LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِSeptember
21/2011
Bible Quotation for today
Sirach 28/1-7//The Lord is taking note of your sins, and if you take vengeance on someone,
the Lord will take vengeance on you./ But if you forgive someone who has wronged
you, your sins will be forgiven when you pray.3 You cannot expect the Lord to
pardon you while you are holding a grudge against someone else./ You yourself
are a sinner, and if you won't forgive another person, you have no right to pray
that the Lord will forgive your sins.5 If you cannot get rid of your anger, you
have no hope of forgiveness—you are only a human being./ Think about it! Some
day you will die, and your body will decay. So give up hate and live by the
Lord's commands,/ the commands in the covenant of the Most High. Instead of
getting upset over your neighbor's faults, overlook them.
Latest
analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases
from
miscellaneous
sources
The Maronite Patriarch defending
the Syrian regime/By
Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid/September 20/11
Suicide policies/By:
Hazem Saghiyeh/September 20/11
Syria: The internal opposition/By
Tariq Alhomayed/September 20/11
When everything
changes except the regime/By Saad Jarous/September 20/11
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for September 20/11
Top US Intel official in Ankara to head off naval clash, bring Palestinians to talks
Gadhafi in New Message Says Events
in Libya a 'Charade'
Syrian forces kill eight near Homs:
activists
3 Dead, 15 Hurt in Downtown Ankara Bomb Blast
Israel PM departs for UN, says does not expect 'warm welcome'
Report: UN vote on Palestinian statehood might be delayed for weeks
Germany's Merkel presses Turkey President to end rift with Israel
Former Afghan president assassinated; Karzai cancels UN visit
President Michel Sleiman chairs
meeting ahead of UN sessions in New York
Bassil is “a disaster” for
Lebanon’s electricity, says Future bloc MP Badr Wannous
Future bloc MP Mouin Merhebi:
Syrian army breaches Lebanese border
Future bloc against approving
electricity plan without “clear” regulations
Lebanon: Police shoot dead 2 wanted in Estonian kidnapping case
President Sleiman in N.Y., prepares
to meet world leaders
Lives of Irish troops killed in
1989 could have been spared: report
Aoun: Mustaqbal Bloc Seeking to Sabotage State Functioning
Lebanon's House Speaker Berri Says Lebanon Should Swiftly Benefit from Energy Reserves
Hezbollah's Qassem: March 14 Actions Serve U.S.-Israeli Project
Future bloc MP Nabil De Freige responds to Hezbollah’s Qassem
Report: Al-Rahi Rejects to Meet
with Pietton Unless he Apologizes
NOW Lebanon: Sixteen wounded in
clashes between two families in Saida
Report:
Al-Rahi Rejects to Meet with Pietton Unless he Apologizes
Naharnet /Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi is demanding an apology from French
Ambassador Denis Pietton before setting a date to meet with him, Bkirki sources
told the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa daily on Tuesday. “Al-Rahi will not set a date for a
meeting with Ambassador Denis Pietton if the latter decides to meet him,” the
sources said. The patriarch rejects the ambassador’s criticism of al-Rahi’s
statements on Hizbullah’s arms and the situation in Syria and “will not meet him
unless he makes an apology and provides an explanation on his remarks about
French disappointment” from the prelate, they added. Last week, Pietton said his
government was “disappointed” by al-Rahi’s remarks and said he would soon visit
the patriarch as ordered by his government to seek clarifications. During his
visit to Paris, al-Rahi said Syrian President Bashar Assad should be given the
chance to introduce reform over his fear that the collapse of the regime would
lead to the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood to power in Syria. This would
constitute a threat to Christians in the region.Al-Rahi also linked the fate of
Hizbullah’s weapons to the liberation of the remaining Israeli-occupied Lebanese
territories.
The Maronite Patriarch defending the Syrian regime
By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi travelling to Paris and informing the
French that he fears an extremist Sunni Islamist group coming to power should
the Damascus regime collapse failed to aid al-Assad or his regime. If anything,
his words affected Syria’s Christian community and particularly the manner it is
perceived in the Arab world. This is because it appeared to everybody in the
region as if the Maronite Patriarch was campaigning in defence of the brutal
Syrian regime that is drowning in the blood of its own people, and attempting to
incite fear against Syria’s Sunni community. It seemed as if the Maronite
Patriarch wanted Catholic predominant France – which is a major player in
besieging the al-Assad regime – to put the fears of Syria and Lebanon’s
Christian communities above the calls for the ouster of the al-Assad regime,
despite the brutal campaign of violence and suppression it is carrying out
against unarmed Syrian citizens.
I do not know if the Maronite Patriarch is defending the Syrian regime because
he believes that Syria’s Christian community will have a target on its back
should the al-Assad regime collapse, or if he believes the false image being put
forward by Damascus via the propaganda of the Syrian state media which is also
sowing fear among Syria’s Alawite and Christian communities
Nobody will accept a militant Sunni regime in Syria which targets any Syrian
community. Such a Sunni regime would be fought in the same manner that other
extremist groups have been fought against and prevented from taking power.
