LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِApril 04/2011

Biblical Event Of The Day
The Healing of the paralytic Sunday
Mark 2/1-12: "When he entered again into Capernaum after some days, it was heard that he was in the house. 2:2 Immediately many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even around the door; and he spoke the word to them. 2:3 Four people came, carrying a paralytic to him. 2:4 When they could not come near to him for the crowd, they removed the roof where he was. When they had broken it up, they let down the mat that the paralytic was lying on. 2:5 Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” 2:6 But there were some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 2:7 “Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 2:8 Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you reason these things in your hearts? 2:9 Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?’ 2:10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 2:11 “I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house.” 2:12 He arose, and immediately took up the mat, and went out in front of them all; so that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Has America Embraced the Spirit of Anti-Christ?/By: Kelly O'Connell/
April 03/11
Syria, the U.N. “Human Rights” Council, and the Obama Administration/By: Anne Bayefsky/April 03/11
Bleak prospects for tourism in Lebanon this year/By: Shane Farrel/
April 03/11

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for April 03/11
French troops take control of airport in Côte d’Ivoire’s Abidjan/Now Lebanon

Syrian Former Minister Asked to Form New Government/Naharnet
Syria Detains Activists in Dawn Sweeps After Massive Protests/VOM
Syrian cell phones, internet down after wave of arrests/Now Lebanon
At least 250 injured, one killed as Yemen police disperse protest/Now Lebanon/Naharnet
Israel to Russia: Reconsider Syria arms deal in light of Mideast turmoil/Reuters/Haaretz
Al-Rahi: We Hope God Will Aid and Empower Politicians in Forming Government/Naharnet
Roumieh Rebellion to be Settled Today/Rifi: We Will Interfere Should Riots Break Out/Naharnet
Ajami: Setting up Flights between Beirut and Abidjan is Impossible/Naharnet
Geagea: Our Word Confronted Foreign Hegemony and Will Confront the Arms' Internal Hegemony/Naharnet
Syria Reportedly Offers Help, Rifi Says No Evidence that Estonians Crossed the Border/Naharnet
At Least 250 Injured as Yemen Police Disperse Protest/Naharnet
Berri: Policy We Adopted Has Helped Lebanese Avoid Ivory Coast Violence
/Naharnet
Miqati Informs Higher Islamic Council that he is Facing Obstacles in Government Formation
/Naharnet
U.S. Embassy Employees Attacked by Stones in Sidon
/Naharnet
Change and Reform bloc adamant about Interior Ministry, says Salhab/Now Lebanon

Lebanese MP, Marouni: Dividing up shares delays cabinet formation/Now Lebanon
Lebanese MP, Aaraji: Mikati will not be able to form cabinet/Now Lebanon

Syrian Former Minister Asked to Form New Government
Naharnet/Syria's former agriculture minister Adel Safar was asked by President Bashar al-Assad to form a new government on Sunday, the state-run news agency SANA reported.
Assad, facing domestic pressure unprecedented in his 11-year rule, dashed expectations he would lift almost 50 years of emergency rule in an address to the nation on Wednesday, his first since the protests began. Instead he accused Syria's "enemies" of inciting sectarian divisions in the country ruled by emergency law since the Baath party seized power in 1963.
Aged 58, Safer is a Baath party member, who graduated in agriculture from the University of Damascus before taking a doctorate in France. From 1997 to 2000, he was dean of the Faculty of Agriculture in Damascus before becoming agriculture minister in 2003 under Mohammad Naji Otri, who quit as premier last week, a fortnight after the first anti-regime protests.(AFP) Beirut, 03 Apr 11, 14:45

Syria in Dawn Crackdown Ahead of Protester Funerals

Naharnet/Syrian security forces made dawn arrests on Saturday as mourners prepared to bury the first of at least nine people killed in anti-government protests on the Muslim day of rest, rights activists said. The arrests came in the tribal region around the town of Daraa, some 100 kilometers south of the capital, which has been one of the main centers of more than two weeks of demonstrations. A 20-year-old who was killed by security forces during a protest in Sanamein, just outside Daraa, was to be buried in nearby Inkhel, a human rights activist said.
He was one among as many as three people killed during the Friday protest in the village. The official SANA news agency said a soldier was also seriously wounded in Daraa itself when young men tried to snatch his weapon. Ahead of the funeral, security forces carried out a series of raids in the area, another activist said. The activist named architect Khaled al-Hassan, lawyer Hassan al-Aswad and teacher Issam Mahameed as among those detained. Funerals were also expected to be held later in the town of Douma, just north of Damascus, for eight people killed when police opened fire on worshipers who pelted them with stones as they left the main weekly Muslim prayers on Friday, a witness told Agence France Presse by telephone.
"Dozens more were wounded or detained," the witness added.
The authorities have denied that the security forces were responsible for the deaths, blaming them on an "armed group" which opened fire from rooftops in the town on demonstrators and police alike. They acknowledged that there were an unspecified number of deaths and said there were dozens of wounded, some of them police.
State television charged that "some of the demonstrators had daubed their clothes with red dye to make foreign reporters believe that they had been injured".
The families of four of the victims in Douma were debating whether to bury their dead on Saturday, but were likely to do so individually, a witness said.
The city is back to normal, he said. Shops were open; security forces were in evidence but were not displaying their weapons as they had on Friday.
"It is like any day," he said. "There is tension and debate on when and how to hold funerals. Security forces have kept some of the corpses."
Security forces were withholding the remaining bodies apparently to prevent the city mobilizing for the funerals. U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon is "deeply concerned" about the situation, a statement from his office said. "The secretary general is deeply concerned about the situation in Syria, where more civilian deaths have been reported during the latest popular demonstrations," it said. "He deplores the use of violence against peaceful demonstrators and calls for it to cease immediately." Protests took place for the first time in Qamishli and Amuda in the mainly Kurdish populated northeast on Friday, Kurdish rights activist Radif Mustafa told AFP. "Friday of Martyrs" protests were also held in the coastal port of Latakia, the central industrial city of Homs and in Darriya, near Damascus. In the capital itself, hundreds of protesters locked themselves inside Al-Rifai mosque chanting "Freedom, freedom", as security forces tried to break in, a demonstrator said. Regime loyalists gathered in the square opposite. The United States applauded what it called the courage and dignity of the demonstrators. "We condemn and deplore the use of violence against citizens demonstrating in Syria, and applaud the courage and dignity of the Syrian people," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement. President Bashar al-Assad, facing domestic pressure unprecedented in his 11-year rule, failed to lift almost 50 years of emergency rule in an address on Wednesday that was his first since the pro-reform protests erupted on March 15. Instead, he said there was a "conspiracy" targeting Syrian unity. Assad blamed Syria's "enemies" for inciting sectarian divisions in the country ruled by emergency law since the Baath party seized power in 1963.(AFP) Beirut, 02 Apr 11, 12:35

