LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
January 18/2013

Bible Quotation for today/The Rich Man and Lazarus
Luke 16/19-31: “There was once a rich man who dressed in the most expensive clothes and lived in great luxury every day.  There was also a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who used to be brought to the rich man's door,  hoping to eat the bits of food that fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs would come and lick his sores.  The poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the feast in heaven. The rich man died and was buried, and in Hades, where he was in great pain, he looked up and saw Abraham, far away, with Lazarus at his side. So he called out, ‘Father Abraham! Take pity on me, and send Lazarus to dip his finger in some water and cool off my tongue, because I am in great pain in this fire!’  But Abraham said, ‘Remember, my son, that in your lifetime you were given all the good things, while Lazarus got all the bad things. But now he is enjoying himself here, while you are in pain.  Besides all that, there is a deep pit lying between us, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, nor can anyone cross over to us from where you are.’  The rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, father Abraham, send Lazarus to my father's house,  where I have five brothers. Let him go and warn them so that they, at least, will not come to this place of pain.’  Abraham said, ‘Your brothers have Moses and the prophets to warn them; your brothers should listen to what they say.’  The rich man answered, ‘That is not enough, father Abraham! But if someone were to rise from death and go to them, then they would turn from their sins.’  But Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone were to rise from death.’”

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
 Has the American empire struck out/By Michael Young /The Daily Star/January 18/13

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for January 18/13
Al Qaeda threatens to blow up Algerian gas field with hostages
France in Mali fights the unfinished Libyan War
 French ground troops in close-quarter combat with Islamists
Electoral Subcommittee to Meet Monday to Allow Talks on Draft Law that Combines Two Election Systems
 Berri proposes new, hybrid vote law draft
Berri: Efforts Underway to Reach Agreement on Electoral Law to Hold Elections on Time
 Lawmakers to launch consultations over electoral law
LF, Kataeb employ electoral tactics
The steady drumbeat of civilian activism
Oil prospects off Lebanese coast can reduce energy imports
Qortbawi defends Orthodox Gathering proposal
 President Michel Suleiman Expresses Openness to Variations to Proportional Representation System in Electoral Law
 Amin Gemayel: We're Not Maneuvering over Orthodox Gathering Law, Meddling in Syria Conflict Imports War to Beirut
Majdalani: Freeze licenses of illegal-medicine importers
 FSA Resumes Mediation on Kidnapped Pilgrims, Saqr Says Hizbullah Disapproves a Release via Hariri
 Miqati Urges Politicians to Be Reasonable, Says Electoral Law Takes Lebanon to Shores of Safety
 Roknabadi Says Iran Wants to Isolate Lebanon from Syria's Turmoil
 U.N. experts, Iran begin talks on nuclear probe
Netanyahu drives record settlement expansion: NGO
Lebanese designers outfit red carpet stars
Attacks erupt in Iraq, leaving 24 dead
Asharq Al-Awsat interview: Arab League Sec-Gen Nabil Elaraby
 Blasts compound Syria misery
World Bank revises downward real GDP growth
Netanyahu to Obama: Only Israel Knows Its Own Best Interests
 Morsi Says Remarks on 'Zionists' Taken Out of Context

 A friend in need is a friend indeed
Elias Bejjani/16.01.13/In these days of individuality and the "I" and "Me" mentality and education it is very difficult to find genuine friends. Why is that? Simply because every thing in our fast pace life including friendship is sadly calculated in accordance to materialestic standards and in general based on personal gains and loses. What is in it for me? a statement we oftenly hear and it tells the whole story of selfishness and opportunism. But still one can tell who really cares about him in critical and tough situations because "A friend in need is a friend indeed. Meanwhile Inside every one of us there is an emotional mental sensor or let say an antenna that tells us who is an actual friend and who is not, and who actually cares about us and who does not. In this context Helen Keller states: "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt by the heart.". This is so true, BUT unfortunately loving and caring people with good intentions and pure hearts can be easily deceived. In conclusion we have to be who we and what others wants us to be and never lose hope because: "doom is sure to come for those who lose their hope. Trust the Lord, and he will help you. Walk straight in his ways, and put your hope in him. (Sirach 02)

Electoral Subcommittee to Meet Monday to Allow Talks on Draft Law that Combines Two Election Systems
Naharnet/The electoral subcommittee suspended on Wednesday its meetings in order to allow political factions to hold consultations on a draft law that combines two election systems.
Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan announced: “The electoral subcommittee will resume meetings on Monday to allow for consultations on the proposal that combines the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems.”He made his statement after a meeting for the subcommittee at parliament, which included opposition MPs Robert Ghanem, Ahmed Fatfat, Serge Torsakissian, Free Patriotic Movement MP Alain Aoun, Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Ali Fayyad, and Phalange Party MP Sami Gemayel.Adwan added: “We are in a race against time to hold the elections on time.”
He revealed that next week's subcommittee meetings will be the last, stating that Wednesday's talks were “fruitful and positive.”
“We cannot, under any excuse, return to the 1960 law or fail to hold the elections,” Adwan said.“We seek consensus among all sides over an electoral law on condition that this consensus lead to holding the elections on time and with a new law,” stressed the lawmaker. Aoun later stated that there can be no backing down from the Orthodox Gathering law.
“We are open to discussion that would grant the same representation that is offered by this law,” he remarked.
For his part, Gemayel urged Speaker Nabih Berri to call the joint parliamentary committees to session in order to tackle the uncontentious articles of electoral draft laws.
Torsarkissian then criticized the Orthodox Gathering proposal, noting: “We have to first address Lebanon's structure and composition before adopting such a law.”
“The powers ruling the country, including Premier Najib Miqati, have voiced their concerns over the Orthodox Gathering proposal,” he stated.
The Orthodox Gathering draft law calls for each sect to elect its own lawmakers.
The proposal enjoys the support of the Christian four-party committee comprised of the Phalange Party, FPM, Marada Movement, and Lebanese Forces.
The draft law was criticized by President Michel Suleiman, Miqati, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat, the Mustaqbal Movement, March 14 Independent Christian leaders and several other figures.
The cabinet approved in August a draft electoral law based on proportional representation and 13 districts.It was rejected by Jumblat and the March 14-led opposition, which deemed it as being tailored to the March 8 camp's interests.

