LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
January 28/2013

Bible Quotation for today/Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet
John 13/13 -20: "It was now the day before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. He had always loved those in the world who were his own, and he loved them to the very end.  Jesus and his disciples were at supper. The Devil had already put into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, the thought of betraying Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him complete power; he knew that he had come from God and was going to God.  So he rose from the table, took off his outer garment, and tied a towel around his waist. Then he poured some water into a washbasin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.  He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Are you going to wash my feet, Lord?” Jesus answered him, “You do not understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later.” Peter declared, “Never at any time will you wash my feet!”“If I do not wash your feet,” Jesus answered, “you will no longer be my disciple.” Simon Peter answered, “Lord, do not wash only my feet, then! Wash my hands and head, too!” Jesus said, “Those who have taken a bath are completely clean and do not have to wash themselves, except for their feet. All of you are clean—all except one.” ( Jesus already knew who was going to betray him; that is why he said, “All of you, except one, are clean.”) After Jesus had washed their feet, he put his outer garment back on and returned to his place at the table. “Do you understand what I have just done to you?” he asked.  “You call me Teacher and Lord, and it is right that you do so, because that is what I am.  I, your Lord and Teacher, have just washed your feet. You, then, should wash one another's feet.  I have set an example for you, so that you will do just what I have done for you.  I am telling you the truth: no slaves are greater than their master, and no messengers are greater than the one who sent them.  Now that you know this truth, how happy you will be if you put it into practice! “I am not talking about all of you; I know those I have chosen. But the scripture must come true that says, ‘The man who shared my food turned against me.’  I tell you this now before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe that ‘I Am Who I Am.’  I am telling you the truth: whoever receives anyone I send receives me also; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.”

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
 A Long Night for Egypt/By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat/January 28/13
Lakhdar and Bashar/By Hussein Shobokshi/Asharq Alawsat/January 28/13
Kerry: His View on the Syrian Conflict/By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Alawsat/January 28/13

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for January 28/13
 Blasts reported at Hezbollah weapons depot
Lebanon: Shooting Victims Buried in Lassa amid Heavy Gunfire, Killer Handed Over to ISF
New draft to address Christian electoral concerns: Siniora
Patriarch Beshara Rai urges end to arming warring sides in Syria
Two killed in car chase south of Beirut: report
Lassa residents demand arrest of killer
Lebanon's feuds 'could spark gas conflict'
 Lebanon: ISF says security main concern when managing prisons
Lebanon's PM, Mikati: Situation of Syrian refugees at dangerous point
Sleiman: Cabinet draft law road map for Lebanon's future
Franjieh says Future concerns do not represent Sunni community
Mikati’s Saudi meeting not a shift in relationship
Visiting U.S. official highlights military ties with Lebanon
NATO Says Missiles Operational on Turkey-Syria Border
 Syria rebels free 100 inmates in prison battle: watchdog

Assad's chances of survival shrinking by the day: Medvedev
UN humanitarian chief in Syria for talks
Britain pledges $33 million in aid to Syria
Syrian troops fight rebels in Damascus suburb
Syria rebels free 100 inmates in prison battle: watchdog
Tehran: Attack on Syria would be seen as attack on Iran
Egypt opposition threatens to boycott parliamentary polls
Deadly Clashes in Egypt Continue
Death toll in clashes in Egypt's Port Said now 22
Deadly Clashes Erupt in Egypt After Football Verdict
Egypt Deploys Troops to Suez to Control Violence

Israel’s Yair Lapid: A Voice for Change or Same Old Same Old?
French forces take airport, bridge in Gao, Mali
Iraqi Sunnis mourn protesters shot dead by troops
Brazil: At least 220 dead in nightclub fire

