LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
October 06/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 21,33-43. Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.'They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?" They answered him, "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times."Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes'? Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.

Saint Basil (c.330-379), monk and Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, Doctor of the Church
Homily 5 on the Hexaemeron, 6 (SC 26, p.304)/Bearing fruit
The Lord continually likens human souls to vines. He says for instance: 'My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill» (Is 5,1) and again: «I planted a vineyard and put a hedge round it» (cf Mt 21,33). Clearly it is human souls that he calls his vineyard, and the hedge he has put round them is the security of his commandments and the protection of the angels; for «the angel of the lord will encamp around those who fear him» (Ps 34[33],8). Moreover, by establishing in the Church «apostles in the first place, prophets in the second, and teachers in the third» (1Cor 12,28), he has surrounded us as though by a firmly planted palisade. In addition, the Lord has raised our thoughts to heaven by the examples of saints of past ages. He has kept them from sinking to the earth where they would deserve to be trampled on, and he wills that the bonds of love, like the tendrils of a vine, should attach us to our neighbors and make us rest on them, so that always climbing upward like vines growing on trees, we may reach the loftiest heights.  He also requires that we allow ourselves to be weeded. To be spiritually weeded means to have renounced the worldly ambitions that burdened our hearts. Anyone who has renounced the love of material things and attachment to possessions, or who has come to regard as despicable and deserving of contempt the poor, wretched glory of this world, is like a weeded vine. Freed from the profitless burden of earthly aspirations, that person can breathe again. Finally, following out the implications of the comparison, we must not run to wood, or, in other words, show off or seek the praise of outsiders. Instead, we must bear fruit by reserving the display of our good works for the true vinedresser (Jn 15,1).

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Meet Noah, one of Lebanon's drug barons-AFP 05/09/08
US sanctions: financial firewall for Iran, Syria?guardian.co.uk  05/09/08

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for October 05/08
Concern Over Renewed Fighting in Ain al-Hilweh-Naharnet
Sunni Hizbullah in Palestine!-Naharnet
Harsh U.S. Warning against Syrian Military Intervention in North Lebanon-Naharnet
Geagea Meets Hale, Says U.S. Won't Tolerate Foreign Intervention-Naharnet
Geagea-Franjieh Reconciliation Ahead of a Decisive Week-Naharnet
Washington has warned Damascus against any military intervention ...Naharnet
Plan for next war: A response of 'disproportionate force' in north-Ha'aretz
Geagea Meets Hale, Says Washington Won't Tolerate Foreign Intervention-Naharnet
Arslan from Moukhtara: Aridi's Murder is a Loss for Me and Jumblat-Naharnet
Marada Rejects Bilateral Reconciliation-Naharnet
Syria Thwarts Attempt by Abssi Aides to Bomb Out Soccer Stadium-Naharnet
Lebanese Army Denies Report about Massive Action against Palestinian Camp-Naharnet
Najjar Wants Lebanon to Sign the Arab Treaty on Combating Terror-Naharnet

Geagea-Franjieh Reconciliation Ahead of a Decisive Week
Naharnet/The longtime animosity between Christian rivals Samir Geagea and Suleiman Franjieh may finally be amenable to resolution. Contacts planned for next week, however, will be decisive. While Marada Movement stressed that the "real" path to Christian-Christian reconciliation passes through a meeting that groups, in addition to Franjieh and Geagea, leader of the Free Patriotic Movement Gen. Michel Aoun, LF sources insisted talks should be bilateral.
A Marada source said the movement has no problem with Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel taking part in the reunion "as long as the meeting is held in Baabda Palace under the auspices of President Michel Suleiman, and not in Bkirki.""True there is a historical dispute between the Lebanese Forces and us, but we are ready to meet them at any time provided such a meeting does not take place in isolation of the FPM, which is considered the Christians' political authority," one Marada source said. "The problem with the Lebanese Forces is that it doesn't want to recognize this fact," he added. A Lebanese Forces source, in turn, insisted the Geagea-Franjieh meeting should be bilateral. The source clarified that Aoun's presence would force the LF to cling to its Zghorta ally MP Nayla Moawad "to maintain balance."The daily An Nahar, meanwhile, said Sunday that Aoun's participation as a Marada condition was not yet determined since the FPM leader does not consider himself "concerned" in this reconciliation. Sources said it was likely that a bilateral meeting between Geagea and Franjieh would take place at Baabda Palace if Aoun showed unwillingness to attend. The Maronite League also stressed that reconciling Geagea and Franjieh is the first step in a move to achieve intra-Christian reconciliation. Beirut, 05 Oct 08, 08:36

