LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
October 07/08
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 10,25-37. There was
a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, "Teacher, what must I do
to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law? How do
you read it?" He said in reply, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with
all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your
mind, and your neighbor as yourself." He replied to him, "You have answered
correctly; do this and you will live." But because he wished to justify himself,
he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man fell victim to
robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him
and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that
road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite
came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a
Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He
approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with
the instruction, 'Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given
you, I shall repay you on my way back.' Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers' victim?" He answered, "The one who treated him with
mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
Saint Ambrose (c.340-397), Bishop of Milan and Doctor of the Church
Commentary on Saint Luke's Gospel, 7, 74f. (SC 52, p.34)
"A Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight"
A Samaritan came down that road. «Who has come down from heaven except the one
who has gone up to heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven?» (cf. Jn 3,13).
Seeing that man half-dead whom nobody before had been able to heal..., he
approached him; that is to say, by accepting to suffer with us he became our
friend and by taking pity on us he became our neighbour.
«He dressed his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them». This doctor possesses
many remedies with which he habitually heals us. His words are a remedy: with
one he binds up wounds, with another he pours ointment over them, with another
astringent wine... «Then he lifted him up on his own animal». Hear how he sets
you there: «It was our infirmities he bore, our sufferings that he endured» (Is
53,4). And the shepherd, too, set the worn out sheep on his shoulders (Lk
15,5)...
«He took him to an inn and cared for him»... But the Samaritan could not long
remain on our earth; he must return from whence he descended. So «the next day»
– what is this 'next day' if not the day of the Lord's resurrection, of which it
is said «This is the day the Lord has made» (Ps 118[117],24)? – «he took out two
silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction: Take care of
him». What are these two coins? Perhaps they are the two Covenants, bearing the
likeness of the Eternal Father, and at whose cost our wounds are healed... Happy
that innkeeper who is able to tend another's wounds! Happy the one to whom Jesus
says: «If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way
back»... Thus he promises a repayment. When will you return, Lord, if not at the
day of judgement? Even though your remain always everywhere, standing in our
midst without our recognising you, the day will come when all flesh shall see
you coming. And you will repay what you owe. How will you repay, Lord Jesus? To
the good you have promised an immense reward in heaven yet you will pay back
even more when you say: «Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were
faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share
your master's joy» (Mt 25,21).
Free Opinions,
Releases, letters & Special Reports
Kudos to
Couchepin for daring to tread where others will not-The
Daily Star 06/10/08
Syria, Lebanon abuzz over report about
militant's arrest-Los Angeles Times
06/10/08
Events in Syria Can Affect Lebanon-Middle
East Times 06/10/08
Defining
the post-crash era hasn't really begun-By
David Ignatius 06/10/08
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for October
06/08
Hezbollah source: A 'big surprise' awaits Israel
if it attacks Lebanon-Ha'aretz
Lebanese prime minister alerts US to Syrian terror
plot-DEBKA file
Hizbullah-Israel War Likely to Flare Soon, Haaretz-Naharnet
Israel Withdrawing from Ghajar
Before End of November?-Naharnet
Olmert to Urge Moscow Not to Arm Israel's Enemies-Naharnet
LEBANON: Israelis say spy chief killed Hezbollah commander Mughniyah-Los
Angeles Times
Senior officials: US considering changing its policy towards Syria-Jerusalem
Post
Assad
to Suleiman: Troop Buildup on Border in Harmony with 170-Naharnet
U.S. Defense Official in
Beirut as Hale Stresses No Change in U.S. Policy-Naharnet
Geagea: March 8 Victory in
2009 Elections Means Return of Syrian Tutelage-Naharnet
Hariri, Sfeir Stress from
Rome the Need to Consolidate National Unity-Naharnet
'Volatile Situation' in
Lebanon Keeps Filipino Workers Away-Naharnet
Israel Detains Lebanese
Near Border-Naharnet
Gemayel Ready to Take Part
in Christian Meeting-Naharnet
Noah, One of Lebanon's
Drug Barons, Fears No One But God-Naharnet
Sleiman
discusses Syrian troop movements with Assad-Daily
Star
Efforts
to reconcile feuding Christian factions gain steam-Daily
Star
Security
in Lebanon and Syria is 'interdependent' - Raad-Daily
Star
Lebanese
military denies plan to purge Beddawi of militants-Daily
Star
Aridi
touts continuing accord with Jumblatt-Daily
Star
Swiss
leader takes stock of Lebanon's dilemmas-Daily
Star
Greek
Catholic patriarch speaks out-Daily
Star
Baroud
promises fair funding for municipalities-Daily
Star
Philippine officials to maintain ban on sending workers to Lebanon-(AFP)
Wanted drug baron says he fears 'no one but God'-(AFP)
Israelis say spy chief killed Hezbollah commander Mughniyah
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2008/10/lebanon-israeli.html
A panel of experts assembled by Israel's most powerful television channel
honored Israeli Mossad chief Meir Dagan as the nation's "man of the year" for,
among other things, killing Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyah in the Syrian
capital in February, according to a recent report in the Israeli newspaper
Haaretz.
