LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
November 30/2011
Bible Quotation for today/The Workers in the Vineyard
Matthew 20/01-15: " The Kingdom of heaven is like this. Once there was a man who
went out early in the morning to hire some men to work in his vineyard. He
agreed to pay them the regular wage, a silver coin a day, and sent them to work
in his vineyard. He went out again to the marketplace at nine o'clock and saw
some men standing there doing nothing,4 so he told them, You also go and
work in the vineyard, and I will pay you a fair wage. So they went. Then at
twelve o'clock and again at three o'clock he did the same thing. It was nearly
five o'clock when he went to the marketplace and saw some other men still
standing there. Why are you wasting the whole day here doing nothing? he asked
them. No one hired us, they answered. Well, then, you go and work in the
vineyard, he told them. When evening came, the owner told his foreman, Call the
workers and pay them their wages, starting with those who were hired last and
ending with those who were hired first.9 The men who had begun to work at five
o'clock were paid a silver coin each.10 So when the men who were the first to be
hired came to be paid, they thought they would get more; but they too were given
a silver coin each.11 They took their money and started grumbling against the
employer. These men who were hired last worked only one hour, they said, while
we put up with a whole day's work in the hot sun—yet you paid them the same as
you paid us! Listen, friend, the owner answered one of them, I have not cheated
you. After all, you agreed to do a day's work for one silver coin. Now take your
pay and go home. I want to give this man who was hired last as much as I gave
you. Don't I have the right to do as I wish with my own money? Or are you
jealous because I am generous?
Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from
miscellaneous sources
Rise of the Muslim
Brotherhood/By
Tariq Alhomayed/November 29/11
Syria…The sanctions will neither deter nor overthrow the regime/By
Tariq Alhomayed/November
29/11
Tantawi: caught
between the youth and the ‘Brotherhood’/By
Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/November 29/11
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for
November 29/11
UN report on Syria: At least 256 children killed, executions and rape
prevalent
Western Galilee Attacked from Southern Lebanon, Israel Retaliates and Warns
Israeli army warns
Lebanon after rockets land in Galilee
Asarta Urges Lebanon, Israel to ‘Act with Restraint’
Four rockets hit northern Israel, no injuries
NATO-Gulf military officers in
Turkey prepare for intervention in Syria
UN: Syrian forces
killed, tortured 256 children
Miqati Meets al-Rahi: We Will Hold Another Cabinet Session if Quorum Isn’t Met
Hizbullah to Attend Cabinet Session, Hopes Government Would not Resign
Russia Activates Missile Warning System near EU
Lebanese Claim Syria 'Terrorist' Footage a Fabrication
Syria's FM to Attend Emergency Islamic MeetingIran blast – near military academy'
Connelly Warns of Serious Consequences if Lebanon Does Not Meet Int'l
Commitments
STL president hails
first Beirut visit as highly successful
Mikati, Hezbollah stick
to their guns on STL funding
Phalange Party Calls for Forming 'Salvation Government'
Miqati: Pope Intends to Visit Lebanon in Autumn 2012
Most MEA flights suspended as pilots stage strike
MEA Promises On-Time Flights as Pilots Union Calls 48-Hr Strike
Jumblat: STL Must Be Funded to Avoid Economic Sanctions
Security and arms
exhibition opens at BIEL
Two solutions to Lebanon’s Cabinet crisis over
the STL
EU, US call on Syria to end violence
Parliament committee
moves to revise amnesty draft laws
Iran bans US video game showing Tehran invasion
Hezbollah plays down implications of Mikati
resignation threat
Lebanon will not enforce Syria sanctions: Mansour
Moallem accuses Arabs of waging economic war
Egypt turnout signals faith in polls
Egyptians Flock to Polls in First Post-Mubarak Vote
Katyusha fire on Israel was Syrian warning. Turkey ready for any scenario
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report/November 29, 2011/
http://www.debka.com/article/21524/
Debkafile's military sources report that the four-Katyusha
rocket volley from S. Lebanon which hit Galilee in northern Israel in the small
hours of Tuesday, Nov. 29, was initiated by Hizballah commanders in South
Lebanon although it was claimed by the al Qaeda-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades.
Hizballah activated a Palestinian cell it controls in the Ain Hilwa refugee camp
near Sidon on behalf of its ally in Damascus, arming the cell with the rockets
and marking out their firing positions and targets in Israel's Galilee.
One Katyusha blew up near the border, two inside a Galilee moshav damaging a hen
coop and a fourth in a wood outside Maalot, causing damage but no injuries.
Israeli artillery returned the fire.
