LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
May 13/09

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 14:27-31. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, 'I am going away and I will come back to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded me. Get up, let us go.

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for May 12/09
Israel hands over Lebanon cluster bomb maps: UN-Washington Post
Syria: Jailed Kurdish activist is prisoner of conscience-Amnesty International USA
Hizballah's Bust of Israeli 'Spies' Shows Its Growing Power in Lebanon-TIME
Syrian army chief tries to boost ties with Lebanon-Jerusalem Post
March 8 opens an electoral office in Syria-Future News
Houri exposes March 8’s practice of the tripartite governance-Future News
Egypt rejects intervention in Hizbullah plot-Future News
Chamoun: Aoun, a new Hitler-Future News
Nasiem Khoury: Aoun’s theory based on accusations and conspiracy-Future News
Aoun dismisses the state totally-Future News
Kazzi: Keserwan ticket to emerge within 48 hours-Future News
U.S. for Fair Polls, Need to End Arms Smuggling to Hizbullah-Naharnet
Britain: There Are No Negotiations with Hizbullah-Naharnet
Syrian Chief of Staff in Beirut … Ready to Provide Military Support for Lebanon-Naharnet
Report: Army Arrests Palestinian for Allegedly Transferring Money to Qaida-Naharnet
Israel Procrastinates on Pullout from Ghajar-Naharnet
Controversy over Constitutional Council Appointments on Hot Fire-Naharnet
Aoun: Hizbullah's Arms Are Result of Conflict in the Region-Naharnet
Geagea: No Veto on Anyone, March 14 Is our Only Interest-Naharnet
Boueiz- Abi Nasr War of Words-Naharnet
Hariri: Elections to Determine Lebanon's Political Path-Naharnet
Police Display Confiscated Equipment from Israel-Linked Spies: Cooler worth $100,000, USB $70,000-Naharnet
Jumblat: March 14 Unity Above all Considerations-Naharnet
Roumieh Guards Suppress Minor Act of Mutiny-Naharnet
Gemayel Denies Rumors about his Health-Naharnet
Edde: Kesrouan List Will Be Done Soon after Boueiz's Change of Direction-Naharnet
Karami: Our Battle Is One of Liberation from Tutelage-Naharnet
Pope calls for creation of Palestinian state-Daily Star
Syria 'reopens' Al-Qaeda pipeline to Iraq-Daily Star
US Urges Syria to Cut Flow of Foreign Fighters to Iraq-Voice of America
British man and woman held in Syria accused of being involved with ...Daily Mail -
Lebanon displays tools it says Israel used to spy-The Associated Press
UN, Kabul concern mounts over civilian casualties; United Press International
UAE's arrest of royal accused of torture not enough - HRW-(AFP)
Jordan looks to bring Syria aboard peace push-Daily Star
UN chief calls on Israel to 'fundamentally change its policies-Daily Star
Netanyahu seeks Mubarak's support against 'extremists-Daily Star
Abbas prepared to swear in new government this week without Hamas-Daily Star
Assailants torch LOG member's car in Rmeich-Daily Star
Lebanese budget deficit rises $1.6 billion in Q1-Daily Star
Security forces contain rebellion in Roumieh prison-Daily Star
MP says Resistance bloc on high alert against Israel-Daily Star
ISF displays high-tech gadgets seized in espionage arrests-Daily Star
Activists highlight climate threat to forests-Daily Star
Lebanese billboard beauty sparks ugly election row-(AFP)
Political mudslinging escalates as election date draws closer-Daily Star
US Embassy accepting applications for fellowship-Daily Star
Gemayel denies rumors about poor health-Daily Star
Williams briefs Siniora on Israel talks-Daily Star
Lebanese like Obama more than US - poll-Daily Star
Baroud: 'Lack of cooperation' caused major traffic jam-Daily Star
Only two Lebanese Jews are registered to vote in Sidon-Daily Star
The ups and downs of being a Lebanese Maronite-Daily Star

U.S. for Fair Polls, Need to End Arms Smuggling to Hizbullah
Naharnet/U.S. Permanent Representative to the U.N. Susan Rice said Monday that Washington looks forward for free and fair parliamentary elections in Lebanon and reiterated the need to stop arming Hizbullah. "The United States looks forward to the upcoming elections, which must be free, fair and free of intimidation," Rice told the Security Council which debated how to breathe new life into the dormant Middle East peace process. She also called for the "full implementation" of resolutions 1559 and 1701 "to protect the country's sovereignty and independence." "There is also a need to insist on an end to arms smuggling to and rearming of Hizbullah," Rice said in her address. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, meanwhile, told the Security Council that "the rearmament of Hizbullah is in contravention" of resolution 1559. Beirut, 12 May 09, 10:30

Britain: There Are No Negotiations with Hizbullah
Naharnet/British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said there are no negotiations with Hizbullah, adding that the party should abide by Security Council resolution 1701.
"There are no negotiations with Hizbullah and we say that Hizbullah has to abide by resolution 1701," Miliband told An Nahar newspaper. He denied contacts with Hizbullah although Hizbullah MP Hussein Hajj Hassan visited Britain in April in response to an invitation by members of the House of Commons. Miliband said March 6 that Britain had authorized low-level contact with the political wing of Hizbullah to stress the urgency of disbanding militias. "The military wing of Hizbullah is proscribed in the UK," but the political wing is now represented in the Lebanese government, Miliband had explained on BBC radio. "In the Lebanon they have one cabinet member and we've sanctioned low-level contacts with them so that we can make absolutely clear out determination to see United Nations Security Council resolution 1701, which calls for the disbanding of militias, among other things in Lebanon, taken forward with real speed," he said. Miliband also told An Nahar on the sidelines of a Security Council meeting on the Middle East that Lebanese parliamentary elections should be held democratically and as part of the constitution. In his statement to the Council, Miliband said "the rearmament of Hizbullah is in contravention" of resolution 1559. Beirut, 12 May 09, 11:14

Syrian Chief of Staff in Beirut … Ready to Provide Military Support for Lebanon
Naharnet/Syrian chief of staff Gen. Ali Habib will visit Beirut on Tuesday in what would be the first visit by such a senior military official since the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon in 2005.
The daily As Safir said Habib, heading a military delegation, will hold broad military talks expected to stress Damascus' willingness to provide military assistance for Lebanon.
As Safir said Habib's visit, in response to an invitation by Lebanese army commander Gen. Jean Qahwaji, will reaffirm joint cooperation between the Syrian and Lebanese armies in order to ensure the security of the two countries as well as control of their common border and counter-terrorism. The delegation is scheduled to meet, in addition to Qahwaji, President Michel Suleiman. As Safir pointed that Habib's agenda neither included Prime Minister Fouad Saniora nor Defense Minister Elias Murr. It quoted a military source as saying that Habib would stress his country's readiness to provide Lebanon with military aid, particularly in the area of increased training as well as offering military equipment and ammunition in addition to logistic assistance. Beirut, 12 May 09, 08:22

Report: Army Arrests Palestinian for Allegedly Transferring Money to Qaida
Naharnet/The Lebanese army intelligence arrested a Palestinian man for allegedly transferring money to the al-Qaida terrorist network, al-Akhbar newspaper reported Tuesday.
The daily said the man, who has also a passport from a European country, was suspected of money transfer to an al-Qaida-linked cell. However, the army and the European country's intelligence are still interrogating the man, whose identity was not disclosed, to verify the accusations against him. Beirut, 12 May 09, 09:03

Israel Procrastinates on Pullout from Ghajar
Naharnet/Media reports differed on Israel's withdrawal from the northern part of the border village of Ghajar, with some saying that a pullout would come after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington. An Nahar daily said Tuesday that Israel informed U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy that it was "ready to look into the withdrawal from northern Ghajar based upon the results of military negotiations in Lebanon under the sponsorship of UNIFIL." However, U.N. sources said Israeli officials told Le Roy during his visit to Israel last week that Netanyahu was busy preparing for his May 18 visit to Washington. The sources described Netanyahu's stance as a "test," adding that if he were to order a withdrawal from the Lebanese side of Ghajar, he would do it during his talks with U.S. President Barack Obama in order to show a positive stance on Israeli pullout from some occupied territories.  Israeli daily Haaretz, However, has reported that the Jewish state would not pull out of the northern part of Ghajar if Hizbullah wins the June 7 parliamentary elections. Beirut, 12 May 09, 08:38

