LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِSeptember 07/2011

Bible Quotation for today.
The Good News According to Luke 12/1-12: "12:1 Meanwhile, when a multitude of many thousands had gathered together, so much so that they trampled on each other, he began to tell his disciples first of all, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 12:2 But there is nothing covered up, that will not be revealed, nor hidden, that will not be known. 12:3 Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light. What you have spoken in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. 12:4 “I tell you, my friends, don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 12:5 But I will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him, who after he has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear him. 12:6 “Aren’t five sparrows sold for two assaria coins? Not one of them is forgotten by God. 12:7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows. 12:8 “I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, him will the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God; 12:9 but he who denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of the angels of God. 12:10 Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 12:11 When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don’t be anxious how or what you will answer, or what you will say; 12:12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say.”

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Power (not) to the people/By: Ana Maria Luca/September 06/11

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for September 06/11
Ban Urges World to Unite, Take ‘Coherent Measures’ Against Syria
U.N. War Crimes Court Jails ex-Yugoslav Army Chief for 27 Years
Turkey Freezes All Ties with Israel
Geagea predicts uprising will bring down Syrian regime
Al-Rahi from France: No Lebanese Faction Can Impose Certain Fate on Lebanon
Events in Syria could lead to genocide: Rai
Rai warns of sectarian wars during Paris talks
Libyan forces mass outside holdout town
Lebanese Cabinet split threatens paralysis
Miqati Meets Asarta: Govt. Determined to Aid UNIFIL, Army in Maintaining Peace in South
Williams Confirms Miqati Heading to New York this Month
No Decisive Results Reached in Electricity Lebanese Ministerial Meeting
Lebanon/PSP Scores Victory in Electricity Crisis but Awaits FPM’s Cooperation
Lebanon/Last-Ditch Talks Ahead of Crucial Cabinet Session
Lebanon's pro Iranian PM: Others Must Respect Our Oil Wealth and We Must Respect Theirs
Berri: Majority Doesn’t Know How to Govern, Opposition Doesn’t Know How to Oppose
Jumblatt heads to Benghazi, plans to forge new ties

Ban Urges World to Unite, Take ‘Coherent Measures’ Against Syria
Naharnet /U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the world community on Tuesday to take action on the situation in Syria. While Ban stopped short of calling for military intervention, he delivered some of his strongest statements yet condemning the violence he says Syrian President Bashar Assad is perpetrating against his people. Ban said it is time for U.N. member nations to unite and take "coherent measures." Ban, who was in New Zealand attending a meeting of Pacific leaders, told reporters that the aspirations of the Syrian people should be heeded and respected. He said Assad needs to take "immediate and bold and decisive measures before it's too late." He later amended that to say "It's already too late, in fact. It's already too late. If it takes more and more days, then more people will be killed." The U.N. puts the death toll in Syria at 2,200 since an uprising began there five months ago. Ban has tried for months to resolve the situation using diplomatic means. A U.N. humanitarian assessment team visited Syria two weeks ago. Activists said that soon after the team left the city of Homs, Syrian security forces killed at least seven people there. It has proved nearly impossible to verify events on the ground because Syria has banned international media and severely restricted local coverage. After the assessment team left, the U.N.'s top human rights body voted overwhelmingly to demand that Syria end its crackdown and cooperate with an international probe into possible crimes against humanity. Ban said he last spoke to Assad on Aug. 17 to express alarm about reports of security forces using excessive force against civilians. In an email, Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky said he was not aware of Ban having any immediate plans to speak again with Assad. Nesirky added that "the secretary-general has consistently said he would do his utmost to reach out to try to stop the violence."Ban did not say whether he personally favored military action at this point.
"It's not for the secretary-general to talk about any specific measures, including this military measure," he said. "It's the member states who should be able to give a mandate on any specific measures."He expressed frustration that U.N. members have not been able to reach agreement on what needs to be done about the Syrian situation.
One group that is touting a plan for Assad to leave is the Arab League. Under the plan, Assad would immediately cease all military operations, release all political prisoners, begin a dialogue and announce his intention to form a national unity government and hold pluralistic presidential elections by the end of his term in 2014.
*Source Associated Press

