LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
October 17/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11,47-54. Woe to you! You build the memorials of the prophets whom your ancestors killed.
Consequently, you bear witness and give consent to the deeds of your ancestors, for they killed them and you do the building. Therefore, the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and persecute' in order that this generation might be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who died between the altar and the temple building. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood! Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter." When he left, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him and to interrogate him about many things, for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.

Baldwin of Ford (?-c.1190), Cistercian abbot/The Sacrament of the altar, II, 1 (SC 93, p.171rev.)
"And they began to act with hostility toward him"
«God so loved the world that he gave his only Son» (Jn 3,16). This only Son «was offered», not because his enemies overcame him but because «he surrendered himself» (cf. Is 53,12). «He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end» (Jn 13,1). This «end» was the death he accepted on behalf of those whom he loved; this was the end of all perfection, the end of perfect love, for «there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends» (Jn 15,13).This love of Christ's was more stronger in the death of Christ than his enemies' hatred, for hatred could only do what love permitted it to do. Judas - or the enemies of Christ –delivered him up to death through wicked hatred. The Father delivered his Son, and the Son delivered himself to death through love (Rom 8,32; Gal 2,20). Love, however, is by no means guilty of betrayal; it is innocent even when Christ dies of it. Since love alone is able to carry out with impunity whatever it pleases. Only love can constrain God and, as it were, give him orders. This it was that caused him to descend from heaven and placed him on the cross; this it was that shed Christ's blood for the remission of sins in an act that was as innocent as it was salutary. All our thanksgiving for the salvation of the world is thus owing to love. And it constrains us, with inescapable logic, to love Christ as much as people were able to hate him.

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Interview with Dr. Samir Gagea. Earthtimes 16/10/08
Lebanon: Torn between War & Peace!Newropeans Magazine 16/10/08
Syria, Enemy of Peace-By P. David Hornik. FrontPage magazine.com 16/10/08
Syria and the Exchange of Sincere Advice-By: Hassan Dar Al-Hayat  16/10/08
Syria's blowback problem-Boston Globe 16/10/08
Let Sleiman remind foreign countries who speaks for this one-The Daily Star 16/10/08

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for October 16/08
Gen. Qahwaji: Situation Under Control-Naharnet
Gemayel Sounds the Alarm Against Oppressing Iraqi Christians-Naharnet
Hariri Donates Eight Million Dollars to Salvage Green Lebanon-Naharnet
Lebanese PM to visit Syria after 3-year boycott-Xinhua
Arab press hails Syria-Lebanon ties-BBC News
Egypt hails Lebanon-Syria 'step in right direction.AFP
Extremists turn their wrath on Syria, Lebanon-San Francisco Chronicle
Army Commander Secretly Visited Syria!Naharnet
Hale: Time Needed to Have Capable Lebanese Army-Naharnet
Jawhar's Hideout Determined, Measures to Prevent Him from Fleeing Ain el-Hilweh-Naharnet
Egypt Hails Lebanon-Syria 'Step in Right Direction-Naharnet
Jumblat Okay with Meeting Nasrallah, Won't Apologize to Syria-Naharnet
Report: Jumblat to Visit Los Angeles Nov. 15-Naharnet
Suleiman Travels to Quebec for Francophone Summit-Naharnet
New U.S. Approach Following May 7 Events, U.S. Government Source-Naharnet
Baroud: Ties with Syria Defuse Concerns-Naharnet
Saniora Would Visit Syria, but Doesn't Know When-Naharnet
Ban Hails Lebanon-Syria Ties-Naharnet
Hariri: Defense Strategy Conditional to Reconciliation-Naharnet
Hizbullah Against 'Any' Foreign Hegemony-Naharnet
March 14 Hails Establishment of Beirut-Damascus Ties-Naharnet
Rights Group Says Syrian Activist Killed-Naharnet
Grilling of Tripoli cell members leads to further arrests-Daily Star
UN chief welcomes establishment of Syria-Lebanon diplomatic relations-Xinhua
Saniora Would Visit Syria, but Doesn't Know When-Naharnet
Lebanon is well represented in Latin America, but the opposite is ...Daily Star
Falling commodity costs 'will help Lebanon'-Daily Star
New center for people with special needs opens in Tyre-Daily Star
Grilling of Tripoli cell members leads to further arrests-Daily Star
Lebanon and Syria establish official diplomatic ties with landmark deal-Daily Star
Mixed reviews for Lebanese-Syrian diplomatic ties-(AFP)
Syria ties 'positive step' - Union for Lebanon-Daily Star
Hizbullah 'unaware' of succession reports-Daily Star
UNIFIL proposal to facilitate 1701 implementation-Daily Star
Amended proposal on Constitutional Council-Daily Star
All sides applaud Beirut-Damascus ties-Daily Star
Hizbullah joins campaign to lower voting age to 18-Daily Star

Suleiman Travels to Quebec for Francophone Summit
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman traveled to Canada on Thursday to take part in the 12th Francophone summit that will be held in Quebec city. He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, state minister Nassib Lahoud and a security and media delegation. The summit will deal with four major issues: democracy and the rule of law, economic governance, the environment, and the French language. Culture Minister Tamam Salam already participated in the summit's ministerial meeting Wednesday. Suleiman will address the summit on Friday. According to An Nahar daily, he will thank the organization for its support to Lebanon and will inform conferees about the positive developments in the fields of politics, security and finance. Suleiman is expected to hold talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Canadian officials on the sidelines of the summit to discuss improvement of bilateral relations and the situation of the Lebanese community in Canada. He will also meet several leaders from Africa, where the presence of Lebanese citizens is wide. According to An Nahar, the summit's closing statement will refer among other things to the situation in Lebanon. It will express relief of member states for the return of democracy and political stability in the country. It will laud the formation of a national unity cabinet, the launching of national dialogue and stress importance to implement all related U.N. Security Council resolutions. The statement will also back the Doha Agreement and Lebanon's hosting of the Francophone games in Sept. 2009. Beirut, 16 Oct 08, 05:00

New U.S. Approach Following May 7 Events, U.S. Government Source
Naharnet/A U.S. government source said that U.S. policy principles towards Lebanon will not change. "The United States does not intend to enter into the details of political life in Lebanon at this stage," the source said in remarks published in Arabic by the daily As-Safir on Thursday. "At this stage in time this is unsuitable for us and will not necessarily help us in achieving our goals," he added. The source affirmed that his country continues to "support forces of peace and moderation," adding that this is not exclusive to one group only but is extended to "a majority of Lebanese that share the same beliefs." The unnamed U.S. source described the events of May 7 as leading to presidential elections and bringing life to constitutional institutions as well as prompting a new U.S. approach.
"What Washington is doing now is what March 14 (Forces) want -- to build a free Lebanon via its institutions," he said.
The source mentioned that he is following up on Democratic Gathering leader Walid Jumblat's positions, stating that the Druze chief is "still focusing on the general objectives and did not deviate from them." The U.S. administration does not discuss "issues" with Lebanese officials as before, but rather what he termed as "common goals.""We will no longer be involved in this kind of details," the source said, referring to press information regarding Washington's support of the Christians in Lebanon. He focused on the upcoming U.S. presidential elections, adding that the U.S. has a "binding and lasting interest" in the region.
He stressed that regardless of who the next U.S. president maybe "the U.S. has worked one administration after another towards building peace in the Middle East." "We all see Lebanon as an important arena for building peace and defeating extremist forces that are attempting to hinder us from achieving security and stability," the source indicated. "I do not expect any setback in our efforts in Lebanon. The administration will continue with its work till its last day. There is a transition period. However, I am convinced that we shall endure," he concluded. Beirut, 16 Oct 08, 11:29

Jawhar's Hideout Determined, Measures to Prevent Him from Fleeing Ain el-Hilweh
Naharnet/Security forces have reportedly arrested a Palestinian man at his workplace in the southern port city of Sidon on suspicion of having links with the terror cell that had been detained in Tripoli. The daily As-Safir on Wednesday said the number of arrests related to the terror cell behind three bomb attacks in northern Lebanon has reached more than 20. Press reports on Thursday said security forces had determined the hideout of Abdul Ghani Jawhar, a fugitive in the case.
They said measures have been taken to prevent Jawhar from fleeing the Beddawi neighborhood in northern Lebanon to the Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon. Voice of Lebanon radio station said Thursday that Jawhar carries forged passports, among them Palestinian and another claiming he comes from south Lebanon. Palestinian sources at Beddawi camp told An-Nahar newspaper that the various Palestinian factions were willing to cooperate with Lebanese security authorities "whenever they obtain information about any violator." Meanwhile, the daily As-Safir said two people were arrested overnight Wednesday during a Lebanese army raid in the village of Mashta Hammoud. The detainees were identified as M.D. and his brother M.D. too, while the third brother H.D. managed to flee. As-Safir said it was not known whether the two brothers were detained in connection with the terror cell arrested over the weekend.
Beirut, 16 Oct 08, 12:02

