was shaped during the 2005 [movement for] independence."
However, Harb said any statements made by the gathering were not binding on Sfeir, "so this does not mean that our demands of deposing the president are endorsed by the patriarch, since he can better communicate his opinions and views."
Harb added that the reconvening of the Qornet Shehwan Gathering did not mean the group had been reborn, "since we meet on a regular basis, and whenever our national duty calls us to do so."
The Qornet Shehwan Gathering is a coalition of Christian politicians, businessmen, and intellectuals formed in 2000 following a hard-hitting statement by the Council of Maronite Bishops, which lashed out at the Syrian occupation of Lebanon at the time.
Harb said opposition calls for the restructuring of the government were "a strictly democratic right," but added that "resorting to the streets might not be a very good idea, especially in the context of the delicate situation we find ourselves in."
He also expressed concern over reports that some groups were attempting to arm themselves, but did not elaborate.

Leader of Syrian militant faction blows himself up near border
By Leila Hatoum -Daily Star staff
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
BEIRUT: The military leader of a militant Islamist group blew himself up near a Syrian-Lebanese border crossing Tuesday, wounding two Syrian police officers, officials said. The 28-year-old Syrian man, Omar Hamra, was the military commander of Al-Tawheed Wal Jihad, one of several Muslim militant organizations pursued by Syrian authorities, they said.
The incident took place at 1:45 p.m. on the Syrian side of the Jdaidet Yabous crossing point with Lebanon.
"He was trying to cross the border with false documents. He shot at security forces with a pistol, tried to escape and then blew himself up with an explosive belt," the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said.
"He had nine fake identification cards. An investigation is under way," SANA added.
Hours after the incident the border point was quiet and traffic was moving normally. Security officials took reporters to the site where they said Hamra blew himself up, about 1 kilometer away from the border point used mainly by private passengers to cross into Lebanon.
Senior Syrian officials were at the site, where parts of Hamra's body still lay on the ground.
A Lebanese General Security source told The Daily Star that gunfire had been heard from the Syrian side of the border before an explosion sounded.
"The matter is in the hands of the Syrian security forces as it happened on their side of the border," the source said.
The international community and the Lebanese government have been demanding that Syria tighten security along the border to prevent infiltration of radical groups and arms shipments intended for Hizbullah.
In a separate incident Tuesday, the Lebanese Forces' media office denied reports earlier in the day that nine LF personnel with US- and Israeli-made weapons were arrested late Monday.
The party identified the nine men as bodyguards of Pierre Daher, general manager of local satellite television station LBCI.
Media reports said veterans of the LF's "Collision and Swat" squad, which gained notoriety for its actions during the Civil War, were arrested in Kesrouan, north of Beirut, during a training exercise.
The men were shooting at targets from moving vehicles.
Several local dailies said Tuesday the army had confiscated Israeli- and US-made weapons, maps with directions to the Rabieh homes of MPs Michel Aoun and Michel Murr and unspecified monitoring systems.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb
A high-ranking judicial source told The Daily Star Tuesday that questioning of the detainees "isn't over yet."
Denying the reports, the source added that "no Israeli-made arms were confiscated."
Daher told The Daily Star that the men were in fact his bodyguards, scoffing at reports they belonged to the "Collision and Swat" squad.
"I have someone who is 25 years old, which would mean he was a newborn when he joined the squad," Daher said.
The television executive said all of the weapons confiscated were licensed and that the army "is always notified of the bodyguards' regular training."
Judicial investigators had not yet asked him to make a statement, he added, "even though I spoke over the phone with army commander General Michel Suleiman and explained things."
As for the alleged Rabieh maps, Daher said they were "merely invitation cards from [businessman] Jacques Sarraf with directions to his house."
Sarraf had thrown a reception two months ago in honor of LBCI personality May Chidiac, he added.
Sarraf Tuesday confirmed the reception and the fact that he had issued invitations with directions to his home in Rabieh.
An army source said the men "were being monitored by Lebanese Army Intelligence for quite some time."
Meanwhile, security sources said Tuesday that two loud explosions accompanied by two large clouds of smoke were heard on Moaisera Mountain, outside Qosayya in the eastern Bekaa valley, around noon.
Residents and security sources in the area said the explosions came from inside a training camp for the pro-Syrian Palestinian Front for Liberation of Palestine-General Command headed by Ahmad Jibril.
The sources said armed members of the PFLP-GC cordoned off the area around the camp after the explosions.
