LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِOctober
31/2011
Bible Quotation
for today/Come to Me and Rest
Matthew 11/25-30: " At that
time Jesus said, Father, Lord of heaven and earth! I thank you because you have
shown to the unlearned what you have hidden from the wise and learned.26 Yes,
Father, this was how you were pleased to have it happen. 27 My Father has given
me all things. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the
Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come
to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you
rest.29 Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle
and humble in spirit; and you will find rest.30 For the yoke I will give you is
easy, and the load I will put on you is light.
Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from
miscellaneous sources
Syria and Gaddafi’s Libya are the
same/By Tariq Alhomayed/October
30/11
Media council moves to regulate
news websites/By: Matt Nash/October 30/11
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for October 30/11
Russia warns Lebanon
to cooperate with STL or face sanctions: report
Lebanon's Arabic press
digest - Oct. 30, 2011
Jumblatt says to lead PSP one last
time
Mikati calls on
Lebanese to vote for Jeita as ‘national duty’
2006 cluster bomb
explodes in Shebaa, kills livestock
Islamist groups
denounce Syrian government
UNIFIL and army search
for Israeli plane in Bint Jbeil: report
Al-Rahi Returns to Beirut Sunday,
Travels to Baghdad the Next Day
Moscow Calls for Resignation of
Lebanese Cabinet if it Fails to Fund STL
Syrian revolt strains Lebanon's
already-struggling economy
Future bloc leader MP Fouad Siniora
warns of “trouble” if Lebanon fails to provide STL funding
Miqati Hopes for ‘Positive Outcome’
in International Tribunal Funding
Jumblat Hails PSP’s Participation
in March 14 Independence Revolution
Jumblatt slams intimidation of
Syrians in Lebanon
Lebanon First bloc MP Michel
Pharaon slams Aoun
General Security Confirms Arrest of
Syrian for Smuggling Arms
Aridi Says Media Council Only
Advisory Board as Fears Rise of Internet Censorship
Armenian-Kurdish Dispute in Bourj
Hammoud: Political or Criminal Reasons
Assad Says Western Action would
Cause 'Quake,' Appeals for Russian Support
Activists Urge Arab League to
Freeze Syria Membership
Israeli killed as a result of rocket barrage on southern Israel
Rockets Pound Israel as Air Raids Kill Seven in Gaza
Lieberman: If Gaza rocket fire does not stop, there will be consequences
Egypt brokers ceasefire after
Israel-Palestinian bloodshed
WATCH: Gaza militants prepare to launch rocket at Israel
Iran FM: Tehran wants good relations with U.S. but not Israel
Saudi royal offers $900,000 reward for capture of Israeli soldiers
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood
makes first visit to Hamas-led Gaza
Early Season Snowstorm in U.S. East
Coast Kills 3
Qaddafi's son's shrinking options
for escaping with life and fortune
Lebanese Clergy
& Politicians, Repent Before you end in Hell Burning
By: Elias Bejjani/October 30/11/Today the Lebanese politicians and officials are
calling on the Lebanese people to vote for The Jeita Grotto (Cave) (Arabic:
مغارة جعيتا) while in reality and because of their, evilness, corruption,
treason, dead conscience, worshiping of money and authority have turned Lebanon
to a Ali Baba and the forty thieves Cave, country. Definitely Lebanon will not
know peace before all of them are either put in jail or they repent. In this
context the people who accept slavery willingly without any kind of resistance
and enjoy keeping the yokes around their necks should not blame but themselves.
Freedom has to be earned through hard work, self disciplining, knowledge, faith,
perseverance and a great deal of sacrifices.Meanwhile All tyrants and dictators;
Assad, Najad and others will miserably land in Hell no doubt about this Godly
punishable well deserved fate. All of them will burn and burn for ever in Hell
as well as our Lebanese high ranking clergy and politicians who sold themselves
to the demons, are betraying peace, negating the sacrifices of martyrs,
demoralizing and contradicting patriotic and faith convictions and not
witnessing for the truth. All these political and religious officials and
leaders in Lebanon MUST repent, pay the required penances, correct their deadly
sins and listen to Jesus' words with regards to burdens and yokes: "Come to me,
all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and
humble in spirit; and you will find rest. For the yoke I will give you is easy,
and the load I will put on you is light. (Mathew 10/28-30) All these leaders who
are oppressing their people will end in Hell in case they do not repent, Say
Amen
Syria and
Gaddafi’s Libya are the same
By Tariq AlhomayedظAsharq Al-Awsat
Since the statement issued in Damascus by the head of the Arab League’s
delegation about the “friendly” nature of their meeting with Bashar al-Assad,
more than 70 Syrian citizens have been killed at the hands of the regime’s
forces, with fifty people alone being killed last Friday!
The Arab League delegation that travelled to Damascus to discuss the Arab League
initiative towards Syria were not deceived by the tricks employed by the
al-Assad regime, namely accepting this initiative and then voiding it of its
content. Indeed the Arab League issued a statement on Friday evening denouncing
the continued killing of the Syrian people by the regime, which for its part
seems to have lost its senses and responded to the Arab League, issuing a
statement of its own yesterday expressing its astonishment at the Arab League
statement! This war of words means that the Arab League initiative has failed,
and that the al-Assad regime has failed to take advantage of this opportunity to
teach the Arab League a lesson, as I mentioned in one of my previous articles
[Syria: Time to freeze their membership]. Therefore today, it is up to the Arab
League to teach the Damascus regime a well-deserved lesson, not because we are
playing a game of one-upmanship or political muscle-flexing, but rather in order
to spare the Syrian people from a regime that wants to remain in power even if
this means shedding the blood of its own people.
It is up to the Arab League today to return to using the only language that the
al-Assad regime understands, and take the only option that is left open to it
with regards to the Syrian regime. Indeed this is nothing new, for the Arab
League has taken this option before against the Gaddafi regime of Libya. I am,
of course, talking about freezing the membership of the al-Assad regime and
recognizing the Syrian National Council [SNC], as well as calling on the UN
Security Council to take the necessary steps to protect the Syrian civilians.
