Bible Quotation for today/Warning against Prejudice
James 02/01-13: " My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance.  Suppose a rich man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes comes to your meeting, and a poor man in ragged clothes also comes.  If you show more respect to the well-dressed man and say to him, “Have this best seat here,” but say to the poor man, “Stand over there, or sit here on the floor by my feet,” then you are guilty of creating distinctions among yourselves and of making judgments based on evil motives.  Listen, my dear friends! God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.  But you dishonor the poor! Who are the ones who oppress you and drag you before the judges? The rich!  They are the ones who speak evil of that good name which has been given to you.  You will be doing the right thing if you obey the law of the Kingdom, which is found in the scripture, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”  But if you treat people according to their outward appearance, you are guilty of sin, and the Law condemns you as a lawbreaker.  Whoever breaks one commandment is guilty of breaking them all.  For the same one who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Even if you do not commit adultery, you have become a lawbreaker if you commit murder.  Speak and act as people who will be judged by the law that sets us free.  For God will not show mercy when he judges the person who has not been merciful; but mercy triumphs over judgment.
 

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
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Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for April 07/13

PM-designate Tammam Salam Declares Support for Syria's Revolution: Cabinet's Mission Is to Hold Elections

Tammam Salam Named Lebanon’s PM
Newly Lebanese appointed PM Salam seeks ‘Cabinet of national interest’13 hours ago

National Liberal Party leader MP Dory Chamoun says will apply to run in polls under 1960 law
My main mission is to hold elections: MP Tammam Salam

Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon, Asiri: Designating Salam, a Lebanese Choice
Comments by Lebanese MPs at Baabda Palace while naming Salam prime minister-designate
President Michel Sleiman signs decree to delay polls to June 16: sources

Lebanese March 14 Christian parties at odds over cabinet type
Dispute in Lebanon’s Tripoli leaves man dead, another critically injured
Lebanon’s good ol’ days go online

ISF Warns of 'Metropolitan Police Virus' Hitting Computers across Region

One Man Killed in Armed Dispute in Tripoli

Rahi Calls for a 'Just Electoral Law', Wishes a 'Quick Cabinet Formation'

Miqati to Run for Elections, Appreciates Saudi Will to Nominate him for Premiership
Lebanese Army Seizes Truck Carrying Weapons, Explosives in Baalbeck's al-Labwa

Amin Gemayel: It's Naive to Think Hizbullah Can Be Shut out of New Government

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PM-designate Tammam Salam Declares Support for Syria's Revolution: Cabinet's Mission Is to Hold Elections
Naharnet /PM-designate Tammam Salam stated on Saturday that heading the new cabinet is a huge responsibility that must be shared “by all those who nominated him”, stressing that his government's role is to carry the parliamentary elections. The premier-designate also announced his support for the “Syrian people's revolution”, saying that he will voice out his stance in this matter whenever it does not “contradict with Lebanon's interests”.
“Being chosen to head the new cabinet is a huge responsibility but it is not only mine. All those who have named me for premiership share this responsibility,” Salam said in an interview with LBCI television.
Salam expressed: “We hope that the consensus between different political factions lasts after the cabinet's formation”.The premier-designate stressed that the new cabinet's role is focused on holding the parliamentary elections: “What is needed now is a neutral cabinet that carries the parliamentary elections as the polls are very important for Lebanon”. “We are proud of Lebanon's democracy and this system means rotation of power. This is why elections are a must,” he explained. He announced that there will be a technical delay of the elections but assured that the parliament's term will not be extended. Over the cabinet's formation, Salam announced that the new government will be known as the "National Interest Cabinet", adding that he seeks to form a council of ministers whose members are not nominated for the parliamentary elections.
“This cabinet's mission is to hold the elections and it will be neutral,” he confirmed, noting that it will abide by the Baabda Declaration.“ A one-sided cabinet did not succeed in transferring Lebanon into a new stage,” Salam remarked. “However, we will definitely have a political cabinet after the elections”. The Beirut MP stated that he is an independent political figure who is allied with March 14: “But today I have a sweeping role and this is a huge responsibility”. “I will communicate with all parties. No one can impose anything on me and as such, I will not force anything on anyone,” he assured. “This consensus over nominating me requires that I communicate with all political factions and I am not aware of their stances to extract conclusions”.
Salam expressed that Hizbullah is a major component in Lebanon, asking Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah for support. Salam commented on Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Jumblat's role in choosing him to head the new cabinet: “This issue is not about names but about how to pull Lebanon out of the crisis and Jumblat is a centrist figure that was able to communicate with all factions. We thank him for this”.
“Speaker Nabih Berri did have an effective and influential role in this respect,” he pointed out. On Saudi Arabia's role on naming him for premiership, Salam revealed that he has received the news about his nomination before meeting with al-Mustaqbal Movement head MP Saad Hariri in the KSA, denying receiving a phone call from Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah congratulating him on becoming the PM-designate.
“I held talks with Prince Bandar bin Sultan to discuss future stages and the KSA played an important role in Lebanon and it supported the country's unity and independence. It always stood by Lebanon's side”.
“I thank ex-PM Hariri who has a dream for this country”. Salam assumed the position of prime minister on the second day of the binding parliamentary consultations after garnering a total of 124 votes by lawmakers.
The presidency announced Salam's election earlier on Saturday after a meeting between President Michel Suleiman and Speaker Nabih Berri, who was informed by the president of the details of the parliamentary consultations.
Regarding the Syrian conflict the disassociation policy, Salam stressed that his main concern is to shield Lebanon from regional events , expressing, however, his support of the “Syrian people's revolution”.
“I am with the Syrian people's revolution and I will not deny it. I will express my support whenever it does not put my country to danger.“When officials cling to their positions, then the people become the holders of eligibility and we support their revolution”.

