LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
July 14/12

Bible Quotation for today
Matthew 6/5-8.: ""And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him"

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Question: "How should a Christian respond to persecution?/July 13/12
Sodomy "For the Sake of Islam"/By Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/July 13/12
Calls to Destroy Egypt's Great Pyramids Begin/By Raymond Ibrahim/FrontPageMagazine.com/July 13/12

Question: "How should a Christian respond to persecution?"
Answer: There’s no doubt that persecution is a stark reality of living the Christian life. The apostle Paul warned us that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). Jesus told us to expect persecution from the world because if they persecuted Him, they will persecute His followers also. Jesus has made it very clear to us that those of the world will hate us because they hate Him. If Christians were like the world—vain, earthly, sensual, and given to pleasure, wealth, and ambition—the world would not oppose us. But Christians do not belong to the world which is why they hate and persecute us (John 15:18-19). Christians are, or should be, influenced by different principles from those of the world. We are motivated by the love of God and holiness, while the world is driven by the love of sin. It is our very separation from the world that arouses the world's animosity toward us. The world would prefer that we were like them; since we are not, they hate us (1 Peter 4:3-4).
As faithful Christians, we must learn to recognize the value of persecution and even to rejoice in it, not in an ostentatious way, but quietly and humbly because persecution has great spiritual value. First, persecution allows us to share in a unique fellowship with our Lord. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul outlined a number of things he surrendered for the cause of Christ. Such losses, however, he viewed as “rubbish” (Philippians 3:8), or “dung” (KJV), that he might share in the “fellowship of [Christ’s] sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). The noble apostle even counted his chains as a grace (favor) which God had bestowed upon him (Philippians 1:7).
Second, in all truth, persecution is good for us. James argues that trials test our faith, work or develop (endurance) in our lives, and help develop maturity (James 1:2-4). For as steel is tempered in the flames of the forge, trials and persecution serve to hone down those rough edges that tarnish our character. Yielding graciously to persecution allows one to demonstrate that he is of a superior quality than his adversaries. It’s easy to be hateful, but an ugly disposition throws a light upon our human weakness. It is much more Christ-like to remain calm and to respond in kindness in the face of evil opposition. Without question this is a tremendous challenge, but we have the power of the Holy Spirit within us and the wonderful example of the Lord to encourage us. Peter says of Jesus, “When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).
Third, persecution enables us to value the support of true friends. Conflict sometimes brings faithful children of God together in an encouraging and supportive way they might not have known otherwise. Hardship can stimulate the Lord’s people toward a greater resolve to love and comfort one another and lift one another to the throne of grace in prayer. There’s nothing like an unpleasant incident to help the more mature rise toward a greater level of brotherly love. So, when we think about it seriously, we can move ourselves forward, even in the face of antagonism, whether from the world or within the church, and press on. We can thank God for His grace and for His patience with us. We can express gratitude for those whom we love in the Lord and who stand with us in times of distress. And we can pray for those who would accuse, misuse, or abuse us (2 Corinthians 11:24; Romans 10:1).

Syria takes WMD out of storage: US: Situation incredibly dangerous
DEBKAfile Special Report July 13, 2012/As part of its ongoing war maneuver, Syria Thursday, July 12, this week drilled the firing of advanced Scud D ballistic missiles capable of carrying chemical weapons and nerve gas – a clear message from Bashar Assad that weapons of mass destruction are now in play to save his regime.American officials, alarmed by the movement out of storage of parts of his vast arsenal of sarin nerve agent, mustard gas and cyanide, warned it could escalate the Syrian conflict and expand it to other parts of the region. "This could set the precedent of WMD [weapons of mass destruction] being used under our watch," one U.S. official said. "This is incredibly dangerous to our national security." The Obama administration has begun to hold classified briefings about the new intelligence.debkafile’s military sources say that two developments drove the Syrian president Bashar Assad to this extreme threat:
1. The rebels were discovered to have procured roadside bombs capable of crippling the T-72 tank units he has just tried injecting into the battle for the first time this week. Tanks sent in long convoys into Aleppo and the suburbs of Damascus were blown up.2. The balance of war has reached the point that the government controls only those parts of the country where heavy military or security forces contingents with massive fire power are deployed; elsewhere, the rebels have the upper hand.In the course of its war exercise, the Syrians fired a selection of ground-to-ground missiles which they described as capable of “hitting targets deep within enemy territory.” Our military sources say all the Scuds, the M-600, Fateh-110 and Zelzal can reach any point in Israel. They also tested upgraded C-802 shore-to-ship rockets.American officials revealed Thursday in Washington that “Syria has begun moving parts of its vast arsenal of chemical weapons out of storage facilities.” They didn’t say to where they were moved.debkafile’s military sources report that the missile warheads and shells containing poisonous weapons such as sarin, mustard gas and cyanide are being moved to specific Syrian units ahead of field operations.Some US officials are quoted by The Wall Street Journal as fearing “Damascus intends to use the weapons against the rebels or civilians, potentially as part of a targeted ethnic cleansing campaign.” Others hope it is a feint to inspire fear. Whatever the case, the alarmed US official said in Washington: This could set the precedent of WMD [weapons of mass destruction] being used under our watch" and is "incredibly dangerous to our national security."

