LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
September 16 /12

Bible Quotation for today/
John 03/11-21 "‘Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.’

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Romney was foolish, but right/By: Michael Young/Now Lebanon/September 15/12
Has our region changed?/By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Alawsat/September 15/12
Jihadism's Foothold in Libya/By: Aaron Y. Zelin/Washington Institute/September 15/12

September 15, 2012/ The Daily Star
Lebanon's Arabic press digest.
Following are summaries of some of the main stories in a selection of Lebanese newspapers Saturday. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports.
Al-Joumhouria
Pontiff’s visit revives historical dimension of Christians’ roots
The Pope: Have no fear
There was an escalation in confrontations and protests outside U.S. embassies in several Arab countries over the film “Innocence of Muslims,” as Lebanon geared up to welcome Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope began a three-day visit to Lebanon Friday, announcing the Apostolic Exhortation for the Middle East, "The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness.” Meanwhile, the winds of protest against the anti-Islam film blew in the city of Tripoli, north Lebanon, leaving one person killed during the burning of an American fast food establishment.
This tragic development, however, did not lessen the joy that overwhelmed Lebanon over the great visitor – the Pope.
Al-Mustaqbal
Pope salutes Arab Spring: A cry for freedom
The historic visit of Pope Benedict XVI, which began yesterday amid a warm and national welcome, carried an important message: Lebanon’s balance [between sects] could be a model for the Middle East and the whole world.”
Another important message addressed the region, when the Pope said that the Arab Spring "is a positive thing" and that arms shipments to Syria “must stop.”
The Pope also said that calls for “dialogue against violence” should be initiated.
An-Nahar
Benedict from Lebanon: an urgent appeal to eradicate extremism
The first day of the Pope's visit includes his signing of the Apostolic Exhortation
The second day will feature a visit to Baabda Palace, Bzommar, Bkirki
“The Churches of the Middle East are not afraid because the Lord is with them until the end (...) and the famous Lebanese [coexistence] which is always keen to be a reality will only be able to continue thanks to the goodwill and commitment of all the Lebanese; [coexistence] will be a model for all the people of the region and the world."
Between his first speech at Rafik Hariri International Airport and his second in Harissa before signing the Apostolic Exhortation for the Middle East, Pope Benedict XVI made clear in less than five hours the truly historic nature of his Lebanon visit.
Perhaps the most significant thing about his trip was not his insistence on visiting Lebanon during a time rife with revolutions, unrest and fear for Christians and minorities in the Middle East, but also having his visit coincide with the outrage of protests that have swept many countries in this region over the film that insulted Islam.
Al-Anwar
Pope: Lebanese coexistence example to the world
With joy and cheer and songs of peace and church bells, all Lebanese sects welcomed Pope Benedict XVI yesterday, showing a picture of a united people craving unity and peace.
The Pope announced upon his arrival that Lebanese coexistence is a model to the Middle East and the entire world.
The Pope stressed that Christians of the Middle East have the right and duty to participate fully in civic life and should not be treated as second-class citizens.

Pope denounces war, says peace protects life
September 15, 2012 /The Daily Star
BAABDA, Lebanon: Pope Benedict XVI denounced war in a speech Saturday and said that religious freedom is fundamental for stability in the conflict-scarred Middle East.
“People must reject vengeance, acknowledge their own faults and forgive one another,” the pope said during his speech at the presidential palace in Baabda, northeast of Beirut.
“We pursue peace in order to safeguard life and this proves that we are against war and all terrorist acts because the human being is the most important, [whereas] wars do not allow respect for humans,” the pope said in his speech at Baabda Palace.
His speech, which came on the second day of his historic visit to Lebanon, coincided with a riot at Lebanon’s largest prison in Roumieh, in which inmates called on the pope to intervene on their behalf and secure them amnesty.
The pontiff was met with cheers by thousands of Lebanese citizens who lined the streets leading to Baabda Palace. Onlookers and well-wishers stood behind a security barrier adorned with Lebanese and Vatican flags. Several white triumphal arches extended from one side of the street to the other.
During his speech to dignitaries, the pontiff urged Christians and Muslims to create a harmonious and pluralistic society.
He also underlined the need to “promote a culture of peace through dialogue, the dissemination of knowledge and the meaning of peace in family and school education.”
President Michel Sleiman said in a speech to political and religious leaders who packed Baabda Palace's May 25 Salon that democracy cannot be attained without Christians.
“Democracy ... cannot be achieved if there is no involvement of the Christian component rooted in the Levant since 2000,” Sleiman said.
Turning to the crisis in Syria, the president said Syrian people should be able to “accomplish what they desire in terms of reform, freedom, democracy ... through the appropriate dialogue and political means, away from any form of violence and coercion."
Visiting 15 years after Pope John Paul II’s landmark trip to Lebanon, Benedict called Friday for peace and reconciliation among peoples in the turbulent Middle East region, while denouncing religious fundamentalism as a “falsification of religion.”
As on Friday, Lebanese expressed their joy over the pope’s visit.
As the motorcade approached Baabda Palace, people all along the route pressed in for a closer look, some showering the convoy with confetti.
The pope, sitting in the bullet-proof, glass-encased Popemobile, waved at the crowds, who lined the street from the Sayyad roundabout all the way up to the hilltop presidential palace in suburban Baabda, four kilometers away.
The papal motorcade, escorted by a presidential guard on horseback, was also greeted by dabke dancers, who included children. The dancers – dressed in traditional Lebanese costume – were allowed to perform on the street itself, a few feet away from the approaching Popemobile.
During his speech, the Holy See reiterated his praise of coexistence, saying that “in Lebanon, Islam and Christianity have been living in the same space for centuries. It is not rare to find people from both religions bearing the same family name.”
“If this is possible in one family, then why not at the level of the entire society?” the pope asked.
Lebanese religious figures voiced support to the pope’s visit and to Christians in the country.
Grand Mufti of Lebanon Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani, in a written message he delivered to the pope, stressed that "any attack on any Christian citizen is an attack on Islam."
"Muslims and Christians make up one nation and have equal rights and duties,” Qabbani added.
The pope's visit which began Friday comes at a time of ongoing clashes in neighboring Syria and a spate of region-wide violence sparked by a U.S.-made film insulting Islam's Prophet Mohammad.

Pilgrim of peace
September 15, 2012 /By Hussein Dakroub The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Pope Benedict XVI called Friday for peace and reconciliation among peoples in the turbulent Middle East region, while denouncing religious fundamentalism as “a falsification of religion.”
The pope, who arrived in Lebanon on a historic three-day visit amid a deadly conflict in Syria and an outburst of violence in several Arab countries over an anti-Islam film, also urged a halt to arms imports to Syria which he said were a “grave sin.”
“I have come to Lebanon as a pilgrim of peace, as a friend of God and as a friend of men. Christ says: ‘My peace I give to you,’” the 85-year-old pope said in a speech at Beirut airport.
“And looking beyond your country, I also come symbolically to all the countries of the Middle East as a pilgrim of peace, as a friend of God and as a friend of all the inhabitants of all the countries of the region, whatever their origins and beliefs,” he added, addressing Lebanon’s top leaders who were on hand to greet him at the airport.
Amid tight security measures at the airport and the roads to be used by his motorcade, the pope was welcomed by top leaders, including the Lebanese president, prime minister and Parliament speaker, as well as Christian and Muslim religious leaders.
“Let me assure you that I pray especially for the many people who suffer in this region,” he said. But just hours after the pontiff’s arrival, violence erupted in northern Lebanon over a U.S.-made film deemed offensive to Islam and the Prophet Mohammad. One protester was killed and 27 others, including 12 policemen, were injured in clashes between security forces and demonstrators in the city of Tripoli.
Speaking to reporters on his Alitalia flight to Lebanon, the pope, in the third-ever visit by a Roman Catholic pontiff to this Mediterranean country, called for an end to arms smuggling to Syria which he said was a “grave sin.”
“The import of weapons must be stopped, because without the weapons the war could not continue,” the pontiff said. “Instead of the weapons imports, which is a grave sin, we should import ideas of peace and creativity and find solutions to accept each other with our differences.”
The pope also said he was not afraid to visit Lebanon and described the Arab Spring uprisings that have already removed four long-serving dictators as “positive.”
“It is the desire for more democracy, for more freedom, for more cooperation and for a renewed Arab identity,” the pope said.
The pope, the head of a church with over 1 billion followers, warned that the push for more freedom could end intolerance for other religions.
During the signing ceremony of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops later Friday, the pope urged Christians of the East not to be afraid and instead brave the difficulties they faced.
At St. Paul’s Basilica in Harissa, north of Beirut, in the presence of religious and political figures, he also praised coexistence between Muslims and Christians in Lebanon and said it has contributed to a rich culture and distinguished the country’s social and religious life.
“I urge you not to be afraid but to live in the truth with your beliefs via the language of the Cross,” he told Christians of the East during the ceremony to sign the Exhortation.
Addressing churches in the East, he said: “I ask you to achieve the vow of your faith and practice partnership and testimony in your daily lives.”
During his speech upon arrival at Rafik Hariri International Airport, the pope said his visit aimed at delivering the synod, which he described as “a road map for Christians for years to come,” as well as consecrating the work of the Maronite Church.
Church bells throughout the country tolled in celebration as the pontiff disembarked the plane at the airport.
With a red carpet rolled out to meet the pontiff’s plane, President Michel Sleiman walked beside the pope to a podium specially constructed for them and sat on a pair of burgundy-upholstered wooden chairs. A band played Lebanon’s national anthem and a 21-gun salute was fired in honor of the pontiff, who turned 85 in April of this year.
At the podium, Sleiman expressed hope that the pope’s visit would benefit Lebanon and the region. “We hope that your visit will bring good to Lebanon, the people of this region and their countries including Christians of the East,” the president said.
“Today, Lebanon’s family with all its components and factions welcome your holiness,” Sleiman said. “You decided to choose Lebanon as a message of love to the people of this region via the Apostolic Exhortation of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East.”
Benedict, for his part, praised Lebanon’s efforts to maintain dialogue among religions and described the country as an “example of coexistence in the Middle East and the world.”
He also expressed sympathy over what he described as the painful events that Lebanon had gone through as well as events in the region.
At the end of the speech, the pontiff rode in a presidential limousine headed to Harissa, northeast of Beirut, where the Papal Embassy is located.
Benedict XVI is the third pope to visit Lebanon after Paul VI in 1964 (for an airport stopover and news conference) and John Paul II in 1997. – Additional reporting by Dana Khraiche and Rima Aboulmona