It is a myth to claim that the crumbling Syrian regime is a guarantor against
religious extremism. The truth is that it is this Syrian regime that has
encouraged religious extremism in the region over the past few years. Were it
not for the Syrian regime there would be no Hezbollah today. Were it not for the
al-Assad regime, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad movement – which both have a
presence in Damascus – would have been defeated long ago. Were it not for the
Syrian regime, the Sunni extremist Al Qaeda organization would never have been
able to establish a base in Syria from which they were able to carry out
terrible attacks in Iraq, killing thousands of Sunnis, Shiites and Christians,
under the pretext of fighting the US occupation of Iraq. Were it not for the
Damascus regime, the Iranian mullahs would never have been able to gain a
foothold in the Arab world. In which case, how can Maronite Patriarch Bechara
Boutros al-Rahi claim that he fears that an extremist Sunni regime will take
power in Syria? The greatest sponsor of extremist Islamist group in the region
was, and remains, the al-Assad regime, and there is clear evidence for this.
The Christian leaders should be aware that the al-Assad regime using them to
defend itself will not prevent the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad;
rather they will only implicate themselves. The recent developments in Syria
have made it impossible to turn back the clock, and the sinking al-Assad regime
wants to drag down anybody that it can with it. This is what has confused us
regarding the head of the Maronite Church defending the worst regime in the
history of Syria; a regime that has spilled the bloods of Muslims and Christians
in Lebanon. This is truly a dangerous political move on the part of the Maronite
Patriarch. We cannot compare someone of the stature of the Maronite Patriarch
with politicians like [leader of the Lebanese Marada Movement] Suleiman Frangieh
Jr, who is practically subservient to the Syrian regime, nor to a fickle
politician like General Michel Aoun. This is because both politicians will,
immediately following the collapse of the al-Assad regime, rush to disown
al-Assad and declare their allegiance to his successor. Will Maronite Patriarch
Bechara Boutros al-Rahi tomorrow rush to repudiate his defence of the al-Assad
regime? Will his followers rush to do the same?
The Maronite Patriarch claims that his approach is based upon openness and
objectivity, however objectively speaking, it is clear that Syria’s Christian
community must participate in the uprising in order to participate in the
reshaping of Syria’s future, rather than standing with the Syrian regime that
has committed grave crimes against the people of Syria and Lebanon – including
Christians – over the past 40 years.
Syrian forces kill eight near Homs: activists
AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian forces shot dead at least six villagers and two rebel
soldiers on Monday, in a sweep of countryside north of the city of Homs, one of
the most defiant regions in pro-democracy protests, activists and residents
said. Syria's ruling elite, from the country's Alawite minority sect, have
intensified military assaults in the last few weeks to stop a six-month uprising
that has triggered increasing defections among the mostly Sunni rank and file
military. The United Nations human rights division said pro-Assad forces had
killed 2,700 protesters since an uprising demanding his removal started in
March, including at least 100 children. Human rights campaigners and Western
diplomats in Syria also report increased assassinations of protest leaders, more
deaths from torture and mass arrests that have seen tens of thousands of Syrians
detained, focusing recently on professionals and academics critical of President
Bashar al-Assad. "Crimes against humanity are being committed in Syria and the
leaders of the regime will have to answer for them," French Foreign Minister
Alain Juppe said in remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations in New
York.Assad, who inherited power from his father 11 years ago, has repeatedly
said he was resisting a foreign conspiracy to divide Syria and that use of force
had been limited, with the majority of Syrians backing him.
DEFECTORS
The assault on Houla, a collection of villages north of Homs, 165 km (100 miles)
north of Damascus, followed a large protest on Sunday demanding Assad's removal.
About 12 government soldiers manning rural checkpoints had defected, activists
said.
"Several of the defectors put up a fight but they were overwhelmed. The rest
were civilians who were killed by the random gunfire from the tanks as they went
through al-Houla," said a resident who gave his name as Abu Yazan.
He said 14 people, including school-age students, were arrested in Taldo, Kfar
Laha, Takltheb Tibeh and Iqreb villages.
Local activists said troops launched a similar operation on Monday in the
northwestern region of Jabal Shahshabo near Turkey and house-to-house raids in
the town of Dumair north of the capital Damascus.
In Homs, activists said security forces fired live ammunition overnight to
disperse protests across the city in honor of 19-year old Zeinab al-Hasni who
was arrested in July to exert pressure on her activist brother. Her mutilated
body was returned to her family on Saturday.
The authorities rarely comment on specific arrests but they have denied in the
past reports of suspected torture and said any detentions were made according
with the constitution.
Military assaults have been carried out by loyalist forces who tend to be drawn
from Assad's Alawite sect, an offshoot of Islam.
The Sunni rank and file are usually assigned to man checkpoints under the eye of
the Alawite dominated Military Intelligence, which has been entrusted with
preventing dissent among the military, residents and former officers say.
"The regime is trying to stop the protests everywhere it can, as if it were
plugging a leaking pipe. As soon as it closes one hole, water leaks from a dozen
others," said one activist in Damascus, where security was particularly tight in
central neighborhoods.
An adviser to Assad, on a visit to Moscow this month, said reports of mass
civilian killings had been exaggerated by the media and that the only casualties
were 700 soldiers and policemen killed by terrorist groups and a similar number
of what she described as mutineers.
