LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِFebeuary 22/2011

Bible Of The Day
The Good News According to Matthew 5/1-10: "Seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. When he had sat down, his disciples came to him. 5:2 He opened his mouth and taught them, saying, 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5:5 Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart,  for they shall see God. 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. 5:10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Out of the north, an evil shall break forth/By TZACHI HANEGBI/February 21/11
Statement by Canadian Minister of Forgriegn Affairs on Situation of Civil Unrest in Libya/February 21/11
Could Mikati's government face sanctions/By Osama Habib/February 21/11
Will the Lebanese Cabinet formation drag on for months given Aoun's tough demands/By Hussein Dakroub/February 21/11
Lebanon's Spring still far off/By Hussein Dakroub/February 21/11
Security under a March 8 cabinet/By: Mona Alami/February 21/11

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for February 21/11
Israel Army: Hizbullah Might Attack Israel to Stave off Pressure in Iran/Naharnet
Report: Libya air force bombs protesters heading for army base/News Agencies/Haaretz
US warships box in Iranian flotilla, delay Suez passage/DEBKAfile
Sfeir calls for swift government formation/Daily Star
Sfeir Heads to Rome, Backs Liberation of Land within Lebanon's Natural Boundaries /Naharnet
Report: Riyadh Sees Any Threat to Order in the Region as Gain for Iran, Syria, Hizbullah /Naharnet
UNIFIL: Demarcating Maritime Border Requires Agreement from All Concerned Sides /Naharnet
Report: Hezbollah fighting Iran protestors; 2 killed/Israel News
Netanyahu Blasts Iran For Sending Ships Through Suez/VOA
Passage of Iranian Warships Through Suez Delayed/VOM
Israel warns Iran is 'taking advantage' of Middle East unrest/Telegraph.co.uk
Al Jazeera signal jammed in Mideast, Libya suspected/Reuters
Syrian Kurdish blogger 'on hunger strike'/AFP
Lebanon: Iran vessels' passage through Suez canal delayed/Monsters and Critics.com
Lebanon accuses Libya of jamming its TV stations because of reports on protests/The Canadian Press
Aoun is acting as if he is President and Prime Minister says Harb/Ya Libnan
Jumblat: It's Time for Gadhafi to Step Down from Power and Pave the Way for Real Change /Naharnet
Zasypkin after Meeting MP Hariri: We Support STL and Want it to Continue its Work /Naharnet
Berri Expects Solution to Deadlock Soon, Allows Miqati to Choose his Bloc's Ministers /Naharnet
Jumblat Says he Visited Damascus Last Week /Naharnet
Israel Army: Hizbullah Might Attack Israel to Stave off Pressure in Iran /Naharnet
Muallem Hopes Lebanese-Syrian Relations Would Prosper /Naharnet
Miqati's Nephew in U.S. Amid Warning of 'Dangerous Consequences' of Hizbullah-led Cabinet /Naharnet
Hizbullah Urges Authorities to Protect Satellite TV Networks from Jamming /Naharnet
Israel Plans Offshore Gas Field Defense from Lebanon /Naharnet

Out of the north, an evil shall break forth’
By TZACHI HANEGBI
02/20/2011 23:07
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=209101
While the revolution in Egypt and the upheavals in Iran, Algeria, Yemen, Libya and Bahrain are currently dominating the headlines, insufficient attention has been paid to recent events in Lebanon. Out of the north, an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.(Jeremiah 1:14).
All eyes are currently on the upheaval in the Arab world. The anger of Egyptian citizens, the clashes in Bahrain and the protests in Yemen, Algeria and Libya are broadcast live by world media in our living rooms. The top commentators sit in their studios from morning till night, analyzing every protest sign in Cairo’s Tahrir Square from 1,000 different angles. There is not a single media outlet that has not sent reinforcements to its existing crew in the Middle East, lest it miss an event that instantaneously changes the region’s history.
For some reason, no one is interested in a country where the most dangerous revolution has already taken place. For the first time in Lebanon’s history, an extremist and violent terrorist group has taken over the parliament and government without a single shot fired. And the world exhibits profound indifference to this dramatic development.
True, tires are not burning in the streets of Beirut, and there is no effigy of Saad Hariri (the ousted pro-Western prime minister) swinging from a power line with a noose around its neck. Lebanon is not providing chilling scenes for ratings-lifting newsbreaks. But there is news – bad news. Lebanon has performed an alarming U-turn that drove it from the heart of a pragmatic camp in the Arab world directly into the arms of a fanatic, radical axis.
Hosni Mubarak’s ouster by millions of frustrated and angry citizens was a powerful event, but it is still too early to predict the direction Egypt will now take. The possibilities are vast; not all are negative. One can imagine scenarios in which democratic elections will enable such strong political influence of the Muslim Brotherhood that Egypt will disregard its long-time alliance with the US and nullify its peace treaty with Israel.
At the same time, there is a chance that the army and the security forces, together with the secular political forces who in essence led the protests in the first place, will be wise enough to lead the transition into a democratic society, one in which the power of fundamentalist parties remains limited.
It is also too early to evaluate whether the king of Jordan will follow the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt, or whether the clever and battle-tested Hashemites will guarantee his survival and stability once again. King Abdullah provided an early cure when, at the beginning of the Egyptian disturbances, he fired his government and appointed Dr. Marouf Bakhit, a former general, as the new prime minister.
WHEREAS IN Egypt and Jordan there are still many uncertainties about the future, the revolution in Lebanon leaves no room for doubt. The new prime minister, Najib Mikati, was elected only with Hezbollah’s approval.
The billionaire may be able to seem innocent in CNN interviews, but in the Land of the Cedars, there are no surprises. You do not receive a personal appointment to the premiership from Hassan Nasrallah unless you are a steadfast supporter of his agenda. It is an agenda written in Farsi, so it can be applied in Beirut by the Iranian-Syrian coalition of Walid Jumblatt the Druse, Hezbollah the Shi’ite, Michel Aoun the Christian and Mikati the Sunni.
In the coming months and years, this coalition will act to achieve a number of goals, which taken individually, and certainly together, will serve as a red warning sign to the interests of Israel.
The first order of business for the Mikati government will be to thwart any attempt by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon to arrest and try senior Hezbollah figures for their involvement in the murder of prime minister Rafik Hariri.
The next goal will be to remove any obstacles placed by the Saad Hariri government to weapons smuggling from Syria to Hezbollah. The Lebanese army, in which even before the government shift there was an important presence of Shi’ite officers and soldiers, will receive an unequivocal order to turn a blind eye to all activity meant to strengthen Hezbollah, whether on the Syria- Lebanon border, at the airports or at the seaports. At the same time, that army will be instructed to limit UNIFIL’s operations in southern Lebanon, so that even its limited responsibilities, granted by Security Council Resolution 1701, will be neutralized. Afterward, Hezbollah will act to change the internal agreements which serve as the basis for the political balance in Lebanon, including the distribution of governmental positions among the various ethnic groups. The Shi’ites have been claiming for years that the agreements of the past no longer reflect the demographic changes that have occurred over the past few decades. Hezbollah’s dominance in the parliament and government will enable it to impose these changes and, as a result, perpetuate its future hold in Lebanese politics, at the expense of its Christian rivals.Eventually, Lebanon, like Syria its patron, will likely sign a defense pact with Iran, through which the regime of the ayatollahs will provide it with modern weapons and advanced intelligence capabilities, similar to the intimate cooperation that exists between Tehran and Damascus.
In this way, the prophetic warning of Jeremiah will once again come true.
**The writer is a former Kadima minister.

