Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December 17/12
Opposition Source: Nasrallah Has Come to Realize Seriousness of the Current Stage
Reports: Blast at Suspected Hizbullah Weapons Depot in the South
Opposition Source in Lebanon: Nasrallah Has Come to Realize Seriousness of the Current Stage
Patriarch John Yaziji was elected Monday as successor to the late Greek Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim,
US names Lebanese ex-minister Samaha 'global terrorist'
Lebanese Shiite Pilgrim Killed in Iraq Bus Bombing
Warrants against Saqr, Hariri informally received: Qortbawi
Phalange: Govt. Jeopardizing Elections due to its Refusal to Resign in Favor of Salvation Cabinet
Government's Syrian Refugee Response Plan Lauded during 2nd Donor Meeting
U.N. Chief Highlights 'Dramatic Escalation' of Syria War after Yarmuk Attack
Madi Awaiting to Review Syrian Lawsuit before Requesting to Lift Immunity of MP Saqr
Iran details plan to end Syria crisis
Hezbollah's Nasrallah says rebels will not win in Syria
Iran claims Mossad kidnapped Tehran official with Hezbollah ties
French Journalist: Hezbollah 400 Times More Capable of Attacking Israel
No longer avant-garde, has Hezbollah TV sold out to the mainstream?
Syrian VP calls for 'historic settlement,' national unity government
Syria warplanes in action, camp residents flee: activists
Tuberculosis among Lebanon's Syrian refugees
Egypt's Islamists aim to build on constitution vote
Germany delays Egypt debt relief amid dictatorship fears

Explosion at a Hezbollaha Cache rocks south Lebanon border village
December 17, 2012/By Mohammed Zaatari, Rima S. Aboulmona/The Daily Star
BEIRUT/TEIR HARFA, Lebanon: An explosion was heard in south Lebanon early Monday, near the Israeli border, attributed by a local mayor to a rocket fired into south Lebanon during the July 2006 war.
“Thank God there are no casualties,” said Yasser Ataya, the mayor of the village of Teir Harfa, told The Daily Star.
The explosion, which occurred on the outskirts of the village, shattered windows of at least three nearby houses.
The rocket – among a stock of several similar rockets and artillery shells stacked in a henhouse – was left over from the 2006 war between Hezbollah and the Israeli army, Ataya said. Hours after the explosion in south Lebanon, a Hezbollah stronghold, Israeli warplanes flew over Teir Harfa and nearby villages surrounding the coastal city of Tyre. At least one reconnaissance jet hovered over the blast site.
Hezbollah members sealed off the area following the 6:45 a.m. blast, preventing access to the Lebanese Army or U.N. peacekeepers, according to security sources.
Spokesman for the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon Andrea Tenenti, however, said UNIFIL was able to reach the explosion site.
"We are there on the spot at the moment with the Lebanese Army. We heard of the explosion this morning at around 7,” Tenenti told The Daily Star by telephone.
Tenenti said he had no details yet as to the nature of the explosion, noting, however, that the target was either a building or a construction site.
“We are trying to ascertain the nature of the place and the nature of the explosion,” he said.
UNIFIL, which first deployed troops in Lebanon in 1978, remains in the country after its expansion under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 that ended the 2006 war.

US names Lebanese ex-minister Samaha 'global terrorist' December/Daily Star
WASHINGTON: The United States on Monday named former Lebanese information minister Michel Samaha a "specially designated global terrorist" for allegedly aiding the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to launch attacks in Lebanon. Samaha was arrested on August 9 by Lebanese authorities and accused of plotting to assassinate Lebanese leaders and of transporting explosives into Lebanon for such attacks, the US Treasury said in a statement. "The United States will continue to expose any attempts by the Assad regime to meddle in the affairs of its neighbors and further destabilize the region," said Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen. "We will continue to work with our international partners to ensure that the sovereignty of Lebanon is respected and upheld." Samaha, 64, who has both Lebanese and Canadian nationality, was minister of information and tourism in the 1990s. He was officially listed as a "global terrorist" by the US State Department, and the Treasury slapped economic sanctions on him that freeze any assets he holds under US jurisdiction and forbids Americans from doing business with him. The Treasury said Samaha "reportedly" received the explosives he is accused of transporting from Ali Mamluk, the head of the Syrian National Security Bureau.
"Information available to the US government indicates that in July 2012 Mamluk was involved in a plot with Samaha to conduct bombing attacks against Lebanese political and religious figures in northern Lebanon, and Mamluk provided money and explosives to Samaha for that purpose," the Treasury said.

Lebanese Pilgrim Killed in Iraq Bus Bombing
Naharnet/A Lebanese man was killed when a passenger bus carrying 29 Lebanese pilgrims was targeted by a bomb blast in Iraq, the National News Agency reported on Monday. NNA said the Lebanese Charge d'Affaires in Baghdad, Huzaa Sharif, informed Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour that Hussein Nahle was killed and two others suffered minor injuries in the explosion that took place in the city of Samarra, 125 kilometers north of Baghdad.The remaining passengers on the bus were not harmed, the agency added. Media reports said the pilgrims are from Ali Qobaissi pilgrimage organization. Monday was the second day of deadly violence in Iraq ahead of the first anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S. forces. A series of attacks targeting both Iraqi security forces and civilians killed 32 people a day after 19 people died in a string of attacks. In May, three Lebanese pilgrims were killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their bus in Ramadi.

