LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
July 08/12

Bible Quotation for today/Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life;
John 3,31-36: "The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified this, that God is true. He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Syrian defectors: The officers’ accounts/By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 07/12
Sheikh Mursi's reconciliation with Persian Islam/By Ghassan Al Imam/Asharq Alawsat/July 07/12
What's the difference between the "Friends of Syria" and its enemies/By Emad El Din Adeeb/Asharq Alawsat/July 07/12

After 8,763 soldiers killed and a stream of defectors, Assad still thinks he can win
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report July 6, 2012/In its 17-month crackdown on dissent, the Syrian army had by early July, lost 8,763 dead and 21,357 wounded. Some units lost a quarter of their manpower. Around 600 tanks and APCs – six percent of the Syrian armored corps fleet – were crippled. Around 200 can be fixed but repairs will take three months.
Defections from all ranks up to general are depleting combat divisions. All in all, the Syrian army has never been hit with this scale of casualties and losses. Yet Bashar Assad and his ruling family, some members of whom hold high military, security and intelligence command, show no cracks or fear of impending failure. Just the reverse: President Assad boasted to the Turkish Hurriyet in a recent interview that were it not for the majority support he enjoys from the Syrian people he would have fallen like the Persian Shah in 1979.
The Syrian ruler is generally unfazed by the stream of high officers defecting to the rebels because, as debkafile reported on July 2 – he has quietly made a clean sweep of long-serving elite commanders, especially Sunnis, and replaced them with younger Alawite officers, drawn from security and intelligence agencies and the loyal, exceptionally brutal Alawite Shabiha militia.
Some of the defectors are generals who were quietly retired on full pay; others, mid-ranking officers who see their prospects of promotion vanishing in the incoming surge of young Alawite officers awarded top jobs. The latest high-ranking defector, Brig.-Gen. Manaf Tlass, 105th Brigade commander of the Republic Guard belongs to the second category, debkafile’s intelligences disclose. His desertion is potentially a lot more damaging to the regime –politically rather than militarily. He did not abscond to rebel ranks in Turkey as the Syrian opposition reported Friday, July 6, but headed for Paris to join his father, Gen. Mustafa Tlass, former Syrian Defense Minister who served Bashar Assad and his father for 40 years, and his daughter Nahed Ojjeh, widow of the leading Saudi arms dealer Akkram Ojjeh.
Both have good connections around the Arab world and are close to the Russian ruling elite in Moscow.
Mustafa Tlass left Syria five months ago over a conflict of loyalties: The prominent Sunni Tlass clan spearheaded the anti- Assad revolt in Rastan, a town near Homs. To avoid taking sides, Tass senior decamped. His son, Brig.-Gen. Manaf, served in the Republic Guard defending the presidential place on Mount Qasioun, the nerve center of Assad’s vicious campaign to suppress dissent. As a member of the presidential inner circle, he was certainly part of the military establishment running that campaign. Indeed, Assad rewarded his loyalty by letting him keep his job, only putting his promotion to general on hold. Manaf, realizing his career prospects as a Sunni had been overtaken by the advancing Allawitization of the top Syrian command, decided to join his father.
According to our sources, he actually flew out of Damascus on June 26, not this week as widely reported. From their new base in Paris, the heads of the Tlass clan have yet to decide which way to jump – whether to make use of their excellent connections in Moscow or join up with the pro-Western “Friends of Syria” Western-Arab group whose latest meeting in Paris, Friday, July 6, was chaired by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The Assad regime would suffer a serious setback if the Tlasses opted for the West and its Arab enemies. US diplomats are therefore going out of their way to rope them in. They have turned to Firas Tlass, the powerful Syrian clan’s Dubai-based “finance minister,” for help. Above all, they are going to great lengths to dissuade these prominent Sunnis from gravitating toward their old ties in Moscow.

Hezbollah violated Taif Accord, says Geagea
July 7, 2012 /Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said on Saturday that Hezbollah was the only party which violated the Taif Accord. “Hezbollah is the only party that violated the Taif Accord since it is the only party that kept it arms after all parties gave in their weapons to the Lebanese state after the [civil] war ended in 1990,” Geagea said according to a statement issued by his press office. He added that Hezbollah kept its weapons “[thanks] to the influence of Syria and in order to serve Iran’s and Syria’s interests in the region.”“Hezbollah is a state within a state since it has a military wing and a political wing. Therefore we can never [establish] a real state [amid this status quo].”Geagea added that “Hezbollah [controls] the peace and war decisions in Lebanon, thus obstructing [the work] of legitimate institutions.”
-NOW Lebanon

