LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

Bible Reading of the day
Matthew 9/9-15: As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and followed him. It happened as he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’* for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance./Naharnet

Peres: Iran destroys Lebanon by supporting Hizbullah
Naharnet/Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has no future, his Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres said in an interview. Speaking during an official visit to Brazil -- the first by an Israeli president in 43 years -- Peres told the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia the hardline Iranian leader needed a more constructive attitude.
Peres' South American trip is aimed at countering Iranian influence in the region and comes ahead of a visit to Brasilia by Ahmadinejad on November 23.
"Of course we spoke a lot about Iran (during the visit)," Peres said, "(But) I do not think their president has a future." "It is not enough to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in this region and around the world to buy influence, places and people," Peres said. "He needs to have a positive message for his people and for the world. This is a president who calls for the destruction of another country and who denies the Holocaust, even though there are still thousands and thousands of survivors living in Israel who have the Nazi number on their arms.
"Iran destroys Lebanon by supporting Hizbullah and dividing the country. It provides arms to Hamas in Gaza and tries to destroy its government, President Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority," Peres told the newspaper. The Israeli president is due to leave Brazil on Sunday to travel to Argentina as he continues his South American tour. Ahmadinejad, who has in the past called for Israel to be wiped off the map, is expected to use talks with the Brazil to develop trade links between the two countries.(AFP) Beirut, 16 Nov 09, 09:05

Hizbullah arsenal will not hold up Cabinet policy statement
/Daily Star staff/Monday, November 16, 2009
BEIRUT: The issue of Hizbullah’s weapons arsenal will not delay the swift drafting of the newly formed unity Cabinet’s policy statement. The committee of ministers tasked with drafting the government’s platform received a draft statement over the weekend, which they are expected to discuss during a second meeting on Monday. The statement’s first draft is based on that adopted by the previous cabinet. The statement is expected to be issued before the country’s Independence Day marked each year on November 22, while the issue of Hizbullah’s arms would be left to discussions during national dialogue sessions, politicians said Sunday. On Saturday, President Michel Sleiman urged for the prompt formulation of the Cabinet’s policy statement to promote Lebanon’s position on international scenes ahead of Independence Day.
Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud said the ministerial statement would be based on the one adopted by the previous Cabinet of former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
On Sunday, both parliamentary majority and opposition officials voiced hope for the quick formulation of the policy statement while underscoring the need for cooperation in the new cabinet away from contentious issues. Hizbullah officials on the weekend stressed the party’s role in resisting Israeli occupation.
Hizbullah MP Nawaf Moussawi underscored on Sunday the need to safeguard Hizbullah’s weapons saying further divisions among the Lebanese would only encourage Israel’s desire for war. Also, Minister of State for Administrative Development Mohammad Fneish said on Sunday that “no rational individual” would deny Hizbullah its role in resisting occupation.
Fneish also stressed the need to strengthen partnership and cooperation in the new government in order to face Israeli challenges as a coherent team.
Public Works and Transport Minister Ghazi Aridi told Al-Manar on Sunday that the issue of Hizbullah’s arms should be discussed during national dialogue sessions, adding that the ministerial statement cannot provide solutions to the issue of the resistance’s weapons. Aridi added that it will not take “too long” to draft the ministerial statement.
Culture Minister Salim Wardeh, meanwhile, urged for the prompt formulation of the Cabinet’s ministerial statement prior to Independence Day. Wardeh added that a positive atmosphere was present in the government based on the will of all political parties to cooperate to help the country overcome the past difficult situation. “The ministerial statement would reflect that positive atmosphere,” Wardeh said. Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan said that the Cabinet came as a “compromise,” adding that he wished the distribution of Cabinet shares “better” reflected the outcome of the June parliamentary elections. Adwan said that the LF was open “to everyone without exception” and will support the Cabinet compromise, but will oppose any clause in the statement that does not reflect its principles.” – The Daily Star

