LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 01/2013

Bible Quotation for today/You are like salt for the whole human race
Matthew 05/13-16: "“You are like salt for the whole human race. But if salt loses its saltiness, there is no way to make it salty again. It has become worthless, so it is thrown out and people trample on it. “You are like light for the whole world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.  No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl; instead it is put on the lampstand, where it gives light for everyone in the house.  In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven".

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Iran’s control problem in Syria/By: Tony Badran/Now Lebanon/ March 01/13
Iran calling the shots in Syria/Nadine Elali/Now Lebanon/March 01/13

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for March 01/13
US joins Russia in drawing ceasefire lines for ending Syrian war
St. Peter’s throne empty as Benedict bids farewell
Pope waves last goodbye before historic resignation
Hungarian PM meets top Lebanese officials
Bomb discovered in Beqaa restaurant
Syria rebels seize Hezbollah vehicle in Homs
Lebanon’s Syria “neutrality” questioned
Lebanese MPs blast Nasrallah’s ‘veiled threats’
Lebanon's PM, Mikati ready to move forward under 1960 law
Lebanese Army building towers along northern border
Geagea Points to International and Arab Decision to Hold Elections on Time
Hariri Reiterates Commitment to Hold Elections on Time
Lebanese Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji: We Will Firmly Deal with Any Attempt to Create Strife
Suleiman, Miqati Decide to Refer Electoral Decree to Concerned Bodies, Hold Elections on June 9
Strike threatens official exams in Lebanon
Hariri denies party trying to delay elections
Hezbollah’s Qassem vows Resistance strength in public appearance
Assir calls for protest outside "Hezbollah" apartments
Lebanon’s Kataeb bloc MP Elie Marouni demands Syrian refugee camps be controlled
The Lebanese Armed Forces arrests man involved in Tripoli bombings
Report: Saniora Urged Suleiman to Control Border with Syria
At Least Five Dead in Restaurant Boat Sinking at Lebanese Club in Baghdad
Report: 38 Kidnap-for-Ransom Suspects in Custody
Jumblat Says Orthodox Gathering Proposal Chapter Closed'
'Personal Dispute' Turns into Gunfight in Tyre
Pharaon Meets Geagea: Berri Withdrew his Proposed Draft Law to Postpone Elections
Friends of Syria pledge "material support" to Syria opposition
Syria demands UN halt Israel oil drilling in Golan
Stop Syria incursions, Ban says in 1701 report
U.S. to aid Syria rebels, but not with arms
U.S. Vows $60mn to Syria Opposition, 'Non-Lethal' Help to Rebels

Syria rebels seize Hezbollah vehicle in Homs
Now Lebanon/Syria rebels announced Thursday in a video NOW published on YouTube that they have seized a Hezbollah vehicle in Homs province. In the video, the rebels say that “the vehicle was carrying three Hezbollah ‘Shabiha’ who fled to the nearest regime checkpoint.”Rebels also said that the vehicle contained a Dushka machine gun in addition to modern communication devices and a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.They added that they will always be “prepared to defend their land and people against Hezbollah.”Last week, Free Syrian Army chief of staff General Selim Idriss said that the rebel army is poised to launch a military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon after a top commander issued a 48-hour ultimatum for the Shiite group to stop “firing” on rebel positions in the province of Homs.Hezbollah has systematically denied sending fighters into Syria, though its leader Hassan Nasrallah acknowledged in October 2012 that party members had fought Syrian rebels but said they were acting as individuals and not under the group's direction.
Lebanon is sharply divided over the Syrian conflict, with the Sunni-led March 14 movement supporting the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad and the Shiite Hezbollah and its allies backing the regime.