Controversy over Constitutional Council Appointments on Hot Fire
Naharnet/The prolonged controversy over the appointments to the Constitutional Council was reportedly nearing an end. The daily As Safir on Tuesday said the opposition has made up its mind with regards to two or five members yet to be elected. They are former cabinet minister Assaad Diab, a Shiite, and Greek Orthodox judge Salah Mukhaiber. President Michel Suleiman, according to As Safir, has recommended Raymond Eid, a Maronite, while Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat is likely to name Druze candidate Suheil Abdel Samad. It said the Sunni member was left for Prime Minister Fouad Saniora to decide. The Lebanese Parliament last December elected five members to the Constitutional Council and was yet to elect five others, allowing the highest court to be operational prior to the forthcoming elections. The Constitutional Council is the only body that has the power to look into complaints related to election fraud and challenging results. Meanwhile, Al Akhbar newspaper said the issue of the appointments to the Constitutional Council would be tackled during a meeting in Baabda between Suleiman and Saniora. In a related development, the opposition held an overnight meeting at cabinet minister Mohammed Fneish's residence in the southern suburbs to discuss details of the council's appointments. Beirut, 12 May 09, 09:16

Aoun: Hizbullah's Arms Are Result of Conflict in the Region
Naharnet/MP Michel Aoun on Monday said that Hizbullah's possession of weapons came as a result of the decades-long Arab-Israeli conflict and added that Lebanon did not expect any good will gestures from Israel. After his bloc's weekly meeting, Aoun defended Hizbullah saying the party's possession of its own arsenal "was the product of a political and military situation in the Middle East and in Lebanon." "We must first resolve (the conflict) before removing the pin that bothers them. "You can keep denying it but today Lebanon is capable of protecting itself and no one protected us from the 60-year old Palestinian problem," he added. The Israeli government last week indicated it will soon announce plans to evacuate troops from the northern part of Ghajar but press reports Monday said a withdrawal was not possible if Hizbullah wins the June 7 elections.
"No one expects from the Israeli to do any favors for Lebanon. He can withdraw or not withdraw from our land but we do not expect an act of goodwill," Aoun said.
Aoun then lashed out at President Michel Suleiman for "keeping silent" as the former's political opponents wage "a campaign of lies" against him. "I will not accept the silence of the president and the public prosecution when I am being conspired against. Any one who turns a blind eye is himself a conspirator," Aoun said. The MP recalled asking the president for "a clear position" in response to a newspaper report claiming Aoun advocates a constitutional amendment that would reduce Suleiman's term in office. "The president has a right to support whomever he wants in the elections. However, it is unacceptable for security forces to interfere by promoting the candidates that he backs," Aoun added. "Some people have been receiving phone calls telling them that the president was in danger and if they do not vote for a certain list his term will be cut short," Aoun said. He also said some municipalities are using their offices for electoral campaigning and called for their phone lines to be monitored. Aoun then turned his attention to ad-Diyar newspaper saying its "attacks have gone too far." "What is the role of the National Media Council and the public prosecution in cases of false reports, libel and slander?" he asked. Beirut, 11 May 09, 20:37

Geagea: No Veto on Anyone, March 14 Is our Only Interest
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea denied on Monday he had reservations to include the former Minister Fares Boueiz on the list of March 14 forces. "There is no veto on anyone, and we do not seek to deliver one or block another, because all our attention is focused on opening the way for March 14," he said. Geagea called "all the members of the Lebanese Forces and its supporters to back the list and work (for its success) with all their powers." He stressed on "the need to put all local, regional and personal considerations aside for the sake of this important battle, and in particular that of Aley," which he called "the heart of the mountain and in the heart of the confrontation." "What I am saying doesn't mean that the March 14 list is facing major difficulties and dangers in Aley," he said, adding "but for political and moral considerations, we are supposed to vote intensively for this list." "The voting process does not aim at delivering a specific individual to power, but it allows us to choose the kind of Lebanon we aspire for," he said Geagea pointed to "a new vision regarding the complex issue of the Armenian-Catholic seat in the first constituency of Beirut," saying that "the list will be announced by the end of the week." Beirut, 11 May 09, 18:41

Boueiz- Abi Nasr War of Words
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement MP Nehmetallah Abi Nasr responded to remarks made by former Foreign Minister and current parliamentary candidate Fares Boueiz saying: "it never occurred to us to respond in an argument with someone, particularly when that someone threatened to cut our tongue, break our head and call us a chick." In a press conference on Monday Abi Nasr said that he was not at all surprised to hear the tense statement by Boueiz. "we were not surprised to see you lose your nerves when you were told that there is no room for you in the chick pen that you were panting to get into," Abi Nasr said. He reminded Boueiz of the year 1992 saying "How did you agree then to become an MP when Maronite Patriarch Sfeir and Keserouan voters fully boycotted the election, are you not ashamed how the electricity power was cut and the ballot boxes changed to fabricate your parliamentary victory in Keserouan?"
Boueiz responded in a statement saying: "Abi Nasr must be put in his right size of a chick, for we never panted once after a seat in parliament." Boueiz added to Abi Nasr saying: "I refuse to commit if the program aims to cause a coup, the peacock is more colorful that the chick, the color of its feathers brighter than your pale fluff." "As for 1992 I rejected the first round of elections and resigned from cabinet to be in solidarity with the Christian opposition," Boueiz said. Beirut, 11 May 09, 16:05

Hariri: Elections to Determine Lebanon's Political Path
Naharnet/MP Saad Hariri on Monday reiterated that the upcoming elections are "crucial for Lebanon's future and Arabism as well as for the development of its democracy for the better."
"The next elections will determine Lebanon's political path," Hariri said from Qoreitem after meeting West Bekaa parliamentary candidates. Turning to his father's assassination, he said ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed "as part of a political scheme to consolidate hegemony over Lebanon." "But when they failed to carry out their scheme through assassinating PM Rafik Hariri and the rest of the martyrs of the Cedar Revolution, they are, once again, trying to implement their plan through parliamentary elections," Hariri said. He stressed that his alliance with Druze leader Walid Jumblat is "strong and rock solid." "Together, we shall continue to face up to the challenges and difficulties," Hariri vowed. Beirut, 11 May 09, 20:04

Police Display Confiscated Equipment from Israel-Linked Spies: Cooler worth $100,000, USB $70,000
Naharnet/Lebanon on Monday put on public display equipment an official said was used by alleged Israeli spy networks inside the country, including a water cooler equipped with a mapping device. "The equipment was used to identify hundreds of targets on Lebanese territory before and after 2006, some of which were bombed that year," a security official told reporters, referring to the 34-day Israeli war on Lebanon. In addition to the water cooler, the gadgets included a high-tech USB, a leather purse and key-chains with secret compartments as well as a can for motor oil used to hide mini tapes, a radio and forged identification papers. A Lebanese security source told the daily As Safir in remarks published on Monday that the cooler and the USB were estimated at $100,000 and $70,000 respectively. The alleged spies used the seemingly innocuous items to communicate with Israel using encrypted messages, the official said. Lebanon and Israel remain technically at war. If found guilty of high treason, the 15 suspects detained in connection with the spy rings face the death penalty. Most of the suspects are Lebanese, although at least one of them is Palestinian. They include a police officer, a petrol station owner and a butcher. Last month saw the arrest of former brigadier general Adib al-Alam, his wife Hayat Saloumi and nephew Joseph Alam on suspicion of spying for Israel for more than 15 years. Alam ran a housekeeping service in Beirut that was allegedly used as a front. He used to store pictures he took of Lebanon and Syria in two small coolers and would later transmit them to Israel. As Safir said the detainees have made "important confessions."Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat, meanwhile, said Lebanese intelligence on Saturday arrested two suspects with links to Israel in the southern city of Tyre. It quoted Lebanese security sources as saying that preliminary investigation with brothers Mahmoud and Hussein Ahmed Shehab, who were arrested last Friday on suspicion of spying for the Mossad, has revealed that they had been recruited separately and that they were not aware of that. A Hizbullah official from south Lebanon, from where most of the suspected spies hail, on Monday said the party was cooperating with the authorities on dismantling the spy networks. "Hizbullah has uncovered many Israeli spy rings and is cooperating completely with all official security services," Hizbullah official Nabil Qawouq told AFP on Monday. A number of those currently in custody were first detained by Hizbullah which then handed them over to the authorities.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 11 May 09, 08:11

