LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِJUNE 16/2011

Bible Quotation for today
Peter's Second Letter 1/1-11: " Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 1:2 Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 1:3 seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue; 1:4 by which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. 1:5 Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence; and in moral excellence, knowledge; 1:6 and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control patience; and in patience godliness; 1:7 and in godliness brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love. 1:8 For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful to the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1:9 For he who lacks these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. 1:10 Therefore, brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. 1:11 For thus you will be richly supplied with the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources 
US naval movements around Syria. Hizballah moves rockets/DEBKAfile/June 15/11  
New Lebanese cabinet is "government of confrontation – March 14 Alliance/Asharq Al-Awsat/June 15/11
Al-Assad: Between the King and the Prime Minister/By: Tariq Alhomayed/June 15/11
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak: Syria's Assad has lost his legitimacy/By Amos Harel/June 15/11
New Opinion: Lebanon's Don Quixote/Now Lebanon/June 15/11
The Soldier Who Gave Up on Assad to Protect Syria's People/By: Rania Abouzeid/June 15/11

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for June 15/11
Lebanon Tribunal Likely First Test of New Hezbollah-led Government/VOA
STL key test for new Lebanese government, analysts say/Now Lebanon
World reacts to Lebanon's Hezbollah-led government//Daily Star
Opposition says new government means Lebanon 'taken hostage' by Hizbollah/The National.
Report: Despite $1 billion in US aid, Iran, Syria still dominate Lebanon/World Tribune
Lebanon Opposition Says New Cabinet May Spark Confrontations/Bloomberg
Syrian envoy: New Cabinet will strengthen Lebanon//Daily Star
Thorny issues besiege Lebanese Cabinet/Daily Star
Rai: No follow-up meeting on Christian issues held/Daily Star
Lebanon court sets new date for army general's spy case/Daily Star
Lebanon 'hostage' to Syria, Hezbollah: opposition/Khaleej Times
Canada Extends Mission to Protect Civilians in Libya/June 15/11
Obama's Syria dilemma/Christian Science Monitor
Clinton Says Iran Backing 'Vicious' Syria Crackdown/ Naharnet
Report: Hizbullah Moving Rockets over Fears of Spillover of Violence from Syria /Naharnet
Suleiman during First Cabinet Session: Syria Didn’t Interfere in Govt. Formation /Naharnet
1st Cabinet Meeting Held amid Arslan’s Absence, Commemorative Photo Taken at Baabda Doorstep/ Naharnet
Miqati during First Cabinet Session: Govt. Will Work for Whole of Lebanon without Discrimination/ Naharnet
Nasrallah, Jumblat Stress Close Cooperation Among Cabinet Members/Naharnet
Analysis: Why UN won't act against Syria/CNN
Iraqi Kurds call on government to back Syrian protestors/Now Lebanon
Barak: Syria's Assad has lost his legitimacy/Haaretz
Report: Document reveals Nakba Day clashes planned by Syria government/Haaretz
UN chief renews mandate for Golan peacekeeping force due to border tension/DPA
CNN reporter, briefly in Syria, hears 'horror' stories/CNN
Arab League issues first condemnation of Syria violence/The Guardian
Lieberman to EU: Recall your ambassadors from Syria/J.Post
Syria Widens Army Action in Crackdown on Restive Region/New York Times
Iran Denies Role in Syria Crackdown/VOA
Syria pressed to stop crackdown/BBC
Document supposedly shows Syria role in border clashes/J.Post
Syria's finances under scrutiny/Financial Times
In Syria we need a revolution in our heads/The Guardian
Just inside Syria, refugees from embattled town huddle in makeshift camp/Christian Science Monitor
New Lebanese interior minister denies belonging to Change and Reform bloc/Now Lebanon
Many barriers will block cabinet’s work, says Allouch/Now Lebanon
This is the worst cabinet in Lebanon’s history, says MP Marwan Hamadeh/Now Lebanon
Newly-appointed State Minister Nicolas Fattouch undecided on cabinet participation/Now Lebanon

1st Cabinet Meeting Held amid Arslan’s Absence, Commemorative Photo Taken at Baabda Doorstep
 Naharnet /Premier Najib Miqati’s new cabinet held its first session at Baabda palace on Wednesday in the absence of Talal Arslan who had announced his resignation to protest the state ministry post allotted to him. President Michel Suleiman chaired the meeting at 10:30 am. Miqati and the remaining 28 members of the cabinet attended. Arslan announced his resignation hours after the government was formed on Monday. He was demanding a cabinet portfolio. The first cabinet session was mainly aimed at forming a committee designed to draft the policy statement. The National News Agency said the committee headed by Miqati includes ministers representing the major parliamentary blocs. They are: Charbel Nahhas, Shakib Qortbawi, Ali Qanso, Ali Hassan Khalil, Mohammed Safadi, Nazem al-Khouri and Wael Abu Faour. NNA said that at the start of the session, Suleiman discussed the latest developments and the challenges facing the cabinet. As for Miqati, he discussed about the government’s major work plan. Ahead of the meeting, the cabinet’s members were joined by Suleiman and Speaker Nabih Berri at Baabda’s doorstep for the official photograph

Suleiman during First Cabinet Session: Syria Didn’t Interfere in Govt. Formation
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman stressed during the new cabinet’s first session that the government was formed with a Lebanese agenda and without foreign meddling, Information Minister Walid al-Daouq quoted him as saying. Suleiman added: “Syria didn’t interfere and this is what we ask for.” The president congratulated Prime Minister Najib Miqati for his efforts to form the cabinet despite the various pressure he faced, Daouq said in a statement. “Since the signing of the Taef Accord and to this day, we had been accustomed to Syria intervening in the government formation process, but it didn’t this time, proving that we are capable of resolving our affairs among ourselves,” Suleiman noted. “Sacrifices have to be made to save the country through adhering to democracy in various elections … and respecting the army as it remains the main national institution responsible for fortifying the nation,” he continued. The president also commended Speaker Nabih Berri’s sacrificing of a Shiite minister in the cabinet lineup in favor of a Sunni one

Miqati during First Cabinet Session: Govt. Will Work for Whole of Lebanon without Discrimination
Naharnet/Prime Minister Najib Miqati stated during the new government’s first session that it “will work for the whole of Lebanon and all Lebanese without discrimination or spite,” Information Minister Walid al-Daouq quoted him as saying. He said in a statement after the session: “Lebanon is the victor and we cannot ignore the sacrifices that were made, especially that of Speaker Nabih Berri who asserted Sunni-Shiite unity, preventing strife from coming between them.” Miqati stated that proving Lebanon’s ability to protect itself and avert conflicts are the main challenges facing the country. He highlighted Lebanon’s ties with “friendly nations, especially those that stood by us during difficult times, most notably during Lebanon’s confrontation with Israel.” He also urged the ministers to set people’s everyday issues as a priority, noting the various economic and social challenges facing Lebanon, which the premier said can be settled in a short period of time with the right amount of effort.

