LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 27/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 10,17-22. But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.

Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe (467-532), Bishop
Sermon 3 for the Feast of Saint Stephen (trans. Breviary)/
"This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (Jn 13,35)
The love that brought Christ down from heaven to earth, lifted Stephen from earth to heaven. The love that showed itself first in the king, shone forth next in the soldier... Where Stephen rose up the first, stoned in front of Paul, there Paul has followed, assisted by the prayers of Stephen. What a really true life must there be now, brethren, where Paul is not put to confusion although he killed Stephen, but where, instead, Stephen rejoices in the fellowship of Paul; for in both of them love itself rejoices. In Stephen, love overcame the ferocity of his enemies, in Paul it «covered a multitude of sins» (1Pt 4,8), and in both of them love deserved to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Love, therefore, is the origin and source of all good things; it is a most excellent defence, the road that leads to heaven. Whoever walks in love can neither stray nor be afraid. Love guides, love protects, love leads to the end. Christ our Lord, brethren, set up for us this ladder of love, and by it every Christian can climb to heaven. You must, therefore keep a firm hold on love; you must show it to one another, and by progress in it climb up to heaven.

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
In confidence: a half-hour with Syria's Bashar Assad-By David Ignatius 27/12/08
Iran is coming to grips with Barack Hussein Obama-By Karim Sadjadpour 27/12/08
What's next?By Salama A Salama/Al-Ahram Weekly 27/12/08
The Unity of the Syrian and Iranian Paths-By: Walid Choucair/Dar Al-Hayat 26.12.08

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December 27/08
Sleiman gets Sfeir and Franjieh into same room-(AFP)
Lebanese Army defuses rockets pointed at Israel-Daily Star
US Homeland Security report stirs up fears of Hizbullah threat-Daily Star
Syrian blogger lives precarious life as exile in Lebanon-Daily Star
Geagea Calls for Not Solving Gaza Tragedy at the Expense of Lebanon-Naharnet
'Triggering' Event Could Lead to a Hizbullah Attack in U.S., Homeland Security-Naharnet
Suleiman Seeking to Bring Together Aoun, Sfeir Soon-Naharnet
How did Assad manage to gain international respect?Ha'aretz
Lebanon Festive for Now-Naharnet
Lebanese tech firms combine expertise in strategic partnership-Daily Star
Latest survey shows major progress for Beirut hotels-Daily Star
Young Lebanese yearn to come home for more than holidays-Daily Star

Pope: May the Divine Light of Bethlehem Spread Throughout Lebanon
Naharnet/Pope Benedict XVI urged a world confronting a financial crisis, conflict, and increasing poverty not to lose hope at Christmas and hoped "the divine light of Bethlehem" would spread throughout Lebanon.
Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to tens of thousands of pilgrims, tourists and Romans in the square below, the pope called his Christmas message known as "Urbi et Orbi" -- Latin for "to the City and to the World" -- a "proclamation of hope." And he stressed that it was "meant for all men and women."
As the global economy continues to spiral downward, Benedict said, "an increasingly uncertain future is regarded with apprehension, even in affluent nations."
"In each of these places, may the light of Christmas shine forth and encourage all people to do their part in a spirit of authentic solidarity," he said. "If people look only to their own interests, our world will certainly fall apart."
Wearing a crimson mantle against a damp chill, Benedict expressed hope that dialogue and negotiation would prevail to find "just and lasting solutions" to conflicts in the Holy Land and elsewhere in the Middle East.
He decried suffering in Africa, terrorism, and called for an end to "internecine conflict" dividing ethnic and social groups.
The pope singled out the plight of those in war-torn eastern Congo, in Sudan's Darfur region, in Somalia where he said "interminable" suffering is the tragic consequence of "the lack of stability and peace" -- and in Zimbabwe where people have been "trapped for all too long in a political and social crisis which, sadly, keeps worsening."
Benedict condemned the "twisted logic of conflict and violence" in the Middle East, which he is likely to visit next year. He lamented that "the horizon seems once again bleak for Israelis and Palestinians."
"May the divine light of Bethlehem radiate throughout the Holy Land," he said. "May it spread throughout Lebanon, Iraq and the whole Middle East."
Following tradition, the pope recited holiday greetings in 64 languages, including Latin, the Church's official tongue.(AP-Naharnet) Beirut, 26 Dec 08, 09:12

