LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِMay
09/2010
Bible Of the
Day
The Letter from James 1/1-8: "1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus
Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings. 1:2 Count
it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, 1:3 knowing
that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 1:4 Let endurance have its
perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 1:5 But
if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and
without reproach; and it will be given to him. 1:6 But let him ask in faith,
without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the
wind and tossed. 1:7 For let that man not think that he will receive anything
from the Lord. 1:8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Syria will not change; America may/Hanin
Ghaddar/ May 8, 2010
Greece's lessons for Lebanon/Daily Star/May 08/10
Watch/Very
Sacary information
Former US General Warns of Chemical
Attacks Against Israel/ Very scary information
Click here to watch the interview with Maj General Paul E. Valley 08/05/10
http://www.pjtv.com/?cmd=mpg&mpid=136
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for May 08/10
Berri: Lebanon Should Acquire Arms
for Both Army and Resistance/Naharnet
Lebanese government won't ask Hezbollah to disarmWashington
Post
Ketermaya Road Reopened after Angry
Protest, Baroud Says Law Doesn't Exclude Anyone/Naharnet
Politicians Mobilize Electorates in
Beirut as FPM Expects Huge Win/Naharnet
Heated Elections in Zahle Amid
Rivalry between 3 Lists/Naharnet
Lebanon complains to UN after Israel abducts 200 goats/Daily
Star
Sfeir:
Abolish sectarianism but keep power sharing system/Daily
Star
Aridi
announces launch of public works projects/Daily
Star
Nahhas under fire again over Telecom report/Daily
Star
Hariri urges turnout in Beirut polls to protect sectarian balance/Daily
Star
Hezbollah says it's ready for fresh war with Israel
– and stronger now/Christian
Science Monitor
Lebanon arrests two after mob lynching of
Egyptian/AFP
4 Scary Ways Terror and Immigration Are Tied
Together/FOXNews
Israelis worry missile defenses too weak/UPI.com
Bernard Kouchner plans a Middle
East visit/Focus News
Brown wants citizenship revoked for terror ties/Boston
Globe
Report: China, Iran, North Korea have formed
strategic alliance/World Tribune
Lebanon charges army colonel with spying for
Israel/Reuters
Three
incidents of carjacking, auto theft reported/Daily
Star
Court
sentences murderer to eight years of hard labor/Daily
Star
Four
people injured as two families spar near Sabra/Daily
Star
Family feud in Tripoli results in death of one man/Daily
Star
Qabalan calls for censoring 'immoral' TV stations/Daily
Star
Lebanese wishing to see pope should apply for visas/Daily
Star
LAF
soldier gets death penalty for spying for Israel/Daily
Star
Officials slam chaos in pharmacy sector/Daily
Star
US
Congress' views on LAF 'improving', but still wary/Daily
Star
Journalists urged to reject violence through power of words/Daily
Star
Media
unions warn of censorship on Press Freedom Day/Daily
Star
Protests erupt over arrest of Ketermaya lynching suspects/Daily
Star
Correction: Indian
Evangelist Hacked to Death
Washington, D.C. (May 7, 2010)– In our press release dated May 5, 2010, we
mentioned that Evangelist Ravi Murmur showed the “Jesus” film before he was
hacked to death. We have found out that the film Ravi showed was Dayasagar, a
film about the life of Jesus Christ, and not the “Jesus” film which is
distributed by the Jesus Film Project of the Campus Crusade for Christ.
Greece's lessons for Lebanon
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Editorial/Daily Star
The unraveling of the Greek economy holds a crucial lesson for Lebanon: Cooking
a nation’s books will come back to haunt you, no matter who your friends are.
The Greek political class had distorted the country’s financial picture for long
years – a financial picture twisted mightily by stunningly widespread tax
evasion among the citizenry, to be sure – and gave false comfort to audiences at
home and abroad. Reality, however, bites; doctoring accounting will boomerang at
the doctors, even if they are members of the European Union
Here in Lebanon, we have spent the past couple of years reaping economic
benefits from the high price of oil, from our relative immunity from the West’s
economic crisis and from the ageless lure of the haven of the country’s banking
and finance sector. Reality, however, is that our economy remains in serious
jeopardy, and the numbers as recorded in our public finances are – to put it
charitably – questionable.
The roughly $50 billion in public debt is not a mirage and is not going away.
