LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
October 19/09
Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to
Saint Mark 10:35-45. Then James and John, the sons of
Zebedee, came to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us
whatever we ask of you." He replied, "What do you wish (me) to do for you?" They
answered him, "Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the
other at your left." Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I
am baptized?"They said to him, "We can." Jesus said to them, "The cup that I
drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will
be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for
those for whom it has been prepared." When the ten heard this, they became
indignant at James and John. Jesus summoned them and said to them, "You know
that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and
their great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you
will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of
all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his
life as a ransom for many."
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for October 18/09
Hizbullah: We Destroyed Israeli Listening Devices/Arutz
Sheva
Suicide bomber kills senior Iran Guards commanders/Reuters
'IDF espionage devices uncovered in
Lebanon'/Haaretz
sraeli spy device destroyed, LAF
responds to over-flights/Now Lebanon
Report: Mysterious Blast in the
South Linked to Hizbullah Telecom Network /Naharnet
The Maronite League organizes a
mass marriage in Bkerki/Future News
Williams: Arms Outside State Control Should be Dealt with Through National
Dialogue /Naharnet
Government Formation Awaits Suleiman's Return from Spain
/Naharnet
Gueant:
Some Political Parties Softened their Stances Following Saudi-Syrian Summit
/Naharnet
Suleiman Travels to Spain
/Naharnet
Israeli Goods 'Invade'
Lebanon
/Naharnet
Hariri from Baabda: Nearby
Breakthrough in a Few Days
/Naharnet
Suleiman: Armed Forces
Should Eradicate Security Disrupters in Tripoli, Entire Lebanon
/Naharnet
Berri: Voice of
Government's Minaret Muezzin Saad Hariri Will Break My Fast Soon
/Naharnet
French FM in Beirut Soon
to Warn of Instability over Cabinet Delay
/Naharnet
Abu Jamra: No Satisfactory
Solution through Giving 'Telecoms' to President Suleiman
/Naharnet
Sultanov Denies Russian
Mediation in Cabinet Formation
/Naharnet
New Papal Ambassador
Visits Patriarch Sfeir
/Naharnet
Netanyahu: Turkey can't be 'honest
broker' in Syria talks/Haaretz
Suicide bomber kills senior Iran Guards commanders
By Fredrik Dahl /Naharnet
TEHRAN (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed at least two senior commanders of
Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the country's southeast on Sunday during an
attack in which 60 people died or were wounded, Iranian media reported.
"Attacker detonated explosives strapped to his body during gathering of tribal
heads," state Press TV said in a headline, adding that civilians and tribal
leaders were also among the victims. It was the most severe attack on the Guards
in recent years and underlined deepening instability in the southeastern region
bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan. State broadcaster IRIB said the attack
occurred in the morning at the gates of a conference hall in the city of Sarbaz
in Sistan-Baluchestan. The province is the scene of frequent clashes between
security forces, Sunni rebels and drug traffickers. The two high-ranking
commanders were the deputy head of the Guards' ground forces, General Nourali
Shoushtari, and the Guards' commander in Sistan-Baluchestan province, General
Mohammadzadeh, news agencies reported. Shoushtari was also a senior official of
the Guard's elite Qods force, media said. The Revolutionary Guards is an elite
force seen as fiercely loyal to the values of the 1979 Islamic revolution. It
handles security in sensitive border areas.
A Sunni insurgent group called Jundollah (God's soldiers), which claimed
responsibility for a bomb attack on a Shi'ite mosque in May that killed 25
people, operates in Sistan-Baluchestan province. Iran accuses the United States
of backing Jundollah in order to create instability in the country. Washington
denies the charge. Jundollah itself says it is fighting for the rights of the
Islamic Republic's minority Sunnis. Predominantly Shi'ite Muslim Iran has also
linked Jundollah to the Sunni Islamist al Qaeda network. Most people in
Sistan-Baluchestan are Sunni Muslims and ethnic Baluchis. Iran rejects
allegations by Western rights groups that it discriminates against ethnic and
religious minorities.
(Reporting by Fredrik Dahl and Reza Derakhshi; editing by David Stamp)
Report: IDF espionage devices
uncovered in south Lebanon
By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent
Espionage devices placed by the Israel Defense Forces were located and destroyed
in an explosion in south Lebanon on Saturday, Lebanese news outlets reported
Sunday.