Nasrallah, Jumblat Stress Close Cooperation Among Cabinet Members
Naharnet/Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat have stressed the importance of close cooperation between the different members of the cabinet to guarantee its success. A statement released by Hizbullah’s press office on Wednesday said that Nasrallah held talks with Jumblat, who was accompanied by Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi, along with the presence of Hizbullah official Wafiq Safa. The conferees “made a general assessment of the cabinet formation process and the challenges and responsibilities that it would face,” the statement said. “Both sides stressed the importance of close cooperation between the different parties of the new government to guarantee its success and give priority to resolve the people’s problems,” it said. The statement added that the new cabinet should take its "full national responsibility” in facing local and international challenges

Clinton Says Iran Backing 'Vicious' Syria Crackdown
Naharnet/U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday accused Iran of backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's "vicious assaults" against pro-democracy protesters.
"Iran is supporting the Assad regime’s vicious assaults on peaceful protesters and military actions against its own cities," Clinton said, comparing its response to Iran's crackdown on pro-reform protests in 2009. "Two years ago this week, Iranian citizens went to the polls in the hopes of expressing their democratic rights. But the authorities in Tehran had no interest in the will of the people," she said. "When the people reached for their aspirations, the government responded with brutal repression. Two years later, that repression continues."
Syria's uprising was triggered in mid-March by the arrest and torture of 15 children and adolescents accused of spraying anti-regime graffiti in the southern town of Daraa, which then became the epicenter of the revolt. The U.N. children's agency UNICEF has since said that at least 30 children have been shot dead in the revolt against the Assad family's 40-year rule.
The revolt gained new strength last month with the release of gruesome pictures of the body of 13-year-old Hamza al-Khatib, whom activists say was severely tortured, a charge denied by authorities. Clinton compared Khatib to Neda Agha-Soltan, a young Iranian woman who became an emblem of the 2009 protests after she was shot during a demonstration and shown bleeding out on a widely circulated online video. "The world was shocked by images of a 13-year-old Syrian boy, tortured and mutilated by Syrian security forces. It reminded us of a young Iranian woman, killed in the street two years ago for all to see," she said. She added that the United States would "stand with citizens -- including the citizens of Syria and Iran -- who yearn to be free and to exercise their universal rights." Washington has repeatedly called on Syria to halt the violent crackdown that has killed hundreds of civilians and sent thousands of people streaming across its border with Turkey. Last week wounded refugees being treated in Turkey accused Iranian forces of taking part in the fierce assault in and around Jisr al-Shughour, a northwestern town where tens of thousands have fled the violence. The United States has demanded that Assad lead a peaceful political transition or step aside, but has stopped short of calling for his ouster. It has also blacklisted Iranian officials for their alleged role in the crackdown. Iran has meanwhile stood by Syria, its main Arab ally, and condemned U.S. "meddling" in its affairs. It has accused the United States and Israel of backing the revolt and said the foreign media is exaggerating the violence. Iran suppressed its own wave of protests following 2009 elections that returned President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power and were slammed as fraudulent by the opposition and a movement of tech-savvy young activists.
Source Agence France Presse

Report: Hizbullah Moving Rockets over Fears of Spillover of Violence from Syria
Naharnet/Hizbullah began shifting the long- and medium-range rockets it had allegedly stored in northern Lebanon to locations in the center of the country, the Israeli Debkafile website reported. Western military sources told the website that “Hizbullah was taking the precaution of keeping its arsenal safe from a spillover of violence from Syria.”
Debkafile said the sources learned on Tuesday that Iranian intelligence had advised Hizbullah to remove its rockets out of range of a possible American operation in Syria.
Meanwhile, the U.S. deployed the USS Bataan amphibian air carrier strike vessel opposite Syria's Mediterranean coast with 2,000 marines, 6 war planes, 15 attack helicopters, including new V-22 Ospreys, and 27 choppers for landing forces aboard, military and intelligence sources told the Israeli website.The USS Monterrey cruiser armed with Aegis surface missile interceptors has additionally been stationed in the Black Sea. Western sources also report a build-up of ship-borne anti-missile missile strength in the Mediterranean basin.
“Moscow, Tehran and Damascus, are taking this exceptional spate of American military movements in and around the Mediterranean as realistically portending American intervention in Syria,” the report said. Western intelligence sources in the Persian Gulf said that “Washington is coordinating its military movements with Ankara and that Turkish Prime Minister Tayyep Erdogan quietly agreed to place Turkish bases at U.S. disposal for an operation in Syria.”

This is the worst cabinet in Lebanon’s history, says MP Marwan Hamadeh
June 15, 2011 /MP Marwan Hamadeh said on Wednesday that the newly-formed cabinet is the worst cabinet in Lebanon’s history and came in the worst circumstances. “The Lebanese people aimed for justice, but they received this cabinet which is the opposite of their ambitions,” he told LBC television. The March 14 backed MP also said that Syria wants to turn Lebanon into a battlefield. “Syria… is still implementing its opinion [through] its allies in Lebanon.”Hamadeh added that Mikati’s cabinet is a government of one-political sect. The new Lebanese cabinet—headed by Mikati—was formed on Monday after almost five months of deliberations between the March 8 parties.-NOW Lebanon

Many barriers will block cabinet’s work, says Allouch
June 15, 2011 /Future Movement official Mustafa Allouch said in an interview published on Wednesday that the newly-formed cabinet will fail due to the many barriers blocking its work.
“[Despite] the regional circumstances that led to the cabinet’s formation, many barriers will block the work of the cabinet,” he told Al-Mustaqbal newspaper. He added that the stumbling-blocks for the government include: its constitutionality, in a reference to the relinquishing of one Shia seat, the inability to implement an economic salvation strategy due to regional developments, and the controversy over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). “The main decision-making belongs not to Prime Minister [Najib Mikati], but Hezbollah, who [formed] the cabinet to face the STL.” All these facts force the March 14 parties to practice constructive opposition, he added. The new Lebanese cabinet—headed by Mikati—was formed on Monday after almost five months of deliberations between the March 8 parties. The newly formed cabinet includes five Shia ministers and seven Sunnis, the first such distribution since the Taif Accord of 1989. -NOW Lebanon

New interior minister denies belonging to Change and Reform bloc
June 15, 2011 /Newly appointed Minister of Interior Marwan Charbel said in an interview published Wednesday that he does not belong to the Change and Reform Bloc and will not participate in its meetings.He told Kuwaiti Al-Rai newspaper that he was nominated due to a consensus between President Michel Sleiman and Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun. The Internal Security Forces (ISF) Information Branch needs to be rehabilitated and a new Command Council has to be formed to bring in fresh blood to the institution, Charbel added. “In order to transform the Information Branch into a division we have to amend the law; the Information Branch is still a branch and in order to change this fact we have to change its structure… in accordance with the law.”Charbel also said that ISF Director General Achraf Rifi will remain in his post unless the cabinet decides to relieve him of his duties and the president, Prime Minister Najib Mikati and himself sign a decree. The new cabinet was formed on Monday after almost five months of deliberations between the March 8 parties.
-NOW Lebanon

