Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December 04/12
Lebanon army says returning fire on Tripoli gunmen
Clashes in Lebanon’s Tripoli turn fatal
Two killed, at least seven wounded in Tripoli clashes
Lebanese judge orders investigations into Sakr tapes
Saqr Holds a Press Conference on Thursday on Leaked Video Recordings
Lebanese Cabinet convenes, addresses case of slain fighters
Mustaqbal: Those Calling for Holding Saqr Accountable Must First Hold Hizbullah Accountable
Aoun Opposes Govt. Change: Saqr Must Be Put on Trial
Hariri Meets Syrian Opposition: We Won't Back Down from Supporting Syria's Revolt
Gunfire erupts in Lebanon’s Tripoli rival neighborhoods
Miqati Urges Tripoli Residents to Exercise Restraint as Cabinet Discusses Saqr Recordings
Identities of Five Tall Kalakh Victims Revealed
Patriarch Hazim in 'Stable Condition' at St. George Hospital, Geagea, Ministers Pay Him Visit
Assad’s chemical weapons units head out of Damascus toward Aleppo
US, NATO warn Damascus over chemical weapons
France: World will react if Syria uses chemical weapons
Russia dismisses “rumors” of Syria chemical arms
NATO approves Turkey request for Syria border missiles
Jihad al Makdisi, defector or runaway?
Morsi opponents, supporters clash in central Egypt
Mursi prepared for dialogue with opposition - Presidential source
US urges restraint in Egypt protests
US says it did not lose drone over Iran
Iran “captures” US drone over Gulf waters
The E1 emergency

Clashes in Lebanon’s Tripoli turn fatal
December 4, 2012 /Violence in Lebanon’s Tripoli led on Tuesday to the death of three men and the injury of twelve others in sectarian clashes linked to the conflict in neighboring Syria, according to media reports.
A security source told AFP that snipers killed two men, both civilians, in separate shootings in two different districts of Tripoli—one populated by Alawites and the other by Sunni Muslims.
Kiosk owner Mohammed Ibrahim, 65, was killed in Jabal Mohsen district, the majority of whose population is Alawite, the same religious community to which Assad belongs, according to the security official.
"The bullet that killed him was fired from the Qubbeh area," most of whose residents are Sunnis and sympathize with the revolt against the Syrian regime, he added. The other man, 26-year-old Abdel Rahman Nassouh, was fatally shot in the Sunni neighborhood of Bab al-Tebbaneh, by sniper fire from Jabal Mohsen, the source also said. Meanwhile, LBC television reported that a man identified as Khaled Salem al-Mustafa had also been killed in Bab al-Tebbaneh. Tuesday's violence also wounded 12 people—two in Jabal Mohsen and 10 in Bab al-Tebbaneh—impoverished rival neighborhoods separated by Syria Street. MTV reported that an Internal Security Forces officer had been shot during the clashes. According to the security official, the Lebanese army has deployed in the area. "Troops have started to respond to the sources of gunfire," he told AFP. Meanwhile, New TV reported in the afternoon that the highway between Tripoli and Akkar had been shut down due to sniper activity in the nearby area.  The rising tensions in Tripoli were exacerbated by last week's killings in Syria of 21 Lebanese and one Palestinian from the city, who had reportedly crossed into the strife-torn country to fight alongside rebels trying to oust the Syrian regime. A local Muslim leader said the youths were Islamists, and a security official said they were killed while on their way to join rebels fighting forces loyal to Assad. Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour on Monday requested that Damascus repatriate the bodies of the dead men. Meanwhile, the Syrian ambassador to Beirut, Ali Abdel Karim Ali, was quoted by National News Agency as promising Mansour he would "take the necessary measures to communicate the request quickly, and that he would inform him of the results soon.”
-AFP/NOW Lebanon

Aoun Opposes Govt. Change: Saqr Must Be Put on Trial
Naharnet /Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun rejected on Tuesday calls for a change in government and slammed the recent audio recordings revealing an arms deal being made between Mustaqbal MP Oqab Saqr and a member of the Syrian opposition. He said after the Change and Reform bloc's weekly meeting: “Saqr must be put on trial.”“Saqr and his March 14 allies are boasting about providing arms to the Syrian rebels,” he added. “They had the nerve to demand the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon in the past and they are now fighting them in Syria,” the MP remarked.
Syrian troops ended a nearly 30-year presence in Lebanon in 2005 in the wake of the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri. “The Syrians are our brothers. We hope that they will learn from the mistakes that were committed in Lebanon and resort to dialogue instead of violence,” stressed Aoun. “I am not willing to support the consequences of Lebanese meddling in Syrian affairs,” he added. Taped conversations of Saqr and Abou Nehman, a “leader in the armed Syrian opposition,” aired last week. They revealed that the two were carrying out a weapons deal. General Prosecutor Judge Hatem Madi tasked on Tuesday the Central Criminal Investigations Bureau with examining the audio recordings. Addressing opposition demands for a change in government, Aoun said: “Should we resign from cabinet given the difficult situation in the country?”“We have a hard time forming a new government during normal circumstances,” he stated. Certain rules need to be followed to achieve the change, he explained. Commenting on the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau demand for text messages exchanged between the Lebanese two months before the assassination of Bureau head Wissam al-Hasan, Aoun remarked: “The cabinet will not approve the demand.” Concerned judicial authorities rejected the request and the cabinet will also reject it, he stressed. “Cabinet cannot tolerate constitutional violations and we oppose meddling in the people's privacy,” he said. Media reports said on Monday that the security agencies filed a request to obtain all the circulating text messages between the Lebanese that occurred two months before Hasan's murder. He was killed in a massive car bomb in Beirut's Ashrafiyeh district on October 19.
Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi and Telecommunications Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui have rejected the request, added Aoun.

