LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 29/2012

Bible Quotation for today/Love One Another
01 John/11-18: "The message you heard from the very beginning is this: we must love one another. We must not be like Cain; he belonged to the Evil One and murdered his own brother Abel. Why did Cain murder him? Because the things he himself did were wrong, and the things his brother did were right.  So do not be surprised, my friends, if the people of the world hate you. We know that we have left death and come over into life; we know it because we love others. Those who do not love are still under the power of death. Those who hate others are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life in them. This is how we know what love is: Christ gave his life for us. We too, then, ought to give our lives for others! If we are rich and see others in need, yet close our hearts against them, how can we claim that we love God? My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.
 

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
The death of Syrian Druze Sheikh Ahmad al-Hajari was an Accident or assassination/By: Mona Alami/March 28/12
Honor Nasrallah by ‘burying’ him /By: Ahmed Al-Jarallah/Arab Times/March 28/12
Last tango in Egypt/By Ali Ibrahim/Asharq Alawsat/March 28/12
Syria: Lavrov and Sectarianism/By Abdullah Al-Otaibi/Asharq Alawsat/March 28/12

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for March 28/12
World Leaders Urge Action against Nuke Terrorism
Conflicting reports on limited Syrian military activity on Lebanon's border
Iran execution surge lifts world toll: Amnesty
Germany official: Meeting with Israel's Barak left me 'more concerned' of war with Iran
Iran flies thousands of pro-Palestinian activists to Syria. IDF fortifies borders
Annan says Syria accepts peace plan, fighting enters Lebanon
Syria uprising lays siege to leading religious figures
Jumblatt urges Syrian Druze to join uprising
Bahrain upset by Lebanon's House Speaker, Berri’s comments on revolution
Latest Sadr reports step up pressure for action
Lebanon: Mikati, Bassil firm on rival power plans
Sehnaoui unveils plan to boost Lebanon’s Internet capacity by 10 Gbit/s
Lebanon’s Secondary teachers strike, warn of escalation if demands not met
HRC visits damaged homes in North Lebanon- Dinnieh
Middle East arms conference kicks off in Beirut
Mustaqbal Lauds Syria's Brotherhood Document, Slams Bassil
Safe Belonging to Yasser Arafat Found in Beirut’s Southern Suburbs
Britain Donates $1.6 Million to STL
Al-Jumhuriya: Sleiman to attend Arab League summit on Thursday
Jumblatt calls on Jabal al-Arab to join Syrian revolution
Hariri, Gemayel meet in Paris
Iran renews offer to provide electricity for Lebanon
French envoy calls for improving Taif Accord
Future bloc condemns Syrian army’s attack on Bekaa area
Bachir Gemayel Foundation donates aid to collapsed building victims
Houri comments on Christian-Muslim meeting
March 14 students win LAU Jbeil elections
US hits Iran firms for Africa, Syria weapons trade
Arab draft calls for Syria talks, end to violence
Clinton says Assad must match words with deeds
US to push Syrian opposition for “unified vision”
Report: Shots fired toward Assad during visit to embattled city of Homs
Canada Condemns Cross-Border Incursions along Sudan-South Sudan Border
U.N. Says More Than 9,000 Dead in Syria Unrest
Ford Says Syria Abuses May Be 'Crimes Against Humanity'
Syrian Opposition Meeting in Istanbul Marred by Dissent
Syria Accepts Annan Peace Plan as Assad Tours Neighborhood in Homs

The death of Syrian Druze Sheikh Ahmad al-Hajari was an Accident or assassination?
Mona Alami, March 27, 2012 /Now Lebanon
The blogosphere is abuzz with rumors of a conspiracy surrounding the death of Ahmad al-Hajari, a Syrian Druze sheikh, who was killed in a car accident on Saturday in the Syrian Druze heartland of Sweida. Hajari was a Sheikh al-Akl, or a religious leader of the Druze community, which makes up around three percent of the Syrian population. He was buried Tuesday.
“We do not have any details about Sheikh al-Hajari’s death yet. People in Sweida seem divided as to how he died and are waiting for the results of the ongoing investigation,” says Druze activist Muntaha al-Atrash, grand-daughter of Sultan Pacha al-Atrash, who led the Syrian revolution from 1925 to 1927.
Pro-regime and opposition websites have adopted opposite views as to the circumstances surrounding Hajari’s death. Anti-regime websites such as Koulouna Shourakaa cited foul play as the main reason behind the death of the cleric. The website mentioned that while many believed that Sheikh Hajari might be harmed by the regime at some point, no one expected an assassination to occur. The website cited the names of other members of the opposition who had died in suspicious car accidents—namely Fadlallah Hijaz, a political activist who was in jail for ten years, and Kamal Amoush, an army officer who was detained for more than 15 years by the regime.
But other outlets such as official newswire SANA and independent online service Sweida News simply stated that Sheikh Hajari had died in a car accident on the old highway of Mardek in Shahba, a flashpoint city of the anti-regime movement in the Druze region. Regime sympathizers say the sheikh was killed when his vehicle collided with a pickup truck about 12 kilometers away from the Sweida capital. “Hajari’s motorcade was comprised of 15 other vehicles; I doubt there was any possibility of foul play,” said Ashraf Jaramani, a Sweida local who is involved with politics and who sides with the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Several months ago, news website Koulouna Shourakaa reported that Hajari’s security detail had been cancelled and that the government-issued car he used had been confiscated. However, Jaramani denies this, adding that Hajari had never used a state-owned car.While Jaramani’s explanation seems to be the most plausible for now, it is interesting how much controversy the death of Hajari managed to spark against the backdrop of an increasingly polarized political situation in Syria. Sheikh Hajari will be remembered by many as uniting figure who strived to maintain peace among members of the Druze Syrian community, which is largely divided on the uprising. But according to Syrian opposition member and activist Rima Fleyhan, speaking to NOW Lebanon from Jordan, Hajari had several times come out in favor of the uprising, in which over 8,000 people have died since it started one year ago. Fleyhan says Hajari had been asked by the Assad regime to issue a herm, the Druze version of a fatwa, against all Druze soldiers who defected from the Syrian army, a request that the sheikh refused to implement. Several months ago, Hajari also worked personally on the release of demonstrators who had been encircled by shabiha, or pro-regime militants, in the wake of a protest that was organized in Shahba. In addition, Hajari had mediated between Druze from Sweida and Sunnis from Daraa after the brutal killing of a Druze officer several months ago, which resulted in brawls between residents from the two areas. According to the Syrian opposition’s Local Coordination Committee, Hajari had also protected the family of army defector Khaldoun Zeinedine. The LCC added that Hajari had warned that the security solution favored by the regime would result in bloodshed. The Syrian pro-democracy movement has lost a powerful sympathizer, whether it was an accident or not. But the anti-regime movement is still backed by another Sheikh al-Akl, Hamoud al-Hinnawi.