Iraqi Kurds call on government to back Syrian protestors
June 15, 2011 /Several groups and well-known personalities in Iraq's Kurdish region have called on authorities to support the pro-democracy movement in Syria, in a joint statement on Wednesday. "Silence in the face of the crimes committed in Syria is a disgrace and we call on the federal government of Iraq and in Kurdistan to support human rights, freedom and democracy in Syria because it is a moral duty," said the statement, published in Kurdistan's second biggest city Sulaimaniyah. The statement was signed by 11 local organizations, including the Centre for Democratic Rights, and media and cultural personalities. "We support Syrian citizens who aspire to freedom and a better life based on democracy and respect for human rights, and we condemn the Baathist regime, its savage repression and its crimes against humanity against peaceful demonstrators and the Syrian people," the statement said.
"The Kurds of Iraq have been victims of the brutality of the Baathist regime, and its desire to eliminate the Kurdish people, and in Syria today, the Kurds are not treated in a manner equal to that of other citizens."Since March 15, more than 1,200 protestors have been killed and 10,000 have been arrested in pro-democracy rallies in Syria, according to activists.
-AFP/NOW Lebanon

Newly-appointed State Minister Nicolas Fattouch undecided on cabinet participation
June 15, 2011 /Newly-appointed State Minister Nicolas Fattouch said in remarks published on Wednesday that he is still reviewing his stance concerning his participation in the cabinet.
“I don’t have a stance yet, I am still [reviewing] the situation and I will speak based upon it,” he told An-Nahar newspaper. Fattouch was reportedly unhappy with his appointment to a State Ministry and might resign from the cabinet. The new Lebanese cabinet—headed by Prime Minister Najib Mikati—was formed on Monday after almost five months of deliberations between the March 8 parties. Lebanese Democratic Party leader Talal Arslan resigned from the newly-formed cabinet shortly following its formation on Monday after he was appointed as a state minister. -NOW Lebanon

STL key test for new Lebanese government, analysts say
June 14, 2011 /Now Lebanon
The first test for Lebanon's new prime minister will be how to handle a UN court likely to indict members of Syrian- and Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which along with its allies now dominates the government, analysts say. "The prime minister's first challenge will be not to get locked in a confrontation with the international community over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL)," said Paul Salem, head of the Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East Center. Salem said Najib Mikati, who was appointed premier in January with the blessing of Hezbollah but has since sought to emerge as a political independent, would have to manage pressure by the group to cut all ties with the court. The STL, a UN-backed investigation into the 2005 murder of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri, has long been a point of contention between feuding parties in Lebanon. The STL is widely expected to indict Hezbollah operatives in the Hariri murder, a move the Shia group has outright rejected. On January 12, Hezbollah and its allies toppled the government of Saad Hariri – son of Rafik – over his refusal to disavow the tribunal.
Almost five months later, Mikati announced the formation of a 30-member government that Hariri's bloc refused to join, sparking fears in the international community that the new cabinet would cease cooperation with the STL. "Even if the new Lebanese government includes moderates, pragmatically it is a cabinet that was formed under extreme pressure by Hezbollah," said Imad Salamey, political science professor at the Lebanese American University. "It is a government that will have to face the STL."
The United Nations, Lebanon's former colonial ruler France and the United States – which blacklists Hezbollah as a terrorist organization – have urged Lebanon to uphold its international obligations. "This will be the first test of the new cabinet," said Khattar Abou Diab, international relations professor at the Universite Paris-Sud. "This is how we will find out whether Lebanon is headed for a confrontation with the international community or not," Diab told AFP. The Mikati government marks the first time a bloc led by Hezbollah, which fought a war with Israel in 2006, has led a government in Lebanon.
The opposition, led by Saad Hariri, has slammed the new government as a front for the militant group and its backer, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to seize control of Lebanon.
"We denounce the formation of this government and state that Lebanon is a country now being held hostage by the Syrian regime and Hezbollah," said Fares Soueid, a former MP and secretary general of the March 14 opposition alliance. What now hangs in the balance is how Mikati will manage the delicate task of drafting government policy as Hezbollah pressures him to cut off all ties with the STL and as the international community watches closely. "The real battle will be over the wording of the ministerial declaration, which is when we will truly see how Hezbollah and its allies intend on dealing with the tribunal," said Nadim Shehadeh, Lebanon expert at the London-based Chatham House think-tank.
There have been fears in Lebanon of sectarian violence, should members of Shia Hezbollah be accused in the murder of Sunni Hariri – a risk experts today do not rule out.
"We will likely face a serious crisis when the tribunal issues its indictments," said Shehadeh. "A tribunal indictment that implicates Hezbollah in the murder could prove very dangerous."
Hezbollah, which has dismissed the STL as part of an Israeli conspiracy, has not yet commented on the new government. Analysts say the militant group is left uneasy by the uprising against Assad, a longtime ally of Hezbollah. "As the Syrian regime grows weaker, Hezbollah has had to consolidate its standing in Lebanon as they could be left on their own," Salem said.
"Being at the forefront of domestic politics is not something they like," he added. "They would rather keep a low profile."-AFP/NOW Lebanon

UN chief renews mandate for Golan peacekeeping force due to border tension
By DPA /UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon asked the Security Council on Tuesday to maintain a peacekeeping force in the Golan Heights because of the volatile situation in the Middle East. Ban asked the council to extend for another six months, from June 30, the mandate of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) because the situation will remain tense "unless and until a comprehensive settlement covering all Middle East problem can be reached." UNDOF was first deployed in 1974 to monitor a ceasefire between Israel and Syria. It is now made up of 1,041 troops from Austria, the Philippines, India. Croatia, Japan and Canada. Its mandate has been renewed every six months since 1974.
Tensions rose recently in the UNDOF-controlled area on May 15 and June 5 when Palestinians tried to breach the ceasefire line to protest against the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) post in the area. The May 15 protests took place on Nakba day, the day that Palestinians mourn the tragedy of the establishment of the Israel, while the June 5 protests occurred on Naksa day - the anniversary of the Arab defeat in the 1967 Six-Day War. Syria reported that 23 people were killed in the June 5 clashes, but the IDF has disputed that number, saying that it is likely exaggerated and there is no way to verify it. A UN report on the Naksa day events said the IDF used tear gas, smoke grenades and live fire to prevent the demonstrators from crossing the ceasefire line. It stated: "Several anti-tank mines exploded due to a brush fire apparently started by tear gas or smoke grenade canisters near UNDOF facilities at Charlie Gate, resulting in casualties among protesters." The brush fire was put out by Syrian and Israeli fire squads, and UNDOF, the report read.