Lebanon’s Syria “neutrality” questioned
NOW/AFP/The UN late Wednesday voiced concern over the alleged involvement of Lebanese groups in the Syrian conflict, while Hezbollah and the Free Syrian Army traded accusations over the Shiite party's purported role in Homs fighting. "The reported involvement of certain Lebanese elements in the conflict in Syria is contrary to Lebanon's policy of disassociation," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a report to the UN Security Council. Ban expressed "grave concern" at reports of Lebanese being killed in Syria and "further deaths of Hezbollah members fighting inside Syria." "The dangers for Lebanon of such involvement and indeed of continued cross-border arms smuggling are obvious. I call upon all Lebanese political leaders to ensure that Lebanon remains neutral in respect of external conflicts," Ban said. According to the UN report, 13 Lebanese were among 17 people killed by Syrian government forces in the Syrian border town of Tal Kalakh on November 30 after they crossed from Lebanon. Other sources have said 21 Lebanese Salafi fighters from the north of the country were killed there. There was more deadly cross-border fighting on February 17, and "further reports of Hezbollah fighters being killed, apparently in fighting in Syria, at that time and previously," said the UN report, without giving further details. Ban said the Lebanese army needed "greater means" to control the border, which is poorly delineated and patrolled. The army is looking for international funding to increase its capacities. Meanwhile, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah accused Syrian rebels of attacking Lebanese Shiites living in Syrian villages and denied claims his Shiite group had targeted insurgents across the border.
“Media reports…[said] that there is a project between Hezbollah and the Syrian regime to control a number of Sunni towns in [Homs], like Qusayr, but have no evidence backing these claims,” he said in reference to Syrian rebels’ allegations that Hezbollah had been fighting on the side of the Bashar al-Assad regime against the FSA in Homs. Last week, the FSA said that it would target Hezbollah in retaliation to the Shiite party’s alleged campaign against rebels in Syria. “Hezbollah members till now have not controlled any Sunni towns in the area at all,” the Hezbollah chief said, instead adding that “the armed opposition took over Shiite Lebanese towns and burned some of them like Em al-Damamel.”  However, an officer in the Free Syrian Army claimed that the rebels have evidence proving that Lebanon’s Shiite party Hezbollah is militarily helping the Syrian regime. “We have evidence on Hezbollah shelling Syrian territory from Lebanese soil and we will show you spoils that the FSA took from Hezbollah in [the border town of] Qusayr,” Salim Idriss told Future TV on Wednesday. The FSA official went on to say that the rebels do not wish to fight Hezbollah, and that he has called on Lebanese President Michel Suleiman to interfere in an effort to prevent the Shiite party from “shelling Syrians.”
“We do not want the Lebanese to help us in fighting because we are not in need… All we [request] of the Lebanese is to remain impartial,” Idriss added.
A slew of security incidents have erupted across Lebanon in the last two years related to the Syria conflict, including fighting in Tripoli, clashes along the Lebanese-Syrian border, and gunfights in Beirut.

