LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
March 24/08
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
according to Saint Matthew 28,8-15. Then they went away quickly from the tomb,
fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples. And behold,
Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his
feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go tell my
brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me." While they were going,
some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had
happened. They assembled with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a
large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, "You are to say, 'His
disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.' And if this gets to
the ears of the governor, we will satisfy (him) and keep you out of trouble."
The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has
circulated among the Jews to the present (day).
Free
Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for March 23/08-Naharnet
Pope Remembers Lebanon,
Iraq, the Holy Land in Easter Message-Naharnet
Cheney Discussed
Lebanon, Syria, Iran in Jerusalem-Naharnet
Sfeir: The Persisting
Divide Strips Easter of its Festive Atmosphere-Naharnet
Qabalan: No Settlement in Lebanon Without
Syria-Naharnet
Cheney: We Won't Ignore 'Darkening
Shadows' of the Situation in Lebanon-Naharnet
Russia for Strict Compliance with
Resolution 1701-Naharnet
Lebanon Has No Bird Flu-Naharnet
Syria Deploys Three Military Divisions on the Border with Lebanon-Naharnet
A week in Damascus, Syria-Seattle Times
Qabalan: No Settlement in Lebanon Without Syria-Naharnet
'Israel, Hezbollah ready for new war'-PRESS TV
Report: Hezbollah deputy chief says he has proof Israel killed ...Ha'aretz
Russian FM's Mideast peace push encounters Israeli skepticism-Xinhua
We've already won in Iraq-Ha'aretz
Fear of massive Hezbollah 'retaliation' attacks in Israel, abroad-WorldNetDaily
Syria Rejects Egyptian Efforts to Facilitate Suleiman's Election-Naharnet
Peres: Israel will not cede Golan Heights for Syria-controlled Lebanon-Ynetnews
Cheney: Iran, Syria 'derail hopes'-PRESS TV
On the Israeli war against Lebanon-Aljazeera.com
At Lebanon grave, Hezbollah chief hailed as martyr-Reuters
Feltman: Washington Pursues Independent Policy on Lebanon-Naharnet
Clashes end at refugee camp in Lebanon-Middle East Online
Lebanon Has No Bird Flu-Naharnet
Syria : Elaph correspondent barred from Arab League summit ...CNW
Telbec (Communiqués de presse)
Rizq: Lebanon's Boycott of the Damascus Summit Puts the Arab League on Cross
Roads-Naharnet
Fatah-Jund al-Sham
Fight it Out in Ein al-Hilweh, Casualties-Naharnet
Feltman: Washington Pursues Independent
Policy on Lebanon-Naharnet
Hizbullah Renews Charge That Israel Killed
Mughniyeh-Naharnet
Sfeir Pessimistic Over Deep Divisions
Among Lebanese-Naharnet
King Abdullah, Cheney
Discuss Lebanon, Peace and Oil-Naharnet
Berri: Parliament Cannot Legislate-Naharnet
Damascus Summit Would
Finish Off Arab Initiative-Naharnet
U.S. Troops Enlisting for More Time in
Iraq-Naharnet
Palestinian Police
Clash with Clans in West Bank-Naharnet
Hamas, Islamic Jihad for Cairo Talks-Naharnet
Italian Prosecutors After Bin Laden-Naharnet
Sfeir: The Persisting Divide Strips Easter of its Festive Atmosphere
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir said Sunday the persisting and
widening divide strips Easter of its festive atmosphere. Sfeir made the remark
in his Easter sermon at Bkirki, seat of the Maronite church north of Beirut.
However, Sfeir noted, Easter spirit is in being close to God. He pleaded with
Jesus to bestow peace on Lebanon and the Middle East. Beirut, 23 Mar 08, 13:49
Pope Remembers Lebanon, Iraq, the Holy Land in Easter Message
Naharnet/Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday urged "solutions that would safeguard peace
and the common good" in Tibet, the Middle East and Africa during his traditional
Easter message. "How can we fail to remember certain African regions, such as
Darfur and Somalia, the tormented Middle East, especially the Holy Land, Iraq,
Lebanon, and finally Tibet, all of whom I encourage to seek solutions that will
safeguard peace and the common good!" the pope said in his "urbi et orbi" (to
the city and the world) message. Speaking as pilgrims in St Peter's Square
braved a steady rain, the head of the world's 1.1 billion Catholics wished that
"the light that streams forth from this solemn day (may) shine forth in every
part of the world." Easter Sunday celebrates the Resurrection of Christ after
his crucifixion on Good Friday. On Wednesday the pope broke his silence on the
crisis in Tibet, calling for an end to violence there and urging "dialogue and
tolerance."
