Miscellaneous Reports And News
Report: US may free up frozen Iranian assets, funds
'Spies' arrested in Iran apparently Kurds
Most Israelis Support Netanyahu's Iran Stance
Syria Rebels Kill Jamaa Jamaa, Top Intelligence Officer
Saudi Rejects Seat on 'Double-Standards' Security Council
Moscow Slams Saudi for Rejecting Security Council Seat, Paris Says Shares Riyadh 'Frustration'
Saudis, UAE to get US bunker-buster bombs, cruise missiles in deal worth $11b.
Suspected Palestinian terrorist shot dead trying to enter IDF base in West Bank
IDF fears: Motivation to attack increased
Cyprus Agrees Base for Syria Chemical Inspections
12 Dead in Syrian Shelling on Kurdish Town
Fierce Clashes in Syria's Eastern Deir Ezzor
Kerry Heading Back to Europe for Syria, Mideast Talks
Egypt Denies Mistreatment of Syrian Refugees
Brahimi Heads to Egypt to Prepare Syria Talks

Report: Israel mulls destroying missiles transferred from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon
By JPOST.COM STAFF 10/18/2013/Israel has information on the location of long-range missiles transfered from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon and is considering taking military action to destroy the weapons, Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida reported on Friday. The paper, quoting an Israeli security source close to Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, reported that the remote-operated missiles, with a range of 1,500 kilometers, were made in China and further developed in Iran. According to the source, the missiles are being stored by Hezbollah in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon. The Jerusalem Post could not confirm the veracity of the report. Al-Jarida quoted the Israeli source as saying that Jerusalem views the missiles as posing a danger to the security of Israel and are therefore examining the possibility of destroying the arsenal. Israel has said repeatedly that while it does not wish to interfere in Syria's civil war, it would act to halt the transfer of chemical arms or "game-changing" weapons to Hezbollah. "Our policy is to stop, as much as possible, any leaks of advanced weaponry to Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations. We will continue to act to ensure the security interests of the citizens of Israels," Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu stressed earlier this year.
According to foreign reports, Israel has struck weaponry earmarked for Hezbollah within Syria's borders on a number of occasions in the past year.

Most Israelis Support Netanyahu's Iran Stance
Naharnet/Most Israelis support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stance on the Iran nuclear issue after the Islamic republic met world powers in Geneva this week, an opinion poll showed on Friday. Some 58 percent of respondents to the question "how would you rate Netanyahu's recent performance in the global arena vis-a-vis Iran?" said it was good (41 percent) or very good (17 percent), said the poll published in Haaretz newspaper.
Netanyahu and his government expressed bitter skepticism over nuclear talks in Geneva between Iran and the P5+1 countries -- the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia plus Germany -- warning his Western allies they risked being duped into easing sanctions prematurely. The prime minister said Israel reserved the right to carry out a unilateral military strike to prevent Iran obtaining nuclear weapons capability.
The P5+1 and Israel, Iran's archfoe, fear that Tehran's atomic program is a disguised effort to develop nuclear weapons capability, a claim it denies vehemently. Netanyahu's tough stance on foreign affairs -- including Iran and negotiations with the Palestinians -- and his sidelining of domestic issues since his re-election in January have been working to his advantage, the poll said. It said 63 percent of respondents thought Netanyahu was the best person for prime minister, compared with 56 percent who said the same thing in a July survey. The poll was carried out on October 15 by the Dialog Institute under the supervision of Professor Camil Fuchs of Tel Aviv University, and questioned 501 people with an error margin of 4.4 percent.Source/Agence France Presse

Report: US may free up frozen Iranian assets, funds
Ynet Published: 10.18.13/In light of Iranian readiness to resolve nuclear issue, US considers allowing Iran access to frozen assets, despite assurances made to Israel prior to Geneva talks
The New York Times reported Friday that according to a senior administration official, the US is weighing a proposal to ease sanctions on Tehran by offering it access to billions of dollars in frozen funds if the Iranian government takes specific steps to curb its nuclear program. The easing of sanctions is being considered in light of Iran's willingness to achieve a solution in regards to its nuclear program as part of talks with six world powers this week in Geneva. According to the NYT, such a plan, under which the United States could free up Iran's frozen overseas assets in installments, would avoid the political and diplomatic risks of repealing the sanctions. The senior official added that it would also give President Obama the flexibility to respond to Iranian offers that emerge from the negotiations without unraveling the global sanctions regime the administration has spent years cobbling together. Prior to the talks, US officials assured their Israeli counterparts they do not intend at this time to ease US sanctions on sectors such as energy, banking or shipping, which severely affect the Iranian economy. Although the talks in Geneva did not bring about a breakthrough, the parties concluded the talks with optimism. White House Spokesman Jay Carney said that for the first time, "the Iranian proposal was a new proposal with a level of seriousness and substance that we had not seen before." However, he mentioned that "no one should expect a breakthrough overnight. These are complicated issues. They are technical issues and as the president has said, the history of mistrust is very deep." Iranian Foreign Minister and chief negotiator Mohammad Javad Zarif said the talks were fruitful and useful. "We sense that members of the (six powers) also have exhibited the necessary political will in order to move the process forward." Meanwhile, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said that the six powers are carefully examining the proposal submitted by the Iranians. A senior US administration official said he has "never had such intense, detailed, straightforward, candid conversations with the Iranian delegation before"; however he added that much work still needs to be done. According to him, "although there remain many differences in each area, and what sanctions relief might be appropriate, specific and candid discussions took place." Immediately after the talks, American officials at the House of Representatives demanded that Iran completely halts uranium enrichment before seriously discussing easing or revoking of sanctions. Others even called for an escalation of economic sanctions, regardless of nuclear talks in Geneva.

