LCCC ENGLISH DAILY
NEWS BULLETIN
January 30/2013
Bible Quotation for today/You are
like salt for the whole human race
Matthew 05/13-16: "“You are like salt for the whole human race.
But if salt loses its saltiness, there is no way to make it salty again. It has
become worthless, so it is thrown out and people trample on it. “You are like
light for the whole world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one
lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl; instead it is put on the lampstand,
where it gives light for everyone in the house. In the same way your light
must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and
praise your Father in heaven".
God, Our Father Never Abandons US
Elias Bejjani: No one, no one human being has left this earthly world and was
able to carry with him to the grave any of its riches. All that earthly remains
on the earth. When Almighty God decides to take back his gift, the soul, the
human body dies instantly, loses all its vitality, becomes cold, motionless,
breathless and within less than two weeks its own dormant worms turn it back to
ashes. The righteous are welcomes in their fathers heavenly mentions while the
evil ones are outcastes end in Hell, "where their worm does not die and the fire
is not quenched." (Mark 9:48).Those righteous and faithful who obey God's
commandments in both faith and acts will be left alone. God and His angels shall
always safeguard them. in Isaiah 41:10-13, God affirms His endless love: "Don’t
be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will
strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand"
Hezbollah's devastating cancerous ailment
Elias Bejjani: My new Arabic editorial posted on
http://www.10452lccc.com addresses the
scary Hezbollah's devastating cancerous ailment that is hitting mercilessly
Lebanon and the Lebanese people on all levels and in all domains. The most
dangerous sign of this killing ailment is the inflated self ego of Hezbollah's
members and its supporters. Hezbollah's milieu is living a huge sickening
delusion of grandiose through which its armed members do not respect the rights'
of others and accordingly deal with them in a sense of superiority. They steal,
kill, break laws, challenge all human rights, invade, assassinate, humiliate,
kidnap and exercise every Mafiosi conduct. The state is helpless, the officials
are puppets, the army and all other security forces are castrated, the
politicians and clergy are corrupted and the judiciary is crippled. The Lebanese
are unable alone to free their country from the savage Hezbollah occupation and
unless the free world countries step in and give the Lebanese a hand, the
Hezbollah cancer is going to spread all over the region. It is worth mentioning
that Hezbollah is a mere Iranian army and tool used openly by the Iranian
Mullahs to carry on their scheme of expansionism in a bid to erect their
sectarian empire.
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous
Sources for January 30/13
Syria: Hezbollah sets up camps near WMD facilities
EU official: Hezbollah may not make terror list,
even with Bulgaria bombing
Iran denies explosion at underground uranium
facility
West inaction reinforced after Mali crisis
Paris calls for helping Syria rebels
Jumblatt in France: Lebanon should be spared from
Syria crisis
Small bomb rocks Beirut's southern suburb, 2
wounded
Lebanon mufti blasts civil marriage as a "germ"
Sami Gemayel: Sunni fatwa ‘violation of civil
state’
President Michel Suleiman on Civil Marriage:
Failure to Tackle a Draft Law at Parliament Violates Taef
Lebanon: Subcommittee Completes Report on Electoral
Laws ahead of Joint Parliamentary Committees Meeting
Sheikh Qabbani: The real predator is you
Lebanon's PM, Mikati, Erdogan to discuss
abducted pilgrims held in Syria
Lebanon's First Military Investigative Judge Riad
Abu Ghayda snubs Kfoury testimony after witness misses hearing
Lebanon: Gap still wide over election law
Saudi Arabia beheads drug trafficker
At Least 65 Bodies Found 'Executed' in Syria River
Syria: Hezbollah sets up camps near WMD facilities
Ron Ben-Yishai/Ynetnews
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4337774,00.html
Shiite terror group reportedly eyeing Bashar Assad chemical warfare arsenal;
Israel fears growing chaos in war-torn country will enable Hezbollah to get hold
of advanced weaponry Hezbollah has set up several bases in Syria, near known
locations where Syrian President Bashar Assad is holding parts of his chemical
warfare arsenal, Ynet learned Monday.
