LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِMay
23/2010
Bible Of the
Day
Paul's Letter to the Romans 13/1-7:
"13:1 Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no
authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God. 13:2
Therefore he who resists the authority, withstands the ordinance of God; and
those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment. 13:3 For rulers are not
a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the
authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the same, 13:4
for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be
afraid, for he doesn’t bear the sword in vain; for he is a servant of God, an
avenger for wrath to him who does evil. 13:5 Therefore you need to be in
subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. 13:6
For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service,
attending continually on this very thing. 13:7 Give therefore to everyone what
you owe: taxes to whom taxes are due; customs to whom customs; respect to whom
respect; honor to whom honor. 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one
another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
A foolish quest in
Hezbollahland/By: Michael Young/Now Lebanon/May 21, 2010
Hariri's marathon diplomacy/Daily Star/May 22/10
Louder than words/Al-Ahram Weekly/May
22/10
S. Korea, N. Korea, Israel and
Iran/By CAROLINE B. GLICK/Jerusalem Post/May 22/10
Iran’s new deal,Iran agrees to
nuclear swap/By: Paige Kollock/Now Lebanon/May 22, 2010
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for May 22/10
Hizbullah arms of 'grave concern'/Jerusalem
Post
Lebanon PM slams Israel defense drill/Ynetnews
Hariri after Meeting Mubarak:
Israel Should Lessen its Maneuvers so there Can be Serious Talk on Peace/Naharnet
Lebanon's
Head of the Editors Syndicate
Melhem Karam Dies/Naharnet
Suleiman Holds Talks with
Westerwelle on Re-launching Palestinian-Israeli Negotiations/Naharnet
Maura Connolly to be Appointed New
U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon/Naharnet
4 Lebanese Kidnapped in Nigeria
Released/Naharnet
Hariri's U.S. Trip Aims at Seeking
Guarantees against New Israeli Military Adventure/Naharnet
Behind the Axis: The North Korean
Connection/Jerusalem
Post
Syria FM Says West Is Hostile Toward Iran/Eurasia
Review
Arab American Miss USA at Center of Controversy/Voice
of America
Congress OKs $205 million for Israel/UPI.com
Something About Rima/CounterPunch
Nuclear Iran: The Day After/Before
It's News
With Dennis Blair's resignation, Barack Obama has
lost a competent
professional/Telegraph.co.uk
(blog)
Hezbollah sues Siddiq over accusations in Hariri
murder/Ya
Libnan
Hezbollah shows off weaponry in Lebanon 'tourist complex'/AFP
White House lifts sanctions on Russians involved in
weapons trade with Iran/Washington
Post
Protest march to demand rights for
Palestinians/Daily Star
ISF reports busting total of 21
Israeli spy networks/Daily Star
Nasrallah receives visit from
ex-General Hajj, wife/Daily Star
Judge charges suspects over port
drug smuggling/Daily Star
Mitri praises draft law
guaranteeing right to information/Daily Star
LAU fair highlights need for links between NGOs, universities/Daily
Star
AUB pays tribute to Helen Khal with
memorial ceremony/Daily Star
UNDP initiative aims to avert power
crisis/Daily Star
AUB fees strike ends after
agreement reached/Daily Star
UN's Williams voices concern over Hizbullah arsenal/Daily Star
Rival camps prepare for fierce
contest in Sidon polls/Daily Star
Nasrallah urges supporters to elect Hizbullah-Amal list/Daily
Star
Hariri visits Jordan for talks with
King Abdullah/AFP
Miss USA says 'American' is her preferred label/CNN
(blog)
Hizbullah
arms of 'grave concern'
By JPOST.COM STAFF
22/05/2010 11:11
US says Obama to discuss Syria's arming of terrorists with Hariri.
The US has “grave concerns” about Syria’s arming of Hizbullah in Lebanon, and
will likely raise these concerns with Lebanese President Saad Hariri when the
two meet on Monday, Reuters reported over the weekend. The two will discuss a
"broad range of mutual goals in support of Lebanon's sovereignty and
independence, regional peace and security," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs
said Friday. Israel believes that Syria recently supplied Hizbullah with
hundreds of surface-to-surface missiles, including Scud missiles and advanced
M600 missiles capable of targeting Tel Aviv and causing extensive damage to
Israel. Syria has denied the claims while Hizbullah has refused to respond to
them. Hariri himself has denied denied the allegations, comparing them to the
American charges that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction ahead of the 2003
US-led invasion. At their meeting, Obama and Hariri were also likely to discuss
international efforts to isolate Iran over its nuclear program. Lebanon is the
current rotating president of the UN Security Council, a position it holds until
May 31st.
Nasrallah urges supporters to elect Hizbullah-Amal
list
By Elias Sakr and Mohammed Zaatari
/Daily Star staff
Saturday, May 22, 2010
BEIRUT: Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Friday urged his party’s followers to toe the
Hizbullah-Amal alliance’s line in Sunday’s local elections, saying that it takes
precedence over family loyalties.
“We believe that our alliance with Amal in the municipal elections is part of
the strategic alliance that protects the resistance’s popular base,” Hizbullah’s
secretary general said, addressing supporters via video link in the south
Lebanon village of Mlita.
Nasrallah delivered his speech during the inauguration of a touristic complex in
the village, one that showcases the resistance’s military operations against
Israeli forces prior to the liberation of May 2000.
