LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 26/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 20,11-18. But Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" She thought it was the gardener and said to him, "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni," which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and what he told her.

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Bin Laden's threat uncovers Jihadist message for Europe. By: Walid Phares 25/08
Lebanon's power struggle: One good turn deserves another-The Daily Star- 25/08

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for March 25/08
Pope urges peaceful solutions in Middle East-Daily Star
Sfeir hopes 'mood of pessimism will soon evaporate'-Daily Star
Feltman insists US policy on Lebanon won't change-Daily Star
Geagea: Hizbullah Does Not Want Civil War, Syria Does-Naharnet
Iran Gives Syria $1 Billion for Weapons-theTrumpet.com
Cheney accuses Iran and Syria of sabotaging peace process-Daily Star
Nasrallah vows opposition will pursue compromise in Lebanon-Daily Star
Credit card use rises despite Lebanon's stalled economy-Daily Star
Israeli soldier suspected of passing information to Hezbollah-Monsters and Critics.com
Saudi Arabia calls off high-level presence at Damascus summit-Daily Star
Lebanon sees early arrival of summer temperatures-Daily Star
Rizk says Beirut likely to boycott Arab summit-Daily Star
Syrian official scoffs at claim of troops on border-Daily Star
Justice in the Hariri case will be easier said than done-Daily Star
Sfeir hopes 'mood of pessimism will soon evaporate-Daily Star
Jumblatt touts plan to limit impact of presidential crisis-Daily Star
New cease-fire 'ends fighting' between Fatah and Islamists at Ain al-Hilweh-Daily Star
Berri postpones presidential vote for 17th time-Daily Star
Amal MP: Parliament's doors 'to remain shut-Daily Star
Berri, Again, Postpones Presidential Election-Naharnet
Sfeir Praises France-Naharnet
Calm Nasrallah Reassures Followers that Israel Would Cease to Exist--Naharnet
Lebanon, the Mounting Rift Between Riyadh and Damascus-Naharnet
Saudi Monarch and Foreign Minister Boycott Damascus Summit-Naharnet
Arab League sees no breakthrough in Lebanon-Reuters
Nasrallah: Israel fears revenge for Mughniyeh's death-Jerusalem Post
Official: Saudi King not to attend Arab summit-Xinhua
Hezbollah chief vows revenge against Israel-Africasia
Encountering Peace: A long way from the Three Noes-Jerusalem Post
Syria, Iran sabotaging peace talks: Cheney-Scopical
Hezbollah leader rules out Israeli war on Lebanon or Syria-International Herald Tribune
Syria hosting Arab summit riven by deep differences, pro-US ...International Herald Tribune
Engaging Syria-Huffington Post
Rights group calls on Syria to investigate death of three Kurds-PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung
Crossfire War - Syria Masses Three Armored Divisions on Lebanon's ...NewsBlaze

Pope urges peaceful solutions in Middle East
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
ROME: 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. - Agencies

Sfeir hopes 'mood of pessimism will soon evaporate'
France vows continued support
By Maroun Khoury -Daily Star staff
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
BKIRKI: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir said on Monday that he hoped the 15-month-old deadlock in Lebanon would be resolved, "and the general mood of pessimism will soon evaporate." "We urge all local, regional and international groups to adopt a wise and calm attitude when dealing with Lebanese affairs," he told a delegation from the French Embassy headed by charge d'affaires Andre Parant.
Parant, meanwhile, said France was determined to help Lebanon overcome the continuing standoff. "France will always stand by Lebanon," he said.
Sfeir said Sunday the persisting and widening divide had stripped Easter of its festive atmosphere. Sfeir made the remarks during his Easter sermon in Bkirki, the seat of the Maronite church north of Beirut.
The patriarch also offered prayers for peace in Lebanon and the Middle East.
Sfeir asked that "God remove this black cloud that lingers over us ... and bring home the people who migrated to distant lands."
Speaking to a delegation from Caritas headed by Father Louis Samaha on Saturday, Sfeir said he hoped that Lebanon would return "to days of good, affluence and happiness." He added that he hoped the Lebanese diaspora would return to their homeland as one family of different religious affiliations living "in a nation of faith, love and peace."
