LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
October 19/07

Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 10,1-9. After this the Lord appointed seventy (-two) others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'

Free Opinions & Special Reports
Lebanon's Abandoned Role.Elias Bejjani. FrontPage.com. October 18/07
Anxious for Dhimmitude.By: Mark D. Tooley. October 18/07
Islamberg, British style. By Judi McLeod. Canada Free Press. October 18/07 
For Lebanon, caring about Palestinians means protecting its own.The Daily Star. October 18/07
What form of mass murder is Al-Qaeda preparing for? By David Ignatius. October 18/07
Recalling what 'realism' did to Iraq.By Michael Young. October 18/07

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for October 18/07
Gen. Suleiman Denies Alleged U.S. Request to Set Up Military Base in Lebanon-Naharnet
Hizbullah: Aoun is the Opposition's 'secret" Presidential Candidate-Naharnet
Lahoud Invited to a Sports Event in Cairo-Naharnet

U.S. Suggests Formation of Global Team to Guarantee Fair Election-Naharnet
Bkirki Supervises Intra-Maronite Dialogue Between Majority and ...Naharnet
Aoun Advocates Formation of Interim Government-Naharnet
Jumblat Accuses Hizbullah of Establishing Relations with Israel-Naharnet
Moallem: Syria Shares Interest in Safeguarding Lebanon Security
-Naharnet
Nasrallah's victory.
Ha'aretz
Barak sees Israeli anti-rocket system by 2010.
Reuters 
Israel maintains demand that Hezbollah supply info Ron Arad.
Ha'aretz
Hoss Initiative to End Presidential Standoff.Naharnet

Geagea: We Will elect a President by Simple Majority-Naharnet
U.S.-Israel Discuss Nuclear Iran, Hizbullah-Hamas Rockets-Naharnet
Hizbullah Buries Swapped Fighter-Naharnet
Christian Opposition Rejects Names Proposed By March 14 for Bkirki-Backed Meetings-Naharnet
Berri Accuses Jumblat, Geagea of Seeking to Hinder Lebanon Settlement-Naharnet

US 'will support' any freely elected Lebanese president-Daily Star
Israel impeding effort to clear cluster bombs-Daily Star
Hoss suggests solution to presidential crisis-Daily Star
Domestic violence remains hidden in shadow of tradition-Daily Star
Abbas says Jewish state is sabotaging peace talks, threatens to stay home.AFP
Bush 'serious' about state for Palestinians-Daily Star  
Tehran's nuclear negotiator to meet with EU official.AFP
Gates moves to control security contractors in Iraq.AFP
Detained Iranian woman found dead in cell.AFP
Syria renews ban on Lebanese potatoes-Daily Star
Lebanon 'needs to remove obstacles' if it wants to give business a chance-Daily Star
Families of Fatah al-Islam fighters leave for Syria-Daily Star
Students voice growing frustration with MPs' inability to elect president-Daily Star
Syrian show leaves many Lebanese nostalgic for early 20th-century life-Daily Star
Movie about Sidon dump wins first prize at ecological film festival in France-Daily Star
Rights group says end to Palestinian discrimination would benefit all-Daily Star
 

U.S. Suggests Formation of Global Team to Guarantee Fair Election
The United States has reportedly suggested the formation of an international team to guarantee fair presidential elections in Lebanon.
The daily An Nahar said on Thursday that the idea appeared to have been crystallized at the end of meetings in Washington between Druze leader Walid Jumblat and senior U.S. officials. It said the proposal also seemed to have been tackled with other Arab and foreign states.
The suggestion coincided with a statement by U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman in which he said Washington would support a Lebanese presidential candidate who is elected freely without foreign interference or pressure. "Our policy is simple and clear: The United States will support a president who is freely elected - without threat, interference or intimidation from any regional or international power," Feltman told reporters following a meeting with House Speaker Nabih Berri, only days ahead of a scheduled parliamentary session to elect a new head of state.
He said Washington has full confidence in the Lebanese Parliament to elect a president committed to "democracy, unity, and independence and respects international resolutions.""Given the importance of the presidency to Lebanon's unique power-sharing formula and to the role of the Christian community in Lebanon, we hope all members of Parliament will heed the appeals of religious and political leaders who have emphasized the importance of attending the parliamentary session to elect the president," Feltman said."The United States has a firm, enduring, and non-negotiable commitment to the people of Lebanon," he said. "The U.S. looks forward to joining with other international and regional friends of Lebanon in supporting the new president and in working with him and a new government in building a strong, united, and prosperous Lebanon." Beirut, 18 Oct 07, 08:10

