LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 09/2012

Bible Quotation for today/Sin/Faith
Luke 17/01-06: "Jesus said to his disciples, Things that make people fall into sin are bound to happen, but how terrible for the one who makes them happen! It would be better for him if a large millstone were tied around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch what you do! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in one day, and each time he comes to you saying, I repent, you must forgive him.  The apostles said to the Lord, Make our faith greater. The Lord answered, If you had faith as big as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, Pull yourself up by the roots and plant yourself in the sea! and it would obey you.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
The eclipse of the Shia crescent/By: Hussain Abdul-Hussain/February 08/12
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's Speech of 07 February/12
Russia, al-Assad and the last kiss/By Tariq Alhomayed/February 08/12
The Veto has lost its repute/By Hussein Shobokshi/ February 08/12

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for February 08/12
STL Judges Discuss Amendments to Rules of Procedure and Evidence
Lebanese Human rights activist Ali Akil Khalil on trial for defaming ISF
Leading businessman Mohammad Hussein Nizar al-Husseini kidnapped at gunpoint in Beirut
March 14 Slams Army ‘Raids’ in North and Links Government ‘Failure’ to Syrian Developments
Israel embassies preparing for Iran strike?
Iranian lawmakers call for embargo on oil sales to EU
Carlo Strenger / Israel, Syria, and the double standards of the Free World
Iran: U.S., Israel highly vulnerable to retaliatory strikes
Al-Rahi: I Support Elimination of Sectarianism on Condition a Substitute Be Provided
Sanctions working? Iran defaults on payments to India
Iran shrugs off sanctions even as trade suffers
On U.S. visit, Israel's Lieberman thanks Clinton for resolute stand on Iran
Russia pushes Syria reforms as bloodshed mounts
Russian FM: Syria's Assad willing to accept expanded Arab League mission
U.N. Rights Chief Calls for Urgent Action on Syria after More ‘Massacres
Assad promises peace as Homs burns
Turkey may move as Syria presses assault in Homs
Saudi Officials Pressure Christian Prisoners to Convert to Islam
Pope may visit Lebanon in September
Mar Maroun celebrations a unifying source for Christians
Nasrallah: 'Iran doesn't dictate Hezbollah's actions'
Hezbollah: Iran will not ask it to strike Israel
Nasrallah: No government change
France set to cut its UNIFIL contingent
Pressing political issues top PM Mikati’s Paris agenda
Beirut: Child beggar networks persist despite crackdown
Lebanon’s Finance Minister Safadi pledges to keep budget deficit low despite high spending
Lebanese Religious leaders call for unity at a time of Arab uprisings
Lebanese Rival party representatives to discuss political system
Future MP blasts Lebanese Army for showboating
U.N. committed to promoting security in Lebanon: Plumbly
Engineer Maroun Maroun was killed and numerous workers injured in Batroun hotel bridge
 

Israel embassies preparing for Iran strike?
Itamar Eichner/Ynetnews
Diplomats stationed in Israel request gas masks, prepare contingency plans in case of missile attacks; envoys fear that thousands of dual-citizenship Israelis will seek evacuation
Preparing for Iran strike? Foreign embassies in Israel have recently started to formulate contingency plans to evacuate their citizens from the Jewish State in case of a missile attack on Israel.
Senior officials in Jerusalem said that several diplomatic missions have shown great interest in preparing for various emergency situations, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday
In the framework of the preparations for possible fallout in case of an Israeli strike on Iran, foreign diplomats stationed in Israel requested that the Foreign Ministry equip them and their family members with gas masks. Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry has provided foreign embassies in Israel with a list of public bomb shelters across the country, as well as an instructional pamphlet in English produced by the IDF Home Front Command. Diplomatic officials deployed in Israel are particularly concerned about the possibility of a missile offensive on the Jewish State that would prompt thousands of Israeli citizens with foreign passports to seek evacuation from country. A senior European diplomat said that in such case, the European Union does not have the means to undertake a massive evacuation operation within a short period of time. Meanwhile, the Home Front Command is preparing to launch a two-day drill in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon on Wednesday. IDF forces, firefighters, police officers and Magen David Adom emergency services will be taking part in the exercise. Army officials said that heavy military and emergency vehicle traffic is expected in the city's Shimshon neighborhood during the day. The drill marks the latest in a series of Home Front exercises held in Israel in recent months. The Air Force will also be holding major maneuvers Wednesday, in the northern Israel Galilee region.

'Iran doesn't dictate Hezbollah's actions'
Roi Kais/Ynetnews /Hezbollah Chief Nasrallah admits Shiite group gets 'spiritual, political and material assistance from Iran,' but stresses it makes its own decisions Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah admitted Thursday that Iran and Syria have supported the Shiite militant group, but insisted that "Iran doesn't dictate Hezbollah's actions."Nasrallah spoke during a ceremony marking the birthday of Prophet Muhammad and Islamic Unity Week. I don't believe Israel will attack Iranian nuclear facilities, but of it does… the Iranian leadership won't ask Hezbollah for anything and won't dictate anything. We will have to think and decided what to do on our own." Nasrallah further said that "Iran supports the resistance movements in Palestine and Lebanon and asks for nothing in return, since this is a religious obligation. "We get spiritual, political and material assistance from Iran. The resistance movement that won the Second Lebanon War could not have done so without Iran's help, but they can't dictate anything," he said. Hezbollah's leader also addressed the bloodshed in Syria, cementing once again his allegiance to Syrian President Bashar Assad. He dismissed the reports of a massacre in Homs: "We looked into those reports. Nothing happened there. The timing of those reports – just before the debate in the UN Security Council wasn’t based on facts. It was an attempt to use the media. "The reality in Syria today is that the regime is still in power and it has an army and a constitution. There are many people who support the regime… so the assumption that the people don't support (Assad) is not true." The regime, he added, "Has opposition. Parts of that opposition are armed and there are some armed conflicts in various parts across Syria. But the majority of Syria enjoys stability," he said. Nasrallah stressed that Assad was interested in launching a dialogue with the Opposition over the reform it demands

