LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

Bible Quotation for today/The Example of Hagar and Sarah
Galatians 04/21-31: "Let me ask those of you who want to be subject to the Law: do you not hear what the Law says? It says that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman, the other by a free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the usual way, but his son by the free woman was born as a result of God's promise. These things can be understood as a figure: the two women represent two covenants. The one whose children are born in slavery is Hagar, and she represents the covenant made at Mount Sinai. Hagar, who stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia, is a figure of the present city of Jerusalem, in slavery with all its people. But the heavenly Jerusalem is free, and she is our mother. For the scripture says, “Be happy, you childless woman! Shout and cry with joy, you who never felt the pains of childbirth! For the woman who was deserted will have more children than the woman whose husband never left her.” Now, you, my friends, are God's children as a result of his promise, just as Isaac was. At that time the son who was born in the usual way persecuted the one who was born because of God's Spirit; and it is the same now. But what does the scripture say? It says, “Send the slave woman and her son away; for the son of the slave woman will not have a part of the father's property along with the son of the free woman.” So then, my friends, we are not the children of a slave woman but of a free woman"

On The Lebanese Situation
Mostafa Zein/Al Hayat
Lebanon is the country of political settlements, and settlements between “constituents” have allowed for the establishment of the state. This has been its history ever since Greater Lebanon was declared, and it had the four districts joined to Mount Lebanon – and in fact even since the reign of Fakhreddine the Great of the Maan dynasty. Agreement between two sects forces the third to accept reality. Any demographic change within a sect disrupts the balance. Any disruption of the balance results in civil war. The sects are bound to foreign powers, near and far, regional and international. When the sponsors of its sects quarrel, Lebanon stands on the edge of the abyss. And it is alright for those in power to bring in foreign armies to separate the combatants. This is what happened in 1958, when half of the Lebanese stood with Nasserist Egypt and the other half against it. And this is what happened in 1975, when half of them stood with the Palestinian revolution and the others against it. Some of them resorted to seeking the assistance of the Syrian army. Others saw no reason not to seek the help of Israel’s “Defense Forces” to give them the upper hand. Damascus triumphed in Beirut. It was slow to put the situation in order, and thus there was the Taif Agreement, which restored some balance to the “constituents”, but divided the country vertically. Part of it stood with Syria, finding strength in its army and gaining the lion’s share of power. The other half of the country stood against Syria, but remained silent, being oppressed by the force of Syrian tutelage, or having been abandoned by their foreign sponsors and having handed over management of their affairs to Damascus through understandings and mutual acceptance. The Lebanese did not rise up against Syria until the United States decided to “liberate” their country from its tutelage and had Resolution 1559 issued. This was accompanied by the assassination of Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. The “Cedar Revolution” triumphed; the Syrian army withdrew; division increased. The Lebanese reached the threshold of civil war. But the victors discovered that the weapons facing them were stronger, and that liberating the South earlier had given these weapons local and Arab legitimacy. There have been ceaseless attempts to take away these weapons.
When Israel waged its war in 2006, the powerless among the Lebanese hoped that it would succeed to destroy Hezbollah’s arsenal. But Hezbollah, with help from Iran and Syria, was able to withstand the assault. The need of the Damascus-Tehran axis for it increased. The danger it represented for the opposing axis increased. Militias were formed to confront it. Yet despite the sponsorship they enjoyed, they remained mere fragments controlling certain neighborhoods in this or that city. They claim to support the armed fighters in Syria, while their real concerns are arms trade and smuggling. Neither are they able to reverse the equation inside Lebanon, nor are they able to truly help the Syrians. Such militias have become a burden for their own Lebanese and non-Lebanese sponsors (perhaps the phenomenon of Ahmed Al-Assir in Sidon best expressed this state of affairs).
Throughout this phase, the President of the Republic tried to remain “neutral”. He called for dialogue to lay out a defense strategy. The dialogue’s participants and their sponsors made him fail. The formula of the army, the people and the resistance is finished. It no longer applies, neither domestically nor at the foreign level. This is what President Michel Suleiman has finally decided. His pretext is that Hezbollah’s participation in the war in Syria has made it lose its feature of resistance. It must thus place its weapons at the army’s disposal.
The fact of the matter is that the issue of legal and illegal weapons is not a new one. But Suleiman relied in making his choice on something beyond that. He saw that changes in official and unofficial Arab stances no longer favored the resistance, and that Europe, after the United States, now considers it a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, Syria drowns in its own wars and is too weak to defend it, and Iran has become the Great Satan in the eyes of the Arabs. This is the analysis made by Suleiman and those around him. He thus decided to side with the more powerful axis.
Regional and international circumstances having matured does not at all mean that domestic circumstances have matured as well. And this would perhaps require the sects to fight each other once again. Will the President’s stance then contribute to bringing such circumstances to maturity?

