Kuwaiti lawmakers justify trade ties with Israel
By ARIEL BEN SOLOMON/J.Post
MP cites security reasons, saying Israel provided country with equipment to help protect it from Iraqi invasion in 1990.
Kuwaiti MPs Nabil Al-Fadhl and Hammad Al-Dosari justified opening trade ties with Israel on Kuwait TV in June, according to a Memri report.
Fadhl said during the interview that, if Kuwaiti security requires Israeli equipment, then the country should invest in it, stating: “I will love the Israelis for it.”
The astounded interviewer asked, “even with Israelis?” and Fadhl reiterated his support for importing Israeli products.
Fadhl justified such trade based on security reasons, though he also added that other Arab states failed to come to the country’s rescue when Iraq invaded in 1990.
“How exactly did the Muslims benefit us, when our Arab neighbor [Iraq] invaded our country? I am willing to buy equipment from Israel to protect my country from its Arab and Muslim neighbor,” he stated.
Dosari said that the Shari’a permits dealings with Israelis since the prophet Muhammad “died while his shield was mortgaged with a Jew.” He went on to reject any criticism saying that those who attack him are unaware of Islamic law. “I tell you that the prophet Muhammad had dealings [with the Jews]. You criticize me?!” he declared.
The Arab Peace Initiative, first offered by the Arab League in 2002 with the strong backing of Saudi Arabia, was an Arab proposal to end the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Talk of the plan has been in and out of the news since, but has not been seriously negotiated between the parties. Israel rejected the proposal which called for withdrawing from the occupied territories and east Jerusalem, and accepting the return of refugees from 1948

Interviews In conversation with Ahmad Al-Asaad
By: Hannah Lucinda Smith
In conversation with Ahmad Al-Asaad
http://www.aawsat.net/2013/07/article55308051
Asharq Al-Awsat speaks to the head of the Lebanese Option party on his opposition to Hezbollah
Ahmad Al-Asaad, head of the Lebanese Option party, addresses a press conference in Beirut (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A huge portrait dominates the meeting room. It is of a young man in his twenties, serious, large eyed, and studious looking—a college photo, the same picture that has been splashed across Lebanon’s newspapers for the past few weeks. The memory of the day that Hashim Salman, the young man in the picture, died is still fresh. It is only three weeks since he was shot in the stomach at point blank range during a protest outside the Iranian Embassy in Beirut. His killing thrust Lebanese Option, the Shi’te party of which he led the student faction, into the media spotlight for all the wrong reasons. It also highlighted how the escalating sectarian dynamic of the conflict in Syria is spilling over the border into Lebanon. Salman and his fellow party members had gathered at the Iranian Embassy to protest against the Lebanese Shi’ite militia Hezbollah’s involvement in the conflict. Lebanese Option’s leader Ahmad Al-Asaad is convinced that it was a Hezbollah gunman who killed him. Hezbollah have, so far, taken no responsibility for the killing.
In his oak and leather lined office Asaad holds up a smaller photo of Hashim that he keeps in a frame on his desk. “He was like a younger brother to me,” he says. “We’ll miss him. I don’t know if we will find anyone else who was as active as Hashim.” It is in the universities and student communities of Lebanon that the party has found the strongest support for its opposition to Hezbollah and the hold that the party-cum-militia has over the country’s Shi’a communities. But Asaad says he fears the chilling effect that the killing could have on the Lebanese Option Party and its supporters. When he held a press conference at the spot that Hashim died last Sunday, just sixty people showed up.
And yet he is adamant that Hashim’s death has only strengthened his party‘s resolve. “I always saw Hezbollah as the greatest threat to Lebanon,” he says. “The majority of people in this country want a modern and civilised Lebanon that is part of the 21st century. But they don’t want that; they want a Lebanon that is linked to the Iranian regime, for ever.”
Hezbollah’s overt involvement in the Syrian conflict is, says Asaad, a sign of their subservience to their Iranian backers, which overrides any loyalty to the Lebanese people and their interests. “Why do we Lebanese always have to be the pawns that are used by the Iranian regime?” he asks. “Why are their kids allowed to live in peace, but ours aren’t?” And he insists that the ideological support for Hezbollah amongst Lebanon’s Shi’a community is nowhere near as strong as outward appearances might suggest. In 2009 Lebanese Option conducted a study, and concluded that there were at least 37,000 people on Hezbollah’s payroll, each with a family of four or five people. “That explains why tens of thousands of people turn out when they hold a rally,” he says. “It’s because they have to.”
And yet few Lebanese Shi’ites, outside those in the Lebanese Option Party, are willing to speak out against Hezbollah. Asaad says that the silence does not imply respect: instead it is because the militia rule through fear: “There has never in history been a party as oppressive as Hezbollah,” he says. “When you live in a village that is dominated by Hezbollah, and you openly say that you do not agree with them, not only are you called a traitor, a Zionist, an imperialist. You are also called an atheist, which means that your blood becomes halal, and they have the right to kill you.” In such circumstances it takes a brave individual to speak out.
And poverty, too, plays its part. In the destitute Shi’a villages of rural Lebanon or the poor suburbs of south Beirut a wage from Hezbollah will buy loyalty. “If you take a young man who have no job and no education, and you give him a Kalashnikov and tell him, ‘Go and fight these people and at the end of the month you will get $500’, he will do it gladly, and believe any story you tell him. But if you say that to an educated man with a decent life he will tell you to go to hell.” As Shi’a refugees from Syria continue to pour in Lebanon, Asaad claims that they too are being targeted by Hezbollah’s social welfare-based recruitment strategy. “As soon as they know that a refugee is Shi’a they will give him a house and money,” he says.
While it may appear that Hezbollah’s involvement in the Syrian conflict—both inside the country and through its patronage of refugees in Lebanon—is strengthening its support base, Asaad believes that the opposite is true. “Hezbollah now are becoming more oppressive than ever, but their actions in Syria are turning people against them.” And yet for Sunni-Shi’a relations, in both Lebanon and Syria, their involvement is catastrophic, tearing a wound so deep that it will take generations to heal. “Unfortunately the Shi’a in Lebanon have been labelled as a community that is helping Assad in his massacre of the Syrian people,” he says. “They are being put in one basket with Hezbollah which is completely unjust, but because no-one is speaking out against it this is what is in people’s minds. Especially when you see what Hezbollah is doing, celebrating after Qusayr by handing out baklava in the streets of Lebanon.”
Asaad’s solution for weakening Hezbollah’s grip over his sect and his country is, as he admits, a long term project: economic growth and better prospects for the young men and women of the country. “Once the people have able to have a decent life then the fanatics no longer have them in their grip,” he says. “They’re free.” But as the sectarian violence spirals in Syria, and continues to spill over into Lebanon, his dissenting voice seems to be an increasingly lonely one.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns Says Hizbullah Syria Intervention Puts Lebanon Future in Danger
Naharnet /U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns on Monday wrapped up an official visit to Lebanon after meeting with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati.
Burns also met with Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat and former premier Fouad Saniora, head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc. The U.S. official's meetings in Lebanon addressed “the serious challenges facing Lebanon at this time, including Lebanon’s security and political situation,” the U.S. embassy in Beirut said in a statement.
Burns reaffirmed the United States’ “long-standing partnership with the people and government of Lebanon, and the U.S. commitment to Lebanon’s stability, sovereignty, and independence, and U.S. support for Lebanon’s policy of disassociation from the Syrian conflict,” it added. In remarks at the Rafik Hariri International Airport ahead of his departure, Burns said Hizbullah has decided to put its interest ahead of that of the Lebanese people, condemning the group's military involvement in Syria and accusing it of endangering Lebanon. He charged that Hizbullah's involvement in Syria is aimed at serving the interests of Syrian President Bashar Assad and Iran, not Lebanon's interests, noting that Hizbullah took part in the fighting after having committed itself to the dissociation policy.
He added that it is in the interest of the Lebanese at this stage to respect their country's stability and sovereignty and defend its state and democracy.
Burns warned that the decision to postpone the parliamentary elections undermines people's confidence in the state and the government. He noted that the events in Syria have greatly impacted Lebanese state institutions.
Burns said U.S. President Barack Obama is still committed to offering aid to Lebanon and the neighboring countries that continue to help the Syrian refugees.
He stressed that the U.S. and its partners will continue to back Lebanon and its army as well as its economy, describing Washington as Lebanon's top economic partner.