Reports: Blast at Suspected Hizbullah Weapons Depot in the South
Naharnet /An explosion at a suspected Hizbullah munitions depot shook the outskirts of the southern town of Tairharfa at dawn Monday, causing material damage only, media reports said. According to the reports, the blast went of in an abandoned henhouse belonging to a man from the Haidar family. They said it was used as a storage facility for arms and ammunition. Following the explosion that went off only 200 meters away from houses and residential buildings, Hizbullah members cordoned off the area to block access to journalists, they said. The army later blocked the roads leading to the henhouse, as military and Internal Security Forces units arrived to the scene of the blast to investigate, the reports added. The Army Command issued a statement later on Monday confirming the blast and saying that it has tasked an army committee to work with the concerned judicial authorities to investigate the incident. Andrea Tenenti, who is a spokesman for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, said the mission was investigating the incident and would issue a statement later in the day.
The National News Agency quoted Tairharfa's mayor Hussein Qassem Haidar as saying that the blast was the result of the explosion of a rocket left over from the last war between Israel and Hizbullah in 2006.
He urged the state to clear the areas “contaminated with cluster bombs” so that the Lebanese could invest in their agricultural lands. A similar explosion went off in the eastern city of Baalbek on October 3.Hizbullah said at the time that three of its members were killed at the munitions depot in Nabi Sheet where old shells and ammunition as well as ordnance from the Israeli shelling of the area were gathered.Baalbek is a stronghold of Hizbullah similar to southern Lebanon.

U.N. Chief Highlights 'Dramatic Escalation' of Syria War after Yarmuk Attack
Naharnet / U.N. leader Ban Ki-moon is alarmed by the "dramatic escalation" of the Syrian war, highlighted by a deadly air attack by government forces on a Palestinian refugee camp, his spokesman said Sunday.
Ban warned both sides in the 21-month-old conflict that attacks on civilians could amount to "war crimes," as battles intensify, with rebels making increasing gains against President Bashar Assad. The Security Council is set to be briefed Monday morning on the situation. "The secretary general is alarmed by the continued dramatic escalation of violence in Syria over the past several days, and the grave danger facing civilians in areas under fire," said U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky. Ban called an air attack on the Yarmuk refugee camp in Damascus "a matter of grave concern." Syrian activists said at least eight people were killed in the government air raid.
The U.N. leader also highlighted "extremely worrisome reports" of the mass killing of Alawite followers of Assad in the village of Aqrab last week and the the firing of long range missiles.
Activists said scores of civilians were killed in an Alawite enclave in Aqrab, while rebels have accused the government of using SCUD missiles in the war."Continued bombing raids by fixed-wing military aircraft and attack helicopters on populated areas have been amply documented," the U.N. leader was quoted as saying. "Targeting civilians or carrying out military operations in populated areas, in an indiscriminate or disproportionate fashion that harms civilians is a war crime." Ban again praised the countries around Syria that have taken in hundreds of thousands of refugees. He "stresses the importance of keeping the borders open to all who are fleeing the violence in Syria," said Nesirky.The U.N. leader also renewed a call on the divided major powers "to make every effort to stop the tragic spiral of violence in Syria and urgently to promote an inclusive political process leading to a peaceful political transition."Agence France Presse

New Orthodox patriarch elected
December 17, 2012/The Daily Star
TRIPOLI, Lebanon: Patriarch John Yaziji was elected Monday as successor to the late Greek Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim, who died earlier this month. The appointment came during a closed meeting of 18 Bishops at Balamand monastery, some 85 kilometers north of Beirut. Speaking following his appointment, Yaziji said he will do his best to keep on serving the church and asked the lord to give him strength in doing so. Hazim, who was born in the Syrian town of Maharda in Hama Province, passed away Dec. 5 at the age of 92 in a Beirut hospital, a day after suffering a stroke. Yaziji, 57, hails from Syria’s Lattakia, where he pursued his studies in civil engineering. Throughout his studies, Yaziji had a pivotal role in establishing several spiritual programs and training choirs in chanting Byzantine music. In 1978, Yaziji earned a bachelor's degree in theology from the Institute of St. John Damascus Faculty of Theology at the University of Balamand. He then earned a doctorate degree in theology in 1983 from the University of Thessaloniki in Greece. Yaziji was appointed as deacon in 1979 and priest in 1983. In 1981, he took up teaching liturgy at St. John Damascus Faculty of Theology at Balamand University where he had previously studied, assuming the position of dean of the faculty from 1988-1991 and 2001-2005. He became the head of the Balamand monastery from 2001 to 2005. In 2008, he was elected as the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of western and central Europe.

