LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

Bible Quotation for today/Paul Rebukes Peter at Antioch
Galatians 0211-14/"But when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him in public, because he was clearly wrong. Before some men who had been sent by James arrived there, Peter had been eating with the Gentile believers. But after these men arrived, he drew back and would not eat with the Gentiles, because he was afraid of those who were in favor of circumcising them. 13 The other Jewish believers also started acting like cowards along with Peter; and even Barnabas was swept along by their cowardly action. When I saw that they were not walking a straight path in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you have been living like a Gentile, not like a Jew. How, then, can you try to force Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Syrian army and Hizballah capture Homs - opening way to Aleppo and decisive Assad victory

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report July 29, 2013/Three months after winning the strategic town of Al Qusayr, the combined Syrian and Hizballah armies have captured the historic Muslim Brotherhood city of Homs, 162 kilometers northeast of the capital Damascus. debkafile’s military and intelligence sources report that Sunday, July 28, jeeps with recoilless guns, pick-up trucks with anti air guns - all loaded with defeated rebel Farouq Brigades fighters were to be seen fleeing the city. As they fled, Syrian and Hizballah army tanks facing no resistance rolled into the center of Homs, the old city and the Khladiyeh district and hoisted images of President Bashar Assad. The fall of Homs, which the rebels designated from the start of the uprising “capital of the revolution,” opens the way for Syrian-Hizballah forces to move north on Aleppo, Syria’s largest city.

Aleppo’s capture would grant Assad a decisive victory in the civil war and confer on the Lebanese Shiite terrorist Hizballah for the first time the standing of an armed force with strategic capabilities, as well as giving the Iran-Syrian-Hizballah alliance a major boost. Early Monday, Syrian ground-to-ground missiles were pounding rebel fortifications Aleppo to soften their resistance, while Syrian air force helicopters struck Kurdish PYG units ranged along the Syrian-Turkish border. Although the helicopters flew over the frontier, they did not run into any interference from the Turkish air force, its artillery emplacements or the NATO Patriot anti-missile batteries deployed there. The Kurdish units were targeted to prevent them moving into Aleppo in defense of the city’s Kurdish quarters against the Syrian army-Hizballah advance.

After the fall of Homs and the fast approaching Syrian assault on Aleppo, Washington, Jerusalem and Ankara have run out of time for quibbling whether to step into the Syrian conflict. The critical decision facing them now is whether to save Aleppo from a savage Syrian army-Hizballah onslaught that will determine the final fate of the war, or continue to stand aside.

The various tactics outlined by top US soldier Gen. Martin Dempsey last week for US military intervention at a cost of $1 billion per month have been overtaken by events. The Obama administration must now decide very quickly whether Assad and his Russian and Iranian backers should be allowed to win the Syrian civil war or stopped at Aleppo.

Naharnet/ Pope Francis declared on Monday that it was not his place to judge homosexuals and said they should not be marginalized but condemned the gay lobby as a "serious problem". The remarks -- made to journalists as he flew back to Rome from a trip to Brazil -- appeared to be more conciliatory towards homosexuals than his predecessor Benedict XVI. "If someone is gay and seeks the Lord with good will, who am I to judge?" he said

"The problem is not having this orientation, it is lobbying. That's the most serious problem I think." Francis had to field questions about Battista Ricca, who was appointed by the pontiff to a key position at the troubled Vatican bank, but is embroiled in allegations that he had gay relationships with male prostitutes. The pope said he had ordered a "brief investigation but we found nothing on him". "I have not seen anyone at the Vatican who is registered as gay on his identity card. We acknowledge that there are (gays)," he said. Nevertheless, "the catechism of the Catholic Church says clearly that we must not marginalize these people who should be integrated in the society."

The Italian weekly L'Espresso this month reported that Ricca had gay relationships during his time at the Vatican embassy of Montevideo in Uruguay as well as an affair with a Swiss guard which ultimately saw him sent back to Rome in disgrace in 2010. He was once left badly beaten after trawling notorious gay hangouts and also had to be rescued from an elevator in which he was stuck while he was with a young gigolo he had invited to the embassy for the night. An internal bid to cover up Ricca's activities meant Francis apparently had no idea about Ricca's past before he appointed him as his personal representative at the scandal-hit bank this year.

The pope admitted in June that there is a "gay lobby" in the Vatican's secretive administration, the Roman Curia, according to a Latin American Catholic website. Gay rights groups had voiced hope on Francis' appointment that the Argentinian pope would be friendlier to homosexuals than his predecessor. Benedict had angered the gay community with his suggestion in 2008 that homosexuality was as much of a threat to the survival of the human race as climate change. He has also called on Catholics to "fight" to maintain the traditional family consisting of a father, mother and children, and criticized gay marriage and abortion as "insidious and dangerous threats to the common good". Without expanding on the two issues, Pope Francis gave a firm answer to a question on gay marriage and abortion -- both of which the Church opposes -- saying "you know perfectly the position of the Church".

He also said women should be given a bigger role in the Church, but refused to consider their ordination, saying the "door is closed" on the issue. Source/Agence France Presse.

