LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
January 13/08
Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
according to Saint John 3,22-30. After this, Jesus and his disciples went into
the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them baptizing. John was also
baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there,
and people came to be baptized, for John had not yet been imprisoned. Now a
dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew about ceremonial washings.
So they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, the one who was with you across
the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming
to him." John answered and said, "No one can receive anything except what has
been given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said (that) I am
not the Messiah, but that I was sent before him. The one who has the bride is
the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly
at the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete. He must
increase; I must decrease."
Free Opinions and Releases
Lebanon's season of discontent could last for a very long time.
The Daily Star. January 12/08
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for January 12/08
Jumblat: No to Three
10s, No to Veto Powers-Naharnet
Moussa: Arabs Won't Be a Party to State Collapse in Lebanon-Naharnet
Police Could Not
Investigate Tent City Fire-Naharnet
Arab League chief to continue mediation in Lebanon: report-AFP
Arab League fails to bring Lebanese leaders to consensus-Monsters
and Critics.com
Barak: Hezbollah arsenalbigger than before the war-Washington
Jewish Week
US President tells Syria, Iran to stop backing Iraq violence-AFP
The New York Times - Syria rebuilding site bombed by Israel-Infolive.tv
Syria-Iran Do Not Want Breakthrough in Lebanon During Bush's
Tour-Naharnet
Charge Sheet Issued in
the Majzoub Brothers Assassination-Naharnet
Make it a dozen: Berri delays
presidential poll again-Daily
Star
Security Council
rips attack on UNIFIL-Daily
Star
Fadlallah: Arab League
initiative lacks clarity-Daily
Star
Physicians implore state to take
bird flu seriously-Daily
Star
Syrians 'take steps to end
traffic jam at border'-Daily
Star
D'Alema reiterates support for
UNIFIL after attack-Daily
Star
Palestinians
protest Bush 'terror' tour-Daily
Star
When 'they' correct 'our'
history-Daily
Star
Lebanese Army detains Fatah al-Islam member-AFP
Analysts say more time needed to
break political impasse-Daily
Star
Azour promises new panel to
address rising prices-Daily
Star
Lebanese launch Arabic search
engine-Daily
Star
Judge indicts two suspects in
2006 murder of Islamic Jihad officials-Daily
Star
MP advises Fairuz to call off
performance before Lebanon's 'jailers' in Syria-Daily
Star
AUB students
achieve what MPs cannot: elections-Daily
Star
Bush leaves Israel with
no major breakthrough-AP
Berri Postpones Presidential Elections To Facilitate Moussa's Mission-Naharnet
Shehayeb to Fairuz: Don't Sing for
Lebanon's 'Jailers'-Naharnet
Lebanon presidential vote postponed again-Africasia
Lebanese Paper: Syria Creating Border Crisis-MEMRI
Syria says committed to AL plan on Lebanon-Xinhua
A New Message From Lawson Kass Hanna/Subject:
Lebanon
Jan 11/08/To all Lebanese
Patriots: The axis of evil (Iran-syria) is proposing a plan to the USA and the
western countries in which the Palestinian refugees in Lebanese camps would
permanently settle in Lebanon. In the proposal, Hezbollah has to take over the
power in Lebanon in order to guarantee the settlement. When asked about the
Christians opinion and Bkerki's opinion about this plan and if they will agree,
Iran is explaining that Michel Aoun who represents the majority of the
Christians would be the cover to this plan. Iranian regime guaranteed that
Michel Aoun is under their control. Please be very careful of these evil plans
The Guardians of the Cedars
Party issued the following weekly communiqué:
The current Arab custodianship of the Lebanese crisis is distinct from previous
ones and has greater chances of success for the simple reason that it has
recognized the need to give back the Presidency of the Republic some of the
authority and prerogatives that were taken away from it, namely the
preponderance in decision-making at the level of the executive branch. Implicit
in this recognition is an admission that the primary reason for the development
of the present crisis goes back to voiding the Presidency of its constitutional
prerogatives.