Tammam Salam Named Lebanon’s PM
Tammam Salam closes in on the Lebanese premiership
Thair Abbas/Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—Well-known Sunni lawmaker Tammam Salam has been named Lebanon’s new prime minister, breaking the political crisis that has engulfed the country since Najib Mikati’s surprise resignation last month. Speaking at a press conference after the announcement, Salam vowed to protect Lebanon from the war that is raging in neighboring Syria.
“I have accepted this nomination… out of conviction that it is my duty to work for my country’s interest, in cooperation with all political parties,” he said.
“I start from the necessity of taking Lebanon out of divisions and political tensions that were reflected in the security situation,” he added.
President Michel Suleiman began two days of consultation with MPs to pick a new prime minster on Friday, but consensus has already emerged backing Salam’s candidacy. Salam is a well-respected Sunni MP and former minister of culture. At the end of the first day of consultations, Salam had the backing of 87 members of the 128-member parliament, including his own influential March 14 bloc, Walid Jumblatt’s National Front bloc, and the 12-member Hezbollah bloc. At the end of consultations on Saturday, he had received a total of 124 votes.
Salam is expected to form a national unity government, although this may prove difficult owing to the sharp divisions on the Lebanese political scene which have only escalated in the shadow of the Syrian crisis.
Although Salam has personally won endorsements from across the Lebanese political spectrum, it is not certain whether his own March 14 Alliance and Hezbollah will be able to reach an agreement on the form of a proposed government. Leading figures within the March 14 Alliance, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, stressed that the talk about the composition of the next government is premature. However, the source emphasized that Hezbollah’s commitment to its “people, army and resistance” formula is doomed to failure.
The source said that the ball is now in Hezbollah’s court, adding that the Shi’ite militia was responsible for the failure of Mikati’s government, through which it was controlling Lebanon’s executive authority.
The March 14 Alliance source also claimed that Hezbollah’s retreat is due to a “regional resolution” put forward by Tehran related to Iran’s current negotiations with the Europeans and the US over its nuclear programme. The source stressed that this “retreat” is a goodwill gesture on the part of Iran, adding that this may even be followed up with Hezbollah taking a step back from the Syrian crisis.
The source, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, said that Hezbollah has demonstrated a degree of commitment to Salam’s candidacy, including convincing ally Michel Aoun to switch his bloc’s votes from Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi. Salam is a member of a prominent Sunni political dynasty; he previously served as culture minister between 2008 and 2009. He is the son of former prime minister Saeb Salam, who served as Lebanese premier six times.

My main mission is to hold elections: MP Tammam Salam
April 06, 2013/By Hussein Dakroub/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman will appoint Saturday MP Tammam Salam to form a new Cabinet after the Future bloc-allied legislator won an overwhelming parliamentary endorsement on the first day of binding consultations to choose a new prime minister.
However, Salam, fully endorsed by the opposition March 14 coalition as its candidate for the premiership, faces an uphill task in his attempts to form a new Cabinet amid demands by March 8 leaders for the formation of a national unity government representing all the parties in exchange for their support of the Beirut lawmaker.
“The big challenge and the most important mission at this stage is to meet the constitutional deadline by holding the parliamentary elections under a consensus law,” Salam said in a TV interview.
Salam was referring to the failure of the March 8 and March 14 parties to agree on a new electoral law to govern the elections, scheduled in June, which raise the possibility of a delay in the polls, or an extension of Parliament’s four-year mandate that expires on June 20.
Suleiman began Friday two days of consultations with parliamentary blocs and independent lawmakers at the Baabda Palace to choose a new prime minister who would form a new Cabinet to replace caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government, which resigned last month. The president will hold another round of talks with lawmakers Saturday before officially designating Salam with the task of forming a new Cabinet.
The outcome of the first day of consultations with MPs showed an overwhelming parliamentary endorsement for Salam, including support from the parliamentary blocs of Hezbollah, Speaker Nabih Berri, MP Michel Aoun, Mikati and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt.
Salam won the votes of 86 parliamentarians, securing him a sufficient majority of the 128-member legislature needed to be named prime minister-designate. With more support expected Saturday from other parliamentary blocs for his nomination, Salam is expected to win endorsement from more than 120 MPs, setting a second precedent after former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora gained the support of 126 MPs for his nomination in 2008.
Although Salam, 67, has not yet commented on the March 8 demands for a national unity Cabinet, some March 14 leaders have repeatedly called for the formation of a neutral or salvation government to oversee the elections.
Among major challenges facing Salam, a former culture minister, are the shape of the new Cabinet and the distribution of key portfolios among parliamentary blocs.
Another contentious issue that has delayed the Cabinet formation for months in the past is the government’s policy statement amid repeated demands by Hezbollah that the new Cabinet uphold its support for the party’s armed resistance against Israel as has been the case with previous governments. Hezbollah has demanded that the new Cabinet adopt the tripartite equation: “The Army, the people and the resistance,” which has been endorsed by previous governments.
March 14 leaders have rejected the phrase and called instead for it to be replaced by the Baabda Declaration in the new Cabinet’s policy statement. The declaration, reached by the rival March 8 and March 14 leaders during a National Dialogue session in June 2012, calls for “keeping Lebanon away from the policy of regional and international conflicts and sparing it the negative repercussions of regional tensions and crises.”
Before meeting Sleiman, Berri chaired a meeting of his parliamentary bloc during which he announced that the bloc would name Salam.
“The bloc decided today to name Mr. Tammam Salam to head a national reconciliation government, stressing that this is a good opportunity to restore harmony among all the Lebanese,” Berri said in a statement. He added that Salam’s nomination to the premiership opened “a new page” by the former majority – March 8 – toward the former opposition – March 14 – in order for all the parties to work together for Lebanon’s salvation.
Mikati said he was pleased with the principle of rotation of power.
“We were waiting for a positive shock, and we’ve started to see its precursors, especially in today’s democratic practice in naming a new prime minister,” he told reporters after meeting Sleiman.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Sleiman with members of his bloc, Jumblatt said: “The National Struggle Front bloc named MP Tammam Salam to form a new government.”
Siniora, head of the parliamentary Future bloc which nominated Salam for prime minister, said after meeting Sleiman: “The new government should seriously work to ease the level of tension in the country and work toward holding parliamentary elections as soon as possible.”
MP Mohammad Raad, head of Hezbollah’s 12-member bloc in Parliament, said after meeting Sleiman that the bloc named Salam to form the new Cabinet as “a proof our openness to any step in the direction of understanding among the Lebanese, and the safeguarding of the country’s stability.”Although Aoun, leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, did not attend the consultations in Baabda, he said he endorsed Salam and members of his Change and Reform bloc would go to Baabda to name the Beirut MP.
“We agreed on [naming] MP Tammam Salam for the premiership because our choice is national unity and stability,” Aoun told reporters. “Today came an opportunity for a unity government embracing all components of the country.”
Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh boycotted the Baabda consultations, arguing that Salam was a March 14 figure, rather than a consensus candidate.

