LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 06/2011
Bible Quotation for today/The Question about Rising from Death
Matthew 22/23-33: "That same day some Sadducees came to Jesus and claimed
that people will not rise from death. Teacher, they said, Moses said that if a
man who has no children dies, his brother must marry the widow so that they can
have children who will be considered the dead man's children. Now, there were
seven brothers who used to live here. The oldest got married and died without
having children, so he left his widow to his brother. The same thing happened to
the second brother, to the third, and finally to all seven. Last of all, the
woman died. Now, on the day when the dead rise to life, whose wife will she be?
All of them had married her. Jesus answered them, How wrong you are! It is
because you don't know the Scriptures or God's power. For when the dead rise to
life, they will be like the angels in heaven and will not marry. Now, as for the
dead rising to life: haven't you ever read what God has told you? He said, I am
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is the God of the
living, not of the dead. When the crowds heard this, they were amazed at his
teaching.
Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from
miscellaneous sources
Egypt: The
Brotherhood’s predicament/By Tariq Alhomayed/November 05/11
Six reasons why
Baghdad is backing al-Assad – Iraqi official/By Michel Abu Najm/November 05/11
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for
November 05/11
Leader of the exiled Syrian opposition grouping,SNC, Burhan Ghalioun: Hezbollah
showed real face by siding with Assad
Report: Indictment in Hamadeh’s Murder Attempt to be Issued in Dec.
Netanyahu’s history lesson hints at Israeli strike on Iran
U.S. says 'no indication' Iran shot down reconnaissance drone
Zvi Bar'e/Islamist gains may not spell real change in Egypt
Diplomats: Hamas quietly scales back its presence in Syria
Assad sends
message: Army test-fires Scud missile
The Syrian
National Council [SNC]: Iran contributed to suppression of Syrian protests
Iran says oil
would go over $250 if exports banned
Muallem: Syria Wants Arab Sanctions Lifted upon Signing Protocol
Syria
ignores Arab deadline, faces new sanctions
Damascus still
negotiating Arab plan
Jumblatt
warns Syria unrest could spark sectarian strife in Lebanon
Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabban extends term of Higher Islamic Council
for 1 year
Sectarian tension in
Sidon ahead of Ashura
MPs, NGOs clash over
marital rape terminology
Sanctions-hit Syria
eyes Lebanon, Iraq corridors
Lebanon files complaint against Israel over missile firing
Abdullah Azzam Brigades denies responsibility for
rocket attack
Saudi Arabia denies asking citizens to leave Lebanon
Bassil: We Will Not Remain Silent over Zahrani Power Plant Shutdown
Jumblatt meets top officials in Iraqi Kurdistan
Mikati, British envoy discuss ways to protect
Lebanon
Moody's downgrades
Lebanon banking outlook
Solidere
shares rebound after STL funding
Egypt urged to respect democracy
Iraq bomb attacks on
Shiites kill 18
Leader of the exiled Syrian opposition grouping, the Syrian National Council,
Burhan Ghalioun: Hezbollah showed real face by siding with Assad
December 05, 2011/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: The Syrian opposition leader said
Hezbollah’s decision to side with President Bashar Assad in his eight-month
crackdown on Syrian protesters has shown the resistance’s group real face.“The
Syrian revolutionaries in the streets daily shout slogans against Iran and
Hezbollah after the resistance’s mask slipped off when it sided with the Syrian
regime and helped it crush its oppressed people,” the head of the Syrian
National Council Burhan Ghalioun said in remarks published Monday by Lebanese
newspaper Al-Mustaqbal. Reconsidering Syria’s strategy with Iran and putting an
end to arms supplies to Hezbollah are among the Syrian opposition’s demands,
Ghalioun said. Last week the Wall Street Journal published an interview with
Ghalioun in which he said “Our relations with Iran will be revisited as [will
those of] any of the countries in the region, based on the exchange of economic
and diplomatic interests, in the context of improving stability in the region
and not that of a special relationship. There will be no special relationship
with Iran.”He said breaking the exceptional relationship with Iran after the
fall of the Syrian regime would change its relationship with Hezbollah.
Commenting on Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah’s latest speech, Ghalioun
stressed in his interview with Al-Mustaqbal that the next Syria government would
“not interfere” in Lebanon’s internal affairs.“We send a clear message to all
allies and spies of the Syrian regime in Lebanon to think about their future in
their country ... after the collapse of the criminal regime in Damascus,” he
warned. Ghalioun added that the fall of Assad’s government was certain. “The end
of the regime is inevitable within a few months," he said, pointing out that
unlike the Libyan revolution, the Syrian uprising is in “no need of military
operations.” “All we need are safe zones that Syrian opposition members, who
will immediately multiply, can resort to; and then the regime won’t be able to
hold out against this popular flood," he said.