Beijing brushed off the appeal, according to Italian press reports that quoted
foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang as saying Thursday: "Supposed tolerance
cannot exist for criminals who should be punished by the law."Following the "urbi
et orbi" message, the pope offered Easter greetings in 63 languages to the tens
of thousands of pilgrims in St Peter's Square and millions of viewers in 67
countries around the world.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 23 Mar 08, 13:56
Cheney Discussed Lebanon, Syria, Iran in Jerusalem
Naharnet/U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney met on
Sunday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank, the latest
stop on his Easter weekend bid to revive Middle East peace efforts. Cheney went
straight into talks with the moderate Palestinian leader after arriving in
Ramallah following a string of meetings with senior Israeli officials during
which he also discussed the Jewish state's arch foe Iran.
"We're obviously dedicated to doing all we can as an administration to try to
move the peace process forward and also obviously actively involved in dealing
with the threats we see emerging in the region," Cheney said earlier. "Not only
threats to Israel but threats to the United States as well," he said in an
apparent reference to Iran that, along with Syria and Lebanon were also high on
the agenda of the vice president's talks in Jerusalem.
Upon arriving in Israel late on Saturday, Cheney promised an "unshakeable"
defense of Israel's security while assuring Palestinians of U.S. "goodwill" as
he renewed Washington's efforts to secure a peace deal before President George
W. Bush's term ends in January 2009. "We want to see a resolution to the
conflict, an end to the terrorism that has caused so much grief to Israelis, and
a new beginning for the Palestinian people," he said as he met Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert.
In his meetings with Abbas and prime minister Salam Fayyad, Cheney is to
reaffirm Bush's commitment to fostering the creation of an independent
Palestinian state living peacefully side by side with Israel and focus
especially on bolstering Palestinian institutions, aides said. Beirut, 23 Mar
08, 14:19
Qabalan: No Settlement in Lebanon Without Syria
Naharnet/Deputy head of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council Sheikh Abdul Amir
Qabalan on Sunday stressed to Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir and Mufti Sheikh
Mohammed Rashid Qabbani on the need for Lebanon to be represented at the
forthcoming Arab Summit in Damascus.
Qabalan made his point in two separate telephone calls to Sfeir and Qabbani to
greet them for Easter and prophet Mohammed's birthday, respectively.
Qabalan, according to the state-run National News Agency, "stressed on the
necessity of Lebanon's participation in the Arab Summit … because it is not in
Lebanon's interest to be hostile to Syria.""A settlement in Lebanon cannot be
reached without Syria. We should open bridges between Lebanon and Syria,"
Qabalan added. Beirut, 23 Mar 08, 12:44
Cheney: We Won't Ignore 'Darkening Shadows' of the Situation in Lebanon
Naharnet/In a bold defense of Israel, Vice President Dick Cheney has said the
U.S. will never pressure the Jewish state to take steps that would jeopardize
its security and vowed not to ignore "the darkening shadows" of the situation in
Lebanon.
Cheney, on an Easter weekend visit to Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories,
reaffirmed Saturday Washington's commitment to establishing a Palestinian state
— a feat he said would require painful concessions on both sides. "America's
commitment to Israel's security is enduring and unshakable, as is our commitment
to Israel's right to defend itself — always — against terrorism, rocket attacks
and other threats from forces dedicated to Israel's destruction," Cheney said,
standing next to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. "The United States will
never pressure Israel to take steps that threaten its security."
After attending a worship service and holding talks with other Israeli leaders,
Cheney will travel Sunday to Ramallah in the West Bank to meet with Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.
