LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
December 04/08
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 15,29-37. Moving on from
there Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the mountain, and sat down
there. Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the
deformed, the mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he cured
them. The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the deformed made
whole, the lame walking, and the blind able to see, and they glorified the God
of Israel. Jesus summoned his disciples and said, "My heart is moved with pity
for the crowd, for they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to
eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, for fear they may collapse on the
way."The disciples said to him, "Where could we ever get enough bread in this
deserted place to satisfy such a crowd?" Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do
you have?" "Seven," they replied, "and a few fish." He ordered the crowd to sit
down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks,
broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the
crowds. They all ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left
over--seven baskets full.
Vatican Council II
Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy «Sacrosanctum Concilium», §6.8
"As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the
Lord until he comes" (1Cor 11,26)
Just as Christ was sent by the Father, so also He sent the apostles, filled with
the Holy Spirit. This He did that, by preaching the gospel to every creature (Mk
16,15), they might proclaim that the Son of God, by His death and resurrection,
had freed us from the power of Satan and from death, and brought us into the
kingdom of His Father. His purpose also was that they might accomplish the work
of salvation that they had proclaimed, by means of sacrifice and sacraments,
around which the entire liturgical life revolves. Thus by baptism men are
plunged into the paschal mystery of Christ: they die with Him, are buried with
Him, and rise with Him (Rom 6,4); they receive the spirit of adoption as sons
"in which we cry: Abba, Father" (Rom. 8,15), and thus become true adorers whom
the Father seeks (Jn 4,23). In like manner, as often as they eat the supper of
the Lord they proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes...In the earthly
liturgy we take part in a foretaste of that heavenly liturgy which is celebrated
in the holy city of Jerusalem toward which we journey as pilgrims (Rev 21,2),
where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, a minister of the sanctuary
and of the true tabernacle (Heb 8,2); we sing a hymn to the Lord's glory with
all the warriors of the heavenly army; venerating the memory of the saints, we
hope for some part and fellowship with them; we eagerly await the Saviour, Our
Lord Jesus Christ, until He, our life, shall appear and we too will appear with
Him in glory (Col 3,4).
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
Two steps forward, one step back -By Marc J.
Sirois 03/12/08
The best course for Iran is a straight one based on its legitimate interests-The
Daily Star 03/12/08
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for December
03/08
3
Men Charged with Threatening to Kill Harqous-Naharnet
Gebran Tueni Prize Goes to
Egyptian Journalist-Naharnet
Germany Ready to Help
Lebanon Control Border with Syria-Naharnet
March 14: Bellemare Final
Report Victory for Principal of-Naharnet
Aoun After Open Heart Talks
with Assad: Those in Beirut Should Apologize to Syria First-Naharnet
Syria: Clinton nomination proves Obama wants
Mideast peace-Ynetnews
Syrian president meets Lebanese Christian leader-International
Herald Tribune
Maronite
Bishops Warn Against the Spread of Chaos-Naharnet
Bellemare: Additional Suspects
in the Hariri Killing, Related Crimes-Naharnet
Qabalan to Head Shiite Council-Naharnet
U.S. Rejects Lebanese Army
Demands for Heavy Weapons?
-Naharnet
Suleiman in Berlin for Talks
with Top Officials-Naharnet
No Plan to Kill Says Lebanese
Defendant in German Train Bomb Plot-Naharnet
Syrian president meets Lebanese Christian leader-International
Herald Tribune
Lebanon's Aoun hopes to start bright stage in ties with Syria-Xinhua
MP Qabbani: Aoun's Visit to Syria Does Not Launch New Relations-Naharnet
Israel urges EU: Reconsider Syria ties-Jerusalem
Post
UN sleuths find new evidence in Hariri killing-Reuters
Bellemare finds links between Hariri killing, another attack
-Naharnet
Sleiman arrives in Berlin for talks with top officials-Daily
Star
US mindful of Israel when aiding Lebanese army-Daily
Star
Higher Relief Commission denies claims it issued worthless checks-Daily
Star
Bellemare cites progress in Hariri probe-Daily
Star
Beirut lecture explores modern marketing practices-Daily
Star
Young activists call on Lebanese consumers to use fewer plastic bags-Daily
Star
Scores of children protest against Israel's siege of Gaza Strip-Daily
Star
Iraqi court sentences 'Chemical Ali' to death-(AFP)
US allies welcome Clinton's return to world stage-(AFP)
Muslim cleric ordered back to jail in UK -(AFP)
Maronite Bishops Warn Against
the Spread of Chaos
Naharnet/Maronite bishops on Wednesday warned that targeting the elections
process leads to chaos.
The bishops, in a statement released after their monthly meeting presided over
by Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, criticized "voices … that say the persisting
political situation does not encourage the holding of parliamentary elections on
schedule." It said the general situation reflects "a split in opinions that
could have a negative impact on daily life." The bishops, who met at the seat of
the Maronite Church in Bkirki, also urged politicians to unify their stands to
facilitate the nation's renaissance.
