LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 25/09

Bible Reading of the day.
Matthew 6/5 10 13/ “When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward.  But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.  In praying, don’t use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.  Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him.  Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.  Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.  Give us today our daily bread.  Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Hezbollah’s pessimistic vision of Aoun’s electoral situation. By: Sami Farid 24/02/09
Aoun’s schizophrenia/Future News 24/02/09
Peace With Syria Could Catalyze Middle East Process. By CESAR CHELALA 24/02/09
Will Sleiman help give the Lebanese the true democracy they seek?. The Daily Star 24/02/09
Obama's goad to Damascus-Christian Science Monitor 24/02/09
Syria, courted from abroad, remains coy (News Feature)-Monsters and Critics.com - 24/02/09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for February 24/09
Second Victim in Feb. 14 Confrontations Dies, Zeineddine's Killer in Judicial Custody-Naharnet
Tribunal to Open Doors to Journalists on Tuesday-Naharnet
Nadim Gemayel: illegal weapons threaten the state/Future News
Vincent: Hariri Court to Conduct Trial in Absentia if Syria Refuses to Hand Over Witnesses-Naharnet
Solana to Visit Beirut-Naharnet
Lebanon Demands Compensation from Israel for its July War-Naharnet
Qassem: We Are Ready To Pay An Acceptable Price For a National Unity Government-Naharnet
Jumblat: No Way to Settle Shabaa Issue Without Formal Syrian Approval-Naharnet
Classes Continue at USJ after LF, Hizbullah Fighting-Naharnet
Suleiman: Proportional Representation Could Have Helped Solve Many Problems-Naharnet
Lebanon Demands Execution for 16 Terrorist Suspects Linked to al-Qaida-Naharnet
Aoun to Lebanese: Your Voice is Your Rifle, Don't Sell Your Vote-Naharnet
Morocco Releases Tamraz despite Lebanon's Extradition Request-Naharnet
Lawyer of LBC's Daher: Judge Should Step Down-Naharnet
Computer Containing Sayyed Files Stolen from Attorney's Office-Naharnet
Phalange: Grenade Attacks Intimidation Messages Ahead of Elections-Naharnet
Bellemare Pays Farewell Visits to Berri, Saniora-Naharnet
US report: Saudis replacing Egypt as regional leader-Ha'aretz
Civil leaders urge Sleiman to back electoral reform-Daily Star
Qawouk: Elections will defeat 'financial invasion-Daily Star
Security incidents compound downturn in Beirut markets-Daily Star
Beirut signs deal with Cairo to receive Egyptian electricity-Daily Star
Iraq gives Kuwait $13.3 billion in compensation-(AFP)
AUB, NSSF ink deal on outstanding payments-Daily Star
Protest called for those detained in May clashes-Daily Star
Army denies quotes attributed to intelligence chief-Daily Star
Hand grenade found near Ain al-Rumaneh hospital-Daily Star
Tribunal to seek transfer of detained security chiefs to Hague in May-Daily Star
Journalists invited to apply for UN fellowship program-Daily Star
ACS students honor Red Cross by planting 84 olive trees-Daily Star
Southern fishermen in dispute over dive compressors-Daily Star
Minister urges efforts to preserve biodiversity in Jabal Moussa-Daily Star
Hamas to send delegation to Cairo unity conference-Reuters
HRW: Syria Must Scrap Repressive 'Kangaroo Court'. Naharnet

Second Victim in Feb. 14 Confrontations Dies, Zeineddine's Killer in Judicial Custody
Naharnet/News reports on Tuesday said a second victim has died from wounds he suffered during clashes that took place at a Feb. 14 rally marking the fourth anniversary of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination as the killer of the first fatality was sent to judicial custody. Local media identified the victim as Khaled Toaimeh, 20. A forensic doctor who examined the body said Toaimeh died after his heart stopped beating as a result of severe beating. He said Toaimeh, from the village of al-Faour in East Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, passed away Monday night. After news of Toaimeh's death, Faour residents tried to block the main road in the village.
Lebanese army troops, however, swiftly stepped in, firing shots in the air to disperse the crowd. The first victim, Lutfi Zeineddine, 50, died Feb. 15, a day after attackers, armed with sticks, knives and stones, assaulted him wounding 30 other rally participants. In a related event, the Lebanese army on Tuesday handed over 10 detainees in connection with the Feb. 14 clashes to Judge Saeed Mirza, including Zeineddine's killer. Beirut, 24 Feb 09, 08:51

Zoghbi: The Syrians can’t add March 8’s popularity
Date: February 23rd, 2009 Source: Future News
March 14 member lawyer Elias El Zoghbi asked for the number of MP Michel Aoun’s allies for the upcoming elections, saying that the Syrians cannot add the popularity of March 8 in the polls because Syria is in a critical situation.
He said that March 14 forces are heading towards for two options, either winning the majority in the elections or attaining the two thirds of the overall parliamentary seats.



