Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources/August 24/13

42 Killed and 500 Wounded in Two Explosions at Tripoli Mosques
Global Condemnations of Tripoli's Deadly Attacks
Suleiman Calls for National Unity: Tripoli's Massacre Another Episode in Terrorist Plan
Rifi: We're Still at Beginning of Storm, Those Who Wage Jihad Must Expect Counter-Jihad
Tripoli Figures Urge Intensive Security Measures, Reject Vigilante Groups
Ghosn Warns of 'Series' of Car Bombings, Urges National Unity
Israel Targets PFLP-GC Position in Naameh after Rocket Attack
Kuwait Urges Its Citizens to Leave Lebanon as UAE Calls for Solidarity
Mufti Qabbani Urges Lebanese to 'Wake Up,' Warns against Sunni-Shiite Strife
Canada Condemns Mosque Attack in Lebanon
U.S. Reminds Americans to Avoid Travel to Lebanon, Cites 'Increase in Sectarian Violence'
U.N. Chief Calls for 'Maximum Restraint' after Rockets Fired on Israel
Kuwait Urges Its Citizens to Leave Lebanon as UAE Calls for Solidarity
Lebanon to File Complaint against Israel over Naameh Attack
Sidon Pro-al-Asir Rally Goes ahead despite Security Decision to Thwart it
Hizbullah Condemns Israeli Raid, Says 'Totally Prepared to Defend Lebanon'
Hizbullah Condemns Tripoli 'Terrorist Blasts', Warns against 'Rumors, Accusations'
Syria 'Strongly Condemns' Tripoli's Bombs: They Aim at Threatening Civil Peace
Hariri Warns against 'Killing Machine,' Says Tripoli to Triumph over 'Evil Forces'
Miqati Condemns Tripoli Attacks, Says Residents Won't Be Lured to Strife
Local Figures Condemn Tripoli Blasts: Jumblat Accuses Israel, Berri Says 'Same Murderer' behind All Attacks
Assaults on Christians Continue in Egypt,
Russia Urges Syria to Cooperate on U.N. Chemical Weapons Probe
African Troops Thwart Shebab Attack in South Somali Port
Obama: Pulling Aid May Not Change Egypt Military
Syria Opposition Says Will Guarantee U.N. Inspectors' Safety
U.N. Presses Syria on Chemical Attack Inspection
Italy Urges Caution on Syria Chemical Attack Claim
Iran Documentary Maker Killed in Syria
Irani FM Says Possession of Nuclear Bomb 'Would Threaten' the Country
France's Fabius to Push Peace Talks with Israel, Palestinians  

Canada Condemns Mosque Attack in Lebanon
August 23, 2013 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:
“Canada strongly condemns today’s terrorist attacks on worshippers at two mosques in the Lebanese city of Tripoli. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those killed and injured.
“Canada urges the people of Lebanon to stay united in the face of such cowardly acts of terrorism and to reject violence as a means of resolving political disputes. I urge the Lebanese authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into this incident and to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Canada is also very concerned about the risk of Lebanon being drawn into the Syrian crisis by radical elements. Lebanon cannot become a new battleground for sectarian conflict or the settling of Syria’s scores.
“Canada remains deeply committed to Lebanon’s stability and security.”

Suleiman Calls for National Unity: Tripoli's Massacre Another Episode in Terrorist Plan
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman called for “national solidarity to prevent the enemies of stability in Lebanon from reaching their goals.""It's another episode of a terrorist plan targeting the country,” Suleiman said in a released statement in which he condemned the “massacre” in the northern city of Tripoli.A twin blast hit Tripoli on Friday, killing at least 42 people and wounding 500 others, the Red Cross announced.  Both explosions occurred as worshipers were filing out after weekly prayers. He added: “Today's massacre targeted innocent civilians for terrorist and criminal purposes, that are far from humanitarian values.”"They only aim at causing unrest and sedition in the country.” The head of state demanded the military, security and judicial bodies to “exert all efforts to uncover the criminals and the inciters.”

42 Killed and 500 Wounded in Two Explosions at Tripoli Mosques
Naharnet /..The death toll from twin car bombings Friday in the northern port city of Tripoli rose to 42, a security source said, in the bloodiest attack since the 1975-1990 civil war.
"The death toll has risen to 42 in Tripoli," the source told Agence France Presse. The Lebanese Red Cross said earlier there were at least 29 dead, and 500 wounded, with director Georges Kettaneh saying many of those injured were in serious condition with burns and head wounds. Two explosions took place as worshipers were filing out after weekly prayers. The first blast rocked the city center near the home of caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati, although his office said he was not in Tripoli at the time. The second struck near the port of the restive city, close to the home of former Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi, a security source said.
Local television channels aired footage of the dead, of buildings with their fronts blown in and vehicles ablaze, as bystanders rushed to help the wounded. Tripoli has been marred by deadly violence between Sunnis, who support the armed uprising in neighboring Syria, and Alawites who support President Bashar Assad. The explosions come a week after a suicide car bombing killed 27 people in a Beirut Hizbullah stronghold.
On Wednesday, army chief General Jean Qahwaji said his forces were fighting a "total war" against terrorism whose aim is "to provoke sectarian strife" in the country. He said the army had been pursuing a "terrorist cell that prepares car bombs and sends them to residential neighborhoods."He said "the gravity... lies in the fact that this cell is not targeting any one region or community in particular, but that it aims to provoke sectarian strife by targeting different regions," said Qahwaji. A Lebanese and two Palestinians suspected of preparing a car bomb attack were arrested days after the latest blast in Beirut, the General Security agency said. They were accused of planning to plant a car laden with 250 kilograms (550 pounds) of