LF, Kataeb employ electoral tactics
January 17, 2013/By Mirella Hodeib
The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Although many consider it a tactical move, the backing of a controversial electoral draft law by the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb Party has widened a schism in the eight-year old March 14 alliance.
“It’s obvious that we are facing a real crisis here,” said Samir Franjieh, a former MP and one of the founding fathers of the alliance, who argues that a new political landscape is emerging in Lebanon.
“Within March 14, the debate currently revolves around fundamental and systemic matters and this is where the crisis, which is actually a serious one, stems from,” he added.
The Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb Party staggered their allies in March 14 when they voiced unequivocal support for a draft electoral law devised by a group of Orthodox figures.
The so-called Orthodox Gathering Proposal stipulates that each sect elect its own lawmakers through proportional representation, with Lebanon considered a single electoral district.
The draft has also won the backing of the pillars of the March 8 alliance, including the Free Patriotic Movement, the Marada Movement and their allies, the Shiite duo Hezbollah and the Amal Movement.
Proponents of the proposal maintain that contrary to the winner-takes-all law – commonly referred to as the 1960 law and according to which the 2009 polls were conducted – the Orthodox formula guarantees maximum representation for Christians, who will have a greater say in choosing their representatives.
But the Future Movement and independent Christian figures in March 14 argue that the controversial draft law is unconstitutional and would deepen sectarian divisions in the country.
A senior source from the March 14 alliance who wished to remain anonymous told The Daily Star that the LF and Kataeb’s endorsement of the Orthodox proposal was part of a “tactical strategy” to ensure better representation in a new Parliament. According to the source, both parties still support a draft law the LF originally proposed and the rest of March 14 later endorsed after much deliberation. In this “small-districts proposal,” Lebanon would be divided into 50 small districts, with each district receiving two or three seats. The source argued that the LF and the Kataeb made an “extreme” choice by backing the Orthodox proposal as a maneuvering technique to garner more MPs. “Whether it’s the Orthodox proposal or small districts, they [LF and Kataeb] they don’t care; they just want more MPs,” added the source. “All means are legitimate to serve that purpose.”
Yet the source expressed discontent with the “tactics” of the two most influential March 14 Christian groups, saying the LF and the Kataeb “favored purely sectarian interests at the expense of those of the alliance they are part of.”“Even the LF and the Kataeb’s endorsement of the Orthodox proposal was a tactical move; it was highly costly for the March 14 coalition as a whole,” said the source.
Fadia Kiwan, the head of the Political Science Department at Saint Joseph University (USJ), believes that the Orthodox proposal was intended to “test the intentions” of various groups regarding a new electoral law.
“I don’t think the Orthodox proposal will be adopted,” she said. “The Orthodox proposal is being strongly promoted to pressure March 14 into finding alternatives to the 1960 law.”
Mohammad Shatah, an adviser to Future Movement leader and former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, accused the March 8 alliance of working on creating divisions among allies in the March 14.
He added that Hezbollah and the FPM were “sugar coating” the real motives behind the Orthodox proposal by publicizing the belief that it ensures fairer representation for Christians. But in reality, Shatah continued, the proposal would have detrimental repercussions on unity and coexistence in Lebanon.
“Hezbollah and the FPM want to instigate strife within the March 14 forces and instigate appalling sectarian sentiments,” he said.
Kiwan maintained that splits that surfaced among the March 14 as a result of the debate on the new electoral law clearly denote that the Future Movement has refused that its influence or authority within March 14 be breached.
“This whole debate showed us that there is no real parity between Christians and Muslims and that other sects including the Sunnis, the Shiites and the Druze chose the majority of Christian lawmakers,” she said.
The analyst, who is convinced that the 2013 parliamentary polls will not be held on time due to the situation in the region, argued that if elections were carried out, they would take place according to an “amended” version of the electoral law proposal submitted by the Cabinet of Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
Frowned upon by the March 14 alliance as well as by Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt, the Cabinet’s law is proportional representation-based and divides Lebanon into 13 electoral districts.
The Cabinet’s draft law is also considered the brainchild of President Michel Sleiman, who opposes the Orthodox proposal.
“In the end, if elections are to take place,” said Kiwan, “an amended version of the Cabinet’s draft law, one that would please Jumblatt and March 14, will be adopted.”
But Kiwan, who admitted that discord within March 14 was becoming more and more tangible, is not of the opinion that the demise of the alliance is nearing.
Franjieh and Shatah agree with her assessment. Although he said that the future of the coalition is at stake, Franjieh pointed out that divisions within March 14 are of “ideological rather than sectarian nature.”
As opposed to LF and Kataeb lawmakers, Franjieh, Batroun MP Butros Harb and other independent Christian figures of the March 14 have launched vehement attacks against the Orthodox proposal.
Shatah, for his part, said the Orthodox law stands against the “secular principles” of the Future Movement and March 14.
Echoing Shatah, Franjieh said that the new political landscape emerging in Lebanon requires all groups to rethink their positions. “The future of the March 14 coalition is really hard to predict at this moment,” he added. “But if sectarian interests are going to take over, the principles upon which the coalition was established will cease to exist.”

Amin Gemayel: We're Not Maneuvering over Orthodox Gathering Law, Meddling in Syria Conflict Imports War to Beirut
Naharnet/Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel on Wednesday stressed that his party is not “maneuvering” by throwing its support behind the electoral law proposed by the Orthodox Gathering, warning that any Lebanese involvement in the Syrian conflict would bring the war to the streets of Beirut, Tripoli and Sidon. “We're not maneuvering concerning the Orthodox Gathering law and we don't do anything we're not convinced of. We're insisting on it and there is a debate in parliament and if anyone proposes a better law that receives the broadest Lebanese approval, no one will reject that,” Gemayel said in an interview on al-Manar television. Asked about the issue of stalled national dialogue, Gemayel said: “We reiterate that we will not reject any dialogue call from the president because we believe that communication is necessary.” “Dialogue is better than anything else and better than barricades and it is necessary and we must carry on with it,” Gemayel added.
And as he noted that “some parties are meddling in the Syrian revolution,” Gemayel warned that such an involvement “does not serve Lebanon's interest, because the population is divided and any involvement would import the Syrian conflict to Beirut's streets and we must avoid an inter-Lebanese war.” Asked about the postponement of March 14 general-secretariat's meeting for a second consecutive week, Gemayel said: “The Phalange Party is not to blame for this at all. We have announced that we will join its meetings and if the general-secretariat is not meeting you must ask someone else.”Separately, Gemayel noted that his relation with Prime Minister Najib Miqati is “excellent.”

