LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
September 05/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 5,1-11. While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.
Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets." When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men."  When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

Saint José Maria Escriva de Balaguer (1902-1975), priest, founder
Homily in Amigos de Dios/"From now on you will be catching men."
«Look! I will send many fishermen, says the Lord, to catch them» (Jer 16,16). Thus he makes clear our great mission: fishing. It is said or written sometimes that the world is like the sea. There is a certain truth in the comparison. In human lives, as in the sea, there are periods of calm and periods of storm, of peace and of raging winds. Very often men find themselves in salt waters among great waves; they make headway through great storms, sorry seafarers even when they seem joyful and even enthusiastic: their laughter seeks to disguise their discouragement, disappointment, their lives without either charity or understanding. They devour each other like fish. Act in such a way that all men will enter the divine net of their own free will and will love one another. This is the task of God's children. As Christians we should turn ourselves into those fishermen described by the prophet Jeremiah with the help of a metaphor that Jesus Christ also often used: «Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,» he said to Peter and Andrew. We are going to join Christ in that divine fishing. «While the crowd was pressing in and listening to the word of God,» Jesus «was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret» (Lk 5,1). Just as he does today! Can't you see?

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Beware, the Friends of Bashar are here-By Michael Young 04/09/08
Lebanon's private sector should stand up and be counted-The Daily Star 04/09/08

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for September 04/08
Syria Informs Sarkozy that it Has Abssi-Naharnet
Israeli Troops to Evacuate Ghajar in 3 Months, Report-Naharnet
March 14 Accuses Aoun of Covering Up for Helicopter Attack-Naharnet
Syria makes peace proposal to Israel-The Associated Press
Bassil Agreed with MTC, Alfa to Lower Fees-Naharnet
Army Command Denies Alleged Plan for Crackdown in North-Naharnet
Assad: Fundamentalism in the North Keeps the Lebanon Situation Fragile-Naharnet
Hoss Criticizes Assad-Naharnet
Safadi's Account of Accidental Shooting at Army Helicopter-Naharnet
Bellemare's Report on the Hariri Assassination Due in November-Naharnet
Najjar Proposes Plan for Tripoli Peace-Naharnet
Hariri for Sunni-Alawite Reconciliation in Tripoli-Naharnet
Sarkozy Stresses from Damascus the Importance of Sovereign Lebanon-Naharnet
Report: Attack on Israeli Aircrew in Canada Thwarted-Naharnet
Maronite Bishops for Thorough Reconciliation: Serving Foreign Interests is High Treason-Naharnet
Israel Warplanes Break Sound Barrier over Lebanon-Naharnet
Report: Next round of Israel-Syria peace talks canceled-Ha'aretz
Countering Iran Takes Sarkozy to Syria-TIME
Syria outlines Israel peace plan-The Press Association
Syria makes peace proposals to Israel-The Associated Press
Syria's leader hopes to come in from cold-Financial Times
Dialogue and reconciliation have to go hand in hand, Sleiman tells Lebanese-Daily Star
Israeli warplanes terrorize residents of Tyre-Daily Star
Policeman beaten up, brothers shot over parking-Daily Star
Mubarak briefed on Abu al-Gheit's discussions in Lebanon-Daily Star
Archaeologists shed light on ancient Canaanite burial rituals-Daily Star
Catholic schools map out unified future at annual conference-Daily Star
AUB study pinpoints ways to clean up litter on Beirut's corniche-Daily Star
Proposed electoral reforms fraught with 'loopholes' -Daily Star
Tyre exhibit pays tribute to several pasts-Daily Star
Three Canadian soldiers killed and five wounded in Afghanistan-The Canadian Press
Syria warns of global "disaster" if Iran attacked-Reuters - USA
Syria pledges to help France solve Iran dispute-Reuters
Assad, Sarkozy discuss indirect peace talks between Syria, Israel-Xinhua - China
US misled Canada over deportation: former RCMP head-Reuters

