LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِFebeuary
13/2011
Bible Of The
Day
Lamentations 5/1-22: "Remember, Yahweh,
what has come on us: Look, and see our reproach. 5:2 Our inheritance is turned
to strangers, Our houses to aliens. 5:3 We are orphans and fatherless; Our
mothers are as widows. 5:4 We have drunken our water for money; Our wood is sold
to us. 5:5 Our pursuers are on our necks: We are weary, and have no rest. 5:6 We
have given the hand to the Egyptians, To the Assyrians, to be satisfied with
bread. 5:7 Our fathers sinned, and are no more; We have borne their iniquities.
5:8 Servants rule over us: There is none to deliver us out of their hand. 5:9 We
get our bread at the peril of our lives, Because of the sword of the wilderness.
5:10 Our skin is black like an oven, Because of the burning heat of famine. 5:11
They ravished the women in Zion, The virgins in the cities of Judah. 5:12
Princes were hanged up by their hand: The faces of elders were not honored. 5:13
The young men bare the mill; The children stumbled under the wood. 5:14 The
elders have ceased from the gate, The young men from their music. 5:15 The joy
of our heart is ceased; Our dance is turned into mourning. 5:16 The crown is
fallen from our head: Woe to us! for we have sinned. 5:17 For this our heart is
faint; For these things our eyes are dim; 5:18 For the mountain of Zion, which
is desolate: The foxes walk on it. 5:19 You, Yahweh, remain forever; Your throne
is from generation to generation. 5:20 Why do you forget us forever, And forsake
us so long time? 5:21 Turn us to yourself, Yahweh, and we shall be turned. Renew
our days as of old. 5:22 But you have utterly rejected us; You are very angry
against us.
Latest
analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases
from
miscellaneous
sources
Coming ME flashpoint: Hizballah
faces terror charges at Hariri tribunal/DEBKAfile/February
12/11
American Values Radicalize
Muslims?/by Raymond Ibrahim/ February
12/11
What Next for Egypt?/Dr. Walid
Phares/Fox News/February
12/11
What can the Lebanese learn from
the Egyptians?/By: Hanin Ghadda/February
12/11
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for February
12/11
Anti-terrorism Act Links
U.S. Assistance to Hizbullah Power in Lebanon Government/Naharnet
Cassese Denies He's Pushing for
Bellemare's Resignation/Naharnet
U.S. dispatches military chief to
reassure Israel, Jordan after Mubarak's ouster/Reuter/Haaretz
Israel's military caught unready
for Sinai front. Tantawi is no friend/DEBKAfile
After Egypt, winds of change are
blowing through six nations/Economic Times
Gemayel: Syria has not yet digested
its pullout from Lebanon/Now Lebanon
Mikati
hails Rafik Hariri, 2 days before Feb 14//iloubnan.info
Syria hails the fall of Egypt's
Mubarak, calls it the end of the "Camp David/WFP
Six years on, Hariri legacy
falters in Lebanon/Vancouver Sun
Report: Israel in worst shape
in region for water resources/J.Post
Anti-terrorism Act Links U.S. Assistance to Hizbullah Power in Lebanon
Government/Naharnet
March 14 Welcomes Dar
al-Fatwa's Statement, Supports Egyptian People/Naharnet
Karami Attacks Miqati:
Centrism is Wishy-Washy, Gets No High Regard/Naharnet
Cassese Denies He's
Pushing for Bellemare's Resignation/Naharnet
Celebratory Gunshots after
Mubarak's Ouster, Hizbullah Hails Resignation 'Historic Victory'/Naharnet
No Bread Crisis in Lebanon/Naharnet
Salameh: Lebanese Canadian
Bank Abides by Laws, International Standards/Naharnet
Israel Issues Alert as
Mughniyeh's Murder Anniversary Approaches/Naharnet
Bassil Signs Fuel Price
List without Raising Costs/Naharnet
Syria Hopes Miqati Would
Involve Pro-Syrian Lebanese Parties in New Government/Naharnet
Miqati Adopts 'Silent Diplomacy' to
Form 'Strong Cabinet'/Naharnet
Conflicting Reports on Cabinet
Formation Obstacles as FPM Seeks to Clinch a Good Deal/Naharnet
March 14 Welcomes Dar al-Fatwa's
Statement, Supports Egyptian People/Naharnet
Jumblat Criticizes Dar al-Fatwa
Meeting, Participates in Celebratory Gunfire as Mubarak Steps Down/Naharnet
Harb: Should Suleiman and Miqati
Form One-Sided Government then We Will Become the Opposition/Naharnet
Anti-terrorism Act Links U.S. Assistance to Hizbullah Power in Lebanon
Government
Naharnet/U.S. lawmakers are reportedly pushing for the adoption of the Hizbullah
Anti-Terrorism Act of 2011 which guarantees that organizations like Hizbullah do
not benefit from the money of American taxpayers. During hearings on Egypt and
Lebanon this week, House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Howard Berman
announced that he would be introducing the new legislation entitled the "Hizbullah
anti-terrorism act of 2011." The legislation would bar U.S. assistance to
Lebanon unless President Barack Obama certified to Congress that no funds would
go to the Shiite group or Hizbullah agencies/entities under the party's control,
and that the Lebanese government is actively working to dismantle Hizbullah's
military capability. Republican Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who chairs
the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is one of the major supporters of the bill,
As Safir daily said Saturday. With time, more lawmakers could join the list, it
added. Beirut, 12 Feb 11, 11:40
Coming ME flashpoint:
Hizballah faces terror charges at Hariri tribunal
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report February 7, 2011, 3:00 PM (GMT+02:00) Tags: Hariri
tribunal-SLT Hizballah Iran Lebanon Syria Special Lebanon Tribunal jumps the gun
on HizballahSpecial Lebanese Tribunal Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen asked the
court to define crimes of terrorism, conspiracy and premeditated murder when the
tribunal held its first hearing Monday, Feb. 7. Another of his 15 questions was:
Under which law should these definitions be made – Lebanese or international or
both?