Baydoun calls to free the Shiite arena from its diseases: we live a financial “May 7”
Date: February 23rd, 2009 Source: Future News
Former minister and MP Mohamed Abdel-Hamid Baydoun, called to free the Shiite arena of its diseases that afflict the entire country, adding that “the 7th of May group incites and accuses “forces of March 14” in afflicting Lebanon”.
Baydoun stressed, in an interview with "Future News", that the three partners Speaker Nabih Berry, MP Michel Aoun and “Hezbollah” were behind the events of “May 7” adding, “We live today a financial May 7, after the security events of May 7”, condemning the incitement of the Shiite community, and causing riots in streets.
He also expressed his surprise towards the change in Speaker Nabih Berry’s position on the Council of the South, pointing out his prior approval in 2001 and 2006 to cancel it, and wondered about the role of the 60 billion L.L, especially that few will be spent on projects and the bulk of the share is on management projects that “8 March” team refuses identify.
As for the U.S. Senator Jean Carey’s visit to Lebanon, Baydoun noted that “visiting Speaker Nabih Berry is not one of his duties, which upset the latter, because whenever he loses his credibility the more he gets angry”.

Aoun’s schizophrenia
Date: February 24th, 2009 Source: Future News
The Lebanese political life has never witnessed in its history the rhetoric deterioration seen with Michel Aoun and some of his 8 March allies. This man is not offering the Lebanese anything new except his Syrian intelligence style fabricated accusations.
One can understand that the Orange General latest visit to Syria affected him to a certain extent, but it is not a justification to his continuous attacks against the state and its institutions, as he did when talking about public matters that offend the dignity of the constitutional institutions particularly the judiciary system and its independence.
His political rhetoric could on the other hand be justified as he – late though- discovered the failure of his standings and the disappointment of those he claims representing, because of his inability to achieve the political program he promised to apply.
He was elected on the head of one of the biggest parliamentary blocs, but he resumed his career as dependent and approved the closing of the House for more than 30 months, to place himself and his followers in a militia context contradicting totally with the parliamentary traditions.
In practicing politics, Aoun proved nothing different than other politicians he always criticized, and pushed in a very traditional way towards assigning his son-in-law to a ministerial post, which shocked his electors who thought that Aoun is their reformist choice, and has a real change program, only to discover the opposite.
He did not leave an opportunity to assert his political standings and condemn the debts, while the ministers representing him in the cabinet approved the proposed budget unanimously, though it contains special items prohibiting borrowings that reach 3 billion dollars. This is pure political schizophrenia, or an indication of his nature of never fulfilling his promises. Moreover, Aoun sensed the depth of his failure when he threatened cutting tongues and arms, borrowing a militia style language unusual to the Lebanese in general and to the Christians in particular. He even offered to legalize a militia for every sect in Lebanon under the name of “resistance” which could lead the country to the unknown. Aoun started likely to feel that his relation with his former base has broken, which led him to lose his political compass as usual.

Hezbollah’s pessimistic vision of Aoun’s electoral situation
Sami Farid
Date: February 24th, 2009 Source: Future News
A confidential trilateral meeting between Hezbollah’s Secretary–general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, “Amal” leader Nabih Berry and Free Patriotic Movement “FPM” leader Michel Aoun will be held soon.
The three opposition leaders will discuss their electoral status prior to the launching of the electoral campaign they will contest with “March 14.”
During that meeting, the three leaders will tackle controversial issues lingering among the opposition ranks. Later meetings may include other opposition members such as MP Oussama Saad, “Marada” leader Former MP Sleiman Frangieh, Minister Talal arslan and Abdulrahim Mrad.
The main problem the opposition faces is Aoun’s relation with his allies on the one hand and the instability within his bloc’s members on the other.
Aoun and Berry want Nasrallah to find solutions for their dispute over 5 christian seats in the south, Aoun insists on naming at least three of them while Berry, considers them as his undisputed share hold.
It is also reported that Frangieh, a Maronite Christian opposition leader, wants to run the elections as an independent in Zghorta-north of Lebanon. Therefore he is avoiding meeting with the three leaders.
Basically, the meeting is assigned to review the unpleasant results of pre-election surveys. Thus, the three opposition poles are keen to maintain the session confidential to avoid affecting their allies’ morale.
Independent surveys show that Aoun’s popularity had plummeted unlike pro-Aoun surveys that are said to be manipulating the results for Aoun’s favor.
Sources reveal that “Hezbollah” criticize Aoun for three reasons:
Firstly, his electoral machine is weak and incompetent although Aoun had waded two electoral battles (2005, 2007).
Secondly, “FPM” is constituted of several Christian parties; the Aounis of “Kataeb” origins feel remorse for leaving their party to join “FPM”, and tend to vote for the two parties simultaneously. The enthusiastic Christians who joined “FPM” in 2005 and were originally members of several Christian parties such as the “National Liberal Party”, the “National Bloc” and other minor parties, discovered that the slogans of reform were exaggerated and are now reconsidering their choice.
The sources added that the time before the parliamentary elections is not enough for restoring Aoun’s popular base.
“Hezbollah” points at a problem with former “Kataeb” members, who have become more enthusiastic in rejoining their old party after Sami Gemayel, had taken power.
Head of Executive Committee of “Lebanese Forces” Samir Geagea declared recently that his party is open to any electoral alliance within the framework of the Christians of March 14.
Thirdly, egocentrism and hostility dominate FPM members. At their election centers, each work for their own favor and not for the bloc as a whole.
In short, Hezbollah will present detailed information to Aoun during the trilateral meeting in an attempt to bridge the gap between Aoun and Berry on the one hand and Aoun and his electoral base on the other.