July 29, 2013/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: The debate over the European Union’s decision to blacklist Hezbollah’s “military wing” intensified over the weekend, as March 14 officials warned of the damage to Lebanon’s interests and Hezbollah stood defiant against what one party official called “an insult to the resistance and its people.” Former premier Fouad Siniora weighed in on the debate Saturday, saying the decision endangers Lebanon. “Although the [EU officials] are saying that their decision is only a political message [to Hezbollah] we should be careful because [the decision] poses high risks to Lebanon,” Siniora said during a visit to Hammoud Hospital in the southern city of Sidon. Siniora, who heads the Future parliamentary bloc, urged Hezbollah to end its interference in other countries’ affairs because it was such involvement that led to the EU decision.

“We have concerns and we regret the reasons that led the European Union to take the decision of listing Hezbollah’s so-called military wing on its terror list, especially given that we in Lebanon have solid ties of friendship with the 28 European countries,” he said. “No one in the country would have wanted that to happen but it was clear that what led to such a decision was due to the expansion of Hezbollah’s so-called military wing outside Lebanon and its interference in the affairs of other countries,” the Sidon MP said.

“This is why [Hezbollah] should end such involvement, which is harmful to Lebanon’s interests,” he said. The EU’s 28-member states voted unanimously earlier this week to list the military wing of Hezbollah as a terrorist group. The decision was linked to Hezbollah’s alleged involvement in the deadly 2012 attack in Bulgaria that killed five Israeli tourists. Hezbollah denies involvement in the bombing. Siniora warned that the group could be linked to incidents in other parts of the world. “We heard that further information will be revealed to the international public opinion. It seems that other things have also happened in other countries,” he said. Hezbollah has described the EU decision as “unjust,” accusing the European organization of giving Israel a pretext to launch aggression against Lebanon. The head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc said over the weekend the decision was aimed at intimidation. “The decision of the European Union is a terrorist message and not a political one, they want to terrorize our people and instill fear in their hearts,” Mohammad Raad said during an Iftar in the Nabatieh town of Jbaa.

“The [decision] is not only an insult to the resistance and its people ... it reflects the despair of the Europeans over all their attempts to put down the resistance and tame it,” he added.

In his most recent televised speech, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hasan Nasrallah dismissed the importance of the decision and said it came after pressures from Israel and the United States.

Echoing Raad’s comments, Hezbollah MP Nawwaf Musawi said the European Union decision was an “attack against the resistance, the people and the homeland.” “The decision reflects a colonial policy [by the EU] toward Lebanon and it comes in response to the Israeli-American dictates to the EU,” he said. Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad said the decision was a result of American and Israeli pressure on the EU, and said it would not change Hezbollah’s political positions. “There is no benefit to the EU from this decision and it contradicts its interests,” he said at an iftar event over the weekend.

“It will not lead to changes in Hezbollah’s positions or convictions with respect to resisting the Israeli occupation or the Syrian crisis.” Kataeb leader Amin Gemayel Saturday urged Hezbollah to reassess its political stance in Lebanon in light of the EU’s decision, a move which he described as having minimal effect on the country. “We should learn our lesson from what happened, perhaps it could be an occasion for Hezbollah to re-evaluate its political stances in Lebanon,” the former president told Voice of Lebanon Radio Station. “[Hezbollah should] take this issue as a motivation to return to the Lebanese legitimacy and national unity,” he added. Gemayel said the European decision “was ambiguous” and could not be translated on the ground given that Hezbollah was a single body. The former president also downplayed the immediate consequences of the decision. “On the one hand, it represents so much while on the other, its effect is minimal,” he said. “The decision to punish Hezbollah was taken and if we want to translate this decision on the ground, then we would see that the decision punishes ghosts and that the side carrying out Hezbollah’s operations is hidden,” Gemayel added. Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel warned of the possibility of unrest as a result of the decision. “Hezbollah is a party of resistance and it is not appropriate to talk about the existence of a military wing,” said Charbel in an interview with VDL, and expressed his surprise at the decision. “European countries have always been supporters of stability in Lebanon,” he added. “What has changed to lead to this decision being taken?”

July 29, 2013/The Daily Star/Mohammed Zaatari) /ABUJA: Nigerian prosecutors on Monday widened charges against three Lebanese nationals accused of links to Hezbollah as their trial began with access to the courtroom restricted and the identities of witnesses concealed. Mustapha Fawaz, 49, Abdallah Thahini, 48, and Talal Ahmad Roda, 51, have been accused of having ties to the powerful Lebanese group Hezbollah and plotting attacks against Western and Israeli targets in Nigeria. Prosecutors brought fresh charges related to money-laundering and illegal importation of goods among crimes.These came in addition to the terrorism-related offences filed last month after a massive supply of weapons was found at a business in the capital Abuja and a private home in the northern city of Kano. "We want to be sure that all elements of every offence disclosed by the investigation is properly before the court," prosecutor Simon Egede said. Judge Adeniyi Adetokunbo Ademola agreed to a prosecution request to restrict access to the hearings, with only the defendants, their legal teams, journalists and two relatives per each accused allowed in. He said the identities of the prosecution witnesses would not be revealed for security reasons. Agents of the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria's main intelligence branch, wore face masks when they testified Monday. The defendants have pleaded not guilty to all charges but prosecutors say they have admitted membership in Hezbollah, which is not a crime in Nigeria.

