LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 21/2010

Bible Of the Day
Luke 18/10-14: "He spoke also this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others. 18:10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: ‘God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 18:12 I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’ 18:13 But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Amends over Sadr may redeem Libya/The daily Star/February 20/10
Israel-Hizbullah diatribes reinforce deterrence/By Michael Bluhm/February 20/10

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for February 20/10
Hariri Meets Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican /Naharnet
Protest in Front of Chamoun Family Burial Ground Prevents Aoun from Laying Wreaths /Naharnet
Aoun after Meeting Jumblat: If Church Bells were in Mukhtara, He Would've Showed Them to Me /Naharnet
Jumblat: We Achieved Reconciliation in 2001 Together with Patriarch Sfeir, I Urge New Generation Not to Fall a Victim to Game of Nations /Naharnet
Qassem: We Won't Be Shaken by Objections on the Resistance Because We're the Majority /Naharnet
US State Department lifts travel warning for Syria/Washington Post
Sleiman to seek power boost if reforms freeze/Daily Star
Hizbullah member admits to killing army officer in 2008/Daily Star
Arab League chief warns Israeli war on Le banon still possible/Daily Star
Beirut outraged as Israelis cut tre e on Lebanese soil/Daily Star
Israel-Hizbullah diatribes reinforce d eterrence/Daily Star
Media reports indicate 'pilot erro r' behind plane crash/Daily Star
Hariri calls fo r religious co-existence/Daily Star
Ahmadinejad and Nasrallah prepare us for war/Al-Arabiya
Obama warms up to Syria/New York Post (blog)
LEBANON: First-ever joint Muslim-Christian holiday celebrates Virgin Mary/Los Angeles Times (blog)
French week in Lebanon 2010' to be held at BIEL/Daily Star
Beirut hotel-occupancy rate at 73 percent - Ernst & Young/Daily Star
Lebanon big winner in annual journalism awards/Daily Star
Hariri urges cooperation in Ain al-Hilweh/Daily Star
Beachside kissing draws ire of Sidon conservatives/Daily Star
MP says 'green card' can solve women's nationality dilemma/Daily Star
Women more likely to vote in spite of poor representation/Daily Star

I would like to share with you this piece that explains the doctrine of fasting
Elias Bejjani
what does the Bible say?"
Answer: Scripture does not command Christians to fast. God does not require or demand it of Christians. At the same time, the Bible presents fasting as something that is good, profitable, and beneficial. The book of Acts records believers fasting before they made important decisions (Acts 13:4; 14:23). Fasting and prayer are often linked together (Luke 2:37; 5:33). Too often, the focus of fasting is on the lack of food. Instead, the purpose of fasting should be to take your eyes off the things of this world to focus completely on God. Fasting is a way to demonstrate to God, and to ourselves, that we are serious about our relationship with Him. Fasting helps us gain a new perspective and a renewed reliance upon God. Although fasting in Scripture is almost always a fasting from food, there are other ways to fast. Anything given up temporarily in order to focus all our attention on God can be considered a fast (1 Corinthians 7:1-5). Fasting should be limited to a set time, especially when fasting from food. Extended periods of time without eating can be harmful to the body. Fasting is not intended to punish the flesh, but to redirect attention to God. Fasting should not be considered a “dieting method” either. The purpose of a biblical fast is not to lose weight, but rather to gain deeper fellowship with God. Anyone can fast, but some may not be able to fast from food (diabetics, for example). Everyone can temporarily give up something in order to draw closer to God. By taking our eyes off the things of this world, we can more successfully turn our attention to Christ. Fasting is not a way to get God to do what we want. Fasting changes us, not God. Fasting is not a way to appear more spiritual than others. Fasting is to be done in a spirit of humility and a joyful attitude. Matthew 6:16-18 declares, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Qassem: We Won't Be Shaken by Objections on the Resistance Because We're the Majority
Hizbullah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem on Friday stressed that Hizbullah will not be affected by some objections on its armed resistance, as he refused to discuss Lebanon's defensive strategy "through the media." "We won't be shaken by the objections of some sides on the resistance because we represent a substantive majority among the Lebanese people," Qassem stressed at a Hizbullah educational conference. "Lately, we have seen that all political forces, from both camps of the majority and the opposition, have gathered again around the resistance," he added. "The resistance is a demand and, God willing, it will go on."Qassem vowed to those who want to know the future of Hizbullah's resistance "to make it stronger and stronger and stronger until Israel fails to just think of attacking Lebanon." "If some want to discuss the defensive strategy through media outlets, we tell them that we will hear their screaming without answering them." "A reasonable defensive strategy requires calm sessions rather than 'acrobatic' media statements," he added.
Hizbullah number two stressed that "the resistance managed to refute the Israeli deterrence force motto in 2006."
"If we were raising the issue of resistance as a mere idea, we would've listened to theories on the possibility of achieving certain gains through the resistance or not, but we are before a resistance that has accomplished a liberation and a victory."
Qassem described diplomacy as the tool of the strong nations to dictate the policies of the weak nations as opposed to armed resistance which allows self-determination and "dignity."
On the other hand, Qassem said that "European passport holders may represent a threat to Lebanon, which requires special measures to protect the Lebanese people."
Qassem was referring to last month's murder in Dubai of Hamas top military commander Mahmoud Mabhouh.
The Dubai police said they were hunting 11 agents with European passports for Mabhouh's murder.
Four European countries whose passports were implicated in the case have piled pressure on Israel, as Dubai said it wanted Mossad's chief arrested if his spies were behind the hit.
Britain, Ireland, France and Germany on Thursday called in Israeli envoys for talks at their foreign ministries on the killing, widely suspected to be the work of the Israeli spy agency using false passports. At the same time Interpol issued arrest notices for 11 suspects -- six listed with British passports, three Irish, one French and one German -- wanted by Dubai for the killing of Mabhouh in the emirate. Beirut, 19 Feb 10, 21:45

