LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 31/2013

Happy Easter to all our readers/Halleluiah, Jesus Has Risen

Mark 16/o1-08./When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.’ So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

First Letter to the Corinthians 15,12-26.
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.
But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power.For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Great Sunday of the Resurrection/Commentary of the day
Saint Chromatius of Aquilaea (?-407), Bishop
Sermon 17, 2nd for the Easter Vigil; SC 154
"Behold I make all things new" (Rv 21,5) /The whole world, celebrating the paschal vigil throughout this night, bears witness to this night's splendor and solemnity. And rightly so, for on this night death was conquered, Life lives, Christ was raised from the dead. In former days, Moses said to the people regarding this Life: "You will see your life suspended on the wood both day and night" (Dt 28,66 Vg)... That this refers to Christ our Lord, he himself show us in the Gospel when he says: "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" (Jn 14,6). He calls himself the Way because he leads us to the Father; the Truth, because he condemns lies; and Life, because he rules over death... "Death, where is your sting? Death, where is your victory?" (1Cor 15,55). For death, which used always to be victorious, has been overcome by the death of its victor. Life consented to die to put death to rout. Just as shadows fade away at the rising of the sun, so death was wiped out when eternal Life arose...So here is the season of Easter. In former times Moses spoke about it to the people when he said: "This month will be the first month of the year for you" (cf Ex 12,2)... Thus the first month of the year is not January, when all is dead, but Easter, when everything comes back to life. Because this is the time when the grass of the field rises up from death, so to speak, the time when trees are in blossom and the vines in bud, the time when the very air seems happy to begin a new year... Therefore this time of Easter is the first of months, the new season... and, on this day, humankind itself is also renewed. And so we, who believe that the Easter season is indeed the New Year, are to celebrate this holy day with all joy and exultation and spiritual rejoicing so that in all truth we can say this refrain to the psalm: "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad" (Ps 118[117],24).

Halleluiah, Jesus Has Risen
By: Elias Bejjani*
"If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable" (Corinthians15/19)

On this holy day, of Resurrection, we are ought to be aware that for our prayers to be looked upon and heard by Almighty God, we are required to reconcile with with all others on whom we have inflicted pain and injustice, and treated them with an evil manner. To please the Lord we are required to genuinely, heartily and overtly perform all required acts of repentance for all our mischievous conducts and wrongdoings. We are requires to pray and pray and pray.

"Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them. Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions" (Mark 11/24-26)

How great is the need nowadays, to understand the meaning and message of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sadly fast pace of life, merciless competition, detachment from almighty God and materialism, have turned us into mere robots and a bunch of spiritually crippled human beings, consumed by greed, selfishness and the lust for earthly pleasures and treasures.

Because of lack of both faith and hope our thoughts and actions are dominated, obsessed and directed by trifle material and earthly matters and concerns. In the midst of all this faith, moral and ethical havoc, we have forgotten that we are the sons and daughters of Almighty God, and that He has created us in His image and likeness and made our bodies a temple for Him.

For our salvation, "He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead." (Creed)

The rising again of Jesus from the dead, and His ascending into heaven are the resurrection miracle that the church celebrates on the Easter Day. Resurrection is the cornerstone, the pillar, the heart, the foundation, and the core of the Christian faith. Those who claim to be Christians, no matter to what denomination or church they belong, are not actually Christians if they doubt or do not totally believe in the resurrection. Plainly, and simply resurrection is Christianity and Christianity is resurrection.

Easter Sunday (Resurrection) is a holy feast of love, humility, forgiveness, brotherhood, tolerance and repentance. Religiously worshipers are not to participate in any of these feast prayers or make any offerings or receive the Holy Communion unless they willingly replace hatred with love, grudges with forgiveness, rejection of others with tolerance, arrogance with humility, greed with contentment, deception with transparency, and wickedness with righteousness.

On this Holy Day of Resurrection, we need to be aware that Jesus' Holy blood was shed on the Cross for our sake. Remembrance of His death and resurrection is a Godly consignment that we are entrusted with. It’s up to us either to honour this trust or betray it.

In regards to what is committed to us, Saint Paul conveyed to his disciple Timothy the following advice: "Timothy, guard that which is committed to you, turning away from the empty chatter and oppositions of the knowledge which is falsely so called; which some professing have erred concerning the faith". (6/20-21):
Resurrection, this pivotal liturgical fact was strongly stressed by all the Apostles, especially by Saint Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians. He said: "Now if Christ is preached, that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised. If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith also is in vain. Yes, we are found false witnesses of God, because we testified about God that he raised up Christ, whom he didn’t raise up, if it is so that the dead are not raised. For if the dead aren’t raised, neither has Christ been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable. But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s, at his coming. Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death". (15/12-26):
Lord Jesus who died on the cross, had risen from the dead on the third day just as He has said while proclaiming His message. He triumphed over death, defeated the forces of darkness, overcame pain, abolished anguish and brought despair to an end. He rose from the tomb to be constantly with those faithful to Him throughout their lives, and to never abandon them. He shall empower forever those who believe in His message and observe His commandments with the spirit of truth, knowledge, wisdom and solidarity with His Father, Almighty God.
Do not be afraid, “Don’t be amazed", with these reassuring and soothing words The Angel spoke to Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. They had came to the tomb on Sunday morning to mummify and anoint Jesus' Body as the Jewish tradition required. They thought death had defeated Jesus and ended His life as it does to every human being. On their way, they were sadly thinking and wondering who will roll for them the stone away from the tomb's entrance so they can get in and perform the mummifying and anointing process. While halfway from the tomb, they saw that the enormous stone had been rolled away. When they entered the tomb they found that Jesus' body was not there. They found only the shrouds that His body was wrapped with on His burial after the crucifixion.
Through Crucifixion and resurrection, Christ has overcome death, broke its thorn, and granted us His eternal forgiveness from the original sin. With His death and resurrection, death in its traditional earthly human concept has been abolished forever and Sin since then has become the actual death that leads the sinners to Gahanna into the unquenchable fire.
When our bodies die, we sleep in the hope of resurrection. On Jesus' return on the Day of Judgment, the dead will be the first to rise and escort Him. "Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed", (Corinthians 15/ 51-52).
Christ is the Way, Christ is the Truth, and Christ is the actual eternal life that we long for. We strongly believe with full conviction that Christ dwells in His Holy Church, and exists in its Mysteries (Sacraments). He is always present in the Holy Eucharist that we receive during every mass. Christ at all times is ready, willing and delighted to help us in our burdens when we call on Him and ask for His mercy.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew11/28)
If we do not learn how to tame our selfishness, anger, hatred and forgive others for whatever evil deeds they commit against us and reconcile with them, than we do not qualify to be called Jesus' followers. Our prayers will not be heard or responded to, if we do not practice the grace of forgiveness as did He who was crucified for our salvation.

