LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
January 12/2013

Bible Quotation for today/Friendship
Sirach 06/and do not be an enemy when you should be a friend. A bad reputation brings you the disgrace that lying sinners deserve.  Do not let your passions carry you away; this can tear your soul to pieces like a bull. You will be left like a dead tree without any leaves or fruit.  Evil desire will destroy you and make you a joke to your enemies. If you are polite and courteous, you will enjoy the friendship of many people.  Exchange greetings with many, but take advice from only one person out of a thousand.  When you make friends, don't be too quick to trust them; make sure that they have proved themselves.  Some people will be your friends only when it is convenient for them, but they won't stand by you in trouble.  Others will fall out with you over some argument, and then embarrass you by letting everyone know about it.  Others will sit at your table as long as things are going well; they will stick to you like your shadow and give orders to your servants, but they will not stand by you in trouble.  If your situation takes a turn for the worse, they will turn against you, and you won't be able to find them anywhere. Stay away from your enemies and be on guard against your friends.  A loyal friend is like a safe shelter; find one, and you have found a treasure.  Nothing else is as valuable; there is no way of putting a price on it.  A loyal friend is like a medicine that keeps you in good health. Only those who fear the Lord can find such a friend.  A person who fears the Lord can make real friendships, because he will treat his friends as he does himself. My child, learn to value Wisdom while you are young, and you will still be able to find her when you grow old.  Work as hard to find Wisdom as a farmer works to plow and plant his fields; then you can expect a good harvest. You will have to work at it for a while, but you will soon be enjoying what you have earned.  Undisciplined people find Wisdom's demands too hard and don't have enough determination to meet them.  Her requirements are a burden heavier than they are willing to bear, and they quickly lay them aside.  Discipline means just that—discipline, and not many people are able to discipline themselves. My child, listen to me and take my advice.  Put Wisdom's chains around your feet and her yoke around your neck.  Carry her on your shoulder and don't be resentful of her bonds.  Follow Wisdom, and keep to her ways with all your heart.  Go looking for her, and she will reveal herself to you. Take hold of her and don't let go.  Then you will discover the peace of mind she offers, and she will become your joy.  The signs of slavery you wear will become signs of royal majesty. Her chains will be your protection, and you will wear her yoke like a magnificent robe.  You will wear Wisdom like a splendid crown. My child, you can learn if you want to. You can be clever if you are determined to be.  If you are willing to listen, you will learn and become wise.  Go where the old people are; find someone who is wise, and stay with him.  Be ready to listen when religious people speak, and don't miss anything that shows insight.  If you find someone with understanding, get up early to call on him; wear out his doorstep with your visits. Devote all your time to studying the Lord's commands and thinking about them. He will give you the insight and wisdom you are looking for.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
With a perfect storm, perfect failure/By Michael Young/The Daily Star/January 12/13
The Butcher of Damascus opera/By Hussein Shabokshi/Asharq Alawsat/January 12/13

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for January 12/13
Panetta, Dempsey clear Pentagon desk of US military option for Syria
Hezbollah training Shiite fighters in Syria - Source
Bombings kill 115 people in Pakistan
Canada Condemns Bomb Attacks in Pakistan
Cyprus, Lebanon agree to boost cooperation in oil exploration
Lebanese MPs fail to bridge gap on electoral law
Christian political chiefs meet Rai over electoral law
Some March 14 Christians reject Orthodox vote plan
FPM, Aoun's pro Axis Of Evil Party withdraws from discussion on new electoral law

Relatives of abducted Lebanese protest outside Qatari Embassy

George Abdallah released on condition he leaves France

Snow turns much of Lebanon white

Two more hotels close in Lebanon due to low tourism
Bomb at liquor store in south Lebanon
Micheal
Murr Says He's against Orthodox Law: It Jeopardizes Christians' Rights
Berri Discusses Electoral Draft Laws, Latest Developments With Suleiman
Plumbly Met Berri and Saniora Separately: Talks Touched on the Conflict in Syria
Kahwagi, Lebanon’s Army Chief: Democracy and dialogue key to salvation
Large parts of Beirut without power
Sunni council tension hits Akkar
Lebanese court recommends release of Maher Meqdad
EDL suspends strike as complaints over repairs soar

Families of kidnapped pilgrims speak out
Police suspect criminal motive in Tel Aviv car blast
Egypt's president invited to Iran, discusses Syria
Egypt's central bank chief resigns
Palestinian leader rejects deal on Syria refugees
US, Russia talks on Syria end without breakthrough

Syria denounces Brahimi who hinted Assad must go

The 48 Iranians Seized by Syria Rebels back Home again
Catholic Bishops Slam Israel's West Bank Barrier
Netanyahu: Hamas Talks Show Abbas not Seeking Peace
Death is better than silence – Malala’s father

‘ٍUSA Tells Al Assad To Go On Killing His Own People
Panetta, Dempsey clear Pentagon desk of US military option for Syria
http://www.debka.com/article/22679/Panetta-Dempsey-clear-Pentagon-desk-of-US-military-option-for-Syria-
DEBKAfile Special Report January 11, 2013/At a joint news conference Friday, Jan. 11, retiring Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs, Gen. Martin Dempsey, cleaned the Pentagon’s Syrian desk ready for incoming Secretary Chuck Hagel. Boiled down to essentials, their triple message was that Bashar Assad could not be stopped from using chemical weapons if he chose to do so, that securing the CW sites after Assad’s fall was the job of the “international community” and that no US ground troops would be sent to Syria.
Panetta and Dempsey essentially confirmed a fact first reported by debkafile in the third week of November: US naval, air and marine forces were withdrawn from Syrian offshore waters following the White House's decision to stay clear of military involvement in the Syrian conflict. After extending Syrian opposition forces diplomatic support for nearly two years, the Obama administration is dumping the Assad headache in the laps of Syria’s immediate neighbors, Turkey, Jordan and Israel, and casting the rebels adrift.
This decision was spelled out with crystal clarity by Panetta and Dempsey at a joint Washington press conference in Washington:
“The United States is increasingly focused on how to secure Syria's chemical weapons if President Bashar al-Assad falls from power,” said the outgoing defense secretary. In reference to the problem while Assad is still in place, Panetta emphasized that the United States is not considering sending in ground troops.
At one stroke, he refuted Western and Israeli media claims of American and Israeli special forces operating at the chemical weapons sites.
His words also broadly hinted to Bashar Assad that, if he kept his hands off using his chemical arsenal, he would enhance his chances of staying in power, because after America’s exit from the war scene, no other military force would be around to help the opposition remove him.
Panetta was less clear about the so-called “international community” – an amorphous entity in every sense. He said: "I think the greater concern right now is what steps does the international community take to make sure that when Assad comes down, there is a process and procedure to make sure we get our hands on securing those sites. That I think is the greater challenge right now."
The US government was discussing the issue with Israel and other countries in the region, he said, but ruled out deploying American ground forces in any "hostile" setting. He repeated: "We're not talking about ground troops."
The defense secretary did not say exactly how this international coalition would function or whether it would go into action if Assad himself embarked on chemical warfare. Neither did he refer to the claim leaked by British intelligence this week that the Syrian stock of 50 tonnes of un-enriched uranium, enough for weapons grade fuel for five nuclear devices, had gone missing and may have passed to Iran.
Gen Dempsey, addressing the same press conference, spoke about the current problem: He said that if Assad chose to use his chemical stockpiles against opposition forces, it would be virtually impossible to stop him. Preventing the launch of chemical weapons "would be almost unachievable,” he said “... because you would have to have such clarity of intelligence, you know, persistent surveillance, you would have to actually see it before it happened."
He added that “messaging” to the Syrian ruler publicly warning him that the use of chemical weapons would cross a red line, established a deterrent, because “he might think it would prompt outright US or international intervention leading to his downfall. But that’s different from preemption.”
Dempsey was repeating Panetta’s implied message to Assad that avoiding chemical warfare would extend the life of his regime, say our sources.
US military sources later told reporters that, while Dempsey and Panetta believe sarin gas will break down after 60 days – “That’s what the scientists tell us,” Dempsey said, US government sources have suggested that “Syrian sophistication with chemical weaponry may leave the combined, weaponized sarin deadly for up to a year.” Sarin, they say, is exceptionally hard to dispose of.
debkafile reports: This confusion is compounded by the decoys used by the Syrian army to conceal its chemical weapons stocks, which are now believed to have been distributed among different Syrian Air Force bases.
Israel has responded to the US withdrawal from the Syrian arena with a decision announced by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that Israel has started erecting a special security fence along its 57-kilometer boundary with Syria.Ankara's response has been to segregate Turkey from the Syrian conflict behind the six Patriot anti-missile batteries provided by NATO and place them on the border of its embattled neighbor in defensive array.
Indeed, both countries have retreated to defensive postures. However, neither the Patriots nor the wall will be much use should chemical weapons fall into rebel hands, including the Islamist terrorists in their ranks, and they decide to use them.