Hariri Meets Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican'
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri met Saturday with Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican to discuss the situations in Lebanon and the Middle East.
Hariri then held a meeting with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, and Monsignor Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See. Vatican sources revealed to al-Liwaa Lebanese daily that "the pope considers the visit as an occasion to express support for the moderate policy adopted by PM Hariri, which is a continuation for the approach of his father (slain premier Rafik Hariri) in stressing coexistence between Muslims and Christians and well-establishing the pillars of Lebanon – the unique country of the Middle East." Hariri arrived to Rome Friday afternoon accompanied by his wife Lara, his office's director Nader Hariri, and Advisors Mohammed Shatah, Daoud al-Sayegh, and Hani Hammoud. The delegation was joined by Lebanese Ambassador to the Vatican George Khoury. On Friday, Hariri urged Italy to play a major role in pressuring Israel and drawing its attention to the importance of peace negotiations, stressing that "Arabs want peace" while Israel "only wants war on Lebanon, Syria and Iran.""Israel can't claim to be interested in the peace process without doing anything tangible in this regard," Hariri said in an interview with RAI News 24 Italian channel on Friday. He reiterated the cooperation of the Lebanese government with UNIFIL forces in implementing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701. Answering a question about his upcoming meeting with Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday, Hariri said: "Meeting with the pope has great significance because Lebanon in the homeland of major Christian sects that we want to preserve."
"We want to safeguard them and we want them to remain deep-rooted in Lebanon so that Lebanon remains a global exemplar of coexistence," he added.
As to his upcoming meeting with Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi on Saturday, Hariri said: "Italy has 2,500 soldiers in Lebanon serving within UNIFIL and General (Claudio) Graziano was the commander of this U.N. force and he performed an outstanding job during his mandate. I will thank Italy and its premier because we also want to keep the number of (UNIFIL) troops in Lebanon unchanged." Beirut, 20 Feb 10, 10:16

Protest in Front of Chamoun's Family Cemetery
Naharnet/Ground Prevents Aoun from Laying Wreaths
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Saturday substituted his commemoration visit to the Chamoun Family Cemetery Ground by laying wreaths at the monument of Mount Lebanon's martyrs at Deir al-Qamar's al-Talleh church yard. The protest of MP Doury Chamoun's supporters in front of the burial ground prevented Aoun from reaching the place.
"In a spontaneous move, and to prevent desecration against the soil of those who fell as martyrs defending the Lebanon of freedom, sovereignty, and independence, hundreds of Chamounists from the Chouf area have gathered since the morning hours in front of the Chamoun Family Burial Ground to protest the provocative visit MP Michel Aoun intends to make to the tombs of (late) President Kamil Chamoun and Martyr Leader Dani Chamoun," the National Liberal Party said in a statement.
In a phone interview with LBC TV network, MP Doury Chamoun said: "Enough abuse of martyrs … General Aoun should have visited (Deir al-Qamar) when he first returned from exile.""With such actions, he is trying to market himself again for the presidency while he ended after his decision to 'trade' with St. Maroun," Chamoun added. Beirut, 20 Feb 10, 15:08

