Matthew 18 Who Is the Greatest

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 29/2011

Bible Quotation for today/Jesus Calls Levi
Mark 02/13-17: "Jesus went back again to the shore of Lake Galilee. A crowd came to him, and he started teaching them. As he walked along, he saw a tax collector, Levi son of Alphaeus, sitting in his office. Jesus said to him, Follow me. Levi got up and followed him. Later on Jesus was having a meal in Levi's house. A large number of tax collectors and other outcasts was following Jesus, and many of them joined him and his disciples at the table. Some teachers of the Law, who were Pharisees, saw that Jesus was eating with these outcasts and tax collectors, so they asked his disciples, Why does he eat with such people?
Jesus heard them and answered, People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick. I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
At Christmas, a Maronite Christian Village in Israel Revives the Language Spoken by Jesus Christ/By Karl Vick/December 28/11
Syria: A delegation of Arab spectators/By Tariq Alhomayed/December 28/11
The Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon/Talking to human rights lawyer Nabil Halabi/Amtissal Aboulissan/December 28/11
What if?/By: Hazem Saghiyeh/December 28/11
The debate surrounding the ouster of the al-Assad regime/By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid/December 28/11

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December 28/11
Israel, U.S. discuss triggers for military strike on Iran
Iran could easily block vital oil route, admiral warns
U.S. Navy: We will not allow Iran to stop flow of oil
Sarkozy assures Lebanon of continued UNIFIL participation
Lebanese man in U.S. says innocent of money-laundering allegations
Blast Rocks Tyre Restaurant but Owner Insists on Serving Alcohol
Syrians to Arab League monitors: We want international protection
Syria moves detainees away from reach of Arab League monitors, activists say
Syrian forces kill three Lebanese men along border
Wadi Khaled residents hold funerals, call for protection
South Lebanon: Cautious Calm in Wadi Khaled after Syrian Troops Kill 3 Lebanese
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri Says Syria Crisis Will Not Affect Lebanon, Keen on Continuing Father’s Legacy
Prime Minister Najib Miqati: We Don’t Have Solid Evidence of Qaida Presence in Arsal
Arab Monitors Enter Baba Amro, Residents Urge Them to Meet Victims Families
Lebanese Shura Council Still Mum as Economic Committees Urge Private Sector to Implement Deal with GLC
Lebanese Govt. Calls on Higher Defense Council to Convene to Address Ghosn’s Qaida Claims
Lebanon: Oil Exploration Put at the Forefront of Discussions
Aoun: We Will Support al-Rahi’s Position on Arms When the Time Comes
Al-Rahi: Assad Launched Reforms in March, We're One People in 2 Nations
North Lebanon: Family Dispute Erupts into Heavy Gunfire in Tripoli Fish Market
Lebanese FM, Mansour: Not Joining Arab Observers Aims at Dissociating Lebanon from Syrian Crisis
N. Korea Bids Wintry Farewell to Late Leader
France Says Arab Observers Not Allowed to See 'Reality' in Homs
Berlin Discusses Activist's Beating with Syrian Envoy
EU to Pursue Iran Sanctions Despite Threat of Strait Closure
Residents of Syria’s Homs refuse to meet monitors with army present
Egypt's Mubarak back in court as trial resumes
Iran 'sentences opposition figure to jail'
Iraqi figures warn of dictatorship, civil war
Abbas primes West Bank for "Palestinian Resistance" (Third Intifada)

At Christmas, a Maronite Christian Village in Israel Revives the Language Spoken by Jesus Christ
By Karl Vick | @karl_vick
| December 23, 2011
In the far north of Israel, in a stone church tucked onto a remote hillside, Christmas Mass will be recited, as it is every year, in the language Jesus Christ spoke. Aramaic remains the liturgical language of the Maronite Christians in the Galilee, where Christ grew up and a resilient congregation struggles to revive the language in everyday life.
“Two thousand years ago it was very known,” says Father Bshara Suleiman, pastor of the St. Maroun Church, named for the 5th century monk who inspired the movement in the Aramean region in what is today Syria. By then Aramaic had been the lingua franca from Egypt to Afghanistan for perhaps 1,000 years, though few Americans had heard of it before The Passion of the Christ. The controversial 2004 feature directed by Mel Gibson was the top-grossing non-English film in history.
“It was very easy to understand, for me,” says Shadi Khalloul, who saw the movie in the U.S. and promotes Aramaic education at the Aramean Center in the town of Jish. “It was almost correct. They tried.”
That’s about all a moviemaker could do. Outside of church liturgies, Aramaic is spoken only in parts of Lebanon and Syria, and taught to young people only in Sweden, where about 100,000 exiles have taken root — and in Jish, now that the Israeli government finally gave permission for instruction during school hours.
Until that approval, years in the making, the fate of spoken Aramaic hereabouts was linked precariously to the health of people such as Maron Alam, 81, who on a recent weekday stands in the 18th century stone church and sings the liturgy he grew up with. “When he sings the language, for me, it’s very emotional,” says Khalloul. “I feel like, ‘Why are we losing this language?’ A nation without its heritage will not exist. Let’s hope a few years from now we’ll be able to revive it, and revive our identity.”
The hope is real — almost all Maronite students in Jish opt to study the language — yet the odds of full revival might best be described as mixed. On the positive side, Maronites have the example of Israel’s revival of another ancient tongue. “Look what the Jews did with Hebrew 100 years ago,” Khalloul says. When the first Zionist Jews arrived in what was then a section of the Ottoman Empire, they decided to update their ancient language, which was barely spoke aloud outside of worship. Within 15 years, a generation was speaking it as their native tongue; polls today record Hebrew as perhaps the one aspect of Israeli life its Jewish citizens value most.
On the other hand, Israel’s experience with nation building worked out much better than the Maronites’. In the fluid years immediately following World War I, with expanses of the Ottoman Empire up for grabs, the victorious great powers of Europe redrew the map of the Middle East. The British took Palestine as a protectorate, having announced in the Balfour Declaration that it should become a homeland for Jews scattered around the globe since biblical times. France carved out Lebanon as a prospective homeland for the Maronites, an expression of Paris’ cultural affinity for Catholicism — Rome having taken the Maronites under its umbrella in the 12th century. But things didn’t really work out. After decades of bitter rivalries and civil war, the roughly 1 million Maronites who still remain in Lebanon account for barely a quarter of its population; most are scattered in a diaspora from Stockholm to Brasília.
Residents of Jish have their own story of displacement. It starts a few miles to the north in a village called Biram, which most local Maronites called home until 1948, when the Israeli army swept through the Galilee during the war of independence. The Jewish fighters found most of the villages deserted, the Muslim Arab population having fled before their advance. But Biram was still full of people, the church bell clanging to announce their presence.
Maronite residents say they stayed put because they regarded the Jews as allies. In the years before the independence war, they note, the town had sheltered Jews escaping hostiles areas and making their way to Zionist havens on the coast. The assistance was documented in letters between Maronite and Jewish leaders.
But the army ordered Biram emptied and residents to move down the road to the abandoned Arab village of Jish. They complied, but took the matter to Israel’s Supreme Court, which ruled they should be allowed to return. Instead of enforcing the court instruction to return the Maronites of Jish to Biram, the army leveled the place. Today Biram exists as an overgrown park with just enough old stone walls standing to pass for picturesque.
“I tell my Jewish friends, instead of treating your friends well, you treat us like enemies,” says Khalloul. “We helped them, and we expected the same treatment.”
Following the Arab Spring, some Maronites who still nurse nationalist ambitions sense a possible new opportunity. If Syria goes to pieces, Lebanon may be up for grabs as well. In the meantime, residents of Jish press their case with a zeal balanced by discretion. “I like my liberal, my democratic state,” says Elias Suleiman, who heads the local school system. “We can criticize the state. We can do many things our neighbors cannot do.”Including, finally, teach Aramaic. Over lunch in a private home, eight fourth-graders gather in the living room to serenade visiting reporters. Their song sheets are in Aramaic script, which predates both Hebrew and Arabic and looks a little like both: “It’s very important for us to have the same words,” says Suleiman back in St Manour Church, built with the $5 million raised by the parish and a few wealthy Maronites abroad. He points overhead. Encircling the interior of the church’s dome are the opening words of Our Father in Aramaic. The priest smiles. A few years ago, he says, a bishop was visiting from Australia, and when the time came in the service to recite the Lord’s Prayer, the parish priest happened to glance at his visitor. “He started crying,” Suleiman said.
Related Topics: Biram, Bshara Suleiman, Elias Suleiman, Jish, lebanon, Maron Alam, Maronite Christians, Shadi Khalloul, israel, Middle East, religion

