LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
April 07/2012

Bible Quotation for today/No One Is Righteous
Roman 03/09-18: "Well then, are we Jews in any better condition than the Gentiles? Not at all! I have already shown that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As the Scriptures say: There is no one who is righteous,  no one who is wise or who worships God. All have turned away from God; they have all gone wrong; no one does what is right, not even one. Their words are full of deadly deceit; wicked lies roll off their tongues, and dangerous threats, like snake's poison, from their lips; their speech is filled with bitter curses. They are quick to hurt and kill; they leave ruin and destruction wherever they go. They have not known the path of peace, nor have they learned reverence for God. Now we know that everything in the Law applies to those who live under the Law, in order to stop all human excuses and bring the whole world under God's judgment. For no one is put right in God's sight by doing what the Law requires; what the Law does is to make us know that we have sinned.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Two bullets and a ballot/By: Michael Young/April 06/12
US willfully blind on Syria/Tony Badran/April  06/12
Courtroom Terror/by Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/April 06/12
On a knife’s edge/The Daily Star/ March 06/12

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for April 06/12
'Hezbollah has 300 operatives in NYC'
Pope celebrates Good Friday in troubled times
Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai prays for peace, urges officials to work for public good
Hunt begins for Geagea shooters
Lebanese Forces expects further attempted assassinations
U.S. says Geagea's targeting possibly due to views on Syria, Hezbollah
Report: 9-Member Team Executed Geagea’s Attempted Murder
LF central council discusses attempted assassination of Geagea
March 8 dubious on Geagea shooting bid
Jumblatt denies intending to pull ministers over electoral law
Fayez Karam release stirs more angry reaction among Islamists’ relatives
Telecom Data Renews Debate between Sehnaoui, March 14
Report: Hizbullah Rejects Setting Up Refugee Camps for Syrians Fleeing Turmoil
Iran, Hezbollah significantly increase aid to Syria's Assad
IDF chief: Israel will reach all terrorists behind overseas attacks
Israel's MI chief: IDF foiled more than 10 terror plots in Sinai
No Syria truce as UN general tests ceasefire hopes
Some 2,350 Syrians have fled across the border to Turkey in last 24 hours
Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood: Iran ‘enemy’ for arming regime
Iran has saved Bashar Assad for now
Syrian tanks in action four days before pullout date
Iran, Hezbollah significantly increase aid to Syria's Assad
Syria violence worsening as deadline nears: U.N. chief
'Obama signaled Khamenei that U.S. could accept civilian nuclear program in Iran'
U.S. not backing off as Iran sanctions bite
On Iran, an array of experts give Israel some advice
Mubarak deputy, Omar Suleiman decides to run for Egypt president
Challenging Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood from the inside
Iranian cleric, Ahmad Khatami says Saudi is centre of sedition

Pope celebrates Good Friday in troubled times
April 06, 2012/By Jean-Louis de la Vaissiere /Daily Star
VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI led the world's Catholics in marking Good Friday amid a sense of growing concern over rebellion against the Church's dogmas and the fate of Christians in the Middle East. The pope is set to preside over a sung ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica later on Friday that will commemorate the last hours of Christ's life. This will be followed by the Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) ceremony by the Colosseum, where thousands of Christians were martyred in Roman times. The 84-year-old German pope, who turns 85 on April 16, has appeared frail and tired after returning from his trip to Mexico and Cuba last month but has taken part in Holy Week prayers with his characteristic spiritual vigour.
Christians mark the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Friday in a series of ceremonies culminating on Sunday, when they celebrate Christ's resurrection.Easter ceremonies traditionally stress the suffering of the Catholic Church and the world, an emphasis that is being particularly keenly felt this year. The pope on Thursday issued a stern rebuke to the faithful, condemning those who questioned the Church over clerical celibacy and the ordination of women. "Recently, a group of priests in a European country published an appeal for disobedience, giving concrete examples of how to be disobedient," he said. "As Jean Paul II irrevocably said, the Catholic Church did not receive authorisation (to ordain women) from the Lord," he added.The pope's comments were a rare response to an "appeal to religious disobedience" launched by a group of Austrian priests in 2011. Benedict said the priests were pushing divisive ideas at a time when the Church finds itself "in an often dramatic situation."This year's prayers for the Stations of the Cross will also emphasise the sense of crisis for traditional family values -- a subject close to the pope's heart as shown in frequent denunciations of gay marriage and divorce.The reflections have been written by an Italian couple, Danilo and Anna Maria Zanzucchi, from the Focolari, a lay Catholic movement that is favoured by the pope for its strong sense of spirituality inspired by Saint Francis."There have been so many blows for our families! So many separations, betrayals! And then divorces, abortions, abandonments!" reads one of the prayers, published by the Vatican's official daily, L'Osservatore Romano.The spiritual reflection focus on the dangers of encroaching egoism, consumerism and individualism but make no direct mention of clerical abuse scandals or to the suffering brought by conflict and poverty around the world. This year's Holy Week celebrations take place amid concerns over the fate of Christians in the Middle East in the face of rising Islamism and violent conflict, especially in Syria which has a large Christian minority. Donations from Thursday's mass were for Syrian war victims and the pope made a personal donation of $100,000 (77,000 euros) to the same cause last weekend. Senior Church figures have voiced growing concern about Syria in recent days and have called for a rapid enactment of a UN plan to end the fighting. The religious news agency I.Media said the Vatican is preparing to announce in the coming days that the pope will travel to Lebanon in September where he is expected to make a plea for peace and religious tolerance.

