LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 25/2011
Bible Quotation for today/The
Birth of Jesus
Luke 02/01-20: "1 At that time Emperor
Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire. When this
first census took place, Quirinius was the governor of Syria. Everyone, then,
went to register himself, each to his own hometown. Joseph went from the
town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, the birthplace of
King David. Joseph went there because he was a descendant of David. He went to
register with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him. She was pregnant,and
while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby. She gave
birth to her first son, wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger—there was
no room for them to stay in the inn. There were some shepherds in that
part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of
their flocks. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord
shone over them. They were terribly afraid, but the angel said to them, Don't be
afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the
people. This very day in David's town your Savior was born—Christ the Lord! And
this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and
lying in a manger. Suddenly a great army of heaven's angels appeared with
the angel, singing praises to God: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and
peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased! When the angels went away
from them back into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let's go to
Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us.
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and saw the baby lying in the
manger. When the shepherds saw him, they told them what the angel had said about
the child. All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said. Mary
remembered all these things and thought deeply about them. The shepherds went
back, singing praises to God for all they had heard and seen; it had been just
as the angel had told them.
Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from
miscellaneous sources
Muslim Mafia Targeting Religious Freedom/By John
Jessup/CBN/December 24/11
Nuke expert Matthew Kroenig: Time to attack Iran/Yitzhak
Benhorin/December 24/11
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for
December 24/11
Thousands visit Bethlehem on Christmas Eve
Canada announces new series of Syria sanctions
Western Intelligence: Assad's security men staged Damascus bombings
Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood Accuses Regime of Seeking to
Implicate it in Bombings
Monitors meet Syria top diplomat after bombings
New U.N. draft
resolution on Syria: bombs hit capital
Syrian National Council President Burhan Ghalioun (SNC)
chief calls on Arab leaders to halt “massacres” in Syria
Activists: Syrians Found Dead with Torture Marks
Iran: Enemy Threats Will not Intimidate Syrians
UN Security Council condemns Syria terrorist attacks
Russia backs policy of isolating
Lebanon from Syria crisis
Iran opens ten-day military exercise in the Persian Gulf
Obama signs bill that includes added U.S. military
assistance to Israel
US has found 5,000 missiles in Libya
Lebanese Government Mum on Alleged Infiltration of
al-Qaida Members into Syria
Cold war heats up between Washington and Hezbollah
MP Marwan Hamadeh: No elections while Hezbollah still
armed
Lebanon: Local charity
donates Christmas food parcels to Iraqi refugee families
Lebanon: Hout and MEA
pilots narrow differences over demands
Hezbollah says U.S.
behind Syria blasts, Hariri blames regime
Daily Star/Lebanon's Arabic press digest - Dec. 24, 2011
President Michel Suleiman Extends his Christmas Greetings
to Lebanese, Hopes for Stability
Lebanon First bloc MP Michel Pharaon: March 14 will not
join dialogue with current government
Information Minister Walid Daouq : Shura Council will
reject new wage plan
Change and Reform bloc MP Farid al-Khazen: Linking Ghosn
statements to Damascus blasts ‘illogical’
Three Interesting Reports/On the LCCC Site
Muslim Mafia Targeting Religious Freedom/By John Jessup/CBN/December
24/11
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2011/December/Muslim-Mafia-Targeting-Religious-Freedoms--/
Nuke expert Matthew Kroenig: Time to attack Iran/Yitzhak
Benhorin/December 24/11
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4166039,00.html
Nuke expert Matthew Kroenig: Time to attack Iran/Yitzhak
Benhorin/December 24/11
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4166039,00.html
Thousands visit Bethlehem on Christmas Eve
December 24, 2011/Daily Star
BETHLEHEM, West Bank: Thousands of pilgrims, tourists and local Christians
gathered in the biblical West Bank town of Bethlehem on Saturday to begin
Christmas Eve celebrations in the traditional birthplace of Jesus.Visitors
gathered near the 50-foot (15-meter) Christmas tree at Manger Square Saturday
morning taking pictures and enjoying the sunshine.
The main event will be Midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity, built over
the location where Jesus is believed to have been born. Israel's Tourism
Ministry said it expects 90,000 visitors for the holiday. Ministry spokeswoman
Lydia Weitzman said that number is the same as last year's record-breaking
tally, but was surprisingly high considering the turmoil in the Arab world and
the U.S. and European economic downturns. Bethlehem Mayor Victor Batarseh said
he hopes this year's celebrations will bring Palestinians closer to their dream
of statehood. With peace talks stalled with Israel, Palestinians this year made
a unilateral bid for recognition at the United Nations and were accepted as a
member by UNESCO, the U.N. cultural agency.
"We are celebrating this Christmas hoping that in the near future we'll get our
right to self-determination our right to establish our own democratic, secular
Palestinian state on the Palestinian land. That is why this Christmas is
unique," Batarseh told The Associated Press. Bethlehem is today surrounded on
three sides by a barrier Israel built to stop Palestinian militants from
attacking Israel. Palestinians say the barrier damaged their economy. The number
of Christians in the West Bank is on the decline, and many speak of persecution
by the Muslim majority, but always anonymously, fearing retribution.
Christians have even lost their majority in Bethlehem where more than two-thirds
of the some 50,000 Palestinian residents are now Muslim. The biblical town was
bustling on Saturday, however, with Christian tourists and pilgrims. "This is my
first time in Bethlehem and it's an electrifying feeling to be here at the
birthplace of Jesus during Christmas," said 49-year-old Abraham Rai from Karla,
India.
