LCCC ENGLISH DAILY
NEWS BULLETIN
October 09/2013
Bible Quotation for today/No
one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the
one and love the other
Matthew
6/22-26: “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore
your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of
light. But if your eye is evil, your whole body
will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is
in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! “No one
can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one
and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one
and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and
Mammon. Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your
life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet
for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than
food, and the body more than clothing? See the
birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they
reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds
them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?
Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources For October 09/13
U.S. Should Hold Firm in Iranian Nuke Talks/By: Michael Singh/Washington Institute/October 09/13
Could we fight Al-Qaeda without America/By: Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Alawsat/October 09/13
Into a Vacuum Comes Russia/By: Hussein Shobokshi/Asharq Alawsat/October 09/13
Hymenoplasty: Why do women get virginity back/By Kareem Shaheen/The Daily Star/October 09/13
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources For
October 09/13
Lebanese Related News
Lebanon Possible Destination for Papal Trip
Report: Fifth Suspect in Hariri Assassination Identified
Suleiman Meets Raad, Reiterates Adherence to Baabda Declaration
Geagea Urges Suleiman, Salam to End Their 'Harmful, Unjustified' Wait
Lebanon arrests three in network planning attacks
Human smuggling ring busted in south Lebanon
Syria airstrikes target rebel assault on key bases
Lebanese national kidnapped in Angola: minister
Sleiman denounces Syria attack on Arsal
Lebanon adjusts Eid Al-Adha holiday
Miqati: We Will Reconsider Residency of Any Syrian Not Registered as Refugee
Mufti of Tripoli to Return to Lebanon Wednesday Despite Security Threats
Report: Aazaz Pilgrims Moved to Safe Location at Syrian-Turkish Border ahead of Their Release
Gemayel Opposes Amending the Constitution, Calls for Timely Presidential Election
Miscellaneous Reports And News
Israeli Army Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz: Qaeda may try to abduct commander
Iran insists on right to enrich uranium
Iran jails dissident for six years: reports
UN recommends 100-strong Syria chemical arms demolition team
Netanyahu, Greek PM Samaras to meet amid Iranian overtures
Chemical arms chief reports on Syria mission
Putin Says Syria 'Very Actively' Cooperating on Disarmament
Chemical watchdog says will deploy second team to Syria
Turkey says not aiding Qaeda-linked Syria rebels
Turkey's Erdogan says Syria's Assad is a terrorist, not a politician
US opens door to Iran taking part in Syria peace conference
Putin says US, Russia agree on how to destroy Syria's chemical weapons
King Abdullah affirms Saudi support for Egypt
'God Particle' scientists win Nobel Physics Prize
Egypt revokes permit for Brotherhood's NGO
Death toll from Egypt clashes rises to 57: ministry
Libya PM says US raid will not hurt ties
State of myopia
Hymenoplasty: Why do women get virginity back?
Lebanon Possible Destination for Papal
Trip
Naharnet/Pope Francis is
planing to kick off a tour to the Middle East that would include Lebanon, to
express the Vatican’s solidarity with the people of the region, who are
confronting tremendous challenges.
According to As Safir newspaper published on Tuesday, the
pontiff's visit to Lebanon is on his 2014 schedule, where he is set to express
the Catholic's church concern over the fate of the Christians in the Middle
East. The daily said that the pope's visit is to urge
Christians to hold onto their land and to send a message to the World that “it's
time to reach viable solutions to fortify peace in the region.”
The report said that the pontiff also decided to invite the
Patriarchs of the Eastern Catholics and Orthodox for a meeting at the Vatican in
November. “The meeting will set a road map for all the
patriarchs to maintain the historic legacy of the Eastern Christians and
activate their presence.”Pope Francis met with President Michel Suleiman at the
Vatican in May. The two men discussed the ethnic diversity in Lebanon and the
importance of dialogue and collaboration among the different ethnic communities.
Report: Fifth Suspect in Hariri Assassination Identified
Naharnet/A new suspect linked to the 2005 assassination of former
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri has been identified, reported the daily An Nahar on
Tuesday. It said that the identity of the suspect was determined based on the
initial findings of former United Nations investigator in the case Detlev
Mehlis. Mehlis' 2005 report on the murder said that a
number of high-ranking Lebanese and Syrian officials were involved in the crime.
He however did not name any of the officials. Hariri
and 22 others were killed in a massive car bomb in Beirut on February 14, 2005.
An indictment by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon investigating the crime
accused four Hizbullah members of being involved in the attack.
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has slammed the
tribunal, saying that it an American-Israeli product bent on destroying the
party. He vowed that the party will not cooperate with the STL and that the
suspects will never be found.
Suleiman Meets Raad, Reiterates Adherence to Baabda Declaration
Naharnet/In the framework of his regular meetings with different political
factions, President Michel Suleiman met on Monday with Head of the Loyalty to
the Resistance bloc MP Mohammed Raad with talks focusing on the ongoing efforts
to form a government and the necessity to distance Lebanon from the Syrian
crisis. “Suleiman is keen to maintain contacts with
all factions, pinning hopes that a solution could emerge anytime,” sources told
al-Joumhouria daily Tuesday. Briefing Raad on his latest meetings in New York
where he attended U.N. General Assembly sessions and a conference of the
International Support Group for Lebanon, Suleiman reflected the international
assertion that Lebanon should distance itself from the Syrian crisis on the
basis of respect for the Baabda Declaration, which calls for keeping Lebanon
away from the unrest in the neighboring country. Suleiman was clear and stressed
the importance of halting involvement in the Syrian turmoil, reiterating the
need to spare Lebanon any additional disturbances.
