LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
October 22/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 12,35-38. Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants.

Saint Isaac the Syrian (7th century), monk at Nineveh, near Mosul in present day Iraq/Ascetical discourses/"Light your lamps"
Prayer offered during the hours of night possesses great power, even more than that offered during the day. That is why all the saints were in the habit of praying at night, combating the body's drowsiness and the sweetness of sleep and overcoming their bodily nature. The prophet also said: «I am wearied with sighing; every night I flood my bed with weeping» (Ps 6,7) as he uttered heartfelt sighs in impassioned prayer. And elsewhere: «At midnight I rise to give you thanks because of your just ordinances, O just God» (Ps 119[118],62). For every request for which the saints desired to importune God they armed themselves with nocturnal prayer and at once received what they were asking for.
Satan himself fears nothing as much as prayer offered during the night watches. Even if they are accompanied by distractions it does not return fruitless so long as something inappropriate is not being asked for. That is why Satan engages in severe combat against those who keep watch at night so as to deter them from this practice if he can, especially if they show themselves to be persevering. But those who are in any way defended against his pernicious wiles and have tasted the gifts God grants at these times of vigil and have had personal experience of the greatness of the help God gives them, wholly despise him, he and all his craftiness.

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
The Making of Lebanon.By:Ghassan Charbel.Dar Al-Hayat 21/1/08
Turkey could make an effective partner for the Arab League.The Daily Star 21/10/08
Saudi uneasy over rehabilitation of Syria's Assad-By Andrew Hammond.Reuters 21/10/08
Report from Canada:Federal inquiry findings on 3 Arab-Canadians to be released Tuesday.CBC.ca 21/10/08
To Demagogue Aoun. By: Lawson Kass Hanna 21/10/08

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for October 21/08
Abdo Accuses Lahoud of High Treason and Aoun of Following a ...Naharnet
Bush Tries Last Ditch Carrot Approach With Syria-Middle East Times
Jumblat: Ties with Syria Achieved by Arab Effort-Naharnet
Lebanon cleric denies fatwa on British TV show-International Herald Tribune
Moussa: Arab League keen on maintaining Lebanon's stability-Xinhua
Former Obama Adviser Meets Syria's Assad-Forbes
US official: Al-Qaida is Active in Northern Lebanon-Naharnet
Aoun Won't Even Get 30% of Christian Votes, Harb-Naharnet
Lebanese Forces-Marada Reconciliation Faces Hurdles-Naharnet
Hariri to Shibani: Best for Iran to Establish a Relationship with the Lebanese State-Naharnet
Pentagon: Military Aid to Lebanon Goes Beyond U.S. Administration Change-Naharnet
Suleiman from Canada: Reconciliation is National Duty-Naharnet
Riyadh Welcomes Beirut-Damascus Ties, Backs Independence in Lebanese Decision-making-Naharnet
Sri Lankan Die, MP Driver Wounded in Car Accident-Naharnet
U.N. Says Lebanon Needs Stronger Laws Against Human Trafficking-Naharnet
Phalange Party for Abrogating Lebanese-Syrian Council-Naharnet
'Bellemare plans to transfer detained security chiefs to Netherlands in December' - report
Jumblat: Lebanon Awaits Border Demarcation with Syria-Naharnet
Clashes in Burj Abu Haidar leave four wounded-Daily Star
Sleiman stresses dialogue as only way for Lebanon-Daily Star
Israeli officials think out loud on seeking truce with Lebanese-Daily Star
'Happy' French ambassador presides over launch of three new ...Daily Star
Shatah unconcerned about $15 billion in bonds maturing next year-Daily Star
UN calls for reform of Lebanon's laws on human trafficking-Daily Star
Baath Party: Syria Sacrificed For Lebanon-Naharnet
US approach to LAF is chaotic, analysts say-Daily Star
US Ambassador In Lebanon: Aid To Lebanon Over $1 Billion-MEMRI
Operations Continue Against al-Qaida, Hataib Hezbollah-Media Newswire
Let us protect Lebanon's forests and let us make our roads safe-Daily Star
Syria mulls Christian ambassador to Beirut - report-Daily Star
Founder of Soeur Emanuelle dies at age 99-(AFP)

Abdo Accuses Lahoud of High Treason and Aoun of Following a Similar Path
Naharnet/Ex-ambassador Johnny Abdo on Tuesday accused former President Emile Lahoud of committing "high treason" by supporting Hizbullah at the expense of the state and said Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun is following the Lahoud example. Abdo, in an interview with the weekly as-Sayyad, said the charge sheet to be released by the U.N. commission probing the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri "would result in an earthquake much stronger than the hurricane caused by the assassination."
Political implications of the charge sheet, Abdo added, would be "graver than repercussions of the assassination."
"During the nine years that Lahoud had spent as army commander, he and his intelligence focused on empowering a party and a militia at the expense of the army," Abdo said. "It would take at least 19 years to tackle the issue of Hizbullah weapons and regain the state strength," he added.
Lahoud, Abdo said, "used to carry out instructions without realizing their implications. Aoun is aware of the implications but he is behaving like Lahoud." Abdo concluded by saying "one person in Lebanon, who is believed to enjoy immunity, would be able to expose (secrets) of more than 80 per cent of the bomb attacks and assassinations that were carried out in Lebanon in the past three years." He did not identify this person, however. Beirut, 21 Oct 08, 18:52