Officers in the IDF northern command familiar with the terrain across the
border, assert that those firing positions are located in a sector under
Hizballah's exclusive control. It is off limits to any outsiders without the
Iran-backed Shiite group's permission and knowledge.
IDF sources read the rocket attack as the Assad regime's last warning to the US,
fellow NATO members and Gulf nations that Israel would be first to pay the price
for their planned intervention in Syria. It would trigger a Lebanese-Israel
border clash followed by a massive rocket assault on Israel. More Katyusha
incidents are therefore to be expected to emphasize the message.
In Istanbul meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said his
government hopes that a military intervention in Syria will never be necessary
"but is ready for any scenario."
A regime which tortures its own people has no chance of survival, he added.
Turkey may consider setting up a buffer zone on its border in co-ordination with
the international community in the event of a massive exodus of refugees from
Syria, its foreign minister said on Tuesday.
This was the first time, debkafile's sources note, that Turkey has publicly
declared itself ready for direct military intervention in Syria in addition to
providing bases in support of an allied operation.
Monday, Nov. 28, debkafile reported a group of military officers from NATO and
Persian Gulf nations had quietly established a mixed operational command at
Iskenderun in the Turkish Hatay province on the border of North Syria:
Hailing from the United States, France, Canada, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the
United Arab Emirates, with Turkish officers providing liaison, they do not
represent NATO but are self-designated "monitors." Their mission is to set up
"humanitarian corridors" inside Syria to serve the victims of Bashar Assad's
crackdown. Commanded by ground, naval, air force and engineering officers, the
task force aims to move into most of northern Syria.
Laying the groundwork for the legitimacy of the combined NATO-Arab intervention
in Syria, the UN Independent International Commission set up to assess the
situation in Syria published a horrendous report Monday, Nov. 28 on the Assad
regime's brutalities. It documented "gross violations of human rights" and
"patterns of summary execution, arbitrary arrest, enforced disappearance,
torture including sexual violence, as well as violations of children's rights."
Syrian foreign minister Walid al-Moallem fought back by showing a press
conference Monday photos of dismembered bodies of Syrian soldiers as proof of
the atrocities he claimed were perpetrated by the anti-Assad opposition. He also
complained that "the Arab League and others refuse to believe that there is a
foreign conspiracy targeting Syria."
debkafile military sources report exclusively that the Western-Arab intervention
in the Syrian crisis is in an advanced state of operational planning. It entails
a buffer zone in northern Syria encompassing beleaguered towns, primarily Idlib,
Rastan and Homs - but also Aleppo, Syria's largest city (2.5 million mostly
Sunni and Kurdish inhabitants).
The protest movement never caught on in Aleppo, home to the moneyed classes who
run the country's financial and trading sectors, and it was confined to the
highway network feeding the city. Therefore, for the Assad regime, bringing
Aleppo into the "humanitarian corridor" system under foreign military control
will round of the damage caused by the economic sanctions approved this week by
the Arab League. Losing Aleppo will fatally hammer the economy into the ground
and rob the Syrian ruler of funding for sustaining his military crackdown to
wipe out the unrest in the areas remaining under his control.
Aware of this threat, Foreign Minister al-Moallem accused the Arab League of
declaring economic war on Syria.
NATO-Gulf military officers in Turkey prepare for intervention in Syria
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report/ November 28, 2011/ A group of military officers from
NATO and Persian Gulf nations have quietly established a mixed operational
command at Iskenderun in the Turkish Hatay province on the border of North
Syria, debkafile's military sources report. Hailing from the United States,
France, Canada, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with Turkish
officers providing liaison, they do not represent NATO but are self-designated
"monitors." Their mission is to set up "humanitarian corridors" inside Syria to
serve the victims of Bashar Assad's crackdown. Commanded by ground, naval, air
force and engineering officers, the task force aims to move into most of
northern Syria. Laying the groundwork for the legitimacy of the combined
NATO-Arab intervention in Syria, the UN Independent International Commission set
up to assess the situation in Syria published a horrendous report Monday, Nov.
28 on the Assad regime's brutalities. It documented "gross violations of human
rights" and "patterns of summary execution, arbitrary arrest, enforced
disappearance, torture including sexual violence, as well as violations of
children's rights."
Syrian foreign minister Walid al-Moallem fought back by showing a press
conference Monday photos of dismembered bodies of Syrian soldiers as proof of
the atrocities he claimed were perpetrated by the anti-Assad opposition. He also
complained that "the Arab League and others refuse to believe that there is a
foreign conspiracy targeting Syria."
debkafile military sources report exclusively that the Western-Arab intervention
in the Syrian crisis is in an advanced state of operational planning. It entails
a buffer zone in northern Syria encompassing beleaguered towns, primarily Idlib,
Rastan and Homs - but also Aleppo, Syria's largest city (2.5 million mostly
Sunni and Kurdish inhabitants).