Hale: Time Needed to Have Capable Lebanese Army
Naharnet/The U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs has said the U.S. administration was backing the Lebanese army to protect the people, fight terror and implement U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701. David Hale also told As Safir newspaper's Washington correspondent in remarks published Thursday that building a capable Lebanese army would take time. Although he described members of the army as professional, he said the military lacked funding in the past years. The U.S. official stated that the army was subject to a process of "Syrianization" during that period. He also spoke of "unrealistic Lebanese expectations concerning the speed for developing the military institution." Hale pointed that "for two decades the army lacked funding and equipment despite the fact that its elements maintained good professionalism." His remarks were translated into English by Naharnet. He said the joint military commission set up by the U.S. and Lebanon earlier this month is a type of cooperation reserved to few allies in the region. A joint statement by the U.S. embassy in Beirut and the Lebanese army has said the commission will provide an annual opportunity to discuss military cooperation. It also said the two sides signed three new military contracts worth $63 million in U.S. grants to the Lebanese army for secure communications, ammunition and infantry weapons. Hale denied he would make monthly visits to Beirut, adding that he would come to Lebanon when U.S. ambassador Michele Sison says time is ripe for such a visit. He told As Safir that the U.S. was awaiting results of consultations in Lebanon over what type of helicopters the Lebanese army needs to fight terrorism. Hale also reiterated there would be no change in U.S. policy towards Syria. Beirut, 16 Oct 08, 08:43

Army Commander Secretly Visited Syria!
Naharnet/Lebanese army commander Gen. Jean Qahwaji has reportedly visited Syria secretly to discuss border control coordination between the two countries.
The daily al-Akhbar on Thursday said Qahwaji's meeting with the Syrian military command took place on the eve of Eid el-Fitr. It said the two sides discussed ways to prevent smuggling and curb infiltration of gunmen and terror networks across the borders. Al-Akhbar said a similar exchange visit took place after the Fitr holiday with a Syrian military delegation holding follow-up border control coordination talks in Yarze.  Head of the Lebanese intelligence visited Damascus on Sunday and met with Syria's "overall intelligence chief" Maj. Gen. Assef Shawkat, according to al-Akhbar. It said Shawkat on Sunday also discussed the security coordination with Syria's Director of Military Intelligence Brig. Gen. Edmond Fadel. Press reports uncovered that President Michel Suleiman has asked both Defense Minister Elias Murr and Interior Minister Ziad Baroud to "continuously communicate" with their Syrian counterparts in an effort to reactivate the border demarcation committee. Beirut, 16 Oct 08, 08:44

Egypt Hails Lebanon-Syria 'Step in Right Direction'
Naharnet/Egypt on Thursday hailed Syria and Lebanon's establishment of diplomatic ties for the first time since independence 60 years ago as "a step in the right direction." "Egypt is relieved by the announcement of setting up diplomatic relations between these two neighbor states," Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said in a statement. "This is a step in the right direction," he said, calling on Damascus and Beirut to "take other steps to consolidate the relationship ... with respect for each other's sovereignty." Syria and Lebanon on Wednesday announced the launch of diplomatic relations effective immediately, with the two neighbors set to open embassies in each other's capitals before the end of the year. Syria was the main powerbroker in Lebanon for three decades until it was forced to withdraw its troops in 2005. Since then ties have been often fractious with accusations by the anti-Damascus parliamentary majority in Lebanon of Syrian meddling in the country's affairs.(AFP) Beirut, 16 Oct 08, 15:14

Jumblat Okay with Meeting Nasrallah, Won't Apologize to Syria
Naharnet/Druze leader Walid Jumblat said he did not mind meeting Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah if the Shiite party's chief expressed readiness for such talks. "I am waiting for the meeting between Sheikh Saad Hariri and Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. After that, If the party saw that a meeting with me is useful, then I wouldn't mind," Jumblat told As Safir daily in an interview published Thursday. Asked if doors were not closed for such a meeting, Jumblat said: "In politics there is nothing closed." The leader of the Progressive Socialist Party denied that he would soon hold talks with Head of the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc MP Mohammed Raad at Minister Talal Arslan's residence. "We don't want to discuss issues that we would later talk about at the national dialogue table," Jumblat said.
When asked why he criticized a visit to Iran by Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, Jumblat said: "I want Lebanon to stay out of axes whether be it Western or Eastern." He said he was ready for dialogue with Iran if the Islamic Republic made the initiative. But the agenda according to Jumblat should include "the truce with Israel, implementation of the Taef Accord, the defense strategy, the excellent relations with Syria and if they (Iranians) wished to provide aid then this should happen through the Lebanese state."  Jumblat, however, refused to apologize to the Assad regime.
"I know the Syrian regime very well since the days of (former President) Hafez Assad...They want me to apologize and this is out of the question," Jumblat told As Safir. But he vowed not to interfere in Syria's internal affairs, saying: "Let the Syrian people decide the type of leadership that suits them."
When asked if he made a mistake when he called for toppling the Syrian regime, Jumblat said: "I wasn't mistaken and I am not regretful. But the international community preferred this regime" because it doesn't want chaos in Syria. "This is not the first time and it won't be the last that democratic regimes prefer dictatorships," he added. He said the March 14 alliance asked the help of the West in the issue of the international tribunal only.
"When the Syrian army evacuated Lebanon, it wasn't the Americans or the French who drove it out. It was the Lebanese people through the massive March 14 demonstration," Jumblat told his interviewer.
The PSP leader said the Americans succeeded only in helping to establish the international tribunal that would try ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's suspected assassins.
"If the new U.S. administration does not make calculations, we would head to total economic and political chaos. I foresee chaos in Afghanistan and Pakistan and maybe in Iraq," he said. When asked if the U.S. was taking advantage of the March 14 forces to achieve its own interests, Jumblat said: "Our only demand was the court and I believe we finally got it." About the upcoming parliamentary elections, Jumblat said that all March 14 forces should enter into an alliance away from party politics. He told As Safir that he would deal with the opposition based on dialogue and participation if the March 14 coalition wins the elections.
Asked if the alliance would grant the opposition again veto power in the new cabinet, Jumblat said: "In a democratic system, there is nothing called one-third (veto power). Sensitive and strategic issues such as Hizbullah's weapons" should be dealt with through dialogue even if there was no Hizbullah minister in the government. Beirut, 16 Oct 08, 07:05

Report: Jumblat to Visit Los Angeles Nov. 15
Naharnet/Head of the Democratic Gathering, MP Walid Jumblat, is scheduled to visit Los Angeles Nov. 15 to participate in a charity event bearing his name.
The daily As-Safir on Thursday said the event will be attended by Principle Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs and former ambassador to Lebanon Jeffery Feltman. The visit comes two weeks prior to the U.S. presidential elections. Jumblat is expected to stop in Washington on his way back, the daily said. Beirut, 16 Oct 08, 10:40

Hizbullah Against 'Any' Foreign Hegemony
Naharnet/Hizbullah announced Wednesday that it is against "any foreign hegemony over Lebanon."  Hizbullah's second in command, Sheikh Naim Qassem, made the announcement in a statement to reporters, also saying the party "abides by the Taef Accord frame and supports the resistance that had liberated the lands" of Lebanon. Lebanon, according to Qassem, is "the country of coexistence. Its citizens can prevent foreigners from messing with it to serve their own interests if they cooperated with each other and respected their differences and acted within the framework of laws and regulations that shepherd citizens."
Beirut, 15 Oct 08, 21:13

Geagea for Normal Relations with Syrian Brethren
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has praised the setting up of diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria, saying the Lebanese people hope for "a very normal relation with our Syrian brethren." Geagea made the remark to reporters after meeting Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa in Cairo.
He called for the speedy "tackling and settling of controversial issues with Syria ... topped by the issue of Lebanese citizens missing or detained in Syria."
Geagea also called for settling the issue of "military bases, labeled Palestinian bases" in the central Bekaa valley, along the borders with Syria, and the Naameh area south of Beirut. Such bases, Geagea said, are "in fact linked directly to Syrian intelligence agencies."
The Lebanese Forces leader also called for the speedy demarcation of the Lebanon-Syria borders "because effective sovereignty can only be established within recognized borders." Geagea said preparations are underway for holding the 2009 Parliamentary elections "along the lines of true democracy and without resorting to violence as had happed in the previous months." Beirut, 15 Oct 08, 18:18

March 14 Hails Establishment of Beirut-Damascus Ties
Naharnet/The March 14 majority alliance on Wednesday said the setting up of diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria is "victory" achieved by the "Cedar Revolution." The alliance, in a statement released by its secretariat general, said the move also is a "major achievement for the Lebanese people."
Syria's declared intention to implement U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 is the first step along the path of correcting relations between the two states," the statement said. Efforts should be exerted "to achieve border demarcation, starting with Shebaa Farms, to liberate the territory from Israeli occupation," the statement noted. It said Lebanese detainees in Syrian jails "should be released and intervention in Lebanon's domestic affairs should come to a halt."
The statement also called for "eliminating Palestinian military presence outside refugee camps." It also paid tribute to efforts exerted by security agencies that led to arresting the alleged terrorist cell in Tripoli. The majority alliance said President Michel Suleiman's recent visit to Saudi Arabia reflects "Lebanon's Arab belonging, aside from other options and visits outside the Arab flock." That was an apparent reference to the ongoing visit to Iran by Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun. Beirut, 15 Oct 08, 19:55