Blast reported at Hezbollah weapons depot
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4337439,00.html
Roi Kais Published: 01.27.13, 13:18 / Israel News Lebanese media affiliated with anti-Hezbollah forces say series of blasts occurs in what is said to be ammunition compound in country's west A blast sounded Saturday in the area of a Hezbollah ammunition compound in west Lebanon, media affiliated with anti-Hezbollah forces reported. According to the Lebanese Al-Mustaqbal newspaper, Hezbollah operatives surrounded the area where the explosion occurred, as smoke reached villages in the region. It is unclear whether anyone was injured in the incident. Residents of the area reportedly heard a few consecutive blasts. According to an uncorroborated source, the compound serves as storage for missiles and arms previously transferred from the Syrian regime to Hezbollah. Meanwhile, according to the Lebanese Daily Star, the Lebanese army reported Friday of four infiltrations of Israeli fighter planes into Lebanese airspace. Last month, Lebanese news agencies reported about a large explosion in a Hezbollah ammunition compound in Tair Harfa, in the country's south near the border with Israel. Andrea Tenente, a spokesman for the UN peacekeeping force in the area, UNIFIL, said it was investigating, but according to a Tair Harfa official, the explosion did not occur at a Hezbollah compound, but rather was "the result of the explosion of a rocket that was left behind after Israeli strikes, probably in the Second Lebanon War.

Patriarch Beshara Rai urges end to arming warring sides in Syria
January 27, 2013/The Daily Star
Patriarch Beshara Rai speaks during an interview in Bkirki, north of Beirut, February 28, 2012. REUTERS/Sharif Karim
BEIRUT: Cardinal Beshara Rai called Sunday for an end to the increasing violence in neighboring Syria through peaceful negotiations and urged states backing and opposing President Bashar Assad to halt their military and monetary support to the warring parties.
“We appeal to the officials of the states which are fighting in Syria that by providing funds and weapons to both the regime and the opposition – a phenomena that has become obvious – to cease such negative actions and incitement,” said Rai during his Sunday sermon at Bkirki.
The leader of the Maronite Church blamed these states for the violence and destruction in Lebanon’s neighbor which the U.N. estimates has claimed the lives of 60,000.
“These states are themselves committing murder and destruction and attacks against innocent citizens and history will hold them responsible for that,” Rai said.
The United States, Europe and Arab Gulf states have voiced support for the opposition in Syria while Russia, China and Iran remain fervent supporters of the embattled leader.
Rai criticized the use weapons as an act of “cowardice” while lauding as “heroic” attempts to end the crisis through peaceful means.
“The bullying and use of weapons without [inhibition] is a cowardly act,” he said.
“However, to sit at the negotiating table and find solutions to the conflict through dialogue and reconciliation is heroic,” he added.
The cardinal also called on Lebanon’s political rivals, both who support and oppose Assad, not to wager on the developments in Syria, saying this was bringing public life to a standstill.
“Lebanon's politicians should also stop their wagering on the developments in Syria because they are paralyzing public life and patriotic decisions, including the new electoral law,” he said.
Lebanon’s politicians have been divided over the crisis in Syria. While the March 14-led opposition strongly supports the uprising against Assad, the Hezbollah-led March 8 backs the embattled leader.
Rai also called Sunday for supporting Syrian refugees in Lebanon at the social and material levels and said the Lebanese should show solidarity of a humanitarian nature with the displaced.
He also called on the Lebanese to provide them with services and financial support they needed.
Last week, Rai said Lebanon could not cope with the influx of refugees and said they should be spread out in other Arab countries and in safe areas in Syria.
On Saturday, Syria’s Ambassador Ali Abdel Karim Ali urged Syrian refugees in Lebanon to return to their home country as some places remained secure and stable.
Lebanon has over 200,000 Syrian refugees, according to Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour.

Two killed in car chase south of Beirut: report
January 27, 2013/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: A Palestinian man shot dead Sunday two people and wounded another in Khaldeh, south of Beirut, and then fled the crime scene, the National News Agency reported. The shooting, by a Palestinian identified as A. G., occurred during a car chase prompted by an earlier accident, the state-run agency reported. Driving a pickup truck, A.G., who had a passenger in his vehicle, slammed into a Honda and then drove off. The accident prompted the Honda driver to seek the assistance of two passersby, a young man and woman, and later a pursuit of A.G. in a separate vehicle. During the car chase, A.G. opened fired on his pursuers, killing the passersby, the NNA said.A.G., according to the agency, also opened fire on the passenger in the pickup truck and wounded him. The shooter then fled the scene of the crime, the NNA said.

