Bible Quotation for today/Satan Puts Jesus on Trial Of Temptation

Luke 04/01-13: "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, "One does not live by bread alone." ’Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, "Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him." ’ Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, "He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you", and "On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone." ’Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test." ’When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.
 

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources

Saving Jordan's King Abdullah Must Be a U.S. Priority/By: David Schenker/Wall Street Journal/March 23/13
New challenges for a new pope/Harry Hagopian/March 23/13

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for March 23/13

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati resigns
Miqati Announces Resignation, Urges Salvation Govt. to 'Pull Lebanon Out of the Unknown'
Jumblat Reveals Plan to Replace Rifi with Ali Hajj: It's All about Protecting the Intelligence Bureau
Wahhab Hits Out at Suleiman, Miqati, Backs 'Settlement Based on Hariri's Return'
Geagea Urges Suleiman to Start Negotiations on New PM: Cabinet Must Save Lebanon from Crises
Clashes Renew in Tripoli with Miqati's Resignation after Fragile Truce
Solider among 3 killed in renewed n. Lebanon clashes
Tripoli on fire
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea: Extend mandate of top Lebanese security officials
March 14 scrambles to keep top security ally
Hariri, Berri discuss hybrid vote law
Pope urges dialogue with Islam, says world must do more for poor
Christian Leaders Meet in Bkerke, Say 'Open to Discuss All Proposals for Accord on Electoral Law'
Hariri Discusses Elections' File with Berri and Geagea
Christian Leaders Meet in Bkerke, Say 'Open to Discuss All Proposals for Accord on Electoral Law
Saniora: Government Resignation Opens Door to Returning to Dialogue
Gemayel Calls for Dialogue: We're Confident Suleiman Will Safeguard Lebanon against Dangers
Al-Shahhal Says Capable of Issuing Jihad Fatwa in Syria
Hizbullah Condemns Obama 'Appeasement' Speech
Charbel Regrets Lack of Political Consensus to Disarm Tripoli Gunmen
Charbel Reveals Factions Want to Extend Parliament's Term: Chaos Will Not Take Place
Islamic National Gathering Threatens Civil Disobedience until Unrest Ends in Tripoli
Ties Restored as Netanyahu Apologizes for Turkish Flotilla Raid
Obama in Jordan on Last Leg of Mideast Tour
Obama, Netanyahu grant Iran another three months’ grace
Obama Visits Nativity Church in Bethlehem
Obama arrives in Jordan, last stop in Mideast
Israel PM mends Turkey ties after flotilla apology
Iran would need around a year to build Atomic bomb: Israel
Obama tours symbolic Israeli sites on last day of visit
U.N. launches probe of possible Syrian chemical arms attack
Assad vows to 'cleanse' Syria after mosque attack
France, U.K. increasingly concerned over chemical arms in Syria
Egypt Bedouin kidnap Israeli, Belgian tourists: police
Canada Welcomes Resumption of Diplomatic Ties Between Turkey and Israel
Britain, France Press Divided Europe to Arm Syria Rebels

The Play of Assaulting the Four Sunni Sheiks
Elias Bejjani/Summary of my new Arabic piece: the crime of assaulting the Sunni four Sheiks was planned, mastered and executed by the terrorist, Iranian Hezbollah in a bid to serve the pro Hezbollah Sunni Mufti Qabani who has been charged with his son with corruption and is on the way to be forced out of his position. Meanwhile the other main objective was to push the stone age Sunni fundamentalist and salafists, like Sheik Assir, Sheik Omar Bakry, Sheik Al Chahal, etc to the forefront on the account of the modernist Sunnis, especially Al Musaqbal Movement. The piece also calls on the 14th of March leaders with no exception to stop cajoling Hezbollah and name it with its real name, A terrorist, Iranian army that occupies Lebanon and is endeavouring to topple is regime of co-existence erect in its place an Iranian Mullahs' Weleat Al Faqeh Republic, In regards to Hezbollah, the cancerous body, the first fact is that many bodies like Hezbollah have emerged all through history in many countries. Each one was shaped and set up according to the time they lived in. The other fact is none of them continued to be able to survive and all of them vanished. Hezbollah is not going in any way to be an exception. What is sad is that Hezbollah's Lebanese leader and their Iranian, masters, the Mullahs are not learning any thing that is wise or profitable from history

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati resigns
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced his government's resignation on Friday after a cabinet dispute with Shi'ite group Hezbollah over preparations for a parliamentary election and extending the term of a senior security official. Mikati's announcement after a deadlocked ministerial meeting plunged Lebanon, already struggling to cope with a spillover of bloodshed and refugees from neighboring Syria, into fresh uncertainty three months before the planned election. He called for a unity government to be set up to save the country from "regional fires and ... internal divisions". "I announce the resignation of the government, perhaps as the only way for Lebanon's main political blocs to assume their responsibilities, and come together to pull Lebanon out of an unknown tunnel," Mikati said. Mikati resigned just two hours after a cabinet meeting in which Shi'ite group Hezbollah and its allies blocked the creation of a supervisory body for the parliamentary vote and opposed extending the term of a senior security official. Major General Ashraf Rifi, head of Lebanon's internal security forces, is due to retire early next month. Rifi, like Mikati, is a Sunni Muslim from Tripoli, and is distrusted by Hezbollah. Mikati became premier in 2011 after Hezbollah and its partners brought down the unity government of Saad al-Hariri. Tensions over Syria have put him at odds with the militant group which brought him to power and which strongly backs President Bashar al-Assad's battle against rebels and protesters.
ELECTION DELAY?
Lebanon's rival politicians have yet to agree arrangements for the parliamentary poll, due in June, and the collapse of the government could delay it further. "It appears that the new election law will not be agreed within a time frame which allow parliamentary elections to be held on schedule," Mikati said. Paul Salem, director of the Carnegie Middle East Centre, said the vote may be significantly postponed.
"It's a waiting game now. We will have a caretaker government for a while. The main groups want to see what will happen in Syria". "In this climate, with the Sunni community, I don't see how a new government can be formed by any credible Sunni politician," he said, referring to splits between Mikati and Hariri's Sunni supporters. Under Lebanon's confessional division of power, the prime minister must be a Sunni Muslim, the president a Maronite Christian and the speaker of parliament a Shi'ite Muslim. Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, a close political ally of Hariri who has frequently called for Mikati to step down, said his resignation "opens the possibility of fresh dialogue" between Lebanon's political camps. Mikati has sought to distance his country - which fought its own 15-year civil war - from Syria's strife. But in the ex-prime minister's home city of Tripoli, two people died in clashes on Friday between militants supporting opposing sides of the Syria conflict. Clashes erupted again on Friday night, residents said, and supporters of Mikati and Rifi blocked roads around Tripoli's main square.
A tide of Syrian refugees pouring into Lebanon and the country's own domestic turmoil have caused a sharp slowdown in Lebanon's economy and a 67 percent surge in its budget deficit last year.
(Reporting by Laila Bassam; Writing by Dominic Evans and Oliver Holmes; Editing by Jon Hemming)

Miqati Announces Resignation, Urges Salvation Govt. to 'Pull Lebanon Out of the Unknown'
Naharnet /Prime Minister Najib Miqati on Friday announced his resignation after a cabinet session in which he failed to pass the extension of Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi's term and the formation of the committee to oversee the elections, stressing that all political forces must shoulder their responsibilities to “pull Lebanon out of the unknown.” “I'm addressing you today as a brother, hoping my speech will lead to a better security and economic situation in Lebanon,” Miqati said in a televised address to the nation. “I'm addressing you while my city (Tripoli) is bleeding and bidding farewell to martyrs, the city that I always want to see at the forefront of all cities,” Miqati added. “From the very first moment I began my political career, I've been trying to seek solutions and I never hesitated in exerting efforts to protect the country,” said Miqati.
The premier stressed that he exerted all efforts possible “for the sake of a free country.”“Today, while we were discussing the issue of holding the elections, I realized that renewal and pumping blood into the veins of the political life are a national duty,” he said. Miqati also voiced support for approving a new electoral law and holding elections on time. Counting reasons behind his resignation, Miqati said “it seems that no new law will be approved within the constitutional timeframe and the formation of the committee to oversee the elections was impeded.”“I found out that it is necessary for Maj. Gen. Rifi to carry on with his duties in order to protect the (ISF) institution,” he added. Miqati said he found himself obligated to “take a stance of conscience in order to allow dialogue to take place.”He underlined that dialogue is the “only way to rescue Lebanon,” calling for the formation of a salvation government. “I tried as much as possible to distance Lebanon from the fierce storms and to preserve the balance,” Miqati noted.“I kept the channels of communication open and overcame the smear campaigns because the country is the most precious thing,” said Miqati. He revealed that he had thought about resigning twice. “The first was over the financing of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the second upon the martyrdom of Maj. Gen. Wissam al-Hasan,” he added. “I have hope in my mind and heart because through our solidarity, we can push our country away from the edge of strife,” said Miqati.