Future bloc MP Mouin al-Merhebi slams Franjieh over remarks on military camps
July 7, 2012 /Future bloc MP Mouin al-Merhebi slammed Marada Movement leader MP Sleiman Franjieh over his remarks that there were five military training camps for the Free Syrian Army in North Lebanon. “[I call on] Franjieh to visit Akkar [in the North] and tour its towns for an entire day. If he wants, he can overfly [the area] in a Lebanese military plane to see the camps he alleges to be there,” Merhebi told Kuwaiti newspaper As-Seyassah. “Such camps are surely not present [in North Lebanon] unless they are present underground and in that case they would belong to his ally, Hezbollah.”
He added that Franjieh’s allegations were “false” and that they came within the context “of implementing a certain agenda [dictated] by [Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad to his agents.”
Merhebi also held the Marada leader responsible for any attack that may happen against Akkar residents.-NOW Lebanon

Public Works and Transportation Minister Ghazi Aridi criticizes release of Sunni cleric killing suspects
July 7, 2012 /Public Works and Transportation Minister Ghazi Aridi said on Friday evening that the decision to release 11 of the 16 suspects detained over their alleged involvement in the killing of Sunni cleric Ahmad Abdel Wahed and his bodyguard was wrong. “With all due respect to the judiciary, the decision to release [some of the suspects] was wrong,” Aridi told Al-Manar television.
Army troops shot dead Abdel Wahed and his bodyguard in May when his convoy allegedly failed to stop at a checkpoint in North Lebanon, the scene of deadly clashes linked to the uprising in Syria.
His death sparked tension in many Lebanese areas where protesters blocked roads using burning tires. In Beirut, two people were killed in street battles in Tariq al-Jedideh following the incident.
On Thursday, 11 of the 16 suspects, including military officers, were released.-NOW Lebanon

U.S. Court Fines Iran $813 Million for 1983 Beirut Bombing
Naharnet/07 July 2012/A U.S. federal judge has ordered Iran to pay more than $813 million in damages and interest to the families of 241 U.S. soldiers killed in the 1983 bombing of a Marine barracks in Lebanon."After this opinion, this court will have issued over $8.8 billion in judgments against Iran as a result of the 1983 Beirut bombing," Judge Royce Lamberth wrote in a ruling this week, a copy of which was seen Friday by Agence France Presse."Iran is racking up quite a bill from its sponsorship of terrorism," the Washington judge added, noting that "a number of other Beirut bombing cases remain pending, and their completion will surely increase this amount."On October 23, 1983, 241 American soldiers, including 220 Marines, were killed in Beirut when a truck packed with explosives rammed through barricades and detonated in front of the U.S. barracks near Beirut's international airport. The attack was one of the deadliest ever against Americans. The same day, in a coordinated attack, 58 French paratroopers were killed by a truck bomb at the French barracks in Beirut. The twin bombings have been blamed on Hizbullah, which is backed by Iran.
Lamberth, whose ruling was delivered Tuesday, wrote that "no award -- however many billions it contained -- could accurately reflect the countless lives that have been changed by Iran's dastardly acts."
The nearly $813.77 million verdict is the eighth against Iran resulting from the 1983 bombing. In 2007, under a law allowing foreign governments to be sued in U.S. courts, the same judge ordered Iran to pay $2.65 billion to victims' families, an amount he wrote at the time "may be the largest ever entered by a court of the United States against a foreign nation."
"The court applauds plaintiffs' persistent efforts to hold Iran accountable for its cowardly support of terrorism," Lamberth wrote in this week's ruling.
"The court concludes that defendant Iran must be punished to the fullest extent legally possible for the bombing in Beirut on October 23, 1983. This horrific act impacted countless individuals and their families, a number of whom receive awards in this lawsuit," the federal court in Washington added.SourceAgence France Presse.

3 Killed, 7 Wounded in Wadi Khaled Cross-Border Shelling
Naharnet /07 July 2012/Three people were killed and another seven injured on Saturday as shells and Rocket Propelled Grenades landed on the northern area of Wadi Khaled from the Syrian side of the border, the National News Agency reported. NNA said gunfire erupted near the northern and northeastern border with Lebanon between Syrian troops and gunmen at dawn and was followed by intense shelling. Two Syrians were killed and two others injured when an RPG hit a center for refugees in the town of al-Hishe before noon.
More than 20 shells had reached Lebanese villages in Wadi Khaled between 1:15 am and 3:00 am which left 19-year-old Nadia al-Oaishi dead in al-Mhatta neighborhood and two children Ahmed and Mustafa al-Makhal injured, NNA said. The daughters of a man identified as Berri Shehade in the town of al-Awade were also injured after their house was hit with shells.
Around seven shells landed on the village of al-Kalkha, where a child identified as Abir Ali al-Makhal was wounded. The town’s mosque was also hit with a Hawn.
President Michel Suleiman expressed remorse for the victims in Wadi Khaled and contacted the competent agencies to be briefed on the results of the investigations.
He demanded the security agencies to take all the necessary measures to prevent civilian casualties at all costs.
“The security and safety of citizens are a priority,” he added. The new security situation caused panic among Wadi Khaled residents who moved to areas and towns away from the Syrian border. By 5:00 am there was cautious calm in the area, the news agency said. The army’s general command said the military was put on a high state of alert and took extra security measures in the area following the incidents.
It also said the army took the necessary measures to resolve any violation of the Lebanese-Syrian border.There have been several incidents of cross-border shooting or shelling in addition to infiltration of Syrian troops and kidnapping of Lebanese in the past months which have killed and wounded people inside Lebanon.