The protest movement never caught on in Aleppo, home to the moneyed classes who
run the country's financial and trading sectors, and it was confined to the
highway network feeding the city. Therefore, for the Assad regime, bringing
Aleppo into the "humanitarian corridor" system under foreign military control
will round of the damage caused by the economic sanctions approved this week by
the Arab League. Losing Aleppo will fatally hammer the economy into the ground
and rob the Syrian ruler of funding for sustaining his military crackdown to
wipe out the unrest in the areas remaining under his control.
Aware of this threat, Foreign Minister al-Moallem accused the Arab League of
declaring economic war on Syria.
Four
rockets hit northern Israel, no injuries
IDF says the incident is serious and responsibility for stopping the fire lay
with the Lebanese government.
By Jack Khoury, Eli Ashkenazi, Gili Cohen and Reuters
At least four Katyusha rockets were fired from Lebanon at northern Israel on
Monday night. The Israel Defense Forces responded soon after, firing a number of
artillery shells at "the source of fire," in southern Lebanon. There were no
injuries, but some building sustained damage. At this time fire fighters are
still combating the blaze caused by the rockets. Police and IDF forces are
scanning the area in search of more rockets. Up to this point the police could
only confirm two rockets had fallen. The Police Northern District raised its
alertness level but did not issue instructions for residents of northern Israel
to go into bomb shelters. The IDF said the incident is serious and that the
responsibility for stopping the fire lay with the Lebanese government.
Fire fighters fighting blaze caused by rockets Monday night.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah hinted earlier this month that an Israeli
attack on Iran or Western military involvement in Syria would lead to
confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel. “I’m not issuing threats, but it’s
plain to see that an Israel-American attack on Iran or military involvement in
Syria will lead to a regional war,” Nasrallah said. No organization has yet to
take responsibility the rocket fire.
The Israeli-Lebanese border has been largely quiet in recent years, though some
have worried about a possible spillover of tensions from a months-old revolt in
Syria against President Bashar Assad and from a stiffening of Western sanctions
against Iran over its nuclear program.
Israeli army warns Lebanon after rockets land in Galilee
November 29, 2011/Daily Star
JERUSALEM: Several rockets fired from southern lebanon landed into Israel
overnight, prompting the Jewish state's army to warn Beirut early Tuesday to
work to prevent similar attacks in the future.
The rockets, which landed in the western Galilee region, caused no casualities,
the army said in a statement.
But it warned: "The Israeli army considers that it is a serious incident and
believes that it is the responsibility of the Lebanese government and the
Lebanese army to avoid this kind of attacks."
After the rocket fire, the Israeli army retaliated, striking the area from where
they had been launched, the army said, without offering further specifics.
Israeli public radio reported that four rockets had landed in Israel -- one
caused minor damage, while another landed in a populated area but failed to
explode.
Local military commanders were assessing the situation but people in northern
Israel, where the rockets landed, had not been told to go to air raid shelters,
said an army spokesman.
The last incident at the Israeli-Lebanese border dates back to August 1, when
soldiers from the two countries exchanged fire along the the Blue Line, the
UN-drawn border.
A similar incident more than a year earlier left two Lebanese soldiers, a
journalist and a senior Israeli officer dead.
And in May 2011, Israeli troops killed 10 people and wounded more than 110
others on Sunday on the border in south lebanon during a
Palestinian refugee protest to mark the anniversary of the 1948 creation of the
Jewish state, which Palestinians term the "naqba," or catastrophe
UN:
Syrian forces killed, tortured 256 children
29/11/2011
BEIRUT (AP) — A U.N. investigation has concluded that Syrian forces committed
crimes against humanity by killing and torturing hundreds of children, including
a 2-year-old girl reportedly shot to death so she wouldn't grow up to be a
demonstrator.
The results of the inquiry, released on Monday, added to mounting international
pressure on President Bashar Assad, a day after the Arab League approved
sweeping sanctions to push his embattled regime to end the violence. Syria's
foreign minister called the Arab move "a declaration of economic war" and warned
of retaliation.
The report by a U.N. Human Rights Council panel found that at least 256 children
were killed by government forces between mid-March and early November, some of
them tortured to death.
"Torture was applied equally to adults and children," said the assessment,
released in Geneva. "Numerous testimonies indicated that boys were subjected to
sexual torture in places of detention in front of adult men."
