LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِOctober
10/2011
Bible Quotation for today/A
Tree and Its Fruit
Matthew 07/15-20: "Be on your guard against false prophets; they come to you
looking like sheep on the outside, but on the inside they are really like wild
wolves. You will know them by what they do. Thorn bushes do not bear grapes, and
briers do not bear figs. A healthy tree bears good fruit, but a poor tree bears
bad fruit.18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a poor tree cannot bear
good fruit. And any tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in
the fire. So then, you will know the false prophets by what they do.
Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from
miscellaneous sources
The Syrians: partners in blood/By
Tariq Alhomayed/October 09/11
STL: Will Lebanon pay/By: Matt
Nash/October 09/11
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for October 09/11
Christian protesters clash with security forces in Cairo, 19 killed
14
protesters killed in Copt demo in Cairo
Riots Erupt in Cairo Over Church Attack, 3 Dead
Video Shows Egyptian Police Beating a Christian Protester
US: Assad
must go. Five killed at funeral for assassinated Syrian Kurdish leader
Syrian security forces shoot dead 7 in Homs
Syria warns of reprisals for recognition of opposition
Turkey condemns attacks against Syrian opposition figures
Al-Rahi: The Patriarch Follows no Party
Sfeir Doesn’t Object to al-Rahi’s Remarks, Stresses Bkirki Hasn’t
Changed
President Michel Sleiman addresses cabinet’s work with Mikati
U.N. Request to Fund STL to be Referred to Justice Ministry
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel says he supports STL funding
Report: Hizbullah’s Rejection to Fund STL Not Subject to
Bargaining
Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi : Justice Ministry did not
receive STL funding notification
Lebanon Bans Screening of Documentary on Iran Vote, Director
Banned from Travel
Assad Says he Seeks Reforms to Dismantle 'Armed Gangs'
Berri Rejects Collapse of Miqati’s Cabinet over Funding
General Security Director General Abbas Ibrahim conveys Sleiman’s
condolences to Syrian Mufti
General Security Director General Abbas Ibrahim Visits Syria:
Reports on Border Control Agreement
Jumblat to New Party Members: Open Up to Everyone, No
Discrimination
Qahwaji Heads to Washington
President Gemayel meets with delegation from Bekaa’s Saadnayel
Lebanon's Arabic press digest - Oct. 9, 2011
Lebanon merchants voice
objections to proposed draft budget
Families
plea for release of UAE activists: HRW
14
protesters killed in Copt demo in Cairo
October 9, 2011 /Fourteen Coptic Christian demonstrators were killed in clashes
with security forces in the Egyptian capital on Sunday, an AFP correspondent
said, having counted the bodies in hospital. State television, earlier, said
three soldiers were shot dead and dozens of their comrades wounded as angry
Copts protested at the burning of a church in southern Egypt.
-AFP/NOW Lebanon
Riots
Erupt in Cairo Over Church Attack,
Naharnet /At least three Egyptians have been killed in riots that erupted in
Cairo on Sunday as Christians protesting a recent attack on a church came under
attack. Egyptian state television reported that at least one soldier has been
killed in riots during a protest in Maspero region in Cairo, Agence France
Presse reported. "One martyr and 20 soldiers wounded, targeted by shots from
Coptic demonstrators in front of the (television) building in (the district of)
Maspero," a scrolling caption on the screen said. An Interior Ministry official
at the scene told Associated Press that two people were killed in the riots on
Sunday, but did not give details. A number of military vehicles were set on fire
and thick black smoke rose along the Nile outside the state television building.
Source Agence France PresseAssociated Press
Video Shows Egyptian Police Beating a Christian Protester
10-9-2011
Assyrian International News Agency
http://www.aina.org/news/2011109123846.htm
(AINA) -- On October 4 thousands of Copts staged a peaceful rally to protest the
September 30 torching by Muslims of St. George's Church in Elmarinab, Edfu,
Aswan province. They marched through the streets of Cairo, passing by the High
Court and ending outside the state TV building in Maspero, where they intended
to stage an open-ended sit-in, as announced by the Maspero Coptic Youth Union
and Copts without Barriers, which organized the rally.
After a couple of hours, the military and police, together with Central Security
personnel brutally forced the eviction of the protesters. The forces fired
gunshots in the air to terrorize the protesters, who were beaten with batons. A
priest, Father Mattias Nasr, was pushed to the ground and beaten. Mobile phones
and cameras were confiscated from anyone trying to take photos of the assault.
Video footage taken from the balcony of a nearby building surfaced later on
youtube, it showed the military and police beating 28-year-old Copt Raef Anwar
Fahim, who had the misfortune to stumble while fleeing and was left behind by
his colleagues who were being chased by the police in the surrounding streets.
"I was the last one behind, a policeman hit me with a baton on the shoulder and
I fell," he said. "They were firing live ammunition. In a manner of seconds over
15 policemen attacked me."
The video shown by most media in Egypt. The clip showed 15-20 officers and
policemen beating, dragging, kicking and swearing at Raef. They were shouting
anti-Christian slogans and curses at him, such as "You infidel, son of a bitch."
"I could feel their anger. They beat me like I was an enemy, as if I was an
Israeli soldier," Raef told The Way Christian TV.
Father Filopateer Gamil, one of the organizers of the rally, said "having lost
consciousness because of the beating, the police thought Raef was dead, so they
left him in the street." He was later found and transported by some Coptic
youths to the Coptic Hospital.
He had thirty stitches in his head, a broken arm and lacerations caused from
being dragged along the streets.
It was reported that an officer in civilian clothes named Mohamad Ismail led the
beating campaign against Raef.
"The video is a clear depiction of the brutality and religious intolerance, not
to say deep hatred by the forces against a peaceful unarmed Christian
demonstrator," commented activist and writer Nabil Abdelfattah.
Dr. Naguib Gabriel, head of The Egypian Union of Human Rights Organization, will
file a court case against the Prime Minister, the Interior Minister and those in
charge of the military police, on charges of torturing Raef, "whose only crime
was that he was a Coptic young man peacefully protesting the torching of his
church."
Father Mattias Nasr, who was also beaten, has filed a complaint against Major
El-Tamaty, assistant to the chief of the military police, who had witnessed the
assault on the priest.
