LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
April 19/09
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
according to Saint Mark 16,9-15. ( When he had risen, early on the first day of
the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven
demons. She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping. When
they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
After this he appeared in another form to two of them walking along on their way
to the country. They returned and told the others; but they did not believe them
either. (But) later, as the eleven were at table, he appeared to them and
rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not
believed those who saw him after he had been raised. He said to them, "Go into
the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters &
Special Reports
'IAF preparing to strike Iran at
several hours' notice'/Jerusalem
Post 18/04/09
This is Iran/Future
News 18/04/09
The Iranian plan/Hizbullah terror
cells uncovered in Egypt masterminded by Iranians/Israeli Openion 18/04/09
Assad's
offer to defuse the tension in Lebanon is a welcome one-The
Daily Star 18/04/09
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for April
18/09
Canadian tried to export nuke parts
To Iran, was arrested/AP
Egypt: Arab nations plotting
against us. Israeli News
Report: Spy ring discovered in Lebanon
infiltrated Hizbullah ranks-Ynetnews
Former Security Officers
Affiliated with Israel Spy Network-Naharnet
Berri Says Hizbullah is Keen on Egypt's Interests-Naharnet
Syria Asks Sharjah to Arrest Siddiq and Extradite Him-Naharnet
Hizbullah Cell in Egypt: A Race of Mediations and Trials-Naharnet
Jumblat Meets with
Hizbullah in Sunday's Shweifat Reconciliation-Naharnet
Hariri Launches Majority
Lists Starting Monday-Naharnet
International Tribunal
Registrar Robin Vincent Resigns-Naharnet
Lahoud Pulls Out of
Election Race-Naharnet
Saniora From Sidon: My
Nomination is Not to Challenge Anyone-Naharnet
Arab peace plan as part of
Palestinian state push: U.S. Reuters
Mitchell: Arab Peace Initiative part of US drive to create Palestinian state-Daily
Star
Assad: Syria supports Hizbullah because it
fights Israel-Ynetnews
Lebanon's economic resilience "remarkable" -IMF-Reuters
Quake
leaves south Lebanon residents shaken-Daily
Star
Lebanese ambassador to officially take up post in Syria-Daily
Star
Lahoud pulls out of elections after 'old foe' put on Metn list-Daily
Star
UNIFIL to 'facilitate' Israel's Ghajar pullout-Daily
Star
Alleged spy had high-tech system to transmit data-Daily
Star
Vincent resigns as Tribunal registrar, citing personal reasons-Daily
Star
US
honors Americans, Lebanese slain in service-Daily
Star
Kahwaji says army not targeting one family in Bekaa-Daily
Star
Lebanon's net capital inflows up by 0.3 percent in 2009 - report-Daily
Star
Police arrest friend of man who was abducted, killed-Daily
Star
One
woman's battle against AIDS in Lebanon-Daily
Star
Army
ambush shines spotlight on 'Wild West'-(AFP)
'IAF preparing to strike Iran at several hours' notice'
By JPOST.COM STAFF
The IAF is preparing for the possibility that it will need to attack Iran's
nuclear facilities at several hours' notice, The London Times reported Saturday.
According to an unnamed Israel security official quoted by the paper, "Israel
wants to know that if its forces were given the green light they could strike at
Iran in a matter of days, even hours." "They are making preparations on every
level for this eventuality," the source said. "The message to Iran is that the
threat is not just words."
According to the paper, such an attack would involve strikes on over a dozen
targets, including the uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, the uranium
conversion facility in Isfahan, the heavy water plant in Arak, as well as moving
convoys. "We would not make the threat [against Iran] without the force to back
it," one intelligence official told The Times. "There has been a recent move, a
number of on-the-ground preparations, that indicate Israel's willingness to
act."
Still, he added, an Israeli assault was unlikely without American approval, even
if only implied. The report stated that the IDF has made several preparations,
and is planning several more, in case an attack is required. The recently
reported strike on an Iranian arms convoy in Sudan was one such rehearsal. The
army's recent purchase of three new Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS)
was another. Meanwhile, the paper reported that a nationwide home front exercise
planned to take place in the near future will help prepare Israel for the
Iranian retaliation that would surely follow any attack.
'Canadian tried to export nuke parts'
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
An Iranian-born Canadian citizen has been charged with trying to export nuclear
technology to Iran, his native country, police said Friday.
Iranian technicians at a new facility producing uranium fuel for a planned
heavy-water nuclear reactor, just outside Isfahan, last week.
SLIDESHOW: Israel & Region | World Royal Canadian Mounted Police Inspector Greg
Johnson said Mahmoud Yadegari tried to ship pressure transducers, which are
devices used to make enriched uranium.
While the devices are easy to obtain, Sgt. Marc Laporte told The Associated
Press that Yadegari improperly described the items, understated their value and
physically removed some of the packaging and labeling when trying to ship them
to a company in Dubai who had affiliations in Iran.
The US and its allies have accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons
secretly under the guise of a civilian atomic energy program. Iran denies the
charges and insists its efforts are aimed at producing nuclear power only.