The trio are believed to own a supermarket and an amusement park in Abuja, but the businesses have been shuttered since the arrests. A fourth suspect is said to be on the run. Nigeria is grappling with a deadly Islamist insurgency waged by Boko Haram, but there has been no suggestion of any ties between the Lebanese accused and the Nigerian extremist group. Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is home to a sizeable Lebanese population, including in the mainly Muslim north.

Qahwaji Tells Int'l Community Support Needed to Enable Army to Confront 'Terrorism, Occupation'

Naharnet /Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji on Monday said the internationally-backed five-year plan to develop the Lebanese army's capabilities is aimed at enabling the military institution to “defend its land and people” against “terrorism, occupation and aggression.”"The burdens faced by the Lebanese army in the fields of defense and security cannot be confronted at all through its current capabilities in terms of manpower, weapons and equipment,” Qahwaji said at a meeting convened by U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly and UNIFIL chief Paolo Serra to discuss ways of improving international assistance to the Capabilities Development Plan of the Lebanese Armed Forces. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and countries contributing troops to UNIFIL.

“These burdens were aggravated, as you know, by the successive regional crises and their repercussions in one way or another on Lebanon,” Qahwaji added.

The army chief said the current situation pushed the Lebanese government, “despite the difficult economic circumstances in the country, to endorse a five-year plan to equip the army, which can provide an essential part of its needs should the friendly countries contribute to the immediate requirements of the plan and to the rest of the necessities according to priority.”

"Our first and last aim from this five-year plan is to enable the army to defend its land and people against any foreign attack and to protect the safety of the country from the threats of terrorism and security violators,” Qahwaji went on to say. He noted that the realization of the plan "will not only contribute to stability in our country but also to regional and international stability, as everyone knows the extent of sacrifices offered by our army in the face of terrorism and everyone knows that this army has never attacked anyone, but rather defended its country against occupation and aggression, whichever side it came from.”

For his part, Plumbly "encouraged further international support for the LAF’s Capabilities Development Plan that was finalized earlier in April this year," according to a statement issued by his office. Plumbly noted “the complex challenges facing the army at a time when it was suffering from limited resources but hailed the successful role it has played in safeguarding Lebanon's security and stability particularly during the recent period.”

The U.N. officials and the representatives of participating member states “agreed that the plan sends a strong message about LAF’s commitment to institution building, professionalism and transparency.”

It was agreed that Plumbly and UNIFIL would “follow up and assist the LAF in coordinating responses to the plan, including in the context of the strategic dialogue.”

Aoun in Appeal to People: Some Sides are Seriously Seeking Fragmentation of the State

Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Aoun noted on Monday the various constitutional violations in Lebanon, stressing that evidence of these violations are available. He warned in an appeal to the Lebanese people: “Serious efforts are being exerted to fragment the state and its institutions.”“Do not be deceived by those who claim to defend principles while they simultaneously seek to destroy them,” he added. He called on the people of all affiliations to unite in order to save Lebanon. Aoun listed a number of violations that have taken place in the country in recent months, such as the failure to stage the parliamentary elections and to agree on a new electoral law. He also labeled the consequent extension of parliament's term as another constitutional violation. Moreover, the MP noted the obstruction of appointments at public administrations, remarking that 179 positions need to be filled in various ministries and institutions. In addition, Aoun highlighted the lack of auditing at these institutions, which has resulted in corruption. “We strongly believe in our right to live in a country governed by the rule of law, not chaos,” stressed the FPM leader.

Naharnet /Speaker Nabih Berri postponed Monday's a parliamentary session for the third consecutive time over lack of quorum. Several parliamentary blocks boycotted the parliamentary session over a dispute with Berri over the session's agenda, which included 45 articles. The two-day session will be held on August 20. Berri insists on keeping the 45 draft-laws on the session's agenda intact and had previously vowed to continue to call on MPs for a General Assembly meeting until the agenda is discussed. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati argues that there is no balance between the powers of the legislative and executive branches amid a resigned government. Miqati and the March 14 alliance say that the agenda's articles should be limited to one draft-law, which is extending Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji's mandate. Qahwaji's term ends in September when he turns 60. However, MP Michel Aoun's Change and Reform has a different reason to boycott the session. Aoun staunchly opposes the extension of Qahwaji's tenure. SourceAgence France Presse.

Naharnet/The Higher Defense Council tackled on Monday ways to support the armed forces and discussed the eradication of cannabis plantations in the eastern Bekaa Valley. Discussions focused on “providing the army and the rest of the armed forces with their needs,” said a terse statement read by the council's Secretary-General Maj. Gen. Mohammed Kheir. The council discussed some of the recent “incidents in different areas” and tackled “the eradication of cannabis, calling for alternative agriculture for citizens,” it said. Discussion also focused on “the measures that the involved ministries should take to resolve the conditions of the(Syrian) refugees whose numbers have soared, and to provide them with their urgent needs,” the statement added. The meeting, held at Baabda Palace, was headed by President Michel Suleiman and attended by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati, the interior, defense, economy, health, foreign affairs, social affairs, finance and agriculture ministers and a number of security officials. The council keeps its decisions confidential in accordance to the law.