Lebanon: Shooting Victims Buried in Lassa amid Heavy Gunfire, Killer Handed Over to ISF
Naharnet /Ghassan and Hadi Seifeddine, the victims of the Wata al-Joz incident, were laid to rest on Sunday in their hometown Lassa, in the presence of General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim, who represented President Michel Suleiman, a Hizbullah delegation and MPs Simon Abi Ramia, Abbas Hashem and Walid Khoury.
Mourners fired their guns heavily in the air during the funeral procession as Abi Ramia thanked the residents for their "wisdom" and stressed that "no one is above the law."Later on Sunday, Anthony Khalil, who is accused of killing the two men, was handed over to the Intelligence Bureau of the Internal Security Forces under the supervision of Interior Minister Marwan Charbel.
For his part, Hizbullah official Sheikh Hussein Zoaiter stressed "the need that the perpetrator turn himself in to authorities," emphasizing that "the region will maintain its religious coexistence.”
Earlier, reports said that an agreement has been reached between security forces and the family of the shooter, under which he would turn himself in within hours.
The residents of Lassa vowed on Saturday to 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 the Kfardebian and Faraya ski resorts 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.
“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.
Ghassan Seifeddine and his son Hadi were killed during a personal dispute, which erupted over a traffic accident, in the Wata al-Joz region on Thursday.
On Saturday, Lassa cleric Sheikh Mohammed Itawi announced that the two men will be buried on Sunday afternoon. The announcement came after Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah interfered and requested that the families withdraw their pledge of sentencing the accused to death before they lay the bodies of Ghassan and Hadi to rest.

Lassa residents warn of repercussions, demand arrest of killer
January 26, 2013/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Angry protesters from Lassa warned Saturday of grave repercussions if the killer of two men from the Jbeil town is not handed over to the judiciary.
The residents also blocked the Hrajel-Mayrouba highway to protest against the killings which have rocked this northeastern region.
A spokesperson for the residents of the majority-Shiite Lassa, Sheikh Mohammad al-Itani voiced his confidence in the judiciary and the state to bring justice to the family of the deceased, warning of repercussions “if the killer is not handed over."
“A sectarian war lies at the doorsteps of the region and attempts to cover for the offender are not acceptable," Itani told reporters after residents reopened the road.
Itani also called on residents of both towns not to blow the incident out of proportion and "view it merely as a personal dispute." He also warned that the residents “would shut down ski resorts and disrupt tourism in the area if [Anthony] Khalil is not handed over.”
“We can get the offender if we want to,” Itani added.
Police identified 24-year-old Anthony Khalil, a resident of the Kesrouan town of Harajel, as the suspected killer.
Although media reports said Friday night that Khalil had been arrested, security sources told the Daily Star Saturday that the news was aimed at lessening tensions in the area after residents blocked two main roads.
Relatives of the victims have vowed not to bury the bodies of the men until the killer is brought to justice.
Ghassan Saifeddine and his son Hadi were shot and killed Thursday after the former got into a dispute with Khalil over the right of way in the Kesrouan town of Wata al-Joz, which connects Jbeil to Kesrouan.
According to eyewitnesses, Khalil shot in the direction of Saifeddine who was reportedly armed with knives and cleavers.


NATO Says Missiles Operational on Turkey-Syria Border
VOA/NATO says the first of six missile defense batteries sent to Turkey to intercept possible rockets fired from Syria is operational.
The alliance says the Patriot missile battery went "under command and control" in the southern city of Adana Saturday. The first battery was a Dutch unit.
The Netherlands and the United States are each providing two batteries of the U.S.-made Patriots. NATO expects to make the rest of the units fully operational in the next few days.
The Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad has described the NATO Patriot deployment as a provocation.
On Friday, twin car bomb explosions in the Syrian-controlled part of the Golan Heights killed eight people. Government forces launched new raids in rebel-held districts of Damascus.
There was no claim of responsibility for the Golan Heights blasts, but car bombs and suicide attacks targeting Syrian troops are tactics commonly used by Islamic militants, who alongside the rebels are trying to topple Assad.
According to estimates, at least 60,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in March 2011. Hundreds of thousands more have sought refuge in neighboring countries.