Pope calls for creation of Palestinian state
Suffering of Jews killed by Nazis 'must not be denied'
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Pope Benedict XVI on Monday said at Israel's memorial to 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany that their suffering must never be denied, a message that addressed Jewish anger over a Holocaust-denying bishop. And on his arrival earlier in the day, the pontiff underscored the Vatican's political divisions with Israel's right-leaning government by voicing support for a Palestinian homeland.
It was not immediately clear whether the pope's words on the Holocaust, which fell short of an outright apology for lifting the excommunication of British Bishop Richard Williamson in January, would heal the worst schism between the Vatican and Jews in a half-century.
Reiterating Vatican policy, Benedict called for a "just resolution" of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "so that both peoples may live in peace in a homeland of their own, within secure and internationally recognized borders."
According to Hebrew usage, he noted, security is something that "arises from trust and refers not just to the absence of threat but also to the sentiment of calmness and confidence."
Since taking over as Israel's premier on March 31, Benjamin Netanyahu has not endorsed creating a Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, a US and Arab priority.
The pope's remarks on the subject will echo around the region, particularly when he visits a Palestinian refugee camp in Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, where he will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
At the stark Yad Vashem memorial, the German-born pope said he had come to honor the memory of Jews killed in the "horrific tragedy of the Shoah," the Hebrew term for the Holocaust, which he called an atrocity that disgraced mankind.
"May the names of these victims never perish. May their suffering never be denied, belittled or forgotten," he said, in prayer-like phrasing.
The pope's comments echoed remarks he made in February on the Williamson controversy in which he told Jewish leaders "any denial or minimization of this terrible crime is intolerable."
In the 45 years since the Second Vatican Council repudiated the concept of collective Jewish guilt for Christ's death, relations have been haunted by the Holocaust and the question of what the Church did, or failed to do, about it. They hit a low in January after the pope lifted the excommunication of four traditionalist bishops, including Williamson, who denied 6 million Jews were killed.
The Vatican said it had not known enough about the British bishop's past and the Church and Jewish religious leaders had hoped the issue could be closed with the visit to Yad Vashem.
Before Williamson and the other bishops can be fully readmitted into the Church, the Vatican said, they must accept the teachings of the 1962-65 Second Vatican Council that urged respect for other religions.
Welcoming the pontiff, Israel's President Shimon Peres said: "Spiritual leaders can pave the way for political leaders. They can clear the minefields that obstruct the road to peace."
"Ties of reconciliation and understanding are now being woven between the Holy See and the Jewish people," Peres added. "Our door is open to similar efforts with the Muslim world."
But there was little enthusiasm among Israelis. Born Joseph Ratzinger in Bavaria in 1927, Benedict was a member of the Hitler Youth when enrolment was compulsory.
His biographers say he was never a member of the Nazi party and his family opposed Adolf Hitler's regime.
Speaking on his arrival from Jordan, the pope condemned anti-Semitism, which he said "continues to rear its ugly head" in the world, and called for a global effort to combat it.
He also stressed his desire for warm ties between Christians and Muslims and tried to wipe away residual bitterness over a 2006 lecture he made, which Muslims saw as offensive. - Reuters, with The Daily Star

Syria 'reopens' Al-Qaeda pipeline to Iraq
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
A Syrian "pipeline" used by the organization Al-Qaeda in Iraq to smuggle Islamic fighters into Iraq has been reactivated after a short lull, The Washington Post reported late Sunday.
The newspaper said the revival of the transit route that officials had declared all but closed comes as the administration of President Barack Obama is exploring a new diplomatic dialogue with Syria.
On Wednesday, acting Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman and National Security Council official Daniel Shapiro arrived in Syria for their second visit since Obama's inauguration as president.
Yet later last week, the administration renewed sanctions against Syria, accusing Damascus of supporting terrorism and undermining Iraqi stability.
The Bush administration frequently criticized Syria for the transit of foreign fighters, suggesting that the authoritarian government of President Bashar Assad was involved in the traffic, the report said.
"We do think that the knowledge of these networks exists at least within the Syrian intelligence community," the paper quoted an unnamed senior US military official as saying. "What level, if it's low or high up, we just don't have a good gauge on."
General David Petraeus, who heads the US Central Command, told Congress late last month that the Al-Qaeda in Iraq pipeline through Syria had been "reactivated."
The military is particularly concerned about the area around Mosul, in the northwest near the Syrian border, which officials have described as the last bastion of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
"There was a period where we were probably seeing less than half a dozen foreign fighters being pushed through the network," the official told The Post.
More recently, he said, the estimate has risen to 20 a month, and various intelligence sources have noted an increased "demand call" in Iraq for foreign fighters.
Also on Sunday, Syria said that two British nationals arrested in Damascus were suspected of being part of a terrorist organization related to Al-Qaeda.
The Syrian Embassy in London said Maryam Kallis and Yasser Zahur Ahmad were detained on March 17.
"Interrogations indicated that both Ms. Kallis and Mr. Ahmad are working for a terrorist network related to Al-Qaeda organization and the members of the network were also arrested by the Syrian authorities," it said in a statement.
"Ms Kallis is involved in receiving funds from her husband Mr. Massoud Ahmad [who resides in the UK] and in conveying the funds to the above-mentioned network. The investigation with the members of the network is still going on." It added that a representative of the British embassy in Damascus had been allowed to visit the detainees. - AFP, Reuters

Lebanese budget deficit rises $1.6 billion in Q1
Daily Star staff
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
BEIRUT: Lebanon's budget deficit in the first three months of this year rose to 37.77 (LL1.716 trillion (or close to $1.6 billion) from 26.49 percent in the same period of 2007, the Finance Ministry said on Monday. The ministry added that Electricite du Liban's (EDL) deficit in the same reporting period also rose to LL596 billion up to March of this year.
The primary surplus, excluding the cost of debt servicing, recorded a deficit of LL300 billion, or 6.59 percent of total government spending.
It is worth mentioning that the primary surplus in the same period of last year recorded a surpluss of LL386 billion.
Total government revenues up to March of this year rose to LL4.545 trillion, an increase of 35.5 percent compared to the same period of 2007.
According to the ministry, the main causes behind the rise in expenditures was to due to an increase in EDL's spending which reached LL569 billion.
In addition, the value of interest on the debt bonds also rose by LL278 billion.
On the revenue side, the ministry reported that total government income in the first three months of this year reached LL2.828 trillion, an increase of 14.33 percent compared to the same period of last year.
Receipts from the value added tax up to March of this year rose by 20 percent to LL685.921 billion while non-tax income fell to LL671.519 billion from LL681.975 billion.
The current government, according to most experts, is not expected to make any major economic reforms due to the differences among Cabinet members. These experts say real reforms will only start after the June 7 polls, when it will become clear who will form a cabinet.
Finance Minister Mohammad Shatah submitted the 2009 draft budget to the Cabinet but the opposition ministers refused to endorse the budget until Premier Fouad Siniora agrees to allocate LL60 billion to the Council of the South. - The Daily Star

Political mudslinging escalates as election date draws closer
By Therese Sfeir
Daily Star staff
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
BEIRUT: Political bickering intensified in Lebanon on Monday, less than a month before the country's June 7 polls. Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt said Monday that the unity of the March 14 Forces was above all other considerations. In his weekly article to Al-Anbaa newspaper published Tuesday, Jumblatt said: "The Lebanese people have a golden opportunity to prove their ability to run their affairs by themselves and to confirm their adherence to their democratic system."
The PSP leader said he supported the establishment of good relations with Syria "without interference into internal affairs." He also stressed Lebanon's Arab identity and called for reforming the political system and abolishing political sectarianism.
Jumblatt added that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon was now above "all political bickering and local polarizations."
"All political powers in Lebanon should respect the tribunal's current and future resolutions with no distinctions," he said.
"On the occasion of my visit to Saudi Arabia, I would like to reaffirm the kingdom's historic positions in support of Lebanon and its people," he said.
He added that Saudi Arabia supported "Lebanon's sovereignty, independence and stability ... and contributed to post-Civil War reconstruction and development projects."
Regarding the reported video tape of Youth and Culture Minister Talal Arslan, Jumblatt said: "It seems local and regional parties that did not benefit from the inter-Druze reconciliation that was forged in May 2008 worked on leaking this tape. However, [our] relationship with Arslan remains well founded and unaffected by simple sayings here and there in anger and under tense conditions."
He said continued and positive cooperation with Arslan was "to protect the Chouf Mountain and its people and to establish coexistence between all sects."
A video tape recently leaked to the media showed Arslan describing Jumblatt "spearheading the American plan in the region." The tape also showed Arslan accusing Future Movement leader Saad Hariri and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea of joining Jumblatt in this effort.
Hariri said Monday that the "upcoming parliamentary elections were fateful and would determine Lebanon's future, Arabism and development of its democratic system."
In comments before his visitors in Qoreitem, Hariri said: "Our alliance with MP Walid Jumblatt is strong and together we will face all obstacles and difficulties that hamper the establishment of the state."
Meanwhile, the head of the Reform and Change parliamentary bloc, MP Michel Aoun, criticized what he described as the silence of President Michel Sleiman over accusations against him.
"I am not satisfied by the silence of the president, the general prosecutor and the press about accusations made against me," Aoun said following the bloc's weekly meeting Monday.
"I accuse all those who remain silent on this issue of participating in the campaign against me," he added.
Aoun was referring to an article published by Ad-Diyar newspaper which said that MP Neamatallah Abi Nasr paid the general $2 million to include him on his list in Kesrouan.
"They are telling lies about our intentions to topple the president, and since this campaign is vicious, and since the source is known, it is obvious that these allegations are lies," Aoun said, in reference to earlier statements by former MP Fares Boueiz.
Free Patriotic Movement MP Neamtallah Abi Nasr responded to remarks made by Boueiz saying: "We were not surprised to see you lose your nerve when you were told that there is no room for you in the chicken pen that you were panting to get into."
He reminded Boueiz of the year 1992, saying: "How did you agree then to become an MP when Maronite Patriarch Sfeir and Kesrouan voters fully boycotted the election; are you not ashamed how the electricity power was cut and the ballot boxes changed to fabricate your parliamentary victory in Kesrouan?"
Boueiz responded in a statement saying: "Abi Nasr must be put in his right size of a chick, for we never panted once after a seat in Parliament," and added: "I refuse to commit if the program aims to cause a coup, the peacock is more colorful than the chick, the color of its feathers brighter than your pale fluff."
"As for 1992 I rejected the first round of elections and resigned from Cabinet to be in solidarity with the Christian opposition," Boueiz said.
Sleiman met Monday with Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud, with whom he discussed the country's security situation and the preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Sleiman also met with his East Timorese counterpart Jose Ramos Horta at Baabda Palace. Horta is on an official visit to Lebanon, where he also met with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
Geagea said negotiations were under way "to reach the best equation and guarantee the victory of the March 14 Forces" in the district of Kesrouan. On Monday he met with the March 14 Forces' candidates in the district of Aley.
The LF leader also denied claims that he had reservations to include Boueiz on the March 14 Forces' list in Kesrouan.
"There is no veto on anyone, because all our attention
There is no veto on anyone, because all our attention is focused on achieving the victory of the March 14 Forces," he said.
Meanwhile, Hizbullah MP Mohammad Raad said the opposition was calling for the full implementation of the Taif Accord.
In remarks on Monday, Raad said the opposition forces did not want a "tripartite or quadrate power-sharing formula" and accused the parliamentary majority of "seeking to provoke its supporters against the resistance."
Raad also stressed the need to establish a state and not "private companies monopolized by strong parties."
The Cabinet will convene Wednesday at Baabda Palace, with 109 items on its agenda, including the amendment of Article 21 of the Constitution and Article 108 of the rules of penal procedures.