Canadian police, acting on a tip from the US Department of Homeland Security,
said Yadegari purchased 10 transducers from a Boston-area company for about
1,100 Canadian dollars each ($900).
Police declined to release the name of the US company that sold him the
transducers. They said Yadegari took steps to conceal what the transducers were
so he could export them overseas without export permits.
"The declared point of destination was Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.
However, we have evidence to support the fact that its ultimate destination was
Iran," Johnson told reporters during a news conference.
Laporte said police found evidence to suggest that the Dubai company would ship
the items to its affiliate company in Iran.
The UN Security Council banned exports of nuclear-related technology to Iran in
2006 because of what it considers efforts to build nuclear weapons.
Yadegari, who police said is a Toronto businessman in his mid-30s, is charged
under the Customs Act and Export Import Permits Act, and is also accused of
violating UN sanctions on Iran.
Penalties under the Export Act alone include fines of up to CAD$1,000,000
($825,700) and up to 10 years in prison.
He is in jail pending a bail hearing. Police said they do not know what lawyer
is representing him.
This is Iran
Date: April 18th, 2009 Source: Future News
Iran clearly does not want the Arab region to be upright politically, unless
within its approach seeking its interests and relations with the international
community.
The allegations that Tehran uses to justify itself and its tools which
constantly violate the sovereignty of the Arab countries, in the name of
liberty, have led to divisions jeopardizing the safety of all countries. The
declared Iranian political speech is based on its enmity to the west, which
mostly abused the Arabs and their central cause, Palestine. Tehran wants to
expand its political game at the expense of the Arab’s national security and the
sovereignty of the Arab states through abusing the concept of antagonism against
the US. Going through the facts shows that the results of the overall US
policies towards the Middle East since year 2001 have only served Iran both
strategically and politically. Starting with toppling the regime of Taliban in
Afghanistan and that of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, in addition to the US’s overlook
to the Russian military support to Tehran and the US stance towards Middle Asia
where Iran has seeped into the Islamic republics, supported by Russia.
The game Tehran wants to manage covertly with the powerful countries will
definitely not be enfolded by some processions and a few statements here and
there. The Arab countries will not allow Iranians to muddle their security and
their strategic interests. Of course we would have supported Iran if it had
directed its plans and spent its funds against Israel, instead of sabotaging the
Arab causes and instigating sedition in Arab countries. We would have been
impressed by Iran’s polished slogans if it hadn’t conducted covert talks with
the US and Israel. This is Iran, crystal-clear Iran…
Former Security Officers Affiliated with Israel Spy Network
Naharnet/Army intelligence arrested a former security forcer, the fifth member
of an Israel-linked spy network described by the Lebanese media as the "Alam
cell."
As Safir said G.M., a former General Security Department officer, operated a bus
to transport people between the southern town of Rmeish and Beirut. Sources also
told the newspaper that the man was locked up for 3 months in the notorious
Khiam detention center in the mid 1990s. The first arrest was made on Saturday.
Adib al-Alam who is a retired Lebanese general, was seized at his office near
Beirut on suspicion of spying for Israel. The detention of the ex-general from
the General Security Department along with his wife Hayat is among several
arrests in recent months linked to spying for Israel. Alam's nephew, Joseph, a
General Security Department Corporal was also held. Media reports said Friday
that interrogation with the three detainees led to the arrest of a fourth member
of the spy network.
Sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat that Internal Security Forces chief Maj.
Gen. Ashraf Rifi and head of the intelligence bureau Wissam al-Hassan informed
Hizbullah official Wafiq Safa last week that the ring leader Adib al-Alam had
made "infiltrations into Hizbullah ranks." The sources said that Hizbullah took
extra measures and precautions upon receiving information about the network's
achievements. The group also decided to arrest any suspect involved in the spy
ring. Al-Hayat said security forces decided to arrest Alam after monitoring his
moves for more than 18 months for fears that his spying activities would put the
security of Hizbullah and its leadership under threat. Beirut, 18 Apr 09, 08:53
Berri Says Hizbullah is Keen on Egypt's Interests
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri said Saturday that Hizbullah is keen on Lebanese
and Egyptian interests, stressing that the resistance would never plan for
attacks in Egypt. "We guarantee and stress that the resistance in Lebanon is
keen on the nation's national security. It forms one of the nation's defense
lines," Berri said during a ceremony marking the 13th anniversary of the Qana
massacre. Hizbullah is also "keen on the security of Egypt. It wouldn't get
involved in plans to strike any tourist or strategic facilities" in the country,
the speaker stressed. His comment came in response to Egyptian allegations that
Cairo uncovered a cell of 49 members that was planning "hostile operations" in
Egypt at the behest of Hizbullah. Some 25 members of the cell have been
arrested. Egyptian police have been searching for other members of the alleged
Hizbullah cell. Turning to Israel, Berri said the Lebanese know that their sole
enemy is the Jewish state which invaded their country and committed massacres in
it. Berri also urged Palestinians and Arab and Islamic countries to be cautious
because the way the Netanyahu government was formed in Israel is a preparation
for new wars. "When will Lebanon file a lawsuit against Israel? Will it be when
all people are dead?" Berri wondered. Beirut, 18 Apr 09, 12:32
Syria Asks Sharjah to Arrest Siddiq and Extradite Him
Naharnet/Mohammed Zuhair Siddiq, a Syrian army deserter often described by the
Arab media as the 'King Witness' in the Hariri murder case, was reportedly
arrested in the United Arab Emirates. Reliable sources told As Safir newspaper
that Syria lately asked the authorities of the Sharjah emirate through Interpol
to arrest Siddiq and extradite him. The sources said the man had a forged Syrian
passport and was living in the city of Sharjah. As Safir on Saturday quoted
sources following the Siddiq case as saying several arrest warrants were issued
in Lebanon and Syria against the man for providing false testimonies in the
assassination case of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri.The sources also said that Siddiq
had lately become a burden on the political sides that at one stage were
providing cover for him. Even sources in the Lebanese majority expected Siddiq
to be jailed after it turned out that he was a "big lie." Justice Minister
Ibrahim Najjar told LBC TV station that the Lebanese government has no
information about Siddiq's arrest. Siddiq, who was under an international arrest
warrant requested by a Lebanese prosecutor, was detained in October 2005 in a
Paris suburb on grounds he gave false evidence to U.N. investigators. He had
been living in France under house arrest until he disappeared a year ago.