The Arab League should do this today, not in retaliation against the al-Assad
regime, but for a number of important reasons. Firstly, in order to protect the
Syrian civilians from the regime’s killing machine. Secondly, in order to ensure
that the Arab League does not practice double standards, as Gaddafi claimed
months ago, particularly as it appears today as if the Arab League is trying to
buy time for the al-Assad regime. Therefore, in order to ensure that the Arab
League does not become a partner with Hezbollah and Tehran in defending al-Assad
– particularly after Iranian Foreign Minister [Ali Akbar Salehi] explicitly
informed Asharq Al-Awsat just a few days ago that Tehran supports granting
al-Assad another chance – the Arab League has no choice but to take this step.
The other issue here is that the required action by the Arab League, namely
freezing the membership of the al-Assad regime and recognizing the SNC, is in
itself a step that will guarantee that another Saddam Hussein or Muammar Gaddafi
or Bashar al-Assad will not emerge in the ranks of Arab leaders. This is the
role of the Arab League, and it is important that it fulfils this role today,
more than at any time before.
The comprehensive failure of the Arab League initiative means that the Arab
League, and particularly some of the Arab League member states, have granted the
al-Assad regime chance after chance, however what about the lives of all those
that have been killed [during this time]? Therefore, it is up to the Arab League
today to take every opportunity available to it to protect the Syrian civilians.
Everybody today is convinced that there is no hope for the al-Assad regime, and
that there is no hope for any reforms that it carries out, for this regime only
speaks the language of brutality and suppression.
The Syrian regime tried to trick the Arab League, however it has fallen into its
own trap, and therefore the ball – which is on fire – is now in the court of the
Arab League, who must today realize that there is no difference between the
al-Assad regime and the ousted Gaddafi regime.
Al-Rahi Returns to Beirut Sunday, Travels to Baghdad the
Next Day
Naharnet /Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi returns to Beirut from his pastoral
visit to the United States on Sunday and is scheduled to travel to Iraq on
Monday for talks with spiritual and political figures there. The patriarch will
return to Beirut from Italy where he attended a council with world religious
leaders in Assisi. They joined Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday in denouncing
violence perpetrated in the name of their faiths. Al-Rahi will celebrate mass in
Baghdad on the first anniversary of the attacks that targeted the Our Lady of
Salvation Church in 2010. Militants had stormed the church in central Baghdad,
killing 44 worshippers, two priests and seven security force personnel in an
attack claimed by al-Qaida's local affiliate, the Islamic State of Iraq. Al-Rahi
said earlier this week that he will discuss with Iraqi officials the fate of
Christians there.
General Security Confirms Arrest of Syrian for Smuggling Arms
Naharnet /The General Security Department has confirmed the arrest of a Syrian
national but said the man was seized on charges of weapons smuggling.
In a communiqué issued late Saturday, the department’s general directorate
dismissed a report by Future TV that Amer Omar Adib was arrested “without any
justification.”
The General Security Department arrested Adib on charges of smuggling arms
between Syria and Lebanon and was referred to the judiciary after he admitted to
the charges, the communiqué said. It urged media outlets to be meticulous in
their security reports to preserve their credibility and avoid stirring
confusion.
Aridi Says Media Council Only Advisory Board as Fears Rise
of Internet Censorship
Naharnet /Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi stressed on Sunday that the National
Audiovisual Media Council does not have the right to ask Lebanese website hosts
to register their sites at the Council. Aridi, who is a former information
minister, told al-Mustaqbal daily that the council is only an advisory board and
cannot issue such decisions. On Monday, the council’s president Abdul Hadi
Mahfouz said the Council would begin accepting applications on November 1 after
announcing plans to establish a database of media websites. He claimed that the
council’s decision was in accordance with the audiovisual media law 382 of 1994.
But the decision came at a time of pressure by Syria’s allies in Lebanon on
media outlets over their coverage of the uprising against Syrian President
Bashar Assad. It also came despite a lack of agreement by the government and the
parliament on a new law regulating online media, drawing accusations about
attempts by the March 8 forces to create internet censorship. Information
Minister Walid al-Daouq could launch a workshop and only ask the Council to make
suggestions on the issue, Aridi said.Since online publishing isn’t mentioned in
the audiovisual law that dates back to 1994, nothing in the law allows the
Council to ask the sites to register, he added.
Armenian-Kurdish Dispute in Bourj Hammoud: Political or
Criminal Reasons?
Naharnet /A Kurdish official has said that the Armenian Tashnag party asked
Syrian Kurds to leave several areas that have Armenian populations within
Monday, warning them that they would pay LL3 million if they fail to abide by
its orders. The deputy head of the Kurdish Charity Mahmoud Siyala told al-Mustaqbal
newspaper on Sunday that the Tashnag officials have given the Kurds the
ultimatum to leave their houses in Bourj Hammoud, Dora and Nabaa by Monday for
allegedly “drug use and acts that undermine public order.”
Al-Mustaqbal said there are around 8,000 Syrian Kurds in the three areas,
hinting that the decision of the Armenian party came after they staged rallies
against Syrian President Bashar Assad in Beirut. But Tashnag MP Hagop
Pakradounian told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat that the party’s decision has
no political goal. “All there is into it that these youths who have rented
houses without contracts are bothering the residents and doing immoral things,”
he said. “The residents requested the party’s help after they signed a petition
asking them (the Kurds) to leave the area,” Pakradounian said, stressing that
“the Armenians have a history of struggle with the Kurds” against Turkey.
Assad Says Western Action would Cause 'Quake,' Appeals for
Russian Support
Naharnet /Syrian President Bashar Assad has warned that any Western action
against his country would cause an "earthquake" that would inflame the region,
in an interview published in a British newspaper. The Sunday Telegraph said
Assad warned of "another Afghanistan" if foreign forces intervened in Syria as
they did with the Libyan uprising that led to the killing of Moammar Gadhafi.
"Syria is the hub now in this region. It is the fault line, and if you play with
the ground you will cause an earthquake -- do you want to see another
Afghanistan, or tens of Afghanistans?," the paper quoted Assad as telling it.
"Any problem in Syria will burn the whole region. If the plan is to divide
Syria, that is to divide the whole region," he said in his first interview with
a Western journalist since Syria's seven-month uprising began in March. His
comments come after mass protests calling for the imposition of a Libya-style
no-fly zone on Syria and renewed violence on Friday and Saturday in which dozens
of security forces were reportedly killed.
