LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
April 09/09

Bible Reading of the day.
Proverbs 20/1: Wine is a mocker, and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

Interviews
Reuters: Interview with Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah 08/04/09

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Who Should Fear Israel?By Alan Carbua, Canada Free Press  08/04/09
Israel's punitive moves against criminals' families only fosters more animosity. The Daily Star 08/04/09
North Korea's missile launch needs cool heads not hot rhetoric.By Yang Sung-chul 08/04/09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for April 08/09
Egypt Accuses Hizbullah of Planning Attacks-Naharnet
Lebanese State Budget Not on Cabinet Agenda-Naharnet
Pakradonian: First Uncontested 2009 Parliamentary Winner-Naharnet
Warrants Lifted Against Lebanon Generals in Hariri Case-Naharnet
Baroud: Any Talk Regarding Postponing Elections Not True-Naharnet
Syria ready for Israel talks on Golan pullout-AFP
Roger Edde confirms that Carlos Edde is ready for the upcoming ...iloubnan.info
Obama in Baghdad tells troops Iraq must take over-Daily Star
ANALYSIS-Arab detente raises hopes for smooth Lebanon vote-Reuters
Israel Fears Hizbullah Attacks in Sinai as Egyptian Authorities Make Hizbullah-Linked Arrests-Naharnet
Report: Washington Unhappy About Britain's Contacts with Hizbullah-Naharnet
Monitoring Cameras around Detained Generals' Houses-Naharnet
Suleiman Calls for Fighting Election Bribes, 'Whoever Wins, Wins'-Naharnet
U.S. Provides $50 Million to Support Lebanese Government's Economic Reforms-Naharnet
3 People Arrested, Thousands of Narcotic Pills Sezied in North-Naharnet
Nasrallah Steps In to Settle Berri, Aoun Dispute over Jezzine, Baabda-Naharnet
Opposition Upset by Saniora's Nomination, Warns of Security Repercussions-Naharnet
Karami Says Tripoli Doesn't Surrender as Coalition List Still Faces Obstacles-Naharnet
Ongoing Contacts between Husseini and Hizbullah-Naharnet
Qaouq: The Minority Adheres to Rule of Consensus-Naharnet
Saudi Arabia Breaks Up 'Terror' Network-Naharnet
Obama Pays Surprise Visit to Iraq, Says Next 18 Months 'Could be Critical'-Naharnet
Siniora enters race for Sidon Parliament seat-Daily Star
Mikati hopes for bloc of independent MPs after polls-Daily Star
Abbas 'reshuffles Fatah military posts' in Lebanon-Daily Star
Berri postpones Parliament session over lack of quorum-Daily Star
Murr visits Washington for talks with top officials on security assistance-Daily Star
Safadi defends Lebanon's banking secrecy law-Daily Star
Italy's approach toward next Lebanese cabinet will depend on its program-Daily Star
Animal center aims to bring expertise to region-Daily Star
Assailants torch car of LOG party officia-Daily Star
Activists picket outside 'pro-Israel' McDonalds-Daily Star
AUB alumni to hold ceremony in honor of the late Fawzi Maalouf-Daily Star