Newspaper reports in 2006 quoted Siddiq as saying that Syrian President Bashar
Assad and his then Lebanese counterpart Emile Lahoud ordered Hariri's killing in
a massive Beirut car bombing. King witness legally means an accomplice in a
crime who turns against his partners, revealing their role in exchange for state
pardon. Beirut, 18 Apr 09, 08:47
Hizbullah Cell in Egypt: A Race of Mediations and Trials
Naharnet/The Hizbullah cell case will be referred to the Egyptian state security
court amid repots that Lebanese and Arab officials are making mediation efforts
to resolve the crisis between Hizbullah and Cairo. Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat said
Saturday that the case will be referred to the state security court within days
and that contacts are underway between Speaker Nabih Berri and Egyptian
authorities to find a solution to the crisis. Egyptian police have been
searching for members of an alleged Hizbullah cell which Egypt says planned
attacks in the country. Egypt's public prosecutor announced last week that a
security investigation had found that a cell of 49 members, headed by Lebanese
Sami Shehab, had been planning "hostile operations" in Egypt at the behest of
Hizbullah. Some 25 members of the cell have been arrested. Asked about the
results of his efforts, Berri said: "Things are positive. This does not mean
that the problem is over. We will continue our efforts to see where they would
lead us to." Berri refused to give more details, saying "there are messages
between me and the Egyptian officials and we hope for the best."
Haaretz newspaper also reported that secret reconciliation contacts are underway
between Egypt and Hizbullah. It said Arab mediators are trying to cool down the
crisis between the two sides.
Haaretz said Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has made several demands to settle
the issue, including an apology from Hizbullah for violating Egyptian
sovereignty.
However, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hussam Zaki said Cairo will not
accept political settlements in the Hizbullah cell case.
"Settlements are for political issues. This is a judicial and security issue,"
he stressed, adding that the public prosecutor has the authority in the case and
is dealing with investigation results. Meanwhile, head of the Hamas government
in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, said in his first public appearance since the
December-January Israeli offensive on the Palestinian enclave that the crisis
between Egypt and Hizbullah should be solved as soon as possible.
He said during a mosque sermon on Friday that he is following up with "big
interest and concern the crisis" between Egypt and Hizbullah. "We respect the
stability, sovereignty and security of Arab countries because their security
(stems) from our security." "Resistance movements in Palestine, Lebanon and
other Arab countries should be respected," he said. Haniyeh also hoped that "the
Hizbullah-Egypt case would not affect continued support for the Palestinian
people and the Gaza Strip in particular." The top Hamas official in Gaza also
called for solving the Hizbullah cell case as soon as possible through
"diplomatic ways" and "turn the page."Another leading member of the Islamist
group Mahmoud Zahar also appeared in public on Friday for the first time since
the Israeli offensive on Gaza. Haniyeh and Zahar preached in different mosques
in Gaza City. Beirut, 18 Apr 09, 09:37
Jumblat Meets with Hizbullah in Sunday's Shweifat
Reconciliation
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat and Lebanese
Democratic Party chief Talal Arslan will hold on Sunday a reconciliation event
in Shweifat, which had witnessed on-again-off-again tension since the killing of
Arslan supporter Akram Arbid in 1996. Arbid was allegedly beaten by PSP members
while he was accompanying a candidate in the 1996 parliamentary elections. The
event will help reduce tension in Shweifat following Arbid's death and the May
7, 2008 events.