Assad said "many mistakes" had been made by his forces in the early part of the
uprising against his regime but insisted that his forces were now only targeting
"terrorists.”
"If you sent in your army to the streets, the same thing would happen. Now, we
are only fighting terrorists. That's why the fighting is becoming much less," he
told the Sunday Telegraph.
He described the uprising as a "struggle between Islamism and pan-Arabism
(secularism), adding: "We've been fighting the Muslim Brotherhood since the
1950s and we are still fighting with them."Assad also said that Syria had
responded differently to Arab leaders in countries like Egypt, Tunisia and Libya
where regimes have been overthrown this year, insisting that he had begun
reforms. "The pace of reform is not too slow. The vision needs to be mature. It
would take only 15 seconds to sign a law, but if it doesn't fit your society,
you'll have division … It's a very complicated society," he said. Assad told
Russian television on Sunday he expected continued support from Moscow even as
his regime comes under growing condemnation for its crackdown on the opposition.
"First and foremost, we are relying on Russia as a country with which we are
bound by strong ties, in the historic perspective," Assad told Moscow's Channel
One television. "Russia's role is extremely important," Assad said in a clip of
an interview that will be broadcast in full at 1700 GMT."Starting from the first
days of the crisis, we remained in constant contact with the Russian government.
We give a detailed account to our Russian friends of the latest developments,"
he added.
*Source Agence France Presse
Report: Suspected Israeli Drone Crashes in Bint Jbeil
Naharnet /The army launched a wide search operation for what is suspected to be
an Israeli drone that crashed in Froun region in Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon,
the National News Agency reported on Saturday. The UNIFIL operations unit
informed the Lebanese army of the crash of an Israeli drone in Froun, the NNA
said. The army immediately launched search operations. The wreckage of the drone
was not located yet. However, al-Manar TV station reported that the army stopped
their search operations.
Miqati Hopes for ‘Positive Outcome’ in International Tribunal Funding
Naharnet /Premier Najib Miqati expressed hope on Sunday that consultations
between Lebanese officials on the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon
would lead to a “positive outcome.” In remarks to An Nahar newspaper, Miqati
said: “We shouldn’t anticipate things. We have enough time to continue with the
contacts that we started which we hope would lead to a positive outcome and the
anticipated solution.” His comment comes amid a struggle between Miqati,
President Michel Suleiman and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat,
who have backed the funding of the STL, and Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic
Movement who have rejected to pay more than $33 million of Lebanon’s share.
When asked by An Nahar to unveil what stage the consultations on the STL funding
have reached, Miqati said it would be useless to discuss about the efforts to
clinch a deal to fund the STL before any official agreement between the
cabinet’s major representatives. He stressed that not a single official who has
rejected to fund the court, mainly Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,
“has shut the door to any solution.” “The door remains open,” Miqati told the
daily. The STL has charged four Hizbullah operatives in ex-Premier Rafik
Hariri's Feb. 2005 assassination. The prime minister refused to comment on “a
lot of talk” about his meeting with former Premier Saad Hariri in Riyadh earlier
this week during the funeral of Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz. He
only said that they met during the condolences and “it is natural to exchange
handshakes.”
The relations between the two men deteriorated when Miqati accepted the
nomination of Hizbullah and the March 8 forces earlier this year after they
toppled Hariri’s cabinet.
Meanwhile, Miqati’s sources refused to comment on FPM chief Michel Aoun’s
criticism, reiterating that the prime minister doesn’t want to argue with any
official. “Let the public opinion judge his performance,” the sources said.
Aoun told Hizbullah’s al-Manar TV on Friday that Miqati was targeting him. “I’m
not targeting Miqati, he’s the one targeting me. I’m telling him about the
wrongdoings and he’s not addressing them. How does he want to gain popularity?
By protecting violations?,” Aoun asked.
Jumblat Hails PSP’s Participation in March 14 Independence Revolution
Naharnet /Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said Sunday that the
reconciliation with former Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir and the PSP’s
participation in the March 14 forces had a positive impact on the party.
The reconciliation was “illuminating,” Jumblat said in a speech at his party’s
general assembly in Aley.
He also cited as a major accomplishment, “the rejection to renew former
President Emile Lahoud’s term and the PSP’s modest participation in the March 14
independence revolution.”
Jumblat rejected the violation of Lebanon’s borders by Syrian troops and urged
Lebanese officials to return to the dialogue table to discuss the country’s
defense strategy.
Lebanese and Syrian security forces should cooperate in stopping the alleged
smuggling of weapons, Jumblat said. He also rejected what he called “the
violations of the border” in reference to the recent infiltrations of Syrian
troops into towns in northern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa valley. Turning to
the disappearance of Syrian opposition member Shebli al-Aisamy in Aley in May,
Jumblat said the abduction by the armed thugs of a diplomatic mission is
rejected. According to Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashrafi Rifi,
the head of the Syrian embassy guard unit, First Lt. Salah Hajj, was the
ringleader of a group that abducted four Syrian brothers from the Jassem family.
Rifi also drew similarities between that case and that of al-Aisamy’s
disappearance. Jumblat said Lebanese officials should resume their
discussions at the national dialogue table at Baabda palace to discuss the
defense strategy.
The lawmaker also called for the demarcation of the Shabaa farms borders.On the
issue of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the PSP chief said the funding of the
STL is “essential” for stability in the country. He along with President Michel
Suleiman and Premier Najib Miqati has backed the funding of the court despite
the rejection of the Hizbullah-led March 8 forces.
Addressing the situation in Syria, the PSP chief urged Syrian authorities to
stop firing on civilians and condemned attacks on the army. He also called for
the release of all political prisoners and said the Assad regime should hold
accountable those opening fire on protestors. Syria is in turmoil since March,
when protestors began holding demonstrations to call for the collapse of the
regime. But the Syrian president has cracked down on protestors leaving 3,000
people dead. Syrian authorities should introduce reform, adopt a new
constitution and launch dialogue which alone guarantees a solution to all
differences, Jumblat said.“Hereditary republics should turn into constitutional
republics,” he stressed.On internal PSP issues, Jumblat announced that he would
only run as head of the party one last time. “We should consider the new council
to be elected as transitional … until we reach new elections which shouldn’t
take more than one year,” he said.