Netanyahu seeks Mubarak's support against 'extremists'
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought Egypt's help Monday in building a coalition of Arab nations against Iran, framing the broader Middle East conflict as one in which "moderates" must band together to confront "extremists." The Israeli leader spoke at a news conference beside Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak after they met in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik. Mubarak avoided any mention of specific regional threats and said peace with the Palestinians would bring stability and reinforce cooperation in the region. It was Netanyahu's first trip to the Arab world since becoming prime minister on March 31. His election was ill-received in the Arab world because of his hard-line positions against yielding Arab land Israel illegally occupies and his refusal to support Palestinian independence.
The Israeli leader, meanwhile, has sought to redirect the Middle East agenda by focusing on Iran as the key threat to regional stability. Israel and the US accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons - a charge Iran denies - and Arab nations are also wary of Iran's growing regional clout.
In Egypt, Netanyahu made an argument that Israel and "moderate" Arab nations shared a common threat.
"The struggle in the Middle East is not a struggle between peoples or a struggle between religions," he said.
It is a struggle between extremists and moderates, a struggle between those who seek life and those who spread violence and death."
Behind the effort to build common ground is a shared concern by Israel and US Arab allies such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia about the Obama administration's overtures to start a dialogue with Iran after decades of shunning Tehran.
Without mentioning Iran by name, the Israeli leader said, "Today to our regret, we witness extremist forces who are threatening the stability of the Middle East." Before his trip, an official in Netanyahu's office said one of his aims was to forge cooperation with Arab nations against what he described as the common threats of Iran and its regional proxies, Hizbullah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Appealing directly to Mubarak for support, the Israeli prime minister said, "We expect, Mr. President, your help in the struggle against extremists and terrorists who threaten peace." Mubarak did not respond publicly to that theme at the news conference. Instead, he spoke of the need to forge ahead with Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts where they left off under a US-backed plan aimed at establishing an independent Palestinian state. He stressed the importance of resuming talks "on the basis of a clear political horizon that deals with the final solution issues and establishes an independent Palestinian state side by side with Israel in security and peace." Netanyahu, however, made no endorsement of Palestinian statehood, though he said he hoped to renew peace talks in the coming weeks, and he asked for Egypt's help there as well.
"We want to expand peace. We want to expand it first of all to our neighbors, the Palestinians," Netanyahu said.
We want Israelis and Palestinians to live together with a horizon to peace, security and prosperity. Therefore, we want at the earliest opportunity to renew the peace talks between ourselves and the Palestinians." Netanyahu, who has yet to unveil his government's policy on peace efforts, has said his preference is for concentrating on Palestinian economic growth for now, while putting statehood talks aside for some point in the future. While the US too is concerned about Iran's role in the region, it also is pressing hard for an Israeli commitment to establish a Palestinian state. - AP with The Daily Star

Only two Lebanese Jews are registered to vote in Sidon
By Mohammed Zaatari /Daily Star staff
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
SIDON: Isaac Elijah Diwan and Jack Samantoubi Zeitouni are the only two Lebanese Jewish voters in the coastal city of Sidon for the June 7 parliamentary elections. Only the names of two Lebanese Jews are listed on the civil registry records in Sidon, though the city was home to a large Jewish community before the outbreak of Lebanon's Civil War in 1975. The port city's Jews were mainly concentrated in a neighborhood of the old downtown, known until today as the "Jews Quarter."
The neighborhoods Jews fled to North America and Europe and were replaced by residents from other religions.
A large Hizbullah flag hangs from one of the balconies adjacent to the quarter's synagogue, which has become the residence of a family. Pictures of Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and others resistance figures are plastered on almost all the walls of the Jews Quarter.
One of Sidon's long-time residents, Saeed Safadi, recalls that the relationship between the southern city's Jewish community and other confessions "was based on mutual respect."
He points out that most of Sidon's Jews did not flee the city after Israel's creation in 1948, but rather abandoned the city in large groups from 1975 to 1978, during the early phases of the Civil War. "The last Jew left Sidon in February 1985 as Israeli troops were withdrawing after the invasion of 1982," Safadi says.
Unlike Jewish communities in other Middle Eastern countries, the Lebanese community largely remained and even grew in the aftermath of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, and began emigrating during the civil wars of 1958 and 1975.
After political stability collapsed in Lebanon, Jews flocked to places with existing Lebanese expatriate communities, such as Paris, New York, Montreal or Sao Paulo.
Despite the 1948 war, the Jewish community grew to almost 9,000 by 1951, largely as a result of an influx of refugees from Iraq and Syria. Lebanon was the only Arab state that saw its Jewish community increase after the establishment of Israel.
Safadi recalls that Sidon's Jewish community was mostly made up of tradesmen.
"Sidon's Jews were known to be rich and sharp and they had a habit of closing their quarter's gate at night," he says.
While the Jewish community never played a decisive role during elections in Sidon, Safadi remembers, "they always voted wisely and made sure not to upset all candidates."
"The Jews would split their votes between Sidon's two candidates for the elections so as not to upset any of them and receive services from both of them," Safadi says.
Lebanon's Jews were the only Middle Eastern Jewish community to be constitutionally protected.
The crumbling Magen Abraham synagogue in downtown Beirut and the Jewish cemetery in the capital's neighborhood of Sodeco are among the few remaining vestiges of the Jewish community in Lebanon.
In April, Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud proposed that the Cabinet amend the legislation that currently labels Lebanese Jews as "Israelis" to "Jewish Lebanese."
A press release by Baroud's office said that the interior minister has submitted the proposal to be discussed by the Cabinet.
Members of Lebanon's Jewish sect are referred to as Israelis on their identification cards and on electoral lists. Baroud's proposal asked the Cabinet to adopt a draft law to differentiate between a sect "whose rights are legal and protected by the Constitution and between the subjects of an occupying entity."
"The Jewish sect in Lebanon is recognized, and its rights are guaranteed by the ninth article of the Lebanese Constitution that guarantees all the Lebanese freedom of religion," he added.

Assailants torch LOG member's car in Rmeich
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, May 12, 2009
BEIRUT: The Lebanese Option Group (LOG) said in a statement Monday that unidentified assailants burned the white Toyota Rapide of Gerges Al-Alamn, a LOG member, Monday morning in the southern town of Rmeich. - The Daily Star

MP says Resistance bloc on high alert against Israel
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, May 12, 2009
BEIRUT: Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Hassan Fadlallah said during a rally in the southern village of Beit Lif on Monday that the Resistance will always be on the highest alert against Israel, despite domestic chaos in Lebanon. Fadlallah added that the opposition was running in the forthcoming parliamentary elections to win the majority of seats. "The opposition's victory will pave the way for the formation of a national unity cabinet to resolve all pending issues," he said. He added that Hizbullah's Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Speaker Nabih Berri and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun agreed during their meeting on Friday night to run in friendly elections in the Jezzine district, where the opposition formed two lists, one supported by Aoun and the other by Berri. - The Daily Star

 

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
May 13/09

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 14:27-31. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, 'I am going away and I will come back to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded me. Get up, let us go.