Attorney Karam Gabriel filed a complaint with the Prosecutor General against
Field Marshall Tantawi as Minister of Defense and the Minister of Interior,
accusing them of willful torture of an Egyptian Christian citizen. He also
demanded the involved officers to stand trial before a military court.
A million-man rally is planned for tomorrow by Copts and supporting parties.Raef
has vowed to be present at the rally, whatever the consequences.By Mary
Abdelmassih
Syrian security forces shoot dead 7 in Homs
October 9, 2011 /Syrian security forces shot dead seven civilians in the central
city of Homs on Sunday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
said.
Six people were killed in the Karam al-Seitun district of Homs and another was
shot dead in the Bab al-Drib area, taking the day's death toll across Syria to
11, the rights group said.
The Observatory said security forces shot dead at least three people at the
funeral in the Damascus suburb of Dumeir of a youth who died in prison on
Saturday, and that a fourth was killed by gunfire in Hama, also central
Syria.The Syria-based Local Coordination Committees group said four people were
shot dead at the Dumeir funeral of Mohammed al-Saegh - his father, grandfather
and two uncles.On Saturday, two people were killed when security forces fired on
mourners at the funeral at Qamishli in the north of Kurdish politician Meshaal
Tamo, a member of the newly-formed opposition Syrian National Council. The
official SANA news agency reported Friday's assassination of Tamo and said he
was killed "by gunmen in a black car who fired at his car." According to the
United Nations, the Syrian regime's crackdown on protests that erupted in
mid-March has killed more than 2,900 people.
-AFP/NOW Lebanon
Al-Rahi: The Patriarch Follows no Party
Naharnet /The Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rahi on Sunday pointed out that the
Patriarch should hold "no color except the Lebanese colors", stressing that he
is with "all the parties and movements and all of the Lebanese people." During a
dinner held by the Aito Organization in Ottawa, Rahi said that former Patriarch
Sfeir had always played the role of Bkirki well, "although some tried to show
him as following a certain party," stressing that the Patriarch holds no colors
except the Lebanese ones. Al-Rahi asked "all those who want the truth, freedom,
a sovereign Lebanon, and co-existence, to support the Patriarch," stressing that
nobody should believe all that is written and said about him. The Patriarch
pointed out Lebanon's interdependence with the Arab World "because our depth and
our destiny is with it," stressing that "we have to be tough in order to
preserve Lebanon's message in these dangerous circumstances in the Arab World."
Al-Rahi lauded U.S. President Barack Obama for naming the Lebanese-American Ray
Lahoud as his Transportation Secretary.
Lahoud was pesent at the dinner and made a speech in which he "pledged to be the
voice of Lebanon in the U.S. and all the world."
Sfeir backs Rai's statements
October 09, 2011 11:55 AM The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The former patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, Cardinal Nasrallah
Sfeir, voiced his support over the weekend for the positions of his successor,
Patriarch Beshara Rai.
“We do not object to what the patriarch has said and he says what needs to be
said. For this reason we are with what he says and we are not against it,” Sfeir
told a local radio station Saturday. “I have my own opinion and I voice this
inside the council of patriarchs ... I resigned as patriarch and there is a new
patriarch now,” Sfeir, who served as patriarch from 1986 to 2011, added. Rai
triggered a weeks-long debate over statements he made while on an official visit
to Paris in September. While in France, the patriarch said that Syrian President
Bashar Assad should have been given a chance at internal reform in Syria,
voicing concerns over the fate of Christians in the region should civil war
break out between Alawites and Sunnis.
The Maronite patriarch, who later said his remarks were taken out of context and
dismissed any concerns over the future of Lebanon’s Maronite community, also
tied the disarmament of Hezbollah to Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon, saying
that Hezbollah’s justification for carrying arms would collapse when Israel
withdraws from Lebanese territory.
In his interview with Voice of Lebanon Saturday, Sfeir said Christians in the
region were protected by the state and the law and cautioned against the special
protection of individual sects.
“God protects all and God protects Lebanon and he protects the Christians in
Lebanon, but if Christians requested protection, others also will ask for
protection ... Therefore the Christians are protected by the law and the state
and they protect themselves.” Asked whether he believed Rai’s stances had been
prompted by instructions from the Vatican, Sfeir said: “I do not know if there
were or were not any instructions for he is the one who went to the Vatican and
met Pope [Pope Benedict XVI]. He is the person who receives letters from the
Vatican.”
In his interview, Sfeir said changes in the region called for sects to cooperate
to help secure Lebanon. “Lebanon has maintained up until now its system and
shall continue to do so if things stay as they are, but of course there are
changes. There are many sects in Lebanon and sects dominate others, but there
needs to be cooperation between all sects so that Lebanon remains as it is,” Rai
said.In his concluding comments, Sfeir asked: “Now has Bkirki changed?”“I don’t
know but I do not think that Bkirki will change,” he said.
Sfeir Doesn’t Object to al-Rahi’s Remarks, Stresses Bkirki
Hasn’t Changed
Naharnet /Former Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir said Sunday that he doesn’t reject
Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi’s remarks on Hizbullah’s arms and the situation in
Syria, stressing that he is “not against” the head of the Maronite church.In
remarks to Voice of Lebanon radio station (93.3), Sfeir said: “We are with what
he says and we are not against him.”“I used to be the patriarch but I have
resigned and I am out of the game,” he said in response to a question. “I have
my opinion and I express it inside the council of bishops … There is another
patriarch now and he leads the patriarchate,” Sfeir added. Asked if al-Rahi made
his controversial statements upon orders from the Vatican, the cardinal told VDL:
“I don’t know if there are instructions or not.” However, he stressed that
Bkirki hasn’t changed and doesn’t think it would change now. Al-Rahi sparked
controversy during his visit to Paris when he linked the fate of Hizbullah’s
arms to the liberation of the remaining Israeli-occupied Lebanese territories.