Local Figures Condemn Tripoli Blasts: Jumblat Accuses Israel, Berri Says 'Same Murderer' behind All Attacks
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri stated on Friday that “the same terrorist and criminal hands” attacked the northern city of Tripoli days after “they” killed dozens of people in Beirut's southern suburbs."Tripoli's twin blasts are the work of the same killers who orchestrated the Dahieh bombing,” Berri said in a released statement. "And we should face these killers by adopting a united front,” he stressed. Berri reiterated calls to “increase caution in the country and prevent its enemies from seeking any opportunity to attack it.” Deputy head of the Higher Shiite Islamic Council Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan condemned Tripoli's twin blasts, expressing that “this terrorist act targets the stability, security and the future of all the Lebanese.”"We strongly condemn this terrorist act that violates the sanctity of mosques and of human beings,” a released statement by Qabalan said.
He called on the Lebanese to stand united and resist the sedition that “Israel is seeking to cause.” "This requires negotiations and communication between politicians until they reach consensus over a national cabinet that saves Lebanon from the plans of the country's enemies,” the Shiite cleric remarked.Qabalan also called on the military institution and security bodies to “intensify their investigations to identify the perpetrators.”“The toughest sanctions should be adopted against them so that it would be a lesson for others.”Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh also released a statement denouncing Friday's Tripoli blasts with the “strongest words of condemnation.”
"In this critical stage, we call for internal unity that would protect Lebanon against such activities that want to destabilize the country and cause strife,” the northern leader said.Meanwhile, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat pointed out that Israel is "the main beneficiary of Dahieh and Tripoli's bombings.""I urge forming a political cabinet that protects, embraces and strengthens security forces and the army,” Jumblat said after Friday's blasts. "This would be the best answer to Tripoli's bombings.” The PSP head considered that “nothing is impossible.”"And if we believe in this, we would have surrendered to hopelessness.”Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said on Friday afternoon that political condemnations “do not protect citizens or prevent evilness in the country anymore.”“All these condemnations and useless statements will not revive the dead,” Geagea explained.
"On this painful occasion, we should find a way out of this demonic cycle that is targeting Lebanon.”The Christian leader elaborated: “And the only way to do this is by forming a cabinet that has nothing to do with political disputes.”"The new government should be formed on the basis of the Baabda Declaration principles and all political factions must support it and help it to commit to the accord.”Tripoli's powerful car bombs, minutes apart, killed at least 42 people and wounded another 500 on Friday afternoon. Both explosions took place as worshipers were filing out after the weekly prayers.
SourceAgence France Presse.

U.S. Reminds Americans to Avoid Travel to Lebanon, Cites 'Increase in Sectarian Violence'
Naharnet/The U.S. Embassy in Beirut on Friday reminded U.S. citizens to “avoid all travel to Lebanon due to safety and security concerns,” urging those in the country to “exercise security awareness," after at least 40 people were killed and more than 500 wounded in twin bombings that rocked mosques in Tripoli."Although there is no indication that U.S. citizens or interests were targets of those behind these attacks, there is a possibility of public demonstrations in response," the embassy said on its website in a security alert titled “Increase in Sectarian Violence in Lebanon.” It also cited the Israeli air strike that targeted the Naameh area at dawn Friday and the August 15 bombing that rocked the Beirut southern suburb of Ruwais. "In light of the recent escalation of sectarian clashes within Lebanon, and spillover violence from Syria, the U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens in Lebanon to exercise security awareness of their surroundings at all times, and take appropriate measures to ensure their safety and security. Spontaneous demonstrations, neighborhood and sectarian disputes can escalate quickly and lead to gunfire and other violence with little or no warning,” it added. It warned that “the ability of U.S. government personnel to reach travelers to provide emergency services may be limited,” adding that “in the event of a crisis, the Embassy cannot guarantee that Embassy employees will be able to render assistance to U.S. citizens in all areas of the country.”In an earlier statement, the embassy extended its "deepest condolences for the loss of innocent life," reiterating the United States’ "condemnation in the strongest terms of any violence in Lebanon" and urging all parties to "exercise calm and restraint."

Hizbullah Condemns Tripoli 'Terrorist Blasts', Warns against 'Rumors, Accusations'
Naharnet/Hizbullah on Friday condemned “the twin terrorist bombings that targeted innocent civilians in the city of Tripoli,” urging “wisdom and awareness.”
“The criminal hand of terror insists to preoccupy the Lebanese with the counting of their martyrs and wounded through targeting innocent civilians in all Lebanese regions,” the party said in a statement.
“These terrorist blasts are part of the criminal scheme aiming to sow strife among the Lebanese and drag them into civil strife under sectarian banners, which serves the regional-international scheme seeking to fragment our region and drown it in seas of blood and fire,” it added.And as Hizbullah expressed “extreme anguish over the plight of our patient people in Tripoli,” it said the attacks aim to “continue the scheme of dragging Lebanon into chaos and destruction and to fulfill the malicious objectives of the Zionist enemy and its supporters.”The party also urged “all wise people to preserve the rhetoric of awareness and wisdom and not to heed rumors and accusations seeking destruction for the country and its people.”Earlier on Friday, dozens of people were killed or wounded in twin bombings that targeted two mosques in Tripoli. The attacks come eight days after 27 people were killed and around 300 wounded in a car bombing that rocked the Beirut southern suburb of Ruwais, a Hizbullah bastion.

Former Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi , Those Who Wage Jihad Must Expect Counter-Jihad
Naharnet/Former Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi said the deadly twin bombings that hit Tripoli on Friday are “a chance for us, as Lebanese, to shoulder our responsibilities in protecting our people, whether in Dahieh, Tripoli or anywhere else.”“I had warned all officials seven months ago that Lebanon had entered the storm, and unfortunately every party engaged in a scheme until things reached this extent,” Rifi said in a phone interview with LBCI television.Earlier on Friday, scores of people were killed or wounded in twin bombings that targeted two mosques in Tripoli, one near the apartment of Rifi who, according to media reports, was lightly wounded in the hand.The attacks come eight days after 27 people were killed and around 300 wounded in a car bombing that rocked the Beirut southern suburb of Ruwais, a Hizbullah bastion.
“We are still at the beginning of the storm and I warn again that we must think how to protect the country from the storm that has become very dangerous,” Rifi added. When asked on what he based his warning to officials seven months ago, Rifi said: “It was based on information and we are security experts.” “Those who wage jihad in a certain place must expect counter-jihad. Every action has a reaction,” the ex-ISF chief added. “We tell the Lebanese and all officials that the threats will target everyone … We must all realize the presence of these threats and no one should rejoice for the death of the other as danger will target everyone. I call on officials to realize the threats that we have brought to the country and to exert efforts to fend them off,” Rifi, who hails from Tripoli, said.