debkafile's intelligence sources report that within days, Judge Fransen is
scheduled to publish indictments based on the findings of Prosecutor Daniel
Bellemare's probe of the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minster Rafiq
Hariri in 2005.
The court's accelerated schedule and the gravity of its charges have caught the
primary suspects, big shots of the Lebanese Shiite Hizballah, unprepared. They
face being convicted as international criminals on charges of terrorism,
conspiracy and premeditated murder. There is not much they can do but openly
flout the court's expected summons for their extradition by force of arms. With
no end of the Egyptian standoff in sight, therefore, a showdown in Lebanon looms
large.
The international judges jumped the gun not only for Hizballah but also for its
bosses in Damascus and Tehran and even up to a point for Washington, which has
supported the court's work but had hoped indictments would not be ready for some
months. The last thing the Obama administration needs at this moment is a second
Middle East bonfire.
But whether they like it or not, the Special Tribunal got down to its first
hearing in Leidschendam near The Hague Monday, Feb. 7. The first session
withheld the names of individuals contained in the sealed indictment document
Bellemare filed with Fransen on Jan. 17. This and future sessions will be held
in public, so the full list of accused may be only be a week or ten days away
from release.
This finds the plan carefully crafted by Iran, Syria and Hizballah to make sure
that that point was never reached coming apart at the seams: They managed to get
rid of pro-Western Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and replace him with
Najib Miqati, friend to Hizballah and Syrian leaders, whose first task was to
have been to disqualify the STL, nullify its indictments and sever ties with the
tribunal. But their handpicked candidate for prime minister has not managed to
form a government because of three obstacles:
1. Lebanese President Michel Suleiman insists he will only endorse a national
unity administration, which would necessitate the participation of Saad Hariri's
March 14 bloc.
2. Suleiman wants a March 14 candidate – not a Miqati man - appointed Interior
Minister to head the most powerful government department which holds the levers
of the national domestic security and intelligence services and is authorized to
declare a national state of emergency.
3. Miqati is not eager to head a narrow-based government either, because it
would expose him as a Syrian-Hizballah rubber stamp and he would be ostracized
by the United States and much of the West.
The Iran-Syrian-Hizballah alliance has consequently lost its race to beat the
international Hariri tribunal to the draw. The court has not only outpaced
Hizballah, it promises landmark decisions on the most incendiary issues of the
day, definitions of terrorism and such questions as cumulative charges in cases
of conspiracy.
Hizballah may still cast about for a fast worker to take over from Migati and
rush a new government through - or, alternatively, exercise force to seize
control of Beirut and government institutions and establish an alternative "Free
Lebanon" administration to sever ties with the STL.
These options are fraught with the threat of civil violence.
Conflicting Reports on Cabinet Formation Obstacles as FPM Seeks to Clinch a Good
Deal
Naharnet/Premier-designate Najib Miqati intensified contacts aimed at forming
the cabinet and met with Speaker Nabih Berri, Hizbullah chief's political
assistant Hussein Khalil, Free Patriotic Movement officials, March 14
representatives and MP Tammam Salam. The latest contacts delayed the formation
of the government until next week.
A source close to the PM-designate said Miqati was not encountering "major
hurdles" in his attempts to form the cabinet. "The various parties are making
conflicting demands concerning the portfolios which the premier-designate is
trying to reconcile," he told The Daily Star.Miqati's circles also told An Nahar
daily that contacts with FPM leader Michel Aoun were not facing obstacles.
"Every person has demands on his share (in the cabinet) but the prime minister
is the one who balances the cabinet line-up in coordination with the president,"
they said.In remarks to As Safir, Miqati's circles did not rule out a meeting
between Miqati and Aoun over the weekend. However, pan-Arab daily al-Hayat said
Aoun was making crippling demands and Hizbullah was mediating "to reach a common
ground to bridge differences" between him and the PM-designate and facilitate
the cabinet formation process. It quoted sources as saying that the resumption
of contacts between Miqati and the March 14 forces would ease Aoun's conditions.