Lebanese March 14 Christian parties at odds over cabinet type
Now Lebanon/The main Christian agree nominated MP Tammam Salam to head the cabinet, but still disagree on the type of the government. The main Christian parties in the March 14 coalition, the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb, are at odds when it comes to the type of the next cabinet. While both parties nominated MP Tammam Salam to head the cabinet, they still disagree on the type of the government, with the LF calling for a technocrat cabinet and the Kataeb calling for a “political salvation” cabinet. LF bloc MP George Adwan on Sunday voiced his party’s call for a non-political technocrat cabinet to supervise the upcoming elections.
“A technocrat cabinet can be formed quickly in order to hold the [parliamentary elections] on time, and the cabinet declaration must be based on the Baabda Declaration,” Adwan said after the parliamentary consultations with President Michel Suleiman. Meanwhile, Kataeb party leader Amin Gemayel, who also nominated Salam for premiership, said that the next cabinet must be a political one. “A salvation cabinet cannot be a non-political one, and if there are good intentions, a new cabinet can be formed within an acceptable time frame,” Amin Gemayel told An-Nahar newspaper in remarks published on Saturday. Salam is the son of six-time former PM Saeb Salam and has himself served as culture minister in Fouad Siniora’s cabinet between 2008 and 2009. He won a seat in parliament in 2009 while running as part of March 14’s electoral list in the Beirut III district. Last Thursday, President Michel Suleiman announced that parliamentary consultations aiming to name a new premier will take place on April 5 and 6. The post of prime minister became vacant after Miqati resigned from his office last month, raising concerns amid the country’s dueling parties over a possible political vacuum.

National Liberal Party leader MP Dory Chamoun says will apply to run in polls under 1960 law
April 06, 2013/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: National Liberal Party leader MP Dory Chamoun said Saturday that he would submit next week his request to run in the June parliamentary elections based on the 1960 law. “I am determined to submit a candidacy request to run for the parliamentary elections in the next couple of days based on the 1960 law used in 2009 which is still in effect,” said Chamoun, according to the National News Agency.
“I am against a political vacuum and against violating the Constitution ... Respecting the constitutional deadlines begins with holding the parliamentary elections on time,” he added. Interior Minister Charbel submitted a draft decree to the Cabinet’s Secretariat Friday requesting to delay the elections scheduled for June 9 to June 16. His request still has to gain the approval of Prime Minister Najib Mikati and President Michel Sleiman who both signed last month a decree calling for the elections to be held on June 9 based on the 1960 law, which opposed by the majority of political groups in the country. Only 23 applications have been filed thus far at the Interior Ministry.

