LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِNovember
08/2010
Bible Of The
Day
The Good News According to
Matthew 16/13-21
16:13 Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his
disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
16:14 They said, “Some say John the Baptizer, some, Elijah, and others,
Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 16:15 He said to them, “But who do you say
that I am?” 16:16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God.” 16:17 Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for
flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
16:18 I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my
assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 16:19 I will give
to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will
have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been
released in heaven.” 16:20 Then he commanded the disciples that they should tell
no one that he was Jesus the Christ. 16:21 From that time, Jesus began to show
his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the
elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised
up
Free Opinions,
Releases, letters, Interviews & Special Reports
The most corrupt countries/by
Daniel Fisher/November
07/10
Bombing Iran will
strengthen it; only peace will weaken Iran/By
Gideon Levy/Haaretz/November
07/10
Do Lebanon’s Ahmadinejad supporters
endorse Iran's ruling?/By:Aline Sara/November
07/10
Latest News
Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for November
07/10
USA Senator: Consider taking out
Iran's military/AP
Six
Hurt in Wadi Khaled Unrest after
Overnight Clash with Border Guards Left 4 Locals Dead/Naharnet
New 'King' Witness in Hariri Murder
Uncovered/Naharnet
Kouchner Denies Mentioning
'Hizbullah Name' in Meeting with Moussawi/Naharnet
U.S.: Syria risks IAEA action if access to suspected nuclear site is
denied/Reuters
Report: Iran gave Hezbollah UAVs, attack aircraft/Haaretz
Lebanon says Israel erecting 21 spy posts along its border/News Agencies
French FM appeals for calm in Lebanon
amid concerns over Hariri tribunal/The Canadian Press
Israel to quit northern sector of
disputed village on Lebanese
border occupied/The Canadian Press
Israel to Quit from Part of Ghajar,
Discusses Withdrawal Plan with UN/Naharnet
Saudi FM Urges Lebanese to Exercise
Restraint, Resort to Dialogue/Naharnet
Koucher Uncovers Arab Desire to
Achieve New Taif Agreement on Lebanon/Naharnet
Mkhaiber: Scrapping International
Tribunal is Now Impossible/Naharnet
Kouchner Says STL Not Targeting
Certain Community/Naharnet
Sakr: Repeat of 2008 May Events
would be the end of Hezbollah/Now Lebanon
Iran proposes nuclear talks with
West be held in Turkey/AP & J.Post
The most
corrupt countries
by Daniel Fisher
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
provided by Forbrs
http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/article/forbes/1892/the-most-corrupt-countries
Upset with the failings of the U.S. government these days? Take a breath. At
least we're not Somalia. That beleaguered, warn-torn disaster of a nation tops
Transparency International's latest list of the world's most corrupt countries.
The former Italian colony of 9.8 million people on the Indian Ocean, long racked
by civil war, has become a capital for piracy and terrorism with little capacity
for any government at all, let alone an honest one. It ranks 1.1 on
Transparency's 10-point scale.
And it's hardly alone. Following closely behind are Myanmar and Afghanistan,
each ranking 1.4 and each tremendously corrupt in its own way. Myanmar, formerly
Burma, is run by a junta of generals who have plundered the nation's timber,
minerals and natural gas and led the U.S. Treasury to slap sanctions against
more than 100 of its leaders including the wife and son of No. 3 official
General Thurs Shew Mann.
Afghanistan, meanwhile, is a nominal U.S. ally burdened with the corrupt
government of Hamid Karzai, who's admitted to taking "bags of money" from U.S.
enemy Iran in addition to the huge sums of U.S. aid and persuasion money
floating around the war-ravaged nation. It doesn't help that Karzai's brother is
widely reputed to be involved in the opium trade.
Another war-torn nation, Iraq, came in fourth on the corruption index.
Squabbling between the Shiite majority and Sunni minority, still unused to being
out of power, has delayed the formation of a government but corruption among the
country's administrators and judiciary is rampant.
After Iraq come the usual suspects: Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Chad.
Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are former Soviet republics burdened with corrupt
governments that look a lot like what they suffered under when the Russians were
in charge. In Uzbekistan, according to the U.S. State Dept., the "law does not
forbid government officials from acting as 'consultants,' a common method of
extracting payment."
In Chad, the scene of vicious infighting over the spoils of a massive oil
development project and pipeline, government officials have mastered a one-two
approach to corruption, the State Dept. says: "In some cases, tax and customs
authorities may facilitate evasion only to return later to pursue the
infractions they facilitated."
The central African nation of Burundi is a new arrival to the bottom 10. Largely
dependent on coffee exports, the country has had a democratic government since
the end of civil war in 2006 but remains challenged in the area of ethics.
"Officially, Burundi has a number of laws and regulations prohibiting corrupt
practices such as bribery, nepotism, preferential hiring and promotion and
embezzlement," the State Dept. says. "In practice, these measures are rarely
enforced."
Also new to the list of the 10 most corrupt is Equatorial Guinea, which has
vaulted from desperate poverty to incredible wealth--for the leaders,
anyway--since the discovery of huge offshore oil deposits in the early 1990s.
Riding the wave of wealth has been President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo,
who's dominated the government of this West African nation since he led a coup
d'etat in 1979.
Once again Northern European countries rule the other end of the Transparency
International list, with Denmark, Finland and Sweden all in among the five least
corrupt nations with nearly pristine scores of 9.2 or more. The U.S. came in at
22, sandwiched between Belgium and Uruguay. Not great, but ...