'Muslim Mafia' Targeting Religious Freedom?
By John Jessup
CBN News Washington Correspondent
Friday, December 23, 201
WASHINGTON -- Free speech and religious liberty are two of America's most
cherished protections. But if the Organization of Islamic Cooperation gets its
way, that could change not only in the United States, but around the world. The
Muslim group is pushing a United Nations resolution that would criminalize
criticism of religions.
Speaking at a recent international religious conference intended to advance the
resolution, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tried to convey that freedom of
religion and expression go hand-in-hand.
"There is no contradiction between having strong religious beliefs and having
the freedom to exercise them, and to speak about them and to even have a good
debate with others," she said.
Frank Gaffney, president of the American Center for Security Policy, didn't
mince words against the group -- likening the OIC to a "multi-national Muslim
mafia."
"It is 57 states and Palestine that have come together to promote what is
fundamentally the agenda that is known as Sharia," he explained.
Religious rights groups say the U.N. resolution is really designed to prevent
criticism of Islam and give cover to Islamic Sharia-based blasphemy laws like
those in Pakistan.
"The countries pushing this resolution -- their populations are 90-99 percent
one single religious group," said Jordan Sekulow, director of policy and
international operations for the American Center for Law and Justice. "What is
the problem here with the 1 percent speaking out and why is that such an issue
that needs to be handled at the international level?"
Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of two, has been sentenced to death under
Pakistan's blasphemy laws. And public officials in the country who have spoken
out against the laws have been killed.
The OIC eventually dropped the defamation effort in favor of U.N. Resolution
16/18. But some believe the measure could also be used to introduce blasphemy
laws in Europe and the United States.
"They are asking the West to enforce criminal punishments for blasphemy against
Islam within Western borders against their own citizens," explained Nina Shea,
author of Silenced: How Apostasy and Blasphemy Codes are Choking Freedom
Worldwide.
"And the frightening thing is we're starting to see this actually be adopted in
places like Western Europe, Canada and Australia," she told CBN News.
Sekulow says his organization is fighting to keep the resolution from becoming
adopted because it could backfire and be broadly misinterpreted country by
country.
"Just the building of churches ... having a cross outside your door can be
inciting violence," Sekulow explained.
"So if you let them define these definitions when there is no problem coming
from the minority faiths, this is somehow going to 'green light' their
suppression," he added.
Nuke expert Matthew Kroenig: Time to attack Iran
Yitzhak Benhorin/Ynet
Former Obama Administration strategist says US-perpetrated attack on Islamic
Republic's nuclear program could spare world from very real threat
WASHINGTON - A former special adviser on Iran policy to the Obama Administration
said that a US-perpetrated strike on the Islamic Republic on is the "least bad"
option in dealing with its nuclear threat.
"The truth is that a military strike intended to destroy Iran’s nuclear program,
if managed carefully, could spare the region and the world a very real threat
and dramatically improve the long-term national security of the United States,"
Matthew Kroenig, a nuclear security expert at the Council on Foreign Relations
who served as a strategist under Defense Secretary Robert Gates, said in an
article published by Foreign Affairs Magazine. Kroenig acknowledged that a
military operation in Iran is not an "attractive prospect," but explained that
it is within the US' power to minimize the anticipated effects.
If it does so successfully, it can remove the incentive for other nations in the
region to start their own atomic programs and, more broadly, strengthen global
nonproliferation by demonstrating that it will use military force to prevent the
spread of nuclear weapons," Kroenig wrote.
'Israeli strike likely to fail' The former strategist posited that if the US
attacks, it could also prevent Israel from perpetrating a strike that is
destined to fail.
"Given Israel's limited capability to mitigate a potential battle and inflict
lasting damage," Kroenig said, an Israeli strike "would likely result in far
more devastating consequences and carry a far lower probability of success than
a US attack." Kroenig warned that waging a cold war against Tehran, aimed
at containing its nuclear capabilities, is "a costly, decades-long proposition
that would likely still result in grave national security threats." While
recognizing the US' reluctance to enter yet another military conflict, Kroenig
claimed that a speedy nuclear development in Iran will eventually force it to
choose between a conventional confrontation and a nuclear one. "The United
States should conduct a surgical strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, absorb an
inevitable round of retaliation, and then seek to quickly de-escalate the
crisis," he concluded. "Addressing the threat now will spare the United States
from confronting a far more dangerous situation in the future.”
Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood Accuses Regime of Seeking to Implicate it in Bombings
by Naharnet /Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood denied on Saturday its involvement in
the Damascus bombings, saying the regime had set up a website similar to its
webpage to implicate it in the blasts that left 44 people dead a day earlier. In
remarks to al-Arabiya TV station, Brotherhood official Mohammed Farouq Tayfour
said the Syrian authorities established the site to accuse the group of carrying
out the twin suicide bombings. His comments came after a message on the alleged
website said: "One of our victorious Sunni brigades was able to target the state
security building in Kfar Suseh in the heart of the Omayyad capital Damascus in
a successful operation carried out by four of our kamikazes drawn from the best
of our glorious men, leaving many dead and wounded from the ranks of the Assad
gangs.”
The claim contradicted accusations by the regime of President Bashar Assad that
the bombings, which also wounded 166 people, were the work of al-Qaida.