Lebanese Human rights activist Ali Akil Khalil on trial for defaming ISF
February 08, 2012 03:32 PM The Daily Star /BEIRUT: A military court has begun the trial of human rights activist Ali Akil Khalil, who is charged with spreading false information about the Internal Security Forces (ISF), after he alleged that policemen tortured inmates at Roumieh prison. In a late 2011 interview with Al-Jadeed television channel, Khalil said inmates at Lebanon’s notorious Roumieh prison were being tortured with sharp tools and threatened with death. Judge Nizar Khalil chaired the session at the Military Court and told Khalil to enter his plea. He pleaded guilty, saying he did not mean to offend members of the ISF, but rather wanted to shed light on the prison situation. The activist, who is Lebanon’s ambassador to the International Human Rights Organization, told the court that photographs he held aloft during the television interview were made available to him by inmates’ families. At the time, Khalil said the photos of Roumieh prisoners showed that the inmates had been subjected to beatings. A verdict is expected later Wednesday. In a May 2011 news conference, Khalil said the ISF has failed to deliver on its promises to improve living conditions at Roumieh Prison, prompting dozens of prisoners to go on hunger strike. “Instead of reforms being implemented at Roumieh prison, prisoners and detainees have been inhumanely treated,” he said. During Khalil's hearing, members of the Committee of Family Members of Detainees in Lebanese Prisons, the Khiam Rehabilitation Center, and the International Organization of Human Rights (of which Khalil is president) held a protest outside the military court, according to the National News Agency. Several statements were read out decrying Khalil's trial as a violation of human rights. In his statement, Secretary-General of the Khiam Rehabilitation Center Mohammad Safa also addressed the identity of the court, maintaining that Khalil "should have appeared before a civilian court and not a military court, because a military court is supposed to deal with military crimes."

Leading businessman Mohammad Hussein Nizar al-Husseini kidnapped at gunpoint in Beirut
February 08, 2012/ The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Armed men intercepted a car and snatched a leading businessman at gunpoint Wednesday near CIS College in Beirut’s southern suburb of Ghadir, security sources said. The sources, speaking to The Daily Star on condition of anonymity, said the abduction took place at 5:00 a.m. They said gunmen in a Mercedes-Benz and a BMW with tinted windows intercepted a silver Nissan, grabbed businessman Mohammad Hussein Nizar al-Husseini and took him to an unknown destination. Husseini’s car was found abandoned in the driveway of a nearby apartment building. Police arrived at the scene and dusted the Nissan for fingerprints while security forces hunted for the kidnappers.

Iran: U.S., Israel highly vulnerable to retaliatory strikes
By Haaretz, Reuters and The Associated Press
Deputy head of Iran's armed forces joint chiefs of staff says that his country rejects that United States' carrot and stick approach. The United States and Israel are highly susceptible to Iranian retaliation if they launch military strikes against Iran, a senior Iranian military commander was quoted as saying on Tuesday. Iran's Press TV reported that Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri, the deputy head of Iran's armed forces joint chiefs of staff, asserted that the U.S. and Israel are in no position to carry out military action against Iran due to their vulnerability to counterstrikes. Jazayeri also reportedly said that Iran "brushes aside" the United States' carrot and stick approach toward Iran. Also, Iran's ambassador to Russia, Seyyed Mahmoud-Reza Sajjadi, said on Wednesday that his country is capable of striking U.S. forces anywhere in the world if it is attacked. "The Americans know very well what Iran is like and what our potential is," Sajjadi was quoted as saying by Russia's Interfax news agency. "Iran is in a very good position to deliver retaliatory strikes on America around the world ... An attack on Iran would be suicidal for them." The U.S. and Israel have not ruled out military action against Iran to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons. Iran claims its nuclear program is peaceful, mainly for generating electricity. On Tuesday, Iran rejected as an "antagonistic move" U.S. President Barack Obama's executive order tightening U.S. sanctions that target Iran's central bank and gives U.S. banks new powers to freeze assets linked to the Iranian government. "It is an antagonistic move ... a psychological war which has no impact ... There is nothing new, it has been going on for over 30 years," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told a weekly news conference. "Sanctions will not have any impact on our nuclear course." More than two-thirds of Iran's lawmakers have endorsed a statement calling for cutting off oil sales to the European Union before EU sanctions on their country go into effect. The statement, which was read Wednesday in an open session of parliament broadcast on state radio, said "in the case of the continuation of illogical policies" by the EU, Iran will look for alternative customers for its oil before the European embargo goes into effect in the summer. The statement was signed by 200 of the parliament's 290 lawmakers.