Assyrians
in Canada, Australia Protest Baghdad Church Massacre, More Protests Planned for
Monday
11-7-2010
Assyrian International News Agency
Fairfield, Australia (AINA) -- Hundreds of Assyrians held a demonstration to
protest the massacre of 58 Catholic Assyrians (also known as Chaldeans and
Syriacs) at Our Lady of Deliverance church in Baghdad on October 31. The
Assyrian Universal Alliance issued the following statement:
We offer our heartfelt condolences to the immediate family of the parishioners
and Reverent fathers who lost their lives during this horrific attack and to the
Assyrian nation worldwide. May almighty God rest their souls in peace. Let this
martyrdom be a reminder to our people, particularly our churches, to stand
shoulder to shoulder in defending our nation.
In Toronto, Canada, hundreds of Assyrians held a similar demonstration in
Mississauga.
Demonstration will be held on Monday at noon local time in nearly twenty cities
in Canada, United States, Sweden, Holland, Germany and Australia.
Report: Iran gave Hezbollah UAVs, attack aircraft
6 06.11.10
Haaretz/Iranian experts were sent to Lebanon to aid Hezbollah in building the
aerial array and train militants, Hezbollah sources tell Kuwaiti newspaper.
Hezbollah has obtained a complete aerial array from Iran, including an attack
aircraft and several unmanned aerial vehicles, Channel 10 quoted the Kuwaiti
newspaper Al-Siyasa on Saturday. According to sources close to the Hezbollah
military leadership, Hezbollah has at least three different kinds of UAVs and an
Iranian aircraft that could reach long distances and attack specific targets on
the ground. The sources say that these are the "surprises" that Hezbollah leader
Hassan Nasrallah promised his organization would use in any future conflict with
Israel. Iran's Revolutionary Guard is responsible for the transfer of the
aircraft to Hezbollah, sources say, and dozens of Iranian experts were allegedly
sent to Lebanon to aid Hezbollah in building the aerial array and to train
militants. According to the report, Tehran allocated a very high budget for the
project. Western sources responded to the report, saying that they fear the
aircraft could be an "important card" in a possible future conflict between
Israel and Hezbollah.
Israel to
Quit from Part of Ghajar, Discusses Withdrawal Plan with UN
Naharnet/Israel will present the U.N. with a plan to withdraw from the northern
sector of the disputed border village of Ghajar that it has occupied since its
2006 war with Hizbullah, an Israeli official said Sunday. The official spoke on
condition of anonymity because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won't present
the proposal to U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon until Monday when the two meet in New
York. Details of the plan were not released, though Israel clearly would like
assurances that Hizbullah won't be able to gain a foothold there from which to
threaten cross-border attacks. An Israeli withdrawal could also set the stage
for more tension between Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's political bloc
and its Hizbullah rivals, who have extended their political influence in
Hariri's shaky coalition government and maintain the country's strongest
military arsenal.
Hariri's allies would likely use the pullout to argue that Hizbullah no longer
needs its weapons and that disputed land can be regained with the help of the
international community instead. Hizbullah, which refuses to disarm, is already
saying its military power would be to thank for any Israeli pullout. The
political director of the U.N. force in Lebanon, Milos Strugar, said the force
has been "actively engaged with both parties" in an effort to facilitate an
Israeli withdrawal from the area. Ghajar sits on a strategic corner where the
boundaries between Syria, Israel and Lebanon are in dispute. Israel captured the
entire village of some 2,000 people from Syria in 1967. In 2000, after Israel
withdrew its forces from south Lebanon, U.N. surveyors put the border in the
middle of the village, leaving Israel in control of the southern half. Israel
reoccupied the northern part in the 2006 war. After the fighting, Israel pledged
to withdraw from that sector but gave no timeline for doing so. Ghajar's
residents are members of Islam's Alawite sect, whose followers include many
members of Syria's ruling elite. Most of the villagers have said in the past
that they want the village to remain united, regardless of who controls it.
Netanyahu plans to ask a group of Cabinet ministers to approve the withdrawal
proposal after he returns from a U.S. trip late this week. It is not clear
whether that means not all the details have been sewn up. Israeli officials have
met several times with the U.N. peacekeeping force stationed in southern Lebanon
to discuss a possible handover. A senior Lebanese army officer refused to
comment on the possible withdrawal before the Lebanese government is formally
informed by the U.N. of a plan. Hizbullah on Sunday positioned itself to claim
victory for any pullout. "If the withdrawal happens, it (Israel) won't be doing
it for free but because of fear of the resistance and Lebanon's strength through
the resistance," Hizbullah NP Nawar Saheli told The Associated Press in
Beirut.(AP-Naharnet) Beirut, 07 Nov 10, 13:52
Kouchner
Denies Mentioning 'Hizbullah Name' in Meeting with Moussawi
Naharnet/French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner denied he has mentioned
Hizbullah's name during his meeting with Hizbullah international relations
officer Ammar Moussawi.
