LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
January 27/2013

Bible Quotation for today/The New Command
01 John 02/07 -17: "My dear friends, this command I am writing you is not new; it is the old command, the one you have had from the very beginning. The old command is the message you have already heard. However, the command I now write you is new, because its truth is seen in Christ and also in you. For the darkness is passing away, and the real light is already shining. If we say that we are in the light, yet hate others, we are in the darkness to this very hour.  If we love others, we live in the light, and so there is nothing in us that will cause someone else to sin.  But if we hate others, we are in the darkness; we walk in it and do not know where we are going, because the darkness has made us blind. I write to you, my children, because your sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who has existed from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you have defeated the Evil One. I write to you, my children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who has existed from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong; the word of God lives in you, and you have defeated the Evil One.
Do not love the world or anything that belongs to the world. If you love the world, you do not love the Father.  Everything that belongs to the world—what the sinful self desires, what people see and want, and everything in this world that people are so proud of—none of this comes from the Father; it all comes from the world.  The world and everything in it that people desire is passing away; but those who do the will of God live forever."

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
 Arab Spring States Lack Experience/By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Alawsat/January 27/13
Kerry: His View on the Syrian Conflict/By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Alawsat/January 27/13
 Whose side is America on/By: Tony Badran/Now Lebanon/January 27/13

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for January 27/13
 Iranian-Hizballah convoy blown up on Syrian Golan. Border tensions shoot up
 IAEA stresses Iran nuclear "dialogue", Tehran defiant

Israeli Defence Minister, Barak: US plans 'surgical strike' if Iran sanctions fail
Tehran: Attack on Syria akin to attack on Iran
Lebanon: Another spy for Israel nabbed
Report: France Laments Factions' Failure to Agree on Electoral Law as Jumblat, Gemayel to Meet Hollande
 Lebanon: Lassa Residents Vow Escalatory Measures over Failure to Hand over Wata al-Joz Shooter
 Lebanon: Nine Islamists Charged with Murdering Inmate at Roumieh
 Source: France Warns of Official Welcoming Ceremony for Abdallah
 Lebanon: Lassa Shooter Hands himself over to Security Forces
 Two Lebanese citizens mugged in Beqaa
 5 Dead, 379 Hurt as Protests Rock Egypt on Revolution's 2nd Anniversary
 Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah backs any proportional vote law
 Regional events justify concerns of Christians: Hezbollah
 Report: Jumblat May Accept Hybrid Electoral Law on Condition of Forming Senate
 Report: Al-Qandaqli Murdered For Uncovering Prison Break Scheme
 Franjieh Renews Support for Orthodox Law: Suleiman Rejected it at France, Qatar's Behest
 Hezbollah says for electoral law based on proportional representation
 Nasrallah: Money More Dangerous Than Weapons in Elections, Remarks Saying Hizbullah behind Orthodox Law Insult Christians
 Car bomb attacks kill eight in Golan Heights
 Record number of Syrian refugees in Jordan
 Jordan king hails vote, vows to reach out to critics
 Egypt’s revolution reignites two years on
 Israel ex-PM Sharon's brain scans ”positive” says former aide
 Deadly Clashes across Egypt, Army Deployed
 Asharq Al-Awsat Interview: Former Egyptian PM Ahmed Shafiq


Obama and the new world order
 It's time to take action on Middle East conflict'

Israeli Defence Minister, Barak: US plans 'surgical strike' if Iran sanctions fail
Ynet /Published: 01.26.13, 10:01 /
In interview with Daily Beast, defense minister says Israel prefers that diplomacy will be enough to halt Tehran's nuclear program, but 'we can't count on it' . Ehud Barak is certain the US has plans for surgical strikes against Iran as a last-ditch measure if Tehran refuses to stop its development of a nuclear weapons capability.
In an interview with the Daily Beast, which was published over the weekend, the defense minister was asked if there were any way Israel could go to war with Iran that did not drag in the US. "I don't see it as a binary kind of situation: either they (the Iranians) turn nuclear or we have a fully fledged war the size of the Iraqi war or even the war in Afghanistan," Barak told the American news website.
"What we basically say is that if worse comes to worst, there should be a readiness and an ability to launch a surgical operation that will delay them by a significant time frame and probably convince them that it won't work because the world is determined to block them."
The defense minister added, "We of course prefer that diplomacy will do. We of course prefer that some morning we wake up and see that the Arab Spring was translated into Farsi and jumped over the Gulf to the streets of Tehran, but you cannot build a plan on it. And we should be able to do it (stage a surgical series of strikes)."
In a televised interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Barak told the Daily Beast he used to mock his American friends and tell them 'You know, when we are talking about surgical operations we think of a scalpel, you think of a chisel with a 10-pound hammer." However, he said, that's not the case with the Obama administration. Under orders from the White House, he noted, "the Pentagon prepared quite sophisticated, fine, extremely fine, scalpels. So it is not an issue of a major war or a failure to block Iran. You could under a certain situation, if worse comes to worst, end up with a surgical operation."
In the interview, Barak said much more draconian sanctions against Iran need to be imposed, including a kind of "quarantine" on imports and exports. However, he noted that getting such measures past the Russians and Chinese at the United Nations would be very difficult, adding that he does not expect the Iranians will bend.
On Thursday Barak said that global inaction on the bloodbath in Syria is a warning to many countries that they cannot count on outsiders' help - no matter how dire the circumstances.
He suggested that this applied to Israel itself, discouraging its people from backing risks for peace, such as the return of strategic Palestinian territories in exchange for various assurances.
AP contributed to the report

Iranian-Hizballah convoy blown up on Syrian Golan. Border tensions shoot up
http://www.debka.com/article/22714/Iranian-Hizballah-convoy-blown-up-on-Syrian-Golan-Border-tensions-shoot-up
DEBKAfile Special Report January 26, 2013/At least eight officers were killed in a mysterious twin-car bomb explosion Friday, Jan. 25 at Syrian regional intelligence headquarters in Quneitra on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. Some of the fatalities were Syrian, but Western intelligence sources disclosed to debkafile that most were high-ranking Iranian Al Qods Brigades and Hizballah officers. The blasts sent tensions shooting up on the Israeli and Jordanian borders with Syria. Israeli, Jordanian and US Special Forces posted in the kingdom went on high alert. Heavy Syrian reinforcements were seen streaming toward the two borders.
Syrian regime sources said the explosive devices were attached to the intelligence command building’s outer walls. But the Western sources report that two large bomb cars were lying in wait on both sides of the road leading to the Syrian HQ and were detonated as the two-car convoy of Iranian and Hizballah officers drove by. There were no survivors.
Those sources also refute reports that the al-Qaeda linked Jabhat al-Nusrah fighting with the Syrian rebels claimed responsibility for the attack. This was a rare occasion when no Syrian opposition group issued any statement at all, they said. The speed with which Syrian army helicopters flew in to remove the casualties indicated their high rank.
In the view of a Jordanian military source, this attack by an unknown hand has delayed Bashar Assad’s advanced preparations for an all-out armored offensive to finally crush the revolt against his regime. His first targets were to have been the rebel-held villages along the Israeli and Jordanian borders. The Syrian ruler was working to a plan of operations his generals had drawn up with Iranian Al Qods Brigades strategists.
Saturday, Ali Akbar Velayati, an aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that Iran would consider any attack on Syria an attack on itself: "Syria has a very basic and key role in the region for promoting firm policies of resistance [against Israel]... For this reason an attack on Syria would be considered an attack on Iran and Iran's allies."
Meanwhile in Iran itself, the Fordo underground uranium enrichment plant was again reported targeted for sabotage, according to an unconfirmed report published by Reza Kahlil, who is described as a former Iranian Revolutionary Guards officer who worked under cover as a double agent for the CIA until he escaped to the United States.
Kahlil reported that at 11:30 a.m., Monday, Jan. 21, the day before Israel’s general elections, a large explosion occurred 100 meters deep inside the underground plant, trapping 240 nuclear staff in the third centrifuge chamber. Among them, he said, were Iranian and Ukrainian technicians. There was no information about casualties or the extent of damage to the 2,700 centrifuges which have been turning out 20-percent enriched uranium.
Khalil cited his source as Hamidreza Zakeri, a former Iranian Intelligence Ministry agent, who said the regime believes the blast was sabotage and the explosives could have reached the area disguised by the CIA as equipment imported for the site or defective machinery.
None of the information about an explosion at Fordo has been verified either by US officials or regime sources in Tehran.
Thursday, Jan. 24, Israel’s Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz and Military Intelligence Director Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi ceremonially promoted Col. G., commander of the elite Sayeret Matkal, to the rank of major general in recognition of his unit’s “outstanding covert operations.”