Pope waves last goodbye before historic resignation
Now Lebanon/Pope Benedict XVI waved a final goodbye on Thursday from the balcony of the papal residence before starting a life of retirement as the first pontiff to resign in over 700 years.
"I will no longer be pope but a simple pilgrim who is starting out on the last part of his pilgrimage on this Earth," the pope told thousands of cheering supporters gathered in a square outside the Castel Gandolfo palace.
"I am happy to be with you surrounded by the beauty of creation. Thank you for your friendship and affection," said the frail but smiling 85-year-old, dressed in the white papal cassock.
Church bells tolled to announce the arrival of the soon-to-be former pope in the lakeside mediaeval town, which has for centuries provided popes a refuge from Rome's sweltering summers.
"It means a huge amount to us that Benedict has chosen to say his final goodbyes here," said gift shop saleswoman Patrizia Gasperini, standing by the imposing wooden doors of the papal palace that will swing shut at precisely 1900 GMT, marking the formal end of Benedict's reign. The leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics earlier left the Vatican in a white helicopter emblazoned with the Vatican flag, seeing St Peter's Basilica from the sky for the last time as pope. The bells of St Peter's rang out to mark the historic event as the pope took leave of his closest aides in an emotional Vatican sendoff where he was applauded and cheered by priests and nuns as liveried Swiss Guards stood at attention. "Thank you for your love and support," the pope said in a final tweet sent from his @pontifex Twitter account just before taking off. "May you always experience the joy that comes from putting Christ at the center of your lives."
The Twitter account will now be suspended until a new pope is elected in a conclave next month. Castel Gandolfo residents plan to process with torches to mark the historic moment when Benedict officially steps down.
The Swiss Guards will leave their posts at Castel Gandolfo at 1900 GMT on the dot, having completed their official duty to protect the pope. The military corps, best known for its brightly colored uniforms, halberds and red-plumed helmets, has protected the papacy since the 15th century. Back at the Vatican, the bells of St Peter's Basilica will peal once again, and, as tradition dictates, workers will seal the papal apartments and the lift that leads up to them -- to be broken only once a new pope has been elected. Benedict is only the second pope to resign in the Church's 2,000-year history, and in his final hours as pope on Thursday he took the unprecedented step of pledging allegiance to his successor. "Among you there is also the future pope to whom I promise my unconditional obedience and reverence," the pope said earlier on Thursday in final remarks to cardinals in an ornate Vatican hall. "Let the Lord reveal the one he has chosen," said the pope, wearing an ermine-lined red stole over his white cassock as cardinals doffed their berettas and lined up to kiss the papal ring.
Benedict will remove the personalized signet ring -- known as the "Fisherman's Ring" -- before he leaves office and an "X" will be etched on its face, a tradition aimed at preventing forgeries during the interregnum between popes. "We have experienced, with faith, beautiful moments of radiant light together, as well as times with a few clouds in the sky," Benedict told the cardinals, reprising his remarks to a crowd of 150,000 faithful in St Peter's Square on Wednesday. "Let us remain united, dear brothers," he said, in the final moments of an eight-year pontificate often overshadowed by infighting at the Vatican and divisions between reformers and traditionalists in the Catholic Church. The Vatican has said pope will live in Castel Gandolfo for the next two months before taking up permanent residence in a former convent on a hilltop in the Vatican grounds overlooking Rome.
The German pope stunned the globe when he announced on February 11 his decision to step down, saying he no longer had the "strength of mind and body" required by a fast-changing world. The news has captured massive media attention, with the Vatican saying that 3,641 journalists from 61 countries will cover the upcoming conclave -- on top of the regular Vatican press corps.
The ex-pontiff will formally carry the new title of "Roman Pontiff Emeritus" or "pope emeritus" for short, although he will still be addressed as "Your Holiness Benedict XVI".The Vatican has said he can still wear the white papal cassock but without the doubled shoulder cape. The only other pope who resigned by choice was Celestine V, a humble hermit who stepped down in 1294 after just a few months in office out of disgust with Vatican corruption and intrigue. Once Benedict takes up residence inside the Vatican, the Church will be in the unprecedented situation of having a pope and his predecessor living within a stone's throw of each other.
Commenting on the new arrangement, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said that Benedict "has no intention of interfering in the positions, decisions or activities of his successor". Benedict has said he will live "hidden from the world" but the Vatican indicated he could provide "spiritual guidance" to the next pope. Vatican analysts have suggested his sudden exit could set a precedent for ageing popes in the future, and many ordinary Catholics say a more youthful, pastoral figure could breathe new life into a Church struggling on many levels. From Catholic reformers calling for women clergy and for an end to priestly celibacy, to growing secularism in the West and ongoing scandals over sexual abuses by pedophile priests going back decades, the next pope will have a tough agenda. "It's a very emotional day," said Gasperini, the saleswoman in Castel Gandolfo, who named her eight-year-old daughter Benedetta in the pope's honor. "We've been privileged to see a different, more humane side to him over the years, and grown to love him," she said.