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for May 12/09
Israel hands over Lebanon cluster bomb maps: UN-Washington Post
Syria: Jailed Kurdish activist is prisoner of conscience-Amnesty International USA
Hizballah's Bust of Israeli 'Spies' Shows Its Growing Power in Lebanon-TIME
Syrian army chief tries to boost ties with Lebanon-Jerusalem Post
March 8 opens an electoral office in Syria-Future News
Houri exposes March 8’s practice of the tripartite governance-Future News
Egypt rejects intervention in Hizbullah plot-Future News
Chamoun: Aoun, a new Hitler-Future News
Nasiem Khoury: Aoun’s theory based on accusations and conspiracy-Future News
Aoun dismisses the state totally-Future News
Kazzi: Keserwan ticket to emerge within 48 hours-Future News
U.S. for Fair Polls, Need to End Arms Smuggling to Hizbullah-Naharnet
Britain: There Are No Negotiations with Hizbullah-Naharnet
Syrian Chief of Staff in Beirut … Ready to Provide Military Support for Lebanon-Naharnet
Report: Army Arrests Palestinian for Allegedly Transferring Money to Qaida-Naharnet
Israel Procrastinates on Pullout from Ghajar-Naharnet
Controversy over Constitutional Council Appointments on Hot Fire-Naharnet
Aoun: Hizbullah's Arms Are Result of Conflict in the Region-Naharnet
Geagea: No Veto on Anyone, March 14 Is our Only Interest-Naharnet
Boueiz- Abi Nasr War of Words-Naharnet
Hariri: Elections to Determine Lebanon's Political Path-Naharnet
Police Display Confiscated Equipment from Israel-Linked Spies: Cooler worth $100,000, USB $70,000-Naharnet
Jumblat: March 14 Unity Above all Considerations-Naharnet
Roumieh Guards Suppress Minor Act of Mutiny-Naharnet
Gemayel Denies Rumors about his Health-Naharnet
Edde: Kesrouan List Will Be Done Soon after Boueiz's Change of Direction-Naharnet
Karami: Our Battle Is One of Liberation from Tutelage-Naharnet
Pope calls for creation of Palestinian state-Daily Star
Syria 'reopens' Al-Qaeda pipeline to Iraq-Daily Star
US Urges Syria to Cut Flow of Foreign Fighters to Iraq-Voice of America
British man and woman held in Syria accused of being involved with ...Daily Mail -
Lebanon displays tools it says Israel used to spy-The Associated Press
UN, Kabul concern mounts over civilian casualties; United Press International
UAE's arrest of royal accused of torture not enough - HRW-(AFP)
Jordan looks to bring Syria aboard peace push-Daily Star
UN chief calls on Israel to 'fundamentally change its policies-Daily Star
Netanyahu seeks Mubarak's support against 'extremists-Daily Star
Abbas prepared to swear in new government this week without Hamas-Daily Star
Assailants torch LOG member's car in Rmeich-Daily Star
Lebanese budget deficit rises $1.6 billion in Q1-Daily Star
Security forces contain rebellion in Roumieh prison-Daily Star
MP says Resistance bloc on high alert against Israel-Daily Star
ISF displays high-tech gadgets seized in espionage arrests-Daily Star
Activists highlight climate threat to forests-Daily Star
Lebanese billboard beauty sparks ugly election row-(AFP)
Political mudslinging escalates as election date draws closer-Daily Star
US Embassy accepting applications for fellowship-Daily Star
Gemayel denies rumors about poor health-Daily Star
Williams briefs Siniora on Israel talks-Daily Star
Lebanese like Obama more than US - poll-Daily Star
Baroud: 'Lack of cooperation' caused major traffic jam-Daily Star
Only two Lebanese Jews are registered to vote in Sidon-Daily Star
The ups and downs of being a Lebanese Maronite-Daily Star

U.S. for Fair Polls, Need to End Arms Smuggling to Hizbullah
Naharnet/U.S. Permanent Representative to the U.N. Susan Rice said Monday that Washington looks forward for free and fair parliamentary elections in Lebanon and reiterated the need to stop arming Hizbullah. "The United States looks forward to the upcoming elections, which must be free, fair and free of intimidation," Rice told the Security Council which debated how to breathe new life into the dormant Middle East peace process. She also called for the "full implementation" of resolutions 1559 and 1701 "to protect the country's sovereignty and independence." "There is also a need to insist on an end to arms smuggling to and rearming of Hizbullah," Rice said in her address. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, meanwhile, told the Security Council that "the rearmament of Hizbullah is in contravention" of resolution 1559. Beirut, 12 May 09, 10:30

Britain: There Are No Negotiations with Hizbullah
Naharnet/British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said there are no negotiations with Hizbullah, adding that the party should abide by Security Council resolution 1701.
"There are no negotiations with Hizbullah and we say that Hizbullah has to abide by resolution 1701," Miliband told An Nahar newspaper. He denied contacts with Hizbullah although Hizbullah MP Hussein Hajj Hassan visited Britain in April in response to an invitation by members of the House of Commons. Miliband said March 6 that Britain had authorized low-level contact with the political wing of Hizbullah to stress the urgency of disbanding militias. "The military wing of Hizbullah is proscribed in the UK," but the political wing is now represented in the Lebanese government, Miliband had explained on BBC radio. "In the Lebanon they have one cabinet member and we've sanctioned low-level contacts with them so that we can make absolutely clear out determination to see United Nations Security Council resolution 1701, which calls for the disbanding of militias, among other things in Lebanon, taken forward with real speed," he said. Miliband also told An Nahar on the sidelines of a Security Council meeting on the Middle East that Lebanese parliamentary elections should be held democratically and as part of the constitution. In his statement to the Council, Miliband said "the rearmament of Hizbullah is in contravention" of resolution 1559. Beirut, 12 May 09, 11:14

Syrian Chief of Staff in Beirut … Ready to Provide Military Support for Lebanon
Naharnet/Syrian chief of staff Gen. Ali Habib will visit Beirut on Tuesday in what would be the first visit by such a senior military official since the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon in 2005.
The daily As Safir said Habib, heading a military delegation, will hold broad military talks expected to stress Damascus' willingness to provide military assistance for Lebanon.
As Safir said Habib's visit, in response to an invitation by Lebanese army commander Gen. Jean Qahwaji, will reaffirm joint cooperation between the Syrian and Lebanese armies in order to ensure the security of the two countries as well as control of their common border and counter-terrorism. The delegation is scheduled to meet, in addition to Qahwaji, President Michel Suleiman. As Safir pointed that Habib's agenda neither included Prime Minister Fouad Saniora nor Defense Minister Elias Murr. It quoted a military source as saying that Habib would stress his country's readiness to provide Lebanon with military aid, particularly in the area of increased training as well as offering military equipment and ammunition in addition to logistic assistance. Beirut, 12 May 09, 08:22

Report: Army Arrests Palestinian for Allegedly Transferring Money to Qaida
Naharnet/The Lebanese army intelligence arrested a Palestinian man for allegedly transferring money to the al-Qaida terrorist network, al-Akhbar newspaper reported Tuesday.
The daily said the man, who has also a passport from a European country, was suspected of money transfer to an al-Qaida-linked cell. However, the army and the European country's intelligence are still interrogating the man, whose identity was not disclosed, to verify the accusations against him. Beirut, 12 May 09, 09:03

Israel Procrastinates on Pullout from Ghajar
Naharnet/Media reports differed on Israel's withdrawal from the northern part of the border village of Ghajar, with some saying that a pullout would come after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington. An Nahar daily said Tuesday that Israel informed U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy that it was "ready to look into the withdrawal from northern Ghajar based upon the results of military negotiations in Lebanon under the sponsorship of UNIFIL." However, U.N. sources said Israeli officials told Le Roy during his visit to Israel last week that Netanyahu was busy preparing for his May 18 visit to Washington. The sources described Netanyahu's stance as a "test," adding that if he were to order a withdrawal from the Lebanese side of Ghajar, he would do it during his talks with U.S. President Barack Obama in order to show a positive stance on Israeli pullout from some occupied territories.  Israeli daily Haaretz, However, has reported that the Jewish state would not pull out of the northern part of Ghajar if Hizbullah wins the June 7 parliamentary elections. Beirut, 12 May 09, 08:38

