Bible Quotation for today/The Living Stone and the Holy Nation
01 Peter 02/013-10: "Rid yourselves, then, of all evil; no more lying or hypocrisy or jealousy or insulting language.  Be like newborn babies, always thirsty for the pure spiritual milk, so that by drinking it you may grow up and be saved.  As the scripture says, “You have found out for yourselves how kind the Lord is.” Come to the Lord, the living stone rejected by people as worthless but chosen by God as valuable.  Come as living stones, and let yourselves be used in building the spiritual temple, where you will serve as holy priests to offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ.  For the scripture says, “I chose a valuable stone, which I am placing as the cornerstone in Zion; and whoever believes in him will never be disappointed.”  This stone is of great value for you that believe; but for those who do not believe: “The stone which the builders rejected as worthless turned out to be the most important of all.” And another scripture says, “This is the stone that will make people stumble,
the rock that will make them fall.” They stumbled because they did not believe in the word; such was God's will for them. But you are the chosen race, the King's priests, the holy nation, God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light.  At one time you were not God's people, but now you are his people; at one time you did not know God's mercy, but now you have received his mercy.

Pope Francis ‏
Holiness doesn’t mean doing extraordinary things, but doing ordinary things with love and faith.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources For December 06/13

In Tripoli, a conflict exploited by all/By Michael Young/The Daily Star/December 06/13

The people want the return of the regime/By: Bakir Oweida/Asharq Alawsat/December 06/13

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources For December 06/13
Lebanese Related News

Report: Suleiman, Miqati Approve Funding of STL

Relative calm briefly interrupted in Lebanon's Tripoli

Israel on Alert Along Lebanon Border after al-Laqqis Murder

Lakkis was key figure in Hezbollah drone program

Lakkis loss minor setback for Hezbollah

Leaders united in condemnation of Lakkis killing

Hezbollah’s seven assassinated commanders

Hizballah’s War of Shadows With Saudi Arabia Comes Into the Light

Security Agencies Discover Identity of Offender Threatening Charbel

Geagea Balances between Factors Linked to Candidacy, Straightening Political Situation

Geagea Rejects to Meet FPM Delegation for Talks Set to End Parliamentary Deadlock

Army Beefs Up Presence in Tripoli, Removes Barricades Set by Gunmen

Report: Lebanese Fighters, Including at Least One from Arsal, Killed in Syria

Army Requests Information on Rented Car Probably Linked to Laqqis' Assassination

Mortar Shells Fired from Syria Hit Outskirts of Akkar Villages

Airport Road Tunnel Blocked Again as Vehicle Pumping Out Water Breaks Down

U.S. Hopes All Parties Would 'Cooperate with Full Investigation' into al-Laqqis' Murder

Al-Mustaqbal Snaps Back at Jumblat, Rejects his Statement

Yazigi urges for the release of ‘abducted nuns'

Jumblat: Accusing Saudi Arabia of Iranian Embassy Blast Will Only Lead to More Tensions

FPM, PSP Blocs Say Support Holding Governmental Sessions for Caretaker Cabinet

Loyalty to Resistance: Laqqis' Assassination Boost to Fighters' Will-Power

Miscellaneous Reports And News''

 Pope of the Poor' Secretly Living Up to His Nickname

US assures Israel that core Iran sanctions still in place

Iran nuclear accord means NATO missile defence unnecessary: Russia

Former Obama adviser: Public Israel-US spat only strengthens Iran’s hand
Former aide: US convinced Bibi not to strike

US says may seek dismantling of Arak reactor

Damascus paper says rebels use nuns as 'human shields

Iran's FM Javad Zarif accuses Iranian media of quoting US Fact Sheet and DEBKAfile instead of himself

Kerry: Israel's security at the top of US agenda in Iran nuclear talks

US trying to battle al-Qaida attempt to recruit English speakers

Arab MKs to Kerry: Beduin resettlement plan is 'ethnic cleansing'
Peretz first minister to visit Turkey since 2010

Report: Suleiman, Miqati Approve Funding of STL

Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman and Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati granted Caretaker Finance Minister Mohammed al-Safadi an “exceptional approval” to fund the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. According to al-Akhbar newspaper published on Thursday, the general-secretary of cabinet Secretary General Suheil Bouji handed over a memorandum to Safadi reminding him of Suleiman and Miqati's “exceptional approval.” Premier Miqati transferred last year Lebanon's 49% share of the STL without elaborating the funding mechanism. The $32 million were sent to the Netherlands-based STL from the PM's office's budges, which didn't require the approval of the cabinet. Miqati had said that the funds were taken from the High Relief Commission, which is under the auspices of the prime minister's office. The newspaper reported that Miqati had continuously argued that a caretaker cabinet can not take such a decision, however, the funding “ exceptional approval” was taken after talks with Suleiman.