A Long Night for Egypt
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat.
The events on the second anniversary of Egypt’s 25 January revolution suggest that whether you are a skeptic or an optimist, Egypt is in for a long night. The opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood’s rule is now genuine and deep-rooted, and increasing day by day. This is despite all the attempts in Egypt to clear the air, whether through the media, politics or even through intimidation.
What was witnessed throughout Egypt on Friday and afterwards suggests that there will be no stability in the country for the foreseeable future, as long as no serious or realistic solutions are being adopted to reassure the people and move Egypt forwards.
The second anniversary of the 25 January revolution suggests that Egypt is in a deep and difficult crisis. Incomplete solutions cannot be imposed either by force or through maneuvers, especially since there is one party watching and waiting like an eagle, namely the army, and the Brotherhood’s regime is incapable of suppressing it or imposing its own fait accompli. The strength of the army is unparalleled. This is apart from Western media reports that suggest the Brotherhood are also incapable of imposing their control on the joints of the Egyptian state, whether at the level of technocrats, the police, or even the state media, let alone private outlets, and not to mention the business sector.
The Brotherhood’s problem, not only in Egypt but in all countries of the Arab Spring, is that they have offended everyone with their greed for power and their overwhelming desire to seize everything, from the trade unions to the presidency, the People’s Assembly, the Shura Council, and the government. Not even a novice in politics would engage in so much political tampering, so why are we seeing it from a group that has been active for the past eight decades? This is a puzzling matter; the Brotherhood have rushed to claim everything and have turned against their partners in the revolution, even though the Brotherhood themselves were late in coming out against Mubarak. Therefore, the reality dictates that they will lose, at an alarming speed, not only in Egypt but in most Arab countries. When the people of Egypt see what they are seeing, especially with renewed deaths among the ranks of the demonstrators, then they, i.e. the people, begin to consider the Brotherhood in the same light as they saw Mubarak, or others like him. This is especially since on the same day as the deaths were reported in Egypt, six Iraqis demonstrating against Nouri Al-Maliki in Fallujah, Iraq, were killed by the Iraqi army.
Therefore, as long as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt do not realize the gravity of the situation in their country, and the reality of the opposition towards them – given that the Brotherhood have united everyone against them due to the fatal errors they have committed– then they will lose, and faster than anyone would have imagined. What is most important here of course is the Egyptian interior. The last thing the Brotherhood wanted was to inherit a divided nation, yet the nation of Egypt here has been divided at the hands of the Brotherhood themselves, and hence their eventual loss will be very costly. However, few rational minds seem to be aware of this so far, for we have yet to see an opposition voice towards what the Brotherhood is doing from inside the group itself.
To summarize, what is happening in Egypt requires quick and earnest solutions, not quick fixes. Otherwise, Egypt is in for a long night, and so is the region as a whole.