President Michel Suleiman Expresses Openness to Variations to Proportional Representation System in Electoral Law
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman stated on Wednesday his support for the proportional representation system for a new parliamentary electoral law.He expressed his “openness” to the adoption of an electoral law that combines the winner-takes-all and proportion representation systems.He made his remarks during a speech before members of various Lebanese consular missions.“We cannot devise a law other than proportional representation that is better suited for Lebanon,” he added.The president noted however that he is open to discussions over altering a draft law based on proportional representation in a hope that in the future a law based strictly on this system would be adopted.“Proportional representation is important in that it eliminates unilateral approaches by sects and instead creates diversity among them,” explained Suleiman.
“Other proposed electoral laws do not offer such an outcome, but they create diversity among certain sects,” he said.“Lebanon is built on diversity and it is very hard for the older generations to grow accustomed to ideas they are not familiar with,” he stated.Discussion over a new electoral law have been taken place at an electoral subcommittee that resumed its meetings last week.Its next session is set for Monday. Until that date, the various political powers have been tasked with studying a draft law proposal based on the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems.A Christian four-party committee, comprised of the Phalange Party, Marada Movement, Free Patriotic Movement, and Lebanese Forces, had advocated the adoption of the Orthodox Gathering proposal for the parliamentary elections, but Suleiman had rejected the suggestion.

The steady drumbeat of civilian activism
January 17, 2013 / By Marlin Dick/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: For many civilian activists and supporters of Syria’s uprising, the daily dose of media coverage of the 22-month-old conflict has become more of a curse than a blessing.
They take regular aim at outlets such as Syrian state television and the pro-regime private station Al-Dunya, using social media to expose what they say are blatant falsehoods and other misrepresentations of the actions of rebel fighters and civilian activists.
But supporters of the uprising are equally unhappy with the supposedly “pro-revolution” satellite giants Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya.
“All they do is focus on violence,” one activist, who declined to be identified, told The Daily Star. “This doesn’t help things, because it drowns everything else out, such as the the fact that this is a mass uprising with wide support among the population.”
Activists also complain that Western media outlets have spent months focusing on the theme: “Islamists have hijacked the Syrian uprising.”
“It’s Nusra Front, Nusra Front, all the time,” the activist said, referring to the hard-line Islamist rebel group that has taken a key role in battles against regime forces in several parts of the country.
But the activists themselves are to blame for some of the media’s focus on violence, since their own, homemade videos offer a heavy dose of military operations and their repercussions.
An average of nearly 1,000 YouTube videos about Syria are posted each day, based on 2012 figures which saw more than 350,000 such items uploaded.
The footage that is produced every day features battlefields, mass graves, rescuing severely wounded people, destroyed buildings, and a whole range of purported atrocities committed by the regime and the rebels.
But as the uprising approaches its two year mark in mid-March, the non-violent side of the struggle in Syria continues in the form of near-daily propaganda efforts, relief campaigns, and media activities.
The Local Coordinating Committees, one of the most industrious grassroots activist networks, puts out a bi-monthly publication, one of many anti-regime informal media outlets that have emerged since March 2011.
The latest issue of “We’re Headed for Freedom” (Tala’na ‘al-Hurriya) features articles on sectarianism and the role of the Kurds, with one of the issue’s 20 pages in Kurdish.
There is an article on the role of intellectuals in the uprising, written in down-to-earth, accessible fashion. It stresses the need to accept what leading thinkers say about the uprising, even if one disagrees with them – and ideally respond with a counter-argument instead of slander and name-calling.
The cover article is an interview with a leader from the Nusra Front, conducted by an LCC activist who presses the Islamist fighter on the group’s attitude toward religious minorities, and its political objectives in the event the regime collapses.
The issue’s editorial, written by Laila Safadi, takes the exiled political opposition to task for a series of failures.
“The sad thing is that these leaders might consider their political failure to be excusable, but they don’t seem to be doing any better in other areas,” Safadi wrote, referring to the Syrian National Council and its successor body, the National Coalition.
She is angry about the exiled opposition’s less-than-acceptable performance in providing urgently needed humanitarian assistance, or ensuring the smooth civil administration of rebel-held areas of the country.
“They have [also] been completely unable to mobilize the support of millions of Syrians abroad and involve them in building their country’s future,” she added.
Activists also remain focused on humanitarian relief efforts, such as grassroots campaigns that see people donate aid-in-kind from one region of Syria to another, as well as more ambitious attempts to reach people around the world.
A recent campaign, entitled “2days4Syria,” is sponsored by a range of pro-uprising groups, such as the Syrian Revolution General Commission, an activist network like the LCC.
It targets Syrian expatriates and others abroad, but its website doesn’t ask for direct donations. Instead, it encourages interested individuals to calculate two days’ salary and donate this amount to the relief group of their choice.
One of its slogans addresses the Muslim world: “A nation of 1 billion – if 1 million of them take part, our people’s suffering will be greatly reduced.”
Writing and producing slogans of support for the uprising are another area of high-profile, time-consuming activity. The media has highlighted the small town of Kafranbel, in the northwestern province of Idlib. Activists there regularly churn out – in English and Arabic – banners and signs that contain messages addressed to Syrians, the Arab and Muslim world, and the international community which are featured prominently during Friday demonstrations in support of the uprising.
A non-profit organization called “Shareh” (Street), dedicated to media and development activities, has posted this week the latest in its series of short documentaries on the uprising, some of which are subtitled in English.
The YouTube video portrays efforts by activists in Kafranbel who produce a one-page leaflet that they distribute for a symbolic fee of 10 Syrian pounds ($0.10), containing criticism of people leading the revolution itself.
An earlier documentary details how the posters and banners are produced, while another tells the story of a butane gas salesman in the nearby town of Binnish, which is also famous for its enthusiasm for the uprising and spelling out revolutionary slogans with the human body.
The salesman rigs up a set of speakers to his Suzuki pickup truck that he uses to sell his wares; he has replaced the annoying horn with a revolutionary soundtrack, which both attracts customers and functions as a “de facto radio station” for the town, as one passerby notes. Other videos by the group have profiled the Kurds, or towns in other parts of Syria, such as Zabadani and Yabroud, near Damascus.
The realm of Facebook pages set up by activists is another arena where civilian reactions to the war are featured daily. The cover photos of some pages change on a regular basis, and this week it was the turn of the University of Aleppo to feature prominently, after Tuesday’s bombings claimed the lives of more than 80 people.
Hundreds of Facebook pages have been established in support of the uprising; while some have a national reach, most represent individual cities, towns, villages and neighborhoods – and few places have only a single, unified Facebook page speaking in their name.
Other pages are established in the names of professional groups – doctors, engineers and lawyers – or expatriate organizations.
They relay a range of commentary on the uprising and posts that document the violence, as well as provide a range of useful advice for activists: the locations of the latest army checkpoints in order to avoid arrest, photos and information about the latest detainees, and instructions on how to perform first aid and treat various types of wounds.
A post that made the rounds on Facebook pages this week was by the veteran Syrian dissident and former political prisoner, Yassin Hajj Saleh, who wrote about his countrymen before the uprising as a nation of people with “nothing to say.”
“The best thing for a Syrian to do was to remain silent. Today, we are speaking, and our words are endless. Others are listening to us ... the revolution raised the value of Syrians, and returned them to the center. This alone is a lot.”
The 2days4Syria campaign:
http://www.2days4syria.net
Short documentaries by Shareh:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ashare3?feature=watch
Facebook activists in the town of Misyaf promote Kafranbel’s posters:
https://ar-ar.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=490378101001618&set=pb.234091963296901.-2207520000.1358217348&type=3&theater
The official publication of the Local Coordination Committees:
https://www.facebook.com/Lcc.Newspaper