Khomeini, “Quds” and “the Resistance”
Abdullah Iskandar/Al Hayat
Shortly after toppling the rule of the Shah and forming the new Iranian political regime, Imam Khomeini called for making the last Friday of the month of Ramadan of every year Quds Day (“Quds” being Arabic for Jerusalem). He did this at his time of greatest need for elements that would attract political support for him and for his regime. This call was accompanied by a statement that can be considered foundational in this regard, as it included, unambiguously and unequivocally, the significance and the goal of such a day for him.
The founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran said in the first sentence of his statement: “Quds Day is an international day, it is not a day devoted to Quds alone. It is the day for the weak and oppressed to confront the arrogant powers”. In other words, the issue does not concern only Palestine, which Khomeini summed up in Jerusalem, and how to work to free its people from Israeli occupation, but rather represents the promotion of a political theory that views the movement of history as based on the clash between “the weak and oppressed” and “arrogant powers”.
Khomeini used the word “Quds” (Jerusalem) instead of Palestine purposely, as the holy city includes the Noble Sanctuary (the Temple Mount) which bears great significance for every Muslim, and the potential for mobilization and incitement under its banner exceeds any incitement that would address a national issue like that of Jerusalem. Furthermore, the choice of Quds Day came as a response to Arab efforts to save the holy city and the Noble Sanctuary, within the framework of the Jerusalem Committee, headed by Morocco and stemming from a decision issued by the Islamic Summit on the basis of the call made by Saudi Arabia. Khomeini had thereby sought to suggest that he had become the one entrusted with the Palestinian cause, under the banner of Jerusalem, while he was in fact seeking to promote his own policies.
In his statement, Khomeini spoke of the suffering of “the weak and oppressed” and the practices of “arrogant powers”, equating the “oppression” suffered by “our brothers in south Lebanon” with that suffered by “the Palestinian brothers and sisters”. And that is what gives Quds Day the sectarian dimension which Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah spoke of in his speech two days ago on the occasion of this year’s Quds Day.
According to Khomeini, “Quds Day is a day when these followers of Iran’s past regime and these corrupt plot-making regimes and superpowers in other places, especially in Lebanon, should know their assignment. It is a day when we and they should exert our efforts to liberate Quds and save our Lebanese brothers from these pressures”.
Khomeini had thus from the beginning linked the attractive slogan regarding Jerusalem and Palestine to incitement to “lift the oppression” from South Lebanon, the majority of its inhabitants being Shiite. The focus then shifted to the Northern Beqaa Valley, also home to a Shiite majority. This is where Hezbollah began to be formed, under the slogan of resistance, as an armed force that would carry out the precept issued by Khomeini, who said in the same statement: “Quds Day is not only Palestine day; it is a day of Islam; it is a day of Islamic rule. It is a day on which the flag of the Islamic Republic is to be hoisted in all countries”.
Thus, Quds Day turned from a day of solidarity with the Palestinian people and of mobilization for their national cause to a day of incitement to hoist the flag of the Islamic Republic, like the one established by Khomeini in Iran.
In this sense, Hezbollah has, since its inception, represented the embodiment of Khomeini’s precepts and a successful model for what was later called “exporting the revolution”. Today, Hezbollah has become an integral part of the system set up by Khomeini in order to strike at “corrupt regimes”, which is the Iranian term for Arab regimes that oppose the expansion of Iran’s influence.
The Syrian regime, with its sectarian-social makeup, had the greater role to play in incentivizing Khomeini’s plans in Lebanon through Hezbollah, making the latter obtain forced recognition as a partner in Lebanon under the slogan of the Resistance, unlike in other areas where groups similar to it have become mere networks working for Tehran. And just as “Quds” played the role of a main pillar in Khomeini’s call to promote the Islamic Revolution, so does “the Resistance” play the role of a main pillar in promoting Hezbollah, Iran’s powerful arm in Lebanon, and in Syria as well, after having become engaged in the fighting there.

Unexplained, conflicting US global terror warnings now extend to American homeland

DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis August 4, 2013/Saturday night Aug. 3, the global warnings issued last week by the US State Department and Interpol against terrorist attacks covering almost the entire Muslim world, suddenly reached the American homeland. Sunday morning, Aug. 4, as US missions closed in 22 countries, including Egypt and Israel, the New York Police Department went on high alert. Security was beefed up in high-profile areas outside houses of worship and transportation hubs, although Police Commissioner Ray Kelly complained that “a lack of specific information was cause for concern.”
Friday, Aug. 2 the State Department issued a worldwide travel alert warning to Americans overseas of potential al Qaeda attacks in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. Saturday night, National Security Adviser Susan Rice convened security officials on the situation. The White House stated: “Given the nature of the potential threat through the week, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and counter-terrorism Lisa Monaco has held regular meetings with relevant members of the inter-agency to ensure the US government is taking those appropriate steps.” Nothing in this statement specified the nature of the “potential threat.” Sunday, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey told the ABC that the threat was "more specific than previous ones" and “the intent is to attack Western, not just US interests.” He reported that the diplomatic facilities closed “range from Mauritania in northwest Africa to Afghanistan.”Western and Middle East terrorism and intelligence experts say that in additional to the lack of information, at least six elements don’t add up in the various global warnings released since Thursday Aug. 1:

1. Thursday, US President Barack Obama ordered that "all appropriate steps" be taken to protect Americans in response to a threat of an al-Qaeda attack. What does this mean? The experts comment that even if all US agencies were pressed into service worldwide, there is no way they could protect all Americans in the vast area marked out in the warnings.
2. If the threat is specific why does the warning extend to so many countries? Al Qaeda is not even active in all them. If the danger is so immediate, why haven’t any governments in North Africa and as far east as Bangladesh declared their own terror alerts? 3. US officials reported that some of the intelligence came from terrorist communications intercepted by the National Security Agency over the past days. This too raises questions, considering that al Qaeda leaders are wont to avoid electronic media and satellite phones for their communications on operations, preferring couriers who are not susceptible to electronic interception or eavesdropping. The Internet serves them for propaganda and planting red herrings.4. In the past week, US drones conducted three attacks against al Qaeda targets in Yemen, where the organization is defined by US officials as al Qaeda’s most dangerous affiliate and capable of attacking the US embassy in Sanaa. The last drone attack Aug. 1 killed five low-profile al Qaeda operatives, who were driving in a vehicle in the Qatan Valley of Hadramouth province (Osama bin Laden’s place of birth). All 12 US drone attacks in Yemen of the last eight months targeted Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Although its deputy chief Said al Shiri, a former inmate of the Guantanamo Bay facility, was eliminated, AQAP’s entire high command has remained intact and fully functional. In other words, US intelligence counter-terror agencies have not discovered their whereabouts.
5. Neither have they run down the location of al Qaeda’s top leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. Tuesday, he released a communiqué accusing US agents of engineering the coup which deposed the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood president by penetrating the Egyptian army. He called for more attacks on America.
6. Saturday, the international police agency, Interpol, published a global security alert following "the escape of hundreds of terrorists and other criminals" in the past month, including jailbreaks in Iraq, Libya and Pakistan. Interpol feared that the escapees would team up with al Qaeda to hit Western targets. Yet none of its 190 member states have declared terror alerts on this score either.
7. Finally, the sweeping warnnings from the Obama administration dramatically refute its own oft-heard claims that al Qaeda is no longer a force to be reckoned with, because it has lost its compact central command and control of its component branches, which have split up into regional franchises operating autonomously. Al Qaeda, they have been saying, is no longer capable of large-scale terrorist attacks on a global scale.
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Was the Brotherhood’s rise to power a mistake?
Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Alawsat
There are two extreme opinions in interpreting the events in Egypt. Those that are of the first opinion have popularly supported the toppling of Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood government. They insist that allowing the Brotherhood to reach the presidency was a mistake in the first place, and what happened a month ago was simply a corrective process. Supporters of the opposite opinion consider that defending the change in Egypt—especially on behalf of the liberals—is a major crime of conscience. Both opinions are conflicting and reveal the intellectual gap not only in Egypt but throughout the Arab world. These opinions reflect the ignorance of those who are involved in the political debate today. Some colleagues have found that what I write these days about Mursi’s ouster contradicts what I previously wrote when I “praised” the Brotherhood’s victory after the elections. This is completely untrue. The Brotherhood’s victory indicated the success of liberal democracy. Their removal, after they went off track, was also a success—a triumph over the concept of transgression and monopolizing power. We should oust anyone who does not abide by the rules, whether they are liberals, nationalists or from the Muslim Brotherhood.
It is not true that liberals turned against their own convictions when they applauded the military coup. What Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood did was more dangerous than what Mubarak did, because they violated the conditions they had agreed on upon reaching power. They considered the ballot box as the means to dominate the country, as did Hamas in Gaza, Khomeini in Iran, and Bashir and Turabi in Sudan.
Toppling Mursi was a necessary lesson for his successors. They must realize that the majority and the presidency do not give them the right to abuse institutions and freedoms. Even in the most established democracies, corrections occur when legislators or politicians sense danger. President Richard Nixon, for example, was forced to resign after infringing on the opposing party.
Only a year after his victory in the second round of presidential elections, Mursi had seized the office of the Attorney-General, tried to control the judiciary, and remained silent when his followers physically blocked the entrance to the Constitutional Court, threatening judges if they did enter. Each of their acts is enough to hold the president to account. Constitutionally, these crimes were enough to oust him.
I support the need to involve the Muslim Brotherhood in the political process—in which there are democratic and pluralistic projects—although there are many concerns over their ability to accept a pluralistic regime that supports the transfer of power. In fact, the Brotherhood’s inclusion is essential for any collective political action, but it needs to be disciplined so that it realizes that it is involved in a political process, not a religious one. It is astounding to witness Egypt going through a period full of complications. What Egypt has endured—from sit-ins to dealing with the crisis, managing the transitional phase, and endorsing the intervention of the army—is a a period of education. If the Egyptians succeed in peacefully acknowledging the transitional phase, they will have reached an advanced stage of democracy. Whichever party wins future elections should be aware that, while it has gained power, it is still controlled by the institutions. It should realize that its president is not immune to the rule of law, and that it cannot intervene in the judiciary. The winning team should defend the freedom of expression and reject violence and hatred. Is it possible for the Egyptians to reach such a stage, which establishes the foundations of a state that is able to survive?
It certainly is. There are high hopes that Egyptians will overcome today’s crisis. Everybody in Egypt should step forward towards an integrated reconciliation that involves both the Mubarak and Mursi regimes. The country will then start a new page under a more lucid and accommodating regime.

