LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
August 14/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 18,15-20.
If your brother sins (against you), go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that 'every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, (amen,) I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

Saint Cyprian (c.200-258), Bishop of Carthage and martyr
On the Unity of the Church (©The Library of Christian Classics)
«I am there in the midst of them»The Lord said: "If two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."These words prove that much is given not to the mere number but to the unanimity of those who pray. "If two of you agree on earth," he says, putting unanimity and peaceful concord first, teaching us to agree firmly and loyally. But how can one man agree with another when he disagrees with the body of the Church itself, with the whole brotherhood?... The Lord's words were spoken about his own Church and addressed to members of the Church. If they are agreed, if, as he commanded, but two or three are gathered together and pray with one mind, then, although they are but two or three, they can obtain from the divine majesty what they ask. "Where two or three are gathered, I (he said) am with them." That means, of course, with the single-hearted and peaceable, with those who fear God and keep his commandments. With these, though but two or three, he declared his presence, as he was present also with the Three Children in the fiery furnace, and, because they continued single-hearted and of one mind, refreshed them with the breath of dew as the flames surrounded them (Dn 3,50); or as he was present with the two apostles in prison, because they were single-hearted and of one mind, and himself opened the prison gates (Acts 25,25)... So when Christ lays down with authority: "Where two or three are gathered, I am with them," he is not separating men from the Church which he founded and created. But he rebukes the faithless for their discord and with his own voice commends peace to the faithful.

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Encouraging youth to address climate change-By Ban Ki-moon 13/08/08
Lebanon has a government, but the country is still in disrepair-The Daily Star 13/08/08

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August 13/08
Tripoli Blast Kills 18, Wounds 46-Naharnet
At least 18 dead in Lebanon bus bombing-Times Online
Arab League Strongly Condemns 'Terrorist Attack" in Tripoli
E.U. Denounced Lebanon bomb blast -Naharnet
Syria strongly condemns Lebanon's explosion-Xinhua
Syria Expresses Solidarity with Lebanon after deadly bombing -Naharnet
Sarkozy Condemns 'Cowardly' Lebanon Attack-Naharnet
Syrian Dailies Hail Suleiman Landmark Visit to Damascus-Naharnet
Suleiman-Assad Summit to Redefine Ties after 3 Decades of Syrian Dominance-Naharnet
Lebanon: At least 11 dead in bus blast-Al-Bawaba
Berlin suspects Al-Qaida trained militants plotting attacks in Germany-Ha'aretz
Iran’s Other Weapon-theTrumpet.com
Iran’s Other Weapon-theTrumpet.com
Lebanon cabinet backs Hizbollah-Financial Times
World in brief: Spanish police seized 1.4 tonnes of cocaine-Times Online
Lebanon’s Cedar Revolution Dead-theTrumpet.com
Report: Tension in Syria amid IDF drill-Ynetnews
Muallem: Assad Wants Suleiman's Visit to be a Success -Naharnet
Suleiman-Assad Summit to Redefine Ties after 3 Decades of Syrian Dominance -Naharnet
Syrian Dailies Hail Suleiman Landmark Visit to Damascus -Naharnet
Lebanon-Syria Timeline-Naharnet
U.S. Embassy: 670 Iraqis Approved for Permanent Resettlement in U.S.-Naharnet
Berri Meets Husseini, Discusses Resignation-Naharnet
Saniora: Security Reshuffle May or May Not Happen at Cabinet's 1st Session-Naharnet
Saniora Cabinet Wins Confidence, Husseini Resigns, Harb Attacks Police Oppression of the House-Naharnet
Hariri: Opposition is Responsible for Any Veto on Cabinet Decisions-Naharnet
Kouchner to Visit Beirut Ahead of Damascus Trip-Naharnet
Barak: Israel Closely Watching Hizbullah's Reinforcement-Naharnet
Sleiman embarks on historic visit to Damascus-Daily Star
Lebanon's Divided Parliament approves new unity Cabine-Daily Star
Key events in relations between Syria and Lebanon since the 1970s-iloubnan.info, Lebanon
Sky-high cell phone service prices have no easy answer-Daily Star
Growing Syrian influence part of the new Lebanese politic al reality-Jerusalem Post
Israel's Barak says Resolution 1701 'failed'-Daily Star
US Embassy screens Iraqi refugees for settlement-Daily Star
Hizbullah opens war exhibition in Nabatiyeh-Daily Star
UN groups to halt clearing cluster bombs, mines if more funds are not found-Daily Star
MEA secures new aircraft with loan from Lebanese bank-Daily Star
Crises slow Lebanon's reform process-Daily Star
Letter reveals murder-suicide in Jal al-Dib-Daily Star
Mount Lebanon reaps rewards of tourism boon-Daily Star
Workshop strengthens peace-building capacity of civil society-Daily Star
Exhibitors shrug off lukewarm attendance at jewelry show in Lebanese capital-Daily Star
Sky-high cell phone service prices have no easy answer-Daily Star

