Luke12/13-21: " But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”  He said to them, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.” He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man brought forth abundantly.  He reasoned within himself, saying, ‘What will I do, because I don’t have room to store my crops?’  He said, ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.”’  “But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’  So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”َُ

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources For October 02/13

Prime Minister Netanyahu addresses the UN General Assembly/Audio Vedio Included/01/10/13
Guarded response/The Daily Star/October 02/13
Rouhani’s Wave/By: Ataollah Mohajerani/Asharq Alawsat/October 02/13
DEBKAfile/Egyptian army tackles Al Qaeda in its Sinai “Tora Bora” following Suez terrorist strikes/October 02/13
Address by Canada's Foreign Minister Baird to the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly/October 01/13
Netanyahu can't hope to regain Israel’s voice in headlong US-Russian-Iranian nuclear diplomacy/DEBKAfile/October 01/13
Sunk values/The Daily Star/October 01/13
My Dear Lebanon/By: Hussein Shobokshi/Asharq Alawsat/October 01/133

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources For October 02/13
Lebanese Related News
Report: Recent Developments Compelled Postponement of Suleiman's Gulf Tour
Foreign Ministry: Delegation Will Soon Travel to Indonesia to Ensure Asylum-Seekers' Safe Return
An emigrant’s story tells us much about Lebanon
Lebanon to repatriate victims of boat tragedy
Miqati Urges All Sides against Exploiting Asylum-Seekers Disaster for Political Gain
Berri: There is Consensus to Reject Infighting
Salam Denies Discussions on 9-9-6 Cabinet Formula
Report: Recent Developments Compelled Postponement of Suleiman's Gulf Tour
4 Lebanese Held on Suspicion of Facilitating Illegal Travel to Australia
Relatives of Lebanese Involved in Indonesia Boat Tragedy Slam State Inaction
Change and Reform Urges 'Practical Solutions' to Refugee Crisis, Real Neutrality
Al-Mustaqbal Bloc Blames Boat Tragedy on Illegal Arms, Praises Suleiman's Representation of Lebanon at U.N.
National Dialogue Back on the Table amid Cabinet Crisis
Abu Faour slams pretexts blocking funding to Lebanon
Qassem: Hezbollah was victim of Baalbek clash
Police takes over Hezbollah checkpoints in Lebanon’s Nabatieh
Miscellaneous Reports And News
Netanyahu at UNGA: Israel will stand alone if needed in preventing Iran nuclear weapons
Israel ready to tackle nuclear Iran 'alone': Netanyahu
U.S., Israel Try to Conceal Acute Iran Disagreements
Netanyahu: Israel Ready to Tackle Nuclear Iran 'Alone'
A critical time in U.S.-Israel relations
Iran accuses Netanyahu of nuclear 'sabre rattling'
Iraq Executes 23 People in Two Days
Egypt Suspends Tourism with Iran for Security Reasons
U.N. Condemns Widespread Torture in Libya
More Than 115,000 Killed in Syria's War
Rights group finds mass graves near Damascus
The West has a second chance in Syria
Pro-Mursi protesters stage brief return to Cairo square
Deadline Missed, U.S. Slides into Government Shutdown
White House rejects latest Republican offer to end shutdown 

نص كلمة رئيس وزراء إسرائيل نيتانياهو في الأمم المتحدة/نص انكليزي وفيديو أيضاً/من الجروزالوم بوست

Prime Minister Netanyahu addresses the UN General Assembly By JPOST.COM STAFF/Audio Vedio Included

10/01/2013 23:19

http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Prime-Minister-Netanyahu-addresses-the-UN-General-Assembly-327612

Full text of Netanyahu's speech to the UN on October 1, 2013.

Thank you, Mr. President.

I feel deeply honored and privileged to stand here before you today representing the citizens of the state of Israel. We are an ancient people. We date back nearly 4,000 years to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We have journeyed through time. We've overcome the greatest of adversities.

And we re-established our sovereign state in our ancestral homeland, the land of Israel.

The Jewish people's odyssey through time has taught us two things: Never give up hope, always remain vigilant. Hope charts the future. Vigilance protects it.

Today, our hope for the future is challenged by a nuclear-armed Iran that seeks our destruction. But I want you to know: that wasn't always the case. Some 2500 years ago, the great Persian King Cyrus ended the Babylonian exile of the Jewish people. He issued a famous edict in which he proclaimed the right of the Jews to return to the Land of Israel and rebuild the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. That's a Persian decree, and thus began an historic friendship between the Jews and the Persians that lasted until modern times.

But in 1979, a radical regime in Tehran tried to stamp out that friendship. As it was busy crushing the Iranian people's hopes for democracy, it also led wild chants of "Death to the Jews!" Now, since that time, Presidents of Iran have come and gone. Some presidents were considered moderates, others hardliners. But they've all served that same unforgiving creed, that same unforgetting regime – that creed that is espoused and enforced by the real power in Iran, the dictator known in Iran as the Supreme Leader, first Ayatollah Khomeini  and now Ayatollah Khamenei. President Rouhani, like the presidents who came before him is a loyal servant of the regime. He was one of only six candidates the regime permitted to run for office. Nearly 700 other candidates were rejected.

So what made him acceptable?  Well, Rouhani headed Iran's Supreme National Security Council from 1989 through 2003. During that time, Iran's henchmen gunned down opposition leaders in a Berlin restaurant. They murdered 85 people at the Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires. They killed 19 American soldiers by blowing up the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia.

Are we to believe that Rouhani, the National Security Advisor of Iran at the time, knew nothing about these attacks?

Of course he did.

Just as 30 years ago, Iran's security chiefs knew about the bombings in Beirut that killed 241 American Marines and 58 French Paratroopers.

Rouhani was also Iran's chief nuclear negotiator between 2003 and 2005. He masterminded the strategy which enabled Iran to advance its nuclear weapons program behind a smokescreen of diplomatic engagement and very soothing rhetoric. Now I know Rouhani does not sound like Ahmadinejad. But when it comes to Iran's nuclear weapons program, the only difference between them is this: Ahmadinejad was a wolf in wolf's clothing and Rouhani is a wolf in sheep's clothing – a wolf who thinks he can pull the wool over the eyes of the international community.

Like everyone else, I wish we could believe Rouhani's words. But we must focus on Iran's actions.

And it’s the brazen contrast, this extraordinary contradiction between Rouhani's words and Iran's actions that is so startling. Rouhani stood at this very podium last week and praised Iranian democracy. Iranian democracy, he said.

But the regime that he represents executes political dissidents by the hundreds and jails them by the thousands. Rouhani spoke of "the human tragedy in Syria."  Yet Iran directly participates in Assad’s murder and massacre of tens of thousands of innocent men, women, and children in Syria, and that regime is propping up a Syrian regime that just used chemical weapons against its own people.

Rouhani condemned the "violent scourge of terrorism."  Yet in the last three years alone Iran has ordered, planned or perpetrated terrorist attacks in 25 cities on five continents.