Aoun Won't Even Get 30% of Christian Votes, Harb
Naharnet/MP Butros Harb said Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun could barely garner 30-40% of Christian votes in the 2009 parliamentary elections. "He won't even receive 40% or 30%, this is my opinion," Hard said in an interview with the daily As-Safir published Tuesday.
"What is certain is that the situation of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and that of Gen. Michel Aoun is not the same as it was in the past," Harb said.
"The situation now does not even resemble the past. The elections are coming," he added.
"The Christian mood is greatly changing," Harb went on to say, pointing to the situation in Batroun.
He said Batroun is witnessing a great political gap with the FPM.
Asked about the possibility of forming an electoral coalition with the FPM, Harb replied: "We do not meet with the FPM regarding its understanding of sovereignty, constitution as well as the role of the state and its institutions and the role of the army.
"We also differ on their view of how the Lebanese should live together and the necessity of bringing them together, and not to dig past graves.
"The issue is not personal. Our issue is patriotic and political with Gen. Aoun. His choices differ from ours. Hence, we don't meet with him (politically)."
Harb talked about political election bribes underway by his opponents in Batroun.
He defended assistance and offerings made by Mustaqbal Movement in the region, placing them under a humanitarian and developmental framework.
Harb asked: "What is Hizbullah doing in Batroun? The party has sent aid to the region via the FPM in the form of bedrooms … In any way, I don't think anyone should exploit people's needs for election purposes for this side or that. This is an insult." Harb concluded.
Beirut, 21 Oct 08, 11:35

Operations Continue Against al-Qaida, Hataib Hezbollah
WASHINGTON, Oct. 19, 2008 th Coalition and Iraqi troops hit the al-Qaida and Kataib Hezbollah terrorist groups during operations across the country, officials in Iraq said today. It is a sign of the progress in Iraq that most of the operations were intelligence-driven, officials said.
(Media-Newswire.com) - WASHINGTON, Oct. 19, 2008 – Coalition and Iraqi troops hit the al-Qaida and Kataib Hezbollah terrorist groups during operations across the country, officials in Iraq said today.
It is a sign of the progress in Iraq that most of the operations were intelligence-driven, officials said.
In the Rusafa neighborhood of Bagdad today, coalition forces captured four suspected Kataib Hezbollah terrorists. Kataib Hezbollah, also known as Hezbollah Brigades, is believed to receive funding, training, logistics and material support from Iran to attack Iraqi and coalition forces using what the military calls “explosively formed penetrators” – roadside bombs designed to pierce armor-hulled vehicles – and other weapons such as rocket-assisted mortars.
Acting on intelligence information, coalition forces targeted a key Kataib Hezbollah administrator assessed to have close ties to network leadership. They captured the four suspects without incident.
The Kataib Hezbollah network is believed to be responsible for a botched mortar attack on coalition forces June 4 that resulted in 18 Iraqi civilians killed, 29 civilians injured and 19 homes destroyed, officials said.
Al-Qaida also took a hit when coalition forces in Anbar province detained six suspected terrorists. The forces captured four men in Fallujah, one of whom is believed to have provided forged official documents for terrorists. In Dallawiyah, coalition forces broke up an al-Qaida courier network with the capture of two more men. Coalition forces also hit another Iranian-affiliated organization, seizing money yesterday from the Asaib Ahl al-Haq criminal network. The forces, operating south of Amarah, found more than $205,000 in U.S. currency, 126,000 Iranian rial and 8.5 million Iraqi dinar.
The soldiers also discovered several passports, Iranian visas, various IDs and other items linking the suspect to the Asaib Ahl al-Haq network. All told, raids against Asaib Ahl al-Haq operatives have seized more than $400,000 so far this month, officials said. In Baghdad, Iraqi National Police and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers took weapons off the streets Oct. 17. A sheik turned in a cache to soldiers. Policemen located two speed-bump-type roadside bombs a local man found in his house when he was cleaning to move back in. An explosive ordnance disposal team was called in. Also in Baghdad, soldiers detained three men trafficking in weapons in the Rashid district and the Risalah community, yesterday.
In operations that began Oct. 11, coalition and Iraqi police found 18 weapons caches in the north of the country. The caches included 2,000 7.62 rounds, 800 blasting caps, 400 machine-gun rounds, 100 artillery projectiles, 20 rocket-propelled grenades and 15 mortar rounds. Half of the caches were found west of Samarra or in Mosul, officials said. ( Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases. )

Pentagon: Military Aid to Lebanon Goes Beyond U.S. Administration Change
Naharnet/An official with the U.S. defense department said a visit by a Pentagon delegation to Beirut last week was an indication of commitment that the U.S. military aid to the Lebanese army" goes beyond the expected change in the U.S. administration." The source told the daily As-Safir in remarks published Tuesday that the set up of a joint military committee "strengthens our desire to work with the Lebanese government to provide a long-term aid program to reinforce the Lebanese Armed Forces." He said the Committee opens a "new page" in military relations between Lebanon and Washington "and in efforts to build a stronger Lebanese army capable of safeguarding Lebanon and the Lebanese." Beirut, 21 Oct 08, 14:02

