LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
November 29/2012

Bible Quotation for today/
Matthew 13/53-58: " When Jesus finished telling these parables, he left that place and went back to his hometown. He taught in the synagogue, and those who heard him were amazed. “Where did he get such wisdom?” they asked. “And what about his miracles? Isn't he the carpenter's son? Isn't Mary his mother, and aren't James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas his brothers? Aren't all his sisters living here? Where did he get all this?” And so they rejected him. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is respected everywhere except in his hometown and by his own family.” Because they did not have faith, he did not perform many miracles there.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Let Hezbollah and Israel fight/By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Alawsat/November 29/12
The Syrian revolution is well/By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat/November 29/12

Be Proud That You Are Lebanese
Elias Bejjani/The Majority of the Lebanese, from all denominations and from all walks of life are very peaceful people and love dearly their country and want it to be back a free and independent entity. They do not support Hezbollah the terrorist Iranian militia, nor they stand behind the derailed Michael Aoun or seen in Patriarch Al Raei a man of the cloth. These three do not resemble the Lebanese in their faith, culture, nationalism, self respect or patriotism. They are mere opportunists, chameleons, and blood temple merchants. Lebanon shall be free no matter what because Our Lady Of Lebanon Virgin Merry is safeguarding this blessed Lebanon.
Aoun and Al Raei are twins with the same mentality, the same grandious delusions, the same complexes of hatred and grudges, the same lack of faith and hope, the same both have no solid convictions. Both are chameleons and can not be trusted. They are cut from the same garment. How lucky we are to have both of them? Very lucky

Let Hezbollah and Israel fight!
By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Alawsat
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah finally threatened to attack Israel and strike it with thousands of “Fajr” missiles, Although we know that this is an empty threat, we hope that he truly does go through with this and clashes with the Israelis because as the saying goes “let them kill each other.” Israel will be hit, which in turn will hit Nasrallah himself, and the Lebanese will be freed from his militia, which he uses to threaten them during every crisis. As for Benjamin Netanyahu, he will wake from his reverie and realize that no military solution guarantees Israeli security. However what about Hezbollah’s true goal of preoccupying the Arabs and the world away from the project to topple the al-Assad regime? Will this success in postponing the Syrian revolution?
We have passed through two large crises, the Gaza war and the Thursday earthquake in Cairo following President Mursi’s announcement that he is assuming unilateral powers in Egypt. These two events have truly resulted in the world losing focus on the developments on the ground inside Syria. Despite this, the Syrian rebels have been able to advance and gain miles of new territory and surround the regime. If this advance continues at the same pace, we will find President Bashar al-Assad completely trapped in his palace within the next three months. The area surrounding Damascus has been cleared of government troops after 18 months of hit and run attacks, whilst most districts of Aleppo are also now under rebel control. The al-Assad regime has also completely lost its control of the skies after the rebels obtained new stockpiles of rockets which have brought down a number of regime fighter jets and helicopters. Whilst the developments along the Turkish borders are a sign of Turkey’s readiness to get involved in the latest period of the war after it deployed NATO troops and arms along the border, not to mention a missile defense system. This is something that has angered the Iranians in particular, who were betting on the Turkish front remaining quiet and the al-Assad regime maintaining military superiority, particularly aerial superiority.
If the regime is able to hold fast and sustain the fighting beyond the next three months, namely if it is able to last the winter, then the coming Syrian spring will also be a political one as well. With the rapid successes on the ground, we will see a mounting collapse in the last weeks of the regime’s life. These will also be difficult weeks for the Syrian revolution as this will be its first test regarding its control of the ground and preserving the country’s territorial integrity, not to mention establishing a unified military and political body that can provide relief and work in harmony. This is something that will not be easy, but everybody there must face this challenge during the forthcoming moment of truth.
Whilst Iran and other’s attempts to open a new front to preoccupy the Syrians away from their war will not succeed, even if the media do become preoccupied with a new war, such as the one threatened by Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah against Israel. Iran and the al-Assad regime are seeking to distract the world with other big events believing that this will intimidate the west and provide cover for the al-Assad regime forces to carry out even worse crimes, however even if Hezbollah rockets hit Eliat – in the southernmost corner of Israel – this will not stop the advance of the Syrian rebels, nor will it help Hezbollah win sympathy from anybody!