Hezbollah has 300 operatives in NYC'
Yitzhak Benhorin, Reuters 04.06.12/Ynet
US officials debate virulence of Hezbollah's threat on US soil as NYPD says Hezbollah's infrastructure in the Big Apple substantial
WASHINGTON – A recent report by the House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security states that there are hundreds, perhaps even thousands, people he described as "Iranian and Hezbollah terrorists" in the United States. An alarming part of the officials' assessments focuses on the apparent surveillance missions that Iranian diplomats and possible Hezbollah operatives have been seen conducting at sensitive targets such as New York City's subways and bridges, and at nuclear power plants and tunnels elsewhere in the United States in the past 10 years.
At the same time, US officials caution that Hezbollah, a Shiite militia based in Lebanon, has largely avoided attacking US targets since it carried out mass-casualty bombings in the 1980s against the US Embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut. One reason may be that it does not want to endanger its lucrative North American fund-raising operations.
The renewed focus on Hezbollah – which US counter-terrorism officials regard as the most potent and disciplined of Islamic militant groups, even more so than al-Qaeda – comes amid a growing confrontation over Iran's nuclear program. An Israeli or US strike on Iran's nuclear sites could prompt Hezbollah to change strategy, moving from surveillance and fund-raising in North America to launching retaliatory attacks on either country, several US officials said. Israel, while acknowledging the likelihood of retaliation by Iran or its agents, has sometimes downplayed the risk of a broader conflict.
Iranian-inspired surveillance missions in the United States have been scattered over a period of years. But, when combined with a handful of recent attacks or plots around the world, they have contributed to an assessment within the US government that considerable violence directed against US targets – at overseas installations or businesses, or at American soil – could follow any strike on Iran's nuclear program.
US intelligence and law enforcement officials, along with private experts, say there is little doubt Hezbollah has an extensive network of supporters, fund-raisers and potential operatives in the United States.
'Thousands of sympathizers'
A law enforcement official said that the New York Police Department, whose monitoring of Muslim communities has prompted political controversy, believes that between 200 and 300 Hezbollah sympathizers live in New York City. Between 10 and 20 of those are relatives of Hezbollah leaders or fighters who were killed in action, said the official.
The NYPD's knowledge of Hezbollah's infrastructure is sufficiently detailed that it has identified three Lebanese towns, Bint Jbeil, Yanoun and Yatar, to which suspected sympathizers of the group have ties. At least a handful of people in New York connected with Hezbollah have also undergone military training in Lebanon, the official said.
A preliminary Homeland Security report said that pinpointing the number of Hezbollah operatives inside the United States was difficult because of the group's operational security. The report nonetheless cited the estimates of "some officials" that the group "likely" has "several thousand sympathetic donors" in the United States as well as "hundreds" of operatives. But other officials said there was a big difference between a Hezbollah "supporter" and someone who would be willing to engage in violent activity. The officials said such distinctions have been blurred in public discussions about the domestic threat the group allegedly poses. Over the years, US federal authorities have brought numerous criminal cases against alleged Hezbollah operatives, most of them related to fund-raising or other support activity rather than plotting against US targets. The access to potential funding sources is one reason why Hezbollah has avoided targeting the United States or its interests, experts say.
Because the United States is such a critical source for funds and equipment, Hezbollah might be reluctant to embark on attacks inside the United States – even if prodded to do so by patrons in Iran. Attacks against US targets overseas might be more likely, the report said. Some of the officials said that anxieties about possible Hezbollah – or Iranian-related attacks were increased in the wake of an alleged plot by Iranian agents to kill the Saudi ambassador in Washington and other alleged Iranian plots uncovered recently in Thailand, India, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Iran, Hezbollah significantly increase aid to Syria's Assad
By Amos Harel/Haaretz
http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/iran-hezbollah-significantly-increase-aid-to-syria-s-assad-1.422954Reports say Iranian officers, Hezbollah militants have supplied arms to Syrian troops and trained them, to aid Assad in his months-long effort to crack down on anti-regime protests in the country. Iran and Hezbollah have significantly stepped up support for embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad, Western intelligence reports have revealed.
The reports say that Iranian officers and Hezbollah militants have supplied arms to Syrian troops and trained them, to aid Assad in his months-long effort to crack down on anti-regime protests in the country. They also show that Hezbollah fighters were killed in clashes with rebel forces. Israeli defense officials told Haaretz this week that the potential fall of the Assad regime prompted Iran and Hezbollah to increase their involvement in the Syrian crisis. According to the officials, even though the Iranians believe Assad will survive the uprising, they are still preparing for a scenario whereby he is toppled, in order to maximize their influence on a post-Assad Syria.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak, backed by Military Intelligence information, said that Assad is past the point of no return and that his regime, which is enjoying less and less domestic and international legitimacy, is likely to implode. Barak did not specify a time frame. In late 2011, he incorrectly predicted that Assad’s fall would occur “within weeks.”
Analysts in Israel and the rest of the world were unimpressed with Assad’s declaration of victory in the flashpoint city of Homs earlier this week. Many say that Syria is sliding further into anarchy, and that it may meet the criteria of a “failed state” even before the regime collapses. Israeli officials are also skeptical about former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s recent efforts to put an end to the protracted crisis.
Recent data reveal that more than 10,000 people have been killed in clashes since the unrest began early last year. Some 20 percent of those killed were believed to be Assad loyalists; more than 80 percent were thought to belong to the opposition. The number of armed rebels is estimated at more than 10,000, but they suffer from chronic shortage of supply and interruptions in international support.
Iranian assistance to Syria, which has been ongoing for years and is dubbed “the shadow army” by Israel, consists of extensive arms shipments, which include rockets, mortars and anti-aircraft missiles that could be used against a potential air strike campaign by international forces, as well as riot dispersal means. The so-called shadow army was coordinated by Imad Mughniyeh and Mohammed Suleiman, who were killed in two separate incidents in 2008. Syria and Hezbollah claim the two were assassinated by Israel.
Iranian and Hezbollah assistance to Assad also includes the training of Syrian troops in urban warfare, as well as drone operations. Western intelligence reports reveal that Iranian Revolutionary Guard officials frequently make top-secret visits to Syria to advise the regime on how to deal with the rebels. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has beefed up the deployment of its troops along the Lebanon-Syria border, in an attempt to prevent arms spillover from Lebanon to Sunni opposition groups. Unlike Hamas, which ended its presence in Syria almost overnight after the crisis began, Hezbollah still maintains close ties with the Syrian regime and uses bases and ammunition reservoirs on Syrian territory.
The reports have also found traces of global jihad activity in Syria, mostly Al-Qaida and its ideological subsidiaries. The members of these organizations are mainly Sunni radicals, who arrived in Syria after U.S. forces withdrew from Iraq in December last year. It is likely that these groups are behind the recent spate of car bomb attacks in Damascus and its vicinity.

LF central council discusses attempted assassination of Geagea
April 6, 2012 /The Lebanese Forces Central Council met on Thursday night and discussed the assassination attempt against party leader Samir Geagea.
The council issued a statement following the meeting that “the [assassination] attempt aimed to alter [Lebanon’s political course] and rid [the country] of the political forces that support its sovereignty and independence.”The council also warned that the assailants would attempt to kill Geagea again. The participants in the meeting also criticized Telecommunications Minister Nicolas Sehanoui’s decision to block the release of telecom data covering the period from January 15 until April 5. “Doesn’t hiding the telecom data help, intentionally or unintentionally, to facilitate the [assassination attempt]?” the statement said.
On Wednesday, snipers targeted Geagea outside his Maarab residence in the district of Kesrouan, but failed to hit him.-NOW Lebanon

Two bullets and a ballot
Michael Young, April 6, 2012
It has been a busy few weeks for the Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea. On Wednesday he dodged a bullet—in fact two—just days after organizing a rally to commemorate the dissolution of his party in 1994. This followed Geagea’s high-profile criticisms in mid-March of two leading Maronite figures, Patriarch Bechara al-Rai and Michel Aoun—both men for defending the Syrian regime, and the second for having assailed the Sunni community. The security forces are investigating the assassination attempt. Regardless of what they find, Geagea is high on any list of politicians slated for elimination. Nor is there much doubt as to who would carry out such a crime. What will be interesting to determine, however, is how the Lebanese Forces leader uses the incident as he prepares for an essential moment in his political resurrection after his release from prison in 2005, namely parliamentary elections next year. That’s not to suggest that the sniper attack was a setup. But Geagea is a political animal par excellence, and someone shrewd enough to employ all the means at his disposal to ensure that he can bring a substantial bloc to parliament and challenge that of Michel Aoun.
There has been much speculation about what the assassination attempt actually meant. Are we returning to a new spate of killings similar to the one in 2005-2008? Geagea certainly sought to place the assault in that context, linking it, strikingly, to the elections of 2005 and the rationale behind the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. “Why did they assassinate … Hariri?” Geagea asked in a press conference, before explaining: “All he did was acquire greater power than they had given him, and it was clear that he was likely to acquire a parliamentary majority during the 2005 elections.”
The implication was that Geagea, too, had been targeted because he was expected to perform well in upcoming elections. Moreover, his remarks were designed to induce his audience to set off into specific speculative directions, all otherwise left unstated by the Lebanese Forces leader. Who loses if Geagea gains? Aoun, of course, but also his allies in Hezbollah. What does this tell us? Among other things, that Hezbollah has infiltrated the Christian mountains, where Geagea resides. And who has covered for Hezbollah’s growing military presence in these mountains? Obviously Michel Aoun.
That thought process could be damaging to Aoun next year. It comes in the wake of a dispute at the Antonine University, in which Shia students prayed outside a church in contravention of the institution’s rules. The Aounists were embarrassed by the consequences, and in the eyes of many outraged Christians responded lamely to what had occurred. Meanwhile, MTV, over which Geagea enjsoys influence, has broadcast reports of how Christian neighborhoods abutting the southern suburbs are being transformed by Shia-led construction.
Baabda, where Aoun and Hezbollah are powerful, will be a key electoral battleground for Geagea. Expect the Lebanese Forces to play on Christian fears of the demographic shifts in their neighborhoods. More broadly, from one side Geagea will scare Christian voters by raising the Shia scarecrow; from the other, Aoun will raise the Sunni scarecrow. The election themes in Christian districts will revolve around communal anxiety and identity politics, which risks leaving Christians even more isolated and wary than they already are.
Nor will there be a Maronite patriarch in place who can unite the community and inject confidence into his flock. Instead, the Maronites merely have Bechara al-Rai, who in sectarian terms has proven to be even more polarizing than Geagea or Aoun. Given the cleric’s weakness for politics, and his compulsive recklessness, the patriarch will be open to manipulation by both men.
Geagea is a deliberate operator. Whenever he does something, he usually has put some thinking into it. The Lebanese Forces leader has been consciously in the limelight lately, defining himself more sharply while differentiating himself just as sharply from other Maronite figures. He’s backed the Arab uprisings, especially in Syria, unlike most of his Maronite political and religious counterparts; he’s defended the Sunnis against Aoun, when many Christians are worried about Sunni political Islam throughout the Middle East; and he’s even attempted to portray himself as a man of regional stature, by inviting speakers from various Arab countries that are currently experiencing political upheavals to address the Lebanese Forces ceremony.
Elections are high on Geagea’s mind. He evidently feels that now is his time to make a qualitative leap forward to become Lebanon’s dominating Christian representative in the coming years. Aoun is his primary impediment, but time isn’t really on the general’s side, and many believe that the Free Patriotic Movement and its electorate will fragment once he leaves the scene. Someone will have to pick up the pieces, and Geagea aspires to amass a large share.
In that context, we can say, rather cynically, that the bungled assassination attempt could ultimately serve Geagea well. It casts a disparaging light on everything the Lebanese Forces leader has warned against, and, as during his 11-year imprisonment, shows him to be a man defying the odds. Geagea’s enemies, but also his allies, will have to remember that once election season comes.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of The Daily Star newspaper in Lebanon. He tweets @BeirutCalling.