French diplomatic sources told the daily An-Nahar in remarks published Sunday in
response to Moussawi's statement to OTV that Kouchner "did not bring up
Hizbullah's name at all because he does not know when the indictment is going to
be issued and what its content is." Moussawi told OTV that "Kouchner was clear
when he said that the indictment will name Hizbullah members and not the party
itself, and this is evidence that what we fear is real." Kouchner held talks
Saturday with Moussawi, who accused the United States of using the STL as its
"last pawn" in Lebanon. Beirut, 07 Nov 10, 08:10
Moussawi after Meeting Kouchner: Some Recent French
Statements Don't Serve Lebanon's Stability
Naharnet/Hizbullah International Relations Officer Moussawi on Saturday stressed
that his party was the side negatively affected the most after the murder of
ex-PM Rafik Hariri, "especially in terms of the repercussions created by the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon." "Israel is the party that benefited the most from
the murder," Moussawi said after meeting with visiting French Foreign Minister
Bernard Kouchner. "Right from the onset, the (U.N.) investigation's course had
suffered dangerous violations that derailed it from objectivity and
professionalism," the Hizbullah official added. He accused the United States of
using the STL as its "last pawn in the war on the Resistance," calling on France
to have an "independent policy towards Lebanon and the region and to take into
consideration the sensitivity of the Lebanese situation and the need not to turn
it once again into a field of experiments."Moussawi noted that some recent
French statements do not contribute to strengthening stability in Lebanon,
stressing that "Hizbullah is also concerned with fulfilling justice, which can't
be established except upon concrete facts."Later Saturday, Moussawi told OTV
that "Kouchner was clear when he said that the indictment will name Hizbullah
members and not the party itself, and this is evidence that what we fear is
real." Beirut, 06 Nov 10, 22:04
New 'King' Witness in Hariri Murder Uncovered
Naharnet/A new "king" witness in the inquiry into the murder of the former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri has reportedly been uncovered. Ad-Diyar newspaper on
Sunday said that, according to U.N. investigators, the new key witness was a
"close friend" of Imad Mughniyeh, a senior Hizbullah commander who was killed in
a car bombing in Damascus Feb. 12, 2008. It said this witness quit political
work many years ago and several years before Hariri's 2005 assassination. The
U.N. investigation committee, according to Ad-Diyar, will issue its indictment
based on information provided by this witness. The only known "king" witness in
the Hariri assassination till this date is Syrian Zuheir Siddiq. The report
could not be independently verified. Beirut, 07 Nov 10, 12:38
Hurt in Wadi Khaled Unrest after Overnight Clash with Border Guards Left 4
Locals Dead
Naharnet/The northern Lebanese area of Wadi Khaled regained its "cautious" calm
Saturday night following unrest during the day over the death of four of its
residents in a clash with Lebanese border guards Friday night. A series of
contacts and efforts were made throughout the past hours in order to return the
situation to normalcy.
Around midnight Friday, two Wadi Khaled locals were killed and two others were
seriously wounded in a clash with the Common Border Force, which comprises
members from the Lebanese Army, the Internal Security Forces, the General
Security Department and the Lebanese Customs. The state-run National News Agency
reported Saturday that the two wounded locals, Walid Ezzo and Asaad al-Oueissi,
died of their injuries. NNA identified Friday's victims as Mohammed Ahmed and
Fadlallah al-Shahab.
Also Saturday, angry locals torched offices used in the past by the General
Security Department to express their anger over the death of the two young men
on Friday.
They also hurled stones at the vehicles of the Common Border Force, whose
members responded by opening fire on the protesters, wounding six people, one
critically. The wounded were rushed to the Our Lady of Peace Hospital in Qobayat.
"These developments aggravated the tense situation, especially with the
residents' proclamation that the two young men were killed for no reason and
that they did not use firearms" against border guards, NNA reported. Premier
Saad Hariri contacted Saturday the commands of the Army and the Internal
Security Forces, as well as dignitaries from the northern area of Wadi Khaled,
to follow up on the incident and its repercussions. He also offered his
condolences to the families of the victims and inquired about the condition of
the wounded.
Hariri underlined during his contacts that "the citizens of Wadi Khaled are our
people and brothers, and they are aware that the Lebanese Army is our army, and
its soldiers are their children and our children." He also said that he will
personally follow up on "the investigations into the incident and its
unfortunate repercussions," calling on everyone to "wait for the findings of the
Lebanese judiciary, which is the relevant authority and reference to establish
justice." Hariri called on the people of Wadi Khaled to cooperate with the
Lebanese Army and the Internal Security Forces, "which play a great national
role in this sensitive phase and to prevent anyone from exploiting the situation
to cause a rift between Lebanese citizens and their military institution." In
this regard, MPs Mouein al-Meraabi and Khaled Daher accompanied by Sheikh Malek
Jadida headed to the Wadi Khaled area in a bid to east tensions and contain the
repercussions of the incident. Meraabi condemned the killing of the two young
men and called for "dissolving the Common Border Force because it failed in its
mission and it has always been provoking the residents." He stressed "the
importance of deploying an alternative trusted force that would respect the
residents and limit its mission to controlling and monitoring the border,
instead of monitoring the border villages and towns."Meraabi also called for
"opening a serious investigation in order to unveil the circumstances of the
death of the two young men at the hands of the Common Border Force, especially
that the locals did not use firearms at all before, during and after the
incident."
For his part, ex-MP Mohammed Yehia, who hails from the Wadi Khaled area, called
for "opening an investigation into the incident," as well as for "pacifying
things … and returning the situation to normalcy." Later Saturday, the MPs and
dignitaries of the Akkar District held an emergency meeting to discuss the
incident.
After the meeting, MP Khaled al-Daher recited a statement in the name of the
conferees, who called on "the national unity government and the Lebanese Army
Command to redefine the missions of the Common Border Force and limit them to
preventing the smuggling of arms and individuals according to U.N. Security
Council Resolution 1701."
The conferees also called for "limiting the presence of the Common Border Force
to the Lebanese-Syrian border and withdrawing its members from the villages and
towns of Wadi Khaled."