The president had previously stated that he is against Hizbullah's engagement in
battles in Syria and has therefore held discussions with the party's leadership
to withdraw its fighters. Ahead of his visit to Baabda, Raad had stressed that
any government should adhere to the army-people-resistance equation, saying: “If
this equation was left outside the ministerial statement, then nothing would be
left of Lebanon. We want, together with the other camp, to form a cabinet that
involves all political components.” Discussions
between the two officials touched on the issue of the abducted Aazaz pilgrims
with sources pointing to some progress in the file.
Lebanese national kidnapped in Angola: minister
October
08, 2013/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: A 22-year-old
Lebanese citizen has been kidnapped in the Angolan capital of Luanda, and the
kidnappers are asking for a $2 million ransom, the National News Agency quoted
caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour as saying. Mansour said that he was
informed by Ara Khachaturian, Lebanon's chargé d'affaires in Pretoria, South
Africa, of the kidnapping of Moein Azmi Yazbek. Khachaturian told Mansour that
abductions of Lebanese nationals have recently increased in Angola.
“This is the fifth incident of its kind since the beginning
of this year,” said Khachaturian. Mansour asked Khachaturian to head to Luanda
and work on securing Yazbek's release. The NNA said
the Foreign Ministry is also looking into reports that a second Lebanese
national, identified as Bilal Koteish, was kidnapped with Yazbek. The ministry
investigating to confirm if such reports are accurate, the NNA said.
Human smuggling ring busted in south Lebanon
October 08, 2013/The Daily Star /SIDON, Lebanon:
More than 13 people were detained Tuesday in south Lebanon on suspicion of
forming a human-smuggling ring, security sources told The Daily Star.
The Army Intelligence, in cooperation with the Internal Security
Forces-Information Branch, arrested the members of the ring off the coast of
south Lebanon, the sources said.
The detainees are Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian nationalities, the sources
said. They added that the Army intelligence arrested the alleged ring while they
were aboard a boat between Tyre and Sidon shores. They had people on board and
they intended to smuggle them outside Lebanon; most were Syrians, the sources
said. The boat, named Elissar, was destined for Italy, said the sources added.
The sources said that the boat was owned by a man from Sarafand called Samir
Salim. Salim originally bought it from a man in Tripoli called Mohammad Abdel
Rahman Zeini, they added. The gang is suspected to have planned to smuggle
several individuals in other trips into different parts of Europe, they said.
Last month, a boat carrying over 69 Lebanese intending to illegally enter
Australia sank off the Indonesia coast killing at least 27 people. Eighteen
Lebanese survived the incident while several others remain missing. The would-be
migrants were victims of a people-smuggling network coordinating illegal travel
to various countries.
President Amin Gemayel Opposes Amending the Constitution, Calls
for Timely Presidential Election
Naharnet /Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel called on Monday for holding
the presidential election on time, rejecting any attempt to amend the
constitution.
"We support holding the presidential election on time and we are against
amending the constitution,” Gemayel stressed at a press conference after the
Phalange political bureau's weekly meeting. He continued: “We cannot afford the
postponing of the presidential election and we cannot go through this amid the
absence of a cabinet.” “We will do everything we can
in collaboration with other factions to form a cabinet and secure the
presidential election.” The former president
considered that forming a cabinet has become an “urgent” matter.
"We call on President Michel Suleiman and premier-designate
Tammam Salam to form a cabinet that answers people's demands,” he said. Gemayel
pointed out that the Phalange party, from the beginning, has demanded a rescue
cabinet. "But we are not against any other proposal submitted by Salam,” he
noted, rejecting all preconditions to the cabinet's formation. He added: “The
Baabda Declaration is the basis for the cabinet's formation and everything else
is debatable with the premier-designate.”The political bureau also tackled the
Indonesian boat tragedy, lamenting the “misery” that forces the Lebanese to
migrate. But the Phalange leader remarked that
while there is misery on one side, on the other, however, “Lebanon is proud that
its national Dr. Gabriel Gharib was chosen as the best cardiologist in
France.”“Lebanon's is losing the great potentials of its people and migration is
the indication,” Gemayel expressed. Capital, a French
magazine, chose Gharib as the best cardiologist in France among 200,000 doctors
in the country. What made Gharib, who hails from the
Beirut neighborhood of Rmeil, stand out in medicine was his achievement of being
able to conduct a coronary artery bypass operation without resorting to medical
hypnosis. Gemayel lashed out at the current caretaker cabinet, counting various
problems Lebanon is suffering from. “The cabinet is not functioning and we have
a parliament's whose mandate has been extended. The security situation is
deteriorating and all of this is at the expense of the Lebanese's interests and
of the economic situation. Security affects the economy and we are not dealing
with this problem from its roots but trying to temporarily calm the symptoms.”
He continued: “Another problem is that of the new wage scale,
in addition to the refugees' crisis. We care about doing all required efforts
towards refugees but we have duties towards the Lebanese as well.”“This
situation is intolerable.”