“If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift". (Matthew 5/23-24).
Our resurrection through Jesus Christ occurs today and lives on in each day of our life.

Let us pray that the Holy Spirit enlighten and empower us on this Holy day just as with the Apostles on the day of Pentecost.

Let us all proudly proclaim that Christ is living in us and with us, Christ has truly risen and we are witnesses to His resurrection!
Happy Easter to all, and especially to my dear and beloved family members, relatives, supporters, friends and readers.
Halleluiah! Jesus has risen! Indeed He has risen.

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

Pope Refers to 'Muslim Brothers' on Good Friday, Praises 'Strong Bond of Communion' in Lebanon
Naharnet/Pope Francis reached out in friendship to "so many Muslim brothers and sisters" during a Good Friday procession dedicated to the suffering of Christians from terrorism, war and religious fanaticism in the Middle East.
The new pontiff, who has rankled traditionalists by rejecting many trappings of his office, mostly stuck to the traditional script during the nighttime Way of the Cross procession at Rome's Colosseum, one of the most dramatic rituals of Holy Week. With torches lighting the way, the faithful carried a cross to different stations, where meditations and prayers were read out recalling the final hours of Jesus' life and his crucifixion. This year, the prayers were composed by young Lebanese, and many recalled the plight of minority Christians in the region, where wars have forced thousands to flee their homelands. The meditations called for an end to "violent fundamentalism," terrorism and the "wars and violence which in our days devastate various countries in the Middle East." Francis, who became pope just over two weeks ago, chose, however, to stress Christians' positive relations with Muslims in the region in his brief comments at the end of the ceremony. Standing on a platform overlooking the procession route, Francis recalled Benedict XVI's 2012 visit to Lebanon when "we saw the beauty and the strong bond of communion joining Christians together in that land and the friendship of our Muslim brothers and sisters and so many others." "That occasion was a sign to the Middle East and to the whole world, a sign of hope," he said. Thousands of people packed the Colosseum and surrounding areas for the nighttime procession, holding candles wrapped in paper globes as Francis sat in silent prayer as a giant torch-lit crucifix twinkled nearby. Some in the crowd had Lebanese flags around their shoulders in an indication of the special role Lebanese faithful played in this year's procession. Lebanon has the largest percentage of Christians in the Middle East — nearly 40 percent of the country's 4 million people, with Maronites the largest sect.
Associated Press

Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi Hands Over ISF Leadership to Salem, Says Leaving Post with 'Clear Conscience'
Naharnet /Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi handed over on Saturday the ISF leadership to Brig. Gen. Roger Salem, remarking that he was leaving his post with a "clear conscience." The handing over of the post “comes as part of the law,” Rifi said at the graduation ceremony of expert officers held at the ISF general-directorate in Ashrafiyeh.“My conscience is clear,” Rifi said seven days after Prime Minister Najib Miqati resigned over the rejection of the Hizbullah-led March 8 majority alliance to extend his tenure. Rifi will turn 59 – the ISF’s maximum working age – on April 1. Salem will serve as acting head of the ISF until a new director-general is appointed. Al-Mustaqbal bloc has proposed a draft-law that allows both Rifi and Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji to stay in their posts until they reach respectively the age of 62 and 63. Rifi cited several of the achievements made by the ISF after he took charge of the department in 2005. “Only justice leads to a stable society,” he said, adding “we are proud of our achievements.”Rifi hailed ISF Intelligence Bureau chief Wissam al-Hasan and Wissam Eid, a top communications analyst with the bureau, both killed in the series of assassinations and murder attempts that targeted politicians and security and media figures in the aftermath of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri's Feb. 2005 murder.Rifi thanked all ISF officers and saluted the Lebanese army and the rest of the security agencies.

Al-Rahi Warns against Vacuum and Turning Lebanon to Statelets
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi urged the authorities on Saturday not to allow arms smuggling and prevent the use of Lebanese territories as bases to attack Syria, warning against attempts to push Lebanon to a national crisis in search for a huge change that includes turning it into statelets. “We urge the authorities to make sure that arms are not smuggled and that Lebanese territories are not used to transfer them to Syria or that its land is not used for bases of defense or attack,” Al-Rahi said in his Easter message. “We reject vacuum in our political system,” he said in a strongly-worded statement. “We call for a responsible cabinet and an effective parliament.”
Al-Rahi warned “against pushing to a national crisis in search for a huge change by turning Lebanon into statelets.”He urged the Lebanese to agree on change within the framework of the constitution and the state's institutions.
He said the Lebanese will not tolerate politicians who work for their personal and sectarian interests, a move that is paralyzing the institutions due to the power struggle that leads to several problems including the proliferation of arms. Al-Rahi said a procrastination on an agreement on the new cabinet to salvage the country from political and sectarian divisions and economic downturn will also not be tolerated. “The citizens will not accept the extension of the parliament's tenure … which goes against the democratic rotation of power,” he added. The patriarch criticized the politicians who make public claims on the electoral law despite a different reality. “Everyone rejects the 1960 law in public but seeks to keep it,” he said. Al-Rahi has totally rejected the law urging the rival blocs to agree on a draft-law that provides a fair representation for all the Lebanese. But their failure to reach consensus on a new law will likely lead to the postponement of the polls that are set to be held on June 9 and the extension of parliament's term. The resignation of Prime Minister Najib Miqati's cabinet has worsened the crisis, with each side setting its conditions on the new government. Al-Rahi urged President Michel Suleiman, who has taken the constitutional oath, to assume his full responsibilities and said all parties should cooperate with him at this sensitive stage. “Lebanon only rises through dialogue,” he said, adding that dialogue should become a permanent authority that deals with essential patriotic issues at times of crises.
His Easter message had also an appeal on ending the violence in neighboring Syria. “The bickering parties in Syria … who are killing dozens of innocent civilians daily should throw away their arms and money sent to them from abroad,” he said. “The region's countries should welcome the Syrian refugees and coordinate their assistance inside and outside Syria,” he added.