Aoun after Meeting Jumblat: If Church Bells were in Mukhtara, He Would've Showed Them to Me
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Saturday described his meeting in Mukhtara with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat as "exceptional," adding that his visit to the Chouf region aims "to establish peace in Mount Lebanon." "Competition will always be a part of our political life because without the right of diversity in politics, there is no democracy," Aoun said at a press conference alongside Jumblat after the meeting. Answering a question, Aoun said: "If church bells existed in Mukhtara, Jumblat would've showed them to me." For his part, Jumblat said: "This is a meeting for deep-rooting reconciliation, openness, and peace. Together with MP Aoun, we have to bequeath peace and coexistence to the coming generations."Aoun placed a wreath of flowers at Kamal Jumblat's tomb before meeting with MP Jumblat.
After their meeting, Aoun and Jumblat headed to Beiteddine to deliver speeches before a popular rally at the town's Maronite Archbishopric.
"Today's gathering is that of reconciliation and openness in order to teach the coming generations not to fall as a victim for the game of nations, which almost destroyed the unity of Mount Lebanon. But today, the unity of Mount Lebanon becomes complete with Aoun's presence," Jumblat said in his speech.
For his part, Aoun said: "Today, our gathering is historical while aiming at treating a historical issue through refreshing the memory and facing the facts. Civil wars can't be erased except by a courageous act that surpasses conventional treatments."
"European peoples managed to triumph over their pains and grieves, to face the truth, and to overcome their civil wars. We should realize that civil war is a destiny that we create with our own hands and not an imposed act of fate," he added. Aoun stressed that the Lebanese are capable of thwarting the tragedies of civil war if they avoid the grave mistakes they commit against each other. "Today, there is a period of calm and we have to think of a new approach; and to restructure our political reasoning and relations. The suffering of the Lebanese people today is a result of the culture of seclusion and isolationism." "To restore the collective memory and to clear our conscience, I call on all of our citizens in Mount Lebanon and all areas to erect a memorial monument that carries the martyrs' names wherever they fell and however they fell," Aoun suggested.
"The courage of asking martyrs for forgiveness is a criteria for the ability to live in a secure society … and this is the challenge, let us rise to it before ourselves and the world."
Earlier Saturday, Aoun stressed the importance of Mount Lebanon's unity, adding that Druze-Christian unity is what stands for this unity rather than the internal accord of each sect alone.
"This visit to Chouf is addressed to all of the Chouf residents, Christians and Druze, so that we restore harmony in Mount Lebanon," Aoun said in a speech at Deir al-Qamar's al-Talleh Church. "We don't come to Chouf to hold a political ceremony … but to end a phase and start another as well as a new approach," he added.
Aoun stressed that "the martyrdom of Dani Chamoun was for the sake of Lebanon and the sovereignty of the nation."
He started his visit to Chouf by laying wreaths at the Martyrs' Monument in Deir al-Qamar.
Beirut, 20 Feb 10, 19:02

Jumblat: We Achieved Reconciliation in 2001 Together with Patriarch Sfeir, I Urge New Generation Not to Fall a Victim to Game of Nations
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Saturday stressed that the chapter of reconciliation was opened "in 2001 when the general (Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun) was still in exile and his supporters being beaten and arrested; and when they tried to defuse the reconciliation," adding that "the defiance of the Lebanese people and FPM supporters was stronger." In a speech at Beiteddine Maronite Archbishopric, Jumblat said: "Reconciliation happened despite all obstacles … together with (Maronite) Patriarch (Nasrallah) Sfeir – the sponsor of reconciliation, peace, dialogue, and independence.""Today's gathering is that of reconciliation and frankness in order to teach the coming generations not to fall as a victim for the game of nations, which almost destroyed the unity of Mount Lebanon. But today, the unity of Mount Lebanon becomes complete with Aoun's presence," he added. Beirut, 20 Feb 10, 17:56

Aoun visit to Chamoun family cemetery cancelled

Date: February 20th, 2010

Source: NNA

Informed sources reported Saturday that Change and Reform parliamentary bloc head MP Michel Aoun cancelled his visit to Chamoun family cemetery, reported NNA.

National Liberal Party secretariat announced earlier today that hundreds of Chouf citizens gathered in front of the cemetery to protest Aoun’s “provocative” visit.

NLP head MP Dori Chamoun told al-Liwaa daily that Chamoun family rebuffs the visit, wondering about the reasons behind head of the Free Patriotic Movement Aoun’s visit after five years from returning from his exile in Paris. He indicated that he received an invitation from Bishop Elias Nassar to attend Beit el-Din gathering hosted by Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt today, but refused to attend. Concerning talks that Aoun’s visit to Chouf to attend MP Jumblatt’s lunch banquet is to re-open the displaced issue, Chamoun pointed that his party was the first to start a new manner of handling the issue with Democratic Gathering head MP jumblatt “to continue national reconciliation culminated by Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir’s visit to Mount Lebanon in 2001.”