We would be very happy to see Hezbollah clash with Israel because we know that it will lose its stockpile of weapons and will became a weakened force in the face of the new Syrian regime. Israel would also reduce Hezbollah’s forces which are used to threaten the Lebanese [political] forces. We would be happy to see Hezbollah do this as this would also mobilize the Palestinian Cause, as the superpowers are forced to revive the peace project after each battle, which raises public clamor and concern regarding the actions of the Israeli government.
Syria itself has become an out of control war, whilst the attempts to distract attention away from this or expand its front or ratify side agreement will all fail and are of no use today, particularly as the rebels are practically at the gates of Damascus and in control of the surrounding area!

The Gaza Operation: Less a War than an Anti-Iran Coup
DEBKAfile Video November 28, 2012,
The eight-day Gaza duel between Israel and Hamas was the showcase. Behind it, a coup went forward, masterminded by at least three intelligence wizards: Israel’s Mossad Direct Tamir Pardo, Turkish National Intelligence Organization – MIT chief, Hakan Fidan and the Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Jassim al Thani, who also heads the emirate’s intelligence service. The CIA was in close touch.
Their aim was to abort the military ties Tehran was cultivating with Hamas before the Gaza Strip is grabbed as Iran’s springboard to Cairo. To this end, wave upon wave of multiple missile assaults on Israel were provoked.
The coup action was designed as Part One of US President Barack Obama’s overall plan, which is to harness the Arab Spring to key US objectives. His partners were - and are - Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
Obama’s next stop is Syria where matters are coming to a head on several fronts.
The plan, if Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense worked, was to chart a new future for the radical Hamas terrorists by their transformation into the legitimate voice of the Palestinian people for which they still need some grooming and more than a touch of the airbrush.
Hamas has the advantage of being the most popular boy on the Palestinian block, which is why the Fatah leader and Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas has avoided an election for six years.
In the short term, the Israeli miniwar was meant as a vivid lesson for Tehran about the fate awaiting its Arab allies. Hizballah is advised to watch what happened to Hamas before its leader Hassan Nasrallah looses tens of thousands of rockets with which Iran filled its armory against Israel.
For these objectives, Israeli ground action was not necessary at any stage of the Gaza operation.
Its opening shot was a bull’s eye, eliminating Hamas’s military commander, the pro-Tehran Ahmed Jabari and Iran’s kingpin in Gaza.
Iron Dome stole the show by knocking out most of the 1,000 missiles launched from Gaza before they hit town centers. Israel lost six dead. Many of the injured were shock victims.
So was the coup strategy played out in Gaza a success?
Time will tell; Israel has meanwhile begun easing its land and sea blockade on the Gaza Strip. Turkey and Qatar are committed to major investments in the Gaza economy to make it more prosperous than the rival West Bank. And the US and Egypt have undertaken a joint effort to stem the flow of Iranian arms to Gaza through the smuggling routes of Sinai.
A million things could go wrong along the way. However, the same coalition has meanwhile shifted it sights from Gaza to Syria. NATO is about to post Patriots with American crews on the Turkish-Syrian border and the rebels are finally beginning to hem Assad’s military resources in.

Rai: 1960 law if no agreement reached
November 28, 2012 /The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The 2013 elections will be held based on the 1960 law that was used in the previous parliamentary elections if Parliament fails to agree on a new electoral law in time, Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai said Tuesday. “Everyone is for a change in the electoral law so that voters would have more say and an MP would not be imposed on the voters. But in case there is no agreement, the 1960 law will be ready for use in the next election: The most important thing is that the elections are not postponed,” Rai told reporters at the Rafik Hariri International Airport upon his return from the Vatican.
Despite overwhelming support for reforming the country’s ailing electoral law, rival March 14 and March 8 coalitions have so far failed to agree on a new electoral proposal. Earlier this year the March 8-dominated government proposed the adoption of a new electoral law based on a proportional representation system with 13 medium-sized electoral districts.
March 14 officials, who have rejected proportional representation, proposed an electoral law based on 50 small districts. Rai said that the Maronite Church prefers holding the elections with the de facto electoral law rather than postponing them. The 72-year-old Rai was recently named a new cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI and was officially elevated over the weekend, joining the world’s 120 Catholic cardinals and becoming the second Lebanese cardinal alive after former Patriarch Cardinal Nasrallah Butros Sfeir. “Lebanon needs its leaders to sit at a dialogue table to solve the country’s problems,” he said. Urging Lebanese politicians to resume National Dialogue at the Baabda Palace, Rai said that the day Lebanese reject the value of Dialogue, they will lose the values that make them human.