Saniora Meets Suleiman, Heads to Riyadh for Talks with Hariri
Naharnet/Al-Mustaqbal bloc leader Fouad Saniora on Saturday met with President Michel Suleiman before traveling to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with former Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Saniora held talks with Suleiman at Baabda palace on Saturday morning. He then traveled to Riyadh at the head of a delegation from al-Mustaqbal movement. Media reports have said that Saniora aims to hold talks with Hariri ahead of the April 5-6 binding consultations between Suleiman and the parliamentary blocs and independents on the name of the Prime Minister-designate. The reports said that al-Mustaqbal along with the rest of the opposition March 14 factions are backing the formation of a neutral cabinet. The alliance has ruled out the appointment of caretaker Premier Najib Miqati to lead such a government. Hariri, who is also the al-Mustaqbal movement chief, headed a cabinet in 2009, until its collapse in 2011 after March 8 alliance ministers withdrew from his national unity government. Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat's 12-member National Struggle Front parliamentary bloc, along with the March 8 majority led by Hizbullah, brought Miqati to the premiership. The National News Agency said that Saniora held a telephone conversation with Speaker Nabih Berri on Friday night to express his well wishes after he underwent a minor surgery and was discharged on Saturday.

Syrian Rebels Kill Aleppo Cleric, Parade Body
Naharnet /Syrian rebel forces killed a pro-regime Sunni cleric in the city of Aleppo, with some reports suggesting he was beheaded, and then dragged his body through the streets, a watchdog group said on Saturday.
Sheikh Hassan Seifeddin, imam of a mosque in the northern Aleppo neighborhood of Sheikh Maqsud, "was killed overnight Friday by rebel fighters in the east of the area and his body was dragged through the streets," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Syrian state news agency SANA reported that Seifeddin was "assassinated by terrorists who mutilated his body afterwards," while official television station al-Ikhbariya said he had been "slaughtered" and beheaded. "The ulema (clerics) of Aleppo denounce this despicable crime committed by the enemies of humanity who assassinated Sheikh Hassan Seifeddin and laid his head on the minaret of al-Hassan mosque in Sheikh Maqsud," the station reported. Sheikh Maqsud is a majority Kurdish district of Aleppo, and fierce battles between rebels and regime forces have been raging since Friday in its eastern quarter where much of the district's non-Kurdish Sunni residents live. The ulema called on the Syrian army to "liberate Syria from the criminal mercenaries with obscurantist ideas," in an apparent reference to hardline jihadist groups amongst the armed opposition. A March 22 suicide bomb attack on a central Damascus mosque claimed by jihadists killed 42 people, including the country's most prominent pro-regime Sunni cleric.
The Observatory said 31 people had been killed in Sheikh Maqsud in 24 hours, including 10 civilians, 14 pro-regime gunman and seven rebels. At least 157 people were killed through Syria on Friday, according to the watchdog group which gathers its information from a network of activists and medics on the ground. France Presse

Islamic Endowments Slams Rumors on Hizbullah Network at Dar al-Fatwa
Naharnet /The director-general of Islamic Endowments slammed on Saturday what he said was a media campaign of lies by powerful politicians that there is a Hizbullah network at Dar al-Fatwa. Sheikh Hisham Khalifeh said during a press conference that the rumors were causing divisions among Muslims. Dar al-Fatwa, Lebanon’s top Sunni religious authority, “has never belonged to a certain faction,” he said. “It only has one stance … that calls for unity.” Khalifeh appealed to politicians and Sunnis “not to get dragged behind rumors because Dar al-Fatwa is your house and its loyalty is to the Sunnis, to Muslims, to Lebanon and security forces.” The Sheikh also said that Dar al-Fatwa hadn't been informed by the Shura Council about a decision to suspend the elections of the Higher Islamic Council that Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani had called for. “Is the judiciary now sending its decisions through some media outlets?” he wondered. On Thursday, a statement issued by Khalifeh said the elections for the HIC, which chooses the mufti and organizes the affairs of Dar al-Fatwa, will be held on April 14 despite the alleged decision of the Shura Council to cancel the polls. The Council suspended a call for the elections last year after 21 HIC members, who are close to ex-Premier Saad Hariri's al-Mustaqbal movement, filed a challenge against Qabbani's invitation to hold the polls. Differences between them spread when the 21 members extended the term of the council until the end of 2013 despite the objection of Qabbani, who argues that the extension is illegal and says the council’s term has expired.

Syria's Ali Confirms He Was Not Summoned by Mansour: Assaults on Lebanon Harm Syria
Naharnet/Syria's Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali stated on Saturday that he was not summoned by Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour on the backdrop of Friday's Syrian assault against Lebanese territories, assuring that his country is “the party negatively affected by the incident”.“I have answered this question before. There is an ongoing cooperation between the two states,” Ali firmly said after meeting with FM Mansour.
He added: “The border between the two countries is subject to violations from gunmen and terrorist organizations that exploit Lebanon's land and hospitality to attack Syria”. “Syria does not allow this and retaliates”. A Syrian boat on Friday entered Lebanese territorial waters and opened fire on a Lebanese fishing boat off the northern coast of Arida, injuring a fisherman, the state-run National News Agency reported. Also on Friday, three mortar shells from the Syrian side of the border fell on the al-Noura town in Akkar, but no casualties were reported. These incidents are part of repetitive Syrian assaults against Lebanese territories since the eruption of the neighboring country's conflict in 2011. Ali assured that discussions with Mansour did not touch on the incident, he said: “Syria is keen on preserving the relation we have with this country,” highlighting the necessity to tighten security measures and protect the border. He remarked: “Mutual cooperation must take place to control the security situation and deter outlaws from threatening the interests of both countries”.The ambassador revealed that the aim of his visit, however, was to “coordinate efforts regarding the trucks coming across the Lebanese-Syrian border".