Geagea Balances between Factors Linked to Candidacy, Straightening Political Situation

Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has said that the decision to announce his candidacy for the presidency lied on several factors but the presidential elections should first be preceded by straightening the country's political situation. “We will discuss it with our allies and inside the LF executive authority at the appropriate time although my decision is linked to a group of factors that will determine if I will be a candidate or not,” Geagea told several local dailies in interviews published on Thursday. But Lebanon's political life should first return to its normal situation and the rest will be just details, he said. “The essential for me is to hold the presidential elections on time in accordance to constitutional and democratic principles,” Geagea said. “Any person can announce his candidacy, propose his plan and carry out his electoral campaign. Then, all lawmakers should perform their duties and participate in a session to avoid lack of quorum,” he added. The LF chief told the newspapers that he would congratulate the person that the parliament chose irrespective of his feelings towards him. “This is the normal constitutional path that we should reconsider without waiting a go-ahead from abroad or an internal precondition for choosing a president,” he said. Asked whether LF MPs would vote for their rival Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun if he announced his candidacy, Geagea said: “Of course not … Aoun has a political plan that fully contradicts with ours.” Geagea stressed that the March 14 alliance hasn't yet agreed on a candidate. But said there was a 99 percent chance to agree on a name. “The strong president has a clear plan,” he said. Asked about electing a former army chief, Geagea said such a case is “exceptional with all due respect and appreciation to Gen. Jean Qahwaji.” President Michel Suleiman was army chief when he was elected for a six-year term to the country's top post. Geagea called for the swift formation of a new government “because the situation in the country is very awful.” “The cabinet will be formed despite all the challenges and obstacles that we are facing before the end of Suleiman's term” in May 2014, he said. The LF chief expected the government to see light in the first two months of 2014. But he reiterated his rejection to give the March 8 and March 14 alliances 9 ministers each and granting centrists 6 ministers in a 24-member cabinet. “This will burn us,” he told the dailies. In response to Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's remarks that the March 14 camp would regret the rejection of the 9-9-6 formula, Geagea said: “We won't regret the choices we make although we could win or lose.”

Geagea Rejects to Meet FPM Delegation for Talks Set to End Parliamentary Deadlock

Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea informed the Free Patriotic Movement, which made an initiative to hold talks with various Lebanese blocs to end the political standstill, that his parliamentary bloc will not meet the Change and Reform Delegation. LF MP Fadi Karam told al-Akhbar newspaper published on Thursday that the decision was taken by Geagea, who finds the initiative “useless.” “The initiative is useless and harmful... We could meet to discuss the general developments or we meet during a reasonable parliamentary session.” The FPM has been holding a series of meetings with political powers in Lebanon aimed at ending the country's deadlock. It had held talks with the al-Mustaqbal bloc, Phalange bloc and Speaker Nabih Berri. In October, the FPM, which is led by MP Michel Aoun, announced that it will hold talks with various parliamentary blocs to reactivate the work of the parliament and the legislative sessions. On November 20, a two-day parliamentary session was postponed for the seventh time over lack of quorum amid sharp rift between the March 14 alliance and Berri on its constitutionality. The session was postponed to December 18. The controversial legislative session is set to discuss 45 items on its agenda, the same session that has been boycotted for five times since July over differences on whether the parliament can convene amid a resigned government or not. The previous sessions were boycotted by the March 14 coalition, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati and Aoun's bloc. Miqati and the March 14 alliance argue that the parliament can only discuss urgent items amid a resigned cabinet. The FPM bloc has boycotted previous sessions over the speaker's failure to include the bloc's items on the session's agenda.

U.S. Hopes All Parties Would 'Cooperate with Full Investigation' into al-Laqqis' Murder

Naharnet/The U.S. State Department hoped on Wednesday that all Lebanese parties would cooperate with the probe into the assassination of Hizbullah official Hajj Hassan Hollo al-Laqqis. “We’ve seen the media reports regarding the killing of a Hizbullah official. We look to all parties to cooperate with a full investigation into the reported incident, and I think that’s all we have on that right now,” deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said Wednesday. Asked about Lebanon’s vulnerability due to the chaos in neighboring Syria, Harf said: “We’ve been very concerned by recurring instances of sectarian and political violence in Lebanon.” “We’ve talked about the negative impact that Syria has had in Lebanon and Iraq and elsewhere in the region, and the spillover violence that we’ve tragically seen,” she told reporters in her press briefing. “That’s why we’ve called on all parties in Lebanon and the region to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty,” Harf said. “We continue working with the Lebanese government,” she added. Al-Laqqis, described as a member of the inner circle of Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, was killed when attackers shot him repeatedly with a silenced handgun after parking his car at the building where he lived