Who Should Fear Israel?
By Judi McLeod,  Canada Free Press Editor
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
On Thursday Jews in Israel and around the world will celebrate Passover. It is devoted to the story of their escape from slavery in ancient Egypt.
It took three millennia for the Jews to reestablish Israel as their homeland and they have not enjoyed a day of true peace in sixty years. The world shuns the Israelis, but they have learned the true meaning of “Never again” and it is a lesson the world needs to learn as well.
In December 2008 Hamas felt the sting of retaliation for firing more than six thousand rockets into Israel from Gaza over a period of several years. Then, of course, they declared victory.
To the north, Hezbollah has brought ruin to Beirut and parts of Lebanon by taking on Israel in 2006. Though the Israelis did not perform up to their usual standard, they nonetheless inflicted enough damage to discourage further attacks since then. The exercise in Gaza was masterful, demonstrating they had learned some new tactics.
Both Hamas and Hezbollah have reason to fear Israel.
The Palestine Liberation Organization, also known as Fatah, is kept alive by the Israelis in order to have someone with whom to negotiate, but Fatah, headquartered on the West Bank, barely escaped alive from your typical internecine Arab warfare when Hamas kicked it out of Gaza.
Iran, long on fiery and provocative rhetoric will soon get a taste of what happens when you threaten Israel with nuclear annihilation.
When Syria tried to build some kind of nuclear facility, the Israelis made a parking lot out of the place in September 2007, but Iran’s ayatollahs and its annoying president, Mamoud Ahmadinejad, probably think Israel will not attack their nuclear facilities.
Iran should fear Israel.
The United States will not be consulted, primarily because it cannot be trusted not to tip off the Iranians or anyone else for that matter. The latest blather out of Foggy Bottom, otherwise known as the State Department, is the same old sad stuff about not building more settlements on the West Bank and working harder with Fatah for a two-state solution.
Well, it’s a new day in Israel and two men in particular are going to write some history together. One, of course, is the estimable Benjamin Netanyahu, the new prime minister, and the other is Avigdor Lieberman, the new foreign minister. These are two Jews of a generation that grew up during the many early wars that Israel had to fight for its very survival. They have a very different world view.
In taking his new office, Lieberman said, “The fact that we say the word ‘peace’ twenty times a day will not bring peace any closer.”
Lieberman had some advice for the free world. “The Westphalia order of states is dead, replaced by a modern system that includes states, semi-states, and irrational international players.” That is as neat a summation of the way things are as you will hear from any statesman.
As for the irrational players, one has little doubt he is referring to al Qaeda and Iran.
Almost always ignored in any comments directed at Israel are the herculean efforts it has made over decades to engage the Palestinians in an effort to achieve peace and a two-state solution of which the Oslo Accords are perhaps the best known.
Lieberman and Netanyahu are no fans of concessions. They saw what happened after Israel pulled out of South Lebanon and after the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza. It did not bring peace. From Lieberman’s point of view, the only thing concessions have brought Israel is further isolation on the world stage and more death to Israelis.
Masterminding and leading that isolation has been the United Nations. We shall watch it in action during Durban II later in April. The first such conference was infamous for its anti-Semitism and the second is likely to be a repeat.
Of the entire world’s population, the Jews represent about 0.03 percent. Israel, a tiny spot on the map of the Middle East with some seven million Jews (and more than a million Muslim citizens as well) will do what it must to survive against enemies that deny the Holocaust, defile them daily with rank condemnation, and want them all dead.
When the Israelis are through ensuring their safety and the smoke clears, the world will pay attention. The most fundamental right of individuals and nations is self-defense.

Israel Fears Hizbullah Attacks in Sinai as Egyptian Authorities Make Hizbullah-Linked Arrests
Naharnet/Israel has warned its citizens that militants operating in Sinai under Hizbullah direction and sponsorship could abduct Israelis vacationing in the area during the Jewish Passover holiday between April 8 and 16. "There is a serious, immediate and concrete threat of Israelis being kidnapped and then taken to the Gaza Strip," said on Tuesday a statement from the counter-terrorism bureau, which reports directly to the prime minister's office. It warned that Hizbullah could attack Israelis in Egypt's Sinai peninsula or single them out for abduction. As a result of intelligence reports, the counter-terrorism bureau strongly advised Israelis not to travel to the area in the coming week. Bureau official Elkana Har Nof noted that the warnings were not specific, but stressed that even "a few hundred Israeli tourists represent a fat target for terrorists."Israelis regularly flock to Egypt's Red Sea resorts despite a wave of attacks on tourists between 2004 and 2006 that killed more than 100 people.
The Israeli warning came the same day a prominent Islamist lawyer told the Arabic news channel Al-Jazeera that Egyptian security forces have detained about 50 Egyptians, Palestinians and Lebanese for alleged ties to Hizbullah and Hamas. Montasser el-Zayat, known for representing Islamist militants in court, said that the detainees are suspected of supplying Hamas with money and one Lebanese in particular is suspected of acting as liaison between Hizbullah and Hamas in Gaza. The interior ministry would neither confirm nor deny the arrests.(AP-AFP-Naharnet) eirut, 08 Apr 09, 07:57

