LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِApril 18/2011

Biblical Event Of The Day
Saint John's Gospel, (12/12-19): "On the next day a great multitude had come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took the branches of the palm trees, and went out to meet him, and cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!” Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on it. As it is written, “Don’t be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold, your King comes, sitting on a donkey’s colt. ”His disciples didn’t understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him, and that they had done these things to Him. The multitude therefore that was with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb, and raised him from the dead, was testifying about it. For this cause also the multitude went and met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him.” Now there were certain Greeks among those that went up to worship at the feast. These, therefore, came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus."

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Syria: Who Is the Real President Assad?/By: Rania Abouzeid/April 17/11 

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for April 17/11 
Egypt ready to 'open new page' in relations with Iran/By Reuters
Syrian Troops Deploy along Lebanese Border to Combat Smuggling/Naharnet
Suleiman Responds to WikiLeaks Cable: Relation with Hizbullah Based on Cooperation/Naharnet
Report: IDF official warns Hezbollah against firing rockets at Israel/Ynetnews
The New Cold War/Wall Street Journal
Rai says Lebanon cannot remain without cabinet/iloubnan.info
Sleiman warned against information published by Wikileaks/iloubnan.info
Syrians Protest Despite Assad's Pledge/VOA
Deeds, not words, important in Syria, says German foreign minister/Monsters and Critics.com
Syria protests continue as Bashar al-Assad promises reform/The Guardian
Syria Moves to Meet Protest Demands as Libyan Rebels Await Arms/San Francisco Chronicle
Marches continue in Syria; guns seized/UPI
Syria's unrest eyed closely by Iran/The National
Hezbollah welcomes relation with Egypt's new government/iloubnan.info
Hariri Can't Sit with Sayyed Nasrallah in One Room!: WikiLeaks/ABNA.ir
Jumblat Tries to Mend Bridges with March 14 Camp by Dining with Saniora/Naharnet
No Progress in Government Formation as March 8 Sources Says Cabinet Won't be Established Soon/Naharnet
Hizbullah Presented All it Can to Facilitate Government Formation, Including Advocating Miqati's Support to STL/Naharnet
Berri Telephones Ahmadinejad: Government Formation Moving at Turtle Pace/Naharnet


Syrian Troops Deploy along Lebanese Border to Combat Smuggling
Naharnet/Syrian troops have deployed along Syria's border with Lebanon on Saturday in an effort to combat terrorism, reported the daily An Nahar Sunday. It added that the Syrian border patrol have intensified their procedures along the Syrian-Lebanese border. Earlier this week, hundreds of trucks were held up at a border crossing between Lebanon and Syria amid heightened security measures enforced as the Syrian regime faces unprecedented protests. "Between 400 and 500 trucks, most with Syrian or Jordanian license plates, have been held at the Abboudiyeh border crossing for hours for inspection by Syrian security forces," a Lebanese security source told Agence France Presse. "The inspection of each truck is taking about one hour," he added. "These measures have been in place for three days." Thursday's security measures, the toughest in years, come amid accusations by Damascus that members of Caretaker Premier Saad Hariri's Mustaqbal Movement have been funding and arming anti-government protesters in Syria. Syrian state television on Wednesday aired "testimonies" of three people saying they had received funds and weapons from MP Jamal al-Jarrah to fuel a wave of protests against the ruling Baath regime. Jarrah has denied the allegations. In 2006, trucks along the Syrian-Lebanese border were also held up in what was thought to be a retaliatory measure by Syrian authorities amid tension between the two countries.(naharnet-AFP)
Beirut, 17 Apr 11, 10:11