World Leaders Urge Action against Nuke Terrorism
by Naharnet /World leaders called Tuesday for strong action to combat the threat of nuclear terrorism, including minimizing civilian use of highly enriched uranium (HEU), which can be turned into bombs.
"Nuclear terrorism continues to be one of the most challenging threats to international security," said a joint communique at the end of a two-day summit in South Korea bringing together leaders or top officials from 53 nations."Defeating this threat requires strong national measures and international cooperation."The leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao, stressed the "fundamental responsibility" of all nations to safeguard nuclear material and keep it out of the hands of terrorists.It also urged all countries to accede to international conventions on protecting fissile material, and reaffirmed the central role of the U.N.'s atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. One of the key points in the communique was an emphasis on the need to secure stocks of HEU, which is used to make weapons but also in nuclear power plants and medical devices. The communique called for nations to minimize the use of HEU, with nations encouraged to announce by the end of 2013 how they would do so. This could include the conversion of reactors from HEU to low-enriched uranium fuel which cannot be weaponized.
The communique called for effective inventories and tracking mechanisms for nuclear material and the development of forensics capacities to determine its source.
The leaders also welcomed "substantive progress" on national commitments made at the first nuclear security summit in Washington in 2010.
This included the disposal of 480 kilograms of HEU -- enough to make about 19 nuclear weapons -- from eight countries.
Ukraine and Mexico have cleaned out all stockpiles of HEU, while Russia and the United States have converted HEU equivalent to 3,000 nuclear weapons down to low-enriched uranium.
Experts said modest progress had been made in Seoul but cautioned many of the tough issues to fully solve the problem had not been addressed, with countries unwilling to make binding and transparent agreements."The current nuclear material security regime is a patchwork of unaccountable voluntary arrangements that are inconsistent across borders," said Ken Luongo, co-chair of the Fissile Materials Working Group, a group of non-proliferation experts."Consistent standards, transparency to promote international confidence, and national accountability are additions to the regime that are urgently needed."
The final communique also omitted a reference to the need for "concrete steps" towards a world without nuclear weapons, a phrase which had been included in a draft statement dated March 21 and seen by Agence France Presse.The leaders said merely that they "reaffirm our shared goals of nuclear disarmament, nuclear proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy".
A Seoul government official told AFP on condition of anonymity that some nations had been uncomfortable about expanding the scope of the summit into nuclear weapons reduction and disarmament, and the call for concrete steps.
SourceAgence France Presse.

Britain Donates $1.6 Million to STL
by Naharnet /British Foreign Secretary William Hague has announced that London will provide an additional £1 million ($1.6 million) to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).
“We will provide £1 million to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, taking the UK’s total contribution to £3.3 million since 2009,” Hague said in a written statement to Parliament on Monday.
“This contribution underlines the UK’s steadfast support for the Special Tribunal which is key to holding to account of those guilty of serious crimes and ending the climate of impunity for political assassination in Lebanon,” he said. “The UK is, and will remain, committed to working towards Lebanon’s continued sovereignty and stability,” Hague stressed. “We believe there should be no impunity for the most serious crimes at the international level. The effective prosecution of those who commit these crimes is fundamental to preventing such crimes, which in turn is vital in the development of communities which are more stable and prosperous," he said in his statement. He also announced additional UK funding for the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia and the Special Court for Sierra Leone.
The U.N. has extended the mandate of the STL for another three years. The tribunal, set up by the U.N. Security Council at the request of Lebanon to try ex-Premier Rafik Hariri’s suspected assassins, also announced that it will put four Hizbullah members on trial even though they have not yet been detained. Lebanon is responsible for meeting 49 percent of the STL's financing, while the remaining 51 percent is the responsibility of contributing countries.

Mofaz bests Livni in Kadima primary, calls for unity
By GIL HOFFMAN, JPOS
Winning 61.7% of the primary vote, Shaul Mofaz calls for party unity; Tzipi Livni concedes race, but declines to answer questions on future participation in party.  By Marc Israel Sellem MK Shaul Mofaz, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, will be the fourth head of the Kadima party, having won 61.7 percent of the vote and besting incumbent Tzipi Livni in the final count after Tuesday's primary.Speaking at Kadima Headquarters in Petah Tikva after his victory, Mofaz called for party unity and invited Livni to work with him to unseat Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. "A united and strong Kadima will return Israel to the right path," he continued. Mofaz promised to work for new socioeconomic agenda, and to get all Israelis to serve in the army. The latter comment caused several haredim (ultra-Orthodox) in crowd to leave the room. Livni called primary Mofaz to congratulate him on his victory earlier in the night. "I called Shaul Mofaz, I wished him good luck," Livni said. "These are the results." After thanking campaign volunteers, Livni declined to answer a question over whether she would remain in the party. "These were two long months and a long day," Livni said, "and I'm going to sleep."  Former prime minister Ariel Sharon split the Likud and established Kadima in November 2005. Former prime minister Ehud Olmert replaced Sharon following his strokes and Livni took over after Olmert was forced to quit the post due to allegations of corruption. Sources close to Mofaz said they spoke to all 12 MKs who supported Livni in the race in recent days and they all said they would remain in the party under Mofaz’s leadership. Livni might have hinted about her future when she told reporters at her campaign headquarters in Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning that she “doesn’t believe in opposition inside parties” and that she formed Kadima and believes in its future.When she was asked by Army Radio whether she would stay in the party if she lost, she said, “I am sick of that question. I don’t think the public cares what happens to me personally if I don’t win. It’s a subject that only the press cares about.”The election was marred by a low turnout. Only a little more than 40 percent of the party’s 95,000 members came out to vote on the rainy day. By contrast, in the first round of voting in September’s Labor leadership race, the turnout was 67%. Former prime minister and Kadima leader Ehud Olmert said at the J Street Conference in Washington that he believes the winner of this contest could be the next prime minister.

