LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِAugust
29/2011
Bible Quotation for today.
1 Corinthians 13/1-13/ Love/"1 If I speak
with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become
sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and
know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove
mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing. If I dole out all my goods
to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it
profits me nothing. Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love
doesn’t brag, is not proud, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t
seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn’t
rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things,
believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails.
But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are
various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done
away with. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that
which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a
child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things. 12 For now
we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I
will know fully, even as I was also fully known. But now faith, hope, and love
remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.
Latest
analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases
from
miscellaneous
sources
What about the Jihadists in Libya?/By
Mshari Al-Zaydi/August 28/11
Latest News
Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August 28/11
Lebanese Forces MP Elie Keyrouz: We
are the resistance
Hurricane Irene Downgraded to
Tropical Storm, Death Toll Rises
Pro-Al Qaeda brigades control
Qaddafi Tripoli strongholds seized by rebels
Fierce Fighting as Rebels Tighten
Noose on Gadhafi Hometown
Libya rebels tighten noose on
Gadhafi bastion
Egypt reportedly mulling buffer
zone on Israel border in wake of recent bloodshed
UN envoy Prosor: Israel has no
chance of stopping recognition of Palestinian state
Sarkozy: France has not forgotten
Gilad Shalit
Brother of Sadat's Assassin Returns
to Egypt from Iranian Exile
Turkey Says Has Lost Confidence in
Syrian Regime
Syrian opposition decides to take
up arms against Assad regime
Army fights defectors near
Damascus: residents
Syria Rejects Arab League
Statement, Slams 'Biased Language'
3 Syrian opposition figures banned
from travel
Iran hands death sentence to man
accused of killing nuclear scientist for Israel
Syrian refugees join anti-Assad
protest in Tripoli
Future bloc MP Nohad al-Mashnouq
slams Nasrallah’s statement about reform in Syria
Future bloc MP Ziad al-Qadiri calls
on Sleiman to “commit” to presidential oath
Mustaqbal MPs: Some Army
Intelligence Practices Resemble Syrian Practices
Future MPs hold solidarity meeting
with Daher
Miqati Returns from Saudi without
Meeting King Abdullah
Lebanese Forces bloc MP Antoine
Zahra: ‘Cracks’ in new majority were expected
Cabinet discussions over
electricity bill constructive: Mikati
Hizbullah Will Not Allow Government
to Be Toppled
Jumblat Meets Suleiman, Refuses to
Comment on Electricity File
Abadi: Lebanon Will Not Witness
Security Unrest
Turkey Says Has Lost
Confidence in Syrian Regime
Naharnet /Turkey has lost confidence in the Syrian regime as its deadly
crackdown on protestors continues, the Anatolia news agency quoted President
Abdullah Gul as saying on Sunday.
"Actually (the situation in Syria) reached a level that everything is too
little, too late. We lost our confidence," Gul told Anatolia in an interview to
mark his fourth year in office, referring to unfulfilled promises Syria's
President Bashar al-Assad had made to halt the onslaught. "Today in the world
there is no place for authoritarian administrations, one-party rule, closed
regimes. Those either will be replaced by force, or the governors of states will
take the initiative to administer," Gul said. "Everyone should know that we are
with the Syrian people ... What is fundamental is the people," he said. Ankara,
whose ties with Damascus have flourished in recent years, has repeatedly called
on Assad to initiate reforms but has stopped short of calling for his departure.
The Syrian regime has sought to crush weeks of protests with brutal force,
killing more than 1,600 civilians and arresting at least 12,000 dissenters,
rights activists say.
The latest bloodletting claimed two lives in Syria on Saturday, according to the
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. On Monday, U.N. leader Ban Ki-moon had said
it was "troubling" that Syria's President Bashar Assad has repeatedly failed to
keep promises including one to halt his military onslaught against the
opposition.
**Source Agence France Presse
Report: 2nd Suspected Syria Nuclear Site Is Found
Naharnet /A second suspected nuclear installation has been identified in Syria,
according to commercial satellite photos, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The publishing Wednesday of the photos by Washington's Institute for Science and
International Security could increase pressure on the United Nations to demand
wide new inspections of suspect Syrian facilities during a March board meeting
of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The newspaper said that “the photos
published by the ISIS identifies what it says are one of the three additional
sites the IAEA believes could be connected to the Deir al-Zour facility.” “In a
series of photos, ISIS displays what it alleges were apparent Syrian attempts to
disguise the activities of site after the Israeli attack (2007),” it added.