Bahrain Urges Iran to Seek Hizbullah Pullout from Syria
Naharnet/Bahrain's foreign minister on Sunday urged Iran's newly elected president to seek the withdrawal of Hizbullah fighters from Syria as a gesture to try to ease the civil war there. The appeal by Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa, during meetings between the European Union and Gulf Arab foreign ministers, showed the widening shadow of Syria's 27-month conflict that has spilled across borders, involving Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey in varying degrees.
Bahrain and other Arab states have been highly critical of the intervention by Hizbullah on behalf of the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who is Iran's main regional ally. Bahrain has outlawed contact with Hizbullah, which it claims aids fellow Shiite groups in an Arab Spring-inspired uprising against the Sunni monarchy in Bahrain. More than 60 people have died in Bahrain's unrest since February 2011."The situation is critical in Syria, and we hope that Iran takes a serious steps to withdraw the foreign troops in Syria, specifically Hizbullah and other militias," Sheikh Khalid told reporters at the gathering in the Gulf nation's capital, Manama. He welcomed the election of Hasan Rouhani as president of Iran and hope it could "open a new page" in Tehran's relations with the region.
Iran's president, however, has little sway over major policymaking, such as strategies in Syria or relations with Hizbullah. All Iran's key decisions rest with the ruling clerics and the powerful Revolutionary Guard.
Bahrain's Gulf partners, led by Qatar and Saudi Arabia, also have urged for stepped up weapons shipments to Syrian rebels, whose fight has drawn in some guerrillas from across the Muslim world. However, the emergence of al-Qaida-linked groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra, or the Nusra Front, has fuelled Western reluctance to supply heavy weapons to the opposition.
Participants in the meeting in Bahrain also expressed worry that political tensions in Egypt could spill out of control, as protesters opposing President Mohammed Morsi vowed to remain on the streets until he is pushed from power. The European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who led the EU envoys in Bahrain, told The Associated Press that "all are watching with concern" the unfolding protests in Egypt. She said she met last week with Morsi and members of the opposition in efforts to ease tensions. "We encourage a dialogue to understand the current issues," she said.
Ashton faces pressure from rights groups to publicly criticize Gulf leaders for crackdowns around the region including widespread arrests for social media posts deemed insulting to rulers or raising questions about the scope of their power. SourceAssociated Press

Netanyahu Seeks Italy Help in Putting Hizbullah on EU Terror List
Naharnet /Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on Monday due to seek Italy's help in putting Hizbullah on a European Union list of “terrorist” organizations.
Ahead of talks with his Italian counterpart Enrico Letta, Netanyahu told reporters that Hizbullah is one of the most "pre-eminent terrorist organizations of our time," adding that the group currently poses the most immediate security threat to Israel, in remarks carried by the website of The Jerusalem Post. "If Hizbullah is not a terrorist group, then I don't know who is," Netanyahu said in an interview with leading Italian daily Corriere della Sera ahead of meeting in Jerusalem with Letta. "They kill everywhere, even on European territory as occurred in Bulgaria," he said, referring to the bus bombing in the Black Sea city of Burgas in July 2012 in which five Israeli tourists and their Bulgarian driver died. On June 20, European Union nations failed to come to a decision to add the military wing of Hizbullah to the bloc's list of international terrorist groups despite fresh talks on the issue. Diplomats speaking on condition of anonymity said Austria and the Czech Republic opposed the move to add the group to the dozen people and score of groups currently on the EU terrorist list -- including Hamas and Colombia's FARC guerrillas -- who are subject to an asset freeze.Concerns over Hizbullah have mounted in Europe since the Burgas attack last year which Sofia blamed on Hizbullah. In March, a Cyprus court sentenced a self-confessed Hizbullah member to four years behind bars for planning attacks there. Hizbullah has also plunged into the Syrian conflict in recent months, sending fighters to help President Bashar Assad's forces in battles against rebel forces.
After months of hesitation, EU counter-terror specialists first met on the issue on June 4 but failed to reach unanimity on blacklisting Hizbullah after objections from several countries. France, Germany and the Netherlands have backed Britain in seeking to add Hizbullah to the list. But EU diplomats said opponents fear such a move could destabilize politically fragile Lebanon and would be hard to implement due to the difficulty of distinguishing between its political and military wings. Currently, Britain and the Netherlands are the only EU nations to have placed Hizbullah on their lists of terrorist groups.

STL Pre-Trial Judge to Hold Status Conference on Wednesday
Naharnet/Special Tribunal for Lebanon Judge Daniel Fransen will hold a status conference hearing on Wednesday, announced the tribunal in a statement on Monday. “In conformity with the Rules of Procedures and Evidence of the STL, the pre-trial judge convenes such hearings to review the status of the case through an exchange between the parties in order to ensure expeditious preparation for trial,” it said.
The Status Conference, which will begin at 2:30 PM (Central European Time), will be public; however, Fransen might decide to go into closed session during the course of the hearing if confidential matters need to be discussed. The STL last held a Status Conference in January. The tribunal is probing the February 2005 suicide car bomb attack in Beirut that killed former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 22 others, including the suicide bomber.
An indictment unsealed in August 2011 accused four Hizbullah members, Salim Ayyash, Mustafa Badreddine, Hussein Oneissi, and Assad Sabra of being involved in the crime. Hizbullah had refused to cooperate with STL, deeming it an American-Israeli product aimed at destroying the party. The four suspects remain at large.

President Gemayel Urges Hizbullah Pullout from Syria, Does Not Oppose Extending Qahwaji's Term
Naharnet /Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel urged on Monday Hizbullah to end its fighting in Syria and “return to the Lebanese fold,” while saying that he is not opposed to extending the term of Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji. He said after the party's weekly politburo meeting: “It would be beneficial to make an exception and extend Qahwaji's term due to the current tensions.” He also blamed Hizbullah's involvement in the Syrian conflict for the postponement of this week's parliamentary session.
“We condemn Hizbullah's fighting in Syria, which is having a direct impact on Lebanon's internal scene and we therefore demand that it withdraw its fighters,” he added.
Gemayel attributed the severe divisions in Lebanon and the tensions to the party's meddling in the neighboring, asking: “Why should the Lebanese citizen, who is jeopardizing his livelihood, have to suffer the consequences of this division and Hizbullah involvement?”
“We could have been spared this tragic situation had the Baabda Declaration been respected,” he remarked.
“We urge Hizbullah to return to the Lebanese fold for the sake of the country, which will lead to its salvation,” he demanded. The Phalange Party leader said that all sides must adhere to the Baabda Declaration, including Hizbullah that had approved the agreement, along with other political powers, during a national dialogue session in June 2012. “Our hand is extended to Hizbullah to end its fighting in Syria. Its actions are damaging Lebanon's foreign interests and constitutional institutions,” he noted.
The party's withdrawal of its fighters from Syria will help facilitate the formation of a new government, ease the tensions in Lebanon, and bridge the gap between its people, Gemayel added.
“We are in contact with several sides in an effort to bridge the divide in Lebanon and among the people,” he revealed. Speaker Nabih Berri postponed on Monday a three-day parliamentary session over lack of quorum caused by the boycott of several blocs for their doubt on the constitutionality of the session with a resigned government. The extension of Qahwaji's term was among the articles of its agenda. Caretaker Premier Najib Miqati and blocs of the March 14 alliance explained that except for the extension, none of the other items on the agenda were urgent to justify holding a session in the absence of a government.

DNA Samples Taken from Asir and Shaker Relatives to Identify Charred Bodies
Naharnet/State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr has asked for the DNA samples of Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir's mother and the brother of singer-turned Salafist Fadel Shaker, the state-run National News Agency reported on Monday. NNA said the results of the tests will be compared with the DNAs of two burned bodies found by the army after taking control of the complex of al-Asir near the southern city of Sidon following two days of heavy gunbattles last week. Saqr, who is overseeing the initial investigation carried out by the military intelligence into the fighting in Abra, released nine people who had been arrested at the end of the battles. Thirty suspects remain in custody, the agency added. The fighting, which was sparked last Sunday when Asir's supporters opened fire on an army checkpoint, left around 18 soldiers and more than 20 gunmen dead. The gunbattles concentrated in the area of Bilal Bin Rabah Mosque and nearby buildings. Al-Asir, a 45-year-old cleric who supports the overwhelmingly Sunni rebels fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad, is no where to be found along with Shaker, a onetime prominent singer-turned Salafist. Asir teamed up with him when around two years ago he began agitating for Hizbullah to disarm.

Caretaker PM, Miqati Meets Berri, Refuses to Sign Decree on Extraordinary Legislative Session
Naharnet /Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Monday that he rejected a parliamentary session that does not include essential items on its agenda but he also refused signing a decree that calls for an extraordinary session. “I will not sign a decree for an extraordinary session. We don't want more problems,” Miqati said after talks with Speaker Nabih Berri in parliament.
The 128-member legislature convenes twice a year in two ordinary sessions -- the first starts mid-march until the end of May and the second from the middle of October through the end of December.
Article 33 of the constitution states that the president in agreement with the prime minister may summon the parliament to extraordinary sessions by a decree that specifies the dates of the opening and closing of the sessions as well as the agenda. “I hope we had a productive Constitutional Council to give its opinion on the legislative session,” Miqati said a few minutes before Berri postponed a three-day National Assembly to July 16 over lack of quorum caused by the boycott of the March 14 alliance's blocs and the Change and Reform bloc of MP Michel Aoun, who is a major member of the March 8 coalition.
Miqati stressed that Berri's argument over the confirmation by a consultative committee that his call for a session was constitutional was not accurate.
During both times that parliament legislated amid a resigned government, there were urgent issues on its agenda, he said. “I currently don't believe there is a balance between the legislative and executive authorities over the presence of a caretaking cabinet,” Miqati said. “We trust Berri in his patriotic decisions,” he added.
Miqati's visit to Berri came after the speaker told several local dailies that the parliament can legislate despite the absence of the government from the legislative session.
The caretaker premier and March 14 members argue that except for the extension of Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji’s mandate, none of the other items on the agenda are urgent to justify holding a session in the absence of a government. Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun on the other hand strongly opposes the extension.