Hariri: Defense Strategy Conditional to Reconciliation
Naharnet/Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri on Wednesday praised the setting up of ties with Syria as "a positive step and a political gain for Lebanon and March 14 forces." Hariri, talking to reporters at the Baabda Palace, said he discussed with President Michel Suleiman reconciliatory efforts "that would proceed this week." He quoted President Suleiman as saying the "reconciliation should cover all the Lebanese (factions) because if the Lebanese are not united we would not be able to agree on a unified defense strategy that protects Lebanon." In answering a question, Hariri said a meeting with Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah would take place "soon. It is being handled by the security committees to determine the (safe) venue and date." In answering a question about alliances in the 2009 parliamentary elections, Hariri said: "The March 14 alliances are clear and we follow the path of pan-Arabism and defense of Lebanon's sovereignty. If the opposition wants to come to us, they are welcome." Beirut, 15 Oct 08, 21:42

Berri Preaches Spring in Fall
Naharnet/Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said the setting up of diplomatic ties with Syria is the "first step towards better relations between the two states."
Berri, talking to reporters after meeting President Michel Suleiman at the Baabda Palace, said the move is "the result of electing Gen. Suleiman president. This is evidence that entente among the Lebanese (factions) can produce miracles." He said there is "no problem between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. President Suleiman has emphasized on the need to have good relations with all Arab states." Berri was referring to criticism by Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun to Saudi Arabia. Reconciliation, according to Berri, has been "achieved. However, meetings between persons would be in implementation of the reconciliation."
Lebanon, according to the speaker, is "going through a spring era." Beirut, 15 Oct 08, 19:03

Aoun Praises Ties with Syria, Alliance with Hizbullah
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun on Wednesday praised the setting up of diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria and defended his alliance with Hizbullah.  Aoun made the remarks during a tour of the al-Alam Television offices in Iran. The establishment of diplomatic relations between Lebanon and Syria for the first time since independence in 1943 is "a step that can help settle many problems because it is based on mutual interests between the two states," Aoun said. He said the FPM alliance with Hizbullah is based on "national principles that are not subject to change." Hizbullah, Aoun said, "wants to use its weapons to defend Lebanon and not to seize power." He criticized Democratic Gathering leader Walid Jumblat for the latter's "fluctuating stands." Aoun said efforts underway do not achieve political rapprochement, but might end in mere "security reconciliation." The intra-Christian reconciliation has been delayed because the Marada Movement "insists on my participation and the Lebanese Forces Party hasn't accepted that," Aoun said. Beirut, 15 Oct 08, 17:53

UNIFIL proposal to facilitate 1701 implementation
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Daily Star/BEIRUT: United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon spokeswoman Yasmina Bouzianne confirmed in comments published Wednesday that UNIFIL's commander, General Claudio Graziano, presented a proposal last month to facilitate the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the part of the village of Ghajar that lies north of the Blue Line, in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. In an interview with As-Safir newspaper, Bouziane said that the initial responses on the proposal were encouraging from both sides. Bouzianne said that Graziano had held separate talks with Lebanon and Israel to discuss the proposal. "We wish to reach an agreement soon, in preparation for the implementation of ... 1701; however, the proposal is still under study and discussion," she said. Bouziane noted that Resolution 1701 stipulates that Israel must withdraw from all Lebanese territory. The proposal, she said, will facilitate the process if Israel withdraws from the Lebanese occupied northern section of Ghajar village, in accordance with Resolution 1701, which makes this compulsory for Israel. "We are still waiting for moves by those involved to implement this part of the resolution," she said

Hizbullah 'unaware' of succession reports
Thursday, October 16, 2008/Daily Star
BEIRUT: A Hizbullah media official told Ash-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper in comments Wednesday that the group was "unaware" of information published by Iranian newspaper Khoursid last week, which reported that the Hizbullah's leadership had selected Hachem Safieddine as a successor to secretary general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Khoursid quoted senior Iranian officials as saying that if "the Zionists succeed in assassinating Nasrallah, Hachem Safieddine will take over the party." "Having leaders that look alike is one of the ways that Hizbullah wages psychological warfare against the enemy, in that the assassination of one leader does not create a problem or harm the resistance," the newspaper wrote.

Syria's blowback problem
October 16, 2008
Email| Print| Single Page| Yahoo! Buzz| ShareThisText size – + THERE IS an intriguing back story to yesterday's historic announcement that Syria and Lebanon are establishing formal diplomatic relations for the first time since both countries achieved independence in the 1940s. It is a story about blowback from Sunni Islamist extremists who went to Syria from various Arab countries and were allowed to assemble there in the aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Unperturbed by Syria's all-seeing security services, these jihadists received indoctrination by radical imams and training for counter-insurgency and terrorist operations next door in Iraq.
Originally, Syria meant to tie down the United States in a draining war in Iraq - so that the Bush administration would lose whatever appetite it might have for regime change in Damascus. But as the situation changed in Iraq, and as Syria's President Bashar Assad fretted over isolation, economic sanctions, and an impending United Nations tribunal for the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, ut it was time for a change of policy.
Ever since Iraq's Sunni tribes - with American financial backing - turned against Al Qaeda early this year, Syria has pulled up the welcome mat for the Sunni jihadists flowing back into Syria and Lebanon. The reason for this change was the Syrian regime's interest in self-preservation.
That regime is dominated by Alawites, who make up only 11 percent of an overwhelmingly Sunni population. In the past, challenges to the ruling Alawite clique came from the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood. In 1982, then-President Hafez Assad, father of the current president, crushed an Islamist rebellion, killing 20,000 people in the city of Hama. Afterward, the entire old quarter of the town was bulldozed, leaving an untold number of people buried under the rubble.
This year, as Al Qaeda fighters and others retreated from Iraq, the Assad regime's old fears were revived. Recent suicide bombings in Damascus and the northern Lebanese town of Tripoli signaled that the jihadists were now turning on the Alawite regime in Syria and its Shi'ite allies in Lebanon.
It was time for Assad to make peace with the West, particularly with Lebanon's key backers, France and the United States.
One way to do that is to talk peace with Israel, as Syria has been doing through Turkish mediators. The other way is to formalize relations between Syria and a sovereign Lebanon.
As Assad comes to grips with the unintended consequences of Syria's recent policies, the United States has an opportunity to revive diplomacy - and needs to make the most of it.
© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.

Syria and the Exchange of Sincere Advice
Hassan Haidar
Al-Hayat - 16/10/08//
When caught, criminals, regardless of the gravity of their crime, will steer away from their former lifestyle and the behavior that led them to prison, because they have no other choice but to wait for their sentence. Until then, they have time to look into themselves and reconsider. Either they admit their guilt and confess their crimes, thereby obtaining the court's mercy, or they insist on their mistakes and receive their punishment, which may not be limited to a lifetime in prison, and differs from one judicial system to another. However, in Saudi Arabia, for example, an experiment has been developed, giving those who were involved in terrorist activities, after having been led astray and brainwashed, a chance to look into themselves and return to the right path. They call this the exchange of sincere advice, and it is based on questioning the reasons that led them astray, and on showing how these contradict the bases of true Islam, on the basis that everyone deserves a second chance, even if they have been proven guilty.
Of course, Saudi Arabia's officials know that, from among those included in the exchange of sincere advice, there are some who could truly be convinced, after being exposed to arguments and supporting evidence, and would chose to become moderate in their behavior and to steer away from the reasons that led them astray, and that there are also others who will claim to be convinced simply to obtain attenuating circumstances that could lead to their release. In fact, it has already happened for security forces to arrest terrorists who had previously been incarcerated and released by virtue of that system, after having pledged not to return to their past transgressions.
What applies to individuals also applies to states. After the assassination of Rafic Hariri, a "sentence" was issued by the Lebanese people, as well as by the Arab and International communities, condemning the manner in which Syria dealt with Lebanon over the course of three decades. Its army withdrew from Lebanon, and Syria became subjected to political isolation by the Arab states and the international community. Additionally, it came under the pressure of demands that it moderate and correct its behavior, as well as establish normal relations with its small neighbor, based on parity and on the respect of borders and sovereignty. However, Damascus has not conformed, and has continued to interfere, directly and indirectly, in Lebanon's internal affairs, with the help of its Lebanese allies. It has persisted in pressuring Lebanon's brittle democratic system and its security, by opening the borders to arm Hezbollah and others, and by insisting on considering Lebanon a "subordinate" that should commit to what serves Syria's interests, while waiting for the international community to "get tired" of pursuing the issue, or for its "mood and rulers to change".
The response to such stubbornness was the maintaining of isolation and pressures, until the opening of the French "exchange of sincere advice". The latter is an attempt to convince Syria that returning to normalized international relations is contingent on a series of steps that it must take to prove to the international community that it has truly changed its behavior and become "convinced" of the necessity of allowing Lebanon to restore its stability. Despite the amount of Syrian troops gathered at Lebanon's northern border and the talk of "focal spots of terrorism" in its second largest city, Tripoli, Damascus has agreed to establish diplomatic relations with its neighbor, which is an important symbolic step, although it is still eluding, under various pretexts, the decision of the complete delimitation of its borders with Lebanon.
Some have seen a "good omen" in Syria's decision, and have called for completing it with additional steps, not the least of which would be shutting off the "faucet" of weapons smuggling. Nevertheless, the real results of the French exchange of sincere advice may be awaiting the test of the final report of the Investigation Commission into the Hariri Assassination and the nearing of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon

Syria, Enemy of Peace
By P. David Hornik
FrontPageMagazine.com | Thursday, October 16, 2008
Calm, albeit tense, appears to have returned to the Israeli town of Acre (pronounced, and more reasonably spelled, Akko) after days of Arab-Jewish clashes. The disturbances were touched off last week when an Arab motorist named Tawfiq Jamal entered and—according to eyewitnesses—intentionally disrupted with loud music a Jewish neighborhood on the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year.
Jamal, though claiming he was innocent and had merely entered the neighborhood on the way to pick up his daughter, was arrested by the Israel police on Monday, then remanded to house arrest. On Sunday eleven Arab notables from Akko published an apology for his actions. Dozens of Arab and Jewish rioters have also been arrested.
The most disturbing incident occurred on Yom Kippur eve when, after a mosque preacher spread a false rumor that Jamal had been killed by Jewish residents, hundreds of Arab residents chanting “Itbach al-Yahud!” (“Kill the Jews!”) and “Allahu Akbar!” (“God is great”!) stormed through downtown Akko ransacking Jewish businesses and smashing windows of Jewish-owned cars. At present, reconciliation efforts by leaders of both the Arab and Jewish communities in the town, and by both Arab and Jewish members of the Israeli government, offer hope that stability will return.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, two Arab parties outside of Israel published reactions to the Akko disturbances. Here are excerpts from one party’s statement:
“[We condemn] the campaign of aggression in Akko organized by the gangs of settlers with the support of the Israeli occupation regime. [We congratulate] the honorable members of our nation who are standing firm in the city of Akko and the villages of northern occupied Palestine…. We strongly condemn these savage attacks and stress that these moves, which are carried out in coordination with the enemy’s police, would not have taken place if not for the international plot against the Palestinian issue and the Arab disregard toward the rights of the Palestinian people. These attacks are aimed at completing the plans of the racist expulsion carried out by the Israeli occupation authorities, in addition to the desecration of the holiness of the al-Aqsa Mosque [in Jerusalem] and the turning of part of its sacred territory into a Jewish synagogue [like much else here, a fabrication].”
Here are excerpts from the second party’s response:
“The Akko incidents testify not only to the spreading of racism throughout Israeli society, whose roots date back to the establishment of Israel on Palestinian land, but also to the cancellation of all claims that Israel is an island of democracy. Its hate and terror crimes have been known and documented for 60 years. These crimes derive from pure Zionist intentions, rabbinical orders, and conventions of the Zionist movement dealing with the banishment of the other, original land-owners…. what occurred in Akko is an expression of a methodical and consistent policy of racism attempting to fight the presence of Arabs in Israel by frightening them into leaving, similarly to methods adopted by the Haganah gangs and other Zionist terrorist gangs…. The settlers who were brought from Safed and Tiberias [like much in the passage, a fantasy; also Safed and Tiberias are, like Akko, towns in pre-1967 Israel] set fire to Arab homes…with the direct support of Israeli military units in order to thwart any attempt at objection by the residents of those homes and succeed in their mission to Judaize Akko and Arab property…. is it not shameful that the US has conspired to revoke the UN Resolution determining that Zionism is a form of racism and discrimination? Is this not the US’s green light to Israel, to complete its plans to transfer the Arabs?”
The first statement was released by Hezbollah. No surprise there; although, to this day, Europe—which does a lot of business with its patron Iran—has refused to define Hezbollah as a terror organization, the Israeli and U.S. governments have no illusions about its nature and aren’t calling for talks with it as a potentially constructive actor interested in peace.
The second statement was published—to repeat, on Tuesday, two days after Akko Arab leaders issued an apology for Tawfiq Jamal’s Yom Kippur intrusion and amid joint efforts by Jewish and Arab community leaders and officials to restore calm to Akko—in Syria’s state-run daily Tishrin. The style in terms of rhetoric and content is the same. The difference is that Syria is considered—recurrently by U.S. governments, at present particularly by the Israeli government—a constructive actor interested in peace with whom talks have recently been pursued and must continue to be pursued.
Indeed, the issue of talks with Syria has played a major part in coalition negotiations between the Kadima and Labor parties, with Labor leader and Defense Minister Ehud Barak seeking a greater role in contacts with Damascus. Given Barak’s focus on security matters that may seem reassuring, but in fact his brief, woeful tenure as prime minister in 1999-2001was marked, among other debacles, by an attempt—which Damascus rejected—to award Syria the strategic Golan Heights in return for professions of peace.
Barak, Foreign Minister and prime minister-designate Tzipi Livni of Kadima, and the likeminded are certain to pass over Tishrin’s statement on the Akko disturbances as if it didn’t exist. Rationally speaking, though, such statements should be sufficient to put an end to speculations about Syria as a peace interlocutor, let alone talks with it aimed at giving up strategic Israeli territory.
The statement’s only possible purpose—instead of, like some Arab figures in Israel, helping to cool the Akko imbroglio—is to encourage in the millions of Syrian Tishrin readers a total, murderous hatred of Israel as an entirely criminal, illegitimate entity. It is what one would expect from a terror organization like Hezbollah—or a terror-funding, harboring, and supporting regime like the one in Damascus that is its close ally and shares the same anti-Israeli, anti-Semitic, anti-American, anti-Western stance.
At the very least, a self-respecting Israeli government would demand that such hate-rhetoric cease completely before diplomatic activity can even be considered. At present it appears possible that Kadima and Labor won’t find enough additional partners to form a coalition, necessitating new elections from which a more self-respecting, realistic Israeli government may emerge.