The MP reportedly insists on being represented by minimum 8 ministers if the
cabinet would be made up of 30 ministers. MP Ibrahim Kenaan, who is a member of
Aoun's Change and Reform bloc, told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat that Aoun's
demand for the biggest share in the cabinet is natural given that he has the
largest Christian representation. "This is not a crippling demand or an attack
on anybody's rights," Kenaan stressed.He rejected giving President Michel
Suleiman shares in the cabinet, saying the head of state does not have
representatives in parliament. "The president was given shares in the previous
national unity government so that he plays a balancing role. But since a
one-sided cabinet will be formed now, the previous balance is no longer needed,"
Kenaan said. Beirut, 12 Feb 11, 09:59
Miqati Adopts 'Silent Diplomacy' to Form 'Strong Cabinet'
Naharnet/Premier-designate Najib Miqati is mulling to form a 24-member "strong
cabinet" through "silent diplomacy," the billionaire businessman and his circles
told An Nahar newspaper.
Miqati said in remarks published Saturday that he was seeking to form "a strong
cabinet that would launch a relentless work through competent ministers." His
circles told An Nahar that Miqati would adopt a "silent diplomacy" to reach the
expected results and satisfy his ambition of including the March 14 forces in
the new cabinet.
However, if March 14 refuses to participate in the government, "all options
would be available," the circles said. Discussions are ongoing on the formation
of a 24-member cabinet and Miqati is "comfortable and optimistic on reaching
encouraging results," they added. Caretaker Labor Minister Butros Harb told As
Safir daily that March 14 was engaged in dialogue with Miqati as a "single
team." "We either enter (the cabinet) together or we don't," he said. "However,
we won't accept to participate if we will become inefficient." Last month,
Hizbullah toppled Saad Hariri's government and succeeded in ushering Miqati in
to replace him, thanks to the key parliamentary votes of its Christian and Druze
allies. The move prompted a wave of anger among Hariri's allies, who accuse
Hizbullah of a "coup" and of attempting to unilaterally control government.
However, President Michel Suleiman defended Miqati's appointment as democratic.
"It is a democratic process. What happened in Lebanon was the rotation of power
in a democratic manner," Suleiman told a delegation of Kuwaiti journalists on
Friday.
"Consultations are continuing to issue the decree on the formation of the new
government in agreement with the prime minister," Suleiman said. But the new
cabinet is unlikely to be announced before the middle of next week as Monday and
Tuesday are official holidays. Beirut, 12 Feb 11, 08:27
Jumblat Criticizes Dar al-Fatwa Meeting, Participates in
Celebratory Gunfire as Mubarak Steps Down
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has hinted that he was
frustrated from the latest meeting of Lebanon's highest Sunni Muslim authority.
Sunni council Dar al-Fatwa on Thursday warned the next cabinet against
abandoning the international tribunal investigating the 2005 murder of former
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. "The majority of the Lebanese people and the
families of the country's martyrs will view any government's abandonment of its
commitments to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, whether blatant or masked, as
provocation and an abandonment of justice," said former minister Omar Masqawi on
behalf of Dar al-Fatwa. Speaking at a press conference attended by outgoing
prime minister Saad Hariri, and his Hizbullah-backed successor Najib Miqati,
Masqawi urged Miqati to "exercise foresight" in the policies he intends to
adopt. Druze leader Jumblat told As Safir daily in remarks published Saturday
that "despite religious alignments, and despite the huge political pressure,
Arab national minorities will emerge victorious." As Safir also said that the
PSP leader participated in celebratory gunfire on Friday following the
announcement of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's decision to step down.
Jumblat fired in the air in Mukhtara to hail "the Egyptian people who toppled
the tyrant." Beirut, 12 Feb 11, 09:15
Cassese Denies He's Pushing for Bellemare's Resignation
Naharnet/The President of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Antonio Cassese,
denied in a statement a report alleging that he tried to convince permanent
members of the U.N. Security Council of the necessity of Prosecutor Daniel
Bellemare's resignation. He said in a statement that he "categorically denies
these allegations and regards this report as part of a campaign to create
artificial divisions within the Tribunal." "Whilst the Judges at the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon do not always share the Prosecutor's legal positions, as
has been shown in some recent judicial rulings, this is normal in a court of
law," he added. "The President has every confidence that the Prosecutor and his
Office are working professionally and expects that further indictments will be
submitted to the Pre-Trial Judge in due course," he continued. The statement
issued notes to editors, saying: "The Prosecutor is not selected by the
President of the Tribunal or by the U.N. Security Council. He is appointed by
the U.N. Secretary General in consultation with the Lebanese government after a
competitive selection process."