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea : Koura By-Election Will Mark Beginning of the End of Other Camp’s Rule
Naharnet/13 July 2012/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea highlighted on Friday the importance of the Koura by-election set for Sunday, saying that “it is not a by-election, but a crucial battle due to the importance of its results and their repercussions” on Lebanon. He said: “The by-election will mark the beginning of the other camp’s rule.” He made his remarks during a speech before the LF electoral campaign.Geagea added: “It a is a battle aimed at rejecting what is left of the Syrian regime and its internal pawns that have long terrorized and corrupted Koura.”
“It is a battle aimed at rejecting the deteriorating security situation that the other camp has brought upon the people during the past few months,” he continued.“It a battle against oppression, terrorism, and assassination, which is their favorite method to forge the will of the people,” noted the LF leader.“It is a battle against those who assert on a daily basis that the Syrian regime will not collapse,” he remarked.
“We want it to be a peaceful and noble battle that will help rectify political life in Lebanon, which has become plagued by oppression, terrorism, and assassinations that are tampering with the people’s security and future of their children,” he declared.It will be a democratic battle that will reflect the democratic elections that have swept the Arab Spring, Geagea added.
Responding to MP Suleiman Franjieh’s claims that “the LF imposed the electoral battle,” he said: “Wasn’t the vacant parliamentary seat originally occupied by an LF candidate?”
“Wasn’t he elected during the 2005 and 2009 elections by a margin of thousands of votes against his nearest rivals?” he asked.
The Koura by-election is being held to fill the Greek Orthodox seat vacated by the death of LF MP Farid Habib.The March 8 majority is backing Syrian Social National Party candidate Walid al-Azar in the polls that are pitting him against LF candidate Fadi Karam, who has received the strong support of the March 14 opposition alliance. Several other people have announced their candidacies but the major rivalry is between al-Azar and Karam.Geagea continued: “Isn’t the other camp seeking to impose a battle on us by trying to take this seat away from us?”
“We are not provoking anyone, but we are pursuing peaceful methods to achieve our political goals,” he added in response to Franjieh’s statements on Thursday.
He continued: “The other side that is waging the electoral battle acts as the backbone of the government of corruption in Lebanon.”“We want this election to mark the beginning of the end of their miserable rule,” he stressed.“Koura will not fall victim to backwardness at a time when peoples are freeing themselves from oppression,” declared the LF leader.
This election will pave the way for the 2013 parliamentary elections, he noted.“The Koura election is the Lebanese people’s ticket to a safer, more stable, and prosperous future,” Geagea stated.
He thanked the Future Movement, Phalange Party, National Liberal Party, and other opposition and independent parties and figures who voiced their support for the LF candidate.
Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh had accused on Thursday the other camp of employing funds from Arab Gulf countries to ensure the success of their candidate, Fadi Karam.
“The other camp imposed this electoral battle on us,” he continued.He also accused Geagea of “provoking the people in their regions and homes under the excuse of democracy.”

Lebanese Army Instructed to Respond to Sources of Fire as it Deploys along Border with Syria
Naharnet/13 July 2012/The military reinforcements to northern and northeastern Lebanon are underway with clear instructions to “respond to the source of fire,” the Lebanese army’s general command said Friday following several deadly incidents along the Lebanese-Syrian border.“Based upon the decision of the cabinet on Monday, the army began upgrading its deployment in the area of the north starting with the city of Tripoli and its suburbs, all the away to the northeastern border,” the directorate said in a communique.
“The operation will continue in the coming days to include the deployment of new units in addition to the joint military and security forces units already present in these regions,” it said.
The army command gave the troops clear instructions to take strong measures in protecting the citizens against any assault, clamping down on gunmen and preventing infiltrations and smuggling operations along the Lebanese-Syrian border. Their mission includes “the immediate response to the sources of fire from any side it came,” the communique said.
The deployment came after several people were killed and injured in the past months in Syrian cross-border shelling during clashes between government troops and rebels seeking to topple the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. On Thursday alone, a salvo of shells hit towns in Akkar and Baalbek, injuring 6 people, including four children, which caused panic among residents and forced them to areas away from the border with Syria.The military command “expressed trust in the cooperation of the residents and officials of border regions with the measures taken by the army to preserve their security and safety.” It also urged them to cooperate with the troops “to thwart any suspicious attempt” aimed at creating security tension.

Syria Opposition Urges U.N. for a Binding Resolution after Massacre
Naharnet/13 July 2012/Syria's main opposition alliance Friday urged the U.N. Security Council to pass a binding resolution against Damascus following reports by activists that regime forces massacred at least 150 villagers. "To stop this bloody madness which threatens the entity of Syria, as well as peace and the security in the region and in the world, requires an urgent and sharp resolution of the Security Council under Chapter VII (of the U.N. Charter) which protects the Syrian people," the Syrian National Council said.Chapter VII allows for punitive measures against regimes considered a threat to the peace, including economic sanctions and military intervention.Rights activists and monitors said Syrian troops with tanks and helicopters on Thursday slaughtered more than 150 people in Treimsa village, in the central province of Hama."We expect members of the Security Council to assume total responsibility to protect defenseless Syrians against these shameful crimes," said the SNC, which added that the latest killings ranked "among the more infamous genocides of the Syrian regime."
Separately, Syria's Muslim Brotherhood, a member of the SNC, said peace envoy Kofi Annan and Syrian allies Iran and Russia must through their inaction shoulder the blame for the killings.
"We don't consider the monster Bashar as being solely responsible for this heinous crime... but (also) Kofi Annan, the Russians and the Iranians and all countries which pretend to be guardians of peace and stability in the world but who remain silent," the Brotherhood said in a statement.
The slaughter, the Brotherhood added, ranked among the "great massacres of the century" including those at Sabra and Shatila in Lebanon in 1982 and Srebrenica in 1982.
Most of the people killed in the Treimsa massacre in central Syria were rebel fighters, an activist said, adding the bloodbath followed a Free Syrian Army attack on an army convoy.
"At this stage, though we do not yet have the final count, the number of civilians killed by shelling is not more than seven," Jaafar, an activist at the anti-regime Sham News Network, told AFP. "The rest were members of the (rebel) Free Syrian Army."
"An army convoy was on its way to the region of Hama when it was attacked by the FSA," he said. "The army staged a counter-attack with the support of (pro-regime) reinforcements from (nearby) Alawite villages. The FSA resisted for an hour before it was defeated."
Separately, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that "dozens of rebel fighters" were among those killed.
"Several dozen rebel fighters were among those killed," said the Observatory, adding that only around 40 of the more than 150 dead had been identified.
Thirty corpses were burned and 18 were "summarily executed," said the Britain-based group U.N.-Arab League envoy Annan has been sharply criticized by Syria's opposition in exile and activists on the ground, who accuse him of treating the victim and aggressor in the country's brutal conflict on the same terms.
They also accuse him of seeking to placate Iran.
More than four months on from his appointment, Annan has proved powerless to end the violence that monitors say has cost 17,000 lives, mostly civilians, since the anti-Assad uprising broke out in March 2011, at first with peaceful protests.
The former U.N. chief brokered a six-point peace plan in March calling for an inclusive political process, a ceasefire, humanitarian assistance, release of arbitrarily detained persons, freedom of movement for journalists, and to allow peaceful demonstrations.
SourceAgence France Presse.