Lebanese MPs fail to bridge gap on electoral law

January 11, 2013/By Hussein Dakroub/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Political differences within the parliamentary subcommittee exploring a new electoral law burst out into the open Thursday, prompting Free Patriotic Movement MP Alain Aoun to walk out of the discussions in a development that cast gloom over the panel’s role.A member of the subcommittee, which includes lawmakers from the Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance and the opposition March 14 coalition, predicted that Friday’s would be the final session after the MPs have failed in three days of deliberations to narrow the wide gap over which legislation best guarantees fair representation in this year’s crucial parliamentary elections.
Also Thursday, Speaker Nabih Berri met with President Michel Sleiman at Baabda Palace to discuss “the current internal political developments, especially the ongoing discussions on draft electoral laws,” the state-run National News Agency reported. The meeting came ahead of a dinner hosted by Sleiman for Cypriot President Demetris Christofias.
Future bloc lawmaker MP Serge Torsarkissian, one of the four March 14 MPs on the subcommittee, said that Friday’s might be the last session before the MPs wrap up their discussions and send the results of their meetings to Berri. “Friday’s session could be the final one. The subcommittee will discuss Friday proposals to increase the number of lawmakers and try to reach a final version of a new electoral law acceptable to all the parties before sealing the minutes of the meetings and sending them to Speaker Berri,” Torsarkissian told The Daily Star.
However, a source close to Berri said the one-week deadline set by the March 14 coalition for the subcommittee’s work could be extended in order to give another chance for the MPs to agree on a new electoral law.
“It was unrealistic to expect the subcommittee to reach an agreement on a new electoral law so soon given the wide gap between the rival factions,” the source told The Daily Star.
Torsarkissian said the subcommittee had mulled over three conflicting draft laws for this year’s polls over the past three days: The Orthodox Gathering’s proposal, which calls for every sect to elect its own MPs; a draft law presented by the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb Party that would divide Lebanon into 50 small districts under a winner-takes-all system; and the Cabinet’s draft electoral law based on a proportional representation system with 13 medium-sized electoral districts.
When asked to sum up the outcome of the MPs’ discussions over the course of the week, Torsarkissian said: “The atmosphere within the subcommittee is going to a majority system based on small districts. The subcommittee is trying to reach an agreement on an electoral law acceptable to all the parties.” He voiced support for the 50-district draft law, saying it can ensure the best representation for the Christians. “We are trying to reach an agreement on an election law that can unite the Lebanese and gives priority to ensuring a true representation of the Christians,” Torsarkissian added.
He criticized Aoun’s walkout of the meeting, saying this action would delay reaching an agreement on an electoral law.
His remarks came shortly after Aoun said he had suspended his participation in the subcommittee’s meetings after March 14 MPs rejected his demand to put the Orthodox electoral proposal to a Parliament vote.“I suspended my participation in protest at [March 14 MPs’] refusal to finalize the minutes of the meeting [and refer them to Parliament] in order to highlight the draft electoral laws that have been agreed on,” Aoun told reporters after walking out of the morning session held in Parliament. Referring to the Orthodox proposal, which has won a rare Christian consensus by the four rival parties – MP Michel Aoun’s FPM, the Lebanese Forces, the Kataeb Party and Zghorta MP Suleiman Franjieh’s Marada Movement – Alain Aoun said: “There is a draft law that has gained specific majority, that is, the Orthodox Gathering’s draft law. Let this subcommittee make a recommendation to Parliament in order to vote on this proposal which, unlike other draft laws, has shattered [political] alignments.”
However, the Orthodox proposal, which projects Lebanon as one single district based on proportional representation with each sect electing its own MPs, has come under fire by some March 14 Christian politicians, the Future parliamentary bloc, and MP Walid Jumblatt’s Progressive Socialist Party, who argued that such a law would deepen sectarian divisions in the country and allow for the rise of extremists. Sleiman has also rejected the draft law, pledging to challenge even if it is passed by Parliament. Responding to Aoun’s demand, March 14 MP Robert Ghanem, the chairman of the subcommittee, said he would finalize and send the minutes of the discussions to Parliament after a second round of talks Thursday evening. However, no decision was taken in the evening session which was skipped by Aoun and MP Hagop Pakradounian from Michel Aoun’s parliamentary bloc.
Ghanem said the subcommittee did not continue discussion of the topics on the agenda in order to give time for contacts by the rival parties. He added that the subcommittee will meet Friday morning.
Both Future bloc MP Ahmad Fatfat and LF MP George Adwan criticized Aoun’s walkout of the meeting. “Alain Aoun demanded that we finalize the minutes of the meeting immediately, refusing to discuss common issues among us. There was an intention to prevent any agreement and Aoun disrupted the subcommittee’s work,” said Fatfat.
Adwan said that he and Kataeb MP Sami Gemayel unsuccessfully attempted to convince Aoun to back down on his decision during a private meeting with him.
Some March 14 Christian lawmakers slammed the Orthodox proposal, saying it carried with it dangers to the presence of Christians in Lebanon.
“The approval of any electoral law based on the principle of ‘each sect elects its own MPs’ entails dangers to the [Lebanese] entity, national unity and the political system, and sets the stage for the toppling of the principle of equal power sharing between Christians and Muslims,” Batroun MP Butros Harb told a news conference after a meeting at his house in Hazmieh which was attended by six other March 14 MPs and former lawmakers from the coalition. Harb explained that such a law would create divisions between Shiites, Sunnis and Christians as it would highlight the disparity in number among the sects. Describing the Orthodox draft law as one of the most dangerous proposals, he added that the draft was not adopted by the Maronite Church or any other Christian religious authority.
After meeting Berri in Ain al-Tineh, U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly told reporters: “I welcomed the resumption of the discussions among the various political parties at the Speaker’s initiative on an electoral law and I underscored the importance of the elections taking place on time.”

Christian political chiefs meet Rai over electoral law
January 11, 2013/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Rival Maronite Christian leaders met Friday with Cardinal Beshara Rai in an unannounced meeting to discuss electoral proposals to govern the upcoming elections.
MP Michel Aoun, who heads the Free Patriotic Movement, Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh and Kataeb head Amin Gemayel gathered in Bkriki, the seat of the Maronite patriarchate at around 4 p.m.
According to the Lebanese Forces website, the head of the party, Samir Geagea, has yet to attend the meeting.
In a meeting last week, representatives of the Christian figures agreed to adopt the Orthodox Gathering electoral proposal which has in recent days come under fire by several political parties.
The draft electoral law proposes that each sect elect its own MPs with Lebanon as a single district under a system of proportional representation.
The Future Movement along with President Michel Sleiman and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt have slammed the proposal, saying it would lead to a rise in sectarian divisions in the country and allow for the rise of extremists.Bkirki’s meeting comes hours after the subcommittee tasked with studying a new electoral law for the 2013 polls finalized its discussion on three draft laws including the Orthodox Gathering which media reports have said received most of the votes.