Tripoli Figures Urge Intensive Security Measures, Reject Vigilante Groups
NaharnetظTripoli's politicians and dignitaries on Friday said they reject to entrust vigilante groups with the security of their city in the wake of twin bombings that left more than 40 people dead and 600 others wounded, urging state authorities to “intensify security measures.”“The conferees urge the city's residents to show patience, steadfastness and solidarity in order to heal the wounds. We also urge them to cooperate with all security forces to guarantee the security of their city,” said a statement recited by MP Mohammed Kabbara following an emergency meeting at this residence.
“The conferees want to draw the attention of their people to the fact that the treacherous hand that is striving to import the region's blaze into Lebanon is also promoting the schemes of vigilante groups which will lead to militias and civil wars,” the statement added.Tripoli's dignitaries called on security forces to perform their role in a “firm manner in order to preserve security and pursue the culprits,” urging residents to “embrace the state.”They also called for facilitating the formation of a cabinet that can “provide stability and security for people." “Those who killed thousands in Syria are the same parties that are trying to drag Lebanon into strife,” the statement said. “Tripoli's residents enjoy full awareness and they have no other choice but the state, but we urge preemptive measures as everyone had expected bombings similar to the Ruwais blast,” it added.
Answering a reporter's question, Kabbara said the Internal Security Forces must be “reinforced and given security equipment to detect explosives in the vein of what's happening in the other regions.”
“The hand of terror and crime does not belong to any sect or religion and all regions must be vigilant,” he said.Kabbara played down reports of a deployment by gunmen across the city in the wake of the blasts, describing them as a “spontaneous reaction” and stressing that the only refuge is the state. For his part, State Minister Ahmed Karami said "Tripoli's residents reject to entrust vigilante groups with their security and a new cabinet must formed as the caretaker cabinet cannot protect citizens in a proper manner."

Syria 'Strongly Condemns' Tripoli's Bombs: They Aim at Threatening Civil Peace
Naharnet/Syria on Friday condemned the “coward terrorist” bombings that hit the northern city of Tripoli."We strongly condemn the terrorist act that targeted our people in Tripoli,” a statement released by the neighboring country's Ministry of Information said. The statement considered that the blasts aim at “dragging Lebanon into a state of chaos and destruction.”"Their goal is to incite sedition and threaten civil peace in the country.” "The same parties that orchestrated the explosions in (the Beirut neighborhood of) Dahieh are behind today's blasts,” the ministry stated.It also called for “launching the necessary investigations to identify the parties that planned and executed these dirty incidents.”Tripoli's powerful car bombs, minutes apart, killed at least 42 people and wounded another 500 on Friday afternoon. Both explosions took place as worshipers were filing out after the weekly prayers.

Hizbullah Condemns Israeli Raid, Says 'Totally Prepared to Defend Lebanon'
Naharnet/Hizbullah on Friday condemned the Israeli air raid that targeted the Naameh area south of Beirut at dawn, describing it as a “dangerous and flagrant violation of Lebanon's sovereignty.”
It said the attack “confirms the enemy's criminal intentions towards Lebanon and its people, which requires permanent vigilance and full preparedness to confront its hostile adventures.” “As Hizbullah condemns this new aggression, it asks those who claim to be advocates of sovereignty about it, wondering about the secret behind the silence of the March 14 forces regarding Israeli attacks,” it added, denouncing “the international and Arab inaction towards Israel's insolence.”“Hizbullah -- whose eyes and heart are always alert regarding the enemy's treachery and aggressions – confirms that the resistance is fully prepared to defend Lebanon and its security and stability,” the party announced. Israeli warplanes struck tunnels used by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command in a valley in Naameh earlier on Friday, hours after four rockets were fired at northern Israel from south Lebanon. The PFLP-GC said it had nothing to do with Thursday's rocket fire while the attack was claimed by the Abdullah Azzam Brigades -- an al-Qaida-linked group which claimed similar rocket attacks on Israel in 2009 and 2011.

Mufti Qabbani Urges Lebanese to 'Wake Up,' Warns against Sunni-Shiite Strife
Naharnet/Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani stressed on Friday that Shiites in the country have no links to the deadly bombings in the northern city of Tripoli. "Muslims must know that the blast in the southern suburbs of Beirut was not executed by Sunnis and today's bombings in Tripoli were not orchestrated by Shiites,” Qabbani said in a televised speech.He added: “Those who want to drag Lebanon into the regional conflict are the parties behind both blasts.”"This is a call for Lebanese of all sects to be aware of this terrorist message. They must wake up from their slumber.”
"Terrorism is the most powerful weapon of the conspiracy against Lebanon and sedition the easiest road to burn down the region”The Mufti reminded the Lebanese of “their enmity with the Jews.”"Although you have your differences, you must not, however, forget your enmity with the Jews and be aware of what they are planning for you,” he noted. "It is in the interest of the Jews to create divisions and segregation between the Lebanese.”
Earlier on Friday, scores of people were killed or wounded in twin bombings that targeted two mosques in Tripoli.The attacks come eight days after 27 people were killed and around 300 wounded in a car bombing that rocked the Beirut southern suburb of Ruwais, a Hizbullah bastion.

