LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
June 10/12
Bible Quotation for today/Running
toward the Goal
Philippians 03/12-21: "I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have
already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus
has already won me to himself. Of course, my friends, I really do not think that
I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind
me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So I run straight toward the goal in
order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life
above. All of us who are spiritually mature should have this same attitude. But
if some of you have a different attitude, God will make this clear to you.
However that may be, let us go forward according to the same rules we have
followed until now. Keep on imitating me, my friends. Pay attention to those who
follow the right example that we have set for you. I have told you this many
times before, and now I repeat it with tears: there are many whose lives make
them enemies of Christ's death on the cross. They are going to end up in hell,
because their god is their bodily desires. They are proud of what they should be
ashamed of, and they think only of things that belong to this world. We,
however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. He will change our weak mortal bodies and
make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to
bring all things under his rule.'
Latest analysis, editorials, studies,
reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Greatest Church Soon To Be Mega Mosque/By:
Raymond Ibrahim/June 09/12
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for June 09/12
Rai holds meeting north of Beirut for Catholic
religious orders
March 14 reiterates call for
new government, means to tackle extra-state arms
Cross-section of Lebanese leaders laud Tueni at funeral
Ghassan Tueni Bestowed with Order of Cedar during Official Funeral Held in
Beirut
Report: Lebanese Pilgrims May Be Released within 48 Hours
Video appears to show kidnapped Lebanese pilgrims in good health
Jordanian diplomat denies
travel advisory on Lebanon
Syrian tank, troops cross
Lebanon border
8 wounded Syrians enter Lebanon for treatment
Franjieh: I am Not Obligated to Be Seated with Geagea’s
Representative at National Dialogue
Report: Jordan Denies Halting Official Visits to Lebanon
Tripoli Ceasefire Disturbed by Sniper Activity
Syria conflict becomes 'more alarming': Russian
FM
Russia and Iran back away from the Syrian conflict, dump it in America’s lap
U.S. 'disappointed' by failure of Iran-IAEA nuclear talks
IAEA: Iran nuclear talks 'disappointing,' no date for new meet
Russia says it is not opposed to Assad's departure from power in Syria
Russia says is not
against Assad's departure
Shabiha militia
carrying out kidnappings to extort ransom – Source
Abbas not ready to resume peace talks with Israel, Palestinian officials say
Likud MK: Israeli doctors treating Syrians wounded in uprising
Blowback in Syria:
Damascus's terrorist past may help define its future
Lavrov Says Denying Iran a Role in Syria Talks 'Thoughtless'
Russia and Iran back away from the Syrian conflict, dump it in America’s lap
http://www.debka.com/article/22069/Russia-and-Iran-back-away-from-the-Syrian-conflict-dump-it-in-America’s-lap-
DEBKAfile Special Report June 8,
2012/After the hopeless gridlock at the special UN session on the Syrian crisis
Thursday, an American delegation headed by Fred Hoff, the Secretary of State’s
special adviser on Syria, drew a blank in the talks it conducted at the Russian
Foreign Ministry in Moscow Friday, June 8, with Syrian expert, Mikhail Bogdanov.
debkafile’s Moscow sources report exclusively that Moscow has flatly rejected
President Barack Obama’s proposal to post 5,000 armed UN monitors in Syria, most
of them Russian troops, as the core of a new plan to resolve the Syrian crisis.
The Russians may consider convening an international conference, but only if its
remit is limited to offering a basis for negotiations between the Assad regime
and the opposition and new political reforms. On no account must it deal with
Bashar Assad’s removal.
Moscow’s position has grown tougher in the last few days. After Russian
officials stated this week that keeping the Assad regime in power was not a
priority, Bogdanev said Friday: Moscow isn’t discussing ways to promote Bashar
al-Assad’s ouster with Washington. “We aren’t holding such talks.”
He stressed that the only way forward on the Syrian issue was by expanding
Annan’s peace plan.
However, the only thing that all the participants at the UN could agree on was
that the Annan peace plan had failed. And now that the US mission to Moscow has
run into another dead end, the violence in Syria will continue to run riot with
no world power or body prepared to step in and stop it.
Adding to the complications, the Syrian conflict and the Iranian nuclear
controversy are becoming inextricably intermeshed. The US official Hoff knew he
was arriving in Moscow at a grave disadvantage after Iran indicated to the six
world powers that it was seriously considering not turning up for their third
round of nuclear talks in Moscow on June 18-19.
Its pretext: The West had failed to come up with “serious proposals.”
(DEBKA-Net-Weekly 544 was first out Thursday night, June 7 with the news that
Tehran was backing out of the negotiations.)