Lebanese judge orders investigations into Sakr tapes
December 4, 2012 /Lebanese Attorney General Judge Hatem Madi requested investigations into recordings implicating a Lebanese MP in providing support to Syrian rebels, the National News Agency reported on Tuesday.
According to the report, Madi requested the Central Criminal Investigations Department to analyze the information included in the recordings that allegedly implicate Future bloc MP Okab Sakr in providing weapons to Syrian rebels in their effort to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. On Monday, Sakr confirmed that the Al-Akhbar newspaper transcripts of his conversations with Syrian rebels were true.
More than 41,000 people have perished since the violence in Syria began in March 2011, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. -NOW Lebanon

Saqr Holds a Press Conference on Thursday on Leaked Video Recordings
Naharnet/Al-Mustaqbal MP Qqab Saqr will hold a press conference on Thursday to respond to criticisms about his alleged involvement in arming the Free Syrian Army against President Bashar Assad's forces in the neighboring country. Saqr will also be revealing the engagement of other Lebanese parties in Syria's events, Future TV reported on Tuesday. The MP admitted on Monday that the three-part series on recordings published in al-Akhbar newspaper were authentic. The newspaper had unveiled a taped conversation between him (Saqr) and Abou Nehman, a “leader in the armed Syrian opposition”, during which they apparently agree on a weapon delivery deal.
Meanwhile, General Prosecutor Judge Hatem Madi tasked on Tuesday the Central Criminal Investigations Bureau with examining audio recordings implicating Saqr in the transfer of arms to Syria in order to take the necessary decisions in light of the Lebanese regulations and the bilateral treaties with the Syrian government.

Mustaqbal: Those Calling for Holding Saqr Accountable Must First Hold Hizbullah Accountable
Naharnet /Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday said those calling for holding MP Oqab Saqr accountable over his role in aiding the Syrian opposition “must first hold accountable Hizbullah” over its role in aiding the regime, urging “the enthusiastic youths in Lebanon not to enter Syria to support any side militarily.”
"Those who are raising the issue of taking legal measures against MP Oqab Saqr and demanding that his parliamentary immunity be lifted must first hold accountable Hizbullah and its officials, especially its secretary-general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah who has publicly and repeatedly spoken of Hizbullah's military role in Syria, where it is sending fighters and weapons and offering support, combat expertise and ammunition to the Syrian regime and its gangs,” the bloc said.
“There is no comparison between those who are standing by the executioner and those who are standing by the victim, between those who are supporting the murderer and the slaughterer and those who are offering support to the slaughtered Syrian people,” the bloc added in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.
General Prosecutor Judge Hatem Madi tasked on Tuesday the Central Criminal Investigations Bureau with examining audio recordings implicating MP Saqr in the transfer of arms to Syria.
The state-run National News Agency said that Madi tasked the bureau with studying the audio recordings of Saqr to take the necessary decisions in light of the Lebanese regulations and the bilateral treaties with the Syrian government.
The MP admitted on Monday that a three-part series on recordings published in al-Akhbar newspaper were authentic. The taped conversations reveal that Saqr and Abou Nehman, a “leader in the armed Syrian opposition,” were carrying out a weapons deal. Nasrallah has denied supporting the Syrian regime militarily, clarifying that several Hizbullah fighters have been killed while defending Lebanese-inhabited border towns inside Syria.
Hizbullah's leader has explained that there are 23 Syrian border towns and 12 farms that are inhabited by Lebanese residents of various religious beliefs, noting that around 30,000 Lebanese residents live in these towns.
Commenting on the recent killing of Lebanese Islamist fighters in the Syrian town of Tal Kalakh, al-Mustaqbal bloc described the incident as a "tragedy" and extended condolences to the families of the slain men.
The bloc called on "the enthusiastic youths in Lebanon not to enter Syria to support any side militarily, as the Syrian people do not need fighters but rather humanitarian and media support," noting that "Syria's men know their country better than anyone else."
"The first responsibility in this tragedy falls on the Lebanese government which – ever since the beginning of the revolution in Syria -- has ignored all stances, demands and appeals on the need to deploy the Lebanese army on Lebanon's northern and eastern borders in order to protect Lebanese sovereignty from the attacks of the Syrian regime's army and shabiha and to prevent infiltration from Lebanon into Syria and vice versa,” the bloc added.
It noted that the “second responsibility falls on Hizbullah and its secretary-general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah who has openly declared that Hizbullah fighters were sent to fight alongside the Syrian regime's army inside Syria, which aggravated the state of tension many youths are living and gave them the excuse to act out of their enthusiasm to support the aggrieved in the face of the tyrant.”Turning to President Michel Suleiman's call for national dialogue, the bloc said “Hizbullah blew up all the grounds for resuming dialogue through undermining the self-disassociation policy this government is claiming to have endorsed while it is implementing it in a selective way."
"Hizbullah's announcement that it is sending warriors to fight alongside the Syrian regime has deepened the crisis of confidence regarding the use of dialogue during this period, and therefore the resignation of the Lebanese government has become a necessary introduction to any step that can be taken to exit the dangerous dilemma created by the government on all levels,” the bloc added.
It said forming a neutral salvation government would give the country a positive opportunity to “move forward, confront the aggravating economic recession and financial deficit, contain the rising tensions and pave the ground for the upcoming parliamentary elections.”