The information came to light amid growing concerns in Israel that Assad's
arsenal of unconventional weapons – considered to be the largest in the world –
would fall into the hands of the Lebanon-based Shiite terror group.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently held a number of security assessments
focusing on the developments in the war-torn country.
Israel's defense establishment has been holding similar assessments, focused on
the potential shift in the balance of power between the IDF and Hezbollah, in
the event that the latter would get hold of Assad's WMDs.
As the regime's hold on power slips further, it is becoming apparent that
Hezbollah will use the chaos embroiling Syria to transfer advanced weapons
system – and most likely unconventional weapons – into Lebanon.
Wary of the developments, Israel deployed two Iron Dome batteries near the
northern border on Sunday.
The IDF has also stepped up work on the new border fence in the area, which is
equipped with advanced surveillance systems able to provide the military with
more accurate intelligence about inland Syria.
Meanwhile, fierce battles between Damascus' forces and the rebels continue in
Homs, as Assad attempts to tighten his grip on the "Alawite enclave" in the
province, which has become the Syrian revolution's symbol for resistance. The
Free Syrian Army claimed Sunday to have taken a major military base near Syria's
international airport, as well as a political security building in Deir al-Zor,
near the Syria-Iraq border and several military posts in the northwestern
province of Idlib. The UN says that so far, over 60,000 people have been killed
since the revolt against Assad began, in March 2011.
EU official: Hezbollah may not make terror list, even with
Bulgaria bombing
January 28, 2013 /(JTA) -- Hezbollah may not be included on the European
Union's list of terrorist groups even if it did bomb Jewish tourists in
Bulgaria, the EU's top counter-terrorism official reportedly said.
On Monday, the news site EU observer quoted the official, Gilles de Kerchove, as
saying that Bulgaria's investigation into the incident is likely to be concluded
next month. According to Israel, the Lebanon-based Hezbollah was behind the
bombing on July 19 in Burgas, which targeted a bus of Israeli tourists and left
five Israelis and one Bulgarian dead. U.S. and Israeli officials have said the
EU should blacklist Hezbollah if the Bulgarians find it guilty of perpetrating
the attack. Its inclusion would make it illegal for Hezbollah sympathizers in
Europe to send money to the group, which the United States and Israel list as
terrorist. “There is no automatic listing just because you have been behind a
terrorist attack," de Kerchove is quoted as saying. "It's not only the legal
requirement that you have to take into consideration, it's also a political
assessment of the context and the timing." He noted there is "no consensus"
among EU states on whether listing Hezbollah, which is part of the Lebanese
government, would be useful or not. The London-based Arabic newspaper Al Hayat
last week cited a "European source" as saying that he predicted the
investigation will point to Hezbollah. The Bulgarian Interior Ministry denies
the report, however.
Iran denies explosion at underground uranium facility
By Marcus George | Reuters –
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran has denied media reports of a major explosion at one of
its most sensitive uranium enrichment sites, describing them as Western
propaganda designed to influence upcoming nuclear negotiations.
Reuters has been unable to verify reports since Friday of an explosion early
last week at the underground Fordow bunker, near the religious city of Qom, that
some Israeli and Western media have said caused significant damage.
"The false news of an explosion at Fordow is Western propaganda ahead of nuclear
negotiations to influence their process and outcome," state news agency IRNA
quoted the deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, Saeed Shamseddin
Bar Broudi, as saying late on Sunday.
Iran's ISNA news agency quoted military commander Massoud Jazayeri as saying: "I
deny an explosion at the Fordow site."
In late 2011 the plant at Fordow began producing uranium enriched to 20 percent
fissile purity, compared with the 3.5 percent level needed for nuclear energy
plants. Several U.N. Security Council resolutions have ordered Iran to suspend
all uranium enrichment.
Speculation of an explosion at Fordow followed an Iranian news agency report
that global powers and Tehran could resume talks on Iran's disputed nuclear
program on Monday and Tuesday. The European Union, the lead negotiator on the
nuclear talks, said there was no such agreement.
Diplomats in Vienna, where the United Nations' nuclear agency is based, said on
Monday they had no knowledge of any incident at Fordow but were looking into the
reports. One Western diplomat said he did not believe them to be correct.