Most of all, Tehran took umbrage over US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s
demand that Iran come to the talks prepared with “concrete steps to curb its
enrichment of uranium to 20 percent purity.”
When she spoke, Clinton knew there was not the slightest chance of the Iranians
accepting this demand.
Tehran also pulled in its horns at International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
headquarters in Vienna when confronted Friday, June 8, with demands to open up
its suspect nuclear sites to international inspection. These related
developments all point in one direction: US President Barack Obama’s deep
reluctance to intervene directly in Syria and preference for Russia and Iran to
take over have run up against equally powerful reluctance in Moscow and Tehran
to put their hands in the Syrian fire or take part in any international effort
to quench its flames.
Indeed, the Russians and Iranians believe that as the flames of the civil war
already raging there spread, the US president will be blamed by the American
public and the Arab world for the horrendous sectarian bloodbath. And if Obama
and America's European allies do decide on military intervention, they will be
too late and find themselves pulled down into a bottomless quagmire.
Cross-section of Lebanese leaders
laud Tueni at funeral
June 09, 2012/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Ghassan Tueni's funeral was held Saturday in Saint George Orthodox
Cathedral in Beirut in the presence of leading figures from across the Lebanese
political and religious spectrum.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati attended on behalf of President Sleiman and MP Abdel
Latif al-Zein represented Parliament speaker Nabih Berri. Mikati awarded Tueni,
known as the doyen of Lebanese journalists, the Order of the Cedar posthumously
on behalf of Sleiman. Addressing the deceased, the prime minister said, "Much
has been said in your life and much more will be said in your death, but none of
it will give you the credit you deserve. Tueni's granddaughter, MP Nayla Tueni,
delivered an emotional eulogy in which she promised Tueni that Lebanon would
continue its march forward. "The national struggle has not be completed and will
continue," she said. "Free, democratic and independent Lebanon will not fall; we
will continue holding it aloft like the cedar."The service was conducted by
Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim and other high-ranking officials in the
Orthodox Church, including Bishops Elias Audi and George Khodr. Tueni, a
journalist, diplomat, and member of parliament at various stages of his long and
storied career, was editor of An-Nahar newspaper for decades, and remained its
honorary president up until his death of natural causes Friday at the age of 86.
At the funeral, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri was represented by Nader
Hariri. Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea was represented by MP Joseph Maalouf.
Among the ministers who attended the funeral were Ghazi Aridi, Adnan Mansour
Nazem al-Khoury, Walid Daouk, Hassan Diab and Nicolas Nahhas. Among the MPs who
attended were Ammar Houry, Serge Torsakisian, Foad Siniora, Antoine Saad,
Ghassan Mukheiber, Marwan Hamadeh, Nidal Tohme and Robert Fadel. Former speaker
of Parliament Speaker Hussein al-Husseini was also present, as were former
ministers Ziad Baroud and Tarek Mitri.
Video appears to show
kidnapped Lebanese pilgrims in good health
June 09, 2012/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The 11 Lebanese Shiite pilgrims abducted last month in Syria said in a
video broadcast Saturday that they are in good health and being treated well.
The Al-Jazeera television channel broadcast the video, in which the abductees
take turns reassuring their loved ones of their safety. One of the abductees
said in his statement that it was either June 5 or 6.
A few of the men addressed the political situation in Syria, where rebels --
including those believed to have kidnapped the Lebanese -- are engaged in an
uprising against the government, which has cracked down violently. “I express my
support for the Syrian rebels, and no one forced me to say this,” says one of
the men. Another said, “We are not captives; rather, we are the guests of the
Syrian rebels, and we hope to return soon.” It was not immediately clear whether
the abductees had been coerced into making such statements. Separately, the
Syrian rebels who abducted the Lebanese said that they would release them were
they ordered to do so by a new parliament of a new civil state in Syria,
Al-Jazeera TV reported Saturday. The 11 male pilgrims were kidnapped in the
Syrian province of Aleppo last month shortly after crossing the border from
Turkey. They were on their way back to Lebanon following a religious pilgrimage
to Iran.
The video can be accessed through this link aired on Al-Jazeera:
Rai holds meeting north of Beirut for Catholic religious orders
June 09, 2012/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai held a
service for Lebanese Catholic religious orders in Ghazir, north of Beirut, the
National News Agency reported Saturday.
Rai brought together both men’s and women’s religious orders when he presided
over a mass at the Mar Elias Monastery in Ghazir. He was joined by several
Maronite clergymen as well as representatives of Lebanon's other Catholic sects.