Hariri Meets Syrian Opposition: We Won't Back Down from Supporting Syria's Revolt
Naharnet/Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri held talks on Tuesday with a delegation from the Syrian National Coalition, headed by Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib. Hariri stressed to the Syrian opposition head: “We will not back down from supporting the Syrian revolution no matter how great the challenges.” “Lebanon looks forward to the day in which the wishes of the Syrian people are achieved and a democratic regime is established,” he stressed during the meeting that was held at his Riyadh residence. “Our Arab, fraternal, and humanitarian duties obligate us to support the Syrian opposition,” declared Hariri. In addition, the former premier praised efforts to unite the ranks of the Syrian opposition in a bid to prepare for the phase that follows the toppling of the regime of President Bashar Assad.The talks also focused on the goals that the Syrian National Coalition is seeking to achieve.

Lebanon army says returning fire on Tripoli gunmen
December 4, 2012 /The Lebanese army issued a statement Tuesday that its troops were returning fire on gunmen in Tripoli after deadly clashes erupted in the northern city earlier in the day. The army also set up checkpoints in the strife-stricken city and conducted raids on locales from where gunmen had opened fire, the statement added. “[We call on] citizens to cooperate fully with the security measures the army forces are taking to ensure their safety and security.”The clashes that have been raging in Lebanon’s Tripoli led on Tuesday to the death of at least two men and the injury of twelve others. Tripoli has repeatedly been the locus of sectarian conflict linked to the troubles in Syria between pro- and anti-Syrian regime gunmen from Sunni and Alawite groups, whose rival districts — Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, respectively —are divided by Syria Street.-NOW Lebanon

US says it did not lose drone over Iran
December 4, 2012 /A spokesperson for the US Fifth Fleet based in the Gulf said Tuesday the American navy has not lost any of its drones, shortly after Iran claimed it captured a small unmanned US spy plane over Gulf waters.
"All our active unmanned aerial vehicles working here have been accounted for," US 5th spokesperson Commander Jason Salata told AFP. "Nothing lost recently, in months," in the area of operation for the Fifth fleet, which stretches from the Gulf to the Horn of Africa, he said. Salata said all of the Fifth Fleet's operations in the Gulf "are in compliance with international law," implying that any flights conducted were outside of Iranian airspace.
Earlier Tuesday, Iran claimed to have captured a ScanEagle drone, a small unamanned surveillance aircraft often used by the US Navy. It said its Revolutionary Guards' naval arm caught the drone in Iranian airspace over Gulf waters, but gave no details how the vehicle was captured, nor exactly where or when. -AFP

Iran “captures” US drone over Gulf waters
December 4, 2012/Iran has "captured" an unmanned US drone over Gulf waters after it entered Iranian airspace, the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement on Tuesday."The unmanned US drone patrolling Persian Gulf waters, performing reconnaissance and gathering intel, was captured as soon as it entered Iranian airspace," the elite unit's naval forces said, cited by state broadcaster IRIB.
It added the drone was of ScanEagle type which takes off from battleships.It did not elaborate on how the aircraft was "captured.”-AFP