Opinion: Obama and the lesson of Egypt
By: by : Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Alawsat
Some in Egypt are quite convinced that the current US administration formed an alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood and contributed to their rise to power—that is, until the military stepped in and ended an era of Brotherhood monopolization of power. Such suspicions are confirmed by the confused stance the US has taken towards the events in Egypt since the fall of the Brotherhood and the ouster of Mursi.
However, the US secretary of state John Kerry eventually issued a remarkable and significant statement on the events in Egypt. On Thursday, he announced that the Egyptian army had been “restoring democracy” when it toppled President Mursi. He told Pakistan’s GEO TV: “The military was asked to intervene by millions and millions of people, all of whom were afraid of a descent into chaos, into violence,” adding,”The military did not take over, to the best of our judgment—so far.”
How are we supposed to understand this statement? Does this mean the end of the US alliance with the Brotherhood in the entire region, particularly in light of what is happening in Tunisia and Libya?
I think the easiest answer to these questions is that the current US administration did not have a genuine picture of the region and its problems. The situation worsened After the Arab Spring, whether we are talking about Egypt, Syria or the region as a whole. The Arab Spring came at a time when the US administration was preoccupied with its own domestic affairs and financial woes, not to mention the fact that it was in the middle of pulling out of the real war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan.

In fact, the Obama administration used to think that simply by taking a course that is different from that of George W. Bush towards the region, the most complicated of files could be resolved.
Of course, this is completely wrong. And now, Obama and his administration are learning a hard lesson. But this comes at the region’s expense, with Egypt being the most prominent example. It is enough to consider and compare the way the Obama administration deals with Egypt today to its stance when it said that what happened in Bahrain was a revolution.
All of this tells us that Washington did not have clear policies towards the region and the Arab Spring. In fact, it was confused and delusional and did not understand the true nature of the region and its major players. It would suffice to consider the US stance towards the Syrian crisis from the time it erupted until today to confirm this analysis.
On the other hand, I have frequently advised [Arabs] to act as if US does not exist. For example, had the military not intervened, the US alliance with the Brotherhood would have continued at the expense of Egypt and the Egyptians. Thus, it could be said that perhaps Washington has made up its mind and formulated a clear policy on the Egyptian file. The reality is, however, that, particularly with the Obama administration, the countries in the region have to act—in a manner of fait accompli—as if the US does not exist. Do what is right, and the US will pragmatically follow you. In fact, this is what happened and will happen in Egypt.
Although no one can ignore US power, it is no longer possible to always bet on the awareness and understanding of the current US administration.

President Michel Suleiman in Tehran as Rowhani Takes Oath
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman traveled to Tehran aboard a private jet on Sunday to attend his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rowhani's oath before parliament. Suleiman was accompanied by deputy PM Samir Moqbel and caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour. Rowhani, a 64-year-old cleric, was also expected to unveil his government line-up, Iranian media reported. Rowhani formally took office on Saturday at a ceremony in which he received the endorsement of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In addition to Suleiman, nine heads of state from around the region were due to attend Sunday's parliamentary session, set to start from 1130 GMT, Iranian reports said. Official sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat that Suleiman could hold talks with Rowhani and Khamenei during his one-day visit to Tehran. They also did not rule out a trip by the president to Saudi Arabia.

Geagea Lauds Suleiman's Speech, Slams Hizbullah for 'Launching War' on Lebanon
Naharnet /Lebanese Forces leader Geagea called on Sunday for support to President Michel Suleiman and hinted that the rocket attacks on the Baabda area this week came from a Hizbullah stronghold. Suleiman's speech on Army Day was “purely constitutional,” Geagea told Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) in an interview. “It urges support to the president and we are the first to do so,” he said. “For the first time in 25 years we feel that we have a president,” Geagea said about Suleiman, who on his Army Day speech stressed that it was time for the state to become the sole-decision maker on the use of force. Suleiman also criticized Hizbullah for “going beyond Lebanon's borders” by helping Syrian troops battle rebels seeking to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad. Geagea stressed that it was a waste of time to hold dialogue with Hizbullah, which he described as “totalitarian.” “It is a strategic party” which is “launching war on Lebanon, the Lebanese and the state of Lebanon,” he said. “As a Lebanese citizen, I don't accept for the party to take any strategic decisions on my behalf.”Geagea hinted he would continue to boycott the national dialogue if the all-party talks under Suleiman resumed at Baabda palace. “Dialogue with Hizbullah means that we agree to its proposals,” he mocked. “Let those who want to try it out take such a move.”Turning to the latest rocket attacks on the area of Baabda, Geagea said the attacks came only hours after the speech made by Suleiman on Thursday. “Up till now, military experts haven't found the launchpads,” the LF chief said, adding that there was information that the rockets were placed on trucks in the areas of Dohat Aramoun and Bshamoun. “They were launched from areas that come under the military control of a certain party,” he told VDL. “Who has the ability to move freely” in those areas? Geagea wondered, saying he would leave it to the Lebanese people to decide on the answer, in a hint to Hizbullah's involvement in the attacks.
He called for “strong judicial measures” to arrest the perpetrators