Asharq Al-Awsat Interview: The Other Zawahiri
Political situation in Egypt contradicts God
By Waleed Abdul Rahman
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Mohamed al-Zawahri is the brother of Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri and a founding member of the Salafist Jihadist group in Egypt. He was arrested against the backdrop of the assassination of former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, spending a total of 14 years in prison. After his release, he left the country, living abroad in numerous countries across the Arab world including Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates. He was convicted and sentenced to death in absentia in 1998 in the “Returnees from Albania” case. Zawahiri returned to Egypt following the ouster of the Hosni Mubarak regime on 11 February 2011. He was arrested on his return, but acquitted of all charges against him by military tribunal last March. Since his return to Egypt, the other Zawahiri has offered to mediate talks between the Egyptian military and Sinai-based jihadist organization, as well as between the Islamists and the United States, claiming that if anybody can talk his brother—Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri—out of violence, it’s him.
The following is the full text of the interview:
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What’s your view of the situation in Egypt on the second anniversary of the Egyptian revolution?
[Al-Zawahiri] Thankfully the situation is improving in terms of lifting the oppression from the Muslims and in terms of our freedoms and this includes promoting what we view as being the True Religion. However we are still very far from the primary objective of implementing Islamic Sharia law.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What about the political situation?
[Al-Zawahiri] In our view, the political situation in Egypt is contrary to the laws of God, therefore we are calling for correct and legitimate means, which requires discipline, to be used to implement Islamic Sharia law. From our view, the best way to achieve national reconciliation is via the full implementation of Islamic Sharia law. This is because society has fallen prey to partisanship . . . and this is something that cannot lead to stability. History is full of examples of this, while in eras when Islamic law was implemented non-Muslims lived in harmony under the law of God and history does not recall any cases of non-Muslims becoming fed up with Islamic Sharia law.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] In your assessment, what is the solution to Egypt’s economic woes?
[Al-Zawahiri] The economic situation in Egypt is not as bad as some people are portraying it. All the signals indicate that prices have decreased following the revolution, while prices were rising at a constant rate during the previous era. In fact we are of the view that prices have remained stable, particularly regarding agricultural products. This is not to mention a rise in the water levels behind the High Dam. This is all because of the lifting of tyranny and poverty and because some called for the implementation of Islamic Sharia law; they deserve the blessings of heaven and earth. So what would happen if we implemented full Sharia law? There can be no doubt that the situation would improve drastically. We can also resolve the economic problems by resorting to Islamic Sharia law and purifying our financial transactions, particularly those that are contrary to Islamic law, such as usury, which is something that the Egyptian economy does not want. If we get rid of the financial transactions forbidden by Islam, such as monopolization and the like, then certainly we will not have any economic problems.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] How do you view the security situation? How can we resolve this to return security and stability to the Egyptian street?
[Al-Zawahiri] We can assess the security situation from two points. First, in terms of the repressive practices and the injustices carried out against the Muslim people. These have stopped, and this is because such practices were a tool to protect the interests of the regime, not the interests of the people. Since the security apparatus was not utilized for its original function—to protect the people’s interests—it deteriorated. Second, in terms of protecting the interests of the people, the least that can be said about this is that this situation is very bad and may continue for some time. This is because the roots of the former regime remain in place to a certain degree and continue to pursue their own interests. Therefore it is natural for them to attempts to harm the people that toppled their leader and removed the bulk of their interests. This anger is expressed in these remnants being behind the chaos and unrest that is happening on the Egyptian street now. Many of their members have committed crimes, so they do not want to see any stability. Therefore the proposed solution to return stability to the Egyptian street once more is via the full implementation of Islamic Sharia law. Here I would like to stress that my intention is to restore security, not tyranny, which the people may view as being comfortable. Therefore the only way to restore security is to implement Islamic Sharia law. These unequivocal texts (of law), which deter all those who contravene them and does not favor one party over another, are the only solution.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What is the reason behind the general state of poverty in Egypt? What about the lack of basic services? What’s the solution to this?
[Al-Zawahiri] The solution is to confront the rampant corruption of the previous era. This led to the looting of the country’s wealth and the destruction of its economy.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Why didn’t you join a political party in the post-revolution period?
[Al-Zawahiri] We are of the view that democracy contravenes the True Religion of Islam, as this places sovereignty outside of God’s hands, and so we reject democracy and all its mechanisms and tools.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you think the current conditions in Egypt are suitable for regaining the political momentum that occurred two years ago?
[Al-Zawahiri] If by “momentum” you mean the factors that led to the 25 January revolution, such as injustice, then this will never be like it was in the past.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Have you found suitable employment in Egypt? Has your life reached a point of normalcy following your return to the country after years living aborad?
[Al-Zawahiri] No . . . I have not found employment opportunities despite my high degree of qualification and although I pioneered two new architectural theories. This is due to tightening security regarding myself and my siblings on the part of Islamist ideologues. The majority of us spent more than 15 years without an income, and now they are intimidating people against us to the point that we cannot do anything.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Some people are of the view that Salafist Jihadists and their activities always cause problems for ruling regimes and the international community, particularly the West and the US. Do you agree?
[Al-Zawahiri] This view is inverted; it is the ruling regimes and the international community –particularly the West and the US—that create problems to serve their own interests.