'Direct attack' kills 3 Canadian soldiers, wounds 5 in southern Afghanistan
By Tobi Cohen, The Canadian Press
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Three young Canadian soldiers killed Wednesday in southern Afghanistan had just about finished their tour and were preparing to head home when they became embroiled in a fatal ambush, military officials said Wednesday.
Cpl. Andrew Grenon, Cpl. Mike Seggie and Pte. Chad Horn, all members of the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry based in Shilo, Man., died in an insurgent attack on their armoured vehicle in the volatile Zhari district.
"It was not an improvised explosive device; it was a direct attack," said Brig.-Gen. Denis Thompson, the Canadian task force commander in Afghanistan.
Thompson would not elaborate on the nature of the attack, which happened around 9:30 a.m. He noted that some of the casualties may have been inside the vehicle while others may have been outside when their security patrol came under attack.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement that suggested it was "an explosion" that "detonated near their armoured vehicle."
Thompson said the soldiers returned fire with small arms and other weapons, but he didn't know whether the enemy was hit or whether anybody was captured.
The attack came during what some thought would be a lull in violence coinciding with the onset of the Islamic holiday of Ramadan on Monday.
Thompson, however, said Kandahar Gov. Rahmatullah Raufi never thought for a moment that insurgents would stop. "Gov. Raufi said yesterday not to expect them to let up at all and that they weren't going to respect Ramadan," he said.
The deadly attack came on the two-year anniversary of the start of Operation Medusa, a highly successful Canadian-led operation that sought to clear that very same area of insurgents.
Asked what Wednesday's attack says about progress in the region, Thompson said he didn't know but said it points out that military vehicles are vulnerable to direct fire. "We don't own a vehicle that's impervious, nobody owns a vehicle that's impervious and sometimes the insurgents get lucky," he said.
Known to friends as "Drew" or simply "G," the 23-year-old Grenon was admired for his experience - this was Grenon's second tour of duty in Afghanistan.
"He brought confidence to those around him and inspired the first-tour guys, making them feel safe," Thompson said.
Thompson said Seggie came from a long line of "proud Princess Patricia's" as his father and uncle served with the battalion. Considered "cool under fire," the self-deprecating 21-year-old always sought to make his peers laugh, Thompson said.
In a statement issued by his family, Seggie was described as someone who "died doing what he loved." It said he had been based in Shilo for two years, and received a promotion as well as a commendation. "Mike was very proud of his service and believed in what he was doing."
Just two weeks away from the end of his tour, he was looking forward to seeing his family, particular his nephew whom he often boasted about.
"Mike loved life and lived it to the fullest, there was never a dull moment when Mike was around," his family said, adding Seggie was the proud owner of a 1968 Barracuda and loved showing it off. The Winnipeg Free Press said Seggie formerly lived in Winnipeg.
Horn, 21, was described as a "very professional and hardworking" young soldier with "unlimited potential." "Many in his company saw him as the best LAV gunner," Thompson said, referring to the light armoured vehicle used by Canadians. "His ability to act under fire saved many lives during the tour."
A Facebook site dedicated to his memory described him as a happy guy who was always smiling. "My handsome brave man. Know that you will never be forgotten," Darlene Horn wrote on the site. "We are so proud of you for your bravery and will try to understand, as you did, the sacrifice you made."
Five other soldiers were wounded in the attack. One remains in critical condition, another in serious condition, two in good condition and the last soldier was treated and returned to duty, officials said. "I've been to the hospital and I've spoken to some of those wounded soldiers, and even the wounded - once they evacuated the vehicle - returned fire," Thompson told reporters.
"The brave soldiers killed today were coming to the end of their tour," Thompson said. "It saddens me to think of their loved ones who were expecting them to return home this month." The latest deaths bring to 96 the number of Canadian soldiers killed since Canada's mission to Afghanistan began in 2002. A Canadian diplomat also died in the country as did two Canadian aid workers in a recent attack south of Kabul.
The mounting casualties come as Canada appeared on the verge of a federal election. Harper and Liberal Leader Stephan Dion promptly issued statements offering their condolences. Harper called the mission to Afghanistan a "challenging one," but one to which Canada must remain committed in support of the Afghan people who have endured decades of war.
"We will not be deterred by the actions of the Taliban," the prime minister said.
"I join with all Canadians in mourning these three brave and dedicated soldiers. They have made the ultimate sacrifice to bring security, democracy and self-reliance to the people of Afghanistan, all the while protecting Canada's values and security. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten."
Dion offered his condolences to the families Grenon, Seggie and Horn and noted their untimely deaths are a reminder of the "ongoing dangers that our men and women in uniform face every day."
"Their valiant efforts to bring peace and stability to the Afghan people in a place where peril is ever-present is something that Canadians will remember, and will always be proud of," he said. The latest deaths came just two weeks after three Canadian combat engineers were killed by a roadside bomb in Zhari district.
Sapper Stephen Stock, Cpl. Dustin Wasden and Sgt. Shawn Eades died in a fiery explosion while on patrol along Highway 1.

