Matthew 18 Who Is the Greatest

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 06/2012

Bible Quotation for today/Humility
Sirach 03/17-29 My child, be humble in everything you do, and people will appreciate it more than gifts. The greater you become, the more humble you should be; then the Lord will be pleased with you. The Lord's power is great, and he is honored by those who are humble. Don't try to understand things that are too hard for you, or investigate matters that are beyond your power to know. Concentrate on the Law, which has been given to you. You do not need to know about things which the Lord has not revealed, so don't concern yourself with them. After all, what has been shown to you is beyond human power to understand. Many people have been misled by their own opinions; their wrong ideas have warped their judgment. Stubbornness will get you into trouble at the end. If you live dangerously, it will kill you. A stubborn person will be burdened down with troubles. Sinners go on adding one sin to another. There is no cure for the troubles that arrogant people have; wickedness has taken deep root in them. Intelligent people will learn from proverbs and parables. They listen well because they want to learn.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Bechara Boutros al-Rahi's Interview with Reuters is a kind of opportunism/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 05/12
Sunday, March 4, 2012Obama Speech At AIPAC: Transcript/05 Marchl12
U.S. officials: Iran is stepping up lethal aid to Syria/By Joby Warrick and Liz Sly/March 05/12
Al-Assad’s last friend/By Hussein Shobokshi/March 05/12

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for March 05/12
Obama, Netanyahu start delicate Iran talks
North Korea tested Iranian warhead or “dirty bomb” in 2010 for $55m
'IAEA cannot be sure Iran's nuclear program lacks military aims'
Egyptian Christian Sentened to 6 Years in Prison for 'Insulting the Prophet'
Akiva Eldar/Obama and Netanyahu's White House masquerade ball
After AIPAC speech, Obama's meeting with Netanyahu is almost superfluous
Netanyahu welcomes Obama's statements on Israel's right to self-defense
Israeli press disappointed over Obama's Iran speech
Israel would be wise to listen to Obama's advice on Iran/Haaretz Editorial
Top Russian analyst: Putin is good for Israel
Syrian troops pursue crackdown in Deraa, Homs
Assad’s father-in-law ‘horrified’: report
Forget about the Golan, Mr. Assad
China to send envoy to Syria in bid to ease Syria crisis
Saudi: Syrians have right to defend themselves
Minster Baird Expresses Condolences to the Polish People
Lieberman: Israel would offer aid to Syrians if asked
Report: 13 French officers captured in Syria
33 Syrian Gunmen Held, Arms Seized in Lebanese Border Town
Putin Reclaims Kremlin in Disputed Presidential Vote
Sleiman overcomes spat with Aoun, tackles army retirement age
Nasrallah: Arabs closer than ever to liberating Jerusalem
Lebanon: Parliament session postponed after MP boycott
Berri praises Future, Hezbollah for restraint
Aoun: Parliament session ‘thwarted’ due to March 14 draft law
Suleiman, Aoun Meet in Baabda under Auspices of al-Rahi
Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai against “turning Arab Spring into winter”
Suleiman Seeks Amending Age of Retirement for Army Commander to 62
Fadel Shaker Joins Salafist Demo: 'May God Take Revenge on Bashar
Abou Faour: 2,000 Syrian Refugees Entered Lebanon in One Day
New U.N. envoy meets Hezbollah’s Musawi
Sleiman to participate in Doha conference on poverty
U.S. military delegation in Lebanon
Woman killed, 4 injured in Lebanon road accidents

Obama, Netanyahu start delicate Iran talks
AFP/President Barack Obama Monday launched key talks on the Iran nuclear standoff with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that there was still a "window" of opportunity for sanctions to work.
Greeting Netanyahu in the Oval Office, Obama sought to calm the Jewish state's fears by saying that his commitment to Israel's security was unshakeable."Our commitment to the security of Israel is rock solid," he said. "The United States will always have Israel's back."But Obama said the first choice was still for a peaceful resolution. "We do believe there is still a window that allows for a diplomatic resolution to this issue," he said, but reiterated that Iran must make a choice that it has so far not made. "I reserve all options," he added. "When I say all options are on the table I mean it."The delicate talks come with speculation rife about a possible Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites, Netanyahu is believed to be seeking guarantees on when Washington would move against the nuclear program.Israel says that if sanctions against Iran fail to thwart its nuclear ambitions his country reserves the right to its own preemptive strike against the Islamic republic."My supreme responsibility as prime minister of Israel is to ensure that Israel remains the master of its fate," said Netanyahu in remarks at the start of the meeting, as he thanked Obama for his support for Israel's right to self defense.

North Korea tested Iranian warhead or “dirty bomb” in 2010 for $55m
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report March 5, 2012/ German and Japanese intelligence sources Monday, March 5, confirmed – and qualified - to debkafile reports in the German Der Spiegel and Welt am Sonntag that Western intelligence had known for 11 months that at least one of North Korea’s covert nuclear tests in 2010 was carried out on an Iranian radioactive bomb or nuclear warhead.
Those sources report five facts are known for sure:
1. North Korea carried out two covert underground nuclear explosions in mid-April and around May 11 of 2010 equivalent to 50- 200 tonnes of TNT.
2. Two highly lethal heavy hydrogen isotopes, deuterium and tritium, typical of a nuclear fission explosion and producing long-term contamination of the atmosphere, were detected and analyzed by Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBOTO) monitoring stations in South Korea, Japan and Russia.
3. The presence of tritium in one of the tests led several intelligence agencies watching North Korea’s nuclear program and its longstanding links with Iran and Syria to examine the possibility that Pyongyang had tested the internal mechanism of a nuclear warhead on Iran’s behalf. This strongly indicated to German and Japanese intelligence that Iran had already developed the nuclear warhead’s outer shell and attained its weaponization.
4. Another possibility examined was that North Korea had tested an Iranian “dirty bomb” – i.e. a conventionally detonated device containing nuclear substances. Tritium would boost its range, force and lethality.
This was one of the conclusions of atmospheric scientist Larsk-Erik De Geer of the Swedish Defense Research Agency in Stockholm, who spent a year studying the data collected by various CTBOTO stations tracking the North Korean explosions.
On February 3, De Greer published some of his findings and conclusions in Nature Magazine. His paper will appear in the April/May issue of the Science and Global Security Journal.
5. The Japanese and German sources found confirmation of their suspicions that North Korea had abetted Iran’s nuclear aspirations in three events:
a) Shortly after the April explosion, a large group of Iranian nuclear scientists and technicians arrived in Pyongyang. They apparently came to take part in setting up the second test in May.
b) In late April, Tehran shipped to Pyongyang a large quantity of uranium enriched to 20+ percent – apparently for use in the May test.
c) Straight after the May test, the Central Bank of Iran transferred $55 million to the account of the North Korean Atomic Energy Commission. The size of the sum suggests that it covered the fee to North Korea not just of one but the two tests – the first a pilot and the second, a full-stage test.
It is not by chance that this incriminating disclosure about Iran’s nuclear achievements sees the light Monday, just hours before US Barack Obama receives Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in the White house for an argument over an expeditious military action to stop Iran going all the way to a nuclear weapon.
The disclosure invalidates the main point the US President made in his speech Sunday to the pro-Israeli lobby AIPAC convention in Washington that there was still time for diplomatic pressure and sanctions to bring Iran’s leaders to a decision to halt their nuclear momentum before military action was called for, whether by the US or Israel.
It now appears that Western intelligence has known about the North Korean tests for Iran for eleven months. Therefore, it is too late for him to try and persuade the Israeli prime minister that there is still time to spare for cutting short a nuclear Iran.
It was announced in Washington Monday that no joint American-Israeli communiqué would be issued at the end of their talks, meaning they will have agreed to disagree: Obama, to stand by his opposition to military action against Iran; Netanyahu, to decide what Israel must do in the interests of its security.
There is no doubt he would have preferred an American initiative for - or partnership in - an operation for curtailing the Iranian nuclear threat. But that is not part of Obama’s policy.