Assad’s chemical weapons units head out of Damascus toward Aleppo
DEBKAfile Special Report December 4, 2012/ As NATO in Brussels gave the go-ahead Tuesday night, Dec. 4, for the deployment of Patriot surface-to-air missiles to protect Turkey against Syrian missiles, debkafile’s military and intelligence sources reported that convoys of the Syrian army’s chemical weapons units headed out of Damascus under cover of dark and turned north up the road to Aleppo. Their destination is not yet known.
The convoys were ferrying self-propelled cannons for firing shells loaded with poisonous sarin gas.
Syrian President Bashar Assad had evidently decided to ignore the warnings President Barack Obama issued Monday night that there would be consequences if he or anyone in Syria resorted to chemical warfare and each would be held accountable.
Our sources report that the Syrian ruler is aparently gambling dangerously on the Americans holding back from attacking the convoys as long as they deploy unconventional weapons, and would only react when they are used.
He is also taking advantage of the heavy winds, rain and cloud over this part of the eastern Mediterranean and counting on the weather to obstruct military operations against his chemical weapons units.
By the time the weather clears some time Thursday, the units will be in place in battle formation. Meanwhile, bombing the convoys in windy weather could cause the deadly gas to spread out of control in unpredictable directions.
In Brussels, a NATO official announced that the alliance had agreed to augment Turkey’s air-defense capabilities by deploying Patriot missiles to Turkey.
debkafile’s military sources report that by the time the missiles arrive, the Syrian chemical weapons units will almost certainly have reached their pre-planned positions. Furthermore, the Patriot air defense systems are not designed to counter artillery and would therefore be unable to stop shells loaded with poison gas.
debkafile reported earlier Tuesday, Dec. 4.
US forces in the region, Israel, Turkey and Jordan were all braced Monday night, Dec. 3 for action against Syria in case Syrian President Bashar Assad ordered his army’s chemical warfare units to go into action against rebel and civilian targets his own country. None of the Middle East capitals are talking openly about this eventuality to avoiding causing panic.
However, oblique references to the peril and preparations for action came from US officials during Monday. White House spokesman Jay Carney said: “We have an increased concern about the possibility of the regime taking the desperate act of using its chemical weapons.” Such a move “would cross a red line for the United States.”
Without going into specifics, Carney added: “We think it is important to prepare for all scenarios. Contingency planning is the responsible thing to do.”
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Prague was slightly more specific: Syrian action on chemical weapons remains a “red line” for the Obama administration, she said, and “would prompt action from the United States.”
Regarding contingencies, debkafile’s military sources report that the American force in Jordan and Jordanian units, who have been training for two months in tactics against Syrian chemical warfare units, are on a high state of preparedness. So, too, are the three special US command centers set up in Turkey, Jordan and Israel for coordinating such operations.
An American official “with knowledge of the situation” told Wired Magazine that “engineers working for the Assad regime in Syria have begun combining the two chemical precursors needed to weaponize sarin gas.”
Anchored opposite the Syrian shore is the USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group with 2,500 Marines. Facing it is the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s naval task force which too has hundreds of marines on its decks.
debkafile’s sources quote high-ranking officers in the Israel Defense Forces’ Northern Command as saying: “The coming hours and days are extremely critical for Syria. The situation on our northern front could blow up any moment.” They did not elaborate.
Later Monday, as the United Nations regional humanitarian coordinator for Syria, Radhouane Nouicer announced the pullout of nonessential international staff “because of the security situation,” Secretary Clinton flew into Brussels from Prague to discuss with NATO foreign ministers the deployment of Patriot anti-missile batteries at 10 points on the Turkish-Syrian border - a massive number.
NATO sources took note of the Syrian Foreign Ministry’s reply to the spreading reports. He said that the government “would not use chemical weapons, if it had them, against its own people under any circumstances.” This statement carried no promise about using such weapons against external forces, whether American, Turkish, Jordanian or Israeli.
In Istanbul, meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters at the end of his one-day visit: “What we are concerned about is Syria’s future. We don’t want the same mistakes to be repeated in the near future.” He went on to say: “We shall remember how some regimes supported the militants in Libya and how the situation ended with the killing of the American ambassador in Libya.”
This was meant by the Russian president as a warning to the US not to get involved in the Syrian crisis as it did in Libya.

Russia dismisses “rumors” of Syria chemical arms
December 4, 2012 /Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned Tuesday that deploying Patriot missiles along Turkey's border with Syria risked pouring more arms into the region, and dismissed fears of Damascus using chemical weapons. Russia recognized Turkey's right to ask for help from its NATO allies, Lavrov said, but added: "We are concerned that the conflict is being increasingly militarized."
Ankara has formally asked its NATO partners to deploy the US-made anti-missile system after a series of cross-border shellings, including one that left five civilians dead on October 3.
"Any such deployment is creating the risk that these arms will be used," Lavrov told journalists after a meeting of the NATO-Russia council. NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen told Lavrov during the meeting that the decision on the Patriots was likely to come later Tuesday. Lavrov also sought to dismiss fears that the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad would use chemical weapons, saying it was not the first time there were such "rumors and leaks" and they should "not be overstated." "Yes there were artillery strikes, but we believe they were not intentional," he said, referring to the cross-border shellings.
Moscow is a staunch ally of Damascus, routinely blocking resolutions against Assad's regime at the UN Security Council, while Ankara's relationship with its neighbor has collapsed over the conflict.
Lavrov said every time Moscow heard reports about Syrian chemical arms "we engage in responsible" steps to verify the information "and we get the reply that nothing is being prepared."
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Monday that deploying US-made Patriot missiles on Turkey's volatile border would exacerbate tensions with Syria. "Creating additional capabilities on the border does not defuse the situation but on the contrary exacerbates it," Putin told a press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan after talks in Istanbul.-AFP