The elections will coincide with Israeli defense drills, and Hizbullah has
mobilized thousands of fighters in response, a party official said.
“The Hizbullah fighters have [been instructed] to be completely ready to
confront Israeli maneuvers on Sunday,” Nabil Qaouk told AFP.
“Thousands of our fighters will not go to the polls [for municipal elections on
Sunday] and will be prepared from today” for any eventuality, Hizbullah’s deputy
added.
“In the event of any new attack on Lebanon, the Israelis will not find anywhere
in Palestine to hide,” Qaouk said. Dubbed “Turning Point 4,” the exercises are
designed to prepare emergency responses to rocket strikes on Israel, with sirens
due to ring out across the country on Wednesday and Israelis head for shelters.
In the local elections, the Amal-Hizbullah alliance will be put to the test in
southern villages and towns, where many have resented the two parties’ agreement
as a blow against free competition. In a number of municipal races, local
families and other political parties and movements have been engaged in weeks of
efforts to field competitive rival lists.
Nasrallah indicated that the pull of local loyalties were an appealing
alternative, but urged party supporters not to elect those who are running
against the Hizbullah-Amal ticket.
“I call on Hizbullah supporters to commit fully to the Hizbullah and Amal
electoral lists and urge them not to be influenced by personal or family
interests because the success of these lists holds major political value,” he
said. Last month, Hizbullah and Amal signed a memorandum elaborating the aspects
of their alliance throughout Lebanon in the four rounds of municipal polls that
kicked off on May 2. Nasrallah said the agreement “wasn’t an easy task” for
either party. The “Development and Loyalty” electoral lists are to compete in
Sunday’s elections in several towns in South Lebanon district against a
coalition of families. “No candidate outside these electoral lists can claim he
is a candidate of Hizbullah … I ask anyone who considers himself a member of
Hizbullah and is running in the elections [against the Development and Loyalty
lists] to withdraw from the elections,” Nasrallah said.
But Nasrallah denied resorting to a religious directive by making the appeal for
support. “We ask them to vote in favor of the alliance’s list as a political
party that adheres to its commitments and agreements,” Nasrallah said. He urged
a huge turnout in Sunday’s polls, reassuring voters against fears of Israeli
military maneuvers. “Do not fear [Israeli] maneuvers, because in the south there
will be electoral celebrations, while in Israel millions will go hide in
shelters and follow an emergency plan after being scared by the resistance,” he
said.
Elaborating on the Mlita Museum, Nasrallah said the location was chosen because
it was one of the oldest posts used by the resistance since it established
itself in the Iqlim al-Tuffah region to face Israeli occupation. The Mlita
complex, the first of its kind in Lebanon, is spread over more than 60,000
square meters of gardens and forests with more than 4,500 square meters of
built-up areas both below and above ground. The complex highlights the
experience of the resistance in fighting Israeli occupation beginning with the
1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
With a cafeteria designed to receive more than 150 visitors indoors and 750
outdoors along with parking lots for more than 200 cars and 20 buses, the site
is expected to draw local and foreign tourists. A panoramic scene of more than
3,000 square meters at its center, with war booty left by the Israeli army, was
built to portray the defeat of Israeli forces in Lebanon.
There is also a rocky path that reconstructs the path that resistance fighters
followed to launch attacks against Israeli posts, featured fighting positions
held by units along a 250-meter-long downhill track.
Hariri after Meeting Mubarak: Israel Should Lessen its Maneuvers so there Can be
Serious Talk on Peace
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri stated on Saturday that his Arab tour is
aimed at increasing efforts to emphasize the peace process, especially peace
between the Palestinians and Israelis. He said: "There can be no resolution in
the area without a serious mobilization of the peace process" calling on the
United States to pressure Israel to reach a just peace.
He made his statements after holding talks in Cairo with Egyptian President
Hosni Mubarak. The prime minister revealed that his upcoming talks in the United
States will focus on Lebanese-American relations, U.S. military aid to the
Lebanese army, and the Lebanese economy, noting that he will demand that the
American administration take a serious interest in the region.
Hariri stressed the need for Lebanon to protect itself from all threats and
dangers taking place around it, saying that the threats that are being issued
against Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine can be resolved through the peace process.
He added: "Israel should lessen these (military) maneuvers and start laying
things on the table so that there can be serious talk over peace," asking, "If
Israel wanted to negotiate with the Palestinians over peace, would it resort to
maneuvers?" Hariri's trip is part of an Arab tour during which he visited Syria,
Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, ahead of his upcoming visit to the United States on
Monday. He is set to hold talks with U.S. President Barack Obama on Lebanese
fears of an Israeli attack on Lebanon.
Beirut, 22 May 10, 11:59
Suleiman Holds Talks with Westerwelle on Re-launching Palestinian-Israeli
Negotiations
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman held talks on Saturday with German Foreign
Minister Guido Westerwelle on bilateral relations, Middle Eastern affairs, and
international efforts to re-launch the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations as well
as the Syrian-Israeli talks. The president noted that the revival of these talks
will positively impact regional and international peace.
He also thanked Westerwelle for his country's contributions to the naval unit in
the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and its efforts in
monitoring the Lebanese border.
