LCCC ENGLISH NEWS BULLETIN
NOVEMBER 10/06
Biblical Reading For today
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 2,13-22.
Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables,
and to those who sold doves he said, "Take these out of here, and stop making my Father's house a marketplace."
His disciples recalled the words of scripture, "Zeal for your house will consume me." At this the Jews answered and said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking about the temple of his body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.
Free Opinions & Studies
Iraq claims its most senior casualty. By David Ignatius 10.11.06
Latest New from the daily Star for November 10/06
12 Israeli jets violate Lebanese airspace as Paris seethes over mock attacks
Cabinet puts off decision on Palestinian Embassy following contentious debate
Lebanon edges up on UN's Human Development Index
'Very positive' to 'no progress:' Latest installment of national talks draws mixed
March 14 Forces warn insistence on formation of 'blocking minority' within Cabinet will end talks
Army signs deal for $10.5 million in equipment from US
Lebanese says Prophet cartoons led to bomb plot
Summer war exposed sectarian fault lines
Enduring gratitude: Armenian diaspora mobilizes on behalf of land that took in forebearsLBC teams up with UNICEF to launch news program staffed with youth-journalists
Olmert vows: 'We are not going to stop'
Bush 'open to suggestions' on how to end Iraq crisis
Latest New from miscellaneous sources for November 10/06
National Dialogue Adjourned for Saturday, Berri Says Session "Best ...Naharnet
Lebanon's all-party talks adjourn without breakthrough-Jerusalem Post - Israel
US grants Lebanon $10.5 million in military aid-Reuters
Murr Proposes 26-Member Cabinet to Salvage Lebanon-Naharnet
Nasrallah Calls for Arming of Palestinians After Gaza "Massacre"-Naharnet
Syria must not meddle: Norway FM-Gulf Times
Breakthrough unlikely as Lebanon's political leaders resume all ...International Herald Tribune
France Summons Israeli Ambassador Over Warplane Incident-Naharnet
Israeli Warplanes Fly Over Southern, Eastern Lebanon-Voice of America
Syria attacks UN report of arms traffic to Lebanon-Reuters
War on Iran: Unleashing Armageddon In The Middle East-CounterCurrents.org
Christians Struggle to Preserve a Balance of Power-New York Times
Syria's Peace Offensive-Middle East Online
UNTWO to Help Lebanon's Tourism Industry-Naharnet
Honesty and Bill O'Reilly-Accuracy In Media
Israeli warplanes again fly over southern and eastern Lebanon-International Herald Tribune
French soldiers 'within seconds' of firing at Israeli jets-Unison.ie - Bray,Ireland
'Very positive' to 'no progress:' Latest installment of national talks draws mixed reviews
Berri says participants have 'begun to trust each other'
By Leila Hatoum -Daily Star staff
Friday, November 10, 2006
Consultations day 3
BEIRUT: No headway was made on the formation of a unity government during national talks on Thursday, with parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri saying that the only positive outcome so far was that politicians have slowly "begun to trust each other." The consultations were to resume on Saturday. MP Atef Majdalani, who left the session an hour after it began, said the atmosphere in the talks was "worse than that of Tuesday's, unless Speaker Berri manages to break the ice."
MP Ghassan Tueni said it was time for a change.
"It is time for the Lebanese to change the tag they have held as people who constantly fight amongst each other. Peace must prevail," he said.
While Tueni said he "supports Murr's suggested plan" to include four additional representatives of Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun in the current Cabinet, "this has not been approved by all participants."
Berri said Thursday's session was "very positive and was one of the best rounds of consultations that we've had so far, despite all the attempts to ruin it. It was an ice-breaker."We have agreed to postpone the next consultation session for more deliberations until this Saturday at 11 a.m," the speaker said. "We hope to reach good results then."MP Walid Jumblatt and Hizbullah MP Mohammad Raad refused to speak to reporters after the session. Reports from inside the meeting described passing friction between Raad and MP Saad Hariri.
"No matter what you say about supporting the resistance's weapons, we don't believe you," Raad was reported to have told Hariri.