Sleiman postpones Dialogue to early 2013
November 28, 2012 / By Dana Khraiche /The Daily Star
BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman postponed Wednesday National Dialogue to early 2013 as MP Walid Jumblatt’s ministers carried on with efforts to bridge the gap between Lebanon’s rival political camps. Sources at Baabda Palace said the next National Dialogue session, the last round of which was held in September, was scheduled for Jan. 7 of next year. This week’s session had been scheduled for Thursday. The president’s decision comes after the Future Movement held to its position of boycotting the all-party talks which Sleiman had hoped could serve as a medium to resolve the current government crisis. Lebanon plunged into a political crisis in October following the assassination Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hasan, who headed the police’s Information Branch.
The March 14 opposition, which accuses Syrian in the killing and hold the government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s Cabinet responsible, insists the Lebanese government resign over the incident.
As well as boycotting Dialogue, the Future Movement and the March 14 alliance which it leads have shunned all government activity at the Parliamentary level, accusing the Cabinet of providing the necessary cover for Hasan’s killing. After Sleiman’s efforts to convene National Dialogue failed, MP Walid Jumblatt launched an initiative last week to prevent the country from plunging into "Sunni-Shiite strife" by holding contacts with rival factions in a bid to resume the multi-party talks. Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi, who is heading Jumblatt’s delegation, said Wednesday the initiative went hand in hand with the president’s efforts to resume the interparty forum. After his meeting with Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem, Aridi also said that the resistance group agreed to engage in all-party talks as the only means to resolve outstanding issues.“Our meeting today was useful and there is an agreement that Dialogue can resolve all issues,” Aridi told reporters.
“There is a willingness [from Hezbollah] to discuss all issues without exception,” he added.
Aridi stressed on the need to “organize disputes” and open lines of communications with all parties in the country. Although stressing the opposition’s right to boycott, Aridi said the move was not a positive one. In its weekly statement, the General Secretariat of the March 14 said it was convinced of its decision to boycott "given Hezbollah's insistence on underestimating the Baabda Declaration on one hand and the party's daily proof that it is not willing to discuss its arsenal.” Earlier this year, rival political groups reached agreement during a National Dialogue session on what was termed the “Baabda Declaration,” which calls for keeping Lebanon neutral from regional repercussions, particularly events in Syria.
“Hezbollah's behavior confirms the validity of our decision to boycott dialogue,” the opposition said in its statement. It also urged Sleiman to create an atmosphere conducive for talks, which it regards as requiring the resignation of the Cabinet. During his chat with reporters, Aridi said that “regional and international players” have agreed on the need to keep the situation in Lebanon calm given the 21-month-old crisis in its neighbor Syria. For his part, Qassem said that the resistance group is in favor of dialogue without preconditions, criticizing the behavior of his rivals in the opposition.
“No party, regardless of its size and popularity, can claim representation of the whole country or monopolize certain popular and political representation,” he said in a statement.
“The country cannot be stable and calm in the presence of attempts to isolate certain sects and their representation,” he added. Hezbolla’s number two also said that National Dialogue was the only available and effective means to prevent political paralysis. “No matter how long it takes, those betting on regional and international developments will discover that Dialogue is the solution but perhaps after major losses that we can avoid now,” Qassem said.

Israeli bulldozers cross technical fence with Lebanon
November 28, 2012/By Mohammed Zaatari/ The Daily Star
WAZZANI, Lebanon: The Lebanese Army and U.N. peacekeepers dispatched additional personnel along Lebanon's southern border Wednesday after Israeli bulldozers crossed the technical fence near the Blue Line. Security sources told The Daily Star that two Israeli bulldozers crossed the fence by a distance of 100 meters along the southern Wazzani region. The bulldozers were seen digging along the border in the presence of two Israeli tanks, an armored vehicle equipped with communications devices and three military Hummers. The tanks were positioned facing the Lebanese side of the border as 15 Israeli soldiers conducted what appeared like search operations. The nature of their work, which was overseen by military experts, was unclear. The Jewish state has begun work to construct a wall to the existing technical fence separating Lebanon’s Kfar Kila village and the Israeli settlement of Metula. The incident prompted the Lebanese Army and the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon to deploy heavily along the border to prevent breaches to the Blue Line Crossing the technical fence, however, is not a violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which stipulates that Israel and Lebanon should respect the de facto border that stretches along the Wazzani region

Car bombs kill 34 in pro-Assad Damascus suburb
November 28, 2012/By Dominic Evans
BEIRUT: Two car bombs killed at least 34 people in a district of Damascus loyal to President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday in the deadliest attack on the Syrian capital in months.