Israel attack in 2007 an alleged nuclear site in Syria in which Israeli and
American intelligence analysts judged was a partly constructed nuclear reactor,
apparently modeled on one North Korea has used to create its stockpile of
nuclear weapons fuel, reports say. The report noted that the “ISIS says the
location and contours of the building suggests it housed uranium-conversion
equipment that is used to produce nuclear fuel. The facility, in a town called
Marj as-Sultan, is on the outskirts of Damascus.”
ISIS said it located the site using commercial satellite images based on
information provided by sources at the IAEA as well as by a report in the German
newspaper, Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
The Wall Street Journal on Friday cited unnamed officials in the United States
and Israel as saying both countries are monitoring Syria's suspected
nonconventional arms, fearing that terror groups could take advantage of the
unrest to obtain chemical agents and long-range missiles. The newspaper said
U.S. intelligence services believe Syria possesses significant stockpiles of
mustard, VX and Sarin gasses and the missile and artillery systems to deliver
them. IAEA inspectors had visited eastern Syria in 2008 and reported that they
recovered traces of processed uranium from a site called Deir al-Zour, which the
Bush administration alleged housed a nearly operational nuclear reactor. Israeli
jets destroyed the facility nearly eight months before the IAEA's visit. IAEA
Director General Yukiya Amano has said in recent months that he'd consider
calling for a so-called special inspection of Syrian sites if Damascus continues
to deny U.N. staff entry, But Syria could then be referred to the Security
Council, if it again refused the IAEA's request. Diplomats at the IAEA told the
newspaper that Amano is also considering releasing a report at the March meeting
that would detail what the agency says is evidence that Syria was secretly
developing a nuclear reactor. Syrian President Bashar Assad's government has
rebuffed repeated IAEA requests to conduct additional inspections of the site as
well as three other facilities the U.N. agency believes could be related to a
covert Syrian nuclear program. Syria is one of six nations that isn't a
signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which bans the production and
stockpiling of chemical weapons.
Miqati Returns from Saudi without Meeting King Abdullah
Naharnet /Prime Minister Najib Miqati returned to Beirut on Saturday after
performing the Omra in Saudi Arabia where he also held talks with a number of
Saudi officials, reported the daily An Nahar on Sunday. The premier did not
however meet with Saudi King Abdullah. Sources close to Miqati explained that
his visit was aimed at performing the Omra, as is his habit at the end of the
month of Ramadan. His talks with Saudi officials were therefore not publicized,
they added.The sources also stated that the talks were “very positive”.
Mustaqbal MPs: Some Army Intelligence Practices Resemble Syrian Practices
Naharnet /The practices of some army intelligence officers “clearly resemble
those performed in the past by Syrian intelligence agents, especially in the
North, and we have already clarified this point to the army commander,” MP Ahmed
Fatfat said Sunday, following a meeting in Tripoli for a number of Mustaqbal
bloc MPs. The meeting which was held in “solidarity” with bloc MP Khaled a-Daher
was attended by MPs Ahmed Fatfat, Mohammed Kabbara, Moein al-Meraabi and Kazem
al-Kheir -- who all hail from North Lebanon. “We are voicing our solidarity with
our colleague Khaled al-Daher and clarifying our position: We, in the Mustaqbal
Movement, had shown our commitment to state institutions before anyone else. We
are the ones who have backed the Lebanese army in all circumstances,” said
Fatfat after the meeting. “We’re not the ones who prevented the army from
deploying in the South, up until the year 2006, we’re not the ones who put ‘red
lines’ against the entry of the Lebanese army to the Nahr al-Bared camp, we’re
not the ones who assassinated martyr pilot Samer Hanna,” Fatfat said, in clear
reference to Hizbullah. “In support of the army and the army institution, we
urge the army command to take all measures necessary to immunize the military
institution against these practices,” Fatfat added. Criticizing recent remarks
by Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah without naming him, Fatfat said: “We
have heard remarks that anyone who criticizes the army or the Resistance would
be serving Israel, and we reject this accusation. We clearly say that those who
had served Israel were the ones who prevented the army from deploying in the
South, particularly Hizbullah, which had served Israel by moving its militias
from the South in order to fight its fellow citizens.” Asked about recent calls
for lifting the parliamentary immunity of MP Daher, Fatfat said: “They will have
to lift the immunity of everyone present here, and maybe of more MPs as well.”
Government wants to exclude expat vote: March 14 MP
August 28, 2011/Daily Star
BEIRUT: MP Butros Harb accused the Foreign Ministry of attempting to exclude the
expatriate vote from the next parliamentary elections, adding that it was in the
interests of the government to do so. "The Foreign Ministry has not done
anything substantial to this day as they continue with their empty promises,”
Harb said during a news conference in Australia, the National News Agency
reported Sunday. “[They] continue to exclude Lebanese living outside [the
country] from elections and I fear that nothing the government promises will
happen in 2013." Harb, a member of the March 14 parliamentary bloc, said that
the Foreign Ministry lacked the necessary capabilities and statistics about
expatriates to be able to produce the voting procedures and regulations required
by a law passed in 2008 designed to allow Lebanese to vote from abroad.