Tripoli Blast Kills 18, Wounds 46
Naharnet/A bomb ripped through a bus carrying civilians and members of the Lebanese military during Wednesday morning rush hour in the northern city of Tripoli, killing 18 people and wounding 46, security officials said. The officials said the dead included 10 off-duty soldiers.
The bomb was planted on the side of a main street and went off as the bus passed by. The streets were filled with people heading to work, which contributed to the many casualties, the officials said.
The security officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The blast raised suspicions that al-Qaida-inspired Islamic militants may have sought revenge on the military for its assault last year on the nearby Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr el-Bared, a one-time bastion of the Fatah Islam group.
The months long battle killed hundreds and eventually drove out Fatah Islam.
The army described the blast as a "terrorist attack targeting the army directly." A senior military officer told The Associated Press that at least 13 people were killed, including 11 soldiers. He spoke on condition of anonymity for the same reason.
The discrepancy with the higher police figures could not immediately be explained.

The blast also came hours before Lebanese President Michel Suleiman was to begin a visit to Syria to patch up stormy relations between the neighbors -- the first visit by a Lebanese president to Syria in three years. Prime Minister Fouad Saniora, whose national unity Cabinet was approved by parliament Tuesday after months of political wrangling, said the attack "will not affect the launching of our government."
"Lebanon and the Lebanese will not kneel ... or submit to the criminals and the terrorists," said Saniora, but refrained from linking the blast to Syria, as he had done on previous occasions. Shattered glass littered Banks Street in Tripoli's center, as soldiers and policemen cordoned off the area to keep onlookers away and to investigate. The small public bus, which had been bringing passengers from the remote, northernmost Akkar region, home to many military members, was riddled with shrapnel. Soldiers used sniffer dogs to search nearby parked cars, as forensic experts in white uniforms, face masks and gloves sifted through the wreckage of the bus in search of evidence.
Experts determined the bomb was locally made and packed in a bag with nuts and bolts to maximize impact. It contained 3.3 pounds (1.5 kilograms) of high-explosive TNT and was triggered by remote control, security officials said.
Electrician Hatem Hussein, 24, said he ran to the scene after hearing the loud explosion. "The wounded were lying on the ground, men in military uniforms," he said.
Another witness, Khaled Bizri, 38, said he didn't have the "courage to look at the dead," who included a popular street vendor who sold bread, Abu Ayman. "Everybody knew him. This was his place for 30 years."
Tripoli, about 90 kilometers north of Beirut on the Mediterranean coast, is Lebanon's second-largest city and has a mostly Sunni Muslim population.
Despite a relative calm elsewhere, it has in the past weeks witnessed sectarian clashes between Sunni fighters and followers of the Alawite sect, an offshoot Shiite sect, that killed and wounded dozens of people.
Last Friday, about 2,000 supporters of Islamist groups protested in Tripoli to demand the release of prisoners suspected of plotting or carrying out militant attacks in Lebanon. Former Prime Minister Omar Karami -- a prominent politician from Tripoli -- said it is too early to know the motive, but said the attack could be linked to the 2007 Nahr el-Bared violence, given the high casualties among soldiers. Fatah Islam group claimed responsibility for a bomb blast that killed a soldier in Abdeh, near Tripoli, on May 31. Lebanon has seen a series of explosions in the last 3 1/2 years, including the 2005 truck bombing that killed former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in Beirut, an explosion that sparked the political and security upheaval in the country. But there have been no serious attacks against politicians or public places since February. The latest violence comes at an especially sensitive time for Lebanon, with its freshly approved Cabinet.(AP) Beirut, 13 Aug 08, 09:14

Arab League Strongly Condemns "Terrorist Attack" in Tripoli
Naharnet/The Arab League strongly condemned the "terrorist attack" that shook the Northern city of Tripoli Wednesday morning and left several civilian and military victims. Arab league Secretary General Amr Moussa expressed sincere condolences to and sympathy with the families of the victims and wished the injured persons speedy recovery, according to a press release. Moussa, meanwhile, urged the political forces in the Arab country to unify their ranks and strengthen their national unity. He also urged them to work together to defeat terrorists who seek to destabilize Lebanon and incite sectarian sedition.
Beirut, 13 Aug 08, 16:50

E.U. Denounced Lebanon bomb blast
Naharnet/The European Union on Wednesday condemned a bomb blast in the north city of Tripoli, vowing to keep working for "security and unity" in the country.
"The presidency of the European Union condemns in the strongest terms the attack that occurred this morning in Tripoli," the current French presidency of the E.U. said in a statement following the blast that targeted Lebanese soldiers. "Full light must be shed on this terrorist act. The presidency of the European Union reaffirms its commitment to support Lebanon and the Lebanese people in their fight against terrorism." The E.U. also vowed the attack must "not hinder the implementation" of an Arab-brokered power-sharing agreement brokered in May, that pulled the country back from the brink of a new civil war.
"We will continue to take full part in efforts to promote the security and unity of Lebanon, which are essential to the stability of the region."
Eighteen people were killed and 46 wounded in the attack that ripped through a busy shopping street in the heart of the Mediterranean port city during the morning rush hour, a security official said. The attack came just a day after a national unity government, formed by Prime Minister Fouad Saniora following 18 months of tensions with the opposition, finally won a vote of confidence in parliament.(AFP) Beirut, 13 Aug 08, 16:43

