LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 30/09

Bible Reading of the day.
Mark10/1-12: He arose from there and came into the borders of Judea and beyond the Jordan. Multitudes came together to him again. As he usually did, he was again teaching them.Pharisees came to him testing him, and asked him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”  He answered, “What did Moses command you?”  They said, “Moses allowed a certificate of divorce to be written, and to divorce her.”  But Jesus said to them, “For your hardness of heart, he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female.  For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will join to his wife, and the two will become one flesh, so that they are no longer two, but one flesh.  What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”  In the house, his disciples asked him again about the same matter.  He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery against her. If a woman herself divorces her husband, and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
If the general dares!/Future News 29/03/09
President Obama "AfPak" Strategy: Mapping the discussion-By: Dr. Walid Phares 29/03/09
Military clash with Iran. By: Alex Fishman 29/03/09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for March 29/09
No secret talks with Europeans: Hezbollah-Xinhua
Report: Israel used drones in Sudan.Ynetnews
Report: Mashaal, Barak may be called to Cairo.Ynetnews
Siniora: Riyadh initiatives, the corner stone for Doha summit-Future News
Suleiman warns of attacking LAF-Future News
Security incidents and Hezbollah negotiate the UK from…Iraq-Future News
Lebanon To Receive First 2 Warplanes on Independence Day, UNIFIL-Hizbullah Incident in Yuhmur-Naharnet
Hizbullah MP Invited to London By British Commons-Naharnet
PREVIEW-Arab summit to back Bashir, ease divide over Iran-Reuters
Damascus set to receive MiG 31E planes-Jerusalem Post
Obama considering meeting with Assad in June-Ha'aretz
Hezbollah MP to travel to Britain for rare meeting-International Herald Tribune-Naharnet
MP Tor Sarkissian: No Solution with Tashnag, We Don't Hand Out Gifts-Naharnet

Harper speaks on Afghanistan, economy, in U.S. TV interview
By The Canadian Press
WASHINGTON - Prime Minister Stephen Harper has elaborated on his remark that the Taliban in Afghanistan cannot be defeated on the battlefield.
Asked about it on the Fox News channel in Washington today, Harper said he meant there will always be some kind of insurgency in that country.
"I do believe you'll see some level of insurgency in Afghanistan for some time to come," Harper said. " But we certainly want to see a situation where the Afghan government can handle that security situation on a day-to-day basis... where the insurgency is of a nature that it doesn't threaten the wider global community." Harper also talked about the economy, saying the global downturn cannot be fixed without the major U.S. economic problems being solved. "We have to fix the mess in the American and global financial sector, we cannot have recovery until we fix that," he said. The Fox interview came as Harper is preparing to attend the G20 group of nations summit later this week in London. He is then scheduled to attend a NATO meeting in Germany.

Hizbullah MP Invited to London By British Commons
Naharnet/Hizbullah parliament member Hussein Hajj Hassan is scheduled to leave for the United Kingdom on Sunday in response to an invitation by British members of the House of Commons. A statement issued Saturday, by Hizbullah said that Hassan departs to London to attend a political parliamentary forum concerning the Middle East region. The United Kingdom previously announced that it would hold talks with Hizbullah's political wing only (that does not include the party's military wing). London had categorized Hizbullah as a terrorist group refusing to have any form of contact with it. Beirut, 29 Mar 09, 09:56

Lebanon To Receive First 2 Warplanes on Independence Day, UNIFIL-Hizbullah Incident in Yuhmur
Naharnet/According to the daily An-Nahar on Sunday, Russian President Dimitri Medvedev is considering delivering two MIG 29 fighter jets out of the ten ordered for Lebanon to be delivered on independence day (November 22nd). Press reports mentioned that a four-wheel drive vehicle belonging to the Polish battalion under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) had lost its way in the south. The driver was surprised to find that he was facing Hizbullah elements near Yuhmur; he panicked and unintentionally hit one individual with the vehicle. The UNIFIL automobile was searched by Hizbullah elements that confiscated a camera, a map and the driver's identity card. The driver and the vehicle were later returned following talks between Hizbullah and Lebanese military intelligence. Beirut, 29 Mar 09, 09:23
 

