LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
August 29/08
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to
Saint Matthew 24,42-51. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on
which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had
known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at
an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. Who, then, is the faithful
and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to
distribute to them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom
his master on his arrival finds doing so. Amen, I say to you, he will put him in
charge of all his property. But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My
master is long delayed,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and
drink with drunkards, the servant's master will come on an unexpected day and at
an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with
the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Saint Macarius (?-405), monk in Egypt
Spiritual Homilies, no.33/Watching in prayer for the coming of God
To pray we have no need of gestures, cries
or prostrations. A prayer that is both wise and fervent is one that is a waiting
for God to come and visit our souls through every point of entry, in all its
ways and through all its senses. Enough of our silences, groanings and weepings:
let us seek nothing in prayer but God's embrace. When we are working, don't we
make use of every bodily fibre in the effort? Don't all our limbs take part in
it together? Let our soul also devote itself wholly to prayer and love of the
Lord; may it not allow itself to become distracted or pulled about by its
thoughts; may it be focussed on Christ. Then Christ will give it light, will
teach it true prayer, will give it that pure and spiritual supplication that is
according to the mind of God, an adoration «in spirit and in truth» (Jn 4,24).
Someone employed in business transactions is not simply trying to make a profit.
He also tries, by every means in his power, to increase it and make it grow. He
undertakes even more trips and abandons those that seem to him to be fruitless;
he does not set out unless in hope of a transaction. Like him, let us know how
to conduct our soul along the most diverse and opportune ways. Then – O true and
greatest profit! – we shall gain that God who teaches us how to pray in truth.
The Lord places himself within the fervent soul; he makes of it his throne of
glory; he takes his seat within it and dwells there.
Free
Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Might
Lebanon face what Georgia did?
By
Michael Young 28/08/08
The US
should see if Syrian peace feelers are for real-By
David Ignatius 28/08/08
Knowing when to strike-Ha'aretz
28/08/08
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August
28/08-Naharnet
Hezbollah Kills Lebanese Army Officer-Town
Hall-Naharnet
Souaid:
Hizbullah Setting No Fly Zones and Demarcating Borders with Lebanon-Naharnet
Lebanese Security Sources: Syria Digging Water
Wells In Lebanese ...MEMRI
Palestinian President Visits Lebanon-Voice
of America
Jumblat Warns Against
Renewed Syrian Military Intervention in Lebanon-Naharnet
Army Helicopter Attacked Over South
Lebanon, Captain Killed-Naharnet
MP
Butros Harb For Punishing Culprits in the Ugly Attack On Army helicopter-Naharnet
Sheikh
Qabalan Accuses Israel in The Chopper Attack-Naharnet
Abbas:
Palestinians Back Lebanon Government and Law-Naharnet
Iraq: Terrorist Arrested
Upon Return from Lebanon-Naharnet
Fears Grow over Security
Chaos as Breaches Continue in Tripoli-Naharnet
Brazilian Arrested for
Alleged Cocaine Smuggling at Beirut Airport-Naharnet
France Eager to Sponsor
Lebanon-Israel Talks-Naharnet
Fears Venezuela Could
Become Hizbullah Base-Naharnet
Jordan Offers to Sell
Electricity to Power-starved Lebanon-Naharnet
Jamil Sayyed Sues ex-U.N.
Investigator in Hariri Probe-Naharnet
Israeli Activity in Shebaa
Following Report Hizbullah Equipped Shelters with Missiles-Naharnet
Suleiman Urges World to
Open up to Syria-Naharnet
One Wounded in Ain
el-Hilweh Clash-Naharnet
Sfeir wants Neutral Army
Commander-Naharnet
Committee Approves New
Election Law-Naharnet
Hizbullah Accuses Bkirki
of Interfering in politics-Naharnet
Egypt Offers Backing:
Military, Security, Gas and Electricity-Naharnet
Arrest Warrant for Kadhafi
over Sadr Disappearance-Naharnet
New army chief should keep the same distance from all parties-AsiaNews
Lebanon seeking arrest of Gaddafi over missing
Shiite leader-Ha'aretz
Civil Fights: The three monkeys do Lebanon-Jerusalem
Post
UN council extends mandate of S.Lebanon force-Khaleej
Times
UN council extends mandate of Lebanon force-Irish
Times
The Hariri Investigation and the Politics of
Perception-Global Politician
Sleiman
urges world to open up to Syria-Daily
Star
UNIFIL,
Lebanese Army conduct joint maneuvers along border-Daily
Star
Jamil
Sayyed sues Detlev Mehlis for 'distorting' Hariri investigation-AFP
Four
Amal members wounded in Bekaa shooting incident-Daily
Star
Belgian frigate will help
'stabilize' Lebanon-Daily Star
Prosecutor files arrest warrant for Gadhafi-AFP
Representatives of rival parties come together to pay tribute to Imam Sadr-Daily
Star
'Lebanese cellular rates can drop
three months after privatization-Daily Star
All is
quiet on the occupied Shebaa Farms - for now-Daily
Star
Druse pilgrims cross to Syria
from Golan Heights-International
Herald Tribune
Army Helicopter Attacked Over
South Lebanon, Captain Killed
Gunmen opened fire on a Lebanese army helicopter flying over a southern
village on Thursday killing an officer, a military communiqué said.