Hariri was said to have replied: "And no matter how much you speak of the international tribunal that will try [former Premier] Rafik Hariri's assassins, I will not believe you."Jumblatt was quoted as having asked: "Why do we go around in circles when we can never reach a solution? The problem is having two states and two governments." Raad was reported to have responded: "Well, let's unify the two governments."
Jumblatt then said: "And the two states."Premier Fouad Siniora said directly after the session that a plan to expand the government "lacks several ingredients, including salt and vegetables."
Responding to the premier's comments, Berri said: "I spoke to Siniora myself and he told me that he meant that the plan proposed by MP Michel Murr to expand the Cabinet to 26 ministers didn't work."
Berri, who will travel to Tehran Saturday for the Asian Parliamentary Speakers' Convention, said he would discuss the situation in Lebanon with Iranian officials."Iran and its officials have always called for unity and good relations among the Lebanese and the stability of the Lebanese internal situation," Berri said. Berri denied reports that the Shiite ministers in Cabinet would resign if Hizbullah and the FPM's demands for one-third of governmental portfolios were not met. "No one has spoken of toppling the Cabinet," Berri said. "The subject is to expand it to include a fairer representation" of realities on the ground."One third of Cabinet's portfolios to ensure a veto is not the demand. Our demand is the participation of all in the unity government," he said.
Berri also warned against false rumors spread by "ill-wishers and those who are trying to create an atmosphere of tension between the Lebanese."
"They have spoken of the March 14 Forces asking the permission of the Interior Ministry to demonstrate against the March 8 Forces on Monday, and vice versa, and all of this turned out to be untrue," he said.
In addition to local issues, participants in Thursday's consultations "unanimously condemned the Israeli massacres against the Palestinian people ... and the Israeli atrocities committed against the Lebanese," the speaker said. Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea told reporters that "no progress" had been made. "The March 14 Forces has no problem with more ministerial representation for Aoun ... but the current proposition under discussion lacks something," Geagea said. "We have been trying to reach a solution, but solutions need the highest level of reasoning," he added. "Today, there is a part that is demanding wider participation in the Cabinet under the pretext that they cannot stop any decision they don't approve of, and based on this they are demanding a third of the Cabinet's portfolios."
Geagea said the most important issue was the presidency. "The Cabinet [is the product of] a free and democratic Parliament, while the extension of the presidential term was imposed on us" by Syria, he said. While Geagea said his allies would not "take to the streets," he said that the opposition was free to do so "in a democratic and civilized manner." "Aoun's response to this was positive," he said, "but we don't know about Hizbullah."
As The Daily Star went to press, a fax purporting to contain a transcript of the session was received by this and other newspapers in Beirut. The sender was anonymous, however, so the authenticity of the document could not be ascertained.
12 Israeli jets violate Lebanese airspace as Paris seethes over mock attacks
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Friday, November 10, 2006
Twelve Israeli jets violated Lebanese airspace on Thursday, a few hours after Paris summoned Israel's ambassador in protest over Israeli warplanes diving on French UN peacekeepers in the South, the Lebanese Army said. The fighter-bombers entered Lebanon at 12:25 p.m. and flew high over the coastal town of Naqoura, headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) near the borders with Israel, an army statement said.
They then flew over other Southern regions before flying at a lower altitude over the eastern city of Baalbek, the army added. The 12 planes left Lebanese airspace at 1 p.m. after flying over Tripoli and Akkar in the North. France on Thursday summoned Israeli ambassador Daniel Shek to complain about an incident in which Israeli warplanes dived menacingly on French UN peacekeepers, officials said. French officials said Israeli military aircraft dived toward
French troops serving with UNIFIL, who came very close to opening fire. Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said Wednesday the French troops had been within "two seconds" of firing on the aircraft and a "catastrophe" was narrowly avoided.
"When an Israeli aircraft recently 'dived' on French UNIFIL soldiers, it is a miracle that nothing serious happened, because there could have been a response on the part of French troops," Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Wednesday.