Lassa Residents Vow Escalatory Measures over Failure to Hand over Wata al-Joz Shooter
Naharnet/The residents of Lassa condemned on Saturday the failure to hand over the shooter in the Wata al-Joz incident over to the judiciary. They vowed that they may take “escalatory measures” should the assailant remain at large. They noted that Lassa lies in an area near various tourist destinations, warning that they may block the roads to areas such as Kfardebian and Faraya should the state fail to apprehend the criminal.
“We call on officials who are keen on Lebanon and mutual coexistence to hand the criminal over to the judiciary,” they demanded. The residents blocked the Hrajel-Mayrouba road in order to protest the failure to apprehend the criminal, even though media reports Friday said that he had in fact handed himself over to the security authorities. “We are speaking from a position of power not weakness,” they declared.
“We do not want to take justice into our own hands,” they warned “We hope that this issue would not be transformed into strife,” they added. The residents later reopened the Hrajel-Mayrouba road, said LBCI television. Al-Jadeed television later reported that the shooter had turned himself over to security forces. Ghassan Seifeddine and his son Hadi were killed during an individual dispute, which erupted after a traffic accident, in the Wata al-Joz region on Thursday. Investigations revealed the attacker as Anthony Khalil Khalil, who fled the scene soon after the shooting. On Friday, relatives of the victims in Lassa blocked the Mayrouba-Wata al-Joz road to demand the arrest of Khalil.

Report: France Laments Factions' Failure to Agree on Electoral Law as Jumblat, Gemayel to Meet Hollande
Naharnet /France is keen that the Lebanese parliamentary elections are held as scheduled in June, while lamenting the failure of the political factions to reach an agreement over a new electoral law, reported the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Saturday. An official French source told the daily: “French President Francois Hollande hopes that the elections will be held on time” and he will relay this message to Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat and Phalange Party chief Amin Gemayel. Jumblat traveled to Paris on Friday where he is set to meet the French president on Monday, while Gemayel is scheduled to meet Hollande on Wednesday. Al-Hayat noted that the two Lebanese officials' visits coincides with former Prime Minister Saad Hariri's trip to France as well. Meanwhile, an informed French source noted to the daily: “This is the first time that the Lebanese factions have been allowed to discuss a new parliamentary electoral law in the absence of foreign hegemony.”“Despite this fact, they have failed to reach an agreement,” they lamented.
They praised President Michel Suleiman for voicing his rejection of the Orthodox Gathering proposal, while stressing that France is not entitled to expressing which electoral law it prefers. They noted however that the dispute over the law has been transformed into a plan to “once again divide Christians in Lebanon.” “Paris is aware and understands the strong Christian fears in Lebanon, especially in light of the dangers against Christians in Iraq and Syria,” continued the sources. “They are in need to reassure themselves through advocating the Orthodox Gathering law,” they observed.
“This may be a shortsighted approach, but it is understandable,” they remarked.
Moreover, they said that Hizbullah is “going ahead with whatever the Free Patriotic Movement agrees on because it knows that the Orthodox Gathering proposal will lead to failure of the Taef Accord, which will enable it to acquire a stronger control over state institutions.”
The Orthodox proposal which has garnered the support of the four major Christian parties – the Phalange and the Lebanese Forces from the opposition, and their rivals form the March 8 majority the FPM and the Marada Movement - was severely criticized by President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Najib Miqati, the opposition Mustaqbal Movement, Jumblat, and independent Christian personalities. It calls for each sect to elect its own representative at parliament. Its critics said that the proposal only fuels sectarianism and extremism in Lebanon.

Arab Spring States Lack Experience
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Alawsat
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the Arab Spring has brought people who have no experience in governing and managing countries to power, which has led to confusion, chaos, and a lack of security, citing the recent developments in North Africa. However this excuse is not convincing, even if it does raise the question: If the Arab Spring leaders have no experience, what can be said about those who stood with them, supported them, and believed their slogans? It would have been possible—particularly in some Arab Spring states—to further guarantee the transitional process if we had ensured that this took place in a responsible and more profound manner. In other words, by drafting the constitution first, and providing real guarantees to the minorities, as well as respecting the political process as a whole. Here we must recall that President Obama had wanted to see Wael Ghoneim, for example, as the elected president of Egypt, so what more is there left to say? Therefore the story in the Arab Spring states is not one of lack of experience, and the evidence for this can be seen in what has been happening in Iraq over the past 7 months. It is clear that the people have failed to learn anything. This is not to mention what has been happening in Sudan over a long period of time with this situation ultimately ending with the division of the country.  The real problem in the Arab Spring states is not lack of experience but lack of vision and statesmanship, and this can all be attributed to a lack of credible intentions. The Arab Spring victors lack the conviction that nations are not built on flimsy slogans and promises but by practical and realistic institutions and laws that look to the future. States are not built by excluding others but by reviving a sense of responsibility and participation for all. States cannot be built on the belief that people in general lack piety, but rather by being aware that people are in dire need of security and safety, jobs, opportunities, education, and ensuring that their dignity is safeguarded. It is enough to recall that the Creator, God Almighty, granted to “provide them with food against hunger, and with security against fear.” (Surat al-Quraish; Verse 4). However the Arab Spring leaders are too busy securing their rule and excluding others. The real problem facing the Arab Spring states is that nobody cares about rebuilding, or bringing the people together, or reconciliation, or achieving consensus and compromise. We must be aware that most of the Arab Spring leaders returned from the west, whether to Egypt or Libya or Tunisia. They lived in the west and saw the reality of organizations and the value of the law, pluralism, and freedom; they saw the west with all that is good and bad, and some of them even hold western nationalities. However when they took power they went against everything that was said during the outbreak of the Arab Spring, not to mention all the modern political concepts. Therefore they labeled anybody who opposed them as a traitor, excluding those who had joined them in Tahrir Square, forming alliances based on exploiting the moment rather than preparing to build a future. Now we find them bickering after they distributed the spoils of power, and the best example of this can be seen in what is happening in Egypt between the Salafists and the Brotherhood. Even worse than this, we are now finding Brotherhood affiliates in the Arab Gulf, for example. So those who previously demanded freedom and reform are now offering public advice about the need to “contain” the liberal media in Egypt! Therefore, the problem is not in the lack of experience, but the absence of sincerity and a rampant greed to acquire everything, as if countries are nothing more than the spoils of the square!