Global Condemnations of Tripoli's Deadly Attacks
Naharnet /U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon on Friday condemned the deadly double car bombing in the northern city of Tripoli and appealed for restraint in the fractured country split over the war in neighboring Syria.
"The secretary-general strongly condemns the two bomb explosions, shortly after Friday prayers, outside two mosques in Tripoli," a U.N. statement said.
He went on to call on all Lebanese to "exercise restraint, to remain united, and to support their state institutions, particularly the security forces, in maintaining calm and order in Tripoli and throughout the country, and in preventing the recurrence of such destructive actions.""The Secretary-General hopes that those responsible for such cowardly acts of violence will be brought to justice as soon as possible."
Meanwhile, EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said she was "appalled" by the attacks in Tripoli and called for a swift investigation.Ashton "condemns this terrorist attack in the strongest terms and reaffirms that terrorism and any use of violence against civilians are completely unacceptable," a statement from her office said. "She calls for a swift investigation into the events and to bring the perpetrators to justice."
The United States also condemned Friday's blasts.U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice wrote on Twitter that Washington "strongly condemns" the attacks, which also injured around 500 people.
Rice also extended condolences for "the loss of innocent life."French President Francois Hollande also strongly condemned the "odious, cowardly attacks" in Tripoli.
Hollande pledged France's continued support for Lebanon "in this tragic context", and backed the efforts of President Michel Suleiman and the Lebanese army to "safeguard Lebanon from the consequences of the Syrian crisis."
The two powerful car bombs killed 42 people and wounded hundreds in the deadliest attack since the country's 1975-1990 civil war.The attack has further stoked fears that Syria's civil war could boil over into Lebanon, where clashes have periodically erupted between supporters and opponents of the regime in Damascus.
Source/Agence France Presse.

Ghosn Warns of 'Series' of Car Bombings, Urges National Unity
Naharnet /Caretaker Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn on Friday noted that the deadly twin blasts that targeted the northern city of Tripoli were aimed at “inciting strife among all the Lebanese,” warning of a “a series of terrorist car bombings.”"Let us close ranks as only national unity can act as a bulwark in the face of what's happening. We are at a very dangerous crossroads and let's put our disputes aside,” Ghosn said in a phone interview with LBCI television.“The Higher Defense Council performed its duties and warned the Lebanese of the current situation and of the spread of sedition from one region into another. It also warned them that the hand of terror might strike anywhere and of the attacks on our southern border,” Ghosn added.He warned the Lebanese that "there is a series of terrorist bombings through cars that will move from certain locations and strike anywhere." "We are heading towards destruction, fire and a deep abyss and everyone must show awareness to thwart strife,” the minister cautioned. He stressed that “terrorism acts upon orders and it does not belong to any sect, religion or affiliation,” adding that terrorism is “blind and can strike anywhere.” Ghosn also called for “cooperation with the army and security forces because only this cooperation can save the country.” Earlier on Friday, dozens of people were killed or wounded in twin bombings that targeted two mosques in Tripoli. The attacks come eight days after 27 people were killed and around 300 wounded in car bombing that rocked the Beirut southern suburb of Ruwais, a Hizbullah bastion.

Israel Targets PFLP-GC Position in Naameh after Rocket Attack
Naharnet /The Israeli air force struck a Palestinian group in Lebanon on Friday, officials said, hours after a different organization said it fired four rockets at the Jewish state from Lebanon.
Israeli aircraft "targeted a terror site located between Beirut and Sidon in response to a barrage of four rockets launched at northern Israel yesterday (Thursday)," the military said."The pilots reported direct hits to the target."
The state-run National News Agency said the target was a position of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-GC), a hardline but secular militant group which said it had nothing to do with Thursday's rocket fire.A communique issued later by the army command said that an “Israeli warplane violated at 4:00 a.m. Lebanon's airspace and targeted an area in Naameh that contained one of the Palestinian organizations were stationed in it.”“The rocket attack caused a five meter crater but didn't cause any human losses or material damage,” the statement pointed out.The army took the necessary defense measures.The salvo of four rockets, which caused damage but no casualties, was claimed by the Abdullah Azzam Brigades -- an al-Qaida-linked group which claimed similar rocket fire on Israel in 2009 and 2011.
Israeli army spokesman Brigadier General Yoav Mordechai said on Thursday that the rockets were "launched by the global jihad terror organization" -- an apparent reference to al-Qaida.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had threatened retaliation. "Anyone who harms us, or tries to harm us, should know -- we will strike them," he said on Thursday.
Two of the four rockets fired from Lebanon on Thursday hit populated areas of northern Israel, causing damage but no casualties. One struck in Gesher Haziv, a kibbutz east of the Mediterranean coastal town of Nahariya, Agence France Presse correspondents reported. Another hit Shavie Zion, a village between Nahariya and Acre, further south, Israeli media said. A third rocket was intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome defense system, the army said. The fourth apparently struck outside Israel. Thursday's attack was the first of its kind since November 2011, when the same Palestinian jihadist group fired a volley of rockets from southern Lebanon at Israel. That fire too provoked retaliation by the Israeli military.Defense sources said that the PFLP-GC base hit was in the Naameh valley. The Palestinian group has a number of heavily fortified positions in Lebanon.
Headed by Ahmed Jibril, the group is known for close ties with the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad.PFLP-GC spokesman Ramez Mustapha denied any link between his group and the rockets fired at Israel on Thursday. In its Friday statement, the Israeli army again said it "holds the Lebanese government accountable for the attack". On Thursday, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman described the rocket fire as a violation of U.N. resolutions and of Lebanese sovereignty, and urged security forces to hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
SourceAgence France Presse.