The devices were reportedly discovered near a town close to the Israel-Lebanon
border, and destroyed in a midnight blast, apparently by the Lebanon-based
militant Hezbollah organization. There were also reports, however, that the
Lebanese army blew up the device, as well as claims that the IDF was behind the
blast. The newspaper Al-Manar reported that a drone destroyed the device. The
paper said that when Hezbollah operatives arrived near the site, they found
another device. Earlier this year, Lebanese authorities said they had arrested
dozens of people on suspicion of spying for Israel. Lebanese officials displayed
what they said was sophisticated communications equipment and other gadgets
found in the homes or offices of some of the suspects. Meanwhile, Lebanese media
have reported that Israel Air Force jets recently flew over the disputed Shaba
Farms area on the Lebanese border. The Lebanese army was said to have responded
with anti-aircraft fire.
6 Revolutionary Guard commanders killed in Iran bombing
IRNA reports suicide bombing near Iran's border with Pakistan kills dozens,
including a number of senior elite Revolutionary Guard commanders; dozens more
wounded. Tehran accuses Britain of involvement in attack
News agencies Latest Update: 10.18.09, 12:41 / Israel News
A suicide bomber killed dozens of people Sunday, including six senior commanders
of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard, in southeastern Iran, the country's
official news agency reported.
Revolutionary Guards
Iranian officials: Our missiles are ready / Dudi Cohen
Revolutionary Guards' Air Force chief tells Fars news agency Iranian Sajjil
missiles capable of handling any attack or serious threat from enemy state.
Meanwhile, Iran's aerial defense commander says, 'We'll produce dozens of new
antiaircraft missile systems' The IRNA news agency said the dead included the
deputy commander of the Guard's ground force, Gen. Noor Ali Shooshtari, as well
as the Guard's chief provincial commander, Rajab Ali Mohammadzadeh. Dozens of
others were wounded, the report said.
The commanders were inside a car on their way to a meeting in the Pishin region
near Iran's border with Pakistan when an attacker with explosives blew himself
up, IRNA said.
Iran's parliamentary speaker, Ali Larijani, condemned the assassination of the
Guard commanders, saying the bombing was aimed at disrupting security in
southeastern Iran.
"We express our condolences for their martyrdom. ... The intention of the
terrorists was definitely to disrupt security in Sistan-Baluchistan Province,"
Larijani told an open session of the parliament broadcast live on state radio.
Iranian state television cited informed sources as saying Britain was directly
involved in the suicide attack. The Guards had earlier blamed "foreign elements"
linked to the United States for the attack.
'Terrorism is abhorrent'
The attack and the allegations of foreign involvement are likely to raise
tension between Iran and the West, a day before nuclear talks in Vienna
including Iranian, US, French and Russian officials. "Some informed sources said
the British government was directly involved in the terrorist attack ... by
organising, supplying equipment and employing professional terrorists," state
television said. The television report said analysts believed the aim of the
attack was to "re-direct" parts of the West's problems in Afghanistan across the
border to Iran. A Foreign Office spokesman in London declined to comment
directly on the Iranian comments and instead issued a statement, saying: "The
British government condemns the terrorist attack in the province of Sistan and
Baluchestan in Iran and the sad loss of life which it caused. "Terrorism is
abhorrent wherever it occurs. Our sympathies go to those who have been killed in
the attack and to their families," it said. There was no immediate claim of
responsibility, but suspicion would likely fall on the Sunni militant group
Jundallah, or Soldiers of God, which has carried out attacks in southeastern
Iran against Shiite targets.
Ideological bulwark
In May, the group took credit for a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque that
killed 25 people in Zahedan, the capital of Iran's Sistan-Baluchistan province,
which has witnessed some of Jundallah's worst attacks. Thirteen members of the
faction were convicted in the attack and hanged in July. Jundallah, comprising
Sunnis from the Baluchi ethnic minority, have waged a low-level insurgency in
recent years, accusing the mostly Shiite government of persecution. Jundallah
has carried out bombings, kidnappings and other attacks against Iranian soldiers
and other forces in recent years, including a car bombing in February 2007 that
killed 11 members of the Revolutionary Guard near Zahedan. Jundallah also
claimed responsibility for the December 2006 kidnapping of seven Iranian
soldiers in the Zahedan area. It threatened to kill them unless members of the
group in Iranian prisons were released. The seven were released a month later,
apparently after negotiations through tribal mediators. The Revolutionary Guard
was created after the 1979 Islamic Revolution as an ideological bulwark to
defend Iran's clerical rule. The 120,000-strong elite force controls Iran's
missile program and has its own ground, naval and air units.*Reuters and AP
contributed to the report
Suleiman Travels to Spain
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman traveled to Madrid on a three-day visit for
talks with King Juan Carlos and top Spanish officials, the National News Agency
reported Sunday.