Report: Washington Unhappy About Britain's Contacts with Hizbullah
Naharnet/The U.S. State Department announced that it does not back Britain's moves to engage in dialogue with Hizbullah, stressing that it won't deal with any member of the Shiite group unless the party "surrenders its weapons and rejects violence." "The United States and Britain are strong allies that work together closely against terrorism," Ann Somerset, the spokeswoman for the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs told Kuwait's Al-Rai daily. "We are aware of the problem that Hizbullah presents in Lebanon and the region, (but) Britain decided to adopt a different approach," Somerset said in remarks published Wednesday.
Several local and foreign newspapers said earlier in the week that the new U.S. administration under President Barack Obama is "comfortable" with the British government's attempts to engage Hizbullah in negotiations. The newspapers reported that Bill Rammell, Britain's Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, said in Damascus last week that despite protests to the contrary, the Obama administration does not object to the fledgling contacts with the political wing of Hizbullah. Somerset, however, denied such reports saying "we told officials from Britain that our policy towards Hizbullah remains as it is and we don't back any policy that adopts dialogue with Hizbullah."Al-Rai said U.S. authorities have summoned the British ambassador to express discontent about London's decision to engage in direct contacts with Hizbullah's political wing. Washington "does not differentiate between the political, military or terrorist wing of Hizbullah," the U.S. official stressed. Hizbullah MP Hussein Hajj Hassan visited Britain last week in response to an invitation by members of the House of Commons. Beirut, 08 Apr 09, 11:40

Monitoring Cameras around Detained Generals' Houses
Naharnet/Lebanon on Wednesday will hand over to the international tribunal in The Hague the case involving the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and transfer documents linked to the probe. The Central News Agency quoted a judicial source as saying the file contains the testimonies of 424 witnesses in addition to documents involving the questioning of detainees and other suspects that have been released. It said surveillance cameras were set up around the houses of the four detained Lebanese generals on Tuesday amid speculation they would be released under house arrest. Beirut, 08 Apr 09, 13:32

Suleiman Calls for Fighting Election Bribes, 'Whoever Wins, Wins'
President Michel Suleiman called for fighting election bribes and urged the media to launch journalism ethics that would safeguard the freedom of speech.
Suleiman's remarks came during a midnight inspection tour of the premises the interior ministry will be using to monitor parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7.
Accompanying him on his tour were Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Fouad Saniora and Interior Minister Ziad Baroud. Suleiman's visit also came minutes before the deadline for candidates to file their nomination papers. Baroud officially announced that the number of candidates running in the 2009 elections stood at 702. The deadline for withdrawing candidacies is April 21. Holding elections in a single day is "a fundamental test not only for security forces, but also for political parties and blocs," Suleiman said. "A free candidate is an independent thinker who does not fall into temptation or bribe or ugly intimidation," he added. "This is a democratic race. We want competitive elections. Whoever wins, wins. And let us accept the results in the spirit of sportsmanship," Suleiman concluded. Beirut, 08 Apr 09, 09:12

U.S. Provides $50 Million to Support Lebanese Government's Economic Reforms
Naharnet/Lebanon and the United States signed on Wednesday an amendment to an existing grant agreement covering the disbursement of $50 million in support of Lebanon's economic reforms, the U.S. embassy said in a press release. The agreement is part of a $250 million pledge from the U.S. to support the Lebanese government as it pursues its reform priorities. Ambassador Michele Sison, USAID/Lebanon Mission Director Denise Herbol and Finance Minister Mohammad Shatah participated in the ceremony to sign the amendment. "In recognition of the ministry of finance's recent efforts to improve Lebanon's fiscal position and set the stage for strong economic growth, the United States will pay $50 million of Lebanon's sovereign debt on behalf of the ministry," the embassy statement said. "With this payment, the U.S. government will have disbursed $175 million since 2007 in response to the Lebanese government's progress on economic reforms," it added. "I am proud to be here with Finance Minister Shatah, whose outstanding efforts to steer the Lebanese economy on the right course have led us to the signing of this agreement amendment, allowing the disbursement of $50 million in U.S. funding to pay Lebanese external debt," Sison said during the ceremony. Beirut, 08 Apr 09, 14:23