"Only the Pre-Trial Judge has access to the content of the indictment and to the
supporting material, which are under seal. The President has no knowledge of the
contents of the indictment," it said. On Thursday, Al-Arabiya television
reported from well-informed sources that Cassese had been trying to convince
U.N. Security Council members of the need for Bellemare's resignation. The
report said that the STL President was critical of the Prosecutor's efficiency
and extreme slowness in issuing the indictments in the investigation into the
assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Beirut, 11 Feb 11, 18:48
March 14 Welcomes Dar al-Fatwa's Statement, Supports
Egyptian People
Naharnet/The March 14 forces lauded the statement of Dar al-Fatwa, saying it
conforms with the principles of all Lebanese that seek to defend their country's
democratic system and the Taef agreement. During a meeting of several March 14
officials at Center House in downtown Beirut on Friday, the conferees said the
Dar al-Fatwa's statement "conforms with the principles of all Lebanese in
defense of the democratic system, the Taef accord, the international tribunal,
Lebanon's independence and the sovereignty of the state." "The majority of the
Lebanese people and the families of the country's martyrs will view any
government's abandonment of its commitments to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon,
whether blatant or masked, as provocation and an abandonment of justice," said
former minister Omar Masqawi on behalf of Sunni council Dar al-Fatwa on
Thursday. The meeting at Center House also touched on the preparations for
ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's 6th assassination anniversary on Monday. The conferees
expressed their support for the Egyptian people and said they were confident
that the Egyptian army would guarantee a peaceful transition of power that
maintains stability in the country. Beirut, 12 Feb 11, 10:42
Six Years on, Hariri Legacy Falters
Naharnet/Six years after Rafik Hariri's assassination galvanized Lebanon,
sparking mass protests seen in Beirut as a model for Egypt's uprising, his
legacy is faltering in a country torn by a U.N. probe of the murder. The camp of
outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri, son of the slain five-time premier, has
since "suffered a number of setbacks," said Asaad AbuKhalil, professor at
California State University and author of a political blog. "But it would be too
soon to declare its death because the factors that gave rise to the movement
remain," AbuKhalil told Agence France Presse. Monday marks the anniversary of
the February 14, 2005 bombing that killed Rafik Hariri and 22 others, setting in
motion a wave of demonstrations demanding the withdrawal of Syrian troops. Many
Lebanese see the events as having set the precedent for the fall of Egypt's
President Hosni Mubarak and for last month's revolution in Tunisia.
The protests forced Damascus to withdraw its troops under massive international
pressure after 29 years of military domination over Lebanon, igniting a sense of
euphoria among millions that was to prove short-lived. For the past two years, a
bitter political battle has revolved around the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL),
which expected to implicate Hizbullah members in the Hariri murder. Son and
political heir Saad Hariri heads the "March 14" coalition, which rallied massive
popular support after his father's death and went on to win two legislative
elections.
But today the tables have turned for Hariri and his Western-backed allies. "Six
years on, things are looking pretty grim for the original coalition formed after
Hariri's assassination," said political commentator Nicholas Noe, editor of a
book on Hizbullah. "The deepest cut over the years has been the issue of the
tribunal," Noe added. "Those forces opposed to the tribunal have been able with
a fair degree of success to undermine its credibility." March 14's popularity
has waned as Damascus regains sway over its smaller neighbor and Saad Hariri --
whose unity government was toppled last month in a feud over the tribunal --
finds himself in the opposition. Hizbullah and its allies on January 12 withdrew
their ministers from a unity government, forcing its collapse, and tapped Sunni
billionaire Najib Miqati to head the next government.
Even before its formation, Miqati's cabinet has earned the moniker "Hizbullah's
government" from the Hariri camp, who say they will not join.
Prior to the cabinet breakdown, Hizbullah waged a relentless and, experts say,
relatively successful public campaign to discredit the STL and the Hariri
government that backed it.
"The battle has long been about the Lebanese public's perception of the
tribunal's credibility and legitimacy," said Elias Muhanna, author of another
political blog and a PhD candidate at Harvard University. "And I think that (the
Hizbullah camp) has been more adept at shaping that perception." The Syrian- and
Iranian-backed group, which dismisses the STL as a U.S.-Israeli conspiracy,
months ago revealed what it says was evidence that its archfoe Israel had toyed
with telecom evidence used in the case. A local pro-Hizbullah television
channel, al-Jadid, has also aired a series of leaked recordings of the outgoing
premier's interviews with U.N. investigators dating back to 2007 in which he
called Syria's President Bashar Assad an "idiot."
"I would not underestimate the impact of the ... leaks in that they showed the
extent to which the actual legal proceeding of the position of the Hariri court
had been tainted by utter unprofessionalism," said AbuKhalil. "The way Hariri
spoke, so vulgarly, made him ... unseemly to some," he added. "Here was Hariri
rallying his community against Syria, only to have his followers witness how he
crawled right back to Syria."(AFP) Beirut, 12 Feb 11, 07:40
Karami Attacks Miqati: Centrism is Wishy-Washy, Gets No
High Regard
Naharnet/Former Premier Omar Karami on Friday lashed out at Prime
Minister-designate Najib Miqati and ridiculed him for being a centrist.
"Centrism has no color or taste," Karami told Miqati in an interview with Al-Jadid
television channel. Centrism, he added, "gets no high regard." Karami ruled out
Miqati would step down, saying the business tycoon worked hard to attain this
position. Miqati "had sore feet from traveling from one country to another to
reach the premiership," he charged. Karami criticized Miqati for attending a
meeting on Thursday of Sunni leaders hosted by Lebanon's Grand Mufti Sheikh
Mohammed Rashid Qabbani. He said he did not attend Dar al-Fatwa meeting because
Sheikh Qabbani is accused of corruption. Dar al-Fatwa on Thursday cautioned
Miqati against abandoning cooperation with the international tribunal
investigating the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The
U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon is widely expected to accuse Hizbullah
members of involvement in the 2005 killing. Hizbullah and its allies resigned
from the previous government after then-PM Saad Hariri — Rafik Hariri's son —
refused to condemn the tribunal. Hizbullah is seeking to stop the STL after its
favored candidate, Miqati, was named Lebanon's new prime minister. Participants
at Dar al-Fatwa's rare meeting warned that such a decision would have negative
consequences. Beirut, 11 Feb 11, 21:26
Syria Hopes Miqati Would Involve Pro-Syrian Lebanese Parties in New Government
Naharnet/A source from the March 8 camp revealed on Friday that Syria is trying
to revitalize the pro-Syrian Lebanese parties' roles in the new Lebanese
government.