Speaker Nabih Berri Postpones Legislative Session over Lack of Quorum But Holds Onto Same Agenda
Naharnet /Speaker Nabih Berri postponed on Monday a three-day parliamentary session over lack of quorum caused by the boycott of several blocs for their doubt on the constitutionality of the session with a resigned government. His office released a statement saying the session was postponed to July 16-17-18 to discuss the same items that were put on Monday's agenda.
Berri had told local dailies that he would not change any article despite criticism by Caretaker Premier Najib Miqati, March 14 alliance lawmakers and the Change and Reform bloc that is part of the March 8 coalition.
MP Ali Hassan Khalil, Berri's political aide, accused Miqati of “ignoring parliament’s legislative rights.”
He criticized “those who want to impose their conditions on parliament and force its collapse.”“Berri has always been keen on the political and security stability and has always been in contact with all the parties,” the lawmaker said. “We can't change the division of power guaranteed by the Constitution,” he added.
His short press conference in parliament came after Miqati reiterated that the session was unconstitutional.
Al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Ahmed Fatfat told reporters in parliament that the boycott decision was aimed at respecting the constitution. He accused Berri of not being a moderate. “We want a constitutional session,” Fatfat said. Al-Mustaqbal along with their allies in the March 14 alliance and Miqati argue that a session cannot be held amid a resigned cabinet unless it has important issues on its agenda. They say that except for the extension of Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji’s mandate, none of the other items on the agenda are urgent to justify holding a session in the absence of a government. “We are not against the extension of the army commander's term. We want the extension for all security leaders,” Fatfat said. Aoun on the other hand has his own reason for boycotting the session. He said on several occasions that he rejects the extension.
MP Ghazi Zoaiter from Berri's Development and Liberation bloc accused the MPs who boycotted the session of seeking to “destroy the country over sectarian interests.”But Lebanese Forces lawmaker Antoine Zahra snapped back at him, telling LBCI TV: “Out of our interest in our continued cooperation with Speaker Berri, I hope that we don't reach the stage where we are accused by his political team of paralyzingly the session.”
Such a move “would not serve anyone,” he said.

Lebanon: Gas Tanker Comes under Fire at Zahle Highway
Naharnet/Unknown assailants opened fire on Monday a gas tanker on the Zahle highway, reported the National News Agency. The driver Ali Mehdi Jaafar, who escaped unscathed, said that he was chased by two cars as he reached the Rihab crossroad on the highway near the Bekaa city. He explained that he tried to evade the assailants by driving back to Zahle, but the gunmen opened fire at his tanker as he approached a nearby gas station. The assailants fired at the tanker's tires and then fled the scene. Security forces soon arrived at the area and began their investigations.The tanker was however seized due to “mecanique” violations.

Electricite du Liban Contract Workers Stage Sit-in amid Self-Immolation
Naharnet/Electricite du Liban contract workers held a sit-in and blocked the highway near the company's headquarters in Beirut on Monday to protest an urgent draft-law on their employment put on the agenda of a parliamentary session. One contract worker identified as Hussein Allam set himself on fire but was rushed to Geitawi hospital. Two others suffered burns in their hands when they set garbage bins on fire. Bilal Bajouq, a member of the contract workers' follow-up committee, told LBCI TV that the workers were protesting the urgent draft-law proposed by Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan, which he said contradicted the agreement they had reached with the government of Prime Minister Najib Miqati when they lifted their 95-day sit-in last year.
“This draft-law takes us back to the starting point,” he said. “We were surprised when a few days ago it was put on the agenda.” “All we want is to send a message to all the MPs …. that our opinions should be taken into consideration,” Bajouq said. “We hope that the previous draft-law would be adopted,” he added. Another member of the committee, Lebnan Makhoul, also told LBCI that the sit-in was a “warning” message.
The controversial full-time employment of the contract workers sparked a dispute last year, when they went on strike to press their demands. But a settlement that included a six-point agreement ended their sit-in in August, 2012. The protesters said they were duped by Amal MP Ali Bazzi and Hizbullah lawmaker Ali Ammar, who they said collaborated with Kanaan in contradicting the agreement. Makhoul called for drafting a new law through the participation of a contract workers committee.

Army Deploys to Contain Tripoli Unrest after Man Arrested for Appearing in Shaker's Video
Naharnet /Unrest erupted Monday afternoon in the northern city of Tripoli as a man was arrested for interrogation after he appeared alongside singer-turned-Islamist militant Fadel Shaker in a video circulated in the wake of the Abra battle. “A hand grenade was hurled near Tripoli's Serail as gunmen appeared on the city's streets and blocked roads in al-Nour Square and al-Beddawi,” MTV reported. LBCI television said gunmen were roaming the city's streets on motorcycles while firing their guns in the air. A percussion bomb was hurled at al-Nour Square as businesses closed in the area, state-run National News Agency reported.
"Clashes erupted between the army and gunmen at al-Salam roundabout in Tripoli," LBCI said. Later on Monday, Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) said "more gunmen" arrived at al-Nour Square and "some of them tried to provoke security forces by firing an RPG over the serail." "Unknown individuals are hurling hand grenades in Tripoli's Abi Samra, al-Mitain, al-Zahriyeh and Dam wal Farz," it added. Al-Jadeed said gunfire was heard in the vicinity of the Rashid Karami International Fair Complex.
"An army post tasked with preserving security near the Syrian Social National Party's office in Tripoli has come under gunfire and the army sent reinforcements to the area," Voice of Lebanon said.
Army units started deploying across the city later on Monday in a bid to contain the unrest.
"The Lebanese army has deployed along the road linking Nini Hospital to the Abdul Hamid Karami Square," al-Jadeed said. Voice of Lebanon said the army "stormed al-Nour Square and fired a flare bomb in the location, which prompted protesters to leave the square after army troops and vehicles deployed in it."
"The army has seized full control of the al-Behsas, al-Jemmayzet and al-Nour Square areas and the commando and airborne regiments have arrived on the scene to settle things decisively," military sources told LBCI.
"The army reopened roads in al-Behsas and the Abdul Hamid Karami roundabout and gunmen have retreated to the city's internal alleyways," state-run National News Agency reported. Earlier on Monday, LBCI said “a threat has been issued that all roads in Tripoli would be blocked in case the army did not release Ghali Haddara, who was arrested by intelligence agents in Tabarja after appearing in a recent video with Fadel Shaker.”
For its part, Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) said gunfire erupted at Souk al-Qameh in protest at the arrest of Ghali Haddara in al-Qobbeh. Shaker is now on the run with fellow fugitive cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir. The pair are now being sought in a nationwide manhunt after clashes between Asir and his Salafist supporters and the military in the southern city of Sidon that left 18 soldiers and at least 20 gunmen dead.

PM, designate Tammam Salam Says Riyadh Rejects Meddling in Cabinet Formation
Naharnet/Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam said he has been informed that Saudi Arabia rejects the interference in his efforts to come up with a new government. “The official Saudi stance that I have been informed of is the non-interference in the cabinet formation and leaving it to the wisdom of the Lebanese,” Salam told As Safir daily published Monday. The PM-designate was likely referring to a visit that caretaker Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour, the envoy of Progressive Socialist Party chief Walid Jumblat, made to Riyadh. Jumblat has promised Salam to facilitate his mission in coming up with the cabinet line-up. As Safir said Salam will likely form a “fait accompli” government after receiving signals that the political parties will not make concessions.
It quoted well-informed sources as saying that he informed President Michel Suleiman about the necessity to move from the stage of shares into the phase of choosing the appropriate persons who will be handed the portfolios.
“It is time for the parties to provide me with the names of their candidates,” Salam allegedly told Suleiman.
The Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance holds onto the formation of a national unity cabinet in which it gets veto power. But the March 14 coalition wants a neutral government. Jumblat, who holds the political sway, has warned that his bloc's lawmakers would not give their vote of confidence to a government that is not all-embracing.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea Calls on Salam to Form Cabinet 'With What is Available'
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea stressed on Monday that PM-designate Tammam Salam should form a cabinet with “what he has at hand or apologize from lining one up,” he told the al-Akhbar daily.
“A cabinet should be lined-up as soon as possible, and PM-designate Tammam Salam should form one with what is possible at hand, or apologize from his mission,” Geagea told the daily al-Akhbar. Geagea assured that although Salam was keen to form a consensual cabinet, he realized that the conditions set were inapplicable in light of Hizbullah's demands. “I don't think there is a possibility to form a cabinet in light of the conditions imposed by Hizbullah.” Salam was designated following the resignation of PM Najib Miqati's cabinet on March 22.
The March 14 alliance demands the formation of an impartial cabinet while March 8 aims for a political one, and the Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat wants an all-embracing government.
On last week's fierce clashes in Sidon, Geagea blamed Hizbullah's arms saying “as long as Hizbullah keeps its weapons, as long as every citizen will allow himself to possess arms and form an armed organization, hence things will aggravate to the way they did in Sidon.”
Eighteen soldiers and more than 20 supporters of salafist cleric Ahmed al-Asir were killed in the clashes when the Lebanese Army launched a manhunt against him.
On boycotting the three-day parliamentary session that will kick off today, Geagea said: “We will boycott the sessions because the agenda will not tackle urgent affairs.
“The session is an extraordinary one and it therefore should address pressing issues put forward by President Michel Suleiman or outgoing PM Najib Miqati, which is not the case.” The Lebanese Forces and independent March 14 MPs announced on Saturday their boycott of the sessions. On extending the tenure of army chief General Jean Qahwaji, Geagea assured that the Lebanese Forces will “participate in any extraordinary session requested and signed by Suleiman and the PM to tackle special issues.”

