LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 26/2012
Bible Quotation for today/The
New Command
01 John/02/07-17: "My dear friends, this command I am writing you is not new; it
is the old command, the one you have had from the very beginning. The old
command is the message you have already heard. However, the command I now write
you is new, because its truth is seen in Christ and also in you. For the
darkness is passing away, and the real light is already shining. If we say
that we are in the light, yet hate others, we are in the darkness to this very
hour. If we love others, we live in the light, and so there is nothing in us
that will cause someone else to sin. But if we hate others, we are in the
darkness; we walk in it and do not know where we are going, because the darkness
has made us blind. I write to you, my children, because your sins are
forgiven for the sake of Christ. I write to you, fathers, because you know him
who has existed from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you
have defeated the Evil One. I write to you, my children, because you know the
Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who has existed from the
beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong; the word of God
lives in you, and you have defeated the Evil One. Do not love the world or
anything that belongs to the world. If you love the world, you do not love the
Father. Everything that belongs to the world—what the sinful self desires, what
people see and want, and everything in this world that people are so proud
of—none of this comes from the Father; it all comes from the world. The world
and everything in it that people desire is passing away; but those who do the
will of God live forever.
Latest
analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous
sources
Lavrov’s delusion/By Tariq
Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat/March
25/12
How did al-Assad intimidate them/By Abdul Rahman
Al-Rashed/Asharq Alawsat/March
25/12
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for March 25/12
Israel warns Lebanon authorities ahead of planned Palestinian protests near
border
Obama: Window for diplomatic solution to nuclear Iran is
closing
Obama’s
back-channel to Tehran bypasses allies Erdogan and Netanyahu
Report: Iran planned to bomb Israeli ship in Suez Canal
Toulouse terrorist’s brother is 'proud' of him, says French media
Iran nuclear official: We can independently construct pool-type reactors
Egypt forces working to prevent Iran attacks on Israeli targets, sources say
Obama pledges 'non-lethal' aid
for Syria rebels
Syria forces using civilians as human shields: HRW
Homs pounded,
Syrian tanks enter northern town
Blasts shake Homs as Syria
rebels hit back
Tear gas kills two Bahrainis: opposition
U.S. still fixated by nuclear terror
Lebanese Spiritual Summit in Bkirki to Stress Dialogue and
Agreement
Al-Rahi Rejects Violence, Urges Reconciliation during Mass
Boycotted by March 14
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai calls on
Lebanese politicians to engage in dialogue
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea: No crisis between LF
and Bkirki
Roux: Bid to add "criminal association" count could be
dangerous for Hezbollah
Report: Israel Warned Lebanon Ahead of Land Day Protest
Lebanese Army Denies Hizbullah Prevented it from
Inspecting Arms Shipment
Future bloc MP Khaled al-Daher denies presence of salafist
network in army, commends Assir
Israel won't initiate war with Lebanon: former
envoy
Lebanon welcomes U.S. mediation in resolving
maritime dispute: Mansour
Akkar MPs reject Mansour’s statement on Syrian violations
Jumblatt: Only insane would seek deal with Assad
Italian, Slovenian peacekeepers honored at UNIFIL ceremony
Mikati comes under fire from all sides
Activists call for protection of heritage sites in Beirut
Mikati's counterproposal calls
for construction of power plants
MP Maalouf in Hospital after Collapsing during Bkirki Mass
Israeli Jets Stage Mock Raids over South Lebanon
Lebanon's Arabic press digest - March 25, 2012
Spiritual Summit in Bkirki to Stress Dialogue and Agreement
by Naharnet /March 25, 2012/Christian and Muslim spiritual
leaders met in Bkirki on Sunday on the occasion of the Feast of the Annunciation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the first anniversary of Maronite Patriarch
Beshara al-Rahi’s election. Al-Rahi stressed in his opening statement the
importance of dialogue to resolve all differences. Similar meetings have been
held at the Dar al-Fatwa and the Maronite Bishopric in Beirut. According to
media reports, the conferees will discuss the latest developments in the region.
They will later hold lunch together.
The reports said a terse statement will be issued after the meeting and will
likely stress the need to consolidate national dialogue and agreement and
strengthen the country against the repercussions of the regional turmoil. During
the latest meeting held at the Maronite Bishopric in Beirut, the leaders of
Lebanon’s sects said their meeting should be considered as an example for
interfaith conferences in the region.
They urged officials in Lebanon to be in agreement for the sake of peace and
stability in Lebanon and the unity of its people.
The clergymen also called for a “unified stance and a nationalistic rhetoric at
a time when Lebanon and the region are going through these difficult and
complicated times.”