Lebanon and Syria establish official diplomatic ties with landmark deal
Syrian foreign minister vows embassy will not be 'new anjar'
By Nicholas Kimbrell/Daily Star staff
Thursday, October 16, 2008
BEIRUT: Lebanon and Syria announced the establishment of formal diplomatic ties Wednesday in a joint statement signed by both countries' foreign ministers in Damascus. The announcement came a day after Syrian President Bashar Assad issued a presidential decree ordering the establishment of bilateral ties and the opening of an embassy in Beirut.
In the landmark agreement, which was to take effect immediately, Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh and his Syrian counterpart Walid Moallem agreed to establish diplomatic relations and exchange embassy-level missions by year's end.
News reports Wednesday suggested that the Syrian Embassy would open on November 22, Lebanon's Independence Day, and that the ambassador would be a Syrian Christian. Lebanon's ambassador to Syria is expected to be a Maronite Christian.
Christian rivals Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea both welcomed the developments. While voicing certain reservations, Geagea said the Lebanese want "a very normal relation with our Syrian brethren."
Aoun, meanwhile, praised the normalization of relations, calling the establishment of diplomatic ties "a step that can help settle many problems."
The joint statement, carried by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), said: "The foreign ministers, after signing this joint statement, announce the start of the diplomatic ties between [Lebanon and Syria] in line with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations as of today, October 15, 2008."
"The two sides reiterate their keenness on enhancing and bolstering the Syrian-Lebanese relations on the basis of mutual respect for each side's sovereignty and independence and maintaining the distinguished fraternal ties between the two sisterly countries," it added.
SANA reported that Wednesday's agreement was the "implementation of the special announcement" issued in August by Assad and Lebanese President Michel Sleiman during the latter's official visit to Syria. Sleiman's trip was seen as a diplomatic breakthrough, with both heads of state agreeing to the preliminary establishment of formal ties. Sleiman and Assad had announced their intentions to formalize relations at a Paris summit in July.
France lauded the normalization of ties Wednesday, welcoming a new era of regional relations. "This is an important step for stability in the region," said French Foreign Ministry spokesman Eric Chevallier.
"We now expect ambassadors to be named and the opening of two embassies before the end of the year," he added. "We also encourage the parties to achieve progress on all bilateral issues, including the demarcation and control of the border, as well as prisoner return and accounting for the missing."
A spokesperson for United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also praised "the historic steps taken by Lebanon and Syria to establish full diplomatic relations.""This joint effort between two nations reinforces the sovereignty, stability and political independence of the Lebanese state in accordance with the Taif Accord and relevant Security Council resolutions," the UN spokesperson added.
The UN's newly appointed special coordinator for Lebanon, Michael Williams, said the agreement was a"very important moment for bilateral ties between the two countries, Lebanon and Syria ... [and] a very important moment regionally." Before Assad's Tuesday decree and Wednesday's agreement,
US President George W. Bush on Monday called on Syria to respect Lebanese sovereignty and establish official diplomatic ties. Lebanon and Syria have not had official diplomatic ties since they both gained their independence from France in the 1940s. For 30 of those years, Syria dominated political life and maintained a military presence in Lebanon, beginning in 1976 and ending after the assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri and the ensuing popular protests across Beirut. Many in the West and local anti-Syrian parties blamed Syria for orchestrating the murder, allegations Syria denies.
At a press conference following the signing of the statement, Moallem, with Salloukh and Nasri Khoury, head of the Syrian-Lebanese Higher Council, at his side, confirmed that the two countries would exchange ambassadors by the end of 2008. "We hope our brotherly and historic ties will be strengthened [by the agreement]," he said. Moallem, in what appeared to be an attempt to allay the fears of the anti-Syrian March 14 alliance, said a Syrian embassy in Beirut would not become a "new Anjar." Anjar was the site of a Syrian intelligence center in the Bekaa Valley that frequently functioned as an arbiter of intra-Lebanese disputes during the period of "tutelage."
Salloukh said the two states would work to address historic points of contention, like border demarcation, Lebanese held in Syrian jails and a review of existing bilateral accords. "Joint committees need to meet in a more intensive manner," he added. Before leaving for Damascus, Salloukh told The Daily Star Tuesday that his visit would be a "crown [on] the excellent relations of the two countries." Assad's decree on Tuesday was received warmly in Lebanon and abroad, although some parties cautioned that it was only a first step. The establishment of diplomatic relations comes after several months of mounting tensions between Lebanon and Syria following two bombings in Tripoli and a suicide blast in Damascus which Syria blamed on an Islamic extremist from a neighboring Arab country.
Some in the March 14 alliance voiced concern over Assad's September comments about the need to address Islamist militants in North Lebanon, and the subsequent deployment of 10,000 Syrian troops to the Lebanese border fueled rumors of a potential Syrian incursion.
But the arrests of members of a terrorist cell in Tripoli this week and recent calls for Lebanese-Syrian cooperation to fight Islamic extremism seem to have defused some of the tension. Moallem and Salloukh agreed Wednesday that the countries need to cooperate in the fight against radical militants in both countries. "We need to rid ourselves of the smugglers and those who are sowing conflicts and bombs," Salloukh said. Moallem called for strengthening "security cooperation."
Wednesday's pact was a further sign that Syria's relationship with the West may be changing. Assad hosted a four-way summit in September with French, Turkish and Qatari leaders and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Moallem at the UN less than three weeks ago. Syria has emerged as a key regional broker in intra-Palestinian reconciliation talks and has been participating in Turkey-mediated peace talks with Israel. - With agencies

Mixed reviews for Lebanese-Syrian diplomatic ties
By Agence France Presse (AFP) /Thursday, October 16, 2008
Analysis/Jocelyne Zablit
BEIRUT: The opening of diplomatic ties between Syria and Lebanon on Wednesday needs to be followed up by concrete steps proving Damascus recognizes the independence of its smaller neighbor, analysts say. "I don't expect a building with a Syrian flag on it to solve everything," said Osama Safa, head of the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies. "An embassy is a very important confidence-building measure ... but this has to be followed with concrete steps showing there is a change of style and a change of attitude."Safa's comments came after the foreign ministers of Syria and Lebanon signed an agreement formalizing ties between the two countries for the first time since both gained independence from France in the 1940s. Damascus was the main powerbroker in Lebanon for three decades until it was forced to withdraw its troops from the country in 2005 following the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri.
Bilateral ties have since been strained with Lebanon's Western-backed parliamentary majority accusing Damascus of being behind a string of assassinations of anti-Syrian figures and of fomenting political unrest, accusations Syria denies.
Safa told AFP that future relations between the two neighbors would be largely determined by Syria's behavior in the months ahead.
"If they no longer amass troops on the border to send a message ... we may see a real change of heart and attitude by the Syrians," Safa said, referring to last month's deployment of Syrian troops along the Northern Lebanese border. The move was interpreted by Lebanese anti-Syrian politicians as a warning by Damascus that its troops may return. Several analysts said they believed the forging of diplomatic ties was just a smokescreen and an attempt by Damascus to appease the West, which has been pressing the Syrian regime on the issue.
They also say Syria was encouraged by the fact that its close ally in Lebanon, the resistance group Hizbullah, was now part of a national unity government in which it has veto power over key decisions. "Syria may change its tactics vis-a-vis Lebanon but not its strategy," said Hilal Khashan, head of the political science department at the American University of Beirut. "Syria is trying to break its isolation in the region so they have to show a gesture of goodwill," he added.
"But I don't think the [Syrian regime] has changed its mindset on Lebanon," Khashan said. "They still feel Lebanon is part of Syria."But Fadia Kiwan, chairwoman of the political science department at Saint Joseph University, said the establishment of ties was a key step that reflected a new phase in bilateral relations. "I think the Syrians have understood that if Lebanon is swallowed up it cannot be digested and Lebanon has brought them a lot of headaches," she said. "There is a real change in Lebanese-Syrian relations, there is a normalization and it is sincere," Kiwan added. "[Neither] country can continue clashing with the other. They have to reach a minimum of consensus." However, she added that Damascus would lay off its tiny neighbor as long as it did not feel threatened. "They are for the normalization of relations on condition that Lebanon is ruled by people they feel comfortable with and who are not aggressive toward Syria," said Kiwan

Syria ties 'positive step' - Union for Lebanon
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Daily Star/BEIRUT: The Union for Lebanon described Wednesday the establishment of diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria, as a "positive step." "However, such a step remains a deficient one, unless the issue of the Lebanese detainees and missing in Syrian prisons is once and for all solved," the union said following its weekly meeting headed by Massoud al-Ashkar

Lebanon and Syria establish official diplomatic ties with landmark deal
Syrian foreign minister vows embassy will not be 'new anjar'
By Nicholas Kimbrell/Daily Star staff
Thursday, October 16, 2008
BEIRUT: Lebanon and Syria announced the establishment of formal diplomatic ties Wednesday in a joint statement signed by both countries' foreign ministers in Damascus. The announcement came a day after Syrian President Bashar Assad issued a presidential decree ordering the establishment of bilateral ties and the opening of an embassy in Beirut.
In the landmark agreement, which was to take effect immediately, Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh and his Syrian counterpart Walid Moallem agreed to establish diplomatic relations and exchange embassy-level missions by year's end.
News reports Wednesday suggested that the Syrian Embassy would open on November 22, Lebanon's Independence Day, and that the ambassador would be a Syrian Christian. Lebanon's ambassador to Syria is expected to be a Maronite Christian.
Christian rivals Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea both welcomed the developments. While voicing certain reservations, Geagea said the Lebanese want "a very normal relation with our Syrian brethren."
Aoun, meanwhile, praised the normalization of relations, calling the establishment of diplomatic ties "a step that can help settle many problems."
The joint statement, carried by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), said: "The foreign ministers, after signing this joint statement, announce the start of the diplomatic ties between [Lebanon and Syria] in line with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations as of today, October 15, 2008."
"The two sides reiterate their keenness on enhancing and bolstering the Syrian-Lebanese relations on the basis of mutual respect for each side's sovereignty and independence and maintaining the distinguished fraternal ties between the two sisterly countries," it added.
SANA reported that Wednesday's agreement was the "implementation of the special announcement" issued in August by Assad and Lebanese President Michel Sleiman during the latter's official visit to Syria.
Sleiman's trip was seen as a diplomatic breakthrough, with both heads of state agreeing to the preliminary establishment of formal ties. Sleiman and Assad had announced their intentions to formalize relations at a Paris summit in July.
France lauded the normalization of ties Wednesday, welcoming a new era of regional relations. "This is an important step for stability in the region," said French Foreign Ministry spokesman Eric Chevallier.
"We now expect ambassadors to be named and the opening of two embassies before the end of the year," he added. "We also encourage the parties to achieve progress on all bilateral issues, including the demarcation and control of the border, as well as prisoner return and accounting for the missing."
A spokesperson for United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also praised "the historic steps taken by Lebanon and Syria to establish full diplomatic relations."
"This joint effort between two nations reinforces the sovereignty, stability and political independence of the Lebanese state in accordance with the Taif Accord and relevant Security Council resolutions," the UN spokesperson added.
The UN's newly appointed special coordinator for Lebanon, Michael Williams, said the agreement was a"very important moment for bilateral ties between the two countries, Lebanon and Syria ... [and] a very important moment regionally."
Before Assad's Tuesday decree and Wednesday's agreement, US President George W. Bush on Monday called on Syria to respect Lebanese sovereignty and establish official diplomatic ties.  Lebanon and Syria have not had official diplomatic ties since they both gained their independence from France in the 1940s.
For 30 of those years, Syria dominated political life and maintained a military presence in Lebanon, beginning in 1976 and ending after the assassination of former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri and the ensuing popular protests across Beirut. Many in the West and local anti-Syrian parties blamed Syria for orchestrating the murder, allegations Syria denies. At a press conference following the signing of the statement, Moallem, with Salloukh and Nasri Khoury, head of the Syrian-Lebanese Higher Council, at his side, confirmed that the two countries would exchange ambassadors by the end of 2008.
"We hope our brotherly and historic ties will be strengthened [by the agreement]," he said. Moallem, in what appeared to be an attempt to allay the fears of the anti-Syrian March 14 alliance, said a Syrian embassy in Beirut would not become a "new Anjar."Anjar was the site of a Syrian intelligence center in the Bekaa Valley that frequently functioned as an arbiter of intra-Lebanese disputes during the period of "tutelage."
Salloukh said the two states would work to address historic points of contention, like border demarcation, Lebanese held in Syrian jails and a review of existing bilateral accords. "Joint committees need to meet in a more intensive manner," he added. Before leaving for Damascus, Salloukh told The Daily Star Tuesday that his visit would be a "crown [on] the excellent relations of the two countries." Assad's decree on Tuesday was received warmly in Lebanon and abroad, although some parties cautioned that it was only a first step. The establishment of diplomatic relations comes after several months of mounting tensions between Lebanon and Syria following two bombings in Tripoli and a suicide blast in Damascus which Syria blamed on an Islamic extremist from a neighboring Arab country.
Some in the March 14 alliance voiced concern over Assad's September comments about the need to address Islamist militants in North Lebanon, and the subsequent deployment of 10,000 Syrian troops to the Lebanese border fueled rumors of a potential Syrian incursion.
But the arrests of members of a terrorist cell in Tripoli this week and recent calls for Lebanese-Syrian cooperation to fight Islamic extremism seem to have defused some of the tension. Moallem and Salloukh agreed Wednesday that the countries need to cooperate in the fight against radical militants in both countries. "We need to rid ourselves of the smugglers and those who are sowing conflicts and bombs," Salloukh said. Moallem called for strengthening "security cooperation."
Wednesday's pact was a further sign that Syria's relationship with the West may be changing. Assad hosted a four-way summit in September with French, Turkish and Qatari leaders and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Moallem at the UN less than three weeks ago.
Syria has emerged as a key regional broker in intra-Palestinian reconciliation talks and has been participating in Turkey-mediated peace talks with Israel. - With agencies