Syria Expresses Solidarity with Lebanon after deadly bombing
Naharnet/Syria on Wednesday condemned a bomb attack in the main north city of Tripoli that killed 18 people most of them soldiers.
Syria expressed support for Lebanon "against the hands that try to mess with its security and stability," according to a statement by the foreign ministry in Damascus.
"Syria strongly denounces the criminal act perpetrated this morning in Tripoli that killed many innocent civilians." "Syria expresses its regrets and condolences to the families of the victims and affirms its sympathy and solidarity with brotherly Lebanon in the face of all those who are manipulating its security and stability," it said.
Forty people were also wounded by the blast, which struck during the morning rush hour near a bus stop on a busy street, hours before Lebanese President Michel Suleiman was due to visit neighboring Syria. The groundbreaking two-day visit was due to focus on establishing diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria for the first time since the two countries gained independence from French colonial rule 60 years ago.(AFP)Beirut, 13 Aug 08, 16:48

Sarkozy Condemns 'Cowardly' Lebanon Attack
Naharnet/President Nicolas Sarkozy Wednesday condemned the "cowardly" attack that killed 14 people in northern Lebanon, reaffirming France's support for Lebanon in the fight against terrorism. "The president of the republic condemns in the strongest terms the hateful and cowardly attack that cost the lives of many Lebanese citizens, most of them soldiers, this morning in Tripoli," his office said in a statement. Offering his condolences to the victims' families, Sarkozy "reaffirms France's unfailing support for Lebanon, its authorities and its security institutions, in their fight against terrorism," the text said.
The attack came as Lebanese President Michel Suleiman headed to neighboring Syria for landmark talks with his counterpart Bashar al-Assad aimed at establishing diplomatic relations for the first time. Referring to the "important summit" in Damascus, the statement said Sarkozy "reaffirms his full support for the process underway and his determined commitment in favor of peace and stability in the region."(AFP) Beirut, 13 Aug 08, 16:37

Syrian Dailies Hail Suleiman Landmark Visit to Damascus
Naharnet/The official Syrian newspaper Tishrin hailed the Lebanon-Syria summit and expected "past mistakes to be overcome... by establishing diplomatic relations" which it said must be based on "respect, friendship and coordination." Syria and Lebanon have not had diplomatic ties since independence from French colonial power 60 years ago but Assad and Suleiman agreed to establish them during talks last month in Paris. The government paper Ath-Thawra said that "Syria will listen carefully to Michel Suleiman. There will be a dialogue capable of solving all pending issues." Suleiman is the first Lebanese president to visit Damascus since Syria pulled out its troops from Lebanon in April 2005 ending almost three decades of military domination of its "sister" nation. The pullout came two months after the assassination in Beirut of ex-premier Rafik Hariri, for which Damascus has denied any responsibility despite accusations by Lebanese anti-Syrian groups.
Suleiman's visit aims to redefine ties between Beirut and Damascus which have been on the decline since the Hariri murder.
It comes a day after Beirut's new national unity government won a much-delayed parliamentary vote of confidence following stormy debates among rival factions on the thorny issue of weapons held by Hizbullah, which is backed by Syria and Iran. Opposing MPs locked horns in sharp exchanges over the arsenal of Hizbullah, which insists it has the right to resist Israel. The vote will allow the 30-member cabinet formed a month ago by Prime Minister Fouad Saniora to finally start work.
The agenda in Damascus features prickly issues such as a border demarcation, a review of longstanding accords, Lebanese detainees in Syria and the presence of radical pro-Syrian Palestinian groups in Lebanon, diplomatic sources said.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 13 Aug 08, 12:25