Army Beefs Up Presence in Tripoli, Removes Barricades Set by Gunmen

Naharnet/The Lebanese army began fortifying its security measures in the northern city of Tripoli on Thursday in an attempt to control the situation in the city a day after gunmen ceased activity and cautious calm prevailed. According to the state-run National News Agency, the army removed obstacles and barricades set by gunmen near al-Ahram movie theater near Starco - Jabal Mohsen axis. The news agency also reported that normal traffic returned to the markets of the city. On Wednesday night, unknown assailants tossed two stun grenades at Syria street, which separates the rival neighborhoods of Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh. Hundreds of policemen from different parts of Lebanon have been sent to Tripoli to help improve security, working under the army's command. The army has been authorized to take charge of security in Tripoli for six months following the deadly sectarian clashes by rival sides stemming from the civil war in neighboring Syria. At least 10 people have been killed and 100 others wounded in clashes between the rival Tripoli neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen since Saturday. The fighting in the city is linked to the war raging in neighboring Syria. Bab al-Tabbaneh district, which is majority Sunni, and Jabal Mohsen, whose residents are from Syrian President Bashar Assad's sect, have been engaged in severe gunbattles since the revolt against him in March 2011. Tensions soared in the city in August when twin car bombings hit Sunni mosques and left hundreds of casualties. The latest round of violence erupted last week when Jabal Mohsen residents were shot in their feet in vengeful sectarian attacks. 

Report: Lebanese Fighters, Including at Least One from Arsal, Killed in Syria

Naharnet/A new group of Lebanese fighters have been killed in Syria while fighting alongside rebels, according to media reports. “Lebanese national Ahmed al-Hujairi and 13 gunmen were killed in a Syrian army ambush between the Rima Farms and Nabak” in the Syrian region of Qalamoun, al-Mayadeen television reported. For its part, MTV said 13 Lebanese men, including one from al-Hujairi family, were killed in Qalamoun's Halboun. On November 18, two Lebanese men were killed in a mine blast in Syria, where they had planned to join the fight against the regime. The men from the Lebanese border town of Arsal were headed to Qara, a rebel-held Syrian town near the frontier where loyalist troops backed by Hizbullah fighters have launched a major offensive in recent days. "Youssef al-Hujairi and Khaled al-Hujairi were killed in the explosion of a mine before they reached the town of Qara," a security source told Agence France Presse. On that day, an Arsal elder told AFP that around 30 young men from Arsal left with their weapons to go and fight “alongside the rebel Free Syrian Army.” Arsal has a long shared border with Syria, stretching along much of Damascus province and part of Homs province. Smugglers have long taken their goods across the porous border, and since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in March 2011, weapons and fighters have moved across the border too. 

Mortar Shells Fired from Syria Hit Outskirts of Akkar Villages

Naharnet /Mortar shells fired from war-torn Syria hit overnight the outskirts of the towns of al-Dbabiyeh, al-Noura and Kuishra in in the northern district of Akkar, the state-run National News Agency reported on Thursday. According to NNA, the shelling didn't cause any casualties. The almost three-year long violence in Syria has increasingly spilled over into Lebanon, with cross-border shelling in the north and east. Mortars and shells from the Syrian side regularly crash in Lebanon, causing several casualties. But Lebanese forces have never fired back despite promises of retaliation. Syrian authorities had threatened to attack Lebanese territories if “terrorists” continue to infiltrate the country from Lebanon. Lebanese parties are sharply divided over the developments in Syria despite the dissociation policy that was adopted by the state.

 Naharnet/The Israeli army went on alert on the border with southern Lebanon on Thursday over fears that Hizbullah could retaliate over the assassination of a top official which it blamed on the Jewish state. The state-run National News Agency said Israeli troops carried out patrols along the border and monitored the Lebanese side. Israeli drones also overflew the areas of Shebaa Farms, al-Abbasiyeh and Ghajar, it said. Also on Lebanon's side of the border, U.N. peacekeepers intensified their patrols along the U.N.-drawn Blue Line. Hajj Hassan Hollo al-Laqqis has been shot repeatedly with a silenced handgun near his house in the Sainte Thérèse neighborhood in Hadath, south of Beirut. Hizbullah said al-Laqqis spent his youth and dedicated all his life in the resistance since its inception up until the last moments of his life. An official close to the group said al-Laqqis held some of Hizbullah's most sensitive portfolios and was very close to the party leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and his inner circle. Hizbullah blamed Israel. But Israeli officials categorically denied involvement. Two previously unknown groups identifying themselves as Sunnis issued separate claims of responsibility.

Airport Road Tunnel Blocked Again as Vehicle Pumping Out Water Breaks Down

Naharnet/One side of the airport road's tunnel was shortly blocked during the Thursday morning rush hour after a Civil Defense Department vehicle used to pump out the accumulating rainwater broke down, the state-run National News Agency reported. The Internal Security Forces and the department later removed the vehicle from the tunnel to allow commuters to reach their destinations. During that time, the ISF diverted the traffic towards the Ouzai seaside road, NNA said. Thursday's incident added to the woes of the people, who a day earlier spent hours on the roads after they were blocked due to severe rain. The heavy rains rendered the airport road completely impassable on Wednesday. TV footage showed vehicles submerged in water inside the tunnel. Elsewhere, the coastal highway from Saifi to Karantia, Dora, Nahr el-Mot, Zalka, Jal el-Dib and Dbaye witnessed a severe traffic jam during the afternoon rush hour. The Mkalles-Mansourieh road was also a “living hell” as one commuter described it. Several cars broke down from the heavy rain and their drivers left them in the middle of the road, causing bumper-to-bumper traffic. Streets elsewhere turned into ponds and citizens urged authorities to rescue them from their vehicles that were trapped in water. Caretaker Public Works Minister Ghazi al-Aridi was criticized over neglect. He was scheduled to hold a press conference at 12:00 pm Thursday but he later canceled it. Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel also warded off criticism on Thursday, saying it was not up to the ISF to unclog blocked sewers. The security forces are ready to sacrifice for the sake of the citizen but there are 30 cabinet ministers who should assume their responsibilities, he told LBCI TV.