Report: Indictment in Hamadeh’s Murder Attempt to be Issued in Dec.
Naharnet/Special Tribunal for Lebanon Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen is expected
to issue an indictment in the assassination attempt of MP Marwan Hamadeh this
month, informed sources said. The sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat in
remarks published Monday that the indictment will be issued before Christmas.
Fransen would later issue the indictments in the assassination attempt of former
Minister Elias Murr and the killing of ex-communist party leader George Hawi,
they said. The tribunal established jurisdiction over the three attacks in
August. According to the tribunal’s statute, a case is connected to the Feb.
2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri if it is of a "similar nature and
gravity" and has a number of elements in common with it, such as “the criminal
intent (motive), purpose behind the attacks, the nature of the victims targeted,
the pattern of the attacks (modus operandi) and the perpetrators.” According to
Article 1 of the statute, the tribunal has jurisdiction over attacks that
occurred in Lebanon between October 1, 2004 and December 12, 2005 but only if
their connectedness to the Hariri attack is determined by the pre-trial judge.
Meanwhile, al-Hayat said that the STL sent a letter to General Prosecutor Saeed
Mirza asking him about the efforts of Lebanese authorities to find the four
Hizbullah suspects indicted in Hariri’s murder. Mirza, in his turn, handed the
letter to Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, the newspaper reported. The four
Hizbullah members are Salim Ayyash, Mustafa Badreddine, Hussein Oneissi and
Assad Sabra.
Jumblatt meets top officials in Iraqi Kurdistan
December 05, 2011/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt met with Kurdish
officials Sunday and Monday in northern Iraq, according to a PSP statement. “The
head of the National Struggle Front [Jumblatt] is on a visit to Iraqi Kurdistan.
He had talks last night with the head of the province, President Massoud Barzani,”
the statement said. Jumblatt and Barzani discussed bilateral ties between the
PSP and the Kurdistan Democratic Party “given the political relations between
the two parties that go back to the 70s between the martyr Kamal Jumblatt and
Mullah Mustapha Barzani.” Jumblatt also met Monday with head of the National
Security Council Masrour Barzani and is scheduled to meet the head of the
provincial government Prime Minister Barham Salih.
Jumblatt warns Syria unrest could spark sectarian strife in Lebanon
December 05, 2011/By Maher Zeineddine/The Daily Star
Jumblatt prepares to lay flowers to commemorate his father’s birthday in
Mukhtara, Lebanon.
MUKHTARA, Lebanon: Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt warned
Sunday of the threat of strife in Lebanon as a result of the potential
repercussions of the ongoing popular uprising in Syria and sectarian tension in
the southern city of Sidon. He also said that the outbreak of strife in Syria
and Lebanon would render the escalating rift over the U.N.-backed Special
Tribunal for Lebanon a minor issue.“What is happening in Lebanon and around us,
namely in Syria, might make the issue of the tribunal – excuse me for using
these words – a minor detail if strife broke out in Lebanon and [hopefully] it
won’t. But we should bear responsibility for every word we say,” Jumblatt said
at a news conference in his hometown of Mukhtara in the Chouf mountains
commemorating the birthday of his late father, Kamal Jumblatt. Jumblatt’s
warning came as former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Hezbollah leader Sayyed
Hasan Nasrallah engaged in a war of words over the STL following Prime Minister
Najib Mikati’s decision to pay Lebanon’s $32 million share to the tribunal’s
annual budget.
It also came following an incident in the southern city of Sidon that raised
Sunni-Shiite tension over Ashura.“The provocative and horrifying remarks in
Sidon on the occasion of Ashura were humiliating and unacceptable. We thank
Sidon’s Mufti Sheikh Salim Sousan and others who condemned these remarks, even
though in my opinion it was not enough because the matter could leave a deep
wound in the Lebanese community and among the Muslims,” Jumblatt said. “There
must be a bigger reaction over what happened and consequently [there should be]
solidarity against the provocative remarks,” he added.
Jumblatt was referring to Sheikh Ahmad Asir’s speech in Sidon Friday, in which
Asir attacked the Shiite community, raising sectarian tension within the city’s
multi-religious communities. Asir was responding to a Shiite sheikh who appeared
on Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV the day before to criticize Aisha, a wife of the
Prophet Mohammad.
Jumblatt also criticized the row between Hariri and Nasrallah over the STL’s
funding. “The debate over the international tribunal and the issue of false
witnesses between Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah and Sheikh Saad Hariri is unnecessary,”
he said.
He added that neither the issue of witnesses who misled the STL investigation,
raised by Nasrallah in his speech Thursday, nor Hariri’s sharp response to the
Hezbollah leader is “useful or positive.”
