LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِOctober
13/2011
Bible Quotation for today/Jesus
Heals a Roman Officer's Servant
Matthew 08/05-13:" When Jesus entered
Capernaum, a Roman officer met him and begged for help: Sir, my servant is sick
in bed at home, unable to move and suffering terribly. I will go and make him
well, Jesus said. Oh no, sir, answered the officer. I do not deserve to have you
come into my house. Just give the order, and my servant will get well. I, too,
am a man under the authority of superior officers, and I have soldiers under me.
I order this one, Go! and he goes; and I order that one, Come! and he comes; and
I order my slave, Do this! and he does it. When Jesus heard this, he was
surprised and said to the people following him, I tell you, I have never found
anyone in Israel with faith like this.11 I assure you that many will come from
the east and the west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast
in the Kingdom of heaven.12 But those who should be in the Kingdom will be
thrown out into the darkness, where they will cry and gnash their teeth.
Then Jesus said to the officer, Go home, and what you believe will be done for
you. And the officer's servant was healed that very moment.
Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from
miscellaneous sources
Syria: The Mufti and al-Rahi/By
Tariq Alhomayed/ October
12/11
Playing with Christian fears/By:
Ana Maria Luca/October
12/11
Egypt: Will it be five
years of chaos/By
Abdul Rahman/October
12/11
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for October
12/11
Egypt must resist attempts to
divide religions, Pope says
Coptic
Church Condemns Attack, Muslims Pelt Funeral Procession With Bricks
US on global alert for Iranian
reprisal that may jeopardize Shalit release
Saudi Prince Says 'Overwhelming
Proof' Iran behind U.S. Plot
Iran Warns U.S. against
'Confrontation' over Alleged Plot
EU warns of “serious” global
implications in Iran plot in US
Iranian Military Official
Implicated in Assassination Plot
Canada Welcomes Agreement to
Release Gilad Shalit
Rightwing minister Uzi Landau:
Shalit swap deal is 'great victory for terrorism'
Shin Bet chief: Israel got best
security terms possible in Shalit swap deal
Tens of thousands rally in support
of Assad in Syria capital
U.K. warns nationals about travel
near Syria border
“Arab spring” fails to bring media
freedoms, press group says
U.S. says Iran backed plot to kill
Saudi envoy
Syria rejects international demands
to join war crimes tribunal
China urges Syria to honor reform
promises
March 14: Syria’s Violation of
Lebanese Territory Must Be Presented at International Forums
Al-Rahi International Community
Also Obligated to Tackle Hizbullah’s Arms
Officials from Hrawi-Lahoud Era
Form Coalition against ‘Lady of the Mountain’ Gathering
Lebanon: GLC Regrets Wage Deal,
Vows to Ensure its Implementation this Month
Lebanese
Economic Bodies Urge Private Sector
against Applying Govt. Decision on Wage Hike
National Bloc: Government ‘unable
to manage economic issues’
Lebanon: ISF Thwarts Break Out by
Six Inmates at Amyoun Prison
Aarsal mayor insists Syrian army
entered Lebanese territory
Report: Iran Cuts Back on Financial
Support for Hizbullah
Ogassapian criticizes cabinet’s
decision to raise minimum wage
FPM Ministers Clash with Khalil as
they Slam ‘Tranquilizing’ Wage Deal
Report: Doctors Find Spying Device
in Man’s Belly
Fletcher reveals Britain's
action plan to support Lebanon
Lebanese banks maintain
growth despite political, regional tensions
Egypt must resist attempts to
divide religions, Pope says
October 12, 2011/Now Lebanon
Pope Benedict XVI called on Egypt on Wednesday to fight "attempts to sabotage"
relations between Christians and Muslims after 25 people, mainly Copts, were
killed in clashes in Cairo.
Addressing pilgrims during the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square,
the pope expressed his sorrow over the violent clashes between protesters and
security forces on Sunday which left more than 300 injured. The pontiff called
for national unity a day after Egypt's deputy prime minister resigned after the
clashes sparked a wave of anger at the ruling military and calls for the premier
to quit. He shared the pain felt "by all Egyptian people, divided by attempts to
sabotage the peaceful coexistence" between Muslims and Copts, he said, adding
that it was essential to "safeguard" peace "in this transitional phase." And he
said he supported Egyptian civil and religious authorities in their struggle to
uphold the peace and protect the rights of minorities. The pontiff was careful
to avoid blaming the government. In 2010, his plea for Egypt to protect its
minorities after another attack on Copts had riled Cairo, which temporarily
recalled its ambassador to the Vatican in protest. Egypt's Copts are the largest
Christian minority community in the Middle East, and one of the oldest. Vatican
records show some 165,000 Catholic Copts lived in Egypt in 2010. The Catholic
Copts, who form part of the Church's eastern rites, are headed by Antonios
Naguib, who was consecrated cardinal by the pope last November. Weakly
represented in government, Copts complain that they are sidelined in the
community and suffer from very restrictive legislation on building churches,
whereas the regime for building mosques is very liberal. -AFP/NOW Lebanon
Al-Rahi International Community Also Obligated to Tackle Hizbullah’s Arms
Naharnet /Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi stated on Wednesday that an
agreement must be reached over Hizbullah’s possession of arms, reiterating past
statements that it is not normal for one Lebanese political group to possess
weapons and be part of cabinet and parliament. He said: “Some sides interpreted
these remarks as a sign that I support the party’s positions, but all I wanted
to say is that the international community is also responsible for this issue as
Hizbullah’s arms are not only a Lebanese matter, but an international one.”
He explained that seeing as this issue is connected to international ones, it
cannot be resolved strictly through Lebanese methods.
“They don’t accept these statements and interpret them as being a justification
of the party’s arms possession,” the patriarch said.
“Hizbullah claims that it will maintain its arms until Israel withdraws from all
Lebanese land, so why isn’t the Jewish state pressured to implement
international resolutions?” he asked.
“The arms are a problem and I was criticized in the past for saying that I fear
this weapons’ possession,” al-Rahi stated.