Berri pitches hybrid vote law in bid to bridge political divide
January 17, 2013 01:53 AM By Wassim Mroueh The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Preliminary discussions over a new electoral draft law began Wednesday between rival political groups in a bid to break the deadlock over which proposal will govern June’s parliamentary polls.
Members of a parliamentary subcommittee who met Wednesday will meet again Monday to continue discussing a draft law that combines proportional representation with a winner-take-all system.
The panel discussed the hybrid electoral draft law in an attempt to bridge the widening gap between the March 8 and March 14 camps.
A source close to Speaker Nabih Berri told The Daily Star that Berri made the proposal Tuesday to MP Robert Ghanem, who is chairing the subcommittee meetings.
“After reading the minutes [of last week subcommittee’s meetings], he [Berri] tried to look for common ground,” said the source, who asked not to be identified.
“Since some parties insist on proportional representation and others on a winner-takes-all system, the speaker proposed to MP Robert Ghanem that the subcommittee discuss a hybrid electoral law, by which 64 lawmakers are elected based on a winner-takes-all system and another 64 under a proportional representation system.”
The source said that according to the plan, in areas under proportional representation governorates would act as electoral districts. In areas with winner-takes-all, qadas would be considered districts.
“Any proposals to make qadas bigger or smaller will be discussed.”
The Lebanese Forces, the Kataeb Party, the Free Patriotic Movement, the Amal Movement and Hezbollah have backed a draft electoral law proposed by the Orthodox Gathering which enables each of the country’s sects to elect its own lawmakers using proportional representation.
But the Future Movement and the Progressive Socialist Party oppose the Orthodox Gathering proposal, and instead call for adopting a winner-takes-all system.
Speaking after the subcommittee’s meeting, Ghanem said the body would convene Monday to continue deliberations after its members consult with the heads of their blocs.
“Some colleagues posed specific questions that require answers so that we can achieve progress and these questions need to be studied by [subcommittee] members who are at the discussion table,” he said. “Thus the subcommittee will convene again Monday at 10:30 a.m., awaiting the answers for these questions,” Ghanem added. A member of the subcommittee told The Daily Star that talks during the session focused on how to decide whether a district would be run by proportional representation or a winner-takes-all system.
The lawmaker explained that MPs also discussed how many deputies would be chosen by winner-takes-all plan, and how many by proportional representation.
Future Movement MP Ahmad Fatfat said after the meeting that his bloc had no specific stance regarding the new draft electoral law.
“We have no negative or positive stance today, this issue will be studied from today until Monday when we will have clear answers,” he said.
For his part, Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan said that the subcommittee should finish its work by next week.
Berri reiterated his support for any electoral law that Christian parties agree to back. MPs who attended the speaker’s weekly meeting with lawmakers at his Ain al-Tineh residence quoted him as saying that the best electoral law was the one that had the backing of all Lebanese political groups.
Berri said he would hold more talks and meetings to achieve consensus over a law that guarantees fair representation for all.
Berri stressed that elections would be held on time, adding that he was not pessimistic, in light of the meetings of the parliamentary subcommittee.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati slammed the Orthodox Gathering proposal, saying that an electoral law should unite rather than divide the Lebanese.
“Elections are the key to political stability and the electoral law is the entry point to the bridge that will lead us to safety,” he said during a ceremony at the Grand Serail. “Rather than returning to the [Taif] Accord which ended the war in Lebanon ... discussions [of the electoral law] have reached a high level of danger, stoking sectarianism and political posturing.”
In remarks published by a local newspaper Wednesday, Mikati advocated a combination of a winner-takes-all system and proportional representation as a way of reconciling differences among politicians.
Separately, President Michel Sleiman signed a decree to call Parliament to hold an extraordinary term beginning Jan. 17 and lasting until March 18. An electoral draft law, budget and other draft laws will be on the agenda.