For his part, the German foreign minister voiced his country's satisfaction with
the calm on the political, economic, and security fields in Lebanon, saying that
Germany is prepared to continue its cooperation with Lebanon in various areas,
such as economic, cultural, and educational ones. Westerwelle is set to visit
Syria, Jordan, and Egypt as part of a tour aimed at reaching a peaceful
settlement in the region through Middle East negotiations, stressing the
importance of moderate powers in working towards this goal. Beirut, 22 May 10,
13:59
Analysis: Hariri's U.S. Trip Aims at Seeking Guarantees against New Israeli
Military Adventure
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri heads to Washington on Sunday for his first
official visit to the United States where he will meet President Barack Obama
amid fears of a new conflict between Lebanon and Israel. Analysts said that
during his five-day visit, Hariri will probably seek assurances that the U.S.
administration will use its influence with Israel to ease mounting regional
tensions over claims that Hizbullah is stockpiling sophisticated weaponry in
anticipation of war. "Prime Minister Hariri will be seeking guarantees from
Washington against any new Israeli adventure in Lebanon," said Osama Safa, head
of the Beirut-based Lebanese Center for Policy Studies. "He will be ensuring
that the red light imposed by the U.S. on Israel continues and will be looking
for security guarantees." In recent months Israel has repeatedly accused Syria
of arming Hizbullah with Scud missiles and other weaponry, and warned than in
the event of a new conflict it will consider Lebanon, rather than just Hizbullah,
as its enemy. The threats have sparked war jitters and prompted a flurry of
diplomatic activity to ease tensions in the region. Nabil Bou Monsef, a senior
diplomatic analyst at the Arabic-language daily An-Nahar, said Hariri's message
to the U.S. authorities will be that a new conflict with Israel will bury any
chance for peace in the Middle East. "He is going to tell the Americans that any
Israeli military operation will ruin peace prospects, encourage fanaticism...
and no one has any interest in seeing this happen," he said. Apart from meeting
Obama on Monday, Hariri will also hold talks with other US officials as well as
the head of the International Monetary Fund, a government official told AFP. On
Wednesday he is due to address the UN Security Council, which is currently
chaired by Lebanon. Bou Monsef said Hariri's visit will be an opportunity for
the 40-year-old premier to establish his credentials with the Obama
administration. "He is trying to establish a balance in Lebanon's relations with
the United States as well as Syria," he said. "He doesn't want to anger the
Syrians, nor does he want to lose American support." Syria was the main power
broker in Lebanon until April 2005, when it was forced to withdraw its troops
from the tiny Mediterranean country amid outrage over the assassination of
Hariri's father, Rafik Hariri, in a massive bombing. Damascus has denied
accusations of involvement in the killing. Lebanon and Syria established
diplomatic relations only last year, and Hariri has since visited Damascus
twice, most recently on Tuesday. In recent weeks Hariri has also met a number of
Arab leaders, and is expected to convey their regional concerns to U.S.
officials. Safa said that while Washington may seek to allay Arab fears of a
renewed conflict in the region, it is also likely to demand that Lebanon subdue
Hizbullah and curb weapons smuggling along the border with Syria. "I don't think
the U.S. administration is in a position to give (Hariri) any guarantees... but
it will certainly make some demands," he said.(AFP)
4 Lebanese Kidnapped in Nigeria Released
Naharnet/The Expatriates Director General in the Foreign Ministry, Haitham Jumaa,
announced on Saturday that four Lebanese citizens who were kidnapped last week
in Nigeria have been released. He told the AFP that the Lebanese Consul General
Chawki Abou Nassar informed the Lebanese Foreign Ministry that the captives were
released Saturday morning.
Jumaa added that more information will be available once the citizens arrive at
the Lebanese Embassy in Nigeria. The four -- workers of Stemco construction firm
-- were seized in Akwa Ibom by a number of armed individuals dressed in military
uniforms. Akwa Ibom is one of Nigeria's nine oil-rich states and it neighbors
Rivers state, the oil hub of the restive oil-producing Niger Delta region. A few
years ago, hundreds of kidnappings targeting foreigners and Nigerians took place
in the country. Most of the victims were workers in the oil industry working in
the Niger Delta. Beirut, 22 May 10, 15:05
Accused Canadian-Lebanese Bomber's Extradition Case Delayed
Naharnet/An extradition hearing for Hassan Diab, a Canadian-Lebanese national
arrested for his alleged role in a 1980 Paris bombing that killed four, has been
delayed, his lawyer told Agence France Presse. A new date has not yet been set.
The hearing was due to begin mid-June, but the defense has asked for his bail
conditions to be reduced and for an opportunity to challenge new evidence to be
presented by French authorities. The Ontario Superior Court is to hear arguments
over several days starting June 21, Donald Bayne, Diab's lawyer, told AFP.
France withdrew evidence this week of two handwriting experts discredited by
defense witnesses, and prosecutors are now asking to introduce opinions of a new
handwriting expert.
Diab was arrested in November 2008 in a suburb of Canada's capital at the
request of French authorities who want him extradited to face charges of murder,
attempted murder and willful destruction of property. He remains out on strict
bail conditions, which include wearing an electronic monitoring anklet costing
him 2,500 dollars a month. In October 1980, a bomb planted in a motorcycle
saddlebag outside the Copernic Street synagogue in the 16th arrondissement
killed three Frenchmen and a young Israeli woman. Dozens were injured. It was
the first fatal attack against the French Jewish community since the Nazi
occupation of World War II. French authorities issued a warrant in November 2007
for Diab's arrest, following a lead from German intelligence. But Diab claimed
at the time he was a victim of mistaken identity and denied any links to
extremist organizations.(AFP) Beirut, 21 May 10,
Head of the Editors Syndicate Melhem Karam Dies
Naharnet/The head of the Editors Syndicate in Lebanon, Melhem Karam, passed away
at the age of 76 on Saturday after a long illness. Earlier today, Karam was
transported in critical condition to Hotel Dieu Hospital where he passed away.