It told the Central News Agency that the Syrian leadership hoped that Prime
Minister-designate Najib Miqati would appoint MP Ali Qanso as a minister
representing the Syrian Social National Party, MP Qassem Hashem as a minister
from the Baath party, and Osama Saad as a minister from the Nasserite
organization.According to the source, the Syrian leadership is aiming to improve
these parties' image by demonstrating their secularism and not their
sectarianism because they have stood by Syria and the Resistance during their
most difficult hours.
Meanwhile, circles monitoring Saad's political activity stated that he had held
meetings with Hizbullah and Free Patriotic Movement leaderships, as well as
officials close to House Speaker Nabih Berri, during which he was informed that
he would obtain a Cabinet portfolio should a one-sided government be formed.
Beirut, 11 Feb 11, 17:09
American Values Radicalize
Muslims?
by Raymond Ibrahim
Pajamas Media
February 10, 2011
http://www.meforum.org/2831/can-american-values-radicalize-muslims
Recent comments by U.S. officials on the threat posed by "radicalized" American
Muslims are troubling, both for their domestic and international implications.
Attorney General Eric Holder states that "the threat has changed … to worrying
about people in the United States, American citizens — raised here, born here,
and who for whatever reason, have decided that they are going to become
radicalized and take up arms against the nation in which they were born." The
situation is critical enough to compel incoming head of the House Committee on
Homeland Security Peter King to do all he can "to break down the wall of
political correctness and drive the public debate on Islamic radicalization."
To be sure, radicalized American Muslims pose a far greater risk than foreign
radicals. For example, it is much easier for the former to get a job in the food
industry and poison food — a recently revealed al-Qaeda strategy. American
terrorists are also better positioned to exploit the Western mindset. After
describing Anwar al-Awlaki as one of the most dangerous terrorists alive, Holder
added that he "is a person who — as an American citizen — is familiar with this
country and he brings a dimension, because of that American familiarity, that
others do not." (Likewise, American Adam Gadahn is al-Qaeda's chief propagandist
in English no doubt due to his "American familiarity.")
Sue Myrick, a member of the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee
on Intelligence, wrote a particularly candid letter on "radicalization" to
President Obama:
For many years we lulled ourselves with the idea that radicalization was not
happening inside the United Sates. We believed American Muslims were immune to
radicalization because, unlike the European counterparts, they are socially and
economically well-integrated into society. There had been warnings that these
assumptions were false but we paid them no mind. Today there is no doubt that
radicalization is taking place inside America. The strikingly accelerated rate
of American Muslims arrested for involvement in terrorist activities since May
2009 makes this fact self-evident.
Myrick named several American Muslims as examples of those who, while "embodying
the American dream, at least socio-economically," still turned to radical Islam,
astutely adding, "The truth is that if grievances were the sole cause of
terrorism, we would see daily acts by Americans who have lost their jobs and
homes in this economic downturn."
Quite so. Yet, though Myrick's observations are limited to the domestic scene,
they beg the following, even more "cosmic," question: If American Muslims, who
enjoy Western benefits — including democracy, liberty, prosperity, and freedom
of expression — are still being radicalized, why then do we insist that the
importation of those same Western benefits to the Muslim world will eliminate
its even more indigenous or authentic form of "radicalization"?
After all, the mainstream position, the only one evoked by politicians,
maintains that all American sacrifices in the Muslim world (Iraq, Afghanistan,
etc.) will pay off once Muslims discover how wonderful Western ways are, and
happily slough off their Islamist veneer, which, as the theory goes, is a
product of — you guessed it — a lack of democracy, liberty, prosperity, and
freedom of expression. Yet here are American Muslims, immersed in the bounties
of the West — and still do they turn to violent jihad. Why think their
counterparts, who are born and raised in the Muslim world, where Islam permeates
every aspect of life, will respond differently?
In fact, far from eliminating radicalization, there is reason to believe that
Western values can actually exacerbate Islamist tendencies. It is already known
that Western concessions to Islam — in the guise of multiculturalism, "cultural
sensitivity," political correctness, and self-censorship — only bring out the
worst in Islamists. Yet even some of the most prized aspects of Western
civilization — personal freedom, rule of law, human dignity — when articulated
through an Islamist framework, have the capacity to "radicalize" Muslims.