The Arabs are 17 years too late in recognizing the magnitude of the sin they
committed in 1989 in the Saudi city of Taif in blaming the Lebanese constitution
for the Palestinian-Syrian war against Lebanon since the late 1960s. At Taif,
the Arabs decided to replace the existing constitution with a disfigured
constitution called the Taif Agreement. They also allowed the Syrian delegate at
the time to oversee the drafting and writing of its articles, which were
naturally custom-designed to fit the Syrian greedy interests in consolidating
the Assad regime’s grip on Lebanon by dismantling its political formula and the
National Pact, and by sowing division between the poles of power in the State as
is happening today and as has happened during the past two presidential terms
when the troika in power – President, Prime Minister and Parliament Speaker –
would travel to Anjar or Damascus in search for solutions to their endless
internal conflicts and disputes.
Form day one, we warned against the danger of the Taif Agreement and the
potential it harbored for sectarian and religious strife, while everyone else
went parroting with complete naïvetéé that the Agreement produced civil peace
and ended 15 years of “civil war”, and to this day they continue repeating this
absurd and deceitful lie.
Today, we reiterate and reassure Arabs and non-Arabs, and anyone concerned with
the Lebanese question, that the key to the solution begins by rectifying the
historic error they committed in Taif. This is accomplished by giving back the
full set of authority and prerogatives to the head of state, whichever is his
sectarian affiliation, which in turn would bring back balance to the ruling
authority and stability to the country, as is the case in all advanced
countries. If not, the crisis will persist and internal conflicts will continue
without end in sight, leaving the door wide open to all possibilities and
scenarios with unforeseen consequences.
Lebanon, at your service
Abu Arz
January 11, 2008
Moussa: Arabs Won't Be a Party to State Collapse in
Lebanon
Naharnet/Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said Saturday Arab states would not
stand idly by and would not be a party to state collapse in Lebanon, stressing
that there would be "changes that I hope for and expect."
Moussa made the remark to reporters at Rafik Hariri Airport before leaving
Beirut ending four days of talks with Lebanese officials that failed to put into
effect an Arab initiative aimed at electing Army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman
president.
"I will return in days to continue the mission," Moussa said, stressing that "I
do not want to give a dose of optimism and I don't want to sound pessimistic. We
did the work and everybody responded."He said "some details require further discussion."
"We count on understanding by all to solve the issue in everybody's favor,"
Moussa said.
He confirmed that he would visit Syria before returning to Beirut, but did not
set schedules.
"There will be no escalation and no chaos," Moussa told reporters in an apparent
effort to re-assure weary Lebanese citizens.
"What the Arab states would do now is to salvage a sisterly state," Moussa said
after talks with Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Naim Hassan.
He called for "cooperation by all to salvage Lebanon."
Moussa, after talks with resigned Foreign Minister Fawzi Saloukh, said he would
return to Beirut "in a few days."
A visit to Syria also is "possible," Moussa told reporters.
His mission aims at "reviving the political process" in Lebanon, Moussa said.
He said his talks covered "whoever is linked (to the crisis) and whoever has a
role."
Moussa explained that "I discussed in depth the presidential election and the
understanding on a government. But forming it and other details related to
numbers fall within the (forthcoming) president's powers."He cautioned, however, that the existing situation "leads only to negative"
repercussions.
Beirut, 12 Jan 08, 14:17
Police Could Not Investigate Tent City Fire
Naharnet/Fire fighters extinguished a blaze that erupted in a tent attended by partisans
of Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun in downtown Beirut's makeshift
Tent city on Saturday.
A Source at the Beirut fire brigade told Naharnet tent teams managed to prevent
the spread of fire from Tent number three to the estimated 100 others tents that
have been erected by the Hizbullah-led opposition in downtown Beirut since Dec.
1, 2006 with the declared objective of toppling Premier Fouad Saniora's majority
government that persists in running the country.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a fire engine, was parked
outside Tent City, which is guarded by Hizbullah members, and fire fighters had
to draw "hoses for over 100 meters to combat the blaze."Hizbullah guards also prevented news photographers and cameramen from entering
Tent City to cover the development.
A police source told Naharnet the department could not carry out an
investigation into the incident because Tent City is "off limits" to state
authority.