Hizbullah will also participate in the gathering, As Safir newspaper reported
Saturday. Jumblat will reportedly make a "very positive" speech that would come
in reaction to Hizbullah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem's recent
statement in which he praised the Druze leader's stances. Minister Arslan also
told As Safir that the reconciliation is important and necessary, stressing that
"sectarian tension in the Mountains or the southern suburbs or between them or
anywhere else in Lebanon is prohibited." Beirut, 18 Apr 09, 11:09
Hariri Launches Majority Lists Starting Monday
Naharnet/Mustaqbal movement leader Saad Hariri will head to northern Lebanon on
Monday to participate in the announcement of parliamentary majority lists.
An Nahar newspaper said Saturday that the Western Bekaa list will be announced
on Monday, the Akkar ticket on Tuesday while the Minyeh-Dinniyeh and Tripoli
lists will be unveiled the next day in the presence of Hariri. The daily said
Beirut would follow after a final agreement is reached with Jamaa Islamiya.
The grouping's official Asaad Harmoush has reportedly said that negotiations
with Hariri led to an agreement to give the Jamaa Islamiya two seats with a
right to have single-seated candidates in some districts. As-Safir newspaper
said a scheduled meeting between Hariri and the grouping was cancelled on Friday
after the MP asked for postponing it. Sources following the contacts said Jamaa
Islamiya's leadership was surprised by Hariri's call to postpone the meeting in
such short notice.
As Safir said although the Minyeh-Dinniyeh list will be announced on Wednesday,
some obstacles continue to face the ticket. As for Tripoli, Minister Mohammed
Safadi's alliance with Mustaqbal hasn't been finalized yet. eirut, 18 Apr 09,
10:21
International Tribunal Registrar Robin Vincent Resigns
Naharnet/In an unexpected move, Special Tribunal for Lebanon Registrar Robin
Vincent has resigned. The daily Asharq al-Awsat on Friday quoted a source close
to the court as saying Vincent tendered his resignation on Thursday, citing
personal reasons. It said Lebanon received the official news of Vincent's
resignation which the registrar submitted to U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon. The source
did not say when the resignation was tendered. He said Vincent, a British judge,
accepted a request by Ban to continue his duties till June until a replacement
has been assigned. Vincent's resignation would not have a negative impact on the
tribunal, the source said, stressing that a replacement had been found and his
name would soon be announced. Beirut, 17 Apr 09, 07:54
Lahoud Pulls Out of Election Race
Naharnet/The head of the 'Democratic Renewal Movement' State Minister Nassib
Lahoud announced his withdrawal from the 2009 parliamentary election race for
the northern Metn region. In a press conference on Friday, Lahoud said that he
would not participate in any electoral list unless he is also a participant in
forming it.
"Knowing that managing the electoral process in the Metn is based on the
principle of share distribution and electoral size, and the fact that this is
done at the expense of political content and national goals…I have decided not
to participate in any list and to pull out from the electoral race altogether,"
Lahoud said.
He went on to pledge to Metn voters that he would continue to fight for their
cause in building a modern democratic state and work for a free and multiple
civil society that would embody the principles of the cedar revolution. Beirut,
17 Apr 09, 14:41
Saniora From Sidon: My Nomination is Not to Challenge
Anyone
Naharnet/Prime Minister Fouad Saniora said that his nomination to parliament for
one of two Sunni seats in Sidon is not a challenge or a provocation against
anyone, adding that the decision to run did not come from overseas nor did the
Hariris push for it. "The decision to run was personal supported by my family
and loved ones," Saniora said. In a press conference on Friday, Saniora added
that he is not afraid of any security incidents in Sidon saying: "Elections are
a democratic process."
"I have no objection against meeting anyone in Sidon," Saniora said. During his
visit to the Dar al-Ifta'a in Sidon and met with Sheikh Mohammed Ossairan al-Jaafari,
the prime minister stressed that he represents the political line of former
premier Rafic Hariri. Saniora is scheduled to go to Majdalionne to visit the
Hariris, and would return to Beirut on Monday. Beirut, 17 Apr 09, 17:41
Shrugging Off Iranian Demand, Diplomats Reach U.N. Racism
Deal
Naharnet/Negotiators said Friday that they had agreed on a declaration for a
U.N. anti-racism conference, shrugging off fears that the arrival of Iran's
president could disrupt the meeting. Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has stirred
outrage by repeatedly calling the Holocaust a "myth" and with anti-Israel
comments, is the only prominent head of state so far scheduled to attend the
Durban Review Conference on Monday. News of his attendance had sparked renewed
fears that the five-day meeting, which begins in Geneva on Monday, could end in
acrimony -- like the World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa,
eight years ago.
The United States and Israel walked out of the 2001 conference; amid charges it
had become a forum for anti-Semitism.
A similar row had marred negotiations in recent months to draw up the final
declaration at the Geneva meeting -- which is due to take stock of progress in
fighting racism and xenophobia since Durban -- prompting boycott threats by some
Western states. But officials and human rights groups said Friday that Western
and most Muslim states have managed to iron out the most controversial issues,
relating to religious discrimination, Israel and the Middle East.
"We have reached an agreement to submit the draft text for adoption," a EU
diplomat told Agence France Presse (AFP). He added that the text is "perfectly
acceptable for the European Union." Meanwhile, a Latin American diplomat added
that what was significant was the "feeling that a consensus has been reached.