Hundreds throng Harissa basilica to see Benedict
September 15, 2012/By Van Meguerditchian/The Daily Star
HARISSA, Lebanon: Several hundred visitors from across Lebanon welcomed Pope Benedict XVI with prayers and a standing ovation at Saint Paul’s Basilica in Harissa Friday, expressing hope that the pontiff would bless both the country with his message of peace and reconciliation.
The pope arrived in Harissa on time at 6 p.m. to sign the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation for the Middle East, and was greeted by Lebanese and Vatican flags as well as banners bearing the word “peace” in multiple languages.
Gathered opposite the church on chairs set out for the event, visitors said the pope’s visit was a sign that Christians would retain a presence in Lebanon despite their uncertain future in the rest of the region.
“If Christians remain here [in Lebanon], the whole region will become better and different,” said Tony Haddad, who came to catch a glimpse of the pope from the nearby town of Bzommar.
Haddad, who described the visit as historic, said that Vatican’s concern for the people of Lebanon and the region means it has blessed the country and will not abandon it, despite unrest in the Middle East.
“I hope this land will be blessed once again, just as it was blessed by his predecessor Pope John Paul II,” Haddad said, sitting near the church with his wife and two children.
“This visit also affects my life and my family in a great way, we are lucky to see His Holiness,” he added.
Standing next to a poster painted with the word “peace” in Arabic, English, Armenian and a number of other languages, Alain Barake said that he came all the way from the Bekaa to watch the pope deliver his speech on the Middle East.
“Apart from affecting myself and my family in a great way, the pope’s appreciation for Lebanon is an important sign to the youth of this country that they should let go of their fears and return to the Church,” said 25-year-old Barake.
“For Christian leaders to visit Lebanon twice in [a span of] 15 years means this country is blessed and is important to Christians around the world,” he said.
According to Barake, the pope’s message is mainly aimed at Lebanese Christian youth who he called divided and unconnected to spirituality.
“I hope the youth would return to their roots and return to spirituality by going to the Church,” Barake said.
The several hundred strong crowd at Harissa was small in comparison to the hundreds of thousands who are expected to attend the pope’s Sunday Mass at Beirut’s Waterfront.
However, a large number of high-ranking Christian, Muslim and Druze figures attended Friday’s service.
The logistics of the pope’s visit have been closely coordinated between the Lebanese Army, the visit’s Central Coordination Committee and the Presidential Guard.
Despite this, dozens of Lebanese and foreign journalists were barred from covering the signing ceremony – considered one of the key events of his three-day visit to the country.
Escorted to a nearby one-story building, journalists were told by the Army that they could not leave the building or capture the pope’s arrival on film.
Instead of arriving in his famous “popemobile,” the pontiff drew up to Saint Paul’s Basilica in President Michel Sleiman’s black Mercedes-Benz limousine.
As he stepped out of the car, Pope Benedict XVI turned to the crowd and waved before accompanying Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai and other religious leaders to the steps of the church, the six-decade old Melkite Greek Catholic basilica.
The church is only meters from Harissa’s Our Lady of Lebanon statue and the Papal embassy, where the pope will stay for the duration of his trip.

September 15, 2012/By Wassim Mroueh, Stephen Dockery The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Revelers of many sects and parties lined the streets and adorned overpasses and buildings with papal images to welcome the pope to Beirut Friday, chanting as the pontiff descended from his airplane.
Hundreds of people from the Hezbollah-dominated southern suburbs turned out along the airport road to see Pope Benedict XVI on the first papal visit to Lebanon in 15 years. Hezbollah scouts and girls in headscarves and abayas waved flags and cheered as the papal convoy moved out of the airport and into the city.
“We welcome every peaceful person who is not an extremist, as you have seen the people of the suburbs have welcomed him,” said Ali Shuqair, owner of a mechanic’s shop on the airport road.
Shuqair, like many of the people who came out to welcome the pope, saw the visit as a chance to boost relations between Christians and Muslims in Lebanon. “We grew up together with our Christian brothers, and there was no fanaticism,” he said.
Groups across the political and religious spectrum, including Hezbollah, have pledged to welcome the pope on his three-day stay in Lebanon that will see him visit a number of Christian sites and meet many different religious leaders. The pope’s initial reception Friday showed that many of those groups made good on their promise.
“God willing, goodness and peace will prevail throughout Lebanon as a result of this visit,” Ali Sukkarieh said as he played cards in his cafe on the airport road.
The pope’s visit took him to Harissa Friday evening and will see him visit Baabda, Bzommar and Bkirki Saturday and deliver a Mass in Beirut Sunday in addition to a trip to Charfat and another visit to Harissa.As the pope and his entourage descended from their plane Friday afternoon, a band played, people cheered and a gun salute shook the ground. After politicians and religious figures greeted Benedict and delivered welcoming remarks, the pontiff made his first speech on Lebanese soil championing religious coexistence and unity.
Vatican officials have said the pope decided to proceed with his visit to Lebanon despite the conflict in Syria. They said his main message throughout will be one of religious coexistence.
Once he exited the airport, groups from varying religious and social backgrounds were there to greet him.
Groups of young men gathered along the highway and families congregated at intersections. The Vatican insignia was draped over houses and the pope’s image was plastered on billboards. Posters from Hezbollah welcomed the pope to “the land of resistance,” while others from the Amal Movement called for help against Israel. “Our tortured people in Lebanon and Palestine are in need of your prayers to face criminal Israel,” the Amal banner read.
The hope that the pope’s visit would bring peace appears was a common theme expressed by many in the crowds who rallied for someone from another faith.
“This doesn’t happen every day. It will calm things down and boost civil peace and coexistence,” said Ali Ayyoub, owner of a shop along the airport road who dubbed the visit “historic.”
“We hope that after he leaves Lebanese politicians will follow his path,” Ayyoub said.
Ayyoub’s relative Ayyad chimed in from inside the shop: “I hope the pope will stay in Lebanon forever so that calm will stay here forever.”

September 15, 2012/By Van Meguerditchian, Wassim Mroueh/ The Daily Star
HARISSA, Lebanon: Pope Benedict XVI, who signed the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops Friday, urged Christians in the region to be brave and remain loyal to their beliefs and values.
“Churches of the Middle East, fear not, for the Lord is truly with you, to the close of the age.
“Fear not, because the universal Church walks at your side and is humanly and spiritually close to you,” the pope said during a Mass at Harissa’s Saint Paul Basilica.
“In light of today’s Feast, and in view of a fruitful application of the Exhortation, I urge all of you to fear not, to stand firm in truth and in purity of faith,” Benedict said.
“This is the language of the cross, exalted and glorious!”
During the Mass the pope signed the Exhortation, which includes recommendations made to the Christians of the region during the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, which convened in the Vatican in October 2010.
“By its biblical and pastoral orientation ... and its summons to dialogue, the Exhortation points out a path for rediscovering what is essential: Being a follower of Christ even in difficult and sometimes painful situations, which may lead to the temptation to ignore or to forget the exaltation of the cross,” the pope said.
The pontiff said that the Exhortation encourages “genuine” dialogue among different religions based on the faith in one God.
“The Exhortation shows openness to authentic inter-religious dialogue based on faith in the one God, the Creator. It also seeks to contribute to an ecumenism full of human, spiritual and charitable fervor, in evangelical truth and love,” he said.
Pope Benedict – who arrived for a three-day visit to Lebanon Friday – said that the synod discussed all aspects of the situation of Christians in the Middle East.
“In examining the present situation of the Church in the Middle East, the synod fathers reflected on the joys and struggles, the fears and hopes of Christ’s disciples in these lands,” the pope said.
“In this way, the entire Church was able to hear the troubled cry and see the desperate faces of many men and women who experience grave human and material difficulties, who live amid powerful tensions in fear and uncertainty,” he added.
The gathering was attended by President Michel Sleiman and a wide array of bishops as well as Druze and Sunni religious figures.
Delivering a speech at the beginning of the Mass, Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregorios Lahham III voiced support for the Catholic Church in the Vatican, saying the world was in need of a unified Church strong enough to carry the principles of love, hope and truth.
Addressing the pope, Lahham said: “You carry a message to Lebanon, the country that is a message in itself, as your predecessor said,” in reference to late Pope John Paul II, who famously described Lebanon as a unique example of coexistence in the region.
Lahham also thanked the Vatican for its support to the Palestinian cause.