Sfeir said nearly one million Lebanese have left Lebanon since 1970, and Lebanon was left with only four million of its children, a number equivalent to a small street in Cairo or New York. "Yet people continue to migrate," he added, "and migration is not categorically negative, especially if the migration is to Arab countries in order to support one's parents, but migration to Australia or Canada or the United States has slight hope of return to Lebanon."
Meanwhile, the vice president of the Higher Shiite Council Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan on Sunday spoke with Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir and Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani about the need for Lebanon to be represented at the forthcoming Arab summit in Damascus.
Qabalan raised the issue in separate telephone calls to Sfeir and Qabbani, during which he offered his greetings to them on the occasions of Easter and the Prophet Mohammad's birthday, respectively. Qabalan, according to the National News Agency, stressed that "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.
Chouf Christians mark Easter
DEIR AL-QAMAR: Christians who follow the Western calendar celebrated Easter Sunday in the Chouf region of Mount Lebanon on Sunday by holding masses and prayers in several towns and villages.In Deir al-Qamar's Church of Saidet et Talle, Father Marcel Abi Khalil presided over a Mass in which he called for love and tolerance and preached the values of coexistence in Lebanon. At the Saint Michael Church in the town of Maaser al-Chouf, Father Youssef Mezher presided over a mass in which he called for strengthening the sense of unity among all the Lebanese in order to protect the homeland.
Other masses were held in the villages of Harf, Damour, Naameh, Ikleem al-Kharroub and other parts of the Chouf. The Chouf region is inhabited primarily by people of the Christian and Druze faiths. - Maher Zeineddine

Feltman insists US policy on Lebanon won't change
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
BEIRUT: Deputy Assistant US Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman was quoted by Lebanese newspapers as saying on Saturday that 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. Lebanon, he said, is a cornerstone in the foreign policy of the United States. He explained that Washington's stand on Lebanon was based on the nation's "democracy and sovereignty" in contrast with the stand on Israel, which is based on a security concept. He accused Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun of carrying out a "Syrian agenda." Hizbullah, according to Feltman, maintains its weapons "in line with a regional Syrian-Iranian agenda."

Geagea: Hizbullah Does Not Want Civil War, Syria Does
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said Monday Hizbullah does not want a civil war in Lebanon, contrary to Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime that works to ignite such a civil strife. Geagea made the remark in an address to the Lebanese community in Los Angeles. "Had Hizbullah accepted Syria's plans to start a civil war we would have been in civil war," Geagea said. Hizbullah, he added, "does not want a civil war because it is not part of its strategy."
"The Syrian regime is trying to hurl Lebanon into civil war, but did not succeed due to weakness of its allies," Geagea added. He said the International Tribunal "would not only expose those who killed ex-Premier Rafik Hariri (in 2005) but would also disclose who killed Maarouf Saad (in 1975) and who committed all the other crimes." Beirut, 24 Mar 08, 22:13

Iran Gives Syria $1 Billion for Weapons
March 24, 2008 | From theTrumpet.com
Tehran moves to counter attempts to lure Damascus away from the Islamic Republic.
JERUSALEM—In an effort to counter attempts to convert Syria to the moderate Arab camp, Iran has given Damascus $1 billion to upgrade its army, an Israeli newspaper has found. Haaretz reports, “The $1 billion that Iran has recently provided Syria has been used to buy surface-to-surface missiles, rockets, anti-tank missiles and anti-aircraft systems.” It did not escape Haaretz that the weapons Syria acquired are tailored for a war against Israel. According to the report, “Israel has learned that Syria is buying more missiles than tanks, on the assumption that attacking the Israeli home front would deter Israel on the one hand, and help to determine the war on the other.” This comes at a time when the international community, including Israel, has been reaching out to Syria to dump its old ally Iran. But this wouldn’t be the first time Iran pushed its agenda on Damascus. In July 2007, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Damascus when Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reached out to Syria to begin peace talks. At that time, the London-based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat reported, Ahmadinejad promised Syrian President Bashar Assad that Iran would finance Russian and North Korean weapons deals in exchange for Damascus forgoing peace talks with Israel.
