LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِMay 04/2011

Biblical Event Of The Day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11,15-26. Some of them said, "By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons." Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven. But he knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons. If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that (I) drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, 'I shall return to my home from which I came.' But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that person is worse than the first."

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Why do US officials link Bin Laden killing with the Arab Revolt?/DEBKAfile/May 03/11
The Triumph of Sectarianism in Upper Egypt‏/AINA/May 03/11
Muslim Mob in Pakistan Attacks Seminary, Thousands of Christians Flee/ICC/May 03/11
Don’t downplay Osama’s death/By: Hussein Ibish/May 03/11

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for May 03/11
White House watched bin Laden execution/Ynetnews
Barak: Assad nearing end of reign in Syria/Haaretz
Pakistan and U.S. coordinated bin Laden assassination, says envoy/Reuters/Haaretz
US refuses to rule out Pakistan backing for Bin Laden/Now Lebanon
US issues global travel alert after bin Laden's death/Now Lebanon
Lebanese reactions to bin Laden’s death vary/The Daily Star
HRW urges Bahrain to put off Shia’s death rulings/Now Lebanon
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai meets with Italian president, FM/Now Lebanon
Syria Steps Up Pace of Arrests; at Least 2434 DetainedNew York Times
Syria, Hamas at odds over protests/UPI
Editorials in Arab newspapers comment on Lebanon and Yemen/The National
Arab leaders pressed to break silence on Syria/F.T
Osama killed but Hezbollah increasing its power in Lebanon/Examiner
Israel Prepares for Any Possible Development on Lebanese Border after Bin Laden's Death/Naharnet
Aoun: Miqati Demands Impeding Govt Formation, Anti-Syria Int'l Alignment Resembles July War's/Naharnet
Hariri Says bin Laden 'Black Mark' on Islam/Naharnet
Syria arrests more than 1000: activist/CBC
Syria and the United States/Monthly Review
Tumult Over Failure to Agree on Proposals to Solve Interior Ministry Deadlock/Naharnet
Berri 'Disgusted' Over Cabinet Deadlock, Vows to Fight Building Violations/Naharnet
Report: Indictment to be Issued in May/Naharnet
Jumblat on Govt Formation: Demands of Some Parties Have Become Absurd/Naharnet
WikiLeaks: Miqati Says Hizbullah is 'Cancerous,' Believes Peace with Israel would Have 'Happy Ending'/Naharnet
WikiLeaks: Jumblat Said Suleiman is 'Weak," while Berri is a 'Liar'/Naharnet
WikiLeaks: Aoun Slammed 'Mercenaries,' Said Syrian Regime Collapse 'Inevitable'/Naharnet

WikiLeaks: Jumblat Said Suleiman is 'Weak," while Berri is a 'Liar'
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has reportedly described President Michel Suleiman as a "weak personality surrounded by supporters of the Syrian regime."
In a WikiLeaks cable dated September 17, 2008 and published by al-Joumhouria newspaper, the Druze leader also described Speaker Nabih Berri as a "big liar."
In another cable dated August 19, 2006, Jumblat allegedly said: "We don't need democracy right now. We need money."He unveiled that Caretaker Premier Saad Hariri had given him 1 million dollars which he described as "nothing," saying "I can spend the money within two months or three."The U.S. embassy noted in the cable that Jumblat was most probably frustrated because he had previously said that former Premier Rafik Hariri used to give him 3 million dollars per year to protect the Druze sect.About Shiites, the PSP chief expressed concern that the Shiite sect was losing its Lebanese and Arab identity and becoming more Persian. Beirut, 03 May 11, 10:09

WikiLeaks: Miqati Says Hizbullah is 'Cancerous,' Believes Peace with Israel would Have 'Happy Ending'
Naharnet/Premier-designate Najib Miqati has reportedly described Hizbullah as "cancerous" calling for ending the statelet that the party has built to allegedly safeguard Lebanon.
In a WikiLeaks cable published by al-Joumhouria daily on Tuesday, Miqati told former U.S. ambassador Michele Sison that Hizbullah is a "cancerous tumor" and called for removing its statelet whether it was "malignant or benign." He warned that Hizbullah could drag Lebanon to a "sad end." The cable dated January 12, 2008. Miqati also called for better U.S. ties with Lebanon and Syria to "contain" Hizbullah, warning that the main objective of the Shiite party was to form an Iranian military base on the Mediterranean. The dream of Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ruhollah Khomeini of exporting the Iranian revolution needed a "launch pad" which is Lebanon, he said. Achieving this objective requires a lot of time but Hizbullah is "patient," he added. Asked by Sison if he thought peace with Israel would contain such intentions, Miqati said that peace would lead to a "happy ending," but wondered whether Syria would engage in talks with the Jewish state without a green light from Iran. The premier-designate's comments came on the eve of the 2009 elections. He told Sison that the era of former Prime Minster Fouad Saniora "was over" and he needed to take a "vacation."  Miqati, according to WikiLeaks, told the former ambassador that Caretaker Premier Saad Hariri was seeking for the top post but wondered whether Saudi Arabia was willing to back him. Taking up the post without the support of the Sunnis would lead to failure, he said. "I am not ready to fail." Miqati unveiled that there was no major support by the Lebanese army leadership and former Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir to President Michel Suleiman, saying "Sfeir is not in love with" him. "The Lebanese Armed Forces sympathize with the March 8 forces at a time when most officers back Hizbullah and (FPM leader) Gen. Michel Aoun," the billionaire businessman told Sison, according to the cable. Beirut, 03 May 11, 09:25