Dispute in Lebanon’s Tripoli leaves man dead, another critically injured
A dispute in Tripoli’s Al-Mallouleh area, which lead to a gunfire exchange, left one man dead and another in critical condition, the National News Agency reported. The victim was identified as Walid Bakri and the injured man as Omar Al-Arja. The NNA also said that the dispute erupted between residents of Bab al-Tebbaneh and Al-Baddawi. Tripoli has been the center of recurrent sectarian violence linked to the troubles in Syria where a violent uprising against President Bashar al-Assad has killed more than 70,000 people

Comments by Lebanese MPs at Baabda Palace while naming Salam prime minister-designate
April 06, 2013/The Daily Star
“We were waiting for a positive shock, and we’ve started to see its precursors, especially in today’s democratic practice in naming a new prime minister.
“A change of leadership is a good thing, which is only recognized by those who have experienced it. We will stand by the new prime minister because our primary concern is the unity and the stability of the nation.
“I don’t regret any decision I have taken; on the contrary I am happy about what I have seen today in terms of democratic practice in Lebanese political life.”
Former Prime Minister and Sidon MP Fouad Siniora:
“The new government should seriously work to ease the level of tension in the country and work toward holding parliamentary elections as soon as possible in order to reorganize constitutional institutions and resolve pending political, economic, social and diplomatic problems. There is no question that the current developments require the formation of an active government with a unified working group. We are committed to the Baabda Declaration.”
Deputy Speaker and Koura MP Farid Makari:
“We want a government for the [parliamentary] elections. We are against a government that has parliamentary hopefuls in it, because that would result in the extension of Parliament’s term. We hope Salam stands for one unified government.” Chouf MP Walid Jumblatt, on behalf of the Progressive Socialist Party’s National Struggle Bloc:
“The National Struggle Front bloc named Tammam Salam to form a new government. We also praise the great efforts of former Prime Minister Najib Mikati in his work to protect the country’s stability and unity.”
Metn MP Ibrahim Kanaan, on behalf of the Free Patriotic Movement’s Change and Reform bloc:
“We named Tammam Salam. As [Michel] Aoun said, this choice is an opportunity to achieve national unity, which is needed at this critical time. Whether we vote confidence in the new government depends on the formation of the Cabinet.” Nabatieh MP Mohammad Raad, on behalf of Hezbollah’s Loyalty to the Resistance bloc:
“The Loyalty to the Resistance bloc has named MP Tammam Salam as a proof of our openness to any step in the direction of understanding among the Lebanese, and the safeguarding of the country’s stability.”
Marjayoun-Hasbaya MP Anwar Khalil, on behalf of the Amal Movement’s Development and Liberation bloc:
“We reiterated to President Michel Sleiman that what the bloc decided in its meeting this morning is to name MP Tammam Salam for prime minister. We have named him, and we wish him good luck.”

President Michel Sleiman signs decree to delay polls to June 16: sources
April 06, 2013/The Daily Star/BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman signed Saturday a decree that would delay parliamentary elections by a period of one week, Baabda Palace sources told The Daily Star.
Sleiman’s move comes a day after Interior Minister Marwan Charbel submitted a draft decree to the Cabinet’s Secretariat seeking a delay of the elections from June 9 to June 16. In March, Sleiman and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati signed a decree calling for holding the elections on June 9 based on the law in effect, otherwise known as the “1960 law.”Delaying the date of the elections ultimately extends the deadline for filing applications by a period of one week. The deadline for submissions had been April 11.Only about two dozen people have registered to run in the elections as a result of opposition from both the March 8 and March 14 camps of holding the elections under the “1960 law.”Last week, the country’s main Maronite political parties vowed not to submit their candidacies under the law in effect. Their decision came days after the Progressive Socialist Party announced its members would submit applications of candidates.Baabda sources also said Saturday that during the parliamentary consultations to name the next prime minister, Sleiman stressed to lawmakers the needed to agree on a new electoral law given that he had constitutional duties he needed to abide by regarding the elections.

Newly Lebanese appointed PM Salam seeks ‘Cabinet of national interest’
April 06, 2013/The Daily Star/BEIRUT: Newly appointed Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam said Saturday he would work toward the formation of a “government of national interest” and vowed to safeguard Lebanon from the repercussions of the conflict in neighboring Syria. “There has been a lot talk about what the new Cabinet should be. Some say a national unity Cabinet, others one of national consensus. Some want a neutral Cabinet, others a government of technocrats. I will work on forming a national interest Cabinet,” Salam said his appointment at Baabda Palace.Salam also acknowledged the delicate stage the country was in and said he would work with others toward a new electoral law that could gain consensus. "I am aware of the critical stage the country is facing and the limited constitutional deadlines for holding the polls on time," he told reporters, in his first comments following his nomination.
"I will work with different parties to quickly reach a consensual law for the new elections that will ensure fair representation to all Lebanese citizens, sects and regions based on the Taif Accord and Constitution," he added.
President Michel Sleiman appointed Salam, 67, after two days of binding parliamentary consultations during which 124 MPs of the 128-member Parliament named the Beirut MP to form the next Cabinet.
Salam’s appointment comes two weeks after the Lebanese president accepted the resignation of the Hezbollah-dominated government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
Although winning the nomination, Salam’s task of forming the next Cabinet will likely be difficult given rival demands from the country’s opposing coalitions and their differences over the crisis in Syria.
While the March 14 alliance wants a government to oversee the elections, the March 8 coalition is seeking a national unity Cabinet. Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt, who counts himself among the country’s “centrist” bloc, also insists on the formation of a national unity Cabinet. Salam said Saturday he had made no promises or commitments in return for his nomination.
“I did not make any pledges to any side: the only vow was the one I took myself, which is to work only according to [Lebanon’s] national interest,” said Salam.
He would also not elaborate on the type of government he would head.“Everything to do with the next Cabinet will depend on the consultations regarding its formation,” he said.
He told a local daily in comments published Saturday that the consultations would take place Tuesday and Wednesday.Salam, an independent legislator allied with the Future Movement bloc, also said he would remain at an equal distance from the country’s rival parties and try to reconcile the gap between them and “unify the national vision.” “Today, I belong to the bloc of the homeland and this homeland is my responsibility,” Salam, known for his moderate positions, said. The prime minister-designate also said he would work toward keeping Lebanon safe from the repercussions of events in war-torn Syria.
“I will work on safeguarding Lebanon from the repercussions of the tragic circumstances in the neighboring county [Syria],” he said. Under Mikati, the government adopted a policy of disassociating from developments in Syria. During a National Dialogue session in 2012, rival political leaders also agreed to adopt the “Baabda Declaration,” which calls for keeping Lebanon neutral from regional crises, particularly in Syria.

