LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِApril 17/2011

Biblical Event Of The Day
The Good News According to Luke 14/7-14: " He spoke a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the best seats, and said to them, 14:8 “When you are invited by anyone to a marriage feast, don’t sit in the best seat, since perhaps someone more honorable than you might be invited by him, 14:9 and he who invited both of you would come and tell you, ‘Make room for this person.’ Then you would begin, with shame, to take the lowest place. 14:10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes, he may tell you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 14:11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” 14:12 He also said to the one who had invited him, “When you make a dinner or a supper, don’t call your friends, nor your brothers, nor your kinsmen, nor rich neighbors, or perhaps they might also return the favor, and pay you back. 14:13 But when you make a feast, ask the poor, the maimed, the lame, or the blind; 14:14 and you will be blessed, because they don’t have the resources to repay you. For you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous.”

USA Senator Lieberman & The Syrian Regime Thugs
Click on the below link and listen to Senator Lieberman speaking from United States Senate about Assad regime violence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NevCTmqPIK8&feature=player_embedded#at=12

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources 
Coptic Christians in Egypt Rally for Secular Constitution, Civil Rights/AINA/April 16/11 
From the Daily Star: Interview with Lebanon's former House Speaker Hussein Husseini/April 16/11 
Lebanon's Jeita Cave named New Natural Wonder finalist/Daily Star/April 16, 2011
Obama's Strategy? He Doesn't Have One/By Neil Snyder/April 16/11 
Hezb'allah intends to attack western targets in advance of tribunal indictments/American Thinker/April 16/11 
No one owns Syria's uprising/Ali al-Bayanouni/April 16/11 

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for April 16/11 
Israel Threatens to Destroy 150 Lebanese Villages Over Any Missile Attack/Naharnet
Lebanon's March 14 Tells Connelly that Arabs, West Should Protect Lebanon from Syria/Naharnet
Court Dissolves Former Egypt Ruling Party, Property Handed to Government/Naharnet
Maronite Patriarch expresses hope for Lebanon/Vatican Radio
Lebanon's March 14 Slams Syrian Ambassador's Remarks as 'Veiled Threats/Naharnet
'Officer in Northern Command warns Hezbollah commanders'/J.Post
Clinton Says Iran Seeks to 'Hijack' Mideast Protests/VOA
Islamists attack Jordanian police with swords, wounding 51/Agencies/Daily Star
Syria's Assad "faces strong challenge without reform"/Reuters
Thousands rally at funeral in Syria: reports/Agencies/Daily Star
Protests in Syria Curtailed by Force/Wall Street Journal
Clinton to Syria: End violence now/UPI
Syria protests swell as tens of thousands turn out/Los Angeles Times
Syria's silent majority will determine next step as protests grow/The Guardian
Why Syria's President Doesn't Like Fridays/Time
Rights Group Condemns Syrian Crackdown on Protesters/VOA
Syria says policeman was beated to death by protesters during demonstration/'The Canadian Press
Future Movemen: Hezbollah doesn't know any better/Ya Libnan
Battling the Heirs of Nasser/New York Times
If struck, Israel shouldn't hesitate to retaliate/Washington Times
Wahhab says Sleiman is obstructing the cabinet formation/iloubnan.info
WikiLeaks: Hariri proposed new Syria regime/Ahram Online
Hariri is shaking stability of Syria, Syrian state TV
Jarrah says Syrian accusations are shameful/iloubnan.info/iloubnan.info
Allouch says Syria's accusations are fabricated by the intelligence/iloubnan.info
Patriarch Al-Rahi Meets Pope Benedict XVI: Christian Meeting to Be Held Next Week, Muslim-Christian Summit on May 12/Naharnet
Berri: No More Excuses for Government Deadlock/Naharnet
Consultations Focus on Change of Portfolios but Suleiman Sticks to Interior, Defense Ministries/Naharnet
No Agenda for Tuesday's Reconciliation Meeting in Bkirki, al-Khazen Considers it a 'Bold Move'/Naharnet
Report: March 14 Tells Connelly that Arabs, West Should Protect Lebanon from Syria/Naharnet
Mustaqbal: Loyalty to Resistance Bloc Has Eagerly Rushed to Condemn Us without Trial, Documents, Proofs/Naharnet
Aoun Responding to Miqati's Statements that he Will Not Surrender: His War is with Himself/Naharnet
UNIFIL Denies it is Involved in Search for Estonians/Naharnet

Israel Threatens to Destroy 150 Lebanese Villages Over Any Missile Attack
Naharnet/A security source from the Northern Israeli command warned 150 villages in southern Lebanon that the Jewish state would destroy "every house or building from where missiles are launched. "Israel has evidence that Hizbullah is continuing to prepare for war, the official said. He stated that Israel has provided the United Nations with reports and maps that reveal the presence of 1,000 Hizbullah arms depots and 40,000 missiles in bunkers. Hizbullah has turned 150 southern villages into a huge military camp, he said. Accordingly, the Israeli army is not responsible for any harm that might inflict the citizens of this region. Meanwhile, The Jerusalem Post said that the Israeli army has drawn up a comprehensive multi-year strategy that would help protect Israel from all fresh dangers. In this plan, the army reels from its failures and mistakes following the Second Lebanon War in 2006, the Israeli daily said. The Israeli army is unquestionably better prepared today for another ground war in Syria, Lebanon or the Gaza Strip, it added. The new plan recognizes that the Israeli army is already at war on some of its fronts. It is waging a war against Iran's nuclear program – mostly in the shadows and below the surface – and is also, at the same time, fighting on the high seas against weapons smuggling to Hamas in Gaza and Hizbullah in Lebanon – demonstrated by the seizure of Iranian arms on the Victoria cargo ship last month, the Post stressed. Beirut, 16 Apr 11, 09:49

