LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
April 09/2012

Bible Quotation for today/ Jesus Is Taken Up to Heaven
Mark 16/12-20: " After this, Jesus appeared in a different manner to two of them while they were on their way to the country. They returned and told the others, but these would not believe it.
Jesus Appears to the Eleven Last of all, Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating. He scolded them, because they did not have faith and because they were too stubborn to believe those who had seen him alive. He said to them, Go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to all people. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. Believers will be given the power to perform miracles: they will drive out demons in my name; they will speak in strange tongues; if they pick up snakes or drink any poison, they will not be harmed; they will place their hands on sick people, and these will get well. After the Lord Jesus had talked with them, he was taken up to heaven and sat at the right side of God. The disciples went and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and proved that their preaching was true by the miracles that were performed.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Interview with Assad's former university Professor Mousa al-Kurdi: Al-Assad has become a “monster/April 08/12
If Islam is the solution then the Muslim Brotherhood is the problem/By Yousef Al-Dayni/Asharq Alawsat/April 08/12
Syrian disinformation about Christian persecution/by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, Oskar Svadkovsky and Phillip Smyth/April 08/12

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for April 08/12
Deadly Bomb Blast Rocks Area near Church in Northern Nigeria
Pope Benedict to visit Lebanon Sept. 14: Rai
Al-Rahi Confirms Pope’s Sept. Visit: We’re Cooperating with Suleiman to Ensure Lebanon’s Neutrality
Pope marks Easter with call for Syria violence end
Pope, in Easter message, backs Syria peace plan
Special IDF units prepare for next Lebanon war – and legal fallout
Report: U.S. operated inside Iran to collect information on nuclear program
Israel official: Iran official's comments prove existence of military nuclear program
Israel signals willingness to accept Western plans for next round of Iran nuclear talks
Egyptians cooperating with Israel to fight Sinai terror
Palestinian militants fire two rockets from Gaza into Israel
Geagea says assassination attempt will not deter LF resolve
Report: Geagea Murder Attempt Marks Beginning of Wave of Security Unrest in Lebanon
Lebanon's Arabic press digest - April 8, 2012 The Daily Star
Unknown individuals set fire to Tyre shop
Monti praises Lebanon dissociation policy toward Syria
Sleiman says 1960 elections law undesirable
Higher Islamic Council urges Arabs to save Syrian lives
Jumblatt backs down on proportional representation
Hariri denies report father's residence was sold
Report: Hizbullah Seeking to Improve Aoun’s Ties with Jumblat ahead of 2013 Elections
Report: Majority in Lebanon Believes Proportional Electoral Law Will Not Be Approved at Parliament
Mansour heads to Libya to follow up on Sadr case
Israel finds dud rocket near Eilat: military
U.S. to demand Iran immediately close Fordo nuclear facility
Syria wants guarantees to pull troops from cities
Syria suggests it might not pull forces by deadline
Three days before cease-fire comes into force, Syrian army kills dozens
Syria wants 'written guarantees' from opposition
Egyptian court stops opposition figure from presidential run
Egypt's former spy chief joins presidential race
Iraq: Video appears to show top Saddam deputy
Turkey warns of 'steps' if Syria mayhem doesn't end
Israel calls on Iran to give up enriched uranium
U.S. drone strike kills 8 Qaeda suspects in Yemen


Deadly Bomb Blast Rocks Area near Church in Northern Nigeria
Naharnet/ 08 April 2012/A large bomb exploded near a church in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna as Easter Sunday services were being held, killing at least two people, residents and police said.
Residents suggested the explosion, which left at least 10 hurt, was caused by a car bomb parked outside the church, in a stark reminder of Christmas Day attacks in Nigeria that left dozens dead.A spokesman for the national emergency management agency said most of the victims appeared to be motorcycle taxi drivers who were in the area at the time.
Police confirmed the explosion was a bomb, but did not comment further. "We have a bomb explosion. We are trying to sort things out," police spokesman Aminu Lawal told AFP.Residents reported seeing dead and injured being taken away. One resident said he saw at least two dead bodies. "While we were there, two dead bodies were brought out and loaded onto a waiting van along with 10 injured, but while the recovery and rescue operation was going on we were chased away by soldiers and policemen who cordoned off the area," he said. Another resident said that "from my balcony, I could see policemen loading the dead and the injured into waiting vans." One resident said the explosion was strong enough to shake his house and cause his ceiling to cave in. He ran to the site, which had already been cordoned off, but he said he could see damage to the Assemblies of God Church and cars. Islamist group Boko Haram carried out a series of attacks on churches and other locations on Christmas Day. The worst of those attacks occurred at a church outside the capital Abuja, where 44 people died. Authorities as well as foreign embassies had warned of the possibility of an attack on Easter Sunday.
The Islamist group's increasingly bloody insurgency has left more than 1,000 people dead since mid-2009. Police and soldiers have often been the victims of such attacks, though Christians have occasionally been targeted as well. The group also claimed responsibility for the August suicide bombing of U.N. headquarters in Abuja which killed 25 people. Its deadliest attack yet occurred in the northern city of Kano on January 20, when coordinated bombings and shootings left at least 185 people dead. Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation and largest oil producer, is roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south.Kaduna is a major cultural and economic center in Nigeria's north.SourceAgence France Presse.