Hungarian PM meets top Lebanese officials
Now Lebanon/Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban held meetings with top Lebanese officials where he discussed ways to develop bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries.
Lebanon’s President Michel Suleiman said following the meeting that “Lebanon wishes to reinforce the bilateral relations with Hungaria in all fields.” Suleiman also thanked Hungaria’s “contribution in the United Nations Interim Forces In Lebanon’s southern border areas.”Orban, in turn, voiced his country’s “interest in furthering its foreign relations, and wishes for Lebanon be [Hungary’s focus] country in the Middle Eastern region.”The Hungarian PM said that “a number of agreements will be signed in the political and educational fields [between us], and highly experienced Hungarian energy companies wish to participate in the worldwide bids on Lebanon’s oil and gas exploration.”In November, the cabinet approved of a committee to oversee oil exploration off the country’s Mediterranean coast. Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Miqati said during a press conference following the meeting that they had “important discussions regarding economic cooperation.” “We also agreed on the importance of the cessation of bloodshed in Syria,” Miqati added. Syria is witnessing a violent uprising against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, which has so far killed more than 70,000 people since its outbreak in March last year, according to figures released by the United Nations.Miqati’s Hungarian counterpart called for Lebanon’s stability and said that he gave his orders “to increase the number of scholarships to Lebanese students who wish to go to Hungaria.”Elsewhere, Berri underscored the “importance of Europe’s role in finding a political solution to the Syrian [crisis]" following a meeting with the Hungarian dignitary. Orban, in turn, said that his country is interested in developing relations between Hungaria and Arab countries, especially Lebanon given the Lebanese people’s role in countries around the world.” The Hungarian official arrived in Lebanon on Wednesday on an official state visit.

Suleiman, Miqati Decide to Refer Electoral Decree to Concerned Bodies, Hold Elections on June 9
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati agreed on Thursday to hold the parliamentary elections on June 9. "President Suleiman and I have agreed to sign the decree calling on the electoral bodies to hold the elections on June 9,” Miqati told LBCI television. The PM remarked: “The 1960's electoral law is in force and I'm in charge of applying it”. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel informed LBCI that signing the decree will take place before March 11. "The country's security situation, however, might affect going through with the elections,” he expressed. Concerning the electoral law, Charbel noted: “The parliament can cancel the electoral law it had voted on”. The rival parties are yet to agree on a draft-law after the adoption of the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal by the joint parliamentary committees which drew a sharp debate among the opposition's faction and with rival coalitions. The polls are likely to be postponed if the parliament gives the green light to the proposal that divides Lebanon into a single district and allows each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system. But the draft-law has been rejected by al-Mustaqbal bloc, the centrist National Struggle Front of Walid Jumblat, and the March 14 opposition’s Christian independent MPs. It has been also criticized by President Suleiman and PM Miqati.

Lebanese Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji: We Will Firmly Deal with Any Attempt to Create Strife
Naharnet/Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji declared on Thursday that the army is keen on maintaining national unity in Lebanon.
He said before a spiritual delegation from Mount Lebanon: “We will confront any attempt by any side in Lebanon to create strife in the country.”He therefore urged all citizens and officials to support the army and prevent it “from being dragged into factional and political disputes in order to allow it to perform its duties in confronting crime and strife.”For almost a year Lebanon has been witnessing a series of kidnappings for ransom against wealthy businessmen and citizens with over 35 abductions being reported. Interior Minister Marwan Charbel has stated that the security authorities had put in place more than one plan to confront these abductions. On Wednesday, Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had warned of strife being planned by Sunni MPs and clerics, calling for all sides to allow the army to carry out its duties and crackdown on kidnapping gangs. Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun had also warned on Thursday of the eruption of an “internal war” in Lebanon due to the “incitement by gunmen.” He condemned, in a reference to the footage of an armed Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir, the failure to arrest the gunmen.

Hariri Reiterates Commitment to Hold Elections on Time
Naharnet /Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri reiterated Thursday in a phone call with Speaker Nabih Berri that al-Mustaqbal Movement is committed to hold the elections before their constitutional deadline, Hariri's press office said. “Al-Mustaqbal was and is still committed to hold the elections on time despite all the organized campaigns claiming otherwise,” said Hariri from Riyadh. Hariri and Berri discussed the looming parliamentary elections in light of the conflict among political parties on an electoral law that meets the approval of all. The rival parties are yet to agree on a draft-law after the adoption of the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal by the joint parliamentary committees which drew a sharp debate among the opposition's faction and with rival coalitions. The polls are likely to be postponed if the parliament gives the green light to the proposal that divides Lebanon into a single district and allows each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system. But the draft-law has been rejected by al-Mustaqbal bloc, the centrist National Struggle Front of Walid Jumblat, and the March 14 opposition’s Christian independent MPs. It has been also criticized by President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati.