"We want to see a resolution to the conflict, and an end to the terrorism that
has caused so much grief to Israelis and a new beginning for the Palestinian
people," Cheney said. Cheney also said that as the U.S. and Israel worked on a
Mideast peace deal, they must not take their eyes off Iran and other adversaries
in the region.At the Israeli prime minister's residence, his first stop after
landing in Israel, Cheney said, "We must not, and will not, ignore the darkening
shadows of the situations in Gaza, in Lebanon, in Syria and in Iran and the
forces there that are working to derail the hopes of the world."
Olmert also mentioned Iran when he listed the agenda for his talks with Cheney.
"We are both very concerned about Iran," Olmert said. "We are anxious to carry
on the peace negotiations with the Palestinians. We are watching very carefully
the northern front — the behavior of Syria and the Hizbullah."
Cheney is on a 10-day trip to the Mideast, where oil, the future of Iraq and
Afghanistan and Iran's rising influence in the region have highlighted his talks
with foreign leaders. His visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories is
part of the Bush administration's strategy to keep the pressure on the Jewish
state and the Palestinians to reach a framework agreement for peace.(AP-Naharnet)
Beirut, 23 Mar 08, 05:08
Syria Deploys Three Military Divisions on the Border
with Lebanon
Naharnet/Syria has deployed three military
divisions along the borders with Lebanon amidst mounting tension in the region,
press reports said Sunday.
The leading daily an-Nahar attributed the report to well informed sources,
noting that the deployment backs a similar massing of fighters by pro-Syrian
Palestinian factions in the Bekaa valley, especially Ahmed Jibril's Popular
Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) in the Qoussayah
area.
The development followed Hizbullah's open war declaration against Israel after
the Feb. 12 assassination in Damascus of the party's Imad Mughniyeh by a bomb
explosion. Hizbullah is sponsoring a major rally in south Beirut's suburb of
Rweis on Monday to commemorate Mughniyeh, labeled commander of the "two
victories" in reference to the Liberation of south Lebanon from Israeli
occupation in May 2000 and the 34-day war against Israel in the summer of 2006.
Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has pledged that "thousands of Imad
Mughniyehs would confront the Zionist enemy if it invades Lebanon."
Israel has ordered its troops on alert to confront a possible attack by
Hizbullah operatives when the party marks Mughniyeh's memorial rally on Monday,
40 days after his assassination. Beirut, 23 Mar 08, 09:29
Russia for Strict Compliance with Resolution 1701
Naharnet/Russia has expressed "serious concern" over deadly clashes between
rival factions in the southern Palestinian refugee camp of Ein al-Hilweh,
calling for "strict compliance" with Security Council Resolution 1701. "These
events have caused serious concern in Moscow," Interfax news agency quoted
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin as saying on Saturday.At
least one person was killed and four were wounded late Friday in fierce
hit-and-run clashes between fighters of the mainstream Fatah faction and
militants of the Jund al-Sham terrorist gang in Ein al-Hilweh. "Everyone still
has memories of the revolt by extremists in the summer of last year at another
Palestinian camp, the Nahr al-Bared," Kamynin told reporters. He was referring
to clashes between the Lebanese army and Fatah al-Islam fighters at the refugee
camp of Nahr al-Bared in northern Lebanon. "The clashes (in Ein al-Hilweh)
aggravate the situation even more at a time of a protracted political crisis" in
Lebanon, Kamynin said. He called for the implementation of resolution 1701 that
ended the war between Israel and Hizbullah in the summer of 2006. "Russia calls
for strict compliance with Resolution 1701 and other decisions by the U.N.
Security Council that ban the delivery of weapons," to militias, the spokesman
said. "We have supported and continue to support Lebanon's constitution, its
lawful institutions, and the sovereignty and political independence of that
country," Kamynin said. Beirut, 23 Mar 08, 06:42
Russian FM's Mideast peace push encounters Israeli
skepticism
www.chinaview.cn 2008-03-23 06:12:00 Print
By Huang Xiaonan
JERUSALEM, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov wrapped
up his three-day Mideast tour on Saturday by receiving skepticism from Israel
about a Middle East peace conference in Moscow while finding echoes from Syria
and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).