Suleiman: Pledges to Share Burden of Refugees Not Sufficient
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman lamented on Friday that the international community was not sufficiently sharing the burden of the displaced Syrians, who have put a severe strain on Lebanon's economy.
Suleiman told the ambassadors of major powers and U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly that “the participation of countries in sharing the burden of Syrian refugees is not sufficient.”
“We should follow up the funding mechanism through the support of the World Bank,” he said referring to a series of pledges made at an International Support Group for Lebanon meeting held in New York last month.
Suleiman reiterated the need to establish U.N.-protected refugee camps inside Syria to facilitate the return of the displaced.
The World Bank has said in a report that spillover from the Syrian war has cost Lebanon billions of dollars, deeply damaged its economy and harshly strained social services such as health, education and electricity.
About 2,000 Syrian refugees are arriving every day now. Based on current trends, 1.3 million Syrian refugees could be in Lebanon by the end of this year, according to the report presented at the New York meeting.
It estimates that the total costs of spillover will shave close to 3 percentage points off gross domestic product growth per year between 2012 and 2014. Unemployment will double to more than 20 percent and about 170,000 additional Lebanese will be plunged into poverty on top of some 1 million currently living below the poverty line.
During the New York meeting, the international community and U.N. officials praised "the extreme generosity" of Lebanon in keeping its borders open to the refugees.
The meeting announced $339 million in additional humanitarian aid in response to the Syria crisis, including $74 million for Lebanon to support Syrian refugees.
Suleiman said the meeting was “successful” but stressed “there should be an encouragement to hold a new donors conference to assess the funding announced at the Kuwait conference.”
Kuwait hosted the first donors conference in January, when participating nations pledged $1.5 billion for Syrian refugees. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has already called on the Emir of Kuwait to host a second conference. The U.N. launched a record $5.2-billion aid appeal in June to fund operations in Syria and neighboring countries, including Lebanon. The appeal aims to raise $3.8 billion for refugees and $1.4 billion for operations in Syria. In his meeting with the ambassadors at Baabda Palace on Friday, Suleiman encouraged holding separate international meetings on each of Lebanon's sectors affected by the Syrian crisis, such as the refugees, the support for the army and support for several institutions. After the meeting, Plumply said that the impact of the Syrian crisis is becoming more acute. He underlined the need for strong and coordinated international support.
The high-level meeting organized by UNHCR in Geneva on September 30 had focused on the need for greater burden-sharing, including resettlement, he said.
“At a meeting convened by the World Bank on October 12 in Washington, the Government of Lebanon had submitted a “roadmap for priority interventions for stabilization from the Syrian crisis” prepared in conjunction with the Bank and the U.N. which was positively received,” he said. “A proposed coordination mechanism to support the Lebanese Armed Forces’ five-year capabilities development plan is under consideration, and the LAF and UNIFIL have agreed a coordination mechanism to facilitate assistance with equipment and training offered in the framework of the Strategic Dialogue,” he added. The ambassadors, who met with Suleiman, called for the formation of a new cabinet, looked for the resumption of dialogue and stressed again the importance of commitment by all parties to the Baabda Declaration, Plumbly told reporters.

Report: Mamlouk, Ibrahim Discuss Case of Nine Abducted Pilgrims
Naharnet/General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim discussed with Syrian security Chief Ali Mamlouk the release of the nine Lebanese pilgrims, who were being held in Syria's Aazaz region, As Safir newspaper reported on Friday. According to the daily, Mamlouk, who is charged by Lebanese judicial authorities along with former Information Minister Michel Samaha with forming a group to commit terrorist crimes in Lebanon, informed Ibrahim in a telephone conversation that the Syrian authorities will cooperated with any solution that guarantees the release of the men. Mamlouk and Samaha were also charged with plotting to assassinate political and religious figures.
As Safir said that Mamlouk and Ibrahim agreed to hold a meeting in the upcoming hours. “We've reached a very advanced stage in negotiations,” Ibrahim told the newspaper, He pointed out that the Lebanese state that the nine pilgrims should be released in one batch. However, the abductors insist on releasing the men at different intervals. They have demanded the release of 282 women detainees from Syrian prisons in return for the nine men.
For his part, Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel expressed hope in comments to As Safir that Ibrahim's endeavors would reach a “happy ending.”Ibrahim returned later on Friday to Beirut after a short visit to Syria to discuss of the concerned Syrian officials the case, the state-run National News Agency reported.Eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped in Syria's Aleppo region in May 2012 as they were making their way back to Lebanon by land from pilgrimage in Iran.Two of them have since been released, while the rest are being held in the Aazaz region. Their relatives have repeatedly held Turkey responsible for their ongoing abduction and they have held protests near Turkish establishments in Lebanon in order to pressure Ankara to exert more efforts to release their loved ones. Source/Agence France Presse