Vincent: Hariri Court to Conduct Trial in Absentia if Syria Refuses to Hand Over Witnesses
Naharnet/The international tribunal's Registrar Robin Vincent has said that failure by Syria to hand over witnesses in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri would be a "blow" to the U.N. Security Council. If Syria failed to cooperate in this regard, it will be a "blow" to the Security Council, Vincent said in remarks published on Tuesday. Syria's negative response could compel the court to conduct trial in absentia, Vincent warned. He pointed to measures being considered for the protection of the witnesses. Vincent also spoke of "guarantees" to ensure the wellbeing of the witnesses, stressing that Dutch police enjoy excellent experience in this respect.
He said that the trials could last for more than six years. Beirut, 24 Feb 09, 10:12

Tribunal to Open Doors to Journalists on Tuesday
The international tribunal's Registrar Robin Vincent is expected to hold a news conference on Tuesday to speak about the work of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon which is due to start functioning March 1. News reports said officials of the media sector will also hold a press conference at noon Tuesday to explain to media representatives assigned to court coverage how the tribunal in The Hague will function and inform them of the program of Sunday's opening ceremony.
They said U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon was also likely to release a special report on Feb. 28. on the tribunal. Beirut, 24 Feb 09, 09:04

Solana to Visit Beirut
Naharnet/EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana will start a high-profile diplomatic tour through the Middle East on Tuesday in a bid to help bolster the ceasefire in Gaza, his office said. He will first travel to Syria, then to Lebanon and Egypt on Wednesday. He is to visit Israel on Thursday to meet top officials including Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Likud party chairman Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been asked to form a new government following elections. He will finish off the tour by traveling to the Palestinian territories on Friday and Saturday, where he is due to visit Gaza and meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. special envoy George Mitchell. Solana will take part in an international conference next week on the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip to be held in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on March 2, his office added.(AFP) Beirut, 24 Feb 09, 07:40

Lebanon Demands Compensation from Israel for its July War
Naharnet/Lebanon Tuesday called on the U.N. to pressure Israel to pay compensations for the July war. In a letter presented to U.N. chief Ban ki-Moon via Lebanon's permanent representative to the U.N. Nawwaf Salam, Lebanon informed the international body of Israel's repeated violations to U.N. Security Council resolution 1701. Lebanon also accused Israel of obstructing efforts to mark the Blue. Prime Minister Fouad Saniora had demanded compensation from Israel for the "unimaginable losses" to the nation's infrastructure. The letter demanded an Israeli withdrawal from north of the border village of Ghajar as well as Shebaa Farms. Beirut, 24 Feb 09, 12:07

Jumblat: No Way to Settle Shabaa Issue Without Formal Syrian Approval
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat on Monday said "no way" to settle the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms issue without formal Syrian approval.
"The Syrians are avoiding formal approval of the border (demarcation) so Lebanon's future would remain at their mercy and so they could maintain a bargaining chip they could use in their negotiations with Israel at the expense of Lebanon's future and sovereignty," Jumblat said in a speech at the German embassy. Jumblat described Palestinian positions outside refugee camps in Lebanon as "Syrian bases full of arms." He said these bases also include "some Palestinian dissidents and many known and unknown members who infiltrate into Lebanon without any attempt to prevent them from arriving to Bekaa or Beirut and any other region."
Jumblat said "only global pressure" or "European monitors" could solve this problem. "Dispatching delegations from Europe and the U.S. to Damascus, however, would only encourage (Syrian President Bashar) Assad and provide him with a sense of assurance," Jumblat complained. Beirut, 23 Feb 09, 20:07