Daher called on the security and military forces to "enforce the law on all
Lebanese territories," noting that the residents of Wadi Khaled have been
"suffering since a long time from the acts and misbehaviors of the members of
the Common Border Force." Beirut, 06 Nov 10, 22:53
Saudi FM Urges Lebanese to Exercise Restraint, Resort to Dialogue
Naharnet/Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal on Saturday called for
restraint by all sides in Lebanon, after meeting his Italian counterpart Franco
Frattini in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. "We tackled the situation in Lebanon, and
our talks reflected common keenness on Lebanon's security, stability and
territorial integrity," Prince Saud said after the meeting.
"The kingdom (of Saudi Arabia) and its Arab brothers won't spare any effort to
reach these objectives. However, achieving them remains subject to the decision
of the Lebanese leaders … who must be aware of their historical responsibilities
and must favor Lebanon's interest over any narrow-minded factional interests,"
he added. The Saudi minister hoped all Lebanese parties would "exercise
self-control," urging them to "respond to President Michel Suleiman's sincere
efforts and sit together at the dialogue table to solve the problems on the
basis of the Constitution, and away from the language of tension and
escalation." Beirut, 06 Nov 10, 19:42
Koucher Uncovers Arab Desire to Achieve New Taif Agreement on Lebanon
Naharnet/French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner uncovered the desire of five
Arab countries to achieve a new agreement on Lebanon, given that the Taif
Agreement has become too old. The 1990 Taif Agreement brought an end to the
Lebanese Civil War. "If it was necessary to change agreements, there is nothing
wrong in that given that the Taif Agreement has become too old," Kouchner told
Al-Arabiya television channel. He gave no other details.Lebanese officials who
met the visiting French FM said Kouchner did not raise this issue with them.
Beirut, 07 Nov 10, 10:09
Mkhaiber: Scrapping International Tribunal is Now Impossible
Naharnet/Change and Reform MP Ghassan Mkaiber said scrapping the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon has "become impossible because the only way it can be
annulled is through a UN Security Council resolution.""Even if Lebanon stopped
funding the Tribunal, Court's work will not stop," Mkhaiber said in remarks
published Sunday by pan-Arab Ashar al-Awsat.
"The dispute going on in the country over the Tribunal may affect the
credibility of the Court, but does not affect its legality and continuance," he
believed.
Mkhaiber pointed out that calls by some officials requesting that Lebanese
judges be disqualified "won't change the course of the case because the Security
Council may then seek to modify the terms of forming a court committee." Beirut,
07 Nov 10, 12:17
Kouchner Says STL Not Targeting 'Certain Community'
Naharnet/French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Saturday said that the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon was not targeting a "certain community," but he
noted that he does not know the content of the pending indictment to be issued
by STL Prosecutor Danielle Bellemare. At a news conference he held at the end of
a 2-day official visit to Lebanon, Kouchner said: "I know that some people are
more worried than others … No certain community is being targeted."
Asked if Lebanon could stop cooperating with the tribunal, Kouchner replied: "It
is simply not possible."
"I met with the representatives of all Lebanese parties, and I conveyed to them
France's support for the Lebanese State in all its components, no matter what
happens, and I believe that nothing unfortunate will happen," Kouchner added.
"International justice is like that, always moving forward, and no one can
affect it," the French minister stressed.
Kouchner held talks Saturday with Hizbullah's international relations officer,
Ammar Moussawi, who accused the United States of using the STL as its "last
pawn" in Lebanon in a statement released by his office after the meeting.
Earlier Saturday, Kouchner questioned the uproar over the STL, stressing that it
was "born out of an international decision and with the approval of the
international community." He made his statements after holding talks with
Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir that also tackled the situation in the
region, which the French official described as dangerous. Addressing House
Speaker Nabih Berri's failure to schedule a meeting with him, Kouchner stated: "Berri
and I are friends and he is not here today." He later held talks with his
Lebanese counterpart Ali al-Shami on the situation in the region, during which
the latter stressed the need to restart dialogue on the regional scene.
Meanwhile, the Progressive Socialist Party issued a statement revealing that its
leader, MP Walid Jumblat, had held a meeting with Kouchner at the French embassy
on Saturday during which latest developments were addressed. The French minister
then held talks with Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel at the French embassy.
During the nearly hour-long meeting, Kouchner expressed his country's constant
support for Lebanon and its stability and independence, especially in this
phase. For his part, Gemayel hoped that France would maintain its support for
Lebanese legitimacy in order for it to "build a State and impose its authority
over all Lebanese territories."
Kouchner also held talks on Friday with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and
former prime minister Fouad Saniora. A top French diplomat on Saturday appealed
for calm in Lebanon amid a widening crisis over the STL's impending indictment
in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
"We call on all political actors in Lebanon to remain calm, serene, and
responsible, and that is the purpose" of Kouchner's visit, the diplomat told
Agence France Presse. Kouchner arrived in Lebanon on Friday hoping to ease
tensions between rival factions over a U.N. probe into the 2005 murder of former
prime minister Rafik Hariri. Kouchner began his two-day visit by meeting
President Michel Suleiman at the Baabda Palace, in the presence of French
Ambassador to Lebanon Denis Pietton. The French minister conveyed a French
message of support for Lebanon and its president, according to Lebanon's
state-run National News Agency. Kouchner-Suleiman talks tackled the current
developments and means of enhancing Lebanese-French relations in all fields and
on all levels. Kouchner then held talks with Prime Minister Saad Hariri at the
Center House. Discussions focused on the latest regional and international
developments as well as bilateral relations.(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 06 Nov 10,
21:30
Bombing Iran will strengthen it; only peace will weaken Iran
By Gideon Levy/Haaretz
05.11.10
In Israel's history, very few years have opened without flowery declarations
about 'a decisive year.' For the most part, they turned out to be years of
missed opportunities.