Lebanese man in U.S. says innocent of money-laundering allegations
December 28, 2011/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The lawyer of a Lebanese family running a used car dealership in Georgia, U.S., says the family is a victim in the U.S lawsuit against Lebanese suspected of funneling money to Hezbollah. "He's [George Baaklini] a victim," Chuck Sylvester, lawyer of the Baaklini family, told 11Alive news station. "He's from Lebanon but has been doing international business for years."
NBC’s Channel 11, based in Georgia, reported Tuesday on Baaklini, the owner of the Baaklini North America Inc. in Fairburn, which the U.S. has moved in on in the last couple of weeks to recover money U.S. authorities believe is part of a money-laundering scheme. In early December, the U.S. filed a lawsuit against Lebanese financial institutions for wiring over $300 million into the U.S. in a money-laundering scheme they said benefited Hezbollah. In the lawsuit, the U.S. is seeking nearly half a billion dollars in money-laundering penalties from Lebanese banks and 30 U.S. car buyers. It also said it was entitled to claim their assets under U.S. laws. The U.S. says Baaklini, one of the 30 used car dealerships, has made millions of dollars in profits by selling used cars which were part of a larger money-laundering scheme.
The lawsuit says that used car buyers in the U.S. received wire transfers for buying and shipping used cars which benefited Hezbollah.
Baaklini, now leasing cars out of an office in Peachertree city, refused to answer questions when approached by the station. Sylvester told Channel 11 that his client had no knowledge of the backgrounds of his customers who were required to wire money up front.
“He [Sylvester] says he is confident Baaklini will be cleared and that money that was essentially frozen by federal agents will be returned,” the station quoted the lawyer as saying.
In the U.S. lawsuit "U.S. vs Lebanon," the document details a chart of wire transfers for which records indicate a connection to "the purchase, sale, shipment, or otherwise related transaction regarding used cars in the United States." The U.S. government said substantial amounts of the cash were paid to Hezbollah, which the U.S. has listed as a terrorist organization since 1997.
The lawsuit said $300 million was wired from Lebanon to the U.S. and used to purchase used cars and ship them to West Africa. Hezbollah money-laundering channels reportedly used to ship proceeds from the car sales back to Lebanon. The suit followed a report by the New York Times claiming that the Lebanese Canadian Bank was the hub for international money-laundering operations aimed at funding the resistance group.

Syrian forces kill three Lebanese men along border
December 27, 2011 /Syrian security forces shot and killed three young Lebanese men Tuesday evening at the Buqaya border crossing near Lebanon’s Wadi Khaled, the National News Agency reported.
The three victims were transferred to Our Lady of Peace Hospital in the Lebanese town of Qoubayat. The report identified the three deceased men as: Maher Abu Zaid, Khaled Abu Sakher and his brother Mohammad. -NOW Lebanon

The debate surrounding the ouster of the al-Assad regime
By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid
Asharq Al-Awsat
Everyone has their own hopes or fears regarding the outcome of the ouster of a deeply rooted regime like the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria. Many people believe that the Syrian regime, like the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq and the Gaddafi regime in Libya, has played a destructive role in the region over the past 30 years. Therefore, the ouster of the al-Assad regime would liberate the entire region, not just the Syrian people, whilst also providing an opportunity for the return of stability, which is something that many have dreamt of over the past decades.
However, because the region is a puzzle made up of many different pieces, there are some who fear that the collapse of the al-Assad regime will transform the region into a multilateral war zone for the foreseeable future.
Which of these two views is correct?
We are not new to regional and international struggles, indeed the Middle East has long been the scene of such confrontations. South America is experiencing a period of stability, as is the majority of the African continent. Even the states of the former Soviet Union, which witnessed a phase of unrest and instability, are now – for the most part – experiencing stability Therefore, it is the Middle East that has suffered more than any other region of the world, and therefore is the most in need for stability.
If regimes that are based on chaos, such as the Saddam Hussein, Gaddafi, and al-Assad regimes, were not toppled and ousted, then our region would continue burning. However now, the last of the evil Arab regimes is reeling, and may collapse at any time in the near future. I believe this will change the political dynamic of the Middle East for the better. However, others believe that the collapse of the Syrian regime will lead to chaos and wars. Those who maintain this are not necessarily supporters of the al-Assad regime, rather their vision is based on the principle that the region is like a house of cards, and that if you remove one card, the entire edifice might collapse. They also speak about the regional ambitions of the Turks and the Iranians, amongst others, and compare the collapse of regimes to cracks in a dam, with the Middle East ultimately drowning in physical confrontations and battles, after decades of cold war. However I don’t support this view. I believe that the Turks are preoccupied with their own internal situation, and so they have no expansionist ambitions. As for the Iranians, they are too weak today to launch any regional wars; rather they fear how the collapse of the al-Assad regime will affect their own internal situation.