Hezbollah training Shiite fighters in Syria - Source
By Asharq Al-Awsat
http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=32500
Beirut/London, Asharq Al-Awsat - Syrian Shiite sources confirmed to Asharq Al Awsat that Hezbollah and Iran are intervening in the Syrian crisis in order to “protect” Shiite towns, villages and religious shrines against the “Takfirists”. The sources revealed the presence of “Hezbollah training centers in the Beqaa valley to train up young Syrian Shiites, paying them salaries to fight in Syria”. Syrian opposition figures confirmed that there are roughly 1,500 Hezbollah elements in Syria, and the same number of Iranians assisting the Syrian regime, but said that the talk of 5,000 elements is an exaggeration.
Since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis, and its transformation into a military struggle, there has been increasing talk of Hezbollah participating in the fight alongside the Syrian regime. There is a sense of a strategic interdependence between Hezbollah and the al-Assad regime, the latter of which is a vital artery that connects Iranian aid (of all kinds) to the movement in Lebanon. Despite the fact that Lebanese politicians talk about Hezbollah’s refusal to comply with the Syrian regime’s desire to ignite the Lebanese arena in order to relieve the pressure on al-Assad, these same politicians have criticized Hezbollah’s involvement in supporting the regime at the expense of the people. Meanwhile, there is hardly a statement from the leaders of the Free Syrian Army [FSA] that doesn’t reference Hezbollah’s support and organized participation in “the killing of the Syrian people”.
Retired General Nizar Abdel-Kader, a Lebanese strategic expert, believes that Hezbollah’s participation in the Syrian conflict is no longer a secret. He pointed out that despite the information that was circulated months ago on this matter, doubts remained until Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah admitted his movement's involvement, attributing it to the demographic and geographical overlap in the border areas between Lebanon and Syria in the north of Beqaa and Homs Governorate. Abdel-Kader told Asharq Al Awsat: “We cannot accept that Nasrallah’s reasoning is that simple, because, as we know, Hezbollah was supportive of all the other Arab revolutions but denies the validity of the Syrian revolution because of the movement's association with the Syrian regime, which in turn supports it with arms and offers Syria’s strategic depth for its war with Israel”.
He went on to say: “I think that, in light of President al-Assad’s insistence on pursuing the military option, and hence doing everything he can to stay in power, it is natural that Hezbollah would become increasingly involved in the battle, on the side of its ally, and it is to be expected that its operations would eventually take on a public nature and it would undertake some missions to protect the regime in the Syrian capital”. Abdel-Kader fears that Hezbollah is undertaking some of its operations against Syrian dissidents located in Lebanon, describing what Hezbollah is doing today as “a dangerous card to play”, but adding that it was inevitable that it would be played in the end. It is not easy to talk with Hezbollah officials on the subject of their party’s logistical intervention in the Syrian crisis. Hezbollah, which initially described such allegations as “laughable”, now strictly adheres to the official rhetoric issued by Nasrallah, who said that the Lebanese fighting in Syria live there and are simply defending their villages.
However “al-Hajj”, a Hezbollah official in Beqaa, said that the movement is also defending Lebanese territory, i.e. the “Lebanese part” of the Syrian border town al-Qusayr. “Al-Hajj”, who asked to be referred only by this name, said that a section of this town is located on Lebanese soil and is being subjected to attacks from the Syrian opposition. He added that Hezbollah “monitoring officials” were able to record a conversation between armed opposition members planning to attack the town and kill its residents, “so they ambushed them and inflicted great losses, whilst one of our men died defending the area”. He explained that the situation in that area has now turned into something resembling a fault line between the two sides.
The Syrian crisis is of great concern to Hezbollah, but “al-Hajj” confirmed that his party is relaxed about the future. He reasoned that if the regime emerges victorious the situation will return to how it was before, and if it falls this is a sign of the return of the Imam al-Mahdi [a sign of the world's ending according to Islamic eschatology].
A Lebanese opposition official also confirmed that Hezbollah is interfering in the Syrian war, pointing out that information available to him indicates that the group is seeking to prevent the movement of opposition figures in both directions, through its monitoring of part of the Syrian-Lebanese border. This explains the decline in Syrian opposition activity in that region. He asserted that Hezbollah artillery and rocket launchers stationed on Lebanese territory are playing an active role in the battle, whilst Syrian opposition figures have spoken about bombardments coming from Lebanese territory, particularly the village of Zata (with its predominantly Shiite population) and al-Qusayr. Meanwhile, military experts doubt the possibility of Hezbollah openly engaging in battle alongside the regime, but they do not hide their suspicions about the Lebanese movement offering “technical assistance”. They suggest that Hezbollah is participating behind the scenes, in the battle operation rooms, and its officials are moving in significant numbers across the border.
Syrian Shiites have also confirmed new information to Asharq Al Awsat regarding the presence of Hezbollah in Shiite-inhabited areas of Syria, in addition to the party’s clear contribution to the protection of the famous Sayyidah Zaynab shrine in the suburbs of Damascus. Furthermore, the Syrian opposition have recently distributed images of a car with a Lebanese number plate and a poster affixed to it; the poster depicts a young man above the following words: "died in defense of the Sayyidah Zaynab shrine”. The opposition claim this image was taken in the southern suburbs of the city of Beirut, an area under the influence of Hezbollah.
Fahad al-Masri, an FSA official spokesman, told Asharq Al Awsat that “approximately two weeks ago, Hezbollah sent dozens of its elements to Mount Qalamoun”. He also pointed out that Hezbollah operatives are being deployed mainly in Zabadani and Homs, and specifically in the Christian town of Dabla alongside the regime’s Shabiha forces. He indicated that the coming days will witness multiple battles between Hezbollah and the FSA in these areas.
Al-Masri considers the recent reports of 5,000 Hezbollah elements inside Syria to be an exaggeration, adding that Hezbollah presence in the capital Damascus is limited, confined to specific sites and locations such as guarding the Sayyidah Zaynab shrine. Asharq Al Awsat also spoke to a Syrian Shiite named Ahmed. He said that his brother Abbas, a Syrian from the town of Nubl in Aleppo Governorate, had joined Hezbollah’s training center in Beqaa along with a number of the town’s residents, and those from other Shiite towns in the region, in order to learn how to defend their families. Ahmed revealed that young men are being transported to Damascus by car and then to Aleppo by plane, following which they are deployed - via military helicopter - to the towns they are supposed to defend.
Ahmed, who works in Beirut, defended what these people are doing, stressing that his brother “is like any other young person in that situation; they are forced to act because of the Takfirist groups’ attacks on Shiite towns and villages in Syria”. He added that these men are paid good salaries “to compensate for the disruption to their lives”, whilst also pointing out that Iranian experts are also contributing to this effort. Ahmed revealed that the Iranians are providing money and arms to support the Shiites who are “threatened by extremist groups”.
There is no accurate information on the number of Shiites in Syria, but a report drafted by the US State Department on “religious freedom” in 2010 indicated that the Shiites account for roughly 2.5 percent of the Syrian population, and they are composed of the Twelver, Zaidi and Ismaili sects. The Ismailis are concentrated in the Hama Governorate and the city of Salamiyah specifically, whilst the Twelver Shiites are located mainly in Idlib Province as well as some towns in Homs and Aleppo such as Zahra and Nubl, which boasts the largest community of Twelver Shiites in Syria, namely 30,000 people. There are also Shiites in Damascus in the districts of al-Amin, Jura and the old city, in addition to their presence in the vicinity of the Sayyidah Zaynab shrine.
For his part, a dissident officer told Asharq Al Awsat that there is confirmed information of Hezbollah elements and Iranian experts being present in Damascus and living there as experts in the field of media and security. They are visiting media institutions and the security apparatus frequently, travelling in SUVs and participating in the planning and implementation of military operations. The officer, who declined to be named, reported that when the Houla massacre was committed the regime waited a whole day before issuing a statement on the matter. Iranian experts present in the Syrian Ministry of Interior condemned this action and accused the then Information Minister, Adnan Mahmoud, arguing that he should have immediately stated that armed gangs were behind the massacre. This ultimately led to him being replaced by the current minister Imran Zoubi.
Colonel Arif Hamoud, Head of Syrian Martyrdom Operations in the FSA, confirmed that Hezbollah is actively participating on the battlefields in Syria. He told Asharq Al Awsat that: “Hezbollah leaders have been tasked with training elements of the regime and its officers, especially the special forces and military and air force intelligence. These Syrian forces are mainly concentrated in the region of al-Draij in Damascus Governorate, where they are being subjected to training exercises lasting 3 to 4 weeks" He added that this information has been confirmed by officers who have recently defected from the regime.
The officer pointed out that the FSA has recently captured some Hezbollah elements in order to exchange them with some of its members being detained by the Syrian regime. This happened when Hezbollah Commander “Abu Abbas” was killed along with 15 other elements two months ago. The officer confirmed that the FSA is holding another Hezbollah leader, after he was arrested in the vicinity of Sayyidah Zaynab, which has a strong Hezbollah presence.