Rouhani denounces "attempts to change the regional balance through proxies."  Yet Iran is actively destabilizing Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain, and many other Middle Eastern countries.

Rouhani promises "constructive engagement with other countries."  Yet two years ago, Iranian agents tried to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador in Washington, DC.

And just three weeks ago, an Iranian agent was arrested trying to collect information for possible attacks against the American Embassy in Tel Aviv. Some constructive engagement!

I wish I could be moved by Rouhani's invitation to join his "WAVE" –a world against violence and extremism. Yet the only waves Iran has generated in the last 30 years are waves of violence and terrorism that it has unleashed on the region and across the world.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I wish I could believe Rouhani, but I don't because facts are stubborn things. And the facts are that Iran's savage record flatly contradicts Rouhani's soothing rhetoric.

Last Friday, Rouhani assured us that in pursuit of its nuclear program, Iran has "never chosen deceit… and secrecy." Never chosen deceit and secrecy?!

Well, in 2002, Iran was caught red-handed secretly building an underground centrifuge facility at Natanz. Then in 2009, Iran was again caught red-handed secretly building a huge underground nuclear facility for uranium enrichment in a mountain near Qom. Rouhani tells us not to worry; he assures us that all this is not intended for nuclear weapons. Do any of you believe that?  If you believe that, here's a few questions that you might want to ask:

Why would a country that claims to only want peaceful nuclear energy, why would such a country build hidden underground enrichment facilities?

Why would a country with vast natural energy reserves invest billions in developing nuclear energy?

Why would a country intent on merely civilian nuclear programs continue to defy multiple Security Council resolutions and incur the costs of crippling sanctions on its economy?

And why would a country with a peaceful nuclear program develop intercontinental ballistic missiles whose sole purpose is to deliver nuclear warheads?  You don't build ICBM's to carry TNT thousands of miles away. You build them for one purpose – to carry nuclear warheads. And Iran is now building ICBM's that the United States says can reach this city in three or four years.

Why would they do all this?  The answer is simple. Iran is not building a peaceful nuclear program. Iran is developing nuclear weapons.

Last year alone, Iran enriched three tons of uranium to 3.5%, doubled its stockpile of 20% enriched uranium, and added thousands of new centrifuges, including advanced centrifuges. It also continued work on the heavy water reactor in Arak. That's in order to have another route to the bomb – a plutonium path.

And since Rouhani's election – and I stress this – this vast and feverish effort has continued unabated.

Ladies and gentlemen, Underground nuclear facilities?  Heavy water reactors? Advanced centrifuges? ICBM's?

It's not that it's hard to find evidence that Iran has a nuclear weapons program. It's hard to find evidence that Iran doesn’t have a nuclear weapons program.

Last year when I spoke here at the UN, I drew a red line. Iran has been very careful not to cross that line. But Iran is positioning itself to race across that line in the future at a time of its choosing. Iran wants to be in a position to rush forward to build nuclear bombs before the international community can detect it, much less prevent it.

Yet Iran faces one big problem, and that problem is summed up in one word: Sanctions.

I have argued for many years, including on this podium, that the only way to peacefully prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons is to combine tough sanctions with a credible military threat. And that policy is today bearing fruit. Thanks to the effort of many countries, many represented here, and under the leadership of the United States, tough sanctions have taken a big bite out of Iran's economy. Oil revenues have fallen. The currency has plummeted. Banks are hard pressed to transfer money.

So as a result, the regime is under intense pressure from the Iranian people to get the sanctions removed. That's why Rouhani got elected in the first place. That's why he launched his charm offensive.

He definitely wants to get the sanctions lifted, I guarantee you that, but he doesn't want to give up Iran's nuclear weapons program in return.

Now, here's the strategy to achieve this:  

First, smile a lot. Smiling never hurts. Second, pay lip service to peace, democracy and tolerance. Third, offer meaningless concessions in exchange for lifting sanctions. And fourth, and the most important, ensure that Iran retains sufficient nuclear material and sufficient nuclear infrastructure to race to the bomb at a time that it chooses to do so. You know why Rouhani thinks he can get away with this?  I mean, this is a ruse; it's a ploy. Why does Rouhani think he can get away with it?  Because he's gotten away with it before. Because his strategy of talking a lot and doing little has worked for him in the past. He even bragged about it. Here's what he said in his 2011 book about his time as Iran's chief nuclear negotiator: "While we were talking to the Europeans in Tehran, we were installing equipment in Isfahan…"

For those who you who don't know, the Isfahan facility is an indispensable part of Iran's nuclear weapons program. That's where uranium ore called yellowcake is converted into an enrichable form. Rouhani boasted, and I quote: "By creating a calm environment, we were able to complete the work in Isfahan."

He fooled the world once. Now he thinks he can fool it again. You see, Rouhani thinks he can have his yellowcake and eat it too.

And he has another reason to believe that he can get away with this, and that reason is called North Korea.

Like Iran, North Korea also said its nuclear program was for peaceful purposes.

Like Iran, North Korea also offered meaningless concessions and empty promises in return for sanctions relief. In 2005, North Korea agreed to a deal that was celebrated the world over by many well-meaning people. Here is what the New York Times editorial had to say about it: "For years now, foreign policy insiders have pointed to North Korea as the ultimate nightmare... a closed, hostile and paranoid dictatorship with an aggressive nuclear weapons program.

Very few could envision a successful outcome.

And yet North Korea agreed in principle this week to dismantle its nuclear weapons program, return to the NPT, abide by the treaty's safeguards and admit international inspectors…. Diplomacy, it seems, does work after all."

End quote.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A year later, North Korea exploded its first nuclear weapons device.

Yet as dangerous as a nuclear-armed North Korea is, it pales in comparison to the danger of a nuclear-armed Iran. A nuclear-armed Iran would have a chokehold on the world's main energy supplies. It would trigger nuclear proliferation throughout the Middle East, turning the most unstable part of the planet into a nuclear tinderbox. And for the first time in history, it would make the specter of nuclear terrorism a clear and present danger.

A nuclear-armed Iran in the Middle East wouldn't be another North Korea. It would be another 50 North Koreas!

I know that some in the international community think I'm exaggerating this threat. Sure, they know that Iran's regime leads these chants, "Death to America!", "Death to Israel!", then it pledges to wipe Israel off the map. But they think this wild rhetoric is just bluster for domestic consumption. Have these people learned nothing from history?

The last century has taught us that when a radical regime with global ambitions gets awesome power, sooner or later, its appetite for aggression knows no bounds. That's the central lesson of the 20th century. Now, we cannot forget it.

The world may have forgotten this lesson. The Jewish people have not.

Iran's fanaticism is not bluster. It's real. This fanatic regime must never be allowed to arm itself with nuclear weapons.

I know that the world is weary of war. We in Israel, we know all too well the cost of war. But history has taught us that to prevent war tomorrow, we must be firm today.

