LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
March 30/08
Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 16,9-15. ( When he had
risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told his companions who
were mourning and weeping. When they heard that he was alive and had been seen
by her, they did not believe. After this he appeared in another form to two of
them walking along on their way to the country. They returned and told the
others; but they did not believe them either. (But) later, as the eleven were at
table, he appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of
heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised.
He said to them, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every
creature.
Free
Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
History will not look fondly on today's crop of
Arab rulers-The Daily Star- 29/03/08
In the Middle East, it's about fighting while
talking-By David Ignatius- 29/03/08
Analyze This: Tomorrow's no-show Arab Summit is a slap in the face ...Jerusalem
Post 29/03/08
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for March 29/08
Moallem condemns French 'interference' in
summit-Daily
Star
Israel seeks renewal of peace talks with Syria-AFP
UN confirms 'criminal network' carried out
Hariri assassination-Daily
Star
Siniora states his case for decision to boycott
summit-Daily
Star
Berri rips Israeli violations at
Euro-Mediterranean summit-Daily
Star
Lebanon at mercy of regional power plays -
Fadlallah-Daily
Star
Top UN peacekeeper says support lagging-Daily
Star
Overtures are signs of maturity, not weakness-Daily
Star
Tenth report of the International Independent
Investigation Commission on political killings in Lebanon-Daily
Star
DFLP stages protest on occasion of Land Day-Daily
Star
University, Indonesian Embassy host cultural
event-Daily
Star
Bellemare: Network of Criminals Killed Hariri and Anti-Syrian Figures-Naharnet
Saniora to Pin Down Lebanon-Syria Disagreements, Possibly to Urge Arab League
Council Help-Naharnet
U.N. Hails Progress in
Setting up Tribunal Amid Boost in Funding-Naharnet
Arab Foreign Ministers
Back Initiative on Lebanon, Moussa Visiting Beirut Soon-Naharnet
Jordan Sending
Low-level Official to Summit to Protest Syria's Role in Lebanon Crisis-Naharnet
Hariri Murder Trial to Inflame Mideast
Tensions Further, Report-Naharnet
Sarkozy Hails Saudi, Egyptian Snub to
Syria-Naharnet
Mideast on Edge Over New Israel-Hizbullah
war-Naharnet
Official: Peacekeeping Missions in
Lebanon, Elsewhere in Danger-Naharnet
March 14 Urges Syria to Recognize
Lebanon's Independence-Naharnet
MP Murr: Lebanon Would Be Discussed at
Summit-Naharnet
U.S., Lebanese Civil Society Cooperate-Naharnet
Muallem: Syria is First Sufferer of
Lebanon Crisis-Naharnet
The Crackdown on Mahdi Army-Naharnet
Iraqis Die for Lebanon-Naharnet
Damascus Summit Sheds Spotlight on Arab
Split-Naharnet
Maliki Offers
Cash-for-Arms to End Iraq Fighting-Naharnet
Israel Trying to Bring Syria Back to
Negotiating Table-Naharnet
Israel Says It's Talking to Syria-Guardian
Cabinet minister confirms efforts being made to negotiate with Syria-International
Herald Tribune
Syria and Palestine first-Ha'aretz
UN: Hariri Tribunal Has Startup Funds-FOXNews
Analyze This: Tomorrow's no-show Arab
Summit is a slap in the face for Syria's Bashar Assad
By CALEV BEN-DAVID -Haaretz 28.03.09
The Arab Summit will officially open tomorrow in Damascus without any high-level
diplomatic representation from Egypt, Saudi Arabia or Jordan - but with the
esteemed presence of Manouchehr Mottaki, foreign minister of non-Arab Iran, at
the invitation of the host nation. That fact alone pretty much sums up the
nature of this gathering.
This is the first of the so-far 20 annual Arab summits to be held in Damascus.
It was supposed to be a showcase for President Bashar Assad's regime, which
reportedly has invested heavily to upgrade the Syrian capital's tourist
facilities in recent months.
His government has also noticeably cracked down on even the slightest signs of
dissent over the past year, imprisoning several journalists and human rights
activists, tightening restrictions on Internet use, and presumably ensuring
nothing would mar the pictures and stories written and broadcast for the outside
world this weekend. What Assad cannot do, though, is quell dissent outside his
borders, among his fellow Arab rulers; the fact that at least half of the 22
Arab League members will not be represented by their leadership is a distinct
blow to the prestige of the Syrian ruler.
The primary cause of this summit boycott is the continuing presidential
succession stalemate in Lebanon, whose chair at the meeting will remain empty.
Interference from Damascus is seen as the key factor behind efforts to block any
choice even remotely sympathetic to the line of Prime Minister Fuad Sanoria and
other leaders of the Cedar Revolution three years ago that finally led to the
withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanese soil. Opposition from
Syrian-Iranian-backed Lebanese proxies such as Hizbullah, together with a wave
of assassinations and intimidation, have been the tools that Damascus and
Teheran have used to deadlock the political process in Beirut for months now.
The situation has gone on long enough to finally stretch the patience of more
Western-aligned Arab leaders to the point that they are ready to dispense with
the shibboleths of "Arab unity" and very publicly express their anger at Assad.
Behind all this is less altruistic interest in the sovereign rights of Lebanon,
and more concern over Syria's increasingly slavish tendency to align itself with
Iran's regional hegemonic ambitions.