Report: Despite $1 billion in U.S. aid, Iran, Syria still dominate Lebanon
WASHINGTON — For the second time, the United States, despite nearly $1 billion in assistance, has lost Lebanon to Iran, a report said.
A report by a former senior official said Washington has again failed to stop Lebanon from being dominated by Iran and Syria. The report, titled "Fool Me Twice: How the United States Lost Lebanon — Again," asserted that U.S. aid to Lebanon's government and military did not block the deterioration of the country's pro-democracy movement.
"For the second time in three decades, a substantial American investment of time, money, and effort to strengthen the Lebanese government and support its fledgling democracy has come to very little," the report, authored by Eric Edelman and Mara Karlin, said. "Hizbullah, Teheran, and Damascus now dominate the country's intractable domestic politics. U.S. diplomacy is left powerless, wondering how to make the best of an increasingly untenable situation in the Levant."
Edelman, a former defense undersecretary, said U.S. efforts to help the Lebanese military did not prevent Beirut's domination by Iran and Syria. He said Washington used the same methods to influence Lebanon in 2005 as it did in its first failed effort in 1982. "While the Syrian and Iranian governments quickly provided the terrorist group Hizbullah with sophisticated weaponry, the U.S. commitment to devote more than half a billion dollars to rapidly train and equip the Lebanese Armed Forces languished in the ponderous machinery of statecraft," the report said. "Despite the clear urgency in Lebanon, it took until the fall of 2006 for the first materiel to arrive in Beirut." Still, U.S. support was said to have saved the Lebanese government during the Al Qaida takeover of a Palestinian refugee camp in 2007. The report said Washington sent more than 40 C-130s to delivery military equipment within a few weeks, which turned the tide against the Islamist insurgents. The report said the administration of then-President George Bush missed its chance to help Lebanon when it decided against undermining Syria.
Instead, Washington began to engage Iran and Syria in an effort to stabilize neighboring Iraq and Damascus reasserted its role in Lebanon. "During this period, Washington, torn by internal dissension over Syrian policy and undermined by unhelpful interventions by Turkey and Israel, was never able to bring sufficient pressure to bear on Damascus," the report said. "Syria's few allies during this period included the Iranians and North Koreans, neither of whom had international credibility." By 2008, the pro-Western ruling coalition in Lebanon, called March 14, began to crumble in face of Hizbullah pressure. But the United States refused to intervene militarily and save the Beirut government from Iran and Syria. Under President Barack Obama, the report said, Washington has replaced confrontation with reconciliation toward Damascus and Teheran. Despite continued U.S. military aid, Washington's interest in Lebanon appeared to fade as Syria became the focus of the administration. "Although the Obama administration remains committed to a policy of outreach and engagement with Damascus, it has little to show for its efforts in the region," the report said. "At some point, the pressure track will once again appear to offer the only real hope of altering Syria's mischief in Lebanon."

Lebanon ‘hostage’ to Syria, Hezbollah: opposition
(AFP)/14 June 2011BEIRUT — Lebanon is now “hostage” to Syria and Hezbollah following the formation of a cabinet dominated by the Iranian- and Syrian-backed militant group and its allies, an opposition leader told AFP on Tuesday. “We denounce the formation of this government and state that Lebanon is a country now being held hostage by the Syrian regime and Hezbollah,” said Fares Soueid, a former MP and secretary general of the pro-Western March 14 opposition bloc. Soueid said the Saudi- and US-backed opposition, headed by former premier Saad Hariri, would formally announce this week its position on the new cabinet headed by billionaire Sunni businessman Najib Mikati.
After nearly five months of wrangling, Mikati announced the formation on Monday of a government in which the Shiite Hezbollah and its allies control 18 out of 30 portfolios.
All eyes are now focused on how Mikati will address the controversial Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), a UN-backed investigation that led to the downfall of the previous government headed by Hariri. Washington, which blacklists Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation, said it would adopt a wait-and-see approach to Mikati’s government, while UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the new cabinet to respect all its international obligations.
“We’ll judge it by its actions,” US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. France for its part said it was essential that the new government continue to uphold Lebanon’s international commitments, especially as regards the STL. Hezbollah, arguably the most powerful militant group in the Middle East, first entered government in 2005 and has steadily imposed itself as a key player in domestic politics. The Mikati cabinet marks the first time a coalition led by Hezbollah, which fought a devastating war with Israel in 2006, has led a government in Lebanon. Soueid said the new cabinet was a tool of Hezbollah and its backer Syria, which has long held sway in Lebanese politics.
“This government is a trump card that the Syrian regime pulled in a moment of crisis and that Hezbollah will use to stand against UN resolutions,” he said.
“At a time when the Arab world is moving towards democracy, where Arab society is talking about citizenship and freedom, Lebanon ... again finds itself under the control of Syria and Hezbollah’s weapons.” Hezbollah in January forced the collapse of Hariri’s government after he refused to disavow the STL, set up to investigate the 2005 assassination of his father, ex-premier Rafiq Hariri. The Netherlands-based court is widely expected to indict Hezbollah operatives over the killing, a move the militant group has repeatedly warned against.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is facing an unprecedented revolt against his regime, was forced to pull his troops out of Lebanon after Hariri’s assassination, ending 29 years of military and political domination. Mikati has yet to spell out whether his government will continue to cooperate with the tribunal. “I can say that I will do my best to deal with the issue so that Lebanon continues to respect international resolutions — yet I have responsibilities when it comes to Lebanon’s stability,” Mikati told AFP after his cabinet was announced on Monday.
He also moved to calm Western fears that the new government marked a radical shift of policy in Lebanon. “The fact that Hezbollah and its allies have 18 seats in the 30-member cabinet does not mean that the country will join the radical camp in terms of its relations with the international community,” he said. More than a third of the ministers were appointed by Mikati, President Michel Sleiman or Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, a move the premier said guaranteed that Hezbollah and its allies could not make decisions unilaterally.