France: World will react if Syria uses chemical weapons
December 4, 2012 /France on Tuesday joined the United States and NATO in delivering a blunt warning to Damascus not to use chemical weapons on rebels, warning that the international community would react if it did.
"Any use of these chemical weapons by [Syrian President Bashar] al-Assad would be unacceptable," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Vincent Floreani told reporters. "The leaders in Damascus must know the international community is watching them and will react" if they are used, he said, adding that France was in contact with its partners to "prevent any use of these arms should the regime or anyone else be tempted".US President Barack Obama on Monday told Assad not to use chemical weapons against his own people, in a new warning as the conflict approaches the 21-month mark with more than 41,000 people killed. The Syrian government, fighting to prevent the capital Damascus from falling to rebel forces, reiterated on Monday that it would never resort to chemical weapons. But a US official told AFP that Syria had begun mixing chemicals that could be used to make sarin, a deadly nerve agent, while CNN reported Damascus could use the gas in a limited artillery attack on advancing rebels. Washington fears that battlefield advances by rebels could prompt Assad to use chemical arms, or that such stocks could become insecure or find their way into the hands of groups hostile to the United States and its allies.NATO on Tuesday joined Washington in delivering a blunt warning to Damascus against the use of chemical weapons, as the alliance readied to approve a Turkish request for missiles to protect its border with Syria.-AFP

NATO approves Turkey request for Syria border missiles
December 4, 2012 /The NATO military alliance on Tuesday agreed to deploy Patriot missiles along member state Turkey's border as requested by Ankara to help it defend its territory against threats from Syria.
"NATO has agreed to augment Turkey's air defense capabilities in order to defend the population and territory of Turkey and to contribute to the de-escalation of the crisis along the alliance's border," a statement said.
Turkey formally asked its NATO partners to deploy the US-made anti-missile system after a series of cross-border shellings, including one that left five civilians dead on October 3.
"We say to anyone who would want to attack Turkey -- don't even think about it," said NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen, announcing the decision taken by the 28-member alliance.
Germany, the Netherlands and the United States have agreed to provide the Patriot missile batteries, which would come under the command of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), the NATO statement said.Stressing that the Patriot system was purely defensive, Rasmussen said technical discussions would now follow about how many of the US-made missiles would be deployed and where.
The discussions at NATO came amid reports that Syria is moving chemical weapons, as the regime of President Bashar al-Assad fights rebels seeking to oust him.
"NATO members expressed grave concerns about reports that the Syrian regime is considering the use of chemical weapons. Any such action would be completely unacceptable and a clear breach of international law," Rasmussen said.-AFP

Morsi opponents, supporters clash in central Egypt
December 4, 2012 /Opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi clashed with his supporters on Tuesday in the central province of Minya, as protests erupted across the country against his expanded powers.
Protesters marched to the headquarters of Morsi's Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, and tore down a picture of the president, prompting clashes with his supporters, witnesses said.
Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd and three people were injured in the clashes, a security official told AFP. Demonstrators also took to the streets in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria and the central province of Sohag. The protests come as tens of thousands of Morsi opponents surrounded the presidential palace in Cairo to denounce a decree expanding his powers and placing him beyond judicial oversight. The protesters cut through barbed wire erected a few hundred meters [yards] from the palace, prompting police to fire the tear gas before retreating, allowing demonstrators to reach the palace walls, AFP correspondents said. A handful of protesters tried to scale the wall but were brought back down by others. Protesters surrounded the palace on at least three sides. The demonstrators, many from liberal and leftist political movements, banged on lamp posts as others chanted "leave" in a thunderous show of force. Marchers poured into the streets lining the palace in the upscale neighborhoods of Heliopolis, with riot police only able to guard entrances. Tuesday's protests were the latest in a string of action opposed to Morsi's decree which expanded his powers and enabled him to rush through a draft constitution contested by liberals, leftists and Christians.-AFP

US urges restraint in Egypt protests
December 4, 2012 /The United States on Tuesday appealed for restraint on both sides in Egypt as supporters and opponents of President Mohamed Morsi clashed during nationwide protests. "We would simply urge that protesters express their views peacefully and that they be given the environment, if you will, to protest peacefully," State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said. Toner acknowledged that tensions were high Cairo, where thousands of people surrounded the presidential palace to denounce a decree expanding Morsi's powers and placing him beyond judicial oversight. Riot police fired tear gas after protesters cut through barbed wire strung near the palace, but then retreated before the surging crowd, which surrounded the palace on both sides.Toner stressed that the Egyptian people should have the opportunity to express themselves on a new constitution that is moving toward a referendum on December 15. "In the coming days, it's going to be important that they have an opportunity to express their views, as I said, peacefully, and ultimately that they are able to express their views in a vote, in a peaceful and secure environment," Toner said.-AFP