This raises the question:  Can diplomacy stop this threat?

Well, the only diplomatic solution that would work is one that fully dismantles Iran's nuclear weapons program and prevents it from having one in the future. President Obama rightly said that Iran's conciliatory words must be matched by transparent, verifiable and meaningful action, and to be meaningful, a diplomatic solution would require Iran to do four things.

First, cease all uranium enrichment. This is called for by several Security Council resolutions. Second, remove from its territory the stockpiles of enriched uranium. Third, dismantle the infrastructure for a nuclear breakout capability, including the underground facility near Qom and the advanced centrifuges in Natanz. And four, stop all work at the heavy water reactor in Arak aimed at the production of plutonium.

These steps would put an end to Iran's nuclear weapons program and eliminate its breakout capability. There are those who would readily agree to leave Iran with a residual capability to enrich uranium. I advise them to pay close attention to what Rouhani said in a speech to Iran's Supreme Cultural Revolutionary Council. This was published in 2005: "A country that can enrich uranium to about 3.5% will also have the capability to enrich it to about 90%. Having fuel cycle capability virtually means that a country that possesses this capability is able to produce nuclear weapons.

Precisely. This is precisely why Iran's nuclear weapons program must be fully and verifiably dismantled. And this is why the pressure on Iran must continue.

So here's what the international community must do. First, keep up the sanctions. If Iran advances its nuclear weapons program during negotiations, strengthen the sanctions.

Second, don't agree to a partial deal. A partial deal would lift international sanctions that have taken years to put in place in exchange for cosmetic concessions that will take only weeks for Iran to reverse. Third, lift the sanctions only when Iran fully dismantles its nuclear weapons program.

My friends,

The international community has Iran on the ropes. If you want to knockout Iran's nuclear weapons program peacefully, don't let up the pressure. Keep it up.

We all want to give diplomacy with Iran a chance to succeed. But when it comes to Iran, the greater the pressure, the greater the chance.

Three decades ago, President Ronald Reagan famously advised: Trust but verify. When it comes to Iran's nuclear weapons program, here's my advice: Distrust, Dismantle, and Verify.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Israel will never acquiesce to nuclear arms in the hands of a rogue regime that repeatedly promises to wipe us off the map. Against such a threat, Israel will have no choice but to defend itself. I want there to be no confusion on this point: Israel will not allow Iran to get nuclear weapons. If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone. Yet in standing alone, Israel will know that we will be defending many, many others. The dangers of a nuclear-armed Iran and the emergence of other threats in our region have led many of our Arab neighbors to finally recognize that Israel is not their enemy. This affords us the opportunity to overcome historic animosities and build new relationships, new friendships, new hopes. Israel welcomes engagement with the wider Arab world. We hope that our common interests and common challenges will help us forge a more peaceful future.

And Israel continues to seek an historic peace with our Palestinian neighbors, one  that ends our conflict once and for all. We want a peace based on security and mutual recognition in which a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes the Jewish state of Israel. I remain committed to achieving an historic conciliation and building a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

Now, I have no illusions about how difficult this will be to achieve. Twenty years ago, the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians began. Six Israeli Prime Ministers, myself included, have not succeeded in achieving peace with the Palestinians. My predecessors were prepared to make painful concessions. So am I.

But so far, Palestinian leaders haven't been prepared to offer the painful concessions they must make to end the conflict. For peace to be achieved, the Palestinians must finally recognize the Jewish state and Israel's security needs must be met. I am prepared to make an historic compromise for a genuine and enduring peace. But I will never compromise on the security of my people and of my country of the one and only Jewish state.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

One cold day in the late 19th century, my grandfather Nathan and his younger brother Judah were standing in a railway station in the heart of Europe. They were seen by a group of anti-Semitic hoodlums who ran towards them waving clubs, screaming, "Death to the Jews!"

My grandfather shouted to his younger brother to flee and save himself. And he then stood alone against the raging mob to slow it down. They beat him senseless. They left him for dead. Before he passed out, covered in his own blood, he said to himself: "What a disgrace!  What a disgrace! The descendants of the Maccabees lie in the mud, powerless to defend themselves."

He promised himself then that if he lived, he would take his family to the Jewish homeland to help build a future for the Jewish people. I stand here today as Israel's Prime Minister because my grandfather kept that promise.

So many other Israelis have a similar story: a parent or a grandparent who fled every conceivable oppression, and came to Israel to start a new life in our ancient homeland.

Together, we've transformed a bludgeoned Jewish people left for dead into a vibrant, thriving nation, defending itself with the courage of modern Maccabees, developing limitless possibilities for the future.

In our time the Biblical prophecies are being realized. As the prophet Amos said in Hebrew,

"They shall rebuild ruined cities and inhabit them.

They shall plant vineyards and drink their wine.

They shall till gardens and eat their fruit.

And I will plant them upon their soil never to be uprooted again."

Ladies and gentlemen, the people of Israel have come home never to be uprooted again.

U.S., Israel Try to Conceal Acute Iran Disagreements
Naharnet /As Washington and Tehran seek detente, Israel and the United States remain divided over the Iranian nuclear issue, commentators say, despite efforts to play down their differences. Washington has long insisted on sanctions and diplomatic efforts to pressure Tehran over its atomic program, which the West and Israel allege is aimed at producing a nuclear bomb and which Iran denies. For its part, Israel has repeatedly advocated military force and has threatened unilateral strikes against the Islamic republic. On Monday, U.S. President Barack Obama met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, and said military force was still an option.
And Netanyahu suggested that, for now, he accepted U.S. diplomatic efforts with Iran. But on Tuesday, he told the U.N. General Assembly that Israel was ready to act "alone" to stop Iran getting a nuclear bomb.
"Israel will not allow Iran to get nuclear weapons. If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone," Netanyahu said, in a grim warning to world leaders and ministers gathered in New York. "As dangerous as a nuclear armed North Korea is, it pales in comparison to the danger of a nuclear armed Iran," he said. The Obama-Netanyahu meeting came hot on the heels of a historic telephone conversation between the U.S. president and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani, which spurred hopes for a breakthrough in the 30-year estrangement between Washington and Tehran.
But the meeting's seemingly reassuring dialogue belied acute differences between the United States and Israel over how to approach an Iran that has been reaching out to the Western world, observers said. "While President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu smile for the cameras, the actual situation is entirely different," wrote Eli Bardenstein, of the rightwing Maariv daily. "There are significant gaps between the United States and Israel concerning the nature of how to deal with the Iranian nuclear issue," he said. "One of the big gaps that was revealed between the leaders during their meeting at the White House... revolved around Netanyahu's demand that Iran suspend its nuclear program during the negotiations. "Netanyahu even told Obama that if Iran would not do this, then the sanctions must be intensified."Iran has refused to accede to international demands to stop enriching uranium, a process that can, in its more advanced form, yield the fissile core of a bomb. In reaction, the international community has slapped numerous punitive sanctions on Tehran. Obama has argued that words are not enough, and that Iran must take verifiable steps to prove it is meeting "international obligations fully and that they are not in a position to have a nuclear weapon". But he has also said that, after signing up to such a regime, Iran should retain the right to a "peaceful" civilian nuclear energy program. Top-selling Yediot Aharonot agreed that Obama and Netanyahu had simply presented a facade after their talks.m "Netanyahu seemed to be singing a different tune," it said, after the premier warned before he left home that he would speak out against the "sweet talk" and "charm offensive" coming from Tehran. "Instead of being a party-pooper, he joined the party. He spoke in soft and conciliatory tones about his willingness to stand by and not to get in the way of the world as it tried to reach a diplomatic solution with Iran," the paper wrote.
"That said, Netanyahu yesterday looked like someone who had been dragged against his will to this party; he looked like he was just waiting for the Iranians to make their first mistake so he could cry out to the world: 'I told you so.'" But a member of Netanyahu's Likud party, MP Tzahi Hanegbi, disagreed. He told public radio "the Israelis and the Americans are on the same page, if we look at what Obama and Netanyahu said. "Their evaluation is the same, because they both understand that nice words and the smile offensive of Rouhani could be positive, but need to be backed up by action."
But left-leaning daily Haaretz put the U.S.-Israeli divergence in the strongest terms. "An abyss yawns between Netanyahu's view of the Iranian issue and Obama's," it thundered.
"For the Israeli premier, Iran is Amalek, the Biblical nation described as the Jews' bitterest enemy. He has little faith therefore in dialogue with Iran, preferring sanctions and military force." Source/Agence France Presse.

