LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِOctober
06/2011
Bible Quotation for today/God
and Possessions
Matthew 06/24-34: "You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and
love the other; you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve
both God and money. This is why I tell you: do not be worried about the food and
drink you need in order to stay alive, or about clothes for your body. After
all, isn't life worth more than food? And isn't the body worth more than
clothes? Look at the birds: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it
in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren't you worth much
more than birds? Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it?
And why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or
make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all
his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. It is God who
clothes the wild grass—grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in
the oven. Won't he be all the more sure to clothe you? What little faith you
have! So do not start worrying: Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my
clothes? (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about. Your
Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned
above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you,
and he will provide you with all these other things. So do not worry about
tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the
troubles each day brings."
Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from
miscellaneous sources
Another Church in Egypt Attacked By
Muslims/AINA/October 05/11
What comes next for the Syrian
opposition/By: Shane Farrell/October 05/11
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for October 05/11
Turkey to hold military exercise on
Syrian border. Assad threatens to destroy Tel Aviv if attacked
Assad: Syria will shower Tel Aviv
with rockets if attacked by foreign powers
Clashes in Saudi Arabia Shi'ite
town leave at least 14 wounded
Canada Condemns Arson Attack at
Mosque in Israel
Canada Expands Sanctions Against
Syria
UN Resolution on Syria Blocked
by Russia and China/NYT
Saudi Arabia blames unrest in east
on ‘foreign power’
Future bloc: STL’s funding is not
subject to debate
Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General
Sheikh Naim Qassem says Rai stance coincides with Hezbollah vision
Draft budget proposes VAT hike
U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura
Connelly: Lebanese Army has duty to protect Syrian
Syrian Tanks Infiltrate Arsal in
Bekaa Fire at Factory
Berri
from Armenia: International Powers Targeting Arab Regimes to Subject Them to
Their Will
Derailed Micheal Aoun: Aoun: No
One, Not Even Miqati, Has Right to Vow to Fund STL
Mali Police Arrest "Human
Trafficking Network" between Mali, Lebanon
Nasrallah Holds Talks with Aoun's
spoiled Son-in-law Bassil on Latest Developments
Another Church in Egypt
Attacked By Muslims/AINA/October 05/11
10-4-2011 23:38:40
http://www.aina.org/news/20111004183833.htm
Assyrian International News Agency
(AINA) -- On Monday, October 3, Muslims surrounded St. Mary's Church in the
Upper Egyptian village of Elmadmar, Tema district, Sohag province, in an effort
to demolish it. The Muslims blocked the road to the church and hurled bricks at
the building. Church personnel contacted the authorities. "For the first time,
security came and in big numbers," said activist George Bouchra.None of the
assailants were arrested. According to the priest of the church, Muslims came
early before 8 AM and held banners with "No to the Church" and demanded that no
prayers be held. He described the assailants as young people under the
leadership of some village Muslims, "whom I know by name."
The Muslims insisted that it was never a church but a house that was turned into
a church. This was refuted by the priest, who said the church was built eight
years ago, to be used as a church and belongs to the Coptic Diocese. "It has
state security approval to operate, but its license is still pending." The
church was used once a month and a mass has been held every Saturday for five
months. Muslims claim that we hold a mass every day at 4 PM, and we ring the
church bell, which the church does not have, besides singing hymns, which they
claim disturbs them." Although, Elmadmar is inhabited by 15,000 Christians, it
has only one other church on the other side of the village, which also serves
neighboring villages.
"The problem in Elmadmar village has been brewing for some time," said Bouchra.
"We have been watching it for some time now." He added that in spite of the
current calm and the presence of the security forces one cannot be optimistic,
because the Muslims are still insisting that the church should be closed.
By Mary Abdelmassih
Clashes in Saudi Arabia Shi'ite
town leave at least 14 wounded
By DPA /At least fourteen people were wounded when police clashed with Shiite
protesters in the eastern Saudi Arabian province of al Qatif, where protests
have been held for the past two days, Al Jazeera television reported. A Saudi
Interior Ministry source said that eleven security men were among the injured.
"Nine were shot with bullets and two others (injured) by Molotov (cocktails),"
the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted the source as saying. He added that three
Saudi civilians (two women and a man) were also wounded. The source
accused a "foreign country" of "inciting strife" in the eastern province.
Pro-Saudi Shiite agency AhlulBayt News Agency said protests broke out Sunday in
the Saudi Shiite town of Awwamiya, also in al-Qatif. The protests began after
authorities arrested two fathers to pressure them into handing over their sons
who allegedly participated in demonstrations staged last March.
On March 17, thousands of Shiite protesters demonstrated against the kingdom's
backing of the Bahraini crackdown on protesters this year. Saudi Arabia's
minority Shiites complain of discrimination, saying they often struggle to get
senior government jobs and benefits available to other citizens. The Saudi
government denies the charges. Some Saudi officials blame Iran, saying it
supports the Shiite population in the Sunni-ruled kingdom.