18 Palestinians Charged with Terrorist Plot
Naharnet /State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr charged on Friday 18 Palestinians, only one of them in custody, for planning terrorist activities, the state-run National News Agency reported. NNA said that among those who received the charges were Wissam Ahmed Naim, who was recently arrested for forging identification documents for suspected terrorists, and Toufiq Tah from the Islamist al-Nusra Front. The charges include the formation of an armed gang for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activities.If convicted, the suspects face the death penalty, said the agency. The General Security Department announced on Monday that Naim was arrested for forging IDs, in addition to designing and manufacturing electronic devices used in bomb timers. It accused him of firing rockets, taking part in activities that violate the state's internal and external security, and engaging in sectarian incitement.Al-Akhbar newspaper was the first to report about his arrest last week. It said Naim has close ties with Tah, who according to al-Akhbar is al-Qaida's number one man in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh.

EU Pledges 70 Million Euros to Help Lebanon Cope with Syrian Refugees
Naharnet/The ambassadors of the European Union held a meeting with President Michel Suleiman on Friday during which they pledged additional support for Lebanon in coping with the burden of Syrian refugees in the country.
EU Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst said after the talks: “An additional amount of 70 million euros will be allocated by the EU humanitarian agency ECHO to help the poorest refugees through the winter.”
She explained that that the contribution will cover all the needs identified and planned for the poorest Syrian refugees during the winter under the “winterization” program developed by the inter-agency coordination here in Lebanon.The assistance will last from November 2013 to March 2014 and it will be dedicated to 90,000 families living at an altitude above 500 meters above sea level and/or in the “informal tented settlements” and 10 percent of vulnerable Syrian families living below 500m. “We are making ​​every effort to help meet the urgent needs of Lebanese and refugees, through emergency humanitarian aid and the development of infrastructure and basic services,” stressed Eichhorst. “Lebanon bears the brunt of the impact of the Syrian crisis on all fronts. The disassociation policy as expressed ​in the Baabda Declaration remains essential to keep Lebanon away from the Syrian conflict,” she remarked. “The EU once again calls on all parties to uphold this commitment and supports the call for dialogue of Suleiman,” she continued.
To that end, she said that there must be a functioning government to assume the essential responsibilities and take the necessary decisions, both in terms of managing the refugee crisis, and in terms of national governance and international obligations. “The EU welcomes the efforts of the security services, including the army, which are carrying out their mandate under difficult circumstances. The judiciary must uphold the rule of law and combat impunity,” stressed the ambassador.“In addition to the contributions already provided by the EU Member States to strengthen the stability of the country, both in direct and substantial assistance to security services and through their contributions to United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, we are deepening our cooperation with all security services, including the army,” she noted.
“Overall, the EU is the largest trading partner of Lebanon and the largest donor with $1.3 billion in ongoing grants and loans. We continue to intensify our relations under the Association Agreement and our ongoing Action Plan and through our common political positions and cooperation programs,” stated Eichhorst. “European institutions and Member States have already allocated more than 500 million euros to Lebanon to meet the consequences of the Syrian crisis on the country. Most of the funds were allocated to the United Nations, such as UNHCR, UNICEF and WFP, but much of the ongoing allocations also go directly to the Lebanese government to cover the needs of the Lebanese host families in the poorest municipalities,” she added. Earlier on Friday, Suleiman lamented that the international community was not sufficiently sharing the burden of the displaced Syrians, who have put a severe strain on Lebanon's economy.“We should follow up the funding mechanism through the support of the World Bank,” he said referring to a series of pledges made at an International Support Group for Lebanon meeting held in New York last month. The World Bank has said in a report that spillover from the Syrian war has cost Lebanon billions of dollars, deeply damaged its economy and harshly strained social services such as health, education and electricity. About 2,000 Syrian refugees are arriving every day now. Based on current trends, 1.3 million Syrian refugees could be in Lebanon by the end of this year, according to the report presented at the New York meeting.

Report: Paris Mulling Meeting for Rival Lebanese Officials
Naharnet /The French authorities are mulling to organize a meeting for Lebanese officials to resolve Lebanon's political crisis and “salvage its constitutional institutions,” An Nahar newspaper reported on Friday.
Paris could invite the Lebanese rival parties to a meeting similar to the one that former Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner organized in Saint-Cloud in 2007, An Nahar said.The French Foreign Ministry is still studying the possibility of holding such a conference, which could be decided after several meetings between high-ranking officials, the latest of which were talks held by FM Laurent Fabius and his Saudi Counterpart Prince Saud al-Faisal. According to the daily, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry could also discuss the probability of holding such a conference on the sidelines of a meeting he will hold in Paris with his Arab counterparts and Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi on the Middle East peace process. Paris “is seeking to salvage (Lebanon's) constitutional institutions from the danger of vacuum,” An Nahar said, adding that it has set as a priority the formation of a new cabinet. A meeting held between French Foreign Ministry officials and Hizbullah MP Ali Fayyad last week had huge importance, in particular after the European Union put the party's military wing on the list of its terror organizations in July. The talks with Fayyad were a sign that Paris was willing to revive dialogue with Hizbullah in preparation for the role it wants to play to resolve Lebanon's crisis, An Nahar said.