Damascus has in recent years tried to have it both ways, strengthening its
military and economic ties with Teheran, while maintaining good relations with
neighboring states that feel increasingly threatened by the belligerent rhetoric
and nuclear ambitions of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government.
Cairo, Amman, Riyadh and the Gulf states have made their displeasure with
Damascus on this point known in the past - but as the saying goes, this time
it's personal. Other Arab summits have certainly seen their share of contentious
disagreement, and other leaders have been the subject of approbation there,
especially Anwar Sadat after making his separate peace with Israel.
But that was a price Sadat expected to pay - while Assad was planning for this
weekend's summit to serve as an affirmation of his leadership role in the
region, a chance for him to take the starring role on an international platform
and inveigh against the insidious menace of the Zionist enemy to the south.
Instead, this summit will be remembered as a slap in the face to the Syrian
dictator from his fellow Arab leaders, a gesture of disrespect that is hard to
imagine would ever have been paid under almost any circumstances to his feared
and respected father.
The question now is whether such a development will only help push Assad deeper
into an Iranian embrace, or make him better understand the growing price he (and
his country) will pay for that alliance.
Nobody now expects the Syrian president to make any dramatic turns in his
nation's foreign policy, and many increasingly wonder if he lacks not only the
will, but even the capability, to do so.
However, one Arab leader who is expected to spend the weekend in Damascus should
offer Assad an interesting example to ponder - Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, once
deeply entrenched in the Arab world's most radical ranks, and now profiting in
many ways from his shift to a more pro-Western stance.
Of course, in reaching this point Gaddafi had to count on considerable good
fortune along the way, such as his surviving the 1986 US aerial attack on his
palace. As Bashar Assad looks around at some of the minor cabinet officials from
major Arab states gathered around him at this weekend's summit, he might well
ponder whether the time has come for him to understand that aligning himself
with Iran's interests - and against those of every nation bordering his own - is
really the wisest course to pursue for his own survival.
Saniora to Pin Down
Lebanon-Syria Disagreements, Possibly to Urge Arab League Council Help
Naharnet/Prime Minister Fouad Saniora on Friday will address Lebanese and Arab
leaders on the Lebanon political crisis ahead of the weekend Arab summit in
Damascus. In his address, Saniora is expected to explain the reasons behind
Lebanon's decision to boycott the March 29-30 summit.
He is also likely to incorporate his vision on ways to solve the protracted
Lebanese crisis. The pan-Arab daily Al Hayat said Friday it has learnt that
Saniora's address at 8 pm will point out outcome of talks conducted by Arab
League chief Amr Moussa in an effort to settle the ongoing impasse that has
gripped Lebanon.
According to information obtained by Al Hayat, Saniora will cite two reasons for
his decision to boycott the Damascus summit: First, Lebanon refuses to set a
precedent on attending the summit without having a delegation headed by the
President whose election was prevented by Damascus. Secondly, Lebanon chooses
not to attend the summit since Damascus is the major side obstructing the
election of a new President under an Arab League initiative. Saniora, in his
address, will likely call for an urgent meeting of the Arab League Council to be
held in Cairo immediately after the end of the Damascus summit to look into the
obstacles to the success of the three-point Arab plan to end the Lebanese
crisis. Al Hayat said Saniora in his statement will explain to Arab leaders the
"list of pending disputes" which is preventing a speedy restoration of
Lebanon-Syria relations.Among these disputes:
- Demarcation of borders between Lebanon and Syria and the sovereignty of Shabaa
Farms.
- Establishing diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria.
- Halting Syrian intervention in Lebanese internal affairs in light of the
alliances between Syria and regional sides that continue to hamper presidential
elections, an indirect reference to Iran.
- Uncovering the fate of Lebanese detainees in Syrian jails.
Beirut, 28 Mar 08, 07:46
Arab Foreign Ministers Back Initiative on Lebanon, Moussa Visiting Beirut Soon
Naharnet/Arab foreign ministers on Thursday expressed support to the Arab
initiative on Lebanon and tasked Secretary General Amr Moussa to continue
efforts to implement it. "It has been agreed on a plan related to the initiative
and its support," Moussa said in a joint press conference with Syrian Foreign
Minister Walid Muallem after the ministers' preparatory talks to the Arab League
summit. The Arab League chief also said that the foreign ministers tasked him to
continue his efforts to implement the initiative which calls for the election of
Army Chief Gen. Michel Suleiman president, the formation of a national unity
government in which no one party has veto power and the adoption of a new
electoral law. Moussa said he will visit Beirut soon, adding that "there is a
single initiative that enjoys major backing and we have to continue in that
path" to salvage Lebanon.
Lebanon is boycotting the March 29-30 Damascus summit, while Egypt and Saudi
Arabia have announced they are sending only low-level officials to the gathering
in a snub to Syria. The responsibility to solve the crisis in Beirut "falls on
the Lebanese first and second on Arab countries that have special relations with
Lebanon and which could encourage Lebanese sides (to reach) dialogue and
understanding on the basis of no victor no vanquished," Muallem told the press
conference.
When asked about Lebanese Premier Fouad Saniora's intention to relay Lebanon's
message to the world, Muallem said: "Those who don't attend the summit, don't
give a speech."On Wednesday, Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh said
Saniora's "statement or address to be screened worldwide could have a better
impact than the summit discussions that would be held behind closed doors at
Syria's wish."