U.N. War Crimes Court Jails ex-Yugoslav Army Chief for 27 Years
Naharnet /A U.N. court Tuesday sentenced ex-Yugoslav army chief Momcilo Perisic to 27 years in jail for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including for his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. "For these crimes the chamber by majority sentences you to a single term of 27 years in prison," Judge Bakone Moloto told Perisic, the highest ranking member of the former Yugoslav army, in a hearing before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the Hague (ICTY). While chief of the Yugoslav army's general staff between 1993 and 1998, Perisic gave personnel, officers, weapons and logistical support to the Bosnian Serb army (VRS) as well as the self-proclaimed republic of Krajina's army (SVK), knowing it would be used to commit crimes, the court heard during his three-year trial. Perisic, 67, was found guilty on 12 of the 13 charges leveled against him, including for his role in the 1992-95 siege of Bosnian capital Sarajevo, the shelling of Zagreb by Croation Serbs in May 1995 -- and the Srebrenica massacre in July 1995. Bosnian Serb forces murdered some 8,000 Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica in Europe's worst atrocity since WWII. But Moloto, clearing him of one count of extermination, said Perisic "could not have foreseen" that the Bosnian Serb army would exterminate Muslims after the enclave of Srebrenica fell. Prosecutors in March asked for life imprisonment against Perisic, a close collaborator of late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic who died in his Hague detention cell in 2006. **Source Agence France Presse

Turkey Freezes All Ties with Israel
Naharnet /Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a total freeze on military and trade ties with Israel and threatened Tuesday to visit Gaza as the one-time allies' diplomatic spat intensified. Only hours after Israel said the continued presence of its defense attache at the embassy in Ankara indicated there was no definitive break with Turkey, Erdogan declared a suspension to all military and commercial relations. And despite pleas from top diplomats at the weekend to end their row over last year's attack on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, Erdogan risked causing further offence by berating Israel for behaving like "a spoiled child". Last week, Turkey announced that the Israeli ambassador Gaby Levy was being expelled and all bilateral military agreements were suspended as it angrily rejected the findings of a United Nations probe into the deadly flotilla raid. Now in his first official reaction since that announcement, Erdogan went even further. "We are totally suspending our trade, military, defense industry relations," Erdogan told reporters.
"Further sanctions" against Israel would follow, he added. Once Israel's closest friend in the Muslim world, Turkey has been increasingly critical of the Jewish state since Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2002. There was widespread outrage in May last year when eight Turkish nationals and an American of Turkish descent died on the Mavi Marmara, the lead ship of the six-vessel convoy taking aid to the Palestinian territory of Gaza, in a raid by Israeli special forces in international waters.
A new U.N. report has criticized the "excessive" force in the raid but also angered the Palestinians by upholding Israel's right to impose a naval blockade on Gaza to prevent arms reaching the Islamist movement Hamas. Unlike other European countries which regard Hamas as a terrorist group, Turkey has refused to blacklist the Islamists who are the rulers of Gaza and Erdogan said he may pay a visit to Gaza, entering via neighboring Egypt. "We are talking with the Egyptians on this matter ... A trip to Gaza is not finalized yet," Erdogan, who is due to visit Egypt next week, told reporters. Such a visit would be bound to infuriate Israel but Erdogan seemed in no mood for diplomacy.
"Israel has always played the role of a spoiled child," he said in reference to Israel's attitude towards the Palestinians.
Earlier in the day, a senior Israeli defense official had sounded a warning to Turkey while saying that the military attache would remain in place in the Ankara mission.
"There's no break with Turkey: the proof is that our military attache in Ankara will remain in his office and that consular services there will continue to function," Amos Gilad told Israeli public radio. "A solution to this crisis must be found," he added, saying Israel should seek to resolve it through its European and U.S. connections, as well as through NATO.
"Turkey has a lot to lose with an extremist policy." There has been widespread disquiet at the fallout between the two countries with the U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon among those expressing fears that it could impact on the wider Middle East peace process. Turkey was the first Muslim-majority country to formally recognize the state of Israel in 1949 and the two countries had held regular joint military exercises. Turkey has also long been a favorite tourist destination for Israelis who are barred from visiting many other countries in the region.
The spat has already impacted on tourism with Turkish travellers complaining that they were singled out for strip searches while flying out of Tel Aviv over the weekend.
The Israeli foreign ministry also said that 40 of its nationals were held for an hour and a half for questioning at Ataturk International Airport on Monday before they were released.
**Source Agence France Presse