Suleiman Frustrated at Hizbullah's Unilateral Move on Syria, Rules out its Involvement in Rocket Attacks
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman has reportedly admonished Hizbullah for failing to coordinate with any party inside Lebanon before sending its members to Syria to support troops loyal to the Assad regime against the rebels.“What happened is that the resistance went to Syria without coordinating with anyone,” officials, who have visited Suleiman, quoted him as saying. The officials told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat in remarks published on Sunday that Suleiman has stressed his support for the resistance against Israel and the army-people-resistance formula. “This means there should be coordination between the three components of this formula,” he said. On the latest rocket attacks that landed in the area of Baabda where the presidential palace is located, Suleiman said: “This would not stop me from saying what I believe in.” The officials told al-Hayat that the president confirmed to them the rockets were aimed at targeting Baabda palace. “I don't think that Hizbullah launched the rockets on Baabda … It cannot do such a thing,” Suleiman told the officials. The attacks came hours after the president criticized Hizbullah for sending its fighters to Syria during an Army Day speech. He also said it was time for the Lebanese state and the army to be the sole decision-makers on the use of the nation's capabilities. On his stance from Premier-designate Tammam Salam's efforts to form a new government, Suleiman told the officials who visited him that he insisted on Hizbullah's participation in the cabinet despite calls by the March 14 alliance to snub the party over its involvement in the war in Syria. The officials said the president informed them that he backs the formation of a national unity government on condition that it does not end up with infighting. “Or else let there be a neutral cabinet,” Suleiman said.

U.S. lawmaker says Al-Qaeda threat most serious in years
August 04, 2013/By Tabassum Zakaria/Reuters
WASHINGTON: The Al-Qaeda threat that closed U.S. embassies in the Middle East on Sunday is the most serious in years and the "chatter" among suspected terrorists is reminiscent of what preceded the Sept. 11 attacks, a U.S. lawmaker who is briefed on intelligence said. The State Department closed 21 embassies and consulates and issued a worldwide travel alert warning Americans that Al-Qaeda may be planning attacks in August, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. "There is an awful lot of chatter out there," Senator Saxby Chambliss, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
He said "chatter" - electronically monitored communications among terrorism suspects about the planning of a possible attack - was "very reminiscent of what we saw pre-9/11."
The threat also has prompted some European countries to close their embassies in Yemen, where an Al-Qaeda affiliate, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, is based.
"This is the most serious threat that I've seen in the last several years," Chambliss said. A U.S. intelligence official told Reuters there was disagreement within the intelligence community over whether the potential target was in Yemen or more broadly in the region, which was why the State Department's alert described the threat as "possibly occurring in or emanating from the Arabian Peninsula."
The threat information also is coming ahead of the Eid celebration at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan later this week and just over a month before the anniversary of Al-Qaeda's Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. A Sept. 11 attack last year killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans in Benghazi. Chambliss said one of the surveillance programs revealed by former spy agency contractor Edward Snowden had helped gather intelligence about this threat. Those programs "allow us to have the ability to gather this chatter," he said. "If we did not have these programs then we simply wouldn't be able to listen in on the bad guys." y with newly sworn-in Iranian head of state Hasan Rowhani, and both leaders stressed on the need to find a peaceful solution for the Syrian crisis. "The Lebanese and Iranian presidents expressed that they are ready to cooperate with other countries in the region to find a peaceful solution for the war in Syria,” the state-run National News Agency revealed.
The NNA added: “Suleiman stressed on the approach adopted by Rowhani to deal with problems facing Iran and the region.”In the speech he gave after being sworn-in, Rowhani addressed Western leaders, saying that the only path to interact with Iran is through “negotiations on equal grounds, reciprocal trust-building, mutual respect and reducing hostilities.”Suleiman and Rowhani discussed also the latest developments in the region and the roles of Lebanon and Iran in this respect. "They both agreed on strengthening stability, peace, cooperation, openness and moderation to overcome obstacles and difficulties.”Meanwhile, Rowhani thanked Suleiman for his participation in the ceremony, considering that the president's visit to Iran represents the cooperation between the two nations. Suleiman had arrived earlier in the morning to Tehran, where he attended Rowhani's oath before the Iranian parliament. He was accompanied by deputy PM Samir Moqbel and caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour. Rowhani formally took office on Saturday at a ceremony in which he received the endorsement of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In defiance of its international isolation, Iran for the first time invited top representatives of several countries, except for the United States and Israel, to Sunday's swearing-in.