Obama and Netanyahu's White House masquerade ball
By Akiva Eldar/Haaretz
If the United States does eventually decide to do the work itself and attack Iran's nuclear reactors, the citizens of Israel will have to pay for all the noise and fuss.Even before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu crosses the threshold of the White House Monday, the importance of his meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama can be said to "lie in the very fact that it is taking place."
This is the phrase that spokesmen typically reserve for high-ranking diplomatic meetings that go nowhere, or for those whose content is kept secret. Netanyahu will not hear anything from Obama that he has not heard before from the secretary of defense, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or the national security adviser: Obama will make sure that Netanyahu has absorbed the message that attacking Iran before the U.S. presidential elections in November is tantamount to attacking the incumbent president. And for this time-out, Obama will be prepared to pay generously. During election season in the United States - when Netanyahu's friends, the wheelers and dealers, come out in full force - Netanyahu can dress up as Samson the nebech and play the part of the Jewish victim. And, in the spirit of this week's Purim festival, the joint press conference that will take place after the meeting will be a masquerade ball. Obama will wear a friendly expression and pretend to be Netanyahu's best friend. He will utter familiar declarations about his commitment to Israel's security, and about preventing Iran from arming itself with nuclear weapons. He will look in Netanyahu's direction, but he will be winking the whole time at his Jewish donors, and at the floating voters in Florida's retirement homes. Obama will not be satisfied merely with a second term; it is also important to him that the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC grant favors to the Democratic candidates for the two houses of Congress. And so, until November, Obama will be singing the tunes that the wheelers and dealers want to hear. The bill will arrive in December. Perhaps.
The real issues, though - the tough ones, the ones that Netanyahu and the Jewish activists don't want to hear - those Obama will keep to himself on Monday. He won't reiterate the statements he made at the end of his meeting in September 2010 with Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas - one of the many meetings in which it was agreed that there would be "accelerated negotiations about a final status arrangement."
The alternative to the status quo is not acceptable, Obama told journalists at the time, noting a chance to change the strategic landscape of the Middle East in a way that would help to deal with Iran - which does not want to forgo its nuclear program - and with the terrorist organizations in the region.
Obama stressed that an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was not only in the interest of the two sides, but also a U.S. interest and an interest of the rest of the world.
In order to bring these remarks up to date, in order to adjust them to the reality of the current situation in March 2012, Obama would have to say to Netanyahu Monday: "I have seen the grocery list you presented to the Palestinians as a list of 'Israel's positions.' I have read the latest report from our consulate in Jerusalem about the creeping annexation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. I regret that you are sticking to the status quo and missing the opportunity to influence the new strategic landscape of the Middle East. We have heard that your Foreign Ministry has also warned that the Palestinian Authority could collapse and that a third intifada could ensue, which would undermine stability in the region. You are demanding of us that we intensify the struggle against Iran, even as your settlement policy and your foot-dragging in negotiations with the Palestinians are not only making it difficult for us to put together an Arab and Muslim coalition against Iran, but are actually fueling terrorist organizations. I have told you many times that an arrangement with the Palestinians is also a U.S. strategic interest. A failure to establish a two-state solution to this conflict is a personal failure to defend this interest of mine."
From Netanyahu's point of view, Monday's meeting with Obama succeeded even before it took place. This will be the first time that the president does not nag him about the Palestinian state, about the 1967 borders, about freezing the settlements. Who has the patience now for the Palestinian bomb that is ticking right under our noses? The important thing is that all the newspapers report that Netanyahu succeeded in ironing out the disagreements with Obama over the Iranian nuclear issue.
In Tehran they are aware that "the little Satan" is the one that is busy undermining negotiations with it, and that it is busy beating the drums of "the big Satan." If the United States does eventually decide to do the work itself and attack Iran's nuclear reactors, the citizens of Israel will have to pay for all the noise and fuss. That is the real significance of Monday's meeting.

Israel would be wise to listen to Obama's advice on Iran
Haaretz Editorial/Israel would do well to internalize an important statement by Obama: 'As president and commander in chief, I have a deeply-held preference for peace over war.'U.S. President Barack Obama didn't wait for his private meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to clarify his position on Iran's nuclear program. Speaking at the annual conference of AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the U.S. leader urged everyone to set the war drums aside.
After reiterating his commitment to Israel's peace and security, the president made it clear that the United States would consider using military force to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons only after it was convinced that sanctions and other diplomatic tools had been exhausted. He also promised to keep up the pressure on Iran and deepen its isolation. Obama, who was playing on Netanyahu's home court at the height of an election year, criticized the excessive talk about war with Iran. Hinting at both Israeli government officials and the Republican presidential candidates, who have been vying with each other in calling for war, Obama said this was causing oil prices to rise, which in turn helped finance Iran's nuclear program. The president said that excessive public discussion of the Iranian issue not only undermined the security of both America and the world, but Israel's security too.
The unnecessary statements by Israeli leaders are drawing fire on Israel. The government would be wise to listen attentively to President Obama's advice and adopt the sage counsel of former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt: "Speak softly and carry a big stick." The U.S. president carries the biggest stick in the world.
The government would also do well to internalize another important statement by Obama: "As president and commander in chief, I have a deeply-held preference for peace over war."
This worldview is also appropriate when it comes to the conflict with the Palestinians, which has been pushed aside by the Iranian issue. It must be hoped that Obama will utilize his meeting with Netanyahu Monday to underscore the consequences that a collapse of the diplomatic process and a violent conflict in the territories would have for the American and international effort to halt both Iran's nuclear program and its terrorism