To seek a role of Mideast mediator, the Russian top diplomat has visited Syria,
Israel and the West Bank since Wednesday, aiming at promoting a follow-up Middle
East conference to the U.S.-hosted Annapolis gathering where Israel and the
Palestinians agreed to resume peace talks.
According to Russia's RIA news agency, Russia has discussed the convening of the
meeting with the Palestinians, Israel, countries involved in mediating the
conflict and members of the Arab League. However, Lavrov's promotion had an
encounter with Israeli skepticism as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told him
on Thursday evening that there was no point in holding another Middle East peace
conference after Lavrov presented the idea of holding the follow-up gathering
later this year in Moscow. Olmert said the utility of such meeting needs to be
examined first. "At this time, there is no reason for another conference."
During his stay in Syria on Thursday, Lavrov said at a joint press conference
with his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Muallem in Damascus that Moscow was
preparing to host a Middle East peace conference. "We have not sent invitations.
We are studying the positions of prospective delegates and we will make a
decision soon," he said, stressing that the international peace conference in
Moscow will also attempt to restart peace talks between Israel and Syria on the
occupied Golan Heights.
"There is a priority to the Palestinian track, but at the same time, we agree on
the need to achieve a comprehensive settlement and resume negotiations on all
tracks," he said. His remarks found echo from his Syrian counterpart as Muallem
said Damascus would attend the Moscow meeting, adding that "Syria cannot be
absent from a major meeting that would discuss the Golan." Muallem renewed
Syria's readiness to resume negotiations because "Syria sees that peace should
be fair and comprehensive on all tracks." Peace talks between arch-foe Syria and
Israel foundered in 2000over the fate of the strategic Golan Heights, which was
occupied by the Jewish state in the 1967 Middle East war. But, Syrian peace
overtures have been met with distrust on the part of Israeli officials, Israeli
President Shimon Peres told Lavrov during their meeting Thursday evening,
expressing Israeli skepticism ahead of Moscow peace conference.
Likewise, Lavrov received a favorable response from the Palestinian side during
his visit in the West Bank on Friday.
At a press conference in Ramallah following a meeting with Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas, Lavrov was quoted by Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth as saying
that Russia viewed the success of the peace conference as important and would do
anything for its success, as well as aiding the Palestinian side.
"We shall also work to speed up the international community's efforts in order
to implement what was agreed upon in Annapolis," he added.
Abbas, for his part, said that it was necessary to hold a peace conference on
the Middle East in Moscow as soon as possible, stressing that "the peace process
needs a complete calm and an end of all settlement activities in the Palestinian
territories."
"We ask Mr. Lavrov to talk about the calm and ending settlements with other
parties," Abbas said. "Mr. Lavrov's visit is part of bilateral relations and
part of Russia's role to push forward the peace process," he added. According to
Lavrov, during his meetings with Abbas and Olmert, he noted his determination to
continue the peace negotiations and to try and reach understandings on the
outlines of the peace agreement before the end of 2008. He reiterated Russia's
objection to Israel's policy on settlement and called for an immediate halt to
settlement activity, saying that his country was "very much worried" about
Israeli construction on land that the Palestinians claim for a future state.
Lavrov didn't set a date for the conference in Moscow, but he said that Russia
was cooperating with the international Quartet members and some Arab countries
to prepare for the conference. Russia is one of the four-party Quartet, which
also includes the U.S., the UN and the EU. The Quartet has been a major mediator
over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. "Russia still support the peace process
and will offer all possible help to the Palestinian side and will cooperate with
other parties to implement what had been agreed upon in Annapolis," said Lavrov.
The Palestinian-Israeli peace talks were resumed last December following a
U.S.-hosted peace conference in Annapolis. But so far it had produced no
significant result. It is unlikely to make such a peace conference possible
without Israel's agreement to take part in, according to local observers.
We've already won in Iraq
By Zvi Bar'el -Haaretz
What exactly did Bush say to mark the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war? "This
is a fight America can and must win," he summarized. So why, after five years,
has it not won in Iraq?