A Lebanese-Canadian among the Lebanese
By Ghenwa Yehia /Daily Star
Thursday, October 16, 2008
In a land where lunch is more important than dinner, pedestrians never have the right of way, electricity is a luxury, and you make more missed calls than actual cell-phone calls, I truly stick out like a sore thumb. Born and raised in Canada, coming to Lebanon for the first time on my very own has been an experience and a half. And I'm only one week into my two-month trip.
I have visited Lebanon before, but I've always come with my parents, my brothers and my sister. This time, it's just me. While I am staying with family here, it's not really the same. And even though I can speak enough Arabic to make myself understood, there are some things that I don't think I can ever get used to.
Like the fact that with the simple introduction along the lines of, "Hi, my name is Ghenwa Yehia," or "I'm from the Aley-Aaramoun area," people here can automatically tell my religion, take a pretty accurate guess at my political orientation, and make assumptions of my character and what type of person I am.
This blatant classification and prejudice of people is something I've never encountered before. In Canada, even if people try to guess where you are from based on your name, it is sometimes met with a raised eyebrow. And it rarely makes a difference in how you treat someone if you know their background or not. I've never been met with hostility in Canada after revealing that I am Lebanese-Canadian, as I have in one unfortunate encounter here.
Roaming around Beirut by myself the other day, I found myself in one of my favorite places: the Raouche section of Beirut's corniche. There is something about the area that is chaotically tranquil and has drawn me to it ever since I first visited it two years ago. The bustle of strolling pedestrians, runners, and motorbikes competing for space to move; the suffocating heat of the Mediterranean air; the raging traffic and the vivid blue water slapping against Raouche's base: It all blends together to create a sense of ilhayat - life. This bustle of carefree life is something I rarely experience in the normalcy of everyday life back home.
As I continued my walk, I stopped to buy a kaak to munch on and leaned against the railing near the sudden drop down to the sea to take it all in. Beside me, two young women and a man were arguing animatedly about politics. I smiled to myself, thinking that no matter how hard I tried there wasn't a place in Lebanon that was a politics-free zone. In any case one of the women must have noticed me looking at them so she turned to me and asked what I found so funny about their discussion. I told her "nothing," and apologized for having "interrupted" their conversation.
"Where are you from?" she asked after hearing me speak.
I told her and was met with a sneer. "Don't get me started on you people," she answered, after which she began to berate me about everything wrong with "my people."
Now, it's unfair to classify all Canadians as unprejudiced and all Lebanese as hostile or mean. This woman, I feel, was a rarity in her treatment of me among the many gracious, generous, and truly helpful people I've encountered here, be they Shia or Sunni, Christian or Druze. But it just goes to show you how deep-seated the effects of the 15-year-long Civil War that ended in1990 actually are. This country, this jewel of the Middle East that I love as my homeland, was at one point ravaged by war, mass murder, and ethnic cleansing - the effects of which I, as an outsider despite my Lebanese background, can never truly understand.
Shakespeare once wrote the famous line: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet." And like Juliet, who spoke those famous words, not having been here during those tumultuous times I am left to wonder how it came to be that knowing what people are, rather than who they are, can make all the difference in the world.
**Ghenwa Yehia is a member of THE DAILY STAR 's internship program.

Lebanon is well represented in Latin America, but the opposite is not necessarily the case
One woman with Lebanese roots tells how she reversed the traditional migratory route by leaving Argentina after meeting a husband here
By Aline-Sophia Hirseland
Special to The Daily Star
Thursday, October 16, 2008
BEIRUT: Looking for traces of Latin Americans in Lebanon is like looking for a needle in a haystack. There are virtually none, even though there is a large Lebanese community in Latin America. Admittedly, Latin America is far away from Lebanon. But we are living in the era of globalization. Should there not be at least some small evidence of them?
Noemi del Valle Made de Aoun, who is descended from a Lebanese grandfather, came to Lebanon in 1997.
De Aoun's father spoke no Arabic, but the family stayed in touch with their Lebanese relatives until 1975, the year Lebanon's 15-year Civil War started. When the internal situation had been calm for several years, she and her brother came to visit the until then unknown family. This is when she met her husband, George Aoun, and decided to stay.
"The first year was very difficult," she recalled. "It was hard for me to get used to my new environment. My family in Argentina didn't like my decision at all. They all said: 'Visiting is ok, but why do you have to live there?' They said I was crazy."
Latin American traces in Beirut are rare and diffuse. There is a salsa night every Wednesday at Gemmayzeh's Club Social, and the Brazilian martial art/dance Capoeira seems to be gaining popularity. The Brazilian Embassy organized a Capoeira Festival in Zouk Mikhael in August and another one is scheduled this month by a the Capoeira Sobreviventes school. The American University of Beirut has a Latino Dance Club. Some restaurants specialize in Latin American food, like several Argentinian steak houses, Mexican restaurants and others.
But the foregoing, for the most part, is it.
De Aoun is trying to preserve her Argentinian roots by, for instance, cooking milanesa, humitas and tucumanas, dishes from her home province. And she still loves beef, even though her Lebanese husband is not a big fan of it. She speaks Spanish with her three children, although she has now become fluent in colloquial Arabic. "I had no choice," she explains. "I speak no English or French, and I like to talk, so I had to learn Arabic."
Her daughter Nur would like to learn a favorite Latin dance, the Tango, but de Aoun says the only school is very far away and too expensive.
Statistics on the number of Latin Americans in Lebanon are not thought to be very reliable. There are no official figures, not even from the embassies in question, only estimations. As for the reverse, Michael Francis Gepp, the consul general of Brazil in Lebanon, says there are about 8 million Lebanese living in Brazil alone. The current Brazilian minister of education, Fernando Haddad, is of Lebanese origin.
Gepp estimates that between 4,000 and 5,000 Brazilians are currently living in Lebanon. They are concentrated mainly in the Bekaa valley and many of them have Lebanese roots. They are children or grandchildren of Lebanese who migrated to the Americas in the late 19th or early 20th century. Some of these "Brazilians" have never been to Brazil, Gepp remarks. "When we evacuated the Brazilians registered at the embassy [during the war with Israel] in 2006 and sent them to Brazil, they were interviewed by several TV channels on their arrival, and none of them spoke Portuguese," he recalls. "People asked me what kind of 'Brazilians' I had sent."
According to Mildred Dalida, who works at the Venezuelan Embassy, 6,000 Venezuelans are registered with the mission, but she thinks there must be more in Lebanon, since not everybody registers. Venezuela, like Brazil, has a large Lebanese community. The Venezuelans occasionally organize cultural events, but in an informal way and without a permanent cultural center. Dalida estimates that around 80 percent of the "original" Latin Americans living in Lebanon are women who, like herself, married Lebanese men. De Aoun and her husband tried to start a life in Argentina in 2000. But they could not find work, and a year later the Argentine economy crashed. So they returned to Lebanon, where despite political instability George Aoun can always earn a living as an electrician. But Noemi de Aoun says she sometimes misses her family and friends back home. She thinks the Argentinians are less formal. It is easier, she says by way of example, to just to pass by someone's house, unannounced, for a chat over tea. Nonetheless, she likes the fact that her children are learning three languages at school, in addition to the one they speak at home. She considers this is to be a level of education she could not offer them in Argentina