Pope, in Easter message, backs Syria peace plan
By Philip Pullella/VATICAN CITY | Sun Apr 8, 2012
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A fatigued-looking Pope Benedict threw his weight behind a United Nations plan to end bloodshed in Syria in his Easter Sunday message, calling for "an immediate commitment" to peace efforts there. The 84-year-old pope gave a shorter-than-usual blessing from the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica after an outdoor Easter Mass attended by more than 100,000 people in a St Peter's Square bedecked with yellow and white flowers. "May the risen Christ grant hope to the Middle East and enable all the ethnic, cultural and religious groups in that region to work together to advance the common good and respect for human rights," he said.
"Particularly in Syria, may there be an end to bloodshed and an immediate commitment to the path of respect, dialogue and reconciliation, as called for by the international community," he said, speaking to a festive crowd packed into the square and surrounding streets. There was no official explanation why his twice yearly "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) speech was shorter than in previous years but the pope, who turns 85 on April 16 and has appeared frail recently, looked drawn and tired at Sunday's Mass. Easter Sunday, the most important day in the Christian liturgical calendar, capped an intense period of recent activity for the pope, including a grueling trip to Mexico and Cuba late last month and five religious services this past week.
As the pope spoke in Rome, Syrian troops pounded opposition areas, activists said, killing 74 civilians in an offensive that has sent thousands of refugees surging into Turkey before next week's U.N.-backed ceasefire aimed at staunching a year of bloodshed. A peace plan formulated by U.N-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan calls for a truce to take effect early on Thursday if government forces begin pulling back from towns 48 hours earlier. Both sides have accused the other of intensifying assaults in the run-up to the truce. The pope also made an appeal on behalf of civilians fleeing the Syrian conflict, most by fleeing to Turkey."May the many refugees from that country who are in need of humanitarian assistance find the acceptance and solidarity capable of relieving their dreadful sufferings," he said.
CONDEMNS ANTI-CHRISTIAN "TERRORISM" IN NIGERIA
He also called for "stability and development" in Iraq, urged Israelis and Palestinians to "courageously take up anew the peace process," and condemned recent "savage terrorist attacks" against Christian churches in Nigeria. While the Mass was in progress, the Vatican announced that the pope will visit Lebanon on September 14-16 to deliver the results of a Vatican synod of bishops on the Middle East in 2010. At the end of his Easter message, Benedict wished the world a Happy Easter in 65 languages, including Arabic, Hebrew and other languages spoken in the areas in mentioned in his peace appeals
Benedict started Easter celebrations on Saturday night when, at a solemn vigil Mass in St Peter's Basilica, he said technological progress, in the absence of awareness of God and moral values, posed a threat to the world."The darkness that poses a real threat to mankind, after all, is the fact that he can see and investigate tangible material things, but cannot see where the world is going or whence it comes, where our own life is going, what is good and what is evil," he said..

Pope Benedict to visit Lebanon Sept. 14: Rai April 08, 2012/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai announced Sunday that Catholic Pope Benedict XVI would tour Lebanon on an official visit starting Sept. 14. Rai’s announcement came during an Easter Sunday Mass held at Bkirki. The head of the Maronite Church said Pope Benedict’s visit would be between Sept. 14 and Sept. 16 and that he would meet top officials, including President Michel Sleiman. A statement from Sleiman's office said the visit would affirm the depth of the “historical relations that tie Lebanon with the [Vatican] and will form an occasion to focus on Lebanon's position, message and role as a witness of freedom and coexistence."

Report: U.S. operated inside Iran to collect information on nuclear program
By Haaretz/Washington Post reports that CIA has collected intelligence on Iran for past three years, which boosts U.S. confidence during upcoming Iran talks.The CIA has been operating stealth surveillance drones deep inside Iran for the last three years, the Washington Post reported on Sunday. The drones were operating freely above hundreds of suspicious facilities, before the aircraft, named the RQ-170 Sentinel, crashed within Iran in December. According to U.S. officials, the drones, that have been scouring dozens of sites throughout Iran, have given the Obama administration confidence that the U.S. will see any activity that would indicate Tehran decided to assemble a nuclear bomb. “There is confidence that we would see activity indicating that a decision had been made,” a senior U.S. official was quoted as saying by the Washington Post. “Across the board, our access has been significantly improved.” The Obama administration believes that the improved intelligence gathered through these covert operations will strengthen its bargaining power in the upcoming nuclear talks with Iran. According to the report, the surveillance of Iran's nuclear program has been gaining momentum since the last years of the Bush administration. This included increased eavesdropping by the National Security Agency, the establishment of an Iran task force, and an expanded network of spies. Recently, the Obama administration has cited new intelligence reports to argue against an Israeli preemptive strike against Iran's nuclear facilities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, however, have been arguing that Iran is nearing the final steps toward developing a nuclear bomb and have been pushing for a more aggressive approach.

Special IDF units prepare for next Lebanon war – and legal fallout
By Gili Cohen/Haaretz /Ground forces are expected to contribute much more than in 2006, when Israel relied mainly on the IAF, which would entail much more intense urban warfare.Almost six years after the Second Lebanon War, special Israeli units are preparing to take part in mass incursions into Lebanon if another round of fighting with Hezbollah breaks out. Just as important, they are being trained to heed the legal implications. Officers say the Israel Air Force would destroy targets like training bases and rocket-launching pads within a few days, based on the intelligence gathered by the Israel Defense Forces. But this would not be enough, so a ground offensive would be necessary. "When you stick an [Israeli] flag [on enemy territory], there's no question who won," says a high-ranking officer who requested anonymity. "You need to seize a geographic space. This is the only way the concept of victory can be established."
The IDF has been trying to improve its performance if hostilities resume, but so has Hezbollah. The Shi'ite organization has built fortified lines with underground command posts and improved operational capacity. Its rockets are hidden in better-camouflaged launching pads. The ground forces are therefore expected to contribute much more to the war effort than in 2006, when Israel relied mainly on the IAF. This would entail much more intense urban warfare, with many civilians caught in the crossfire, and the attendant legal implications.
"Everything that we've seen with the flotillas, Operation Cast Lead and the implications in terms of international law have left a strong impression on us," says Lt. Col. Sahar Abergil, commander of the special elite unit Yahalom. That unit specializes in bunker warfare and is likely to carry much of the military burden.
"I hope we'll take [international law] into account during the fighting," Abergil says. Yahalom soldiers, along with the men and dogs of the IDF's Oketz canine unit, finished a long training session last week.
"It's not patrols or raids on Palestinians we're simulating here, but a full-fledged war," says Oketz's commander, who gave his name as Sivan.
One of Oketz's main tasks is to distinguish between militants and uninvolved civilians. "Our dogs know how to spare civilians and home in on terrorists," says Sivan, a captain. "How do they? That's our secret." When closing in on a house where the enemy is thought to be hiding, the soldiers must order everyone to exit. Those who don't come out are considered suspects, and the dogs soon get an order to attack. According to Abergil, "Our goal is that the dogs won't take on civilians. "That's why we include pretend civilians in our drills, to show the soldiers that there are no hard-and-fast rules."
He says the soldiers also discuss moral dilemmas that may have legal ramifications. For example, they are expected to cope if a woman wearing a coat and a little boy approach their post.
"Do they open fire? Do they shout? Do they wound them? Our soldiers understand that it might be a terrorist cynically exploiting a 5-year-old boy, and they're supposed to try to find indications," says Abergil. "Could she be deaf? Or maybe blind and she's being led by the boy? The army's encounter with a civilian population is never simple, and there's no way to master it fully. We're trying to instruct the soldiers to use their discretion and common sense. At the end of the day, this is war."