Mufti of Tripoli to Return to Lebanon
Wednesday Despite Security Threats
Naharnet /The Mufti of Tripoli and
the North, Sheikh Malek al-Shaar, is expected to return to Lebanon on Wednesday,
nine months after he traveled to the French capital after receiving death
threats. As Safir newspaper said in a report published on Tuesday that al-Shaar
will swiftly head to his residence in the northern city of Tripoli after
arriving in Beirut's Rafik Hariri International airport accompanied by a
security escort.
The daily said that all the security measures were taken to guarantee the
Mufti's safety. Mufti al-Shaar told the newspaper in a telephone conversation
that he “took a final decision to return to Lebanon ahead of Eid al-Adha despite
threats." Al-Shaar announced in December 2012 that he
will not be returning to Lebanon from a trip to Europe after he has allegedly
received death threats. Sources close to Tripoli's Dar al-Fatwa told As Safir
that “the threats remain real... But the Mufti decided to take the risk and
return to the country.” “Mufti al-Shaar is aware that
Tripoli is in dire need for his efforts to bridge the gap between the foes amid
the distressful security circumstances,” the sources added.
On August 23, Forty-five people were killed and at least 500
wounded in bombings that targeted al-Taqwa and al-Salam mosques in the northern
city as worshipers were still performing weekly prayers.
Syria airstrikes target rebel assault on key bases
October 08, 2013/Daily Star
DAMASCUS: Syrian regime war planes on Tuesday bombed rebels spearheading an
assault against two military bases, as Russia praised Damascus for "very
actively" cooperating with chemical weapons inspectors. The fighting underlined
comments from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who on Monday warned that
inspectors overseeing the destruction of Syria's chemical arsenal face
unprecedented danger.
In a report to the UN Security Council seen by AFP, Ban said it would take 100
foreign experts to complete "an operation the likes of which, quite simply, has
never been tried before". The fighting in the
northwestern province of Idlib began on Monday, when rebels launched an
operation dubbed "The Earthquake" against the Wadi Deif and Hamidiyeh bases.
Around 25 rebel brigades joined forces for the assault, which
sparked fierce fighting around the nearby opposition-held town of Maaret
al-Numan, a watchdog said. The Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights said 10 regime troops and five rebels had been killed in the
clashes. The monitoring group reported regime air
strikes on areas of Maaret al-Numan as well as on the nearby areas of
Maarshamsha and Deir al-Sharqi, which it said caused casualties. Russian
President Vladimir Putin meanwhile praised Syria's President Bashar al-Assad for
his government's cooperation with the team of international weapons inspectors.
"Doubts about whether the Syrian leadership would adequately
respond to the decision taken on chemical weapons -- these doubts did not bear
out," Russian news agencies quoted Putin as telling reporters at a regional
summit in Indonesia. "The Syrian leadership has very
actively joined this work and is acting in a transparent manner, helping
international agencies," said Putin. A team of experts
from the United Nations and the Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons arrived in Damascus a week ago to begin verifying the details
of Syria's chemical arsenal and destroying and disabling it.
They were dispatched under the terms of a United Nations
Security Council resolution passed on September 27, which enshrines an
US-Russian deal for Damascus to relinquish its chemical weapons.
The deal averted threatened US military action in response to an August 21 sarin
attack outside Damascus in which hundreds of people died. Ban: 'Dangerous' work
for inspectors
Ban on Monday warned of the dangers the team faces in Syria, where more than
115,000 people have been killed since March 2011, according to the Observatory.
The UN chief highlighted the threat to the experts and Syrian civilians from the
sarin, mustard gas and other chemical weapons which are to be moved amid the
"carnage" of Assad's daily battle with rebels.
The experts will have to work in "dangerous and volatile" conditions,
particularly in urban areas such as Damascus, Homs and Aleppo, Ban warned.
"Heavy artillery, air strikes, mortar barrages and the
indiscriminate shelling of civilians areas are commonplace and battle lines
shift quickly," he added. Russia and the United States
have the ambitious aim to seize and destroy Syria's huge chemical weapons
arsenal, estimated at 1,000 tonnes, by mid-2014. Some
19 OPCW arms experts and 16 UN logistics and security personnel are in Syria and
have started to destroy weapons production facilities. Ban
recommended the team be increased to about 100 scientists, logistics and
security experts who will stay for up to a year. The mission will have bases in
Damascus and Cyprus. Syria has already made a
declaration of its weapons facilities. And the UN resolution set a November 1
deadline for the eradication of production and chemical mixing facilities. That
work started Sunday when the first "missile warheads, aerial bombs and mixing
and filling equipment" were cut up and destroyed, according to the UN.
The Security Council resolution passed on September 27 threatened "measures"
under Chapter VII of the UN Charter if an infringement of the disarmament accord
is proved. Chapter VII allows for possible military action or sanctions.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has welcomed the progress
made so far. "I think it's extremely significant that yesterday, Sunday, within
a week of the resolution being passed, some chemical weapons were being
destroyed," he told reporters in Indonesia on Monday.
"I think it's a credit to the Assad regime, frankly. It's a good beginning and
we welcome a good beginning."