The U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which regularly inspects
Iranian nuclear sites including Fordow, had no immediate comment.
Iran has accused Israel and the United States of trying to sabotage its nuclear
program, which the West suspects hides an attempt to develop atom bomb
capability. The Islamic republic says its atomic program is entirely peaceful.
"BEHAVING LIKE CHILDREN"
Tehran has accused Israel and the United States of being behind cyber attacks on
its nuclear program and the assassination of its nuclear scientists.
Washington has denied any role in the killings, while Israel has declined to
comment. No government has taken responsibility for the Stuxnet computer virus
that destroyed centrifuges at Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment facility in 2010,
but it has been widely reported to have been a U.S.-Israeli project.
Israel, believed to be the Middle East's only nuclear-armed state, has hinted at
possible military action against Iran if sanctions and diplomacy fail to resolve
the decade-old dispute.
Israeli Civil Defence Minister Avi Dichter told Israel's Army Radio he could not
say anything about the reported Fordow blast "beyond what I heard in the media."
He added: "Any explosion in Iran which does not harm people but, rather, harms
assets, is a blessing."
Western governments say the higher-grade enrichment at Fordow is a significant
step towards weapons-grade material, even though it is below the 90 percent
level required for nuclear bombs.
The Islamic state says it is producing 20 percent uranium to make fuel for a
research reactor in Tehran that produces medical isotopes.
Wrangling over dates and location have delayed resumption of talks between
global powers and Iran, but Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on
Monday both sides should "stop behaving like little children" and start work.
Three rounds of talks last year between Iran and the six powers - Russia, the
United States, China, Britain, France and Germany - produced no breakthrough,
increasing speculation Israel could attack Iranian nuclear installations.
(Additional reporting by Fredrik Dahl in Vienna and Dan Williams in Jerusalem;
Editing by Jon Boyle)
Small bomb rocks Beirut's southern suburb, 2 wounded
January 28, 2013/ The Daily Star
BEIRUT: A small bomb exploded under a car in Beirut's southern suburb of Hay al-Selloum
Monday night, slightly wounding two people, witnesses and security sources said.
They said the home-made bomb wrecked the car and shattered windows in nearby
shops in the neighborhood's crowded Abbas area. Hezbollah and allied Amal
Movement gunmen, who have heavy presence in the suburb, fired into the air after
the blast.
Lebanese army soldiers later deployed in the area and investigations into the
incident began.
Lebanon mufti blasts civil marriage as a "germ"
January 28, 2013/By Van Meguerditchian/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani Monday took a firm stand
against the legalization of civil marriage in Lebanon, saying any Muslim
official who supported it would not be considered a Muslim.
“Every Muslim official, whether a deputy or a minister, who supports the
legalization of civil marriage, even if it is optional, is an apostate and
outside the Islamic religion,” Qabbani said in a religious edict, or fatwa.
“[Such officials] would not be washed, would not be wrapped in a [burial]
shroud, would not have prayers for their soul in line with Islamic rules, and
would not be buried in a Muslim cemetery,” Qabbani added.
Qabbani’s fatwa came less than two weeks after President Michel Sleiman came out
in support of granting Lebanese the right to an optional civil marriage.
Sleiman proclaimed his support a week after a couple who had deleted mention of
their religious identity from their civil registration document attempted to
make their civil wedding official.
The mufti criticized the attempts of some officials and civil society groups to
pass a law legalizing civil marriage, saying that such efforts target the
personal status laws of Muslims.
“All Muslim men and women and all Muslim ulema (scholars) are duty-bound to
prevent such attempts to legalize civil marriage,” Qabbani said.
“In the face of an attempt to plant this germ of civil marriage… the ulema will
not hesitate to do their job and defeat such attempts in Lebanon,” he added.
Jumblatt in France: Lebanon should be spared from Syria
crisis
January 28, 2013/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Progressive Socialist Party Leader MP Walid Jumblatt stressed Monday the
importance of protecting Lebanon from the repercussions of the crisis in Syria.