Israel calls on Iran to give up enriched uranium April 08, 2012/Daily Star
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel's defense minister is calling on Iran to give up its stockpile of enriched uranium ahead of a new round of international talks over its disputed nuclear program.Ehud Barak told CNN on Sunday that Iran should ship all of its uranium enriched at the 20 percent level to a "trusted" neighboring country. He also says the international community should demand that Iran no longer enrich uranium to that level.The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, along with Germany, are to begin talks Friday with Iran. The international community, including Israel, suspects Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons. Enriched uranium is a key ingredient in bomb making, though enrichment would have to be much higher for a weapon. Iran says its nuclear activities are peaceful.

Report: Geagea Murder Attempt Marks Beginning of Wave of Security Unrest in Lebanon
Naharnet/08 April 2012/The security situation in Lebanon is “fragile” and any security incident may lead to internal unrest, reported Al-Seyassah Kuwaiti newspaper on Sunday.A centrist ministerial source told the daily: “Unrest will erupt in more than one region, especially in areas of mixed political presence in order to avoid blame being directed against a certain camp.” It added that “saboteurs” have been deployed in areas that are controlled by the March 14 camp. “The unrest is aimed at destabilizing Lebanon through assassinating an influential opposition figure and damaging the country’s tourist season,” it revealed. On Wednesday, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea was the target of a failed assassination attempt at his Maarab residence. The source predicted that security incidents will take place “very soon, because all the signs indicate that the situation has reached a dangerous phase given the escalation of the crisis in Syria.”It explained that Syrian regime is keen ending the popular uprising against it and it may therefore seek to shift attention from its crackdown by creating strife elsewhere, such as Lebanon.Mustaqbal bloc MP Ahmed Fatfat told the daily that “everything is possible” after Geagea’s assassination attempt, adding: “It seems that we have entered a new phase in Lebanon and everything is possible for the criminal mind that does not heed the consequences of its actions.”

Geagea says assassination attempt will not deter LF resolve
April 08, 2012/ The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said over the weekend the recent attempt on his life would not deter his party from its mission or message. “Everything that has happened does not frighten us and will not delay us,” said Geagea, who spoke in a televised speech at a ceremony organized by his party in Zahle, east Lebanon, Saturday. “The criminals should know that their attempt [to assassinate the LF chief] will not deter us from our resolve,” he added. 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. The LF leader said the attempt involved a high level of expertise, claiming the shots had been fired at least 1 kilometer from the target site.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing. On Saturday, hundreds of Lebanese Army personnel combed hills northwest of Maarab, the Kesrouan headquarters of the LF and the residence of Geagea, as part of investigations to identify the perpetrators of attempted assassination. While reactions to the news of the incident has drawn wide criticism both locally and internationally, the March 8 coalition reaction has remained, for the most part, muted or outright skeptical. Without referring to the incident, Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad said Saturday “some want to exaggerate some issues or aggravate some of the events in order to turn attention away from the interests of the country.” Raad’s comments drew a swift response from MP Strida Geagea, who said the attempt on her husband’s wife was not to be taken lightly.“The stances by the president, prime minister, to the clear position of the interior minister and the serious attention [on the matter] by the heads of the army and the general director of the interior ministry and by judicial and security apparatuses, all these [positions] point clearly to the seriousness of the attack and in itself acts a devastating response to Raad’s comments,” the female lawmaker said Saturday.

Al-Rahi Confirms Pope’s Sept. Visit: We’re Cooperating with Suleiman to Ensure Lebanon’s Neutrality
Naharnet /Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi stressed on Sunday the need to distance Lebanon from regional axes. He said during Easter sermon: “We are cooperating with President Michel Suleiman to ensure Lebanon’s neutrality so that it remains an oasis of peace, justice, and dialogue between cultures.” “These efforts should also enable Lebanon to act as a bridge between East and West,” he added.
“Suleiman is trying to break down the divisions between the Lebanese factions and instill an atmosphere of cooperation among them,” he said. “Lebanon’s value lies in its cultural and religious diversity, which is at the heart of democracy,” declared the patriarch. In addition, al-Rahi confirmed before the congregation Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Lebanon, which will take place between September 14 and 16.
The pontiff is expected to hold talks during his trip with Suleiman and a number of political and civil authorities.