The Syrian foreign minister also didn't comment about reports that Lebanon would
ask for a meeting at another venue than Damascus by either Arab foreign
ministers or heads of state to tackle Lebanese-Syrian relations. In his opening
speech of Thursday's meeting, Muallem called on Saudi Arabia to use its
influence over the anti-Syrian March 14 majority in Lebanon in order to resolve
the political crisis that has paralyzed government institutions.
Other than backing the Arab initiative on Lebanon, the foreign ministers agreed
during their preparatory talks to re-launch the Arab peace initiative and tasked
Moussa to prepare a working paper on inter-Arab differences for discussion
during the weekend summit. Beirut, 28 Mar 08, 05:04
U.N. Hails Progress in Setting up Tribunal Amid Boost in
Funding
Naharnet/The Security Council Thursday hailed "substantial progress" in efforts
to set up the Special Tribunal for Lebanon as the U.N. legal chief said the
court has enough funding to keep it running for a year. In a statement issued
after Undersecretary-General for Legal Affairs Nicolas Michel briefed the
Council on plans for the tribunal, members urged U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon to
pursue, in coordination with the Lebanese government, "measures necessary to
establish the tribunal in a timely manner." They noted "the substantial progress
that has been made" and welcomed contributions and pledges received" for the
international tribunal which is to be headquartered in The Netherlands. Among
the progress noted by the Council was also the appointment of the Prosecutor as
well as the Registrar of the Special Tribunal, and the establishment of a
management committee.
Michel said that as of Thursday, the U.N. had received $60.3 million from donor
countries, surpassing the $50 million needed for the court's establishment and
first year of operations. The tribunal has so far received about $34 million of
the promised funds, he added. That removes one obstacle for the tribunal's final
go-ahead by Ban — nearly a year after the Security Council voted to create it.
But the U.N. chief must also receive indications — though not concrete pledges —
that the tribunal will have enough money for its second and third years. He must
also be satisfied with the progress made by a U.N. investigation into the Feb.
14, 2005 truck bombing that killed ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and 22 others. Newly
appointed Chief U.N. investigator Daniel Bellemare is expected to release his
first report soon, and the Security Council will likely begin discussing it in
early April, Michel said.
He said it would be up to Ban to decide when to set a date for the tribunal near
The Hague to start proceedings because much depends on the status of the
investigation. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Zalmay Khalilzad noted during the
Council meeting that the amount so far deposited or pledged for the court "will
cover more than the cost of starting (the tribunal) in the first year." "We
welcome the progress that has been made," the U.S. envoy said. "We think this is
very important (for Lebanon), that the culture of impunity be brought to an end
with regard to political assassinations."
His French counterpart Jean-Maurice Ripert again stressed the process of
establishing the international court was not reversible.
"It has to be understood by everybody .... that the establishment of the
tribunal will reinforce the fight against impunity and that it will reinforce
the fight for re-establishing the rule of law and justice in Lebanon," he added.
The court will include a trial chamber made up of three judges -- two foreigners
and one Lebanese and an appeals chamber of five judges -- two Lebanese and three
foreigners. U.N. investigators have identified several people who they say may
have been involved in the Hariri slaying, but no one has been charged. Once
suspects have been charged, the court will swing into action.
The special tribunal is also to have jurisdiction over other attacks against
anti-Syrian Lebanese figures if they are linked to the Hariri
slaying.(Naharnet-AFP-AP) Beirut, 28 Mar 08, 03:31
Jordan Sending Low-level
Official to Summit to Protest Syria's Role in Lebanon Crisis
Naharnet/Jordan is to send a low-level official to this weekend's Arab summit, a
minister said on Friday, adding to a list of countries protesting host Syria's
perceived role in Lebanon's political crisis. "Jordan's representative to the
Arab League, Omar Rifai, will lead the Jordanian delegation which will
participate in the work of the Arab summit in Damascus," Information Minister
Nasser Jawdeh announced. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had invited King
Abdullah II to the 22-member summit, due to begin on Saturday in Damascus.
Syria, which was for decades the powerbroker in Lebanon until its 2005 troop
pullout, already faces a snub by Arab powerhouses Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which
are to send low-level delegations. Arab diplomats have said Morocco would be
represented at a similar level. The United States last week called on its Arab
allies in the region to think carefully about attending the summit, accusing
Syria of blocking the election of a president in Lebanon.(AFP) Beirut, 28 Mar
08, 12:01
Hariri Murder Trial to Inflame Mideast Tensions Further, Report
Naharnet/The British newspapers, The Guardian, has said that the trial of
suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri is certainly
to inflame Middle East tensions further. The controversy over the tribunal will
also cast a long shadow over the Arab summit in Syria this weekend, The Guardian
said.
It said the case to be heard at the court in Leichendamm is unprecedented: the
result of the Security Council bypassing Lebanon's political deadlock to seek
the truth behind Hariri's killing and 22 others in the massive car bombing on
Feb. 14, 2005. Stung by the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon after the "Cedar
Revolution" triggered by Hariri's killing, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sees
a not-so-hidden U.S.-led agenda to isolate him, The Guardian wrote.