Sunday, March 4, 2012Obama Speech At AIPAC: Transcript
President Obama addressed the Israeli lobbyist group known as AIPAC today. During his speech, the President gave stern warnings to Iran while pledging continued U.S.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Well, good morning, everyone.
Rosy, thank you for your kind words. I have never seen Rosy on the basketball court. I'll bet it would be a treat. (Laughter.) Rosy, you've been a dear friend of mine for a long time and a tireless advocate for the unbreakable bonds between Israel and the United States. And as you complete your term as President, I salute your leadership and your commitment. (Applause.)
I want to thank the board of directors. As always, I’m glad to see my long-time friends in the Chicago delegation. (Applause.) I also want to thank the members of Congress who are with us here today, and who will be speaking to you over the next few days. You've worked hard to maintain the partnership between the United States and Israel. And I especially want to thank my close friend, and leader of the Democratic National Committee, Debbie Wasserman Schultz. (Applause.)
I’m glad that my outstanding young Ambassador to Israel, Dan Shapiro, is in the house. (Applause.)
I understand that Dan is perfecting his Hebrew on his new assignment, and I appreciate his constant outreach to the Israeli people. And I’m also pleased that we’re joined by so many Israeli officials, including Ambassador Michael Oren. (Applause.) And tomorrow, I’m very much looking forward to welcoming Prime Minister Netanyahu and his delegation back to the White House. (Applause.)
Every time I come to AIPAC, I’m especially impressed to see so many young people here. (Applause.) You don't yet get the front seats -- I understand. (Laughter.) You have to earn that. But students from all over the country who are making their voices heard and engaging deeply in our democratic debate. You carry with you an extraordinary legacy of more than six decades of friendship between the United States and Israel. And you have the opportunity -- and the responsibility -- to make your own mark on the world. And for inspiration, you can look to the man who preceded me on this stage, who's being honored at this conference -- my friend, President Shimon Peres. (Applause.)
Shimon was born a world away from here, in a shtetlin what was then Poland, a few years after the end of the first world war. But his heart was always in Israel, the historic homeland of the Jewish people. (Applause.) And when he was just a boy he made his journey across land and sea -- toward home.
In his life, he has fought for Israel’s independence, and he has fought for peace and security. As a member of the Haganah and a member of the Knesset, as a Minister of Defense and Foreign Affairs, as a Prime Minister and as President -- Shimon helped build the nation that thrives today: the Jewish state of Israel. (Applause.) But beyond these extraordinary achievements, he has also been a powerful moral voice that reminds us that right makes might -- not the other way around. (Applause.)
Shimon once described the story of the Jewish people by saying it proved that, “slings, arrows and gas chambers can annihilate man, but cannot destroy human values, dignity, and freedom.” And he has lived those values. (Applause.) He has taught us to ask more of ourselves, and to empathize more with our fellow human beings. I am grateful for his life’s work and his moral example. And I'm proud to announce that later this spring, I will invite Shimon Peres to the White House to present him with America’s highest civilian honor -- the Presidential Medal of Freedom. (Applause.)
In many ways, this award is a symbol of the broader ties that bind our nations. The United States and Israel share interests, but we also share those human values that Shimon spoke about: A commitment to human dignity. A belief that freedom is a right that is given to all of God’s children. An experience that shows us that democracy is the one and only form of government that can truly respond to the aspirations of citizens.
America’s Founding Fathers understood this truth, just as Israel’s founding generation did. President Truman put it well, describing his decision to formally recognize Israel only minutes after it declared independence. He said, "I had faith in Israel before it was established. I believe it has a glorious future before it -- as not just another sovereign nation, but as an embodiment of the great ideals of our civilization."
For over six decades, the American people have kept that faith. Yes, we are bound to Israel because of the interests that we share -- in security for our communities, prosperity for our people, the new frontiers of science that can light the world. But ultimately it is our common ideals that provide the true foundation for our relationship. That is why America’s commitment to Israel has endured under Democratic and Republican Presidents, and congressional leaders of both parties. (Applause.) In the United States, our support for Israel is bipartisan, and that is how it should stay. (Applause.)
AIPAC’s work continually nurtures this bond. And because of AIPAC’s effectiveness in carrying out its mission, you can expect that over the next several days, you will hear many fine words from elected officials describing their commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship. But as you examine my commitment, you don’t just have to count on my words. You can look at my deeds. Because over the last three years, as President of the United States, I have kept my commitments to the state of Israel. At every crucial juncture -- at every fork in the road -- we have been there for Israel. Every single time. (Applause.)
Four years ago, I stood before you and said that, "Israel’s security is sacrosanct. It is non-negotiable." That belief has guided my actions as President. The fact is, my administration’s commitment to Israel’s security has been unprecedented. Our military and intelligence cooperation has never been closer. (Applause.) Our joint exercises and training have never been more robust. Despite a tough budget environment, our security assistance has increased every single year. (Applause.) We are investing in new capabilities. We’re providing Israel with more advanced technology -- the types of products and systems that only go to our closest friends and allies. And make no mistake: We will do what it takes to preserve Israel’s qualitative military edge -- because Israel must always have the ability to defend itself, by itself, against any threat. (Applause.)
This isn’t just about numbers on a balance sheet. As a senator, I spoke to Israeli troops on the Lebanese border. I visited with families who’ve known the terror of rocket fire in Sderot. And that’s why, as President, I have provided critical funding to deploy the Iron Dome system that has intercepted rockets that might have hit homes and hospitals and schools in that town and in others. (Applause.) Now our assistance is expanding Israel’s defensive capabilities, so that more Israelis can live free from the fear of rockets and ballistic missiles. Because no family, no citizen, should live in fear.
And just as we’ve been there with our security assistance, we've been there through our diplomacy. When the Goldstone report unfairly singled out Israel for criticism, we challenged it. (Applause.) When Israel was isolated in the aftermath of the flotilla incident, we supported them. (Applause.) When the Durban conference was commemorated, we boycotted it, and we will always reject the notion that Zionism is racism. (Applause.)
When one-sided resolutions are brought up at the Human Rights Council, we oppose them. When Israeli diplomats feared for their lives in Cairo, we intervened to save them. (Applause.) When there are efforts to boycott or divest from Israel, we will stand against them. (Applause.) And whenever an effort is made to de-legitimize the state of Israel, my administration has opposed them. (Applause.) So there should not be a shred of doubt by now -- when the chips are down, I have Israel’s back. (Applause.)
Which is why, if during this political season -- (laughter) -- you hear some questions regarding my administration’s support for Israel, remember that it’s not backed up by the facts. And remember that the U.S.-Israel relationship is simply too important to be distorted by partisan politics. America’s national security is too important. Israel’s security is too important. (Applause.)
Of course, there are those who question not my security and diplomatic commitments, but rather my administration’s ongoing pursuit of peace between Israelis and Palestinians. So let me say this: I make no apologies for pursuing peace. Israel’s own leaders understand the necessity of peace. Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Barak, President Peres -- each of them have called for two states, a secure Israel that lives side by side with an independent Palestinian state. I believe that peace is profoundly in Israel’s security interest. (Applause.)
The reality that Israel faces -- from shifting demographics, to emerging technologies, to an extremely difficult international environment -- demands a resolution of this issue. And I believe that peace with the Palestinians is consistent with Israel’s founding values -- because of our shared belief in self-determination, and because Israel’s place as a Jewish and democratic state must be protected. (Applause.)
Of course, peace is hard to achieve. There’s a reason why it's remained elusive for six decades. The upheaval and uncertainty in Israel’s neighborhood makes it that much harder -- from the horrific violence raging in Syria, to the transition in Egypt. And the division within the Palestinian leadership makes it harder still -- most notably, with Hamas’s continued rejection of Israel’s very right to exist.
But as hard as it may be, we should not, and cannot, give in to cynicism or despair. The changes taking place in the region make peace more important, not less. And I've made it clear that there will be no lasting peace unless Israel’s security concerns are met. (Applause.) That's why we continue to press Arab leaders to reach out to Israel, and will continue to support the peace treaty with Egypt. That’s why -- just as we encourage Israel to be resolute in the pursuit of peace -- we have continued to insist that any Palestinian partner must recognize Israel’s right to exist, and reject violence, and adhere to existing agreements. (Applause.) And that is why my administration has consistently rejected any efforts to short-cut negotiations or impose an agreement on the parties. (Applause.)
As Rosy noted, last year, I stood before you and pledged that, "the United States will stand up against efforts to single Israel out at the United Nations." As you know, that pledge has been kept. (Applause.) Last September, I stood before the United Nations General Assembly and reaffirmed that any lasting peace must acknowledge the fundamental legitimacy of Israel and its security concerns. I said that America’s commitment to Israel’s security is unshakeable, our friendship with Israel is enduring, and that Israel must be recognized. No American President has made such a clear statement about our support for Israel at the United Nations at such a difficult time. People usually give those speeches before audiences like this one -- not before the General Assembly. (Applause.)
And I must say, there was not a lot of applause. (Laughter.) But it was the right thing to do. (Applause.) And as a result, today there is no doubt -- anywhere in the world -- that the United States will insist upon Israel’s security and legitimacy. (Applause.) That will be true as we continue our efforts to pursue -- in the pursuit of peace. And that will be true when it comes to the issue that is such a focus for all of us today: Iran’s nuclear program -- a threat that has the potential to bring together the worst rhetoric about Israel’s destruction with the world’s most dangerous weapons.
Let’s begin with a basic truth that you all understand: No Israeli government can tolerate a nuclear weapon in the hands of a regime that denies the Holocaust, threatens to wipe Israel off the map, and sponsors terrorist groups committed to Israel’s destruction. (Applause.) And so I understand the profound historical obligation that weighs on the shoulders of Bibi Netanyahu and Ehud Barak, and all of Israel’s leaders.
A nuclear-armed Iran is completely counter to Israel’s security interests. But it is also counter to the national security interests of the United States. (Applause.)
Indeed, the entire world has an interest in preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. A nuclear-armed Iran would thoroughly undermine the non-proliferation regime that we've done so much to build. There are risks that an Iranian nuclear weapon could fall into the hands of a terrorist organization. It is almost certain that others in the region would feel compelled to get their own nuclear weapon, triggering an arms race in one of the world's most volatile regions. It would embolden a regime that has brutalized its own people, and it would embolden Iran’s proxies, who have carried out terrorist attacks from the Levant to southwest Asia.
And that is why, four years ago, I made a commitment to the American people, and said that we would use all elements of American power to pressure Iran and prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon. And that is what we have done. (Applause.)
When I took office, the efforts to apply pressure on Iran were in tatters. Iran had gone from zero centrifuges spinning to thousands, without facing broad pushback from the world. In the region, Iran was ascendant -- increasingly popular, and extending its reach. In other words, the Iranian leadership was united and on the move, and the international community was divided about how to go forward.
And so from my very first months in office, we put forward a very clear choice to the Iranian regime: a path that would allow them to rejoin the community of nations if they meet their international obligations, or a path that leads to an escalating series of consequences if they don't. In fact, our policy of engagement -- quickly rebuffed by the Iranian regime -- allowed us to rally the international community as never before, to expose Iran’s intransigence, and to apply pressure that goes far beyond anything that the United States could do on our own.
Because of our efforts, Iran is under greater pressure than ever before. Some of you will recall, people predicted that Russia and China wouldn’t join us to move toward pressure. They did. And in 2010 the U.N. Security Council overwhelmingly supported a comprehensive sanctions effort. Few thought that sanctions could have an immediate bite on the Iranian regime. They have, slowing the Iranian nuclear program and virtually grinding the Iranian economy to a halt in 2011. Many questioned whether we could hold our coalition together as we moved against Iran’s Central Bank and oil exports. But our friends in Europe and Asia and elsewhere are joining us. And in 2012, the Iranian government faces the prospect of even more crippling sanctions.
That is where we are today -- because of our work. Iran is isolated, its leadership divided and under pressure. And by the way, the Arab Spring has only increased these trends, as the hypocrisy of the Iranian regime is exposed, and its ally -- the Assad regime -- is crumbling.
Of course, so long as Iran fails to meet its obligations, this problem remains unresolved. The effective implementation of our policy is not enough -- we must accomplish our objective. (Applause.) And in that effort, I firmly believe that an opportunity still remains for diplomacy -- backed by pressure -- to succeed.
The United States and Israel both assess that Iran does not yet have a nuclear weapon, and we are exceedingly vigilant in monitoring their program. Now, the international community has a responsibility to use the time and space that exists. Sanctions are continuing to increase, and this July -- thanks to our diplomatic coordination -- a European ban on Iranian oil imports will take hold. (Applause.) Faced with these increasingly dire consequences, Iran’s leaders still have the opportunity to make the right decision. They can choose a path that brings them back into the community of nations, or they can continue down a dead end.
And given their history, there are, of course, no guarantees that the Iranian regime will make the right choice. But both Israel and the United States have an interest in seeing this challenge resolved diplomatically. After all, the only way to truly solve this problem is for the Iranian government to make a decision to forsake nuclear weapons. That’s what history tells us.
Moreover, as President and Commander-in-Chief, I have a deeply held preference for peace over war. (Applause.) I have sent men and women into harm’s way. I've seen the consequences of those decisions in the eyes of those I meet who've come back gravely wounded, and the absence of those who don’t make it home. Long after I leave this office, I will remember those moments as the most searing of my presidency. And for this reason, as part of my solemn obligation to the American people, I will only use force when the time and circumstances demand it. And I know that Israeli leaders also know all too well the costs and consequences of war, even as they recognize their obligation to defend their country.
We all prefer to resolve this issue diplomatically. Having said that, Iran’s leaders should have no doubt about the resolve of the United States -- (applause) -- just as they should not doubt Israel’s sovereign right to make its own decisions about what is required to meet its security needs. (Applause.)
I have said that when it comes to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, I will take no options off the table, and I mean what I say. (Applause.) That includes all elements of American power: A political effort aimed at isolating Iran; a diplomatic effort to sustain our coalition and ensure that the Iranian program is monitored; an economic effort that imposes crippling sanctions; and, yes, a military effort to be prepared for any contingency. (Applause.)
Iran’s leaders should understand that I do not have a policy of containment; I have a policy to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. (Applause.) And as I have made clear time and again during the course of my presidency, I will not hesitate to use force when it is necessary to defend the United States and its interests. (Applause.)
Moving forward, I would ask that we all remember the weightiness of these issues; the stakes involved for Israel, for America, and for the world. Already, there is too much loose talk of war. Over the last few weeks, such talk has only benefited the Iranian government, by driving up the price of oil, which they depend on to fund their nuclear program.
For the sake of Israel’s security, America’s security, and the peace and security of the world, now is not the time for bluster. Now is the time to let our increased pressure sink in, and to sustain the broad international coalition we have built. Now is the time to heed the timeless advice from Teddy Roosevelt: Speak softly; carry a big stick. (Applause.) And as we do, rest assured that the Iranian government will know our resolve, and that our coordination with Israel will continue.
These are challenging times. But we've been through challenging times before, and the United States and Israel have come through them together. Because of our cooperation, citizens in both our countries have benefited from the bonds that bring us together. I'm proud to be one of those people. In the past, I've shared in this forum just why those bonds are so personal for me: the stories of a great uncle who helped liberate Buchenwald, to my memories of returning there with Elie Wiesel; from sharing books with President Peres to sharing seders with my young staff in a tradition that started on the campaign trail and continues in the White House; from the countless friends I know in this room to the concept of tikkun olam that has enriched and guided my life. (Applause.)
As Harry Truman understood, Israel’s story is one of hope. We may not agree on every single issue -- no two nations do, and our democracies contain a vibrant diversity of views. But we agree on the big things -- the things that matter. And together, we are working to build a better world -- one where our people can live free from fear; one where peace is founded upon justice; one where our children can know a future that is more hopeful than the present.
There is no shortage of speeches on the friendship between the United States and Israel. But I'm also mindful of the proverb, "A man is judged by his deeds, not his words." So if you want to know where my heart lies, look no further than what I have done -- to stand up for Israel; to secure both of our countries; and to see that the rough waters of our time lead to a peaceful and prosperous shore. (Applause.)
Thank you very much, everybody. God bless you. God bless the people of Israel. God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
Posted by Brevard Times at 3:36 PM