Sleiman says 1960 elections law undesirable
April 08, 2012/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman said Sunday he hoped the country would not adopt the election law of 1960 and condemned the recent attempted assassination of Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea. “We live in a democracy and I hope we do not return to the election law of 1960 given that all the parties have highlighted the inadequacy of the 1960 law in today’s age,” Sleiman told reporters after a meeting with Patriarch Beshara Rai at Bkirki. Sleiman backs a draft electoral law based on proportional representation authored by Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, while Progressive Socialist Party head Walid Jumblatt, who has a share in the Lebanese government, leans toward the current winner-take-all system, an amended version of the pre-Civil War 1960 legislation. The 1960 version, used in the 2009 polls, adopts the administrative unit of the qada as the so-called “small” electoral district, while the Taif Accord stipulates the larger governorate as the electoral constituency. Splitting the difference is Charbel’s draft, which can be termed as relying on medium-sized districts. Sleiman said he would follow up on discussions of the draft proportional representation law and said the government “was open to all democratic discussions on this matter.”
The president, who later attended an Easter Mass at Bkirki, also told reporters that he had discussed with Rai the recent attempted assassination of Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and condemned the attack. “We brought up this subject and this act is strongly condemned,” he said, expressing hope that investigations into the case would bring to justice those behind the Wednesday attack.
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.
Sleiman said Sunday he would maintain stability in the country. “We will not allow Lebanon to be turned into an area where these acts are permitted and that internal stability and peace be shaken,” he said.
Sleiman said stability in the country, “particularly this year,” could be traced to the Taif Accord, “which provided a safety net over all the Lebanese regions and set a balance between political elements of society.”Sleiman’s comments came ahead of an Easter Mass headed by Rai, who said he would work with the president, away from all forms of division.
“We, as a Church, will work with you, Mr. president, with all good will for the unity of the Lebanese people in all its sects and elements, away from all divisions and enmity,” Rai said during the Mass.
Rai also said he would work with Sleiman to prevent Lebanon being drawn into regional and international alignment, “whether at the political, religious or sectarian level.”

Lebanon's Arabic press digest - April 8, 2012 The Daily Star
Following are summaries of some of the main stories in a selection of Lebanese and pan-Arab newspapers Sunday. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports.
Al-Mustaqbal
Hezbollah says issue of Geagea exaggerated and Strida rejects making light of the issue
While there was a noticeable increase in the number of massacres committed by the Baath regime in Syria, a dangerous development, the “border” massacre, took place at Jouesiyeh which is controlled by Syrian General Security near Lebanon’s Masharih al-Qaa. A rocket-propelled grenade struck two Lebanese buses which led to the killing of six Syrians, one Lebanese and wounded at least 21 more.
In the meantime, and in the aftermath of the attempted assassination of Lebanese Forces leader Dr. Samir Geagea, there have been no breakthroughs in the investigation and it appears clear that the probe has been hampered by Telecoms Minister Nicholas Sehnaoui holding on to the telecoms “data” from investigators.
A security sources said “the Telecoms Ministry not providing security agencies the “data” is hindering their work.”
The case of the assassination attempt was followed up by President Michel Sleiman, Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi, General Prosecutor Saeed Mirza and judges Claude Karam and Hatem Madi.
While March 14 coalition officials slammed the refusal to hand over the telecoms “data,” the head of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, MP Mohammad Raad, considered that “some want to exaggerate some issues or aggravate some of the events in order to turn attention away from the interests of the country.”
Raad’s comments provoked a response from LF MP Strida Geagea, who rejected “making light of the attempted assassination of Dr. Samir Geagea,” noting the statements by the prime minister and the president on “the clear stance of the interior minister and the serious attention [on the matter] by the heads of the army and the general-director of the Internal Security Forces, and that judicial and security apparatuses all stress the seriousness of the assault, which constitutes a devastating response to MP Raad’s comments.”
Al-Hayat
Hezbollah seeks cooperation between Jumblatt and Aoun
A prominent political source in the majority told Al-Hayat that there was a general conviction that the adoption of proportional representation in the 2013 elections is impossible given the difficulty of securing a majority, whether in Cabinet or Parliament, and that it would not pass in Parliament if those wanting it managed to pass in government, despite doubts as a result of the outright rejection on the matter by one of the principle poles that includes the head of the National Struggle Front parliamentary bloc MP Walid Jumblatt. The source said this conviction on the difficulty of adoption proportional representation comes after most parties suggested a return to the 1960 elections law ... with the amendments to which were agreed upon as part of the Doha Accord between the March 8 and March 14 coalitions. The source said Hezbollah has begun looking into the political and elections maps that will dictate the 2013 polls on the basis of the 1960 election law, which some have dubbed as the Doha Accord [elections] law, in the hopes of securing the majority for the March 8 coalition.

Annan decries 'atrocities' in Syria
April 08, 2012/Daily Star /GENEVA: Kofi Annan, the joint U.N. and Arab League envoy on Syria, urged Syria's government on Sunday to fully implement its commitment to a cease-fire, and he condemned "a surge in violence and atrocities" that is occurring there.Annan said in a statement in Geneva that the fighting is causing "alarming levels of casualties, refugees and displaced persons" and that it must stop.Activists say Syrian troops are continuing their assault on restive regions, despite a plan that calls for government forces to withdraw from towns and villages by Tuesday, and for the regime and rebels to lay down their arms by 6 a.m. Thursday. But Syria's government appeared to be backtracking on Sunday by demanding written guarantees from its foes to lay down their weapons before withdrawing its own troops. The commander of the rebel Free Syrian Army, Col. Riad al-Asaad, quickly rejected that demand, saying his group does not recognize Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime and therefore will not give such guarantees.