Will Iran always be able to buy Syria’s friendship? Israeli intelligence officials are undecided on the answer. Some think their strategic alliance is too strong to be severed. Others think that if Israel offered the Golan Heights and Washington reversed its foreign policy against Syria, there might be a chance.
Biblical prophecy indicates what the answer might be. For more, read “Is the Syria-Iran Alliance Beginning to Crack

Rizk says Beirut likely to boycott Arab summit
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
BEIRUT: Justice Minister Charles Rizk said Saturday Lebanon would "most probably" boycott the forthcoming Arab summit in Damascus. "This strips the Arab League of its spirit," he said, in an interview with Voice of Lebanon radio, adding that 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," Rizk said.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 Rizk, was emerging as "an effective force in the region and this raises concerns in Saudi Arabia." Rizk rejected the charges by the Hizbullah-led opposition that Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's government was illegitimate, stressing that the "the only authority capable of judging the government is the Parliament."

Cheney accuses Iran and Syria of sabotaging peace process
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
US Vice President Dick Cheney on Monday hit out at Iran and Syria as he wrapped up a Middle East peace push, saying the two countries were undermining the renewed but faltering Israeli-Palestinian talks. Iran and Syria "are doing everything they can to torpedo the peace process," Cheney told reporters in Occupied Jerusalem as he wrapped up a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories before heading to Turkey.
During his talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, "I reaffirmed the president's commitment to help the process forward," Cheney said.
US President George W. BushMBA-Presidents Sep-07 has said he hoped the two sides could strike a deal before he ends his term in January 2009.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who met twice with Cheney during his visit, "reaffirmed his commitment to the president's vision and his willigness to do everything he can to achieve a result in 2008 although he is well aware of the difficulties," Cheney said.
In Turkey, Cheney met with President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other senior officials on the last leg of a regional tour that had taken him to Iraq, Afghanistan, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Turkey's state-run media said Monday that Cheney held talks with Erdogan on terrorism and Iran's nuclear program.
Cheney also expressed concern about Iran's "nuclear arms program" during his meeting with Erdogan in Ankara, state-run Anatolia news agency said.
Erdogan said Iran should work with the International Atomic Energy Agency to ease the fears of the international community, Anatolia reported.
Iran insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, and its enrichment work is aimed only at producing nuclear-generated electricity, not at making warheads.
Cheney and Erdogan also discussed Washington's cooperation in Turkey's fight against Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq.
The US shares real-time intelligence with Turkey, its NATO ally, in its fight against the Kurdish rebels, who use bases in northern Iraq to launch attacks against Turkey. Turkey and the US label the Kurdish rebel group, known as the PKK, a terrorist organization.
Last month, Turkey launched a major ground operation into northern Iraq to hit PKK camps. The eight-day incursion ended February 29.
Cheney met also with Gul and the country's military chief, General Yasar Buyukanit. The meetings were closed to the media and no announcements were made afterward.
In Ankara, about 50 protesters chanted anti-US slogans near the presidential palace during Cheney's meeting with Gul.
"Down with America," the group shouted. One banner read: "Murderer Cheney."
In his first visit to the Occupied West Bank as vice president on Sunday, Cheney said he told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that "the United States is committed to doing everything we can to facilitate the peace process" but "we cannot dictate the outcome."
On Sunday Cheney warned the Palestinians that continuing attacks on Israel "kill the legitimate hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people" for their "long overdue" state.
At a joint news conference with Cheney, Abbas once again condemned rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza, but said Israel would have to stop military raids and expanding settlements to strike a peace deal.
Israeli settlements in the Occupied West Bank are one of the main snags that have hampered peace talks since they were relaunched under US stewardship at an international conference in November.
Arriving in the Holy Land during the Easter weekend, Cheney vowed Washington's "unshakeable" defense of Israel's security, assured the Palestinians of US "goodwill," and said both sides would have to make "painful concessions" if they were to strike a deal to end their decades-old conflict.