The explosions struck the eastern neighbourhood of Jaramana, home to many of Syria's Druze minority as well as Christians who have fled violence elsewhere, ripping through shops and bringing debris crashing down on cars. Once a bastion of security in Assad's 20-month campaign to crush an uprising against his rule, Damascus has been hit with increasing regularity as the rebels grow bolder.
State media said a bomb also detonated in the southern town of Bosra al-Sham, near Deraa, where the revolt began with peaceful street protests in March 2011. It also said eight "terrorists" were killed near Damascus while they tried to booby-trap a car with a bomb. Authorities severely limit independent media in Syria and it was not immediately possible to verify reports. The government said 34 people were killed in Damascus but did not give a casualty count for the Bosra al-Sham bombing. The attacks followed two weeks of military gains by rebels who have stormed and taken army bases across Syria, exposing Assad's loss of control in northern and eastern regions despite the devastating air power which he has used to bombard opposition strongholds. A resident of Jaramana said that rebels had been repeatedly forbidden by local Druze elders to operate in the district, which borders the capital's centre where government offices are located.
"Tension have risen between Druze elders and rebels and now there are 3 or 4 small explosions a week," she told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Underlining the growing military muscle of the rebels, bolstered by weapons captured during raids on army facilities as well as supplies from abroad, fighters shot down a war plane in northern Syria on Wednesday using an anti-aircraft missile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Opposition groups subsequently posted a video clip on the Internet that showed a man in a green jumpsuit being carried through fields. He was bleeding heavily from his head and appeared unconscious. "This is the pilot that attacked the houses of civilians," said a voice off camera.
Another video showed doctors treating the limp body of apparently the same pilot, who activists said ejected from his MiG 23 fighter jet before it crashed near Darat Ezza, about 30 km (20 miles) from Aleppo. The bloodshed came as Syria's new opposition coalition held its first full meeting on Wednesday to discuss forming a transitional government crucial to win effective Arab and Western support for the revolt against Assad. "The objective is to name the prime minister for a transitional government, or at least have a list of candidates," said Suhair al-Atassi, one of the coalition's two vice-presidents.
The two-day meeting in Cairo will also select committees to manage aid and communications, a process that is becoming a power struggle between the Muslim Brotherhood and secular members.
Rivalries have also intensified between the opposition in exile and rebels on the ground in Syria, where the death toll has reached 40,000, including soldiers, civilians and rebels.
The Syrian state news agency, SANA, described Wednesday's blasts as "terrorist bombings", a label it reserves for attacks by mainly Sunni Muslim fighters battling to overthrow Assad, a member of Syria's Alawite minority linked to Shi'ite Islam. Two smaller bombs also exploded in Jaramana at about the same time as the car bombs, around 7 a.m. (0500 GMT). In total at least 47 people were killed, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, giving a higher toll than the government. Eighty three people were seriously wounded, the British-based Observatory said.
"Who benefits from this? Tell me who benefits from this? America, Israel, Qatar?" a man at the bomb site said to Syrian television, which broadcast footage of firefighters hosing down the blackened hulks of two vehicles and several cars crushed by debris from neighbouring buildings.
Pools of blood could be seen on the road.
Most foreign powers have condemned Assad. Britain, France and Gulf countries have recognised the umbrella opposition group meeting in Cairo, the Syrian National Coalition, as the sole representative of the Syrian people. But Assad has been able to rely on his allies, especially regional powerhouse Iran, which is believed to be bank-rolling him and supplying military support despite U.S. and European sanctions. Russia, Syria's main arms supplier, says it has only sent weapons already agreed to in previous deals.
International Syria mediator Lakhdar Brahimi is due to brief the 15-member council on Thursday and the U.N. General Assembly on Friday. There is diplomatic deadlock between Western powers, who broadly support the opposition and Assad's supporters Russia and China which have blocked Security Council action.

Turkey lifts ban on headscarves in schools
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4313099,00.html
Reuters Published: 11.28.12
Ankara lifts ban on female students wearing headscarves in religious schools. Secularists criticize move, see it as evidence of Erdogan regime's Islamic agenda
Turkey has lifted a ban on female students wearing headscarves in schools providing religious education, in a move drawing criticism from secularists who see it as fresh evidence of the government pushing an Islamic agenda. Education has been one of the main battlegrounds between religious conservatives, who form the bedrock of support for the AK party of the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and secular opponents who accuse him of imposing Islamic values by stealth. Those secularist fears were fuelled this year when Erdogan said his goal was to raise a "religious youth", and his party, in power for the past decade, pushed through a reform of the education system that boosted the role of religious schools.