“Frankly, I don’t see any willingness by those who are in power today to hear
your voices,” Harb said. “It is in their interest to silence the voices of [the
expats],” Harb said, without elaborating. The former labor minister also urged
Lebanese to register at embassies so that they would be able to vote and called
on embassies and consulates to facilitate the process of registration,
describing it as a “national duty.”Other politicians have voiced similar
accusations against the ministry including Lebanese forces leader Samir Geagea
who earlier this month described the behavior of the ministry toward Lebanese
living abroad as “treason,” and urged Lebanese to register at embassies and
demand the right to vote.
Earlier this month, Change and Reform bloc MP Neamatallah Abi Nasr also raised
the issue of the expatriate vote saying that too few Lebanese have registered to
make the process viable, and blaming the low number on a failure in the foreign
ministry's awareness campaign. Recent numbers from a survey conducted by the
Foreign Ministry show that out of the approximately 1.2 million Lebanese living
overseas who are eligible to vote, only around 3,000 have registered to do so at
their embassies.
Syria Rejects Arab
League Statement, Slams 'Biased Language'
Syria on Sunday rejected an Arab League statement demanding an end to the
bloodshed in the country as the organization’s chief waited for a green light to
travel to Damascus.
In a diplomatic note to the organization’s secretariat seen by Agence France
Presse, Syria said the statement amounted to "a clear violation ... of the
principles of the Arab League charter and of the foundations of joint Arab
action." The Syrian delegation protested that the declaration was issued
"despite the meeting having closed with an agreement that no statement would be
published or statement made to the press." The statement contained "unacceptable
and biased language," the note said, adding Damascus would act as if it had
never been published.
The Arab League announced a peace initiative aimed at solving the crisis in
Syria where more than 2,000 people have been killed in anti-regime protests, to
be delivered in person by its secretary general, Nabil al-Arabi.The 22-member
organization’s foreign ministers at a meeting on Saturday night called in the
statement for an "end to the spilling of blood and (for Syria) to follow the way
of reason before it is too late." They expressed their "concern faced with the
grave developments on the Syrian scene which have claimed thousands of victims
and wounded."
The foreign ministers also called for respecting "the right of the Syrian people
to live in security and of their legitimate aspirations for political and social
reforms." Arabi said on Sunday that he was awaiting a Syrian invitation to
travel to Damascus. "I'm waiting for the response of Syria's government," he
told journalists in the Egyptian capital, adding he was ready to leave
immediately.*Source Agence France Presse
Pro-Al Qaeda brigades control Qaddafi Tripoli strongholds seized by rebels
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report August 28, 2011, Members of the Al Qaeda-linked
Libyan Islamic Fighting Group – LIFG, are in control of the former strongholds
of Muammar Qaddafi captured by Libyan rebels last Sunday, Aug. 21, debkafile
reports from sources in Libya. They are fighting under the command of Abd
Al-Hakim Belhadj, an al Qaeda veteran from Afghanistan whom the CIA captured in
Malaysia in 2003 and extradited six years later to Libya where Qaddafi held him
in prison.
Belhadj is on record as rejecting any political form of coexistence with the
Crusaders excepting jihad.
His brigades were the principal rebel force in the operation for the capture of
Qaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya ruling compound on Aug. 23. Saturday, Aug. 27, those
brigades overran the Abu Salim district of southern Tripoli taking it from the
last pro-Qaddafi holdouts in the city. Many of the prisoners released from the
local jail belonged to al Qaeda.
The LIFG chief now styles himself "Commander of the Tripoli Military Council."
Asked by our sources whether they plan to hand control of the Libyan capital to
the National Transitional Council, which has been recognized in the West, the
jihadi fighters made a gesture of dismissal without answering.
According to US and British media, at least half of the members of the NTC have
moved from Benghazi to Tripoli, the key condition for the receipt of Qaddafi's
frozen assets and international aid. But there is no confirmation from our
sources that this has happened. Tripoli is rife with disorder, awash with
weapons and prey to reciprocal allegations of atrocities. Our sources doubt that
the council will be able to assert control of - or even a presence in - Tripoli
any time soon. US intelligence sources in Tripoli see no sign that the NTC will
be able to persuade the Islamist brigades to relinquish control of the city in
the near future - or even lay down arms.
