LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِMay 10/2010

Bible Of the Day
Matthew 6/5-8.: ""And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him"

Free Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
A gift from Iran/By: Sarah Lynch, May 9, 2010

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for May 09/10
Kouchner Asks Syria to Control Border with Lebanon: Situation in S. Lebanon Very Dangerous/Naharnet
Hariri after Casting His Vote: Talk of a Sectarian Battle in Beirut is False/Naharnet
Israel must give back Golan Heights to avoid war/Ha'aretz
Second phase of Lebanon's municipal elections kicks off/Monsters and Critics.com
Lebanon fires latest salvo in hummus battle with Israel/BBC News
Medvedev arrives in Syria on Monday for crucial visit/GulfNews
Lebanese government won't ask Hezbollah to disarm/The Associated Press
FACTBOX-Factors to watch as Israel, Palestinians near talks/Reuters
Berri: The Resistance is a necessity/Ya Libnan
Syria ready to resume peace talks with Israel -Turkey/Reuters
Al-Ahram: Hezbollah stays away from pro-Syria conference in Beirut/iloubnan.info
Obama's Syrian Gamble/FOXNews (blog)
Palestinians have nothing left to trade/National
Lebanon MP: Poor chances of winning behind Aoun's boycott of election/Ya Libnan
The war chaos of Lebanon is my Vietnam/Times Online
Beirut Elections: Majority Guarantees Municipal Victory as Aoun Competes in Mayoral Elections/Naharnet
Lebanon Fires 10-Tonne Hummus Broadside at Israel/Naharnet
Berri: Lebanon Should Acquire Arms for Both Army and Resistance/Naharnet
Lebanese Magistrate Requests Death Penalty for Army Officer/Naharnet
Jumblat to Assess Performance of PSP Members, Officials after Elections/Naharnet
Interior Ministry Wins 2010 U.N. Public Service Award/Naharnet
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
Jumblat Calls for Preservation of Beirut's Heritage, Says Politicians are Against Change/Naharnet
Riot Policemen Conduct Anti-terrorism Training in Dbayeh/Naharnet
Hariri Urges Beirutis to 'Vote Massively' to Preserve Equal Christian-Muslim Powersharing/Naharnet
Italian Defense Minister Meets Hariri, Reiterates Commitment to 1701/Naharnet
Sami Gemayel Slams Political Sectarianism, Shows Willingness to Reconsider Shiite Representation/Naharnet
Hezbollah splits its votes in Zahle/Now Lebanon
 

Hariri after Casting His Vote: Talk of a Sectarian Battle in Beirut is False
/Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri denied on Sunday allegations of a sectarian battle brewing during the Beirut municipal and mayoral elections. He said after casting his vote at a school in Verdun: "These elections are aimed at construction and development. They are for Beirut and the whole of Lebanon." "Some battles may take on a political aspect, but the municipalities are dedicated to development and addressing the people's concerns," he added. Hariri also urged citizens to participate heavily in the elections. He also pointed out to "bizarre" alliances that have been formed for the elections saying: "This is Lebanon and this is the openness and dialogue that we want" and that should strengthen national unity. The prime minister also issued a word of thanks to the Interior Ministry and the security forces for their efforts throughout the elections. Hariri addressed the inclusion of Amal party supporters in his Beirut Unity list stressing that there are no sectarian battles in Beirut. Addressing the failure to reach an agreement with the Free Patriotic Movement over the elections, he said: "Negotiations may be successful or they may fail, but we have nothing against the Free Patriotic Movement." "We respect the FPM and its political stands and we are partners in government," he continued.
He called on the Beirutis to take part in the elections because "your vote must be heard and this is a democratic right that should not be disregarded." Beirut, 09 May 10, 13:08