Report: March 14 Tells Connelly that Arabs, West Should Protect Lebanon from Syria
Naharnet/The March 14 General-Secretariat has reportedly urged U.S. Ambassador Maura Connelly to preserve Lebanon's stability after the latest Syrian accusations of al-Mustaqbal movement's involvement in funding a terrorist cell in Syria. Connelly visited Caretaker Premier Saad Hariri, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and March 14 General-Secretariat Coordinator Fares Soaid on Friday. Media reports said Saturday that she discussed with them the latest developments. An Nahar daily said, however, that Soaid informed her that "there are exposed Syrian attempts to link" developments in Syria with Lebanon. "The March 14 forces consider that the protection of Lebanon, its civil peace and stability are a primary Lebanese responsibility but believe that there should be an Arab and international responsibility as well," Soaid told Connelly, according to An Nahar. Beirut, 16 Apr 11,

Court Dissolves Former Egypt Ruling Party, Property Handed to Government
Naharnet/n Egyptian court dissolved the former ruling National Democratic Party on Saturday and ordered its funds and property to be handed to the government, a judicial source said.
"The administrative court issued a ruling to dissolve the NDP and seize its money, and its headquarters and buildings will be handed to the government," the source said.
The NDP, the party of ousted president Hosni Mubarak, was fighting for its survival after protests forced the strongman to resign on February 11 and much of its senior leadership is now behind bars on suspicion of corruption. Others such as Hossam Badrawi, who briefly led the party before resigning in protest when Mubarak tarried in stepping down, have either defected or are planning to form a new party. The NDP, founded by former president Anwar Sadat, dominated Egyptian politics for around three decades, winning majorities in elections that were widely seen as rigged. Talaat Sadat, the late president's nephew, was appointed as the new head of the party after the revolt. Sources said he was at Saturday's hearing, after which opponents of the party began chanting "The NDP is illegitimate." Some NDP properties were inherited from the previous incarnation of the ruling party in Sadat's time, while others are leased from private owners, its members claim. There are also separate, private lawsuits demanding the return of some of the buildings to their owners. The NDP's main Nile riverfront headquarters was torched during the revolt that ousted Mubarak and is now being fought over by the Cairo governorate, which wants to turn it into a park, and the Egyptian Museum across the street. Its remaining members had hoped to contest the upcoming parliamentary election in September and argued that they had cut ties with corrupt party officials and apologized to Egyptians for "party mistakes." During the past decade, Mubarak's son Gamal established a policies secretariat in the party that pushed through economic reforms and increasingly turned the NDP into a legislative power center. Gamal, his brother Alaa and their father have all been remanded in preventive custody as part of an investigation into the killings of anti-regime protesters. The three are also under suspicion of corruption, as are the party's former secretary Safwat al-Sharif and other senior leaders.(AFP) Beirut, 16 Apr 11, 17:01

Al-Rahi Meets Pope Benedict XVI: Christian Meeting to Be Held Next Week, Muslim-Christian Summit on May 12
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi continued his trip to the Vatican on Thursday by meeting with Pope Benedict XVI in the presence of a number of Lebanese politicians and officials.
He said during the meeting: "It is a great joy to stand before you among a number of Lebanese Christians and Muslims to express our appreciation for being accepted in the ecclesiastical communion." "During these difficult times, we announce that we will work with all church institutions to maintain national principles and values that the church has been known for," he continued. "We request your papal blessing for us, the Maronite church, and the whole of Lebanon," he concluded. For his part, Pope Benedict XVI noted that this was al-Rahi's first visit to the Vatican as former Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir's successor. "Sfeir's presence allows me to express my gratitude to him for his 25 years of service to the Maronite church amidst turbulence in the region," he said. "This region that was blessed by patriarchs, prophets, and Christ himself is longing for permanent peace. You will continue your mission through granting the youth a spiritual and humanitarian education," he stressed. Al-Rahi held a press conference after the meeting during which he announced that the Christian meeting at Bkirki next week will be a spiritual occasion ahead of the Easter holiday. "We are all in agreement over the principles … Political choices don't divide us," he stressed.He also announced that a Muslim-Christian summit will be held on May 12 in order to prepare a document of national values. "Challenges and hardships await us and we will set a work plan in order to restore the state and confront the developments in the Arab world," he added. Asked about tackling Hizbullah's possession of arms, the patriarch replied: "They should be discussed at the national dialogue table and it won't be the first topic addressed at the Muslim-Christian summit." The Christian meeting is scheduled to include Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, and Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh. Beirut, 14 Apr 11, 18:55

Hezb'allah intends to attack western targets in advance of tribunal indictments
So says the Arabic language Beirut Observer who got it from western intelligence officials.
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/04/hezballah_intends_to_attack_we.html
Rick Moran/Haaretz:/April 15, 2011
Hezbollah is planning an attack on Western targets, a Lebanese news website reported on Tuesday, basing its claims on information intercepted by a Western intelligence agency.
According to the Beirut Observer article published Tuesday, Western intelligence officials believe Hezbollah intends to strike Western targets, citing the unusual movement of suspected Hezbollah and Iranian Revolutionary Guards operatives. The report said the intention of such an attack is to divert global public opinion from the indictments expected to be issued by a special United Nations tribunal dealing with the assassination of former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri. Lebanese officials and Western diplomats expect the court to accuse Hezbollah members of involvement in the assassination, a prospect Lebanese politicians fear could fuel further tensions. The Lebanon tribunal, the world's first international court with jurisdiction over the crime of terrorism, was set up to try those accused over the 2005 bombing that killed Lebanese ex-prime minister Hariri and 22 others. Hezb'allah is panicking. Since their recent takeover of the Lebanese government, things have not been going very well, They have yet to be able to form a cabinet with their puppet prime minister proving to be unpersuasive. The sealed tribunal indictments - once opened - might precipitate a civil war between Sunni and Shia because the murdered Hariri was particularly beloved among Lebanese Sunnis. If they feel they have to hit Israelis or other westerners in order to distract the Lebanese population from their traitorous alliance with Bashar Assad of Syria (who probably ordered the hit on Hariri but won't suffer the consequences due to UN cowardice), they are truly worried that they may be forced to rule Lebanon at gunpoint.  Any conflict would be pretty one sided. The Sunnis are very far removed from the civil war when their militias were formidable fighting forces. But it wouldn't take long before they could be reconstituted and give the Hez all they could handle.