Al-Rahi Rejects Violence, Urges Reconciliation during Mass
Boycotted by March 14
by Naharnet /Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi rejected on Sunday any form of
violence in Lebanon and elsewhere and called for “sustainable reconciliation”
among the Lebanese.
In his sermon on the occasion of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed
Virgin Mary and the first anniversary of his election, al-Rahi said: “Based on
our Christian culture we reject and condemn any violence committed on our
territories or anywhere else.”“We also reject any incitement to violence,” he
stressed. Al-Rahi added that division and political and religious differences
are rejected by the Maronite church. Furthermore, the patriarch considered any
attack on human beings or their dignity as an assault on God who alone gives and
takes life. He urged the Lebanese to overcome their differences and “achieve
sustainable reconciliation among the different factions.” The mass in Bkirki was
attended by current and former officials, including Free Patriotic Movement
leader MP Michel Aoun, several members of his Change and Reform parliamentary
bloc and Energy Minister Jebran Bassil. But March 14 opposition officials and
mainly Lebanese Forces lawmakers boycotted the mass.
Asked about the boycott, Aoun refused to comment, saying “This is a political
issue. I came here to congratulate (al-Rahi) on the feast.” The patriarch has
come under severe criticism by the LF, whose leader Samir Geagea accused him of
defending the Syrian regime and endangering Christians in the region. Aoun held
closed-door talks with al-Rahi after the mass.
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai calls on Lebanese
politicians to engage in dialogue
March 25, 2012 /Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai called on politicians
to engage in dialogue “instead of hurling rocks at each other.”Following the
Christian-Muslim meeting held at Bkriki earlier on Sunday, Rai told LBC
television that the meeting was “great.” Meanwhile, Grand Mufti of the Lebanese
Republic Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani condemned the “bloodshed” of the Syrian
people. He also told reporters that he supported the Syrian people who were
demanding their “legitimate rights.”Deputy head of the Higher Islamic Shia
Council Sheikh Abdel Amir Qabalan said Lebanon must take a “wise position”
regarding current Arab developments and voiced the importance of unity among the
Lebanese people. Syria has witnessed anti-regime protests since mid-March 2011.
The United Nations estimated that more than 8,000 people have been killed in the
regime’s crackdown on dissent. -NOW Lebanon
Lebanese Forces leader Samir GeageaGeagea: No crisis
between LF and Bkirki
March 25, 2012 /Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Sunday reiterated that
there was not a crisis between his party and Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros
al-Rai. “[My reaction to Rai’s statements] were a little tough, but this is
because of my great affection and respect for the position of the patriarch and
patriarchate,” Geagea’s office quoted him as saying. Geagea also slammed the
Free Patriotic Movement “which waged an [electoral] campaign under the slogan of
‘regaining the Christians’ rights’.”“All they did was to fire employees not
affiliated with the FPM and replace them with ones that supported the party,” he
said. In an interview with Reuters earlier in March, the patriarch said that
“the closest thing” to democracy in the Arab world was Syria and that he was
against “turning the Arab Spring into winter.” Syria has witnessed anti-regime
protests since mid-March 2011. The United Nations estimated that more than 8,000
people have been killed in the regime’s crackdown on dissent. Lebanon’s
political scene is split between supporters of Assad’s regime, led by Hezbollah,
and the pro-Western March 14 camp. -NOW Lebanon
Army Denies Hizbullah Prevented it from Inspecting Arms Shipment
by Naharnet/The Lebanese army denied a media report that Hizbullah members have
prevented it from inspecting a truck loaded with weapons in the western Bekaa
valley. The army command said in a communique late Saturday that neither party
members intercepted the army unit nor there was a military presence in the
region of Khirbet Qanafar. The communique urged the media to be accurate and
objective while reporting stories linked to the army’s mission or any security
incident. MTV reported on Saturday that the military and security forces sought
to approach the truck, but the Hizbullah members prohibited them. The party
consequently cordoned off the area, the TV station said.
Future bloc MP Khaled al-Daher denies presence of salafist
network in army, commends Assir
March 25, 2012 /Future bloc MP Khaled al-Daher on Sunday denied the presence of
a salafist movement that included army members and which was reportedly planning
to target military barracks.