September 15, 2012/The Daily Star
There are different versions of when it happened, but more than 60 years ago when confronted with the idea that the Vatican might not be enamored with his policies, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin remarked: “How many divisions does the pope have?” For some people, this cynical comment can be taken as a wonderful expression of realpolitik.
However, others might remember another point in history when Pope John Paul II maintained a strongly principled position that served as a catalyst to the collapse of the mighty empire that Stalin helped create. In other words, those who believe that the words of a pope or other religious figure have no impact can end up being quite mistaken.
Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Lebanon Friday and has already preached a multi-level message.
He has exhorted the faithful and the wider public against the evils of religious fundamentalism, war, and the uprooting of Christians from their homelands.
He has spoken out against injustice, and brings a message of peace. The pope is also reassuring Christians in Lebanon and the Middle East that they are not alone, and that they have the backing of the Vatican. Benedict’s message is that these communities are part of this region; they should remain here and interact with the followers of other religions, the majority of whom also want universal values such as peace, coexistence and development. However, while the pontiff speaks out against oppression, he and the world continue to face the glaring injustice that has been suffered, and continues to be suffered, by the Palestinians. The Vatican, as a political institution, has acknowledged this state of affairs and has supported solutions to rectify this injustice.
But speaking out is one thing. The Vatican should be up to the responsibility of fighting injustice by pursuing the Palestine issue and making it a concrete objective.
The Catholic Church might not have divisions in the military sense of the word, but it has a number of means and resources at its disposal.
It has a vibrant presence in Palestine, which means it should be fully aware of the situation there.
It falls on the pope, who has promised to combat oppression and injustice, to make every effort – forcefully and transparently – to eradicate the injustice suffered by the Palestinians.
It is only then that all of the rhetoric about peace in this part of the world can actually be achieved; otherwise, the tension, violence and feelings of injustice will continue, and this hope of peace will continue to be placed on hold. While Lebanon’s honored guest and the institution he represents should advocate tirelessly for peace, with an eye to achieving tangible results, politicians should do their part as well. They must prove that their enthusiastic welcome of a man bearing a message of peace and fighting injustice is not just a show.

Geagea Shares 'Warm' Handshake with al-Rahi: Says Papal Visit Historical
Naharnet/15 September 2012/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said on Saturday that the visit of Pope Benedict XVl to Lebanon is a historical step amid the Arab Spring and the critical situation in Lebanon, the Middle East as he shared a “warm” handshake with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi. “The papal visit will spread an atmosphere of tranquility and give a boost to the Arab Spring,” Geagea told reporters at the Baabda Palace on the pontiff's second day of visit to Lebanon. He pointed out that Christians in the Middle East are passing through enormous risks that they should be willing to confront. “The visit of the pope gives us hope,” Geagea stated..On the sidelines of the LF leader shared a “warm” handshake with al-Rahi as they had a conversation.
Geagea also held talks with Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani

Bishops Deny Lady of Seas Crying Blood, Oil
Naharnet/15 September 2012, 05:22
Bishops at the Lady of Seas sanctuary in Byblos, north of Beirut, denied on Saturday reports that the statue of Virgin Mary is crying tears of blood and oil. The bishops said in a statement that there wasn't any oil or blood on the statue as media reports and social networking sites have claimed. The National News Agency said Friday that blood had been oozing from the right eye and the neck of the statue while Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) said the statue was crying oil. “The phenomenon was the result of natural factors,” the statement said. It urged the faithful to be cautious while reading such news and called for praying for the virgin Mary “to preserve the nation and bless it.”

California man who made inflammatory anti-Muslim movie gets attorney
By Gillian Flaccus, The Associated Press | The Canadian Press /CERRITOS, Calif. - The man behind the anti-Muslim movie that has inflamed the Middle East has obtained legal counsel.
Escorted by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies, attorney Steve Seiden emerged from the Cerritos, California, home of Nakoula Basseley Nakoula after a lengthy meeting Friday afternoon.
Seiden says he's been asked to consult with Nakoula about matters he's not at liberty to discuss.Seiden said to reporters, "You're keeping his young children prisoners in their home because they're afraid to come out."Seiden said he had no further comment, but asked the throng of news media to leave.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird: Canada considered Iran pullout for months
By The Canadian Press | The Canadian Press/MONTREAL - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says Canada started re-evaluating its presence in Iran several months ago after seeing that country's government was not stepping in to help protect foreign missions as other countries in the region had. Baird told reporters in Montreal that the federal government decided to reduce staff to a skeleton crew after an incursion against the British embassy in November. He said Iran had a track record of non-assistance to foreign embassies going back to the attack on the U.S. embassy in 1980 and Canada wanted its staff kept safe. Another factor was Canada's recognition of Iran as a sponsor of terrorism. Baird said the layout of the Tehran facility was another consideration in the decision to close it.
He says the embassy sits close to the street and is not secure to the extent the government would like in that case. Baird says the decision to reopen the embassy in Cairo, which was closed Thursday, will be evaluated on a day-by-day basis.

Obama pulling away from Romney in polls but Mideast looms
By Samuel P. Jacobs | Reuters – Thu, 13 Sep,
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is pulling away from rival Mitt Romney in polls in what might be a turning point in the U.S. presidential campaign, but volatility in the Middle East is allowing Republicans to cast the Democrat as weak on foreign policy and could threaten his momentum.
In the latest survey to show Obama ahead, a Reuters/Ipsos online poll on Thursday gave the Democrat a 7 percentage point lead, 48 percent to 41 percent, among likely voters.
Survey aggregator Real Clear Politics' average of national polls gives Obama a 3.3-point advantage while Gallup's seven-day tracking poll of registered voters has Obama leading by 6 points, one more than a Fox News survey of likely voters.
After months of a neck-and-neck race for the November 6 election, the recent data has stirred speculation that Obama may have reached a breakaway moment helped by the Democrats' convention in North Carolina last week when they laid out a case for his re-election.
"This election is far from over, and we're not inclined to make a final call until the first debate on October 3, but this seems clear: the election is slipping away from Romney," said Greg Valliere of Potomac Research Group which analyzes Washington for investors.
But in a reminder of how campaigns can shift easily, Republicans began building a strong argument against Obama for failing to stop the rise of Islamists in Egypt and Libya, where the U.S. ambassador was killed in an attack this week.
It is unclear whether Obama's lead in the polls is a residue of positive feeling from the convention, or due to more specific reasons like voter concern at the Republican ticket's plans for Medicare or Democratic ads attacking Romney's business record.
Poll leads at this stage in the race can evaporate quickly, as Republican Senator John McCain's did in the 2008 campaign.
But Obama seems to be doing something right to be able to stay ahead despite high unemployment, underscored by poor jobless figures last week. The Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Obama with a slight lead of 38 percent over 35 percent on which candidate has a better plan on jobs.
"You'd rather be in Obama's shoes today than Romney's," said Peter Brown, a pollster for Quinnipiac University.
In key states, the numbers looked grim for Romney this week too.
An EPIC-MRA poll showed Obama up 10 points in Michigan, Romney's birthplace and a state where conservative groups supporting him pulled back advertising dollars this week.
A poll released on Tuesday showed Obama up 4 points in Ohio, one of the top three battleground states.
MIDDLE EAST CLOUDS GATHER
With the home front reasonably stable for him, Obama now has one eye on the Middle East as Republicans accuse him of weakness in the face of protests at U.S. diplomatic missions over a film many Muslims consider blasphemous.
The region has a history of upsetting U.S. presidential races as in 1980 when the Iran hostage crisis played a part in the defeat of Democratic President Jimmy Carter.
Although the current crisis is nowhere near as serious, demonstrators attacked the U.S. embassies in Yemen and Egypt on Thursday and American warships headed toward Libya after the U.S. ambassador there was killed in related violence.
Obama appeared to slip up by saying that Egypt, which receives $1.3 billion a year in military assistance from the United States, is not an ally.
"I don't think that we would consider them an ally, but we don't consider them an enemy," Obama told Spanish-language network Telemundo on Wednesday.
Former election opponent McCain appeared on a series of morning television shows to accuse Obama of lacking resolve.
"The fact is the United States in the Middle East is weak," the senator told MSNBC. "We are seen as withdrawing, and we are paying a price for that weakness, whether it be unraveling in Iraq, the tragedy in Syria, the tensions with Israel, the Afghan situation unraveling. There is a lack of leadership there."
Obama vowed that those responsible for killing the ambassador in Libya and three other Americans would be brought to justice.
"No act of violence shakes the resolve of the United States of America," Obama told an audience of 8,400 in Golden, Colorado.
Romney was accused earlier this week of being too hasty to criticize the president in the middle of a foreign crisis, as well as giving wrong information about the Obama administration's reaction to the storming of the embassy in Egypt.
He recalibrated his argument against Obama on Thursday, stopping short of repeating charges that Obama is apologizing to America's enemies.
"As we watch the world today, sometimes it seems that we're at the mercy of events, instead of shaping events, and a strong America is essential to shape events," he told supporters at a rally in Fairfax, a Washington suburb. Although foreign policy dominated headlines this week, the Federal Reserve's decision to launch another aggressive stimulus program on Thursday presented a further opportunity for Romney to return the presidential campaign to economic issues, long considered the former private equity executive's strong suit.
(Additional reporting by Margaret Chabourn in Washington, Steve Holland in Fairfax, Virginia, and Andy Sullivan in Golden, Colorado; editing by Alistair Bell and Mohammad Zargham)