Roumieh Prisoner Dies of Injuries, Raising Toll of ISF Raid to 3
Naharnet/An inmate died of burn injuries he suffered during the raid of the Internal Security Forces on Roumieh prison last week, one of his family members told Agence France Presse on Saturday. Nasser Darwish, who hails from the eastern Bekaa town of Brital, died at hospital of severe burn injuries, his brother told AFP. The news about the death raised the toll to three. The two others died when security forces stormed Roumieh prison on April 5 to halt four days of rioting by prisoners demanding improved conditions. The brother did not say why Darwish had been arrested and how long he had been incarcerated. He told AFP, however, that the suspect hadn't been tried yet. Beirut, 16 Apr 11, 14:13

Thousands rally at funeral in Syria: reports
April 16, 2011
By Mariam Karouny Agencies/Daily Star
NICOSIA: Thousands of Syrians on Saturday attended the funeral of a man who died from his wounds after being shot in the northwestern city of Banias, witnesses and activists said.
The mourners chanted slogans in favor of greater freedoms, against the ruling Baath party, in power since 1963, while some also called for an end to the regime, the sources told AFP.
Osama al-Shikha, 40, was shot on April 10 when witnesses said seven cars "carrying people sent by the regime arrived in front of the Abu Bakr al-Sidiq mosque and their occupants opened fire" during dawn prayers.
"Five people were wounded," a witness said, adding that "the people behind this shooting are regime thugs and their names are known to us."
About 400 women, meanwhile, demonstrated in the centre of the coastal city "in favor of liberty and in homage of the martyr," a human rights activist told AFP.
President Bashar al-Assad was expected to deliver a speech Saturday during the first meeting of his new cabinet, tasked with introducing broad reforms, including lifting emergency laws.
Tens of thousands of people rallied across Syria on Friday demanding greater freedoms, exactly one month after a rare protest was staged in Damascus calling for the release of political prisoners.
Friday protests stretched from the key southern town of Daraa, to the predominantly Kurdish north, via the central industrial city of Homs and the coastal cities of Latakia and Banias, activists said.
Assad should free all political prisoners and allow peaceful rallies to show he is serious about reform or risk provoking a stronger challenge to his 11-year rule, activists say.
While some protesters have called for the "overthrow of the regime," the call has not yet been universally adopted at protests which have spread across Syria over the last four weeks, inspired by uprisings throughout the Arab world.
But the activists say that may change because anger and frustration are rising in a country ruled with an iron fist by the Baath Party for nearly half a century.
Assad has tried to face down the protests using force, promises of reform, salary increases, moves to replace emergency law and concessions to minority Kurds and conservative Muslims.
"These steps he has announced should have happened years ago. Now a different kind of reform is required," human rights activist Ammar Qurabi said. "First he should immediately lift the state of emergency.
"There is still a chance for reforms. The chance is not lost but it's getting tighter. We want real reforms, and now."
Opposition parties are too fragmented and disorganized to lead mass protests or threaten Assad's rule. For years they have called for greater freedoms but failed to mobilize Syrians who were silenced by the powerful secret police.
Now activists say the momentum is coming from the grassroots and the demonstrations are organized by young people. "The people are leading us, we just support them," Qurabi said.
Those same people who finally broke a barrier of fear to protest on the streets are not going to return to their houses for promises alone, activists say, and would fear prosecution if they gave up their protests while emergency law prevailed.
"Under the state of emergency all these protests are against the law. The first step that should happen so people believe that the promises are for real is to lift the state of emergency," said one activist in Damascus.
"The president can do that in 15 minutes. He has such a decision in his hands. It is his constitutional right. Why he is not doing that is the question," he added.
Among other demands the activists said they want the abolition of article 8 from the constitution which states that the Baath Party "is the leader of the state and the society."
They said it prevented the formation of other parties and was obstructing political life.
Rights groups say at least 200 people have been killed since the protests started four weeks ago. Authorities blame armed groups for stirring up unrest at the bidding of outside players, including Lebanon and Islamist groups.
"DIGNITY AND FREEDOM"
"All that Syrians want is dignity and freedom -- we are calling for reforms," said rights activist Abdulkreem Rihawi.
"People in these demonstrations are expressing their anger, frustration and objecting to their loss of rights. They do not want the fall of the regime," he said.
"If no real reforms are done then the situation in Syria will be open to all options, I am not sure by then if it will be like the Egypt or the Yemen model," referring to Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, who bowed to mass protests and stepped down, and Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh who is clinging to power.
Assad has said Syria was the target of a foreign conspiracy to sow sectarian strife.
"The authorities are living in denial until now, they are refusing to acknowledge that we are facing a crisis," lawyer Khalil Maatouk said.
"Syrians deserve freedom just like Egyptians and Tunisians. They are not better than us and the authorities should understand that," he added.
Syria, bordered by Lebanon, Israel, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq, maintains an anti-Israel alliance with Iran and supports militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah, despite seeking a peace deal with Israel and the end of U.S. sanctions imposed on Syria in 2004.
Assad's rule faced external pressure and isolation after the 2005 killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri. Syria was initially blamed for the killing.
Activists acknowledge such a stance has given Assad some popularity among ordinary Syrians but said that was not enough.
"We know he has been targeted by the West and the pressure he was under in 2005 and during the war (between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006) but this is not convincing any more, he has to focus on the internal front and listen to the people," an activist said.
The U.S. State Department said last week there are an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 political prisoners in Syrian prisons.
Activists also demand economic reforms and called on Assad to put an end to corruption which has plagued the system.
"Money is in the hands of a small group of people who are close to the authorities. We have reached a point where no one can actually open any business without having an official or his son as their partners," Qurabi said.
Hundreds of demonstrators in the city of Douma on Friday chanted: "We want to say it openly, we do not want to see thieves anymore." - Reuters, AFP

