LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
May 03/09

Bible Reading of the day.
 Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 6,60-69. Then many of his disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe." Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father." As a result of this, many (of) his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Hizbullah’s threats/Future News 02/05/09
 A Syrian view on the future of relations with the US-Foreign Policy - 02/05/09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for May 02/09
 Gemayel: Presence of Arms Strips Lebanon of its Sovereignty, DemocracyNaharnet
 Jumblat Urges Lebanese to Vote for Aley's March 14 Ticket and Arslan/Naharnet
 Iraq says captured Syrian suicide bomber, close to Qaida leader-Xinhua
Election Supervision Committee Unveils 153 Media Violations/Naharnet
 Gunmen Steal 140,000 Euros from Lebanese Businessman's Vehicle/Naharnet
 Obama to meet with Peres at White House on Tuesday-Haaretz
UN: Israel must freeze East Jerusalem home demolitions-Haaretz
Nasrallah: Hezbollah has no plans to destabilize Egypt-Haaretz
Hezbollah slams 'dishonest' UN investigation of Hariri killing-Haaretz
 Ahmad Al Assaad accuses Hizbullah and Amal of attacking his convoy in Taybe-Future News
 Saniora From Baabda: Judiciary Not Accused-Future News
 Najjar: Judiciary to Respond to Attacks Regarding Generals Case-Future News
 Lawyers to Almustaqbal.org: “The officers must be prosecuted”-Future News
 March 14 is coherent… and Hizbullah’s violence continues-Future News
 March 14’s ready to face the return of the tutelage regime-Future News
 Souaid: ‘March 14’s victory a condition to escape-Future News
 Zahra: Hizbullah-Aoun memorandum is a swindle-Future News
 Youssef: Hizbullah seeks ministerial post to Jamil el-Sayed-Future News
Elias Atallah to almustaqbal.org: March 8 immorality will backfire-Future News
 The European Committee to oversee elections holds its first press conference, Monday-Future News
 Nasrallah: We Shall Never Accept What We Accepted Before Following Injustice Done to The 4 Generals-Naharnet
 Hezbollah chief still has doubts over Hariri court-AFP
 March 8 Aley Electoral List Announced-Naharnet
 March 14 Announces Four-Member Aley Ticket, Fifth Seat Vacant-Naharnet
 Key Lebanese Suspect in Attack on Army Arrested in Turkey-Naharnet
 Geagea Says Generals' Release Boosts March 14 'Credibility'-Naharnet
 Suleiman's London Visit: Renewed Support for Lebanon and Tribunal Funding-Naharnet

Hizbullah’s threats
Date: May 2nd, 2009 Future News
All the political facts that March 8 militias try to verify, confirm that the electoral battle is taking place in a stage of a pending war that started on 7th of May and led to a government in a deadlock situation, unable to act and decide.
Elections are supposed to put an end to this state, and it is up to the Lebanese. Because who follows up the declarations of these militias spokesman sees that, in addition to their demand of the “obstructing third” in the next government, Hizbullah gives the Lebanese two options: war in its conduct and peace with its conditions. The most obvious evidence is the declarations and positions of March 8 camp after releasing the four Generals.
The efforts of “thank you Syria” militias are concentrated on bringing the country back to its previous situation. And this became clear since Hizbullah got engaged in war and took Lebanon into a status similar to before the explosion of the civil war year 1975: occupying downtown Beirut, the eminent tension and blocking roads with tires and containers, on the pretext of development which haven’t showed yet after the “Doha agreement” even though the issue still exists, and Nahr Al-Bared war.
The concern of confrontation has been present on all stages, but what is stable is that the only solution is not war or falling into the trap set for us to adjust the balance of power in the country. The solution is also not awaiting the international developments because it only concerns us to the extent of securing the future and stability of Lebanon. Betting on these developments-as these militias- means that there is winner and loser, which Lebanon cannot bear. The solution is to drop these threatens through voting and victory for “Lebanon First” in its co-existence and eternal diversity.

Hezbollah slams 'dishonest' UN investigation of Hariri killing
By Reuters /The Lebanese-Shi'ite militia Hezbollah on Friday attacked an international investigation into the 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri, describing its work as politicized and dishonest. Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Iranian-backed Islamist movement, said in a televised address that this week's release of four Lebanese generals held since August 2005 in connection with the killing was "conclusive proof" that the international investigation had been unfair.
The Hague-based Special Tribunal for Lebanon on Wednesday ordered the release of the four generals seen as pillars of a Lebanese state dominated by neighbouring Syria at the time of the killing. The generals were among a number of Syrian and Lebanese officials implicated in a preliminary report by the international investigation. The head of the inquiry at the time, Detlev Mehlis, requested their detention. Syria has always denied any involvement in the assassination, which led to its military withdrawal from Lebanon. The generals always said they were innocent. The prosecutor said in his filing to the court on Wednesday that an assessment of evidence had not proved sufficiently credible to warrant indictments due to inconsistencies in potentially key witness statements and a lack of corroborative evidence.
"After four years, the truth of the falsification and politicization of the work of the international investigation commission has become clear," said Nasrallah, a close ally of Syria whose group backed the generals' campaign for freedom.
"Today, I hope that nobody will ask us in advance to accept anything from the prosecutor, or the international investigation, or the judges of the tribunal simply because it issued a correct decision two days ago," he added. The Hariri killing plunged Lebanon into its worst internal crisis since the 1975-90 civil war, opening a political chasm between opponents of Syria's influence in the country and its allies. The international investigation into the killing, which was followed by more assassinations targeting anti-Syrian figures, was established by the UN Security Council, which Hezbollah regularly accuses of bias. Nasrallah attacked the United Nations over what he said was recent criticism of his group by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in remarks over Hezbollah's activities in Egypt. "Mr. Ban Ki-moon is dragging the United Nations into a confrontation with Hezbollah and with the resistance movements in the region," Nasrallah said