Lebanese Forces-Marada Reconciliation Faces Hurdles
Naharnet/The much awaited political reconciliation between longtime Christian rivals Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh has reportedly faced hurdles. The daily al-Liwaa on Monday quoted a source in the Maronite League, which is mediating the Geagea-Franjieh reunion, as saying that the reconciliation is "moving slowly." The source, citing hurdles "that ought to be settled," ruled out any progress in reconciliation efforts this week.
A well-informed source uncovered to al-Liwaa that two obstacles are facing the reconciliation:
- The proposed formula with suggestions that Gen. Michel Aoun's attendance is not because he is a key Christian partner.
- The reconciliation plan caused panic among Franjieh's family as relatives of the 1978 Ehden massacre victims voiced reservations about providing a political umbrella for implementation of the reconciliation process.
The source said several meetings were held between Franjieh and the victims' families, but they were all unfruitful.
Al-Liwaa said Franjieh has decided to meet a media figure through which he would announce the formation of committees tasked with drafting a political declaration on the reconciliation, a move that is likely to be rejected by the Lebanese Forces.
Marada also imposed a new condition on Geagea – demanding that the LF issues an explanatory statement on Geagea's apology "prior to any reconciliation."
Meanwhile, a Lebanese Forces source told al-Liwaa that the reconciliation aims at:
1- Ending tension between the two sides.
2- Resorting to state authority to settle any dispute and refrain from using arms.
3- Working out differences in opinion politically.
The source stressed that the reconciliation plan was not tantamount to a political agreement, but rather a new bid to cool down tension, adding that the LF was willing to facilitate reconciliation requirements. Beirut, 21 Oct 08, 08:37

Suleiman from Canada: Reconciliation is National Duty
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman has said that reconciliation and dialogue among the Lebanese were a national duty rather than a political option.
"Reconciliation and dialogue are not just an option. They are a national duty," Suleiman told representatives of the Lebanese community in Montreal, Canada on Monday. He stressed that Lebanon will enjoy more security and said that efforts are underway to strengthen the army and security forces. Suleiman also assured that the world financial crisis did not affect the Lebanese banking system, urging expatriates to invest in Lebanon. He said the establishment of diplomatic ties between Beirut and Damascus would fulfill the interests of both countries. "We are visiting world countries to bring Lebanon to the international map," he stressed.
The Lebanese president made his remarks before he returned to Beirut after participating in the 12th Francophone summit in Quebec city.
Beirut, 21 Oct 08, 06:13

Riyadh Welcomes Beirut-Damascus Ties, Backs Independence in Lebanese Decision-making
Naharnet/The Saudi cabinet has welcomed the establishment of diplomatic ties between Beirut and Damascus and reiterated Riyadh's support for Lebanon's security and stability. The cabinet, which met under King Abdullah on Monday, also said that Saudi Arabia supported Lebanon's national unity and independence in its decision-making. It said Riyadh made continuous efforts to make sure that Lebanon would remain a country of tolerance and coexistence.
During the session, Abdullah informed the cabinet about his meetings with several head of states and their delegates.

Hariri to Shibani: Best for Iran to Establish a Relationship with the Lebanese State
Naharnet/Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri affirmed to visiting Iranian ambassador Mohammed Reza Shibani that he is not against any state from establishing a relationship with one Lebanese political party or another "so long as this is not done at the expense" of either Beirut or Tehran.
"It is best for Iran to establish a relationship with the Lebanese state, and that all affairs are conducted via this relationship without hindering (Iran) from dealing with any party," Hariri said in remarks published Tuesday by the London-based daily al-Hayat. At a meeting in Qoreitem on Monday, the Iranian ambassador expressed his satisfaction with the establishment of Lebanese-Syrian diplomatic relations and to the prevailing atmosphere in Lebanon in light of the ongoing reconciliations, al-Hayat reported. Shibani was said to have conveyed to Hariri Iran's support of the reconciliations and the Doha accord. The ambassador also reportedly said that his country is following a policy of openness towards all Lebanese parties. "The establishment of diplomatic relations between Lebanon and Syria is an important accomplishment. It is best for both countries to maintain a state-to-state relationship," Hariri was quoted as telling Shibani. "This should positively reflect on the interests of both states and people," Hariri concluded. Beirut, 21 Oct 08, 13:14

U.N. Says Lebanon Needs Stronger Laws Against Human Trafficking
Naharnet/The U.N. has called for strengthening laws and criminal justice mechanisms to combat human trafficking in Lebanon because the country has become a popular destination for women smuggled from Moldova and other East European countries to be used as sex slaves. A new report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) says only 60 cases involving victims of human trafficking are officially identified every year in Lebanon. These include cases that are either processed through the courts or through the national complaints office. "There could be more, but we cannot responsibly estimate unknown numbers," says Cindy Smith from the University of Baltimore, who assisted with the report. The study is the result of research conducted between 2005 and 2007 by Statistics Lebanon, a Beirut-based organization, in cooperation with the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF). The report says that a major difficulty in identifying victims is the lack of any law in the Lebanese penal code concerning human trafficking. Of the 30 cases processed through the courts under existing crime legislation, such as kidnapping, offenders received a $350 fine and a jail sentence of less than six months, according to the report. It says the victims are also afraid to speak out, dreading retribution or stigmatization, and many just do not know their rights. Following the release of the report, UNODC is working to help Lebanon and Moldova tackle the issue, including by jointly developing materials to assist victims, governments and non-governmental organization (NGO) workers. Efforts also include informing Lebanese authorities on the rights of trafficked victims from Moldova, and providing potential victims with information on support and protection services they can access upon their return to Moldova, the U.N. says. At the same time, UNODC is working with the Lebanese justice ministry to introduce human trafficking as a crime in the country's penal code. "We expect to produce draft legislation by the end of the year before it is eventually submitted to parliament," says Renee Sabbagh, UNODC National Coordinator in Beirut. Beirut, 21 Oct 08, 09:14