 

Clinton Says Iran Seeks to 'Hijack' Mideast Protests
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/-Clinton-Says-Iran-Seeks-to-Hijack-Mideast-Protests-119956269.html
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Friday accused Iran of trying to exploit and hijack democracy protests in the Middle East and North Africa. Clinton spoke at the end of a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Berlin focusing on Libya and regional unrest. In her strongest comments on the subject to date, Clinton is accusing Iran of hypocritically trying to align itself with popular uprisings in some North African and Middle Eastern states, while trying to thwart democracy movements at home and in its key ally Syria.
Speaking in Berlin a day after the State Department said Iran was materially aiding political repression by Syria, Clinton said there is no evidence Iran has instigated Middle East protests, but said Iran is trying to "take advantage" of the turmoil. "They are trying to exploit unrest. They are trying to advance their agenda in neighboring countries. They continue to try to undermine peace and stability to provoke further conflict," said Clinton. "And we want people in the region to understand that the Iranian government’s motive here is to destabilize countries, not to assist them in their democratic transitions."Clinton said Iran’s silence on anti-government protests in Syria is a further example of "hypocrisy" by Tehran and said in an era of instant communication, no one is fooled by Iranian tactics. The Wall Street Journal Thursday quoted U.S. officials as saying Iran is sending Syria crowd-control gear along with help in blocking and monitoring Syrian protestors' use of the Internet, cell phones and text-messaging. The State Department declined detailed comment on the report, but said there is "credible evidence" of material Iranian assistance for the government in Damascus. On Syria, Clinton called on the government of President Bashar al-Assad to refrain from further violence and to, in her words, "stop repressing their citizens" and to allow in human rights monitors and journalists to verify what is happening on the ground. Syria, controlled by President al-Assad and his late father since 1970, has been hit by unprecedented unrest since mid-March with demonstrators demanding reform and an end to emergency rule. The monitoring group Human Rights Watch said Friday that Syrian security and intelligence services have arbitrarily detained hundreds of protestors across the country, subjecting them to torture and other ill treatment. The New York-based group said security agents also have arrested lawyers, journalists and others who have endorsed the protests. It said Assad, who has spoken of the need for reforms, should rein in security forces and hold them accountable for abuses and that there can be no real reform while protestors are abused with impunity.

Hariri is shaking stability of Syria, Syrian state
TV DAMASCUS | iloubnan.info - April 16, 2011Syria has accused the Futre Movement and Saad Hariri, leader of the movement, of shaking stability in Syria and interfering in the events that have rocked Syria since March 15. "The Future Movement and Saad Hariri have worked on shaking stability in Syria, based on the leaked US cables from the US embassy in Beirut in 2006," the Syrian state TV said in a report. The report added that Hariri visited the US embassy in Lebanon and tried to contact several Arab parties, including the Muslim Brotherhood and the former Syrian Deputy President Abdel Halim Khaddam, in order to destabilize the Syrian Iranian links which are hindering the peace process in the Middle East. "Hariri advised the US administration to adopt a new isolation policy towards Syria to isolate it from Iran," the report added.

Officer in N. Command warns Hezbollah commanders'
By JPOST.COM STAFF
04/16/2011 12:34
London-based 'Al-Hayyat' prints warning to Hezbollah officials in s. Lebanon against firing rockets, reportedly from senior IDF commander.
According to a report in the London-based Al-Hayyat Arabic-language newspaper Saturday, a senior officer in the IDF's Northern Command sent a warning to 150 Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon against firing rockets into Israel, Israel Radio reported. In his message, the unnamed officer in the Northern Command warned Hezbollah commanders that if they fire one rocket into Israeli territory that they will face a harsh response, according to the report. Addressing Hezbollah's use of civilian areas in southern Lebanon as cover for its activities, the message warned that if a rocket is fired from a house or other building, the launch site would be immediately destroyed. In late March, the IDF released maps showing Hezbollah military sites in southern Lebanon, most of which are located in nearly 200 villages. Hezbollah is believed today to have over 40,000 rockets and missiles, including several hundred long-range missiles that can hit targets in Tel Aviv with superior accuracy. While Hezbollah is continuing to build up its arsenal, it is currently believed by the IDF to be deterred from renewing hostilities with Israel. The previous release of maps detailing was said to be part of a public diplomacy campaign aimed at preparing the world for the widespread devastation that will likely occur in Lebanon if there should be a new Israeli war with Hezbollah, due to Hezbollah’s decision to station its assets inside populated villages.
*Yaakov Katz contributed to this report