“How do we solve this problem?” he asked. “The West did not accept my statements
over Hizbullah’s arms, so why don’t they pressure Israel to implement
resolutions?” he wondered.
“Why don’t they arm and strengthen the Lebanese army?” continued al-Rahi.
On the Lady of the Mountain Gathering, the patriarch said: “I don’t anything
about this meeting, but I don’t believe it to be a good thing.”
“After the defamation campaigns that I was subject to after my trip to France, I
decided not to read any newspaper,” he added.
“I have taken the decision to prevent my relationship with people from being
affected by what is said about me,” he noted.
It was rumored that the Lady of the Mountain Gathering was expected to issue a
critical stand of al-Rahi’s recent controversial positions from France during
which he said that Syrian President Bashar Assad should be given more time to
implement reform and Hizbullah’s excuses for maintaining its possession of arms
should be eliminated.
The venue of the gathering was changed from a monastery to a hotel in Adma after
it was reported that the nuns refused to harbor a meeting that may have been
critical of the patriarch.
Addressing his statements from France, al-Rahi said: “We don’t support or oppose
any regime … as a church, we are concerned with any political reform that can
benefit the public through guaranteeing the safety and dignity of the citizens.”
“We support constitutional reform in Syria and any other country,” he stressed.
He also voiced fear of the eruption of civil war in Syria, where its Sunnis
would be pitted against the Alawites.
Al-Rahi warned that such a conflict would have “strong and direct repercussions
on Lebanon, which enjoys a Sunni and Alawite population.”
He also reiterated his fear that a dictatorial regime may assume power in Syria
“If no one liked our positions, then they are free to have their own opinion,”
he remarked.
“Some people don’t want us to tell them the truth and I have the right to speak
it as long as I live,” al-Rahi stressed.
“I don’t oppose any country or people, but I don’t want us to be slaughtered on
a daily basis for international interests and policies,” he stressed.
Addressing a new parliamentary electoral law, the patriarch said: “I have no
political choices, as this is a matter for politicians.”
“I don’t support proportional representation or non-proportional
representation,” he added.
“I support what the MPs agree upon, which should serve Muslims and Christians in
Lebanon,” he stated.
“I will avoid talking about politics from now one,” he concluded.
Officials from Hrawi-Lahoud Era Form Coalition against ‘Lady of the Mountain’
Gathering
Naharnet /A meeting was held on Tuesday between Christian and Muslim figures at
the residence of former MP Mikhael al-Daher in response to the “Lady of the
Mountain” meeting that is scheduled to be held on Oct. 23. The meeting was held
in the presence of former Ministers and MPs from the tenure of ex-Presidents
Emile Lahoud and Elias al-Hrawi.
Former Phalange Party leader Karim Pakradouni, ex-Minister Naji al-Bustani,
former minister Fares Boeiz, ex-MP Abdullah Farhat, former Minister Elias Skaff,
ex-Deputy Speaker Elie Ferzli and former ambassador to Washington Abdullah Abu
Habib were among those who attended Tuesday’s meeting. A large number of
Christian and Muslim political and academic figures and activists from civil
society also attended the meeting. The conferees voiced support for the stances
adopted by Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi.
The “Lady of the Mountain” meeting that will be held at the Regency Palace Hotel
in Adma will be aimed at tackling the Christians’ message in the Middle East and
stressing their role in the Arab Spring. The meeting was originally expected to
be held at the Lady of Lebanon monastery, but fears that it would be employed
for political purposes prompted the change in venue.
Syria: The Mufti and al-Rahi
12/10/2011/By Tariq Alhomayed/ Asharq Al-Awsat
The first thing that comes to mind for anyone following the Syrian revolution,
after the Syrian Grand Mufti’s recent comments threatening the West that there
are suicide bombers ready to carry out “martyrdom operations” in the event of
Syria being externally attacked, is: What are Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rahi
thoughts on these comments?
Al-Rahi has already warned the international community that seeking to implement
democracy in Syria could end up with a radical regime run by Islamic extremists,
meaning the Sunnis of course, rather than the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Al-Rahi’s
comments came despite the fact that the Syrian revolution was entering its sixth
month, and despite the murder and brutal suppression the Syrians have suffered
at the hands of the minority regime in Damascus. Despite all the blood and
suppression, al-Rahi did not say one true word in the name of the oppressed.
But the surprise today for al-Rahi, and others who advocate the al-Assad regime
as the protector of minorities in Syria or elsewhere, whether rightly or
wrongly, is the statement, or rather the sermon issued by the Syrian Grand
Mufti, Ahmed Hassoun, the Mufti of the al-Assad regime, who threatened: “I say
to all of Europe, I say to America, we will set up suicide bombers who are now
in your countries, if you bomb Syria or Lebanon”, adding that “from now on an
eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”.
The question here for Bechara al-Rahi, and those who promote his belief that the
al-Assad regime is the protector of minorities, is: If this is the logic of the
al-Assad regime’s Mufti, what about fundamentalist groups and militia leaders?
If this is the logic of the regime’s Mufti, how can al-Rahi fear the arrival of
a fundamentalist regime in Damascus after Bashar al-Assad?
But what is stranger than all of this, at a time when the al-Assad regime,
alongside those affiliated to it in the media, or even those who describe
themselves as men of religion, are repeating that what is happening in Syria
today, in terms of the revolution, is the product of acts of terrorism carried
out by armed groups, the Syrian Mufti comes out to say that there are suicide
bombers prepared in both Europe and America, and ready to apply the rule “an eye
for an eye and a tooth for a tooth!” It is wholly depressing when a Mufti speaks
the same language as extremist fundamentalist groups.
So, doesn’t Bechara al-Rahi and others fear what the Syrian Grand Mufti said? Is
this not a reason to revise their positions? If the Syrian Grand Mufti has
suicide bombers at his disposal in the heart of Europe and America, then what
about Lebanon? Was the alleged Abu Adas one of them? Are they similar to what we
have seen in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein?