"It is the feeling that prevails today. The ambiance is very positive." U.N.
High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay confirmed the compromise.
"I feel very certain that because this was so well deliberated by all groups
that this would have an easy passage through the conference," Pillay told
journalists.
Tehran earlier wanted to transfer a standalone reference to the Holocaust in the
draft text into a section on injustices of the past, a demand that Europeans
regarded as unacceptable. Given the Iranian president's previous hard-line
statements, a European diplomat said earlier that they were racing "against the
clock" to find a consensus ahead of his arrival.
Other diplomats said that while Ahmadinejad's attendance would divert public
attention, he was unlikely to derail negotiations on a renewed international
pledge to fight racism. "In other U.N. meetings, some countries did not agree on
everything but that does not prevent their heads of states from attending," said
an Asian diplomat. "We should not prejudge the Iranian president's
participation." Human Rights Watch also played down the Iranian impact on
Friday. "There is a broad consensus of nations coming forward for this review
conference," said Julie de Rivero, advocacy director for the rights group in
Geneva. "There may be isolated attempts to change things, but they remain that
and I don't think they will have an influence," she told journalists. Gerald
Steinberg, executive director of pro-Israel lobby group NGO Monitor, also
believed the Iranian president was unlikely to threaten the conference's
outcome. But he noted: "If Ahmadinejad is here, it will turn the whole thing
into a circus." European Union states would decide late Friday if they would
take part, French Secretary of State Rama Yade said in Paris. The United States
has also set conditions on re-joining the anti-racism conference.(AFP) Beirut,
17 Apr 09, 20:13
Iran Willing to Build New Relationship With U.S.
Naharnet/Iran's president on Wednesday sent the clearest signal yet that the
Islamic Republic wants warmer ties with the U.S., just one day after Washington
spoke of new strategies to address the country's disputed nuclear program. Taken
together, the developments indicate that the longtime adversaries are seeking
ways to return to the negotiating table and ease a nearly 30-year-old diplomatic
standoff. President Barack Obama's administration has sought to start a dialogue
with Iran — a departure from the Bush administration's tough talk. Iran had
mostly dismissed the overtures, continuing to take hard-line steps like putting
an American journalist on trial on espionage allegations. But in his speech
Wednesday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad changed his tone, saying that Iran was
preparing new proposals aimed at breaking an impasse with the West over its
nuclear program. "The Iranian nation is a generous nation. It may forget the
past and start a new era, but any country speaking on the basis of selfishness
will get the same response the Iranian nation gave to Mr. Bush," Ahmadinejad
told thousands in the southeastern city of Kerman.
In Washington, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton discussed Ahmadinejad's
comments during a meeting Wednesday with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
"With respect to the latest speeches and remarks out of Iran, we welcome
dialogue," Clinton said. "We've been saying that we are looking to have an
engagement with Iran, but we haven't seen anything that would amount to any kind
of proposal at all."
She said the six nations trying to lure Iran back to the negotiating table would
have more to say in the coming days. Those countries, the five permanent members
of the U.N. Security Council and Germany, asked Solana last week to invite Iran
to a new round of talks. Solana said Iran has not formally responded to the
invitation, and he declined to comment on Ahmadinejad's remarks. The U.S.
government has declined to publicly discuss possible new strategies for dealing
with Iran. The Obama administration said its immediate goal is to get Iran back
to nuclear negotiations. Though there have not been any concrete breakthroughs,
Mehrzad Boroujerdi, an Iranian affairs expert at New York's Syracuse University,
said Ahmadinejad's comments were a "good omen."
"It certainly signals interest in engaging with the Obama administration," he
said, adding that no terms had been set for possible talks.
Iran's uranium enrichment program has been the key point of contention. The Bush
administration had insisted that Iran scrap enrichment before talks could begin
— a demand Iran repeatedly rejected. On Wednesday, a senior official said the
U.S. would be prepared to let Tehran continue enriching uranium at the current
level for some time. Uranium enrichment can be used to produce fuel for nuclear
energy or nuclear weapons. The U.S. and some of its allies accuse Tehran of
seeking to build nuclear weapons. Iran denies the charges, saying its nuclear
program is geared toward generating electricity.
There had been a few efforts in recent years to reach consensus, but they
appeared to go nowhere.
Two years ago, Washington briefly softened its position, and its negotiating
partners told Tehran that they could accept a continuation of enrichment for a
limited time as they moved toward talks. But Iran insisted it be allowed to
enrich as part of its rights under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, ending
the effort.
A decision by the U.S. to return to the negotiating table last year also did not
bear fruit. But Wednesday, Ahmadinejad said, "circumstances have changed" — an
apparent reference to Obama's election and Iran's own progress in its nuclear
program since talks with world powers last year.
Iran says it now controls the entire cycle for producing nuclear fuel —
including extracting uranium ore and enriching it.
Ahmadinejad said Iran welcomes dialogue provided it is based on justice and
respect, suggesting the West should not try to force it to halt enrichment.