"We have some concerns about the politics of the tribunal," it quoted a Syrian
official as saying, "but we are cooperating fully."
Daniel Bellemare, a Canadian former deputy attorney general, is expected to wrap
up his work by the end of the year, further adding to the nervousness in
Damascus, The Guardian said. It said his big moment will come when he issues
indictments. "That's when the shit will really hit the fan," The Guardian quoted
one U.N. source as saying. It is also at that point, the British daily went on
to say, that the Hariri tribunal may face what has been called the "Lockerbie
scenario," mirroring the situation when two Libyan intelligence officers were
indicted for the 1988 bombing. Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi refused to surrender
them for trial and only did so after years of U.N. sanctions and a discreet deal
spelling out that the trial was of two individuals - not the regime they worked
for.
The Guardian said Lebanon is more likely than Syria to hand over any suspects.
"It's a puzzle," observed Augustus Norton, a Middle East expert at Boston
University. "I can't see the Syrians agreeing to give anyone up for trial - or
at least anyone senior."
Officials could claim immunity, though any who do "are unlikely to be successful
in making a claim that assassination can be regarded as an official act," the
former Foreign Office legal adviser Elizabeth Wilmshurst told The Guardian.
Handily, there is a provision for trial in absentia, the daily said. It said
special arrangements are being made to protect any witnesses who come to
Leichendamm.
"There is huge concern bordering on panic in Damascus," Paul Salem, head of the
Carnegie Foundation's office in Beirut, told The Guardian. "There is a sense
that Syria is drifting into a very serious problem without having thought
through how to deal with it."The newspaper said observers predict the tribunal
may launch proceedings in late summer or autumn and adjourn until after the U.S.
presidential election - the source, as ever, of hope for change in the Middle
East. "It's very hard to predict what will happen," a U.N. official told The
Guardian. "It depends who is indicted and at what level. Maybe the Syrians are
waiting for the first indictment, or a new American president. They tried to
stop the tribunal but misjudged. I'm not sure that they have fully internalized
it - but they have lost." Beirut, 28 Mar 08, 09:25
Sarkozy Hails Saudi, Egyptian Snub to Syria
Naharnet/French President Nicolas Sarkozy has backed the decision of Saudi King
Abdullah and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak not to attend the March 29-30 Arab
summit in a snub to Syria. Saudi Arabia and Egypt are Arab heavyweights…" and I
believe that the decision of the countries' leaders not to attend the Damascus
summit is sound," Sarkozy said Thursday at a joint press conference with British
PM Gordon Brown at the end of his 36-hour state visit to Britain.
Some of us have made it clear to Syrian President Bashar Assad that "Lebanon is
a free and independent country and does not need another state to interfere in
its internal affairs," the French president said. "He has to leave the Lebanese
alone."He said the Saudi and Egyptian decision to send low-level delegations to
the Damascus summit is a clear message to Syria that the two Arab countries have
had "enough."
Brown, in his turn, urged the Assad regime to "let the Lebanese decide on their
own."He said Britain, Europe and the United States were worried about the
situation in Lebanon. In a jam-packed trip, Sarkozy called for closer relation
between France and Britain, proposed boosting France's troop deployment to
Afghanistan, gave a rare address to both Houses of Parliament, and called for
greater transparency in the financial markets.
Sarkozy and Brown agreed to hold more regular meetings to coordinate policy,
with Brown vowing to turn their "entente cordiale" into an "entente amicale."
The two leaders sealed a multibillion-dollar defense deal, vowed to jointly
press the United States on climate change and to curb the spread of nuclear
weapons technology. In their joint statement, the two leaders also said: "The
ongoing political crisis in Lebanon also remains a serious concern. We
underlined our continued support for the government of Lebanon and for the Arab
League's efforts to help achieve a solution. We called for the election of
consensus president in Lebanon as soon as possible." Beirut, 28 Mar 08, 05:53
Mideast on Edge Over New Israel-Hizbullah war
Naharnet/Recent attacks and retaliation threats have the Mideast on edge about
the possibility of another war between Israel and Hizbullah, even though
officials on both sides say they don't expect any eruption of major fighting
soon. The issue lurks behind the scenes as Arab leaders head to a weekend summit
in next-door Syria, whose relations with Lebanon and support for Hizbullah have
raised regional tensions. "I think it's just posturing," said Timur Goksel, a
former U.N. peacekeeping official who is a longtime observer of the Hizbullah-Israel
conflict in southern Lebanon. War speculation heated up after the Feb. 12
assassination of the top Hizbullah military commander, Imad Mughniyeh. The fears
heightened when a Palestinian gunman, linked by some Israeli officials to
Hizbullah, killed eight Jewish seminary students in Jerusalem on March 6.
Adding to the jitters, U.S. warships recently deployed off Lebanon and Saudi
Arabia advised its citizens to leave Lebanon. Washington said it sent the ships
to stabilize the region. The Saudis gave no reason for their warning, but it
came two days after the naval deployment.
Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah threatened Israel with "open war" after
Mughniyeh's assassination. Despite that, Hizbullah leaders say they have
prepared for war but will not initiate a fight. While the Israeli government
denies any role in the slaying, Hizbullah blames Israel and Nasrallah vowed
again this week to avenge his death. "We will choose the time, place and manner
of punishment," he told supporters Monday. But he called an Israeli attack on
Hizbullah unlikely soon, saying their inconclusive war in the summer of 2006
taught Israel that combat "is no longer a picnic." Israeli defense officials
have warned that war could erupt if Hizbullah staged a large-scale attack to
avenge Mughniyeh's killing. Yet Israel also appears to be playing down the
chance of war. Its annual intelligence report this month estimated a low risk of
war on Israel's borders this year. The assessment did say that if war erupted,
it would likely come on the border with southern Lebanon — Hizbullah's
stronghold. "I think for the time being the Hizbullah are busy with the
Hizbullah crisis," and not willing to go to war, said Israeli analyst Efraim
Inbar, director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan
University near Tel Aviv.
He was referring to Hizbullah's bitter political power struggle with the
Western- and Saudi-backed government in Lebanon.
Goksel also doubts a conflict will come soon. "I don't think there is serious
intention from both sides" to start a war, he said, but added that a major
incident with casualties could change that. Some politicians say a war is
unlikely now because both sides are on alert, and they know the costs of the
Israelis' aerial firepower and Hizbullah's arsenal of rockets that can strike
into Israel. The 2006 war killed up to 1,200 people in Lebanon and 159 in
Israel. The war fears have prompted some families in southern Lebanon to
consider alternative safe places in case of war. Mohammed Hijazi, in the
southern Lebanese village of Dibbine, and his wife had their bags packed at one
point, assuming war was imminent. But they have unpacked and now say they will
stay even if war does break out. "If, God forbid, something happens, I have no
place to go to," he said. "Will Beirut be safer than here?"(AP) Beirut, 28 Mar
08, 07:47
Official: Peacekeeping Missions in Lebanon, Elsewhere in
Danger
Naharnet/U.N. peacekeeping chief Jean-Marie Guehenno warned
Thursday that United Nations missions in Lebanon and Kosovo faced risks due to
political disagreement both internally and internationally. "A political process
is not something that can be coerced," he said at Washington's Center for
Strategic and International Studies. "When you deploy peacekeeping operations,
you need to have a peace to keep," he said. "That's what we learned the hard way
in Yugoslavia."Guehenno singled out eight missions facing major challenges:
Darfur, Sudan's south, Eritrea and Chad in eastern Africa, Afghanistan, Lebanon,
Kosovo and the Democratic Republic of Congo. All were endangered by the flagging
world support to supply funds and troops to the 100,000-strong global U.N.
peacekeeping force. "Is there enough political will?" to keep up the 20
missions, he asked. "There is not at the time." "Can the major powers focus on
so many issues at once? I doubt it," he said. Guehenno, who is stepping down
soon after eight years as U.N. Under Secretary General for Peacekeeping, warned
that his successor faces serious challenges and that just one failure among the
20 U.N. peace missions could wreck global support for all of them.
Although the U.N. operations have regained credibility after the devastating
1990s failure in former Yugoslavia, "this is a time to have quite serious
concerns," Guehenno said. "One big failure would be enough to destroy that
credibility. ... If it breaks it will take years to rebuild."(AFP-Naharnet)
Beirut, 28 Mar 08, 03:59
March 14 Urges Syria to Recognize Lebanon's Independence
Naharnet/The ruling March 14 coalition on Thursday proclaimed the Damascus
summit a failure and called on Syria to recognize Lebanon's independence and
sovereignty. "We call on Syria to recognize Lebanon's independence and
sovereignty," said a memorandum by March 14 Forces addressed to Arab leaders due
to meet in Damascus on Saturday. "Any restoration of (Lebanon-Syria) relations
should take into consideration Lebanon's interests," said the memorandum read by
former MP Faris Soeid. Soeid said March 14 backs the government's decision to
boycott the Arab summit scheduled in Damascus March 29-30.
"The summit will be the least unsuccessful of all summits," he said. The
memorandum accused the Syrian regime of serving "one way or the other the wicked
Israeli-Iranian alliance." Soeid said the memorandum will illustrate the damage
inflicted by Syria on Lebanon since former President Emile Lahoud's term was
extended for three years under Syrian pressure in 2004. Responding to Syrian
Foreign Minister Walid Muallem who said Lebanon has lost golden chances by
boycotting the Damascus summit, Soeid said Syria "is the one wasting
opportunities."Soeid reiterated accusations that Syria was behind the series of
assassinations in Lebanon and said Damascus and its allies were also trying to
"derail" Lebanon's economy. He also accused the opposition of distorting the
concept of partnership, charging that the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance was
preventing presidential elections under instructions from Syria. The memorandum
called on "friendly states – taking part in the summit or not – to exert utmost
pressure on the Syrian regime in a bid to put an end to its deep-rooted
ambitions in Lebanon." Beirut, 27 Mar 08, 13:45
MP Murr: Lebanon Would Be Discussed at Summit
Naharnet/MP Michel Murr on Thursday declared support for the government decision
to boycott the forthcoming Arab Summit in Damascus. "As long as we don't have a
president, then the president's seat at the summit should remain vacant," Murr
told reporters. However, Murr said the summit that would convene in Damascus on
Saturday would tackle the Lebanese crisis, even if Lebanon is absent. Murr also
declared support for a plan by parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to sponsor
dialogue among leaders of the various Lebanese factions if the summit failed to
settle the Lebanon dispute. Murr reiterated that his political viewpoint is
"separate from that of the Change and Reform Parliamentary bloc" headed by MP
Gen. Michel Aoun. "They do not invite me to the bloc sessions and I won't attend
the meetings without an invitation," he told reporters after receiving U.S.