The story here is not an unusual one, but it is important, especially as it came
from the al-Assad regime’s Mufti himself, rather than the comments of “analysts”
affiliated to the al-Assad regime. Of course ,these statements will help some,
including states, to understand a lot about the mysteries of the al-Assad regime
in Damascus, and the thought process that runs matters there, and the gravity of
the impact of all this on our region, and its security.
Report: Iran Cuts Back on Financial Support for Hizbullah
Naharnet /Iran has informed Hizbullah that it would have to cut down its yearly
financial support for the party, informed Gulf sources told the Kuwaiti al-Qabas
newspaper on Wednesday.
The sources estimated that Tehran sends annually 350 million dollars to
Hizbullah. That amount is spent on the salaries of party members, the families
of martyrs and the group’s projects in the South, the Bekaa and Beirut’s
southern suburbs, they told the daily. The sources said the cut would come after
Iran increased its financial support for the Syrian regime to help it confront
the financial and economic crisis that erupted after the political uprising
against Syrian President Bashar Assad in March. The cut back also comes against
the backdrop of international sanctions against the Iranian government, they
added. But Hizbullah is seeking to garner the financial support of Gulf traders
to compensate for the losses incurred over Tehran’s decision, the sources told
al-Qabas. Security agencies at a Gulf country questioned at least one trader
after suspecting that he was making financial contributions to Hizbullah, they
said.
March 14: Syria’s Violation of Lebanese Territory Must Be Presented at
International Forums
Naharnet /The March 14 General Secretariat condemned on Wednesday the Syrian
army’s recent incursions into Lebanese territory, demanding that the
parliamentary defense council convene with the defense minister and army command
to tackle the affair. It said in a statement after its weekly meeting: “Syria’s
violations should be brought up before all Arab and international forums.” It
also asserted that the Lebanese army alone is responsible for controlling the
Lebanese-Syrian border and thwarting any smuggling attempts. “The Syrian
infiltration is a blatant violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty,” it added.
Furthermore, it noted: “The violation coincided with complete silence over the
issue by the president, government, and army leadership, which they justify with
the cooperation and coordination agreement that was signed between Lebanon and
Syria in 1991.” Last week, Syrian troops crossed the border into Lebanon and
headed towards the area of Arsal in the Bekaa where they fired at a building. A
few weeks before that, the army infiltrated northern Lebanon where it
accidentally opened fire at the Lebanese soldiers whom it mistook for armed
individuals who had allegedly fled Syria. Addressing the clashes that took
place in Egypt between Coptic Christians security forces, the March 14 General
Secretariat noted: “These unfortunate events took place during a transition
period ahead of upcoming elections.” “They are aimed at tarnishing the image of
the Arab Spring and attacking Egyptian internal unity at a critical time for the
Arab world, it stated. “The Lebanese who have paid the price of sectarian
division urge the Egyptians to unite to ensure the rise of a fair state that
believes in guaranteeing the rights of all citizens, whether they are Christians
or Muslims,” it stressed. “Resorting to the state is enough to thwart strife and
establish the reality that the Egyptian youth have strived for,” it added.
EU warns of “serious” global implications in Iran plot in US
October 12, 2011/Now Lebanon /The European Union voiced "grave concern"
Wednesday after the United States said it had foiled an Iranian plot to kill the
Saudi ambassador, warning it could have serious international implications.
"Should the facts be confirmed, this would constitute a major breach of
international law with serious international implications," said Maja Kocijancic,
spokesperson for EU chief diplomat Catherine Ashton. "We call on the government
of Iran to fully cooperate with the US justice system," she told a news
briefing.
The EU is following developments "very closely" and officials are in touch with
their US counterparts, Kocijancic said. "We have taken note with grave concern
the information that was provided by the US Justice Department regarding this
alleged participation of two Iranian individuals in a plot to murder the Saudi
ambassador to the US, and alleged involvement of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard
Corps," she said. "We trust the US justice system will rapidly bring full
clarity to this alleged criminal act," she added. The US Justice Department on
Tuesday charged two men with conspiring with Iranian government factions to blow
up Saudi Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir on US soil. A criminal complaint named
Manssor Arbabsiar, 56, a naturalized US citizen holding Iranian and US
passports, and Gholam Shakuri, an Iran-based member of the Quds Force, a unit of
the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The EU has slapped a raft of
sanctions against Iranian officials over human rights violations and the Islamic
republic's refusal to halt controversial nuclear activities.
-AFP/NOW Lebanon
Saudi Prince Says 'Overwhelming Proof' Iran behind U.S. Plot
Naharnet /A former chief of Saudi intelligence said Wednesday there was
overwhelming evidence that Iran was behind a plot to kill the Saudi ambassador
to Washington and must "pay the price". "The burden of proof is overwhelming...
and clearly shows official Iranian responsibility for this. Somebody in Iran
will have to pay the price, whatever the level of these persons is," Saudi
Prince Turki al-Faisal told a conference on oil in London. The prince, who has
also served as Saudi ambassador to the United States and Britain, said the
alleged plan to kill the kingdom's current ambassador in Washington was "so
criminal, it's beyond description". The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday
charged two men with conspiring with Iranian government factions to blow up
Saudi Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir on U.S. soil. A criminal complaint named Manssor
Arbabsiar, 56, a naturalized U.S. citizen holding Iranian and U.S. passports,
and Gholam Shakuri, an Iran-based member of the Quds Force, a unit of the
Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. *Source Agence France Presse
.