Rockets Pound Israel as Air Raids Kill Seven in Gaza
Naharnet/Israeli air raids killed seven Islamic Jihad militants in the Gaza
Strip on Saturday, prompting a massive barrage of retaliatory rocket fire,
officials said.
Adham Abu Selmiya, spokesman for Gaza's emergency services, said five members of
the al-Quds Brigades, Islamic Jihad's armed wing, were killed and three
critically wounded in a first Israeli attack. As tit-for-tat fighting continued
into the night, Israeli aircraft struck two more targets in Gaza, witnesses and
Palestinian officials said, killing two militants and wounding two allegedly
preparing to fire a missile. A strike east of Gaza City caused no
casualties.Israeli police said they were raising their national alert level to
its second-highest.
The Israeli military could not immediately confirm the latest reported strikes
but said of the earlier raid that the air force fired on a "group of terrorists
preparing to fire long-range rockets" and that the attack had "prevented the
attempted firing." It said the men had also been responsible for firing a Grad
rocket into Israel on Wednesday that hit near the city of Ashdod, 35 kilometers
from the Gaza border. The al-Quds Brigades confirmed that five members,
including a commander named as Ahmed al-Sheikh Khalil, were killed in the first
strike, on a training camp near the southern city of Rafah.
The second fatal raid was also in Rafah, witnesses said.The strikes were the
bloodiest since a tacit ceasefire was agreed between Gaza Palestinian militants
and Israel in late August.
Reprisal attacks began after sunset, and police said that by mid-evening 21
rockets had been fired from Gaza into southern Israel. One slammed into a
community center and another into a block of flats, setting parked cars and gas
canisters alight. Rockets hit the city of Ashdod, the nearby town of Gan Yavneh
and the city of Ashkelon, to the south, police said.
Spokeswoman Luba Samri told Agence France Presse that two people were moderately
wounded and two others slightly injured. Other rockets hit open ground elsewhere
in southern Israel and one was fired "in the general direction" of the city of
Beersheeva, in the Negev desert, but appeared to have stuck open ground, police
said. Israeli rescue services said a number of mortar rounds also hit areas near
the frontier. A statement from the al-Quds Brigades claimed responsibility for
the fire and posted a video on its website it said showed the launching of five
of the rockets. Spokesman Abu Ahmed accused Israel of carrying out the raid in
order to heighten tensions so it could renege on freeing 550 Palestinian
prisoners agreed as part of a prisoner-swap deal with Gaza rulers Hamas for the
liberation of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
Israel released 477 prisoners in exchange for Shalit earlier this month and is
due to free the other 550 within two months. A spokesman for Hamas's Ezzedine
al-Qassam Brigades said other militant groups were mulling their response. "The
occupation is completely responsible for the crime in Rafah and all of the
resistance factions cannot leave the shedding of our martyrs' blood unanswered,"
spokesman Abu Obeida said. "We shall discuss the answer to this crime." The
Israeli air force carried out three raids on the Gaza Strip Thursday in
retaliation for that attack, witnesses said. Those raids targeted areas east and
west of Khan Yunis in the south of the Strip, and a base of the Ezzedine al-Qassam
Brigades was hit, they said.
An Israeli army spokesman said of those strikes that aircraft had "attacked
three terrorist sites in the Gaza Strip as well as an arms factory in the south
of the territory."
**Source Agence France Presse
Early Season Snowstorm in U.S. East Coast Kills 3
Naharnet /Freezing conditions hit the U.S. East Coast Sunday after a rare
October snowstorm and icy rain reportedly killed at least three people, sparked
long airport delays and caused massive power outages. The "historic early
season" snowstorm wrought havoc on air, rail and road traffic from Washington to
Boston, with the National Weather Service warning that travel at night would be
"extremely hazardous." One person died in Connecticut in a traffic accident
caused by icy road conditions, local media reported.
In Massachusetts, a fallen power line electrocuted a man, and a tree that fell
under the weight of snow killed a person in Pennsylvania, the reports said. A
total of two million people were without power in a storm zone stretching from
the Mid-Atlantic to New England, MSNBC reported. New Jersey Governor Chris
Christie declared a state of emergency across his state "because of the severe
weather conditions," he said on Twitter. Nearly 500,000 customers were without
power in New Jersey alone, he said, urging residents to "stay safe and off the
roads." Air travelers were seeing an average delay of six hours on flights to
and from Newark International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
Similar problems were affecting New York's Kennedy international airport.
Passengers at Philadelphia's international airport were experiencing delays of
two and a half hours on average, the FAA said on its website. Rail travel was
also hit, with the Amtrak service between Philadelphia and Harrisburg suspended
until further notice due to signal problems caused by the storm. Christie said
there were "significant closures and delays" on NJ Transit train lines due to
downed trees on the tracks. Forecasters issued a winter storm warning for large
parts of the northeast, in effect until 6:00 am (1000 GMT) Sunday, predicting
heavy snow, freezing temperatures and strong winds with gusts of up to 60 miles
per hour (100 kph). Nearly a foot (30 centimeters) of snow fell in parts of
Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New Jersey, authorities said.
In Manhattan, where the storm marked the first October snow in decades,
forecasters said up to 10 inches could fall. In Maryland and West Virginia, some
towns already had 10 inches on the ground as of 2000 GMT Saturday, the weather
service said. Unseasonably cold air was pouring into the northeast, and deep
tropical moisture was set to surge northward along the east coast and "fuel an
expanding area of heavy rain and snow." Much of the region was hit by Hurricane
Irene in August. Its heavy rains and wind killed more than 40 people, left
millions without power, destroyed homes and caused record flooding.**Source
Agence France Presse
Future bloc leader MP Fouad Siniora warns of “trouble” if Lebanon fails to
provide STL funding
October 30, 2011 /Future bloc leader MP Fouad Siniora on Sunday warned the
government of “trouble” if it fails to provide its annual share of funding to
the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). “There are some [parties] who
want the Lebanese state to not fulfill [its commitments to the STL]…and this is
a risk that drags the country into trouble,” Siniora said according to a
statement issued by his office. In a reference to the Hezbollah-led March 8
coalition, he added that “a certain group is ordering the Lebanese government to
not cooperate” with the STL. “We must take into account Lebanon’s interests and
not jeopardize its economy,” Siniora said, in a reference to warnings that the
country will be sanctioned by the UN Security Council if the government does not
cooperate with the tribunal. He also called on Prime Minister Najib Mikati to
articulate a clear position vis-à-vis the STL.
