LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِApril 19/2011

Biblical Event Of The Day
Matthew 21/17-22/: "He left them, and went out of the city to Bethany, and lodged there. Now in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it, and found nothing on it but leaves. He said to it, “Let there be no fruit from you forever!” Immediately the fig tree withered away. When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree immediately wither away?” Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, if you have faith, and don’t doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you told this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it would be done. All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Assad's own smuggling network commandeered for arming his opposition/DEBKAfile/April 18/11
Iranian agenda Syria's burden/By: Ahmed Al-Jarallah/April 18/11 
Hezbolaah's Bald hypocrisy in regards to Syrian uprising/Now Lebanon/April 18/11
Uprising vs. strategic value / West not keen on seeing Assad go/By Zvi Bar'el/April 18/11
Oops! The law of unintended consequences in the Mideast/By: Barry Rubin/April 18/11

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for April 18/11 
Ahmadinejad: 'The era of Zionism has passed away'/J.Post
Syrian forces kill 8 protesters in Homs city, activist says/Reuters & J.post
Eyes Turned to Bkirki Meeting Amid Hopes for Future Deliberations Among Christian Factions/Naharnet
Geagea Says 'Tuesday is Another Day,' Won't Hesitate to Shake Hands with Aoun, Franjieh/Naharnet
Gemayel: Bkirki Meeting to Focus on Hizbullah Arms and Sale of Lands/Naharnet
Miqati: We are Keen on Abiding by Constitution on Forming New Government/Naharnet
Security forces kill 7 in Syria, an opposition source says/CNN
Water cannon driven into crowd in Syria/Telegraph.co.uk
U.S. secretly backed Syrian opposition groups, cables released by WikiLeaks show/Washington Post
Minister Mneimneh: Hezbollah is the biggest loser/Ya Libnan
No Cabinet Before Holidays as Discussions Reportedly Focus on Rotation of Key Ministries/Naharnet
Accusations Against al-Jarrah Move to Judicial, Prosecution Levels/Naharnet
Qaouq: Judiciary Should Uncover Extent of Mustaqbal's Involvement in Conspiring against Syria/Naharnet
Syrian Troops Deploy along Lebanese Border to Combat Smuggling/Naharnet
Suleiman Responds to WikiLeaks Cable: Relation with Hizbullah Based on Cooperation/Naharnet
Berri Telephones Ahmadinejad: Government Formation Moving at Turtle Pace/Naharnet
Jumblat Tries to Mend Bridges with March 14 Camp by Dining with Saniora/Naharnet
Hizbullah Presented All it Can to Facilitate Government Formation, Including Advocating Miqati's Support to STL/Naharnet
MP Nabil Nicolas defends Iran, Hezbollah/Now Lebanon
Mikati says presidency’s role must be strengthened/Now Lebanon

Assad's own smuggling network commandeered for arming his opposition
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report April 17,
Syrian troops were fanned out Sunday, April 17, along the country's borders with Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon to choke off the smuggled arms, funds and foreign agents streaming in recent weeks to the aid of the opposition whose uprising has spread to every corner of the country. Independence Day Sunday was marked by a display by the authorities of a collection of automatic weapons allegedly smuggled through Iraq, as well as processions calling for the president's removal. In Homs, security forces shot dead four protesters and injured more than fifty. Some demonstrators wore shrouds proclaiming: Death is better than shame!
Large sections of the Syrian economy have ground to a halt, debkafile's sources report, because 2,500 supply trucks are backed up on the Lebanese border and 3,000 trucks on the Jordanian and Iraqi frontiers for meticulous, time-consuming searches. The Syrian authorities suspect Saudi Arabia of smuggling weapons to the opposition through Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon, having commandeered the infamous Middle East smuggling ring of which the Assad regime was an organizer and key link - and which has now turned around to bite its master.
The searches of convoys have caused the Syrian economy critical damage: Imported foodstuffs and raw materials are withheld from stores and factories and exports are almost at a standstill.
Syria's political, business, military and intelligence elites, including the Assad family, amassed personal fortunes by creating and running those networks, whose pathways run from Sudan in the south through Sinai and Jordan up to Iraq in the east and Syria in the northwest.
debkafile's military sources report that the Syrian regime was also its best customer, using the network to transfer contraband weapons to the Lebanese Hizballah, Palestinian extremists such as Hamas in the Gaza Strip and allied groups on the West Bank, and Sunni terrorists, including al Qaeda, in Iraq.
Assad and his security chiefs have now decided that Damascus' role as the smuggling hub of the Levant threatens their hold on power because Saudi Arabia has begun using three network branches for spiriting arms and financial aid to the Syrian opposition:.
1. Jordan: Syrian intelligence suspects Riyadh of establishing a headquarters in Amman headed by Prince Bandar bin Sultan Secretary-General of the Saudi National Security Council for aiding and arming the uprising.
The town of Daraa, which leads the protest movement in southern Syria, lies athwart the only overland route linking Syria to Jordan. It is 100 kilometers from Damascus and 88 from Amman. More than 1,500 supply trucks, some from Saudi Arabia, are awaiting Syrian security checks before they can drive through.
Syrian tanks and undercover forces also lie in wait for suspect traffic along the Yarmouk River which flows into Jordan.
2. Iraq: Assad suspects the Saudis of pushing into Syria arms, money and provocateurs for stirring up riots with the help of the Sunni militias of the western Iraqi province of Al-Anbar. These locals are familiar with the paths to the Syrian border hidden by the dense wooded vegetation of the Euphrates and Tigris riverbanks between Husaiba in Iraq and Abu Kamal in Syria. The latter is the center of the Shammar tribe whose lands spill over into Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Since the Syrian army closed the only regular border with Iraq at Rabiyaa-Tall Kujik, another 1,500 trucks are piled up awaiting permission to pass through.
3. Lebanon: Syria has clamped its most stringent security measures on its border with Lebanon, especially the goods terminal on the Abboudiyeh border. Damascus accuses Lebanese lawmaker Jamal al-Jarrah, a member of the Mustaqbal Movement headed by Saad Hariri, the Sunni prime minister ousted by Hizballah, of running the Saudi arms and funds route for sustaining the Syrian uprising.