Under the latest regulation announced on Tuesday, which takes effect in the 2013/2014 academic year, pupils at regular schools will also be able to wear headscarves in Quran lessons.
Erdogan said the reform, which also ends a requirement for pupils to wear uniform, was taken in response to public demand.
"Let's allow everyone to dress their child as they wish, according to their means," he said at a news conference in Madrid on Tuesday.
"These are all steps taken as a result of a demand."
The latest reform followed a law approved in March allowing "imam hatip" schools specialising in religious education combined with a modern curriculum to take children from the age of 11 instead of 15.
The Egitim-Sen education sector union was critical of the move on school uniforms and the headscarf.
"The changes in the clothing regulations are important in enabling us to see the intense degree to which the education system is being made religious," the union said in a statement.
"Religious symbols which spread a religious lifestyle in schools and which will have a negative impact on the psychology of developing children should definitely not be used."
But others voiced support for the reform.
We will not be able to rescue the education system from the perverse consequences of the oppression, rituals, dogma and thinking of the 'cold war' period until teachers and pupils are liberated," he

Mursi must retract constitutional declaration - Former SCAF member
By Abdul Sattar Hatita
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – Against the backdrop of Egyptian President Mursi’s controversial constitutional declaration announcement, granting himself sweeping constitutional powers, and the widespread protests that have struck the country over the past week, a former senior Egyptian military official, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, warned against the dangerous state of affairs in the country, saying that this could lead to nationwide unrest and catastrophic economic collapse. The senior source, who was a member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces [SCAF] that ran the country during the transitional period, also stressed that the Egyptian army would not get involved in the conflict between the president and the opposition, in the same manner that it refused to intervene during the final days of the Hosni Mubarak regime. He added that if the Egyptian military were to get involved at this juncture, it would ultimately regret this decision and find itself being attacked by both sides.
For his part, former Muslim Brotherhood General Guide Mehdi Akef described Mursi’s decision as “sublime”, adding that the protests that have struck Egypt are “contrived”. He also asserted that “this is something that Egypt does not like and cannot afford.”
The former SCAF official claimed that the Egyptian president “is not capable of extricating himself from this hole he has fallen into” adding “his only option is to retract his decision”. Assessing the current state of affairs in Egypt, where protesters remain in Cairo’s Tahrir Square for a sixth consecutive day, the senior military source asserted that “this is a very bad state of affairs…a state of affairs that affects the country at all levels.”
He stressed that Mursi’s decision to assume sweeping constitutional powers represents a number of blows to Egypt, saying “the first blow was that this resulted in dividing the [Egyptian] people into two camps, whilst this was also a critical blow against Egypt’s judiciary and judges. The third blow is the unrest and hatred that this may incite between different sections of Egyptian society. Whilst finally there is the economic blow, for this decision could lead to destruction” adding “this is the most important symptom.”
Responding to a question regarding what Mursi should do now, the former SCAF official told Asharq Al-Awsat that “solutions must be based on common sense and wisdom , and this states that Mursi should retract his decision on the constitutional declaration…this is the only solution to this impasse.”
He added “this is something that does not disgrace or dishonor the president, on the contrary this could win over the majority and following this he might be viewed as a hero for the new Egypt.”
The senior former Egyptian official stressed that “this is the only solution; otherwise all the talk is nonsense.” He added “I say to all those who support or oppose the decision of President Mursi that this is the only solution to this issue, namely that the president must retract his decision.”
Commenting on former Muslim Brotherhood General Guide Mehdi Akef’s statement supporting Mursi’s constitutional declaration, the former Egyptian military official said that “you can see the people in Tahrir Square, Shubra and Mohamed Mahmoud street (in Cairo), as well as Alexandria, Port Said, Tanta and Aswan. So do all these people hate Mohamed Mursi?”
He added “we do not hate Mohamed Mursi, nor do the people hate him…nobody is saying ‘leave’, rather they are saying retract your announcement. They are saying that your legitimacy is clear to see…they (the opposition) are calling for vital things in order to prevent a catastrophe breaking out in Egypt.”