Ban Urges Lebanese to Fortify National Institutions, Hizbullah to become Political Party
Naharnet/United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Lebanese leaders to fortify the “national institutions” and safeguard Lebanon from the repercussions of the Syrian turmoil, expressing concern over Hizbullah's involvement in battles in the neighboring country. According to An Nahar newspaper published on Friday, the U.N. chief praised the endeavors carried out by President Michel Suleiman to maintain the dissociation policy, calling on all parties to abide by the Baabda declaration. The Baabda Declaration was unanimously adopted during a national dialogue session in June 2012. It calls for Lebanon to disassociate itself from regional crises, most notably the one in Syria. Lebanese parties are sharply divided over the crisis in Syria as the March 8 alliance continuously expresses its support to Assad, while the March 14 camp voices its support for the popular revolt. Ban slammed the Lebanese officials' failure to form a new cabinet “capable” of confronting the lingering crises. The government must be formed without any further delay, Ban said in his report.
Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam, since his appointment to form a cabinet in April, is seeking the formation of a 24-member cabinet in which the March 8, March 14 and centrists camps would each get eight ministers.
However, he has blamed his failure to lineup a cabinet on the conditions and counter-conditions set by the rival parties on the failure to form his government. Ban made his remarks in his half year report on Lebanon's implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 1559. The U.N. official called on the state and the Lebanese army to take all the necessary measures to prevent Hizbullah from beefing up its military abilities and widening its arms arsenal outside the state control, in line with resolution 1559. “The best way to remove the militia arms in Lebanon, in particular Hizbullah, is through a peaceful political process,” Ban said according to An Nahar. He also urged regional countries, that have ties with Hizbullah, to encourage it to become a plain political party. The report noted that Lebanon is still confronting “challenges that threaten its local security and stability and along its border with Syria, including the arms smuggling and refugees influx.” Ban also called on Syrian authorities to respect Lebanon's sovereignty and safety of its territories, according to Security Council Resolution 1559. Hizbullah has dispatched fighters to battle alongside the Syrian regime against rebels seeking the overthrow of President Bashar Assad. The conflict, pitting a Sunni-dominated rebel movement against Assad, has raised sectarian tensions in Lebanon and Lebanese Sunni fighters have also been killed while fighting alongside Syrian rebels.

Geagea Urges Politicians to Hold onto Taef over 'System Crisis'
Naharnet /Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has said that Lebanon has been suffering from a crisis in its political system over the rejection of a certain party of the Taef Accord. In an interview with al-Joumhouria newspaper published on Friday, Geagea said: “We are suffering from a system crisis and all other issues are aimed at covering it up.” “The real reason (for the crisis) is that a certain group does not accept the Taef Accord,” he said.The crisis could be resolved if Lebanese officials assumed their full responsibilities in guaranteeing the safety of the system, Geagea added. “It would be wise for everyone to accept the Taef Accord and hold onto it,” he said although he admitted that none of Lebanon's political parties give their consent to it. “But we have to cope with it to reach a stage that would (allow us) to develop the system from within,” Geagea told al-Joumhouria.
Asked about efforts by some Christian parties to amend the Taef, Geagea said: “The demands of the parties are very contradictory.”Hizbullah and its backers are seeking through their demographic size to change the balance created by the Taef, he said. “Would they accept to keep their share as it is today?” the LF leader wondered. He stressed it would be difficult to manage the demands of Hizbullah and those of some Christians to give back to the president the authorities that he enjoyed in the pre-Taef stage. He described talks on the system crisis as a jump to the unknown. Turning to the cabinet crisis, Geagea stressed that the LF rejects a proposal made by Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat to give nine ministers to each of the March 8 and 14 camps and six ministers to centrists. “This equation will not be able to divide seats and will place (the cabinet) in a crisis on the policy statement mainly on the army-people-resistance formula which the March 14 alliance rejects,” he said. Jumblat said last week that he dropped his support for giving 8 ministers to each of Lebanon's three camps to help resolve the government stalemate and instead suggested giving veto power to both March 8 and 14 through the 9-9-6 formula. Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam has been unable since April to form a cabinet over conditions and counter-conditions set by the different parties. Geagea also rejected the 8-8-8 formula, saying only a cabinet in which the ministers are specialized in their fields would be able to govern.

Christian Parties Meet Under Auspices of al-Rahi to Address Controversial Concerns
Naharnet/The representatives of Christian parties held a “positive meeting” under the auspices of Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Friday. The attendees discussed the national interests and issues that concern the Christians in Lebanon and the east, sources told the newspaper.The meeting was held in presence of representatives of Phalange party MP Sejaan Aazi, Lebanese Forces parliamentary bloc MP Elie Kayrouz, Free Patriotic Movement Minister Salim Jreissati, Marada movement former MP Salim Saadeh and al-Rahi's representative Bishop Samir Mazloum and ex-Minister Roger Deeb. The newspaper reported that committees tasked with addressing matters that interest Christians will resume their meetings on Monday in Bkirki.