Suleiman Responds to WikiLeaks Cable: Relation with Hizbullah Based on Cooperation
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman has warned of the information contained in the latest WikiLeaks cables published by Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar "which largely lack accuracy and credibility and are mainly based on conclusions, curtailment and the citation of a third party," the presidency's press office announced Sunday. "Some of these leaks are part of a systematic campaign aimed at causing divisions and deepening the rift among citizens and political groups," the press office added in a statement. "The president stresses that his stances on the national issues stem from his beliefs, principles and role in preserving the homeland's highest interest," said the statement. It described Suleiman's relation with former president Emile Lahoud as "built on admiration and appreciation." "His relation with all groups and parties, including Hizbullah, is fine and is not based on rivalry and hostility, but rather on coordination and cooperation," the presidency's press office went on to say in its statement. In a U.S. diplomatic cable published Saturday by Al-Akhbar and filed by the U.S. embassy in Lebanon on April 6, 2009, the then defense minister Elias Murr quotes Suleiman as saying he would fight Hizbullah until the end and that the only gift granted by the Shiite party to him was the presidency. Murr attributed Suleiman's stance to his dismay with Hizbullah's support for the Free Patriotic Movement candidate in the Byblos area during the 2009 parliamentary elections, in which pro-president candidate Nazem al-Khouri was competing. Beirut, 17 Apr 11, 18:29

Jumblat Tries to Mend Bridges with March 14 Camp by Dining with Saniora
Naharnet/The daily An Nahar revealed on Sunday that Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat and the head of the Mustaqbal bloc Fouad Saniora met over dinner at a mutual friend's house a few says ago.It added that members of Jumblat's National Struggle Front were also present. A number past political developments were discussed, in a sign that Jumblat wanted to resume contacts with his former political allies, the March 14 forces, said the daily. The MP also telephoned head of the Saudi Royal Diwan, Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman al-Tubaishi to pay his condolences to Saudi King Abdullah over the death of his sister. Beirut, 17 Apr 11, 11:01

Hizbullah Presented All it Can to Facilitate Government Formation, Including Advocating Miqati's Support to STL
Naharnet/Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah helped facilitate Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati's mission to form a new government by refraining from setting any conditions on the process, revealed Hizbullah circles to the Kuwaiti al-Rai on Sunday. They explained that Nasrallah had informed Miqati in their last meeting that he is free to support and even finance the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and choose whichever ministerial portfolios he wants to grant the party. Hizbullah therefore believes that it had presented Miqati with all it can to allow for the government to be formed with ease and without delay. Sources close to the party therefore attributed a number of reasons impeding the premier-designate from forming the government, such as Miqati's wealth and concern that the United States may take financial measures against him and Lebanon's economic sector should he form a one-sided government.
They added that he has also lost some support on the Sunni scene in Lebanon in favor for Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri, which may decrease even more if he formed a one-sided government. Miqati also risks antagonizing Saudi Arabia should such a Cabinet be established, especially since tensions are brewing between Riyadh and Tehran over regional developments, they noted. Furthermore, should he succeed in forming a government, he will be faced with the task of dealing with the case of the kidnapped Estonian cyclists, the return of Shiites who were expelled from Gulf states, and the possibility of the instability in Syria spilling over in Lebanon. Beirut, 17 Apr 11, 12:01

No Progress in Government Formation as March 8 Sources Says Cabinet Won't be Established Soon
Naharnet/Sources close to Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati revealed that a positive atmosphere is accompanying the government formation process. They told the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat in remarks published on Sunday: "New ideas were proposed during the meeting held between Speaker Nabih Berri's advisor MP Ali Hassan Khalil and Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's advisor Hussein Khalil."They added however: "This does not mean that absolute positive factors are available." "The regional situation requires all concerned sides to speed up and intensify their contacts," they noted. In addition, they should work on bolstering national unity in order to form a government that could take the necessary measures to control the internal scene and maintain stability. The sources denied media reports that a solution to the dispute over the Interior Ministry has been reached, saying: "Most reports about this issue have been inaccurate, especially since this matter is still being studied like all others."Meanwhile, Change and Reform bloc sources told the daily that MP Michel Aoun is still insisting that he has the exclusive right to name the Interior Minister, "because he is the Maronites' number one representative in parliament." He also rejected the possibility of President Michel Suleiman naming the minister or offering Aoun several candidates from which to choose from. March 8 camp Christian sources told Asharq al-Awsat: "The government won't be formed any time soon." "We can't speak of any progress, but of regression," they stressed.  In a related development, al-Manar TV reported that Nasrallah telephoned Caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil to discuss the government formation process. Beirut, 17 Apr 11, 13:47