Defense Ministry officials would also not elaborate on why the French troops decided not to fire, nor explain why they waited eight days to announce the incident. The planes were "in attack position," a spokesman for the chief of staff, Captain Christophe Prazuck, told reporters Thursday. French troops responded by readying an anti-aircraft missile, and were seconds away from firing on the warplanes, he said.
Prazuck said: "Thanks to the sang froid of French soldiers, we avoided a catastrophe."A senior French officer with UNIFIL insisted that an "Israeli Army provocation" took place. "The Israeli aircraft carried out a simulated attack," the official told AFP. "It appears that these flights were deliberate. UNIFIL strongly protested to the Israeli authorities and asked them to cease these actions which are unacceptable and in violation of Resolution 1701," said Milos Strugar, senior adviser to the UNIFIL commander. However, according to Israel's ambassador to France, the Israeli overflight was "not aggressive" and had been "wrongly interpreted." "All Israeli flights over Lebanon have one sole purpose, they are reconnaissance flights. There is no exception to the rule," Daniel Shek told AFP Thursday. "It seems one of these flights was wrongly interpreted by the French force," he said.
France, which currently leads UNIFIL, has accused Israel of violating the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brought about an end to hostilities, by sending its warplanes over Lebanon. It has also noted that UNIFIL has a robust mandate allowing it to respond to aggressive moves by either Hizbullah or Israel. The Israeli military on Thursday said it had no knowledge of any such incident. Defense Minister Amir Peretz has said the overflights were necessary to monitor what he charged was continuing arms smuggling by Hizbullah. Lebanese President Emile Lahoud said on Thursday that Israel wanted to "take revenge on Lebanon after its humiliating withdrawal from South Lebanon in 2000." During an interview with an Algerian radio station, Lahoud said: "Israel is defying all UN resolutions by its continuous sea, air and land violation of Lebanon's sovereignty." - Additional reporting by Nafez Qawas, agencies
Cabinet puts off decision on Palestinian Embassy following contentious debate
By Nafez Qawas -Daily Star correspondent
Friday, November 10, 2006
BEIRUT: The Lebanese government suspended discussions Thursday on a controversial proposal for the establishment of a Palestinian Embassy in Beirut, after a heated debate and a request for postponement by the foreign minister. Some Lebanese politicians, including President Emile Lahoud, have expressed their fear that the establishment of an embassy would pave the way for permanent settlement of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
Sources close to the government said after an intense debate, Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh requested that the issue be withdrawn from the agenda and dealt with at a later date.The head of the Lebanese portion of the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee, Ambassador Khalil Makkawi, said on Thursday he was surprised by the refusal of some parties to transform the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) bureau in Beirut into a full-fledged Embassy because of concerns over the settlement of refugees. Makkawi said the establishment of an embassy would not lead to settlement; "on the contrary, it would promote the refugees' right to return to their homeland." During an interview with the Central News Agency, Makkawi said that the PLO was the legitimate and sole representative of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
"I am very surprised by how some parties linked the establishment of an embassy with settlement," he said. "In fact, if the embassy released passports for the Palestinians, they would then be able to return to Palestine." After a tense consultation session in Parliament among Lebanon's top politicians, the Cabinet convened Thursday evening at its temporary headquarters in Downtown Beirut. In remarks before the beginning of the session, Lahoud said there was "no need to open a Palestinian Embassy here." He added that the idea posed several threats. Lahoud also called for the creation of a national unity Cabinet through consensus. The Cabinet approved the extension of an agreement signed between the government and the United Nations to allow the establishment of a second base for the UN team investigating the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, in the Padova Hotel in Sin al-Fil.
According to diplomatic sources, probe chief Serge Brammertz's third report might contain specific names and therefore the UN is considering increasing security measures in Monteverdi and the Padova area to protect the team members. International forces may be deployed alongside Lebanese Army troops, the sources said. The Cabinet was still in session when The Daily Star went to press.