The U.N. defines a child as anyone under the age of 18. The report was compiled
by a panel of independent experts who were not allowed into Syria. However, the
commission interviewed 223 victims and witnesses, including defectors from
Syria's military and security forces.
The panel said government forces were given "shoot to kill" orders to crush
demonstrations. Some troops "shot indiscriminately at unarmed protesters," while
snipers targeted others in the upper body or head, it said.
It quoted one former soldier who said he decided to defect after witnessing an
officer shoot a 2-year-old girl in Latakia, then claim he killed her so she
wouldn't grow up to be a demonstrator.
The list of alleged crimes committed by Syrian forces "include murder, torture,
rape and other forms of sexual violence," said the panel's chairman, Paulo
Sergio Pinheiro, a Brazilian professor. "We have a very solid body of evidence."
At least 3,500 people have been killed since March in Syria, according to the
U.N. — the bloodiest regime response against the Arab Spring protests sweeping
the Middle East. Deaths in Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen have numbered in the
hundreds; while Libya's toll is unknown and likely higher, the conflict there
differs from Syria's because it descended into outright civil war between two
armed sides.
The U.N. investigation is the latest in a growing wave of international measures
pressuring Damascus to end its crackdown, and comes on the heels of sweeping
sanctions approved Sunday by the Arab League.
Syrian officials did not comment directly on the U.N. findings. However, the
regime reacted sharply to the Arab sanctions, betraying a deep concern over the
economic impact and warning that Syria could strike back.
Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem called the Arab League action "a declaration
of economic war" and said Syria had withdrawn 95 percent of its assets in Arab
countries.
Economy Minister Mohammed Nidal al-Shaar said "sources of foreign currency would
be affected" by the sanctions, reflecting concerns that Arab investment in Syria
will fall off and transfers from Syrians living in other Arab countries will
drop.
Al-Moallem said Syria had means to retaliate.
"Sanctions are a two-way street," he warned in a televised news conference.
"We don't want to threaten anyone, but we will defend the interests of our
people," he added, suggesting Syria might use its position as a geographical
keystone in the heart of the Middle East to disrupt trade between Arab
countries.
Chaos in Syria could send unsettling ripples across the region.
Syria borders five countries with whom it shares religious and ethnic
minorities. As they struggled with ways to respond to Assad's brutal crackdown,
world leaders have been all too aware of the country's web of allegiances, which
extend to Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah movement and Iran's Shiite theocracy.
The latest sanctions include cutting off transactions with Syria's central bank,
and are expected to squeeze an ailing economy that already is under sanctions by
the U.S. and the European Union. The net effect of the Arab sanctions could deal
a crippling blow to Syria's economy.
"We've always said that global sanctions, without Arab sanctions, will not be as
effective," said Said Hirsh, Mideast economist with Capital Economics in London.
Some 60 percent of Syria's exports go to Arab countries, and analysts concede
the sanctions' effectiveness will hinge largely on whether Arab countries
enforce them.
Iraq and Lebanon, which abstained from the Arab League vote, may continue to be
markets for Syrian goods, in defiance of the sanctions. Syria shares long
borders with both countries and moving goods in and out would be easy.
Still, there is no question the uprising is eviscerating Syria's economy. Hirsh
said forecasts indicate it will contract by 5 percent this year and could shrink
by another 10 percent in 2012 if sanctions are enforced and the Assad regime
stays in power.
The economic troubles threaten the business community and prosperous merchant
classes that are key to propping up the regime. An influential bloc, the
business leaders have long traded political freedoms for economic privileges.
The opposition has tried to rally these largely silent, but hugely important,
sectors of society. But Assad's opponents have failed so far to galvanize
support in Damascus and Aleppo — the two economic centers in Syria.
The Arab sanctions, however, could chip away at their resolve.
Since the revolt began, the Assad regime has blamed the bloodshed on terrorists
acting out a foreign conspiracy to divide and undermine Syria. Until recently,
most deaths appeared to be caused by security forces firing on mainly peaceful
protests. But lately, there have been growing reports of army defectors and
armed civilians fighting Assad's forces — a development that some say plays into
the regime's hands by giving government troops a pretext to crack down with
overwhelming force. The Assad regime has responded to the street protests by
sheer brutal force while at the same time announcing reforms largely dismissed
by the opposition as too little too late. On Monday, a spokesman for a committee
tasked with drawing up a new constitution said it would recommend the
abolishment of Article 8 which states that the ruling Baath Party is the leader
of the state and society. The article's abolishment was once a key demand of the
protest movement. However, such overtures are now unlikely to satisfy opposition
leaders who say they will accept nothing more than the downfall of the regime.