U.S. officials: Iran is stepping up lethal aid to Syria
By Joby Warrick and Liz Sly,
Washington Post/March 03/12
U.S. officials say they see Iran’s hand in the increasingly brutal crackdown on opposition strongholds in Syria, including evidence of Iranian military and intelligence support for government troops accused of mass executions and other atrocities in the past week.
Three U.S. officials with access to intelligence reports from the region described a spike in Iranian-supplied arms and other aid for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad at a time when the regime is mounting an unprecedented offensive to crush resistance in the key city of Homs.
Major events in the country’s tumultuous uprising.
.“The aid from Iran is increasing, and is increasingly focused on lethal assistance,” said one of the officials, insisting on anonymity to discuss intelligence reports from the region.
The expanded Iranian role in the conflict has been underscored by reports — supported by U.S. intelligence findings — that an Iranian operative was recently wounded while working with Syrian security forces inside the country.
The flow of military aid to Assad comes as Arab states are considering arming the regime’s opponents, raising the risk of a wider conflict that U.S. officials fear could spread to neighboring countries.
In addition, the intelligence reports about rising Iranian support for Syria come as U.S. officials are seeking to rally international support for efforts to drive Assad from power without resorting to arming the rebels — a move the Obama administration has opposed. The portrayal offered by the three officials quoted in this article is more detailed than previously reported; such accounts are generally difficult to verify independently.
Iran has made no secret of its support for the Assad regime, though President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has made repeated calls for a peaceful solution to the conflict, which began almost a year ago.
‘Big guys wearing black’
The U.S. intelligence assessments are in line with recent reports by Syrian rebels, who say Iran’s involvement in the crackdown has escalated. Opposition leaders, citing high-ranking defectors from the Syrian military, say Iran has dispatched hundreds of advisers, security officials and intelligence operatives to Syria, along with weapons, money and electronic surveillance equipment.
“Iran has been involved in the crackdown by Assad on a much larger scale than previously thought,” said Ammar Abdulhamid, a Washington-based Syrian activist and a member of the Syria Working Group of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington think tank.
Stories of Syrian troops being accompanied by black-bearded men speaking a foreign language and assumed to be Iranian have circulated widely inside Syria for many months, but activists acknowledge they have little hard evidence that Iranians are actually participating in the offensives.
“We saw some evidence, but we can’t prove it,” said Omar Shakir, who fled to Lebanon from the former opposition stronghold of Bab Amr in Homs a week ago. “We have seen tall guys, big guys wearing black.”The Free Syrian Army is holding seven Iranians captured in Homs in December. The Iranian government says they are power-plant workers, but the rebels assert that they were working for the Revolutionary Guard Corps. Eleven Iranian pilgrims abducted in January are still missing, Iran’s Press TV reported Saturday.

