Bible Quotation for today/Friendship with the World
James 04/01-10:"Where do all the fights and quarrels among you come from? They come from your desires for pleasure, which are constantly fighting within you.  You want things, but you cannot have them, so you are ready to kill; you strongly desire things, but you cannot get them, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have what you want because you do not ask God for it.  And when you ask, you do not receive it, because your motives are bad; you ask for things to use for your own pleasures. Unfaithful people! Don't you know that to be the world's friend means to be God's enemy? If you want to be the world's friend, you make yourself God's enemy. 5 Don't think that there is no truth in the scripture that says, “The spirit that God placed in us is filled with fierce desires.” But the grace that God gives is even stronger. As the scripture says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” So then, submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will run away from you.  Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners! Purify your hearts, you hypocrites! 9 Be sorrowful, cry, and weep; change your laughter into crying, your joy into gloom!  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."
 

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources

Tammam Salam: After the Honeymoon/By: Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Alawsat/April 12/13
Tammam Salam: The Man of the Hour/By: Hussein Shobokshi /Asharq Alawsat/April 12/13

Iran uses Lebanese to project its regional power/By: Tony Badran/Now Lebanon/April 12/13

Hezbollah sacrifices popularity for survival/Hanin Ghaddar/Now Lebanon/April 12/13

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for April 12/13

STL: Alleged List Aims to Intimidate Witnesses
Hezbollah lays fighter killed in syria to rest
Syria Opposition Says Hizbullah Fighters Massing in Qusayr: We Don't Want Nusra-Hizbullah Confrontation
Geagea Slams Hizbullah over Reports of Involvement in Battles in Syria
Contact Lost with Former Lebanese Armenian MP Yeghya Jirjian
Saudi Ambassador in Lebanon, Asiri Calls for Mustaqbal-Hizbullah Dialogue: Tammam Salam Is the Man of the Period
Syria strikes east and north unjustified: Sleiman
Syrian Helicopters Bomb Lebanese Villages Triggering Fire at Kawashira Poultry Farm
Mansour Downplays Letter Delivered to Syrian Embassy in Beirut
Suleiman Says 'No Justifications' for Syrian Bombing, Requested Providing FM with Related Documents
Salam’s uniform Cabinet stance sets up clash with March 8
International community appalled, fails on Syria
Lebanese job creation must match GDP growth
Jamaa Islamiya Holds Talks with PM-Designate: Salam Wants Cabinet with Non-Provocative Figures
Salam threatens to step down over election difficulties
Salam Briefs Suleiman on Results of Consultations, Hopes to Meet Expectations of all Lebanese
Geagea Slams Hizbullah over Reports of Involvement in Battles in Syria
Witness intimidation is a criminal act: Hariri
Maronite League slams Makari’s remarks on Rai
France supports ‘political agreement’ in Lebanon April 11,
Al-Mustaqbal's publisher files criminal complaint over hacking
Israel’s natural gas flows, Lebanon waits for reserves
Makari: Hariri will return to Lebanon for elections
Deadline extension spurs Lebanese MPs exchange of criticism
Independent MPs Call for Facilitating Salam's Mission
Al-Rahi Meets Hariri, Says Christian Presence Protects Muslims from Extremism
Jumblat Criticizes al-Mustaqbal over Suspension of Poll Deadlines
Syrian Observatory: 57 Killed in Army Assault in Daraa
Number of Palestinians from Syria reaches 40,000
Conference in Beirut Aims at Raising Awareness on Education Problems
Reports: Communication Devices Destined for Syria Rebels Seized at Beirut Port
U.S. Radar in Place as N. Korea Looks to Outwit Missile Launch Watchers
Canada breaks taboo on Israel East Jerusalem talks
North Korea delivers new round of war rhetoric

STL: Alleged List Aims to Intimidate Witnesses
Naharnet /Special Tribunal for Lebanon spokesman Marten Youssef stressed on Thursday that the publishing of an alleged list of witnesses in ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's murder case aimed to intimidate the witnesses.
“The publishing of the names of people who are allegedly witnesses in the court is an attempt to intimidate the witnesses,” Youssef told al-Joumhouria newspaper.
Such a move “neither serves the course of justice nor Lebanon's cause,” he said. The “irresponsible” publishing of such names could put the lives of the alleged witnesses in danger, Youssef warned.
The website of al-Mustaqbal newspaper, which is owned by Hariri's family, was hacked on Tuesday and its front page was replaced with the alleged names of the “secret witnesses in the STL” by a group calling itself “Journalists for the Truth.”In January, the STL condemned media reports claiming to reveal the identities of the individuals who may be called to testify before the court as witnesses.
The tribunal did not confirm whether the content of the news reports were accurate, but said that “publicly identifying individuals as potential STL witnesses may endanger these individuals.”“Persons who disclose confidential information from the STL may be in direct contravention of judicial orders and be subject to judicial proceedings for contempt,” it warned.

Hezbollah lays fighter killed in syria to rest
April 12, 2013/The Daily Star /HERMEL, Lebanon: Hezbollah held a funeral Thursday for a fighter killed in Syria days earlier. Mohammad Khalil Nassereddine was laid to rest in his village of Al-Ain, which lies approximately 40 kilometers north of Baalbek. A number of Hezbollah officials joined the funeral procession and mourners fired in the air in an expression of sorrow. Several Hezbollah fighters have been killed in Syria over the past months. The party argues its fighters are defending a string of Syrian villages inhabited by Lebanese that are being attacked by Syrian rebels. Hezbollah denies accusations by Lebanese rivals that it is assisting Syrian President Bashar Assad’s troops.

Syrian Helicopters Bomb Lebanese Villages Triggering Fire at Kawashira Poultry Farm
Naharnet/Syrian military helicopters fired five missiles on Wednesday evening on the Lebanese region of al-Ajram near the Bekaa's border town of Arsal, the state-run National News Agency said.
LBCI television elaborated: “Syrian helicopters bombed the areas of Wadi Hmeid and al-Ajram near Arsal inside Lebanese territory." The same source also reported that shells fired from the Syrian side of the border have landed in Akkar's Dababiyeh and al-Kawashira regions, causing material damage in a poultry farm. "Flames have engulfed a poultry farm after shells landed in Kawashira," the NNA detailed. It noted: “The Dababiyeh town is target of heavy shelling coming from the Syrian side of the border." The two-year long violence in Syria has increasingly spilled over into Lebanon, with cross-border shelling in the north and east.Earlier in April, Syrian warplanes had pounded a house on the outskirts of the eastern town of Arsal. In March, President Michel Suleiman denounced the Syrian airstrikes in Lebanese territories but Damascus, in its first comments on the attacks, denied it was involved. The region of Arsal has been said to be used for the smuggling of arms and the flow of fighters across the border. Arsal is a majority Sunni town, many of whose residents support the revolt against President Bashar Assad in neighboring Syria. The area lies on the border with Syria, and has become home to thousands of people fleeing their the conflict. Scores of Syrians injured in the violence have been brought into Arsal for medical treatment in recent months, and there have been reports of fighters and arms being smuggled in. Syrian authorities had threatened to attack Lebanese territories if “terrorists” continue to infiltrate the country from Lebanon. Lebanese parties are sharply divided over the developments in Syria despite the dissociation policy that was adopted by the state.