The official news agency said an "armed terrorist group" killed four security
police overnight in an ambush near Hama, which was among the hardest hit cities
in an escalation of military attacks that coincided with the beginning of the
Muslim fasting month of Ramadan at the start of August.
In apparent reaction to street calls for international protection against the
killing of civilians, Assad told a Russian parliamentary delegation this week
that "outside interference threatens to fragment the countries of the region and
raise the danger of extremism within them," according to the official news
agency.
U.N. REPORT
Kyung-wha Kang, deputy U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, told the forum
on Monday that Syrian security forces, "backed by tanks, helicopters and
snipers" continue to crush protests in cities including Homs, Latakia, Deraa and
Damascus.
A large-scale assault in Homs this month had left at least 23 civilians dead and
scores injured, she said, adding that Syrian forces "are reported to have
forcibly removed wounded people from hospitals, including from operating rooms,
in Homs and prevented medical personnel from reaching the injured."
A National Council formed by the opposition and announced in Istanbul last week,
as well as civic figures who met in Syria at the weekend, have appealed to
protesters to maintain the peaceful nature of the uprising and warned against
falling into what they see as sectarian strife being stoked by Assad.
"Continuation of the peaceful revolt is crucial to achieve a peaceful democratic
transition and bring down the tyrannical and corrupt security regime," said a
statement issued after a two-day meeting of the National Coordination
Commission, a new grouping of mainly secular writers, artists, and
intellectuals.
But one activist in Damascus, who declined to be named said: "These calls are
fine and dandy but what do you do when protesters are being met with live
ammunition and taking to the street to demonstrate is equivalent to attempted
suicide?"
"The uprising is remaining peaceful as much because this is a police state and
the people do not have weapons as much as it is to high mindedness."
Top US Intel official in Ankara to head off naval clash,
bring Palestinians to talks
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report /September 19, 2011,
The US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper arrived in Ankara on an
urgent surprise visit Sunday night Sept. 18 as Turkish saber-rattling threatened
three major US interests:
Sunday, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the information gathered by the US
radar system to be stationed in Turkey's Malatya province as part of the NATO
missile-shield would not be shared with Israel – thereby disrupting the entire
system; Monday, US Noble Energy began drilling gas off Cyprus in defiance of
Turkish threats; and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' headed to New York to
promote UN acceptance of a Palestinian state – with Ankara's encouragement.
Clapper went straight into talks with the Turkish General Staff, the National
Intelligence Agency (MIT) and Foreign Ministry. No official statement was issued
on the visit. Turkish sources indicated only that it concerned the planned
deployment of the NATO radar system, the fight against the Kurdistan Workers'
Party (PKK) "as well as other developments in the Middle East."
However, debkafile's intelligence sources report that Clapper was in Turkey for
a last-ditch Obama administration bid to avert sea and air hostilities erupting
between Turkey, Greece, Cyprus and Israel in the eastern Mediterranean where
tensions have been building up over Turkish threats inter alia against offshore
gas exploration by Israel and Cyprus.
The US intelligence official's assignment in Ankara tied in with another
last-ditch Washington effort, namely to break down Palestinian leader Mahmoud
Abbas's stubborn resolve to press for UN acceptance of a Palestinian state and
to sidestep peace negotiations with Israel.
Intelligence reaching the Obama administration traces that obduracy to a quiet
conversation Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan held with Abbas in Cairo on
Sept. 12. Since then, the Palestinian leader has dug in his heels against every
effort to divert him from his UN gambit – even after Middle East Quartet envoy
Tony Blair persuaded Israeli Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to show flexibility on
such thorny issues as Palestinian acceptance of a Jewish national state and the
1967 borders.
The reason was so unreceptive - even to the near-certainty of US aid cutbacks -
was a guarantee, administration sources found he obtained from Erdogan, that
Turkey would provide the Palestinian Authority with the financial assistance it
needed to make up for the reduced flow of aid from the US and Israel – provided
he stuck to his guns.
On the day of their Cairo conversation, Ankara leaked tough new instructions
issued by the Erdogan government to the Turkish Navy to pen Israeli warships
inside their 12-mile territorial waters and disable the weapons of any vessels
sailing beyond that limit.
Erdogan's purpose was to impress the Palestinian leader with the seriousness of
Turkish willingness to confront Israel and the United States and persuade him
that the Palestinians' best interests lay with aligning with Ankara.
Those sources report that the Palestinian fell for the Erdogan line and
determined to stage his own confrontation with Washington and Jerusalem at the
United Nations. Friday, Sept. 16, he formally announced he was committed to
filing an application with the UN Security Council for Palestinian membership of
the world body, despite repeated warnings that it would fail.
debkafile's Washington sources report that, as a last resort, after Israel's
flexibility had no effect, the administration sent a high-ranking envoy to take
all the issue up with the Turkish prime minister. Since Erdogan had enough
influence to persuade Abbas to clash with the US and Israel, he was also
believed capable of persuading him to back off.