Worse, that official number does not really include all the glaring red numbers
in the accounting of the National Social Security Fund, the Council for the
South and various other reconstruction bodies, which have debts conveniently
shielded from much public view.
We need to take heed from the example of Greece. The circumstances are
different, certainly, but the meltdown in Athens should sound a loud warning to
this country’s government and political leadership. If those individuals do not
pursue clarity in Lebanon’s finances, we will all be punished.
Lebanon might face a far worse threat than Greece, we must add, because our
economy is not as Greece’s was before its fall. In addition, we do not have
saviors such as the 26 other member states of the EU, whether Germany or any of
the other world’s largest economies located there. We do not share a currency
such as the euro for which other might feel concern.
Let’s be honest – we have not had an approved budget here in five years. We
cannot count on other Arab nations to bail us out.
Some might counter that our robust financial system will save us; it is more
like a shock absorber, in reality. With our wobbly economy, the finance sector
is like a water reservoir looking for some promising ground to irrigate. Sure,
real estate prices are growing healthily, but the money produced is leaving the
country and not being reinvested.
In the end, we must get our books straight – for the Lebanese people and even
for the self-preservation of our ruling elite.
The turmoil in Greece – which is going to make life worse there for years to
come – is a message to Lebanon that no budget trickery can last forever.
Sfeir: Abolish sectarianism but keep power sharing system
By The Daily Star /Saturday, May 08, 2010
BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir stressed Friday that he supported the
abolition of sectarianism in politics, rather than the complete abolition of
confessional power sharing.
Sfeir made his statement at Rafik Hariri International Airport heading to Amman,
where he was received upon his arrival by Jordanian Deputy Premier Rajai al-Moasher.
Sfier, who will lay the cornerstone on Sunday for the Saint Maroun Church near
the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized, is also scheduled to participate in
an honorary dinner to be held by Lebanese expatriates on Saturday, during which
he will meet Jordanian top officials. Asked whether he would meet with Jordanian
King Abdullah, Sfeir said “we will see if there is a possibility of meeting him
when I am there,” adding that “the visit’s agenda is flexible.” Asked about the
debate over re-tooling Lebanon’s political system, the patriarch replied: “We
said we backed the abolition of sectarianism in politics as proposed by Speaker
Nabih Berri, but we did not call for the complete abolition of political
sectarianism; thus we thank Berri but our point remains the same.” Two weeks
ago, Berri said he had reached a “united starting-point” with the Maronite
patriarch over the abolition of political sectarianism, adding that the
patriarch’s comments in recent months represented a positive sign in the
controversial process. “If this is the case, then we have reached a united
starting-point. So, let us form a national committee as the Constitution states
in Article 95 in order to take the necessary steps to abolish political
sectarianism and [non-political] sectarianism,” Berri said. Article 95 calls for
the formation of a national committee in order to “ensure the abolition of
confessionalism.” Asked whether his visit to Amman might be followed by a visit
to the church of Saint Maroun in Aleppo, the patriarch said, “We will see; only
God knows.” Last month, the patriarch said he rejected any potential visit to
Syria if not backed by his community. Commenting on the first round of the
municipal elections in Mount Lebanon, Sfeirch praised the atmosphere of calm
that accompanied the elections, voicing hope that upcoming rounds take place
under similar circumstances. As for Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun’s
decision to boycott the Beirut municipal polls and its implications on the
Christian community in Beirut, Sfeir said “Everyone should make the choices that
comfort them.” “Lebanon is characterized by an atmosphere of freedom,” he added.
– The Daily Star
Lebanon complains to UN after Israel abducts 200 goats
By The Daily Star /Saturday, May 08, 2010
BEIRUT: Lebanon has filed a complaint against Israel with the United Nations
Security Council after an Israeli force infiltrated Lebanon and seized nearly
200 goats in the area of Al-Shahel, on the outskirts of the town of Shebaa.