New Lebanese cabinet is "government of confrontation" – March 14 Alliance
14/06/2011/By Paula Astatih
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat – Immediately following the announcement of the formation of Najib Mikati's government in Lebanon, the March 14 Alliance issued a statement announcing that that this was "a government of confrontation against the Lebanese interior, as well as the Arab and international community." The March 14 Alliance also stressed that it would not grant the newly formed Lebanese cabinet a vote of confidence. Future bloc MP Nohad Mashnouk described the newly formed Lebanese government as being "the government of Jisr al-Shagour" in reference to the Syrian army's brutal crackdown against anti-government demonstrations in the Jisr al-Shagour region. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, MP Mashnouk stressed that "this government reflects a decision of political confrontation taken in Lebanon at the highest levels, and it is very similar to the mentality that decided to implement military rule in Syria, and security rule in Iraq; this is the same mentality of rule in all three countries [Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq].
He added that "this long-awaited government is a government of confrontation, a government that will confront more than half the people within Lebanon, as well as the Arab and international community." The Future bloc MP also told Asharq Al-Awsat that "we are now, via this [new] government, paying the price of the Arab silence towards what is happening in Syria, and the only exception to this was the technical talk with regards to the sectarian quotas, ministerial allocations, and otherwise."
Mashnouk also stressed that "the Lebanese government was born following a Syrian decision…it is clear that Damascus has decided to militarily confront its people in the [Syrian] interior, whilst politically confronting them in Lebanon." As for former Lebanese Labour Minister Boutros Harb, who is also an MP for the March 14 Alliance, he told Asharq Al-Awsat that "despite the ties of mutual respect that bind us with some ministers [in the new cabinet], the governmental makeup and the situation under which this government was formed and the manner in which ministerial positions were allocated confirms that this government is not qualified to solve the country's problems, but rather on the contrary these problems will likely be exacerbated, particularly Lebanon's problems with the international community." He added "this is something that will not allow us [March 14 Alliance] to give it our vote of confidence."
March 14 Alliance MP Boutros Harb also told Asharq Al-Awsat that "we will take a position [on this new government] following its ministerial statement" before adding that "it is well-known that this government is based upon destroying the principles of Lebanese understanding and Lebanon's commitment to international resolutions." He also stressed that "unless the ministerial statement contradicts this…this government has come to remove Lebanon's international legitimacy."
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Lebanese Forces MP Antoine Zahra said that "the best thing that can be said about the new government is that this is a government of confrontation, regionally and internationally."
He added that "the [Lebanese] president and prime minister, [President] Michel Suleiman and [Prime Minister] Najib Mikati interpreted our defense of their legitimate right to form a government as a withdrawal of support for the other side, and so a government of a single colour has been formed, and this can be seen in the insistence of those who formed this government for Syria to return to play a primary role in Lebanon despite Damascus being preoccupied with what is taking place on their own soil, and this was expressed by President Bashar al-Assad rushing to telephone President Michel Suleiman to congratulate him."
MP Antoine Zahra also confirmed that "this government that since its inception has placed Lebanon in a state of confrontation with regional and international legitimacy will only be able to increase the problems in the Lebanese interior by revealing the predominance of Hezbollah and the March 8 Alliance in this government, over the group's of President Michel Suleiman and Speaker Walid Jumblatt." He also stressed that "the Lebanese Forces will not give this government a vote of confidence."
In response to a question as to whether newly appointed Lebanese Interior Minister Marwan Charbel was named by President Suleiman and approved by Aoun, MP Zahra told Asharq Al-Awsat that "this is not true, for he [Charbel] is more Auonist than Michel Aoun himself."
For his part, Future bloc MP Ahmed Fatfat said that "this government would not have been formed without the green light being given by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and this explains his immediately telephone call to Lebanese President Michel Suleiman to congratulate him on the formation of a government."
Fatfat also told Asharq Al-Awsat that that "the formation of the government, and the allocation of ministeries, represents a great victory for Hezbollah, and this was clearly evident by the appointment of [Hezbollah-backed] Faisal Karama, and Ali Qanso [member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party] as Lebanese Ministers of State."
Future bloc MP Fatfat also confirmed that "members of the Future Movement and the March 14 Alliance will give a vote of no confidence on this government."
He added that "we will wait for the ministerial statement in order to see this government's commitment towards the international community and the international tribunal, and whether this will reflect the pledges made by Prime Minister Mikati, from commitment to international resolutions including UN Security Council resolution 1757 which authorized the establishment of the Hariri tribunal." As for whether the Sunnis being allocated 7 ministeries – in comparison to the Shiites being allocated 5 ministers – will make any difference in this regard, MP Fatfat stressed that "the Sunnis will not take their rights according to the addition or subtraction of a single ministry, but by protecting and ensuring the continuation of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon."

Lebanon’s Don Quixote
June 14, 2011 /Now Lebanon
Lebanon has a new government, but the country is not out of the woods yet. Already Druze leader Talal Arslan has resigned for what can only be described as being snubbed, while Speaker Nabih Berri is surely smarting after losing a minister. But what about Michel Aoun, the man whom many blamed for the five-month delay?
Speaking in South Lebanon on Saturday, the Free Patriotic Movement leader announced that he and his political allies in March 8 would “twist the arm of US intelligence in Lebanon like we twisted that of Israel.” But if Aoun wants to cleanse Lebanon of foreign influence, he has picked the wrong partners. The majority is so committed to the Syrian-Iranian axis – a foreign project if ever there was one – that it is still resorting to wheeling out the hoary old cliché of blaming Israel and the US for Lebanon’s ills. It is one that Hezbollah can easily sell to its electorate, but one wonders if Aoun’s long-suffering supporters are as easily convinced. They would surely rather see Aoun’s so-called technocrats roll up their sleeves and get to work, fixing a country that is in danger of seizing up. No doubt many of them would like to remind the former army commander what he originally stood for. Is the FPM not the party of technocrats, of youth and of transparency? Is it not the party that promised a new dawn for Lebanon and a break from the old order of warlords and hidebound politicians who play on feudal support? In short, was the FPM not the party we all should dream of belonging to?
Why, then, in 2011, just over six years since Aoun was met by jubilant supporters at Beirut airport, is the FPM enmeshed within a political alliance made up of just the sort of people he would have considered beyond the pale while living in Parisian exile, where he styled himself as the symbol of a free and independent Lebanon?
The only thing that is free and independent in Lebanon is Hezbollah, Aoun’s main political ally. The party, which is backed by Syria and sponsored by Iran, does what it wants. If it wants to go to war with Israel, it will; if it wants to control the streets, it can; and if it wants to take control of the government to force international justice off the road, it has shown us that it is happy to do so. And so today, not only is he in bed with a grouping he would have found abhorrent, he is buying into their rhetoric. Aoun, like Wiam Wahhab, now talks about American plots and the dastardly threat posed by Israel. Wahhab is a shameless apologist for the Syrian regime. Aoun is the Christian cover Hezbollah needs to give it appeal beyond its obedient supporters.
This is the man who has clearly not been able to see that the current so-called Arab awakening is not about America and Israel; it is about freedom and self-determination, things his educated, professional, middle-class support base no doubt stands for. Why, then, are they backing a man who is part of a political alliance that is not only counting on the Assad regime to survive, but which appears to be doing its bidding in Lebanon?
Aoun is rapidly morphing into a sinister parody of Miguel Cervantes’ hero, Don Quixote, who charges windmills he believes to be giants. But unlike the loveable Spaniard, Aoun has neither a sense of chivalry nor a misplaced heroic or romantic ideal. He is a scoundrel who is paying the price for an unholy alliance with Hezbollah and who has exploited the support of his followers to fuel his own bid for the presidency.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak: Syria's Assad has lost his legitimacy
By Amos Harel /Haaretz
Tags: Syria Bashar Assad Ehud Arab Spring Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Tuesday that Syria's embattled leader Bashar Assad has "lost his legitimacy" since the Syrian regime's violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters began. "Even if he remains in the government for another half year…he would be very weakened," Barak told journalists at a press conference during his trip to China. Earlier on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman called on Assad to step down, saying that it was clear to "anyone who has seen the oppression in Syria" that Assad must resign. Speaking at press conference following a meeting with his German counterpart, the foreign minister encouraged the European Union to remove ambassadors from Damascus in protests of the human rights violations occurring in Syria, where the government has been violently cracking down on pro-democracy protesters.
"I expect to see concrete steps taken against this regime," Lieberman said. "The European Union needs to remove ambassadors from Damascus." "It will be a very bad message if this regime survives and continues to suppress the uprising," Lieberman said. He said that there is no place for a military intervention in Syria. The international community has enough leverage to "put pressure on Assad to leave his position," Lieberman said, adding that this leverage should be used. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also appealed to Assad on Tuesday to put an end to the country's violent crackdown on opponents of his regime, Turkey's semi-official Anatolia Agency reported. Erdogan also urged Assad to implement reforms immediately during a telephone call Assad made to congratulate him on his victory in Turkey's election on Sunday. Meanwhile in Syria on Tuesday residents said that troops using tanks and helicopters pushed towards a northern town after arresting hundreds of people in villages near Jisr al-Shughour. More than 8,500 Syrians have sought shelter across the border in Turkey to escape Assad's latest military drive to crush protests demanding political change in a country ruled by the Assad dynasty for the last 41 years.