Iran Warns U.S. against 'Confrontation' over Alleged Plot
Naharnet /Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Wednesday warned the
United States against "confrontation" over accusations Tehran plotted to
assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington. "We are not seeking
confrontation; our policy is cooperation and interaction. If they want to impose
a confrontation upon the Iranian nation, the consequences of this issue will be
more severe for them," Salehi told reporters after a cabinet session, the ISNA
news agency reported. "We do not want confrontation. (But) if they want to
confront us and impose something on us, it will be the end of them. If they have
the power to throw a punch, we have the power to smack (them) in a way that they
would not be able to stand up," Salehi said. U.S. authorities said Tuesday that
two Iranians -- one also holding U.S. citizenship -- were part of a plot
"conceived, sponsored and directed from Iran" to kill Saudi Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir
in a bomb attack. Iranian officials have rejected the accusations as
"mischievous," insisting Tehran had no part in the plot, which they said was a
ploy to divert attention from US woes at home and in the Middle East. Salehi
claimed there had been "many cases" the West had blamed on Iran but which later
turned out to be "a mistake." "Over the past 32 years, there have been many
identical accusations. For example in the Lockerbie case, they first accused
Iran but it became clear later that that was not the case," Salehi said. "You
have seen the hyperbolic way their officials act. They talk as if a global,
nuclear explosion has occurred. They have made such a hue and cry about it," he
added. The revelations about the assassination plot has sent tensions soaring
between Tehran and Washington, foes for more than 30 years ever since Islamic
students took U.S. diplomats hostage in their embassy in Tehran after Iran's
revolution. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday Iran would be "held
accountable" for its foiled plot. A former chief of Saudi intelligence, Prince
Turki al-Faisal, said Wednesday there was overwhelming evidence that Tehran was
behind the plot and warned "somebody in Iran" must "pay the price". Source
Agence France Presse
Ogassapian criticizes cabinet’s decision to raise minimum
wage
October 12, 2011 /Now Lebanon/Future bloc MP Jean Ogassapian said on Wednesday
that “the cabinet’s decision to raise the minimum wage to 700,000 LL was not
researched and might [fade] gradually with the [expected] inflation.”The
government was unable to draw a clear economic policy, and there is still a
disagreement between the former and the economic committees, Ogassapian also
told the Voice of Lebanon (100.5) radio.He also said that “the government is
divided and conflicts between its ministers will lead to more regression.”
“The draft budget will lead to worse economic recession,” Future bloc MP said,
adding that “the opposition will play its role in the parliament and
parliamentary committees to correct the draft budget and adjust it to the
current [economic situation].”Due to demands of the General Workers Union (GWU),
the cabinet decided on Tuesday night to raise the minimum wage to the amount of
700,000 LL, add an amount of 200,000 LL to wages up to 1,000,000 LL and 300,000
LL to wages ranging from 1,000,000 to 1,800,000 LL.The economic committees
voiced their reservation over the cabinet’s decision and the GWU suspended the
strike that was planned for October 12.-NOW Lebanon
Houri slams government over tolerance of Syrian violations
October 12, 2011 /Now Lebanon/Future bloc MP Ammar Houri commented on Wednesday
on the Syrian army’s violations of the Lebanese borders. “The government
considers that if it [addresses] the Syrian violations of the Lebanese borders,
it would be betraying the ‘regional sponsor’,” Houri told Free Lebanon Radio.
The MP also said that “dealing with the Syrian intrusions as if nothing had
happened is unacceptable,” adding that “the Syrian violations should not be
compared with Israeli violations because Syria is a brethren country, while
Israel is an enemy.” Last Tuesday, Syrian army tanks crossed the Lebanese border
near the town of Aarsal and fired several gunshots on Lebanese territory. On the
next day the Syrian troops shot and killed a farmer near Aarsal. Thousands of
Syrians have fled to Lebanon in recent months, often using illegal border
crossings, to escape the unrest gripping their country.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s troops are engaged in a deadly cracked down
on protests against almost five decades of Baath Party rule which broke out
mid-March, killing over 3,000 people according to the UN Human Rights Committee,
and triggering a torrent of international condemnation.-NOW Lebanon
Aarsal mayor insists Syrian army entered Lebanese territory
October 12, 2011 /Now Lebanon /The Mayor of the Bekaa town of Aarsal - which has
witnessed several Syrian violations of the Lebanese borders - rejected the
statement of Secretary General of the Lebanese-Syrian Higher Council Nasri
Khoury who said that “the Syrian army killed Syrian national Ali al-Khatib on
Syrian territory.”“The land is Lebanese and the borders are undoubtedly
demarcated,” Ali Hojeiri told Free Lebanon Radio.Hojeiri also said that “the son
of Hezbollah’s Religious Council Chairman, Sheikh Mohammad Yazbeck, sold weapons
to the Syrians.”“The residents of Aarsal asked to be protected [from the Syrian
army], but they were not… now they have to defend themselves,” he added. Khouri
told MTV television on Monday that “the land the Syrian army had trespassed is
located in the overlapping territory between Lebanon and Syria.”He also said
that “the Syrian national Ali al-Khatib was killed in a Syrian village while he
was trying to enter the Lebanese borders illegally.”Last Tuesday, Syrian army
tanks crossed the Lebanese border near the town of Aarsal and fired several
gunshots on Lebanese territory. On the next day the Syrian troops shot and
killed a Syrian national near Aarsal. Thousands of Syrians have fled to Lebanon
in recent months, often using illegal border crossings, to escape the unrest
gripping their country. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s troops are engaged in
a deadly cracked down on protests against almost five decades of Baath Party
rule which broke out mid-March, killing over 3,000 people according to the UN
Human Rights Committee, and triggering a torrent of international
condemnation.-NOW Lebanon
GLC Regrets Wage Deal, Vows to Ensure its Implementation this Month
Naharnet/Confederation chief Ghassan Ghosn expressed regret on Wednesday that
the government failed to raise the wages of workers earning more than LL1.8
million. In remarks to local radio stations, Ghosn said: “We were asking for a
boost in all wages, particularly for those earning more than LL1.8 million.”On
Tuesday, the cabinet increased the minimum wage to LL700,000 from LL500,000. It
also raised by LL200,000 the wages of workers earning less than LL1 million. As
for those who earn between LL1 million and LL1.8 million, they would get a
LL300,000 raise. But the government did not boost the wage of workers who earn
more than LL1.8 million. The GLC was planning to hold a nationwide strike on
Wednesday but it suspended its move “for the sake of civil peace” after a deal
was reached in the cabinet. It was initially calling for more than doubling the
minimum wage to LL1,250,000. Despite the government’s approval of the increase
in salaries, several ministers clashed over the deal which the representatives
of Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun saw as a “tranquilizer” not aimed
at finding a radical solution to the wage dispute. “The government was on the
verge of collapse over the big dispute on the demands of labor unions,” Ghosn
said.