Those arms are advanced items which British and French special operations forces
gave the rebels, said a senior American source. Had those NATO contingents not
led the Tripoli operation, the rebels unaided would not have captured Qaddafi's
centers of government.
A week after that dramatic episode, Tripoli's institutions of government have
wound up in the hands of fighting Islamist brigades belonging to al Qaeda, who
are now armed to the teeth with the hardware seized from Qaddafi's arsenals. No
Western or Libyan military force can conceive of dislodging the Islamists from
the Libyan capital in the foreseeable future.
Libya has thus created a new model which can only hearten the Islamist
extremists eyeing further gains from the Arab Revolt. They may justly conclude
that NATO will come to their aid for a rebellion to topple any autocratic Arab
ruler. The coalition of British, French, Qatari and Jordanian special forces,
with quiet US intelligence support, for capturing Tripoli and ousting Qaddafi,
almost certainly met with US President Barack Obama's approval.
For the first time, therefore, the armies of Western members of NATO took part
directly in a bid by extremist Islamic forces to capture an Arab capital and
overthrow its ruler.
An attempt to vindicate the way this NATO operation has turned out is underway.
Western media are being fed portrayals of the rebel leadership as a coherent and
responsible political and military force holding sway from Benghazi in the east
up to the Tunisian border in the west.
This depiction is false. Our military sources report that the bulk of rebel
military strength in central and western Libya is not under NTC command, nor
does it obey orders from rebel headquarters in Benghazi. This chaotic situation
in rebel ranks underscores the importance of the effort the NTC has mounted to
capture Sirte, Qaddafi's home town, where most of his support is concentrated.
Control of Sirte, which lies between Benghazi and Tripoli, will provide the NTC
and its leader Abdul Jalil, with a counterweight for the pro-Al Qaeda brigades
in control of the capital.
What about the Jihadists in Libya?
By Mshari Al-Zaydi/Alsharq Al Awsat
It goes without saying that the fall of the Gaddafi regime is a wonderful piece
of news. This strange man offered nothing to his people, the Arabs, or the
entire world, except pure evil.
The dangers and eccentricities of Gaddafi are indisputable. The best thing for
Libya is to remove this "Green Man" from its present and future for good.
However, we must not ignore the fact that Gaddafi has not left the scene
entirely.
In my estimation, it is a risk to decisively assert that Gaddafi is totally out
of the picture. Indeed, he has tasted defeat and has been forced to flee Tripoli
like an outlaw. But the man is still dangerous with a lot of money and maybe
even hidden weapons in his possession, not to mention his remaining supporters
and fighters.
Nevertheless, Gaddafi's privileges will be rendered useless if Libya's
revolutionaries can expertly and proficiently handle the current phase, and
steer Libya's ship towards safer shores.
Here an issue ought to be raised, although I am aware that many of those who
have rejoiced over Gaddafi's defeat – myself included – will be somewhat
reluctant to approach this matter at the current moment.
The issue relates to the role of fundamentalist fighters, or "Jihadists", in
Libya's war of liberation. Abdelhakim Belhadj has recently been revealed to be
one of the "stars" of Libya's rebel forces – a former Mujahideen youth who made
his mark in Afghanistan, alongside other familiar Jihadist battlefields. Belhadj
is the commander of the Libyan rebel Tripoli Military Council, yet ironically,
this Jihadist "military" commander was in prison a few months ago. In fact, it
was Saif al-Islam Gaddafi who secured his release under an initiative launched
in 2007, to turn over a new leaf with Jihadist Islamists in Libya.
Indeed, it has been said that Abdelhakim Belhadj has now joined the "national"
Libyan revolutionary project, and that he is not a Jihadist in the same manner
as the "Libyan Islamic Fighting Group", a religious organization similar to the
Egyptian Islamic Jihad group. This could be true with regards to Abdelhakim, and
maybe tens or hundreds of fighters like him, but what about the rest of the
Libyan Jihadists?
This is a somewhat disturbing yet necessary question, especially after the
Chairman of the Libyan National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdul Jalil,
acknowledged the presence of extremist religious groups among the ranks of
Libyan fighters, in the wake of Tripoli's fall. I don't think that "Sheikh"
Abdul Jalil meant to tarnish the image of the Libyan Revolution by saying that.
Actually, his courage in admitting such a fact is a great testament to him.
The problem in our Arab media and culture stems from partisan viewpoints. Either
you support a revolution faithfully and categorically, or attack it emphatically
and skeptically, without asking critical questions about the key details.