Syria wants 'written guarantees' from opposition
The BBC's Jim Muir:
Syria's government wants "written guarantees" from the opposition before it withdraws its troops from flashpoints in parts of the country. Peace envoy Kofi Annan had not yet supplied agreements in writing from "armed terrorist groups to stop violence in all its forms", it said. The statement comes two days before a UN-backed deadline for a ceasefire.The leader of the rebel forces has refused to agree to Damascus's demands, the Associated Press reports.Colonel Riad al-Asaad, commander of the rebel Free Syrian Army, said his group did not recognise President Bashar al-Assad's government and therefore would not give guarantees. He told the AP by telephone that rebel soldiers would lay down their arms if the government in Damascus abided by Mr Annan's peace plan.
Earlier, in a statement from his office in Geneva, Mr Annan spoke of his "shock" at the recent escalation in bloodshed but did not directly mention the Syrian foreign ministry statement.
Saturday saw some of the deadliest violence yet in the year-long uprising with as many as 160 people killed. As we get closer to the Tuesday 10 April deadline, I remind the Syrian government of the need for full implementation of its commitments ”Major new offensives are being reported by activists in the central city of Hama, the north-west province of Idlib and Aleppo, a province in the far north.
Severe doubt Under Mr Annan's six-point plan - which received UN approval last week - all parties are expected to halt armed violence by 10 April, with a full ceasefire on 12 April.
But Syria's foreign ministry said on Sunday that the international community was "mistaken" in its belief that Damascus had said it would pull its troops from cities and their suburbs by Tuesday.
"Kofi Annan has until now not furnished to the Syrian government written guarantees about the acceptance of the armed terrorist groups to stop violence in all its forms, and their readiness to surrender their weapons so that state authority can spread on all territory," the statement said.
Damascus also wanted "guarantees of commitment by the governments of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey to stop financing the armed terrorist groups", it said.
The BBC's Jim Muir, reporting from neighbouring Lebanon, says it is clear that Damascus is seeking complete surrender from the opposition rather than accepting a balanced truce arrangement and then talks. That leaves both the timeline and the whole structure of the Annan peace plan under severe doubt, he adds. Kofi Annan said he was shocked at "recent reports of a surge in violence and atrocities in several towns and villages in Syria, resulting in alarming levels of casualties, refugees and displaced persons, in violation of assurances given to me".
"As we get closer to the Tuesday 10 April deadline, I remind the Syrian government of the need for full implementation of its commitments and stress that the present escalation of violence is unacceptable," he said in his statement. "This is a time when we must all urgently work towards a full cessation of hostilities, providing the space for humanitarian access and creating the conditions for a political process to address the legitimate aspirations and concerns of the Syrian people."

Syria suggests it might not pull forces by deadline By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 8:20 AM EDT, Sun April 8, 2012
(CNN) -- Syria will not commit to pulling armed forces from cities only to have "armed terrorist groups" commit attacks, a Syrian foreign ministry spokesman said Sunday. The comments, made by Jihad Maqdisi on state-run TV, came two days before a Tuesday deadline for regime forces to withdraw from cities, which the government had agreed to as part of a peace plan laid out by U.N.-Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan. But "Annan did not give written assurances that the armed groups would turn in their weapons," Makdissi said. Annan has said he expects rebel fighters to also cease fire after the Tuesday deadline, but the deadline itself was for regime forces to withdraw from cities. "Syria will not repeat what happened during the (Arab League) mission, when it committed to the exit of its armed forces from the cities and surrounding areas, then the armed terrorist groups took advantage to arm its members and conduct all forms of terrorism," Makdissi said, referring to an Arab League monitoring mission that took place several months ago. Throughout the more than year-long uprising against the regime, the Syrian government has consistently blamed violence on "armed terrorist groups." But U.N. and other world leaders have said the government is engaged in a violent crackdown. Reports from Syrian opposition activists suggest government forces are slaughtering civilians in an attempt to wipe out dissidents seeking President Bashar al-Assad's ouster. The al-Assad family has ruled Syria for 42 years.
Rebel fighters have taken up arms, but their strength has often paled in comparison to the better-equipped regime troops.
At least 12 people were killed in fresh violence across the country Sunday, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, a network of opposition activists. The deaths included three in Hama; four in Homs; two in Deir Ezzor; two in Idlib, and one in Aleppo. The group also said at least 127 people were killed on Saturday, including 59 deaths in Hama. The LCC said Syrian forces have been targeting civilians displaced from their homes by earlier fighting. Specifically, the LCC said, the regime is attacking villages and farms around the eastern city of Rastan, where fighting a month ago forced out more than 80% of residents. They escaped to the nearby areas but are now coming under attack, the group said Saturday.
Syria said Sunday that the bodies of six "army and law enforcement martyrs" were buried.
CNN cannot independently verify reports of violence and deaths, as the government has severely restricted access to international media.
On Sunday morning, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency made little mention of any new violence but showed images of packed demonstrations that it said took place a day earlier.
"Syrian citizens in all the Syrian provinces on Saturday flocked to the main squares to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the foundation of the Baath Arab Socialist Party," SANA said. "The participants in the rallies expressed the Syrian people, army and leadership's steadfastness in the face of the conspiracy hatched against Syria."
One LCC activist in Homs, identified only as Saleem for safety reasons, described a massacre outside a local school that the Syrian army used to launch offensives and detain people.
Saleem said the bodies of 13 people, including youths, were found with signs of torture.
"The truth is we have become used to such massacres. We have seen people beheaded, children killed, bodies torn apart, and nothing surprises us anymore," Saleem said Saturday. "All we could do is pray to all for help and call on the world to intervene." Annan's six-point plan for Syria includes calls for a cease-fire by both sides and a Syrian-led political process to end the crisis.
SANA reported Saturday that the government sent two identical letters to the president of the U.N. Security Council and to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accusing Arab and Western countries of backing the armed groups.
In the letters, Syria claimed that "terrorist acts committed by the armed terrorist groups in Syria have increased during the last few days, particularly after reaching an understanding on Kofi Annan's plan," according to SANA. The letters said 2,088 Syrian forces and 478 police officers have been killed. The United Nations estimates that the fighting in Syria, which began a year ago, has killed at least 9,000 people. The LCC puts the toll at more than 11,000.
*CNN's Ivan Watson, Kareem Khadder, Samira Said, and Salma Abdelaziz contributed to this report.