Let Sleiman remind foreign countries who speaks for this one
By The Daily Star
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Editorial
It is one thing for Lebanon's head of state to carry out regular official visits to foreign countries, as President Michel Sleiman has done several times since assuming office in May. As the republic's most senior official, the president's responsibilities include the maintenance and expansion of bilateral relationships, as well as consolidating Lebanon's position within multilateral organizations like the United Nations. The same cannot be said, however, when lesser political figures flit about the Middle East - and sometimes further afield - to curry favor with their various foreign backers. That kind of activity diminishes Lebanon on the world stage and encourages outsiders to view this country a playground.
Manifestly, this unfortunate habit of Lebanon's political class will not end any time soon. Sorely lacking in legitimacy at home, they no doubt feel a strong need to court powerful constituencies abroad. And it might be considered undiplomatic for leaders in countries like Egypt and Iran to turn down requests for audiences from Lebanese politicians.
The only hope is that when these regimes host various representatives of Lebanon's squabbling pols, they make it clear that stirring the pots that hold this country's myriad internal divisions is not something in which they want to be involved. Getting them to do so, however, stacks up as a massive challenge given the never-ending struggle for regional dominance, one influenced by factors as disparate as sectarian mistrust, energy resources, and disagreements over how to deal with Israel's never-ending quest to subjugate its neighbors - and America's refusal to rein the Zionist impulse in.
This is where Sleiman's travels can be especially useful. Wherever he goes, whatever he does, and whomever he sees, the president can render an essential service to himself and his compatriots if he reminds all and sundry of the many evils that have befallen Lebanon in the past because of the ease with which outside players have recruited local minions to serve their interests rather than Lebanese ones. He is unlikely to obtain blanket cooperation, but on behalf of a country long defined by divided loyalties, someone in authority has to communicate the opposite

INTERVIEW: Time for a strong state, says Lebanon's Gagea
Posted : Thu, 16 Oct 2008
Author : DPA
Cairo - A day after Syria and Lebanon signed an agreement to create formal diplomatic ties for the first time ever, Samir Geagea, head of a major Lebanese Christian party and an implacable opponent of Syria - called for a strong state to ward off Syrian influence, and also the disarmament of Hezbollah. In an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur in Cairo, the 56- year-old head of the Lebanese Forces party called on Syria to prove its good intentions in Lebanon by securing the border and developing normal diplomatic relations - in contrast to Syria's long-standing attempts to manipulate Lebanon's volatile political and ethnic mix.
"The decision to establish the ties is a positive step," he said. "But other issues - like the list of Lebanese prisoners still held in Syrian jails, or the military bases of Palestinian factions loyal to Syria, and the demarcation of borders between two countries - should follow."
Syrian troops had occupied Lebanon since the civil war which raged from 1975 until 1990. The troops left only in 2005, following massive public demonstrations - sparked by the assassination of former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri - that became known as the Cedar Revolution.
Geagea, a Maronite Christian from the northern town of Bsharri who led troops in the civil war, spent 11 years in solitary confinement during the Syrian occupation as a result of his opposition to Syrian rule. He was released in 2005, following Syria's departure.
Since 1991 Damascus and Beirut have been tied by a treaty of "friendship and cooperation," although Syria has been repeatedly accused of meddling in Lebanon's politics, most recently for a troop deployment along the northern border in September.
According to Geagea, this deployment, which Syria says was intended to curb smuggling, is nothing but an attempt to "terrorize the people of Lebanon before the parliamentary elections ... because they are loyal to the anti-Syrian majority."
Lebanon is due to hold parliamentary elections in May 2009. The Western-backed anti-Syrian majority has high support in the north of the country.
In the meantime, the solution to the spectre of Syrian intervention in Lebanon was, said Geagea, a strong state and firm borders.
In the weeks running up to Wednesday's ceremony, Lebanon had witnessed a number of attacks which Geagea, and others, blamed on Damascus.
On October 12 members of the group Fatah al-Islam were arrested in Tripoli in connection with a bomb attack in September - an event, Geagea said, which was financed by Syria to "spark chaos in Lebanon."
"There will be no sovereignty for Lebanon without clear and effective borders," he stressed.
"It is time to have a strong Lebanese state that can defend itself, and the weapons should be in the hands of the Lebanese government," he added in a pointed reference to the continued military dominance of Hezbollah, regarded as the strongest fighting force in the country.
In 2006 Israel invaded Lebanon in a 33-day war in an attempt to de-fang the Islamist movement which is widely regarded as funded and trained by Iran.
Hezbollah's weapons became an even more divisive issue in May 2008, when the group took control of large parts of Beirut in the worst political crisis since the end of the civil war.
Geagea expressed scepticism over Syria's real motives for establishing formal political ties. "Future relations between Lebanon and Syria depend on Syria," he said. "After all, Lebanon never tried to control Syria."

Lebanon: Torn between War & Peace!
Voisinage
Written by Harry Hagopian
Thursday, 16 October 2008
Newropeans Magazine
http://www.newropeans-magazine.org/content/view/8599/1/

It was not so very long ago that the majority of the Lebanese people celebrated joyfully the brokering of the Doha Agreement that promised to put an end to the interminable chapters of political and physical violence.

One of the more unusual ways in which they tasted this hopeful sense of coming together was the introduction by Häagen Daz of the ‘Doha Agreement Ice Cream Cone’. For just LL 10,400, the Lebanese could buy a cone that was the result of a joint venture between the American ice cream giant in Lebanon and Qatar Airways. The promotion was expected to last so long as the mood in the country remained one of reconciliation - or at least until the politicians “started fighting again.”

However, I did not see those cones being sold at any of the outlets when I visited Beirut recently. Did I not look hard enough, or was it likely due to the fact that reconciliation had weakened as a marketable currency in the country?

Over the past three months, much has happened in Lebanon. The Lebanese got a new president at long last, and a national unity cabinet was put together that also amended the previous electoral law of 1960. Mind you, it did not grant Lebanese expatriates the right to vote in the next parliamentary elections, nor did it lower the voting age from 21 to 18 although the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child defines anyone over 18 as an adult. Moreover, Presidents Assad and Suleiman also importantly agreed - at least in principle - to establish formal diplomatic relations, with Damascus and Beirut opening embassies in their respective countries for the first time in 64 years since independence from French mandate.

But in addition to those developments relating to the Doha Agreement, and even though ice cream cones are not easy to find in the market, there are a few hopeful efforts at reconciliation underway, all the way from the national all-factions dialogue under the aegis of the president, to the parallel efforts aimed at bridging the yawning gaps between bickering Christian political parties to the one-on-one meetings of bellicose political leaders such as those of Al-Mustaqbal and Hizbullah.

Yet, whilst all those sanguine efforts are trying to contribute toward the stabilisation of the country, tensions remain quite dangerously high. There are murderous attacks and inter-confessional spurts of violence occurring for instance across the northern town of Tripoli that is largely a Sunni bastion. An oft-quoted example is the recurrent violence between the Baal Mohsen district (that is pro-opposition) and Bab al Tabbaneh neighbourhood (that is pro-majority). There have also been bloody attacks against Lebanese soldiers as well as civilians on buses or in streets. Those examples exacerbate the fears of many Lebanese that darker clouds could easily re-appear on the horizon again After all, Tripoli is geographically close to Syria, and some pundits harbour the suspicion that an unsettled Tripoli could be used by Syria as justification to extend its influence over Lebanon or even send its army back into the country. Indeed, it is no mere detail that the highest-ranking Salafi Authority in Lebanon, Dai al-Islam Shahhal, warned against an incursion by the Syrian Army into north Lebanon saying it would open "the gates of hell and lead to what is similar to Iraq and its misery."