Aoun Meets al-Rahi, Urges Unity to Reach Lebanon's Salvation
Naharnet /Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi held talks on Wednesday night with Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on local issues and developments in the region and their affects on Lebanon, reported the National News Agency on Thursday. Aoun said after the meeting at Bkirki: “We need to exert all our efforts in order to create an air of understanding that will save Lebanon from negative positions.”
“I represent a large number of Christians and I call on them today to unite to confront the country's crisis,” he remarked. “Despite the political disputes, we must cooperate in order to tackle fateful issues,” he added. Christian unity will “inevitably lead to Lebanese unity that will bring together all people regardless of their sects, which in turn will lead to our salvation,” said Aoun.

Beirut Ranks 20 among World's Top Tourist Destinations
Naharnet /Beirut ranked 20 in the list of the world's top tourist destinations, the Ministry of Tourism announced on Thursday. "Beirut came before Paris, Melbourne, Venice and Barcelona on the list of tourism magazine Conde Nast Traveler,” the ministry said in a released statement, noting that the magazine's annual list is based on “its readers' choices.” 1.3 million readers participated in this year's vote, according to the same source. In its feature, the international publication described Beirut as “Paris of the Middle East.” "Beirut has a lot to offer to tourists such as the best restaurants and the most exclusive clubs in the world,” it said. The article noted that the city offers a “tapestry of sects, religions, and lifestyles that provide a feast for the mind of the intellectual.”The Tourism Ministry pointed out in its statement that this is not the first time Beirut is classified as a top international tourist destination. It detailed: “In 2009, the New York Times considered the Lebanese capital as the international tourist destination while the Financial Times called it a 'sleepless city.'” "This is a conclusive evidence on the status Beirut enjoys internationally and on the huge potentials Lebanon has. This puts an end to efforts exerted to tarnish Lebanon's reputation and image through describing the situation as catastrophic and miserable.”The ministry added: “Beirut is still a desired destination worldwide because of its great civilization, its diversity and its wealth.” The Lebanese capital is a meeting place for international events thanks to its universities, its hotels, hospitals, its trade activities, and the recreation centers it has, the statement elaborated. "It is a first class tourist destination.”The ministry urged all local factions “to collaborate in this stage and benefit from the positive image that Beirut has gained on both the economical and touristic levels.” “We also call on foreign aviation lines to take into consideration Beirut's touristic status and strive to adopt friendlier contracts with Lebanon."

Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, director-general of General Security, in Syria for hostage negotiations
October 18, 2013/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, director-general of General Security, arrived in Syria Friday morning to follow up on negotiations for the release of nine Lebanese pilgrims held hostage by Syrian rebels since last year.A General Security source said that Ibrahim is set to hold talks with a number of Syrian officials in connection with the case. The source said that Ibrahim was negotiating a deal that would see the release of prisoners in the Syrian governement prisons in exchange of the Lebanese hostages' release. The source added that Ibrahim had recently met with the hostages' kidnappers in Turkey and that negotiations are on the right track. Ibrahim flew directly from Belgium to Turkey on Thursday in an unplanned visit to follow up on the hostages' case.He arrived back at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport late Thursday night. The nine pilgrims were among 11 Lebanese kidnapped by Syrian rebels in May of last year in the Azaz district of Aleppo. The pilgrims were returning after completing a religious pilgrimage in Iran. Two were released in August and September of last year. Positive signs emerged last week that the nine would be released soon. Ibrahim is negotiating for the release of the pilgrims with Qatari and Turkish mediators on behalf of Lebanon.

Berri says no dispute with FPM despite oil feud
October 18, 2013/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: There is no dispute with Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun despite disagreements over the oil exploration issue, Speaker Nabih Berri said in remarks published Friday.“There are no disagreements with the general,” Berri told the Annahar daily. “The dispute between [caretaker Energy Minister] Gebran Bassil and [caretaker Health Minister] Ali Hassan Khalil will not affect the relationship between the Free Patriotic Movement and the Amal Movement,” he said. “Both parties want the Cabinet to convene and address all that is related to the oil issue,” he added.
Bassil has been calling on the caretaker Cabinet and Parliament to hold extraordinary sessions to approve oil sector decrees. Khalil, a member of the Amal Movement’s political bureau, blasted Bassil earlier this week for refusing to put up for auction all 10 of Lebanon’s offshore gas blocks. He further accused the energy minister of favoritism for starting an onshore gas survey in his hometown of Batroun, rather than in another part of the country, and demanded that all 10 offshore blocks be fully operation in one shot. Bassil, however, insists that the Petroleum Administration had already designated the five blocks that would be put up for auction, adding that most countries do not auction off all of their blocks in the first round of tenders.