“Let the tribunal take its course and at the same time we understand Hezbollah’s
reservations about the path of the tribunal and the politicized accusation that
has been issued,” Jumblatt said. “The path of international courts is long and
it might take years if not decades.”
The Higher Islamic Council, Lebanon’s highest Sunni body, praised Mikati’s
decision to pay Lebanon’s share to the STL’s funding. A statement issued after
the council’s meeting chaired by Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani
Saturday and attended by Mikati and former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said
Mikati’s stance upheld the “Islamic principles” adopted at a previous meeting of
the council. “The Lebanese did not and will not abandon their demand for
revealing the truth in the assassination of martyr [former] Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri ... and they will not abandon their martyrs,” the statement said.Turning
to Syria, Jumblatt said an Arab League peace plan is the only way to end an
eight-month-old uprising there.
He praised attempts by the Syrian opposition, the Syrian National Council, and
the rebel army, the Free Syrian Army, to unify political and military efforts
with a view to controlling military operations and defending peaceful
demonstrations.“I have been told of reports about acts of kidnapping and
sectarian killings that began in Homs and other cities by the two sides or the
multilateral sides which I will not name. This matter might destroy the path of
the Syrian peaceful revolution as a result, unfortunately, of the Syrian
regime’s continued crackdown [on protesters] and its failure to respond to
repeated appeals, the latest of which was yesterday by the Arab League to accept
the Arab initiative which in my opinion is [the key] to Syria’s salvation,”
Jumblatt said.“Syria’s salvation is through the Arab League initiative ... There
is no magical solution that would see the collapse of the regime ... whereby the
opposition would take over power. There should be a dialogue to arrive at a
clear transitional period and a multi-party Syria as contained in the Arab
initiative,” he added. Jumblatt, who has repeatedly called for dialogue between
opposition groups and the Syrian government, said that undisciplined armed
groups, known as “shabbiha,” are damaging to the reputation of the Syrian army
and government. He renewed his calls for the Druze in Syria living in the Jabal
Arab region not to join the shabbiha in their fight against protesters. “This is
my appeal to Jabal al-Arab. Don’t be dragged into fighting your brothers in Homs,
Hama, Daraa or other areas,” he said.
Assad sends message: Army test-fires Scud missile
SANA reports military's live-fire exercise in east Syria 'demonstrates ability
of the Syrian missile forces to defend the homeland.' US official: Assad
deepening sectarian hatred
Roee Nahmias Published: 12.04.11, 21:46 / Israel News
The Syrian Arab News Agency reported Sunday that the Syrian army has staged a
live-fire drill in the eastern part of the country "under war-like circumstances
with the aim of testing the missile weaponry in confronting any
attack."According to the report, during the drill the army fired at least one
Scud-B missile, which has a range of about 300 kilometers (roughly 190 miles),
in the direction of the border with Iraq. It was further reported that 300 and
600-millimeter surface-to-surface missiles were also test fired. The missiles
have a range of 150 (93 miles) and 200 kilometers (124 miles), respectively. The
government's mouthpiece said forces conducted the drill "with accuracy and
achieved distinctive results," adding "the performance of the missile forces
showed high spirits which represented the ability of the Syrian missile forces
to defend the homeland."The drill is apparently aimed at showing the region's
nations that Syria's army is still functioning despite the civil uprising
against President Bashar Assad's regime, which, according to the UN, has claimed
some 4,000 lives so far. The exercise also sends a message to the international
community amid calls for NATO's intervention in Syria. Meanwhile, a senior US
official said on Sunday that President Assad is leading Syria to the brink of
civil war by inflaming sectarian hatreds through his bloody crackdown on
protesters challenging his rule,.
Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman accused Assad of forcing his
minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, who are the country's ruling
elite and have a tight grip on the country's military and security apparatus,
into a bloody conflict with the country's majority Sunnis.
"Bashar al-Assad is the one who is deepening the sectarian hatred. He seems to
be intent on fulfilling his own prophecy that Syria is going to move into chaos
and civil war," Feltman, who is in charge of near eastern affairs, told
reporters in Amman. "He (Assad) is using one community in Syria, he is drawing
on intelligence services that are largely made up of one community in Syria and
he is using them against demonstrations that are largely composed of another
community in Syria," Feltman said.
"So when you are talking of growing sectarian strife in Syria it's happening
because of what Bashar al-Assad is doing," he added.
Western powers led by the United States have called on Assad to leave power.
Feltman said the stepped-up diplomatic moves by the Arab League and the
international community to isolate the regime was to avoid a slide into deeper
bloodshed. "But the way you save Syria from moving into chaos and civil war is
you get rid of Bashar, stop his methods now, so we hope this happens quickly,"
Feltman said.