Canada Condemns Bomb Attacks in Pakistan
January 10, 2013 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:
“Canada strongly condemns today’s deadly attacks in Pakistan that have killed scores of innocent people. On behalf of all Canadians, I extend my deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those killed. I wish a swift recovery to the injured.
“This type of violent extremism is entirely despicable. It is a stark reminder that the greatest threat to Pakistan is terrorist entities operating within its borders.
“These attacks further underscore the importance of Pakistan continuing to fight extremists who threaten its people and the international community.
“We hope that the perpetrators of these horrendous attacks will be brought to justice.
“Canada will continue to work with the people of Pakistan and our allies to help Pakistan address the challenges it faces.”

George Abdallah released on condition he leaves France
 January 10, 2013/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: A French court agreed to the release of Lebanese George Abdallah, who has been imprisoned in the country for 28 years, on condition that he leaves France, TFI News reported Thursday. The report quoted French judicial sources as saying that the 61-year-old Lebanese man was granted parole on condition that he is expelled from France. Abdallah was captured in 1984 and sentenced to life in prison in 1987 for the murder of American Lieutenant Col. Charles Ray and the killing of an Israeli diplomat, Yacov Barsimentov, in Paris. Abdallah has been eligible for parole since 1999. The French court granted Abdallah parole in November of last year but an appeal by the state prosecutor kept him behind bars.

Bomb at liquor store in south Lebanon
January 10, 2013/The Daily Star
SIDON, Lebanon: An explosion ripped through a liquor store in Sarafand, south Lebanon, at dawn Thursday, causing only material damage. The 3 a.m. explosion, the second in Sarafand since January 2012, blew the shop door onto the main street. It also shattered windows of a few nearby shops. Broken liquor bottles littered the shop, on the ground floor of the 10-story Sarafand Center on the main highway between the southern port cities of Sidon and Tyre. Hasan Asayli, the owner of the store, said the explosion caused minor damage. "Thank God the bomb inflicted little damage," Asayli told The Daily Star. Asayli did not make any accusations, but blamed "sick minded people" for the bombing. The Lebanese Army and crime scene investigators arrived at the scene shortly after sunrise to investigate the blast, the latest in a spate of attacks against outlets selling alcohol.

Large parts of Beirut without power
January 10, 2013/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Large areas of administrative Beirut as well as parts of the southern suburbs and the northern Metn coast are without power Thursday with fears that an ongoing strike will delay repairs. Electricite du Liban said in a statement Thursday that the cuts were caused by a fault in the 220-KW cable that links the main stations between Aramoun, just outside Beirut, and Horsh Beirut. EDL said the company was unable to repair the fault because of the ongoing strike by part-time electricity employees. On Wednesday, EDL warned that Lebanon is sinking into darkness as a harsh winter storm sweeping across the country cut power to thousands of Lebanese. “As the storm accelerates, failures have been increasing exponentially on electricity networks across Lebanon, including administrative Beirut,” the state-run electricity company EDL said Wednesday. It said failures have led to power cuts in large parts of Lebanon and subjected other areas to harsher rationing.

Cyprus, Lebanon agree to boost cooperation in oil exploration
January 10, 2013/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Cyprus and Lebanon agreed to boost cooperation and look into ways to explore gas and oil in their waters, President Michel Sleiman said Thursday. “We have given the issue of the gas and oil available in our water top priority and agreed to increase cooperation to agree on principles and sound means that would allow us to extract this resource,” Sleiman said during a joint news conference with Cypriot President Demetris Christofias. The Cypriot official's visit is aimed at discussing the demarcation of maritime borders in an attempt to reach an agreement over the Exclusive Economic Zone between Cyprus, Lebanon and Israel. Beirut and Tel Aviv both lay claim to a disputed area that spans some 850 square km area off the coast between the two countries. Cyprus has signed delineation agreements with Israel, Egypt and Lebanon but the latter deal is still on hold. Lebanon argues that the Israeli-Cypriot bilateral agreement signed in 2010 and ratified in 2011 conflicts with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and demands its amendment.
Under the agreement, Israel’s Exclusive Economic Zone boundary with Cyprus begins at point 1, 17 kilometers northeast of point 23, which marks Lebanon’s proposed maritime border with Israel in its 2007 EEZ with Cyprus.
During the news conference, Sleiman added that he also agreed with his Cypriot counterpart to increase cooperation in other economic, political, and social fields in order to benefit from each country's expertise.
"We have signed memorandums of understanding between the Lebanese and Cypriot Industry Ministry as well as the two Tourism Ministries and the Ministries of Defense in terms of military cooperation," Sleiman said.
The Lebanese president also spoke about the situation in Syria and the high number of refugees in the country that "has become a real challenge."
"It is important to unite diplomatic efforts to bring about a diplomatic solution to Syria ... that allows the return of thousands of Syrian refugees to their home with dignity and security," he said. "The growing number of refugees has become a real challenge that requires an urgent solution that entails joint responsibility in carrying the burden and sharing the cost," he said. Following the welcoming reception at Baabda Palace and the meeting with Sleimam, Christofias, who arrived in Beirut Wednesday night, planted a tree of friendship in the presidential palace garden

Two more hotels close due to low tourism
January 10, 2013/By Mohamad El Amin/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Two four-star hotels have been recently closed in Kaslik, the head of the Hotels Association told The Daily Star Wednesday, warning that more closures were possible if poor tourism persisted. Acropolis, a four-star hotel, has been shut down by its owners after suffering losses.“The hotel had financial difficulties and I was informed by the owners that it has gone out of business,” Pierre Achkar said. He added that Century Park, a 70-room Kaslik hotel, also closed last month. The two hotels were unavailable for comment with no employees responding to repeated calls. Achkar reiterated that most hotels have been facing difficulties, with many forced to seal off floors and lay off employees to reduce operational costs after occupancy levels plummeted to less than 40 percent in Beirut and much lower in areas outside the capital. Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud said he would hold a news conference Thursday to comment about the closure of the hotels. Lebanon has suffered from low tourism throughout 2012. The most recent figures show the number of tourists declined by nearly 18 percent in the first 11 months of 2012, compared to 2011. Last year had already seen a sharp a decline in tourism, meaning this year’s decline stands at more than 37 percent, if compared to 2010. In November 2012, Beirut reported the lowest occupancy since May 2008 at 35.1 percent, Global STR, a monitor of hotel occupancy rates, said in its December report. The news about hotel closures followed an announcement by leading United Arab Emirates investor Khalaf Al-Habtoor, who told Arabian Business that he was considering the sale of his hotels in Lebanon. On the same day, the Tourism Ministry launched a 50-day campaign of travel packages and shopping discounts to attract tourists, particularly from the Gulf Cooperation Council states, where travel bans have dissuaded many from traveling to Lebanon. The discount campaign would allow tourists to visit Lebanon for as low as $340 from some GCC destinations. Restaurants and retailers have pledged to support the campaign by offering discounts and set menus.Asked about the campaign, Achkar said he hoped it would somehow help the struggling sector but reiterated that prices had already been reduced. “We have been offering high discounts for many months, but given that airfares and other services are included in one package, we are hopeful that it will lure in some tourists,” he said.
But without resolving political differences among the Lebanese and those with GCC countries, little can be expected from the campaign, he added.