Kuwait Urges Its Citizens to Leave Lebanon as UAE Calls for Solidarity
Naharnet/Kuwait on Friday urged its citizens to “immediately” leave Lebanon, lamenting the recurrence of blasts in the country."We call on all Kuwaitis present in Lebanon to immediately leave the country,” an official source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a released statement.He added: “We also urge Kuwaiti nationals to avoid traveling to the country.”The statement “strongly” condemned the attacks that targeted worshipers in the northern city of Tripoli."We are deeply sorry for the death of innocent people and for the recurring blasts taking place recently and threatening stability and security in this neighboring country.”Kuwait urged the Lebanese to be wise and protect Lebanon from any possible regional repercussions."We sincerely wish tranquility and security upon all Lebanese regions.”Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates expressed its concern over Tripoli's deadly explosions."We strongly condemn the terrorist attacks that targeted Lebanon's security and stability,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash said in a released statement. "These bombings aim at inciting sedition between the different factions in Lebanon and at threatening the country's national unity, particularly in this critical stage in the region.”
Gargash called on the Lebanese to “work in solidarity to defuse sedition.” “We urge unity to protect Lebanon and its people from the terrorist conspiracy that aims at destabilizing it,” he said. Earlier on Friday, scores of people were killed or wounded in twin bombings that targeted two mosques in Tripoli. The attacks come eight days after 27 people were killed and around 300 wounded in a car bombing that rocked the Beirut southern suburb of Ruwais, a Hizbullah bastion

Sidon Pro-al-Asir Rally Goes ahead despite Security Decision to Thwart it
Naharnet /A rally in support of fugitive Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir is took place on Friday as scheduled after the main weekly Muslim prayers.The rally went ahead in spite of a decision taken by by-security council of the South on Wednesday to thwart such demonstrations outside of Sidon's Bilal bin Rabah Mosque. Al-Asir was the imam of the mosque and the rally is being staged to demand the release of Sheikh Assem al-Arefi and 46 other supporters of the fugitive cleric. Contacts intensified on Thursday to thwart the rally, but one of the clerics at the mosque told An Nahar published on Friday on condition of anonymity that the demonstration will be held.
He confirmed that the by-security council had informed the organizers of the rally that it would be thwarted “even if the security forces had to resort to opening fire.”He responded however that the demonstration will be staged. “Sidon MPs and its religious and political authorities, as well as Hizbullah, will be responsible for any drop of blood shed in the demonstration,” he warned. Media reports said earlier this week that two of al-Asir's supporters Sheikhs Otham Hnaineh and Iyyad al-Saleh were released from custody after being given a stern warning against calling for a rally in support of the cleric. The third cleric, al-Arefi, remains in custody. He was arrested for taking part in the June Sidon clashes and for leading a campaign to garner al-Asir's supporters to rally in support of the fugitive.Al-Asir's supporters were involved in armed clashes with the army in Sidon and nearby Abra region in June.The clashes broke out when the gunmen opened fire at an army checkpoint. Al-Asir's supporters and eye-witnesses have repeatedly accused Hizbullah fighters of being involved in the unrest.
Al-Asir, a 45-year-old cleric who supports the overwhelmingly Sunni rebels fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad, has been on the run since June.

U.N. Chief Calls for 'Maximum Restraint' after Rockets Fired on Israel
Naharnet/The U.N. chief Friday condemned the firing of rockets against Israel, urging all sides to exercise "maximum restraint," and cooperate with the U.N. force in Lebanon to prevent an escalation.
In a statement, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was "greatly concerned" by the incident, "which is a clear violation of resolution 1701" passed in 2006. The U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon is investigating alongside the Lebanese and Israeli armies, and the international body "is committed to continuing to work with the parties to ensure that the calm that has prevailed continues to be sustained," the statement added.The Israeli air force carried out an air raid against Lebanon Friday, the army said, several hours after an al-Qaida-linked group said it had fired the four rockets at the Jewish state from Lebanon.SourceAgence France Presse.

Russia Urges Syria to Cooperate on U.N. Chemical Weapons Probe
Naharnet /Russia on Friday said it had told the Syrian government to cooperate with U.N. experts after reports of a deadly chemical weapons attack outside Damascus, adding it was now up to rebels to allow access to the area.Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. counterpart John Kerry in a phone call that immediately after the reports first emerged the "Russian side called on the Syrian government to cooperate with the U.N. chemical experts," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "It is now up to the opposition to ensure safe access for the mission to the site of the alleged incident," it added, saying both Lavrov and Kerry agreed on the need for an "objective investigation". SourceAgence France Presse.

Assaults on Christians Continue in Egypt,
Islamists Call for "Friday of Martyrs" Protests
Eight More Christian Homes Burned Near Minya;
Muslim Brotherhood Takes Over City of Kerdasa

http://www.persecution.org/2013/08/23/assaults-on-christians-continue-egyptian-islamists-call-for-friday-of-martyrs-protests/

8/23/2013 Egypt (International Christian Concern) - International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that deadly assaults on Christians at the hands of radical Islamists have continued across Egypt more than nine days after Muslim Brotherhood protests were dispersed last week. ICC sources inside the country report that many Christians are "living in horror" as police forces continue to ignore attacks on Christian communities and supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi call for new protests on Friday.
On Tuesday, ICC sources reported that supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi murdered Mohsen Arnest and his son-in-law as they were on their way home in the village of Al Sarakna in Upper Egypt. While ICC could not independently verify the killings, if accurate, their deaths bring the estimated number of Christians killed since last week to seven.
Also on Tuesday, ICC sources reported that the Muslim Brotherhood had taken over "full control" of the city of Kerdasa in the Giza Governorate of Lower Egypt. The Brotherhood is reportedly setting up fortifications in the city to prevent the entry of police and the military while forcibly displacing all of the Christian families in the city, threatening to kill the families if they do not leave.
On Wednesday evening, a dispute between Christian and Muslim youth led to severe clashes between Muslims and Christians in the village of Saft El Laban, about ten kilometers outside of Minya. The argument purportedly began after Muslim youth attacked a Christian boy, known only as "Mokbel," and attempted to steal his motorcycle. The boy refused and ran home, only to be chased by the group who proceeded to try and break down the front door of the home. The Christian family fled to the rooftop and began throwing bricks down on the group, one of which struck and killed a young Muslim. Soon after, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood used a loudspeaker at a mosque to call on Muslims to attack Christian homes in reprisal. At least eight Christian homes in the village were burned and an unknown number of Christian villagers injured in the attacks that followed.