Report in Lebanon: Another spy for Israel arrested
Roi Kais Published: 01.26.13, 13:35 / Ynetnews
Security sources tell Al Akhbar newspaper citizen admitted to cooperating with Israeli intelligence for more than a decade; in the past man's Bulgarian wife claimed he was kidnapped .
After Hezbollah announced the capture of the "highest paid" spy for Israel, Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar reported Saturday that intelligence personnel arrested a citizen suspected of cooperating with Israeli intelligence.
The newspaper, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, quoted sources as saying the detainee, who in the past has lived in a southern suburb of Beirut, admitted he had cooperated with Israel for more than a decade and worked for the Israelis in Lebanon and Europe. The report said the man's wife is a Bulgarian national who previously told Lebanese media that Hezbollah had kidnapped her husband. Al Akhbar further reported that some media outlets affiliated with the March 14 coalition, which opposes Hezbollah, claimed the man's "disappearance" was connected to the terror attack on Israeli tourists in the Bulgarian resort city of Burgas last July. Security sources said Bulgarian authorities have already contacted Lebanon and asked for information regarding the man's fate.
Last week the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV reported that the Lebanese army arrested a citizen suspected of collaborating with Israel. Ali Taufiq Yari, a former member of the Baalbek City Council, was branded as the highest paid spy to date, as he was said to have received $600,000 for his service to the Jewish state.
According to the report, Yari began working with Israel's Mossad in 1990, and had undergone intelligence training that taught him to use invisible ink, concealed radio devices and other means of communication.
On Friday the London-based Arabic-language newspaper Al Quds Al Arabi revealed new details on the affair, reporting that Yari is a top Hezbollah operative in the Baalbek area and that his arrest has raised the level of suspicion within the terror group.

Kerry: His View on the Syrian Conflict
By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Alawsat
I have read the long 35,000 word transcript of the US Senate hearing on US President Obama’s nominee for the post of Secretary of State, Senator John Kerry. This hearing was held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee which had previously been chaired by Senator Kerry himself. In order to understand the characteristics of the new US Secretary of State, whose appointment is expected to be unanimously approved, we should know that he had previously testified before such a committee more than 40 years ago as a soldier returning from the Vietnam War.
So, Kerry is a seasoned politician. He is well-informed about our region to the extent that he met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on six separate occasions. In other words, Kerry knows our region, and its leaders, well.
Despite this, I am concerned about what I have read, particularly as Kerry has failed to demonstrate clear positions on vital issues, specifically Syria and Iran. Even Senator John McCain urged Kerry to take a clear position that is in line with America's moral concepts and national interest by opposing the actions of the Assad regime. Addressing Kerry, Senator McCain said, “We are sowing the wind in Syria, and we’re going to reap the whirlwind. And that whirlwind will be the increased presence of Al-Qaeda and Islamist groups, which are now flooding into Syria, as you know. Sixty thousand dead and counting, and the fall of Assad is ‘inevitable’. You know that Assad is thinking about Plan B, and that’s going to the coast and doing some ethnic cleansing.” He added, “We’ve had a lot of hearings. We haven’t done anything. We’ve got, sixty thousand dead after 22 months, and all we hear from the administration is that the fall of Assad is ‘inevitable’. I hope so . . . and I know that from our previous conversation . . . you will make this your highest priority.”
However Kerry failed to clearly respond to McCain on this issue. He spoke about his hope regarding cooperation with the Russians, and McCain replied that the Russians are saying that they will cooperate but that they continue to provide Assad with arms. Kerry replied, “Whatever judgments you make, they have to pass a test of whether or not you do them, they are actually going to make things better.” He continued, “You have to make a test of a cost analysis in doing that. And I mean all kinds of costs—human life costs, treasure, effects on other countries.”
This was a long hearing and it was not limited to reviewing Kerry's positions on Syria but also focused on a number of other issues of primary importance to the world’s superpowers.
I am well aware of the importance of these other issues in this wide and troubled world, from Iran to North Korea, China and Latin America; however I believe that the situation is Syria remains the most important issue today. Ten months ago, Al-Qaeda had not yet appeared on the scene in Syria, while today its forces are part of this conflict. This is all due to the international hesitancy to get involved and prevent the Assad regime from killing the Syrian people and destroying the country. This is something that has greatly angered the people of the region.
The US failure to intervene in Syria has ruined everything that has been achieved—with great difficulty—in the war on extremist ideology and terrorist groups. This had been part of a major campaign launched over the past 10 years against armed groups and Al-Qaeda, which succeeded specifically in confronting extremist ideology at a grassroots level. However we are now returning to square one. I believe that a future Secretary of State Kerry will be able to understand the nature of the conflict and the threat that the Obama administration’s indifference over the past two years represents. The fall of the Syrian regime will result in the Iranians losing their right-hand in terms of implementing their terrorist policies, especially if we are able to help the Syrian people establish a democratically elected regime. If Assad flees Damascus, and as McCain said, this is “inevitable”, then we will witness extremist jihadists on one side and thousands of al-Assad’s pro-militia Shabiha on the other coast, carrying out ethnic cleansing. This would be the outcome of allowing powers like Al-Qaeda and Iran to operate freely in Syria.

Regional events justify concerns of Christians: Hezbollah
January 25, 2013/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah said Friday fears among Christians in Lebanon and the region are justified given the recent experiences of the sect in other countries in the Arab world. "The concerns of Christians in Lebanon and in the region are far greater than other groups ... they have the right to be fearful given the regional situation,” he said.

Hezbollah says for electoral law based on proportional representation
January 25, 2013/The Daily Star/BEIRUT: Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah said Friday his party supported proportional representation as a basis for any electoral law to govern the upcoming elections. “For Hezbollah, the main principle for any electoral law should be proportional representation,” Nasrallah said Friday. The leader of the resistance group said his party would back any proposal that was based on proportional representation. “We would adopt any law that is governed by proportional representation and the rest is mere details,” he said.

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah backs any proportional vote law
January 26, 2013/By Hussein Dakroub/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah voiced support Friday for any electoral law based on a proportional representation system, saying that the party would vote for the controversial Orthodox proposal should it be referred to Parliament.
“The basic principle for which we aspire in any election law is proportional representation regardless of our popularity,” Nasrallah said in a televised speech on the occasion of Prophet Mohammad’s birthday.
“We accept Lebanon as a single electoral district based on proportional representation. We accept Lebanon [divided] into governorates based on proportional representation. We accept the government’s draft law sent to Parliament,” he said, adding: “We accept Orthodox Gathering’s proposal. But for us, the attractive side of these proposals is the adoption of proportional representation.”
Nasrallah said proportional representation ensured just representation.
“This is what appeals to us in any proposed law because it offers everyone, whether parties or sectarian groups, the opportunity to be represented in Parliament,” he said.
Speaking through a giant screen via a video link to a crowd of Hezbollah’s supporters at a complex in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Nasrallah said the 22-month-old conflict in Syria and the turmoil in other Arab countries justified the Christians’ concerns.
“The Christians have concerns today. I think it is clear that some are asking whether Hezbollah and the Amal [Movement] will vote for the Orthodox proposal,” Nasrallah said.
“We confirm that we will vote for what we have agreed on. If Parliament meets tomorrow to discuss electoral draft laws, we will vote for the Cabinet’s draft law if it is put up [for a vote]. If the Orthodox proposal is put up [for a vote], we will vote for it. We are honest in this issue,” he added.
Nasrallah’s remarks are likely to add further confusion to the Orthodox Gathering’s electoral proposal, which has triggered a heated nationwide debate ahead of the the parliamentary polls, scheduled in early June.
The Orthodox draft law, which calls for each sect to elect its own lawmakers under a system of proportional representation with Lebanon as a single district, has drawn fire from many major political parties, including President Michel Sleiman, the Future Movement, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt and several independent March 14 Christian lawmakers, who warned that the draft would deepen sectarian divisions and lead to the rise of extremists.
Sleiman has vowed to challenge the Orthodox proposal in court if it is enacted by Parliament.
In sharp contrast with the political storm it has caused across the country, the Orthodox proposal has brought the rival Maronite parties together in a rare show of political unity. The leaders of the Kataeb Party, the Lebanese Forces, MP Michel Aoun of the Free Patriotic Movement, and Zghorta MP Suleiman Franjieh’s Marada Movement have fully supported the Orthodox draft, arguing it is the best formula to guarantee true representation of the Christians.
Hezbollah and Amal, allied with the FMP, have supported the Orthodox proposal during the meetings of a parliamentary subcommittee tasked with exploring a new electoral law.
“The Christians consider that this [Orthodox] proposal might lead to what they call a real power sharing [between Muslims and Christians] and true representation,” Nasrallah said, adding: “As Muslims, let’s give them this chance and go to a Parliament and elections in which no one will feel that he is taking less [seats] than his popularity.”
Nasrallah indirectly called on March 14 parties not to wager on regime change in Syria, saying that battlefield, political and international developments concerning the conflict were not favorable for many “to make their dreams come true on certain matters.”
“I call on the Lebanese to discuss an election law on the basis that it is fair and just. Stop waiting for what is happening in Syria, especially those who expected a dramatic change and Damascus to fall,” he said.
The opposition March 14 coalition, including the Future Movement, and Jumblatt, have rejected the Cabinet’s draft law based on a proportional representation system with 13 medium-sized districts.
The Future Movement of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri has staunchly rejected any proportional representation system under the shadow of Hezbollah’s arms. But Nasrallah slammed his opponents in the March 14 alliance, namely the Future Movement, saying these groups feared the outcome of the elections under a system of proportional representation: “The problem of those who reject proportionality is that such an option would reveal their true electoral weight.”
Nasrallah also scoffed at the Future Movement’s stance of refusing to support proportional representation while the group maintained its arsenal.
“The weapons that you keep mentioning aren’t the [type] used by the resistance but those owned by most Lebanese,” he said.
Nasrallah rejected the argument that Hezbollah’s arms could influence the results of elections. Instead, the Hezbollah chief warned of the use of money to buy votes in the elections. He quoted an unnamed senior official, a supporter of the March 14 coalition, as saying that he had paid $3 billion in the 2009 elections.
Nasrallah’s remarks came after the parliamentary subcommittee, made up of March 8 and March 14 MPs, failed after more than two weeks of deliberations to agree on a law to govern the elections. The Orthodox proposal has won a majority of votes among the subcommittee’s nine members.
In addition to the Cabinet’s draft law, the Orthodox proposal, and a draft law that would divide Lebanon into 50 small districts, the subcommittee has also examined a hybrid plan from Speaker Nabih Berri that combines proportional representation with a winner-takes-all system. The subcommittee will meet Tuesday to approve a report on the results of its discussions.
Jumblatt left for Paris Friday for talks with French officials, including President Francois Hollande, on the Lebanese crisis and repercussions of the 22-month-old turmoil in Syria.