"Today we are preparing a new package. Once it becomes ready, we will present
that package (to you)," the president said. "It is a package that constitutes
peace and justice throughout the globe and also respects other nations' rights."
He didn't elaborate.
The U.S. and Iran broke off diplomatic ties after the 1979 Islamic Revolution
and the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by hard-line students. Relations
became rockier under the Bush administration, which branded Iran part of an
"Axis of Evil" along with Saddam Hussein's Iraq and North Korea.
Part of the softening could be tied to the June re-election bid by Ahmadinejad,
whose popularity has been declining. His main opponent favors better ties with
the United States. It is unclear, however, whether Ahmadinejad even has the
clout to build a new relationship with the U.S. Just last month, Iran's supreme
leader — who has the final say on all state matters — abruptly dismissed Obama's
offer for dialogue. "After 30 years, this won't be a matter resolved in a month
or two. Any negotiations on the nuclear issue with Iran will take at least one
year to work out," Boroujerdi said.(AP) Beirut, 17 Apr 09, 20:34
Arab peace plan as part of Palestinian state push:
U.S.
Fri Apr 17, 6:03 PM
By Mohammed Assadi
RAMALLAH (Reuters) - U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell said on Friday that
an Arab peace initiative should be part of a planned U.S. drive to create a
Palestinian state.
In three separate violent incidents in the West Bank on Friday, Israelis killed
three Palestinian men, the highest number of deaths in the occupied territory
for over a year.
The Arab initiative of 2002 offers Israel normal ties with all Arab states in
return for a full withdrawal from the lands it seized in the 1967 Middle East
war, creation of a Palestinian state and a "just solution" for Palestinian
refugees.
"The U.S. is committed to the establishment of a sovereign independent
Palestinian state where the aspirations of the Palestinian people to control
their destiny are realized. We want the Arab peace initiative to be part of the
effort to reach this goal," Mitchell said after talks with Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Mitchell did not elaborate on what part the Arab initiative might play in U.S.
attempts to mediate a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians.
U.S. leaders including President Barack Obama have made references to the Arab
peace plan without ever endorsing the Arab demand that Israel withdraw from all
the land Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war -- the West Bank including
East Jerusalem, the Syrian Golan Heights, and the Gaza Strip, which is under
siege.
The previous U.S. administration of George W. Bush tried without success to use
the Arab peace plan to draw Saudi Arabia and other conservative Gulf states into
contacts with Israel before the Israelis gave any commitment to full withdrawal.
But Mitchell's remarks were another reminder to Israel's new right-wing prime
minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, that the United States wants to see progress.
Netanayahu, who saw Mitchell on Thursday, has yet to give a commitment to
restart U.S.-backed talks with Abbas on core issues such as statehood borders,
and the future of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees.
Israeli officials quoted Netanyahu as telling Mitchell that his right-leaning
government wanted the Palestinians to first recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
Palestinians have long rejected such explicit recognition of the Jewish nature
of a state where one in five people is Arab.
"It is clear that there is a government in Israel that rejects signed
agreements, that insists on continuing settlement activities," senior
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said.
Erekat said Abbas asked Mitchell to "exert every possible effort" to pressure
Israel to commit to a two-state solution and to meet other obligations,
including a freeze in Jewish settlement building in the West Bank and a halt to
home demolitions in Arab East Jerusalem.
Netanyahu's two-week-old government has yet to take a public position on the
Arab peace initiative.
But in their meeting on Thursday, Netanyahu spoke to Mitchell about "the need to
involve in the process important moderate Arab states," including Egypt, Jordan
and Saudi Arabia, a senior Israeli official said.
A senior Western diplomat familiar with the Obama administration's deliberations
said Washington wanted to pursue the Arab peace initiative but was keeping its
options open.
"We have put the flag squarely in the two-state solution camp but we haven't
said how you get there," the diplomat said.
Netanyahu's predecessor, Ehud Olmert, said he saw positive points in the Arab
peace initiative.
But Israel opposes the return of Palestinian refugees to their former homes in
what is now the Jewish state and wants to hold on to major settlement blocs in
the West Bank.
Mitchell's next stop is Egypt.
WEST BANK VIOLENCE
An Israeli military spokeswoman confirmed troops shot dead a Palestinian who
threw petrol bombs toward the Jewish settlement of Beit El near Ramallah. She
said a second Palestinian suffered light wounds after troops had spotted the
two.
A Ramallah hospital official said the 16-year-old from the Jalazoun refugee camp
next to the settlement had died from a single bullet wound to the chest, local
Palestinian residents said he was holding a petrol bomb when he was shot.
In another incident, Palestinian hospital officials said a 30-year-old man died
of a wound to the chest during a protest at the village of Bilin, site of almost
weekly protests against the West Bank separation barrier that Israel is
building.
Earlier in the day a Palestinian with a knife infiltrated the Jewish settlement
of Beit Haggai in the southern West Bank and was shot dead by a security guard,
the Israeli army said.