Iranian agenda Syria’s burden
By: Ahmed Al-Jarallah/Arab Times
SYRIA is standing at a crossroad in history not only due its dire need for reforms and its internal conditions, but also in terms of its relationship with the Arab and international communities. How will Syria liberate itself from being used as a tool for the implementation of the Iranian expansionist agenda? This has become a pressing issue. It is now a burden on the Syrian neck because most observers consider the country an obstacle to any Arab alliance in thwarting attempts of some international bodies to impose their own standards on the whole world.
Ever since Damascus formed a strategic alliance with Tehran, it has ceased to be the pulsating heart of Arabism, as it was known in the mid-20th century. It has become a mere implementation tool for Iran. At every stage, it has always been with the other side. In Lebanon, it has been silent over the flagrant Iranian interference that thwarted efforts to build the nation for 20 years, allowing Hezbollah to kidnap all Lebanese and subject them to the Persian project.
In Yemen, Damascus has ignored the massacre committed by the Houthis. In Gaza, it has allowed the Mullah regime to tear apart the Palestinians, leading to an unprecedented bloodbath. There was no protest whatsoever from Syria when Iran committed atrocious acts in Saudi Arabia. The oldest Arab capital did not express support for Bahrain during the implementation of the inordinate plan of the enemy. In Kuwait, the Iranian spy network was uncovered, but Damascus did not utter a word of support.
Syria has transformed willfully into a front house garden for Iran in the region under the guise of resistance, confrontation and opposition to Israel. For 40 years, we have never heard a gun shot towards Golan and it has not been liberated by the Syria-Iran alliance. Syria has not allowed the Arab nations to solve the Palestinian crisis. It rather confronted the Palestinians to prevent the execution of peaceful resolutions. It has been calling for indirect talks with Israel not to liberate Golan, but to buy time for the Iranian nuclear project.
It is really unfortunate that the heart of Arabism has started to pulsate for Persia. It now wants to pump the Persian blood into the veins of Arabism, and anyone who dares confront this project is attacked fiercely. Despite all these, the Arab wisdom remains committed to reclaiming Syria to put it back to its natural place.
Syria has responded brutally. It has destroyed relationships up to the extent of disregarding norms. Damascus is facing a problem as its citizens continue to revolt against any supportive role in the Persian project. They have been trying to break the chain and remove the tapes placed on their mouths so they can shout out loud to demand for freedom.
The Syrians who have rejected the plans and slogans of resistance before it started and stood against the reinforcement of war efforts to confront Israel and liberate Golan, know very well that Golan will be freed only through the concerted efforts of the Arabs. Liberation efforts will succeed if Syria stops being the subordinate of Iran, returns to the Arab motherly fold and regains its natural place. Syria must allow its people to stand up and make a firm request before it is too late.
Syria can still accomplish internal reforms and dissociate itself from the Persian project. This is what the Syrians want and all Arabs as well. The people of Syria, who have been clamoring for freedom and an end to its subordination to Iran, know how to make future and historic decisions, far from the recommendations of a retarded ruffian regime whose only aim is to bring back the Persian Empire which has been forgotten for ages.
This is the truth, no matter how harsh it may seem. We hope it will find a listening ear, though we know beforehand that tens of trumpeters will accuse us of working for Israel after reading this piece. This is the least of accusations that are like recordings on damaged CDs due to the excessive repetition.