Saudi: Syrians have right to defend themselves
BEIRUT (AP) — Saudi Arabia has said that Syrians have a right to take up arms to defend themselves against the regime and accuses the Damascus government of "imposing itself by force," as concerns mount over a humanitarian crisis there.In a rare televised news conference on Sunday, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said the kingdom welcomed international efforts to broker a ceasefire in Syria but added that they have "failed to stop the massacres.""Is there something greater than the right to defend oneself and to defend human rights?" he asked, adding that the Syrian people want to defend themselves. "The regime is not wanted by the people," he said. "The regime is insisting on imposing itself by force on the Syrian people," he said. Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been discussing military aid the to the Syrian opposition, but the U.S. and others have not advocated arming the rebels, in part out of fear it would create an even more bloody and prolonged conflict. Sunni Saudi Arabia is wary of the wave of Arab Spring uprisings, particularly in nearby Bahrain, where a Shiite majority is demanding greater rights from its Sunni rulers. However, the kingdom strongly backs the largely Sunni uprising in Syria.
On Sunday Red Cross teams handed out food, blankets and medical kits in central Homs province, but the government blocked access to the worst-hit district of Baba Amr.
The humanitarian group was trying to help families who fled Baba Amr after a monthlong siege and took shelter in nearby villages, ICRC spokesman Hicham Hassan said in Geneva.
"The needs are so far mainly in the forms of food and also blankets because of the cold," Hassan said.
Government forces have blocked humanitarian access to Baba Amr since Friday, the day after troops seized it from rebels. Opposition fighters had been in control of the neighborhood for several months, and a regime offensive on Homs that began in early February aimed to retake rebel-held neighborhoods inside the city.
Syrian troops managed to take control of Baba Amr after nearly a month of intense and relentless shelling, and activists say hundreds were killed in the daily bombardments that led up to the final battle on Thursday. Some Baba Amr residents were killed when, in desperation, they dared to venture out of their homes to forage for food.
Activists have said residents face a humanitarian catastrophe in Baba Amr and other parts of Homs, Syria's third-largest city with a population of 1 million. Electricity, water and communications have been cut off, and recent days have seen frigid temperatures and snowfall. Food was running low, and many are too scared to venture out.
The government had said it would allow the Red Cross into Baba Amr on Friday but then blocked their access, citing security concerns. In the meantime, activists accused Syrian forces of killing dozens of residents execution-style and burning homes in revenge attacks against those believed to be supporting the rebels.
As the brutal siege of Homs dragged on, Western pressure on President Bashar Assad intensified. The U.S. has called for Assad to step down, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said he could be considered a war criminal. The European Union committed itself to document war crimes in Syria to set the stage for a "day of reckoning" for the country's leadership, in the way that former Yugoslav leaders were tried for war crimes in the 1990s by a special U.N. tribunal.
While they continue to appeal for unfettered access to Homs, Red Cross workers were focusing on distributing aid in the village of Abel, about two miles (three kilometers) from Homs. They hope to distribute aid in the neighborhoods of Inshaat and Tawzii on Monday. Homs has emerged as a central battleground in the conflict, which started last March with protests calling for the ouster of authoritarian President Bashar Assad in some of the country's impoverished hinterlands.The protests spread as the government waged a bloody crackdown on dissent, and many in the opposition have taken up arms to defend themselves and attack government troops. The U.N. says more than 7,500 people have been killed in the uprising.
Syrian activists said more than a dozen artillery shells struck the town of Rastan, near Homs, killing at least three people Sunday and wounding others.
Syrian activists also reported clashes between rebel fighters and government troops in the northern Idlib province. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said one soldier was killed and that the army was raiding homes in nearby villages following the rebel capture of an intelligence officer. The bodies of two Western journalists who were killed two weeks ago in a government rocket attack in Homs arrived in France. The body of French photographer Remi Ochlik would remain there, while that of American reporter Marie Colvin would be sent to the U.S., the French Foreign Ministry said.
Also Sunday, Syrian ally China offered a proposal to end the violence, calling for an immediate cease-fire and talks by all parties. But it stood firm in its opposition to foreign intervention.
The proposal, posted on the Foreign Ministry's website, describes the situation in Syria as "grave" and calls for an immediate end to all violence as well as humanitarian relief and negotiations mediated by the U.N. and the Arab League.But it rejects outside interference, sanctions and attempts at regime change.
"We oppose anyone interfering in Syria's internal affairs under the pretext of 'humanitarian' issues," the proposal said. "China does not approve of armed interference or pushing for 'regime change' in Syria and believes that use or threat of sanctions does not help to resolve the issue."
As international pressure against Assad's regime has grown, China and Russia have protected it from censure in the U.N. Security Council.
Beijing is usually reluctant to authorize sanctions or intervention against another country, fearing the precedent may one day be used against China's own authoritarian government.
Reflecting the Syrian conflict's echoes throughout the region, protesters in Lebanon's capital took to the streets in competing pro- and anti-Assad demonstrations Sunday. Masses of soldiers deployed to prevent clashes.On the pro-Assad side, a few hundred waved Syrian flags and carried posters of Assad reading "May God protect you." Many echoed the Syrian government's explanation of the uprising, that a foreign conspiracy is driving the revolt."I came because I'm against destruction and destroying Syrian homes and cities," said Yousef al-Durram, 27, an electrician from the eastern Syrian town of Deir el-Zour. "The only way this crisis will end is when the Syrian people wake up and realize that there is a big conspiracy against Syria."
About 200 yards away, a few thousand protesters rallied against Assad.Thirty-year-old Fatoun, from the coastal Syrian city of Aleppo, carried a sign reading "where are human rights?" She came to neighboring Lebanon a few weeks ago after being briefly detained after a protest there and said she planned to collect aid to send home.
"If you ask them, most Syrians here won't say they are against the regime because they're scared of Syrian security," she said, not giving her last name for fear of arrest when she goes home. "But many people realize that the regime has to go. Too many people have been killed."