In Gaza, Islamist Hamas's two senior leaders, Ismail Haniyeh and Mahmoud al-Zahar
made their first public appearances, delivering sermons in mosques, witnesses
said.
The two went to ground and witnesses said that neither had been seen in public
since December 27, when Israel launched a 22-day offensive to counter
Palestinian short-range rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.
The territory has been largely quiet since the Netanyahu government took power
this month. He has set toppling Hamas among his long-term goals.
(Additional reporting by Adam Entous, Dan Williams and Ori Lewis in Jerusalem
and Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza, Writing by Ori Lewis and Adam Entous; Editing by
Angus MacSwan)
Report: Spy ring discovered in Lebanon infiltrated Hizbullah ranks
Published: 04.18.09, 11:23 / Israel News The espionage ring uncovered in Lebanon
earlier in the week was able to infiltrate Hizbullah ranks, the London-based
Arabic-language newspaper Al-Hayat reported Saturday. According to the report,
three of the suspects, including an officer in the Lebanese Military, were
arrested following an 18-month investigation. previous reports of the ring
Lebanon’s cedars are threatened by warming
Published: April 18, 2009
http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/lifestyles/health_med_fit/article/I-CEDAR0329_20090416-185249/258307/
BAROUK, Lebanon -- There's no escaping the cedar tree in Lebanon.
A cedar is emblazoned on the country's flag, and another on the planes of the
national airline. It is on the currency, on passports and on all official
documents. It is proudly worn on the uniforms of soldiers and crudely plastered
on tourist knickknacks from ashtrays to fridge magnets.
Cedars also have played an integral part in Lebanon's volatile political life.
Several Christian factions in the country's civil war adopted the cedar as their
emblem; one called itself the Guardian of the Cedars. When Lebanese took to the
streets to demand the withdrawal of Syrian troops in 2005, their protest was
dubbed the Cedar Revolution.
And such is the importance of the cedar that one-time Druze warlord Walid
Jumblatt, now a leading politician, planted land mines around the trees in his
Shouf mountain fiefdom during the civil war era, to protect them from loggers,
militias and other marauders.
But the imposing, majestic tree that has defined Lebanon since biblical times
now faces a potentially bigger threat to its existence than war or political
overkill.
Global warming, the scourge of ecosystems worldwide, also is endangering the
ancient Lebanon cedars that are native to the Mediterranean, by pushing
ever-higher the snow line in the mountains where cedars thrive and jeopardizing
the fragile environment that sustains them.
"Until now we don't have a direct impact, but all the indications and
observations of scientists, and the monitoring of the environment, suggest that
within the next 10 years we will see a major impact on cedars from climate
change," said Nizar Hani, scientific coordinator of the Shouf nature reserve in
Barouk, from which the land mines have been removed.
Here, on steep mountainsides dotted with cedars young and old, anecdotal
evidence of the threat is clearly visible.
Deep snow covers the uppermost reaches of the reserve, as it normally would at
this time of year. But lower down, the snow is patchy or nonexistent.
Cedar cones need several weeks of snow cover every year to germinate properly.
Yet this year's snow arrived late, in February instead of December, and many
trees received only 10 days of cover or less, according to Hani.
Typically, cedars thrive at an altitude of 4,000 to 6,000 feet. This year's snow
descended only to a level of 5,000 feet, leaving lower trees without any cover
at all.
Another problem is that the lack of snow encourages the proliferation of
unwelcome pests. In the most alarming instance of the threat so far, scientists
say, a plague of sawflies munched through the cedar forest of Tannourine earlier
this decade, killing 12 percent of the trees before it was contained.
The infestation was a direct result of warmer temperatures on the life cycle of
the cedar-eating Cephalcia sawfly, said Nabil Nemer, an entomologist at the
American University of Beirut who is researching the still little-understood
effects of climate change on the cedar forests.
The hardiness of the cedar is legendary, and no one is predicting its demise any
time soon. The oldest tree in Barouk, with a trunk spanning nearly 50 feet, is
estimated to be 2,000 years old. Several trees in reserves farther north are
believed to be even older.
"This is a very strong tree," said Nora Jumblatt, the politician's wife and a
leading figure in the cedar conservation effort. "It is a witness to history
that personifies Lebanon and the Lebanese soul of resilience and endurance."
Bigger threats to their survival have already passed.
The Phoenicians chopped them down to build their ships. King Solomon had them
felled to build the temple of Jerusalem, according to the Bible. The Pharaohs of
Egypt plundered them for their tombs, the Romans exploited them to construct
their empire and the Ottomans used them to build their railways.
Now just 5,000 acres of cedars remain, most of them contained in a handful of
protected reserves high in the mountains. More research is urgently needed to
understand the effects of global warming if these last trees are to be
preserved, said Nemer, the entomologist.
"The cedar tree is the symbol of our country, and it would mean a lot if we were
to lose it," he said. "It would be like losing our identity."
