LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 06/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 5,17-30. But Jesus answered them, "My Father is at work until now, so I am at work."For this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God. Jesus answered and said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing; for what he does, his son will do also. For the Father loves his Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. Nor does the Father judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to his Son, so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.  Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life.  Amen, amen, I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to his Son the possession of life in himself. And he gave him power to exercise judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation. I cannot do anything on my own; I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the one who sent me.

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for March 05/08
Maronite Bishops Angered by Failure to Elect President-Naharnt
Syria's 'New Plan' for Lebanon … Transitional Government-Naharnt
Franjieh Attacks Sfeir and 'Allies'-Naharnt
Qassem: Hizbullah Ready to Face War-Naharnt
Iraqi Refugees in Lebanon, Jordan under Psychological Distress-Naharnt
Bush 'Extremely Disappointed' with Assad for Blocking Lebanon Elections-Naharnt
U.S. Navy Swaps two Warships off Lebanon Coast-Naharnt
Iran to Resume Talks with US on Iraq-Naharnt
Ahmadinejad: U.N. Resolution against Iran 'Invalid'-Naharnt
Rice Urges Israelis, Palestinians to Resume Peace Talks amid New Violence-Naharnt
Mouallem: Lebanon, Saudi to be Invited to Summit-Naharnt
Israel says Hizbullah's Arsenal Includes 30,000 Rockets, Ban-Naharnt
Solana: We Want Syria to Cooperate-Naharnt
Geagea: Lebanon Should Boycott the Summit If Presidential Void Persisted-Naharnt
Rice: Warship to Show U.S. is Capable of Defending Allies in Lebanon-Naharnt
Syria worried About Efforts to Abort Summit-Naharnt
French peacekeepers Launch War games in South Lebanonv
Open Confrontation with Syria-Naharnt
Bush blames Assad for Lebanese crisis as March 14 envoys plan trek to Cairo-Daily Star
Hizbullah warns US against gunboat diplomacy-Daily Star
Israelis try to shield military officers from operations to avenge Mughniyeh-Daily Star
Mikati urges return to spirit of Constitution-Daily Star
Sfeir describes 1960 electoral law as 'no longer applicable-Daily Star
French peacekeepers Launch War games in South Lebanon-Naharnet
'USS Cole aims to dissuade any Hizbullah reprisal against Israel'-Daily Star - Lebanon
From France to Tahiti in seven days - all from the comfort of Beirut-Daily Star
Al-Arabiya Director: Syria Behind Hamas Escalation In Gaza-EuropeNews
Hezbollah is rearming, Israel tells UN-Sydney Morning Herald
UN reports says Lebanon still in deep political crisis-Xinhua
Lebanese piracy losses estimated at $26 million-Daily Star
Groups launch GPS vehicle navigation system-Daily Star
LAU to hold series of lectures honoring Gibran-Daily Star
Archaeologists from Japan restore Roman tombs-Daily Star
French UNIFIL troops conduct training exercises near border with Israel-Daily Star
How may traumas can Lebanon's children absorb?-Daily Star
Iran condemns new U.N. sanctions-AP
SYRIA: Avoiding an Arab League fiasco-Los Angeles Times
Rice: Lebanese Majority Should Rule-Naharnet
Sfeir Opposes 1960 Election Law-Naharnet
Reports about 'New Plan' to End Lebanon Crisis-Naharnet
Egypt Ignores Israel amid Lebanon, Arab Outrage over Gaza Killings-Naharnet
Syria: The Damascus Meeting Would be a Summit for Palestine-Naharnet

Bush 'Extremely Disappointed' with Assad for Blocking Lebanon Elections
Naharnet/U.S. President George Bush expressed strong support for Prime Minister Fouad Saniora and blamed Syria for Lebanon's political crisis, which has fueled fears of civil strife. "I strongly support Prime Minister Saniora and the March 14th coalition," Bush said as he met with Jordan's King Abdullah II on Tuesday. "I strongly condemn Syrian interference in the Lebanese political process." "I am extremely disappointed that the Syrian leader continues to make it hard for the Saniora government to succeed, and I really don't appreciate the fact that they've made it hard for this government to elect a president," said Bush.
Jordan's king said Arab countries were aiming to speed the process toward forming a government in Lebanon.
"We discussed the role of Arab countries, and how we can be effective in supporting the process in Lebanon, so that as quickly as possible a government is formed," said Abdullah. Lebanon has been without a president since November amid political feuding between the ruling parliamentary majority and the Hizbullah-led opposition, backed by Syria and Iran. The majority accuses Syria of blocking efforts to elect a new president in Lebanon, which was under Syrian military domination for 29 years until Damascus withdrew its troops in April 2005. Fears of wider conflict have mounted since the February 12 killing in Syria of top Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyeh.(AFP) Beirut, 05 Mar 08, 08:03