Bomb discovered in Beqaa restaurant
Now Lebanon/A bomb was discovered in a restaurant in the Lebanese town of Shtoura, a NOW correspondent reported.According to the report, the security forces discovered the explosive in the toilet area of a KFC branch in Shtoura in the Beqaa Valley.Security forces arrived at the scene after they had been informed by restaurant employees of a call from an unknown person claiming to have placed the bomb and threatening to detonate it if money was not delivered to him.

Hariri denies party trying to delay elections
Now Lebanon/The leader of Lebanon’s opposition Future Movement on Wednesday morning asserted to Speaker Nabih Berri over the phone that his party is committed to holding Lebanon’s parliamentary elections on time. “[MP Saad] Hariri told Berri the Future Movement maintains its commitment to holding the parliamentary elections on time, contrary to campaigns casting doubts over this fact,” a statement issued by the former premier’s press office said. It added that the two also discussed the topic of the Lebanese political impasse over deciding on a new electoral law to govern the vote set to be held by June 2013. Hariri’s foe, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, on Tuesday evening said that parties fearing an electoral defeat—his indirect reference to March 14—were aiming to delay the elections. Meanwhile, Future bloc MP Mohammad Qabbani commended the parliament’s speaker call for implementing a constitution article to withdraw sectarianism from parliament and establish a senate.  “Berri’s proposal yesterday for implementing Article 22 of the Constitution is very important,” Qabbani said in a press conference outside parliament on Thursday. “Respecting the Constitution and implementing Article 22 is our responsibility that we haven’t fulfilled for more than 20 years.” The Future Movement in late January proposed a new electoral proposal that calls for the establishment of a senate. However the draft does not include provisions for proportional voting, which Berri’s Amal Movement has voiced support for. Berri in late 2009 launched a political campaign to eliminate “political sectarianism” and had proposed the formation of a committee to study proposals on the issue. Article 22 was agreed upon during the Taif Accord that brought a negotiated end to Lebanon’s civil war in 1989 and states that parliamentarians should cease to be elected on a sectarian basis and that a sectarian Senate should be established.

US joins Russia in drawing ceasefire lines for ending Syrian war
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report February 28, 2013/Incoming US Secretary of State John Kerry, on his first foreign trip, set forth what sounded like a new Obama administration policy for Syria in his remarks in Paris Wednesday, Feb. 27. They were accompanied by reports that the US was stepping up its support for the Syrian opposition. It would cover training rebels at a base in the region and non-lethal assistances and equipment, such as vehicles, communications equipment and night vision gear. But Kerry’s remarks did not reflect a new policy but merely recycled old definitions which confirmed US disengagement from Syria, rather than “stepping up support” for the Syrian opposition “for the first time.” US supplies of nonlethal assistance to Syrian rebels date back to early last year. The US has moreover been training Syrian rebels in Jordanian bases near the Syrian border for more than a year to carry out three missions:
1. To seize control of Bashar Assad’s chemical weapons arsenal;
2. To create a pro-Western core command structure as a factor in post-Assad government;
3. To ward off the takeover of the revolt command by Islamist factions, including groups associated with al Qaeda.
It turned out that none of these three missions was actually achieved. The chemical weapons remained firmly in the hands of Assad and his army - which never used them, contrary to rebel claims; factions close to Al Qaeda grew stronger; and their role in the rebel command expanded as they were seen to be the best-armed and trained of any Syrian rebel faction.
The Obama administration finally came to the conclusion that the only way to contain Islamist forces and retain a modicum of American control over the rebels was to catch a ride on Russian President Vladimir Putin plans for Syria, even through they entailed preserving Bashar Assad in power through to 2014.
debkafile’s military and Russian sources reveal here for the first time that those plans hinge primarily on establishing armistice lines dividing the country into separate sectors and determining in advance which will be controlled by rebel factions and which by Assad loyalilsts. This is the first practical basis to be put forward for an accord to end the two-year old civil war between Assad and the Syrian opposition and it is designed to go forward under joint Russian-American oversight.
Our sources add that the teamwork between Washington and Moscow in pursuit of this plan is close and detailed. They have agreed to get together on the types of weapons to be supplied to each of the rebel groups and are sharing costs. That is the real new American policy for Syria: It is based on Washington’s recognition of the new situation unfolding in Syria and the need to cooperate with Moscow, including acceptance of Assad’s rule, in order to salvage remnants of American influence within the Syrian rebel camp. French President Francois Hollande showed he was quick on the uptake. No sooner had the Secretary Kerry departed Paris for Rome Wednesday, than Hollande was on his way to Moscow to scout out a role for France.