Bahrain upset by Lebanon's House Speaker, Berri’s comments on revolution
March 28, 2012/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: The Bahraini Foreign Ministry summoned Tuesday Lebanon’s charge d’affaires to protest comments by Speaker Nabih Berri.The Bahraini News Agency said Manama was upset by what it called a “provocative” step and a setback for bilateral relations.The ministry was responding to comments delivered by Berri’s representativeat the opening of a photography exhibition Monday.Addressing Bahrain’s Shiite demonstrators, Berri said the Lebanese supported the protesters in Bahrain in their struggle for freedom.“You are not asking for the impossible ... you are asking to topple a ruling authority which doesn’t want [the] good of its people. We want rulers to return to their senses, and consciences, if they still have them.”

Latest Sadr reports step up pressure for action
March 28, 2012 02:16 AM By Wassim Mroueh The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The Lebanese government must act quickly to learn what it can from Abdullah Senussi, a former intelligence chief under the late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, ex-Zahle MP Hasan Yaacoub said Tuesday. Speaking during a memorial in the southern Beirut suburb of Bir Hassan, Yaacoub criticized the government’s inaction on Senussi, who was arrested by Libyan authorities earlier this month and is believed to have critical information on the fate of Imam Musa Sadr, journalist Abbas Badreddine and Sheikh Mohammad Yaacoub. The former MP, who is the son of Sheikh Yaacoub, warned that preparations are being made “to liquidate Senussi through spreading news about his bad health situation,” and urged the Lebanese-Libyan committee that was established to look into Sadr’s case to finish its work before it’s too late. Sadr, Yaacoub and Badreddine went missing on Aug. 31, 1978, during an official visit to Libya at Gadhafi’s invitation. Sadr championed coexistence and dialogue among Lebanese factions and worked to alleviate socio-economic hardship.
Gadhafi and six of his aides were indicted in Sadr’s case in 2008 by the Lebanese judiciary. The judiciary also issued a search and investigation warrant for 10 others whose full names were not known in order to issue indictments against them. Yaacoub said he was surprised by “the continued negligence and tardiness” in identifying the complete names of the 10 suspects and in arresting those who have outstanding warrants.
Meanwhile, the family of Sadr believes he is still alive, a lawyer for the family said Tuesday, hours after a Lebanese newspaper reported that the disappeared imam had passed away in Libya a decade ago.“The family of the imam continues to believe that he is alive and to work intensively to free him and to free his two companions,” Chibli Mallat told The Daily Star.Quoting Lebanese sources it said had received information from the new Libyan authorities, Al-Akhbar newspaper reported Tuesday that Sadr passed away in the early 2000s in Abu Salim Prison in Tripoli, the capital of Libya.
Mallat, a law professor and lawyer for the Badreddine and Yaacoub families, said that Al-Akhbar’s report “is one of so many that have come out from Libya since the revolution.”
He said that Sadr’s family “now has many friends in the world supporting it: Both the Iranian and the U.S. governments are seriously involved to uncover the truth.”
“We are pursuing a high-level investigation with the new Libyan government, which appears keen, but needs to be more forthcoming,” said Mallat.
“The press is our strongest ally in the pursuit of the truth, but we cannot comment on the dozens of reports, many contradictory, that generally well-intentioned journalists publish. Some are less well-intentioned, alas,” he added.
The judiciary has twice delayed a final verdict against Gadhafi, awaiting a confirmation from Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry on Gadhafi’s death. Gadhafi was killed last October.
“I agree that more needs to be done with Senussi, and many others including [Abdel-Salam] Jalloud and Seif Gadhafi, and I have established contact with the ICC [International Criminal Court] for that sake, but it is not sufficient,” said Mallat.
Al-Akhbar reported that Sadr was transferred to Abu Salim prison in Tripoli for unknown reasons in 1997 after spending previous years in a prison in southern Libya with his companions.
The paper said that Sadr, who suffered from diabetes, was in solitary confinement supervised by Abdel-Hamid Saeh, known to be among the most brutal intelligence officials in Gadhafi’s regime.
According to the same sources, Sadr’s cell was located directly under Saeh’s office.
The sources said that Sadr was believed to have passed away in the early 2000s after he began showing clinical symptoms of diabetes and prison officials denied him medicine.
Under Gadhafi’s orders, Sadr’s body was not buried, but placed inside a morgue in the same cell. When rebels took over Tripoli on Aug. 22 of last year, intense shelling targeted Abu Salim prison, according to the report.Electricity was cut off at the morgue said to hold Sadr’s body, but no bodies were found when rebels took control.