Interview with Assad's former university
Professor Mousa al-Kurdi
Al-Assad has become a “monster” – Former university professor
07/04/2012/By Asharq Al-Awsat
Istanbul, Asharq Al-Awsat – Professor Mousa al-Kurdi gave heart-wrenching testimony about the humanitarian situation on the ground in Syria before the recent “Friends of Syria” conference in Istanbul. Professor al-Kurdi has personally witnessed Bashar al-Assad’s transformation from “courteous” student to “monster”, as the Syrian president was one of his students at the University of Damascus. In an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Bashar al-Assad’s former university professor reveals his take on the Syrian revolution, his former student Bashar al-Assad, and his hopes for the future of the country.
The following is the full text of the interview:
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What is your profession?
[Al-Kurdi] I am a university professor, independent academic, and oncologist. I am also the president of the Arab Institute for Clinical Excellence; I was elected to this post by the Council of Arab Ministers of Health more than 5 years ago.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Why did you appear to give evidence before the “Friends of Syria” conference?
[Al-Kurdi] The Syrian National Council [SNC] called on me to present a general picture about what is happening in Syria, because I – along with some members of my family – recently spent a year and a half in Syria where I worked with a small group to deliver some medical assistance to those who were suffering, particularly in Baba Amr and the rest of Homs. Transferring blood bags [into Syria] is, in the eyes of the regime, a crime punishable by death or at least arrest and referral to court. The same goes for transferring medical equipment. The person responsible for smuggling us into Syria was turned over to the courts. Whilst those who support the revolution and freedom have their throat cut whilst they are still alive, whilst those who take pictures or transfer video clips about the revolution abroad are blinded and then killed…many people had not heard about this before, and this had a significant impact on everybody [at the Friends of Syria conference].
[Asharq Al-Awsat] When did you return to Syria?
[Al-Kurdi] I returned to Syria a year and a half ago, to live in Damascus, and carry out my task of improving healthcare there. Prior to leaving the country, I taught at the University of Damascus, and Dr. Bashar al-Assad was one of my students.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Were you in direct contact with him?
[Al-Kurdi] Don’t hold that against me…
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Can you tell us about his character?
[Al-Kurdi] He was very different than he is today.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] In what way?
[Al-Kurdi] He was very mild-mannered, courteous and kind…at this time he did not demonstrate any excessiveness, whilst his bodyguards were very discreet and did not cause any disturbances. Nobody at Damascus University paid much attention to them.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What about your own relationship with him?
[Al-Kurdi] There was previously a sense of cordiality on his part, in one of the conferneces that took place in 2004, Bouthaina Shaban [al-Assad's media adviser] came to introduce me to him, and he told her that I had been one of his professors [at university].
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What was Bashar al-Assad like as a student?
[Al-Kurdi] There were a large number of students at university, but I recall that he was mild-mannered and he would attend all of my lectures without fail. He would also attend the scientific sessions. I recall that he was very courteous with his fellow students, and he was very popular and well-liked.
It was clear that he was courteous to his colleagues, but I recall hearing that once, upon being criticized...he cut off the conversation and stormed out of the room. However he is generally remembered fondly, but only by those who do not oppose the government. I have been repreatedly told that he has not forgiven my leaving Syria in 1992. A senior official informed me that the projects that I have proposed are hindered by the fact that I left Syria. So he has turned against supporting his old teachers for political reasons, to the point that he refused to help development of health care in Arab worlds, and tried to stop this.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What happened?
[Al-Kurdi] This president who was previously calling for renewal and modernization turned into a monster, but he is a monster that can only scare the weak, and this is proof that he is a coward and will only be deterred by force or the threat of force.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What are your views of the “year of the revolution”?
[Al-Kurdi] What is interesting is the intensification in the news about regions that are loyal [to the regime], for I would say that the majority of Damascus – where I lived – has defected from the regime, including the university professors and students, as well as even the officers and officials. The vast majority of people are waiting for the killing to end to return to the street. People informed me that they have had enough of this killing and destruction, as well as the lies of the media, namely that Damascus is loyal [to the regime]. Whilst opinion polls of Syrian expatriates in the US also revealed that around 80 percent want to see regime change, and the majority of these expatriates are Christians. There are a small percentage of the people who support the regime till death, including some members of my own family, but they are only a very small percentage. The regime is targeting entire cities, and this is what happened in Homs. As a soldier in the Syrian revolution, I will try to provide support via international organizations who I will conduct dialogue with.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Can you tell us more about this?
[Al-Kurdi] I do not like to talk about this issue, as some people may be harmed by this.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What do you mean?
[Al-Kurdi] Firstly, I don’t know who you are, and even if I did, it’s not important, for the lives of other people are more important than my own, and there are some people who are risking their lives – and the lives of their family – to transfer what needs to be transferred at the right time. It is clear that intimidation tactics are being used, and there is only one way to deal with a regime that wants to rule us or annihilate us.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] When did you leave Syria?
[Al-Kurdi] I left Syria for Cambridge in March, where my wife underwent surgery, and at this time I did not know that I would be leaving and not returning! I was invited to the special conference for the unification of the [Syrian] opposition, and I was asked to give testimony to the “Friends of Syria” conference, so I now have no chance of returning [to Syria] because if I do I would be mince-meat!
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What were your impressions about the situation in Syria the last time you were there?
[Al-Kurdi] If the situation remains the same, with regards to the killing and slaughter…then things will go on another course, for nothing will stop the people after what happened. I think the army will become more divided and people will take to the streets in their millions, if the killing does not stop.