At least 4 casualties in Al Qaeda attack on US-led Sinai peacekeeping mission
DEBKAfile Special Report September 14, 2012/ Unconfirmed reports of at least four peacekeepers hurt when scores of Salafi Bedouin linked to al Qaeda stormed the Multinational Force’s camp in northern Sinai with grenades, mortars and automatic guns Friday night Sept. 14. The casualties were transferred to the Israeli hospital in Beersheba. The number of casualties and their nationality has not been confirmed. debkafile’s military and Egyptian sources report that the gunmen drove up to the camp in 50 Toyota pickups, first blocking the roads to the Al Ghora base southwest of El Arish, then knocking over two guard posts. They faced heavy resistance from the international force before torching the facility, plundering its arms and ordnance stores and hoisting the black al Qaeda flag. A second band of 60-70 gunmen then arrived and the firefight continued although an Egyptian force arrived on the scene with 11 armored personnel carriers.
This was the second al-Qaeda-instigated assault on a primarily US target in the Middle East in four days after the murder of four US diplomats including Ambassador Chris Stevens in Benghazi, Libya Tuesday. The 1,500 troops from the United States and other countries have been posted in Sinai to monitor the 1979 peace accords between Egypt and Israel.
The armed Bedouin gangs claimed their attack on the MFO camp was part of the Islamist protest sweeping the Middle East against an anti-Muslim video.

Canada Welcomes Election of Libyan Prime Minister Mustafa Abushagur
September 14, 2012 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:
“Canada welcomes the election of Prime Minister Mustafa Abushagur in Libya.
“Canada welcomes the progress that Libya has made in its transition to democracy and remains committed to working with the people of Libya in their journey to build a more just and democratic society based on the rule of law and respect for human rights.
“The recent tragic attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is indicative of the security challenges facing the new prime minister and the Government of Libya.
“Progress on the political transition is an important component in the rebuilding of a peaceful and secure Libyan society. Canada will continue to work with Libya in this regard.”

At least 4 casualties in Al Qaeda attack on US-led Sinai peacekeeping mission
DEBKAfile Special Report September 14, 2012/ Unconfirmed reports of at least four peacekeepers hurt when scores of Salafi Bedouin linked to al Qaeda stormed the Multinational Force’s camp in northern Sinai with grenades, mortars and automatic guns Friday night Sept. 14. The casualties were transferred to the Israeli hospital in Beersheba. The number of casualties and their nationality has not been confirmed. debkafile’s military and Egyptian sources report that the gunmen drove up to the camp in 50 Toyota pickups, first blocking the roads to the Al Ghora base southwest of El Arish, then knocking over two guard posts. They faced heavy resistance from the international force before torching the facility, plundering its arms and ordnance stores and hoisting the black al Qaeda flag. A second band of 60-70 gunmen then arrived and the firefight continued although an Egyptian force arrived on the scene with 11 armored personnel carriers.
This was the second al-Qaeda-instigated assault on a primarily US target in the Middle East in four days after the murder of four US diplomats including Ambassador Chris Stevens in Benghazi, Libya Tuesday.
The 1,500 troops from the United States and other countries have been posted in Sinai to monitor the 1979 peace accords between Egypt and Israel.
The armed Bedouin gangs claimed their attack on the MFO camp was part of the Islamist protest sweeping the Middle East against an anti-Muslim video.

Canada Welcomes Election of Libyan Prime Minister Mustafa Abushagur
September 14, 2012 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:
“Canada welcomes the election of Prime Minister Mustafa Abushagur in Libya.
“Canada welcomes the progress that Libya has made in its transition to democracy and remains committed to working with the people of Libya in their journey to build a more just and democratic society based on the rule of law and respect for human rights.
“The recent tragic attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is indicative of the security challenges facing the new prime minister and the Government of Libya.
“Progress on the political transition is an important component in the rebuilding of a peaceful and secure Libyan society. Canada will continue to work with Libya in this regard.”