Don’t downplay Osama’s death
Hussein Ibish/Now Lebanon
May 3, 2011
People gather in Times Square in New York to celebrate the announcement of the death of Osama Bin Laden on May 1, 2011. (AFP photo/Chris Kleponis)
One of the oddest elements of US President Barack Obama’s announcement of the killing of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was a rush by many noted Middle East experts to downplay or dismiss the significance of this achievement. As rumors of the American accomplishment circulated in the hour before Obama’s speech, and immediately afterward, many commentators rushed to claim that bin Laden was essentially an irrelevant figure and that his death would change nothing significant in Middle East politics.
These claims are misguided. Even though it’s true that bin Laden’s politics have become increasingly unappealing to the vast majority of Arabs and Muslims, and Al Qaeda has played no role at all in the “Arab Spring,” not even knowing how to react to it rhetorically, this analysis fails to recognize the importance of narratives.
For militant and extremist groups, defeat is disastrous, and this is an enormous defeat for Al Qaeda. The group’s political fortunes were moribund following the rapid overthrow of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and were revived only by the ill-considered invasion of Iraq, which gave it a new battleground, rationalization and lease on life for a number of years.
The loss of this vital symbolic figure, no matter how impotent he had become in reality, will undoubtedly be another significant blow to Salafist-Jihadist ideology. They may have gained a martyr, but they’ve lost the image of a defiant leader able to combat the Soviet Union and America alike with impunity. His deputy, the Egyptian fanatic Ayman Zawahiri, lacks the charismatic appeal bin Laden had among certain extremists, and he has no apparent successor.
By contrast, this is a colossal victory not just for the United States but for Obama himself. The president faces significant challenges to reelection next year, most particularly economic challenges, and above all continuing high rates of unemployment. However, it will now be impossible for Republicans to seriously harass him on national security grounds. A second Obama term seems increasingly likely. Even if there is a violent response by bin Laden’s followers, most Americans will chalk this up as the inevitable price of a much-cherished and long-overdue accomplishment. Along with economic problems, the most serious threat to Obama’s possible reelection was always the possibility of another major terrorist attack against the United States. That issue is now effectively off the table, since he can claim to be responsible for what former President George W. Bush was unable to do in seven years: bring the chief architect of the 9/11 attacks to justice. A violent response would be more likely to unite Americans behind their president than undermine his national security credentials, as another major terrorist attack otherwise would have. Those in the Arab world, most notably Hamas, who mourn the loss of bin Laden and praise him as a “holy warrior,” are damaging their credibility with both Westerners and Muslims alike. Similarly, Western apologists for Hamas who argue that the organization is, at heart, “moderate” and simply reacting to an ongoing Israeli occupation and siege have been exposed as foolish dupes of a genuinely extremist organization with repugnant views.
The rush to dismiss the importance of bin Laden’s death is born of three major impulses. First, there is a desire among some to try to demonstrate their sophistication by proffering faux-counterintuitive analysis to what is obviously an extremely important development to say the least. This is fake “insight” posing as special expertise.
Second, there’s an ongoing impulse by some to deny the importance of extremist elements in the Islamic world. Although they’re small and fringe, the Salafist-Jihadist movement, of which Al Qaeda has been the vanguard, have a disproportionate impact because of their willingness to kill and die without restraint. The fact that most people in the Arab and Muslim world can’t stand them doesn’t mean they don’t have a constituency or an impact. Denying this is pointless, but some analysts seem to have a real investment in it.
Finally, there’s an element of undisguised and unworthy disappointment in some circles. Some right-wing supporters of Bush are desperately trying to spin this as a belated Bush victory, and deprive Obama of the credit. Others, particularly on the extreme left, are simply allergic to any major American foreign policy success. And there are those who are, or at least should be, embarrassed by the reaction of Hamas and other extremist groups and therefore wish to dismiss the entire affair as largely irrelevant.
The fact is, however, because narratives are important, given that politics is largely based on perceptions and symbols, the significance of this development can hardly be overstated. Barack Obama and his administration deserve unqualified praise, and that should come first and foremost from the hundreds of millions of Arabs and Muslims around the world who were the first and primary targets in Osama bin Laden’s vicious crosshairs.
Hussein Ibish is a senior research fellow at the American Task Force on Palestine and blogs at www.ibishblog.com.

WikiLeaks: Aoun Slammed 'Mercenaries,' Said Syrian Regime Collapse 'Inevitable'
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun has described several parties in Lebanon as corrupt "mercenaries" who are after power and have no credibility. Aoun said in a WikiLeaks cable from Paris dated May 4, 2005 that his only ambition behind his return to Lebanon from a 15-year banishment to France was to bring back democracy to the country. However, according to the cable published in al-Joumhouria daily on Tuesday, the FPM chief unveiled that his efforts to reach agreement with Druze leader Walid Jumblat, the Hariri family and traditional Christian leaderships had been ignored. They are "mercenaries," he said. About Hizbullah, Aoun said the Shiite party enjoys "some type of popular support" and so far is not corrupt. For such reasons, the MP said he could cooperate with the group to encourage it into handing over its weapons to the Lebanese army and becoming a political party. The cable said that Aoun bragged of being the only opposition leader directly supporting U.N. Security Council resolution 1559, adding that the other officials announced their strong support only after ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's assassination. In another cable dated April 29, 2005, Aoun appeased fears that he would be used by the Syrians or those backing the Assad regime. Al-Joumhouria also published a third cable dated March 31, 2005. In it, Aoun was quoted as saying that the collapse of the Syrian regime is "inevitable." He said security institutions in Lebanon should be restructured because they are a copycat of Syrian apparatuses. Beirut, 03 May 11, 10:49

Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai meets with Italian president, FM /Naharnet
May 2, 2011 /Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai discussed bilateral relations with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, the National News Agency reported on Monday.
Rai thanked Italy for its contribution to Lebanon, the report also said. The patriarch also met earlier on Monday with Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Franco Frattini. Frattini and Rai discussed the situation in Lebanon and the Arab world and means to strengthen religious freedoms and basic human rights, the NNA said, adding that both voiced hope that a cabinet is formed in Lebanon as soon as possible. The Italian FM and Rai also voiced hope that Lebanon overcomes its political crisis and is able to play a constructive role. The patriarch headed to Rome on Friday where he participated in the beatification ceremony of late Pope John Paul II. Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati was appointed on January 25 with the Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition’s backing and is working to form his cabinet.-NOW Lebanon