Syrian Regime Blames 'Bloodthirsty Media, Terrorists' for Massacre
Naharnet/13 July 2012/Syria's regime blames "bloodthirsty media" and "terrorist gangs" for a massacre in the village of Treimsa in the central province of Hama that rights activists say left at least 150 people dead, state-run SANA news agency said Friday."The bloodthirsty media in collaboration with gangs of armed terrorists massacred residents of Treimsa village ... to sway public opinion against Syria and its people and provoke international intervention on the eve of a U.N. Security Council meeting," SANA said.Russia and Britain have circulated rival texts for the new Security Council resolution addressing the future of the 300-strong U.N. observer force in Syria whose mandate expires on July 20 and the failure of international envoy Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan.The U.N. sent the unarmed observers to Syria for 90 days to oversee the cessation of violence and monitor implementation of Annan's plan but the team was forced to withdraw from key conflict areas because of escalating fighting.The Western-backed British draft threatens non-military sanctions against President Bashar Assad's government if it doesn't withdraw troops and heavy weapons from population centers within 10 days — a key plank in Annan's plan. The proposed resolution, however, would be under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter which covers actions the world body can take to deal with threats to peace and conflicts and can be enforced militarily.The Russian draft resolution calls for the "immediate implementation" of the Annan peace plan and the guidelines for a political transition approved at a meeting in Geneva last month. It makes no mention of sanctions but says the council will assess implementation and "consider further steps as appropriate."
SourceAgence France PresseAssociated Press.

Energy Minister Jebran Bassil Signs Contract for Leasing Power-Generating Vessels, First Ship to Arrive after 120 Days
Naharnet/13 July 2012/Energy Minister Jebran Bassil signed on Friday a contract to lease power-generating vessels from Turkey.The contract was signed between Lebanon and Turkey’s Karadeniz company and the first ship is expected to arrive in Lebanon after 120 days. The second ship is set to arrive after 180 days.The contract was signed by the president of the company Orhan Karadeniz and Bassil in the presence of the Turkish Ambassador to Lebanon Inan Ozyildiz and a number of experts.The minister said: “I believe that Lebanon wasted, for no reason, two years in which it could have resolved the electricity crisis.”“May God forgive all who caused this delay,” he added.“We have managed to obtain a contract that reflects the most that we can provide,” Bassil stated.“The company pledged to ensure the arrival of the ships in a shorter time than the one that was mentioned,” said the energy minister.“As part of the Lebanese government, we must provide all that we can to help shorten the waiting period,” he stressed.The three-year contract, he said, should help make up for the power shortage that will be caused by the rehabilitation of the Zouk and Jiyeh power plants.
The rehabilitation cannot take place without the arrival of the ships, he explained.Cabinet had agreed in March to lease power-generating vessels that would help provide 700 megawatts of electricity for a period of three years.Lebanon’s daily energy need is 2,300 megawatts, while its current power plants only provide it with 1,500.