Conflicting reports on limited Syrian military activity on Lebanon's border
March 27, 2012/By Rakan al-Fakih The Daily Star
MASHARIH AL-QAA, Lebanon: Syrian troops fired machine guns into a Bekaa border town Tuesday during clashes between the army and rebel groups but no direct Lebanese casualties were reported and Lebanese officials denied a news report of a Syrian military incursion into the area. Security sources, speaking to The Daily Star on condition of anonymity, said fierce clashes erupted near the border town of Joura between members of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and the Syrian Army at around 6 a.m. and lasted for three hours. Joura has been used as a passage by Syrians fleeing violence into Lebanon. A number of Lebanese residents in the area said three Syrian Army checkpoints were attacked by the FSA, leaving several Syrian Army soldiers wounded. One of the residents who fled the scene of the clashes said that members of the Syrian Army commandeered a van that he owned and transported seven of their wounded comrades out of the area. A resident of Joura told The Daily Star that Syrian troops destroyed Abdel-Amin Ammoun’s house on the outskirts of the village with tank fire. Additionally, about 10 mortar rounds are believed to have fallen on Lebanese soil and machine-gun fire was heard well into the afternoon. No direct casualties were reported, but Zahra Mohammad Hamid, a 50-year-old Lebanese woman, was transported to Chtaura Hospital due to breathing problems she suffered when a mortar round landed next to her house. Tens of Lebanese families that live in the area fled to safer places. Meanwhile, a high-ranking Lebanese security source denied a news report by Reuters that said Syrian troops had advanced into Masharih al-Qaa. Head of nearby al-Qaa municipality Milad Rizq also denied Syrian troops had crossed into Lebanese territory, but said sporadic gunfire could be heard.
“There has not been an incursion into Lebanon, but we can clearly hear clashes inside Syria,” Rizq, whose office is less than a kilometer away from the Syrian border, told The Daily Star by telephone.
Security sources said Lebanese troops, deployed within a five-kilometer strip along Masharih al-Qaa, have beefed up their presence in Joura. This was not the first time the Syrian army has been accused of firing into Joura.Syrian troops last week fired seven mortar rounds into the village, but they all fell in uninhabited areas. Several homes were also struck by Syrian gunfire, but no one was hurt. - With additional reporting by Dana Khraiche

Jumblatt urges Syrian Druze to join uprising
March 27, 2012/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt reiterated Tuesday his call on the Druze inhabitants of Syria's Jabal al-Arab to join the Syrian revolt. “On the occasion of the anniversary of the death of Sultan Pasha Atrash, which coincides with the anniversary of the martyrdom of Kamal Jumblatt ... we renew our call to our brethren in Jabal al-Arab to join the [Syrian] revolution in line with their history of struggle and nationalism,” Jumblatt said in a letter to Muntaha Atrash. Atrash is the daughter of prominent Druze leader and Syrian nationalist Sultan Pasha Atrash who died on March 26, 1982 from a heart attack. Atrash was also the leader of the Syrian Revolution (1925–1927). He fought against the Ottomans, French, and the Syrian government in its days of dictatorship. He played a major role in deciding the destiny of Jabal al-Druze and of Syria in general.

Syria uprising lays siege to leading religious figures
March 28, 2012/By Hussein Dakroub/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The yearlong crisis in Syria which has deepened divisions among Lebanon’s rival political leaders is now spreading to Lebanese religious authorities on both sides of the sectarian fence.
With the Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance and the opposition March 14 coalition taking diametrically opposed sides on the unrest in Syria, the government is striving to prevent the repercussions of the Syrian crisis from destabilizing the country. However, the government’s disassociation policy on Syria, designed to insulate the country from the chaos next door, comes amid mounting fears voiced by political and religious leaders that Lebanon faces a real threat to its security and stability should Syria slide into all-out civil war. Worse still, the turmoil in Syria, which has entered its second year with no end in sight, has seen top Christian and Muslim religious leaders entering the fray by voicing their opinions on the ongoing confrontation between Syrian government troops and anti-regime protesters, who are vowing to oust President Bashar Assad.Rarely in Lebanon’s modern history have top spiritual leaders been targeted by politicians from within their own communities over their political stances on domestic and regional issues. One incident that saw a religious leader targeted by a political party was in 1989, when supporters of Free Patriotic Movement head Michel Aoun went to Bkirki, the seat of the Maronite patriarchate, and physically assaulted Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, who was at odds with Aoun at the time.
The crisis in Syria has provided ammunition for politicians to fire away at their supposed religious leaders. The ongoing war of words is targeting figures on both sides of the confessional spectrum: Patriarch Beshara Rai – head of the Maronite Church – and Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani – the top religious leader of the Sunni community. Both Rai and Qabbani have come under fire in recent weeks from politicians from within their own communities over their political opinions, deepening divisions at a time when officials urge the highest levels of “national unity” to survive the ramifications of the unrest in Syria. Rai, who this month marked the first anniversary of his election as Maronite patriarch, is at the center of the latest in a series of controversies over his stances on the uprising in Syria. Last year, Rai’s controversial statements on the unrest in Syria and Hezbollah’s arms caused a new rift within the Maronite community, a rift which has not yet been healed.
The harshest broadside has come from Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, who accused the patriarch of defending the Syrian regime and endangering Christians in the region. Geagea’s attack came after Rai warned that violence and bloodshed are turning the Arab Spring into winter, threatening Christians and Muslims alike across the Middle East.
“Practically speaking, the patriarch is defending the regime in Syria while we are against it,” Geagea told MTV earlier this month. “Is Syria [in fact] the closest to democracy?” Geagea asked, responding to Rai’s statement that Syria is the closest country to democracy in the region.
Rai struck back at Geagea, accusing him of adopting selective and “ignorant” readings of his statements
Rai, whose Maronite Church also has a presence in Syria, said change could not be brought to the Arab world by force and that Christians feared the turmoil was helping extremist Muslim groups. “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,” Rai said in an interview with Reuters this month.
Walid Ghayyad, Rai’s media adviser, said the patriarch would not change course under pressure from the LF.
“Definitely, the patriarch will not change his stances because these stances emanated from his conviction and from his faith in his message and the role of the Maronite Church,” Ghayyad told The Daily Star.
“The patriarch bases his stances on internal, regional and international developments, rather than on a personal analysis.
“The patriarch’s stances are clear but there are some people who do not want to understand them. Instead, they want to exploit them for their own interests,” Ghayyad added.
Saturday will provide the next test for the relationship between Bkirki and Maarab, Geagea’s residence, as sources close to Bkirki said it was unclear whether the patriarch would send a representative to the annual LF Mass marking the government’s decision to dissolve the party in 1994.
Meanwhile, since last year Qabbani has been the target of a fierce verbal campaign by members of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s parliamentary Future bloc mainly for receiving a delegation of Hezbollah lawmakers and the Syrian ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abdul-Karim Ali.
The campaign reached a new crescendo earlier this month with some Future MPs calling for a boycott of prayers led by Qabbani.
“Sheikh Qabbani will face a situation when worshipers will leave the mosque if he is to lead prayers,” Tripoli MP Mohammad Kabbara threatened earlier this month.
“At a time when world states expel Assad’s ambassadors in protest of his criminality, Grand Mufti Mohammad Rashid Qabbani is opposing the sentiment of his sect, his people, the Arabs in general and human rights by hosting Assad’s ambassador to Lebanon.”
Kabbara’s statement came a day after Qabbani received Ali. During the meeting, the mufti conveyed to Ali his condemnation of the killing of thousands of innocent people in Syria, including women, children and the elderly.
The meeting’s location was moved from Dar al-Fatwa to the mufti’s nearby residence in Tallet al-Khayyat after roughly 100 supporters of the uprising against Assad demonstrated to protest Ali’s visit.
However, a source close to Dar al-Fatwa said Qabbani was unmoved by the escalating campaign against him.
“Dar al-Fatwa’s stances are firm and will not be influenced by any campaign. The mufti has taken clear and frank stances out of conviction,” the source told The Daily Star.
The sources said Qabbani was also adamant on his decision in December not to renew the term of Akkar Mufti Sheikh Osama Rifai. “Mufti Qabbani has refused to renew the term of the Akkar mufti for internal administrative reasons relating to the Akkar mufti’s job,” the sources said.
Qabbani’s rift with the Future Movement has its roots in the mufti’s meeting last year with a Hezbollah delegation on the day that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon indicted four Hezbollah members in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Ties between the two sides worsened with Qabbani’s meeting with the Syrian ambassador at a time when Saad Hariri has escalated his campaign against the Assad regime.
Qabbani is also at odds with the Future Movement over how to reform Dar al-Fatwa. The mufti has come under increasing pressure by Future MPs to overhaul Dar al-Fatwa and its affiliated institutions amid allegations of financial wrongdoings.