A moment after the U.S. congressional election season, a moment before the
presidential election season, a very short window of opportunity opens for the
decision-making season. This is likely to be an unparalleled season of danger.
As usual, on the agenda is an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities and "the peace
process."
Nothing has come of the latter, but even Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would
like for once to make a decision, "go down in history" and set aside this whole
headache of two states and freezing the settlements, Likud MKs Danny Danon and
Tzipi Hotovely. Defense Minister Ehud Barak also wants it. So the coming months
are destined for trouble, and calamity is looming. The relatively easy way for
Netanyahu and Barak to decide, and make people forget, could be through bombing.
Yes, this could succeed once again, as it did in Iraq and that mysterious
country, but this success, too, would be imaginary. A failure would be
disastrous, and there is a plethora of horror scenarios for the day after.
Iran is dangerous; an Iran that is bombed will be even more dangerous. The
regime in Iran is stable; the regime after a bombing will be even more stable.
Anyone who wants to strengthen it is invited to bomb. Anyone who wants to unite
the Iranian people even more behind its leadership is invited to threaten and
attack. Anyone who wants to spur on Iran even more to get a nuclear bomb is
invited to intimidate it. Even the last of the ayatollahs knows the truth: If
Afghanistan or Iraq had an atomic bomb, the United States would not have dared
to invade them, and their regimes would have been spared.
The last of the ayatollahs also knows that lashing out at Israel the occupier is
the best way to preserve the regime. And in Israel, the last of the experts
knows that bombing Iran will merely delay the development of a bomb by a few
years. Anyone who wants to prove that Israel knows how to bomb - to bomb once
again - is invited to embark on that crazy adventure.
On the other hand, anyone who wants to weaken Iran, to isolate it and neutralize
its dangers even partially, is invited to act differently. There is only one way
to remove the threat for more than two or three years - by making peace. It's
irritating how simple that sounds, and how unrealistic. It's possible to imagine
an "unrealistic" scenario like this: Israel responds to Syria's entreaties for
peace, challenges it and signs a peace treaty with it. Iran then loses one
strategic ally - Syria. Another strategic ally returns to Israel - Turkey. And
there is peace upon Israel.
One can imagine even wilder developments. Israel ends the occupation and reaches
a peace agreement with the Palestinians. Iran loses its most vitriolic pretext
for attacking Israel. After all, what can President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad say if
the Palestinians make a deal with Israel? Who will listen to him after Nablus,
Gaza, Hebron and half of Jerusalem become sovereign territory and the Arab
League declares peace? And how much support will he be able to muster if he is
left without all these excuses for aggression, standing almost alone in the face
of a new Middle East with only Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and maybe Hamas
remaining at his side?
Iran will then become like Libya once was, isolated and ridiculous, and after
that, perhaps like Libya is today, accepted and belonging. Does this sound
oversimplified? Maybe, but the "complex" and "realistic" alternatives are more
unrealistic and dangerous.
The most hazardous process that has occurred in Israel in recent years is the
loss of rationality. For a long time now, Israel has not known what's good for
it; the most serious harm to its interests has been caused by its own deeds,
powerful "friendly fire" time and again.
The decision-making season is at hand and the decisions will have to be made
mainly by two people - Netanyahu and Barack Obama. We didn't expect anything of
the first while we were disappointed by the second. Nevertheless, the last word
has not yet been said about them. The U.S. president has the power to hold back
an Israeli bombing attack and put pressure on this country to choose the other
path. Obama owes this to Israel and to world security. It must be said in
Netanyahu's favor that he has never taken Israel to war, a rare achievement for
an Israeli prime minister. It's worth his while to keep it that way. In Israel's
history, very few years have opened without flowery declarations about "a
decisive year." For the most part, they turned out to be years of missed
opportunities. The decision-making season that began this week could turn into
neither of these; it could turn out to be the season of catastrophe.
U.S.: Syria risks IAEA action if access to suspected nuclear site is denied
By Reuters /06.11.10
It has been over 2 years since UN nuclear watchdog was allowed to visit Dair
Alzour site where secret nuclear activity may have taken place before it was
bombed in 2007.
The United States warned Syria on Friday it may face action by governors of the
United Nations nuclear watchdog if Damascus fails to give its inspectors access
to the remains of a suspected nuclear site in the desert. It has been over two
years since the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was allowed to visit
the Dair Alzour site in Syria where secret nuclear activity may have taken place
before it was bombed to rubble, reportedly by Israel, in 2007. U.S. intelligence
reports have said it was a nascent North Korean-designed reactor geared to
produce bomb fuel. Syria, an ally of Iran which is under IAEA scrutiny over its
uranium enrichment drive, denies hiding nuclear work from inspectors.
Glyn Davies, Washington's IAEA envoy, said in a speech posted on the U.S.
mission's website on Friday it was "urgent and essential" that Syria heed UN
inspectors' requests for extended access to sites, personnel and material.
"Absent clear action by Syria to cooperate fully with the IAEA, we are rapidly
approaching a situation where the (IAEA) board (of governors) and secretariat
must consider all available measures and authorities...," he said. Davies said
earlier this year that a number of countries were beginning to ask whether it
was time to invoke the IAEA's "special inspection" tool to give its inspectors
the authority to look anywhere necessary in Syria at short notice. The
Vienna-based, UN-affiliated body last resorted to such a prerogative in 1993 in
North Korea, which still withheld access and later developed nuclear bomb
capacity in secret.