Nasrallah: Hezbollah has no plans to destabilize Egypt
By The Associated Press /The leader of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah said his Shiite group has no intention of setting up a cell in Egypt to destabilize that predominantly Sunni Muslim country, and claimed that an alleged fierce Egyptian campaign against the group has failed to discredit it in the Arab world.
The remarks by Hassan Nasrallah came in the wake of Egypt's announcement last month that it had uncovered a plot by 49 men linked to Hezbollah to destabilize the country by carrying out attacks on Egyptian institutions and Israeli tourists. Nasrallah at the time rejected the accusations but admitted a Hezbollah member was in Egypt supervising weapons shipments to Hezbollah's ally, the militant Palestinian group Hamas that controls the Gaza Strip.
Egypt was wasting money and efforts in trying to vilify Hezbollah, Nasrallah said in a televised speech Friday night, again rejecting accusations of Hezbollah plots against Egypt. "We didn't set up a cell in Egypt and we don't intend to set up a cell in Egypt," he said. "We are not seeking to target Egypt, its security, its regime or its stability." Egypt's "wide-scale political, propaganda and media campaign" has failed to "distort Hezbollah's image," Nasrallah said, but added that Hezbollah would not engage in any sort of counter-campaign against Egypt in order to allow for Arab and Lebanese mediators to work to end the dispute.
Nasrallah said several Arab and Lebanese leaders called for "dealing with this crisis in a calm and rational manner" - a reference to a recent statement by Lebanese President Michel Suleiman that he was using quiet diplomacy to try to resolve the Egypt-Hezbollah dispute. Nasrallah stressed the Egyptian campaign also would not harm Hezbollah ahead of the June 7 parliament elections. The United States and its allies among Arab nations such as Egypt are concerned that a Hezbollah electoral win could increase the sway of the group's backers Iran and Syria in the region. Nasrallah's comments came two days after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak warned regional adversaries - a reference to Iran and the Hezbollah group it supports - that he would not tolerate what he called tampering with his country's security and stability. Egypt and other Arab nations have watched with concern as Iran has deepened its regional influence through its support for Hezbollah and its development of nuclear technology.

Obama to meet with Peres at White House on Tuesday
By News Agencies /President Barack Obama will meet President Shimon Peres on Tuesday at the White House, spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Friday.
Obama has invited Egyptian, Israeli and Palestinian leaders to visit the White House over the next few weeks to discuss the Middle East peace process.
The meeting will come during Peres's visit to the United States to take part in a summit held by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a pro-Israel lobby group, Peres' office said in a statement earlier this week. Peres will be the first Israeli statesman to meet Obama since the inauguration last month of the right-leaning government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu, who risks friction with the Obama administration over peacemaking with Palestinians, will meet the American president next month. Obama has said reviving stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks with the goal of establishing a Palestinian state is a top priority for his administration. But Netanyahu has so far refused to commit himself to Palestinian statehood in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
An aide to Netanyahu on Tuesday said the prime minister's review of Israel's policy on the Middle East is expected to be completed by the time he visits the United States next month. Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Haaretz on Monday that he believes Netanyahu will present the U.S. administration a diplomatic plan in line with the principle of "two states for two nations" during his upcoming visit to Washington. The prime minister's office would not comment on Barak's remarks, but Netanyahu's aide said the policy review was under way and should be completed around the time Netanyahu goes to Washington.

Saniora From Baabda: Judiciary Not Accused
Naharnet/Prime Minister Fouad Saniora stressed that the Lebanese judiciary does not stand accused adding that the state is keen on its reputation, reverence, independence and neutrality.Following his meeting with President Michel Suleiman on Saturday in Baabda palace Saniora said: "This build a firewall [for the judiciary] so that there is no interference by anyone its functionality."The prime minister was commenting on the issue of the judiciary following the Wednesday release of four Lebanese generals by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. The generals were detained three years and eight months ago over suspicions in their involvements in the 2005 assassination of ex-premier Rafik Hariri. No official charges were ever made against them during that time. "The general's release should not be politicized or employed by any party for its own benefit," Saniora said. On Friday Saniora met with Education Minister Bahia Hariri in Majdalioun in which he said that the recent release of the generals "refutes any claims by anyone that the Special Tribunal is politicized and not neutral." He rejected all acts and explanations that take the country back to "ancient illusions that the Lebanese reject." Saniora pointed that the work of the tribunal should a meeting point for all Lebanese and not a cause for divisions. Beirut, 02 May 09, 11:26

Najjar: Judiciary to Respond to Attacks Regarding Generals Case
Naharnet/Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said the Higher Judicial Council is to respond to attacks launched against by various politicians concerning the recent release of the four generals by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). Najjar said the judiciary is to pay added attention to the issue of arresting citizens, stressing the point that the judicial system is to be strengthened and shielded against any form of political intervention. In an interview with the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC TV) on Friday, Najjar said the decision for releasing the four generals does not make them innocent "because the pre-trial judge Daniel Fransen does not have the right to issue such a decision (releasing the generals) without a request by STL prosecutor Daniel Bellemare." Najjar said that he does not know of any Lebanese judicial official that wishes to resign over this issue. "Cabinet has left the matter to the Higher Judicial Council to decide on the issue," Najjar said. Regarding the case of escaped Hussein Jaafar (wanted over the attack on the military in northern Lebanon two weeks ago), Najjar said that his arrest in Turkey is positive adding that he has requested from Turkish authorities to ensure the identity of the arrested individual. Jaafar who escaped from Lebanon to Syria and then to Turkey following the attack on the military, was handed over to Syrian authorities by Turkey, the daily pan-Arab al-Hayat said Saturday the Lebanon is working with Syrian authorities to extradite him back to Lebanon. Beirut, 02 May 09, 08:19

Hezbollah chief still has doubts over Hariri court
BEIRUT (AFP) — Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Friday said a decision by a UN-backed court to free Lebanese officers held over the murder of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri does not mean the tribunal is "honest."
Nasrallah also called anew on the Lebanese authorities to widen its investigation into the 2005 assassination of Hariri to probe a possible involvement by Hezbollah's archfoe Israel. On Wednesday the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon based in The Hague ordered the release of four Lebanese officers jailed since almost four years saying there was insufficient evidence to charge them. Their release "is proof that... their detention was political," Nasrallah said in a speech aired on Hezbollah's Al-Manar television. "The decision that was announced... does not mean that the court is honest," he said, adding that the court's decision "ended a black phase."
"But today is a new start and we will not pre-judge the court, positively or negatively," he said calling on the prosecution and the investigation to show "they are far removed from politics." The four officers, considered pro-Syrian, released on Wednesday are the former head of the presidential guard, Mustafa Hamdan, 53, security services director Jamil Sayyed, 58, domestic security chief Ali Hajj, 52, and military intelligence chief Raymond Azar, 56.
Nasrallah also asked the investigation into Hariri's murder to take into account the possibility that Israel was behind the massive Beirut bombing that killed the former premier and 22 other people. "Whoever says that Israel did not have the motive or interest in killing Hariri would be killing Hariri a second time," he said.
Syria was widely blamed for Hariri's murder. Damascus has repeatedly denied any involvement but two months after the assassination it pulled its troops from Lebanon ending almost three decades of military domination. "Does Israel have the motive? Yes of course. Does Israel have an interest? Yes of course," Nasrallah said.
Nasrallah also called on Lebanese political rivals "to cooperate to unveil the truth" about Hariri's murder. The officers were released as Lebanon prepares for crucial parliamentary elections on June 7 that will pit the Western-backed parliamentary majority headed by Hariri's son Saad against a Hezbollah-led alliance backed by Syria and Iran. Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.