Report: Document reveals Nakba Day clashes planned by Syria government
By Haaretz /New evidence in the form of an official Syrian state document suggests that the Syrian regime purposefully orchestrated last month's Nakba Day clashes on the border with Israel, Michael Weiss reported in his blog on The Telegraph website on Monday. Weiss, who is the spokesperson of Just Journalism, an organization that monitors coverage of Israel in British media, said that he was forwarded an official Syrian state document describing a meeting between Syria's chief of staff and chiefs of the Syrian military intelligence branches in the province located on the Israel-Syria border. The document describes 20 buses which were to be dispatched on May 15, also known as Nakba Day, when the Palestinians mourn the creation of the State of Israel. Two people were killed near Majdal Shams on the Syrian border and between three and 10 people were killed in Maroun a-Ras on the Lebanese border during the protests last month when demonstrators attempted to breach Israel's border. The document says "Permission is hereby granted allowing approaching crowds to cross the cease fire line (with Israel) towards the occupied Majdal-Shamms, and to further allow them to engage physically with each other in front of United Nations agents and offices. Furthermore, there is no objection if a few shots are fired in the air." The document goes on to describe a specific captain "from the military intelligence division" who is appointed to "the leadership of the group assigned to break-in and infiltrate deep into the occupied Syrian Golan Heights with a specified pathway to avoid land mines." Those involved with the plan are then reminded not to carry any identification with them to the protest. The IDF said that Syrian soldiers in the area did not get involved in the incident. Following the Nakba day incidents, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel was determined to defend itself and its sovereignty.

US naval movements around Syria. Hizballah moves rockets
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report /June 14, 2011,
debkafile's military and intelligence sources report that Monday, June 13, the US deployed the USS Bataan amphibian air carrier strike vessel opposite Syria's Mediterranean coast with 2,000 marines, 6 war planes, 15 attack helicopters, including new V-22 Ospreys, and 27 choppers for landing forces aboard.Also this week, US naval units went operational in the Aegean, Adriatic and Black Seas as part of the joint US-Ukrainian Sea Breeze 2011 exercise. The USS Monterrey cruiser armed with Aegis surface missile interceptors has additionally been stationed in the Black Sea. Western sources additonally report a build-up of ship-borne anti-missile missile strength in the Mediterranean basin. This huge concentration of naval missile interceptor units looks like preparations by Washington for the contingency of Iran, Syria and Hizballah letting loose with surface missiles against US and Israeli targets in the event of US military intervention to stop the anti-opposition slaughter underway in Syria.
Moscow, Tehran and Damascus, in particular, are taking this exceptional spate of American military movements in and around the Mediterranean as realistically portending American intervention in Syria.
This concentration of US might also the effect of deterring the Turkish government from going through with its decision to send Turkish troops into Syria. The plan was to create a protected buffer zone where the thousands of refugees in flight from the Assad regime's military crackdown would be kept safe on Syrian side of the border and out of Turkey.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyep Erdogan is averse to be seen working hand in glove militarily with any US interference in Syria. At the same time, Western intelligence sources in the Persian Gulf are sure Washington is coordinating its military movements with Ankara and that Erdogan quietly agreed to place Turkish bases at US disposal for an operation in Syria.
debkafile's military sources also report that Monday, June 13, Hizballah began shifting the long- and medium-range rockets it had stored in northern Lebanon to locations in the center of the country. Western military sources first thought the Lebanese Shiite group was taking the precaution of keeping its arsenal safe from a spillover of violence from Syria. Tuesday, however, they learned that Iranian intelligence had advised Hizballah to remove its rockets out of range of a possible American operation in Syria. Tuesday, Iran capped these events with three separate warnings to the Obama administration against military interference in Syria. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast said Tuesday: "The Americans are not allowed to launch a military intervention in any country of the region including Syria." He accused "Israel and the USA of standing behind the riots in Syria, Iran's closest ally in the Arab world… with particular aims…of provoking terrorist groups in Syria and in the region to carry out terrorist and sabotage operations."Another spokesman warned: "Western attempts to set the model of Libya in Damascus are doomed to failure."Iranian Vice President Reza Rahimi accused the United States of preparing and executing "the slaughter of Muslims" worldwide.
Iran's ground forces commander Brig. Gen. Kioumars Heidari added this threat: Any new military move by the US in the region will impose heavy costs on the country far greater than the costs it paid in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Canada Extends Mission to Protect Civilians in Libya
(No. 162 – June 14, 2011 – 7:30 p.m. ET) John Baird, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, today issued the following joint statement on the extension of Canada’s engagement in Libya:
“After debate today in the House of Commons, members of Parliament have voted to extend, by three and a half months, Canada’s contribution to the NATO mission to protect civilians in Libya, enforce a no-fly zone and ensure we maintain an arms embargo against the Qadhafi regime.
“Canada’s military mission has not changed. Our armed forces are playing a leading role preventing attacks and the threat of attacks against civilians. This intervention is in response to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, which calls for the use of all necessary means to protect civilians in Libya.
“In addition, because Canada recognizes the National Transitional Council (NTC) of Libya as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people, Canadian officials will engage with members of the NTC as appropriate to identify and address Libya’s most pressing current and future needs.
“Through the Canadian International Development Agency, Canada is helping the innocent victims of the Libyan crisis. We are contributing an additional $2 million in humanitarian assistance to respond to the needs of conflict-affected populations, including survivors of sexual violence.
“Canada will continue to support the people of Libya as they struggle for the respect of human rights and the development of democratic institutions in their country.”
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-995-1874