'Triggering' Event Could Lead to a Hizbullah Attack in U.S., Homeland Security
Naharnet/A new intelligence assessment says Hizbullah could foment attacks inside the U.S. and adds that the terrorism threat to the United States over the next five years will be driven by instability in the Middle East and Africa.
Hizbullah does not have a known history of fomenting attacks inside the U.S., but that could change if there is some kind of "triggering" event, the internal Homeland Security Threat Assessment for the years 2008-2013 cautions.
A 2008 Interagency Intelligence Committee on Terrorism assessment said that Hizbullah members based in the U.S. do local fundraising through charity projects and criminal activity, like money laundering, smuggling, drug trafficking, fraud and extortion, according to the homeland security assessment.
Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks are considered the most dangerous threats that could be carried out against the U.S. But those threats are also the most unlikely because it is so difficult for al-Qaida and similar groups to acquire the materials needed to carry out such plots, according to the assessment obtained by The Associated Press.
The al-Qaida terrorist network continues to focus on U.S. attack targets vulnerable to massive economic losses, casualties and political "turmoil," the assessment said.
Marked "for official use only," the report does not specify its audience, but the assessments typically go to law enforcement, intelligence officials and the private sector. When determining threats, intelligence officials consider loss of life, economic and psychological consequences.
Intelligence officials also predict that in the next five years, terrorists will try to conduct a destructive biological attack. Officials are concerned about the possibility of infections to thousands of U.S. citizens, overwhelming regional health care systems.
There could also be dire economic impacts caused by workers' illnesses and deaths. Officials are most concerned about biological agents stolen from labs or other storage facilities, such as anthrax. These high-consequence threats are not the only kind of challenges that will confront the U.S. over the next five years.
Terrorists will continue to try to evade U.S. border security measures and place operatives inside the mainland to carry out attacks, the 38-page assessment said. It also said that they may pose as refugees or asylum seekers or try to exploit foreign travel channels such as the visa waiver program, which allows citizens of 34 countries to enter the U.S. without visas.
Long waits for immigration and more restrictive European refugee and asylum programs will cause more foreigners to try to enter the U.S. illegally. Increasing numbers of Iraqis are expected to migrate to the U.S. in the next five years; and refugees from Somalia and Sudan could increase because of conflicts in those countries, the assessment said.
Because there is a proposed cap of 12,000 refugees from Africa, officials expect more will try to enter the U.S. illegally as well. Officials predict the same scenario for refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Intelligence officials predict the pool of radical Islamists within the U.S. will increase over the next five years due partly to the ease of online recruiting means. Officials foresee "a wave of young, self-identified Muslim 'terrorist wannabes' who aspire to carry out violent acts."
In addition, the cyber terror threat is expected to increase over the next five years, as hacking tools become more sophisticated and available. "Youthful, Internet-savvy extremists might apply their online acumen to conduct cyber attacks rather than offer themselves up as operatives to conduct physical attacks," according to the assessment.
Currently, Islamic terrorists, including al-Qaida, would like to conduct cyber attacks, but they lack the capability to do so, the assessment said. The large-scale attacks that are on al-Qaida's wishlist — such as disrupting a major city's water or power systems — require sophisticated cyber capabilities that the terrorist group does not possess.
But al-Qaida has the capability to hire sophisticated hackers to carry out these kinds of attacks, the assessment said. And federal officials believe that in the next three to five years, al-Qaida could direct or inspire cyber attacks that target the U.S. economy.(AP-Naharnet) Beirut, 26 Dec 08, 08:49