Meanwhile, in the midst of this ominous rumble of developments, the issue of the arms in possession of Hizbullah is also casting a dark shadow over any genuine reconciliation. Given that one man’s meat is another’s poison, literally half the Lebanese population consider that Hizbullah should disarm with its weapons coming under the control of the Lebanese army. The other half believes that they should stay with Hizbullah and its Shi’i Amal allies since they would be used in resisting Israeli aggression and occupation. And the major - though not exclusive - justification for resistance by those factions insisting on keeping their arms is that Israel detains the Shaba’a Farms as well as the Lebanese part of the village of Ghajar (with recent reports that Israel might return it to Lebanon next month) and Kfar Shouba hills that were meant to be returned to Lebanon - either directly or through an initial UN trusteeship - also in accordance with UNSC Resolution 1701.

But what are those Shaba’a Farms anyway?

The tiny sliver of lush land 25 square kilometres across is located at the junction of southeast Lebanon, southwest Syria and northern Israel. Israel seized those Farms from Syria in 1967 when it occupied the nearby Golan Heights. Ever since then, those Farms have been caught in a tug-of-war over ownership. Lebanon claims them, with the backing of Damascus, while Israel insists they are part of Syria.

The confusion over the borders actually dates back to 1923 when Britain and France, who held the mandates of the League of Nations over the territories now comprising Israel, Lebanon and Syria, failed to outline their borders clearly. Lebanon has accused Israel of refusing to return the Farms in order to benefit from the bountiful natural resources of the region, particularly its water resources. According to officials, the Farms hold 23 natural water sources and also strategic or military importance due to their altitude.

When UNSC Resolution 1701 brought an end to the 33-day war between Israel and Hizbullah in the summer of 2006, it called upon the UN secretary-general to propose a border demarcation for those Farms. The UN ruled that the withdrawal from Lebanon was complete and that the Farms were Syrian.

Nevertheless, in March 2008, the Lebanese geographer Issam Khalifeh published a book full of documents claiming the Farms were indeed Lebanese, including a 1946 deal in which Damascus recognised Lebanon's sovereignty over the territory. Attached to the report was a map with 48 border markers, but Syria has refused to let this paperwork be sent to the UN, perhaps because it did not wish to go down road of recognition and delineation of an international border.

All these are issues that are clearly weighing upon the Lebanese mindset, and in the process retarding any progress from a state of brittle uncertainty to one of relative stability. However, what is also clear to me is that the major objective of all the parties above all else are the parliamentary elections of spring of 2009 that might well decide which parties enjoy the majority of votes - and therefore of seats and of power. So whilst there is a government in place for running day-to-day affairs, everyone understands that the political focus today revolves truly around those elections.

But here is another hitch! In some sense, it is almost predictable what percentages, districts and seats the Sunni, Shi’i and Druze candidates would get in the parliamentary elections next year. The real guesstimate is the future number of Christian seats that will be obtained by the different Christian coalitions since their future is very much in play now - particularly given their divisions in an almost irredeemable - roughly 50:50 - ratio. Only last week, the Maronite patriarch, HE Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, expressed the hope that Christians would respond to the initiatives of the Maronite League and “would sit together because other sects have achieved reconciliation”, adding that “agreement among all the Lebanese is impossible.”

A straw poll conducted by Now Lebanon explored the reason hampering inter-Christian reconciliation. The results revealed that 38% thought it was due to electoral interests and the requirements of electoral mobilisation, whilst 14% thought that it was due to a lack of serious efforts to respond favourably to reconciliation endeavours, and a large percentage of 49% attributed it to lingering personal feuds among Christian leaders.

Those polls notwithstanding, I am convinced that the Lebanese Christians could play a central role in the forthcoming elections and that in the process would also hold the balance of power between the other political parties so they could then perhaps advance those community demands that have been ignored for long. Broadly put, there are now two competing Christian camps. On one side, Samir Geagea’s Lebanese Forces and Amin Gemayel’s Phalanges are still struggling for an end of Syrian influence and attempting to mobilise support for the need to restore a fully sovereign Lebanese state. They would claim to pursue this strategic choice by pressing Hizbullah to disarm and also by setting up an international tribunal charged with investigating Rafiq Hariri’s murder. On the other side of the Christian political divide, General Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement has challenged the inert political system as a whole and broken its isolation by forging a controversial “understanding” with Hizbullah and by allying himself indirectly with the Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh.

The divisions between the two Christian camps are fundamental and stretch back decades in some instances. Today, the leadership of this community is at stake. General Michel Aoun wants to be that undisputed leader, which is why he is attacking the other leaders relentlessly, undermining the role of the Maronite patriarch and even sniping at the president. However, his position is becoming increasingly untenable. He is gradually losing the support of key allies in the form of the Metn leader Michel Murr and of the Armenian Tashnaq party, and as a consequence is trying to compensate his losses in Mount Lebanon by winning over some areas in the South (that he visited recently), as well as in Ba’albek and Hermel.

A third option to this bipolar configuration still remains unclear. What are President Michel Suleiman’s own plans? In his inaugural speech, he emphasised demands and concerns that are significant to the Christian community in Lebanon. Other than rejecting the naturalisation of the Palestinians and facilitating the return of the displaced, he highlighted administrative reform, decentralisation, empowering the presidency and ensuring better Christian representation in high-ranking civil positions. If he were to field his own parliamentary list, or support such a list, it would weaken Aoun considerably and lead toward the re-formation of the Christian camp. In fact, with his stewardship of intra-Christian reconciliation, the President holds a few cards and his influence could grow considerably and make significant differences in the forthcoming elections.

In fact, what is remarkable to me is that Christians and Muslims are seemingly reconciling more easily in Lebanon than the Christians themselves - a fact that not only underlines the virile tussle for power and control, but also that their continued bickering would run the risk of leading even further to their gradual erosion. After all, the political landscape keeps changing with the almost cyclical re-balancing of outside powers that are playing the Lebanese card of pitting the Lebanese against each other. In fact, the recent difficult hopes for conciliatory moves between the Lebanese Forces and Marada can only benefit the whole country politically even thought there is a lot of bloody history between both sides.

I am being cautiously optimistic that things will not change too dramatically in the country this side of the 2009 parliamentary spring elections. Barring any major eruptions of terror and mayhem, and with the parties using their networks to consolidate their own positions, I would argue that Syria is also waiting for the results of the 2009 parliamentary elections to see what leverage it will have internally. While internationally, it is also awaiting the results of the US presidential elections, as it knows that the US alone can determine Syria’s position as a regional player, its role in Lebanon, the advancement of its negotiations with Israel, and of course, its position vis-à-vis the international tribunal. I also suspect that Syria will probably make no concrete moves for now on diplomatic relations, and on most sensitive issues, including border demarcation, the Shaba’a Farms and Lebanese detainees. But one key concern for me is the fact that Iran might still prove to be the wild card that would interfere and upset the political applecart.

Ever since 11 November 2006, when a number of ministers resigned from the cabinet, Lebanon has witnessed assassinations, demonstrations, sit-ins, internal and external threats, a temporary military takeover of west Beirut, exacerbated tensions in the north of the country, attempts at re-enforcing the mechanisms of government and many internecine feuds that have been followed by attempts at dialogue and reconciliation. So what is all this doing to the whole country?

Lebanon is simply being weakened in major dribs and minor drabs, cleaving parts of the country from each other whereby different politicians claim to work for the one nation but pledge their allegiances to their own factions. Confessionalism, always a Lebanese misfortune, is increasingly overwhelming the political apparatuses, and in the process widening the chasm between different politicians and the ordinary people and altering facts on the ground. My constant dread is that a combination of internal divergences and external threats would lead to new rounds of bloody fighting.

After all, has this not happened before? It often saddens me that Lebanese politicians are so gifted in splitting hair and believing in the absolute truths of their own arguments let alone those of their regional or international supporters that they act as clan leaders rather than global politicians and in so doing turn deaf ears to a vox populi that aspires for peace, coexistence and harmony in the country. A divisive blend of religious myopia, political self-interest and nefarious outside interferences from all sides are together rending the country apart and stymieing the creative gifts of a people that talks about the oneness of Lebanon but ends up shaking that oneness at the seams. Does anyone pause to think of the whole picture?

Last week, following an agreement between Al-Moustaqbal and Hizbullah parties, the Lebanese have taken down the provocative posters. This is a move in the right direction, but will it augment the chances for peace? Or is it simply that the Lebanese sagas will continue until such time as there is a comprehensive Middle East peace settlement? Has Lebanon lost all control over its own geopolitics and is now a fallible pawn on the chessboard of international politics? The Arab World (no matter how one defines this amorphous term) is too divided in its interests to buttress up Lebanon, and the West is too greedy to care much about it either. So this small country is paying the price of international politics and local power plays.

Given such realities on the ground, is it surprising that the song Khalas (Enough) by the Lebanese musician and singer Nicholas Sa'adeh Nakhleh has become a chart-topper? After all, ordinary people are saying khalas, and I suspect they will also rally round his next song Unity once it comes out since it too will speak volubly to the majority of Lebanese instincts.

Torn between war and peace for so long, will Lebanon finally find peace? More to the point, will it be allowed to find it?

Dr Harry Hagopian
International Lawyer & Political Analyst
London - UK