Syrian disinformation about Christian persecution
by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, Oskar Svadkovsky and Phillip Smyth
Ha'aretz
April 6, 2012
http://www.meforum.org/3208/syria-christian-persecution
Recent reports out of Syria have warned of the ethnic cleansing of 90 percent of the Christian population of Homs, the city that has been ravaged by the conflict between Assad's forces and armed opposition groups since the uprising against the regime began in February last year. The responsibility for the mass killings and expulsions has been pinned on an armed opposition group known as the "Al-Faruq Brigade."
This claim first gained wide distribution in a report published on March 21 by Agenzia Fides (the official Vatican news agency), which declared its source to be "a note sent to Fides by some sources in the Syrian Orthodox Church."
Fides added that "in the 'Faruq Brigade,' note other sources, there seems [sic] to be armed elements of various Wahhabi groups and mercenaries from Libya and Iraq."
The claim of 90 percent ethnic cleansing can actually be traced to a report put out on March 13 by an online Arabic outlet known as Al-Haqiqa (Arabic for "the truth").
A quick Google search reveals that the original memo sent to Fides by the church leaders had been copy-pasted almost down to the last word from the SyriaTruth site, which is notorious for its pro-regime propaganda. Officials of the Syrian Church did not confirm the story with anybody in Homs before sending out the memo. They must have presumed that the SyriaTruth writers did.
As a matter of fact, Al-Haqiqa had already been taken to task by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), which specifically referred to its reporting of extensive Al-Qaida and international jihadist presence among the Syrian opposition as "bogus."
Shortly after publishing the memo, Fides began backpedaling, in an attempt to mitigate the impact of the original report. [1] Later, it released another report quoting the "Jesuits of Homs," who told the outlet that there were no cases to their knowledge of Christians being forced out of their homes by Islamists.
Homs happens to be around 30 kilometers from the border with Lebanon, which is home to a large and relatively powerful Christian community, making it a natural destination for Christian refugees - indeed, around 20,000 Iraqi Christians have found safety there since the 2003 invasion. Nevertheless, there has been no reported upsurge in Syrian Christian refugees to Lebanon in recent weeks. On March 8, the Christian Science Monitor reported a few thousand Syrian refugees fled to Lebanon - mostly Sunnis from the Bab Amr quarter of Homs.
Understandably, Christians have fled their homes amid fears of being caught in the crossfire. According to a report in Lebanon's Daily Star, some Christians have been temporarily forced out of their homes by Sunni fighters, but only because they needed space to fight government forces; further, contrary to the claims of the Al-Haqiqa report, the fighters allowed the Christians to take what they needed.
Besides, the claims of straightforward ethnic cleansing by Islamist militants do not add up, because that is not how jihadist groups deal with Christians. For example, the standard practice in Iraq for jihadist groups like Al-Qaida - renowned in Iraq for its brutality - is to first demand jizya, which is a "poll-tax" imposed on Christian and Jewish minorities, in traditional Islamic theology. [2]
If the minorities fail to pay jizya, they face bomb attacks or other violence. Yet the reports in Al-Haqiqa and Fides make no reference to imposition of jizya.
There is little reason to doubt the motivation of Vatican and church leaders, who after Iraq have become extremely worried about the fate of the remaining Christian communities in the Middle East.
Yet, over-the-top, sensationalist reporting by SyriaTruth and similarly pro-regime sites, combined with church leaders both in Syria and abroad responding by crying wolf before confirming the news, makes for an explosive and dangerous mix, with the potential of turning unfounded rumors or deliberate disinformation into self-fulfilling prophecies.
With the death toll in Syria running in the thousands, and many times more wounded or tortured during the heavy crackdown by security forces on this predominantly Sunni uprising, there is a steady buildup of anger and frustration on the Sunni street with regard to the position of Syrian minorities, who often either are supportive of the regime or have adopted an "on the fence" approach.
As the rebels are reportedly running out of ammunition in many areas, the opposition leaders are pinning their last hope on the international community. News in the global media about Syrian Christians disseminating such reports about their Muslim neighbors can easily become the last straw that will break the back of the camel of sectarian coexistence.
The Vatican and the local church leaders, preoccupied with the protection of their communities in Syria, may have the best intentions in the world. But when they fall for such sites as SyriaTruth, it is tempting to diagnose their case as one of "With such protectors, who needs Islamists!"
**Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi is a student at Brasenose College, Oxford University, and an Adjunct Fellow at the Middle East Forum. Oskar Svadkovsky is a computer networking professional based in Tel Aviv and the owner of the "Happy Arab News Service" blog. Phillip Smyth is a journalist and researcher specializing in Middle Eastern affairs. He travels regularly in the region.
Footnotes
[1] In particular, the wording of the original version was changed from "there is 'an ongoing ethnic cleansing of Christians,' carried out by members of the 'Faruq Brigade'" to "carried out by some Islamist members of..."; and from "the 'Faruq Brigade' is run by armed elements of Al-Qa'ida and various Wahhabi groups and includes mercenaries from Libya and Iraq" to "In the 'Faruq Brigade', note other sources, there seems to be armed elements of ...and mercenaries from
[2] Observe in the demographic maps of Baghdad that over time one starts to see the emergence of a few predominantly Christian areas, especially in southern Baghdad. The Islamist militant groups would expel or kill without reservation Muslims of the rival sect but allow Christians to remain while extorting jizya from them, in accordance with traditional interpretations of Qur'an 9:29.