Local daily An-Nahar reported Tuesday that pro-Syrian Fatah-al-Intifada posts at Nahr Al-Bared refugee camp in the North had been taken over Monday by a group calling itself Fatah al-Islam. An-Nahar said the previously unknown faction was "considered by many as Al-Qaeda's branch in Lebanon." - With agencies

Annan: Iran, Syria should help US in Iraq conflict
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Tuesday that Iran and Syria should work with the United States and the international community to resolve the Iraq conflict. "I have been quite clear that the two countries have a role to play and they should become part of the solution," he said. "And we should bring them in and get them to work with us in resolving the issue, and let them assume some of the responsibility."
Annan indicated this was one of "quite a few" recommendations he made to the Iraq Study Group, an independent US panel which is considering recommendations for changes in war policy that would help restore peace and security and enable the United States to reduce its 141,000 troops in Iraq.

PRO-CON: Are direct talks with Syria crucial? No
Kanasa City.com
One way to understand the deteriorating situation in the Middle East is to contrast last week’s assassination of Lebanese Christian leader Pierre Gemayel with the response to it. The assassination was a shockingly audacious attack on Lebanon’s democratic forces and their U.S. and European allies. But those Western governments remain in a profound muddle about how to address Iran and Syria, which have been fomenting the destabilization of Lebanon, Iraq and the Palestinian territories.As long as the Bush administration is unable to win U.N. Security Council approval for sanctions against Iran — or impose them through an ad hoc coalition — Tehran will have no incentive to make concessions.
Iran and Syria are ruthlessly waging war against Western interests in the Middle East. Offering to talk is a small part of what it will take to stop them.

Bush won't talk to Tehran if enrichment continues
Khamenei blames american-backed 'agents' for continuing violence in iraq
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
US President George W. Bush said Tuesday he supports talks between the Iraqi government and Iran and Syria but will not talk directly to Tehran unless it suspends uranium enrichment. Bush, speaking in the Baltic republics before a NATO summit, deflected talk of "civil war" accusing instead Al-Qaeda of being behind sectarian violence. He also vowed he would not pull troops out "before the mission is complete."
Iran's highest authority, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told the visiting Iraqi president on Tuesday the US occupation and US-backed "agents" in the region were to blame for the violence in Iraq.
The United States and Britain have accused Tehran of fomenting violence within Iraq by arming and training Shiite militias hostile to the 150,000 strong US force protecting Maliki's beleaguered coalition government.
But, amid signs that Washington is itself preparing for a shift in strategy, Bush said Baghdad should pursue its own diplomatic agenda, if this meant talking to US foes such as Iran and Syria.
"Iraq is a sovereign nation which is conducting its own foreign policy," Bush said.
Iraqi leaders have themselves held talks with Tehran and Damascus.
"I hope the talks yield results," Bush told a joint news conference after talks with Estonian President Toomas Ilves on his way to a NATO summit.
"One result that Iraq would like to see is for the Iranians to leave their country alone. If Iran is going to be involved they ought to be involved in a constructive way."
But he added: "As far as the United States goes, Iran knows how to get to the table with us and that is to do that which they said they would do, which is verifiably suspend their [uranium] enrichment programs."
Asked what the difference was between the current bloodshed in Iraq and civil war, Bush said the latest bombings were part of a nine-month-old pattern of attacks by Al-Qaeda militants aimed at fomenting sectarian violence by provoking retaliation.
"The plan of Mr. Zarqawi was to foment sectarian violence," he said, referring to the former leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq killed by a US air strike in June, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
"That's what he said he wanted to do. We've been in this phase for a while. And the fundamental objective is to work with the Iraqis to create conditions so that the vast majority of people will be able to see that there's a peaceful way forward."
"What you're seeing on TV started last February," he said. "It was an attempt by people to foment sectarian violence."
"One thing I won't do, I am not going to pull the troops off the battlefield before the mission is complete," Bush said.
The military alliance was playing a key role "in helping the Iraqi people in the difficult work of securing their country and their freedom," Bush said.
He made his comments as Iraqi President Jalal Talabani visited Iran in the hope it can help stem the bloodletting in Iraq.
Iranian television quoted Khamenei as telling Talabani on Tuesday: "The first step to resolve the insecurity in Iraq is the withdrawal of the occupiers and handing over the security issues to the Iraqi government, which is backed by the people.
"Some US agents in the region are the middle men for implementing American policies and creating an insecure Iraq."
After the NATO summit, Bush will travel to Jordan where he will hold talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Wednesday. "We will discuss the situation on the ground in his country," Bush said.
A day after warring of civil war in Iraq, UN chief Kofi Annan on Tuesday called for an international peace conference that would bring all the Iraqi factions together with UN help, but stressed that it would require adequate preparations.
"I think it would be helpful to have a conference that brings everybody together, along the lines of what we did in the former Yugoslavia and others," he told reporters.