Lebanon arrests three in network planning attacks
October 08, 2013/The Daily Star /BEIRUT:
General Security said Tuesday that it had arrested three individuals believed to
be part of a terrorist network planning bomb attacks and assassinations in
Lebanon. In a statement the security agency added that the three, who are
Lebanese and Syrian nationals, were planning terrorist attacks. It also said
that security personnel confiscated from the suspects' possession explosive
material and communication devices as well as a weapon with a silencer. The
suspects were interrogated and referred to the military judiciary under the
supervision of the Deputy Military Prosecutor Judge Dani al-Zani and Military
Prosecutor Judge Saq Saqr. Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel told a
local website that the suspects confessed to planning terrorist acts and that an
investigation was underway. In the statement, General Security also said it
would pursue terrorist groups, mobs and networks who are involved in human
trafficking. Since July, Lebanon has witnessed three devastating car bombs in
the northern city of Tripoli and Beirut’s southern suburbs. Scores were killed
in the attacks and hundreds more wounded. Last year, a car bomb killed a
high-ranking security official in the Beirut district of Ashrafieh while
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and MP Butros Harb have reported beings
targets of attempted assassinations during the past year.
Could we fight Al-Qaeda without America?
Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Alawsat
Al-Qaeda’s ability to survive, move, recruit, destroy and develop itself and its
members has proved how dangerous the organization is. No other group resembling
this network of terrorism and misery has emerged in 50 years. No terrorist
organization born after World War II can be compared to Al-Qaeda.
The most important weapon it has is manipulating extremist religious thought.
This has helped it recruit combatants who are willing to give up their money,
their souls and their sons—more than the followers of any other extremist
ideology in the world today. It has remained the most prominent active terrorist
organization, despite the fact that most of its early leaders and founders,
except for a few like Ayman Al-Zawahiri, have been killed or arrested.
Moreover, the organization was displaced from its first home, Afghanistan, and
defeated in Saudi Arabia–its dream land.
In addition, since the 9/11 attacks it has failed to infiltrate American
territory.
More than 30 countries have dedicated their capabilities to monitoring and
pursuing Al-Qaeda through a quasi-international consensus to fight the most
dangerous organization in the world. Despite this, Al-Qaeda continues to
operate, and it continues to work to achieve its ends.
Arresting Abu Anas Al-Liby, who appears to have been kidnapped, reminds us that
the war is ongoing. Luckily, the Americans are a party in this battle.
This monster dubbed “Al-Qaeda” possesses capabilities that cannot be fought by
any one country. There is no doubt that ever since the 9/11 attacks, the
Americans have considered Al-Qaeda to be the biggest threat to their security.
Thus they decided to dedicate all their capabilities to fighting it.
The war between Al-Qaeda and its rivals is almost a daily pursuit, and it is
spread to the far corners of the earth.
What is interesting is that in the 1990s, America—and the West in general—were
not entirely convinced that this organization exited or that it followed the
ideology it does.
Most of what was written then focused on explaining the phenomenon as one
resulting from poverty, unemployment and a lack of political freedoms.
But in this, the second decade after the 9/11 attacks, many realized that
Al-Qaeda is a radical ideological movement that has nothing to do with jobs,
human rights, freedoms or elections.
Perhaps the model that it resembles most closely is the National Socialism
movement in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s, which rejected others and believed
that its ideas were superior. But Al-Qaeda is more dangerous, because it
exploits religion.
Al-Qaeda has targeted a large number of the world’s governments and has
encouraged an alliance committed to fighting it. If Al-Qaeda had continued to
operate like it did in its youth—targeting specific countries like Egypt and
Saudi Arabia—the situation would have been more dangerous for Arab states.
Currently, Al-Qaeda does not pose a threat to a specific regime. However, it is
capable of causing harm everywhere. It has proven that it is capable of
surviving, hiding and renewing its cells, no matter how much it is pursued. It
has also proven that it is capable of juggling and rebuilding its leadership
despite the deaths and detentions of its key players.
Al-Qaeda documents previously revealed a dispute among its leaders regarding how
the 9/11 attacks should have been carried out. According to the documents, some
objected to the idea of targeting the Americans in their homeland, arguing that
such a move must be saved for later.
But Bin Laden knew that attacks against prominent targets, like buildings New
York and Washington, would be a message to the world that would highlight their
ability, determination and aims. The attacks they had previously carried out
against American interests in Saudi Arabia and Yemen were part of limited
battles. But targeting the United States is what altered the game and changed
the world. Arab countries did not have the power to confront this horrifying
threat, which is still part of the biggest ongoing war today.
It must also be noted that the Americans could not have won over this extremist
organization if it were not for the cooperation of Islamic countries, which
better understand local customs and are more capable of confronting the
organization’s religious bent. The Americans, however, continue to dominate the
field capabilities in the war against Al-Qaeda.
Israeli Army Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz: Qaeda may
try to abduct commander
Israeli Army Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz presents frightening scenario
for future multi-front war with terrorists. 'It's not so unimaginable,' he says
Yoav Zitun Published: 10.08.13, 12:19 / ynetnews/It will begin when an IDF force
patrolling the border in the Golan Heights will be attacked with an anti-tank
missile. The army jeep that will arrive at the scene will also be attacked.