“The Lebanese army did not issue any statement saying it uncovered a salafist
network among the soldiers,” Daher told New TV. Daher also demanded the army
investigate into the issue, and called for “not launching accusations before
confirming them.” The Future MP also hailed Salafi Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir and
said he had “wonderful personality and logic.”“The only thing that bothers
people in Skeikh Assir is his beard. He is open-minded.”He also said that the
Future Movement was not against Assir.-NOW Lebanon
Akkar MPs reject Mansour’s statement on Syrian violations
March 24, 2012 /Akkar MPs on Saturday voiced their surprise over Foreign
Minister Adnan Mansour’s statement that there were no Syrian violations against
Lebanon’s sovereignty, the National News Agency reported on Saturday. The
meeting was held at Future bloc MP Khaled al-Daher’s residence in Tripoli and
attended by Future bloc MPs Khaled Zahraman, Mouin al-Merhebi, Khodor Habib,
Nidal Tohme and Hadi Hobeich, the NNA said. The MPs added that there were
“continuous violations” committed by the Syrian regime forces against civilians
on areas along the border with Syria, particularly in Wadi Khaled. They also
said that Lebanese institutions “were not fulfilling their duties in defending
the country’s sovereignty and citizens’ lives.”The MPs also voiced their
surprise that the cabinet did not transfer the funds needed to aid Syrian
refugees in Lebanon to the Higher Relief Council. They also called for extending
the council’s work to include Syrian refugees in Bekaa.
Syria has witnessed anti-regime protests since mid-March 2011. The United
Nations estimated that more than 8,000 people have been killed in the regime’s
crackdown on dissent. Thousands have fled to Lebanon. -NOW Lebanon
MP Edgard Maalouf in Hospital after Collapsing during Bkirki Mass
by Naharnet/ 25 March 2012, /Change and Reform parliamentary bloc MP Edgard
Maalouf was hospitalized on Sunday after he suffered from hypertension and
collapsed during a mass in Bkirki. Dr. Charles Jazra told OTV however that
Maalouf was in a stable condition and could resume his functions soon. Maalouf
collapsed as Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi was celebrating mass on the
occasion of the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. TV footage
showed the lawmaker falling on his chair before being attended by those sitting
next to him. Maalouf was among several Change and Reform MPs attending the mass,
including the bloc’s leader Michel Aoun.
Lebanon's Arabic press digest - March 25, 2012
March 25, 2012/The Daily Star
Following are summaries of some of the main stories in a selection of Lebanese
newspapers Sunday. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these
reports.
Ad-Diyar
Khlalil: The government is ineffective
Majority: Search for replacement government postponed despite its paralysis and
Mikati will not resign
Will the issue of the power-generating boats bring an end to the government?
The question circulated the corridors of power Saturday after Health Minister
Ali Hasan Khalil announced from the south that we cannot continue in a
government that does not meet the needs of the people in terms of development
and does not restore “the trust of people.”
Energy Minister Gebran Bassil also announced that he would have a thunderous
stance next week over the Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s rejection to a the
proposal of leasing out electricity-generating ships, preferring to build
stations instead.
Despite the present atmosphere, sources told Ad-Diyar that the current debate
will not lead to the collapse of the government and that the Cabinet will remain
in tact for many reasons and that Mikati will not resign.
An-Nahar
Complete report by PM on electricity-generating ships
Report: Construction of plant to produce no less than 500 MW
It can be said that the government was officially notified Saturday about the
details of the electricity crisis when members of the Cabinet were handed the
agenda. The issue over electricity signals a renewal of the storm in Cabinet and
its effects will be difficult to predict in terms of the cohesion of the
government.
The agenda consists of 76 items, the last being titled “Prime Minister Najib
Mikati’s report concerning the leasing of electricity-generating ships.”
The report says the committee tasked with studying the leasing of the ships was
“unable” after four meetings to “reach a joint conclusion as a result of
differences of views” and it was decided that the energy, finance and
environment ministers would put their points of view before Cabinet.
Al-Mustaqbal
Aounists hint at resignation “if [Cabinet] seeks to sabotage our projects”
“Electricity ships” threaten to drown government
The “electric” dispute appeared in the past 24 hours to be one of the most
dangerous of crisis in the coup Cabinet. It also appears, according to leaks
Saturday, that things are likely to escalate rather than the opposite. While the
people continue to face hardships in terms of spoiled foodstuffs, Hezbollah
continues its attack on the March 14 coalition, possibly in order to hide at
once what is going on in government and concerning the [food safety] issue.
While Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri continued to articulate his view through
Health Minister Ali Hasan Khalil, who said that “it is clear that there are
problems in many files and the government needs to seize the moment and convince
the people it is capable,” members of MP Michel Aoun’s party went to the extreme
once again, threatening to scrap the Cabinet “if it wants to sabotage our
plans.” The latter was stated by MP Farid Khazen, who added: “When Aoun
previously talked about resignations from the government, he was not joking. We
are not for resignations and we do not want to cause problems but we have our
plans for all of Lebanon and if the government wants to sabotage these plans
then we will take a decision on this matter.”
Roux: Bid to add "criminal association" count could be
dangerous for Hezbollah
March 24, 2012/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Attempts to add a count of “criminal association” to the indictment
against four members of Hezbollah in the assassination of statesmen Rafik Hariri
could be very dangerous for the resistance group, the head of the defense office
for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon told a local newspaper in an interview
published Saturday.