Report: Hezbollah fighting Iran protestors; 2 killed
Dudi Cohen Published: 02.20.11, /Israel News
VIDEO - Iranian anti-government protests resume. Two people were killed Sunday during protests in two Tehran squares, unofficial reports suggest. At least five people were injured in Shiraz. The protestors are marking one week to the death of two demonstrators.
Meanwhile, Iranian exiles reported that Hezbollah has joined the security forces in suppressing the protests. Opposition groups claimed that as many as 1,500 Hezbollah operatives are taking part in clashes. Members of the terrorist organization, which reportedly receives training and aid from Iran, assisted the authorities to disperse the demonstration in Tehran's Azadi Square last week.Also Sunday, Iran arrested the daughter of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani for taking part in a banned opposition rally, the official IRNA news agency reported. Shortly thereafter, the semi-official Fars news agency reported she was released after being detained briefly.
"Faezeh Hashemi Rafsanjani was released after claiming that she was out shopping for cloths," Fars reported. Uprising
During Friday prayers, cleric says Mousavi, Karroubi have lost their reputation and are practically 'dead and executed'; calls for more restrictions
Eye witnesses told opposition websites that security forces were trying to disperse the demonstrators using tear gas and live fire. An unofficial report said one man was killed during a protest in Theran's Haft-e-Tir Square. A website affiliated with Iranian student unions also reported that live fire used by security forces left one man dead. Another report said that a protestor was killed in the Vanak square. CNN reporter Reza Sayah tweeted that he saw security forces beating at least 15 people with batons in Tehran's Revolution Square. He added that at least four protestors were arrested. Farsi BBC reported shots were fired in Abbas Abad in north Tehran. Unofficial reports suggest that thousands of protestors clashed with security forces in Vali-Asr Square and called "Death to the dictator." Meanwhile, the pro-government Fars news agency said that "calm" prevailed in Tehran in the face of the presence of security forces in "full strength.""The police was in control of the situation and there was peace in the city with no reports of any incidents," Fars said.
YouTube video shows demonstrators fleeing from police in Shiraz
Many websites blocked
Social network users reported that many websites were blocked Sunday including the Gmail service. Opposition website Rahesabz.net reported that the cell phone network in central Tehran had been cut off. Another report said that overseas calls to Tehran were also blocked in order to restrict the flow of information to foreign media outlets.
Earlier on Sunday, opposition activists gathered in several areas in Iran's capital. Iran warned the opposition on Saturday against staging demonstrations after calls were posted on websites for a rally on Sunday to commemorate two people killed during protests this week, state media reported. Opposition leaders Mirhossein Mousavi's and Mehdi Karoubi's websites have called for nationwide rallies on Sunday, which they also said were intended to show "decisive support to the pro-reform movement and its leaders."Mousavi and Karoubi, who both lost to Ahmadinejad in the vote, have been placed under house arrest after calling for the rally.
*AFP and Reuters contributed to this report

Israel Army: Hizbullah Might Attack Israel to Stave off Pressure in Iran
Naharnet/Tehran could activate Hizbullah fighters to attack Israel in an effort to stave off domestic pressure within Iran, according to assessments in the Israeli army's Northern Command.
"The concern within the army is that if the regime in Tehran feels under pressure due to anti-government demonstrations, it will try to initiate an attack on an Israeli target – either overseas or near the border – to divert attention from its own troubles," said The Jerusalem Post newspaper on Monday. The Israeli daily said that Hizbullah operatives were assisting Iranian security forces in suppressing anti-regime protests. Iranian opposition groups claimed that as many as 1,500 Hizbullah operatives are taking part in the clashes, said Israel's Ynet news site.
"There has always been one common enemy for the Islamic world, and that is Israel," a senior defense official said. "Israel will then need to consider how to respond to the attack."
Last week, Israeli embassies were placed on heightened alert and four were closed following concrete warnings of possible attacks timed to mark the third anniversary of Hizbullah military commander Imad Mughniyeh's assassination. Beirut, 21 Feb 11, 09:49

US warships box in Iranian flotilla, delay Suez passage
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report February 21, eThe repeated delays and contradictory statements about the two Iranian warships' transit of the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean is accounted for by a standoff between the Iranian flotilla and five US warships deployed in recent days at the waterway's southern entrance and along its course, debkafile's sources disclose.
Thursday night, Feb. 17, the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, escorted by missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf and the fast supply ship USNS Arctic, headed south through the canal. By Friday morning, they were through and taking up position opposite the Kharg cruiser and Alvand missile destroyer of the Iranian Navy's 12th Flotilla, which were waiting to enter the Suez Canal at the southern Red Sea entrance. Furthermore, since the first week of February, the USS Kearsarge, another aircraft carrier, was posted in the Great Bitter Lake opposite Ismailia and the canal's main routes with a large contingent of marines aboard. The USS George Washington carrier and the USS Carl Vinson were additionally deployed in the Gulf of Aden, the latter having been moved from the Pacific.
A battle of nerves is therefore underway.
The Iranian warships found themselves cheek to jowl with a major concentration of America naval might piling up in the Red Sea and Suez and were not sure what would happen if they went forward with their mission to transit the Suez Canal for the Mediterranean for the first time in 30 years on their way to Syria.
Sunday night, the Canal authorities announced another 48 hours delay shortly after Tehran state TV claimed the warships were already through to the Mediterranean.
And, finally, the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier was quietly transferred from Bahrain, headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet amid the anti-government uprising, to a point opposite the Iranian Gulf coast.
This pile-up of US naval, air and marine might at strategic points in the Middle East is a warning to meddlers to keep their hands off the revolutions, uprisings and protests sweeping Arab nations. It carries a special message for Tehran that the Obama administration will not permit the Islamic Republic's rulers to make military and political hay from the unrest - in Bahrain or anywhere else.
By positioning the Enterprise opposite Iran's 12th Flotilla at the Red Sea entrance to the Suez Canal on Feb. 17 Washington has confronted Tehran with a hard dilemma, which was practically spelled out by US State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley a day earlier: "If the ships move through the canal, we will evaluate what they actually do," he said. "It's not really about the ships. It's about what the ships are carrying, what's their destination, what's the cargo on board, where's it going, to whom and for what benefit."
This was the US spokesman's answer to the debkafile disclosure of Feb. 16 that the Kharg was carrying long-range surface missiles for Hizballah. It raised the possibility that the moment they venture to sail into the Suez Canal, the two Iranian warships will be boxed in between the Enterprise and the Kearsarge and called upon the allow their cargoes to be inspected as permitted by the last round of UN sanctions against Iran in the case of suspicious war freights.
According to debkafile's intelligence sources, the flurry of conflicting statements from Cairo and Tehran were issued to muddy the situation surrounding the Iranian flotilla and cloud Tehran's uncertainty about how to proceed. The next date announced for their passage, Tuesday night, Feb. 22, will be a testing moment.