'Bellemare plans to transfer detained security chiefs to Netherlands in December' - report
Daily Star staff/Tuesday, October 21, 2008
BEIRUT: Chief UN investigator Daniel Bellemare has prepared an official request for the transfer to the Netherlands of the four former Lebanese generals accused of involvement in the assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri, Ad-Diyar newspaper reported on Monday. The daily said Bellemare's request seeks to secure a charter aircraft to transfer the detainees between December 5 and December 20 under the protection of both the Internal Security Forces (ISF) and the Lebanese Armed Forces. According to the Ad-Diyar report, Bellemare is to present his request to Sate Prosecutor Saeed Mirza. This request is to be later reviewed by Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar and the Lebanese Cabinet.
The paper said the process was "already under way," adding that a special Lebanese Army unit assigned to protect the international investigation commission has also received instructions to prepare for securing the transfer of three containers of documents to the international tribunal's headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands.
"Bellemare wants the timing of the transfer to be secure and confidential, allowing Lebanese security forces to transfer the detainees from Roumieh prison to the aircraft," Ad-Diyar's front-page report said. The four former security chiefs include Jamil al-Sayyed of General Security, Ali al-Hajj of the ISF, Raymond Azar of army intelligence and Mustafa Hamdan of the Presidential Guard. Hajj's wife on Monday denied any knowledge of the details reported by Ad-Diyar.
"I hope that Judge Mirza will inform the defense attorneys of the four arrested generals of this step when it happens if the Ad-Diyar story is true," Samar Hajj told New TV. "And I don't think this will happen."Former UN lead investigator Serge Brammertz, and the current probe chief Bellemare had said in their reports that the continued detention of the four former security was in the hands of the Lebanese judiciary. The spokesperson for the investigative commission, Radhya Ashouri, told The Daily Star in a phone interview in September that "the tribunal will not disclose the name of any suspects during the course of its work as stated by Bellemare in his first report to the UN Security Council last April."

Jumblat: Lebanon Awaits Border Demarcation with Syria
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat on Monday said Lebanon is awaiting the demarcation of its borders with Syria to settle sovereignty over the Shebaa Farms.A topic of priority also is finalizing the International tribunal that would try suspects in the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and related crimes "so that justice would be served," Jumblat told reporters after meeting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Jumblat said the conflict in Lebanon is not of a factional nature "it is about political differences. We entered into an era of calm after the Doha Accord by which we maintain our political stands and tackle differences quietly." In answering a question about a possible rapprochement between the March 14 forces and Syria, Jumblat said: "The rapprochement was started by setting up diplomatic ties and we wait for the border demarcation." "We shouldn't forget that so many Lebanese have been wounded by the assassinations." Jumblat flew into Cairo on Sunday on a two-day visit. Beirut, 20 Oct 08, 21:41

Phalange Party for Abrogating Lebanese-Syrian Council
Naharnet/The Phalange Party on Monday officially called for abrogating the Lebanese-Syrian higher council after Beirut and Damascus launched the process of setting up diplomatic ties. The call was made by the Phalange Party's politburo as cabinet ministers started a review of 124 agreements signed between Lebanon and Syria during a 30-year deployment in Lebanon of Syria's army. A statement also urged the U.N. Security council to "provide the International investigation committee with all its needs so that it would be able to issue its charge sheet as soon as possible, which would launch the international tribunal."
The tribunal would try suspects in the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and related crimes. Beirut, 20 Oct 08, 21:56

UN calls on Lebanon to step up fight against human trafficking
By Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) says Lebanon must do more to stem a worsening human trafficking problem. A report on the matter was released Monday after a special investigation into the state of human trafficking in Lebanon. The report calls on the Lebanese government to tighten and increase enforcement of laws intended to fight human trafficking. According to the report, Lebanon has turned into what it calls a "destination country" for trafficking networks that bring victims, many from Eastern Europe, into Lebanon. Figures amassed between 2005 and 2007 by Statistics Lebanon, a Lebanese organization that partnered with UNESCO, show that only 60 cases of human trafficking are identified and investigated by the authorities each year. Thirty cases that were prosecuted in Lebanese courts - including cases involving abductions - ended in very light penalties, such as $350 fines or six-month jail sentences.