Syria Opposition Says Hizbullah Fighters Massing in Qusayr: We Don't Want Nusra-Hizbullah Confrontation
Naharnet/Syrian regime forces are massing in the countryside of Qusayr city near Homs, backed by Hizbullah groups, in a bid to storm into the “strategic” Tal Qadesh area, a Syrian opposition member claimed on Thursday, urging Lebanon to stop “Hizbullah's interference in Syrian affairs.”“Major reinforcements for Hizbullah and the Syrian army are massing in the western countryside of Homs and shelling with multiple rocket launchers and MiG warplanes intensified today in preparation for storming into the area and controlling Tal Qadesh,” Mouayed Ghizlan, member of the general secretariat of the opposition National Council, told CNNArabic.
Ghizlan said the Tal Qadesh hill sits at an elevation of more than 200 meters above sea level, noting that it contained fortified positions for the regime's army which recently fell into the hands of the rebel Free Syrian Army.
If the regime manages to regain the area, “it will be able to target any point between Homs and the Lebanese border,” Ghizlan added.
The Syrian dissident said the area's residents confirmed the presence of Hizbullah members after they “saw them with their naked eyes” in the vicinity of Tal Qadesh, which is inhabited by 5,000 people.
Ghizlan added that several FSA brigades have headed to the area from Qusayr and Homs, noting that “they will face difficulties in repelling the assault due to the length of the 4-kilometer frontier and their lack of medium- and heavy-caliber weapons.”Addressing Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam, Ghizlan said: “We welcome everyone who believes in the Syrian people's freedom and call on him to prevent Hizbullah's members from interfering in Syrian affairs and invading Syrian territory, and every effort in this regard will eventually help restore Lebanon's sovereignty, which was usurped by Hizbullah, in addition to strengthening ties between the two peoples.”
Asked about the stance of the al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front on the battles in the area, Ghizlan estimated that hundreds of Nusra fighters were deployed in the region, saying they will likely show up and confirm their presence.
“We are not looking forward to a confrontation between al-Nusra Front and Hizbullah and we also don't want to endorse the international stances on the Front, which has been labeled as terrorist. We rather say that we salute anyone who fights on our side against the regime while stressing our national constants and seeking the rise of a new Syria that embraces everyone,” Ghizlan added.
A bomb allegedly signed by al-Nusra and directed against Hizbullah was found Wednesday in Hay al-Sellom area in Beirut's southern suburbs.
Slogans against Syrian President Bashar Assad and Hizbullah were written on it.
“May Bashar Fall. Death to Hizbullah. Al-Nusra Front.”

Geagea Slams Hizbullah over Reports of Involvement in Battles in Syria
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea expressed concern on Thursday over reports saying that Hizbullah fighters are deeply involved in battles on Syrian territories.
Geagea wondered if Hizbullah is seeking to make the Syrian crisis slip into Lebanon and inflict further division between the Lebanese.Hizbullah has systematically denied sending fighters into Syria, though its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah acknowledged in October 2012 that party members had fought Syrian rebels but said they were acting as individuals and not under the group's direction.
Geagea called on Lebanese officials to demand Hizbullah to immediately stop sending fighters to Syria as it will have negative repercussions on the country.
“Hizbullah can't be labeled as a resistance anymore after the reports of its involvement this deep in the Syrian developments,” the LF leader said.
On Tuesday, media reports said that twelve Hizbullah members were killed in an ambush near Damascus.
Agence France Presse reported a day before that two members of Hizbullah were killed fighting alongside Assad forces in the Qusayr area of central Syria near the Lebanese border. The opposition March 14 camp and Syrian rebels have repeatedly accused Hizbullah of aiding the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad militarily.
Syria's conflict, now in its third year, is believed to have killed more than 70,000 people.
On the publishing of a list of alleged witnesses in the Special Tribunal for Lebanon's probe into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Geagea considered the matter a failed attempt to undermine the legal international means to implement justice in Lebanon.
The website of al-Mustaqbal newspaper, which is owned by Hariri's family, was hacked and its front page was replaced with the names of the “secret witnesses in the STL” by a group calling itself “Journalists for the Truth.”
Geagea called on security agencies to detain the culprits and protect the people who were named in the list.

Contact Lost with Former Lebanese Armenian MP Yeghya Jirjian
Naharnet /Contact has been lost with former MP Yeghya Jirjian for over a day, the state-run National News Agency reported on Thursday. "Jirjian called his wife on Wednesday afternoon informing her that he is on his way back home from his office in (the Beirut neighborhood of) Ashrafieh,” the NNA elaborated, noting that his residence is situated in the Elissar town of the Metn region. "The former MP's wife notified the Internal Security Forces about her husband going missing because he did not show up hours after his phone call." “She could not even reach him over the phone as his line was always out of service,” the NNA remarked.

Asiri Calls for Mustaqbal-Hizbullah Dialogue: Tammam Salam Is the Man of the Period
Naharnet /Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awadh Asiri revealed on Thursday that his country wishes a dialogue would take place between al-Mustaqbal Movement and Hizbullah, noting that Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam is “the man of the period”."Communication and constructive dialogue between both parties is very important,” Asiri explained in an interview with al-Manar television. He noted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's policy requires that he communicates with all political factions. On the cabinet's formation, Asiri said the Lebanese “have found the man of the period who can achieve what they aspire.”"If consensus prevailed over the formation of the cabinet between the different factions, it would reflect in economic relief.”Salam was tasked by President Michel Suleiman over the weekend to form the new cabinet after he received the support of 124 out of 128 MPs.Prior to his nomination, the Beirut MP took a quick trip to Saudi Arabia where he met with al-Mustaqbal Movement leader MP Saad Hariri and Saudi Intelligence chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan in Riyadh.

Jamaa Islamiya Holds Talks with PM-Designate: Salam Wants Cabinet with Non-Provocative Figures
Naharnet/The Jamaa Islamiya on Thursday revealed that Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam is looking to form a small cabinet whose members are not “provocative” figures.
"The PM-designate wants a cabinet with ministers who are not nominated for the parliamentary elections,” the Jamaa added in a released statement after meeting with Salam at his residence in Beirut's al-Mousaytbeh neighborhood. "He also does not favor any provocative figures in the cabinet." Jamaa MP Imad al-Hout was quoted explaining to LBCI television that by this, the premier-designate means that he does not want current or former ministers in the cabinet.The party wished that the cabinet's formation will go as fast as Salam's nomination did.
"This would reflect in achieving what people are looking forward to, like holding the parliamentary elections and dealing with instability in politics, economy and security-related matters.”
The Jamaa added: “Salam is keen on these priorities and wants to form a cabinet that is able to fulfill its duty through communicating with all factions.”
Salam was tasked by President Michel Suleiman over the weekend to form the new cabinet after he received the support of 124 out of 128 MPs.
He concluded the unbinding consultations with lawmakers on Wednesday, reiterating that he still holds onto the formation of a national interest government whose main mission will be to supervise the parliamentary polls.
However, Salam now faces a challenge in the cabinet's formation after the majority of March 14 alliance MPs called for the formation of a technocrat government whose members were not candidates for the elections.
But the Hizbullah-led March 8 coalition demanded the formation of a national unity cabinet or a political government to supervise the polls.