Lebanese reactions to bin Laden’s death vary May 03, 2011 01:39 AM)
By Wassim Mroueh /The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Lebanese reactions to the killing of Osama Bin Laden ranged from apathy to regret, with many questioning the validity of U.S. claims that the Al-Qaeda leader was dead.
A bearded man who was heading to a nearby mosque for prayers in the Msaitbeh neighborhood of Beirut lamented the killing of bin Laden, calling his death “a big loss for Muslims.”
“We are by his side. He used to fight the Jews and the infidels,” he said, declining to give his name.
Another man, who works in a nearby shop that sells Muslim outfits and accessories, was less outspoken in his support for bin Laden. “We say ‘May God have mercy on him’ because he is a Muslim,” he noted. “If he did something good, he will be awarded after death.” Future Movement MP Jamal Jarrah, whose nephew Ziad was among the 19-member group that carried out the September 11 attacks for which bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda is held responsible, told The Daily Star the Al-Qaeda leader was responsible for the deaths of many innocent people. He added that his nephew had been a “victim” of bin Laden’s ideology. “This dark thinking yields nothing for Islam and has nothing to do with this religion. Islam calls for tolerance,” he said.
Jarrah voiced hope that following the death of bin Laden, “the U.S. will reconsider its view of Islam and Muslims.” Meanwhile, people in the Zkak al-Blat neighborhood were skeptical about bin Laden’s death. “I do not believe he died. Where is his body?” asked a man sitting near a mosque in the area. “They said they buried his body in the sea. Is this believable? I think the aim of this announcement is to detract attention from what is happening in Bahrain.”
Omar, who owns a DVD shop in the same neighborhood expressed no interest in the matter. “Thousands of people are dying every day; why should I care for the death of a person like bin Laden?” he asked. Elie Trad, who owns a grocery store in Gemmayzeh, said he had serious doubts about the death of bin Laden. “I am always skeptical … They said they took his body. If this is true, then they should show his body so people believe them,” Trad said. Although he said the killing of bin Laden had no effect on Lebanon because bin Laden lived far from the country, Trad added “that as long as there are people who have the same mentality as bin Laden’s, we cannot live peacefully in Lebanon.”
In Sidon, residents of the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh, which is home to many Islamist groups and figures, were apathetic toward bin Laden’s killing, despite the fact that some Palestinian refugees in the camp welcomed the Sept. 11 attacks with celebratory gunfire. Bin Laden’s portraits are also often on display during demonstrations in the camp.
Officials from Islamist groups and many residents refused to speak to the media, saying only, “May God have mercy on him [bin Laden].”
Ahmad Abu Shaikha, a resident of the camp, told The Daily Star bin Laden was not very close to the Palestinian cause. “Is Osama bin Laden a Palestinian? Is he here? Pakistan is thousands of kilometers away from Ain al-Hilweh camp,” he said. Um Mohammad Mustafa, a refugee in the camp who was buying vegetables from the market, said it would have been better if bin Laden “attacked Tal-Aviv and killed Israelis in September 2001 instead of attacking New York.” In Tripoli, some residents told The Daily Star that the killing of bin Laden dealt a blow to “resistance against imperialism.” – With additional reporting by Mohammed Zaatari and Antoine Amrieh

Why do US officials link Bin Laden killing with the Arab Revolt?
DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis May 2, 2011, The photos released of the fortified villa in Abbottabad, Pakistan, where Osama bin Laden died on Sunday night, May 2, show a satellite dish as well as cables and wires snaking along the outer and inner walls. Smashed computers appear in shots of the interior rooms. Far from dispensing with electronic devices and Internet connections as widely reported, the fortress that was the al Qaeda leader's last haven proves to have been equipped with both. All this up-to-date electronic technology would have opened the six-year old building wide to outside intelligence penetration and surveillance. Bin Laden additionally suffered from a kidney disease and was dependent on dialysis treatment and outside medical care - another porthole into the Bin Laden's establishment.
There was no need therefore to follow the trail of the couriers described as leading the CIA to the hideout of the most wanted terrorist in the world. He occupied a large three-storey building which stuck out on the skyline of the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad, 120 kilometers from Islamabad, and towered over neighboring buildings. Pakistani intelligence must have been curious, to say the least, about this sizeable compound when it was built in 2005 just 100 meters from a military academy in a small town housing a military base and generals' residences.Therefore, the repeated statements by US officials that the Navy Seals' special operation took place without Pakistani knowledge sounds like a hollow attempt to absolve Islamabad of involvement in the killing of the arch terrorist in the eyes of the Muslim world.
US President Barack Obama said he received his first lead to bin Laden's whereabouts last August. Why then did it take nine months for him to order the targeted operation? And why did the US intelligence and military need all that time to prepare it?
They are only two of the puzzling questions surrounding the episode. Might the answers lie in its juxtaposition with the Arab Revolt, or Arab Spring, which flared first in Tunisia in December 2010, then spread to Egypt and played out in February 2011 and flared in Syria in April 2011?
Was al Qaeda's spirit and mastermind eliminated before his networks could move in on the national and Islamic struggles which are still unfolding in Tunis, Cairo, Tripoli and Damascus?
The linkage was drawn by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in her first statement on the master-terrorist's death Monday: "…history would record that bin Laden's death had come at a time when peoples in the Middle East and North Africa were rejecting the extremist narrative and were standing up for freedom and democracy."
Obama's adviser on terror John Brennan said later: "I would hope that the people of the Middle East will understand that the time for terror is over."
That of course will depend on how those peoples view the US targeted operation to kill the head of al Qaeda. The reaction in some places was of disbelief in the American claim to have killed him and demands for proof of his identity. The statement by "an American intelligence official" to Reuter was not helpful. He said "US Special forces set out to kill Osama bin Laden and dump his body in the sea to make it harder for the al Qaeda founder to become a martyr."
The head of the Al-Azhar Supreme Sunni Council of Egypt reacted by condemning the dumping of bin Laden's body in the sea as violating the tenets of Islam and human norms.
It was noted in Arab capitals, that he was killed in the second US targeted operation against an Arab leader in three days – NATO failed in its attempt to kill Libyan ruler Muammar Qaddafi Saturday night, April 30.
At his news briefing Monday night, John Brennan tried to soften the hard edges of resentment building up in Arab and Muslim opinion. To settle questions about identity, he reported that a DNA test had showed a 99.9 percent match against his relatives, but declined to say if and when photos of his body would be released..
Obama's adviser on terror went on to insist that Bin Laden had been given a religious Muslim funeral before being buried at sea. He also explained that the al Qaeda leader would have been taken alive had there been the opportunity.
Brennan disclosed that a large quantity of documents had been seized in the Abbottabad villa and was being checked. He added that it was inconceivable that the dead terrorist did not have a support system.