Up until now, Israel has publicly refused to acknowledge any role in the car
bomb blast that killed Mughniyah, who was suspected of masterminding attacks on
Israeli targets around the world and was believed to have been the brains behind
the Hezbollah militia's surprise performance in the 2006 war with Israel.
Many in Syria and Lebanon suspect the Jewish state's security services had a
hand in the assassination.
But according to Haaretz journalist and frequent government critic Gideon Levy,
the Israeli Channel 2 panel last week cited "the killing of senior Hezbollah
leader Imad Mughniyeh in Damascus, a few more mysterious and unnecessary
killings and, of course, the bombing of the alleged nuclear site in Syria" as
accomplishments that made Dagan deserving of 'at least 10 Israel Prizes.'"
The television station aired rare footage of outgoing Israeli Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert meeting Dagan in his office telling him, "You did well," according
to Levy.
Levy quoted political analyst Emmanuel Rosen praising the selection:
[He is] a man who has done only good. [He is] a man who would cut the throats of
terrorists with his own hands, using a box-cutter — a man of action with a knife
in his teeth.
*Borzou Daragahi in Beirut
Syria, Lebanon abuzz over
report about militant's arrest
By Borzou Daragahi, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
October 6, 2008
BEIRUT -- An intriguing item about the mysterious leader of a ferocious militant
group floated around the Lebanese and Syrian media over the weekend.
According to a report in the Arab-language Syrian newspaper Al Liwaa, the leader
of the Al Qaeda-linked militant group Fatah al Islam was captured two months ago
in Syria.The report says that Shaker Abbsi, a former Libyan air force pilot
turned Islamist, was caught in the poor Meliha district of south Damascus and
hauled off to prison. Abbsi, 53, who is of Palestinian descent, has led a
storied life. He piloted MIGs for the Libyan air force in a war against Chad and
on a trip to Latin America in the early 1980s, he helped Nicaragua's leftist
Sandinistas. But as the years went by, he drifted toward Islamist groups and
beliefs. Jordanian officials accused him of playing a role in the 2002
assassination of U.S. diplomat Laurence Foley in Amman, Jordan. Syria imprisoned
him the same year, accusing him of plotting against the Damascus government, but
released him in 2005. He popped up in Lebanon as leader of Fatah al Islam, a
group of well-armed Islamic insurgents who fought the Lebanese army for months
last year in a battle around the seaside Nahr el Bared refugee camp that left
more than 400 civilians, soldiers and militants dead.Abbsi vanished after the
battle. He issued statements this year vowing to take revenge against the
Lebanese army, which has been the apparent target of two bombing attacks in the
last two months. But according to Al Liwaa's report Saturday, Abbsi was captured
when Syrian intelligence operatives carried out a "major house raid" two months
ago in Damascus, the capital. The item was quickly picked up by media and
websites in Lebanon and Syria.