“I informed French officials about the importance of Lebanon's stability,
[National] Dialogue and the need to keep Lebanon safe from the repercussions of
Syria’s crisis,” the LBC television channel quoted the PSP leader as saying
after a meeting with French President Francois Hollande.
Lebanon’s Cabinet has adopted a policy of dissociating itself from developments
in Syria.
However, the country’s political rivals remain divided over the uprising in
Syria.
While the Hezbollah-led March 8 coalition strongly defends the regime of
President Bashar Assad, the March 14-led opposition has continuously voiced
support for the rebels.
Jumblatt has also been a stout critic of Assad and a strong supporter of the
Syrian rebels.
Jumblatt also reiterated Monday his call on Syria’s Druze to join the uprising
against the Assad regime.
“We call once again on Arab Druze to reaffirm their national and historical
stance in confronting injustice and protecting the unity of Syria with all other
liberals in their struggle,” said Jumblatt in his weekly stance to the PSP-owned
Al-Anbaa online website.
The PSP leader also accused the regime of inciting a civil war in Syria by
enhancing sectarian divisions in the country.
“The Syrian regime is setting once again an example of its ongoing attempts to
provoke a civil war between Syrians by inciting neighboring areas and sects
against each other,” said the PSP leader.
Meanwhile, Kataeb leader Amin Gemayel headed Monday to the French capital for
talks with the French president.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Najib Mikati Monday addressed the case of Syrian
refugees in Lebanon, saying it is normal for the Syrian crisis to affect
Lebanon.
“Lebanon has always been influenced by Syria and it enjoys historic, geographic,
and humanitarian ties with it, thus it is normal that its crisis would affect
Lebanon,” Mikati was quoted as saying in a statement from his press office.
He added that this is why the government has decided to adopt a policy of
dissociation from the crisis in the neighboring country.
“Given this reality, we took the decision to disassociate ourselves from the
developments in Syria,” Mikati said.
The prime minister, however, said the situation in Lebanon remains “acceptable”
in comparison to other counties affected by the Syrian crisis.
Mikati also said he is eager to attend a donor conference to obtain aid for
refugees, adding that it is also important to discuss the social and security
aspect of the Syrians’ presence in Lebanon.
“I look forward to the Kuwait donor conference to obtain aid for the Syrian
refugees, but it is also important to tackle the security, health, and social
affect their presence is having on Lebanon,” he said.
The donor conference is scheduled to be held in Kuwait on Wednesday to address
the presence of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
Miakti also met with United Nations emergency relief coordinator Valerie Amos,
European Union Ambassador to Lebanon Angelina Eichhorst, and French Ambassador
to Lebanon Patrice Paoli.
Lebanon's PM, Mikati, Erdogan to discuss abducted
pilgrims held in Syria
January 29, 2013/By Hasan Lakkis/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Prime Minister Najib Mikati is scheduled for a one-day official visit to
Turkey Wednesday, where economic and political issues – including that of the
Lebanese hostages in Syria – will top the agenda of talks with his Turkish
counterpart. Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, Public Works and Transport
Minister Ghazi Aridi and Economy Minister Nicolas Nahhas will accompany Mikati
on the trip.
Sources told The Daily Star that Mikati and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan plan to discuss the Lebanese pilgrims who are still being held hostage
by Syrian rebels, despite Turkey’s insistence that it is doing all it can to
facilitate their release. Speaking after a meeting with Foreign Minister Adnan
Mansour Monday, Turkish Ambassador to Lebanon Inan Ozyildiz said that he had no
new information on the issue of the hostages, but that Erdogan would brief
Mikati about the latest developments.
“Turkey is continuing to play a role in this issue and we are still exerting
efforts to help release the Lebanese kidnapped, and we would be pleased if other
countries would contribute to these efforts,” the ambassador said.
Asked whether Turkey is coordinating with Qatar on the topic, he said “I’m sure
that there are contacts with authorities in Qatar on this issue.”
Ozyildiz said he could not confirm media reports that the rebel leader holding
the captives, Abu Ibrahim, is being treated in a Turkish hospital. “We have read
the reports but have received no confirmation,” he said, adding that Turkey does
not know the whereabouts of Abu Ibrahim.