Suleiman-Assad Summit to Redefine Ties after 3 Decades of Syrian Dominance
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman heads Wednesday for a groundbreaking visit to Syria aimed at redefining ties between Beirut and Damascus, which dominated Lebanon for three decades until it withdrew its forces in 2005. The two-day visit is the first by a Lebanese head of state since a 2005 Syrian troop pullout from Lebanon in the aftermath of the murder of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri. Suleiman is carrying with him an agenda loaded with thorny issues, including the establishment of diplomatic ties. Among the prickly issues in the agenda are a border demarcation, a review of longstanding accords, Lebanese detainees in Syria and the presence of radical pro-Syrian Palestinian groups in Lebanon, diplomatic sources said. According to a Lebanese official in Beirut, the establishment of diplomatic relations and opening of embassies will top the agenda. Assad and Suleiman, whose states have not had diplomatic relations since independence more than 60 years ago, agreed to finally set up ties at a meeting last month in France, their former colonial power. Beirut-Damascus links have been on the decline since Hariri's murder in a February 2005 Beirut bomb blast in which Syria has consistently denied charges of involvement.
But the Doha accord struck in May between the pro- and anti-Syrian camps in Lebanon after an 18-month political crisis which degenerated into deadly factional violence cleared the way for Suleiman's election as president. Prime Minister Fouad Saniora has since formed a new government of national unity, a development which would have been impossible without the consent of Damascus. "Syria wants a stable, united and Arab Lebanon which does not serve as a trampoline for hostile activities," Elias Murad, editor-in-chief of the Syrian ruling Baath party's newspaper, told AFP.
Officials in Damascus insist Syria has not interfered in Lebanese affairs since its troop withdrawal and has worked to reunify ranks in Beirut, pointing to the Doha power-sharing accord. But the Beirut daily An-Nahar, reflecting the suspicions of the Western-backed and anti-Syrian parliamentary majority in Beirut, voiced doubts over how Damascus will "manage the relations." The official in Beirut said ahead of the visit that the fate of a Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council and a 1991 friendship and cooperation treaty would also figure high on the agenda. The parliamentary majority wants both the treaty and council to be scrapped.
But the council's secretary general, Nasri Khouri, said embassies did not spell the end of the coordination body. "There will be coordination between the two countries' embassies and the council," he told AFP. The fate of the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms, where Beirut claims sovereignty with the consent of Damascus, is also expected to be discussed.(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 13 Aug 08, 08:19

Key events in relations between Syria and Lebanon since the 1970s
AFP - August 12, 2008
Lebanese President Michel Sleiman begins on Wednesday a two-day groundbreaking visit to Syria, as the two neighbours seek to establish diplomatic ties. Here are the key events in relations between the two countries since the 1970s.
- 1975: Start of Lebanese civil war.
- 1976: Syrian troops enter Lebanon at the request of Christian groups.
As the conflict evolves they come into conflict with rightist Christians and side with mostly Muslim and Palestinian leftist forces.
- 1982: Israeli forces invade Lebanon for the second time during the war, sweeping into Beirut and forcing the Syrians to pull back to the east of the country.
- 1987: With the war still raging, Syrian soldiers are again deployed in west Beirut.
- 1988: Lebanon finds itself with two rival governments, a mainly Muslim one in west Beirut and a Christian one, headed by Michel Aoun, in the east.
- 1989: Aoun declares a "war of liberation" against Syrian troops.
Lebanese inter-party talks in Taif, Saudi Arabia, produce an agreement that will later end the civil war. The deal calls for a Syrian pullback to the east of the country, but does not set a date for a full withdrawal.
- 1990: The civil war, which has killed over 150,000 people, ends.
- 1991: Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, Syria agrees to join a US-led force against Iraq. In exchange, the US turns a blind eye to Syria's presence in Lebanon.
Lebanon and Syria sign a friendship treaty, but Syria still refuses to recognise Lebanon diplomatically.
- 1998: Emile Lahoud, a pro-Syrian general, is elected president of Lebanon.
- 2000-1: After the last Israeli forces leave southern Lebanon, the bulk of the Syrian troops in the country deploy to the Bekaa Valley, in the east.
- 2003: Rafiq Hariri forms a new, pro-Syrian government in Lebanon.
Syria refuses to take part in a new invasion of Iraq led by the US.
- 2004: UN Security Council adopts Resolution 1559 calling for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon and respect for its sovereignty.
The Lebanese parliament gives Lahoud another three years in office.
Hariri later resigns.
- February 2005: Hariri is assassinated.
The anti-Syrian opposition accuses Syria of ordering the killing, which Syria denies.
In April, the last Syrian troops leave Lebanon.
In June, parliamentary elections give a majority to anti-Syrian parties.
- May 2006: The UN Security Council adopts a resolution calling on Syria to establish diplomatic ties with Lebanon. Syria refuses.
- August: As Lebanon is shattered by a devastating war between Israel and the Shiite Muslim militia Hezbollah, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem visits Beirut.
- May 2008: Israel said it is involved in indirect peace talks with Syria.
- May 25: Army chief Michel Sleiman is elected Lebanon's 12th president after a deal between the Western-backed government and the opposition backed by Syria and Iran.
- June 5: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says Syria will formally recognise Lebanon once a national unity government is formed there.
- July 12: The day after the unity government is announced, French President Nicolas Sarkozy announces that Lebanon and Syria are to establish
diplomatic ties.
- July 21: Muallem makes a new visit to Lebanon.
- August 12: On the eve of Sleiman's visit to Syria, the Lebanese government wins a vote of confidence after stormy debates on the thorny issue of weapons held by the pro-Syrian Hezbollah militia.