Pakistan and U.S. coordinated bin Laden assassination, says envoy
By Reuters /The operation to hunt down al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden involved both Pakistan and the United States, Islamabad's ambassador to Britain said Monday.
The operation showed that "it is a joint operation, secretly collaborated, professionally carried out and satisfactorily ended" carried out by the two countries' intelligence agencies, High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan told Reuters. "Yesterday's operation has belied all the allegations in the past that the CIA and ISI were not cooperating and that there was a rift between the CIA and the ISI," he said. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton defended the U.S.-Pakistan relationship, but did not say whether they coordinated the attack.
"Cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden," she said. "We're committed to this partnership. We think its in the best interests of the security and safety of the United States."
But other U.S. officials said they did not tell Pakistan about the operation until it was over. "We didn’t inform the Pakistanis until all our people were out of Pakistan," John Brennan, U.S. President Barack Obama's top counter terrorism adviser, said. Bin Laden was killed in a firefight with U.S. forces in Pakistan early Monday, ending a nearly 10-year worldwide manhunt for the leader of the global Islamist militant network that orchestrated the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. Asked if the subject of the operation had been discussed during a visit to Washington last month by ISI (Inter Services Intelligence) chief Ahmad Shuja Pasha, Hasan said: "I'm sure it must have been." U.S. lawmakers have questioned whether Pakistan knew that bin Laden was hiding in a compound near the capital Islamabad. Brennan Monday that it was "inconceivable" Osama bin Laden had not had a support system to help him inside Pakistan, but he declined to speculate if there had been any official Pakistani aid. Brennan said that the U.S.-Pakistani relationship was vital to defeating al-Qaida, but acknowledged "differences of opinion" between the two governments over fighting Islamic militants. Brennan also told reporters that the U.S. commandos on the raid had been ready to take the al-Qaida leader alive if that had been possible. Meanwhile, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers said on Monday that the he United States believes that at least a dozen senior leaders of al-Qaida are now in Pakistan. "Of the 20 senior leaders in al Qaeda, at least a dozen of them we believe to be traveling around Pakistan someplace," he told reporters.

US issues global travel alert after bin Laden's death
May 2, 2011 /The US State Department on Sunday issued a global travel alert to all US citizens following the death of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden saying there could be an outbreak of anti-American violence. "The US Department of State alerts US citizens traveling and residing abroad to the enhanced potential for anti-American violence given recent counter-terrorism activity in Pakistan," it said in a statement. "Given the uncertainty and volatility of the current situation, US citizens in areas where recent events could cause anti-American violence are strongly urged to limit their travel outside of their homes and hotels and avoid mass gatherings and demonstrations."It added that the warning would remain in effect until August 1.
The US announced late Sunday night that bin Laden had been killed in Pakistan. -AFP/NOW Lebanon

US refuses to rule out Pakistan backing for Bin Laden
May 2, 2011 /US counter-terrorism chief John Brennan refused to rule out official Pakistani backing for Osama bin Laden on Monday and said Islamabad was only told of the raid that killed the Al-Qaeda leader after US forces had left Pakistani airspace. "We are looking right now at how he was able to hold out there for so long and whether or not there was any type of support system within Pakistan that allowed him to stay there," Brennan told a White House briefing. Pressed for a second time by journalists on whether the United States believed the Pakistani government when it said it didn't know where bin Laden was, the top official replied: "We are pursuing all leads on this issue. "We will pursue all leads to find out exactly what type of support system and benefactors that bin Laden would have had," he said. "It is inconceivable that bin Laden did not have a support system in the country to allow him to stay there for an extended period of time," he added. "I won't speculate on what type of support he would have had on an official basis, and we are talking to the Pakistanis right now."
Pakistan has been a key ally of the United States in the war on terror. But Islamabad has been often criticized for not doing enough to combat Islamic radicalism. The United States has maintained multi-billion-dollar packages in defense and civilian aid designed to help Pakistan fight extremism and assist the war in Afghanistan.
Pakistan's powerful military intelligence services have been accused by US officials of covertly supporting Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked networks fighting American troops in Afghanistan.
Since 2002, Pakistan has pressed numerous offensives against homegrown Taliban holed up in its northwest where more than 2,000 soldiers have died.
-AFP/NOW Lebanon

Bin Laden a ‘black mark’ in Islam’s history, says Hariri
 May 03, 2011 /By Patrick Galey The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Politicians and religious figures responded Monday to the news of Osama bin Laden’s death with reactions varying from reverence to revulsion for a figure who became the world’s most wanted man. Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri said the Arab world would “never forgive” the man who organized the deadliest terrorist atrocity in history, calling bin Laden a “black mark” in Islam’s history. “Any Arab or Muslim who believes that terrorism is destructive and harmful to Arabism and Islam cannot but receive the news of the fate of Osama bin Laden with feelings of sympathy toward the families of thousands of victims who died in different areas of the world because of him or by his orders,” Hariri said in a statement.
“Osama bin Laden and his followers did not only harm the United States and Western countries, and put Islam in confrontation with human civilizations, but also turned Islam into a Trojan horse to spread evil and division in Arab and Muslim countries.” Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt, in his weekly editorial for Al-Anbaa newspaper, said bin Laden’s death was an “extremely important event.” “The success of the U.S. in killing finally one of the symbols of a terrorist intellectual school that claimed false jihad to kill innocents and civilians in America and other areas of the world … is expected to have important repercussions on more than one level,” he wrote.
Dai al-Islam Shahhal, founder of the Salafi Movement in Lebanon, offered a mixed eulogy of bin Laden’s life and actions, while distancing his movement from the Islamist jihadist ideology the world’s most famous religious radical espoused. “We consider that Osama bin Laden has not had any direct role in the international arena in several years … possibly because he was besieged. What he has done in defending and liberated some countries is correct,” he said. “However, regarding other operations in the Arab world, they had negative repercussions that were based on a mistaken strategy of change and did not lead to any result. His killing is not beneficial to America and its allies and is new fuel for those who are against the U.S. policy.
“We are not ideologically or organizationally linked to [Al-Qaeda]. We have our own convictions and ideology, which is not linked to any other Islamic group,” Shahhal added.
Islamist cleric Omar Bakri, who denies links with Al-Qaeda but once praised the Sept. 11 attacks as “magnificent,” said the U.S. and Europe should expect retaliation for the killing.
“The news we have received has made us both sad and happy. We feel that because of his death, Muslims are grieving but, at the same time, we are glad that Sheikh Osama has become a martyr,” Tripoli-based Bakri told The Daily Star. “The retaliation will not be in the Arab world, it will be in the Western world. Bin Laden always believed that we should attack the hub of the Western world [the U.S.] because they are the ones occupying Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said. Bakri added that bin Laden’s death would further stir anti-American hatred in the region and could lead to a wave of revenge attacks. “Al-Qaeda will not be affected by this death. I do believe that Barack Obama and other leaders in the west have the right to show their happiness in order to cover their embarrassment,” Bakri said. “[Bin Laden] has inflicted massive damage on them, in terms of finance and security. His death will give new vitality and spirit to those who really hate the Americans.” Imam of Al Quds Mosque in Sidon Sheikh Maher Hammoud, while opposing Bin Laden’s philosophy, praised him for “striking at the heart of America.” Hariri criticized Bin Laden’s introduction of “the culture of killing, terrorism, destruction and sabotage into the minds of thousands of youth,” adding that, as a murderer, the Al-Qaeda chief deserved his fate.