U.S. says Geagea's targeting possibly due to views on Syria, Hezbollah
April 06, 2012/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: U.S. Department of State spokesperson Mark Toner said Thursday his country suspects that Samir Geagea’s attempted assassination may have been due to his criticism of President Bashar Assad and Hezbollah. “While we do not know who was behind the attack at this time, we are deeply concerned that Mr. Geagea may have been targeted because of his outspoken criticism of the Assad regime’s murderous repression and [Hezbollah]’s destabilizing actions in Lebanon,” Toner said in a statement.
An investigation was launched into Wednesday's failed attempt to assassinate Geagea with security forces launching a hunt for the culprits.
Geagea said Wednesday he had escaped an assassination attempt when sniper fire was directed at his residence in Maarab in Kesrouan, and warned that the political killings of the last decade may have yet to end. He also said the incident had required expertise, claiming that the shots had been fired at least one kilometer from the target site.
In his statement, Toner said that the U.S. condemned in the strongest terms what appears to be an assassination attempt on the Lebanese Forces leader, calling on the government of Lebanon to thoroughly investigate the incident. “Lebanon and the international community have sought to bring about an end to impunity for political assassinations with the 2009 establishment of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) to investigate the assassinations of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and other public figures from 2004 to 2007,” the statement added.
It also reiterated Washington’s support for the work of the U.N.-backed court which in late June of last year accused four Hezbollah members of involvement in the assassination of Hariri and 22 others.
“We call on the Government of Lebanon to cooperate fully with the Tribunal, including arresting those named in the 2011 indictment and providing funding to the Tribunal’s operations for 2012,” it said.
Geagea has always been a strong critic of Syria’s policy in Lebanon and has repeatedly criticized Hezbollah’s possession of arms, accusing them of destabilizing the country.

Lebanese Forces expects further attempted assassinations
April 06, 2012/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The Lebanese Forces Central Council said Friday that it expects further assassination attempts similar to that which targeted party leader Samir Geagea Wednesday, but claimed that those behind the attack were doomed to fail. “Lebanon might be taking a dangerous turn and whoever carried out this professional attempt will not hesitate to carry out other attempts and in other ways,” a statement released by the council said. It added that such attacks come because the perpetrators are in disarray: “[Their] mental state is collapsing day after day in the face of the Creator's ability and the steadfastness of the youth of Lebanon and the Arabs.”An investigation was launched into Wednesday's failed attempt to assassinate Geagea with security forces launching a hunt for the culprits.
Geagea said Wednesday he had escaped an assassination attempt when sniper fire was directed at his residence in Maarab in Kesrouan, and warned that the political killings of the last decade may have yet to end. He also said the attack had required expertise, claiming that the shots had been fired at least one kilometer from the target site. Friday's statement by the LF Central Council, released following a meeting in Maarab headed by Geagea, said that the “terrorist attempt was not only to assassinate a person or serve a blow to a party, it was also directed at resistance to tyranny and meant to strike at freedoms in Lebanon and the country's democratic system.” The council also claimed that the security services' lack of access to telecoms data enabling the tracking of telephone communications might have facilitated the perpetrators' acts. The controversy over the data was resolved earlier in the year when the Cabinet agreed to form a committee, headed by Prime Minister Najib Mikati, to discuss amending Wiretapping Law 240 and establishing a mechanism to regulate the work of the wiretapping command center, which was established late last year. From now until the committee finishes its task, the country’s highest judicial bodies will be tasked with approving or rejecting requests by the security services for telecoms data covering the entire country

On a knife’s edge
April 06, 2012/ The Daily Star
Even with the few details that have emerged over the attempted assassination of Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea it is clear that the target was not merely one politician, but the stability of the entire country.The only conclusion that can be drawn from the targeting of a political leader in such a position as Geagea, in a country such as Lebanon, is that the intention was to sow discord and strife among its people. Had the attempt succeeded, that intention would have been realized almost immediately, and the perpetrators of the incident must have been well aware of the violence that undoubtedly would have unfolded, and its long-term implications. It therefore cannot be written off – and forgotten – as an isolated incident. Knowledge of Lebanese history brings with it the knowledge that a desire for destabilization will not be deterred by one failure. The attempt, in some form, will be repeated; the perpetrators will continue working toward their bloody goal.
One need not look back far to see the evidence of this. Although the attempt on MP Marwan Hamadeh’s life in 2004 was thankfully unsuccessful, it heralded a series of similar incidents, ultimately leading to the assassination of the cream of Lebanese politicians, for which the country continues to suffer the fallout.
Despite the difficulty of trying to halt such determination on the part of whoever may be behind this week’s incident, the Lebanese authorities must now do everything within their power to do so.
This does not mean rushing into accusations about who the perpetrators are before concrete evidence is found – a strategy that risks doing more harm than good. It means taking swift and measured action and utilizing all available resources to investigate the incident fully. Questions will likely arise about the Lebanese authorities’ ability to deal with this investigation with the dedication and skill that is required. They must therefore move quickly and efficiently, and show they are doing so, or face legitimate calls for further international intervention.This government has consistently made much of the fact that, regardless of its other failures, it has been able to maintain security and stability in the country in the face of serious challenges. It is at a time like this that it must prove that these assertions were more than just words. It must now act, and do so without delay, procrastination, or missteps, in the investigation of this incident. The government must do its job with determination and transparency, so that the Lebanese people can feel secure. Lebanon’s citizens cannot soon hope to live with the guarantee that there will not in the future be more serious attempts to stir strife in their country. What they should be able to live with is the knowledge that their government will do all it can to prevent those attempts from unfolding into a repetition of the bloody events in its past.