Egypt ready to 'open new page' in relations with Iran
By Reuters /Cairo is ready to re-establish diplomatic ties with Tehran after a break of more than 30 years, Egypt's foreign minister said on Monday, signaling a shift in Iran policy since the fall of President Hosni Mubarak. "The Egyptian and Iranian people deserve to have mutual relations reflecting their history and civilization," said Foreign Minister Nabil Elaraby after meeting Iranian official Mugtabi Amani. A demonstration in Tahrir Square on Friday − without the flags of different political streams. It was the first publicly announced meeting between officials from both countries since Mubarak was toppled on Feb. 11, handing power to the army. Shi'ite Muslim Iran and mainly Sunni Egypt severed ties in 1980 following Iran's Islamic revolution and Egypt's recognition of Israel. Both have competed for influence in the Middle East. Egypt has long been an ally of the United States and Israel but since Mubarak was toppled there have been signs of warming ties between Cairo and Tehran. "Egypt is open to all countries and the aim is to achieve common interests," Elaraby said, adding that Cairo welcomed "opening a new page with Iran".Amani carried a message from Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, who welcomed Egypt's initiative. "Foreign Minister Salehi ... called for developing bilateral cooperation, beginning with hosting Egypt's foreign minister in Tehran or having Iran's foreign minister visit Cairo," Menha Bakhowm, spokeswoman for Egypt's foreign ministry, said in a statement. In February, two Iranian warships passed through Egypt's Suez Canal after approval from the military rulers in Cairo. Israel called Iran's move a provocation.
Egypt and Iran have been at odds on a number of issues including the Middle East peace process and ties with Israel and the United States.