Syria is now seen as unlikely to yield to a special inspection. Diplomats and
analysts believe the IAEA will refrain from escalating the dispute at a time of
rising tension with Iran, which the West suspects of seeking nuclear weapons. If
Syria were to reject a request for a special inspection, the 35-nation IAEA
board could vote to refer the issue to the UN Security Council, as it did with
Iran's dossier four years ago. The board next convenes in early December. The
former global director of IAEA inspections, Olli Heinonen, said that in Syria's
case the "circumstances cry out" for deploying a special mission because of its
reluctance to give the IAEA access to relevant persons, equipment and sites.
"Special inspections should not be treated lightly but when they make it
possible to clarify the picture...the world community must not shy away from
them," Heinonen, who left the IAEA in August, wrote in an article on Friday for
the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Earlier on Friday an excerpt from
former U.S. President George W. Bush wrote in his newly memoirs that he
considered ordering a U.S. military strike against a suspected Syrian nuclear
facility at Israel's request in 2007, but ultimately opted against it.
Israel eventually destroyed the facility, which Syria denied was aimed at
developing nuclear weapons.
Report: Lebanon says Israel erecting 21 spy posts along its border
Hezbollah officials claim Lebanon obtained information about posts covering all
of Lebanon.
By News Agencies /05.11.10
Lebanon's parliament accused Israel on of erecting 21 wiretapping and spy posts
along the Lebanese border, Channel 10 quoted Quds Net news agency as having
reported on Thursday.
Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah representative in the Lebanese parliament, said
that the parliament's media and committee had investigated photographs,
documents and maps proving that Israel was engaging in intelligence activity.
Fadlallah added that the information obtained by the committee included the
operation of the Israeli posts, their locations and the territory they cover.
Fadlallah added that the Israeli spy posts cover all of Lebanon's territory. A
military court on Monday sentenced to death two Lebanese citizens and one
Palestinian charged with spying for Israel. Palestinian Mohammed Ibrahim Awad
and Lebanese Robert Edmond Kfoury are both in custody. The third suspect,
Lebanese Elias Riyad Karam, was charged in absentia. Last spring, Lebanon
arrested close to 20 alleged members of six espionage cells suspected of
transmitting intelligence information to Israel. The two-month crackdown was
apparently aided by American training and equipment. The wave of detentions
began in April 2009 with the arrest of a former brigadier general of the General
Security directorate.
Windsor's 'weeping' Madonna finds new home in church on Highway 3
By JEFF BOLICHOWSKI, The Windsor Star November 6, 2010
WINDSOR, Ont. -- Windsor’s mysterious “weeping” Madonna has a new home.
The statue of the Virgin Mary, which is alleged to weep tears of healing oil at
night, has been moved to St. Charbel Maronite Catholic Church at 1010 Highway 3
at Outer Drive in Oldcastle, on Windsor's southern edge.
Statue owner Fadia Ibrahim, who had housed the Madonna in an enclosure on her
Garvey Crescent lawn before carting her away Friday night, said Mary herself
asked to be moved.
“She told me she wanted people to go back to the church,” said Ibrahim. “My
house is not a church.
It seems like they come by here to pray. It’s not like it’s a church.”
She said she sought out the church’s priest and asked him to take the statue.
Ibrahim said the move wasn't related to her previous statements that the flocks
of believers and media visiting the Madonna had put strain on her family.
“It’s like a message,” she said. “To pray you have to pray in church.”
The disappearance of the Madonna from Ibrahim's lawn brought some quiet Saturday
to the Garvey Crescent neighbourhood. The crowds of worshippers that once packed
the home’s lawn were gone, and the heavy traffic on the street was reduced to a
thin trickle of vehicles occasionally slowing to check out the empty enclosure.
Despite the statue being taken away, Windsor Police said Friday night they had
to briefly close Garvey Crescent around 9 p.m. to deal with heavy traffic.
Flocks of faithful coming to see Windsor’s “weeping” Madonna were disappointed
Friday night when they arrived after 6 p.m. to find an empty pedestal where the
'miracle' had stood.
Some neighbours say they saw the Ibrahim's family taking the statue away, but
weren’t told where it was heading.
“They loaded it into their white van,” said Chris Hole, who lives across the
street. She said she saw Ibrahim’s son put the statue in the van, which then
drove away.
She wasn’t sure where it was going, and said the family hadn’t told her anything
about its destination. “Rumour has it that it’s going to a church.”
Other neighbours said they hadn’t seen the statue taken away.
A small crowd of murmuring faithful came and went from the vacant enclosure,
where the statue once stood, though few lingered for more than a few minutes in
the frigid night. They arrived and left in a steady stream, many voicing sadness
that the statue was gone. Some were heard saying they’d visited the statue
earlier in the day.
A note stuck to the enclosure’s glass, with a timestamp of 5:58 p.m., urged
people to leave the property and not bother the family. Another copy had been
attached to the home’s front door.
“The statue has been relocated and this structure will be taken down shortly,”
the note read. “Please stay off this private property. Visit your church,
please.”
When questioned by a Star reporter Friday night, a young man who answered the
door at Ibrahim’s home would not speak about the statue or say where it went.
Lynn Guerrero said she’d visited the statue around 3 p.m. and it was still
there. She was emotional after discovering the Madonna was gone.
“They didn’t even say that it was going to be taken out today,” she said. “I am
so disappointed.”