Turkey freezes all ties with Israel
September 06, 2011/Daily Star
ANKARA: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a total freeze on military and trade ties with Israel and threatened Tuesday to visit Gaza as the one-time allies’ diplomatic spat intensified. Only hours after Israel said the continued presence of its defense attache at the embassy in Ankara indicated there was no definitive break with Turkey, Erdogan declared a suspension to all military and commercial relations. And despite pleas from top diplomats at the weekend to end their row over last year’s attack on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, Erdogan risked causing further offence by berating Israel for behaving like “a spoiled child”. Last week, Turkey announced that the Israeli ambassador Gaby Levy was being expelled and all bilateral military agreements were suspended as it angrily rejected the findings of a United Nations probe into the deadly flotilla raid. Now in his first official reaction since that announcement, Erdogan went even further. “We are totally suspending our trade, military, defense industry relations,” Erdogan told reporters. “Further sanctions” against Israel would follow, he added.
Once Israel’s closest friend in the Muslim world, Turkey has been increasingly critical of the Jewish state since Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2002. There was widespread outrage in May last year when eight Turkish nationals and an American of Turkish descent died on the Mavi Marmara, the lead ship of the six-vessel convoy taking aid to the Palestinian territory of Gaza, in a raid by Israeli special forces in international waters.
A new UN report has criticised the “excessive” force in the raid but also angered the Palestinians by upholding Israel’s right to impose a naval blockade on Gaza to prevent arms reaching the Islamist movement Hamas. Unlike other European countries which regard Hamas as a terrorist group, Turkey has refused to blacklist the Islamists who are the rulers of Gaza and Erdogan said he may pay a visit to Gaza, entering via neighbouring Egypt. “We are talking with the Egyptians on this matter ... A trip to Gaza is not finalized yet,” Erdogan, who is due to visit Egypt next week, told reporters. Such a visit would be bound to infuriate Israel but Erdogan seemed in no mood for diplomacy. “Israel has always played the role of a spoiled child,” he said in reference to Israel’s attitude towards the Palestinians. Earlier in the day, a senior Israeli defense official had sounded a warning to Turkey while saying that the military attache would remain in place in the Ankara mission. “There’s no break with Turkey: the proof is that our military attache in Ankara will remain in his office and that consular services there will continue to function,” Amos Gilad told Israeli public radio. “A solution to this crisis must be found,” he added, saying Israel should seek to resolve it through its European and US connections, as well as through NATO. “Turkey has a lot to lose with an extremist policy.” There has been widespread disquiet at the fallout between the two countries with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon among those expressing fears that it could impact on the wider Middle East peace process.
Turkey was the first Muslim-majority country to formally recognize the state of Israel in 1949 and the two countries had held regular joint military exercises. Turkey has also long been a favorite tourist destination for Israelis who are barred from visiting many other countries in the region. The spat has already impacted on tourism with Turkish travelers complaining that they were singled out for strip searches while flying out of Tel Aviv over the weekend.The Israeli foreign ministry also said that 40 of its nationals were held for an hour and a half for questioning at Ataturk International Airport on Monday before they were released.

Geagea predicts uprising will bring down Syrian regime
September 06, 2011/ By Hussein Dakroub The Daily Star
Geagea says Christians need not worry about regime change in Syria.
BEIRUT: Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea predicted Monday the collapse of the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad under pressure of the popular uprising that has been raging for more than five months with no letup. In an interview with MTV, Geagea also called on Hezbollah to take “a major strategic decision” by dismantling its military and security branches and turning strictly into a political party before it is too late. “The course of developments in Syria has become clear. The collapse of the regime is inevitable … I expect Assad to collapse just like [Libyan leader Moammar] Gadhafi,” Geagea said. “The revolution is now six months old. It has been snowballing every day, as a result of the momentum of the revolution and Arab responsiveness. “In my view, it [the regime] is finished,” he said.
Geagea said even if Assad bowed to long-standing Western demands to sever Syria's strategic alliance with Iran, it would not help to save him. “An arrangement of the internal situation and a shift in alliances can no longer help President Assad,” he said. “The situation is in favor of the Syrian revolution. The Syrian regime has lost its internal and external cornerstone … The Syrian revolution has scored points at the international level. The circumstances in the region and the regime’s standing on Iran’s side have helped the revolution in Syria … That’s why matters are [working] in favor of the rebels,” Geagea said.
He scoffed at the theory that if Assad is ousted, Syria could sink into a full-blown civil war. “Indications in Syria are headed toward decisiveness rather than toward a civil war,” he said.
Geagea also poured scorn on the argument that the Assad regime was a guarantee for the Christians in Syria and Lebanon against the threat of the rise of Muslim fundamentalists.
“The Christian presence in the region does not rely on the current regimes,” he said, adding: “If fundamentalist regimes took over power, we will oppose them as we have opposed some current regimes.”“If the presence of Christians depended on dictatorial regimes, this means we do not exist. If we wanted to rely on these regimes, this would falsify what we believe in. Then, why should the Christians be present in the Orient?” Geagea asked.
Geagea, a harsh critic of Hezbollah, called on the party to take “a major strategic decision” by dissolving its military and security branches and operating only as a political party. He stressed that the regional equation – a reference to Syria’s influence in the region and its strong support for Hezbollah – no longer existed.
“Hezbollah’s position at the strategic level is different today. I want to send an extremely honest message to Hezbollah officials: Since 1990, Hezbollah has been the fourth or fifth militia in Lebanon. Certain circumstances propped up that led to the surge of Hezbollah … This equation is on its way to be eliminated,” he said.
“Hezbollah can no longer be as it is today. As a political group, we will carry it on our shoulders because we as Lebanese have to live together. But as a military and security organization, it cannot endure,” he said, adding: “Hezbollah is required to take a major strategic decision … It has to renounce its military and security arms and turn into a political party in order to see how we can build the country.” Geagea said if Hezbollah took that decision, it would be “heroism.” However, he warned that if Hezbollah did not take such a decision, this would be more costly for the country. Geagea said the collapse of the Assad regime would not lead to the fall of Hezbollah in Lebanon. When the Syrian regime falls, a part of Syria’s Lebanese allies will rally around Hezbollah, he said. Geagea said there are no contacts between the Lebanese Forces and Hezbollah. “Hezbollah has not so far accepted to talk to us,” he said.