Sunni Hizbullah in Palestine!
Naharnet/A new Palestinian militant group calling itself "Hizbullah Brigades in Palestine" declared its establishment in Palestinian territories to "resist the occupation," a statement by the organization said. The statement, which could not be verified, said the group's goals are to "carry out Jihad for the sake of Allah and to resist the enemies of Islam." The statement said the new group was established "after some of the factions gave up the militant work against the Israeli occupation."
"We are a Sunni Jihad group which has nothing to do with politics," said the statement. Members of the new group are former militants of the various Palestinian factions such as Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the leftist parties, it said. The group denied any link with the Hizbullah of Lebanon but said it admired "Hizbullah's way of resistance." Beirut, 05 Oct 08, 22:39

Concern Over Renewed Fighting in Ain al-Hilweh
Naharnet/Lebanese and Palestinian officials have expressed concern over renewed fighting in the southern refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh. "A big movie is being prepared for Ain al-Hilweh camp," Al Anwar newspaper quoted a Palestinian spokesman as saying following a meeting with Education Minister Bahia Hariri.
In turn, MP Osama Saad said "targeting Ain al-Hilweh threatens the security of Sidon, Lebanon and the Palestinians."Kamal Naji, assistant PLO representative, for his part, said: "We don't want a new Nahr al-Bared," in reference to last year's bloody fighting between the Lebanese army and Fatah al-Islam extremists at the northern refugee camp. Beirut, 05 Oct 08, 09:31

Harsh U.S. Warning against Syrian Military Intervention in North Lebanon
Naharnet/Washington has warned Damascus against any military intervention in north Lebanon, DEBKAfile website has said.
The warning, according to the Israeli website, was delivered on Sept. 28 by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem during a meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. DEBKAfile said that Muallem had also received another warning by Assistant Secretary of State David Welch. The harsh words from the senior U.S. officials left Muallem with little option but to promise there would be no Syrian incursion, the site said.
It said Syrian officials talking to Western diplomats are now maintaining that Islamic extremists are setting up an "emirate" in northern Lebanon which will jeopardize the stability of the entire region. Beirut, 05 Oct 08, 11:17

Geagea Meets Hale, Says U.S. Won't Tolerate Foreign Intervention
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea held talks Saturday with U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Hale and said after the meeting that Washington "will not tolerate any foreign intervention." The state-run National News Agency said Hale, who was accompanied by U.S. ambassador Michele Sison, did not make any statement following the hour-long meeting at Geagea's residence in Meerab. Geagea, however, told reporters afterwards that discussions focused on the issue of Syrian troop buildup along the border and remarks made by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that north Lebanon had become a base for extremists and poses a threat to his country's national security. He said Hale confirmed during the meeting which took place around 6 pm that the U.S. "will not tolerate any foreign intervention or violation of Lebanon's sovereignty." Beirut, 04 Oct 08, 20:32