With a perfect storm, perfect failure
 January 10, 2013/By Michael Young/The Daily Star
The incompetence of the Lebanese state, it is true, is the result of decades of training. At no time was this more obvious than in recent days, as Lebanon has struggled with the devastation from a storm in the Eastern Mediterranean. With greater imagination, the leaders of March 14 might have legitimately demanded the government’s resignation for its shortcomings. The Mikati government has dealt with the effects of the storm with the same ineptitude as its predecessors. This is a default setting for the state, which waits until disasters happen before taking measures to address or alleviate the outcome.
It’s not as if we did not know ahead of time that the storm was coming. There were several days to take steps to prevent some of the worst consequences. It may be impossible to prevent the Litani River from flooding, but did the government plan ahead to prepare for more manageable contingencies? How is it that rescuers have not found a child lost Monday, Youssef Rakan Fadl? The search will be resumed tomorrow by a “specialized team” that has just arrived in Lebanon, we are told. In the interim, his family has been on its own.
Specialized or not, no team is likely to find alive a child who was swept away by the waters four days earlier. Where is Lebanon’s rapid response system? And if we do not have one, then isn’t it time to admit that we are no better than a third-rate state, one that should devote more time to improving governance than it does to ensuring that ministers have impunity and that their patrons are content?
Myriad pressures have been building. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says that some 180,000 Syrians are receiving assistance in Lebanon. This is potentially catastrophic for a country that fears a rise in salaries would undermine the national currency. Nor is it enough to attribute our woes to outdated or depleted infrastructure. What about all the roadwork during the 1990s? Our new highways are as likely to be flooded as older byways.
To make up for the abysmal tourist season, which forced many establishments to close down, the government has embarked on a campaign to encourage Lebanese and foreigners to make purchases in Lebanon’s stores. But why would tourists flock to Lebanon if the country cannot even clear streets of water after rainfall? The scheme is interesting: 50 percent reductions on items for 50 days. But as critics have argued, the tourists did not stay away from Lebanon in 2012 because prices were high. They didn’t come, because they were little reassured about the government’s ability to deal with crisis. Will the latest debacle persuade them otherwise?
Even those who support parties represented in the government hardly seem convinced. A television crew ventured into the disaster zone of Hay al-Sellom, in Beirut’s southern suburbs. There they met an old woman whose house had been flooded. She began by thanking Hezbollah for its help, before complaining of the poor response of the state. It was odd to hear her remarks, for what she really meant was that a government dominated by Hezbollah had done nothing for her, while the party itself had. It’s remarkable how easily people will distinguish between the two. But then a system that discourages any sense of official collective responsibility does that to you.
Have we ever seen a Lebanese minister accept blame for errors by his ministry? When the public works minister, Ghazi Aridi, says that the destruction in Hay al-Sellom was “due to the population in that area” who have built along the Al-Ghadir river, we must pause. Yes, the state is little respected in Hezbollah’s stronghold, so that if it were to warn against construction along the river, it would be ignored. But that doesn’t prevent the state from issuing such warnings publicly, to show that it has a better grasp of future realities than the population.
Nor is it a good idea for Aridi to blame the population for a natural catastrophe, especially when the state has taken no precautions to alleviate the worst of that catastrophe. Or indeed when the state, through its lamentable oversight over public works projects, has virtually ensured that the infrastructure in place to avert flooding is wholly inadequate. For instance, the Beirut-Jounieh highway was closed Tuesday. At best, the highway is a procession of lakes when there is rain, even though work on it remains unfinished.
The key to addressing storms like the one that just came through Lebanon is foresight. Certainly, one cannot expect the state to perform miracles. But when it comes to supervising and fixing man-made structures that are not performing as they must, then the state has a responsibility to act. More can be done to inform the public of likely problems ahead of time, and prepare contingency plans if these take place. And when manpower is insufficient, the emergency services must plan to collaborate with the Army.
One of the worst storms in Lebanon’s recent memory occurred in February 1983. At the time, the multinational forces had to free villagers trapped by snow in the area of Qartaba, and people died in their cars at Dahr al-Baydar. Little has changed in three decades. The state is still unprepared, its response mostly ad hoc and unsatisfactory, and the impact on the Lebanese far worse than it needs to be.
Najib Mikati is a respectable man, but if he deserves to resign, it is for his government’s deficiencies in what was a storm everyone expected and for which ministers should have been ready.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR. He tweets @BeirutCalling.

Lebanon parliamentary electoral body fails to resume talks
Now Lebanon/The parliamentary sub-committee studying which electoral law to adopt for Lebanon’s upcoming parliamentary elections failed to resume talks on Thursday evening after Change and Reform bloc MPs refused to join the session. Change and Reform bloc MPs Alain Aoun and Hagop Pakradounian had attended the Thursday morning session on the electoral law, but both skipped the evening session.Aoun told New TV that he “was suspending his participation in the sub-committee due to some MPs’ refusal to close and seal the session’s minutes.”Later in the day, the MP told OTV that he attended the morning session “in a positive spirit, but the discussions were [useless].”However, Future bloc MP Ahmad Fatfat said that “Aoun was very disruptive the entire [morning] meeting… and made demands on procedural matters as well as calling for ending the ongoing discussions,” the National News Agency reported. Lebanon Forces bloc MP Georges Adwan, in turn, said that “Aoun suggested that the sub-committee discuss only electoral laws… but we also needed to discuss the [distribution and number of MPs] in the next parliament, [which Aoun did not wish to discuss].”Members of the parliamentary sub-committee began on Tuesday their discussions on different draft laws in order to choose a proposal to replace the 1960 electoral law, with the country’s political circles divided over which law to adopt despite the cabinet’s approval in September of a draft law based on proportionality and 13 electoral districts.