Remembering Gebran Tueni the right way
Michael Young/Now Lebanon/
December 14, 2012
It’s been almost two months since Wissam al-Hassan was killed on a side street in Ashrafieh. And on Wednesday, Lebanon commemorated the seventh anniversary of Gebran Tueni’s assassination. The contrast between the ways March 14 reacted to each crime is instructive. When Tueni was murdered in December 2005, a majority in the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora did not demand that Hezbollah’s ministers resign by arguing that coexistence was no longer possible. Indeed, March 14 went on to participate in the national dialogue, under the auspices of Emile Lahoud no less, in which it made political gains, albeit empty ones in retrospect.
The core of the March 14 strategy then was to persist in strengthening the state and upholding state institutions against all efforts to undermine them by Hezbollah. When the party, in May 2008, turned its guns against fellow Lebanese and terrorized them for several days in western Beirut, the mask fell. The assault showed there could be no real coexistence between a sovereign Lebanese state and a sovereign armed group completely beholden to the regime in Iran.
Today, March 14 has sought, unsuccessfully, to take on a different, unnatural persona: that of a coalition willing to behave, if need be, outside the confines of the state. The opposition insists that state institutions, above all the government and the army, are controlled by Hezbollah, which allegedly justifies their political tactics. Yet how valid is this assessment? There is no doubt that Hezbollah has great influence over the government. However, a blocking third pursues different priorities and has been able to successfully resist the party on major issues. The Special Tribunal for Lebanon was funded, against the wishes of Hezbollah and the Aounists. The party’s desire to pass a new election law based on proportional representation has been undermined by Walid Jumblatt, who, with the Future Movement in parliament, would be able to block approval of such a law.
As for the army, Hezbollah and Michel Aoun do have a significant say over its behavior, not least because the army commander, Jean Qahwaji, believes the party will back him to succeed President Michel Suleiman. However, the army is a complicated institution, with many among its rank and file opposed to Hezbollah and Aoun. There is only so much the army command can do without risking a split in its ranks. Ultimately, Qahwaji will not want to confront Hezbollah’s enemies, and be in bad odor with a part of Lebanese society that he will have to rally to his side if he ever becomes head of state.
That was a lesson learned from Michel Suleiman. Suleiman carefully avoided using violence against opposition demonstrators after Rafiq al-Hariri’s assassination. Yet he made it equally clear that the army would not permit the forcible overthrow of Emile Lahoud. The army commander showed that he could walk through raindrops. When a successor to Lahoud was sought, Suleiman was seen as a suitable choice by the Future Movement thanks to his earlier performance.
While Suleiman is still treading gingerly when it comes to Syria, he has lent legitimacy to the arrest of the former minister Michel Samaha. And in the national dialogue sessions, he has taken the lead in proposing that Hezbollah’s weapons eventually be turned over to the army. And what has March 14 done? It has hung the president out to dry, while there are those in the opposition who will publicly express their doubts about the armed forces.
What kind of state-centered strategy can work when national dialogue is denounced and when doubt is cast on the institution expected to make Hezbollah’s control over its weapons redundant? No one is asking March 14 to embrace naiveté when it comes to Hezbollah; only to be consistent with its own actions in the past, and with the approach it adopted in the wake of Hariri’s killing.
No one doubts what Hezbollah is capable of when it comes to preserving its own interests. But making headway against the party does not mean isolating or condemning the men who have sought to contain Hezbollah within the confines of national institutions. That includes Suleiman, Jumblatt, and Prime Minister Najib Miqati. Perhaps the recent dinner in Mukhtara between Jumblatt and Siniora, accompanied by a group of Future Movement officials, is a sign that there are some in March 14 increasingly unsure about their growing marginalization, following on from their hostility toward Miqati, their refusal to dialogue, and their boycott of parliament.
Perhaps, too, there are those in March 14 who can see the obvious, namely that the international community, including the United States, prefers any Lebanese government, even one in which Hezbollah is represented, to a political vacuum in Beirut.
Which is why March 14 is in need of a better strategy. The coalition has painted itself into a corner politically, and has somehow transformed its adversaries, most absurdly Hezbollah, into premier embodiments of the state. How unfortunate, and how short-sighted. The opposition must focus on the essential: bolstering the state and its avatars, even if it includes those with whom it has differences, against a Hezbollah that has time and again shown profound contempt for the state, at least one over which it cannot rule.
On the anniversary of Gebran Tueni’s murder, it’s important for March 14 to get it right. There is no gain in having to bury more dead while being seen as the problem in Lebanon, rather than the solution.
Michael Young is opinion editor of The Daily Star newspaper in Lebanon. He tweets @BeirutCalling.

Warrants against Saqr, Hariri informally received: Qortbawi
December 17, 2012/ By Youssef Diab/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Arrest warrants issued by Syria against former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and MP Oqab Saqr were sent informally, Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi told The Daily Star Monday.
“The warrants were only received via email, no copies were handed over to the Justice Ministry to decide how to address the issue yet,” said Qortbawi.
Last week, Syria issued warrants for Hariri, Saqr and Free Syrian Army spokesman Louay Meqdad over charges of providing weapons and funds for “terrorist groups” in Syria.
The warrants are based on recordings aired by local media outlets allegedly implicating Saqr in arming rebels, at the behest of Hariri.
Saqr has denied such accusations and said the recordings were doctored. The Zahle MP has insisted he was providing Syrian with humanitarian aid and said allegations against him are aimed at distorting the role of Hariri, who heads Lebanon’s Future Movement, in helping Syrians.
The warrants were reportedly rebuffed by the International Criminal Police Organization, Interpol, according to local media and Saqr.
A judicial source told The Daily Star that the Lebanese judiciary has not received anything related to the Syrian warrants from Interpol.
According to the source, Lebanon’s judiciary cannot proceed with any legal measures regarding the case unless it is officially handed over the warrants.
“The Lebanese judiciary cannot address the case when it only gets it via email. It has to receive a rough copy of the file including evidence and relevant documents,” said the source.
The source said that, after being rebuffed by Interpol, the Syrian authorizes likely decided not to proceed with warrants and replaced them with a lawsuit against MP Saqr.
Meanwhile, Rashad Salameh, a Lebanese lawyer appointed by the Syrian Embassy in Beirut said a lawsuit against Saqr would be finalized by Wednesday.
“I am finalizing the lawsuit and I will present it tomorrow or after tomorrow,” Salameh told The Daily Star.
Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdel-Karim Ali appointed Salameh last week to file the suit against “anyone who participated, incited, funded and sent arms [to Syrian rebels] and were actual accomplices in shedding the blood of Syrians.”