Jumblat Reveals Plan to Replace Rifi with Ali Hajj: It's All about Protecting the Intelligence Bureau
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat blamed on Friday the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Miqati on “political factions that prevented him from even assigning the head of the Civil Service Office."
"This issue is about protecting an important system in the state which was established by (the chief of the Intelligence Bureau of the Internal Security Forces) Brigadier General Wissam al-Hasan,” Jumblat told LBCI television, noting that the March 8 coalition “did not give him any chance in assigning even the head of the Civil Service Office”. The Druze leader said that March 8 rejects the intelligence bureau: “Meanwhile, we want cooperation between all institutions in the country and we do not want to abolish the intelligence bureau.” He revealed a plan that consists of replacing Internal Security Forces chief Asraf Rifi with General Ali Hajj. "Although he was technically considered innocent of the killing of (late PM) Rafik Hariri, we do, however, consider him politically involved in the assassination." Jumblat remarked: “We do not dictate Miqati and we supported him for the sake of stability in the country.” "I support PM Miqati's statement and we are not the ones who pushed the country into the crisis, but rather some March 8 hardliners who cannot accept the approach of dialogue," Jumblat said in a phone call with al-Manar television. Commenting on the parliamentary elections, the PSP leader announced that he will submit his nomination based on the 1960's law."Only the parliament can replace the 1960's law,” he stated. Jumblat's statement came shortly after Miqati announced his resignation after a cabinet session in which he failed to pass the extension of Rifi's term and the formation of the committee to oversee the elections. Miqati stressed during his resignation speech that all political forces must shoulder their responsibilities to “pull Lebanon out of the unknown.”

Hizbullah Condemns Obama 'Appeasement' Speech
Naharnet/Hizbullah slammed on Friday U.S. President Barack Obama's “appeasement” speech in Israel, considering that his remarks are to “satisfy” the Jewish state. “Obama's speech is similar to all the hostile and boring stances made by the U.S.,” Hizbullah said in a statement. "He speaks like an employee of the Zionist entity (Israel) and not the highest-ranking official in the administration of the independent state that is the United States," the statement said. It denounced the U.S. president's stances that favor Israel, saying that the U.S. “is an accomplice in the crimes committed” by the Jewish state. President Obama on Thursday demanded that foreign governments brand Hizbullah a "terrorist organization," slamming the party for “its attacks on Israelis”."Every country that values justice should call Hizbullah what it truly is -- a terrorist organization," Obama said in a major speech in Israel, in remarks apparently aimed at the European Union which has declined to put the group on a list of terrorist movements. Hizbullah's statement added: “These stances confirm that all negotiations are useless, which stress on the importance of the resistance as an only option to regain rights and maintain dignity, freedom and independence.” The party has been on a U.S. terror blacklist since 1995 after a series of anti-American attacks, including the bombing of the U.S. embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut in the 1980s. But the issue is sensitive in Europe because of sharp differences between members, with Britain in favor of blacklisting Hizbullah's military wing but France and Italy believed to be reluctant. The United States has urged the EU to join it in listing the group, saying the designation would make it harder for the organization to raise funds.

Christian Leaders Meet in Bkerke, Say 'Open to Discuss All Proposals for Accord on Electoral Law'
Naharnet/Factions participating in the Christian summit held in Bkerke on Friday revealed that they are "open to discussing all proposals to reach consensus over an electoral law."
"Participants in the talks confirmed that they are open to discuss all suggestions that could lead to reaching common grounds concerning the electoral law,” a statement released by Bkerke said.
It added: “They also agreed on holding talks with other factions in the country.”
The meeting was chaired by Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi with the participation of Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel, Free Patriotic Movement head MP Michel Aoun, Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Frangieh, Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan representing the party's leader Samir Geagea, in addition to MPs Butros Harb, Alain Aoun, Sami Gemayel, and former minister Ziad Baroud and Youssef Saade.
Rahi briefed the Christian leaders on the so-called “Rome agreement”, and they agreed on finding a “solution for the current crisis” that takes into consideration “Bkerke's principles”.
Media reports said that the two-page “Rome Agreement” document states that political foes should consent on a hybrid electoral law that divides the parliamentary seats equally based on winner-takes-all and proportional systems or 60 percent of MPs be elected through the winner-takes-all and 40 according to the proportional system.
The document also calls on the formation of a senate, where senators would be elected according to the Orthodox Gathering proposal.
As well, the “Rome Agreement” suggests the formation of an independent authority overseeing the elections and carrying out the senate elections and parliamentary elections on the same day.
A new cabinet must also be formed to supervise the polls, according to the agreement.
Lebanese rival parties are divided over the electoral law after President Michel Suleiman, premier Najib Miqati, al-Mustaqbal bloc, the Progressive Socialist Party, and the independent Christian MPs of the March 14 opposition voiced rejection to the Orthodox Gathering proposal that considers Lebanon a single district and allows each sect to vote for its own MPs under a proportional representation system.
Suleiman and Miqati have signed a decree that sets the elections on June 9 based on the 1960 law that was used in the 2009 polls over the lack of agreement between the bickering parliamentary blocs.Their call have drawn the ire of the March 8 majority coalition, which has rejected the law.

Geagea Urges Suleiman to Start Negotiations on New PM: Cabinet Must Save Lebanon from Crises
Naharnet /Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea urged President Michel Suleiman on Friday to assign the dates for holding discussions over nominating a prime minister, expressing that premier Najib Miqati's resignation was a “brave” step. "I praise Miqati's brave step especially after March 8 forces rejected the extension of security and military leaders' terms,” Geagea said in a released statement shortly after the PM announced the cabinet's resignation from the Grand Serail. "March 8 insists on dragging Lebanon into a dangerous vacuum.”Geagea urged Suleiman to hold meetings with parliamentary blocs to discuss the nomination of a new premier who will form a cabinet “that protects the people and the constitution.”He remarked: "We want a cabinet that respects constitutional deadlines and that rescues Lebanon from the economical, political and security crises it is going through.”
Miqati announced his resignation after a cabinet session in which he failed to pass the extension of Rifi's term and the formation of the committee to oversee the elections.
Miqati stressed during his resignation speech that all political forces must shoulder their responsibilities to “pull Lebanon out of the unknown.”SourceAgence France Presse