Encouraging youth to address climate change
By Ban Ki-moon
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
First person by Ban Ki-moon
Though the science of climate change is complex, the facts are simple: our world is heading toward trouble. I saw this last year when I visited the Antarctic, where age-old ice is melting much faster than we originally thought it would. Left unaddressed, climate change could cause an unravelling of the progress that has been made toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and could also have serious implications for peace and security. Unless we make radical changes in the way we live, by the time the youth of 2008 reach my age, the world may well have become a rather inhospitable place.
The theme for this year's observance of International Youth Day is "Youth and climate change: time for action." Today's young people will bear the consequences of climate change, thanks to the unfortunate legacy of their elders. In many developing countries in particular, youth - especially girls and young women - are often responsible for farming, finding water and collecting fuel wood. These tasks will be rendered more difficult - and will take even more time away from education or productive activities - as climate change affects the availability of water, agricultural productivity and the survival of ecosystems.
Yet young people are also well placed to contribute to the fight even now. They are adept at spreading new habits and technologies. They are adaptable and can quickly make low-carbon lifestyles and career choices a part of their daily lives. Youth should therefore be given a chance to take an active part in the decision-making of local, national and global levels. And they can actively support initiatives that will lead to the passage of far-reaching legislation.
We will need the spirit of youth in abundance as the world seeks to embrace cleaner, more sustainable forms of energy, including renewable resources. The transition to a low-carbon economy that we hope young people will see in their lifetimes offers tremendous opportunities. Not least, economic growth that is fuelled by clean energy and technological innovation will create jobs that could help alleviate the dire global problem of youth unemployment.
On this International Youth Day, I urge young people around the world to invest their energies and bright ideas into shaping a safer, more sustainable planet.
**Ban Ki-Moon is the secretary general of the UN

Israel's Barak says Resolution 1701 'failed'
Jewish state holds Golan war games
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Tuesday that UN Resolution 1701, which put an end to the 2006 war with Israel "has failed to fulfill its goals." Barak made the remarks as Israel held large-scale military exercises on Tuesday in the Occupied Golan Heights along the Syrian border in the presence of senior political and military officials.
"There is a reinforcement on the other side, and it's not by chance that we are training intensively on the Golan Heights and on a major scale," Barak, who observed the drills, told army radio.
He was referring to Hizbullah, which Israel says has been rearming with help from Syria and Iran since the 2006 war.
"There has been a very significant reinforcement of Hizbullah in recent years, and we are examining the possibility that the balance of power has shifted with the introduction of sophisticated weapons from Syria," Barak said.
Barak also warned Tuesday the government against slashing defense spending in a proposed budget aimed at reducing overall expenditure by some $2.6 billion, saying "Israel cannot afford the luxury of undermining its security."
On Monday, Barak said the summer 2006 war backfired on Israel because it resulted in strengthening Hizbullah.
He also criticized the Israeli government's performance during the six years that preceded the outbreak of the war.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported last week that Israel would hold Lebanon responsible for any attacks against Israel, in particular for any Hizbullah efforts to avenge the murder of a top military commander, Imad Mughniyeh.
"This decision on Wednesday by the security Cabinet represents a change in Israeli policy, after always firmly separating Hizbullah and the Lebanese government," it reported.
According to defense establishment recommendations adopted by the security Cabinet, Israel will treat the Lebanese unity government, which includes Hizbullah, "as responsible for any event that takes place in its sovereign territory or events for which Lebanese nationals are responsible."
A source told Haaretz that if Hizbullah attacks Israel from inside Lebanese territory, shoots at Israel Air Force aircraft or carries out a terror attack abroad as revenge for the Mughniyeh assassination, which it attributes to Israel, then Israel will hold Lebanon responsible.
In other developments, German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel quoted the head of the Federal Criminal Police Office of Germany Joerg Ziercke as saying on Tuesday that investigators are closely monitoring 200 Hizbullah sleeper cells. - Agencies