Maronite Bishops for Thorough Reconciliation: Serving Foreign Interests is High Treason
Naharnet/The Maronite Church on Wednesday called for thorough national reconciliation, noting that serving foreign interests is tantamount to "high treason."
The call was made by Maronite Bishops meeting under Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir at the church's summer seat in Diman. The nation is at "a crossroads," the bishops said in their ninth appeal to the nation.  "The events that broke out in Beirut and Tripoli spark concern. Security is not stable in several areas and recently gunmen downed an army helicopter and killed an officer," the statement said. It said the Lebanese people "suffer from the sharp split … especially between the March 8 and March 14 forces … It is more pressing if they come closer so that the state can prevail."The Bishops expressed hope for the speedy adoption of a "fair and just" election law.They also hoped for the holding of the 2009 general elections in a secure atmosphere "so that citizens can choose their representatives without pressures." Beirut, 03 Sep 08, 14:12

Report: Attack on Israeli Aircrew in Canada Thwarted
Naharnet/Plans by an unknown group to attack staff of Israel's national carrier El Al in Canada have been thwarted, Israel's private Channel Two television reported on Wednesday. Without giving the nationalities of the alleged attackers, it said they had monitored the comings and goings of El Al aircrew at a Toronto hotel.
Security procedures for crews overnighting at the hotel between flights have now been changed, it added.
On Tuesday, Israeli newspapers reported that at least five attempts by Hizbullah to abduct Israeli businessmen in Africa, Asia, and South America had been foiled.
Each time, Hizbullah -- which fought a bloody war against Israel in the summer of 2006 -- tried to use "sleeper cells" embedded in far-flung Shiite Muslim communities, the mass-selling Yediot Aharonot reported. It and other newspapers cited unnamed Israeli security officials and said further details about the plots remain under official censorship. Israel has been on high alert since senior Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyeh was assassinated in a car bombing in Damascus in February, in an attack welcomed by the Jewish state but for which it denied any responsibility. Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah blamed Israel and has repeatedly vowed to avenge the killing. Last month, Israel warned its citizens living and traveling abroad to take extra precautions against possible Hizbullah attacks or abductions. The warning came at peak traveling season, and the Jewish state has urged Israeli tourists and businessmen to take special care in hotels, restaurants and recreational spots. They were also urged to spurn "unexpected and alluring proposals in both business and recreation" and to alter routines and habits.
In July 2006, Hizbullah seized two Israeli soldiers in a deadly cross-border raid, sparking a 34-day war in which more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers, were killed. The bodies of the two captured soldiers were returned to Israel as part of a prisoner swap in July.(AFP)
Beirut, 03 Sep 08, 22:14

Assad: Fundamentalism in the North Keeps the Lebanon Situation Fragile
Naharnet/Syrian President Bashar Assad told a quadripartite summit in Damascus Thursday that the Lebanon situation remains fragile because certain states back fundamentalism. Assad also said he had discussed with President Michel Suleiman during the latter's visit to Damascus the need for Lebanon to "take part in negotiations with Israel, but only when we reach the stage of direct negotiations.""The situation in Lebanon remains fragile and we are worried about the events in the north," Assad said in reference to clashes between Sunnis and Alawites in Tripoli and some villages of the Akkar Province. "There would be no solution in Lebanon without settling the issue of fundamentalism, especially that states and forces back these sides," Assad told the summit that groups his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy, Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Emir of Qatar Sheik Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani. He did not identify the states that allegedly back fundamentalism. Syria, Assad said, awaits general elections in Israel to find out if the new elected premier would pursue with what Ehud Olmert has started. The situation in Iraq, according to Assad, could witness "some improvement." However, he noted that the situation in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk "could detonate the situation between the Arabs and Kurds and the topic of federal rule could detonate the situation between the Sunnis and Shiites.""We back peaceful settlements," Assad declared. He also declared support for efforts to settle the Georgia dispute "peacefully because we don't want a new cold war."
Sheik Hamad, however, said "as long as the Lebanese army remains intact Lebanon is in no danger. He urged the various Lebanese factions to pursue with implementing the Doha Accord and urged the international community to help in solving development problems. Sarkozy told a joint press conference ending the summit that France emphasizes on the importance of Lebanon's independence. "We have started a Phased march with the Syrian president and it was honored by him. We have different viewpoints but we are trying to overcome controversial issues in favor of Lebanon's interests," he added.
"I do not regret having opened the gates to president Assad. We are working with him to rebuild confidence," Sarkozy said.
Sarkozy said France encourages Syria to proceed with the peace march with Israel. "We are ready to play all the roles to back the peace process. We trust the Americans as they trust us," he added. Beirut, 04 Sep 08, 09:53