Nasrallah: We Shall Never Accept What We Accepted Before Following Injustice Done to The 4 Generals
Naharnet/Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said: "We shall never accept from today on what we accepted before following the injustice done to the four generals." In a televised address on Friday, Nasrallah tackled the subject of the party's crisis with Egypt, the release of the four generals last Wednesday by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) and Hariri assassination case. He did not address the issue of the scheduled Israeli military maneuvers by the end of May, an issue that was recently discussed by national dialogue participants. Nasrallah voiced his opinion concerning the Hizbullah-Egypt crisis saying: "The party did not enter into any media or political confrontation with the Egyptian regime. The Egyptian regime achieved nothing in its anti-Hizbullah campaign and failed in defaming its image."
He denied claims that Hizbullah was working on establishing a working cell in Egypt and indicated the existence of "quiet efforts for settling this crisis."
He commented on U.N. Secretary-General's recent statements concerning the Hizbullah cell in Egypt saying: "this make me wonder how he did not utilize the same expressions during the Gaza war.""Ban Ki-moon is dragging the U.N. into a confrontation with the resistance for Israel's benefit," Nasrallah said.
He rejected the "Zionist program and we reject U.S. hegemony in the region."
On the issue of the recent release of the four generals by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Nasrallah called for a full revision of the Hariri assassination and the special tribunal in a manner that serves this case. "The political accusation in the Hariri case almost caused a civil and regional war and caused a dispute on the subject of who would investigate the crime," Nasrallah said. He added that the four generals remained in prison for political reasons, explaining that United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) Mehlis and those that succeeded him should've released them ealier.
"The decision to release the four generals is clear evidence the UNIIIC was politicized, unjust and not working according to international standards," He said.
He added that the "failure of the politicized testimonies, the disappearance of the main witness is a political and judicial scandal; the release came to cover those two scandals." Nasrallah pointed to all UNIIIC heads Mehlis, Bramartz and Bellemare are all stand accused. He described prosecutor Bellemare as an individual composed of three characters saying the first character was bad for working on the case as his predecessors did, while Bellemare 2 was good (for recommending the release of the four generals) adding: "but we don't know what Bellemare 3 would be like." The Hizbullah Secretary-General ended by saying that the recent release of the four generals would not affect the outcome of the June parliamentary elections. Beirut, 01 May 09, 22:04

March 8 Aley Electoral List Announced
Naharnet/Youth and Sports Minister Talal Arsalan who also heads the Lebanese Democratic Party announced the parliamentary opposition's 2009 electoral list for the Aley region. The list is titled "Partnership and Reform." The list is composed of: Talal Ardalan, Caesar Abu Khalil, Antoine el-Zoghbi and Marwan Abu Fadel.
"We cannot remain silent when Lebanon is turned into a place for political detention. What happened to the 4 generals is a crime that cannot pass without accountability," Arsalan said. He affirmed his belief in common livelihood in Lebanon adding "we shall preserve the country's Christians with our eyes."
Arsalan urged voters to vote and commit to the whole Aley list, adding that Lebanon needs full integration and development. Beirut, 01 May 09, 20:43

March 14 Announces Four-Member Aley Ticket, Fifth Seat Vacant
Naharnet/March 14 Forces announced Friday its electoral list in the district of Aley under the banner of "June 7: A Date of Transition to the State."
The ticket, unveiled at a public rally in Bhamdoun, includes Akram Chehayeb for the Druze seat; Henry Helou and Fouad al-Saad for the Maronite seats and Fadi al-Habr for the Orthodox seat. The fifth seat was left vacant. "Our identity is our belonging to the greater Lebanon, one that is sovereign, free and undisputed," Democratic Gathering member Saad said. He said the Special Tribunal for Lebanon presented Wednesday "the biggest proof of its neutrality" by ordering the release of four Lebanese generals, held since 2005 in connection to ex-Primer Rafik Hariri's murder. "We did not want the tribunal for the purpose of revenge. We wanted it for the truth," he added. For his part, Helou urged voters to choose between what he described as "a government of (development) and that of war."
"What kind of government do you want? Do you want a government of openness or one of isolation under Iranian and Syrian direction? Do you want a government that spreads weapons or one that seeks to contain them," he asked. Habr said the polls must be held under the banner of "modern state, the rule of law ... under the protection of one army." Chehayeb concluded the rally by insisting of March 14's "unity."
"We were the ones to tell the Syrian that the time of tutelage has come to an end. We were the ones to peacefully topple the government of (ex-Premier) Omar Karami," he said.  "We were the ones to reaffirm (commitment) to the Taef accord and call for (a single authority) over weapons. We are the (source) of reconciliation under the auspices of (Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah) Sfeir," he added. Beirut, 01 May 09, 20:00

Key Lebanese Suspect in Attack on Army Arrested in Turkey
Naharnet/Turkish authorities have arrested a key suspect in the deadly attack on a Lebanese army patrol in the Bekaa Valley two weeks ago, the daily An Nahar reported Friday. It identified the suspect as Hussein Jaafar, a Lebanese. An Nahar said "essential" interrogation is ongoing with Jaafar ahead of his extradition to Lebanon, while search is still underway for three other Lebanese suspects in Turkey. The four fugitives made their way over the Syrian border to Turkey, it added.
On April 13, unidentified gunmen attacked an army patrol in eastern Lebanon, killing four soldiers and injuring at least 13 others.
The attack occurred on a highway near the town of Zahle in the Bekaa Valley, when two mortar shells were launched at the patrol before it came under automatic gun fire. The assault was in apparent revenge for anti-drug raids the Lebanese army has been conducting in the area. Beirut, 01 May 09, 09:29