Iran claims Mossad kidnapped Tehran official with Hezbollah ties
Former deputy defense minister Alireza Asgari nabbed in Turkey and transferred to Israel in 2007, senior defense official says
By Aaron Kalman/ December 16, 2012/ The Israeli Mossad spy agency kidnapped Iran’s former deputy defense minister from Turkey in 2007 and moved him to Israel, Tehran’s current Deputy Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Daqiqi claimed on Saturday.
Iranian security services “have a lot of evidence proving that members of the Israeli intelligence service have kidnapped [Alireza] Asgari,” Daqiqi told Iranian reporters at a ceremony marking the sixth year since Asgari disappeared while in Turkey, adding he was transferred to Israel, PressTV reported.
Asgari, who was a general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps with close ties to Hezbollah before climbing the ranks within the Defense Ministry, disappeared from Istanbul in 2007 and initial reports said he had either defected or been kidnapped by a Western intelligence agency.
Among his previous jobs, Asgari was also knowledgeable and deeply involved in Tehran’s nuclear project. A report by Israeli news site Ynet soon after Asgari’s disappearance claimed he was being held by the US, and that he “shed a new light on much of the Iranian regime’s most inner workings, especially regarding the Iranian nuclear development project.”
In 2007, the Sunday Times reported that he defected to the West, possibly to the US, quoting former Mossad chief Danny Yatom.
The report said his defection would provide Western intelligence with a new font of information about Hezbollah-Iranian ties.
“He is a significant figure,” a Western source told the paper at the time. “It has so far been very difficult to get reliable information on how Iran ran its operations in Lebanon. This could be a big break.”
In light of numerous reports claiming Asgari was abducted by foreign intelligence agencies, Iran asked the UN, Red Cross and Interpol to open an investigation into his disappearance.
Despite Tehran’s efforts, there was “no new information” on the topic, Daqiqi said at the gathering on Saturday

Iran details plan to end Syria crisis
December 17, 2012/Daily Star
TEHRAN: Iran has detailed a plan to put an end to the crisis in its ally Syria, calling for an immediate ceasefire and the start of national dialogue between Damascus and rebels, media reported on Monday.
The proposal, whose details were published on Sunday by the foreign ministry, was originally announced on October 14, when Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi gave it to visiting international peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.
The six-point plan calls for "an immediate halt to violence and armed actions under the supervision of the United Nations."
Tehran, the main regional ally of President Bashar al-Assad's regime, says the next step is "the lifting of sanctions against Syria to pave the way for the distribution of humanitarian aid."
"Once calm is restored, national dialogue must begin... a transitional government will then be in charge of organising free elections for parliament, the constituent assembly and the presidency," the text of the plan reads.
Iran has long advocated a political solution and dialogue between the government and opposition groups to end the Syrian crisis.
However opposition groups reject any Iranian involvement in the search for a solution, reflecting the view that the US and some Western and Arab countries hold that Tehran is discredited by its unwavering support for Assad.
Tehran's proposal also envisages "the release of political prisoners by the government and impartial trial of those jailed for involvement in crimes" since the revolt broke out in Syria more than 21 months ago.
"A committee must be formed to assess the conflict's resulting damage to Syria's infrastructure," it said. "The current campaign of misinformation against Syria must also end."
Since the beginning of the revolt in mid-March 2011, more than 43,000 deaths have been recorded by the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights.


Hezbollah's Nasrallah says rebels will not win in Syria
Syrian rebels accuse the Shi'ite group of sending fighters to Syria to help Assad; Syrian fighter jets fire rockets at Palestinian camp in Damascus.
By Reuters and The Associated Press | Dec.16, 2012/
An image grab taken from Lebanon's Hezbollah-run Manar TV shows Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah as he makes a rare appearance at anti-U.S. protest in southern Beirut, September 17, 2012. Photo by AFP Text size Comments (1) Print Page Send to friend Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share this story is byReuters The Associated Press related tagsHassan Nasrallah Syria Bashar Assad Hezbollah related articlesSyrian fighter jets bomb Palestinian refugee, rebels seize infantry training facilityBy Reuters | Dec.16,2012 | 4:48 PM Russia denies senior diplomat's comments on Assad's fallBy The Associated Press | Dec.16,2012 | 4:48 PM Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said on Sunday the rebels in Syria cannot emerge victorious from the 21-month-long conflict.
Nasrallah, a staunch ally of President Bashar Assad, said: "The situation in Syria is getting more complicated - but anyone who thinks the armed opposition can settle the situation on the ground is very, very mistaken."
Syrian rebels accuse the Shi'ite group of sending fighters to Syria to help Assad, who is trying to crush a revolt against his rule. The group denies these accusations.
Over the weekend, Russia's Foreign Ministry denied that a top diplomat said Assad is losing control of his country, a statement that had been interpreted as signaling a shift in Russia's assessment of the situation.
Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, the ministry's point man on Syria, was quoted by two state-owned Russian news agencies on Thursday as saying that "there is a trend for the government to progressively lose control over an increasing part of the territory," adding that "an opposition victory can't be excluded."
But the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday insisted in a statement that Bogdanov "has not made any statements or special interviews recently" on Syria but was simply citing the stance of the Syrian opposition while giving a speech. Meanwhile, Syrian fighter jets fired at least two rockets at the Palestinian Yarmouk camp in Damascus on Sunday, for the first time since the revolt against Bashar Assad erupted last year, activists in the capital said.
They said dozens of people were killed when at least one rocket hit a mosque in the camp sheltering refugees who fled the violence in nearby suburbs of Damascus.