Security Agencies Discover Identity of Offender Threatening Charbel

Naharnet /The competent security agencies uncovered the identity of the person who was behind the video threatening Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Thursday. A security source rejected to unveil the name of the culprit until he is brought to justice, noting that a permission was granted to pursue him on charges of destabilizing civil peace in the northern city of Tripoli, incitement and sedition. “I've heard so many threats in my life... May god forgive him,” Charbel told the newspaper. He pointed out the security forces are carrying out investigations to “deal with this phenomena.”On Tuesday, LBCI aired a one-minute video for an unknown man threatening Charbel over a statement he issued that “if the farce in Tripoli didn't end then the army is ready to engage in another battle like the one in Nahr al-Bared.” The Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon was almost totally destroyed during a months-long conflict between the Lebanese army and the al-Qaida-inspired group Fatah al-Islam in 2007. At least 10 people have been killed and 100 others wounded in clashes between the rival Tripoli neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen since Saturday. The fighting in the city is linked to the war raging in neighboring Syria. Bab al-Tabbaneh district, which is majority Sunni, and Jabal Mohsen, whose residents are from Syrian President Bashar Assad's sect, have been engaged in severe gunbattles since the revolt against him in March 2011. mTensions soared in the city in August when twin car bombings hit Sunni mosques and left hundreds of casualties. The latest round of violence erupted last week when Jabal Mohsen residents were shot in their feet in vengeful sectarian attacks.

Al-Mustaqbal Snaps Back at Jumblat, Rejects his Statement

Naharnet/ Al-Mustaqbal Movement lashed out at Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat over his recent statements, considering that the Druze leader has “no right to make al-Mustaqbal a target for political sniper gunshots.” “Al-Mustaqbal movement has been avoiding to engage in any debate that might target the origin of the historical ties with Jumblat,” a prominent official in al-Mustaqbal told al-Joumhouria newspaper on condition of anonymity.However, the official said that it “seems that Jumblat wants the contrary... We'll play along from now on.” On Wednesday, Jumblat said in an interview with al-Akhbar newspaper that al-Mustaqbal movement should realize that al-Qaida front group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) and al-Nusra front are not taking it's actions into their accounts. The official noted that “Jumblat has the right to take any stance he wants... but it's not acceptable to make al-Mustaqbal a target for political gunshots

Loyalty to Resistance: Laqqis' Assassination Boost to Fighters' Will-Power
Naharnet Newsdesk 05 December 2013/Loyalty to Resistance bloc called on Thursday for lifting March 14's political cover for Takfiris in Syria, noting that the assassination of Hizbullah military official Hassan al-Laqqis will “boost the will-power” of the party's fighters. "Laqqis' terrorist assassination is a Zionist attack that carries several dangerous meanings,” MP Hasan Fadlallah said after the bloc's weekly meeting, noting that the attack requires becoming “more strict to face a scenario that aims at targeting the resistance.” Fadlallah stressed, however, that the commander's martyrdom will “boost the fighters' will-power to confront the Zionist enemy.”
Hizbullah official Hajj Hassan Hollo al-Laqqis was assassinated Wednesday overnight near his residence in Hadath in Beirut's southern suburbs. The party accused Israel of carrying out the assassination, revealing that Laqqis “was subjected several times and in several areas to failed assassination attempts.” Israel denied its involvement in the incident, warning against any attack launched by Hizbullah as a form of retaliation. Separately, the Loyalty to Resistance bloc warned after the meeting of "Takfiri terrorism," calling on all factions in Lebanon to “confront this trend that threatens Lebanon's existence.”“We call on March 14 and all groups in the country to stop embracing and finding justifications for Takfiris,” Fadlalleh urged. He added: “We condemn all attacks by Takfiris against the Syrian people and against Christians that are being killed and violated. Takfiri attacks do not stop at religious figures and symbols and the attack against churches, the burning of houses and the kidnapping of nuns require condemnation.”The Hizbullah MPs discussed the security situation in the northern city of Tripoli, also accusing the March 14 alliance of supporting street fighters. They expressed in their released statement: “The solution to Tripoli's situation is found in dialogue between all concerned factions until a consensus is reached to provide political cover for the army's presence, in order for troops to preserve security.” The bloc praised the newly reached accord between world powers and Iran on Tehran's nuclear program, saying it will reflect “positively on international relations and will alleviate the possibilities of war.”“This will assure stability in most of the region's countries,” it said.  The lawmakers urged the formation of a new cabinet, stressing that the 9-9-6 equation is the “real solution” to the current deadlock.“This equation is a standard that should be adopted in the constitution because political blocs consider themselves fairly represented.”