He also said Syrian President Bashar Assad should be given the chance to
introduce his promised reforms. Al-Rahi fears that the rise of the Muslim
Brotherhood to power would threaten the existence of Christians in the region
Lebanon Bans Screening of Documentary on Iran Vote, Director Banned from Travel
Naharnet /The director of an Iranian film documenting violence in the run-up to
the 2009 presidential vote has been banned from travel to Lebanon, where his
film was set to be screened, an organizer said on Sunday. "Today we found out
that Iranian director Nader Davoodi will not be allowed to travel to Lebanon,"
said Colette Naufal, director of the Beirut International Film Festival which
runs from October 5 to 13. "Lebanese censorship authorities on Friday requested
they see Davoodi's film 'Red, White and the Green' prior to its screening. We
informed them that we decided to pull it from our program," Naufal said in a
statement. The 2010 film, to be screened as part of the festival's "Middle East
Documentary Film Competition," focuses on the violent events of the last three
weeks leading up to the June 2009 re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah, a major ally of Iran, leads the governing
coalition in Lebanon, where authorities were not immediately available for
comment on the film. The news comes four months after the banning of "Green
Days" by Iranian filmmaker Hana Makhamalbaf that shows raw footage of security
forces cracking down on protests after the disputed election. Makhamalbaf is a
daughter of Mohsen Makhamalbaf, who is close to leading Iranian opposition
leader Mir Hussein Moussawi, one of Ahmadinejad's challengers in the 2009
election who cried fraud when official results gave him victory.
U.N. Request to Fund STL to be Referred to Justice Ministry
Naharnet /A letter sent by the U.N. to Lebanon asking it to fund the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon will be referred to the justice ministry to put the
country’s financial obligations to the court in the draft state budget in
cooperation with the finance ministry, An Nahar daily reported Sunday. The
newspaper said that the premiership will refer the letter to the justice
ministry in accordance with the protocol signed between the Lebanese government
and the STL. Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi has already included in the 2012
draft budget allocations to pay Lebanon’s share. Grand Serail sources stressed
that the U.N. only sent one letter to Lebanon at the end of September as part of
routine communications between the world body and the Lebanese government. They
denied that the U.N. had made a second request. “The Lebanese government is
obliged to pay Lebanon’s share from the tribunal’s budget in accordance with the
agreement signed between it and the U.N., and Security Council resolution 1757
issued under chapter 7” of the U.N. charter, an STL source told pan-Arab daily
Asharq al-Awsat.
The source hinted that non-cooperation of Lebanese authorities would lead to a
Security Council decision. “This tribunal was established by a Security Council
resolution under chapter 7. This Council will take the decision that would lead
to its implementation and the continuation of the course of justice” in
ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s Feb. 2005 assassination, he told the newspaper.
However, he said that unlike all media reports, the Lebanese government will go
ahead with its cooperation. A ministerial source who rejects the funding of the
tribunal, told An Nahar that the cabinet has three months to discuss Lebanon’s
payment of its shares.“This and other things won’t affect the reinforced
government,” he said.
Report: Hizbullah’s Rejection to Fund STL Not Subject to Bargaining
Naharnet /Hizbullah has reiterated that it would not bargain on its decision to
reject the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, An Nahar newspaper
reported on Sunday.
Hizbullah “rejects any bargaining between the funding and other issues such as
false witnesses or security appointments,” sources close to the Shiite party
told the daily.
The group will confirm its point of view when the funding issue is put up for
discussion during cabinet sessions, they said. They told An Nahar that the
stance of Hizbullah ministers in the government will be based on an announcement
made by Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in July 2010 and other
statements and remarks that have set the party’s viewpoint from the court ahead
of the indictment that charged four of its members. In July last year,
Nasrallah said that all information that Hizbullah has show that the indictment
in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s Feb. 2005 assassination was written in 2008 but it
had been postponed for political reasons.A political source close to the
parliamentary majority warned that the funding of the tribunal would lead to a
clash between Premier Najib Miqati and Hizbullah in the next few days. Miqati
“rejects a confrontation with the international community through a government
that he heads,” the source told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat. “Both sides will
lose if such a confrontation takes place inside the ruling party,” he said,
adding that Miqati would either quit or go along with Hizbullah in rejecting the
funding, putting himself on the international blacklist. The premier reiterated
during his visit to New York last month that Lebanon would pay its share of
funds to the STL. On Thursday, he said paying Lebanon’s share to the court will
serve the country and the resistance. If Lebanon paid its dues, it will spare
itself harm because there are many who harbor ill-will against Lebanon and the
resistance, he added.
Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi : Justice Ministry did not receive STL funding
notification
October 9, 2011 /Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi said on Sunday that the
Foreign Ministry has not sent any letter from the UN concerning Lebanon’s share
of funding to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). "The current discussions
on the STL issue… are politicized and have nothing to do with the judiciary,”
Qortbawi told OTV. The minister also voiced hope that the cabinet reaches an
agreement regarding Lebanon’s share of funding to the UN-backed tribunal. The
Hezbollah-led March 8 parties – which currently dominate Lebanon’s cabinet –
have opposed a clause in the Lebanese annual state budget pertaining to the
funding of the tribunal, while Prime Minister Najib Mikati has repeatedly voiced
Lebanon’s commitment to the STL. Four Hezbollah members have been indicted by
the STL, which is investigating the 2005 assassination of former PM Rafik
Hariri. However, the Shia group strongly denied the charges and refuses to
cooperate with the court. Lebanon contributes 49 percent of the STL’s annual
funding.-NOW Lebanon
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel says he supports STL funding
October 9, 2011 /Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said on Sunday that he
supports the funding of the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).“I am
with the STL funding because I think that Lebanon will be [damaged] if the
tribunal’s financing is not [done],” he told MTV station. “Not funding the STL
will result in economic sanctions on Lebanon,” Charbel added. The Interior
Minister also said that neither President Michel Sleiman nor Change and Reform
bloc leader MP Michel Aoun have addressed his stance concerning the STL.
The Hezbollah-led March 8 parties - which currently dominate Lebanon’s cabinet -
have opposed a clause in the Lebanese annual state budget pertaining to the
funding of the tribunal, while Prime Minister Najib Mikati has voiced Lebanon’s
commitment to the court and its funding. Four Hezbollah members have been
indicted by the STL for the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri.
However, the Shia group strongly denied the charges and refuses to cooperate
with the court.Lebanon contributes 49 percent of the STL’s annual funding.