Chamoun rebuffs Aoun visit to family cemetry

Date: February 20th, 2010/Source: al-Liwaa daily

National Liberal Party leader Dori Chamoun asserted that his family rebuffs MP Michel Aoun’s visit to Chamoun cemetery, reported al-Liwaa daily on Saturday. MP Chamoun wondered about the reasons head of the Free Patriotic Movement Aoun’s visit after five years from returning from his exile in Paris. He indicated that he received an invitation from Bishop Elias Nassar to attend Beit el-Din gathering hosted by Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt today, but refused to attend. Concerning talks that Aoun’s visit to Chouf to attend MP Jumblatt’s lunch banquet is to re-open the displaced issue, Chamoun pointed that his party was the first to start a new manner of handling the issue with Democratic Gathering head MP jumblatt “to continue national reconciliation culminated by Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir’s visit to Mount Lebanon in 2001.”In 2001, Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir began a historic visit to the Chouf, a stronghold of the Druze community. Sfeir’s visit was considered “reconciliation” between the Maronite and Druze communities. However, almost nine years after the patriarch’s foray and meeting with Jumblatt, a number of Christian villages, namely Shahar and Brih, remain deserted from their Christian inhabitants.

Hizbullah member admits to killing army officer in 2008
By Youssef Diab /Daily Star staff
Saturday, February 20, 2010
BEIRUT: A member of Hizbullah admitted during a court hearing on Friday to accidentally killing a Lebanese Army officer in 2008. The confession came during a hearing at the Military Tribunal in the case of Hizbullah member Mustafa Hassan Moqaddam, who is suspected of firing gunshots at a Lebanese Army helicopter on August 28, 2008, and unintentionally killing its pilot, First Lieutenant Samer Hanna. Moqaddam confessed during questioning that he had fired at the helicopter after it landed on a hill near a Hizbullah post in Tellet Sojod in south Lebanon. He said he hadn’t seen the aircraft’s Lebanese flag and had thought it to be Israeli, adding that he had heard other gunshots fired at the helicopter from a different location.
Hanna’s colleague First Lieutenant Mahmoud Abboud was with him at the time of the incident and told the tribunal that the two men had been on a training mission, and that they had used the site for training several times in the past. “In two weeks we landed there four times without a problem,” Abboud said.
He added that after the shooting, several armed men appeared and confiscated his cell phone. Abboud said he saw no buildings indicating an open Hizbullah presence in the area, but only “covered” structures. The tribunal also listened to the testimony of Colonel Roger Helou, the commander of the Air Force, who said the army chose the location after Israel withdrew from it in order to train soldiers working in the south. Helou added that army personnel headed to the site after losing contact with the helicopter, and that he saw a “troubled and confused man surrounded by many people who were trying to calm him down.” The former head of the Army Intelligence office in Jezzine, Colonel Adnan Gheith, said a Hizbullah member had told him two days before the incident that the area was a Hizbullah military zone. – The Daily Star