Report: Riyadh Sees Any Threat to Order in the Region as Gain for Iran, Syria, Hizbullah
Naharnet/As pro-democracy uprisings spread across the Middle East, Saudi authorities are feeling increasingly isolated and concerned that Washington may no longer be a reliable backer, officials and diplomats told the New York Times. "The Saudis are completely encircled by the problem, from Jordan to Iraq to Bahrain to Yemen," said one Arab diplomat, voicing a view that is common in the halls of power in Riyadh. "Saudi Arabia is the last heavyweight U.S. ally in the region facing Iran," he said. The Saudis tend to see any threat to the established order in the region as a gain for their nemesis Iran, and its allies Syria and Hizbullah, said the newspaper. Riyadh has grown increasingly worried that the Obama administration is drifting away from this perspective and supporting movements for change whose outcome cannot be guaranteed, it said. Beirut, 21 Feb 11, 09:59

Zasypkin after Meeting MP Hariri: We Support STL and Want it to Continue its Work
Naharnet/Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin stressed on Monday his country's support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, saying that Russia is keen on uncovering the perpetrators behind the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and all other assassinations. He said after meeting MP Bahia Hariri: "The STL is an instrument of international legitimacy and Russia supports it and wants it to continue its functioning." He added that the talks addressed the latest developments in Lebanon and the region, as well as Lebanese-Russian ties, highlighting slain PM Hariri's role in bolstering these relations. Beirut, 21 Feb 11, 17:19

Sfeir calls for swift government formation
Maronite patriarch voices support for Special Tribunal for Lebanon
By The Daily Star /Monday, February 21, 2011
BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir called for a swift formation of the government while voicing support for the controversial U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
Sfeir arrived Sunday in Rome, where he is set to attend a ceremony to unveil a statue of Saint Maroun at the Saint Peter’s Cathedral in the Vatican.
The ceremony, scheduled for Wednesday, will be led by Pope Benedict XVI and attended by President Michel Sleiman and 16 church heads from countries throughout the world.
Sfeir and the accompanying delegation of bishops and members of the media were greeted by Lebanon’s ambassador to the Vatican, Georges Khoury, and to Italy, Melhem Mesto.
On his way to Rome, Sfeir spoke to reporters accompanying him about the need to form a government that embraced all Lebanese factions, adding that the situation in Lebanon was acceptable compared to that in surrounding countries. “Despite all difficulties, the situation in Lebanon remains better than that of states around us,” Sfeir said, labeling the current events in Arab states that are seeing anti-government protests as “frightening.” The prelate said the Vatican has yet to accept his resignation which he submitted a few months ago, labeling rumors that a new patriarch would be elected in March as mere “predictions.”
Sfeir voiced his support for the STL, established by the U.N. to try the assassins of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and a number of other political figures.
“We support the international tribunal because we must know who is a criminal and who is not a criminal, and we should know who killed the former prime minister and all martyrs.”
Sfeir described the placing of the Saint Maroun statue at Saint Peter’s Cathedral as a “remarkable deed.” “It is an international honor for Saint Maroun,” he said. Prior to his departure from Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Sfeir told reporters that he would hold talks with Pope Benedict XVI and Sleiman during his trip.
Sfeir said that Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati had not telephoned him after his appointment “but we wish Prime Minister Mikati success.”
Asked whether he supported Hezbollah’s threat to take over Galilee in North Israel which includes seven occupied Lebanese villages in the event Israel wages a war on Lebanon, Sfeir said: “We are with liberation wherever it takes place. But we are with preserving the natural borders of Lebanon.”
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah threatened last week to take over Galilee in the event that Israel wages a new war against Lebanon.
According to the NNA, a cultural meeting would be held Monday in Rome during which a number of lectures on the Maronite sect would be delivered. – The Daily Star

UNIFIL: Demarcating Maritime Border Requires Agreement from All Concerned Sides
Naharnet/United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Director of Political and Civil Affairs Milos Strugar stated on Monday that the international force's jurisdiction does not include demarcating the maritime border, adding that it would be willing to do so if it receives the consent of the concerned sides. He explained to the Central News Agency that several sections within the U.N. are dedicated to managing legal and political affairs that include peacemaking operations and tackling maritime borders. Addressing the process of forming a new Lebanese government, he said that this is an internal Lebanese affair and it's important that it continue on respecting resolution 1701, regardless of who heads it. Turning to fears of unrest in wake of the release of the indictment in the investigation into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Strugar stated that necessary measures are being taken for this purpose, while the Lebanese authorities and army in particular, are responsible for imposing order in the area. He warned that anyone who harms UNIFIL is harming the stability and security of the South and the interests of the Lebanese people in that region. Beirut, 21 Feb 11, 18:32

Suleiman: Israel Must Withdraw from South, Implement Resolution 1701 in its Entirety
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman stressed on Monday the need for Israel to withdraw from all Lebanese territory in the South and commit to implementing all articles of U.N. Security Council resolution 1701. He also emphasized after holding talks with a Dutch delegation headed by Hendrik Jan Ormel the importance of granting Palestinian refugees the right to return to their homeland. Furthermore, the president noted that the United States' veto against a U.N. resolution to halt Israeli settlement expansion is a negative development in the Middle East peace process. Suleiman warned that this development may lead to more extreme Arab positions, which should drive Israel towards the 2002 Arab peace initiative "because it is still a very good opportunity to establish permanent and comprehensive peace in the Middle East." Beirut, 21 Feb 11, 15:22

Jumblat: It's Time for Gadhafi to Step Down from Power and Pave the Way for Real Change
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat criticized on Monday the West's "suspicious" silence over the developments in Libya that are similar to the confusion it felt when confronting the anti-regime protests in Egypt. He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa magazine that the silence stems from the West's interest in the oil wealth, "which remains the main drive behind most of western policies that turn a blind eye to human rights and democracy once their interests are jeopardized." "These double standards harm the West's credibility in the Arab and Muslim world and shatter its image because of its constant pursuit of its interests," he continued. Addressing the developments in Libya, the MP said: "It's time for Libyan President Moammer Gadhafi to step down after 42 years in power and pave the way for real change.""The threats issued by Ghadhafi's regime are nothing but a desperate attempt to clamp down on the people through terrorization and intimidation," Jumblat stated. "They won't turn back the hands of time or alter the course of developments that are aimed at establishing real change," he noted. Beirut, 21 Feb 11, 18:06

Miqati's Cabinet Not Looming in Horizon Amid FPM's Demands
Naharnet/Premier-designate Najib Miqati's cabinet formation efforts were in tatters on Monday after the Free Patriotic Movement suggested giving up its demands for the interior ministry in return for getting the finance portfolio. "We were at first demanding the finance portfolio but we met the demands to keep it with the Sunni sect and suggested getting the interior (ministry) instead," Caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil told As Safir daily in remarks published Monday. "If this issue is creating a deadlock too, then we can immediately solve it by getting the finance (portfolio) in return for giving up the interior (ministry) in favor of Sunnis," Bassil, who is FPM leader Michel Aoun's son-in-law, said. This condition, in addition to President Michel Suleiman's travel to the Vatican on Tuesday and to Kuwait later in the week, are expected to delay the formation of Miqati's government. Miqati's sources told An Nahar daily that the cabinet formation process has reached a standstill but said contacts and consultations between the prime minister-designate and different parties were still on. The premier-designate held talks with Speaker Nabih Berri's advisor MP Ali Hassan Khalil on Sunday but no progress was made on consultations to form the cabinet. Sources following up the cabinet formation process told As Safir that the government might witness light this week but informed political sources told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat that "Suleiman won't give up" to Aoun's demands to get the interior portfolio and won't sign a decree of a cabinet" that doesn't suit him. Such insistence by both sides is expected to delay the formation of the government. Beirut, 21 Feb 11,