Beirut Elections: Majority Guarantees Municipal Victory as Aoun Competes in Mayoral Elections
Naharnet/The polling stations for the Beirut and Bekaa municipal and mayoral elections opened at seven o'clock Sunday morning, ready for the 450840 registered voters.
The Beirut voters are expected to vote for a list of 94 candidates, 24 of which will form the new municipal council. 102 mayors will be elected from the 231 candidates running in the capital's three sectors, while six mayors have already won uncontested Mina al-Hosn. Meanwhile, 49 electoral seats out of 155 have been won uncontested in the Bekaa. Political electoral battles are expected to take place similar to last week's elections in Mount Lebanon. Despite the rallying of supporters in Beirut, observers expect the "Beirut Unity" list launched by Prime Minister Saad Hariri to sweep the elections, saying that the real focus will be on the number of voters and not the results of the elections. The main battle in Beirut is expected to take place over 28 mayoral seats in Ashrafiyeh, Saifi, and Rmeil where the majority is set to compete with the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), which is backed by the Tashnag party.
Earlier this week, MP Michel Aoun announced the FPM's withdrawal from the municipal elections, saying that it would only take part in the mayoral elections alongside its ally Hizbullah, which also withdrew from the municipal elections. The party will take part in the mayoral elections in Beirut where it has formed agreements with the Future Movement.
On Saturday, the Amal and Hizbullah parties and the Future Movement formed joint lists in the mayoral elections in Beirut's second and third sectors, as well as the Bashoura, Zkak al-Blat, and Mousaitbeh areas. In Mousaitbeh, a list of 15 mayoral candidates was reached between MP Tammam Salam, Amal, Hizbullah, and the Future Movement.
As soon as the agreement was reached, Zkak al-Blat mayoral candidates Hussein Majed and Ahmad Hassan withdrew their candidacies, as did Bashoura mayoral candidates Issa Nabulsi and Khalil al-Shaer. Beirut, 09 May 10, 10:13

Iran, Hezbollah and the Bomb
William Harris , The Weekly Standard, May 7, 2010
Now Leban/
When Iran gets the bomb, the nuclear club will have a crucial new feature. Without an Iranian bomb and barring regime change in Pakistan, we know that no nuclear power will transfer a device to a private army of the religious elect like Hezbollah in Lebanon. With an Iranian bomb, such assurance instantly ends. This is a looming, tangible state of affairs--in contrast to the hype about loose nuclear materials at the April 2010 Washington nuclear security summit.
Proponents of containing a nuclear Iran in and around the Obama administration conceive of deterring Iran in standard realist style. The Islamic Republic of Iran, however, has become a hybrid of the government of God and ruthless militarized mafias. It is well practiced in long-range subversion, intimidation, and weapons smuggling. It may be confidently expected to shred so-called containment, especially when equipped with a nuclear aura and facing the quivering potentates of Arabia.
In any case, Iran has a strategic extension across the Middle East to the Mediterranean that puts it beyond containment. On February 25, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah met in Damascus to celebrate their alignment and its achievements. The Syrian-Iranian partnership has enabled the Syrian ruling clique to go from strength to strength in dealing with the West and the Arabs.
William Harris, a professor at the University of Otago, New Zealand, is the author of The Levant: A Fractured Mosaic (Markus Wiener, 3rd edition 2008), which won a Choice Magazine outstanding academic title award.