HRW urges Bahrain to put off Shia’s death rulings
May 2, 2011 /Human Rights Watch called Monday on Bahraini authorities to put off military court death sentences and life imprisonment of Shia over the alleged killing of two security men.
"Bahraini authorities should set aside a military court ruling on April 28, 2011, sentencing four defendants to death and three others to life in prison for their alleged involvement in the murder of two police officers," HRW said. It said that the trial of the seven defendants, aged between 19 and 24, lasted less than two weeks, while they were the first civilians to be convicted in special military courts set after the crackdown in March on Shia-led protests demanding democratic reforms. "By establishing these special courts, the government of Bahrain is making it near impossible for defendants to enjoy the rights to which they are entitled," said Joe Stork, HRW deputy Middle East director. "The role of the military prosecutor, the makeup of the special court, and the meager access to legal representation undermine the most basic due process protections," he added.
According to authorities, four police were killed in March after being struck by cars during the protests in the kingdom which is ruled by the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty.
Amnesty International last week urged Bahrain to block the executions. "Those sentenced have no right of appeal except to another special military court, raising great fears about the fairness of the entire process," AI said. Authorities charged the defendants with premeditated murder under Bahrain’s 1976 Penal Code and the 2006 counterterrorism law, which mandates the death penalty for certain crimes, including murder, when designated a terrorist crime, HRW said. Bahrain had declared a "state of national safety", a lower degree of emergency, on March 16, a day before security forces crushed the month-long Shia-led demonstration. Bahraini authorities have said 24 people were killed during the unrest, most of them demonstrators.
Last week, a Bahraini official said 405 detainees had been referred to military courts while 312 have been released. -AFP/NOW Lebanon

Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai meets with Italian president, FM
May 2, 2011 /Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai discussed bilateral relations with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, the National News Agency reported on Monday.Rai thanked Italy for its contribution to Lebanon, the report also said. The patriarch also met earlier on Monday with Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Franco Frattini. Frattini and Rai discussed the situation in Lebanon and the Arab world and means to strengthen religious freedoms and basic human rights, the NNA said, adding that both voiced hope that a cabinet is formed in Lebanon as soon as possible. The Italian FM and Rai also voiced hope that Lebanon overcomes its political crisis and is able to play a constructive role. The patriarch headed to Rome on Friday where he participated in the beatification ceremony of late Pope John Paul II. Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati was appointed on January 25 with the Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition’s backing and is working to form his cabinet.-NOW Lebanon

Lebanese reactions to bin Laden’s death vary May 03, 2011 01:39 AM)
By Wassim Mroueh /The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Lebanese reactions to the killing of Osama Bin Laden ranged from apathy to regret, with many questioning the validity of U.S. claims that the Al-Qaeda leader was dead.
A bearded man who was heading to a nearby mosque for prayers in the Msaitbeh neighborhood of Beirut lamented the killing of bin Laden, calling his death “a big loss for Muslims.”
“We are by his side. He used to fight the Jews and the infidels,” he said, declining to give his name. Another man, who works in a nearby shop that sells Muslim outfits and accessories, was less outspoken in his support for bin Laden. “We say ‘May God have mercy on him’ because he is a Muslim,” he noted. “If he did something good, he will be awarded after death.”
Future Movement MP Jamal Jarrah, whose nephew Ziad was among the 19-member group that carried out the September 11 attacks for which bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda is held responsible, told The Daily Star the Al-Qaeda leader was responsible for the deaths of many innocent people. He added that his nephew had been a “victim” of bin Laden’s ideology. “This dark thinking yields nothing for Islam and has nothing to do with this religion. Islam calls for tolerance,” he said. Jarrah voiced hope that following the death of bin Laden, “the U.S. will reconsider its view of Islam and Muslims.”
Meanwhile, people in the Zkak al-Blat neighborhood were skeptical about bin Laden’s death. “I do not believe he died. Where is his body?” asked a man sitting near a mosque in the area. “They said they buried his body in the sea. Is this believable? I think the aim of this announcement is to detract attention from what is happening in Bahrain.”
Omar, who owns a DVD shop in the same neighborhood expressed no interest in the matter. “Thousands of people are dying every day; why should I care for the death of a person like bin Laden?” he asked. Elie Trad, who owns a grocery store in Gemmayzeh, said he had serious doubts about the death of bin Laden. “I am always skeptical … They said they took his body. If this is true, then they should show his body so people believe them,” Trad said. Although he said the killing of bin Laden had no effect on Lebanon because bin Laden lived far from the country, Trad added “that as long as there are people who have the same mentality as bin Laden’s, we cannot live peacefully in Lebanon.” In Sidon, residents of the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh, which is home to many Islamist groups and figures, were apathetic toward bin Laden’s killing, despite the fact that some Palestinian refugees in the camp welcomed the Sept. 11 attacks with celebratory gunfire. Bin Laden’s portraits are also often on display during demonstrations in the camp. Officials from Islamist groups and many residents refused to speak to the media, saying only, “May God have mercy on him [bin Laden].” Ahmad Abu Shaikha, a resident of the camp, told The Daily Star bin Laden was not very close to the Palestinian cause. “Is Osama bin Laden a Palestinian? Is he here? Pakistan is thousands of kilometers away from Ain al-Hilweh camp,” he said.
Um Mohammad Mustafa, a refugee in the camp who was buying vegetables from the market, said it would have been better if bin Laden “attacked Tal-Aviv and killed Israelis in September 2001 instead of attacking New York.” In Tripoli, some residents told The Daily Star that the killing of bin Laden dealt a blow to “resistance against imperialism.” – With additional reporting by Mohammed Zaatari and Antoine Amrieh