James Clapper was also commissioned to caution Turkish leaders against
continuing their threatened military brinkmanship in the Mediterranean. Another
demand was that Ankara line up behind Washington's campaign to revive
Palestinian-Israeli negotiations in lieu of their UN initiative and makes sure
Mahmoud Abbas knew about the Turkish policy switch.
Following Davutoglu's statement on the X-band radar, Clapper was authorized to
warn the Erdogan government that if it barred the sharing of information with
Israel, the plan for its installation in Turkey would have to be abandoned. The
entire missile shield system is based on a network of advanced radar stations
scattered across the Middle East, including the Israeli Negev, and Israel's
highly-developed ability to intercept Iranian ballistic missiles.
President Obama has scheduled a meeting with Erdogan for Tuesday, Sept. 20 , on
the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York. The expeditious
Clapper mission was meant to make sure ahead of the interview , Ankara smoothed
out the bumps in the ground between Turkey and the United States on the three
explosive issues
Police shoot dead 2 wanted in Estonian kidnapping case
September 20, 2011 /The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Lebanese police shot and killed Tuesday two key suspects linked to the
kidnapping of seven Estonians who were held for four months and released in
July.
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel hailed the operation and confirmed to The Daily
Star for the first time that a ransom had been paid to secure the release of
Estonians.
The Internal Security Forces described in a statement the two suspects killed
Tuesday as “key members” of the cell that plotted to kidnap the seven Estonians.
An initial police report released early Tuesday and circulated through the media
erroneously identified one of the dead men as Wael Abbas, the alleged mastermind
behind the kidnapping of the Estonians.
The report said the confusion was due to the strong resemblance between Abbas
and one of the dead men.
It said the two men were killed in a dawn shootout that followed an ambush by
members of the ISF Information Branch in the town of al-Bireh on the outskirts
of Rashaya, Western Bekaa, on the Jeep used by the suspects.The report said that
two police officers were wounded in the chase, one seriously.The bodies of the
two suspects were taken to the state-run Baabda hospital, east of Beirut. They
were identified as Mohammad Zarifi and Kinan Yassin, a security source told
Reuters.
The bullet-riddled Liberty Jeep used by the wanted men was taken to the ISF
headquarters in Ashrafieh, Beirut.
Both Charbel and ISF chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi hailed the outcome of the
operation.Charbel also confirmed for the first time that a ransom had been paid
to secure the release of the Estonians.“At long last, Lebanon got confirmation
that a ransom was indeed paid [in the case of the seven Estonians] which has
stirred up a craving for kidnap-for-ransom,” Charbel told The Daily Star.Talin
has refused to confirm reports that a ransom was paid to free its
citizens.Charbel said in a statement that the men killed in Tuesday’s ambush
were part of a gang that was plotting to kidnap other foreigners in Lebanon.He
also said that the dead man had been responsible for the April 2011 killing of
an ISF member, Rashed Sabri, in the Bekaa town of Majdel Anjar.Sabri was killed
on April 10 during an exchange of fire with Darwish Khanjar, who was wanted for
the murder of a Lebanese Army soldier and for his alleged involvement in the
kidnapping of the Estonians.In his statement, Charbel said the news of the
ransom for the release of the Estonians had sparked “a craving for a
kidnap-for-ransom” atmosphere.
Two ISF officers have been dispatched to Estonia to determine the side that
negotiated the release of the European nationals.
The shooting Tuesday was the second such incident in less than two weeks.Two
members of the ISF Information Branch involved in the hunt for the kidnappers
were wounded when their patrol came under fire in the Bekaa Friday.They were
patrolling the village of Jalala, near Chtaura in east Lebanon, when their car
was ambushed by three men armed with AK-47 rifles.
Seven Estonian cyclists were abducted by masked gunmen on March 23 while
traveling through the Bekaa Valley shortly after visiting Syria. They were held
for nearly four months, and released unharmed on July 14.The kidnapped Estonians
say that they were held in both Syria and Lebanon.
Syria: The internal opposition
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
Anyone following Syrian affairs would have to stop and take note of the
statement issued by the recent Syrian opposition conference held near Damascus,
and attended by nearly 300 members of the internal opposition. The statement
included language that the al-Assad regime is not used to, and we are certainly
not used to hearing from a conference held within Syria itself!
The closing statement of the opposition conference, held in the town of Helbon
in the outskirts of Damascus, said that “the decisive factor in achieving
national democratic change, which entails overthrowing the corrupt,
authoritarian, security regime, is the continuation of the Syrian people’s
peaceful revolution”. The statement continued “therefore, the conference calls
on all powers and actors involved, as well as their friends and their
supporters, to continue to engage in the [the revolution] and provide all forms
of support, so as to help it continue until the objectives of the Syrian people
have been achieved, in terms of freedom, dignity, and democracy”.
It is hard to imagine that the al-Assad regime could accept such language,
especially when the regime is described by the internal conference with terms
such as “authoritarian” and “corrupt”, and likewise the calls for more to join
the revolution and continue it. It is strange of course that the conference was
held inside Syria, and that the opposition members were able to issue a
statement without being attacked by the al-Assad regime’s Shabiha, or the
conference being stormed by the security forces.