Nasrallah: Money More Dangerous Than Weapons in Elections, Remarks Saying Hizbullah behind Orthodox Law Insult Christians
Naharnet /Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Friday noted that electoral money can influence the outcome of parliamentary elections more than weapons, denying remarks accusing his party of being behind the electoral law proposed by the Orthodox Gathering, under which each sect would elects its representatives.
“Today, the most important topic in Lebanon is the elections and the electoral law. There is a barrage of insults and self-dissociation from debates is necessary," said Nasrallah in a televised speech marking the birthday of Prophet Mohammed.
“The issue of the elections is sensitive during this period and all Lebanese sects are approaching the electoral law in a sensitive manner due to the current sharp divisions and the events in the region also have an impact,” added Nasrallah. He noted that “when Christians see what's happening in Iraq, Nigeria and other places, they have the right to be afraid,” adding that the developments in the region have further complicated the Lebanese situations.
Hizbullah's leader stressed that “all Lebanese concerns must be addressed and accusations must be put aside."
“I heard political leaders talking about the Orthodox Gathering proposal and saying that it is Hizbullah's proposal and this approach towards things is very malicious,” Nasrallah said.
“Remarks that the Orthodox Gathering proposal is Hizbullah's proposal are absurd and contain an insult against Bkirki and Christians,” he added.
Nasrallah pointed out that his party had voiced reservations when its allies suggested the Orthodox Gathering proposal.
“There are several options and proposals and things must be approached in a scientific manner and the main system we're looking for is proportional representation,” he announced.
“Proportional representation is the only system that ensures that everyone is represented in parliament,” added Nasrallah.
Hizbullah's secretary-general said his party will back “any proposal that endorses proportional representation.”
Commenting on the reservations of the rival March 14 camp over a law based on proportional representation, Nasrallah said: “The other camp is saying that the main problem is weapons and they are saying proportional representation cannot be adopted amid the presence of weapons and this is wrong, because the Resistance existed during the 1996 elections and weapons have never been used to impose electoral choices.”
“In which electorate was the influence of weapons employed? Weapons used to impose a certain electoral choice are not the weapons of the Resistance, because all parties have weapons,” Nasrallah noted.
“If weapons can influence the elections, their influence under a winner-takes-all system is greater than their influence under a proportional representation system and remarks about weapons are incorrect,” he went on to say.
“Weapons are not the problem because the more dangerous weapon is money,” he stressed.
“What is more dangerous: money or weapons? What is more dangerous: misleading and unfair media or weapons?" Nasrallah asked rhetorically.
He noted that Christian parties have concerns over political weight, calling on the Lebanese to discuss "a fair and just electoral law and to stop awaiting the outcome of the events in Syria, especially those who were awaiting certain changes to use them against others."
"All the military, regional and international developments indicate that the dreams of many parties will not come true" concerning the situation in Syria, added Nasrallah.
Turning to the events in the region, Nasrallah said it is not true that what's happening in the Arab region is a "sectarian conflict."
"Political objectives that have to do with power and domination were behind all the conflicts and wars that happened, which had nothing to do with religion or with Sunnis and Shiites," said Nasrallah, adding that "many current conflicts are political and have nothing to do with religions or with Islam and Christianity."
"We must keep any conflict away from sectarian incitement. We must be cautious and any sectarian rhetoric is a malicious rhetoric that destroys everything," said Nasrallah, calling for "accord, solutions and dialogue" in Syria, Bahrain, Iraq, Tunisia, Egypt and Lebanon.
Commenting on the outcome of Israel's legislative elections, which resulted in a virtual tie between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rightwing party and the center-left, Nasrallah said "no one must bet on any party in Israel because the Israeli left and right are the same concerning the Arab rights."
Nasrallah stressed that "Lebanon's guarantee is the army-people-resistance equation and our national unity is what preserves Lebanon."
He added that "the most important response to the Israeli elections is the call for further adherence to the Resistance and to cooperate to keep the resistance strong in Palestine and Lebanon."

Two Lebanese citizens mugged in Beqaa
Naharnet/Four gunmen temporarily kidnapped two Lebanese citizens in the Beqaa town of Ferzol on Friday. The assailants stole their money and possessions and then released them, the National News Agency reported.
The victims, identified as lawyer Salim Moufarrej and Wadih Nader, were on a bypass road linking the town of Terbol to Ferzol, when the gunmen riding a four-wheel vehicle stopped them.
One of the gunmen got into their car and directed them to an unknown destination, the report added.
The gunman stole $2000 and a golden ring from Moufarrej and 500,000 LL from Nader. He then let them go on the highway that links the towns of Al-Taybeh and Talya.

Lebanon: Nine Islamists Charged with Murdering Inmate at Roumieh
Naharnet/Nine Islamists were charged on Friday with the murder of a Palestinian inmate at Roumieh Prison, reported the National News Agency. State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr charged eight Islamist inmates with murder and a ninth Islamist who is not held at the jail. They may face the death penalty if convicted of the murder of Ghassan al-Qandaqli. In addition, Saqr charged two soldiers at Roumieh Prison with negligence, referring them for investigation. It was initially reported that Qandaqli, first identified as Ghassan Sandaqli by the media, had committed suicide by hanging in Roumieh's Bloc B.As Safir newspaper reported on January 22 however that he was actually severely beaten to death by Fatah al-Islam members. A meeting was later held on Friday between security officials and Islamist inmates with an agreement being reached to allow security forces to return to Bloc B of the jail, reported LBCI television. The security forces will be allowed to search all areas of the jail and the inmates will cooperate fully with them.