The vice president also discussed what he called "darkening shadows" in Israel's arch-foe Iran, Syria and the Palestinian Gaza Strip, controlled by the Islamist Hamas movement. The visit was part of a US diplomatic flurry before Bush returns to Israel in May for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Jewish state.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is due to travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories over the weekend in a bid to push forward the peace talks, her spokesman said Monday. Rice, who visits the region from Friday to Sunday, will work with "both sides to narrow differences on the political issues that divide them, move the process forward," spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. The secretary will also "work with them on road map-related issues, to urge compliance with both sides - urge compliance by both sides with their 'road map' obligations," McCormack said. Under the road map - drafted in 2003 by the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union - Israel is to freeze settlements and the Palestinians are to stop violence. - Agencies

LEBANON: Hopes of Peace from Lords of War
Analysis by Mona Alami
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41705
BEIRUT, Mar 24 (IPS) - The pages of Lebanon's history are drenched in blood. And, more than 30 years after the start of the 1975 civil war, Lebanese factions are still pitted against each other in a confrontation with a recurring sectarian dimension amidst a volatile regional context.
Faces have aged, but the protagonists are still the same. Can Lebanon's 'lords of war' avoid the pitfalls of violence and strike a new peace?
Samir Geagea, Walid Joumblat, Nabih Berri, Michel Aoun and Hassan Nasrallah are among the many political figures that rose from the rubble of the Lebanese civil war. Whether they directly or indirectly took part in combat, freely or involuntarily, they lived to shape the future of contemporary Lebanon.
The conflict, which lasted from 1975 to 1990, was the scene of many grisly battles and bloody crimes. Although casualty figures are disputed, according to a study by Aida Kanafani-Zahar, a researcher at the French CNRS -- Groupe de Sociologie des Religions et de la Laïcité (Group for Sociology, Religion and Secularism) -- the death toll during the war amounted to 150,000, with 350,000 injured.
The conflict saw many gory massacres, which fuelled sectarian sentiments. "Lebanon witnessed a series of fights among brothers, with communities rivalling one another for power," says Emile Khouri, a journalist with the Arabic daily An Nahar, who has closely monitored Lebanese politics for more than 30 years. "Many massacres were often fuelled by popular outbursts or in reprisal for spiralling waves of terror." He says all participants made mistakes.
Many were killed during the 'War of the Mountains' between the Druze and Christian communities in 1982 and 1983. Some 130 Druze were killed in the villages of Kfarmata, Obey and Benay, according Kanafani-Zahar, while around 50 Christians were killed in same areas, and their homes burnt down.
This was about the same time when 850 Palestinian men, women and children were systematically gunned down at the Sabra and Chatila refugee camps at the hands of the Lebanese Forces (LF), under Israel's watchful eye.
Subsequently, conflict erupted in Beirut between the Druze Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) and Amal -- a Shia movement headed by Nabih Berri, the current Speaker of the House -- leading to many civilian casualties, although exact figures are unavailable. Amal also carried out a long, violent campaign against Palestinian refugees in what was dubbed the 'War of the Camps'.
The lines of divide became increasingly blurred as internecine wars ignited within communities. Amal and Hezbollah (the emerging Shia militia) clashed in Iqlilm al-Tofah in 1988. The two factions also battled it out along the outskirts of Beirut for control of the capital, which forced Syrian military intervention.
The Christians also had their fraternal wars. The 'War of Cancellation,' or Ilghaa, pitted General Michel Aoun -- who was at the time head of the Lebanese army and is currently leader of the Free Patriotic movement (FPM) -- against Samir Geagea, head of the LF.
Hilal Khashan, head of the political studies department at the American University of Beirut, believes that the erosion of Christian power taking place today can be partly attributed to the conflict between Geagea and Aoun during the war.
"The Maronites in Lebanon went from playing a prominent role to a secondary one. This explains the reasons behind their present day alliances: the FPM feels the need to ally itself with Hezbollah, while the LF are aligned with the Future Movement headed by Sunni MP Saad Hariri (son of slain former prime minister Rafik Hariri)," says Khashan.