Hoss Criticizes Assad
Naharnet/Ex-Premier Salim Hoss on Thursday criticized Syrian President Bashar Assad for allegedly requesting support for direct negotiations with Israel.
"It appears that President Assad is making the same mistake committed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who is involved in futile direct talks with the prime minister of the Zionist entity," Hoss said in a statement distributed by the state-run National News Agency. "Any peace with Israel should be concluded by the three Arab parties involved in the conflict, The Palestinian Authority Syria and Lebanon," Hoss noted. "Any unilateral peace deal by any of the three Arab sides would be at the expense of the remaining two," he added. Hoss recalled that all the Arabs had criticized the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat for signing a unilateral peace deal with Israel and "now they are following Sadat's path." He accused "those who rush to hold direct talks with Israel" of abandoning commitment to U.N. General Assembly Resolution 194 of 1948 that calls for the return of Palestinian refugees to their home in pre-Israel Palestine. Beirut, 04 Sep 08, 12:53

Safadi's Account of Accidental Shooting at Army Helicopter
Naharnet/Minister of Economy and Trade Mohammed Safadi said Thursday a Hizbullah operative opened fire "by mistake" at a military helicopter in the southern Sujud region killing Capt. Samer Hanna. Safadi, in an interview with the Qatari daily al-Watan, said Defense Minister Elias Murr had "relayed information to the cabinet that the incident happened by mistake and was not premeditated." "The helicopter carried colors of the United Arab Emirates and a 5X5-cm Lebanese flag was attached to its tail. "The helicopter landed and took off again which looked like a landing operation while it was actually mere exercise. Unfortunately, one of the people there opened fire and killed the pilot."Safadi also said reports of massive arming up in Tripoli are "hyped up." Beirut, 04 Sep 08, 12:20

Bellemare's Report on the Hariri Assassination Due in November
Naharnet/The head of the U.N. commission investigating ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination and related crimes, Daniel Bellemare, is to issue a report on his findings by the end of November, instead of in September as was expected. The daily An-Nahar on Thursday attributed the report to an assistant spokesman for the U.N. chief. The repot said the U.N. Security Council's current chairman, Burkina Faso ambassador Michel Kafando, circulated the council agenda for September and it did not include a session to review an expected report by Bellemare on progress of the investigation into Hariri's murder.
An assistant spokesman for U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, answering a question by An-Nahar, said: "The Security Council has decided that head of the Independent Commission (Bellemare) should present his report every six months instead of three." "The forthcoming report is expected by the end of November," he said. The official recalled that the Security Council had asked Bellemare to accept the post of the international tribunal prosecutor when the commission's term expires on Dec. 31. A diplomatic source at the U.N. headquarters in New York also told An-Nahar that Bellemare is "not obliged to present a report every three months. His forthcoming report is expected before year end." The international tribunal is to try suspects in Hariri's 2005 assassination and related crimes. Beirut, 04 Sep 08, 07:41

Najjar Proposes Plan for Tripoli Peace
Naharnet/Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar proposed granting gunmen in the northern city of Tripoli a grace period to surrender their weapons to security forces.
Najjar, in an interview with the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat on Thursday, said that after the proposed deadline the "state should play its role in enforcing law and order." The security chapter should coincide with efforts to launch development projects in Tripoli, he added. Najjar said the proposal by March 14 MPs to amend the constitution to avert any possibility of naturalizing Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is tantamount to "a declaration of principles that cannot be withdrawn and reflects a rejection of the naturalization of Palestinians." Beirut, 04 Sep 08, 08:53