Commenting on Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun’s calls to “penalize
corrupt state employees” – who are mainly close to the Future Movement – Siniora
said that “Aoun is accusing [people] without backing himself with any proof.”“We
were and still are keen on following the path of reform…and part of the projects
[submitted by our bloc] were not ratified in parliament throughout the years.”
Aoun has repeatedly campaigned against the Internal Security Forces and its
Information Branch, which arrested Brigadier General Fayez Karam - a member of
Aoun’s FPM - in August 2010 after suspecting him of collaborating with Israel.
Karam was later sentenced to two years in prison for leaking information to
Israel.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah and other Syrian-backed March 8 parties and figures have
spoken out against Lebanon’s ties and funding for the STL, which indicted four
Hezbollah members for the 2005 murder of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri. -NOW Lebanon
Jumblatt slams intimidation of Syrians in Lebanon
October 30, 2011 /Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt on Sunday
slammed attempts to intimidate Syrian opposition figures in Lebanon and called
for the protection of refugees pouring into the country. “It is unacceptable to
arrest Syrian figures who oppose [President Bashar al-Assad’s regime] in
Lebanon,” Jumblatt said during a meeting of his party’s general assembly. The MP
warned that people “have rights to political asylum [in Lebanon],” adding that
“the Syrian refugees should be protected.”
He voiced rejection of incursions into Lebanon’s territory, a reference to
Syrian troops that repeatedly crossed the Lebanese border in the recent period.
He also denounced the disappearance of Syrian opposition figure Shibli al-Ayssami
in Lebanon earlier this year, adding that he was “[kidnapped] by thugs who work
for diplomats and Lebanese [figures].” In a reference to the pro-democracy
uprisings in Arab countries, Jumblatt said that “hierarchical republics must be
turned into constitutional ones.”
“Torture must [no longer be] exercised in Arab prisons…Adopting a referendum is
the best way… [And] Arab constitutions must guarantee the rights of minorities.”
Concerning the Syrian crisis, Jumblatt called for an end to violence against
civilians as well as for releasing detainees arrested during anti-regime
demonstrations.
“[We also call for] penalizing those responsible for attacks against civilians
and security forces… [But] we condemn any foreign interference [in
Syria]."“Dialogue is [Damascus’] only option to guarantees a solution for
disputes.”On the Lebanese level, Jumblatt reiterated his call to provide the
annual share of funding to the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL),
saying that “it is a fundamental principle.”“We also stress the importance of
the arms of the Resistance in defending [Lebanon],” he added. Jumblatt also
called for resuming national dialogue to discuss the drafting of a defense
strategy, and concluded by saying that he will not again run for his party’s
presidency. Four Hezbollah members have been indicted by the STL for the 2005
murder of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri. However, the Shia group strongly denies the
charges and refuses to cooperate with the court. Meanwhile, the Syrian regime’s
crackdown on protests has killed more than 3,000 people. Thousands have fled to
Lebanon, according to the UN.-NOW Lebanon
Syrian revolt strains Lebanon's already-struggling economy
October 30, 2011 /Lebanon's economy is feeling the strain of a seven-month
uprising against Syria's Bashar al-Assad, as the increasingly violent revolt
takes its toll on tourism, trade and capital inflows. "The Arab Spring has not
been remotely beneficial to the Lebanese economy. In fact, it's deprived us of
two crucial markets - Syria and Egypt - at a time when all our drivers of growth
over the past five years are on the decline," said Beirut-based economist Sami
Nader.
After years of overall economic expansion and record prosperity in the vital
tourism sector, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently revised downward
its forecast for growth in Lebanon to 1.5 percent in 2011 from 7.5 percent
between 2007 and 2010, citing political uncertainty and the unrest in
neighboring Syria.
The Economist Intelligence Unit meanwhile reported indicators for banking,
construction, and tourism - which alone accounts for 25 percent of employment in
Lebanon and 20 percent of the country's annual income - weakened significantly
in the first half of 2011.
The histories - and economies - of Lebanon and Syria for decades have been
intertwined, with Damascus taking advantage of Beirut's modern banking system
and the latter capitalizing on its neighbor’s cheap labor. But today, ongoing
unrest in Syria has raised the risk of capital flight from Lebanon, as
expatriates and potential investors play it safe fearing the violence
threatening the regime in Damascus could spill over to Beirut.
"Inflow will begin to suffer soon if Lebanon does not take measures to protect
the economy, including stimulating growth and exports," said Nader. "In light of
what is going on in the region, the government must have a cohesive and clear
vision on how to boost the economy and counter lack of growth."While Lebanon's
foreign reserves stand at $31 billion, the country staggers under a public debt
of more than $53 billion, equivalent to around 135 percent of GDP - among the
highest debt-to-GDP ratios globally.
Inflation in 2011 is also forecast to rise to some 5.2 percent as international
commodity prices increase sharply, particularly for oil and food. And as trade
with Damascus declines, the economic future looks far from rosy in Lebanon,
which depends on Syria as a destination or transit route for a large portion of
its trade. "Our clients in Syria are not buying because they just can't afford
to lose liquidity," said one Lebanese trader of fast moving consumer goods who
depends on customers in Damascus for at least half of his sales. "Even after
Syria lifted its ban on foreign goods, clients have frozen their business with
us as they're not sure what's going to happen," said the businessman who did not
want to be named. Months after it was hit by sanctions by the European Union and
United States, Syria in September announced the temporary suspension on imports
of products subject to tariffs of more than five percent, excluding only basic
supplies that are not manufactured locally. The ban was later revoked.
Exports from Lebanon topped $2 billion in the first two quarters of 2011,
according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's Lebanon country report. Syria is
still listed as one of Lebanon's top markets abroad. But with the revolt against
Assad showing no signs of dying down, the business community is on edge fearing
the loss of a once-lucrative market which has long favored processed foods and
luxury items imported from Lebanon.