U.S.: Limited Army Control over Border, Hizbullah World's 'Most Effective Terrorist Group'
Naharnet/The U.S. government said the Lebanese army has "limited" control over the border and labeled Hizbullah the "world's most effective terrorist organization."
A State Department report for 2008 said Iran "remained the most active state sponsor of terrorism," including supporting "terrorist" groups such as Hamas, Hizbullah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, all of which opposed the Middle East peace process, as well as Iraq-based militants and the Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.
Iran was lumped with Syria, Sudan and Cuba as terrorism sponsors in the report, the same countries that appeared in previous annual reports.
North Korea was dropped from the blacklist in October 2008 after it struck a verbal deal with the United States aimed at verifying its nuclear disarmament, even though a formal agreement was never sealed.
"Iran's involvement in the planning and financial support of terrorist attacks throughout the Middle East, Europe, and Central Asia had a direct impact on international efforts to promote peace, threatened economic stability in the Gulf, and undermined the growth of democracy," the report said.
It singled out the Qods Force, an elite branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as the Islamic republic's main means to cultivate and support terrorists overseas. The Qods Force gave "weapons, training and funding" to Hamas and other Palestinian groups, Lebanon's Hizbullah as well as Iraq-based militants and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, the report said. It also said the Qods Force trained the Taliban "on small unit tactics, small arms, explosives, and indirect fire weapons."
Iran broke its own pledges to help stabilize Iraq by giving "weapons, training, funding, and guidance" to Iraqi militant groups that attack U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi forces as well as Iraqi civilians, the report said. The report also took to task Syria, which is a main supporter of Hizbullah, Hamas and other Palestinian groups.
"Throughout the year, Syria continued to strengthen ties with fellow state sponsor of terrorism, Iran," the report said. It said "Syria has not been directly implicated in an act of terrorism since 1986," but it pointed out that the United Nations was still investigating a suspected Syrian role in the February 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The State Department sounded more upbeat on Sudan. Sudan generally believed it was in its interest to cooperate with U.S. efforts to thwart attacks against the United States, but yet allowed groups like Hamas to operate on its territory, the report said. It also said that "al-Qaida-inspired elements" were also in Sudan. The U.S. said communist Cuba, which has been under a U.S. embargo for decades, continued to "provide safe haven to several terrorists" such as members of the Basque separatist group ETA and the Colombian rebel group FARC. But it added that some members of these groups stayed in Cuba last year after having arrived "in connection with peace negotiations with the governments of Spain and Colombia."(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 01 May 09, 09:32

Geagea Says Generals' Release Boosts March 14 'Credibility'
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Friday said the March 14 Forces stands to benefit from the release of four generals jailed since 2005 in connection with the assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri. The generals were freed Wednesday after the Special Tribunal for Lebanon ordered their release on grounds there was insufficient evidence to indict them for Hariri's murder.  The generals' release "is a positive move that can benefit March 14 Forces and its political agenda. It demonstrates the forces' credibility, countering (the image) that some media outlets have been promoting," Geagea told reporters. Geagea criticized his political rivals in March 8 for "using" the court's decision "to boost their standing in the elections." "Past attempts by March 8 to hinder the tribunal's creation are a clear indication that this party seeks only political and electoral gains," Geagea said. He defended the Lebanese judiciary after the minority accused it of being "politicized." "The Lebanese generals were jailed under the orders of Detlev Mehlis, not the Lebanese judiciary," Geagea said, referring to the former head of the U.N. commission investigating Hariri's assassination. Beirut, 01 May 09, 17:45

A Syrian view on the future of relations with the U.S.
Fri, 05/01/2009 - 3:05pm/FP Foreign Policy
http://lynch.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/05/01/a_syrian_view_on_the_future_of_relations_with_the_us
This afternoon I headed over to the Middle East Institute to hear Syrian Ambassador Imad Moustapha talk about the future of U.S.-Syrian relations. While Moustapha radiated optimism about and appreciation for the Obama administration's approach, it is clear that there is a long road ahead. His surprisingly old-school approach to argumentation -- deflecting all difficult questions either by attacking AIPAC or talking about Israel - does not suggest that there's been a sea change in Syrian thinking. Still, he made a number of important points -- particularly on Syrian views of the Obama administration, on Palestinian politics and the peace process, on Iraq, and on Lebanon.
Perhaps the most interesting single thing he said was the claim -- repeated twice -- that the U.S. was asking Syria to use its influence with Hamas to convince them to overcome its differences with Mahmoud Abbas and join a unity government. That would be very interesting, if true. I have my doubts, given the administration's very clear line against including Hamas in the unity government without its first meeting the Quartet pre-conditions, but it's worth looking into. According to Moustapha, Damascus supports a unity government and the Egyptian mediation, is pushing both Fatah and Hamas to compromise, and is urging the U.S. to be realistic about Hamas and to drop the Bush-era Quartet pre-conditions against dealing with it.
Syria has no intention of expelling Khaled Meshaal, in case you were wondering.
Like every other Arab official I've seen in the last few months, Moustapha praised Obama's public commitment to working for a two-state solution and the appointment of George Mitchell. Moustapha fell over himself to praise the seriousness of the Obama team and the President's diplomatic overtures. Where Bush officials would begin every discussion with a recitation of demands that Syria must meet (to which Syrians would respond with a litany of complaints about Israel), Obama officials -- he claimed -- used a civil and respectful tone and avoided lecturing or listing demands.
There are still sharp disagreements, he said, but now there is the possibility of having productive discussions aimed at solving the problems. Instead of dual monologues achieving nothing, there was now the opportunity for real dialogue.
That sounds great, but.... at the same time, Moustapha continued to fall back on the old style in his own responses to questions and challenges -- exactly the litany of complaints about Israel which he a few minutes earlier had self-mockingly described as the stock response to the Bush administration's lectures. For instance, he dismissed questions about Syrian material support for Hezbollah and Hamas by waving it away as the sort of thing the Washington Institute for Near East Policy would produce.
His low point came in his response to a Syrian man who asked him to speak about human rights abuses and repression inside of Syria. His response, equating the Syrian questioner with the Israelis and WINEP and then going on about Israeli war crimes, drew audible grumbling from the audience. If the Obama administration has indeed adopted such a fresh new style with Syria, it does not yet seem to be reciprocated in Syrian public diplomacy.
On Iraq, Moustapha took great pains to present an enormous opportunity for cooperation with the U.S. rooted in mutual self-interest. He explained that Syria no longer disagreed with the U.S. about Iraq, that it fully supported an American withdrawal on a responsible timetable and that Syria would do whatever it could to ensure that the withdrawal succeeds and leaves behind a stable Iraq.
He also spoke about the claimed 1.5 million Iraqi refugees in Syria, noting that despite the great burden they posed on the country they would not be sent back. A stable Iraq would make it more likely they would leave of their own accord, he argued, by way of demonstrating the Syrian national interest in Iraqi success. All of this makes it puzzling that Syria has evidently not yet done as much as it could to control its border with Iraq. Perhaps that's the bargaining chip Damascus intends to offer up when Jeff Feltman and Dan Shapiro head back to Syria next week?
Finally, I asked him about Syrian views of the upcoming Lebanese elections. Moustapha said that Syria supported a peaceful, successful election. He noted that the U.S. was trying to help its friends and allies in those elections, and so was Syria. But regardless of the results, he argued, the winner of the election must include the losers in a participatory coalition government instead of trying to rule by a zero-sum logic. He claimed that Syria was giving this advice to its Lebanese allies, and that they were saying the same thing back to Damascus. We shall see.
 