Security forces kill 7 in Syria, an opposition source says
By the CNN Wire Staff
April 17, 2011
(CNN) -- In separate incidents, Syrian security forces opened fire on protesters in Homs and mourners at a funeral in Talbisa Sunday, killing seven people and injuring more than 50, an opposition source told CNN.
In Homs, the source said thousands of protesters demanding reform were surrounded by security forces. They attacked demonstrators, firing live ammunition and tear gas into the crowds, the source said. He said three people were killed and 13 others injured in the clash.
In the nearby town of Talbisa, the source said four people were killed and more than 40 wounded when security forces opened fire on mourners at a funeral.
A second opposition source told CNN three people died in Talbisa and two others in Homs, when clashes broke out between police and protesters who were trying to get to Talbisa.
It was not immediately clear whether the two opposition sources reported the same deaths or whether they were talking about separate incidents. CNN could not independently confirm the accounts.
Syrian state news reported that one policeman was killed and 11 other security workers injured Sunday when a "group of armed criminals opened fire on them in the town of Talbisa near Homs." Three members of the "armed groups" were killed and 15 wounded, the Syrian Arab News Agency said.
The violence unfolded just one day after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad urged the new Cabinet to lift the country's state of emergency, which has been in effect since 1963.
Opposition forces have been demanding the repeal of the emergency law, which allows the government to make preventive arrests and override constitutional and penal code statutes. The law also bars detainees who haven't been charged from filing court complaints or from having a lawyer present during interrogations.
Anti-government protests began in mid-March, with unrest first centering in the Daraa region and later spreading to other parts of the country.
Scores of people have died, and al-Assad's government has been criticized for the lethal force used against protesters.
Human Rights Watch, a prominent humanitarian watchdog group, issued a report Friday detailing "torture and ill-treatment" of protesters over the past month, and United Nations' human rights experts released a statement deploring the crackdown on peaceful demonstrations.
Al-Assad said Saturday that an investigation committee is looking into the recent deaths and sent his condolences to the families of those killed during the unrest.
CNN's Salma Abdelaziz and Rima Maktabi contributed to this report.

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

Eyes Turned to Bkirki Meeting Amid Hopes for Future Deliberations Among Christian Factions
Naharnet/ll eyes are turned to a meeting between top Christian leaders that is scheduled to be held in Bkirki on Tuesday amid hopes that the talks would expand to include more Christian officials in the future. The meeting will be held between Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Michel Aoun, and Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh. Sources following up the preparations made for the meeting told An Nahar daily in remarks published Monday that Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi has decided that the talks would start with a prayer and end with a dinner between the officials. The conferees will discuss major national and Christian issues, they said. But it is up to al-Rahi to decide on the details of the discussions. He has received a lot of phone calls welcoming his initiative, a move that encourages future deliberations among Christian factions, the sources said. They added that the Vatican also welcomed the meeting. Gemayel told An Nahar that a single meeting won't lead to "direct results," signaling that further consultations are required to limit the animosity between the top Christian officials. Geagea also expressed hope that the talks would open a new page in the relations between the bickering officials. He told al-Joumhouria daily that he won't hesitate in shaking hands with his foes Aoun and Franjieh. Beirut, 18 Apr 11, 08:50

Miqati: We are Keen on Abiding by Constitution on Forming New Government
Naharnet/Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati stated on Tuesday that he sought to avoid getting involved in disputes between the political camps in Lebanon because any statement he makes may be misinterpreted and used out of context. He said during a seminar at the Bristol Hotel: "I don't want to become the victim of a certain political position or raise the Lebanese people's expectations and then disappoint them after the announcement of the new government." "We want to solve problems in Lebanon, not increase them, and we don't want the new government to become a new problem in the country," he added. "I prefer to adopt a lenient approach to ensure the country's higher national interest," he continued. Miqati explained that he agreed to assume his role as prime minister in order to avert strife in Lebanon, preserve stability, and abide by the constitution. "I want to adhere to the constitution, which will consequently preserve the country," he stressed. Beirut, 18 Apr 11, 13:34

Qaouq: Judiciary Should Uncover Extent of Mustaqbal's Involvement in Conspiring against Syria
Naharnet/The deputy head of Hizbullah's executive council Sheikh Nabil Qaouq rejected on Monday any meddling in Syria's internal affairs. He said: "The Lebanese judiciary should immediately uncover the extent of the Mustaqbal movement's involvement in conspiring against Syria." "Since 2005, the movement has not shied away from targeting Syria the same way it targeted the Resistance, in fact its campaign against Syria is aimed at weakening the Resistance," he stressed. "Mustaqbal's involvement is the greatest national sin as it has gotten embroiled in a project that is greater than it and this will definitely affect Lebanon's national interest," he continued. "Is this how the Lebanese repay Syria for its support to the Resistance?" the Hizbullah official asked. Addressing the government formation process, Qaouq said that the other camp is openly confronting Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati's attempts to form a Cabinet in order for it to return to power."The war it is waging will fail because it represents fraud in Lebanon and it is not qualified to govern," he stated. Beirut, 18 Apr 11, 11:47