Beirut, 03 Dec 08, 12:07
Aoun After Open Heart Talks with Assad: Those in Beirut
Should Apologize to Syria First
Naharnet/Change and Reform Bloc leader Michel Aoun on Wednesday said he held
"open heart" talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad and advised "those in
Beirut" to apologize to Syria first. "Did those in Beirut, who were at one point
partners, apologize?" Aoun said in response to a question.
"Those in Beirut should apologize first," Aoun told a packed news conference on
the first day of a 5-day visit to Damascus. "Apologies should start from Beirut,
then Damascus." Aoun predicted a "bright future" for relations between Lebanon
and Syria. "Our meeting today is a promise of a prosperous future," he said.
Aoun said he was offering his "friendship to Syria." "As long as there is a will
… we would certainly work out solutions to previous pending problems and agree
on a new approach that respects interests of both states," he added. "We were
foes, but never enemies," Aoun said of his past experience with Syria that
resulted in his defeat on Oct. 13, 1990. He expressed confidence in resolving
any problems between Damascus and Beirut. On upcoming parliamentary elections,
Aoun said Syria was "supportive of the holding of legislative elections, but
without interfering" in the process. His talks with Assad covered, among several
topics, the issue of missing Lebanese citizens.
"Committees are tackling this issue. They are achieving progress and, certainly,
they would reach a result," Aoun said. He said relations with Washington are
like "unstable weather, sometimes sunny, sometimes cloudy." The new U.S.
administration, Aoun said, should change "strategy" in the Middle East, not
"just the behavior … if they don't, they would be defeated." He declared
commitment to the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their pre-Israel
homeland, stressing that "those who created the problem should be responsible
for the solution, not the states that have been burdened by it for over 60
years." Beirut, 03 Dec 08, 14:39
Bellemare: Additional Suspects in the Hariri Killing,
Related Crimes
Naharnet/The international commission probing the 2005 assassination of
ex-Premier Rafik Hariri on Tuesday reported acquiring "new information that may
allow it to link additional individuals to the network that carried out the
assassination."
The commission, in its 11th report to the U.N. Security Council, also said it
has "additional elements corroborating the connection between the Hariri attack
and other cases with which links had already been found." "Preliminary
indications also suggest that there may be a link between one additional case
and the Hariri case," said the report by Commissioner Daniel Bellemare. The
commission requested a two-month extension of its mandate, to Feb. 28, "so that
it can continue its investigation without interruption," the report said. It
pledged that "during the extension period the commission would gradually
transfer operations, staff and assets to the Hague with a view of completing the
transition by the time the tribunal starts functioning" on March 1. The
statement noted that "the launching of the tribunal does not mean that the
investigation has been completed … the commission and the office of the
prosecutor, once it begins to operate, must continue to gather evidence that
would support an indictment before the tribunal." It said the "office of the
prosecutor of the tribunal will need to continue to investigate all the cases
within the commission's current mandate in order to establish which of the cases
are connected to the Hariri case in the manner required by the tribunal's
statute."
"It will also require the full cooperation and support of the Lebanese
authorities, as well as the member states, in order to conduct effective
investigations and prosecutions," the statement added. It said Syria has
"provided generally satisfactory cooperation." Beirut, 02 Dec 08, 21:03
Lebanese Christian leader reconciles with Syria
The Associated PressPublished: December 3, 2008
DAMASCUS, Syria: A prominent Lebanese Christian leader who fought and lost a
bloody battle with Syrian troops in Lebanon nearly two decades ago received a
red carpet welcome Wednesday by Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Michel Aoun's visit comes as the two countries are trying to establish
harmonious and friendly relations. Apart from meeting Assad, Aoun will also hold
talks with Syrian officials and leaders of Syria's Christian community over the
next five days.
But the visit has been criticized by anti-Syrian Lebanese politicians, many of
whom urged Aoun to cancel the trip. Aoun said his animosity ended when Syrian
troops left Lebanon in 2005.
As acting prime minister and military commander in 1989, Aoun fought against
Syrian troops in Lebanon. A year later, Syrian forces drove his troops out of
their positions, forcing him into exile in France. He returned home in 2005,
after Syria withdrew, ending nearly 30 years of domination of its smaller
neighbor.
Later, Aoun entered an alliance with the pro-Syrian Lebanese militant group
Hezbollah in its confrontation against Lebanon's Western-backed government.
Relief as Thai airport reopensAfghan refugees return home to a life of
desperationA touchy path for Obama: Taking charge of the CIAHe now heads the
largest Christian bloc in the Lebanese parliament. Other Christian groups and
Sunnis have criticized his alliance with the Hezbollah. Those ties boosted
Aoun's standing within Lebanon's powerful Shiite community, and allowed
Hezbollah to claim that its opposition to the pro-Western government went beyond
its Shiite base.