In Baghdad, US military spokesman Major General William Caldwell said there had been a "dramatic spike" in killings. He said Iraq was not in a civil war because the government was functioning, it had the loyalty of its security forces and no group was trying to overthrow and replace it.
Car bombs close to west Baghdad's main Yarmuk hospital killed four people and wounded 40 on Tuesday and in Kirkuk a suicide bomber attacked the governor's convoy. Reports of more bombings, shootings and torture came from across Iraq.
Caldwell predicted "elevated levels of violence in the next couple of weeks ... Al-Qaeda, foreign terrorists and extremists do not want to let Iraqis decide their own future." Iraq's Parliament voted Tuesday to continue the state of emergency that allows for a curfew and gives the government extra powers to launch security operations. - Agencies

Pope backs Turkey's EU bid, says Islam is a faith of peace
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Pope Benedict XVI backed Ankara's EU entry bid and said Islam was a religion of peace on Tuesday, according to Turkey's prime minister, in a bid to soothe rows over his views in the mostly Muslim state. Benedict received a red carpet welcome on arrival in Turkey with Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan greeting him at the steps of the plane - a break from protocol from a leader who initially said he was too busy to meet the pontiff.
"He said we are not political but we wish for Turkey to join the EU," Erdogan told journalists before leaving for a NATO summit in Riga.
Benedict, before his 2005 election as pope, had opposed Turkey's EU ambitions.
"The most important message the pope gave was toward Islam, he reiterated his view of Islam as peaceful and affectionate," he added.
Benedict triggered an outcry in September when he quoted a 14th-century Christian emperor who characterized the Prophet Mohammad's teachings as "evil and inhuman." He later met with Turkey's chief Islamic cleric, who strongly condemned the pope's remarks in September.
At a joint appearance, Ali Bardakoglu repeated that Islam was not a religion of violence and that arguing so can only encourage those who abuse religion to do wrong. Bardakoglu, who heads Ankara's Directorate General for Religious Affairs, said all Muslims were offended by accusations that their religion was violent. "The so-called conviction that the sword is used to expand Islam in the world and growing Islamophobia hurts all Muslims," he said.
Bardakoglu urged religious leaders to act responsibly and refrain from using "differences to find new followers for their own religions."
"Religious leaders should act in accordance with the teachings of all religions, which call for peace without fear or prejudice," Bardakoglu said.
He said Islam denounces all forms of terrorism, regardless of the identity of its victims.
For his part, the pope called for "authentic dialogue between Christians and Muslims based on truth and inspired by a sincere wish to know one another better, respecting differences and recognizing what we have in common." He also appealed for religious freedom, saying it "constitutes for all believers the necessary condition for their loyal contribution to the building up of society."
Security was heavy for Benedict's first visit to the Muslim world, with sharpshooters on the roof of the arrivals building and troops guarding the airport. About 3,000 police have been posted in the Turkish capital to prevent any protests.
Over 100 Islamist nationalists protested against the visit in central Ankara while 50 civil servants briefly held a peaceful protest at the Directorate General for Religious Affairs. In his first official act, Benedict visited the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, and wrote a message in a guest book calling Turkey "a meeting point of different religions and cultures and a bridge between Asia and Europe."
Earlier, the pope went to the Presidential Palace for an official welcome and a private meeting with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
The pope's schedule on Wednesday will see him head to Istanbul to meet Patriarch Bartholomew I, head of the Greek Orthodox Church - initially the main purpose of the trip to Turkey. - Agencies

France, Germany, Britain draw up Iran sanctions draft
Text targets Islamic republic's nuclear program, related institutions and individuals
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
France, Germany and Britain have drawn up a draft UN resolution outlining possible sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, the Foreign Ministry in Paris said Tuesday. "The proposals of the three European nations have been transmitted to the Russians, Chinese and Americans in the hope that concerns of all parties have been [addressed]," said spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei.
"The general philosophy of the text remains to target Iran's nuclear and missile programs, as well as the institutions that are running them and the individuals in charge," he said."We shall see how the European project is received," Mattei said, stressing the "need for caution in this matter."
If Moscow, Beijing and Washington give their agreement, the matter will return to the Security Council, he said.
World powers have been debating a draft UN resolution that would impose limited sanctions on Iran over its failure to comply with an earlier UN resolution on halting uranium enrichment. Mattei said contacts were taking place both within the framework of the Security Council and among the six global powers - Britain, Germany, France, Russia, China and the United States.