Israel to UN: Stop Syrian WMD transfer to Hezbollah
By MICHAEL WILNER, JERUSALEM POST CORRESPONDENT 01/16/2013
UN Ambassador Prosor calls on UNSC to act immediately to prevent Assad's chemical weapons falling into Hezbollah's hands.
Chemical weapons drill [file] Photo: Reuters
NEW YORK – Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor said Tuesday that the prospect of Hezbollah acquiring chemical weapons – through mishandling or via Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government — is “frightening,” and called on the Security Council to act immediately to prevent their proliferation.
Prosor’s comments came during a daylong debate at the UN on counterterrorism efforts. The Israeli envoy contended that an end to terrorism required addressing the fundamental teachings of prejudice and hate.
Related: •US official urges EU to name Hezbollah 'terrorists'•US downplays report that Syria used chemical arms“I want to take the opportunity of this debate to ask the simple question: How do we truly counter terrorism?” he asked in the hall of the Security Council. “Yes, we must combat terrorists wherever they seek to strike. Yes, we must attack terrorist infrastructure, and go after those who support and finance terrorism,” he said.
“However, true counterterrorism must also begin by disrupting the ecosystem of extremism in which terror thrives,” Prosor continued.
“It means advancing education that teaches peace, not hate, and mutual understanding, not martyrdom. It means speaking out against incitement and all forms of terrorism, even when it is politically inconvenient.”
The international community is far from that goal of disrupting the “ecosystem” of terrorism, Prosor said, citing the celebration of suicide bombers after successful strikes, Hezbollah’s collection of over 50,000 missiles in violation of Resolution 1701 and the teaching of bomb-making to young children in societies hostile to Israel and its Western allies.
Prosor added that no country can act alone in thwarting terrorist efforts, crediting the UN for fostering a significant global counter-effort.
But the debate on terrorism reflected the global reach of the phenomenon, and attracted countries from every hemisphere to speak out.
African nations struggled to distinguish between terrorist actions and corrupted resistance efforts. Syria’s Ambassador Bashar Ja’afari ambassador called the international community hypocritical.
“The terrorist armed groups in my country always take advantage of a Security Council meeting to perpetrate a terrorist attack inside Syria and this is indeed what happened today perhaps for the 10th or 20th time since the crisis in my country began,” Ja’afari told the 15- nation council, charging a moral and logical disconnect between actions taken against terrorists in Mali and an “alliance” cast between Syrian rebels and Western powers.
United States Ambassador Susan Rice called for a holistic approach to counterterrorism around the world, warning against “complacency” as terrorist cells continue to adapt to international efforts.
“Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula is a significant international threat. Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and Al-Shabaab continue to sow instability and exploit safe havens in Mali, the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, destabilizing societies and obstructing the delivery of vital humanitarian relief to millions in need,” Rice said. “And transnational terrorist groups remain active in North Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria and elsewhere.”
The US recognizes that force alone is insufficient to counter an evermore diffuse terrorist community, Rice said, adding that their “capacity-building assistance” efforts to reinforce the security of its allies, and the homeland, have intensified. “No single country, no one organization, nor any particular tactic or tool alone can neutralize the threat of terrorism,” Rice said.

FSA Resumes Mediation on Kidnapped Pilgrims, Saqr Says Hizbullah Disapproves a Release via Hariri
Naharnet /The rebel Free Syrian Army announced on Wednesday that it has resumed its mediation concerning the Lebanese abductees in Syria's Aazaz at the request of ex-Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
“(The head of the FSA) Riad al-Asaad has worked very hard on this issue and al-Farouq battalion even surrendered its weapons to release the kidnapped Lebanese,” al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Oqab Saqr said in an interview on Future TV. The FSA's Political and Media Coordinator Louay Meqdad revealed during the interview that he will head a delegation to Aazaz on Thursday to follow-up on this issue.
An audio tape was also played during Saqr's TV appearance disclosing talks between him and al-Asaad in which they apparently discuss the efforts made to release the pilgrims.
“Hezbullah does not want them to be released thanks to our efforts,” the Mustaqbal MP expressed, adding that they have pursued their mediation regardless of the party's position.
Saqr said: “I have repeatedly asked to directly talk with the kidnappers via Skype and have set up communication devices for this purpose but it was never possible as the regime kept bombing these locations”.
Meqdad had announced in December 2012 that he will stop mediating for the release of the Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Aazaz, explaining that the army's commanders' efforts are being interrupted by a “partner” each time they get closer to a solution. On May 22, eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped in Syria's Aleppo district as they were making their way back by land from a pilgrimage in Iran.
One was released in late August and another in September, while the rest remain in Aazaz, Syria.
Concerning his alleged relation with members of the FSA, Saqr said he cannot deny it as “they are the ones helping in delivering aid to the Syrian people”, explaining that even international organizations rely on the rebels' access to enter food and clothes to the war-torn country. As for arming the rebels, Saqr said they are getting weapons from defected Syrian army officers and from March 8 alliance's political figures.
"My role in Syria is limited to following-up on issues related to Lebanon, providing humanitarian aid to the Syrians and mediating for the release of foreign journalists detained there,” the Bekaa's Zahle MP stated.