President Obama, we urge you to act in Syria
August 24, 2013/The Daily Star
I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed; confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice; government that is transparent and doesn’t steal from the people; the freedom to live as you choose. These are not just American ideas; they are human rights. And that is why we will support them everywhere. – President Barack Obama, Cairo Address, June 4, 2009.
Dear Mr. President,
There is a reason why most people on this planet look up to the United States of America. There is a reason why even “opponents” line up, ever hopeful, at every U.S. Embassy in the world, for a chance at their own (American) dream. The United States of America was literally born as a cry for human rights, a shout for freedom, and a pledge to protect and enforce these two founding principles. And indeed the U.S. has delivered, having stood against and defeated every major form of tyranny on this planet. But some tyrants do remain, Mr. President.
Syria’s regime forces, led by President Bashar Assad are currently engaged in ethnic cleansing, mass rape, systematic torture (including infants) leveling cities on their inhabitants and, last but not least, using highly virulent nerve gas, causing mass civilian casualties – a “red line” you yourself have cautioned against. Dramatically, U.N. inspectors (now dubbed un-inspectors) were within a short driving distance.
The immediate result is obvious. Just like Darkness is the absence of Light, Evil wins when Good abstains ... and innocent lives are lost in Syria’s mass hecatomb, in the most horrific of ways, with the bodies piling up right in front of us, on every TV screen. Another consequence of the U.S. and the Free World’s inaction is the complete and thorough falling apart of every tenet they have stood for, proselytized, enforced and turned into acquired birth right.
Decades upon decades of cultural, social and political efforts, countless resources spent in preaching human values to developing nations, and then ... the teachers fail the test. Miserably. Yet (presidential) time is given to a cat’s predicament. It is already too late for more than 100,000 (increasing daily) dead. You could have done something for them Mr. President, but you did not. The massacre has been ongoing for two-and-a-half years.
There are many reasons, including legal ones, stopping you from doing what all U.S. presidents have done before you: ending tyranny and mass murder. None of these reasons were valid for them, and none should be valid for you. The very term “reason” says otherwise.
There are millions of other victims-in-wait in Syria. For them, there is still hope. That hope is that the commander in chief of the United States of America, “Land of the Free, Home of the Brave,” will exercise his “duty to protect.”
In the name of God, in the name of Good, for the sake of humanity, we urge you. Do something.
Samir Geagea
Chairman
Lebanese Forces Party

Question: "What does the Bible say about racism, prejudice, and discrimination?"
GotQuestions.org: Answer: The first thing to understand in this discussion is that there is only one race—the human race. Caucasians, Africans, Asians, Indians, Arabs, and Jews are not different races. Rather, they are different ethnicities of the human race. All human beings have the same physical characteristics (with minor variations, of course). More importantly, all human beings are created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). God loved the world so much that He sent Jesus to lay down His life for us (John 3:16). The “world” obviously includes all ethnic groups.
God does not show partiality or favoritism (Deuteronomy 10:17; Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11; Ephesians 6:9), and neither should we. James 2:4 describes those who discriminate as “judges with evil thoughts.” Instead, we are to love our neighbors as ourselves (James 2:8). In the Old Testament, God divided humanity into two “racial” groups: Jews and Gentiles. God’s intent was for the Jews to be a kingdom of priests, ministering to the Gentile nations. Instead, for the most part, the Jews became proud of their status and despised the Gentiles. Jesus Christ put an end to this, destroying the dividing wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:14). All forms of racism, prejudice, and discrimination are affronts to the work of Christ on the cross.
Jesus commands us to love one another as He loves us (John 13:34). If God is impartial and loves us with impartiality, then we need to love others with that same high standard. Jesus teaches in Matthew 25 that whatever we do to the least of His brothers, we do to Him. If we treat a person with contempt, we are mistreating a person created in God’s image; we are hurting somebody whom God loves and for whom Jesus died.
Racism, in varying forms and to various degrees, has been a plague on humanity for thousands of years. Brothers and sisters of all ethnicities, this should not be. Victims of racism, prejudice, and discrimination need to forgive. Ephesians 4:32 declares, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Racists may not deserve your forgiveness, but we deserved God’s forgiveness far less. Those who practice racism, prejudice, and discrimination need to repent. “Present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Romans 6:13). May Galatians 3:28 be completely realized, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