Arab League chief warns Israeli war on Lebanon still possible
By Elias Sakr
/Daily Star staff
Saturday, February 20, 2010
BEIRUT: Arab League chief Amr Moussa isn’t ruling out the possibility of an Israeli war against Lebanon, as he stressed that potential scenarios should be taken into consideration in order to protect the country. “The possibility of Israel launching an offensive against Lebanon stands, as we should take into considerations all potential scenarios in order to protect Lebanon and stand by its side,” Moussa told reporters at a news conference at Rafik Hariri International Airport before his return to Cairo.
Moussa said his talks with Lebanese officials were very positive and tackled inter-Arab ties, Israeli threats and the Iranian situation.
Asked about Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s calls to President Michel Sleiman and Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, urging them to be ready in case of Israeli aggression to wipe out Israel’s existence, Moussa declined to comment, stating that “he was not contacted [by Ahmadinejad] personally.”
Moussa also highlighted solidarity among Lebanese Cabinet members, adding that Lebanon is in a much better political situation than three years ago, when political stalemate governed the domestic scene. As a non-permanent UN Security Council member for the next two years, Lebanon is expected to find itself in a controversial position when it comes to voting on sanctions to be imposed on Tehran over its nuclear program. Israel and Hizbullah have been recently exchanging threats and counterthreats, with Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu warning that all of Lebanon would be a target for potential Israeli attacks, given the resistance’s participation in the government. Nasrallah warned earlier this week in strong language against aggression against Lebanon, saying any attacks on Lebanese infrastructure would be met with reprisals on Israeli facilities.
Moussa’s visit to Lebanon came ahead of next month’s Arab League summit in Libya, which instigated debate among domestic political parties over Lebanon’s participation.
Moussa reiterated that Lebanon would definitely take part, but that discussions among Lebanese officials were still ongoing in order to decide on the level of representation, due to Libya’s believed involvement in the 1978 disappearance of Imam Musa al-Sadr.
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has been implicated in the disappearance of Sadr, the Iranian-born Shiite cleric who founded the Movement of the Deprived (Amal) in Lebanon, and disappeared along with two companions after departing for Tripoli to meet with government officials. Moussa said the Sadr issue couldn’t be resolved through the media.
Meanwhile, the vice president of the Higher Shiite Council, Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan, said on Friday that Lebanon or Syria’s participation in the summit would be a catastrophe.
“You came to demand from our government to participate in the summit,” Qabalan said during Friday prayers, in a response to Moussa’s visit to Lebanon. “But why don’t you call for an Arab Summit to resolve the issue of Imam Sadr’s disappearance before demanding our participation?” Qabalan asked.
“Lebanon’s only condition for participating in the summit, irrespective of the level of representation, is that the issue of Sadr be discussed publicly in the opening session and before the media,” Qabalan added. He also called on Arab leaders to defend Sadr’s case and urge Gadhafi to reveal his fate. On Wednesday, Speaker Nabih Berri, the head of Amal, said Beirut should not send a delegation to the Arab Summit since Tripoli was fueling numerous crises “from Chad to Darfur.”

Sleiman to seek power boost if reforms freeze
By The Daily Star
Saturday, February 20, 2010
BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman said he would demand a boost to his posts’ prerogatives when he becomes incapable of enforcing new reforms.
“Whenever I feel I am no longer capable of achieving new reforms I will raise my voice with regard to the president’s prerogatives,” Sleiman said in remarks to be published by the daily al-Balad Saturday. Sleiman added that although he was selected as a consensus choice for president, he would not alter his convictions “but rather convince others to do so.”
He also said that sessions of national dialogue to cover thorny issues would soon resume, “although deciding on its timing would require efforts.” Sleiman highlighted that the pressing issue of Palestinian weapons outside refugee camps should be resolved first and should be followed by the issue of arms inside camps. Sleiman’s statements come in the wake of Cabinet’s decision to endorse proportional representation. A round of municipal elections, scheduled for June, will be the first test of the new electoral system.
Politicians have been reacting positively to the new electoral system. Tripoli MP Samir Jisr said Friday that the principle of proportional representation allowed for the representation of all parties and should be implemented in all districts. Similarly, MP Antoine Zahra, a member of the March 14 coalition, also supported its implementation but also demanded its adoption in the 2013 parliamentary polls, after reconsidering current electoral districts. But their ally in March 14, Akkar MP Hadi Hobeish, expressed his reservations over the adoption of proportional representation in the municipal elections, saying the goal of reform that spurred its approval might not appear when the system is implemented. “If the municipal council is not in harmony, the municipality’s work will be obstructed and fail,” Hobeish said. Zahra also said his party supported lowering the voting age, but only after a procedure allowing expatriate Lebanese the right to vote was established. MP Ammar Houri said Friday his Future Movement was keen on preserving expatriates’ right to vote as well as arriving at a formula to lower the voting age, while preserving balance between religious communities. “Lowering the voting age is an essential part of reforms that the Lebanese agreed to since MPs agreed by consensus on the proposal and transferred it to the Cabinet and demanded that it be returned to Parliament within the legal deadline,” Houri said. – The Daily Star