French Journalist: Hezbollah 400 Times More Capable of Attacking Israel
TEHRAN (FNA)- French journalist and author Thierry Meyssan said that Hezbollah's military capacities and capabilities against Israel have grown 400 times since the Tel Aviv's 33-day war on Lebanon back in 2006.
In an article published in the Voltaire.net, Meyssan wrote the Israeli intelligence services have acknowledged that the Lebanese resistance movement's capacity for bombing Israel's main cities has multiplied by four hundred.
He said that in the event of a regional war, the Israeli territory would be devastated in just few months.
The journalist noted that the new balance of power between Israel and the resistance groups becomes apparent by comparing Israel's wars against Hezbollah and Palestinians from 2006 to 2012. It is quite evident that Israel's military might has considerably diminished since 2006.
He said that while the attack on Lebanon in 2006 lasted 33 days, it took Israel 22 days to continue its raid on Gaza in 2009, and only 8 days the Israeli military machine to attack Gaza Strip from air and sea.
During the war of 2006, 200,000 Israelis were obliged to hide in shelters to escape from Hezbollah retaliation. This time, they were 2,000,000 seeking shelter from Palestinian missiles.
During the recent 8-day war, the Palestinian resistance tested new missiles with a range of 120 kilometers (instead of the 8 kilometers reached by their home-made rockets). They experienced no difficulty in penetrating the Iron Dome, which is only capable of intercepting primitive rockets.
He further noted "if we put this capacity into perspective with that of Hezbollah from Lebanon, this means that all of Israel" is now within striking range.
Consequently, the Israeli defenses, based on "strategic depth" are now obsolete. Israel can no longer be defended.
Thierry Meyssan is a French intellectual, founder and chairman of Voltaire Network and the Axis for Peace Conference. He is a professor of international relations at the Center for Strategic Studies in Damascus.

No longer avant-garde, has Hezbollah TV sold out to the mainstream?
Published December 16th, 2012 - 08:42 GMT via SyndiGate.info
Hezbollah officially declared not a terrorist group: EU rejects request
Political splits threaten social bonds
Get off the couch for Gaza, says Hezbollah, no more time for armchair Arabs
Hezbollah’s Manar TV is stuck in a rut. It gives away its scoops to other channels and limits its reporters’ social and political coverage. Is it possible to revive this once popular channel?
Four years have passed since Hezbollah’s Manar TV was last revamped. At the doorstep of the new year, there are no changes in store for its political programs or news broadcasts.
Despite the internal voices of protest that complain of the channel’s decline on the media and political scenes, it is as if the channel is in a coma state in terms of style and substance.
The channel’s image seems dull in both the news broadcasts and the political programs with only minor changes introduced.A source within the station told Al-Akhbar that the problem is not financial; there is simply an internal decision to keep the situation as is. Not to mention that Manar intentionally gives its scoops to other channels even though it is capable of claiming the top spots in ratings.
The channel’s image seems dull in both the news broadcasts and the political programs with only minor changes introduced. The reason for this is that one engineer has been in charge of the interior decoration for nearly 20 years. Although many from outside the station offered their services free of charge in this area, especially in lighting and screen layout, the channel’s management has not been responsive.
As for substance, the problem is worse. Even though the station has a team of professional reporters, the limits placed on politics and social issues paralyze them. Not to mention that there have been no new faces in the news studios. In polls conducted soon after the 2009 parliamentary elections, Manar and al-Jadeed took first spots in television ratings. However, the political battle over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) – the court that handles the assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri – that emerged the following year, turned Manar from a newsmaker to a news transmitter. The station played the role of spectator and failed to take initiative.
Things hit rock bottom when the STL indicted four Hezbollah members in the assassination in 2011. Manar stepped aside, abandoning its viewership and media advantage in favor of al-Jadeed. That became evident when Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah presented and explained in detail a document that exposed the smuggling of computers to Israel on al-Jadeed. This was the gift that kept on giving and al-Jadeed was happy to use Manar’s scoops to snatch the channel’s audience.
Even though the station has a team of professional reporters, the limits placed on politics and social issues paralyze them.In short, the STL battle deprived Manar of its popular following, leaving the so-called Shia audience to be divvied up between al-Jadeed and LBCI (Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International). Perhaps the death blow came when Manar did not broadcast the 2006 operation to capture the two Israeli soldiers. Instead, Manar gifted the scoop to al-Mayadeen last summer.
Inside Manar, there is a lot of resentment, but this does not translate into action on the ground. The same source told Al-Akhbar that two years ago, Manar signed an agreement with more than one channel that prevented its employees from working in any of those other institutions until a year had passed and they had obtained management’s approval.
As such, the channel lost employees like Abbas Nasser, Hakam Amhaz, Hussein and Farah Noureddine, and Abdallah Chamseddine. The source believes that those who left the station were perhaps lucky because they joined institutions that embraced their ambitions. Today, the employees left at Manar feel stifled.
The station that was borne from the Resistance in 1991 with the slogan “the Channel of Arabs and Muslims” used to represent a wide audience. Today, however, it is fast asleep and leaving the court open to its competitors. But for whose sake? And why? Only those in charge of Manar can answer this question. They promise that there will be changes in the institution in terms of style and substance in the coming year. Let’s wait and see.
Will you be watching Manar TV? Have they lost their edge? Tell us what you think below.
© Al-Akhbar. All rights reserved