One Killed, Two Wounded while Preparing Explosives in Iqlim al-Kharroub
Naharnet /One Egyptian national was killed and two other people were wounded on Sunday when they were setting up explosive devices in Mount Lebanon's Iqlim al-Kharroub's region, MTV reported. "An Egyptian was killed while a Syrian and another Egyptian were gravely wounded when explosive devices they were preparing detonated at a house in Iqlim al-Kharroub's town of Daraya,” MTV elaborated. OTV said the incident took place near Ahmed Basbous mosque in Daraya. MTV noted that the material damage did not go beyond the room in which the explosion took place. "A military expert inspected the location of the explosion and State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr has handed the investigation over to the army police,” the same source revealed. However, the state-run National News Agency said later on Sunday that the explosion took place after heavy fireworks detonated at the Daraya house. The NNA identified the Egyptian victim as Abdul Latif al-Dakhakhni. His brother Mohammed and Syrian national Mohammed Hasan Masaoud were gravely injured, according to the NNA. On July 19, the military prosecution charged six al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front members who were arrested for the possession of arms and explosives, and for plotting terrorist attacks. The NNA had said that the suspects had formed an armed gang for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activities and financial crimes. The network was reportedly comprised of four Syrian and Lebanese members. And on May 9, the Army revealed that it has broken up a cell, detained its members and confiscated a quantity of detonators and explosives. Meanwhile, on April 7, Army troops thwarted an attempt to deliver arms to “extremists” in the Shouf area of Ain Zhalta.

Tension spikes in east Lebanon as six more kidnapped
August 04, 2013/The Daily Star/HERMEL, Lebanon: Tension spiked Sunday in east Lebanon as six more residents were kidnapped in the Bekaa Valley in retaliatory hostage-taking by members of the Moqdad family. Moqdad clan members previously kidnapped 10 people from the northeastern border town of Arsal in retaliation to the kidnapping of Mohammad Moqdad who was taken hostage Thursday. The six additional people kidnapped now make for 16 hostages held by the Moqdads. The new kidnappings sparked tension in Bekaa Valley where large numbers of Army units deployed in the area were on alert. Arsal’s mayor, Ali Hujeiri, said earlier that the kidnapping of Moqdad was sparked by investigations into the June killing of four Shiites in an area called Wadi Rafik. He claimed that three Arsal residents, Hassan Hussein Rayed, Omar Ahmad al-Atrash and Sami al-Atrash, were allegedly involved, along with several Syrians, in the Wadi Rafik murders. Omar al-Atrash allegedly carried out Moqdad’s kidnapping “as a reaction to the investigation that revealed his role in many kidnappings and killings,” said Hujeiri. However, Hujeiri assured that the people of Arsal rejected such crimes and asked the security forces to act quickly to put an end to the incident. Kidnappings involving families from the Sunni-majority Arsal and the Shiite clans of the northern Bekaa Valley have been on the rise since the beginning of the Syrian crisis.

Iran's Rowhani Sworn In, Calls West to Talk
Naharnet /New President Hasan Rowhani, a reputed moderate, told the West after taking the oath of office on Sunday the only way to interact with Iran is through dialogue, not sanctions.
The 64-year-old cleric took over from hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose provocative policies in two turbulent four-year terms left Iran divided domestically, isolated internationally and struggling economically.
The West is hoping that Rowhani will take a more constructive approach in long-running talks on Tehran's controversial nuclear drive, which despite Iranian denials is suspected by world powers of having military objectives.
"The only path to interact with Iran is through negotiations on equal grounds, reciprocal trust-building, mutual respect and reducing hostilities," Rowhani said in a speech after being sworn in before parliament.
"If you want a proper answer, do not speak with Iran with the language of sanctions but with the language of respect," he said, adding Iran would "not surrender to sanctions, nor be threatened with war".
He was referring to years of unsuccessful negotiations with the so-called P5+1 group of the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany over Iran's nuclear activities.Washington was quick to respond, saying Iran would find the United States a "willing partner" if Rowhani was serious. "Should this new government choose to engage substantively and seriously to meet its international obligations and find a peaceful solution to this issue, it will find a willing partner in the United States," the White House said in a statement. In Tehran, Rowhani said his goal was to improve the livelihood of ordinary Iranians whom he acknowledged were under "a lot of economic pressure" because of tough U.S. and EU sanctions over Iran's refusal to stop uranium enrichment. "The people want to live better, to have dignity and to enjoy a stable life. They want to regain their deserved position among nations," said Rowhani, who has promised above all else to stick to the path of moderation. He said his government will take the path of detente, "creating mutual trust and constructive interaction. I say this frankly that Iran has never been bent on war with the world."His remarks contrasted starkly with Ahmadinejad, whose anti-Israel diatribe and provocative rhetoric sparked repeated global condemnation.
Rowhani formally took office on Saturday at another ceremony in which he received the endorsement of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all key state affairs, including the nuclear issue.
Considered a regime insider for his service record since the Islamic republic's inception in 1979, Rowhani said in a speech on Saturday broadcast live on state television that he would work to lift "the oppressive sanctions".
The measures have crippled Iran's once lucrative oil sector, cut its access to global banking, and contributed to soaring inflation and a shrinking economy.
In defiance of its international isolation, Iran for the first time invited top representatives of several countries, except for the United States and Israel, to Sunday's swearing-in.
Nine regional leaders attended, including the prime minister of close ally Syria, as well as former EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who represented world powers in nuclear talks with Iran in the past.
But Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, failed to show because Riyadh denied permission for his plane to cross Saudi airspace en route to Tehran.
After his speech, Rowhani presented parliament with his male-dominated cabinet line-up, mostly experienced technocrats seen as close to his mentor, pragmatic ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
Officially, he had two weeks from Sunday to name his cabinet, the political breadth of which is seen as a testament to his priorities. The conservative-dominated parliament now has 10 days to review the nominations, but media reports say MPs are keen to start voting within a week or less. Rowhani's first staff appointment was Mohammad Nahavandian, a U.S. Green Card residency holder with a PhD in economics from George Washington University, as chief of staff. Nahavandian is expected to play a leading role in coordinating Rowhani's economic policies. Other key nominees were veteran retired diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif as foreign minister and ex-oil minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, for the same portfolio again. Zarif's nomination is attracting attention with media speculation rife that Rowhani seeks to transfer responsibility for nuclear negotiations to the foreign ministry, enabling the president to have direct supervision over the talks. Rowhani's swearing-in also sparked reaction from Israel, the Middle East's sole if undeclared nuclear power, and Iran's arch-enemy. "The president of Iran may have been changed but the aims of the regime there have not," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a weekly cabinet meeting.Source/Agence France Presse