Canada Condemns Cross-Border Incursions along Sudan-South Sudan Border
March 27, 2012 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:
“Canada denounces the recent cross-border attacks by both Sudan and South Sudan. These actions threaten to reignite direct military confrontation and postpone true peace.
“In a climate of hardening rhetoric and hostile cross-border incursions, Canada strongly urges Sudan and South Sudan to agree to an immediate ceasefire and resumption of negotiations.
“We call on both sides to put an end to the fighting, live up to their international commitments and implement existing bilateral agreements.”
Recent cross-border incursions represent the most serious instances of direct interstate fighting since South Sudan gained independence in July 2011. For information on Canadian assistance to the region, please visit Canada: Active in Sudan and South Sudan.

Honor Nasrallah by ‘burying’ him
By: Ahmed Al-Jarallah/Arab Times
THE RECENT call made by Hassan Nasrallah for the Syrian regime and the opposition to lay down their arms simultaneously is a clear indication of fear in someone who sometimes projects himself as Lebanon’s political and religious judge. Some people equate this call to the ‘death’ of Nasrallah’s group and the weakening of his star. This might mean the ‘political death’ of Nasrallah; hence, the need to honor him by burying him. Radical change indicators in the region can be seen through the headings of letters delivered by junior couriers like Nasrallah —the burrow dweller and television orator. His last speech clearly manifested a self-determination crisis, which exposed itself when Lebanon became the backyard garden where the Tehran and Syrian regimes dump their filth.
Now, all these are over since Nasrallah has announced his death and that of his political group. Since the Syrian regime has started enduring its slow death and its Tehran counterpart is in deep coma, it is imperative to honor Hezbollah by burying it, so its body does not decompose in the open and become a source of diseases or epidemics. This step is necessary after the consecutive exposure of various scandals, the latest of which was the public smuggling of all kinds of spoilt foodstuff and expired medicines, including narcotics, through the so-called ‘military anchorage’ at Beirut Port. Hezbollah has claimed a part of the port for their shipments to go through customs inspection ‘smoothly’. Nasrallah’s problem worsened when he tried to control the backbone of Lebanon’s economy (the financial sector) to have alternative sources of income, such as money laundering, after Iran’s tap of clean money dried up, and the blockade of land routes to Syria due to the revolution, which has lifted the protection cover of the group. Undoubtedly, Nasrallah understands that Tehran’s threats against the international community are not more serious than the agony of someone on his deathbed. These threats do not reflect the reality in the political, economical and military sectors in Iran, because it has been ‘quarantined’ by the international community. The local events in Iran suggest the regime has started trembling.
Nasrallah is now looking for someone to protect him from the series of crimes that he and his group committed in Lebanon, the region and the international arena. His recent efforts to flatter the Syrian opposition put him in a tighter corner. His flattery did not find attentive ears among the opposition, which means he will not be entertained in Damascus in the future; at least not the kind of entertainment he gets from the falling Syrian regime. He will not find this form of entertainment even in Lebanon where the current political events are no longer linked with Nasrallah, because the Lebanese are more politically aware now. Nasrallah’s destiny has become clear. He will never defy his principle of dealing with mercenaries and traitors. Napoleon Bonaparte is said to have thrown money to a spy, and when the latter wanted to shake hands with him, he told the spy he is not honored to shake hands with traitors. Those behind Nasrallah will not succeed. They cannot help him and his group, considering they have been hiding in holes for years.It is then our duty to honor the dead by burying it without inscribing anything on its grave, so it is completely forgotten. This will give the world respite from disturbing nightmares after taking a break from the Osama bin Laden nightmare. Email: ahmed@aljarallah.com