Question: "Is Jesus a myth? Is Jesus just a copy of the pagan gods of other ancient religions?"
Answer: There are a number of voices claiming that the accounts of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament are simply myths and were the result of the writers borrowing stories from pagan mythology, such as the stories of Osiris, Dionysus, Adonis, Attis, and Mithras. The claim is that these mythological figures are essentially the same story as what the New Testament ascribes to Jesus Christ of Nazareth. As Dan Brown claims in, The Da Vinci Code, “Nothing in Christianity is original.”
However, once the facts are examined, these claims are proven false. To discover the truth about these particular claims and others like them, it is important to: (1) unearth the history behind their assertions, (2) examine the actual historical portrayals of the false gods being compared to Christ, (3) expose the logical fallacies that the authors are making, and (4) look at why the New Testament Gospels can be trusted as accurately depicting the true and historical Jesus Christ.
First, the claims of Jesus as a myth or an exaggeration originated in the writings of 19th century liberal German theologians. Their claim was essentially that Jesus was nothing more than a copy of the widespread worship of dying and rising fertility gods in various places—Tammuz in Mesopotamia, Adonis in Syria, Attis in Asia Minor, and Osiris in Egypt. None of these works ever advanced in the realm of academia and religious thought because their assertions were investigated by theologians and scholars and determined to be completely false and baseless. It has only been in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century that these assertions have been resurrected, primarily due to the rise of the internet and mass distribution of information that has no historical foundation or accountability.
This leads us to the next area of investigation—do the mythological gods of antiquity really mirror the person of Jesus Christ? As an example, the Zeitgeist movie makes these claims about the Egyptian god Horus:
• He was born on December 25th of a virgin - Isis Mary
• A star in the East proclaimed his arrival
• Three kings came to adore the new-born “savior”
• He became a child prodigy teacher at age 12
• At age 30 he was “baptized” and began a “ministry”
• Horus had twelve “disciples”
• Horus was betrayed
• He was crucified
• He was buried for three days
• He was resurrected after three days
However, when the actual writings about Horus are competently examined, this is what we find:
• Horus was born to Isis; there is no mention in history of her being called “Mary.” Moreover, Mary is our anglicized form of her real name ‘Miryam’ or Miriam. “Mary” was not even used in the original texts of Scripture.
• Isis was not a virgin; she was the widow of Osiris and conceived Horus with Osiris.
• Horus was born during month of Khoiak (Oct/Nov), not December 25. Further, there is no mention in the Bible as to Christ’s actual birth date.
• There is no record of three kings visiting Horus at his birth. The Bible never states the actual number of magi that came to see Christ.
• Horus is not a “savior” in any shape or form; he did not die for anyone.
• There are no accounts of Horus being a teacher at the age of 12.
• Horus was not “baptized.” The only account of Horus that involves water is one story where Horus is torn to pieces, with Isis requesting the crocodile god to fish him out of the water he was placed into.
• Horus did not have a “ministry.”
• Horus did not have 12 disciples. According to the Horus accounts, Horus had four semi-gods that were followers and some indications of 16 human followers and an unknown number of blacksmiths that went into battle with him.
• There is no account of Horus being betrayed by a friend.
• Horus did not die by crucifixion. There are various accounts of Horus’ death, but none of them involve crucifixion.
• There is no account of Horus being buried for three days.
• Horus was not resurrected. There is no account of Horus coming out of the grave with the body he went in with. Some accounts have Horus/Osiris being brought back to life by Isis and going to be the lord of the underworld.
So when compared side by side, Jesus and Horus bear little, if any, resemblance to one another. Another popular comparison done by those claiming that Jesus Christ is a myth is with Jesus and Mithras. All the above claims of Horus are applied to Mithras (e.g. born of a virgin, being crucified, rising in three days, etc.). But what does history say about Mithras?
• He was born out of a solid rock and not from any woman.
• He battled first with the sun and then a primeval bull, thought to be the first act of creation. Mithras killed the bull, which then became the ground of life for the human race.
• Mithras birth was celebrated on December 25, along with Winter solstice.
• There is no mention of him as being a great teacher.
• There is no mention of Mithras having 12 disciples. The idea that Mithras had 12 disciples may have come from a mural in which Mithras is surrounded by twelve signs of the Zodiac.
• Mithras had no bodily resurrection. The myth is told that Mithras completed his earthly mission then was taken to paradise in a chariot, alive and well. The early Christian writer Tertullian did write about Mithras believers re-enacting resurrection scenes, but he wrote about this occurring well after New Testament times, so if any copycatting was done, it was the cult of Mithras copying from Christianity.
More examples can be given of Krishna, Attis, Dionysus and other mythological gods, but the result is the same. In the end, the historical Jesus as portrayed in the Bible is thoroughly unique. The claimed similarities are greatly exaggerated. Further, while belief in Horus, Mithras, and others pre-dated Christianity, there is very little historical record of the pre-Christian beliefs of those religions. The vast majority of the earliest writings about these religions is dated to the third and fourth centuries A.D. It is illogical and unhistorical to claim the pre-Christian beliefs in these religions (of which there is no record) were identical to the post-Christian beliefs in these groups (of which there is record). It is more historically valid to attribute any similarities between these religions and Christianity to the religions copying Christian beliefs about Jesus and placing those attributes on their own gods/saviors/founders in an attempt to stop the rapid growth of Christianity.
This leads us to the next area to examine: the logical fallacies committed by those claiming that Christianity borrowed from pagan mystery religions. Two fallacies in particular are obvious— the fallacy of the false cause and the terminological fallacy. If one thing precedes another, it does not mean that the first caused the second. This is the fallacy of the false cause. Even if pre-Christian accounts of mythological gods closely resembled Christ (and they do not), it does not mean they caused the gospel writers to invent a false Jesus. Claiming such a thing would be like saying the TV series Star Trek caused the NASA Space Shuttle program.
The terminological fallacy occurs when terms are redefined to prove a point, when in fact such terms do not mean the same thing when compared to their source. So for example, the Zeitgeist movie says that Horus “began his ministry,” but Horus had no actual ministry – nothing like that of Christ’s ministry. Those claiming Mithras and Jesus are the same talk about the “baptism” that initiated prospects into the Mithras cult, but what was it actually? The Mithras priests (using a ritual also performed by followers of Attis) would suspend a bull over a pit, place those wanting to join the cult into the pit, slit the bull’s stomach, which then covered the initiates in blood. Such a thing has no resemblance whatsoever to Christian baptism—a person going under water (symbolizing the death of Christ) and then coming back out of the water (symbolizing Christ’s resurrection). But advocates of the mythological Jesus position deceptively use the same term to describe both in hopes of linking the two together.
The last issue to examine on this subject is the truthfulness of the New Testament itself. While much has been written on this topic, no work from antiquity has more evidence with respect to historical veracity than the New Testament. The New Testament has more writers (nine), better writers, and earlier writers than any other document from that era. Further, history testifies to the fact that these writers went to their deaths for claiming that Jesus had risen from the dead. While some may die for a lie they think is true, no person dies for a lie they know to be false. Think about it—if someone was about to crucify you upside down, as happened to the Apostle Peter, and all you had to do to save your life was renounce a lie you had knowingly been living, what would you do?
In addition, history has shown that it takes at least two generations to pass before myth can enter into a historical account. Why? Because eyewitnesses can refute error put in print. Those living at the time could refute the errors of the author and expose the work as being false. All the Gospels of the New Testament were written during the lifetime of the eyewitnesses, with some of Paul’s epistles being written as early as 50 A.D. That early dating acts as a key protective mechanism against any falsehoods being accepted and circulated.
Finally, the New Testament attests to the fact that the portrayal of Jesus was not mistaken for that of any other god. When faced with Paul’s teaching, the elite thinkers of Athens said this: “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean" (Acts 17:18-20). Clearly, if the accounts of Jesus were simply rehashing stories of other gods, the Athenians would not have referred to them at “new” teaching. If dying and rising gods were plentiful in the first century why, when the apostle Paul preached Jesus rising from the dead in Acts 17, did the Epicureans and Stoics not remark, “Ah, just like Horus and Mithras”?
In conclusion, the claims that Jesus is nothing more than a myth, a copy of mythological gods, originated from authors whose works have been discounted by academia, commit logical fallacies that undermine their veracity, and cannot compare to the New Testament Gospels which have withstood nearly 2,000 years of intense scrutiny. The alleged parallels disappear when they are compared with the original historical texts. Similarities between Jesus and the various mythological gods can only be argued for by employing selective and misleading descriptions.
Jesus Christ stands unique in history, with His voice rising above all false gods and continuing to ask the question that ultimately determines a person’s eternal destiny: “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15)

Asharq Al-Awsat talks to new Libyan PM Mustafa Abushagur
14/09/2012
By Khaled Mahmoud
Tripoli, Asharq Al-Awsat – In an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat just a few hours after being elected Prime Minister by Libya’s parliament, Mustafa Abushagur stressed that his priority would be security. Abushagur was elected prime minister just one day after the attacks on the US consulate in Benghazi which resulted in the death of US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. Abushagur, speaking prior to the vote, called the attacks “cowardly and criminal.” The new Libyan Prime Minister lately confirmed that the first “arrests have been made” and that the investigation into the attacks is ongoing.
Abushagur was appointed Libya’s new Prime Minister on Wednesday. He has 30 days to form a cabinet. He was elected to the post with 96 votes in comparison to Mahmoud Jibril’s 94. He previously served as Libya’s Deputy Prime Minister, being appointed to this post on 22 November, 2011.
The following is the full text of the interview:
[Asharq Al-Awsat] In an unprecedented scene in Libyan history you were elected to the post of prime minister by just two votes: did you expect it to be so close?
[Abushagur] There can be no doubt that this is truly an unprecedented scene in Libyan history, for this is the first time that the Libyan people have elected a prime minister. I have great respect and appreciation for Mr. Mahmoud Jibril, and this is something that is confirmed by what he did during the days of the revolution.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Is there any chance of Jibril, or any of his team, being appointed in your government?
[Abushagur] No doubt, I think he has a role in the cabinet, for I intend to form a national consensus government.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you intend to form a government that represents all spectrums of Libyan society?
[Abushagur] Yes, certainly.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] The National Front party has managed to secure the posts of president and parliamentary speaker, and there are fears that it will monopolize the political scene. What is your view of this?
[Abushagur] I am not a member of the National Front party. In fact, I am not a member of any political group, and so I can say that the National Front has not taken the prime minister’s post.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Many people view you as being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. Why is that?
[Abushagur] (laughs) I do not know why. I am somebody who is proud to be a Muslim, but I am not a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. Perhaps, in some people’s view, anybody who is a Muslim is a member of the Brotherhood. With all respect to this group as a leading Islamic movement, I am not a member of this group nor any other political ideology.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] It is being reported that the majority of the MPs who voted for you have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood , and therefore you will be a Brotherhood prime minister. How do you respond to that?
[Abushagur] The reality is that independent MPs not affiliated to any party supported my candidacy during the first electoral round, however I believe that some members of the Justice and Construction party (the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood) voted for me during the second round, and that is only natural.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What will be the priorities for your government?
[Abushagur] There can be no doubt that the most important issue is the security file, as well as forming the military and police based on modern and practical methods and securing the country’s affairs as quickly as possible, by which we mean extending the state’s authority and prestige over all Libyan territory.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you expect this task to be easy?
[Abushagur] No, this task will be very difficult, but this has fallen to us, and we can overcome it. We will be able to achieve this thanks to our own will, the determination of the Libyan people and the aid of the rebel youth and the institutes of the civil state. The security issue is the issue of every member of the Libyan people, in addition to the government apparatus; we want Libya to be safe and stable, God willing.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Will you include the Libyan rebels in your government? What form will this government take?
[Abushagur] The government will be formed of competent parties capable of implementing the programs and projects we have named above. Yes, we will make use of the qualified Libyan rebels, whilst the geographic make-up of Libya will also play a role [in the formation of the government]. Every city and village in Libya has qualified people, and this is how we will form the new government.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you intend to keep any government ministers in their position or appoint a completely new cabinet?
[Abushagur] If this does happen, it will be limited to a few cases.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Does this mean you want a new beginning for the Libyan people?
[Abushagur] That’s right, I want a new page and new blood so that people can see that this government is new, but that it has the capability to endure.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Did you truly expect to triumph over Mahmoud Jibril and be appointed to the post of prime minister, particularly given the prominent role played by Jibril during the revolution?
[Abushagur] Yes.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What did you base this expectation on?
[Abushagur] This is based on two aspects. Firstly, the fact that many Libyans urged me to compete for the post of prime minister of the new country. I am confident that the people themselves are confident in my own capabilities, which is something they have seen regarding the issues that I dealt with in the past and during my previous post [as deputy PM]. The second reason, in my view, is the desire to have a government that is capable of operating from day one; for if there was another prime minister, he would not be familiar with the country’s affairs, and would require months to get up to speed, however time and position are not on our side.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] When will you announce the formation of your government? Can we expect this within the next week or two?
[Abushagur] Yes, God willing.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Can you confirm that your first official duty as prime minister was to meet with the leadership of the Libyan rebels?
[Abushagur] Yes, my first meeting was with these youth who were responsible for the revolution, and they were also the protectors of the revolution and the country over the past 10 months. I believe that they will have an important role in the future of the country.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] The Libyan people expect much from you. Will you be able to live up these expectations?
[Abushagur ] Yes, there can be no doubt that the ceiling of expectations is very high, and we will try – God willing – to achieve what can be achieved. The Libyan people have great aspirations and we will work to achieve these; we hope that they will see the impact of this on their daily lives soon.