Clashes Renew in Tripoli with Miqati's Resignation after Fragile Truce
Naharnet/Armed clashes renewed on Friday evening on all frontiers in Tripoli, ending a fragile four-hour ceasefire, as supporters of Prime Minister Najib Miqati gathered on the streets and blocked several roads in the wake of his resignation. Rocket-propelled grenades were fired amid heavy gunfire and sniper activity, state-run National News Agency reported. "Supporters of PM Najib Miqati gathered at the Abdul Hamid Karami Square in Tripoli and blocked all roads leading to the roundabout, in solidarity with the PM after he submitted his resignation," NNA said. "Army troops fired back heavily at the sources of gunfire in Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, amid sporadic shelling with RPGs," the agency added. The death toll from three days of fighting in Tripoli rose to six on Friday. Earlier on Friday, Arab Democratic Party media officer Abdul Latif Saleh told LBCI television that the party had informed the army that it will declare a unilateral ceasefire. Meanwhile, the gathering of Islamic powers in al-Qobbeh and Bab al-Tabbaneh held a press conference to stress that the clashes in the city are not taking place between Sunnis and Alwawites. “These sects are the sons of a the same region. The clashes are taking place with an oppressive power that usurped the decision-making power of the Alawite sect in Tripoli,” they added.
The gatherers demanded that the security forces be allowed to perform their duties in Tripoli “in order for all sides to feel that the military institution is standing at an equal distance from all sides.”
They called for a ceasefire, adding: “We did not start the violence and we did not call for it.”A Lebanese soldier was among the dead in the three-day clashes.
The Lebanese “army continued to take security measures in the tense neighborhoods of the city of Tripoli, mainly in Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh, including raids in areas where the gunmen are located,” a communique issued by the military command said.Troops arrested several suspects and seized arms and ammunition from them, it said. It added however that one soldier was killed and several others were injured during their mission.
Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) identified the dead soldier as Hassan Diab.The army said late Thursday that the gunmen used light and medium weapons in addition to hand grenades.
It warned armed men that it would deal firmly with all sources of gunfire and urged citizens to abide by the security measures taken by the army to preserve their safety.
The Tripoli gunfight erupted on Wednesday when a soldier was wounded along with his brother after gunmen entered the state hospital in the area of al-Qobbeh and opened fire at him.
On Friday, the army said it responded to the sources of fire “in the appropriate way” and carried out patrols in the areas that separate the rival neighborhoods of Tripoli.
Armored personnel carriers also blocked for several hours the seven roads that lead to Abdul Hamid Karami square, the state-run National News Agency reported.
Tripoli has been witnessing deadly clashes between supporters and opponents of the Damascus regime for several years now.
The majority of Bab al-Tabbaneh residents are Sunni and back the revolution against Syrian President Bashar Assad while Jabal Mohsen's residents are mainly Alawites from Assad's sect.

Ties Restored as Netanyahu Apologizes for Turkish Flotilla Raid
Naharnet /Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday apologized to Turkey for a deadly 2010 flotilla raid and announced a full resumption of diplomatic ties as well as compensation for the families of those killed, his office said. The breakthrough, which ends a nearly three-year bitter diplomatic rift, was engineered by U.S. President Barack Obama at the tail end of a historic three-day visit to the Holy Land, the first of his presidency. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One shortly after departing for Amman, a senior U.S. official said the Israeli premier had apologized to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a special phone call from Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv. "On behalf of Israelis he apologized for any deaths those operational mistakes might have caused," the U.S. official said.
"Prime Minister Erdogan accepted the apology on behalf of Turkey," he added, saying Obama had also spoken with the Turkish leader.
Israel and Turkey both confirmed the apology, with Netanyahu's office announcing a resumption of full diplomatic ties between the former close allies.
A source close to the Turkish government also confirmed the breakthrough. "Apologies have indeed been offered," he told Agence France Presse.Ties between Israel and Turkey spiraled in May 2010, when Israeli commandos staged a botched pre-dawn raid on the six-ship flotilla headed by the Mavi Marmara, in which nine Turkish nationals were killed.
The assault triggered an international outcry and a bitter diplomatic crisis between Israel and Turkey, with Ankara demanding a formal apology and compensation for the families of the victims.
Until now, Israel has refused, in part for fear that it could open the way for the prosecution of commandos who took part in the raid.
News of the breakthrough was confirmed by Netanyahu's office in a statement which confirmed the apology and announced a full resumption of diplomatic ties.
And it also confirmed Israel would pay compensation to the families of victims.
"Netanyahu today spoke with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan," his office said.
"The two agreed to return normalization between the countries including returning ambassadors, and cancelling legal procedures against IDF (army) soldiers," it said, referring to the high-profile trial in absentia of four top Israeli military chiefs by an Istanbul court that opened in November.
"The prime minister made it clear that the tragic results regarding the Mavi Marmara were unintentional and that Israel expresses regret over injuries and loss of life.
"In light of the Israeli investigation into the incident, which pointed out several operational errors, Prime Minister Netanyahu apologized to the Turkish people for any errors that could have led to loss of life and agreed to complete the agreement on compensation," it said. Netanyahu also "expressed regret over the deterioration in bilateral relations" and said he was committed to "working out the disagreements in order to advance peace and regional stability."
The Israeli leader told Erdogan he had "good conversations with Obama about regional cooperation, and the importance of Turkey-Israel relations."
Netanyahu also expressed "his appreciation" for an interview this week in which Erdogan said there had been a misunderstanding about comments he made branding Zionism "a crime against humanity."
He also addressed the question of Israel's blockade on Gaza, which has been in place since 2007 but significantly eased in recent years.
"Netanyahu also noted that Israel has removed several restrictions on the movement of civilians and goods in all of the Palestinian territories including Gaza and that will continue as long as the quiet will be maintained," he said.
"Both leaders agreed to continue and work in order to improve the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories."
Agence France Presse

March 14 scrambles to keep top security ally
Alex Rowell/Now Lebanon/ In an abrupt departure from wrangling over electoral laws, MPs from the Future Movement along with their March 14 allies and Walid Jumblatt’s Progressive Socialist Party have made urgent attempts this week to pass a draft law that would raise the mandatory retirement age for top security officials, several of whom would otherwise be forced to step down later this year. These officials include 59-year-old army chief General Jean Qahwaji and Internal Security Forces (ISF) head Major General Ashraf Rifi, who will turn 59 in April – the maximum age for the post. The draft law would extend both men’s terms for another three years.
President Michel Suleiman submitted the bill to cabinet on Thursday. Rifi himself expressed doubts Friday that it would pass cabinet, saying it “needs the approval of two thirds of the ministers and this is not possible because more than half of them object to an extension of my term.” Both Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), who collectively occupy 9 out of 30 seats, have explicitly opposed the proposal, arguing the government should appoint successors to the posts. Should Rifi’s extension be rejected and a successor not appointed, Rifi indicated his deputy Brigadier General Roger Salem would replace him – though Salem, himself, is due to reach retirement age this year. Rifi could not be reached for comment.
The loss of Rifi would be taken by March 14 as a significant setback. Though the movement’s leaders have officially touted the draft law as a non-partisan move to preserve national stability, few observers are in doubt that their priority is keeping Rifi in place, and indeed one Future MP admitted as much to NOW.
After the [October 19, 2012] assassination of [ISF Information Branch head Brigadier General] Wissam al-Hassan, our security is exposed to many factors and parties, and Rifi is bravely filling his station,” said MP Ahmad Fatfat. “We trust Rifi and need him in this position. If someone is trying to move Rifi away, then he is definitely part of the assassination process, and he wants us as March 14 to be exposed,” he added, in a likely reference to Hezbollah and the FPM.
“Even Jumblatt is feeling the need for this extension,” added Fatfat, referring to the former March 14 firebrand (and long-rumored assassination target) whose party now has three ministers in the March 8-aligned cabinet. Echoing the official March 14 line, Jumblatt says his support for Rifi’s extension derives from general security concerns. Rifi’s close ties to March 14, and the Future Movement in particular, have long been something of an open secret. “There’s a certain balance in security, based on the fact that some institutions are controlled by March 8 and others are controlled by March 14,” said former Tripoli MP Mosbah al-Ahdab of the Democratic Renewal (Tajaddod) Movement. “[Rifi] is one of the main people representing [March 14].”
This is further borne out in the US embassy cables leaked in 2010, which generally portray Rifi as a determined opponent of the Syrian regime and its key Lebanese ally, Hezbollah. The cables also make clear that he sees himself and the ISF he helped build as locked in a “race against time” to neutralize the threats he believes these parties pose to Lebanon. Former US ambassador Jeffrey Feltman wrote of the ISF’s “connections to [Future Movement leader] Saad Hariri and its heavily Sunni (i.e., essentially anti-Hizballah [sic]) officer ranks.” Such ‘connections’ may even be military – one cable from 2008 quotes Jumblatt claiming that Rifi was assisting Hariri in amassing a 15,000-strong militia. In the same year, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea also reportedly told former US Chargé d'affaire Michele Sison that both he and Jumblatt were trying to buy ammunition from Rifi for their own militias.Whatever the exact nature of Rifi’s ties to March 14, the bloc evidently deems him an invaluable asset – a fact which analysts say reflects the top-heavy structure of Lebanese security institutions in general.
“This demonstrates the continuing importance of individual authorities within the Lebanese security architecture,” said Elias Muhanna, assistant professor at Brown University and author of the Qifa Nabki blog. “There is no such thing as institutional memory in these intelligence branches; the inner circle is extremely small and therefore extremely valuable.”Indeed, this heavy reliance on individuals is a key weakness of the system that requires reform, according to Ahdab.“I think this all needs to be reviewed,” he told NOW. “Because prolonging the mandate for Rifi also means maintaining the same security structure and renewing other [security] positions. So the question is do we want to renew this, or would we like to change it?”“Of course, we’d like to change it. Perhaps the timing is not right. But definitely this is not the solution; this is prolonging a situation where the state is absolutely losing ground and not controlling what is happening.”“We saw that starting in Tripoli, and now it’s spreading all over Lebanon.”
**Yara Chehayed contributed reporting.