March 14 Pushing for Neutral Cabinet while Hizbullah Sticks to Unity Government
Naharnet/The March 14 opposition alliance is seeking the formation of a neutral cabinet to oversee the elections while the March 8 majority alliance led by Hizbullah is after a national unity government, two stances that are likely to worsen the country’s political crisis.A high-ranking March 14 official told An Nahar daily published Saturday that the opposition wants a new neutral cabinet capable of supervising the polls that should be held “as soon as possible” if there was a need for a technical postponement. The official, who was not identified, said the alliance totally rejects the formation of a national unity cabinet along with the postponement of the elections for a long time, which is similar to the extension of the parliament’s term for two years. The choice of the coalition on the name of the new PM-designate will be known only 24 hours before the date set by President Michel Suleiman for consultations with parliamentary blocs and independent lawmakers on April 5-6, the official said. But March 14 sources ruled out bringing back Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati back to power to head a neutral cabinet.
Miqati's resignation last Friday prompted calls for the resumption of the national dialogue. But the official told An Nahar that March 14 rejects attending the all-party talks for the purpose of reaching an agreement on the type of the government, saying only the constitution deals with such a matter. The conditions set by the opposition along with an attempt by the Hizbullah-led March 8 alliance to form a national unity cabinet have left analysts wondering as to what the week after the Easter holiday and the days before the parliamentary consultations will hold. Hizbullah has demanded the new cabinet to adopt “The people, the Army and the resistance” in its policy statement as had been the case with previous governments.

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea Calls For a 'Neutral' Cabinet
Naharnet /Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea reiterated calls to form a “neutral” cabinet to supervise the upcoming parliamentary elections, and to choose a new premier who is not a candidate for the polls, the As-Safir daily reported on Saturday. “Holding the parliamentary elections is a prime target even if technical reasons led to some delay. We want a cabinet of elections, and it cannot be but a neutral one that includes technocrat ministers specialized in addressing the economic and living situation,” said Geagea in an interview with the daily. On choosing a new prime minister, the LF leader said: “We are looking for an impartial prime minister not a candidate for the elections. That’s why consultations are necessary among factions of the March 14 alliance mainly during this phase.” The March 14 opposition alliance is seeking the formation of a neutral cabinet to oversee the elections while the March 8 majority alliance led by Hizbullah is after a national unity government, two conflicting stances that are likely to worsen the country’s political crisis. Former PM Najib Miqati resigned last week hours after the country’s president suspended cabinet sessions for failing to pass a decision on the formation of an elections committee to supervise the upcoming parliamentary polls. March 14 totally rejects the formation of a national unity cabinet along with the postponement of the elections for a long time, which is similar to the extension of the parliament’s term for two years. The choice of the coalition on the name of the new PM-designate will be known only 24 hours before the date set by President Michel Suleiman for consultations with parliamentary blocs and independent lawmakers on April 5-6, according to reports. But March 14 sources ruled out bringing back Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati back to power to head a neutral cabinet.

Berri Discharged from AUBMC after Minor Surgery
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri was discharged from American University of Beirut Medical Center after undergoing a minor surgery to remove a kidney stone, the hospital said Saturday. “Speaker Berri has been admitted to the AUBMC and (ex-health minister) Dr. Mohammed Jawad Khalife conducted the surgery," the hospital said .The speaker is in good health and was discharged from the hospital Saturday morning, it added. The Speaker thanked all those who wished him well, and apologized for not being able to receive any well-wishers during his recovery period. On Friday, Berri's press office issued a statement confirming that he was admitted to hospital for a "minor surgery that ended successfully.”

North Korea Declares 'State of War' with Seoul
Naharnet /North Korea on Saturday declared it had entered into a "state of war" with South Korea and warned Seoul and Washington that any provocation would swiftly escalate into an all-out nuclear conflict.
The United States said it took the announcement "seriously,” even though it followed a familiar pattern, while South Korea largely dismissed it as an old threat dressed in new clothing. It was the latest in a string of dire-sounding pronouncements from Pyongyang that have been matched by tough warnings from Seoul and Washington, fueling international concern that the situation might spiral out of control. "As of now, inter-Korea relations enter a state of war and all matters between the two Koreas will be handled according to wartime protocol," the North said in a government statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency. "The long-standing situation of the Korean peninsula being neither at peace nor at war is finally over," the statement said, adding that any U.S. or South Korean provocation would trigger a "full-scale conflict and a nuclear war.” The two Koreas have technically remained at war for the past six decades because the 1950-53 Korean War concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. The North had announced earlier this month that it was ripping up the armistice and other bilateral peace pacts signed with Seoul in protest against South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises. Voiding the ceasefire theoretically opened the way to a resumption of hostilities, although the armistice was approved by the U.N. General Assembly, and both the U.N. and South Korea repudiated the North's unilateral withdrawal. The White House labeled the latest statement from Pyongyang as "unconstructive" and, while taking it "seriously,” sought to place the immediate threat level in context. "North Korea has a long history of bellicose rhetoric and threats and today's announcement follows that familiar pattern," said National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden.
In Seoul, the Unification Ministry insisted the war threat was "not really new" and the Defense Ministry added that no notable troop movement had been observed along the border.
Most observers still believe this will remain a verbal rather than a physical battle. "The North Koreans in recent weeks have turned rhetoric into performance art," said Gordon Flake, a Korea specialist and executive director of the Mansfield Foundation in Washington. "When they have already declared the armistice null and void, I do not think a declaration of war breaks new ground," Flake said. But he added that the situation had now become so volatile that any slight miscalculation carried the potential for rapid escalation. Russia called for "maxim responsibility and restraint” on Saturday. "We expect all sides to show maximum responsibility and restraint and that no-one will cross the line after which there will be no return," Grigory Logvinov, a Russian foreign ministry pointman on North Korea, told the Interfax news agency. Both China and Russia called for calm Friday, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov voicing particular concern. "We can simply see the situation getting out of control, it would spiral down into a vicious circle," Lavrov told reporters at a news conference.
His warning came after North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un ordered missile units to prepare to strike U.S. mainland and military bases, so as to "settle accounts" after U.S. stealth bombers flew over South Korea.
The high-stakes standoff has its roots in North Korea's successful long-range rocket launch in December and the third nuclear test it carried out in February. Both events drew U.N. sanctions that incensed Pyongyang, which then switched the focus of its anger to the annual joint South Korea-U.S. military drills. As tensions escalated, Washington has maintained a notably assertive stance, publicizing its use of nuclear-capable B-52s and B-2 stealth bombers in the war games. The long-distance deployment of both sets of aircraft out of bases in Guam and the U.S. mainland were intended as a clear signal of U.S. commitment to defending South Korea against any act of aggression.Analysts have underlined that the threats and counter-threats from all sides have increasingly stressed a conditional element of the other acting first. "But the danger is, when the North Koreans have threatened a nuclear attack on Washington, they may not know a limit on how much they can get away with," said Flake. Agence France Presse

