LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِNovember 01/2010

Bible Of The Day
25:31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 25:32 Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 25:33 He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 25:34 Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 25:35 for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in. 25:36 I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.’ 25:37 “Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink? 25:38 When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you? 25:39 When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?’ 25:40 “The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 25:41 Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; 25:42 for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; 25:43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in; naked, and you didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ 25:44 “Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t help you?’ 25:45 “Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.’ 25:46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
 

Free Opinions, Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
A toast to Lebanese wine/By: Aline Sara/October 31/10  

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for October 31/10
Saudi King's Son Meets Assad to Defuse Lebanon Tension over Nasrallah's Boycott Call/Naharnet
Obama Phones Saudi King, Stresses Full Support for Hariri, Tribunal/Naharnet
Sfeir: STL Should Specifically Name the Criminals, Hizbullah is Adopting Control Methods/Naharnet
Hariri Ends Kuwait Visit: Give Unity Government a Chance to Invest in Stability/Naharnet
Qassem: Hizbullah is Against STL because it is Confident of Innocence /Naharnet
Berri Meets Syrian, Saudi, Iranian Ambassadors ahead of Cabinet Session/Naharnet
Lebanese break Guiness record for biggest glass of wine/J.Post
Syria Continues to Stonewall the IAEA/American Thinker
Suleiman Seeks Consensus on Solving False Witnesses/Naharnet
Franjieh Backs Nasrallah's Stance, Calls on Hariri to Reject STL/Naharnet
Fneish: Some Parties Employing Hariri Murder for Security, Political Ends/Naharnet
Kabbara to Nasrallah: Your War on Justice is against International Community, Majority of Lebanese/Naharnet
Gemayel: Nasrallah is Wrong in his Calculations/Naharnet
British Foreign Ministry Spokesperson: We Hope STL May Freely Complete its Investigations/Naharnet
Mashnouq: Nasrallah's Statements are a Political Position that Don't Bind Anyone/Naharnet
Hariri to Ban: Committed to International Legitimacy to Serve Proper Conduct of Investigation/Naharnet
U.S. Accuses Hizbullah of 'Intimidation', Demands U.N. Security Council to Convene over STL/Naharnet
Jumblat Slams Investigators 'Unethical Behavior': UNSCR 1559 Launched Political Assassinations/Naharnet

Sfeir: STL Should Specifically Name the Criminals, Hizbullah is Adopting Control Methods
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir stressed on Friday that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon should be explicit in naming the suspects involved in the assassinations that have taken place in Lebanon. He told Al-Jazeera television in an interview to be broadcast on Saturday: "If we want to put an end to political assassinations then the international tribunal should issue its indictment and specifically names those in Lebanon who committed the crime." "If we want matters to continue as they are, then the assassinations will continue, which would harm Lebanon and other nations as well," he added. Furthermore, he noted that it would be "worrisome" if Hizbullah were to take control of Lebanon, saying: "Lebanon should remain as it was, for all its sects … and if one were to overpower the others, then that would oppose the foundations upon which Lebanon is built." Asked whether he believes that Hizbullah wants to control Lebanon, Sfeir responded with a denial, but noted: "Its methods are forceful and of course, force leads to power." Addressing the possibility of paying a visit to Iran, the patriarch said: "The conditions are not suitable yet to allow us to make the trip." As for visiting Syria, Sfeir said that if the conditions are appropriate then he would head to Damascus. "So far it has not appeared that relations between Lebanon and Syria are sound because one country possibly seeks to gain interests in the other, which the Lebanese oppose," he continued. "If Syria wants to befriend Lebanon in order to control it as it wishes, then we do not want this friendship," he added. Beirut, 30 Oct 10, 10:27

Obama Phones Saudi King, Stresses Full Support for Hariri, Tribunal
Naharnet/U.S. President Barack Obama discussed the Special Tribunal for Lebanon with Saudi King Abdullah, The White House said. It said Obama telephoned Abdullah to stress the "importance of giving full support to Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and the International Tribunal." Beirut, 31 Oct 10, 08:04

Saudi King's Son Meets Assad to Defuse Lebanon Tension over Nasrallah's Boycott Call
Naharnet/Saudi King Abdullah's son, Prince Abdel Aziz bin Abdullah, will meet Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus "in the coming hours" in a bid to defuse Lebanon tension over a call by Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah to boycott the International Tribunal, Elaf website said. It said the Saudi Prince will convey a message to Assad from King Abdullah. The website said Prince Abdel Aziz and Assad will discuss "a mechanism to ease the political tension" triggered by Nasrallah's boycott call. It did not say whether the Saudi Prince will make a similar trip to Lebanon. Beirut, 31 Oct 10, 08:35