Hariri for Sunni-Alawite Reconciliation in Tripoli
Naharnet/Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri has stretched a hand to Sunni-Alawite reconciliation in the northern city of Tripoli and warned against a "serious catastrophe" if the May attacks by Hizbullah in Beirut renewed. Hariri made the remarks in an address to guests of an iftar banquet at his Beirut residence on Wednesday evening.  Hariri said he is prepared to "support any reconciliation in Tripoli and the north … including meeting any Sunni or Alawite personality from Tripoli to accomplish this reconciliation and fold this file.""We have no problems with the Alawites," Hariri declared, recalling that the violence in Tripoli did not break out before the May attack by Hizbullah in Beirut. "What has happened since the assassination of (ex-Premier) Rafik Hariri targeted the Mustaqbal Movement and this leadership that represent moderation and true Arab belonging," Hariri said. "What hurts us is that the parties that had backed the Syrian regime also defended the Rafik Hariri killers … these parties should realize that all states surrounding us are carrying out their agendas by shedding Lebanese blood," he added.
"Repeating the May 7 attacks would lead to a serious catastrophe that targets all," Hariri warned. Beirut, 04 Sep 08, 08:21

Aoun: Sujud Attack Should Not Reflect on Resistance
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun on Wednesday said the Sujud attack on the army helicopter should not reflect on the resistance and the defense strategy. Aoun made the remark to reporters after the weekly meeting by members of his Change and Reform parliamentary bloc. Aoun also called for suing the French-Language newspaper L'Orient Le Jour for its headline on the Sujud attack, which had said it was a premeditated action by Hizbullah. He urged intelligence and security agencies to detect culprits in the various attacks that remain unresolved. Aoun said the judiciary would resolve the Sujud helicopter case. He criticized the government for refraining from carrying out reforms, claiming it lacks funds. He said he has plans to tour the Bekaa Valley and north Lebanon after he had toured southern regions. Beirut, 03 Sep 08, 16:55

Beware, the Friends of Bashar are here
By Michael Young
Daily Star staff
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Not very long ago, you will remember, there was the Friends of Lebanon group of states, whose declared aim was to defend Lebanese sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence, democratic institutions, and what have you. Meeting today in Damascus is a new fraternity, the Friends of Bashar. It includes the emir of Qatar, the prime minister of Turkey, and the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, and their aim is to ensure that the Assad regime remains in power and breaks out of the international and regional isolation imposed on it after the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri.
Sarkozy has proven to be the most destructive of opportunists here. After having negotiated a mediocre agreement in Georgia that allowed Russia to pursue its military actions there under the guise of defensive measures, yesterday in Damascus the French president waded into the Shebaa Farms imbroglio, with the same ostentation and shallowness. Sarkozy's true purpose was plain on Tuesday when he declared that peace in the Middle East "went through France and Syria," and that his aim was to see Syria "regaining its place in the concert of nations."
Months ago, after Michel Sleiman's election, the French set some conditions for their opening to Syria, particularly the establishment of diplomatic relations between Damascus and Beirut. We're still waiting. This was largely a pretense. Sarkozy never had any intention of turning those conditions into obstacles blocking French overtures to Bashar Assad, because he is so keen to fill some role in Arab-Israeli peacemaking. Lebanon is an irritant on that front. The Syrians want their peace talks with Israel to be a highway to Washington; Sarkozy is willing to broker that rapprochement if France is given a seat at the negotiating table too; however Syria will only play seriously on the peace front if it can reimpose its hegemony over Lebanon; therefore France will look the other way as Assad rebuilds in Beirut what he was made to abandon in 2005.
For the moment the United States refuses to go along with this, and has informed the French it would continue isolating Syria. But that may be nearing its end because the Bush administration is nearing its end. A new administration, whether Republican or Democrat, will probably alter US policy toward Syria, and those in Lebanon concerned with their country's sovereignty should take heed. President Michel Sleiman has traveled to France, then to Damascus, and this week flew to Qatar to yet again thank Emir Hamad for sponsoring the Doha agreement. However, a visit to Washington at this stage is necessary, because Sleiman needs to urgently offset the influence of the Friends of Bashar.
Sleiman apparently intends to fly to Washington in the near future. However, the president has no desire to transform this into leverage against Syria, nor would that be sensible at this stage. George W. Bush is leaving next January, so whatever he commits to might only last that long. However, and by the same token, Sleiman would make a mistake if he failed to use the trip to prepare for when Bush is gone. If the point is just to get a White House photo-op, then Sleiman might as well ask that his picture be taken with a cardboard effigy of Bush, because the US president is not only a lame duck, he's now virtually a dead one.
Where Sleiman would gain is by building up networks of relations in the US Congress, in the presidential campaigns, and in the think-tank community, which has been active, reprehensibly so, in encouraging American policymakers to open up to Syria. In fact, Bashar Assad has had a battery of promoters and objective allies in such places as the United States Institute of Peace, the Brookings Institution, the Carnegie Endowment, and the International Crisis Group, to name only them, all of which have urged engagement of Damascus, all of which have willfully ignored or papered over Syria's role in the Hariri assassination.
However, is Sleiman willing to go through with such an effort? Who in his entourage might be able to follow up on his contacts with the Americans? These are all questions the president will need to answer before embarking on his American tour, unless his plan is to avoid making the journey count for very much. And if that is indeed the case, then we would have to assume that little has changed in the Syrian-Lebanese relationship since 2005, with Lebanon's foreign policy still regarded by decision-makers in Beirut as a dispensation of the Assad regime.
Sleiman, if he hopes to plot a course even mildly independent from Syria, must make his American trip work. But the Syrians have a head start. The Friends of Bashar have repeatedly shown how little concerned they are by Syrian behavior in Lebanon - or more accurately, how little concerned they are by Syria's pursuing its destabilization of the country while imposing red lines on elected officials, on ministers, and on military and security appointees. Sleiman needs to guarantee that he has enough pull in the US so that come next year, if a new administration talks to the Assad regime, Lebanon will not once again be Syria's meal.
Why is it so difficult to be optimistic? Perhaps because Sleiman has a lot going for him politically, but still seems too timid by half. Because he seems so keen to market Syria to the world, as he did last week when he urged the international community to "open up" to Damascus, without anyone having requested such altruism. And because the Friends of Bashar are doing their damnedest to save the skin of a man who has never shown any sign of recognizing Lebanese independence, while the Lebanese don't seem to have a clue as to who will save their skins.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR.