After reading from the Bible, Rai delivered a sermon entitled “God’s word: the
spring of life as well as individual and collective renewal.” He said that
“between the monastic life and God’s word there is an organic bond.” Rai also
told the worshippers, “Monastic life was born from hearing the word of God and
taking the Bible as its foundation. And if one uses it to Christ in modesty,
poverty and obedience, it explains the word of God in personal and collective
life. The word is heard to renew life and dedication. Therefore we say: God’s
word is the spring of life for personal and collective renewal.”After mass, Rai
held a roundtable discussion on "the word of God,” in which a number of monks
and nuns participated.
March 14 reiterates call for
new government, means to tackle extra-state arms
June 09, 2012/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: A delegation representing March 14 handed President Michel Sleiman a
memo Saturday renewing the coalition's call for the current government to be
replaced and once again stressing the importance of addressing the question of
weapons wielded by parties other than the Lebanese state. “The growing
challenges that our country faces cannot be addressed by a one-sided government
that has lost credibility among broad segments of society. To many Lebanese,
this government is manipulated by a militant political party and is used by the
Syrian regime as a tool against its people," states the memo, in an allusion to
Hezbollah. The memo calls for establishing a neutral government that would
ensure transition to a new phase in which the country would steer clear of
confrontation and tension between Lebanese citizens.
According to the memo, only such a "neutral salvation government" can address
the country’s socio-economic problems in tandem with its growing security
challenges.
The memo also calls for developing a mechanism that would enable the Lebanese
state to take possession of arms currently in the hands of extra-state actors,
and added that this should occur according to a clearly established timeline.
“Fighting Israel and defending the country cannot be carried out by a single
group or sect of Lebanese society; this should be a national duty carried out by
the Lebanese state through its military and security agencies,” says the memo.
The March 14 memo comes in direct response to Sleiman’s initiative to restart
the country’s national dialogue, which has been stalled since November 2010.
A new round of dialogue will begin Monday. The reaction of March 14 political
factions to Sleiman’s call has been lukewarm. Nevertheless, the coalition’s
major constituent elements, with the exception of the Lebanese Forces, are
expected to attend.
March 14 also used the memo to enumerate what it described as its positive
stances in the past toward all dialogue sessions. Additionally, the coalition
also spoke of the spirit of cooperation it said it had maintained throughout
recent years.
“Even though our group won the 2009 parliamentary elections, we formed a
national unity cabinet until March 8 decided to overthrow this cabinet and
excuse itself from commitments it made in the Doha agreement. The memo also
emphasizes the importance of issues which gained the approval of the country’s
key political leaders during dialogue sessions held in the past.
According to the memo, these issues were supporting and cooperating with the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), disarming Palestinian groups outside the
refugee camps and organizing their arms inside these camps, and demarcating the
Lebanese-Syrian borders.
March 14 concluded the memo by calling on all those who believe in the
principles it sets forth to join efforts in order to make it a national
declaration under the leadership of President Sleiman.
Blowback in Syria: Damascus's terrorist past may help define its future
09/06/2012
By James Denselow
London, Asharq Al-Awsat - The month of May saw a double suicide attack in
Damascus that brought a country increasingly defined by an atmosphere of Civil
War to the top of the news as a victim of terrorism. The attack was eerily
similar to the ones that have blighted Iraq over the past ten years. The first
bomber’s vehicle attempted to breach the walls of a Syrian military intelligence
building while the second vehicle exploded a few minutes later decimating the
crowd that had gathered killing 55 and wounding hundreds more. Syria's state-run
news agency was quick to publish gruesome pictures of the victims of the attack
which President Bashar al-Assad's regime pinned on "foreign-backed terrorist
groups."
The standard questions speculating who was behind the bombings followed with
Al-Qaeda and its latest offshoot Jabhat al-Nusra (JN) coming out as the prime
suspect, a view confirmed by the United Nations and the United States. The fact
that the regime in Damascus has wanted to define the conflict as one between the
government and terrorists since its inception in March 2011 has led the
opposition to quite legitimately challenge this Al Qaeda narrative. As Stephen
Starr, author of “Revolt: Eyewitness to the Syrian Uprising”, explained to
Asharq Al-Awsat; “we have always had to second guess the regime when it talks
about terrorism in Syria; because of the broader propaganda we regularly can't
believe their claims. With this is mind, I don't think we can be sure terrorists
are actually responsible for the recent bombings in Damascus, despite apparent
claims of such. It is all too hazy to declare anything with certainty”.