Syrian cell phones, internet down after wave of arrests
April 3, 2011 /Communication networks failed in Syria on Sunday, one day after authorities arrested dozens of pro-democracy activists in a crackdown against anti-government protests.
"There is an arrest campaign and phone lines are down so people are suspecting interference but the government says it is a technical problem," a resident of Douma, north of Damascus, told AFP. In the capital, the internet was down and cell phone communications were practically impossible, although land lines seemed to be working fine. A customer representative of Syria's phone and internet provider told AFP the problem "was due to an overload of connections" without adding further details. Syriatel and MTN, Syria's two phone companies, offered customers one hour of free calls valid between April 2 and 6 "in recognition of the people who stood with the President [Bashar] al-Assad during the day of dignity." They were referring to pro-regime demonstrations in the capital Tuesday. But on Friday thousands of Syrians marched across the country, calling for reforms, disappointed by a presidential speech which failed to lift a state of emergency in place since 1963. Assad on Wednesday blamed conspirators for deadly unrest in Syria but failed to lift emergency rule or offer other concessions in his first speech since protests demanding greater freedoms erupted earlier this month.-NOW Lebanon

French troops take control of airport in Côte d’Ivoire’s Abidjan

April 3, 2011 /French peacekeepers have taken control of the airport in Abidjan as forces loyal to the country's rival presidents struggle for control of Côte d’Ivoire’s main city, the French military said Sunday. France has also boosted its Licorne [Unicorn] peacekeeping mission in the cocoa-rich nation by 300 to around 1,400 troops, where part of their mission is to protect foreigners from attacks and looting amid rising insecurity. "Licorne, in coordination with United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI), has taken control of Felix Houphouet-Boigny airport," Chief of Staff spokesperson Colonel Thierry Burkhard told AFP. "Two extra companies [around 300 soldiers] have been deployed in Abidjan by Hercules C-130 and Transall (C-160) transport planes," Burkhard added. France already in recent days reinforced its troop contingent in Abidjan with around 150 troops. Lebanese citizens in Côte d’Ivoire reportedly came under threat after Lebanon's ambassador attended the swearing-in of Laurent Gbagbo, the controversial strongman who has refused to step down despite rival Alassane Ouattara being internationally recognized as having won elections.-AFP/NOW Lebanon

Al-Rahi: We Hope God Will Aid and Empower Politicians in Forming Government

Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi held talks on Sunday with Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Naim Hassan who congratulated him on his election as patriarch. Al-Rahi voiced a hope after the meeting that "God will aid and empower politicians in Lebanon in forming the new government." He also wished that they would work on fulfilling the demands and needs of the Lebanese people. For his part, Hassan hoped that al-Rahi's election would pave the way for the renewal of "serious and constructive dialogue to resolve national and political problems and we call for the speeding up of the government formation process." In addition, he said that his visit is aimed at reaffirming the Mount Lebanon settlement between Christians and Druze that was sponsored by former Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir and PSP leader MP Walid Jumblat. Beirut, 03 Apr 11, 13:26

Geagea: Our Word Confronted Foreign Hegemony and Will Confront the Arms' Internal Hegemony

Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea noted on Saturday that the only true resistance that can effectively perform its duty should lie in the hands of the state.
He said during the 17th anniversary for the dissolution of the Lebanese Forces party: "The only possible resistance should be controlled by the state, backed by the entire population and the overwhelming majority of the Arab world and international community." "The period of hegemony" resulted in the dissolution of the LF and such powers, no matter what shape they take, "are always wrong," he stated. "The word has always been the best weapon to confront external tutelage and it will remain the best weapon to confront the internal hegemony of the illegitimate arms," Geagea stressed. He added: "No state can rise with the existence of illegitimate weapons … If it were possible for a state to be formed with the presence of such arms, then we wouldn't have a problem." Beirut, 03 Apr 11, 08:12