Will Cabinet formation drag on for months given Aoun's tough demands?
By Hussein Dakroub /Daily Star staff
Saturday, February 19, 2011 / By: hussein dakroub
Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun will probably go down in the annals of Lebanon’s political history as one of the most controversial leaders for his often tough and stubborn stands on crucial issues, even if these stands threaten to destabilize the country.  The officer-turned-politician, who also heads the Change and Reform bloc, the second largest parliamentary bloc after caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s Future bloc, is now at the center of a heated controversy as Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati is running into trouble trying to form a government to replace Hariri’s toppled Cabinet. Hariri’s declaration Monday that he and his allies in the March 14 coalition would join the opposition against what the coalition calls “Hezbollah’s government” to be formed by Mikati was supposed to speed up the Cabinet formation efforts. But it didn’t.
Instead, all signs indicate that the Cabinet formation process will remain stalled, marking time until the dispute over Aoun’s conditions for participation in the government is settled.
This situation has prompted Aoun’s Shiite allies, Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, to intervene in recent days in an attempt to soften the FPM leader’s tough demands and subsequently get the Cabinet formation process off the ground. But no results so far. At the root of the problem is that the FPM leader is demanding most Christian Cabinet seats for his bloc, ignoring any share for President Michel Sleiman. He is also locking horns with Sleiman over the key portfolio of the Interior Ministry, which Aoun wants for a member of his bloc, while the president was reported Friday to be insisting on retaining Ziad Baroud as interior minister.
Worse still, Aoun does not want Sleiman to be represented in Mikati’s government with any key portfolio. He has already signaled his unwillingness to make concessions over his share of portfolios in the next Cabinet, and lashed out at Sleiman accusing him of losing his status as a neutral player. A source close to Mikati said Aoun’s demands “could not be implemented,” adding that if talks with Aoun reach a dead end, the prime minister-designate would face two options. “Mikati will either announce the government formula he agreed on with the president or quit the process altogether bringing matters back to square one,” the source said. In the latest attempt to narrow differences over Aoun’s demands, a meeting was held at Mikati’s residence in the Beirut neighborhood of Verdun Thursday night, attended by caretaker Energy Minister Jibran Bassil, Aoun’s son-in-law, MP Ali Hassan Khalil, a political aide to Speaker Nabih Berri and Hussein Khalil, a political aide to Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. An offer was made during the meeting to allot the Foreign Ministry portfolio to Aoun’s bloc, in exchange for Aoun dropping his demand for the interior portfolio, a political source said. The source added Bassil was supposed to convey Aoun’s response to the offer to Mikati later Friday.
The Foreign Ministry portfolio has been held by a Shiite loyal to Berri. If Aoun accepts the Foreign Ministry portfolio, Berri’s bloc will be allotted the Defense Ministry portfolio, the source said. That Aoun is holding up the Cabinet’s formation with his tough demands is not new. Following the 2009 parliamentary elections in which Hariri and his March 14 allies won the majority, Hariri was appointed to form a new government. It took Hariri more than five months to form a national unity Cabinet, which included five ministers for Aoun.
The delay was mainly caused by Aoun’s insistence that Bassil, who failed to win a parliamentary seat in his home district of Batroun, retain his post as the telecommunications minister.
This was staunchly rejected by Hariri and his March 14 allies who even rejected the idea that Bassil be included in the government, after having lost in the elections.
However, Aoun was backed by Hezbollah, which said it would not join Hariri’s government without Aoun – this held up the Cabinet’s formation for months until his demands were met by allotting the telecommunications portfolio to Charbel Nahhas, to represent Aoun, while Bassil was alloted the Energy and Water ministry, despite the March 14 bloc’s opposition.
The question now is: Will it also take Mikati, who is backed by the Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance, months to form the government in view of Aoun’s tough demands?

Could Mikati's government face sanctions?
Stringent measures by Europe, U.S. unlikely, but could badly hurt the economy if imposed
By Osama Habib /Daily Star staff/Monday, February 21, 2011
Analysis
BEIRUT: The U.S. Treasury decision to blacklist a leading Lebanese bank for alleged money laundering and links to Hezbollah has apparently sent a loud message to Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati that Washington will take tough economic measures against Lebanon if the new government should opt to end all cooperation with the tribunal investigating the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Mikati, seen as a moderate political figure with good ties with Western nations, Saudi Arabia and Syria, realizes that any step the new government takes will have some impact on Lebanon. For this reason, many analysts say the new prime minister will seek compromise over controversial issues.
Last week, the U.S. Treasury accused the Lebanese Canadian Bank of money laundering and links to Hezbollah, an organization labeled by Washington as a terrorist group.
But the move from the U.S. Treasury prompted Central Bank governor Riad Salameh and the Association of Banks in Lebanon to rally behind the Lebanese Canadian Bank.
Salameh and the association of banks denied that the Lebanese Canadian Bank was involved in any illegal activity or had links with terrorist groups.
Salameh confirmed that the Lebanese Canadian Bank was fully complying with all banking regulations and has met most of the conditions and standards set by Basel III for international settlements. Bankers and economists agree that the United States and European nations could cause harm to the Lebanese economy and its banking system if full sanctions were applied against the country.
But many do not see any reason for the U.S. and its allies to approve stringent sanctions against Lebanon because Mikati was nominated in accordance with constitutional procedures.
Some even argued that the new government would be able to operate without soft loans from Paris III donor states, should these countries decide to halt the remaining payments.
“Even if the donor states declined to pay the rest of the soft loans, estimated at $1.5 billion, Lebanon has the means to secure other funds from the local banks which are flush with money. These donors’ loans have interest rates on them and [are] not donations as some may assume,” economist Ghazi Wazneh told The Daily Star.
Wazneh added that Lebanon at this stage does not need more loans from the market.
“We may be affected if the U.S. decided to harass Lebanese banks. But even this scenario is not likely,” Wazneh said.
He stressed that Lebanese banks can easily provide loans to the government, noting that loans to the private sector in 2009 rose by 23 percent.
Wazneh argued that the new Cabinet will, in its ministerial statement, reiterate its total respect for all U.N. Security Council resolutions pertaining to Lebanon.
Analysts admit that not all Lebanese support the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and say Mikati will therefore try to find a formula which will appease both its opponents and its supporters, despite the difficulty, and potential impossibility, of this task. Aside from the possible consequences of any decision to scrap cooperation with the tribunal, the public are also wondering how Mikati and the future economic minister will resolve the pressing economic and social issues facing the country.
Some have even been wondering if March 8 forces, who are expected to control most of the Cabinet, will call for alternative solutions to pending matters such as the public debt, high living costs, electricity shortages, deteriorating medical and social services as well as the rising cost of fuel oil. Wazneh pointed out that the government can take some quick measures in order to alleviate the suffering of many people.
“The first thing the Cabinet should do is to renew the term of Salameh before July 1 of this year. This will relieve the financial markets and send a positive message,” he said.
Wazneh believes that it is also imperative to endorse the 2010 draft budget in Parliament and hammer out the 2011 budget.
“I don’t think the 2010 budget will face opposition from March 14 deputies because this budget was drafted by outgoing finance minister Raya Haffar Hassan,” Wazenh said.
Ghassan Diebah, professor of economics and finance at the Lebanese American University in Byblos, said the new government should earmark money to build power plants.
“Why should we wait for privatization? The government can allocate at least $1 billion for the construction of power plants,” Diebah said.
Among the suggestions was the installation of small- and medium- size generators or hire ships with powerful engines to offset the shortage in electricity generation.
Some of the economists interviewed by The Daily Star supported the proposal of former energy and water minister, Alain Tabourian, to install reciprocal engines with 700 MW capacities.
They also favored the purchase of electricity from Turkey via Syria as a more feasible alternative to buying gas from Egypt and other countries.
Wazneh proposed putting a ceiling on gasoline prices rather than reducing tax on the commodity. Economists also called for tougher monitoring of consumer prices.
Diebah, for his part, believes that Paris III has become history and advised the new government to find other reforms.
“Paris III is no longer relevant because they are linked to reforms. These reforms are outdated. We don’t want to remain hostages to Paris III or other international commitments.”
Diebah even proposed a revision of the country’s tax system and was not opposed to raising taxes on profits or sales. “I don’t think the Gulf nationals or investors will take their money to Europe if taxes are raised on profits or property sales. They know that taxes in Lebanon are still far lower than many countries in the world.”
Makram Sader, the secretary-general of the Association of Banks in Lebanon, said that banks are not concerned about who will run the government as long as the future Cabinet respects economic fundamentals. “Banks will continue to deal with any government irrespective [of] who is the prime minister. Let’s remember that banks dealt with former Prime Minister Omar Karami in 2005,” Sader told The Daily Star. “We don’t work in politics. We have financed the public debt under all governments. But all we ask is that the basic economic and financial principles are respected by all sides, such as the free transfer of cash.”