-NOW Lebanon
Berri Rejects Collapse of Miqati’s Cabinet over Funding
Naharnet /Speaker Nabih Berri has denied that he informed Premier Najib Miqati
about the rejection of Hizbullah and Amal to fund the international tribunal,
saying the cabinet would have a say on the issue when the draft state budget is
discussed. Berri’s visitors quoted him as saying that as long as the funding is
mentioned in the 2012 budget, the cabinet would discuss the issue and the
parliamentary majority would vote on it. “Berri and Miqati have agreed that
there is enough time” to deal with the funding crisis given that according to
the law, parliament would study the budget and approve it by the end of December
or maximum by January, the visitors told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat published
Sunday. Hizbullah has rejected to fund the STL saying the court is an American
and Israeli product aimed at targeting the party. The tribunal has issued
indictments against four Hizbullah members. Majority sources told al-Hayat that
if Miqati failed to fund the STL through the cabinet and had to resign, he would
win the support of Sunnis.However, Berri’s visitors quoted him as saying that he
and Hizbullah “reject the collapse of the government under such circumstances.”
Assad Says he Seeks Reforms to Dismantle 'Armed Gangs'
Naharnet /Syrian President Bashar Assad said he is focused on "political reform"
and on tackling "armed groups," the official SANA news agency reported on
Sunday. "Syria is taking steps focused on two main fronts -- political reform
and the dismantling of armed groups," who seek to destabilize the country, Assad
told the visiting foreign ministers of Cuba and Venezuela. Assad told the
ministers that "the Syrian people had welcomed the reforms but that foreign
attacks intensified just as the situation in the country began to make
progress." The Syrian president accused Western powers of having "little
interest in reform," seeking instead to "push Syria to pay the price for its
stances against foreign schemes hatched outside the region." "Despite
everything, a process of reform is underway," he assured them, stressing that
Syria's decisions on this matter were "sovereign and not related to foreign
instructions."
The foreign ministers of Venezuela and Cuba were at the helm of a delegation of
leftist Latin American countries -- that also include Ecuador, Nicaragua and
Bolivia -- which travelled to Syria to "show support."The delegates also
denounced the "political and media campaign being waged against Syria," SANA
said. The eight-member ALBA bloc's talks aim to "reject invasion and political
destabilization attempts by the United States and its allies," Venezuelan
Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro said prior to the visit."We reject all forms of
interventionism that the empire is trying to apply as it did in Libya for a
violent process of regime change," he added. Washington has renewed its calls
for Assad to step down immediately amid escalating violence against anti-regime
protesters that has left nearly 3,000 people dead. Source Agence France Presse
Jumblat to New Party Members: Open Up to Everyone, No Discrimination
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party Leader MP Walid Jumblat said on Sunday that
"the party will have a general assembly at the end of this month to have a clear
political talk about all past, present, and future positions." During a swearing
in ceremony of new PSP members in Shwaifat, Jumblat said that "the party
achieved transition from the former organizational structure to a new one."
Jumblatt congratulated the Arab on its women, especially Tawakkul Karman who won
the Nobel Peace Prize. Tawakkul Karman is a 32-year-old Yemeni activist and
journalist who has braved several stints in prison in her struggle for women's
rights, press freedom and the release of political prisoners in Yemen. She is
the first Arab woman to the win the Peace Prize. Al-Mustaqbal Newspaper on
Sunday had reported that the PSP leader was expected to make “critical stances”
during the swearing in ceremony. Sources to the daily added that Jumblat will
seek to clarify his stance from the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon
that is set to try ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s suspected assassins.
Ibrahim Visits Syria: Reports on Border Control Agreement
Naharnet/General Security Chief Abbas Ibrahim visited Syria on Sunday to offer
condolences for the Syrian Mufti on his son's assassination last week. The Mufti
appreciated the condolences, and said that the Syrians are paying a high price
on "our positions which support the resistance." Ibrahim stressed that
"the common enemy is the one who is targeting the innocents in Lebanon and
Syria." Ibrahim also met with the Syrian security leaders and discussed the
incidents that have lately occurred on the Lebanese-Syrian borders.
According to Al-Manar TV, the discussion focused on controlling the borders and
preventing smuggling. General security chief Abbas Ibrahim pointed out that
there is always coordination between Lebanon and Syria. Last Friday, Syrian
troops infiltrated the outskirts of Arsal village in Bekaa and shot dead a
Syrian national living there, a security official told Agence France Presse.
This incident comes after two Syrian BTR-type armored personnel carriers along
with a pickup carrying Syrian soldiers crossed the border in the area of Kherbet
Daoud near Arsal on Tuesday. The soldiers raided the homes of brothers Zahri and
Abdel Aziz al-Jabawi randomly firing from their machineguns. They later returned
to the location where they came from.
President Michel Sleiman addresses cabinet’s work with Mikati
October 9, 2011 /President Michel Sleiman met on Sunday night with Prime
Minister Najib Mikati at the Baabda Presidential Palace, the National News
Agency reported.
The report added that Mikati informed Sleiman about his meetings with the
economic committees and Speaker Nabih Berri. The NNA also said that the two men
also discussed the agenda of the cabinet’s meeting scheduled for next Tuesday.
Last month, the General Workers Union announced a general strike for October 12
and demanded the minimum wage - which is currently 500,000 LL per month - be
raised to 1,250,000 LL. The economic committees, which represent business owners
and heads of economic sectors, are rejecting this demand and say it will be
unaffordable for business owners.-NOW Lebanon
Qahwaji Heads to Washington
Naharnet
Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji travelled to Washington on Sunday for talks with
U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey. On Tuesday, U.S.
Ambassador Maura Connelly reiterated that the Obama administration expects from
Lebanon and the Lebanese Armed Forces to fulfill their commitment to implement
U.N. Security Council resolution 1701. During talks with Defense Minister Fayez
Ghosn, the ambassador repeated the U.S. government’s support for and assistance
to the Lebanese army.Connelly and Ghosn discussed Qahwaji’s upcoming visit to
the U.S. at the invitation of Dempsey.
Will Lebanon pay?
Matt Nash, October 9, 2011
Prime Minister Najib Mikati said at a UN meeting in New York recently that
Lebanon will pay its share of the STL’s funding. (AFP Photo/ Emmanuel Dunand)
The war of words over Beirut’s funding for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon is
escalating amid uncertainty over how the country will handle its obligation to
pay 49 percent of the court’s budget. Whether the cabinet—or parliament—will
discuss the issue, or whether the money will be allocated via a ministerial
decree, is the subject of debate, though few believe Lebanon will default on its
commitment.