The communiqué identified the victim as 1st LT. Samer Hanna.
The communiqué said the helicopter came under fire by a military group, which it
did not identify.
An army official earlier told AFP that the helicopter was conducting a training
mission over the southern village of Sejoud when it came under fire and was
forced to make an emergency landing and several of the crew were also wounded.The origin of the fire was not immediately known.
An AFP correspondent in the area said that the army had bolstered its presence
and had set up roadblocks.
The Telal Sejoud area lies some 20 kilometers north of the Israeli border.The area was considered a Hizbullah stronghold during the Israeli occupation of
southern Lebanon and witnessed fierce battles before Israel's withdrawal in
2000.As part of the ceasefire deal that ended the devastating 2006 war between
Hizbullah and Israel, the army deployed in southern Lebanon along with a
strengthened United Nations peacekeeping force.Nine Lebanese soldiers and five civilians were killed in a bombing at a bus stop
in the northern port city of Tripoli earlier this month in an attack thought to
have targeted the army.(Naharnet-AFP)Beirut, 28 Aug 08, 12:36
MP Butros Harb For Punishing Culprits in the Ugly Attack On Army helicopter
Naharnet/MP Butros Harb denounced the "ugly attack" on a Lebanese Army helicopter that
was flying over south Lebanon on Thursday and the killing of its pilot.
Harb, in a statement distributed by the state-run National News Agency (NNNA),
said the attack that was carried out north of the Litani River "fuels doubts and
raises questions."
He called for "speedy investigation in the attack, especially that preliminary
information spark concern and raise so many questions about the targets of this
attack," he added.
"Attacks against the Lebanese Army should not go unpunished," he stressed.
Beirut, 28 Aug 08, 17:56
Sheikh Qabalan Accuses Israel in The Chopper Attack
Naharnet/The Highest Shiite cleric in Lebanon on Thursday said an Israeli agent could
have opened fire at a Lebanese Army Helicopter, killing its captain.
Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan made the charge and urged the army command to launch
"speedy and just investigation" into the attack.
He also called for "punishing whoever carried out this crime and whoever is
behind It."Qabalan, who heads the Higher Shiite Islamic Council, also called for "wisdom"
in tackling the attack. Beirut, 28 Aug 08, 17:23
Abbas: Palestinians Back Lebanon Government and Law
Naharnet/Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are subject to Lebanese law and the Lebanese
government decides on the fate of Palestinian bases outside refugee camps,
visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared on Thursday.
Abbas, talking to reporters after meeting President Michel Suleiman at Baabda
Palace, also said Palestinian refugees should not be naturalized in Lebanon.
"The Palestinians have the right to return (to Palestine) and this is an issue
we are discussing with the Israelis," Abbas told a media conference after the
meeting.
"We are against the naturalization of Palestinians in Lebanon," he added.
An estimated 400,000 Palestinian refugees live in 12 camps in Lebanon. According
to the United Nations agency responsible for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), there
are around 4.6 million Palestinian refugees worldwide.
Most of Palestinian refugees came to Lebanon when the state of Israel was
created in 1948. There are fears among some Lebanese factions that their
settlement will be permanent, shifting the country's delicate sectarian balance.
Abbas said that any solution with Israel should be wide-ranging and address all
issues.
"I told the president if we want to reach a solution with Israel, it should be a
comprehensive one," Abbas told reporters.
"It may not be easy, but we want to reach a political solution to our cause.
It's important to us to end the occupation of the Golan and the Shebaa Farms,"
he added.