The opposition Syrian National Council said that the regime had carried them
out. The claim came as thousands of mourners carrying Syrian flags and pictures
of the dead took part in a mass funeral for the 44 people killed in the
bombings. Mourners carried coffins draped in the red, white and black Syrian
flags into the eighth-century Omayyad Mosque, where they were placed on the
ground for prayers.
"Martyr after martyr, we want nobody but (Bashar) Assad," they shouted in
support of the president.SourceAgence France PresseAssociated Press.
Syrian National Council President Burhan Ghalioun (SNC)
chief calls on Arab leaders to halt “massacres” in Syria
December 24, 2011 /Syrian National Council President Burhan Ghalioun called on
Arab leaders to “interfere in order to halt the massacres committed against the
[unarmed] Syrian people,” according to Al-Arabiya television.“These carnages
need to come to a stop in any way,” Ghalioun said in a statement.
The SNC leader added: “We have welcomed the Arab initiative, but the [Syrian]
regime is waging [efforts] to mislead the league and its observers.”
An Arab League mission of observers arrived in Syria on Thursday to oversee a
plan to end nine months of unrest that has killed more than 5,000 people,
according to the United Nations.
Ghalioun also called on the UN Security Council to take its own initiative to
resolve the Syrian situation and “not to give the [Syrian] regime additional
opportunities to prolong the suffering [of Syrians].”
Ghalioun also called for referring “[Syrian] officials to the International
Criminal Court.”
Moreover, the SNC leader called on Arab observers to enter the Baba Amro
neighborhood in Homs “where the [Syrian] regime has kicked off an escalating and
unprecedented attack against the area, taking an advantage of darkness at
night.”Ghalioun also blamed the Syrian regime for the twin suicide bombings
which targeted Damascus on Friday and called for opening “an international
investigation” into the incidents.The attacks were the first of their kind
against the powerful security services in the heart of the Syrian capital since
unprecedented protests against President Bashar al-Assad's regime erupted in
mid-March.One bombing targeted the General Security Directorate, Syria's most
important plainclothes security service, in the Kfar Soussah neighborhood of
Damascus.
The second exploded outside a nearby military intelligence building.-NOW Lebanon
Western Intelligence: Assad's security men staged Damascus
bombings
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report/December 23, 2011/ By Friday night, Dec. 23, Western
intelligence sources were attributing the twin suicide car attacks which claimed
53 lives and injured more than 100 outside the Syrian Security Directorate in
Damascus earlier in the day to President Bashar Assad himself and his security
chiefs. His motive? To keep the Arab League team, just arrived for an effort to
start brokering peace in Syria, busy in Damascus instead of following its
schedule and inspecting Homs where the bloody military crackdown continued
during the day.
Those sources point out that no Syrian security or intelligence official was
hurt by the explosions.
They also hinted at hidden collaboration between Assad's henchmen and the leader
of the Arab League team, Sudanese Gen. Mohamed Ahmad Al-Dabi. They said the
Syrian ruler had made his consent to receive the Arab League observers
conditional on its being headed by the Sudanese general, a close confidant of
President Omar Bashir and friend of Iranian Revolutionary Guards officers,
including the Al Qods Brigades commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
According to this theory, rather than bowing to Arab League demands to accept
observers, Assad in fact dictated terms to the bloc.
Earlier Friday, debkafile reported another theory to account for the first
terrorist attack in Damascus since the Syrian people rose up agianst the Assad
regime nine months ago.
The Sunni Muslim war on the Shiite-Allawite ruler of Syria and the Shiite-led
regime of Iraq has gained deadly momentum in the last 48 hours, debkafile's
military sources report. Friday, Dec. 23, two suicide bombers blew up cars
loaded with explosives at the compound of the Syrian Security Directorate and
military intelligence building in central Damascus, killing at least 53 military
personnel and civilians, and injuring dozens more. It was the first such attack
to take place in the Syrian capital in the 10-month uprising against Bashar
Assad and struck at the heart of his regime.
In Baghdad, Thursday, more than 70 people died and at least 200 were badly hurt
by a series of roadside bombs, an exploding ambulance and sticky bombs. Most
were directed against Shiite targets.
Since Assad and the Iraqi Prime Minister Nour al-Maliki share the same backer,
Tehran, the spate of terror which erupted this week was not just a trigger for
civil war in both their countries but signaled a new and violent round in the
Sunni-Shiite struggle for control of the Middle East.
Standing to one side are Iran, the Damascus and Baghdad rulers, Hizballah and
the Palestinian extremist Hamas and Jihad Islami. Ranged against them are the
Muslim Brotherhood and elements or associates of al Qaeda. They are backed with
arms, funds, training and fighting strength by several Sunni Arab regimes,
chiefly Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, Jordan and Libya.
Our counter-terror sources report an expanding flow of extremist Sunni
infiltrators from Iraq into Syria and Lebanon. Not all are al Qaeda, as Assad
claims. Some belong to the "Awakening Councils" which have evolved into the
Iraqi Sunni tribal community's principal military arm. They were originally set
up by Gen. David Petraeus, presently CIA Director, to fight al Qaeda. With US
funding, training and commanders, these Sunni tribal fighters were successful
from 2006 to 2008 in beating al Qaeda into the ground.
But the final US military departure from Iraq this week left the Awakening
Council fighters high and dry by. Prime Minister al-Maliki, who takes his orders
from Tehran, refused to honor the contract to pay their wages and their families
are destitute.