Caretaker Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn Warns of Extremism, Accuses Certain Factions of Protecting Asir
Naharnet/Caretaker Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn warned on Monday from the proliferation of extremists in Lebanon, accusing Lebanese political factions of playing a role in the rise of Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir.
Some “Lebanese factions protected him all this time. Had the army arrested him, they would have said that a certain party is being targeted” through this arrest, Ghosn told al-Akhbar newspaper. Asir, a controversial Sunni cleric who gained prominence for his criticism of Hizbullah, has not been seen since a fighting last week between his armed supporters and the Lebanese army in Abra outside the southern city of Sidon. Around 18 soldiers and more than 20 gunmen were killed in the gunbattles that began when Asir's supporters opened fire on an army checkpoint. “The Sidon incidents wouldn't have taken place had soldiers were not been killed in a cold blood,” he said, adding “the army's reaction was natural.”Several parties have accused the military of targeting the Sunni sect and abusing the armed men that it arrested for taking part in the fighting. “Let them stop targeting the army and casting doubts … Or else they will regret it when it is too late,” Ghosn said. “It is the only unified institution left” in the country. The caretaker defense minister confirmed that Hizbullah did not take part in the Abra fighting despite accusations that the party's members had opened fire on Asir's supporters. “With due all respect to all parties, the army's decisions are independent,” Ghosn told al-Akhbar. “It does not accept to belong to a certain party nor it allows anyone to interfere in an issue that targets the country's security.” He warned that among the biggest dangers facing the country was “the proliferation of extremism and terrorism.”Ghosn stressed that his remarks last year about the presence of al-Qaida in Lebanon were based on information and were not an act of intimidation. The caretaker minister created a controversy in May 2012 when he said in an interview that al-Qaida exists in Lebanon. He also warned of the return of the spate of assassinations.

Aoun: Extending Army Chief Term a Political Deal, We'll Boycott Monday Session over Agenda
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun said Sunday a possible extension of Army chief General Jean Qahwaji's term would be “a political and not a military deal,” noting that Monday's legislative session is legitimate although the Change and Reform bloc will boycott it over its “agenda.”“Tomorrow's parliamentary session is legitimate,” Aoun said during an interview on al-Jadeed television. “My political stance is boycotting the session for reasons related to its agenda, such as extending the term of the army commander and other items,” he added.
“Extending the army commander's mandate would be a political and not a military deal, as competence is the most important thing in the army,” Aoun said.
He added that in the wake of the army's sacrifices during the latest deadly battle in Sidon's Abra, the military institution can be “rewarded through being fair in the new wage scale." "The army can be rewarded through preventing the interference of politicians in it, through putting the right man in the right position and through lifting the immunity of MPs and newspapers which attack it everyday," Aoun added. “Why can't we elect an army commander out of 1,500 officers?” he wondered.
Aoun asked: “How can we disarm the resistance while the army is not well-equipped?”Asked if he was rejecting the extension of Qahwaji's term because he wanted his son-in-law to become the new army chief, Aoun said: “Brig. Gen. Chamel Roukoz has a CV and they would review it should they decide to appoint him as army commander and this has nothing to do with him being my son-in-law.”
“I have not nominated anyone for the post of army commander and the cabinet must convene and names would be raised around the table,” Aoun added.
A three-day parliamentary session set by Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday will likely fail to convene over the boycott of March 14 alliance blocs in addition to an inclination by the Change and Reform bloc not to attend.
An al-Mustaqbal bloc source told An Nahar daily published Sunday that its lawmakers will not participate in the session in compatibility with the rest of the March 14 members. The Lebanese Forces has considered as unlawful the parliament meetings outside its ordinary sessions. Independent Christian lawmakers led by Batroun MP Butros Harb also rejected the agenda put forward for the session. The session has several draft-laws on its agenda, including the extension of the term of Qahwaji, who turns 60 this September, by raising the retirement age. The major argument made by the March 14 alliance along with Premier Najib Miqati against the session is that parliament can’t convene in the presence of a caretaking cabinet although Berri claimed on Saturday that there was ample evidence of the legislature convening in the past under a resigned government.
The latest example is the extension of parliament’s term under the resigned cabinet of Miqati, Berri said.
The 128-member parliament convenes twice a year in two ordinary sessions -- the first starts mid-march until the end of May and the second from the middle of October through the end of December.

Lebanon’s army puts the boot in
Diana Moukalled/Asharq Alawsat
Lebanese singer Fairouz has in the past sung about the Lebanese army. The song in question starts with the line “your footsteps on the ground roar.”
It’s a line which people repeat every time war or conflict strikes Lebanon. This song was remembered a lot in Lebanon in the past week as there were many chants and slogans in support of the military. Propaganda reigned over the media scene as some outlets used terms linked to the “military boots,” as a Lebanese artist once said on one of the channels.
Of course the aim behind this was to support the Lebanese army in the military confrontation against Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir and his armed group in Sidon.
As the rhetoric voiced admiration of the “military boot” increased, a video in which members of the army along with their officer appeared showing them gathering around a detainee from Assir’s group and interrogating him. They are seen laughing at him and mocking him before they began beating him, with their military boots “roaring” on the man’s back.
Following the incident, photos emerged showing the dead body of Nader Al-Bayoumi, who was detained and died of torture at the ministry of defense, according to his family. Signs that he was beaten up and tortured appeared on his body.
The first thing that the emergence of the video and the photos aimed to achieve was the end of the Lebanese army’s mission in Sidon. The video and the photos aimed to abort this mission, particularly with the huge confusion that accompanied this military operation and the inclusion of Hezbollah as a major factor in it.
Of course no one in Lebanon is under the illusion that security institutions do not practice intimidating violent while detaining and interrogating people.
Detainees have previously died in Lebanese prisons, and stories of violent behavior inflicted on detainees have a long history. There are also many reports issued by international rights institutions condemning interrogation processes in Lebanon. But what happened last week, particularly the video in which the soldiers are seen interrogating and stepping on a detainee on the ground, appeared to be a wholly new kind of incident.
It’s the first time that Lebanese soldiers appear to smile while hitting a detainee and filming him at the same time. It’s certain that whoever leaked the video is one of them. They carried out this act with the clear approval of the officer in charge.
This video compels us to carry out a quick comparison with the beginning of the Syrian revolution and the many videos in which soldiers and officers appeared torturing and murdering people while smiling and filming in order to publish videos and spread fear. It’s a reminder that after the Lebanese civil war, the military has been rebuilt in the shadow of the Syrian regime.
Yes, violent practices have certainly existed before last week’s events. But what’s new is that now they have been documented. This means that the supervision of the security services has become an issue that the military cannot avoid. However, the statement issued by the army condemning the footage from Sidon does not indicate that the military has learnt lessons about the new media.

Baalbek International Festival to be Held Exceptionally in Jdeideh
Naharnet/The famed Baalbek International Festival, normally held in the town's spectacular Roman ruins, will be held this year in the Northern Metn district of Jdeideh near the capital Beirut, the festival's organizing committee said on Monday. La Magnanerie, a former silk factory that dates back to the nineteenth century, will be this year's venue, the committee announced in a statement.
“Ever since 1956, the year the Baalbek International Festival was launched under the auspices of president Camille Chamoun, the mission of our festival has been to host top notch artists, promote Lebanon's cultural resolve and organize concerts at a unique location in the world – the Baalbek temple,” it said.
“Circumstances have forced us to cope with the difficulties that the region is going through, and this is what happened in 2006, when we organized Fairouz's concert in December,” the committee added.
The festival was canceled during the July-August 2006 devastating war between Israel and Hizbullah.
The committee also cited the fact that American soprano Renee Fleming, the festival's headline act, and Lebanese renowned singer Assi al-Hellani have canceled their participation in this year's festival.
“Given the development of the general situations and after consulting with the relevant authorities, we have decide to carry on with our festival through organizing the other concerts exceptionally at a new venue,” it said.
Artists Marianne Faithfull, Eliane Elias, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Fadia Tumb al-Hajj and Marcel Khalife “will come with us to Beirut to highlight the Baalbek festival's vital cultural message,” the statement added.
The committee noted that the dates of the concerts remain unchanged. The festival is one of the Arab world's leading cultural events and a point of pride for Lebanon.
"As as result of the security situation, we cannot organize the festival in the temple this year," the festival's press office said on June 21.
The disruption to the festival comes as Lebanon finds itself increasingly affected by the war raging in its larger neighbor Syria. Rockets fired from inside Syria have hit border areas near the Baalbek ruins, which lie in a stronghold of Hizbullah. Hizbullah is a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad and has dispatched fighters to battle alongside the Syrian army against rebels seeking to overthrow him. The group claims its military involvement in Syria is necessary to protect border towns and to prevent the fall of Syria into the hands of Islamist extremists, Israel and the U.S.
Hizbullah's intervention has raised tensions in Lebanon, where many Sunnis back the Sunni-led uprising against Assad, whose Alawite faith is an offshoot of Shiite Islam.
The Baalbek ruins, which include the striking Temple of Jupiter and well-preserved Temple of Bacchus, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Launched in 1956 during what is often thought of as Lebanon's Golden Age, the Baalbek festival was halted at the start of the 1975-1990 civil war and did not resume until 1997. It has hosted figures including dancer Rudolph Nureyev, British singer Sting and American jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald.
Lebanon's other main summer festivals, including the Beiteddine festival in the Chouf mountains and the Byblos festival on the Mediterranean coast, are expected to go ahead as planned.