The envoy added that he expected Mikati and Erdogan to discuss the issue of
Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and said that Turkey will not close its borders with
Syria to refugees. “We will not shut our borders in their faces; this is a
humanitarian issue.” Separately, Mikati met with Speaker Nabih Berri Sunday, and
Grand Serail sources said Mikati left the talks with the impression that Berri
is eager to reach a settlement on an electoral law so it can be used in time for
June elections. The sources added that Berri has told various influential
politicians that he will only support a law that is at least partially based on
proportional representation, but he is open to listening to various suggestions.
For his part, Mikati is convinced of the superiority of the Cabinet’s draft law
and plans to defend it, the sources said. He would not necessarily be opposed to
amendments to the draft, however.
In addition, the sources said Mikati has confirmed his opposition to the
Orthodox Gathering’s draft law, as he believes it will harm both coexistence and
stability in Lebanon. The prime minister will vote against the law if it is put
to a vote in Parliament.
As for Mikati’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia, ministerial sources familiar with
the visit said the prime minister and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud
al-Faisal covered a wide range of topics including the circumstances that led to
Mikati’s Cabinet formation, his decision to accept the position, the Cabinet’s
performance and its policy of dissociation from the events in Syria.
According to the sources, the discussions between the two countries were frank,
and Saudi officials made no particular demands on Mikati as he has not opposed
their policies.
Saudi Arabian officials are said to have understood the dissociation policy, and
the sources said the meetings were tantamount to opening a new page between
Saudi Arabia and Mikati’s government.
Lebanon's First Military Investigative Judge Riad Abu
Ghayda snubs Kfoury testimony after witness misses hearing
January 29, 2013/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: First Military Investigative Judge Riad Abu Ghayda has decided against
hearing the testimony of Milad Kfoury Monday after Internal Security Forces
failed to locate the witness in the case of former Information Minister Michel
Samaha. Sakhr al-Hachem, Samaha’s defense attorney, said that Abu Ghayda’s step
was “legally appropriate,” but added that the public prosecutor’s office should
still bring Kfoury in to listen to his testimony or charges against Samaha would
be considered baseless.
“Deciding not to listen to his testimony does not mean that the judge no longer
considers Kfoury a key witness,” Hachem said. Abu Ghayda had set Jan. 28 as a
hearing date for Kfoury who was to serve as a witness in the case allegedly
involving Samaha. “After his failure to attend today, I decided to ignore his
testimony and stick to the statements and voice recordings available at the
[Internal Security Forces] Information Branch,” Abu Ghayda told The Daily
Star.Judicial sources pointed out that Abu Ghayda only requested Kfoury’s
testimony upon a demand made by Samaha’s defense attorneys and not by the public
prosecutor’s office or the investigative judge.
“Kfoury’s statement is clear and the recordings are sufficient evidence [of the
crime],” Abu Ghayda said.
Kfoury, who is reportedly out of the country for security reasons, coordinated
with the Information Branch to secretly record Samaha’s remarks about the
alleged terrorist attacks and plots to assassinate religious and political
figures in north Lebanon. Samaha, who was arrested by members of the Information
Branch at his home last August, was also charged with transporting explosives
from Syria into Lebanon. Hachem said that no one is disputing Samaha bringing
explosives from Syria since the minister has confessed to that crime.
Discussing the charges of carrying out terrorist attacks, Hachem said that they
would be considered baseless, if Kfoury, the only witness, did not show up. The
lawyer explained that the public prosecutor’s office should still work on
bringing Kfoury in. “It will be in the interest of Samaha if Kfoury did not show
up,” Hachem said. “According to preliminary investigations, Milad Kfoury was
tasked with recruiting several individuals to carry out the alleged terrorist
attacks and assassinations ... if Kfoury is not here, than these charges are
false.”