He said the US administration did not want military intervention in Syria and
still had not "exhausted peaceful avenues" to force Assad to end a military
crackdown that has pushed the death toll close to 4,600. "I don't think any one
of us wants to see any kind of military intervention in Syria..So we need to
look at what tools we have to try to show Assad and the clique around him that
running Syria like a murderous family in business is not the best way to move
forward," he added.
Washington, which has tightened sanctions on Damascus in recent months, planned
to pile tougher and tougher sanctions to further hurt the country's ruling
elite, Feltman said.
"I think there has been pain imposed on some people very close to the top
circles of the regime cannot predict what the long range impact is going to be
but I can tell you we will be looking for ways to continue to increase the
pressure on Bashar al-Assad," Feltman added.
Iran, which has close ties with Damascus, was "facilitating the murder of Syrian
citizens...They are providing support for Bashar al-Assad, they provide
technical assistant to tap into opposition communication", Feltman said. "Iran
is actively engaged in trying to help Bashar use all means to put down peaceful
protests in Syria and cannot imagine that is good for the long-term
Syrian-Iranian relationship and that's just fine with us," the senior US
official said. Both Hezbollah and Iran had personnel in Syria, Feltman said,
adding, "We are not talking about thousands and thousands of people but
technical assistance of the most violent kind." The US official questioned
whether Hezbollah, which enjoys strong political and military support from
Tehran and Damascus, would engage with Israel to relieve pressure on Syria,
saying circumstances had changed from 2006, when the Shiite guerrilla group
fought an inconclusive war with the help of Damascus.
*Reuters contributed to the report
Syria ignores Arab deadline, faces new sanctions
DAMASCUS, (AFP) – Syria faced new sanctions Sunday after flouting an Arab League
deadline to accept observers to monitor the unrest sweeping the country, which
the UN says has killed at least 4,000 people.The latest standoff between Syria
and the Arab League comes as the death toll from violence across the country on
Saturday and Sunday rose to at least 44, and after the UN Human Rights Council
accused Damascus of "gross violations" of human rights. A senior Qatari official
said Damascus had asked for "new clarifications and further amendments to be
made to the protocol which was proposed" to cover the deployment of the observer
mission. But the Arab ministers had "refused."
The Qatari official said, however, that if Syrian officials "still want to sign,
they can come tomorrow to Cairo."
The Arab League ministerial committee late on Saturday gave Damascus until
Sunday to allow an observer mission into the country and thereby avoid further
sanctions.
Jeffrey Feltman, US assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs, said
monitors were needed to keep a check on the forces of Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad who have been accused by the UN of rights abuses. "We believe that in
full light of monitors and media, the security services reporting to Assad and
his clique would not be able to operate the way they are operating now," Feltman
said in Jordan.
Allowing in monitors would be a "peaceful way of trying to stop this sustained
cycle of violence that Assad seems committed to turning Syria into."
Feltman also charged that Syria's ally Iran was "actively engaged" in supporting
the Syrian regime's lethal crackdown and "facilitating" the killings of Syrian
people.
The meeting in Doha listed 19 Syrian officials it said would be banned from
travel to Arab countries and whose assets would be frozen by those states.
The panel also called for an embargo on the sale of Arab arms to Syria and cut
by half the number of Arab flights into and out of Syria -- including its
national carrier Syrian Air -- with effect from December 15. Top military and
intelligence brass as well as the defence and interior ministers are among the
19 officials banned from travel to Arab countries.
President Assad's brother, General Maher al-Assad, who heads the feared Fourth
Armoured Division, and his cousin Rami Makhluf, a telecommunications tycoon, are
also among those blacklisted.
The Arab panel also tasked a committee with drawing up a list of Syrian
businessmen involved in financing the repression, ahead of slapping them with
sanctions.
"This is a message to businessmen who have kept silent, so that they will choose
what side to be on," said Najib Ghadban, a member of the opposition Syrian
National Council which represents most of Assad's opponents.
An analyst in Damascus said chances were slim that the government would allow in
observers under the conditions set by the Arab League. Syria says the conditions
undermine its sovereignty.
The Arab League had on November 27 approved an initial wave of sweeping
sanctions against Assad's government over the crackdown -- the first time that
the bloc has enforced such punitive measures against a member state.
Those measures included an immediate freeze on transactions with Damascus and
its central bank and of Syrian regime assets in Arab countries.
On the ground, three children aged 11, 14 and 16 and their father, were among 21
people killed on Sunday by security forces and pro-regime "shabiha" militiamen,
the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.Twenty of those killed Sunday died
in the flashpoint central province of Homs which has been at the forefront of
the regime's crackdown on dissidents, the Britain-based watchdog said.