Consider: the West's unique stress on the law as supreme arbitrator, translates
into a stress to establish sharia law, Islam's supreme arbitrator of human
affairs; the West's unwavering commitment to democracy, translates into an
unwavering commitment to theocracy, including an anxious impulse to resurrect
the caliphate; Western notions of human dignity and pride, when articulated
through an Islamist mindset (which sees fellow Muslims as the ultimate, if not
only, representatives of humanity) induces rage when fellow Muslims —
Palestinians, Afghanis, Iraqis, etc. — are seen under Western, infidel dominion;
Western notions of autonomy and personal freedom have even helped "Westernize"
the notion of jihad into an individual duty, though it has traditionally been
held by sharia as a communal duty.
Nor should any of this be surprising: a set of noble principles articulated
through a fascistic paradigm can produce abominations. In this case, the better
principles of Western civilization are being devoured, absorbed, and
regurgitated into something equally potent, though from the other end of the
spectrum. Put differently, just as a stress on human freedom, human dignity, and
universal justice produces good humans, rearticulating these same concepts
through an Islamist framework that qualifies them with the word "Muslim" —
Muslim freedom, Muslim dignity, and Muslim justice — leads to what is being
called "radicalization."
**Raymond Ibrahim is associate director of the Middle East Forum, author of The
Al Qaeda Reader, and guest lecturer at the National Defense Intelligence
College.
Question:
"What does it mean that God is love?"
GotQuestions.org
Answer: Let’s look at how the Bible describes love, and then we will see a few
ways in which God is the essence of love. “Love is patient, love is kind. It
does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not
self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does
not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always
trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians
13:4-8a). This is God's description of love, and because God is love (1 John
4:8), this is what He is like.
Love (God) does not force Himself on anyone. Those who come to Him do so in
response to His love. Love (God) shows kindness to all. Love (Jesus) went about
doing good to everyone without partiality. Love (Jesus) did not covet what
others had, living a humble life without complaining. Love (Jesus) did not brag
about who He was in the flesh, although He could have overpowered anyone He ever
came in contact with. Love (God) does not demand obedience. God did not demand
obedience from His Son, but rather, Jesus willingly obeyed His Father in heaven.
“The world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my
Father has commanded me” (John 14:31). Love (Jesus) was/is always looking out
for the interests of others.The greatest expression of God's love is communicated to us in John 3:16: “For
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes
in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Romans 5:8 proclaims the same
message: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us.” We can see from these verses that it is God's
greatest desire that we join Him in His eternal home, heaven. He has made the
way possible by paying the price for our sins. He loves us because He chose to
as an act of His will. Love forgives. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1
John 1:9).So, what does it mean that God is love? Love is an attribute of God. Love is a
core aspect of God’s character, His Person. God’s love is in no sense in
conflict with His holiness, righteousness, justice, or even His wrath. All of
God’s attributes are in perfect harmony. Everything God does is loving, just as
everything He does is just and right. God is the perfect example of true love.
Amazingly, God has given those who receive His Son Jesus as their personal
Savior the ability to love as He does, through the power of the Holy Spirit
(John 1:12; 1 John 3:1, 23-24).
Gemayel: Syria has not yet digested its pullout from Lebanon
February 12, 2011 /Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel said on Saturday that “Syria
has not yet digested its withdrawal from Lebanon.”“Syria is adopting policies
[toward Lebanon] that take us back to the past,” Gemayel told the Voice of
Lebanon (100.5) radio station.He said that “Syria must be convinced of Lebanon’s
sovereignty,” adding that “Damascus is setting a trap for itself.”Gemayel also
said that Syria’s attempt to run Lebanese affairs through its March 8 allies in
Lebanon “will not succeed.”Regarding the formation of a cabinet headed by Prime
Minister-designate Najib Mikati, Gemayel said that “it is better for the March
14 coalition to rest a little and [become] the opposition.”However, he also said
that March 14 considers the interests of Lebanon to be bigger than “any personal
interests.”The Kataeb leader added that Hezbollah us “using its weapons
[domestically] for political [gain].”Mikati was appointed to the premiership on
January 25 with the backing of the Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition, following
the January 12 collapse of Saad Hariri’s unity government due to a long-running
controversy over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s (STL) investigation of
former PM Rafik Hariri’s 2005 murder.The PM-designate has called on all Lebanese
parties to join his upcoming cabinet, but March 14 parties have said that they
will not take part in a cabinet headed by a March 8 nominee and have also asked
that Mikati first clarify his stance on non-state weapons and the STL.-NOW
Lebanon
What can the Lebanese learn from the Egyptians?
Hanin Ghaddar , February 12, 2011
If anything, Egypt’s revolution and the toppling of President Hosni Mubarak have
taught us one thing: The people can bring about change without the backing of a
political movement or foreign interference. On the contrary, they can force the
world to adapt to their uprising. They even got the Egyptian president’s allies
to abandon him.