Rai warns of sectarian wars during Paris talks
September 06, 2011/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai said he discussed with France’s President Nicholas Sarkozy attacks on peacekeepers in Lebanon as well the wave of popular uprisings that have swept the Arab world. Rai said he stressed to Sarkozy the Maronite Church’s backing of regimes that support human rights and individual freedoms. Rai held talks with Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace Monday and later met with French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, the state-run National News Agency reported.
Following talks with the French president, Rai told reporters he tackled with Sarkozy historical Lebanese-French ties as well as the attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. He said Sarkozy voiced commitment that the French contingent will pursue its mission within UNIFIL. Sarkozy also condemned attacks on peacekeepers in south Lebanon.
Earlier in the day, Rai warned the international community that change in the Arab world, especially Syria, might lead to genocide rather than democracy if sectarian divisions grow.
“I say and look toward France to think seriously of what would be next. Are we heading in Syria toward a Sunni-Alawite civil war? This, then, is a genocide and not democracy and reform. Are we heading toward a division of Syria to mini sectarian states?” Rai said in an interview with France 24. Rai said the international community must do more than simply “inflame wars” in Arab countries, and consider what might follow political change. “What we are asking the international community and France is not to rush into resolutions that strive to change regimes,” Rai added. The bloody crackdown on the five-month anti-government uprising in Syria has been met with heavy criticism from the international community and calls for President Bashar Assad to step down. The United Nations Security Council issued a statement on Aug. 4 condemning violence there, which Lebanon later disassociated itself from.
There are also fears that the toppling of Assad’s government could be followed by increased sectarian tension and conflict between the Sunni Muslim majority and the minority Alawite sect to which Assad belongs. Rai voiced fears over the fate of minorities, particularly Christians, in the Arab world in the event of regime change, citing Iraq as an example.
“They wanted a democracy in Iraq and this democracy claimed many lives … The international community and France should think about where we are heading. Is it toward extremist, violent governments or toward dividing the Arab world?” Rai said. Following the invasion of Iraq in 2003 which toppled President Saddam Hussein’s government, the country experienced sectarian conflict coupled with an insurgency that has so far left more than 60,000 Iraqi civilians dead, according to NGOs.
“We are worried about the Christian presence [in some Arab countries] because we don’t want them to be treated as foreigners, we are not foreigners. And if Arab regimes are religion-based, meaning that Islam is the state’s religion … then we live in constant danger,” Rai added.

Al-Rahi from France: No Lebanese Faction Can Impose Certain Fate on Lebanon
Naharnet /Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi stressed the need for the Lebanese to reach a “new understanding” based on the country’s national contract. He said: “Given the current circumstances, no Lebanese faction can force a certain fate on the country.” He made his statements during a dinner banquet thrown in his honor on Monday by the President of the French Senate Gerard Larcher during the patriarch’s ongoing visit to France. “We support change, democracy, and freedom, but we should be wary of extremism or fragmentation, which has driven me since my election as Patriarch in March to create rapprochement among the disputed political forces in Lebanon,” al-Rahi said.“This mission is driven by the changes in the region while simultaneously maintaining our principles and values,” he stated. “Given the developments in the region, the Lebanese need now more than ever to bolster the conditions to hold dialogue and achieve national reconciliation,” he continued. “Lebanon is more than just a country, it is a message,” stressed the patriarch quoting late Pope John Paul II.
Furthermore, he noted that the cooperation between Christians and Muslims in Lebanon can set the example for similar cooperation between different religions throughout the Middle East.
Lebanese Ambassador to France Butros Asaker later held a reception in al-Rahi’s honor during which the patriarch spoke of the meetings he held with various French officials, including French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Monday. “The talks focused on maintaining Lebanon as a nation open to the West and East,” he revealed.The patriarch is scheduled to hold talks on Tuesday with French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe and Interior Minister Claude Guéant.