Earlier it reported 11 civilians among 23 people killed on Saturday, most
occurring in the northwestern province of Idlib, another focal point of
anti-regime protests raging since March.
Sunday's deadline was announced in Doha by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad
bin Jassim al-Thani, who also warned against the internationalisation of the
Syrian crisis if Damascus did not heed the Arab call."As Arabs we fear that if
the situation continues things will get out of Arab control," Sheikh Hamad said.
On Friday an emergency meeting of the UN Human Rights Council passed a
resolution "strongly condemning the continued widespread, systematic and gross
violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the Syrian authorities."
Damascus rejected the resolution as "unjust" and said it was "prepared in
advance by parties hostile to Syria."
Netanyahu’s history lesson hints at Israeli strike on Iran
Netanyahu's speech draws comparison between Ben-Gurion’s decision to found
Israel and the decisions he is facing today to counter the Iranian nuclear
threat.
By Barak Ravid and Reuters
A day and a half after U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned of the dire
circumstances an Israeli attack on Iran could lead to, and in the wake of
similar warnings issued by former head of the Mossad Meir Dagan, Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu made a comparison between the decision of Israel's first
prime minister, David Ben-Gurion to declare the foundation of the state of
Israel, and a decision he, Netanyahu, faced today.
Speaking at the annual memorial Ben-Gurion, Netanyahu said that "great statesmen
as well as friends of the Jews and of Zionism" warned Ben-Gurion that declaring
a Jewish state in 1948 would bring an invasion of Arab armies and a "grave and
difficult battle," Netanyahu said.
"Great statesmen as well as friends of the Jews and of Zionism" warned
Ben-Gurion that declaring a Jewish state in 1948 would bring an invasion of Arab
armies and a "grave and difficult battle", Netanyahu said.
"He understood full well the decision carried a heavy price, but he believed not
making that decision had a heavier price," Netanyahu said. "We are all here
today because Ben-Gurion made the right decision at the right moment.”
On Friday, U.S. Defense Secretary Leona Panetta used some of his strongest
language yet to explain U.S. concerns about any military attack on Iran, citing
Israeli estimates that a strike might set back its nuclear program by only one
or two years.
The consequence, Panetta said, could be "an escalation" that could "consume the
Middle East in confrontation and conflict that we would regret."
Netanyahu has called a nuclear-armed Iran an existential threat to Israel, and
along with the U.S. has said that all options are on the table to deal with such
a threat. Iran says it is enriching uranium for peaceful purposes. In his
speech, Netanyahu said Ben-Gurion deliberated long and hard before he decided to
declare a state.
"Today we are all in agreement it was a considered, correct and responsible
decision. I want to believe we will always act with responsibility, courage and
determination to make the right decisions to ensure our future and security,"
Netanyahu said. Although Netanyahu didn’t mention Iran or its nuclear program in
his speech, it was quite clear that Netanyahu was using his speech to draw a
comparison between himself and Ben-Gurion, and between Ben-Gurion’s decision to
proclaim the foundation of the State of Israel and the decisions he, Netanyahu,
is facing today to counter the Iranian nuclear threat.
Netanyahu has been facing criticism both from within and from without, including
from former spymaster Dagan, who since leaving his post in January has been
vocal in warning about the dangers of regional conflict and Iranian retaliation
if Israel attacked on its own.
Iran has weathered several rounds of sanctions passed by the UN Security Council
and Western powers. A UN watchdog report last month suggested Iran has worked on
a nuclear bomb program, heightening international pressure. On Saturday, Israeli
Defense Minister Ehud Barak responded to Panetta's statement urging Israel not
to act alone against Iran, and said that Panetta's full message is more complex
than that. "We are in constant dialogue with the Americans," he said, "I've met
Panetta about a dozen times over the last two or three years. In person we hold
more intensive talks."
Barak said the entire international community agrees that the diplomatic course
and the use of sanctions must be exhausted, yet added that "no option should be
taken off the table. Israel is responsible for its security, its future and its
existence."
Six reasons why Baghdad is backing al-Assad – Iraqi
official
By Michel Abu Najm/Asharq Al-Awsat
Paris, Asharq Al-Awsat – The Syrian authorities are counting on their
neighbouring countries to alleviate the burden of the economic and financial
sanctions imposed upon it by the Arab League, Turkey, the European Union [EU],
and the US. Iraq stands out as one of a handful of states that has objected to
the imposition of sanctions on Damascus, abstaining from Arab League voting in
this regard. Meanwhile, Amman has retracted its earlier reservations on
sanctioning Syria after an Arab League committee was formed to study ways of
ensuring that these sanctions do not have a knock-on effect on the Jordanian
economy. So why is Iraq adopting a position of not only seeking to alleviate the
burden of the sanctions being imposed on Syria, but also offering support to the
al-Assad regime, at the same time that the Arab world and the international
community is working to isolate Damascus?