Lakhdar and Bashar
By Hussein Shobokshi/Asharq Alawsat
Bashar Al-Assad’s recent meeting with UN-Arab League envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi was frank, clear and direct, at least according to media leaks that have been circulated. Perhaps the most important of these leaks was the report that Brahimi allegedly told the Syrian president he must leave, and the latter replied, completely denying the enormity of what is happening, by saying he would not leave even if Damascus burned down. From then onwards, Lakhdar Brahimi realized the man opposite him had “lost it completely” and that it would be futile to continue talking to him.
The truth is that in order to understand Assad’s stance one must first identify the psychological background of the man, from which all his strange and incomprehensible decisions stem from. Bashar Assad had a reclusive and shy nature as a child, and was born with a personality that can only be described as shaky and unstable. He was not his father’s first choice to lead the country, rather this was his elder brother Basil, but after the death of his brother Bashar came to prominence hastily, amid the resentment and objection of his father’s old guard.
Since the early days of the power-bequeathal project, Bashar Assad was dogged by comments such as “he is weak and not really in charge”, or, according to the old guard, “he is at the helm only to ensure the continuation of his father’s approach.” Some even said that genuine governance was actually in the hands “of his mother and uncles”, who controlled the political and economic reins, while others said “his brother Maher and brother in law Assef Shawkat are controlling power in a heated power struggle between them.” It was not long before rumors spread that Iran was actually controlling the strategic decision-making power in Syria. The relationship between the ruling regime in Syria and the revolutionary regime in Iran, which was somewhat timid during the reign of Hafez Assad, had transformed into a complete and clear alliance during Bashar’s rule, at the expense of all the empty slogans about resistance, opposition, Arabism and liberation.
All these rumors ultimately generated a major inferiority complex and over time Bashar Assad became consumed by a strong and over-exaggerated desire to prove himself. This desire has been manifested in death and destruction, in not listening to the voice of reason, and in considering surrender to be the weak option. These are all sensitive issues that consume Bashar’s mind; a mind full of the oppressive legacy of his father. Bashar Assad knows he has an ally in Russia; resistant to the West and seeking to obtain a price for Assad’s salvation, China, which is toeing the Russian line in order to preserve its diplomatic reputation against the Western tide, Iran, which is seeking to protect the sectarian project it established with Hafez Assad over a period of forty years, and finally Israel, which wants to secure its borders. Indeed, Israel has no cause to worry or lose sleep over Assad, for over the past decades the occupied Golan Heights have transformed into something akin to a quiet, picturesque Hawaii resort.
Therefore, through the systematic destruction of Syria and its cities, Bashar Assad is gambling that the price of him leaving, if it is to happen, will come after Syria has been completely destroyed and is in need of a great reconstruction project. This will keep the country and its future rulers occupied for decades, thus distracting them from other issues such as liberating the Golan Heights or supporting the resistance. The regime is doing its utmost to secure this great price, and there is no greater proof of this than the queues of military jets, tanks and missiles that are bombing Syrian cities and killing their residents. Meanwhile, the fact that the Syrian army have not fired a single shot in the Golan Heights proves that they are the “guardians of Bashar” rather than guardians of the homeland.
However, Syria is a wonderful country with wonderful people. From its pure soil greats have emerged such as Khalid ibn Al-Walid, Saladin, Yusuf Al-Azmah and other noble figures, because of whom Syrian blood is full of pride and dignity, freedom and honor. The Syrians will triumph eventually despite those who have betrayed them, sided with their enemies and helped to kill innocent civilians and destroy their homes. Whole nations have pounced upon them and betrayed them, although their intentions seemed peaceful and innocent in the past.
Increasing despotism, coupled with growing displays of tyranny and oppression, are sure signs of the end of a dictator’s rule. Bashar Assad, with all his depravity and insanity, has surpassed each of Hitler, Saddam Hussein and Gaddafi. The latter three eventually assumed their rightful place in dark history, and they are now waiting for Assad in the fire.
Lakhdar Brahimi proposed a final idea to save Assad, but Bashar preferred to pursue his thirst for blood, and the blood of his people in particular. We will see who laughs last.

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.