Russia pushes Syria reforms as bloodshed mounts
08/02/2012/BEIRUT (AP) — Days after blocking a U.S.-backed peace plan at the U.N., senior Russian officials have pushed for reforms during an emergency meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad, promoting a settlement to end the uprising without removing him from power. On Tuesday, thousands of flag-waving government supporters cheered the Russians in the Syrian capital of Damascus, while to the north, Assad's forces pounded the opposition city of Homs — underscoring the sharp divisions propelling the country toward civil war. The violence has led to the most severe international isolation in more than four decades of Assad family rule, with country after country calling home their envoys.
France, Italy, Spain and Belgium pulled their ambassadors from Damascus, as did six Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia. Germany, whose envoy left the country this month, said he would not be replaced. The moves came a day after the U.S. closed its embassy in Syria and Britain recalled its ambassador.
Turkey, once a strong Assad supporter and now one of his most vocal critics, added its voice to the international condemnation, with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying his country cannot remain silent about massacres in Syria. He said Turkey would "launch a new initiative with countries that stand by the Syrian people instead of the regime."
His comments reflect a growing movement by the U.S., Europe and countries in the region to organize a coalition of nations to back Syria's opposition, though what kind of support remains unclear. Over the weekend, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called for "friends of democratic Syria" to unite and rally against Assad's regime. On Tuesday, the Obama administration suggested it might provide humanitarian aid to the Syrian people, but did not specify how or to whom. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov flew into Damascus on Tuesday, accompanied by his foreign security chief, to try to boost a plan that would keep Assad in power, even though many prominent members of the opposition reject that entirely. "It's clear that efforts to stop the violence should be accompanied by the beginning of dialogue among the political forces," Lavrov said, according to the Russian news agency ITAR-Tass. "Today we received confirmation of the readiness of the president of Syria for this work."
The visit was also a sign that Moscow wanted to get a firsthand assessment of the situation on the ground in Syria — and the raucous welcome the diplomats received from thousands of regime supporters appeared aimed at showing that Assad's grip is firm, at least in Damascus.
Syria has been a key Russian ally since Soviet times, and Moscow remains a major arms supplier to Damascus even as Assad unleashes his forces to crush not only peaceful protesters, but army defectors who are fighting the regime.
The U.N. estimates the government crackdown has killed more than 5,400 people since March, making Syria's conflict one of the deadliest of the Arab Spring. Hundreds more are believed to have died since the U.N. released that figure in January, but the chaos in the country has made it impossible for the world body to update its figures.
Tuesday's visit by Lavrov and intelligence chief Mikhail Fradkov was evidence that Russia does not want to be seen as giving Assad a free hand to crush his opponents in the wake of Saturday's veto at the U.N. Security Council.
Both Russia and China blocked a Western- and Arab-backed resolution supporting calls for Assad to hand over some powers as a way to defuse the 11-month-old crisis.
Russia has opposed any U.N. call that could be interpreted as advocating military intervention or regime change. Russia and China also used their veto powers in October to block an attempt to condemn the violence in Syria.
On Tuesday, Moscow delivered its own message to Syria, calling on all sides to hold a meaningful dialogue. "Necessary reforms must be implemented in order to address legitimate demands of the people striving for a better life," Lavrov told Assad, according to ITAR-Tass."
Assad replied that Syria is determined to hold a national dialogue with the opposition and independent figures, saying his government was "ready to cooperate with any effort that boosts stability in Syria," according to the Syrian state news agency SANA.
Repeated efforts by the Arab League and Russia to broker talks have been rejected by the Syrian opposition, which refuses any negotiations while the crackdown continues. The opposition has also said Assad's proposed reforms, including a new constitution and eventual multiparty elections, are aimed at keeping his hold on power.
In Tuesday's talks, Assad told Lavrov that Russia's position has played "a key role in saving our motherland," according to ITAR-Tass.
As Lavrov's convoy snaked its way along Damascus' Mazzeh Boulevard, it was greeted by a sea of Assad supporters cheering the vetoes at the U.N.
"Thank you Russia and China," read one banner that had photos of Assad and the Russian president. Many stood in the rain carrying Syrian flags as well as the red, blue and white Russian banner.
"I am here to thank Russia for its stand in the face of the world conspiracy against Syria," said Manya Abbad, 45. "I wish the Arabs adopted similar stances." The Assad regime says terrorists acting out a foreign conspiracy to destabilize the country are behind the uprising, not people seeking to transform the authoritarian regime.
But in the flashpoints of the conflict, witnesses, residents and human rights workers say Assad's forces are shelling and firing indiscriminately. On Tuesday, the troops renewed their assault on one of the main centers of the opposition, the city of Homs, with activists saying tanks were closing in on a restive neighborhood. Despite the assault, members of the rebel Free Syrian Army pledged to protect the besieged Baba Amr neighborhood.
"We are just here to respond and defend the local residents from Assad's army snipers," said one fighter, according to Associated Press television footage.
Shielded in the corridors of a deserted building once occupied by Assad's forces, the rebels moved carefully from one position to another overlooking suspected sniper hide outs.
At a makeshift medical clinic, the dead were wrapped in white sheets and piled on a pickup truck outside. Doctors appeared overwhelmed by the number of wounded and the severity of their injuries. "Can someone help, please!" wailed a man kneeling by a wounded relative on the floor, "Someone come and see him!"
Activists said at least 15 people were killed in violence around the country Tuesday.
Homs was the site of the deadliest assault of the uprising on Saturday, when activists reported more than 200 people were killed in an overnight bombardment hours before the U.N. vote. The government denied the deaths.
Syria has blocked access to trouble spots and prevented most independent reporting, making it nearly impossible to verify accounts from either side. In Washington, White House spokesman Jay Carney said the U.S. was not considering arming opposition groups in Syria, despite calls from some U.S. lawmakers to consider such an option.
Carney said current deliberations inside the administration were focused on how the U.S. could provide humanitarian aid to the Syrian people and ratchet up pressure on the Syrian government.
U.S. senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman urged the U.S. to explore the prospect of arming opposition forces. "It's an option that now should be on the table," McCain said.
McCain conceded the situation in Syria was more complicated than in Libya, where opponents of Muammar Gaddafi quickly gained control of an eastern city, but he insisted it was necessary.
"I feel very strongly that what's happening in Syria is exactly what we got into Libya to stop Gaddafi from doing," said Lieberman. "The question is what do you do. One of the things is giving support to the Syrian Free Army."

