LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِApril
12/2010
Bible Of the
Day
John 20/19-30: "When
therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the
doors were locked where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be to you.” 20:20
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples
therefore were glad when they saw the Lord. 20:21 Jesus therefore said to them
again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” 20:22
When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy
Spirit! 20:23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you
retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.” 20:24 But Thomas, one of the
twelve, called Didymus, wasn’t with them when Jesus came. 20:25 The other
disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them,
“Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my hand into his
side, I will not believe.” 20:26 After eight days again his disciples were
inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being locked, and stood
in the midst, and said, “Peace be to you.” 20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “Reach
here your finger, and see my hands. Reach here your hand, and put it into my
side. Don’t be unbelieving, but believing.” 20:28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord
and my God!” 20:29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me,* you have
believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.” 20:30
Therefore Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are
not written in this book; 20:31 but these are written, that you may believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his
name"
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for April
11/10
Clinton: All bets are off if US
under WMD attack/Now
Lebanon
Gates: Iran not yet able to make
nuclear weapon/Now
Lebanon
Syrian Ambassador says
Assad to keep critical eye on relations with Lebanon/Now
Lebanon
Sfeir to Oyoun Orgosh Delegation:
Defending Your Land is a Legitimate Right/Naharnet
Sami
Gemayel Says the Day will Come when Hizbullah Hands Over Weapons to Lebanese
State/Naharnet
Anti-Semitic incidents doubled
worldwide
last year: report/The
Canadian Press.
Wahab:
Geagea's Latest Remarks Positive, No Plan to Isolate LF/Naharnet
UNIFIL
Says Israeli Force Crossed Technical Fence, Not Blue Line/Naharnet
Geagea Supports Hariri
Visit to Syria, Says Christians Part of Arab Fabric/Naharnet
Qassem: No Election Law
will Affect Our Results/Naharnet
Will Appointment Mechanism
Pass in Monday's Cabinet Session?/Naharnet
Ali Hassan Khalil:
Mistaken are those who think that Opposition Ties Were Broken/Naharnet
Hizbullah Urges Suleiman
for Official Stance on U.S.-ISF Deal/Naharnet
Joseph Tarabay's List Wins
Maronite League Elections Uncontested/Naharnet
Pharaon: We are in
Agreement with LF Over Equal Shares in Beirut/Naharnet
Hariri's Damascus Visit
Looming on the Horizon after Arab-Turkish Mediation/Naharnet
Jumblat Remains Mum on
Nasrallah Meeting Details/Naharnet
Abu Imad Denying Mutiny:
Attackers Not PFLP-GC Members, Someone Induced Them/Naharnet
STL Acting Registrar to
Visit Beirut April 12/Naharnet
Damascus Willing to Help
Solve Palestinian Camps Issue if Officially Asked/Naharnet
Booby-Trapped Grenade
Detonated in Chtaura, Another Defused in Tyre/Naharnet
Gunmen Kidnap Lebanese, 3
Syrians in Nigeria/Naharnet
Williams Hopes for Safe
Polls, Welcomes Amal-Hizbullah Statement/Naharnet
Armenian Speaker arrives in Beirut/Now
Lebanon
Berri meets Arslan, sees no
controversy over Hezbollah’s arsenal/Now
Lebanon
Sfeir to Oyoun Orgosh
Delegation: Defending Your Land is a Legitimate Right
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir on Sunday expressed regret over
Oyoun Orghosh incident and hoped Lebanese officials would be able to reach a
satisfactory solution.
"Defending your land is a legitimate right," Sfeir told a delegation from Oyoun
Orghosh. The delegation included members from the Tawk family as well as
residents from Oyoun Orghosh who briefed him on what happened last weekend. "We
are people holding on to our land, and our right to existence," Priest Hani Tawk
said in a statement read before the Patriarch.
"We have a great desire to continue to live in peace and mutual respect with our
neighbors,"Tawk said, adding that "we have the right to defend ourselves in a
remote area and we have instructed janitors and guards for this purpose,
particularly in the absence of a strong security force." "Mr. Patriarch, there
we were. There we are now. And there we will stay," Tawk pleaded with Sfeir.