Walid Phares : Egypt on Verge of Becoming a ‘Totalitarian Islamist State’
Sunday, 16 Dec 2012/By Paul Scicchitano
Middle East expert Walid Phares says this weekend’s vote on a new Egyptian constitution is part of a broader strategy by President Mohammed Morsi to transform the country into a “totalitarian Islamist state” like Iran.
“They forced the referendum on Egyptians without judges, monitors, and under the pressure of their street militias,” explained Phares, an advisor to the anti-Terrorism Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives, said in an exclusive interview with Newsmax.
“That's what the forces of civil society are seeing today. Egypt is divided between the Islamists and the rest of the country.”
Following the first round of a two-stage referendum, Egyptians narrowly voted in favor of a constitution shaped by Islamists but opposed by other groups who fear it will divide the Arab world's biggest nation, according to officials in rival camps speaking to the Associated Press.
As of late Sunday afternoon, Phares said that the results showed an approval margin of nearly 60 percent for the referendum, which he said may be even higher when all the votes are counted.
“The opposition, including 80 percent of Egypt's judges and elections bureaucracies have accused the Muslim Brotherhood of rigging the process,” asserted Phares, who served as a senior advisor on foreign policy to the Romney campaign. The decades-old Brotherhood is the region's largest and best-known fundamentalist Islamic organization, one that gave rise over the years to such terrerorist organizations as al-Qaida and Islamic Jihad.
“For example large areas known to be liberals saw their ballot boxes being removed, their votes canceled,” said Phares. And he said that Egypt’s separate voting centers for women were staffed primarily by Muslim Brotherhood supporters. “The bottom line is that the results of the referendum in Alexandria, Cairo, and major cities has been in favor of Morsi and his constitution,” said Phares, who authored "The Coming Revolution." “Technically, the measure is passing, despite the fierce opposition by seculars and liberals.”
He added that while the opposition to the measure is significant, the Muslim Brotherhood has government resources at its disposal.
He said that the Brotherhood “outmaneuvered” the opposition by dividing them and then weakening the military before seizing the parliament and presidency during the country’s recent elections.
“Aside from the Brotherhood and their Salafi allies, most Egyptian political and social forces opposed the referendum including liberals, socialists, conservative Wafd supporters, secular women, liberal youth, Copts,” said Phares, who is also a Newsmax contributor. “Socially most labor, peasantry, and middle class also opposed the Islamist constitution.”
He said that the second phase of the referendum to be held next week will likely be dominated by the brotherhood since the opposition has fewer resources to canvass in remote towns and villages
“Because of years of activism within the mosques, the brotherhood can rely on a well-structured system of mobilization that begins in the pulpits,” Phares said.
“The penetration of mosques by the Islamists over decades, at the disadvantage of moderate Muslims, is paying off now. It was known that the Islamists would win the referendum, because of the control by Morsi of the institutions, the division of the opposition — and one must note — the passive role of the U.S. administration in criticizing the brotherhood's takeover. Egyptian democracy forces today openly accuse the Obama Administration of helping the Brotherhood take over the country.”
© 2012 Newsmax. All rights reserved.