Qassem: We Are Ready To Pay An Acceptable Price For a National Unity Government
Naharnet/Hizbullah Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem said that neither March 14 nor 8 Forces is capable of governing the country alone adding: "If the opposition wins the elections we wish to form a national unity government." Qassem said that this form of government has " a high and reasonable price. We are ready to pay this reasonable price, if the other side agrees." In an interview with the daily al-Akhbar newspaper on Tuesday Qassem said that statistics for both March 8 and 14 Forces say to either party that they would win the June 7 elections. "That is why neither party has an interest in not holding the elections," Qassem, said.
Hizbullah's deputy secretary-general is in charge of coordinating the party's election process, but not for the opposition.
"We are taking special measures for municipal and legislative elections. Today we have formed two committees for every district, the first committee's task is follow up on procedural measures and the other follows up political contacts with our allies and pass its findings to the central level," Qassem said.
He affirmed that opposition forces would run united in all districts in Lebanon with the hope of running a "fair and honest campaign at all districts."
Qassem divided districts into three types: districts that are overwhelmingly supportive of the opposition, highly competitive districts, and third, districts that are more favorable to the current parliamentary majority.
According to Qassem the parliamentary minority election campaign would run under two considerations: reason d'etre and for establishing a new political status in Lebanon. Qassem wants the electoral battle to be comprehensive "without any settlements made under the table." He referred to Beirut's second district saying: "there is the Doha agreement which we are committed to. However, we had no discussions with MP Saad Hariri, nor did his party contact us. If they do and a consensus is reached for implementing a mechanism then we shall commit to that."
The former chemistry teacher summarized the "resistance's" program in saying: "to protect the country, to reject foreign tutelage, to solve economic issues on the basis that people have social needs, to end financial corruption, not to pawn the country to foreign firms, equal development in all regions."
He added that electoral lists would be ready by mid March. He also said that the dispute between Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Aoun is fabricated "when both men meet at the table each would make concessions to the other."
Qassem denied that Hizbullah is the one that decides election lists but adds that his party enjoys the trust of all its allies, with no competition among them.
When asked about the Gaza war and why his party did not support the Palestinians during the war he answers: "what good is it to inflame the Lebanese front?"
"We are a resistance and not an army, resistance works on keeping the enemy busy in its own territory. Moreover, by opening the Lebanese front we would be diverting attention from what is happening in Gaza. Israel goes around playing the role of the victim saying Hizbullah is harassing it. This harms the resistance in Palestine," he said.
He referred to Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni who called on Europe during the Gaza war to understand Israel's motives not support it.
He believed that Israel erred following its 2006 war with Hizbullah by relying on its air force power again in Gaza saying: "the first strike targeted the Palestinian police, which is not a military accomplishment. It failed to strike and hit Hamas' political and military establishment. This shows weak intelligence capabilities, they remain incapable of regaining their image of prevention." "They failed again to seriously use their land forces," Qassem said. Beirut, 24 Feb 09, 10:15

Classes Continue at USJ after LF, Hizbullah Fighting
Students attended classes at the Huvelin campus of Saint Joseph University on Tuesday a day after a fistfight between March 8 and March 14 supporters.
An Nahar daily said Tuesday that fighting started after a dispute between two students who are not members of any party. It said the dispute was "exploited politically" and turned into a fistfight between Lebanese Forces students on the one hand and students from Hizbullah and Amal on the other. Internal Security Forces members and the army interfered to stop the fight and the military blocked the entrances to the faculty until the end of classes. Chants such as "God, Nasrallah and Dahieh" and "God, Lebanese Forces and Hakim" were heard inside the campus. The university later issued a statement saying classes will continue as usual at USJ, adding that the dean decided to take disciplinary measures against several students. Beirut, 24 Feb 09, 09:47

Suleiman: Proportional Representation Could Have Helped Solve Many Problems
President Michel Suleiman told a delegation from the Civil Center for National Initiative that an electoral law that is based on proportional representation could have helped solve many problems in the country. "Given proportional representation, we could have done without hearing some parties speaking about boycotting the future government if they lost the elections," Suleiman told the delegation, headed by former Speaker Hussein al-Husseini and MP Ghassan Tueni. An Nahar daily said Tuesday it was the first time that Suleiman expressed such a stance on the issue of representation. He said it was the president's duty to ensure that the future cabinet would represent all parties. "The cabinet line-up should come in line with the Constitution ... We cannot accept leaving out any party," Suleiman said.
An Nahar said the president told the delegation that "the most important thing is to focus on civil peace that resulted from the Doha accord and then focus on changing the election law which will be changed in the long-un." Suleiman's comment came after the delegation handed him its recommendations on reforming the electoral system in Lebanon. The Civil Center for National Initiative, which was launched two years ago by more than 100 intellectuals, political figures and academics aims at spearheading political change and abolishing sectarianism. Beirut, 24 Feb 09, 09:08

Lebanon Demands Execution for 16 Terrorist Suspects Linked to al-Qaida
Naharnet/Military Examining Magistrate Rashid Mizher has charged 16 suspects with plotting to carry out terrorist attacks. The suspects, who include Lebanese, Saudis, Syrians and Palestinians, were arrested in December 2007 and referred to a military court. If convicted, they face a possible death sentence.
Dozens of suspects have been arrested since the three-month-long fighting between the Lebanese army and Fatah al-Islam, a terrorist group with ties to al-Qaida, in the northern Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared in the summer of 2007. Most of those in custody are suspected of having ties to al-Qaida or Fatah al-Islam. Beirut, 24 Feb 09, 07:24