Lebanon has a government, but the country is still in disrepair
By The Daily Star
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Editorial
That Lebanon's unity government was ushered in by a divided Parliament speaks volumes about a broken nation trying desperately to patch itself back together. Three weeks of bickering at the ministerial level produced a salad of declarations that got its final dressing in the form of a vote of confidence from rancorous lawmakers. Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's Cabinet can now officially begin its work, but the country remains in shambles.
The most severe condemnation of the process that gave birth to this government came in the form of MP Hussein Husseini's resignation on Tuesday. As a former Parliament speaker, veteran lawmaker and the father of the country's Taif Accord, Husseini has shown extraordinary patience, but the recent proceedings of governance were so uncivilized and so unlawful that he was driven to a point of exasperation. Husseini's criticisms were joined by those of lawmakers from both sides of the political divide, including MPs Butrous Harb and Mohammad Raad, who both made urgent calls for restraint during the highly uncivilized Parliament sessions. But unfortunately Lebanon's broken-down condition extends far beyond the halls of Parliament and the Grand Serail. It should be evident to everyone by now that a dangerous faultline runs through every community in the nation. It is to be expected, given the fact that only three months ago Lebanon was at the brink of civil war. But it ought to be viewed as a crime of enormous proportions to exacerbate those divisions.
At this juncture, Lebanon is not unlike the dilapidated Mercedes vehicles that cruise the streets of Beirut. The country is in utter disrepair, but its model of governance -democracy - is still far better than others on the roads in this region. Yes, our democracy is riddled with dents and cracks, and its wheels want to steer off in different directions. But at least with Tuesday's vote the country now has a driver.
Hezbollah’s propaganda has been focusing the Lebanese people into a single argument of how can we defend Lebanon from “Israeli aggressions and designs” over Lebanese territory and resources. Lets us analyze Hezbollah’s premise in its 2 parts; the ”assumption” of Israeli aggression, and then the “designs/wants” of Lebanese territory and resources.
The original myth, the falsehood of Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people and Lebanon, has never existed in reality and the whole world recognizes this fact except the poor Arab masses programmed for 60 years by dictatorial regimes who maintained themselves in absolute power by inventing the absolute enemy; Israel. First of all, and contrary to mass programming of the Arab masses, Israel has never been an aggressor with Lebanon, not one single time. In 1948, on the night of May 14–15, five of the seven countries of the Arab League at that time, namely Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan, Lebanon and Syria, backed with Saudi Arabian and Yemenite contingents invaded Israel in violation of UN resolution 181 which fairly partitioned Palestine into Jewish and Palestinian states. The Arabs armies were subsequently defeated causing additional Palestinian territory to be seized beyond the original UN allocated plan and a partial exodus of Palestinian civilians ensued. Modern documented history of all nations clearly shows these events as facts, except in the selective memory, history books, and literature of the Arab states.
In order to channel their masses’ frustrations away from their daily miseries and regime change, Arab regimes invented the “Evil” Israeli enemy and caused the sufferings of millions of their own people. For the following 60 years, Arab states abandoned their own Palestinian brothers to rotten in refugee camps, denied basic human rights, living in abject poverty and neglect, while they collected billions and by today’s count, trillions of oil dollars. More Palestinians were even massacred at the hands of their own Arab brothers than by all Israeli defensive actions. Twenty thousands died in Black September 1970 (Jordan) when they attempted a coup against the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan. Hundreds were savagely gunned down in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps (Lebanon). Thousands faced mass arrests and torture in Syria. Hundreds of thousands were mass deported from Kuwait and the Gulf (after the PLO’s support of Saddam Hussein’s invasion). So numerically, far more Palestinians cruelly died and suffered at the hands of their own Arab brothers, than Israel’s. At least Israel does not kidnap, jail, torture, and murder its own people for their political opinions as do most of the Arab states today.
Returning to the topic of Israel and Lebanon, Israel did not attack Lebanon in its 1948 independence war despite Lebanon’s unprovoked attack, nor in the 1956 Suez war, nor the 1967 Six Days war, nor in the 1973 Yom Kippur war. Lebanon was safe from the Israeli-Arab conflict for decades, until it opened its territory through Syrian sabotage, facilitation, and pressure, to Palestinian guerilla attacks, legalized by our own Lebanese government in the famous “Cairo Accord” which granted the PLO the southern “Arkoub” territory to attack Israel, thereby providing the justification for Israel’s legitimate self-defense against Lebanon. Palestinian guerilla attacks from Lebanon against the state of Israel persisted in the 1970s and 1980’s, and were faced by reciprocal Israeli retaliations and counter attacks. Finally in 1982, Israel “cleaned” up Lebanon from the Palestinian threat and freely handed the Lebanese back their state and sovereignty embodied in the Election of Freedom Fighter Martyr President Bachir Gemayel, who was quickly assassinated by the Syrian Assad regime, and the cycle of using Lebanon again as a staging ground for the “wars of others” resumed.
By 1982, Syria and Iran invented Hezbollah as a substitute to the Palestinian resistance which they had already cashed by exiling Arafat to Tunis, and attacks against Israel resumed, this time with a new mask; Shiite Radicalism, or Hezbollah. These “Lebanese” aggressions resulted in several Israeli retaliations, and finally culminated with an outright occupation of a buffer zone in south Lebanon to protect Israel from the absent and irresponsible Lebanese governments.
Since 1982, Israel tried to seek peace with Lebanon, but Lebanon failed to meet it one tenth of the way. All due to the Syrian Assad regime’s sabotage of the independence of Lebanon and finally its outright occupation of the county in 1990. All what Israel asked for, was security for its border and population. Is that too much to ask? Since 1992 Israel faced stubborn, idiotic, and evil attacks from Lebanon’s Hezbollah, or we should rather say, Syrian-Iranian Hezbollah.
Let’s take a jump in history to current 2008 and observe the nation of Jordan today. Jordan has a peace treaty with Israel. It enjoys a US-NATO de-facto protection, and tons of economic agreements and aid to lift its economy and secure its nation. Jordan does not need 40,000 missiles in its defense strategy to protect itself against Israel, nor does Lebanon. The logic circulated by Iranian-Hezbollah today, that force is what protects Lebanon is absolutely erroneous and fraudulent. It is based on the hate of some old senile Mullahs whose mind has remained fixated in the 7th Century. A peace treaty with Israel, a neighbor that does not, and has never coveted land from Lebanon, and was never the aggressor against Lebanon, is the best solution to protect Lebanon. IT IS THE ULTIMATE DEFENSE STRATEGY! Peace with our democratic neighbor Israel, is the best God-Given gift to the Lebanese people. And all talk of resistance is pure rubbish and criminal. It is being marketed only by the real enemies of Lebanon; Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran.
The Lebanese people have been programmed for 60 years and need de-programming. There is nothing wrong with our Israeli neighbors. They are good people and a fascinating civilization. We are losing most by not getting to know them and befriend them. They are a million time more decent and humane than the Syrian regimes we have always experienced.
Now that our new government has merged with Hezbollah, we Lebanese are all threatened existentially. The next Israeli retaliation against Hezbollah will include a total and massive destruction to everything standing in Lebanon and the exchange may even include chemical and atomic weapons, whether fission of dirty-bomb based. Our situation is extremely grave! All those MPs today granting confidence, are better off surrendering the state to Hezbollah, refusing to participate in its falsehood, and going home to shelter and pray. Or… stand tall, carry arms and fight to defend Lebanon against the Hezbollah occupation! The Lebanese must understand that claiming sovereignty over the 10452 KLM2 means assuming responsibility for all actions emanating from it. Since we cannot establish control over the totality of the land, we are better off disconnecting ourselves from the Hezbollah zones officially and formally so that we spare ourselves from the coming total destruction. We must ally yourselves clearly with the global peace camp, and we must defend ourselves in Free Lebanon. If things continue on the current track, nothing will be spared, all regions, all communities, all bridges, all infrastructure, the South, Solidere, the Saraya, Yarze, the presidential palace, Fayadiye, Jounieh, Sanine, all Lebanon will be target in the next theater of action. Wake up Lebanese, time is running sh