As a result, many Iraqi Sunni fighting men decided to join up with al Qaeda.
Their pursuit of a source of arms and a livelihood is taking them across borders
into Syria and Lebanon where they join the ranks of anti-Assad Sunni militias,
including the Free Syrian Army.
Seasoned in the ways of violence, they were fully competent to carry out the
deadly terrorist attacks in Baghdad and Damascus. More such outrages are certain
to come, adding a whole new dimension to the popular campaign to unseat Bashar
Assad as well as post-war Iraq.
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Russia backs policy of isolating Lebanon from Syria crisis
December 24, 2011/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Moscow backs the policy of isolating Lebanon from developments in
neighboring Syria, Russian Ambassador to Beirut Alexander Zasypkin told a
pan-Arab daily.
“As a matter of principle we back isolating the situation in Lebanon from events
in Syria as much as is possible,” Zasypkin told the London-based Al-Hayat
newspaper in an interview published Saturday.
“It is not in the interest of any internal or external party to destabilize the
situation in Lebanon and we call for joint efforts to bolster stability in
Lebanon,” Zasypkin added.
Rival Lebanese parties remain divided on the crisis in Syria: the March 14
coalition, led by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, condemning the crackdown on
protesters by Damascus while the March 8 alliance, led by Hezbollah, echoing
Damascus’ version of unrest in the country, namely that “armed gangs” backed by
foreign parties aim to topple the Syrian leadership.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who heads a March 8 majority Cabinet, has
repeatedly stressed the need for Lebanon to remain neutral on the crisis in
Syria, now 10 months old.
In the interview, which focused primarily on Russia’s stance toward the
situation in Syria, Zasypkin urged Syria to cooperate with monitors as part of
an Arab League initiative to end the violence in the country. “We advise Syrian
authorities to act positively and advise that there be good and continuous
coordination with the Arab League,” Zasypkin said.
The Russian envoy, who said Moscow was not for the removal Syrian President
Bashar Assad but a “political compromise,” also urged the Syrian opposition to
end its boycott of dialogue with Damascus.
“Good will is required from both the Syrian government and the opposition and
all relevant external parties,” he said.
Zasypkin also said Russia had expressed its readiness to send its own monitors
should Syria and the Arab League request it.
“We have stated our readiness to send monitors in the event this was agreed by
the relevant parties. I think by relevant parties here I mean the Arab League in
agreement with the Syrian side,” the Russian diplomat said. Zasypkin also
criticized the West in its approach to the crisis in Syria and said that whereas
the West sought to blame one party for the violence, Russia sought a fairer
approach by seeking to curb violence by all parties. “We denounce in the gravest
terms the violence by all sides. It appears that our partners in the West have
unbalanced stances on this matter: they want to pressure only one side and that
side is the Syrian regime. On the other hand, we want to have an impact on all
sources of violence,” Zasypkin said.
Hezbollah says U.S. behind Syria attacks
December 23, 2011/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Hezbollah accused the United States
Friday of orchestrating the suicide bombings that ripped through the Syrian
capital earlier in the day killing over 40 people and wounding scores more.
“These bombings which resulted in the deaths and wounding of tens of people,
mostly women and children, is the specialty of the United States, the mother of
all terrorism,” Hezbollah’s press office said. “[The U.S.] specializes in
targeting the innocent, killing and terrorizing them to force them to comply to
American politics to achieve the Zionist interest which Americans place above
all else,” the statement added. Hezbollah, Syria’s staunchest ally in Lebanon,
maintains that a foreign conspiracy led by the United States and Israel aims to
target the Syrian leadership for its alliance with Iran and its support for
resistance groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. In its statement Friday, Hezbollah
also said the attacks were the beginning of a series of reprisals following what
the party described as America’s defeat in Iraq. “This horrible terrorist crime,
which was committed by the enemies of humanity, comes a day following
coordinated blasts in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities, which suggests that those
affected by the major defeat of the United States in Iraq, has begun a cowardly,
bloody operation of reprisal,” the statement said.
Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Meqdad said over 30 people were killed and
more than 100 wounded as a result of the attacks that struck just before midday
Friday.
State TV said the explosions took place in the upscale Kfar Sousa district and
targeted the building housing state security and a nearby intelligence building
in the neighborhood.
Cold war heats up between Washington and Hezbollah
December 24, 2011
By Natacha Yazbeck /Daily Star
BEIRUT: A war of words is heating up between Hezbollah and Washington, with
allegations and counter-allegations flying between the two foes as the crisis in
Syria takes its toll on the Shiite militant group.
The cold war between Iranian- and Syrian-backed Hezbollah and the United States
-- which blacklists the Lebanese group as a terrorist organisation -- runs back
decades. But with political upheaval in the Arab world at a peak, tensions
between the two are skyrocketing. "This year was not the first time Hezbollah
has exposed intelligence networks, whether working for the United States or
others, and the United States criminal case against Hezbollah goes back months,"
said Paul Salem, head of the Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East Center. "But
there's no doubt that, given what's happening in Syria along with the US
withdrawal from Iraq ... we're in a phase of high tension in which everyone's
raising the pressure on their opponent." The feud began to deepen earlier this
year, when Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah accused the Central Intelligence
Agency of planting spies within his party's ranks. Nasrallah's announcement in
June, which the party hailed as a "victory" over the United States, marked the
first acknowledgment of infiltration by the movement founded in 1982.