Aoun to Lebanese: Your Voice is Your Rifle, Don't Sell Your Vote
Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun on Monday slammed a decision to hold elections on a single day and called on Lebanese citizens not to sell their votes."Holding election on a single-day is not healthy," Aoun told a press conference following the weekly meeting of his Change and Reform parliamentary bloc.
"We heard Jumblat saying during the 2005 elections that civil war will erupt if he won in Baabda," he added. Addressing Lebanese citizens, Aoun said: "I tell you that your voice in the elections is your rifle." "Do not sell your rifle for $1,000 or let anyone strip you of your choice," he pleaded.Aoun said that MP Michel Murr walked out of his bloc "ever since the election campaign started."He said he favors the elimination of councils and funds, but vowed to support March 8 Forces' demand.
Beirut, 23 Feb 09, 17:24

Morocco Releases Tamraz despite Lebanon's Extradition Request
Moroccan authorities decided to release wanted Lebanese businessman Roger Tamraz despite a request by Lebanese judicial authorities to extradite him.
"The issue of delivering Tamraz to Lebanese authorities is related to an agreement for exchanging detainees between both countries," Moroccan security sources had said. The sources added that in the absence of such an agreement, Rabat and Beirut are to discuss the issue via diplomatic and judicial channels.
Lebanese authorities were informed through official diplomatic channels of Tamraz' arrest and have requested his extradition.
Tamraz is an international banker and venture capital investor who has had an active business career in the Middle East, Europe, Asia and the United States since the early 1960s. Born in 1940 in Cairo to Christian Lebanese parents, Tamraz grew up speaking fluent English, French and Arabic. Tamraz's first notable business enterprise was in 1967, when as an executive of the Wall Street investment bank Kidder, Peabody & Co., he successfully refloated a large Lebanese bank called Intra Bank, which had become insolvent in 1966. The bank had been founded in Beirut in 1951 by Yousef Beidas and three partners as a currency trading house named International Traders. The bank stopped payments on October 14, 1966. The collapse of the bank brought the Lebanese economy to a halt and sent shockwaves throughout the Middle East. Intra Bank accounted for 15% of total bank deposits and 38% of all deposits with Lebanese-owned banks. It owned nine other banks, controlled 35 companies and employed 43,000 people at the time of its collapse. Beirut, 23 Feb 09, 20:39

Lawyer of LBC's Daher: Judge Should Step Down
The lawyer of LBC TV network manager Pierre Daher on Monday demanded the judge to step down from the case.
Daher said that an interrogation session scheduled for Monday before Beirut investigating judge Fadi Oneissi did not take place because his attorney presented a memo casting doubt on the defendant's side. Daher said that the judge, however, refused to take delivery of the memo and decided to proceed with the case, setting a session for March 12. Beirut, 23 Feb 09, 21:05

Computer Containing Sayyed Files Stolen from Attorney's Office
Naharnet/A computer containing important files was stolen from the office of attorney Akram Azouri. The state-run National News Agency said unknown assailants ransacked Azouri's office and a computer containing database for detainee Jamil al-Sayyed was stolen. Azouri, who filed a lawsuit against the unknown suspects, said some cash was also stolen from his office. Policemen and investigators dispatched to the scene said the perpetrators likely got into the office with the use of a master key since the padlock was not broken, NNA reported. NNA said the incident took place on the eve of a farewell tour by Chief U.N. investigator Daniel Bellemare.
Bellemare on Monday conferred with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri and Premier Fouad Saniora. But a police statement released later said Azouri's computer was stolen between Feb. 20 and 8 am of Monday morning. The statement said the robber came into Azouri's office by climbing through the window and stole, in addition to his computer, an LCD television set and around $ 2,000 in cash. Beirut, 23 Feb 09, 18:21