During his stay in Madrid, Suleiman will meet with Juan Carlos, Spanish Prime
Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and heads of the Congress and Senate.
Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, Defense Minister Elias Murr and Tourism
Minister Elie Marouni are part of Suleiman's delegation. First lady Wafaa is
also accompanying the president. Beirut, 18 Oct 09, 13:34
Israeli spy device destroyed, LAF responds to over-flights
October 18, 2009 /-NOW Lebanon
NOW Lebanon learned on Sunday that a explosion that took place in the Khallit
Al-Onq area in southern Lebanon between the villages of Houla and Maiss al-Jabal
was related to the destruction of an Israeli device seemingly used for espionage
in the border area. A source told NOW that the blast, which took place on
Saturday at midnight, was due to an explosion within an Israeli tapping device
that contained a camera and two Israeli telephone cables that was connected to
Hezbollah’s telephone network in the area.
Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the destruction of the Israeli
recorder, with media reports suggesting that either an Israeli reconnaissance
plane or Hezbollah blew up the device.
On Sunday, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) found a battery connected with the
device and destroyed it. Israeli warplanes flew over the Shebaa Farms and
Kfar Shouba Hills early on Sunday morning and the Israeli Defense Force
conducted patrols consisting of three military vehicles in several areas on the
Israeli border. One patrol inspected the barbed wire border fence between Al-Mtolleh
and Miskaf Aam. The IDF also fired warning shots on its side of the border in
the al-Ibad area leading the LAF to close all roads in Houla and Mayss al-Jabal
to protect citizens after bulldozers were seen on the Lebanese side of the
border. LAF responded to an Israeli reconnaissance flying over the villages of
Houla, Mayss al-Jabal, and Slouki Valley with anti-aircraft defense weaponry at
approximately 11 a.m.
Report: Mysterious Blast in the South Linked to Hizbullah Telecom Network
Naharnet/Mystery shrouded a bombing in south Lebanon on Sunday with media
reports saying the Israeli army blew up wiretapping devices after their
discovery. The National News Agency said Israel blew up the equipment in an area
called Wadi al-Onoq which lies between the towns of Houla and Mais al-Jabal.
Voice of Lebanon radio said the blast was the result of a discovery of cables
used for spying for Hizbullah. "The blast between Houla and Mais al-Jabal was
the result of a discovery of a breach to Hizbullah's telecommunications
network," VDL said. It added that two cables of 50 meters each were discovered
in the area which lies near the Israeli Abbad outpost on the other side of the
border. VDL said one of the cables was used for wiretapping while the other for
broadcasting. Following the explosion, the Lebanese army and U.N. peacekeepers
headed to the area to find out the causes of the blast. Panicky residents in
Houla and Mais al-Jabal also ran out to the streets, according to VDL.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese army opened anti-aircraft fire on Israeli drones, which
overflew Marjayoun. Beirut, 18 Oct 09, 08:32
Williams: Arms Outside State Control Should be Dealt with Through National
Dialogue
Naharnet/U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams said on Sunday
that the issue of arms outside the control of the state should be dealt with on
the national dialogue table. In a letter on the occasion of the United Nations
Day on October 24 read by Voice of Lebanon radio, Williams said the world
organization was worried over lack of a cabinet in Lebanon, adding the country
needs a government to face security, political, social and economic challenges.
Williams also said that despite some incidents in the past three years, Security
Council resolution 1701 guaranteed calm for southern Lebanon. He urged Israel to
stop its violations of Lebanese airspace and said the U.N. was working to find a
solution to the Shebaa farms area and the northern part of the southern village
of Ghajar. Beirut, 18 Oct 09, 14:07
Hariri from Baabda: Nearby Breakthrough in a Few Days
Naharnet/Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri arrived in Baabda Palace on
Saturday's noon to meet with President Michel Suleiman and discuss the general
situations especially the outcome of the discussions and meetings held by the
PM-designate about the formation of the anticipated government. Hariri mentioned
that the cabinet formation discussions will be continued through the next three
or four days and that he is aspiring a near breakthrough. After the talks,
President Suleiman hosted PM-designate Hariri on lunch table. "I have put the
President in the image of the discussions outcome and things are advancing.