Three soldiers, including a battalion commander, will be kidnapped into Syria by
a group affiliated with al-Qaeda. This possible scenario for a future war was
presented by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz on Sunday at the Israel
Towards 2020 Conference at Bar-Ilan University. Gantz's scenario was not based
on any warnings or intelligence, but he said it was "not so unimaginable." In
this scenario, the IDF will retaliate to the kidnapping of the battalion
commander and the terrorists will respond with "rocket barrages on the Galilee's
communities. Within a short time a similar terror organization in Sinai will
fire rockets toward Eilat, and hundreds of Hamas activists in Gaza will rush
toward the Erez crossing and the security fence. At the same time, along the
border with Syria, terror cells will attempt to cross the fence and carry out
attacks in (Israeli) communities." "Simultaneously," Gantz continued, a huge
cyber attack will be launched on civilian and military computer systems and
false messages will be sent to civilians." The IDF chief told the conference
that such a scenario could begin with a missile hitting the General Staff
headquarters in Tel Aviv's Kirya compound, with a cyber attack that will put all
traffic lights in the country out of commission or with an attack by terrorists
on a border community. The IDF chief said Israeli attacks resulting in
civilian casualties will lead to lawsuits filed against Israel at the
International Criminal Court in The Hague and anti-Israel protests worldwide.
"The pastoral scenery in the Golan can change in one explosive moment into a
field with blood, fire and pillars of smoke. This will require the chief of
staff to employ force and determination alongside strategic reasoning. The State
of Israel's hourglass will flip over and we will pay a bloody price for every
hour of war, which will force us to cut it short," Gantz said.
Into a Vacuum Comes Russia
By: Hussein Shobokshi/Asharq Alawsat
Is the American epoch in the Middle East coming to an end? This question has
been raised by many political circles, in both the US itself and in some Arab
states. The question seems perfectly reasonable in light of some highly
significant developments. These range from the American withdrawal from Iraq and
the cuts in the US military presence in the Gulf to the tense relations with
major American allies in the region as a result of US handling of the Arab
Spring. Also complicating matters is the absence of clear US support for the
second revolution in Egypt after people took to streets on June 30 to demand
Mursi’s ouster—and that came in contrast to the American applause for the
overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
The Russians can sense the American feebleness and weakness in the region, and
they are trying to fill the vacuum. On this front, the Russian are relying on
some regimes’ longing for the old Soviet Union and existence of two poles of
power in global politics. The Russians are portraying their support for Bashar
Al-Assad’s regime in Syria as a stance of opposition to the US and its
domination of the world and the Middle East. The problem with the Russians,
however, is that their words are unconvincing. Their former support of tyrants
like Saddam, Gaddafi, Assad, and other oppressors in the Arab world and
elsewhere do not entitle them to speak of championing and supporting nations
today. The Russians are currently trying to show courtesy to the Egyptian
government in order to exploit the tension between Egypt and the US
administration. The US is attempting the same thing with the Iraqi and Algerian
governments, but apparently to no avail. Russia is eager to return to an area of
the world that was once entirely under its direct influence and was clearly
submitting to its policy. Therefore, losing it influence in this region in favor
of the US was a painful blow.
Important parts of the US foreign policy establishment are fully convinced that
the Arab world has become a “worrisome” region. They are also aware that the
costs of maintaining relations with it are much higher than the benefits,
particularly in light of the shrinking reliance on Arab oil and the increase of
American tight oil. The US is also exporting tight oil in increasing quantities,
which will pose a threat to OPEC in the future and greatly impact its market
share, competitiveness and ability to set prices. It is firmly believed that the
Asia–Pacific region is the most important for American interests and national
security. This is obvious not only in the economic sphere, but also in the
political, diplomatic, military and security ones, because of China’s increasing
financial revenues and its immense spending on its military capabilities.
China is expanding its arsenal in terms of quality and quantity, expanding its
influence in the region, and is demanding a return of long-disputed territories
in Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines. It is for this reason that the US decided
that its largest military base beyond its borders will be in Australia. The
Americans are of the view that evacuating from the Middle East will offer only a
short-term advantage for the Russians. This is because the Russians and regional
oil-producing states will soon clash, as both of them rely on this particular
commodity as a major source of income and they both export to the same market.
Thus, the advantage the Russians will gain in the short run would be destroyed
by the fight over oil later on. A vacuum is being created in the Middle East. We
don’t know what it will look like yet, but it will happen one way or another.
But the Russians will not be able to fill the vacuum the way they think: they
will be stepping into the region while carrying the baggage of support for
tyrants and oppressors, and while being perceived by many as anti-Islam. It is
the beginning of a new round of struggles over the Middle East, the impact of
which is sure to be enduring.
Egypt revokes permit for Brotherhood's NGO
October 08, 2013/Daily Star/CAIRO: Egypt's interim government has
revoked the permit for a non-governmental organization set up by the Muslim
Brotherhood. Tuesday's move by the Cabinet is the latest in its push to
dismantle the Brotherhood, from which ousted President Mohammed Morsi hails. It
follows a Sept. 23 court ruling that banned the Brotherhood and its affiliates,
and ordered its assets confiscated. The Brotherhood's NGO was registered in
March, while Morsi was still in power. It was set up as one of the two main
legal faces of the Islamist group, which was outlawed for most of its 85-year
existence. Morsi was ousted in a popularly-backed military coup on July 3. Since
then, hundreds of Brotherhood supporters and the group's top figures have been
arrested. Morsi is being held incommunicado at a secret location.