Obama to Rabbis: No 'set of conditions' on Iran dealings

By HILARY LEILA KRIEGER, JERUSALEM POST CORRESPOND 09/15/2012/J.Post/ 02:28 US president tells US rabbis that Netanyahu too would not set conditions, as "no leader ties his hands," denies there is "space" between Washington and Jerusalem, leaves military action on the table. Yuri Gripas / Reuters
WASHINGTON – US President Barack Obama told 1,200 American rabbis Friday that he was not willing to impose a “set of conditions” on how he would handle Iran, according to participants on the call.
Obama’s comments come amidst tensions between the US and Israel in recent days on whether America would set red lines for when it would take military action if Tehran didn’t halt its nuclear activities.
Netanyahu has been pushing for such deadlines to be made clear.
On the call, though, Obama also said that Netanyahu himself would not put in place such conditions, as “no leader ties his hands.”
Obama also said there was “no space” between the United States and Israel on Iran, and that Iran’s leaders should not doubt American resolve or Israel’s right to defend itself, participants said.
While Obama said that “there may come a time when we have to take military action,” he stressed that there was still time for diplomacy, and said the dual track approach emphasizing sanctions was currently working as Iran felt an increasing economic crunch.
But he added, “It won’t be easy.”
He had a similar message on the Arab Spring, which he also said wouldn’t be easy.
In addition, as anti-American riots swirled in the Middle East, Obama pointed to “strains of extremism” in Islam, including anti-Semitism, and that the US rejected all bigotry.
“Given the events of the last weeks, his strong and clear statement of his commitment to thwarting Iran’s drive for nuclear weapons was very important,” said Nathan Diament, the Orthodox Union’s director of public policy. Conservative Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt noted Obama’s emphasis on dealing with Iran and the US-Israel relationship.
“It seemed to me he wanted to go out of his way to emphasize the cooperation and how seriously the threat is taken,” he said.
Another Conservative rabbi, Julie Shonfeld, head of the movement's Rabbinical Assembly, introduced the call, which was held with major Jewish streams in honor of Rosh Hashana.
She noted that Obama has made a tradition of holding these calls with the Jewish community.
Obama also released a Rosh Hashana video greeting Thursday night in which he said that “one of the most important duties we have during this period is the act of reconciliation.”
He spoke about harsh divisions in society and social discourse, and bridging those divides.
He concluded by speaking of renewing “the unbreakable bond we share with our friends and allies - including the State of Israel.”
Earlier in the week, Vice President Joe Biden held a Rosh Hashana reception with Jewish leaders in which he also spoke to the close US-Israel relationship and coordination on Iran.

Has our region changed?
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Alawsat
Just days ago, we witnessed the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks that changed the world in a dramatic manner, whilst the anniversary of the Arab Spring is fast approaching. In addition to this, the anniversary of the death of Saddam Hussein falls in between these two dates. So what lessons have we learned? Has our region changed in the same manner that the world around us has?
The immediate answer is no, there has been no real change in our region. Since things are known by their opposites, if we compare the impact of the September 11 attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in terms of religion, politics, media, economy, culture and society, with that of the Arab Spring, we will see that there was a greater impact and change in Saudi Arabia than that witnessed by most Arab Spring states, not to mention post-occupation Iraq. The reason for this is that wisdom and the desire for change prevailed in Saudi Arabia. The September 11 terrorist attacks against the United States led to openness in Saudi Arabia, in all fields, as well as a clear and concrete review of all aspects of life, including even the joints of governance, from law to social activities. An example of this can be seen in the national dialogue proposed by then Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, who later became the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and issued a new proposal for dialogue between sects. All of this led to openness in Saudi Arabia, which interacted with the changes around them, and this confirms that real change took place. The reason for this, as we previously mentioned, was wisdom, rather than adventure. If we compare, for example, the Arab Spring states with Saudi Arabia, we will find that these countries isolated themselves following their revolutions, whilst Saudi Arabia witnessed an increased openness following the September 11 attacks. This shows that the changes in the Arab Spring countries were not revolutions as much as seizures of power!
Following the September 11 attacks, Saudi Arabia witnessed unprecedented media openness, and suddenly comedies like “Tash ma Tash” were able to criticize anybody, including princes. Compared to this, we saw [Egyptian comedian] Adel Imam being brought to trial in Egypt following the revolution there, not to mention the Tunisian president exploding in anger after a journalist’s mobile phone rang in his presence! Following the September 11 attacks, Saudi Arabia became the most important center for combatting terrorism, rather than the US, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan or any other country, including those that said that terrorism is a Saudi phenomenon! The issue is not just regarding combatting terrorism, but also political moderation, for Saudi Arabia was the symbol of this, particularly as political moderation is an extension of the country’s political history. For whilst some were flattering al-Assad and Hezbollah, Saudi Arabia was saying – as far back as 2006 – that what was happening was an adventure. In addition to this, when the Arab Spring exploded, Saudi Arabia removed the fuse of the Tunisian crisis by receiving [former president] Ben Ali. Riyadh also achieved the greatest Arab political agreement in recent years, securing the departure of Ali Abdullah Saleh from power in Yemen, which is something that the US and Europe have failed to do in Syria today. Indeed, Saudi Arabia represents the moral lever in Syria in front of the al-Assad regime, whilst Riyadh securing of the departure of Saleh recalls the Taif Accord, which secured the survival of the Lebanese state until today.
All of this confirms that what happened in our region – with the exception of Syria – are not revolutions or change, and that nobody has learnt the lesson. If you want to know the true meaning of change and openness you must compare the Arab Spring states with Saudi Arabia following the September 11 attacks or post-Saddam Iraq. The reality is that Saudi Arabia is synonymous with wisdom; this is something that should be the subject of a book, not a brief article, however the absence of serious media attention to this issue required me to shed light on it here.

Poll: 70% of US Jews support Obama
Yitzhak Benhorin/Ynetnews
Recent Gallup survey show only 25% support for Republican's Romney among US Jewry; Obama maintains lead in crucial swing states
WASHINGTON – The Jewish public in the United States seems to have taken Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's visit to Israel, as well as his dramatic statements about Jerusalem, in stride, as a recent poll revealed that the majority of Jewish voters in the US still support US President Barack Obama. A recent Gallup poll released Saturday found that 70% of US Jews still support Obama, while the GOP's candidate has only 25% support – similar to the support given to John McCain in 2008.The Republicans have been vigorously courting the Jewish vote – as well as that of Israelis who hold dual nationality – during the 2012 presidential campaign, including sending several top GPO senators and congressman to Israel.
The 2008 presidential race saw Obama win 78% of the Jewish votes in the United States.
A poll held in March found that his approval ratings among American Jewry slipped to 61%.
However, the recent results of both the Democratic and Republican conventions, and what is now being called Romney's "ill-fated" response to the murder of American diplomats in Libya, had seen Obama widen the gap, especially in the swing states of Florida, Virginia and Ohio – two of which would have to elect Romany in order for him to win the elections. According to recent polls by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal, Obama has a five-point lead over Romney in Florida and Virginia, and a seven-point lead in Ohio.