Sleiman voices regret over Wadi Khaled deaths
July 7, 2012 /President Michel Sleiman voiced regret over the death of two people in the northern town of Wadi Khaled on Saturday by rocket fire from Syrian territory. The president also called for taking measures to prevent loss of civilian life, the National News Agency reported on Saturday. “The safety of Lebanese citizens is [our top] priority,” the report quoted Sleiman as saying. Earlier in the day, two people were killed and 10 others were wounded in Wadi Khaled in rocket fire from Syrian territory, explosions and a gun battle. Syrian troops have carried out a number of deadly cross-border raids into Lebanon since the outbreak of the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad's rule in March last year, sparking fears of a spillover of the conflict. The Wadi Khaled region, about 185 kilometers from Beirut, encompasses areas of southern Syria and northern Lebanon and has been the site of frequent illegal border crossings.-NOW Lebanon

Lebanese army “on alert” in Wadi Khaled
July 7, 2012 /The Lebanese army said on Saturday that its units were on alert in Wadi Khaled after two people were killed and nine others wounded by rocket fire from Syrian territory and gun battles.
“Army units in the area are on high alert [and] the required field measures were taken to [address] any violation of Syrian-Lebanese borders,” the army said in a statement.
Syrian troops have carried out a number of deadly cross-border raids into Lebanon since the outbreak of the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad's rule in March last year, sparking fears of a spillover of the conflict.The Wadi Khaled region, about 185 kilometers from Beirut, encompasses areas of southern Syria and northern Lebanon and has been the site of frequent illegal border crossings.
-NOW Lebanon

MP Khaled al-Daher: Cabinet participating in assassinations
July 7, 2012 /Future bloc MP Khaled al-Daher said on Saturday that Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s cabinet participated in assassination operations against the Lebanese.“We [have] a cabinet that is an agent [for foreign parties] and which is participating in assassination operations [against Lebanese officials],” Daher told LBC television.He also said that the cabinet’s “only concern was to spread chaos in Lebanon,” adding that it also “justified the crimes of the Syrian regime.”March 14 MP Boutros Harb escaped an assassination bid on Thursday morning. The attempt on Harb's life follows a bid in April to murder Christian leader Samir Geagea, an outspoken critic of Syria. Meanwhile, in remarks published Saturday Daher said the military court should be cancelled. “We know [how] the military court [works]. It must either be cancelled or have its tasks limited to issues related to military personnel, their disputes and their problems,” Daher told Al-Mustaqbal newspaper. He added that the military court’s task “must not be to address national and judicial issues such as the case of the murder of Sunni cleric Ahmad Abdel Wahed.” Daher also said that the release of 11 of the 16 suspects detained over their alleged involvement in the killing of Abdel Wahed and his bodyguard “violated all rules and laws.” “Instead of releasing the soldiers and officers, the case should have been transferred to the Justice Council.”
Army troops shot dead Abdel Wahed and his bodyguard in May when his convoy allegedly failed to stop at a checkpoint in North Lebanon, the scene of deadly clashes linked to the uprising in Syria.
His death sparked tension in many Lebanese areas where protesters blocked roads using burning tires. In Beirut, two people were killed in street battles in Tariq al-Jedideh following the incident. On Thursday, 11 of the 16 suspects, including military officers, were released.-NOW Lebanon

Ministers Loyal to Aoun Mulling Participation in Cabinet Next on Monday
Naharnet/07 July 2012/Change and Reform bloc ministers are thinking over whether to participate in a cabinet session that is scheduled to be held at Baabda palace on Monday, following their boycott of two other meetings over a dispute on the full-time employment of Electricite du Liban’s contract workers. By Saturday, the 10 ministers loyal to Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun hadn’t announced their participation in the session that Premier Najib Miqati called for to discuss the latest security incidents, the murder attempt against MP Butros Harb, including the telecom data, and the 2012 draft state budget. Parliament’s endorsement of the EDL workers’ bill last Monday caused a March 8 coalition rift between the FPM on one side and Hizbullah and Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal movement on the other. The draft-law’s approval led Christian lawmakers from both the March 8 and March 14 alliances to boycott the second day of the parliamentary session after they claimed that the employment of the workers would lead to the underrepresentation of Christians in state institutions. The dispute also led to the suspension of the two cabinet sessions this week.
Sources close to Miqati justified the premier’s call for Monday’s session despite the failure to resolve the row with the FPM ministers by saying he had to invite for a cabinet meeting in his responsible position to deal with the security situation that is threatening the country. The sources expressed confidence that the ministers loyal to Aoun would not boycott the Baabda session.
Sources close to President Michel Suleiman made similar comments to An Nahar, saying the government has important work to finish.