Syria: A delegation of Arab spectators!
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
We are deluding ourselves, and the Syrian people, when our media repeats the expression “a delegation of Arab monitors” for this is nothing more than a delegation of Arab spectators, who have no initiative or capability whatsoever. Nothing can be expected from their visit to Syria, other than the al-Assad regime being granted more opportunities to kill the unarmed Syrian people.
Since the delegation of Arab spectators reached Syria, the number of Syrian people being killed at the hands of the al-Assad regime’s war machine has increased, whilst the suffering of the Syrian people is also on the rise; meanwhile the al-Assad regime’s lies are never-ending! The biggest such lie was the absurd scene of the Damascus bombings which the al-Assad regime sometimes blames on Al Qaeda, and at other times on the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood. Therefore, the delegation of Arab spectators – with all due respect to its members – has no value whatsoever; Homs is under siege and facing levels of suppression that the Israelis do not even practice against the Palestinians, or other Arabs. During the 2006 Lebanon war, for example, the world rallied to halt the Israeli military machine, and succeeded in doing so, within just a few short months. The world also rushed to stop the Israeli war machine in Gaza [December 2008], and also halted this in a short period of time. Whilst today, we see Bashar al-Assad’s forces running riot over the Syrian people, and this is a state of affairs that has lasted for approximately 10 months or more. This is not to mention the destruction of mosques and homes, and the killing of men, women, and children, in a manner that even the Israelis would balk at. After all of this, can we trust a delegation of Arab spectators, or even the Arab League itself? To put it bluntly, the answer is: no! Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim stated that Syria is close to the end of the road, and he later said that the situation in Syria is moving towards internationalization, whilst before all this he told al-Assad that there is no room to prevaricate; however Qatar’s statements [on Syria] have been nothing more than empty words, that do not sate hunger or quench thirst. This is completely contrary to Qatar’s position on Libya, and even not comparable to Doha’s position on Yemen and Ali Abdullah Saleh. Indeed Qatar withdrew from the Gulf initiative [on Yemen] because of Saleh’s procrastination and delay, before he eventually signed the initiative in Saudi Arabia. Today we find the al-Assad regime procrastinating, delaying, lying, killing, and wreaking evil on the land, without Qatar taking any clear position. My aim here is not to score political points against Doha, particularly as Qatar is heading the Arab League committee that is dealing with Syria, whilst the Arab League has also failed to take any clear position on Syria. This, of course, does not include the game that has been played regarding the delegation of Arab spectators, who did not begin their visit to Syria with a tour of the city of Homs – which has suffered under the al-Assad region’s campaign of bombing and bombardment – nor any other Syrian region where the al-Assad regime’s killing machine has run riot; rather the Arab League delegation of spectators began their trip in Damascus, visiting the sites of the absurd bombings there.
Therefore, if the Arabs do not move to transfer the Syrian file to the UN Security Council, or announce their failure, and the failure of the Arab League initiative – that was never going to succeed in any case –they are nothing more than an accomplice in the suffering of the unarmed Syrian people, and a reason for the deteriorating situation in the country. One who does not speak out against evil is nothing more than an accomplice to it! Therefore, the Arab League, and its delegation in Syria, are nothing more than spectators, and a means for the extension of the Syrian crisis; as they are granting the al-Assad regime one opportunity after another to kill the unarmed Syrian people.

Cautious Calm in Wadi Khaled after Syrian Troops Kill 3 Lebanese
by Naharnet/A cautious calm prevailed in the Wadi Khaled area of the northern district of Akkar on Wednesday, a day after Syrian troops entered Lebanese territories and killed three men. Kasser Hussein al-Zeit and his brother Ahmed, who hail from the Syrian town of Heit, and their cousin Maher Ali al-Zeit, who resides in Majdal in Wadi Khaled, were killed on Tuesday when the Syrian army intelligence members reached the outskirts of al-Mqaibleh and opened fire on their vehicle, An Nahar daily said.
Sources in the border area had earlier told the newspaper that the men died in a cross border fire around 9:00 pm Tuesday. The Lebanese army immediately took strong security measures and pulled the bodies from the Mercedes 300 they were riding, An Nahar said. A medical official told Agence France Presse that a fourth person was wounded in the shooting but managed to get out of the car.
On December 2, dozens of terrified families fled their homes in Wadi Khaled after shooting from the Syrian side of the border wounded two men and a woman.
In recent months, thousands of people have fled into Lebanon from border districts of Syria such as Tal Kalakh as troops have resorted to mounting violence to crush anti-regime protests raging in the neighboring country since March.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri Says Syria Crisis Will Not Affect Lebanon, Keen on Continuing Father’s Legacy
by Naharnet/Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed on Wednesday that he isn’t after power but he wanted to continue in his father’s legacy and do something to benefit the country.
“My father’s legacy was to serve Lebanon, the Lebanese, and all the Arab affairs,” Hariri said on twitter in answering a question by a follower. He said that he aims at “changing” people’s lives for “the better.”Asked about the Arab League observer mission in Syria, Hariri said that it will either witness the “biggest flop” or that “it might also surprise us.”Arab observers arrived in the country to monitor a deal to end nine months of deadly violence.He stated that the Syrian crisis will not have any repercussions on Lebanon. Concerning the Tuesday night incident at Wadi Khaled, Hariri said that if the cabinet commented on the matter, its statement “will not make any sense.”Three Lebanese were killed in Wadi Khaled when Syrian troops entered Lebanese territories and opened fire on their car.