Given that Lebanon is obliged to cooperate with the STL according to UN Security
Council Resolution 1757, the council could theoretically impose sanctions on
Lebanon if it does not pay the more than $32 million it owes for 2011. Even if
the Security Council did not act, Beirut would likely irk many of the Western
nations that both donate to and invest in the country.
In fact, not paying its dues would almost certainly irritate the United States
at a time when Congressional Republicans are pushing for austerity, particularly
in foreign aid spending, as the country’s national debt rises.
Indeed, both Democratic and Republican representatives on the House Committee on
Foreign Affairs—the former and current chairs, respectively—have recently penned
legislation to specifically cut funds for Lebanon in the wake of Hezbollah and
its allies toppling the government of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
While the Obama administration did not outright condemn the new government,
Lebanon refusing to pay its share of the STL’s dues would likely make the
administration’s support for Beirut less tenable.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati, in New York for the UN General Assembly meeting in
late September, made it clear he does not want to rile foreign allies by holding
back funds. Further, it seems that there would be no practical impact on the STL
of a Lebanon boycott of payment.
Should Lebanon not pay, Resolution 1757 says the UN can seek donations from
other countries to cover the shortfall. When asked by NOW Lebanon what, if any,
implications Lebanon not paying would have on the court, STL Spokesman Marten
Youssef refused to discuss the possibility.
“There is no need to entertain what-if questions,” he wrote in an e-mail to NOW
Lebanon. “We are confident in the Lebanese government's commitment to honor its
international obligations.”
Despite the prime minister’s assurances that Lebanon will pay, acrimony over the
payment is high in the country.
In recent weeks, Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun has been the
vanguard voice of Lebanon refusing to pay, but Thursday Al-Akhbar reported that
“visitors” of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah quoted him as saying “the cabinet
will not pay” its share.
He also allegedly called for “protecting the current cabinet and maintaining its
[unity].”
Cabinet is indeed divided over the funding. Twelve of 30 ministers are allied
with President Michel Sleiman, Prime Minister Najib Mikati and MP Walid Jumblatt—who
have all come out publically in favor of paying. The 18 remaining ministers are
allies of parties against paying.
Aoun and some of his ministers and MPs have demanded the funding be specifically
discussed in cabinet. Last month, March 14 parliamentarians floated the idea of
the legislature writing a draft law to secure the money, but then stepped back.
However, Al-Hayat reported on Friday that now Mikati thinks having parliament
write a law committing Lebanon to pay is the best way forward, given opposition
in cabinet.
Hilal Khashan, a Political Science professor at the American University of
Beirut, said he thought Mikati would ultimately push funding through via a
ministerial decree, an idea that was the subject of much press speculation in
September.
This line of reasoning has it that Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi, who
included Lebanon’s share of the STL’s budget in his recently released 2012 draft
budget proposal, could write a decree given his power as finance minister and
pass it with only the signatures of Mikati and Sleiman, avoiding a debate in
cabinet and parliament altogether.
Constitutional expert and lawyer Marwan Saqr said that such a move would be
legal. Because the STL was established by a UN Security Council resolution,
Lebanon is obliged to cooperate with it. Therefore, he said, funding “is an
administrative issue.” Saqr said it was within the finance minister’s purview to
allocate the funds through a decree, and, constitutionally, only Mikati and
Sleiman have to countersign to make the decree legally binding.Should they do
that, March 8 politicians would no doubt be angry, but it seems unlikely they
would try to topple Mikati’s government in response. As Jumblatt, who played
kingmaker with some of his allied MPs in electing Mikati, has repeatedly sided
with the prime minister and March 14 against Hezbollah and its allies recently,
he may not be counted on to elect a new PM favored by March 8. Khashan rejected
the possibility of Hezbollah and its closest allies toppling the government.“The
Lebanese talk a lot, and they dramatize the political situation,” he said. “But
when the moment of truth comes, and when they have to make a decision, they shut
up.”
General Security Director General Abbas Ibrahim: Lebanon and Syria are
cooperating
October 9, 2011 /General Security Director General Abbas Ibrahim said on Sunday
that Lebanon and Syria are cooperating for the benefit of both countries. “There
is cooperation between [Lebanon and Syria], which is in the interest of both
countries,” he told Al-Manar television. “The talks [in Syria] focused on border
control and prohibiting smuggling operations,” Ibrahim added. Ibrahim met on
Sunday with Syrian Mufti Ahmad Bader Ad-Dine Hassoun and presented to him
President Michel Sleiman’s condolences for the death of the Mufti’s son who was
killed last week.-NOW Lebanon
General Security Director General Abbas Ibrahim conveys
Sleiman’s condolences to Syrian Mufti
October 9, 2011 /General Security Director General Abbas Ibrahim met on Sunday
with Syrian Mufti Ahmad Bader Ad-Dine Hassoun and presented to him President
Michel Sleiman condolences for the death of the Mufti’s son who was killed last
week, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported. “Whoever targets innocent
people in Syria and Lebanon is the mutual enemy [of both countries],” SANA
quoted him as saying. The Mufti, in turn, thanked Sleiman for his condolences
saying that he hopes that the death of his son will be the end of the bloodshed
in Syria. “Syria is paying the price of its stances [in support] of [human]
rights and the Resistance,” he added. Last week, the son of Syria’s Mufti was
shot dead in Edleb.
According to the United Nations, the Syrian regime's crackdown on protests that
erupted in mid-March has killed more than 2,900 people. -NOW Lebanon
President Gemayel meets with delegation from Bekaa’s
Saadnayel
October 9, 2011 /Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel met on Sunday with a
delegation from the Bekaa town of Saadnayel and discussed the issue of the
detention of former municipality head Ziad Homsi, according to a statement
issued by the Kataeb’s press office. In 2009, Homsi was charged with
collaborating with Israel, plotting against Lebanon, and providing Israeli
intelligence agencies with classified information about military and civil sites
so that they could be targeted by terrorist attacks. In December 2010, Homsi was
sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. Gemayel commended Saadnayel and said that
the latter has always defended Lebanese sovereignty and national interest. “We
are concerned that justice takes it course in issues related to Saadnayel…We
will stand united to stop any injustice against the people of Saadnayel.”-NOW
Lebanon
Syria warns of reprisals for recognition of opposition
October 9, 2011 /Syria will retaliate against any country that recognizes the
opposition National Council, Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said on Sunday. "We
will take significant measures against any country that recognizes this
illegitimate council," Muallem told a news conference, as the newly formed
opposition group lobbied for support in Cairo.Formed in Istanbul at the end of
August, the Syrian National Council unites all the major known factions opposing
Assad's rule, both inside and outside Syria. It includes the Local Coordination
Committees (LLC), an activist network spurring protests in Syria, the
long-banned Muslim Brotherhood as well as Kurdish and Assyrian groups. One of
its members, Kurdish leader Meshaal Tamo, was assassinated on Friday, sparking
the condemnation of the United States, France, the European Union and Turkey.