Marouni: Dividing up shares delays cabinet formation
April 3, 2011 /“We told Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati, during parliamentary consultations [to elect a PM], that the other party would not let him form a cabinet in the way he wants,” Kataeb bloc MP Elie Marouni said on Sunday. The process of dividing shares is delaying the cabinet formation, Marouni told the Voice of Lebanon (100.5) radio station.
“[This] confirms that what unites the March 8 coalition is loyalty to foreign parties and narrow interests.” Mikati, appointed in January with the Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition’s backing, is currently working to form his cabinet. -NOW Lebanon

Ajami: Setting up Flights between Beirut and Abidjan is Impossible

Naharnet/Lebanese Ambassador to the Ivory Coast Ali Ajami revealed that French troops have begun scheduling rounds at intermittent periods at the entrances of neighborhoods heavily populated with foreigners, especially Lebanese, in areas of the Ivory Coast. He told Al-Mustqabal daily in remarks published on Sunday that the Lebanese officials' contacts to France should be credited with this new development. He added that the French consulate in the Ivory Coast informed him that the French military base in Abidjan airport has been packed with some 1,000 foreigners, half of whom are Lebanese. "Even though Abidjan airport has not been shut down, flights to Beirut are impossible because the airport road is unsafe as snipers are spread across nearby buildings and they are targeting passing cars," he added. The ambassador said that airport general manager had informed the embassy that any plane landing in the airport will be held accountable for its own action because the airport personnel have left the facility, "which is why we requested that MEA indefinitely cancel its flights to Beirut," he said.
A Middle East Airlines flight that was scheduled to evacuate Lebanese from conflict-torn Ivory Coast on Saturday morning was cancelled again as the president and the caretaker prime minister made calls to protect Lebanese citizens there. The MEA flight might head to Abidjan on Sunday, media reports said after authorities in the African country closed air traffic.
A Baabda palace press release said President Michel Suleiman made telephone conversations with leaders of influential countries, mainly France, to guarantee a safe exit for the Lebanese.
Caretaker Premier Saad Hariri also telephoned his French counterpart and the foreign minister on Saturday to ask for assistance for the Lebanese expatriates. A statement released by his press office said that the number of Lebanese under the protection of the French troops there has reached 900. He also telephoned internationally recognized president Alassane Outtara, discussing with him the issue of the protection of the Lebanese citizens living in the Ivory Coast. Ouattara promised Hariri to take all possible measures to protect and assist them.
Troops loyal to Ouattara, who has been unable to take office since a November election, swept through the country this week, arriving in Abidjan on Thursday in what was said to be the final assault on cornered strongman Laurent Gbagbo's fighters.  A high-ranking official at the foreign ministry in Beirut said the Lebanese community was not being singled out for acts of violence, amid reports of looting and chaos in Abidjan. "The targets of the looting are not only Lebanese but also Ivorian," the director general of the foreign ministry, Haitham Joumaa, told The Daily Star in remarks published Saturday. "Looting and lawlessness has swept through the Ivorian cities but there is no specific danger to the Lebanese community," Joumaa added, in response to reports that the Lebanese expatriates were falling victim to looting and other crimes. Beirut, 03 Apr 11, 10:03

Roumieh Rebellion to be Settled Today … Rifi: We Will Interfere Should Riots Break Out

Naharnet/Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi revealed that no injuries were reported during Saturday's protest at Roumieh prison, adding that no one was taken hostage by any of the protestors. He told An Nahar in remarks published on Sunday: "The inmates have demands and we are working on fulfilling them if they are justified." "Should the situation escalate into a riot, then we will intervene, but we usually allow 24 hours for such affairs to be settled," he added. The prison protest lasted until late Saturday night. Earlier that day, several inmates clashed with wardens after a protest against "transfer and routine inspection procedures" inside Roumieh prison turned violent. A security source told Agence France Presse that a prisoner protested against the procedures at noon when he clashed with one of the guards. The squabble turned into rioting when the inmate threatened to harm himself if authorities do not meet his demands, the source said without saying what the prisoner was asking for. Later other prisoners joined him and broke windows and burned mattresses inside their cells, the source told AFP. Media reports said the situation was later brought under control. The same prison has been the scene of several mutinies. Two years ago, seven wardens were held hostage before a peaceful resolution was negotiated.
Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry condemned the violence at Roumieh prison, noting that calling for the fulfillment of demands should not take a violent turn. It revealed that for two years, it has been working on improving the conditions in the prison after years of "chronic neglect." It demanded the government and concerned ministries to also assume their responsibilities in this affair. A Roumieh inmate told al-Jadeed television on Sunday that no one was taken hostage in the prison, warning that the violence may spread to other buildings in the prison if their demands are not met. He also denied that the protest was sparked over a demand to change the prison warden. In addition, he revealed that the army has cordoned off the area, noting that the situation in the prison is tense and "no one knows when the violence will erupt again." Caretaker Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar meanwhile told LBC that the ministry was cooperating with caretaker Interior Minister Ziad Baroud over the Roumieh unrest.  "There are various reasons behind the break out of the unrest, including the poor living conditions and the overcrowding," he said. He added that the ministry will have jurisdiction over prison affairs in 2012. In a related development, security forces informed Roumieh inmates of the decisions of a meeting between Baroud and Prosecutor General Saeed Mirza on tackling the situation in the prison. Baroud and Mirza met on midnight on Saturday in order to address the inmate demands.(naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 03 Apr 11,

Miqati Informs Higher Islamic Council that he is Facing Obstacles in Government Formation