Rockets Aimed at Israel Defused in South Lebanon
Naharnet/Lebanese army sappers together with the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon on Thursday defused eight Katyusha rockets set to be launched at Israel.
A Lebanese army communiqué said army troops found the Katyushas of various calibers in an area north of Naqoura. The missiles were positioned and set to be fired at Israel, it added.
It said Lebanese troops launched a wide-scale search in and around Naqoura to make sure the area was free from further rockets.
The communiqué said the army together with UNIFIL planned to launch a similar military operation in search for the perpetrators.
UNIFIL spokesperson Yasmina Bouziane said late Thursday that the peacekeeping force worked together with the Lebanese army to defuse the Katyushas.
She said UNIFIL commander Gen. Claudio Graziano was also in contact with both the Lebanese army and Israel regarding this issue.
A reliable source earlier told Naharnet that the 107-mm projectiles were fitted with timing devices and defused "a short while before the time set for their launching."
The Voice of Lebanon radio station said the rockets were set to be fired between 10:00 and 10:30 pm on Thursday.
The reliable source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Katyushas were "discovered" in the area between the border towns of Naqoura and Teir Harfa.
The region, which is within the area of operations of UNIFIL, abuts Israel and overlooks most of the Central and Western Galilee.
It could not be immediately determined whether the projectiles were traditional World War II Katyushas that have a range of 10-12 kilometers or a double-load Iranian-modified version better known by the code of RAAD that has a double range. Hizbullah used Iranian-modified RAAD Katyushas, each with a pay load of 100 kilograms of explosives, in its 2006 war with Israel, hitting as deep as the coastal town of Haifa. Beirut, 25 Dec 08, 17:13

Suleiman Seeking to Bring Together Aoun, Sfeir Soon
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman is seeking to bring together Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir and Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun soon, the same way he sponsored a meeting between Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh and the head of the Maronite church, Asharq al-Awsat daily reported Friday.
On Thursday, Franjieh joined Suleiman and Sfeir for a tripartite meeting at Bkirki. Al-Hayat newspaper said the Christmas day meeting opened the door for further efforts by the Maronite League to reach inter-Christian reconciliation. Franjieh was accompanied by the League's chairman, Joseph Tarabey, on Thursday.
Sources told al-Hayat that the meeting "paved the way for things to return to normal" while Marada circles told Asharq al-Awsat that the Franjieh-Sfeir talks were "friendly and very positive." They said Franjieh left without attending Christmas mass because it was not part of his schedule.
But well informed sources told Naharnet that the former minister made the move for two reasons:
1st: To avoid possible embarrassment if Sfeir's sermon echoed political stands he had made in his Christmas message, which Franjieh has rejected for believing that he and March 8 allies were targeted by its concept. 2nd: Franjieh boycotted the mass also to avoid meeting any of the March 14 Christian leaders, particularly Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, which would result in a "de facto reconciliation. Beirut, 26 Dec 08, 10:08

Lebanon Festive for Now
Naharnet/Businessman George Jabra isn't certain the stability Lebanon has enjoyed for more than half a year is going to last. Still, he took a chance and opened up a new restaurant on a Beirut hilltop, betting on the craze for fun sweeping Lebanese.
Beirut is hopping this holiday season. Planeloads of expatriate Lebanese coming home for Christmas and New Year's are greeted by crowds of relatives at the airport. Downtown Beirut is choked with traffic jams, and shops and boutiques are full of customers.
But the festive mood, only months after bloody street clashes threatened to throw the country into civil war, is tinged with concern for what lies ahead.
Any number of upcoming developments in the new year threaten to break Lebanon's fragile truce, particularly parliament elections due in late May or early June, which could very well re-spark the rivalry between sectarian and political factions that fueled turmoil since 2005 but has now been dormant for months.
"Today, there is peace. Tomorrow, there could be war again," said Jabra. Nevertheless, he opened his restaurant -- named Olivia's, after his eldest daughter -- in mid-December. "That's who we are. Lebanese always keep building again."
He's not the only one taking advantage of the boom in this country of 4 million people. Construction cranes dot Beirut's Mediterranean skyline. Banks are flush with cash, and for now the global economic crisis has bypassed the nation.
The number of arrivals at Rafik Hariri international airport is expected to reach 1.3 million at year's end -- a figure not achieved since 2004. Tourists are packing downtown restaurants and street cafes to scarf up the famed Lebanese cuisine and smoke fragrant waterpipes. Central Martyr's Square has a giant Christmas tree next to the city's biggest mosque, and luxury hotels are planning New Year's parties that go for up to $1,500 a plate.
The burst of prosperity is thanks to a political deal reached after the May street battles in Beirut between supporters of the pro-Western government and the Iranian- and Syrian-backed Hizbullah.
Under the agreement, Hizbullah and its opposition allies won a strong say in decision-making in a new national unity government.
Many Lebanese believe the truce is holding because the nations that back each faction -- Saudi Arabia and the U.S. on the pro-Western side, Iran and Syria on Hizbullah's -- backed off and didn't want to risk the country drowning in all-out sectarian conflict.
The upcoming elections, however, could shatter the unity government. The vote will be fiercely contested between Western-backed anti-Syrian factions that hold the majority in the 128-member parliament and a Hizbullah-led coalition.
"People want the truce to last, but the question is whether the factions realize this," says Rami Khouri, who heads an international affairs institute at the American University of Beirut.
"Politics has unfortunately always trumped economics in Lebanon," Khouri said. "If economic prosperity could stimulate political reconciliation, it could keep Lebanon calm."
Another critical point looms even before the elections.
An international tribunal is to begin operating March 1 to prosecute suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, which many in Lebanon blame on Syria. No one has been charged yet, but four pro-Syrian Lebanese generals have been under arrest for more than three years.
Syria, which after Hariri's slaying had to withdraw troops from Lebanon after a 29-year presence, denies involvement. But if the court begins pointing fingers toward Damascus, Syria could stir up trouble in Lebanon.
Shoppers in a glitzy mall in Beirut's Ashrafiyeh neighborhood were well aware of how many ways there are for things to fall apart.
"Everything is interconnected here in the Middle East. So much depends what happens with Iran, Syria," said retiree George Moujaes, 79, as he herded around seven grandchildren, all visiting from abroad. "I hope for peace but I am not optimistic."
Engineer Bashir Khoury, 34, visiting from abroad, says he's happy to enjoy Lebanon but wouldn't risk coming home for good.
"People my age, we don't trust the government. I come to spend my money, have fun, see my parents. Then I go back," said Khoury, who lives in Haiti.(AP)
Beirut, 26 Dec 08, 08:09