Lebanon's Spring still far off
By Hussein Dakroub /Daily Star staff
Monday, February 21, 2011
Will the wave of public protests currently sweeping the Arab world and which has so far led to the overthrow of two autocratic presidents and is seriously threatening other authoritarian regimes hit Lebanon?  So far, “Lebanon’s Spring” seems to be far off. All signs indicate that Lebanon is immune to the popular uprising that swept Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak from power on Feb. 11, less than a month after Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was ousted in a similar uprising demanding public freedoms and an end to one-man rule.
The successful revolts in Egypt and Tunisia have inspired other Arab citizens who have long yearned for a democratic change and public freedoms in their countries that have been ruled for decades by dictators or authoritarian governments.
Public protests demanding either a total regime change or political and economic reforms have so far engulfed Bahrain, Libya, Yemen, Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Sudan and Djibouti, amid a strong possibility of the “Day of Rage” fever spreading to other Arab countries. There are several major factors that make Lebanon immune to the “Winter of Rage” that is currently sweeping the Arab world. Ironically, leaders of the two rival Lebanese factions, the March 8 and March 14 camps, must be thanked for their current sharp political divisions on how the country should be run.
These divisions keep the feuding parties’ supporters polarized to their masters’ power struggle instead of gearing their efforts toward a regime change in a country where the delicate sectarian balance has to be maintained if Lebanon is to avoid a new bout of sectarian violence.
In Lebanon, the president who under the Lebanese Constitution cannot act as an autocrat and must follow constitutional rules with regard to his role, is not the target of either of the two factions in any power struggle. Besides, unlike presidents and kings in some Arab countries who can rule for life, a Lebanese president is elected every six years. Any extension of the president’s mandate for only three years needs a constitutional amendment.
An attempt by the March 14 coalition in 2006 to march onto the Presidential Palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, to force then-President Emile Lahoud to step down before the end of his extended term failed mainly because Cardinal Nasrallah Butros Sfeir, the head of the powerful Maronite Catholic Church to which Lahoud belongs, opposed the move.
Also, unlike the rest of Arab countries where public freedoms are suppressed and human rights are violated almost on a daily basis, Lebanon is the only country in the Arab world that has adopted democracy as its ruling system since it won independence from France 1943. According to this system, all kinds of public freedoms, including freedom of expression, freedom of the press and freedom of worship are guaranteed in the Lebanese Constitution. Lebanon’s vibrant press and media outlets are the freest in the Middle East, with no censorship or government restrictions. Asked how he foresees the future in Lebanon in view of the popular uprisings against Arab rulers, Sfeir told reporters at Beirut airport Sunday before leaving for the Vatican: “We thank God that what happened in other countries did not happen in Lebanon. This is a grace.”
Asked to comment on the downfall of the Egyptian and Tunisian presidents as a result of their peoples’ revolts against them, Sfeir said: “We regret what is happening in some Arab countries. But if the people rise up, this is the result.” During its turbulent political history, Lebanon has witnessed thousands of anti-government protests demanding better living conditions, and even demonstrations against Arab governments. No doubt, the Arab governments’ suppression of their peoples’ rights to enjoy public freedoms and protests over poverty, unemployment and the worsening economic conditions has eventually burst out into violent street protests against these governments. President Michel Sleiman has advised Arab countries to adopt a democratic ruling system and grant their people freedom of expression if they want to avoid revolts similar to the Egyptian and Tunisian uprisings. Asked about his assessment of the public protests that engulfed some Arab states in the wake of the Egyptian and Tunisian revolts, Sleiman told a group of Kuwaiti journalists on Feb. 11, a few hours before Mubarak stepped down: “The situation requires a profound reading by authorities and rulers. Authorities must adopt democracy, achieve social justice, ensure a rotation of power at all levels through parliamentary, municipal and mukhtar elections and secure the participation of various sections of the society in power.”