Maronite Bishops Angered by Failure to Elect President
Naharnet/Maronite Bishops on Wednesday expressed "wrath" over failure to elect a president and urged political factions to join forces and vote in a head of state.
The bishops, in a statement released after their monthly meeting under Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, said electing a president "would put the nation again on the path of progress and prosperity."The statement warned against "agendas that do not serve the nation, but the interests of international regional and factional forces."
The bishops noted that certain groups are complaining against the deteriorating situation, including industrial investors, farmers and owners of businesses dealing with tourism "but no one answers their complaints." Beirut, 05 Mar 08, 15:32 Arab Foreign Ministers Start Meeting on Lebanon, Damascus Summit
Arab foreign ministers kicked off a meeting in Cairo on Wednesday with Arab League chief Amr Moussa calling for solidarity to overcome the Lebanese political crisis. "Solidarity, in the form of national reconciliation, is our only way out of the current crisis and future crises," Moussa said in his opening speech.
Ministers from the 22-member League are in Cairo to discuss the situation in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon and to prepare for this month's summit in Damascus, which could see some leaders not attend if the Lebanese crisis remains unresolved. Lebanon has been without a president since November amid political feuding between the Western-backed ruling parliamentary majority and the opposition, backed by Syria and Iran.
Cairo and Riyadh accuse Syria of blocking efforts to elect a new president in Lebanon, which was under Syrian military domination for 29 years until Damascus withdrew its troops in 2005. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem told reporters on the eve of the Cairo meeting that "the summit would take place at the scheduled date and the level of participation will surpass that of other summits." The ministers held a preparatory meeting on Tuesday night during which they discussed the situation in Gaza. Afterwards, they issued a statement "strongly condemning the monstrous crimes committed by the occupation forces in the Gaza Strip." Israeli army raids in the past week have killed more than 126 people in Gaza, including children and other civilians.(AFP) Beirut, 05 Mar 08, 18:23

Hizbullah Hammers Ban
Naharnet/Hizbullah on Wednesday lashed out at U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon after he expressed concern over threats of open war against Israel by the militant group following assassination of Imad Mughniyeh. In a statement, the militant Shiite Muslim group urged Ban, who issued a new report on the situation in Lebanon this month, to "show proof of more objectivity and impartiality" when speaking about the region. It said he had failed "to put into their proper context" threats made by Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah following the killing of the group's Mughniyeh in a car bombing in Syria that Hizbullah has blamed on Israel.
In his latest report on the implementation of U.N. Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 war between Hizbullah guerrillas and Israel, Ban said he was concerned by Nasrallah's threats of open war against Israel after Mughniyeh's assassination. Israel has denied any involvement in the February 12 killing of Mughniyeh, who was on the U.S. most wanted list for a string of anti-Western and anti-Israeli attacks.
"We are keen on avoiding any destabilization of the region and share the secretary general's concern on the climate of instability in the region," the Hizbullah statement said. It added, however, that the United Nations must not "adopt the point of view of one party" when commenting about international resolutions.
Hizbullah's threats against Israel have increased tensions in Lebanon, already mired in its worst political crisis since the end of the civil war in 1990.
It also raised fears of a renewed conflict with Israel following the devastating 34-day war in Lebanon in 2006.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 05 Mar 08, 18:14

Cole Replaced by Two Warships
Naharnet/Two U.S. warships have taken up position in the eastern Mediterranean off Lebanon, replacing the USS Cole, a U.S. Navy official said Wednesday.
The Cole, an Aegis destroyer that was attacked and nearly sunk by suicide bombers in Yemen in 2000, was headed to the Gulf after transiting the Suez Canal, canal authority officials said. "The USS Cole was relieved by the USS Ross and the USS Philippine Sea in the eastern Mediterranean," the navy official said.
The Ross is an Aegis-guided missile destroyer and the Philippine Sea is a cruiser.(AFP) Beirut, 05 Mar 08, 18:03