Israeli Vice Premier Ya'alon 'Iran should be stopped by joint regional effort'
By TOVAH LAZAROFF/J.Post
07/13/2012/.
Vice Premier Ya'alon says Mideast can't be secure if Tehran seeking nukes; US, Israeli officials hold strategic dialogue. There is no way to secure the Middle East as long as Iran pursues nuclear weapons and engages in terror, Vice Premier Moshe Ya’alon said on Thursday. “Without confronting the Iranian regime, there is no way to stabilize Afghanistan, Iraq, Bahrain, Syria and Lebanon,” he said during a speech in Jerusalem at a conference organized by The Israel Project. Ending the Iranian threat, Ya’alon said, “is a challenge for the stability of the Middle East and the entire world. By one way or another a nuclear Iran should be stopped.” He added that Iran should feel as if it has to choose between continued pursuit of its nuclear program or its survival as a nation.
Tehran’s nuclear program should be halted by “a joint international regional effort since it does not threaten only Israel but the entire region,” he said, “and aspires to be a hegemonic power in the region and then a world power.”These measures should include isolation and sanctions as well as support for forces in Iran that support democracy, modernization and freedom, he said. There must also be a “convincing and credible military option as a last resort,” Ya’alon added. The vice premier said he fears Iran believes it does not need to worry about a military strike until 2013, because it does not think the US would attack prior to its presidential election in November. Ya’alon spoke at the same time that a high-level delegation of Israelis and US officials held a joint strategic dialogue at the Foreign Ministry. Among those who participated was US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, who is in Israel and the Palestinian territories in advance of next week’s visit by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Ya’alon told Reuters on Thursday that Iran would top the agenda during Clinton’s visit on July 15 and 16 – her first trip here in almost two years. Western powers believe Iran is developing technology to build nuclear weapons and have imposed an increasingly tough regime of economic sanctions to make it reverse course. Iran insists its atomic program is peaceful and has shrugged off the latest round of sanctions, which include an EU embargo on Iranian crude oil taking full effect on July 1.“We’ve witnessed the impact of the sanctions in Iran, but up until now the regime prefers to suffer rather than give up its military nuclear capabilities,” Ya’alon said.The time has come to introduce “really crippling sanctions,” he said, adding that the US should do more in this regard.
After the strategic meeting at the Foreign Ministry led by Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, both Israel and the US issued a joint statement against Iran’s destabilizing actions and promotion of terror. In the meeting, however, a US official expressed concern that Tehran had yet to understand that it must stop its nuclear program. It spoke of the possibility of leveling further sanctions against Iran. A statement issued by both countries after the meeting addressed the issue of Syria. “The ongoing bloodshed inflicted on the Syrian population by the [Bashar] Assad regime, assisted by Iran and Hezbollah, is a source of major humanitarian concern and the continued violence of the Syrian regime against its citizens could also lead to severe consequences for the entire region,” it said.
Turning to the topic of Egypt, the US officials said they believe that its newly elected President Mohamed Mursi would keep peace with Israel.
Separately, Ya’alon told the audience at The Israel Project conference, that he too believed Egypt would maintain peaceful relations with Israel, because the two countries had joint military strategic objectives. Israel is Egypt’s safest border, he said.Reuters contributed to this report.

Siniora: solidarity helped lebanon during 2006 war
July 13, 2012/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said Thursday that solidarity among the Lebanese during Israel’s July 2006 war on Lebanon helped the resistance confront the aggression and pave the way for reconstruction. “These efforts paved the way for the success of the most important and greatest experience of reconstruction after a destructive war,” the Sidon MP said in a statement on the sixth anniversary of the war. The reconstruction process kicked off at the 2006 Stockholm Donor Conference, opening the way for Arab and international funding for the redevelopment Siniora said. The Amal Movement added that the formula of the Army, people and resistance remains the best means to deter Israel, as demonstrated during the war. “It was the weapon of victory in all stages of resisting occupation,” Amal said. The movement highlighted its adherence to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which put an end to the war, while highlighting that Israel was violating it through its continuous incursions into Lebanese land and violations of Lebanon’s airspace.

Koura Candidates Heat Up Campaigns for Sunday by-Elections
Naharnet/12 July 2012/Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri urged al-Mustaqbal supporters in the northern district of Koura on Thursday to vote for March 14 candidate Fadi Karam during the weekend by-elections as the rival candidates expressed confidence in their victory. Karam stressed that the March 14 campaign officials are cooperating to prepare for Sunday’s elections. He told Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) that he expects the residents of Koura to heavily participate in the democratic process. “They are very eager and have already made their choice,” Karam told the radio station.
He confirmed that his chances of winning the polls are very high. “We are optimistic… the numbers confirm that our chances are better than the other candidate,” Karam stated.
Koura is likely to witness a tough electoral battle on Sunday to fill the Greek Orthodox seat vacated by the death of Lebanese Forces MP Farid Habib in May as the March 8 forces sought to take a seat away from their rivals by announcing the candidacy of Syrian Social National Party member Walid al-Azar. For his part, Azar said that this battle is decisive where the Koura residents will be able to express their genuineness. “It is my duty to warn the Koura residents from the racist and extremist alliance of others that aims at dividing the country and forcing the immigration of the minorities,” he said during a rally for the March 8. He pointed out that Sunday’s elections will win over the political money that “they” are using to take advantage of the poor people. As the two campaigns heated up, Hariri said in a statement that “casting your votes in this election is the essence of the democratic process that we are working on implementing and maintaining in Lebanon.”He noted that voting for Karam is essential to preserve the 2005 Cedar Revolution, its achievements and the principles that it’s holding onto. “Voting for Karam on Sunday will be purely choosing the March 14 project, which is based on a democratic, Arab, sovereign, free and an independent Lebanon,” Hariri stated. The Mustaqbal movement leader noted that the Koura by-elections are very important as they are held amid major changes in the Arab region. “I trust that al-Mustaqbal supporters in Koura have enough democratic culture and national awareness to heavily participate in the electoral process on Sunday,” the statement quoted him as saying. Jean Jabr Mufarrej, Naim Moussa al-Ojaimi, Youssef Assaad Skaff and George William Mattar have also announced their candidacies for the by-elections.