But reports have said that the conferees were briefed on a recommendation by Caretaker Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn for the extension of Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji’s term after Suleiman and Miqati approved it during talks they held ahead of the council meeting. Qahwaji's mandate expires on Sept. 23, when he turns 60 – the age of retirement for army commanders. The reports said that the delay in his retirement by one year was made through a decree in accordance to articles 55 and 56 of the defense law. The alleged move was taken to avoid a vacuum in the army leadership after the parliament failed on Monday for the third consecutive time to vote on the extension over lack of quorum caused by the boycott of Miqati and several blocs.

BEIRUT: Officials failed to agree Monday on a measure to extend the term of Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi, leaving few options left to avoid a leadership vacuum at the military's top spot. President Michel Sleiman met with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn and Kahwagi to discuss a decree recommended by Ghosn to delay the general's retirement, set for Sept. 23, by one year using an executive decree under the Defense Law. Mikati came out against the proposed decree arguing the move was unconstitutional, political sources told The Daily Star. The sources said the only viable option left to prevent a paralysis in the military establishment was a decree signed only by the caretaker defense minister but that has been rejected by Kahwagi. The Army commander insists his extension be through a national consensus, which is proving to be very difficult in the face of Lebanon's gridlocked political scene that is polarized over internal disputes and the Syrian conflict. For the third time this month Parliament failed to convene to discuss 45 items on its agenda including Kahwagi’s extension due to a lack of quorum. Mikati along with MPs from Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement, Future Movement and some March 14 coalition boycotted Monday’s session.

While Aoun rejects Kahwagi's extension altogether as illegal, the Future Movement say that Parliament should only convene over exceptional issues in the presence of a caretaker Cabinet.

Meanwhile, Aoun, a former Army general, urged the Lebanese to unite against what he described as constitutional violations. "Evidence and proof of constitutional violations and hasty measures is plenty, we only want to mention some: extending the Central Bank governor’s term for three consecutive terms, disrupting elections after disrupting electoral laws, extending Parliament's term, disrupting the Constitutional Council [among other things],” he said in a statement. "Do not be fooled by those who claim to defend the principles and values as they work hard in their practices to destroy them,” Aoun said. “Let's be united regardless of our affiliations, to face the dismantling of the state, its institution, and the abolition of the nation.”

July 29, 2013/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: General Security arrested an inspector for his alleged involvement in smuggling immigrants into Lebanon, a statement released by the department said Monday. The inspector, identified as M.S., was bribed by M.R.A., a Syrian national, to transport immigrants into the country, according to General Security. A warrant has been issued for M.R.A.’s arrest and an investigation has been launched. General Security has been conducting investigations concerning illegal border crossings and bribes of some military personnel used to facilitate the crossing of foreign persons into Lebanese territory, the statement said. General Security called on all Lebanese citizens and foreign nationals to comply with the instructions given by the authorities concerning the border crossings.

Naharnet/Al-Mustaqbal movement leader and former Prime Minister Saad Hariri is expected to make a televised speech on Friday to address the regional and local situations.

Al-Liwaa newspaper and the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported on Monday that Hariri's televised appearance is to mark six iftar banquets his party will hold in Beirut, the northern city of Tripoli, the southern city of Sidon and several other areas across Lebanon. Hariri according to the reports will declare his party's stance from the situation in the neighboring country Syria, the EU's decision to blacklist Hizbullah's military wing and several other matters. Al-Liwaa newspaper also reported that MP Bahia al-Hariri will hold an iftar banquet in Biel on Saturday on the occasion of the 68th anniversary of the army in honor of Army commander General Jean Qahwaji.

Naharnet/Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam stressed on Monday that the current conditions force the extension of Lebanese Army commander General Jean Qahwaji term. “Extending terms in democratic systems isn't recommended,” Salam said in comments published in As Safir newspaper. Democratic systems are based on power rotation, he stated. However, Salam pointed out that the local conditions “might compel the implementation of certain measures such as extending the term of Qahwaji because of the delicate situation. Caretaker Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn had proposed that Qahwaji's term be extended until an agreement is reached on his successor, but further consultations with the concerned authorities agreed that the extension should last a year. Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun vowed on Friday to challenge before the Constitutional Council the extension of Qahwaji's term, saying that it as “illegal and harms army ranks.” The extension of Qahwaji's term which ends this September when he turns 60 – the maximum age for the post of the army commander – had created a disputed among the political foes. Political leaders that support the extension of Qahwaji's mandate argue that the security situation in the country can't endure any vacancy in military posts.