Perhaps it is another one of the lies that has gone along with this war. After
all, this war was born in a bluff and continues in a lie, and on the way it
created several strategic upheavals, chief among them the loss of U.S.
deterrence. The bluff was the "clear-cut proof" that Saddam Hussein had weapons
of mass destruction, nuclear and biological, and it continued with the claim
that he had close connections to Al-Qaida. Subsequently, the war produced more
false visions, such as turning Iraq into a democracy, building a strategic
alliance that would boost the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians,
and finally, putting a stop to Iranian influence in the region.
This was conducted out of abysmal ignorance about the status and strength of
Saddam's opposition, the willingness of the Shi'ites to be U.S. allies, and the
true power of the Sunnis. Its architects erred in depending on the cooperation
of Turkey, and did not understand the significance of discharging thousands of
Iraqi soldiers and officers who had served under Saddam. The calculation of
costs, in money and human life, became completely skewed, and the dream of funds
and rehabilitation through Iraqi oil drowned in the Persian Gulf. A war that was
to have quickly changed the reality in Iraq and the Middle East became a
permanent nightmare. As Hillary Clinton put it, withdrawing from Iraq might be
no less dangerous than going in.
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However, the war in Iraq is not a localized war. It continues to send shock
waves through the Middle East, mainly because it is serving as a hothouse for
the cultivation of a much greater strategic threat: Iran. Leaks from closed
high-level discussions among the Iranian leadership revealed disagreement
between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the secretary general of Iranian's
Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani. Ahmadinejad said that the
threat of an American attack on Iran should not be taken seriously, and that
Tehran could continue pursuing its uranium enrichment program. Larijani believed
the U.S. was serious, but he was unable to persuade spiritual leader Ali
Khamenei. The American entanglement in Iraq was the most persuasive argument
that Washington cannot take on another war in the Middle East. Then came the
U.S. intelligence assessment, which not only cleared Iran of the accusation of
currently developing nuclear weapons, but also stated that the American
intelligence community would not allow the administration to use it any longer
for political or ideological goals.
The U.S. is stuck with a protectorate, and needs Iran in order to extricate
itself honorably. Thus one of the most important and richest countries in the
Middle East has been turned into an Iranian dependent. The paradox is that
Washington is conducting a strategic dialogue with Iran, but refuses to conduct
such a dialogue with Syria and until recently, held back any Israeli attempts to
explore a dialogue with Syria. If the war in Iraq could have contributed to any
kind of peace process in the Middle East, it would have been on the Syria-Israel
track. Washington may be punishing Syria for not keeping its border with Iraq
sealed, but its tactical conduct with Damascus is strategically punishing the
whole Middle East.
According to Bush's theory, Operation Shock and Awe, which began the war for
Iraq, should have also connected the Palestinians to the peace process. Based on
the law by which water seeks its own level, Bush believed that getting rid of
Saddam would push the frightened Palestinians into a quick peace process with
Israel. History laughed Bush in the face. The war in Iraq created a very harsh
anti-American reaction in the Middle East that was in no small measure
responsible for freezing the peace process. Thanks to Iraq, it seems Israel has
vanquished the peace process. Everything else is only intermediate results. Five
years have gone by, and it looks like time to start work on the summary of the
next five years.
Rizq: Lebanon's Boycott of the Damascus Summit Puts the Arab League on Cross
Roads
Naharnet/Justice Minisher Charles Rizq said Saturday Lebanon would "most
probably" boycott the forthcoming Arab Summit at the Syrian capital of Damascus.
Rizq, in an interview with Voice of Lebanon radio, also said such a boycott, if
adopted, would put the Arab league at a crossroads. "Lebanon represents the true
spirit of Arabism … losing the Lebanese factor strips the Arab league of its
spirit," Rizq added. He added that differences between Saudi Arabia and Syria
are "deeper than what we can observe in Lebanon. It is difficult to settle this
dispute hastily."Iran, according to Rizq, in emerging as "an effective force in
the region and this raises concerns in Saudi Arabia."He rejected charges by the
Hizbullah-led opposition that Premier Fouad Saniora's majority government is
illegitimate, stressing that the "only authority capable of judging the
government is the parliament."Rizq said he has received a new report from the
United Nations on progress of the international tribunal, which he declined to
disclose its contents. The justice minister stressed that the four generals
arrested in connection with the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri
were apprehended upon a recommendation from the U.N. investigation Commission.