The Shebaa Farms, a mountainous sliver of land reputed for water resources
measuring 25 square kilometers, are located at the junction of southeast
Lebanon, southwest Syria and northern Israel.
Israel seized the Farms from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war when it captured
the neighboring Golan Heights, which it later annexed.
Israel and the Palestinians formally re-launched the peace process after a
seven-year hiatus at a U.S.-hosted conference last November, with the goal of
signing a full peace deal by the time President George Bush leaves office in
January 2009.
But they have made little tangible progress on resolving the core issues of the
conflict, including final borders, the status of Jerusalem and the fate of the
millions of UN-registered Palestinian refugees.
Abbas said he endorsed the Lebanese government's decision in 2006 that armed
pro-Syrian Palestinian groups outside of the camps should be disarmed.
"We are with the decision of the Lebanese government in terms of Palestinian
weapons... In Lebanon, we are under the law and not above it," Abbas said.
Abbas is to meet Prime Minister Fouad Saniora and parliament speaker Nabih Berri
as well as Palestinian officials during his two-day visit to Beirut. Beirut, 28
Aug 08, 16:48
Naharnet/Fears Grow over Security Chaos as Breaches Continue in Tripoli
Naharnet/Fears of all-out chaos are growing as breaches continue in north Lebanon – the
latest against Lebanese army troops overnight.
News reports said Thursday that unknown gunmen opened fire on Lebanese army
troops in Qobbeh district in the northern city of Tripoli.
They said unidentified gunmen hiding in a building that lies between Qobbeh and
Jabal Mohsen opened fire on troops late Wednesday, prompting army response.
There were no reports of casualties among soldiers.
The shooting incident, however, came shortly before a dispute broke out between
two families in Qobbeh that left three people wounded.
Fighting soon quelled after the intervention of Lebanese troops.
But tension continued to prevail over Tripoli amid calls for calm for fear of
chaos across the country.
Egypt has expressed concern over the situation in Lebanon, particularly in
Tripoli.
Visiting Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abulgheit has reiterated Egypt's
worries about the fragile security situation in Tripoli, saying:
"The message is that you have to be careful so that the situation in Tripoli
does not blow up. All sides should act along calculations that do not lead to
collisions between brethren and members of the one people."
Meanwhile, Future Movement leader and MP Saad Hariri called on MPs of his
parliamentary bloc and Mustaqbal members to avoid being dragged into conflict on
the occasion to commemorate the disappearance of Imam Moussa Sadr Aug. 31.
Hariri, in a statement issued by his office late Wednesday, stressed "the need
to adhere to the requirements of the law and resort to security forces … which
are tasked with dealing with conflicts and confronting attacks."
In a separate incident, angry residents from Qobbeh, Bab el-Hadid and Suweiqa
blocked several roads of north Lebanon with burning tires Wednesday evening in
protest against continuing power cuts. Beirut, 28 Aug 08, 08:47
France Eager to Sponsor Lebanon-Israel Talks
Naharnet/French President Nicolas Sarkozy has expressed hope that Lebanon and Israel
would start indirect negotiations under the auspices of France.
Sarkozy said he would go to Syria September 3, the latest step in the two
states' bid to normalize ties cut after the 2005 murder of Lebanon's ex-premier
Rafik Hariri.
Sarkozy's predecessor Jacques Chirac severed ties with Syria in response to the
assassination, after accusing Damascus of involvement in the murder. Syria has
denied the claims.
Washington continues to blacklist Damascus as a state sponsor of terrorism but
France has moved to bring Syrian President Bashar al-Assad out of the diplomatic
cold.
Sarkozy made the announcement Wednesday during a speech to France's ambassadors
gathered in Paris for their annual meeting on the country's foreign policy.He said he rejected the idea of isolating Syria, preferring to take "another
route, more risky it is true, but more promising: open dialogue leading to
tangible progress."
Following years of ostracism, Assad was invited by Sarkozy to Paris last month
along with among more than 40 leaders to inaugurate the new Mediterranean Union,
a project to bolster cooperation between Europe, the Middle East and north
Africa.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner was in Damascus on Monday where he
offered help to Syria and Lebanon on thorny issues linked to their resolve to
normalize ties for the first time since the French mandate over the two
countries ended 60 years ago.
Kouchner's visit came a day after Syria's official media said Assad had
appointed Lamia Shakkour as ambassador to France filling a post vacant for 18
months.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 28 Aug 08, 10:02
Fears Venezuela Could Become Hizbullah Base
Naharnet/Fears run high that Venezuela could become a base of operations for Hizbullah,
the Los Angeles Times has reported.