Berri Meets Syrian, Saudi, Iranian Ambassadors ahead of Cabinet Session
Naharnet/Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri held talks with Iranian and Syrian ambassadors and is scheduled to meet Saudi Ambassador Ali Awad Asiri on Monday as part of efforts to defuse Lebanon tension ahead of next week's Cabinet meeting. Following his meeting with Berri, Asiri will reportedly host a luncheon for the Syrian and Iranian ambassadors on Tuesday. Beirut, 31 Oct 10, 10:07

Qassem: Hizbullah is Against STL because it is Confident of Innocence
Naharnet/Hizbullah deputy chief sheikh Naim Qassem said Hizbullah is against the Special Tribunal for Lebanon because it is confident of its innocence. "Hizbullah is against the International Tribunal because it is absolutely confident that it is not responsible for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri," Qassem told the Qatari newspaper al-Watan. Describing the STL as "politicized," Qassem said the Court has "gone beyond its target of finding the truth." He accused the STL of seeking to "settle scores" instead. Qassem said Hizbullah members will not hand themselves over to the Tribunal. He called on Prime Minister Saad Hariri to find a clear-cut solution to the STL crisis and exert efforts to avoid strife. Beirut, 31 Oct 10, 11:45

Hariri Ends Kuwait Visit: Give Unity Government a Chance to Invest in Stability
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Sunday left Kuwait for London, ending a two-day visit during which he met Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah and other Kuwaiti officials.
At the Second Kuwait Financial Forum, Hariri said there was "no choice but to consolidate our unity." "We should give the national unity government a chance to invest in stability," Hariri stressed. An-Nahar newspaper said Hariri's talks with the Kuwaiti Emir were supposed to tackle, in addition to bilateral relations and regional developments, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Hariri also met his Kuwaiti counterpart and Speaker Jassem al-Kharafi. He urged Iraqi political parties to accept the Saudi invitation to meet in Riyadh to resolve their political deadlock. "We have been pleased to hear (Saudi) King Abdullah's invitation to Iraq's political leaders to resolve Iraqi problems under the umbrella of the Arab League," Hariri said in the keynote address at the Kuwait Financial Forum. "We advise our brothers in Iraq not to miss this golden opportunity," the premier said.
The Saudi king called on Iraqi leaders to meet in Riyadh after the Eid al-Adha holiday "under the umbrella of the Arab League to seek a solution to the problem of forming a new government, which has taken too long." The invitation did not specify a date, only saying the talks should take place following Eid, which falls on November 16, and after the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca from November 14-18. In Baghdad, an MP close to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who is seeking to keep his job, scorned the invitation. "This Saudi initiative is not positive, and that country does not have a role to play because it has not been neutral in recent years; it has always had a negative attitude toward (Maliki) and (his) State of Law" bloc, Sami al-Askari said. Beirut, 31 Oct 10, 13:57

Suleiman Seeks Consensus on Solving False Witnesses
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman was reportedly seeking consensus on solving the false witnesses' issue. An-Nahar newspaper on Sunday said that while Suleiman does not want to evade the issue, this does not mean that discussing the matter in Cabinet will lead to consensus. It quoted well-informed sources as saying that when Cabinet failed to reach an agreement on the issue during last week's Cabinet meeting, Suleiman intervened, pointing out that in line with the Constitution "we should seek consensus. A vote would be the last resort. So nothing prevents us from looking for solutions."The source said Speaker Nabih Berri returned from Paris with several ideas he discussed with Suleiman and Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
The sources confirmed that Suleiman could help find a solution which can satisfy both Berri and Hariri, but added that the President "will not violate the law by referring the false witnesses' issue to the Judicial Council." Beirut, 31 Oct 10, 09:31