Miqati Meets al-Rahi: We Will Hold Another Cabinet Session if Quorum Isn’t Met
Naharnet /Prime Minister Najib Miqati refused on Tuesday to discuss Wednesday’s
cabinet session, saying that he prefers not to comment on the funding of the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon while matters are still being studied. He said
after holding talks with Speaker Nabih Berri: “It’s normal to hold another
session if quorum is not met.” Addressing the firing of rockets from Lebanon to
Israel overnight, he described the situation in Lebanon as difficult. He
stressed that the Lebanese army is following up on the issue, hoping that the
development was an individual incident.
Miqati later held talks with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi at the Grand
Serail where a luncheon banquet was thrown in his honor, reported Voice of
Lebanon radio.
This marks the first time that a Maronite patriarch visits the Grand Serail, it
said. Earlier on Tuesday, the patriarch stressed before a student delegation the
need to separate between religion and state practices. He stated: “The country’s
social contract should be renewed, not because the National Pact has been
overthrown, but in order to rectify the National Reconciliation document that
was issued by the Taif Accord.” Addressing the parliamentary electoral law, the
patriarch revealed that consultations with Maronite MPs may result in them
stressing the need to adopt proportional representation in the law.
“We support a law that guarantees the best representation,” al-Rahi remarked.
“We support the development of political sectarianism and we oppose its
elimination,” he stated.
Connelly Warns of Serious Consequences if Lebanon Does Not Meet Int'l
Commitments
Naharnet /U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly expressed on Monday the
United States’ concern over the possibility of Lebanon failing to meet its
obligations to Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
She said after holding talks with Economy Minister Nicolas Nahhas: “Its failure
to meet these obligations could lead to serious consequences.” She renewed the
commitment of the United States to a stable, sovereign, and independent Lebanon.
Connelly and Nahhas discussed the economic and political situation in Lebanon
and the current situation in Syria. The Ambassador reiterated the United States’
view that it is important to ensure that events in Syria do no create
instability or tension in Lebanon. The issue of funding the STL has created
further division in Lebanon between the March 8 and 14 camps, with the former
opposing the issue and the latter urging the Lebanese government to commit to
its international obligations. It has warned that failure to do so could lead to
sanctions against Lebanon.
Iran
blast – near military academy'
Iranian website says explosion occurred on street adjacent to military school.
Meanwhile, satellite images of site hit by blast two weeks ago reveals extensive
damage. Analyst: Impossible to tell whether blast caused by sabotage
Dudi Cohen Published: 11.29.11, 00:21 / Israel News
While Iranian officials continue to deny any reports on the blast in Isfahan,
other sources started to shed light on the mysterious incident.
Iranian paper Farhang Ashti (Peace Culture) reported Monday that the explosion,
which was initially reported by Iran's official news agency Fars, took place
several streets away from the city's military academy, near the Shiraz Gate. The
report's credibility remained unclear.
Fars initially reported a loud blast at 2:40 pm local time, but removed the
report shortly afterwards. Hours later, conflicting reports began to surface.
Iran's Mehr news agency mistakenly quoted the deputy governor of Isfahan
province as saying that there was no report of a major explosion in the province
– a quote given by him almost a year earlier, following a December 18, 2010
explosion in the city. True or false? The original report in Iran
However, the news agency also quoted another Iranian media outlet as saying that
a blast took place at a petrol station in a nearby town. Iran's uranium
conversion plant is located just outside Isfahan – one of the country's largest
cities.
'Iran's most senior scientist'
Earlier on Monday, Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said that Majid
Shahriari, who was assassinated last year in Iran, was the Islamic Republic's
"most senior scientist." This is the first time an Iranian official has referred
to Shahriari in such a manner in public.
In a radio interview, Salehi added that Shahriari, who was assassinated on
November 29, 2010, was the only scientist able to produce enriched uranium at a
20% rate.
Also on Monday, the Washington Post published satellite images showing extensive
damage to the Iranian missile base that was hit by a mysterious explosion two
weeks ago. The image of site, obtained by a Washington-based research group, did
not reveal any clues as to what caused the blast, but showed that the facility
has been effectively destroyed.
Senior analyst at the Institute for Science and International Security, Paul
Brannan said it’s impossible to tell from the image whether the blast was caused
by sabotage, as had been speculated.
When performing work with missiles, there are a variety of “volatile processes”
that could cause an explosion, Brannan told the Washington Post.
Brannan added that his institute was recently informed by sources privy to the
situation, that the blast had occurred just as Iran had achieved a milestone in
the development of a new missile and may have been performing a “volatile
procedure involving a missile engine at the site.”