Assad’s father-in-law ‘horrified’: report
March 04, 2012/The Daily Star/BEIRUT: The father-in-law of Syrian President Bashar Assad says he is “horrified” by his violent crackdown on civilian protesters, reported the U.K.’s Express newspaper Sunday. Fawaz Akhras, the London-based cardiologist, has told friends in the British Syrian Society that his daughter, Asma, is now in an impossible situation, caught between her family in Damascus and that of her family’s home city of Homs, which has been under intense bombardment by the Syrian Army for at least a month. He says he has quietly been pushing for change since before the uprising began last March, and has begged his son-in-law to enact reforms “before it’s too late.”Akhras says he is fearful for the safety of Asma, 36, who married Assad 12 years ago. There are rumors she is being kept virtually under house arrest by authorities close to the president, for fear she might try to escape to her native London, the Express reports. Akhras, who still practices medicine in London, has also said he is fearful for himself and his family, worried about revenge attacks on the part of Syrians whose relatives might have been harmed by Assad’s forces.
He wants his daughter to return to London with her three children.

Al-Assad’s last friend
By Hussein Shobokshi/Asharq Alawsat
The Syrian problem, or the al-Assad regime's confrontation with a revolution that has broken out against it, has taken a crucial juncture over the past few days. Russia’s unremitting defense of the al-Assad regime, supporting and protecting the ruling system with all manner of means, methods, ordnance and intelligence, together with Iran's issuance of threats and intimidation via its sectarian religious tongue as well as its political and economic wings, not to mention its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah, are all breathing life into the Assad regime. Recently and in public, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak got on board to pressure the Obama administration into abandoning its campaign against the Syrian regime and its President Bashar al-Assad. If the regime is overthrown, Israel's security and adjacent borders would be exposed to probable danger and new threats in the post-Assad era.
The West has been extensively warned and cautioned, via a professional media lobby, that the scarecrow of "al-Qaeda" would forge ahead into Syrian territory if the al-Assad regime collapsed. In other words, the "alternative" to the current regime would be an extremist and dangerous sectarian one. It is worth mentioning that this same argument was strongly and constantly promoted by some during the Libyan revolution against the Gaddafi regime. It was rumored that "al-Qaeda" had entered Libyan territory and was leading the entire uprising against the regime. At the time of these farcical and comical statements, the international community scorned such nonsense and decided that rescuing the Libyan people was more important and righteous than paying heed to any misleading statements, no matter how serious they may seem. Hence, NATO's explicit military intervention occurred in full until Libya was completely ridden of the Gaddafi regime.
Today, on the surface, it seems that the "international community," owing to enormous pressure from Israel, has begun to relent and back off from the bold statements it had previously been reiterating night and day. Meanwhile, Russia's position in defense of the Syrian regime has been escalating in a manner akin to hysteria. The Russians have been busy promoting the idea that the collapse of the al-Assad regime could be tantamount to the disintegration of a barrier neutralizing any direct confrontation between the Russia and America, and could consequently lead to the new, growing cold war transforming into an open one. This is something that could never be allowed to happen, and hence the Russian regime has formed a conviction about the importance of preserving Syria and al-Assad.
Russia believes that the overthrow of the al-Assad regime is a joint European-US conspiracy, seeking to impose Western hegemony over the entire region. At the same time, the Russians are still jubilant at their political and military victory in Iraq, achieved through the façade of Iran. They have ultimately managed to drive out the Americans, and now have all of Iraq for themselves. The Russians believe that any victory secured by the US against the al-Assad regime in Syria would be equivalent to returning to Iraq through the window after walking out - at a considerable loss - through the door.
Of course, during all this period, covert Israeli movements have been trying to convince the West of the gravity of sacrificing a regime that has guaranteed safe borders with Israel over the past four decades, and whose borders with Israel are even safer than Israel's borders with countries that are signatories to its peace accords, such as Egypt and Jordan. Hence, maintaining the al-Assad regime is a strategic goal. Israel has always stressed that it is possible to eliminate all the enemies of the al-Assad regime to further establish and solidify its rule. In its endeavors, Israel has been primarily successful with the Russian intelligence service, which has strong ties with the former through the widely influential Russian Jewish community. Israel has convinced the Russian intelligence of the necessity of taking practical steps to repress the revolution. This issue took on bloodier dimensions following the Russian veto at the UN Security Council. A high-profile Russian visit to Damascus, with a delegation including Russia's Foreign Minister and Chief of Intelligence, followed this move. They met with President Bashar al-Assad and gave him the green light and full support to continue with his killings and suppression unabated.
This leaves the vague or complicit Arab stances that also bear part of the responsibility for the pools of blood running from Syria. Countries like Algeria, Yemen, Sudan, Lebanon and Iraq are still adopting fairly indecisive positions regarding the massacres perpetrated by the oppressive al-Assad regime. This is in addition to Jordan and Morocco’s inconclusive stances on severing diplomatic ties with Damascus. We also have the peculiar stance adopted by Egypt, where some age-old "Nasserite" voices still regard al-Assad's Syria as a natural extension to Egypt's strategic national security, thereby demanding its preservation by all means. This attitude was plainly voiced by veteran Egyptian journalist Makram Mohamed Ahmed in a recent article in "Al-Ahram" newspaper.
The Syrian revolution is being betrayed on many levels, and there are suspicious moves in more than one direction. As events unfold (at least where motives are concerned) we discover that multiple parties would have their interests served by the regime staying in power. This simply means that Syria's popular revolution is a definitive struggle between good and evil, or the people versus the tyrant. The outcome of this struggle has already been settled in the mind of Almighty God. Al-Assad may have sought the assistance of a friend, i.e. Israel, but he still doesn't understand that the game is already over.

Nasrallah: Arabs closer than ever to liberating Jerusalem
March 05, 2012/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: In a televised speech Sunday, Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah said that due to recent changes in the region, Arabs and Muslims are closer than ever before to the liberation of Jerusalem. His comments came during an event titled “The Gathering to Announce Jerusalem as the Capital of Palestine and Arabs and Muslims” held at “Risalat” forum in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Via live video link from an undisclosed location, Nasrallah stressed that “Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine, the Arabs and the Muslims,” adding that “the issue of Jerusalem is unique because it is holy ground and it brings together the Muslim and Christian faiths from five continents, and includes holy sites for both faiths.” He said that the divided holy city has been under occupation for decades, following the Sykes-Picot Agreement. But he asserted that the resistance movements have foiled foreign projects for the Middle East. He added that it is well known that the people of Jerusalem have faced expulsion from their own city, and that they live in a unique reality. “Every Palestinian, Arab, Muslim and Christian bears a national, moral and religious responsibility for the identity and destiny of this holy city,” he said. “We all believe in the hereafter, and we will be held [responsible] for what we did for Jerusalem ... and in the afterlife we will be asked: What did you do for Jerusalem?”“We are a generation that was tasked with responsibilities after 1967, after the loss of Jerusalem,” Nasrallah said. “We do not take responsibility for its occupation, but we bear the responsibility of living under occupation today ... We can defend Islamic and Christian sanctities and confront the Judaization of Jerusalem.”
In this confrontation, he said, “We need to work hard to preserve the identity of Jerusalemites.”