Israel-Hizbullah diatribes reinforce deterrence
Neither side willing to take on consequences or pay costs of conflict, analysts say
By Michael Bluhm
Daily Star staff
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Analysis
BEIRUT: The latest round of belligerent rhetoric between Israel and Hizbullah and the group’s allies amounts largely to reinforcing mutual deterrence, despite the darkening tenor of the comments, analysts believe.
Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Tuesday that his fighters would crush Israel and that any new conflict would “change the face of the region.” President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, Hizbullah’s leading patron, said on Thursday that Hizbullah’s response to any Israeli attack would “close [Israel’s] case once and for all.”
These pronouncements, however, belie the fact that neither Israel nor Hizbullah wants to resume hostilities, said Habib Malik, who teaches history at Lebanese American University and is the son of Charles Malik, one of modern Lebanon’s founding fathers and a co-author of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“It’s just saber-rattling all around,” Malik told The Daily Star. “I don’t think any side is willing to take on the consequences or pay the costs of such a conflict.”
Paul Salem, head of the Carnegie Middle East Center, said a plethora of reasons to avoid war existed on all sides, but the recent remarks have raised tensions among officials and diplomats.
“I still think that we are not going to have a war, but I am increasingly concerned. I wasn’t as worried a month ago,” he said, adding that Ahmadinejad’s latest statements had made the situation worse. “That’s an international signal that Iran is saying that Hizbullah has the capacity to pose an existential threat to Israel. That’s a big, big statement.”
On the other hand, retired General Elias Hanna, who teaches political science at various universities, said he viewed Nasrallah and Ahmadinejad’s comments – as well as Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem telling Israel that a new war would reach its cities – as part of a move to create the perception that the main actors of the so-called axis of resistance were tightly connected, meaning an attack on one would provoke retaliation by all.
“It is like consolidating the line of resistance in order to deter war,” Hanna said, adding that he believed that none of the players wanted war. When Nasrallah said on Tuesday that Hizbullah would target Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport if Israel struck Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport, it merely displayed the Hizbullah leader’s acute sense for psychological warfare, knowing that such a threat would resonate among the Israeli populace, Hanna added.
Precisely the knowledge that Hizbullah has replenished, if not improved its arsenal since the summer 2006 war acts as a significant deterrent against Israel initiating an assault on Lebanon, Malik said.
At the same time, Malik added, Hizbullah would not start any conflict with Israel because the group cannot stomach provoking again the kind of destruction that the Jewish state wreaked on Lebanon during the summer war of 2006. “They understand what Dahiyeh Doctrine means,” he said, alluding to the Israeli strategy of disproportionate military response.
The recent verbal tit-for-tat, contrary to auguring war, in the end serves to strengthen this equation of mutual deterrence, Malik said.
From Israel’s perspective, the saber-rattling might also signal an attempt to push the United States to take a harder line against Iran, by showing that Tehran and its allies represent a growing threat in the region, Hanna said. For example, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman recently said that any Israeli-Syrian conflict would lead to the downfall of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
“Israel is not pressuring Hizbullah. Israel is not pressuring Iran. Israel is pressuring the United States – [Israel] wants sanctions,” Hanna added. “Israel does not want war.”
Any potential military action against Hizbullah or Iran would still almost certainly be preceded by another round of sanctions against Iran, possibly involving a naval blockade of the Islamic Republic, Malik said. It also remains possible that Washington and Tehran will reach a deal to defuse the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program, he added.
Salem, in a recent article, also said recent Israeli and Syrian posturing over Lebanon might also be a precursor to the resumption of the indirect peace negotiations between the two enemies. Salem also said the possibility for war does exist; Israel’s verbal salvos might well be directed at Syria, but only to serve notice that Israel will not tolerate it if Syria allows SA-2 anti-aircraft missile systems to enter Hizbullah’s hands. As long as the impasse over Iran’s nuclear program persists, an Israeli war on Hizbullah cannot be ruled out, Salem added. According to this thinking, Israel would pre-emptively launch an attack on Hizbullah ahead of air strikes against Iranian nuclear sites, in order to blunt the potential Iranian response. As the standoff continues over Iran’s nuclear file, tensions and high rhetoric will also continue between Israel and Hizbullah, Salem said.

US State Department lifts travel warning for Syria
By ALBERT AJI
The Associated Press
Saturday, February 20, 10
DAMASCUS, Syria -- A U.S. Embassy official and Syria's official news agency say the U.S. State Department has lifted an advisory warning American travelers of security concerns in Syria. However, Syria remains on a U.S. list of countries supporting terrorism, a designation made in 1979.
In a sign of warming ties, President Barack Obama announced this week that he would nominate a career diplomat to become the first U.S. ambassador to Damascus since 2005.
Syria's official news agency SANA quoted a State Department official as saying the U.S. is lifting the travel warning for Syria. An official at the U.S. Embassy confirmed the report Saturday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give official statements.