It said Western anti-terrorism officials say they are concerned Hizbullah may
use Venezuela as a base of operations.
It quoted a U.S. government terrorism expert as saying that Hizbullah may try to
take advantage of Venezuela's ties with Iran to move "people and things" into
the Americas.
As part of his anti-American foreign policy, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
has established warm diplomatic relations with Iran and has traveled there
several times.
The paper said the U.S. administration, Israel and other governments worry that
Venezuela is emerging as a base for anti-U.S. militant groups and spy services,
including Hizbullah and its Iranian allies.
Others recall Hizbullah was linked to the deadly attacks on Jewish targets in
Argentina in the early 1990s, the Los Angeles Times said.
"It's becoming a strategic partnership between Iran and Venezuela," the paper
quoted one Western anti-terrorism official as saying. Beirut, 28 Aug 08, 08:23
Israeli Activity in Shebaa Following Report Hizbullah Equipped Shelters with
Missiles
Naharnet/Israeli troops were allegedly combing the surroundings of their positions in the
occupied-Shebaa Farms amid helicopter overflights following reports that
Hizbullah has equipped tunnel infrastructure in south Lebanon with missiles to
be fired into Israel.
No further information was given regarding the Israeli activity in the Shebaa
Farms area.
The report about Hizbullah acitivity in the south, however, was carried by the
Israeli daily Haaretz.
It said that the bomb shelter of at least one house in each of the southern
villages was equipped to store weapons and Hizbullah fighters to face up to long
periods of isolation.
Haaretz said these shelters would be used as bases to fire rockets into Israel
and to carry out ambush attacks against Israeli soldiers in case they reached
these villages.
The shelters, according to the report, can accommodate up to 15 fighters.
It said among south Lebanon's 150 villages was at least one house of this sort.
Beirut, 27 Aug 08, 13:19
Jamil Sayyed Sues ex-U.N. Investigator in Hariri Probe
Naharnet/A former Lebanese security chief detained over the murder of ex-premier Rafiq
Hariri is suing a former U.N. investigator in the case, his lawyer said on
Wednesday.
General Jamil Sayyed, the former head of the general security department, filed
the lawsuit in France against Detlev Mehlis, attorney Akram Azouri told
reporters.
Sayyed is among four officers, who are believed to be close to Syria, who are in
custody in Lebanon over the February 2005 assassination of Hariri in a massive
Beirut car bombing.
"Jamil Sayyed's lawyers in France have filed the lawsuit against Mehlis for
distorting the investigation and calling false witnesses," Azouri told a news
conference.
Sayyed and the other officers -- former presidential guard chief Mustafa Hamdan,
the former head of the internal security forces Ali Hajj and the former chief of
army intelligence Raymond Azar -- have been held without charge since August
2005 but all have protested their innocence.
Earlier this month prosecutor Saqr Saqr turned down a request to free the
generals and in April the government defended their detention saying it was
"perfectly legal."
Mehlis had implicated senior officials from Syria, which was the power broker in
Lebanon for three decades until it withdrew its troops two months after Hariri's
assassination.
But Damascus has strongly denied any involvement in the bombing.(AFP)
Beirut, 27 Aug 08, 22:09
Suleiman Urges World to Open up to Syria
Naharnet/Lebanese President Michel Suleiman on Wednesday urged the international
community to open up to Syria because of its key role in the region.
"The international community must open up to Syria, following the example set by
France, because Syria plays a fundamental role at the regional level," Suleiman
said in a statement.
He made his remarks at a meeting with an American delegation led by Deputy
Assistant to the Undersecretary of State for Near East Affairs David Hale.French President Nicolas Sarkozy is set to visit Damascus on September 3 and 4
in the wake of the announcement by Syria and Lebanon that they will establish
diplomatic relations for the first time.
Paris froze high-level contacts with Damascus after the assassination of
Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in February 2005.
"Developments in bilateral Lebanese-Syrian relations after the presidential
summit in Damascus were the focus of talks between Suleiman and the U.S.
delegation," the statement said.
Bilateral cooperation in equipping and strengthening Lebanon's security forces
was also discussed, it added.
Suleiman also raised recent Israeli threats against Lebanon, including one to
attack civilian infrastructure.Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah responded by threatening to destroy Israel in
the event of another war.(AFP-Naharnet)
Beirut, 27 Aug 08, 22:05