US media see Iran strike as transcending elections issues
Ynet Published: 09.15.12, 09:07 / Israel News
NYT says leaders need 'more than red lines,' and Washington Post delves into Netanyahu's 'Hamlet-like anguishing' over strike on Iran, as Israel-Iran tensions become pivotal issue in presidential race
As the presidential race in the United States gains momentum and differences between Israel and the US over the need of an immediate action vis-à-vis Iran's nuclear ambitions grows, US media levels growing criticism at Israel's demands of a "red line."
A top commentator at the Washington Post urged US President Barack Obama to help Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "climb down from his unwise rhetoric"; and the New York Times asserts that "Leaders need flexibility and ambiguity, not just hard and fast red lines."David Ignatius of the Washington Post's opinion piece, titled "Puzzled by a 'red line' demand," wonders about Netanyahu's "almost daily demands" for the US to set a clear red line for Iran, and asks "What does he wants beyond what President Obama has already stated?"
Ignatius said that "Obama believes he has drawn the US red line as clearly as a superpower ever should." He noted previous statements by Obama, saying that the US has a national security interest in preventing the Islamic Republic from achieving military nuclear capabilities.
He further notes that the Obama administration has already proved it plans to stop Iran by directing the US Armed forces to formulate a detailed plan of attack should Iran cross the US' line.
Ignatius hedged that Netanyahu's true aim is to see Obama issue a de-facto ultimatum or deadline for Iran to stop its nuclear enrichment.
Watching Netanyahu’s public, Hamlet-like anguishing over the past year about 'to bomb or not to bomb,' one suspects the real issue for him isn't red lines so much as trust that they will be enforced," the Washington Post states.
The relations between the American president and the Israeli prime minister have often been strained and close associates on both sides say they are plagued by mutual mistrust both on a personal level and on a political one.
"Netanyahu should understand that no country can allow another to impose the conditions under which it will go to war," Ignatius wrote. "Presidents don't turn over that power of war and peace, even to their best friends."
If both the US and Israel wish to maintain deterrence vis-à-vis Iran, "Obama should help the Israeli leader to climb down from his unwise rhetoric," he states.
'No Rush to War'
The New York Times' editorial largely echoed that sentiment, further stressing that the United States should not rush to strike Iran, especially since there is a consensus among experts that such a strike could, at best, set the Iranian's nuclear program back four years at most.
Netanyahu, the editorial states, is "Trying to browbeat President Obama into a preemptive strike," further exacerbating the tensions between the close, long-time allies.
"Leaders need flexibility and ambiguity, not just hard and fast red lines. And it is dangerous for Mr. Netanyahu to try to push the president into a corner publicly and raise questions about Washington. Is that really the message he wants to send to Tehran?" the New York Times wondered. Israel has no reason to doubt Washington's resolve on the Iranian threat.
But recent polls show that 70% of Americans oppose a unilateral strike on Iran, and 59% said that if a unilateral Israeli strike on Iran ignites a regional war, the United States should not come to its ally’s aid.
The editorial asserts that "The best strategy is for Israel to work with the United States and other major powers to tighten sanctions while pursuing negotiations on a deal. It is a long shot, but there is time to talk. And that’s where the focus must be."

Jihadism's Foothold in Libya
Aaron Y. Zelin/Washington Istitute
September 12, 2012
Islamist extremism is limited in Libya, but it could grow if no action is taken against those responsible for recent violence.
The tragic death of U.S. ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other diplomatic personnel in yesterday's attack on the American consulate in Benghazi was the latest episode of violence attributed to Islamist extremists in Libya. A small contingent of local jihadists has emerged since Muammar Qadhafi's ouster, and they have applauded the recent attacks, though it is not clear how much responsibility they bear for carrying them out. The growth of such groups is a worrisome development that reinforces the importance of active U.S. engagement with the new Libyan authorities.
LIBYAN JIHADISM BEFORE THE WAR
Prior to the 2011 uprising, the country's main organized jihadist movement, the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, had already deradicalized and retired. Founded after the anti-Soviet jihad, the LIFG attempted to overthrow the Qadhafi regime in the mid-1990s but began to move away from armed conflict in 2006. In 2009, the group's shura council members -- some in Libyan prison, others in exile in Europe -- negotiated an end to conflict with the regime via Qadhafi's son Saif al-Islam. The minority that disagreed with that decision joined al-Qaeda in Pakistan, leaving no organized presence in Libya. Therefore, on the eve of last year's war, organized violent jihadism in Libya was more or less extinct.
Once the uprising began, the LIFG stuck to its word and did not return to jihadist activities, even changing its name to the Libyan Islamic Movement for Change. As the rebellion unfolded, however, many members of the group joined the armed resistance, where they drew on their prior combat experience; most prominently, LIFG figure Abdul Hakim Belhaj became head of the Tripoli Military Council.
Following Qadhafi's fall, the LIFG split into two political factions that contested the July 2012 legislative elections: the broad-based moderate party Hizb al-Watan (HW), which Belhaj joined, and the smaller, more conservative and Islamist-tinged Hizb al-Umma al-Wasat (HUW), which most other LIFG members joined under the leadership of prominent figure Sami al-Saadi. HW did not win any seats in the election, while HUW garnered one, which was allocated to Abdul Wahhab al-Qaed, brother of the late Abu Yahya al-Libi, a senior al-Qaeda figure.
NEW LOCAL GROUPS
Even as LIFG put down its arms after the war and joined the political process, new jihadist groups began to emerge once the dust settled. One of the largest is Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi (ASB), led by Muhammad Zahawi. In addition to online connections with the Ansar al-Sharia group in Tunisia, ASB has ties to several smaller Salafi-jihadist katibas (battalions) in Libya, including the shadowy Ansar al-Sharia in Darnah (ASD), led by former Guantanamo Bay inmate Abu Sufyan bin Qumu. Many of these katibas participated in the ASB's first "annual conference" this June; based on photos from the event, as many as a thousand individuals attended.
ASB's main concern is instituting Islamic law based on their narrow interpretation. According to recent reports, ASB, ASD, or other smaller katibas have been provoking the recent destruction of Sufi mosques and graves. Although ASB has not claimed responsibility for the incidents, it has applauded the perpetrators.
Another new actor is the shadowy "Imprisoned Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman Brigades," named after the spiritual leader of the Egyptian al-Gamaa al-Islamiyah who is currently serving a life sentence in the United States for involvement in the 1993 World Trade Center attack, among other plots. Not much is known about the group's leadership or size, but it was responsible for a series of attacks in Benghazi this May and June: two attacks against the International Committee of the Red Cross, a bomb attack against the U.S. consulate, and a strike on the British ambassador's convoy.
Currently, there are no known operational links between these Libyan groups and al-Qaeda or its affiliates. Earlier this year, CNN quoted unidentified intelligence reports indicating that al-Qaeda had sent operatives from Pakistan to set up cells in Libya, but no corroborating evidence has yet been offered. Al-Qaeda did attempt to exploit last year's uprising, especially since two of its senior leaders (Abu Yahya al-Libi and Atiyyatullah Abu Abd al-Rahman) were of Libyan origin. But both men have since been killed by U.S. drone strikes, which may be why the organization has not focused on Libya in 2012.
THE NORTH MALI JIHAD
One of the unintended consequences of Libya's uprising was how it affected Mali. The war opened a flow of weapons into northern Mali, which helped revive an ethno-tribal conflict that had been brewing on and off since the 1960s. This was not a jihadist conflict, but the gradual implantation over the previous decade of jihadist groups in the Sahel made them well placed to exploit the Malian government's loss of control in the north. While al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has been hovering in the background so as not to attract too much attention to itself, its allies Ansar al-Din and Jamaat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad have taken control of day-to-day governance in the northern Mali towns of Gao, Kidal, and Timbuktu.
SYRIAN TRAINING CAMPS
Some veterans of the Libyan uprising have also become involved in the Syrian civil war -- an entirely different phenomenon that should not be confused with the growth of Libyan jihadism or the developments in Mali. Credible reports indicate that dozens of Libyans, if not more, have joined Liwaa al-Umma, an armed opposition group in Syria led by Mahdi al-Harati, an Irish-Libyan dual national who was previously a commander in the Tripoli Brigade. Four confirmed cases of Libyans dying on the Syrian battlefield have also been reported.
In addition, Libya has become a transfer point for fighters from Western Europe and the Maghreb headed to Syria. News reports and jihadist sources suggest that some of these individuals have attended training camps in Misratah, Benghazi, the desert area near Hon, and Green Mountain in the east, though the accuracy of these reports is unknown.
These fighters are not necessarily global jihadists or al-Qaeda sympathizers; many appear to subscribe to a more orthodox understanding of Islam. That said, foreign Islamist fighters who participated in a number of recent conflicts abroad have become agents of instability when they returned to their home countries -- for this reason alone, the Libyans in Syria merit close watching.
CONCLUSION
Libyan radicals had every reason to be encouraged by the government's inaction against those responsible for the recent destruction of Sufi mosques and graves. If yesterday's attack on the U.S. consulate prompts little official response, vigilantism will grow and perhaps lead to antigovernment violence. Going forward, Washington and Tripoli should share whatever intelligence they have on the jihadists so that they can work together to counter the problem.
Moreover, it is vital for Washington to understand that the jihadist trend in Libya has little popular support -- militias and tribes continue to hold far greater public sway. Most Libyans are hostile toward Islamist extremism, as seen in the lackluster performance of LIFG remnants and the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood in the recent elections. Nevertheless, the United States should pressure Tripoli for a substantive and serious investigation of the death of Ambassador Stevens and other personnel.
*Aaron Y. Zelin is the Richard Borow fellow at The Washington Institute.