Aoun Advocates Formation of Interim Government
Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun said he advocates the formation of an interim government that would be in charge of preparations for the next Presidential Election. In an interview with the daily An Nahar published Thursday, Aoun said he was willing to name a "friend" close to the FPM to the Christian committee that has yet to see light. The committee, if established, would follow up on the separate meetings that took place last week between Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir and Christian politicians from the opposition and the majority in an effort to reach consensus on a presidential candidate.
Aoun said he renewed a proposal that the committee be made up of himself as well as Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, former President Amin Gemayel and former cabinet minister Suleiman Franjieh. "A direct confrontation is the only way to settle issues of importance," Aoun said. Aoun wondered why Geagea did not name a candidate for the follow-up committee. Aoun said that establishment of an interim government was an intermediate opt out of the crisis.
He said the interim government would be assigned to establish a new electoral law which it would supervise.This government would also be overseeing the election of a new president, Aoun said. Beirut, 18 Oct 07, 11:42

Gen. Suleiman Denies Alleged U.S. Request to Set Up Military Base in Lebanon
Army Commander Gen. Michel Suleiman categorically denied Thursday news reports alleging that the United States had requested establishing an advance military base for its forces in Lebanon. Suleiman, contacted by Naharnet, stressed that the topic "has not been discussed with the Lebanese Army." He said in the telephone dialogue that the Lebanese Government is not aware of such an alleged request. Had the issue been discussed at the political level, the Army Command would have been informed of it, Gen. Suleiman added. Lebanon, he noted, is in the custody of the Lebanese Army. The nation's political and military decisions are the responsibility of the nation's constitutional institutions.
He stressed that neither the United States nor any other power can violate such a decision-making process. Cooperation with friendly states, the United States included, is restricted to military assistance and training on the use of such equipment in line with Lebanon's interest, lacking any political conditions, According to Gen. Suleiman. This has been a standing procedure for quite a while, the army commander explained. He stressed that what governs the relations between Lebanon and friendly states is strict respect of the nation's sovereignty and the Lebanese Army's system of values, topped by respect of democracy, human rights as well as public and individual freedoms in addition to combating fanaticism and confronting terror. Beirut, 18 Oct 07, 17:36

Hizbullah: Aoun is the Opposition's "secret" Presidential Candidate
Hizbullah MP Nawar al-Sahili said Thursday that Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun is the opposition's official candidate for the presidential office.
Sahili was also quoted as adding that Hizbullah and Aoun are bound by a "secret agreement not to announce this issue (Aoun's candidacy) officially."Sahili made the remark in an interview with the state-run Tele Liban, excerpts of which were also distributed by the National News Agency (NNA).He stressed that the Hizbullah-led opposition "will not leave the country in the hands of a side that monopolizes power and leads the country to the unknown." Sahili stressed that the opposition would "coordinate" its future steps with President Emile Lahoud to "safeguard unity of the country and avoid vacuum" in the presidential office. He said that electing a president by simple majority "would be as if no election has taken place and the president will not leave the Baabda Palace in the hands of vacuum."Lahoud, according to Sahili, "would take the proper decision on time. What is important is that we, the opposition, will not stand idly by if the majority rejected consensus" on a presidential candidate. Beirut, 18 Oct 07, 17:02

Lahoud Invited to a Sports Event in Cairo

President Emile Lahoud on Thursday received an invitation from his Egyptian counterpart Husni Mubarak to visit Cairo just 13 days before his extended term in office expires. The state-run National News Agency (NNA) said Egypt's ambassador to Lebanon Ahmed Fouad Bidewi delivered Mubarak's invitation to Lahoud to take part in the opening of the 11th Arab games, scheduled for Nov. 11. Lahoud's extended term in office expires on Nov. 24, just one day before the Arab Games –in which Lebanon participates- conclude competitions in Egypt. The text of the invitation stated that Mubarak "looks forwards to President Lahoud's participation in this important pan-Arab gathering." The NNA report said Lahoud Thanked Mubarak for the invitation, but failed to disclose whether the Lebanese Head of state would actually leave for Cairo at such a critical time for the presidential race to elect the first head of state after withdrawal of Syria's troops from Lebanon.
Lahoud's term was extended for three years by a controversial constitutional amendment in Sept. 2004, when the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad was the sole power broker in Lebanon. The extension was a direct challenge to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559 of Sept. 2004, which called for the election of a successor to Lahoud without foreign intervention and in line with the nation's constitution.Beirut, 18 Oct 07, 18:17