Tripoli on fire
Now Lebanon/Deadly clashes erupted once again in Lebanon’s troubled northern city of Tripoli after simmering sectarian tensions boiled over into a melee of violence that has seen snipers fatally shoot people amid explosions and heavy gunfire.Daybreak Friday brought no let-up to the intense fighting as casualties mounted through the day following the outburst of violence overnight between the Alawite-populated neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen and surrounding Sunni areas. According to AFP, Thursday’s first casualty occurred in the neighboring Qobbeh area and as the fighting intensified a man was killed in the Sunni Bab al-Tebbaneh neighborhood, which has been involved in a series of sectarian clashes with Jabal Mohsen. The Imam of Bab al-Tebbaneh’s Harba Mosque, Mazen Mohammad, told NOW that sniper fire erupted after residents of the Sunni neighborhood celebrated the release of Hassan Srour, a Lebanese man who had been detained in Syria for his participation in Novemeber’s Tal Kalakh clash.
“Sniper fire from Jabal Mohsen targeted Bab al-Tebbaneh and the clashes broke out immediately as the residents gathered to welcome Srour,” he said. Lebanon’s state National News Agency reported that the army had opened fire overnight on gunmen in a slew of areas around the warring neighborhoods in an attempt to quell the violence, but shooting and explosions echoed across the city throughout the night, leaving suffering Tripoli residents without any respite. Future official Mustafa Allouch told NOW that “the Lebanese army is not enforcing security as it should.”
Meanwhile, fellow party member Mouin Merhebi denounced the army, saying its Intelligence Branch was covering “groups set up in Tripoli by Hezbollah and their local allies who benefit from events.”“Instead of enforcing its security responsibility, the Lebanese army releases perpetrators.”However, Future MP Ahmad Fatfat laid blame for the clashes on Arab Democratic Party leader Rifaat Eid, who is the leader of Jabal Mohsen’s Alawite community.
“ADP with March 8 and [Syrian President Bashar al-] Assad’s support intend to pressure the Lebanese government and the army in the events to further ignite strife,” he told NOW in an interview.
Eid refuted the allegations that his party was to blame for the clashes, telling NOW, “The problem is between the Lebanese army and Salafists.”
“[Salafists] can’t say that they [clashed with the army] so they said they are fighting us… and they started shooting at Jabal Mohsen,” he added.
Snipers continued to kill people Friday while rocket-propelled grenades (RGPs) slammed into civilian sites in the city. “There are skirmishes and sniper fire, but the ones paying the price are the innocent, not the militia people,” Merhebi said.
Sources told NOW in the morning that four people had been killed, “most of them from the Bab al-Tebbaneh and Qobbeh area” and the death toll continued to mount. The Lebanese army announced that one soldier was killed after being shot by a sniper, while a number of other soldiers had been injured in the clashes. It added that its units “deployed inside the tense neighborhoods in the city, especially the Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhoods… and arrested a number of gunmen and seized a large quantity of weapons and ammunitions.”
Meanwhile, plumes of smoke rose over the city following local media reports that RPG attacks had targeted a gas station and an apartment building in Jabal Mohsen. "The situation is very dangerous," Fatfat warned. Eid said that he doesn’t know how the crisis will develop, saying, “We will see what happens on the ground, and then we will do whatever we have to.”We said that we will stop firing from our side, but on their side, till now, they didn’t stop." The clashes follow a week of sectarian rancor and reciprocal threats in Tripoli.
Sheikh Mohammad told NOW that “there were harassments, trespassing, setting checkpoints, and skirmishes going on day-to-day but then they evolved in light of the statements inciting strife.”
The Sheikh as well as Future MPs Merhebi, Fatfat, and former MP Allouch pointed fingers at the statement made March 13 by Eid.
“Eid’s [speech] was not acceptable whatsoever. We are surprised by the language adopted by both Eid and Alawite [Mufti Sheikh Assad Assi] threatening civilians in Tripoli,” Merhebi said.
The ADP leader had made a threatening speech warning against attacking Jabal Mohsen’s community, while Assi on Thursday said, “We have to defend ourselves and retaliate [in case of an] attack.”“[Eid’s] statements along with those of the Alawite Mufti are not acceptable,” Fatfat said.Eid retorted to the accusations, saying, “It’s not the first time they blame me.”Sheikh Mohammad detailed a series of events in the past week that led to the outburst of clashesm, saying that after a number of Bab al-Tebbaneh residents beat up a group of Jabal Mohsen inhabitants, the ADP “organized an attack, broke cars parked alongside the roads, set up checkpoints and beat up passersby” before the army intervened. He added that Wednesday’s violence in a state hospital in Tripoli’s Qobbeh also helped incite violence, explaining that after a family from Jabal Mohsen took an ailing member to the facility, a quarrel broke out over the family’s insistence on carrying weapons with them.
Allouch said that the hospital incident could be considered “a clear assault” against Alawites.
"There are groups carrying out assaults [with the aim of inciting strife] and and Lebanese security services are not taking the necessary measures to stop them," he added.
Alawite Jabal Mohsen residents have frequently clashed with Sunni Bab al-Tabbaneh locals. These recurrent disputes also reflect a split in Lebanon's political scene in which opposition parties back the revolt in Syria while the ruling coalition, led by Hezbollah, supports the Damascus regime.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea: Extend mandate of top Lebanese security officials
Now Lebanon/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea stressed the need for the extending of the country’s top security officials’ terms in light of the recent security troubles.
“When tensions spread from region to region, from neighborhood to neighborhood, I find it imperative for all of us to renew the term of the heads of the security agencies,” Geagea said in remarks published on Friday by As-Safir newspaper. “Tampering with security by destabilizing the security and military agencies during a period when we are in dire need of such safeguards is an absurd move.”The LF leader also called on Speaker Nabih Berri to call for a parliamentary session aimed at ratifying a law allowing for the extension of the terms of the security chiefs.
Several political figures have called for extending the term of Lebanon’s top security officials, including Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt who voiced his support for such a move saying it was necessary, “since the security situation is of the utmost importance given recent events.”Lebanon has been recently shaken by security troubles that raised the fear of a wide sectarian conflict after four Sunni clerics were assaulted in Beirut last week and after a new escalation of violence in Tripoli were rival factions from opposed Sunni and Alawite neighborhoods have been locked in deadly intermittent skirmishes for several months.
 