Guarded response
The Daily Star
New York was recently the setting of significant developments on the U.S.-Iran relations front, against the backdrop of the United Nations General Assembly. The scene then shifted to Iran, and specifically the angry and nasty reaction that the country’s president received when he arrived home from the annual U.N. meetings. The media coverage highlighted the fact that Hassan Rouhani was pelted by eggs and shoes, tossed by people angry over recent signs that ties between Washington and Tehran might be improving. However, the media also noted supporters of the Iranian president gathered at Tehran airport to register their support for the new president and his constructive interaction with the country’s most significant rival of the recent past. The incident demonstrates that the jury is still out over Rouhani, his team and the policies they intend to carry out. And while the reaction by hard-liners to Rouhani is attention-grabbing, people should recall what Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in September when he addressed the Revolutionary Guard’s involvement in politics. Khamenei said the Guard, the military-security institution that enjoys a high-profile role, doesn’t have to get involved in politics, but should have an understanding of political realities. The comments appeared to give political cover for Rouhani and his team as they attempted to secure a breakthrough in relations with Washington, which is directly related to Iran’s nuclear program and the tough sanctions that have caused so much distress for the country’s economy and people. All-important political roads in Iran run through the supreme leader, and thus Rouhani enjoys only marginal room to maneuver in his foreign policy actions. There will certainly be opposition to Rouhani as he embarks on his drive to secure a satisfactory solution for the nuclear issue, and this opposition won’t be limited to Iran – certain circles in the United States, Israel and the Arab world would undoubtedly be threatened or angered by improvement in the U.S.-Iran relationship. That’s why it is important for the U.S. and the West to maintain a cordial tone and receptive approach in response to Iranian actions, especially if they serve to reduce global tension and end the waste of resources on militarization and bellicose rhetoric. Additionally, any actions by Iran vis-à-vis the U.S. and the international community could be the result of domestic struggles inside the country, or an elaborate charade in which the president and supreme leader play “bad diplomat, good diplomat,” respectively. But until such a maneuver is unmasked, Washington and other capitals should seize on the window of opportunity with Iran. And judging by past history, they should also prepare themselves for an extremely long, arduous path, with everything from subtle diplomatic messages to hardball political wheeling and dealing.

Report: Recent Developments Compelled Postponement of Suleiman's Gulf Tour
Naharnet/Hopes for a breakthrough in the 30-year estrangement between the U.S. and Iran had an impact on President Michel Suleiman's Gulf tour that was gradually postponed, local newspapers reported on Tuesday.
According to As Safir newspaper, Saudi Arabia postponed Suleiman's visit to Riyadh over the international and regional developments. The newspaper reported that the United Arab Emirates also failed to announce the reasons behind the postponement. Baabda Palace sources told An Nahar newspaper that Suleiman's visit to UAE on Wednesday was mere media speculations, pointing out that the two countries are setting a date that would be announced later. Iran's newly elected President Hassan Rouhani on Friday spoke by telephone to his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama, the first contact between the nations' leaders since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Diplomatic sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper that the Saudi postponement affected Suleiman's gulf tour. Suleiman was scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. “Consultations to determine a date for Suleiman's visit to Kuwait was awaiting his visit to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi,” the sources pointed out. On Monday, Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awadh Asiri said that Suleiman postponed his visit to Saudi Arabia after consultations between the Saudi and Lebanese Authorities. He explained that the visit will be “postponed to a date that will be set later on.”He was scheduled to hold talks in Saudi Arabia with King Abdullah and former Premier Saad Hariri.

National Dialogue Back on the Table amid Cabinet Crisis
Naharnet/Lebanese top officials will resume efforts to hold a national dialogue after Premier-designate Tammam Salam informed President Michel Suleiman that there was no progress in the formation of the new government.
An Nahar daily said Tuesday that Suleiman will exert efforts to hold the all-party talks by coordinating with Speaker Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati upon his return from a private trip abroad.
But al-Joumhouria newspaper reported that Berri will visit Suleiman at Baabda palace to inform him about the result of the consultations that members of his parliamentary bloc held with the country's leaders and political parties on his latest initiative. The speaker has called for a five-day dialogue conclave held by the rival March 8 and March 14 camps at Baabda Palace under Suleiman and with the participation of Salam. His proposal lies in discussing the form and policy statement of the future cabinet, reviving talks on a new electoral law, supporting the military to deal with arms proliferated in several regions, in addition to addressing a national defense strategy, a reference to Hizbullah's arms. Berri would leave it up to Suleiman to decide what action to take, al-Joumhouria said. Their move to hold the all-party talks come as the hurdles preventing Salam from coming up with a line-up remain unchanged. According to al-Joumhouria, Suleiman and Salam agreed during a meeting they held at Baabda palace on Monday to give the formation of the cabinet another week.