Iran flies thousands of pro-Palestinian activists to Syria. IDF fortifies borders
DEBKAfile Special Report March 27, 2012/Israel boosted its Syrian and Lebanese border units as special flights carrying thousands of pro-Palestinian activists from Tehran touched down in Damascus Tuesday, March 27 for the international Global March to Jerusalem Friday, March 30. Before taking off, they were split into small groups and tutored by Iranian Al Qods Brigades officers in tactics for breaching Israeli border barriers, bursting through and challenging the Israeli military forces defending the border.
On arrival in Damascus, one group of activists was sent by special bus to Lebanon, where Hizballah officers stood by to lead them to villages close to the Israeli frontier; a second is assigned to face Israeli lines on the Golan. These anti-Israeli activists from several countries are being planted at strategic points to carry out the plan hatched together by Iran, Syria and Hizballah to ignite Israel’s two northern borders in solidarity with the annual Israeli-Arab Earth Day next Friday. Earlier reports from Damascus that the demonstrators would keep the Quneitra sector of the Golan and the Lebanese Beaufort were meant to put the Israeli command off its stroke by disguising the real scope of their plans and their objective: a mass assault on Israeli borders. They are programmed to coincide with the outbreaks the Palestinian Authority is preparing for Jerusalem and the West Bank and Israeli-Arab disturbances inside Israel – all on the same day, as debkafile reported earlier Tuesday.
http://www.debka.com/article/21862 The Palestinian extremists of the Gaza Strip will certainly not stand aloof.

Germany official: Meeting with Israel's Barak left me 'more concerned' of war with Iran
By Ofer Aderet/Haaretz
Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere says feels some Israeli cabinet members do not give enough thought to the negative consequences that could develop in wake of a strike of Iran's nuclear facilities.
Germany's defense minister Thomas de Maiziere said that a recent meeting with Defense Minister Ehud Barak left him "more concerned" as to the possibility of war with Iran, an interview published on Tuesday indicated. De Maiziere's comments came after U.S. President Barack Obama said on Sunday there was still time to resolve the Iranian nuclear standoff through diplomacy, indicating, however, 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. In an interview with German newspaper Bild published on Tuesday, de Maiziere was asked whether his meeting with Barak gave him any indication as to the possibility of war with Iran, to which de Maiziere said: "I don't know, but from my talks, including with Israel's defense minister, I have become more concerned that secure." "We're doing everything we can to discourage Iran from its nuclear program. First and foremost using sanctions. But the Israeli side doesn't believe the sanctions are successful," the German defense minister said. Later on, de Maiziere was asked on the possibility of an Israeli attack in Iran, saying: "Iran is trying to hide a considerable part of its nuclear program deep in the ground. If that succeeds, it would hinder an Israeli attack." "But some Israeli cabinet members don't estimate enough the negative consequences of such attacks. I told Ehud Barak that it was hard to calculate the consequences, and one mustn't take uncalculated risks," de Maiziere said, adding that, "as a result," as Israel's friends, we warned it against such a move."

Report: Hamas, Iran coordinate response to Israel strike
Elior Levy /Ynetnews/Lebanese paper says Haniyeh discussed Hamas' role in case of Israeli strike on Iran with Tehran officials
Lebanese newspaper al-Mustaqbal reported Tuesday that the purpose of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Mahmoud al-Zahar's recent visit to Iran was to define Gaza's role in the case Israel attacks Iran's nuclear facilities. Hamas Prime Minister in Gaza Haniyeh visited Tehran last February while al-Zahar arrived at the Iranian capital earlier this month. According to the report, the parties discussed the introduction of missiles into the Gaza Strip in preparation for a conflict with Israel, which would enable Hamas to retaliate with rocket fire. Hamas has previously declared it will not take part in a conflict between Israel and Iran.According to the report, Iran pledged to increase financial aid to Gaza and as a first step provided Hamas with $33 million immediately after Haniyeh's visit. Sources told al- Mustaqbal that Iran is working to sabotage Palestinian reconciliation efforts for fear of its effect on the Gaza Strip. Fatah has made a similar claim. It should be noted that the paper is associated with former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who holds anti-Iran views. The sources also stated that Haniyeh and al-Zahar's visits in Iran were held against the backdrop of Hamas power struggles between Khaled Mashaal's camp and Haniyeh and al-Zahar loyalists. Mashaal maintains close relations with the Gulf states while Haniyeh and al-Zahar focus efforts on Iran and Syria. Mashaal visited Turkey this month and called for Palestinian unity. He said that the struggle against Israel will continue in the political-diplomatic arena and did not mention armed resistance

Report: Shots fired toward Assad during visit to embattled city of Homs
By Reuters and Haaretz /Syria state television shows video of president walking through defeated rebel stronghold; no further details available in report on alleged assassination attempt.
Opposition forces in Syria reported Tuesday that shots were fired toward the entourage of Syrian President Bashar Assad during his visit to the defeated rebel stronghold in the city of Homs.
The report did not give further details and did not specify the origin of the shooting. Syrian state television showed video of Assad, wearing an open-necked shirt with a blue suit, walking casually in the Baba Amr district, which was reclaimed by his forces earlier this month after 26 days of heavy bombardment."Life will return to normal in Baba Amr, better than it was before," Assad told a group of people shouting support for the president.  Activists says hundreds of civilians and opponents of Assad were killed in opposition areas of Homs in February by army shelling and snipers.
Assad, walking slowly through the streets under light rain, saw shattered and burned out buildings. He waved and smiled to small crowds who came out to greet him.
A spokesman for peace envoy Kofi Annan, representing the United Nations and the Arab League, said on Tuesday Assad had accepted basic terms of a peace plan that calls for national dialogue and does not hinge on his agreement to leave office and give up power. "He thinks he won and scored a great victory," said opposition activist Saif Hurria, speaking by telephone from Homs.
"He wants to show the world he defeated and put down a revolution. But in fact he can't control Homs ... It seems he can't even release the video until he has left Homs. That is not control."
Syrian troops crossed into Lebanon on Tuesday, destroying farm buildings and clashing with Syrian rebels who had taken refuge there, residents and local security sources said.