As for reports that Mursi has not contacted any political forces to attempt to resolve this situation, the former official said “the political symbols that are in the street oppose the constitutional declaration, and they believe that there should be no meeting or communication with the president until he withdraws this decision.”
The former SCAF member also addressing speculation that the Egyptian military could seek to intervene, as it did during the 25 January revolution, stressing that “the army does not intervene…if the army intervenes then it will regret this…we do not want to lose the army….the army protects its forces, training and presence, because the army is completely independent and that is in order to safeguard the nation. It does not get involved in politics and its only role is to safeguard the nation.”
As for the army taking to the streets during the 25 January revolution, and its implied support for the people’s revolution, he said “our presence was legitimate because one of our tasks is to protect legitimacy. When we were deployed (during the revolution) we found that legitimacy was in the hands of the people, and therefore our priority was to stand with the people, however today the people have taken different positions.”
He added “you (the people) elected him (Mursi), and now you are fighting with him, and this has nothing to do with the army. “ He stressed that if the army were to embroil itself in this conflict at this stage then it would find itself being attacked from both sides.
For his part, former Muslim Brotherhood General Guide Mehdi Akef asserted that what is happening in Egypt is “a very natural response to Mohamed Mursi’s victory regarding all issues, most recently the Gaza issue”, referencing the president’s successful mediation of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.
He added “the constitutional declaration announced by Dr. Mohamed Mursi is a sublime announcement because he wants to restore the state’s institutions on a correct democratic basis with a constitution and people’s assembly. This is a temporary decision for a period of a month to safeguard against abuses carried out by a small group of people. Everybody who loves Egypt must work in the interests of the stability of the country to establish a constitution and people’s assembly elections.”
Regarding the widespread protests that have broken out across the country in response to Mursi’s constitutional declaration, Akef stressed that “in my point of view, everything that I am seeing has been contrived…by those who have no respect or love for Egypt.”
As for what will happen if these protests continue, the former Muslim Brotherhood General Guide said “Egypt is full of intellectuals and wise people who can come together from all backgrounds and colors and ensure that Egypt reaches safety.”
He added “Mohamed Mursi must remain committed to his decisions until Egypt is safe” criticizing what he views as the blocking of numerous vital issues concerning Egypt’s new constitution. He said “if look at what is happening within the Constitutional Committee, and what is happening in the Constitutional Court, and what is happening here and there…you will be shocked” adding “ they must take critical decisions to resolve these issues and provide Egypt with democratically elected institutions.”

Syrians fear reprisals from Fourth Armored Division following al-Assad ouster - Activist
By Asharq Al-Awsat
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat – For Omar, a young Damascene who lives in the popular district of Jobar, “the regime has already fallen, it no longer controls the districts except from outside”. Speaking exclusively to Asharq Al-Awsat via telephone, Omar revealed that “everyone here is waiting for the decisive moment and is hoping for the best”. He is following the conflict in the Daria district with interest, claiming “it is crucial”, adding “with the presence of more than 10,000 Free Syrian Army [FSA] elements in the city, this time Daria will not be broken, its people will not be slaughtered and its houses will not be destroyed…the FSA have learned from their mistakes”.
However, the young man, who is active in helping the FSA, expressed his concern about the potential reaction of the infamous Fourth Armored Division in the event of the fall of the regime. He said “they will not surrender Damascus even if they know their regime has fallen, they will choose to destroy it and bombard it indiscriminately”.
The Fourth Armored Division has been used in offensive missions against protestors and revolutionaries since the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in 2011, and is the second most important military unit for the al-Assad regime, after the Republican Guard. Its key mission is to besiege the capital Damascus and maintain a military grip upon it. The division, with its main headquarters located in the Muhajireen district of Damascus, is led by Brigadier General Maher al-Assad, the younger brother of Bashar al-Assad who is also the commander of the Republican Guard.
For his part, a member of the Damascus Coordinating Committee for the Syrian Revolution has revealed that “Mount Kassioun, overlooking the capital, has in recent weeks transformed into the largest military barracks Damascus has ever known, pointing its artillery guns at all rural areas surrounding the capital”.
He added “the Syrian regime thinks that the rebel march upon the capital is imminent. Hence ammunition depots have been assembled in and around the capital, with the biggest being stationed on Mount Kassioun. The regime is aware that should the outskirts of the capital fall into the hands of the FSA, this would be the beginning of the end, especially after the experiments conducted by the FSA during the month of Ramadan when its front ranks penetrated Damascus regions such as Kafar Souseh and Mezzeh”.