*Yitzhak Benhorin contributed to this report
Syria…The sanctions will neither deter nor overthrow the regime
28/11/2011
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
If we want to look from the perspective that the glass is half full, with
regards to the decisions of the Arab League yesterday, we could say that they
were important decisions because they represented a rare moment whereby the Arab
League decided to impose sanctions on a member state. However, the bad news here
is that these sanctions will not deter the al-Assad regime, and will not bring
about its overthrow.
Some may argue, a member of the Arab League for example, that for those who say
the Arabs want to overthrow Bashar al-Assad; this is not the task of the Arab
League. Yet this is the crux of the matter completely! The Syrians are being
killed by the regime, not because there is a difference in viewpoints between
the people and al-Assad, but because the regime is bloodthirsty, derogatory,
suppressive and lacking in legitimacy. It is suffice here for the Arabs, and
particularly those directly concerned, to consider the words of one Syrian
citizen in Homs, who commented on the Arab sanctions against the al-Assad regime
by saying that he feared the sanctions would impact upon the Syrians, rather
than the regime. The Syrian citizen’s reaction was as follows: “My children and
I are prepared to eat dirt in order to overthrow the regime”. This is the
situation in Syria, despite all al-Assad’s false propaganda about pro-regime
demonstrations and so on. If there was genuine support for the regime, then why
would al-Assad use Hezbollah, the Sadrists and the Iranians against his own
people, and why are there escalating divisions within the Syrian army?
So, despite the importance of the Arab decision to impose sanctions on the al-Assad
regime, a very salient point remains. The situation in Syria has exceeded the
point of sanctions, it now requires more than this, especially as the al-Assad
regime’s campaign of murder and suppression is still continuing unabated. It is
not enough for the Arabs, or others, to say that there are fears of the
situation in Syria turning into a state of war. When the situation in Syria
reached the stage of genuine armed clashes, the responsibility at the time lay
with the Bashar al-Assad regime first and foremost, and secondly with all those
who hesitated to provide assistance to the Syrian civilians. This is especially
true since it has become impossible today for Syria to return to the way it was
[before the revolution], no matter what al-Assad does. The Syrian citizen, who
has defied suppression, humiliation and murder for all these months, in spite of
everything that has happened, will no longer accept the regime. This means that
al-Assad is faced with either an end similar to Gaddafi, or the fate of Ben Ali.
President al-Assad has exceeded even the stage of Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Thus today we can give credit to the Arabs for their decision to impose
sanctions against the al-Assad regime, with 19 of 22 votes in favor, but these
sanctions are not enough and the al-Assad killing machine will not stop. It is
also certain that the regime itself will now begin to run the black market in
Syria after the implementation of these sanctions, as Saddam Hussein’s regime
did during the international sanctions imposed upon it. Do not forget that Iraq
still remembers the Arab sanctions, and so there will now be a smuggling route
working day and night on the Syrian-Iraqi border. Therefore, the best thing the
Arabs can do today to protect the Syrians is to take the battle to the Security
Council.
Tantawi: caught between the youth and the ‘Brotherhood’
By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed
For the first time in Egypt, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) is
in a confrontation with the youth. The popular calls for criminal trials, new
prime ministers or election pledges have quietened down. The main demand is now
the end of military rule and the transfer of power to a civilian government.
Although this is a logical and expected demand, the really confusing question is
why the protesters have decided to target the military council now, with only a
few days left before the promised free parliamentary elections, which were a key
revolutionary demand.
Firstly, we must properly examine the dynamics of SCAF. It has two glaring
defects: the first being that it doesn't have a specific, popular political
project, and the second being that it does not have a strong character to lead
it, not even an eloquent orator. Even the prime ministers, including Kamal
Ganzouri, have been weak personalities.
Early on it became clear that SCAF was unable to develop a clear plan for the
transfer of power. The Council even failed to establish itself in the position
that it wanted, namely to become the “police of the revolution and the historic
transition”. Egypt, a country which has often idolised its leaders, cannot find
a single charismatic character, with attractive rhetoric, amongst the military
leadership. At a time when all revolutions are being led by outspoken preachers,
the council seems to consist only of military professionals with no political
gravitas at all.
I wrote about this few months ago, in an attempt to analyze the reasons behind
SCAF’s inabilities. The Council finally moved to put a proper political program
in place, thus putting an end to former president Hosni Mubarak's era, and
establishing a new period of history for Egypt. However, just as SCAF was about
to emerge from its dark tunnel, the youth suddenly returned to their court,
namely Tahrir Square, demanding the removal of the military and the immediate
transfer of power to civilians. Accordingly, many people were puzzled by this
and wondered why now, just a few days before the promised elections?