The United States filed a criminal lawsuit against a string of Lebanese
financial institutions with alleged ties to Hezbollah on the grounds they were
complicit in a massive scheme to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars. US
federal authorities say the companies were part of a scheme to launder hundreds
of millions of dollars in profits from narcotics dealing and other criminal
activities in order to fund Hezbollah's activities.But Hezbollah has staunchly
denied the charges, with the group's second in command, Sheikh Naim Qassem,
accusing Washington this week of waging a smear campaign against a Shiite Muslim
group which, he said, would never follow a path "prohibited by religion."
Hezbollah upped the stakes by accusing the "terrorist" United States of being
behind twin bombings in the Syrian capital on Friday which left 44 dead and 166
wounded, according to officials. "These bombings which resulted in the death and
injury of dozens of people, mainly women and children, are the specialty of the
United States, the mother of terrorism," read a statement released by the
movement Friday. It said the timing of the bombings, which ripped through two
security service offices in the Syrian capital, clearly signaled they were a
"cowardly, bloody act of revenge" over the US "defeat" in Iraq. Analysts say the
crisis in Syria, which provides Lebanon with its only open border, has dealt a
blow to Hezbollah which must now face the possibility of a future without a key
regional ally. And as power structures shift in the Middle East, experts say
Western pressure on the Lebanese militant movement will continue to mount as the
group risks losing the support provided by the regime of embattled Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad. "The latest US accusations against Hezbollah are ...
part of a wider campaign against the Syria-Iran-Hezbollah axis," said Amal
Saad-Ghorayeb, author of the forthcoming "The Iran Connection: Understanding the
Alliance with Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas."
"We're only going to see more of these accusations," Saad-Ghoryaeb told AFP.
"The United States is aware that ... Hezbollah has already lost some support in
the region because of Syria, so now's the time to tarnish its reputation, to
move from labeling the group as terrorist to actually criminalising it."
New U.N. draft resolution on Syria: bombs hit capital
December 24, 2011/By Erika Solomon/Daily Star
BEIRUT: World powers argued about the details of a U.N. resolution on Syria,
after suicide car bombers lent a grim new face to its conflict by killing 44 in
Damascus.
European and U.S. officials want the Security Council to impose an arms embargo
and other sanctions on Syria's government because of its nine-month-old
crackdown on protesters, which U.N. officials say has killed thousands.
Western powers say government security forces have been responsible for most of
the violence. But Russia, an old ally of Damascus, wants any resolution to be
even-handed.
"If the requirement is that we drop all reference to violence coming from
extreme opposition, that's not going to happen," U.N. ambassador Vitaly Churkin
said in New York after Russia submitted a revised draft resolution to the
council.
"If they expect us to have arms embargo, that's not going to happen," he said.
"We know what arms embargo means these days. It means that - we saw it in Libya
- that you cannot supply weapons to the government but everybody else can supply
weapons to various opposition groups."
German Ambassador Peter Wittig said the latest Russian draft did not go far
enough.
"We need to put the weight of the council behind the Arab League," he said.
"That includes the demands to release political prisoners, that includes a clear
signal for accountability for those who have perpetrated human rights
violations."
The first batch of 50 Arab League monitors will head to Syria on Monday to
assess whether Damascus is abiding by an Arab peace plan, Egypt's state news
agency reported on Friday.
Sudanese general Mohammad Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi will lead the mission, the
agency said.
The suicide bombs, aimed at two security buildings, sent human limbs flying and
streets in Syria's capital were littered with human remains and the blackened
hulk of cars.
President Bashar al-Assad has used tanks and troops to try to crush nine months
of street protests inspired by other Arab uprisings this year. Such mainly
peaceful rallies are now increasingly eclipsed by an armed insurgency against
his security apparatus.
But Friday's blasts signalled a dramatic escalation.
"It's a new phase. We're getting militarised here," said Joshua Landis, a Syria
expert at the University of Oklahoma who felt Friday's bombs were a "small
premonition" of what may come in a country that some analysts see slipping
towards civil war.
"This is when the Syrian opposition is beginning to realise they are on their
own," he added, referring to Western reluctance to intervene militarily in
Syria.
The interior ministry spokesman said 166 people were wounded by the explosions.
It broadcast footage of mangled bodies being carried in blankets and stretchers
into ambulances a row of corpses wrapped in sheets lying in the street.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdesi said the attacks were carried out by
"terrorists (trying) to sabotage the will for change" in Syria, and followed
warnings from Lebanon that al Qaeda fighters had infiltrated Syria from Lebanese
territory.
The United States condemned the attacks, saying there was "no justification for
terrorism of any kind" and that the work of the Arab League should not be
hindered.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Al Qaeda are Sunni Muslim
militants. Assad and Syria's power elite belong to the Alawite branch of Shi'ite
Islam while the majority of Syrians, including protesters and insurgents, are
Sunnis.
"I'm defending my people," Ali, 45, an Alawite factory worker issued by police
with a gun which he has used against protesters in the city of Homs, said in
comments passed on to Reuters.
"We can't let them topple the regime, they'll go after us and kill us all."
Some of Assad's opponents said the suicide attack could have been staged by the
government itself.
Syria has generally barred foreign media from the country, making it hard to
verify accounts of events from either side.
The United Nations says Assad's forces have killed more than 5,000 people in
their crackdown on the protests, which erupted in March instigated by uprisings
that have toppled autocratic leaders in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya over the course
of the year.
The opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 15 civilians were killed
outside the capital on Friday, eight of them in Homs.
The Arab League peace plan stipulates a withdrawal of troops from protest-hit
cities and towns, release of prisoners and dialogue with the opposition.
Damascus says more than 1,000 prisoners have been freed since the Arab plan was
agreed and the army has pulled out of cities. Anti-Assad activists say no such
pullout has occurred.
MP Marwan Hamadeh: No elections while Hezbollah still armed
December 24, 2011/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Parliamentary elections are unlikely
to be held so long as Hezbollah remains armed, March 14 movement MP Marwan
Hamadeh has told a local newspaper.
In an interview with Ad-Diyar newspaper published Saturday, the Chouf lawmaker
said it would be impossible to hold elections while Hezbollah maintained its
arsenal, arguing that democracy and weapons beyond the state’s control were not
reconcilable. The March 14 coalition has repeatedly called on Hezbollah, which
heads the March 8 alliance, to disarm.
Hout and MEA pilots narrow differences over demands
December 24, 2011/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Middle East Airlines chairman Mohammad Hout and head of the Lebanese
Pilot Association Fadi Khalil Friday partially ended their differences over the
demands of aviators after the intervention of Public Works and Transport
Minister Ghazi Aridi. After three hours of talks at the headquarters of MEA,
both Hout and Khalil had honest and candid discussions on the reasons which
prompted the pilots to observe a three-day strike following the decision of the
management to terminate the services of a pilot who was undergoing medical
treatment. “Hout and Khalil expressed keenness to protect the company and its
staff. Another meeting between both sides will be held on Tuesday to iron out
the remaining points,” Aridi told reporters. Hout earlier insisted on deducting
five days salaries from all the pilots who observed the strike to make up for
the losses the company incurred during the protest action. It is still not clear
whether Hout has backed down from his demand to deduct five days salary from the
pilots or whether they managed to find an acceptable compromise that would
appease both parties. Aridi said that MEA planes have carried 2 million
passengers this year and this was a significant figure considering the situation
Lebanon and the region passed through. Hout told The Daily Star earlier that the
economic recession, political wrangling in the country and the turmoil in Syria
had affected the revenues of MEA this year. The chairman did not disclose
details about the revenues of the company this year but pointed out that MEA
hardly managed to break even. In addition to the political factors, MEA’s
revenues dwindled due to the fierce competition from foreign airlines and the
high cost of fuel oil in the international market.MEA runs a fleet of 15 new
Airbus planes at present.
Lebanon's Arabic press digest - Dec. 24, 2011
December 24, 2011/The Daily Star
Following are summaries of some of the main stories in a selection of Lebanese
newspapers Saturday. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these
reports.
Al-Liwaa
Sleiman calls Assad to condemn the attacks
It is not surprising that Lebanon is implicating itself in the explosions that
targeted the Syrian capital yesterday. It is a serious development in the Syrian
crisis that erupted nearly 10 months ago, in large part as a result of the
political forces that control the country.
According to a high-level Syrian source, Syrian intelligence officers were the
targets of the attacks but survived as they were not present in the building in
Kafer Sousah at the time.
What was notable were Syrian Foreign Ministry statements that said Lebanon had
warned Damascus two days earlier of Al-Qaeda member activity, which brings to
mind Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn’s accusations that this group was carrying out
acts of smuggling into Syria through illegal border crossing in Arsal, Bekaa.
Ghosn’s statement raised fears that Arsal might turn into a theatre for Syrian
Army activity in the context of apprehending what the Syrian source described as
“terrorist elements” in revenge for the two bombings.
For his part, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri did not hesitate to point to the
Syrian authorities, accusing the government of specializing in terrorism. He
also suggested that the blasts targeted the delegation of Arab observers, who
had recently arrived in Syria to help negotiate an end to the crisis.
Meanwhile, President Michel Sleiman called Assad to denounce the bombings in the
capital. And Hezbollah accused the United States, saying such attacks would not
weaken the resistance.
Amid these developments, after the last Cabinet meeting regarding the resolution
on the wage increase, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel confirmed that he was
coordinating with the president on the matter.
Al-Joumhouria
Western diplomats warn Lebanon against endorsing claims of Al-Qaeda presence [in
Lebanon]
The week ended on a bloody note with the events in Syria. The explosions that
targeted the heart of Syrian security in Damascus, killing 40 and wounding more
than 150, drew many questions marks given its coinciding with the arrival of
Arab observers. Everyone had their say on who they believed was behind the
attacks: Damascus blamed Al-Qaeda; the Syrian opposition Damascus while
Hezbollah accused the United States.
The events in Syria were preceded by statements from Lebanese Defense Minister
Fayez Ghosn in which he hinted at “information concerning operations taking
place at some of the illegal border crossings, particularly Arsal, where weapons
are being smuggled and some terrorist members belonging to Al-Qaeda were
entering under the guise of being members of the Syrian opposition.”
However, what is for certain is that there is a new equation vis-a-vis the
Syrian crisis and that Syria has entered its wars through Lebanon and Iraq. For,
according to the Syrian Foreign Ministry, the two “suicide” bombings targeted
two security centers in the capital, and were “the works of Al-Qaeda.”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdesi said the operation bore traces of the
Salafist ideology of Al-Qaeda. He confirmed that “the Lebanese Defense Ministry
had warned the Syrian side of the crossing of groups belonging to Al-Qaeda via
the border village of Arsal into Syria.” Makdissi indicated that “two days after
the warnings and Lebanese intelligence the Syrian security base was targeted.”