Mosul Archbishop Says Christians Live in Panic, Targeted in Killings
GMT 2-20-2010 0:26:41
Assyrian International News Agency
To unsubscribe or set email news digest options, visit http://www.aina.org/mailinglist.html
LONDON (CNS) -- The killings of four Iraqi Christians in as many days could prompt a wave of refugees fleeing northern Iraq, where Christians live in constant state of panic, said a Catholic archbishop.
Chaldean Archbishop Emil Shimoun Nona of Mosul, Iraq, said he knew of about 10 Christian families who already had fled the violence.
But he said there was a risk that "all the (Christian) people will leave" the Nineveh region, of which Mosul is the capital, unless the attacks against Christians were brought to an end.
"It is very difficult to live in this kind of situation," the archbishop said in a Feb. 18 telephone conversation with the British branch of Aid to the Church in Need, a charity set up to help persecuted Christians.
"It is panic -- panic always," he said. "The Christians don't know what will happen to them. It is the same everywhere -- in the office, at school or even at home. They don't know if somebody is going to kill them.
"What we are seeing is an effort to force Christians to leave Mosul. We don't know who is behind the attacks," Archbishop Nona added. "We think that they are politically motivated -- that some group has something to gain if all Christians go."
He spoke a day after the Feb.17 murder of a 20-year-old student teacher, whose body was discovered by police in the city. One day earlier, gunmen opened fire on two other Christians, killing one of them -- an engineering student at the University of Mosul.
On Feb. 15 gunmen burst into a grocery store and killed its Christian owner, and on Feb. 14 a Christian man was shot dead outside his home.
Archbishop Nona was installed Jan. 22 as successor to Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho, who died in March 2008 after he was taken hostage by kidnappers.
Although the identities of the gunmen in the latest attacks are not known, the surge in violence against Christians comes as Iraqis prepare to vote in March 7 elections.
The Iraqi legislature has a quota for Christian seats, but some Arab politicians are concerned that Christian candidates might enter into an alliance with their Kurdish rivals, according to media reports.
An al-Qaida-affiliated group of Sunni Muslims indicated that it would seek to disrupt the election because it is opposed to Iraq's Shiite majority gaining political power.
By Simon Caldwell
This item is available as: html
Copyright (C) 2010, Assyrian International News Agency. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use.