Such a recommendations persists "that is why they remain in custody," Rizk
added. Beirut, 22 Mar 08, 14:37
Cheney-Abdallah had Productive Talks on Lebanon, Syria, Iran
Naharnet/U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and Saudi King Abdullah had "very
productive" discussions of problems in Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and Syria in addition
to stability of energy markets, a U.S. official said Saturday. In meetings that
also included Oil Minister Ali al-Nuaimi, there was "a lot of commonality in
their assessment about the structural problems confronted by the global energy
market now, and some discussion of probably the way forward," the official told
reporters on condition of anonymity. Cheney and his hosts discussed "the way
forward, how we work together to try to stabilize the market and what can be
done and what could be done shorter term, but probably more about what's
necessary to do over the medium and longer term," the official told reporters.
Over nearly five hours, Cheney and the king also discussed "Iran, Iraq, Syria,
Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan, energy, Israeli-Palestinian issues, some
bilateral questions before us," the official said. They had "very warm meetings,
there's obviously a lot of trust and friendship in these meetings, large areas
of agreement clearly, in terms of how they assess a lot of the major challenges
that confront both the United States and Saudi Arabia in the region.
"So I think on the whole (the talks were) very, very productive," the official
said. "I can't tell you much about the conversations themselves, these are
especially confidential and private conversations. "They have a lot of important
implications, I think, as we sort of work together going forward on a number of
problems."
Asked whether Cheney had pressed the king to increase oil production, the
official said "as a general matter, the United States believes there ought to be
a lot more investment in our own production capabilities." Cheney was in Saudi
Arabia as part of a nine-day trip that has already taken him on surprise visits
to Iraq and Afghanistan and a scheduled stop in Oman. He travels to Israel, the
West Bank and finally Turkey before heading home.
Cheney had said Monday in Baghdad that he would press the king to send an
ambassador to Iraq as part of an effort to compete with Iran for influence in
Iraq.
On Afghanistan, Cheney had been set to urge the king to encourage private-sector
investment and to step up financial assistance for the U.S.-led reconstruction
efforts there. The U.S. official said that there had been a "back and forth" on
such issues but did not offer details.(AFP) Beirut, 22 Mar 08, 13:16
Fatah-Jund al-Sham Fight it Out in Ein al-Hilweh,
Casualties
Naharnet/At least one person was killed and four were wounded in fierce
hit-and-run clashes between rival factions in the southern Palestinian refugee
camp of Ein al-Hilweh overnight, Palestinian sources reported Saturday. The
clash between fighters of the mainstream Fatah faction and militants of the Jund
al-Sham terrorist gang spread across the densely-populated camp on the southern
edge of the port city of Sidon. Jund al-Sham militants attacked areas controlled
by Fatah fighters with rocket-propelled grenades, mortar rounds and Kalashnikov
assault rifles, inflicting damage to property and setting fire to several
residential apartments and shops. Jund al-Sham, according to witnesses in Ein
al-Hilweh, accused Fatah of setting the stage for an all-out assault to uproot
the fanatic gang from the camp, the largest Palestinian refugee population
center in Lebanon. Tension started late on Thursday when Fatah fighters captured
a Jund al-Sham ranking commander known as Hussam Maarouf and turned him over to
the Lebanese Army.