Geagea Says 'Tuesday is Another Day,' Won't Hesitate to Shake Hands with Aoun, Franjieh
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has unveiled that he won't hesitate in shaking hands with his foes Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun and Marada chief Suleiman Franjieh during the meeting of the country's top Christian officials in Bkirki on Tuesday. "Tuesday is another day. I will leave everything behind," Geagea said in an interview with al-Joumhouria newspaper published Monday about his bickering with Aoun and Franjieh.  The LF chief said that despite differences with the two men, he agreed with them on several issues. "I will seek to overcome the points of contention." Geagea told the daily that he would shake hands with Franjieh and all those present at the meeting. "I am not embarrassed by any handshake because a person who takes a decision to attend such a meeting to open a new page should behave that way." "I consider myself that I shook hands with Gen. Aoun and MP Franjieh even before the Bkirki meeting," he said. On whether he believed that the FPM chief and Marada leader had good intentions, he said: "Their agreement to (attend) the meeting confirms that they have good intentions." Geagea expressed hope that his foes would "consolidate these intentions and go all the way to opening a new white page."
When asked about the cabinet formation process, Geagea accused the March 8 forces of refusing to build the state amid state building efforts by President Michel Suleiman and Premier-designate Najib Miqati. He said Hizbullah sees the cabinet only as an instrument to achieve its objectives. On the latest March 14 activities, the LF leader said: "There are continued meetings between the officials and all the components of March 14 but most of them are unannounced for known security reasons." He added that the political program announced by the coalition on February 14 and March 13 remains in place but with a pace that changes in accordance with the different circumstances and developments. Beirut, 18 Apr 11, 09:09

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

Gemayel: Bkirki Meeting to Focus on Hizbullah Arms and Sale of Lands
Naharnet/Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel has unveiled that talks between top Christian officials in Bkirki on Tuesday would upon other things focus on Hizbullah's arms and stressed that one meeting is not enough to achieve "tangible" results.In remarks to An Nahar newspaper on Monday, Gemayel said "a single meeting won't lead to tangible and direct results" but stressed that holding the talks in Bkirki is "very beneficial" to "break the ice" between the bickering officials. The meeting "is just a step and would be followed by other steps," he said.
The meeting will be held between Gemayel, Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea, the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Michel Aoun, and Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh under the sponsorship of Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi. The talks would appease the supporters of the officials in different regions, the Phalange leader told the daily. Gemayel unveiled that the conferees would discuss the cabinet formation process in addition to national and Christian issues such as Hizbullah's arms and the sale of lands. The former president stressed that he had "political and not personal" differences with the Christian parties, saying he was in contact with the three other leaders. Gemayel added that problems should be solved democratically to end tension. Beirut, 18 Apr 11, 08:30

Accusations Against al-Jarrah Move to Judicial, Prosecution Levels
Naharnet/The head of the Higher Lebanese Syrian Council, Nasri Khoury, said he would start contacts with the judiciaries and the prosecutions of the two countries to deal with the Syrian accusations against al-Mustaqbal movement MP Jamal al-Jarrah. Khoury told As Safir daily in remarks published Monday that President Michel Suleiman informed him during their meeting over the weekend that he should follow-up the issue to "have a clear picture" on the accusations. Last week, Syrian state-run television aired "testimonies" of three people saying they had received funds and weapons from al-Jarrah to fuel a wave of protests against the ruling Baath regime. The lawmaker met on Saturday with Speaker Nabih Berri whose circles confirmed to As Safir that Berri was waiting for the completion of the file on al-Jarrah so that he could call for a meeting of his bureau committee to take the appropriate action on the case.
The circles said that Berri advised al-Jarrah to "calm down" as long as he is confirming that the Syrian accusations against him are false. Meanwhile, Syria's ambassador Ali Abdul Karim Ali accused al-Mustaqbal movement of rejecting to unveil the truth in the alleged arms smuggling case. "Special relations between Lebanon and Syria and joint security compel keenness on knowing the truth," Ali told As Safir. He made further accusations against al-Mustaqbal, saying that the media has unveiled "incitement of unrest and chaos in Syria and the blackmail of Syrian workers and students in Lebanon." Beirut, 18 Apr 11, 10:45

MP Nabil Nicolas defends Iran, Hezbollah
April 18, 2011 /Change and Reform bloc MP Nabil Nicolas on Monday defended Iran and Hezbollah, saying that “there would not have been calm in Lebanon if it were not for the Resistance.”“Iran is intervening humanitarianly in Lebanon and if it was not for the Resistance, Lebanon would not have [witnessed] calm,” the MP told MTV. He said that the Shia community in Lebanon is not following a foreign agenda, adding that “the Shia did not have a negative role in Lebanon’s domestic affairs.”Nicolas also said that the Lebanese judiciary should tackle the alleged involvement of the Future Movement in Syria’s unrest. “The judiciary should investigate these accusations.”However, he also called the Lebanese judiciary a “failure,” adding that the Syrian anti-regime protests “are [Damascus’s] own business.”Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's 11-year regime has been rocked by unprecedented protests since March 15 demanding reform and an end to a draconian emergency law. Three suspects testified last week on Syrian state television that they received arms and weapons from abroad to fuel a wave of protests in the country, naming Future bloc MP Jamal al-Jarrah as a funder. The Future bloc has repeatedly denied the charges and labeled them as “fabrications.”
-NOW Lebanon