The report says Abbsi's loyalists were planning to carry out a suicide bombing
at a Damascus soccer stadium during a game a month ago to avenge him, but were
thwarted by Syrian security. The website of the Lebanese newspaper An Nahar
reported last month that Syrian authorities had told French President Nicolas
Sarkozy that they had arrested Abbsi. daragahi@latimes.com
Lebanese prime minister alerts US to Syrian terror plot as
pretext for invasion
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report
October 6, 2008,
Syrian troop deployment on Lebanese border
Damascus is plotting a large-scale terror attack or the assassination of a
Lebanese figure to drum up another pretext for invading northern Lebanon,
according to Lebanese prime minister Fouad Siniora. Reporting this, DEBKAfile’s
Beirut sources disclose that two senior US officials, deputy secretary of state
David Hale and assistant defense secretary Mary Beth Long, were sent post haste
to Beirut in response to this warning, arriving on Oct. 5.
Sinora told them that “Syria is turning the Al Kebir River (which marks the
Syrian-North Lebanese border) from a Blue Line to a Red Line.”
He was joined by Lebanese president Michel Suleiman in charging that
Washington’s efforts to draw Damascus out of the Iranian orbit threatened to
throw Lebanon to the wolves and the loss of America’s foothold in Beirut. The
prime minister said the tip-off he received uncovered a Syrian conspiracy to
stage a major terrorist operation or assassinate a Lebanese figure of equal rank
to the former prime minister Rafiq Hariri whose murder in 2005 left Damascus
under grave suspicion. This time, Syria might be cunning enough to single out a
pro-Syrian Lebanese politician to avoid suspicion. The consequent turmoil in
Beirut would be the trigger for the Syrian incursion. Two brigades of the 4th
Syrian Mechanized Division, numbering up to 10,000 men, have been poised on the
Lebanese border since last month and are now on combat readiness.
(DEBKAfile first disclosed this Syrian troop concentration on Sept. 20 and again
on Sept. 27. For the second article, Damascus has complained to Beirut and
Washington that the pro-Western majority leader Saad Hariri (son of the dead
politician) has organized 45 extremist Islamic organizations, most Salafi, in
northern Lebanon and established similar fronts in Sidon and the Ain Hilwa
Palestinian camp in the south. Bashar Assad’s emissaries claim that these fronts
were established to threaten Syria’s national security and curb Hizballah’s
burgeoning strength. Adding to the rising tension around Lebanon, the UNIFIL
commander in south Lebanon has alerted the commanders of the multinational
contingents to prepare for Israel to pull out on Nov. 21 from the northern part
of Ghajar, the village split in two by the Lebanese-Israeli border.
Events in Syria Can Affect Lebanon
By MIDDLE EAST TIMES
Published: October 06, 2008
Syrian domination of Lebanon would solve both Syria's and Israel's problems, at
least as far as terrorism coming from Lebanon is concerned. File photo of a U.S.
Patriot anti-aircraft missile system deployed in the central part of Israel.
Terrorism in Syria is indeed rare, but in just the last 10 days the country has
experienced a number of unexplained explosions associated with terrorist
activities. The government in Damascus remains tight-lipped as ever, though
statements made by Syrian President Bashar Assad allude to the origins of those
attacks emanating from Salafist groups based in northern Lebanon.
Such statements raise red flags in neighboring Lebanon where the Lebanese are
starting to worry about Syria's intentions; fears accentuated by the deployment
by Damascus of more than 10,000 troops backed by armor and rotary wing aircraft.
There are good reasons for the Lebanese to worry about a new Syrian invasion of
their country. The weakness of the Lebanese state and its inability to control
its own internal security is making both its neighbors, Syria and Israel, very
nervous. The proliferation of Salafist groups, particularly in northern Lebanon,
poses a threat to Syria while the presence of a strong Hezbollah in the southern
part of the country threatens the security of Israel.
Meanwhile, Washington is too pre-occupied with its worst financial crisis ever
and the presidential elections only a month away to devote much time to worry
about problems in the Levant. Some analysts fear Washington could decide to
"outsource" the Lebanon dossier to Syria.
While the recent meeting in New York between U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem should be welcomed as a sign that
the George W. Bush administration is finally changing its inane policy of
stonewalling Damascus, some Middle East observers fear it might not augur well
for Lebanon. Syrian domination of Lebanon would solve both Syria's and Israel's
problems, at least as far as terrorism coming from Lebanon is concerned.