No one owns Syria's uprisingAssad's regime blames 'extremists', but Syria's young are leading the way, with broad support
Ali al-Bayanouni
The Guardian, Saturday 16 April 2011/In an interview with the Wall Street Journal in January, Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, said that his main objective was to address his people's "closed-mindedness". He made it clear that this alone impeded reform, and it might be another generation before Syria is ready for real change.
Dictators (including Assad's father, Hafez) have long presented themselves as suppressors of extremism in the region generally, and Syria in particular. They said democracy would usher in fundamentalists inherently opposed to modernity, civil dialogue, international community legitimacy and civilised human political and economic relations.
Perhaps because of this fear, the whole world was silent when Syria was passed from father to son; there were even some approving statements about the new "young and modern" president. This led to a feeling of hopelessness among the Syrian people.
There had in fact been a fairly successful democratic state in Syria prior to the "revolutionary governments" that took over in the second half of the 20th century. Syria was ruled by national coalition governments, and a parliament that reflected the country's ethnic and cultural mix; moderation and openness prevailed. Islamist parties met, negotiated and collaborated with secular parties from left and right. The Muslim Brotherhood won some rounds and lost others, and accepted each outcome. There was no terrorism or extremism, and it was unimaginable that a law as brutal as the infamous 49/1980 – under which those accused of being Brotherhood members were sentenced to death – would have been passed.
The international community was deaf to the appeals of Assad's victims. In the 1980s, as a result of the shutdown of all channels of expression, the absence of democracy and the consistent and institutional violation of basic human rights, a few individuals resorted to violence – not unheard of in societies existing in similar circumstances. Syria's dictator turned these events into a catastrophe that engulfed the Syrian people, plunging the country into a state of virtual civil war. Around 500 people had been victims of the initial acts of violence; 50,000 were killed in response during the infamous massacres of Hama and elsewhere. Many others were displaced and, 30 years on, more than 17,000 people remain unaccounted for after being arrested.
As a result, the entire Syrian people were disenfranchised. Social, economic and political activists as well as political opponents were accused by the regime of being "Camp David agents", in reference to the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt – though the major disagreement between the regime and the main opposition parties is not over foreign policy, but focuses on internal affairs and the lack of democracy.
When Assad Jr first came to power, the Muslim Brotherhood and others were conciliatory, stating that he was not to be held responsible for the crimes of his father. As recently as two years ago the Muslim Brotherhood ended its opposition activities in solidarity with the regime's support for the Palestinians during the Israeli war on Gaza. But Assad has repeatedly rejected his opponents' extended hand. The recent brutal sentence against the 18-year-old Tal al-Mallouhi – tried for espionage just because she blogged about her longing for reform – and similar incidents mobilised the Syrian people.
In the last few days the Syrian media have claimed that opposition groups, in particular the Muslim Brotherhood, are behind the protests. The aim is to justify the regime's violent response to the Syrian people's peaceful protests. In fact, none of the opposition groups can claim ownership of this youthful revolution. We, along with many others from across the political spectrum, called for the formation of a national coalition to support the youth, but in no way do we claim ownership of these historic events.
We are committed to peaceful means, and we endorse the aims of the revolution to build a civil state committed to rule of law, governed by a new constitution that emerges from the will of the people through a transparent and free vote. It is time that all Syrians – men and women alike, regardless of ethnicity or religion – enjoy equal citizenship.
The dictator is not to be believed. Syrians are a civilised and progressive people; we come from a long line of poets who wrote about love and peace. These protests call for nothing more than the recapture of the people's collective sense of dignity, citizenship and freedom. Let's hope they are met by a changed attitude from the international community, which for so long has let them down. To date hundreds have fallen as a result of live fire from the regime's security forces, and many more will undoubtedly fall before the aspirations of the people are met.

Obama's Strategy? He Doesn't Have One
By Neil Snyder/American Thinker
One thing stands out in my mind about President Obama's so-called "budget strategy." He doesn't have one. You can see evidence of Mr. Obama's strategic vacuum in everything he does. Take the much ballyhooed budget speech he gave yesterday at George Washington University, for example. It contradicts the message he delivered as a part of his 10-year budget just a few short weeks ago. All of the evidence points to the fact that Obama's "budget strategy" is simply a kneejerk reaction to Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wisconsin) budget proposal which really does reflect strategic thinking. It's been said, and it's true, that talk is cheap. Talk seems to be the only arrow in Mr. Obama's quiver.
The president's speech droned on for about an hour and when it was over, the most memorable thing about it was its lack of specificity. The phrase "my plan," which he used repeatedly is not a substitute for specifics, and the examples he used to support his "plan" were woefully inadequate. Take infrastructure spending, for instance. The president explained that he would spend on infrastructure. Who's against that? No one. Problem is, infrastructure spending was supposed to be the primary focus of his stimulus package. Two years ago, we were told about the "shovel-ready projects" that would get us out of the Great Recession and fix our crumbling roads and bridges in the process. Two years and hundreds of billions of dollars later, what does the record show? We still have crumbling roads and bridges, precious little construction work, and more deficits and debt than any generation of Americans has ever seen with more to come. That's not strategy. It's business as usual. Paraphrasing Albert Einstein, "The quality of thinking that got us here won't get us out of here."
If the president had a strategy for dealing with our deficit and debt problems, he would have presented it long ago -- in detail. He could have used his budget commission's plan to get our fiscal house in order as the launching pad to introduce his strategy, and he would have if he had one. President Obama's silence at that critical moment was deafening, and yesterday's Johnny-come-lately gimmick was nothing more than an attempt to avoid the appearance of incompetence -- a trick that is becoming increasingly difficult for him to pull off even among his once ardent supporters. The president's "plan" to call on legislators to find a solution to our deficit and debt problems by the end of June a week after Rep. Ryan submitted his plan to the House of Representatives is laughable. Again, that's not strategy. It's just empty words.
Mr. Obama's strategic void has been on display in the Middle East since the Arab Spring began in January. For instance, consider Egypt. Obama stood with our long-time ally, Hosni Mubarak, and then he didn't. Then he stood with him again until the political winds shifted, at which point Obama announced that it was time for Mr. Mubarak to go. Our president has demonstrated the same lack of strategic resolve on matters related to Syria, Libya, Tunisia, Bahrain, Yemen, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. Our president's inability to grasp strategic concepts is so pervasive that the King of Saudi Arabia said recently that President Obama is a threat to Saudi Arabia's internal security. I think he's a threat to our internal security as well.
Mr. Obama did have a strategy for getting elected to the highest office in the land, but it wasn't his. Whose plan it was remains a mystery, as does almost everything else about our president, from the hospital where he was born to his SAT and LSAT scores to his academic performance records to his golf handicap. Even so, the facts are beginning to emerge. Take his first autobiography, for example. Jack Cashill's Deconstructing Obama suggests strongly that Obama didn't write it and that Bill Ayers probably did.
It's looking a lot like someone or some group carefully orchestrated a comprehensive strategy to take an obscure Illinois lawyer specializing in community organizing from nowhere to the White House. That plan will go down in the annals of history as a strategic masterpiece -- a stroke of genius. No one deft enough to devise a scheme for Obama's political ascension could be so strategically clumsy in office.
A few days ago, Mort Zuckerman, a publishing and real estate magnate, said on CNBC that Donald Trump's autobiography would be the greatest love story ever told. Mr. Trump wants to be president, and he's distancing himself from other wannabes by calling into question Mr. Obama's place of birth. I don't support Trump's candidacy, but I applaud his willingness to challenge Mr. Obama to come clean and divulge the facts. That's something Republican stalwarts haven't done; it's something the mainstream media failed to do; and it's something ordinary citizens need to know. The unraveling of Mr. Obama's past will be interesting to say the least, but this much is certain already. Barack Obama, a.k.a Barry Soetoro, is not a strategist. At best, he's a skillful opportunist.
**Neil Snyder has a Ph.D. degree in strategic management and taught leadership and strategy at the University of Virginia for 25 years. He retired from UVA in 2004 and is currently the Ralph A. Beeton Professor Emeritus at UVA. His blog, SnyderTalk.com, is posted daily.