Handing of Telecom Data in Harb’s Attempted-Murder Probe Falls Short
Naharnet /07 July 2012/Opposition MP Butros Harb confirmed Saturday that Telecommunications Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui informed him that the security agencies were delivered the so-called telecom data in the investigation into the assassination attempt against him. In remarks to An Nahar daily, Harb described as an “achievement” the handing over of the data although security forces said the information was incomplete over the failure of delivering the security agencies what is known as the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI). A three-member judicial committee agreed to hand over the data within a small geographic framework, the sources said. Sehnaoui’s sources in their turn told An Nahar that the telecom minister had promised Harb to hand over the data within the rules and regulations set by the judicial authority. The sources blamed the committee for refusing to give the all data to the security agencies in other incidents involving attacks on Lebanese personalities.
The March 14 opposition coalition has held the government responsible for the assassination bid on Harb for withholding the telecom data to uncover similar plots.
Harb was the target of a murder attempt on Thursday after residents of a building in which his office is located in the Beirut district of Badaro discovered individuals trying to booby-trap the elevator.
The lawmaker gave security and judicial authorities a 48-hour deadline to uncover the circumstances of the attempt on his life. He is scheduled to hold a press conference on Monday to discuss the incident.
Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi visited Harb at his residence in Hazmieh on Saturday to inform him about the latest developments in the probe.

Energy Minister Gebran Bassil: Electricians prevented from repairing malfunction in Dahiyeh
July 6, 2012 /Energy Minister Gebran Bassil said on Friday that some parties were preventing the repair of electrical malfunctions in Dahiyeh. “[On Thursday], a team of [Electricité Du Liban (EDL) technicians] went to [Beirut’s southern suburb] of Dahiyeh to fix a malfunction. They were threatened and prevented from repairing the malfunction,” Bassil told Al-Jadeed television. He also commented on power cuts in most Lebanese areas and said there were no funds available to transfer power from Syria.-NOW Lebanon

Syrian defectors: The officers’ accounts
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
I listened to important accounts being told by some Syrian officers who have defected from the regime of the tyrant of Damascus, Bashar al-Assad. Some of these accounts are capable of revealing why the pace of defections from the Damascus regime – including that of senior officers – has increased recently, whilst also explaining the reality being experienced by the al-Assad regime today.
What I heard, from reliable sources, is that there is a noticeable lack of trust between al-Assad regime officers, and this is due to sectarian reasons. One officer revealed that in the event that an Alawite officer finds himself accompanied by a Sunni officer, the Alawite officer is always on a state of high alert, and armed. He also said that it has become increasingly common for sectarian debate to flare up between Syrian officers, and this is something that represents an unprecedented development. This officer also revealed that a Syrian officer would normally lead his unit when carrying out any mission; however the opposite is true today, with officers remaining in the rear-guard. This is due to a lack of trust, which has prompted some soldiers to say that the latest crisis has made Syrian officers more modest! Demonstrating the tense situation being experienced in Syria by al-Assad regime officers, some defectors revealed that cables have been sent to the Syrian military command stressing the necessity of decisions being taken to raise the morale of Syrian officers, non-commission officers and soldiers. One such cable also warned that one Syrian army division acquired its daily food requirements by confiscating this from families in Deraa over a period of 3 days! Whilst the defectors also revealed that there is significant difficulty in the communication lines between Syrian military commanders and other parties, with cables and orders being delayed, sometimes for days.
Some defectors also said that the Syrian army’s prestige, in the eyes of the public, has disappeared. One officer said that in the past a maximum of 4 Syrian soldiers were required to enter any area – regardless of where – in order to arrest somebody, whilst today it would be difficult for a force of 50 soldiers to arrest the same figure, as people insult and attack the soldiers, which leads the army to react violently against the citizens. The source, speaking about the fading prestige of the Syrian army and the situation on the ground in Damascus, revealed that even the most senior officers and commanders have begun to move around Damascus in disguised security convoys for fear of being targeted, adding that some remain in their offices for days at a time. The source also revealed that two senior officers had been kidnapped from central Damascus a few days ago by a revolutionary youth group that calls itself “Damascus, Capital of Umayyad battalion.” The source added that the security in Damascus is being “eroded”, which is contrary to what happened in the Libyan capital during the last days of the Gaddafi regime. During the final days of the regime, the battle raged across all of Libya, with the exception of Tripoli, where there was a quiet that suggested that Gaddafi was still in control, however battles and kidnappings are prevailing in the Syrian capital today!
Of course, the importance of such information today is that it helps us to realize the importance and seriousness of the latest Western warnings regarding the possibility of the sudden collapse of the regime of the tyrant of Damascus. This is something that we now expect to happen, more than at any time in the past.