Francois Roux, in an interview with As-Safir newspaper, also made an appeal to
Lebanese authorities, citizens and political parties to help the defense team to
provide it with information that can help in rebutting the indictment.
In an announcement by the court in mid-March, STL pretrial Judge Daniel Fransen
rejected on “procedural grounds” a March 8 request by former Prosecutor Daniel
Bellemare to add a count of “criminal association” in the indictment against
Salim Jamil Ayyash, Mustafa Amine Badreddine, Hussein Hassan Oneissi and Assad
Hassan Sabr, the four suspects wanted in the case.
According to the article on criminal association in Lebanon’s Penal Code, which
the court adheres to, “if two or more persons establish an association or enter
into a written or oral agreement to commit felonies against people or to
undermine the authority of the state then they are punishable by fixed-term hard
labor.”
Roux said the prosecution was still trying to amend the indictment by adding the
count of "criminal association," adding that it was essential to prepare a
defense strategy against the indictment.
He also said that if the four suspects do not recognize the international
tribunal, they could argue this point at the court in The Hague.
Roux, who was asked whether he believed the indictment was politically
motivated, said a politically motivated indictment would play in the defense
team’s favor as it could be used to show the insufficiency of the evidence
against the accused and be used to help exonerate them.
He also said that regardless of the suspects’ personal views toward the STL, the
fact remained that there are international arrest warrants issued against them.
Hezbollah denies any involvement in the assassination of Hariri and accuses the
court of being part of a “U.S.-Israeli” project aimed at targeting the
resistance group.
Obama: Window for diplomatic
solution to nuclear Iran is closing
By Reuters /Haaretz
U.S. President reiterates position on Iran nuclear issue after talks with
Turkish PM Erdogan; remarks come week and a half after Russian daily reported
that United States had asked Russia to deliver ultimatum to Iran. U.S. President
Barack Obama said on Sunday there was still time to resolve the Iranian nuclear
standoff through diplomacy, but that the window for such a solution was closing.
Obama reiterated his position on the Iran nuclear issue after talks with Turkish
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on the eve of a nuclear security summit in Seoul.
"I believe there is a window of time to solve this diplomatically, but that
window is closing," Obama told reporters. Obama has pressed Israel to hold off
on any attack on Iran's nuclear sites to give sanctions and diplomacy time to
work, but has said military action remains an option if all else fails. During
their talks on Sunday, Erdogan spoke to Obama of his planned visit to Iran
beforethe end of the month and said he would also talk to Iranian leaders about
the violence in Syria, an ally of Tehran, a seniorU.S. official said. Obama and
Erdogan also discussed providing medical supplies and communications support to
the Syrian opposition but there was no talk of providing lethal aid for rebel
forces, a U.S. official said. White House deputy national security adviser Ben
Rhodes, speaking to reporters after the two leaders met on the eve of a nuclear
security summit in Seoul, said Washington and Ankara were open to considering
further "non-lethal" aid for the Syrian opposition at a "Friends of Syria"
meeting in Turkey on April 1.
"We worked on a common agenda in terms of how we can support both humanitarian
efforts... (and) the efforts of Koffi Annan to bring about much needed change
(in Syria)," Obama said after his meeting with Erdogan, a sharp critic of Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad.
With regard to Iran, the U.S. president made similar remarks in a joint press
conference British Prime Minister David Cameron a week and a half ago, when he
warned window for a diplomatic solution was "shrinking". In those remarks, he
encouraged Tehran to seize the opportunity of talks with world leaders to avert
"even worse consequences." During that press conference, Obama said there was
still "time and space" for a diplomatic solution, in lieu of a military strike
to set back Iran's progress toward a possible bomb, but said "the window for
diplomacy is shrinking."
Earlier that day, the Kommersant daily quoted Russian diplomats as saying that
the United States asked Russia to deliver an ultimatum to Iran, warning the
Islamic Republic that it has one last chance for talks before a military strike.
According to the Russian newspaper, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
asked her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in New York on Monday to tell Tehran
that it has one last chance to solve the conflict peacefully by making progress
in the talks with the P5+1 group - United States, Britain, France, Russia,
China, and Germany. Otherwise, an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities will occur
within months, the diplomats said. The report in Kommersant did not give further
details regarding the kind of military action the U.S. was threatening, but
quoted Russian diplomats at the UN as saying they believe that it is a "matter
of when, not if" Israel would strike Iran's nuclear facilities.