HRW: Syria Must Scrap Repressive 'Kangaroo Court'
Naharnet/Human Rights Watch on Tuesday urged Syria to abolish its repressive security court, a "kangaroo court" whose verdicts against those seen challenging the government cannot be appealed.  A report by the U.S.-based rights watchdog asked the European Union and the United States to press Syria to scrap the court as a condition for improving ties with Damascus. "The State Security Court is one of Syria's main pillars of repression, a kangaroo court providing judicial cover for the persecution of activists, and even ordinary citizens, by Syria's security agencies," said HRW Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson.
The report said the court has relied on "sham trials to prosecute 153 defendants since January 2007 on the basis of vague charges."
Among them were bloggers, Kurdish activists and eight people "accused of insulting the Syrian president in private conversations," it said.
One 67-year-old man was sentenced in 2007 to three years in jail "because the security services overheard him insulting the Syrian president and criticizing corruption" at a Damascus cafe, it said.
Another was prosecuted "after informants said he had insulted President Bashar al-Assad while watching television at his uncle's home," it said.
"As a measure of how repressive Syria's security forces are, it appears that ordinary Syrians who aren't engaged in any political activity cannot have a private conversation exchanging opinions about their government, in a restaurant, or even in their own homes," said Whitson.
"Instead of addressing the country's genuine problems of poverty, corruption, and a stunted political environment, the Syrian authorities expend national resources spying on their own people." Assad, whose country Washington accuses of supporting terrorism, returned to the international fold last year with a visit to Paris, and since then relations with the world community have thawed. Three delegations of U.S. lawmakers met him in Damascus last week, including high-ranking Senator John Kerry, as Washington reviews policies toward countries which the previous administration regarded as hostile. HRW said Syria must "dissolve the court" and "decriminalize free expression and peaceful association by revising the vague overbroad statutes in the penal code." It also urged the European Union and the United States "to condition any further progress in their relations with Syria... on abolition of the (court) and concrete improvements in Syria's human rights situation." HRW said it spoke to former defendants, lawyers and human rights activists in Syria and based its report on "trial notes taken by Western diplomats who are the only outside observers to have access to the courts." It said that defendants have no chance of "proving their innocence against the bogus charges brought against them", cannot appeal their verdict to a higher tribunal and that most trials consist of "four short sessions."(AFP) Beirut, 24 Feb 09, 12:46

Obama's goad to Damascus
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0224/p08s01-comv.html
By the Monitor's Editorial Board
from the February 24, 2009 edition
As more US officials visit Syria, the president must be careful with any concessions.
As a Middle East way station for terrorists, Syria can't be ignored. Candidate Barack Obama pledged during the campaign to engage Syria in contrast to President Bush's attempt to isolate it. Now a limited engagement has begun and it's time to ask what President Obama will give up as he tiptoes toward the likelihood of bazaar-like haggling with Damascus.
Obama's first serious feelers are out. He gave a nod of approval for trips last week to Syria by the heads of the Senate and House foreign affairs committees, Sen. John Kerry and Rep. Howard Berman. With no US ambassador in Syria since 2005, their talks with President Bashar Assad probably revealed the hurdles that lie ahead for a workable US-Syrian relationship that could alter the region's dangerous dynamics and help Obama contain Iran.
The next logical steps would be visits by Middle East envoy George Mitchell and regional commander Gen. David Petraeus, and then reopening the US embassy. Ultimately, an Obama-Assad summit would seal a deal. But first, Americans need to know what critical US compromises might be on the table, given that Syria is still labeled by the US as a terrorist state.
The US has tried soft diplomacy before with Syria, under President Clinton and pre-911 Bush. Both attempts revealed a Damascus unwilling to give up ties with Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah, or to end its dark influence in Lebanon. The Assad regime, based on the rule of the minority Alawite tribe, needs the economic benefits of those ties and a perception of external threats to control internal dissent.
So what has possibly changed for Assad that would give Obama hope of a deal and allow only minimal US concessions?
For one, Turkey has befriended Syria to the point that it brokered indirect talks between Syria and Israel last year – before the Gaza war. Syria may believe that Turkey would be a more reliable geopolitical partner than Iran. And Saudi Arabia is pressuring Assad to drop ties to Iran as that non-Arab nation nears a capacity to build atomic bombs.
Syria's economic woes, driven in part by international sanctions, may also now threaten Assad's rule as may the spread of jihadi violence against his secular regime. And Assad may believe Israel is more ready to return the Golan Heights in a deal. Meanwhile, he sees a United Nations that won't tolerate Syria's heavy hand against Lebanon's budding new democracy and that may soon put a few Syrians on trial for the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.
Obama should not sacrifice Lebanon's independence nor give up a US interest in cutting Syria off from Iran. But he can pressure Israel to give up the Golan in return for a peace pact and, along with Europe, offer economic benefits and security guarantees to Syria if it gives up support for Islamic radicals.
Both sides need to build up some trust before serious talks begin, such as cooperating in Iraq or sharing intelligence on radicals. Any grand bargain won't be easy, as Syria may still want to build an atomic capability (Israel bombed its nuclear plant only in 2007).
Assad has far more to sacrifice than the US does.