Beirut, which currently chairs the Security Council, filed the complaint on
Thursday, after Israeli forces apprehended 185 animals and herded them into
Israel, the National News Agency said. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ali Shami met
with Marjayoun-Hasbaya MP Qassem Hashem and discussed a recent letter sent by
the Foreign Ministry to the secretary general of the United Nations, the chair
of the Security Council, and the president of the UN General Assembly, to object
to the Israeli complaint filed against Hashem on April 21 and refute Israel’s
allegations. Hashem had led locals in the village of Abbasieh in an impromptu
protest against Israeli incursions across the technical fence near the Blue
Line, removing barbed wire and planting Lebanese flags. Also, Israeli air
violations of Lebanese sovereignty continued in the past two days, and included
overnight flights on Wednesday, along with two daytime violations on Thursday,
and an overnight fly-over on Thursday-Friday. Separately, the Lebanese Army
announced on Friday that the process of “re-marking” the Blue Line of withdrawal
has covered 13 separate points in the last week. A statement by the army said
that the process, which is taking place in coordination with personnel from the
UNIFIL peacekeeping force, covered the area between the villages of Ramia and
Rmeish. Up to now, a total of 47 separate points along the Blue Line have been
subjected to the verification process, the army said. – The Daily Star
Protests erupt over arrest of Ketermaya lynching suspects
By Dalila Mahdawi and Mohammed Zaatari
Daily Star staff
Saturday, May 08, 2010
KETERMAYA: Angry villagers in the Chouf village of Ketermaya blocked the road to
their town after three locals were taken into custody for questioning on Friday
over their possible role in last week’s public lynching of a suspected Egyptian
murderer.
Meanwhile, judicial sources told The Daily Star that villagers who participated
in the lynching, which shocked the country and angered Egypt, could receive
reduced sentences because of “mitigating circumstances,” in a bid to encourage
the locals to turn themselves in.
Security officials are negotiating with local officials in Ketermaya to
encourage suspects in several acts – the killing of Mohammed Msallem, the
hanging of his body on an electricity pole, and an assault on Internal Security
Forces (ISF) personnel – to turn themselves in, the sources said.
In return, Ketermaya officials are hoping to obtain assurances that the killers
will receive reduced sentences on the basis that the murder wasn’t premeditated.
On April 29, dozens of angry residents of Ketermaya attacked and killed Mohammad
Msallem, a 38-year-old Egyptian butcher, in a spontaneous mob attack.
Msallem was the prime suspect in the quadruple murder of two elderly Ketermaya
residents, Youssef and Kawthar Abu Merhi, and their two young granddaughters
Amina and Zeina.
Police arrested Msallem on April 28 and he reportedly confessed to the killings
later that day. When he was taken to the scene of the crime to re-enact the
murder, an angry mob overwhelmed ISF personnel and attacked him with sticks and
knives before parading his corpse through town on the hood of a car and hanging
him on an electricity pole with a meat hook.
Security sources said that the Army took three people into custody on Friday
afternoon as they returned from work in a single car from their jobs in a nearby
village. Two were later released, while a total of 16 people have been
identified from video and camera footage and are wanted for questioning.
When news of the arrests spread, Ketermaya residents closed their shops and took
to the village’s main street, overturning garbage containers and burning tires
and blocking the road. They told The Daily Star they have been unfairly
portrayed in the media, saying more attention has been given to Msallem than the
four murder victims. No men were present at the protest, fearing arrest.
One woman who wished to be identified as Umm Omar said that Ketermaya’s
inhabitants would kill Msallem again if they had the chance. “He slaughtered an
entire family, including two little girls. What was their crime?” she asked.
She said that the village had welcomed Egyptian workers “as family” for 30
years, but would never accept for such a “horrendous” murder to go unpunished.
“The authorities should give our young men back to us as soon as possible
because all of Ketermaya took part in the killing of this criminal indirectly,”
she said, also criticizing Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar’s recent apology to
Egyptian officials for the killing.
Ketermaya residents also issued a statement, saying they were not above the law.
“We are with the law and under the law when it comes to rights and justice,”
they said, thanking President Michel Sleiman, Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud,
Najjar, judicial and security officials for making known the “perpetrator of the
ugly quadruple murder in less than 10 hours.”
Also on Thursday, Human Rights Watch urged the Lebanese authorities to prosecute
those who had participated in Msallem’s mob killing, saying lax sentences could
set a dangerous precedent.
“Nothing can justify mobs taking the law into their own hands, not even the
horrible murder of the Abu Merhi family,” said Nadim Houry, senior researcher at
Human Rights Watch. “The Lebanese authorities are facing a test: if they don’t
reassert the rule of law by prosecuting those who killed a suspect who was
entitled to the presumption of innocence, the law of the jungle will have won
the day.” – additional reporting by Youssef Diab
Question: "Why pray?
What is the point of prayer
when God knows the future and is already in control of everything. If we cannot
change God's mind, why should we pray?"