Despite controversy over the statue’s legitimacy, Guerrero said she believed it
was miraculous. She said Mary’s tears had helped ease the pain of a friend,
whose suffers from paralysis of the left hand.
Amleset Tekie said she’d hoped to see the statue for the first time, but found
it gone when she arrived. She suggested the neighbours’ complaints about crowds
and traffic problems may have resulted in the statue being moved.
But even without seeing the “weeping” Madonna, she believed.
“According to what I’ve heard, I would say yes, it’s a miracle,” she said. “What
else would it be?”
The statue made headlines in Windsor and beyond after neighbours complained to
the city about it. The city building department ordered Ibrahim to remove the
statue by Nov. 19, citing a lack of a building permit and violations of the
building code.
Since then the statue has been disavowed by the Orthodox Christian church
Ibrahim belongs to, St. Ignatius of Antioch Church. The church’s pastor, Rev.
John Ayoub, couldn’t be reached for comment Friday.
Ibrahim had called Thursday for the throngs of faithful and media to stay away,
citing the strain on her family.
Hole said the crowds flocking to the statue had picked up over the past week
after media coverage brought the situation to light. She said the statue had
been there since July.
nd of Hole’s, whose name wasn’t given, said even before the statue made
headlines, tour buses had come from Woodstock and Mississauga carrying
worshippers.
Hole said she’d decided to bide her time until the wave of Madonna mania passed.
“I knew it’d blow over,” she said. “All this stuff does.”
Nevertheless, she said, “it’s kind of sad for people that are showing up” to
find the statue gone.
“You see there’s people on crutches and people on canes and they’re hobbling
here, and now there’s an empty thing.”
One neighbour across the street, who didn’t want to give his name, said he was
relieved the statue was gone. He said the heavy traffic on the street had been
an inconvenience as he tried to sell his home.
Neighbour Monika Iwanicka said she hadn’t been bothered too much by the statue,
but its absence had brought a bit of calm even 90 minutes after its removal.
“Now it’s a little bit more peaceful,” she said. “Alot of people are still
coming.”
Carol Forbes, speaking at Hole’s home, said the statue had a positive effect
despite the traffic.
“It kind of made Windsor popular,” she said. “It put us on the map.”
© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star
Sakr:
Repeat of 2008 May Events would be the end of Hezbollah
November 7, 2010
Lebanon First bloc MP Okab Sakr said Sunday that if Hezbollah were to carry out
events similar to the 2008 May Events – when gunmen led by Party of God took
over half of Beirut – it would be terminating itself.
“We do not want [Hezbollah to destroy itself] and that is why we are telling the
party that it is not in its interest to perform a coup. Dialogue can achieve
better results.”
If Hezbollah wants to change the situation in Lebanon, it should resort to
politics, Sakr told New TV.
Sakr also voiced surprise over Al-Akhbar newspaper’s “publication style and
insults against political figures like Hariri and others.”
The MP added that the decision to postpone last Wednesday’s cabinet session was
agreed upon by President Michel Sleiman, Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Speaker
Nabih Berri.
Wednesday’s cabinet session, which was expected to address the issue of
witnesses who gave unreliable testimonies to the investigation of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri’s 2005 assassination, was postponed due to a change in the
schedule of PM Saad Hariri’s UK visit.
March 8 politicians have called for the cabinet to task the Justice Council with
investigating the issue of witnesses who gave unreliable testimonies, however,
March 14 figures have said that the regular judiciary should handle the issue.
Tension is high in Lebanon after unconfirmed reports indicated that the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) would soon issue its indictment for Rafik Hariri
murder. There are fears that, should the court indict Hezbollah members, it
could lead to clashes similar to those of the 2008 May Events.
-NOW Lebanon
Do Lebanon’s Ahmadinejad supporters endorse Iran's ruling?
A look into the story of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani
Aline Sara , November 7, 2010
Activists participate in a demonstration last August in front of the Eiffel
Tower at the Trocadero esplanade in Paris in solidarity with Sakineh
Mohammadi-Ashtiani.
In May of 2006, Iranian native Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani was convicted for
having illicit relations with two men, following her husband’s murder. She was
punished with 99 lashes, a punishment that was carried out in front of her
17-year-old son. Later that year, she was tried for participating in her
husband’s murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Several weeks later, in
yet another separate trial, she was accused of adultery during marriage, which
landed her a sentence of death by stoning. She has been on death row since.
The plight of the 43-year-old mother of two has sparked international outrage
even though Iranian Sharia law considers adultery a crime worthy of such a harsh
sentence.
Interventions by advocate groups as well as by foreign leaders have helped
Ashtiani’s cause, as international pressure led authorities to reduce her
sentence to death by hanging, as opposed to by stoning, in July of 2010. Even
former president of Brazil Lula de Silva, who is considered a close ally of
Iran, spoke out against the harsh sentence. But still, rights advocates around
the world contend that capital punishment for mutual sexual relationships is
inhumane.
Last week, the case of the Iranian woman, who is a member of Iran’s Azerbaijani
minority, resurfaced. Rumors circulated she would be executed on Wednesday, as
described in a report by the German-based International Committee against
Stoning. The advocacy group later reneged that deadline, but still insisted that
the hanging would take place imminently.
There are two aspects to the predicament, says Ann Harrisson, a researcher for
Amnesty International (AI). The first problem is the method of execution:
stoning to death violates international law.
“There is also the issue of the actual death sentence, which AI is strongly
against, especially when it is for consensual sexual relations between two
adults,” she said.