Karam had participated on Friday in a press conference to launch this year's
Baalbek International Festival. Beirut, 22 May 10,
Maura Connolly to be Appointed New U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon
Naharnet/Maura Connelly, deputy assistant secretary in the State Department Near
Eastern Affairs bureau, and former charge d'affaires in Damascus, is expected to
replace Michele Sison as the new U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, said concerned
sources in the U.S. State Department Saturday. Connelly is the current assistant
to Jeffrey Feltman, assistant secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs and
former U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, meaning that her selection takes on political
importance as Feltman is an expert on Lebanese affairs. She had recently
conducted a tour of the Middle East during which she stressed the importance of
Lebanese-American ties and the United States' constant support to Lebanon's
sovereignty and independence. She is expected to officially take office in
August when Sison's term ends at the end of July. Prior to her position in
Damascus, she served as Minister Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S.
Embassy in London between 2005 and 2008 and as a diplomat in Iraq in 2003.
Connelly also served as the head of the political section in the American
consulate in Jerusalem between 1993 and 1996 where she won an award for her
diplomatic efforts in covering the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. During the
1980s, she served as the head of the political section in the U.S. embassy in
Algeria. Beirut, 22 May 10, 09:11
Hizbullah Urges Lebanese Judiciary, INTERPOL to Arrest Siddiq
Naharnet/Hizbullah has called on the Lebanese judiciary and the INTERPOL to
arrest false witness Mohammed Zuheir Siddiq, a Syrian agent who allegedly misled
a U.N. probe into the killing of former PM Rafik Hariri. Hizbullah's lawsuit,
filed to the Public Prosecution Office in Beirut, complained about statements
made by Siddiq in a recent interview with Kuwait's Al-Seyassah daily in which he
accused Hizbullah cadres of involvement in Hariri's assassination. The lawsuit
also called on the Lebanese judiciary to issue an arrest warrant against Siqqiq
and seek INTERPOL's help to seize him. Beirut, 21 May 10,
ISF reports busting total of 21 Israeli spy networks
By The Daily Star /Saturday, May 22, 2010
BEIRUT: A total of 21 Israeli spy networks have been uncovered so far, according
to Internal Security Forces (ISF) Director General Ashraf Rifi. Speaking at
Friday’s closing ceremony of the fifth meeting for the Middle East and North
Africa (MENA) liaison officers, Rifi praised the work of the ISF in fighting
crime and said a special cell has been established to combat spying. “This cell
has worked for two years on preparing a file on spy networks, and it has been
able to uncover 21 Israeli spy networks until this date,” he added. Rifi also
praised the efforts of the Lebanese Army and said cooperation between the Army
and the ISF would help uncover all Israeli spy networks and would prove Israel
wrong to think it was more advanced than Lebanon. “This is a message saying
don’t mess with Lebanon’s security,” he said. The meeting was organized by the
General Secretariat of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)
in coordination with the ISF. – The Daily Star
Hezbollah’s coalition partner meet Obama
David Schenker ,
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, May 22, 2010
Prior to becoming prime minister, Hariri was a frequent visitor to the Bush
White House as head of Lebanon's ruling March 14 coalition. This will be his
first visit as premier, his first meeting with Obama, and his first trip to the
White House since last year's seeming reversal of the Cedar Revolution. Although
Syria no longer has troops stationed across the border, President Bashar al-Asad's
allies in Lebanon have retrenched in recent months and once again wield
preponderant political influence. Meanwhile, the March 14 coalition has been
dramatically weakened by attrition and defections at home and abroad that have
led the movement to moderate its pro-Western stance and embrace -- at least
rhetorically -- Hizballah's "resistance" doctrine. In light of these
developments, it is unclear what Washington's agenda will be for the Hariri
meeting.
(…) Given the constraints on Hariri, the Obama administration is likely to ask
little of him on Monday. But a discussion of Lebanon's stance on Iran sanctions
-- with an eye toward convincing Beirut to, at minimum, abstain during the UN
vote -- would be beneficial. Notwithstanding comments this week by President
Obama's chief counterterrorism advisor John Brennan suggesting Washington's
affinity for "moderate elements" within Hizballah, the administration should
also encourage Hariri to downplay his coalition's recent enthusiasm for the
resistance. Although such rhetoric may be intended to insulate the prime
minister from Hizballah attacks at home, it shakes confidence in Washington and
undermines UN resolutions that are critical to Lebanon's future as an
independent, democratic state.
**David Schenker is the Aufzien fellow and director of the Program on Arab
Politics at The Washington Institute.
**The above article was published washingtoninstitute.org on May 21st, 2010.
A foolish quest in Hezbollahland
Michael Young, May 21, 2010
Now Lebanon/Two news items on Hezbollah caught my eye in the past few days,
showing why lucidity about the party can sometimes be a luxury.