Lebanon’s good ol’ days go online
April 06, 2013/By Wassim Mroueh/The Daily Star/BEIRUT: For most Lebanese, pre-1975 Lebanon is but a fading memory. Much has changed since then, in terms of urban landscapes, traditions and ways of life. The long and bloody 1975-1990 Civil War and successive severe political crises that followed the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri have transformed the country and its identity.
But the good old days and the collective memory of coexistence and a simpler life won’t soon be lost thanks to three men: brothers Mustafa and Hilal Kabbara, and Abdullah al-Halabi, who is better known as Michael.
Together, they launched four Facebook pages: Lebanese Jumble Club, Tripoli in Black and White, Tripoli in Color and Tripoli Art in Black and White and Color. Through these pages, the three seek to immortalize Lebanon’s traditions of coexistence and peace by posting photos of the country’s cities, artists, politicians, celebrities and anything that invokes the memory of a more cohesive era.
“We all met for the love and dedication to Lebanon, which had been wronged in the media and as a result had suffered distortion to its reputation at the regional and international level,” Hilal tells The Daily Star.
Hilal took the initiative first, proposing the idea of the Lebanese Jumble Club page.
“The idea of creating such pages has been in mind for a long time, but the presence of Facebook ... made the creation easy and, of course, the love for Lebanon was a strong incentive for the establishment of these pages and especially Lebanese Jumble Club to publicize and disseminate files, videos and images electronically,” Hilal adds.
Hilal says it is necessary to inform people on the local, regional and international levels about the richness of the country in terms of its heritage, the goodness of its people and their ability to coexist, contrary to what some media outlets report. “Having got a great interest in physically collecting antiques, pictures and oldies has also been a good reason for sharing them with others,” Hilal adds. Hilal works as a senior lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston, England, where he has been living for over 28 years.
The pages, established over the past year, are updated on a daily basis. The photos come from a mixture of sources, Hilal says, some from personal collections the pages’ managers inherited or gathered by themselves, others from fans of the pages and close friends, magazines, newspapers, old books, government libraries worldwide and the Internet.
They feature rare photos of Lebanese cities and districts pre-1975. The collections include photos of old Downtown Beirut with its bustling ancient souks, tramways, Ottoman-era buildings along with Martyrs’ Square, its famous Rivoli Cinema building and palm trees.
Other photos show Hamra Street, the capital’s seafront, airport, Tripoli’s train station in the early 20th century and other landmarks of Lebanon.
Also displayed are old photos of Lebanese in traditional clothes, photos of Lebanese politicians, artists and singers from the last century.
“I post new photos on a daily basis. I have Internet at my office, home and mobile,” Mustafa says.
But he adds that he never interrupts his work to manage the pages, as he’s the mukhtar of the Al-Mahatira neighborhood of Tripoli. He explains he has a huge collection of photos that grows every day.
Though the three men are working toward the same goal, the brothers have never met their collaborator Halabi, since he’s lived in the United States for the past 20 years.
“We knew each other via Internet. Common fields of interest have brought us together,” he says.
Mustafa boasts that thousands of people have joined the four pages. Tripoli in Black and White has over 5,000 “likes.”
“We are attached to Lebanon and to Tripoli, our city,” he says. “We yearn for all old traditions and ways of life.”
Hilal says that his brother’s contribution to the pages is essential: “[His] presence with us is very important as a strong link to Lebanon in general and Tripoli city in particular, being highly knowledgeable of people of Tripoli, landmarks, streets and alleys.” He explains that the three of them coordinate and discuss ideas ahead of posting photos.
“In fact, there is continuous coordination between us as we consult and exchange views on topics and ideas to be raised on historical pictures and/or social issues, etc., and therefore we operate as one body complementing one another,” he says. Many people have expressed their admiration for the message behind launching these pages, which Hilal says “calls for love, tolerance, respect and acceptance of others.”
“We have a great faith that the insistence on this noble mission should be echoed positively within all the Lebanese community.”