Moscow Threatens to Veto West's 'Unacceptable' U.N. Resolution on Syria
Naharnet /12 July 2012/Russia rejects as unacceptable the text of a Western-backed U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria and will use its veto if the draft is brought to a vote later Thursday, a deputy foreign minister said. "If they decide this (a vote on Thursday) -- knowing that for us the text is unacceptable -- then we will not allow it to pass," Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told the Interfax news agency. Gatilov added he did not expect there to be a vote as soon as Thursday: "The process of consultations is only just starting and should take some time," he said.
"As a whole, their resolution is unbalanced and foresees that obligations should only be fulfilled by the Syrian government. Practically nothing is said about the obligations of the opposition," he said. He objected that the resolution links an extension of the mandate of the U.N. mission in Syria -- which Russia supports -- with the introduction of sanctions if the Syrian government does not fulfill certain conditions. "We will try to move to a constructive text for a possible draft resolution which can reflect the true situation," Gatilov said.
Britain, France, Germany and the United States submitted a draft text that would give President Bashar Assad 10 days to implement U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan's ceasefire plan or face tough new sanctions. If Security Council members approve it, the resolution would allow for non-military sanctions under Chapter VII of the U.N. charter if Syrian government forces keep up their offensive on cities. Negotiations on the Western draft and a rival Russian resolution, which does not mention sanctions, started Thursday in New York. A vote must be held before July 20, when the mandate of the U.N. observer mission in Syria ends.Russia made clear from the outset that sanctions were a "red line" for veto-wielding Moscow.
"Anything can be negotiated but we do not negotiate this. This is a red line," Russia's deputy U.N. ambassador Igor Pankin told reporters at the Security Council after the first talks among key envoys.
Russia and China have previously twice used their powers as permanent members of the Security Council to veto resolutions which hinted at sanctions.
The draft calls for an "immediate" end to violence by government and opposition forces and demands that President Assad's troops return to barracks in line with the Annan plan and U.N. resolutions passed in April. The resolution would renew the mandate of the U.N. Supervision Mission in Syria for 45 days, and calls on the mission to take on more political duties, moving away from monitoring a non-existent ceasefire. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on an Asian tour, coordinated with China on moves to support the peace plan drawn up by Annan, who has said the U.N. motion should include "clear consequences" for the regime if it fails to act. "I had a good discussion on these issues with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang (Jiechi) today and we agreed to do all we can in New York to see the Geneva plan... be implemented," she said on Thursday. World powers agreed in Geneva last month a plan for a transition in Syria which did not make an explicit call for Assad to quit power. However the West swiftly made clear it saw no role for Assad in a unity government. "We do look to the Security Council and all its members including Russia to join us in a serious resolution that gives special envoy Kofi Annan what he needs, what he's asking for and imposes real consequences on the regime for continuing to defy its obligations," Clinton said.
The regime and the opposition publicly accept Annan's peace plan, but fighting has raged on and rights monitors estimate that more than 17,000 Syrians have died since March 2011.
SourceAgence France Presse.

U.S. Slaps Sanctions on More Than 50 Iranian Entities
Naharnet 12 July 2012/The United States unleashed a fresh wave of sanctions against Iran Thursday, ratcheting up pressure to convince Tehran to take seriously concerns about its suspected nuclear weapons program. The actions impose additional sanctions on Iran's "nuclear and ballistic missile proliferation networks" and identifies more than 50 Iranian "front companies and banks," the Treasury Department said. "These actions are part of the United States government's dual-track approach of increasing pressure to convince Iran to engage seriously and address the international community's concerns about its nuclear program. David Cohen, the Treasury's under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said the moves take "direct aim at disrupting Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs as well as its deceptive efforts to use front companies to sell and move its oil.""We will continue to ratchet up the pressure," he said.The United States and European Union have implemented an oil embargo against Iran, leading to a substantial decline in exports of crude from which the Islamic republic draws two-thirds of its foreign exchange earnings.
Iran been subject to severe international economic sanctions over its controversial nuclear program, which Western powers believe masks an atomic weapons drive despite repeated denials by Tehran.
In Thursday's actions, the U.S. Treasury and State departments targeted 11 entities and four people, alleging that many of them are part of a network of proliferators headed by Iran's Ministry of Defense for Armed Forces Logistics and its subsidiary, Aerospace Industries Organization. A number of sanctions were added against Iran's national maritime carrier, Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.Both the IRISL and the IRGC have been the target of a numerous sanctions actions by the United States and its partners, the department noted.
SourceAgence France Presse.

Koura election accusations heat up
July 13, 2012 /By Antoine Amrieh The Daily Star
ENFEH, Lebanon: The campaign for this weekend’s by-election for a parliamentary seat in Koura swung into its final stages Thursday, amid visits by politicians and accusations of influencing the polls through campaign spending. Members of March 14 parties have been stepping up their visits to villages and towns in Koura, which on Sunday will see the Lebanese Forces candidate, Fadi Karam, face off against Walid Azar, of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party and backed by March 8 groups. Two other minor candidates are also in the race. Ahmad Hariri, the secretary-general of the Future Movement, visited the town of Enfeh on his second day in the region, to drum up support. “The by-election is taking place amid the Arab Spring in most Arab countries,” Hariri said during a visit to the town of Enfeh. “We won’t let the election take place under hegemony and orders from abroad. Thus, we call on all people in Koura to vote heavily for the March 14 candidate, Fadi Karam.”
In answer to accusations that Sunni voters in Koura were receiving bribes to vote for Karam, Hariri called the charges “insulting to the Sunnis in all Lebanon.”He said that past attempt to buy votes in Koura, and the “money spent by Hezbollah in the 2009 elections,” failed to have any impact.”“We were victorious without paying, and we won the majority,” Hariri said.
During another stop on his tour of the qada, Hariri said that the SSNP’s Azar “is directly the candidate of Bashar Assad.”
Hariri and his team also paid a visit to the Enfeh residence of Koura MP Farid Makari, the deputy speaker of Parliament, to coordinate efforts in the run-up to the election.
For his part, Zghorta MP Suleiman Franjieh accused his March rivals of outspending his team in the by-election by more than 10 to one.
“We don’t have the financial capabilities that they have, and everyone can see this through the billboard campaign, which is worth more than $2.5 million,” Franjieh said after a meeting of March 8 campaign officials at his home in Bneshaii, Zghorta.“”Our entire campaign is only going to spend $200,000,” Franjieh added. The Marada Movement leader also accused Samir Geagea, the head of the LF, of engaging in “incitement” that he predicted would be counter-productive.“Every time, Samir Geagea comes around and incites people ... we thank them, because they have prompted people to return to their roots,” Franjieh said, implying that the SSNP, which is traditionally strong in Koura, would benefit.
Geagea also commented on the poll, saying that people should vote “according to their conscience,” during a meeting at his residence of Maarab. For his part, the head of the Independence Movement, Michel Mouawad, visited the home of Karam in the village of Kafr Saroun, accompanied by March 14 figures, to emphasize the importance of the polls and rally support for their candidate.
In Beirut, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel chaired a meeting to prepare for the poll, saying it would be a “model” for next year’s general election.