The reason for this is easy to understand. With Syria in charge of Lebanon's
security, Israel would have a return address on any terrorist activities coming
across its northern border. Damascus would be liable to retaliation and would
therefore do everything in its power to ensure that Hezbollah followed the new
guidelines.
Whereas with Hezbollah in charge of its own security in south Lebanon,
retaliation, as was well demonstrated during the Second Lebanon War two summers
ago, is futile. The Lebanese who tend to see conspiracy theories on every street
corner have continuously placed the blame for all their ills on everyone else
but themselves: Israel, the United States, the CIA, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran,
etc. It is true that all the above do play a role in Lebanese politics, but only
insofar as Lebanese politicians allow themselves to be easily manipulated and
continue to pledge their loyalty to powers outside their borders.
Magida al-Roumi, one of Lebanon's most famous songstresses, recently berated her
country's politicians, holding them responsible for the mayhem that has plagued
Lebanon for the greater part of three decades. Speaking at a memorial service
commemorating the assassination of Gebran Tueni, editor of An-Nahar, Lebanon's
most influential newspaper, Roumi screamed at them: "Thirty years," she
lamented. "Thirty years during which time you have been unable to put a stop to
this madness."In all likelihood Lebanon will continue to live in chaos and
insecurity as long as the Lebanese, regardless of political or religious
affiliations, continue to place the interests of Tehran, Damascus, Riyadh, Paris
or Washington ahead of their own.
Senior officials: US considering changing its policy towards Syria
By JPOST.COM STAFF
Senior US officials said Washington was considering a possible change of policy
towards Syria in the near future, which would entail canceling sanctions against
the country but would not include returning the US ambassador to Damascus,
Israel Radio reported Sunday.
The officials reportedly said discussions were being held over the best way for
the US to influence Syria, in light of the improved relations with France and
the visit of French Prime Minister Nicholas Sarkozy to the country in September.
A US official said there were several encouraging signals on the Syrians' part,
including the decision to renew diplomatic ties with Lebanon
Hariri, Sfeir Stress from Rome the Need to Consolidate National Unity
Naharnet/Al-Mustaqbal movement leader Saad Hariri has held talks in Rome with
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir who is participating in the synod of Catholic
bishops.Hariri's media advisor Hani Hammoud also attended Sunday's one-hour
meeting at the Maronite Institute where the Patriarch is staying. The MP's media
office said Hariri and Sfeir discussed the situation in Lebanon and the region
and stressed the importance of "consolidating" the country's "national unity" at
this "critical stage."Hariri also informed the Patriarch about ongoing efforts
to reconcile bickering Lebanese sides, saying such attempts are making progress.
The synod, a three-week gathering of more than 250 bishops from around the
world, and whose formal work begins on Monday, will discuss Christian
fundamentalism and the relationship between religion and science as well as
Judaism. Beirut, 06 Oct 08, 07:08
Israel Withdrawing from Ghajar Before End of November?
Naharnet/The command of the United Nations Interim Force in
Lebanon has reportedly informed Lebanese authorities that Israel is likely to
withdraw from the Lebanese side of the border village of Ghajar by November 21.
The daily An Nahar, which carried the report, said Monday that the command sent
a letter to "Lebanese official sides" a few days ago telling them that U.N.
peacekeepers "have information" about a possible Israeli pullout from the
village by November 21.