Jumblat: Accusing Saudi Arabia of Iranian Embassy Blast Will Only Lead to More Tensions
Naharnet Newsdesk 05 December 2013/Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat criticized on Thursday how some Lebanese officials were quick to accuse Saudi Arabia of being behind the Iranian embassy in Lebanon, saying that they should at least await for the facts to be revealed. He said in a statement: “It was better to accuse Israel of the crime, similar to the what Iran did, instead of laying blame on Saudi Arabia, keeping in mind that such accusations may lead to more tensions in Lebanon.” “The accusations would drag Lebanon more and more towards regional disputes that may once again lead it to being turned into an open ground for settling their scores,” he warned.“The accusations may also leave it completely exposed on the security scene,” he remarked. “We would like to remind all Lebanese powers against forgetting Israel and its historic spite against Lebanon,” stressed Jumblat. “We demand that the concerned judicial authorities be granted enough time to perform their duties in uncovering all those involved in security attacks, bombings, and assassinations,” he continued.
“Resorting to the state is the only way to ease the tensions and halt, to a degree, the gradual disintegration of the situation in Lebanon,” he added. Hizbullah chief Sayyaed Hassan Nasrallah accused on Tuesday Saudi Arabia of being behind the twin bombings near the Iranian embassy in Beirut on November. “We believe the statement in which the Abdullah Azzam Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack on the Iranian embassy, because it is a well-known group and its emir is Saudi and it is linked to the Saudi intelligence,” Nasrallah stated in an interview on OTV. He elaborated: “The Iranian embassy bombing has to do with targeting Iran by those who consider it to be an enemy since 1979 and by those who teach at their institutes that it is an enemy.” “The bombing has to do with the Saudi anger against Iran in the region.”At least 25 people were killed and 150 wounded in twin suicide blasts that targeted the Iranian embassy in the Hizbullah stronghold of Bir Hassan. The Abdullah Azzam Brigade claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was aimed at pressuring Hizbullah to withdraw its fighters from Syria.
 

Pope of the Poor' Secretly Living Up to His Nickname

.By Ellen's Good News | The Good News – 17 hours ago

Pope Francis (Photo: Getty Images)Pope Francis is one of the most progressive leaders in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, with his positive remarks and statements on women, gay people, and atheists. (He's also slaying on Twitter with his uplifting daily affirmations.) He's done a lot of good since his papacy began in March 2013, but the Pope knows that he can still make a difference even without his long white robe. It's been revealed that Pope Francis, who is justly earning his nickname "Pope of the Poor," has been sneaking out of the Vatican at night in disguise to help those in need. "Swiss Guards confirmed that the pope has ventured out at night, dressed as a regular priest, to meet with homeless men and women," a source told The Huffington Post. Archbishop Konrad Krajewski previously hinted at the Pope's nocturnal adventures in an interview in which he said, "When I say to him 'I'm going out into the city this evening', there's the constant risk that he will come with me," following his statement with a coy smile. Helping people while incognito? It's the first Pope superhero! These nightly expeditions are nothing knew for the Pope, who was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina. When he was a Cardinal, he would regularly sneak out to buy food for the homeless, and even eat and speak with them on the street. Says Krajewski,"The Holy Father told me at the beginning: 'You can sell your desk. You don't need it. You need to get out of the Vatican. Don't wait for people to come ringing. You need to go out and look for the poor."He gives alms to the needy, but back in the day, the Pope was making it harder for rich people to party - the Catholic leader recently recalled his time working as a bouncer at a Buenos Aires nightclub when he was a student. 

Hizballah’s War of Shadows With Saudi Arabia Comes Into the Light

Time.comBy Aryn Baker / Beirut | Time.com – Speeches by Hizballah head Hassan Nasrallah are usually predictable affairs. Each time he speaks, be it in front of the podium or from a secure, undisclosed location, the bearded, turbaned and bespectacled leader blends fiery rhetoric, anti-Western exhortations and bombast in a familiar pattern designed to inspire his followers, fire up new recruits and strike fear into enemy Israel. But in an interview with Lebanese TV station OTV late on Tuesday night, he went radically off script, zeroing in on a new target for his rhetorical darts: Saudi Arabia.

Nasrallah rarely mentions Saudi Arabia by name, only referring to the monarchy in vague terms in order to maintain plausible deniability. But that all changed on Tuesday, when he accused Saudi agents of being behind the suicide-bomb attack on the Iranian embassy in Beirut last month that claimed 23 lives. (The assassination of a senior Hizballah commander on Wednesday, though the assailants remain unknown, deepened the group’s sense of embattlement.) In doing so he has openly declared a war that has long been fought in the shadows, first in Lebanon where Hizballah-allied parties are at a political impasse with the Saudi-backed Future Movement of Saad Hariri, and now in Syria, where Hizballah, with Iranian assistance, is fighting on the side of President Bashar Assad against Saudi-backed rebels. “This is the first time I have ever seen such a direct attack [by Nasrallah] against Saudi Arabia,” says Lebanon-based political analyst Talal Atrissi. “This was the formal declaration of a war that has been going on in Syria since Saudi first started supporting the rebels.”