Al-Mustaqbal Bloc Blames Boat Tragedy on Illegal Arms, Praises Suleiman's Representation of Lebanon at U.N.
Naharnet /Al-Mustaqbal bloc on Tuesday blamed the Indonesian boat tragedy on the possession of illegal arms, saying that Hizbullah's weaponry cause tension “wherever they were found.”"The possession of illegal arms is responsible for illegal migration in the country,” the bloc said in a released statement after the MPs' weekly meeting at the Center House. The statement also criticized the official neglect towards this disaster, particularly pointing figures at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The boat, which was estimated to be carrying between 80 and 120 Middle Eastern illegal immigrants, went down on Friday in rough seas off Indonesia's main island of Java. It was headed for Australia's Christmas Island. Twenty-eight people have escaped alive. The Lebanese foreign ministry said Sunday there were 68 Lebanese, including children, on board the ill-fated vessel and that 18 survived the ordeal while at least 29 were still missing. The al-Mustaqbal lawmakers also discussed the latest deadly clashes in the Bekaa city of Baalbek, considering it “an attack by Hizbullah's militia against citizens.”
They said: “This is another episode of the dominance of Hizbullah's arms over public life in the country, and which causes tension wherever it was found.”"Avoiding a repetition of such incidents requires the withdrawal of Hizbullah's arms from all Lebanese regions so that the state takes on the responsibility of protecting the country and its people.” Five people, including a soldier, were killed after clashes broke out between Hizbullah members and al-Shiyyah clan following a dispute in Baalbek’s al-Qalaa marketplace on Saturday. In a separate matter, the bloc praised President Michel Suleiman's efforts during his visit to New York. “We salute his statements given at the United Nations General Assembly and the talks he held to protect Lebanon and defend its national interests,” it said. The statement explained: “Thanks to his efforts, the international community stressed on the necessity to neutralize Lebanon and to fully abide by the Security Council's resolutions.” "Suleiman protects the constitution and the citizens' rights. He is a great representative of Lebanon.”
Regarding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the lawmakers accused the Ministry of Communication of obstructing its work. "Facts have proven that there is intentional delay and staling in responding to the STL's demands,” they said. “This indicates that there is an intention to delay the launch of the Tribunal's work, and thus, to allow criminals to escape punishment.” "We Strongly condemn Minster Nicolas Sehnawi's suspicious activities and the families of the victims will keep their right to prosecute him for obstructing the investigation in a crime that targeted the country and its citizens.”The MPs ended their statement by reiterating calls for forming a cabinet. "We demand the president and the premier-designate to hurry up and form a cabinet to restore trust in the state's institutions and manage people's affairs and the country's economical conditions.”

Police takes over Hezbollah checkpoints in Lebanon’s Nabatieh

October 01, 2013/By Mohammed Zaatari /The Daily Star /NABATIEH, Lebanon: Police on Tuesday took over checkpoints manned by civilian members from Hezbollah in Nabatieh, south Lebanon, and enhanced security measures there. About five checkpoints at the entrances of Nabatieh were handed over to members of the Internal Security Forces, who carried out inspections on cars and trucks arriving in the southern city. Hezbollah had boosted security measures in the south and capital in response to a series of deadly car bombings that targeted the group’s stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut. As part of a security plan by the Interior Ministry, Hezbollah abandoned last week checkpoints it had set up in the southern suburbs of the capital.

Miqati Urges All Sides against Exploiting Asylum-Seekers Disaster for Political Gain
Naharnet /Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati slammed in Tuesday critics who accused the government of neglecting the sinking of the asylum-seekers boat last week, saying that it has been dealing with this issue away from the media spotlight. The premiership said in a statement: “It is unfortunate that some politicians are exploiting this issue for political gain instead of restricting it to its humanitarian aspects out of respect for the dead.”“The government has been dealing with this disaster from a humanitarian perspective,” it added. Moreover, it has been following up on the issue the minute the news of the tragedy broke out.
The Lebanese government has been intensifying its contacts with Indonesian authorities in order to resolve this issue and all of its complications. The government with all of its agencies has monitored the humanitarian issue through the Lebanese Charge d'Affaires in Indonesia Joanna Qazzi and Lebanon's Ambassador to Malaysia Ali Daher. The Lebanese embassy has catered to the needs of the 18 survivors of the sinking, granting them lodging at a hotel in the Indonesian capital Jakarta. The government has paid for all of their daily needs, adding that the it will ensure the safe return to Lebanon of some 30 Lebanese asylum-seekers present in Indonesia who were seeking to sail to Australia. As for the corpses of the victims, DNA tests are underway on the bodies and with the relatives of the victims to identify them. The test results are expected to be released in around a month, explained the statement. DNA tests are necessary because of the decomposition and bloating of the corpses in the sea, it said. Twenty-eight Lebanese asylum-seekers drowned in a boat sinking off Indonesia on Friday as they sought to sail to Australia. Many more are still feared missing. The Lebanese Foreign Ministry said there were 68 Lebanese, including children, on board the ill-fated vessel and that 18 survived the ordeal while at least 29 were still missing.
Most of them hail from Akkar where thousands of Syrians have sought refuge from the 30-month that has wracked their country. Media reports said that the asylum-seekers were the victims of people smugglers who prey on them and Syrian refugees seeking to better their lives.

Salam Denies Discussions on 9-9-6 Cabinet Formula
Naharnet /Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam denied that consultations were being held to form a cabinet in which the March 8 and 14 alliances would get nine ministers each while the centrists would have six seats.
In remarks to al-Akhbar newspaper published on Tuesday, Salam said: “No one brought up the issue with me … There is an open bazaar on many ideas and suggestions.”“But their abundance did not make any of them serious or effective,” said Salam, who is trying to come up with a line-up since his appointment in April. “Unfortunately, we stayed where we are,” he said. Salam hinted that he sticks to his proposal of granting each camp eight ministers each and adopt the concept of the rotation of portfolios. The PM-designate rejects giving veto power to any party. Salam met with President Michel Suleiman at Baabda palace on Monday. He told al-Akhbar that he would continue to exert efforts to form a cabinet although he lamented that the obstacles haven't been removed yet.
 

Berri: There is Consensus to Reject Infighting
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri said Tuesday that there has been consensus not to engage in infighting and expressed optimism that Lebanon's political crisis will end soon. Berri told a delegation from the Economic Committees led by Adnan Kassar that Lebanon is relatively better than other countries in the region despite all its problems. He told the business leaders and owners of major firms, who visited him in Ain el-Tineh, that they shouldn't be very pessimistic despite the paralysis of state institutions. Lebanon “enjoys a decision whose source is the people, leadership, sects, parties, regions and factions not to fight and not to return to the (civil) war,” Berri said.
“The current crisis is a political one and will go away soon,” he said. The speaker warned that those who did not believe in Lebanon's prosperity would be vanquished.Kassar said the Committees visited Berri to reiterate their backing to an initative that he launched last month to resolve the country's political crisis and government stalemate. He lauded Berri for playing a positive role in bringing the rival parties closer by calling for a national dialogue conclave at Baabda Palace. “We informed the Speaker that the economic situation and social conditions have reached a low point … and that there is a necessity to form a government to confront the dangers surrounding us,” said Kassar.He revealed that the Committees were holding discussions with the General Labor Confederation and members of civil society to find ways to resolve the country's crises.
The delegation also met with caretaker PM Najib Miqati and Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam.