Damascus blamed the assassination on a "terrorist" group."There are groups
carrying out acts of violence in Syria and who have killed a great number of
martyrs. The West speaks of a peaceful revolution and does not admit these
groups exist but arms them anyhow," Muallem said. The minister blamed an "armed
terrorist group" for Tamo's assassination and stressed the Kurdish leader had
also "stood against foreign intervention in Syria."
Asked about Damascus' diplomatic relations with Ankara, Muallem said: "Syria
will not stay with its arms crossed. If Turkey throws us a flower, we will send
them one back."
Ties between the two neighbors have become increasingly strained since Turkey
began hosting gatherings of Syrian dissidents and calling on Damascus to
introduce reforms.
The minister's statement comes a day after Ankara slammed "the loathsome"
assassination of activist Tamo as well as attacks against leading opposition
figures in Syria.
"We... strongly condemn the attempts aiming to suppress the Syrian opposition
and the increase in attacks targeting main representatives of the opposition,"
the Turkish
Foreign Ministry said.Asked about “targeting” Syrian foreign missions in
European countries, Muallem said “The EU countries have legislations regarding
[organizing] protests. The question is was there a permission to storm the
[Syrian] embassy?”“There is the Vienna Agreement that [calls on] on countries to
protect diplomatic missions and the latter’s employees. If the [EU countries] do
not commit to this agreement’s articles and do not protect our missions, we will
treat them the same way,” he added.A group of about 30 demonstrators stormed the
Syrian embassy in Berlin Sunday overnight and confronted the ambassador to
Germany, police said, following similar protests in other European capitals.On
Saturday, eleven opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime were
arrested after invading the country's embassy in Vienna and demonstrating on the
balcony, police said Saturday.The United Nations estimates at least 2,900 people
have been killed since Syria launched its brutal crackdown on dissent in
mid-March, including at least 187 children.
-AFP/NOW Lebanon
Turkey condemns attacks against Syrian opposition figures
October 9, 2011 /Turkey has condemned the "loathsome assassination" of top
Kurdish activist Meshaal Tamo as well as attacks against leading opposition
figures in Syria, the foreign ministry said. "We... strongly condemn the
attempts aiming to suppress the Syrian opposition and the increase in attacks
targeting main representatives of the opposition," the Turkish Foreign Ministry
said in a statement posted on its web site late on Saturday. Turkey is deeply
sorry for the "loathsome assassination" of Tamo, as well as the wounding of
prominent dissident Riad Seif who was injured after being beaten on Friday in
Damascus, the statement said."Turkey expects the Syrian government to realize as
soon as possible that practices of violence aiming to suppress the Syrian
opposition will not reverse the course of history," it said. Tamo was gunned
down on Friday in city of Qamishli in northern Syria and his funeral became a
mass rally with more than 50,000 demonstrators calling for the fall of President
Bashar al-Assad's regime, activists have said. Syrian security forces killed at
least two mourners and wounded several others when they fired on the funeral,
according to rights groups. Syria closed one of its border gates with Turkey and
barred Turkish nationals from entering Syria following the bloody clashes in
Qamishli, the Anatolia news agency reported. Seif, a former lawmaker, had to be
given hospital treatment after being beaten outside a mosque in the capital's
commercial neighborhood of Medan.-AFP/NOW Lebanon
The Syrians: partners in blood
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
Skeptics of the Syrian revolution have long said that the opposition is
incapable of unifying its ranks, citing as evidence the delay in the formation
of the Syrian National Council, and the differences between the Syrian and
Kurdish opposition. However, the al-Assad regime has in fact been able to
dramatically unite the Syrian ranks. Until recently, some were skeptical about
the intentions and motives of the Syrian Kurds with regards to the unprecedented
revolution against the Bashar al-Assad regime. Some were also skeptical – both
states and individuals – about whether Aleppo would become involved in the
revolution, and that as long as Aleppo and Damascus did not participate, the
al-Assad regime would be fine. Yet the regime has spared everyone the trouble of
such doubts and analysis by significantly contributing to unifying the ranks of
the Syrian opposition, ultimately making them partners in blood. The latest
example of this was the assassination of Kurdish opposition leader Mashaal Tammo,
which meant that the al-Assad regime had forced the Syrian Kurds to be partners
with all the Syrian revolutionaries, although they did not want to be. This
partnership was not a form of collusion, but was formed out of other complex
calculations.
The assassination of Tammo didn’t only mean the mobilization of the Kurds, but
it also meant that Allepo was now on the verge of exploding, and this is
something I mentioned earlier when I said that matters there were boiling over.
The assassination of the Kurdish leader is a turning point in the Syrian
revolution, like the attack on the Syrian opposition figure Riad Seif, which
suggests, like the assassination of Tammo, that the regime in Damascus may be
moving now towards Plan B, a plan to liquidate Syrian opposition figures having
failed to impose its security vision. Today it is clear that the al-Assad regime
has been driven to insanity by the formation of the Syrian National Council in
Istanbul, which has begun to receive international recognition, albeit limited.
The council was the harbinger of doom for the regime of Saddam Hussein, and
through this council the rule of Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown. It seems that
for these reasons we are now witnessing an intensification of assassination
campaigns against Syrian opposition figures. However, the truth is that these
acts have not suppressed the Syrian revolution, but rather they have united its
ranks, and united the street behind them. The errors of the al-Assad regime have
galvanized the Syrian factions beyond all expectations, with everyone wishing
for the demise of the repressive regime. Today we hear the Russians, for
example, who are clearly practicing political hypocrisy, saying that Bashar
al-Assad must reform or step down, whilst afterwards Moscow used its veto in the
Security Council against a resolution condemning the al-Assad regime. There is
no room to defend the al-Assad regime which has become its own worst enemy,
instead of the West, foreign interference, or even the Syrian revolutionaries.