Obama pledges 'non-lethal' aid for Syria rebels
March 25, 2012/By Dmitry Zaks /Daily Star
MOSCOW: U.S. President Barack Obama pledged Sunday to send "non-lethal" aid to
the Syrian rebels while peace envoy Kofi Annan piled diplomatic pressure on the
regime by seeking the backing of its ally Russia. The announcement was the most
overt show of US support for the rebels to date and is certain to irritate
Russia following its fierce condemnation of the West's calls on President Bashar
Assad to step down. In Syria, blasts rocked the flashpoint city of Homs as the
regime pressed on with its assault on protest hubs, while rebels attacked a
military base in Damascus province, activists and monitors said.
Obama said at talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of a
nuclear security summit in Seoul that they agreed "there should be a process" of
transition to a "legitimate government" in Syria. A top US national security
official said the delivery of medical aid and other urgent supplies would top
the agenda of a "Friends of Syria" meeting scheduled for April 1 in Istanbul.
The meeting was denounced by Russia on Friday amid contradictory signals from
Moscow about the extent of its divide over the crisis with the West.
Annan's meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev comes just days after
Moscow followed through on unprecedented criticism of Assad by finally backing a
UN Security Council call on his forces to pull out of protest cities.
Assad has thus far shown few signs of complying. At least 28 civilians were
reported killed on Saturday and monitors reported new fighting stretching from
the outskirts of the capital Damascus to Syria's norther border with Turkey.
Sunday witnessed "heavy shelling of Khaldiyeh, Hamidiyeh and Old Homs
neighbourhoods by the regime's army, and explosions shook the whole city," the
Local Coordination Committees of Syria said. Opposition fighters responded to
their heavy recent losses by setting up a council to unify their ranks. The
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the rebels fired rocket-propelled
grenades at a military facility near Damascus on Sunday.
Moscow on Wednesday backed a non-binding Security Council statement after
vetoing two previous resolutions, but only after making sure it contained no
implicit threat of further action should Assad fail to comply. The Kremlin also
underscored its continued disagreement with the West by voting against a UN
Human Rights Council resolution condemning "appalling human rights violations in
Syria" because it made no demands on the armed opposition.
Washington's UN ambassador Susan Rice conceded that Russia had thus far made
only "a modest step" toward ending a campaign the opposition says has claimed
more than 9,100 lives.
Russia has been watching with alarm as a year of Western-backed Arab revolts
swept aside veteran leaders who had longstanding ties with Moscow.
The return of Russian strongman Vladimir Putin to a third term as president amid
a wave of what the Kremlin has branded as US-funded protests in Moscow has added
further bitterness to the tone of the diplomatic debate on Syria.
Medvedev's office said ahead of Annan's arrival that halting the bloodshed was
impossible "without ending the foreign supply of arms to the opposition and its
political support".
Yet Russian officials appear to be preparing for Assad's eventual departure even
while refusing to accept his loss of full legitimacy -- a stance taken by most
Western powers since last year.
"Assad's position is difficult," one unnamed Kremlin official told Interfax on
Friday. "I do not know whether he has prospects or not. But no-one is predicting
another 10 years in power for him."
Moscow has done less in recent weeks to hide that it was starting to lose
patience with Assad in spite of his commitment to massive new Russian arms
purchases and delivery of key naval access to the Mediterranean Sea. A top
Kremlin-linked lawmaker said this week that Assad should treat the UN statement
as "an insistent recommendation" whose implementation would determine the future
course of relations between the two countries.
"Russia's future position on the conflict will depend on how successfully (Assad)
complies with the provisions spelled out in the Security Council statement,"
said senior ruling party member Mikhail Margelov.
The clear shift in tone but persistent refusal to join international calls for
Assad to go means that "Russia is not wedded to this regime," said Kommersant
foreign affairs correspondent Maxim Yusin.
"Russia's main goal is to make sure that Assad's opponents do not grab all the
power -- this would see Russia lose everything it has in Syria," said Yusin.
"Annan's visit should tell us what Russia is willing to do should Assad not
listen on this occasion." Annan was set to follow his talks in Moscow with a
two-day visit starting Tuesday to China, the other veto-wielding Security
Council member resisting efforts to condemn Assad.
Syria forces using civilians as
human shields: HRW
March 25, 2012/By Sarah Benhaida/Daily Star
BEIRUT: Human Rights Watch said on Sunday that regime forces in Syria have
resorted to using civilians as human shields to protect themselves from attacks
by rebel fighters. Citing witnesses and YouTube videos, the watchdog accused the
army and Shabiha pro-regime militia of forcing people to march in front of them
as they advanced on opposition-controlled towns in northwestern Idlib province.
"By using civilians as human shields, the Syrian army is showing blatant
disregard for their safety," HRW emergencies researcher Ole Solvang said in a
statement. "The Syrian army should immediately stop this abhorrent practice." In
its statement, the New York-based rights group said that regime forces began
using human shields in Idlib at the start of the year after rebels tried to
attack the army. The tactic was reported to have been used in the Idlib towns of
Al-Janudyah, Kafr Nabl, Kafr Ruma and Ayn Laruz.