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
May 03/09

Bible Reading of the day.
 Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 6,60-69. Then many of his disciples who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?" Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, "Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe." Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father." As a result of this, many (of) his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Hizbullah’s threats/Future News 02/05/09
 A Syrian view on the future of relations with the US-Foreign Policy - 02/05/09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for May 02/09
 Gemayel: Presence of Arms Strips Lebanon of its Sovereignty, DemocracyNaharnet
 Jumblat Urges Lebanese to Vote for Aley's March 14 Ticket and Arslan/Naharnet
 Iraq says captured Syrian suicide bomber, close to Qaida leader-Xinhua
Election Supervision Committee Unveils 153 Media Violations/Naharnet
 Gunmen Steal 140,000 Euros from Lebanese Businessman's Vehicle/Naharnet
 Obama to meet with Peres at White House on Tuesday-Haaretz
UN: Israel must freeze East Jerusalem home demolitions-Haaretz
Nasrallah: Hezbollah has no plans to destabilize Egypt-Haaretz
Hezbollah slams 'dishonest' UN investigation of Hariri killing-Haaretz
 Ahmad Al Assaad accuses Hizbullah and Amal of attacking his convoy in Taybe-Future News
 Saniora From Baabda: Judiciary Not Accused-Future News
 Najjar: Judiciary to Respond to Attacks Regarding Generals Case-Future News
 Lawyers to Almustaqbal.org: “The officers must be prosecuted”-Future News
 March 14 is coherent… and Hizbullah’s violence continues-Future News
 March 14’s ready to face the return of the tutelage regime-Future News
 Souaid: ‘March 14’s victory a condition to escape-Future News
 Zahra: Hizbullah-Aoun memorandum is a swindle-Future News
 Youssef: Hizbullah seeks ministerial post to Jamil el-Sayed-Future News
Elias Atallah to almustaqbal.org: March 8 immorality will backfire-Future News
 The European Committee to oversee elections holds its first press conference, Monday-Future News
 Nasrallah: We Shall Never Accept What We Accepted Before Following Injustice Done to The 4 Generals-Naharnet
 Hezbollah chief still has doubts over Hariri court-AFP
 March 8 Aley Electoral List Announced-Naharnet
 March 14 Announces Four-Member Aley Ticket, Fifth Seat Vacant-Naharnet
 Key Lebanese Suspect in Attack on Army Arrested in Turkey-Naharnet
 Geagea Says Generals' Release Boosts March 14 'Credibility'-Naharnet
 Suleiman's London Visit: Renewed Support for Lebanon and Tribunal Funding-Naharnet

Hizbullah’s threats
Date: May 2nd, 2009 Future News
All the political facts that March 8 militias try to verify, confirm that the electoral battle is taking place in a stage of a pending war that started on 7th of May and led to a government in a deadlock situation, unable to act and decide.
Elections are supposed to put an end to this state, and it is up to the Lebanese. Because who follows up the declarations of these militias spokesman sees that, in addition to their demand of the “obstructing third” in the next government, Hizbullah gives the Lebanese two options: war in its conduct and peace with its conditions. The most obvious evidence is the declarations and positions of March 8 camp after releasing the four Generals.
The efforts of “thank you Syria” militias are concentrated on bringing the country back to its previous situation. And this became clear since Hizbullah got engaged in war and took Lebanon into a status similar to before the explosion of the civil war year 1975: occupying downtown Beirut, the eminent tension and blocking roads with tires and containers, on the pretext of development which haven’t showed yet after the “Doha agreement” even though the issue still exists, and Nahr Al-Bared war.
The concern of confrontation has been present on all stages, but what is stable is that the only solution is not war or falling into the trap set for us to adjust the balance of power in the country. The solution is also not awaiting the international developments because it only concerns us to the extent of securing the future and stability of Lebanon. Betting on these developments-as these militias- means that there is winner and loser, which Lebanon cannot bear. The solution is to drop these threatens through voting and victory for “Lebanon First” in its co-existence and eternal diversity.

Hezbollah slams 'dishonest' UN investigation of Hariri killing
By Reuters /The Lebanese-Shi'ite militia Hezbollah on Friday attacked an international investigation into the 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri, describing its work as politicized and dishonest. Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Iranian-backed Islamist movement, said in a televised address that this week's release of four Lebanese generals held since August 2005 in connection with the killing was "conclusive proof" that the international investigation had been unfair.
The Hague-based Special Tribunal for Lebanon on Wednesday ordered the release of the four generals seen as pillars of a Lebanese state dominated by neighbouring Syria at the time of the killing. The generals were among a number of Syrian and Lebanese officials implicated in a preliminary report by the international investigation. The head of the inquiry at the time, Detlev Mehlis, requested their detention. Syria has always denied any involvement in the assassination, which led to its military withdrawal from Lebanon. The generals always said they were innocent. The prosecutor said in his filing to the court on Wednesday that an assessment of evidence had not proved sufficiently credible to warrant indictments due to inconsistencies in potentially key witness statements and a lack of corroborative evidence.
"After four years, the truth of the falsification and politicization of the work of the international investigation commission has become clear," said Nasrallah, a close ally of Syria whose group backed the generals' campaign for freedom.
"Today, I hope that nobody will ask us in advance to accept anything from the prosecutor, or the international investigation, or the judges of the tribunal simply because it issued a correct decision two days ago," he added. The Hariri killing plunged Lebanon into its worst internal crisis since the 1975-90 civil war, opening a political chasm between opponents of Syria's influence in the country and its allies. The international investigation into the killing, which was followed by more assassinations targeting anti-Syrian figures, was established by the UN Security Council, which Hezbollah regularly accuses of bias. Nasrallah attacked the United Nations over what he said was recent criticism of his group by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in remarks over Hezbollah's activities in Egypt. "Mr. Ban Ki-moon is dragging the United Nations into a confrontation with Hezbollah and with the resistance movements in the region," Nasrallah said