FPM withdraws from discussion on new electoral law
January 10, 2013/By Wassim Mroueh, Dana Khraiche/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Free Patriotic Movement MP Alain Aoun suspended his participation in the subcommittee tasked with studying a new electoral law Thursday while some Christian lawmakers voiced fierce opposition to the Orthodox Gathering proposal. “I suspended my participation in protest at [lawmakers'] refusal to finalize the minutes of the meeting [and refer it to Parliament] in order to highlight the draft electoral laws that have been agreed on,” Aoun told reporters following the end of the session in Nejmeh Square.
MP Robert Ghanem, the chairman of the subcommittee, said he would finalize and send the minutes of the meeting to Parliament after the second round of Thursday’s session which is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m.
For the past three days, lawmakers debated three electoral proposals without reaching consensus on any of them. However, media reports said Thursday that voting took place inside the committee and that the Orthodox Gathering law was the only proposal that received majority of the votes.
The draft law, which has received the backing of most Christian parties including the FPM and the Lebanese Forces, sees Lebanon as one single district based on proportional representation with each sect electing its own MPs.
The Future parliamentary bloc, MP Walid Jumblatt’s party, and President Michel Sleiman have rejected the Orthodox proposal, arguing that such a law would strengthen sectarian divides in the country and allow for the rise of extremists.
Future bloc MP Ahmad Fatfat and Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan commented on Aoun’s suspension, with the former accusing the FPM lawmaker of disrupting the session.
During a chat with reporters, Fatfat said: “Alain Aoun requested that we finalize the minutes of the meeting immediately, refusing to discuss common issues among us. There was an intention to prevent any agreement and he disrupted the session.”
Adwan said that he and Kataeb MP Sami Gemayel attempted to convince Aoun to back down on his decision during a private meeting held between the three.
Meanwhile, some Christian lawmakers blasted the proposal by the Orthodox Gathering proposal, saying in a statement read by March 14 MP Butros Harb that it holds many dangers to the presence of Christians in Lebanon.
“We should be frank with the Lebanese that an electoral law that has each sect electing its own MP will topple the idea of partnership [between Muslim and Christians],” Harb said after a meeting between six lawmakers including MP Dori Chamoun along with eight other Christian figures.
Harb explained that such a law would create a division of power between Shiites, Sunnis and Christians as it would highlight the disparity in number among the sects.
Harb said the law would be “destructive to the Christian presence in Lebanon because it highlights the disparity in the number of Lebanese from each sect and so increases extremism, tearing up the sectarian fabric.”
“This draft law is not that of the Orthodox sect and the Maronite patriarchate did not adopt it,” Harb said.
Both the Future Movement and the Progressive Socialist Party renewed their opposition to the Orthodox Gathering draft law with Future MP Mohammad Qabbani describing it as a “new political system.”
“It is not a new law but it is a new political system that contradicts the constitution and coexistence,” Qabbani said during a news conference in Parliament.
“Our current internal system is based on the Taif Accord which has not been fully implemented therefore moving to a whole new system is not within the prerogative of a subcommittee and cannot be simply voted on during a normal legislative session,” he added.
Fatfat, Future bloc’s representative in the subcommittee, said Thursday that such a proposal is "aimed at inciting strife."
"There is no Christian consensus on that proposal and the president along with some Christian parties has rejected it," Fatfat told reporters before stepping into the subcommittee.
He also voiced his party's opposition to the proposal drafted by the Cabinet and discussed during Wednesday's session saying: "It is malicious without national values."
The Cabinet’s draft law divides Lebanon into 13 medium-sized districts based on proportional representation.
Both Future Movement and the PSP are against proportionality but have shown leniency when it comes to the March 14 coalition’s proposal, which divides Lebanon into 50 small districts based on a winner-takes-all system.
The draft law by the March 14 was discussed during Wednesday’s session amid fierce opposition from the Free Patriotic Movement and Hezbollah.
Speaking to reporters prior to the start of Thursday's session, Loyalty to the Resistance MP Ali Fayyad commented on President Michel Sleiman’s opposition to the Orthodox Gathering law.
"It is up to the president to reject the Orthodox Gathering law and it is a mistake to judge the work of the subcommittee now,” Fayyad said.
"That proposal received the highest level of support,” he added.
Media reports said Thursday that Jumblatt's MP Akram Shehayeb was the only lawmaker to vote in favor of the amended 1960s law during the sessions.
The law, amended during the Doha Accord, has been opposed by most of the country's parties.
U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly welcomed the parliamentary discussions on a new electoral law during his meetings with head of Future parliamentary bloc MP Fouad Siniora and Speaker Nabih Berri.
"I warmly welcomed the discussions that are now taking place between the representatives of the different political parties, at the Speaker’s initiative, on the electoral law and underscored the importance of the elections taking place on time in line with Lebanon’s constitutional requirements," Plumbly told reporters after his meeting with Berri.
He added that he also discussed a range of issues in both of these meeting including the ongoing conflict in Syria and its impact on Lebanon, in particular with regard to refugees.

Some March 14 Christians reject Orthodox vote plan
January 10, 2013/By Hussein Dakroub The Daily Star
Lebanese Water and Energy Minister Jibran Bassil, left, lawmaker Robert Ghanem, center, and lawmaker Hikmat Dib, attend a parliament session in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday Sept. 15, 2011.
BEIRUT: The controversial Orthodox proposal drew more fire from March 14 Christian politicians Wednesday, casting doubts on adopting it in this year’s polls, as rival March 8 and March 14 lawmakers held yet another round of talks on a new electoral law.
In addition to President Michel Sleiman’s pledge to challenge the Orthodox proposal, which calls for every sect to elect its own MPs in this year’s crucial parliamentary elections, Wednesday saw an outpouring of statements, mainly by March 14 Christian politicians rejecting the proposal, with some saying it threatened the presence of Christians in Lebanon.
The lawmakers from the Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance and the rival March 14 coalition, part of a parliamentary subcommittee tasked with studying a new electoral law, debated Wednesday morning a draft law put forward by the March 14 Christian parties that would divide Lebanon into 50 small districts under a winner-takes-all system, a day after examining the Orthodox proposal.
The MPs also held an evening session where they mulled the Cabinet’s draft electoral law, which has been rejected outright by the opposition March 14 coalition. The Cabinet’s draft law is based on a proportional representation system with 13 medium-sized electoral districts.
During the parliamentary subcommittee’s morning session, chaired by March 14 MP Robert Ghanem, March 8 MPs rejected the proposal for 50 small electoral districts.
Hezbollah’s MP Ali Fayyad said the 1960 law used in the 2009 elections is worse than the 50-district draft law. He said his party and the Amal Movement rejected the 50-district draft law.
“The 50-district draft law is rejected in form and substance. The 1960 law is worse than the 50-district formula,” Fayyad told reporters after the morning session held amid tight security in Parliament. He stressed the need for an election law that can safeguard sectarian coexistence.
MP Alain Aoun from the Free Patriotic Movement voiced a similar view. “The [50-district] law is not designed to serve the interests of Christians but the interests of specific political parties,” he told reporters, in a clear reference to the FPM’s Christian rivals, the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb Party.
Aoun, whose party strongly supported the Orthodox electoral proposal, described the subcommittee’s discussions as “frank and serious,” saying that the divisive issues are related to partnership and sectarian coexistence in the country. Ghanem said an election law was one of the pillars of national reconciliation in the country that reflected sectarian coexistence. “I can confirm that all the parties without exception are making their efforts so that we can come up with proposals acceptable to all without excluding any segment of the society.”
Future bloc MP Ahmad Fatfat, a subcommittee member whose bloc has rejected both the government’s proportional representation draft law and the Orthodox proposal, voiced doubts that the Orthodox draft would gain Christian unanimity.
Referring to Sleiman and March 14 politicians who have rejected the Orthodox proposal, Fatfat said: “Are those who are opposing the Orthodox proposal Christians? There is a group [of Christian figures] whose opinions should be taken into account. Therefore, will this [Orthodox] draft law gain Christian unanimity or not?”
MP Akram Shehayeb, a subcommittee member who belongs to Druze leader Walid Jumblatt’s parliamentary bloc, said the Progressive Socialist Party was ready to discuss an electoral majority system, reiterating opposition to proportional representation.
“We still support the 1960 law formulated in Doha,” Shehayeb told reporters in Parliament, referring to the amended 1960 law that was agreed on in the Doha Accord in 2008 and used in the 2009 polls. “But we are ready to discuss any proposal that is based on a winner-takes-all system.”
Kataeb MP Sami Gemayel, a subcommittee member, said he expected the lawmakers to wrap up the discussions Friday unless new proposals are put forward.
Gemayel’s Kataeb Party along with the Lebanese Forces, and their Christian rivals, MP Michel Aoun’s FPM and Zghorta MP Sleiman Franjieh’s Marada Movement, have voiced full support for the Orthodox Gathering’s proposal. The unprecedented Christian consensus has raised the stakes of the Orthodox proposal.
However, the proposal has come under fire by Sleiman, the parliamentary Future bloc, Jumblatt and some March 14 Christian politicians.
They argue that such a law would strengthen sectarian divides in the country and allow for the rise of extremists.
In remarks published Wednesday, Sleiman vowed to challenge the Orthodox proposal because it contravened with the Constitution.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati also voiced concerns over the proposal, saying it would eliminate equal power sharing between Muslims and Christians in the country and open the way for a tripartite system.
Addressing a Cabinet meeting he chaired at the Grand Serail, Mikati said the parliamentary elections, scheduled in early June, would be held on time.
He defended the Cabinet’s proportional representation draft law: “We believe that this draft law can achieve its basic aim of [ensuring] a true representation for all groups ... However, we are open to all suggestions in order to produce an election law on which the Lebanese agree.”
Deputy Speaker Farid Makari, who was supposed to chair the parliamentary subcommittee, lashed out at the Orthodox proposal, labeling it as an “unforgivable sin.”
While acknowledging the Christian parties which have supported the Orthodox proposal, Makari, a Greek Orthodox, said: “But there is a large spectrum of Christians, including independent politicians or members of other parties, who do not support this draft law.”
March 14 MP Butros Harb said he had told Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai that he rejected the Orthodox proposal and the proportional representation system.
“The Orthodox Gathering’s proposal threatens the unity of Lebanon and the Christian presence and the Christians’ effective role in it,” Harb said in a statement.
Also Wednesday, the Maronite bishops called for a new election law to replace the 1960 law which was based on a winner-takes-all system. They also reiterated the call for the formation of a new Cabinet to oversee the parliamentary elections.