Suleiman Says 'No Justifications' for Syrian Bombing, Requested Providing FM with Related Documents
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman said on Thursday that there are no reasons that justify the latest Syrian bombing of Lebanese territories, requesting providing the Foreign Ministry with the necessary related documents.
Syrian military helicopters had fired five missiles on Wednesday evening on the Lebanese region of al-Ajram near the Bekaa's border town of Arsal, the state-run National News Agency said.
“There are no justifications or apparent reasons for the bombing,” Suleiman was quoted saying after meeting with Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji, the NNA reported.
"The bombing did not target military locations,” he pointed out. The president asked the Army Command to hand over the “necessary related documents” to the Foreign Ministry, according to the same source.
On Wednesday, LBCI television said that shells fired from the Syrian side of the border have landed in Akkar's Dababiyeh and al-Kawashira regions, causing material damage in a poultry farm.
"Flames have engulfed a poultry farm after shells landed in Kawashira," the NNA detailed. The two-year long violence in Syria has increasingly spilled over into Lebanon, with cross-border shelling in the north and east. In March, President Suleiman denounced the Syrian airstrikes in Lebanese territories but Damascus, in its first comments on the attacks, denied it was involved.
The region of Arsal has been said to be used for the smuggling of arms and the flow of fighters across the border. Arsal is a majority Sunni town, many of whose residents support the revolt against President Bashar Assad in neighboring Syria. The area lies on the border with Syria, and has become home to thousands of people fleeing their the conflict. Scores of Syrians injured in the violence have been brought into Arsal for medical treatment in recent months, and there have been reports of fighters and arms being smuggled in. Syrian authorities had threatened to attack Lebanese territories if “terrorists” continue to infiltrate the country from Lebanon. Lebanese parties are sharply divided over the developments in Syria despite the dissociation policy that was adopted by the state.

Mansour Downplays Letter Delivered to Syrian Embassy in Beirut
Naharnet/Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour shied away on Thursday from revealing the details of a letter he sent to the Syrian embassy in Beirut, saying it was part of daily messages exchanged between Lebanon and Syria.
In remarks to al-Joumhouria newspaper, Mansour said the letter delivered to the Syrian mission on Monday was part of the “daily routine process” on political, economic and security issues. He refused however to reveal its details saying it included classified information. The state-run National News Agency reported Wednesday that the foreign ministry sent the letter to the Syrian embassy upon the request of President Michel Suleiman.
While NNA did not specify the nature of the letter, media reports said it included the recent request made by Suleiman to hand the ministry copies of security reports on the latest Syrian airstrikes on Lebanese territories.
Last Thursday, Suleiman asked army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji to hand the ministry the copies of the raids in the northeastern town of Arsal the day before and another attack that took place on March 18.
Last week's raid involved two rocket attacks on a house 11 kilometers deep into Lebanese territories and the previous one included assaults as deep as 5 kilometers across the border with Syria.

Salam threatens to step down over election difficulties
Now Lebanon/Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam warned that he will step down if parliamentary elections were not held on time or if he faced overwhelming obstacles toward the formation of a new cabinet.
“If the formation process became a lengthy procedure or even impossible, and if the term of the parliament was extended, I will step down,” Salam said in remarks published by As-Safir newspaper on Thursday.
“I will hand over the responsibilities and announce the end of my mission, and let them bring in a government [that would oversee] the extension [of the parliament’s] term.”Following a second day of consultations with MPs over the formation of his new cabinet, the PM-designate told the daily that “some demands are impossible to meet.”“The central task of the government is to prepare for the parliamentary elections and it cannot be a national unity government or a political one.”On Wednesday, for the second day running, Lebanon’s parliamentarians held talks with Salam ahead of the formation of the new government.
The Sunni politician was nominated as PM-designate on April 6 with a nearly unanimous count of 124 votes after caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati announced his resignation last month citing differences within his cabinet over electoral and security issues. Also on Wednesday, a parliamentary session that saw the approval of a vote in favor of suspending the electoral deadlines was held amid increasing political tension surrounding the upcoming elections. Lebanon’s politicians have been working to hammer out a deal that would tackle the issue of fast-approaching technical deadlines on candidacy registration and other technical procedures. March 14 and PSP figures have expressed fears that a suspension of deadlines would cancel the 1960 law without an alternative in place.

Independent MPs Call for Facilitating Salam's Mission
Naharnet/March 14 independent Christian MPs and officials said on Thursday that politicians should facilitate the work of PM-designate Tammam Salam to form a cabinet whose members are not running in the parliamentary elections. In a statement issued following a meeting they held at MP Butros Harb's office, the officials stressed their support to Salam and the facilitation of his mission in forming a cabinet whose members are not candidates.
The government should be capable of assuming its responsibilities in managing the country's affairs and mainly holding fair parliamentary polls to avoid falling in a constitutional vacuum, they said.
The March 14 officials rejected the extension of the parliament's mandate and reiterated their call for rival parties to speed up agreement on a new electoral law by May 19.
The statement criticized the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal, saying the new draft-law should be compatible with the nation's interest and the democratic rights of the citizens. Salam concluded on Wednesday two days of consultations with MPs on the formation of the cabinet. But he faces a difficult task after March 8 coalition lawmakers called for a national unity government and those from the March 14 alliance demanded a neutral cabinet to supervise the polls.

Al-Rahi Meets Hariri, Says Christian Presence Protects Muslims from Extremism
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Wednesday held talks with former prime minister Saad Hariri in the French capital Paris. Earlier in the day, al-Rahi said the presence of Christians in the Middle East “protects Islam from bigotry and extremism,” during a lecture at the Catholic institute in Paris. “It is our duty, we the Christians of the Levant, to inform the West of the true nature of Islam,” al-Rahi added.
“According to us, Muslims are not terrorists. They are not people who endorse violence or war. Islam and Muslims are moderate,” said al-Rahi.On Tuesday, al-Rahi held talks with French President Francois Hollande on the latest political developments.The patriarch met with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Monday.SourceAgence France Presse

Reports: Communication Devices Destined for Syria Rebels Seized at Beirut Port
Naharnet /A quantity of military communication devices were seized on Wednesday at the Port of Beirut, media reports said. “Customs authorities at the Port of Beirut seized a container containing advanced communication devices destined for the armed groups in Syria,” al-Manar television reported, without elaborating. The Beirut-based, pan-Arab television al-Mayadeen reported the same story in a breaking news ticker.OTV said “a citizen who hails from Majdal Anjar imported 4,400 communication devices from China." On Sunday, the Lebanese army thwarted an attempt to deliver arms to “extremists” in the Shouf area of Ain Zhalta. The seized cache of arms contained "heavy-, medium- and light-caliber weapons and a large quantity of ammunition of various types," the Army Command said in a statement.