March 8 dubious on Geagea shooting bid
April 06, 2012/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The Hezbollah-led March 8 parties’ reaction to an assassination attempt that targeted Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea was largely muted or outright skeptical Thursday.
Hezbollah and its Christian ally, MP Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement, kept mum on the incident that has jolted the political landscape, heightening fears of a new wave of political assassinations that targeted mainly March 14 politicians following the 2005 killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Geagea said Wednesday he had escaped an assassination attempt when a sniper fired at his residence in Maarab in Kesrouan, warning that the political assassinations of the last decade had not ended. Geagea said the attempt involved a high level of expertise, claiming the shots had been fired at least 1 kilometer from the target site. He said he was convinced that “those behind this operation wanted it to be a definitive message,” without specifically accusing anyone. Speaker Nabih Berri, a leading figure in the March 8 bloc, spoke with Geagea by telephone Thursday to congratulate him on escaping the attempt on his life. But Baalbek-Hermel MP Nawar Saheli, from Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, declined to comment on the incident. Asked whether Geagea’s hint that a political party might have been involved in the attempt was a reference to Hezbollah, Saheli told The Daily Star: “No comment.”
A group of pro-Syrian parties, in which both Amal and Hezbollah are members, issued a statement in which they said Geagea was searching for public support in the run-up to next year’s scheduled round of parliamentary polls. The parties added that Geagea was experiencing growing political isolation, because of the return of the Maronite patriarchate to “its unifying, patriotic role,” a reference to the recent chilliness in relations between the Lebanese Forces leader and Bkirki. Geagea has taken issue with statements by Patriarch Beshara Rai on the crisis in Syria, for being insufficiently tough on the regime in Damascus. Zahrani MP Michel Musa, a member of Berri’s parliamentary Development and Liberation bloc, condemned the attempt on Geagea’s life. In an interview with the Voice of Lebanon radio station, Musa stressed “the need for speeding up investigations [into the incident] and punishing those behind the attempt.”
He expressed his belief that no one had the intention of creating tensions in the country or seeing a deterioration in the security situation.
Aoun, an arch political foe of Geagea, has not yet commented on the assassination attempt against the Lebanese Forces leader.
But Jbeil MP Abbas Hashem, a member of Aoun’s parliamentary Change and Reform bloc, scoffed at Geagea’s claim that someone wanted to kill him.
“Only Geagea and his comrades experienced this assassination attempt which, if it is true, does not amount to an attempt to frighten him,” Hashem told Elnashra website.
He accused Geagea of using the incident to regain his role in Christian areas following recent criticism of him by the Maronite patriarch.
Responding to Geagea’s fears of a return to a period of political assassination, Hashem said: “When political attempts become useless, the issue of ‘security’ arises. But what happened with Geagea does not fall into this category. [The incident] was not a security breach, or even an attempt to frighten him.”
Former Minister Mario Aoun, an FPM official, said his party’s failure to condemn the attempt on Geagea’s life should not be overplayed. He told local television station MTV that the FPM was waiting to learn the truth of what happened.
“I am against targeting any political figure, irrespective of his tendencies, and I’m against any violent reactions,” Aoun said.

Hunt begins for Geagea shooters
April 06, 2012/By Hussein Dakroub The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Security forces combed the forest in the vicinity of Samir Geagea’s residence in Maarab Thursday in search of clues following a failed attempt to assassinate the Lebanese Forces leader as military experts said the operation required great expertise.
While few details emerged from the ongoing investigation, government officials scrambled to contain any negative reverberations from the incident, which has raised the specter of a return to a wave of political killings that rocked Lebanon following the 2005 killing of ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
“Army and Internal Security Forces personnel continued combing the wooded area [around the residence]. It turned out that the perpetrators had come from the west, not from the south or the north, using the paths [in the wooded area] for two-and-a-half to three hours. It was not possible to see them from outside the woods,” Geagea said in a television interview.
He said the surveillance equipment used by the perpetrators had been stationed 3-4 kilometers away from his residence. “Their surveillance equipment was independent from the people moving on the ground, or those who fired,” Geagea said.
Noting that security at the Maarab complex had not been compromised, Geagea said the perpetrators’ surveillance equipment had been in contact with an operations room as well as with the would-be-assassins and a group carrying a computer that directs snipers and sends signals.
“The sniping point has been discovered,” he added.
Geagea said Wednesday he had escaped an assassination attempt when a sniper’s shots were fired at his residence in Maarab in Kesrouan, warning that the political killings of the last decade had not ended. Geagea said the incident had required expertise, claiming that the shots had been fired a few kilometers from the target site.
The incident drew wide condemnation as security officials began investigations after inspecting the LF leader’s residence.
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said the alleged attempt to kill Geagea was a serious one.
“The [alleged] attempt to assassinate Geagea was part of a string of assassinations targeting Lebanese politicians. All Lebanese politicians are exposed to assassination because the aim is to destroy Lebanon,” Charbel told The Daily Star Thursday night.
Charbel said his ministry had collected evidence at the site of the shooting, proving that the alleged bid on Geagea’s life was serious. He said evidence such as slugs and broken glass had been found at Geagea’s residence.
Charbel said Israel had an interest in destabilizing Lebanon, but did not formally accuse the Jewish state of responsibility for the attack.
“A fifth column, which does not want to see security and stability in Lebanon, is hard at work to destabilize the country,” he said. “Israel is working day and night to destabilize Lebanon. Israel is the first beneficiary of instability in Lebanon and the region.”
“I am not accusing anyone,” Charbel continued. “The judiciary is still investigating the incident.”
Charbel added that the incident should prompt the rival March 8 and March 14 camps to return to the National Dialogue table, stalled since November 2010, in order to defuse political tension.
“Reconciliation should be promoted among the Lebanese politicians, who must talk to each other in order to overcome this stage,” Charbel said.
A military expert said the attempt to kill Geagea required great expertise.
“It’s a very complicated operation to mount, prepare, execute, perform and succeed. It is a well-organized and arranged act,” retired army Gen. Elias Hanna told The Daily Star.
Hanna estimated between 10 to 15 people had been involved in the assassination attempt. Some were tasked with surveillance, others with preparing the logistics, executing the assassination attempt and providing security cover, he said.
Hanna, who teaches political science at the American University of Beirut and Notre Dame University, said the group had been in contact with each through a system known as C4: Command, Control, Communications and Computer.
He said a 50-caliber rifle had been used by the would-be-assassins.
Hanna added that the failed bid on Geagea’s life served to “boost his popularity” in Christian areas “but also restricted his movements.”
Judicial sources told The Daily Star that Judge Claude Karam, the public prosecutor for Mount Lebanon, had spoken with witnesses, including some bodyguards in Maarab. Karam also met with Geagea, who briefed him on the information he had on the incident, the sources said.
A security source familiar with the investigation said preliminary information indicated that the two bullets targeting Geagea had been fired simultaneously from two 12.7 mm rifles from a position overlooking the LF leader’s headquarters following a surveillance operation. “This operation is complicated and it is not easy to uncover its perpetrators quickly,” the source said. “The perpetrators apparently prepared for the operation with professionalism, using the woods overlooking Maarab so that they would not be spotted by surveillance cameras.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. and the U.N. expressed concern over the incident.
“Ambassador [Maura] Connelly further conveyed to President [Michel] Sleiman the deep concern of the United States at the reports of an assassination attempt on a leading Lebanese political figure,” said a statement released by the U.S. Embassy.
The statement added “that Lebanon’s embrace of and support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon demonstrates it has definitively rejected such practices.”
U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly also expressed concern during a meeting with Charbel. “With Minister Charbel, I discussed security issues. I expressed my concern about the reported attempt yesterday on Mr. Samir Geagea, the leader of the Lebanese Forces party. Thankfully, nobody was injured,” he said.
The parliamentary Future bloc of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri warned that the alleged attempt to kill Geagea signaled a new, worrying phase.
“The bloc considers this criminal attempt as a link in a chain of crimes and terrorism that targeted leaders in Lebanon ... the bloc considers this dangerous attempt the beginning of a new stage of danger by criminals seeking to harm Lebanon,” it said in a statement. – With additional reporting by Youssef Diab