If Islam is the solution then the Muslim Brotherhood is the problem!
By Yousef Al-Dayni/Asharq Alawsat
The devil is clever, as the Egyptian saying goes, in a warning against the consequences of “illegitimate” meetings, however it seems that the devil of politics is even cleverer with regards to the manner of the Muslim Brotherhood’s meetings and get-togethers following a long absence from power. Many comments have appeared about the Muslim Brotherhood’s contradictory stances, and perhaps one of the most amusing things was when comedian Mohamed Sobhi likened the Brotherhood to a long distance runner who insists on drinking all the water laid out for the participants itself!
Is the nomination of al-Shatar the mistake in its entirety? Or is the true issue the division over al-Shatar’s nomination, as well as the military’s position on this? There are dozens of questions emanating from the most confusing scene in the Brotherhood’s political drama, which seems to be surprising many of those who do not know the Brotherhood well, or who look upon their policies through rose-tinted glasses.
Certainly what the Brotherhood is doing is part of a political game and the group is more adept at this than its opponents, whilst the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces [SCAF] is trying to match the Brotherhood’s skills, whilst nobody knows who will win this game. As for the other teams, they have turned the political arena into a public one whereby the terraces are filled with screaming, riots and hysteria, but this has only increased the zeal of the competitors and will likely lead to further polarization.
The Brotherhood and the military are portraying the liberals and other political forces as entities that have not mastered anything apart from talking on satellite channels and utilizing obsolete critical tools, whilst they are portraying the revolutionary youth as being powerless and defeated, having paid the price for their political naiveté. Even the Salafist movement demonstrated its political acumen when it pragmatically and intelligently declared its support for the Brotherhood candidate Khairat al-Shatar, instead of getting on its high-horse and announcing – as some liberals did – that the Brotherhood are hypocrites because they have broken all their promises, in the same manner that they betrayed the trust of the Tahrir Square protesters, who could never have envisioned that matters would turn out the way they have.
The interesting thing is that historical figures affiliated to the Brotherhood in Egypt and the Gulf have fallen into a “moral” trap in an attempt not to lose their reputation as they try to justify the Brotherhood’s political behavior, which in itself is also unethical.
On the other hand, intellectuals sympathetic to political Islam such as Fahmy Howeidy and others believe that the Brotherhood has fallen into the trap of the military establishment, which wants them to lay claim to the entire political cake, in order to make it easier for SCAF to overthrow them by inciting the masses and creating new enemies, most notably Egypt’s al-Azhar institute which has grown weary of the issues surrounding the drafting of the new constitution. This is in addition to the Brotherhood’s inability to deal with many Arab states that are wary of them, and in the end such intellectuals have come to the conclusion that the Brotherhood is not ready to assume all the responsibilities it has accrued.
From my point of view there is great confusion in the Brotherhood’s interpretation of events, and this is largely due to the Brotherhood themselves. The once “outlawed” group has begun to practice politics using the remote control of the General Guide, rather than through the “Freedom and Justice” party. Thus it is easy to imagine that the issue of deciding to nominate a presidential candidate was not put forward by the political party, but rather by the Brotherhood’s Shura Council, along the lines of the “Saqifah” [house where Abu Bakr was nominated as the first Muslim Caliph]. In the end, only two votes were important in making this decision. Likewise, the General Guide’ statements after the January Revolution were nothing more than a confirmation of the group’s comprehensive outlook which approaches the borders of patriarchy, whereby the Brotherhood believes it above the logic of the state because of its Islamic reference - from its point of view its governing reference, and the human constraints that limit other political parties do not apply to it. Here lies the mistake and confusion: The group sees itself as an [Islamic] reference, and its politicians govern according to this religious view.
What is really concerning is not the Brotherhood’s stance but rather SCAF’s silence. The Brotherhood’s stance, with all due respect to each of its opponents, is a pragmatic and intelligent political stance because it provokes SCAF’s silence, and sends a message to the Salafists, and likewise to Islamist candidates who have defected from the Brotherhood, that the Brotherhood’s cadres can somewhat turn the street against them by attracting influential groups in the voting process. This stance also sends a message to the international community, namely that those who want to negotiate on Egyptian affairs must not exclude the Brotherhood.
SCAF came closest to negotiating with the Brotherhood early on, and before and after them the Americans, but the dispute in negotiations can be deduced from SCAF’s subsequent statements regarding which part of the ruling authority the Brotherhood could control, without – in particular – hampering the army’s economic institutions. What is happening now is only the postponement of a clash between the two parties, in an intelligent manner…SCAF warns that it might use violence against those who want to tamper with the homeland, even if they are its own citizens, whilst the Brotherhood, in its new discourse, have not exempted any state institution, in reference to the army’s share of the economic pie. Everyone is speaking in sensationalist language; the Brotherhood is thinking of the interests of the nation, the army is speaking in the name of the nation, while the future of this country is very unclear, and there are a huge number of outstanding questions that the two parties continue to remain silent on. For example, what is the future of the post of Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces? How will the economic arm of the military establishment be handled? Does the Brotherhood have a military wing?
The project of “hijacking” the state via political legitimacy is not a new idea or a reaction from the Brotherhood; rather this is a fait accompli, in agreement with SCAF and the United States who have marketed the Brotherhood model as one that can be politically controlled, regardless of its views on the issues of freedom, rights and pluralism. This is as if we are facing a return to dictatorship, but in the style, language and tools of democracy, as well as via guarantees of authority that will ensure a state of stability by the force of “predominance”.
The most important question is: Why not play the game out in the open, instead of using religious slogans? Or as some followers of the Muslim Brotherhood, who are gently admonishing the organization, are asking: why was Aboul Fotouh not supported by the majority of political forces that serve the Islamic trend? What will be the difference if Hazem Abu Ismail wins, particularly as he was once a Brotherhood member?
Certainly, the Muslim Brotherhood is the political entity most adept at reading the signs on the street. They have realized that the stage requires an Islamist president that owes allegiance to the ideology of the Brotherhood, rather than an actual affiliate of the Brotherhood’s party. This is not something that the Brotherhood believes that the liberal Aboul Fotouh can claim, whilst neither can Abu Ismail, particularly with regards to the rumors revolving around him and about his potential ineligibility because of the “nationality of his mother”. Most critically, the Brotherhood has secured political ground that cannot be fought over, namely the parliament and the constitution drafting committee, and now wants nothing less than to play the presidential card along the lines of the former nationalist parties that consumed everything under the pretext of “democracy”.
If we were to contest the Brotherhood’s promotion of its ambiguous slogan “Islam is the solution”, it is certain, despite the fact that the Brotherhood is more than politically entitled to play the game, that they themselves represent the forthcoming crisis in the country. Those who betrayed their own affiliates in the past, leading to their detention, will not hesitate to seize power today at the expense of their bewildered revolutionary comrades.