Thus, the question that comes to mind is: has the al-Assad regime become
exhausted and hence unable to pursue the participants in the internal opposition
conference, or did the regime allow them to meet in order to achieve its own
private goals?
Indicators suggest the most plausible answer is that the al-Assad regime
deliberately turned a blind eye to the opposition conference held just outside
Damascus, even though it released a statement calling for the continuation of
the revolution and the need to overthrow the corrupt and authoritarian regime,
in order to send a message to Moscow that the al-Assad regime is giving the
internal Syrian opposition an opportunity to mobilize, contrary to what others
have said, and that it is not oppressing and killing everyone. Will the al-Assad
regime’s tricks help it to secure Moscow’s position? The short answer is no.
Bashar al-Assad’s regime has burned all its bridges with the Syrian people, and
the Syrian revolution today has reached a point of no return. The Syrians are no
longer afraid of the al-Assad police regime, which used to intimidate the Syrian
youth with its authority. Now young school students are burning pictures of
Bashar al-Assad and Baath party publications, and chanting slogans which no one
expected to hear being repeated in public on a daily basis. The Syrians have
even burned the Russian flag.
Thus, regardless of the multitude of Syrian opposition conferences, internally
or externally, and whether the al-Assad regime has a hand in them or not, the
reality is that Syria has changed, and more changes are coming, whether today or
tomorrow. The al-Assad regime today is becoming more powerless; it is now being
challenged by school students. The current state of affairs has become a reality
that all but a few inside Syria are aware of, specifically the al-Assad regime
and its followers. It seems that they are unable to hear anything, with their
bullets drowning out all sounds around them.
When everything changes except the regime
By Saad Jarous/Asharq Al-Awsat
With monochrome shades twinkling on the screen of the "Syronics" black-and-white
television set, silver camera flashes are seen reflecting on gloomy faces,
whilst confessions are given by a so-called criminal gang responsible for
intimidating the people and assassinating leading national and [Baath] party
figures, [according to the Syrian regime].
A little girl with panic-stricken eyes sits and keeps an eye on the television
screen, her heart beating with every single comment or whisper she hears from
the others in the audience, who look out of the window for fear that someone may
be secretly eavesdropping in on their conversations.
The ten-year-old daughter shivers and clings to her mother's body, and the more
the whispers intensify, the more she tries to hide her face behind her mother's
back. From time to time, she glances at the television screen before she is
again gripped by fear, traumatized, and she can feel her small heart beating
like a sparrow breathing its last.
After every one has gone, the girl tries to ask her father about what she saw on
television, but he simply responds: “Never talk about this”. The mother rushes
to soothe her by suggesting that what was screened was not real, but merely
acting. The father withdraws into a corner of the house to isolate himself from
the curiosity of his children, and listen to the news on his transistor radio.
He holds the radio directly against his ear so that no one else can hear what is
being broadcasted from Baghdad. He only does so after drawing the curtains and
asking his wife to take the children to bed. All the lights are switched off
except for a little lamp with a dim glow, further intensifying the climate of
fear. Amidst the gloom, the father sits alone and listens to the radio
broadcasting news about the situation in Syria, as if he is doing something
highly secretive and illegal. It is the 1980s, Hama is currently besieged, and a
state of uncertainty prevails. Tensions rise at a time when the circulation of
information is forbidden, except for official news bulletins broadcasted from
Damascus radio and Syrian state television.
The daughter tries to eavesdrop on what her father is listening to, and [after
he is finished] she steals the radio, positions the antenna, and tunes into the
forbidden station. She discovers that the station is opposed to the Syrian
regime, and it is broadcasting rhetoric that anyone would be punished just for
listening to, let alone uttering. When she hears these words, she becomes
strongly gripped with the desire to hear more. What she heard was certainly
different to what was being broadcast by Syrian state radio and television,
despite her relative ignorance of what is going on. The alternative rhetoric is
a great lure to the girl, and it seems credible to her because it contradicts
what she usually hears.
The relatives and neighbours of the “criminal gang” are watching in anxious
secrecy as confessions are screened on Syrian television. In fact, the
confessions are of little significance, and the relatives do not care if they
have been fabricated or not. What is more pressing on their minds is the
magnitude of torture the “gang” has been subjected to [at the hands of the
regime], and the execution sentences awaiting them. The relatives and neighbours
are aware that the gang members are likely to have died long before their
confessions were screened. The families can only express their grief in their
minds, for they are not allowed to show any sign of sympathy for the gang
members or their relatives. There is only one official account of events, and
the people must accept this with a muzzled mouth and a closed mind.
I remember the girl who was ten years old in the 1980s, and today I am
witnessing something similar to that. The “official” version of events still
exists, as does Syrian state television and radio, and all the official and
semi-official media outlets are still acting in a similar manner. The same
regime remains unchanged, but the reality, the people, and the means of
communication have changed. The process of acquiring a piece of information has
transformed from a passive act to a fully interactive one. The "Syrionics"
black-and-white television has become extinct, even the color television seems
out-dated after the dawn of the digital world. Numerous innovations have
emerged; now a 10-year old child can watch confessions given by an accused
criminal gang whilst eating chips, and then press his remote control to search
for action movies, in a quest for entertainment. Meanwhile, the father is
perhaps busy searching the internet for information posted by activists on the
ground. Even the act of watching television is not as it was in the past, for
one can hardly stay watching one news bulletin for 15 minutes without moving
between limitless channels to follow up other versions of events regarding the
same story. Eventually, the viewer settles on his own version of events that is
commensurate with his own convictions and ideas.