Amin Gemayel: It's Naive to Think Hizbullah Can Be Shut out of New Government
Naharnet /Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel expressed his satisfaction with the appointment of MP Tammam Salam to head a new government, stressing that it should be a “salvation cabinet that brings together all powers,” reported the daily An Nahar Saturday. He told the daily: “It's naïve to think that Hizbullah can be shut out of the new cabinet.” He stressed that Hizbullah played a role in devising the Baabda Declaration that was approved in June during a national dialogue session and which calls for keeping Lebanon out of regional conflicts. On reports that western and European opposition to Hizbullah's participation in a new government, Gemayel said: “These are just media claims seeing as European countries cooperate with Hizbullah ministers at the Agriculture and Administrative Development Ministries.” The new government should be able “to assume its responsibilities and face local and foreign obligations.” It must also work on reaching an agreement over a new parliamentary electoral law, “which is a national priority because a lack of agreement on the issue will lead to the cancellation of the elections and take the country towards the unknown,” he remarked. In addition, Gemayel noted that a salvation government “should not have a political quality.”The government of Premier Najib Miqati resigned on March 22 over its failure to reach an agreement over the authority to oversee the parliamentary elections and failure to agree on extending the term of former Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi. Binding parliamentary consultations were held on Friday, and will continue on Saturday, to name a new premier. The majority of the political powers have so far nominated Salam to assume the post.

Four Italian journalists held in Syria
April 06, 2013/Daily Star/MILAN: The Italian Foreign Ministry says that four Italian journalists have been detained in Syria. The Foreign Ministry on Saturday said that they are in touch with the families of the journalists but declined to say who have detained them or release further details out of concern for their safety. Italian media have reported that the four are a RAI public television reporter and three freelancers who had entered Syria earlier this month with the intention of working by day in Syria and crossing into Turkey in the evening. They were first reported detained in northern Syria near the Turkish border on Friday.

Rebel govt aims to hold sway across Syria: opposition
April 06, 2013/Daily Star/BEIRUT: Syrian rebel prime minister Ghassan Hitto has begun talks to form an interim government of 11 ministries to administer the whole of Syria, the opposition said on Saturday."The interim government is the executive authority that will extend its authority over all national Syrian territory, and it will consist of 11 ministries," said the main opposition Syrian National Coalition.
Nominees for each post must "be able to work from within Syrian borders," said the Coalition. "The nominee cannot be a pillar of the current regime (of President Bashar al-Assad) or have committed crimes against the Syrian people."The opposition has been divided over the need for an interim government and over Hitto's election as premier at a meeting in Istanbul last month.
After the Coalition's vote to name Hitto, a dozen prominent opponents froze their membership of the umbrella group accusing the powerful Muslim Brotherhood bloc of having pushed through the nomination.
Mainstream rebel Free Syrian Army chief Selim Idriss has said a key condition for accepting an interim government was that its authority should cover the whole of Syrian territory, not just areas under rebel control.
The Coalition said the government will comprise ministers of defence, interior, foreign affairs, local administration, economy and public resources, education, agriculture and water, health, infrastructure, relief and justice.

Suicide bomber kills 20 at political rally in Iraq
April 06, 2013/Daily Star/BAGHDAD: A suicide bomber killed 20 people and wounded dozens of others on Saturday at a political rally in the Iraqi city of Baqouba, officials said. Provincial Councilman Sadiq al-Huseini said the bomber detonated his explosives as Muthana al-Jourani, who is a Sunni candidate for the council, was hosting lunch for supporters in a large hospitality tent pitched next to his house in the mixed Sunni-Shiite city, 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad.Violence is expected to surge in the lead up to Iraq's provincial elections on April 20. A health official and police officer who provided details about the attack spoke anonymously because they weren't authorized to speak to media. The police officer said al-Jourani, who was injured in the attack, had not requested any extra security for the political event. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the police officer said the attack was the hallmark of al-Qaida militants who have used suicide bombers, car bombings and coordinated attacks to shake security in Iraq, hoping that will undermine confidence in the Shiite-led government. The hard-line Sunni extremists see Shiites, and those who work with them, as heretics.A wave of deadly bombings and attacks in March prompted Iraqi officials to conclude that al-Qaida's Iraqi branch, known as the Islamic State of Iraq, has been getting stronger. They say rising lawlessness on the Syria-Iraq frontier and cross-border cooperation with the Syrian militant group Nusra Front has improved the militants' supply of weapons, foreign fighters and logistics.