Answer: For the Christian, praying is like breathing. It is easier to do it than
to not do it. We pray for a variety of reasons. For one thing, prayer is a form
of serving God (Luke 2:36-38) and obeying Him. We pray because God commands us
to pray (Philippians 4:6-7). Prayer is exemplified for us by Christ and the
early church (Mark 1:35; Acts 1:14; 2:42; 3:1; 4:23-31; 6:4; 13:1-3). If Jesus
thought it was worthwhile to pray, we should also. If He needed to pray to
remain in the Father’s will, how much more do we need to pray?
Another reason to pray is that God intends prayer to be the means of obtaining
His solutions in a number of situations. We pray in preparation for major
decisions (Luke 6:12-13); to overcome demonic barriers (Matthew 17:14-21); to
gather workers for the spiritual harvest (Luke 10:2); to gain strength to
overcome temptation (Matthew 26:41); and to obtain the means of strengthening
others spiritually (Ephesians 6:18-19).
We come to God with our specific requests, and we have God's promise that our
prayers are not in vain, even if we do not receive specifically what we asked
for (Matthew 6:6; Romans 8:26-27). He has promised that when we ask for things
that are in accordance with His will, He will give us what we ask for (1 John
5:14-15). Sometimes He delays His answers according to His wisdom and for our
benefit. In these situations, we are to be diligent and persistent in prayer
(Matthew 7:7; Luke 18:1-8). Prayer should not be seen as our means of getting
God to do our will on earth, but rather as a means of getting God's will done on
earth. God’s wisdom far exceeds our own.
For situations in which we do not know God's will specifically, prayer is a
means of discerning His will. If the Syrian woman with the demon-influenced
daughter had not prayed to Christ, her daughter would not have been made whole
(Mark 7:26-30). If the blind man outside Jericho had not called out to Christ,
he would have remained blind (Luke 18:35-43). God has said that we often go
without because we do not ask (James 4:2). In one sense, prayer is like sharing
the gospel with people. We do not know who will respond to the message of the
gospel until we share it. In the same way, we will never see the results of
answered prayer unless we pray.
A lack of prayer demonstrates a lack of faith and a lack of trust in God’s Word.
We pray to demonstrate our faith in God, that He will do as He has promised in
His Word and bless our lives abundantly more than we could ask or hope for
(Ephesians 3:20). Prayer is our primary means of seeing God work in others'
lives. Because it is our means of “plugging into” God's power, it is our means
of defeating Satan and his army that we are powerless to overcome by ourselves.
Therefore, may God find us often before His throne, for we have a high priest in
heaven who can identify with all that we go through (Hebrews 4:15-16). We have
His promise that the fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much (James
5:16-18). May God glorify His name in our lives as we believe in Him enough to
come to Him often in prayer.
**Recommended Resource: Prayer, The Great Adventure by
David Jeremiah.
PLO Okays
Indirect Peace Talks with Israel
Naharnet/Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas secured the approval Saturday of the
Palestine Liberation Organization for indirect peace talks with Israel, despite
opposition from several factions. Fatah deputy secretary general Jibril Rajub
said the decision was taken after a meeting of the PLO's executive committee.
"The Palestinian leadership has approved the proximity talks," Rajub told
reporters. The Palestinians were expected to give their formal acceptance later
Saturday to President Barack Obama's special Middle East envoy George Mitchell,
who has been shuttling between Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Abbas had balked at again entering talks with Israel until first getting backing
from the Arab League and now the PLO, an umbrella group of Palestinian factions.
Ahead of the meeting, the PLO appeared split between Abbas's dominant Fatah
faction and other groups.
"We believe that American promises do not represent enough of a guarantee that
the process will produce real results," said Qais Abu Laila of the Democratic
Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Following the yes vote for the so-called
proximity talks, Mitchell was expected to officially announce later Saturday or
on Sunday that talks would begin, Palestinian and U.S. officials said. He is
also expected to hold two more meetings with Abbas. In the Gaza Strip, Hamas
called on the PLO to reject the proximity talks, which it called "absurd."
"We warn the executive of PLO not to take any decision to resume talks with the
enemy and to give cover to the Israeli occupation to commit more crimes against
our people," a statement said. The Islamist Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since
2007 after ejecting forces loyal to Abbas, has routinely rejected talks with
Israel.
Mitchell spent much of the week meeting with Israeli leaders who want the talks
to focus on security arrangements, before moving quickly to direct talks.