Feltman warns of Iranian arms-export dangers
Monday, November 16, 2009/BEIRUT: The United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman said Washington was eager to cooperate with the cabinet of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, but warned that arms export from Iran to Hizbullah “puts Lebanon at great risk.” “The United States is looking forward to cooperating with the new Lebanese government in a spirit of partnership in various fields after it obtains confidence,” Feltman said in an exclusive interview published in Arabic on Sunday in An-Nahar newspaper. Feltman said he congratulated Prime Minister Hariri on his new post and denied accusations by some Lebanese political leaders who charged that the US administration had intervened in the government formation process. The former US ambassador to Lebanon accused Iran of continuing to export arms to Hizbullah and hoped that the Lebanese government would realize the “risk” of Israeli attacks in response to firing of rockets from Lebanon into the Jewish state. Feltman said delay in the appointment of a new US ambassador to Damascus was due to “political and bureaucratic reasons.” While acknowledging that a visit to Washington by Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad was “positive and constructive,” he described the differences between the US and Syria as “profound.” Feltman said peace efforts have so far not led to find the “key to open the door to negotiations in order to reach constructive talks between Syria and Israel.” “But we are committed to achieve peace,” he said, adding that there was a “high degree of cooperation” between the US and France on issues such as peace in the Middle East. – Naharnet, with The Daily Star

Policy Statement Hits Snag Over Resistance and Privatization
Naharnet/The two contentious issues of resistance and privatization might delay formulation of the government's policy statement, media reports said Monday. An Nahar said that the ministerial committee tasked with writing the cabinet platform might not vote on the draft during its second meeting, which will be headed by Premier Saad Hariri on Monday, due to disagreement over the two issues between the March 8 and 14 forces. Ministerial sources told the newspaper that some March 14 committee members might express reservations on the issue of resistance despite an agreement to adopt the article based on the one adopted by the previous cabinet of former PM Fouad Saniora. Signs that majority officials could express reservations over the resistance article appeared on Sunday night amid reports that ministers from the Lebanese Forces and the Phalange and Ministers Boutros Harb and Michel Pharaon held consultations over the issue. Majority sources told An Nahar that they weren't satisfied with the article on international resolutions because it only mentions Security Council resolution 1701. They added that the article on the resistance will also be subjected to amendment. As for the privatization issue, the daily expected March 8 ministers to express reservations or propose amendments to it. The sources told An Nahar that Telecommunications Minister Charbel Nahhas left the committee's first meeting following a heated argument. The debate could renew on Monday. Ministerial sources told al-Liwaa daily that the committee could hold consecutive meetings to finish writing the last draft on Thursday. There has been an agreement between President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri and Hariri to complete the formulation of the policy statement before independence day on November 22.
Beirut, 16 Nov 09, 08:22

Berri: Hariri has Positive Attitude on Policy Statement's Resistance Article
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri has said that Prime Minister Saad Hariri has a positive attitude on the resistance issue in the cabinet policy statement.
"Those who want to obstruct the resistance article are incapable of doing so particularly that the premier is still expressing a positive (attitude) on this point," Berri told al-Akhbar newspaper.
He also stressed that there was no fear on the security situation in the country unless there were "regional jolts."
Berri told al-Akhbar that the "Saudi-Syria equation" had positive repercussions on the country. Beirut, 16 Nov 09, 08:58

Suleiman Says he Won't Seek Reelection, Several Constitutional Amendments are Needed
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman has said that he won't seek another term in office but vowed to carry out constitutional amendments to improve the functions of state institutions.
"Some people would be obliged to extend (their term) under exceptional circumstances. But I believe that an official should not remain in his post for a period of more than 3-4 years," Suleiman told Kalam magazine that is issued by Saint Joseph University's media and communications faculty. He said many amendments are needed. However, they could only be carried out through consensus. Suleiman told the magazine he is one of the supporters of change inside state institutions to open way opportunities for new figures. Beirut, 16 Nov 09, 12:04