Source: France Warns of Official Welcoming Ceremony for Abdallah
Naharnet/France is likely to deport Lebanese leftist militant George Abdallah soon after his case became a “burden” but it has warned Lebanese authorities against organizing an official welcoming ceremony for him, pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported on Friday. The newspaper quoted a high-ranking French source as saying that involved French cabinet ministers intend to approve his deportation soon. “Some officials in the French administration believe it would be best to get rid of his burden as soon as possible,” the source said. The International Campaign to Free George Abdallah has held a series of protests near French facilities all over Lebanon to pressure Paris to deport the activist. But French ambassador Patrice Paoli promised last week to convey to his government concerns aired by the Lebanese authorities over the delayed release.
A French court granted Abdallah, 61, parole in November on condition he be deported but the interior ministry had yet to issue the deportation order. The court postponed its decision on his release until January 28.
Al-Hayat's source did not rule out another postponement until March 14. Abdallah was convicted for his part in the 1982 murders in Paris of U.S. military attache Charles Robert Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov.
He was handed down a life sentence in 1987. The source told al-Hayat that French authorities have delivered messages to Beirut warning it against organizing welcoming ceremonies out of fear of a negative U.S. reaction.
Abdallah, jailed for nearly three decades, has been eligible for parole since 1999 but seven previous applications were all rejected in what the militant's lawyer and supporters claim was U.S. pressure.
The U.S. ambassador to France, Charles Rivkin, has criticized the decision to grant him parole, arguing that Abdallah had never expressed remorse and could yet be a threat if released.

Lebanon: Lassa Shooter Hands himself over to Security Forces
Naharnet /The man who shot and killed two locals from the Jbeil town of Lassa handed himself over to security forces after the family of the victims had blocked roads in protest against the murder.
Information obtained by al-Jadeed television said that the assailant had handed himself over to the concerned security authorities. Ghassan Seifeddine and his son Hadi were killed during an individual dispute, which erupted after a traffic accident, in the Wata al-Joz region on Thursday. Investigations revealed the attacker as Anthony Khalil Khalil, who fled the scene soon after the shooting. On Friday, relatives of the victims in Lassa blocked the Mayrouba-Wata al-Joz road to demand the arrest of Khalil. In Beirut, a number of youths blocked the Hadi Nasrallah highway with burning tires to also demand Khalil's arrest. A similar protest was held in the town of Ain in the northern Bekaa, said al-Jadeed. All the roads have since been reopened.

Car bomb attacks kill eight in Golan Heights
January 26, 2013/Agencies
BEIRUT: Twin car bomb blasts in the Syrian-controlled part of the Golan Heights killed eight people Friday, activists said, as Damascus called on its citizens who had fled the country during the war – including opponents of the regime – to return home.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said two cars packed with explosives had blown up near a military intelligence building in the town of Saasa, near Qunaitra late Thursday, killing eight people. Most of the dead were members of the Syrian military, the Observatory said, adding that the hard-line Nusra Front was responsible for the blast.
“We think the blast might have killed a colonel who has been leading the fight against rebels in the area,” Rami Abdel-Rahman, head of the Observatory said.
State-run Israel Radio aired what it said was an interview with an unidentified man from Saasa saying the explosion had been close to Israel. “I heard an explosion. I did not see it, I heard it. It was a very large explosion.”
The Syrian government has not commented on the attacks, while a leading pro-regime social media site said it declined to comment on the incident due to the “conflicting” information it was receiving.
Car bombs and suicide attacks targeting troops and government institutions have been the hallmark of Islamist militants fighting in Syria alongside rebels trying to topple Assad.
Qunaitra is on the cease-fire line between Syria and Israel, which controls most of the Golan Heights after capturing the strategic territory from Syria in the 1967 war.
More than a half million Syrians have fled to the neighboring countries of Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey during the 22-month war. They include opposition activists and defectors, including army officers, who have switched to the rebel side, fighting to topple Assad, whose family has ruled Syria for more than four decades.
The state-run SANA news agency said the government would help hundreds of thousands of citizens return whether they left “legally or illegally.”
Syrian opposition figures abroad who want to take part in reconciliation talks will also be allowed back, SANA reported late Thursday.
If they “have the desire to participate in the national dialogue, they will be allowed to enter Syria,” SANA said, citing an Interior Ministry statement.
The proposed talks are part of Assad’s initiative to end the war, which has seen tens of thousands of activists, their family members and opposition supporters imprisoned, according to international activist groups.
The opposition has repeatedly rejected any talks that include Assad, insisting instead that he step down.
For its part, the United Nations urged Syria’s neighbors to keep open their borders to civilians fleeing the intensifying conflict and said that a recent refugee exodus into Jordan was “absolutely dramatic.”
Over 30,000 Syrians have arrived in Jordan’s main Zaatari camp this year, including 4,400 Thursday and another 2,000 overnight, it said. Most were fleeing fighting in the southern Deraa area, food and fuel shortages and high prices. Turkey has said that camps are filling up as soon as they are built and officials in Jordan said this week the kingdom would keep its borders open but wanted other countries to help it boost its ability to cope with the influx. Melissa Fleming, chief spokeswoman of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said the UNHCR commended the Jordanian, Lebanese and Turkish governments for keeping their borders open and urged them to continue to do so. Meanwhile, regime forces shelled Damascus suburbs in an effort to dislodge rebels who have set up enclaves in the past months in towns and villages around the capital. The troops fired artillery shells at several districts, including on Zabadani and Daraya, according to the Observatory.
Another activist group, the Local Coordination Committees, said regime warplanes struck the suburb of Douma, the largest rebel-held area near Damascus.
Opposition sources said the army had stepped up an offensive on rebel strongholds in the city of Homs, bringing in ground forces to try to secure passage for its forces through a major road junction. The army shelled the city’s Jouret al-Shiyah and Khaldieh neighborhoods, which have been bombarded frequently since the start of the anti-regime revolt in March 2011, said the Observatory.
Activists said army rocket, artillery and aerial bombardment had killed at last 120 civilians and 30 opposition fighters in the area since Sunday.
More than 100 people were killed in violence around the country, according to the LCCs. The weekly Friday protest was held under the slogan of “Our Leader Forever, the Prophet Mohammad,” one day after the Muslim holiday marking the birth of Islam’s Prophet.
Activists released videos of demonstrators in dozens of towns and villages around the country, and in Saraqeb, in the northwestern province of Idlib, activists said protesters also demonstrated against the Nusra Front, which is listed by the United States as a “terrorist” organization. “No to the rule of foreigners, no to military rule, no to terror and fear,” read posters held up by the protesters.