What's the difference between the "Friends of Syria" and its enemies?
By Emad El Din Adeeb/Asharq Alawsat
What is the difference between the “Friends of Syria” and the country’s enemies? This is the question that I asked myself as I monitored the “Friends of Syria” meeting in Paris last week.
These Friends of Syria are not, of course, friends of the regime of the dictator Bashar al-Assad, but rather the Syrian people who are being massacred on a daily basis.
These Friends of Syria could be classified as “friends” for the extent of their protection of unarmed Syrian civilians, and for their practical efforts and effective decisions in accelerating the collapse of this violent regime that has been governing Syria since the early 70s until today.
The speech given by Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister, Prince Abdulaziz Bin Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, confirmed this, reflecting Riyadh’s desire to move from the current phase of sanctions to a more stringent phase where greater pressure is exerted on the al-Assad regime. This is to ensure that the current meeting does not serve to grant the Syrian regime an additional grace period to continue its massacres against the unarmed civilians. As for the speech given by UAE Foreign Affairs Minister, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed, this expressed his sadness and frustration regarding the current stage of empty talk and ineffective decisions. Following this, he asked during his eloquent impromptu speech, “where is Mr. Kofi Annan, why didn't he attend the conference and talk to us? What is he doing in Geneva?"
The signs that are coming out of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi today must be understood by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is still gambling on talks, summits and attempts to soften Moscow and Beijing’s position on Syria. The international community is demanding an immediate move from a stage of denunciation and condemnation and waiting for the report of the international monitors, to real and effective movement to stop this farce. Whoever thinks they are a friend of Syria merely by providing humanitarian relief and assistance or dealing with the Syrian crisis as if it is merely a problem of foodstuff, doctors, refugees and camps is in fact carrying out a great wrong. This offense is no less great than the wrongs being carried out by the ruling regime in Syria today.
Whatever the regional and international calculations and accountings, Syria should not be left to bleed simply because it is not a oil-producing country like Libya, where NATO squadrons were deployed!