Sfeir told the delegation that he learned about Oyoun Orghosh incident from
newspapers and radio stations.
Naharnet/"We regret what happened in Oyoun Orghosh. We know that you have
defended your land and your rights in the past. This is a legitimate right. We
regret that these events happened between neighbors and fellow citizens. All of
us have the right to defend ourselves. This is also legitimate," Sfeir added.
The patriarch said he hoped Lebanese officials would "be able to reach a
solution satisfactory to all." Beirut, 11 Apr 10, 14:41
Sami Gemayel Says the Day will Come when Hizbullah Hands Over Weapons to
Lebanese State
Naharnet/Phalange Party Central Committee Coordinator MP Sami Gemayel said
Sunday that "the day will come when the Airport Highway will be congested with
(trucks loaded) by weapons, rockets and ammunition heading toward the defense
ministry and that will be the day when Hizbullah will hand over its weapons to
the Lebanese State."
"Hizbullah's telecom network currently connects Lebanon to Syria and Iran, but
in an illegitimate and illegal manner," Gemayel addressed more than 3,500 of his
party's cadres gathered at Phalange's Executives Forum that was held at the
Forum De Beyrouth. "The relation with Syria must be a state-to-state relation
and it should be the responsibility of the president and the premier," Gemayel
added, noting that "Lebanon's interest lies in being on good terms with Syria,
but this crawling toward Damascus is meaningless and overbidding doesn't benefit
Lebanon." On the other hand, Gemayel said "the State is moving ahead without a
plan, given that there are no economic or social plans aiming at treating the
problems of poverty, unemployment, and emigration," demanding to establish a
planning ministry. Gemayel stressed that "today, Phalange Party has become more
organized than ever after they thought that they would be able to behead it by
assassinating (ex industry minister) Pierre Gemayel," strongly denying "the
rumors about selling Phalange's Central House" in Saifi.
For his part, speaking at the forum, Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel
reiterated his call for "best relations with Syria through achieving essential
(Lebanese) demands," encouraging "the steps of PM Saad Hariri in this regard as
long as Syria responds with the Lebanese steps." "Security will not stabilize as
long as there are groups who are protecting themselves with certain immunities
and as long as there is no accountability in shadow of the existence of groups
operating away from State's decision," Gemayel added. "Have we decided to assign
our security and national defense to outlaw groups?" Gemayel wondered. Earlier
Sunday, Gemayel said "no one wants to fight Hizbullah at the dialogue (table),"
but stressed that "intimidation must stop."
In remarks to Future News television, Gemayel said the defense strategy should
be "seriously and objectively" discussed at the dialogue table, pointing out
that talks at the table are better than street protests. Beirut, 11 Apr 10,
18:54
UNIFIL Says Israeli Force Crossed Technical Fence, Not Blue Line
Naharnet/UNIFIL Deputy Spokesperson Andrea Tenenti on Sunday announced that a
10-member Israeli force crossed on Saturday morning the technical fence 2
kilometers south of the Ghajar village and took positions in the area for around
75 minutes. He noted that a UNIFIL force arrived on the scene and did not record
any violation of the Blue Line by the Israeli force, adding that a Lebanese Army
patrol was also present at the location. Tenenti stressed that the Lebanese Army
and UNIFIL are investigating the incident. The Lebanese Army Command had earlier
announced that the aforementioned Israeli force had entered one of al-Wazzani
River's parks where it dismantled the steering wheel of a dredger that was
stationed in the park. The Israelis then patrolled the eastern bank of the river
before returning to Israel, leaving a black box behind, according to army
command's statement. Beirut, 11 Apr 10, 20:23
Geagea Supports Hariri Visit to Syria, Says Christians Part of Arab Fabric
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said he supports efforts by Prime
Minister Saad Hariri to sort out the situation with Syria, stressing that
Christians have always been part of the fabric of the Arab world. Geagea hailed
the "tremendous" efforts made by Hariri which he believed were "beyond his
capabilities."