An Official Iraqi source informed Asharq al-Awsat that the theories that are
currently abounding regarding why Baghdad has taken this position are “far
removed from reality.” The Iraqi source claimed that such theories fail to paint
an “honest” picture of Iraqi – Iranian relations, nor provide an objective
explanation of Baghdad’s “motives” in this regard, since the Syrian crisis first
begun approximately 9 months ago. According to an Iraqi official, who spoke to
Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, those who believe that the Iraqi
government is acting out of a form of “sectarian solidarity" with the Syrian
leadership are "far removed from reality” and fail to understand the Iraqi
perspective on the Syrian crisis.
The Iraqi source suggested that Baghdad may be “returning the favour” to
Damascus, particularly as late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad – father of
current Syrian President Bashar al-Assad – hosted numerous Iraqi leadership
figures in Damascus during the Saddam Hussein era in Iraq, including Iraqi Prime
Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, and a number of other
senior governmental figures. Al-Maliki, for example, lived in Damascus for
approximately 15 years. The Iraqi sources claimed that Baghdad believes it is
better to "monitor" the situation at this point in time, rather than take overt
action against the al-Assad regime. This is despite the accusations that have
been levelled at the Syrian regime in the post-Saddam era [by Baghdad], that
Damascus is “exporting terrorism” into Iraq, or at the very least “turning a
blind eye” to militants and terrorists entering Iraq via the Syrian border.
As for the second reason why Baghdad has taken this controversial position on
Syria, the Iraqi official told Asharq Al-Awsat that this may have something to
do with the approximately 300,000 Iraqis currently living in Syria. The source
said that Baghdad fears that an anti-Syrian stance could reflect negatively on
the Iraqis currently living in Syria, and on their status in the country. This
might lead to a humanitarian, social, and political problem for Baghdad, which
it facing the imminent complete withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and the
security challenges that this will no doubt ensue from this. The Iraqi official
told Asharq Al-Awsat that Baghdad therefore wants to "safeguard itself against
the evils of Damascus", and ensure that the al-Assad regime has no motivation to
attempt to exploit the probable security “vacuum” created by the withdrawal of
US troops from Iraq.
The Iraqi official source also told Asharq Al-Awsat that Baghdad is also
benefiting from strong commercial and economic trade with Syria. Thus, any
sanctions adopted by Iraq against the Syrian regime would also impact upon the
Iraqi economy and the daily life of Iraqi citizens, due to the strong bilateral
relations between the two countries, not to mention Iraq’s need for commodities
that pass through Syrian territories. Available statistics indicate that
commercial exchanges between Iraq and Syria last year totalled $2 billion, and
that this figure could reach as high as $3 billion this year; most of this trade
takes place from Syria into Iraq. The source stressed that Iraq committing to
sanctioning Syria would therefore not only serve to provoke the al-Assad regime,
but also economically affect the people of Iraq. The Syrian Statistics Bureau
estimates that around 52 percent of Syria's total exports are to the Arab world,
with 31 percent of this to Iraq.
As for the fourth reason for Baghdad's stance on Syria, the Iraqi official
source, who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, claimed that
this is motivated by Baghdad's perception regarding what it considers to be the
"driving force" behind the current Arab initiative against Syria. The Iraqi
sources said that due to Egypt’s absence from the Arab League decision-making
process – on account of Egypt being preoccupied with its own internal affairs at
this current time – Baghdad believes that the “mandate” has fallen into the
hands of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which is directing affairs as it
sees fit. According to the Iraqi source, despite the ouster of the Saddam
Hussein regime, which invaded Kuwait and violated the Saudi territories, Baghdad
still senses a "hostile mood" against it on the part of the GCC member states.
Baghdad believes this hostility is due to the "mistaken belief" that Iran is in
pulling Iraq’s political strings.
Finally, the Iraqi source stressed that Baghdad has no desire to see a war break
out along its extensive borders with Syria, whilst it also does not want to see
Sunni militants come to power in Damascus. For the current Iraqi leadership, a
development such as this would pose a threat to its security, serve as a source
of future problems, and perhaps even threaten the Shiites’ new status in
post-Saddam Iraq. The sources believe that a combination of all the
aforementioned factors represents an "honest" reading of Iraq’s motives with
regards to the Syrian crisis, instead of Baghdad's position being viewed as the
result of Iranian pressure to support Tehran's staunch ally, the al-Assad
regime.
The Syrian National Council [SNC]: Iran contributed to
suppression of Syrian protests
By Mohammed Al Shafey/Asharq Alawsat
Istanbul, Asharq Al-Awsat – The Syrian National Council [SNC] has claimed that
the Iranian regime has contributed to the suppression of Syrian protesters.