Naharnet /Speaker Nabih Berri warned on Monday that he would not allow any party or official to either decide what role the parliament would play or to obstruct its functions. “The parliament is the top institution and it is not allowed and I don't accept for anyone to set its role or paralyze it,” Berri said in remarks to several newspapers. His frustration came after two parliamentary sessions with 45 draft-laws on the agenda, including the extension of Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji, have been postponed over the boycott of several blocs and Caretaker Premier Najib Miqati. Berri told the dailies however that the third session was still scheduled for Monday along with all draft-laws on its agenda. “If there is no quorum, then it (the session) will be postponed again,” he said. On the formation of a new cabinet, Berri warned that he would “stand idle and watch” after several politicians expressed doubt at initiatives that he had made. Asked about the March 14 alliance's call for the formation of a government before the resumption of national dialogue, Berri said that there would not be any need for all-party talks if a national unity cabinet was formed. “The president is the one who called for dialogue and their (March 14) stance means that they are obstructing his invitation,” Berri said. The speaker also warned that the formation of a technocrat or neutral government undermines the Taef accord. The agreement is based on the establishment of a collective authority with the participation of all parties in decision-making, he said. March 14 is calling on Premier-designate Tammam Salam to form a neutral government and keep Hizbullah away from it over its involvement in Syria's war. Salam wants a 24-member cabinet with no “provocative political figures” to avoid bringing the disputes between the March 8 and 14 coalitions to the government table. In his remarks to the dailies, Berri renewed his call for al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri to return to Lebanon.

Rai urges leaders to attend Dialogue, reiterates call for new social contract

BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai urged rival leaders Sunday to attend National Dialogue sessions to achieve reconciliation, warning that a delay in all-party talks would deepen differences among the Lebanese and increase damage to the country. Rai also renewed his call for a new social contract based on the 1943 National Pact aimed at strengthening sectarian coexistence and the equal power-sharing formula between Christians and Muslims. The patriarch was addressing a graduation ceremony at Universite Saint Esprit de Kaslik after wrapping up a two-day pastoral tour of Zahle during which he met with the eastern city’s lawmakers, rival politicians and bishops. “We call on the political parties in Lebanon to shoulder their historic responsibilities, show courage, freedom and chivalry, defend the state and its constitutional institutions and take the road toward dialogue sessions on the basis of frank talk and reconciliation,” Rai said in his speech at Universite Saint Esprit de Kaslik. “Any delay, postponement or evading this National Dialogue will sharpen differences, widen the gap and increase the public damage,” he added. Rai said National Dialogue would enable the Lebanese, with all their political and religious diversity, to conclude “a new social contract” based on the 1943 National Pact with a view to “reviving the coexistence pact and the equal and balanced participation between Christians and Muslims in governance and administration.”

“This demand, made by a number of Lebanese seven years ago, is today becoming urgent given the current Lebanese and regional conditions which deeply affect Lebanon’s entity, [existence] formula and its message,” he added. Since his election as the head of the influential Maronite Church in 2011, Rai has called for a new social contract to revive the National Pact, an unwritten power-sharing agreement under which the presidency is reserved for a Maronite Christian, the premiership for a Sunni and the parliamentary speakership for a Shiite. The pact also stressed peaceful sectarian coexistence between the Christians and the Muslims.

Rai’s appeal for an inter-Lebanese dialogue comes after President Michel Sleiman earlier this month called for the resumption of National Dialogue between March 8 and March 14 leaders to discuss the divisive issue of Hezbollah’s arms and a national defense strategy to protect Lebanon against a possible Israeli attack.

Leaders on both sides of the political spectrum have welcomed Sleiman’s call for dialogue. But the parliamentary Future bloc said it would attend National Dialogue only after the formation of a new Cabinet, stalled for more than three months by conditions and counter-conditions set by the rival parties.

Describing the 1943 pact as the “cornerstone” in Lebanon’s history and its coexistence formula, Rai said the pact led to the creation of a civil state that separated religion from state in which the Christians and Muslims participated equally in governing and administering it. He added that this civil state respected the country’s various religions and preserved the rights of all the sects.

Referring to the proliferation of nonstate arms, Rai said: “With a strong central civil state capable of preserving rights and equality, there was no need for carrying arms outside the state’s armed forces.”

He added that the 1943 pact also stressed loyalty to the Lebanese state, without pledging any allegiance to another state in the East or the West. “This means the neutrality of Lebanon which is open to all states in a spirit of friendship, cooperation and mutual respect,” Rai said.

Referring to the war in Syria, instability in Egypt and sectarian violence in Iraq, Rai said: “We all on the conflicting parties in Lebanon as well as in Syria, Egypt, Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries threatened with similar conflicts to realize that peace has only one road with inter-related stations which is justice, love, truth and freedom.”

He criticized regional and international powers for inflaming political and sectarian conflicts in the region by supplying the warring factions with money, arms and political support instead of bringing the factions to the negotiating table. During his visit to Zahle, Rai called for unity and reconciliation in the Bekaa Valley region which is increasingly affected by the repercussions of the war in Syria.