Relatives of Lebanese Involved in Indonesia Boat Tragedy Slam State Inaction
Naharnet/Residents of the northern region of Akkar briefly blocked on Tuesday several roads to protest officials' inaction over revealing the fate of the Lebanese who drowned in the sinking of an Australia-bound boat off Indonesia. The residents demanded officials to assume their responsibilities and reveal the fate of their relatives. The closure of the roads caused a massive bumper-to-bumper traffic.The death toll from the accident, which involved Lebanese, rose to 39 on Monday, officials said, with more feared missing. The boat, which was estimated to be carrying between 80 and 120 Middle Eastern illegal immigrants, went down on Friday in rough seas off Indonesia's main island of Java. It was headed for Australia's Christmas Island. Twenty-eight people have escaped alive. The Lebanese foreign ministry said Sunday there were 68 Lebanese, including children, on board the ill-fated vessel and that 18 survived the ordeal while at least 29 were still missing. Rescuers have been unable to deploy boats to hunt in the rough seas, with waves at heights of four to six meters.
Hundreds have died in recent years attempting the journey after boarding rickety, wooden boats in Indonesia. Australia's new Prime Minister Tony Abbott insisted Monday that his country has "total respect" for Indonesia's sovereignty after his tough refugee policies, including towing asylum-seekers' boats back to Indonesia, sparked anger. Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa had led a series of complaints from officials and lawmakers that Abbott's tow-back policy, part of his "stop the boats" campaign, could infringe Indonesian sovereignty. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Indonesia was also burdened by asylum-seekers passing through, adding: "Australia and Indonesia are both countries that have become victims, we have become victims of these acts of people-smuggling." Survivors of the accident told journalists that they sent their GPS coordinates to Australian rescuers to assist them -- but no one came to their aid.
 

Foreign Ministry: Delegation Will Soon Travel to Indonesia to Ensure Asylum-Seekers' Safe Return
Naharnet /The Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday that a Lebanese delegation will travel to Indonesia soon in order to ensure the safe return of the survivors of last week's asylum-seekers ferry sinking. Foreign Ministry General Secretary Ambassador Wafiq Ruhaimi said the delegation, headed by High Relief Commission chief Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Bashir, will travel to Indonesia within 24 hours to accompany the survivors on their trip back to Lebanon. The delegation will also include a number of officials from the Foreign Ministry, a representative of the General Security, and a DNA specialists. Speaking after a meeting at the Foreign Ministry on the boat sinking, Ruhaimi added: “Fifteen survivors have been identified, while three others are receiving treatment at hospital.” Moreover, he explained that the High Relief Commission will provide airline tickets to all Lebanese in Indonesia who are seeking to return to their homeland. They include 20 Lebanese, including six prisoners who were imprisoned by Indonesian authorities for violating their residency permits. Furthermore, Ruhaimi revealed that the survivors of last week's ferry sinking have been placed in a safe location away from the people-smuggling mafia that led to their disaster. They have been placed under the protection of Indonesian authorities and the International Immigration Organization in the city of Sukabumi, he added. Lebanon has also requested that security around them be stepped up, he said without elaborating. “The number of Lebanese on the ill-fated ferry is still unknown because several other asylum-seekers from different nationalities were also on board,” he explained. The identities of the corpses that were recovered from the sea can only be discovered through DNA tests due to the decomposition they suffered from being in the water, stated Ruhaimi. Thirty-three corpses from different nationalities have so far been recovered from the sea, he continued. The Foreign Ministry meanwhile said in a separate statement that the names of the Lebanese survivors have been registered and their personal needs have are being attended to. The Indonesian immigration ministry has also been contacted in order to speed up their return to Lebanon.
The High Relief Commission will work on returning them to Lebanon within the upcoming days, it said. It also revealed that 18 Lebanese asylum-seekers were supposed to be on board the sunken ferry, but they encountered various obstacles that prevented them from traveling on the vessel. These asylum-seekers have expressed their wish to return to Lebanon and they are currently residing in the Indonesian capital Jakarta.
Twenty-eight Lebanese asylum-seekers drowned in a boat sinking off Indonesia on Friday as they sought to sail to Australia. Many more are still feared missing.
The Lebanese Foreign Ministry said there were 68 Lebanese, including children, on board the ill-fated vessel and that 18 survived the ordeal while at least 29 were still missing.
Most of them hail from Akkar where thousands of Syrians have sought refuge from the 30-month conflict that has wracked their country. Media reports said that the asylum-seekers were the victims of people smugglers who prey on them and Syrian refugees seeking to better their lives.

Change and Reform Urges 'Practical Solutions' to Refugee Crisis, Real Neutrality
Naharnet /The Change and Reform parliamentary bloc on Tuesday called for “practical solutions” to the social, economic and security problems created by the Syrian refugee influx, urging real “neutrality” in the Syrian conflict.
“It is not enough to say that you're against the issue of Syrian displacement and that it poses dangers. It is not enough to demand funds from foreign parties. Those who want to confront it must propose practical solutions, such as our suggestion on closing the border,” said MP Ibrahim Kanaan after the bloc's weekly meeting in Rabieh. “If anyone has an alternative solution to stop the daily drain, let them tell us about it, as these theatricals and attempts to deceive the Lebanese people do not benefit anyone,” he added. “We are speaking in the name of all the Lebanese ... and they must decide whether they are with the state or against it,” Kanaan went on to say.
He asked: “Who is undermining the neutrality? Can we preserve neutrality through backing a certain camp in Syria and through keeping our border open and our security vulnerable?”
Kanaan described “anyone saying that the issue is dangerous while refusing to back our proposed step” as “a partner in the crime.” They would be “conspiring against Lebanon,” he added.
Separately, Kanaan said: “We also discussed the campaign of lies waged by those who have claimed that the telecom ministry is obstructing the work of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon,” which is probing the 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri. “Who speaks in the name of the STL? The official spokesman Marten Youssef issued a statement saying that cooperation with the government is good and he lauded this cooperation,” Kanaan noted. “The smear campaign must stop as the public opinion is observing everything and your lies cannot survive for two days,” he said. Turning to the tragedy of the Lebanese asylum-seekers, Kanaan said the municipalities' revenues “must only be utilized by these municipalities, not by any other party.  “This issue has to do with confronting a major social threat and we have recently witnessed the boat incident in Indonesia. There is despair over the lack of development, the squandering of public money and corruption,” he added. Kanaan pointed out that the municipalities' revenues can create a lot of job opportunities. “Start building the state, not through 'occupied minds' but rather through a common initiative. This must also apply to the issue of the new cabinet which must be formed through local initiatives and it must address the priorities,” he said. Twenty-eight Lebanese asylum-seekers died as their boat capsized off Indonesia on Friday while seeking to sail to Australia. Many more are still feared missing. The Lebanese Foreign Ministry said there were 68 Lebanese, including children, on board the ill-fated vessel and that 18 survived the ordeal while at least 29 were still missing. Most of them hail from the impoverished district of Akkar, where thousands of Syrians have also sought refuge from the 30-month conflict that has wracked their country.
 