Army Denies Report about Massive Action against Baddawi
Naharnet/The Lebanese army on Saturday denied a report carried by the German news agency DPA that preparations were underway for a "massive operation" against the Palestinian refugee camp of Baddawi similar to the offensive launched against Nahr al-Bared last year. DPA, citing a Lebanese security source, said Friday that the Lebanese army would likely kick off a massive military offensive against Baddawi if investigation proved that those responsible for the recent bombing attacks against the Lebanese army had took refuge in the shantytown with the protection of Salafi groups aligned with Fatah al-Islam extremists.
A statement by the Lebanese military command said the report was "untrue" and "fabricated."It reiterated that Palestinian refugee camps are "home for our brethren and not under any circumstances a shelter for terrorists or to do acts that disturb the peace."The statement described relations between the military institution and Palestinian leaders as "excellent."The source, who spoke to DPA on condition of anonymity, said the Syrian army had no intention to return to Lebanon.
He said Syrian troop buildup along the border with Lebanon was aimed at providing the Lebanese army with backup should the military decide to put an end to Salafis in north Lebanon. According to semi-confirmed reports obtained by the "joint security authorities" between Lebanon and Syria, a number of al-Qaida commanders are trying to move from Iraq into northern Lebanon via some Arab countries. The source said that the probe conducted by the army command will likely lead them to believe that the executors of the Tripoli car bomb are supporters of the Salafis and are still hiding in north Lebanon.
"Regional and global circumstances which do not allow direct Syrian intervention in Lebanon are helping Lebanon move forward, take such action and implement it after having done with field preparations," the source concluded. Beirut, 03 Oct 08, 18:23

Syria Thwarts Attempt by Abssi Aides to Bomb Out Soccer Stadium
Naharnet/Syrian security operatives have thwarted a suicide bombing at a soccer stadium in Damascus by aides to jailed Fatah al-Islam leader Shaker al-Abssi.
The daily newspaper al-Liwaa said Saturday that the five-member terrorist cell had planned to bomb out al-Abbasiyeen soccer stadium during a major competition a month ago to avenge Abssi's arrest. The report said Syrian intelligence operatives arrested Abssi two months ago at the low-income Meliha district in southern Damascus. Intelligence operatives carried out a "major house raid in the district, which resulted in arresting Abssi," the report added. Abssi escaped an assault by the Lebanese Army on his base at the northern refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared more than a year ago and went missing. Al-Liwaa said Lebanese authorities are to officially ask Syrian authorities for information on Abssi. Beirut, 04 Oct 08, 13:04

Moawad: Christians Should Not Import Hizbullah Speech Culture
Naharnet/Member of the General Secretariat of the ruling March 14 coalition Michel Moawad said Saturday that the Christian community should "not import Hizbullah's culture of speech."  Moawad held a news conference in Ehden to respond to remarks by Michel Aoun in which he asked his mother, MP Nayla Moawad, to apologize for accusing the Free Patriotic Movement leader of being a partner in crime in the assassination of her husband, the late President Rene Moawad. "I don't mind reconciling with MP Nayla Moawad," Aoun acknowledged at a Friday press conference. "But in return I want an apology from her over accusations that I was an accomplice in the assassination of President Rene Moawad.""Nayla Moawad never accused Gen. Aoun of taking part in Rene Moawad's assassination," Moawad said, adding that his mother had accused the FPM leader of bearing some responsibility for the murder. He reminded Aoun of what Nayla Moawad said at the end of the 40-day memorial period of her husband: "Those who tried to hinder the process of the Taef accord are responsible" for Rene Moawad's murder. "We are convinced that the Syrian regime killed President Rene Moawad," he said. "As much as we are convinced that the Syrian regime killed Rene Moawad, it is clear that Aoun certainly bears responsibility in this assassination," Moawad added. Beirut, 04 Oct 08, 18:22