Sheikh Qabbani: The real predator is you
The J.Spot
JOUMANA HADDAD/Now Lebanon
January 29, 2013
A blog about women’s rights, human dignity, secularism and sexual freedom in the
Arab world
“What is it you most dislike? Stupidity, especially in its nastiest forms of
racism and superstition.” - Christopher Hitchens
As I heard the shameful, threatening statement of Lebanon’s Grand Mufti,
Mohammad Rashid Qabbani, about his stance on civil marriage, I couldn’t help but
be intrigued by the word “predator” that the sheikh used to describe those who
are trying to promote civil unions in Lebanon and move this paralyzed country
one step forward on the road of democracy and human dignity.
A predator is by definition a “rapacious, exploitative person or group.” Is
there a more exploitative group in Lebanon than the religious leaders, who are
holding political control of our system and our people (with the people’s
unfortunate consent, should I add)? Is there a more exploitative group in
Lebanon than the religious leaders, who are gaining large amounts of money from
running the Lebanese people’s personal affairs, from marriages to divorces, from
christenings to funerals? Is there a more exploitative group in Lebanon than the
religious leaders, who are standing in the way of the Lebanese becoming real
citizens instead of an assemblage of confessions, with the help of their “loyal”
politicians of course? Is there a more exploitative group in Lebanon than the
religious leaders, who foster sectarianism and hinder any effort to establish a
secular, civil, just society?
But then again, how could they accept the legalization of civil marriage? It is
no secret that marriage is quite a lucrative activity for religious institutions
and figures. In fact, it has become a huge financial operation and a profitable
market, not only for caterers and flower shops, but for priests and sheikhs too.
However, the hypocritical Lebanese system recognizes civil marriages contracted
abroad, and Cyprus has become the number-one destination for Lebanese couples
who want to avoid religious matrimony.
The main hitch of a religious marriage – after it being religious, of course –
is the difficulty of getting divorced, and the biased system that regulates it
(biased against women, obviously). Many friends reported cases of sexual favors
required from them in exchange for expediting their divorce. This is not to
mention the custody of children, which is almost always given to fathers.
If a wife asks for a divorce on the grounds of adultery, she frequently gets a
condescending pat on her back and is sent home. If a husband does that, hell’s
doors open and the witch/bitch is deprived of every right. Your husband is
beating you? Relax and don’t make such a fuss over it. We even have a proverb to
legitimize that: “A lover’s beating is as sweet as raisins,” the Arabs say. I
sure would like to stuff as many raisins as possible in those pricks’ mouths.
The religious bullies insist that marriage is a union that needs to be
“consecrated by God”: another ingenious way to be in command of the masses and
to organize sexuality, male-female relations, and the political, social and
economic rights of people. The same God monitors reproduction and any related
sexual activities (invisible men can be very busy, you know).
Dear Sheikh Qabbani, the real predator in this country is you, and those who
think and speak and act like you.
I am saying “predator,” but I am thinking blood-sucking lice. Maybe we don’t
need a civil status law, after all.
Maybe we just need a pest control organization.
PS - If you refuse to be intimidated by the religious discourse and strive for a
civil status law in Lebanon, kindly sign this petition supporting civil
marriage.
Sami Gemayel: Sunni fatwa ‘violation of civil state’
Now Lebanon/Kataeb bloc MP Sami Gemayel denounced Lebanon’s Grand
Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani’s fatwa against legalizing civil marriage.
“[The Mufti’s fatwa] is a violation of the civil state and every Lebanese
citizen’s constitutionally protected right to exercise his [religious] beliefs,”
Gemayel was quoted as saying on Tuesday following the meeting of the
parliamentary sub-committee. “It is every Lebanese’s right to either believe [in
religion] or not believe.”Lebanon's top Sunni Muslim authority on Monday issued
a strongly-worded fatwa with an aim to pressure figures in his sect from
supporting civil marriage, which he described as “a bacteria.”The Sheikh also
added that “overturning [civil marriage] is every Muslim’s duty and obligation.”
Lebanon: Subcommittee Completes Report on Electoral Laws
ahead of Joint Parliamentary Committees Meeting
Naharnet/The electoral subcommittee completed on Tuesday its report on the
discussions over the electoral draft laws.
MP Robert Ghanem announced that the report will be referred to the joint
parliamentary committees that are scheduled to convene on Wednesday.
“The report will explain the positions of each side over the parliamentary
electoral laws,” he told reporters at parliament.