Controversy over Constitutional Council Appointments on Hot Fire
Naharnet/The prolonged controversy over the appointments to the Constitutional Council was reportedly nearing an end. The daily As Safir on Tuesday said the opposition has made up its mind with regards to two or five members yet to be elected. They are former cabinet minister Assaad Diab, a Shiite, and Greek Orthodox judge Salah Mukhaiber. President Michel Suleiman, according to As Safir, has recommended Raymond Eid, a Maronite, while Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat is likely to name Druze candidate Suheil Abdel Samad. It said the Sunni member was left for Prime Minister Fouad Saniora to decide. The Lebanese Parliament last December elected five members to the Constitutional Council and was yet to elect five others, allowing the highest court to be operational prior to the forthcoming elections. The Constitutional Council is the only body that has the power to look into complaints related to election fraud and challenging results. Meanwhile, Al Akhbar newspaper said the issue of the appointments to the Constitutional Council would be tackled during a meeting in Baabda between Suleiman and Saniora. In a related development, the opposition held an overnight meeting at cabinet minister Mohammed Fneish's residence in the southern suburbs to discuss details of the council's appointments. Beirut, 12 May 09, 09:16

Aoun: Hizbullah's Arms Are Result of Conflict in the Region
Naharnet/MP Michel Aoun on Monday said that Hizbullah's possession of weapons came as a result of the decades-long Arab-Israeli conflict and added that Lebanon did not expect any good will gestures from Israel. After his bloc's weekly meeting, Aoun defended Hizbullah saying the party's possession of its own arsenal "was the product of a political and military situation in the Middle East and in Lebanon." "We must first resolve (the conflict) before removing the pin that bothers them. "You can keep denying it but today Lebanon is capable of protecting itself and no one protected us from the 60-year old Palestinian problem," he added. The Israeli government last week indicated it will soon announce plans to evacuate troops from the northern part of Ghajar but press reports Monday said a withdrawal was not possible if Hizbullah wins the June 7 elections.
"No one expects from the Israeli to do any favors for Lebanon. He can withdraw or not withdraw from our land but we do not expect an act of goodwill," Aoun said.
Aoun then lashed out at President Michel Suleiman for "keeping silent" as the former's political opponents wage "a campaign of lies" against him. "I will not accept the silence of the president and the public prosecution when I am being conspired against. Any one who turns a blind eye is himself a conspirator," Aoun said. The MP recalled asking the president for "a clear position" in response to a newspaper report claiming Aoun advocates a constitutional amendment that would reduce Suleiman's term in office. "The president has a right to support whomever he wants in the elections. However, it is unacceptable for security forces to interfere by promoting the candidates that he backs," Aoun added. "Some people have been receiving phone calls telling them that the president was in danger and if they do not vote for a certain list his term will be cut short," Aoun said. He also said some municipalities are using their offices for electoral campaigning and called for their phone lines to be monitored. Aoun then turned his attention to ad-Diyar newspaper saying its "attacks have gone too far." "What is the role of the National Media Council and the public prosecution in cases of false reports, libel and slander?" he asked. Beirut, 11 May 09, 20:37

Geagea: No Veto on Anyone, March 14 Is our Only Interest
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea denied on Monday he had reservations to include the former Minister Fares Boueiz on the list of March 14 forces. "There is no veto on anyone, and we do not seek to deliver one or block another, because all our attention is focused on opening the way for March 14," he said. Geagea called "all the members of the Lebanese Forces and its supporters to back the list and work (for its success) with all their powers." He stressed on "the need to put all local, regional and personal considerations aside for the sake of this important battle, and in particular that of Aley," which he called "the heart of the mountain and in the heart of the confrontation." "What I am saying doesn't mean that the March 14 list is facing major difficulties and dangers in Aley," he said, adding "but for political and moral considerations, we are supposed to vote intensively for this list." "The voting process does not aim at delivering a specific individual to power, but it allows us to choose the kind of Lebanon we aspire for," he said Geagea pointed to "a new vision regarding the complex issue of the Armenian-Catholic seat in the first constituency of Beirut," saying that "the list will be announced by the end of the week." Beirut, 11 May 09, 18:41

Boueiz- Abi Nasr War of Words
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement MP Nehmetallah Abi Nasr responded to remarks made by former Foreign Minister and current parliamentary candidate Fares Boueiz saying: "it never occurred to us to respond in an argument with someone, particularly when that someone threatened to cut our tongue, break our head and call us a chick." In a press conference on Monday Abi Nasr said that he was not at all surprised to hear the tense statement by Boueiz. "we were not surprised to see you lose your nerves when you were told that there is no room for you in the chick pen that you were panting to get into," Abi Nasr said. He reminded Boueiz of the year 1992 saying "How did you agree then to become an MP when Maronite Patriarch Sfeir and Keserouan voters fully boycotted the election, are you not ashamed how the electricity power was cut and the ballot boxes changed to fabricate your parliamentary victory in Keserouan?"
Boueiz responded in a statement saying: "Abi Nasr must be put in his right size of a chick, for we never panted once after a seat in parliament." Boueiz added to Abi Nasr saying: "I refuse to commit if the program aims to cause a coup, the peacock is more colorful that the chick, the color of its feathers brighter than your pale fluff." "As for 1992 I rejected the first round of elections and resigned from cabinet to be in solidarity with the Christian opposition," Boueiz said. Beirut, 11 May 09, 16:05

Hariri: Elections to Determine Lebanon's Political Path
Naharnet/MP Saad Hariri on Monday reiterated that the upcoming elections are "crucial for Lebanon's future and Arabism as well as for the development of its democracy for the better."
"The next elections will determine Lebanon's political path," Hariri said from Qoreitem after meeting West Bekaa parliamentary candidates. Turning to his father's assassination, he said ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed "as part of a political scheme to consolidate hegemony over Lebanon." "But when they failed to carry out their scheme through assassinating PM Rafik Hariri and the rest of the martyrs of the Cedar Revolution, they are, once again, trying to implement their plan through parliamentary elections," Hariri said. He stressed that his alliance with Druze leader Walid Jumblat is "strong and rock solid." "Together, we shall continue to face up to the challenges and difficulties," Hariri vowed. Beirut, 11 May 09, 20:04

Police Display Confiscated Equipment from Israel-Linked Spies: Cooler worth $100,000, USB $70,000
Naharnet/Lebanon on Monday put on public display equipment an official said was used by alleged Israeli spy networks inside the country, including a water cooler equipped with a mapping device. "The equipment was used to identify hundreds of targets on Lebanese territory before and after 2006, some of which were bombed that year," a security official told reporters, referring to the 34-day Israeli war on Lebanon. In addition to the water cooler, the gadgets included a high-tech USB, a leather purse and key-chains with secret compartments as well as a can for motor oil used to hide mini tapes, a radio and forged identification papers. A Lebanese security source told the daily As Safir in remarks published on Monday that the cooler and the USB were estimated at $100,000 and $70,000 respectively. The alleged spies used the seemingly innocuous items to communicate with Israel using encrypted messages, the official said. Lebanon and Israel remain technically at war. If found guilty of high treason, the 15 suspects detained in connection with the spy rings face the death penalty. Most of the suspects are Lebanese, although at least one of them is Palestinian. They include a police officer, a petrol station owner and a butcher. Last month saw the arrest of former brigadier general Adib al-Alam, his wife Hayat Saloumi and nephew Joseph Alam on suspicion of spying for Israel for more than 15 years. Alam ran a housekeeping service in Beirut that was allegedly used as a front. He used to store pictures he took of Lebanon and Syria in two small coolers and would later transmit them to Israel. As Safir said the detainees have made "important confessions."Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat, meanwhile, said Lebanese intelligence on Saturday arrested two suspects with links to Israel in the southern city of Tyre. It quoted Lebanese security sources as saying that preliminary investigation with brothers Mahmoud and Hussein Ahmed Shehab, who were arrested last Friday on suspicion of spying for the Mossad, has revealed that they had been recruited separately and that they were not aware of that. A Hizbullah official from south Lebanon, from where most of the suspected spies hail, on Monday said the party was cooperating with the authorities on dismantling the spy networks. "Hizbullah has uncovered many Israeli spy rings and is cooperating completely with all official security services," Hizbullah official Nabil Qawouq told AFP on Monday. A number of those currently in custody were first detained by Hizbullah which then handed them over to the authorities.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 11 May 09, 08:11