In Kafr Nabl, one resident named only as Abdullah said the army forced him and
several other people to walk in front of their armoured personnel carriers
during a search and arrest operation on March 2.
"As we were going to Friday prayer, soldiers from a base near the mosque were
rounding up people. They took maybe 25 people, including me" and eight children,
HRW quoted him as saying.
"They made us march in front and around the military vehicles to some houses
where they were searching for wanted opposition activists. They arrested several
people from the houses.
"Then they made us march back to their base, after which they released all of
us, apart from the detained activists. The whole operation lasted for about two
hours," Abdullah said.
Raed Fares, an opposition activist in Kafr Nabl, said the army boosted its
presence in the town when protests began seven months ago and started using
human shields in January after an attempt attack on them with a roadside bomb.
Human Rights Watch said Fares posted videos on YouTube showing groups of people
from the town walking in front of soldiers and armoured vehicles on two separate
occasions in February. The army also used residents to protect its checkpoints.
The watchdog provided several other similar accounts by residents and activists,
and said the use of human shields was a violation of international human rights
laws. "The Syrian army's use of human shields is yet another reason why the UN
Security Council should refer Syria to the International Criminal Court,"
Solvang said. "Somebody should be made to answer for these violations."
Israel warns Lebanon authorities ahead of planned Palestinian protests near
border
By Barak Ravid, Avi Issacharoff and Gili Cohen /Haaretz
On Nakba Day last year hundreds of people breached Israel's border with Syria,
although a repeat of that scenario is considered unlikely due to unrest in
country. Israel has asked Lebanon, using intermediaries, to stop its residents
from approaching the Israeli border on Friday as part of Land Day protests. The
forum of eight senior cabinet ministers will consider security preparations in
Israel and the West Bank when they meet today.
Protests are expected in the Gaza Strip, near the Erez border crossing, and at
West Bank sites such as the Qalandiyah checkpoint, north of Jerusalem. But it is
the prospect of people approaching from the Lebanese side of the border in the
north that has security officials most worried.
On Nakba Day last May hundreds of people breached Israel's border with Syria. A
repeat of that scenario for Land Day this year is considered unlikely because of
the unrest in that country. Jordanian and Egyptian security forces will
presumably patrol their respective borders and prevent infiltration from their
territories into Israel.
Land Day marks the loss of Arab lands in the Galilee. On the first Land Day, in
1976, Israeli soldiers shot and killed six Arab demonstrators.
Evidence collected by Israeli authorities points to high-level Iranian
involvement in planning the protests in Lebanon. A media adviser to Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Lebanon about a week ago and approached
the Israeli border fence. Ahmadinejad met in Tehran recently with a large group
of activists that is expected to participate in the events near the border.
The Israel Defense Forces is closely monitoring developments. Officials say an
ongoing hunger strike by Palestinians in administrative detention could
intensify the protests. The IDF is preparing for a scenario in which nonviolent
protests spiral out of control.
Obama’s back-channel to Tehran bypasses allies Erdogan and
Netanyahu
DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis March 24, 2012/US President Barack Obama this week
gave his two allies, the Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and Israel’s
Binyamin Netanyahu, a lesson in the politics of expediency, when Tuesday, March
20, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced exemptions for 11 nations from
new US financial sanctions against countries that don’t reduce the Iranian oil
purchases by June 28. The countries benefiting from this concession are Britain,
Germany Belgium, France, the Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Spain, Holland,
Poland and Japan.
The news flew over the heads of Israelis who were too completely caught up in
the terrorist attack on the Jewish school in Toulouse for it to register. Ankara
took note - and umbrage. It was a cold shower on the high hopes Prime Minister
Erdogan had entertained for his meeting with President Obama in Seoul, South
Korea Sunday, March 25.
Their conversation was allotted six hours! The Turkish prime minister took that
as a sign that he would be handed the starring role of Washington’s senior
broker in the controversy over Iran’s nuclear program. This would be tantamount
to US recognition of Turkey as the leading Middle East power bar none.
Erdogan also counted on his services in this regard winning US recognition by
Turkey’s addition to the list of 11 nations enjoying exemptions from the new
sanctions. Ankara needs this concession in view of the large quantities of oil
it continues to import from Iran, and the use Iran makes of Turkish banks to
facilitate its international oil sales.
Above all, Ankara is deeply engrossed in an effort to have the new Iranian and
Iraqi pipelines to Europe routed through Turkey, reducing the Strait of Hormuz’s
crucial importance as a primary route for the world’s oil supplies. This
pipeline would also hurt Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf oil producers, all of
whom are dead set against Erdogan’s hegemonic aspirations in the Middle East.