In my estimation, there is a dangerous fundamentalist presence in the depths of
the Libyan revolution, and this is something we should take heed of now. This
presence could turn into a source of danger for Libya's future, in the days to
come. These radicals could easily turn their guns from the Bab al-Aziziya
compound towards the Libyan National Transitional Council, targeting it for
being "secular" and an ally of the "Crusaders" (NATO). These radicals may seek
to establish a Shariaa law state in Libya, and unleash their Jihad across North
Africa. I do not believe I am exaggerating here. We have learnt from past years
that the dreams of fundamentalists have no limits, and that chaos is the best
environment for them to flourish.
Thus, from now on we say: The Libyan Jihadists may prove to be a source of
danger to the state in the near future, unless members of the National
Transitional Council manage to rescue Libya at this critical juncture. We all
hope the Council can succeed in leading Libya through this dark tunnel. Finally,
I am aware that Muammar Gaddafi and his son Saif al-Islam previously drew
attention to the potential danger of militant fundamentalists in Libya. This was
certainly a sound warning, even if it was declared at the time to strengthen the
Gaddafi grip on power, and now we are restating it out of fear for Libya
Hizbullah Will Not Allow Government to Be Toppled
Naharnet /Contacts are being held away from the media spotlight in an attempt to
ease the government tensions over the electricity file, reported the Kuwaiti al-Rai
newspaper on Sunday.
Political sources warned that the dispute over the file may be the beginning of
division among the March 8 camp-led government. They stressed however that
Hizbullah “will not allow the government to be toppled seeing as it represents
its political base.” The party is therefore seeking to overcome the current
crisis over the electricity file in a manner that would appease Free Patriotic
Movement leader MP Michel Aoun and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid
Jumblat. Meanwhile, informed sources told the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa newspaper in
remarks published on Sunday that Jumblat’s rejection of the electricity file is
a political message to Aoun to halt his push for the adoption of proportional
representation in the parliamentary elections electoral law. They explained that
the FPM leader is seeking to weaken Jumblat in his Chouf stronghold, which will
alter the distribution of power in the Mount Lebanon region that has existed
since the days of the Druze leader’s father Kamal Jumblat. Jumblat “will never
abandon this historic equation that allowed for the representation of various
sects” in the MP’s parliamentary bloc, they added. Should Aoun succeed, then the
Druze leader will lose the Christian representation in the bloc, they noted.
Lebanese Forces MP Elie Keyrouz: We are the resistance
August 28, 2011 /Lebanese Forces MP Elie Keyrouz on Sunday responded to Loyalty
to the Resistance bloc MP Hussein Moussawi’s Saturday statement that “no one has
the right to speak in the name of Christians, except for loyal Christians who
know who their real enemies are.” “It is a shame that during these bad times
some are trying to give us lessons on how to defend and take back the rights of
Christians, while it was us who have paid precious blood for these rights,” the
National News Agency quoted him as saying during a mass in Bcharre held in
memory of Lebanese Forces martyrs. Keyrouz added, “We have been the Lebanese
resistance before any other resistance, no matter what names it is given… we
were the resistance during the [Syrian occupation] in Lebanon and at a time when
all the world disregarded Lebanon.”The MP added that his party supports Arab
uprisings and the Arab people’s aspiration to obtain freedom and dignity. -NOW
Lebanon
Brother of Sadat's Assassin Returns to Egypt from Iranian Exile
Naharnet /The brother of the Islamist assassin of former president Anwar Sadat
returned to Egypt from exile in Iran on Sunday and surrendered to the
authorities, an Agence France Presse correspondent reported. Mohammed Shawki al-Islamboulli,
who was sentenced to death in absentia for leading the Islamist network Al-Gamaa
Al-Islamiyya in the mid-1990s, was whisked away by officials from the military
prosecutor's office as he arrived in Cairo. He is due to be tried again under
Egyptian law since the earlier verdicts were handed down in his absence.
Islamboulli claimed his innocence and told reporters he had been living in Iran
for the past eight years after a 16-year stay in Afghanistan. "I returned to
Egypt because I have faith in the judicial system," he said, adding that the
popular uprising that ended the 30-year regime of president Hosni Mubarak in
February spurred his return home. Several relatives and members of Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiyya
were at the airport to greet him. The group renounced violence in 1998. Sadat
was shot dead by Islamist militants at a military parade in Cairo on October 6,
1981, three years after he signed the 1978 Camp David Accords that led to a 1979
peace treaty with Israel, the first by an Arab country. Islamboulli's brother
Khaled was the main person to be convicted in the case and was executed in 1982.