Naharnet/Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati informed on Saturday the Higher Islamic Council that he is facing obstacles in the government formation process, reported the daily An Nahar on Sunday. He added that he had told it that "I have taken it upon myself to serve my country and its stability." In addition, he presented President Michel Suleiman with a number of possible structures for a potential government in order that the most appropriate one be chosen. Miqati said Saturday that progress was made on consultations aimed at forming the new government but stressed that he hasn't yet reached the cabinet formation stage. "The atmosphere is positive … I will continue to work on overcoming difficulties," Miqati said during a meeting of the Higher Islamic Council under Grand Mufti Mohammad Rashid Qabbani at Dar al-Fatwa. "We have made progress in our contacts and efforts but this does not mean that we are close to forming" the cabinet, he said. While expressing optimism that his latest meetings would speed up the efforts to form the government, Miqati said all parties are aware of their responsibilities that force them to cooperate in forming a productive cabinet that satisfies the Lebanese. Beirut, 03 Apr 11, 12:31

U.S. Embassy Employees Attacked by Stones in Sidon

Naharnet/A group of angry Lebanese youths on Saturday threw stones and bottles at a group from the U.S. embassy visiting the southern port city of Sidon, a security official said.
A spokesman for the U.S. mission confirmed there had been "an incident." "The embassy can confirm that a group of employees went to Sidon today on a tourism trip. An incident occurred, and the group returned back to the embassy. No injuries," he said, without elaborating. Local media had spoken of the presence in the group of the embassy's political attache. "A group of youths intercepted a U.S. embassy delegation as they left a restaurant and insulted them before throwing stones and empty glass bottles at them," the security source said. He said the youths accused the members of the group of being "criminals, Israelis... you have soiled the land of resistance and martyrs." Lebanese security forces accompanying the U.S. group intervened, but stones continued to be thrown, breaking car windows. The army then arrived and arrested three of the attackers, the security official said.(AFP) Beirut, 02 Apr 11, 17:21

At Least 250 Injured as Yemen Police Disperse Protest

Naharnet/Yemen police fired tear gas and live bullets at protesters holding an anti-regime demonstration in the city of Taez on Sunday, injuring at least 250, witnesses said. "Between 250 and 300 protesters were injured, some with live bullets, as police opened fire to disperse a protest heading to the governorate headquarters," in the city that lies 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of the capital Sanaa, a witness said. Police continued to fire as security forces pushed back demonstrators to a square where they have been holding a sit-in as part of nationwide protests demanding that President Ali Abdullah Saleh step down, witnesses said. A member of parliament who did not want to be named charged that police were "attempting to storm the sit-in square."(AFP) Beirut, 03 Apr 11, 14:47

Lebanese MP, Aaraji: Mikati will not be able to form cabinet
April 3, 2011 /Lebanon First bloc MP Assem Aaraji told MTV on Sunday that Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati will not be able to form a cabinet. If Mikati forms a cabinet, it will be weak and it will not be able to work properly, the MP also said. The PM-designate, appointed in January with the Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition’s backing, is currently working to form his cabinet. -NOW Lebanon

Change and Reform bloc adamant about Interior Ministry, says Salhab

April 3, 2011 /Change and Reform bloc MP Salim Salhab told OTV on Sunday that the bloc is adamant about having the Interior Ministry as part of its ministerial share. A significant part of the bloc’s demands must be met or else a cabinet will not be formed, the MP said. “It is our duty to maintain the rights of those who elected us… Concerning the Interior Ministry portfolio, we have clarified the issue with [Interior] Minister Ziad Baroud during his meeting with bloc [leader MP Michel] Aoun.”The issue was also addressed during Aoun and President Michel Sleiman’s meeting, but no result was achieved, Salhab added. Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati, appointed in January with the Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition’s backing, is currently working to form his cabinet. Cabinet formation is reportedly being hampered by Aoun’s demand that he receive a blocking third of cabinet seats, including the Interior Ministry. -NOW Lebanon