During a press conference held in Istanbul against the sidelines of the Arab –
Turkish Media Forum on Thursday, SNC spokesman Ahmed Ramadan revealed that the
Syrian opposition had informed Moscow and Beijing that they have the right to
bet on the al-Assad regime, but any new Syrian government will take this into
account should the al-Assad regime collapse.
Whilst Samir al-Nashar, who heads the Secretariat of the Damascus Decleration,
said “if the US had continued to gamble on the Hosni Mubarak regime, then [US
Secretary of State] Hillary Clinton would not have been able to appear in Tahrir
Square.”
He also said “I believe that the Russians, based on certain statements issued
here and there, are reviewing their position [on Syria], as are the Chinese.”
Al-Nashar also revealed that the SNC has been in communication with Tehran,
adding “we are not against dialogue with any party, and we respect Iran as a
central power in the region, however before any dialogue can take place the
Iranians must correct their position [on Syria], because they have contributed
to the suppression of the Syrian people by providing the Syrian regime with
information, as well as logistical support.”
Al-Nashar claimed that “they [the Iranians] provided the Syrian regime with
equipment to spy on the Syrian political activists, benefitting from their
experience in suppressing the Green Revolution….whilst they also participated in
the planning of field operations against peaceful [Syrian] activists, and we
therefore cannot deal with Iran unless it corrects its position with regards to
the Syrian revolution.”
He added “the [Syrian] regime has used warships to bomb Al-Raml refugee camp in
Latakia…which is a measure that they did not even use in the October war [Yom
Kippur War] against Israel.”
SNC Executive Committee member, Samir al-Nasher, also stressed that the Syrian
opposition is not calling for military intervention in Syria, but rather would
prefer to see the international community pressure the al-Assad regime.
He also claimed that the SNC had informed the Chinese that “you are allowing the
[al-Assad] regime to commit crimes” adding, “we want to delegitimize the al-Assad
regime.”
Al-Nashar also revealed that the Syrian youth are chanting the slogan “I would
rather die than be arrested” in light of the revelations regarding the treatment
that Syrian political activists are receiving at the hands of the Syrian
authorities. He also confirmed that the SNC is committed to seeing the end of
the Bashar al-Assad regime, particularly because “he [al-Assad] was bequeathed
power…he did not come to power via elections and he has no legitimacy, and if he
continues his policies then he will face a fate similar to that of Gaddafi.”
For his part, SNC spokesman Ahmed Ramadan, responding to a question put to him
by Asharq Al-Awsat on the threat previously made by the Syrian president that
any intervention in Syria would set the Middle East on fire, said that “the
statements made by al-Assad or his foreign minister Walid Muallem disregarding
the international community are extremely foolish.”
He also revealed that “the al-Assad regime-affiliated Shabiha [militia] issued
22 death threats to Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby to his
telephone…when the Arab League issued its decision against the regime.” He added
“they [the Syrians] do not respect anyone, the noose is tightening around them
but still they imagine that they will be able to remain in power by way of their
killing machine.”
As for the Arab and international pressure to oust the al-Assad regime, Ramadan
said that some western states are not fully informed about everything that is
happening in Syria. He said “I met with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
before his famous meeting with al-Assad, and I told him that this visit would
end in failure, because those that they [the diplomats] are talking to are not
in the street…he [Davutoglu] asked me to wait 5 days, but Turkey’s proposals did
not receive any response from the Syrian regime.”
He added “the Turks do not want to pre-empt the Arab positions with regards to
the Syrian revolution, and Turkey is convinced today that the al-Assad regime is
over…and they have burned their bridges with the Syrian regime.”The SNC
spokesman claimed that “the Syrian regime at home is losing on all levels, and
cannot find anybody to defend it. The Syrian regime is truly isolated…and even
the Iranians are not defending its policies. It has completely lost its
legitimacy, and we are now working for the post-Assad period.”
Egypt: The Brotherhood’s predicament!
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat,
The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt has begun to issue reassuring statements to the
Egyptian people following their progress in the parliamentary elections, but the
reality tells us that the Brotherhood now finds themselves in a predicament
because of this electoral victory. They are facing three issues that represent a
genuine dilemma, and we don’t know how they will deal with these. These issues
are the Camp David Accords, the economy and the Salafists.