A gift from Iran
Sarah Lynch, May 9, 2010
Now Lebanon
If you think Hezbollah is Lebanon’s only gift from Iran, think again. There is another, seemingly more peaceful present that has come in the form of a public garden and recreation area.
Just east of the southern town of Bint Jbeil is a small village called Maroun ar-Ras. Once a site of massive devastation following the 2006 July War, the area now has within its borders an Iranian-funded place for picnickers to spend a leisurely afternoon while enjoying a view – surprisingly enough – of Israel, which sits fewer than 300 meters from the park.
It may sound like a strange phenomenon: visitors from places like Beirut, the local Hezbollah-controlled districts, or from Iran itself sharing food and drinks right in front of “enemy territory.” But some say the vantage point gives them a feeling of security, as they now have the ability to look at Israel from a location that at various times was either under Israeli control or under fire.
“I like the view, I like the setting,” Zaher, 36, from Beirut, said. “Even if we are not on good terms with our neighbors, it’s nice to see the land there.” Seeing the land is certainly the draw. One family brought a pair of binoculars, which they left pointed at one of the settlements below as they sat and enjoyed grilled kababs.
But experts say the park is more than just a place to relax. “[Hezbollah] is asserting that regardless of the presence of the Lebanese army or UNIFIL, [they are saying] we are the master of the place. This garden is much more of a statement than it is a space,” analyst Lokman Slim said.
Maroun ar-Ras overlooks the Houli fields and an Israeli settlement called Kam SaaSaa. People who lived in Maroun ar-Ras at a time when there was no water and no electrical network – in the 1950s and 60s – could see the settlement below. “Kam SaaSaa used to glow in their imagination,” said Wadah Charara, former professor of Sociology at the Lebanese University. “So, this new Iranian-funded place in Maroun ar-Ras is an answer back to SaaSaa, especially for those Shia men who joined Hezbollah forces or supported them and who are now proud that with the help of Iran, Hezbollah and the Resistance were able to defeat the Israelis.”
The garden, funded by the Iranian Committee for Participating in the Reconstruction of Lebanon, has 33 private picnic areas. Each is equipped with tables and chairs, one or more grills, a gas outlet for frying food and a washing station. The picnic areas stand as symbols of the 33 days of the 2006 July War, during which Hezbollah claims to have defeated Israel. Seven benches are dispersed throughout the children’s playground area to represent seven men from the area who died during the war and are now considered martyrs. The park’s entire electrical network is powered by solar energy.
But projects such as this one are not new to Lebanon. The park is simply an extension of Iran’s ongoing effort to provide Lebanon’s Shia community with elements of infrastructure that the government has historically failed to provide. Beginning with the construction of schools and hospitals in the South and Bekaa Valley in the late 1980s, development has now extended in the form of entertainment and recreational areas, furthering the public presence of the state-within-a-state. “You have everything you need in a kind of fenced place,” Slim said. “It’s highlighting, or underscoring, the autonomy of this community.”
Since 2006, several new projects have been constructed to help Hezbollah reaffirm its standing within the Shia community after lives were lost and property damaged. Al-Akbar, a daily newspaper affiliated with Hezbollah, recently reported that a new 70,000-square-meter park is currently under construction in the nearby town of Aaitaroun.
Charara says he thinks the Maroun ar-Ras park is part of a mass advertisement policy. “It mentally corrupts [the Shia community],” he said. “Amid their memory of lost ones it provides them with reconstruction projects and tourism.”
And the park doesn’t leave blatant propaganda at the door. Speeches made by Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah project over loudspeakers set across the 25,000-square-meter park, interspersed with musical lyrics such as “It’s a victory from God.” Areas still under construction surround the park, and a new mosque is being built in the center.
But regardless of its political nature, the park does provide open public space – a rare sight in Lebanon – where families can gather free of charge. “I like the whole place. Everybody is nice,” Mohammad, 60, who was visiting from Germany, said. “It’s a nice atmosphere.” When Mohammad and his wife Aliah finished lunch, they bought tea from a small kiosk.