Al-Assad: Between the King and the Prime Minister
14/06/2011
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
A look at the last 24 hours in our region reveals much, and the headlines – according to the news line-up – is as follows; the King of Jordan announces that future cabinets will be formed according to an elected parliamentary majority; Erdogan celebrates re-election by winning popular majority in Turkey; Lebanon announces the formation of a new government, and the first to congratulate Beirut is the al-Assad regime, which also announced the "liberation" of Jisr al-Shagour.
These three pieces of news over the past 24 hours summarize the state of our region, and its problems. Here we see a monarch relinquishing some of his powers, taking the high-road in this turbulent scene and responding to the demands of his people, the King of Jordan has taken a reformative stance that places his country in the ranks of constitutional monarchies. We must also make note that the Kingdom of Jordan overlooks the most dangerous borders in our region today. It borders rebellious Syria and its oppressive regime, as well as non-independent Iraq, and then there is Israel which cannot be trusted whatsoever; therefore Jordan has no good and open-hearted neighbor other than Saudi Arabia!
As for Turkey, we have seen Recep Tayyip Erdogan standing overjoyed and humble, in front of the support of his own people. According to his own supporters, he is the "Islamic" prime minister, having been re-elected with a clear majority by Turks from all walks of life; he also pledged that Turkey will be a model of democracy in the Arab world. Erdogan celebrated his democratic re-election in the midst of the mosaic of Turkish society, telling the people of Turkey that "we are victorious…we have not come to power to become your masters, but your servants." At the same time as this, the Erdogan government has been extending a helping hand to the people of Syria, with more than six thousand Syrians fleeing the brutality of the al-Assad regime [by seeking asylum in Turkey]. So there is little wonder that the people of Syria were busy yesterday congratulating the Turks on having a leader like Erdogan, as well as congratulating the Jordanians for King Abdullah II. At the same time, Syrian President al-Assad was congratulating [Lebanese Prime Minister] Najib Mikati on the formation of a new Lebanese government…or let us say a Syrian – Hezbollah government! As we said before, here we see one monarch responding to his people, and another prime minister celebrating his landslide re-election, and this is in two countries that are neighbors, and which share borders with Syria; namely Jordan and Turkey. Meanwhile the regime in Damascus is busy suppressing its own citizens, and a government is being formed in Lebanon – and my God what a government! – where the new Lebanese Foreign Minister is none other than the former Lebanese ambassador to Tehran!
After all of this, can there be any optimism with regards to the future actions of the Syrian regime, and this is despite its misleading announcements about its desire for reform? I doubt it! All the events indicate that the al-Assad regime is behind the time, and has not embraced the changes that have taken place in our region. The Damascus regime is operating based upon alarmingly outdated presumptions – 40 years out of date – and it is talking about sectarianism, civil war, and foreign conspiracy, however all of these are things that our region did not experience until after the formation of the Syria – Iran – Lebanon axis, or let us say the outbreak of the Khomeinist revolution in Iran. Let us look at a simple example here, the newly formed Lebanese government has 7 Sunni ministers and 5 Shiite ministers, which is the first such distribution since the Taif Accords [1989]; this is a message to the Syrian interior more than it is a message to the people of Lebanon, for the Lebanese regime does not want to provoke the largest component of Syrian society, namely the Sunnis. Other evidence [of this] is that the Iranian Foreign Minister has yet to visit Syria until now, and according to my own information, the Iranian Foreign Minister asked to be allowed to visit only for Damascus to refuse, as this could potentially provoke the people of Syria, and this is despite the fact that the Syrian people can see the Iranians [in their country] with their own eyes.
Therefore, in conclusion, there is no hope that the Damascus regime will carry out any reforms, and the reason for this is simple, namely that the Syrian regime exists outside of the scope of time and events, and continues to act according to a mentality that is 40-years out of date. Damascus has not realized the magnitudes of the changes that have taken place in our region, and most importantly the changes that have taken place within Syria itself.

Obama's Syria dilemma
P.J. Crowley, President Obama's former State Department spokesman who has become a critical outside voice since resigning earlier this year, called out his old boss over Syria on his Twitter feed this morning.
."It's odd that Obama thinks RepWeiner should resign, but not Assad. Sending lewd tweets violates public service, but not killing people?"
Leaving US politics aside, the Obama administration's stance toward Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must be getting increasingly uncomfortable. Evidence is mounting of atrocities being carried out across that country. Obama publicly said longtime US ally Hosni Mubarak had to leave power on Feb. 1, eight days after the Egyptian uprising began. It took the president 18 days from the start of the Libyan uprising to say the same about long-time US antagonist Muammar Qaddafi.
Yet we're more than three months into a Syrian uprising that has been nearly as bloody as Libya's conflict, with at least 1,300 deaths so far, and the US position has remained nuanced.
Obama has repeatedly condemned Assad's use of violence, and directly sanctioned the Syrian leader and some of those closest to him. But so far he's avoided "must go" rhetoric. The closest he's come to it was a speech in the middle of May when Obama said, "President Assad now has a choice: He can lead that transition [to democracy] or get out of the way."
The US is no friend to Assad, who is pals with Iran, a supporter of Hezbollah, and an enemy of Israel's. But there is great fear about the post-Assad environment in Syria, not unreasonably. Regime support is far stronger than it was in Libya, and there are sectarian issues at play.
But the gulf between public American speech on Syria and Egypt and Libya is growing more glaring, as evidence of atrocities pile up. A "must go" moment probably wouldn't do much aside from mollify some of the president's critics (it's hard to see it having any effect on Assad's intentions) but it's probably coming soon.
Monitor reporter Scott Peterson is on the Syria-Turkey border, where refugees have poured across in recent days. His story from yesterday paints a very grim picture.
Mr. Fidou was part of a military unit ordered to fire on protesters in the city of Homs, who refused and then deserted, taking part in antiregime protests in the northwest town of Jisr al-Shughur. As he escaped the violence there last week, he says he witnessed soldiers shooting at each other, an Army divided further by orders to kill demonstrators.
7,000 Syrians have crossed the border into Turkey in the past week, fleeing before a Syrian military advance to avenge the deaths of 120 police and security forces in Jisr al-Shughur. The town fell with little resistance, and refugees and Turks living along the border say the offensive has spread to a string of villages around the town.
“The cows were killed, the harvest was burnt,” says a young Turkish man who gave only his first name of Ali, who has traveled with a video camera to the contested areas in recent days and witnessed the onslaught. In one house with “blood all over the walls we couldn’t breathe” because of the stench of bodies of three men, eight women, and three boys. Syrian military helicopters spotted Ali’s group, and one member was killed – struck in the head by rounds from the helicopter – as they ran for seven hours trying to hide. He witnessed first the tanks firing upon the houses, “then the Army troops were coming and were burning everything.”