Egypt: Arab nations plotting against us
Cairo's government daily al-Ahram says Hizbullah cell part of larger scheme to
'bring Egypt to the brinks of chaos and facilitate a coup.' Paper manes Iran,
Syria, Qatar, Hamas, Muslin Brotherhood and al-Jazeera television as
co-conspirators against regime
Roee Nahmias Published: 04.18.09, 12:14 / Israel News
The Egyptian government sponsored daily al-Ahram reported Saturday that the
Hizbullah cell recently discovered in the country was in cahoots with the Muslim
Brotherhood and other Arab nation to overthrow the Egyptian regime.
In an unusually harsh editorial, the newspaper claimed that Iran, Syria and
Qatar were all part of the plot, as well as Hamas and the al-Jazeera television
network. Their operation, said the report, was "meant to bring Egypt to the
brink of chaos and facilitate a coup."
Wrath
Report: Egypt considers indicting Nasrallah / Roee Nahmias
Lebanese daily reports group of Egyptian jurists drafting document that may lead
to indictment of Hizbullah leader and his deputy over terror plot; sources say
Cairo may ask Interpol to arrest Nasrallah, Sheikh Qassem, extradite them to
Egypt
The editorial goes on to detail the role each of the members of the "Arab axis
of evil" were to take in the plot, citing information derived form Cairo's
intelligence services and claiming that the Hizbullah lineup in Cairo "was not
only put in place in order to carry out terror attacks, but also to bring about
a wave of unrest as part of a wide-scale plot against Egypt."
According to the report, it was during January's Israeli offensive in Gaza that
the members of the axis decided that Egypt was conspiring with Israel against
Hamas. The paper goes on to suggest that the latter's decision to breach the
ceasefire agreement with Israel was predetermined "by three counties, three
groups and one propaganda media outlet."
The editorial then implicates Iran, Syria, Qatar, Hizbullah, Hamas, the Muslin
Brotherhood and al-Jazeera television.
The Iranian plan
Hizbullah terror cells uncovered in Egypt masterminded by Iranians
Smadar Peri Published: 04.12.09, 09:11 / Israel Opinion
The hands that were sent to establish the terror cells in Egypt and run the
smuggling network bringing arms and money into Gaza indeed belong to senior
Hizbullah activists, yet the brain that came up with the plan to arm Hamas and
undermine President Mubarak’s regime is in Tehran.
And so, for example, two of the suspects arrested in Egypt in connection with
the Hizbullah terror cells work for an Iranian TV channel that broadcasted from
Cairo and whose offices were used as a site for secret meetings and the transfer
of funds and orders to the members of the Hizbullah cell in Egypt.
Hizbullah Leader
Nasrallah confirms reports of arms smuggling through Egypt / Ali Waked
Responding to Egyptian arrests of alleged Hizbullah operatives Nasrallah says
smuggling of arms into Gaza 'is not a sin we need to apologize for'; also
criticizes Cairo for siding with right-wing Israeli gov't
Cairo and Tehran have experienced plenty of friction ever since the Shah’s
regime was toppled in 1979, marking the rise of the Ayatollahs’ “proper Islam.”
Egypt’s embassy in Cairo was closed down, and meanwhile the Iranians named a
major street and a square on the outskirts of Tehran after Khalid Islambouli,
President Sadat’s killer.
Over the years, terror cells dispatched by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards in
order to kill Egyptian leaders were detained by Cairo. Four years ago, the
Egyptian ambassador to Baghdad was killed, and his body had not been returned to
this day.
Egyptian officials also warn that Qatar has fallen into the Iranian trap, and
that al-Jazeera has become the axis of evil’s mouthpiece.
If Iran’s nuclear race is Israel’s nightmare, the Arab world’s nightmare is the
“great plan” being formulated by the Iranians: A plan that is meant to “creep”
into the territory of Arab states, deploy a network of sleeper terror cells
within them, recruit terror activists, shower opposition movements with money,
and then carry out a series of attacks, assassinations, artificial protests, and
violent clashes with security forces and police.
Jordan’s King Abdullah openly shared his fears of “the Iranian crescent” when he
warned against the Iranian plan to send its long arms into Lebanon, take over
focal points of power in Iraq, and use Sudan as a base for deploying thousands
of terrorists in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Unanswered question
It was no coincidence that Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit
announced: “We knew about the Israeli Air Force’s bombings in Sudan in real
time.” We can guess that Egyptian intelligence services monitor Sudan because of
the Iranian arms that settled there uninterruptedly and established training
bases there.
In one moment, Iranian intelligence agents can block the Nile’s water sources,
Egypt’s lifeblood, send in al-Qaeda-style murderers, and smuggle weapons and
explosives not only to Gaza’s tunnels but also to Cairo and to the Alexandria
Port.
In his late-night speech the other night, Hizbullah Secretary General Hassan
Nasrallah did not even try to deny the depth of the ties and commitment to
Tehran. I wish that our excellent ties with Iran were appreciated by the leaders
of states cooperating with the Zionist enemy, he said.
Nasrallah also did not try to shirk responsibility for the arms smuggling. He
just didn’t provide the answer for the obvious question: Who is sending, via
Hizbullah, hundreds of millions of dollars to finance terror, and where did the
attack plans and arms received by the network activists in Egypt come from?