Iran’s silent war in the Gulf
By JONATHAN SPYER/J.Post
Tehran is using its standard tools of subversion and irregular warfare as it seeks to expand its influence in the region. Iranian officials often describe Bahrain as constituting the “14th province” of Iran.
A series of trials under way in the neighboring Gulf states of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain offer a glimpse into the ongoing, silent war being waged by Iran against its regional rivals.
Bahrain is of particular interest to Tehran. The tiny island emirate is home to a Shi’a majority – ruled over by the Sunni Khalifa monarchy. Iranian officials often describe Bahrain as rightfully constituting the “14th province” of Iran. A Shi’ite insurgency was crushed in March 2011, following the entry of Saudi, Kuwaiti and United Arab Emirates forces. Tensions remain high.
The two, both major oil-producing states, are separated by sectarian loyalties, strategy toward the West and straightforward geopolitical competition for dominance in the energy-rich Gulf region.
The latest revelations suggest that the long-standing use by the Iranian regime of subversion and irregular warfare as tools of policy in the Gulf – as elsewhere – is proceeding apace.In Bahrain, recent revelations have centered on two cases. In the first, a Bahraini citizen convicted in July 2011 of transferring “military information and identifying sensitive sites in Bahrain” to Iranian diplomats in Kuwait had his 10-year sentence confirmed this week.
According to a statement from the court, the man, who has not been named, sought to photograph “military and economic installations” in Bahrain, as well as the homes of individuals employed at the US Juffair Naval Base on the island. The Juffair Base is the main site in the Gulf offering onshore services for the US Navy’s 5th Fleet.
The “diplomats” in question were identified as members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps. IRGC members have a long history of posing as Iranian diplomats and consular staff.
In the second, more recent case, Bahraini authorities in late February arrested eight Bahraini citizens accused of membership in a cell established by the Revolutionary Guards to plan and carry out attacks on Bahrain’s international airport, Interior Ministry and other public facilities, and to assassinate Bahraini officials.
The Bahrainis identified an IRGC official, code-named “Abu Naser” as the head of this group. They claimed to have captured a host of evidence, including electronic equipment, incriminating the arrested men. The authorities also maintained that the members of the cell attended IRGC training camps in Iran and Hezbollah- run centers in Iraq.
In Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, the authorities in March arrested 16 Saudi citizens, an Iranian and a Lebanese, similarly on suspicion of membership in a cell established by Iranian intelligence elements, and tasked with gathering information and providing documents concerned with “installations and vital areas” in the kingdom.
The Saudi citizens all hail from the country’s 2 million strong Shi’a minority.The Iranians, predictably, have denied all the accusations. Iran and its regional mouthpieces accuse the Gulf states of seeking to justify their repression of Shi’a communities.Thus, the opposition al-Wifaq party in Bahrain denounced the latest arrests. In Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, 37 Shi’a clerics issued a statement accusing the authorities of escalating sectarian tension as a way of diverting public attention from other issues. It is indisputable that both the Shi’a majority in Bahrain and the Saudi Shi’a minority face real repression and discrimination. The existence of real and justified grievances does not, however, cancel out the evidence of Iranian subversive activity. And it is also clear that the evidence emerging regarding the activities of the IRGC in both countries follows a pattern familiar both from experience and from Iranian activities elsewhere in the region and beyond it. The use made by Iran of local Shi’a communities, and the subsequent engagement of those communities in political violence on its behalf, is no longer in dispute. Past precedent suggests that Iran seeks not only to recruit participants for paramilitary activity. Rather, Tehran also wishes to build political influence and power through the sponsorship of Shi’a Islamist movements.
Their efforts in Bahrain are not of recent vintage. As far back as 1981, the proxy Islamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain launched a failed coup attempt, with the support and probably under the direction of Iran and the IRGC. The Iranians have spent many patient years building up assets and clients within the Bahraini opposition.
Hasan Mushaima, the Shi’a Islamist leader of the Haq movement, was openly pro-Iranian and known to have strong links with the Iranian regime. Mushaima was jailed for life after the 2011 unrest.
His son, along with five others, was convicted in absentia in 2012 for involvement in an earlier Tehran sponsored terror cell. Both the mainstream Wifaq opposition movement and the more radical Coalition for a Republic have pro-Iranian elements within them. The latter includes the Bahraini Islamic Freedom Movement. The leader of this openly pro-Iranian body, Saeed Shihaby, was discovered in 2011 to be working in London in premises owned by the government of Iran. The latest revelations of Iranian subversion in the Gulf come against a background of frenetic activity by Tehran elsewhere. Just this week, Lebanese-Swedish Hezbollah member Hossam Taleb Yaacoub was convicted of gathering information on Israeli holidaymakers in Cyprus prior to the bombing at Burgas. A build up of Hezbollah and IRGC personnel in Damascus, according to a report in Al-Arabiya, is now under way, in a determined attempt to hold back recent rebel advances. An Iranian ship carrying weapons for Shi’a rebels in north Yemen was seized last month. Tehran is seeking to guard and expand the perimeters of the client and proxy structure it has built, at a time when a rival Sunni Islamism is having its moment. Iran’s silent war in the Gulf forms an important front in this larger campaign.

EU: Nuclear talks with Iran have failed
April 06, 2013/Daily Star/ALMATY, Kazakhstan: Iran and six world powers failed to reach agreement Saturday on an approach to reducing fears that Tehran might use its nuclear technology to make weapons, with the EU's foreign policy chief declaring that the two sides "remain far apart on substance." Expectations that the negotiations were making progress rose as an afternoon session was extended into the evening. But comments by Catherine Ashton, the European Union's head of foreign policy made clear that the two sides failed to make enough headway to qualify the meeting as a success.
"What matters in the end is substance, and ... we are still a considerable distance apart," Ashton told reporters at the end of the two-day talks.
Ashton said negotiators would now consult with their capitals. She made no mention of plans for a new meeting - another sign that the gap dividing the two sides remains substantial.
The six insist Iran cut back on its highest grade uranium enrichment production and stockpile, fearing Tehran will divert it from making nuclear fuel to form the material used in the core of nuclear warhead. They say Iran must make that move - and make it first - to build confidence that its nuclear program is peaceful.
They were asking Tehran to greatly limit its production and stockpiling of uranium enriched to 20 percent, which is just a technical step away from weapons-grade uranium. That would keep Iran's supply below the amount needed for further processing into a weapon. But Iran wants greater rewards for any concessions that the six are ready to give. They have offered to lift sanctions on Iran's gold transactions and petrochemical trade. But Tehran wants much more substantial sanctions relief. It seeks an end to international penalties crippling its oil trade and financial transactions.
The talks already seemed to run into trouble shortly after they began Friday with a Western diplomat saying Iran's response to the offer from the group fell short of what the six wanted and instead amounted to a "reworking" of proposals it made last year at negotiations that broke up in disagreement.