The Palestinians have said they want the peace agenda to put the priority on the
borders of their promised future state.
But expectations of significant achievement remain low in both camps. Direct
negotiations produced virtually no tangible results by the time they collapsed
in December 2008 just over one year after they restarted following a seven-year
hiatus. The direct negotiations ended after Israel launched a deadly offensive
against Gaza aimed at halting rocket attacks.
The Palestinians agreed in March this year to take part in proximity talks but
then pulled out after Israel announced plans to build 1,600 homes in annexed
Arab east Jerusalem.
After receiving U.S. assurances that the Jerusalem settlement expansion plan
would be put on hold, the Palestinians eventually agreed to consider a new
attempt at proximity talks.
They want east Jerusalem, which Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 Middle
East War, as the capital of a promised Palestinian state but Israel considers
all of the Holy City to be its "eternal and indivisible" capital. Jerusalem and
Jewish settlements are among the thorniest issues in efforts to achieve a peace
deal.
Last November, Israel imposed a partial, 10-month freeze on settlement
construction in the occupied West Bank, but the moratorium does not cover
occupied east Jerusalem, or buildings already under construction.(AFP) Beirut,
08 May 10, 15:57
Berri: Lebanon Should Acquire Arms for Both Army and Resistance
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri on Saturday said the alliance forged between his
AMAL movement and Hizbullah has encouraged other political parties to start
similar coalitions between the various sects across the regions.
In a speech during a visit to Imam Moussa Sadr institutions in the
southern port city of Tyre, Berri criticized those who believe that "consensual
democracy is heresy." "Consensus is a necessity among
the various political forces," Berri stressed, reiterating that the Resistance
is a national need."The Resistance is a necessity and a national need," he
stressed.Berri urged Lebanese to hold on to the Resistance and its arms."We must
seek to obtain weapons for both the army and the Resistance," he said. Beirut,
08 May 10, 15:39
Kouchner Asks Syria to Control Border with Lebanon: Situation in S. Lebanon Very
Dangerous
Naharnet/French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner noted Friday that "the
situation in south Lebanon is very dangerous," referring to the build up in
Hizbullah's military capabilities.
After meeting with his Maltese counterpart Tonio Borg, Kouchner revealed that he
will pay a visit to the Middle East "in the coming few days." "France wants
Syria to guarantee security on its border with Lebanon," Kouchner said, after
Israel accused Damascus of supplying missiles to Hizbullah. On Sunday, Kouchner
told Europe 1 radio: "There is a stockpile of weapons, short-range, medium-range
and perhaps even long-range missiles and we are concerned." "We are asking the
Syrians to guarantee the security of that border," Kouchner said. "I am not
saying that it's a sieve because a certain number of facts have not been
established. "But this is dangerous and reinforces extremism," he added. Last
month, Israeli President Shimon Peres accused Syria of providing Scud missiles
to Hizbullah. Damascus has denied the charges. Israel maintains that Hizbullah
has a stockpile of more than 40,000 rockets, some of which have a range of more
than 300 kilometers that would allow the group to hit major cities in Israel.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates last week accused Iran and Syria of arming
Hizbullah with increasingly sophisticated rockets and missiles, saying the
arsenal undermined stability in the region. But Gates did not say if Syria was
supplying Hizbullah with Scud missiles as Israel has alleged. France has been
spearheading moves to bring Syria out of diplomatic isolation since President
Nicolas Sarkozy took office in 2007.(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 07 May 10, 22:58
Politicians Mobilize Electorates in Beirut as FPM Expects Huge Win
Naharnet/Politicians have increased their mobilization campaigns ahead of
Sunday's heated municipal election race in Beirut where the Free Patriotic
Movement is seeking to win the mayoral battle after boycotting the municipal
polls. Ashrafiyeh bloc MPs told An Nahar that the
lists of mayors representing the March 14 forces are almost complete in
Ashrafiyeh, Rmeil and Saifi.
An important development on Friday was the Armenian Hunchak party's decision to
pull out its mayoral candidates in Ashrafiyeh and Rmeil to "preserve the
cohesiveness of the March 14 forces."In return, the party received 2 mayor seats
in Mdawar. Ashrafiyeh's mayor list has now 12 members.