Pope calls for creation of Palestinian state
Suffering of Jews killed by Nazis 'must not be denied'
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Pope Benedict XVI on Monday said at Israel's memorial to 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany that their suffering must never be denied, a message that addressed Jewish anger over a Holocaust-denying bishop. And on his arrival earlier in the day, the pontiff underscored the Vatican's political divisions with Israel's right-leaning government by voicing support for a Palestinian homeland.
It was not immediately clear whether the pope's words on the Holocaust, which fell short of an outright apology for lifting the excommunication of British Bishop Richard Williamson in January, would heal the worst schism between the Vatican and Jews in a half-century.
Reiterating Vatican policy, Benedict called for a "just resolution" of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "so that both peoples may live in peace in a homeland of their own, within secure and internationally recognized borders."
According to Hebrew usage, he noted, security is something that "arises from trust and refers not just to the absence of threat but also to the sentiment of calmness and confidence."
Since taking over as Israel's premier on March 31, Benjamin Netanyahu has not endorsed creating a Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, a US and Arab priority.
The pope's remarks on the subject will echo around the region, particularly when he visits a Palestinian refugee camp in Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, where he will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
At the stark Yad Vashem memorial, the German-born pope said he had come to honor the memory of Jews killed in the "horrific tragedy of the Shoah," the Hebrew term for the Holocaust, which he called an atrocity that disgraced mankind.
"May the names of these victims never perish. May their suffering never be denied, belittled or forgotten," he said, in prayer-like phrasing.
The pope's comments echoed remarks he made in February on the Williamson controversy in which he told Jewish leaders "any denial or minimization of this terrible crime is intolerable."
In the 45 years since the Second Vatican Council repudiated the concept of collective Jewish guilt for Christ's death, relations have been haunted by the Holocaust and the question of what the Church did, or failed to do, about it. They hit a low in January after the pope lifted the excommunication of four traditionalist bishops, including Williamson, who denied 6 million Jews were killed.
The Vatican said it had not known enough about the British bishop's past and the Church and Jewish religious leaders had hoped the issue could be closed with the visit to Yad Vashem.
Before Williamson and the other bishops can be fully readmitted into the Church, the Vatican said, they must accept the teachings of the 1962-65 Second Vatican Council that urged respect for other religions.
Welcoming the pontiff, Israel's President Shimon Peres said: "Spiritual leaders can pave the way for political leaders. They can clear the minefields that obstruct the road to peace."
"Ties of reconciliation and understanding are now being woven between the Holy See and the Jewish people," Peres added. "Our door is open to similar efforts with the Muslim world."
But there was little enthusiasm among Israelis. Born Joseph Ratzinger in Bavaria in 1927, Benedict was a member of the Hitler Youth when enrolment was compulsory.
His biographers say he was never a member of the Nazi party and his family opposed Adolf Hitler's regime.
Speaking on his arrival from Jordan, the pope condemned anti-Semitism, which he said "continues to rear its ugly head" in the world, and called for a global effort to combat it.
He also stressed his desire for warm ties between Christians and Muslims and tried to wipe away residual bitterness over a 2006 lecture he made, which Muslims saw as offensive. - Reuters, with The Daily Star

Syria 'reopens' Al-Qaeda pipeline to Iraq
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
A Syrian "pipeline" used by the organization Al-Qaeda in Iraq to smuggle Islamic fighters into Iraq has been reactivated after a short lull, The Washington Post reported late Sunday.
The newspaper said the revival of the transit route that officials had declared all but closed comes as the administration of President Barack Obama is exploring a new diplomatic dialogue with Syria.
On Wednesday, acting Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman and National Security Council official Daniel Shapiro arrived in Syria for their second visit since Obama's inauguration as president.
Yet later last week, the administration renewed sanctions against Syria, accusing Damascus of supporting terrorism and undermining Iraqi stability.
The Bush administration frequently criticized Syria for the transit of foreign fighters, suggesting that the authoritarian government of President Bashar Assad was involved in the traffic, the report said.
"We do think that the knowledge of these networks exists at least within the Syrian intelligence community," the paper quoted an unnamed senior US military official as saying. "What level, if it's low or high up, we just don't have a good gauge on."
General David Petraeus, who heads the US Central Command, told Congress late last month that the Al-Qaeda in Iraq pipeline through Syria had been "reactivated."
The military is particularly concerned about the area around Mosul, in the northwest near the Syrian border, which officials have described as the last bastion of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
"There was a period where we were probably seeing less than half a dozen foreign fighters being pushed through the network," the official told The Post.
More recently, he said, the estimate has risen to 20 a month, and various intelligence sources have noted an increased "demand call" in Iraq for foreign fighters.
Also on Sunday, Syria said that two British nationals arrested in Damascus were suspected of being part of a terrorist organization related to Al-Qaeda.
The Syrian Embassy in London said Maryam Kallis and Yasser Zahur Ahmad were detained on March 17.
"Interrogations indicated that both Ms. Kallis and Mr. Ahmad are working for a terrorist network related to Al-Qaeda organization and the members of the network were also arrested by the Syrian authorities," it said in a statement.
"Ms Kallis is involved in receiving funds from her husband Mr. Massoud Ahmad [who resides in the UK] and in conveying the funds to the above-mentioned network. The investigation with the members of the network is still going on." It added that a representative of the British embassy in Damascus had been allowed to visit the detainees. - AFP, Reuters

Lebanese budget deficit rises $1.6 billion in Q1
Daily Star staff
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
BEIRUT: Lebanon's budget deficit in the first three months of this year rose to 37.77 (LL1.716 trillion (or close to $1.6 billion) from 26.49 percent in the same period of 2007, the Finance Ministry said on Monday. The ministry added that Electricite du Liban's (EDL) deficit in the same reporting period also rose to LL596 billion up to March of this year.
The primary surplus, excluding the cost of debt servicing, recorded a deficit of LL300 billion, or 6.59 percent of total government spending.
It is worth mentioning that the primary surplus in the same period of last year recorded a surpluss of LL386 billion.
Total government revenues up to March of this year rose to LL4.545 trillion, an increase of 35.5 percent compared to the same period of 2007.
According to the ministry, the main causes behind the rise in expenditures was to due to an increase in EDL's spending which reached LL569 billion.
In addition, the value of interest on the debt bonds also rose by LL278 billion.
On the revenue side, the ministry reported that total government income in the first three months of this year reached LL2.828 trillion, an increase of 14.33 percent compared to the same period of last year.
Receipts from the value added tax up to March of this year rose by 20 percent to LL685.921 billion while non-tax income fell to LL671.519 billion from LL681.975 billion.
The current government, according to most experts, is not expected to make any major economic reforms due to the differences among Cabinet members. These experts say real reforms will only start after the June 7 polls, when it will become clear who will form a cabinet.
Finance Minister Mohammad Shatah submitted the 2009 draft budget to the Cabinet but the opposition ministers refused to endorse the budget until Premier Fouad Siniora agrees to allocate LL60 billion to the Council of the South. - The Daily Star

Political mudslinging escalates as election date draws closer
By Therese Sfeir
Daily Star staff
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
BEIRUT: Political bickering intensified in Lebanon on Monday, less than a month before the country's June 7 polls. Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt said Monday that the unity of the March 14 Forces was above all other considerations. In his weekly article to Al-Anbaa newspaper published Tuesday, Jumblatt said: "The Lebanese people have a golden opportunity to prove their ability to run their affairs by themselves and to confirm their adherence to their democratic system."
The PSP leader said he supported the establishment of good relations with Syria "without interference into internal affairs." He also stressed Lebanon's Arab identity and called for reforming the political system and abolishing political sectarianism.
Jumblatt added that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon was now above "all political bickering and local polarizations."
"All political powers in Lebanon should respect the tribunal's current and future resolutions with no distinctions," he said.
"On the occasion of my visit to Saudi Arabia, I would like to reaffirm the kingdom's historic positions in support of Lebanon and its people," he said.
He added that Saudi Arabia supported "Lebanon's sovereignty, independence and stability ... and contributed to post-Civil War reconstruction and development projects."
Regarding the reported video tape of Youth and Culture Minister Talal Arslan, Jumblatt said: "It seems local and regional parties that did not benefit from the inter-Druze reconciliation that was forged in May 2008 worked on leaking this tape. However, [our] relationship with Arslan remains well founded and unaffected by simple sayings here and there in anger and under tense conditions."
He said continued and positive cooperation with Arslan was "to protect the Chouf Mountain and its people and to establish coexistence between all sects."
A video tape recently leaked to the media showed Arslan describing Jumblatt "spearheading the American plan in the region." The tape also showed Arslan accusing Future Movement leader Saad Hariri and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea of joining Jumblatt in this effort.
Hariri said Monday that the "upcoming parliamentary elections were fateful and would determine Lebanon's future, Arabism and development of its democratic system."
In comments before his visitors in Qoreitem, Hariri said: "Our alliance with MP Walid Jumblatt is strong and together we will face all obstacles and difficulties that hamper the establishment of the state."
Meanwhile, the head of the Reform and Change parliamentary bloc, MP Michel Aoun, criticized what he described as the silence of President Michel Sleiman over accusations against him.
"I am not satisfied by the silence of the president, the general prosecutor and the press about accusations made against me," Aoun said following the bloc's weekly meeting Monday.
"I accuse all those who remain silent on this issue of participating in the campaign against me," he added.
Aoun was referring to an article published by Ad-Diyar newspaper which said that MP Neamatallah Abi Nasr paid the general $2 million to include him on his list in Kesrouan.
"They are telling lies about our intentions to topple the president, and since this campaign is vicious, and since the source is known, it is obvious that these allegations are lies," Aoun said, in reference to earlier statements by former MP Fares Boueiz.
Free Patriotic Movement MP Neamtallah Abi Nasr responded to remarks made by Boueiz saying: "We were not surprised to see you lose your nerve when you were told that there is no room for you in the chicken pen that you were panting to get into."
He reminded Boueiz of the year 1992, saying: "How did you agree then to become an MP when Maronite Patriarch Sfeir and Kesrouan voters fully boycotted the election; are you not ashamed how the electricity power was cut and the ballot boxes changed to fabricate your parliamentary victory in Kesrouan?"
Boueiz responded in a statement saying: "Abi Nasr must be put in his right size of a chick, for we never panted once after a seat in Parliament," and added: "I refuse to commit if the program aims to cause a coup, the peacock is more colorful than the chick, the color of its feathers brighter than your pale fluff."
"As for 1992 I rejected the first round of elections and resigned from Cabinet to be in solidarity with the Christian opposition," Boueiz said.
Sleiman met Monday with Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud, with whom he discussed the country's security situation and the preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Sleiman also met with his East Timorese counterpart Jose Ramos Horta at Baabda Palace. Horta is on an official visit to Lebanon, where he also met with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
Geagea said negotiations were under way "to reach the best equation and guarantee the victory of the March 14 Forces" in the district of Kesrouan. On Monday he met with the March 14 Forces' candidates in the district of Aley.
The LF leader also denied claims that he had reservations to include Boueiz on the March 14 Forces' list in Kesrouan.
"There is no veto on anyone, because all our attention
There is no veto on anyone, because all our attention is focused on achieving the victory of the March 14 Forces," he said.
Meanwhile, Hizbullah MP Mohammad Raad said the opposition was calling for the full implementation of the Taif Accord.
In remarks on Monday, Raad said the opposition forces did not want a "tripartite or quadrate power-sharing formula" and accused the parliamentary majority of "seeking to provoke its supporters against the resistance."
Raad also stressed the need to establish a state and not "private companies monopolized by strong parties."
The Cabinet will convene Wednesday at Baabda Palace, with 109 items on its agenda, including the amendment of Article 21 of the Constitution and Article 108 of the rules of penal procedures.