Why do US officials link Bin Laden killing with the Arab Revolt?
DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis May 2, 2011, The photos released of the fortified villa in Abbottabad, Pakistan, where Osama bin Laden died on Sunday night, May 2, show a satellite dish as well as cables and wires snaking along the outer and inner walls. Smashed computers appear in shots of the interior rooms. Far from dispensing with electronic devices and Internet connections as widely reported, the fortress that was the al Qaeda leader's last haven proves to have been equipped with both.
All this up-to-date electronic technology would have opened the six-year old building wide to outside intelligence penetration and surveillance. Bin Laden additionally suffered from a kidney disease and was dependent on dialysis treatment and outside medical care - another porthole into the Bin Laden's establishment. There was no need therefore to follow the trail of the couriers described as leading the CIA to the hideout of the most wanted terrorist in the world. He occupied a large three-storey building which stuck out on the skyline of the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad, 120 kilometers from Islamabad, and towered over neighboring buildings. Pakistani intelligence must have been curious, to say the least, about this sizeable compound when it was built in 2005 just 100 meters from a military academy in a small town housing a military base and generals' residences.Therefore, the repeated statements by US officials that the Navy Seals' special operation took place without Pakistani knowledge sounds like a hollow attempt to absolve Islamabad of involvement in the killing of the arch terrorist in the eyes of the Muslim world.
US President Barack Obama said he received his first lead to bin Laden's whereabouts last August. Why then did it take nine months for him to order the targeted operation? And why did the US intelligence and military need all that time to prepare it?They are only two of the puzzling questions surrounding the episode. Might the answers lie in its juxtaposition with the Arab Revolt, or Arab Spring, which flared first in Tunisia in December 2010, then spread to Egypt and played out in February 2011 and flared in Syria in April 2011?
Was al Qaeda's spirit and mastermind eliminated before his networks could move in on the national and Islamic struggles which are still unfolding in Tunis, Cairo, Tripoli and Damascus?
The linkage was drawn by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in her first statement on the master-terrorist's death Monday: "…history would record that bin Laden's death had come at a time when peoples in the Middle East and North Africa were rejecting the extremist narrative and were standing up for freedom and democracy."
Obama's adviser on terror John Brennan said later: "I would hope that the people of the Middle East will understand that the time for terror is over."
That of course will depend on how those peoples view the US targeted operation to kill the head of al Qaeda. The reaction in some places was of disbelief in the American claim to have killed him and demands for proof of his identity. The statement by "an American intelligence official" to Reuter was not helpful. He said "US Special forces set out to kill Osama bin Laden and dump his body in the sea to make it harder for the al Qaeda founder to become a martyr."
The head of the Al-Azhar Supreme Sunni Council of Egypt reacted by condemning the dumping of bin Laden's body in the sea as violating the tenets of Islam and human norms.
It was noted in Arab capitals, that he was killed in the second US targeted operation against an Arab leader in three days – NATO failed in its attempt to kill Libyan ruler Muammar Qaddafi Saturday night, April 30.At his news briefing Monday night, John Brennan tried to soften the hard edges of resentment building up in Arab and Muslim opinion. To settle questions about identity, he reported that a DNA test had showed a 99.9 percent match against his relatives, but declined to say if and when photos of his body would be released..
Obama's adviser on terror went on to insist that Bin Laden had been given a religious Muslim funeral before being buried at sea. He also explained that the al Qaeda leader would have been taken alive had there been the opportunity. Brennan disclosed that a large quantity of documents had been seized in the Abbottabad villa and was being checked. He added that it was inconceivable that the dead terrorist did not have a support system.

Hariri Says bin Laden 'Black Mark' on Islam
Naharnet/Caretaker premier Saad Hariri on Monday said Osama bin Laden was "a black mark" on Islam's history, putting the religion "in hostile situations" with other faiths and cultures.
"The damage he has done to Islam's image and Arab causes is not less than the damage done by enemies of Muslims and Arabs worldwide," he said in a statement.
"The history of our nationalism and Islam will never forgive that man who was a black mark for two decades, filling the minds of youngsters with ideas about terrorism, murder and destruction." Hariri, the most popular Sunni Muslim leader in Lebanon, said bin Laden "did not only harm the United States and the West. He has spread evil and division in the Muslim and Arab worlds." "Any Arab or Muslim who chooses terror as his path … will meet the same fate as Osama bin Laden," the caretaker PM stressed.
World leaders on Monday welcomed the death of bin Laden but warned that the long war against terrorism is far from over and that al-Qaida could strike back with renewed force.(AFP-naharnet) Beirut, 02 May 11, 17:17

Aoun: Miqati Demands Impeding Govt Formation, Anti-Syria Int'l Alignment Resembles July War's
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Monday blamed President Michel Suleiman and premier-designate Najib Miqati for the delay in forming the new cabinet.
In an interview with Hizbullah's mouthpiece Al-Manar television, Aoun said parliamentary blocs have no "unreasonable" demands, noting that "the PM-designate's demands are complicating the cabinet formation process, not the blocs' demands.""No one is asking for a share bigger than that his bloc is entitled to, because there are rules and criterion for forming governments," Aoun added.He stressed that Miqati and Suleiman were constitutionally responsible for forming the new government. "Let them shoulder their responsibilities," the FPM leader demanded.
Aoun said he believes that "there are foreign reasons behind the delay in forming the cabinet.""Foreign interventions are manifest … we are noticing the threats announced together with the instructions: 'if you don't do this, if you don't do that, we will take measures and so on,'" Aoun added."If I was the obstacle, I would stay out of the (new) government, that may be the only solution, but we want them to define this obstacle for us and say why they consider it an obstacle."Addressing the current unrest in neighboring Syria, Aoun said there are two aspects to the ongoing events. There is "the manifest aspect, which is the fact that there are demands for reform (Syrian) President Bashar al-Assad had acknowledged since the beginning.
"But they have started to turn into other demands – the fall of the regime, which is the veiled aspect," Aoun added."The fall of the regime is not a demand aimed at reform, it is rather a demand inspired by foreign countries … the international alignment seeking to topple the Syrian regime nowadays resembles that of the July (2006) War" between Israel and Hizbullah, Aoun noted."When the Syrian regime started to contain the chaotic situation, the maneuvers began, as world powers started talking about sanctions against Syria" and about sending a fact-finding mission into the country," the FPM leader went on to say. Beirut, 02 May 11, 22:24