Charge d'Affaires Michele Sison at his residence in Rabiyeh, north of Beirut.
Beirut, 27 Mar 08, 19:23
U.S., Lebanese Civil Society Cooperate
Naharnet/The U.S. Congress allocated five million dollars to enhance the
engagement of civil society organizations in a range of issues important to
Lebanon, a U.S. Embassy statement announced Thursday. It explained that five
U.S. non-governmental organizations will form partnerships with various local
NGOs "to develop Lebanese citizens' involvement with their government." The
American Bar Association (ABA) and the Center for International Private
Enterprise (CIPE) will "promote rule of law by focusing on strengthening
government accountability and transparency through freedom of information and
whistleblower protection," according to the statement. ABA and CIPE will also
work collectively with various organizations to advocate for "anti-corruption
reforms; and they will help raise awareness among small businesses of their
lawful rights and how this knowledge can protect businesses." Catholic Relief
Services (CRS) and the International Research and Exchange Board (IREX) will
both enhance community decision-making. CRS will provide community
decision-makers and municipal leaders with "practical skills to address diverse
community issues, thus forming more consensus minded communities. IREX will
focus on youth who will be able to bridge divisions in their communities and
advance governmental transparency and accountability," the statement said. Like
the other U.S. NGOs, Internews will fund "innovative media project with local
organizations, and train media owners and managers in business management
techniques," it added. In democracies, civil society organizations are critical
to promoting transparency, good governance, and citizens' access to their
government. "With these funds, the U. S. Government is showing its strong
support for Lebanon and its citizens," the statement stressed. Beirut, 27 Mar
08, 18:18
Muallem: Syria is First Sufferer of Lebanon Crisis
Naharnet/Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said Thursday that
Damascus is the first sufferer of the Lebanon crisis and the first to benefit
from its stability.
"We support security and stability in Lebanon," Muallem said during the opening
of the Arab Foreign Ministers meeting in Damascus ahead of the weekend Arab
summit. "It is in our interest and that of the Lebanese to solve its (Lebanon)
problems," Muallem stressed, adding that the solution lies in an agreement among
the Lebanese. Muallem called on Saudi Arabia to use its influence over the
anti-Syrian March 14 majority in Lebanon in order to resolve the political
crisis that has paralyzed government institutions. "Saudi Arabia must use its
influence over the majority in Lebanon to help find a solution," Muallem told
the Arab foreign ministers.
"Syrian efforts alone are not enough. The Arab parties that are friendly with
and have influence in Lebanon must exert efforts," he added. Beirut, 27 Mar 08,
11:40
Maliki Offers Cash-for-Arms to End Iraq Fighting
Naharnet/Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki offered Shiite militants a cash for
weapons deal on Friday in an attempt to end violent clashes across Iraq that
have killed more than 120 people. U.-S.-led coalition warplanes, meanwhile,
bombed Shiite militia positions in Basra, directly entering the fray for the
first time since the Iraqi army began the crackdown in the southern city, a
British military spokesman said. Two bombing missions were carried out overnight
against specific targets, Major Tom Holloway told AFP. Maliki gave the Shiite
gunmen until April 8 to surrender heavy and medium weapons used against Iraqi
army forces in fierce fighting that has engulfed Shiite areas across the country
since Tuesday. The prime minister's move is part of a three-pronged effort to
break Shiite resistance, along with the imposition of a three-day curfew in
Baghdad and coalition precision bombing.
On Friday, most of the capital's main roads were deserted as residents observed
the curfew, set to stay in place until dawn on Sunday.
"All those who have heavy and medium arms, they should surrender them to the
security forces and receive money starting from March 28 until April 8," Maliki
said in a statement issued by his office in Baghdad. The offer extended an
earlier deadline of midnight Saturday for fighters to lay down their weapons.
"We confirm the objectives of the operation in Basra which is to chase illegal
elements and to put all the weapons under the control of law," Maliki said.
Dozens of people have been killed in the oil city and more than 120 overall in
Shiite areas across Iraq.
"These weapons create problems for civilians and their property. The government
wants to give a chance to solve the problem without having to call upon the
wrath of legal action." Fighting has raged in other Shiite strongholds such as
the central city of Kut, Nasiriyah in the south, Hilla and Baghdad's Sadr City,
security officials said. Sadr City, the bastion of radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's
Mahdi Army militia, accounts for a quarter of the known death toll so far.
Despite the crackdown, clashes killed at least four police officers in Nasiriyah
on Friday, a local police official said.
"The militants are trying to attack police stations," he told AFP on condition
of anonymity. The official said some fighters had also been wounded and
arrested.
British spokesman Holloway said British coalition forces based at Basra airport
have also been providing air support over the city, surveillance and are
refuelling Iraqi helicopters and transport planes. "Coalition forces are
providing capability in those niche areas that the Iraqi armed forces don't
have," Holloway said.
"Particualrly we are providing them air power over the top of the city. The
Iraqi air force does exist but doesn't yet have fast jets. We are also providing
surveillance and that is being fed back into the Iraqi's operational command
centre in Basra.