Islamists attack Jordanian police with swords, wounding 51, pro-democracy rallies continue
April 16, 2011 By Musa Hattar Agence France Press
AMMAN: Islamist protesters armed with swords, daggers and bats attacked police in the Jordanian city of Zarqa Friday, wounding 51 of them, the country’s police chief said. Lt. Gen. Hussein Majali told a news conference that “51 policemen, including senior officers, were stabbed with knives, beaten with bats or hit with sharp tools, while 32 other policemen were treated for tear gas inhalation.”
He said “eight civilians were also hurt when police fired tear gas and tried to stop Islamist Salafist demonstrators from attacking shoppers in Zarqa,” adding that 17 protesters were arrested and that police are searching for more people.
“It was clear that the demonstrators had plans to clash with police. They carried swords and daggers and were provocative, seeking to drag police into a bloody confrontation.”
Earlier, police spokesman Lt. Col. Mohammad Khatib told AFP six officers stabbed in the clashes were “in serious condition.”
He said police “had to fire tear gas after a group of Islamist Salafists attacked some citizens … accusing them of being atheists.”
The Salafists have been demonstrating over the past few weeks to demand the release of 90 Islamist prisoners, including Abu Mohammad al-Maqdessi, the onetime mentor of slain Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
The group has also called for the release of Mohammad Shalabi, better known as Abu Sayyaf, who was convicted on terrorism charges following riots in the restive southern city of Maan in 2002.
The Salafists espouse an austere form of Sunni Islam that seeks a return to practices that were common in the early days of the faith.
Meanwhile, more than 1,000 people demonstrated in Amman after midday prayers, demanding “regime reforms,” the ouster of Prime Minister Maaruf Bakhit and also the dissolution of Parliament.
“The people want to reform the regime and eliminate corruption. Jordan is free, Bakhit, get out,” demonstrators chanted as they marched from Al-Husseini Mosque in the city center to the nearby city hall.
Holding large Jordanian flags, the anti-government protesters carried banners reading “the people want democracy and social justice” and “we want to dissolve Parliament.”
The demonstration was organized by the powerful Muslim Brotherhood and its political arm, the Islamic Action Front, as well as leftist and other opposition parties.
“The demonstrations will continue until reforms are achieved,” Jamil Abu Baker, Brotherhood spokesman, said.
“So far, we cannot see any [government] intention to carry out reforms. The people are determined to have real reforms and get rid of corruption.”
Hundreds of March 24 youth movement members, who were attacked last month by government supporters in clashes that killed one man and injured 160, held a sit-in outside the city hall, calling for general reforms and singing national songs.
Around 200 policemen were deployed as dozens of government supporters gathered in the area.
Pro-reform demonstrations were held in other, such as Karak and Maan in the south, and Zaraqa and Irbid in the north.