AINA: The Triumph of Sectarianism in Upper Egypt‏
5-3-2011/Assyrian International News Agency
(AINA) -- Between the April 14 appointment of the Christian Major General Emad Mikhail as governor of the southern province of Qena and the Prime Minister's decision on April 25 to suspend his appointment for a three months period, "Egypt lived through the biggest and most dangerous political and sectarian crisis in its modern history. Although no blood was shed and no clashes between Muslims and Christians took place, the 'civil state' was put to a difficult test -- which it failed miserably," wrote journalist Mohamed Hamdy in an article for the daily newspaper Youm7.
The Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi leaders managed to bring thousands of protesters from inside and outside Qena, who after Friday prayers on April 15 staged an 11-day sit-in in front of the governorate building, demanding the removal of the new governor. Muslim protesters vowed to bar Major General Mikhail, who replaced the former Christian governor Magdi Ayoub, not only from entering the governorate building to carry out his functions as Governor but from the whole province, with some vowing to kill him.
The Muslim protests against the new Christian governor escalated in time. At first, the Muslim Brotherhood announced the reason for refusing Gen. Mikhail was only because he was an ex-policeman who worked for the State Security and was involved in the killing of the demonstrators in Tahrir Square in Cairo during the January 25 Revolution. This was refuted by Major General elNomany, minister of local development. The Muslims said that Christians joined them in refusing the Christian governor. This was refuted by the church, stating that Christians did not participate in any protests.
The Salafis, who control the majority of mosques in Qena, recruited the Imams to preach and issue Fatwas (religious edicts) saying the rule of non-Muslims over Muslims in not admissible, as per 'Allah will not give access to the infidels (i.e. Christians) to have authority over believers (Muslims) [Koran 4:141].
The demonstrators openly demanded a "Muslim governor in a Muslim country," walking the streets chanting "Mikhail is an infidel pig,", "There is no god but Allah and Christians are the enemies of Allah" and "Muslim, Muslim, will govern us" (video of Muslims chanting "we will never be ruled by a Christian governor").
Protesters declared their rejection of any negotiation with the ruling military governor and commander of the southern region before the dismissal of governor Mikhail. The minister of interior and the minister of local development also failed in their mission to end the protests and open the railway routes, and went back to Cairo with the same message: "no negotiations before the dismissal of the Christian governor."
The protesters called for the establishment of an Islamic state under the slogan "No god but Allah -- Islamic - God willing," provoking a state of fear among many Christians. They waved the Saudi Arabian flag. The protesters then blocked the railroad track and highways between Cairo and Aswan for 8 consecutive days, completely paralyzing railway stations in Aswan, Luxor and Qena and causing the suspension of rail services for 8 days (video).
The armed forces did not intervene to stop the demonstrators from blocking the highway.
On April 21 27 renowned Egyptian human rights organizations sent a letter to Field Marshal Tantawi, head of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, and to the Prime Minsiter Dr. Essam Sharaf, expressing their deep concern over the events in Qena. The letter said "There were reports of raising the Saudi Arabian flag and the declaration of Qena as an 'Islamic Emirate,' and in this context, all roads leading to the province were cut off, including the railways." It went on to say that the Salafis removed students out of schools and shut them down, closed the Dandara Bridge which connects the west and east of the Nile, offloaded female passengers from busses to separate them from the male passengers in public transport, attempted to cut off the water supply from the province of the Red Sea, and prevented Christians from celebrating Palm Sunday.
The letter blamed the attitude of the military council and the government for the escalation of the objections posed by the Islamists groups to the appointment of governor Mikhail from being an ex-policemen to being a Christian. According to the letter, "They were encouraged because of the lenient attitude of the State represented by the military council and the government to past violations, such as the demolition of the church in Soul (AINA 3-5-2011) and the cutting off of the ear of citizen Ayman Anwar Mitry in Qena (AINA 3-26-2011), with the State only sponsoring reconciliation sessions between the two parties which are humiliating to the Christians and a way of trying to go around non-application of the law. "They even used at these meetings Salafi clergy who have always incited against the native Christians, which has encouraged these groups to ignite the fire of sectarian strife."
Egyptian Coptic female activist Hala el Masry, who lives in Qena, said the Salafis were the main players and when the Muslim Brotherhood saw matters got out of control, they pulled out of the protests. She stressed that the Salafis were collecting signatures for the appointment of one of the Salafi clerics as Amir (leader) of the faithful and governor of Qena. On April 28 the Salafis raised the Saudi Arabian flag for the second time, and staged a sit-in in front of the mosque of Sheikh Abdelrehim el-Qenawi, demanding the appointment of Sheikh el Qurashi as Amir of the faithful and governor of Qena, reported Coptic activist Mariam Ragi.
The position of the army was incomprehensible to many Egyptians and dozens of articles appeared criticizing the inaction of the military towards the radical Muslims in Qena in blocking off the railway connecting Qena with Cairo, as well as several other main highways. The articles called on the military to force the Salafis to respect the authority of the State.
When all efforts failed to dissuade the Muslims in Qena to end their protest and accept the new Christian governor, the government suspended the governor's appointment for three months, giving sectarianism the final word.
By Mary Abdelmassih