Suleiman Seeks Amending Age of Retirement for Army Commander to 62
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman is seeking to amend the age of retirement for the army commander, suggesting that it be raised to 62 instead of 58, As Safir newspaper reported.
“We don’t want to have to extend the mandate of General Jean Qahwaji (when he reaches the age of retirement),” Suleiman told the daily.
The president said that amending the age of retirement could maintain the mandate of the current army chief until the end of his tenure so that the post of the head of army doesn’t remain vacant.
Qahwaji’s mandate ends in 2013 when the country is expected to hold its parliamentary elections.
“It is important that the current army commander remains in his post until the end of my tenure,” Suleiman told the daily. The president said that the cabinet will refer a draft-law to the parliament on the matter. Concerning his meeting with Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun under the sponsorship of Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi at the Baabda Palace, Suleiman told An Nahar newspaper that the meeting tackled the latest developments locally, including the appointment of top civil servants in state posts and the electoral law.
He described the meeting as “good.”
Sources close to al-Rahi also said that the meeting was “excellent.”Energy Minister Jebran Bassil, who is loyal to Aoun, told As Safir that the meeting discussed strategic matters.
However, he said: “We want the patriarch and the president to disregard the minor issues of appointments.”A dispute between Aoun and Suleiman on the appointment of top civil servants in state posts reserved for Christians, has prevented the cabinet from taking decisions on the issue.

Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai against “turning Arab Spring into winter”
March 4, 2012 /Now Lebanon/Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai said in an interview with Reuters that he was against achieving change by force in the Arab world.
"We are with the Arab Spring but we are not with this spring of violence, war, destruction and killing. This is turning into winter," Reuters quoted him as saying. "We say that we cannot implement reform by force and arms. No one can guess the scale of the great losses and damage which could result.”
He also asked how it could be called an Arab Spring “when people are being killed every day.”
"They speak of Iraq and democracy, and one million Christians out of an original 1.5 million have fled Iraq."He added that all groups in the region were threatened by "war and violence, economic and security crises,” adding, however, that Christians were mainly vulnerable because of their comparatively small and decreasing numbers.
Rai also addressed the Syrian situation saying: "Syria, like other countries, needs reforms which the people are demanding.”
"It's true that the Syrian Baath regime is an extreme and dictatorial regime but there are many others like it in the Arab world."
"All regimes in the Arab world have Islam as a state religion, except for Syria. It stands out for not saying it is an Islamic state ... The closest thing to democracy [in the Arab world] is Syria."
"We are not defending it. But we regret that Syria, which wants to take a step forward ... is undergoing this violence and destruction and (use of) power and weapons." The patriarch also voiced fear that the Arab uprisings would result in extremist Islamists taking control of countries. "It's not the people who want them. There are countries behind them, supporting them financially and militarily and politically," he said. "Moderate people do not want them." "We do not speak out against any sect and we do not fear moderate Islam. We fear the extremists groups that use the language of violence.”
Syria has witnessed anti-regime protests since mid-March. The United Nations estimates that more than 7,500 people have been killed in the regime’s crackdown on dissent.
-NOW Lebanon

Aoun: Parliament session ‘thwarted’ due to March 14 draft law
March 5, 2012/Now Lebanon/Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun said on Monday that the draft law on legalizing past expenditures presented by March 14 MPs “was the reason behind the obstruction of Monday’s parliament session.”Speaker Nabih Berri postponed Monday’s parliament session until March 15 due to the absence of quorum, MTV television station reported according to a press statement issued by Berri’s press office.Some parliamentary blocs, including the National Struggle Front, have said they will not join Monday’s assembly before a settlement is reached on the issue of government expenditures that were made by previous cabinets and the current government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati.Following the parliament session, Aoun voiced his surprise at how March 14 MPs “presented their draft law and then fled the [parliament session].” The Change and Reform leader added that the March 14 group is seeking “to link the $6 billion which were spent legally [by the current government] on one hand, and the [expenditures of past governments] which violate the constitution on the other.” Aoun was primarily referring to the governments that were led by former Prime Ministers Fouad Siniora and Saad Hariri from 2006 until 2010. Both premiers are affiliated with the Western-backed March 14 alliance. “What [is the opposition] afraid of?” Aoun asked referring to the March 14 alliance. “They are afraid, because [past expenditures were made] in violation of the law and constitution. They are [also] afraid to present their [spending records] because they will reveal that amounts of money were spent illegally [in the past]. ” -NOW Lebanon

Report: 13 French officers captured in Syria
Ynetnews/The UN Security Council has yet to decide on an official military campaign in Syria, but according to the Beirut media, it is possible some western forces have already been deployed on the ground
The Lebanon-based Daily Star reported Monday that 13 French Soldiers have been captured by Syrian forces.
According to London's Daily Telegraph, however, the French Foreign Ministry dismissed the report, insisting that "not a single French soldier is on Syrian soil."A French Foreign Ministry spokesman said: "We deny the idea that there are French troops on the ground in Syria. A Defense Ministry spokesman added: "We have no information on this. We neither confirm nor deny it."
According to various reports in the British media, the Daily Star cited a Damascus-based Pro-Syrian Palestinian source as saying that the supposed French captives were being held in a field hospital in Homs. The Daily Star's source further claimed that Paris and Damascus are in the midst of negotiations to free the soldiers. Damascus offered no comment on the possibility of western troops' presence on Syrian soil. NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in January that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization had no intention of intervening in the country as it did with Libya.

U.S. military delegation in Lebanon
March 05, 2012/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: A U.S. military delegation headed by Brig. Gen. Kenneth Tovo arrived in Beirut Monday, coming from Kuwait.Sources at Beirut airport said a U.S. military plane carrying a five-member delegation headed by Tovo arrived at Rafik Hariri International Airport Monday morning.Details of the visit were not revealed.

This is opportunism!
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
The Reuters news agency has reported disturbing comments attributed to the Patriarch of the Maronite sect in Lebanon, Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, concerning the situation in Syria and the Christians in the region. Al-Rahi was quoted saying: “How can it be an Arab Spring when people are being killed every day? They speak of Iraq and democracy, and one million Christians out of an original 1.5 million have fled Iraq.” This is strange talk, for who caused the Christians to leave Iraq? Al-Qaeda? If so, then al-Qaeda ran wild in Iraq with the support of the al-Assad regime and Iran - the sponsors of Hezbollah, al-Rahi’s neighbors. Perhaps al-Rahi is not aware that Osama bin Laden’s sons were based in Iran, along with Saif al-Adel and others! Is it not strange that the Christians of Iraq were better off in the era of Saddam Hussein rather than their situation today, under the pro-Iran al-Maliki government?
Yet the oddities of the Maronite Patriach’s words did not end here. He said that “Syria, like other countries, needs reforms which the people are demanding. It's true that the Syrian Baath regime is an extreme and dictatorial regime but there are many others like it in the Arab world”! He added that "All regimes in the Arab world have Islam as a state religion, except for Syria. It stands out for not saying it is an Islamic state ... The closest thing to democracy (in the Arab world) is Syria"! Such talk is provocative and in no one’s interest at all. Furthermore, what are the other extreme and dictatorial regimes in the Arab world that he is referring to? Does he mean Muammar Gaddafi? Where is Gaddafi now? He received his dues and is now subject to God’s judgment. Does he mean Saddam Hussein? Where is he now? Does he mean Ali Abdullah Saleh? Likewise, where is he now? Does he mean Hosni Mubarak or Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali? They have done nothing in comparison to Bashar al-Assad! If, according to the Maronite Patriach, democracy consists of merely removing the phrase “Islam is the state religion”, then this is a disaster. This means that the Patriarch does not care about the blood of the Syrians, and supports the tyrant of Damascus only because he does not say that the state religion is Islam. Even the Syrian opposition have become wary of al-Rahi, because they rejected the principle of limiting the presidency to Muslims, as stipulated by the farcical constitution put forth by al-Assad, a man who al-Rahi considers to be a supporter of reform!
Consequently, al-Rahi has committed an act of opportunism and a fatal error, tantamount to those committed in Iraq following fall of Saddam, when the variables there were not taken into account and the political process was curtailed. This is what al-Rahi is doing now, along with some of the Christians who roam the corridors of power in Washington, defending al-Assad under the pretext of protecting minorities! It is a fatal error because the Patriarch considered what previously happened in the region to be the “Arab Spring”, but when the Syrians revolted the situation turned to “winter”. This is the same stance adopted by the Supreme Leader of Iran, Hezbollah, and the al-Maliki regime, and it contradicts al-Rahi’s own words when he talks about what has happened to the Christians in Iraq, who themselves have been the victims of Iran and al-Assad! The question for al-Rahi is: Who has assassinated key Christian figures in Lebanon since 2005, was this the work of al-Qaeda too?
How said it is when a religious leader, of any religion, does not care about the lives of innocent people!