In a wide-ranging interview that lasted more than 2½ hours, Nasrallah defended Hizballah’s role in Syria, claiming that without it Lebanon would have already descended into Iraq-style sectarian violence: “What is the future of Lebanon, should Syria fall into the hands of the armed groups? If we had abandoned our responsibilities … Lebanon’s eastern border with Syria would have been infiltrated by armed groups, and there would be have been hundreds of explosive-rigged vehicles sent to … Lebanon.”And he crowed about the successful conclusion of initial nuclear negotiations between Iran and the West, saying that it strengthened Iran, and as a result Hizballah. But he returned to the subject of Saudi Arabia multiple times, declaring that it was Saudi that was prolonging the agonizing civil war in Syria, not the Syrians themselves, or even Hizballah. “Saudi Arabia is determined to keep on fighting until the last bullet and last drop of blood.” The group behind the embassy bombings has not yet been identified, though a Lebanese offshoot of al-Qaeda claimed responsibility. Nasrallah, in the interview, said the group was directly financed by Saudi intelligence, something that the Saudis have vehemently denied. Nasrallah only cited vague intelligence for his claim, but that is immaterial, says analyst Atrissi. By blaming Saudi for Lebanon’s and Syria’s problems, Nasrallah has seized on a moment of Saudi weakness and isolation to deflect growing criticism about Hizballah’s role in Syria. Saudi disgruntlement over the Iranian nuclear negotiations has put it at odds with traditional Gulf allies that were quick to praise the process. Furthermore, the Saudis have been the most recalcitrant about Syrian peace talks slated for Jan. 22 in Geneva. The Saudis say they won’t accept any Iranian role and are skeptical that the talks will bring peace. Instead they insist on continuing to back the rebels in the hopes that the opposition can gain more leverage.

“Saudi Arabia doesn’t have the same influence in the Gulf as it used to,” says Atrissi. “So Hizballah has seized on this weakness to advance its own cause.” In Lebanon the open declaration of war may only manifest in a continuation of tit-for-tat car bombings, he says. But in Syria, it’s about to get a lot more serious. Nasrallah forecast the same thing. “I predict there will be harsh confrontations between now and Jan. 22 on several fronts,” as Saudi-backed rebels do everything they can to gain ground and make the regime look weak and prevent the talks from taking place, he said. Those attempts, he added, will fail. What he didn’t need to say is that Hizballah is likely to be doing the exact same thing for the Syrian regime, guaranteeing a bloody two months to come.With reporting by Hania Mourtada / Beirut

Iran nuclear accord means NATO missile defence unnecessary: Russia

Brussels (AFP) - The accord with Iran to curb its nuclear programme means a planned NATO anti-missile system in Europe, hotly opposed by Moscow, is no longer necessary, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov argued Wednesday. Moscow fears the system would compromise its own defences while NATO says the project is meant only to protect Europe from Iranian development of long-range missiles. The prospect that Iran would also develop a nuclear weapon -- strongly rejected in Tehran -- added to the momentum for the NATO defence system. Now, if the agreement with Iran "is fully implemented... then there will no reasons to create a missile defence system in Europe," Lavrov said. Lavrov reiterated that, for Russia, the system is a major problem in relations with NATO, the military alliance set up by Washington to counter the Soviet Union in the Cold War. Last month, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany agreed an accord with Iran to curb its nuclear programme in return for an easing of sanctions. The initial deal is supposed to lead to a comprehensive accord which would bring Iran's nuclear programme back under full international oversight to ensure it is a civilian not military project, with crippling sanctions progressively lifted.

Damascus paper says rebels use nuns as 'human shields'

Damascus (AFP) - Syrian rebels want to use nuns "kidnapped" from their Maalula convent north of Damascus as "human shields," pro-regime daily Al-Watan said Wednesday. Rebels took a dozen Syrian and Lebanese nuns from Maalula to a nearby area under rebel control after capturing the historic Christian town late Monday, but it was not immediately clear whether the nuns had been kidnapped or moved for their own safety. "Syrian army forces have started arriving in the Maalula area to restore security, after hundreds of rebels sowed chaos in the city, which they entered through the mountains, and kidnapped 12 Syrian and Lebanese nuns to take them to Yabrud," a rebel town northeast of Maalula, said Al-Watan. "The terrorists want to use them as human shields," it added. Yabrud is the loyalist army's next target in Qalamoun, a mountainous region north of Damascus that is strategic because of its proximity to smuggling routes across the Lebanese border and a key road linking the capital to central Homs province. Al-Watan's report comes a day after the mother superior of Saydnaya convent in Damascus province, Fibronia Nabhan, said she had spoken with her Maalula counterpart, who confirmed the nuns were in Yabrud. Maalula mother superior Pelagia Sayyaf said "she and the 11 other nuns, accompanied by three young maids, were comfortably installed in a house in Yabrud and no one was bothering them," Nabhan said. On Wednesday Pope Francis called for prayers for the nuns. "I invite you all to pray for the nuns of the Greek Orthodox convent of St Takla of Maalula in Syria who were forcibly taken away by armed men two days ago," Francis said at a general audience in St Peter's Square. "We pray for these nuns and for all kidnap victims in the conflict," he said. Rebels, including jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda, took control of Maalula on Monday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Maalula has long been a symbol of the long Christian presence in Syria. Its residents are some of the few left in the world who speak Aramaic, the language that Jesus Christ is believed to have spoken.