The West never stood with the Syrian opposition
By: Haitham Al-Maleh/Asharq Alawsat
From the time it came to power in Syria in a military coup on March 8, 1963, the pan-Arab Ba’ath party has endeavored to alter the social makeup of Syria. The authorities put Syrians under pressure, prompting many to leave the country, while others were assassinated and many jailed. As the years passed, the Ba’athist regime deliberately obliterated the patriotic figures who had made enormous sacrifices for Syria.
Under the guise of the Ba’ath Party, Hafez Al-Assad—in cooperation with some family members and colleagues from the Military Committee, which was established in Cairo in the brief period when Egypt and Syria were united—ruled Syria from 1967. At the time, Hafez Al-Assad planned to liquidate anyone who opposed him or who could have posed a threat. He, along with his immediate family, monopolized power and inflicted the worst kinds of oppression. They also adopted a carrot-and-stick strategy to persuade the corrupt among Syria’s citizens to follow Hafez. What’s more, Assad found in the Alawite sect a strategic space in which he could achieve his evil ends.
Assad based his rule on two principles: corruption and security. Assad encouraged all state officials to be involved in corruption, starting an era of bribery that engulfed the entire pyramid of power down to minor officials—even janitors. Corruption and bribery spread to all sectors, including the judiciary, education and the military. He also gave the security apparatuses a free hand to do whatever they wanted and to commit all sorts of violations, provided that he remained in power. Thus, the interests of the security services and the corrupt intertwined. Assad also recruited large numbers of Alawites as agents in the security services and commanders of the military, as well as minor officials in government directorates. In fact, the entire nursing profession was dominated by Alawites.
These practices threw the Syrian street into turmoil and protests were staged here and there, particularly in the workers’ union from 1978 to 1980, after which the union was dissolved and its members jailed. Later, the Hama massacre of 1982 created 48,000 martyrs, with more than 15,000 killed in the Tadmor and Mezzeh prisons. Massacres were also carried out in Aleppo and Jisr Al-Shughur, among other places. There were 70,000 people missing, though they remain registered alive at the Civil Status Department even today. Thousands of houses were confiscated on the pretext that they belonged to members of the Muslim Brotherhood, and a quarter of a million Syrians was forced to leave the country; to this day they have not been able to return. All of these events took place between 1980 and 1990, and troubled nobody outside the country.
Contrary to the constitution (which was hastily changed to allow his takeover), Bashar Al-Assad succeeded his father as the president, with the West—particularly the US—giving this hereditary handover their blessing. All sides treated the young leader of Syria with utmost generosity, and he was supported and embraced in the Arab region and the entire world. In contrast, ordinary Syrians groaned under the weight of poverty and unemployment. The authorities controlled 85 percent of the national income, leaving 30 percent of people out of work and 60 percent of Syrians below the poverty line.
Authorities dominated all social and political aspects of life, jailing thousands of citizens for their opinions. I was among them. Public turmoil grew, and in March 2011 the public erupted with modest demands for freedom, dignity and reform. Authorities turned a deaf ear to the voice of the people. During the first six months of protests 5,000 martyrs fell and public freedoms were violated by the security services, who wreaked havoc on people’s homes and emptied water reservoirs. The authorities had started a war against the people, and the world did not act to stop the bloodshed in Syria.
Bashar Al-Assad later deployed 3,000 tanks to confront the revolution, using all sorts of weapons, from planes and warships to rockets and chemical weapons. The death toll among civilians exceeded 125,000 and 2 million Syrians fled the country, with another 8 million internally displaced.
Without going into unnecessary detail, so far the Syrian revolution remains without real allies. No-one in the world is willing to lend a hand. Everyone is discussing whether or not to provide military and humanitarian aid. After being the most outspoken among EU countries about providing arms, France and Britain changed their minds.
In my opinion, everything happening in the corridors of the international community, from the US to Europe, falls into the category of leaving the Syrians to fight with Iran—that has fielded 60,000 fighters from the Revolutionary Guards, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iraqi Shi’ites—until they exhaust one another. In the meantime, the West finds pretexts to refrain from arming the rebels. At the top of these pretexts is the presence of radical elements such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the Al-Nusra Front, as well as the use of chemical weapons.
The West resorts to these pretexts to refrain from arming the rebels, ignoring the daily bloodletting of Syrians. This is despite the fact that everyone used to talk about providing aid of all sorts, particularly at the meeting of the Friends of Syria in Marrakesh.Even humanitarian aid falls short of what is needed. All the steps taken so far have not only disappointed Syrians, but have also conspired against them. Syrians have realized this, prompting them to say: “We only have God to turn to.”

The West has abandoned the Syrian opposition after trying to support it
Nick Fielding/ASharq Alawsat
After months of buildup, softening of public opinion and clear political support for the Syrian opposition, the United Kingdom and France have spent the past two months engaged in furious backpedalling. For months, diplomats from the Foreign Office and the Quai d’Orsay, under clear political instructions, had tried their best to convince their European partners that the final bastion of authoritarian dictatorship in the Middle East, the Assad dynasty, could be shaken from power by a combination of diplomatic unity and on-the-ground brute force. It would be Libya all over again, but without the bad bits.
Even as the casualties rose to the 100,000 mark and refugee numbers swelled into the millions, British foreign secretary William Hague was not to be dissuaded from making increasingly vociferous calls for the overthrow of the Assad regime. The truth is that the campaign by Britain and France was a diplomatic failure. It culminated at the end of May, when the two countries alone vetoed the extension the European Union arms embargo on Syria. The rest of Europe wanted nothing to do with it.
It wasn’t meant to be like this. As the United States agreed to provide lethal military assistance to the rebels—in response to allegations that the Assad regime had used chemical weapons against its opponents—Prime Minister David Cameron put official policy into reverse, saying in mid-June that Britain had taken “no decision” to arm the rebels.
The G8 Summit a few days later added to the confusion, with both Hague and Cameron telling the assembled world leaders that they had a duty to protect the rebels from being “exterminated.” Their problems were compounded when London mayor—and potential rival for the Conservative Party leadership—Boris Johnson publicly declared that Britain could not end the conflict by “pressing weapons into the hands of maniacs”—i.e., the rebels. Johnson’s intervention showed just how the issue of Syria has divided the governing party.
But even the Americans were getting cold feet over the scale of the intervention in Syria. Having facilitated the delivery of millions of dollars’ worth of weapons from Qatar and Saudi Arabia into southern Turkey to help arm the rebels and sent ‘advisers’ to train raw recruits, Obama baulked at the idea of a US-enforced no-fly zone, a policy supported by pro-Israeli hawks in Washington. Russia’s President Putin made it very clear that his country would supply advanced S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Assad and would not back away from its treaty obligations to Syria.
Reading between the lines, it is clear that there has been a major reassessment of Syrian policy in both Washington and London. Wiser counsel has prevailed. Someone, presumably in the intelligence services, finally noticed the obvious, namely that the most effective fighters in Syria against the Assad regime—the radical Islamists—are precisely the people who will not stop once they have ‘liberated’ Damascus. Nor will they thank the West for providing them with the arms and the money to do it.
The April decision by the leadership of the Al-Nusra Front to pledge allegiance to Al-Qaeda was probably a pivotal event. A YouTube clip of a Syrian jihadist allegedly eating the liver of one of his victims probably didn’t help too much, either. Then someone noticed that hundreds of European jihadists were flocking to Syria to join the battle. Evidence emerged that it was not just Assad’s troops who were alleged to have used chemical weapons, but that stocks of the deadly gases may have fallen into the hands of the followers of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri.
Behind all this are even bigger issues. Syria’s alliance with Iran has seen thousands of Lebanese Shi’ite fighters cross the border to take on the mostly Sunni rebels and inflict serious defeats on them, particularly at Homs. The instability of the uprising is now spreading rapidly to Lebanon itself, a tinderbox likely to explode at the slightest provocation.
And just who will benefit from the overthrow of Assad? The Qataris, who have sunk more than USD 3 billion into the rebels, are anxious to prevent Iran from building a new pipeline across Syria to the Mediterranean to export its oil and gas to Europe. Should we worry about such issues? Should we worry about the instability the conflict is creating in Turkey, where a restive Kurdish minority is looking nervously at the fate of the Kurds in Syria? Already, Iraqi Kurds have vowed to defend their brothers in Syria if they are further threatened by Al-Qaeda-linked fighters.
And what about Iran? Under President Ahmadinejad, Iran was an unpredictable, rabble-rousing state, constantly threatening Israel and America. But with a new president making conciliatory noises and apparently looking to mend fences with the West, is this the right time to crush one of his allies?
In the heart of government, Britain and France have undoubtedly taken stock of the realities on the ground in Syria and decided that caution is the watchword. Have they betrayed the Syrian people? I doubt it very much. Few in Syria would thank the West for setting alight the Sunni–Shi’ite dispute and playing midwife to yet another Al-Qaeda franchise.