Everything has changed except the mentality of the Syrian regime and its media,
still harbouring the unilateral mind-set that could only be successful in the
black-and-white period. But in the age of color television, the digital world,
and a global internet network, the official version of events has lost its
immunity, and now it is subject not only to suspicion, but also to contempt and
ridicule. A 10-year-old boy today can confidently question the validity of the
official version of events, he can ridicule the official account without his
father having any authority over him, or preventing him from talking about
politics. In fact, the father may even be intrigued and learn from his son. This
is happening in front of my eyes in the houses of my relatives and friends; I
see a father bewildered and unable to find convincing answers to the questions
raised by his sons, as the son may know more than we do. There is an old joke
that goes as follows: A boy once asked his grandmother how he came to be alive,
and she tells him the traditional story of the stork which carried him in its
beak, and then placed him outside the front door. The boy then turned to his
youngest sister and asked her: Shall we tell our grandma how we really came to
be alive, or shall we leave in the dark?
It is incredible that the world has changed so much in 30 years thanks to the
information revolution, and nevertheless police regimes have failed to change
the manner in which they deal with their citizens, or their means of
suppression. Such authoritarian regimes are blindly determined to continue
fabricating the same official version of events, without the slightest change or
improvement. Even modern visual technologies have been exploited to further
blind the populace, and promote the official version of events, even if it
completely defies logic. This happened when a local [Syrian] television channel
dared to accuse an Arab news outlet of constructing a studio with huge scale
models of Syrian squares, with the aim of orchestrating false demonstrations
through the use of visual tricks and professional actors! This channel even
claimed that the Libyan capital had not fallen, and that the scene of rebels
arriving in Green Square was fabricated and was all acting!
The question to be raised here is: Has it occurred in the minds of such people
that even if everyone was convinced that the events in Libya were all
fabrications and movie tricks, how would they convince everyone that Muammar
Gaddafi did not escape to the desert? That this was just a lookalike brought in
from Hollywood, and that the real Gaddafi is still ruling Libya from his tent?
Can you convince people that the influx of world leaders into Libya was meant as
a visit to Gaddafi? Or that the Transitional Council members who have arrived in
Libya are mere actors? This concocted version of Libyan events somewhat reflects
the Syrian media's delusional belief that the same must be taking place in
Syria, or else the regime would have anticipated [the uprising] before it
happened. By doing so, the Syrian media is only lying to itself. In this
endeavour, it has disregarded everything that has happened throughout Syria,
claiming that what we see and hear is taking place inside indoor studios, a
story they think people will be fooled into believing.
Whether the Syrian official and semi-official media’s accusations [about the
Syrian uprising being fabricated] are serious or a joke, it is no wonder that
parents, along with the regimes, have lost control over their children. The
youth have opened the windows and relinquished their fears once and for all.
They take to the streets to express what is on their minds day and night.
President Michel Sleiman chairs meeting ahead of UN
sessions in New York
September 20, 2011 /President Michel Sleiman arrived in New York on Monday night
and chaired a meeting of the Lebanese delegation ahead of the sessions that will
be held at the United Nations headquarters this week.According to the National
News Agency, Sleiman “put the finishing touches” on the delegation’s
preparations before attending a UN General Assembly meeting and chairing a
Security Council session. The president is expected to address the General
Assembly on Wednesday and the Security Council on Thursday. He will also take
part in a special session on Libya. Lebanon currently holds the rotating
presidency of the Security Council throughout September.-NOW Lebanon
Bassil is “a disaster” for Lebanon’s electricity, says Future bloc MP Badr
Wannous
September 20, 2011 /Future bloc MP Badr Wannous said on Tuesday that Energy
Minister Gebran Bassil is “a disaster” for Lebanon’s electricity. “No one is
[keen] on the electricity proposal more than us…[but] there are some MPs who are
working against the law,” Wannous told Sawt al-Mada radio station.
The MP said that he “wants to know” how $ 1.2 billion will be spent on Bassil’s
Change and Reform bloc’s electricity bill, which was approved by the cabinet
earlier this month.
“The government demanded Bassil determine his conditions in order to execute the
project, but the minister does not want to present his plan and wants to spend
the funds the way he pleases,” Wannous added. He also said that he “does not
trust” Bassil and called for establishing a committee to monitor the Energy
Ministry’s implementation of the energy project.
Following a long argument between ministers, the cabinet approved earlier this
month the electricity plan aiming to increase electricity output by 700
Megawatts. The Western-backed March 14 parties, including the Future bloc,
remain concerned about the bill. On Monday, the joint parliamentary commissions
convened and addressed March 14’s proposed amendments to the bill.-NOW Lebanon
Future bloc MP Nabil De Freige responds to Hezbollah’s Qassem
September 20, 2011 /Future bloc MP Nabil De Freige responded on Tuesday to
Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem’s statement that “the
March 14 parties are serving ‘the US-Israeli project’ in the Middle East.”“[It
is] the March 8 coalition that is serving the Israeli project and dividing the
Lebanese people with its political rhetoric,” De Freige told Future News.He also
said: “All the accusations of treason thrown by the March 8 coalition [against
March 14] will only lead to more political tension.”