"And also they have been providing air support in terms of dropping munitions on
identified militia targets in the city." Maliki, whose armed forces are facing
the first major test of their authority, has vowed to pursue the crackdown on
Shiite gunmen despite protests and mounting casualties. The crackdown focusing
on areas controlled by the Mahdi Army has severely strained a "freeze" of the
militia's activities that Sadr ordered last August. The powerful cleric appealed
late Thursday for a "peaceful and political solution to end the crisis,"
according to a statement released by his office in the holy city of Najaf. In
Baghdad, Sadr's followers staged noisy protests on Thursday against the
crackdown in Basra and demanded the resignation of Maliki, who is personally
overseeing the military operations. Basra has become the theatre of a turf war
between the Mahdi Army and two rival Shiite factions -- the powerful Supreme
Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC) of Abdel Aziz al-Hakim and the smaller Fadhila
party. Maliki's offensive drew praise from U.S. President George Bush, who
called the fighting in Basra a "positive moment" for the development of Iraqi
security forces and proof the Baghdad government could defend itself.(AFP)
Beirut, 28 Mar 08, 11:31
Israel Trying to Bring Syria Back to Negotiating Table
Naharnet/An Israeli Cabinet minister said Friday that Israel was
trying to bring Syria back to the negotiating table. Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer
spoke just days after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hinted that Israel might be
holding — or planning to hold secret talks with Syria. "All efforts are being
made to bring Syria to the negotiating table" to sign a peace treaty, Ben-Eliezer
told Israel Radio."We know exactly what the price would be," he said — namely,
Israel's return of the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau captured from Syria in
the 1967 Mideast war. He would not disclose what results there have been, if
any, from Israel's efforts to resume dialogue with the Syrians. Israel-Syria
peace talks — a centerpiece of then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak's political agenda
— broke down in 2000.
Ben-Eliezer told Israel Radio that Barak, now defense minister, was a partner to
the current efforts to renew talks with Damascus.
On Wednesday, Olmert told foreign journalists that Israel favors face-to-face
talks with Syria that could result in a peace treaty: "That doesn't mean that
when we sit together you have to see us," he said, an apparent reference to the
possibility of secret contacts. A week earlier, Olmert told a joint meeting of
the Israeli and German Cabinets that he was ready to restart negotiations with
Syria if Damascus would end its support for Hizbullah and Palestinian militant
groups. All are backed by Iran and opposed to Israel's existence.(AP) Beirut, 28
Mar 08, 09:46
Opposition Jordanian MPs Want Treaty with Israel Abrogated
Naharnet/Ten Jordanian MPs, including six Islamists, have presented a bill to
the lower house of parliament seeking to scrap the 1994 peace treaty with
Israel, one of the lawmakers said Thursday. "We submitted the draft law to Lower
House Speaker Abdul Hadi Majali on Wednesday," Islamist MP Hamza Mansur, who
heads the six-member parliamentary bloc of the Islamic Action Front (IAF) said.
The IAF has frequently called for the treaty to be abrogated but this is the
first time it has put a formal request to the 110-member lower house. The
draft gave several reasons for scrapping the treaty, including that Israel "does
not honor the agreement and is still a threat to Jordan." It said the Jewish
state "has committed premeditated crimes in Jordan, and genocide in Palestine."
In 1997, Jordan saved the life of Hamas supremo Khaled Meshaal after Israel's
Mossad foreign intelligence service carried out a botched attempt to poison him
in Amman. Then-king Hussein secured the antidote from Israel with a threat to
sever the peace treaty. "We know that the Jordanian people want to abrogate the
agreement, but it is not up to them," said Mansur, a senior member of the IAF,
the country's main opposition party and the political arm of the tolerated
Muslim Brotherhood. "According to the law, the legal committee at the lower
house is now going to examine the bill before the MPs vote to approve or reject
the proposal." Mansur explained. Jordan, a U.S. ally, signed the treaty on
October 26, 1994, becoming only the second Arab state after Egypt to make peace
with Israel.(AFP)
Beirut, 27 Mar 08, 19:51
Different Genes for Different
Religions in Lebanon!
Naharnet/A recent study has found that some Christian men in Lebanon carry a DNA
signature hailing from Western Europe while Muslim men in the country had a DNA
linked to expansions from the Arabian Peninsula, BBC News reported. It said the
finding comes from the Genographic Project, a major effort to track human
migrations through DNA, and that details of the research have been published in
the American Journal of Human Genetics.
"The study focused on the Y, or male, chromosome, a package of genetic material
carried only by men that is passed down from father to son more or less
unchanged, just like a surname," BBC said. Y chromosomes can be classified into
different groups which, to some extent, reflect a person's geographical
ancestry, it said. "The team analyzed the Y chromosomes of 926 Lebanese males
and found that patterns of male genetic variation in Lebanon fell more along
religious lines than along geographical lines," the BBC quoted the study as
saying. A genetic signature on the male chromosome called WES1, which is usually
only found in European populations, was found mainly among Christian men in
Lebanon, a sign that the Crusaders have left a genetic legacy.
"Looking at the same data set, we saw a similar enrichment of lineages coming in
from the Arabian Peninsula in the Muslim population which we didn't see [as
often] in the Christian population," Dr. Spencer Wells, director of the
Genographic Project told BBC News.