Kidnapped Lebanese cameraman’s family appeals to politicians
October 18, 2013/By Kareem Shaheen /The Daily Star /Sky News Arabia says it lost contact with Samir Kassab Tuesday. BEIRUT: The family of a Lebanese journalist who disappeared in Syria this week appealed to local politicians to set aside their differences and work to secure his release. Sky News Arabia announced Thursday that it had lost contact with Samir Kassab, a Lebanese cameraman, and reporter Ishak Moctar, a Mauritanian national, as well as their unnamed Syrian driver on Tuesday morning. The last known location of Samir, 28, was in the countryside near Aleppo, according to his brother George. George Kassab, Samir’s brother, said that Sky News was closely following the case amid scant details since his brother’s disappearance. The Abu Dhabi-based channel appealed for information that would lead to their safe return. George said the family was trying as much as possible to reach out to the media and to any officials, including President Michel Sleiman, who could help secure their brother’s return. George said that his brother sought to cover Syria as part of his job with Sky News for the past year. “We are not accusing anyone,” George said.  “My brother does not deal in politics, he is a professional,” he said. Samir was preparing a documentary two days ago on Eid al-Adha celebrations in Aleppo, according to George. George said that the family worried about Samir’s presence in Syria, an anxiety they expressed whenever he came back to Lebanon every two or three months.
“We would say ‘is there nothing else except Syria?’” he said. George said his brother perhaps recognized that Syria presented a challenge and a rare career opportunity.
George called on Sleiman and other Lebanese officials and agencies to do what they would for his brother. “I wish that politicians would keep the people out of their political disagreements,” George said.
“If he was kidnapped by the opposition or the army, in the end he is Lebanese,” he added. The Samir Kassir Eyes Center, a local media watchdog, said that 20 journalists were currently missing in war-torn Syria, including the Sky News Arabia team. “The SKeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom demands the immediate release of Samir Kassab and all the abductees in Syria, particularly the journalists,” the center said in a statement, calling Syria the world’s most dangerous place for journalists. “Also, SKeyes asks the relevant groups to provide evidence showing that they are in good health, as well as any information that may lead to their release as soon as possible.”A spokesman for Sky News Arabia said the channel had no further information on the circumstances of Samir’s disappearance. The spokesman said the channel would only release verified information due to the sensitivity of the situation and to protect its journalists. In its statement, the channel stressed its commitment to the safety of its staff. Sky News Arabia’s chief Nart Bouran said the crew, who were covering the humanitarian dimensions of the crisis in Aleppo, were “dedicated to covering the news objectively, professionally and without bias.”

Syria Rebels Kill Jamaa Jamaa, Top Intelligence Officer
Naharnet/Rebels have killed a top intelligence officer in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, Syrian state media said on Thursday. "Major General Jamaa Jamaa was martyred while carrying out his national duties to defend Syria and its people and pursuing terrorists in Deir Ezzor," state television said in a breaking news alert. Jamaa was head of military intelligence in the province, where the regime has been battling armed opposition fighters seeking to overthrow President Bashar Assad. State media gave no immediate details on where in the province Jamaa was killed or how, but jihadist forums said he died during clashes with jihadist fighters in the city of Deir Ezzor. Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights NGO, said initial reports suggested Jamaa had been shot by a sniper in the Rashdiya district of Deir Ezzor city, but there was no confirmation.
The group also reported fierce fighting between regime troops and rebels in several parts of the province, including the city, which is the largest in eastern Syria. Jamaa was one of Syria's top security officers in Lebanon during Damascus's military deployment in the country between 1976 and 2005. He was interrogated over the February 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri though he was not charged in connection with his death.
In 2006, the U.S. Treasury Department announced it was blacklisting him and another Syrian general for their role in supporting "terrorist groups" and over the presence in Lebanon. He is believed to be from Jableh, a town in coastal Latakia province, a stronghold of the Syrian regime. Source/Agence France Presse

Saudi Rejects Seat on 'Double-Standards' Security Council
Naharnet /Saudi Arabia rejected membership of the U.N. Security Council on Friday, a day after it was elected to the body, accusing it of "double-standards" in resolving world conflicts. "Work mechanisms and double-standards on the Security Council prevent it from carrying out its duties and assuming its responsibilities in keeping world peace," the foreign ministry said. "Therefore Saudi Arabia... has no other option but to turn down Security Council membership until it is reformed and given the means to accomplish its duties and assume its responsibilities in preserving the world's peace and security," a statement said. For the first time ever, oil-rich, conservative Saudi Arabia won a seat Thursday on the 15-member council, which has a key role in dealing with world conflicts. Saudi U.N. Ambassador Abdullah al-Mouallimi said that reflected Riyadh's "long-standing policy in support of moderation and in support of resolving disputes in peaceful means."But the foreign ministry said Saudi Arabia declines to be a member of a body unable to tackle long-standing conflicts in the Middle East or rid the region of the threat of nuclear war. It pointed specifically to the nearly three-year civil war in Syria and the protracted Palestinian-Israeli conflict, as key reasons. "Failing to find a solution to the Palestinian cause for 65 years" it said, has led to "numerous wars that have threatened world peace."Likewise, it said, "allowing the regime in Syria to kill its own people with chemical weapons... without confronting it or imposing any deterrent sanctions... is a proof of the inability of the Security Council to carry out its duties and assume its responsibilities."
The ministry also criticized the body's "failure" to turn the Middle East into a region free from weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear arms -- in a reference to Iran and Israel. Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia is a fierce critic of Shiite Iran's nuclear program, which the West and Israel suspect of seeking to develop a nuclear weapon, a charge Tehran denies. Israel is the sole, if undeclared, nuclear power in the region.
Saudi Arabia is a major backer of rebels trying to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad who is allied to Tehran. Riyadh has been a vocal critic of the U.N.'s handling of the conflict in Syria, where a peaceful movement that called for reforms emerged in March 2011 and was met with a brutal repression. It quickly escalated into civil war. Last month, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal refused to speak or even hand out a copy of his speech at the U.N. General Assembly in anger over the Security Council deadlock on Syria and Palestine. "It was a sign of the frustration felt," said Nawaf Obaid, a visiting fellow at Harvard University's Belfer Center and an advisor to Saudi officials. Five countries have permanent seats on the Security Council -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China. The other 10 seats are awarded for two-year periods by the General Assembly, which holds a vote every year for five of the seats. Saudi Arabia was chosen by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly, along with Chile, Chad, Lithuania and Nigeria.
Security Council powers had cautiously welcomed Saudi Arabia's election. "Having them on the Security Council allows you to debate those issues in a way which you can't if they are not on the council," said one U.N. diplomat.Source/Agence France Presse