Blast Rocks Tyre Restaurant but Owner Insists on Serving Alcohol
by Naharnet /An explosion tore through a restaurant in the southern city of Tyre at dawn Wednesday in an alleged attempt to thwart its owner from holding New Year’s Eve celebrations and serving alcohol.
The explosion, which happened at around 5:00 am local time, was caused by a two kilogram bomb made of TNT that was left on the staircase of the seaside Tyros restaurant. There were no injuries.
The establishment is close to the Queen Elissa Hotel, whose nightclub was the target of a bombing attack on November 16. There were no victims in that attack and no one has claimed responsibility.
A nearby liquor store was targeted the same night. There was speculation the establishments were targeted for selling alcohol in the majority Shiite city, after a string of liquor stores were forced to close in the face of a prohibition campaign in the South. Voice of Lebanon radio station (93.3) said that the attack was aimed at forcing restaurants in the city at cancelling New Year’s Eve parties.Tyros’ owner, Zuhair Arnaout, told LBC TV that a banner advertising the celebrations he would hold on the weekend was torn off on Tuesday.He said security forces launched an investigation but the explosion took place the next day.But Arnaout insisted that he will fix the damage, go ahead with the celebrations and serve alcohol. Source/Agence France Presse

Al-Rahi: Assad Launched Reforms in March, We're One People in 2 Nations
by Naharnet /Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Tuesday noted that embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had “launched reforms in March” in his revolt-hit country, calling for “closing all doors and windows in the face of the foreign plots against the Levant.”Addressing a Syrian delegation from the coastal city of Tartous that visited him in Bkirki, al-Rahi said: “Together with you, we are looking forward to the implementation of the vital constitutional reforms Syria is in need of, and I know that the president launched those reforms in March.”“Reforms that come from the outside would be more harmful than useful and unfortunately we saw how Iraq was destroyed by the reforms that came from outside,” the patriarch warned.But he called on the Arab regimes to heed the peoples’ aspirations and “find the proper formulas for reform.”“We are against violence, from whichever side it comes, because things cannot be tackled through violence, as violence breeds violence and tragedies and leaves countless victims,” al-Rahi cautioned.He told the delegation: “We are with you and with all the Christians and Muslims in Syria, and we reiterate that we are one people in two neighboring countries. Everyone is on the ship, either we all be safe or we will all drown.”

Prime Minister Najib Miqati: We Don’t Have Solid Evidence of Qaida Presence in Arsal
by Naharnet/Prime Minister Najib Miqati wondered on Wednesday whether some Lebanese have connections with the actual al-Qaida terrorist group, saying that the organization’s name is being used in general terms and not in order to describe specific incidents.He said before reporters: “We don’t have solid evidence that al-Qaida is present in Arsal.”He made his comments in reference to Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn’s recent claims that the group had entered the Bekaa town and later infiltrated Syria.The minister said that he had received some information of such a development, to which Miqati noted: “Talk of such information does not mean that they are actual facts.”“Such a critical issue should not be addressed in a manner that may harm Lebanon,” stressed the premier.The security authorities that have been charged to verify Ghosn’s allegations will provide the Lebanese with the truth in the matter, he added.“The army is doing its utmost in protecting the border with Syria,” he stated.
Asked about the difference in position between the defense minister and Interior Minister Marwan Charbel on the al-Qaida allegations, he remarked: “This is not the first time that differences in opinion have been made.”“This is best evidence that the government is not one-sided as some sides had repeatedly asserted,” Miqati continued. Charbel had stated on Sunday that he had no information on the presence of al-Qaida members in Arsal, while Ghosn had said that he has information, but not enough evidence. On Beirut MPs’ demands for the establishment of an arms-free Beirut, the prime minister said: “This issue requires a military mechanism and political consensus in order to be implemented.” “The government alone is not capable of achieving this goal,” he stressed. A delegation of Beirut MPs held talks on Tuesday with Miqati on the need to establish an arms-free Beirut. MP Ammar Houri revealed after the meeting that the premier had requested the concerned security forces to devise a plan on achieving this goal. The MPs had held a meeting on December 19 criticizing the security situation in Lebanon and blaming the instability for the widespread possession of arms among the people.

Arab Monitors Enter Baba Amro, Residents Urge Them to Meet Victims Families
by Naharnet /A group of Arab League observers on Wednesday entered the flashpoint Baba Amro neighborhood in the Syrian city of Homs, as world powers urged Damascus to give them full access as they try to reveal the truth about the regime’s crackdown on dissent. Residents of Baba Amro initially refused to allow the monitors in because an army officer was accompanying them, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. Later the officer agreed to stay out of the restive neighborhood, thus allowing the observers to enter Baba Amro, the Observatory added.
At the same time the residents asked the monitors to "come and see the wounded people and the parents of the martyrs, and not members of the (ruling) Baath party," the rights group said.
The monitors also visited the Bab Sebaa quarter of Homs, where according to the Observatory the regime had organized a parade in support of President Bashar al-Assad.
The Observatory said it feared "that the observer team is not really seeing the violation of human rights in Syria."
The regime withdrew tanks from the streets of Homs, where hundreds of people have died in the nine-month crackdown on dissent, just hours before the observers arrived there on Tuesday and "could be back in five minutes," said the Observatory’s chief, Rami Abdul Rahman.
Abdul Rahman called on the observers to investigate the fate of what he said were tens of thousands of people arrested since unrest erupted in March.
Observers also headed Wednesday to other key protests hubs in Syria.
The monitors were due to visit Daraa -- cradle of more than nine months of anti-regime protests -- the northern provinces of Hama and Idlib, and around Damascus to pursue their investigations.
"As of Wednesday evening, and from Thursday at dawn, the observers will deploy in Idlib and Hama and in Daraa," mission chief General Mohammed Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi told Agence France Presse.
Dabi, a veteran Sudanese military intelligence officer, said observers would also fan out 50-80 kilometers around Damascus.
The observers arrived in Syria at the weekend and on Tuesday visited the Homs, which has been besieged by government troops for several months.
Dabi said the visit to Homs had been "good", and that he was heading back there on Wednesday. He said more observers would join the mission, which now numbers 66 monitors.
French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said the visit had been too brief and insufficiently revealing.
"A few Arab League observers were able to be briefly present in Homs yesterday. Their presence did not prevent the continuing of the bloody crackdown in this city, where large demonstrations were violently repressed, leaving about 10 dead," he said.
"The brevity of their visit did not allow them to understand the reality of the situation in Homs. The Arab League observers must be allowed to return without delay to this martyr city, to travel everywhere in it freely and to have the necessary contact with the public."
The mission is part of an Arab plan endorsed by Syria on November 2 that calls for the withdrawal of security forces from towns and residential districts, a halt to violence against civilians and the release of detainees. Valero said "the international community will be reassured when the violence stops, when the army returns to barracks, when the political prisoners are freed and when foreign journalists will receive visas to go to Syria." Activists say the army pulled back heavy armor from Baba Amro ahead of Tuesday's visit by the monitors, accusing the regime of deception.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged Syria to give the observers maximum freedom as they go about their mission.
"We constantly work with the Syrian leadership calling on it to fully cooperate with observers from the Arab League and to create work conditions that are as comfortable and free as possible," Lavrov said Wednesday. The United States and Human Rights Watch warned Damascus was hindering the mission which started following weeks of prevarication from Syria.
HRW accused the Syrian authorities of having "transferred perhaps hundreds of detainees to off-limits military sites to hide them from Arab monitors.
"The Arab League should insist on full access to all Syrian sites used for detention, consistent with its agreement with the Syrian government," the watchdog said.
State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said "we obviously look to these individuals to be intrepid in their search for the truth of what's happening on the ground."
The United States "would ... demand that the Syrian authorities allow them full access to the Syrian people in order to carry out their mission."
Syrian foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdisi has said the "mission has freedom of movement in line with the protocol" Syria signed with the Arab League. But the observers are banned from sensitive military sites. More bloodshed was also reported as army defectors killed at least four Syrian soldiers in the southern province of Daraa, and a civilian was shot dead in Homs, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. Mutinous soldiers ambushed a convoy killing at least four loyalist troops and wounding 12 in Daraa province, said the Observatory.
In Baba Amro a civilian was shot dead by security forces and another died of injuries sustained Tuesday, when Arab observers toured Homs.
On Tuesday, Syrian police used tear gas to disperse some 70,000 people who flooded the streets of Homs emboldened by the observers' visit and fired with live ammunition at some demonstrators, activists said. The U.N. estimates more than 5,000 people have been killed in the crackdown since protests against President Bashar al-Assad's regime began in mid-March.
The government blames the violence on "armed terrorist" groups.Source/Agence France Presse.