But for now no exemption appears to be on offer to Ankara.
debkafile’s intelligence sources report that Erdogan had planned to fly straight
from his long conversation with Obama to Tehran and hand Iran’s leaders a
Turkish formula counter-signed by the US president for digging the nuclear
dispute out of its crisis.
This might still happen. But, when he returns home, the Turkish prime minister
will still have to explain why Turkey was left off the exemptions list.
Even worse, it only dawned on Erdogan belatedly that Ankara was not Washington’s
main channel to Tehran as he had believed. In the past month, he had sent Hakan
Fidan, the Director of Turkish intelligence, MIT, traveling in and out of Tehran
to tie up the last ends of their understanding ready for his summit with Obama.
Certain he would be the bearer of tidings, he was brought up short by
discovering that the Obama administration and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s office
had been in dialogue through a separate secret channel for some time.
On March 12, a close Obama associate, the former US Senator Chuck Hagel,
virtually gave the game away when he said in an interview: “There may be
back-channel talks, I don’t see any other way around this.”
Israel did not fare any better than Turkey at Obama’s hands.
While Defense Minister Ehud Barak stressed in an interview Thursday, March 22
that America and Israel were in close accord on intelligence evaluations of the
state of Iran’s program, he omitted mention of the intelligence gap on the
hidden US-Iranian negotiating track.
Hagel was also revealing on another question. Asked by the interviewer: So does
this mean “Bomb Iran or live with Iran with a bomb?” He replied: "Exactly. We
may eventually wind up with those choices. But I don’t think we’re there now.”
What he was saying was that the secret US-Iranian channel has not yet run its
course. This may explain why no date has been set for the Six Power talks with
Iran in Istanbul next month.
At all events, the Obama administration appears to be rethinking sanctions as a
bludgeon for turning Tehran away from its nuclear weapon aspirations.
Those second thoughts were closely reflected in a new assessment coming from
London’s International Institute for Strategic Studies Friday, March 23, which
asserted that sanctions were having an effect – “but just not the effect they
were supposed to have.”
They have made the Iranians more not less committed to pursuing a nuclear
weapon, it was said, and “had the knock-on effect of pushing oil prices to
levels threatening the global economy.”
To put things into perspective, Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said
Saturday, March 24, that the Six Power nuclear talks with Iran next month will
be the last attempt to persuade Tehran to give up is nuclear weapon program by
talks.
Lavrov’s delusion
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
The Russian Foreign Minister said what he said about the Syrian crisis, and the
blatant sectarianism present in his disastrous statement in which he said that
the ouster of al-Assad will prompt regional countries to establish Sunni rule in
Syria, has brought an important question to mind, namely: what will the Syrian
minorities do?
Since the outbreak of the Syrian revolution last year, nobody – whether at the
Syrian revolutionary or Arab level – has spoken in the language of sectarianism.
Nobody has stated that the goal of the revolution is to topple the Alawites or
Christians or others, indeed the leader of the Druze Walid Jumblatt has stated
that he supports the Syrian revolution heart and soul. Even if there are
discordant voices on this issue they exist within an abnormal framework which
will not benefit anybody. However the statement by Russian Foreign Minister
Lavrov is the first statement that makes reference to sectarianism in Syria in
such a flagrant manner; even if one were to poll al-Assad himself, or Iran,
there can be no doubt that they would be angered by this disastrous statement.
So what will the Syrian minorities do? Will they believe Lavrov’s delusion, and
repeat the mistakes made by the Shiite of Iraq in the 1920s when they announced
their refusal to deal with King Faisal I as he was a representative of British
colonialism? Or will they repeat the mistakes of Iraq’s Sunnis when they
boycotted the political process following the ouster of Saddam Hussein on the
grounds that this was an extension of US colonialism?
Or do Syria’s minorities want to repeat the mistake made by Lebanon’s Christians
when they believed the American and western delusion which claimed – via leaks –
that the marginalization of Lebanon’s Christian community would not be accepted?
Lebanon’s Christians therefore took the decision to boycott the parliamentary
elections following the Taif Agreement and succeeded in excluding themselves
from participating in power for around 20 years. Will the Syrian minorities
today accept the Russian, or shall we say Lavrov’s, delusion? If this happens
then this is saddening and frustrating, because someone who fails to benefit
from past mistakes, experiences and history, is his own worst enemy. The other
issue that the Syrian minorities must pay attention to is that whoever misses
their moment loses the battle and the stage, and this is something that could
take decades to rectify.