Egypt Army to Intervene if People's Demands Not Met in 48 Hours, Brotherhood Says 'Studying' Warning
Naharnet /Egypt's armed forces warned on Monday that it will intervene if the people's demands are not met within 48 hours, after millions took to the streets to demand the resignation of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.
In a statement read out on state television, the armed forces reiterated its "call that the demands of the people be met and gives (all parties) 48 hours, as a last chance, to take responsibility for the historic circumstances the country is going through.""If the demands of the people are not met in this period... (the armed forces) will announce a future roadmap and measures to oversee its implementation," the statement said. On June 23, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, defense minister and armed forces chief, warned that the military would intervene to prevent unrest in the country.
Egypt is deeply divided between Morsi's Islamist supporters and a broad-based opposition.
The army had given all parties one week to reconcile their differences. "This week, there has been no sign of gestures or acts," the army said. "Wasting more time will lead only to more division... which we have warned and continue to warn against," the army said. It said the implementation of its roadmap would happen "with the participation of all factions and national trends, including the youth, which was and continues to (take) the glorious revolution (forward)." The Muslim Brotherhood announced that it was "studying" the army's statement, a senior leader said.
"The Muslim Brotherhood is studying the army statement," Mahmud Ghozlan told Agence France Presse.
He said the movement's political bureau would meet to "decide on its position." Meanwhile, the opposition Tamarod group, which was behind Sunday's protests that saw millions in the streets calling on Morsi to resign, hailed the army for siding with the people. In Tahrir Square, thousands of protesters erupted in joy after the military's statement, an Agence France Presse journalist said. "Come down Sissi, Morsi is not my president," they protesters chanted, urging the country's army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, to intervene.On the streets of Cairo, cars beeped their horns and waved Egyptian flags after the army statement.
SourceAgence France Presse

U.S. leaker Edward Snowden Applies for Asylum in Russia as Tension Rises between EU, U.S. after Spying Report
Naharnet/U.S. leaker Edward Snowden has applied for asylum in Russia and President Vladimir Putin said on Monday he was welcome to stay as long as he stopped leaking U.S. intelligence reports.
On Sunday night, Snowden applied for political asylum at the consulate office of the Sheremetyevo airport, where he had been staying for more than a week in legal limbo, a foreign ministry official told Agence France Presse.
"At 10.30 pm (1830 GMT) yesterday, British citizen Sarah Harrison turned up at the consulate department at Sheremetyevo airport and submitted a request from Snowden about granting him asylum," consulate officer Kim Shevchenko told AFP.
Sarah Harrison is an employee of anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, who accompanied Snowden on his June 23 trip from Hong Kong, where the former NSA contractor leaked details of the U.S. surveillance program after leaving his job in Hawaii.
Putin appeared to respond to Snowden's request Monday by saying at a news conference that Snowden, who is wanted in the United States on charges of espionage, must stop leaking information damaging Washington if he wants to stay in Russia.
"Russia never hands over anybody anywhere and has no intention to do so," Putin said when grilled by reporters about the fate of the leaker believed to be holed up in the airport's transit zone since his arrival from Hong Kong on June 23. "If he (Snowden) wants to remain here there is one condition -- he should stop his work aimed at inflicting damage on our American partners no matter how strange this may sound coming from me," Putin said.
But Putin, whose comments came before the announcement by the consular officer that Snowden had applied for asylum, himself appeared to indicate that was an unlikely scenario. "Because he feels like a rights activist and defender of human rights all indications are that he is not going to stop this work. So he has to choose a country of residence for himself and move there."
The Russian president reiterated Snowden was not a Moscow agent and was not working with Russian special services. U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday confirmed that there were high-level consultations between Moscow and Washington over Snowden's fate.
"We have gone through regular, law enforcement channels in enforcing the extradition request that we have made with respect to Mr Snowden," he said while on his African visit. "Mr Snowden, we understand, has traveled there without a valid passport, without legal papers. We are hopeful that the Russian government makes decisions based on the normal procedures regarding international travel." Putin had previously refused to immediately hand over Snowden to Washington due to the absence of an extradition treaty between the two countries.
The head of Russia's Security Council Nikolai Patrushev earlier Monday said that Putin and Obama had ordered the chiefs of their respective security agencies, the FSB and FBI, to find a way out of the diplomatic deadlock.
"Of course, (Putin and Obama) don't have a solution now that would work for both sides, so they have ordered the FSB director (Alexander) Bortnikov and FBI director Robert Mueller to keep in constant contact and find solutions," Patrushev told television channel Rossiya 24.
"I have to point out however that the task ahead of them is not easy, because they have to find a solution within the framework of international legal norms, and today one cannot say that such norms exist, and that there is a ready solution," Patrushev added.
Putin also hinted Monday Snowden might be swapped for another figure, saying that the only instance Moscow has given out people to other countries was "when we exchanged our intelligence officers for those people who were detained, arrested, and convicted in the Russian Federation." Putin had last month reportedly sent a letter to Obama ahead of the G8 summit in Ireland, in which he listed a series of problems in ties with Washington.
The letter mentioned Russians Viktor Bout and Konstantin Yaroshenko, convicted and jailed in the United States, reported Kommersant broadsheet.
The two convicted Russian citizens could both be bargaining chips in the current negotiations between Washington and Moscow over Snowden, said Dmitry Trenin, the head of Moscow Carnegie Center think tank.
"If I was handling the negotiations, I would propose an exchange for Bout and Yaroshenko," he told AFP. "Another option is signing an agreement about mutual extradition, something the Americans don't want."
Snowden arrived in Moscow from Hong Kong on June 23 for a layover on his way to Latin America, possibly Ecuador, in a bid to escape extradition to the United States. However, Ecuador President Rafael Correa said on Sunday that "the solution of Snowden's destination" was in the hands of Russian authorities. Meanwhile the spying allegations caused tension between the United States and Europe. Obama on Monday said he would fully inform European allies angry over allegations Washington had bugged their offices, once he had all the facts. "When we have an answer, we will make sure to provide all the information that our allies want," Obama said at a press conference in Tanzania.
The European Union, Paris and Berlin have demanded answers from Washington, following the latest spying claims attributed to fugitive leaker Edward Snowden.
The report in German weekly Der Spiegel detailed covert surveillance by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) on EU diplomatic missions.
Obama said the United States will "take a look at this article and figure out what they may or not be talking about. What we will do is communicate with our allies appropriately."Whilst stopping short of acknowledging any spying by the U.S., he suggested all parties systematically snoop on either other. "In European capitals there are people who are interested, if not in what I had for breakfast, at least what my talking points would be if I am talking to their leaders," Obama said.
But he also underlined his close relations with European allies, adding that "if I want to know what Chancellor Merkel is thinking, I will call Chancellor (Angela) Merkel", and in the same manner, with French President Francois Hollande. Hollande warned earlier in the day that allegations of Washington spying on its allies were threatening talks on a crucial free trade pact, despite U.S. efforts to downplay the growing espionage scandal.
European sources said anger over the alleged bugging of EU offices was genuine and warned the scandal could escalate into a "serious" political crisis, just as Washington and the EU are set to begin sensitive talks next week on the biggest free trade deal ever negotiated.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's insistence that information-gathering was "not unusual" did little to stem increasing European fury, with Hollande demanding Washington immediately put an end to spying on EU diplomatic missions.
In the first direct response by a European head of the state to the scandal, Hollande said Paris had demanded answers from Washington about reports that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) bugged European offices and embassies.
"We cannot accept this kind of behavior between partners and allies," Hollande told journalists during a visit to the western city of Lorient.
"We ask that this immediately stop," Hollande said. "There can be no negotiations or transactions in all areas until we have obtained these guarantees, for France but also for all of the European Union."His comments came after Kerry told reporters at a security forum in Brunei that he was looking into the allegations, but also suggested the spying was business as usual. "I will say that every country in the world that is engaged in international affairs, of national security, undertakes lots of activities to protect its national security and all kinds of information contributes to that," Kerry said. "All I know is that is not unusual for lots of nations. But beyond that, I'm not going to comment any further until I have all of the facts and find out precisely what the situation is."
Travelling with President Barack Obama on a tour of Africa, U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes declined to comment directly on the spying allegations but said relations with Europe would remain strong. "We cooperate with Europe on so many issues, we are so closely aligned in terms of our interests in the world that those relationships are going to stay strong," Rhodes said aboard Air Force One.
"We are going to cooperate with them on security issues, on economic issues and frankly we obviously also share a set of democratic values with them that I think can transcend any controversy."
In fresh revelations attributed to fugitive leaker Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor now holed up at Moscow airport, Monday's Guardian newspaper said France, Italy and Greece were among 38 "targets" of spying operations by U.S. intelligence services.
This came after a report in German weekly Der Spiegel detailed alleged covert surveillance by the NSA on EU diplomatic missions.
One document, dated September 2010 and classed as "strictly confidential", described how the NSA kept tabs on the EU's mission in Washington, Der Spiegel reported.
Microphones were allegedly installed in the building and the computer network was infiltrated, giving the agency access to emails and internal documents.
Der Spiegel said the EU delegation at the United Nations was subject to similar surveillance and the spying had also extended to the 28-member bloc's Brussels headquarters.
German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Berlin had conveyed its "astonishment" and "great displeasure" to the White House about the allegations.
"Europe and the United States are partners, are friends, are allies. Trust must be the basis of our cooperation and trust must be restored in this area," he told reporters. "This is not the Cold War anymore."
European Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding said the trade talks could be in jeopardy, saying the EU cannot negotiate "if there is any doubt that our partners are bugging the offices of European negotiators".
In light of the allegations, European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso's office said he had ordered a full security sweep of all its premises worldwide.
A European Union source said officials could not simply brush the allegations aside.
"If it's true that the Americans have been spying on their allies, then there will be a political fallout," the source told Agence France Presse, speaking on condition of anonymity. "This goes far beyond the requirements of national security. It is a breach of trust and we are at the beginning of something very serious."
The German and French foreign ministries said the U.S. ambassadors to their countries had been invited to discuss the issue, though neither capital officially summoned the envoys -- a formal diplomatic move when tensions develop between governments. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius was also to hold a telephone conversation with Kerry on the issue later Monday, officials said.
SourceAgence France Presse