Events in Syria could lead to genocide: Rai
September 05, 2011/The Daily Star
Rai: “Are we heading in Syria toward a Sunni-Alawite civil war?"
BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai warned the international community that change in the Arab world, especially Syria, might lead to genocide rather than democracy if sectarian divisions grow. “I say and look toward France to think seriously of what would be next. Are we heading in Syria toward a Sunni-Alawite civil war? This, then, is a genocide and not democracy and reform. Are we heading toward a division of Syria to mini sectarian states?” Rai said in an interview with France 24. Rai said the international community must do more than simply “inflame wars” in Arab countries, and consider what might follow political change. “What we are asking the international community and France is not to rush into resolutions that strive to change regimes,” Rai added. The bloody crackdown on the five-month anti government uprising in Syria has been met with heavy criticism from the international community and calls for President Bashar Assad to step down. The United Nations Security Council issued a statement on Aug. 4 condemning violence there, which Lebanon later disassociated itself from.
There are also fears that the toppling of Assad's government could be followed by increased sectarian tension and conflict between the Sunni Muslim majority and the minority Alawite sect to which Assad belongs. Rai, who is scheduled to meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy during his eight-day visit to France, voiced fears over the fate of minorities, particularly Christians, in the Arab world in the event of regime change, citing Iraq as an example. “They wanted a democracy in Iraq and this democracy claimed many lives … the international community and France should think about where we are heading. Is it toward extremist, violent governments or toward dividing the Arab world?” Rai said. Following the invasion of Iraq in 2003 which toppled President Saddam Hussein’s government, the country experienced sectarian conflict coupled with an insurgency that has so far left more than 60,000 Iraqi civilians dead, according to NGOs. “We are worried about Christian presence [in some Arab countries] because we don't want them to be treated as foreigners, we are not foreigners. And if Arab regimes are religion-based, meaning that Islam is the state's religion ... then we live in constant danger,” Rai added. The patriarch said that the international community and the church should help Christians in Syria as part of an endeavor to protect all minorities, whether Christians or Muslims.

Last-Ditch Talks Ahead of Crucial Cabinet Session
Naharnet /Lebanese officials were on Tuesday making last-minutes talks to clinch a deal on the electricity project, 24 hours before a government session scheduled to discuss the plan.
The cabinet has so far failed to approve the project proposed by Free Patriotic Movement official Energy Minister Jebran Bassil. The draft law calls for allocating $1.2 billion to Bassil to generate 700 Megawatts of electricity. The minister warned of the potential for government paralysis if his plan is approved with amendments. He boycotted a ministerial meeting held at the Grand Serail on Monday to discuss the project. Several agreements were reached during the meeting including funding the first stage of the project from the state treasury and later resorting to Arab funds to cover the remaining expenses. Other decisions include the amendment of law 462 that regulates the electricity sector, the formation of the regulatory authority and tasking the tenders department to oversee the subcontracting process. Ministerial sources told al-Liwaa daily that the cabinet could either adopt the plan or postpone its discussion for a week. However, they ruled out the possibility of resorting to voting. An Nahar daily said that FPM ministers could withdraw from the session if they see themselves a minority during any voting process. The electricity project was placed at the top of the government’s 133-item agenda to meet the request of the FPM, which last week stressed that its ministers will not approve any other plan if the power project wasn’t discussed first.

Miqati Meets Asarta: Govt. Determined to Aid UNIFIL, Army in Maintaining Peace in South
Naharnet /Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Tuesday the “constant” cooperation between the Lebanese army and United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, saying that the army should be properly supplied with necessary equipment to enable it to implement its duties, especially U.N. Security Council resolution 1701. He said after holding talks with UNIFIL Commander Major General Alberto Asarta: “The Lebanese government is determined to take the necessary measures to allow the international force to perform its duties in aiding the army in maintaining the security in the South.” He also condemned the various attacks against UNIFIL. “These assaults not only target the international troops, but they also target the stability and security of all Lebanese, southerners in particular,” Miqati said. “The government has asserted its complete commitment to resolution 1701 and it will continue on demanding the United Nations to put a stop to Israel’s constant violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty,” he added. For his part, Asarta stated: “The U.N. Security Council’s unanimous decision to extend the mandate without any changes is a testament to the right course we are following in cooperation and coordination with the Lebanese army.” UNIFIL is deployed at the request of the Lebanese government and it welcomes the continued support and appreciation it has received from the Lebanese, he said. He stressed: “While significant progress has been achieved in the South, which is seeing the calmest period in decades, there still is a need to build on what was done so far.” “By restoring and maintaining stability in southern Lebanon in cooperation with the Lebanese army, UNIFIL provides a window of opportunity for a permanent ceasefire and long-term solution to the conflict as envisioned in resolution 1701,” he added, recalling that the Security Council has once again urged all parties to make tangible progress towards this goal. “Our ongoing strategic dialogue with the Lebanese army must be accelerated in order to realistically correlate our respective capacities and responsibilities on the ground,” Asarta said.  He expressed appreciation at the condemnation by the Lebanese leaders of the attacks against UNIFIL convoys in recent months and the measures taken to ensure security of UNIFIL peacekeepers, urging the Lebanese authorities to make every effort to bring the culprits to justice and prevent further attacks. The Force Commander said UNIFIL will not be deterred by such acts of intimidation and UNIFIL is determined to continue implementing its mandate in accordance with resolution 1701, he said. Asarta later held talks with Speaker Nabih Berri, briefing him on the extension of UNIFIL’s mandate for another year.