Israeli officials think out loud on seeking truce with Lebanese
By Nicholas Kimbrell -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
BEIRUT: Israeli Foreign Ministry officials are exploring the possibility of a long-term non-belligerence pact with Lebanon that could prevent future hostilities between the neighbors, Israeli officials media outlets said Monday. The Israeli daily Haaretz reported that the director general of the Foreign Ministry, Aharon Abramovich, proposed an evaluation of a potential pact two weeks ago and that Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, the prime minister-designate, has supported the initiative. Livni's support could be significant, Haaretz noted, because her close advisers partook in the discussions and any recommendations would likely become "official policy should she succeed in forming a government."
An Israeli official, quoted on condition of anonymity by AFP, also confirmed the discussions, saying "the option was presented and discussed two weeks ago."
The official added that the initiative played a role in a larger Foreign Ministry discussion on the status and prospects for peace in the region.
However, the head of the Israeli Foreign Ministry's political planning section, Eran Etzion, predicted that any deal with Lebanon would have to follow a comprehensive peace agreement with Syria. Israel and Syria have been engaged in indirect talks, brokered by Turkey, since May.
Etzion added that although an Israeli-Lebanese pact would be preceded by a similar agreement with Syria, nothing prevented the relevant parties and separate deals from moving forward independently. The Israeli official said that talks with Syria had enabled the prospect of a non-belligerence pact with Lebanon, but suggested that "this is one option, there are others."Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, fresh off a visit to Canada with President Michel Sleiman, said he would examine the report.
Hizbullah spokesman Hussein Rahhal said that his organization had no comment on the report, but added that it would be studied.
The prospective agreement, according to Haaretz, would be bilateral in nature and focused on the delineation of the Lebanese-Israeli border, including the Shebaa Farms, occupied by Israel (which says the area is Syrian) but claimed by Lebanon with the support of Damascus.
It would also include an Israeli request for a dramatic decrease in Hizbullah's arsenal and more rigorous deployment of the Lebanese Army south of the Litani River.
In return, Israel would address its habitual violations of Lebanese airspace.
In addition, the agreement would establish a security mechanism through which the Lebanese and Israeli armies and the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon could coordinate, Haaretz said. Lebanon and Israel have never had formal relations and Premier Fouad Siniora has been quoted as saying that Lebanon would be the last Arab country to make peace with Israel.
Israel occupied large parts of Lebanon for more than two decades until 2000, beginning during the 1975-1990 Civil War - originally citing the presence of Palestinian guerrillas and then the presence of Lebanese resistance groups as a basis for invading and occupying the South.
The two countries fought a vicious month-long war in the summer of 2006. And in recent months, Israel and Hizbullah have stepped up their rhetoric, including Israeli threats to target civilian infrastructure if Hizbullah and its allies prevail in the next elections. UN chief Ban Ki-moon recently condemned the escalating war of words.Reports of the Israeli discussions on a non-belligerence pact came as Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Israel was reconsidering a comprehensive Saudi-backed peace plan. "There is definitely room to introduce a comprehensive Israeli plan to counter the Saudi plan that would be the basis for a discussion on overall regional peace," Barak said on Israel's Army Radio.The Haaretz article cited a cleft in Israeli foreign policy circles between those supporting the pursuit of peace deals with Syria and other Arab countries before one with the Palestinians and those subscribing to a "Palestinians first" strategy. - With agencies

Dion to stay on until new Liberal chief elected
By Joan Bryden, The Canadian Press
OTTAWA - Stephane Dion says he will resign as Liberal leader, clearing the way for a leadership contest as the party struggles to recover from an election battering. Dion announced Monday that he will step down when party members elect a new chief, likely in May.
The news comes less than a week after the party's worst electoral showing since Confederation - a defeat Dion blames on Conservative money and misinformation.
"On the election itself and our disappointing result, I fully accept my share of the responsibility," Dion told a news conference.
"The centrepiece of the Liberal platform was an income-tax cut - one of the largest cuts in Canadian history - all in the interest of fighting the climate-change crisis ... Yet the Conservatives were able, because of a massive financial advantage, to distort this policy into a tax increase."
Dion said the Liberal party must modernize its fundraising efforts and do what it can to ensure the next leader doesn't fall victim to the Tory propaganda machine.
"We must learn quickly from this experience and move on. The search for a new Liberal leader will be part of the process of renewing our party but it clearly will not, in itself, be sufficient.
"We have to look beyond the issue of leadership to understand what happened in the recent campaign. And we must be willing to face up to uncomfortable realities - inconvenient truths, as perhaps some might call them - and begin to fix our problems so that we can, I hope and I am confident, form a Liberal government again for Canadians."
Dion is only the second Liberal leader in history to fail to became prime minister, joining Edward Blake who led the party in the 1880s.
The once-mighty, self-described "natural governing party" is now likely to turn a previously scheduled policy convention, booked for May in Vancouver, into a leadership convention. The contest is almost certain to become another showdown between deputy leader Michael Ignatieff and former Ontario NDP premier Bob Rae. They were the front-runners in the 2006 contest but so polarized the race that Dion was able to come up the middle to score a stunning come-from-behind victory.
Both men, former university roommates, have kept their leadership machines warmed up and began quietly revving up their engines immediately after last Tuesday's election. The Liberals were reduced to 76 seats, down from 103 in 2006. They captured just 26.2 per cent of the popular vote - two points less than the party's disastrous showing under John Turner in 1984 and only four points ahead of its worst-ever showing in 1867.
Liberals who fear another polarizing clash of titans are casting about for alternatives, including former New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna and former deputy prime minister John Manley. Liberals close to McKenna say he's very unlikely to take the plunge, but Manley has been coy about his intentions.
Two other contenders from the 2006 contest could take another stab at the top job: former Ontario cabinet minister Gerard Kennedy, the kingmaker who ensured Dion's victory; and Toronto MP Martha Hall Findlay, who ran last in 2006.
Other possible contenders include: New Brunswick MP Dominic LeBlanc, Montreal MP Denis Coderre, Ottawa MP David McGuinty, and Vancouver MP Ujjal Dosanjh. Liberal insiders have said Dion was bitterly disappointed by the election results. He and some of his tiny band of loyal supporters believed he deserved a second chance to reverse Liberal fortunes.
But Dion was forced to accept that he simply could not win a mandatory, party-wide vote of confidence in his leadership, the results of which would have been announced at the May convention. He had neither the strong base of support nor the money required to win a leadership review campaign.
Dion still has about $200,000 in debts from the 2006 leadership. The owlish former university professor never seemed to connect with party members or the public. He was bedevilled throughout his term as leader by whisper campaigns and leaks from caucus.
Within a month of Dion taking the helm, the Conservatives launched a stinging series of attack ads depicting him as weak and "Not a leader." The ads helped define Dion in the public's mind before he had a chance to define himself. Ignoring the advice of many MPs, strategists and his own pollster, Dion compounded his problems by adopting a complicated proposal to impose a carbon tax - offset by cuts to income and business taxes - as the centrepiece of his election platform.
The plan proved difficult to explain during the campaign, particularly given Dion's halting English, and presented an easy target for the Tories.