Bleak prospects for tourism in Lebanon this year

Shane Farrell, April 3, 2011
Tourism is vital to the Lebanese economy. Accounting for around 9 percent of the country’s GDP in terms of direct contribution, tourism, together with financial services, is regarded as the economic backbone of the country. Last year saw the sector boom, with a total of 2.16 million visitors to Lebanon, according to figures by the Ministry of Tourism in January. This year, however, numbers are expected to be significantly lower for a variety of reasons. For one, the collapse of the cabinet in January and the violence that followed the nomination of Hezbollah-backed Prime Minister Najib Mikati caused Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait to issue travel warnings to Lebanon. Since tourists from Arab states comprise the biggest component of visitors to Lebanon (at 34.6 percent last year), these warnings have hit the industry hard. This has only been exacerbated by the recent war of words between Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and the Bahraini government, a dispute that led to the indefinite suspension of the 15 weekly flights between Bahrain and Lebanon, as well as an urgent call on Bahrainis to leave Lebanon.
But with the numbers of visiting Bahrainis traditionally small (under 3 percent of the total tourists in 2009), the effect is unlikely to be dramatic. The more pressing concern for the industry is whether the Bahraini Foreign Ministry labeling Hezbollah a “terrorist organization” may dissuade other Gulf nationals from taking to these shores. Pierre Ashkar, head of the Hotel Syndicate in Lebanon, remains optimistic that “if a government is formed quickly and maintains positive relations with Gulf countries – especially Saudi Arabia [where the majority of economic revenue from tourism derives] – then I expect the numbers of tourists visiting Lebanon to return to normal.”
However, with the negotiation process surrounding the cabinet formation apparently stagnant, a new government is not expected to be formed in the near future.
According to General Manager of Radisson Hotels in Lebanon Nizam Bouantoun, the uncertainty surrounding the impending indictments by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon – the body established to try the perpetrators of the murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005 – is another factor putting potential visitors off booking holidays to Lebanon, as it could lead to sectarian strife. Added to this is a heightened concern for the safety of visitors here, following the kidnapping of seven Estonian cyclists in Zahle last month.
But a more significant impact on the industry is regional instability.
“We normally have tourists flying in from Jordan for the weekend, but with the current situation in that country, the number of Jordanians staying in our hotel has been significantly reduced,” Bouantoun said, adding that the hotel is experiencing a reduction of tourists from other countries experiencing political unrest. Bouantoun – whose hotel chain is making 35-40 percent less than it did at this time last year, but is still faring better than the national average of around 55 percent less – is not optimistic that business will improve significantly over the next three months. Meanwhile, European tourists, who make up the second-largest number of visitors to Lebanon, have also been put off by the instability in the region.
Tour operators offering package holidays to several countries in the Middle East, including Lebanon, noted major reductions in bookings since demonstrations first started erupting across the region earlier this year. However, with regard to Lebanon, it is the current unrest in Syria that has really put a halt to bookings, even resulting in some customers threatening to cancel trips, according to UK-based package holiday operators Corinthian. In general, the tour operators contacted for this article expect sales to be down at least 30-50 percent this year, compared with 2010. But while instability is predictably going to put off tourists hoping to travel to countries experiencing upheavals in the Middle East, it also presents an opportunity for Lebanon, which, according to experts, is not being grasped. Ashkar and Nassib Ghobril, chief economist and head of Economic Research and Analysis at Byblos Bank, share the view that Lebanon rivals popular tourist destinations such as Tunisia and Egypt in terms of attractions, but lament the fact that it is not pulling in tourists who don’t want to go to countries experiencing uprisings but who still want to travel in the region. “We don’t have the infrastructure in place, in terms of low-budget accommodation and other basic requirements, to attract tourists who would normally holiday in places [that are experiencing upheavals],” said Ghobril. But security issues and untapped potential aside, tourism is also likely to be hard-hit by the fact that the Muslim holy month of Ramadan is falling at the height of the tourist season, in August of this year. As a result of Ramadan, “We will be operating at 40 percent capacity this August,” said Bouantoun.

Israel to launch campaign urging UN to retract Goldstone report
12:46 03./By Barak Ravid/Haaretz
Tags: Israel news Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas Goldstone report Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel was planning to launch an international campaign to persuade the United Nations to retract the Goldstone Commission's damning report on the Israel Defense Forces' operation in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu told his cabinet at its weekly meeting that Goldstone's retraction of his conclusion accusing Israel of war crimes was rare and deserving of further action. "There are very few incidents in which false accusations are taken back, and this is the case with the Goldstone report," Netanyahu told ministers. The prime minister added that he had asked the new National Security Adviser, Ya'akov Amidror, to establish a committee focused on "minimizing the damage caused" by the report. He added that he was expecting to receive suggestions on how to proceed in the coming days toward efforts to see the report officially retracted. In an op-ed for the Washington Post, Goldstone had expressed regret for his accusation that the IDF targeted civilian during the Gaza war.
"We know a lot more today about what happened in the Gaza war of 2008-09 than we did when I chaired the fact-finding mission appointed by the UN Human Rights Council that produced what has come to be known as the Goldstone Report," Goldstone wrote, adding, "If I had known then what I know now, the Goldstone Report would have been a different document." Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in response to Goldstone's retraction that Israel must force the judge to appear before international forums - particularly the UN - to explain the revision of his account. "The Gaza front must be dealt with by the international community, as terrorists are fighting from within the civilian populace," the defense minister said.
Barak expressed support for Israel's decision not to cooperate with Goldstone's fact-finding commission on Operation Cast Lead, calling the Commission for Human Rights which sponsored the report a "ridiculous forum of the enemies of Israel". President Shimon Peres called on Goldstone to apologize for his report, adding that the fact-finding mission had ignored the central reason Israel had gone to war against the Hamas-ruled territory. Peres defended the IDF as having operated out of self-defense, adding that Israel had carried out an internal probe of its own on the matter. "Goldstone ignored the main reason for the IDF's operation in Gaza, the firing of thousands of rockets at innocent civilians," said Peres. He also said that the IDF would continue to serve as one of the most moral armies in the world.