An Nahar said UNIFIL hoped in the letter that Lebanese authorities would try to
keep the situation calm in the border region and the areas near Ghajar and
Abbasiyeh to prevent any decision by Israel to stop the expected pullout. Last
month, Israeli daily Haaretz reported that Israel has told the United States it
was ready to withdraw from the northern part of the divided village of Ghajar,
which is in Lebanese territory. A government source in Jerusalem told Haaretz
the decision was taken after the Lebanese government made written assurances
that U.N. peacekeepers in south Lebanon would be given security and civilian
control over the northern part of the village. Beirut, 06 Oct 08, 05:54
Hizbullah-Israel War Likely to Flare Soon, Haaretz
Naharnet/Israel believes that war with Hizbullah could soon flare
up as a result of a retaliatory attack by the Shiite group to avenge the killing
of its top commander Imad Mughniyeh, the Israeli daily Haaretz said. "Flare up
of war is a possible scenario," said Haaretz. It said an Israeli raid is likely
to take place in retaliation for the smuggling of anti-aircraft guns to Lebanon,
a move described by Israel as a "red line." Amos Harel, Haaretz' military
correspondent, said both Israel and Hizbullah, however, have no intention of
having "another violent confrontation."Meanwhile, Haaretz quoted Giora Eiland,
former head of the National Security Council as saying that Israel had failed in
its Second Lebanon War against Hizbullah in 2006 and "could fail in the third
because it fought the wrong enemy. It fought Hizbullah instead of the state of
Lebanon." Eiland saw that "no victory could be achieved against an organization
active under the shadow of a state immunized against an Israeli military
reaction." Beirut, 06 Oct 08, 12:03
Olmert to Urge Moscow Not to Arm Israel's Enemies
Naharnet/Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, traveling to Russia this
week on one of his last diplomatic missions, has said he would urge Moscow not
to sell sophisticated weapons to Israel's enemies. Iran is interested in buying
anti-aircraft missiles that could cripple any military strike against its
nuclear program. Israel is also afraid Moscow would sell Syria the same missile
defense system. In an overture before the trip, Israel's Cabinet voted Sunday to
recognize Russia's claim to property in downtown Jerusalem. Russia laid claim to
the site, named for the son of a Russian czar, on behalf of the Russian Orthodox
Church.
Olmert travels to Russia on Monday with little diplomatic clout: Within weeks,
he is to step aside, driven from office by multiple corruption allegations. But
he told his Cabinet on Sunday that he would use the two-day visit to bring up
security issues of long-standing concern in his talks with Russian leaders.
"We will remind them again of matters that trouble us greatly," including "the
supply of arms to irresponsible elements whose activities worry us very much,"
the prime minister said in a televised statement, without elaborating. He also
said he would press to keep working to resolve "the Iranian problem, where
Russia plays a special role."Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has
frequently called for Israel's destruction, and Israel suspects he means to
carry out that objective by developing nuclear bombs with the help of a
Russian-built nuclear power plant. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful
purposes.
Israel hopes international diplomacy will persuade Iran to halt its nuclear
program but says "all options are on the table" if diplomacy fails. In 1981,
Israeli warplanes destroyed an Iraqi nuclear reactor.The U.N. Security Council
has approved three rounds of sanctions on Iran. But Russia, a council member
with veto power, opposes tightening the sanctions any further.Iran says it plans
to buy from Russia advanced S-300 anti-aircraft missiles that could detect
aircraft sent to destroy its nuclear facilities. Syria, which backs Hizbullah
fighters who battled Israel in Lebanon in 2006, reportedly has asked to buy
them, too.
Russia has not confirmed the reports. But recently, Russia's foreign minister,
Sergey Lavrov, said his government was prepared to sell Syria arms with a
"defensive character."Israel claims Russian missiles sold to Syria made their
way into Hizbullah's hands in the 2006 war, though it has not accused Russia of
directly arming the guerrilla group. Syria is holding indirect peace
negotiations with Israel, but the two enemies remain in a state of war.
After four decades of Cold War animosity, ties between Moscow and Israel
improved significantly after the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Israel is also home to more than 1 million Soviet émigrés. But Moscow's position
on Iran and arms sales to Syria have strained ties, as have Israeli weapons
sales to Georgia, which Russia briefly invaded in August in support of
pro-Russia secessionists. The Cabinet's decision on Sunday to transfer ownership
over "Sergei's Courtyard" in downtown Jerusalem was meant to improve the
diplomatic climate before the visit. The site, named for Grand Duke Sergei
Alexandrovich, a son of Czar Alexander II, was built in 1890 to accommodate
Russians making pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Israel bought other Russian
property in the area 45 years ago.(AP) Beirut, 06 Oct 08, 09:38
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
Assad to Suleiman: Troop Buildup on Border in Harmony with
1701
Naharnet/Syrian President Bashar al-Assad finds a decision to
send more troops to the border to be in "harmony" with U.N. Security Council
Resolution 1701.