Canada Extends Mission to Protect Civilians in Libya
(No. 162 – June 14, 2011 – 7:30 p.m. ET) John Baird, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, today issued the following joint statement on the extension of Canada’s engagement in Libya:
“After debate today in the House of Commons, members of Parliament have voted to extend, by three and a half months, Canada’s contribution to the NATO mission to protect civilians in Libya, enforce a no-fly zone and ensure we maintain an arms embargo against the Qadhafi regime.
“Canada’s military mission has not changed. Our armed forces are playing a leading role preventing attacks and the threat of attacks against civilians. This intervention is in response to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, which calls for the use of all necessary means to protect civilians in Libya.
“In addition, because Canada recognizes the National Transitional Council (NTC) of Libya as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people, Canadian officials will engage with members of the NTC as appropriate to identify and address Libya’s most pressing current and future needs.
“Through the Canadian International Development Agency, Canada is helping the innocent victims of the Libyan crisis. We are contributing an additional $2 million in humanitarian assistance to respond to the needs of conflict-affected populations, including survivors of sexual violence.
“Canada will continue to support the people of Libya as they struggle for the respect of human rights and the development of democratic institutions in their country.”

The Soldier Who Gave Up on Assad to Protect Syria's People
By Rania Abouzeid / Outside Khirbet al-Jouz, Syria
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2077348,00.html
The Syrian colonel sits cross-legged on a patch of moist soil, wearing a borrowed plaid shirt and pale green trousers, surrounded by dozens of men who had fled the besieged northern Syrian city of Jisr al-Shoughour to an orchard a few hundred meters from the Turkish border. He says his name is Hussein Harmoush and shows TIME a laminated military ID card indicating his name and title. Everyone around calls him moqadam — Arabic for his rank. A colonel with the 11th Armored Division of the army's 3rd Corps, the 22-year military veteran says he burned his uniform in disgust more than a week ago, starting with the rank designated on his epaulets, then the rest of it
"I defected from the Syrian Arab army and took responsibility for protecting civilians in Jisr al-Shoughour," he says. "I was late in taking this decision." His lower lip quivers. He struggles to maintain his composure. After a long pause and several deep breaths, the man with the thinning salt-and-pepper hair resumes: "I feel like I am responsible for the deaths of every single martyr in Syria." There have been growing reports of Syrian military defections in recent weeks, after regime loyalists escalated their attacks in the northwest of the country. On June 5, units of the army reportedly defected en masse in Jisr al-Shoughour and used their weapons to defend unarmed protesters. Some 120 security personnel were killed in the mutinous clashes with loyalists, according to residents and rights activists, although Damascus denies the mutiny and says the deaths were at the hands of "armed gangs" wearing stolen military uniforms
Although foreign journalists are barred from reporting in Syria, TIME managed to get across the Turkish border along steep mountainous terrain to reach thousands of refugees, most from Jisr al-Shoughour, staying in open fields and orchards on the outskirts of the Syrian town of Khirbet al-Jouz
Harmoush, a native of the Syrian city of Homs, some 160 km from Damascus, the capital, says his orders were clear. His division was told to leave its base in Homs and "sweep the towns," starting at al-Serminiyye and continuing 5 km north to Jisr al-Shoughour. "We were told that we were doing this to capture armed gangs, but I didn't see any. I saw soldiers indiscriminately shooting people like they were hunting, burning their fields, cutting down their olive trees. There was no resistance in the towns. I saw people fleeing on foot to the hills who were shot in the back
The refugees — who have just spent a chilly night in an open field under pouring rain — listen carefully and respectfully as Harmoush recounts his tale. They crouch in the mud, forming layers of concentric circles around the officer. He says he had been growing disillusioned with the military and the governing regime of President Bashar Assad for years, but like most Syrians raised on fear, he remained silent. The Sunni Muslim says officers from Assad's Alawite sect were given preference when it came to promotions and that some 85% of places in the officers' cadet corps were reserved for the President's co-religionists — the other 15% had to be shared among the rest of Syria's multisectarian and -ethnic patchwork society. Assad has surrounded himself with Alawite loyalists as well as people from other sects, including Sunnis, who comprise the elite merchant class.
For Harmoush, the government's spin on events in the southern city of Dara'a, where antigovernment protests first erupted in mid-March, was further proof that the system he'd sworn to protect was corrupt. "I know Dara'a. I lived in Dara'a. There are no Salafists or terrorists there. The people of Dara'a were slaughtered," he says. He furtively watched dissident videos, taking care to make sure none of his soldiers saw him. He followed Arabic satellite news channels, seeking another perspective than that of the sycophantic Syrian press.
Harmoush says that in al-Serminiyye on Friday, June 3, he decided enough was enough. "When we saw them shelling the town, shelling it indiscriminately, I decided to defect. I knew my men. They are largely conscripts. I know that if given the chance — and a guarantee that they won't be shot for defecting — three-quarters of them will leave, but fear keeps them in their place. I told them I took an oath to protect my people and my country, whoever wants to do the same and is a man of honor, follow me. Thirty did immediately."
According to Harmoush, the soldiers headed toward nearby Jisr al-Shoughour. More soldiers joined them. Soon, Harmoush says, he had 120 men under his command, including a lieutenant called Mazin who joined him along with his unit. They were there after June 5, the day hundreds of people who had gathered in a public garden were shot. "In Jisr al-Shoughour, we decided to defend the people until the last moment, but we had light weapons, rifles. They had tanks. We set up traps, an ambush. That brought us some time to evacuate civilians."
At one point, he recalls, about three dozen soldiers approached the defectors, claiming they wanted to join them. Instead, they opened fire on the defectors, killing many. "I tell you, I wouldn't have made that mistake," he says bitterly of the decision to let them join. "Shouldn't have made it, but things were crazy. The shelling was so heavy, the civilians were all around us — I didn't have time to think. So some of the soldiers were martyred, others fled into the hills, and some came over near the Turkish border."
For the past few days, Harmoush and a handful of his men have been helping residents of Jisr al-Shoughour trek across the hills toward the safety of the Turkish border. His own family is now safely in Turkey. He won't divulge whether he still has his weapon, nor if there are other defectors among the refugees in the fields, although many residents say there are. Harmoush is grateful for the opportunity to help his people but is haunted by some of the atrocities he says he has witnessed committed by the Syrian security forces. Tears quickly well up in his eyes when he's asked if there's an episode that sticks out in his mind. A man sitting next to him puts his arm around the colonel, who is now crying. At least half a dozen other men, most with graying hair and weathered faces, also begin to silently sob. These are rural Arab men, from a conservative community, openly crying, their grief overpowering their pride. The colonel doesn't answer the question. Instead, his voice cracking, he makes a plea: "I call on people of conscience, on people with humanity: Please help the Syrian people."