He also praised Hariri's attempts to "sort out" the situation between Lebanon
and Syria . Hariri is "acting as a statesman in every sense of the word," Geagea
told the daily An-Nahar in an interview published Sunday. His remarks came
following a meeting on Saturday with Hariri at Center House in downtown Beirut.
Geagea believed Hariri was the "only" official among Lebanon's political leaders
who deal with Syria in his capacity as a political leader for the benefit of
Lebanon. He pointed to Hariri's efforts to sign agreements with Syria in various
trade, environment and tourism fields, in addition to trying to solve other
major issues like missing Lebanese, Palestinian arms outside refugee camps and
border demarcation. "This is why I support Premier Hariri in this direction,"
Geagea stressed. The LF leader said he put Hariri in the picture of Ouyoun
Orghosh incident and the "conspiracies woven, which, unfortunately, are all
lies."
In remarks published earlier by the Saudi Al-Watan newspaper, Geagea said that
he has "not seen positive results from Lebanon's openness policy toward our
brethren in Syria."
"We are waiting" to see the outcome, he added. Geagea said he was not in favor
of personal visits to Syria, but rather supported "respectful" ties based on a
state-to-state relationship "via the President or the Prime Minister."He
reiterated that Christians were part of the fabric of the Arab world.
"Christians were not one day outside the Arab fabric," Geagea stressed.
"Something that remains unknown to many is that the Lebanese Forces was one of
the first Lebanese parties to restore ties with the Palestine Liberation
Organization in 1986, and the previous year we had close relations with Iraq,
and in the years 1986 and 1987 we had forged ties with Egypt, Algeria and
Jordan. "This means that in the peak of the Civil War, contact with the Arabs
was the basis, unlike what happened in the first years of the war," Geagea told
Al-Watan. Beirut, 11 Apr 10, 08:21
Qassem: No Election Law will Affect Our Results
Naharnet/Hizbullah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem said his group
does not object to holding municipal elections on time or under any law "because
no law will change or affect the results we will achieve in our areas." "To us,
the result is the same," no matter whether or not Parliament approved reforms to
the electoral law, Qassem stressed. He encouraged Lebanese to come together
behind common ground, pointing to the importance of dialogue in reaching a
conviction that Lebanon's strength stems from its Resistance, people and army.
Beirut, 11 Apr 10, 10:08
Will Appointment Mechanism Pass in Monday's Cabinet Session?
Naharnet/Cabinet on Monday will continue to debate a mechanism for
administrative appointments with conflicting reports as to whether the council
of ministers would approve it or not.
The daily Ad-Daiyar on Sunday quoted ministerial sources as saying Cabinet is
likely to approve the appointment mechanism after having endorsed two clauses of
the mechanism.
Cabinet has approved a partial mechanism plan for administrative appointments.
Only two clauses of the new plan were approved -- promotion of second grade
employees to the first grade and the appointment of first grade employees from
outside the diplomatic corps – while other points were to be discussed at a
Cabinet meeting scheduled for Monday.
State Minister for Administrative Development Mohammed Fneish, meanwhile, said
he believed the "atmosphere is appropriate" for approval of the mechanism plan.
"There is no disagreement within Cabinet regarding the mechanism, but a legal
and Constitutional debate in order not to be an issue for challenge," Fneish
said.
The remaining points left for Cabinet's approval are those related to the
promotion of third grade employees to the second grade, employees who have been
laid off, as well as appointments in public institutions. Beirut, 11 Apr 10,
09:14
Hizbullah Urges Suleiman for Official Stance on U.S.-ISF Deal
Naharnet/Loyalty to the Resistance bloc has reportedly inquired President Michel
Suleiman about the state's stance from the agreement signed between the Internal
Security Forces and the U.S. which it described as a "dangerous challenge to
Lebanese sovereignty." As Safir daily said Saturday Suleiman told Hizbullah's
bloc that he was waiting for the recommendations of Speaker Nabih
Berri.According to the newspaper, Hizbullah ministers are preparing to suggest
discussion of the issue during a cabinet session that would be set pending the
review of Berri's recommendations. The decision was made during a meeting held
two days ago between Hizbullah chief's political advisor Hussein Khalil, MP
Hassan Khalil and Minister Jebran Bassil, As Safir reported. The meeting between
Suleiman and Berri on Wednesday would be an opportunity to discuss options and
find ways for the government to find a solution to the issue of the agreement.