Bald hypocrisy
April 18, 2011
Thousands of Syrian women stage a sit-in on a main highway linking the towns of Tartus and Banias in northeastern Syria on April 13, 2011 to demand the release of hundreds of people arrested in protest. (AFP photo/STR)
The pro-democracy movement in Syria is not only a courageous and valid struggle for democratic freedoms in one of the region’s most rigid dictatorships; it has also exposed the hypocrisy that has until now successfully hidden one of the great lies of recent Middle East history: that of Hezbollah’s unstinting support of the downtrodden and the oppressed.
The ongoing Syrian revolt was always going to be uncomfortable for the Party of God. Even as Tunisia and Egypt fell and Bahrain trembled, such was the party’s hubris that it never expected its safe support for those popular revolutions would rebound embarrassingly when the revolutionary spirit spread to the streets of Syria, its main sponsor in Lebanon and a strategic ally of Iran, the party’s über-master.
When the torch was lit in Syria, Al-Manar, the media arm of Hezbollah, said nothing, giving events in Syria almost zero coverage. As we wrote in a recent editorial, “Popular revolutions are all very well until they interfere with day-to-day business,” and in this case “business” means standing shoulder-to-shoulder with a strategic ally in a bigger regional project that simply cannot be threatened.
Cue the dirty tricks. Last week, Future bloc MP Jamal al-Jarrah was accused by Hezbollah of supplying weapons to so-called Syrian “terrorists” in a bid to destabilize the regime. The allegations are unfounded and ludicrous and are nothing more than a cheap sucker punch designed to blur the debate over Hezbollah’s reckless offers of support for the Bahraini Shia. (They also smack of hypocrisy, given the fact that Syria has been “destabilizing” Lebanon for years by using its border to supply strategic, long-range weapons to Hezbollah. And we are not just talking about a carload of AK47s either.)
Indeed, Hezbollah is imposing its own diktat on us all by implying that those of us who support the revolution in Syria are not good Lebanese. It is a new spin on the party’s “you are either with us or against us” creed. In other words, anyone who opposed the Resistance was deemed to be pro-Israeli. Today, anyone who applauds the brave demonstrators who are spilling blood on Syria’s streets in a bid to fashion a modern and democratic nation out of a brutal autocracy is somehow endorsing what Hezbollah might describe as a Western- and/or Zionist-backed conspiracy to bring about the downfall of the last bastion of Arab dignity.
It’s an easy accusation to make, but sadly for Hezbollah and its allies in March 8 it is becoming harder to make stick. For even Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in his Saturday address to the nation that things had to change. He spoke of what he called the gulf that exists “between citizens and the institutions of the state, a gulf that must quickly be filled.” He admitted that Syrians need not only “security and services, but also dignity” and that “corruption is a threat to morality and to the country’s potential for development.” So where’s the problem?The problem is that Hezbollah’s narrative thread is coming undone. The 2006 July War, the 2007 downtown sit-in, its absence on the frontline at Nahr al-Bared, its presence on the streets of Beirut in May 2008, and now its selective support of the so-called Arab spring have further exposed the party’s double standards. Hezbollah is becoming increasingly isolated. It is seen more and more as a regional enforcer rather than the pure and benevolent defender of Lebanon’s dignity it would like us to think it is. The days of the old rhetoric have been swept away on the streets of Tunis, Cairo, Sana, Manama and half a dozen town and cities across Syria. To support reform anywhere should enhance, not diminish, one’s moral credentials.

Mikati says presidency’s role must be strengthened
April 18, 2011
“The constitution has granted the president a major role, but this role has been [violated by others] several times through [certain] political actions,” Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati said on Monday. According to a statement issued by his press office, Mikati said that he disagrees with those who say that the president’s role is limited to the process of forming a cabinet.
“I believe that the presidency’s role must be strengthened. The president’s opinion in all matters is [the most suitable].”
He also said that he wants to maintain the premiership’s jurisdictions, adding that the president’s role must be based on the Taif Accord and the constitution. “Ever since assigning me to form a cabinet, I have been concerned about not engaging in debates with any Lebanese party… Any word [I] say may be interpreted in a manner that does not reflect what I meant. [This might] increase the number of obstacles in the cabinet formation process.”Mikati also said that he prefers to be flexible when dealing with political parties because there is a supreme national interest that he aims to serve. “I do not want to be the captive of one specific stance, and I do not want to raise the expectations of the Lebanese people because I do not want them to be [disappointed] when announcing the cabinet [lineup].” He added that he accepted to be the next premier based on three principles: preventing strife, maintaining stability and basing his actions on the constitution. Mikati was appointed on January 25 with the Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition’s backing and is working to form his cabinet. March 14 parties have said that they will not participate in his government. Other March 8 parties are reportedly making demands which are also hindering the cabinet formation process.
-NOW Lebanon