New Lebanon Cabinet Cautious of Hizbullah Dispute
Naharnet/Lebanon's new government, a shaky coalition of Western-backed factions and Hizbullah, is unlikely to tackle the chief challenge the country faces — a buildup of the Iranian-backed group's weapons — even as the rockets cause sharp new tensions with neighboring Israel. On Wednesday, Israel released documents and photos it said proved Iran was behind a shipment of weapons seized last week, which Israel claimed was bound for Hizbullah. Hizbullah has denied any links to the arms ship. The day before, the Israeli army chief told parliament members that the Shiite group now has tens of thousands of rockets stored in southern Lebanon, and could strike deep into Israel.
The U.N. resolution that ended a bitter 2006 monthlong war between Hizbullah and Israel called for Hizbullah's disarmament, something the group has strongly rejected.
The new Lebanese government formed Monday, headed by Prime Minister Saad Hariri and including two Hizbullah ministers, is not expected to make a major push to disarm the group.
The reason: Hizbullah's arsenal remains a divisive issue among the Lebanese, and any action by Hariri could immediately cause a crisis in his new government — or even a renewed outbreak of the sectarian violence that tore through Beirut in spring 2008, analysts say. "If the government moves to force Hizbullah to lay down its arms, Hizbullah will definitely resist this, something that will lead to civil unrest in the country," said Ali Hamadeh, a political analyst with the daily An-Nahar.
Instead, Hizbullah weapons will likely remain an issue for a so-called "national dialogue." Rival Lebanese factions have been conducting such dialogue periodically the past three years. But they have so far made no progress on a defense strategy that would eventually integrate Hizbullah's weapons into the Lebanese regular armed forces.
Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said recently that the group has replenished its weapons stock since its 2006 conflict with Israel and now has more than 30,000 rockets.
The world's concern with Hizbullah's weapons was reflected in a White House statement Tuesday that praised the Cabinet's formation after more than four months of deadlock, but called on the government to implement U.N. Security Council resolutions that call for dismantling all militias in Lebanon.
"Had there been no Hizbullah weapons, the world would have ignored Lebanon and no one would have cared about the formation of a new Cabinet," said Ibrahim Bayram, another political analyst. Hariri's Cabinet is the first since his Western-backed alliance narrowly defeated the Hizbullah-led coalition in June elections, enabling it to retain a slim majority in parliament.
Hariri sought to form the unity government as a way of overcoming the country's deep sectarian divisions and avoiding a repeat of last year's fighting that nearly drove Lebanon to the brink of a new civil war. But given the major differences over both Hizbullah's weapons and political and economic reforms, "this Cabinet has a slim chance of success," said Hamadeh.
Hizbullah has a virtual veto power over the government's moves, most analysts believe — because if it pulls out, sectarian violence could follow.
The withdrawal of five Shiite ministers and an allied Christian minister from the previous government in late 2006 led to a fierce power struggle between the Hizbullah-led bloc and the Western-backed government. The political standoff turned violent in May 2008 when Hizbullah fighters and supporters swept through Sunni neighborhoods of Beirut to briefly seize control.(AP) Beirut, 16 Nov 09, 09:56

Municipal Elections Face the Threat of Postponement
Naharnet/Municipal elections scheduled for next spring might be postponed if the new cabinet does not adopt a decision to reduce voting age to 18 by December 5, pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported Monday. Interior Minister Ziad Baroud told the newspaper that he had referred to the previous cabinet the draft law approved by parliament to amend the constitution to reduce voting age from 21 to 18. Involved authorities begin preparing the lists of voters on December 5. Al-Hayat said Baroud's insistence to hold the municipal elections on time will push parliamentary blocs to ask for postponement under the pretext of lack of time to make the necessary preparations particularly the short period left to make the constitutional amendment before Dec. 5. Beirut, 16 Nov 09, 11:13

More ISF Measures in Dahieh, Baroud Stresses Plan to be Implemented in All Regions
Naharnet/Beirut's southern suburbs have been witnessing a change lately with internal security forces organizing traffic and writing traffic tickets to violators.
According to pan-Arab daily al-Hayat, the change came following several meetings two weeks ago between officials in the suburbs. Speaker Nabih Berri headed one of the meetings that was attended by Amal representatives MP Ali Hassan Khalil and Ahmed Baalbaki and Hizbullah chief's political assistant Hussein Khalil, MP Ali Ammar and Hizbullah official Wafiq Safa.
The newspaper said the conferees agreed that any violator of the law should not get any political cover. Following the series of meetings, a Hizbullah delegation visited Interior Minister Ziad Baroud and Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi and informed them about the party's readiness to offer any assistance and coordinate with the ISF to arrest any wanted criminal hiding in the suburbs. Baroud told al-Hayat there will be "more security measures to control the security situation and violations in all regions and not Dahieh alone because security is an inseparable entity." "Security forces are in a state of full readiness," he said, adding there is "cooperation with all security forces in Dahieh and other regions."Baroud stressed on the importance of "coordination" to maintain security in the southern suburbs. Beirut, 16 Nov 09, 10:06