Record number of Syrian refugees in Jordan
January 25, 2013 /DAMASCUS: A record number of Syrian refugees have flooded neighbouring Jordan over the past 24 hours, the UN said on Friday, as violence raged unabated in several flashpoints across the strife-torn country. More than 6,400 refugees have arrived in Jordan since Thursday, said the United Nations refugee agency, the UNHCR, bringing to over 30,000 the number of arrivals since the start of the month.
At the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos, Jordan's King Abdullah II said global support for the refugees both in his country and in Lebanon was "desperately needed."
"The weakest refugees are struggling now just to survive this year's harsh winter. More international support is desperately needed," the king said.
"I cannot emphasise enough the challenges that we are all facing, both in Jordan and Lebanon, and it's only going to get worse," he said five days before a donors' conference to be held Kuwait.
The past 24 hours have been dramatic for Jordan's main refugee camp, UNHCR spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said in Geneva as she revealed a "record" number of arrivals. "Only yesterday (Thursday), 4,400 Syrian refugees arrived in (Jordan's) Zaatari camp, and a further 2,000 arrived during the course of the night," Fleming said.
"Staff in Zaatari are working day and night shifts to respond to the new arrivals and the growing needs of the refugees in the camp," she said.
She said most new arrivals were women, children and elderly and that three children died this week -- a two-year-old and a two-month-old who died shortly after arriving at the camp and a two-day-old baby after an emergency delivery. Fleming said the new arrivals bring the total population of the sprawling camp that opened last July to some 65,000 and that the UNHCR was working with Jordan to open a second camp by the end of the month. The United Nations has predicted the number of Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries will double to 1.1 million by June if Syria's civil war -- which it says has killed more than 60,000 people since March 2011 -- does not end. Speaking in Davos, experts warned that Syria's conflict was threatening to settle into a long and bloody war and calls were made for humanitarian assistance as well as weapons for rebel forces.
"Today there are more than 60,000 dead... Can we wait until it's double that? Can we wait until it's triple that? This is a shame on all of us," said Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former Saudi spy chief.
He said the global community needed to support Syria's opposition against President Bashar al-Assad, including by supplying them with weapons.
On Syrian battlefields violence showed no sign of abating on Friday.
The air force launched air raids on several rebel-held towns, including in Damascus province, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a broad network of activists, doctors and lawyers.
Activists reported an escalation of the army's fierce campaign to reclaim insurgent-held areas in Homs in central Syria, which lays on the strategic route linking Damascus to the sea. In Homs city, the army shelled the Juret al-Shiyah and Khaldiyeh neighbourhoods, which have been bombarded frequently since the start of the anti-regime revolt in March 2011, the Observatory said.
At least 129 people were killed in Friday's violence, the Britain-based monitoring group said, including 40 civilians.
And while state-run SANA news agency said many Syrians heeded a call by the government and prayed for security on Friday, protesters in flashpoint areas demonstrated for Assad's fall. Amateur video shot in Houla, in Homs province, showed dozens of protesters on the streets despite army shelling.
Meanwhile in Saraqeb, in the northwestern province of Idlib, activists said protesters also demonstrated against the jihadist Al-Nusra Front rebel group which is listed by the United States as a "terrorist" organisation.
"No to the rule of foreigners, no to military rule, no to terror and fear," read posters held up by the protesters.

Jordan king hails vote, vows to reach out to critics
January 25, 2013/DAVOS, Switzerland: Jordan's King Abdullah II vowed on Friday to pursue democratic reforms after this week's "landmark" parliamentary vote, and to reach out to groups like the Muslim Brotherhood that boycotted the election. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the king hailed the election as an important step forward and said authorities would now work to build a party-based political culture in Jordan.
"I think the easiest part... is behind us. Today the challenge in creating this parliament is trying to create parties with political party platforms," he said. Preliminary results have shown that tribal leaders, pro-regime loyalists and independent businessmen were set to make strong showings in Wednesday's election. The vote was boycotted by the Muslim Brotherhood, which said the king's plans for a parliamentary government fell far short of true democratic change and argued that he should have no say in naming a prime minister. Asked about the Muslim Brotherhood, the king said it had little influence in his country.
"It is not a serious problem whatsoever, I think the weakest standing of any group of Muslim Brotherhood in any of the countries of the Middle East is actually in Jordan," he said.
"The challenge is how do I reach out to the oppositions that boycotted, that actually ended up being very small in numbers, to be part of this process," the king said.
He added that consultations would start in the next few days for the designation of a new prime minister.

Egypt’s revolution reignites two years on
January 26, 2013/Daily Star/CAIRO/ALEXANDRIA: On the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak, demonstrators clashed with police during protests across Egypt against the Islamist president they accuse of betraying the revolution. At least 186 civilians and 45 security personnel were injured, officials said, and five were killed by gunfire in the city of Suez, medics said. It was not immediately clear whether the dead were members of the police or civilians. Medics told Reuters that another person was in critical condition. Thousands of opponents of President Mohammad Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood allies massed in Cairo’s Tahrir Square – the cradle of the revolt against Mubarak – to rekindle the demands of a revolution they say has been hijacked by Islamists. Street battles erupted in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and Port Said. Arsonists attacked at least two state-owned buildings as symbols of government were targeted. An office used by the Muslim Brotherhood’s political party was also torched. The Jan. 25 anniversary laid bare the divide between the Islamists and their secular rivals. This schism is hindering Mursi’s efforts to revive an economy in crisis and reverse a plunge in Egypt’s currency by enticing back investors and tourists.
Inspired by the popular uprising in Tunisia, Egypt’s revolution spurred further revolts across the Arab world. But the sense of common purpose that united Egyptians two years ago has given way to internal strife that last month triggered bloody street battles. “Our revolution is continuing. We reject the domination of any party over this state. We say no to the Brotherhood state,” Hamdeen Sabahy, a popular leftist leader, told Reuters. The Brotherhood decided against mobilizing for the anniversary, wary of the scope for more conflict after December’s violence that was stoked by Mursi’s decision to fast-track an Islamist-tinged constitution rejected by his opponents. The Brotherhood denies accusations that it is seeking to dominate Egypt, labeling them a smear campaign by its rivals. Before dawn, police battled protesters who threw petrol bombs and firecrackers as they tried to approach a wall blocking access to government buildings near Tahrir Square. Clouds of tear gas filled the air. At one point, riot police used one of the incendiaries thrown at them to set ablaze at least two tents erected by youths, a Reuters witness said.
Skirmishes between stone-throwing youths and the police continued in streets around the square into the day. Ambulances ferried away a steady stream of casualties. Protesters echoed the chants of 2011’s historic 18-day uprising. “The people want to bring down the regime,” they chanted. “Leave! Leave! Leave!” chanted others as they marched toward the square.
“We are not here to celebrate but to force those in power to submit to the will of the people. Egypt now must never be like Egypt during Mubarak’s rule,” said Mohammad Fahmy, an activist.
There were similar scenes in Suez and Alexandria, where protesters and riot police clashed near local government offices. Black smoke billowed from tires set ablaze by youths. In Cairo, police fired tear gas to disperse a few dozen protesters trying to remove barbed-wire barriers protecting the presidential palace, witnesses said. A few masked men got as far as the gates before they were beaten back. Tear gas was also fired at protesters who tried to remove metal barriers outside the state television building.
Outside Cairo, protesters broke into the offices of provincial governors in Ismailia and Kafr al-Sheikh in the Nile Delta. A local government building was torched in the Nile Delta city of al-Mahalla al-Kubra.
With an eye on parliamentary elections likely to begin in April, the Brotherhood marked the anniversary with a charity drive across the nation. It plans to deliver medical aid to 1 million people and distribute affordable basic foodstuffs. Writing in Al-Ahram, Egypt’s flagship state-run daily, Brotherhood leader Mohammad Badie said the country was in need of “practical, serious competition” to reform the corrupt state left by the Mubarak era.
“The differences of opinion and vision that Egypt is passing through is a characteristic at the core of transitions from dictatorship to democracy, and clearly expresses the variety of Egyptian culture,” he wrote.
Mursi’s opponents say he and his group are seeking to dominate the post-Mubarak order. They accuse him of showing some of the autocratic impulses of the deposed leader by, for example, driving through the new constitution last month.
“I am taking part in today’s marches to reject the warped constitution, the ‘Brotherhoodization’ of the state, the attack on the rule of law, and the disregard of the president and his government for the demands for social justice,” Amr Hamzawy, a prominent liberal politician, wrote on his Twitter feed.
The Brotherhood says its rivals are failing to respect the rules of the new democracy that put the Islamists in the driving seat via free elections.
The parties that called for Friday’s protests list demands including a complete overhaul of the constitution.
Critics say the constitution, which was approved in a referendum, offers inadequate protection for human rights, grants the president too many privileges and fails to curb the power of a military establishment supreme in the Mubarak era.

Israel ex-PM Sharon's brain scans ”positive” says former aide
AFP/January 25, 2013/Hospital brain scans appeared to give a glimmer of hope for some improvement in the condition of ex-premier Ariel Sharon, who has been in a coma since suffering a stroke seven years ago, a former aide said on Friday. Sharon was taken from the Tel Aviv hospital where he has lain since 2006 to the Soroka hospital in the southern Israeli city of Beersheva for MRI scans on Thursday, Raanan Gissin told AFP.
"The test was routine, but the results not entirely so," Gissin said. "There was some kind of positive indication."
He said that he had no further details. Soroka spokeswoman Inbar Gutter said that Sharon had been at the hospital "for a few hours" on Thursday for checks before returning to Tel Hashomer hospital in Tel Aviv. She could not comment on his condition or any procedures he underwent. Sharon, 84, was admitted to the world-renowned Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem after suffering a massive stroke on January 4, 2006.
He was moved to the Tel Hashomer and has remained there in serious but stable condition ever since.