Meanwhile, Iran said Tuesday it would let the UN nuclear watchdog take further environmental sampling of materials related to an academic center, where the US fears work to make atomic bombs was conducted. In a report to the UN Security Council in April, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it took samples from some equipment acquired by the academic center at the Lavizan-Shian site, which was razed in 2004 before UN inspectors could examine it. The former physics center acquired some dual-use machinery useable for uranium enrichment, including vacuum pumps, which tested positive for traces of highly enriched uranium (HEU) this year. In larger quantities, HEU can be used in bombs.
Iran has admitted that Lavizan-Shian, northeast of Tehran, was once a military research and development site but denied conducting any nuclear weapons research there or anywhere else in the country.
IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei has said that the nuclear watchdog is still being hampered by unanswered questions about sensitive work hidden by Tehran for almost two decades. "When we ask questions in Iran, we ask them because we want to reconstruct the 'history.' What did Iran procure? Who was involved? What was a certain experiment for? When and where did it take place?," ElBaradei said in comments obtained by AFP on Tuesday.
The comments were made last week at the end of a closed-door session of the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors, in which they shelved indefinitely appeals for technical aid for an Iranian nuclear reactor. ElBaradei said the aid was being turned down due to a lack of confidence in Iran's nuclear program. The IAEA does know "that Iran has knowledge over the entire spectrum of the fuel cycle," ElBaradei said.
While this is legitimate under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, "it is something that should have been declared to us years back."
While the IAEA has managed to verify that all declared nuclear material and facilities in Iran are under safeguards, ElBaradei said it lacked reassurance "that there is nothing in Iran that has not been declared to us." A unique element in Iran's case was that the IAEA investigation was unable to start its work on a clean slate, he said. "We started from a situation where we came to realize that there had been activities for 20 years which we did not know about." "Obviously that creates a different situation and means that Iran must take the initiative to explain what happened," ElBaradei said. - AFP, Reuters

Iran already 'helping' in Iraq - unfortunately
Bridget Johnson, Columnist
Article Last Updated:11/28/2006 06:14:26 PM PST
IT appears the Iran-Iraq war is back on, except this time Iran is stoking civil war within Iraq to its advantage.
Shiite militia strongman Muqtada al-Sadr would like you to think that the sectarian tension is caused by the U.S. military presence, and a whole cabal of progressives have bought into this. Meanwhile, his Mahdi Army is reportedly getting training from Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran is also reportedly providing equipment such as explosives and triggers to the Shiite militias for roadside bombs - no less than an act of war on coalition forces and Iraqi civilians.
Iran, meanwhile, is projecting the facade of wannabe peacemaker, luring Iraq into a sit-down to purportedly work out solutions. And some are convinced that Iran can play a meaningful role in stemming the sectarian conflict - including, maybe, the Iraq Study Group.
In reality, it's like Munchausen's syndrome by proxy, where the mother makes her child ill and hides her nefarious deeds behind a facade of caring. Iran is making Iraq ill, and simultaneously posing as the great caretaker who will heal the region's ills where the U.S. has failed.
Why would Iran want to lead Iraq toward a peaceful democracy when it is a militaristic theocracy? Why
would it see al-Sadr and his ilk tamed, when it can help advance Iran's goals of spreading Islamic fundamentalism, increasing regional domination, the destruction of Israel and cutting the West off at the knees in one fell swoop?
And the Islamic Republic knows that if the U.S. shuns the ludicrous idea of Iran - still hellbent on its nuclear program, by the way - having a pivotal role in shaping the new Iraq, America would be accused by progressives of not playing well with others, of holding onto control of Iraqi security for some sort of egotistical aims.
"You are considered as accomplices in the crimes committed in Iraq and the bloods shed under the cover of financial and military support," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday in a speech aimed at U.S. and British heads of state. "Therefore, you should stand trial in fair tribunals in the near future and be answerable. Let's experience leading a life with love and affection." Hollow rhetoric that seems swiped from an anti-war hippie-fest, cleverly used by Ahmadinejad to try to convince the progressives that he has benign intentions and the U.S. is wicked and reactionary.
And the same day, he offered to help the coalition "put an end to the present situation (in Iraq)."
No one should trust him. Think of Iran doing in Iraq what Syria has done with Lebanon. Iran and Syria are both backers of Hezbollah, and there doesn't need to be occupation for the long arm of radicalism to strike at the reasonable leaders.
"The assassination of Lebanese Christian politician Pierre Gemayel (last) Tuesday has revealed that the Tehran-Damascus axis remains busy with terror activities across the Fertile Crescent," Walid Phares wrote in FrontPage Magazine on Thursday.