He conveyed his clarification to Lebanese President Michel Suleiman in a
telephone call made by the latter to follow up on the issue of troop buildup and
Syrian measures along the Lebanese border. Assad made it clear to Suleiman that
the action falls within the framework of measures taken a while ago to prevent
smuggling, adding that the move had been agreed on during the latest
Syria-Lebanon summit. Beirut, 06 Oct 08, 09:06
U.S. Defense Official in Beirut as Hale Stresses No Change
in U.S. Policy
Naharnet/A top official from the U.S. Defense Department has
arrived in Beirut and joined Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near
Eastern Affairs David Hale who is meeting with Lebanese officials. Mary Beth
Long, who is assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs,
arrived Sunday afternoon aboard a military helicopter from Larnaca. She went
into talks with Hale ahead of planned meetings with top Lebanese officials
starting Monday. Hale met on Sunday with Druze leader Walid Jumblat, MP Boutros
Harb and Former legislator Elie Firizli. An Nahar daily said Monday that Long
was among the U.S. delegation headed by Hale during his last visit to Beirut a
month ago. The newspaper said that the current U.S. delegation's mission is to
provide the Lebanese army with military aid and help improve its communications
system. Though Hale has refused to make statements to the media, Harb quoted him
as saying that the U.S. administration will not change its policies towards the
region whoever the next president is. Hale, according to Harb, also stressed
U.S. support to Lebanon's sovereignty and rejected the return of any country to
Lebanon and any interference in its internal affairs. Firizli also quoted Hale
as saying that the Lebanese army should be helped so that it becomes ready to
confront all challenges.(An Nahar photo shows Harb and Hale during their
meeting) Beirut, 06 Oct 08, 06:33
'Volatile Situation' in Lebanon Keeps Filipino Workers Away
Naharnet/Philippine labor officials said Sunday they were
maintaining bans on sending Filipino workers to Lebanon and Jordan despite calls
for them to be lifted.
The ban on Lebanon was kept due to continuing concerns over peace and order
while that on Jordan was kept in force after employers refused to comply with
new conditions for hiring Filipinos. Overseas employment administrator Jennifer
Manalili said the department of foreign affairs had recommended the bans be
maintained due to the "still volatile situation" in both countries. "We cannot
(lift the ban) due to the current peace and order condition," in Lebanon, she
added.
However Filipino workers who already had employment contracts would be allowed
to return home on holiday and then go back to work in those countries, said
Labor Secretary Marianito Roque. The Philippines imposed a ban on deployment of
workers to both countries this year due to fighting in Lebanon and increased
reports of Filipino domestic workers being abused in Jordan. In July, the
Philippines said it would lift the ban on Jordan provided employers agree to pay
a minimum salary of 400 dollars. However a senior official, who asked not to be
named, said Jordanian employers had widely refused to pay the minimum salary
required by the Philippines. Labor office records show that in January alone, as
many as 150 Filipino workers were staying at a Philippine center in Amman,
Jordan complaining of abuse and maltreatment. Most of them were maids. In
January, Jordanian government figures showed there were as many as 15,000
Filipinos working in the country. Private agencies in the Philippines said as
many 25,000 Filipinos worked in Lebanon last year. Some eight million Filipinos,
or nearly 10 percent of the country's population, work abroad. Remittances they
send home are a major pillar of the domestic economy.(AFP) Beirut, 06 Oct 08,
04:32
US Elections and Lebanon: Why I Will No Longer Vote
for McCain
Joseph Hitti
October 05, 2008
There is no debate over the fact that George H.W. Bush (father) sold Lebanon to
the Syrians in 1989-1990 in exchange for Syria´s joining the coalition against
Saddam Hussein in the first Gulf War. This helped defeat the Lebanese Resistance
against the Syrians who had, a few years earlier, sponsored Hezbollah's October
23, 1983 attack against the US Marines in Beirut (241 US Marines and servicemen
were killed that day) in the first ever truck suicide bombing.
There is no debate either over the fact that President Reagan ran away from the
terrorist threat in the aftermath of that 1983 attack against the US Marines in
Beirut, and pulled all US forces out of Lebanon and abandoned Lebanon and US
national security into the hands of the terrorist regime in Damascus and its
proxy Hezbollah. Not to mention the subsequent arms sales to Iran by the Reagan
administration in an attempt to rescue the US hostages held by Syria and
Hezbollah during much of the 1980s.