Northern Strom Brigade: We Will Release Two Aazaz Pilgrims if Females Imprisoned by Syrian Regime Are Freed
Naharnet/The Northern Storm Brigade announced on Sunday that it will not negotiate over the abduction of the Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Syria's Aazaz before the release of female prisoners detained by the Syrian regime.
"We gave the international committee in the presence of Lebanese diplomats the names of 370 women jailed in Syria to swap with two pilgrims,” the Brigade said in a released statement posted on its official Facebook page.
It added: “The Syrian regime claimed it has 127 detainees only, and we expressed out consent to this.” “However, Iran's party (Hizbullah) started stalling and sent fighters to Aleppo and its countryside and intensified the bombing of that area. It also negotiated the release of the abductees with parties whose presence we do not acknowledge and suggested deals that do not mention the female prisoners.”The Brigade stressed: “We only negotiate over the release of these women and any talks with (Syrian president Bashar) Assad's regime are done through the international committee tasked with this mission.” "If Iran's party wanted us to release two pilgrims before the Fitr holiday, it should rush and free the female detainees.” On July 19, a number of women jailed by the Syrian regime were released, including several whose names are on a list set by the kidnappers of Lebanese pilgrims in Aazaz. The release, however, did not contribute to free any of the pilgrims. Eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped in Syria's Aleppo region in May 2012 as they were making their way back by land to Lebanon from pilgrimage in Iran. Two of the captives have since been released, while the rest remain held in Aazaz.

Qassem: You Cannot Compare Resistance's Weapons with Street Arms
Naharnet/Hizbullah deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem reiterated his calls for a national unity cabinet, stating also that the resistance's weapons cannot be compared to arms used on the streets.
"The arms of the resistance are in the interest of Lebanon and this has been proven on ground,” Qassem said during an Iftar banquet on Saturday. He elaborated: “These weapons prevent Israel from launching any attack against Lebanon because we have a resistance that is ready to defend the country,” "Weapons are a tool that can be used for good or for evil purposes. It could serve the country's interests or work against them. What matters is how weapons are used and what are the goals behind the possession of arms.” Qassem continued: “For those saying that weapons used on the streets aim at confronting the resistance's weaponry we tell them they are mistaken.”
"The owners of street weapons are known, same as those financing the possession of these arms, training people, and easing their movements between Lebanon and neighboring countries.”"You will not succeed in defeating the resistance's weaponry by making this comparison,” Qassem stated. “The resistance's arms are far more noble and important and will not be present on the streets.”In a ceremony marking the 68th anniversary of the army’s founding on Thursday, President Michel Suleiman criticized Hizbullah without naming it, saying it was time for the Lebanese state and the army to be the sole decision-makers on the use of the nation's capabilities Regarding the new cabinet, the Hizbullah official said the party is keen on forming a council of ministers to “lift the country and manage crises.” "We urge the formation of a national unity cabinet where no one can disclaim the responsibility of its failure,” Qassem expressed. "All factions agreed on naming premier-designate Tammam Salam to form a national unity cabinet. And looking for other options is a waste of time and harms Lebanon as no one in the country is apolitical.” Addressing the party's political foes, Qassem said common grounds can be reached between various parties inside the council of ministers. "We have lots of things in common, and all previous experiences failed because there were no united effort and because of individuality in the cabinet,” he commented. "When we agree, we can reach a solution.”