Netanyahu seeks Mubarak's support against 'extremists'
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought Egypt's help Monday in building a coalition of Arab nations against Iran, framing the broader Middle East conflict as one in which "moderates" must band together to confront "extremists." The Israeli leader spoke at a news conference beside Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak after they met in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik. Mubarak avoided any mention of specific regional threats and said peace with the Palestinians would bring stability and reinforce cooperation in the region. It was Netanyahu's first trip to the Arab world since becoming prime minister on March 31. His election was ill-received in the Arab world because of his hard-line positions against yielding Arab land Israel illegally occupies and his refusal to support Palestinian independence.
The Israeli leader, meanwhile, has sought to redirect the Middle East agenda by focusing on Iran as the key threat to regional stability. Israel and the US accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons - a charge Iran denies - and Arab nations are also wary of Iran's growing regional clout.
In Egypt, Netanyahu made an argument that Israel and "moderate" Arab nations shared a common threat.
"The struggle in the Middle East is not a struggle between peoples or a struggle between religions," he said.
It is a struggle between extremists and moderates, a struggle between those who seek life and those who spread violence and death."
Behind the effort to build common ground is a shared concern by Israel and US Arab allies such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia about the Obama administration's overtures to start a dialogue with Iran after decades of shunning Tehran.
Without mentioning Iran by name, the Israeli leader said, "Today to our regret, we witness extremist forces who are threatening the stability of the Middle East." Before his trip, an official in Netanyahu's office said one of his aims was to forge cooperation with Arab nations against what he described as the common threats of Iran and its regional proxies, Hizbullah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Appealing directly to Mubarak for support, the Israeli prime minister said, "We expect, Mr. President, your help in the struggle against extremists and terrorists who threaten peace." Mubarak did not respond publicly to that theme at the news conference. Instead, he spoke of the need to forge ahead with Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts where they left off under a US-backed plan aimed at establishing an independent Palestinian state. He stressed the importance of resuming talks "on the basis of a clear political horizon that deals with the final solution issues and establishes an independent Palestinian state side by side with Israel in security and peace." Netanyahu, however, made no endorsement of Palestinian statehood, though he said he hoped to renew peace talks in the coming weeks, and he asked for Egypt's help there as well.
"We want to expand peace. We want to expand it first of all to our neighbors, the Palestinians," Netanyahu said.
We want Israelis and Palestinians to live together with a horizon to peace, security and prosperity. Therefore, we want at the earliest opportunity to renew the peace talks between ourselves and the Palestinians." Netanyahu, who has yet to unveil his government's policy on peace efforts, has said his preference is for concentrating on Palestinian economic growth for now, while putting statehood talks aside for some point in the future. While the US too is concerned about Iran's role in the region, it also is pressing hard for an Israeli commitment to establish a Palestinian state. - AP with The Daily Star

Only two Lebanese Jews are registered to vote in Sidon
By Mohammed Zaatari /Daily Star staff
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
SIDON: Isaac Elijah Diwan and Jack Samantoubi Zeitouni are the only two Lebanese Jewish voters in the coastal city of Sidon for the June 7 parliamentary elections. Only the names of two Lebanese Jews are listed on the civil registry records in Sidon, though the city was home to a large Jewish community before the outbreak of Lebanon's Civil War in 1975. The port city's Jews were mainly concentrated in a neighborhood of the old downtown, known until today as the "Jews Quarter."
The neighborhoods Jews fled to North America and Europe and were replaced by residents from other religions.
A large Hizbullah flag hangs from one of the balconies adjacent to the quarter's synagogue, which has become the residence of a family. Pictures of Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and others resistance figures are plastered on almost all the walls of the Jews Quarter.
One of Sidon's long-time residents, Saeed Safadi, recalls that the relationship between the southern city's Jewish community and other confessions "was based on mutual respect."
He points out that most of Sidon's Jews did not flee the city after Israel's creation in 1948, but rather abandoned the city in large groups from 1975 to 1978, during the early phases of the Civil War. "The last Jew left Sidon in February 1985 as Israeli troops were withdrawing after the invasion of 1982," Safadi says.
Unlike Jewish communities in other Middle Eastern countries, the Lebanese community largely remained and even grew in the aftermath of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, and began emigrating during the civil wars of 1958 and 1975.
After political stability collapsed in Lebanon, Jews flocked to places with existing Lebanese expatriate communities, such as Paris, New York, Montreal or Sao Paulo.
Despite the 1948 war, the Jewish community grew to almost 9,000 by 1951, largely as a result of an influx of refugees from Iraq and Syria. Lebanon was the only Arab state that saw its Jewish community increase after the establishment of Israel.
Safadi recalls that Sidon's Jewish community was mostly made up of tradesmen.
"Sidon's Jews were known to be rich and sharp and they had a habit of closing their quarter's gate at night," he says.
While the Jewish community never played a decisive role during elections in Sidon, Safadi remembers, "they always voted wisely and made sure not to upset all candidates."
"The Jews would split their votes between Sidon's two candidates for the elections so as not to upset any of them and receive services from both of them," Safadi says.
Lebanon's Jews were the only Middle Eastern Jewish community to be constitutionally protected.
The crumbling Magen Abraham synagogue in downtown Beirut and the Jewish cemetery in the capital's neighborhood of Sodeco are among the few remaining vestiges of the Jewish community in Lebanon.
In April, Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud proposed that the Cabinet amend the legislation that currently labels Lebanese Jews as "Israelis" to "Jewish Lebanese."
A press release by Baroud's office said that the interior minister has submitted the proposal to be discussed by the Cabinet.
Members of Lebanon's Jewish sect are referred to as Israelis on their identification cards and on electoral lists. Baroud's proposal asked the Cabinet to adopt a draft law to differentiate between a sect "whose rights are legal and protected by the Constitution and between the subjects of an occupying entity."
"The Jewish sect in Lebanon is recognized, and its rights are guaranteed by the ninth article of the Lebanese Constitution that guarantees all the Lebanese freedom of religion," he added.

Assailants torch LOG member's car in Rmeich
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, May 12, 2009
BEIRUT: The Lebanese Option Group (LOG) said in a statement Monday that unidentified assailants burned the white Toyota Rapide of Gerges Al-Alamn, a LOG member, Monday morning in the southern town of Rmeich. - The Daily Star

MP says Resistance bloc on high alert against Israel
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, May 12, 2009
BEIRUT: Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Hassan Fadlallah said during a rally in the southern village of Beit Lif on Monday that the Resistance will always be on the highest alert against Israel, despite domestic chaos in Lebanon. Fadlallah added that the opposition was running in the forthcoming parliamentary elections to win the majority of seats. "The opposition's victory will pave the way for the formation of a national unity cabinet to resolve all pending issues," he said. He added that Hizbullah's Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Speaker Nabih Berri and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun agreed during their meeting on Friday night to run in friendly elections in the Jezzine district, where the opposition formed two lists, one supported by Aoun and the other by Berri. - The Daily Star