The opposition activist stressed that “it is unlikely that the Fourth Armored Division will announce its defection from the Syrian regime the moment it collapses”, adding “it will continue to kill and bombard the capital until it has destroyed it”.
The activist attributes this to the fact that “the division’s troops are completely loyal to the current regime, in addition to the sectarian connection”. The vast majority of officers and troops in the Fourth Armored Division belong to the Alawite sect, the same sect that President Bashar al-Assad hails from.
However the activist asserted that “fear of the Fourth Armored Division’s reprisals will not prevent the revolutionaries from preparing for the battle for Damascus, which is now just around the corner”.
He added “we on the inside are preparing for this battle with all our capabilities; people have begun to stock up on medical supplies, others are drawing up plans to evacuate civilians, and others are waiting for the assault to begin”. He pointed out that “the battle will be especially bloody, so the FSA is trying now to think of a way in which to fight the conflict whilst distancing civilians from the battleground”.
The Fourth Armored Division dates back to the era of the late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad. It was established by his brother Rifaat al-Assad, who led the “Defense Brigades” responsible for the massacres in the city of Hama in 1982. It is believed that those brigades were incorporated into the fourth division after Rifaat al-Assad was exiled in 1984, due to a dispute with his brother over power. The Fourth Armored Division is considered the best trained and equipped military entity within the Syrian army, possessing the latest heavy weaponry such as Russian T-72 tanks, whilst estimates suggest it has around 20,000 cadres.
According to activists, the division’s tanks have taken part in violent attacks on Syrian cities, especially the city of Homs, where districts such as Babr Amr have been exposed to widespread destruction. A number of Alawite officers from the Fourth Armored Division are also reportedly deployed in other military formations, especially those with Sunni majorities, in order to prevent defections.

The Syrian revolution is well
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
Over the past 25 days or so, many people in the Arab world have had their attention distracted from the details of the Syrian revolution, instead being preoccupied with the eight day war in Gaza and the coup perpetuated by the Egyptian president. However despite this, the Syrian revolution is well and is on the right path, which will end soon with the ouster of the tyrant of Damascus.
The Syrian revolution is well for a number of reasons, most importantly because the Syrians have confirmed that the resistance is not just a lie propagated by the al-Assad regime, but also by Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. The eight day war in Gaza demonstrated that Hamas only cares about clinging to power, as today it wants to implement the principle of “peace for governance”, rather than “peace for land”. The only thing that Khalid Mishal is concerned about is being an alternative to Mahmoud Abbas, and this is something that is apparent in Mishal’s own statements. This is made even clearer in Mahmoud al-Zahar’s recent statement in which he said that if Abbas were to visit Gaza he would be arrested! This reveals the extent of the conflict within Hamas itself, but that is another story, however this also serves as a reminder to all those who are not interested in the facts. The Syrian revolution is well because the Syrians have confirmed that Hamas and Hezbollah – regardless of what they themselves say – are allies of Iran, which is supporting Bashar al-Assad with arms and funds to kill them on a daily basis, particularly as the Syrian death toll has reached 40,000.
The Syrian revolution is well because al-Assad has not been able to exploit this period during which the media and the entire world – including much of the Arab world – has been preoccupied with the eight day war in Gaza or the Egyptian coup. Rather, the Syrian rebels have continued to advance towards Damascus, whilst al-Assad is more trapped than ever before. As for Iran, Russia and Hezbollah, they have been unable to change the equation on the ground. In fact, the Syrians, with all their strength and blood, have been able to fight and advance, day after day, to besiege the tyrant’s palace. Now we see sites, critical for al-Assad regime’s forces, falling one after another into the hands of the rebels, whilst they are also achieving political successes day after day, with the Arab world and Europe. As for the symbols of the al-Assad regime – from Farouk al-Sharaa to Walid Muallem to Bouthaina Shaaban – they have all been struck dumb and are clearly confused.
The Syrian revolution is well because it is attaining its objectives and has exposed all the cards in our region, turning the magic back on the magicians. It exposed the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Tunisia, and revealed the consequences of exclusion in Iraq. For his part, Iraq’s Nouri al-Maliki also tried to exploit the Arab preoccupation with Gaza and Egypt to crack down on the Kurds. It has become clear to the Syrians that there is no room for exclusion or the predominance of any one section of society or party, whether we are talking about the Muslim Brotherhood, the military or a faction attributed to this side or that. Therefore the Syrians will either topple al-Assad and join the Arab troublemakers and latecomers, or they can begin where the others in Arab Spring states have left off, and those in Iraq prior to that. The ball is in the court of the Syrian revolutionary forces, and they have no excuse, for they cannot claim to lack experience or advice, for everybody around them in the Arab world is telling them to be better and consider others, particularly as the game is now being played openly. The constitution must come first, not exclusion. This is why the Syrian revolution is well, and all that we are waiting for now is the toppling of the tyrant Bashar al-Assad, and this is now closer than ever before.