Egyptian President Mohammad Mursi mends fences with Riyadh on first official trip abroad
July 13, 2012/Agencies/Daily Star
RIYADH: Egyptian President Mohammad Mursi held talks with Saudi leaders Thursday and made a pilgrimage on his first official trip abroad, highlighting the kingdom’s importance to Egypt’s economic stability. The trip by the newly elected president comes despite tensions between the two Arab powerhouses over a rare diplomatic crisis that saw Riyadh recall its ambassador to Cairo in April. Mursi said he and King Abdullah, in a meeting late Wednesday, held “fruitful” talks focused on regional stability, according to the official SPA news agency.
Our discussions were “fruitful and constructive and in the interests of Egypt, of Saudi Arabia and of the people of the region,” Mursi said in the Red Sea city of Jeddah after the meeting.
“Everything [King Abdullah] said was in the interests of the future, of the region and of Egypt,” he added, saying the king had spoken with “wisdom and knowledge and love for the Egyptian people.”
Mursi, who arrived in Saudi Arabia late Wednesday, also met with Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul-Aziz, who greeted him on arrival.
Few details were given on the talks between Mursi and Abdullah, although the Egyptian president said regional stability had been a key focus. “The stability of the region depends on the stability of Egypt and the Gulf, at the head of which stands Saudi Arabia,” Mursi said.
He added that he chose Saudi Arabia for his first official visit due to the “deep rooted and historical relationship between the two countries.”
Tensions have long existed between the Gulf, where the strict Wahhabi doctrine of Sunni Islam applies, and Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, moderate Islamists who were thrust to power by the Arab Spring revolt that swept the country last year. Under Mursi’s predecessor, the ousted Hosni Mubarak, Egypt and Saudi Arabia had close relations. In April, however, Riyadh recalled its ambassador in Cairo and closed its embassy for several days following protests that demanded the release of a lawyer and rights activist detained in the kingdom.
Commenting on the visit, Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammad Kamel Amr, accompanying Mursi, told Egypt’s state news agency MENA that “any progress in relations between the two countries is in the interest of the whole region.”
“Egypt and Saudi Arabia constitute a cornerstone in the process of joint Arab action,” he said adding that Mursi’s visit would reflect positively on the economic ties between the two nations.
Saudi Arabia hosts some 1.65 million Egyptian expatriate workers and could “increase its investments in Egypt soon,” the Saudi ambassador in Cairo, Ahmad Qattan, said last week. Economists estimate that Saudi investments in Egypt amount to some $7.2 billion. Saudi Arabia is also Egypt’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching some $4.75 billion in 2011 and $4.1 billion in 2010.
Riyadh has deposited $1 billion into the Egyptian central bank as a loan guarantee, and Cairo, battling a severe economic crisis, has received a $1 billion pledge of assistance from the Saudi-based Islamic Development Bank. Mursi made a pilgrimage Thursday to Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, SPA said.
Later in the day, the Egyptian leader met with around 300 people from the Egyptian community residing in Saudi Arabia, including representatives of business associations.
Saudi analysts said the reception King Abdullah prepared for Mursi showed the kingdom was willing to start a new era in relations with the Muslim Brotherhood.
“The message is that we have no problem with the revolution or the Brotherhood and let’s continue with the well-established Saudi-Egyptian relationship,” said Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi analyst.
Hussein Shobokshi, another Saudi commentator, said: “Through this visit Saudi Arabia has made it very clear and obvious that it is over the Mubarak era and that it has started a new chapter with the new leader of Egypt.”