Divided Parliament approves new unity Cabinet
Veteran politician Husseini shocks nation by announcing resignation
By Hussein Abdallah
Daily Star staff
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
BEIRUT: Lebanon's new national unity government won a vote of confidence in Parliament on Tuesday following stormy debates among rival lawmakers on the thorny issue of Hizbullah's arms. "One hundred MPs have given their confidence to the cabinet, five voted against and two abstained," Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced to the assembly, which currently has 127 MPs.
The vote of confidence was made after 62 lawmakers delivered speeches in seven sessions which extended from Friday to Tuesday.
MPs Solange Gemayel, Bahij Tabbara, Atef Majdalani, Mohammad Kabbara, and Ousama Saad voted against, while MPs Ghassan Tueni and Elias Atallah abstained from voting.
Meanwhile, MP Hussein Husseini, a former speaker and veteran lawmaker, surprisingly announced his resignation from Parliament at the end of a speech that he made during the seventh and final session to discuss the Cabinet's policy statement.
Husseini explained the reasons behind his decision before making the surprise announcement. "I have never seen the Constitution being torn apart the way it was in the past few years," Husseini said, in a clear expression of his dismay at the way rival parties had dealt with constitutional principles.
Berri described Hussein's resignation as "disappointing" before leaving the floor for Siniora to read the government's response to most of the concerns that were raised by the various lawmakers. "Despite some of the sharp criticisms expressed by some of the MPs ... we are determined to turn over a new page in our relations," Siniora said in an address before the vote. After the session, Siniora met with Berri and parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri at the speaker's office in Parliament. As he left the meeting, Siniora made few remarks to reporters about President Michel Sleiman's visit to Damascus, scheduled for Wednesday.
"We all back Sleiman's visit and hope it would yield positive results," he said. Later on Tuesday, Siniora told reporters after meeting Sleiman at the Presidential Palace in Baabda that he was planning a number of foreign visits in a bid to garner support for Lebanon.
Earlier on Tuesday, Hariri told reporters at Parliament that Lebanon had been demanding diplomatic relations with Syria "for the last 50 years."
Asked whether he was planning to visit Damascus, Hariri said he was "not ready" to do so. Hariri earlier showed up at the Parliament session designed to give the government a vote of confidence. The Future Movement leader did not attend previous sessions.
Progressive Socialist leader Walid Jumblatt also attended the session for the first time since last Friday. On his way out from Parliament, Jumblatt criticized the "violent debates" that took place in earlier sessions and urged lawmakers to tolerate differences and respect each other. MPs Boutros Harb and Bahij Tabbara also delivered speeches in Tuesday's final session. "We accept this government because of necessity even though it is nothing more than a government of adversaries," Harb, a member of the parliamentary majority bloc, told his fellow MPs in justification of his decision to grant the government a vote of confidence.
Harb complained about the way some lawmakers were interrupted on several occasions and "prevented from expressing their opinion freely."
"This is tantamount to police oppression ... No one has the right to prevent legislators from expressing their views," he said, referring to some of the heated debates between March 8 and March 14 lawmakers, mainly on the issue of Hizbullah's arms. During earlier sessions, lawmakers on both sides of the divide interrupted their rivals as they were delivering speeches.
Harb noted that the recent Parliament sessions were the "worst that he ever attended." Tackling the issue of Hizbullah's resistance, Harb said that "the resistance should be integrated in the state.""I have never seen a state and an independent resistance on its side ... there should rather be a state with a defense strategy which builds on the capabilities and capacities of the resistance," he said.
Controversy over Hizbullah's weapons intensified after its fighters captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid in July 2006 and Israel responded to the border incident by launching a devastating 34-day war on Lebanon. It boiled over again in May, after armed clashes between opposition fighters and pro-government gunmen left dozens dead and saw Hizbullah and its allies briefly take over large swathes of West Beirut. Addressing Lebanese-Syrian relations, Harb urged Sleiman to work out agreements with Damascus on normalizing relations, border demarcation and the establishment of diplomatic ties. Meanwhile, Tabbara, who did not grant the cabinet his support, said the nation is split and the executive authority should exert efforts to reunite the people.
Addressing the issue of the international tribunal to try suspects in former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's murder, Tabbara urged all parties to refrain from politicizing Hariri's case. The former judge also said that the current government has already made "countless promises."
"The nine-month term of this government does not enable it to fulfill all its promises." Addressing lawmakers before the confidence vote, Siniora pledged to solve the country's political and economic problems and put Lebanon back on the road to prosperity. "The tasks awaiting this government are many and the time we have is short. We are hoping to gain strength from your precious confidence to accelerate steps together on the road to stability, construction, reforms and prosperity," he said.Siniora urged all parties to settle their differences in a democratic manner.
"We must all commit to the agreement that we reached in Doha ... we must avoid accusing each other of treason."
The Doha Agreement, which ended an 18-month political crisis in Lebanon, prohibited all forms of political incitement.
The premier also said that the nation's security was on top of the new government's agenda. "Our security and armed forces will ensure the security of all Lebanese citizens." Siniora also refused to describe the government as an "electoral cabinet." "Overseeing next year's elections is one of the government's main tasks, but there are also other important issues which we need to take care of," he said. Regarding Lebanon's foreign relations, Siniora said that the government wanted friendly relations with all foreign parties. - With agencies