Lebanese Female Cabinet Ministers 'Crack' Male Politisphere
Naharnet/Mother of three Raya Haffar Hassan cracked Lebanon's male-dominated political spectrum last week when she was appointed finance minister, the first time for a woman to land such a top job. Activists say the appointment of Mrs. Hassan and State Minister Mona Ofeish in the new 30-member national unity government unveiled on November 9 is a welcome step, but remains a mere "crack in the political glass ceiling." The U.S.-educated Hassan, who has an MBA from George Washington University, was selected by Prime Minister Saad Hariri while Ofeish, an attorney and civil society activist, was named by President Michel Suleiman.
"The glass ceiling? I guess you could say it's cracked," said Aman Kabbara Shaarani, who heads the Lebanese Council of Women, an umbrella group of several organizations.
"Prime Minister Saad Hariri took a good step by appointing two women to his Cabinet, but this is far from enough," she told AFP. Lebanon prides itself as a pioneer of women's liberation in the Arab world but it still lags behind some of its more conservative neighbors and only four women have seats in the 128-strong parliament. In government, female representation fares poorly as well. The first woman to be appointed to a government was the daughter of Lebanon's first Prime Minister Riad Solh, Leila Solh Hamadeh, who served as industry minister from 2004 to 2005. "We would have hoped women to get at least 30 percent representation in government, especially since women accounted for 53 percent of all ballots cast in our elections last June," Shaarani said. "Unfortunately in this country, qualified women do not reach high-level posts because political shares are divided among men and along sectarian lines," she added.
"But our two new female ministers are highly qualified, so it's a step forward in terms of quality at least." Mrs. Hassan is no newcomer to the world of finance. She has contributed to the establishment of assistance programs in Lebanon set up by the United Nations Development Program and the World Bank.
Since 2003, the 42-year-old mother has worked with three former prime ministers on financial policies and says she is ready, and capable, of tackling challenges that lay ahead.
"It's a very challenging opportunity, and I understand that very well," Mrs. Hassan told AFP. "But I think being a woman, we have the ability to withstand a lot of pressure."
"I intend to use diplomatic demeanor and calm to argue my points within the Cabinet and namely when it comes to setting the national budget," she said. The task will be tough: although Lebanon has largely ducked the global economic crisis, the national debt is expected to top 50 billion dollars this year. Most of the debt was incurred during the massive reconstruction after Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war led by Saad Hariri's father Rafik Hariri, a five-time prime minister who was assassinated in 2005. Mrs. Hassan also enters a national debate on whether to privatize the country's extortionate telecoms sector and the money-draining electricity sector, the government's third largest expenditure after debt servicing and salaries. Her detractors deride her as a muse of the Hariri era, and the pro-opposition daily Al-Akhbar has dubbed her the "golden child of Hariri's financial policy." Hariri announced the new Cabinet lineup after nearly five months of tough negotiations with his rivals in the Iran- and Syria-backed Hizbullah-led opposition. Hariri got the lion's share, with 15 ministries given to his alliance, while the opposition is represented by 10 ministers. President Suleiman, who plays the role of arbiter, appointed the remaining five ministers.(AFP) Beirut, 16 Nov 09, 10:42

Report: Aoun to Visit Damascus before Hariri
Naharnet/Arrangements are being made in Syria ahead of Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun's visit to Damascus, Ad-Diyar newspaper reported Monday.
It said Aoun's visit would be prior to Premier Saad Hariri's travel to the Syrian capital. However, FPM sources denied that the MP would visit Syria anytime soon. Syria's al-Watan daily had reported that Aoun could visit Damascus before Hariri. Ad-Diyar also quoted sources as saying that a personality could visit Center House soon and deliver to Hariri an invitation to travel to Syria. Beirut, 16 Nov 09, 08:47

Amal Haddad First Woman To Become President of Bar Association
Naharnet/Independent candidate Amal Haddad was named president of Bar Association after the withdrawal of George Jreij.
Haddad is the first Lebanese woman to become president of the Lebanese Bar Association. The results came after candidates George Baroud, Toufic Noueiri and George Jriej, along with Haddad, won the Bar Association elections. Independent candidate Amal Haddad received 2390 votes. Coming second is majority-backed candidate Toufic Noueiri with 1827 votes. Third in the list is March 14 candidate George Jreij with 1825 votes and the fourth winner in the Bar Association elections is the minority-backed candidate George Baroud with 1713 votes.
Hussein Zbib with 1669 votes took Jreij's place after the latter's withdrawal. Beirut, 15 Nov 09, 13:24

Gemayel: We Share the Same Principles and Objectives as March 14
Naharnet/Phalange Party Leader Amin Gemayel said that "the Beirut Bar Association elections is proof of Lebanon's democracy especially in times of the adversities challenging democracy, freedom and the syndical course of action as well". Gemayel, after casting his vote in the elections on Sunday, said that the "candidate for the elections backed by March 14 offers a comprehensive reform program for the association. We congratulate the winners, whoever they might be, in advance because they all are fully capable and qualified," added Gemayel.
"Phalange party and March 14 share the same objectives and principles. We are sure that the existing cooperation between us on the level of association elections or other objectives will not be altered by the concurrent events," Gemayel concluded. Beirut, 15 Nov 09, 15:38