Israel to Russia: Reconsider Syria arms deal in light of Mideast turmoil

By Reuters/Haaretz /Jerusalem has urged Moscow to review its plans to sell anti-ship cruise missiles to Syria, Israel's ambassador to Russia was quoted as saying on Sunday, amid heightened fears the arms could fall into the hands of militants. Russia, the world's second largest arms exporter, said in February it would press ahead with plans to sell two surface-to-air rocket units armed with P-800, or 'Yakhont', missiles to Damascus in a deal worth 300 million dollars. Israel fears the missiles, capable of hitting ships 300 km (190 miles) off Syria's coast, could end up in the hands of Lebanese guerilla group Hezbollah. "Moscow should reassess the risks of possible arms supplies to Damascus, with the country rocked by popular uprisings and instability across the Middle East," Israel's Ambassador to Russia Dorit Golender told Interfax news agency. At least 60 people have been killed in a crackdown by Syrian authorities on mass protests against the Baath Party rule, which erupted in the southern city of Deraa more than two weeks ago. "We believe, that in this context there is a necessity to review all the risks and the degree of likelihood of negative consequences [that the supplies may incur]," Golender said. The ambassador added that the issue was raised during talks between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who visited Moscow on March 24. Hezbollah used a surface to air missile in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon War to hit the INS Hanit warship, killing four sailors. Russia maintains a naval base in Syria. Moscow delivered Bastion anti-ship missiles to Syria in 2010 despite protests from Israel.
Syria, bordered by Lebanon, Israel, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq, is in the thick of the Middle East conflict, maintaining an anti-Israel alliance with Iran and supporting militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah, despite seeking a peace deal with Israel and an end of U.S. sanctions imposed on Syria in 2004. Moscow's arms contract portfolio was estimated at 45 billion dollars at the end of last year, including 15 billion dollars in contracts signed in 2010 alone, as Russia's arms exports were expected to stay at levels of 10 billion dollars a year until at least 2014, leading military think tank CAST said in February.

Israel issues urgent travel warning to Sinai fearing terror attacks

By Barak Ravid/Haaretz /Israel's Counter Terrorism Bureau issued Saturday a travel warning to the Sinai Peninsula and called on all Israelis vacationing there to quickly return to Israel, fearing possible attacks by terror agents. The bureau also urged the families of Israelis vacationing in Sinai to contact their relatives and to notify them of the travel warning.
Israeli security forces say they have updated information that terrorist organizations are continuing their efforts to abduct Israeli tourists in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula for bargaining purposes.
According to the announcement by the Counter Terrorism Bureau, terror agents that are residing in Sinai are coordinating plans for such attacks with local collaborators.
"The security situation in Sinai is unstable and the [terrorists'] intent to carry out attacks pose a real danger to the Israelis presently located in Sinai," the announcement read.
Early Saturday morning, IDF planes attacked a cell of Palestinian militants in the southern Gaza Strip which according to the IDF spokesperson were planning to kidnap Israelis over the upcoming Jewish holiday of Passover. Palestinian sources have confirmed that three men were killed in the attack. The Islamic militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza, later issued a statement saying the men killed were Hamas militants. They called the strike a crime and vowed revenge. Earlier, some Gaza officials had said that they belonged to the Islamic Jihad group.