Press Release
Lebanese American Renaissance Partnership (LARP)
Washington, DC
August 12, 2008
President Sleiman receiving the Honorable Walid Maalouf
Washington D.C. - The Executive Committee of the Lebanese American Renaissance Partnership (LARP) announces the confirmation of several distinguished speakers at the LARP II conference, which is set for September 12, 2008 at the Phoenicia Hotel in downtown Beirut under the High Patronage of His Excellency, the President of Lebanon, General Michel Sleiman and in collaboration with the American Lebanese Chamber of Commerce.
In addition to His Excellency Governor Riad Salmeh, speaking at the conference are: the Honorable Michele J. Sison, US Ambassador to Lebanon; the Honorable Jeffrey J. Grieco, USAID Assistant Administrator for Legislative and Public Affairs; Mr. Thomas H. Staal, USAID Mission Director to Lebanon; Engineer Ghassan M. Saab of Michigan, Corporate Leader LARP II trip; Dr. Ghaleb Daouk of the Harvard Medical School, Mr. Anis Garabet of Los Angeles, former President of the WLCU, H.E. Mosbah Ahdab, Member of Parliament; H.E. Neemtallah Abi Nasr, Member of parliament; Mr. Dory Chamoun, Mayor of Deir El-Kamar; Mr. Ahmad El-Assaad, Chairman of the Lebanese Option Gathering; Mr. Neemat G. Frem, President & CEO of INDEVCO group; Mr. Nabil G. Sawabini, Chairman & CEO of MINA Capital; Mr. Salim Zeenni, President of the American Lebanese Chamber of Commerce, and Mr. Sami Gemayel, Head of the Kataeb Youth. (For bios please consult our website at www.larpi.net)
On Friday June 27, 2008, His Excellency the President of Lebanon, General Michel Sleiman received Walid Maalouf, President of LARP who formally invited the President to the opening ceremony as the major speaker at the conference.
LARP is committed to supporting the civil society and civic institutions of Lebanon, to lifting up the spirit of the Lebanese people, and assisting the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other agencies of the United States in their effort to promote economic growth in Lebanon and to foster peace, stability and democratic institutions in Lebanon in an efforts to enhance the sovereignty and freedom of Lebanon.
For more information regarding LARP and the upcoming trip to Lebanon, please contact:
Dr. Sam Wakim
Secretary-General
LARP