Iran's FM Javad Zarif accuses Iranian media of quoting US Fact Sheet and DEBKAfile instead of himself

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report December 5, 2013/In a bitter outburst in Tehran Wednesday, Dec. 4, Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif complained that his country’s media preferred to quote debkafile instead of himself. Who tells the truth? He asked. I, the foreign minister of Iran? Or the Zionist website DEBKA which disseminates falsehoods?
It was the second time in this week that Zarif vented his frustration with DEBKA’s popularity in Iran. Tuesday, addressing a student audience at Tehran University, he accused the non-official media of his country of drawing heavily on foreign sources, such as “the Fact Sheet put out by the White House in Washington and the Israeli DEBKA” while neglecting to cover official statements.
He asked rhetorically: “Why do our news sites, which claim to represent Hizballah (Ed: in the sense of the Party of God which obeys Iranian Islamic Revolutionary precepts) so frequently quote the Israeli site DEBKA, which disseminates inaccurate information, instead of trusting the words of their own foreign minister?”
The students responded to Zarif’s grievance with half-jeering cries of “Mashallah! Mashallah!”
Our own Iranian sources confirm Zarif’s charge and understand his irritation. In recent weeks, debkafile was cited more prominently than ever before in most mainstream Iranian publications - newspapers, websites, blogs and also Facebook and Twitter – none of which minded using materials directly contradicting official regime statements.
References to DEBKA’s disclosures about Iran are often heard bandied about in parliamentary debates in the Majlis, and are quoted extensively in Iranian op-ed articles and political sites.
A search on Google under Debka دبکا in Farsi reveals hundreds of articles based on our Iranian coverage in a large number of Iranian Internet publications. Many others simply copy, paste our stories without attribution.
Three of the most influential Iranian publications are also those which quote debkafile most frequently, often carrying complete items. They are the semi-official Fars news agency, which is owned by the Revolutionary Guards Corps; Tasnim, another Guards mouthpiece and one of the most important sources of information on Iran; and Kayhan, which represents radical Islamist opinion and is a leading voice of opposition to President Hassan Rouhani and the foreign minister.
 