Engineer Maroun Maroun was killed and numerous workers injured in Batroun hotel bridge collapse
February 08, 2012 01:53 PM The Daily Star /A view of the San Stephano Resort in Batroun. BEIRUT: An engineer was killed Wednesday and four workers were injured when a small bridge they were constructing in a resort in Batroun, north Lebanon, collapsed. Security sources said Lebanese national Maroun Maroun, 46, was killed while trying to put up the bridge at the San Stephano resort.
The sources identified the injured as Syrian and Egyptian workers. Maroun was taken to Batroun Hospital.

U.N. committed to promoting security in Lebanon: Plumbly
February 08, 2012 01/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Newly appointed U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly said Wednesday that despite the hard times, the U.N. remains dedicated to boosting Lebanon’s security. “These are difficult times. But the United Nations remains deeply committed to promoting the security and stability of Lebanon and to further consolidating what has been achieved since the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1701,” Plumbly said in a statement. His remarks came following talks with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour. He said issues relating to UNSCOL’s mission in Lebanon as well as the situation in the region were also discussed. Earlier Wednesday, Plumbly met with Prime Minister Najib Mikati. He is also scheduled to hold talks with President Michel Sleiman and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri as part of courtesy visits to Lebanese officials. “In my meetings so far today, I have also briefly discussed the longstanding cooperation between Lebanon and the United Nations in so many different fields,” he said. “I look forward to working with the Lebanese authorities to further deepen our joint efforts for the welfare and development of Lebanon and its people. Plumbly, who arrived in Beirut Saturday to take up his post, said he looks forward to meeting the “broadest possible range of Lebanese interlocutors.”

Future MP blasts Lebanese Army for showboating
February 08, 2012 01/The Daily Star/BEIRUT: Future Movement MP Ahmad Fatfat criticized the Lebanese Army Wednesday for unnecessarily flexing its muscles, urging the military instead to control the border with Syria. “We call on the Lebanese Army to protect all the northern and eastern borders to prevent arms smuggling,” Fatfat said in remarks to Future News channel.
“But the deployment of troops in villages is unnecessary as it creates sensitivities, particularly since [the Army] flexed its muscles following the Syrian ambassador’s visit to Lebanese leaders,” he added.
The main Lebanese political coalitions hold opposite views on the Syria crisis, with March 14 siding with the protestors aiming to topple President Bashar Assad and March 8 standing by the Syrian regime.
The two coalitions are also engaged in a dispute over the proper course of action for the Lebanese army in the wake of the crisis and the ongoing smuggling of arms from Lebanon to opposition groups in Syria. March 14 accuses March 8 of trying to convince the army to undertake actions on behalf of the embattled Syrian regime, such as rounding up Syrian army defectors who have taken refuge in Lebanon.
March 8 denies the allegations and claims that March 14 wants the army to turn a blind eye to the smuggling of weapons from Lebanon to opposition groups in Syria.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has defended the Lebanese Army. “The army, under Gen. Jean Kahwaji, is doing all the duties required of it,” Berri said in remarks published Wednesday.
He said the Army was acting in line with the government’s policy to disassociate itself from the unrest in Syria. “The Army is not with one [party] against another. It stands at a point equidistant from everyone,” Berri stressed. In his interview with Future News TV, Fatfat also slammed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah for “offending the Syrian people by saying that nothing is going on in Homs despite acknowledging the fact that there is a political, military and popular opposition.” He was referring to Nasrallah’s Tuesday speech on the occasion of Prophet Mohammad's birthday.
Fatfat also criticized the Hezbollah chief for saying that the government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati will stay in office. “By saying this, Sayyed Nasrallah is acknowledging that the government is actually Hezbollah-run,” Fatfat said.