“The fate of the electoral subcommittee meetings lies in the hands of the joint
parliamentary committees,” he stressed.
The subcommittee had held 16 meetings over the past few weeks aimed at reaching
an agreement between the rival political powers over a new electoral law, but it
failed in this mission.
Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan then remarked: “Contrary to the impression
created after last week's meeting, today's session demonstrated that the
participants stand on some common ground.”
Last week's subcommittee meeting was marred by a dispute between Mustaqbal MP
Ahmed Fatfat and Free Patriotic Movement MP Alain Aoun with the former accusing
the latter of failing to voice his position over any of the proposals in order
to obstruct any agreement other than one on the Orthodox Gathering electoral
draft law.
Adwan revealed that he suggested that the meetings of the electoral subcommittee
be extended for 15 days in order to “strictly study the hybrid law” that
combines the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems.
“The new subcommittee meetings will attempt to garner more consensus among the
political powers over the hybrid law,” he explained.
The MP also highlighted the role Speaker Nabih Berri has been playing in
bridging the gap between the disputed political factions.
Fatfat then addressed reporters and speculation over the Mustaqbal bloc's
participation at the joint parliamentary committee meeting, saying: “We will
attend the session if government representatives are not present.”
“The decision to boycott government activity had been taken with the agreement
of all the March 14 camp factions,” he stressed.
The March 14 coalition announced its boycott of government-related activity in
the wake of the assassination of Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau
chief Brigadier General Wissam al-Hasan on October 19.
It accused Syria of being behind the murder and the government of covering up
for the criminals.
The Mustaqbal's March 14 allies, the Phalange Party and the Lebanese Forces, had
announced that they will attend Wednesday's joint parliamentary committee
meeting out of their keenness to agree with the rest of factions on an electoral
law that would govern the elections that are set for June.
President Michel Suleiman on Civil Marriage: Failure to
Tackle a Draft Law at Parliament Violates Taef
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman stated on Tuesday that officials cannot “turn
a blind eye” to couples getting married through civil marriage ceremonies,
noting that a draft law on such unions had been devised in the past.
He said during a cabinet session at the Baabda Palace: “Failure to tackle draft
laws at constitutional institutions is a violation of the Taef Accord.”
He remarked that a draft law on civil marriage was devised in the 1950s and
later during the tenure of late President Elias al-Hrawi in the 1990s.
Moreover, Suleiman noted how young couples have resorted to traveling abroad to
get married through civil marriage ceremonies.
“This issue should be thoroughly addressed in a manner that does not offend any
side,” the president added.
He also requested that Interior Minister Marwan Charbel verify the legality of
the union of Kholoud Sukkariyah and Nidal Darwish, who defied the ban on such
forms of marriages in Lebanon by getting married in a civil ceremony late last
year.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Najib Miqati said during the cabinet session: “Civil
marriage is a sensitive issue that has sparked conflicting positions and we do
not need a new contentious issue in Lebanon.”
Suleiman recently advocated Sukkariyah and Darwish's union, saying it would
build unity in Lebanon.
Miqati had however voiced his rejection of civil unions, saying: “It is futile
to research the issue of civil marriage. As long as I am president of the
government, I will not raise this subject in the council of ministers."
Grand Mufti Mohammed Rashid Qabbani joined the debate on Monday by issuing a
fatwa against moves to legalize civil marriages in Lebanon, branding as an
apostate any Muslim politician who approves civil marriage legislation. "Any
Muslim with legal or executive authority in Lebanon who supports the
legalization of civil marriage is an apostate and outside the religion of
Islam," he said on the website of Dar al-Fatwa.
Lebanese authorities recognize civil marriages registered abroad, and it has
become common for mixed-faith couples to marry in nearby Cyprus.
Information Minister Walid al-Daouq said following the cabinet session that the
authorities of the ministerial committee that follows up the issue of kidnapped
Lebanese pilgrims in Syria were expanded to discuss with French authorities the
case of leftist militant Georges Abdallah.
Abdallah was jailed in France for life in 1987 after being convicted in the 1982
murders of military attache Charles Robert Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov
Barsimantov.