In my estimation, the only logical explanation is that the powers unlikely to be
successful in the forthcoming elections, such as the youth, want to enact a
significant change by forcing the military council out and forming a
transitional civilian council. This way they can still participate and remain in
the game, something they feel entitled to, being the protesters who led the
revolution in the first place. This also explains why the Muslim Brotherhood,
the largest and most organized opposition group, disagrees with the protesters
and is siding with SCAF for the first time. Unlike the youth parties, the
Brotherhood has a sizeable chance of winning the elections; and might win the
majority in parliament. Then it would be able to create a new constitution and
fight the battle for the presidency. The Islamists want parliamentary elections
first, whereas the youth want to remove the military first, while the SCAF
generals are incapable of directing public opinion.
Theoretically, it would be beneficial for the weaker and less organized powers,
such as the youth coalitions and some national parties, for the military council
to remain in power, as a guardian of the constitution. But it seems that SCAF
has failed to promote its role as such. The latest confrontations with the youth
in Tahrir Square have further complicated the issue, with the death toll rising
at a faster rate than during the confrontations with security forces in the days
of the uprising against Mubarak. I believe the situation will become more
serious because the target today is Field Marshal Tantawi himself and the
members of the military council. This means any potential confrontation is
inherently fraught with danger.
UN report on Syria: At least 256 children killed,
executions and rape prevalent
National Post Staff /Nov 28, 2011/By Mick Higgins
http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/11/28/inside-the-un-report-on-syria-at-least-256-children-killed-among-executions-rape/
A 40-page UN report accuses the Syrian regime of “gross human rights violations”
including the murder, torture, and rape of adults and children. The report —
based on interviewing hundreds of victims and witnesses — said at least 256
children had been killed by government forces. Read the full report. Among the
findings:
EXECUTIONS
Security forces had “shoot to kill” orders to crush demonstrations. The report
said when thousands of people marched from villages to bring food, water and
medicine to Dar’a they were ambushed by security forces and 40 people were
killed.
TORTURE
“Torture was reportedly applied equally to adults and children.” said the
report. “One defector stated that ‘people had their feet and hands bound with
plastic handcuffs. They were beaten mercilessly, including 10-year-old children.
Some children urinated out of fear while they were being beaten. It was very
cruel.’”
Torture included beatings with batons and cables, electroshock, enduring
prolonged “stress psoitions” for days in a row, deprivation of food, water and
sleep in a bid to force out “confessions.”
TORTURE AT THE HOSPITALS
“A number of cases was documented of injured people who were taken to military
hospitals, where they were beaten and tortured during interrogation. Torture and
killings reportedly took place in the Homs Military Hospital by security forces
dressed as doctors and allegedly acting with the complicity of medical
personnel.”
.CHILDREN
The report documented the torture and killing of two children, Thamir Al Sharee,
aged 14, and Hamza Al Katheeb, aged 13, from the town of Sayda.
“They were seized and allegedly taken to an Air Force Intelligence facility in
Damascus in April. They did not return home alive. The injuries described in the
post-mortem report of Thamir Al Sharee are consistent with torture. A witness,
himself a victim of torture, claimed to have seen Thamir Al Sharee on 3 May. The
witness stated that ‘the boy was lying on the floor and was completely blue. He
was bleeding profusely from his ear, eyes and nose. He was shouting and calling
for his mother and father for help. He fainted after being hit with a rifle butt
on the head.’”
A former soldier told investigators he defected after seeing the shooting of a
two-year-old girl by an officer who did not “want her to grow into a
demonstrator.”
“Several methods of torture, including sexual torture, were used by the military
and the security forces in detention facilities across the country. Detainees
were also subjected to psychological torture, including sexual threats against
them and their families and by being forced to worship President Al Assad
instead of their god.
“Men were routinely made to undress and remain naked. Several former detainees
testified reported beatings of genitals, forced oral sex, electroshocks and
cigarette burns to the anus… Several of the detainees were repeatedly threatened
that they would be raped in front of their family and that their wives and
daughters would also be raped.
“Testimonies were received from several men who stated they had been anally
raped with batons and that they had witnessed the rape of boys. One man stated
that he witnessed a 15-year-old boy being raped in front of his father. A
40-year-old man saw the rape of an 11-year-old boy by three security services
officers. He stated: ‘I have never been so afraid in my whole life. And then
they turned to me and said; you are next.’ The interviewee was unable to
continue his testimony.”