The Culture of the Great Turmoil
Husam Itani/Al Hayat/Friday 29 March 2013
During the era of the great Arab turmoil, a number of writers are looking for the starting point of an Arab intellectual and cultural renaissance project, which they are hoping would accompany the deep political change witnessed in our countries. Some are drawing their references from Arab-Islamic heritage, whether religious, philosophical, or literary. But others believe that this heritage has already fulfilled its purpose, and was understood and surpassed by Western ideological schools that should be adopted and followed. And there are others who believe there should be a consensual solution – as it is customary in such cases – to take from the West what goes in line with our values and civilization, and use it to produce a cognitive baggage suitable for our environment and circumstances. Oftentimes, the discussion seems to be without a context and without a clear goal. And ever since the central question of Arab renaissance was put forward in the 19th Century, i.e. “why did the West move forward while the Arabs headed backward?” the answers have been revolving in a vicious circle. At this point, rationalism emerges as a readymade recipe to exit the predicament of Arab political thought, far away from its limitations and historical introductions – especially based on the European-Western model and the complicated course of Western political philosophy, its ties with the social and economic conflicts, and the transition from one era to another and from one trend to another. Names from our heritage are thus thrown on the table, such as that of Ibn Rushd, in order to show that Arab-Islamic thought can draw solutions from our culture.
And from time to time, someone affirms that rationalism which leads to democracy is the best way to end the ongoing Arab backwardness. But there is a great flaw affecting the latter proposal, as rationalism requires the minimum level of consideration of the current circumstances of Arab societies, their material and spiritual needs, their hopes and aspirations, and the extent of the compatibility of capabilities with major plans and rosy dreams.
The experiences in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen, i.e. the states which accomplished palpable steps to get rid of tyranny, reveal that reality is much more complicated than ideals, while the arrival of the forces of political Islam to power in Egypt and Tunisia for example confirms that history prefers to adopt devious paths. It is as though there was no escaping Muhammad Morsi’s arrival to the presidency and seeing the Tunisian Ennahda Movement control power. But these cases, and despite all the media commotion accompanying them, are similar to huge statues on a base of clay. At this level, the fierce resistance with which the Egyptian and Tunisian societies are countering the attempts to impose a certain behavior and culture on them reveals that political Islam represented by the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) did not carry the solution which was heralded for a long time and that the flaw is not limited to the presence of remnants trying to sabotage the Brotherhood’s arrival to power. Indeed, the issue is much deeper than that and involves the MB’s inability to convince wide Egyptian and Tunisian factions of its ability to represent them, achieve their interests and defend their rights. In any case, the MB is a mere version of the “vanguard party” in a system where the identity of the community replaces the pluralistic community.
This reality leads us back to square one, which is lost in reform projects. The current constant principles of Arab culture and the attempts to explore the Arab social structures with traditional ideological tools are useless, just as it is pointless to replace an ideological certainty with a metaphysical one. Hence, the road leading towards an awareness, a discourse and a culture that are in line with the reality of Arab societies might be long, but as it was clearly revealed by the Arab revolutions, the action of the people precedes the movement of the ideas they carry.