Uprising vs. strategic value / West not keen on seeing Assad go
By Zvi Bar'el/Haaretz
When leaders begin "broadcasting to the nation" quite frequently and address the public in overly intimate language, it's possible to smell the thick smoke coming out of the volcano. That's been true in Syria, Yemen and Egypt, where speeches to the nation, directly or indirectly, had always been fairly rare. There was no particular appreciation of public opinion as deserving explanations about the wisdom of the leader.
None of the leaders of those countries have a magic formula. The two who were removed, Hosni Mubarak and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and the two who are left, Bashar Assad and Ali Abdullah Saleh, all believed the public was willing to make do with reforms, with an economic plan promising jobs, with a show of force against corruption. The only one who appears to have clearly understood what he was facing was Muammar Gadhafi. From the first minute, Gadhafi perceived the public as the enemy and went to war.
Assad supporters, with their fingers painted in the colors of the Syrian flag, at a rally in Damascus.
Assad's speech yesterday suggests that he senses the upheaval, but he believes that the situation can still be controlled. He offers gifts to the citizens. Two weeks ago, he avoided offering a timetable for reforms; however, yesterday he promised that within a week he would cancel the Emergency Law that is still in effect. He has ordered his new ministers to conduct a dialog with the citizens and to prepare a new law on parties and to set up an anti-corruption agency.
The Syrian public, which has seen dozens if not hundreds of citizens killed by the security forces, hears these promises, but it also sees troubling scenes on Al Jazeera: Syrian soldiers are caught stepping on Syrian citizens, beating them with their weapons, spitting on them and torturing them. The dramatic change in the way events in Syria are being covered by Al Jazeera, from a neutral stance to a critical one - as it changed in Egypt, Libya, and Yemen - may suggest what lies ahead in Syria.
As in Egypt, the demand for the regime to go is now being heard in Syria, and that demand is fueled by the scenes of state violence against the citizenry.
Could these be the final days of the Assad regime? These days are certainly difficult for the West, and especially for the United States, which till now had not demanded the removal of the regime. Unlike the case of Mubarak or that of the expelled Tunisian leader, Assad has his finger on the valve that controls Iranian influence in Lebanon; its support for Hezbollah and Hamas; and also ON the gate from which terrorists enter and exit Iraq. Gadhafi's importance is mostly political, and Mubarak was seen as an essential axis in the peace process. Assad, however, is important in terms of preventing war. So, the West sent warplanes to Libya, and Mubarak was asked to step down. Bashar Assad has, for the time being, only been criticized for using violence because removing him is perceived to be a "strategic threat."