Sheikh Mursi's reconciliation with Persian Islam
By Ghassan Al Imam/Asharq Alawsat
Sheikh Mohamed Mursi attempted to convince the Arabs and Muslims that the statements he issued to the quasi-official Fars news agency were nothing more than "idle talk", a move that was perhaps meant to dispel concerns whilst Mursi anticipated the official announcement of his presidential election victory.
However, when Fars once again stressed that Mursi’s statements - about establishing coordinative relations between Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and Iran's Ayatollah - were indeed valid and sincere, the new Egyptian President responded by categorically stating that Egypt is not importing the [Iranian] revolution, nor will it seek to export its own revolution. As a result, the official Iranian Islamic Republic News Agency [IRNA] had no choice but to dismiss the news reported by Fars in order to satisfy Sheikh Mursi and also to prompt him to fulfill his promise of "repairing" Egypt's relations with Iran.
These dismissals, refutations and reactions have all given a sense of fragility regarding the Muslim Brotherhood's future policies in Egypt, which is of great concern to the Gulf Arabs as well as the Arabs of the Levant. In fact, if Egypt re-establishes diplomatic relations with the Ayatollah’s regime in Iran, this would suggest that Sheikh Mursi has no understanding or awareness of the reality on the Arab eastern front.
Iran is an Islamic state, and the difference between Arab Sunni and Persian Shiite ideology does not diminish the dire need to establish cordial relations between the Persians and the Arabs. However, Iran’s threats – namely that it will bombard the Gulf region if Iranian nuclear sites are targeted, its attempts to penetrate the Arab identity of Iraq and Syria, and its domination of areas of Lebanon (through the Hezbollah mini-state) must all prompt Egypt, the largest Arab state, to be watchful, cautious and attentive.
The Muslim Brotherhood regime is in need of a bold and clear Arab policy. It is well known that Egypt loses its influence and even its internal stability whenever its relations with the Arabs in the East and the Gulf deteriorate. The "rosy" balloons which Sheikh Mursi launched in the sky about the regime's commitment to the treaties and agreements signed by the Mubarak and Sadat regimes are not enough, for there is a need for more details, and to call things by their real names, in order to keep pace with the current circumstances and events.
With regards to Iran, the Muslim Brotherhood should lay down the ground rules for reconciliation by firstly condemning the Iranian regime's support for the Alawite regime in Syria that persists in killing its own people and bombarding its own cities and villages. The Brotherhood should also display fraternal sympathy towards the Arabs in the Gulf region, especially Saudi Arabia, against the torrent of threats and interventions that seek to incite the Shiites against the Sunnis in a strategically-important Arab region.
In order to formulate a regional policy, the Muslim Brotherhood must declare its commitment to protecting the region's Arab identity, and it must become fully acquainted with the current transformations and crises. From the past century onwards, this has always been the destiny and duty of Egypt. At present, Sheikh Mursi's reconciliation with Persian Islam would suggest the Brotherhood's ignorance of Arab-Iranian history.
There is a fundamental difference between the Persian Shiites and the Arab Shiites. Historical racism has reared its head once more, inflicting the Persians who are attempting to invade and capture Sunni ideology. There is an Iranian urgency to open "Husseiniyyas" in Egypt, yet al-Azhar has completely rejected this by saying that Sunni mosques are also open to the Shiites. The Iranians are also expanding their religious influence through cultural and human exchange. Dozens of [Shiite] Hawzas (religious institutes) have been established in Syria to spread the Shiite ideology, aiming to tear apart an Arab state that incorporates 18 religions, ideologies and sects.
Ever since the eruption of the Egyptian popular uprising, Egyptian popular delegations comprising of civilians (including Muslim Brotherhood affiliates), intellectuals, journalists, politicians and clerics, have conducted visits to Iran where they have received propaganda about Iranian politics and the Persian Shiite ideology. Visits have been made to “holy shrines” in Iran, which do not really exist and cannot be compared to the Shiite sites in Iraq.
There are two million Egyptian expatriates working in the Gulf today. In the event of a passing crisis, the Gulf would never enforce harsh measures such as the mass deportation of Egyptians, as was the case with Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi. Hence the Brotherhood's sympathy with the Arabs of the Gulf region is necessary, not only for emotional reasons, but also in terms of interests. This is if Sheikh Mursi (defender of the poor and the immigrants) is genuinely keen on the influx of millions of Egyptians to live, work and save up money in the Gulf, rather than being keen on establishing contact with the "Persians" and the "Ayatollah".
Mursi's public speeches have aroused concern rather than trust or reassurance, and his rival Ahmed Shafiq left Egypt immediately. Sheikh Mursi tends to forget that 12 million Egyptians, half the number of eligible voters in Egypt, voted against him. Thus, in such a climate of division, the President must take into consideration the contradictory visions of 85 million Egyptians.
The obsessions surrounding Sheikh Mursi's integrity also prompt us to think that he is receiving poor political advice. After he resigned from his position as chairman of the Brotherhood's party, he was criticized and subsequently returned. The Brotherhood's leadership could be seeking to exploit any reoccurring mistakes to push Sheikh Mursi towards resignation, in order to pave the way for installing Khairat el-Shater.
Sheikh Mursi's urgency to restore the powers of his office seems hypocritical when he calls upon his supporters to be patient. Patient for what? Yes, be patient regarding the issues of unemployment, deprivation and the collapsing economy, which all now fall under the responsibility of the Brotherhood. Khairat el-Shater is seeking billions from Qatar, Iran and international banks to reform the economy.
Finally, I call on the Brotherhood Republic of Egypt to embark on two pioneering initiatives to prove its democratic reliability in front of millions of skeptics: The first is to neutralize both the army and the security apparatus. This would prevent the regime, or indeed any republican regime, from consuming the state and installing a president for life.
The second initiative is to abolish the Ministry of Information and establish a republican state with various systems within. There should be no need for an official media that blows the regime’s trumpet or beats its drum. It is also imperative that the (Brotherhood's) Shura Council ceases its censorship of state-run media outlets. They should be transformed into corporate firms where the shares are owned by editors, administrators and minor civilian investors, not businessmen, whether they are remnants of the former regime or Brotherhood affiliates.