The Contradiction Between Russia and Iran in Syria and Lebanon
Walid Choucair/Al Hayat
Friday 29 March 2013
The stances of Russia and Iran, which are waging a battle to prolong the life of the Syrian regime in a game of arm-twisting with western states, continue to generate surprise because of the many contradictions involved, and their lack of cohesiveness.
This week’s Arab Summit decided to grant the opposition Syrian National Coalition the country’s seat, and allow any Arab state to arm the Syrian rebels, generating responses from Moscow and Tehran – but their reactions only cemented the impression that the two countries are not acting in concert with each other.
At the outset of the crisis in Syria, Moscow said that it rejected western intervention in Syria, and that it supported dialogue between the warring sides. It supported the road map set down by the Arab League, which included dialogue and the sending of Arab observers to Syria. But when the leading members of the Arab League decided to suspend Syria’s membership in this body because President Bashar Assad refused to cooperate with the provisions of this agreement, which was issued in November 2011, the Russian leadership considered the decision to be unhelpful.
Over the last two years, Moscow has played a vacillating role; it said it was not concerned with Assad personally, but rather with the future of Syria, as declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Then, it would say that the political solution based on the Syria Task Force plan agreed to in Geneva did not mean that Assad would step down.
When the Arab Summit’s decision was issued this week, Russia said that awarding Syria’s seat to the opposition was illegitimate. Moscow is using its veto power in any international body against decisions aimed at pressuring Damascus, in order to facilitate a political solution, and it wants to prevent any regional body, such as the Arab League, from exercising such pressure. Russia does not want to remain neutral and allow Arab countries to test their ability to push in the direction of a political solution. Also, it does not want to see foreign intervention, which it arrogates to itself by arming the regime and its people, while turning a blind eye to the intervention of other sides, led by Iran and Hezbollah, and denying this right to Arab states.
Meanwhile, since the beginning of the crisis Tehran has opposed American and western intervention, urging “cooperation among the countries of the region” in order to arrive at a political solution. Every time the “countries of the region” – whether via the Arab League or cooperation between Arab countries and Turkey –put forward the political solution, which would lead to Assad’s departure, Iran would declare, on behalf of Assad, that he was remaining in power and would run for president again in 2014. Then, it would adopt Assad’s condition that Arab states stop supporting the opposition with weapons and money, while making light of the facts indicating the Iran’s Revolutionary Guards were fighting in a number of places in Syria, along with Hezbollah, and that Iran was funding Assad’s war against his people. It was as if this would be a “dangerous precedent,” and the Arab League decision was classified in this manner, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry.
The contradiction in the stances of Russia and Iran has been characterized by making light of the stances of other countries, and this applies to their position on the situation in Lebanon. This is understandable in the case of Iran, but not in the case of Russia, because such behavior is dangerous.
On Tuesday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said that instability in Lebanon was due to a number of factors, such as tension on the borders, “which are being used by the Syrian opposition and its supporters in Lebanon to transport fighters and weapons” into Syria. The ministry failed to mention that Hezbollah fighters are crossing the border and are taking part in the military conflict inside Syria. In saying this, does Moscow justify the use of Syrian warplanes and artillery to bomb Lebanese territory? This stance contradicts Russia’s approval of the March 14 Security Council resolution that expressed “ grave concern over repeated incidents of cross-border fire which caused death and injury among the Lebanese population, incursions, abductions and arms trafficking across the Lebanese-Syrian border.” The statement concluded with a call to the Lebanese to adhere to their policy of disassociation, avoid involvement in the Syrian crisis, and implement the Baabda Declaration, which stipulates neutrality.
But the Iranian stance is suspicious in terms of what the country intends to see happen in Lebanon following last week’s resignation of the Cabinet, whose formation and whose majority of members were dominated by Hezbollah. The party maintains that governments do not create stability; rather, national consensus determines the form and content of governments and their performance. Hezbollah affirmed its insistence on the formula of “army-people-resistance,” which is exactly the opposite of the basis upon which this government was formed.
In 2010, Hezbollah brought down the “national consensus” government headed by Prime Minister Saad Hariri on the pretext of bringing in a Cabinet headed by Najib Miqati, because in the view of Tehran, it would “achieve stability and protect the resistance, which is more important than national consensus,” as it informed those concerned. Does this imply giving up on forming a new government and keeping Lebanon in limbo, if Hezbollah’s rivals do not reach consensus in the way desired by Hezbollah and Iran, at the peak of the crisis underway in Syria?
The danger of the contradiction in the Russian and Iranian stances lies in the fact that they are revealing that the situation in Lebanon is fully involved in the crisis in Syria.

A Summit to Besiege Iran
Hassan Haidar/Al Hayat
Thursday 28 March 2013
It is true that the closing statement of the Arab Summit in Doha only mentioned Iran when reiterating its condemnation of the latter’s continued occupation of the three Emirati islands. However, the fact that most of the summit’s discussions and decisions were focused on Syria first, and on the Palestinian issue – especially Jerusalem – second, makes Tehran the target of these decisions, alongside its ally the Assad regime. This is particularly true as it was not invited to Doha, as had become the custom in past Arab Summits. It also goes together with Saudi Arabia’s declaration that the investigation with the members of the spy network recently arrested there has revealed that they are directly connected to Iranian intelligence services.
Tehran, for its part, rushed to launch a counterattack against the Arab League, and considered that the latter’s “dangerous behavior” of giving Syria’s seat to the opposition signifies “an end to the organization’s role in the region”.
In fact, the Iranians have never recognized the Arab League except within a traditional diplomatic framework, without this ever including recognition of it as a political institution that serves as a frame of reference and aims at unifying the stances taken by the Arabs on the issues of their region. They have always rejected its decisions concerning Tehran’s own violations of the sovereignty of Arab countries, and its constant work to cause a breach in this or that Arab country, and to weaken Arab defenses in general.
The fact that Maliki’s Iraq always departs from Arab consensus, especially when it comes to the issue of Syria, is only one indication of the negative influence exercised by Tehran on the formation of such consensus, which drives towards maintaining the loopholes caused by the politics of competing axes, so as to facilitate its breach of the system of joint Arab action.
It has also become openly known that the Iranians, who control decision-making in Baghdad to a great extent, have been intensively making use of Iraqi airspace to transport weapons and fighters to Syria in order to defend the regime there, and that is what US Secretary of State John Kerry focused on during his visit to Iraq a few days ago. Moreover, their Lebanese formation, Hezbollah, is up to its ears in fighting alongside Assad’s forces, under the unconvincing pretext of protecting Shiite villages inside Syria, as it has suddenly announced.
The other main issue which the Doha Summit sought to retrieve from Tehran’s grip was the issue of Jerusalem, which the Iranians have long used to outbid the Arabs on this central issue of theirs, turning it into a slogan they would pull out every time the Arabs took a step towards unifying their stance on the peace process, or drew closer to achieving Palestinian reconciliation. Indeed, after the Gaza card was taken away from Iran following the latest war in the Gaza Strip, the summit has come to assert the priority of the Palestinian issue and the situation of Jerusalem for the Arab World, and to reflect the latter’s will to dedicate a great deal of political and financial support to the Palestinians and to engage in diligent diplomatic work to restore their unity and defend their right to an independent state.
The Arabs certainly expect a concrete Iranian response to their efforts to regain control of the region’s issues, especially as Tehran has allies, deep pockets and both active and dormant cells, and as such a response could take the form of political or security escalation in Lebanon, Bahrain, Yemen and other breached arenas. Moreover, they know that this time they will have to prove that they are serious in confronting Iran’s infringement on their borders, their security, and their issues, and refusing to be blackmailed on their home soil.