Whose side is America on?
By: Tony Badran/Naharnet
In President Barack Obama’s inaugural address marking the start of his second term in office, he dedicated little space to foreign policy. While the president made no specific mention of Iran, he did emphasize certain principles that amount to a doubling down on the policy of engagement. “We are heirs to those … who turn sworn enemies into the surest of friends … because engagement can more durably lift suspicion and fear,” the president declared.
While many administration insiders continue to insist that the president’s policy is still to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, Obama’s rhetoric, not to mention his cabinet nominations, who preach engagement without any plan B in the event that fails, raise doubts about Obama’s position.
No one feels Obama’s equivocations more acutely than Washington’s Sunni regional allies. There’s a gaping chasm between the priorities of the White House and those of the Sunni states. It’s long been known that these allies fear more than anything the prospect of Iranian influence enhanced by a nuclear weapons program. And yet, as Sunni allies like Saudi Arabia and Turkey look at US policy they see that it is more aligned with Iranian interests than their own.
It may not be the White House’s intention to send such a signal, but persistent ambiguity and lack of strategic clarity only serve to harden this perception. Consider what US policy around the region looks like to Sunni powers.
In Iraq, the US continues to stand behind the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, even as he has struck a hostile posture toward all of Washington’s regional allies. Saudi Arabia never believed that Maliki would take Sunni concerns into consideration, or that he could keep Baghdad out of Iran’s orbit. From the Saudis’ perspective, Maliki was bound to bend to Iranian preferences as he moved to consolidate power. Moreover, the Saudis understood that Obama’s disengagement from Iraq would only result in increased Iranian sway over Baghdad.
Maliki’s behavior, especially since the US withdrawal, has vindicated the Saudis’ worst fears. And they’re not alone. Maliki’s campaigns against rival Sunni politicians resulted in increased tension with the Turks, who also share the Saudi view that, as one Turkish commentator put it, “the US had served Iraq to Iran on a gold platter.”
Turkey’s tensions with Iraq were further exacerbated as Ankara moved closer to Kurdish president Massoud Barzani and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), where it seeks a new energy supply source, bypassing Baghdad’s control. And yet, the US continued to back Maliki.
If there was any doubt about which camp Maliki belonged to, it was dispelled when he actively undercut Washington and its allies by standing behind the Syrian dictator, Bashar al-Assad, in his war against the Sunni-majority opposition. The Iraqi premier was providing not only political support to Assad but was also allowing Iraq to become a transit point for Iranian weapons and other assistance to the Syrian regime. When Saudi Arabia and Turkey looked to the White House for a reaction, all they got was mild protestation and helpless dismay.
From the Sunni perspective, US policy in Syria has reinforced their worst beliefs about Washington’s posture toward Iran. The columns of Tariq al-Homayed, the influential Saudi editor of the al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper, are a useful gauge of the Saudis’ misgivings about the White House’s policies. Over the past year, Homayed has articulated the region’s perception of what could be dubbed an anti-Sunni bias in US policy.
In September, for instance, he criticized Washington’s refusal to arm the Syrian rebels even as it agreed to a major arms deal with the Iran-allied Maliki. Homayed further criticized US reluctance to back an opposition transitional government, with the excuse being that it wasn’t inclusive enough of Syrian minorities. “Why is lack of inclusiveness a condition in the Syrian case, but it is looked over in Maliki’s case?” Homayed asked. He had a point. The US was adamant that the Sunnis share power with Syria’s minorities – even as some of them were allied with Tehran and Moscow – but was willing to give the Iran-aligned Maliki a free hand in Iraq.
Homayed’s criticism reflects a more general perception among the Sunni regional states, and zeroes in on the message that Washington has been sending about its strategic priorities. Instead of leading the effort to bring down the Assad regime, and thereby deal a major blow to Iran’s alliance network, it appears far more concerned about pressing the Syrian opposition to reach out more to minorities and about preserving so-called regime “institutions.” If the US wanted to eliminate Iranian influence in Syria, then it should be looking to dismantle, not preserve, “institutions” like the security services, which are allied with Iran.
Nothing the US has done in Syria has allayed the concerns and suspicions of its Sunni allies. In fact, it has only exacerbated them.
Washington needs to be aware of this entrenched view in the region. To be sure, it doesn’t make sense for the US to adopt across the board a consciously pro-Sunni policy – or a pro-Shiite one either. The US does not have a sectarian project in the region, even if, outside of Israel, all of America’s regional allies are Sunni states. They share interests with the US, even if the administration is not pursuing those interests clearly. By letting down its allies on the priorities they care about – and which the US says are its priorities as well – the administration is doing a poor job at alliance maintenance. Worse still, it is conveying the message that it cares more about lifting the suspicion and fears of its enemies than those of its actual allies.
*Tony Badran is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He tweets @AcrossTheBay.

Question: "Do Christians have to obey the laws of the land?"
GotQuestions.org?
Answer: Romans 13:1-7 states, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”
This passage makes it abundantly clear that we are to obey the government God places over us. God created government to establish order, punish evil, and promote justice (Genesis 9:6; 1 Corinthians 14:33; Romans 12:8). We are to obey the government in everything—paying taxes, obeying rules and laws, and showing respect. If we do not, we are ultimately showing disrespect towards God, for He is the One who placed that government over us. When the apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, he was under the government of Rome during the reign of Nero, perhaps the most evil of all the Roman emperors. Paul still recognized the Roman government’s rule over him. How can we do any less?
The next question is “Is there a time when we should intentionally disobey the laws of the land?” The answer to that question may be found in Acts 5:27-29, “Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 'We gave you strict orders not to teach in this Name,' he said. 'Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood.' Peter and the other apostles replied: ‘We must obey God rather than men!'“ From this, it is clear that as long as the law of the land does not contradict the law of God, we are bound to obey the law of the land. As soon as the law of the land contradicts God's command, we are to disobey the law of the land and obey God's law. However, even in that instance, we are to accept the government’s authority over us. This is demonstrated by the fact that Peter and John did not protest being flogged, but instead rejoiced that they suffered for obeying God (Acts 5:40-42).
Recommended Resource: Hard Sayings of the Bible by Kaiser, Davids, & Brauch.