The best thing that Syria’s minorities can do today is to make up their mind and
join the revolution, becoming a genuine partner in this, and thereby contribute
to drawing up their own future, rather than being dependent on political
variables in Syria, as is the case today. Therefore the Syrian minorities cannot
invoke their fears for the future and ask for reassurances, whilst the majority
in Syria are being punished and killed; this is something that is completely
incorrect. The best way for the Syrian minorities, of all forms, to protect
themselves – indeed this applies to Syria as a whole – is to participate in the
revolution, putting in place its principles and drawing up its future, in order
to reach the Syria that has long been dreamt of, rather than being deceived by
Lavrov’s delusions or al-Assad’s lies.
What is important today is for Syria’s minorities to be aware that they are the
victims of al-Assad twice over; once when they are held hostage by the al-Assad
regime and portrayed as if they accept the suppression of the [Syrian]
majority], and secondly when they believe the lie that he [al-Assad] is the
protector of the minorities. The Syrian minorities must remember who benefited
from the deaths of the Christians of Lebanon, and who was behind targeting
Iraq’s Christians, namely Al Qaeda, which entered Iraq via the Syrian border,
and under the eyes of the al-Assad regime. If the Syrian minorities remember
this, they will understand that they are al-Assad’s victims, and that he has
never been the protector of the minorities.
How did al-Assad intimidate them?
By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed
Asharq Alawsat
Many people have been carried away by the idea that the international community
is facing one of two choices: either accepting the Syrian regime or risking
civil war breaking out in Syria, which in turn could ignite regional wars. This
intimidation has succeeded in changing the views of some foreign and Arab
governments and leaders, since last November, when the Arab League withdrew from
its intention to suspend Syria’s membership; a decision which had previously
been almost unanimously agreed upon by the Arab League member states, with just
two countries opposing this.
This great deception, namely that protecting the al-Assad regime protects Syria
as a whole, as well as regional stability, is being propagated whilst the
reality is the complete opposite. Over the past ten years, Damascus has played
the role of the saboteur in our region, masterminding the assassination of
dozens of Lebanese leaders, whilst the majority of terrorists who have entered
Iraq – carrying out numerous attacks which have resulted in as many as 200,000
people being killed – did so via the Syrian border. Damascus also strongly
allied itself with Iran and certain dangerous armed organizations, such as
Hezbollah, in order to destabilize the security in our region. In this case, how
can al-Assad’s departure lead to chaos, when he is the main source of violence?
It is true that the domestic situation in Syria was previously quite stable due
to the regime’s control of all aspects of its citizens’ lives, via its almost
700,000 security and military personnel. This was the true secret of Syria’s
“stability”, but now after the outbreak of the revolution throughout Syria, how
can the regime’s survival represent a guarantee against civil war? Indeed, this
regime itself is carrying out a civil war against the Syrian people; how can
this regime hope to co-exist with 25 million Syrians who now consider it their
enemy and regard its troops as occupiers, particularly after the violent
crackdown, widespread killing and mass detentions?
It is a delusion to believe that backing al-Assad will prevent the outbreak of a
civil war because the Syrian regime will remain besieged, whilst rebel groups
will grow stronger and continue to attack the regime in the coming years. Let us
recall what happened to the Saddam Hussein regime after his forces were broken
in 1991. The regime remained in control in Baghdad, but most of the country
suffered chaos and rebellion. The central authority was unable to control the
rest of the country; practically speaking, Saddam was in charge during the day,
while militias and gangs were in control by night. Accordingly, the regime
collapsed quickly in 2003, when US troops were able to easily over-run the
country and occupy it within just a few days.
Therefore defending the Syrian regime and believing that its presence will
guarantee regional stability is nothing more than a delusion. It was not a
guarantor of regional stability in the past, nor will it be in the future.
Moreover, failing to take any action against al-Assad – who is massacring his
own people – in the belief that this will prevent the outbreak of a civil war
will, ironically, guarantees the outbreak of said war. Due to the policy of
intimidation being utilized by the al-Assad regime, and which has also been
adopted by groups in Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Egypt and Algeria; al-Assad is
disregarding all efforts, mediation and means of resolving this crisis. Whilst
protests and killings are taking place across Syria, al-Assad is spending hours
on his computer downloading movies via the internet. If this regime remains in
power, it will only do so by relying even more on a axis of terror managed by
Iran. Al-Assad’s leaked emails already clearly show how the Iranians are
directing him, even in the manner that he writes his own press statements!
The fall of al-Assad will certainly have painful consequences; however these are
nothing in comparison with the danger of this regime remaining in power,
particularly after it has committed these terrible crimes. If the al-Assad
regime survives, it will pose an even greater threat to its closest neighbours;
namely Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. It will become a safe haven for regional
terror groups, whilst the whole region will be drowned in wars masterminded by
Iran and managed by the al-Assad regime, which has experience in this field
dating back to the seventies. The al-Assad regime has managed armed groups for
four decades, during which their activities covered most countries in the Middle
East and even reached Europe.