He told Naharnet that tenants of the makeshift city had introduced electric
heaters to face the chilly weather and near zero temperature.
"Bad and illegal installation of the heaters led to short circuits and the
outbreak of fire," the source said.
Beirut, 12 Jan 08, 09:58
Jumblat: No to Three 10s, No to Veto Powers
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat dealt a blow to demands by the
Hizbullah-led opposition for veto powers in any government to be formed after
the election of a new president.
Jumblat told as-Safir Daily that such a veto power would "strip the president of
his powers and escalate Sunni-Shiite sensitivities. It has been rejected and it
is rejected" by the March 14 majority alliance.
Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had said the presidential election
would not be held if the opposition does not get veto powers in the forthcoming
cabinet.
He also knocked down an interpretation by the opposition of a clause included in
the Arab initiative that calls for the formation of a government representing
the various political factions on the base of three equal quarters, often
referred to as 10+10+10.
"The majority would not accept this (concept)," Jumblat said. Beirut, 12 Jan 08,
09:27
Syria-Iran Do Not Want Breakthrough in Lebanon During Bush's Tour
Naharnet/Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa leaves Beirut Saturday ending four days
of talks with Lebanon's various leaders that failed to put into effect an Arab
initiative calling for electing Army Commander Gen. Michel Suleiman President.
Moussa would return to Beirut on Wednesday to resume his mediation between the
Hizbullah-led opposition and the majority to implement the three-clause
initiative.
The daily newspaper an-Nahar quoted unnamed Arab diplomatic sources as saying
that Moussa's mission has failed to achieve Lebanese consensus on implementation
of the Arab initiative because Syria and Iran did not want a breakthrough scored
during the ongoing Middle East tour by U.S. President George Bush.
"Opponents of this visit, Iran and Syria, did not want success achieved in the
Lebanese file during his (Bush's) presence in the region," the report said.
Due to this reason of rejecting success during Bush's Middle East tour, a visit
by Qatar's foreign minister to Beirut Sheik Hamad Bin Jassem Bin Jaber al-Thani,
originally scheduled for Saturday, was postponed, an-Nahar reported.
The postponement also is linked to renewed contacts between Qatar and Syria on
the Lebanese crisis, it added.
It quoted majority sources as saying refusal by the opposition to facilitate
Moussa's mission because of Bush's tour is "a non-convincing pretext … They had
time to approve the (Arab) initiative before the tour."Arab diplomatic sources said Moussa's mission is to implement the initiative
rather than negotiate with the local factions on its clauses or priorities.
An-Nahar said Moussa, upon his return to Beirut on Wednesday, would try to work
out a joint meeting between the majority and the opposition.
However, it said four majority leaders – ex-President Amin Gemayel, Moustaqbal
Movement's Saad Hariri, Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat and
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea – decided in a meeting late Thursday to
reject attempts by the opposition to divert the Arab plan from achieving its
goals, either by proposing a meeting between Hariri and Free Patriotic Movement
leader Michel Aoun or by proposing "expanded talks." Beirut, 12 Jan 08, 08:56
Syria Reiterates Commitment to Arab Initiative
Naharnet/The Syrian government has reiterated its commitment to a three-point plan
adopted by Arab foreign ministers and expressed readiness to facilitate Arab
League chief Amr Moussa's efforts to end Lebanon's crisis.
Damascus "is committed to the statement issued by Arab Foreign ministers after
their last meeting over Lebanon," the state-run SANA news agency quoted Syrian
Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Muqdad as saying Friday.
SANA also said that Muqdad expressed readiness to "facilitate the efforts made
by Amr Moussa" to implement the plan which called for the election of Army Chief
Gen. Michel Suleiman president, the formation of a national unity cabinet and
the adoption of a new electoral law. Beirut, 12 Jan 08, 05:55
Ban: U.N. Probing Attack on Peacekeepers, Rocket Launch Site
Naharnet/U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon has slammed the roadside bombing that targeted two Irish
U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon as well as rocket firing into northern
Israel and said the world body was continuing its probe into both incidents.