Endangered Israeli Eagle Falls Prey to Hizbullah
Naharnet /Israeli eagles dangerously endangered by pesticides, electrical wires and poachers now apparently face a new threat: Hizbullah fighters. Hizbullah's Al-Manar website recently boasted of capturing an eagle that carried an Israel-labeled transmission device on its back and claimed the bird was an Israeli spy. It said hunters in central Lebanon shot down the bird and found devices on it as well as a copper ring on its leg that reads "Israel" in English followed by letters that refer to Tel Aviv University. The fate of the eagle remains unclear. Israeli ornithologist Yossi Leshem said Thursday he was tracking the bird for research and was "incredibly frustrated" it was harmed. Leshem, a Tel Aviv university professor, has specialized in the Bonelli's Eagle for decades and said they are in great peril with just nine pairs of mating age remaining in Israel. "The whole field of conservation is based on regional cooperation and not this nonsense," said Leshem, who collaborates on several projects with Palestinian and Jordanian scientists. "It's not enough that they kill people, now they are killing birds too."
Leshem said Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Turkey all have targeted migrating birds from Israel in the past and made similar unfounded espionage accusations. Egyptian authorities, for instance, recently detained a stork that was tagged with a tracking device and claimed it was spying for Israel. Previously, Egypt has accused Israel's Mossad spy agency of training sharks to reach the Sinai Peninsula to harm tourism there. "Every time a migrating bird from Israel, carrying a satellite transmitter or a ring, is captured by one of the neighboring countries, it is immediately thought to be the instrument of a sophisticated spy work by the Israeli Mossad," Leshem wrote in a recent essay after an Israeli common kestrel was captured and investigated by Turkey. "All the countries mentioned employ the same methods of research and use the same electronic devices in tracking birds and mammals in their studies, and yet the paranoia persists in the Middle East."Source/Associated Press

Cyprus Agrees Base for Syria Chemical Inspections
Naharnet /Cyprus said on Friday that it has approved the establishment of a support base on the Mediterranean island for chemical weapons inspectors deployed in war-hit Syria. "The Council of Ministers has ratified the agreement between the Republic of Cyprus and the U.N.-OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) for the establishment of a support base of the joint mission of U.N.-OPCW," said a government statement. Cyprus said it would facilitate the "safe presence and conduct of the activities of the joint mission". A support base has been created within the U.N.-controlled buffer zone at Nicosia's disused airport from where inspectors will travel to and from Syria, some 220 kilometers (140 miles) away. "The decision by the United Nations for the establishment of a support base of the mission in Cyprus demonstrates the stabilizing and upgraded role of Cyprus in the region," said the statement. Earlier this month U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon called for the establishment of a "staging area and support base" for 100 staff in Cyprus. In a letter addressed to the U.N. Security Council, Ban also said Cyprus would be home to the fundraising wing of the chemical weapons operation. Cyprus was used as a staging post for Iraqi weapons inspectors a decade ago.Source/Agence France Presse