Has the American empire struck out?
January 17, 2013/By Michael Young /The Daily Star
When the U.S. president, Barack Obama, appointed John Kerry and Chuck Hagel to his new administration, what did he intend? By naming them, Obama sent a message about his policy preferences. And what he also said was that he favored those who had irritated the neoconservatives, thus helping Obama sharpen his own image.
That was always Obama’s main problem. He has spent too much time affirming what he isn’t, fighting against the legacy of George W. Bush, while failing to underline what he really stands for himself, especially in foreign policy. The president hopes that once Kerry and Hagel are approved, he can tell us more about himself. But how likely is that? Is there really any sharpness to the eternally shifting Obama?
One thing apparent is that Kerry and Hagel, though men of character, are not endowed with a strategic vision. Both are used to the maneuvers habitual in Congress. Their life has been shaped more often by compromise than by any sense of the ultimate goal. Rarely in the past few years has either man formulated a broad policy vision. They are known for how out of step they were with the Bush White House, not for how they hope to rewrite America’s role in the world.
This was particularly true in the Middle East. Hagel is famous primarily for criticizing the Bush administration’s policies in Iraq and Iran. For a Republican after 9/11, this required courage. He has been accused by Israel’s supporters of not being dedicated enough to the relationship with the Jewish state. This Hagel’s defenders deny, but even if correct, it says little about his long-term ambitions for America’s armed forces, or the policies he will adopt at the Pentagon. It seems absurd to argue, for instance, that he will cut military cooperation with Israel, even if he is less eager to go to war with Iran than others.
As for Kerry, he sought to thrust the U.S. in directions opposed by the Bush administration. Yet we cannot underestimate how beneficial it is that he failed. Kerry’s efforts to spur cooperation with Syria went nowhere. The man he thought he could sell as a legitimate partner of Washington, namely Bashar Assad, has become toxic, a mass murderer who even Kerry will avoid mentioning these days. Yet, quicker than most, the senator sensed the mood change after April 2011, swerving away from Assad when the killing began in Syria, calculating that it might undermine his sway in Washington.
One can debate Hagel’s and Kerry’s choices, but what we cannot debate, simply because there is nothing on the table to debate, is how they will make use of their new role. Both men have bucked the consensus in Washington, but nowhere do we get a sense of what this might mean in their new positions. Kerry’s thinking outside the box on Syria showed how little he grasped realities in that country, namely how eager were the Syrians to impose change at the top.
Assume that his criticism of Bush was justified, though one would have thought that all the ex-president’s talk about democracy in the Arab world showed that his worldview had something going for it. Bush is an easy target, and in Obama’s America, those like Hagel have been reborn as visionaries, men bold enough to have taken on Bush and his staff. If what Obama wants is a man who will shoot down prevailing wisdom, fine, but once again it hardly offers us a worldview, or about what to expect in terms of military or diplomatic strategy in the years to come.
Perhaps that is what is most distressing in Obama’s Washington. There is a lot of attitude and a willingness to challenge past policies, but without any direction or ultimate purpose. Strategy is not a thing Americans do particularly well, and since the end of the Cold War, American officials have rarely thought two or three steps ahead, devising policies to advance strategic objectives. More often they have tended to look only at the next step, deciding on policy and action based on the current context.
That’s not bad when it reflects the dynamics of an accountable democratic order, whereby officials will shift tack depending on how their policies are received. But it’s also true that when overseas policies are almost entirely driven by domestic attitudes, themselves usually formed by media, it becomes very difficult to decide on long-term aims, or even specify what is important and what isn’t.
That will be the challenge for Hagel and Kerry. Hagel, some believe, will have as one of his roles a radical cutback in American military spending. Perhaps, but if so, foreign policy will have to adapt accordingly, which is Kerry’s role. Less money for the military, for instance, will delimit precisely what the Obama administration means by the “pivot to Asia,” sold mainly as a pivot away from the Middle East. But if there are not enough resources for anywhere but Asia, that means that Kerry will have to work heartily to show the other regions of the world that America is still relevant.
But how relevant does America really want to be? Obama has been a revolutionary president in deciding that the empire had to greatly slash its ambitions, or else it would go bankrupt. He may be right, but the implications are dramatic. Does he see the U.S. as British officials did Britain in 1947, a country incapable of sustaining its overseas presence due to national insolvency? In a way yes, but can the United States really afford to retreat into its shell?
The questions Obama raises are worthy ones. They have to be discussed by Americans, who must ask whether the empire is ending. Meanwhile, Chuck Hagel and John Kerry will be the face of America’s reach. Their actions will elucidate whether the empire is no more.
Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR. He tweets @BeirutCalling.

France in Mali fights the unfinished Libyan War
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report January 16, 2013/On January 11, a few hundred French troops and a handful of fighter jets and gunships launched a campaign against Islamist terrorists in Mali, a West African desert vastness larger than Texas and California combined. This former French colony appealed to Paris for aid to throw back a mixed al Qaeda-rebel advance on the capital, Bamako.
But France, no more than the US, had learned from the Afghanistan War that Al Qaeda cannot be beaten by aerial warfare - certainly not when the jiahdists are highly trained in special forces tactics and backed by highly mobile, well-armed local militias, armed with advanced anti-aircraft weapons and knowledgeable about conditions in the forbidding Sahara.
Within 48 hours, this modest “crusader” intervention had united a host of pro-al Qaeda offshoots and allies, some of them castoffs from the army of Libya’s deposed Muammar Qaddafi.
They are led by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb – AQIM; the West African jihadist MUJAO; and the Somali al-Shabaab which is linked to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula – AQAP. Together, they are threatening to execute one by one the 10 or eleven French hostages they are holding as part of their revenge on France.
The French declared their mission to be to dislodge the Islamists from an area larger than Afghanistan in the north, including the principal towns of Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal. Without several thousand special forces’ troops on the ground, this is just a pipedream.
The disaffected Touareg tribes are supporting al Qaeda against the French as part of their drive for independence. Their added value is the training in special forces’ tactics some 1,500 Touareg fighting men and their three officers received from the US. The US originally reserved them as the main spearhead of a Western Saharan multi-tribe campaign to eradicate al Qaeda in North and West Africa.
Instead, the Sahel tribesmen followed the Touareg in absconding to Mali with top-quality weapons for desert warfare and hundreds of vehicles from US and ex-Libyan military arsenals.
This major setback for US administration plans and counter-terror strategy in Africa tied in with Al Qaeda’s assassination of US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three of his staff in Benghazi last September. Because the United States held back from direct US military action in both cases, Qaeda has been allowed to go from strength to strength and draw into its fold recruits from Mali’s neighbors. They are tightening their grip on northern Mali and have imposed a brutal version of Islam on its inhabitants, putting hundreds to flight.
France stepped in when al Qaeda drove south to extend its rule to all parts of Mali and pose a terrorist threat to Europe.