Tension between grand mufti and Future Movement hits Akkar
January 10, 2013/By Antoine Amrieh The Daily Star
TRIPOLI, Lebanon: The confrontation between Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani and the Future Movement has reached Akkar, as Sunni MPs from the area lashed out Wednesday against Qabbani’s recent appointment of a new mufti who is seen as opposed to the group. Earlier this week, Qabbani selected Sheikh Mohammad Zayd Bakkar Zakaria as mufti of Akkar. He also appointed new muftis to Tyre and Baalbek-Hermel: Sheikh Midrar Habbal and Sheikh Ayman Rifai. Sheikh Osama Rifai served as the mufti of Akkar until December 2011, when Qabbani – whose ties with the Future Movement are strained – decided not to renew Rifai’s term. Rifai is close to the Future Movement, which is the most popular political group in Akkar. Akkar has been without a mufti since Qabbani’s decision.
Qabbani’s relationship with the Future Movement has been deteriorating for two years. Last November, he called for elections to the Higher Islamic Council the following month, a move opposed by 21 members of the 32-person body. The 21 members, who are close to the Future Movement, believe that the mufti should have consulted the council before calling for polls. Convening under former Minister Omar Miskawi, they met in December and extended their own term for one year. It is Qabbani’s view that the council is now acting as a caretaker. The grand mufti originally backed off of his decision, but then called for elections in February. The Higher Islamic Council is the highest Sunni administrative body and organizes the affairs of Dar al-Fatwa. While the appointment of Zakaria was welcomed by opponents of Rifai and the Future Movement, a group of Sunni Future Movement MPs from Akkar criticized Qabbani’s decision in a Wednesday statement. MPs Khaled Daher, Mouin Merhebi and Khaled Zahraman said that they had been awaiting a positive outcome from a meeting of former prime ministers meant to defuse tension in the Sunni community earlier in the week, “particularly given the bickering and problems that resulted from the grand mufti’s unilateral decision to call for elections to the Higher Islamic Council.”Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the former prime ministers have not yet responded to amendments Qabbani made to a plan they suggested to end the electoral dispute.
“At a time when people are revolting and tens of thousands of martyrs are falling for the sake of freedom, the grand mufti has hijacked a decision that should be made by the sect and played the role of a dictator in the first democratic country in the Arab world,” they said. The lawmakers called for electors to vote for Sunni posts, saying Qabbani’s appointments were aimed at “inciting strife in Islamic society.”

Catholic bishops slam Israel's West Bank barrier

Now LebanonlA delegation of Roman Catholic bishops from Europe and North America pledged on Thursday to press their governments to act against the "injustice" of Israel's West Bank separation barrier.
During a three-day trip ending on Thursday, the eight prelates visited Christian congregations in the Gaza Strip, Bethlehem, the West Bank town of Beit Jalla and Madaba and Zarqa, in neighboring Jordan.
"In the Cremisan Valley we heard about legal struggles to protect local people’s lands and religious institutions from the encroachment of the security barrier ('the wall')," they said in a joint statement at the end of the annual Holy Land Coordination visit.
In the valley, near Bethlehem, the barrier threatens to separate Palestinian communities from one another and from the land they till.
"We promise to continue urging our respective governments to act to prevent this injustice," they wrote.
For more than a century, the Christian community of Beit Jalla has cultivated the valley, known for vineyards run by Catholic monks from the Salesian order that provide wine to churches throughout the Holy Land.
But the route of Israel's controversial separation barrier will soon cut them off from the valley, placing it on the Israeli side and out of their reach—a route residents say was designed to grab their land.
Locals say the barrier is part of a long-standing Israeli attempt to annex territory belonging to the southern West Bank town of Bethlehem, effectively separating it from Jerusalem, which is five kilometers away.
Israel began work on the barrier in 2002 at the height of the second intifada, and has defended its necessity, pointing to a drop in attacks as proof of its success.
The Palestinians says the barrier is a land grab, pointing out that when complete, 85 percent of it will have been built inside the West Bank.
The International Court of Justice ruled in a non-binding 2004 decision that parts of the barrier built inside the West Bank were illegal and should be torn down, but Israel has not complied.
Mandated by the Vatican, the annual Holy Land Coordination mission is tasked with examining issues and challenges facing the Catholic Church in a region marked by political and religious tensions.

Death is better than silence – Malala’s father

By Umer Farooq
Islamabad, Asharq Al-Awsat – Zia-ud-din Yousafzai, father of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who was severely injured in an assassination attempt by the Taliban last year, stressed that his daughter will continue to work for the cause of girls’ education in Pakistan. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat via telephone from London, Yousafzai said “Malala’s recovery is our first concern right now”, refusing to divulge further information about his daughter’s health status after he had been advised by the Pakistani and British government to avoid talking to the media before Malala is fully recovered.
Malala Yousafzai was shot by Pakistani Taliban last year in Swat Valley, where she had campaigned for girls’ education at a time when the region was still under the control of Taliban militants. Malala first came to prominence as an 11-year old when she wrote a diary for BBC Urdu giving an account of how her school in Mingora town dealt with the Taliban’s 2009 edict closing girls’ schools. She began to gain national and international fame after Desmond Tutu announced her nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize. She was also awarded Pakistan’s first National Youth Peace Prize. Due to her increasing fame and activism on behalf of girls’ education in Pakistan, the Taliban took the decision to assassinate the 15-year old girl, saying she was “promoting secularism.”
Malala was shot by a Taliban gunman on 9 October, 2012 as she rode home on a bus in Pakistan’s Swat valley. She was initially treated in Pakistan where surgeons removed a bullet that had entered just above her left eye. She was then flown to the UK where she has received special treatment at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital. University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust Dr. Dave Rosser said “Malala is a strong young woman and has worked hard with the people caring for her to make excellent progress in her recovery.”
In Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai, and particularly the failed assassination attempt against her, has generated intense debate in the media, with the majority of Pakistan’s media supporting her brave stance. Despite this, a tiny minority of Pakistan’s domestic media have attempted to portray her as being pro-American. Since her shooting, Malala has become an international figure and was selected as runner-up for Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2012. There have also been calls for Malala to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
For his part, Press Minister at the Pakistani High Commission in London, Shabir Anwar, informed Asharq Al-Awsat that the government of Pakistan has advised Zia-ud-din Yousafzai and his family not to talk to the media before the end of February when British doctors are scheduled to carry out skull reconstructive surgery on Malala.
He said “We gave him this advice because the government thinks that any negative publicity in the media will have negative implications for Malala’s health”, perhaps explaining Yousafzai’s evasiveness during the Asharq Al-Awsat interview.
As for when Malala could return to Pakistan, Yousafzai said “I can’t say anything at this stage…her recovery is our first concern right now” adding “she will continue her work and there can be no doubt about this”.
Commenting on Malala’s spirits following surgery in London, Yousafzai told Asharq Al-Awsat “she has been talking to her brothers and mother and me” before asserting, once more, that he was not sure when the family would be returning to Pakistan.
As for whether he supports his daughter’s activism, Yousafzai revealed that he is no stranger to activism and had even taken part in environmental activism in the past. He informed Asharq Al-Awsat that before foreign militants entered Swat valley and distrusted its peace, he had been active in campaigning to stop the deforestation of the valley, in addition to protesting against rising pollution in the region.
Regarding what caused him to move from environmental campaigning to political activism, Yousafzai said “they [the militants] started to burn down our schools, attack our mosques, and attack our funeral and weddings ceremonies; the lives of the people of Swat were threatened. After that, we were left with no other choice but to raise our voice against them”.
He stressed “there are people who choose to remain silent, but I think if you have a tongue in your mouth and a heart in your chest, then death is better than silence.”
The Pakistani government recently announced the appointment of Zia-ud-din Yousafzai as education attaché in a Pakistani consulate in Birmingham, England, where his daughter is recovering from gunshot wounds received to her head and neck. The Pakistani government announced that Yousafzai will function as head of the consulate’s education section for a period of three years. However Pakistani officials in London have informed Asharq Al-Awsat that Yousafzai is yet to take up his duties.
In a statement made last November, Zia-ud-din Yousafzai, said the family “deeply feels the heart-touching good wishes of the people across the world of all castes, colours and creed” adding “I am awfully thankful to all the peace-loving well-wishers who strongly condemned the assassination on Malala, who pray for her health, and support the grand cause of peace, education, freedom of thought and freedom of expression.”
Malala was awarded the Simone de Beauvoir Prize for Women’s Freedom on Wednesday. In an impassioned speech after accepting the award on behalf of his daughter, Zia-ud-din Yousafzai said “she [Malala] fell but Pakistan stood up. And the whole word, north, south, east and west, supported her.” He stressed that “God protected her and protected the cause of humanity and education.”
Yousafzai called on the Pakistani Taliban to “learn from this incident” asserting “they should come to talks and to peace and humanity.”
Zia-ud-din Yousafzai has primarily worked in the field of education and previously ran a private school in Pakistan’s Swat valley. Asharq Al-Awsat visited this school in 2009 and conducted an interview with him, whilst following this period Swat valley was recaptured by Pakistani military. During this interview, Yousafzai expressed fears that the Taliban could carry out targeted killing in Swat valley, even if it was technically under the control of the Pakistani military. His fears became a reality after Taliban started carrying out targeted killing in the region, including targeting his own daughter.