Security under a March 8 cabinet
Mona Alami, February 21, 2011 /Now Lebanon
The formation of a new Hezbollah-backed government will undoubtedly bring many changes to the Lebanese security apparatus. Appointments to the security system will depend to a great extent on the makeup of the new cabinet, and while it is still uncertain if any of the major March 14 figures will join the government, a big piece of the pie will go to Hezbollah, Amal and the Free Patriotic Movement. “The change in the balance of power will certainly reflect on the Lebanese army apparatus,” said a lieutenant colonel in the Lebanese Armed Forces who is ideologically close to the March 8 coalition. “It’s not anymore a matter of appointments; a clear Hezbollah-led or backed majority will give a new impetus and direction to the army, which has been somewhat at loss since the 2005 schism in the country’s political leadership.”
The 2005 assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, which triggered massive protests that contributed to the end of the decades-old Syrian occupation, had powerful repercussions on the Lebanese security apparatus. Until then, the army coordinated all of its military activities with the Syrian armed forces, which also controlled the country’s intelligence agencies and had a say in the procurement of the army’s weapons. The Cedar Revolution forced the army to answer essential questions that it had never had to address on its own, such as who Lebanon’s enemies are, and what the country’s national-defense strategy should entail. “These are the essential questions that, if answered, will allow Lebanon to craft a new cohesive and rational military policy, something that may be facilitated today under a government of one color,” said the lieutenant colonel, who spoke to NOW Lebanon on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to the press.
The army is currently relying on a mixture of Soviet and American weapons as well as ones confiscated from Lebanese militias after the Taif Accord was signed in 1989. Military trainings now take place in coordination with various countries such as the United States or Egypt, which would be considered with much suspicion by a pro-Syrian government. The lieutenant colonel said that under a March 8 government some of the military trainings will undoubtedly be terminated or postponed.
The level of US aid to the military might also be affected by changes in the government makeup. The United States has provided more than $720 million in aid to the Lebanese army since 2005. The grants are largely destined to education and training, as well as some US-made military equipment.
State Department spokesman Philip Crowley recently said that Washington will wait to see what government emerges in Lebanon but denied any immediate cutoff of assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces. Members of the American Congress, however, have advised diminishing US aid to Lebanon’s military.
In addition to the possible cutoff of foreign aid, what will be the fate of top army and Internal Security Forces commanders? The security apparatus is based on a division of power among sectarian communities. The head of the army must be a Maronite, the head of the Military Tribunal a Shia, the head of the ISF a Sunni, the head of General Security a Shia, and the head of the State Security Department a Catholic.
The commander of the army, General Jean Kahwaji, is said to already be close to FPM leader General Michel Aoun. His position will thus not be endangered by the new balance of power in the cabinet. In addition, many high-ranking generals in the LAF served under Aoun in the 1980s. Nizam Khalil, a close ally of Hezbollah and Amal, will also probably keep his seat as the head of the Military Tribunal.
The State Security chief, General Nabil Araa, who was appointed by the president, should remain in place as well. The head of the Army Intelligence Services, Edmond Fadel, however, might be replaced, having been appointed by caretaker Defense Minister Elias Murr, a member of the March 14 coalition.
The position at the head of General Security, which is currently being held by interim-director Raymond Khattar, may be filled by General Abbas Brahim, who is said to be close to Hezbollah and would get the Hariris’ stamp of approval, according to the LAF source. General Hassan Ayoub has also been mentioned for the post. He would get the approval of Nabih Berri, the head of Amal.
But beyond specific positions in the security apparatus, the entire structure of the system is in question. “Before his assassination, Prime Minister Rafik Hariri wanted to revamp the ISF as well as beef up the power of the head of the police in such a way that it would make him the equivalent of the head of the army,” said an ISF commander who spoke to NOW Lebanon on condition of anonymity. “One of the conditions that is said to have come up in the Syrian-Saudi mediation talks of last year was widening the responsibilities of the head of the ISF, something that never actually happened,” he added. The ISF is currently headed by General Ashraf Rifi, who is assisted by a committee of 10 officers who represent the various Lebanese religious communities.
A major question is who will replace Rifi, whose mandate as the head of the ISF has expired and who has in recent years come under attack from March 8 political figures. Wissam al-Hassan, who is currently the head of the ISF Intelligence Services, has been eying the position, according to the ISF commander. “However, his title of colonel is not high enough in the hierarchy to allow him to vie for the post,” he said. In addition, Hassan is viewed by March 8 as one of the main instigators of the so-called false witness campaign, which led to the imprisonment of four high-ranking generals suspected of involvement in the Hariri assassination. One contender on whom March 14 and March 8 could agree is General Mounzil Ayoubi, who collaborated before 2005 with Ruston Ghazali, then-Syrian intelligence chief in Lebanon. Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati is finding himself faced with a dilemma, the ISF commander said, “as both Hassan and Rifi come from his hometown Tripoli. He is also the one who appointed Rifi in 2005.” Whatever the case, a March 8-backed cabinet will undoubtedly lead to major changes in the makeup of the security apparatus