The GLC will follow up the government decision to ensure that it would be
implemented this month, he added.
FPM Ministers Clash with Khalil as they Slam ‘Tranquilizing’ Wage Deal
Naharnet /Ministers loyal to Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun have
expressed outrage at a deal reached to raise wages and increase benefits, saying
the agreement was only a “tranquilizer.” The ministers withdrew from the cabinet
session held at the Grand Serail on Tuesday to express their reservations about
the deal that did not meet the aspirations of the General Labor Confederation as
well. The government increased the minimum wage to LL700,000 from LL500,000. It
also raised by LL200,000 the wages of workers earning less than LL1 million. As
for those who earn between LL1 million and LL1.8 million, they would get a
LL300,000 raise. The GLC was calling for more than doubling the minimum wage to
LL1,250,000. Aoun’s Change and Reform bloc ministers were frustrated after the
cabinet did not discuss a proposal made by Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas to
raise wages by 30 percent. Energy Minister Jebran Bassil described the deal as a
“tranquilizer.” “We reject them because we are seeking for a solution that would
establish a new stage and not a new vortex,” he told reporters at the Grand
Serail. “These are tranquilizers aimed at ending the strike” that was planned by
the GLC on Wednesday to demand better wages.
In remarks to As Safir daily, Bassil said: “This is not a government. It is
governed.” “The agreement reached (inside the cabinet) is not a radical
solution. It reflects the inability to resolve problems,” he said. “Where is the
problem in holding the strike?” Bassil wondered. He said the new wages are not
enough and if Nahhas’ proposal was adopted, it would have given workers better
salaries and would have satisfied the private sector which had expressed fears
that some companies could terminate the employment of their workers if the
government enforced a high salary increase. Nahhas also told As Safir that
Change and Reform bloc ministers rejected Tuesday’s deal and expressed regret at
the way the negotiations were held between the government, the GLC and the
private sector. “We held onto the comprehensive solution proposed by the labor
ministry two days ago,” Nahhas said.The labor minister along with several Change
and Reform bloc representatives clashed with Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil,
who was tasked by Speaker Nabih Berri to broker an agreement to end the wage
dispute. They also confronted Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi who left the
government session after Nahhas criticized Khalil over his proposal on health
benefits.
ISF Thwarts Break Out by Six Inmates at Amyoun Prison
Naharnet /Internal Security forces thwarted on Wednesday an attempt by six
prisoners to flee from Amyoun prison in Koura, north Lebanon, the National News
Agency reported.
Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) said that the inmates held cellular phones and the
prison cells keys’ before the ISF and the prison wardens obstructed their
attempt.
Among the prisoners who tried to escape are Mohammed Nasr, Hassan Harb, Yehya
al-Ayoubi and Haitham Allaw. The prison wardens had information about the escape
plot of the six inmates, the NNA said. The ISF and the Intelligence Bureau
deployed secretly around the prison waiting for the inmates to reach the yard.
The six inmates are undergoing investigation for repeating their attempt in four
days. During the weekend, Ayoubi and Allaw started a riot at the prison
after security forces detained the mother of one of them for trying to smuggle
drugs to her son. However, the mother of Allaw was soon released and the
situation went back to normal.
Playing with Christian fears?
Ana Maria Luca, /Now Lebanon
October 12, 2011
A march of thousands of Coptic Christians in Cairo last Sunday against a recent
attack on a church started peacefully, but ended with 26 people dead and another
500 injured. It was the country’s most violent incident since the Tahrir Square
protests eight months ago.
Christians in the crowd were attacked by Muslim civilians wielding sticks,
throwing stones and firing birdshot, in addition to members of the military. A
video circulating on the web shows at least two military vehicles plowing
through crowds of Christian protesters at high speed and running some of them
over.
The incident, the latest in a three-decade cycle of Muslim-Christian violence in
Egypt in which churches and priests have been attacked, raised fears among
Lebanese Christians from both the March 8 and March 14 coalitions of creeping
Islamist spread in the region, especially in next-door Syria if the regime of
President Bashar al-Assad falls. Some also worry that the embattled Syrian
regime is playing with the Christians’ fears and might use Islamist groups in
Lebanon to pressure the Christian community here and in Syria.
“May God help us if [Islamists take over the government in Syria],” Joseph
Khoury, a Christian March 8 supporter from Achrafieh, told NOW Lebanon on the
condition that his real name not be mentioned. “Christians don’t feel threatened
by Islamist groups in Lebanon. It would be crazy with the political system in
Lebanon, with a Christian president and with the constitution that we have. But
if the political situation in countries like Egypt and Syria changes and the
Islamist groups gain power, Lebanon will be surrounded, and the Christians in
Lebanon might start to be afraid,” he said.
But Hazem al-Amin, an expert on Islamist groups, disagrees, saying the
Christians’ fears are unfounded and fueled by political rhetoric rather than
facts. “The Syrian street demonstrating against Bashar al-Assad and his regime
is Sunni, not Islamist,” he told NOW Lebanon. “You can’t say that Christians in
Lebanon are a small minority. It is true that they may be decreasing in number,
but Christians are partners in the Lebanese state, and it is therefore hard for
them to become victims that easily.”
Many are also openly accusing Egypt’s military rulers of having a hand in the
clashes, in an effort to “ stifle and frustrate meaningful change,” as British
daily The Guardian put it.