Lebanon edges up on UN's Human Development Index
Life expectancy, GDP figures hurt standing
By Constantin Schreiber -Special to The Daily Star
Friday, November 10, 2006
BEIRUT: Lebanon's living standards are improving, according to the United Nations' 2006 Human Development Index (HDI), which saw the country move up three places since last year to place 78th out of some 177 countries. The report's findings were presented Thursday during a press conference hosted by the United Nations Development Program at UN House in Beirut. Health Minister Mohammad Khalifeh and water expert Tareq al-Majzoub were in attendance. Lebanon's 2006 ranking is one of its best performances since the index was created, the country having ranked 82nd in 2000 and 81st in 2005. The HDI was founded in 1990 to provide a composite measure of three aspects of human development: life expectancy, education and standard of living. This top three places to live this year were Norway, Iceland and Australia, with the latter two tied, according to the UN report.
On the other end of the scale, the 22 least-developed countries in the world are all African states, with Niger, Sierra Leone and Mali at the bottom.
Some of Lebanon's data showed a marked improvement. Among 102 countries ranked according to the number of people living in poverty, it was listed 20th, ahead of Turkey and Brazil.
Based on the percentage of underweight children, a determinant of malnutrition, Lebanon ranked 7th best out of some 134 countries.
However, life expectancy (currently at 72.2 years) and GDP per capita - two statistics that weigh heavily in the HDI rankings - have not significantly improved in almost eight years and are the main reasons for the country's middle-of-the-road ranking.
This year's UNDP report put special emphasis on water issues. Majzoub, a specialist for water-related problems, highlighted the "Arab water crisis."
Because almost all Arab countries are situated in some of the most arid environments in the world, they will be badly hit by climate changes in the near future, he said. By 2050 all Arab states will have to deal with water resources insufficient to provide adequate supply to the public, he said. Lebanon was singled out as an exception due to its copious rainfall. Mona Hammam, the UNDP's resident representative, said that in the Middle East access to water is not just a domestic issue but already the cause of rising cross-border tensions. Israel, the Occupied Territories and Jordan in particular face a fight for the waters of the Jordan River, she said. Majzoub said Israel, which was ranked 23rd overall, already consumes nine times more water from the Jordan River than the Palestinians, with further construction projects expected to only worsen the situation. Kuwait had the highest HDI listing of all Arab and Islamic states at 33rd. Bahrain (39), Qatar (46) and the United Arab Emirates (49) have all moved up from previous rankings.
Saudi Arabia topped Lebanon by one position at 77. The least-developed Arab countries are Mauritania (153) and Yemen (150).
While states like the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar are amongst the richest in the world in terms of GDP per-capita, their HDI ranking places them among much poorer states like Mexico, Romania and Argentina. The UNDP report says this is because Gulf economies are heavily dependent on oil revenues, whereas the HDI also takes other aspects of economic and social data into account.
March 14 Forces warn insistence on formation of 'blocking minority' within Cabinet will end talks
Daily Star staff-Friday, November 10, 2006
BEIRUT: The March 14 Forces came out strongly on Thursday against the formation of a one-third opposition bloc within the Cabinet, saying further demands for such a "blocking minority" or demonstrations would bring ongoing national talks to a close. However, while refusing to dismiss any Cabinet members to make room for representatives of Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader MP Michel Aoun, the anti-Syrian camp said reaching an agreement on an expanded government was still possible. In an interview with Voice of Lebanon radio ahead of Thursday's consultation session, Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh said the meeting "would be the final one if demands for a blocking minority or threats to transfer tensions to the street persisted." Hamadeh added that the March 14 camp "would surely refuse to adopt the formula touted by [MP] Michel Murr concerning the shape of the national unity government."Reports circulated in the media after Tuesday's session that participants had agreed to an expanded Cabinet including four ministers from Aoun's bloc.
Murr, himself a member of Aoun's parliamentary bloc, said Wednesday that a Cabinet including four Aoun allies, either in the government's current 24-member form or in an expanded 26-member Cabinet, was "70 percent" complete.
But several members of the March 14 Forces on Thursday said the coalition had not agreed to any deal to dismiss any current ministers, with reference to Justice Minister Charles Rizk, who lately has fallen out with President Emile Lahoud over key issues.