DEFECTORS
“Several defectors witnessed the killing of their comrades who refused to
execute orders to fire at civilians. A number of conscripts were allegedly
killed by security forces on 25 April in Dar’a during a large-scale military
operation. The soldiers in the first row were given orders to aim directly at
residential areas, but chose to fire in the air to avoid civilian casualties.
Security forces posted behind shot them for refusing orders, thus killing dozens
of conscripts.”
The report added some soldiers were tortured for refusing shoot-to-kill orders.
One defector told about going to a protest at a mosque. “We opened fire. A
number of people were killed. I tried to aim high. Later, I realized that
security forces had been taking pictures of us. I was pictured firing in the
air. I was interrogated. I was accused of being a secret agent. Members of the
Republican Guard beat me every hour for two days, and they tortured me with
electroshocks.”
A DEFECTOR SPEAKS
“Our commanding officer told us that there were armed conspirators and
terrorists attacking civilians and burning Government buildings. We went into
Telbisa on that day. We did not see any armed group. The protestors called for
freedom. They carried olive branches and marched with their children. We were
ordered to either disperse the crowd or eliminate everybody, including children.
The orders were to fire in the air and immediately after to shoot at people. No
time was allowed between one action and the other. We opened fire; I was there.
We used machine guns and other weapons. There were many people on the ground,
injured or killed.”
SNIPERS
Snipers, some on the tops of hospitals and schools, were responsible for many
casualties. They appeared to be targeting leaders, people using loudspeakers,
cameras or phones, said the report.
Rise of the Muslim Brotherhood
29/11/2011
By Tariq Alhomayed
The surprise story of the Arab elections, anywhere, is not the rise of the
Muslim Brotherhood, but rather if such an ascent did not occur. For example, if
the results of the current Egyptian parliamentary elections show the failure of
the Brotherhood to sweep to victory in the constituencies, then this is
newsworthy, and not the other way round.
Yesterday, an Egyptian newspaper published the headline: “Morocco records the
latest in the series of the Muslim Brotherhood’s rise to power!” Well, where is
the surprise in that? To be fair, the Egyptian newspaper is not alone in its
“surprise” at the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood. Rather there is a queue of
human rights advocates, liberals and seculars, specifically on Twitter and
Facebook, and similarly the “intellectuals on the street”, who are inclined to
go along with the zeitgeist, and protest for the cause of the day!
The Muslim Brotherhood is a political reality and a force because its members
work day and night, working on the ground rather than through social networking
websites. The Muslim Brotherhood is a force because those who claim to be
intellectuals do not bother to read history and draw lessons from it. Probably
the best we can say about them – i.e. these intellectuals – is that they are
passionate, but why are they reading the events of the past five years alone,
and not the past five decades? What about the case of the Brotherhood offshoot
Hamas? What about the position of the Brotherhood as a whole with Hezbollah?
What about the position of the Muslim Brotherhood with Iran and so on?
The problem with those who describe themselves as liberals – whether in Egypt or
elsewhere – is that their voices do not tend to move a muscle on the ground.
Here, I would say that if the size [of support for] the Muslim Brotherhood in
Egypt’s current elections is newsworthy and surprising, then what about the
other political forces in the Arab world that are fragmented and irrational,
without a clear and specific project, even if this project ultimately turns out
to be. However, if we consider the policy of riding every popular wave to be a
political project, then this is another story. Take Egypt for example, where
ever since the overthrow, or stepping down, of Hosni Mubarak, everyone has been
preoccupied with the so-called “remnants” of the former regime, or the threat of
Salafis supported by Saudi Arabia, or youth suspicions about the army. Of course
there was also the crafty Brotherhood plan to disperse the efforts of the youth
and other political forces, while the Brotherhood worked in full swing to
strengthen their ranks on the ground. Anyone who was alert to this plan received
their abundant share of insults and accusations of treason.
Another example: consider those intellectuals who showed enthusiasm for the idea
of fundamentalism in the days of Osama bin Laden, under the banner of the
victory of religion. Then the intellectuals adopted the idea of “resistance”
after the 2006 Lebanon War, and now they show enthusiasm for democracy today.
Three large fluctuations in the past ten years, but of course these
intellectuals only appear as sycophants with no real value, except the ability
to confuse. Their leaders have not changed; they always converged with the
Brotherhood throughout those stages, but now comes the day when they show
surprise at the Brotherhood’s success! Even the al-Assad regime today recalls
how the Brotherhood used to politically co-exist with it in the recent past, and
Hamas is the simplest example of this.
Therefore, the sheer amount of people surprised today at the rise of the Muslim
Brotherhood is nothing but an indication of a societal defect worthy of much
debate.