Western diplomatic sources warned Lebanese authorities against “endorsing the
claims of the presence of Al-Qaeda in Lebanon given the ramifications this will
have on the country’s security and stability at a time when there is reluctance
to get involved in the Syrian crisis through a security [pretext].”
The sources urged the government “to deny reports claiming Al-Qaeda members were
crossing from Lebanon to Damascus.”
As-Sharq
Hariri: What Damascus is saying is unacceptable, government throwing Lebanon
onto path of terror
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri said “there are some in the Lebanese
government trying to throw Lebanon onto the path of terror in order to protect
the crimes of the Syrian regime, keeping in mind that this regime specializes in
exporting terrorism.” On his Twitter account, Hariri said the claims by the
Syrian Foreign Ministry were fabrications by Damascus and some of “its tools in
Lebanon.”
“This regime is trying to draw attention away from what it is doing to its
people, but its plan has failed.”
Asked to comment on Hezbollah’s accusations that the United States was behind
the attacks, Hariri said: “They have confused us: is it the work of Al-Qaeda or
the United States?”
“This is really puzzling and I think the explosion was the product of the Syrian
regime,” he added.
Asked whether Syrian President Bashar Assad was stronger than NATO, Hariri said:
“Those who are weak kill, and this is his end.”
Al-Anwar
Economic Associations prepares to challenge wages decree
Given the absence of any political developments at the start of the holidays,
the issue of increasing wages appeared to be a central concern for the Economic
Associations, which is expected to challenge the decree in front of the Shura
Council.
The General Labor Confederation suspended its strike that had been planned for
next Tuesday.
A number of lawmakers in the March 14 coalition noted the differences in the
statements by Cabinet ministers in the majority on the issue of the wage
increase as well as the agreement that was signed by the General Labor
Confederation and the Economic Associations under the auspices of the
government. MP Butros Harb said the issue of peoples’ livelihoods had been
turned in a political one and said that the presence of the government has
become a danger, urging it to resign in order to spare the country from battles
of the Don Quixote kind.
Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud reiterated Friday his objection to the wage
increase that was endorsed by the government and said: “I wouldn’t be divulging
a secret if I said that I am against Economy Minister Charbel Nahhas’ wage hike
proposal.” But Abboud denied that there were splits in the Change and Reform
bloc. “There are many views in our ranks, particularly when it comes to economic
matters.” Meanwhile, former Minister Adnan Kassar continued his discussins on
the wage increase during two meetings, the first with Free Patriotic Movement
leader MP Michel Aoun, the second with President Michel Sleiman. “We consider
the decision to increase wages as very harmful to the nation’s economy and it
came to cancel a historic agreement that we arrived at with the GLC on the issue
of adjusting salaries, one that befitted both sides. This was dropped in Cabinet
... I explained to Gen. Aoun the detailed points of view of the Economic
Associations so that he is aware of the reality of the situation and understand
the capabilities to the economic sectors.”
The Central News Agency said Aoun had indicated to Kassar that the government
decree could be challenged in front of the Shura Council.
In his meeting with Sleiman, Kassar notified the president of the details of his
visit to Rabieh [Aoun’s residence] as well as the determination of the Economic
Associations to challenge the wage hike decree.
President Michel Suleiman Extends his Christmas Greetings
to Lebanese, Hopes for Stability
by Naharnet /President Michel Suleiman hoped on Saturday that Lebanon would
enjoy stability, and peace would prevail in the world, a statement issued by
Baabda palace said. Suleiman sent his Christmas greetings to the Lebanese in
general and the Christians in particular. Suleiman and First Lady Wafaa will
attend Christmas mass that will be celebrated by Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi
in Bkirki on Sunday, the statement said. It added that the president will
welcome well-wishers at his home in Amsheet on Sunday afternoon.
Lebanese Government Mum on Alleged Infiltration of al-Qaida
Members into Syria
by Naharnet /The Lebanese government remained tight-lipped on Saturday on Syrian
claims that Lebanon had warned Damascus about the infiltration of al-Qaida
members into Syria from its territories.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour was only quoted as saying that “Lebanon
hasn’t officially notified the Syrian foreign ministry about the infiltration of
al-Qaida members to Syria.”
But he stressed that Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn had made such remarks about
the issue. Ghosn said on Tuesday that al-Qaida members were active in the border
area near the Lebanese eastern town of Arsal. Mansour’s statement came a day
after suicide bombers hit two security service bases in Damascus, killing at
least 40 people, in attacks the regime blamed on al-Qaida.
“The Lebanese authorities warned us two days ago that an al-Qaida group
infiltrated to Syria from Arsal," Syria's foreign ministry spokesman said.
But informed sources told An Nahar daily on Saturday that al-Qaida began fading
after the killing of its chief Osama bin Laden in May and other leaders in the
network.
The sources said the Syrian claims that were backed by statements made by Ghosn
were similar to the behavior of slain Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. They did
not elaborate.
Western diplomatic sources also warned Lebanese authorities against “covering up
and legitimizing the claims about al-Qaida’s presence in Lebanon” for fears that
such allegations would reflect negatively on the country’s stability. In remarks
to al-Joumhouria newspaper, the sources expressed fear that Lebanon would be
shoved into the Syrian crisis under the pretext of security over the alleged
presence of al-Qaida in its territories. They urged the government to deny the
Syrian claims particularly that the international community is closely
monitoring the “services” provided by the Lebanese authorities to the Assad
regime by arresting dissidents or by allegedly facilitating financial
transactions of Syrians targeted by sanctions.