Catholic Bishops discuss role in conveying values
Daily Star staff/Monday, November 16, 2009
BEIRUT: The Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon concluded its 43rd annual gathering on Saturday in the Kesrouan town of Bkirki. The gathering was held from November 9 to November 14 and was presided over by Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir. The religious leaders discussed moral values and the role of the Church in transmitting them. Sfeir stressed that there was a strong relation between building nations and maintaining values. He also called on families, the Church and the whole community “to help educate the young generation on values and good manners” The meeting also tackled ways to spread awareness on three main commandments: theft, killing and adultery. – The Daily Star

Sleiman's resource stance is inspiring
By The Daily Star /Monday, November 16, 2009
Editorial
President Michel Sleiman’s participation in a ceremony to inaugurate a dam in Baalbek on Saturday brings the issue of the management of our natural resources to the forefront of the national political debate – a refreshing change after the drought of ideas that characterized, until recently, the Cabinet-formation deliberations.
Lebanon has the highest annual rainfall in the Middle East, yet water shortages are common throughout the country as a result of years of mismanagement. By constructing a dam in Yamuna, our leaders finally appear to be offering real deeds to address the issue of water scarcity, and they are matching words and promises with tangible actions.
Yet, the construction of a mammoth network of dams also has the traits of a white elephant, handed to us to provoke reactions of awe, but serving our needs in a questionable manner. The announcement in July of the construction of 26 more dams across Lebanon has indeed sparked controversy among experts, since it remains unclear whether such a massive enterprise is the best solution to Lebanon’s water shortage. As he welcomed the construction of the dam on Saturday, Sleiman’s remarks reminded us that our abilities at policy-making still need some serious fine-tuning. In his address, our president insisted time and again that the leading motivation behind his government’s efforts to tackle our water-scarcity problem lay foremost in the need to resist Israel’s attempts to steal Lebanese waters. But although most Lebanese would agree on the need to resist Israel’s aggressive policies, hydrologists, geologists and environmentalists will point out that management and politics are often bad bedfellows, and pairing the two can easily lead to slapdash reasoning.Those who adopted this plan so swiftly, while showing a refreshing propensity toward action, could have benefited from at least attempting to formulate responses to the serious warnings of critics, who have argued that costs may quickly get out of hand, that our country’s water needs were never measured before the project was launched, and more significantly, suggested that the nature of Lebanon’s porous geology is not adapted to such constructions.Surely, a debate commensurate with the development of this nation-wide construction site could have served to eliminate all doubts about the ineptitude of their plan. More importantly, it could have also served the key task of ridding their project of any imperfections. Despite the flaws of our political decision-making process, we stand encouraged by Sleiman’s leadership in an area with the potential to unite us, and that should serve us all. After Masdar – a United Arab Emirates-based project that develops alternative sources of energy – recently turned to him when offering to help Lebanon expand its green-energy potential, could Sleiman emerge as the leading figure that will inspire us to manage our natural wealth sustainably?

First woman elected as head of Beirut Bar Association
Sleiman lauds ‘pioneering step’ taken by lawyers’ order
By Elias Sakr
Daily Star staff
Monday, November 16, 2009
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s lawyers elected on Sunday Amal Hadad to head the Beirut Bar Association. Haddad is the first woman to preside over the association since the establishment of the syndicate in 1920s. She was elected after the pullout of contender Georges Jreij from the race ahead of the second electoral round. “You surpassed all obstacles and complications when you elected a woman and you overcame all divergences since the woman that stands before you is the head of the order for the first time in the history of Lebanon,” Haddad said while addressing supporters after the election’s results were announced. “What unites the order cannot be affected by political divides and electoral battles; I ran in the polls as an independent whose loyalty is to the order and the nation,” she added. Later on Sunday, President Michel Sleiman called Haddad to congratulate her for the new post, a statement issued by the presidential palace said. “The election of [Amal] Haddad at the head of the Beirut Bar Association is a pioneering step and reflects the [lawyers’] awareness of the need to promote the role of women,” Sleiman was quoted as saying in the statement. Haddad was elected during the first round of the elections with 2,393 votes along with three other candidates for the order’s board including Future Movement candidate Toufic Nouairi with 1,828 votes, Phalange Party candidate Jreij with 1,825 votes and Free Patriotic Movement candidate George Baroud with 1,715 votes. Members of the Beirut Bar Association elected in a first round of votes four new members to the body’s board, while a president for the association is elected from among those four new members in a second round. Jreij, who withdrew from the race to head the association, following the outcome of the first round of voting, congratulated Haddad for the win, while stressing that he would stand by her side and would hold on to the principles of the order and its council. “The order would always be a pioneer in democratic practices and power rotation and I thank all the lawyers who supported me,” Jreij said. For her part, Haddad praised her colleagues for proving that the order’s elections were governed by democratic principles away from political or sectarian divides. “There is no difference between who you voted for because you conveyed a democratic image of an order which is a symbol of freedom and democracy,” Haddad said. Haddad stressed that the order proved to be a symbol of national unity and freedom rather than a bastion for political or sectarian dispute.
“We are not a political or sectarian order but one that defends the lawyers against all kinds of intimidation,” Haddad said. Haddad also voiced hope that media outlets would refrain from associating the results of the order’s elections to any political party or group as she stressed that the order “is free and will preserve its national role.” Haddad, who ran for the elections as an independent, was backed by the opposition coalition but also gained votes from March 14 loyalists and independents.