Kabbara to Nasrallah: Your War on Justice is against International Community, Majority of Lebanese
Naharnet/Mustaqbal bloc MP Mohammed Kabbara on Saturday lashed out at Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah over the latter's speech on Thursday, in which he called on "every official and every citizen to boycott the work of U.N. investigators" probing the murder of ex-PM Rafik Hariri. "The open war Sayyed Nasrallah has declared on international justice puts him in a confrontation with the international community and the vast majority of Lebanese, who reject this militia-like approach," Kabbara said. "Hizbullah has finally revealed its cards and real goals to openly declare that it wants to topple the Special Tribunal for Lebanon," added Kabbara. Mustaqbal's MP noted that Hizbullah was trying to "incite dignities and honor over the probe international investigators wanted to conduct at a medical clinic, so it resorted to distorting the facts related to this investigation, after it had set up an ambush for U.N. investigators."
"Sayyed Nasrallah is speaking of STL's violation of Lebanon, does he prefer that the lives of people be violated through distorting facts and concealing the criminals who had spilled the blood of the martyrs," Kabbara went on to say. He added: "Sayyed Nasrallah says he has reached a sensitive point, we also tell him that things have reached a sensitive point, for the termination policy you're using won't manage to terminate us or change our beliefs, and things have reached a critical point. We are adhered to unveiling the truth, achieving justice and building the State." Beirut, 30 Oct 10, 16:48

Hariri to Ban: Committed to International Legitimacy to Serve Proper Conduct of Investigation
Naharnet/Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Friday received a phone call from U.N. chief Ban Ki-Moon, the premier's press office announced in a communiqué. The phone conversation focused "on the circumstances of the incident that targeted a team of investigators from the Office of the Prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon two days ago in the southern suburbs of Beirut," according to the communiqué. During the conversation, Hariri stressed Lebanon's commitment to "respect the international legitimacy in order to serve the proper conduct of the investigation and the imperatives of justice." Beirut, 30 Oct 10, 15:58

Gemayel: Nasrallah is Wrong in his Calculations
Naharnet/Phalange Party leader former president Amin Gemayel noted on Saturday that Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah "is mistaken in his calculations and his current line of action of relying on the party's weapons".He told Free Lebanon radio that no one in the world can eliminate Hizbullah, stressing the need to reach an understanding over its arms.
Furthermore, he said that the indictment in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri will reveal several matters, adding that President Michel Suleiman should defend the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in line with his presidential oath. The current developments in Lebanon are a gradual takeover of the system where intellectual and political terrorism is being exercised on the country's political class, Gemayel stated. Beirut, 30 Oct 10, 14:04

U.S. Accuses Hizbullah of 'Intimidation', Demands U.N. Security Council to Convene over STL
Naharnet/The United States on Friday vowed support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, accusing Hizbullah of "intimidation" in urging a boycott.
Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Thursday warned all Lebanese not to help investigators probing the 2005 killing of ex-PM Rafik Hariri, saying that such cooperation "contributes to the assault on the Resistance." "Nasrallah's remarks are an indication of how Hizbullah does not have the interest of all the Lebanese people in mind," U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters. "It has a narrow agenda and we will do everything that we can to help the Lebanese government and Lebanese people resist this obvious intimidation," he said. Crowley called the Special Tribunal for Lebanon "vitally important" for the country's future, but rejected accusations that the United States wanted to affect its findings.
"We are committed to support the work of the tribunal and will do everything that we can, not to influence it, just to give it the opportunity to continue its work," Crowley said.
His remarks come a day after the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, accused Hizbullah's main supporters Syria and Iran of fuelling tensions in Lebanon through illicit arms supplies. Crowley said the United States was "concerned by the increase of tension" in Lebanon and accused unnamed other forces of "trying to undermine the Lebanese government and Lebanese sovereignty." Meanwhile, the daily An Nahar reported on Saturday that Washington had demanded that the U.N. Security Council hold an urgent meeting in order to tackle developments related to the tribunal. STL Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare is expected to head to the U.N. next week in order to discuss the tribunal's administrative matters and its funding given the growing demand in Lebanon for the funding to stop.(naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 29 Oct 10, 22:27

Franjieh Backs Nasrallah's Stance, Calls on Hariri to Reject STL
Naharnet/Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh on Saturday voiced his support for Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's recent call for boycotting U.N. investigators, describing it as "rightful." In an interview with Hizbullah's mouthpiece Al-Manar television, Franjieh called on Premier Saad Hariri to declare that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon is "politicized and rejected," stressing that the premier must seek the bringing of the so-called "false witnesses" to justice. Tackling the highly-anticipated upcoming cabinet session and the dispute about referring the false witnesses issue to the Judicial Council, Franjieh said: "I trust the stances of President Michel Suleiman and Head of Democratic Gathering MP Walid Jumblat."He noted that Hariri should be the first one to back referring the case to the Judicial Council. Franjieh accused the Lebanese Judiciary of taking orders from politicians, stressing that State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza "takes his orders from Saad Hariri." The Marada leader voiced his regret that "the blood of late premier Rafik Hariri is being used to harm the Resistance."Franjieh also voiced his regret that the stance of Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir "reflects the viewpoint of only one group of Christians." Beirut, 30 Oct 10, 21:18