The Butcher of Damascus opera

By Hussein Shabokshi/Asharq Alawsat
The Barber of Seville" is considered one of the world’s most foremost operas. This story was written by French playwright Pierre Beaumarchais and then developed into an opera by Italian composer Rossini. However, political history has witnessed a new use of the opera house. Where once these stages served as the home of fine arts and grand performances, the opera house has now become a place for slander and defamation, as witnessed in Bashar al-Assad’s most recent speech. In fact, this was not the first time that Bashar al-Assad has desecrated a stage as prestigious as that of the Damascus Opera House, for he did this previously when he delivered a similar speech at Damascus University.
In any case, al-Assad’s most recent speech was prepared with great care and attention to detail. This speech was clearly directed at the west, particularly as it preceded the Putin-Obama summit to discuss the adoption of Brahimi's initiative and the Geneva agreement regarding the transitional period in Syria. Thus, al-Assad sought to put forward a carefully prepared "portrait" of himself and his regime to serve as mental vision prior to that vital summit. An opera house is a place designed with acoustics in mind, being constructed from materials that should help produce significant audial resonance and therefore transmit exaggeratedly loud sounds. As a result of this, any sounds of cheering, clapping and applause were magnified. Similarly, al-Assad’s audience was very carefully selected to reflect the mosaic of Syrian society, with all its different backgrounds, sects and classes. Al-Assad’s audience included veiled women (to reflect the Islamic religious trend), as well as figures wearing traditional Arab headdress (to reflect the tribal presence) in addition to army officers, youths, students and retirees; all of whom enthusiastically applauded and cheered the speech.
Bashar al-Assad entered the carefully prepared stage where even the lighting was calculated. Whilst the huge screen behind him showed pictures of what he claimed were victims of the violence in Syria, with these pictures forming a mosaic depicting the Syrian flag. Of course, his speech was continually interrupted by over-the-top applause and hysterical cheering before ending with the audience conducting a mad rush to the stage to hug and kiss the Syrian president, in scenes more reminiscent of a rock concert!
Of course, al-Assad’s rhetoric and oratorical style remained unchanged with the Syrian president continuing to make the most slanderous accusations against the rebels and even denying the existence of a revolution. He said that a revolution must have conditions, thinkers, tools and targets before it can be called a revolution, as if he were ordering from a menu! Al-Assad continued to adopt the discourse of denial and impossible demands, placing impossible conditions on everyone except himself and his criminal regime. He even, hilariously, called for “dialogue’ with the opposition, which is something that nobody can accept or even take seriously. Many people doubted that this speech was broadcast "live", as claimed on the screen, particularly as Damascus’s roads had been shut down since the early hours of the day. Even Reuters said that it doubted that the speech was broadcast live, adding that this speech was most likely pre-recorded and then broadcast at a later time. Bashar al-Assad is continuing the rule of his father Hafez al-Assad; he is utilizing the same discourse, reflecting a practical embodiment of the ideas of Hafez al-Assad, namely either he remains as president or he will burn the country to the ground.
This is a "doctrine", not a policy. The Syrian president and those around him are completely convinced that Syria is al-Assad and al-Assad is Syria and that there is therefore no way to talk to one without the other. There were also certain statements and words in Bashar al-Assad's speech that contained implicit signals and messages. He thanked all his allies, from the Shabiha militia to the states and institutions that have backed him. He also stressed that Syria is “united”, as if suggesting that division is on the horizon and will indeed be forcibly imposed by a regime that will cling onto power until the last Syrian citizen has been killed.
Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein were two tyrants and killers who in their final days appeared standing before thugs and supporters to convince the world that they were in control of the situation and enjoyed popular support. However they seemed to have forgotten that their status was closer to that of the Titanic whose captain and officers refused to acknowledge the gravity of the catastrophe even as the ship was sinking!
Bashar al-Assad's theatrical and operatic speech was not only full of comic material, it is something that will one day be studied by students of psychology and government. This is because al-Assad’s state of denial, as exhibited in this speech, is completely unprecedented. Therefore the new opera on the scene is called the “Butcher of Damascus”, remember it well!

Question: "God vs. Satan - if God is all-powerful, why does He not just kill Satan?"
GotQuestions.org
Answer: One of the mysteries of the Christian life is why God didn’t destroy Satan immediately after Satan sinned. We know that God will one day defeat Satan by throwing him into the Lake of Fire where he will be tortured day and night forever (Revelation 20:10), but sometimes we wonder why God has not destroyed Satan already. Perhaps we will never know God’s exact reasoning, but we do know certain things about His nature.
First, we know God is absolutely sovereign over all creation, and this includes Satan. Certainly, Satan and his demons wreak havoc in the world, but they are only allowed a certain amount of freedom. We also know that God has planned everything from the beginning of time to the end. Nothing can thwart His plans, and things are proceeding exactly on schedule. “The LORD of hosts has sworn: ‘As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand’” (Isaiah 14:24).
Second, “we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Whatever God has planned for Satan, that plan will be the best one possible. God’s perfect wrath and justice will be satisfied, and His perfect righteousness will be glorified. Those who love Him and who wait for His plan to be fulfilled will be thrilled to be part of that plan and will praise and glorify Him as they see it unfold.
Third, we know that to question God’s plan and its timing is to question God Himself, His judgment, His character and His very nature. It is not wise to question His right to do exactly as He pleases. The psalmist tells us, “As for God, His way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30). Whatever plan comes from the mind of the Almighty is the best plan possible. It is true that we can’t expect to understand that mind perfectly, as He reminds us, “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ says the LORD. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Nevertheless, our responsibility to God is to obey Him, to trust Him, and to submit to His will, whether we understand it or not. In the case of His timing for Satan’s demise, it has to be the best possible plan because it is God’s plan.