Turkey to hold military exercise on Syrian border. Assad
threatens to destroy Tel Aviv if attacked
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report/ October 4, 2011,
War tensions between Turkey, NATO and Syria shot up again Tuesday, Oct. 4, with
the announcement from Ankara that Turkey embarks Wednesday on a 10-day
"mobilization" exercise in the southern province of Hatay along the Syrian
border, through which arms are being funneled to Syrian protesters. Turkish
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is expected on the same day to visit the 7,000
Syrians who have taken refuge in Hatay from President Bashar Assad's troops.
debkafile reported earlier Tuesday that Syrian President Bashar Assad has for
three months staved off a military attack by Turkey or NATO for halting the
exceptional brutality of his crackdown on protest by explicitly holding Greater
Tel Aviv's 1.2 million inhabitants under threat of missile retaliation.
Our military sources note that the Turkish exercise was announced the day after
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta held talks with Israeli leaders, during which
he emphasized the importance of restoring ties with Turkey for deterring Syrian,
Iranian and Hizballah menaces.
And a week ago, on Sept. 27, NATO's European commander Gen. James Staviris
visited Ankara. Both visits were apparently part of the build-up for the Turkish
exercise, which will involve the 39th mechanized infantry brigade and 730
reserve soldiers. Its target: the mobilization of reserves and their rapid
transfer to the Syrian border.
The drill may well revive speculation in Damascus that Turkey is preparing to go
ahead with a plan to carve out a buffer enclave inside Syria to protect
civilians and provide rebels with shelter and logistical and medical assistance.
The Assad regime would no doubt regard this act as a direct attack on sovereign
Syrian territory by a NATO member.
The announcement from Ankara added that Turkey would soon announce a roadmap for
further sanctions to be imposed against Syria in addition to those already
underway.
Earlier Tuesday, debkafile's exclusive sources reported:
For the past three months, Syrian President Bashar Assad has staved off a
military attack by Turkey or NATO for halting the exceptional brutality of his
crackdown on protest by explicitly holding Greater Tel Aviv's 1.2 million
inhabitants under threat of missile retaliation. Iran and Hizballah are
exercising the same deterrent. This standoff was the main theme of the talks US
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta held with Israeli leaders in Tel Aviv Monday,
Oct. 3.
According to Western intelligence sources, Syria, Iran and Hizballah have
charted a coordinated military operation for flattening metropolitan Tel Aviv,
Israel's financial, industrial and cultural center, with thousands of missiles
launched simultaneously by all three - plus the Palestinian Hamas and Jihad
Islami firing from the Gaza Strip.
Israeli officials have never publicly admitted that this threat is on record,
but Western intelligence sources have reported that Israel reacted with a
warning of its own: If a single Syrian missile explodes in Tel Aviv, Damascus
will be first to pay the price, and if the missile offensive persists, one
Syrian town after another will be destroyed.
The Israeli message to Assad cited the warnings Defense Minister Ehud Barak and
other government members addressed in the past year to Hizballah, that if Tel
Aviv comes under attack from its missiles, not only Beirut but all of Lebanon
would go up in flames. Assad was given to understand that Syria would go the
same way as Lebanon if it engaged in missile belligerence against Israel.
Bashar Assad's threat to Israel was very much on Leon Panetta's mind when he
told reporters on the plane carrying him to Israel Monday for his first visit as
defense secretary: "Real security can only be achieved by both a strong
diplomatic effort as well as a strong effort to project your military strength,"
he said.
Western military sources say that he was not only referring to Syria, Egypt and
the Palestinians by this and other statements, but pointing at the widening rift
between Israel and Turkey.
The US official believes that this rift plays into the hands of the Syrian ruler
and grants him the freedom to issue dire threats against Israel to hold Turkey
and NATO back from using military force against his vicious regime. For Panetta,
this is a prime example of Israel failing to project its military strength for
diplomatic gains that would be beneficial to the West in the uprisings sweeping
the Arab world. The loss of Turkish-Israeli military cooperation, albeit not
initiated by Israel, ties the hands of the US and NATO against striking Syria.
Those sources report that Panetta does not absolve Ankara of responsibility for
this situation.
Syria first threatened Israel with retaliation on Aug. 9 when Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu spent six hours with Bashar Assad in an effort on
behalf of his own government and NATO to persuade him to stop the carnage his
troops were perpetrating against his people.
Davutoglu warned Assad that if he did not desist from his actions he would share
the fate of Muammar Qaddafi at the hands of NATO and Turkish forces.
The Syrian ruler's response was harsh: From the moment a shot is fired against
Syria, "it will take only six hours for Syria to devastate Tel Aviv and ignite
the entire Middle East," he said.