In a sermon at the Mar Maroun Cathedral in Zahle, attended by some members of the caretaker Cabinet, the city’s lawmakers, bishops, former MPs and notables, Rai said: “I call on you to pursue your work and solidarity for the sake of unity and reconciliation in the city of Zahle and the Bekaa region ... Your unity and solidarity are the sure way for stability [in the Bekaa] in order to spare it the repercussions of events in and outside [Lebanon], especially in Syria.”Rai thanked Zahle residents for taking care of thousands of Syrian refugees who fled their home country to the Bekaa Valley region. “We call on regional and international states, which are inflaming the war [in Syria] with incitement and sending arms to the warring factions, to stop this shameful action,” he said. Rai arrived in the Maronite Diocese of Zahle in Ksara Saturday amid cheers from hundreds of people, including the city’s lawmakers and bishops from the Bekaa Valley, who gathered to welcome the head of the Maronite Church.

It will take more time to uncover the details of the escape of leaders and members of Al-Qaeda from Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison. It will also take great effort to identify the details of an operation of this size and complexity, which, no doubt, will be revealed by a serious investigation. However, the difficulties that surround revealing details of the operation do not hinder attempts to understand its political objectives, leaving its technical details to the investigation, which will be conducted later by Iraqi, regional and international parties, due to the security and political implications of this operation, which transcend Iraq.

Understanding the operation in its political framework requires a look at the data surrounding it. This data is divided into two parts: practical data and political data. In any case, we cannot separate the two and their interaction within an operation, which is no doubt highly complex. The most practical data surrounding the escape of members and leaders of Al-Qaeda are embodied in the fact that the operation took place in Abu Ghraib, which is one of the most high-security prisons in Iraq. It was the main prison used by the US forces to hold their enemies when they were still in Iraq, which means that the security procedures implemented there were the most stringent possible. The second reason is seen in the large number of members and leaders of Al-Qaeda present in this prison—around 500—including a large number who were sentenced to death, which suggests a strong and exceptional security monitoring of the prison and the prisoners. The third reason is the ease with which the operation was carried out, in freeing the prisoners in such large numbers amid a tense security situation in Iraq in general, and Baghdad in particular. The fourth and most important reason is that Iraqi prime minister Nuri Al-Maliki is directly responsible for the security and defense portfolio in Iraq, and Al-Qaeda is the most dangerous threat to Iraqis, according to official Iraqi statements. The political data related to the operation is not less important than the practical data. The first part comes with the escalation in the rhetoric about the growing power of Al-Qaeda and its allies, especially in Syria and Iraq. This kind of rhetoric has been adopted by the Syrian and Iraqi regimes, who claim that they are fighting terrorism and extremism in their countries, and that the regime in each state confronts extremist terror groups, not popular forces and political opposition groups. The second piece of political data is the fact that the operation came within an alliance between the Iraqi leadership and the Syrian regime. This is an alliance that has cost Iraq important aid which it provided for the regime in Damascus, including sending Iraqi volunteers to fight alongside the regime’s forces, and facilitating the movement of jihadists to fight in Syria, which increased the circle of violence there. This has indirectly assisted the Syrian government, allowing it to strengthen its hold on Syria and Syrians.

A third piece of data from the political point of view, but which relates specifically to the Iraqi political situation, is the escape of the members and leaders of Al-Qaeda from Abu Ghraib prison, and its repercussions on the conflict between the prime minister and his adversaries. This issue can take the struggle for power out of its traditional context, to put it into a context related to the escape of the prisoners, nothing more. Even within this context, the operation will be beneficial to Maliki; he can use it as a tool against his enemies and opponents in the government, and exclude those of suspect loyalty to him in the security departments and other government departments and replace them with loyal followers. The conclusion is: we have practical and political data that suggests that the escape of more than 500 Al-Qaeda leaders and members from Abu Ghraib was a planned operation, not by Al-Qaeda, even if it took part in the execution, but by neighboring intelligence parties, with the knowledge of, perhaps, the people in power. The aim may be to push a group of Al-Qaeda men to Syria to fight there, in a way which would increase the violence and terrorism, and strengthen the rhetoric about the extremist terrorist groups the regime is fighting, even if those groups were fighting against the aims of the revolution and against the Free Syrian Army (FSA), and impose their terrorism on many Syrians and revolutionaries that are not controlled by the regime.