A Kurdish State—but where and when?
By: Samir Salha/Asharq Alawsat
Kurds in the Middle East, according to unofficial statistics, number some 30 to 40 million people in their primary areas: Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran. Their political demands have historically centered around the right of self-determination-forever related to the Kurdish state and its right to exist.
Their political leaders have tried more than once to achieve this dream. But the price of realizing it has proved beyond their grasp on more than one occasion, after they were trapped between conflicts of interest and the settling of accounts between parties big and small, when maps have been drawn and boundaries settled in the region.
Iraqi Kurdistan president Massoud Barzani repeated this demand again recently. “Greater Kurdistan” is the goal, circumstances permitting. It is not a plan for the near future, but nothing is impossible. The scene becomes clearer still, Greater Kurdistan cannot be realized without revising the map, redistributing land and changing its political, constitutional and geographical makeup-the developments in North Iraq make this very clear.
The experiment of the Iraqi constitution of 2005 and the 2007 constitution proclaimed for the Kurdistan region gives the territory the right to separate from federal Iraq whenever it so wishes. The lack of separation, in my opinion, is not due to regional and international pressures but rather the decision to wait for favorable developments in Turkey, Syria and Iran in order to proceed on the bases of such changes. And this is what we understand from Barzani’s own words when he said that it is only natural for the Kurdish people to have their own nation, and that it is necessary to wait for the appropriate time to achieve this goal: “we want this to happen naturally and in discussion with the countries that divide Kurdistan.”
It is impossible now to hide the fact that the birth of the Kurdish state means, in the best of circumstances, betting on the continuation and escalation of internal crises in these countries and other crises in the countries bordering Kurdistan. Underlying this is the hope that their bilateral relations will worsen, and lead to these countries clashing-which in turn will open the door for the creation of the Kurdish state. Today is the day of federations, tomorrow the day of confederations, and after that separation, and the declaration of nationhood.
Barzani, the most powerful Kurdish leader (as he became following the recent regional elections), knows that what he is waiting for his extremely difficult, but he will not back down so as to avoid being accused of shirking this historic responsibility before his people. His statement that the expected alternative in Syria must take into account the rights and demands of the Kurds—“We have trained young Kurdish Syrians to fight, and we will fight alongside them if necessary”—can be explained with reference to the fact that the fight they have been trained for is not Syria’s civil war. So why all these preparations, and when and how will they be used?
Barzani warned those assaulting the Kurds in Syria, but the real message was for Iran and Turkey as well. So are we surprised by the Erbil conference expected to modify the proposals and positions it launched three months ago, discussions with Baghdad, Damascus, Ankara and Tehran on a new road map for Kurdistan, or the announcement that Greater Kurdistan is the new strategic aim, or by the calls for self-governance following the failure of the Iraqi experiment. Massoud Barzani’s comments had the way prepared for them by Prime Minister Nechervan Barzani’s noting that communications with Baghdad were almost entirely cut off, and that the person threatening the unity of Iraq is in fact Al-Maliki himself and that Iraqi Kurds have a historic chance to declare independence. But there are important objections, not least from Ankara which has always held the creation of an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq as a red line. Barzani has reminded everyone that the region is experiencing events that make it impossible to ignore Kurdish ambitions. We know that geopolitics is available to the Kurds and that what they now need is a geo-strategy. But Erbil also knows that circumstances in Iraq are different from 2003, and that the fronts are overlapping, intertwining and becoming increasingly complex.
The Kurds have made strides in evolving an identity and there is now regional and international recognition of it, with some ready to redraw the map, but they also know how difficult it will be to get these four countries to agree to redress their constitutional and political makeup. Barzani knows more so than anyone else the difficulties of playing the game of duplicity and seeking to take advantage of the contradictions and conflicts of interest between the countries of the region. And it is perhaps for this reason he has decided to make his move now, but many of his recent speeches need to be clarified and examined, for they are far too important to just be directed at Syria and those trying to target and strike at the stability of security in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Security nightmares In Lebanon
October 18, 2013/The Daily Star /The government and the security agencies of Lebanon are very fond of reiterating that national stability and the safety of its citizens are paramount, that the culprits of crimes will not go unpunished. But after hearing these statements time and time again, and seeing no progress on the ground, it is time to face the reality of the situation, and for such institutions to refrain from peddling such patent falsehoods. Or to divert all attention toward living up to their words.Lebanese citizens currently have their fair share of complaints with the government, from issues related to energy and telecommunications, the environment and public transport, to health care and education. But sadly, campaigning for better services in these regards is perhaps now meaningless. This government has revealed itself to be incapable in regard to all of these sectors. It has shown an apparent disregard for the rights of citizens to have a decent standard of living, and that’s not even addressing the even more legitimate complaints of those living in poverty.
We now know from experience that these issues will not be addressed anytime soon. Therefore it would make sense for all ministers to divert their attention to the security situation, thus protecting the most basic right of all Lebanese – that is, the right to life. The last few days – over the Eid al-Adha holiday – have brought a fresh round of security flare-ups across the country. Repeated tension and fighting in the northern city of Tripoli; a car bomb discovered before it was detonated in the capital’s southern suburbs; shootings in the eastern Bekaa Valley; clashes in Beirut’s Al-Tariq al-Jadideh neighborhood, related to the presence of Hezbollah-allied Resistance Brigades; a lethal hit and run accident. The high presence of arms is also a cause for concern, as is the ongoing campaign by certain groups and individuals to poach property. Often the culprits operate with no concern for repercussions from authorities.And while all this is going on, the various security agencies – the police, the Army and General Security – continue to claim that they have the situation under control. But this country is so small and news travels fast. If a shootout erupts in one area of Beirut, it will soon be known about across the country. This mythical veil of security that the agencies insist exists is soon broken, and the Lebanese cannot be fooled for long.
So forget the traffic problems, the sporadic water supplies, the cripplingly slow and expensive Internet. For the concerned ministries have shown themselves ill equipped or unprepared to improve the situation in these regards. The very least that the authorities can do now is to allow the Lebanese to go to work or school each morning in the knowledge that they will return home in the evening.