Therefore, those who have committed these errors cannot continue in power,
whatever they do.The assassination of the Kurdish leader has come as a trump
card for the Syrian opposition, for all its spectra, just as it came as a trump
card for the Turks as well, who are also facing the al-Assad regime plots, in
mobilizing some Kurdish parties against them. After the assassination of Mashaal
Tammo, no longer can any of the Kurds be allies of the al-Assad regime, not to
mention those who are committed to neutrality. [To rectify] the mistakes of the
al-Assad regime would require an insane man to take rational steps. The Syrians
today, of all walks of life, are partners in the blood that the al-Assad regime
has spilled in Syria.
Families plea for release of UAE activists: HRW
October 09, 2011/Daily Star
ABU DHABI: The families of five activists who were due back in court in the
United Arab Emirates on Sunday on charges of insulting top officials have made a
joint plea for their release, Human Rights Watch said.
"The families of five activists jailed six months ago for 'publicly insulting'
Emirati officials made a joint plea... to the country's rulers to stop the
activists' trial and release them," the New York-based watchdog said.
The letter to the president and vice president of the UAE and the crown prince
of Abu Dhabi "contends that the judiciary, prosecution and prison officials have
violated 20 human rights standards in their treatment of the accused."
The violations include "the requirements for a speedy and fair trial, the
presumption of innocence, the right of appeal and the right to carry out
adequate questioning of prosecution witnesses and to prepare and present a
proper defence," the statement said.
The defendants, alleging mistreatment, refused to attend last week's hearing,
the first that was open to the public, after their demands were not met.
According to HRW, the families' plea "says that authorities have held the
defendants in solitary confinement for extended periods, prevented them from
obtaining adequate medical care and proper treatment, and held them under
conditions worse than those for convicted felons, depriving them of natural
light, recreation time and exercise."
Khalifa al-Nuaimi, a relative of one of the defendants, Nasser bin Gaith, wrote
on his blog on Thursday that the head of the state security prosecution had
visited the detainees in their prison to monitor their situation.
"According to news leaked from the prison, their cells were cleaned and medical
files were opened for the five detainees," wrote Numaimi.
But "I have fears and concerns that these sudden actions taken by the
prosecutors and the prison administration may be proactive measures to prepare
for visits by local or foreign parties," he said.
Blogger Ahmed Mansoor, Bin Gaith who lectures at the Abu Dhabi branch of the
Sorbonne University, and activists Fahid Salim Dalk, Hassan Ali Khamis and Ahmed
Abdul Khaleq were all detained in April.
The men are accused of using the internet to insult UAE leaders, call for
boycotting last month's Federal National Council elections and for
anti-government demonstrations.
The UAE, a federation of seven emirates led by oil-rich Abu Dhabi, has not seen
any of the widespread protests calling for reform that have swept other Arab
countries, including fellow Gulf states Bahrain and Oman.
Lebanon's
Arabic press digest - Oct. 9, 2011
October 09, 2011 10:13 AM The Daily Star
Following are summaries of some of the main stories in a selection of Lebanese
and pan-Arab newspapers Sunday. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of
these reports.
An-Nahar
Cabinet races with strike to solve [issue of] of salaries
Funding of STL gets referred to Justice Ministry
While developments at the eastern and northern borders of Lebanon with Syria
remained at the forefront of concerns, noticeable steps were taken Saturday
regarding the issue of raising salaries and the issue of funding the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon.
With regards to the issue of salaries, Prime Minister Najib Mikati's activities
entailed talks with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and a number of delegations.
Several ministerial sources described this activity as a race with time before
the General Labor Confederation implements its strike Wednesday. In related
news, the social affairs committee will meet noon to amend article 462 of the
electricity law Monday afternoon, before a general Cabinet session Tuesday at
the Grand Serail.
Mikati clarified after his meeting with Berri that “no one is against an
increase [in wages] … but we have to take into consideration the state of the
treasury.”
On the matter of funding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, it appears that what
An-Nahar said Friday about Lebanon receiving a letter from the United Nations
has sparked interest and talks that there might be a second letter.
Sources at the Grand Serail told An-Nahar that there was only one letter and
that Lebanon received it at the end of last month which was among routine
communications between the United Nations and the Cabinet. The letter stressed
the need for Lebanon to pay the money it owes the STL for the next two years.
An-Nahar has learned the prime minister will refer the letter to the Justice
Ministry, the side with jurisdiction according to the protocol signed between
Lebanon and the tribunal so that [the funding] can be included in the draft
budget within the terms of the Justice Ministry in coordination with the Finance
Ministry.
Ministerial sources who oppose the funding of the court told An-Nahar that there
are “three months in front of the government to look into ways of funding the
tribunal. This issue, and others similar to this, will not affect the status of
the Cabinet.”
An-Nahar has been informed from sources that Hezbollah has stressed in the last
two days that it is unlikely to change its rejectionist stance toward the
funding of the tribunal.
Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat
Security source: No objection to accommodating Syrian refugees as long no
Lebanon front is opened
A cautious calm set in on the eastern and northern borders of Lebanon after the
security breaches the area witnessed in the last couple of days, the most recent
being the killing of a farmer at the hands of Syrian soldiers in Arsal in the
Bekaa. However, anxiety lingers throughout the villages bordering Syrian lands,
which are witnessing a wide deployment by the Syrian Army, in light of the lack
of an agreement between Lebanon and Syria to prevent a repeat of the incident.
While the area has not seen any security breach at the border in the last three
days, sources said that this “calmness was full of concern as the Syrian Army
continued to boost its troop numbers near the villages of Wadi Khaled and Jabal
Akrom and uninterrupted patrols.” The sources told Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat that what
“raises the fears of residents is the almost complete absence of the Lebanese
Army and security forces to monitor and prevent any breaches by Syria of
Lebanese territory.”