Maarouf is wanted for scores of crimes and attacks committed both in Ein al-Hilweh
and other parts of Lebanon and accused of maintaining links with the Fatah
al-Islam terrorist network. Clashes subsided early Saturday, but families that
fled the camp overnight remained in shelters provided by mosques in Sidon,
fearing renewal of clashes. Jund al-Sham is reportedly headed by a wanted
Lebanese man from the northern town of Tripoli known as Ghandy Sahmarani, who
goes by the code-name of Abu Ramez. Sahmarani led a fierce confrontation with
Lebanese troops in Ein al-Hilweh last summer as the regular force clashed with
Fatah al-Islam terrorists in the northern Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr
al-Bared. Most of Jund al-Sham's fighters are Lebanese citizens who had
sought refuge in Ein al-Hilweh since 1999 after fighting a fierce confrontation
against the Lebanese Army in the northern Dinnieh mountainous terrain. The camp
is off limits to Lebanese troops and law enforcement agencies. Beirut, 22 Mar
08, 09:11
Feltman: Washington Pursues Independent Policy on Lebanon
Naharnet/Deputy assistant U.S. Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs
Jeffrey Feltman was quoted Saturday as saying Washington has for the first time
ever adopted an independent policy on Lebanon that would persist irrespective of
who wins the forthcoming presidential elections. Feltman, who was ambassador to
Lebanon for over three years, said such a policy is based on support by both the
Republican and Democratic parties for Lebanon as a cornerstone in the foreign
policy of the United States. He explained that Washington's stand on Lebanon is
based on the nation's "democracy and sovereignty" in contrast with Israel's
stand, which is based on a security concept. He accused Free Patriotic Movement
leader Gen. Michel Aoun of carrying out a "Syrian agenda." Hizbullah, according
to Feltman, maintains its weapons "in line with a regional Syrian-Iranian
agenda." Beirut, 22 Mar 08, 11:00
Hizbullah Renews Charge That Israel Killed Mughniyeh
Naharnet/Hizbullah called its supporters to commemorate the
assassination of its mysterious official Imad Mughniyeh labeled "commander of
the two victories" and renewed charges that Israel has killed him in Syria. A
Hizbullah statement said a mass rally is scheduled for Monday in south Beirut's
district of Rweiss to remember Mughniyeh who was killed by a powerful blast in
Damascus on Feb. 12. Meanwhile, Hizbullah's second in command, Sheikh Naim
Qassem, renewed charges that the party has "100 per cent solid evidence that
Israel had killed martyr Mughniyeh." Hizbullah says Mughniyeh led the war of
liberation against Israeli troops in south Lebanon in May 2000 as well as the
July-August confrontation of 2006 termed a "divine victory."Qassem said the 2006
war resulted in a "strategic divine victory on Israel and the United States."He
accused the United States of spearheading efforts to ignite internal disputes in
the Middle East "in favor of Israel."
He renewed charges that the March 14 majority is following an "American-set
agenda."Qassem predicted that the ongoing political crisis would "persist for
long." Beirut, 22 Mar 08, 09:42
Damascus Summit Would Finish Off Arab Initiative
Naharnet/The forthcoming Arab Summit conference in Damascus would "officially"
finish off the Arab initiative on Lebanon, an-Nahar's Rosana Boumounsef wrote on
Saturday. Boumounsef made her conclusion under the headline: "Hot indications
raise concerns about an escalation after the Damascus Summit."
"Fears mount about the possibility of escalating political violence into
security messages similar to what Lebanon had witnessed in the past three
years," she wrote in reference to the serial assassinations that have targeted
anti-Syrian politicians of the March 14 majority. "Several politicians have been
advised to take maximum protection measures," Boumounsef added. She wrote that
progress of the international tribunal "would have repercussions in the next
couple of months."
Boumounsef noted: "the past three months did not include internal political
escalation (only) because Syria was preoccupied with setting the stage for the
summit."
Beirut, 22 Mar 08, 10:19
U.S. Troops Enlisting for More Time in Iraq
Naharnet/When crowds of Iraqis swarmed out of their homes in Baghdad to cheer
U.S. forces after they toppled Saddam Hussein, infantry soldier Randolph Raul
Sanchez believed the invasion had been an "awesome success" and that he would
soon be going home.
Five years later, like many other members of the invading force, he is still in
Iraq and has just re-enlisted for another tour that will keep him in the
war-torn country for at least two more years. "The rumor at the time was that we
would go home quickly, judging by the previous Gulf War," Sanchez told AFP at
Patrol Base Shanghai, a U.S. military post near the Euphrates river in the
Yusufiyah area, about 25 kilometers (30 miles) south of Baghdad.
"We didn't have many (military engagements) with the Iraqi forces on the way in
(from Kuwait) so we thought we'd all just go home."
Then a 19-year-old private just out of school, the memories of the day he
entered Baghdad are etched in his mind.