What would overthrowing Mursi actually mean?
By Dr. Hamad Al-Majid/Asharq Alawsat
Is the fierce campaign being launched by the "remnants alliance" seeking to topple President Mursi?
The answer is yes. Implicit and explicit statements issued by the alliance’s symbols have been reported by media outlets, and we are not talking about secret leaks from closed meetings. For example, let us consider what ElBaradei meant when he said the regime has lost its legitimacy.
Before I proceed any further, I would like to point out that when I use the term “remnants alliance” I do not only mean the remnants of the former regime and Mubarak’s inner circle such as Ahmed Ezz, Ahmad Fathi Sorour, Safwat El-Sherif or Ahmed Shafik. Rather, I also mean anyone who ever used the regime, its mechanisms and individuals as a shield from opponents, and anyone who benefitted from it politically, economically or ideologically.
The remnants alliance is currently fooling people into thinking that the mass mobility on the Egyptian street stems from President Mursi’s temporary constitutional decrees, even though they will be invalid in a few days after the Egyptian people endorse the constitution by means of a fair and democratic vote. In fact, the impartial and well-organized nature of the referendum can already be seen in the marginal difference between those who have voted yes and those who have voted no. It is hard to believe that the remnants alliance is inciting its supporters in front of the presidential palace (a dangerous and far from innocent act) simply because of two or three articles in the constitution. Everyone is well aware that key figures within this alliance participated in the drafting of the constitution over six months, yet all of a sudden the whole group decided to withdraw in order to spark off a crisis that the country is yet to recover from. This is the very same tactic used by the Egyptian security services during the million man marches in Tahrir Square, which sought to overthrow the Mubarak regime. At that time policemen would suddenly withdraw from the Egyptian street in order to create a security vacuum that would delude the Egyptian people into thinking that the bleariness of the Mubarak regime would be better than the blindness of the revolution.
Here a key question must be asked: Is the remnants alliance aware of the consequences of its attempts to topple President Mursi? The movement has insisted on staging demonstrations in front of the presidential palace, with some protestors climbing the outer walls without a word of condemnation. Furthermore, the remnants alliance failed to issue any form of denouncement when twenty five headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Freedom and Justice Party were burned down. Thus the answer to my above question is "no" because partisan maneuvers have blinded this alliance, and now it fails to see the gravity of its actions.
Let us suppose that the remnants alliance, by provoking and escalating Egypt’s crises, was eventually successful in toppling President Mursi. Then Egypt would lose its bet on integrating the peaceful Islamist movements, whether Brotherhood or Salafi affiliates, into the democratic process. In fact, this integration has already reached a degree whereby the Salafi current has accepted the democratic process and voted on constitutional articles, something that would have been considered blasphemous in the past. Furthermore, overthrowing the president would pave the way for the rise of extremist currents such as al-Qaeda and others. If this were to happen it would have a greater impact on Brotherhood and Salafi youths, for the overwhelming sense of despair and frustration would push them towards violence as a means of achieving change. Without a doubt, Egypt would then experience a rapid deterioration and a potential civil war that could wreak havoc. And as we all know, if Egypt sneezes other Arab states soon catch the cold.
The former Salafi presidential candidate Hazem Abu Ismail recently warned that if demonstrators stormed the presidential palace then the Islamists would declare an Islamic revolution from the Maspero. Here we can see how the state of frustration in Egypt has influenced this elderly figure, whose group until recently considered the revolution against the Mubarak regime to be illegitimate, so we can only imagine the reaction of more fervent and zealous youths! The remnants alliance must realize that by seeking to overthrow an elected president it is playing with an extremely dangerous card.

The referendum and 20 billion dollars from Qatar
By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Alawsat
Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi has advised the Egyptian people to vote yes in the constitutional referendum so as not to lose out on the US$20 billion in aid promised by Qatar.
Logically speaking, it is not reasonable for anyone to vote one way or another on their country’s constitution, which, as described by Dr. Mohammed ElBaradei, represents the social contract between the Egyptians and the state, in exchange for financial support from any third party whatsoever. Al-Qaradawi’s advice is simply another “carrot and stick” ploy, and such tactics are being used regularly in the run up to this referendum since the Egyptian President can no longer impose what he deems appropriate on the people, as was the case during the reign of Hosni Mubarak. The ballot box has become the law.
If al-Qaradawi sought to entice the Egyptians with the gift from Qatar, others went further than that. Mosque Imams have promised heaven to those who vote ‘yes’ and threatened hellfire to those who vote ‘no’. Meanwhile, on the other side, there are warnings that voting ‘yes’ could plunge Egypt into a crisis and perhaps even a civil war.
Of course, “billions of dollars”, “hellfire” and “civil war” are all phrases used to stir up and mobilize the masses. They reflect the importance of the constitution, as a contract between the regime and the people, and expectations on all sides are very high. But what is the value of a constitution that does safeguard the country? What is the point of a constitution that divides the Egyptians? More importantly, who will save Egypt if the constitution itself is the cause of instability in the country?
It would be impossible for Qatar to pay even one dollar out of the twenty billion it has promised in investments and aid, or for the International Monetary Fund or other donor countries for that matter, if this conflict continues to shatter Egypt and render it unstable. Voting ‘yes’ or ‘no’ will make no difference if the losers fail to accept the referendum result with genuine satisfaction and conviction.
The draft constitution and surrounding controversy have poisoned the political climate. The Egyptian pound has been dealt a blow in the process and the widespread discord has caused losses in the stock market, all of which are worrying signs. No one in Egypt has the ability to prevent the disaster, whatever the majority vote, except President Mohammed Mursi. His task is difficult because each side considers the referendum to be a decisive issue and extremists, such as Salafi jihadist groups in Sinai, have vowed to impose the constitution by force of arms - although everyone would stand against them if that happened. The problem is that each side has reached a degree intolerance and intransigence that leaves no room for maneuver or retraction later on. Yet constitutions are supposed to be civil projects, the details of which can be revised even after the referendum.
Mursi is the key to the solution. He must demonstrate genuine leadership through reassuring the anxious masses and we hope that he will bring together all parties to his presidential table to fix what the constitution controversy has ruined. He must surrender his affiliation and loyalty to the Muslim Brotherhood, and act as the President of the Republic. Without being a president of the Copts and the civil forces, Mursi would remain exclusively as the leader of Islamist groups; groups that will hound him later on many issues and demand the impossible.
Mursi must also consider the civilized political position of opposition leaders. They have all said that they do not question the legitimacy of his presidency and do not approve of those seeking to topple him through a counter revolution. They will recognize and respect his rights until the end of his current term. However, it is not certain that the opposition will continue to uphold such a moral stance if the president always sides with his own group and marginalizes other parties.