Mikati mum on how STL was funded as criticism mounts
July 13, 2012/By Hussein Dakroub, Nafez Kawas The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Prime Minister Najib Mikati kept mum on how Lebanon paid its share to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s annual budget as he came under fire from March 8 and March 14 MPs for transferring the money without Cabinet approval. A source close to Mikati refused to say how the U.N.-backed STL was funded, saying that what mattered most was that Lebanon’s share for 2012 has been fully paid.
Political sources told The Daily Star that the STL was funded after Mikati demanded that the money be paid from the premiership’s funds, with the amount to be later donated by Lebanese banks as happened last year during the payment of Lebanon’s 2011 contribution for the STL.
But a source at the Association of Banks denied Lebanese banks’ involvement with the financing this year. “The Association of Banks is not involved in financing the STL this year. The money is coming from the Higher Relief Committee,” the source told The Daily Star.
Lebanese banks donated Lebanon’s 2011 share of $32.6 million. The money was initially paid from the budget of the state-run HRC, which falls under the prime minister’s office.
After chairing a Cabinet meeting that approved the draft 2012 state budget at the Grand Serail, Mikati told reporters that Lebanon transferred its share toward the STL’s funding Wednesday morning in the same manner it did last year, but was not reliant on donations from Lebanese banks. The STL confirmed Wednesday that it had received the funding from the government for the 2012 budget worth nearly 27 million euros ($33 million), amounting to 49 percent of the tribunal’s budget.
Although the government’s decision to fund the STL was praised by both the U.S. and opposition March 14 politicians, the manner in which the money was transferred by overriding Cabinet approval was harshly criticized by March 8 and March 14 MPs Thursday.
Baabda MP Hikmat Deeb from MP Michel Aoun’s parliamentary Change and Reform bloc which opposed the STL’s funding told the Central News Agency: “Although it avoided divisions inside the Cabinet, the manner in which the funding of the international tribunal happened was twisted and ran contrary to the simplest legal rules.”
“The funding in any country can be approved only through a detailed comprehensive budget. But exceptions have become the rule,” he said.
Deeb recalled that his bloc saw no benefit from the STL, be it at the judicial, investigation or financial level.
Tripoli MP Mohammad Kabbara from the Future bloc, criticized what he called the Cabinet’s “fraudulent funding” of the STL.
“The fraudulent funding of the STL according to the formula passed by Prime Minister Najib Mikati from outside the [state] budget and through the Higher Relief Committee was striking. It implied legally that Lebanon was ‘donating’ to the tribunal rather than paying its obligations because it is a partner in an agreement [with the STL],” Kabbara said in a statement.
He also criticized Mikati for not including the STL funding item in the draft state budget “in order to avoid the draft reaching Parliament where the legislative body’s approval of the funding within the budget would amount to a final Lebanese constitutional approval of the international tribunal, something which the party of arms [Hezbollah] will not allow.”
Mikati said Wednesday that Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi had included the item of the STL’s funding in the draft state budget but that it was later withdrawn as the transfer of funds had taken place earlier in the day.
Separately, the German and British ambassadors to Lebanon welcomed the funding of the STL and the Cabinet’s approval of the 2012 state budget during separate meetings with Mikati.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet, which met under Mikati at the Grand Serail Thursday, approved the first stage of a national program to help the poorest families and begin extending social benefits to 13,929 families living under the poverty line, Information Minister Walid Daouk told reporters after the meeting.
Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour said that of the 33,000 poor families who had applied for aid, 13,929 families fulfilled the program’s conditions because they lived under the poverty line of just under $4 per day per family member.
Noting that the project was the first in Lebanon’s history, Abu Faour said the 13,929 families will benefit from medical care, hospitalization from chronic diseases, free education, school books and electricity.
Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn and State Minister Salim Karam, from the Marada Movement, did not attend the session. Karam told The Daily Star Wednesday that he and Ghosn will boycott the Cabinet sessions to protest the failure to allocate development funds for Zghorta.
Separately, Mikati met with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Burns with whom he discussed current developments in Lebanon and the region, the National News Agency reported.
The meeting, held at the Grand Serail, was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly.

Sodomy "For the Sake of Islam"
by Raymond Ibrahim/Originally published by the Gatestone Institute
July 12, 2012
http://www.raymondibrahim.com/11985/sodomy-for-the-sake-of-islam
Not only did the original "underwear bomber" Abdullah Hassan al-Asiri hide explosives in his rectum to assassinate Saudi Prince Muhammad bin Nayef—they met in 2009 after the 22-year-old Asiri "feigned repentance for his jihadi views"—but this "holy-warrior" apparently had fellow jihadists repeatedly sodomize him to "widen" his anus to fit the explosives—and all in accordance with the fatwas of Islamic clerics. A 2010 Arabic news video that aired on Fadak TV gives the details. Apparently a cleric, one Abu al-Dema al-Qasab, informed al-Asiri and other jihadis of an "innovative and unprecedented way to execute martyrdom operations: place explosive capsules in your anus. However, to undertake this jihadi approach you must agree to be sodomized for a while to widen your anus so it can hold the explosives." Others inquired further by asking for formal fatwas. Citing his desire for "martyrdom and the virgins of paradise," one jihadi (possibly al-Asiri himself) asked another sheikh, "Is it permissible for me to let one of the jihadi brothers sodomize me to widen my anus if the intention is good?"
After praising Allah, the sheikh's fatwa began by declaring that sodomy is forbidden in Islam,
However, jihad comes first, for it is the pinnacle of Islam, and if the pinnacle of Islam can only be achieved through sodomy, then there is no wrong in it. For the overarching rule of [Islamic] jurisprudence asserts that 'necessity makes permissible the prohibited.' And if obligatory matters can only be achieved by performing the prohibited, then it becomes obligatory to perform the prohibited, and there is no greater duty than jihad. After he sodomize s you, you must ask Allah for forgiveness and praise him all the more. And know that Allah will reward the jihadis on the Day of Resurrection, according to their intentions—and your intention, Allah willing, is for the victory of Islam, and we ask that Allah accept it of you.
Two important and complementary points emerge from this matter: 1) that jihad is the "pinnacle" of Islam—for it makes Islam supreme (based on a Muhammad hadith); and 2) that "necessity makes permissible the prohibited." These axioms are not limited to modern day fatwas, but in fact, were crystallized centuries ago, agreed to by the ulema, or Islam's leading doctrinaires.
The result is that, because making Islam supreme through jihad is the greatest priority, anything and everything that is otherwise banned becomes permissible. All that comes to matter is one's intention, or niyya. From here one may understand the many ostensible incongruities of Islamic history: lying is forbidden—but permissible to empower Islam; intentionally killing women and children is forbidden—but permissible during the jihad; suicide is forbidden—but permissible during the jihad, called "martyrdom."
Indeed, the Five Pillars of Islam—including prayer and fasting—may be ignored during the jihad. (So important was the duty of jihad that the Ottoman sultans, who often spent half their lives on the battlefield, were not permitted to perform the obligatory pilgrimage to Mecca.) More recently, these ideas appeared in different form during Egypt's elections, when Islamic leaders portrayed voting as a form of jihad—leading to the abuse and even killing of those not voting for the Muslim Brotherhood. According to these two doctrines—which culminate in empowering Islam, no matter how—one may expect anything from would-be jihadis, regardless of how dubious the effort may otherwise seem. Even so, this mentality, which is prevalent throughout the Islamic world, especially along the frontlines of the jihad, is the same mentality that many Western leaders and politicians think can be appeased with just a bit more respect, well-wishing, and concessions from the West.
Such are the great, and disastrous, disconnects of our time.