In March, almost a month after Mubarak was ousted by massive street protests,
Egypt's new military rulers ordered the release of two other Islamist prisoners
jailed in connection with Sadat's assassination.**Source Agence France Presse
Future bloc MP Nohad al-Mashnouq slams Nasrallah’s
statement about reform in Syria
August 28, 2011 /Future bloc MP Nohad al-Mashnouq said on Sunday that Hezbollah
Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s statement about reform in Syria
“does not imply seriousness, and is a proof of despair.” Nasrallah on Friday
voiced support for the achievement of reforms in Syria. “Iran, which is allied
with Damascus, considers that the Syrian regime has begun to lose hope in
resuming political life, and must carry out reform to reach elections,” the MP
told As-Sharq radio station. “The Syrian regime has one option, which is to give
in to the people’s choice,” Mashnouq said, adding that the Syrian regime insists
on dealing with the protesters as if they are members of “terrorist
organizations.” Asked about the influence of Syrian events on Lebanon, Mashnouq
called on the Lebanese people to act wisely, and “confess that they cannot stand
against change and against the Syrian people’s right to [choose] their own
political system.”“Hezbollah and its party need time to understand the course of
events in Syria,” he added. Mashnouq called for “ignoring” Progressive Socialist
Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt’s position on the electricity issue
because“[Jumblatt’s] hesitancies shift and change and are based on security
calculations.” The MP added that opposition leader Saad Hariri is not in the
country due to “security fears,” adding “hopefully [Hariri] will be [in Lebanon]
in September.” The parliament in August adjourned the discussion of Change and
Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun’s energy bill to transfer $1.2 billion in
funds to the Energy Ministry, while ministers are still discussing the proposal
in the cabinet. Jumblatt warned that either his party’s remarks on the
electricity bill are taken into account or his ministers will not approve
it.-NOW Lebanon
Future bloc MP Ziad al-Qadiri calls on Sleiman to “commit” to presidential oath
August 28, 2011 /Future bloc MP Ziad al-Qadiri said on Sunday that President
Michel Sleiman is “acting against his commitment” to the presidential oath.
Qadiri also commented on “criticisms targeting the army,” saying they do not aim
to engage the army in political arguments, but to improve its situation.“Why
doesn’t Hezbollah give its arms to the Lebanese army so it becomes stronger?” he
said in an appearance on MTV.The MP said that towns and houses in western Bekaa
“are being stormed in a manner that disrespects people’s dignity.”
The cabinet is responsible for the security situation, he added. Regarding the
current controversy over the energy sector draft law submitted by the Change and
Reform bloc, Qadiri told MTV that Energy Minister Gebran Bassil’s plan is
“incomplete and [aims] for personal gain.” The cabinet is a “political corpse,”
he added. The parliament in August adjourned the discussion of Change and Reform
bloc leader MP Michel Aoun’s energy bill to transfer $1.2 billion in funds to
the Energy Ministry, while ministers are still discussing the proposal in the
cabinet. On Saturday, Future bloc MP Khaled al-Daher called on Lebanese army
commander General Jean Kahwaji and Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn to purge the
army of the “members that harm its virtues.” -NOW Lebanon
Future MPs hold solidarity meeting with Daher
August 28, 2011 /A number of Future bloc MPs held on Sunday a solidarity meeting
to support Future bloc MP Khaled Daher at his residence in Tripoli, the National
News Agency reported. Following the meeting, MP Ahmad Fatfat said that Future
Movement has always supported public institutions more than any other party,
including supporting the army through all circumstances. “We will not accept any
of the accusations against us, but at the same time we announce that the
practices of some army officers are unacceptable, especially officers in the
Lebanese army intelligence… their practices resemble in a way those of the
officers in the Syrian intelligence services, especially in the North of
Lebanon.”
Fatfat also said that his party has reported these practices to Lebanese army
commander General Jean Kahwaji and to other officials in the Army; however, no
measures were taken.
The MP called on the army command to take all necessary measures to protect the
military institution against such practices. Regarding the calls to drop Daher’s
parliamentary immunity, Fatfat said that [all] MPs are immune and have the right
to give their political opinions. “When we criticize any [public] institution,
we do so in a bid to improve the institution,” he added. On Monday, Daher said
in a press conference that some security bodies are acting like “Shabeeha”
(thugs) and are assaulting citizens and their dignity. He added that at later
date he will reveal intelligence figures concerning acts of abuse and torture
against certain people. On Saturday, the MP called on Kahwaji and Defense
Minister Fayez Ghosn to purge the army of the “members that harm its virtues.”