France supports ‘political agreement’ in Lebanon

The Daily Star /BEIRUT: France supports a political agreement between Lebanese parties and is keeping an eye on the Christians of the Levant, French President Francois Hollande said late Tuesday following a meeting with Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai. “The French president reiterates the commitment of France to Lebanon’s stability and political agreement between all components of Lebanese society to preserve civil peace and national unity,” a statement from the Elysee Palace quoted the French president as saying. “France remains very attentive to the situation of Christians [in the Levant] who are important to the identity of the country in which they live,” Hollande added. According to the statement, Hollande stressed that the continuation of religious diversity and the Christian presence in the Levant could only be secured through the “victory of democracy and rule of the people.”
For his part, Rai thanked France for its continued support of Lebanon and recalled the historical ties between the two countries. The Maronite patriarch met late Wednesday with former Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Paris.
Bkirki Wednesday issued a statement denying any quotes carried by Rai not found in official statements issued by the Elysee Palace or the Maronite patriarchate’s media office.
“Some media reports included the content of talks held between Patriarch Beshara Rai with French President Francois Hollande and Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius. The Maronite patriarchate’s press office announces that everything quoted outside official statements by the French or Lebanese sides is untrue,” the statement said. In a report published Wednesday, Al-Hayat newspaper said Rai had voiced concerns over the situation of Christians in Syria during his meeting with Hollande and said a political solution was needed to be adopted to end the crisis. According to the report, Rai also said there were those in Syria who were far more dangerous than Syrian President Bashar Assad. “I am concerned about the situation of Christians in Syria: 60 percent of the [Christian] population that has left is from the Orthodox sect,” Rai told Hollande, according to the London-based newspaper. “The solution in Syria should be political, and President Bashar Assad is not the worse of those who are fighting in Syria,” he added. Rai also told the French president that “Hezbollah represents the Shiite sect in Lebanon and has ties with all other sects in the country,” according to the daily.

Al-Mustaqbal's publisher files criminal complaint over hacking
The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Al-Mustaqbal’s publishing company filed a criminal complaint with the general prosecutor’s office over the recent hacking of the newspaper’s website that revealed the names of alleged witnesses for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. “The United Arab Company for Journalism ... filed a criminal complaint Wednesday at the [general] prosecutor’s office in Beirut over the crime of hacking of Al-Mustaqbal newspaper’s website, and exposing the names of alleged witnesses,” a statement by the Future Movement said. It added that the aim of the hacking, as well as the publishing of names, was to “weaken the authority of the court” and undermine its administrative performance prior to the start of the trials. Al-Mustaqbal newspaper’s website was hacked Tuesday and its front page was replaced with a list of names under the title “Secret witnesses in the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (Group #1).” The hackers also directed visitors to a website called “Journalists for the Truth,” where a list of the alleged names of witnesses were published as well as instructions given to the them by the court. On Wednesday, the STL said the list of names was inaccurate and described it as an attempt to intimidate the witnesses. This is not the first time the identities of the alleged witnesses were published.
Earlier this year, Al-Akhbar published what it said was the names of witnesses involved in the trial against four Hezbollah members indicted by the STL, in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
The local daily, which has been critical of the tribunal since its establishment in 2007, has said it had received the names from a leak from within the tribunal.
Al-Mustaqbal’s lawyer, Fouad Shbeqlo, said the newspaper will cooperate with investigators to expose the identity of the hackers. “We will provide investigators with everything that will help uncover the truth behind the work of the hackers, whether the location was inside or outside Lebanon, with the purpose of paralyzing and exposing them as well as holding them accountable for their criminal and legal responsibilities,” the statement quoted Shbeqlo as saying. He added that the publication of the list was aimed at intimidating the witnesses in court whose work is set to begin next month. Shbeqlo said he hoped that the STL would “put an end to tampering with civil peace in Lebanon.”

Jumblat Criticizes al-Mustaqbal over Suspension of Poll Deadlines
Naharnet /Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat criticized al-Mustaqbal bloc for taking part in drafting a law that was approved by parliament on Wednesday to suspend deadlines applicable under the 1960 electoral law until May 19. “Those who have such allies don't need any foes,” Jumblat told As Safir newspaper in remarks published Thursday. Jumblat's National Struggle Front boycotted Wednesday's parliamentary session claiming that the suspension of the deadlines are unconstitutional. The draft-law set the deadline for submitting nominations to three weeks before the June 16 elections date.
It also stipulates that the deadline for withdrawing candidacies is 15 days ahead of the polls, rather than 45. “The National Struggle Front boycotted the session out of its keenness on the constitution,” Jumblat told As Safir, saying that the term “suspension of deadlines” is unconstitutional given that the 1960 law is still valid. The Druze leader warned that parliament's endorsement of the draft-law could pave way to the adoption of the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal or to an indefinite extension of parliament’s term. “Both cases would be disastrous,” he said. The Orthodox proposal, which Jumblat totally rejects, considers Lebanon a single electoral district and calls for each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system. Later in the day, Jumblat's caretaker Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour held talks with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh.
“We will continue consultations to reach an agreement over a electoral law and the formation of the cabinet,” the minister told reporters after the meeting.
Despite Jumblat's criticism of al-Mustaqbal, the bloc's sources told As Safir that their relations were not shaken. Al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Ammar Houri also appeased Jumblat's fears, saying the 1960 law would be brought back to life after May 19 if the rival parties failed to agree on a new vote law. The suspension of the deadlines until May 19 should be seen as “a timeframe to speed up the adoption of the new electoral law,” he said.

Salam Briefs Suleiman on Results of Consultations, Hopes to Meet Expectations of all Lebanese
Naharnet/Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam hoped on Thursday he would be able to meet the expectations of all the Lebanese after completing two days of consultations with lawmakers on the formation of the new government. Salam made the terse statement after visiting President Michel Suleiman at Baabda palace to brief him on the results of the consultations he concluded on Wednesday and which proved that his task in forming the new cabinet will be difficult. He reiterated on Wednesday that he held onto the formation of a national interest government whose main mission will be to supervise the parliamentary polls.
“The majority of blocs and MPs are supporting the facilitation of the PM-designate's mission,” he said. But the country's two major camps were divided with March 8 coalition MPs calling for a national unity government and those from the March 14 alliance demanding a neutral cabinet. Also Thursday, Salam pointed out that the draft-law that was approved by the parliament to suspend deadlines applicable under the 1960 electoral law will facilitate the formation of his cabinet. Salam said in an interview with As Safir newspaper that he “has no specific time to form the cabinet.”“The cabinet will be neutral and work with all parties,” Salam said, considering it that it'll be a national government not against any side. “After my appointment the situation in the country improved as people felt the presence of democracy and that the state exists,” Salam said told the newspaper. “They regained hope.”He described the tenure of previous governments as “not successful.”Salam reiterated that his cabinet will be formed to only supervise the parliamentary elections. Over the weekend, the Beirut MP was tasked by President Michel Suleiman to form the new cabinet after he received the support of 124 out of 128 MPs. The government of caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati resigned on March 22 over several controversial issues.