Muslim Radicals Wage Religious War on Christians in Africa
By Jonathan Racho
07/06/2012 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) — Muslim radical groups are quietly waging jihad war against Christians in Africa. Multiple attacks have taken place in 2012 alone as radical Islamic groups fight to implement a strict form of Sharia law over several countries.
In Nigeria, a radical Islamic group, Boko Haram, has staged multiple attacks based on its belief of Islamic supremacy. In January, 29 Christians were killed in a two-day span in Gombe, Nigeria. A suicide bomber killed three Christians a month later while they were worshipping in their church. In June, Boko Haram bombed several churches during their worship services, killing Christians and triggering religious strife between Christians and Muslims. “Christians must all convert to Islam in order to have peace,” Boko Haram said in a statement.
Tanzania has also experienced religious-based violence, specifically through a militant Islamic group called Uamsho. In May, members of Uamsho destroyed three churches on the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar. A Christian leader from this region believes that Muslim attackers are getting bolder because, “It is the first time that Muslims demolished churches in the city of Zanzibar. In the past, they only attacked churches in the villages.”
Islamic extremism exists in Kenya as well, primarily through the hands of the radical Islamic group al-Shabaab. In March, a grenade was thrown into the center of an outdoor worship service killing two and injuring over 30 Christians. Two more churches were attacked during their worship services in July. These attacks, carried out by al-Shabaab, resulted in the death of 17 Christians.
In many of these cases government officials failed to protect Christians from violence, or take steps to punish the extremists for their actions. Muslim extremism is based upon the belief that everyone must practice Islam, as well as the desire to implement Sharia law over every nation. With an increase in the number of attacks, and failure by governments to protect victims, a Christian’s freedom to worship may be a thing of the past in certain African countries.

Canada Further Tightens Sanctions Against Assad Regime
July 6, 2012 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today emerged from the third Friends of the Syrian People meeting and issued the following statement:
“The daily assault on the people of Syria by the Assad regime continues to throw this country into further chaos.
“Canada is horrified by Assad’s lack of respect for human life and is responding with additional measures to further isolate and increase pressure on the regime.
“Canada is imposing prohibitions against the export of goods and technology that could be used to further repress the people of Syria. As well, Canada is prohibiting the export of goods that could be used to produce chemical and biological weapons, beyond those already controlled by Canada.
“We are also adding the Syria International Islamic Bank and the Syrian National Security Bureau to the list of individuals and entities subject to a prohibition on dealings under existing Canadian sanctions.
“Our expanded sanctions aim to target the regime, not the Syrian people.
“We continue to call on the United Nations Security Council to adopt tough, binding sanctions.
“The actions of the Assad regime are completely unacceptable, and the world desperately needs to speak with one voice condemning these abhorrent actions.”
For more information, please visit Regulations Amending the Special Economic Measures (Syria) Regulations.
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A backgrounder follows.
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
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Backgrounder - Additional Sanctions on Syria
Effective immediately, Canada prohibits the export to Syria of goods and technology that could be used for internal repression, as well as goods that could be used in the production of chemical and biological weapons. In addition, the Syria International Islamic Bank and the Syrian National Security Bureau have been added to the list of designated persons and entities.
For more information on Canada’s sanctions against Syria, please see Syria.
Context
On May 24, 2011, Canada announced targeted sanctions against the Syrian regime in response to the ongoing violent crackdown by Syrian military and security forces against Syrians peacefully protesting for democracy and human rights. These measures, which remain in place, were a blend of administrative measures and actions taken under the authority of the Special Economic Measures Act and were consistent with initiatives taken by like-minded partners, including the United States and the European Union. They included:
Travel restrictions: Canada ensured that persons associated with the Syrian government who are believed to be inadmissible to Canada are prevented from travelling to Canada.
Asset freeze: Canada imposed an asset freeze against 25 people associated with the current Syrian regime and seven entities involved in security and military operations against the Syrian people. This included a prohibition on dealing in the property of listed individuals and entities, including the provision of financial services and making property available to individuals and entities.
A ban on specific exports and imports: Canada placed a ban under the Export and Import Permits Act on the export from Canada to Syria of goods and technologies that are subject to export controls. These items include arms, munitions, and military, nuclear and strategic items that are intended for use by the Syrian armed forces, police or other governmental agencies.
A suspension of all bilateral cooperation agreements and initiatives with Syria.
A news release announcing the May 24, 2011, sanctions can be found at PM announces sanctions on Syria.
On August 13, 2011, Canada expanded sanctions by imposing the asset freeze and travel restrictions on four additional individuals and two additional entities associated with the Syrian regime.
For more information on the August 13 announcement, please visit Statement by Minister Baird on Situation in Syria.
On October 4, 2011, Canada imposed the following additional measures:
An asset freeze and travel restrictions on 27 additional individuals and 12 additional entities associated with the Assad regime;
A prohibition on the importation, purchase or transportation of petroleum or petroleum products from Syria;
A prohibition on new investment in the Syrian oil sector;
A prohibition on the provision or acquisition of financial services for the purpose of facilitating the importation, purchase or transportation of Syrian petroleum or petroleum products;
A prohibition on the provision or acquisition of financial services for the purpose of investing in the Syrian oil sector.
For information on the October 4 announcement, please visit Canada Expands Sanctions Against Syria.
On December 23, 2011, Canada further expanded its sanctions against the Syrian regime. The measures prohibit all imports from Syria, with the exception of food; all new investment in Syria; and the export to Syria of equipment, including software, for the monitoring of telephone and Internet communications. Canada also imposed an asset freeze and prohibited economic dealings with 33 additional individuals and 10 additional entities associated with the Assad regime.
For information on the December 23 announcement, please visit Canada Further Expands Sanctions Against Syria.
On January 25, 2012, Canada expanded its sanctions by adding the names of 22 individuals and seven entities associated with the Assad regime to its list of designated persons.
For information on the January 25 announcement, please visit Canada Further Expands Sanctions Against Syria.
On March 5, 2012, Canada further expanded its sanctions by adding the names of seven individuals—all senior members of the Assad regime—and one entity, the Central Bank of Syria, to the list of those subject to a dealings prohibition and asset freeze. The amendments also introduced a complete ban on the provision or acquisition of financial or other related services to, from, or for the benefit of, or on the direction or order of Syria or any person in Syria.
For information on the March 5 announcement, please visit Canada Further Expands Sanctions Against Syria’s Assad Regime.
On March 30, 2012, Canada imposed further sanctions against Syria by imposing an asset freeze and dealings prohibition on 12 additional individuals and two entities associated with the Assad regime.
For information on the March 30 announcement, please visit Canada Expands Sanctions Against Assad Regime.
On May 18, 2012, Canada imposed further sanctions against Syria by prohibiting the export of luxury goods to Syria. Three individuals and three entities were also added to the list of designated persons and entities and thus subjected to an assets freeze and a prohibition on economic dealings. With these new measures, the total number of designations rose to 129 individuals and 44 entities.
For information on the May 18 announcement, please visit Canada Tightens Sanctions Against Assad Regime.
The measures announced are consistent with Canada’s foreign-policy priority to promote freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law around the world.