The War of Cancellation led to the demise of hundreds of mostly Christian civilians. "Brothers from the same family but on opposing sides would often fight against each other," says Khouri. This bloody chapter in the civil war was closely followed by another that was as violent and deadly -- the War of Liberation -- which was led by General Aoun against the Syrian army in 1990.
"Aoun intended to free Lebanon from Syrian domination, which was essentially a just cause. But, the political context of the first Gulf War was such that the Americans granted Syria a mandate on Lebanon for its full support in its war against Iraq, making the balance of power unfavourable to Aoun," says Khouri. "This strategic mistake caused the death of scores of civilians as well as about 300 soldiers, who were gunned down during the invasion of the Baabda Palace, where Aoun was in residence until he fled."
Other political factions and their leaders also faced serious obstacles.
After the assassination of his father Kamal Joumblat, current MP and head of the PSP, rose to power. "Walid Joumblat was able to maintain his father's legacy, which was built on the survival of the community and its cohesiveness. This may explain his constant shifting alliances.
"One should remember that in the mind of a survivor, there are no permanent alliances but permanent interests," says Khashan, who believes that Joumblat has been successful in keeping the Druze at the centre of Lebanese politics in spite of their lack of demographic weight. The Druze population in Lebanon is estimated to be 280,000 to 350,000, in a nation of four million.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah came of age in the eighties, when Hezbollah started appearing on the Lebanese political scene. The party is accused of masterminding the 1983 attack on the U.S. embassy in Beirut, leading to the death of 63 people, and it is linked to the twin truck bombings of French and U.S. army barracks the same year, killing more than 300 people.
"Hezbollah was very successful in branding itself as a resistance movement -- which is credited with causing the withdrawal of the Israeli army in 2000 -- but made the mistake of turning his attention on to the political interior," says Khouri, referring to the current political deadlock between Hezbollah and the FPM on one side and the majority coalition of the PSP, LF and Future Movement on the other.
A recent Hezbollah blunder was the kidnapping in July 2006 of two Israeli soldiers, which led to a 33-day war that saw 1,200 deaths, the displacement of a quarter of Lebanon's population, and more than 3 billion dollars worth of direct losses.
With so many feuds and killings blotting Lebanon's history, many believe that little hope remains, especially as the 'lords of war' seemingly inch closer towards violence instead of peace.
"Two politicians strike me as the most capable of making peace: Joumblat, because of his survivor's instinct he perceives peace in his community's best interest, and Berri, because he is extremely adaptive -- he has, after all, been able to morph into the role of the head of parliament," says Khashan. Nasrallah's Manichean view of the world -- based on the belief that war is the only means for good to prevail over evil -- makes him an unlikely architect of peace.
For Khouri, the frame of mind of militia and military men is vital. "People who have actively participated in a war will tend to solve their conflicts on the street, usually away from parliament -- which in Lebanon, has been closed for over a year now," he says.
Dr. Aimee Karam, a clinical psychologist, published a study in 2006 on the failure of national negotiation in Lebanon, in which she acknowledges that most 'lords of war' belong to a special breed of people. "They (militia men and military) view conflict as a way to acquire absolute power, which is in reality quite difficult to achieve," she says.
Karam underlines that one positive sign of the current conflict is that the elements required for starting a war are not present on both sides of the divide. During her interviews with members of the various political coalitions, she observed that sentiments of anger and being victimised as well as the adoption of a cause and ideology, essential components to causing a war, were apparent in one group alone. "The other faction has waged its civil war and managed to grasp its real meaning; it has emerged, therefore, with a more pragmatic approach," she says.
Whether or not war will once again sully the shores of Lebanon is uncertain, but flashbacks of the country's violent past are re-emerging with more intensity. Mussolini once said, "Blood alone moves the wheels of history." It seems that, for the time being, those wheels have stalled in Lebanon. (END/2008)

Bin Laden's threat uncovers Jihadist message for Europe
By: Walid Phares, Ph.D.