Jihad al Makdisi, defector or runaway?
Ana Maria Luca, December 4, 2012
The list of high-level defectors from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s inner circle grew yesterday, as the voice of the regime, Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad al-Makdisi, is said to have run away to Beirut and then boarded a plane to London.
Makdisi, a Syrian Christian in his 40s, worked with the Syrian Foreign Ministry for 10 years and speaks fluent English. He served as the spokesperson for the Syrian Embassy in London and was called back to Damascus a year ago to become the voice of the Foreign Ministry in Damascus. But after a year of being the “devil’s advocate” in the international media, Makdisi recently went silent for a period for unknown reasons.
His flight came as a surprise for some opposition figures. Others had been expecting it. But most opposition voices agree that Makdisi running away from Damascus was good news.
“His leaving the regime and the country has a big moral and symbolic value,” prominent Syrian opposition activist Michel Kilo told NOW. He added that Makdisi was the television star the Assad regime brought in to show the world that the government in Damascus was reliable and credible. He also said that as a Christian, Makdisi served as a representative for his sect and was meant to convince the world that his community supported the regime.
Jaber Zain, a prominent opposition member and son of the Syrian prime minister who was overthrown in a military coup in the 1970s, was skeptical of Makdisi’s flight. “It’s good news that he fled and that he keeps away from the crimes going on. But to be welcomed as part of the opposition… I don’t think the opposition needs more disasters. It has enough,” he said.
Malik al-Abdeh, a London-based Syrian journalist and former editor-in-chief of opposition channel Al Barada TV, told NOW that he expected Makdisi to flee earlier. Abdeh explained that Makdisi was part of a group of young Western-educated Syrian Basharists, such as Abdallah Dardari, the former deputy prime minister of Syria on Economic Affairs and current director of the Economic Development and Globalization Division at ESCWA.
“They weren’t Baathists; they believed in Bashar’s reformist agenda, in his reforms and economic development ideas. These people have lately gone quiet. It’s true that very few have defected to the opposition. But they don’t come from a military background; they come from the media, diplomacy or business, and they don’t want to be associated with the government anymore. They’re thinking ahead,” Abdeh pointed out.
Several opposition voices say that Makdisi ran away because he had been threatened after making a terrible mistake. In late July Makdisi stated that Syria was not going to use its chemical weapons, admitting, intentionally or not, that Syria indeed had chemical weapons. It might have been the beginning of the end, as the Syrian regime is known to not be forgiving of dignitaries who make mistakes. Al-Manar TV reported that Makdisi had been fired for making statements that were not in line with the regime’s stances. Makdisi hasn’t been on television as often ever since the statement.
“His situation was shaky. Despite the services he provided, they were not always pleased with him,” Kilo told NOW. “Makdisi was subject to internal criticism. [Some said] he didn’t know how to express the policy of the regime properly and that he didn’t have enough experience,” he added.
Shadi Abu Fakher, Syrian filmmaker and opposition activist, said he was convinced Makdisi defected. “In this position, at this moment, nobody resigns. He has not [been heard of] for 10 days. It is said he is in Britain and that his family is with him. I have no confirmed information, but opposition circles are saying he defected,” he added.
Kilo said that Makdisi’s defection might mean that the regime is in great difficulty. Rebel forces have made advances in recent weeks, seizing military bases, including some close to the capital Damascus. Amid talk that troops had moved chemical weapons, US President Barack Obama again warned Assad against using them. “He knows better than anybody that the regime is falling,” Kilo pointed out.
Abdeh, however, believes that information coming from Syria should be taken with a grain of salt. “There is a lot of hype out there. Everybody is saying that the rebels are making huge progress and that Assad will fall. But that has been the rhetoric for quite a while now. It’s true that the Syrian government forces are weakened. But if the regime is crumbling, they would withdraw their forces from the country and mass them around Damascus. This is not happening yet,” he said.
Amani Hamad contributed reporting and translating to this article.
*Ana Maria Luca tweets at @aml1609.

The E1 emergency
Hussein Ibish, December 4, 2012
You can't say Israel and United States didn't warn each other, or that they didn't see this coming. The Americans anticipated a potential Israeli overreaction to the Palestinian United Nations status upgrade to "nonmember observer state." And there was one measure they particularly wanted to prevent: new Israeli settlement construction in the hypersensitive E1 corridor near Jerusalem. So, a few days before the UN vote, Washington specifically warned Israel not to "retaliate" by building in E1. What was Israel's immediate reaction to the vote? Why, to announce at least 3,000 new settler housing units, including, of course, in E1. And to add, for good measure, that any commitments to the United States not to build there were "no longer relevant."
Building in E1 is among the most damaging steps Israel could take to undermine a two-state solution. E1 threatens to almost cut the West Bank in half. It will completely split occupied East Jerusalem off from the rest of the territory. All serious observers agree with Jerusalem expert Danny Seidemann, who explains, "E-1 is a binary settlement," because "a Palestinian state must be territorially contiguous, with a link to Jerusalem. That is why this is the decisive battle over the feasibility of 'two states for two peoples.'"
That is precisely why every American administration has opposed the project since it was first announced in 1999: It's among the few decisive actions either side could take that could finally lead people around the world, especially Israelis and Palestinians, to finally abandon any hope for a two-state solution. More than the withholding of Palestinian tax revenues, which Israel has also decided to do, or even annexing territory (which wouldn't be recognized internationally anyway), building in E1 is among the most aggressive and harmful measures Israel could take in response to the Palestinians' symbolic UN upgrade. E1 construction is anything but symbolic. It transforms the strategic reality very dramatically away from a two-state solution. The reason so many European states shifted their votes at the UN last week in the Palestinian direction is that they have become increasingly concerned the Israeli government isn't interested in a genuine two-state solution. Israel's E1 construction announcement can only serve to heighten these fears. So does the election of an annexationist slate of leaders of the ruling Likud party. The international reaction has been strong. Britain, France and Sweden are reportedly considering withdrawing their ambassadors from Tel Aviv if building goes ahead. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the plan a potentially "fatal blow" to a two-state solution, because Palestinians will not sign to a peace agreement that does not allow East Jerusalem to serve as their capital.
The New York Times reported that the announcement came as a "rude shock" to the Obama administration, particularly since they had specifically warned Israel in advance against precisely this form of "retaliation."
The State Department noted E1 construction would be "especially damaging to efforts to achieve a two-state solution." The White House went further, with spokesman Jay Carney saying, “We urge Israeli leaders to reconsider these actions." Secretary of State Hillary Clinton herself observed, "These activities set back the cause of a negotiated peace." And former Obama White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel bluntly said the president had been "betrayed" after supporting Israel in its recent conflict with Hamas and at the UN.
This strong international response prompted some Israeli pullback. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to reassure the international community by explicitly telling his cabinet that approval only applies to planning and zoning, not actual construction activity.The Jerusalem Post interpreted Netanyahu's comments as likely intended signals to the Palestinians that actual building would only proceed if they took further action at multilateral institutions, presumably particularly the International Criminal Court. If it's a threat, that's one thing. If Israel really intends to go ahead with construction, that's something else altogether.
Stopping the construction of the E1 project is essential to at least preserve the viability of a two-state solution, which, in turn, is a necessary first step to actively pursuing its realization.
Thus far, international pressure has been sufficient to keep E1 basically on the drawing board. With strong American leadership—not waiting for Israel's election to act, but understanding there can be stronger commitments after it is over—the international community must drag Israel back from the brink.
Israeli leaders are in a fit of rage, and an election campaign with all its incitement to pandering. It's leading them to flirt with a measure that could foreclose for this and future Israeli generations a peace agreement with the Palestinians and a future of security and acceptance in the region. E1 construction is a crucial test for all parties that claim to be committed to a two-state solution. Stop this construction. Stop it, or just drop the pretense.
Hussein Ibish writes frequently about Middle Eastern affairs for numerous publications in the United States and the Arab world. He blogs at www.Ibishblog.com.