The first is a report informing us that John Brennan, President Barack Obama’s
assistant for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, recently told a conference
in Washington that the United States sought to strengthen “moderates” within
Hezbollah.
“There are certainly the elements of Hezbollah that are truly a concern to us
[in] what they’re doing. And what we need to do is to find ways to diminish
their influence within the organization and to try to build up the more moderate
elements,” Brennan declared.
The second is an AFP news story reporting that around 500 St. Joseph University
students were offered a field trip in the South by Hezbollah last weekend. The
students were shown around by party guides, taken to the scenes of battles past
and future, and even given an oral examination about Hezbollah lore (Who was the
first Hezbollah martyr? What Israeli airport did Hassan Nasrallah promise to
bomb in a new war? That sort of thing).
One guide, Muhammad Taleb, explained the purpose of the visit this way: “We want
to familiarize young people with the achievements of the Resistance and show
them how unjust the Israeli occupation was and how glorious the liberation by
the Islamic Resistance.”
A bouquet of quotes helps us capture the mood that day. “It is overwhelming to
be here. You feel invincible, and you feel ready to sacrifice yourself for your
country,” declared Rim, a pharmaceutical studies student. Lama, a business
major, admitted, “They have won me over. I learned a lot of interesting things
about the south and Hezbollah’s weapons. It’s cool.” A French student added,
“This is surreal, it’s like Disneyland. I never expected to see this.”
Perhaps John Brennan should take the tour as well. After all, if Hezbollah can
recreate Disneyland, there must be grounds for cultural understanding between
the party and the United States.
I’m reminded of a story told to me once by a remarkable gentleman, now deceased,
a refugee from Germany who later moved to the United States. It may have been in
the 1960s that he decided to bring his mother to visit. They went to the
American Embassy in London to apply for a visa. The employee asked the mother
three questions: “Have you ever been arrested?” She replied no. “Are you or have
you ever been a member of the Communist Party?” This was standard fare during
the Cold War, so she again said no. He then looked at his sheet and asked – this
of a woman in her late 70s – “Are you a prostitute?” She turned to her son and
inquired, “Hans, is this young man serious?”
There is indeed a mulish formalism to the thinking of some Americans that makes
you wonder if they are serious. For Brennan the world possibly really is divided
into “extremists” and “moderates,” and if an organization or country appears
uncompromising, then that must simply be because the moderates haven’t yet been
discovered.
But what a self-centered way of looking at politics, since it assesses the
actions of others entirely from the perspective of the interpreter. Brennan
assumes that Hezbollah’s thinking, rhetoric, conceptual universe and so on, is
perfectly comprehensible within American categories, his categories, which is
just another way of saying that the party is not as serious about its own ideas
as we assume.
A few years ago, the British government came out with an equally amusing sleight
of hand, when it opened a dialogue with what it referred to as Hezbollah’s
political wing, which it differentiated from the party’s military wing. This was
rank hypocrisy, of course. The British knew enough about Hezbollah to realize
that it is a highly centralized organization, in fact a Leninist organization in
many ways, so that all the loose references to “wings” were just excuses to talk
to party officials without being accused by the United States of chatting up
what Washington officially labels a “terrorist organization.”
But Brennan’s proposal doesn’t even have the saving grace of cynicism. When
asked how he proposed to reach the moderates, the presidential advisor offered
no answer. That’s because his scheme is thoroughly idiotic. One thing about
Hezbollah, its militants generally believe what they say, and when they say that
Washington is their enemy, they mean that too. The party’s structure and
worldview leave no room for “moderates” or “extremists.” What they allow are
debates over tactics, but within well-defined strategic parameters, usually set
by Iran, of which opposition to America and Israel is essential.
That lesson the St. Joseph University students understood instinctively. You
might wonder, justifiably, how young people sent to an institution of higher
learning where humanistic values are taught could so readily fall for
Hezbollah’s catechism of violence and self-sacrifice. But at least they were not
on an illusory quest for “moderates.” Their trip was about guns and war and
death, and even if it was cool, they knew it was about guns and war and death.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of the Daily Star newspaper in Beirut. His
book, The Ghosts of Martyrs Square: An Eyewitness Account of Lebanon’s Life
Struggle (Simon & Schuster), has just been published.
Iran’s new deal, Iran agrees to nuclear swap
Paige Kollock, May 22, 2010
Now Lebanon
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Iran's President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose for a picture
after inking a nuclear fuel-swap deal in Tehran. (AFP photo/Atta Kenare)
Iran is threatening to cancel a fuel-reduction swap deal it ironed out with
Turkey and Brazil last week if UN sanctions against it in reaction to its
nuclear program are not dropped.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may have thought the deal would be enough to stave
off international punishments, but US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and her
Security Council allies immediately circulated the draft of the resolution
anyway, bringing the sanctions one step closer to a vote.
On Monday, May 16, Iran announced that it had signed an agreement with Brazilian
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan to reduce its stockpiles of enriched uranium. The deal would call for
Iran to send 1,200 kilograms of low-enriched uranium to Turkey, which would then
send it to Russia and France for enrichment. After a year or so, Iran would
receive higher-grade uranium in return, which it could then use for fuel. The
premise of the swap is not new. In fact, it is simply a re-hashed version of
what the so-called P-6 (the US, Russia, China, the UK, France and Germany)
proposed last year. Since then, Iran has continued to enrich uranium, so while
the amount it would send abroad has stayed the same, enriched uranium levels at
home have increased.