Assad was spelling out the warning issued on May 10 by a close crony,
international business tycoon Rami Makhlouf, who said then: "If there is no
stability here, there’s no way there will be stability in Israel. No way, and
nobody can guarantee what will happen after, God forbid, anything happens to
this regime.”
The barrage of Syrian threats was reinforced from Tehran Monday, Sept, 26 by
Ayatollah Jafar Shoujouni, a close associate of the all-powerful Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Shoujouni recalled that when he visited Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah in
Beirut last May, he assured him: "If Israelis come near Tehran, we will destroy
Tel Aviv."
The Iranian cleric and the Syrian businessman spoke in the same vein in the same
month. This was no coincidence. Their threat has since been repeated with
greater emphasis to provide the Assad regime with insurance for its survival
against foreign military intervention while continuing its pitiless onslaught on
dissent.
Syria and Turkey are increasingly at odds, debkafile's military sources report.
This week, Damascus accused the Turks of smuggling automatic and anti-tank
weapons to the protesters, claiming to have uncovered a consignment in the
protest center of Homs.
Ankara has initiated the process of freezing Assad family members' bank accounts
and assets whose worth is estimated at half a billion dollars.
Turkey is also weighing unilateral sanctions after the UN Security Council last
week imposed an arms embargo on Syria although Russia succeeded in blocking a
tough council resolution. Moscow was punishing the West for its military
intervention in Libya and flatly opposed to giving NATO another such opportunity
in Syria.
Damascus repeatedly warned Turkey in the past week of reprisals if its
inspectors dare open freights on transit to Syria by ship, plane or land vehicle
to search for embargoed arms.
At a time of dangerously spiralling tensions, there is no knowing when the Assad
regime will determine that the first Turkish shot was fired and how it will
retaliate.
Iran: NATO radar in Turkey
serves to protect Israel
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says NATO defense system deployed in southeast Turkey meant
to protect Israel from Iranian missile attacks in case war breaks out; expresses
dissatisfaction to Turkish officials. Ankara claims shield doesn’t target any
specific country
Associated Press
Iran criticized Turkey on Tuesday for agreeing to allow NATO to station an early
warning radar in the southeast of the country that will serve as part of the
alliance's missile defense system.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed the defense system was meant to protect
Israel against Iranian missile attacks in the event a war breaks out with the
Jewish state.
The missile defense shield is aimed at defending the Zionist regime. They don't
want to let our missiles land in the occupied territories (Israel) if one day
they take action against us. That's why they put it there," Ahmadinejad said in
an address to the nation on state TV late Tuesday. Turkey agreed to host the
radar in September as part of NATO's missile defense system aimed at countering
ballistic missile threats from neighboring Iran. Ankara claims the shield
doesn't target a specific country and had threatened to block the deal if Iran
was explicitly named as a threat. A military installation in Kurecik has been
designated as the radar site, according to Turkish government officials. Kurecik
in Malatya province lies some 700 kilometers (435 miles) west of the Iranian
border. In September, Pentagon spokesman Col. Dave Lapan said the United States
hopes to have the radar deployed there by the end of the year.
Ahmadinejad said his government has conveyed Iran's displeasure to Turkish
officials.
"We told our Turkish friends that it was not a correct job (decision) they did
and that it's to their detriment," he said. "Such shields can't prevent the
collapse of the Zionist regime."
Improving ties with US?The deployment in Turkey, the biggest Muslim voice in
NATO, signals improving ties with Washington since the 2003 Iraq invasion.
Turkey also closely works with US forces in NATO operations in Afghanistan and
Libya, though it is not directly involved in combat.
Last month, Turkey confirmed talks with the US for possible deployment of
Predator drones on its soil after the US leaves Iraq. The US currently shares
drone surveillance data with Turkey to aid its fight against Kurdish rebels who
have bases in Iraq. Turkish authorities did not specify if they want armed
drones or just surveillance ones.
Turkey has built close economic ties with Iran and has been at odds with the
United States on its stance toward Iran's nuclear program, arguing for a
diplomatic solution to the standoff instead of sanctions. But the agreement over
the radar facility comes at a time when Turkey and Iran appear to be differing
on their approach toward Syria, with Turkey becoming increasingly critical of
Iranian ally Syria's brutal suppression of anti-regime protests.
U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly: Lebanese Army
has duty to protect Syrian opposition
October 05, 2011/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly stressed Tuesday the
importance her government placed on the Lebanese Army to protect members of the
Syrian opposition living in Lebanon. “Ambassador Connelly emphasized the
importance the United States places on the Lebanese Armed Forces’ role in
protecting members of the Syrian opposition residing in Lebanon, as one of
Lebanon’s international legal obligations that also include support and funding
of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon,” a statement from the U.S. Embassy said
Tuesday.