"The Secretary General strongly condemns the January 8 attack against a UNIFIL
vehicle on the coastal highway near the town of Saida (Sidon), outside UNIFIL's
area of operations," his press office said in a statement Friday.
It added that UNIFIL and Lebanese authorities were cooperating and coordinating
closely in an ongoing probe of the attack and said Ban hoped the perpetrators
would be swiftly identified and brought to justice.
Two Irish military officers were wounded in Tuesday's bombing which damaged
their vehicle on the coastal highway of Rmaileh near Sidon.
Separately, the U.N. chief also strongly condemned Tuesday's rocket firing into
northern Israel.
"The Secretary General would like to reiterate that if the rockets were launched
from Lebanese territory, as is likely, the incident would constitute a serious
violation of Security Council Resolution 1701," the U.N. statement said.
Resolution 1701 put an end to the 34-day war between Israel and Hizbullah in
August 2006.
"UNIFIL is continuing its investigation to determine the launch site," the
statement said.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 12 Jan 08, 05:19
Charge Sheet Issued in the Majzoub Brothers Assassination
Examining military magistrate Adnan Bulbul on Friday implicated two men, a
Lebanese and a Palestinian, in the 2006 murder of Islamic Jihad officials
Mahmoud Majzoub and his brother Nidal in the southern port city of Sidon.
The charge sheet said Lebanese Mahmoud Qassem Rafeh and Palestinian Hussein
Suleiman Khattab killed the Majzoub brothers by a bomb explosion in Sidon on
May, 26, 2006. If convicted they face the death penalty.
Bulbul also implicated two other men, identified only as George and Fouad, in
forming an armed gang and taking part in the Majzoub brothers assassination.
The examining magistrate asked law enforcement agencies to assert the full
identities of five other people and arrest them in connection with the case. The
five were identified only by their alleged first names.
Beirut, 11 Jan 08, 19:38
Fatah al-Islam Terrorist arrested in Tripoli
Lebanese troops on Friday detained a suspected militant of an Islamist group
that waged a 15-week battle against the military last year in northern Lebanon,
a military official said.
Othman Turkmani, believed to be a member of the extremist Fatah al-Islam, was
detained in an army ambush on a street in the Bab el-Ramel neighborhood of the
northern city of Tripoli, the official told AFP.
Turkmani was not armed at the time of his detention, he said.
It was the third detention of extremist militants in northern Lebanon in two
days.
On Thursday, two Fatah al-Islam terrorists were seized in separate incidents,
including high-ranking militant Nabil Rahim who, security sources said, is known
to have links with the al-Qaida terror network.
Rahim's wife was also detained.
The arrests come days after a man purporting to be Shaker al-Abssi, leader of
the militant group, threatened renewed attacks against the Lebanese army.
Almost 400 people were killed, including some 222 militants and 168 troops, in
the fighting between the army and Fatah al-Islam which ended after a final
assault by the military on September 2.
Abssi's fate was unknown after the fighting ended although the Lebanese
judiciary issued a warrant for his arrest and that of several dozen other
fugitive militants in October last year.(AFP) Beirut, 11 Jan 08, 19:13
Geagea: Arab Initiative Won't Fail
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said on Friday that the Hizbullah-led
opposition is "not positive" in its attitude towards the Arab initiative and
called for the election of Army Commander Gen. Michel Suleiman president.
Demands made by the opposition for the re-distribution of power in the
forthcoming cabinet aim at blocking the presidential election, Geagea told
reporters after a meeting at his residence in Meerab with Arab League Secretary
General Amr Moussa who is trying to promote the Arab initiative.
"Whoever wants to proceed with the initiative should immediately start with
electing a president," Geagea said.
"As along as there are no differences regarding the first clause of the
initiative, why don't we start with implementing it?" Geagea asked.
The first clause of the initiative adopted by Arab foreign ministers on Cairo
last Saturday calls for the election of Suleiman president.
He stressed that the issue of forming a national unity government, as stipulated
by the second clause of the initiative, "cannot be settled as long as there is
no president at the Baabda Palace who would preside over consultations in line
with the constitution."