Oops! The law of unintended consequences in the Mideast
Barry Rubin , jpost.com, April 18, 2011
The following is fascinating for a totally unexpected reason. It illustrates the law of unintended consequences, which is perhaps the most important concept to keep in mind when examining the region at the moment. Abboud al-Zumar was a leader in the Egyptian Islamic Jihad (a group now associated with al-Qaida) who was imprisoned for more than two decades for his role in killing president Anwar al-Sadat. He was pardoned by the Egyptian Armed Forces Supreme Council on March 14. Since then, al-Zumar has been giving television interviews (translated by MEMRI). He said something truly remarkable: “I’d like to apologize to the Egyptian people [for the assassination of Sadat], because we did not intend to bring Hosni Mubarak to power. Our goal was to bring about change, and to deliver the Egyptian people from the conditions it found itself in. All we wanted was to rid the people of the Sadat regime. We were hoping that a better regime would replace it, but the outcome was that a worse regime came to power. For this, we apologize. Our intentions were to benefit this society....”
Now, of course, he is partly lying. The goal of Islamic Jihad was to organize a radical Islamist revolution and turn Egypt into a local version of Iran, Gaza under Hamas, and Afghanistan ruled by the Taliban. It’s no accident that the Islamic Jihad leader Ayman al-Zawahiri is now one of the top leaders of al-Qaida.
But that aside, consider how his words apply to Egypt’s current situation and the recent revolution there: “...bring about change... deliver the Egyptian people from [bad] conditions… rid the people of the [substitute Mubarak for Sadat] regime... hoping that a better regime would replace it, but the outcome was that a worse regime came to power.”
This is the dilemma that Egypt is now facing. Some readers (and a lot more non-readers) of mine are upset that I’m a spoil sport. They point to the courage of the demonstrators, the happiness of most Egyptians (though not the Christian minority), their high hopes of freedom, and so on.
Yet that isn’t the issue, is it? My task is to point out the dangers and skewer the naïve wishful thinking that has so overwhelmed the West.
Al-Zumar also said one other thing that bears repeating.
He justified the assassination by saying that clerics had issued a fatwa to get rid of Sadat, “We were not religious scholars ourselves, but we followed the religious scholars.”
This is how the Muslim Brotherhood and even more extreme Islamists promote violence – not by implementing it, but by issuing fatwas which are to Islamists what ordering a “hit” is to organized crime.
And why did they put a price on Sadat’s head? Al- Zumar explains, because he was “attacking” Islam, opposed as he was to having Egypt governed by Sharia law, campaigning to let women dress as they pleased, and agreeing to peace with Israel at Camp David.
Now, if anyone takes such stances in post-Mubarak Egypt, there will be clerics calling for their murder.
When Islamists contest elections, they do not dispense with the option of murdering their opponents. This is precisely what happened in Lebanon, where Hezbollah whittled away the moderates’ parliamentary majority by assassinating members of parliament.
Al-Zumar wasn’t a pro-democratic idealist, but set out to bring about change and, from his standpoint, made things worse. He might not be the last one to face such a situation. Will others be apologizing in 20 years? One of the things they’ll be apologizing for is the failure to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons.
It’s becoming an open secret that the US-led sanctions on Iran are having no serious effect.
The reasons are clear: 1. To get the sanctions through the UN, the US government basically told Russia, China, and Turkey that it would ignore their violations.
2. Iran has shifted its trade patterns eastward and southward.
3. The price of oil has skyrocketed, in no small part due to mistaken US foreign and energy policies, putting more money into the pocket of the Iranian regime.
And, of course, regional developments and US policies – including coddling Syria, distancing itself from Israel, and supporting the downfall of relatively moderate Arab regimes – also make the Iranian leaders feel they are winning and thus should stay the course.
Meanwhile, the US government persists in seeing the current Turkish regime as an ally, despite far more evidence that it is an ally of Iran. In the midst of a sanctions’ regime, Iran-Turkey trade has increased by almost 44% over last year. In the month of February alone, the trade volume was almost $1.5 billion. Last year it was $10 billion. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the two countries are about to sign a preferential trade agreement that he believes will triple trade.
Yet the US government has not criticized the Turkish regime, despite such developments as its opposition to sanctions, its violation of sanctions, and even the announcement that the Turkish army will now train the Syrian army. If this government is reelected on June 11, it will be a major defeat for Western interests, whether or not anyone notices.
The writer is director of the Global Research in International Affairs Center (www.gloria-center.org) and editor of Middle East Review of International Affairs Journal and Turkish Studies.

Ahmadinejad: 'The era of Zionism has passed away'
By JPOST.COM STAFF
04/18/2011 10:27
Speaking at celebrations for Iran's Army Day, Ahmadinejad denounces Israel and capitalism, accuses US of fomenting Arab unrest.
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, addressing crowds gathered on Monday in honor of Iran's Army Day, stated that "the era of Zionism and capitalism has passed away."
Discussing the unrest sweeping Middle East and North Africa, Ahmadinejad pointed the finger of blame at the United States, accusing Obama and his government of conspiring to create a rift between Iran and other Arab nations.
Ahmadinejad's rhetoric has followed a similar theme in recent days. In public speech last week, Iranian president says he envisions new Middle East without presence of Israel, US and their allies. Hezbollah and Iranian Revolutionary Guard operatives plan to attack Western targets in the coming days, a Lebanese report said on last week.
The report was based on information gathered by Western intelligence agencies monitoring the “recent abnormal movements of cadres suspected of belonging to Hezbollah or the Iranian Revolutionary Guard,” the Beirut Observer website said. According to UPI, the report said the attacks are meant to divert global attention from indictments the international United Nations tribunal is expected to serve in the investigation of the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Also last week, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that the world would see a new Middle East without the United States and Israel. He made the remark in a speech to thousands of people in the southeastern city of Zahedan, Iranian Press TV reported. “A new Middle East will emerge without the presence of the United States and the Zionist regime [Israel], and their allies in the near future,” Ahmadinejad said.
He accused the US and Israel of plotting to “spark an Iranian- Arabian Shia-Sunni conflict.” Ahmadinejad denounced “US imperialism” in the region, saying, “Regional governments and nations should remain vigilant to overcome US plots, and to not play in the US court.” Israel was nearing its end, he said, and added, “Regional nations have awakened, but the global arrogance intends to sow discord among countries in the region.”The Iranian people and regional nations are unhappy with the existence of the Zionist regime [Israel], and are against it. They will continue their fight until the defeat of the US and Zionist regime in the region,” Ahmadinejad said.