Mursi prepared for dialogue with opposition - Presidential source
By Abdul Sattar Hatita and Waleed Abdul Rahman.
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – At a time when several parties are conducting consultation to resolve the Egyptian crisis, including al-Azhar and the Constituent Assembly, a source within the Egyptian presidency informed Asharq Al-Awsat that President Mursi had met numerous political figures in this regard, but this did not include any meetings with opposition symbols. The Egyptian presidential source, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, said “the president has opened the door to dialogue, but nobody has responded to this until now.” A massive rally was planned for Tuesday by opposition activists to protest against President Mursi’s controversial constitutional declaration, which granted him nearly unrestricted powers, as well as the disputed draft constitution, a referendum on which is scheduled to take place on 15 December. Egyptian military sources revealed that armed forces intend to deploy soldiers, tanks and military vehicles to protect the presidential palace and prevent any aggression on the part of the protesters. In addition to the scheduled protest march, eight influential Egyptian daily newspapers – a mix of opposition party mouthpieces and independent publications – suspended publication for a day on Tuesday to protest against reported restrictions on freedom of expression in the draft constitution. Whilst Egypt’s privately-owned television networks have planned their own protest for Wednesday, suspending programming and broadcasting a back screen for the day.
The Egyptian president has defended his constitutional declaration, stressing this was temporary. Speaking after receiving the final draft of the constitution, Mursi said “I renew my call for opening a serious national dialogue over the concerns of the nation, with all honesty and impartiality.” He added “we must move beyond the period of confrontation and differences, and get on to productive work.”
For his part, Al-Azhar University Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayeb launched a dialogue initiative to deal with the current crisis being witnessed in Egypt, meeting with Constituent Assembly President Judge Hossam El-Gheriany and others on Monday. El-Tayeb announced that this dialogue initiative aims to “bridge the divide” over the draft constitution. All those who attended the Monday meeting will seek to contact Egypt’s various political parties and groups, including the opposition, to resolve the damaging political crisis currently raging in the country.
However former International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] Mohamed ElBaradei had called on the people of Egypt to uphold their protest against the constitutional decree, saying “to the people of Egypt, gathered in all squares nationwide, for freedom and dignity: stand your ground.” In another tweet, ElBaradei said that the draft constitution “undermines basic freedom and violates universal values” adding “the struggle will continue.”
ElBaradei, who is the founder of the liberal Dostour Party, has participated in several Cairo marches in protest to Mursi’s constitutional declaration and draft constitution.