Beirut, 10 Apr 10, 10:20
Pharaon: We are in Agreement with LF Over Equal Shares in Beirut
Naharnet/State Minister Michel Pharaon said Saturday he was in agreement with
the Lebanese Forces on the principles of the ministerial statement and the need
to move forward with the defense strategy. Following talks with LF leader Samir
Geagea, the minister said: "In the capital, there is a tradition to form an
(electoral) list amid a coalition of major forces to achieve the best possible
form of representation and equal shares among Christians and Muslims.""The
upcoming days will witness dialogue and consultations over its (the list's)
formation," Pharaon said. Beirut, 10 Apr 10, 14:42
Hariri's Damascus Visit Looming
on the Horizon after Arab-Turkish Mediation
Naharnet/Lebanese-Syrian and Arab-Turkish contacts with Damascus are speeding up
Prime Minister Saad Hariri's visit to Damascus which is expected to launch the
process of border demarcation. On Saturday, al-Liwaa daily expected the visit to
take place next week "if things take their natural course" while An Nahar
reported that Hariri won't travel to Damascus before the National Dialogue
session at Baabda palace next week. As for pan-Arab daily al-Hayat, it said
"contacts between Hariri and the Syrian leadership haven't been cut. On the
contrary, they are made on the highest level of leaderships not only to set the
ground for the Lebanese prime minister's visit but also to consult on all
current issues that concern both countries."
The newspaper said that a delegation of directors from Lebanese ministries will
make a visit to the Syrian capital in the next few days to hold meetings with
their counterparts and discuss future relations. Hariri, who concluded an
official visit to Spain on Friday, announced that he would soon visit Damascus
for talks with President Bashar Assad and to sign several cooperation agreements
in the fields of trade, industry, transportation, environment, education,
banking and others.
The prime minister also announced that "the process of border demarcation
between Lebanon and Syria will be launched" during his trip to the Syrian
capital. Beirut, 10 Apr 10, 09:27
Jumblat Remains Mum on Nasrallah Meeting Details
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat refused to divulge
information on his latest meeting with Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,
saying the two men discussed "sensitive issues." We discussed "coordination
efforts in protecting the resistance and the Taef Accord, which some seem to
have forgotten although this agreement specified who is Lebanon's friend and
who's the enemy," Jumblat told As Safir newspaper in remarks published Saturday.
He refused to reveal more information. A statement issued by Hizbullah on Friday
said the two leaders assessed Jumblat's visit to Damascus March 31. It said
Jumblat and Nasrallah also discussed the "economic situation and expressed
common interest to support the Lebanese citizen rights to decent living."The
statement said the meeting touched on relations between Hizbullah and the PSP
where the two sides stressed the need to "enhance cooperation in order to
consolidate coexistence and national unity." Beirut, 10 Apr 10, 12:00
Joseph Tarabay's List Wins Maronite League Elections Uncontested
Naharnet/The list of Joseph Tarabay won uncontested in the Maronite League
elections after his rivals withdrew before the polls could take place at 10:00
am Saturday. Seventeen contestants were running in the elections. However,
candidates were informed at 8:15 am that the last contestant, Rami al-Chidiac,
withdrew his candidacy, scrapping the electoral session.After winning
uncontested, Tarabay retained his post as Maronite League president and Francois
Bassil became his deputy. Tarabay addressed reporters saying: "We want to serve
Lebanon and serving it does not come through divisions. It comes through joining
ranks." In addition to the president and his deputy, the winners were Hafez
Zakhour, Samir Hobeika, Abdo Jerjes, Antoine Qlimos, Samir Chafik Abi Lamaa,
Nehmat Afram, Antoine Litfallah al-Bustani, Antoine Wakim, Alia Berty Zein,
Shawki Kazan, Antonio Andari, Talal Douaihi, Hikmat Abou Zeid, Charles al-Hajj
and Fares Abi Nasr.