Has America Embraced the Spirit of Anti-Christ?
By:Kelly O'Connell /Canada Free Press
Sunday, April 3, 2011
This essay is written for all principled free-thinkers, not just Believers. It examines the terrible impact on society of apostasy, symbolized by deviation from the biblical model in the American family structure over the past 50 years. This illustrates the devastating results of widespread heresy. Americans have abandoned their ancestral faith and practice, a subject affecting all persons, including the indifferent and non-religious. Therefore we can say a spirit of anti-Christ is unleashed. This is not to be confused with “The Beast” of Revelations whom many believe will come to establish an infernal kingdom on earth before the end of times. Instead, this general spirit opposes Bible teaching, contradicting the doctrines of Jesus and the Apostles, here illuminated by changing practices on marriage.
This change matters for several reasons. First, many historians have argued it was America’s unique approach to faith which laid the groundwork for our unparallelled success. Second, as most Americans claim to be Christian it represents a movement of rank apostasy (heresy is a wrong belief—apostasy is wholesale abandonment of essential dogma). Third, in the case of families without fathers, it spawns a tremendous flood of related problems which then drag society down into a deepening spiral of dysfunction, lawlessness and godlessness. This is a solemn note for the 75% of Americans who consider themselves Christian, or at least 230 million US residents.
Marriage as a symbol of biblical values is chosen because of its perpetual nature and also divine modeling, such as: “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife (the Church) hath made herself ready.” (Revelation 19:7-9) America cannot long survive as a first rate democracy and world power while ignoring marriage. Statistics prove what happens when wedlock is destroyed. The church itself is doomed to irrelevancy if it does not stand against such apostasy.
I. Europe’s Decrepit Culture of Excellence
Look around you. Why—for the last thousand years, have only countries associated with the European vision been able to create states of both great personal freedom and robust economies? Only they, in world history, were able to forge a respectful, efficient, peaceful and highly successful track record of government. Only these have enjoyed expansive political expression, rule of law, religious freedom, contract protection and representative government amongst all peoples. Arguably this occurred when leaders applied biblical doctrines, as missionaries converted European tribes, like the Franks. These set about developing modern society, with input from both Catholic, and later Protestant, quarters. You’d have to be living under a rock to not notice the gaping difference in quality of life between Europe and the Middle East on all these matters, for example.
Yet, today Europe is caught in a deep funk, not sure what it believes about religion, economics, or even freedom. France and other states are resisting takeover by Muslims while trying to understand what the first European Islamic state would resemble, especially regarding liberty. Much of the problem here is caused by brainless liberal automatons who relentlessly attack larger families, lampoon the church and marriage, and hate all traditional beliefs. America is not far behind these suicide illiterates in rejection of the West’s sublime faith and glorious past. But we must all stand up now and defend our Christian institutions which served us so well for so long, and actually created the modern world.
II. Anti-Christ & Anti-Christians
In the Bible, the famous term “anti-Christ” is used in both the singular and plural. So, the apostolic writers prophesied a group of persons whose spirit opposed the teachings of Christ, as mentioned; and also an individual tagged “Anti-Christ,” marked by “666.” So writes Saint John:
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. (John 2:18)
Here is offered the Reformed Christian interpretation claiming since the number 6 was the representation of mankind in ancient numerology, what 666 foreshadows is the age of ultra, hyper-humanism. Therefore, the mark of 666 would be upon all of those in the modern age who follow the ideas of man instead of the revelation of God. That would then make sense of verses like this:
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. (2 Timothy 3:2-5)
Classic passages on the Anti-Christ are found in the books of Daniel and Revelation:
And I saw a beast coming out of the sea…The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words & blasphemies and to exercise his authority for 42 months. He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, & to slander his name & his dwelling place & those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints & to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language & nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast‚Äîall whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb slain from the creation of the world…This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666. (Rev 13)
III. Anti-Christian Family Planning: Willful Heresy or Just Plain Stupidity?
There have been a number of changes in government policy and private habits over the last 50 years which have drastically impacted the quality of life in America for the worse. None have had a more dire impact than the destruction of the traditional family. Writes Slate:
In the last 50 years, there has been an extraordinary decoupling of marriage and procreation. In 1960 about 5 percent of births were to unwed mothers; that figure is now a record high of nearly 40 percent. Out-of-wedlock births used to be such a source of shame that families tried to hide them: Singer Bobby Darin was born to a teen mother and raised to believe she was his sister. But now out-of-wedlock births are greeted with a shrug.
The Bible is quite clear on the centrality of marriage in God’s creation, made obvious by a few examples. First, Adam and Eve become one flesh in paradise before any sin occurs. Second, we see that God gives marriage the ultimate blessing by comparing Christ’s relationship with the church to a wedding of a bride and groom. Third, God and Jesus both explicitly defend marriage.
Consider the following verses. In the Old Testament, Yahweh says,
The Lord is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not [the Lord] made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. “I hate divorce,” says the Lord God of Israel…(Malachi 2: 14-16)
In the New Testament, Christ comments on marriage:
Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
“What did Moses command you?” He replied.
They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Mark 10: 2-9)
Now consider the resultant folly of loosening human marriage via: no-fault divorces, abortion, cohabitation, remarriage and multiple-partner families, casual affairs, bastard offspring, and now gay marriage and even polygamy. The NY Times wrote in 2009:
Unmarried mothers gave birth to 4 out of every 10 babies born in the United States in 2007, a share that is increasing rapidly both here and abroad… First, the entrance of every child into society was once prepared by their complete family. Now, for example for African American births, that happens about 25% of the time. And consider the towering increase in poverty for children in fatherless families. Amazingly, Blacks are more at risk from death by abortion than any other cause of death. Consider what Christ says about caring for children:
And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. (Matt 18: 5-6)
So what is the real impact of the breakup of the family? The following statistics will cast a light on the true cost of turning our back on traditional marriage. In the interest of exploring the loss of the father, which symbolizes God the Father, consider these statistics from Experiments in Living: The Fatherless Family, By Rebecca O’Neill; Sept. 2002, CIVITAS. Here are some statistics resulting from the fatherless:
•63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes.—[U. S. D.H.H.S. Bureau of the Census]
•90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes; 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes.—[Center for Disease Control]
•80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes.—[Criminal Justice and Behavior, Vol. 14 p. 403-26]
•71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes.—[National Principals Association Report on the State of High Schools]
•70% of juveniles in state operated institutions come from fatherless homes.—[U.S. Dept. of Justice, Special Report, Sept., 1988]
•85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless home. —[Fulton County Georgia Jail Populations and Texas Dept. of Corrections, 1992]
•40% of children in America do not live with their fathers.—[US News and World Report, February 27, 1995, p.39]
What does this mean? Children from fatherless homes are:
•4.6 times more likely to commit suicide; 6.6 times to become teenaged mothers; 24.3 times more likely to run away; 15.3 times more likely to have behavioral disorders; 6.3 times more likely to be in a state-operated institutions; 10.8 times more likely to commit rape; 6.6 times more likely to drop out of school; 15.3 times more likely to end up in prison while a teenager.—(Calculation above assumes 27% of children in care of single mothers.)
And—compared to children who are in the care of two biological, married parents—children who are in the care of single mothers are:
•33 times more likely to be seriously abused (so that they will require medical attention); and 73 times more likely to be killed.—[”Marriage: The Safest Place for Women and Children”, by Patrick F. Fagan and Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D. Backgrounder #1535.]
Conclusion
The spirit of anti-Christ is now strong across America, and growing daily in countless areas, such as government, economics, art, politics, religious liberty, and many others. Yet, consider this statement on apostasy:
The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt13:41-42)
Fatherless Barack (see Are the Sins of the Fatherless the Root of Obama’s Tyranny?) believes he will build an earthly paradise, perhaps to please a father who was not there to show him real love and wisdom as a child.
Whether Christian or atheist, we must admit the collapse of the family creates enormous social, financial, and emotional problems, which only increase over time. So to fight against fatherlessness is to battle for common sense, itself. To save America from apostasy, is to return us back to our rightful place as the crown jewel of the nations. If the Bible is really all that separates us from barbarianism, as some historians have written—then we better stand up and fight for our classic institutions as if our very lives depended upon it, because they do.