Lebanese Muslim men were found to have high frequencies of a Y chromosome
grouping known as J1. This is typical of populations originating from the
Arabian Peninsula, who were involved in the Muslim expansion. "This is odd
because typically we don't see this sort of stratification by religion when we
are looking at the relative proportions of these lineages - and particularly
immigration events," said Wells. The goal of the study was to put some science
to the history of this country - which is very rich," said Pierre Zalloua, a
co-author on the paper, from the Lebanese American University (LAU) in Beirut.
"To have these great civilizations - with the Islamic expansion and the
migration from Europe - coming to Lebanon, leaving not only their genes but also
some of their culture and way of life, it can only make us feel richer," Zalloua
added. The Genographic Project was launched by National Geographic in 2005 to
help piece together a picture of how the Earth was colonized, BBC said. Beirut,
28 Mar 08, 11:03
Lebanon relents on its banning of Persepolis film
AFP-March 28, 2008/Beirut -- Lebanese authorities yesterday went back on their decision to ban the
prize-winning animated film Persepolis, after an outcry and accusations that the
censorship was aimed at pleasing Iran and Shia clerics."We have given the green light for the film Persepolis to be seen in cinemas
across Lebanon," one official from the censorship bureau said on condition of
anonymity. She did not elaborate.
On Wednesday, General Wafiq Jizzini, head of general security at the Interior
Ministry, which handles censorship, said he had decided to ban the film after
Shia officials expressed concern that its content was offensive to Muslims and
to Iran.
"I can go back on my decision, I respect freedom of expression," Jizzini said.
"But given the current political crisis in Lebanon, this is not the time to add
fuel to the fire."
Lebanon Legalizes Anti-Iranian Animated Film
Naharnet/Lebanese authorities on Thursday legalized the screening of the
prize-winning animated film "Persepolis", following an outcry and accusations
that the banning it by the censors was aimed at pleasing Iran and Shiite
clerics. "We have given the green light for the film 'Persepolis" to be screened
in cinemas across Lebanon," an official from the censorship bureau, speaking on
condition of anonymity, told Agence France Presse. She did not elaborate on the
remark.
On Wednesday, General Wafiq Jizzini, head of general security directorate, which
handles censorship, told AFP he had decided to ban the film after Shiite
officials expressed concern that its content was offensive to Muslims and to
Iran. "The office that handles censorship matters informed me in their report
that the film attacks Islam and the Iranian regime, and this could spark tension
with Iran," Jizzini said. However, he stressed: "I can go back on my decision, I
respect freedom of expression. But given the current political crisis in
Lebanon, this is not the time to add fuel to the fire."
General Jizzini could not be reached for immediate comment on Thursday on why he
had changed his mind. His original decision to ban the film drew condemnation in
many circles, with some saying it smacked of hypocrisy and showed that some
within the Lebanese government were kowtowing to Iran. Culture Minister Tareq
Mitri said he saw no reason why the film should be banned and that he had urged
the interior ministry to rescind its decision. Bassam Eid, production manager
with Circuit Empire, the company that was to distribute the film, blasted the
ban as ridiculous and unwarranted, especially since pirated copies were widely
available in Hizbullah's stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Druze
leader Walid Jumblat, a leading member of the ruling coalition, said he was
stunned by "this cultural faux-pas that allows a security service to evaluate
artistic and cultural works." The film, which shows its young heroine's brushes
with the authorities in the early days of the Islamic revolution in the 1980s,
was screened in Iran last month but was not expected to be shown at mainstream
cinemas. A success in the United States and France, "Persepolis" has been
condemned by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Government as Islamophobic
and anti-Iranian. The film, which won the Jury Prize at Cannes and was nominated
for an Oscar for Best Animated film, is based on comic strips by Iranian-French
immigrant Marjane Satrapi. Co-directed by Satrapi, it shows repression under the
shah but also portrays the social crackdown, arrests and executions that
followed the Islamic revolution led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979. The
heroine's rebellious nature and conflicts with the authorities force her to
leave Iran temporarily for Austria and then for France -- this time never to
return.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 27 Mar 08, 16:20
U.N. Rights Council Deplores Media Portrayal of Islam
The U.N. Human Rights Council on Thursday passed a resolution deploring the use
of the media to "incite acts of violence, xenophobia or related intolerance and
discrimination towards Islam" or other religions. The resolution was adopted by
21 of the council's 47 member states, while 14 abstained and 10 states objected,
including Slovenia on behalf of the European Union. Speaking out against the
resolution, Slovenia's representative noted that a point on defamation of
religions had an "inherently one-sided explicit reference to Islam." Some
Western media outlets have come under the spotlight for their treatment on
issues relating to Islam.
Danish newspapers have been criticized for printing cartoons featuring the
Prophet Mohammed. On Sunday, an American network provider said it suspended a
website that Dutch MP Geert Wilders had reserved to post his anti-Islamic film,
which has sparked wide condemnation and fears of a backlash. The council's
resolution expressed "grave concern at the recent serious instances of
deliberate stereotyping of religions, their adherents and sacred persons in the
media and by political parties and groups in some societies, and at the
associated provocation and political exploitation." It also expressed deep
concern at attempts to identify Islam with terrorism, violence and human rights
violations.(AFP) Beirut, 27 Mar 08, 20:31