Geagea Slams Hizbullah over Reports of Involvement in Battles in Syria
Naharnet /Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea expressed concern on Thursday over reports saying that Hizbullah fighters are deeply involved in battles on Syrian territories. Geagea wondered if Hizbullah is seeking to make the Syrian crisis slip into Lebanon and inflict further division between the Lebanese. Hizbullah has systematically denied sending fighters into Syria, though its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah acknowledged in October 2012 that party members had fought Syrian rebels but said they were acting as individuals and not under the group's direction. Geagea called on Lebanese officials to demand Hizbullah to immediately stop sending fighters to Syria as it will have negative repercussions on the country. “Hizbullah can't be labeled as a resistance anymore after the reports of its involvement this deep in the Syrian developments,” the LF leader said.
On Tuesday, media reports said that twelve Hizbullah members were killed in an ambush near Damascus. Agence France Presse reported a day before that two members of Hizbullah were killed fighting alongside Assad forces in the Qusayr area of central Syria near the Lebanese border. The opposition March 14 camp and Syrian rebels have repeatedly accused Hizbullah of aiding the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad militarily.
Syria's conflict, now in its third year, is believed to have killed more than 70,000 people. On the publishing of a list of alleged witnesses in the Special Tribunal for Lebanon's probe into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Geagea considered the matter a failed attempt to undermine the legal international means to implement justice in Lebanon. The website of al-Mustaqbal newspaper, which is owned by Hariri's family, was hacked and its front page was replaced with the names of the “secret witnesses in the STL” by a group calling itself “Journalists for the Truth.”Geagea called on security agencies to detain the culprits and protect the people who were named in the list.

Witness intimidation is a criminal act: Hariri
The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri slammed as “a criminal act” the publishing of a list of alleged witnesses in the assassination case of his father, statesman Rafik Hariri. “Intimidation of witnesses [whose names] are supposed to be kept secret, is a criminal act,” Hariri told reporters in Paris following talks with Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai late Wednesday. “Two days ago the names of some witnesses in the [Special Tribunal for Lebanon] were leaked. Just to be clear, the international Tribunal will carry on its work and those who killed Rafik Hariri and other martyrs of the Cedar Revolution will pay the price,” Hariri vowed. Hariri called on the Lebanese government to act in regard to the leak. On Tuesday, the website of Hariri’s Al-Mustaqbal newspaper was hacked with its front page replaced with a list of names under the title “secret witnesses in the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (Group #1)” from a website called “Journalists for The Truth.” The website, by a “group of journalists seeking to unveil corruption in the Special Tribunal for Lebanon,” also lists a series of “instructions to STL witnesses.” The STL said Wednesday the list of witness names was inaccurate. The U.N.-backed court has indicted four Hezbollah members in the 2005 assassination of five-time Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Hezbollah has denied the allegations, with the party’s chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah describing the suspects as honorable men who have fought against Israel.
Nevertheless, Hariri said his hand is stretched forth toward Hezbollah. “Hezbollah is a core component in the country, just as the Future Movement is,” he said after a late Wednesday meeting with Rai at Raphael Hotel in Paris.
“Our doors were never closed in the face of anyone. We are not against dialogue but we are for a constructive dialogue that leads to optimum results for the country, and we are ready for a constructive dialogue,” he said.
On the government formation process, Hariri said he backs Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam in his efforts to form a Cabinet to oversee the upcoming parliamentary elections. “We have a basic goal in Lebanon: that elections take place,” he stressed. Regarding the new government’s policy statement in light of the disputes over the political equation “the army, the people, the resistance,” Hariri pointed to the Baabda Declaration which “all political parties agreed on.” The Baabda Declaration – adopted by the government of caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati – calls for distancing Lebanon from regional developments and crises, particularly Syria. With regard to the different views on the shape of the new government, Hariri said: “We support everything he [Salam] says.”

Conference in Beirut Aims at Raising Awareness on Education Problems
Naharnet/A conference organized to help raise awareness on the problems confronting the educational system in Lebanon will be held on April 28 at Babel theater in Hamra. The conference will stress that education can help build “rational citizens” and a “better economy,” according to a EduChange press release. Farah Mtaweh and Hala Kaddoura, two friends and fresh graduates, started this initiative during the summer after working in an educational robotics company. The company's staff was able to identify eight key elements encountering the educational system in Lebanon including: curriculum design, value of teaching and empowering teachers, relationship between teachers and students, citizenship education, in-classroom technology, assessment of students and creativity, career guidance and counseling and extra curricular activities and empowerment of youth.
The conference will host experts and will address those topics and four other presentations will be displayed by community members, teachers, students and others. According to the press release the conference will “give the chance for everyone interested to leave a mark ans say what they really believe can save the educational system and the country.

Deadline extension spurs Lebanese MPs exchange of criticism
Now Lebanon/Lebanese parliamentarians commented on the latest decision taken by the house of representatives to extend election deadlines until May 19.Opposing MPs exchanged criticism over their respective party positions regarding the parliament decision and its implications regarding the electoral law issue. Change and Reform bloc MP Ziad Aswad accused the Future Movement of attempting to undermine the effort to extend the deadlines in an interview Thursday with Sawt Ash-Shaab radio station. “The Future Movement is opposed to extending the deadline, and they are maneuvering.” He also warned that the “suspension of the constitutional deadlines for the current 1960 law, means that the issue hides the [intention] to extend the parliament’s term.” Meanwhile, Future bloc MP Ahmad Fatfat responded to the criticism waged against his party by the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party whose MPs boycotted the parliament session. “If we wanted to respond to [MP Walid] Jumblatt, we would have a lot to say, but he is an ally,” Fatfat told New TV television station.
In remarks published earlier on Thursday, Jumblatt lashed out at the Future Movement, saying that “those who have allies like that do not need enemies.” He also criticized the Future Movement’s vote in favor of the suspension of the electoral deadlines in parliament, saying: “The mistake of those who pretend to be clever is worth a thousand mistakes.”The PSP’s National Struggle Front boycotted Wednesday’s parliamentary session that saw the approval of a vote in favor of suspending the electoral deadlines. Lebanon’s politicians have been working to hammer out a deal that would tackle the issue of fast-approaching technical deadlines on candidacy registration and other technical procedures. March 14 and PSP figures have expressed fears that a suspension of deadlines would cancel the 1960 law without an alternative in place.

Makari: Hariri will return to Lebanon for elections
Now Lebanon/Lebanon’s Deputy Speaker Farid Makari said that Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri will return to Lebanon when the parliamentary elections kick off. “Saad Hariri said that he will return to Lebanon during the elections in order to lead [the party in that process],” Makari told Future television on Wednesday. Saad Hariri has been living outside of Lebanon since 2011 because of security reasons. Makari also said that newly assigned Premier-designate Tammam Salam is affiliated with the March 14 coalition. However, after his designation, “his duty became to remain [unbiased].”Salam was nominated as PM-designate on April 6 with a nearly unanimous count of 124 votes.He has served as culture minister in Fouad Siniora’s cabinet between 2008 and 2009, and has won a seat in parliament in 2009 while running as part of March 14’s electoral list in the Beirut III district.