Egypt: The intimidation of the media
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
I was among those who criticized the Egyptian media in the era of President Mubarak and beyond. I criticized the newspaper al-Masry al-Youm in 2010 when it ran the headline “Today, is Egypt Honored, or Humiliated?”, and I was the first to criticize the Egyptian media, and the Western media before that, for erroneously publishing the fabricated story of Mubarak’s wealth in 2011, a story which one of the senior editors at the British newspaper The Guardian later apologized for. However, today we must defend the Egyptian media!
In the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi demonstrations in support of the Egyptian President’s power-seizing decrees, Islamist protestors raised a banner depicting prominent Egyptian media figures, with the following message written on it: “The sewage that overflowed in Egypt’s houses”! This is a play on a famous headline published in al-Masry al-Youm after the 25 January revolution, eulogizing the Egyptian martyrs, which read: “The roses that bloomed in Egypt’s gardens”. Here we must defend the Egyptian media and its shortcomings, most notably the incitement, provocation, passion and exaggeration that accompanied its coverage of the 25 January revolution, its accusations against all those who were critical of the events, or even those who warned that the Muslim Brotherhood is seeking to intimidate the Egyptian media today and complete its coup project. If the media is intimidated, the prestige of the judiciary undermined and besieged, the drafting of the constitution monopolized, and the arts and artists terrorized, then what institutions will remain in Egypt? On what foundations could a civil state be built?
I was, and still am, one of the strongest believers in regulatory rules for the media, along legal, ethical and professional guidelines. I am in favor of the rigorous rules found in every respected media domain in the world, but I completely reject the intimidation of the media, and attempts to undermine it with blackmail, insults, and defamation, along the lines of what the Brotherhood is doing, and in the case of Egypt specifically. The Egyptian media’s biggest mistake was to trust the Muslim Brotherhood’s project, and its shortcomings, without asking serious questions. By trying to keep pace with the disgruntled and enraged revolutionary forces against the Mubarak regime, the Egyptian media opted to go along with the loudest voice instead of undertaking its real role, which is to ask serious questions and provide accurate information. At the time, unfortunately, the Egyptian media decided to put the horse behind the cart, not in front of it, and now we see the media itself falling victim to the intimidation of the Brotherhood and the Salafis.
The intimidation, encroachment and attempts to undermine the Egyptian media tell us much about the coming days in Egypt. They tell us that Egypt today is like Iran after the Khomeini Revolution, and that there is a systematic campaign in the country today to abolish all respected institutions, or to render them obedient. This is something that not even Mubarak tried to do, who in the last years of his reign actually granted increased power to the media. Among the main beneficiaries of this increased power were the Brotherhood themselves, who are now portraying all their partners in the current phase as “sewage”, with regards to the media, “corrupt”, with regards to the judiciary, or “remnants and thugs”, referring to all those in Tahrir Square. Who is left? What civil state institutions are yet to be converted into Brotherhood institutions?
What is happening in Egypt is worrying, most recently with the intimidation of the media, which suggests that Egypt is following the path of the Khomeini Revolution. What is more worrying is the Arab campaign of falsification, unfortunately being conducted by media figures and intellectuals, to promote the Brotherhood coup in Egypt, just as the Gaza coup was justified and promoted in the past.

The Brotherhood’s crackdown on the judiciary and media
By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Alawsat
Insults, threats, exclusion and political violations have become the main traits of the Muslim Brotherhood’s rule, despite the limited amount of time they have spent in power. They have confirmed all that was previously said about their fascism through their attempts to monopolize power, their duplicitous rhetoric, their backtracking on promises, and their strange indifference at these most difficult of times. In an interview with Time magazine, President Mohamed Mursi talked about his admiration for the West, its films and societies, his determination to respect the constitution, and his commitment to peace with Israel. At the same time, his men were launching a severe campaign against Egyptian opposition parties and media outlets that criticized their policies. A week after Mursi described protesters surrounding the Interior Ministry building as “thugs,” members of the Muslim Brotherhood blocked the entrance to the Supreme Constitutional Court!
Egypt’s crisis has reached a crossroads; some paths are bumpy and others are very dangerous. The country will never escape from the bleak destiny awaiting it unless Mursi decides to be the President of all Egyptians and revoke his constitutional declaration, in which he undermined the role of the judiciary and granted himself absolute powers. In fact, his supporters shamelessly refer to him as a Caliph in an attempt to justify him having the last word. The Muslim Brotherhood has made it clear to the entire world that they are not to be trusted and that they are greedy for power. They seem to have forgotten that they spent 80 years in futile attempts to achieve power in the first place, but not one single Egyptian ruler gave them the opportunity they have now. It was only when the youths stormed Tahrir Square and toppled Mubarak’s regime during the 25 January Revolution that they were able to reap the fruits of this victory. Now they control the presidency and the government, but their hunger is still not satisfied. Hence the Brotherhood have decided to draft a constitution that suits them, and they have targeted the judiciary because it does not yield to their demands. Members of the constituent assembly (90 percent of which is made up of Brotherhood and Salafi affiliates) have opted to show their gratitude to their president by granting him unlimited powers, including control over the judiciary. This will provide the future gateway for ratifying Brotherhood laws, sanctioning their violations and directing the electoral process in their favor. What the ousted Egyptian president had tried to do in 30 years Mursi dared to do in 30 minutes. He dismissed the public prosecutor and replaced him with a Brotherhood member, treated judges as mere employees, and made sure the constitution elevated his stature above the judiciary. As for the media, the journey will be much longer and more arduous. The media cannot be stifled with presidential decrees and constitutional articles. That is why the Brotherhood has started launching attacks on journalists and media professionals, labelling them as apostates or immoral, and threatening them with penalties. Because they have always been in the opposition, the Brotherhood are probably not aware that it is impossible to curb the freedom of the media today. Mubarak tried to do so for years but failed and eventually gave up. The Brotherhood will soon discover that antagonizing the media will ultimately cost them all the support and popularity they previously earned.