Lebanon’s Kataeb bloc MP Elie Marouni demands Syrian refugee camps be controlled
Now Lebanon/Lebanon’s Kataeb bloc MP Elie Marouni demanded that Syrian refugee camps be more strictly controlled by Lebanese authorities, and be put under regular surveillance. “The state did not deal objectively with the issue [of Syrian refugees], and reports now say that there are [more than] 300,000 thousand refugees,” Marouni told MTV on Thursday. Meanwhile, a meeting for the Zgharta district municipality chiefs was held upon Interior Minister Marwan Charbel’s request to develop a mechanism that will allow them to acquire accurate periodical statistics on the number of Syrian refugees residing in Zgharta. The National News Agency reported that the meeting also addressed “the Interior Ministry's announcement of the creation of a central authority that [will be responsible for] knowing the number of refugees in Lebanon as well as their locations.”
Lebanon is facing difficulties dealing with the increasingly high number of Syrian refugees who look to Lebanon for safe haven.
Syria is witnessing a violent uprising against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, which has so far killed more than 70,000 people since its outbreak in March 2011, according to figures released by the United Nations.

Assir calls for protest outside "Hezbollah" apartments
Now Lebanon/Sunni cleric Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir issued a provocative call for a "peaceful protest" Friday outside "Hezbollah apartments" near his Sidon mosque, a day after Hezbollah's leader warned against inciting action in the city. "[We] call on you to hold a peaceful protest outside the apartments [housing] the weapons of the Iranian party [a reference to Hezbollah] in [Sidon's] Abra tomorrow after the Friday prayers," a statement issued Thursday by the cleric said.Last week the firebrand cleric had alleged that Hezbollah fighters were residing in an apartment building near his Bilal Bin Rabah Mosque in the southern Lebanese city.
On Friday, Assir and a number of his armed supporters deployed around his Sidon mosque “in self-defense against Hezbollah members who were trying to break in,” a charge Lebanese security forces denied.
Nasrallah on Wednesday responded to Assir's accusations, saying "the center we have in Abra has been there since before your mosque existed, where do you want to go with all the insults?”
"Hezbollah has had apartments and complexes and mosques in [Sidon] for over 30 years," the Shiite leader added. “There are thousands of Shiite families in Sidon. Does residing in Sidon require a permit?"
Nasrallah also issued a veiled warning, saying, "We want to make sure that nobody does anything [wrong] to us."Assir rose to prominence for his rhetoric against Hezbollah and in support of the Syrian revolution.

The Lebanese Armed Forces arrests man involved in Tripoli bombings
Now Lebanon/The Lebanese Armed Forces arrested one of the people behind the recurring grenade attacks in Lebanon’s northern city of Tripoli. “The LAF, as a result of ongoing investigations, was able to identify one of the people behind the recurring phenomenon of grenade explosions in Tripoli’s streets - his name is Ahmad Bassam al-Jajatiya,” the National News Agency quoted the LAF as saying in a statement issued Thursday. An LAF patrol arrested the Lebanese citizen on Monday and he confessed that he “had been delegated by a man [whose initials are Z.S.] to throw dynamite sticks and hand grenades in the Bab al-Tebbaneh neighborhoods to maintain the tension and strife with its rival area of Jabal Mohsen.” The statement also mentioned that Jajatiya “was being paid 20,000 LL in exchange for his services, and that there are others who do the same throughout Tripoli.” The LAF added that investigations are ongoing and the detainee is still being questioned to reveal the identity of the rest of the perpetrators involved. Tripoli has repeatedly been the locus of sectarian conflict linked to the troubles in Syria between pro- and anti-Syrian regime gunmen from Sunni and Alawite groups, whose rival districts — Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, respectively — are divided by main thoroughfare Syria Street.