Question: "Why is God so different in the Old Testament than He is in the New Testament?"
Answer: At the very heart of this question lies a fundamental misunderstanding of what both the Old and New Testaments reveal about the nature of God. Another way of expressing this same basic thought is when people say, “The God of the Old Testament is a God of wrath while the God of the New Testament is a God of love.” The fact that the Bible is God’s progressive revelation of Himself to us through historical events and through His relationship with people throughout history might contribute to misconceptions about what God is like in the Old Testament as compared to the New Testament. However, when one reads both the Old and the New Testaments, it becomes evident that God is not different from one testament to another and that God’s wrath and His love are revealed in both testaments.
For example, throughout the Old Testament, God is declared to be a “compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,” (Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 4:31; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:5, 15; 108:4; 145:8; Joel 2:13). Yet in the New Testament, God’s loving-kindness and mercy are manifested even more fully through the fact that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Throughout the Old Testament, we also see God dealing with Israel the same way a loving father deals with a child. When they willfully sinned against Him and began to worship idols, God would punish them. Yet, each time He would deliver them once they had repented of their idolatry. This is much the same way God deals with Christians in the New Testament. For example, Hebrews 12:6 tells us that “the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”
In a similar way, throughout the Old Testament we see God’s judgment and wrath poured out on sin. Likewise, in the New Testament we see that the wrath of God is still “being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Romans 1:18). So, clearly, God is no different in the Old Testament than He is in the New Testament. God by His very nature is immutable (unchanging). While we might see one aspect of His nature revealed in certain passages of Scripture more than other aspects, God Himself does not change.
As we read and study the Bible, it becomes clear that God is the same in the Old and New Testaments. Even though the Bible is 66 individual books written on two (or possibly three) continents, in three different languages, over a period of approximately 1500 years by more than 40 authors, it remains one unified book from beginning to end without contradiction. In it we see how a loving, merciful, and just God deals with sinful men in all kinds of situations. Truly, the Bible is God’s love letter to mankind. God’s love for His creation, especially for mankind, is evident all through Scripture. Throughout the Bible we see God lovingly and mercifully calling people into a special relationship with Himself, not because they deserve it, but because He is a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness and truth. Yet we also see a holy and righteous God who is the Judge of all those who disobey His Word and refuse to worship Him, turning instead to worship gods of their own creation (Romans chapter 1).
Because of God’s righteous and holy character, all sin—past, present, and future—must be judged. Yet God in His infinite love has provided a payment for sin and a way of reconciliation so that sinful man can escape His wrath. We see this wonderful truth in verses like 1 John 4:10: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” In the Old Testament, God provided a sacrificial system whereby atonement could be made for sin. However, this sacrificial system was only temporary and merely looked forward to the coming of Jesus Christ who would die on the cross to make a complete substitutionary atonement for sin. The Savior who was promised in the Old Testament is fully revealed in the New Testament. Only envisioned in the Old Testament, the ultimate expression of God’s love, the sending of His Son Jesus Christ, is revealed in all its glory in the New Testament. Both the Old and the New Testaments were given “to make us wise unto salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15). When we study the Testaments closely, it is evident that God “does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).