World Defense Review columnist
In an audiotape posted on Internet, Osama Bin Laden threatened Europe with punishment because of its "negligence in spite of the opportunity presented to take the necessary measures" to stop the republishing of the Danish cartoons. It also menaced the Vatican with retribution for an alleged role in incitement "against religion." This al Qaeda warning would have been normal in Salafi Jihad logic. This radical movement obviously considers the drawings as an ultimate insult to Muslims and would unleash extreme violence in retaliation. Actually one would have expected al Qaeda to strike back "for the cartoons offense" long time ago. In fact, this particular audio is intriguing precisely because it is too "political," read too sophisticated. Bin Laden's school of Jihadism would have smitten first, explained later. So why is this message more peculiar than previous ones? What can we read into it? In short, I see in it the imprints of Jihadi "politicians" and strategists in international relations and deeply immersed in the diplomatic games across the Mediterranean. Even though it is indeed the voice of al Qaeda's master but nevertheless one can see increasingly the impact of political operatives on the movement's public statements. Here is why:
A raw al Qaeda reaction to the "infidel cartoons" would have been a strike back into the heart of the enemy with simple harshness and highly ideological brutality. But the audio tape has other points to make than just about the drawings. The message is heavily targeting Europe, while using the "cartoon Jihad" as a motive. Bin Laden, and the war room behind him are concerned about the rise of tough national leaders on the continent: Sarcozy, Merkel, Brown and a possible reemergence of Berlusconi's Party. In many spots in Europe, citizens are rejecting the Jihadi intimidations and becoming vocal about it. France is going to Chad, Germany has ships in the Eastern Mediterranean and Spain is arresting more Salafists. But the traditional apologists towards the Islamist agenda in Europe, remains strong. Al Qaeda wants to use the apologists against the "resistance." What better than threatening to strike at Europe's peace if its liberal values are not altered? In essence this is Bin Laden's message:
Change your laws on liberties and freedom of expression or else. "If there is no check on the freedom of your words then let your hearts be open to the freedom of our hearts." But a thorough investigation of the origination of this argument leads not to al Qaeda's traditional rhetoric – the group isn't very concerned with the change of laws in infidel lands – but to demands that have been made by "long-range" Jihadists on European governments. A simple check of archives shows that it wasn't Bin laden or Zawahiri who have asked Europe to enact laws against "insult to religion" but more "mainstream" Islamist forces and intellectuals. Among them the Muslim Brotherhoods, the Union of Islamic Clerics (also influenced by the Brotherhoods and headed by Sheikh Yusuf al Qardawi the spiritual mentor of al Jazeera), a number of European-based academics and the bulk of Wahabi radical clerics. This revealing reality if anything shows one of the two trends: Either al Qaeda is using the argumentation of political Islamists to provoke a mass clash against Europe or is it that the "political Jihadists" are now able to influence the war discourse of al Qaeda? In both cases, it deserves a closer analysis.
Bin laden's tape curiously repeats statements by commentators on al Jazeera who accuses Europe of being the "associate" of Washington in a "War on Islam." It also accuses the "continent" of being hypocrite by refusing to compromise on its "liberal" legal system while it makes "exceptions" when it comes to "exempt American soldiers" from its own laws: An argument simply too complicated to al Qaeda but often advanced by Islamist cadres on al Jazeera and online.
But the audio message nevertheless produces a classical series of threats a la Bin Laden by promising revenge to be "seen." It also goes on to indict the Pope for "inspiring" this "crusade" and doesn't miss a chance to incriminate the "apostate" Saudi monarch for not defending Islam. The tape covers many other issues such as the vital necessity of "Jihad" in Gaza an Iraq. With such a mixture of rhetoric, how to read the letter? I would recommend looking at a changing context in the Ben Ladenist messaging.
Few months ago, he sent out a piece with heavy Trotskyist overtones, using US domestic references: The impact of "American" speech writers was evident. In this audio message one can see the fingerprints of international (perhaps European) Jihadists who seem to be frustrated by demands they made but not met by the "renegade" European governments. In the end, the message to the continent is clear: Either you follow our advice and change your laws and accommodate our ideological agenda or else, al Qaeda is unleashed on the continent.
The voice of these shadow "advisors" – or at least their argumentss – have made their way to the heart of al Qaeda's messaging machine. From here on, it is up to the Europeans to decipher this enigmatic statement. They have an opportunity to breach a very powerful code which could answer loads of unresolved questions on the continent.