Saudi Officials Pressure Christian Prisoners to Convert to Islam
http://www.persecution.org/2012/02/07/saudi-officials-pressure-christian-prisoners-to-convert-to-islam/
Washington, D.C. (February 7, 2012) – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that earlier today Saudi Arabian officials sent a Muslim preacher to pressure Christian prisoners into converting to Islam. Saudi Arabia arrested 29 Christian women and six Christian men, all Ethiopian citizens, on December 15th after they held a prayer meeting in Jeddah.“The Muslim preacher vilified Christianity, denigrated the Bible and told us that Islam is the only true religion. The preacher told us to convert to Islam. When the preacher asked us, we didn’t deny about our Christian faith. I was so offended with her false teachings that I left the meeting,” said one of the female prisoners who spoke to ICC in a telephone interview from Briman jail in Jeddah.
The Muslim preacher stated that she was sent by officials to teach the prisoners about Islam. This is the first time a Muslim preacher has been sent to the prison. The Christian prisoner expressed fear that the teachings would incite the Muslim prisoners held in Briman to harass and even attack the Christians.
“Why don’t they release us? We want to go back to our country and worship freely,” said the prisoner. Several different media outlets, including the BBC, have reported that the Christian prisoners will be deported back to Ethiopia. However the prisoners themselves reported to ICC today that they are unaware of any such decision and do not know when or if they will be released.
This latest incident comes on the heels of the strip search/body cavity search by Saudi Arabian security officials of the female prisoners on entry to the prison. In a recent interview with the Voice of America, one of the female prisoners stated that Saudi security officials took off the prisoners’ underwear and inserted their fingers into the female prisoners’ genitals.
ICC’s Jonathan Racho said, “We are deeply concerned by the Saudi Arabian officials’ recent attempts to pressure the Christians into converting to Islam. We ask that all concerned individuals and groups continue to pressure Saudi Arabia to release the Christians. We urge Saudi Arabia to respect the right of these prisoners to follow the religion of their choice and to immediately release them.”
If you are interested in supporting the release of these prisoners, please consider signing our petition asking the Saudi government for their freedom. You can also call the Saudi Arabian embassy in your own country and ask them to release the prisoners. Saudi Embassy contacts: United States: (+1) 202 342 3800, Canada: (+1) 613 237 4100, UK: (+44) 207 9173-000, Australia: (+61) 2 6250 7000, Germany: (+49) 30 88 92 50, France: (+33) 1 56 79 4000, Ethiopia (+251) 1 710303.
For interviews, contact Jonathan Racho, Regional Manager for Africa: jonathan@persecution.org
 International Christian Concern
2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #941 • Washington DC 20006
www.persecution.org / Email: icc@persecution.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
Jonathan Racho, Regional Manager for Africa
1-800-422-5441, jonathan@persecution.org

Russia, al-Assad and the last kiss!
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
How similar today’s events are to yesterday’s! Here yesterday does not mean the immediate past, or ancient history, but rather events that took place in 1990, which we must remember in order to understand what is happening in 2012, specifically in Syria, following the visits of both Moscow’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Head of Intelligence to Damascus, and their meeting with Bashar al-Assad.
In 1990, the Soviet Union sent its Foreign Minister, veteran politician Yevgeny Primakov, to meet with Saddam Hussein, in what was known as last-minute diplomacy. Moscow at the time was carrying out yet another attempt to persuade Saddam Hussein to withdraw from Kuwait, and today Moscow is undertaking the same task; the task of the final moments. The difference is that today Moscow is not trying to persuade al-Assad to withdraw his forces from another country, but rather to stop killing his own people, and initiate genuine reforms, at least according to what the Russians say. Whatever happened in the meeting yesterday in Damascus, the best way to try to understand it is to evoke a story of great significance; the meeting between Primakov and Saddam Hussein in 1990. Russia’s thought process today is the same as the Soviet Union’s yesterday, just as Bashar al-Assad today is like Saddam Hussein yesterday, but worse.
In his book “Years in Big Politics”, Mr. Primakov said that he had met Saddam Hussein during his visit to Baghdad, and the late Iraqi dictator at the time was surrounded by all the members of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council. Saddam said to Primakov: “I want you to see for yourself that in the Iraqi leadership there are not only hawks, but there are doves also”.Primakov responded to Saddam’s comment by saying that his work and his mission would be “with the doves only”. The then Iraqi Vice President, Taha Yassin Ramadan, leapt on this immediately by saying: “In that case we will all go, and leave you with our beloved leader”!
Say we apply this story to the meeting between Russia’s Foreign Minister and Head of Intelligence with Bashar al-Assad, ask yourself what would the tyrant of Damascus say to his Russian guests? Certainly al-Assad would say that he is someone who wants to carry out reform, that he is working towards this, and that he did not order the killings of Syrian citizens, as he said on a US television interview – the same interview where he said that only a crazy person would kill his own people! Likewise, he would also reiterate what he has been saying since he came to power in Syria in 2000, and everything he said in his last four speeches. Al-Assad would end finally by saying that he is among the “doves” in Syria, and not like the other hawks, such as Walid Moallem, who says that the Syrian people want a security solution, or al-Assad’s Interior Minister, who has vowed to cleanse Syria!  Just as we began with a story about the meeting between Primakov and Saddam Hussein in order to understand the meeting between al-Assad and the Russians, we must also conclude with another story from Primakov’s book. He writes that his meetings with Saddam Hussein at the time of crisis were not all “completely unsuccessful. We were able primarily to evacuate five thousand Soviet experts and their families”. So, will the Russians’ meeting with al-Assad end in a similar manner to Primakov’s meeting with Saddam Hussein? Most probably, and it will be a kiss goodbye, especially given that history in our region always repeats itself.