The Syrian regime clearly believes that it can exploit the fog of war and
absence of real media coverage in the country to replicate a much tried and
tested narrative used by Western governments in Afghanistan and Iraq. The core
of such a tactic relies on blaming everything on terrorism and terrorists and
then using it as a justification for a disproportionate harsh response. Fayssal
al-Hamwi, the Syrian representative at the UN Human Rights Council, highlighted
the regime’s use of this tactic when he blamed the Houla massacre on “groups of
armed terrorists numbering 600-800”. The Syrian government announced a committee
of inquiry to find out what the truth was with its initial report stating that
the main motive of the murderers was “to ignite sectarian strife”. US Ambassador
to the UN Susan Rice described al-Hamwi’s claims as “another blatant lie”.
A Complex Beast
Syria's relationship with terrorism is a far more complex beast with a history
that can be traced back to the start of Assad rule of the country over 40 years
ago. Syria has used its foreign policy and its backing of proxy groups in
Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine to champion its self-styled position as 'leader of
the resistance bloc'. The 10 May suicide attack bore parallels with the famous
1983 Hezbollah suicide attack on a U.S Marine barracks in Beirut that killed 220
marines and led to the Reagan administration withdrawing from the country. Car
bombs and suicide attacks were also a common tactic used by Hamas during the 2nd
Intifada against Israel. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are allies of the Syrian
regime, with a complex network of financial, political and historical links.
However, following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Syria became linked to far more
unpredictable and dangerous terrorist groups who used their country as the main
transit route to fight the Americans. Today the regime has paradoxically found
itself as the target of resistance movements that are hugely varied in
composition and tactics ranging from secular military defectors, Kurdish
fighters to those who would fight under a religious flag against the Assad
regime.
Syria has ridden the lion of supporting terrorist groups in the past and is now
experiencing a deadly blowback as the less controllable elements turn against
them and the more conventional ones abandon them.
The US State Department has had Syria on its list of state sponsors of terrorism
since the list's inception in 1979 “because of its continuing support and safe
haven for terrorist organizations”. Arguably its support can be divided into
more traditional groups who've looked to capture or influence the state (the
Hezbollah / Hamas models) and the far more dangerous extremist groups (Al Qaeda
/ Jund al-Sham / Al-Nusra Front etc) who, while providing effective opposition
against the US throughout their occupation of Iraq, increasingly view the
conflict in Syria through a sectarian lens.
Prior to the outbreak of protests in March 2011 Syria was already experiencing a
low level terrorist threat with the group 'Jund al-Sham' claiming responsibility
for attacks on the US Embassy and even the same intelligence building in
Damascus that was hit in May. Following the outbreak of violence across Syria
and the deployment of the military against the protestors a plethora of groups
have tried to exploit the new space created by the conflict. The regime,
unwilling to consider itself to blame for the protests, has stuck to the
rhetoric of blaming others. On the 29th of May Syrian State media reported
President Assad’s meeting with Kofi Annan where he stressed the need “for the
countries who are financing, arming and harbouring the terrorist groups” to
commit to Annan's plan. Assad told Annan that the success of his plan depends on
stopping weapon smuggling and curbing terrorism and those who support it.
Blowback from Iraq
There is no small amount of irony around Assad opposing weapon smuggling
considering his regime’s long standing practice of it. The Iraqi-Syrian border
in particular was once a source of transit for fighters to Iraq and is now
seeing the flow is reverse. Chris Doyle, Director of the Council for
Arab-British Understanding (Caabu), explained to Asharq Al-Awsat that “there is
a huge danger that Jihadi groups will be rushing to Syria to exploit the power
vacuum and inter-communal tensions. In the past the regime has allowed certain
groups to operate within its borders, some of these that were allowed into Iraq
to attack the Americans are now returning to attack the Syrian regime,
particularly in the East of the country.
The long desert border, which was largely un-demarcated until the 2003 US
invasion, is very difficult to regulate during the day and virtually impossible
without aerial surveillance and night-vision equipment, capacities that the
Syrian military generally lacks. On the 27th of May Iraqi security forces went
on high alert for several hours until Sunday morning following clashes between
the Syrian army and rebel forces near the border. The village of Abu Kamal, at
the Euphrates Iraq-Syria border crossing, used to be a safe haven for those
fleeing the violence in Iraq. Today those on the Iraq side of the border are the
ones who feel safer. Writing in the 'Combating Terrorism Center' (CTC) journal
Brian Fishman explained that “in contrast to the situation in other Arab Spring
revolutions, in Syria militants linked to Al Qaeda seem to have a militarily
relevant capability on the ground”. Analysts monitoring the internet chatter on
extremist websites have also noted “level of excitement, which has not been seen
in these circles since the height of the Iraq war”.