President Michel Suleiman telephoned Syrian President Bashar Assad on Friday to
condemn the bombings, saying they were aimed at scuttling Arab efforts to end
the Syrian crisis. Speaker Nabih Berri also cabled him condemning the
“terrorist” blasts and extending his condolences over the victims.
Lebanon First bloc MP Michel Pharaon: March 14 will not join dialogue with
current government
December 24, 2011 /Lebanon First bloc MP Michel Pharaon told LBC television on
Saturday that although “a serious national dialogue” is required to take place
in Lebanon, the Western-backed March 14 alliance “will not accept [joining] a
national dialogue in light” of the current government of Prime Minister Najib
Mikati. “The priority of [the present] government is to protect the [Syrian]
regime and Hezbollah’s arms; therefore we do not trust it,” Pharaon said. The MP
also said that the presence of non-state arms “in southern Lebanon [carry no
benefits],” adding that the proliferation of such weapons inside Lebanon “has
become a double-edged sword.” “We need a solution for [non-state] weapons
inside Lebanon and also for the rockets [that are being launched from the South
to Israel],” He added.
Regarding elections, Pharaon said: “We will not accept to hold elections in
light of this failed government.”Commenting on events in Syria, Pharaon told LBC
that the situation there “will witness a clear deterioration in 2012.” “What is
happening in Syria serves as preliminary signs of [a possible] civil war [that
might engulf the country] similar to what happened in Lebanon, and [there are
attempts] to internationalize the crisis.”The MP also said that there should be
coordination between Syrian and Lebanese authorities along the border.The United
Nations estimates more than 5,000 people have been killed since mid-March in the
Syrian regime’s crackdown on dissents. Syria blames the current unrest on "armed
terrorist groups" and has unleashed military operations against border towns and
protest hubs.
-NOW Lebanon
Information Minister Walid Daouq : Shura Council will
reject new wage plan
December 24, 2011 /Information Minister Walid Daouq told LBC television on
Saturday that he believes the State Shura Council “will reject” the recent
proposal the cabinet adopted to raise the minimum wage.Daouq expressed his
regret that the process for resolving the controversial wage matter “will go
back to square one in light of soaring prices in Lebanese markets.”On Wednesday,
the cabinet agreed on a new increase of the monthly minimum wage, this time from
500,000 LL to 868,000 LL. However, the decision generated objections from a
number of Lebanese groups, including the Economic Committees who called on the
cabinet Thursday “to recant on the wrongful decision.”
-NOW Lebanon
Change and Reform bloc MP Farid al-Khazen: Linking Ghosn statements to Damascus
blasts ‘illogical’
December 24, 2011 /Change and Reform bloc MP Farid al-Khazen told the Free
Lebanon radio station on Saturday that drawing a link between the twin blasts
that targeted Damascus on Friday and the statements made by Defense Minister
Fayez Ghosn about the presence of Al-Qaeda in the Bekaa town of Aarsal “is
illogical”.Khazen said that Ghosn’s remarks “are based on [verifiable]
information.”
Earlier this week, a report quoted Ghosn as saying that Al-Qaeda-inspired
terrorist cells infiltrated Syria through Aarsal. Such claims have whipped up
local objections, mainly from parties affiliated with the Western-backed March
14 alliance.Ghosn’s statements were followed by twin suicide bombings against
security service buildings in Damascus on Friday that left 44 people dead. Syria
blamed Al-Qaeda for involvement in the attacks.Khazen told the radio station
that Friday’s explosions in Damascus do not serve the interests of the Syrian
regime, adding that the Baath regime led by President Bashar al-Assad is facing
“an aggressive attack launched by the whole world, [including] the Arab
League.”He added that blasts similar to those that rocked Damascus on Friday
“were witnessed [previously] in Lebanon and Iraq.” Khazen also told the Free
Lebanon radio station that blasts might also target other Syrian areas in the
future.-NOW Lebanon
Canada announces new series of Syria sanctions
December 23, 2011 /Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird announced Friday
the freezing of assets of more Syrians loyal to President Bashar al-Assad's
regime, as well as a beefed up trade ban.
"Canada will continue to put the squeeze on the Assad regime," Baird said. "We
will not sit idly by, not while Assad and his thugs continue to violate the
rights of the Syrian people."
"The Syrian people have endured a violent repression of their calls for basic
freedoms and the rights that are essential to human dignity." Assad, he said,
"has responded with senseless violence, an abhorrent disregard for humanity and
the slaughter of thousands of Syrian civilians, the people in fact he should be
protecting, the people that are the very fabric of Syria."Canada's top diplomat
added that "Assad is cut off. His disgusting brand of violence must stop and
come to an end. He must go."The new measures prohibit all imports, with the
exception of food, from Syria, as well as all new investment in Syria, and the
export to Syria of equipment, including software, for the monitoring of
telephone and Internet communications. Canada is also imposing an assets freeze
and prohibiting economic dealings with additional individuals and entities
associated with the Assad regime, bringing the total targeted to 81 individuals
and 31 entities.This new round of sanctions is the fourth unveiled by Ottawa
since May in response to a violent crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators.
-AFP/NOW Lebanon