The statement was issued after Connelly met with Lebanon’s Defense Minister
Fayez Ghosn Tuesday.
“Ambassador Connelly reiterated the U.S. government’s support for and assistance
to the Lebanese [Army] as well as the U.S. and international community’s
expectations that Lebanon and the Lebanese [Army] fulfill their commitment to
implement [U.N. Security Council Resolution] 1701 and continue to work to
improve Lebanon’s border security,” the statement said.
Future bloc: STL’s funding is not subject to debate
October 05, 2011/By Hussein Dakroub The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The dispute over the financing of a U.N.-backed court took a new twist
Tuesday when Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun flatly rejected
commitment by President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Najib Mikati to pay
Lebanon’s $32 million share to the court’s funding.
In the meantime, the parliamentary Future bloc of former Prime Minister Saad
Hariri said the STL’s funding was not subject to debate, calling on the
Hezbollah-dominated government to pay Lebanon’s share to the court.
The escalation of the row over the STL’s funding came on the eve of a Cabinet
session which has some 150 items on its agenda. However, given the continued
sharp differences among Cabinet ministers, the STL’s funding and appointments in
the public administration were not included on the agenda of Wednesday’s Cabinet
session.
Although administrative appointments are not on the Cabinet’s agenda, a senior
political source told The Daily Star Tuesday night that the Cabinet is expected
to appoint Wednesday Hezbollah-backed Adnan Assayed Hussein, a former state
minister, as president of the state-run Lebanese University, a post reserved by
convention for a Shiite.
The source said that starting from next week, the Cabinet will begin tackling
the issue of appointments to fill more than 400 vacant posts in the public
administration.
Mikati met Tuesday with Hezbollah and Amal officials as part of behind-the-scene
contacts to narrow differences within the Cabinet over the STL’s funding and
administrative appointments, the source said.
Aoun renewed his bloc’s rejection of funding a tribunal which he considers
unconstitutional because its formation had not been approved by parliament. He
also rejected Sleiman and Mikati’s commitments to finance the STL made in their
speeches at the U.N. Security Council last month.
“Neither Prime Minister Najib Mikati nor President Michel Sleiman or others have
the right to finance the tribunal in the absence of an agreement with the United
Nations. If Mikati wanted to finance it from his pocket, let him do so,” Aoun
told a news conference after chairing a weekly meeting of his parliamentary
Change and Reform bloc.
Recalling that the STL had not been approved by Parliament when it was formed in
2007 by the United Nations, Aoun said: “Unless [the STL] has been passed by
constitutional means, [Mikati] has no right to pay any penny and has no right to
make commitment. I am not ready to pay money in an illegitimate and
unconstitutional manner. Anyone who is committed to financing the tribunal, let
him pay the money from his own wealth and private money.”
Meanwhile, the Future bloc again urged the government to pay Lebanon’s share to
the funding of the STL which, it said, was set up to reveal the truth behind the
2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 22 others.
“The Future bloc considers the government’s commitment to funding the STL … as a
matter not subject to debate. It is the responsibility and duty of the executive
authority and the government to do their duties and respect Lebanon’s
implementation of its commitments,” said a statement issued after the bloc’s
meeting.
Apparently referring to Hezbollah and its March 8 allies, the statement said:
“It has become clear that there are some who are trying to obstruct the funding.
On the other hand, there are those who are trying to cover and protect the four
accused of committing the crime and preventing their handover to the relevant
judiciary, thus putting Lebanon on a collision course with the international
community.
“Hezbollah, which is represented in the government and to which the four accused
belong, was quick by its officials to declare the protection of the accused
raising them to the rank of saints,” the statement said. “Therefore, the
government must do what it has to do to approve the [STL’s] funding and hand
over the accused to the international tribunal.”
A Hezbollah source said Monday the Cabinet would not approve the payment of
Lebanon’s share to the STL’s funding because there is a majority in the Cabinet
that is against the tribunal and its funding.
Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem says
Rai stance coincides with Hezbollah vision
October 05, 2011/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem praised Tuesday
the recent stances of Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai saying they coincide with
his party’s vision.
He also said those who fear engaging in dialogue, fear losing in such a debate
against Hezbollah’s reasonining. “Whoever fears dialogue, fears losing in the
face of the reasoning of others and their logical convictions,” said Qassem, in
reference to President Michel Sleiman’s call for dialogue on a national defense
strategy.
Qassem, who is Hezbollah’s deputy secretary-general, advised his rivals to heed
the calls for dialogue, saying that “it is the only way to solve the [country’s]
problems.”
“We do not fear dialogue and others should be convinced that there won’t be any
solution without dialogue,” Qassem added.
In a speech before a group of high school graduates, Qassem had strong words for
politicians from the March 14 coalition and called on them to stop wagering on
the ongoing developments in Syria.