Israel’s natural gas flows, Lebanon waits for reserves
Alarabia/Randa Takieddine Israel’s Tamar field, lying 100 kilometres off the coast of Haifa in the Mediterranean, is producing around 28.3 million cubic meters of natural gas a day in its initial phase, and this figure will rise to 34 million beginning in 2015. The field was discovered in 2009 and Israel hurried to exploit the area, to secure energy independence. It used to import Egyptian gas, and is now aiming to become a gas exporter by 2020.
Meanwhile, in Lebanon, there has been talk about the possibility of large quantities of gas, and perhaps oil, for years. The tenders will be late, with the change in government and the political disputes that have prevailed up to now. We have heard that Britain’s Spectrum came to Lebanon and after conducting seismic tests in the sea, gave out huge figures about likely gas and oil deposits. But the head of Total, Christophe de Margerie, appealed for calm and reasonable optimism, since no high-tech seismic survey had been conducted. As long as no well-digging has begun, we cannot verify anything about the areas where gas and oil are, and how much there is.
Certainly, Tamar’s production gives us hope that the Lebanese maritime area will be promising. However, according to more than one geologist, we have often seen the phenomenon of promising areas that lie adjacent to areas that are not as blessed. Lebanon must nevertheless speed up, first, the formation of a new government, to settle the matter. If it turns out that Spectrum was right in its expectations, this means that within several years, when Lebanon begins producing gas and oil, it will save $6 billion from its budget, which is used to import all types of fuels and gasoline. Digging and exploration, followed by production, take between five to six years. But before this, the process of issuing and awarding tenders should be accelerated.
The show must go on
The minister of energy, Gebran Bassil, informed international oil companies that prepared to take part in the bidding process that despite the resignation of the government, the dates had not changed. This was a strange statement of confirmation with the government having resigned, and it being unknown if he will be tasked under Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam with the same portfolio.
In any case, Salam is well aware that the country’s interest involves speeding up the awarding of tenders for the oil sector. Of course, the Salam government’s priority will be preparing and holding parliamentary elections, but in addition to this, he knows very well the importance of this issue for Lebanon. Certainly, he will move things ahead quickly, if he manages to form a Cabinet. Lebanon should not wait for a long time; it should accelerate work on this basic energy issue, one of fundamental importance for the economy and its recovery.

Syrian Observatory: 57 Killed in Army Assault in Daraa
Naharnet/Six children were among at least 57 people killed in southern Syria as the army launched an all-out assault on two towns in Daraa province, a watchdog said on Thursday.
"At least six children, seven women, 16 rebel fighters, 16 other unidentified men and 12 army troops were killed on Wednesday, in fighting, shelling and summary executions waged after the army launched an assault on al-Sanamein and Ghabagheb," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told Agence France Presse the army's assault came a day after a dozen troops defected from a nearby military post to join the rebels. "The defectors took refuge in the area of al-Sanamein and Ghabagheb, which up until then had remained somewhat more calm than other areas of Daraa," said Abdel Rahman. "The army launched its assault, and shelled several houses," he added.SourceAgence France Presse

U.S. Radar in Place as N. Korea Looks to Outwit Missile Launch Watchers

Naharnet/A powerful U.S. military sea-based radar is now in place to detect any possible missile launches by North Korea, according to a senior U.S. defense official.
"The SBX is in position," the defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Agence France Presse late Wednesday.
The official would not offer more details but confirmed the SBX, a floating X-band radar that resembles a giant golf ball, had reached a location at sea where it could track missiles fired by the Pyongyang regime.
U.S. and South Korean forces remain on heightened alert amid expectations North Korea will launch a missile or multiple missiles before the April 15 celebrations for the birthday of the North's late founder, Kim Il-Sung.
The United States has already bolstered its missile defenses in the region to help protect allies South Korea and Japan as well as U.S. bases in Guam.
Two U.S. Arleigh-class destroyers have been sent to the western Pacific with anti-missile weaponry while ground-based THAAD interceptor batteries had been deployed to Guam, a U.S. territory about 3,380 kilometers (2,100 miles) southeast of North Korea.The U.S. military also staged shows of force as part of drills with South Korea, with over-flights by B-52 and B-2 bombers as well as sophisticated F-22 fighter jets.
The floating X-band radar, which sits atop a platform similar to an oil rig, had been stationed at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
The SBX radar, which is 85 meters (280 feet) tall and operated by civilian contractors, is supposed to detect missile launches over a range of at least 2,000 kilometers.
Meanwhile Yonhap news agency reported that North Korea has been repeatedly moving multiple missiles around in an apparent bid to confuse outside intelligence gatherers ahead of an expected launch.
According to intelligence analysis cited by the South Korean news agency, two mid-range Musudan missiles have been repeatedly moved in and out of a warehouse facility on its east coast.
At the same time, at least five mobile launch vehicles have also been spotted swapping places and positions."There are signs the North could fire off Musudan missiles any time soon," an intelligence source told Yonhap."But the North has been repeatedly moving its missiles in and out of a shed, which needs close monitoring."Another source suggested Pyongyang was hoping to "fatigue" South Korean and U.S. intelligence gatherers.
SourceAgence France Presse

Canada breaks taboo on Israel East Jerusalem talks
AFP/Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird met an Israeli minister in annexed Arab East Jerusalem this week, deliberately breaking a widely-observed diplomatic taboo, an Israeli newspaper reported on Thursday.
Baird met Justice Minister Tzipi Livni at her office in east Jerusalem, in a move normally avoided by visiting diplomats over concerns it could be seen as legitimizing Israel's annexation of the city's eastern sector.
An Israeli working for an NGO that focuses on Canada-Israel relations told the Haaretz newspaper that the east Jerusalem meeting was a deliberate move with a political aim. "Baird recognizes the sensitivity but he wants to set a precedent," the source said. Israel captured East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed it in a move never recognized by the international community.
It considers all of Jerusalem its "eternal, indivisible" capital, but the Palestinians want the eastern sector as capital of their future state. "It is not common that foreign officials meet Israeli officials in east Jerusalem," admitted foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor. "The Canadians have been making a name for themselves by speaking out on the international scene in a way which is all too rare," Palmor told AFP, saying they were demonstrating an unusual "courage and moral stance." "There should be nothing unusual about meeting Israel's justice minister in east Jerusalem [where the ministry is based]. What is strange is that this is the exception," he said.
During his six-day visit to the region, Baird also visited troops in the Israeli-occupied sector of the Golan Heights, Syrian territory which Israel annexed in 1981 in another move never recognized by the international community.
A senior official at the foreign ministry told Haaretz that the Canadian embassy had advised Baird against both the east Jerusalem meeting and the Golan visit. Canada is one of Israel's staunchest allies and was one of the few countries that opposed a successful Palestinian bid for upgraded status at the United Nations late last year.