A talk with the General Guide
By Hussein Shabokshi/Asharq Alawsat
Egypt’s political state is worrying and depressing. The new regime came on the wings of the hope, joy and prayers of millions who wanted to turn a new page and build bridges in their country to reach a better future.
Optimism was at its peak after an almost ideal revolution, yet this was followed by successive strange events culminating in the Muslim Brotherhood coming to power. Mohammed Mursi (who was not even his group’s first candidate, and did not play a fundamental role in the revolution) came to be Egypt’s president and embarked upon a series of policies, decrees and trends that tore the country and its people into rival sects and teams. Everyone has become convinced that the reins of power are in fact in the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood’s General Guide [Mohammed Badie] and his supporting team rather than in the hands of the President himself, and therefore it would seem more appropriate to take this opportunity to address the man directly:
You [Mohammed Badie] came to power in the largest Arab country through a system and political mechanism known as democracy, which you (and your allies) had denounced as blasphemous up until recently. This reminds me of the clear case of schizophrenia that political Islam is suffering from, represented by the conflicting and contradictory behavior often witnessed between the interior and the exterior, which borders on the hypocritical. When those representing “religion” come across in this manner, this is a source of worry and concern. A hypocrite in Islam is one who acts on the outside differently to what he believes on the inside. In the Koran, the hypocrite is believed to suffer from an affliction of the heart “In their hearts is disease, so Allah has increased their disease” [Surat al-Baqarah, Verse 10], and likewise they are characterized by their negative thoughts towards God; “[It was] so that Allah may punish the hypocrite men and hypocrite women and the men and women who associate others with Him and that Allah may accept repentance from the believing men and believing women” [Surat al-Ahzab, Verse 73]. We must heed this divine description of the hypocrites, their shortcomings and their precise characteristics, for it serves to warn us of the dangers of exploiting religion for our own interests.
The Koran provides further characteristics of the hypocrite, one of which is using legitimate and lawful acts or settings to cover up for harmful ones; “And [there are] those [hypocrites] who took for themselves a mosque for causing harm and disbelief and division among the believers and as a station for whoever had warred against Allah and His Messenger before. And they will surely swear, "We intended only the best." And Allah testifies that indeed they are liars” [Surat al-Tawbah, Verse 107].
Of course, the hypocrite may also adopt the well-known tactics of differentiating between groups, igniting sedition, subversion and discord, or enlarging rifts and dividing ranks (whether directly or indirectly). And of course, this is all usually conducted under the banner of calling for reform; “And when it is said to them, "Do not cause corruption on the earth," they say, "We are but reformers." Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters, but they perceive [it] not”. [Surat al-Baqarah, Verses 11 and 12]. “And when he goes away, he strives throughout the land to cause corruption therein and destroy crops and animals. And Allah does not like corruption” [Surant al-Baqarah, Verse 205].
One can only resort to religion as a source of universal good. Therefore, when one rules in the name of religion this soon causes strife, anxiety and problems, because this act stems from bad intentions and a clear misapplication of religion. Thus there is a need for those in charge of the Brotherhood’s discourse in Egypt and the region to pause and reflect. The region is simmering amidst a tense religious atmosphere that is dividing countries between believers and infidels, especially as the Brotherhood have allied themselves with radical religious groups who know nothing about moderation, thus contributing, given the widespread Brotherhood presence, to the dissemination of radical ideology.
This atmosphere, with great regret, has created a state of anxiety and suspicion towards some religious figures working in the political arena, and some people have had their confidence shaken. Here I will recall the words of God Almighty who said: “And of the people is he whose speech pleases you in worldly life, and he calls Allah to witness as to what is in his heart, yet he is the fiercest of opponents” [Surat al-Baqarah, Verse 204]. Thus, even if these religious figures demonstrate their full attention and commitment, there is always an underlying air of mistrust. “And among them, [O Muhammad], are those who listen to you, until when they depart from you, they say to those who were given knowledge, "What has he said just now?" Those are the ones of whom Allah has sealed over their hearts and who have followed their [own] desires” [Surat Mohammed, Verse 16].
The words of the Prophet (peace be upon him) also elaborate on the qualities of the hypocrite: The Prophet said, "The signs of a hypocrite are three: 1. Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie.2. Whenever he promises, he always breaks it. 3. If you trust him, he proves to be dishonest” [Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 2, Number 33]. This is what we are witnessing today.
A true believer does not engage in this duplicitous behavior; what is expressed on the outside is what is found on the inside and there is never a contradiction between them. The Prophet also alluded to this when he said: “You who believe, fear Allah and say what is true. He will make your deeds sound, and forgive your sins. He who obeys Allah and His Apostle has achieved a mighty success” [Sunan Abu-Dawud, Book 11, Number 2113].
The alliances established by the Muslim Brotherhood have allowed amateurs in the field of Islam to insult al-Azhar - the most important reference in the Islamic world, to produce fatwas that divide the ranks of Muslims, provoking discord and grudges, and to shake the social ladder and open the door to civil strife.
The Brotherhood’s General Guide, from his position as a Muslim, must fully and consciously review the way in which things are going in Egypt and in the Arab region. Is he satisfied with continuing to pump gas to Israel whilst cutting off the supply to Jordan, purely to embarrass the Jordanian government and support the Muslim Brotherhood opposition there in its attempt to incite unrest and further problems? The Guide needs the wisdom to reconsider his position, and wisdom always stems from a fear of God.