King Abdullah affirms Saudi support for Egypt
Jeddah, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi Arabia reiterated its full support
for Egypt’s fight against terrorism during talks between Custodian of the Two
Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, and Egyptian interim president Adly
Masnour in Jeddah on Monday. “We will support Egypt against terrorism, sedition,
and those who try to undermine its security,” the Saudi Press Agency (SPA)
quoted King Abdullah as saying during the meeting at his palace. The Egyptian
interim president thanked King Abdullah, the Saudi government, and people for
their support of the will of the Egyptian people, in addition to Saudi Arabia’s
economic support. The two leaders also discussed prospects of cooperation
between the two countries, as well as ways of enhancing Saudi-Egyptian
cooperation in all fields.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Mansour said: “It goes without saying that the
support provided by Saudi Arabia and our Arab brothers has had the greatest
impact in prying Egyptian decision making away from the pressures of the
deteriorating economic situation. In July, Riyadh offered a USD 5 billion aid
package to Egypt’s new government, as the country continued to struggle with a
high budget deficit and rising unemployment.
The Saudi funds comprised a USD 2 billion deposit in Egypt’s central bank, USD 2
billion in energy products, and USD 1 billion in cash, according to Saudi
Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf. Speaking prior to Monday’s visit, Egyptian
presidential spokesman Ehab Badawi said that Mansour’s trip to Saudi Arabia was
to “express thanks” to the Saudi people and leadership. For his part, Saudi
Minister of Culture and Information, Abdulaziz Khoja, said that the Saudi
cabinet welcomed Adly Mansour’s visit to the country, highlighting the
deep-rooted relations between the two countries and their keenness to strengthen
bilateral ties.
Mansour departed Saudi Arabia on Tuesday morning for Jordan as part of the
second leg of his regional tour where he is scheduled to meet with King Abdullah
II. Speaking following Mansour’s departure, Saudi Crown Prince Salman Bin
Abdulaziz said: “Egypt is in safe hands. Egyptians have accustomed us to
overcome their crises, by the will of God. Egypt’s strength is strength for the
Arab world.”
U.S. Should Hold Firm in Iranian Nuke Talks
Michael Singh/Washington Institute
If President Obama stands fast on key requirements, both sides can get what they
need most: relief from crushing sanctions, and a strategic shift in Tehran.
In an Oct. 3 op-ed in the New York Times, Vali Nasr asserts that Iran is
approaching the nuclear negotiations slated to resume Oct. 15 from a position of
strength and that American ambitions should therefore be modest. He suggests
limited sanctions relief in exchange for "concrete steps to slow down Iran's
nuclear program and open it to international scrutiny." Nasr's prescription,
however, would provide neither U.S. President Barack Obama nor Iranian President
Hasan Rouhani with what they need.
Iran is not riding nearly as high as Nasr, the dean of Johns Hopkins
University's School of Advanced International Studies, suggests, but is in fact
under tremendous economic, political, and military pressure. The charming
self-assurance projected by Rouhani and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif masks a
desperate need to make a deal with the United States.
As much as if not more than other Middle Eastern countries, Iran's security has
been threatened by recent events in the region. The Syrian regime is Iran's main
ally and conduit for projecting power; it may have been granted a reprieve from
American attack, but it is by no means secure. And Syria is just one part of a
broader, increasingly sectarian regional struggle that has dented the once-high
popular prestige of Iran and its proxies.
Furthermore, U.S. military credibility may be at low ebb, but Iran cannot
discount U.S. and Israeli military threats. An attack by either would not only
set back Iran's nuclear efforts, but would expose the weakness of its military
and the hollowness of its bombastic rhetoric.
Economically, Iran is suffering mightily. Iran's oil revenues have dropped from
$8 billion monthly in 2011 to just $3.4 billion today, much of which cannot be
repatriated due to sanctions that require Iran's customers to pay in local
currency. Sanctions have also isolated Iran from the international financial
system, contributing to high unemployment and inflation, stagnant economic
growth, and a plummeting currency.
These pains come in the wake of Iran's widespread 2009 political unrest, which
was followed by the brutal suppression of dissidents and the marginalization of
reformist politicians and even pragmatic conservatives. The regime's repression
was effective but had the effect of uniting a coalition of otherwise disparate
political forces in opposition to hard-liners dominating the regime.
Rouhani's election in June was a result of (or at least the supreme leader's
response to) these dynamics, but was not itself a solution to Iran's domestic
problems. In voting for Rouhani, the Iranian people overwhelmingly endorsed the
platform of social and economic change on which he campaigned. But to deliver on
his promises, Rouhani needs not merely the lifting of one or two sanctions, but
broad relief from them. And thus, he needs our help.
Iran's predicament provides Obama with both opportunity and leverage, neither of
which should be squandered. But Rouhani will surely seek to alleviate Iran's
suffering at the minimum price to its nuclear options, offering transparency and
confidence-building rather than far-reaching limits on Iran's nuclear
activities. The United States is susceptible to such arguments, as Washington
wants not just to reach a nuclear agreement but to ease hostilities with Iran,
and it is worried that the chance to do so may be fleeting.
But a limited nuclear agreement that leaves Iranian capabilities in place, even
if subject to enhanced inspections, will not build confidence or stability.
Inspections will raise tensions, not lower them, when Iran inevitably objects to
inspectors' desire for access to sensitive military sites or denies activities
for which the United States has evidence, such as Iran's weaponization work.