Noah, One of Lebanon's Drug Barons, Fears No One But God
With his pony tail, long sideburns, tight jeans and cowboy boots, Noah Zaaiter cuts an odd figure as he struts through the tiny Lebanese village of Knaysseh trailed by his own militiamen. The 37-year-old is one of about 50 drug barons who operate with near total impunity in the Bekaa, a lawless region controlled mainly by Hizbullah and for years synonymous with drug trafficking and militancy. Zaaiter sports a baseball cap, worn back-to-front, and a chrome-plated pistol on his waistband, but his men -- nicknamed "tiger", "scorpion" or "bin Laden" -- are armed with machine-guns, some equipped with grenade launchers.
A Hummer and several other four-wheel-drive vehicles with tinted glass are parked outside his mansion, where a watch tower stands as a warning to visitors that this is no place for a Sunday stroll. "I fear no one but God," said Zaaiter defiantly, standing near fields of cannabis that surround his home on the outskirts of the village. Though not considered by police the biggest drug lord in Lebanon, Zaaiter, who is a Shiite, is one of the more outspoken and does not shy away from publicity. He speaks openly about his illicit activities and insists the life of crime he leads is not by choice. He also says that he is not affiliated with or protected by any one of the country's rival pro- and anti-Syrian factions whose bickering brought the country close to civil war in May. "I and other farmers in the region plant hashish because we have no other choice," said the father of four who is constantly surrounded by 14 bodyguards. "That is the only crop we can sell. "If we plant potatoes, cotton or tobacco, the state won't subsidize that so we plant hashish." He said he reaps about 1.5 million dollars in profits on a good year. Part of the money is spent helping the village's 200 or so residents, some of whom have no running water or electricity.
"I look after these people, I give them bread and water since the state is not capable of doing so," Zaaiter said, gesturing angrily. "I am a wanted man, but I am wanted by a bunch of thieves and I have more honor than all of them.
"Once there is a state functioning in this country and a proper judicial system, I will be the first to turn myself in," he added. "But I am not going to surrender to a bunch of thieves." Mohammed Shammas, a local farmer, said villagers feel indebted to Zaaiter. "He is a generous man and what the authorities are doing to him is unfair," Shammas said. "They charge him with anything bad that happens in the region but if it weren't for him some people here wouldn't survive."
The Bekaa region for long has been reputed as a fertile ground for drugs and a bastion of Hizbullah, considered a terrorist organization by Washington.
During the country's 1975-1990 civil war, the drug trade flourished into a multi-billion dollar industry, with Syria, the main powerbroker in Lebanon until its troops were forced to pull out in 2005, actively involved. Following the war, drug cultivation collapsed amid pressure by the United States to wipe out production but it has increased in the past two years due to political unrest. "The rotten political situation in Lebanon has allowed for this," laments Colonel Adel Mashmushi, head of the country's drug enforcement bureau. "In the last two years production has significantly shot up because of the situation."
He said some 3,500 hectares of land (35 square kilometers) were cultivated this year with cannabis and poppies, the source for opium before it is converted into heroin. A kilogram (2.2 pounds) of hashish, which is derived from cannabis, sells for 300 to 400 dollars wholesale, while heroin sells for 9,000 to 10,000 dollars a kilogram, Mashmushi said. "We are unable to do much against the drug lords because tribal law rules in the Bekaa region and given the unsteady political situation and our means we cannot expose our troops to danger," he said. "So those wanted by the state are taking advantage and operating out in the open."
Mashmushi said the drug barons export their production or sell it on the local market. Some, like Zaaiter, stamp the wrapping on their products with their initials.
"People like Noah Zaaiter think they are above the law ... but one day they will end up in prison because that's where they belong," Mashmushi said. "One day we will go after them."
Zaaiter's rap sheet reads pages long. He is wanted on 487 criminal charges ranging from drug trafficking, car theft and terrorism to weapons dealing, fraud, kidnapping and extortion. He is also wanted by Interpol. He brushes aside the charges saying they are but a reflection of the authorities' obsession with him.
"Don't ask how come they haven't caught up with me yet but rather why I haven't caught up with them," said Zaaiter, who dreamt of becoming an army officer while growing up. "If selling hashish is a crime but selling the state, killing its citizens and keeping its people hungry is not, then I will proudly remain the biggest criminal."(AFP) Beirut, 05 Oct 08, 07:11