Netanyahu: Israel Ready to Tackle Nuclear Iran 'Alone'
Naharnet/Israel is ready to act "alone" to stop Iran making a nuclear bomb, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday in a hardline warning against rushing into deals with the new leadership in Tehran. "Israel will not allow Iran to get nuclear weapons. If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone," Netanyahu told a U.N. summit in a fierce attack on overtures made by Iran's President Hassan Rouhani.
Netanyahu linked Rouhani, who held a landmark conversation with U.S. President Barack Obama while in New York last week, to past militant attacks blamed on Iran.
"He fooled the world once. Now he thinks he can fool it again. You see, Rouhani thinks he can have his yellow cake and eat it too," Netanyahu said in a speech in which he demanded that sanctions be maintained. Last year Netanyahu used a cartoon drawing of a bomb to illustrate his warning at the U.N. that Iran was close to the nuclear bomb threshold. There was no repeat this time, but Iran immediately condemned Netanyahu's comments as "saber-rattling" and renewed its denial of Western accusations that it seeks a nuclear bomb. "I wish I could believe Rouhani. But I don't," Netanyahu said. "Iran wants to be in a position to rush forward to build nuclear bombs before the international community can detect it and much less prevent it," he alleged. A nuclear-armed Iran would be a bigger threat than North Korea, Netanyahu added.
"As dangerous as a nuclear-armed North Korea is, it pales in comparison to the danger of a nuclear-armed Iran," he said.
"A nuclear-armed Iran in the Middle East wouldn't be another North Korea -- it would be another 50 North Koreas." North Korea, which like Iran faces wide-ranging U.N. sanctions over its nuclear program, is believed to have several nuclear bombs and to have shared technology with Iran. Netanyahu gave a stark challenge to the international powers who have broadly welcomed the apparent change announced by Rouhani, while warning that they are also looking for concrete signs of cooperation from Tehran. Obama told Netanyahu at a White House meeting on Monday that the Western powers had to "test" diplomacy with Rouhani. "But we enter into these negotiations very clear-eyed. They will not be easy, and anything that we do will require the highest standards of verification in order for us to provide the sort of sanctions relief that I think they are looking for," Obama added.
International sanctions have badly hit Iran's economy and its leaders have made it clear they are looking for relief. Netanyahu however sought to undermine Rouhani's credibility, highlighting how the president was head of Iran's national security council from 1989 until 2003 when several militant attacks were blamed on the Islamic state.
Iran's "henchmen" killed Iranian opposition leaders in a Berlin restaurant in 1992, 85 people at a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires in 1994 and 19 U.S. soldiers at Dhahran in Saudi Arabia in 1996, Netanyahu alleged.
"Are we to believe that the national security adviser of Iran at the time knew nothing about these attacks? Of course, he did," the prime minister declared. He said there was an "extraordinary contradiction" between Rouhani's comments and Iran's actions. Netanyahu's speech adds to the complications for Rouhani, who said last week that he wanted a deal within months to end international doubts about Iran's nuclear intentions.
The West and Israel accuse Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran rejects.
Rouhani's telephone talks with Obama last week marked the first conversation between U.S. and Iranian leaders since the 1979 Iranian revolution. Western negotiators are to hold new talks with Iranian representatives in Geneva this month in a first test of the overtures. But Rouhani also faces opposition at home. A group of young Islamists gathered at Tehran airport to protest when Rouhani returned on Sunday. One hurled a shoe at him. An Iranian diplomat quickly criticized Netanyahu's comments at the U.N. assembly in a statement that appeared well-prepared. "We just heard an inflammatory statement," said Khodadad Seifi, a deputy ambassador at the Iranian U.N. mission. "Like last year, he continued saber-rattling toward Iran by abusing this august assembly." Iran is ready to defend itself against any Israeli attack, Seifi pointed out. "The Israeli prime minister had better not even think about attacking Iran, let alone planning for that," he said. The diplomat said Netanyahu should "seriously avoid miscalculation" in the showdown. "Iran's centuries-old policy of non aggression must not be interpreted as its inability to defend itself. "Unlike Israel, Iran did not and would not attack any country," he added in the right of reply statement. Iran's opponents, such as Netanyahu, have accused Iran of leading a charm offensive while pursuing nuclear weapons. Seifi said: "A smile attack is better than military attack. And indeed a smile policy is much better than lying."Source/Agence France Presse.

More Than 115,000 Killed in Syria's War
Naharnet/At least 115,206 people have been killed in Syria's devastating 30-month conflict, most of them fighters from both sides, a monitoring group said on Tuesday. "The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has documented the deaths of 115,206 people from the start of Syria's revolution on March 18, 2011 to September 30, 2013," the Britain-based group said. Among the dead were 47,206 fighters loyal to President Bashar Assad's regime and 23,707 rebels seeking his ouster. Of those, 28,804 were regular troops, another 18,228 were pro-regime militiamen and "informants" and 174 were members of Hizbullah, the group said. On the rebel side, 17,071 were civilians who picked up weapons to join the insurgency, 2,176 were army defectors and 4,460 were either foreign or unidentified fighters killed in battle. Another 41,533 civilians lost their lives in the war, among them 6,087 children and 4,079 women, said the Observatory. The group also said it has documented the deaths of an additional 2,760 unidentified victims, who it was not possible to identify as either civilians, rebels or regime forces.
The figures exclude people being held by the regime, who activists have said number in the tens of thousands. "It also excludes more than 3,000 regime troops held prisoner by the opposition factions," added the Observatory, which relies on a network of activists, lawyers and medics on the ground for its information. Syria's conflict broke out in March 2011, when peaceful protests calling for political change were met with a massive crackdown on dissent. It has since developed into an all-out war that has forced millions of people to flee their homes, the United Nations says. Source/Agence France Presse.

Iraq Executes 23 People in Two Days
Naharnet/Iraq executed 23 people during two days in September, most of them convicted on terrorism charges, the justice ministry said Tuesday. Twenty of the 23 were either al-Qaida members or otherwise involved in terrorism, while three were convicted of unspecified "criminal charges," a ministry spokesman said. The executions were carried out on September 22 and 26. They take to at least 90 the number of people who have been put to death in Iraq this year, according to an Agence France Presse tally based on reports from the ministry and officials. Executions in Iraq, which are usually carried out by hanging, have drawn widespread condemnation from the European Union, the United Nations and rights watchdogs. "The Iraqi authorities have chosen to defy repeated calls not to execute prisoners and to rely on tainted 'confessions' obtained under torture," Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui of Amnesty International said last month."That a death sentence could be imposed after obviously grossly unfair trials beggars belief."U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay said this year that Iraq's criminal justice system was "not functioning adequately".She highlighted "numerous convictions based on confessions obtained under torture and ill-treatment, a weak judiciary and trial proceedings that fall short of international standards."
"The application of the death penalty in these circumstances is unconscionable, as any miscarriage of justice as a result of capital punishment cannot be undone," Pillay said.Source/Agence France Presse.