What makes an understanding of the extremist groups crossing from Iraq to Syria
more complex is the rumoured relationship between them and Iran. On the 9th of
May, Anbar tribal leader and Awakening Movement leader Azzam al-Tamimi, told the
press that “there are clear links between Al Qaeda in Iraq and the Iranian
regime....Tehran is providing training camps for their members.” Syria, like
Iran, also had links to these groups, as Andrew Tabler, author of ‘In the Lion’s
Den’ who spent seven years working in Damascus, explained: “looked at
historically, the Assad regime may be secular, but it has extensive relations
with jihadi groups, whether allowing them to transit Syria to fight the US in
Iraq or in Lebanon to carry out its foreign policy objectives.” A senior
Lebanese security official said recently that at least 150 foreign militants
have gained a foothold inside Syria. Whilst this number may not seem
particularly large, the tactics that such groups are willing to deploy makes
them dangerous force multipliers. For evidence of this reality we can look again
to Iraq, a country that suffers from a chronic terrorism problem. Despite
significant advances against Al Qaeda in the western Anbar region, the US
military estimates that 850 militants are still operational and are linked to
coordinated, simultaneous attacks across the country. Likewise JN and future
offshoots should be seen as an accelerant to the conflict rather than a defining
element, although as occurred in Iraq any spectacular sectarian attack against
an iconic individual or location may create unforeseen consequences.
Blowback from Lebanon
The regime is also trying to secure its western border with Lebanon, another
border that historically was criss-crossed with smuggling routes. The 200-mile
long border, dismissed in the past by Syrian leaders as a colonial imposition
dividing al-Sham (Greater Syria), has suddenly become a contested zone. In
November of last year, concerned by reports of the nascent 'Free Syria Army'
(FSA) transiting the border and arms smuggling, the Syrian army took the drastic
step to start demarcating the border with security forces and landmines.
According to Human Rights Watch many people fleeing the violence have been
seriously wounded.
A particular concern for the regime in Damascus comes from the Palestinian
refugee camps in Lebanon, another location where Syria has held historical
influence. Media reports have emerged of Palestinians from Ein el-Helweh camp
writing their wills and heading into Syria via Tripoli. Tripoli meanwhile is
increasingly divided. On 13 May, the arrest of Shadi Al Mawlawi in Tripoli for
alleged links with terrorist organizations was followed by protests in the city.
Four days of violence ensued between gunmen from various factions, during which
time 10 people were killed and many more injured. The situation remains tense.
On Sunday 20 May, a Sheikh and his companion were shot dead at an army
checkpoint. The killing sparked a violent response in the north of Lebanon with
protesters blocking roads and demanding that the army withdraw from some areas.
While Tripoli remained relatively calm, the event led to fighting between rival
groups in Beirut, resulting in the deaths of two people and 18 others being
injured. Lebanon remains both a source of danger to the regime in Damascus and
the country most likely to be destabilised by Syria descending deeper into civil
war.
The Ghost Militia
While outside observers may increasingly view the situation in Syria as a civil
war, the regime is still operating as if it is fighting a foreign-backed
insurgency. What makes Syria's counter-insurgency strategy particularly savage
is its use of state backed militia groups such as the 'Shabiha' or 'Ghost
Militia'. Chris Doyle pointed out that “one of the lessons from the massacre in
Houla is that it is much easier for people who aren’t in uniforms to conduct
this kind of crime. The massacre could have been conducted by people from
neighbouring Allawite villages who wanted to deliver a message with the support
of the Syrian military.” The Shabiha are essential state sponsored terror groups
that appear to have their own leadership and command structure. Slitting the
throats of women and children, firing upon funeral processions and increasingly
repeated mass executions are actions based upon trying to reassert a fear of the
regime on those protesting against it.
At the start of June former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard Myers
says the possible use of force in Syria would be "a lot more complex" than it
was Libya. The huge network of Syria’s connections with groups in Lebanon and
since 2003 Iraq does mean that to truly understand events in Syria you must look
beyond its borders. The fundamental challenge for the survival of the Assad
regime is to manage to contradiction between the rhetoric of being the vanguard
of regional resistance to being the prime target of it. That the regime is
willing to unleash the Shabiha on its own population is a reflection of
desperation, not of strength. Speaking to his new Parliament at the start of
June Assad said that “whoever did this in Houla could not be a human being but a
monster. And even a monster could not carry out such an act.” The problem for
Assad is that the Shabiha and many of the extremist groups crossing into the
country are monsters of his own regime’s making.
Lavrov Says Denying Iran a Role
in Syria Talks 'Thoughtless'
Naharne/09 June 2012/Russia will not approve the use of force against the Syrian
regime at the United Nations, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday at a
briefing in Moscow.