Geagea denied reports that he was behind aborting a proposed meeting between
Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun and al-Mustaqbal movement leader Saad
Hariri.
"Such meetings are not on the agenda at present as long as agreement has not
been reached on the more important topic which is electing Gen. Michel Suleiman
president," he noted.
He stressed: "The Arab initiative would not end up in failure because it is
backed by all the Arab states, with the exception of Syria that alleges
approving it while working in secrecy to abort it."Geagea said the Arab initiative "should be implemented as presented, clause
after clause. It is not acceptable to overpass the presidential election topic
and start tackling the second clause which is the government structure."The March 14 majority alliance would "save no effort to facilitate the
initiative and we would not succumb to blackmail," he concluded. Beirut, 11 Jan 08, 18:20
NYT: Syrians Are Rebuilding Site Bombed by Israel
Naharnet/Syrians are rebuilding a desert site bombed by the Israeli military last
September on suspicions it was a partly constructed nuclear reactor, The New
York Times reported on its website late Friday.
The newspaper said a satellite picture released Friday by a private
Colorado-based company, DigitalGlobe, shows a square building under construction
in Syria, on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, north of the Iraqi border.
The photo taken from space on Wednesday "shows a tall, square building under
construction that appears to closely resemble the original structure, with the
exception that the roof is vaulted instead of flat," the report said.
Israeli jets bombed the site in early September after Israeli and U.S.
intelligence had concluded it was a partly constructed nuclear reactor. The
Syrians have denied the allegations.
Following the attack, the Syrians wiped the area clean, and resumed construction
work, according to the paper.
"We can assume it's not a reactor," The Times quotes David Albright, president
of the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington as saying.
He added that if international inspectors eventually get to the site, they will
have a more difficult time looking for nuclear evidence.
"The new building," Albright is quoted as saying, "covers whatever remained of
the destroyed one."
The International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna recently became aware of the
new construction, a European diplomat told NYT.
"Obviously, they're keeping an eye on the site," he said.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut,
12 Jan 08, 06:02
US Discloses Two Incidents Involving Iranian Speedboats
Iranian speedboats approached U.S. naval vessels in two previously undisclosed
incidents in the Strait of Hormuz in December, including one in which a U.S.
warship fired warning shots, a Pentagon official said Friday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a third incident January
6 that sparked U.S. protests was the most serious in the series even though no
shots were fired.
The USS Whidbey Island, an amphibious warship, fired warning shots December 19
when it was approached by a single Iranian speedboat as it transited the Strait
of Hormuz, the official said.(AFP)
Beirut, 11 Jan 08, 22:52
Pentagon "Extremely Concerned" about Al-Qaida in Pakistan
The Pentagon is "extremely concerned" about Al-Qaida operations in Pakistan,
U.S. military chief Admiral Michael Mullen said Friday.
Asked about Al-Qaida in Pakistan, Mullen said: "We know it is having a
significant impact, not just in Afghanistan, but certainly there are concerns
about how much they have turned inward inside Pakistan."
"I am extremely concerned about this," he told a press conference.
But he added the United States was mindful of Pakistan being a sovereign
country, saying: "It is really up to President (Pervez) Musharraf and his
advisers in the military to address that problem directly."
On Friday, Musharraf warned the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan that any
unauthorized incursion into Pakistan would be treated as an invasion.
Musharraf told the Straits Times in an interview that U.S. or coalition troops
would not be welcome unless invited for a particular reason, such as hunting
Al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden.
"Nobody will come here until we ask them to come. And we haven't asked them," he
said.
Asked if a unilateral intervention would be seen as an invasion, Musharraf
replied: "Certainly. If they come without our permission, that's against the
sovereignty of Pakistan."
State Department official Tom Casey said Friday he was unaware of any U.S.
proposal for unilateral military action in Pakistan, saying "I'm unaware of any
proposal from any U.S. official arguing for unilateral military action in
Pakistan.
"Therefore I think it would be pure speculation to argue about what someone
would do if something that no one has proposed to happen would happen."(AFP)
Beirut, 11 Jan 08, 20:27