US sanctions: financial firewall for Iran, Syria?
Reuters, Sunday October 5 2008
By Alistair Lyon, Special Correspondent
BEIRUT, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Syria and Iran, both targeted by U.S. sanctions, proclaim that their "independent" economies will suffer less than others from global financial turmoil. But economists in the region say neither Tehran nor Damascus will be immune from the credit crunch spreading from the United States, or from any ensuing world economic downturn. Some argue that the cost of sanctions greatly outweighs any unforeseen benefits Syria or Iran might gain by being denied access -- and direct exposure -- to U.S. financial markets. The United States has long enforced unilateral measures against Iran, and has toughened them while seeking to tighten U.N. sanctions over Tehran's nuclear programme. It imposed sanctions on Syria in 2004, accusing it of sponsoring terrorism. "Sanctions are very damaging to their economies," said Louis Hobeika, an economics professor at Lebanon's Notre Dame University, saying they further isolated both countries from the potential gains of globalisation, as well as its occasional shocks. It's true that Syrian investors have experienced no wild swings on the local stock market -- they don't have one. And the head of Tehran's bourse told Reuters its lack of links with the outside world was a "strong point" when asked why Iranian shares had so far escaped the panic in markets elsewere.
Iran's all-share index has gained some 20 percent this year -- although inflation has run even faster. Total capitalisation climbed to $70 billion in August from $40 billion in January 2007, said Ali Rahmani, the stock exchange's managing director.
OIL PRICE THREAT TO IRAN
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran would survive better than others because its economy had grown more independent since the 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the U.S.-backed Shah.
He said falling oil prices, which have tumbled partly due to the weakening U.S. economy, the world's biggest consumer, would have an impact, but would not derail Iran's economic plans.
Yet Iran, the world's fourth-largest crude exporter, relies heavily on oil revenue to fund its budget and is showing concern at volatility that has seen U.S. crude plunge to around $93 a barrel on Friday, more than $50 below its $147 record in July.
"$100 or below is not suitable for oil producers or oil consumers," Oil Minister Gholamhossein Nozari said on Saturday.
An Iranian economist, who declined to be named, said no country could emerge unscathed from global financial chaos.
"This credit crunch is everywhere in the world. The Iranian banks are also exposed to refinancing lines of credit," he said.
Iranian banks are not invested directly in the U.S. market, but are vulnerable indirectly via business in Europe and Asia, he added. "They are subject to the systemic risk. It is multiplied in the case of Iran because of the sanctions."
Traders say the cost of financing trade, such as via letters of credit, has climbed as Western banks in particular have increasingly reduced or even severed links to Iran and perceived risks have risen as a result of U.S. and U.N. sanctions.
Syrian officials, echoing a line they took during world market turmoil in 1998, say Syria's curbs on foreign investment and capital flows have sheltered it from the latest crisis. Finance Minister Mohammad Hussein, making a virtue of Syria's primitive financial system, strong state role and cautious economic reform, says the upheaval will have limited impact on a country with few links to global financial markets. "The Syrian stock market is not born yet. Banks and financial institutions have just started," he noted recently.
SYRIAN ECONOMY UNDER STRAIN
Syria's main problem is its financial sector, handicapped less by U.S. sanctions than by its own inefficiency and lack of liquidity, argued Hobeika, the Lebanese economist. The World Bank ranks Syria last of 178 nations in access to credit, although in a report last month it also said the Syrian business environment had improved slightly in the past year. Foreign direct investment rose 47 percent to $885 million last year, mainly due to Gulf capital going into real estate in Syria, as well as neighbouring Lebanon and Jordan. But such inflows might now be put on hold while Gulf countries grapple with the impact of the worldwide crisis.
State finances are under heavy strain, with a budget deficit that widened to 10 percent of GDP last year. Government moves to curb subsidies were offset by rising world fuel and commodity prices that have fuelled inflation. The trade deficit trebled to $2.1 billion last year, the highest level in two decades.
U.S. sanctions clearly do not quarantine Syria or Iran from the global economy and they have inflicted a degree of economic pain, without inducing major policy shifts in either country. Not surprisingly, America's foes in the Middle East have tried to score points over its financial discomfiture, with Iran's ex-President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani even linking it to President George W. Bush's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
"If the economic crisis in America is becoming a serious threat for the West and the industrial world, one of the underlying reasons is the high costs which the Americans have been forced to spend in the region in the past seven or eight years," Rafsanjani declared in a recent Friday prayer sermon.
(Editing by Mark Trevelyan) (Additional reporting by Edmund Blair and Fredrik Dahl in Tehran and Khaled Yaacoub Oweis in Damascus)