Al Qaeda threatens to blow up Algerian gas field with hostages
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report January 16, 2013/On January 11, a few hundred French troops and a handful of fighter jets and gunships launched a campaign against Islamist terrorists in Mali, a West African desert vastness larger than Texas and California combined. This former French colony appealed to Paris for aid to throw back a mixed al Qaeda-rebel advance on the capital, Bamako.
But France, no more than the US, had learned from the Afghanistan War that Al Qaeda cannot be beaten by aerial warfare - certainly not when the jiahdists are highly trained in special forces tactics and backed by highly mobile, well-armed local militias, armed with advanced anti-aircraft weapons and knowledgeable about conditions in the forbidding Sahara.
Within 48 hours, this modest “crusader” intervention had united a host of pro-al Qaeda offshoots and allies, some of them castoffs from the army of Libya’s deposed Muammar Qaddafi.
They are led by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb – AQIM; the West African jihadist MUJAO; and the Somali al-Shabaab which is linked to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula – AQAP. Together, they are threatening to execute one by one the 10 or eleven French hostages they are holding as part of their revenge on France.
The French declared their mission to be to dislodge the Islamists from an area larger than Afghanistan in the north, including the principal towns of Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal. Without several thousand special forces’ troops on the ground, this is just a pipedream.
The disaffected Touareg tribes are supporting al Qaeda against the French as part of their drive for independence. Their added value is the training in special forces’ tactics some 1,500 Touareg fighting men and their three officers received from the US. The US originally reserved them as the main spearhead of a Western Saharan multi-tribe campaign to eradicate al Qaeda in North and West Africa.
Instead, the Sahel tribesmen followed the Touareg in absconding to Mali with top-quality weapons for desert warfare and hundreds of vehicles from US and ex-Libyan military arsenals.
This major setback for US administration plans and counter-terror strategy in Africa tied in with Al Qaeda’s assassination of US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three of his staff in Benghazi last September. Because the United States held back from direct US military action in both cases, Qaeda has been allowed to go from strength to strength and draw into its fold recruits from Mali’s neighbors. They are tightening their grip on northern Mali and have imposed a brutal version of Islam on its inhabitants, putting hundreds to flight.
France stepped in when al Qaeda drove south to extend its rule to all parts of Mali and pose a terrorist threat to Europe.