Sleiman overcomes spat with Aoun, tackles army retirement age
March 05, 2012/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman said his first meeting in months with Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun went well.
“The meeting was good,” Sleiman said in remarks that appeared in various local newspapers Monday in reference to the reconciliation-of-sorts that took place Sunday under the auspices of Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai. He said the meeting which took place at Baabda Palace addressed the overall situation in the country, including long-standing controversial issues such as public appointments, the election law and the recent crisis over extra-budgetary spending. It was Aoun’s first meeting with Sleiman in months. The FPM leader launched scathing verbal attacks on the president in recent weeks, accusing him of forging a political alliance against him with Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Sleiman said Rai sought to “bring the viewpoints closer together,” stressing that his dispute with Aoun was not personal. Separately, Sleiman, a former army commander, proposed a solution to an issue with which the Lebanese Army is grappling. Because a large number of military generals are approaching retirement in 2013, Sleiman suggested raising the retirement age of the Lebanese Army Commander from 58 to 62.“Rare are the countries in which a general retires at the age of 58,” Sleiman said. “I have proposed raising the retirement age of the Army Commander to 62.”He said this measure would secure the continuity of Gen. Jean Kahwaji as Army Commander; the alternative would entail amending his mandate.Separately, Sleiman said Lebanon will take part in an Arab summit scheduled for March in Baghdad. “They may say that we will not be able to change anything in the stance on the [Syria] situation, but Lebanon’s non-participation in any Arab conference will not benefit anyone,” he stressed.

Minster Baird Expresses Condolences to the Polish People
March 4, 2012 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued this statement to the people of Poland following Saturday’s deadly train crash in the country’s south:
“On behalf of all Canadians, I offer sincere condolences to the Polish people and especially to those who lost loved ones.
“We also send our best wishes for a quick recovery to those who have been injured.
“May the national days of mourning ahead provide some comfort and solace in the face of this tragedy.”
Canadian citizens in Poland who may require emergency consular assistance should contact the Embassy of Canada to Poland in Warsaw at +48 22 584 3100. Alternatively, they may contact Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada's Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa by calling 00 800 111 4319 (from Poland toll-free) or +1 613 996 8885, or by sending an email to sos@international.gc.ca.

إلى متى اضطهاد الأقباط في مصر؟ إلى متى الظلم والإفتراء الباطل والتعديات
Egyptian Christian Sentened to 6 Years in Prison for 'Insulting the Prophet'
http://www.aina.org/news/20120304191519.htm
Assyrian International News Agency
(AINA) -- In the latest in a series of "defamation of religion" cases, an appeal has been filed on behalf of a Egyptian Christian who was sentenced to six years in prison for "insulting the Prophet." Legal observers saw many flaws in the ruling of the judge of the Abanoub misdemeanor court, in A suit province, while others accused him of appeasing a mob of 2500 Muslims who congregated outside the court and demanded the death penalty for the defendant, Makram Diab. Eyewitnesses reported that some of the Muslims carried knives and wanted to break into the court and kill Diab, but were blocked by the police. Diab's Muslim defense lawyer, Ahmad Sayed Gabali, said that during his 18 years as lawyer, he has never experienced what he went through in this case. "Over 80 Islamist lawyers representing civil rights claimants filled the court, locked the door of the court from the inside, not allowing the judge out, and prevented me as the defense lawyer from going inside the court and defending my client."
A discussion on February 9 between the Makram Diab, who is a school secretary, and a Salafi school teacher became heated but then simply ended. Thirteen days later, on February 23, another teacher named Abdel-Hamid, who was not present during the quarrel or even at school on that day, filed a complaint with the police, signed by another 11 teachers, accusing Makram Diab of insulting Islam's prophet. "This was a normal quarrel between him and the Muslim teacher," said Gabali, "which could happen anywhere. It was provoked by the teacher, who has been transferred several times from different schools after being reprimanded for causing sedition, and was used by the Salafis for their benefit. This is a group of teachers who used Diab as a scapegoat."
Gabali said that when he approached the court house on the day of the trial, there was a huge mob of Muslims, in addition to high school teachers and students holding banners and chanting Islamic slogans. "We were about 14 to 15 people, including the 12 policemen who were there to secure the court, facing a crowd of over 2500 people." He waited outside in his car, to be called in by the police warden when it was secure for him to go inside, but this never happened.
"The Muslims' plan was to get the police engaged with me, so that they could attack my client inside the court."
The media gave minimal coverage to the case, and no account of the accusation was published, leaving it to the imagination of the readers and viewers.
Stories differ as to what the insults to prophet Mohammad were. According to the official court version, Makram Diab allegedly said that Mohammad sexually harassed his disciples. "This cannot be true at all," said attorney Gabali, who has known Makram personally all his life. "He is simply not capable of it. He is a simple person, who has nothing to do with religion or politics."
Diab's sister Hadia said that her brother simply asked the Muslim teacher whether it was true that Mohammad married 40 wives and the teacher said he would ask and let him know the answer. Michael, Makrab's son, said it was a quarrel. "The Muslim insulted the Christian religion and my father simply answered back. Was my father supposed to be insulted and keep quiet?
Defamation of Religion is considered a misdemeanor under Egyptian law, punishable by a prison sentence of one month to three years. The Abanoub court is a partial court and the judge is not allowed to pass a prison sentence exceeding three years.
Defense lawyer Gabali believes that the Abanoub judge had to pass this flawed ruling as he found himself in the midst of Muslim groups inside and outside the court. "I saw a group of lawyers entering court weeping, literally weeping, to plead with the judge to give the maximum sentence," he added. He said that he tried to solve the matter amicably before it went to court, but the Muslims refused and the reconciliation meeting was cancelled.
He called on the army to secure the court in the appeal session on March 15 in Assuit, "otherwise, we will have a repetition of the Abanoub trial, with mobs everywhere trying to influence the judge morally and religiously." He called on Field Marshal Tantawi, head of the Supreme Council of the Armed forces to ensure that the trial in Assuit be fully secured by the army outside and inside the court, "otherwise, I cannot guarantee the safety of my client." Makram Diab is kept now in the high security section of the Assuit prison.
By Mary Abdelmassih