President Obama "AfPak" Strategy: Mapping the discussion
By Walid Phares
The evaluation of President Obama's grand strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan is now developing in the national and international defense and security sectors, both public and private. Expectedly, the discussion will have to go in two directions: the design of the grand strategy based on a reading of past experience on the one hand and a periodic review of the execution. The Obama Administration was quick to indicate that it intends to create a measurement of success as outlined by the press conference announcing the plans.
Hence in this post we will not analyze the plan thoroughly but indicate to readers where would the most challenging issues be in the forthcoming discussions. In future post a structural and functional analysis will be offered in light of the Presidential announcement but also in the framework of a re-reading of the past eight years, a task I do contend wasn't fulfilled comprehensively yet by the national security and counter terrorism community yet.
In very short, the general direction of the strategy seems to be sound and in line with what the defense and CT sectors would have expected, meaning a determination to defeat a central Terror force stretching on both sides of the Afghan Pakistani borders. But from there on, the evaluation of the sub strategies can differ.
In short the administration’s plan to send 4,000 additional U.S. troops as trainers to prepare the native forces is a step in the right direction. The fight against the jihadi war machine in that region must meet the strategic threat posed by the Taliban network and the Al Qaeda organization.
As accurately described by President Obama, they threaten not only NATO troops and the government in Kabul, but also Afghan civilians and, just as importantly, the democratically elected government in Pakistan.
These Army trainers, along with the 17,000 Marines and Army personnel the president wants to deploy into combat operations in Afghanistan, should be part of a global campaign to defeat the terror forces strategically.
In that sense, the decision extend and tries to solidify the campaign that began in 2001 not abruptly end it.
But the administration must not fall into the trap of striking militarily and failing politically inside the two battlefields. In all versions of the strategy, NATO and Afghan-Pakistani forces must defeat the Taliban on the ground to be able to engage with the country’s civil society.
One sub strategy we warn against is the so-called striking a deal with “moderate Taliban” while pushing back against the “bad Taliban.” Such a move, within the grand design could generate a disaster for the whole strategy which sound in its inception. The Administration must remain focused on winning the war against the jihadist hydra while engaging the forces of civil society.
Another area of concern would be the sub strategy of "development" in tribal area based on the $ 1.5 Billion pledged by the Administration. The sectors to be targeted for such aid can either make the success or the failure of the economic aid component.
I'll expand further in these areas in future posts.
Following is a radio interview on Dateline Washington on the Strategy.
09 Dateline Obama Strat AfPak.mp3

If the general dares!
Date: March 29th, 2009 Source: Future
It is not a coincidence that March 8 group has no unified electoral program. The least imposed by the companions of “Beirut attack” and the road to Doha and the eulogies about the great “Mar Michael document”, is that the people of the “blocking third” “invade” the minds of the Lebanese public opinion with a political program that tells the voter about March 8’s vision of Lebanon the homeland and the state, or what they intend to achieve along the upcoming years for the benefit of the Lebanese citizen. It is true that political awareness is not the same in the public of this group. Some are supporting their leaders due to a doctrine of faith which combine religion with daily life and makes today a passage for “appearing” tomorrow. The others mix pragmatism with sectarian bias, while the third is lead by a sick individuality to an extent of believing its nonsense about the danger that targets Christians, not forgetting to mention others whom their commitment with March 8 group is determined by foreign intelligence.
But the political awareness standard is not one between these components and within each part.
The more the public gets far from the center, the more its ability to expand its vision to a better image, especially if the public’s political awareness is sophisticated. This public raises a key question: what is the common between “Hezbollah”, “Amal” movement and the “Aoun” movement in the electoral battle: is it providing protection to the Christians or the resistance? The truth is that Aoun does not dare adopt Hezbollah’s strategy in front of his public, while “Hezbollah” and “Amal” cannot adopt the slogan of the “Rabieh General”.
In the first case, it is revealed that the strategy which was suggested by the former general on the dialogue table, aims to put the army as a fence to Hezbollah arms and this isn’t welcomed by Aoun’s supporters, or what’s left of them. The second case however, puts Aoun’s partners in a position of questioning by their public about their responsibility in making the Christians in need for protection, since the old days of war, where falsifying facts about their role during these days won’t help.
The absence of a political program for “thank you Syria” forces and its attachments is not a coincidence. It is an expression of a deep clash obliterated through the absence of this program, in order to save what remained of the fake reform and the tricky change. If the famous document of understanding is radical, as Aoun claims, and strategic as he aims, and like “Abu Fas” (a popular Indian cream supposed to heal all diseases) as he declares, Aoun and his partners would have made it a program for the upcoming elections and a vision for afterwards. And if vision is what combines Aoun and his two fellows, not opportunism, he wouldn’t escape from their declared strategy which is protecting the arms of Hezbollah under the name of resistance, and they wouldn’t escape from his slogan of “protecting Christians”.
If Aoun and his allies dare, their slogan would be protecting the state, because only the state protects both resistance and Christians, and because the state is the only definite shield of the Lebanese citizens.