De friege commented on Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai’s statements on
Syria. “Let us be honest [and admit] that, in one way or another, there is a
Sunni-Shia conflict in the region and in the world. When [Christians] take a
strategic stance and support one [sect] against the other, then they would
expose themselves to a threat from the [sect] they stood against,” he said. The
head of the nation’s Maronite Christians warned that the fall of the Syrian
regime threatens Christians across the Middle East. A heated debate has erupted
in Lebanon over controversial remarks by the patriarch during a recent visit to
France.Rai urged that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad be given a chance to
implement reforms, saying the “poor man cannot work miracles.” He also voiced
concern of a takeover by the radical Muslim Brotherhood, a movement the Syrian
authorities have blacklisted for decades.Assad's regime has cracked down on a
string of unprecedented protests across the country, killing more than 2,600
civilian protesters since the uprising began in March, according to the United
Nations.
-NOW Lebanon
Qassem: March 14 Actions Serve U.S.-Israeli Project
Naharnet /Hizbullah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem accused the March 14 forces
on Tuesday of acting in a way that serves the U.S.-Israeli project. “I don’t
like to mention much what the March 14 group is doing as a conspiracy,” Qassem
told Iran’s Fars news agency. “But it acts in a way that whether willingly or
unwillingly serves the Israeli-American project.”The March 14-led opposition
should be aware that all parties should join forces to consolidate the state “or
else we would defeat each other,” he said. Asked about the situation in Syria,
the Hizbullah deputy secretary-general told the agency that the Shiite party
doesn’t interfere in the affairs of any country. “Each country has its own
conditions and circumstances,” he said, rejecting accusations that Hizbullah was
participating in the confrontations between Syrian security forces and
anti-regime protestors.“This claim is false, unjust and untrue,” Qassem
stressed.
Aoun: Mustaqbal Bloc Seeking to Sabotage State Functioning
Naharnet /Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun accused on Tuesday the
Mustaqbal bloc of seeking to obstruct the state’s functioning, labeling its
members as “liars and hypocrites.” He said after the Change and Reform bloc’s
weekly meeting: “They all make personal attacks. This is defamation and not
tackling the problem.”
“Those who are performing their duties properly should challenge us otherwise
they should shut up,” he added. Addressing the electricity draft law, he noted:
“No draft law ever presented was subject to auditing … but this law is being
completely audited by the Finance Ministry and it will later be subject to the
Audit Bureau.”
Parliament and the government will also monitor its implementation, he stressed.
Aoun said: “We are constantly challenging proposals because they are adopting a
spiteful approach and according to the constitution, we will not allow a single
one of the minister’s privileges to be targeted.”“I don’t represent the entire
parliament. I am forced to voice my objections because I am defending my
rights,” he continued.“The minister is responsible for his ministry and no one
has control over him, except for the Audit Bureau, parliament, and government,
unless there is a mafia organization involved,” the FPM leader noted. “Everyone
wants electricity, but a parliamentary bloc is sabotaging the draft law,” he
stressed.
“We will see on Thursday how the dispute over electricity file will be resolved.
Our allies won’t obstruct it and we will reject issues that would be imposed on
parliament,” he declared.
If the Mustaqbal bloc truly opposes the draft law, then why hasn’t it presented
a document objecting to it? Aoun asked.
Parliament is expected to convene on Thursday in order to tackle the electricity
draft law and other pending issues.
Addressing Palestinian efforts to have the United Nations recognize the
Palestinian state, the MP remarked: “The countries boasting about respecting
human rights will be put to a test regarding the recognition of what is left of
Palestine.” On the death of two suspects in Estonian kidnapping, he wondered:
“Is this an accomplishment for the Intelligence Bureau? An achievement lies in
uncovering the kidnappers’ network and not eliminating it.”Earlier on Tuesday,
the Internal Security Forces and Intelligence Bureau succeeded in killing two
suspects in the abduction after they got embroiled in a clash with them in a
security operation in the Bekaa region.
Report: Aoun Cancels Visit to Western Bekaa over Security Fears
Naharnet /Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun has cancelled his visit to
the Western Bekaa on Sept. 24 for security reasons, al-Akhbar daily reported
Tuesday.
The newspaper said that security sources advised Aoun to cancel the visit after
a series of security incidents shook the region.The FPM chief was seeking to
tour several towns and villages in the area.
Future bloc MP Mouin Merhebi: Syrian army breaches Lebanese border
September 20, 2011 /Future bloc MP Mouin Merhebi said on Tuesday that “the
Northern Lebanese-Syrian border is being breached by the Syrian army.” “The
Syrian army is sometimes entering Lebanese territories or shooting in the
direction of [Lebanese] villages,” Merhebi told LBC television. The MP also said
that “his bloc asked the Lebanese army to provide protection to the houses [near
the border] or evacuate them in case it is not able to provide protection.”