3 People Arrested, Thousands of Narcotic Pills Sezied in North
Naharnet/Security forces seized thousands of narcotic pills during a raid in northeastern Lebanon's Wadi Khaled at dawn Wednesday and arrested three individuals for producing the Captagon stimulant, the state-run National News Agency reported. NNA said police seized thousands of Captagon and other narcotic pills which will be sent to a laboratory for testing. Captagon is not to be sold without a doctor's prescription. The three men were taken to the Central Counter-Drug Bureau in Beirut for further investigation. Security forces also seized 150 kilograms of hashish in the Bekaa Valley on Wednesday, NNA said. Beirut, 08 Apr 09, 13:02

Nasrallah Steps In to Settle Berri, Aoun Dispute over Jezzine, Baabda
Naharnet/The electoral picture in Baabda and Jezzine remained gloomy with some reports talking about a breakthrough, while others saying no progress had been made. The daily As Nahar said that while the majority March 14 forces' electoral ticket in Baabda seemed to have settled on candidates Elias Abu Assi, Salah Hnein and Bassem al-Sabaa, no deal has been reached by the opposition side. As Safir newspaper, however, said that a breakthrough seemed in the offing after Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah stepped in to settle the Aoun-Berri crisis. When the crisis seemed to have reached a dead-end, Nasrallah dispatched his political aide Hajj Hussein al-Khalil in an effort to find a face-saving exit to this difficult situation, "even if part of it was at Hizbullah's expense or at that of its candidates," As Safir wrote. It said Nasrallah's inference "opened the door to a wide array of proposals" where both sides exchanged suggestions that ended up in drafting a semi-final formula such as Berri would withdraw his candidate for the Shiite seat in Baabda Talal Hatoum in favor of a candidate who represents Shiite families in Beirut's southern suburbs and at the same time enjoys both Aoun's and Hizbullah's support. In return, As Safir went on to say, Berri would get a seat either in Beirut's Second Constituency at the expense of Hizbullah parliamentary bloc candidate MP Amin Sherri or be granted the Shiite seat "occupied" by Hussein Husseini in Baalbek-Hermel, especially since the former Speaker has nominated himself without prior coordination with the sides in charge of forming electoral tickets.
Berri denied any problem between him and Aoun, telling An Nahar that "contacts are ongoing."He said he had asked two AMAL politburo members Hani Qobeisi and Mohammed Khawaja to run for the Shiite seat in Beirut's Second Constituency.  "I'm not squeezed in time. I will announce the names of the candidates a week before elections," Berri added. Al Liwa newspaper, for its part, quoted AMAL movement sources as saying that Qobeisi's nomination was part of the deal with Hizbullah to settle the Aoun-Berri the dispute. Meanwhile, Hizbullah denied Sherri's withdrawal from the election race. The daily Al Akhbar quoted senior Hizbullah sources as saying that "everybody has entered the maneuvering stage before setting down on a final decision."On Jezzine, local media agreed that more contacts are needed in order to come out with a compromise. Beirut, 08 Apr 09, 11:09

Karami Says Tripoli Doesn't Surrender as Coalition List Still Faces Obstacles
Naharnet/Former Prime Minister Omar Karami has announced that he will run for the Sunni parliamentary seat in the northern port city of Tripoli as the coalition list awaits more consultations particularly over the Orthodox seat. Karami's press office denied that the former premier visited Damascus. It also said that Karami didn't yet announce his electoral alliances. Karami told As Safir newspaper in remarks published Wednesday that during the June 7 elections the people of Tripoli "will stand for the city's protection and stress that Tripoli does not surrender." Asked if he will form a ticket, the former PM said: "It is still early to talk about this subject. We will take our time for consultations and then decide on our alliances and how we will fight in the elections."
As Safir said former PM Najib Miqati stressed that his agreement on the coalition list in Tripoli with Mustaqbal movement leader Saad Hariri was still on.
The list, according to the newspaper, includes former MP Ahmed Karami, the fifth Sunni to join the ticket after Miqati, Minister Mohammed Safadi and MPs Mohammed Kabbara and Samir Jisr. This means that MP Mosbah Ahdab has no place on the list unlike what Jisr announced Monday. Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat also confirmed reports that Ahdab was excluded from the list in favor of Ahmed Karami. The newspaper said the coalition list is not being announced for the moment because of demands by some forces. Safadi reportedly wants an Orthodox candidate other than the one agreed on and there is opposition against Samer Saadeh joining the list for the Maronite seat. Safadi, however, told al-Liwaa daily that there is no going back from the coalition with Hariri, adding that Tripoli's coalition list will be announced soon. He said discussion is underway with Hariri over a Safadi-backed Orthodox candidate who is acceptable by the Mustaqbal movement which has vetoed lawyer Fadi Ghantous. Beirut, 08 Apr 09, 09:02