Syria: Who Is the Real President Assad
By Rania Abouzeid
Saturday, Apr. 16, 2011
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's carefully cultivated image as a modest leader with reformist leanings, close to his people and understanding of their concerns, has taken a severe beating after a month of brutal security measures against a burgeoning civil protest movement for greater freedoms that has slowly stretched across the country. The tall, trim, blue-eyed father of three has responded to the uprising in his country, the greatest challenge to his 11-year rule, with a characteristic mix of soft and hard measures, promising reform while also unleashing his security forces on the streets to crush dissent.
On Saturday, the president said that the country's 48-year-old emergency law would be lifted next week, a major concession to protesters, but at the same time warned that acts of "sabotage" would not be tolerated. The comments mark just the second time Assad has spoken to his people since unrest erupted a month ago, "The comments mark just the second time Assad has spoken to his people since unrest erupted a month ago, and were more conciliatory in tone than his previous address. He acknowledged that the economy was "the biggest problem in the country," and that his regime should be more responsive to its citizens. "The world is rapidly changing around us and we have to keep up with developments," he said. "We have to focus on the demands and the aspirations of the people or there will be a sense of anger." Assad expressed sadness for the loss of life in demonstrations. "We pray for their souls, whether they're from the armed forces, the police or ordinary citizens. Investigations are continuing to find those responsible and hold them responsible." The speech came the day after protest marches took place across the country, including the capital Damascus.
Assad's critics say his populist facade has been exposed as a pose and that the 45-year-old opthamologist has always been more like his much-feared father and predecessor Hafez al-Assad. The elder Assad's most notorious act, the 1982 massacre of Sunni Muslim extremists in Hama, served as a potent decades-long deterrent to anyone who would dare defy Syria's Ba'athist regime. But is this characterization of the young president accurate?
Ayman Abdel-Nour, one of Assad's college friends, says it is — and it isn't. He remembers Bashar as a soft-spoken, humble and respectful young man, an attentive listener who didn't flaunt the fact that he was the president's son. They were two young Ba'athists hooked on "the drug of politics," who met in 1984 on the campus of Damascus University, where Assad studied medicine and Abdel-Nour engineering.
(Read "Can the Syrian Regime Divide and Conquer Its Opposition?")
To Abdel-Nour, there are two very different Bashar al-Assads; there is the man; warm, friendly and engaging, and then there is the president, somebody who "is not Bashar any more. Even his wife, his children, his brother mean nothing to him. He becomes the president of the Syrian Republic with all of this heritage of 7,000 years," he says. "Whatever measures are necessary for him to take, he will take them with no emotion, he has no heart."
Bashar al-Assad was never supposed to be president. He became his father's heir apparent only after the death of his older brother (and Hafez's anointed successor) Basel in a car accident in 1994. The tragedy forced Bashar to abandon his opthamology studies in London and quickly return home. His brother's death changed him, says Khaled Mahjoub, a Syrian industrialist who says he has known the Assads since he and Basel were in kindergarten together. "He felt the responsibility," says Mahjoub, the founder and owner of Sukna projects, a green housing developer. "He was always responsible in his actions, but after Basel passed away, he had responsibility with authority."
Mahjoub concurs that Assad has a certain steeliness, but says that's just a reflection of the burden of responsibility he bears. "When there's a serious meeting, he's extremely serious, at dinners he's fun, he can take criticism. He's a nice guy."
Mahjoub hasn't spoken to Assad in the past month, but says they discussed the turmoil that toppled the presidents of Tunisia and Egypt and that now threatens other Arab leaders, including Assad. "Deep inside, I think he is hurt, deeply hurt, by seeing this blood in Syria. I know that," Mahjoub says. "We talked about it several times, about what was happening in Egypt, the violence there."
(Can the protesters force Assad to make concessions?)
The key thing to know about Assad, Mahjoub says, is that "he doesn't manage by crisis. He works based on importance, not urgency, and has a very clear, pragmatic and critical thinking that he uses."
Yet crises have defined his time in office, from 9/11 and its fallout on the Muslim and Arab world, the 2003 Iraq war, the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri (which precipitated the Syrian military's withdrawal from Lebanon and a prolonged period of regional and international isolation that Syria has now emerged from), as well as the 2006 Lebanon war.
Brian J. Davis, Canada's ambassador to Syria from 2003 to 2006, says that Assad is not a "creative" leader who will take risks or act in haste. "He will never easily concede to anything under pressure," he wrote on Professor Joshua Landis' influential blog, Syria Comment. Davis said that it was no surprise that Assad "offered nothing" in his much-awaited speech to parliament on March 30. It was his first public statement since the protests began and disappointed many who were expecting him to announce wide-ranging reforms. Instead, he blamed foreign conspirators and satellite media channels for fomenting dissent. "He has made a number of decisions that were not even necessarily in Syria's interests rather than be seen to give in to outside arm twisting (even his speech can be seen in that light)," Davis wrote.
(See how graffiti stirred the uprising.)
Assad has largely stayed out of the public eye during the crisis, recalling his father's distant mien, an image at odds with his public persona as an everyman dining in Damascus's restaurants with his young family and strolling through its souks. Mahjoub says its because Assad isn't "a tactical, retail politician. He doesn't like to talk to impress, he likes to talk to achieve." Abdel-Nour has a different interpretation. Assad is the public face of the regime, he says, and the less people see of him now, the less likely they are to associate him with the unrest. "If Assad loses this image, the respect people still have for him, the regime is finished," he says.
Abdel-Nour is now estranged from Assad, personally and politically. The pair remained close friends for decades after college, attending family dinners and birthday parties, until a few years after Assad inherited the presidency upon his father's death in 2000. Abdel-Nour rose through the ranks of the ruling party to become one of only 500 civilian members of the prestigious Ba'ath Congress of loyalists (the other 600 places are reserved for military and intelligence officers), before defecting from the regime and becoming one of its leading critics, editing an independent website all4syria.org from the safety of Dubai. He says the coterie of Hafez advisers, the "old guard" of the regime, alienated many of the young president's former friends and associates. "It wasn't just the case with me, it was the case with a lot of his friends," he says. "We had to stay away. We were told by bad people who are still now in their positions, so I can't talk about them." Assad has publicly denied that elements of the regime have curtailed him.
Still, Abdel-Nour is clearly torn about a man he once admired. "He's a very dear friend to me," he said several times, in the present tense, while talking to TIME. For the Syrian crisis to end, he says, Assad the man will have to overrule Assad the president. "He should listen to the people and listen to his heart before being a president," he says, "because he will know what he should do."