Global banks see Lebanon's Cabinet formation as positive for economy
Daily Star staff/Monday, November 16, 2009
BEIRUT: Merrill Lynch indicated that the formation of Lebanon’s long-awaited national unity government is positive, as it correlates Lebanon’s economic performance over the last two years largely with political stability in the aftermath of Doha accord in 2008, as reported by Lebanon This Week, the economic publication of the Byblos Bank Group.
It said that while it reflects the policy challenges, unity governments have proved to be fruitful for Lebanon. It ruled out any improvement in the contentious political issues as well as in painful fiscal reforms such as the planned increase in VAT. But it expressed optimism about the long-delayed sale of the mobile phone licenses, which is going to be largely used for debt reduction.
It noted that political stability and some progress on reforms and privatization, along with the currently solid macroeconomic performance and strong banking sector, should pave the way for a sovereign rating upgrade. It considered that Lebanon is getting closer to such an upgrade following the formation of the unity government. In parallel, Credit Suisse said that the formation of the government means that the risks of another breakdown of talks and of renewed political tensions have diminished considerably, adding that policy makers will get a chance to focus on economic and financial issues, five months after the parliamentary elections. It expected Premier Saad Hariri to focus in particular on economic policy issues, at least initially, as scope for resolving key contentious issues on the local political agenda is set to remain elusive. It noted that the pro-Hariri majority has retained control over the key Finance portfolio as well as over the Economy and Trade Ministry.
Further, Standard Chartered Bank noted that Lebanon’s economic activity is strongly correlated to political stability. It added that the formation of a government will strengthen sentiment and further improve the economic environment. It considered that political stability is crucial to GDP growth, as domestic consumption, confidence in the banking sector, investments by overseas Lebanese, and tourism are the largest contributors to GDP. It said that the majority has kept the critical finance and economy portfolio, while the opposition received the telecommunications, energy, tourism, and industry portfolios. – The Daily Star

Mouallem to Maariv: We hope Israeli-Syrian indirect negotiations will soon be resumed
November 16, 2009
Now Lebanon/Israeli newspaper Maariv reported on Monday that Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem voiced hope that the Syrian-Israeli indirect negotiations would soon be resumed in Turkey, who is playing a mediating role.

Mouallem also told the daily that resuming Turkish mediation in the indirect negotiations “is currently being discussed after it was stopped at the end of 2008” after Israel’s offensive on the Gaza Strip in December of last year.

-NOW Lebanon

New Opinion: Inherent dignity
November 16, 2009
Now Lebanon/Unflinching and quiet determination: Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora
When historians of the future write the story of the March 14 movement – twilling how different political groupings banded together to represent an unprecedented front against Syria and fight for democracy, sovereignty and freedom – they will have a rich vein of subject matter in which to dip their electronic quills.
They can tell the story of Saad Hariri, the heir apparent to a billionaire-father’s political aspirations; they can look at the revolution through the prism of Walid Jumblatt, the enigmatic but fickle Druze chieftain; or they might want to concentrate on the extraordinary story of Samir Geagea, the former warlord who stoically endured 11 years in solitary confinement, only to emerge from prison and lead the majority of March 14’s Christian supporters.
But they were the board members. What of the CEO? The story of Lebanese politics between 2005 and 2009 should neither diminish nor forget the towering presence of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, a statesman who, through his inherent dignity and calm head, was able to withstand war, armed insurrection, and a reign of terror. Last week, Siniora handed over the reins of power to Saad Hariri, who was finally was able to form a cabinet on November 9. He now takes his place on the back benches as an MP for Saida.
The irony is that Siniora probably never really wanted the job of prime minister back when he was first appointed in 2005. He was a banker, the right-hand money man of the late Rafik Hariri, who had served in each of his administrations, first as minister of State and then as Finance minister. Before Hariri was murdered on February 14, 2005, Siniora had left politics to run Group Mediterranée, Hariri’s financial empire. He might have been recalled to the colors, but essentially Fouad Siniora was the uber-technocrat, a man who in the 90s came to represent Hariri’s vision of taking a shattered Lebanon and rebuilding it into a regional business and tourism hub.
Thrust into the limelight, it soon became clear to Siniora that the Cedar Revolution would face a counter attack, as Syria and its allies sought to regain the power and influence they lost during in the spring of 2005. He watched his friends and allies brutally murdered, knowing that a huge price had also been placed on his head. The shadow of the bomber and the gunman would loom large over the next four years.