ANALYSIS-Saudi uneasy over rehabilitation of Syria's Assad 21 Oct 2008 10:51:43 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Andrew Hammond
RIYADH, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia thinks Syria has not delivered enough to deserve Western diplomatic overtures and fears international rapprochement would do little to cut Damascus' links with Iran, diplomats and analysts say.
They also say that Saudi rancour towards Syria and its president Bashar al-Assad may be blinding Riyadh to the possibilities of dialogue with Damascus.
A U.S. official said this month Washington is assessing its policy of trying to isolate Syria. The review in U.S. policy follows a recent rapprochement between France and Syria, with President Nicolas Sarkozy visiting Damascus last month.
In a sign of a possible thaw, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly at the end of last month -- their third meeting in 18 months.
But a Western diplomat said those moves were unlikely to change thinking in Riyadh.
"The hatred they have in Saudi Arabia for Syria is enormous. King Abdullah says Bashar 'broke an oath' -- though what oath we don't know," said the diplomat, who has experience of Lebanese and Syrian affairs.
He said Arab and foreign governments had "underestimated" Assad, an eye doctor who was plucked from relative obscurity in London to succeed his father Hafez al-Assad died in 2000.
Assad made further overtures to Western powers last week, issuing a decree to allow the establishment of diplomatic relations with Lebanon for the first time since the two Arab neighbours won independence from France in the 1940s.
Israel and Syria have also begun a negotiation channel through Turkish mediation aimed at a peace deal. Israel has occupied Syria's Golan Heights since the 1967 Middle East war.
Western powers think a Syrian-Israeli peace deal could break Damascus' bond with Shi'ite Muslim Tehran, whose growing influence has alarmed the United States, Saudi Arabia and other Sunni-led Arab governments in the region.
However Riyadh thinks Syria, which is also close to the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah, does not deserve to have its isolation ended.
"They think it's too early, the pressure on Syria is not enough and Syrian behaviour does not yet merit this change," said Mustafa Alani, a Dubai-based analyst close to Riyadh. "The view from Riyadh is it's too early to reward Damascus."
SAUDI-SYRIA TIES AT LOW POINT
Saudi relations with Syria sunk to a low after the 2005 assassination of Lebanese former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri, who was also a Saudi citizen.
A UN tribunal set to investigate Hariri's death could seek to prosecute elements in the Syrian leadership, who Western governments and their allies in the region suspect of involvement in the killing.
Saudi Arabia is a key Arab backer of Lebanon, mainly through support for the Hariri family's Future bloc that represents Sunni Muslim interests. But Riyadh's Lebanese allies lost to Hezbollah in street fighting earlier this year.
"The Syrians are back as the de facto power in Lebanon but without overt force projection," said analyst Neil Partrick, adding Saudi diplomacy was waiting for the results of the U.S. presidential election and start of a new administration.
Jamal Khashoggi, editor of Saudi daily al-Watan, said decision-makers were debating what tack to take on Syria.
"I heard from Saudi officials that Syria shouldn't be allowed out of its deadlock without us being there, so they don't feel they managed to get out of isolation on their own and then treat Saudi Arabia arrogantly," he said.
"I don't think we should let the Syrians off the hook. The king is personally unhappy with the regime there. We can wait until a serious change happens in Syria."
The diplomat suggested the spread of Islamist violence into Syria could complicate relations further.
Syria says a suicide bomber was behind a Sept. 27 Damascus bombing that killed 17 people. Lebanon witnessed two attacks in Tripoli targeting the army and killing 22 people. Damascus said the bomber entered from a neighbouring Arab country.
If Damascus concludes there was a Saudi link, "I'm worried they might try to do something here," the Riyadh diplomat said.
Saudi Arabia is the home of an austere brand of Sunni Islam called Wahhabism from which al Qaeda partly draws inspiration. (Editing by Dominic Evans)

U.S. official: Al-Qaida is Active in Northern Lebanon
Naharnet/U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte believed that al-Qaida remains active in northern Lebanon and in Mosul, Iraq. "The group's strength has seen a setback in Afghanistan compared to 7 years ago," he said. "Al-Qaida is now weaker than before, the voices of moderate Muslims are more heard now," Negroponte told al-Arabiya television station. Regarding Afghanistan, Negroponte said that the "battle can be won. A plan exists for increasing the number of security forces there." "In Iraq al-Qaida received a knockout at Al Anbar," he said. As for Iran, he said: "We are still working on convincing Iran to abandon its nuclear program and stop enriching uranium." Negroponte pointed that the U.N. Security Council has issued economic sanctions on Iran "as we have imposed similar ones to prevent this (nuclear activity)." Beirut, 21 Oct 08, 14:01