U.N. Fears Fallout from Egypt Turmoil
Naharnet/The United Nations warned Monday that the result of Egypt's new deadly political turmoil will have a "significant impact" on the transformation of other countries in the Middle East. "The world is watching Egypt and what Egypt does with its transition will have a significant impact on other transition countries in the region," said deputy U.N. spokesman Eduardo del Buey as the Egyptian military gave President Mohamed Morsi 48 hours to meet popular demands. "A stable and secure Egypt is crucial for regional stability and security," said the spokesman for U.N. leader Ban Ki-moon. The U.N. is closely following the new protests in which at least 16 people were killed on Sunday, del Buey added.While stressing that the "vast majority" of the protests appeared peaceful, del Buey said "the reports of a number of deaths and injuries, of sexual assault against women demonstrators, as well as acts of destruction of property are to be strongly condemned.""Peaceful dialogue and non-violence are the keys to restoring stability and moving Egypt's transition forward," said the spokesman.
Egyptian opposition parties have demanded an early presidential election and the military has given Morsi 48 hours to respond to "the demands of the people" or it would intervene.SourceAgence France Presse

Netanyahu: Kerry Peace Efforts Need Full European Support
Naharnet/ Marathon U.S.-led efforts to revive direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians need "consistent and constant" European support, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday.
Speaking at the start of talks with visiting Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta, Netanyahu reiterated his readiness to begin talks with the Palestinians.
"We have to get into the (negotiations) tent and stay in the tent and seek to end this conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. That's our goal," he said in comments relayed by his office. His remarks came a day after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry ended an intensive four days of talks with Israel and the Palestinians on his latest visit aimed at coaxing them back into direct negotiations after a nearly three-year hiatus. Kerry's efforts, Netanyahu said, "deserve consistent and constant European support, and I'm sure that Italy will give that support."Just before ending his fifth visit to the region in as many months, Kerry insisted there had been "real progress," although there was little indication the parties were any closer to sitting down face to face.
In response, the Italian leader expressed hope that the U.S.-led efforts would be fruitful.
"We hope, of course, that we will try all together, and you, first of all, the Palestinians and Secretary John Kerry -- you'll be able to find a solution," Letta said, according to a transcript from Netanyahu's office.
The Italian leader arrived in Israel late on Sunday for a three-day visit which comes as the Israeli foreign ministry stepped up strike action in a move which has impacted on multiple foreign visits over the past few months.
Ahead of the visit, foreign ministry officials had urged Letta to postpone it, saying it could be disrupted by the strike, the Haaretz newspaper reported last week.
Foreign ministry staff have been demanding an improvement in working conditions and an increase in their salaries which have not been raised for the past 12 years.
Last week, disgruntled ministry workers reportedly tried to disrupt a visit by the Georgian prime minister by demonstrating in areas he was to pass through, the paper said. SourceAgence France Presse

U.N. in Talks with Europeans on 'Serious' Gap in Golan Force
Naharnet/The United Nations is "seriously concerned" about its shrinking peacekeeping force in the Golan Heights and is seeking to recruit troops from Europe to fill the gap, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Monday.
The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), based on the tense border between Syria and Israel, has seen its numbers dwindle to around 530 from 1,050 after Japan and Croatia withdrew their contingents.
Austria, previously the top contributor, will pull out its 377 soldiers by the end of this month amid fears of escalating violence against peacekeepers, leaving a 530-strong force from the Philippines and India.
"This mandate of UNDOF in the Golan Heights is very important for maintaining peace and security in the region, not only in that area," Ban told reporters in Geneva.
He added that the withdrawal of Austrian forces was having an impact, "and we have been seriously concerned," Ban said.
UNDOF and the related 76-member U.N. Truce Supervision Organization monitor a ceasefire accord signed a year after the 1973 Yom Kippur War -- a conflict which saw Israel take over a slice of the strategic Golan Heights from enemy Syria. Ban said he was in talks with several European countries, including Sweden, in search for new troops. "They are in the process of discussing among themselves, and within their governments," he said.
He noted that, beyond Europe, Fiji has already stepped in to help. The Pacific nation, which traditionally punches above its weight in U.N. peacekeeping operations, has started deploying troops to get UNDOF's number back above 900. But the U.N. peacekeeping department would prefer the force's total deployment to be around 1,250.
Ban said he was hopeful that the U.N. would find troops to "fill the gap", and expressed confidence that "we are on the way". The U.N. leader said that several potential contributors had already pledged to take part in a peacekeeping force in Mali, set up after African and French troops took on Islamist insurgents there earlier this year. "Some of those countries have committed already to provide troops to Mali so, practically speaking, it may be the case that they have some constraints in providing further troops," Ban said.
The U.N. Security Council last week urged Syrian government troops and rebels to stay out of the Golan, amid concerns over violent incidents in what had been a relatively calm zone until the Syria conflict erupted in March 2011.SourceAgence France Presse

The prestige of the state” in Lebanon
Hazem Saghieh/Al Hayat
There is an expression that melds with every political appeal in Lebanon: “The prestige of the state.” But this phrase would not have become in widespread use were it not for the chronic weakness of the state, and the yearning for security and peace, which only the state and the law can achieve. For this reason, we have seen everyone, sects and regions, turning the expression into a sacred icon.
Even the biggest haters of the strength of states and the roles of armies can tolerate this very legitimate Lebanese demand, because the ‘prestige of the state,’ in this case, does not mean enforcing tyranny at home or aggression outside, but rather limiting the brazenness of sects and their ability to pursue tyranny and aggression.
Yet the Lebanese attachment to the ‘prestige of the state’ often leads those who champion it to complacency and low expectations. Thus, many of us feel content with too little, perhaps because of the deep-seated hunger for it within us. As such, the suppression of an idiotic and folkloric, albeit evil, phenomenon like Ahmed al-Assir in Sidon becomes a triumph for the ‘prestige of the state.’ But a reality like this only serves to show us how that easy ‘prestige’ is in fact very difficult to attain.
The proof of this is not the collapse or paralysis of state institutions, one after the other, or the brazen ability of an MP to accuse the president of ‘high treason,’ only because the president decided to be president and complain to the world about the government of a neighboring country bombing his country and his people.
Before and above this, the ‘prestige of the state’ remains highly questionable in the presence of another state next to it that is stronger without measure. In this sense, Hezbollah’s strength, and not that of Ahmed al-Assir, seems to be the real and serious benchmark for the ‘prestige of the state.’
In truth, dealing with Ahmad al-Assir as the alternative threat is what psychologists call ‘displacement,’ that is, shifting our target to something more suitable, or something that we can deal with, as the biggest villain, in lieu of the real big villain that it does not suit us to target, or whom we cannot target to begin with.
What we see today with our own eyes is that this conduct only dents the ‘prestige of the state’ further, for two reasons at least: First, this approach strengthens one segment that already has a surplus of power against another, which already has a surplus of weakness. Second, it undermined the supposed integrity and neutrality of the state, and weakens its credibility vis-à-vis the society it governs.
Because of what is happening today, in Sidon and elsewhere, it is feared that society may split into two segments: One mocking the state by applauding it and pushing it to do its dirty work so that it may focus on its serious battles in Syria; and another that looks at the state as though it is an external party, if not a foreign enemy. The first segment will praise the ‘prestige of the state’ while making fun of it in secret, while the second will prepare to confront that ‘prestige’ that is only used and enforced against it.