Hezbollah sacrifices popularity for survival
Hanin Ghaddar/Now Lebanon
A dozen Hezbollah fighters were killed and over 20 injured in an ambush Monday in Sayyida Zainab outside Damascus, Al-Arabiya reported Tuesday. The station cited sources as saying that a number of the wounded were transferred to the Rasul al-Azam Hospital in southern Beirut’s Dahiyeh suburb. Al-Arabiya’s report added that when Hezbollah official Sheikh Mohammad Yazbeck was offering condolences to a family of one of the deceased, the dead fighter’s mother asked him, “You told us your battle is with Israel. Why did you send our children to die in Syria?”
That same night, a bomb was discovered in Beirut’s Hay al-Sellom, a predominantly Shiite neighborhood, with a message from Jabhat al-Nusra directed at the Shiite group Hezbollah. A Hezbollah explosives expert diffused the bomb and moved it to an unknown destination.
It is hard to believe that Jabhat al-Nusra would sign the bomb if they wanted to hurt Hezbollah, even if it is only a matter of time before the Front starts targeting Shiite areas in Lebanon. But for Hezbollah, the timing couldn’t be better. Raising fears of Jabhat al-Nusra within the Shiite community is the only way for the Party of God to quell the increasing fears resulting from military involvement of the Party in Syria. It also helps in lobbying more fighters to join Hezbollah in Syria to defend Shiite interests.
For Hezbollah, it is now a matter of survival. They are aware of their declining popularity. A number of Hezbollah fighters have refused to go to Syria and some have actually defected. More Shiites are converting to Sunni Islam in order to pursue a normal life outside Lebanon. Getting a working visa for Gulf countries is becoming impossible if you’re a Lebanese Shiite, so the sectarian identity that Hezbollah highlighted in their rhetoric for the past two decades is now being sacrificed by many young Shiites for the sake of financial security. Life seems to beat all ideologies and identities.
But for Hezbollah, this is not an issue that would change or stop their involvement in Syria. The party is an Iranian creation and will certainly follow Iran’s orders everywhere. And if Iran decides that Syria is the battleground now, then Hezbollah will do whatever it takes to win there, even if it costs them their popular Shiite base.
For Iran, this is a matter of survival, not power. The region is changing and the old games are no longer working. The plan of being the main player in the region is today jeopardized by the sudden rise of Islamists and sectarian politics. The nuclear program is not enough and Syria is too significant for Iran to lose. Therefore, Iran had to take charge and is now calling the shots in Syria.
Reports coming from Syria on Iran’s involvement indicate that Bashar al-Assad is no longer in charge and that Iran is the real decision-maker, mainly on strategic and military issues. Iran now seeks to turn the Syrian revolution into a long-lasting sectarian war in order to protect its strategic interests in the region.
Iran has not been sending Lebanese and Iraqi Shiite fighters to Syria in order to protect the regime or the president; they know Assad is gone and all they need now is to make sure they don’t lose Syria after losing Assad.
Iran knows very well that the US will not get militarily involved in Syria or in the Middle East in general. They know that the fight is now with extreme Islamists supported by the Gulf countries and that the sectarian fight is now spreading to the whole region, but that’s not the problem. On the contrary, Iran’s involvement in Syria was a decision that took all these consequences into consideration.
Today, Iran and Hezbollah understand these regional challenges and they are changing their strategies to take advantage of them; that is, to exert more control in the region through sectarian clashes instead of diplomacy.
Therefore, it is not important if Hezbollah is losing popularity at home because of its military involvement in Syria; in fact, Hezbollah has been transformed from a resistance movement and political party to a military Shiite militia fighting Sunnis in Syria. It doesn’t matter that all the Shiites in the region will have to pay the price for that. Hezbollah has sacrificed popularity for survival.
Hezbollah is fighting under the Abu El Fadl Al Abbas brigade in Damascus, and it has also spread from Qusayr in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley to some areas in Homs, which has become a very significant and strategic area for Iran because it links Lebanon – and Damascus – to the Alawite coast. Homs could seriously alter the balance of power.
However, the Iranian investment in Syria is not about an Alawite state to protect Assad and the Alawites. It is more about an Iranian presence in Syria to protect Iran in the region. Syrian opposition figures who preferred to stay anonymous told NOW that the operation that targeted Assad’s inner circle, or what was known as the “Crisis Cell” in Damascus on July 18, 2012, killing three high-rank officers, was actually planned and executed by Iran’s revolutionary guards, in an attempt to get rid of the Syrian decision makers and gain more control over military and security decision.
The plan is to take over Syria, not protect the regime. However, with the increasing military gains of Islamists groups and the radicalization of the rebels, Iran and Hezbollah’s plan hasn’t been successful as they envisioned. The city of Homs hasn’t fallen into Iran’s hands. There is no divine victory here. The problem is that the longer the fight goes on, the more sectarian it will become. Hezbollah will find itself fighting in a territory that is gradually changing to a Sunni Islamic space. This will not spare Lebanon, as a sectarian war over the Umma will only mean that the Shiites in the whole region will become victims of another divine war, this time a Sunni one.
Hanin Ghaddar is the managing editor of NOW. She tweets @haningdr

Tammam Salam: After the Honeymoon
Numbers do not lie.
By: Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Alawsat
Lebanon’s prime minister designate, Tammam Salam, who is tasked with forming the country’s next government, obtained a record number of votes—124 out of a total of 128—from MPs during the constitutionally mandated consultations carried out by Lebanese president Michel Suleiman.
Two lawmakers were conspicuous in not voting for Salam: Michel Aoun and Suleiman Frangieh. They are Maronite politicians who are currently tactically allied with one another. This was not always the case, Aoun was the Syrian regime’s bitterest enemy, going even further than the Maronite patriarch himself. Frangieh, on the other hand, enjoys historically friendly political ties, both political and familial, with the Assad family and other Syrian rulers who held power prior to the start of the Assad dynasty.
In terms of a serious political reading of the circumstances surrounding Salam’s nomination and its consequences, Aoun and Frangieh’s positions do not require much analysis, particularly as their political influence is relatively slight. Accordingly, that they refrained from participating in this gesture of goodwill towards the prime minister designate is irrelevant. On the other hand, an accurate analysis of how the representatives of the Shi’ite bloc voted is a necessity, particularly as they rely on force of arms, popularity, and close regional ties.
The cornerstone of the Shi’ite political bloc—Hezbollah and the Amal Movement—were keen to nominate Salam, hinting at a desire on their part to facilitate his mission without abandoning their requirement that any future government commit to the “army, people and the resistance” equation. This means it would be necessary for this government to ignore Hezbollah’s domestic hegemony on the Lebanese scene outside the authority of the state. Salam responded to this prospect adroitly, emphasizing that he believes that decisions regarding war and peace fall exclusively under the purview of the state.
Thus, an empty goodwill gesture from the Shi’ite bloc met by Salam’s insistence that the issue of war and peace are the state’s exclusive preserve have confused the Lebanese and thrown them into a labyrinth of details. Such a situation does not signal a speedy formation of the new government, particularly in the light of a deteriorating domestic scene and an explosive regional situation.
Basically, the outgoing government was formed under the shadow of arms and their triumph and coercion and its predecessor had been toppled by a coup. It has now resigned because the situation inside Lebanon no longer allowed for a Sunni prime minister to remain a “false witness” to the dismissal of the authority’s representative and just rule, but also because the prime minister could no longer reasonably state that he was not involved in preserving the security of Lebanon from the repercussions of the Syrian debacle.
Despite former prime minister Najib Mikati’s patience, flexibility, and good relations with a number of Arab authorities, he found himself surrounded by a ministerial majority belonging to the Hezbollah-led March 8 Alliance, which is directly involved in the fighting inside Syria. He also found himself unable to stop the movement of fuel tankers to and from Syria, in what represented open violation of the Arab and international position, while he was also prevented from preserving the equilibrium in the makeup of Lebanon’s security organization.
In the end, Mikati was embarrassed into tendering his resignation, while Hezbollah and its followers preferred to abandon its legitimate cover for its project rather than be forced to live with a domestic and regional reality that could weaken its grip on Lebanon’s security through the country’s borders with Syria.
So what now? There are a number of factors that Tammam Salam cannot ignore—but neither can Hezbollah.
The first consideration is how the situation in Syria will influence the Lebanese interior. The Syrian regime today—and behind this the Iranian grand project—no longer enjoys the same capability to maneuver as it did before March 2011. The Lebanese people well recall how Bashar Al-Assad would summon Lebanese Sunni visitors to Damascus and send them back to reassure the street that the “problem is over” and that “everything in Syria is fine.”  Second, the psychological segregation on the Lebanese scene—between sections of the Muslim majority, including even the Sunni sect—has reached a point where vigilance becomes crucial. Thus, Hezbollah’s war against Sunni moderation in Lebanon is more like the Samson option. This is because there is no guarantee that the radical Sunni groups who are currently being used by Hezbollah—and behind them Iran— as a scarecrow that frightens and blackmails the international community, will remain under control in the future.
Third is the Syrian regime’s gambling on the issue of minorities, particularly after this succeeded in bringing Sunni extremism into Syria with the objective of inciting sectarian intimidation and international extortion, has nearly reached the level of ethnic–sectarian cleansing. This is what is happening in western Hama and the north-west mountainous region of Syria, especially around Homs. This is not to mention what was recently revealed regarding the presence of agents—Syrians, Lebanese, and Palestinian—attempting to sow sedition between the Druze in Hawran Mountain and their Sunni neighbors on the Hawran plains, reaching further to the slopes of Jabal Al-Sheikh in the governorate of Quneitra, as well as the Damascus suburbs.
Fourth, the extent of the involvement of Hezbollah and other Lebanese group in the ongoing killing taking place in Syria has been exposed, following a period when it was difficult to confirm such reports and accusations. This is a reality that must impose a redefinition of terms like non-involvement, weapons of resistance, and the decision between becoming militarily involved in the conflict and seeking a peaceful resolution.
Finally, the Christian leadership in Lebanon has unfortunately failed in playing the historic role required of them: to redefine the role of the Christian community, ensuring that it has a positive influence on the Near East. Moreso when the Christians’ role enjoyed the greatest advantage in peace times, and paid the highest price during war time. The Christians today must transcend the wounds of the past and play an active role in confirming the necessity of their presence and their interaction with their environment. They are not guests or tourists in the region. This course must begin in Lebanon through a just and rational election law, while in Syria we must see the Christians play an active role in reining in the regime’s transgressions and its gambling on division.