Baragwanath: STL cannot end impunity alone
 April 06, 2012/By Willow Osgood The Daily Star
BEIRUT: One day after Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea reported that he had been the target of an assassination attempt, Special Tribunal for Lebanon President David Baragwanath said that the court alone could not end political violence in the country.
“It would be highly presumptuous to suggest that the mere creation and operation of the STL can wave a magic wand and alter the conditions that gave rise to the series of assassinations,” Baragwanath told The Daily Star Thursday. “
The 14 attacks between Oct. 1, 2004, and Dec. 12, 2005, – which were the last of phase of the 86 assassinations that had occurred without coming to trial – that was the situation which the then-government of Lebanon could not countenance.”
Supporters of the court, which was established to investigate and try those responsible for the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri as well as related attacks, champion the body as a means to end impunity and the cycle of violence. After six years of relative calm, Geagea’s report Wednesday that he had escaped an attempt on his life sent shockwaves through country, fueling fears of a return of assassinations.
Though Baragwanath, who is a judge in the court’s Appeals Chamber, said the court could not single-handedly end impunity, he warned that those who commit violence would be brought to justice.“We cannot create a cosmic shift, but to say that we cannot do everything is not to say that we can do nothing,” he said. “I devoutly hope ... that the message gets through to killers or prospective killers that it’s just not worth it. They’re going to get chased with all the effort that can be marshaled ... within the rule of law.”
Baragwanath also defended the U.N-backed court, which has indicted four members of Hezbollah for the 2005 attack, from the accusations of political bias that have plagued it even before it began operating. “There’s been a lot of misapprehension about things. Suggestions, for example, that the STL is biased in some fashion. Some were even saying that former President [Antonio] Cassese was a puppet of a foreign government,” he said. “That’s as good as the assertion that President Cassese resigned his office of the president because he was having a fight with someone.”
Cassese resigned from his position for health reasons last October and died soon after. Some local newspapers had reported that his resignation was an indication of infighting at the court. Baragwanath was subsequently elected the tribunal’s president.
In response to a question on whether members of the court have contacted Hezbollah, Baragwanath said the court operates without political interest.
“I would cheerfully meet any member of Hezbollah or any other party. I don’t mean to single Hezbollah out; I’m speaking of all political parties. My position is that good people, whether they are in Hezbollah or any other party ... are entitled to the same protection as everyone,” he said. Baragwanath, who was on his second visit to Lebanon, met earlier in the week with President Michel Sleiman, Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Public Prosecutor Saeed Mirza, as well as members of the Beirut Bar Association and representatives from over a dozen non-governmental organizations.
While most members of the current March 8 Cabinet oppose the tribunal, the judge said he trusts the government to fulfill its obligations toward the court. “I have implicit confidence in the government of Lebanon and in the prime minister in particular to discharge Lebanon’s obligations. We saw what happened last year and I’m admiring of that,” he said.Last November, the Cabinet was paralyzed by a dispute over paying its share of funding for the court, which is 49 percent of the body’s budget, amounting to $32 million. Mikati broke the stalemate by ordering the payment from the budget of the prime ministers’ office through the Higher Relief Committee, narrowly averting the collapse of his government.
Baragwanath said he met with Lebanese leaders to brief them on the progress of the STL, including the landmark decision in February to move to in absentia proceedings against the accused.
Defense counsel assigned to the four men have since begun conducting their own investigations, as well as preparing to challenge the court’s jurisdiction.
Some tribunal detractors, such as Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, maintain that its creation was unconstitutional as the agreement between Lebanon and the U.N. was not signed by the Lebanese president or ratified by Parliament. Though Baragwanath could not comment on possible arguments against the jurisdiction of the court, which was established by the U.N. Security Council under Chapter 7 and is the first international tribunal to deal with the crime of terrorism, he said that two outcomes of such a challenge are possible.
“There are two logical options. One is we have no jurisdiction. In that event, the sooner the work of the tribunal is brought to an end, the better,” he said. “If on the other hand, we do have jurisdiction, that fact equally needs to be made clear at the first opportunity.”

Al-Rahi Urges End of Corruption in Easter Message
Naharnet/06 April 2012/Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi called on Good Friday for an end to violence and urged politicians to steer clear of corruption and the use of power for personal gains.
In his Easter message, al-Rahi rejected theft of public money and bribery.Without naming them, the patriarch said officials should be committed to the public good and reconstruction. He said each person should work for justice and end hatred. He preached the liberation from the chains of slavery and ending revolt against the will of God. The patriarch also called for peace in Lebanon, the world and Arab countries whose people revolted to enjoy democratic systems that would allow them to live in dignity and engage in public life. Meanwhile, Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) said President Michel Suleiman and al-Rahi will hold closed-door talks in Bkirki on Sunday to discuss the details of Pope Benedict XVI’s trip to Lebanon in September.Suleiman will attend Easter mass celebrated by al-Rahi in Bkirki.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai prays for peace, urges officials to work for public good
April 06, 2012 /The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai prayed Friday for peace in Arab countries and urged officials to work for the public good and not exploit their power for personal gain.“We ask Jesus for peace in the world and in our homelands, particularly the countries in our Arab homeland, which seek to live in dignity and enjoy personal freedom, and desire democratic governments that respect the dignity of every human,” Rai said during his sermon on the occasion of Good Friday in Bkirki.He added that the governments sought by the Arab people are those which enable citizens and groups to be an added value in the fabric of society. Good Friday is observed annually by Christians to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. His resurrection is celebrated three days later on Easter Sunday. Roman Catholics and many Protestants observe Good Friday this year on April 6. Eastern and Oriental Orthodox will observe Good Friday one week later on April 13.
“Everyone one is invited today to depart from state corruption and from exploiting power for private purposes and party gain and commit to the public good, renaissance and reconstruction,” Rai said.
The patriarch also urged officials to rid themselves of evil and steer clear of the theft of public money and the accepting of bribes, and to refrain from taking advantage of authority for personal or party gain. He also said that officials should do away with corruption at the state level. Rai added that everyone is invited today not to rebel against the authority of the family, the church and society and to instead pursue a path of humility and meekness.

Fayez Karam release stirs more angry reaction among Islamists’ relatives
April 06, 2012/By Antoine Amrieh The Daily Star
TRIPOLI, Lebanon: The families of some 40 Islamists being held in Roumieh prison objected Thursday to the release of Free Patriotic Movement official Fayez Karam, convicted of contacting Israel, as their relatives remain imprisoned without trial. During a news conference at the office of Hizb Ut-Tahrir in Tripoli, families of Islamist inmates denounced the release of Karam, who was convicted last year on charges of contacting Israelis and providing Mossad with information on the FPM and Hezbollah. “There has been no fairness at all in dealing with collaborators [with Israel] and the Islamist prisoners and all other inmates,” said Ahmad Qasas of Hizb Ut-Tahrir. Dozens of Islamists were detained following the three-month battle between the Lebanese Army and Fatah al-Islam militants at the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp in 2007. According to Qasas, all detained Islamists have been kept in Roumieh prison since then on charges of contacting militants in Iraq and Afghanistan. But Qasas said that none of them has faced trial. Karam was arrested in 2010 and sentenced to two years in prison for providing Israeli intelligence with information on Hezbollah and the FPM. He was released Tuesday after spending one year and eight months behind bars, benefiting from a new law that reduces the prison year from 12 to nine months.
“The collaborator Karam was accused of spying for the enemy, but the detained Islamists have been treated as criminals for contacting by telephone people in Afghanistan and Iraq who were fighting against foreign occupation,” said Qasas. While Karam received a swift trial and sentencing, the Islamist prisoners have spent years in prison without even making it to the trial stage, Qasas added.
“Parliament’s decision to reduce the prison year sentence to nine months has benefited Fayez Karam and other criminals, but has not addressed all those who are being arbitrarily detained,” Qasas added.
Separately, former Prime Minister Salim Hoss criticized the fact that Karam benefited from the sentence reduction law.
“We had hoped that the reduction of the prison year would not apply in the case of collaboration with the enemy,” Hoss said in reference to Karam’s release. “We condemn any kind of collaboration with the Zionist enemy and we consider it an act of national treason,” he said in a statement. Future Movement lawmakers have criticized Karam’s release, lashing out at Hezbollah for not commenting on the release of the FPM official. Karam has strenuously maintained his innocence, and has vowed to discuss his case at a later date.