When in July 2006, Hezbollah took Lebanon into a disastrous war, he stood even taller. On August 7, 2006, a tearful Siniora called on the international community to help stop the slaughter. It was arguably his defining moment. Here was a statesman, the face Lebanon needed at that time, a man who had credibility and the respect of the world’s leaders. He was neither a warlord who had muscled his way to the top nor a Syrian appointee. He was a modern leader who represented a state that was trying to claw its way to international respectability in the face of tremendous opposition from those whose interests lay in Lebanon languishing in a permanent state of instability.
Less than six months later, the very same opponents tried to bring down his administration by abandoning his coalition government and laying siege to Lebanon’s seat of government. For 18 months, Siniora ran a nation from behind a wall of troops and razor wire. He held firm.
“The current position of the government in defense of democracy and liberties in the country proves that no change can take place on the street or through a so-called coup,” he said at the time. “This would be a coup against the constitution and the democratic institutions. This government has held fast, based on the support of the Chamber of Deputies and the citizens.”

His opponents merely contended that they were just doing what March 14 had done two years earlier. That they failed proved that the Lebanese people can tell the difference between a popular movement to overthrow injustice, and a cynical, stage-managed attempt to reinstall the forces of repression. Siniora’s government was vindicated in the June 7 elections, when the Lebanese once again said “no” to weapons and obstruction and “yes” to economic growth and state institutions.
Many have argued that the Siniora government was the failed manifestation of a movement that promised much but ultimately failed to deliver. It is equally valid to argue that it never really had a chance to implement these promises given the upheavals that befell Lebanon during this period, none of which were his doing. Instead it is probably fairer to remember Fouad Siniora as the prime minister who helmed the country through four years of stormy weather. This he did with unflinching and quiet determination.

Sami Gemayel
November 16, 2009
On November 15, the Lebanese National News Agency carried the following report:
Deputy Sami Gemayel assured that the major headline of the coming stage was equality on a 50-50 basis in all things related to political and national life, adding that the
Christians were no longer going to accept being anything but equal partners in negotiations, formations, governments and the writing of history. He then addressed the head of the Change and Reform bloc General Michel Aoun for the first time through the media, asking him “not to ignore the sacrifices of the Lebanese resistance, from which he is not too far away, [and to not] allow anyone to interfere between them or choose others over comrades in the long journey.”
Deputy Gemayel’s statements were delivered during a celebration to unveil the “Lebanese Kataeb Martyrs Memorial” - Kfar Zebian branch - in Kesrouan ... Deputy Gemayel thus welcomed the “honorable memory of the people of Kesrouan, namely the Kfar Zebian town branch, for their commemoration of the martyrs of the Kataeb Party who sacrificed themselves to serve the free and sovereign Lebanese entity,” corroborating the “comprehensive patriotism of the Kataeb Party, which is trying first and foremost to protect and uphold the fabric of this country and community to which we belong and to move forward toward improving and developing its official, constitutional and private institutions alike.
“From this location in particular and for the sake of the sacrifices we made during and after the war, [so] that no one is allowed to erase these sacrifices in the blink of an eye, since we cannot continue ignoring the case, the struggle and the reality of the other component of this country. Today, our call to redraw the book of history aims at ensuring a common reading for the sacrifices of all the sides, starting with the Kataeb and ending with the Free Patriotic Movement, the Guardians of the Cedars and Hezbollah in the South, whether during the confrontation with the Syrian army, the Palestinians or the Israelis. Our sacrifices should be treated equally, so that the different resistance movements are not classified as being first or second degree actors, thereby permitting the disregarding of a long history of struggle or the recognition of only one part of it, while excluding the other.”
Gemayel then stressed that each party should be given its share in school history books, “so that we are not deprived of mentioning the heroism of our martyrs in a state or a community that does not wish to recognize us or shed light on the glorious stages in our history.
“We should build the foundations of the Lebanese community on solid rocks, and this can only be ensured through recognition of the other and a confirmation that we are a key component of this fabric. We do not wish to say that Lebanon would not have existed without it or that we have more rights at this level than the others, seeing as how resistance is a social action and is not exclusive to one side or another. If recognition of the sacrifices of one resisting team is rejected, this means we are refusing to recognize society as a whole… We are only demanding recognition of our rights and history in full and wish to be real and active partners in the rewriting of the history books and the school curricula. We will also be active in the public administrations and the official and constitutional institutions, since the country cannot survive without the Christians.”
On the other hand, he directly addressed the head of the Change and Reform Bloc General Michel Aoun asking him not to ignore the sacrifices of the Lebanese resistance from which he was not that far away, and the heroism seen in past stages especially against the armed Palestinian presence in Tel al-Zaatar, to protect and uphold history. He also called on him not to allow anyone “to come between us, not to choose others over their comrades in the long journey and to recognize the role of all the political parties in defending the country’s sovereignty and independence, since we in the Kataeb Party is not overlooking the sacrifices of others, especially those of the Lebanese army, during the Liberation War stage… Therefore, we must build new foundations and set new standards, starting with reconciliation, total honesty, respect and love without wishing evil upon the others… In case a team was to decide not to recognize our presence and sacrifices, he should say so in public, because we are not willing to support or stand alongside a state or a side which does not recognize us... Our hand will remain extended to all the sides to build a state of equality, development, modernity and the state of the law …”