"We will not sanction the use of force at the United Nations Security Council,"
Lavrov said in televised remarks as he gave a briefing on Russia's proposal for
an international conference on Syria.
He acknowledged that U.N.-Arab envoy Kofi Annan's tattered peace plan for Syria
was stalling but stressed the Kremlin saw no alternative to it.
"The settlement plan has begun to seriously falter," Lavrov said. "We do not see
an alternative to the implementation of this plan."
Russia, which is pushing for a conference on Syria to include Iran despite U.S.
protests, said that to deny Tehran a role in helping negotiate an end to the
crisis would be "thoughtless".
"To say that Iran doesn't have a place because it is already to blame for
everything and it's part of the problem and not part of the solution ... this is
thoughtless to say the least," said Lavrov.
He said that Russia would be "only glad" to support the departure of President
Bashar Assad if Syrians agreed on it, without wanting to impose the process from
the outside.
"If the Syrians agree on this with each other, we will be only glad to support
such an outcome," said Lavrov, adding that Moscow did not want to "impose the
conditions of dialogue from outside."
Russia, along with China, has vetoed two Security Council resolutions against
Assad and have vowed to oppose any military intervention.
Former U.N. chief Kofi Annan, the author of a fledgling peace plan on Syria,
called Friday for "additional pressure" in the wake of a new massacre as he held
talks in the United States.
Britain, France and the United States will quickly draw up a Security Council
resolution proposing sanctions against Syria over the worsening conflict,
diplomats said Friday.
SourceNaharnet.
Shabiha militia carrying out
kidnappings to extort ransom – Source
08/06/2012
By Asharq Al-Awsat
London, Asharq Al-Awsat – Political activists in Homs have accused Syrian
military forces and pro-regime Shabiha militia of kidnapping women with the
objective of extorting large sums of money in ransom. Six kidnappings were
reported over the past two months, whilst 3 of these kidnapping have taken place
within the past week. Syrian political activists stressed that the real figures
are significantly larger than this; however the families of kidnap victims fail
to report such crimes due to social considerations.
Local sources in Homs informed Asharq Al-Awsat that approximately 26 young women
in total have been kidnapped by the pro-regime Shabiha militia, a number of whom
have been held for several months. These young women are reportedly being
ransomed for large sums of money. Senior local figures are exerting efforts to
resolve this troubling phenomenon, away from the security apparatus or Syrian
government.
Opposition activists revealed that these kidnapping all took place in quiet
neighborhoods, whilst alleging that these kidnap victims are held in
neighborhoods loyal to the al-Assad regime. The activists reveal that the
families of these kidnap victims either bargain for their release, or the young
women are killed and buried in unmarked graves. The kidnappers are said to use
automobiles which do not bear license plates to carry out their crimes, whilst
the Syrian security apparatus and army are believed to be complicit with this.
The source added that three kidnappings took place over the last week in the Al-Ghouta
district of Homs, close to the Syrian Red Cross headquarters.
The Shabiha are not just targeting young women for abduction, and reports
indicate that this phenomenon is present in other areas of Syria, also in order
to extort large ransoms. Sources informed Asharq Al-Awsat that there is a lot of
confusion on the scene with regards to kidnappings being carried out by
pro-regime Shabiha militia and mass arrests and disappearances carried out by
the al-Assad regime security apparatus. Three kidnappings reportedly took place
at a security roadblock in the city of al-Qasir more than 10 days, whilst the
bodies of these three kidnapping victims were later discovered in the city, and
it was clear that the victims had been subjected to torture.
For his part, Lieutenant Ibrahim Ferzat announced his defection from the Syrian
Air Force Intelligence Directorate and his joining the Free Syrian Army [FSA] in
protest to al-Assad regime forces committing “crimes against humanity, including
acts of violence and rape in Homs and Rastan.” Ferzat accused three Air Force
Intelligence Directorate officers of committing crimes against humanity,
including rape, naming Brigadier General Jawdat al-Ahmed, Lieutenant Abdul-Karim
al-Tarsha, and Lieutenant Hassan al-Ali.
In his announcement of his defection, which was broadcast by opposition
activists online, Ferzat claimed that “there are other figures [who committed
such crimes] whose names I have not mentioned”. The Syrian Air Force
Intelligence Directorate is considered to be the most brutal of the al-Assad
regime security apparatus, particularly in terms of arresting and torturing
opposition activists.
According to figures issued by Local Coordination Committees, 148 Syrian
citizens – including women and children – have been arrested and tortured by the
Syrian apparatus since the UN observer mission entered Syria earlier this year.