The Brotherhood, the Watch, and the Volcano
Ghassan Charbel/Al Hayat
It is the right of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi to say that he is the first democratically elected civilian president in Egypt, and that he had entered the presidential palace by a mandate from the voters, and not on top of a tank. He can say that the opposition leaders, with the exception of his opponent Ahmed Shafik, recognized his legitimacy and the fact that the elections were free and fair. Indeed, Mohamed ElBaradei, Amr Moussa, and Hamdeen Sabahi all visited him at the Ittihadiya Palace, and the whole world recognized his legitimacy and received him as president.
It is also Morsi’s right to say that the Egyptians gave him a mandate for a full term, and that it is not right that his tenure should be shortened under pressure from the street. It is his right to say all this, yet it is his duty to check his watch.
Morsi can say that he is not an isolated president, and that the group to which he belongs is deeply rooted in Egyptian society, and, therefore, the Islamists would not allow the first Islamist president of Egypt to be deposed. Morsi can say that he is able to organize million-strong pro-regime protests to counter the opposition ones, and that he can task the members of the Muslim Brotherhood to protect his palace if the army should hesitate to do so. Yet, it is his duty to check his watch.
On the other hand, the president cannot accuse those who gathered yesterday in the squares and outside his palace of being mere holdovers of the previous regime, or thugs nostalgic to the bygone era. This ploy is old and has been overused ad nauseam.
Morsi cannot say either that the millions who signed the Tamarrod petition are liberals who are complicit in a Zionist-American plot to thwart the renaissance project Morsi brought with him to the palace. He cannot deny that the first year of his term was marked by terrible unrest and deep divisions in the street, and that it has disappointed those who voted for him, from outside his Islamist group, for the sole reason that Shafik’s victory would have reproduced the former regime.
The president cannot deny what the numbers say about the economic collapse, soaring unemployment, poverty, and the deterioration in services and the security. He cannot deny either that there is a growing belief that the first year of the Muslim Brotherhood’s tenure in power exposed its lack of experience and qualified leaders able to administer the state with the logic of the state.
Two weeks ago, my journalistic curiosity prompted me to visit Egypt. I did not want to write about the major battle there from afar. Indeed, this battle concerns the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and everywhere, and political Islam as well as the outcome of the ‘Arab Spring.’
I met leaders from the opposition and the Brotherhood. I also met with journalists and ordinary citizens who had falsely believed that the revolution would open the doors of hope, make bread less inaccessible, and restore Egypt’s longstanding identity, spirit, and role.
On the eve of my departure from Cairo, I became greatly fearful for the days that lay ahead. I felt that millions of Egyptians are living in deep and unprecedented fear and anxiety, as well as rage that needed to be expressed.
Some are concerned that Egypt may go bankrupt, others are afraid of efforts to tamper with Egypt’s spirit. More still say that the Brotherhood’s regime is ‘Mubarak’s regime with an Islamist makeover,’ while some are convinced the state is being eroded, and that the attempts to impose the Brotherhood’s ideology has led to battles in the street, “to take back the revolution from those who hijacked it.” Some are even saying that the army must take action before the ‘volcano’ erupts.
I also felt that Hosni Mubarak had surprised the Egyptians with his rapid departure, and that the political factions had not expected or prepared for that. I felt that the military council acted like someone turning over hot coals in his hands wanting to get rid of them, and that it was for this reason that the council rushed and made mistakes.
But I also realized that the Muslim Brotherhood, by running in the presidential elections, made a huge gamble, and not a ‘huge sacrifice.’ I also understood that the triumph of those who wanted to pounce on the feast took place through a handful of votes, but it is clear today that this move only led to the Muslim Brotherhood risking their entire legacy as well as Egypt itself.
Mursi misread the messages of the revolution, and the limits of his mandate. Mistakes then accumulated because of the manner he dealt with the constitution, the judiciary, and the affairs of the state, and even Egypt’s spirit and the components of its identity. This accumulation of mistakes rekindled the revolution, but rivers of hot lava mean a volcano is erupting.
It is difficult to expect the Muslim Brotherhood caving in to Tamarrod’s protests. But certainly, Morsi’s occupancy of the palace will be cumbersome to both the Brotherhood and the country, because there is nothing worse than living at the edge of a volcano.

The Muslim Brotherhood “Kind”
Mohammad Salah/Al Hayat
One year of President Mohamed Morsi’s rule in Egypt has led to placing the group he is affiliated to, the Muslim Brotherhood, before the greatest danger it has had to face in its history since its establishment in 1928. The issue goes far beyond confronting a regime, hunting down leaders and prominent figures of the Brotherhood, the exile of its members, the movement of its members and affiliates being restricted, the freedom of its supporters, young and old, being limited, or the activity of businessmen and merchants affiliated to it being restricted. Indeed, these are matters that were continuously taking place for decades, following a graph that rose and fell according to the regime that would be in power, and to the guide who would be in control!
The scene in Egypt yesterday summed up a whole year of the Muslim Brotherhood ruling Egypt, and revealed what they had always feared the Egyptian people might think. But the Brotherhood has awoken from the sleep of power to find that what had become entrenched in people’s minds and had turned into a reality makes the group – and in fact forces it to – change a great deal of its policies, ideas and methods, in hopes of returning to what it had been before: a thread within the fabric of Egyptian society, not a single rope devoid of all other threads. Yes, the Muslim Brotherhood has classified itself among the Egyptian people and turned its members from a movement to a class, from a faction to a “kind”, and from a group to a chosen race. Despite all of their talk, interviews, speeches, and smiles, a year has passed with Egypt under a President from the Brotherhood, under the hegemony of the group’s political party, and under the control of its Guidance Bureau. This year has ended with the majority of Egyptians convinced that members of the Muslim Brotherhood have become a “kind” of Egyptian, and not merely a group, a party or a movement. The president could leave his seat at the Heliopolis Palace and the Muslim Brotherhood could leave power, due to popular pressures or to the loss of the public sympathy it had obtain in all previous elections, as a result of the West and the Americans abandoning it or of the army intervening to save the country from the repercussions of its rule. Or Morsi could remain in place, and the storm could pass without the walls of the Brotherhood and of the palace collapsing. Yet the truth that cannot be questioned is that a deep wound has been opened in the body of the Muslim Brotherhood, despite its cohesion, and that it has committed blatant mistakes as a result of its obstinacy and stubbornness. Indeed, returning to the point at which it had been at the start of the January 25 Revolution would require a different Brotherhood than the one that has for a year ruled the greatest Arab country after a revolution that amazed the world. It would require different leaders for this group, to which Egyptians had been sympathetic even if they opposed its ideas and its principles, before it became at odds with every other group. And it would require a different way of dealing with segments of the population that had seen in the group’s clerics and prominent figures decent and godly men, until they came to power and were found not to be much different from those who had preceded them. The problem of classification is not limited to President Morsi losing his seat or remaining in it without popular support and amid rejection from opposition forces, in a climate that would never allow him to complete any achievements or fulfill any promises. Rather, the problem is that the Muslim Brotherhood, which practiced the exclusion of others throughout the past year, has itself become the target of exclusion!
The scene in Egypt’s public squares yesterday confirmed that Morsi, his party and his Brotherhood have even lost the sympathy of many who had supported and backed him during the phase that preceded the Revolution. It also showed the difference between, on the one hand, the crowds of Muslim Brotherhood members and supporters, who were restricted to Rabia Al-Adawiyya Square, and on the other the diverse strands of the Egyptian people across the spectrum, which were spread out over the different provinces and gathered in public squares. The significance of what started yesterday is that the people are now being led by groups of young people, after they have grown weary of the failure of both the Brotherhood and the opposition. Yet those who have lost the most are Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood – not just in terms of the possibility of leaving the palace and losing power after the fall of their regime, but also in terms of the obscurity that surrounds the future of a group which for decades continued to broaden, grow, branch out and spread, before finally reaching a situation in which the President is moving secretly from one residence to another, and the group’s members and supporters are talking but… only to themselves.