Report: Israel used drones in Sudan
Sunday Times quotes defense officials as saying Hermes 450 UAVs attacked convoys trying to smuggle weapons into Gaza. According to report, trucks were carrying Iranian Fajr-3 missiles which are capable of reaching Tel Aviv
Ynet Published: 03.29.09, 07:16 / Israel News
The Israel Air Force used unmanned drones to attack convoys in Sudan trying to smuggle weapons to the Palestinian organizations in Gaza, the London-based Sunday Times newspaper reported, quoting Israeli security officials.
The defense sources also said that the trucks were carrying missiles with the range to strike the central city of Tel Aviv.
Condemnation
Hizbullah: Sudan strikes a new Israeli crime / AP and Ynet
Hizbullah denounces alleged Israeli strikes on arms shipments in Sudan; Lebanese group urges Arab leaders to condemn attacks; earlier, ABC reports that Israel attacked in Sudan three times since January
The strike was revealed three days ago on American television network CBS. According to the report, 17 trucks were bombed in January. State and army officials said in response that Israel would not comment on such reports.
According to the Sunday Times, Hermes 450 drones attacked two convoys, killing at least 50 smugglers and their Iranian escorts.
One source claimed they were accompanied by giant Eitan UAVs, which have a 110ft wingspan, similar to that of a Boeing 737. The drones, controlled via satellite, can hover over a target for 24 hours, the report said.
The defense sources said that the main reason for choosing the drones was that a convoy forms a “slippery” target. “When you attack a fixed target, especially a big one, you are better off using jet aircraft. But with a moving target with no definite time for the move UAVs are best, as they can hover extremely high and remain unseen until the target is on the move," one of the sources said. Rockets with range of over 40 miles
According to the Sunday Times, the convoys were carrying Fajr-3 rockets, which have a range of more than 40 miles, and were split into sections so they could be smuggled through tunnels into Gaza from Egypt. “They built the Fajr in parts so it would be easy to smuggle them into Gaza, then reassemble them with Hamas experts who learnt the job in Syria and Iran,” said a source. The report also stated that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards had masterminded the smuggling operation. “The Iranians arrived in Port Sudan and liaised with local smugglers,” said a source. The convoy was heading for the Egyptian border where, for a fat fee, local smugglers would take over. On Saturday, American ABC network reported that Israel had struck in Sunday three times since January, and not twice as reported earlier. Israeli officials are remaining vague on the issue, excluding a remark made by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, but official sources in the United States have confirmed that the raid was carried out by Israeli warplanes.

Report: Mashaal, Barak may be called to Cairo
Palestinian sources tell Egyptian daily al-Ahram that coming days 'crucial' for release of captive solider Gilad Shalit. Report also says Israeli defense minister, Hamas head in Syria may be summoned to Cairo to close deal
Roee Nahmias Published: 03.29.09, 12:04 / Israel News
Palestinian sources said the coming days are "crucial" for the closing of a prisoner exchange deal for the release of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
Egyptian newspaper al-Ahram on Sunday quoted sources as saying the negotiations have entered a last minute sprint in hopes of reaching a deal before Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu takes his post this Tuesday.
State official: Shalit talks with Hamas frozen / Roni Sofer
Top Israeli sources reiterate negotiations towards prisoner exchange deal aimed at securing release of captive soldier deadlocked. 'Until Hamas submits new list of prisoners it demands there will be no negotiations,' official says, adding that negotiator Ofer Dekel was not sent to Cairo
According to the report, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's special envoy Ofer Dekel and Shin Bet Chief Yuval Diskin will be traveling to Cairo in the coming days.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Hamas politburo Chief Khaled Mashaal may also be summoned to Egypt, in an attempt to complete the deal, the report said.
The sources said that the Egyptian leadership decided to try and complete the deal after Netanyahu asked President Shimon Peres for a two-week extension to form his government. An advisor to Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman was then sent to Israel, while another one of his advisors was deployed to Syria.
An official source from the Prime Minister's Office told Ynet Sunday morning that "until Hamas submits a new list of 125 terrorist as we have requested – there will be no negotiations, Ofer Dekel did not travel to Cairo, and for the moment, there are no talks."
Meanwhile, the Islamic Jihad-affiliated website Falastin al-Youm on Saturday reported that a "countdown" for the signing of a deal had begun.
The unusual report was not confirmed by any official sources. The website reported that marathon negotiations, the likes of which have never before taken place between Israel and Hamas, through Egyptian mediators, were about to take place. Gilad Shalit was kidnapped into the Gaza Strip 1,008 days ago

Military clash with Iran
Tehran aims to create Gaza missile base that can cover whole of central Israel
Alex Fishman Published: 03.27.09, 15:05 / Israel Opinion
Iran is in fact forcing a direct military confrontation upon Israel. We are not only talking about President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s exaggerated verbal passion or the Iranian nuclear project. Thus far, Iran conducted a war of attrition against Israel via its emissaries: Hizbullah, Hamas, and other Palestinian groups. At this time, the war is reaching new peaks; it will be impossible to continue ignoring them while only engaging with the emissaries. Based on foreign reports, the Air Force bombed about two months ago, in Sudan, a shipment of medium-range rockets with a range of 70 kilometers (roughly 40 miles,) apparently the Fajar 3 model. This is not a small missile. In fact, it is a missile that the Iranians are manufacturing especially for the Gaza Strip, so that it can be dismantled to several pieces and smuggled in through the Gaza tunnels. This is also the way they produced the special Grad rockets for Gaza: Disassembled models, made in Iran, and designated for smuggling. Making our life intolerable The picture is becoming clearer: The Iranians are aiming to establish a rocket base south of Israel that would cover the entire Gush Dan area in central Israel from the south. This is not paranoia. The “tight grip theory,” namely, clasping the State of Israel from both the north and south, turns Iran into a concrete enemy, rather than a theoretical one. It would be impossible to keep blaming Hizbullah and Hamas all the time, sort of like looking for the money you lost under the streetlight because it is more convenient that way. The Iranians are not only investing in the unconventional realm, but also in the conventional field, in order to eliminate the State of Israel or at least in order to make life here intolerable.