Ali Hassan Khalil: Mistaken are those who think that
Opposition Ties Were Broken
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri's political advisor, MP Ali Hassan Khalil, has
reportedly stressed that the opposition remained united despite differences in
minor details. "Mistaken are those who think that the national opposition's ties
were broken," Khalil told al-Akhbar newspaper in remarks published Saturday. "If
there are some differences over details, this doesn't mean that we are not in
the same political line on major issues from the resistance all the way to the
future of the country."
The MP said that during a meeting held on Thursday between him and Hizbullah
secretary general's political assistant Hussein Khalil and Minister Jebran
Bassil, "agreement was reached on the need to find a coordination mechanism
inside cabinet." Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat also said that the three men agreed to
adopt a working plan that would allow them to coordinate stances before any
cabinet session. Khalil stressed that the municipal elections won't be an issue
of misunderstanding between Berri's Amal movement and the Free Patriotic
Movement.
Bassil lately blamed opposition members for allegedly not standing by the FPM on
several issues, including the reform battle. Beirut, 10 Apr 10, 10:53
Iranian Spy for CIA: ‘Weak West’ Will Cause War with Iran
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu /Arutz Sheva
The American-led ‘engagement” policies towards Iran is going to result in the
very war it wants to prevent, according to an Iranian CIA spy. He says the only
way to prevent a possible nuclear war with Iran is to attack the country now. In
the meantime, Iran announced Sunday it has started mass-producing a new
medium-range anti-aircraft missile that "can destroy modern planes in low and
medium altitudes.”
Writing under the pseudonym Raza Kahlil, his book “A Time to Betray” reveals
that he began to spy on Iran for the CIA after he we was disillusioned by the
1979 revolution and fled the Islamic Republic. Interviewed by Reza Aslan of the
Daily Beast web site, “Kahlil” predicted that if Iran obtains a nuclear weapon,
which it apparently will do, “The Iranian people are going to pay a very, very
heavy price. And you could see major destruction in Iran.
He reasoned that the West is "dragging out” its attempts to place harsher
sanctions on Iran and “is not dealing with it the way they should. One thing
they could do very simply is cut off shipping lines—all airspace and shipping
lines closed to everything coming into Iran and going out of Iran,” which is an
act of war.
“Let it be an act of war.” he said. “You've got two choices: Either take out the
[Revolutionary] Guard right now, or wait until they have a bomb. It's a matter
of who takes the more serious step. Let it be an act of war and let's see what
Iran does. Give them a deadline. No one has taken a serious stand to see if they
will back down, and unless you do, they're going to become a nuclear-armed
state. “So the decision comes to this, and this is the bottom line: Do we accept
Iran as a nuclear-armed state or not? Anything else is just total hot air. It is
just one question, do we accept it or not?”He also explained that there is an
illusion among the media and analysts that the Guards are becoming an
independent entity. He insisted that they are part and parcel of the Muslim-led
country. The Guards are “a big organization..., spread throughout the Middle
East, the Persian Gulf, Africa,” he maintained. “Basically they want to become a
nuclear-armed organization. They will achieve that. They'll achieve reaching the
point where they can put together an atomic warhead.”
Admitting he betrayed “the system” but not Iran, Kahlil said he had access “to a
lot of information” by virtue of his position that utilized his expertise in
dealing with the infrastructure of the Guards. “I was in a base where one of the
intelligence units was also based,” he revealed.
“The majority of the forces are true believers—common people with not much
education. And these are mostly from the poorer population. I was among them. I
saw them. I lived with them. We went to the front [in the Iran-Iraq War]
together….They take orders from the leadership of the Guards, [whose leaders]
leaders cannot survive independently if the clerics do not support them. Both
need each other. The Guard is under full control of the clerics, as is Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
“I believe that Ahmadinejad is among the group that believes that we shouldn't
give a damn about the world and just move full speed ahead. That's the group
that is in power now.