Similar efforts with North Korea and Iraq in the 1990s and with Iran in the
early 2000s eroded, rather than built, trust. And even if the United States
chooses to trust Iran, its allies will not. Instead they will hedge their bets
by matching the capabilities permitted to Tehran.
Furthermore, an agreement that leaves Iran's nuclear fuel fabrication
capabilities and weaponization research program in place will permit Tehran in
the future -- once economic and military pressures are safely relieved -- to
expel inspectors and resume its march toward nuclear weapons, as North Korea did
in the early 2000s.
Avoiding this risk and opening space for a gradual improvement of U.S.-Iran ties
and cooling of regional tensions will require an agreement that rolls back
rather than simply halts the progress of Iran's nuclear program, and it will
require Tehran to come clean about its past nuclear work. In exchange,
Washington should be prepared to offer broad relief from sanctions. Negotiating
such an agreement will require a stiff spine from the Obama administration; the
United States may need to increase the pressure on Iran even further and defer
hopes of rapprochement until a sustainable nuclear accord is concluded.
To paraphrase the Rolling Stones, neither Obama nor Rouhani may get what they
want from nuclear talks -- for Obama a historic diplomatic breakthrough, and for
Rouhani the preservation of Iran's nuclear options and capabilities -- but with
some effort each may get what he needs. For Rouhani, this is relief from the
crushing burden of sanctions. For Obama, it is a strategic shift, not merely a
tactical retreat, by Tehran.
**Michael Singh is managing director of The Washington Institute.
Hymenoplasty: Why do women get virginity back?
October 08, 2013 /By Kareem Shaheen The Daily Star
BEIRUT: “A woman’s honor is like a match, it can only be lit once.”This
long-worn Arab idiom is evidence the cultural pressure that many women feel to
remain virgins until marriage, or, in the case of Mohammad Saad’s ex-girlfriend,
to seek out a doctor who would “make her a virgin again.”“A long time after we
broke up she called me and asked me to arrange it because I knew the doctor and
she was getting married,” said Saad, not his real name, a Syrian who now resides
in Lebanon. “She did the operation in the morning and got married the next
night,” Saad said. Saad was referring to hymen reconstruction surgery, or
hymenoplasty, an operation that restores the hymen, the membrane that carries so
much baggage as a symbol of virginity. There are two main types of the surgery.
One restores the hymen for a brief period immediately before marriage, and the
other is a long-term procedure. Saad’s girlfriend opted for the former. Saad
went with her on the day of the operation, adding she was scared of the
anesthesia. “After she woke up, she was so happy, that now ‘I can do it,’” he
said, referring to her upcoming marriage. Doctors said the procedure may be on
the rise, as increasingly liberal attitudes toward sex collide with rigid
societal expectations. The prevailing double standard toward male and female
sexuality leaves many women vulnerable to domestic abuse and damaged
reputations.
Wissam Ghandour, a doctor who runs a private clinic in Mar Elias that offers the
surgery, became animated when discussing this double standard. “You are not a
devout Muslim, and you had sex many times before marriage, and you drink
alcohol, and you don’t fast or pray, but you ask if she is a virgin?” he said.
“I understand if you have a large beard, pray five times a day, don’t drink
alcohol and you fast all of Ramadan and want a virgin.”
Ghandour said he does the surgery two or three times per year, but declined to
say how much he charges for it. He believes it is a worthy cause, because the
alternative for the woman could be disrepute, or even violence. “Sometimes the
circumstances dictate what you must do,” he said.
He went on to say that he feels pride because the surgery helps secure the
future of his patients, some of whom go on to have happy marriages and children,
“and all the old stories are forgotten.”Ghandour rejected the notion that the
surgery is a form of cheating or deceit, saying it is borne out of a double
standard in society that deems it alright for men to be sexually active before
marriage, but not women. “I would definitely say that in a country like ours, in
a mentality like ours, if the lady had premarital sexual relationships ...
what’s the problem if we did a hymenoplasty?” he said. “Some people say it’s
cheating. But a question then, who gave men the authority to have premarital
sex?” He said his patients span the socio-economic spectrum. A new study by
scientists at the American University of Beirut, published this summer in the
Springer online journal, paints a detailed picture of attitudes toward
hymenoplasty and sexuality in general, claiming that demand for virginity
restoration is on the rise in the region. The study surveyed a sample of 600
Lebanese university students. The students were from the five main universities
in Lebanon and were split by gender. Just a quarter of the men approved of the
procedure, compared to 19 percent of women. Most saw the practice as a “form of
deceiving and cheating.” Those who approved cited a belief in women’s rights,
autonomy and freedom, as well as the possibility of a woman being harmed or
killed as a result of not being a virgin when she got married.
“When they get to the point where they need to get married, they are faced with
this ambiguity, when the man himself has done whatever he wishes,” said Johnny
Awwad, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and head of the division of
Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at AUB Medical Center, and the
study’s lead author.
According to the findings, a majority of 61 percent of males were likely to
approve of premarital sex, compared to just 27 percent of women. The results of
the study showed that Muslims were more likely to reject marrying a nonvirgin
than Christians. Males were also more likely to insist on marrying a virgin than
the females. There are no statistics available regarding the number of
hymenoplasty surgeries.
Awwad said that most women who opted for the surgery usually either feared
domestic violence or being rejected for marriage. Anecdotally, doctors get
numerous requests from young women asking if they can help, he added.