Syria: Lavrov and Sectarianism
By Abdullah Al-Otaibi/Asharq Alawsat
Russia continues to take an increasingly stubborn stance in defense of the Syrian regime's killing machine, and continues to maintain the same policy it has adopted ever since the start of the crisis; politically, by providing unlimited support to al-Assad and his regime in all international organizations, and logistically on the ground by offering weapons and training to the regime's military and security cadres.
However, what is new about Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's recent discourse is his rhetoric about sectarianism in Syria, mirroring the discourse of the al-Assad regime, which continues to promote itself as a strong fortress against sectarian violence between the various components of the Syrian people. However, what Lavrov seems to have forgotten in this context is that the al-Assad regime does not refrain from killing all its opponents from various sects, in their dozens and on a daily basis.
The region’s sectarian idioms have now entered the vocabulary of Lavrov's political discourse, and it suffice here to focus on part of his recent statement, in which he said that if the al-Assad regime was toppled, "then we would see a strong desire and tremendous pressure on the part of some regional countries to establish a Sunni regime in Syria. I have no doubt about this… We are deeply concerned about the destiny of the Christians there. There are also other minorities such as the Kurds, the Alawis and the Druze… In Lebanon, the situation would be extremely bad, because the country has multiple sects and national minorities… The state system is very fragile. Iraq will very likely be harmed by this situation, because the Shiites there hold all leading positions" (Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, Thursday 22nd March 2012).
Lavrov's speech here shows that Russia's stances aim to evoke the sectarian dimensions in the region, an awareness of which is necessary for anyone seeking to deal with issues in the Middle East. However, Lavrov seems to be contradicting himself when siding with one sect against another, and he seems to be losing his balance when he fears for the safety of one minority here, and does not fear for the safety of another minority there, and similarly when he dreads the rise of a certain majority here and is indifferent to another majority there. In other words, Lavrov highlighted his concerns about the emergence of a "Sunni" state in Syria, whilst forgetting that the Sunnis, in the sectarian context, constitute the majority of the Syrian people who currently live under a minority family rule that seeks to monopolize the support of one sect against others.
When he spoke of Lebanon and its sects and minorities, Lavrov also forgot that the current and former al-Assad regimes are primarily responsible for exploiting Lebanon's sects and minorities, sometimes by means of direct military intervention, and sometimes through bombings, assassinations and pressures; terrorizing and threatening the symbols of Lebanese sects, whether minorities or majorities. The exceedingly fragile Lebanese state has been formulated by the Syrian regime, which Lavrov is currently defending. In addition, when Lavrov spoke of Iraq - where the Shiites “hold all leading positions” - he did not show the same fear with regards to a majority prevailing over the minority.
Sectarian rhetoric is always abhorrent, for sectarianism is an imminent danger for the entire region. This is an established fact that must be taken into consideration when considering the aspects of major as well as minor crises in the region. Instead of submitting to sectarian logic, we must avoid it through a degree of awareness and understanding. However, by persisting to continue with his sectarian talk, Lavrov is following the footsteps of the al-Assad regime, which since beginning of the crisis has sought to transform the situation into a sectarian struggle that would wreak havoc [on the region]. When talking about some countries' support for the Sunnis in Syria, Lavrov tends to forget that all Syrian people from all sects, despite the al-Assad regime's practices and crimes, continue to uphold their freedom and independence. The blood being shed on Syrian soil does not discriminate between its victims.
What is even stranger is Lavrov's assertion that the "international community" must intervene only in cases of conflicts between states, when there is proven aggression and when one state attacks another. Here he has forgotten that the Security Council previously intervened in Rwanda in the wake of the genocide committed there, and even established an international criminal court especially for Rwanda. Prior to this, the Security Council intervened in the former Yugoslavia following the horrific massacres that took place there, and likewise set up a special international court. Why does Lavrov forget all these previous stances and international resolutions when it comes to al-Assad? Doesn't Lavrov consider the deaths of over 11,000 Syrian citizens to be a crime worthy of international intervention, and an international criminal court especially for Syria?
In view of such Russian stubbornness, all other international stances seem content with raising the tone of their language. They may express their "gravest concern at the deteriorating situation in Syria which has resulted in a serious human rights crisis", or they may even express “profound regret at the death of many thousands of people in Syria”, along the lines of the Security Council's recent statement in support of Kofi Annan's mission to Syria. A number of Western states have acted in this manner, yet no one is willing to touch the wound directly, and no one will say that the al-Assad regime should be held accountable for the human rights deterioration. Similarly, feeling “regret” towards the death of thousands in Syria is an explicit sophism, for those thousands did not die as a result of an earthquake or a volcano, nor did they die by themselves without anyone intervening. As everyone knows, they were all killed as a result of continual and systematic killings carried out by al-Assad's troops and army.
When Lavrov talks about an al-Qaeda's presence in Syria, he tends to forget that it was the al-Assad regime itself that gave access to al-Qaeda years ago, for al-Assad, along with Iran, used the organization to destabilize Iraq during the US occupation there. Hence, if al-Qaeda has any real presence there at this time, then its seed was sown and watered by the al-Assad regime itself. However, this does not refute the fact that al-Qaeda - or any other armed extremist group - could now access Syria in light of the state of political and security unrest there; an ideal location to settle and proliferate.
Russia and other countries that seek to be involved in the region's troubles must understand the dimensions of sectarian conflicts, for it is incredibly detrimental for these countries to side with one sect against another.