Despite the attempts of various regional and local powers to endorse and take
advantage of the Egyptian uprising, the people’s simple demands for freedom and
social reforms survived and rose above international agendas. No one has so far
stolen their voice. The resolve of the people of Tunisia and Egypt turned out to
be more powerful than all world leaders and their supposedly long-established
alliances and political systems. A dictatorship that is 30 years old, protected
by a harsh security system and strong alliances was smashed to smithereens in a
matter of weeks. These uprisings brought back hope to all people living under
similar dictatorships in the region and inspired groups of young people in
Algeria, Jordan, Kuwait, Syria and other countries to believe that their dreams
might come true sooner than they thought. But in Lebanon, the winds of change
have reminded many of us of missed opportunities. Why haven’t we been able to
protect our own revolution? Why did we surrender so easily, and how did we leave
the streets with so much unfinished business? That is a question that will haunt
us for quite a while, but what can we learn from Egypt for future battles?In
2005, Lebanon’s own Cedar Revolution, started in the wake of the February 14
assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, brought down the government
and forced the Syrian army to withdraw from the country. However, the Lebanese
who organized, led and took part in the Cedar Revolution did not realize back
then the importance of maintaining unity as Lebanese people, not as members of
sects or political parties.
Lebanon’s people power started in a similar way: Angry youth and civil society
activists took to the streets and set up a base at Martyrs’ Square, a location
with similar symbolism to Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Tents were full of young
people, day and night. There was an atmosphere of frenzied political debate.
There was music, singing and dancing. People discovered their power to affect
change and express their demands without fear.
But it wasn’t long before the politicians ruined it all. Their bickering over
power sharing led to a weak and divided nation. In the years that followed,
Martyrs’ Square, instead of being home to one Lebanese people, was filled with
Christians, Sunnis and Druze (not to mention a few independents who felt like
outsiders). Masses replaced citizens, and the revolution lost its spirit.
Six years later, as Egypt and the region burst with the desire to emancipate,
what was left of Lebanon’s revolutionary flame was snuffed out by the
Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance, which took over the government. The Syrian
regime is back through its powerful proxies, while Iran now controls both the
southern border with Israel, and internal political and security institutions.
All but one of the revolution’s achievements have evaporated: the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon, the court created to bring to justice the killers of Rafik
Hariri and other perpetrators of political violence.
On Monday, on the 6th anniversary of his death, what is left of the independence
forces will honor his memory at the BIEL Conference center in Beirut, an event
that is supposed to mark the beginning of a new phase of opposition for the
March 14 alliance.
It seems that this is now the only option. However, within this particular
option, there are a number of choices. Can March 14 formulate a clear strategy?
Will it start to act or keep on reacting to Hezbollah’s moves? Will the alliance
take practical measures, or just make more statements and slogans? Will it
cultivate its rhetoric to deal with genuine grievances, and will all Lebanese be
invited to listen and discuss, or will it just target certain sects and groups
that can influence election results?
The only way to reinvent the spirit of 2005 is to address all Lebanese,
including the Shia population, as one people. Being on the opposition might not
be enough to face upcoming challenges. March 14 might also make an ally of civil
society activists and the young people who constituted the real spirit of the
2005 Cedar Revolution. There is no shame in listening to them again. Although
these people have the same demands regarding the STL, Hezbollah’s disarmament
and the strengthening of state institutions, their additional demands can lead
to practical steps toward real change and reform. For example, maybe it is
actually time to discuss a civil state, a civil status law, basic women’s and
human rights, and real social reforms.
When the state is weak and Hezbollah’s state-within-a-state gets stronger every
day, March 14 cannot do much from the opposition seat. But it can at least try
to develop a genuine rhetoric that can make it stronger before the next
parliamentary elections in 2013.
No one is expecting much on Monday. It will be a long and gradual process that
requires a huge deal of deliberation and mature dialogue with everyone, but this
may be the only choice for the new opposition.Although the Egyptian people still
have to prove that they’re worthy of their revolution, they did teach us that
compromises never get you anywhere, and only unity and the will of the people
can lead to change.
**Hanin Ghaddar is managing editor of NOW Lebanon
U.S. dispatches military chief to reassure Israel, Jordan
after Mubarak's ouster
Admiral Mike Mullen will meet Netanyahu, Ashkenazi and Gantz, as well as
Jordan's King Abdullah.
By Reuters /Tags: Israel news Egypt protests Hosni Mubarak Middle East peace
The top United States military officer heads to Jordan and Israel next week for
high-level talks meant to reassure key allies at a moment of heightened
uncertainty after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's ouster. Mubarak handed over
power to the Egyptian army Friday after an 18-day popular uprising, with
Washington now facing huge challenges in a potentially volatile power shift in
Cairo that could have repercussions for U.S. policy across the Middle East. U.S.
army chief Mike Mullen and his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi meeting in Tel
Aviv in May 2010. Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. military's Joint
Chiefs of Staff, will arrive in Jordan on Sunday for talks with his military
counterpart and with Jordan's King Abdullah.
It comes just days after Abdullah swore in a new government led by a former
general who has promised to widen public freedoms in response to anti-government
protests sweeping the region. Mullen will continue to Israel, where Egypt's
turmoil has raised fears of potential Islamic radicalization that could threaten
Cairo's peace agreement with Israel.
Mullen is due to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres
and the outgoing head of the armed forces, Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi on
Sunday and Monday, before returning to Washington. "At this very critical time
in the Middle East [Mullen wants] to reassure our Israeli partners that our
commitment to them, and to the military relationship that we have enjoyed with
them, remains strong," Capt. John Kirby, an aide to Mullen, told Reuters. Israel
has named Benny Gantz, a former defense attache in Washington and
second-in-command of Israel's armed forces, to replace Ashkenazi. Mullen was
also expected to meet Ganz, Kirby said, adding the two already knew each other
"quite well."