“Wagering on changes at the international level is a failing bet and won’t have
any result,” said Qassem.
During his speech, Qassem laid out several key principles upheld by his party,
stressing that Hezbollah has become the people’s choice and has entered “the
heart of every Lebanese.”
“The resistance is a powerful pillar for Lebanon … inciting foreign powers
against it does not help,” said Qassem.
“The Lebanese have strong faith after they proved that they are capable of
living in a free and independent nation,” he said.
Qassem also praised the recent statements made by the Maronite patriarch and
Grand Mufti Mohammad Rashid Qabbani. “His [Rai’s] statements coincide with our
vision,” said Qassem, adding that Qabbani’s statements are unifying statements
that bring Lebanese together instead of dividing them.
“These statements are in the interest of Lebanon, and we commend all stances
that help the resistance and protect the country’s dignity,” said Qassem, adding
that the party would cut the “hand” of any foreigner who attempts to intervene
in the country’s affairs.
In his latest remarks on the ongoing developments in Syria and Hezbollah’s
arsenal, Rai has made a shift from the positions of his predecessor, Nasrallah
Butros Sfeir. During a recent visit to Paris, Rai warned that the collapse of
Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime could lead to an Islamist government in
Damascus that could threaten Christians in the country.
Also, during his trip the patriarch stated that it was Israel’s occupation of
Lebanese territories that provided a pretext for Hezbollah to justify
maintaining its arsenal.
U.S. envoy: Lebanese Army has duty to protect Syrian
opposition
October 05, 2011/ The Daily Star
BEIRUT: U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly stressed Tuesday the
importance her government placed on the Lebanese Army to protect members of the
Syrian opposition living in Lebanon. “Ambassador Connelly emphasized the
importance the United States places on the Lebanese Armed Forces’ role in
protecting members of the Syrian opposition residing in Lebanon, as one of
Lebanon’s international legal obligations that also include support and funding
of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon,” a statement from the U.S. Embassy said
Tuesday.
The statement was issued after Connelly met with Lebanon’s Defense Minister
Fayez Ghosn Tuesday. “Ambassador Connelly reiterated the U.S. government’s
support for and assistance to the Lebanese [Army] as well as the U.S. and
international community’s expectations that Lebanon and the Lebanese [Army]
fulfill their commitment to implement [U.N. Security Council Resolution] 1701
and continue to work to improve Lebanon’s border security,” the statement said.
U.N. Resolution on Syria Blocked by Russia and China
By NEIL MacFARQUHAR/New York Times
Published: October 4, 2011
k UNITED NATIONS — Months of wrangling at the Security Council over a resolution
condemning Syria failed on Tuesday after Russia and China vetoed a resolution
that contained a weak reference to the possibility of sanctions against
Damascus.
Nine nations, including the United States and its Western allies, voted for the
measure, while Brazil, India, South Africa and Lebanon abstained.
Russia, whose main ally in the Middle East is Syria, had said previously that it
would not accept a resolution that included even a hint of sanctions. The
wording had been heavily watered down in hopes of avoiding the veto.
“This does not support a move toward democracy that we have seen in the Arab
Spring,” Gerard Araud, the French ambassador, said after the vote.
The resolution demanded the immediate end to all violence in Syria and
accountability for those deemed responsible for it. It also called for a new
political process to be conducted in an environment “free from violence, fear,
intimidation and extremism.” It encouraged the opposition to take part.
The resolution condemned the “grave and systematic” human rights violations in
Syria, listing “arbitrary executions, excessive use of force and the killing and
persecution of protesters.” All Syrians should be granted fundamental human
rights, including freedom of expression and assembly, as well as the release of
all political prisoners, it said.
The resolution, which was proposed by the four European members of the Security
Council — Britain, France, Germany and Portugal — in cooperation with the United
States, was diluted in hopes of inducing Russian support.
An explicit threat of sanctions, which supporters contended would give the
resolution teeth, was removed, replaced with language that discussed the
possibility of considering them.
The first version said that the Security Council would review Syria’s compliance
with the resolution in 15 days and if it had not complied “to adopt targeted
measures, including sanctions.”
The revised version voted on Tuesday extended the deadline to 30 days and stated
that the Council would “consider its options,” including unspecified “measures.”
The United States argued privately that the Europeans had made too many
concessions, diplomats said, but in the end it supported the measure. The
Russians had proposed wording that equated the violence fomented by both sides,
which the Western nations rejected.
Other dilutions included removing a demand that Syria allow an investigation
team from the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva to enter the
country.
Russia and the other supporters — the so-called BRICS nations of Brazil, India,
China and South Africa — objected to the idea of sanctions, diplomats said. They
argued that the Security Council’s resolution on Libya had been twisted to
encompass a NATO war against the Libyan government and they were determined not
to repeat that.