-NOW Lebanon
Lebanese Forces bloc MP Antoine Zahra: ‘Cracks’ in new majority were expected
August 28, 2011 /Lebanese Forces bloc MP Antoine Zahra told the Voice of Lebanon
(93.3) radio station on Sunday that “cracks” in the new majority were expected
because the cabinet lineup is inconsistent. “There is a party attempting to
[control] the country, another party, represented by [Progressive Socialist
Party leader] MP Walid Jumblatt and his bloc, that participated to prevent
strife and maintain civil peace, and there is another party which is in a hurry
to make gains through the positions it holds.”The parliament in August adjourned
the discussion of Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun’s energy bill to
transfer $1.2 billion in funds to the Energy Ministry, while ministers are still
discussing the proposal in the cabinet. Aoun warned that he will withdraw his
ministers if the cabinet does not carry out developmental plans, but Jumblatt
warned that either his party’s remarks on the electricity bill are taken into
account or his ministers will not approve it.-NOW Lebanon
Question: "What does it mean that Jesus saves?"
GotQuestions.org
Answer: “Jesus saves” is a popular slogan on bumper stickers, signs at athletic
events, and even banners being pulled across the sky by small airplanes. Sadly,
few who see the phrase “Jesus saves” truly and fully understand what it means.
There is a tremendous amount of power and truth packed into those two words.
Jesus saves, but who is Jesus?
Most people understand that Jesus was a man who lived in Israel approximately
2000 years ago. Virtually every religion in the world views Jesus as a good
teacher and/or a prophet. And while those things are most definitely true of
Jesus, they do not capture who Jesus truly is, nor do they explain how or why
Jesus saves. Jesus is God in human form (John 1:1, 14). Jesus is God, come to
Earth, as a true human being (1 John 4:2). God became a human being in the
person of Jesus in order to save us. That brings up the next question: why do we
need to be saved?
Jesus saves, but why do we need to be saved?
The Bible declares that every human being who has ever lived has sinned
(Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23). To sin is to do something, whether in thought,
word, or deed, that contradicts God’s perfect and holy character. Because of our
sin, we all deserve judgment from God (John 3:18, 36). God is perfectly just, so
He cannot allow sin and evil to go unpunished. Since God is infinite and
eternal, and since all sin is ultimately against God (Psalm 51:4), only an
infinite and eternal punishment is sufficient. Eternal death is the only just
punishment for sin. That is why we need to be saved.
Jesus saves, but how does He save?
Because we have sinned against an infinite God, either a finite person (us) must
pay for our sins for an infinite amount of time, or an infinite Person (Jesus)
must pay for our sins one time. There is no other option. Jesus saves us by
dying in our place. In the person of Jesus Christ, God sacrificed Himself on our
behalf, paying the infinite and eternal penalty only He could pay (2 Corinthians
5:21; 1 John 2:2). Jesus took the punishment that we deserve in order to save us
from a horrible eternal destiny, the just consequence of our sin. Because of His
great love for us, Jesus laid down His life (John 15:13), paying the penalty
that we had earned, but could not pay. Jesus was then resurrected, demonstrating
that His death was indeed sufficient to pay the penalty for our sins (1
Corinthians 15).
Jesus saves, but who does He save?
Jesus saves all who will receive His gift of salvation. Jesus saves all those
who fully trust in His sacrifice alone as the payment for sin (John 3:16; Acts
16:31). While Jesus’ sacrifice was perfectly sufficient to pay for the sins of
all humanity, Jesus only saves those who personally receive His most precious of
gifts (John 1:12).
If you now understand what it means that Jesus saves, and you want to trust in
Him as your personal Savior, make sure you understand and believe the following,
and as an act of faith, communicate the following to God. “God, I know that I am
a sinner, and I know that because of my sin I deserve to be eternally separated
from you. Even though I do not deserve it, thank you for loving me and providing
the sacrifice for my sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I
believe that Jesus died for my sins and I trust in Him alone to save me. From
this point forward, help me to live my life for you instead of for sin. Help me
to live the rest of my life in gratitude for the wonderful salvation you have
provided. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me!
Question: "What is the spiritual gift of leadership?"
GotQuestions.org
Answer: The Bible gives the means for the church to accomplish tasks, develop
the local congregation, serve the needs of the fellowship, and help it establish
a community witness. The Bible describes these means as spiritual gifts, one of
which is the gift of leadership. The spiritual gift of leadership in the local
church appears in these lists in two passages, Romans 12:8 and 1 Corinthians
12:28. The Greek word translated “rule” or “govern” in these verses designates
one who is set over others, or who presides or rules, or one who attends with
diligence and care to a thing. In 1Thessalonians 5:12, it is used in relation to
ministers in general: “And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor
among you, and are over you in the Lord.” Here the word is translated “over
you.”
Everything rises and falls with leadership. The more skillful and effective the
leadership, the better the organization runs and the more the potential for
growth increases. In Romans 12:8 the word translated “ruler” indicates care and
diligence with reference to the local church. The ruler is to attend, with
constant diligence, to his work, which is to watch over the flock and to be
ready to sacrifice personal comfort to look after needy sheep.