Lebanon's private sector should stand up and be counted
By The Daily Star
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Editorial
The healthy profits being churned out by Lebanon's famously ambitious bankers are liable to make them even more sanctimonious in their usual criticisms of Lebanese politicians. While the ineptness of the political class makes it an easy target, however, the banking sector is way off-base if it imagines itself to be blameless in the leadership deficit from which this country has suffered for decades. In a system like Lebanon's, bankers and other powerful players in the private sector have all the tools they need to bring about change in the public sphere. That they have failed to make good use of this unique position makes them just as responsible as the politicians, therefore, for the utter lack of statesmanship that generally prevails.
Forget appeals to "good corporate citizenship:" Even simple self-preservation demands that Lebanon's business community take a more active role in bringing about positive changes aimed at improving economic, political and social stability in the country that is, after all, its home market. Instead of using their clout to impose reforms and/or their resources to study them, the banks and other key pillars of the private sector have mostly been content to snipe at their political counterparts from the sidelines.
From overhauling our laughable electoral model and increasing protection for the environment to curing the sickly healthcare system and achieving independence for the judiciary, the commercial class has much to gain by working to drag the public sector into the 21st century - even if it has to skip the 18th, 19th and 20th ones to get there. The typical politician views such spheres of potential activity with apathy, and with good reason: Here the usual drivers of political modernization and progressiveness, middle- and upper-middle-class citizens with access to centers of power and the means to influence them, have abdicated their responsibilities. Instead, they allow themselves to either remain silent or take up the medieval sectarian rhetoric of their respective tribal lords.
It is true that the Civil War, repeated conflicts with Israel, and shameless interference by outside powers have done much to prevent progress on a variety of fronts. It also true, though, that many sectors of the economy have found ways to get rich despite what appeared to be onerous conditions. This is especially true of the banking industry, which is still raking in profits from government debt issued by a succession of late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's governments operating under Syrian "tutelage." Great fortunes - nothing like all of them legitimate - were built and continue to be built on that era, and not nearly enough of the proceeds have been allocated to the public interest.
If the masters of the banking sector really want to assign responsibility for all that has gone wrong in the past couple of decades, they can start by looking in the mirror, for theirs are the faces that look over the shoulders of all those dysfunctional politicians on whom they heap so much scorn. More importantly, if they really want to help their homeland, they can start putting their money where their mouths are - not to buy a new generation of political puppets, but to raise awareness about key issues in public policy and thereby help shape a new class of national leaders whose concerns go beyond their own personal and/or sectarian fiefs.