Pope urges dialogue with Islam, says world must do more for poor
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis urged the West on Friday to intensify dialogue with Islam and appealed to the world to do more to combat poverty.
The new pontiff made his appeal in an address to diplomats accredited to the Vatican, sending a message through them to the leaders of the more than 170 countries with which the Vatican has diplomatic relations.
Speaking in Italian, he also made another impassioned appeal for the defense of the poor and of the environment, saying richer countries should fight what he called "the spiritual poverty of our times" by re-forging links with God.
"How many poor people there still are in the world! And what great suffering they have to endure!" he told the diplomats in the Vatican's frescoed Sala Regia.
He urged them to help keep religion central in public life and promote inter-religious dialogue as a catalyst for efforts to build peace.
"In this work (peace building), the role of religion is fundamental. It is not possible to build bridges between people while forgetting God," he said.
"But the converse is also true: it is not possible to establish true links with God while ignoring other people. Hence it is important to intensify dialogue among the various religions, and I am thinking particularly of dialogue with Islam."
Francis, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, said he was grateful that many Muslim religious and civilian leaders attended his inaugural Mass on Tuesday.
"Fighting poverty, both material and spiritual, building peace and constructing bridges: these, as it were, are the reference points for a journey that I want to invite each of the countries here represented to take up," he said.
He underlined the importance of protecting the environment when he explained why he had decided to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi, who is associated with austerity, help for the poor, and love of nature.
"Here too, it helps me to think of the name of (Saint)Francis, who teaches us profound respect for the whole of creation and the protection of our environment, which all too often, instead of using for the good, we exploit greedily, to one another's detriment," he said.
(Reporting By Philip Pullella; editing by Barry Moody)

Iran would need around a year to build Atomic bomb: Israel
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed with the United States on Wednesday that Iran needs roughly a year to build a nuclear weapon, but stressed that Israel's initial concerns were focused on uranium enrichment.At a joint news conference with U.S. President Barack Obama, Netanyahu reiterated that Israel did not want to see Iran build up its stockpiles of enriched uranium, regardless of whether the Islamic Republic had decided to go on and build an atomic bomb."If Iran decides to go for a nuclear weapon ... then it will only take them about a year," Netanyahu said, adding: "Iran gets to an immunity zone when they get through the enrichment process in our view."
(Writing by Crispian Balmer; editing by Ari Rabinovich)
 

Israel PM mends Turkey ties after flotilla apology
AFP/Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday apologized to Turkey for a deadly 2010 flotilla raid and announced a full resumption of diplomatic ties as well as compensation for the families of those killed, his office said. The breakthrough, which ends a nearly three-year bitter diplomatic rift, was engineered by US President Barack Obama at the tail end of a historic three-day visit to the Holy Land, the first of his presidency.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One shortly after departing for Amman, a senior US official said the Israeli premier had apologized to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a special phone call from Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv."On behalf of Israelis he apologized for any deaths those operational mistakes might have caused," the US official said.
"Prime Minister Erdogan accepted the apology on behalf of Turkey," he added, saying Obama had also spoken with the Turkish leader.
Israel and Turkey both confirmed the apology, with Netanyahu's office announcing a resumption of full diplomatic ties between the former close allies.
A source close to the Turkish government also confirmed the breakthrough. "Apologies have indeed been offered," he told AFP.Ties between Israel and Turkey spiraled in May 2010, when Israeli commandos staged a botched pre-dawn raid on the six-ship flotilla headed by the Mavi Marmara, in which nine Turkish nationals were killed. The assault triggered an international outcry and a bitter diplomatic crisis between Israel and Turkey, with Ankara demanding a formal apology and compensation for the families of the victims.
Until now, Israel has refused, in part for fear that it could open the way for the prosecution of commandos who took part in the raid.
News of the breakthrough was confirmed by Netanyahu's office in a statement which confirmed the apology and announced a full resumption of diplomatic ties.
And it also confirmed Israel would pay compensation to the families of victims."Netanyahu today spoke with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan," his office said.
"The two agreed to return normalization between the countries including returning ambassadors, and cancelling legal procedures against IDF [army] soldiers," it said, referring to the high-profile trial in absentia of four top Israeli military chiefs by an Istanbul court that opened in November. "The prime minister made it clear that the tragic results regarding the Mavi Marmara were unintentional and that Israel expresses regret over injuries and loss of life.
"In light of the Israeli investigation into the incident, which pointed out several operational errors, Prime Minister Netanyahu apologized to the Turkish people for any errors that could have led to loss of life and agreed to complete the agreement on compensation," it said. Netanyahu also "expressed regret over the deterioration in bilateral relations" and said he was committed to "working out the disagreements in order to advance peace and regional stability." The Israeli leader told Erdogan he had "good conversations with Obama about regional cooperation, and the importance of Turkey-Israel relations."Netanyahu also expressed "his appreciation" for an interview this week in which Erdogan said there had been a misunderstanding about comments he made branding Zionism "a crime against humanity."
He also addressed the question of Israel's blockade on Gaza, which has been in place since 2007 but significantly eased in recent years. "Netanyahu also noted that Israel has removed several restrictions on the movement of civilians and goods in all of the Palestinian territories including Gaza and that will continue as long as the quiet will be maintained," he said."Both leaders agreed to continue and work in order to improve the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories

Obama tours symbolic Israeli sites on last day of visit
By Matt Spetalnick and Ari Rabinovitch
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama visited Israel's most powerful national symbols on Friday, paying homage at the Holocaust memorial and the graves of the founder of modern Zionism and assassinated prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. The image of Obama crouching in reflection after laying a wreath in the Yad Vashem memorial to the six million Jews killed by Nazis added another emotional layer to a three-day trip full of symbolic gestures and appeals for peace.
Wearing a Jewish skullcap, Obama rekindled an eternal flame next to a stone slab above ashes recovered from extermination camps after World War Two.
"We have a choice to acquiesce to evil or make real our solemn vow - never again," Obama said.
Earlier, in accordance with Jewish tradition, he placed stones on the graves of Theodor Herzl, the Zionist visionary who died more than four decades before the 1948 founding of Israel, and Rabin, who was shot dead in 1995 by a Jewish gunman opposed to his peace moves with the Palestinians.
Officials said the visit to Yad Vashem and the Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem was aimed at correcting an impression the president had given in a speech in Cairo in 2009, where he appeared to argue that the legitimacy of the Jewish state stemmed from the Holocaust.
At Yad Vashem, Obama made clear he recognized that Jewish roots to the Holy Land were centuries-old.
"Here on your ancient land, let it be said for all the world to hear, the state of Israel does not exist because of the Holocaust, but with the survival of a strong Jewish state of Israel, such a Holocaust will never happen again," he said. Obama was due to fly later in the day to Jordan for talks with King Abdullah, a U.S. ally, about an array of problems, including the civil war in neighboring Syria and stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace moves.
SETTLEMENT BLOCK
Obama has tried to win over a skeptical Israeli public, assuring them of full U.S. support at a time of growing tensions with Iran over its nuclear ambitions and anxiety over the war in Syria.
But in a speech on Wednesday, he has also urged Israelis to push their political leaders to take risks and secure peace with the Palestinians, calling on his audience of university students to put themselves in the shoes of their occupied neighbors.
Winning applause in Jerusalem, the president received a cooler reception on Thursday during talks in the West Bank with Palestinians, who are disappointed Washington is not applying more pressure on Israel to halt settlement activity.
Obama has reiterated to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that settlement building in the West Bank, land the Palestinians want as part of a future state, was detrimental to peace efforts.
But he retreated from the overt calls during his first term for a halt to the building and he has offered no new peace initiative during his trip, saying he had just come to listen.
After a final round of talks with Netanyahu on Friday, he will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas again when he visits to the West Bank city of Bethlehem to see the Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus was born.
The tour is seen as a message of solidarity to dwindling Christian communities in a turbulent region.
ARAB SPRING
Obama will then head to Amman where he hopes to reassure Abdullah of Washington's support at a time when it is flooded with refugees from Syria and battling economic difficulties and tensions from the "Arab Spring", aides say. Obama and Abdullah will discuss the spillover of the Syrian conflict to Jordan, where an influx of more than 350,000 refugees has strained resources.
Obama backs the Syrian opposition's effort to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but has limited its support to non-lethal aid to anti-government rebels despite growing calls from European and Gulf Arab allies to take a stronger tack.
The king has taken a mostly cautious line on Syria, calling for Assad to go, but advocating a political solution and not arming the Syrian leader's foes. Jordanian authorities worry that any emergence of Islamist rule in a post-Assad Syria could embolden Islamists who are the main opposition group in Jordan.
Also on the agenda will be the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Jordan is one of only two Arab states - Egypt is the other - to have signed peace treaties with Israel and is seen as a potential player in any future U.S.-led peace push. It also has a majority Palestinian population.
The state of Jordan's troubled economy, which receives nearly $360 million in U.S. economic assistance, will also be on the agenda.
Obama will encourage Abdullah to press ahead with a program of economic and political reform. Jordan has been the scene of mostly peaceful street protests, rather than the uprisings that have shaken other Arab countries, and the king has responded with cautious steps toward democracy
(Additional reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi in Amman; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Angus MacSwan)