Rmail's 12-member list was also completed in addition to the Saifi list which
includes 4 candidates. FPM official Pierre Raffoul
expected a huge win in the mayor battles "that would show our real size." The
FPM is boycotting the municipal polls in Beirut but not elections for mayor
seats in the capital."We will be next to our brothers in the Sunni opposition in
the Beirut municipal elections," Raffoul told An Nahar. Beirut, 08 May 10, 09:57
Riot Policemen Conduct Anti-terrorism Training in Dbayeh
Naharnet/Lebanese riot policemen on Friday threw smoke grenades and clashed with
other police officers dressed in civilian clothes during anti-terrorism training
and riot maneuvers at their base in Dbayeh, north of Beirut. The police units
conducted other practical simulations on order maintenance tactics and
techniques and the use of new equipment provided by the European Union. The EU
assistance to Lebanese Internal Security Forces falls under the framework of the
EU-Lebanon action plan jointly agreed by the Lebanese government and the
European Union and adopted in 2007. Meanwhile, the U.S. embassy said in a
statement Friday that on April 26-29, forty ISF officers received training on
advanced counternarcotics enforcement, conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) in Beirut.Trainers from the DEA's International Training
Section in Quantico, Virginia, working with their counterparts in the ISF and
the Department of State's International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
Office, conducted the four-day course, which was a continuation of training that
began in December 2008.(AP-Naharnet) Beirut, 08 May 10, 09:02
Hariri Urges Beirutis to 'Vote Massively' to Preserve Equal Christian-Muslim
Powersharing
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Friday called on Beirut's residents to
vote massively during Sunday's municipal elections to avoid the "big trap that
has been set up to sabotage equal Christian-Muslim powersharing in Beirut."
Addressing a dinner organized by the Aramouni family association at the
Phoenicia Hotel, Hariri clarified that he was not speaking in his capacity as
Prime Minister, or Head of a parliamentary bloc, "but as a Lebanese citizen from
the most beautiful city in the world, Lebanon's capital, the jewel of the Arabs:
Beirut."
Reminiscing that his slain father, ex-PM Rafik Hariri traditionally spoke at
that occasion, he recalled the "accusations" that often targeted his father.
"One of them was that he was responsible of ruining the Public finance. Four
years after his death, Lebanon faced the worse global financial crisis, on top
of the worse internal political crisis. The result was that Lebanon came out
stronger, and the whole world is asking: How did you do it? Indeed, Rafik Hariri
was doing the right thing."
"The second allegation was that he encouraged the settlement of the Palestinians
in Lebanon. Of course, it seems that this allegation is coming to an end,
especially after the famous U.S. statement that the United States will not
accept the settlement of the Palestinians in Lebanon. And if somebody is still
considering using this allegation, I reiterate clearly, here and everywhere: We
are against settling (the Palestinians in Lebanon), we are with the Palestinians
right of return to an independent State of their own with Jerusalem as its
capital."
Hariri noted that "behind the accusations related to the settlement of the
Palestinians lied an attempt to make believe that there is an attempt to
manipulate the demographic balance in Lebanon."
"The ones who started speaking about numbers were on the other political side.
Whereas we said and we say every day: We have stopped counting. We will only
accept total parity, between Christians and Muslims, whatever happens. This idea
was upheld then by Rafik Hariri, and we confirm it now, in the municipal council
of our eternal capital, Beirut."
He called on the Beirutis to "assume their responsibility, and beware of the big
trap being set up, which is to give up our duty to vote massively in the
elections, so that they can resort to cross-listing, and this will allow
sabotaging equal Christian-Muslim powersharing."
"And the aim is to accuse the Beirutis of not respecting parity, and therefore
to ask in the next elections for the division of Beirut. And I ask: What has
Beirut done to them for them to seek its division? Do they hate Beirut so much?"
Hariri added: "My only answer is my vote, this democratic, civilized, calm,
constitutional act, which is called voting and participating in the elections."
He continued: "Tonight I came to confess to you that I'm in love with Beirut,
with its sea, its streets, its squares, its people, its air and its accent,
because, foremost, I love Beirut-the message, capital of Lebanon-the message.
The capital of dialogue and culture, capital of coexistence against division, of
moderation against fanaticism, of logic against madness, capital of the State,
of democracy, of responsibility, of work against laziness, of learning against
ignorance, of ethics and honest people, the capital of life."