Everyone wants to see a new cabinet as soon as possible," said Hariri after the
talks.
On the other hand, Hariri said that good relations with FPM leader MP Michel
Aoun are progressing and that the dialogue that happened in the previous weeks
was for the sake of Lebanon. He added that the positive impacts will appear
soon. Hariri concluded that it is most important that everyone realizes that
Lebanon's interest lies in forming a national unity government as soon as
possible. The daily An-Nahar described as "good and positive" the atmosphere
that prevailed during the Hariri-Aoun talks held in the garden of Center House
late Friday. While As-Safir daily saw that the facts do not bode news of an
imminent announcement of a new government, pan-Arab Al-Hayat newspaper was less
pessimistic. It quoted well-informed sources as saying that behind-the-scenes
talks between the two men "are not what are being published by the media." The
sources said actual facts indicate that ongoing political maneuvers have most
likely entered the final stages. They said discussions were not focused on the
distribution of key ministerial portfolios, saying the health ministry will
probably stay with Berri's bloc, unlike previous reports that said it was
presented to Aoun as an alternative. Media Reports on Saturday said one
suggestion to the telecoms ministry knot was that President Michel Suleiman
gives Aoun the interior ministry. Opposition sources told An-Nahar that French
President Nicolas Sarkozy has conveyed a suggestion to Syrian foreign Minister
Walid Muallem related to a settlement to the telecoms ministry which stipulates
that Suleiman names a person who pleases Aoun. Beirut, 17 Oct 09, 14:58
Government Formation Awaits Suleiman's Return from Spain
Naharnet/A wind of optimism is blowing on Lebanon following positive statements
by the president, the speaker and the prime minister-designate on cabinet
formation. Media reports said Sunday that the government could be formed after
President Michel Suleiman's return from Spain on Wednesday. An Nahar daily said
that the positive stances of Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri and PM-designate Saad
Hariri on Saturday were a sign that the cabinet could be formed soon. Baabda
circles quoted Suleiman as saying following his meeting with Hariri on Saturday
that "the atmosphere is better. It is good and positive." Opposition sources
also described the atmosphere as positive and told An Nahar that the approach to
deal with obstacles is being taken "with a positive spirit from both sides." The
sources, however, insisted that discussion is still underway between the two
sides to find a solution that satisfies everyone. Al-Balad newspaper said Hariri
is now dealing with the details and portfolios of the cabinet lineup and that
negotiations with the opposition are on a basket of proposals and not each
portfolio on its own. Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat, meanwhile, quoted diplomatic
circles in Beirut as saying that the Syrian leadership informed Spanish Prime
Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who visited Damascus last Thursday, that
it expected the Lebanese government to be formed within 10 days. Beirut, 18 Oct
09, 11:11
French FM in Beirut Soon to Warn of Instability over Cabinet Delay
Naharnet/French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner will deliver to President
Michel Suleiman and Lebanese officials a message of support from French
President Nicolas Sarkouzy.
The Central News Agency learned from diplomatic sources in the French capital
that Kouchner, who intends to tour the Middle East starting from Beirut, will
convey France's worrying about the current Lebanese situation. The sources said
that Paris has always expressed its concerns on many occasions about the delay
in government formation which may affect security negatively. It added that such
a situation makes way for dangerous security breaches and those who seek to
undermine security may seize the chance. The French FM will encourage the
Lebanese officials to start the wheel of governmental work and fortify it given
that Lebanon will face major challenges in the near stage. He will also
encourage on enhancing institutions to make it fit for facing the coming
developments. Beirut, 17 Oct 09, 17:52
Gueant: Some Political Parties Softened their Stances Following Saudi-Syrian
Summit
Naharnet/French President Nicolas Sarkozy's chief of staff has said good
relations between Damascus and Paris are in the interest of Lebanon in which
some politicians have lately softened their stances on the cabinet formation.