Qawouk: Elections will defeat 'financial invasion'
Daily Star staff
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
BEIRUT: Hizbullah official in South Lebanon Sheikh Nabil Qawouk said during a meeting with women campaigners that the resistance would win June's legislative elections. "The same way the resistance defeated the military invasion in July 2006 and the political invasion in 2008, the resistance will defeat the financial invasion in the elections of 2009," said Qawouk, referring to alleged vote-buying by the March 14 coalition. He accused March 14 of "creating crises" beginning with the delay in compensating victims of the 2006 war and culminating with "attempts to cancel the Council of the South and postpone and decrease its budget." He was critical of Arab and international financial aid given to the coalition, which he said aimed at weakening the Hizbullah-led March 8 forces, particularly "since the opposition deprived the United States and its regional followers of achieving their objective or political gain." The appointment of hawkish Benjamin Netanyahu as Israeli premier should push Lebanon "to strengthen its national consensus and the national unity cabinet," he added. - The Daily Star

Will Sleiman help give the Lebanese the true democracy they seek?
By The Daily Star
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Editorial
President Michel Sleiman was literally handed an opportunity on Monday to dramatically improve Lebanon's troubled situation. Representatives of the Civil Center for National Initiative gave Sleiman a letter detailing ways that he can reverse the deterioration of the political process in this country. Among the proposals included in the letter was a call for the president to exercise his constitutional right to ask Parliament for a review of the current electoral law, with a view toward adopting a new electoral system based on proportional representation.
Replacing the current winner-takes-all formula with proportional representation would allow a much more diverse groups of political actors to enter Parliament, thereby reducing the influence of the families that have for generations played the role of party bosses. It would also allow for the emergence of national political parties - as opposed to the current assortment of sectarian cliques dominating the political arena. New actors in Parliament would also shake up the balance of power in the legislature and thereby help prevent the current tendency toward paralysis. A shift toward proportional representation would also force party bosses to adapt to new realities. With the pressure to appeal to a broader base of constituents - as opposed to safely relying on slim majorities - many would feel compelled to abandon sectarian discourse in favor of national rhetoric that resonates with a wider range of citizens. They would also find themselves in a situation in which the impact of tricks like vote buying would be minimized. The current system favors such forms of fraud, since paying for the loyalty of a few thousand voters can be enough to win a slim majority - and thereby secure a party boss several additional Parliament seats. But the advantages of spending money to win the polls declines when the electoral law is not based on a winner-takes-all formula, and runners-up are rewarded fairly for their showing at the polls.
Lebanese citizens cannot expect members of Parliament to overhaul the country's electoral system, since real reform would represent an obvious threat to entrenched centers of political power. Instead they have been waiting for a national leader who will act on the conviction that the citizens of this nation deserve a genuinely democratic government that represents their interests. Could Sleiman be the leader they have been waiting for?

Syria, courted from abroad, remains coy
Middle East Features
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/features/article_1461139.php/Syria_courted_from_abroad_remains_coy__News_Feature
By Rasha Saad Feb 23, 2009, 18:32 GMT
Damascus - Presidents, important US senators, senior officials from the Arab League - lately it seems everyone is courting Syria.
In recent months Damascus has been the centre of a flurry of international diplomatic activity.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited. So did a delegation of European Union officials and foreign ministers. Arab League chief Amr Mussa, who hails from Egypt, a country with increasingly fraught relations with Syria, seeks Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's counsel.
But al-Assad's separate meetings with US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry and a second congressional delegation in Damascus on Saturday were what really made headlines.
Some Arab observers are wondering if Syria really can be pried from its uneasy alliance with Iran, as some in Washington hope, or how serious US President Barack Obama is about renewing ties with Arab world.
Al-Assad told Kerry that 'dialogue is the only way' to solve problems and that 'the policy of dictation has proven useless,' Syria's SANA news agency reported on Saturday.
Kerry, on the other hand, told reporters that 'unlike the Bush administration ... we believe you have to engage in a discussion.'
Fine words, some Arab observers say, but will they translate into a real rapprochement?
Emad Gad, a Middle East expert at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that both sides 'are merely testing the waters to see what the other side could offer.'
Many thorny issues remain between the two countries.
The United States accuses Syria of supporting terrorism by providing a safe haven for such organizations as the Islamist Palestinian Hamas movement and Islamic Jihad. The US objects to Syria's strategic partnership with Iran and the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement. US officials remain suspicious of Syria's nuclear programme, and the US State Department routinely blasts Syria over its human rights record.
'Syria will not change its alliances in the region for the sake of mere promises,' Gad told dpa. 'They will wait to hear specific and concrete offers to begin weighing a compromise.'
Among the key offers Syria would want to hear is active US support for the return of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to Syrian control. It also wants economic and political incentives, including an end to unilateral US economic sanctions imposed in 2004.
The problem is that even if the US were willing to make concessions on these scores, it is not the only player in the region.
'With the Israeli government leaning further to the right as Benjamin Netanyahu takes power, peace talks will become even more difficult than before. Syria is thus skeptical that the US can have a great influence in peace talks,' he said.
And al-Assad has said that Syria will not stop supporting groups the US lists as terrorist organizations.
In an exclusive interview with Hezbollah-run al-Manar television in August, al-Assad said, 'We do not see any interest in abandoning the resistance. Our position toward resistance against any occupation in Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine is firm and has not changed.'
Lebanese analyst Hussein Abdel-Hussein, however, believes that the new US administration would be wrong to abandon the previous administration's policy of pressuring Syria through isolating it.
'US lawmakers should realize that if America's isolation of Syria failed, a successful policy does not entail a reversal of whatever (former) president (George W) Bush did,' Abdel-Hussein told dpa.
Rather, he said, al-Assad manipulates democracies with his foreign policy by 'playing by words.'
According to Abdel-Hussein, al-Assad gave 'false impressions that he had opened an embassy in Beirut, to the joy of the amateurish French diplomatic corps.'
'Yet the embassy remains without an ambassador, a step which Assad hopes he can trade for something new, maybe this time with the Americans,' the analyst concluded.
In an interview published recently in Britain's Guardian newspaper, al-Assad acknowledged that Syria and the US were 'still in the period of gestures and signals.'
Yet the 'gestures and signals' do suggest the two countries are moving closer together.
Al-Assad told the paper that he expected the US to send a full- fledged ambassador to Damascus soon, and he said that there was 'no substitute' for Washington as 'the main arbiter' in the Middle East peace process.
Bush withdrew his ambassador to Syria after Damascus was accused of complicity in a massive bomb in Beirut that killed former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005. 'An ambassador is important ... Sending these delegations is important. This number of congressmen coming to Syria is a good gesture. It shows that this (US) administration wants to see dialogue with Syria,' al-Assad said.