Christian March 14 MP Elie Marouni, meanwhile, told NOW Lebanon that the Syrian
regime is playing on sectarian fears to keep itself in power. He mentioned the
bombing of a church in Zahle on March 27, at the beginning of the Syrian
anti-regime protests, which raised fears of sectarian strife and which many
blamed on Syrian agents. “There are rumors that Syrian agents… staged it to
frighten Christians and Assyrians and prevent them from rising in Qamishly and
Hasaka, to never take part in the protests,” he said, adding that security
forces in the area did not make any arrests, which has not help assuage fears.
Moreover, the grand mufti of Syria, Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun, the highest
religious authority in the country, called for “our fedayyin,” or holy fighters,
to stage suicide attacks in Europe, the United States and Israel in order to
defend both Damascus and Beirut, causing many Lebanese Christians to worry.
“From the first bomb dropped [by any NATO force], the sons of Syria and Lebanon
will become combatants and will stage suicide attacks on the land of Europe and
Palestine,” he said.
Amin agrees that the Syrian regime and its supporters in Lebanon are
intentionally trying to frighten the Christians here. “They are using [the
Christian fear] to downplay the protests, and there are political responses
supporting this rhetoric represented by [some politicians] because their
authority in Lebanon is related to the Syrian regime’s influence in Lebanon, and
their destiny is very much related to the destiny of the Syrian regime,” he
stressed.
“As for Egypt, the old clashes will only have negative repercussions on the
[Islamists’] status. These clashes will make them lose in the elections. It will
make them lose in Tunis, based on their move to close down cinemas, and it will
make them lose in Egypt also,” he concluded.
*Nadine Elali contributed reporting to this article
“Arab spring” fails to bring media freedoms, press group says
Now Lebanon/October 12, 2011
The fall of repressive regimes in North Africa and the Middle East in the "Arab
spring" has failed to usher in greater press freedom in the region, a global
media body said Wednesday.
The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) said that
"little progress has been made in installing legislation that will protect the
freedom of the press in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt.”"Governments in other Arab
states have been obliged to make concessions to pro-reform demonstrators in
order to remain in power, but promises of change have likewise brought little
improvement in terms of media freedoms."In a report published at the World
Newspaper Week in Vienna, WAN-IFRA said that in Syria, a "media blackout helped
obscure the full extent of the regime’s brutal crackdown."In Yemen, it said that
"journalists were deliberately targeted in March as state-orchestrated violence
erupted in response to calls demanding President Saleh step down.""Bahrain’s
authorities, with help from their Saudi neighbors, have systematically hunted
down, imprisoned and reportedly tortured bloggers and freedom of expression
activists who participated in pro-reform demonstrations earlier in the year," it
added.The report said that worldwide, 44 journalists have been killed in 2011 so
far, with hundreds of media employees harassed, threatened or physically
attacked."Impunity prevails in many parts of the world for the perpetrators as
they seek to influence or mislead public opinion by targeting a free press," it
said.-AFP/NOW Lebanon
National Bloc: Government ‘unable to manage economic issues’
October 12, 2011 /Now Lebanon/The National Bloc issued a statement on Wednesday
that the way the cabinet took its decision on Tuesday to raise salaries showed
that the current government “is unable to manage economic issues for a number of
reasons.”The decision to increase wages should only be taken when based on
precise economic indicators and a study of the likely repercussions on small and
medium enterprises, the bloc also said. However, the party added that it support
to the “just” demands of Lebanese workers demanding an increase in the minimum
wage.The General Workers Union had demanded an increase in the minimum wage and
planned to hold a strike on Wednesday, but the cabinet on Tuesday night decided
raise the minimum wage from 500,000 LL to 700,000 LL, add an amount of 200,000
LL to wages up to 1 million LL and 300,000 LL to wages ranging from 1 million to
1.8 million LL.
The National Bloc voiced its surprise over the Free Patriotic Movement’s stance
on the recent entries of Syrian tanks into Lebanese territory, criticizing the
party for justifying the violations with the 1991 Lebanese-Syrian Cooperation
Treaty that states neither country can a source of security threats for the
other “Have [FPM] MPs become in favor of these [security] agreements after they
used to criticize and attack them in the past?” the party asked. Last week,
Syrian army tanks crossed the Lebanese border near the town of Aarsal and fired
several gunshots within Lebanese territory, and later Syrian troops shot and
killed a farmer near Aarsal.-NOW Lebanon
Coptic Church Condemns Attack, Muslims Pelt Funeral Procession With Bricks
10-12-2011 /Assyrian International News Agency
http://www.aina.org/news/20111011191856.htm
(AINA) -- The Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt issued a statement on October 10,
expressing horror at the events of yesterday in Maspero, where 24 Copts were
killed and over 200 and wounded. The church stressed that the Christian faith
rejects violence. The church blasted the government for failing to find
solutions to "problems that occur repeatedly and go unpunished." The Church
demanded from all Copts to fast continuously for three days starting tomorrow
"in order to have peace in Egypt."
Some interpreted this demand, which the church has made only three times in its
long history, as a way to implore "God's help for the Copts," commented Coptic
activist and writer Nader Shoukry.
In Cairo, thousands of Copts marched to attend the funeral of the victims of
what they termed the "October 9 Military Massacre." They congregated in front of
the Coptic hospital where most of the dead and injured were transported, and
which was attacked the night before by Muslims, who hurled bricks and Molotov
Cocktails at the victims' families.
A funeral service presided by Pope Shenouda III was held for the Copts killed in
Maspero, at 11 AM at St. Mark's Cathedral in Abbasiya, Cairo, and was attended
by over 10,000 Copts. The funeral was for five Copts only, as the rest of the
victims are awaiting for autopsies, on the advice of Coptic lawyers. "This is to
safeguard the rights of the dead," said attorney Dr. Ehab Ramzy, "otherwise the
families could lose their case. We need proof."
After the funeral, while still inside the Cathedral, the enraged Copts chanted
"down with the junta rule and down with Tantawi."