Jumblat Accuses Hizbullah of Establishing Relations with Israel

Druze leader Walid Jumblatt continued his attacks against Hizbullah, this time accusing the Shiite group of establishing relations with Israel.
Responding to the prisoner swap between Hizbullah and the Jewish state, Jumbtat, who has met in Washington with Democratic and Republican congressmen on Wednesday said: "It is like Israel is saying there is no Lebanese state, but a Hizbullah state.""This is sad and it proves a certain reality that there is some sort of a relation between Hizbullah and Israel," Jumblat told reporters in Washington. Congress on Monday proposed a resolution condemning Syria, Iran and their Lebanese allies for their meddling in Lebanon and for acting against national interests. Hizbullah criticized the resolution as "interference" in Lebanon's affairs. Beirut, 18 Oct 07, 09:27

Moallem: Syria Shares Interest in Safeguarding Lebanon Security
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem stressed that Syria supports Lebanon's consensus march and said his country shares an interest in safeguarding Lebanon's security and stability, the state-run Syrian News Agency, SANA, said. It said Moallem received a telephone call from French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, adding that the two leaders "discussed bilateral relations and the situation in Lebanon."SANA said Kouchner also briefed Moallem on a visit to Lebanon this weekend along with the foreign ministers of Italy and Spain. It said Kouchner revealed his intention to urge the warring Lebanese political sides to agree on a consensus presidential candidate who is able to "unite the Lebanese." SANA said Moallem expressed Damascus' willingness to open dialogue with France in an effort "to consolidate and develop bilateral relations and contribute toward finding political solutions to the ongoing problems in the region to guarantee security and stability there." Beirut, 18 Oct 07, 09:24

Hoss Initiative to End Presidential Standoff
Former Prime Minister Salim Hoss called on House Speaker Nabih Berri to set up a ballot box where legislators can vote on four "neutral" candidates for the presidential seat. "There is a common feeling of hopelessness among the people," Hoss told a news conference on Wednesday. "So let's give them some concrete steps toward finding a settlement to the ongoing (presidential) crisis." Hoss called on Berri, MP Saad Hariri and Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir to agree on four candidates who do not belong to either the pro-government March 14 camp or to the opposition March 8 coalition. Subsequently, the 128 lawmakers would vote for one of the four nominees at the informal ballot box before heading for Parliament. Hoss said that the chosen candidate will be the consensus candidate who would be officially elected at a parliamentary session  Beirut, 18 Oct 07, 07:31

Geagea: We Will Elect a President by Simple Majority
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said the March 14 majority alliance would elect a president by simple majority. The opposition, according to Geagea, would be sorry because "we will select a candidate whom they consider to be farther away" from their political stand. The state-run National News Agency (NNA) distributed excerpts of Geagea's interview, scheduled for publication Thursday by an-Nahar's Youth supplement. Geagea rejected arguments that failure by Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir to unify the Christians' stand on a presidential candidate would weaken Bkirki's status. "The Patriarch noted the need for an intra-Christian agreement on a president. They may, or may not, reach an understanding, and both cases won't result in a catastrophe," he said. He voiced objection to electing Army Commander Gen. Michael Suleiman for president, stressing that the "constitution states that senior public employees should resign two years before running for elections."Commenting on obstacles facing intra-Christian reconciliation, Geagea said "The problem is not with (Free Patriotic Movement leader) Michel Aoun, and it is not in his alliance with Hizbullah, but in the regional depth of this agreement." He was obviously referring to Hizbullah's links to Syria and Iran. He said reconciliation with ex-minister Suleiman Franjeih "would have been achieved long ago had he been free to act and take his own decisions." Beirut, 17 Oct 07, 17:27

U.S., Israel Discuss Nuclear Iran, Hizbullah-Hamas Rockets

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has held talks in Washington with his U.S. counterpart Robert Gates on the joint development of a missile interception system, his office said on Wednesday. On his first trip since taking office in June, Barak and Gates also discussed regional issues on Tuesday, including Iran's controversial nuclear program, which Israel and the United States say is cover for the development an atomic weapon, something Iran strongly denies.
The two men discussed the continuing cooperation in the development of a "multi-layered missile interception system," seen as a measure to counter any Iranian attack on the Jewish state, Barak's office said in a statement. Israel has already successfully tested and deployed its Arrow anti-missile system, also jointly developed with its key ally, which is said to be able to deflect most missile strikes against the Jewish state. During his six-day visit, the former Israeli chief of staff is also scheduled to meet Vice President Dick Cheney and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley as well as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Israel, widely seen as the region's sole though undeclared nuclear power, considers Iran its chief enemy after repeated statements from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that the Jewish state should be wiped off the map. Barak was also expected to discuss the development of a joint US-Israeli system aimed at countering rocket fire of the sort regularly directed at Israel by Palestinian militants based in the Gaza Strip and also used by the Shiite militants of Hizbullah during last year's war in Lebanon.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 17 Oct 07, 20:39