Jumblatt denies intending to pull ministers over electoral law
April 06, 2012/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt denied in remarks published Friday that he would withdraw his ministers from the Cabinet if it approves an electoral law based on proportional representation.Jumblatt told Al-Akhbar that he has not made such a decision nor has he informed Prime Minister Najib Mikati or any political party of his intention to withdraw or resign from the Cabinet."No one has raised the issue of proportional representation other than [Interior Minister] Marwan Charbel, and no one raised the issue with us," the PSP leader added.
His comments come days after an MP from Jumblatt's National Struggle Front told The Daily Star on condition of anonymity that the bloc would not reverse its opposition toward proportional representation which Jumblatt and his bloc claim would decrease the PSP leader's influence. In a news conference on April 2, Cabinet Minister and PSP official Ghazi Aridi said that the party would reject any election law based on proportional representation if it determines that the law's intent is to diminish Walid Jumblatt’s political influence.Charbel recently announced that a new electoral draft law is expected to be finalized within two months.

Iranian cleric, Ahmad Khatami says Saudi is "centre of sedition"
April 06, 2012/Daily Star /DUBAI: An Iranian cleric accused Saudi Arabia on Friday of giving refuge to terrorists and committing crimes in Arab states including Bahrain and Syria, the Iranian Students' News Agency ISNA reported.Relations between Gulf heavyweight Saudi Arabia and Iran have been strained over Iran's nuclear programme and what Saudi Arabia and some other Gulf Arab states say is Iran's meddling in Arab affairs.Tehran denies the charge and has condemned what it calls foreign interference in the affairs of its closest Arab ally, Syria, and Saudi Arabia's deployment of foreign troops in Bahrain last year. "The Saudi government has become the centre of sedition in the region and a safe haven for terrorists such as (Tunisia's former president Zine al-Abidine) Ben Ali and (Iraq's fugitive Vice President) Tareq al-Hashemi," hardline cleric Ahmad Khatami said during a sermon at Friday prayers. "They are also committing crimes in Bahrain and taking seditionist acts in Syria ... I warn them that if they do not stop such actions, they will be burned with the fire they have created themselves," Khatami said, according to ISNA. Shi'ite Muslim Iran backed popular uprisings which have removed leaders in Egypt, Libya and Yemen but has steadfastly supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is a member of the minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam. Backed by Western countries, Riyadh has spearheaded Arab efforts to counter Assad's suppression of a year-old uprising and to demand that he step down. In October, the United States said it had uncovered an Iranian-backed plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington. Iran denied any involvement. Riyadh suspects Tehran of backing unrest led by neighbouring Bahrain's Shi'ite majority against the island state's Sunni monarchy, supporting Shi'ite rebels in northern Yemen and fomenting unrest among Saudi Arabia's own Shi'ite minority. Saudi Arabia has indicated it could increase oil output to make up for Iranian crude in the event of a European Union embargo against Iranian oil, a stance criticised by Iranian officials.

Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood: Iran ‘enemy’ for arming regime
April 06, 2012/By Lauren Williams The Daily Star
ISTANBUL: Secretary-General of Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammad Farouk Tayfour has hit out at “enemy” Iran for arming the Syrian regime, and described sponsor Turkey as a “model Islamic state.”In an interview following what he described as a “disappointing outcome” at Sunday’s Friends of Syria conference in Istanbul, the Brotherhood’s most senior representative at the Syrian National Council in Istanbul also confronted Kurdish accusations that the Muslim Brotherhood is doing Turkey’s bidding to pursue an Islamic state in Syria.
He said the SNC is committed to a civil state representing all Syrians, but added that a new Syria should be proportionately represented.“Islamic culturally and secular politically, [Turkey] is the model for the Islamic movement,” he told The Daily Star, adding, “the Iranian, on the other hand, is the worst.”Tayfour, a longtime Brotherhood leader from Hama, left Syria during the persecution of the Brotherhood under Hafez Assad during the 1980s and is considered at the fore of the party’s political activities.
In January, Tayfour revealed during an interview with Al-Hayat that he had rejected a power-sharing offer from Iran, which was conditional on Bashar Assad remaining in power.
Asked whether the position would change if another offer should follow recent talks and upcoming meetings between Turkey and Iran, Tayfour was resolute: “The removal of Assad is a must.
“If they change their position on this, we’ll see, but for the moment, we know that Iran is supporting the regime.”
Tayfour said he had evidence Iran had agreed to supply arms through Iraq. “The contract was signed one month ago and activated a week ago,” he said. “They are killing our people, along with Russia, and so for that reason they are our enemy.”Asked how he saw the Iranian alliance in a post-Assad era, Tayfour said: “It will be the continuation of a tense relationship ... there will be nothing new on Day Two.”
Citing “differing interests” between countries in the “Friends of Syria” group, Tayfour said the final communique had fallen short of expectations to “provide humanitarian corridors for Syrians, recognize the SNC in a legal capacity and arm the Free Syrian Army.”
The Friends group of countries committed to increase technical and communications equipment for rebel forces but endorsed a Russian-backed statement from joint-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan which called for all parties to adhere to a cease-fire in the country, allow humanitarian aid in to the country and for the Syrian government and opposition groups to enter into dialogue. It did not call on Assad to step down. Host country Turkey which has enjoyed a long relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood has led calls, along with the U.S., U.K. and France for Assad to step down. Importantly, in his opening address at the Friends meeting Sunday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not reiterate the call.
Tayfour said he believed Turkey’s position was stronger than that voiced at the conference. “The international community have differing positions on intervention,” he said. “Within that, the Turks are trying to maneuver and push ahead.” “Erdogan has been ahead of the U.S. and Western position from early on, he said ... The Turks wanted the final statement to be stronger but was less stern on the international stage ... The U.S. is not in exactly the same position as Turkey.”Asked to define how the Brotherhood saw Turkey’s role in Syria and the region more broadly, Tayfour said Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) offered an “ideal Islamic model.”“Erdogan’s AKP party is the model for the Islamic movement,” he said. “It is a model for all the Islamic world.”
Tayfour rejected Kurdish opposition claims that Turkey had pressured the council to remove demands for ethnic recognition.“The Kurds are only 8 percent of the Syrian population,” he said, “the rest are Syrians and Arabs.”“We knew ahead of the meeting that the Kurds would quit the council – they were seeking this attention.”He said the opposition “in general does not need to represent 100 percent of the people ... In Europe if you win a majority of 51 percent, you can win government. Why is it not the same with [the council]?”
Last month, ahead of the meeting, the Brotherhood issued a landmark 10-point statement outlining their aims for a moderate and pluralistic civil state that assured human rights and the women’s role in a post-Assad Syria.

Israel presents new deterrence policy
Shahar Chai/Ynetnews
IDF chief Gantz unveils new policy whereby any firing from Gaza, Sinai will be met with attack on Hamas, fire from Lebanon will result in attack on Hezbollah and any overseas attack will prompt response against Iran. IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz on Thursday declared a change in army police whereby any firing at Israel's south will be met with an attack on Hamas, regardless of the group behind the fire. Similarly, any firing from Lebanon will result in an attack on Hezbollah, and any terror attack by Iran's emissaries overseas will prompt a response against Tehran. Speaking at a conference in the Gelilot base, Gantz discussed the many threats Israel faces. "The IDF is Israel's sharpened sword and protector," he noted. He also addressed the firing of rockets at Eilat on Wednesday night. It is estimated that three rockets were fired from Sinai, one of which exploded near residential buildings. The remaining two rockets have yet to be found. There were no injuries. Egyptian officials denied that the rockets had been fired from Sinai, and one security official said the Israeli reports were erroneous. Referring to last month's round of violence in the south, Gantz said: "After disrupting a lethal terror attack, we endured attacks from the Gaza Strip for which Hamas was responsible. We acted with determination and caused grave damage to the terror organization. We proved once again that we are able to protect the lives of Israeli civilians and strike those who seek to harm us with force."Gantz warned that "anyone who tries to test us, domestically or overseas, will find a sophisticated army ready to defend Israel and subdue its enemies."Alluding to recent terror attacks in India, Thailand and Georgia, the IDF chief said, "We know the source of these attacks and those behind them must know that Israel's long arm will ultimately reach anyone who seeks to harm Israeli civilians and the Jewish people, Whether in Gaza, Lebanon or anywhere else."