57 of these cases were carried out by pro-regime Shabiha militia, whilst the
rest by the official regime security apparatus.
Figures indicate that some 792 Syrian detainees – including 39 children – have
been killed by Syrian regime forces whilst in custody, with their bodies then
being returned to their families.
Greatest Church Soon To Be Mega Mosque?
by Raymond Ibrahim
FrontPageMagazine.com
June 8, 2012
http://www.meforum.org/3259/hagia-sophia-church-mosque
Ostensibly dealing with a building, a recent report demonstrates how Turkey's
populace—once deemed the most secular and liberal in the Muslim world—is
reverting to its Islamic heritage, complete with animosity for the infidel West
and dreams of Islam's glory days of jihad and conquest. According to Reuters:
Thousands of devout Muslims prayed outside Turkey's historic Hagia Sophia museum
on Saturday [May 23] to protest a 1934 law that bars religious services at the
former church and mosque. Worshippers shouted, "Break the chains, let Hagia
Sophia Mosque open," and "God is great" [the notorious "Allahu Akbar"] before
kneeling in prayer as tourists looked on. Turkey's secular laws prevent Muslims
and Christians from formal worship within the 6th-century monument, the world's
greatest cathedral for almost a millennium before invading Ottomans converted it
into a mosque in the 15th century.
Hagia Sophia—Greek for "Holy Wisdom"—was, in fact, Christendom's greatest
cathedral for a thousand years. Built in Constantinople, the heart of the
Christian empire, it was also a stalwart symbol of defiance against an ever
encroaching Islam from the east. After parrying centuries of jihadi thrusts,
Constantinople was finally sacked by Ottoman Turks in 1453. Its crosses
desecrated and icons defaced, Hagia Sophia—as well as thousands of other
churches—was immediately converted into a mosque, the tall minarets of Islam
surrounding it in triumph. Then, after the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, as
part of several reforms, Ataturk transformed Hagia Sophia into a "neutral"
museum in 1934—a gesture of goodwill to the then triumphant West from a then
crestfallen Turkey.
Even though Hagia Sophia is a Christian center under Islamic domination, several
Christian authorities are content seeing it remain a museum, including the
Ecumenical Patriarchate, spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians: "We want it to
remain a museum in line with the Republic of Turkey's principles," adding, "if
it became a church it would be chaos."
True enough; one need only recall how back in 2006, when Pope Benedict was
scheduled to visit Hagia Sophia, Muslims were outraged. Then, Turkey's
independent paper Vatan wrote: "The risk is that Benedict will send Turkey's
Muslims and much of the Islamic world into paroxysms of fury if there is any
perception that the Pope is trying to re-appropriate a Christian center that
fell to Muslims." Before the Pope's visit, a gang of Turks stormed and occupied
Hagia Sophia, screaming "Allahu Akbar!" and warning "Pope! Don't make a mistake;
don't wear out our patience." On the day of the Pope's visit, another throng of
Islamists waved banners saying "Pope get out of Turkey" while chanting Hagia
Sophia "is Turkish and will remain Turkish."
All this is yet another reminder of the Islamic world's double standards: when
Muslims conquer non-Muslim territories, such as Constantinople and its
churches—through fire and steel, with all the attendant human suffering and
misery—the descendents of those conquered are not to expect any apologies or
concessions. However, once the same Muslims who would never concede one inch of
Islam's conquests, including buildings, are on the short end of the
stick—Palestinians vis-à-vis Israel, for example—then they resort to the United
Nations and the court of public opinion, demanding justice, restitutions,
rights, and so forth. (See this 2006 LA Times Op-Ed for more on this theme.)
Even in the brief Reuter's report, evidence of such "passive-aggressive"
behavior emerges. First, this is not about Muslims wanting to pray; it's about
Muslims wanting to revel in the glory days of Islamic jihad and conquest:
Muslims "staged the prayers ahead of celebrations next week marking the 559th
anniversary of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet's conquest of Byzantine
Constantinople." According to Salih Turhan, a spokesman quoted by Reuters, "As
the grandchildren of Mehmet the Conqueror, seeking the re-opening Hagia Sophia
as a mosque is our legitimate right."
Sultan Mehmet was the scourge of European Christendom, whose Islamic hordes
seized and ravished Constantinople, forcibly turning it Islamic. Openly
idolizing him, as many Turks do, is tantamount to their saying "We are proud of
our ancestors who killed and stole the lands of Christians." And yet, despite
such militant overtones, Turhan, whose position is echoed by many Turks, still
manages to blame the West: "Keeping Hagia Sophia Mosque closed is an insult to
our mostly Muslim population of 75 million. It symbolizes our ill-treatment by
the West."