According to priests and Coptic lawyers who were present at the Coptic Hospital,
where the victims were brought, the death certificates issued by the authorities
were misleading and did not reflect the true cause of death, which might let the
assailants get away with the crime. Certificates showed the cause of death as
being "stab wounds" and "cardiac arrest caused by fear."
The families insisted on having the autopsies done, which were carried out on 17
bodies lying in the Coptic hospital. Independent doctors observed those who came
from the Public Morgue to carry out the autopsies.
Dr. Maged Lewis, a director at the Forensic Medicine Institute, commented that
he had never seen corpses in this deplorable state before. "Bodies were mashed
and bones were crushed; many had fractures and laceration of the intestines;
while in others, death was caused by gun shots."
Eyewitnesses reported the army disposed of nine bodies by throwing them in the
Nile. Two bodies remain unidentified, making the number of killed uncertain.
After midnight today, friends and relatives of the dead, carried the 17 caskets
from the Coptic hospital to St. Mark's Cathedral for the second funeral service.
Near Ghamra bridge, bricks were hurled at the cortege, but the procession
carried on to the Cathedral.
The caskets were taken to St. Mary's Church in "October 6" district, where they
laid beside the 12 Copts who died in Embaba, defending their Church against
Salafist attacks on May 7, 2011 (AINA 5-8-2011).
On their way back after the burial ,the mourners were attacked by armed thugs
who blocked the way and hurled Molotov cocktails at them; gun shots were heard.
They sought shelter and called the army emergency phone line for help, they
waited until the morning but no one came.
The Coptic Church considers people who lost their lives on account of being
Christian as "martyrs" and they will be buried together in a collective grave.
By Mary Abdelmassih
Iranian Military Official Implicated in Assassination Plot
10-12-2011/By Michael Isikoff
http://www.aina.org/news/20111011192422.htm
U.S. officials have released new information accusing three high level Iranian
Revolutionary Guard officials of overseeing an alleged plot to assassinate the
Saudi Arabian ambassador. One of them, a deputy commander in the Iranian Qods
Force, had previously been accused of plotting a highly sophisticated attack
that killed five U.S. soldiers in Iraq, according to U.S. government officials
and documents made public Tuesday afternoon.
The Qods Force official who coordinated the alleged plot was identified by the
Treasury Department as Abdul-Reza Shahlai, the cousin of the suspect, Manssor
Arbabsiar. Arababsiar was accused by U.S. law enforcement officials of seeking
to carry out the plot to kill Saudi Ambassador Abdul al-Jubeir in Washington,
D.C. and carry out other terrorist attacks in the U.S.
Three years ago, Shahlai -- the key Iranian official coordinating the attack --
was designated as a terrorist by the Treasury Department for fomenting violence
in Iraq, including working with the anti-U.S. Mahdi Army to carry out a mass
attack on U.S. soldiers in Iraq, according to Treasury documents.
In particular, he was accused of planning a Jan. 20, 2007, attack by Mahdi Army
militia members aimed at U.S. soldiers in Karbala, south of Baghdad. In that
attack, up to a dozen fighters with false IDs disguised themselves as an
American security team to penetrate the provincial government building in
Karbala and open fire. One U.S. soldier was killed in the initial attack and
four others were abducted and found shot to death soon after.
Shahlai was not identified by name in the criminal complaint released by the
Justice Department, referred to only as a "cousin" of the suspect, a
high-ranking official in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
But on Tuesday the Treasury Department identified him and two other senior
Iranian Qods Force officers as being involved in both the earlier attack and the
plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador on U.S. soil and imposed economic
sanctions against them. The Treasury Department move significantly ratchets up
the pressure against Tehran.
The senior Qods Force officers were identified as Maj. Gen. Qasem Solemami and
Halem Abdollahi.
Solemami oversaw the Iranian officers involved in the plot, according to the
Treasury announcement. Soleimani has twice been previously blacklisted by the
department, most recently for allegedly overseeing Qods Forces in involved in
human rights abuses against protesters in Syria.
Abdollahi allegedly coordinated aspects of the operation aimed at the Saudi
ambassador, according to the announcement.
The Qods Force, an arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, is described by
Treasury as the Iranian government's primary foreign action arm for support of
terrorist organizations and extremist groups around the world. It is accused of
providing training, logistical assistance and material and financial support to
the Taliban, Lebanese Hezbollah and Hamas, among others. Its officers have also
supported attacks against U.S. and allied troops and diplomatic missions in Iraq
and Afghanistan, according to the Treasury announcement.
Earlier Tuesday, Iran rejected U.S. claims that Tehran was involved in a plot to
assassinate al-Jubeir.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast called the claims a
"prefabricated scenario."
"These old-fashioned behaviors are based on the long-standing hostile
American-Zionist policies and are ridiculous show in line with scenarios to
provoke division," the semiofficial Fars news agency quoted Mehmanparast as
saying.
By Michael Isikoff
http://openchannel.msnbc.msn.com
© 2011, Assyrian International News Agency. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use.
US on global alert for Iranian
reprisal that may jeopardize Shalit release
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report/October 12, 2011/,
Washington Wednesday, Oct. 12, published a worldwide travel advisory warning US
citizens to beware of Iranian-instigated terrorist attacks following the
uncovering of an Iran-directed plot to assassinate Saudi Arabian ambassador Adel
Al-Jubeir and bomb the Saudi and Israeli embassies.
The US holds Iran accountable for its actions, said Attorney General Eric
Holder, following which Tehran turned to the UN Secretary General to accuse the
US of warmongering.
US officials are deeply concerned that Tehran may not take lying down
Washington's charge that the Revolutionary Guards' Al Qods Brigades were
complicit in the assassination plot or the success of a prisoner exchange deal
releasing the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit from Hamas captivity.
After being caught out, Iran is behaving as though it is under threat of war,
its fury fueled by the US-Egyptian-Israeli-Hamas prisoner deal which threatens
to cut the Islamic Republic out of Palestinian affairs and curtail its influence
in the Gaza Strip, an important outpost.