IDF chief: Israel will reach all terrorists behind overseas attacks
By Gili Cohen/Haaretz
Benny Gantz says Israel knows who is responsible for recent attacks on Israelis and Jewish people and warns that whoever tries to test Israel 'will face a clever and powerful army.'IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz warned Thursday that Israel will ultimately find any terrorist that tries to launch attacks on Israeli citizens or the Jewish people. "Whoever tries to test our power, from close or far, from Gaza or Sinai, or any other place, will face a clever and powerful army that is determined to defend Israel and subdue its enemies," Gantz said on Thursday while speaking at a ceremony for outstanding officers. Gantz said that the rocket that was fired toward Eilat early Thursday morning is a very grave act, and warned that Israel will find those responsible for attacks on its people. He said that the IDF knows who is responsible for the terror attacks on Israelis and Jews overseas – such as in New Delhi and Toulouse. "We know what is the source of these terror attacks," Gantz said. "The organizers of these terror acts must know that whether it is in Gaza, Lebanon, or any other place, Israel will eventually reach any person who tries to harm Israeli citizens or the Jewish people." Earlier Thursday, Israel's Military Intelligence chief Major General Aviv Kochavi said that the rocket fired at Eilat shows the significant changes taking place in the region. "Terror organizations are strengthening their hold on the Sinai Peninsula," he said, noting that the IDF has foiled more than 10 terror plots in Sinai over the last two months

Courtroom Terror
by Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute
April 5, 2012
http://www.meforum.org/3207/courtroom-terror
Apologists often try to explain away Islamic terrorism as a byproduct of something else. The usual argument is that, because Muslims are politically, socially, or militarily weak—the archetypal example often given is Israel vis-à-vis the Palestinians—they have no choice but to resort to terror to strike at their stronger adversaries. In other words, they resort to terrorism simply to even the odds—hence the argument that terrorism is the "weapon of the weak."
Though this narrative is widely accepted, it is demonstrably false. Consider the following account that took place a couple of weeks ago in Muslim-majority Egypt:
More than 300 Muslim lawyers inside and outside a courthouse in the southern Egyptian province of Assuit today [3/16] prevented defense lawyer Ahmad Sayed Gabali, who is representing the Christian, Makarem Diab, from going into court. Mr. Diab was found guilty of "Insulting the Muslim Prophet" and was scheduled today for a hearing on his appeal. Attorney Dr. Naguib Gabriell, head of the Egyptian Union of Human Rights Organization, said there was "terror in the Assiut Court today." He added that he was on his way to court when he was advised that Muslim lawyers have issued death threats to any Christian lawyers who attend the court session. "Makram Diab was assaulted by Muslim lawyers during his transfer from the courtroom and security failed to protect him." Peter Sarwat, a Coptic lawyer, said that Muslim lawyers representing the plaintiffs prevented the defense team from entering court: "They said no Muslim will defend a Christian. It was agreed that Christian lawyers would take over and two Coptic lawyers volunteered, but the Muslims decided later that even Christians would not defend him." Sarwat said the Muslim lawyers wanted to assault the chief judge but he managed to leave the court via a rear door [emphasis added].
The report goes on to explain how Muslim lawyers and activists went to court to defend Diab's right to a fair trial only to be assaulted by other Muslim lawyers: "They were assaulting us in a beastly and strange way just because we went there to defend a citizen who happened to be a Christian," said one of the lawyers, adding that exiting the court required security intervention: "We left court in a security vehicle which took us to Security headquarters, otherwise, we don't know what the outcome would have been for us."
More details include eyewitnesses reporting that the Muslim lawyers were "armed with clubs." Several, including reporters, were injured in the ensuing melee, and human rights groups were "forced out of the courtroom by the Muslims."
Was the condemned Christian's attorney right to categorize this incident as "terrorism"? According to Dictionary.com, the primary definition of terrorism is "the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes." In other words, terrorism is not just limited to 9/11-type strikes, but involves intimidating, bullying, threatening, etc.—precisely what happened at this courthouse trial.
Some more key points to keep in mind:
Those making the death threats, physically assaulting others with clubs, and otherwise engaging in terrorist behavior were "more than 300 Muslim lawyers"; not jihadis or fugitives hiding out in caves, but lawyers.
The entire issue revolves around something that, by Western standards of freedom, would be a non-issue to start with: insulting a "holy" figure, Islam's Prophet Muhammad. In a Western court of law, the Christian "blasphemer" would not even be tried, but rather the terrorist "lawyers."
The attacks on fellow Muslim lawyers who merely sought to represent the condemned Christian is in keeping with Islam's doctrines of loyalty and disloyalty, which command Muslims always to side with fellow Muslims, while having enmity for non-Muslim infidels—certainly those perceived to have insulted their prophet.
The ultimate lesson emerging from this shameful fiasco is one of sheer predictability. Anyone familiar with the doings of the Islamic world—its history, its doctrines—cannot be surprised at any of the above: rage and violence in response to a non-Muslim insulting the prophet; rage and violence toward Muslim members of a legal system for trying to represent an "infidel"—these are quite standard, with ample precedent, regardless of whether the enraged Muslims are suit-and-tie wearing lawyers, or kalashnikov-toting jihadis.
Contrary to popular belief, then, and as this episode clearly shows, Islamic terrorism is not a byproduct of "weakness," but rather the typical approach to those who transgress the bounds of Sharia. Whether one man "blaspheming" Muhammad in a Muslim-majority nation (as in this example) or whether an entire nation existing on land perceived to be Islam's (as in the case of Israel)—terror is never far behind for those transgressing the bounds of Sharia.
*Raymond Ibrahim is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

Reform Party of Syria /RPS Statement With Regard to Bigotry and Racism by Syrian Oppositionists
We Fight For Liberty and Human Rights For ALL Syrians
Washington DC (April 5, 2012) -- Of late, there have been many incidents where Syrian oppositionists in the Diaspora have used intolerable language to describe the Syrian people along sectarian lines that benefit only the Assad regime.
Such approach is counter-productive to the Revolution and it is harming the people of Syria immensely because it shows that the Syrian Sunni Community cannot tolerate the other religious groups who have the right to enjoy the same fruits of freedom and peace of mind as all other Syrians do.
The language in question attacks the Alawites, the Shiia, and the Christians. One of the unacceptable words often used in their writings is: Nusayryah. The Nusayryah to intolerant Muslims is a disparaging label used against the Christian community. It is also a name by which the Alawites are referred to. RPS finds this labeling of Syrians to be totally and utterly unacceptable.
The Reform Party of Syria strongly condemns such language and urges all Syrians to show restraint and co-existential positions with all the people of Syria for the nation we all want to build. The Assad regime is the only winner in this game of showering insults against minorities who are suffering as much as the Sunni community is.
RPS stands at a distance from any Syrian oppositionist who belittles, denigrates, or dishonors one's race, religion, or the spirit of their rich culture. By insulting the precious minorities of Syria to include the Christians, the Alawites, the Shiia, the Druze, the Ismailis, and all the other minorities and the non-Arab Kurds, those oppositionists would invite the international community to abandon our just cause in favor of the Assad regime. What good will that do to our Revolution?
All Syrians must rise to the level of responsibility expected of any leader or people wishing to rule a country, including the ability to embrace all the people of Syria as one and their own. With bigotry and sectarianism, those Syrian oppositionists become the not so distant cousins to extremists terrorizing under a religious banner, which this political organization will not tolerate under any circumstances.
If this continues to occur, the Reform Party of Syria will, within a short period of time, start publishing names of those intolerant people on the Internet to contain their damage and to ostracize them for their behavior.
Please distribute this release widely. Thank you.