A toast to Lebanese wine
Aline Sara ,/Now Lebanon October 31, 2010
Visitors indulge in samples from 18 different wine stands during Lebanon’s Vinifest 2010. (Photo courtesy of Linus de Faire)
Yvan Jobard is one of several French viticulturists to have come to Lebanon out of passion for wine. He befriended a Lebanese while working in his homeland and landed an opportunity in the Land of Cedars’ viticulture in 2004.
Six years later, he can not imagine leaving the home of the famous Temple of Bacchus. He currently oversees production at Batroun’s the Coteaux de Botrys, one of Lebanon’s 33 commercial wineries. Though Lebanese wine is not very well known on the international market, it has an enormous potential, he says.
François-Eugène Brun also saw glittering potenial for the local wine industry and in 1868, the French railroad engineer founded Domaine des Tourelles, Lebanon’s first commercial producer, when he settled in Chtaura. At present, the company exports an estimated 200,000 bottles per year, explains co-owner Emile Issa el-Khoury. It’s more of a niche market, he adds, noting the bulk of his production is exported to France, the UK, Canada and the US.
From Chtaura to Batroun, the Bekaa Valley to Jezzine, tiny little Lebanon is peppered with more wineries that one might think. Anyone who waltzed around during last week’s Vinifest could taste a wide range of Lebanese wines.
The third installment of annual festivities took place at the Hippodrome de Beirut. From the industry’s pioneers like Ksara to the nascent Ixsir, passing through small family owned productions like Najm and uber chic, internationally known Chateau Musar, wine lovers and experts alike had both quantity and variety of aromas over which to toast.
Event organizer Eventions estimated that during Thursday’s launching alone, an estimated 4,000 guests trickled in with complimentary glass, ready for tasting, cheese, and live entertainment.
“We’ve only been getting positive feedback, and the event is taking on a national magnitude,” said one representative from Eventions. “Every year, we like to include a special theme that helps develop the local wine scene,” she added. This year, the focus was on the concept of terroir, the French word used to describe the grape growing conditions of any given region. Hence, the festival area was divided into the Bekaa, Batroun, Bhamdoun, Jezzine, Kfardebian, and Keserouan. “Our ultimate goal is to make the festival international, like the one in Bordeaux,” which draws a crowd of around a million French and international visitors” she said.
Likewise, the Union Vinicole du Liban (UVL) a partner in the event, is focused on promoting Lebanon’s image as a global wine producer, states UVL’s Nada Richa. The organization recently launched a campaign in the UK, part of which includes the first international tasting of Lebanese wine in London next week. “People don’t associate Lebanon with wine yet, and we want to change that,” says Richa.
“Breaking into the UK is very challenging because it’s one of the most competitive world markets,” explains Lebanese wine enthusiast and author of the Wines of Lebanon Michael Karam. “Musar paved the way 30 years ago and now new labels like Massaya are carrying on the tradition.”
But Karam feels there is still work to be done “Lebanese should be the sexiest wine in the world,” said the writer, whose latest book, Michael Karam’s Lebanese Wines 2011 was launched at the festival. “But when people think of Lebanon, they still think of street fighters with Kalashnikovs, because the country has yet to have created itself a wine identity in the international consciousness,” he says. “The quality is definitely comparable to that of New World producers like Chile, Argentina and South Africa.”
“We also need to break out of our comfort zone and sell to venues other than Lebanese cafes and restaurants abroad,” he adds. This is the typical Lebanese mistake, echoes Hady Kahale , general manager of Ixsir, whose wine hit the market last year. Inspired from the Arabic word elixir, “secret potion,” Kahale says the vision behind the wine is to cultivate grapes from all over the country and blend them into one unique concoction. Markets in Northern Europe and Japan, where they already have an opening through a partnership with CEO of Renault-Nissan Carlos Ghosn, are among their major targets.
For Lebanese lawyer, Elie Klimos, a regular at the annual Vinifest, Lebanese wine has a special value: “It is in the Bible, it was served during the last supper, it is even a tradition for Maronite monks,” who under the name Adyar have produced Lebanon’s first certified organic wines. “I am a wine lover, especially for Lebanese wine, because it has a historical dimension and dates back to the Phoenicians,” one of the oldest ancient cultures to have impacted the history of wine.