Godfather of Taif says time for reform is at hand
April 16, 2011 01:59 PM)
By Elias Sakr The Daily Star
BEIRUT: “You get the rulers you deserve” is an Arabic saying that highlights how the people’s conduct dictates the choice of their rulers.
“But this is not the case in Lebanon,” according to former Speaker Hussein Husseini, who expresses hope that a new parliamentary electoral law can be drafted and approved to pave the way for the abolition of political sectarianism, and a more representative political class.
The last few months have seen thousands of people march in support of “toppling” the country’s sectarian regime, a demand Husseini took part in drafting into the Taif Accord, which ended Lebanon’s 15-year Civil War.
“There is no alternative to the youth movement [demanding the abolition of the sectarian system]. Its abolition is the implementation of the Constitution,” Husseini told The Daily Star at his residence in Ain al-Tineh.
However, the still modest but ongoing movement protesting against political sectarianism faces many obstacles, beginning with an agreement over an alternative political system.
Disagreements among representatives of civil society groups and activists participating in the “anti-sectarian” movement have lately surfaced in public with some demanding a secular state while others called for a civil state or simply the elimination of quotas allotted to the country’s religious sects.
“Irrespective of the slogans carried by the young people, there is one goal and that is the implementation of the Constitution,” Husseini said.
According to the former speaker, Taif already defined the alternative to political sectarianism, in the establishment of a civil rather than secular state.
But other legal experts disagree, saying it was up to the committee to be formed to abolish political sectarianism to decide on the framework, mechanism and alternative structure to political sectarianism.
“Political reforms in 1989 called for a civil state with all Lebanese holding equal rights and responsibilities to assume toward the state,” Husseini said.
Husseini added that a civil state entails no state religion, but yet expresses the state’s belief in God.
“A civil state does not impose a religion, but does not reject a religion either. A civil state is one that recognizes religious communities, whereas a secular one does not recognize such communities,” Husseini said.
“Article 9 of [Lebanon’s] Constitution stipulates that freedom of belief is absolute. The Constitution states as well as that the state should respect God,” he added.
The former speaker explained that a civil state would require the approval of an “optional personal status law” that does not abolish religious courts, but rather grants Lebanese a choice between the two.
“Why would someone seeking civil marriage have to leave the country though the Lebanese state recognizes civil marriage held in a foreign country?” Husseini asked.
While many Lebanese Muslims demand the abolition of political sectarianism by eliminating quotas reserved for representatives of religious sects in Parliament and state administrative positions, the majority of Christians often respond with demands to establish an entirely secular state.
Christians, who make up almost 40 percent of Lebanon’s population, fear that the abolition of quotas alone would weaken their role in the confessional power-sharing system as demographics have shifted in favor of Muslims due to high emigration and low birth rates among the country’s Christian community.
Maroun Bustani, the dean of the Law School at Sagesse University, said it was up to the committee to be formed to abolish political sectarianism to decide on the framework, mechanism and alternative structure to political sectarianism.
However, Husseini said the abolition of political sectarianism no longer required the formation of a committee, as suggested by the Taif agreement back in 1989.
“When we called for the formation of a committee to abolish political sectarianism, the idea was to give it two years to avoid rushing things and creating damage. Then, the idea later developed, and we agreed to form it after electing a Parliament based on parity between Muslims and Christians,” Husseini said.
“But now that the damage is done, there is no need to wait to form a committee; rather, we should directly implement the reforms,” Husseini added.
Entirely rejecting such a process, some legal experts argue that the abolition of political sectarianism, limited to the elimination of quotas, would be in violation of the Preamble to the Constitution, which stipulates that “there is no legitimacy to any authority that contradicts the Pact of National Coexistence.”
According to those experts, the Pact of National Coexistence entails the participation of all religious factions in power, which rules out any amendment to the Constitution such as the elimination of quotas, because it would sideline the role of Christian factions in power by establishing Muslim majority rule.
“Some make such claims. But I ask them, are matters progressing today under the current system? No. Therefore, we should let go of this philosophy,” the former speaker said, dismissing the arguments.
Husseini added that the endorsement of an electoral law based on proportional representation would guarantee the representation of all factions in power and their participation in decision-making.
“Now [under the current system], militias monopolize a religious community rather than representing it,” Husseini said.
“Do we need another 220,000 people killed to implement these reforms?” Husseini asked in reference to Lebanon’s 15-year Civil War, the 36th anniversary of whose onset was commemorated this week.