"We are not willing to dismiss a number of our colleagues, especially if they have shown high degrees of professionalism and integrity," Hamadeh said. "Our suggestion of having Aoun's bloc represented in the government, as Hizbullah and Amal are represented, without sacrificing any current members, was very clear, and still stands." Hamadeh said the establishment of an international court to try suspects in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was a priority for the March 14 Forces. "However, we have major concerns about bringing a blocking minority into the reshaped government, especially if it will work to hinder the establishment of the court," he said. Attaining one-third of the Cabinet would allow the opposition to block any decision it did not support. Hamadeh added that, since its formation, the Cabinet had made no unilateral decisions and that "all major steps were thoroughly discussed and agreed upon with our partners in the government, Hizbullah and Amal."
Even if the national talks failed to reach any constructive solutions, he said, "this does not mean that we have reached a deadlock and that we should take to the streets."Hamadeh said the consultation talks might resume after Speaker Nabih Berri returns from a scheduled visit to Iran over the weekend.
In separate comments, MP Wael Abou Faour said Thursday that it would be impossible for the March 14 Forces to comply with the opposition's insistence on attaining a one-third bloc in a reshuffled government. "The March 14 Forces insist on a comprehensive settlement that would solve all pending issues, starting with the presidential setback, to reach the issue of ensuring a proper representation of the Free Patriotic Movement in the government," Abou Faour said, speaking after a meeting with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir.
"Unfortunately, it seems that the March 8 Forces, in addition to the FPM, are not very receptive to our proposal," he said.
Should the opposition resort to demonstrations intended to topple the government, Abou Faour said, "we will do our best to defend this government, which was an essential instigator of the Cedar Revolution." Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Talal Sahili said that behind-the-scenes efforts on the part of Saudi Arabia and various international powers were expected to ensure that the outcome of the talks were "as fruitful as possible."
Differences of opinion should not prevent further talks, he said, "especially as some concessions are required of all parties, if any accord is to be reached."
Also rejecting the establishment of a one-third minority, MP Akram Chehayeb lashed out at Hizbullah's second-in-command, Sheikh Naim Qassem, for saying Wednesday that such an agreement was "the only way to ensure political stability."Chehayeb asked whether Qassem's "definition of political stability meant taking unilateral decisions about war and peace, or jeopardizing all what has been agreed upon during dialogue sessions." - The Daily Star
Army signs deal for $10.5 million in equipment from US
Daily Star staff-Friday, November 10, 2006
BEIRUT: A visiting senior US Defense Department official said Thursday that Lebanon was on the verge of "a historical shift" toward sovereignty and independence. "In support of this upcoming change, we are proud to work with the Lebanese government to ensure that its armed forces are trained and equipped to serve and protect the Lebanese people," said Assistant Defense Secretary Peter Rodman. The US official's comments were made after a meeting with Defense Minister Elias Murr at the Defense Ministry in Yarzeh. The meeting, also attended by US Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman, saw the signing of an agreement to provide the ar-my with $10.5 million in military equipment. "The agreement represents an important step forward in US support for Lebanon," Rodman said. "Through this initiative, the first through the US Foreign Military Financing Program in more than 25 years, the US is contributing to the building of a modern and professional Lebanese Army," he added. The assistant secretary hailed the army's recent deployment in the South, and reaffirmed Washington's commitment to cooperate with Beirut on expanding its security capabilities. "I emphasized the willingness of the US to assist Lebanon in building its capacity to protect its borders and establish sovereignty over all its territory," he said. Outlining the details of the agreement, Rodman said the US would provide Lebanon with more than $40 million in assistance, including Humvees, trucks, ammunition, training and spare parts.
"The documents we signed today are an official confirmation of the government's acquisition of some of these items," he said.
A statement issued by the US Embassy Thursday said $700,000 in military and security training had been given to the Lebanese Army last year.
More than 130 officers and non-commission officers attended professional military courses in the US in 2006, the statement added.
Rodman then met with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to discuss recent developments in Lebanon and the region as well as the US military assistance to the army. No statements were released after the meeting. - The Daily Star