Politically, the Muslim Brotherhood will soon find themselves face to face with
the Camp David Accords. The Muslim Brotherhood has built their legitimacy upon
opposing these accords; opposing the Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak regimes for
this reason. This means that today, the Muslim Brotherhood, must say - in
actions, not words - whether they want to abolish the treaty. This would mean
declaring war on Israel, and it is well known that the Egyptian economy cannot
bear any more demonstrations, let alone wars; so will the Muslim Brotherhood, in
fact, accept this treaty when they come to power? If they do accept it, then
what is the difference between them and Mubarak? The many statements coming out
of America about the ongoing communication between the US and the Brotherhood
suggests that the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt will not dare touch the Camp David
Accords, which means that the Brotherhood will be just like Hosni Mubarak, from
their first moment in power!
The second dilemma is the economic situation, which has become a real disaster.
Egypt is not an oil-producing state like Libya, which means that whoever rules
Egypt – or is the strongest party there – must depend on tourism; Egypt’s
lifeblood. Attracting tourists requires security, and this goes against any
potential violation of the Camp David Accords. Tourism also requires greater
openness and freedoms, as well as an economic structure capable of dealing with
the global financial system, so that foreign capital investors feel secure in
coming to Egypt. The issue also requires a thriving cultural scene, alongside
other details. The issue is not just about possessing tourist attractions like
the Pyramids, otherwise tourists would have continued to flock to the Afghan
Tora Bora mountain range during the Taliban era, and so Egypt’s status as a
tourist destination must not be compromised!
If the Brotherhood manages to overcome the two aforementioned predicaments, then
this will inevitably put them on course for a sharp collision with the Salafists.
This is the Brotherhood’s third dilemma. At this point, the battle will begin
over who is entitled to speak on behalf of religion in Egypt, and who is
blaspheming religion in the name of politics. At this point the Salafists will
become for the Muslim Brotherhood what the Brotherhood themselves were for the
Mubarak regime, in other words an ever-present opponent in every arena. Thus, if
some are feeling wary regarding the reality of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt
today, this is justified. Yet it is the Muslim Brotherhood themselves who should
be more concerned, because they are in a real predicament. They are now facing
issues that could spoil their enjoyment of power, because if the Muslim
Brotherhood applies the ideas they have long promoted, this means that they will
lead Egypt towards wars and bankruptcy. On the other hand, if they modernize
their attitudes and adopt a more rational line – two of the requirements
necessary for those who want to rule – this will mean a blow to their
credibility and will also push them towards a fierce battle with Egypt’s
Salafists. How will the Muslim Brotherhood deal with this triple dilemma? This
is something that will become clear through the manner in which they deal with
the government formation process, the drafting of the new constitution, and
determining the powers of the next president.
Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabban extends term of
Higher Islamic Council for 1 year
December 05, 2011/The Daily Star
In this Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011 photo, Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid
Qabbani gestures during the opening of a Muslim-Christian religious summit in
Beirut, Lebanon. (Mahmoud Kheir/The Daily Star) BEIRUT: The Mufti of the
Republic extended the term of the Higher Islamic Council for one year Saturday,
announcing that elections will be held before the end of next year.
Chairing a meeting of the council at Dar al-Fatwa Saturday, Sheikh Mohammad
Rashid Qabbani decided after deliberating with council members to extend the
term of the council, which ends on Dec. 31, to Dec. 31, 2012 at the latest.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati and former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and muftis
of Lebanese districts attended the meeting. In addition to the mufti of the
republic and of districts, the council comprises the incumbent prime minister,
former prime ministers and other Sunni politicians. The council’s members are
elected for four-year terms. This is the second year in a row that a one-year
term extension has been granted, but attendees agreed to elect new council
members during the coming year.
Following the meeting, Qabbani visited attended a luncheon held by Prime
Minister Najib Mikati in his honor at the Grand Serail. Separately, a decision
last week by Qabbani not to renew the term of Akkar Mufti Sheikh Osama Rifai
outraged the district’s residents and MPs, who held a meeting in Akkar Sunday to
express their solidarity with Rifai. Speaking to The Daily Star, Akkar MP Khaled
Zahraman said that Qabbani’s decision was “inappropriate.”“We tried to look for
the reasons [of the decision], but there are no reasons,” he said, adding that
the decision might have been politically motivated.
Some people, however, are working “calmly” to resolve the matter by keeping
Rifai in his post until an electoral body is formed to elect a successor,
Zahraman said. “We will not accept that Akkar is dealt with in this way without
referring to its people and prominent figures ... we are afraid that this
decision might result in divisions in Akkar.”
A source close to Dar al-Fatwa told The Daily Star the decision was made because
Rifai was not attending council meetings or abiding by the instructions of Dar
al-Fatwa, claims which were dismissed by Zahraman who described Rifai’s
performance as “good.”The source said that Dar al-Fatwa would not go back on its
decision.Meanwhile, former Akkar MP Wajih Baarini called for withdrawing the
matter from media spotlight.Baarini also called for allowing religious clerics
who are holders of university degrees in Islamic studies to be members of the
body that elects muftis.