Just Journalism Newsletter
19 February 2010
This Week
· A review of how the media are reporting the Britain-Israel relationship in light of the Dubai assassination
· Account of misleading Daily Mail headlines and captions
· Just Journalism's latest study on the BBC News website
· Analysis of BBC Lebanon-Israel coverage
Dubai and the media portrayal of Britain-Israel relations
With the assassination of Hamas commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh still leading the news agenda, much of the media focus has narrowed to the potential impact of the affair on Britain and Israel's bilateral relationship. The alleged involvement of Mossad and the use of forged British passports in the operation led to Israel's ambassador to the UK Ron Prosor being asked to appear at the Foreign Office yesterday to account for his country's role.
But how serious is the diplomatic situation between the two allies? And do some media outlets elect to depict it as more severe than others? Below is a brief comparison of the most recent coverage which uncovers revealing variations between different media organs, particularly between the press and the BBC.
Press
Today's two-page spread in The Guardian demonstrated a keen willingness to portray the relationship as seriously compromised. Middle East Editor Ian Black's article, 'Troubled alliance: Period of crisis worsens already strained relations' opened with the bold claim that 'Britain's relations with Israel are entering a period of crisis over the apparent use of cloned UK passports in the assassination of a Hamas official in Dubai.' Similarly, the cover story of The Guardian's daily supplement G2 by the same author, 'The truth about the Mossad', alleged 'a white-hot diplomatic row between Israel and Britain'.
Conversely, The Times makes no such sweeping claims about a serious rift between the two nations. Its two-page spread includes coverage of the diplomatic ramifications but the central claim of the article, 'I know nothing, says Israeli Ambassador as London demands help with passports' by Diplomatic Correspondent Catherine Philp and reporters David Sharrock and Roger Boyes, is muted compared with the opening gambit of The Guardian's corresponding piece. The lead assertion is merely that 'Britain told Israel yesterday that it expects "full co-operation" with an inquiry into the fraudulent use of British and European passports by suspected Mossad agents on their assassination mission to Dubai.' The article makes no claims of a major diplomatic rift.
The Independent also devotes a two-page spread to the story, with a remarkably similar headline to that featuring in The Guardian. The Independent - likewise keen to emphasise pressure on Israel's relationships with foreign governments as a result of the use of forged passports in the assassination - reads: 'West turns diplomatic screw - but Israel refuses to crack'. The Guardian's central headline was 'Pressure grows but Israel stays tight-lipped on passport affair'.
Most notable in The Independent's coverage was its editorial cartoon, which depicts a castrated David Miliband presenting his testicles on a plate to a grinning Ron Prosor with the caption: 'A courageous stance...'. This visual delivers the sense that Israel has the upper hand in the bilateral situation and that Britain is debasing itself before Israel.
But it was the Financial Times which made the boldest claim regarding the state of Britain-Israel relations, opening its news piece, 'UK warns Israel over fake passports' with the bold assertion:
'Relations between Israel and Britain slid towards a 20-year low yesterday as London delivered a stern warning over the "outrage" of faked UK passports being used by alleged assassins in Dubai.'
Political Correspondent Alex Barker cites 'mounting diplomatic tension' and speculates that 'These exchanges could be the prelude to a more damaging turn in UK-Israeli relations.' Crucially he contends that the very fabric of the bilateral relationship could be in jeopardy:
'If proven true, this could damage the framework of trust underpinning the alliance with Israel.'
A second article in the Financial Times by Middle East Correspondent Tobias Buck focuses exclusively on the repercussions for the bilateral relationship, describing it as 'already strained'.
The murder of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai has received significant attention since Monday's release of names and passport details of the 11 suspects wanted by Dubai authorities. Pledges of investigations, revelations of stolen identities and information about additional suspects have further fuelled speculation about who is responsible.
Although Dubai authorities have published no evidence of the suspects' origins, media suspicions focus on Israel's secret service, Mossad.
News outlets have generally been cautious to make clear that the Mossad's involvement in Mr al-Mabhouh's murder is alleged by Hamas, and is as yet unconfirmed. A notable exception, however, was the reporting of the story in the Daily Mail.
The publication's front page headline on Wednesday read 'Terror of innocent Britons named as assassins', with the introductory topline, 'Why choose us, ask Britons whose identities were stolen by Mossad hit squad' (subsequently altered). Page 4 of the newspaper, where the front page article authored by Dan Newling, James Tozer and Mathew Kalman continues, features the headline, 'Dragged into a Mossad murder plot'. Journalist David Jones writes in an accompanying article, 'Timed down to the last second and carried out with chilling effect, [the assassination] involved many of Mossad's tried and trusted props'. Captions to two photographs also described those involved as 'Mossad agents' and 'Mossad killers'.
Just Journalism has recently published a study suggesting a shift in editorial policy at the BBC News website regarding the blockade of Gaza. 'BBC on the Gaza blockade: the roles of Israel and Egypt' shows that for most of 2009, the Gaza blockade was associated solely with Israel, rather than with Israel and Egypt. However, more recently, the Corporation's website has reflected more consistently the role of Egypt in enforcing the blockade at its shared border with Gaza.
A likely outcome of this development is that the BBC News website makes plainer to users that the Gaza blockade is upheld by two countries and not one. This would be an important step towards creating a more accurate picture of the factors currently impacting on the Gaza strip.
Just Journalism presented the results of this study to the BBC in advance of publication and invited their comments, specifically in reference to the following questions:
1. How does the BBC account for the recent increase of instances in which Egypt, as well as Israel, is identified with the Gaza blockade?
2. What is the BBC's policy on attributing responsibility for the Gaza blockade?
Middle East Editor of the BBC News website Tarik Kafala thanked Just Journalism for the opportunity to comment but declined to do so.
Reporting the contents of an interview by BBC Beirut correspondent Natalia Antelava with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, a BBC News website article quotes the leader extensively on his claims that Lebanon faces 'a lot of Israeli threats day in and day out' and that 'This is something that is escalating, and this is something that is really dangerous.'
'Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri warns of Israel 'threat'' also contains a video clip of Hariri making the same claims. However, at no point in the article is any response offered by an Israeli official. Nor does the BBC journalist offer any information about the Israeli position on the recent tensions with Lebanon and Syria. This is not the first time that a BBC interview with a regional leader with numerous accusations against Israel has excluded an Israel reply. Last year's interview of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad by Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen also omitted to seek comment from Israel.
Furthermore, the sole reference in the article to Hizbollah - 'the Lebanese militant group which fought Israel in 2006' - was to convey Hariri's stated commitment to 'stand by' the group in the event of a conflict with Israel. An uninitiated reader could reasonably conclude that an ordinary situation prevails in the current Lebanese coalition government that is headed by Prime Minister Hariri and includes Hizbollah. In fact, Lebanon almost re-collapsed into civil war in 2008 over the contentious relationship between Hariri's March 14 Alliance and Hizbollah.
The article also fails to mention that Hariri's father, former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, was assassinated in 2005, an event which precipitated the so-called Cedar Revolution--and the attendant March 14 Alliance--that effectively ended Syria's 29-year military presence in Lebanon, a fact which is highly relevant to the article's reference to Syrian-Lebanese relations.