The Unity of the Syrian and Iranian Paths
Walid Choucair
Al-Hayat - 26/12/08//
It is useful for Lebanese politicians, especially those who are in power, to repeat that Lebanon has no interest in entering negotiations, whether direct or indirect, with Israel. It is practical for them to stress that the country has no interest in taking such a step, for reasons having to do with domestic stability.
Inviting Lebanon to negotiate with Israel under current conditions will only mean that Lebanon's commitments to treat the issue of Hizbullah's arms will be put "on the table," in the framework of the progress made in Syrian-Israeli negotiations. It is no coincidence if the invitation of Lebanon to negotiate with Israel is issued, under various pretexts, by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the Israelis, and some US officials. The idea was earlier raised by French President Nicholas Sarkozy, during his visit to Beirut last summer, to Lebanese President Michel Suleiman; it was considered as an encouragement to seeing this step take place. In both cases, the Lebanese responded that they were not prepared to take a step that would fan already-flaming disputes among them. Besides, they are not in the position of someone willing to pay the price of peace with Israel, especially when it has to do with the Jewish state and Syria. Some American groups that are concerned with preparing the Middle East policies of new President Barack Obama also put forth the idea. These groups include those who are only concerned with the normalization of the relations between Arabs and Israel, out of determination to protect the security of the Jewish state before anything else.
The only positive stances, in Lebanon, about the idea of taking part in negotiations with Israel have come from two sides: the first is that of former President Amin Gemayel, who proposed indirect talks through the UN, as long as they are limited to regaining the Shebaa Farms. The second is that of the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, General Michel Aoun, who does not object to taking part in direct negotiations, if Syria is present at the table. While Gemayel's suggestion is close to the Security Council Resolution 1701, which tasks the UN with making efforts to treat the Shebaa Farms issue, Aoun's stance toward subsequent negotiations with Israel is the only Lebanese positive response that has been issued, while Hizbullah has agreed with its rivals in 14 March to reject negotiations. While awaiting to learn whether Aoun's positive stance is the result of new Syrian openness toward him, it reminds us of a formula that has been dropped with the decline of direct Syrian management of the Lebanese situation: "the unity of the Lebanese and Syrian paths in negotiations with Israel" during the presidency of the late Elias Hrawi, or the "unity of paths and destiny" during the presidency of Emile Lahoud. This formula has been replaced with the slogan saying that "Lebanon will be the last to sign", which the late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri used to believe in.
In any event, the background of the Lebanese rejection of direct (and sometimes indirect) negotiations with Israel during the current phase is due to the conviction that Lebanon is invited to this banquet for reasons having to do with other players, and not Lebanon's need for stability. Lebanese leaders are aware that the Syrian openness to negotiations with Israel began as part of a scheme that Damascus decided to rely on, holding in hand several regional negotiation cards, from Iraq and Palestine to its alliance with Iran. These cards would be used to halt international and western pressures against it and lift US sanctions, going as far as to create a settlement with the international community over the special tribunal to try those accused of assassinating Hariri, as a price for its courage in talking peace with Israel. The Lebanese are aware that no domestic group is ready, or able, to enter any settlement over the tribunal after the court has become an international issue, and that Lebanon's presence at the negotiation table in this context is not beneficial.
However, if inviting Lebanon to the "two-path banquet" aims at involving Lebanon in taking responsibility for treating the issue of Hizbullah's arms, the Lebanese are also aware that the decision about the arms fate depends on Syria and Iran. Taking this resolution also involves seeing the two states reach a settlement with the west and Israel, instead of one with the US, its allies, and the Jewish state.
In the new formula that requires the unity of the Syrian and Iranian paths, Lebanon will only come to the banquet after the invitees have enjoyed the meal and it is time for fruit, the main dishes being too rich for a country with a small stomach, like Lebanon