The sanctions push has surprised and angered the Iranian leader, who thought he
would be unilaterally praised for his good behavior, but his record of defiance
has taught other countries to be skeptical. Until Iran presents the
Turkish-Brazilian deal to the International Atomic Energy Agency, few are taking
it seriously. The larger question some are considering is how this development
may affect the UN sanctions.
“The fact that [the sanctions] were brought forward after the deal was announced
means that there will also be momentum to pass them. But of course there will be
efforts to dilute them, and definitely how the Iranians behave over the next
couple of weeks will have a big impact on that,” said Heather Hurlbert, an
analyst at the Washington DC-based National Security Network.
The 10-page draft UN resolution, which was agreed upon by the United States,
Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia, calls for an international clampdown
on Iranian banks, shipping and business dealings that might be linked to its
nuclear activities. It will allow the inspection of all financial interactions
with Iranian banks, and ban the opening of Iranian bank branches overseas.
Typically, it takes ambassadors several days to vote on a draft resolution, as
the language of the text usually gets bandied about to please all parties. But
now that Iran has showed some form of compliance, no matter how sincere, the
final vote could take much longer.
While some leaders, such as French President Nicholas Sarkozy, are praising the
fuel-swap deal, calling it “a step forward,” experts say the fine print shows it
is anything but.
“It doesn’t take enough uranium away from Iran, Iran can decide when agreement
hasn’t been properly respected, there’s nothing about where the [low-enriched
uranium] goes when the deal is finished,” said David Albright, founder of the
non-governmental Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), and
the author of several books on proliferation of atomic weapons. “It just sits
[in Turkey] forever, and at any point Iran can demand it back if they want. I
think it was written by Iran with no serious input.”
As rising world powers and current rotating members of the Security Council, why
would Brazil and Turkey put forward a flawed deal?
“I really don’t think the primary purpose of the deal was to help Iran. Turkey
was opposed to sanctions from day one, and it is opposed to a war against Iran,
and it is opposed to having a nuclear-armed Iran as a neighbor,” said Soli Ozel,
journalist, policy advisor, and professor of International Relations and
Political Science at Istanbul Bilgi University.
Ozel says the US knew about the fuel-swap deal from the beginning, and
questioned why Secretary Clinton would push ahead with sanctions when the
problem could be solved diplomatically. Plus, he says, President Ergodan, like
many other leaders, firmly believes sanctions just don’t work.
The UN has passed four separate resolutions against Iran since 2006, with
minimal compliance from Tehran, which is a signatory of the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty and insists its nuclear program is for civilian
purposes only.
This latest breakthrough could deflate negotiations at the UN, slow down the
process of sanctions, or jettison them all together.
But as Hurlbert recalled, this was the point at which the nuclear swap accord
fell apart last year: after the verbal agreement, and before Iran presented the
text to the IAEA. “The devil is in the details, and I have a strong suspicion
that the Turks and Brazilians are going to find that out soon,” she said.
S. Korea, N. Korea, Israel and
Iran
By CAROLINE B. GLICK
Jerusalem Post
21/05/2010 18:12
S. Korea cannot expect the US to rein in N. Korean aggression, any more than
Israel can rely on the US regarding Iran.
On Thursday, the South Korean government did something important. It told the
truth about North Korean aggression. On March 26, a North Korean submarine
attacked a South Korean naval corvette with a torpedo. Forty-six South Korean
sailors were killed in the unprovoked attack. And on May 20, the South Koreans
ended all ambiguity about the nature of the attack and placed the blame where it
belongs.
In its write-up of South Korea’s statement, the Los Angeles Times assessed that
South Korea’s acknowledgment of North Korea’s murderous aggression will return
the region to the days of the Cold War. The paper quoted Prof. Kim Keun-sik from
Kyungnam University outside Seoul claiming that in the period to come, North
Korea and China will face off against South Korea and the US.
Sadly for South Korea, while China can be depended upon to block the passage of
effective sanctions against North Korea in the UN Security Council and to take
any other necessary action to protect the North Korean regime, South Korea
cannot expect the US to take action to rein in North Korean aggression. For
while the South Korean government acknowledged reality on Thursday morning, the
US under President Barack Obama remains in reality-denial mode.
It is true that on Thursday, Obama released a statement saying that the “act of
aggression is one more instance of North Korea’s unacceptable behavior and
defiance of international law.” And it is true that the international media is
pointing to the White House announcement as an indication that the US will stand
with South Korea.
But the Obama administration’s relations with China on the one hand, and its
emasculation of the US Navy on the other, demonstrate that the US will not
defend South Korea against North Korean aggression. The administration’s actions
in the days leading up to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak announcement make
this clear.
Lee reportedly told Obama on Tuesday that his government’s investigation of the
attack proved beyond a shred of doubt that North Korea had attacked the ship. On
Wednesday, the State Department announced that next week Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton will be making a weeklong visit to Asia.
Clinton’s trip includes one day in Japan, one day in South Korea and five days
in China. Clinton’s trip to China will center on advancing the US’s aim of
ensuring that China continues to finance the US’s national debt. Given the US’s
priorities, it is impossible to imagine the White House taking any forthright
action against Pyongyang.