Stances on the Syrian Crisis Redraw the Map of the Region
Raghida Dergham/Al Hayat
Friday 29 March 2013
Headlines describing the 24th Arab Summit held in Doha this week reflect profound division over Syria and Qatar’s role in effecting change in the Arab Region. Doha has taken over the presidency of the Arab league for what could be one of the most important years of the transitional period.
Qatar remains the mystery which perhaps every Arab and non-Arab is trying to decipher, with few exceptions. The year Qatar now faces represents a difficult test of which its bold style may not spare it the perils. Yet there is between the mystery and the legacy a certain distance and a fateful relationship, not just for Qatar and its unconventional leadership, but also for a region going through a phase that is equally fragile and fateful.
It would be wise for Qatar’s leadership to take decisions devoid of the flavor of innovation and try to reach a clear understanding with the Arab peoples. Mystery is not serious enough a policy for the scale of the massive events that have been shaking the region even since change came to it in what has been dubbed the Arab Spring. And ambiguity – whether constructive or destructive – is not a policy that people will accept while they waver to the tune of questions and concerns.
If the purpose of this new approach is to respect people’s rights, as Qatar’s leadership claims, then its first step must be to exert sincere efforts to dispel doubts over its intentions and seek to identify the reasons for distrust in Qatar’s agenda, in order to resolve them. That is, if Doha really does wish to make use of its presidency to open a new chapter and turn over the page of the mystery tactic, pouncing on the strings of regional and international balances of power for reasons that serve its own ends.
But it may not wish to do so. If Doha were to consider that there is no need to explain what it has in mind, as long as it is doing as it pleases, it will unfortunately not give up its known methods.
The Doha Summit has inspired contradictory headlines. It has been described as the summit of “legitimizing chaos in Syria… and the Arab World” and of “robbing Damascus of its seat.” It has also been described as the summit of “embracing the Syrian revolution and its work” and of “legitimizing the armament of the Syrian opposition”, as well as the summit of “Damascus’s seat”.
One headline even described it as being part of “replacing Arab nationalism with political Islam,” while another considered it to be the summit of “recognizing the right of countries to arm the opposition”.
There is nothing wrong with the goal of the Arab Summit to rebuild Syria after all this terrible destruction. It would be highly appreciated for the billion-dollar fund for Jerusalem to be implemented. There is no shame in making use of financial influence against the tyranny of the one party and to promote good governance.
Opposition forces need financial support if there is a political decision to arm them. In fact, there is an urgent need to inject funds towards healing the wounds and the pains of Syrian refugees, who represent one quarter of Syria’s inhabitants.
Clearly the decision-making and influence in drafting the map of the Arab region is now in the hands of countries from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Qatar in particular now holds the presidency at the Arab Summit, which gives it the legitimacy to exercise its influence. It also possesses tremendous amounts of funds, which gives it the instruments to exercise such influence, as well as unconventional boldness for taking decisions.
What Qatar also holds is a legacy of profound division among Arab countries, as well as the rivalries and enmities such division entails. To be sure, the countries that voiced reservations over giving Syria’s seat to the opposition at the Doha Summit are angry countries that have submitted. Thus, Iraq is stifled by being torn up internally, and Algeria is busy with its own domestic priorities – and these are traditionally the two most powerful states that have voiced reservations, in terms of their weight and influence.
The League of Arab States itself is also prey to division, having become in the opinion of many of its angry members monopolized by GCC countries. Secretary-General of the Arab League Nabil al-Araby could invoke, in the face of his critics, the fact that the major developments that have occurred in the stances of the Arab League over the past two years freed it from the confines of the dictates of regimes and allowed it to be characterized by boldness and initiative, especially in terms of refusing to stand idly by while ruling regimes shed the blood of their people in Libya or in Syria.
The role of the Arab League will be under double scrutiny during the coming year due to Qatar holding the presidency. This is why it must be distinguished by transparency, wisdom and insistence on refusing to follow the approach of mystery and ambiguity.
If the Arab League is in favor of heading to the United Nations to support the Syrian National Coalition obtaining Damascus’s seat at the UN General Assembly, then it must stop complaining about what the international community or the Security Council does or does not do, and replace blame with a proactive strategy.
The sight of the Syrian delegation in Syria’s seat at the Doha Summit headed by Moaz al-Khatib, with the flag of the Syrian Revolution in front of him, a “mosaic” of the Syrian people’s diverse sects and ethnic groups beside and behind him, and to his left a woman, was a potent one indeed, morally and politically. It was also a unique scene in the development of Arab revolutions, which erupted at the start of the decade.
Most of the images of leaderships produced by these revolutions have been nearly devoid of diversity, and certainly of women. In fact, the predominance of Islamists in power and their resolve to monopolize it and monopolize decision-making has turned elections into a cheap way of capturing democracy in order to misrepresent and distort it to serve their original purpose – that of holding power and imposing their rule in the name of religion. Qatar is accused of being the one sponsoring the rise of Islamists to power, in particular the Muslim Brotherhood.
This explains the distrust of Qatar among the ranks of modernists and secularists in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria and anywhere else. Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim tried at his press conference after the Doha Summit to reassure those concerned that his country supports the Egyptian army, not the tyranny of the Muslim Brotherhood, in a noteworthy step. Nevertheless, Qatar’s policy as a whole needs to be explained, or else it will remain the object of doubt and missing trust, regardless of the important role it could play in toppling tyrannical regimes.
In every issue, there is a Qatari mystery. On the issue of Palestine, for example, Qatar makes use of its influence and of its funds at times to promote Hamas and strike a blow against the Palestinian Authority, and at others to drive towards inter-Palestinian reconciliation in Egypt. There is also the decision taken by the Doha Summit to send a delegation to Washington to drive the peace process with Israel forward and to revive the Arab Peace Initiative in the American capital.
On the issue of Iran too there are contradictions and some ambiguity that demands to be clarified. Doha has had an in-depth relationship with Tehran for years prior to the eruption of the Syrian issue. Communication channels between Qatar and the Islamic Republic of Iran also remain open, and Doha considers the security system in the Gulf region to require Tehran’s presence within it.
There is complete agreement between Saudi Arabia and Qatar on the issue of Syria, which at the end of the day certainly touches upon Iran, in view of the latter’s deep relationship with the Syrian regime and Hezbollah. Indeed, the priority for Saudi Arabia and Qatar right now is to change the regime in Damascus. And it is no coincidence that the summit of “the seat” in Doha, which struck a blow against the regime in Damascus, came accompanied by Riyadh revealing that Saudi authorities had arrested a spy cell that implicates Iran.
Whether it is to reject it or submit to it, Iran is faced with a decision by the Gulf Arabs, and by Saudi Arabia and Qatar in particular, not to back down on their insistence on changing the Syrian regime. Doha may wish to contain Iran’s adventure in Syria through dialogue, as does Washington, but it will not depart from its resolve not to live with what Tehran wants, which is to maintain Bashar al-Assad’s regime in power. What will Tehran do? That is the bigger question.
While Iran is subjected to economic sanctions which Russia will at the end of the day not be able to compensate for, the boldness of the Gulf Arabs emerges, connected to their ability to provide funds. This gives the Gulf unprecedented power, which will be reflected precisely where its battle against Iran is taking place – in the Syrian arena. The goal is now clear for the countries of the Gulf, and it is to change the map of the region by changing the map of the regime in Syria.
What is the strategy of the Gulf Arabs towards Syria in terms of Lebanese, Jordanian and Iraqi ramifications? The answer to this question comes in numerous layers, some of them serious and others truly lacking the necessary seriousness.
The countries of the Gulf may wish to draw Jordan closer to them in a radical manner, but they are still following the customary method based on rationing aid instead of committing to a strategy that would place all partners on the same level.
The countries of the Gulf want to draw Lebanon away from Syrian-Iranian hegemony, but seem confused between threats and promises. There is on the part of those countries a lack of clarity – and of implementation – in their pledges to resolve the crisis of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, who are in dire need of assistance. There are promises floating around, but promises do not represent a serious policy if they remain unimplemented.
The battle over Syria between some GCC countries and Iran must not be a haphazard one. The discussion that needs to take place is not so much between the United States and Iran as between the Arab Gulf countries and Iran. There are communication channels between Doha and Tehran that must be activated in order to establish some kind of discussion, which would be aimed at truly preventing Lebanon from falling over into the Syrian abyss.
Perhaps such a discussion could lead to speaking frankly of the fact that Iran now controls political decision-making in Baghdad, with this being accepted by the United States, if Tehran were to agree to release its grip on Syria.
To be sure, Washington is not completely absent from what is happening in the Middle East, no matter how much it may seem to waver in its decisions. President Barack Obama has brokered reconciliation between Turkey and Israel, which coincided with a qualitative shift in the process of reconciliation between Turkey and the Kurds. His Secretary of State John Kerry has leapt forward in an important visit to Baghdad in order to inform Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that the blessing of the United States for his remaining in power would be linked to his sealing the border with Syria, instead of facilitating Iranian violations of Iraqi airspace in order to provide the regime in Damascus with military supplies.
It is once again an issue of repositioning, regionally and internationally, in order to draft the map of the new Middle East. The shifting balance has focused the spotlight on the actions of the United States, the Gulf Arabs and Turkey. Yet the leaders of the BRICS countries have in turn met amid polarization, which Russian President Vladimir Putin seems not to have been very successful with, at least for now, and until further notice.