“We don’t interfere,” he added. “We simply tell them we don’t offer it here and
they go to private doctors who do it in their own private clinics.”To reach some
sort of estimate, the study’s authors sought out the opinion of local
gynecologists, inquiring about the number of surgeries they performed. Out of 60
who received the questionnaires, 90 percent refused to respond, and some doctors
responded angrily to the very idea that a study was being carried out. Lebanese
law does not prohibit hymen reconstruction. In fact, it does not mention it at
all. The study’s authors argued that Parliament ought to draft laws that
enforced gender equality, in an environment where a woman’s future “can
literally hang by a membrane.” But Awwad said it was unlikely that a law
regulating hymen surgery could be passed because of religious opposition.
“In Lebanon, anything that’s controversial can’t be passed as a law,” he said.
“I think if the government, [were] to face the religious trends and say we want
to discuss hymenoplasty, for them virginity is a taboo, and you’re not supposed
to lose your virginity.”
To demonstrate this point, students were asked what they would do if they found
out after marriage that their spouse had her hymen reconstructed. Nearly half
said they would divorce her while the other half would forgive her. Muslims were
less likely to forgive such an act than Christians. But nearly 10 percent
admitted they would physically assault their wife, with 5.3 percent saying they
“would hurt her” and 4 percent that they “would kill her.”
Students who said they were more likely to commit violence in response were
often poorer and less privileged, but Awwad said the numbers were alarming
because those polled were university students.
“These are the educated, the people who should be aware that there is law and
order,” he said.
Female participants in the study tended to be more accepting of sexual activity
that did not include vaginal penetration, including “sexual flirting” and anal
sex.
This led the study’s authors to conclude that many who want to marry virgins
care more about the physical manifestation of “virginity” as opposed to the
virtue of “chastity.”
“This is the transition you see between what’s really conviction, and what’s
really fear,” Awwad said. “I would assume that culture and religion would really
be strong in favor of chastity rather than simple virginity.”
Ghandour agreed.
“The whole idea is a psychological reassurance of the man,” he said, that his
wife is untouched.
Ghandour disputed the suggestion that the hymen surgeries are on the rise,
saying the poor economic situation means marriage is less likely, which, he
asserted, corresponds with higher sexual promiscuity.
With a new patient, Ghandour said he starts by examining her, measuring the
width of her vaginal canal, checking for infections or pelvic or ovarian
problems, and then sets a date for the operation and advises the patient on
postoperation recovery. He doesn’t keep records of the operations, since he
believes most of the patients give a fake name and phone number out of caution.
But he doesn’t shy away from admitting to doing the procedure. “For me it’s not
under the table,” he said.
State of myopia
October 08, 2013/The Daily Star
During the last few years of popular uprisings in the Arab world, leading
Western countries have repeatedly made it clear that they want to see a certain
type of political and social order rise from the ashes of authoritarian regimes
that have been toppled, or are faced with the threat of collapse. Officials from
Western states have been fairly consistent in their rhetoric. They have spoken
of the need for many things for the Middle East to be up to their standards.
They want to see stability, and they want to see new systems of government based
on several principles that are of paramount importance: democracy, rotation of
power and diversity. Whenever the words “Islamic state” are uttered in the
region, many Western officials and opinion-makers automatically feel a sense of
unease. They, or a legion of commentators and analysts, can be expected to
express their reservations about such an objective. Officials might use
diplomatic language, as they express concerns about the status of minorities,
and personal freedoms in a religious state. Others, meanwhile, will be much
harsher – they will talk about how religion is incompatible with democracy, as
the entire notion by definition involves a violation of fundamentally important
principles.
Therefore, it was jarring to see a Middle East leader Sunday declare the need to
enshrine religion as the basis of politics, and generate no fallout and outrage
in Western capitals. The leader in question, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, was giving a speech at a university in Tel Aviv, and he spoke
adamantly about how Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
However, no Western leaders issued statements of concern about these divisive,
worrying remarks. Apparently, enshrining a country as a state based on religion
is permitted to one group in the region, but not the rest. There were no
statements of worry about the fate of religious minorities in a Jewish state,
and whether they would feel themselves to be second-class citizens. There were
no human rights groups expressing outrage about the lack of freedom or respect
for liberties. Even though Palestinians have said time and time again that they
reject recognizing Israel as a Jewish state, short-sighted politicians like
Netanyahu continue to trot out their objectionable, worrying demands. But the
speech did have some impact, it should be noted. It was described as “probably
the best speech by Netanyahu as prime minister” – by a former leader of the
settler movement. At a time in which the Arab world is in turmoil, and there is
stepped-up U.S. pressure on Israel to move forward in their dysfunctional
negotiations process, the best Netanyahu could come up with is a hard-line
rhetoric directed squarely at his hard-line base of support, with nothing of any
political value for the Palestinians, the side he must engage in
dialogue.Perhaps the many developments in the region are confusing Netanyahu,
like Israel in general. This could explain his remarks in an interview with the
BBC Persian service, the day before his speech in Tel Aviv, when he said that
“if the Iranian people had freedom, they would wear jeans and listen to Western
music.” Iranians quickly took to social media and let Netanyahu know that in
fact, they do engage in quite a bit of jeans-wearing and listening to Western
music. In the final analysis, Netanyahu remarked Sunday in Tel Aviv that “the
root of the conflict is the Jewish state.” On this point, he was absolutely
correct.