Connelly Urges Lebanese Officials to Back Suleiman
Naharnet/U.S. Ambassador Maura Connelly has expressed hope that Lebanese officials would support President Michel Suleiman in his efforts to defend Lebanon’s sovereignty. In remarks to An Nahar newspaper published on Sunday, Connelly said Suleiman is reacting positively to the concerns expressed by the Lebanese and does not await the results of the Syrian crisis to defend Lebanon's independence, sovereignty and stability.
The ambassador reiterated the U.S. commitment to build the capabilities of the Lebanese army. But she expressed frustration at the extension of parliament's mandate which she said would prevent lawmakers from hearing the assessment of the electorates on their performance. In late May, MPs voted overwhelmingly in favor of extending the legislature's mandate by a period of 17 months after they failed to agree on a new electoral law.
The U.S. ambassador also criticized Hizbullah, saying it quickly undermined its credibility in Lebanon and in Europe. Hizbullah has been criticized by Suleiman and the March 14 alliance for taking part in the battles alongside Syrian troops fighting rebels seeking to overthrow President Bashar Assad. Last month, EU foreign ministers added the party's military wing to the list of its terror organizations. Connelly has been visiting Lebanese officials as her mission nears to end. She will be replaced by David Hale as the next U.S. ambassador to Lebanon.

Charbel Says Security Situation Improving, Calls for 'Political Understanding' to Confront Attacks
Naharnet/Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel has warned that rocket attacks and bombings would not stop even if the suspects involved in the latest attacks in Baabda district were arrested but he expressed optimism on the security situation. In an interview with An Nahar newspaper published on Sunday, Charbel said: “We should arrest the perpetrators.” “But even if we do so and we know who they are, would the rocket attacks and roadside and car bombings stop?” he wondered. “I don't think there is one party behind them,” he said. “These bombings are the result of political tension and there is one solution which comes through political understanding against the plot on Lebanon.” A rocket landed in the garden of the Freiha villa that is located near the Officers' Club in the Baabda area near the presidential palace on Thursday night.
A second rocket landed near the Khashoqji castle in al-Yarzeh. The blasts were the latest in a series of rocket attacks that have targeted locations near Beirut and bombings that have targeted Hizbullah convoys or areas that are the party's stronghold in the past two months. Despite his hints that such attacks, which are a direct fallout from the war in Syria, would not stop, Charbel said the security situation in Lebanon was improving.
When told by his interviewer that security forces and the army had failed to make many arrests, Charbel said: “When we find a lead we follow it till the end.”
“The army has lately arrested suspects involved in many incidents after it received the necessary information. This means that we arrest the perpetrator when we know who he is.”“If you are accusing us of not arresting the culprits even if we know them, then you could accuse us of plotting against the country,” Charbel told the interviewer. “I can confirm to you that 70 to 80 percent of crimes are being resolved,” he stressed. “How about bigger crimes?” asked the interviewer, then Charbel replied that “big crimes are well planned and need bigger efforts and more time” to be resolved.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi Urges Reconciliation Dialogue Based on Suleiman's Army Day Speech
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi called on Monday for taking President Michel Suleiman's Army Day speech as a basis of reconciliation talks among Lebanese leaders. “It's about time for political parties to sit at the table of frankness and reconciliation” and discuss the local situation, al-Rahi said in his sermon during a mass in his summer residence of Diman. “The president's speech on Army Day should be on the agenda” of the all-party talks, he said. Al-Rahi also said it was the duty of the Lebanese people and mainly civil society “to urge politicians to find a solution to the political crisis.”The solution comes through the revival of a capable state that gets strong through its constitutional institutions and the loyalty of the people, he said.On Thursday, Suleiman said Hizbullah’s fighting in Syria alongside troops loyal to President Bashar Assad underlined the need for a review and approval of a national defense strategy. He said it was time for the Lebanese state and the army to be the sole decision-makers on the use of the nation's capabilities. “The army's role would be difficult if a party or more get involved in conflicts outside Lebanon,” he said.

Meqdad Family Urges Release of Man Nabbed in Arsal, Threatens Retaliation
Naharnet/The al-Meqdad family and the residents of the Baalbek town of Maqneh on Saturday issued a statement urging the release of Youssef al-Meqdad who was abducted in Arsal on Thursday.
“After we waited for three days to know the fate of our son, after no one intervened other than some goodwill seekers, and after all information and investigations confirmed that he is in the town of Arsal, we call on security agencies and the army to intervene to unveil the fate of our son and secure his release as soon as possible,” said a statement issued after a meeting at Mohammed al-Meqdad's residence in Maqneh.
The conferees warned that their town has become “unsafe,” noting that “any Arsal resident will become a target for Maqneh's residents if Youssef al-Meqdad was not freed.”
On Thursday, young men from Arsal kidnapped Youssef while he was buying goods in their town, state-run National News Agency reported. The abduction comes in retaliation for a recent robbery which Arsal residents have blamed on young men from al-Meqdad family, NNA said.
Later on Thursday, LBCI television reported that "two people who hail from Arsal were abducted in the town of Maqneh in retaliation for the kidnapping of a man from al-Meqdad family in Arsal."
Tit-for-tat abductions are frequent in the area and last month a Arsal resident was abducted on the road of the neighboring town of al-Labweh.
In March, a tit-for-tat wave of abductions erupted between residents of Arsal and the Hermel region, after unknown individuals kidnapped 30-year-old Hussein Kamel Jaafar who hails from the Hermel town of al-Bustan. The incident prompted members of the Jaafar clan to nab several Arsal residents. In the wake of the kidnappings, the army deployed on the international highway and set up new posts, especially at al-Labweh's entrance which is the only route to and from Arsal.