West embargoes arms to Syrian rebels over their resale to al Qaeda
DEBKAfile Special Report March 30, 2013
The Western arms pipeline to the Syrian rebels fighting Bashar Assad is starting to run dry since the discovery that some of the weapons are being resold and used by al Qaeda in its conquest of southern Syrian and takeover of positions on the Jordanian and Israel borders. French President Francois Hollande for this reason reversed his government’s policy. “We will not do it [send the Syrian rebel arms] as long as we cannot be certain that there is complete control of the situation by the opposition,” he said Friday, March 29.
That day too, Ankara announced that Turkish authorities had impounded 5,000 shotguns, rifles, starting pistols, gunstocks and 10,000 cartridges in the village of Akcakale before they were sent across into Syria.
debkafile’s military sources: These steps are effectively putting in place a Western embargo on arms supplies to the Syrian rebels and not only the Assad regime. Saudi Arabia and Qatar remain their only sources of weapons.
This follows information reaching Washington, Paris, Ankara and Jerusalem in recent weeks that parts of the weapons consignments destined for the Syrian rebels, especially the Free Syrian Army, are being resold to Jabhat al-Nusra, the Islamist militia which this week proclaimed itself al Qaeda of Syria amid a major offensive for the occupation of southern Syria.
The aggressive Al Qaeda push has in fact swept beyond the important plans finalized last week for a US-led campaign to combat the Syrian chemical weapons threat.
Two weeks ago, high-resolution maps were spread out in Jerusalem, Ankara and Amman, marking out zones inside Syria for their armies’ operations under the joint command centers the US set up last year in the three countries for combating chemical warfare.
Those plans and centers switched over last week to operational mode.
Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu made an unconvincing attempt to separate the Turkish-Israeli reconciliation from the Syrian issue. However, the fact remains that it was Barack Obama, during his trip to the region on March 20-22, who brought Turkey together with Israel and Jordan for the first joint operation in history on the soil of an Arab nation under US command.
This week, the region finds itself caught up by a menace more immediate even than a chemical war:
Scarcely noticed by the world and Israeli media (busy celebrating the Passover festival), Jabhat al Nusra is about to overrun southern Syria.
Using Western- and Arab-supplied arms smuggled in for the Syrian rebels from Turkey and Lebanon, the jihadists are taking up positions on the Israeli and Jordanian borders while also assuming control over the Yarmouk River and its tributaries.
Water in the Middle East has caused the outbreak of more than one armed conflict. And indeed 50 years ago, Israel and Syria fought a war, including aerial dogfights, to dominate that same Yarmouk River. The dispute was finally resolved when the United States stepped in and brokered an agreement for the distribution of its waters among Syria, Israel and Jordan.
Alarm over Nusra Front territorial gains has accordingly taken precedence over the chemical threat in the deliberations of the joint US-Israeli, US-Jordanian and US-Turkish command centers.
Al Qaeda’s Syrian wing has even been able to obtain from Iraqi jihadists its own stock of primitive chemicals - but weapons nonetheless.
The West hesitated too long before cutting off the supply of arms to the Syria rebels; it is already too late to prevent al Qaeda occupying international border regions and seizing control of an important regional water source. Dislodging them would call for a military offensive proper - which seems to be the rationale for the large military field hospital Israeli set up this week on its Golan border with Syria.