"I am very happy with this visit and hope it will be the beginning of a bright
period in the history of Syrian-Lebanese relations," Syria's state-run news
agency, SANA, quoted Aoun as saying shortly after arrival.
After a two-hour meeting with Assad, Aoun told reporters at the presidential
palace: "We spoke with open hearts and minds in order to clear the
Lebanese-Syrian conscience. The person who clings to the past cannot build a
future."
In the past, Aoun angered Syria when he testified against it in Washington and
campaigned for the so-called Syria Accountability Act. The U.S. Congress passed
the act in 2003, accusing Damascus of sponsoring terrorists and seeking weapons
of mass destruction.
His visit Wednesday comes six months before Lebanon's parliamentary elections.
Aoun's showing in the 2009 vote could determine who wins a parliament majority
and forms the government. It is believed that the main election battles will be
in the Christian regions and over the seats he controls. His opponents contend
that Christians won't back him because their mood is not pro-Syrian.
In their meeting, Aoun and Assad are also believed to have discussed the fate of
Lebanese missing since Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war. The families of the missing
and human rights group say Syria is holding dozens of Lebanese.
Syria: Clinton nomination proves Obama wants Mideast peace
Syrian source tells Qatari al-Watan that Hillary Clinton's appointment to office
of secretary of state will 'render US a power for positive change' in world;
peace talks with Israel expected to flourish
Roee Nahmias Published: 12.03.08, 12:18 / Israel News
Syria commended US president elect Barack Obama's appointment of Hillary Clinton
to the office of secretary of state, and an official Syrian source told the
Qatari al-Watan daily that the appointment highlights the new administration's
commitment to achieving peace in the Middle East.
In the report published Wednesday, the source stressed the importance of
Clinton's nomination to the resuscitation of the Israeli-Syrian peace talks,
stressing that former US President Bill Clinton had invested a great deal of
effort in the process.
The Syrian official also commended Hillary Clinton for her commitment to "render
the US a power for positive change" in the world by cooperating with the
international community to solve global crises. He stressed that dialogue
between Damascus and Washington was the only way to achieve positive change in
the Middle East. According to the source, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-
Moalem has determined that two major issues would guide his country in its
dialogue with the US: The removal of its name from the blacklist of countries
that support terrorism, and the rescinding of the Syria Accountability Act,
passed by the Bush Administration
The daily also reported that Syrian President Bashar Assad stated recently that
Washington has begun to send "clear signals" to Damascus, by which it plans to
return a US ambassador to Syria in the beginning of 2009. Last month a
delegation of American scholars visited Syria on Obama's behalf, in order to
ascertain the country's expectations of the new administration, as well as to
investigate the effects of Obama's election on Syrian foreign policy. Among
other things, the delegation studied Syrian public opinion on talks with Israel.
MP Qabbani: Aoun's Visit to Syria Does Not Launch New
Relations
Naharnet/MP Mohammed Qabbani said Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun's
visit to Syria does not launch a new chapter of relations between Beirut and
Damascus.Qabbani, in a radio interview, said the visit reflects a new chapter in
relations between Aoun and Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime.
Relations between states, according to Qabbani, are set by state
representatives, not by politicians and political factions. On other issues,
Qabbani said the international tribunal that would try suspects in the 2005
assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri has become a reality. He said the March
14 forces do not intend to invest the international tribunal in their
parliamentary elections campaign. Beirut, 03 Dec 08, 10:39
Qabalan to Head Shiite Council
Naharnet/A tacit agreement has been reached on nominating Sheikh Abdul Amir
Qabalan head of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council, a post that has been vacant
for three decades. The daily As-Safir said Wednesday that representatives of
major Shiite powers have also agreed on a new mechanism to fill in vacant posts
at the council's both religious and executive authorities. It said several
meetings have been held between representatives of Parliament Speaker Nabih
Berri's AMAL Movement and Hizbullah to work out the process. The post has been
vacant since the council's founder Imam Moussa al-Sadr went missing during a
visit to Libya in the 1980s. Beirut, 03 Dec 08, 09:47
Army Arrests Two SSNP Members
Naharnet/Lebanese Troops on Tuesday arrested a member of the Syrian Social
National Party who had threatened a checkpoint in Beirut with a side weapon,
witnesses reported. Witnesses said the SSNP fighter pulled a gun at the
army checkpoint in the plush Raouche district and took refuge at the adjacent
SSNP office.
Army troops besieged the area and the SSNP turned over the wanted member to an
army patrol, the witnesses added.
A reliable source identified the suspect as Atef Awdeh. Tension has been high
between the army and the SSNP since the regular force arrested two members of
the party accused of attacking news reporter Omar Harqous and seriously wounding
him last week. Reports said the army, early in the day, also arrested Mohammed
Ali Awdeh, a third SSNP member accused of attacking Harqous. It could not be
established if the two Awdehs are related. Beirut, 02 Dec 08, 21:37