Hezbollah’s Qassem vows Resistance strength in public appearance
AFP/Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Naim Qassem on Thursday attended a political meeting with Hezbollah architects in Al-Saha restaurant in Beirut’s southern suburbs, during which time he said the Resistance will continue to confront all challenges it currently faces. “This Resistance will continue to confront all challenges no matter how big or hard they get,” the National News Agency quoted the Hezbollah official as saying. “We are confident that we will be victorious every time we face the Israeli enemy, God willing.” Varied Syria rebel groups late Tuesday and early Wednesday had claimed on Twitter that Naim Qassem had been targeted in an attack on a convoy in Syria. The assassination allegations follow Monday evening’s Anodolu news agency report that Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had been taken to Iran following a medical scare. In a televised address on Wednesday, Nasrallah denied the charges, saying that Hezbollah was being targeted by a “media war.”

Lebanon's Youth Minister Faisal Karami: Tripoli heading toward explosion
Now Lebanon/Youth Minister Faisal Karami said that the situation in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli is heading towards grave deterioration. “All indications point out to preparations and arming activities aimed at exploding the situation in Tripoli and other regions in Lebanon,” Karami told Voice of Lebanon (93,3) radio station on Thursday. “The means towards a solution should be political and not by the use of force.”Tripoli has repeatedly been the center of sectarian conflict linked to the troubles in Syria between pro- and anti-Syrian regime gunmen from Sunni and Alawite groups. Karami has himself escaped an assault incident when his convoy was attacked in January in what he called a “clear assassination attempt.”All indications point out to preparations and arming activities aiming at exploding the situation in Tripoli.

Syria demands UN halt Israel oil drilling in Golan
AFP/Syria on Thursday condemned Israeli drilling for oil in the occupied Golan Heights as a "flagrant violation" of UN Security Council resolutions and called on the United Nations to intervene.
The foreign ministry lodged a protest with the UN against what it branded an "illegal and flagrant violation of Security Council Resolution 497" urging Israel to rescind its annexation of the Golan, state news agency SANA reported. It said the move "aims to cement the occupation and annexation" of the territory and accused Israel of "exploiting" the conflict in Syria "to perpetuate the occupation of Syrian territory and plunder its wealth."
According to Israeli media, Israel last week gave the green light for oil drilling in the Golan Heights, halted two decades ago during peace negotiations in the region. Israel seized the Golan from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed it in 1981, in a move never recognized by the international community. There have been several incidents of gunfire or mortar shells landing on the Israeli-held side of the Golan, prompting troops to respond with artillery in November, the first such case of Israeli fire at the Syrian military since 1973.

Friends of Syria pledge "material support" to Syria opposition
AFP/US, European and Arab officials gathered for the "Friends of Syria" meeting in Rome promised on Thursday to provide more concrete assistance to the opposition battling President Bashar al-Assad's regime. "The ministers pledged more political and material support to the [National] Coalition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people and to get more concrete assistance inside Syria," host country Italy said in a statement after the talks between 11 nations and the Syrian opposition. The statement "underlined the need to change the balance of power on the ground", adding that efforts would be made to help rebel forces "exercise self-defense". The statement expressed concern over the "appalling conditions" suffered by Syrian civilians and urged Assad's regime to end "indiscriminate bombardments against populated areas." The statement also deplored "the unabated arms supply to the regime by third countries." The statement praised the opposition National Coalition for its reform efforts and plans for it to this weekend choose the head of an interim government.