Kuwait’s Problem Is That It Has None?
George Semaan/Al Hayat
Monday 29 July 2013
As much as the recurrence of the electoral process in Kuwait constituted a sign of political instability, it has led to frustration and boredom of this game seen four times in five years, especially after it almost paralyzed the wheels of the state. What increased this feeling is the talk circulated by many circles regarding the fact that the new assembly chosen by the Kuwaitis last Saturday will not have better luck than the two previous ones, both disbanded by the prince with a decree following the escalation of the conflict between the legislative and executive powers. Indeed, some observers believed there were flaws or gaps to which legal experts pointed out and that could constitute a reason for the disbandment of the new assembly in the future. However, political authorities completely excluded this scenario, saying that the presence of a bloc of influential deputies could activate the political game, far away from the clashes that characterized the previous stage and deepened the crisis.
What is new about the recent development is that the opposition, which boycotted the elections of the assembly that was deemed illegitimate by the constitutional court and disbanded later on, failed to push voters to abstain from participating this time around as it had done at the end of last year. True, the former deputies who led the opposition for around twenty months boycotted these new elections, but the forces that had supported them headed to the ballot boxes on Saturday. Hence, the visits to the tribes by the Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah alleviated their boycotting, at a time when their leaders definitely saw that their exit from the last assembly – which did not last long – damaged both their national and private interests. For their part, observers, who also believe that the new assembly will not complete its term, do not exclude a possible understanding between the country’s leaders over the activation of the new assembly to ensure the amendment of the one-man one-vote system, in order to allow the voters to choose two candidates instead of one and please the remaining detractors.
The slogans and escalatory positions, to which some in the opposition resorted, provoked wide factions of Kuwaiti society. The latter reject for example the calls to change the constitution, although some of them believe that this has become in order but without it necessarily causing them to raise their voices in this or that rally. In addition, the obstruction of the wheel of power weakened the state institutions and halted many vital and developmental projects in the country, although the disbanded assembly and the government which accompanied it ratified many laws within a short period of time, thus exceeding what was witnessed in previous terms. Eventually, everyone accepted the ruling of the constitutional court that gave legitimacy to the decree of necessity the prince had issued last year, by which he granted the voter one instead of four votes in a constituency of ten seats despite the opposition’s disgruntlement.
The participation of most of the powers that had previously boycotted the elections, from the tribes to the liberal blocs, the urban forces of the Democratic Forum and the National Alliance, the Salafi and Islamic powers and independent figures was clear, and pointed to the fact that wide factions of voters turned the page of boycotting. This was also noticed in the absence of the action which swept Kuwait at the end of last year from Irada Square, and in the weak turnout at the seminars and gatherings of the boycotters and even the meetings of the candidates. Nonetheless, this does not mean that the crisis which paralyzed the country throughout twenty months was solved. The forces that accessed the new National Assembly and the upcoming government will determine the future of the political and social situation. However, the eventual consensus among the Kuwaitis to return to the democratic institutions is the only natural way to handle the causes which provoked the escalation of the situation in the last two or three years.
In the past decades, prior to the Iraqi invasion, Kuwait was an archetype for the remaining Gulf populations, whether at the level of its democratic experience or at the level of its cultural and economic vitality, even its foreign policy. But this model has started retreating, to the point where the neighbors which used to aspire to the Kuwaiti experience started to complain about it in the last few years. They even started to perceive the consecutive crises as being a threat to the country’s security and that of the entire area, especially since Kuwait borders the major powers competing with each other to lead the Gulf region and the entire Arab region. This conflict was amplified by the storms which swept more than one Arab country and took various shapes, particularly in the absence of partisan frameworks which were not prohibited by the constitution but have yet to be legalized, and in light of the weak traditional, liberal and nationalist forces that have disintegrated and grown weaker in the last two decades.
Hence, the Kuwaitis’ resumption of the democratic game or return to parliament’s dome constitutes an opportunity to discuss a new consensual formula that would gradually defuse the elements of the crisis, in order to preserve and enhance the state. By doing so, the competition over power would not remain a factor contributing to the undermining of the relations between the constitutional authorities or the escalation of polarization between the various forces. At this level, the regime is responsible for setting the beat of this competition, in order to restore balance to the authority’s relationship with the other power centers, meet their aspirations and dissipate their fears or feelings of marginalization from the political, financial and economic decision-making circles.
The duo, which managed the country since the beginning of last century and was enhanced by the 1962 constitution, witnessed many changes. Indeed, at the beginning, this duo was limited to a consensual contract between the ruling family and the capital’s population among urban citizens and traders. Often times, the regime used to rely on the tribal and religious institutions to handle any disputes or divergences which emerged with its partners, in order to preserve balance and parity. However, the tribal demographic boom that accompanied the financial boom secured by the oil revenues - which served the education and training of youth factions - raised a challenge before the traditional duo. For their part, the religious forces and political parties found in the changes in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt an opportunity to rebel, exit the regime’s cloak and join the tribal disgruntlement. In the meantime, the number of educated and qualified youths seeking adequate job opportunities increased, although the government offered aid to the unemployed and provided jobs which constituted – in certain cases - disguised unemployment. In addition, the authority came up with drastic solutions to handle the social problems, but its project to secure a leading role for the state in the region remained obstructed and hindered by the political conflict. Moreover, Kuwait could not compete with many Gulf cities which preceded it in undertaking economic, financial, educational and media leaps.
So far, Prince Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad has managed to keep Kuwait away from the numerous repercussions of the transformations seen from Tehran to Iraq, and the winds of change from Tunisia to Syria, knowing that the latter crisis was present on the doors of some candidates that carried pictures of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah or the flags of the Syrian revolution. In addition, he gave momentum to the relations with the tribes, which did not hesitate to meet him halfway. What remains to be done is for the new assembly and the upcoming government to come together to settle the negative facets of the previous stage. This would require the deployment of efforts by all the parties to reunite all the components, as well as the integration of all the factions that have become part of the social structure, in order to prevent any sensitivities, injustice or belief that further participation in the political and economic decision-making process is being secured at the expense of this or that partner in the traditional duo. There should also be a just allocation of the wealth and the provision of the minimum level of equality at the level of developmental projects.
Kuwait has a rare opportunity to proceed with the reconciliation launched by the prince, as this is the only way to deepen the required integration in a society where the tribal and urban components have become divided and in which the required complementarity between the legislative and executive powers to manage the authority and the institutions has been shaken and has deepened the widespread corruption. As for the opposition that is still insisting on boycotting, it should join the process, since whether this new assembly completes its term or leaves earlier, it will face the emergence of a new political class which cast all sorts of accusations against it, not the least of which being that it practiced excessive opulence. It is this opposition’s responsibility to return to the rules of the democratic game and limit the conflict to parliament, while it is the authority’s responsibility to listen to it, instead of turning a deaf ear to its concerns and demands, even if some in it raised their voices way too high.