Sison Inspects USAID Projects in Beqaa
Naharnet/U.S. Chargé d'Affaires Michele Sison and United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Lebanon Director Raouf Youssef on Wednesday inaugurated two USAID-funded projects and visited another project in Zahle. U.S. Government funding through USAID supports an orphanage, an organic products sales center and a solid waste treatment facility, the U.S. Embassy said in a statement. While visiting the organic products sales center in Zahle, the first of its kind in Lebanon, Sison inspected the production facilities and sales center. The center is affiliated with Lebanon's first organic cooperative, BioCoop Lubnan, and benefits more than 120 farmers, who have increased their incomes by 30%. Working in partnership with World Vision Lebanon, USAID provided the center with $64,000, the statement added. Sison inaugurated the Zahle 3.9-million dollar solid waste treatment facility, which would benefit twenty-six surrounding municipalities. In partnership with the Cooperative Housing Foundation (CHF), this USAID project increased the facility's treatment capacity from 130 tons to 300 tons per day through rehabilitation and expansion, the statement noted. The project reduces the risk of polluting the Litani River. Recycling will take place at the facility for the first time in Lebanon; and, sixty community members will be employed. At the Zahle Infant Welfare Society orphanage, Sison met with the twenty-seven member staff and some of the children. The orphanage supports girls aged five to sixteen; there are one hundred boarding students and thirty commuting students per year from throughout the Beqaa valley, according to the statement. Visiting the Mudeirej Bridge 30-million dollar reconstruction project was also on Sison's trip itinerary. Beirut, 05 Mar 08, 17:48

Qandil Warns Against an alleged Plot to Assassinate Aoun, Pledges Vengeance Against Americans
Naharnet/Ex-MP Nasser Qandil on Wednesday accused the United States, Saudi Arabia and some March 14 leaders of planning to Assassinate Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun and vowed vengeance by attacking the U.S. embassy and American interests throughout the Arab World.
Qandil, addressing a news conference at his Beirut office, claimed that the Washington, Riyadh, Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea have a plan to assassinate Aoun by a "Tomahawk Missile that would target Rabiyeh simultaneously with the explosion of booby trapped cars to imply that a suicide attack has targeted the FPM leader. The attack would be blamed on a radical islamist group like Fatah al-Islam."
He warned the Americans against "implementing this crazy adventure, because the price would be yes to open war on American presence and American interests … not just in Lebanon but throughout the Arab world."Qandil made a direct threat to the U.S. Embassy in suburban Aoukar, north of Beirut, saying its "stones would be in danger if Gen. Aoun was subjected to any harm in line with the plan being prepared by Walid Jumblat" charging that Geagea has left for the United States to "set up the base for implementing it."He said the forthcoming Arab Smmit in Damascus would be a success, claiming that 19 Arab leaders would take part in it. Chances for electing a president prior to the summit are "slim" Qandil said, proposing that Lebanon be represented by Army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman because he has been chosen as a consensus presidential candidate. Beirut, 05 Mar 08, 17:18

Franjieh Attacks Sfeir and 'Allies'
Naharnet/Ex MP Suleiman Franjieh on Wednesday said Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir is not the person authorized to decide on the election law, stressing that "the Christians have real representatives" who can take such decisions. "The patriarch adopts a political stand. We talk to him when our political interest requires that, and we don't talk to him when our interest doesn't require it," Franjieh told a news conference at his residence in north Lebanon. Franjieh said the 1960 election law provides for "consensus" among the Lebanese. Sfeir and the March 14 majority have separately rejected demands by the Hizbullah-led opposition for re-adoption of the 1960 parliamentary election law. Franjieh said he prefers that "Christian voters elect Christian MPs and Muslim voters elect Muslim MPs," noting that adopting such an approach would not be possible. He urged Sfeir to "convince his allies, including MP Walid Jumblat and Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri" to divide Beirut into five electoral constituencies and "we'll accept that." That, however, contradicted with the 1960 law that divided Beirut into three constituencies.
Franjieh said Lebanon's invitation to the forthcoming Damascus summit should be relayed via the secretariat general of the Arab league and the Saniora Government would be able to represent Lebanon at the summit, only if it resigned. "The atmosphere in Lebanon is ready for war. Any major assassination would lead to war. To avoid this we need national unity," he concluded.