Geagea Meets Hale, Says Washington Won't Tolerate Foreign Intervention
Naharnet/Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea held talks Saturday with U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Hale and said after the meeting that Washington "will not tolerate any foreign intervention.The state-run National News Agency said Hale, who was accompanied by U.S. ambassador Michele Sisson, did not make any statement following the hour-long meeting at Geagrea's residence in Maarbab. Geagea, however, told reporters afterwards that discussions focused on the issue of Syrian troop buildup along the border and remarks made by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that north Lebanon had become a base for extremists and pose a threat to his country's national security.He said Hale confirmed during the meeting which took place around 6 pm that the U.S. "will not tolerate any foreign intervention or violation of Lebanon's sovereignty." Beirut, 04 Oct 08, 20:32

Arslan from Moukhtara: Aridi's Murder is a Loss for Me and Jumblat
Naharnet/Youth and Sports Minister Talal Arslan said from Moukhtara Saturday the assassination of his top aide Saleh Aridi was not only a loss for himself, but also for Druze leader Walid Jumblat. "I believe Aridi's death is a loss for both of us as well as a message not only directed to me and the Democratic Party but also to the Mountains and to Walid beik," Arslan told reporters following a meeting with Jumblat at his residence in Moukhtara. Arslan expressed hope that MP Saad Hariri would continue his reconciliation efforts "because the conspiracy against Lebanon is big." "We Hope we could continue reconciliations on the same path, the path we had kicked off in the Mountains," Arslan added. Beirut, 04 Oct 08, 19:43

Syria Thwarts Attempt by Abssi Aides to Bomb Out Soccer Stadium
Naharnet/Syrian security operatives have thwarted a suicide bombing at a soccer stadium in Damascus by aides to jailed Fatah al-Islam leader Shaker al-Abssi.
The daily newspaper al-Liwaa said Saturday that the five-member terrorist cell had planned to bomb out al-Abbasiyeen soccer stadium during a major competition a month ago to avenge Abssi's arrest. The report said Syrian intelligence operatives arrested Abssi two months ago at the low-income Meliha district in southern Damascus. Intelligence operatives carried out a "major house raid in the district, which resulted in arresting Abssi," the report added.
Abssi escaped an assault by the Lebanese Army on his base at the northern refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared more than a year ago and went missing.
Al-Liwaa said Lebanese authorities are to officially ask Syrian authorities for information on Abssi. Beirut, 04 Oct 08, 13:04

Najjar Wants Lebanon to Sign the Arab Treaty on Combating Terror
Naharnet/Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said a Syrian military "adventure" in north Lebanon is "not likely."
Najjar, in an interview with a Kuwaiti newspaper, said the "international will" does not support Syrian intervention in Lebanon.
He declared support for concluding a "security agreement" with Syria to control borders, bloc smuggling and combat terror.
However, he said Lebanon should sign the Arab treaty to combat terror … to combat the spread of terror from other states to Syria and Lebanon."
Beirut, 04 Oct 08, 12:11