Obama, Netanyahu grant Iran another three months’ grace
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report March 22, 2013/President Barack Obama persuaded Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in their talks in Jerusalem this week to give Tehran three more months to work through nuclear diplomacy with the P5+1 group of world powers (US, Russia, France, UK, China and Germany), debkafile discloses. After June, this format for resolving the Iranian nuclear issue will be judged to have run its course.
When the US president said “There is still time for diplomacy,” he added, “But Iran must know this. Time is not unlimited. Whatever time is left, there’s not a lot of time.”
When Netanyahu pointed out that the US and Israel might have different timetables and called for “a clear and credible threat of military action,” because “the clock is ticking,” Obama replied that all options were on the table and “We will do whatever is necessary to prevent Iran from getting the world’s worst weapons” - a pledge he repeated in his speech to Israeli students Thursday, March 21.
Talking to reporters Wednesday, the US president allowed, “Each country has to make its own decisions… when it comes to engaging in military action. And Israel is differently situated than the United States.”
This public exchange of views undoubtedly sparked Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s bellicose televised rejoinder Thursday: “At times the officials of the Zionist regime threaten to launch a military invasion,” he said. “But they themselves know that if they make the slightest mistake, the Islamic Republic will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground.”
In private, debkafile’s military and intelligence sources disclose, the American and Israeli leaders agreed to keep the diplomatic window open until after Iran’s presidential election on June 24. This does not necessarily mean that a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities - or a lone Israeli military strike - will go forward the next day; only that a timeline for bringing the military option forward ahead of the diplomatic track is now before Tehran.
Obama explained to Netanyahu that he owed Khamenei the freedom to conduct Iran’s presidential election campaign without a bludgeon hanging over his head, in return for the same courtesy the Iranian leader afforded him in the run-up to his own re-election last November. In the campaign for his candidate, said the president, Khamenei can’t afford to show weakness by making concessions on the national nuclear program. After that, Obama trusts he will be more flexible. All in all, on one pretext or another, Tehran has been able to shake off any “credible threat of military action” to curb its nuclear program for a decade or more. And there is no guarantee that things will be different after June 24.

Israel PM mends Turkey ties after flotilla apology
AFP/Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday apologized to Turkey for a deadly 2010 flotilla raid and announced a full resumption of diplomatic ties as well as compensation for the families of those killed, his office said. The breakthrough, which ends a nearly three-year bitter diplomatic rift, was engineered by US President Barack Obama at the tail end of a historic three-day visit to the Holy Land, the first of his presidency.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One shortly after departing for Amman, a senior US official said the Israeli premier had apologized to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a special phone call from Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv."On behalf of Israelis he apologized for any deaths those operational mistakes might have caused," the US official said. "Prime Minister Erdogan accepted the apology on behalf of Turkey," he added, saying Obama had also spoken with the Turkish leader. Israel and Turkey both confirmed the apology, with Netanyahu's office announcing a resumption of full diplomatic ties between the former close allies.
A source close to the Turkish government also confirmed the breakthrough. "Apologies have indeed been offered," he told AFP.Ties between Israel and Turkey spiraled in May 2010, when Israeli commandos staged a botched pre-dawn raid on the six-ship flotilla headed by the Mavi Marmara, in which nine Turkish nationals were killed. The assault triggered an international outcry and a bitter diplomatic crisis between Israel and Turkey, with Ankara demanding a formal apology and compensation for the families of the victims. Until now, Israel has refused, in part for fear that it could open the way for the prosecution of commandos who took part in the raid.
News of the breakthrough was confirmed by Netanyahu's office in a statement which confirmed the apology and announced a full resumption of diplomatic ties. And it also confirmed Israel would pay compensation to the families of victims."Netanyahu today spoke with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan," his office said. "The two agreed to return normalization between the countries including returning ambassadors, and cancelling legal procedures against IDF [army] soldiers," it said, referring to the high-profile trial in absentia of four top Israeli military chiefs by an Istanbul court that opened in November. "The prime minister made it clear that the tragic results regarding the Mavi Marmara were unintentional and that Israel expresses regret over injuries and loss of life. "In light of the Israeli investigation into the incident, which pointed out several operational errors, Prime Minister Netanyahu apologized to the Turkish people for any errors that could have led to loss of life and agreed to complete the agreement on compensation," it said. Netanyahu also "expressed regret over the deterioration in bilateral relations" and said he was committed to "working out the disagreements in order to advance peace and regional stability." The Israeli leader told Erdogan he had "good conversations with Obama about regional cooperation, and the importance of Turkey-Israel relations."Netanyahu also expressed "his appreciation" for an interview this week in which Erdogan said there had been a misunderstanding about comments he made branding Zionism "a crime against humanity."He also addressed the question of Israel's blockade on Gaza, which has been in place since 2007 but significantly eased in recent years. "Netanyahu also noted that Israel has removed several restrictions on the movement of civilians and goods in all of the Palestinian territories including Gaza and that will continue as long as the quiet will be maintained," he said. "Both leaders agreed to continue and work in order to improve the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories

Saving Jordan's King Abdullah Must Be a U.S. Priority
David Schenker/Wall Street Journal
March 20, 2013
Perhaps Washington's best Arab ally, the monarch increasingly lacks money and political stability.
When President Obama meets Jordan's King Abdullah on Friday, the agenda is likely to focus on the spillover from Syria's civil war (including 400,000 refugees on Jordanian soil) and efforts to jump-start the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Given recent developments in the kingdom, however, Mr. Obama would do well to make Jordanian domestic politics the centerpiece of the discussion.
Until recently, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan -- perhaps Washington's best Arab ally and Israel's last remaining reliable peace partner -- had weathered the region's political turbulence. Lately the tense calm has given way to what could be a prolonged period of unrest.
For decades, analysts have predicted the imminent demise of the insolvent monarchy. When the Arab Spring began in 2011 Jordanians warily joined the movement, launching limited but persistent protests over corruption, political reform and economic stagnation. Then demonstrations spiked last year, spurred by a government decision to decrease oil and food subsidies.
King Abdullah had little choice but to take those steps. In 2012, disruptions in Egypt's natural-gas pipeline contributed to a $3 billion Jordanian deficit -- out of a $9.7 billion budget. Yet with nearly 30 percent unemployed and commodity prices rising, the king's decision was predictably unpopular. Protests have subsided, but they will likely resume in April when the government plans to reduce its electricity subsidy.
Riots over food prices are nothing new in Jordan, but the recent demonstrations differed markedly from the bread riots of the past. Historically, Jordan's Islamists were the regime's chief critics. Over the past two years, however, the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood has been joined by Jordanians of tribal origin who have traditionally been considered the king's leading supporters.
Known as Al-Hirak or "The Movement," this disparate group of disaffected Jordanians numbers only in the hundreds, but its members have been brazen in criticizing the monarchy, routinely violating laws prohibiting defamation of the king and his family. During a demonstration I attended in January, Hirak protesters in Amman referred to King Abdullah as Ali Baba (of "40 thieves" fame). A widespread perception of palace corruption -- plus the arrests of protesters and a repressive new media law targeting Internet dissent -- continues to fuel outrage.
Washington has been concerned with Jordan's slow pace of political reform and the frustration it sows. Parliamentary elections in January were plagued by allegations of vote-buying, and malapportionment of representation remains a problem, but International Republican Institute monitors deemed the election "more transparent" than the last, in 2010, and "a step forward."
A significant number of Jordanians nonetheless remain frustrated with progress on political reform, but the pre-eminent threat to stability is indigenous discontent focused on corruption and the economy. If King Abdullah doesn't effectively address the growing unrest, a coalition of Islamist and tribal opposition -- bolstered by the kind of labor unions that forced Egypt's Hosni Mubarak from power -- could gain strength and undermine the monarchy.
At this point, there is little Washington can do to reverse the palace's diminished stature. It is possible that King Abdullah will be able to resurrect himself by enacting limited but real political reform and by licensing the operations of legitimate anticorruption organizations such as Transparency International. King Abdullah's father, King Hussein, engineered more than one comeback during a reign of nearly 50 years.
But Washington can't leave such a revival to chance. Given the deterioration of the U.S.-Egypt relationship and the likelihood that Islamists or irredentist Palestinians would capitalize on instability in Jordan, the survival of the Hashemite regime is a U.S. strategic imperative.
The most urgent challenge is to help Jordan avoid its own fiscal cliff. Last year, the U.S. granted the country $460 million in economic assistance, including $284 million in budget support. The U.S. also sent $300 million in military aid. That is substantial help, but more is needed to insulate the embattled king. The Obama administration should grant Jordan the $200 million in additional U.S. financial assistance it is requesting, back a loan guarantee enabling the kingdom to float a $1 billion bond, and rally the international community to defray Jordan's cost of hosting Syrian refugees.
More important, the administration should press Jordan's friends in the Gulf Cooperation Council -- who committed to providing the kingdom with $5 billion over the next five years -- to do more. Over the past few months, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates delivered more than $1 billion for development projects. But cash is now crucial. Saudi Arabia once was a reliable benefactor -- in 2011, the Saudis granted $1.45 billion to Jordan. They have not been as generous since, though last month Riyadh did finally cut a check for $200 million. Given the immediacy of the crisis, the White House ought to prevail on Saudi Arabia to step up.
With Egypt now under Muslim Brotherhood control and Syria's Assad regime verging on collapse, the dire implications of instability in Jordan cannot be overstated. The importance of Jordan as an American ally can be seen in reports that the U.S. has dozens of Special Forces already deployed in the kingdom making contingency preparations, with the Jordanian armed forces, to corral Syria's chemical weapons if Assad falls.
Long a force for regional moderation and peace, Jordan under King Abdullah has been an excellent strategic partner for Washington. Should Jordan be destabilized, there is little doubt that, as with Egypt, the outcome would be decidedly less advantageous to U.S. interests.
**David Schenker is director of the Program on Arab Politics at the Washington Institute.

Question: "What is the significance of the triumphal/triumphant entry?"
Got a question.com/Answer: The triumphal entry is that of Jesus coming into Jerusalem on what we know as Palm Sunday, the Sunday before the crucifixion (John 12:1, 12). The story of the triumphal entry is one of the few incidents in the life of Jesus which appears in all four Gospel accounts (Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19). Putting the four accounts together, it becomes clear that the triumphal entry was a significant event, not only to the people of Jesus’ day, but to Christians throughout history. We celebrate Palm Sunday to remember that momentous occasion.
On that day, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a borrowed donkey’s colt, one that had never been ridden before. The disciples spread their cloaks on the donkey for Jesus to sit on, and the multitudes came out to welcome Him, laying before Him their cloaks and the branches of palm trees. The people hailed and praised Him as the “King who comes in the name of the Lord” as He rode to the temple, where He both taught the people, healed them, and drove out the money-changers and merchants who had made His Father’s house a “den of robbers” (Mark 11:17).
Jesus’ purpose in riding into Jerusalem was to make public His claim to be their Messiah and King of Israel in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Matthew tells us that the King coming on the foal of a donkey was an exact fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Jesus rides into His capital city as a conquering King and is hailed by the people as such, in the manner of the day. The streets of Jerusalem, the royal city, are open to Him, and like a king, He ascends to His palace, not a temporal palace, but the spiritual palace which is the temple, because His is a spiritual kingdom. He receives the worship and praise of the people because only He deserves it. No longer does He tell His disciples to be quiet about Him (Matthew 12:16, 16:20), but to shout His praises and worship Him openly. The spreading of cloaks was an act of homage for royalty (see 2 Kings 9:13). Jesus was openly declaring to the people that He was their King and the Messiah they had been waiting for.
Unfortunately, the praise the people lavished on Jesus was not because they recognized Him as their Messiah. They welcomed Him out of their desire for a deliverer, someone who would lead them in a revolt against Rome. There were many who, though they did not believe in Christ with a spiritual faith, nevertheless hoped that perhaps He might be to them a great temporal deliverer. These are the ones who hailed Him as King with their many Hosannas, recognizing Him as the Son of David who came in the name of the Lord. But when He failed in their expectations, when He refused to lead them in a massive revolt against the Roman occupiers and those who collaborated with them, the crowds quickly turned on Him. Within just a few days, their Hosannas would change to cries of “Crucify Him!” (Luke 23:20-21). Those who hailed Him as a hero would soon reject and abandon Him. The story of the triumphal entry is one of contrasts and those contrasts are the application to believers. It is the story of the King who came as a lowly servant on a donkey, not a prancing steed, not in royal robes, but on the clothes of the poor and humble. Jesus Christ comes not to conquer by force as earthly kings, but by love, grace, mercy, and His own sacrifice for His people. His is not a kingdom of armies and splendor, but of lowliness and servanthood. He conquers not nations, but hearts and minds. His message is one of peace with God, not of temporal peace. If Jesus has made a triumphal entry into our hearts, He reigns there in peace and love. As His followers, we exhibit those same qualities, and the world sees the true King living and reigning in triumph in us.