Syria's 'New Plan' for Lebanon … Transitional Government
Naharnet/Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has come up with a new plan to end the prolonged political crisis in Lebanon: formation of a transitional government to oversee early parliamentary elections, a measure seen as torpedoing the Arab League initiative. The ruling March 14 coalition slammed the proposal, saying it "comes in contradiction with the Arab League initiative."Arab diplomatic sources said the "plan" was conveyed by Assad to Arab League chief Amr Moussa during a recent meeting in Damascus. The sources said Assad's proposal calls for electing army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman president on March 11 in return for the immediate formation of a transitional government to oversee early parliamentary elections based on the 1960 election law, a move that has been rejected by the pro-government ruling majority as well as Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir. They said Assad informed Moussa that the proposal still needed to be discussed with the Hizbullah-led opposition. Moussa has reportedly conveyed the Syrian offer to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and al Mustaqbal movement leader Saad Hariri, who is in Riyadh on a private visit. The sources said March 14 rejected the offer which disagrees with a three-point Arab plan that calls for electing Suleiman president, formation of a national unity government in which no one party has veto power and adoption of a new electoral law. Sfeir on Tuesday rejected a call by the opposition for adoption of a 1960 election law, saying this law "is no longer sound … a county constituency leads to better representation." Beirut, 05 Mar 08, 07:00

Qassem: Hizbullah Ready to Face War
Naharnet/Hizbullah's second in command Sheik Naim Qassem said Wednesday that Hizbullah is ready to face Israeli, U.S. or international war. "Hizbullah did all what it takes to face any Israeli, American or international war," Qassem said in remarks published on Wednesday. "There are signs (of war), but Hizbullah has no assertions since it does not want to initiate the war," he said."Israel knows that it will pay a high price for any war," Qassem added. "We are confident because anytime war breaks out, the invader will lose 70 percent of his power, while the power of the aggrieved party will increase," Qassem explained. "The question is 'Is there war?'"
Beirut, 05 Mar 08, 13:39

Iraqi Refugees in Lebanon, Jordan under Psychological Distress
Naharnet/Large numbers of Iraqi refugees are experiencing psychological distress including panic attacks and problems sleeping, a study by the International Organization for Migration said Tuesday.
"The level of instability is very high among the refugees. We see humanitarian agencies and governments responding to the basic needs of displaced Iraqis at home and abroad and we need to see a similar response in dealing with their equally important psychological well-being," said Guglielmo Schinina, head of IOM's psycho-social office in the Middle East. The survey, carried out on 200 refugee families in Jordan and Lebanon between November and February, found that more than half of those interviewed spoke of problems such as panic attacks, anger, tiredness, sleep problems and fears. It also found that domestic violence was increasing as men lose their traditional role of breadwinner. Some 15 percent of women interviewed in female-only focus groups noted an increase in violence.
The breakdown in social structures and "few opportunities to engage in social activities are leading to physical expressions of anger and frustration", said the organization.The IOM includes 122 member states.(AFP) Beirut, 05 Mar 08, 12:10

ALC Statement on the Deployment of USS Cole
March 3, 2008
The deployment of USS Cole off Lebanon's coast sends a long overdue message to the Iranian-Syrian axis, whose cronies in Lebanon jeopardize the stability of Lebanon and indeed of the entire Middle East region, that the United States would not stand idly by while the Cedar Revolution is threatened and while its leaders are intimidated and assassinated.
However, this show of strength, which comes during a period of political uncertainty in Lebanon and tensions in the region, would be insufficient and even counter-productive if it is not ensued by further pressures on the Syrian regime, both by the US as well as by its European and Arab allies.
The American Lebanese Coalition exhorts the US Government to bring to bear additional measures to thwart the efforts of the agents of the Syrian-Iranian axis to transform Lebanon from a moderate, pluralistic and democratic state to a theocratic, fundamentalist, Iranian-controlled country that would endanger the entire Middle East and threaten world peace.
The Lebanese people, who braved the Syrian occupiers and succeeded in restoring their country’s independence and its democracy, have demonstrated impressive resilience and remarkable steadfastness against the plethora of intimidating and criminal measures that seek to reverse the accomplishments of the Cedar Revolution. They deserve uninhibited, unwavering and escalating support in the battle they are fighting for their own country as well as for regional and international stability.
In its concern over Lebanon’s security and stability, the American Lebanese Coalition reiterates that the major threat to peace and stability in Lebanon is generated today by Iran and Syria, who by arming and financing the Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias are endangering the unity of the Lebanese nation and the safety of the Lebanese people.