Minister Baird Announces Interim Board of Directors for International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development
April 5, 2012 - As Parliament will soon consider legislation to close the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (also known as Rights & Democracy), Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today announced the membership of the interim board that will ensure this is done in the most timely and orderly way possible.
“Our government has committed to finding efficiencies and savings while also promoting freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law around the world,” said Baird. “This group will help ensure a smooth transition of functions formerly under Rights & Democracy to within Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.
“We are working with a clean slate and intend to move forward.”
The members of the interim board of directors are:
Gérald Cossette, Associate Deputy Minister, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada,
Nadir Patel, Chief Financial Officer, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada,
Robert Dufresne, Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada,
Keith Christie, Assistant Deputy Minister, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada,
Denis Kingsley, Assistant Deputy Minister, International Platform, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada,
Sabine Nolke, Director General, Global Partnership Program, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada,
Rob Stewart, Assistant Deputy Minister, International Trade and Finance, Finance Canada, and
John Ossowski, Assistant Secretary, International Affairs, Security and Justice, Treasury Board Secretariat.
- 30 –
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-995-1874
Follow us on Twitter: @DFAIT_MAECI

Mubarak deputy, Omar Suleiman decides to run for Egypt president
April 06, 2012/By Aya Batrawy /Daily Star
CAIRO: A former strongman of ousted President Hosni Mubarak's regime announced Friday that he will enter Egypt's presidential race after supporters marched and pleaded for him to run.
Omar Suleiman's entry reversed an earlier decision and was likely to shake up an already heated race that pits former regime officials against Islamists for the country's top post.
It also was a blow to the hopes of the youth activists who spearheaded the popular uprising that toppled Mubarak last year but have been disappointed by the continued influence of members of his ex-regime and have been largely squeezed out of the race.
Suleiman, 75, was one of the most powerful figures of Mubarak's regime, running multiple secretive spy agencies. That makes him suspect in the eyes of many Egyptians, who had hoped to stamp out the old regime altogether.
But Suleiman's inside influence makes him a likely front-runner in the May 23-24 presidential election, with his main opponent likely to be Khairat el-Shater, candidate of the powerful Muslim Brotherhood, which has already shown its electoral might by winning nearly half of parliament in elections late last year.
Suleiman, a former general who appeared on television to announce that Mubarak would step down on Feb. 11, 2011, said earlier this week that he had decided not to run. But he issued a statement Friday on the state-run MENA news agency saying he changed his mind after hundreds of supporters held a rally urging his candidacy.
"I can only meet the call and run in the presidential race, despite the constraints and difficulties I made clear in my former statement," he said.
The announcement by Suleiman, a longtime Mubarak ally who served as Egypt's intelligence chief for 18 years, also was a major setback for two other ex-regime officials who have announced plans to run for president: former foreign minister and ex-Arab League chief, Amr Moussa, and former prime minister and Mubarak confidant, Ahmed Shafiq.
All three are widely seen as symbols of the old regime but have support among some liberals and moderates who fear the ' rising power.
Suleiman must now get 30,000 supporters to sign a petition before he can officially submit his application to run in time to meet the official filing deadline on Sunday. The vote is then set to take place end of May, with a possible run later. The announcement of who will lead the Arab world's most populous nation will be announced no later than end of June.
A win for Suleiman would largely keep control of Egypt in the hands of military, which took power after Mubarak's ouster last year.

US willfully blind on Syria
Tony Badran, April 5, 2012
Following the conclusion of the latest meeting of the Friends of the Syrian People in Istanbul last week, there has been speculation about a possible shift in US policy. However, the confusion that has plagued Washington’s thinking remains, as the administration continues to miss the issue that is confounding its regional allies—Iran. Even after Istanbul, the White House is still willfully blind to the major issue that is driving its allies’ push for decisive action. This is not without consequences for US standing, as its words ring increasingly hollow with its allies, and its posture, more resembling a spectator than a shaper of dynamics, seems sharply out of sync with the strategic contest with Iran that is playing out in Syria. Heading into the conference, the Obama administration had made amply clear that it opposed the arming of the opponents of the Assad regime. It’s now old news that regional allies deeply resented this decision. They have become so frustrated with the administration’s dithering that they are not only publicly criticizing its lack of action, but are also now openly ignoring Washington’s preferences.
For example, prior to the Istanbul meeting, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held talks with the Saudis aimed at securing their continued compliance with the US position on military support to the Syrian rebels. “Our main focus is to try and get the guns silenced,” a senior US official said afterward. Clinton told the Saudis that the priority was to forge a ceasefire and to support Annan’s mission. However, in another revealing comment, an unnamed Western diplomat noted what had become rather obvious: “What we are doing is not necessarily to the liking of some regional states.”
Sure enough, the Saudis were not impressed with the US secretary’s appeal. At the conclusion of the Friends of the Syrian People meeting, it was announced that the Gulf Arab states, led by Riyadh, were establishing a fund to pay salaries for the Free Syrian Army (FSA).
The public defiance of the US in itself was remarkable. Moreover, that it has fallen on US allies and clients to threaten concrete measures against the Assad regime speaks volumes about Washington’s lack of leadership. In fact, according to a report in the Kuwaiti al-Rai, some of these Arab states have grown so exasperated with US passivity that they are now coordinating closely with the UK to see what it could do to help the rebels.
The administration’s public messaging following the conference has further compounded its incoherence. When asked about where the US stood on the effort to directly fund the FSA, the State Department spokesperson noted that Washington’s regional allies “are making their own sovereign decisions about what they think is important,” adding that the administration “[has] not discouraged this initiative.”
Of course, the whole point of Clinton’s meeting with the Saudis was precisely to discourage any such initiative. But far from switching tracks, the administration remains stuck in the same frame of mind. What it seems poised to do next is to use the threat of this regional support for the FSA in order to get the Russians to pressure Assad to comply with Annan’s plan. Already, US officials are talking of an “important shift” in the Russian position following Moscow’s public support for an April 10 deadline for Assad to begin implementing the plan.
Needless to say, US and Russian interpretations of Assad’s compliance are bound to differ. What is sure, however, is that the Russians, much like Assad, will point – as indeed they have already – to any assistance to the opposition as a violation of the plan’s terms. But the Obama administration is also likely to cite these stipulations and to call on its regional allies to withhold lethal support for the FSA under the guise of fostering a fragile ceasefire.
Ironically, Washington’s own decision to supply the opposition with non-lethal communications equipment will likely be presented by the Russians and Assad as a breach of the Annan plan. All this underlines the absurdity of the administration’s current policy, whose logical trajectory leads to conforming the US position to that of Assad's backers.
And this is where the growing chasm with US regional allies lies. These states view the Syria crisis in terms of the regional balance of power. Tensions between Iran on the one hand and Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar on the other are becoming more visible every day. The Saudis in particular read the regional context in stark terms. They see the Iranians making moves in Bahrain and Yemen after having secured strong gains in Iraq, as well as an established influence in Lebanon. The last thing they want to see is Iran scoring a victory in Syria through an initiative that keeps Assad in power. Worse still, they saw that Tehran was clearly using the Annan mission to secure a seat at the Syrian negotiating table. Little wonder then that these allies stressed at the Istanbul meeting that the endgame of any initiative should be Assad’s departure from power.
The problem, of course, is that the administration has willfully dug itself into a hole with its support for the Annan plan. By wedding itself to this controversial initiative, Washington has created tensions with its regional allies instead of reassuring them that it is committed to advancing their common strategic interests by any means necessary. After Istanbul, it's clear the US is not there.
**Tony Badran is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He tweets @AcrossTheBay.