Federal inquiry findings on 3 Arab-Canadians to be released Tuesday
Monday, October 20, 2008 -The Canadian Press
A federal inquiry is getting ready to go public with its findings on the ordeal of three Arab-Canadians who say they were tortured abroad with the connivance of authorities in Ottawa. The report by former Supreme Court of Canada Justice Frank Iacobucci was given to the Conservative government on Monday, some 22 months after the probe began. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has signed an order for its release and it should be ready for public distribution sometime Tuesday, a senior federal official said. "The government is happy the report will be out," said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"The consideration is to get it out as soon as is practical, in a manner that pays respect to the good work the commission and Justice Iacobucci have done."
Inquiry staff and federal officials had spent days in back-and-forth talks on the best way to make the report public, with sources close to the commission saying they found it unusually difficult to finalize arrangements. One of the sticking points appeared to be whether journalists would get an advance look at the report in a locked room before putting questions to Iacobucci and his counsel at a news conference.
Inquiry staff signalled last week that they strongly favoured such a lockup to help the media, lobby groups and other interested parties digest the findings. By late Monday, however, there was still no word on whether that part of the plan would go ahead. Judge probes 3 cases behind closed doors
Iacobucci was appointed in December 2006 to investigated the cases of Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad El Maati and Muayyed Nureddin, all of whom say they were wrongly labelled as terrorists by the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. They were subsequently arrested on visits to Syria, imprisoned and tortured, only to be released in the end without charge.
They deny any terrorist links and contend that Ottawa tipped the Syrians to their travel plans, either directly or through an allied country like the United States.
The three also say Canadian authorities disregarded the risk of torture and provided lists of questions or other background information for use by their Syrian captors during interrogation. The claims are strikingly similar to those made by Maher Arar, an Ottawa computer engineer who was arrested by U.S. authorities in 2002 and deported to Syria, where he was tortured into false confessions of links to al-Qaeda.
Arar's name was cleared by an earlier inquiry under Justice Dennis O'Connor, who found the RCMP had provided faulty information on his background to U.S. officials. Arar has since received more than $10 million in compensation from the government. Unlike the O'Connor inquiry, nearly all of Iacobucci's work was carried out behind closed doors under a restrictive mandate drawn up by the government to safeguard national security.
The three complainants, their lawyers and human rights groups have repeatedly warned that the veil of secrecy could undermine public confidence in the findings.
Almalki, an Ottawa communications engineer, was detained in Syria in 2002 and held for 22 months before being released and allowed to return to Canada.
El Maati, a Toronto truck driver, was arrested in Syria in 2001 and later transferred to Egypt, spending a total of 26 months in prison. So-called confessions extracted from him under torture were later used to justify a telephone wiretap in related investigations in Canada.
Nureddin, a Toronto geologist, was detained by Syrian officials in December 2003 as he crossed the border from Iraq. He was held for 34 days before being released. Almalki and El Maati were both under investigation by the RCMP as part of the same anti-terrorist operations that brought Arar to their attention.
All three men had been questioned by CSIS.

The Making of Lebanon
Ghassan Charbel/ Al-Hayat
Fate entrusted the Lebanese with a very difficult mission. It confined them to a small spot and demanded that they coexist. This is no easy task. The constituents of the Lebanese formula are very challenging; there is no clear majority, the country cannot be ruled by one sect or party; and every time one side feels demographically superior, it is immediately reminded by the formula that it still constitutes a minority if it acted alone or attempted to impose its views on the others.
Fate entrusted the Lebanese with a very difficult mission; eliminating the other is much easier than reaching an understanding together, but the choice of elimination is suicidal. You may win a battle, only to discover that you have lost the war. You lost it because your victory seemed - perhaps unintentionally - to be similar to an attempt to assassinate the meaning of Lebanon, i.e. the reasons of its existence and survival. In 1982, Bashir Gemayel took hold of the presidency. In his moment of victory, he discovered that it takes two to tango. Walid Jumblat came out victorious in the Mountain War in 1983 only to reach the same conclusion as Bashir before him.
The mission is indeed diffcult. Divorce is impossible, and the conditions for marital bliss are not always available. This mandatory contract of coexistence requires continuous maintenance. You have to swim and survive without drowning the others; to defend your interests without compromising theirs; to preserve your views without wiping out theirs; to freely sing your songs without preventing them from singing theirs; to rely on history without turning it into an explosive device; to dance with geography without tying your hands; and to respect your neighbor's right to read in his own book.
This delicate and fragile formula rests along a seismic fault: the Arab-Israeli conflict; the attractiveness of a single view that exempts from any real questions; the schools of single voices and official truths that cannot tolerate a question; the lack of conditions that could foster the growth of the strange plant known as democracy or the evil thought of accepting the other under the banners of equality or the state of law and institutions; restless regimes that are agitated by any open window; sectarian and confessional feuds that were further stirred by the invasion of Iraq. It is amidst such a difficult context that fate entrusted the Lebanese with making their nation and their state.
Lebanon constitutes a constant test for those families that are confined by fate in this small and beautiful spot. It is really exhausting for a nation to permanently stay under construction; to constantly need the wise and the powerful; it is really painful that leaders only become strong after a skyrocketing rise within their sectarian communities at the expense of the delicate ingredients of the coexistence meal. Those who are only strong are scary; those who are just wise are not reassuring; and it hard, yet not impossible, to find both wisdom and strength in the same person, albeit after very costly experiences.
Every time I ponder the future of Lebanon, the image of two men comes to mind; Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah and deputy Saad Hariri. The extent of their leadership within their sectarian communities is undisputable, even reaching to other communities. One may claim that both of them deserve to be recognized as regional players, although from different perspectives. Both men are now burdened with the unusual mission of confirming the ability of the Lebanese to try again and make a nation that can embrace all of its constituents. Undertaking this mission would imply that Lebanon must resume its swimming against the current of the Shiite-Sunni strife.
Undertaking such a considerable and serious role requires that the two men take historic resolutions; that they forego the wounds of the far and recent past and agree over the meaning of a Lebanon founded on moderation. Simply put, the loss of Lebanon would dissipate the accomplishments of the resistance and render its arsenal useless. The loss of Lebanon would also imply the loss of the truth even if it is reached by the international investigative commission. Hence, the restoration of Lebanese realities means neither denial nor betrayal. It means restoring Lebanon because this is a Lebanese and Arab need.
I was hoping for such a meeting to take place through an initiative by General Michel Aoun at his residence. Lebanese Christians do not have the right to play a role less than their presumed one in the making of Lebanon. I cannot understand why he has given up on such a significant historic role; the bitterness over failing to reach the presidential seat does not justify such an act, nor does the desire to have more parliamentary seats. He could have invested his new position both domestically and regionally to participate in the making of Lebanon. He did not have to dig up the graves of war as if he had been in Sweden when it happened; he did not have to lose his ability to speak to all sides at a time when his own allies are struggling to regain such ability; he did not have to wage campaigns to create tensions within the gathering of Lebanese families, or to issue statements that overlook the interests of the Lebanese at home or overseas. Such positions do not become a leader like you who enjoys such an undeniable representative power. If these errors are the outcome of advice given by your aides, then perhaps you should fire them or put them on leave. History records must not document that Maronite leaders refrained from participating in the making of the nation in order to focus on their feuds or that they showed up late but in time for the souvenir photo shoot at the port on the occasion of bidding the Maronites farewell