Ongoing Contacts between Husseini and Hizbullah
Naharnet/Former Premier Hussein Husseini vowed to take "necessary steps" soon as he announced his candidacy for the Shiite seat in the Baalbek-Hermel district.
"In the next few days we will take the necessary steps," Husseini told An Nahar newspaper in remarks published Wednesday.
Al-Liwaa newspaper said the Hizbullah list in the district would be finalized after Husseini joins it. The ticket already includes Minister Ghazi Zoaiter, MPs Hussein Hajj Hassan, Ali Miqdad and Nawar Sahili, Sayyed Hussein al-Moussawi for the Shiite seats as well as MP Kamel al-Rifai and Walid Succariyeh, both Sunnis, Catholic MP Marwan Fares and Lawyer Emile Rahme for the Maronite seat. If agreement is reached between Husseini and Hizbullah, then former Minister Assem Qanso will lose the seat that he has lost after refusing to announce his candidacy in 2005. Al-Liwaa said that Mustaqbal movement seems to have made its choice to back a list headed by Hussein Solh. However, the announcement of the Lebanese Belonging Movement head, Ahmed al-Saad, of having six Shiites on his list in Baalbek-Hermel has ended the possibility of an agreement between parties running against Hizbullah. Competition will be among three lists in the district along with two independent candidates, according to al-Liwaa.
Beirut, 08 Apr 09, 10:32

INTERVIEW-Ayatollah sees Obama sincere in Muslim message
Wed Apr 8, 2009
By Tom Perry
BEIRUT, April 8 (Reuters) - One of Shi'ite Islam's highest religious authorities praised on Wednesday the "sincerity" of U.S. President Barack Obama's message to the Muslim world and predicted a positive outcome for his approach to Iran.
Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah said Obama appeared to be a man of "human values" but would be judged on his actions. The ayatollah urged Obama to rethink policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Trying to repair America's damaged image abroad, Obama said on a visit to predominantly Muslim Turkey this week that the United States was not at war with Islam.
"This man does not lack sincerity in what he is saying about Islam," Fadlallah told Reuters in an interview at his Beirut office. Former U.S. President George W. Bush had used similar language but his "mentality was not open" to Islam, he added.
"But the question that presents itself is whether President Obama can realise any of these slogans when faced by the institutions that govern America and over which the president does not have complete control," Fadlallah said.
Obama's first overseas tour, which included his visit to Turkey, "was not void of positive aspects", Fadlallah said. "But we have learnt not to pass judgment on the basis of words."
Fadlallah was a staunch critic of the Middle East policies of the Bush administration, which led the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and backed Israel during a war with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon in 2006.
Like other U.S. presidents, Bush was also faulted by many in the Middle East for pro-Israeli policies in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Fadlallah, whose family comes from predominantly Shi'ite south Lebanon, criticised Obama's statement that Israelis and Palestinians must make compromises for peace. "We know that the Palestinians offered every concession at the time when Israel did not offer any," he said.
The cleric said he had written to Obama urging him "to be the president who looks to the world with his eyes open...".
The Obama administration has adopted a new approach to the Shi'ite Islamist government in Iran, pledging to engage a country which Bush included in what he called the axis of evil. Western states suspect Iran of seeking to develop atomic weapons, but Iran denies the charge.
"There is new language between Iran and America," Fadlallah said. "America has acknowledged in the last period that Iran represents a great state in the region ... and the invasion of Iran is not possible via an American-Iranian war," he said.
By inviting Iran to a U.N. conference on the conflict in Afghanistan last month, the United States had shown its need for Tehran's help, he added.
Asked about the prospects of a breakthrough in U.S.-Iranian relations, Fadlallah said: "I believe the matter will end with positive results."
The growth of Iranian influence has alarmed conservative Arab states close to the United States, but Fadlallah said Arab concerns about Iran would ebb if U.S. ties improve with Tehran.
"If a positive dialogue takes place between Iran and America, this (Arab) view will disappear," he said. (Additional reporting by Laila Bassam, Editing by Jonathan Wright)