PSP Scores Victory in Electricity Crisis but Awaits FPM’s Cooperation
Naharnet /The Progressive Socialist Party unveiled on Tuesday that most of its requests to amend several articles in the controversial electricity project were met during a ministerial meeting held at the Grand Serail the day before.PSP official Minister Ghazi Aridi told As Safir newspaper that major achievements were made. “We could say that we made good progress with the hopes of reaching a serious understanding through cooperation and good will from all sides.”The cabinet has so far failed to approve the project proposed by Free Patriotic Movement official Energy Minister Jebran Bassil. The draft law calls for allocating $1.2 billion to Bassil to generate 700 Megawatts of electricity. The minister, who boycotted the ministerial meeting, warned of the potential for government paralysis if his plan is approved with amendments. However, al-Liwaa daily quoted ministers loyal to PSP leader Walid Jumblat as saying that if the FPM cooperated with the proposed solution, the electricity plan would move the country forward. They unveiled that the ministers meeting at the Grand Serail approved most of the changes that the PSP was demanding for including the formation of the electricity regulatory authority and governmental control on the implementation of the project. Media reports said Tuesday that a decision was reached at the ministerial meeting to fund the first stage of the project from the state treasury and later resort to Arab funds to cover the remaining expenses.
Other decisions include the amendment of law 462 that regulates the electricity sector, the formation of the regulatory authority and tasking the tenders department to oversee the subcontracting process. Meanwhile, Jumblat reiterated on Tuesday that the PSP’s remarks on the electricity project were only technical and administrative and had no political motive.
He hoped in remarks to As Safir that a final solution to the power crisis would be reached soon.

Berri: Majority Doesn’t Know How to Govern, Opposition Doesn’t Know How to Oppose
Naharnet /Speaker Nabih Berri criticized the ruling majority and the March 14 opposition’s approach on different developments in Lebanon, accusing them of failing to accommodate to the new balance of power in the country. He explained: “The majority does not know how to govern and the opposition does not know how to oppose rule.” “The government appears to be a mix of majority and opposition forces, while the March 14 camp appears to a mix of the two as well,” he told As Safir newspaper in remarks published on Tuesday. “The two sides are simply required to perform their duties, nothing more nothing less, and that way the situation in the country can be rectified,” he noted. The speaker accused the March 14 forces of seeking to impose its agenda on the government, especially regarding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. “It seems as if the camp has ignored the fact that the balance in power has changed and it is no longer in power,” Berri added. Furthermore, he said: “Those linking their internal political strategy on the developments in Syria and the toppling of its regime will find out sooner or later that they will have to wait a long time.”He also slammed the March 14 camp over their criticism of the speaker for allegedly refraining from addressing the STL during his speech from Baalbek last week, to which Berri responded: “I was the first to propose the formation of a court comprised of Lebanese, Arab, and international judges.”
“If they are really keen on the tribunal and the truth in the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri, then why don’t they participate in the national dialogue once again in order to reach an agreement with all sides over this issue?” he asked. “To those who believe that the dialogue is not concerned with tackling the STL, then I would like to turn their attention to the fact that the dialogue was unanimously agreed upon by all political powers before the tribunal was altered in a manner that violated the constitution,” Berri stressed. In addition, he condemned the debate over whether the government would agree to funding the tribunal or not, saying that more immediate matters need to be addressed, such as the electricity file and drilling for oil in Lebanon’s offshore fields.“It’s unfortunate that the Israeli enemy is employing its military arsenal to defend what it wrongfully claims is its petroleum wealth while we are recklessly dealing with a matter that is rightfully ours,” remarked the speaker.