In Tripoli, a conflict exploited by all

December 05, 2013/By Michael Young/The Daily Star
We often hear that the fighting in Tripoli is a consequence of the city’s neglect by the state. Perhaps that’s part of it, but the current dynamics in northern Lebanon are being driven by other factors which make relative that stock accusation.Earlier this week, the Lebanese Army began implementing a security plan in Tripoli after yet another round of fighting in which several civilians, notably a 12-year-old boy, were killed. The city has functioned in a separate dimension for years, torn apart by sporadic battles while the rest of Lebanon carries on more or less normally.
The story of Tripoli is, first of all, a story related to Syria. For decades during the Syrian military presence in Lebanon, the city remained under the watchful eye of Syria’s intelligence services. A reservoir of Sunni youths, it was located too close to the Syrian cities of Hama and Homs to be readily ignored by an Alawite-led Syrian regime conscious of the vulnerabilities inherent in minority rule.
Tripoli is also where the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat returned to after his expulsion from Beirut in 1982. The Syrians, then seeking to extend their control over the Palestinian factions, considered his presence a challenge, largely political but also to an extent sectarian. They bombed the city in 1983, forcing Arafat to leave Lebanon for a second time.
In 1986, Damascus’ containment of the Sunnis took a new turn when the Syrian army entered Bab al-Tabbaneh and killed or arrested hundreds of young men, some say thousands, creating the resentment that exists to this day between the quarter and the predominantly Alawite Jabal Mohsen. A recurring theme has been Syria’s desire to ensure that Tripoli does not pose a threat to the Assad dictatorship. The outbreak of violence in the city after the start of the Syrian conflict has helped keep its youths occupied, rather than fighting in Syria, even as the city has been used as a political mailbox to Syria’s Lebanese foes.
In parallel, there have been other calculations unrelated to the specifics of the Tripoli conflict. There is, first, the credibility of the Army, at a time when the Army commander, Jean Kahwagi, is a leading contender for the presidency. For the armed forces to stand by while the killing continues is not something that Kahwagi can afford politically.
It is no surprise that criticism of the government’s policy in Tripoli has come from the Aounists, who opposed an extension of the Army commander’s term. They know that what happens in the city will have a bearing on Kahwagi’s chances of being elected next year – with Michel Aoun still hoping to become president despite his advanced age.
Beyond electoral politics, Kahwagi also realizes that a substantial portion of his troops hail from the north, particularly from Akkar. There have been disturbing sectarian killings in Tripoli and Akkar lately, and if this spins out of control, the consequences could affect the Army, undermining its effectiveness in the north. Given that the Army has already been accused by many Sunnis of favoring Hezbollah, this is not a situation the military leadership can ignore or allow to deteriorate.
At the same time, Kahwagi does not want Tripoli to become a trap for his men. There are many today who have a stake in discrediting the Army commander, and he will steer clear of any moves that might draw the military into the treacherous byways of Tripoli’s politics. Nor does he want the Army to be portrayed as an enemy of the city, which some local Salafist leaders appear keen to do, as they did in Sidon.
Two leading Sunni figures are also fighting it out politically in Tripoli, while others are watching intently from the sidelines. They are the caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, and the former head of the Internal Security Forces, Ashraf Rifi. It is no secret that Rifi has political ambitions, and both men are competing for influence in the city. Last weekend, Rifi tried to outmaneuver Mikati by saying he should stop performing his duties in protest against the fighting. Coming at a time when the government was being accused by the city’s inhabitants of not doing enough for them, that advice was the equivalent of asking Mikati to commit political suicide.
Several years ago, while visiting Tripoli after a round of fighting, I met several men in Bab al-Tabbaneh who pointed out that weapons used in the fighting with Jabal Mohsen were being sold in their quarter by an arms dealer close to the former prime minister Omar Karami. This seemed odd, given that Karami was officially an ally of the Alawite Arab Democratic Party, at whom the men in Bab al-Tabbaneh had been firing.
The version of events gained some credibility when Rifaat Eid, the son of Ali Eid, who heads the Alawite Arab Democratic Party, told me, “The last round of fighting started when the men of an opposition politician fired a rocket-propelled grenade at us.” He didn’t mention Karami by name, but from the context and what we had heard earlier, it was obvious that he was referring to the former prime minister.
The incident showed that events in Tripoli were often propelled not by national or regional developments, but by parochial calculations. Karami may have been part of the opposition to March 14 at the time, but he needed to reinforce his sectarian bona fides, even if it meant firing at his purported Alawite allies. By the same token, many other politicians or security figures today have a stake in exploiting what goes on in Tripoli, or at least ensuring that they will not lose out if the situation turns to their disadvantage.
Most of Tripoli’s inhabitants know this, which is precisely why they have so little hope of seeing a definitive end to combat in their city. They expect, and are probably right in expecting, that the cynical shadow play will continue with no decisive outcome. Until the conflict in Syria ends, and perhaps even afterward, Tripoli will continue to suffer the repercussions of the wars of others.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR. He tweets @BeirutCalling
 

The people want the return of the regime

By: Bakir Oweida/Asharq Alawsat
Which people—whose supporters—am I talking about? I am, of course, talking about the remnants of every regime that quickly collapsed as soon as it was beset by the storm that came to be known as the Arab Spring, which started in Tunisia three years ago this month. I am talking about those who have been dismissed as fuloul, “remnants” of the former regime. This is a description that first emerged in Egypt.
Nobody can quash the dreams of those who hope that the failure of the change project could lead to a complete reversal in fortunes and ultimately return those who have been ousted to power once again. In any case, people can dream as they like and choose whatever side they prefer, whether that is to support the Arab Spring revolutions, or to view these uprisings as coups.
In any case, these dreamers had better be prepared for the shock of waking, when they will no doubt see their dreams crumbling around them. This is a feeling that is perhaps best encapsulated in the well-known English idiom: Face the music.
This proverb has no link to actual music, but means facing the catastrophic consequences of one’s mistakes. In the Arab world, however, the shock of realizing that a dream has failed to materialize can soon become part of the romantic sphere. Egyptian poet Ibrahim Nagi wrote:
After this nectar’s sweetness we awoke
How I wished it has never been so
It is true that Nagi paints lovers’ anguish with his poetry, but the verses of the poem “Farewell”— Al-Atlal in Arabic— contain within them the story of the farewell to the dreams of revolutionary change in the Arab world, even though it was written in 1966.
Night’s dream had vanished, the night was ended The night that used to be our friend
Nagi cannot have been more correct, regardless of what we were dreaming of when we thought about a country that began with a military coup, which turned into a popular revolution, which was then followed by a revolutionary coup, reform movement and, finally, a popular uprising. This has all taken place against the backdrop of regretful cries over the past, in precisely the same manner that the tragedy of the dreamer is that they awoke:
The light of morning was an ominous herald
Dawn loomed up like a wall of fire.
Is this rational? Could the fortunes of a people and a nation’s destiny be decided by moving from dreams to delusions, without taking the past into account?
No, this is neither rational nor acceptable. Logic states—and history confirms—that the people may persist in patience, but public anger cannot be curtailed indefinitely.
Whether we are talking about Egypt, Libya or Palestine—or anywhere that the specter of chaos is spreading and is threatening the people’s safety and security—the people must rise up again to demand the return of the rule of law and order and confront the absence of security. This is something that may require more sacrifices and suffering, but there is no escaping a decisive confrontation with all parties that want to impose the law of the jungle on the Arab street.