"Freight coming to Beirut is by and large resold to other destinations, and
Syria was a top customer," said Marwan Chebli, general manager of Antarsped, a
shipping company with branches in Lebanon and Syria. Chebli said business in
Syria has dropped by nearly half since the start of the year, while air, land
and sea shipping from Lebanon has declined 13 percent since August. "Even
banking is affected," he told AFP. "We are unable to even transfer money to our
office in Damascus."
-AFP/NOW Lebanon
Activists urge Arab League to freeze Syria’s membership
October 30, 2011 /Syrian activists on Sunday urged the Arab League to freeze the
country's membership in the 22-member organization over the deadly crackdown on
pro-democracy protests. The Syrian Revolution 2011, one of the motors of the
dissent, made the appeal after almost 100 people died Friday and Saturday in the
bloodiest two days of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
"Assad's militias have been killing us for eight months. They arrest us and
crush us... And you, Arabs, who love rhetoric, what are you doing?" the group
said in a statement posted on its Facebook page. The activists also called for
fresh protests nationwide on Sunday under the banner "freeze the membership" of
Syria in the Arab League.
"Stop your support for the assassins," it told the pan-Arab body. An Arab League
ministerial committee was due to hold talks Sunday in Qatar with Syrian
officials in a bid to try to end the violence which has claimed thousands of
lives, after a meeting Wednesday in Damascus with Assad. According to UN
estimates more than 3,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed in a
brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters since the dissent movement unfurled
in mid-March. The Arab League has been trying to spur talks between Syria and
the opposition and a statement said the Qatar talks were aimed at reaching
"serious results and an exit to the Syrian crisis." it said. Meanwhile a Kuwaiti
newspaper Al-Qabas said Arab foreign ministers have warned Syrian leaders during
Wednesday's meeting of the risk of international intervention in Syria unless he
stops the violence and launches reforms. But Assad told Britain's Sunday
Telegraph than any Western intervention would cause an "earthquake" inflaming
the region.
-AFP/NOW Lebanon
Syria's Assad appeals for Russian support
October 30, 2011 /Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told Russian television on
Sunday he expected continued support from Moscow even as his regime comes under
growing condemnation for its crackdown on the opposition. "First and foremost,
we are relying on Russia as a country with which we are bound by strong ties, in
the historic perspective," Assad told Moscow's Channel One television. "Russia's
role is extremely important," Assad said in a clip of an interview that will be
broadcast in full at 1700 GMT.
"Starting from the first days of the crisis, we remained in constant contact
with the Russian government. We give a detailed account to our Russian friends
of the latest developments," he added. Assad's call came less than month after
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told the Syrian strongman for the first time
to either accept political reform or bow to calls for his resignation. But
Russia continues to support Syria at the UN Security Council and has blocked
past resolutions calling for stiffer sanctions against Moscow's traditional
ally.
According to UN estimates more than 3,000 people, most of them civilians, have
been killed in a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters since the dissent
movement unfurled in mid-March.-AFP/NOW Lebanon
Media council moves to regulate news websites
By: Matt Nash, October 30, 2011/Now Lebanon An engineer with a private Internet
provider in Lebanon at work as the country’s National Audiovisual Media Council
calls on news websites to formally register. (AFP Photo/Joseph Eid)
A recent decision by the National Audiovisual Media Council, an independent
body, regarding news websites—and apparently blogs—is catching a lot of flak.
The council called for all news websites to register with it starting November
1, prompting fears the move is both illegal and could be a step toward
censorship.
In an interview with NOW Lebanon, Abdel-Hadi Mahfouz, head of the 10-member NAMC,
said the council merely wants to get an idea of the electronic media landscape
in the country prior to passing a new law that would include online
publications—currently not covered by the most recent media law of 1994.
Mahfouz told NOW Lebanon that both news websites and blogs should register,
after which details would be hammered out on how the two should be regulated in
the future (i.e., whether there should be a legal distinction between them).
After registering, Mahfouz said online news sites should write a code of ethics
to follow and contribute to drafting a new media law that would include them.
He added that failure to register could result in the site being banned but
insisted that the council wanted to protect, not censor, online media.
Bloggers and free speech activists see it differently.
As the popular blogger BeirutSpring quipped, “It’s like asking us to walk into a
prison so that they could protect us from murder.”
Ayman Mhanna, executive director of the press-freedom-promoting SKEyes Center,
said he feared censorship was the main goal of the initiative and lamented what
he called the council’s past dismal record of speaking up when journalists were
beaten or intimidated as well as the council’s lack of explanation for its
recent decision.
“Also, there are deep flaws in the decision,” he said. “There’s absolutely no
clarity in terms of what they mean by ‘news websites.’ I really think that they
themselves don’t know the difference between official news websites, blogs,
citizen journalism platforms [and the like].”
Change and Reform bloc MP Ghassan Moukheiber, who authored a new media law that
would address electronic media and is currently under review in parliament, also
questioned the decision, highlighting what he called its complete illegality.
The council was created in 1996 as part of the 1994 Audiovisual Media Law. Based
on the text of the 1994 law, the council is responsible for licensing and
regulating television and radio stations—which proliferated in the lawlessness
of the 1980s. It has been derided as an independent but toothless organization
used as a political tool in a media environment where news outlets are tied to
politicians.
Moukheiber and Mhanna said the 1994 law does not mention electronic media at
all, and therefore it, and the council it created, has no legal authority to
regulate websites.
“This decision is not only [legally incorrect] but dangerous,” Moukheiber said.
“Although it looks benign, legally [registration would be] a de facto
recognition that electronic media are subject to the [1994] law.” Speculation in
the Lebanese press suggested the NAMC’s move might reflect tension between the
council, reportedly close to Amal and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, and
Information Minister Walid Daouk, an ally of President Michel Sleiman. Other
reports indicated the council acted after being pressed by people who were eager
to sue online publications that they accused of libel but who could not find
details of who owned the sites they wanted to go after, Moukheiber said.