But Western diplomats accused those opposed to sanctions of using that argument
as a smokescreen to disguise their protection of the Syrian government.
In explaining why Russia exercised its veto, Vitaly Churkin, the nation’s
ambassador, said, “This approach is against the peaceful solution of the crisis
on the basis of a Syrian national dialogue.” He said that Russia opposed
sanctions against Syria, or any other form of pressure that might increase
violence there, particularly because many Syrians do not support the
antigovernment movement.
The resolution on Libya approved by the Council in the spring was intended to
protect civilians, he said. But he contended that it was used instead as an
excuse to fuel a civil war, with NATO bombing civilian targets like television
stations and oil facilities. The Chinese ambassador echoed those sentiments.
Susan Rice, the American envoy, said that the United States was “outraged” by
the failure of the Council to pass the resolution, accusing the opponents of
seeking to sell arms to Syria rather than respond to the democratic aspirations
of its people. “The courageous people of Syria can now see clearly who supports
their yearning for liberty and universal rights and who does not,” she said.
Negotiations over some sort of message to Syria had stalled for months in the
face of opposition from Russia and the others, but the mounting toll in the
violence over antigovernment protests finally prompted a revived effort. Until
now, the Council has only issued two weaker statements condemning the violence
that erupted seven months ago.
Canada Expands Sanctions Against Syria
(No. 283 - October 4, 2011 – 4:15 p.m. ET) Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird
today announced new sanctions on Syria’s Assad regime in response to its ongoing
and escalating repression of Syrian civilians. The measures announced today
further expand Canada’s targeted sanctions against the Syrian regime and those
that provide it with support.
“The push for political change has claimed thousands of lives with no sign the
violence is letting up,” said Minister Baird. “We are committed to working with
our international partners to pressure President Assad to step aside.”
The expanded measures include:
•travel restrictions and a freeze of assets and prohibition on dealings with
members of the regime and those who provide it with support, in addition to
those sanctioned in earlier measures;
•a prohibition on the importation, purchase, acquisition, carrying or shipment
of petroleum or petroleum products from Syria; and
•a prohibition on providing financing for new investment in the oil industry or
the acquisition, purchase, supply or importation of petroleum or petroleum
products in Syria.
“These measures are not meant to add to the hardship already facing the Syrian
people,” said Minister Baird. “Canada stands with the Syrian people in their
efforts to secure freedom and democracy. We look forward to a new Syria that
respects the rights of its people, and lives in peace with its neighbours.”
- 30 -
A backgrounder follows.
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-995-1874
Follow us on Twitter: @DFAIT_MAECI
Backgrounder – Additional Syria Sanctions
Effective immediately, Canada is imposing a new set of sanctions on the Assad
regime and those closest to it.
The additional individuals and entities announced today, and named below, bring
the total of those targeted by Canada’s sanctions to 56 individuals and 21
entities.
Individuals
1.Zoulhima Chaliche
2.Riyad Chaliche
3.Khalid Qaddur
4.Ra’if Al-Quwatli
5.Hayel Al-Assad
6.Ali Al-Salim
7.Rafiq Shahadah
8.Jami Jami
9.Hassan Bin-Ali Al-Turkmani
10. Muhammad Said Bukhaytan
11. Ali Douba
12. Nawful Al-Husayn
13. Husam Sukkar
14. Muhammed Zamrini
15. Munir Adanov (Adnuf)
16. Ghassan Khalil
17. Mohammed Jabir
18. Samir Hassan
19. Fares Chehabi
20. Emad Ghraiwati
21. Tarif Akhras
22. Issam Anbouba
23. Walid Al-Moallem
24. Bouthaina Shaaban
25. Ali Abdul Karim Ali
26. Tayseer Qala Awwad
27. Adnan Hassan Mahmoud Zoulhima Chaliche
Entities
1.Bena Properties
2.Al Mashreq Investment Fund (AMIF) (also known as Sunduq Al Mashrek Al
Istithmari)
3.Hamcho International (also known as Hamsho International Group)
4.Military Housing Establishment (MILIHOUSE)
5.Mada Transport
6.Cham Investment Group
7.Real Estate Bank
8.Cham Holdings
9.Addounia TV
10.Ramak Construction
11.El-tel
12.Souruh
Canada is also imposing prohibitions on any purchase or transportation of Syrian
petroleum or petroleum products; all new investment in the Syrian oil sector;
the provision or acquisition of financial services for the purpose of
facilitating the importation, purchase or transportation of Syrian petroleum or
petroleum products; and the provision or acquisition of financial services for
the purpose of investing in the Syrian oil sector.