Five killed in Muslim-Christian clashes in Egypt
April 06, 2013/Daily Star /CAIRO: Egyptian security officials say five people have been killed in clashes between Muslims and Christians just outside Cairo. Investigators say they are waiting for autopsy reports to confirm how the five men were killed. Officials say the clashes on Saturday started when young Muslims drew upside down crosses on an Islamic institute. Christian onlookers began quarrelling with Muslims nearby and soon residents wielding guns began firing on one another.A fire also broke out near a church in the Khosoos neighborhood where the clashes took place before dawn. Christians make up some 10 percent of Egypt's 85 million people.

Egypt, the Brotherhood, and the Americans
Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Alawsat
The Egyptian government and its ruling Freedom and Justice Party, along with various figures within the Muslim Brotherhood, criticized a tweet by the US Embassy in Cairo this week. The tweet in question focused on Egypt’s clampdown on freedom of expression, referring explicitly to the case of popular satirist Bassem Youssef.
Statements issued by various Brotherhood members gave the impression that the US government is seeking to antagonize Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, but this is patently not true. We do not know US president Obama’s view of the Mursi government or whether he is satisfied or apprehensive with its performance; however, what is certain is that Obama prefers a hands-off approach. This is probably in the Egyptian people’s best interests, allowing them to manage their own affairs. However, the US president’s long silence on what has been happening in Egypt gives the political opposition the impression that he consents to the actions of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood, for their part, are keen to let the rest of the world know that America is satisfied with them, particularly as this serves to send a message to their opponents at home and abroad. On the other hand, the Brotherhood are also seeking to portray themselves as victims of a universal conspiracy, particularly as this is the discourse that they relied on in the past, garnering them popular support and embarrassing their opponents. Historically speaking, the Muslim Brotherhood has never been an enemy of the US, but rather an ally over a period of thirty years during the Nasser and Sadat eras. They were part of the same Arab, Saudi and Jordanian camp which opposed left-wing organizations and governments. Clashes took place, and indeed continue to take place, over Israel.
As for America’s surface position, US State Department spokespersons have always objected to the policies that the Mubarak regime adopted against the Muslim Brotherhood in terms of arresting their members and banning their publications.
I am not claiming that the Muslim Brotherhood is working with the US, even though this is a popular conspiracy theory among certain segments of society. Nor is it true to say that the US government opposes the Brotherhood and is working to topple its rule. On the contrary, several American political theorists argue that it is better for Washington to forge alliances with Islamist groups within partisan frameworks, supporting Islamist governments like the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Ennahda in Tunisia. They claim that this is far more beneficial to the US than supporting liberal or nationalist groups, particularly in light of this Islamic extremist tide that is preoccupying the West. The Muslim Brotherhood, especially in Egypt, worked hard to convince the US that they are the best faction among the Islamists. In fact, several American political writers have been convinced of this view and are now praising the Brotherhood while at the same time criticizing other Islamist factions like the Salafists.
The problem with the Muslim Brotherhood is that their actual discourse is not always in line with the impression that they want to put forward. The manner in which the Mursi government is running Egypt today has shocked many, including Muslim intellectuals and Western observers. The policies adopted by this government have fascist dimensions. Fascism, whether under a religious or nationalist façade, is something that is not acceptable in this day and age, whether in Egypt or abroad. It is still too early to describe Mursi’s government as a fascist one, particularly as it is in its early stages; however, all signs indicate that it is heading towards totalitarianism.
As for the Americans, their policies are determined by their own interests. Mursi’s government has not done anything to arouse US concerns. On the contrary, its positions are more pragmatic and reconciliatory than those adopted by the Mubarak regime. An example of this can be seen in the destruction of tunnels and regulation of border crossings between Egypt and Gaza. Even though this is the military’s job, the Muslim Brotherhood has not voiced any objections. This indicates their tacit agreement to these policies, despite the anger of the Hamas leadership. The US will be content if Egypt continues to cooperate on regional issues and distances itself from Iranian adventures, despite the Cairo–Tehran rapprochement. Therefore, attempting to accuse the American embassy of interference in Egyptian domestic affairs for objecting to the media clampdown is part of the domestic game of trading incrimination. Mursi’s government wants to accuse its adversaries of collaboration with foreign powers, and this is a policy that those whom Mursi is wagging his finger at are well aware of.

Canada Addresses North Korean Threats
April 5, 2013 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement: “In another series of dangerous actions and rhetoric, North Korea continues to threaten regional and global security. These acts serve as a reminder of why North Korea is among the most isolated regimes in the world. “While the North Korean people starve, precious resources are used for military weapons and the country’s nuclear program. We call on the leadership in North Korea to reverse this dangerous course and start attending to the urgent needs of its people, who have continued to suffer under repressive regimes. “The United Nations Security Council has taken strong and unequivocal actions with the virtually unanimous support of the international community, serving clear notice to the rogue regime in Pyongyang. “Canada will continue to work with our international partners to counter North Korean aggression and support our allies in the region.”