The MP said he thinks the country needs a new law—and promoted the one he’s
already drafted—to regulate electronic media and cement press freedoms for
journalists who work at online publications, which, in theory, they don’t have,
as there is no law that mentions online media.
Mhanna agreed with protecting freedom of the press, noting, “The only way we can
go toward a positive regulation of news websites is to provide them all the
legal protections, immunities, etc., that print journalist have. This is a kind
of reform related to regulating news websites that would be going in the right
direction… We can’t but be suspicious toward any other kind of regulation of
news websites.”
Lebanon First bloc MP Michel Pharaon slams Aoun
October 29, 2011 /Lebanon First bloc MP Michel Pharaon said on Saturday that
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun wants, “under the protection of
the cabinet to involve Lebanon in a scheme that serves his position [based] on
double standards.”Pharaon told Future News television that Aoun speaks in the
issue of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) on behalf of Hezbollah since the
latter “is embarrassed because [some of its] members are indicted.”Four
Hezbollah members have been indicted by the UN-backed court in the 2005
assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. However, the Shia group
strongly denied the charges and refuses to cooperate with the court
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Monday evening that
his party is against paying Lebanon’s share of funding to the STL because of the
international court’s “aims, gaps and behavior.”Aoun has repeatedly said he is
against paying Lebanon’s share of STL funding.Lebanon contributes 49 percent of
the STL’s annual funding.
-NOW Lebanon
Egypt
brokers ceasefire after Israel-Palestinian bloodshed
October 30, 2011 /Sources close to Gaza militant groups said early Sunday that
they were trying to call a halt to rocket fire that brought deadly retaliatory
Israeli air strikes. But Israeli police said that rockets continued to rain down
on southern Israel, with the latest falling well after the reported deadline for
the truce to take effect. Police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld told AFP that 12
rockets were fired into Israel since midnight, the last, shortly before 7:00 am.
None of them caused casualties. Sources close to Gaza's ruling Hamas movement
and to Islamic Jihad, which was at the forefront of fierce cross-border fighting
on Saturday, said that Egyptian intelligence officials helped broker a ceasefire
due to take hold at 6:00 am (0400 GMT). "The efforts and intensive contacts led
by senior Egyptian intelligence service officials led to a national consensus to
restore calm" with Israel, a leader of one Palestinian group, who asked to
remain anonymous, told AFP. On Saturday, Israeli air strikes killed nine Islamic
Jihad militants, while retaliatory rocket fire killed one Israeli, one of the
bloodiest exchanges between the two sides since a tacit ceasefire was agreed
between Gaza Palestinian militants and Israel in late August. The first Israeli
attack early Saturday afternoon killed five members of the Al-Quds Brigades,
Islamic Jihad's armed wing, said Adham Abu Selmiya, spokesperson for Gaza's
emergency services. Another three militants were critically wounded, he added.
As tit-for-tat fighting continued into the night, Israeli aircraft struck more
targets in Gaza, killing four more militants and wounding at least two,
witnesses and Palestinian officials said.
At least two of the militants were killed as they tried to fire a Grad rocket
into Israel, an Al-Quds spokesperson said. One Israeli, wounded by shrapnel in
Ashkelon, later died in hospital, Israeli medical officials and police said.
Four others were wounded, two of them seriously. "The recent escalations are
very worrying, said Richard Miron, a spokesperson for UN Middle East envoy
Robert Serry. "It's vital to de-escalate now, without any delay. We strongly
appeal for calm and an end to violence and bloodshed," he said in a statement.A
statement from the Al-Quds Brigades claimed responsibility for the fire and it
posted a video on its website that it said showed the launching of five of the
rockets.-AFP/NOW Lebanon
Tactical
miscalculation
Hazem al-Amin, October 28, 2011/Now Lebanon
During his latest televised interview on Hezbollah-owned Al-Manar TV, Hezbollah
Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah lauded the Iraqi government for its
adamant attachment to the security agreement between Baghdad and Washington,
whereby the United States is to withdraw its troops from Iraq by the end of
2011. Nasrallah stressed the Iraqi cabinet’s refusal to extend the US presence
on Iraqi soil beyond the date set by the agreement.
Yet, back when the Iraqi government was holding negotiations with the United
States on the agreement in 2008, Nasrallah addressed the following warning to
Iraqi political blocs: “The credibility of Iraqi political blocs is on the line
and is being put to the test with regard to their stance on this agreement,
which will be a permanent consecration of Iraq’s affiliation to the United
States!”The aim here is not to showcase a “tactical” error committed by Sayyed
Nasrallah, as “tactics” become superfluous when strategic miscalculations are
involved. Likewise, we have no intention of wondering why Nasrallah did not
apologize for accusing “the Iraqi brothers” of treason and for putting them to a
“test,” the kind of which Hezbollah exposes the Lebanese people to every day.
Rather, we are attempting to interpret the party’s shift with regard to this
agreement, one that entails other parallel shifts, which—as we will pretend—took
place in light of Arab revolutions.
What prompted Nasrallah to stress the need for abiding by an agreement he had
previously condemned and regarded as a reason for Iraq’s permanent affiliation
to the United States?
What happened is that Hezbollah’s stance on this agreement—much like its stance
on everything—is ruled by Iran’s stance first and foremost, and then by Syria’s.
Iraqi national considerations have no value whatsoever. In fact, the agreement
was undoubtedly in Iraq’s interest, and Sayyed Nasrallah acknowledged that three
years after it was signed. Back when it was signed, Iran strongly objected to
it, which urged Sadr’s militias and other similar groups to take action in the
city of Al-Thawra to the south of Baghdad, even though it included provisions
banning the United States from using Iraq’s territory and airspace in order to
undertake any military action against Iran.
At the time, the agreement was a genuine national victory for the Iraqi people,
and this was a fact that could not be overlooked. Accordingly, Hezbollah’s
stance denoted Shia bitterness, the kind of which is known by everyone who
passes in the vicinity of Shia Imams’ shrines in Iraq.
Iran is gearing up today to exploit the US withdrawal from Iraq, a withdrawal
stipulated by an agreement that was previously loathed and later showered with
praise.