Syria, the U.N. “Human Rights” Council, and the Obama Administration

Saturday, April 2, 2011
By: Anne Bayefsky/Weekly Standard/Canada Free Press.
The Obama administration’s effort to draw an artificial distinction between the butchers in Damascus and the gangsters in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia, has taken a bizarre twist: Syria is seeking a seat on the U.N.’s top human rights body, the Human Rights Council. And, as part of the process leading up to the May 20, 2011 elections, the U.N. published a Syria’s “pledge” to protect human rights on Thursday.
For context, this is the same pledge system that Muammar Qaddafi’s regime used to get a seat on the Council last May. Rather than refusing to legitimize a scheme that makes a mockery of the institution, the Obama administration announced hours before that it has decided to seek a second term on the U.N. Human Rights Council.
The announcement comes a whopping 14 months before the U.S. term on the Council expires, making the declaration totally unnecessary to guarantee American reelection. Instead, it seems, President Obama aims to preempt mounting criticism of his decision to participate, as well as to minimize the serious menace posed by Syria’s ambitions. The move comes at precisely the wrong moment in time.
The Council was created in 2006 without any criteria for membership. The only advice given to the General Assembly says that, when electing Council members, states should “take into account the contribution of candidates to the promotion and protection of human rights and their voluntary pledges and commitments made thereto.” Hence, Syria produced a pledge.
Notwithstanding the current bloody campaign by Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad to annihilate democracy-seekers, the Syrian pledge says: “Promotion and protection of human rights are of highest importance to Syria…Syria’s candidature to the Human Rights Council signifies its commitment to respect and to support the inalienable and indivisible nature of all human rights.”
The State Department’s most recent annual report on Syria describes the situation somewhat differently. It recounts that Syrian security forces “continue to use torture frequently” and describes in gruesome detail exactly which body parts Assad’s henchmen routinely mutilate, and how.
Undaunted, Syria’s pledge continues: “Syria believes that its membership on the Human Rights Council would contribute towards enriching the quality of dialogue…aimed at the promotion and protection of human rights for all peoples.” What this means is a bit of a mystery. But perhaps this example of Syrian dialogue, from a June 8, 2010 speech at the Council, might be what the Assad regime has in mind. “This is a state that is built on hatred,” a Syrian diplomat told the Council. “Let me quote a song that children on a school bus in Israel sing merrily as they go to school and I quote ‘with my teeth I will rip your flesh with my mouth I will suck your blood.’”
Syria’s pledge is accurate on one count, though. It says: “Syria believes that its membership…would contribute to accomplish the objectives of the Council.” Since the Council systematically demonizes Israel – the Council has adopted the same number of resolutions and decisions condemning Israel as the rest of the 191 UN countries combined – Syria’s assistance is assured.
The pledge is expected to guarantee Syria a seat on the Council because its candidacy is currently part of a fixed slate. To date, the Asian group of states have put forward exactly the same number of candidates as the spaces they have been allotted. The same gimmick by the African group last May succeeded in electing Libya, after Qaddafi pledged: “the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya is fully committed to the promotion and protection of human rights principles.” 82 percent of the U.N. General Assembly thought that was good enough to welcome Libya aboard the U.N.’s idea of a human rights agency.
Why, then, does President Obama share Syrian and Libyan enthusiasm for the Council? This week’s announcement that his administration wants a second term was accompanied by a list of responses to this question, each more specious than the next.
The justifications include: “The Council took bold, assertive action to highlight Iran’s deteriorating human rights situation.” That “bold” step consisted of a resolution appointing one individual to “investigate” Iran’s human rights violations and report back to the Council a year from now.
Then the administration pointed to “efforts to renew the mandate of the independent expert tasked with monitoring human rights throughout Sudan.” It neglects to mention, however, that the mandate was renewed only after excising all criticism of the government of Sudan from the Council resolution and substituting such praise as: “recognizing…the efforts of the government of the Sudan in the promotion and protection of human rights.”
The U.S. list also emphasizes the president’s “pivotal role” in suspending Libyan membership from the Council. This “success” (which should never have been necessary to begin with), somehow overlooks the fact that human rights paragons and Council members like Saudi Arabia and China remain comfortably in place.
Then there is the stunning misrepresentation of “a strong statement on LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender] rights” from “a group of 85 countries,” that the Obama team heralds as a “landmark moment” for the U.N. Joined by less than half of U.N. members, a mere statement carries with it no practical consequences. And just two days later, the Council adopted a contrary resolution over the wishes of the same coalition. When the resolution on “traditional values of humankind” was passed, the American delegate specifically lamented that it “undermine[d]…the rights of…LGBT individuals.”
The administration even claims to have “end[ed] the divisive debate over the highly problematic concept of ‘defamation of religions.’” But the resolution on religion which was adopted specifically cites as a role model a “speech given by Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu,” delivered on September 16, 2010. In that same speech, not only did Ihsanoglu refer to the defamation of religions, he declared that Islamic law trumps human rights. In his words: “the holy Quran…places a premium on human dignity — a concept that transcends human rights. Furthermore, a December 2010 resolution of the General Assembly necessitates that a report on the “defamation of religions” be completed by the fall. Making reports of its demise premature, to say the least.
Overall, U.S. membership on the Council has been so “successful” that, at its latest session, the U.S. lost eleven of the fourteen votes held.
Most significantly, the session marked the end of the Council’s own five-year review. The administration billed membership as the golden ticket for ensuring reform “from within.” As it turned out, every serious recommendation that the Obama administration put forward on reform (39 of 42) was firmly rejected, ensuring nothing but more of the same in the years ahead.
We are left with the troubling reality that both Assad and Obama are enchanted with the same U.N. Human Rights Council, to the detriment of human rights victims in Syria and around the world.
For more United Nations coverage see EYEontheUN.org.