If merely keeping a historically Christian/Western building—that was stolen by
Islamic jihad—as a neutral museum is seen as "ill-treatment by the West," on
what basis can Muslims and non-Muslims ever "dialogue"?
**Raymond Ibrahim is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and
an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
Question: "What is true worship?"
gotquestion.otg
Answer: The Apostle Paul described true worship perfectly in Romans 12:1-2: “I
urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a
living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God which is your spiritual service of
worship. And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is
good and acceptable, or well pleasing and perfect.”
This passage contains all the elements of true worship. First, there is the
motivation to worship: “the mercies of God.” God’s mercies are everything He has
given us that we don’t deserve: eternal love, eternal grace, the Holy Spirit,
everlasting peace, eternal joy, saving faith, comfort, strength, wisdom, hope,
patience, kindness, honor, glory, righteousness, security, eternal life,
forgiveness, reconciliation, justification, sanctification, freedom,
intercession and much more. The knowledge and understanding of these incredible
gifts motivate us to pour forth praise and thanksgiving—in other words, worship!
Also in the passage is a description of the manner of our worship: “present your
bodies a living and holy sacrifice.” Presenting our bodies means giving to God
all of ourselves. The reference to our bodies here means all our human
faculties, all of our humanness—our hearts, minds, hands, thoughts,
attitudes—are to be presented to God. In other words, we are to give up control
of these things and turn them over to Him, just as a literal sacrifice was given
totally to God on the altar. But how? Again, the passage is clear: “by the
renewing of your mind.” We renew our minds daily by cleansing them of the
world’s “wisdom” and replacing it with true wisdom that comes from God. We
worship Him with our renewed and cleansed minds, not with our emotions. Emotions
are wonderful things, but unless they are shaped by a mind saturated in Truth,
they can be destructive, out-of-control forces. Where the mind goes, the will
follows and so do the emotions. First Corinthians 2:16 tells us we have “the
mind of Christ,” not the emotions of Christ.
There is only one way to renew our minds, and that is by the Word of God. It is
the truth, the knowledge of the Word of God, which is to say the knowledge of
the mercies of God, and we’re back where we began. To know the truth, to believe
the truth, to hold convictions about the truth, and to love the truth will
naturally result in true spiritual worship. It is conviction followed by
affection, affection that is a response to truth, not to any external stimuli,
including music. Music as such has nothing to do with worship. Music can’t
produce worship, although it certainly can produce emotion. Music is not the
origin of worship, but it can be the expression of it. Do not look to music to
induce your worship; look to music as simply an expression of that which is
induced by a heart that is rapt by the mercies of God, obedient to His commands.
True worship is God-centered worship. People tend to get caught up in where they
should worship, what music they should sing in worship, and how the worship
looks to other people. Focusing on these things completely misses the point.
Jesus tells us that true worshipers will worship God in spirit and in truth
(John 4:24). This means we worship from the heart and the way God has designed.
Worship can include praying, reading God's Word with an open heart, singing,
participating in communion, and serving others. It is not limited to one act,
but is done properly when the heart and attitude of the person are in the right
place.
It’s also important to know that worship is reserved only for God. Only He is
worthy and not any of His servants (Revelation 19:10). We are not to worship
saints, prophets, statues, angels, any false gods, or Mary, the mother of Jesus.
We also should not be worshiping for the expectation of something in return,
such as a miraculous healing. Worship is done for God—because He deserves it—and
for His pleasure alone. Worship can be public praise to God (Psalm 22:22, 35:18)
in a congregational setting, where we can proclaim through prayer and praise our
adoration and thankfulness to Him and what He has done for us. True worship is
felt inwardly, and then comes out through our actions. "Going through the
motions" out of obligation is displeasing to God and is done completely in vain.
He can see through all the hypocrisy, and He hates it. He demonstrates this in
Amos 5:21-24 as He talks about coming judgment. Another example is the story of
Cain and Abel, the first sons of Adam and Eve. They both brought gift offerings
to the Lord, but He was only pleased with Abel's. Cain brought the gift out of
obligation; Abel brought his finest lambs from his flock. He brought out of
faith and admiration for God.
True worship is not confined to what we do in church or open praise (although
these things are both good and we are told in the Bible to do them). It is the
acknowledgment of God and all His power and glory in everything we do. The
highest form of praise and worship is obedience to Him and His Word. To do this,
we must know God; we cannot be ignorant of Him (Acts 17:23). Worship is to
glorify and exalt God—to show our loyalty and admiration to our Father.