The Syrian Godfather
Lee Smith, The Weekly Standard , November 13, 2009
Now Lebanon/With his new film Testro billed to open Beirut's recent International Film Festival, Francis Ford Coppola was diverted from landing in the Lebanese capital when it was learned that his private plane used parts manufactured in Israel. Fortunately, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, whose Lebanese ally Hezbollah controls security at Beirut International Airport, was able to overlook this minor indiscretion and permitted Coppola to land in Damascus, where he caught another plane to Beirut.
Coppola is revered in the Middle East, as in many other parts of the world, as director of The Godfather, and indeed a new version of the three-part epic has just been released in the region, dubbed into the Syrian dialect. (So how do you say "banana daquiri" in Syria? Banana daquiri.)
The director seemed to enjoy his time in Damascus in late October, where he was wildly impressed with Assad and his glamorous wife Asma. "We have felt so warmly received," Coppola told Fox News correspondent Amy Kellogg. "The people you meet are kind and welcoming. [Damascus] is fascinating for so many reasons, relating to history. The food is fantastic. The president, his wife and family are lucid, appealing and able to speak on so many levels. In this way he convinces me he has a vision for the country which is positive."
This Godfather fan assumes that Coppola cannot be serious, and that these anodyne phrases are an intentional echo of the fulsome speech delivered by Senator Pat Geary (D, Nev.) at young Anthony Vito Corleone's first Holy Communion party in Lake Tahoe--before the senator ripped into his family.

Berri says parties cannot obstruct clause on Resistance in Ministerial Statement
November 16, 2009 /Now Lebanon/
Speaker Nabih Berri told Al-Akhbar newspaper in an interview published on Monday that anyone who wants to obstruct the inclusion of the clause in the Ministerial Statement pertaining to Hezbollah and its arms would be pressured not to do so by their allies rather than their opponents. He said that any obstruction of the clause’s inclusion is highly unlikely, especially since Prime Minister Saad Hariri is conveying a positive attitude toward the issue. The previous cabinet’s Ministerial Statement stipulates that the state is responsible for preserving Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence, unity and safety; while the country’s army, population and the Resistance have the right to liberate occupied land – namely the Shebaa Farms, the Kfar Shouba Hills and the northern part of the Ghajar village. The previous statement also said that Lebanon has the right to defend itself against any attack, and the right to gain access to its water supply through any available and legal means. The 12-member committee tasked with drafting the statement will hold a meeting on Monday presided over by Hariri at the Grand Serail, where the committee members will also discuss a clause on the issue of privatization. Berri also told the paper that domestic calm is prevailing, however, “It can only be threatened in case of regional instability.”“The Saudi-Syrian equation,” a reference to the Saudi-Syrian rapprochement that some have said facilitated the Lebanese cabinet formation, “which I have always talked about positively, has been achieved,” Berri said.-NOW Lebanon