Lebanese Shura Council Still Mum as Economic Committees Urge Private Sector to Implement Deal with GLC
by Naharnet /A wage hike made by the cabinet last week will most likely not be published in the official gazette this year as the Shura Council failed to issue its stance on the decision ahead of the last government session for 2011. The cabinet convened at Baabda palace at noon Wednesday to discuss 37 items placed on its agenda. President Michel Suleiman and Premier Najib Miqati held closed-door talks ahead of the session. Ministerial sources had told As Safir newspaper that there was a very slim chance for the Council to announce its decision on the salary boost ahead of the session.
Last week’s cabinet decision called for raising the minimum wage to LL868,000 from the current LL500,000 – a sum that includes a LL236,000 transportation allowance.
Workers earning less than LL1.5 million receive an 18 percent increase while salaries between LL1.5 million and LL2.5 million receive an additional 10 percent on the second salary bracket. Wages above LL2.5 million will not earn an additional increase.The raise is effective as of December 1, 2011.
But the Economic Committees that include owners of major firms have rejected the formula. A delegation headed by former Minister Adnan Kassar told Suleiman during a meeting at Baabda palace on Tuesday that he should “help them solve the problem and resort to the agreement” reached between them and the General Labor Confederation.
The Committees and the GLC had reached a deal to set the minimum wage at LL 675,000 without the transportation allowance. However, their agreement was dealt a blow when the cabinet approved Nahhas’ proposal of LL868,000.A member of the delegation that visited Suleiman, Mohammed Shuqair, told An Nahar in remarks published Wednesday that he asked the president not to sign the new wage decree if it was Okayed by the Shura Council “because he would be signing the decree of the collapse of Lebanon’s economy.”
Shuqair said the Economic Committees will inform both Miqati and Speaker Nabih Berri about their stance to “fix the mistake of the last decree.”
Owners of businesses are claiming that Nahhas’ proposal would cause lay-offs and would shut down major companies because of the economic burdens.
Shuqair stressed that the Economic Committees have asked the private sector to go ahead with the deal reached between them and the GLC, saying the agreement would be effective as of January.
When asked to comment about the issue, Miqati told reporters at the Grand Serail before heading to Baabda palace that the Economic Committees have already begun implementing the deal.
He reiterated that the wage hike is not in Lebanon’s national interest.
Meanwhile, Suleiman, Berri, Miqati and the members of the cabinet stayed at the presidential palace for lunch after the cabinet session.
The president is expected to deliver a speech on the occasion of the end of the year, presidential sources told As Safir. They said Suleiman will spend the New Year with his family abroad.

France: Arab observers not allowed to see ‘reality’ in Homs
December 28, 2011 /Arab League observers have not been allowed to determine the real situation in Syria's protest hub of Homs and should return for the full picture, the French Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. "A few Arab League observers were able to be briefly present in Homs yesterday. Their presence did not prevent the continuing of the bloody crackdown in this city, where large demonstrations were violently repressed, leaving about 10 dead," ministry spokesperson Bernard Valero said. "The brevity of their visit did not allow them to understand the reality of the situation in Homs. The Arab League observers must be allowed to return without delay to this martyr city, to travel everywhere in it freely and to have the necessary contact with the public."
Valero said the international community would remain vigilant against any "deceit or manipulation" of the observers, who were due on Wednesday to visit three other key protest hubs after their trip to Homs on Tuesday. "We reiterate our support for the implementation of the Arab League plan in all its components," he said. "The international community will be reassured when the violence has stopped, when the army had returned to barracks, when the political prisoners are freed and when foreign journalists will receive visas to go to Syria," he said.-AFP/NOW Lebanon