"It was a shock," said the darkly tanned, smiling-faced Sanchez, who now boasts
the rank of staff sergeant and has a squad of 11 troops under his command.
"The birds (helicopters) were blowing up vehicles and buildings as we were
walking down the road. The Iraqis were preoccupied with looting. We saw a
forklift driving down the road with chandeliers on it. It was a crazy time."
Later, once Iraqis realized Saddam had been toppled, the invading troops were
treated as heroes.
"It was like a parade. Troops were swamped with people. They were screaming
'Michael Jackson' and doing Michael Jackson with their shoulders."
Staff Sergeant Christopher Colbert, too, was in one of the five-ton armored
troop carriers that crossed into Iraq on March 20, 2003.
"I was happy to be moving at last," recalled 30-year-old Colbert, from
Sandersville, Georgia. "We had been in Kuwait for six weeks, waiting for the
signal."
On the three-week dash to Baghdad, his unit had come under fire from Iraqi
soldiers, and they returned fire. "We killed three of them. It was our first
contact."
He too recalls scenes "like out of a movie" when his unit -- part of the 187th
Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team -- rolled into Baghdad in early
April, days after it had been taken by soldiers of the Third Infantry Division.
"There were blown up bridges from the air strikes. Buildings were burning. We
saw many people looting. People were running everywhere."
Another colleague, Staff Sergeant Eric Padilla, described the scene as
"surreal". "I remember that many people were looting. Buildings were destroyed
or abandoned. There were blown up (Iraqi) military vehicles on the side of the
road. There was also a crashed helicopter," said Padilla, a tense 25-year-old
soldier from San Pedro in California. During his three tours of Iraq and one of
Afghanistan he has seen more than his share of roadside bombs and been exposed
to numerous ambushes and shootings and recalls "tracers coming at us like rain"
one night during an ambush in northern Iraq.
He, like Colbert, had been told they would be home within three months of the
invasion.
"Then they told us it would be six months, then a year," said Padilla, who,
after being pressed, said he believed the American invasion had "not been a bad
decision."
Colbert was more forthcoming on the morality of the invasion. "I think it was a
very good idea. It allowed the Iraqi people to see a change of government and to
be free to do what they want to do," he said, adding that he had felt "pretty
good" riding into Baghdad early April five years ago.
"I would do it all over again," he said.
Staff Sergeant Vincent Adler, also of 187th Infantry Regiment, prefers not to
dwell on whether the invasion was a good idea or not.
"I never think about it. It doesn't matter to me." He, however, had realized
from the start that U.S. troops would be in Iraq for the long haul.
"Even as we entered Baghdad, I figured we would be here for quite a while," said
Adler, a terse man of few words, who like Colbert is also on his fourth overseas
deployment -- three in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. All four soldiers are now
deployed as part of Bravo Company, Third Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, in
the Rushdie Mullah agricultural belts south of Baghdad, which six months ago
they secured from Al-Qaeda and are now helping protect through daily patrols and
establishing checkpoints manned by locals, known as Sons of Iraq, who are on the
U.S. payroll. When not patrolling, the troops spend their time assessing the
needs of local communities and trying to ensure villages get power and fresh
water, lending support to local government and helping facilitate the
reconstruction of schools and clinics.
Their commanding officer, Captain Cliff Kazmarek, believes their role these days
is more rewarding than being part of an attacking force.
"I think the guys in this command would rather be doing a school assessment than
dropping a bomb on a house -- even though it is exciting to drop a bomb on a
house ... I think when they sit down and really think about it, they are happy
with the security situation and I think they feel some pride in this fact."
Colbert, although acknowledging that he is happy enough to have a break from
being in the front line and being ambushed, exposed to roadside bombs and coming
under fire so that he can now spend some time helping rebuild communities,
admits that at times it is a little frustrating not seeing action.
"I prefer kicking down doors and roughing up houses," he said with a smile,
adding however, that these days he puts himself in the shoes of Iraqis.
"I try to think, how would it be if it was my country being invaded. Then I
realize that we have to help rebuild Iraq."(AFP) Beirut, 21 Mar 08, 21:12