IN A related matter, the Obama administration spent the better part of the week
congratulating itself for convincing China and Russia to back another sanctions
resolution against North Korea’s ally Iran. In what the administration is
presenting as a great diplomatic victory, Beijing and Moscow agreed to back a
sanctions resolution against Iran in the UN Security Council for its refusal to
end its illicit uranium enrichment.
Unfortunately, Obama’s great achievement will have no impact on Iran. Even if
they are passed, the sanctions outlined in the draft resolution include little
in the way of binding provisions. If they are passed, they will have a
negligible impact on Iran’s economy and no impact on its nuclear weapons
program.
Moreover, Brazil and Turkey’s deal to enrich uranium for Iran wrecks any chance
that the US will gain its sought-for unanimity in the Security Council against
Iran. Even if the sanctions resolution passes, it will be Pyrrhic victory for
the US that will have destroyed its credibility as a negotiator with its allies
and its enemies alike.
Beyond all that, on Thursday we learned that as a payoff for China’s support for
its toothless sanctions resolution, the Obama administration has made a deal
that enables nuclear proliferation. According to The Washington Post, in
exchange for China’s support for the resolution, the Obama administration has
turned a blind eye to Beijing’s continued nuclear proliferation activities with
Pakistan.
Pakistan has been a major source of nuclear and ballistic missile technologies
to Iran and North Korea. Yet the administration has reportedly opted not to
oppose China’s decision to build two more nuclear reactors in Pakistan.
In its frenetic bid to court China, whose dollars it needs to finance its
massive increase in federal spending, the Obama administration has downplayed
not only China’s nuclear proliferation but North Korea’s nuclear proliferation
as well. Last week, North Korea announced that it conducted a successful fusion
experiment. That is, it announced that it is developing a hydrogen bomb. Rather
than condemn the move, the administration dismissed the danger, claiming that
North Korea was lying.
And just as it makes light of the threat emanating from North Korea, so the US
has continued to downplay the threat Iran’s nuclear program poses to US and
global security. Due to the US’s failure to end Iran’s uranium enrichment,
according to the most optimistic Western assessments, Iran will have enough
enriched uranium to produce atomic bombs at will in a matter of months.
If the Turkish-Brazilian uranium enrichment deal with Iran goes through, the
timeline will be cut by half. Given the new deal’s similarity to the offer Obama
made the Iranians last year, the administration will have great difficulty
discrediting it or even providing a coherent explanation for its opposition to
the deal.
AS FOREIGN Minister Avigdor Lieberman noted in his trip to Japan earlier in the
month, North Korea does not only threaten its immediate neighbors. Through its
proliferation activities, and particularly through its close ties to Iran and
its Syrian, Hizbullah and Hamas clients, North Korea constitutes a threat to the
Middle East and indeed to global security as a whole. It is important for the
US’s spurned allies in Tokyo, Seoul and beyond to join forces with Israel to
contend with the threats we share – threats that the Obama administration’s
diplomatic bungling has only exacerbated.
But while it is true that North Korea’s proliferation activities threaten global
security, it is also true that there is a qualitative difference between the
regimes in Pyongyang and Teheran. The regime in Pyongyang is evil, but it is
mainly motivated by its desire to survive. In contrast, Iran’s regime is openly
revolutionary. Its stated aim is to destroy the global order, annihilate Israel
and the US and usher in a Shi’ite messianic era in which Iran will rule the
world in the name of Islam.
Depressingly, just as the Iranian threat is greater than the North Korean
threat, so the Obama administration’s denial of the nature of the Iranian threat
is greater than its denial of the North Korean threat. Quite simply, the Obama
administration refuses to believe the ideology that informs the actions of
Iran’s rulers is what they say it is.
In its latest demonstration of its deep denial of the nature of the threat it
faces, this week John Brennan, Obama’s chief adviser for counterterrorism and
homeland security, said that the US must court what he referred to as “moderate
elements,” in Hizbullah.
Brennan argued that since in addition to its Iranian-commanded and -supplied
military organization and its Iranian-commanded and -trained international
terror network, Hizbullah also has members in the Lebanese government and
parliament, it is a group that the Obama administration can do business with.
To the extent that Brennan’s statement echoes the Obama administration’s
analysis of Hizbullah, it is simply terrifying.
Hizbullah was established by Iran in 1981. It has a dual mission of serving as
the advance guard of Iran’s global Islamic revolution and of spreading the
Iranian revolution to Lebanon. Hizbullah’s participation in Lebanese politics is
consonant with this mission. It does not in any way indicate a moderation of the
organization. Had Brennan looked, he would not have found a single statement by
Hizbullah parliamentarians or government ministers that in any way contradicts
Hizbullah’s Iranian-dictated missions.
But then, Brennan’s asinine position on Hizbullah is part and parcel of his
overall denial of the threat radical Islam poses to the US and to the rest of
the world. In a speech at New York University last August, Brennan gave a
stirring defense of Islam as a religion of peace. He eschewed any connection
between the likes of al-Qaida and the Iranian mullahs and Islam, and claimed
that jihad is a great and good thing.
In his words, “Using the legitimate term jihad, which means to purify oneself or
to wage a holy struggle for a moral goal [to describe the cause for which
Islamic terrorists fight], risks giving these murderers the religious legitimacy
they desperately seek but in no way deserve.”