Rouhani’s Wave
Ataollah Mohajerani/Asharq Alawsat
During last week’s UN General Assembly meeting, attention was focused on whether President Hassan Rouhani of Iran and President Barack Obama of the US were going to meet and shake hands. That did not happen.
During Obama’s speech at the UN, Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, and Mohammad Khazaei, permanent representative of Iran to the UN, were both present. In contrast, during Rouhani’s speech, John Kerry, the US secretary of state, and also Samantha Power, the US permanent representative to the UN, were absent.
America sees itself as the center of the world. When everyone was talking about Obama and Rouhani’s potential handshake, the Iranian president told CNN said that more time was required to prepare for that meeting. Nevertheless, it seems the ice is now broken between the two countries. It is obvious that the wall of mistrust has started to crack and the lack of confidence between Iran and America is changing for the better.
Obama said that the US does not want to change the regime in Iran. In my opinion, this statement was the main point of his speech. I believe we are witnessing a new chapter in the Iran-US relationship. For the first time since the 1979 revolution, the Iranian foreign minister and the US Secretary of State met face to face, during the 5+1 session in New York on September 26. Both were smiling after the session, stated that it was positive and constructive, and that it marked the beginning of a new chapter between the two countries.
The speech at the UN General Assembly by Rouhani put forward a new idea. Rouhani’s initiative, The World Against Violence and Extremism (WAVE), should be commended. More than ever before, we, as Muslims, need to loudly announce that we are against violence and extremism. We, as Muslims, are the victims of violence and extremism across the world, and ironically, it is the Muslims who are often named and shamed as the source of violence and extremism. Rouhani’s suggestion should be seriously taken into consideration by Islamic countries, and especially by thinkers, writers, artists and the elites.
In the last paragraph of his speech in the UN, Rouhani focused on this crucial issue:
“Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran invites you and the entire world community to take a step forward; an invitation to join the WAVE: World Against Violence and Extremism. We should accept and be able to open a new horizon in which peace will prevail over war, tolerance over violence, progress over bloodletting, justice over discrimination, prosperity over poverty, and freedom over despotism. As beautifully said by Ferdowsi, the renowned Iranian epic poet:
Be relentless in striving for the cause of good
Bring the spring, you must, banish the winter, you should.”
Rouhani’s initiative has the potential to help create a new atmosphere in the world. As we know, when ex-President Mohammad Khatami proposed a Dialogue among Civilisations and Cultures, the response was simply outstanding. Khatami’s initiative can be read as a response to Samuel Huntington’s “Clash of Civilizations” theory. After Khatami introduced the concept in several international forums, most importantly in the United Nations, it gained plenty of international support.
Consequently, the UN proclaimed the year 2001 as the United Nations’ Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations, as per Khatami’s suggestion. Pleading for the moralization of politics, Khatami argued “the political translation of dialogue among civilizations would consist in arguing that culture, morality, and art must prevail on politics”.
Nowadays, we are indeed facing unprecedented violence and extremism in the world. For instance, think about what happened in Nairobi, with a four-day siege of terrorists in Nairobi’s Westgate shopping center. President Uhuru Kenyatta said 72 people had died, including six security personnel and five militants. Al-Shaba’ab, which claimed responsibility for the attack, said 137 hostages had died, although the statement cannot be verified.
The philosopher Descartes famously said “I think, therefore I am.” Now we are facing a new discourse, “I kill, therefore I am.” Look at Al-Shaba’ab, whose discourse about the murdering of people reads as though they are discussing the slaughtering of animals. This is the worst phenomenon, not only they justify their deeds, but also they think they are carrying out a sacred responsibility before God and the Prophet.
One of my friends told me that a young man was arrested because he was trying to make set off an explosion in Imam Ali’s dome in Najaf. The young man, who was perhaps less than twenty years old, began to cry loudly, saying that in two minutes time he was going to see our prophet in Paradise and that the Prophet was waiting for him. This is a strange trend in the Islamic world. How can we deal with this and amend these ideas?
First and foremost, we need to establish a strong movement against violence and extremism. I think Islamic conferences can play a major role these days. Rouhani’s initiative was the first step, but we need to play our part by supporting what he proposed. More than ever before, we need to be against violence and extremism in any form.

Egyptian army tackles Al Qaeda in its Sinai “Tora Bora” following Suez terrorist strikes
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report October 1, 2013/The Egyptian armed forces Monday, Sept. 30, launched an offensive to confront Al Qaeda and its Salafist allies for the first time in their lofty strongholds in the rugged central Sinai range of Jabal al-Halal, debkafile’s exclusive military and counter terror sources disclose.
Until now, the Egyptian military and security forces, fought the terrorists in northern Sinai, but held back from braving them in the citadel they have dubbed the “Tora Bora of Sinai,” after the site of Osama bin Laden’s last stand in Afghanistan in 2011 against the American army.
The topography is similar: rocky peaks riddled with twisting wadis fringed with dense vegetation that conceal hundreds of natural caves, some inter-connected by tunnels. Terrorists familiar with this mazelike terrain pass easily between the caves invisible to attackers from the air.
The Jabal al-Halal mountain range has no proper roads, only narrow precipitous paths and trails, which are watched at all times by Al Qaeda sentinels posted above and are inaccessible to tanks and armored personnel carriers.
The Egyptian army tried once in the past to deploy armored forces against those mountain strongholds, only to be thrown back by a concerted onslaught of anti-tank fire by 3,000 armed men barricaded there.
debkafile’s military sources report that for the new offensive, Egypt is fielding a mechanized brigade, 3 commando battalions, an artillery unit armed with heavy 120mm mortars and a squadron of Apache attack helicopters. They are drawing on US and Israeli intelligence for assistance.
Egypt’s Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi decided there was no time to lose before bearding al Qaeda in its mountain fastnesses, after the jihadists began firing anti-tank rockets at international vessels passing through the Suez Canal.
In the first attack on Sept. 4, their rockets struck containers on a ship’s deck and started a fire. In the second, on which Cairo clamped down a curtain of secrecy, a merchant vessel was hit in the last week of the month. After the Suez Canal attackers were traced to Jabal al-Halal, the defense minister decided on an all-out campaign to finally flush the terrorists out of their caves and wadis in central Sinai.
Like the terrorists who held the Nairobi shopping mall to siege last month, Al Qaeda and its Salafist henchmen in Sinai are affiliated to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula-AQAP. There have been concerns in Cairo and Jerusalem that the AQAP may launch a similar attack from its Sinai base against another crowd center in an Egyptian city or a southern Israeli urban location.
As the Egyptian operation got into stride in central Sinai, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, an association of small armed militias affiliated with al Qaeda, accused the Egyptian army of collaborating with Israel to “wage war on Allah’s religion.”