Nevertheless, Sayyed Nasrallah’s adoption of the new Iraqi experience hides
another factor, namely the fact that the government in Baghdad is biased in the
Syrian regime’s favor. This fact will be consolidated by the withdrawal of US
troops and is likely to transform into a form of economic and logistical
support, which Damascus is in dire need of. When that happens, we should forget
the fact that the new experience in Iraq was born to the “US occupation” and
that Saddam Hussein would not have been toppled had this occupation not reached
Baghdad. There can be nothing clearer than these visions.
This scene reveals that Sayyed Nasrallah drew the outline of the forthcoming
transformation affecting the regional political landscape, namely Tehran –
Baghdad – Damascus – Beirut.
This makes it easier to say that a transformation of this size allows
Nasrallah’s omission of his previous stance on the security agreement to be held
as no more than a tactical miscalculation, the kind of which his brothers in
Iraq will forgive him for.
This article is a translation of the original, which appeared on the NOW Arabic
site on Friday October 28, 2011
Qaddafi's son's shrinking options for escaping with life and fortune
DEBKAfile Special Report/ October 30, 2011/, Saif al-Islam, Muammar Qaddafi's
eldest son who has been on the run across Africa since his father's death, is
weighing the options for his survival and the preservation of the fortune the
Qaddafis amassed in their 42-year rule over Libya.
One would be to turn himself into the International Criminal Court in The Hague
which seeks his arrest on a crimes against humanity warrant issued in June.
Saturday, Oct. 29, the ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo confirmed informal
negotiations through intermediaries for his surrender although Saif al-Islam
insists he is innocent. The Libya interim government has put in a prior claim
for his custody and his trial at home.
Saif al-Islam is confronted with the classical dilemma of high-ranking political
fugitives in possession of large fortunes – in his case, in hundreds of millions
of dollars and gold.
He may opt for a safe and comfortable ICC cell in The Hague rather than
continuing to live a vagabond life on the run in armored convoys from pursuit as
in the last ten days. He may seek asylum in South Africa, Sudan or Zimbabwe, or
live under the protection of the nomadic Tuareg tribes, who control large parts
of five Saharan countries and supported his father.
Niger sources said Saturday he was heading for Mali.
The ICC prosecutor said: "We know he has a different option [other than
surrender to the court] because apparently there is a group of mercenaries
willing to move him to a country, probably Zimbabwe." Moreno-Ocampo added: "Some
of the mercenaries may be from South Africa."
The ICC prosecutor did not name the intermediaries handling the contacts with
Qaddafi's son. West European sources point to high-ranking German intelligence
agents.
Their involvement is not surprising since the GermanDer Spiegel, known for its
ties with intelligence sources in Berlin, revealed on Monday, Oct. 24 that the
BND, Germany's foreign intelligence service, had given the Americans the exact
address of Muammar Qaddafi's last hideout in Sirte, quoting a source as
remarking: "Agents within the BND have a long tradition of cultivating sources
in the Middle East, and managed to determine where the fallen dictator had
hidden himself from revolutionary forces."
Those agents would naturally have been in touch with Safi al-Islam, as a senior
member of the Qaddafi clan.
Saif's contacts with the ICC, believed to be advanced, would certainly cover the
disposition of the financial assets he has got stashed in various secret places
around the world. He would want to know if they would have to be requisitioned
and if the Libyan interim government could claim them.
Tying into these questions was Prosecutor Moreno-Ocampo's comment Saturday: "But
we trust very much the person who is in touch for our side. He says he is
innocent, he will prove he is innocent and then he is interested in the
consequences after that [his acquittal]."
What Saif al Islam appears to be bargaining for at this time is an ICC statement
affirming his treatment in custody as innocent of the campaign of murder and
torture of civilians listed on the warrants against him, his late father and
intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senoussi until his trial. This would entitle him
while incarcerated for trial to manage his financial affairs through middlemen
and fight the Libyan interim government's claims to the funds he controls.
The ICC prosecutor's comment also indicated that certain Western intelligence
intermediaries between him and Saif al Islam had indicated that if he turned
himself in and cooperated with the inquiry, they would help him prove his
innocence in court.
According to our intelligence sources, Saif al-Islam may decide to take his
chances on winning his case on the strength of two arguments:
1. Unlike his three brothers, Mutassim, Sadi and Khamis, Saif held no military
rank in the armed forces or intelligence service. Neither did he head any
security force or have an armed militia at his disposal. 2. He may claim he was
Muammar Qaddafi's front-man with no involvement in the operations against the
rebellion or civilians. Three years ago, his father banished Saif al-Islam to
London with an allowance generous enough to live like a playboy tycoon provided
he stayed away from Tripoli. Qaddafi then named his fourth son Mutassim, who
eventually died with him, his heir over the eldest son's head.
Saif hatched a plot to force his father to accept his return home by engineering
the release in November 2009 of Abdelbaset Mohmed Ali al-Megrahi from a Scottish
jail, where he was serving life for the bombing of Pan Am 103 in December 1988,
in which 270 people, mostly American citizens, were killed over the Scottish
village of Lockerbie. He was freed on the grounds that he was dying of cancer
and had only three months to live. The bomber made his triumphal return home on
Nov. 2, 2009 hand in hand with Saif al-Islam.
In those circumstances, there was no way Muammar Qaddafi could stop his son
setting foot in Libya. But he never admitted him to his inner circle.
In the early days of the rebellion, the dictator let his eldest son play the
role of spokesman without letting him take part in decision-making.
He may well argue that having been kept out of Qaddafi's close circle of
advisers there were no grounds to charge him with war crimes, although the ICC
prosecutor stressed Sunday: "We have substantial evidence that Saif al Islam
Qaddafi was involved in organizing attacks on civilians and hiring mercenaries."
For now, he is a hunted man. Arab sources report that over the weekend, US
military and government representatives held talks in the Niger province of
Agadez with local officials. A US military plane was sighted at a local airport.
Agadez has been a way station for other Libyan fugitives, including another son
of Muammar Gaddafi, Sadi.
By staying at large, Saif al Islam is gambling heavily against the Libyan NTC's
determination to apprehend him and on the political instability of any host
government prepared to give him asylum. Most of all, his protectors and various
lawless elements will seek to take advantage of the fugitive for extortion until
they bleed him white of the resources for buying his freedom