The Washington advisory issued Wednesday said: "The US government assesses that
this Iranian-backed plan to assassinate the Saudi ambassador may indicate a more
aggressive focus by the Iranian government on terrorist activity against
diplomats from certain countries, to include possible attacks in the United
States."
With a valuable Middle East holding about to be lost, Iran is capable of
unleashing terrorists for acts that would force the hands of the United States
and Israel. By drawing Hamas into such operations, Tehran would seek to torpedo
the Shalit deal a moment before its consummation.
Sources in Washington therefore criticized Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for
jumping the gun by his announcing the deal Tuesday for domestic political kudos.
"Prisoner swaps are counted successful only after or during the fact," said one
official.
Other Western intelligence sources commented that by letting the cat out of the
bag a week in advance, Israel gave Iran and Hizballah time to sabotage it. Both
maintain a strong presence of undercover agents in the Gaza Strip who are fully
capable of blowing away the deal Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal struck
with Israel in the framework of an accord with the United States for packing up
his Hamas bureau and command centers and moving them out of Damascus.
As Israelis joyously celebrated news of the forthcoming release of their soldier
from five years in Hamas captivity, US officials in Washington released details
of the plot instigated by Iran to murder Saudi ambassador Al-Jubeir, one of King
Abdullah's closest advisers.
US Attorney General Holder and FBI Director Robert Mueller named
Iranian-American Mansour Arbabsiar, 56,and a second man, Gohlam Shakuri, an
Iranian official, in a five-count criminal complaint filed Tuesday afternoon in
the federal court in New York. It included counts of conspiracy to kill a
foreign official and conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, a bomb.
Shakuri is still at large in Iran. Holder identified him as an Iran-based member
of the Al Qods force.
The complaint described a conversation in which Arbabsiar was allegedly
directing the informant to kill the Saudi ambassador and said the assassination
could take place at a restaurant. When the informant feigned concern about
Americans who also eat at the restaurant, Arbabsiar said he preferred if
bystanders weren't killed but, "Sometimes, you know, you have no choice, is that
right?"
The Attorney General said that the plan was "conceived, sponsored and was
directed from Iran" by a faction of the government and called it a "flagrant"
violation of U.S. and international law. "The US is committed to holding Iran
accountable for its actions," Holder said.
US officials disclosed that Arbabsiar met twice in July with a DEA informant in
the northern Mexico city of Reynosa, and negotiated a $1.5 million payment for
the assassination of the Saudi ambassador. As a down payment, officials said
Arbabsiar wired two amounts of $49,960 on Aug. 1 and Aug. 9 to an FBI undercover
bank account after he had returned to Iran.
Those officials stressed that had the plotters succeeded in assassinating a
foreign diplomat on US soil, it would have been deemed an act of war. Its actual
planning too was an act of Iranian aggression against the United States.
Canada Welcomes Agreement to Release Gilad Shalit
(No. 298 - October 11, 2011 - 7:20 p.m. ET) Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird
today issued the following statement regarding the agreement to secure the
release of Israeli staff sergeant Gilad Shalit:
“Canada welcomes the announcement of the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit
and calls on his captors to adhere to the terms of the agreement. Canada has
consistently called for the release of Gilad Shalit over the course of his
imprisonment and hopes that he will soon be reunited with his family after being
held in captivity by Hamas for more than five years.”
- 30 -
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
Egypt: Will it be five years of
chaos?
By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid/ASharqAlAwsat
This is the power vacuum, in which all forces, whether good or bad, vie to find
a place for themselves. Following the complete dominance of former president
Mubarak’s regime, a state of almost complete vacuum has emerged, with the
exception of the military council which is struggling to administer the country
with great difficulty. A similar vacuum led to a long civil war in Lebanon,
which was then filled by the Syrians, the Iranians and others, following the
aftermath of the war, along with militias, political parties and their leaders.
Incidentally, Somalia and Afghanistan provide the worst examples of political
vacuums.
After President Hosni Mubarak was ousted on the 11th of February, there is not
one individual emerging from the ranks in the manner of Gandhi after the British
were expelled from India. There are no leaders to return from exile, like [Habib]
Bourguiba who led Tunisia after the uprising against the French, or Khomeini
after the fall of Iran’s shah. There is no leader being held in an Egyptian
prison, in the mould of Nelson Mandela, who could be set free to lead the
country. Similarly, there is not even a military leader like Jamal Abdul Nasser.
This revolution only has virtual heroes from “Facebook” and “Twitter”. At the
same time, there is no alternate model of political governance, considering that
the overthrow of Mubarak was a revolution against his regime.
As for the military, they lived in the shadows of Mubarak’s rule for three
decades, and thus have not had the opportunity to develop any leadership skills.
Their activities were limited to reacting to what was happening in the street,
and now they are playing the role of traffic policemen trying to organise
competing forces.
Some political experts think that Egypt will exist in a state of vacuum for five
years. Others are more pessimistic and say it will continue for ten years,
whilst the most optimistic still estimate three years. The Egyptians must
realize that they are on the brink of an abyss and that they are the only ones
capable of changing their destiny.
The political map becomes further complicated month after month; debates
increase and conflicts persist. Everyone must agree on the one thing that can
save them from falling into the abyss; the formula of governance. This is the
easiest of the difficult decisions, and it lies in going to the ballot box,
choosing representatives, electing a president and allowing constitutional
institutions to settle disputes. This is the only route to salvation from the
political vacuum, inside which conflict is intensifying.
What about the role of military leaders? Recent indications point to the fact
that they do not want to rule the country, but they fear chaos, collapse and
foreign interference. This is the heart of the military’s duties, especially in
light of the current vacuum in Egypt, now a pivotal location of the world’s
attention. The existing military leadership lacks political creativity and
administrative talent, but perhaps this is also an advantage. The military
leaders must preserve order, protect society and get everyone to the polling
station, after which they should return to their barracks. All the current
problems, including the latest “Battle of Maspero”, can only be solved within
the framework of an open political system. They must be settled by
constitutional institutions, and not by bullets or accusations of treason.