Merhebi also rejected accusation of weapons smuggling from Lebanon to Syria.
“The accusations of arms smuggling are null and void; because if the Syrian
uprising becomes armed, it will definitely fail, and the [Future Movement] does
not have the capabilities of arming it.”Merhebi also condemned Maronite
Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai’s statements on Syria.“Does history show that
Sunnis [mistreated] other sects, whether Muslims or Christians?” he asked.The
patriarch has faced criticism by some figures of the Western-backed March 14
coalition after his recent statements in France supporting the Syrian regime and
Hezbollah’s arms.
-NOW Lebanon
Future bloc against approving electricity plan without “clear” regulations
September 20, 2011 /The Future bloc on Tuesday said that any investment project
that requires a large sum of money cannot be approved without adopting clear
rules and known regulations, in reference to the energy plan approved by the
cabinet. Following its weekly meeting, the bloc said in a statement that the
electricity sector requires repair and improvement, adding, however, that the
electricity plan cannot be approved without adopting clear rules.“The issue is
not personal or political, but it is professional, financial and technical par
excellence,” the bloc said in a statement. The MPs also addressed Monday’s joint
parliamentary committees’ session and voiced their surprise that March 14’s
notes on the energy plan were not taken into consideration by March 8 MPs. “The
suggestions submitted [to the committees] do not target any party.”
The statement added that March 14 calls to have certain regulations do not aim
to violate the constitution “as some claim” or to “confiscate someone’s
jurisdictions.”
The Future bloc reiterated its adherence to taking March 14’s amendments into
consideration to strengthen monitoring and transparency, adding that it is not
ready “to compromise this principle no matter what the circumstances are.”
Following a long argument between ministers, the cabinet approved earlier in the
month the electricity plan – proposed by the Change and Reform bloc – aiming to
increase electricity output by 700 Megawatts, after which the plan was submitted
to the parliament.
The statement also said it is important that Lebanon abides by its international
commitments, particularly those related to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL),
especially since Lebanon heads the UN Security Council for the month of
September. Hezbollah-led March 8 parties – which currently dominate Lebanon’s
cabinet – have opposed a clause in the Lebanese annual state budget pertaining
to the funding of the tribunal, which is investigating the 2005 assassination of
former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Lebanon contributes 49 percent of the UN-backed STL’s annual funding. Four
Hezbollah members have been indicted by the STL probing the 2005 assassination
of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. However, the Shia group strongly denied
the charges and refuses to cooperate with the court.-NOW Lebanon
Suicide policies
Hazem Saghiyeh/Now Lebanon
September 19, 2011
No reasonable and just person should make light of the fear of minorities.
However, one should also not make light of scaring these minorities and, based
on this intimidation, pushing them to the brink of suicide.
I am referring specifically to three minorities in the Arab Levant, namely Shia,
Christians and Alawites. These minorities emerged out of centuries of injustice
and persecution, but they rose above their wounds and brandished the slogans of
enlightenment and modernism, betting in various times on education, parties and
sociopolitical reforms. What they bet on did not manage a successful takeoff.
One of the reasons was that the Sunni majority did not respond to their bet and
went after conservative, slow and sometimes reactionary options. So-called
nationalist issues were a noticeable lever in the process of shunning the
progressive and modernist agenda.
Yet minorities soon had recourse to military coups in Syria, where they built a
sectarian and despotic political regime. In Lebanon, the Syrian Social
Nationalist Party, a microcosm of the alliance of minorities, attempted to lead
coups twice and failed as many times because of the sectarian composition of the
Lebanese society. The most extremist of minority movements later prevailed,
whether with Christian radicalism extending from Bachir Gemayel to Michel Aoun
or with Shia radicalism that is especially epitomized by Hezbollah.
While this does not exonerate the majority from its responsibility, one should
also not minimize the responsibility of minorities, especially since they
control power in Syria. Except for a short period following 2005, minorities
were also the closest to power in Lebanon. Even during this short period, a
material war with Israel was invoked as a pretext so that the equation does not
change. This is too much. First, it goes against the early responses of
minorities, which were based on enlightenment, education and parties. This was
the case for Christians between the end of the 19th century and the 1940s, and
for the Shia between the 1950s and the Lebanese civil war in the mid-1970s.
Second, it is built on premises where minorities will be the weakest even if
they “strike alliances.” Indeed, should minorities attempt to address the issue
in such a “realistic” and unilateral fashion, they will not be able to prevail;
rather, all they can achieve is suicide. *This article is a translation of the
original, which appeared on the NOW Arabic site on Monday September 19, 2011
NOW Lebanon: Sixteen wounded in clashes between two
families in Saida
September 19, 2011 /NOW Lebanon’s correspondent reported on Monday night that
sixteen people were wounded in an armed clash that occurred in the Arab Taiba
town in the Saida district between the families of Hammoud and Obeid.The report
added that the Lebanese army entered the town and raided houses in an attempt to
capture those who participated in the shooting. The correspondent added that the
clash began as a conflict between the two families but then became a fight
between supporters of the March 14 and March 8 coalitions.
-NOW Lebanon