The Veto has lost its repute
By Hussein Shobokshi/Asharq Alawsat
The Byzantine and futile Baathist presentation, made by the al-Assad regime's Ambassador to the UN General Assembly, was quite symbolic. The man vehemently denied the massacres, tragedies and devastating killings going on in his country. Sometimes he quoted the late Damascene poet Nizar Qabbani, who left his beloved Damascus and only returned to be buried there, after vowing never to return as long as the repressive regime was still in power.
Other times he quoted the great German philosopher and writer Goethe. The al-Assad regime's Ambassador heaped accusations in every direction, upon the Arabs, the Arab League, the Turks, the Gulf States, the West, the US and Europe. His sharp tongue spared no one but the ancient Egyptians, the Mongols, the Tatars and the Hyksos!
Al-Jaafari, the al-Assad regime's Ambassador to the UN, seemed to be giving a lecture in a Baathist forum, rather than addressing the entire world, in the wake of a massacre in the third-largest Syrian city of Homs, which left more than 350 innocent civilians dead. This event marks the 30th anniversary of the mother of all massacres committed by the regime during the rule of former President Hafez al-Assad, which took the lives of 45,000 people. The regime jumped for joy when both China and Russia vetoed the UN Security Council resolution condemning the Assad regime for crimes of genocide against its people.
The entire world has taken a unified stand against this bloodthirsty regime. No one now sides with it except China, Russia, Iran and Iraq. They keep supporting it and backing the mass killings of its own people. They persist in making excuses and justifications for this regime and defending it in an absurd and immoral manner. This was clear in the statements given by Russia's Foreign Minister, who refused to consider what is happening as the work of an oppressive regime which has always played this role and passed it down from father to son in a systematic and continuous manner.
In a speech delivered by Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, he said that the sedition in Syria would be extinguished by the regime. Yet all these comments cannot be read except in their actual context. For example, Russia is not supporting Bashar al-Assad and his regime in Syria because it is resistant, democratic, or supportive of human rights, but because it is the only foothold remaining for Russia in the entire Middle East region, having lost the whole of its geographic extension including Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Algeria and Egypt. The Russians are now defending the Assad regime out of "stubbornness" and "unreasonable contention" rather than out of principles or assets.
Russia regards Syria and its regime as a natural extension to Iran. It evaluates the whole matter according to economic considerations and assesses the "volume" of exchange, investment and Russian interest in both countries. These interests include nuclear reactors, weapons, aircraft and other major projects, alongside traditional trade and the military naval base on the shores of Syria’s Mediterranean coast.
The same goes for China. It wants to strengthen its presence in the Syrian market so as to match its growing presence in Iran. Of course, both Syria and Iran are repressive states par excellence, with highly controversial records in human rights violations. Neither of them wants to set a precedent by changing regimes through the United Nations, because that would open the gates of hell for its allies such as North Korea, Burma, Ukraine and Turkmenistan. All of the aforementioned countries are repressive states, whose records in political and human rights violations are known to everyone.
What matters here is that Syria, by virtue of this disgraceful and shameful veto, has gone down in history as the second-largest repressive regime in the world, after Israel. Both countries have received a "veto" from superpowers, granting them the right to continue with their repression and killings. But in the Syrian regime's case, it has become plain to the entire world, especially its free and honorable majority, that this regime is adamant on committing atrocious crimes against its own people. This could only have one clear and frank meaning, that we are watching the final farewell scenes of a ruthless bloodthirsty regime which will not be missed. In fact, there will be millions rejoicing in its overthrow all over the world. It was interesting that free Tunisia was the first budding blossom among the "Arab Spring" countries to announce the expulsion of Syria's ambassador from its territory, thereby ending its recognition of the Syrian regime and recognizing the Syrian National Council (SNC) instead as the sole and genuine representative of the Syrian people. All countries across the world should have taken this step instantly. But we can't ask them to be more Arab-like than the Arabs themselves. The real enemy of free Syria is its ruling regime. To help Syria get rid of this is an ethical obligation.

STL Judges Discuss Amendments to Rules of Procedure and Evidence
by Naharnet/Special Tribunal for Lebanon Judges are meeting on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss amendments to the court’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence, the STL said.
“The Judges of the STL are meeting today and tomorrow to discuss a number of proposed amendments to the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, as well as other issues relating to the work of the Tribunal,” the STL said in a terse statement. It said the proposed amendments were put forward by the court’s four organs – the Chambers, the Office of the Prosecutor, the Defense Office and the Registry.
“A press release about any approved changes to the rules will be issued in due course,” the statement added.Earlier this month, the court said that eight lawyers have been selected to represent four Hizbullah members due to be tried in absentia for the Feb. 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri. Each of the four defendants, who remain at large, will have a counsel and co-counsel who "are fully independent and can choose any strategy they see best fit to defend the rights of the accused,” it said.