"Unfortunately the cabinet hasn't been formed yet in Lebanon. However, there are
some signs of changes in several stances," Gueant told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat
in an interview published Sunday. "Some demands that were hindering government
formation have been removed" following the agreement reached between Saudi King
Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar Assad earlier this month, Gueant said. "I
hope the government would be formed quickly in Lebanon," he added. Asked about
beliefs by some Lebanese that he is a friend of Syria and is not concerned about
Lebanon, Gueant told al-Hayat: "I go to Syria a lot because I have built up a
relationship with Syria and we preserve this important link. It is important for
Lebanon and the region too." "I have a special relationship with Syria. But it
is mainly in the interest of Lebanon," he stressed. Gueant said Syria does not
have a huge influence on Lebanese political life or some political personalities
as some try to characterize. Asked if he thought a new war would erupt between
Israel and Hizbullah with a Syrian green light, Gueant said: "I don't see any
sign that would make me believe that Syria wishes something like that to happen.
I believe that peace and stability in Lebanon are in Syria's interest."The top
French official also confirmed that Assad would visit Paris but said a date
hasn't been set yet. Beirut, 18 Oct 09, 08:58
Israeli Goods 'Invade' Lebanon
Naharnet/Judicial authorities are investigating the appearance of a new Israeli
product in the Lebanese market, according to pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat,
which described the phenomenon as the latest 'invasion' of Israeli goods. The
newspaper said Sunday that the probe involves 'X-germ' wet wipes which are
allegedly made in USA. However, 'made in Israel' appears after opening the pack.
'X-germ' importers have reportedly claimed that they had bought the goods from
the U.S. and did not know they were Israeli products.
Such a phenomenon is not new. Israeli goods have appeared in Lebanon in the past
years. Asharq al-Awsat said that an investigation was launched in June 2008 to
find out how Israeli candies had appeared in the northern city of Tripoli.
Cigarettes made in Israel were also found there and recently Israeli equipment
used to filter sewage water was discovered in the southern city of Sidon,
according to the newspaper. Beirut, 18 Oct 09, 12:17
Suleiman: Armed Forces Should Eradicate Security Disrupters in Tripoli, Entire
Lebanon
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman said Saturday that the Lebanese official
armed forces should eradicate security disrupters in Tripoli and entire Lebanon.
Suleiman was speaking at the opening of "Decentralization in the Middle East"
conference in Tripoli where he said that administrative decentralization should
be a main item among the items of the new government's Policy Statement.
Suleiman added: "We want real administrative decentralization that gives
financial and economical independence to local councils and does not deny the
central state its role nor it denies the citizens to run their local affairs."
The President stressed on the necessity to form a national unity government with
no shares but those belonging to citizens' benefit. Beirut, 17 Oct 09, 20:04
Berri: Voice of Government's Minaret Muezzin Saad Hariri Will Break My Fast Soon
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri said Saturday that he believes that the voice of
the government's minaret muezzin PM-designate Saad Hariri will break his fast
soon hinting at Hariri's statement after meeting with President Michel Suleiman
on the same day which represents a fine example on that like he said. Berri, who
was speaking at Sheikh Bahaa Eddine al-Aamili Library opening, has abstained
lately from giving any statements regarding the cabinet formation issue. The
metaphor used in describing PM-designate Hariri is derived from the Holy month
of Ramadan for Muslims who abstain from eating or drinking till the mosque's
muezzin voice announces the time of sunset's prayer. "Lebanon calls us for
building tolerance which allows us to present Lebanon as a model for coexistence
in the region," added Berri. Berri said that Lebanon calls its citizens to
participate in everything that makes the state's platform. It also calls for
transcending the crisis of the regime and its sectarian nature and not to fall
victims of mutual mistrust. The house speaker stressed that the Lebanese should
protect their country starting with the South, saying that the nation that does
not protect its borders cannot protect its capital. Therefore, Berri concluded
that the resistance and the army are to be preserved in addition to anything
that immunes the country. Beirut, 17 Oct 09, 19:26
Abu Jamra: No Satisfactory Solution through Giving 'Telecoms' to President
Suleiman
Naharnet/Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Maj. Gen. Issam Abu Jamra stressed that
giving the telecommunications ministry to a candidate appointed by President
Michel Suleiman, even though the candidate was acceptable by MP Michel Aoun, is
not a solution that satisfies the ambitions of the Free Patriotic Movement,
provided that FPM has a parliamentary bloc of 27 MPs. Abu Jamra also told the
Central News Agency that the new government will not be formed before the return
of President Michel Suleiman from Spain.