N. Korea Bids Wintry Farewell to Late Leader
by Naharnet /..Tens of thousands of weeping North Koreans bade farewell Wednesday to longtime leader Kim Jong-Il as his young son and successor walked beside his father's coffin through a snowbound Pyongyang. Kim Jong-Un was at the forefront of the three-hour procession, in what analysts said was an attempt to bolster the image of the untested new leader of the impoverished but nuclear-armed nation.
The cortege started and ended its 40 km journey at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, where the late strongman's body had lain in state in a glass coffin.
Preceded by a car bearing a huge portrait of a smiling Kim and other vehicles, a limousine carried Kim's coffin -- draped with a red ruling party flag and surrounded by white flowers -- on its roof.
Jong-Un, dressed in black and gloveless despite the cold, held the side of his father's hearse, accompanied by his influential uncle Jang Song-Thaek and other officials.
"We have paraded here to bid farewell to our respected supreme commander," the head of a military honor guard said in a tearful voice, before a 21-gun salute was fired at the end of the ceremony.
Goose-stepping soldiers carrying dozens of party and military flags marched in salute to Jong-Un and senior officials.
Kim Jong-Il's absolute 17-year rule was marked by a 1990s famine that killed hundreds of thousands, a crumbling state-directed economy and the pursuit of missiles and nuclear weapons which brought international sanctions.
U.N. agencies have said six million people -- a quarter of the population -- still urgently need food aid.
But hundreds of thousands of shivering soldiers and civilians, many weeping bitterly or beating the frozen ground, were seen on state television lining the route or parading outside the palace.
"The people bid farewell to father General in great sorrow," read the main headline in ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun.
"The most heartbreaking time has come, when we cannot but bid farewell to the great father everyone in this land had followed with their hearts and souls."
Millions of servicemen and civilians were "firmly determined to become the guns and bombs to protect our dear comrade Kim Jong-Un and the warriors to realize his ideals and intentions".
Kim gave North Korea dignity as a country "that manufactured and launched artificial satellites and accessed nukes", the paper's editorial said.
Since the elder Kim died of a heart attack on December 17 aged 69, the North's propaganda machine has been heaping tributes on both him and Jong-Un, aged in his late 20s.Official media has declared Jong-Un the "great successor" and chief of the ruling party and military."The funeral revealed some clues about who will stand beside Kim Jong-Un to protect him," Professor Kim Yong-Hyun of Seoul's Dongguk University told Agence France Presse. Apart from Jang, they included senior ruling party officials Kim Ki-Nam and Choe Thae-Bok; military chief Ri Yong-Ho; armed forces minister Kim Yong-Chun; and Kim Jong-Gak, in charge of military administration and organization.Professor Kim said Kim Ki-Nam and Choe Thae-Bok were symbolic figures representing the ruling party.
"The other four including Jang are expected to play a key role in the next government under Jong-Un. They will serve as the protectors and sponsors of Jong-Un to prop up his regime," he said.
Yang Moo-Jin of Seoul'a University of North Korean Studies said the people walking beside the hearse "played a key role under Kim Jong-Il and are expected to become the pillars of the Kim Jong-Un regime". The late Kim inherited power from his father and founding president Kim Il-Sung before passing it on to his son.
The dynasty has been buttressed by a huge personality cult, the world's fourth-largest military and a repressive internal security apparatus.
Kim died while taking a train to make a "field guidance" visit, state media has said, portraying him as a tireless worker for his people to the end.
"It seems the sky knows well how much he got snowed on during his uninterrupted field guidance tour for the happiness of the people," the official news agency said of Wednesday's snowfall.
"We will overcome the overwhelming grief today and continue our victory... as we have comrade Kim Jong-Un, the supreme leader of our party and people," said a female TV presenter during a live broadcast. Mourning will officially end on Thursday with a nationwide memorial service including a three-minute silence. Trains, ships and other vehicles will sound their hooters.
The South's Yonhap news agency quoted the head of Seoul's National Intelligence Service, Won Sei-Hoon, as telling lawmakers that the North appears likely to continue the policies of its late leader.
Across the heavily fortified border in South Korea, defectors launched leaflets into their former homeland calling for an end to the Kim dynasty. "Kim Jong-Il. Go to hell!" read a banner attached to one of the giant balloons carrying bundles of leaflets across the frontier.SourceAgence France Presse.

Residents of Syria’s Homs refuse to meet monitors with army present
December 28, 2011 /Residents of Baba Amro in the flashpoint Syrian city of Homs have refused to allow Arab League monitors in because an army officer is accompanying them, a rights group said on Wednesday.At the same time, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, they are asking for the observers to "come and see the wounded people and the parents of the martyrs, and not members of the [ruling] Baath party."Instead, the Britain-based Observatory said, the monitors visited the Bab Sebaa quarter of Homs, where it claimed the regime had organized a parade in support of President Bashar al-Assad.The Observatory said it feared "that the observer team is not really seeing the violation of human rights in Syria." The regime withdrew tanks from the streets of Homs, where hundreds of people have died in the nine-month crackdown on dissent, just hours before the observers arrived there on Tuesday and "could be back in five minutes," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. Abdel Rahman called on the observers to investigate the fate of what he said were tens of thousands of people arrested since unrest erupted in March.-AFP/NOW Lebanon

What if?
Hazem Saghiyeh, December 27, 2011
Over the past few days, three major Syrian facts have been confirmed:
First, the observers’ protocol and Damascus’ acceptance of it following a period of procrastination are costly in terms of bloodshed in a long-term confrontation.
Second, the regime in Damascus will not give up easily and will not shy away from doing whatever it can, including crimes imputed to Al-Qaeda, in order to lengthen its stay in power.
Third, the Syrian uprising will not end or surrender regardless of the difficulties and challenges to which it is confronted.
The confrontation is broadening and increasingly-sectarian violence is on the rise while Iraq is collapsing on a massive scale against the backdrop of originally sectarian causes.
Therefore, the Syrian regime is likely to adopt the following as part of its arsenal of potential options: The confrontation may – sooner or later and regardless of any foreign intervention or lack thereof – force us to withdraw geographically to the Alawi Mountains. However, it will be difficult to defend this small region for a prolonged period of time if it is not linked to a broader geographical area. This will prove extremely hard near the Lebanese banks of the Nahr al-Kabir al-Janoubi due to the presence of an overwhelmingly Sunni majority there, one that vastly supports the uprising in Syria. Still, this hypothesis may seem applicable in the northeastern part of Lebanon, which is home to a staunch pro-Hezbollah Shia majority traditionally known for its good relations with key Syrian security figures.
Such a scenario will not be all flowers and daisies, as it is confronted to the obstacle represented by Homs (and Al-Qusayr) in Syria as well as by major Sunni gatherings in the Bekaa.
This calls for breaking resistance in these regions beyond repair by launching extremely harsh and repressive military actions, “pursuing Al-Qaeda,” etc.
This goes without saying that Hezbollah’s solidarity with the Syrian regime along the joint Lebanese-Syrian border is far less costly than solidarity as expressed by igniting Lebanon’s border with Israel. Hezbollah’s response to this demand is far more guaranteed than its responding to the demand of opening the southern front. In this respect, some even say that the party does not respond to any such demands without a direct and conclusive request by Iran and that the latest events in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh alluded that Syria is looking for other tools to undertake this mission.
Of course, one cannot confirm the existence of such a scenario. In contrast, no one can deny it either, especially since the most important hotspots in Syria and the most volatile regions in Lebanon bear witness to this theory. Furthermore, no one is ruling out the discussion of this possibility and propositions to address it. This holds all the more true since the party involved is merely concerned by its own survival. In that case, what is the opinion of the majority of the Lebanese people? What initiative will this majority undertake to defend its country and its citizens?
**This article is a translation of the original, which was posted on the NOW Arabic site on Monday December 26, 2011

The Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon/Talking to human rights lawyer Nabil Halabi
Amtissal Aboulissan, December 28, 2011
Now Lebanon/
Syrian refugees wait in front of a hospital tent at a refugee camp in the Turkish border town of Yayladagi in Hatay province. According to UN reports, the Syrian government’s crackdown on pro-democracy protesters has left nearly 5,000 dead since the uprising began in mid-March. Thousands of Syrians have crossed the borders of Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan to escape the violence. Many face deteriorating conditions and are denied refugee status. As a human rights lawyer and president of the Lebanese Institution for Democracy and Human Rights, Nabil Halabi has been working closely with Syrian refugees, researching and documenting their conditions.
With no foreseeable improvements on the horizon, the refugee situation is increasingly urgent. NOW Lebanon sat down with Halabi to discuss his concerns for the future.
What is the extent of your work with the Syrian refugees? How long have you been working with them?
Nabil Halabi: This is the not the first time I’ve worked with refugees; I’ve worked closely with Palestinian refugees in the past. I’ve been working with the Syrian refugees since mid-May. We try to connect them with relief organizations and offer advice. We also help any individual who has been subject to any kind of violations.
What is the current number of refugees, on record in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan?
Nabil Halabi: In Lebanon, there are currently 5,500 Syrian refugees—most of whom are in the North; around 4,000 in Jordan; around 6,000 to 7,000 in the camps in Turkey. There are other Syrian activists who are not present in the camps. They are in Istanbul and Antakya. We don’t have the exact number of Syrian activists because they haven’t registered. It’s important to note that whenever there is a military assault against civilians, the number of refugees increases in these countries, especially on the borders. For example, many in [the southwestern Syrian city of] Daraa fled to nearby Jordan, same with Homs and Tal Kalkh near Lebanon and in Edleb near Turkey.
What do they take with them?
Nabil Halabi: They take identification papers if they can. They usually only bring with them the most important things. Sometimes they flee without proper shoes because there would be a fierce assault and their lives would be in jeopardy.
They are mostly families. A single family could include the mother and the father and between three and eight children.
What are the refugees’ main concerns?
Nabil Halabi: They’ve fled from death and murder. Their concerns in Lebanon are safety, and attaining necessities like food and medicine. They are also concerned about education… It is important that their children resume their studies.
They also want protection from possible abduction. Many refugees have been transferred to the Lebanese judiciary. This violates the law on refugees because it is unacceptable to detain a refugee if he does not have legal papers or if he has illegally crossed the border. Some opposition activists among the refugees were also subjected to abduction by armed members. We know that members of the Syrian Air Force Intelligence entered Lebanon and kidnapped some activists.
The refugees in Turkey also need protection. They need to be able to move freely outside the camps. The Turkish government is not allowing this except on a small scale, using the excuse that they fear for the refugees’ security.
In regards to Jordan, three days ago I was informed that the [Jordanian] government prevented children from entering schools without providing any reason. There are also no tents in Jordan. It is similar to the situation in Lebanon except that there haven’t been any detentions. Jordan also says [these measures] are to protect the refugees. [We knew about this] through some institutions in Jordan. This is a new decision and no explanation was provided. If it is true, [the decision] needs to be reviewed.
What are the refugees in need of most?
Nabil Halabi: The most important thing is safety. Each government should provide the refugees with daily food, clothes, furniture and medical care. Governments are supposed to work with UNICEF regarding children and their needs. Children should be allowed to resume their studies and be provided with psychological and social [help] after what they’ve witnessed [in Syria.]
Many refugees have also requested help from the Jordanian and Lebanese governments in terms of work assistance, so they can provide for their families. They fear arrest. There is also a constant fear that someone is waiting for them on the border, ready to kill them. They are in need of stability and many of them feel the only way that will happen is if the Syrian regime falls.
Many refugees that initially fled later returned to Syria. What happened to them?
Nabil Halabi: On May 25, we had a total of 10,000 refugees. It was during this time that Tal Kalkh and other areas near the border with Lebanon were being stormed [by Syrian security forces]. The number later decreased and many refugees were arrested, leaving some families not knowing the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones.
In Turkey, the number of refugees reached 12,000. Many of them returned, especially after opposition members and the Free Syrian Army were able to control many areas in Edleb. As a result, many were able to return because it was under the protection of the defectors.
In Jordan, some activists left to other countries like Egypt, the UAE and Europe. The first people that went to Jordan were activists from Daraa who fled detention. Later, many families including those in Homs fled to Jordan simply because many tribes in Jordan are close to tribes in Syria. For example, some Bani Khaled families in Homs fled to their relatives in Bani Khaled in Jordan.
We know that there are refugees in Wadi Khaled. What about in Beirut and Bekaa?
Nabil Halabi: There are [Syrian] refugees in Beirut, though few, they are mostly Kurds. Syrian refugees face a clear danger and are subject to serious threats in Beirut because of the obvious presence of the political parties in support of the Syrian [regime]. The fact that there are members of the Syrian opposition in Beirut makes them in need of more protection. The Kurds usually flee to areas like Bourj Hammoud because the majority of them have relatives already living there. The same goes for Dora and Beirut. The refugees are also present in Aarsal, northeast Bekaa as well as Tripoli and Areeda.
In Jordan, refugees are present in Ramta, Irbid and in an area called Mafraq. In Turkey, camps are in Antakya. There are refugees in [other areas], but they are mainly in Antakya.
It seems as though Turkey has been providing the best care for these refugees. What about Lebanon?
Nabil Halabi: That is correct. The best place for the Syrian refugees is in Turkey and the worst is in Lebanon. In Turkey, they are abiding by international standards. There is a specific place for the refugees where they provide food on a daily basis at the expense of the Turkish government. The [Turkish] government is making a clear effort [to aid the refugees]. The Turkish Red Crescent is handling medical issues; hospitals in Antakya are receiving the injured without any obstacles. World relief commissions are also working to assist the camps.
In Lebanon—there are no specific or designated places for the refugees to stay. Their survival is left in the hands of the already financially strained Lebanese families in the North and in Aarsal. Other refugees aren’t so lucky. The Lebanese government did not ask for international help. If it feels incapable of helping the refugees, then the government should reach out to the international community—which is ready to provide assistance. The UNHCR tried to provide the refugees with proper documentation and the Lebanese government rejected it. Relief commissions also requested building camps for the refugees in the north, but the Lebanese government rejected that as well.
Lebanon has referred to the refugees as “displaced persons” or “guests.” How does this affect their status in another country?
Nabil Halabi: This is also true in Turkey and Jordan. They claim the refugees are “guests” because they do not want to give the impression that the problem requires international interference. If a [government] recognizes certain [people], there are legal restrictions the government has to abide by.
In Turkey, they consider them “guests” but at least they are providing them with proper care. It does not recognize them as refugees because then they will need to provide them with [legal] papers that would permit them to move freely in the country. Turkey believes this might subject the refugees to kidnappings. The same goes for Jordan.
In Lebanon, they did not recognize them as refugees because the government is an ally of Syria. Instead, the refugees are subjected to harassment and detention.
Has the governments’ inability to classify these Syrians as refugees, affected international organizations from providing aid?
Nabil Halabi: The Turkish Red Crescent and other organizations are currently providing assistance in Turkey. Syrian businessmen - many of whom also have Turkish nationality - are helping refugees, and paying for some medical operations.
In Jordan, the situation is a bit more difficult because the Jordanian government took care of some of their needs in the beginning, but now the refugees are staying with families and relying on them for support. Many local organizations, mainly Islamic charity organizations, are providing assistance to the refugees.
In Lebanon, the Red Cross - along with General Security - transferred injured [Syrians] to Lebanese hospitals. But they are not the ones providing help. Those providing help are medical organizations. The Medical Islamic Institution, for instance, is strongly visible in the north. The Turkish NGO, IHH, has sent aid to refugees in Lebanon along with countries like Qatar and Kuwait which provided food, clothes, blankets and other necessities.
Lebanese Prime Minister Mikati has ordered the governmental Higher Relief Council (HRC) to work with UN organizations to provide humanitarian assistance. Has there been any progress?
Nabil Halabi: Prime Minister Najib Mikati was clearly concerned about the [Syrian] refugee crisis and personally intervened to address certain cases, such as the detention [of refugees]. Though the [Lebanese] government’s response has been slow, Mikati himself pushed to facilitate treatment for many injured Syrians, dealing with the situation as a humanitarian issue and not a political one. A main concern among the refugees is the recording of names by the HRC of those that are injured. If potentially leaked, it would subject these refugees to danger, especially if the names [fall in the hands] of people in [the government] who are allied with Syria. So it is important to protect their identity.
What else needs to be done in order to assist the Syrian refugees and prevent the crisis from worsening?
Nabil Halabi: The only way to deal with the Syrian refugee crisis is for foreign countries to acknowledge the Syrian National Council as the only legitimate representative of the Syrian people. Once the SNC gains international recognition and legal legitimacy, they can move forward to address the refugees’ [affairs].