Nasrallah: Hezbollah has no plans to destabilize Egypt
By The Associated Press /The leader of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah said his Shiite group has no intention of setting up a cell in Egypt to destabilize that predominantly Sunni Muslim country, and claimed that an alleged fierce Egyptian campaign against the group has failed to discredit it in the Arab world.
The remarks by Hassan Nasrallah came in the wake of Egypt's announcement last month that it had uncovered a plot by 49 men linked to Hezbollah to destabilize the country by carrying out attacks on Egyptian institutions and Israeli tourists. Nasrallah at the time rejected the accusations but admitted a Hezbollah member was in Egypt supervising weapons shipments to Hezbollah's ally, the militant Palestinian group Hamas that controls the Gaza Strip.
Egypt was wasting money and efforts in trying to vilify Hezbollah, Nasrallah said in a televised speech Friday night, again rejecting accusations of Hezbollah plots against Egypt. "We didn't set up a cell in Egypt and we don't intend to set up a cell in Egypt," he said. "We are not seeking to target Egypt, its security, its regime or its stability." Egypt's "wide-scale political, propaganda and media campaign" has failed to "distort Hezbollah's image," Nasrallah said, but added that Hezbollah would not engage in any sort of counter-campaign against Egypt in order to allow for Arab and Lebanese mediators to work to end the dispute.
Nasrallah said several Arab and Lebanese leaders called for "dealing with this crisis in a calm and rational manner" - a reference to a recent statement by Lebanese President Michel Suleiman that he was using quiet diplomacy to try to resolve the Egypt-Hezbollah dispute. Nasrallah stressed the Egyptian campaign also would not harm Hezbollah ahead of the June 7 parliament elections. The United States and its allies among Arab nations such as Egypt are concerned that a Hezbollah electoral win could increase the sway of the group's backers Iran and Syria in the region. Nasrallah's comments came two days after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak warned regional adversaries - a reference to Iran and the Hezbollah group it supports - that he would not tolerate what he called tampering with his country's security and stability. Egypt and other Arab nations have watched with concern as Iran has deepened its regional influence through its support for Hezbollah and its development of nuclear technology.

Obama to meet with Peres at White House on Tuesday
By News Agencies /President Barack Obama will meet President Shimon Peres on Tuesday at the White House, spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Friday.
Obama has invited Egyptian, Israeli and Palestinian leaders to visit the White House over the next few weeks to discuss the Middle East peace process.
The meeting will come during Peres's visit to the United States to take part in a summit held by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a pro-Israel lobby group, Peres' office said in a statement earlier this week. Peres will be the first Israeli statesman to meet Obama since the inauguration last month of the right-leaning government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu, who risks friction with the Obama administration over peacemaking with Palestinians, will meet the American president next month. Obama has said reviving stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks with the goal of establishing a Palestinian state is a top priority for his administration. But Netanyahu has so far refused to commit himself to Palestinian statehood in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
An aide to Netanyahu on Tuesday said the prime minister's review of Israel's policy on the Middle East is expected to be completed by the time he visits the United States next month. Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Haaretz on Monday that he believes Netanyahu will present the U.S. administration a diplomatic plan in line with the principle of "two states for two nations" during his upcoming visit to Washington. The prime minister's office would not comment on Barak's remarks, but Netanyahu's aide said the policy review was under way and should be completed around the time Netanyahu goes to Washington.

Saniora From Baabda: Judiciary Not Accused
Naharnet/Prime Minister Fouad Saniora stressed that the Lebanese judiciary does not stand accused adding that the state is keen on its reputation, reverence, independence and neutrality.Following his meeting with President Michel Suleiman on Saturday in Baabda palace Saniora said: "This build a firewall [for the judiciary] so that there is no interference by anyone its functionality."The prime minister was commenting on the issue of the judiciary following the Wednesday release of four Lebanese generals by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. The generals were detained three years and eight months ago over suspicions in their involvements in the 2005 assassination of ex-premier Rafik Hariri. No official charges were ever made against them during that time. "The general's release should not be politicized or employed by any party for its own benefit," Saniora said. On Friday Saniora met with Education Minister Bahia Hariri in Majdalioun in which he said that the recent release of the generals "refutes any claims by anyone that the Special Tribunal is politicized and not neutral." He rejected all acts and explanations that take the country back to "ancient illusions that the Lebanese reject." Saniora pointed that the work of the tribunal should a meeting point for all Lebanese and not a cause for divisions. Beirut, 02 May 09, 11:26

Najjar: Judiciary to Respond to Attacks Regarding Generals Case
Naharnet/Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said the Higher Judicial Council is to respond to attacks launched against by various politicians concerning the recent release of the four generals by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). Najjar said the judiciary is to pay added attention to the issue of arresting citizens, stressing the point that the judicial system is to be strengthened and shielded against any form of political intervention. In an interview with the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC TV) on Friday, Najjar said the decision for releasing the four generals does not make them innocent "because the pre-trial judge Daniel Fransen does not have the right to issue such a decision (releasing the generals) without a request by STL prosecutor Daniel Bellemare." Najjar said that he does not know of any Lebanese judicial official that wishes to resign over this issue. "Cabinet has left the matter to the Higher Judicial Council to decide on the issue," Najjar said. Regarding the case of escaped Hussein Jaafar (wanted over the attack on the military in northern Lebanon two weeks ago), Najjar said that his arrest in Turkey is positive adding that he has requested from Turkish authorities to ensure the identity of the arrested individual. Jaafar who escaped from Lebanon to Syria and then to Turkey following the attack on the military, was handed over to Syrian authorities by Turkey, the daily pan-Arab al-Hayat said Saturday the Lebanon is working with Syrian authorities to extradite him back to Lebanon. Beirut, 02 May 09, 08:19

Hezbollah chief still has doubts over Hariri court
BEIRUT (AFP) — Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Friday said a decision by a UN-backed court to free Lebanese officers held over the murder of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri does not mean the tribunal is "honest."
Nasrallah also called anew on the Lebanese authorities to widen its investigation into the 2005 assassination of Hariri to probe a possible involvement by Hezbollah's archfoe Israel. On Wednesday the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon based in The Hague ordered the release of four Lebanese officers jailed since almost four years saying there was insufficient evidence to charge them. Their release "is proof that... their detention was political," Nasrallah said in a speech aired on Hezbollah's Al-Manar television. "The decision that was announced... does not mean that the court is honest," he said, adding that the court's decision "ended a black phase."
"But today is a new start and we will not pre-judge the court, positively or negatively," he said calling on the prosecution and the investigation to show "they are far removed from politics." The four officers, considered pro-Syrian, released on Wednesday are the former head of the presidential guard, Mustafa Hamdan, 53, security services director Jamil Sayyed, 58, domestic security chief Ali Hajj, 52, and military intelligence chief Raymond Azar, 56.
Nasrallah also asked the investigation into Hariri's murder to take into account the possibility that Israel was behind the massive Beirut bombing that killed the former premier and 22 other people. "Whoever says that Israel did not have the motive or interest in killing Hariri would be killing Hariri a second time," he said.
Syria was widely blamed for Hariri's murder. Damascus has repeatedly denied any involvement but two months after the assassination it pulled its troops from Lebanon ending almost three decades of military domination. "Does Israel have the motive? Yes of course. Does Israel have an interest? Yes of course," Nasrallah said.
Nasrallah also called on Lebanese political rivals "to cooperate to unveil the truth" about Hariri's murder. The officers were released as Lebanon prepares for crucial parliamentary elections on June 7 that will pit the Western-backed parliamentary majority headed by Hariri's son Saad against a Hezbollah-led alliance backed by Syria and Iran. Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.