However, a French court last year granted him parole, provided he was deported
back to his home country. The court then postponed a final decision, drawing ire
from Lebanon.
At Least 65 Bodies Found 'Executed' in Syria River
Naharnet/The bodies of at least 65 young men and boys, all executed with a
single gunshot to the head or neck, were found on Tuesday in a river in the
Syrian city of Aleppo, a watchdog and rebels said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 65 bodies were found in the Quweiq
River, which separates the Bustan al-Qasr district from Ansari in the southwest
of the city, but that the toll could rise significantly.
A Free Syrian Army officer at the scene said at least 68 bodies had been
recovered and that many more were still being dragged from the water, in a
rebel-held area.
"Until now we have recovered 68 bodies, some of them just teens," said Captain
Abu Sada, adding that all of them had been "executed by the regime."
"But there must be more than 100. There are still many in the water, and we are
trying to recover them."
A senior government security source said many of the victims were from Bustan
al-Qasr and had been reported kidnapped earlier.
He accused "terrorists," the standard regime term for people fighting to
overthrow President Bashar Assad, of carrying out the executions and spreading
propaganda to deflect responsibility.
"They were kidnapped by terrorist groups, who some are accusing of being
pro-regime, and executed last night in a park in Bustan al-Qasr under their
control," the source told AFP by telephone.
"Now these terrorist groups are creating a media campaign, showing the bodies
being recovered from the Quweiq River in an area under their control.
"It has been confirmed that a number of the victims had been abducted by armed
terrorist groups and their families had made repeated attempts to negotiate
their releases.
"We will disclose the identities of those killed as soon as we are able to
secure the bodies, which is a difficult process since the area is in the hands
of terrorist groups," the source said.
A volunteer said as he helped load one of the bodies on a truck: "We don't know
who they are because there was no ID on them
At least 15 bodies could already be seen on the truck, an AFP correspondent
said, with other continuing to arrive.
Abu Sada said they would be taken to the hospital at Zarzur where relatives
could seek to identify them.
"Those who are not identified will be buried in a common grave," noting that
some were unrecognizable because of the impact of the bullet."
Meanwhile, people were gathering at the bank seeking lost relatives.
"My brother disappeared weeks ago when he was crossing (through) the regime-held
zone, and we don't know where he is or what has become of him," said Mohammed
Abdel Aziz, as he looked at the mud-covered bodies one by one.
"They could have been executed a couple of days ago and the current brought the
bodies this far," an FSA fighter, Abu Anas, told AFP.
The 129-kilometer (80 mile) river originates in Turkey to the north and flows to
the southwest of Aleppo, traversing both regime and rebel-held areas.
"This is not the first time that we have found the bodies of people executed,
but so many, never," he says numbly, as he examines the body of a boy of about
12 with a gunshot wound to the back of the neck.
The shabiha (pro-government militia) seize people crossing the checkpoint ...
and they torture and execute many of them," said Abu Anas.
In video filmed by activists and published by the Observatory on YouTube, the
cameraman walks along the river, less than two meters (yards) wide, and films
some 50 bodies that have been pulled onto the concrete path.
Most have their hands are tied behind their backs and pools of blood trail from
their heads. Their faces are white and bodies bloated.
All look to be young men, some teens, wearing jeans, button-up shirts and
sneakers.
The cameraman films them one-by-one as he walks slowly down the path, then
starts running towards more ahead of him.
SourceAgence France Presse
Saudi Arabia beheads drug trafficker
AFP/January 29, 2013
Saudi Arabia beheaded one of its nationals Tuesday after he was convicted of
drug trafficking, the interior ministry announced in a statement.
Musaed al-Ruweili was arrested as he tried to smuggle "a large number of
narcotic pills into the kingdom," said the statement, cited by the official SPA
news agency.
He was beheaded by the sword in the northern Al-Jawf province.
The execution brings to seven the number of people beheaded in Saudi Arabia so
far this year.
In 2012, the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom beheaded 76 people, according to
an AFP tally based on official figures. The US-based Human Rights Watch put the
number at 69.
Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by
death under Saudi Arabia's strict version of sharia, or Islamic law.