Tammam Salam: The Man of the Hour
By: Hussein Shobokshi /Asharq Alawsat
The Lebanese people breathed a huge sigh of relief after Tammam Salam was named Lebanon’s prime minister designate, tasked with forming a new government.
Tammam Salam’s appointment as prime minister was approved by President Michel Suleiman. He was appointed thanks to the support of the Future Movement—the party deemed to be most influential in the parliament and on the street—as well as that of the Walid Jumblatt bloc. His appointment was also approved by Talal Arslan, the renowned Druze leader; Nabih Berri, the Speaker of the Parliament; and also by the Islamic Group. It is clear that Tammam Salam is an entirely rational and balanced choice that is acceptable to all parties, regardless of their political differences.
However, since the country in question is Lebanon, voices of dissent are sure to make themselves heard. The most prominent such voice belonged to General Michel Aoun, who maintained a risible position in his objection to Tammam Salam, and was accompanied in this stance by Suleiman Frangieh.
Similarly, Hezbollah did not exhibit any clear support for Tammam Salam, who would never be their first choice for prime minister. Hezbollah—which is a Syrian supporter and agent—would have preferred to have chosen a figure that would be easier to influence and manipulate. Salam is a powerful figure who was born into a well-known Beirut political family. He is known for his moderate stances in a country where it is difficult to stand on solid ground and satisfy all parties.
Tammam Salam is the son of the late Saeb Salam, an immensely experienced former prime minister who exemplified Lebanon’s most renowned political mantra: “There are no winners or losers [in politics].” Saeb Salam was well aware of the importance of internal balances in Lebanon; he was also highly conscious of the influence of foreign countries and powers and the covetous eyes they were casting at Lebanon. He handled all of these issues with a great deal of wisdom, rationality, wit, and open-mindedness.
During his premiership under Maronite president Fuad Chehab—a powerful military figure—Saeb Salam mustered as much dignity as he could in spite of Chehab’s political mastery and, at times, offensive stances and decisions against him. Those who worked closely with Salam knew of his discontent at Fuad Chehab’s autocratic decision-making, and the provocative manner in which he marginalized others. However, Salam always emphasized that Lebanon is more important, and that there is no time for such marginal battles.
Tammam Salam was born and raised in an environment that fostered faith in national spirit, moderation, fairness and a respect for the opinions of both friends and foes. He strongly believes in educational and economic work. Thus, he spent a considerable part of his life dedicated to the philanthropic and Islamic organization Makassed, which provides education and medical care for tens of thousands of Lebanese people.
During times of Lebanese political instability—which have always been turbulent and dramatic—Salam’s voice has remained calm, rational and wise. He kept his position equidistant from other political groups until it was finally his turn, and he deserves to be named prime minister.
Salam’s mother is a descendant of the Damascene Merdam Bey family, and so his relationship with neighboring Syria—whose people are striving to gain freedom and independence from their bloody regime—is one of affinity and compassion, rather than a temporary relationship based on timely interests.
Tammam Salam is assuming the position of prime minister of Lebanon at a critical time. Conditions and circumstances have changed so that the word “resistance” no longer retains its older, more prestigious and pure meaning. “Big Sister,” referring to Syria, no longer has noble and pure connotations. A “consensual government” does not have the same old, idealized significance. All of this will be clear to seen when Tammam faces the challenges of forming a new government, satisfying different political figures and trends and meeting their demands and goals.
Lebanon remains a prisoner of sectarianism, clans and individuals—these factors are still much more important than Lebanon itself.
Tammam Salam is assuming the position of prime minister of Lebanon at an absolutely critical time. While he must be congratulated for being named to this position; he also needs our prayers and best wishes for his success.

Maronite League slams Makari’s remarks on Rai
April 12, 2013 /The Daily Star/BEIRUT: The Maronite League condemned Thursday remarks by Deputy Speaker Farid Makari calling Patriarch Beshara Rai an “ambassador defending the Syrian regime.”
In a statement, the league’s executive council said: “Makari’s remarks are unacceptable in form and content and indicate that he knows little about the position of the Maronite patriarch, the ambassador of justice, and the defender of Christians in Lebanon and the Levant.”Speaking in a television interview Wednesday evening, Makari said: “I believe Patriarch Beshara Rai was elected a patriarch for Christians in Lebanon and the Levant, and not an ambassador defending the Syrian regime.” He added that he would not run for the Orthodox parliamentary seat in Koura that he currently occupies, although observers in Koura said he just might be maneuvering.