Asharq Al-Awsat Interview: Former Egyptian PM Ahmed Shafiq
By Abdul Sattar Hatita
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—In an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, former Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq spoke about the current political situation in the country, criticizing the performance of the Muslim Brotherhood-led government there, in addition to expressing his deep love for his homeland.
General Shafiq narrowly lost the 2012 Egyptian presidential elections to Freedom and Justice party candidate Mohamed Mursi. Shafiq obtained 48 percent of the vote in the election run-off, losing to the Muslim Brotherhood candidate who won 52 percent of the vote. He has since left Egypt and is residing in the United Arab Emirates:
The following is the full text of the interview:
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What’s your view of the situation in Egypt two years on from the 25 January revolution?
[Shafiq] The situation is very bad to the point that we are in danger and it cannot continue in this manner. First, the political problem is primarily a domestic one, because the Egyptian people do not accept—in any way, shape, or form—what is happening; that is the greatest problem. As for the external problem, this is that the whole world is well aware, without any shadow of a doubt, of the Egyptian people’s rejection of the methods of the current regime.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] In your view, is this problem due to the ruling regime or the opposition, or are both parties at fault?
[Shafiq] By God, all parties have their problems, however the primary problem in the country are due to the rulers, namely the Muslim Brotherhood. The rulers completely failed to achieve any of the desired results that are talked about following any regime change.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Speaking from outside, how do you view the position of the Egyptian military and Interior Ministry regarding what is happening in Egypt?
[Shafiq] They (the ruling regime) are playing a game whereby the army will sit on the fence . . . that is to say, where the army is neutral. The evidence of this can be seen in the fact that on the day of the huge 2.5 million protests at the presidential palace in December, they did not allow any forces from the army or police to be deployed under the pretext of neutrality. So is it logical to sit on the fence in the middle of a conflict between the people, with one person wielding a gun and shooting the other in the back? Unarmed people were being shot in public. People would find themselves painted with a green laser and then they would be shot. Should they (the army) have refrained from returning to the streets to break up what was taking place in terms of people being assassination? Is that really neutrality? They (the regime) are afraid and wanted this result; they wanted to generate a state of fear of “the Brotherhood” in the Egyptian street. The second issue is that they are afraid of the army returning to the street and taking power once more. And I say to them (the Brotherhood): Don’t be afraid . . . the army is overwhelmed with very bad memories regarding the period it was in charge of the country. The army will not return.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] How worried are you about the economic situation in Egypt? How would you rate the Brotherhood’s performance so far?
[Shafiq] I could not be more concerned . . . they are dreaming of obtaining the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan. They are aware that such a loan would represent a blessing if it is used correctly, however it would be a curse if it falls in the hands of those who don’t know how to act and . . . we are in the hands of those who do not know how to act. Whether we are talking about the IMF loan or funds from other lenders, what is happening is that the Egyptian people are being endangered due to these huge loans; the Brotherhood will not remain in power for long and the Egyptian people and their children will suffer from the future consequences of such loans. At the present time, a new tone is prevailing regarding exploiting Egyptian assets . . . particularly in terms of sukuk and investment; with such investments not being “sold”, rather the buyer is given (ownerships) rights which last for 99 years. This is nothing more than fraud . . . they want non-Egyptians to own Sinai, which is territory that 100,000 Egyptians bled and died for. Where were those who are in power today when the people of Egypt were being martyred in Sinai? Where were they when Egypt was being subjected to war by the world’s largest superpowers due to its establishment of the Aswan High Dam? These are things that cannot be relinquished because they are closely associated with the history of the Egyptian people. Playing with such issues is dangerous. I warn those who will come to invest in Egypt in this manner because the ruling regime will be overturned one of these days and these properties will be taken from them one more. All of the investment contracts of this type will be void.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Have the ruling parties in Egypt contacted you to invite you to participate in the solution? Or does the culture of reprisal still prevail on the political scene in Egypt?
[Shafiq] I do not know what my response would be if they tried to contact me. As for the issue of reprisals, this is their daily bread.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What about contact between yourself and the Egyptian opposition?
[Shafiq] I have personally been in direct contact with colleagues in the Egyptian National Movement during my time abroad. I received numerous calls and offers of cooperation, all of which are being discussed. However I am quite pessimistic about the Egyptian opposition’s chances of achieving the required success to confront a despotic and fraudulent regime.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Does this mean that your party will not take part in the forthcoming parliamentary elections?
[Shafiq] The party officials are in the process of studying this issue. However I would like to ask: What will we gain by participating in elections that will certainly be rigged? What did we benefit from taking part in the referendum on the constitution when this referendum was also rigged? All that happened was that a false legitimacy was granted to (Egyptian) democracy and governance, not to mention the acceptance of the constitution. Therefore everything that will be based on the constitution in terms of the parliamentary councils and so on . . . is based on a false and fraudulent foundation.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Regarding vote rigging, some people are of the view that the judicial investigations into the last presidential elections have gone on for too long and may be forgotten. What’s your view?
[Shafiq] The investigating judge has been assigned and we will monitor the investigation. Things are quite clear for us . . . and we have sufficient documentation and evidence, and we will continue to work in this regard.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Some Egyptian media have reported that you intend to leave the UAE and take up residence in Britain. Is this true?
[Shafiq] No, this is not true.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Does your presence in the UAE represent any problems?
[Shafiq] They (the ruling regime in Egypt) imagine so, but this is nothing more than wishful thinking.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Does this have anything to do with the reported Muslim Brotherhood cell uncovered in the UAE and accused of seeking to overthrow the regime?
[Shafiq] Not at all . . . and I do not even want to know news about this case.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What about the land sale case that you have been implicated in?
[Shafiq] This is ridiculous . . . there were strong attempts by my accusers to put an end to my political career, but they will not succeed in this.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What’s your view of the attempted Egyptian – Iranian rapprochement under these regional and international conditions?
[Shafiq] In general, good relations are required, but one thing should not come at the expense of another . . . we must be very cautious in this issue. Although I am always concerned about promoting good relations, Iran has not provided us—during this period—any justification to squander our Arab and Islamic relations with sisterly states, particularly in the Gulf region.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] There are shuttle visits taking place from western states to Egypt, most recently a visit by a US congressional delegation which met with President Mursi, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the opposition. What’s your view of this?
[Shafiq] I believe this is part of attempts to provide necessary support and guidance to stop the growing collapse of Egypt’s system of governance.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Did this have anything to do with western concerns regarding imposing a state of calm between Gaza and Israel?
[Shafiq] The deliberate welcome on the international level regarding the understanding between Israel and Hamas is nothing more than propaganda to confirm that relying on the Muslim Brotherhood is workable for western states, and they supported this approach in the first place. While this is all based on brokering a simple understanding between Israel and Hamas, both of whom are very happy, and there was no effort nor depth to this. Hamas held a three-day celebration in Gaza, while Israel also said that it was happy because no rockets had struck Tel Aviv. So I would like to know: What miracle dud the Brotherhood performed in this regard?
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Some people have noted a growing extremist movement in Egypt, for example we saw the passing of a law this week reducing women’s chances of securing seats at the next parliamentary elections. What’s your view of this?
[Shafiq] This is unacceptable . . . this is the product of governmental bodies that came to power by vote rigging. Generally speaking, the Egyptian people are religious by nature, and this is something that is known to the entire Muslim world. If the Egyptian people were not religious by nature then Egypt would not have been the home of the venerable al-Azhar institute, which is known as the center of Islamic science. Al-Azhar would not have remained in Egypt if Egypt were not the mother of Islamic piety. This is something that does not require further talk. As for whether the Egyptian people are devout to an over-exaggerated or extreme level, that is another matter. We will not be prey to extremists playing on our emotions. Egypt’s Muslims will remain moderate, accepting and welcoming their religion without over-exaggeration or extremism or abuse.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you feel nostalgic to return to Egypt?
[Shafiq] There are some ignorant people who don’t know anything about love for Egypt . . . such people never deny that they do not care for Egypt, but rather are seeking (to establish) a regional state or Islamic Emirate that includes all the Islamic countries in the region. They don’t want an Egyptian president for Egypt. However my love for my hometown Cairo is just part of my great love for Egypt as a whole. I love the district of Heliopolis where I was born, which is part of my greater love for Cairo, and that is part of my even greater love for Egypt as a whole. When a person does not have somewhere to hold on to . . . then he is ignorant, and what such people are talking about is completely ignorant. Do they think that if we cancelled our borders and returned to an Islamic Emirate, then nothing would happen? This country would be preoccupied with its own issues, and this would motivate all other countries to attempt to push their interests. They imagine that this (establishment of an Islamic Emirate) would mean that we were moving towards a more logical equation however on the contrary we would be moving towards a situation that would ultimately destroy us.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] You have been away from Egypt for quite some time. What newspapers do you read for a taste of home?
[Shafiq] I read the Egyptian governmental newspapers which make me feel sad about the situation that my country finds itself in, and this only increases my determination (regarding the need for change in Egypt). I read these newspapers in order to feel sad . . . in order to see the bad side. And I read the opposition newspapers to see the optimistic side in terms of their perseverance and determination to complete the march towards democracy, freedom and justice.