Report: Libya air force bombs protesters heading for army base
By News Agencies/Haaretz
Libyan military aircraft fired live ammunition at crowds of anti-government protesters in Tripoli, Al Jazeera television reported on Monday, quoting witnesses for its information.
No independent verification of the report was immediately available. The protesters were reportedly heading to the army base to obtain ammunition of their own, but witnesses said the air force bombed the demonstrators before they could get there. Clashes between protesters and security forces escalated on Monday and have spread to Tripoli, after Muammar Gadhafi's son went on state television to proclaim that his father remained in charge with the army's backing and would fight until "the last man, the last woman, the last bullet."
The protests and violence were the heaviest yet in the capital, a sign of the spread of unrest after six days of demonstrations in eastern cities demanding the end of the elder Gadhafi's rule.
Even as Seif al-Islam Gadhafi spoke Sunday night, clashes were raging in and around Tripoli's central Green Square, lasting until dawn Monday, witnesses said. They reported snipers opening fire on crowds trying to seize the square, and Gadhafi supporters speeding through in vehicles, shooting and running over protesters. Early Monday, protesters took over the office of two of the multiple state-run satellite news channels, witnesses said.
A major government building in the capital was on fire on Monday morning, a Reuters reporter said. The building is where the General People's Congress, or parliament, meets when it is in session in Tripoli. After daybreak Monday, smoke was rising from two sites in Tripoli where a police station and a security forces bases are located, said Rehab, a lawyer watching from the roof of her home. "The city on Monday was shut down and streets empty, with schools, government offices and most shops closed except a few bakeries serving residents hunkered down in their houses," she said, speaking on condition she be identified only by her first name.
In Libya's second biggest city, Benghazi, protesters were in control of the streets Monday after days of bloody clashes and were swarming over the main security headquarters, looting weapons, several residents said. A Turkish Airlines flight trying to land in Benghazi on Monday was forced to circle over the airport and then return to Istanbul.
Protesters in Benghazi took down the Libyan flag from above the city's main courthouse and in its place raised the flag of the country's old monarchy, toppled in 1969 in the military coup that brought Moammar Gadhafi to power, one witness said.
Libya has seen the bloodiest crackdown of any Arab country on the wave of protests sweeping the region that toppled the leaders of Egypt and Tunisia. Since the six days of unrest began, more than 200 people have been killed, according to medical officials, human rights groups and exiled dissidents. Gadhafi's son said his father would prevail.
"We are not Tunisia and Egypt," he said. "Moammar Gadhafi, our leader, is leading the battle in Tripoli, and we are with him." The armed forces are with him. Tens of thousands are heading here to be with him. "We will fight until the last man, the last woman, the last bullet," he said in a rambling and sometimes confused speech of nearly 40 minutes.
He warned the protesters that they risked igniting a civil war in which Libya's oil wealth will be burned. He also promised historic reforms in Libya if protests stop.
Seif has often been put forward as the regime's face of reform. Several of the elder Gadhafi's sons have powerful positions in the regime and in past years have competed for influence. Seif's younger brother Mutassim is the national security adviser, with a strong role in the military and security forces, and another brother Khamis heads the army's 32nd Brigade, which according to U.S. diplomats is the best trained and best equipped force in the military.
The clashes in Tripoli began Sunday afternoon, when protesters from various parts of the city began to stream toward central Green Square, chanting God is great, said one 28-year-old man who was among the marchers. In the square, they found groups of Gadhafi supporters, but the larger number of protesters appeared to be taking over the square and surrounding streets, he and two other witnesses said. That was when the backlash began, with snipers firing down from rooftops and militiamen attacking the crowds, shooting and chasing people down side streets, they said.
"We saw civilian cars with Gadhafi pictures, they started to look for the protesters, to either run over them or open fire with automatic weapons," said the 28-year-old, reached by telephone. "They were driving like mad men searching for someone to kill. ... It was total chaos, shooting and shouting."
The witnesses reported seeing casualties, but the number could not be confirmed. One, who spoke on condition he be identified only by his first name Fathi, said he saw at least two he believed were dead and many more wounded. "I could still hear gunfire after 5 A.M. this morning," he said.
Human Rights Watch has reported 332 dead since the protests began on Thursday.
After midnight, protesters took over the main Tripoli offices of two state-run satellite stations, Al-Jamahiriya-1 and Al-Shebabiya, one witness said. All the witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity because of fears of retaliation.
After daybreak Monday, Green Square and its surrounding streets were empty. Schools, government offices and most stores were shut down across the city of 2 million, the witnesses said. State TV sought to give an air of normalcy, reporting that Muammar Gadhafi received telephone calls of support from the presidents of Nicaragua and Mali. It showed footage of a crowd of Libyans said to be from the town of Zeltein chanting their support for Gadhafi in a conference hall. Gadhafi, in flowing black and brown robes, waved to the crowd with both hands. It was not clear when the scene was taking place.
Western countries have expressed concern at the rising violence against demonstrators in Libya. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he spoke to Seif al-Islam by phone and told him that the country must embark on dialogue and implement reforms, the Foreign Office said.
In his speech, the younger Gadhafi conceded the army made some mistakes during the protests because the troops were not trained to deal with demonstrators, but he added that the number of dead had been exaggerated, giving a death toll of 84.
He offered to put forward reforms within days that he described as a historic national initiative and said the regime was willing to remove some restrictions and begin discussions for a constitution. He offered to change a number of laws, including those covering the media and the penal code.
He threatened to eradicate the pockets of sedition and said the army will play a main role in restoring order. He blamed Islamists, thugs, drunks and drug abusers and foreigners of being behind the unrest.
The rebellion by Libyans frustrated with Gadhafi's more than 40 years of authoritarian rule has spread to more than a half-dozen eastern cities.
In other setbacks for Gadhafi's regime, a major tribe in Libya - the Warfla - was reported to have turned against him and announced it was joining the protests against him, said Switzerland-based Libyan exile Fathi al-Warfali. Although it had long-standing animosity toward the Libyan leader, it had been neutral for most of the past two decades. Libya's representative to the Arab League said he resigned his post to protest the government's decision to fire on defiant demonstrators in Benghazi.
The Internet has been largely shut down, residents can no longer make international calls from land lines and journalists cannot work freely, but eyewitness reports trickling out of the country suggested that protesters were fighting back more forcefully against the Middle East's longest-serving leader.
Video footage posted on the Internet on Monday showed cars in Benghazi honking their horns in celebrations while protesters chanted, Long live Libya and Libya is all one. Several witnesses said police and security forces had disappeared from the streets and protesters were in control after heavy clashes the day before.
Youth volunteers were directing traffic and guarding homes and public facilities, said Najla, a lawyer and university lecturer in Benghazi, who spoke on condition she be identified only by her first name.
"Protesters also took over the Katiba, the city's main security headquarters, and some had looted weapons," a female resident said. "Now there is no sight of government officials, police or any presence of the government in the streets," she said.
Inside the large Katiba compound, protesters found the bodies of 13 uniformed security officers who had been handcuffed and shot in the head, then set on fire, said Ahmed Hassan, a doctor at Al Jalaa hospital who was among those who found the bodies. He said protesters believed the 13 had been executed by fellow security forces for refusing to attack protesters.
Fighting erupted Sunday in the city following funeral ceremonies for protesters killed the day before. Crowds marched down the city's highway running along the Mediterranean coast, then protesters began to attack the Katiba and police station as security forces opened fire.
In some cases, army units reportedly turned against security forces and pro-Gadhafi militias to side with the protesters. Mohamed Abdul-Rahman, a 42-year-old Benghazi merchant, said he say an army battalion chasing militiamen from a security compound. Najla, the university lecturer, said a local unit of commandos joined the protesters.
Khaled Abu Bakr, a resident of Sabratha, an ancient Roman city to the west of Tripoli, said protesters besieged the local security headquarters, driving out police and setting it on fire. Abu Bakr said residents are in charge, have set up neighborhood committees to secure their city.

Statement by Canadian Minister of Forgriegn Affairs on Situation of Civil Unrest in Libya
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Feb. 21, 2011) - The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement concerning the increasingly volatile and violent situation in Libya:
"Canada strongly condemns the violent crackdowns on innocent protesters that have resulted in many injured and killed. We call on the Libyan security forces to respect the human rights of demonstrators and uphold their commitment to freedom of speech and the right to assembly. The Libyan authorities must show restraint and stop the use of lethal force against protesters.
"The Government of Canada advises against non-essential travel to Libya because of civil unrest and demonstrations and the potential threat of terrorism in the country. Demonstrations are taking place, particularly in the eastern part of the country, including the cities of Benghazi, Derna, Baida and Tobruk.
"Canadians are advised to avoid all gatherings and demonstrations and to stay away from places where they may occur, because they may turn violent without warning. Canadians should monitor local news reports, take appropriate steps to increase their personal security and contact the Canadian embassy in Tripoli for assistance.
"Friends and relatives in Canada seeking information on Canadian citizens believed to be affected by the unrest in Libya should contact the Emergency Operations Centre at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada by calling, toll-free, 1-800-387-3124, or by sending an email to sos@international.gc.ca.
"Canadian citizens in Libya requiring emergency consular assistance should contact the Canadian embassy in Tripoli at 218 (21) 335-1633, or call Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada's Emergency Operations Centre collect at 613-996-8885. An email can also be sent to sos@international.gc.ca.
"Officials in Ottawa and at the Canadian embassy in Tripoli continue to monitor the situation in Libya closely."