In a recent article in Proceedings Magazine, the flagship publication of the
U.S. Naval Institute, Colonel (ret.) Timothy J. Geraghty, the commanding officer
of the Marine unit devastated by the 1983 Beirut suicide bombing criticized "the
Americans' timidity of response" (a mild-mannered choice of words) to the 1983
attack and stated that there was a direct correlation between that timid
response to the 1983 attacks and the Islamists' attack on America on September
11, 2001. Col. Geraghty said that "The coordinated dual suicide attacks [58
French paratroopers were also killed in a parallel attack on the same day],
supported, planned, organized, and financed by Iran and Syria using Shi'ite
proxies, achieved their strategic goal: the withdrawal of the multinational
force from Lebanon and a dramatic change in U.S. national policy".
We need to remember that both the Reagan flight in the face of terror and the
subsequent George H.W. Bush policy of cavorting to the dictatorial regime in
Damascus and Tehran are by Republican administrations. Yet many of us came to
believe the act of contrition made by George W. Bush and the transformation of
US foreign policy after September 11, 2001. We believed in the Bush Doctrine of,
one, no longer bartering fake stability from dictatorial regimes for oil and
against real democratic change, and two, pre-emptive strikes against terrorist
threats before they occur.
The same John McCain who today says that he will not withdraw from Iraq and that
he will defend the US against Islamic radicalism did, in 1983, endorse that
cowardly withdrawal by the US before the Syrian-Hezbollah-Iran advance by asking
the question, "What is the US interest in Lebanon?" on the floor of the US
Senate as he stood in opposition to keeping US peacekeeping forces in Beirut to
stem the Syrian-Iranian advance. By so doing, he helped defeat the Lebanese
Resistance which for decades had been fighting the Syrians, the Iranians,
Hezbollah and the PLO. Perhaps, in comparison to his stance on Iraq today, John
McCain has learned some lessons. Well, maybe not.
For today, we are witnessing the collapse and failures of those post-September
11, 2001 policies and doctrines. It didn´t take more than 7 years, and we are
back to where we were on September 10, 2001. We see George W. Bush (son) - and
John McCain in his footsteps – all but violating those post-September 11 pledges
and reverting to policies of cavorting to dictators, traditionalists, corrupt
leaderships, former warlords and war criminals and propping them as the best
hope for a democratic Lebanon, for the sole and short-sighted purpose of
opposing Hezbollah. All of this, in fact, without actually doing anything
serious to actually defeat Hezbollah, stem the Syrian continued intervention, or
help to strengthen the Lebanese army so it may one day defeat Hezbollah.
We see George W. Bush – and John McCain in his footsteps – having returned to
old and stale policies of making deals with corrupt and unrepresentative leaders
in order to buy stability from them at the expense of true freedoms, true
change, true reforms, true justice and real grassroots, civil society-based
democracy.
This is why, then, as a Lebanese-American who once believed in the
post-September 11, 2001 lies and the myths propagated by the Republicans, I will
not vote for John McCain this November.
I had voted for McCain in previous elections and primaries because I believed in
his "maverick" image, in the vision of someone who, while a Republican, had
enough of an independent streak to adopt positions strictly on principle, no
matter the cost. Someone who could strike that real effective middle ground
between ideology and pragmatism, but without dishonoring the principles. But on
the issue of Lebanon, John McCain has endorsed wholesale the Bush pack of lies.