Nasrallah: We Shall Never Accept What We Accepted Before Following Injustice Done to The 4 Generals
Naharnet/Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said: "We shall never accept from today on what we accepted before following the injustice done to the four generals." In a televised address on Friday, Nasrallah tackled the subject of the party's crisis with Egypt, the release of the four generals last Wednesday by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) and Hariri assassination case. He did not address the issue of the scheduled Israeli military maneuvers by the end of May, an issue that was recently discussed by national dialogue participants. Nasrallah voiced his opinion concerning the Hizbullah-Egypt crisis saying: "The party did not enter into any media or political confrontation with the Egyptian regime. The Egyptian regime achieved nothing in its anti-Hizbullah campaign and failed in defaming its image."
He denied claims that Hizbullah was working on establishing a working cell in Egypt and indicated the existence of "quiet efforts for settling this crisis."
He commented on U.N. Secretary-General's recent statements concerning the Hizbullah cell in Egypt saying: "this make me wonder how he did not utilize the same expressions during the Gaza war.""Ban Ki-moon is dragging the U.N. into a confrontation with the resistance for Israel's benefit," Nasrallah said.
He rejected the "Zionist program and we reject U.S. hegemony in the region."
On the issue of the recent release of the four generals by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Nasrallah called for a full revision of the Hariri assassination and the special tribunal in a manner that serves this case. "The political accusation in the Hariri case almost caused a civil and regional war and caused a dispute on the subject of who would investigate the crime," Nasrallah said. He added that the four generals remained in prison for political reasons, explaining that United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC) Mehlis and those that succeeded him should've released them ealier.
"The decision to release the four generals is clear evidence the UNIIIC was politicized, unjust and not working according to international standards," He said.
He added that the "failure of the politicized testimonies, the disappearance of the main witness is a political and judicial scandal; the release came to cover those two scandals." Nasrallah pointed to all UNIIIC heads Mehlis, Bramartz and Bellemare are all stand accused. He described prosecutor Bellemare as an individual composed of three characters saying the first character was bad for working on the case as his predecessors did, while Bellemare 2 was good (for recommending the release of the four generals) adding: "but we don't know what Bellemare 3 would be like." The Hizbullah Secretary-General ended by saying that the recent release of the four generals would not affect the outcome of the June parliamentary elections. Beirut, 01 May 09, 22:04

March 8 Aley Electoral List Announced
Naharnet/Youth and Sports Minister Talal Arsalan who also heads the Lebanese Democratic Party announced the parliamentary opposition's 2009 electoral list for the Aley region. The list is titled "Partnership and Reform." The list is composed of: Talal Ardalan, Caesar Abu Khalil, Antoine el-Zoghbi and Marwan Abu Fadel.
"We cannot remain silent when Lebanon is turned into a place for political detention. What happened to the 4 generals is a crime that cannot pass without accountability," Arsalan said. He affirmed his belief in common livelihood in Lebanon adding "we shall preserve the country's Christians with our eyes."
Arsalan urged voters to vote and commit to the whole Aley list, adding that Lebanon needs full integration and development. Beirut, 01 May 09, 20:43

March 14 Announces Four-Member Aley Ticket, Fifth Seat Vacant
Naharnet/March 14 Forces announced Friday its electoral list in the district of Aley under the banner of "June 7: A Date of Transition to the State."
The ticket, unveiled at a public rally in Bhamdoun, includes Akram Chehayeb for the Druze seat; Henry Helou and Fouad al-Saad for the Maronite seats and Fadi al-Habr for the Orthodox seat. The fifth seat was left vacant. "Our identity is our belonging to the greater Lebanon, one that is sovereign, free and undisputed," Democratic Gathering member Saad said. He said the Special Tribunal for Lebanon presented Wednesday "the biggest proof of its neutrality" by ordering the release of four Lebanese generals, held since 2005 in connection to ex-Primer Rafik Hariri's murder. "We did not want the tribunal for the purpose of revenge. We wanted it for the truth," he added. For his part, Helou urged voters to choose between what he described as "a government of (development) and that of war."
"What kind of government do you want? Do you want a government of openness or one of isolation under Iranian and Syrian direction? Do you want a government that spreads weapons or one that seeks to contain them," he asked. Habr said the polls must be held under the banner of "modern state, the rule of law ... under the protection of one army." Chehayeb concluded the rally by insisting of March 14's "unity."
"We were the ones to tell the Syrian that the time of tutelage has come to an end. We were the ones to peacefully topple the government of (ex-Premier) Omar Karami," he said.  "We were the ones to reaffirm (commitment) to the Taef accord and call for (a single authority) over weapons. We are the (source) of reconciliation under the auspices of (Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah) Sfeir," he added. Beirut, 01 May 09, 20:00

Key Lebanese Suspect in Attack on Army Arrested in Turkey
Naharnet/Turkish authorities have arrested a key suspect in the deadly attack on a Lebanese army patrol in the Bekaa Valley two weeks ago, the daily An Nahar reported Friday. It identified the suspect as Hussein Jaafar, a Lebanese. An Nahar said "essential" interrogation is ongoing with Jaafar ahead of his extradition to Lebanon, while search is still underway for three other Lebanese suspects in Turkey. The four fugitives made their way over the Syrian border to Turkey, it added.
On April 13, unidentified gunmen attacked an army patrol in eastern Lebanon, killing four soldiers and injuring at least 13 others.
The attack occurred on a highway near the town of Zahle in the Bekaa Valley, when two mortar shells were launched at the patrol before it came under automatic gun fire. The assault was in apparent revenge for anti-drug raids the Lebanese army has been conducting in the area. Beirut, 01 May 09, 09:29