"The meetings atmospheres between MP Aoun and PM-designate Hariri are still the
same - positive and optimistic - and yesterday's meeting was friendly," said Abu
Jamra. Regarding the telecommunications ministry issue, Abu Jamra said the issue
is still under negotiation and that he and his party are waiting for the
issuance of the new cabinet's declaration decree because everything currently is
subject to modification and change. Abu Jamra added that Justice, Interior,
Defense, and Telecommunications ministries demand the sharing of security
maintaining in the country. He also added the Finance Ministry as responsible
for economical security and concluded that the party which has 27 MPs has the
right to participate in the security issue in case another party obtained that
right. Beirut, 17 Oct 09, 17:03
Sultanov Denies Russian Mediation in Cabinet Formation
Naharnet/Russian Vice Foreign Minister Alexander Sultanov denied on Saturday any
Russian mediation in the formation of a new government. Sultanov stressed that
talks he held with President Michel Suleiman and Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh
on Saturday covered regional issues and the future of the Middle East peace
process. "We agreed to double the efforts with the concerned parties and the
international community to contribute to the resumption of talks as soon as
possible," Sultanov told reporters.Sultanov said he will head to Damascus and
return to meet to resume meetings with Lebanese officials. Beirut, 17 Oct 09,
11:23
New Papal Ambassador Visits Patriarch Sfeir
Naharnet/Monsengieur Gabriele Jordano Cascia, the new Papal Ambassador to
Lebanon, who arrived Friday night to Lebanon, held his first visit on Saturday
as he went to meet with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir.Sfeir and Cascia held
a private meeting, which lasted up to 40 minutes. Afterwards, the Ambassador
left without giving any statements to the press.
Beirut, 17 Oct 09, 18:17
Netanyahu: Turkey can't be 'honest broker' in Syria talks
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not want Ankara serving as mediator in
any future diplomatic negotiations with Syria, in view of the crisis in
relations between Israel and Turkey.
On Friday, Israel's ambassador in Ankara, Gabi Levy, officially protested to
Turkey's Foreign Ministry about a drama aired on public television in which
actors portrayed Israeli soldiers executing Palestinians. The tensions
became a major issue during a meeting between Netanyahu and his visiting Spanish
counterpart, Jose Luis Zapatero. During the meeting, Spanish Foreign Minister
Miguel Angel Moratinos told Netanyahu that the Turks "will fall in line" if they
serve as mediator between Israel and Syria.
Netanyahu said he objects to Turkey resuming its role as mediator and does not
see how the country can become "an honest broker" between the two sides.
During Ehud Olmert's tenure as prime minister, Turkey mediated five rounds of
talks between Israeli and Syrian officials. Toward the end of Olmert's term the
two sides were on the verge of resuming direct negotiations. At the last meeting
between Olmert and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish leader
called Syrian President Bashar Assad and relayed messages to and from Olmert.
But after Operation Cast Lead earlier this year and the freeze in negotiations
with Syria, Erdogan said Olmert had stabbed him in the back.
Zapatero and Moratinos had arrived in Jerusalem from Damascus; they told
Netanyahu that they were impressed by the Syrian leader's sincerity about the
peace process.
"Assad is serious and more responsible," one of them reportedly told him. "He
wants dialogue with the U.S. and it is possible to reach an agreement with him."
Netanyahu expressed doubts, saying he saw no sign that Assad was serious.
Political sources in Jerusalem have said in recent days that in view of the
growing tension between Israel and Turkey, the U.S. administration has told
Turkish diplomats that restoring relations was an American interest. Deputy
Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said over the weekend that "relations with Turkey
are in a difficult state but can be restored with quiet and careful diplomatic
efforts." Israel's ambassador to Ankara lodged an official protest with the
Turkish Foreign Ministry during a meeting with the ministry's deputy director
for the Middle East. Israel protested against the Turkish television series
portraying atrocities against Palestinians by Israeli troops.
"The government and the Israeli people are disappointed and concerned by this
series," ambassador Gabi Levy was quoted as saying.
Viewer ratings of the first episode of the series, however, show that interest
was low, at 8 percent. "In view of the ruckus in Israel, the ratings of the
second episode will rise dramatically," a source at the Foreign Ministry said.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said over the weekend that
there had been no political intent in broadcasting the series. "The Foreign
Ministry does not advise television programming," he said.