Peace With Syria Could Catalyze Middle East Process
By CESAR CHELALA
Middle East Times
February 24, 2009
The Golan Heights, an area of roughly 690 square miles bordering Syria, Israel, Lebanon and Jordan could hold the key to peace in the Middle East. Recent events in Israel and Gaza make any rapprochement between Israel and the Palestinians beyond a cease-fire rather improbable at the moment. In this situation, it is important to conduct peace talks with Syria. This could energize the process and lead to an all-encompassing peace agreement in the region.
The Golan Heights, which were Syrian territory before Israel captured the region during the 1967 Six-Day War, holds considerable strategic importance in the region. That, however, shouldn't be an obstacle for Israel possibly defending itself from an attack coming through there. In 2004, Israel's then Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen Moshe Ya'alon stated that if the government decided to reach a peace agreement with Syria the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) could defend Israel without the Golan Heights.
In addition to its military importance, the Golan Heights control a significant portion of water in the Jordan River watershed which provides about 15 percent of Israel's water supply. While of significant historical importance to Syria, the Heights have thus practical importance for Israel.
Although both Syria and Israel now contest the ownership of the area, they have not used overt military force since 1974. In 1981, the area was annexed by Israel, a move that was condemned internationally and called "inadmissible" by the U.N. Security Council. In 1999-2000, during the U.S. brokered peace talks, Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered to withdraw from most of the Golan as part of a comprehensive peace and security agreement. Barak withdraw this offer because of disagreements with Syria on access to the Sea of Galilee. It was a significant missed opportunity.
In 2006, the United Nations General Assembly called upon Israel to end its occupation of the Golan Heights, and declared all the legislative and administrative measures taken by Israel in that area null and void. That decision was ignored by Israel. In 2008, leaders of communities in the Golan Heights reaffirmed Israel's ownership of the area and stated, "all construction and development projects in the Golan are going ahead as planned, propelled by the certainty that any attempt to harm Israeli sovereignty in the Golan will cause severe damage to state security and thus is doomed to fail."
Do all these facts condemn the possibility of reaching an agreement between Syria and Israel? I don't believe so. After all, Yitzhak Rabin, Ehud Barak and Benjamin Netanyahu all saw the importance of achieving peace with Syria. Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has clearly stated, "If the Israelis withdraw from the Golan we will recognize them." And he has clearly stated that the United States should be the 'main arbiter' in this process.
The Golan Heights could become a 'neutral' area through the creation of a jointly administered peace park. This could be a practical example of a dispute-resolution strategy known as environmental peace building. According to Saleem H. Ali and Michael Cohen, the proposal was based on Robin Twite's work at the Israel-Palestine Center for Research and Information during the 1990s. The plan establishes that Syria would be the sovereign in all of the Golan, but Israelis could visit the park freely, without the need for visas. The territory on both sides of the border could be demilitarized under international supervision.
There are obvious advantages for both Syria and Israel in reaching a peace agreement. Syria desperately needs economic development, and an agreement with Israel on the Golan Heights could diminish its considerable military needs. Israel could have peace with an important adversary, a process that could be followed by a formal peace with Lebanon.
Peace with Syria doesn't mean to disregard the Palestinian issue. Peace between Israel and the Palestinians remains at the core of the Middle East process. But peace with Syria is a significant first step that will completely change the dynamics of the process and make it less unattainable than what it is now.
**Cesar Chelala, a writer on human rights issues, is a co-winner of an Overseas Press Club of America award. He is the foreign correspondent for the Middle East Times International (Australia).