He is supporting the March 14 traditionalists, corrupt warlords and war
criminals who collaborated with the Syrian occupation for decades, and who in a
heartbeat will revert back to pan-Arab Islamic radicalism and the rejectionist
anti-peace, pro-Syrian, pro-Muslim radical platforms. These are people who for
decades supported the PLO terrorism and who to this day speak with both sides of
their mouths: They are against Hezbollah´s Iranian ties and Syria´s interference
in Lebanon, but they also support Hezbollah's terrorism as "resistance" (as in
the current Siniora government platform) and Syria´s "brotherhood" to Lebanon,
and reject any direct peace negotiations between Lebanon and the "enemy" Israel
leading to a peace treaty that will settle all outstanding issues once and for
all and finally shield Lebanon from the corrosive Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
How can anyone believe that Lebanon will know peace without the Lebanese
government acquiescing to a negotiated peace between Lebanon and Israel? How can
the Republican Party support those same people who refuse a negotiated civilized
political solution between Lebanon and Israel, and instead argue for a military
confrontation with Israel? How can the US government and the Republicans support
the Sleiman-Siniora regime in Lebanon whose government's plan include "endorsing
the right of the 'Resistance' [i.e. the terrorist Hezbollah organization] to
defend Lebanon" and is working on a "common defense strategy" between the
Lebanese state and that terrorist organization whose hands are soaked with the
blood of American citizens and soldiers?
For all those reasons, I have come to despise and mistrust the Republicans. And
for all those reasons, I will not vote for John McCain this coming November. The
treason of the Republicans to the Lebanese Cause is beyond belief because it is
a treason that has been ongoing for decades, and which we thought had come to an
end in 2001. But it has not. At this critical time in Lebanon´s history, when
the future of Lebanon is being forged through assassinations and rising
fundamentalism, I cannot trust that a Republican administration – even a McCain
administration – will do the right thing for Lebanon, on principle, by making
the difficult choices. I have come to the conclusion that, even as I disagree
fundamentally with the Democrats on foreign policy principles, I prefer to know
who I am dealing with, rather than be stabbed in the back by the so-called
Republican friends of Lebanon.
The very next day after the Sunday October 23, 1983 attack against the US
Marines compound in Beirut, President Reagan sent US troops to the Caribbean
island of Grenada in a big media fanfare to "rescue" a few US medical students
trapped by a standoff between two political parties vying for power. That was
Reagan´s way of deflecting attention and evading responsibility from the
unfolding massacre of US Marines in Beirut. I suspect John McCain would
undertake a similarly moronic attempt at avoiding facing up to the real threat.
Mission accomplished!
Kudos to Couchepin for daring to tread where others will
not
By The Daily Star
Monday, October 06, 2008
Editorial
Swiss President Pascal Couchepin deserves credit for having spoken frankly about
the "elephant in the room" that most world leaders tend to ignore: the plight of
millions of Palestinian refugees. Although the Palestinians who were driven out
of their homeland, along with their descendants, make up one of the world's
largest refugee communities, rarely if ever do international leaders champion
their cause. Nor do they propose concrete solutions that would afford these
refugees their most basic human rights, including citizenship, freedom of
movement and access to employment and education.
But Couchepin did exactly that during his visit to Lebanon over the weekend, the
first ever by a Swiss president to this country. Acknowledging that the plight
of Palestinian refugees is a "complicated" issue, he nonetheless voiced his
government's unequivocal commitment to their right as displaced people to return
to their towns and villages. He suggested that Israel might not be able to
absorb all of those refugees whose places of residence now lie within its
borders, but he also acknowledged that neither can countries like Lebanon, where
more than 400,000 displaced Palestinians currently reside. But rather than
shying away from the problem entirely - as most leaders shamefully tend to do -
Couchepin suggested that a workable compromise might be found by, at the very
least, offering compensation to those who were driven out of their homes.
Couchepin's remarks warrant follow-up from the United Nations, the permanent
members of the Security Council and the Arab League states - all of which have a
vested interest in resolving what constitutes one of the most intractable issues
in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Moreover, Switzerland can take the lead in
this effort by elaborating on what Couchepin said was his government's official
policy, not his personal perspective on the matter. Can he, for example, propose
a workable solution to the refugee file that would meet not only the needs of
Israel, but also of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and other countries in which
displaced Palestinians reside?
Even-handed and responsibile mediation has been sorely lacking in the on-and-off
"peace process" that has been brokered by the United States over the last few
decades. The end result is that millions of human beings have been living in
constant limbo for more than 60 years, many of them in makeshift camps whose
conditions most Americans would find unacceptable for their own cats and dogs.
But the disgrace of having allowed such a deplorable situation to continue for
so long is not solely that of the Americans: It is a stain on the entire
international community that has turned a blind eye to the suffering of millions
of people