Syrian forces kill 8 protesters in Homs city, activist says
By REUTERS
04/18/2011 09:06
Deaths occur at rally for incarcerated rebel leader; WikiLeaks cable shows US funneled millions to Syrian exiles in London.
AMMAN - Syrian forces killed 8 protesters overnight in the central city of Homs in confrontations after the death of a tribal leader in custody, a rights campaigner in Homs said on Monday.
"Homs is boiling. Security forces and the regime thugs have been provoking armed tribes for a month now. But civilians in large numbers also took to the streets in different areas of Homs last night and they were shot at in cold blood," the rights campaigner told Reuters.Also on Monday, it was revealed that he US State Department has secretly funded Syrian opposition groups, according to diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks, The Washington Post reported. The cables show that the State Department has funneled as much as $6 million since 2006 to a group of Syrian exiles to operate a London-based satellite channel, Barada TV, and finance activities inside Syria, the Post said.
Barada TV began broadcasting in April 2009 but has ramped up operations to cover the mass protests in Syria that began last month as part of a long-standing campaign to overthrow President Bashar Assad the Post said.
The US money for Syrian opposition figures began flowing under President George W. Bush after political ties with Damascus were frozen in 2005, the newspaper said.
The financial backing has continued under US President Barack Obama, even as his administration sought to rebuild relations with Assad, the Post said. In January, the White House posted an ambassador to Damascus for the first time in six years.
The article said it is unclear whether the United States was still funding Syrian opposition groups, but the cables indicate money was set aside at least through September 2010.
An uprising against Assad's authoritarian rule have spread across large parts of the country. Rights groups put the death toll at more than 200 people. Syrian authorities blame the violence on armed gangs.
The previously undisclosed cables show that US Embassy officials in Damascus became worried in 2009 when they learned that Syrian intelligence agents were raising questions about US programs, The Washington Post said.
An April 2009 cable signed by the top-ranking US diplomat in Damascus at the time read Syrian authorities "would undoubtedly view any US funds going to illegal political groups as tantamount to supporting regime change," the Post reported.
"A reassessment of current US-sponsored programming that supports anti-[government] factions, both inside and outside Syria, may prove productive," the cable said.
The Post said the State Department declined to comment on the authenticity of the cables or answer questions about its funding of Barada TV.

Bernard Lewis Sounds Alarm on Turkey, Iran
Sunday, 03 Apr 2011 10:10 PM
By Newsmax Wires
More ways to share... Mixx Stumbled LinkedIn Vine Buzzflash Reddit Delicious Newstrust Technocrati Share: More . . . A A | Email Us | Print | Forward Article Tweet0diggsdiggThe 94-year-old Princeton professor is arguably the West's pre-eminent scholar on Arab culture and politics.
His book, "What Went Wrong? The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East," became an instant bestseller after the attacks of 9/11.
Lewis sat down with The Wall Street Journal recently and offered his take on the rapidly unfolding events in the Middle East. His views are surprising positive, but he does offer an alarm about the growing Islamization of Turkey and a nuclear-armed Iran.
Here are some of Lewis' nuggets from this past weekend's Journal:
Authoritarian regimes throughout the region will be swept away, but what will come after? "I think that the tyrannies are doomed," Lewis argues. He is apparently "delighted" by the developments in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Now the real issue for him is "what will come instead."
Western-style democracy may not be the answer. "We have a much better chance of establishing—I hesitate to use the word democracy—but some sort of open, tolerant society, if it's done within their systems, according to their traditions. Why should we expect them to adopt a Western system? And why should we expect it to work?" Lewis says that Islam has a long tradition of diffuse and limited government, the basis for a modern pluralistic society. "The whole Islamic tradition is very clearly against autocratic and irresponsible rule. There is a very strong tradition—both historical and legal, both practical and theoretical—of limited, controlled government."
Islam's mistreatment of women has put them behind the West. "My own feeling is that the greatest defect of Islam and the main reason they fell behind the West is the treatment of women," he posits. "Think of a child that grows up in a Muslim household where the mother has no rights, where she is downtrodden and subservient. That's preparation for a life of despotism and subservience. It prepares the way for an authoritarian society."
Mutually Assured Destruction won't work with nuclear-armed mullahs. If Iran did get nuclear warheads, don't count on them never using such weapons for fear of an American or Israeli counter-strike. "During the Cold War, both the Soviet Union and the United States had nuclear weapons but both knew that the other was very unlikely to use them. Because of what was known at the time as MAD —mutually assured destruction. MAD meant that each side knew that if it used a nuclear weapon the other would retaliate and both sides would be devastated. And that's why the whole time during the Cold War, even at the worst times, there was not much danger of anyone using a nuclear weapon." Lewis thinks the imams in Iran "are religious fanatics with an apocalyptic mindset. In Islam, as in Christianity and Judaism, there is an end-of-times scenario—and they think it's beginning or has already begun. . . . mutually assured destruction is not a deterrent—it's an inducement." Turkey could be the next Iran. Turkey, once a bulwark against Islamic radicalism with its secular, pro-Western orientation, is changing. The Journal says that Lewis is alarmed by developments there. "In Turkey, the movement is getting more and more toward re-Islamization. The government has that as its intention—and it has been taking over, very skillfully, one part after another of Turkish society. The economy, the business community, the academic community, the media. And now they're taking over the judiciary, which in the past has been the stronghold of the republican regime." © Newsmax. All rights reserved.