U.S.: Limited Army Control over Border, Hizbullah World's 'Most Effective Terrorist Group'
Naharnet/The U.S. government said the Lebanese army has "limited" control over the border and labeled Hizbullah the "world's most effective terrorist organization."
A State Department report for 2008 said Iran "remained the most active state sponsor of terrorism," including supporting "terrorist" groups such as Hamas, Hizbullah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, all of which opposed the Middle East peace process, as well as Iraq-based militants and the Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.
Iran was lumped with Syria, Sudan and Cuba as terrorism sponsors in the report, the same countries that appeared in previous annual reports.
North Korea was dropped from the blacklist in October 2008 after it struck a verbal deal with the United States aimed at verifying its nuclear disarmament, even though a formal agreement was never sealed.
"Iran's involvement in the planning and financial support of terrorist attacks throughout the Middle East, Europe, and Central Asia had a direct impact on international efforts to promote peace, threatened economic stability in the Gulf, and undermined the growth of democracy," the report said.
It singled out the Qods Force, an elite branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as the Islamic republic's main means to cultivate and support terrorists overseas. The Qods Force gave "weapons, training and funding" to Hamas and other Palestinian groups, Lebanon's Hizbullah as well as Iraq-based militants and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, the report said. It also said the Qods Force trained the Taliban "on small unit tactics, small arms, explosives, and indirect fire weapons."
Iran broke its own pledges to help stabilize Iraq by giving "weapons, training, funding, and guidance" to Iraqi militant groups that attack U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi forces as well as Iraqi civilians, the report said. The report also took to task Syria, which is a main supporter of Hizbullah, Hamas and other Palestinian groups.
"Throughout the year, Syria continued to strengthen ties with fellow state sponsor of terrorism, Iran," the report said. It said "Syria has not been directly implicated in an act of terrorism since 1986," but it pointed out that the United Nations was still investigating a suspected Syrian role in the February 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The State Department sounded more upbeat on Sudan. Sudan generally believed it was in its interest to cooperate with U.S. efforts to thwart attacks against the United States, but yet allowed groups like Hamas to operate on its territory, the report said. It also said that "al-Qaida-inspired elements" were also in Sudan. The U.S. said communist Cuba, which has been under a U.S. embargo for decades, continued to "provide safe haven to several terrorists" such as members of the Basque separatist group ETA and the Colombian rebel group FARC. But it added that some members of these groups stayed in Cuba last year after having arrived "in connection with peace negotiations with the governments of Spain and Colombia."(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 01 May 09, 09:32

Geagea Says Generals' Release Boosts March 14 'Credibility'
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Friday said the March 14 Forces stands to benefit from the release of four generals jailed since 2005 in connection with the assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri. The generals were freed Wednesday after the Special Tribunal for Lebanon ordered their release on grounds there was insufficient evidence to indict them for Hariri's murder.  The generals' release "is a positive move that can benefit March 14 Forces and its political agenda. It demonstrates the forces' credibility, countering (the image) that some media outlets have been promoting," Geagea told reporters. Geagea criticized his political rivals in March 8 for "using" the court's decision "to boost their standing in the elections." "Past attempts by March 8 to hinder the tribunal's creation are a clear indication that this party seeks only political and electoral gains," Geagea said. He defended the Lebanese judiciary after the minority accused it of being "politicized." "The Lebanese generals were jailed under the orders of Detlev Mehlis, not the Lebanese judiciary," Geagea said, referring to the former head of the U.N. commission investigating Hariri's assassination. Beirut, 01 May 09, 17:45

A Syrian view on the future of relations with the U.S.
Fri, 05/01/2009 - 3:05pm/FP Foreign Policy
http://lynch.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/05/01/a_syrian_view_on_the_future_of_relations_with_the_us
This afternoon I headed over to the Middle East Institute to hear Syrian Ambassador Imad Moustapha talk about the future of U.S.-Syrian relations. While Moustapha radiated optimism about and appreciation for the Obama administration's approach, it is clear that there is a long road ahead. His surprisingly old-school approach to argumentation -- deflecting all difficult questions either by attacking AIPAC or talking about Israel - does not suggest that there's been a sea change in Syrian thinking. Still, he made a number of important points -- particularly on Syrian views of the Obama administration, on Palestinian politics and the peace process, on Iraq, and on Lebanon.
Perhaps the most interesting single thing he said was the claim -- repeated twice -- that the U.S. was asking Syria to use its influence with Hamas to convince them to overcome its differences with Mahmoud Abbas and join a unity government. That would be very interesting, if true. I have my doubts, given the administration's very clear line against including Hamas in the unity government without its first meeting the Quartet pre-conditions, but it's worth looking into. According to Moustapha, Damascus supports a unity government and the Egyptian mediation, is pushing both Fatah and Hamas to compromise, and is urging the U.S. to be realistic about Hamas and to drop the Bush-era Quartet pre-conditions against dealing with it.
Syria has no intention of expelling Khaled Meshaal, in case you were wondering.
Like every other Arab official I've seen in the last few months, Moustapha praised Obama's public commitment to working for a two-state solution and the appointment of George Mitchell. Moustapha fell over himself to praise the seriousness of the Obama team and the President's diplomatic overtures. Where Bush officials would begin every discussion with a recitation of demands that Syria must meet (to which Syrians would respond with a litany of complaints about Israel), Obama officials -- he claimed -- used a civil and respectful tone and avoided lecturing or listing demands.
There are still sharp disagreements, he said, but now there is the possibility of having productive discussions aimed at solving the problems. Instead of dual monologues achieving nothing, there was now the opportunity for real dialogue.
That sounds great, but.... at the same time, Moustapha continued to fall back on the old style in his own responses to questions and challenges -- exactly the litany of complaints about Israel which he a few minutes earlier had self-mockingly described as the stock response to the Bush administration's lectures. For instance, he dismissed questions about Syrian material support for Hezbollah and Hamas by waving it away as the sort of thing the Washington Institute for Near East Policy would produce.
His low point came in his response to a Syrian man who asked him to speak about human rights abuses and repression inside of Syria. His response, equating the Syrian questioner with the Israelis and WINEP and then going on about Israeli war crimes, drew audible grumbling from the audience. If the Obama administration has indeed adopted such a fresh new style with Syria, it does not yet seem to be reciprocated in Syrian public diplomacy.
On Iraq, Moustapha took great pains to present an enormous opportunity for cooperation with the U.S. rooted in mutual self-interest. He explained that Syria no longer disagreed with the U.S. about Iraq, that it fully supported an American withdrawal on a responsible timetable and that Syria would do whatever it could to ensure that the withdrawal succeeds and leaves behind a stable Iraq.
He also spoke about the claimed 1.5 million Iraqi refugees in Syria, noting that despite the great burden they posed on the country they would not be sent back. A stable Iraq would make it more likely they would leave of their own accord, he argued, by way of demonstrating the Syrian national interest in Iraqi success. All of this makes it puzzling that Syria has evidently not yet done as much as it could to control its border with Iraq. Perhaps that's the bargaining chip Damascus intends to offer up when Jeff Feltman and Dan Shapiro head back to Syria next week?
Finally, I asked him about Syrian views of the upcoming Lebanese elections. Moustapha said that Syria supported a peaceful, successful election. He noted that the U.S. was trying to help its friends and allies in those elections, and so was Syria. But regardless of the results, he argued, the winner of the election must include the losers in a participatory coalition government instead of trying to rule by a zero-sum logic. He claimed that Syria was giving this advice to its Lebanese allies, and that they were saying the same thing back to Damascus. We shall see.