U.N. launches probe of possible Syrian chemical arms attack
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations said on Thursday it would investigate Syria's allegations that rebel forces used chemical weapons in an attack near Aleppo, but Western countries sought a probe of all claims concerning the use of such banned arms.
"I have decided to conduct a United Nations investigation into the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria," said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The investigation will focus on "the specific incident brought to my attention by the Syrian government," he told reporters.
Syria asked Ban to investigate an alleged chemical weapons attack by "terrorist groups" near the northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday, said Syrian U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari.
The deaths of 26 people in that rocket attack became the focus of competing claims on Wednesday from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's supporters and opponents, who accuse each other of firing a missile laden with chemicals.
The Syrian opposition reported a second chemical weapons attack on Tuesday near Damascus.
Ban made clear the focus of the investigation he announced would be on the Aleppo attack.
"I am of course aware that there are other allegations of similar cases involving the reported use of chemical weapons," he said, adding the United Nations would be cooperating with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the World Health Organization.
"My announcement should serve as an unequivocal reminder that the use of chemical weapons is a crime against humanity," Ban said.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said Washington wanted any serious allegations regarding the use of chemical weapons in Syria to be investigated.
"The United States supports an investigation that pursues any and all credible allegations of the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria, and underscores the importance of launching this investigation as swiftly as possible," Rice said in a statement.
DEADLOCK
France and Britain wrote to Ban on Thursday to draw his attention to the second alleged attack near Damascus, as well as one in Homs in late December. The rebels blame Syria's government for all three incidents
"Given the gravity of these allegations we judge it essential that all the pertinent facts concerning these allegations are swiftly investigated," France and Britain wrote. "We therefore request that you launch an urgent investigation into all allegations as expeditiously as possible."
U.S. and European officials say there is no evidence of a chemical weapons attack. If one is confirmed, it would be the first use of such weapons in the two-year Syrian conflict, which the United Nations says has killed 70,000 people.
A U.S. official went so far as to say that it increasingly appeared a chemical weapon was not used in Syria this week, although U.S. intelligence agencies have not yet reached a final conclusion.
U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said Ban was reviewing the British and French request. It was not immediately clear whether the Syrian government's permission would be required to broaden the investigation to include all three alleged attacks. One U.N. diplomat said Assad's government would have to consent to it.
Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said on Wednesday the British and French demand for an investigation into other attacks was an attempt to delay the U.N. probe of the Aleppo incident. He praised Ban's decision to begin an investigation.
The dispute over the scope of the U.N. investigation highlights the chasm between Russia's position toward the Syrian government, its ally, and that of the Western powers that support the opposition trying to oust Assad. The deadlock on the council has left it powerless to act on Syria.
Syria is not a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, an international treaty that bans chemical weapons. For months, the United States, Israel and European countries have voiced concerns about the security of Syria's chemical arms stockpile.
Israel, Myanmar, Angola, Egypt, North Korea, Somalia and South Sudan are the only other states that have not joined the 1997 convention.
This is the first time the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which oversees the convention, has been asked to investigate in a conflict zone. A team of inspectors is ready to travel to Syria when it is safe to do so.The World Health Organization said it would support the investigation as requested by Ban. "The overall mandate, mission composition and operational conditions, including safety and security, have yet to be finalized. No start date has been set," said WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl.
Ban urged the Syrian government and rebels to cooperate.
"There is much work to do and this will not happen overnight, it is obviously a difficult mission," Ban said, adding the probe would begin as soon as possible.
(Additional reporting by Anthony Deutsch in Amsterdam, Stephanie Ulmer-Nebehay in Geneva, and Tabassum Zakaria and Phil Stewart in Washington; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Peter Cooney)

New challenges for a new pope
Harry Hagopian/Now Lebanon/ So we have a new pope for the Catholic Church! On Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of faithful Catholics witnessed Francis, the 265th successor to St. Peter, give his first mass as pope.
And what a surprise it was for many of us when his name was first read out and we were left scratching our heads as we tried to decipher the identity of the man who now heads an institution of almost 1.3 billion adherents.
By now, many NOW readers will have already learned that the new pope has scored three firsts! He is a Jesuit, he comes from Latin America, and he has adopted the name of Francis. But looking beyond those firsts let alone the endearing charm and winning smile, where will the new Bishop of Rome help steer the Catholic Church in the years ahead?One fundamental challenge he faces is to tackle the largely Italian Curia – the equivalent of civil servants in any government – who are set in their own ways or who are in some respects quite dysfunctional. The key to reform, renewal, and progress within the Church lies in his ability to transform the institution rather than allow himself to be transformed – manoeuvred – by it. Everyone is watching whether the pope will succeed in this task, where his recent predecessors wavered, so he can direct the church towards more diversity and openness.
He should also urgently overhaul the Vatican Bank and usher in the fiscal transparency and accountability that the Moneyval Report of the Council of Europe and other institutions have called for over past decades.
Perhaps telling of his larger papal legacy will be his ability to root out the culture of impunity and opaqueness that has surrounded the horrid cases of paedophilia and sexual / child abuse within the Church. The legal term ‘criminal’ alone could describe such acts and the new pope must not only continue but also redouble Benedict XVI’s efforts in exposing and eradicating this depraved culture as much as possible to reassure ordinary Catholics of the credibility of their institutions.
Pope Francis should also realize how under represented lay people (and most particularly women) are in the upper echelons of the church. No one is anticipating a revolutionary sense of renewal at this stage whereby women will become priests overnight and male priests will forsake their celibacy vows. But ability is sexless and what I am hoping for is an ineluctable realization by the Vatican that lay men and women are both painfully absent from its higher structures – and certainly from the all-male and ageing Curia – despite the fact that women represent 70% of all believers.
As a Latin American who experienced the dirty war of Argentina during the junta years, and given his less Eurocentric identity, he will surely realize that the church is no longer exclusively Roman by geography or demography. The new pope should diverge from the path of his predecessor Benedict XVI and encourage instead a sense of collegiality whereby all bishops across all continents will have adequate authority to shepherd their flocks. The central hub of every decision can no longer lie in the slow machinery of the Vatican in Rome. Of course, this can only be achieved efficiently if the structures are made available for such a collegial culture. The pope should be more ecumenical; it behooves Francis to strengthen bridges with the Orthodox as well as Reform Churches let alone ease strains with Islam and Judaism. After all, Francis’ inauguration ceremony on Tuesday was the first time in 959 years that the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I attended the inauguration of a new pope in Rome. Mind you, we should also bear in mind also that this is certainly a two-way street and relations can only improve if all parties are willing and able to do so. Within this emerging picture are the Christians – alongside their Muslim neighbors – of the MENA region. They are sometimes referred to as the forgotten faithful and they should not be ignored as they undergo radical and at times painfully challenging changes in countries such as Egypt or Syria. The pope should stand firmly on the side of dignity, fundamental freedoms, and socio-economic justice and express support to the faithful grassroots in their epic moment of truth.
This is such a tall order that I truly wonder if a man of 76 years can manage to initiate, let alone undertake and implement, some of those substantive reforms. But I would suggest that Francis may be aware of the limited time to leave his fingerprints on the papacy – either before he dies or retires – and is therefore determined to see those changes through. As an American friend wrote to me earlier this week, “It seems that the gentle breezes of change are wafting through our beloved Church”. And much as it is still far too early to pass hasty judgments, he might well be correct!
However, what is required from the new pope today is more than an evocative name and a humble posture. The Catholic Church also needs a steely disciplinarian who would revamp its topmost structures and put its own house in order to enable real corresponding renewal from below. ‘Do as I say, not as I do’ can no longer be an accepted truism!
Pope Francis brings with him manifold talents and a charisma that he will need to apply to the whole church, to its men and women across all five continents. Those who do not believe in a divine God or are antagonistic to anything faith-centered or even Christian will consider my thoughts as nothing more than codswallop! But I am frankly at ease with their standpoints and respect their choices. But for those who aspire for a transcendental meaning to life beyond the here and now, the new pope can either help strengthen our faith or else crush it with more disillusionment. After all, renewal – or its Arabic concept of tajdeed – is fundamental to all cycles of life.
Indeed, what many unsure men and women increasingly seek in a religious institution today is not another leader issuing imperious top-down edicts but rather a new pope who trusts a renewed church and who is inclusive of its men and women. Quite a tall order, some people might well say, but that after all is the disarming beauty of miracles!
**Harry Hagopian is an international lawyer, political analyst, and ecumenical advisor based in London. Follow him on Twitter @Harry Hagopian

Canada Welcomes Resumption of Diplomatic Ties Between Turkey and Israel
March 22, 2013 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:
“Canada is very pleased that Turkey and Israel have agreed to resume normal diplomatic relations after several years of difficulty and strain. Canada believes constructive and productive relations between these two important states are crucial for regional stability and security, and will have broader benefits as well.
“Canada has consistently and actively encouraged both of our allies to overcome their differences. We recognize that today’s first step still leaves work to be done, and we offer our good offices in dealing with any outstanding issues should either feel we can be of assistance.
“Canada stands ready to work with Turkey and Israel to confront the full range of challenges being faced in the region and to make the Middle East more peaceful and stable.”