Post-Arab Spring "moderate” Muslim regimes cornered by radicals
DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis September 15, 2012

The United States is positioning military forces so that it can respond to unrest in as many as 17 or 18 places in the Islamic world, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced late Friday. "We have to be prepared in the event that these demonstrations get out of control,” he said.
Those words dashed hopes in Washington that the anti-US Islamist rampage by now sweeping 21 countries over a video deriding Islam had passed their peak. In fact, by their sixth day Saturday, Sept. 15,the street protests against American embassies and other US symbols of influence were growing more violent and more organized, threatening not only American lives but tearing up President Barack Obama’s entire outreach policy toward Arabs and Muslims. I
In at least four Arab countries, anti-US protesters were no longer just throwing stones but using firearms. The most serious occurred in Egyptian Sinai, where scores of armed Salafist Bedouin linked to al Qaeda firing missiles, grenades, mortars and automatic weapons were able to break down two guard posts at the US-led Multinational Force near El Arish base in search of American victims. A battalion of Colombian troops fought the invaders off in fierce battle for hours, preventing them from reaching the hundreds of US officers, soldiers and air crews pinned down in fortified quarters.
In Cairo, Islamist demonstrators began firing rubber bullets at Egyptian security forces which have still not succeeded in breaking up the disturbances.
In Tripoli, Lebanon, protesters and the Lebanese army exchanged heavy gun fire. In Khartoum, Islamists shot their way into the US embassy and the American school before setting them ablaze.
In Tunis, the American ambassador almost suffered the same fate as his colleague, Chris Stevens and three consulate staffers who were murdered in Benghazi, Libya, last Tuesday, Sept. 11. The ambassador and several US diplomats were rescued from the burning embassy building by a special Tunisian counter-terror unit and taken to safety.
Friday, saw the first five fatalities as well the first violent Muslim demonstration in the Australian town of Sydney.
debkafile’s counter-terror and intelligence sources draw seven conclusions from nearly a week of surging anti-American violence across the Middle East, South Asia and beyond:
1. The anti-Islamic video film was not the cause of the upheaval only a pretext.
2. The outbreaks were orchestrated by a number of radical Islamic organizations ranging from the ultraconservative Salafis to Al Qaeda terrorists. They took advantage of swelling anti-US sentiment in many Arab and Muslim countries to weaken local governments which maintain ties with the United States, including the Muslim Brotherhood.
3. It is not yet known how the mechanism coordinating operations among those Islamist extremist groups works, but it has already shown to be faster and more efficient than the American intelligence and counter-terror bodies keeping track of them. Day by day, Washington is caught unawares by fresh outbursts.
4. After firing up Arab and some Muslim streets, this radical coalition believes its component organizations are gathering enough leverage to start pushing out the “moderate” Muslim Brotherhood branches brought to power by the US-backed Arab Spring in order to take their place. The anti-US ferment will therefore not abate, as Washington hopes, until they achieve their goal.
5. The US has sent two platoons of 50 men each of specially trained Marines to protect its embassies in Libya and Yemen and may send a third to Sudan. Otherwise, the Obama administration dare not send in American troops to prop up the new Arab regimes; any visible US military intervention in those countries would only enhance the radicals’ popularity and weaken the regimes they are fighting to remove.
6. The new Muslim Brotherhood rulers of Egypt, Tunisia and Libya face a tough strategic dilemma; Lean more heavily on American support to save their regimes, or bow to the Islamist extremists, turn their backs on America and give them a place in government.
7. Power-sharing with radicals has already begun in some Arab countries, spelling the reversal of Obama’s policies and the goals of the “Arab Spring”
Those policies aimed naively at the removal in the name of democracy of autocratic, secular Arab rulers to make way for “moderate” Muslim Brotherhood regimes elected by the people and ready to work with the United States. This ideal was violently reduced to ashes in the second week of September 2012.
It is hard not to recall another debacle of 33 years ago, when President Jimmy Carter helped overthrow the Shah of Persia only to bring implacable ayatollah rule to Tehran.

Romney was foolish, but right
Michael Young, September 14, 2012
Now Lebanon
Mitt Romney has taken flack for criticizing the Obama administration in the aftermath of the attacks against American diplomatic missions in Egypt and Libya. (AFP photo)
We can take it as a given that if the star Alpha Centauri were to suddenly explode, Mitt Romney would issue a communiqué blaming the Obama White House.
The Republican presidential candidate has taken flack for criticizing the administration in the aftermath of the attacks against American diplomatic missions in Egypt and Libya, at a time when national unity would have been more becoming. The tenor of Romney’s remarks was foolish: he outrageously suggested that the administration had shown “sympathy” for the attackers, then somehow ignored that you never criticize your government when American lives have been lost.
However, the candidate also made a defensible point in arguing that American officials had, at one point, failed to adequately defend the American constitutional right of free expression. “We stand for the principles our Constitution protects,” Romney stated, and “[w]e encourage other nations to understand and respect the principles of our Constitution, because we recognize that these principles are the ultimate source of freedom for individuals around the world.”
The topic of disagreement was a statement released by the American Embassy in Cairo before Egyptian protesters gathered outside the facility. To defuse rising tension over an American video critical of the Prophet Muhammad, the embassy publicly condemned those who had “hurt the religious feelings of Muslims.” It also affirmed that “[r]espect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others.”
The problem with the last sentence is immediately evident. The universal right to free speech, as understood in the United States, allows individuals to hurt the religious beliefs of others. There is no abuse here under American law. Those individuals behind the Muhammad film, or who have defended it, may be the scum of the earth, and the vulgar showboating of Pastor Terry Jones has cost too many lives. Yet American constitutional principles protect their folly.
In fact, the Obama administration, realizing the problem, later disavowed the embassy statement (of which Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had initially disapproved), even as it accused Romney of playing politics over a national tragedy. No doubt Romney was doing so, as was the Obama administration, which sought to nail the Republican candidate for opposing a statement it also opposed.
The debate over how free should free speech be when it comes to religion is a recurring facet of the discord between Western nations and the Muslim world. The tradition in the West is to allow criticism of religion, whatever the price. Most Western societies are inheritors of the Enlightenment, which ultimately separated Church and State. Moreover, these societies’ modernization rested, to a significant extent, on transcending the stranglehold of religious establishments.
In the Muslim world the situation was more complex. During the 19th century, thinkers such as Jamal al-Din al-Afghani and Muhammad Abdu saw Islam as a potential lever of social and political reform and revitalization. At the same time, a parallel trend emerged, one often associated with minority publicists, that perceived the rebirth of the Arabs in broader cultural and nationalistic, therefore somewhat more secular, terms. During subsequent decades Arab nationalism grew further apart from Islam. At the height of the Arab nationalist phase during the 1950s and 1960s, there was a deep disconnect in many states between secular regimes and Muslim political groups.
Islam as a religion distinguishes far less between the secular and the religious than do Western societies. However, this also applies to non-Muslim minorities in the Middle East, who will fully integrate their religious identity into their political identity. That is why when discussing where to draw the line between free speech and respect for religion, the focus on Islam is misleading; there is also a refusal among non-Muslims to favor free expression in religious matters.
Such a debate may seem irrelevant in light of growing suspicion that the attack in Benghazi had nothing to do with free speech or Islam; rather, that it was carefully prepared by Salafists seeking to regain the initiative inside Libya. Maybe, but that the American government, through the White House and the Cairo embassy, was of two minds over how to respond to the Muhammad film, showed that the United States is uncertain about which democratic values to defend in its interactions with foreign, particularly Arab, countries.
In a sense Romney was right: Trying to find a middle ground between free speech and respect for religion just won’t work. No compromise will be reached that does not impinge either on the rights of advocates of free speech or on the sensitivities of believers. In that case, America does best by standing up for what it holds dearest, namely the notion that people in America have a right to express their views unreservedly, without having to fear violent retribution, no matter how objectionable they are or how distasteful their views.
Will this message gain legitimacy in the Arab world? Almost certainly not. A vast majority of Arabs, not to say many Americans, will always regard religion as off-limits when it comes to free expression. There will be more deaths to lay at the door of this debate of the deaf. And everyone will justify their actions by using the name of God in vain.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of The Daily Star newspaper in Lebanon. He tweets @BeirutCalling.