Last tango in Egypt
By Ali Ibrahim/Asharq Alawsat
Is the scenario of 1954 being repeated? This question has now come to the forefront of the Egyptian scene; a scene that has been full of fluctuations and maneuvers between various political forces ever since the January 25th revolution, after the verbal sparring between the Muslim Brotherhood organization and its political party, and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). SCAF’s statement issued the day before yesterday, which was considered a direct response to the Brotherhood party’s criticisms, alluded to the [1954 scenario being repeated] in a paragraph which called for everyone to “be aware of history's lessons, to avoid past mistakes we do not want to see repeated, and to look to the future with the spirit of cooperation”.
For the Muslim Brotherhood, this scenario has never left their minds with regards to their relationship with the Egyptian military establishment. In a statement last October, entitled “legitimate concerns” the Brotherhood General Guide Mohammed Badi expressed his concern over the recurrence of similar events that took place in 1954, listing “internal enemies” as he called them; “remnants of the defunct National Party, the remains of the disbanded police regime, liars in the media apparatus that is yet to be cleansed, the ultra-secularists, and advocates of the Western project”.
The Brotherhood’s concern is understandable and explains many of the stances and events of the past few months. In 1954 there was the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), and in 2011 and 2012 a military council is also in power, and without the military it would have been difficult for the January 25th revolution to succeed in changing the regime. At the beginning of 1954, less than two years after the July 23rd revolution, the Brotherhood were preparing themselves for power, having weakened the remaining political forces. Now they are also preparing to rule after obtaining the majority in both houses of parliament and in the constitutional assembly, whilst taking a back seat during the confrontations between the rest of the political forces and SCAF. They are taking advantage of the weak political arena, whilst other powers do not have - or have been unable to establish - a genuine political machine translating itself into the electorate’s votes, whether as a result of divisions or a lack of political experience. In 1954, the RCC decided to dismiss Muhammad Naguib, the first President of the Republic, and dissolve the Muslim Brotherhood. The RCC, led by Jamal Abdul Nasser, was then forced to retreat after massive demonstrations, re-instate Naguib and allow the establishment of parties. However, it went on to issue a partial retraction of some of these decisions a few days later, after the army used its various weapons to warn against the end of the revolution and chaos…The year ended with the departure of Naguib from the scene permanently, and the prosecution of the Brotherhood who were accused of an attempt to assassinate Abdel Nasser in the famous Mansheya Incident.
Indeed, there are similarities between the transitional period of 1952-54, and the transitional period of 2011-12, but we cannot apply the well-known saying “how similar today is to yesterday”. Egyptian society, awareness within it, and political power relations are changing; even the world itself has changed its concepts and the degree to which it interacts with events. SCAF’s statement talked about “past mistakes we do not want to see repeated”, and this means that there is an awareness of the lessons of history.
What we are seeing now is more like the last tango between the Brotherhood, who have entrenched themselves as the primary political force in Egypt, and SCAF, in a great tug of war. As we approach the moment of truth with the presidential elections that are looming two months away - and all evidence indicates that they will take place on time - the Brotherhood are potentially seeking to apply pressure to ensure their political future before the presidential election. The Brotherhood’s escalation against the Ganzouri government, whatever the dispute over its performance, has no strong justification, especially as Ganzouri’s mandate will end in two months. Logic dictates that if there is a desire to form a coalition government then this will be best formulated with a new president at the helm, rather than the situation being confused and disabled with consultations and disagreements over the composition of the new government now, an issue that could take weeks. It is likely that the Brotherhood want to ensure that if they don’t put forward a candidate for the presidency, then they will still have the right to form a government after the elections, and that the new president will not solely have this right, which has constitutionally been the case in the past.

RPS Statement on Kofi Annan's Peace Plan
Syrians Must Continue to Fight Until Assad is Deposed
Washington DC (March 27, 2012) -- It was learned today that the Assad regime has accepted the 6-point peace plan proposed by ex-Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan. The plan, amongst other things, calls for a ceasefire and a 2-hour daily window to evacuate the injured.
On the surface the plan appears to be helping the civilian population for a short-term period of time. However, it is not intended to help the Syrian people, over the long-term, to be free from the Assad regime because an important part of the plan calls for a dialogue between the Syrian opposition and the Assad regime.
"This is tantamount to cementing Assad as the de facto ruler for life, which can only bring more misery, more killing, and more tyranny to our people" said Farid Ghadry, President of the Reform Party of Syria. "I ask that the Free Syrian Army and the Syrian people sacrificing their lives for a better future to refute the plan and to deny Assad or his men involved in killing any part in Syria's future."
The Syrian people will not accept any plan that would invite more deaths and tyranny. The foreign dignitaries helping to promote peace for Syria under the same regime are clueless about the Syrian street and believe they can impose their plan upon a people and their revolution. Their plan will fail miserably if the ultimate aim is to help Assad remain in power.
The Reform Party of Syria asks that all people who have suffered from the Assad regime support our position. Further, we ask that you join the fight against the regime through deeds and not just words. Everyone who stood against Assad recently will suffer if the regime stays in power. Fight with us to impose our will upon the regional and the international communities. After Kofi Anna leaves the region, our people stay behind to suffer the consequences of their unholy peace.
RPS further asks that the Syrian opposition takes a firm stand against any component of the Kofi Annan's plan that calls for Assad to remain in power. The Syrian people will not forgive those oppositionists, Islamists or non-Islamists, who are marching to the drum of Arab tyrants and who are directing their organizations to seek a deal with Assad. You will be judged harshly upon your return.
RPS believes it is not up to foreign governments to decide the fate of the Syrian people, especially when that fate seals their future under a violent regime. The Syrian people have been engaged in a real war against Assad and their sacrifices must not amount to more violence and more tyranny once they relinquish their arms, which is a secret condition of this plan.
The courage of the Syrian people has been a source of inspiration to all the Arabs in the region. It has caused many Arab tyrants to work stealthily against the interests of our people in the hope of suppressing our calls for freedom and democracy. Arabs must not allow their future to be dictated to by tyrants who have no interest in seeing them free and prosperous.
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