Al-Assad regime fortifying western Syrian coastal region - SNA commander
By Adham Saif al-Din
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – Syrian National Army [SNA] commander-in-chief Major General Muhammad Hussein al-Haj Ali announced the existence of a “military project” to unify and unite the opposition military forces on the ground in Syria, including defectors from the al-Assad regime and civilians who have taken up arms. He revealed that the objective is to establish a “professional” opposition army capable of toppling the Damascus regime and, importantly, maintaining national security in the post-Assad period. He also informed Asharq Al-Awsat that this unified army “will involve all the defectors at home and abroad, taking advantage of the potentials of both the soldiers and the civilians”. He also revealed that the situation in Damascus is confused, adding that the al-Assad regime is beginning to fortify the western coastal regions with the help of Iran.
This “military project” aims to organize and regulate Syria’s opposition fighters according to specialization and rank, assigning Syrian opposition fighters military ranks and establishing a unified command structure.
Major General Muhammad Hussein al-Haj Ali stressed that “this includes all defectors, at home and abroad, and we will benefit from the potential of all military figures and civilians. This is an essential part of assigning all soldiers duties according to their abilities and capabilities, not to mention the civilians as they make up around 80 percent of the armed revolutionary movement.”
He revealed that in addition to unifying and uniting the opposition military forces on the ground in Syria, this “military project” also aims to establish an “Information Bureau.” Al-Haj said “the idea is to appoint official military spokespersons for the Free Syrian Army [FSA]…they will be directed from the SNA leadership to avoid unfounded news and leaks.”
The project is also seeking to appoint advisers, of different specializations, to leadership positions, including politicians, economists and legal experts, as well as establish an intelligence bureau, air defense administration, air force and even naval leadership.
As for what political support and cover this “project” enjoys, the SNA commander-in-chief told Asharq Al-Awsat that “it is necessary that this organization has political and material support from the Syrian people, and this is something that will be transparent, not to mention support from foreign countries.”
He added “we have yet to coordinate with the Syrian National Coalition…but we expect to coordinate our efforts, and the coalition will serve as the political cover for this military project.”
As for the position of the FSA, including the Ghurabaa al-Sham Brigade and Jabhat al-Nasra, and other opposition movement’s that support the establishment of an Islamic emirate, al-Haj stressed “we oppose this approach regarding the establishment of an Islamic Emirate; we support the establishment of a civil state where the main source of legislation is Islam however the state must be for all Syrians of all sections of society.”
As for the nature of the relationship between the FSA and these Islamist opposition movements, the SNA commander informed Asharq Al-Awsat that “we share the same objective with them now, namely fighting and toppling the regime, and we welcome their presence on the ground.” As for what will happen following the ouster of the al-Assad regime, he stressed that “they must either surrender their arms or join the ranks of the SNA, because the presence of these battalions is unnecessary after we have achieved the objectives of the Syrian revolution.”
He also revealed that the situation in Damascus is confused, because three parties have control of sections of the Syrian capital, namely the regime, the FSA and opposition groups not affiliated to the FSA. He stressed that “we are presently focusing our combat efforts on the northern region of Syria, and less so in the southern region” adding “this is based on military tactics and strategy.”
He also asserted that “the Syrian regime is in possession of a large stockpile of heavy weapons and it is relying on its [Alawite] sect to defend it “adding “the regime has begun to fortify the Alawite majority coastal regions in western Syria, establishing trenches and deploying weapons and ammunitions, whilst Iranian naval officers are also present”. He revealed that these Iranian naval offices were securing the coastline with small gunboats.
He indicated that “Iran bought around 2,500 small boats, equipped with engines from European states, and some – but not all – of them are present along the Syrian coast.”
As for the possibility of the al-Assad regime resorting to the use of chemical weapons, al-Haj told Asharq Al-Awsat that he believed that such weapons are being monitored by American, Israeli and European intelligence services, adding “it is likely that America would intervene directly in the event that the Syrian regime uses chemical weapons.”