Asharq Al-Awsat interview: Arab League Sec-Gen Nabil Elaraby
16/01/2013
By Sawsan Abu-Husain
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat - Speaking in the run up to the Arab Economic Summit in Riyadh, scheduled to take place on 21 – 22 January; Arab League Secretary-General spoke about the chances of resolving the Syrian crisis, Palestinian reconciliation and the restructuring of the Arab League. Nabil Elaraby also spoke about his recent meetings with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He revealed that he has called on Salehi to stop Tehran interfering in Arab affairs, whilst he also said that he was “optimistic” regarding the prospects of Palestinian reconciliation.
The following is the full text of the interview:
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What are the expected dimensions and results of the economic summit taking place in Riyadh?
[Elaraby] The Arab peoples are right to expect the summit to have results and achievements on the ground, not just to issue decisions. This is the problem of all international institutions, not just the Arab League, namely we issue decisions and then following this we find a big gap between the decision that was taken and the actually implementation of this. For this reason, I am hopeful that we will be able to accomplish a number of projects.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Would you agree that the problem is not in the issuance of decisions, but rather the mechanisms of implementation?
[Elaraby] I agree with you that decisions should be implementable and contain mechanisms for this. We are exerting genuine efforts regarding the importance of implementing Arab League decisions, particularly in terms of the project to restructure and develop the organization.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Will the economic summit discuss the issue of funds stolen from Arab Spring states? What about the phenomenon of emigration from Arab states?
[Elaraby] The stolen funds are a legal issue, not an economic one. Meetings have been held on this issue, whilst this was also raised in the Qatari meeting. The United Nations tasked the Qatari Attorney General to monitor this issue and he is cooperating with the Arab League. This is all based on judicial rulings from the concerned countries and the summit will focus on returning the stolen Arab funds, in addition to creating suitable opportunities for investment.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What about crucial political issues in the Arab region, such as the Syrian file? Will the Riyadh summit include political consultation regarding the implications and impact of this crisis, particularly after you yourself announced that there is no solution in sight?
[Elaraby] The Syrian file has taken a number of strange dimensions, whilst also taking far more time [to resolve] than necessary. The Syrian people are suffering, day after day and hour after hour, from unprecedented displacement, violence, destruction and death. Therefore, there is no solution to the Syrian crisis without the intervention of the UN Security Council. Last April, the UN Security Council requested the issuance of a binding ceasefire resolution and the deployment of peacekeepers between the two forces, as well as establishment of a buffer zone to enforce this ceasefire. We ourselves tried to implement this with a limited number of Arab League observers during General al-Dabi’s missions nearly one year ago.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] How do you feel about the accusations and criticism that the Arab League has faced in this regard?
[Elaraby] What is the Arab League supposed to do? Are we supposed to launch a war?
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Why have we yet to see a solution to the Syrian crisis, whereas there was strong international movement to find one for the Libyan crisis?
[Elaraby] In the Libyan crisis there was only one requirement of the UN and that was the establishment of a no-fly zone. This request was made following threats that Muammar Gaddafi could use high-tech warplanes to commit genocide against the city of Benghazi. However this issue developed in a different manner, namely in the UN Security Council, not the Arab League. Therefore, nobody can make accusations against the Arab League in this regard; rather these accusations should be issued towards the countries involved in managing the Syrian crisis.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you think Russia’s intransigent position is responsible for lengthening the Syrian crisis? Could a change in this position therefore shorten it?
[Elaraby] Russia’s intransigent position in terms of reaching a solution has transgressed all bounds. All that I can say at this point is that communication is taking place at the highest level between Russia and America, but they have yet to finalize this and select the best approach to pursue.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] In your view, the fact that no US –Russian agreement has been reached regarding the Syrian issue is due to differences in opinion between these two parties?
[Elaraby] No, I do not believe this. The presence of a new US Secretary of State, taking up new tasks and forming a new team…may take time, perhaps until the end of the month. Whilst joint UN – Arab League envoy [Lakhdar Brahimi] has also put forward a report to the Security Council regarding the results of his discussions and communications that he has carried out abroad over the past week or 10 days.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you agree with those who claim that the delay in finding a solution to the Syrian crisis is due to negotiations between the US and Russia to resolve other files, including the issue of Iran and Tehran’s meddling in Gulf affairs?
[Elaraby] In my view, the Syrian crisis cannot be resolved without a Russian - US agreement, whilst the issue of Iran must remain in the second, or even fourth, rank.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] You met with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi in Cairo a few days ago. You said that you conducted “frank” talks with him…can you tell us what you talked about?
[Elaraby] My position has not changed…I had met with him before and I confirmed that Iranian non-interference in Syria is a necessity. I also asked him to ensure Iranian non-interference in the domestic affairs of all Arab states, including Egypt.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What was the Iranian foreign minister response to your request?
[Elaraby] The Iranian Foreign minister denied that his country interfered in Arab affairs; he said “we do not do this.”
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you think Salehi is willing to conduct dialogue over the current problems?
[Elaraby] He is very willing, and is very interested in this. He also speaks the Arabic language fluently.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Returning to the Syrian crisis, there are a number of issues on the table. There are differences of opinion between the UN Security Council members, whilst you also mentioned that Brahimi is set to present a report in a few days’ time. He also recently spoke about the formation of a transitional government with full powers that does not include al-Assad, something that Russia is committed to preventing. So how do you think we can get out of this crisis?
[Elaraby] In my view, the starting point for this must be the Geneva Communique, the final statement issued in Geneva [by the Action Group for Syria] on 30/6/2012, particularly the article providing for the start of the transition phase and the formation of a government with full executive powers. This means that President al-Assad cannot intervene in this issue; however the implementation of this is being hampered by Russia and its refusal to countenance al-Assad stepping down. If this is the case, we ask, why was there this provision for the establishment of a transitional government with full executive powers in the Geneva communique? This is something that can be resolved between the US and Russia.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] The Syrian National Coalition has received recognition from more than 100 countries worldwide…what’s happening now? What is the latest?
[Elaraby] This is a question that you should ask them.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Is the Syrian National Coalition still in contact with the Arab League?
[Elaraby] I have not been in contact with the Syrian opposition for two or three weeks.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] The Syrian opposition has rejected Moscow’s call for dialogue, viewing this as a trap that they must avoid. What’s your view?
[Elaraby] Firstly, we must congratulate the Syrian opposition for forming this coalition, in addition to forming a unified military leadership. These are genuine and important steps and the opposition is now very close to achieving their goals, therefore we do not expect anything more than this.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Is the Arab decline in support for the opposition a reason behind the Syrian National Coalition failing to complete its tasks?
[Elaraby] To be clear, the provision of financial and military support to the Syrian opposition does not take place via the Arab League.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] You recently met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as with Hamas chief Khalid Mishal. You spoke about reconciliation and the future of Arab support for the Palestinian Cause. What did you agree on?
[Elaraby] I spoke separately with President Abbas and Khalid Mishal. The meetings were very frank and I sensed a genuine interest from both side to complete the Palestinian reconciliation that began two years ago, signed on 4/5/2011, but which was delayed. Therefore, I recently agreed to the formation of a special committee to work on this issue for a period of three weeks and we must leave it to complete its task; however I am very optimistic about this step.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What about heading to the UN Security Council?
[Elaraby] This is the major issue, and this must be in front of the eyes of all Arab states now, particularly after Palestine obtained observer status. This is something normal for countries that are beset by problems. Even East and West Germany and Korea held observer status, not to mention the Vatican. In fact, even Switzerland was a UN observer state until 2002. This was not due to any political problems but rather at Switzerland’s own request so that it could avoid holding certain responsibilities, particularly in terms of the Security Council and the issuance of instructions and resolutions.
At this point, we must take note that the primary problem in the Palestinian Cause is not the issue of prisoners or settlements but rather the continuing Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. Plans to end this occupation were first issued 45 years ago, namely UN Security Council Resolution 242 which called for Israel to withdraw from the territory it occupied in 1967. However this did not happen with regards to Palestinian territory. Following this we saw the 1979 [Egypt – Israel] peace treaty, the 1994 Israel – Jordan Treaty of Peace. As for Syria, it signed a partial treaty with Israel, namely the 1974 disengagement agreement.
From here, the course of the Palestinian Cause began to change, and rather than abiding by the resolution and withdrawing their troops, Israel pursued a policy of so-called “interim agreements”. This approach has been exposed today, 45 years following the issuance of the resolution. This is why the Arab states took the decision on 17 November, 2012 [worldwide protests for Palestine] to work to end the occupation and undertake all the necessary procedures in this regard. This will require, at a certain stage, going to the UN Security Council for discussions and consultation regarding putting forward a work plan to end the occupation. We will not surrender this in favor of the so-called peace process that has been pursued over the past years, particularly as this has not led to any peace. Therefore, the UN Security Council must carry out its responsibilities regarding the resolutions that have been issued to end Israel’s post-1967 occupation.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What about implementing the decisions of the peace initiative conference taken on 17 February, 2012?
[Elaraby] We agreed to take specific steps and I visited the European Union, France and the UK in this regard. We are going to make contact with the US after the appointment of the new Secretary of State. There is also a view to send a high-level Arab delegation to meet with the US President and Secretary of State.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] How has the Arab League, its policies, performance and finances been affected by the Arab Spring?
[Elaraby] The Arab Spring gave rise to new governments and approaches…even the states where revolutions did not break out saw changes to suit the ambitions and interests of the people. All of this constituted additional responsibilities for the Arab League. That is why we finished restructuring the Arab League secretariat, whilst on 10 January we received a complete report from Lakhdar Brahimi following continues work by the Arab League Development Committee that he has headed for more than 15 months. This report is more than 50 pages long and I am currently in the process of reading it with a view to submitting it to the Arab League summit scheduled for March in Qatar. We have already implemented some of what was include in the development report and the rest will be put to the Arab leadership in March.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What about the financial aspect, particularly as many of the states that underwent revolutions have stalled on their financial commitments to the Arab League? Has this affected the Arab League’s operations?
[Elaraby] This issue will be presented as a whole at the Arab League summit.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] How has the situation in Syria affected Iraq? Has this affected Iraq’s stability?
[Elaraby] The current situation in Iraq is tense. I have been in touch with the Iraqi government and everybody is trying to understand the current issue.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Many people are linking al-Assad’s fall with the rise of a Kuwaiti state. Do you expect this?
[Elaraby] The Kurds are Iraqi. There is coexistence and understanding in Iraq, and I have nothing more to say about this. To be certain, the fall of al-Assad will include many things, both inside and outside of Syria, and the longer that we delay resolving this issue the bigger problems that we will face.