What Brennan’s statements show is that Obama, who picked Brennan to serve as his
chief counterterrorism adviser, is ideologically committed to the notion that
Iran and its fellow jihadists are not an inherent threat to the US and its
allies. That is, Obama is ideologically committed to the notion that there is no
reason to take any action against Iran that could actually prevent the likes of
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hassan Nasrallah from developing and deploying nuclear
weapons.
SINCE OBAMA took office nearly a year and a half ago, Israel has agreed to
Obama’s demand that it allow him to take the lead in international efforts to
prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power. Israel stood back as he wasted a
year trying to woo Ahmadinejad, often at Israel’s own expense as he linked
Iran’s nuclear weapons program to the Palestinian conflict with Israel. Israel
has stood back since then as he pushed forward UN sanctions.
And now, a year and a half later, Obama’s sanctions gambit is revealed as a
dangerous joke. Iran is months away from the bomb. Hizbullah has an arsenal of
guided missiles capable of hitting Tel Aviv and beyond. Iran’s diplomatic
stature has soared to unprecedented heights as it runs diplomatic circles around
Obama and his advisers. And Brennan wants to make a deal with Hizbullah.
South Korea’s acknowledgment of North Korea’s aggression places it on a
collision course with the Obama administration, which prefers to court Beijing
for dollars rather than deal effectively with Pyongyang’s aggression. Israel has
been on a collision course with Washington for a year and a half now, as it
insists in the face of US opposition that Iran’s nuclear program is the greatest
threat to global security today.
Sadly, the US’s ridiculous sanctions resolution and its general diplomatic
incompetence make clear that it is time for Israel to risk escalating its crisis
with Obama still further. It is time for Israel to take the lead in the
international campaign to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
caroline@carolineglick.com
10 years after the Israeli
withdrawal from S. Lebanon
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/23396
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/157495
http://al-ghorba6.blogspot.com/2010/05/10-years-after-israels-withdrawal-from.html
http://eliasyoussefbejjani.blogspot.com/2010/05/10-years-after-israels-withdrawal-from.html
http://www.analyst-network.com/article.php?art_id=3459
http://blogs.albawaba.com/bejjani
http://www.10452lccc.com/elias%20english09/elias%20barakat20.05.10.htm
http://topics.philly.com/article/0efS3fT2l371D?q=Iran
Question: "What does the Bible say about illegal immigration?"
question.com/Answer: Romans 13:1-7 makes it
abundantly clear that God expects us to obey the laws of the government. The
only exception to this is when a law of the government forces you to disobey a
command of God (Acts 5:29). Illegal immigration is the breaking of a
governmental law. There is nothing in Scripture that contradicts a nation having
immigration laws. Therefore, it is a sin, rebellion against God, to illegally
enter into another country.
Illegal immigration is definitely a controversial issue in the United States
(and some other countries) today. Some argue that the immigration laws are
unfair, unjust, and even discriminatory -- giving individuals justification to
immigrate illegally. However, Romans 13:1-7 does not give any permission to
violate a law just because it is unjust. Again, the issue is not the fairness of
a law. The only biblical reason to violate a governmental law is if that law
violates God's Word. When Paul wrote the Book of Romans, he was under the
authority of the Roman Empire, led by perhaps the most evil of all the Roman
emperors, Nero. Under that reign, there were many laws that were unfair, unjust,
and/or blatantly evil. Still, Paul instructed Christians to submit to the
government.
Are the immigration laws of the United States unfair or unjust? Some think so,
but that is not the issue. All developed countries in the world have immigration
laws, some more strict that the USA and some less strict than the USA. There is
nothing in the Bible to prohibit a country from having completely open borders,
or to have completely closed borders. Romans 13:1-7 also gives the government
the authority to punish lawbreakers. Whether the punishment is imprisonment
and/or deportation, or even something more severe, it is within the rights of
the government to determine.
The vast majority of illegal immigrants in the United States have come for the
purpose of having a better life, providing for their families, and escaping from
poverty. These are good goals and motivations. However, it is not biblical to
violate a law to achieve something "good." Caring for the poor, orphans, and
widows is something the Bible commands us to do (Galatians 2:10; James 1:27;
2:2-15). However, the biblical fact that we are to care for the misfortunate
does not mean we should violate the law in doing so. Supporting, enabling,
and/or encouraging illegal immigration is, therefore, also a violation of God's
Word. Those seeking to immigrate to another country should always obey the
immigration laws of that country. While this may cause delays and frustrations,
these reasons do not give a person the right to violate a law.
What is the biblical solution to illegal immigration? Simple...don't do it; obey
the laws. If disobedience is not a biblical option, what can be done in regards
to an unjust immgration law? It is completely within the rights of citizens to
seek to change immigration laws. If it is your conviction that an immigration
law is unjust, do everything that is legally within your power to get the law
changed: pray, petition, vote, peacefully protest, etc. As Christians, we should
be the first to seek to change any law that is unjust. At the same time, we are
also to demonstrate our submission to God by obeying the government He has
placed in authority over us.
"Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the
emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil
and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good
you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who
are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants
of God" (1 Peter 2:13–16).
Paul's Letter to the Romans 13/1-7: "13:1 Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God. 13:2 Therefore he who resists the authority, withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment. 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the same, 13:4 for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn’t bear the sword in vain; for he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil. 13:5 Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. 13:6 For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, attending continually on this very thing. 13:7 Give therefore to everyone what you owe: taxes to whom taxes are due; customs to whom customs; respect to whom respect; honor to whom honor. 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.