Play the Aoun card against Hezbollah
August 22, 2013/By Michael Young /The Daily Star
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” said the former U.S. budget director Bert Lance, who died last week. But watching the growing rift between Michel Aoun and Hezbollah, March 14 might want to modify that proposition: If it’s broke, make sure it isn’t repaired.
Aoun’s differences with Hezbollah initially centered around an extension of Parliament’s mandate and prolongation of Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi’s term (both of which Aoun opposed). Today the discord has spread, with Aoun telling the Saudi daily Al-Hayat, “There are differences [with Hezbollah] over a number of issues, mainly over establishing the state, democracy, settling the situation of south Lebanon, the Palestinian cause and Syria.”
Aoun went on to express his displeasure with Hezbollah’s intervention in Syria, noting, “This is an individual initiative and there is no understanding between us and [Hezbollah] and we oppose intervention outside Lebanese territories.” He added, “The presence of the resistance in Syria is an understanding between them and Syria, we are not part of such an understanding.”
This was pretty strong stuff coming from a man who once justified every abuse, and covered every act of intimidation, carried out by the party. The reasons for Aoun’s reversal are not obvious, but with so egotistical a man it must have something to do with Aoun’s political interests, which Hezbollah has balanced against its own.
The extension of Parliament’s mandate effectively meant that Aoun was denied an opportunity to gain a substantial Christian bloc only a year before President Michel Sleiman’s term is scheduled to end. Already, the party had undermined the 1960 election law, which Aoun quietly favored because it would likely have given him an advantage, but had to publicly oppose when the Christian mood turned against it.
A new Christian majority, Aoun felt, would have given him valuable leverage to succeed Sleiman. This was all the more likely as Hezbollah and its allies have been insisting that they will not approve an extension of the president’s term next year. That is where Kahwagi comes in. Hezbollah, Aoun realized, sought to keep the army commander in place so that they could bring him to office next year.
Perhaps Aoun sensed that, while his alliance with Hezbollah had brought him many advantages (a sizable Christian parliamentary bloc in the 2005 and 2009 elections, thanks to Shiite votes, a large share of Christian ministers in Najib Mikati’s government, and probably significant funding from the party or its regional backers), it would not bring him what he sought most: the presidency.
This should have been obvious to Aoun in 2008, when the party failed to solidly endorse him as its candidate, and instead accepted Sleiman as president at the Doha conference in May.
Yet after Aoun won a large Christian parliamentary bloc in 2005, all he had to do was sit back and remain on good terms with both March 8 and March 14, until Emile Lahoud left office. It would have been very difficult to deny Aoun the presidency then, without making it appear that the most popular Christian politician was being intentionally cast aside.
Instead, Aoun picked sides, assuming that his alliance with Hezbollah would ultimately bring him to power. In fact it did the opposite, making Aoun so contestable to March 14, which had a parliamentary majority, that it did everything to deny him a victory. Meanwhile, Hezbollah was not about to waste valuable political capital on Aoun’s behalf, fearful that if elected he would be impossible to control.
Apparently sensing Aoun’s frustration and eager to break him away from Hezbollah, the Saudi ambassador met with the general in early July and declared that he was welcome to visit Saudi Arabia. Aoun did not set a date, but in the Al-Hayat interview, he affirmed that nothing prevented him from accepting the invitation.
“There are no obstacles in the essence of the relationship with Saudi Arabia but there are Lebanese political sides that have created the impression that Gen. Michel Aoun is against Saudi Arabia,” Aoun said. “If we review our ties with Saudi Arabia, there are no barriers between us, and Saudi Arabia helps Lebanon to be stable and to build a strong Army.”
Aoun also suggested that his political disagreements with former Prime Minister Saad Hariri were no longer an obstacle. “We had a dispute in the past which led us to resign from his Cabinet and now it is over,” he said.
Beyond Aoun’s personal ambitions, Hezbollah’s entry into Syria disturbed the general. The party’s irresponsible action has exacerbated sectarian tension in Lebanon, destabilizing the country. Aoun can be lucid when his political calculations have been dashed. There is a part of him that viscerally reacts against whatever damages the state, even if he sanctioned Hezbollah’s actions in that direction for years because he believed this would be to his advantage. But with little to lose today, he has no problems calling a spade a spade.
March 14 should take advantage of the situation. Aoun probably seeks an endorsement for the presidency, as a counterweight to Kahwagi. Neither Walid Jumblatt nor Samir Geagea will go along with such a scheme, but this creates an opening that can weaken Hezbollah at a difficult time for the party. That appears to be the Saudi calculation, and Aoun’s willingness to go along with it suggests, at the least, that he seeks to play both sides to his benefit. Some wonder whether Aoun, who is nearly 80, truly wants to be president. Fulfilled ambition often lengthens life. All those who hope to ride the general’s coattails to power would agree. Breaking down Hezbollah’s network of alliances is achievable, at a moment when the party seems dead set on carrying Lebanon into the unknown.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR. He tweets @BeirutCalling.