Warning from a Canadian-born Israeli Zionist
Posted Friday, February 18 /11
http://www.jewishindy.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=14568
[Reuven Kossover: This man sees history repeating itself - and is very nervous at what he sees. I have warned of this precise process - five years ago. I didn't see it as history repeating itself as he does, but as the deterioration of the inner glue holding the country together, like the deterioration of back stairs on a house. But however one describes this, it means the end of the Zionist Entity in Eretz Yisrael, which is falling apart from the inside, and the hopeful arrival of the messianic Redemption. But it looks as if the song of the Stern Gang will be repeated: "Judea fell in blood and fire and in blood and fire will she arise again." No matter what we do, there will be blood and fire. The butcher's bill will be high and we will shed many tears of grief before we get to shed tears of joy.
More than anything else, we need to prepare for the "day after".]
...“What is happening after so many wars, so much sacrifice, and the toil of so many people?"
By MICHAEL KARMEL
February 11, 2011
Today, after 38 years in Israel, I drive on the highway from Acco east towards the Sea of Galilee. Along the way are large advertisement billboards. I have no idea what they say or what they are selling. They are written in Arabic. Not one word in Hebrew. Central Galilee, main highway - in this year 2011.
How does one begin composing a thesis on the end of an era; the willing self-demise of a sovereign entity? How can one explain such a phenomenon? How can one induce his peers to read about such an unthinkable prospect? I do not know.
My father’s teenage aunts were twins. I was told they were abused during a pogrom; one was carried off on horseback and never heard from again. My father’s parents were sent by their families to western Europe at the beginning of the last century. Those that remained behind perished either in pogroms or during the Holocaust. The members of my father’s family were abused and/or murdered until 1945.
Then things changed and in 1972, in the middle of a ‘Golden Age’ for Jews, I came to Israel from Vancouver, my father’s choice of refuge after WWII. One thing was clear to me at that time, when I was just turning 16 years old: I would spend my life building a Jewish country where my children and their children’s children would always be safe, forever. And that is what I set out to do.
I finished my last three years of high school and went into the army with the rest of my class. The first time I rolled along the Sinai Desert in a tank was at night. There was a full moon, the desert a majestic silvery color. My heart was pounding and I became aware of the tears in my eyes: I was among the first generation of my family, after 2000 years, to be in a position to protect my people’s homeland. I felt privileged, and honored.
Later, in 1977, as a tank commander in the Jordan valley, I found myself standing in the turret of my tank, looking across the valley toward Jordan. Turning my head westward to the rear I could see Jerusalem, the dawn sun giving it an awe-inspiring glow. Suddenly I felt a tingle run down my spine as I realized that I was protecting Jerusalem, which had been returned to my people only 10 years previously. I was building my children’s future.
Now, after 38 years, I am asking myself, “What is happening after so many wars, so much sacrifice, and the toil of so many people”?
For the last 20 years my closest friends have been Arabs. My best friend is a Moslem Arab. But let’s take a moment to consider something. In Israel there is, what’s referred to as, ‘Mishmar Ezrachi’ - a branch of the police force. These units exist all over the country and are comprised of civilians and policemen. A civilian will undergo training and then take part in regular police assignments together with a policeman or perhaps with another civilian and two policemen.
My best friend’s son is 16.5 years old. As said, he is a Moslem Arab. He volunteers once a week, cruising in police squad cars. He has, among other things, had target practice at the shooting range a few times, both with rifles and hand guns.
Now, in the past, all Israeli senior high school students underwent a week of army cadet training. However, my children’s school does not participate in this activity anymore as it is seen as unnecessary. So, while Arab children are getting arms training, my Jewish children are not.
I am a Disabled Veteran. I have held a handgun license for over 23 years, was a detective on the Jerusalem police force, and was commander of my mountaintop community during the riots in the year 2000, responsible for the holding and distributing of rifles among community members. This last week I went to renew my handgun license at the government office. The renewal was denied.
I was refused on the basis of my disability which I received in 1982 during the first war in Lebanon. Interestingly enough the details written in the paragraph above took place after 1982. Suddenly I am not fit to carry a weapon. Let’s take a closer look at this and please, bear with me.
My best friend’s village, as other Israeli Arab villages, was under Israeli military rule until 1966. Israeli Arabs were still considered the enemy, requiring a legal pass leaving and entering these villages by the inhabitants. Furthermore, in the riots of 2000, the rifles dispersed in the Jewish communities such as mine were provided so we could protect ourselves from these Arab villagers, some of whom attempted to burn Jewish communities and ‘lynch’ Jewish residents and motorists on the highways.
Moreover, in 2009 during a ‘mini-riot’ in my friend’s village, I was the recipient of a large stone (which luckily left only a dent in my car). I was stuck in traffic by masses of Arabs on the road preventing me leaving the village. Suddenly, while sitting in my car waiting to get through, I heard my name called. A friend of mine from this same village asked “What the hell are you doing here? You must get out!” He pointed out the best direction to leave from. Is it difficult to see where I am going with this?
Today Moslem Arabs such as my friend’s son are given target practice with various weapons and take part in police patrols in Jewish neighborhoods (while at the same time the police are reluctant to enter the Arab villages for fear of riots) while I, a veteran, an ardent Zionist, am refused the right to continue to hold my handgun license, to protect my family.
Oh, I almost forgot. This same boy will not be going into the I.D.F (though more and more Moslems are) as he doesn’t want to have to “shoot over the heads of other Arabs if Israel goes to war with Arab countries” - this is a quote. So, he is getting target practice but the question remains: "Who does he intend to shoot?"
So where am I going with this story, and how do I continue to try to explain how we are bringing about our own demise at a rapid pace? Perhaps I should write about how, during the last year I have developed an ongoing discussion within myself as to how to explain to my children that, although they have been raised with the identity of a "people among peoples" of the world, with the right to live as equals among the nations, that in their own country it is not to be.
What do I tell my son, who has given three years to the army, and continues reserve duty as he studies for his Masters degree, my daughter who is now an officer in the I.D.F., or my younger daughter who is doing a year of community service before she enters the I.D.F. next, or my youngest daughter still in junior high ............ tell them what? That our leaders are .........what?
How do I explain to them why the word ‘Zionism’ is becoming blasphemy? How do I explain an Arab professor in a Jewish college refusing a student (on leave from reserves) in army uniform, entrance into the classroom?
How do I explain that the Israeli authorities know Israeli Arabs are backed by Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas, in the purchase of housing in Jewish cities? And when a few weeks ago 50 rabbis signed a paper telling people not to sell homes to Arabs, they were blasted by Knesset members and all of the news media, and referred to as racists?
How do I explain that nowadays, a Jew standing in court before an Arab judge would be at a great disadvantage if he was known as a Zionist?
There are so many things I do not know how to explain to my children. Perhaps I could start by telling them of the privilege I have had of counting among my friends Jews who were in the British army during WWII until 1948. (Most are deceased now.)
They spoke of how, as British soldiers and officers, they organized raids on British armory warehouses and how they passed on information to the Jewish leaders and the illegal Jewish armed forces. And how they learned to fight and to lead. It was clear that as soon as the time was right, they would shed their British uniforms and don Jewish ones.
Others, from this same generation, spoke of how the Jews prepared an infrastructure ready to assume all civil administration at some point in the future when independence - still a dream at the time - would arrive. They were Zionists, and together with Jews in the Diaspora, it was clear, without the need of verbalizing it, that they were all working toward Jewish independence in then - Palestine.
Where am I going with this? Simple. Today Israeli Arabs are doing exactly the same thing! It is a clear, quiet, need-not-be-spoken understanding of what is to be. Today’s Arabs, both Christian and Moslem, are inducted into the I.D.F. They are in almost all units, wearing all the various tags and berets. And they tote sub-machine guns. They are also judges, hospital administrators, members of parliament, and heads of police stations. They have been taught and are being taught everything required to assume power.
They are no longer being so secretive about their ideas for the future, but no Jews are listening.