Army gives Cairo politicians 48 hours to meet “people’s demands” - implying option of military takeover
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report July 1, 2013/Egypt’s defense minister Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi issued a statement on behalf of the armed forces Monday, July 1, warning the politicians they had 48 hours to “meet the people’s demands” and agree on an inclusive road map for the way ahead. He did not define “the people” either as the millions who voted for the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi as president or the masses demanding his resignation. The army chief’s statement acted as a warning to the politicians in both camps that if they failed to agree, the army would step in and assume power once again.
The military statement went on to say that the Egyptian army will not get involved in politics but had decided to act in view of the real danger facing national security.
President Barack Obama also voiced his concern about the situation in Egypt and called on President Morsi to respond to opposition demands and work with the protest leaders.
The morning after millions of Egyptians demonstrated fairly peacefully Sunday night, June 30, for and against President Mohamed Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood rule, a mob Monday stormed and ransacked Brotherhood headquarters in Cairo and set it on fire. The building was empty at the time.
In the early stage of the opposition uprising, the Brotherhood more or less avoided direct street clashes in the 20 or so Egyptian towns where protests were staged, even though they and their premises were often under assault.
There were two reasons for this restraint:
1. The morning after the big event Sunday, which was timed for the first anniversary of Morsi’s presidency, found him shaken but still hanging in there. The first crack came later Monday, July 1, when four members of his cabinet, the ministers of tourism, environment, communication and legal affairs, handed in their resignations.
2. The protest organizers gave Morsi until Tuesday to step down and call an early election, or else face more demonstrations and a long campaign of civil obedience. Against this ultimatum, the Brothers reckoned they could hold out until next week, when the Muslim month of Ramadan begins. During that month, they hoped the millions of protesters would be too busy breaking their daily fast after nightfall to be available for mass rallies against the government.
Muslim Brotherhood tacticians changed their minds after the attack on their Cairo headquarters was found to have been carried out by a “rebel unit.” The MB spokesman then announced that “self-defense units” were being considered to protect the movement. What this means is that Egypt’s ruling Islamists are contemplating activating armed militias, or paramilitary groups, in the face of attacks by “rebel units.” This would take the country another step towards greater violence and a more protracted confrontation. For now, the army is not interfering in the contest.
It is feared in ruling circles in Cairo that the protest movement will resort to violent assaults on their institutions, alongside a campaign of civil obedience, to keep the flames of their campaign to topple the Islamist government burning high.
Se DEBKAfile’s exclusive eport on Sunday.
The protest rallies against Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi staged across Egypt Sunday June 30, a year after he took power, offered two surprises. Rather than an outpouring of anti-Islamist rage, the tenor of the banners, placards and chants raised over Cairo’s Tahrir Square echoed the slogans of pan-Arab, nationalism, socialism and xenophobia, with which the charismatic Gemal Abdel Nasser caught the Arab world by storm half a century ago. The Muslim Brotherhood rule in Egypt, thrown up by the Arab Revolt, may face the challenge of a neo-Arab nationalistic uprising, a throwback to the Nasserist era.
There was also a strong strain of anti-American sentiment.
In Cairo, placards of US Ambassador Anne Patterson, accused of currying favor with the Muslim Brotherhood, were hoisted alongside those of President Morsi – both defaced with large red exes.
The second surprise was the less-than expected turnout – hundreds of thousands - at most one millon - rather than 3-5 million the organizers hoped to rally in Cairo alone and no more than two-to-two and a half million in all the main city centers combined.
According to the Egyptian Interior Ministry, 17 million demonstrators counting supporters and opponents of the president, were in the streets Sunday night. Our sources say this figure is much inflated.
No one is even trying to guess what sort of Egypt will emerge from this new turbulence, or who will rule the country when it subsides. Some facts and figures may offer some clues to where Egypt is heading:
1. The organizers of the “Tamarod” (Rebellion) have laid long-term plans for a civil disobedience campaign to disrupt the government administration until it is forced to quit - although the initial phase was marked with scattered violence: Ten people were killed Sunday night and 700 injured, after seven were left dead in clashes between pro-and anti Morsi supporters in the past week, including an American.
The protest leaders claim to have harnessed various anti-government groups – liberals, pro-democracy factions, academics, members of the free professions, secular politicians, students and ordinary people who elected the Muslim Brother for jobs and a better and safer life and are now jobless and unable to feed their families.
Among the demonstrators in Tahrir Square Sunday night were police officers and judges.
2. The next stage planned is for a shutdown of public transportation, factories, financial companies and the flow of oil and gas in and out of Egypt. Within days, the country will face electricity and water outages and start the grim descent into complete chaos.
3. The uprising has a leader, the Nassersit Hamdeen Sabahi, who came in third place after Morsi in last year’s presidential election. But the trouble for the protest leaders is that he is virtually faceless on the national scene and has never made his mark as a figure able to inspire the masses to rise up against the government. Without a strong figure, the uprising may soon lose traction.

Live Coverage: Egypt protests
Follow up-to-the minute coverage of the crisis in Egypt.
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The Egyptian military on Monday issued a 48-hour deadline for political forces to resolve the crisis in the country and called on the people's demands to be met.
Earlier in the day, the Tamarod movement called on President Mohamed Morsi to step down by Tuesday and further warned they would start a campaign of civil disobedience after millions of protesters took to the streets of the country on Sunday on the first anniversary of Morsi’s inauguration.
Follow up-to-the-minute coverage of Egyptian developments here.
[21:00] Reuters: Former Egyptian PM Ahmed Shafiq says Morsi's reign to end 'in a week'
[20:20] Tamarod movement: Armed forces statement signifies early presidential elections
[20:17] The United Nations warned Monday that the result of Egypt's new deadly political turmoil will have a "significant impact" on the transformation of other countries in the Middle East.
[20:15] Al-Arabiya: President Morsi and PM Qandil reject resignations of ministers
[19:41] Al-Arabiya: President Morsi summons PM Qandil to discuss ministers’ resignation
[19:37] Reuters: US Department of Defense studying Egypt armed forces statement; won’t speculate on events in coming 48 hours
[19:28] Reuters: Egyptian security forces arrest 15 bodyguards of Muslim Brotherhood official Khairat El-Shater
[19:21] Military helicopters circling over Cairo flying Egyptian flags
[19:03] Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood said on Monday it was "studying" an army statement giving Islamist President Mohamed Morsi 48 hours to meet the demands of the people before it would intervene, a senior leader said.
[19:01] Al-Arabiya: Muslim Brotherhood official Khairat El-Shater’s home targeted by gunfire in Cairo
[19:00] Sky News: Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohammed Badie calls for emergency meeting to discuss army’s statement
[18:56] AFP: Egypt's opposition hails army for siding with people
[18:40] Al-Arabiya: 10 Egyptian ministers submit their resignations
[18:36] Al-Ahram: Ismailiya governor Hassan Rifai resigns
[18:27] Al-Ahram: Protesters say they will remain in Tahrir Square until armed forces deadline ends
[18:10] Egyptian media outlets: Sami Anan resigns from Morsi’s advisory board
[17:56] US President Barack Obama on Monday called on all parties in Egypt to show restraint in mass protests against President Mohamed Morsi, and specifically warned against attacks on women.
[17:45] Thousands of protesters erupted in joy on Monday after the military said it would intervene if the people's demands are not met in 48 hours, an AFP journalist said, after millions took to the streets to call on President Mohamed Morsi to step down.
[17:33] Egypt's armed forces warned that it will intervene if the people's demands are not met within 48 hours, after millions took to the streets to demand the resignation of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.
[17:21] Al-Ahram: President Morsi tried to call armed forces chief, military intelligence chief; but neither answered
[17:20] The Cairo-based Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's top authority, voiced concern on Monday about the infiltration of gunmen into "peaceful" protests across Egypt demanding the resignation of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.
[17:04] Egyptian military to give televised address shortly.
[16:52] Al-Arabiya: President Mohamed Morsi rejects resignation of five ministers.
[16:47] NOW: Egypt’s military leaders holding meeting without President Mohamed Morsi
[15:06] Egypt's ministers of tourism, environment, communication and legal affairs tendered their resignations on Monday a day after massive protests against President Mohamed Morsi swept the country, a senior government official told AFP.
[14:58] Reuters: Muslim Brotherhood says considering ‘self-defense units’ after Egypt HQ attack
[13:56] Egyptian Health Ministry announces 16 people were killed in Sunday’s protests.
[13:12] Egyptian protesters on Monday stormed the headquarters of the powerful Muslim Brotherhood after deadly clashes there between supporters and opponents of President Mohamed Morsi who hails from the group.
[10:07] Egypt's opposition Tamarod movement which led nationwide protests against President Mohamed Morsi has given the Islamist leader a deadline of Tuesday to resign, threatening a campaign of civil disobedience if he stays.
[9:38] Six people were killed in unrest as protesters flooded Egypt's streets calling for Islamist President Mohamed Morsi to step down, the health ministry said on Monday.
[7:55] Top Egyptian opposition leader Hamdeen Sabahi said the army should intervene if President Mohamed Morsi refuses to step down in response to calls from anti-government protests.
[7:30] Five people died as protesters flooded Egypt's streets calling for Islamist President Mohamed Morsi to step down, in massive demonstrations reminiscent of the 2011 revolt which ultimately paved the way to his leadership.
Meanwhile, protesters attacked the Cairo headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood overnight.