Context
On May 24, 2011, Canada announced targeted sanctions against the Syrian regime
and some designated individuals and entities in response to the ongoing violent
crackdown by Syrian military and security forces against Syrians peacefully
protesting for democracy and human rights. These previous measures, which were a
blend of administrative measures and actions taken under the authority of the
Special Economic Measures Act, are consistent with initiatives taken by
like-minded states, including the United States and the European Union.
On August 13, 2011, Canada expanded sanctions by seeking to freeze the assets of
four additional individuals and two additional entities associated with the
Syrian government, and to ensure that those people believed to be inadmissible
to Canada are prevented from travelling to Canada. Measures implemented by
Canada include a prohibition on dealing in the property of listed individuals
and entities—including the provision of financial services and making property
available for their benefit—and travel restrictions.
Canadian measures
1.Travel restrictions: Canada will ensure that persons associated with the
Syrian government who are believed to be inadmissible to Canada are prevented
from travelling to Canada.
2.An asset freeze: Canada will impose an asset freeze against people associated
with the current Syrian regime and entities involved in security and military
operations against the Syrian people.
3.A ban on specific exports and imports: Canada will place a ban under the
Export and Import Permits Act on the export from Canada to Syria of goods and
technology that are subject to export controls. These items include arms,
munitions, and military, nuclear and strategic items that are intended for use
by the Syrian armed forces, police or other governmental agencies.
4.Suspension of all bilateral cooperation agreements and initiatives with Syria.
The measures announced are consistent with Canada’s foreign policy priority to
promote freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law around the world.
Canada stands with the Syrian people in their calls for reform and a brighter,
better future for Syria.
5.Prohibition on the importation, purchase or transportation of petroleum or
petroleum products from Syria.
6.Prohibition on new investment in the Syrian oil sector.
7.Prohibition on the provision or acquisition of financial services for the
purpose of facilitating the importation, purchase or transportation of Syrian
petroleum or petroleum products.
8.Prohibition on the provision or acquisition of financial services for the
purpose of investing in the Syrian oil sector.
A news release announcing the May 24 sanctions can be found at PM announces
sanctions on Syria.
*For more information on the August 13 announcement, please visit Statement by
Minister Baird on Situation in Syria.
Canada Condemns Arson Attack at
Mosque in Israel
(No. 284 - October 4, 2011 - 4:45 p.m. ET) Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird
issued this statement following a deliberately set fire at a mosque in Tuba
Zangaria, Israel:
“On behalf of all Canadians, I deplore this act of arson and join Israeli
leaders in their condemnation of it.
“Thankfully, no one was hurt, but attacks on religious institutions are
inexcusable.
“Those responsible for yesterday’s criminal act should be punished to the full
extent of the law.”
Syrian soldiers cross Lebanese border in Bekaa
October 4, 2011/Syrian army tanks crossed the Lebanese border near the Bekaa
town of Aarsal on Tuesday and fired several gunshots within Lebanese territory.
“The Syrian tanks crossed the eastern borders of the town of Aarsal and fired
several shots before they returned to [Syria],” NOW Lebanon’s correspondent
reported. He said that the Lebanese Armed Forces command contacted the Syrian
army “to coordinate and called on the soldiers to immediately withdraw from
Lebanese territory.” Meanwhile, the National News Agency reported that the tanks
fired in the direction of a battery factory in Aarsal, adding that the Syrian
troops suspected fleeing gunmen had taken refuge in the building. Thousands of
Syrians have fled into Lebanon in recent months, often using illegal border
crossings, to flee the unrest gripping their country.-NOW Lebanon
What comes next for the Syrian opposition?
Shane Farrell, October 4, 2011
Syrian dissidents during a press conference launching the “historic” united
opposition body, the Syrian National Council, on October 2, 2011. (AFP photo/Bulent
Kilic)
The Syrian National Council (SNC), which was formed on September 15, has gained
widespread legitimacy since it was re-launched this weekend. Having secured the
backing of the most significant opposition groups—including the Muslim
Brotherhood, the Damascus Declaration and Local Coordination Committees—the SNC
announced the formation of a "historic" united front against President Bashar
al-Assad's regime in Istanbul on Sunday. The body, according to SNC chairperson
Burhan Ghalioun, "represents the Syrian revolution both inside and outside the
country." Ghalioun’s words were given some credence by the reaction on Syrian
streets following the conference, with demonstrators across the nation coming
out in support of the SNC and many demanding it be recognized as the country's
sole authority.
The SNC also received some foreign support, with the Gulf Forum of Civil
Societies—a body consisting of around 100 academics, jurists and thinkers from
the Gulf—calling on GCC states to recognize the SNC as the sole legitimate
representative of the Syrian people. This comes on the back of recognition of
the council by France and the United States in mid-September.