What's next?
By Salama A Salama
Al-Ahram Weekly
Egypt has abdicated all responsibility for the end of the calming-down arrangements between Israel and Hamas. By doing so, it has thrown the ball into Israel's court. As an occupying power, Israel is responsible for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
It is to be recalled that Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem are still under official Israeli occupation. Therefore, Israel is required by international law to supply the inhabitants with their basic needs.
From a legal point of view, Egypt is doing the right thing. Rafah, the only crossing controlled by Egypt, is subject to a three-way agreement between Israel, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the EU. Now that the EU has withdrawn and the PA is no longer manning the crossing, the Rafah crossing can only open in cases that Egypt deem exceptional. On several occasions, Egypt opened the crossing to allow for humanitarian assistance and the sick to travel for treatment.
Egypt, however, doesn't want Rafah to be a substitute for other crossings, for that would be letting Israel off the hook with regard to its legal responsibilities in Gaza. It is a sticky point, and one that Egypt failed to get across to the Arab and Muslim world, where demonstrations are regularly held to protest against the closure of that particular crossing. It is worth noting here that the Camp David Accords stipulate that the Rafah crossing should not be closed except in Yom Kippur and Eid Al-Adha.
The current power struggle among the Palestinians has a lot to do with the current impasse. Egypt, which tried in vain to mediate between Fatah and Hamas, now blames Hamas for the collapse of talks. It is fair, however, to note that the current split in Palestinian ranks is only a reflection of divisions among Arab regimes.
Those regimes that back Mahmoud Abbas -- and his futile negotiations with Israel -- are the same ones that support the US position, the roadmap, the Quartet recommendations, and the Annapolis resolutions. And they are the same regimes that tried by various means to isolate and weaken Hamas.
Then you get the regimes that support Hamas and maintain that US-Israeli plans have come to a dead end. Unfortunately, the Palestinian issue has become entangled with other things, such as Syria's position on Lebanon and the Iranian nuclear issue.
Washington, for its part, used regional tensions to whip up fears among Gulf countries. So now Gulf countries, instead of reaching a deal with Iran to guarantee security in the Gulf, are viewing the Iranians as more of a threat than the Israelis. The recent talks held between Arab foreign ministers and Secretary of State Rice in New York serve to illustrate this point.
In fact, Washington is backing the PA so fervently in order to divide the Palestinians and also to break the Egypt-Syria-Saudi Arabia alliance that had kept the situation under control for quite some time. Once the alliance was shaken, bickering started in earnest among the Palestinians, Lebanese, Sunnis, and Shias. The political vacuum in the region became all too obvious as a result.
It is no wonder that Palestinian divisions seem so hard to heal. To put it bluntly, any reconciliation between the PA and Hamas would mean the end of the material and political backing Abbas and Fatah receive from Washington and the EU. Still, level headed Palestinians know that the only way out is through Egyptian mediation.
What will happen next is anybody's guess. In the next few weeks, major changes are likely to happen. Washington, for example, may open talks with Tehran. And Syria may soon resume negotiations with Israel.
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