Another tile in Lebanon’s mosaic of faiths
September 06, 2011/By Annie Slemrod/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: It’s widely known that Lebanon has 18 official religious sects. But neither the number 18, nor even the term sect, truly captures the country’s religious diversity.Spread across the country are several hundred members of the Baha’i faith. Forbidden by doctrine to proselytize, their existence is often overlooked and their beliefs misunderstood. Despite this, adherents don’t seem to mind their lack of a sectarian label. They say they are not a sect, but rather an independent religion that incorporates those that came before it.
The Baha’i faith had its genesis in mid-19th century Persia, where its founder Mirza Husayn-Ali Nuri, known as Baha’ullah (“the glory of God”), was born. Baha’ullah was an early follower of Sayyid Ali Mohammad of Shiraz, known as the Bab (“the gate”), who claimed to be the 12th imam referenced in Shiite Islam. Eventually, after the Bab was executed for his beliefs and Baha’ullah himself was imprisoned and exiled, the Baha’i faith became a religion in its own right.
Baha’ullah said that he was a messenger of God, and Baha’is believe that the Baha’i faith is the last in a succession of religions. They believe in prophets including Abraham, Jesus, Mohammad, Buddha and the Bab and Baha’ullah. Main teachings include the unity of God – despite its acceptance of various prophets, this is a monotheistic religion – the unity of religion and the unity of mankind. In addition to the writings of Bah’uallah, Bahai’s also accept the holy texts of other religions such as the Bible, the Koran and the writings of Buddha.
After Baha’ullah was imprisoned by both Persian and Ottoman authorities, he died in Akka, now within the borders of modern-day Israel, where the religion’s headquarters are located. The religion spread and eventually made its way to Lebanon.
An early Lebanese convert was Sheikh Jaafar al-Tahhan, a Shiite cleric who, according to his great grandchildren Sawsan and Karim, learned about the religion while in Iraq and believed that it fulfilled the prophecies of Islam. Upon his return to the Bekaa Valley, he converted his family, and thus began one of the three or four Lebanese Baha’i families.
Despite being third-generation Baha’is, Sawsan and Karim explain that it was still a choice to follow the faith.
That’s because Baha’is must study other religions before officially becoming members of the religion at age 15. “I was in Christian schools, I went to Christianity lessons … we studied about Buddha, Mohammad,” and other religious figures, says Sawsan.
She also attended Baha’i classes and chose to become a Baha’i.
So did Karim. Growing up as a Baha’i, he says, “I studied most religions. [The Baha’i faith] made the most sense to me. Every question that I had, I found answers.”
The Baha’i faith forbids prejudice, promotes world peace, insists on gender equality, education and even eventually finding an international language that can be understood by all.
Sawsan says that with its emphasis on internationalism “the religion suits the needs of globalization.”
The siblings are seated on a couch at the home of Zena Ghamloush, a member of another Lebanese Baha’i family. They are at a devotional gathering, where Baha’is pray. There is no priest, sheikh, or the like, because Baha’is communicate directly with God. As one woman at the gathering explains, “If you love someone, you should talk to them.”
After chatting for a while, a dozen or so people settle down around Ghamloush’s spacious living room. Music plays softly in the background. There are prayers written in English and Arabic on cards on a table in the room. Some people take one, others speak from memory.
Karim starts the evening by reading a prayer in Arabic, and his sister follows suit. Another young woman, a kindergarten teacher, sings a song in English. Someone else reads from the Koran. Most listen with eyes closed. Devotional gatherings often take place in homes like Ghamloush’s, and there is no Baha’i temple in Lebanon. There is a Baha’i Center in Montiverdi for large gatherings. The most important holiday in the Baha’i calendar, Ridvan, begins in late April. Baha’i New Year is in March.
Sawsan, Karim and Zena say that people are often curious and misinformed about their religion. “They think you are a Muslim sect,” says Sawsan. “Our family was a Muslim family, so we are labeled as Muslim.” Baha’is are registered by their family heritage, rather than their religious identity. For a Baha’i marriage to be legally recognized in Lebanon they must have a civil marriage, and they may intermarry. “We get a lot of questions, from colleagues and new friends,” Ghamloush says. But outright discrimination is not a major problem, she says. She thinks that the sectarian mixture that is often blamed for conflict here is the reason that Bahai’s are mostly left alone. “There are a lot of religions here, there are a lot of sects,” she says, so “they are used to the idea of diversity.” Religion forbids Bahai’s from getting involved in politics, unless a government interferes with their right to worship. Baha’is are also required to obey the laws of the country they live in, says Ghamloush.
In Lebanon and some other Arab countries, this poses a particular set of challenges. The Baha’i World Center, and its holiest places, are in Israel. “The Lebanese government says we are not allowed to be in touch with Israelis, so as Baha’is we have to abide,” says Ghamloush. “So we don’t have any direct contact with the Baha’i World Center.”
“It’s a dream for me as a Baha’i individual to visit the holy places,” she says. “[But that will only happen] when the right time comes, because we cannot break the rules.”
But if Bahai’s can’t visit the holy sites, they can practice their religion in other ways. “Bahai’s try to implement the concepts [of the religion] in their local communities,” through volunteering, for example, says Ghamloush. After the prayer finishes at Ghamloush’s place, the spiritually satiated group moves across the room for more earthly pursuits.
Red and orange jello, brownies, Arabic treats and tea accompany lively conversation. It’s a sweet mish mash, and seems appropriate for a religion that advocates peace, love and respects those that came before it. As Sawsan puts it, the Baha’i faith has multiple religious sources. She smiles. “It’s sort of a summary.”