The Brotherhood And The Ruptured Thread
Ghassan Charbel/Al Hayat
Monday 29 July 2013
The developments in Egypt have exceeded all expectations and came as a shock, possibly to both the Muslim Brotherhood and the group’s opponents.
These developments shocked governments, intelligence agencies, journalists, and all sorts of observers. No one had anticipated that such dramatic events would unfold so quickly. Indeed, Egypt was under an elected president whose legitimacy was recognized by the whole world, and who had been welcomed by all the decision-making centers of the world’s major capitals. Furthermore, the president had come from a group that was born eight decades earlier, and no one could deny its deep roots in the community.
Last May, General Ahmed Shafik was unequivocal in his answers. He said that Mohamed Morsi would not finish his term. He predicted that the Muslim Brotherhood-led regime would collapse quickly, either after snap elections or a popular uprising, because this regime went against the spirit of Egypt. Shafik also said that the senior members of the Morsi regime would be put on trial, and spoke about the role of those ‘who came through the tunnels’ in liberating Morsi from his prison, accusing them of other acts including killings during the revolution.
Shafik was speaking from his temporary exile in Abu Dhabi. I published what he said, but I took it to be the words of a wounded man, especially since he was Morsi’s rival in the presidential election.
The Egyptian opposition could not have persuaded millions of citizens to flock to the public squares and the streets, if Morsi and with him the Brotherhood did not help rupture the thread that should otherwise be maintained between the president and ordinary citizens who are not members of his Islamist group.
Indeed, Morsi ignored non-Brotherhood members among the citizenry. He did not pick up the signs, did not listen, and did not take initiatives. His conduct on issues related to the economy, security, and the judiciary helped hasten the rupture of the thread that usually protects rulers from being mere delegates of their parties or groups. Otherwise, the president loses his official capacity, which must go way beyond his legitimacy granted by the Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood.
But on the other hand, the new administration must not forget that the supporters of the Brotherhood are part of the people. The new administration should remember that it must reach out to them, allay their fears, and open the door for their participation in the political process despite the current climate of confrontation.
The most dangerous belief a ruler can hold is that the results of the elections allow him to dance alone with his party and group, classing his critics as enemies and dissidents as traitors. Democracy requires dialogue, listening profoundly, and correcting course accordingly.
Instead, Morsi’s conduct helped aggravate fears over exclusivity and imposition of the Brotherhood’s ideology on all of Egypt, changing the country’s spirit and tampering with its identity in the process. The president thought that his good conduct certificate came from the Brotherhood’s ‘Guidance Bureau,’ and not from the people who must sense that their president represents them and that he is seeking to improve their living standard.
One can say that the Brotherhood made a series of mistakes. The first was running in the presidential elections without taking time to understand the burdens of running a country like Egypt. The second was helping cut the thread quickly with those citizens who are not members of the Brotherhood, without making any achievements that would make the president a symbol for solving crises, instead of his tenure becoming a source of crises itself. Today, the Brotherhood faces the prospect of committing a fatal error, by favoring bloody open-ended confrontation over admitting defeat, no matter how harsh.
Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi could not have done what he did were it not for the fact that the thread between the Muslim Brotherhood and the majority of Egyptians had been ruptured. For this reason, the Muslim Brotherhood must think about its responsibility for Morsi’s ouster. It must also think about finding a way out of the crisis, without plunging Egypt into a sea of blood. Moreover, the issue of the ruptured thread does not concern the Brotherhood in Egypt alone, but concerns the Islamist group’s chapters in more than once place.
The Brotherhood lost its previous status because of the ruptured thread with the citizen who does not belong to its camp. This loss has made the group vulnerable to a quasi-revolution and a quasi-coup. Morsi put himself under siege before the army did.
The Muslim Brotherhood will not be able to overcome its current crisis unless it understands what happened on this basis. More corpses and more blood might blight Egypt and the new administration, but it will still not reinstate the Brotherhood into its previous position.
Likewise, the new administration must learn from the Brotherhood’s experience. It must realize that the tough conditions at present do not exempt this administration from reaching out to the Brotherhood’s supporters, even if they choose not to listen at first. The new administration must understand that any firmness required by the current stage must also be coupled with solid efforts for holding fair and free elections that produce inclusive institutions, under a constitution that accommodates all Egyptians.