Abbas primes West Bank for "Palestinian Resistance" (Third Intifada)
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report/ December 28, 201/ Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas kicked off preparations for a fresh outbreak of anti-Israel "resistance" – which concerned US and Israeli security circles believe will develop into "Intifada No. 3" – Tuesday, Dec. 27, by suddenly firing, the West Bank's top security officer Maj. Gen. Diab el-Ali. He did not notify US Lt. Gen. Michael R. Moeller, the American Security Coordinator between Israel and the PA appointed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Israel's military coordinator, Maj. Gen. Eitan Dangot, of this step which caught them unawares.Palestinian military intelligence chief, Maj. Gen. Nidal Dokhan, was appointed to replace Maj. Gen. el-Ali.
debkafile's military sources in Washington and Jerusalem report that in both capitals, the Palestinian leader's action is seen as paving the way for radical changes in West Bank security. This fragile edifice was kept stable for some years thanks to joint US-Israeli-Palestinian efforts to back up peaceful relations between the Palestinians and Israel after the bloody years of the "Al Aqsa Intifada" terror.
Abbas (Abu Mazen) has now decided to upset this equilibrium by orchestrating an Arab Spring-style uprising on the West Bank, the differences being that the Palestinians will not rise up against their own leaders, i.e., himself, but against Israel, and that in no time this event is liable to revert to the "intifada"-style Palestinian terrorist violence of the early 2000s.
Four actions leading up to these steps have aroused trepidation:
1. Abbas's deal in Cairo last week with the extremist Hamas leader Khaled Meshal is one. The two rivals agreed that notwithstanding their differences they would go forward on common objectives.
For example, Meshaal sought the resurgence of armed resistance against Israel which Abbas opposes. They compromised on a "popular resistance" campaign of protracted mass demonstrations which would smash through the defense barrier dividing the West Bank from Israel, knocking over IDF checkpoints and storming en masse into Israel. The "demonstrators" would also march on and burst into Jewish civilian settlements.
2. For this campaign to succeed, it is necessary to redefine the functions of the eight Palestinian commando battalions of the Palestinian National Security Forces-PNSF, soon to be joined by two more just ending their training in Jordan.
The PNSF was created and is funded by the United States, while British and Jordanian military instructors train its 8,000 combatants.
To make sure the Palestinian "uprising" does not turn against the Palestinian Authority and himself, Abbas will place these military battalions at the forefront of the mass demonstrations. They are to lead the throngs to their points of confrontation with Israel.
The PA chairman is therefore highhandedly retooling the armed Palestinian force, which was painstakingly created by the United States, to make it a hammer for confronting Israel's armed forces and civilians on both sides of the Green Line.
3. Abbas fired Gen. Diab el-Ali because he worked productively with the American coordinating unit for four years, from the day the first battalion was formed. His successor Maj. Gen. Dokhan is regarded in Western security circles as a shadowy figure of the undercover world.
The difference between them is that while Gen. Diab el-Ali is trusted in Washington and Jerusalem as genuinely and uncompromisingly willing to combat an upsurge of terror and Hamas extremism on the West Bank, the same cannot be said of the new man. Gen. Dokhan maintains good relations with US and Israel officers but also stands well with the heads of the radical Hamas and Jihad Islami.
Neither US nor Israeli commanders would risk sharing sensitive intelligence with him lest it reach the wrong hands. His appointment therefore as the senior officer on the West Bank is seen as the beginning of the end of the successful military and intelligence cooperation the US crafted between Israel and the Palestinian Authority for combating West Bank terrorism and presaging the return of the pro-terror Palestinian organizations.
This is what Khaled Meshaal was driving at Tuesday, Dec. 27, when he said his accord with Mahmoud Abbas had ushered in a new era of Palestinian cooperation after "Hamas forces on the West Bank were eradicated in recent years."
4. In intensive consultations this week, debkafile's sources report that US and Israeli security officials were of the opinion that the security changes Abbas is molding will have the effect of destroying the security stability the West Bank has enjoyed under US-backed Palestinians Authority rule. After opening the door to the radical Palestinian organizations, the PA will soon lose control as Hamas and Jihad Islami ride into the enclave's towns and villages. Any demonstrations will soon get out of hand and descend into violent turmoil.
At the same, time, those security officials estimate that it will take Abbas up to two months to remodel the Palestinian PNSF for its newly designated mission.