March 14 Slams Army ‘Raids’ in North and Links Government ‘Failure’ to Syrian Developments
by Naharnet /The March 14 general-secretariat criticized on Wednesday what it called a raid carried out by the Lebanese army in the northern areas bordering Syria, describing it as an abnormal deployment.
“The March 14 forces, which have continuously called for the deployment of the army on the Lebanese border with Syria to protect it along with the regions near it, its residents and the refugees, expresses regret to what happened in the areas of Akkar several days ago where a military operation took the form of a raid,” the general-secretariat said in a statement. “This doesn’t look like any of the natural deployments that we had asked for,” it said, urging the Lebanese authorities not to link the country with the developments in Syria. The general-secretariat described Premier Najib Miqati’s government as a “failed cabinet” and said it was “staggering at the beat of the Syrian regime’s wobble.”It also accused it of tarnishing Lebanon’s image abroad, saying its different factions were bickering on the division of shares. Turning to Hizbullah, the alliance’s general-secretariat said the Shiite party was putting a group of Lebanese in confrontation with all the Syrian people and “linking Lebanon’s fate with the fate of Syria’s dictatorial regime.” It condemned the veto of Russia and China on Saturday on a U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at giving strong backing to an Arab League plan to end the Assad regime’s deadly crackdown. It said the veto has encouraged Syrian authorities to commit more “massacres and kill hundreds of people daily.”The general-secretariat also reiterated its support for the Syrian revolution and hailed the decision of Gulf Cooperation Countries to withdraw their ambassadors from Damascus. On the seventh anniversary of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s Feb. 2005 assassination, it said a rally that will be held in BIEL will be a “new stage for struggle” to achieve full independence and gain sovereignty and democracy for the sake of stability.

The eclipse of the Shia crescent
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/Now Lebanon
February 8, 2012
http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=362305
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has gone from being one of the most powerful men in the region to being part of a declining movement. The power of the once-mighty Shia Crescent is on the decline, and its leaders in Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq have only themselves to blame. Instead of using their influence to correct injustice—as per the Shia ideology—and build better states, the Shia underdogs have become the oppressive tyrants they once vowed to topple.
The ever-defiant Iran, which has been commanding—and more importantly funding—this regional Shia enterprise, is now watching hyperinflation hit its national currency, which has lost more than half of its value since the United States and Europe slammed sanctions on vital financial facilities, such as the Iranian Central Bank.
An economically limping Iran has also quietly abandoned the big talk about its “right” to uranium enrichment; it has invited the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect its nuclear facilities and announced its willingness to come back to the negotiation table. Needless to say, Iran is stalling on all counts. It turned down—among other IAEA demands—requests to interview scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, believed to be the engineer of Tehran’s nuclear weapons program.
Yes, Iran is in trouble. For the first time in years, Tehran is so nervous that it almost invited the United States into a war by threatening to close the Straits of Hormuz, tailing a couple of US navy ships, and warning the Gulf states not to raise their oil production to compensate for the Iranian shortfall.
A few years back, it was the United States—under the Bush administration—that was practically begging Iran to negotiate. At the time Washington felt nervous and threatened to strike Iran, while the world refused to agree to sanctions.
Then President Barack Obama got the idea of engaging Iran from former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel (who made a fortune after America opened up to China). Hagel reasoned that if Ronald Reagan’s America could put aside differences with Communist China for the sake of trade interests, why not Obama’s America with a much-less-important Iran. Obama duly dispatched envoys to meet with Iranian leader Ali Khaminei, but an arrogant Tehran turned down Washington’s offer.
Like Iran, Lebanon’s once seemingly invincible Hezbollah is now on the back foot. The party brags about its 40,000 missiles that are good for nothing. Hezbollah realizes that starting a war with Israel, like in 2006, would undermine its standing with Lebanon’s Shia. Then the party bounced back by channeling Shia rage against rival communities, mainly the Sunnis, who proved no match for Hezbollah, as we saw in the civil unrest of May 2008.
In 2010, Hezbollah beat its Sunni rivals politically, too, and took full control of the country. But it now owns the state’s failure, which has caused its popularity to dip. Hezbollah’s problems are further complicated with the drying up of Iranian petro-dollars and America’s tight monitoring of Shia donors among the Lebanese diaspora.
Hezbollah lost what was left of its fig leaf when it openly sided with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose regime has brutally killed 6,000 Syrians in a bid to quell a year-old uprising. Having bet on the Syrian dictator, Hezbollah will find itself in trouble with any post-Assad Syrian government.
Looking back, Hezbollah might remember that in February 2005, it was George Bush who said that Washington was willing to talk to the Party of God should it abandon its arms and renounce violence. That overture was also domestically presented to the party, when MP and Druze chief Walid Jumblatt and former Prime Minister Saad Hariri made an alliance with Hezbollah in 2005, and again entered into a national unity government with it in 2009.
Hezbollah squandered many chances of compromise when it was in its zenith. Now, with all indicators showing decline in Syria, Iran and inside Lebanon, the party will not get other similar overtures.
And like Hezbollah and Iran, Assad has had numerous chances, both from the United States and Saudi Arabia, as well as from his own people who patiently expressed hope in the Damascus Spring in 2001, and again in 2005. Whenever weak, Assad makes promises to his opponents and the world, but when he is back to full strength he reneges, hunts down his enemies, and tortures and imprisons them.
Finally, Iraq’s Nouri al-Maliki is also a Shia Crescent leader who will regret his choices soon. Having won America’s trust and defeated his rivals in the 2010 elections, Maliki never offered compromise from a position of strength. Instead, he went after his opponents. He instructed the judiciary to persecute Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, while breaking his promises to the Kurds by not holding a referendum over Kirkuk and failing to agree to terms on a hydrocarbon law.
When the allies of the Shia Crescent look back, they will remember the days when Washington came begging for Tehran’s friendship, and the world urged Hezbollah to end its wars on a high and endorse peace. Assad will remember how the Syrians were willing to settle for little compromise, while Maliki will soon find out that America has more pressing business than helping him emerge as Iraq’s new dictator.
When the Shia look back, they will regret not making good on their promises of fixing the world and ending tyranny. Their rivals might beat them back, and they might find themselves again as the downtrodden, a cycle that looks vicious in this region.
*Hussain Abdul-Hussain is the Washington Bureau Chief of the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai


Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's Speech of 07 February/12
February 7, 2012
On February 7, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah delivered a speech during the commemoration of Prophet Mohammad’s birthday.
“Occupiers have no interest in the unity [of Islam]. When the people of our nation rise and call for unity it means they began to take the path of [making their own] decisions and future. This is something that [parties] controlling world politics will not allow.
Iran’s fault is that it overthrew the Shah [Reza Pahlavi], a spy for the US and Israel, and restored balance in the region. The US, Israel, and the moderate Arab countries all supported the Shah.
[Continuous] efforts are being made to prevent the [Muslims] from [uniting], because the aim of this nation is [to free] Palestine and the occupied holy sites. After failing to [make Iran yield], they invented something called ‘the Shia tide’ or ‘the Iranian tide;’ this is currently the essence of the soft war the US is waging in the region. What is the number of Shia in the Islamic world? They constitute eight to 10 percent and Iran is a part of these Shia. They say Iran wants to [transform] people into Shia. This means that Iran wants to [turn] one billion Muslims into Shia. This is baseless but this is what they are promoting.
I will address the issue related to Iran and Syria.
The Resistance in Lebanon achieved the biggest and most important Arab victory against Israel. This would not have been achieved if it were not for Iran’s support. Syria too played a big role, but I am talking about Iran now. The Resistance, which won the July 2006 war [with Israel], would not have been victorious if it were not for Iranian support. Iran, which they are now sanctioning, can resolve all [its problems] if it sells out Palestine. [We] thank Iran, its leadership and people.
[Concerning media reports that Hezbollah is involved in drug trafficking in certain countries, he said:] These are all lies. We [also] do not [get involved] in money laundering. This is against [our religion]. We, in Hezbollah’s leadership, are not involved in commercial endeavors. If someone tells you that he is running a commercial project for Hezbollah, do not believe him, even if he is from Hezbollah. This project would be his own and not the [party’s].
We have been receiving moral, political and financial support - under all possible forms - from Iran since 1982. Iran does not command us. Even when it comes to regional developments. Iran will not request anything from Hezbollah and will not desire anything. When this day comes [and Iran commands us], we are the ones who will sit down and decide what to do.
Concerning the Syrian situation. Our position is based on a vision, and if anyone wants to address this issue with us, they must address it logically, not by appealing to our emotions. Let us talk logically, based on the nation’s interests. Do not intimidate us.
Some media reports [recently quoted Syrian opposition figures as saying] that Hezbollah is shelling [Syria’s] Zabadani with Katyusha rockets. The day after, they reported that Hezbollah members’ bodies were found in [the Syrian streets.] Where are these bodies?
This is an example of how [some] media [outlets] work. Let us look at the big picture, at what is right and what is wrong, and [act] accordingly.
The reality in Syria is that there is a regime which is still standing. The army supports this regime. The media says [that a number of soldiers have] defected. According to what I know, there have been few desertions. The army is still supporting the regime. Some Syrians protest and show their support for the regime. I [read in a] Lebanese newspaper that a Lebanese party, active in the cabinet, [sent people] to demonstrate in support of the Syrian regime. The daily meant us, Hezbollah. [So] buses carried people [from Lebanon] to Syria and no one saw them but this daily? There is a US, Israeli, Western and moderate Arab countries’ decision to overthrow the Syrian regime. Why is that? Is it for democracy and human rights? Do all these countries enjoy democracy?
Some ask us why are we against overthrowing the regime in Syria. They told us [behind closed doors] that we [need not fear the fall of the Syrian regime], and they would ask why are we getting involved in this. We are not involved in this, we are in harmony with ourselves. What is desired is an end to the Resistance in Lebanon and Palestine. The [Syrian] regime has said it is ready to implement reform, and many [reforms] are ready for implementation. Syria is being pushed into a civil war. Those concerned about Syria’s future should not call for dialogue [and then set] conditions for it. Those concerned about Syria should engage in dialogue.
As for the [Lebanese] cabinet… no mediation is required and contacts are being made to resolve the crisis. I am telling those who are [preparing themselves] for a new cabinet that there will be no new cabinet in Lebanon. This cabinet is the foundation of the country’s security and stability and [it is not an appropriate] time for overthrowing cabinets in Lebanon.”