Muslim Mob in Pakistan Attacks Seminary, Thousands of Christians Flee
5-3-2011 /Washington -- International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on April 30, a Muslim mob attacked a Presbyterian Seminary in Gujranwala, Pakistan after falsely accusing Christians of desecrating the Qur'an. At least 3000 Christians have fled the area fearing for their lives. The mob accused Pastor Eric Isaac, former pastor of a Presbyterian church, of burning the Qur'an. He has been arrested. The police were able to prevent the mob, estimated at 4000, from causing further damage to Christian homes and churches in the area. Several police were injured by the violent mob. The police arrested at least 135 of the rioters. This is not the first time that Muslims have accused Christians in Gujranwala of desecrating the Qur'an. Mushtaq Gill and his son Farrukh Gill were accused of the same issue on April 15. Though the police were convinced that the allegation was false, they arrested Mushtaq and Farrukh because of intense pressure from Muslim mobs. The police released them the next day but rearrested them after pressure from Muslim radicals. According to Pakistan's blasphemy law, the desecration of the Qur'an is a crime punishable by life imprisonment. Desecrating the name of Islam's Prophet, Muhammad, is punishable by death."Once again Muslim radicals are inciting violence against Christians based on a false accusation of blasphemy. We urge the Pakistani officials to investigate this latest incident of attack and bring those responsible to justice. It is high time for Pakistan to reform its blasphemy laws that cause so much violence against Christian minorities in the country," said Jonathan Racho, ICC's Regional Manager for South Asia.
International Christian Concern
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White House watched bin Laden execution
Published: 05.03.11, 01:29 / Ynetnews
Rare behind-the-scenes images released by the US Monday showed top Administration officials monitoring Bin Laden's assassination live from the White House Situation Room.
The photographs show both President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton intently watching live images of the operation as it unfolds on the screens in front of them.
The president's counter terror chief, John Brennan, said that Obama had expressed relief that elite forces had finally gotten bin Laden without losing any more American lives.
"It was probably one of the most anxiety-filled periods of time in the lives of the people who were assembled here," Brennan said from the White House. "The minutes passed like days."
Obama himself later delivered the news of bin Laden's killing in a dramatic White House statement. "Justice has been done," he declared.
Pakistan faces questions
Senior US officials said bin Laden was killed toward the end of the firefight, which took place in a building at a compound north of Islamabad, the Pakistani capital. His body was put aboard the USS Carl Vinson and then placed into the North Arabian Sea. An official familiar with the operation said bin Laden fired on US forces and was hit by return fire.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because aspects of the operation remain classified.
The official said two dozen SEALs in night-vision goggles dropped into the high-walled compound in Pakistan by sliding down ropes from Chinook helicopters in the overnight raid. The SEALs retrieved bin Laden's body and turned the remaining detainees over to Pakistani authorities.
Expressions of relief gave way to questions about how bin Laden was able to live in a Pakistani city overflowing with military and intelligence personnel.
The administration was investigating who within Pakistan provided support to bin Laden to allow him to live, remarkably, in a fortified compound in a military town, not tucked away in a cave as often rumored.
Critics have long accused elements of Pakistan's security establishment of protecting bin Laden, though Islamabad has always denied it, and did so again.

Bin Laden lessons for Israel
By: Rafi Israeli /
Op-ed: Killing terror leaders apparently a privilege reserved for superpowers like America
05.03.11,
Ynetnews/When President Obama, a reserved family man, announced his intention to convene a late-night press conference, everyone held their breath. Some people attributed his quick action to his rush to salvage his sinking prestige ahead of the upcoming presidential elections; others spoke of his great sensitivity and incredible humanism in informing relatives of 9/11 victims without delay that the monster had been nabbed and hurled into the sea, in order to prevent a gravesite that would have drawn zealous Islamic pilgrims.
As the United States and its allies celebrated the superb operational and intelligence achievement, which took years to plan and execute, the sense of satisfaction was doubly great as the arch-terrorist who became a martyr (after educating an entire generation to do so before him) swore to undermine the West, fight the Jews (not the Israelis or Zionists) and bring a new Holocaust upon them.
Indeed, bin Laden and his people were overjoyed by the large number of Jews hurt at the World Trade Center. Had Obama truly been sensitive, he could have at least expressed empathy to the Israeli people, which was marking Holocaust Remembrance Day at the time, in his dramatic announcement.
He didn’t do it because he’s preoccupied with the struggle against global Islamic terror, just like Roosevelt was preoccupied with World War II and did not bother dedicating any effort or attention to assisting the Jews murdered in the camps, even when he could do so. Obama was bothered because we were dealing not with Afghanistan, but rather, with its neighbor Pakistan – the so-called US ally that provides a base and vitality to the Taliban and also a shelter for al-Qaeda.
A wanted man like bin Laden could not have been hiding in Pakistan, in a suburb of the capital Islamabad no less, without the reputed and sly Pakistani intelligence service – which was supposed to be cooperating with America - knowing about it. Hence, the US operation did not involve Pakistani extradition, which America’s weak president couldn’t handle, yet despite his weakness the op required a bold American commando effort that deserves much praise.
Israel should stop apologizing
Israel can draw several lessons here: In order to kill enemy leaders while the world says nothing or lauds the killing, one needs to be a great power. We were condemned when we eliminated Hamas’ Ahmad Yassin and the Iraqi reactor, and we were warned not to assassinate Arafat.
The Americans assassinated bin Laden, tried to kill Hitler, and also hunted and eliminated Saddam Hussein, yet nobody said a word. For every targeted elimination carried out by Israel, we were hit with numerous condemnations and protests, yet the daily US surgical strikes in Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan Libya and Iraq are met with silence. Every time we unintentionally harm civilians, the world raises a hue and cry, yet if it happens in Libya, Iraq, Serbia or Kosovo nobody protests.
A second lesson: When we are accused, smeared and slandered, we should dare to complain, openly compare our actions with those of others fighting terror, and initiate debates in the UN general assembly, Security Council, and Human Rights Council, even if we don’t achieve immediately success. If we bombard them with our arguments and present evidence to all, ultimately something will be grasped by global public opinion, where we are used to retreat, apologize and defend ourselves.
The weak and apologizing will always lose its pride and credibility, as opposed to the cheeky nobleman who constantly blames others, just like the mad Arab rulers which the world rushes to appease, until theyrise up against the West as well, and only then the world turns on them: See the case of Gaddafi, Assad and their comrades.
**Rafi Israeli is a professor of Islam and the Middle East at Hebrew University, Jerusalem