Iran also backs the Badr Brigades and the Mujahidin for Islamic Revolution in Iraq. In return, the militias have Iran's back. "If neighboring Islamic countries, including Iran, become the target of attacks, we will support them," al-Sadr said on a visit to Tehran early this year. "The Mahdi Army is beyond the Iraqi army. It was established to defend Islam."
And Iraq isn't the only thing the regime wants its paws on: Two weeks ago the UK's Daily Telegraph reported that intelligence services said Iran is training senior al-Qaida operatives to take over the terror organization. It's a particularly potent - and lethal - example of Sunnis and Shiites learning to get along.
Iran is reportedly pushing Saif al-Adel - an Egyptian on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list - for the No. 3 job behind current al-Qaida mouthpiece Ayman al-Zawahri. Al-Adel has been living with two of Osama bin Laden's sons in Tehran since Afghanistan fell to the U.S.-led coalition in late 2001. In exchange for al-Qaida promotions that meet with their approval, Iran will provide training facilities and equipment, reported the Telegraph.
It's been said that if we pull out of Iraq now, the terrorists win. It's probably more accurate to say that if we pull out, Iran wins - both against Iraq and against the United States and her allies.
Unfortunately, the Shiite theocrats and terror-mongers feel like they've already won. The Democrats' victory in Congress "is not just a U.S. domestic incident," said Ayatollah Khamenei on Nov. 10, but "a victory for the Iranian nation at the current political juncture."
**Bridget Johnson writes for the Daily News. Write to her by e-mail her at bridget.johnson@dailynews

Release From The American Lebanese Foundation (ALF)
The American Lebanese Foundation (ALF) is shocked, saddened and alarmed by the addition of one more prominent figure (Minister of Industry Pierre Gemayel) to the continuously growing list of Lebanese martyrs. We strongly condemn & see this despicable and evil event as another attempt to assassinate Lebanon as a free, independent and democratic country. This is clearly one more terrorist act in a series that started with the failed assassination of MP Marwan Hamadeh and culminated with the murder of PM Rafic Hariri and MP Basel Fuleihan followed by MP Gibran Tueni, not to mention or forget the large list of other victims and martyrs.
ALF wishes to remind all Lebanese leaders from whatever political persuasion that martyrs die to save their country and not to divide or destroy their people. We painfully hear that pro-Syrian leaders are making accusations that the perpetrators are most likely from within the government majority, while anti-Syrian leaders are promptly accusing Syria. Needless to remind everybody that justice is a thorough and responsible process and that in our culture the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Therefore, we believe at this point, that baseless accusations can only increase internal tensions and divisions which only serve the enemies of Lebanon.
We in the expatriate community commend Prime Minister Seniora for his responsible and moderate statement and more importantly for his commitment to make sure that justice will be prompt and that the martyrdom of this young member of his cabinet will not be permitted to have occurred in vain. We also appreciate the statement of the US ambassador to the UN acknowledging that the perpetrators of this despicable terrorist act are not yet known, and as he remarked that 8 of the last 10 assassinations in Lebanon targeted anti-Syrian leaders, he avoided pointing fingers prematurely. More importantly we thank him for his commitment to make sure that the UN expedites ratification of an “International Tribunal� that will independently help determine the real criminals behind the Lebanese assassinations starting with PM Harriri and extending their reach hopefully all the way to Pierre Gemayel. We sincerely hope Minister Gemayel will be the last martyr before Lebanon retrieves its stability after justice has determined and punished the cowardly criminals that are trying to assassinate a free and peace loving country.
We therefore call on the international community to take over the justice related to these assassinations promptly and directly sparing Lebanon and its government the divisive interventions and manipulations whether coming from East or West. The international community should also work diligently with Lebanon and its friends and neighbors not just to disarm Hezbollah but also any or all other Lebanese and non Lebanese armed factions other than the legitimate government (army and internal security) forces. We sincerely feel that the International Community should invest this special attention in Lebanon to allow a viable chance for Peace in the Middle East in the foreseeable future and avoid a dangerous spark that could ignite a rapid progression towards a “clash of civilizations�.
ALF takes this opportunity to offer its condolences to the Gemayel family and all the people of Lebanon, hoping that this martyrdom will not go in vain and will serve as a wake up call to all Lebanese leaders that they should forget about being Pro or Anti-Syrian and choose only to be Pro-Lebanon. We also hope that all Lebanese decision makers will officially and publicly renounce all forms of violence and inform their non Lebanese allies, whether in the immediate neighborhood or around the world, that they will give priority to saving Lebanon and its unity over any outside interest. We assume that they are all aware of the current risks and that they realize that leading Lebanon into chaos or a new civil war will hurt us all and will only serve the enemies of Lebanon
DeleteReplyForwardSpamMove...