Fly Invasion in Baalbek
Naharnet/ A wave of flies is causing an environmental and humanitarian hazard in the eastern Baalbek town of al-Hellaniyeh valley, keeping residents indoor, media reports said Friday.
An Nahar daily quoted a resident as saying that a farmer spread fertilizers imported from Arab countries on a 1000-square-meter land in the town without mixing it with the soil. This has attracted the flies. The residents complained about the tragic situation and asked the environment and health ministries to solve the problem. They said asthma cases and bites increased since the flies began invading the area. The town’s Imam, Sheikh Hussein al-Hellani, said that residents tried in vain to spray pesticides and insecticides. “The flies began spreading as a result of the fertilizers," he told An Nahar. In remarks to LBCI TV station, al-Hellani pleaded for help to solve the intolerable situation.

Power (not) to the people
Ana Maria Luca, September 6, 2011 /Now Lebanon
When the summer heat hits Lebanon, electricity becomes an expensive commodity. The power cuts the Lebanese have learned to live with over the decades get longer, and people are forced to pay hundreds of dollars to operators of illegal generators. But this year, for the inhabitants of lower Aley, politics made the situation even worse.
“We usually get electricity in rounds: four hours of electricity followed by another four hours of cuts. But now electricity gets cut even during the four hours we should have power,” 33-year-old Bneyh resident Bilal Jaber told NOW Lebanon. “We get power for one hour then a cut of 30 minutes, and so on,” he added.
The problems, he said, started at the beginning of August, when cabinet debated a bill that proposed transferring $1.2 billion to the Energy Ministry to build power plants to supply 700 additional megawatts of electricity to the country.
Progressive Socialist Party ministers objected to the bill, proposed by Free Patriotic Movement Energy Minister Gebran Bassil, saying that such a large amount of money needs an inter-ministerial commission to supervise how it is spent, although there are governmental mechanisms already in place that require the Ministry of Finance to audit the proceedings.
MP Michel Aoun, leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, warned that his ministers would withdraw from the cabinet if the bill was rejected. Energy Minister Gebran Bassil, who is also Aoun’s son-in-law, said Monday that he does not understand why some politicians opposed the electricity plan.
And while Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi said that the Lebanese Treasury doesn’t even have $1.2 billion to spend on the energy sector, he added that "The Finance Ministry is ready to secure $600 million now, and in the next six months, if we are not able to provide the other $600 million from donations and funds, then we commit to securing it from the Lebanese Treasury.”
The minister expressed surprise at statements that there are not enough funds for the project, adding that the plan stipulates that Arab and international players will participate in the financing and that investing in the electricity project will save the Treasury around $2 billion a year.
The quarrel doesn’t seem close to an end, and the residents in the mostly Druze region of Aley complain that the squabble is the reason they are suffering from increased power cuts. “It was obvious from the beginning,” Jaber said.
“We all know that it is a way to pressure our ministers and MPs, and we will not allow this,” Aley shop owner Wissam Khaddaj told NOW Lebanon. “We have demands, and we want electricity just as others in Lebanon have it.” If the situation continues, he said, people might demonstrate. “We will act peacefully, but it is up to us to decide on the way. But we will express our dissatisfaction for sure.”
“People are angry,” said Jaber. “They feel that it is very much a political issue and that they are being used to increase the amount of pressure on other political groups. People feel that it is a message from Minister Bassil himself, saying that the region will be facing dark times if this project is not approved, and to force these people to hold those representing them in parliament responsible for the crisis.”
The PSP itself issued a statement complaining that the political disagreements are affecting the population in Aley and noting that there are no technical failures causing the blackouts. Neither the FPM nor Minister Bassil has made any statement on the electricity cuts.
But Mary Tawk, spokesperson for national electricity company Electricité du Liban, told NOW Lebanon that the Aley region is not subject to longer cuts than the rest of Lebanon. “We have reassured in more than one statement that electricity is being distributed equally in all regions of Lebanon, but yes during the last period, there have been more cuts than people have been accustomed to.” She said there must be a technical problem with the generators not being able to cope with the higher demand in Aley. “But as for distribution, Aley gets electricity just as any other region does,” she stressed.
However, the people of Aley are still angry at the government. “It is not acceptable that people be used as scapegoats for political differences, while residents are paying their electricity bills. People of this area sacrificed a lot during the civil war, in their battles against Israel and during the May 7 events, so they will not allow that they be used in such a manner to pressure any political party,” Jaber said.
**Nadine Elali contributed reporting to this article.