There are several characteristics of those with the spiritual gift of
leadership. First and foremost, they recognize that their position is by the
appointment of the Lord and is under His direction. They understand that they
are not absolute rulers, but are themselves subject to the One who is over them
all, the Lord Jesus who is the Head of the church. Recognizing their place in
the hierarchy of the administration of the body of Christ prevents the gifted
leader from succumbing to pride or a sense of entitlement. The truly gifted
Christian leader recognizes that he is but a slave of Christ and a servant of
those he leads. The Apostle Paul recognized this position, referring to himself
as a “servant of Christ Jesus” (Romans 1:1). Like Paul, the gifted leader
recognizes that God has called him to his position; he has not called himself (1
Corinthians 1:1). Following Jesus’ example, the gifted leader also lives to
serve those he leads, and not to be served by them or lord it over them (Matthew
20:25-28).
James, the half-brother of the Lord Jesus, had the gift of leadership, as he led
the church in Jerusalem. He, too, referred to himself as “a servant of God and
of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1). James exhibited another quality of
spiritual leadership—the ability to sway others to think rightly, biblically,
and godly in all matters. James persuaded those in Jerusalem on the contentious
issue of how to relate to Gentiles coming to faith in Jesus the Messiah. "And
after they had become silent, James answered, saying, ‘Men and brethren, listen
to me: Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out
of them a people for His Name’" (Acts 15:13-14). With that opening statement he
led them to think clearly and biblically, enabling them to come to a right
decision on this issue (Acts 15:22-29).
As shepherds of God’s people, ruling with diligence includes the ability to
discern true spiritual needs from “felt” needs and to lead others to maturity in
the faith. He leads others to grow in their ability to discern for themselves
that which comes from God from that which is cultural or temporary. Like Paul,
his words are not “wise and persuasive” but are filled with the power of the
Holy Spirit, leading and encouraging others to rest their faith on that very
power (1 Corinthians 2:4-6). The goal of the gifted leader is to guard and guide
those he leads “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of
the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).
The spiritual gift of leadership is given by God to men and women who will help
the church to grow and thrive beyond the current generation. God has given the
gift of leadership not to exalt men, but to glorify Himself when men and women
use the gift He gave them to do His will.
What does the Bible say about courage?
GotQuestions.org
Answer: In the Bible, courage is also called “good cheer” as in Mark 6:50 as in
Jesus’ command to the disciples who saw Him walking on the water of the Sea of
Galilee and coming toward them. The Greek word translated “courage” and “good
cheer” means literally boldness and confidence. As such, in the Bible, courage
is the opposite of fear. When God commands us to fear not, to be of good cheer,
and to have courage, He is always commanding against fear which is the opposite
of courage.
But God doesn’t simply command courage with no reason behind it. In nearly every
incident where God says “fear not”, there follows a reason to have courage and
that reason is God Himself, His nature and His perfect plans. When God calms
Abram’s fears after his battle with the kings of Sodom, the captivity of Lot and
his rescue, God said to Abram, “Fear not, [for] I am your shield” (Genesis
15:1). When Hagar was despairing for her life and that of her child in the
wilderness the angel of the Lord tells her, “Fear not, for God has heard the
voice of the boy where he is” (Genesis 21:17). God’s promise to the Israelites
in Isaiah 41:14 is similar: “Fear not [for]…I am the One who helps you.” In each
incident, we see God commanding courage, not because it is natural for man to be
brave and courageous, but because when God is protecting and guiding us, we can
have courage because we are confident in Him.
In the New Testament, we see the angel of the Lord telling Mary to have courage
to face the trial of being pregnant with Jesus by the overshadowing of the Holy
Spirit, despite having no husband. Again the reason for her courage is because
of the almighty God who controls all things: “Do not fear…for you have found
favor with God” (Luke 1:30). The shepherds are similarly commanded to be of good
cheer and have courage by the angel who brought good tidings of great joy (Luke
2:10), as was Zacharias told not to fear for his prayer had been heard (Luke
1:13). In each incident, the courage commanded is the result of understanding
the foreknowledge and sovereignty of God whose plans and purposes cannot be
thwarted and whose omnipotence makes every circumstance if life subservient to
His will.
God’s promises to us have the same rationale. We can be confident, courageous,
and of good cheer because of Him. “Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the
ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will
keep your foot from being snared” (Proverbs 3:25-26). Here is the promise of
God’s superintending care for us, a care that is absent from the lives of those
who reject Him. But for those who have placed their faith in Christ for
salvation, we are to have no fear because “it is your Father’s good pleasure to
give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). In this great promise lies the basis of our
confidence, our courage, and our good cheer.