Defense Minister Ehud Barak met top U.S. officials in Washington this week. He
told U.S. television that the world should encourage change in Egypt but give
the country enough time to prevent it from falling into the hands of extremists.
Israel's military caught unready for Sinai front. Tantawi
is no friend
DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis February 12, 2011,
Thirty-two years of peace with Egypt leave Israel militarily unprepared for the
unknown and unexpected on their 270-kilometer long southern border: the current
generation of Israeli combatants and commanders has no experience of desert
combat, its armor is tailored for operation on its most hostile fronts: Iran,
Lebanon's Hizballah and Syria; it is short of intelligence on the Egyptian army
and its commanders and, above all, no clue to the new rulers' intentions
regarding Cairo's future relations with Israel and security on their Sinai
border.
The Israeli Defense Forces are trained and equipped to confront Iran and fight
on the mountainous terrain of Lebanon and Syria. After signing peace with Egypt
in 1979, Israel scrapped the combat brigades trained for desert warfare, whose
last battle was fought in the 1973 war, and stopped treating the Egyptian army
as a target of military intelligence. Israel's high command consequently knows
little or nothing about any field commanders who might lead units if they were
to be deployed in Sinai.
Israel's policy-makers and military strategists are meanwhile acting on two
basic assumptions:
1. Egypt's new military rulers will not be keen to lose the US $1.3 billion
military aid package or their access to state of the art technology, and the
Obama administration will make continued assistance conditional on upholding the
peace treaty with Israel.
debkafile's military and Washington sources are not absolutely sure President
Obama will lay down this condition or that, if he does, the Egyptian army will
accept it. Even if the peace relations are left in place during the regime's
first uncertain two or three months in Cairo, it is by no means certain they
will survive thereafter.
The new rulers may be influenced by oil-rich Saudi Arabia's latest policy turn.
As debkafile reported exclusively Thursday, Feb. 10, King Abdullah was so
incensed by Washington's abandonment of his friend and ally Hosni Mubarak that
he ordered the kingdom's diplomatic and military ties with Iran upgraded and
strengthened. It is anyone's guess today whether the generals in Cairo opt for
Washington or decide to patch up Mubarak's quarrel with the ayatollahs instead.
Riyadh can easily afford to make up for the loss of American aid to Egypt.
Abdullah made that same offer to Mubarak if he stood fast against American
pressure for his resignation, promising him a Saudi dollar for American dollar.
2. Israel is counting on Gen. Omar Suleiman - overlord of Egypt's intelligence
branches and for eight days, Mubarak's Vice President - to keep faith after many
years of close cooperation in safeguarding the peace relationship. Suleiman is
one of the top three members of the High Army Council now ruling Egypt,
alongside Defense Minister Field Marshal Mohammed Tantawi and Chief of Staff Lt.
Gen. Sami Al-Anan.
debkafile: Israel may be barking up the wrong tree. When Suleiman was elevated
to VP, Jerusalem hoped he would come out of the Egyptian uprising as the coming
man. Friday, Mubarak's resignation left him stripped of his new title.
His footing in the top army command council is far from certain. It is to be
expected that once firmly in power, the top generals will start jockeying for
the top spot. Suleiman and Tantawi have long been rivals and Mubarak often
stepped in to resolve their arguments, usually in the former's favor which the
latter won't forget. Since Tantawi is no fan of Israel, Suleiman may decide to
promote his own chances by avoiding being seen as overly pro-Israeli or
pro-American. Jerusalem may therefore find a closed door when seeking him out.
This is bound to happen soon because of the chaotic free-for-all launched in
Sinai while all eyes were on Cairo.
Indeed while a military coup was in progress in the Egyptian capital, Iran,
Hamas and Al Qaeda's Middle East networks were fully engaged in violently
reducing the Egyptian presence outside the southern Sharm el-Sheik pocket and
beginning a process of annexation to the Gaza Strip starting in North Sinai.
This is part of Iran's new strategy, seized on during the upsets in Cairo, to
expand the Hamas state and shift the crux of Palestinian governance from
Ramallah to Gaza City.
While this was going on, Hamas and Al Qaeda terrorists along with drug and human
traffickers were free to infiltrate Israel, using the flow of thousands of
illegal job-seekers smuggled across the lawless Sinai border.
Even the limited control Suleiman asserted over this traffic has gone.
The Netanyahu government in Jerusalem must therefore think fast and make quick
decisions about Sinai. Will the military regime in Cairo take action to bring
Sinai under control? Or will Israel be reduced to sending drones or special
forces across the border for covert action to cut down the threats building up
to its security?
Suddenly, Israel finds itself in a situation akin to the US-led forces in
Afghanistan, which have in the last year stepped up their drone attacks on
Taliban and al Qaeda strongholds in Waziristan, to the detriment of US relations
with Pakistan.
Our military sources note that Field Marshall Tantawi has never attached much
strategic importance to the Sinai Peninsula, which is why Mubarak transferred
responsibility for its security from the army to Suleiman. Its reversion to the
army and the field marshal would be bad news for Israel and its future relations
with Egypt.