Calls to Destroy Egypt's Great Pyramids Begin
by Raymond Ibrahim
FrontPageMagazine.com
July 10, 2012
http://www.meforum.org/3283/destroy-egypt-pyramids
According to several reports in the Arabic media, prominent Muslim clerics have begun to call for the demolition of Egypt's Great Pyramids—or, in the words of Saudi Sheikh Ali bin Said al-Rabi'i, those "symbols of paganism," which Egypt's Salafi party has long planned to cover with wax. Most recently, Bahrain's "Sheikh of Sunni Sheikhs" and President of National Unity, Abd al-Latif al-Mahmoud, called on Egypt's new president, Muhammad Morsi, to "destroy the Pyramids and accomplish what Amr bin al-As could not."
Has the sun finally set for Egypt's Great Pyramids?
This is a reference to the Muslim Prophet Muhammad's companion, Amr bin al-As and his Arabian tribesmen, who invaded and conquered Egypt circa 641. Under al-As and subsequent Muslim rule, many Egyptian antiquities were destroyed as relics of infidelity. While most Western academics argue otherwise, according to early Muslim writers, the great Library of Alexandria itself—deemed a repository of pagan knowledge contradicting the Koran—was destroyed under bin al-As's reign and in compliance with Caliph Omar's command.
However, while book-burning was a simple process in the 7th century, destroying the mountain-like pyramids and their guardian Sphinx was not—even though many early Muslim leaders certainly tried; by the time gunfire was invented, Egypt's Medieval Mamluk rulers even managed to "de-nose" the Sphinx during target practice (though popular legend naturally attributes it to a Westerner, Napoleon).
Now, however, as Bahrain's "Sheikh of Sheikhs" observes, and thanks to modern technology, the pyramids can be destroyed. The only question left is whether Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood president is "pious" enough—if he is willing to complete the Islamization process that started under the hands of Egypt's first Islamic conqueror.
Nor is such a course of action implausible. History is laden with examples of Muslims destroying their own pre-Islamic heritage—starting with Muhammad himself, who ransacked Arabia's Ka'ba temple, transforming it into a mosque.
Asking "What is it about Islam that so often turns its adherents against their own patrimony?" Daniel Pipes provides several examples, from Medieval Muslims in India destroying their forefathers' temples, to contemporary Muslims destroying their ancestors' heritage in Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Malaysia, and Tunisia. Currently, in what the International Criminal Court is describing as a possible "war crime," Islamic fanatics are destroying the ancient legacy of the city of Timbuktu in Mali—all to Islam's triumphant war cry, "Allahu Akbar!"
Much of this hate for their own pre-Islamic heritage is tied to the fact that, traditionally, Muslims do not identify with this or that nation, culture, or language, but only with the Islamic nation—the Umma. Accordingly, while many Egyptians—Muslims and non-Muslims alike—see themselves first and foremost as Egyptians, Islamists have no national identity, identifying only with Islam's "culture," based on the "sunna" of the prophet and Islam's language, Arabic. This sentiment was clearly reflected when the former leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Muhammad Akef, recently declared "the hell with Egypt," indicating that the interests of his country are secondary to Islam's.
It is further telling that such calls are being made now—immediately after a Muslim Brotherhood member became Egypt's president. In fact, the same reports discussing the call to demolish the last of the Seven Wonders of the Word, also note that Egyptian Salafis are calling on Morsi to banish all Shias and Baha'is from Egypt.
In other words, Morsi's recent call to release the Blind Sheikh, a terrorist mastermind, from U.S. imprisonment, may be the tip of the iceberg in coming audacity. From calls to legalize Islamic sex-slave marriage to calls to institute "morality police" to calls to destroy Egypt's mountain-like monuments, under Muslim Brotherhood tutelage, the bottle has been uncorked, and the genie unleashed in Egypt.
Will all those international institutions, which make it a point to look the other way whenever human rights abuses are committed by Muslims, lest they appear "Islamophobic," at least take note now that the Great Pyramids appear to be next on Islam's hit list, or will the fact that Muslims are involved silence them once again—even as those most ancient symbols of human civilization are pummeled to the ground?
**Raymond Ibrahim is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

Jews, Muslims unite to condemn German circumcision ruling
AFP 11 July/12ظA baby is blessed by a group of rabbis during a circumcision ceremony. Some 40 European …
....Jewish and Muslim groups have issued a joint call for German lawmakers to protect the right to circumcise boys after a court ruling against the rite sent shockwaves through their communities.
Several Jewish and Islamic organisations said in a statement released Wednesday that they had met with legal and medical experts and European Parliament deputies in Brussels this week to discuss the court's decision."We consider this to be an affront (to) our basic religious and human rights," the joint appeal said.
"Circumcision is an ancient ritual that is fundamental to our individual faiths and we protest in the strongest possible terms this court ruling.
"To that end we will vigorously defend our right to maintain our mutual tradition and call on the German parliament and all political parties to intervene in overruling this decision as a matter of urgency."
The unusual joint statement was signed by leaders of groups including the Rabbinical Centre of Europe, the European Jewish Parliament, the European Jewish Association, Germany's Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs and the Islamic Centre Brussels.
They met with MEPs from Germany, Finland, Belgium, Italy and Poland, according to the statement released by the Turkish-Islamic Union.
The June 26 ruling by the regional court in Cologne that circumcising young boys on religious grounds amounted to grievous bodily harm has caused international uproar.
Jewish and Muslim groups had each demanded that the German parliament establish clear legal protections for the rite, calling the issue a matter of religious freedom.