According to some reports, Ashtiani could have been coerced into confessing to
the crime. She does not speak fluent Farsi and reportedly did not fully
understand the interrogators’ questions during the various judicial proceedings.
Two judges who worked on the case said proof of adultery under Iranian Law
requires eyewitness testimony of four men, or of three men and two women. No
such witness testimony was provided.
In light of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s high levels of popularity in
Lebanon, as was witnessed during a recent presidential visit, NOW Lebanon spoke
to self-proclaimed supporters to get their feedback on the contentious issue.
Ahmad, a cab driver originally from the Bekaa said he felt flogging Ashtiani in
front of her son was wrong. But he did believe that if she indeed committed the
crime, she should be punished under Sharia law.
“Islamic rule gave people the most human rights and freed the women from
slavery. It’s about the intercourse,” he said. “I just don’t accept the part
about his son.”
Though most of those surveyed agreed that the lack of evidence meant the ruling
was unfair, several approved of the sentence. One 37-year-old woman saleswoman
in Dahiyeh said that if Ashtiani did indeed have illicit relations, the
punishment is appropriate, even in front of her son.
“It’s haram if she sinned,” she said, alluding to the fact that in Lebanon
“anything goes [when people break Sharia].” She said she would approve of
similar rulings in Lebanon, without loopholes such as the muta’.
On the other end of the spectrum, 55-year-old Mohamad Maatouk said he is against
the punishment.
“At the end of the day, it’s a contract between two people. If they are
discreet, respectful of the others, then there is no problem,” he said, adding
that he was very supportive of Ahmadinejad as a national leader, but not in
terms of religious values.
His thoughts were echoed by Walid, a 33-year-old hairdresser from Bekaa who said
he supports Ahmadinejad in politics, but not in this human rights issue.
“It is overall too much and not right” he said. “But this is the way the rule is
over there.”
He said he would not accept such a ruling in Lebanon because it doesn’t support
freedom and democracy.
Al-Akhbar correspondent Dany Al Amin, originally from Shakra in the South, said
he supports neither the stoning nor the death penalty, stating that stoning was
uncivilized and inhuman.
“Given there is no evidence [for her crime], this is tyranny,” he said. “It is
unfair and goes against law and religion.”
AI’s Harrisson said several Iranian activists have spoken to Islamic scholars
who say that there are various interpretations of Sharia Law.
“A person is always innocent until proven guilty,” said Raba, a 23-year-old
journalist from Dahiyeh, adding that if the woman at stake is breaking Islamic
law by sinning, the verdict is warranted. But when asked if she would support
such a ruling here in Lebanon, she replied with a clear cut ‘no.’
Senator: Consider taking out Iran's military
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
11/07/2010 04:56
Sen. Lindsey Graham says US should "sink their navy, destroy their air force and
deliver a decisive blow to the Revolutionary Guard."
A leading US senator on defense issues said Saturday any military strike on Iran
to stop its nuclear program must also strive to take out Iran's military
capability.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who sits on the Armed Services
Committee and the Homeland Security Committee, said the US shouldn't just
consider a surgical strike on Iran's nuclear infrastructure.
"My view of military force would be not to just neutralize their nuclear
program, which are probably dispersed and hardened, but to sink their navy,
destroy their air force and deliver a decisive blow to the Revolutionary Guard.
"In other words, neuter that regime," added Graham, who spoke at the Halifax
International Security Forum.
Graham said he hoped that would help Iranians have a chance to take back their
government. He said he still believes there is time for economic sanctions to
work, but said sanctions currently in place are not "crippling."
The Obama administration, through top military officials, has made it clear that
all options are on the table.
The US and Iran are at odds over the goals of Iran's nuclear program. Iran
contends that it's aimed at peaceful uses of nuclear energy while the US claims
Iran is gearing up to create a nuclear weapon. Iran repeatedly has threatened to
target the heart of Tel Aviv, the second-largest city in Israel, should the U.S.
or Israel take military action against it.
Iran proposes nuclear talks with West be held in Turkey
By ASSOCIATED PRESS AND JPOST.COM
11/07/2010 13:04
Teheran says it has informed Turks that it's willing to hold talks with US,
Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany; adds that it's "hopeful a time and
agenda will be agreed upon soon."
TEHERAN, Iran — Iran on Sunday proposed that a new round of talks with the
United States and other world powers on its nuclear program be held in Turkey.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran has informed its "friends
in Turkey" that it is willing to hold the talks there.
Mottaki told a news conference that Iran is "hopeful a time and agenda will be
agreed upon soon."
Teheran has said it would be ready to hold talks with the six powers some time
after Nov. 10. The six nations are the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and
Germany.
They suspect Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons capability under the cover of a
civil energy program. Iran denies any such claims.
Negotiations between Iran and the other powers foundered a year ago. Since the
break-off in talks, the United States, EU and the United Nations have stepped up
financial sanctions on Teheran. The negotiations between Iran and the group of
six nations stalled in October 2009 over a deal meant to ensure Iran could only
use its stockpile of enriched uranium for fueling nuclear reactors and not for
building bombs.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Saturday was pessimistic about the prospects of
Iran ceasing its uranium enrichment program through talks with the West.
"Based on experience and looking at the paradigm which they [the Iranians] are
using, which is probably the North Korean example, you can easily see... the
objective is to defy, decei(ve) and deter the whole world," Reuters reported
Barak as saying at a news conference at an international security forum hosted
by the German Marshall Fund.
"I would be happy to ... end up finding myself wrong based on a future
development, but I wonder whether this will be the case," Barak added.