And last but not least, al Jazeera's "rapid response" to the tape came in a show titled Ma wara's al khabar (Beyond the News). The anchor, interpreting the message said Al Qaeda "is perhaps now an idea," hence very difficult to defeat by counter terrorism measures. A powerful assertion as European security services are bracing for potential strikes – in response to this tape but also in retaliation to a Dutch documentary, assumable to be critical of the Koran, to be released soon. The al Jazeera assessment about al Qaeda is relevant as it projects the movement as invincible physically. More interesting, it coins Bin Laden's threat as serious as it touches an issue of ijmaa bayna al muslimeen, "consensus among Muslims." In other words, while the tape asserted so, it was al Jazeera that claimed that "the cartoons issue has created an Ijmaa-consensus among adherents." The confusion between what Bin Laden said "it should be" and what the Qatari-funded channel said "it is" is somewhat worrisome. For the millions of viewers, including many in Europe, the line is blurred. Then came al Jazeera's "experts in Islamist movements." Mr Yasir al Zaatra from Jordan said al Qaeda per se doesn't have to send militants to Europe because "local groups could offer to wage operations on European soil." Pushing the comment farther Zaatra added that "most likely, some groups may have already offered Bin Laden to perpetrate attacks. He asserted that there are existing cells that would carry out these attacks and Bin Laden would take credit. And to reinforce the credibility of the threat, Zaatra referred (strangely) to a statement by Michael Sheuer a former CIA officer who was in charge of the Bin Laden unit. Quoting Sheuer, the al Jazeera analyst said "Bin Laden's threats are always executed."
Following him, another "expert on Jihadist groups," Dr Diya' al Zayyat said the tape is a clear menace by whom he called (for the first time) the "general guide of the Salafi Movement worldwide. He added that Bin Laden would claim responsibility of a potential action "depending on the type of operation and the publicity that would follow." Both commentators agreed that a revenge action will take place and that European-based Jihadists will carry it out. Al Jazeera's anchor taking it to the apex called the Bin laden's speech a "Jihadi road map."
What I saw in the al Qaeda message and the al Jazeera debate was clear: The Salafist movement worldwide was "talking" to the Europeans and the Euro-Jihadis. It was threatening governments to retreat from the confrontation on the one hand and unleashing the pools of indoctrinated Jihadis across the continent to "engage" in violence. The near future will tell us if the trigger will be successful or not.

— Dr. Walid Phares is Director of the Future Terrorism Project at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) in Washington, D.C., and a visiting scholar at the European Foundation for Democracy in Brussels. He is the author of the recently released book, The Confrontation: Winning the War against Future Jihad; and of Future Jihad: Terrorist Strategies against the West (2006) and The War of Ideas: Terrorist Strategies against the West (2007), available at www.walidphares.com.
Dr. Phares holds degrees in law and political science from Saint Joseph University and the Lebanese University in Beirut, a Masters in international law from the Universite de Lyons in France and a Ph.D. in international relations and strategic studies from the University of Miami.
He has taught and lectured at numerous universities worldwide, practiced law in Beirut, and served as publisher of Sawt el-Mashreq and Mashrek International. He has taught Middle East political issues, ethnic and religious conflict, and comparative politics at Florida Atlantic University until 2006. He has been teaching Jihadi strategies at the National Defense University since 2007.
Dr. Phares has written eight books on the Middle East and published hundreds of articles in newspapers and scholarly publications such as Global Affairs, Middle East Quarterly, the Journal of South Asian and Middle East Studies and the Journal of International Security. He has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS, BBC, al Jazeera, al Hurra, al Arabiya, as well as on many radio broadcasts.
Aside from serving on the boards of several national and international think tanks and human rights associations, Dr. Phares has testified before the US Senate Subcommittees on the Middle East and South East Asia, the House Committees on International Relations and Homeland Security and regularly conducts congressional and State Department as well as European Parliament and UN Security Council briefings.
Visit Dr. Phares on the web at walidphares.com and defenddemocracy.org.
© 2008 Walid Phares
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