“Now just imagine that they have a nuclear bomb. The Saudi kingdom would be in
jeopardy. Iraq… forget about it, it's already under control of Iran. They're
helping the Taliban. In Lebanon, Hezbollah is ruling. Jordan could be in danger,
Syria could be empowered, Israel could be threatened day and night, Hamas would
be empowered. You could see nuclear proliferation moving into Venezuela. It is
going to be unimaginable.”
Report: US Fighting Israel's Nuclear Program
by Maayana Miskin./Arutz Sheva
The United States has begun denying visas to Israel's nuclear scientists,
according to the Hebrew-language daily Maariv. Workers at the reactor in Dimona
told the paper that they had been treated poorly by US representatives, and had
been told they could not travel to the States.
For the past 20 years it has been common for scientists working at the Dimona
reactor to travel to universities in the U.S. to enhance their knowledge in the
fields of physics, chemistry, and nuclear engineering. The only reason the
Dimona scientists' visa requests were refused was their work at the reactor,
sources in the military establishment said. None of the researchers has had any
trouble with the law, in Israel or America. A former Dimona worker told Maariv
that the problems between Israel and America went beyond denied visas. The US
has also created a “de-facto embargo” on equipment needed in the Dimona reactor,
he said.
The refusal to sell Israel certain parts began after current US President Barack
Obama took office, he said. When it comes to certain other pieces of equipment,
he added, the US now permits sales only if Israeli officials explain exactly
what the part will be used for.
"And yet, when it comes to those who manufacture nuclear terrorism, we hear a
lenient approach, even though the entire world can see that Iran's leaders are
making a joke out of the US,” he said. Professor Zev Alfasi of the nuclear
engineering program at Ben-Gurion University confirmed the statements made by
the anonymous former Dimona worker. “Some people are not getting visas to the
United States for the sole reason that they work at the Dimona reactor,” he
said. In addition, he said, “The US does not sell a single piece of
nuclear-related equipment to the Dimona reactor... They sell to the
universities, but they refuse to sell equipment to the reactor.”
On Friday morning, spokesmen for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced
that he would not attend a Nuclear Security summit in the US as previously
planned, but would send a senior minister in his place. Netanyahu apparently
decided not to attend the summit due to concerns that he would face pressure
over Israel's nuclear program. The visa refusals may have been another factor
leading to his concerns.
Anti-Semitic incidents doubled worldwide last year, says report
By Grant Slater, The Associated Press
JERUSALEM - Violent attacks against Jews worldwide more than doubled last year,
fuelled by a Muslim backlash in Europe in the aftermath of Israel's invasion of
Gaza, according to a report released Sunday. The Tel Aviv University study
reported 1,129 anti-Semitic incidents last year, ranging from vandalism and
arson against Jewish targets to beatings of Jews. The figure, up from 559
incidents the previous year, was the highest since the survey began more than 20
years ago.
The steepest increase in anti-Semitic violence occurred in western Europe,
especially Britain and France, where protests and anger by Muslim residents
boiled over after Israel's invasion of Gaza in December 2008, said the report,
compiled by the university's Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of
Contemporary Anti-Semitism and Racism.
The Israeli invasion, launched in response to years of Palestinian rocket
attacks, killed some 1,400 Palestinians, including hundreds of civilians,
according to local officials and human rights groups. Thirteen Israelis also
died in the fighting. Dina Porat, the report's editor, said protests against the
war often led to incitement, which in turn erupted into physical violence. "The
political goals are imbued with anti-Jewish sentiment, equations of Jews to
Nazis," she said.
She said the study tracked only instances of physical violence against Jewish
targets. "Verbal violence is violence of course, but we don't count it. Violence
we regard as physical, and here we have clear indications." For the first time
in the report's history, incidents carried out by Muslims eclipsed those by
right-wing extremists in cases where the perpetrator was identified, the report
said. Incidents in Britain shot up to 374 from 112 in 2008, and to 195 from 50
in France. The United States registered only a slight increase, according to the
study.
Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, which sponsors the
report, said that the rise of anti-Semitic sentiment in western Europe can be
blamed on forces outside the region. "This new phenomenon is financed and
organized by pro-Islamic, pro-terrorist organizations and states," Kantor said.
The report came as the world marked the Holocaust Remembrance Day. In Canada,
Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement Sunday, saying the hatred and
bigotry that led to the Holocaust still lurks in our world.
"Anti-Semitic crimes in Canada, including recent vandalism at Jewish schools in
Calgary, Montreal and Toronto, demonstrate the continuing need for both action
and education," he said.
"They remind us of the necessity of standing firm and taking decisive action
against the evils of anti-Semitism. Our government is doing both while taking
steps to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are remembered." -With files
from The Canadian Press.
Wahab: Geagea's Latest Remarks Positive, No Plan to Isolate
LF
Naharnet/Tawheed Movement leader and former minister Wiam Wahab on Sunday said
that "Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea's latest remarks are positive and must
be a starting point… especially that there's no plan to isolate anyone, even the
LF."In an interview with NBN television, Wahab added: "But what's important is
that the LF must not isolate itself by adopting certain slogans." "Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad was clear in defining certain conditions for closing
ranks with Syria, among them the Resistance," Wahab added. Wahab noted that
"preparatory meetings between directors-general from the two countries" were
behind delaying PM Saad Hariri's visit to Syria, describing media reports about
a problem between Syria and Hariri as "unbased and inaccurate." Beirut, 11 Apr
10, 19:46
STL Acting Registrar to Visit Beirut April 12
Naharnet/The Acting Registrar of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Herman von
Hebel, will be traveling to Beirut on April 12 for a week-long visit during
which he will be meeting some of Lebanon's senior political and judicial
officials. This will be his first visit to Lebanon since assuming his position
as Acting Registrar. During the visit, Von Hebel will meet with President Michel
Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad Hariri in addition to
other representatives of the Lebanese government. The Acting Registrar will also
host an outreach event with experts and members of civil society and meet with
staff members of the STL Beirut Office. The visit aims at thanking the Lebanese
government "for the valuable assistance that it has provided to the Tribunal and
to further strengthen relations with Lebanese authorities in order to advance
the work of the Registry, an independent and neutral organ of the Tribunal,"
according to a statement released by STL's press office.It also aims at
highlighting "the achievements and priorities of the Registry, mainly, ensuring
the effective protection of victims and witnesses; establishing a victim's
participation unit, and enhancing the outreach activities of the Tribunal."Von
Hebel was appointed as Acting Registrar by the U.N. Secretary General on March
1, 2010. He had been Deputy Registrar at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon since
2009 and previously served as Registrar and Deputy Registrar of the Special
Court of Sierra Leone. Beirut, 09 April 10, 19:15
Booby-Trapped Grenade Detonated in Chtaura, Another Defused in Tyre
Naharnet/Lebanese army experts on Friday detonated a booby-trapped hand-grenade
that was ready to go off in Chtaura in east Lebanon and another in the southern
port city of Tyre.
In Beirut, meanwhile, a drug dealer was wounded in a shootout with police. A
Lebanese army communiqué said the grenade was found before midday Friday
opposite Zoghbi Center in Chtaura. Five containers filled with gasoline lay
beside the grenade, the statement added. It said army explosive experts
detonated the device in place. The army opened an investigation into the
incident, the communiqué said. The Voice of Lebanon radio station said the
grenade was found inside a black bag opposite the office of "Zahle in the Heart"
MP Assem Araji.
After midday, the state-run National News Agency said Lebanese army experts also
defused a hand-grenade that was planted on the main al-Hawsh-Ain Baal road in
Tyre.
It said the grenade, which was tied to a wire, was set to explode. Separately, a
shootout took place in Kafa'at in Beirut's southern suburbs between an anti-drug
police patrol and drug dealers. Local media said Fadi al-Shawish and Abbas
Abdallah opened fire on the patrol, prompting policemen to return fire. Abdallah
was wounded it the shootout.
Police managed to arrest Shawish. Beirut, 09 Apr 10, 11:12