Jeita named New Natural Wonder finalist
April 16, 2011
By Simona Sikimic The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The otherworldly caves of Jeita’s grotto edged closer to becoming one of the New Seven Natural Wonders of the World this week, with the tourist attraction officially named a finalist in the competition.
“This is a huge victory for us and for Lebanon that we have reached the finals,” Nabil Haddad, coordinator of the National Campaign for Jeita, told The Daily Star. “It is a historical moment that a Lebanese natural site is competing with the most important natural beauty locations in the world like the Grand Canyon and the Amazon Forest.”
Beating off over 400 rivals – including Mount Everest and Canada’s Niagara Falls – Jeita was selected as one of 28 hopefuls by a panel of international judges that have praised the Grotto and applauded Lebanon for the “professionalism” of its campaign.
Jeita is an “amazing beauty sent by God, it is one of the most amazing sites that I have ever seen. What a historical and legendary place,” said Albert Haddad a visitor to the Grotto in 2010 whose quote is one the few officially selected to promote the wonder.
Jeita is a compound of crystallized caves located 20 km north of Beirut in the Nahr Kalb Valley. The two giant underground vaults, which are easily accessed by tourists and attract around 400,000 visitors each year, are laden with an awe-inspiring display of stalactites and stalagmites, engrossing much of the 108-meter high chamber.
At almost 9-kilometers in length, the Grotto is home to one of the world’s biggest stalactites, measuring some 8.2 meters in height. It also harbors a rainbow-colored display of younger crystal-like formations, created by water and mineral deposits having sifted through rocks over hundreds of thousands of years.
“I was truly blown away by the caves,” said Ida Champion, a British tourist that visited the caves.
“I felt teleported to a scene from Lord of the Rings. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. I just stood and stared mesmerized … Seeing this changes your outlook on the world and makes you think about the true complexities that have gone into creating the world we live in.”
Jeita provides drinking water for some 800,000 Beirut residents each day and although the water has to be treated, the grotto remains unpolluted in comparison to other underground water sources in Lebanon that are suffering as a consequence of climate change and environmental degradation. Its lower cave can only be navigated by small boats that ferry tourists down the eerie canal.
“The program to preserve the Grotto is unlike anything else in the entire world,” said Haddad. “The cold lighting system in the Grotto preserves the [conditions in the cave] and has won international recognition and several international awards.”
Jeita had to collect over one million email votes to pass to the semifinal stages which narrowed the number of contestants from 400 to just under 80. It also had to fight off strong competition from the Cedars which was also vying to be named as the official Lebanese entry.
“We are convinced that the Grotto is beautiful and deserves to win,” said Haddad. “If Jeita wins it will be a huge profit for Lebanon, because it will become world-famous and will be great publicity for Lebanon, which will attract more tourists.”
The competition is being coordinated with the Tourism Ministry, with the Interior Ministry also expected to play a larger role over the coming months.
Although no exact projections exist about the benefits of Jeita becoming one of the seven wonders, organizers hope that it will replicate the success of Petra if it wins at the end of the year. Tourism went up 60 percent after the ancient Jordanian rock city, once the capital city of the Nabataean civilization, was named one of the New Seven Man-Made Wonders of the World in 2007.
The concept behind the two parallel competitions comes from The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World which were considered the defining marvels of antiquity and include the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the giant statue of the Greek god Helios, known as “Colossus of Rhodes,” all of which have been destroyed by devastating earthquakes. Egypt’s Great Pyramids of Giza, built around 2,500 B.C., are the only wonder still visible today.
“If Jeita wins, it will be immortalized and go down in history,” said Haddad. “It will have to be studied by geography students all over the world from the Americans to the Eskimos.”
The journey ahead, however, remains long and filled with obstacles. Lebanon as a small country will have tremendous difficulty attracting sufficient amounts of votes to compete with larger countries.
A string of advertising campaigns have been planned, with a music video “Jeita Grotto, the most beautiful grotto” soon expected to appear on national television screens. But if Jeita is to stand a chance, help will be needed from all Lebanese expatriates, in addition to fellow Arab countries.
“We are asking all Lebanese friends and Arab countries to vote [over the coming months] … It is not political, it is a competition in beauty which unites the hearts of everyone,” said Haddad.
Jeita faces tough competition from sites including one of the world’s largest waterfalls, the Iguazu Falls, which straddle the Argentina/Brazil border and the Great Barrier Reef, the world largest coral system consisting of 3,000 individual reefs stretching across 900 islands and 2,600 kilometers of Australia’s coastline.
The iconic Grand Canyon that reaches heights of 1,600 meters and was dug out by the Colorado River over a period of 6 million years, following its banks for 446 kilometers – roughly the entire length of Lebanon – is considered a firm favorite for the final seven.
“Jeita is beautiful, but it is nothing compared to the Grand Canyon,” said Jelena Manojlovic, a Slovenian tourist that visited the grotto. “The vastness of the place and the feeling of facing something that much larger than yourself cannot be matched by Jeita, no matter how beautiful it is.” – Additional reporting by Reem Harb

Coptic Christians in Egypt Rally for Secular Constitution, Civil Rights
 4-16-2011 /Assyrian International News Agency
http://www.aina.org/news/20110415221003.htm
(AINA) -- Nearly 100,000 Christian Copts staged a rally today in Egypt. The rally began with a 5 mile march from the Coptic Shubra district to Tahrir Square. Many Muslims joined the march, as well prominent Coptic activists and heads of Coptic human rights organizations.
"We want to show everyone that Copts are present and have fair and lawful demands," said Father Mettias Nasr, one of the organizers of the rally. "We want a secular, democratic state, a constitution void of any religious clauses, and laws that prohibit discrimination."
The rally was organized by the Maspero Coptic Movement to commemorate the 40th day of the death of 9 Copts, who were killed by Muslims and the Egyptian army on March 9 in attacks on the Mokatam district, on the outskirts of Cairo. The remembrance cortege was in the form of a mobile pyramid with photos of the dead, accompanied by funeral military music and Coptic church scouts, who wore red, white and black shirts, the colors of the Egyptian flag.
Organizers raised banners demanding a new constitution that emphasizes the civil state, those responsible for torching and demolishing the church in Soul on March 5 (AINA 3-5-2011) and those who killed the Copts in Mokatam (AINA 3-9-2011) to be brought to justice.
Priests led the procession, showing photos of the Mokatam victims and of Coptic girls who disappeared without a trace, demanding the Supreme Council of the armed forces find the girls "because the authorities know who the abductors are" said Father Filopateer, an organizer. Demands were also made for the release of the 18 Coptic youths who participated in the Maspero Coptic Youth sit-in in March and who were arrested on March 17 by the army and sentenced to three-years in prison under false charges.
"We want our churches which were closed by the disbanded state security to be re-opened, people want to pray and the churches are closed," said Father Mettias.
Father Filopateer said "Anyone who attacks Copts is never penalized, matters are always settled through those ridiculous 'reconciliation' meetings, so the Copts are out today to say we have had enough of reconciliation meetings. We demand that anyone who attacks an Egyptian, whether Christian or Muslim, must be prosecuted. We are a country prosecuting its President, so how come those people are not brought to justice."
The march was originally scheduled to end at Maspero in front of the Egyptian TV building, but because of pro and anti Mubarak demonstration in Maspero, the Copts changed the route to end in Tahrir Square. During the long march, the procession was joined by many people along the way, with Copts holding crosses in their balconies, wishing them victory.
Activist Rami Kamel, member of the Maspero Youth Movement, told elMasry elYoum newspaper the rally aims at claiming Coptic rights, saying the only concession the Copts got after their nine-day sit-in at Maspero was the renovation of the church in Soul, which was handed over to the Coptic church this week. He said the military council did not honor all of its promises, such as bringing to justice the perpetrators of the Soul church attack or those who attacked the Copts in Mokatam, building of the Maghagha Bischopric and re-opening of churches closed for no stated reason by the authorities.
"We will continue to use legitimate means to put pressure on the military council until our demands are met," Kamel said.
By Mary Abdelmassih
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