Former Obama Adviser Meets Syria's Assad
Ayman Abdel Nour 10.21.08,
Forbes.com
Syria's official media was keen to deliver special coverage of President Bashar Al-Assad's Oct. 16 meeting with Robert Malley, head of the Middle East program at the International Crisis Group and erstwhile informal adviser to U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama.
The lead story the next day in government newspapers reported that Al-Assad and Malley discussed Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon and prospects for peace in the Middle East, and that Malley explained the role the ICG would have in briefing the new U.S. administration about Syria's important role in the region.
What really attracted attention, though, was that on the same day a Web site closely associated with the government published a translation of a lecture Malley had delivered at Yale, offering effusive praise for it.
The site referred to Malley as a senior adviser to Barack Obama on the Middle East, even though the Obama campaign says Malley's role was never official. In any case, the campaign dropped him as too controversial after it was reported that he had met with Hamas officials. The Web site further stated that Malley's opinions would shape the next U.S. president's ideas about the Middle East, noting that, unlike the Bush administration, Malley supported a peace agreement between Syria and Israel--which would weaken Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas.
The site noted that Obama had twice echoed Malley in stating that the failure of the war in Iraq had strengthened Iran's influence. But if the Obama campaign has indeed severed its ties to Malley, it seems that Syrian officials are overestimating his influence. (Malley last met with the Syrian president in April 2007.)
The date for Al-Assad's latest meeting with Malley is no accident--the U.S. election is nearly upon us and, with the Syrian regime expecting an Obama win, it wanted someone it believes has Obama's ear briefed on the latest developments by the president himself. It is no coincidence that another Obama foreign policy adviser, Daniel Kurtzer, a career diplomat who served under George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush, also recently visited Damascus, where he met with Syria's foreign minister.
The general atmosphere in Damascus is one that sees these experts as genuine peace seekers and believes in what they are doing. These visiting diplomats want to meet all parties to any possible future peace negotiations in order to gain their confidence. I wish them success in their missions.
**Ayman Abdel Nour is the editor in chief of All 4 Syria, a Web site based in Damascus.

To Demagogue Aoun
By: Lawson Kass Hanna
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2008
You are telling us that in sixth months we will see the outcome of your visit to Iran. I'm wondering why do you have to wait sixth months to let us know.
If you are a political leader you should be able to tell us now. In any case, I will tell you what are the sixth months. First, the Iranian Regime is providing you with financial support to win the elections in the Christian areas and is also offering you protection. They promised to give you money in order to prepare for the elections and win the Christian areas from Zgharta to Baabda. Also, just before your visit to Iran the Iranian, Syrian and Hezbollah Intelligence services were spreading the news that the the Lebanese forces can wipe you out by force in a matter of hours.
This was meant to scare you and offer you protection at the same time. They assured you that Hezbollah can invade the Christian areas if you or your ally Suleiman Frangieh are in any danger and need protection. Second, the Iranian and Syrian regimes are asking you to attack Walid Jumblat. Their plan is to kidnap Jumblat ,if they can, and throw him in the Syrian jails because they do not forgive him for being patriotic. As for you, the Syrian regime will not forget or forgive you for offending President Hafez Assad when you were still in Baabda Palace. They are just using you and you are only serving as a cover for their plans. Third, the Iranian regime explained to you that the War in the region will not affect their power and they will rise stronger than before if it happens. At the same time, they explained to you that they will be even more powerful if war does not happen as they will make a deal with the Americans and the Israelis. In this scenario, Hezbollah will be in control of Lebanon and you will become the president of Lebanon. What you are missing in this scenario is that they will not accept a demagogue to be a president as they do not trust you even if you are a dummy in their hands. I feel very sorry for the few Christians who keep on trusting you and I appeal to the General Prosecutor in Lebanon to open an investigation on what surprises will the next sixth months bring to Lebanon and the Lebanese people.