However, the SNC has faced criticism from groups that claim they are not
represented in it. In fact, Sunday’s announcement was delayed for one hour,
according to one report, due to a group of protesters raiding the hotel where
the conference was held for this reason. Another group, the National
Coordination Body, released a statement on Saturday saying that it had not been
invited to attend the conference and that it intends to continue its work in
uniting a national and democratic opposition.
Former Muslim Brotherhood leader Ali Sadreddine Bayanouni acknowledged at a
conference in Doha that the group did not have complete support, but estimated
that the SNC represents "80 percent of the Syrian opposition." At the same
conference, Bayanouni also sought to assuage concerns about the intentions of
the Brotherhood, stating that it wants a "democratic" Syria, not an Islamic
state, to replace the Assad regime.
SNC member Rami Nakhle, also known as Malath Aumran, told NOW Lebanon that
“Trying to make the Syrian National Council as representative as possible was
one of the things we strove for since discussions began. Of course some groups
are going to feel left out, and it’s hard to know exactly how representative
some of these smaller groups are. The council includes the most prominent
opposition groups in Syria.”
The successful re-launch of the SNC marks a major milestone by the Syrian
opposition. But what next?
“The next step is to enter into discussions and plan our next step,” Nakhle
said. In his opinion, however, the SNC should “demonstrate to those who
committed and keep committing crimes that they will be persecuted… [although] we
don't want to make it a battle for life or death for them, and we need to think
of a safe exit for those who want reconciliation.”
Another prominent activist and supporter of the SNC, Firaz al-Atassi, said the
council’s role is manifold. Externally, he believes the SNC should act as a
unified voice with which to “talk to the whole world, negotiate and ask for
support and protection for the Syrian people, [and to] speak to the states
friendly to the regime and talk to them about a better alternative,” as well as
being “a credible body to which donations can be channeled to help Syrians
inside.” Internally, meanwhile, Atassi calls on the SNC to “lead the movement in
the street, dictating the types of demonstrations and the mechanisms of the
demonstrations [in order to] tip the balance in favor of freedom.”
From Ghalioun’s statements on Sunday, it would seem the council sees
international actors as significant to tipping the balance against the regime,
but he was not clear as to what role he hoped foreign countries would play.
"The council rejects any outside interference that undermines the sovereignty of
the Syrian people,” Ghalioun said in Istanbul, but he appealed to the
international community to protect civilians from what he called a government
“war” against them, according to news agencies.
Foreign Policy Associate Editor David Kenner believes that the council “hinted
strongly that it was in favor of a no-fly zone over the country by publishing
maps of Syrian air defenses on its website.” This is reinforced by passages on
the same website that outline Lebanon’s expected opposition to a no-fly zone in
the Security Council, as well as the practical difficulty of taking out Syria’s
air defenses from the sea, due to Lebanon’s geographic position. *NOW LEBANON
.
Aoun: No One, Not Even Miqati, Has Right to Vow to Fund STL
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun voiced on Tuesday his
objection to the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, criticizing
Premier Najib Miqati for pledging to fund it. He said after the Change and
Reform bloc’s weekly meeting: “No one, not even Miqati, has the right to vow to
anyone that Lebanon will commit to funding the tribunal.”
He added that he opposes its funding through illegal means, demanding that
Miqati and President Michel Suleiman fund the tribunal themselves at their own
expense.
“From a constitutional and legal point of view, no one, not even Miqati, has the
right to fund it without a legal agreement, because anything other than that
would be a theft of public funds,” he stressed. Last week, Miqati had announced
before the United Nations Security Council that Lebanon will commit to funding
the STL.
It is obligated to fund 49 percent of its budget. Addressing, the state budget,
Aoun noted that the proposal that Finance Minister Mohammed al-Safadi needs
further discussions.
“We will not present concessions in this matter because we are not here to cover
up violations,” the MP declared.
“Every illegal action must be revealed,” he stressed. Furthermore, the MP
accused Safadi and Interior Minister Marwan Charbel of obstructing funds
presented for municipalities.
“Everyone wants to violate the laws, are we living in a tribe mentality or is
there a constitution that needs to be implemented?” asked the FPM leader. On the
issue of appointments in state positions, he remarked: “We have the greatest
role in determining these appointments and the candidates we are proposing have
been wrong morally.”
“Some people currently in power need to be changed, we want honorable
individuals to be appointed in state and we are not concerned with their
political affiliations,” he added.
“The FPM will confront the appointment of any incompetent individual,” Aoun
stated.
Nasrallah Holds Talks with Bassil on Latest Developments
Naharnet /Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah held talks on Tuesday with
Energy Minister Jebran Bassil on the latest developments in Lebanon, announced
the party’s media department in a statement. The meeting addressed the latest
local and regional political developments, as well as issues expected to be
addressed by cabinet.
The minister had earlier met with the Spanish Ambassador to Lebanon Juan Carlos
Gafo and British Ambassador Tom Fletcher.