"Sunday, two days from now, we will count the votes, and we will show the world
that numerous are those who love Beirut, and that numerous are those who won't
forget Beirut and won't forget Rafik Hariri." Beirut, 07 May 10, 23:24
Syria will not change; America may
Hanin Ghaddar, May 8, 2010
http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=166713
Now Lebanon/Since coming to office, US President Barack Obama has moved
cautiously to improve relations with Syria, hoping that such a strategy would
encourage Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to distance himself from Iran. This
has not happened. In fact, the Syrian regime has continued to support Iran and
its regional policies. Now Obama, as a warning, has decided to extend sanctions
against Syria. The question is: “Does Damascus care?”
The extension of sanctions did not really surprise the Syrian regime. Its
official and media reactions were mild given the significance of the move. Syria
probably expected such a reaction after the SCUDs crisis; but it also wanted to
send a message that it couldn’t care less, and that such sanctions would only
jeopardize US-Syrian relations.
“The American administration made a mistake by sending such a message to Syria,”
official state newspaper Al-Baath said, accusing Washington of being blinded by
Israel, which “prevents it from seeing where its interests lie.”
So if extending sanctions is not in America’s interests, what is? Will Syria now
seek shelter under Iran’s wing? Will it start robustly backing Hezbollah by
increasing the supply of weapons to its armed wing?
The reality is that Syria is already there, and nothing will change. The Syrian
regime will continue to prize its regional role, bolstered by its alliance with
Tehran, over any improved relationship with regional and Western powers. Indeed,
it is an alliance worth more to Syria than the removal of sanctions, and hence
why Syria continues to show its support for Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas; support
that recently reached dangerous levels when Syria was accused of supplying SCUD
missiles to Hezbollah.
But it’s a case of shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.
Hezbollah has already built a huge arsenal since the 2006 July War with Israel,
courtesy of Syria, despite UN Security Council Resolution 1701’s call for an
arms embargo. Syria is merely acting out its side of an arrangement with Iran
and Hezbollah.
In fact, in addition to supplying Hezbollah with advanced weapons, Syria
continues to let Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other pro-Iranian militant
groups maintain offices in Damascus. It is all part of a strategy for Syria to
increase its grip on Lebanon, and enhance its regional role.
Back to the sanctions: President Obama has indicated that they are not only a
response to Syria’s support for terrorist organizations and its attempts to
develop weapons of mass destruction; but more specifically, they are linked to
two main issues: Hezbollah’s arsenal and the Iranian dominance in the region.
“The actions of certain persons continue to contribute to political and economic
instability in Lebanon and the region, and constitute a continuing unusual and
extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the US,” the
president said.
But Syria has lived with sanctions since 2004. Meanwhile, and despite the
isolation, it has managed to compensate by maintaining solid relations with
“friendly” countries other than Iran, such as Turkey, Qatar and Russia. And
since the Saudi-Syrian rapprochement and the US engagement policy towards Syria,
these relations have created deeper economic and strategic ties.
On Monday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will travel to Syria to tighten
bilateral ties during the first-ever visit to the country by a Russian or Soviet
head of state. Medvedev is set to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and
possibly oversee the signing of an economic agreement. “We are seeking to
recover lost ground with old friends,” a spokesperson at the Russian Embassy in
Damascus told AFP.
However, the swift pace of the enhancing friendships also came after Syria was
seen to overcome “isolation”. If the international community decided to
re-isolate the Syrian regime, would these friends run for cover?
On another level, the extension of sanctions also coincided with the latest
preparations for the launch of the Israeli-Palestinian proximity talks, as
prospects for peace talks between Syria and Israel are slim (indeed, the talks
are on hold). Obama’s main goal is to achieve peace in the Middle East, and
isolate Syria from Iran. However, while Syria says it would welcome peace, its
actions indicate that its main priorities are the survival of the regime and
control over Lebanon.
Peace would mean that Syria might have to end its alliance with Iran, but more
significantly, it will lose Israel as an enemy. This, in turn, would entail
ending the State of Emergency Law of 1962. Aimed at protecting the Alawi
minority regime, the law has “allowed” Syria to justify its totalitarian
practices and human rights violations under the guise of protecting Syrian
integrity in the face of Israel and its occupation of the Golan Heights. Thus,
Syria wants to keep Israel as an enemy; but by denouncing peace, Syria
jeopardizes the “moderating” role it is trying to sell to the West.
Does this mean that the US is changing its policy of engagement with Syria?
Let’s just say that the honeymoon period is over.