After the scene of detaining Syrian refugees by Lebanese security forces,
security officials, heads of municipalities and Mukhtars from Akrom and Wadi
Khaled held a meeting to discuss how to deal with the refugees. One of the
Mukhtars, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat that a
high-ranking security official said at the meeting that “the army and security
forces do not object to anyone receiving and offering assistance to Syrian
refugees … but at the same time it is not permitted for any Syrian to enter
Lebanon as a refugee and then do anything that threatens security or tries to
open a front along the border.”
Al-Mustaqbal
Cabinet captive of STL funding and workers' strike crises
Jumblatt expected to announce decisive stance on tribunal
The twin crises relating to the demands of workers and the funding of the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon facing the members of the coup government appear
likely to deepen given the lack of solutions and the fact that each side is
clinging to its positions on the issues.
Change and Reform bloc officials continue their campaign against funding the
court and are arguing that Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s stances on the matter
are his own, “and do not reflect [the position of the Cabinet].”
Sources said they expected Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt to
announce decisive statements Sunday in Shoueifat.
Ad-Diyar: No solutions and not increases to wages without raising taxes
The Foreign Ministry receives a message from the United Nations demanding its
compliance with its international obligations
Talks on wage increases before the date of the general strike set for Wednesday,
Oct. 12, have not managed to resolve the issue, and there doesn’t appear to be a
solution in sight. While the different parties are still far apart in the
crisis, communication between them hasn’t stopped, and a new round of meetings
will be held tomorrow at the Grand Serail in an effort to reach compromises and
in order to keep the door open for dialogue. Resolving the issue requires a
shared vision.
As for the financing of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, a key topic discussed
by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati, sources
remained silent, but stressed that a solution will be reached in Cabinet. Mikati
has stressed his international commitments. Meanwhile Foreign Minister Adnan
Mansour received a message from the United Nations calling for Lebanon's
commitment to its international obligations to pay the dues owed to the
international tribunal.
US: Assad must go. Five killed at funeral for assassinated Syrian Kurdish leader
DEBKAfile Special Report/ October 8, 2011/,Targeted assassinations now dominate
Bashar Assad's savage confrontation with the popular opposition to his rule.
Friday, Oct. 7, Mashaal Tammo, 53, the popular head of the opposition Kurdish
Future Party and former member of parliament, was murdered by masked men who
burst into his home in Qamishli, northern Syria. At his funeral attended by
50,000 mourners, clashes with security forces left five people dead.
For the first time in seven months since President Bashar Assad embarked on his
bloody crackdown on dissent, the White House has called on him to "step down now
before taking his country farther down this very dangerous path."
Spokesman Jay Carney's wording implied that Syria was set on the path to civil
war in the wake of the murder of Mashaal Tammo, the popular head of the
opposition Kurdish Future Party and former member of parliament. Friday, Oct. 7,
killing him and seriouslyl injuring his son.
Even after Moscow along with Beijing vetoed UN sanctions against the Syria,
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday that the Syrian leadership would
have to go if it was incapable of conducting reforms and did not stop shooting
demonstrators.
While the Syrian News Agency attributed the murder to "an armed terrorist
group," debkafile's intelligence sources disclose it was the work of a death
squad run by the Syrian Air Force Intelligence Directorate commanded by Jamil
Hassan. The largest and most powerful of Syria's "intelligence" branches, this
directorate's function is not espionage but safeguarding the Assad family at
home and abroad. A SAFID officer is therefore posted in every Syrian Arab
Airlines office outside the country.
On the background leading up to the assassination, debkafile reports:
Meshaal Tammo stood out as one of the most innovative and audacious leaders of
the anti-Assad opposition movement. He was also one of the most principled.
Although elected to the Syrian National Council, the new opposition leadership
established in Istanbul last week, he refused to travel to Turkey for a role in
the external campaign against the regime telling his followers that this was a
Syrian revolt in which foreign elements should not be involved
Four months earlier, he declined to join the "reformist delegation" Assad
invited to Damascus in July, ostensibly to discuss political reforms which
turned out to be sham.
He let it be known that Syria's 2.5 million Kurds – 11 percent of the
population, mostly Sunnis and the largest non-Arab minority – did not support
the Assad regime but were not in active revolt against it. The Kurdish minority
held occasional quiet rallies in its areas but abstained from violent rioting.
This was a big help to Assad: It meant he could avoid detaching military and
security forces for quelling Kurdish outbreaks and focus on the crackdown of
uprisings in other parts of the country.
Yet the Tammo assassination could not have taken place without the personal
say-so of Bashar Assad. So why did he condemn the Kurdish leader to be
assassinated at this time?
1. Two weeks ago, armed Syrian rebels began to pick off prominent regime
officials in Aleppo, Idlib, Homs and on their travels on the highways linking
them. Among the victims were senior medical hospital staff and university
lecturers who were suspected of informing the authorities of the presence of
wounded protesters in the hospitals and fingering anti-government student
protesters.
Sunday, Oct. 2, armed men murdered the son of Syria's Grand Mufti Ahmad Hassoun,
a high-profile Assad supporter, and a senior university professor. They were
riding in the same car when it was attacked.
The Tammo assassination was the regime's reprisal for the two deaths.
The contest between the regime and the opposition has shifted in the last two
weeks from street confrontations between massed protesters and government forces
backed by tanks – a contest in which Assad has more or less gained the upper
hand - to a shadow war of reciprocal targeted assassinations of prominent
figures on both sides.
2. Like many other personages in the Middle East, the late Kurdish leader also
served intelligence agencies in clandestine, backdoor capacities. Because there
are many Syrian fighters in the Turkish rebel Kurdish Workers Party, the PKK,
Tammo often acted as its go-between with the Turkish intelligence agency, the
MIT, in an effort to end Ankara's war on the Kurds or at least douse the flames.
By cutting this valuable channel of communications between Turkey and the PKK,
Bashar Assad wrought his revenge on Ankara for the Erdogan government's policy
against him. He was especially incensesd by the big mobilization exercise the
Turkish army is staging on the Syrian border up until Thursday, Oct. 13.
debkafile's military sources report that by striking down a Kurdish leader,
Assad may find he is playing with fire. The clashes Saturday at his funeral
attended by a vast crowd of angry Kurds demanding the Syrian ruler's overthrow
may spark internecine violence in Syria and across the Kurdish populations
stretching across Iraq, Iran and Turkey in support of their Syrian brothers.