Sami Gemayel
May 7, 2010
On May 7, As-Seyassah newspaper carried the following interview with Kataeb bloc MP Sami Gemayel:
It was noticed in the municipal elections that there were alliances between March 14 and March 8. What do these alliances point at and how will the elections impact the domestic situation?
These elections carry no political outcome and we announced this since the beginning. These elections are developmental ones aiming at improving the status of the villages and at ensuring the desired decentralization through development. The other goal is to alleviate the political tensions on the street and in the ranks of the youth.
How did you read into the results of the municipal elections in Mount Lebanon?
What is important is the elections were staged the way we had hoped. Undoubtedly, the results showed a clear transformation in the political climate in favor of March 14, which confirms that the Independence Uprising is doing extremely well.
In your opinion, what hindered an agreement in Beirut?
Beirut is the only exception because it includes hundreds of thousands of voters. Therefore, when such a figure is involved, you are talking about a political battle and not just a developmental one. Consequently, Beirut enjoys a special status.
In your opinion, which side hindered the agreement?
I do not like to blame anyone because the current law is not the one that is required in the Beirut municipality. It is not an ambitious law that protects natural partnership between the entire population of Beirut and this has allowed political outbidding over the issue of the capital. For our part, we did our best to ensure concord while respecting the political will of the team that won the Beirut parliamentary elections. The five Christian deputies who won in Beirut did not come from a vacuum and are entitled to handle the negotiations over the Christian members of the municipal council.
Why did Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun insist on negotiating with Prime Minister Saad Hariri and refuse to negotiate with the Christian deputies?
I do not know why and in my opinion he should have done the complete opposite by encouraging talks between the Christians in regard to the Christian seats in the municipal elections.
Do you see any change in the Syrian performance at the level of Lebanese-Syrian relations following the formation of the government and the establishment of diplomatic relations? Is Syria truly dealing with Lebanon as one state with another?
There are pending cases between Lebanon and Syria and as long as Syria does not wish to address them, relations will continue to be lacking. We cannot turn the page or see change in Syria’s approach toward the Lebanese dossier until after we address the core of the sensitive and important issues for Lebanon, including the demarcation of the border, the detainees in Syrian prisons and the Syrian-backed Palestinian organizations.
Why did the Syrian side not deal with the aforementioned cases and why were there no positive signs at that level?
This question should be addressed to the Syrian regime. Do not forget the wound present in the ranks of the Lebanese due to the Syrian occupation. The people are trying to overcome this wound and Prime Minister Hariri and all the team to which we belong are trying to mend Lebanese-Syrian relations. However, if Syria does not show the same intentions, we will stay in our place.
Despite the March 14 campaigns on the Syrian presence, all of Lebanon was seen in the celebration of the Syrian embassy, whether from March 14 or from Syria’s allies. What did that mean to you and did we fold the pages of the past and forget everything?
Not at all. What happened at the embassy’s celebration was an encouragement on our end to consecrate diplomatic relations between the two countries. The opening of the Syrian embassy in Lebanon was very symbolic to us and confirmed Syria’s recognition of Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence.
Do you believe that despite the doubts surrounding its purpose, the dialogue table will be able to resolve the problem of Palestinian arms outside the camps? What is the appropriate solution for this issue?
Any solution outside the context of the constitution and the law will remain at the expense of one team or another and will be in violation of the democratic system and the principle of the sovereignty of the state. What we are saying is that the constitution and the law should be implemented. The issue of Hezbollah’s arms should be subject to the constitution and the law and these arms should be placed in the context of Lebanese legitimacy. We do not want to come up with ideas or present random opinions. We are demanding the implementation of the constitution which considers that the source of all authorities in Lebanon is the Lebanese people. There is an authority in the country that is not subject to the will of the Lebanese people and that is Hezbollah and its military and diplomatic command. What is the solution? There is no solution. Hezbollah must become convinced that the rest of the Lebanese people should participate in the peace and war decision and this can begin by seeing the party putting its military capabilities in the hands of the state.
In your opinion, what is Hezbollah’s project and why is it still holding on to its arms?
Hezbollah’s project is known and public. It was announced when the party was founded in 1985. They reaffirmed it in their political program about a year ago when they announced their hostility to the West and especially America and Europe.
How do you perceive Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt repositioning and all the transformations that have occurred culminating with his visit to Syria and the statements in which he said that the Christians of March 14 are not his allies?
This position stemmed from Walid Jumblatt’s attempt to protect his sect. We understand that and know that when the element of fear prevails over logic, things could take another turn.
Are you saying that Walid Jumblatt is afraid of Hezbollah’s arms?
Deputy Jumblatt is afraid for his sect from Hezbollah’s arms, from regional problems and major events that could occur. He believes that this is the best way to protect the Druze sect as a key component of the Lebanese population.
Why did Hezbollah open the subject of the security agreement and the visit of the American delegation to Masnaa? Why is this party trying to move from one issue to the other as though it wishes to keep the government under pressure?
Hezbollah is trying to separate Lebanon from the West, as well as from its international contacts and relations, in order to keep it within a narrow and isolated framework far from the international openness witnessed by Lebanon for the last seventy years.
Can Hezbollah proceed with this project?
Hezbollah is using its arms and politics to lead Lebanon in another direction. Quite honestly, as a deputy in parliament, I see this inside the council and in all the sessions in which the topics I mentioned are being addressed.