Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 4/1-16: "I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love; 4:3 being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism,  one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all.  But to each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Therefore he says, “When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” Now this, “He ascended,” what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?  He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.  He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers;  for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ;  until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;  but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ;  from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love".

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

The Assad Regime’s Final Demise/Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed /Asharq Alawsat/September 17/13

Syria and the Road to Geneva II/By: Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Alawsat/September 17/13

Syria and the Unenforceable Agreement/By: Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Alawsat/September 17/13

Step into unknown /The Daily Star/September 17/13

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources For September 17/13

Lebanese Related News

Report: Syria is transferring chemical weapons to Hezbollah to avoid international inspection
Zahle MPs Urge Suleiman, Miqati to Ask Hizbullah to Remove Its Telecom Grid

Tensions High in Zahle after Hizbullah Attempts to Expand its Telecom Network

Serra to Berri: UNIFIL Remains Focused on its Mandate

Geagea: Autonomous Security Phenomenon Greatest Danger Facing Lebanon

Charbel Says Armed Forces Can Impose Security Despite Huge Strain

Masked Gunmen Open Fire at Tripoli Cafe, 4 Hurt

Phalange Party Says Overlooking Baabda Declaration 'Blow' to Lebanon's Credibility

Hale, Aoun Agree that Baabda Declaration Acts as Basis for All Lebanese to Deal with Challenges

Expired Foodstuffs Seized in al-Basatin, Depot Owner Held

Miqati: Caretaker Cabinet Cannot Perform Duties of Complete Govt.

Berri Expects Majority of Political Blocs to Advocate his Initiative

Saniora Says Berri's Initiative is Waste of Time, Dialogue Should Discuss Strategic Issues

Berri's delegation meets Siniora, Aoun over dialogue initiative
Hizbullah Says It Asked State to Protect Dahieh before Taking Own Measures

Judge issues summons for Syrians over Tripoli bombing

Threats bring Palestinian factions together

GCC mulls applying Hezbollah loyalist measures

French envoy calls for formation Lebanon Cabinet

Shootout at Sidon refugee complex wounds three

Miscellaneous Reports And News

Ban Calls Syria Chemical Weapons 'War Crime'

U.N. Report: Surface-to-Surface Rockets Containing Sarin were Used in Ghouta

U.S.: U.N. Report Makes Clear Assad Regime behind Chemical Attack

At Least 12 Dead, 4 Hurt in Shooting at Washington Navy Bas

US Senate bldg shut down. Navy Yard death toll rises to 12. Dead gunman identified

UN chemical experts confirm sarin gas used in Syria attack

Lavrov: U.N. Resolution Threatening Syria May 'Wreck Peace Talks'

U.S., France, Britain to press Assad on chemical arms

Panel probing 14 suspected Syria chemical attacks

Obama: U.S.-Russian Deal Could End Threat of Syria Chemical Arms

France: U.N. Report Leaves No Doubt Damascus behind Gas Attack
Obama says Iran can learn from Syria chemical crisis

Syrian opposition say strike delay negatively affected progress

Spain Arrests Suspected Leader Who Sent Jihadists to Syria

Turkish warplanes shoot down Syrian helicopter
PMO: Netanyahu did not urge Obama to accept chemical weapons deal
Egypt: Mubarak’s lawyer threatens legal action against newspaper

Israel Says Military Threat 'Deters Rogue Regimes'

U.N. Report: Surface-to-Surface Rockets Containing Sarin were Used in Ghouta
Naharnet/Banned chemical weapons have been used on a wide scale in the Syria war and there is clear evidence sarin killed hundreds of people in one major attack, U.N. inspectors said Monday.
Chemical arms have been used in the 30-month-old conflict "on a relatively large scale," says the report to be released by U.N. leader Ban Ki-moon. U.N. experts, who went to Syria last month, are not allowed to say who carried out the attacks. But they said there is "clear and convincing" evidence that sarin gas killed hundreds of people in an attack on Ghouta near Damascus on August 21. The attack sparked threats by the United States and other western nations of a military strike on President Bashar Assad's forces. The United States says more than 1,400 people died in Ghouta. Though the military threat has eased after Russia and the United States agreed a plan to put Syrian chemical arms under international control, the U.N. report will influence what measures are taken to make Assad stick to the plan. "Surface-to-surface rockets containing the nerve agent sarin were used" in the August 21 attack, said the report. While Assad blames opposition rebels for the attack, Western nations say only the government has such weapons. "The environmental, chemical and medical samples we have collected provide clear and convincing evidence that surface-to-surface rockets containing the nerve agent sarin were used" in Ghouta, said the first page of the inspectors' report, which was inadvertently leaked by the United Nations.
"This result leaves us with the deepest concern," they added.The experts said that based on evidence they had found, "the conclusion is that chemical weapons have been used in the ongoing conflict between the parties in the Syrian Arab Republic ... against civilians including children on a relatively large scale. A U.N.-mandated independent commission of inquiry into rights violations in the Syria war announced separately on Monday that it was investigating 14 alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria. The U.N. experts went to Damascus on August 18 to investigate claims that chemical weapons were used at Khan al-Asal, near Aleppo on March 19 and at two other sites, which were named on Monday as Sheik Maqmood and Saraqueb. The experts were in Damascus when the attack on opposition-held Ghouta was staged on August 21. The team was immediately ordered to concentrate on Ghouta attack and will return later to investigate the other sites. The detail was in the first page of the report mistakenly made public when it was included in an official picture of U.N. investigation leader Ake Sellstrom handing over the report to U.N. leader Ban Ki-moon. Ban was to give the full report to the U.N. Security Council on Monday.
While the government, backed by Russia, denies any use of chemical weapons, Ban said on Friday that Assad has carried out "many crimes against humanity" and called for accountability. He did not, however, accuse Assad of using chemical weapons. The U.N. Security Council is expected to start negotiations this week on a resolution to back the plan agreed at the weekend by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to destroy Syria's chemical stockpile. After a meeting of their foreign ministers in Paris on Monday, France, the United States and Britain called for a "strong" resolution to put pressure on Assad to stick to the plan.
The United States and France have said that military action in Syria is still possible. Russia has insisted, however, that it will not agree a U.N. resolution that includes a threat of force against Assad. Russia and China have vetoed three resolutions since the start of the Syrian uprising in March 2011 that sought to increase pressure on Assad without imposing any sanctions. Lavrov on Monday warned Monday that western talk of a tough resolution could wreck hopes of convening a Syria peace conference. "That is another path to wrecking completely the chances of calling the Geneva-2 conference," Lavrov told a press conference in Moscow.
SourceAgence France Presse.
 

Zahle MPs Urge Suleiman, Miqati to Ask Hizbullah to Remove Its Telecom Grid
Naharnet/Zahle's MPs on Monday called on President Michel Suleiman and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati to ask Hizbullah to remove its controversial telecom network from their city. “The region is characterized by harmony and interaction among all the Bekaa residents and we will launch an initiative out of our faith in our unifying political role,” Lebanese Forces bloc MP Tony Abou Khater said at a news conference, reciting a statement issued by Zahle's lawmakers. “We tell Hizbullah's military and political officials that Zahle is a city of peace ... What is the use from extending the grid to Zahle?” the statement added.
“It is a pretext for you to invade public property and stir security disturbances,” it said, in reference to Hizbullah. The MPs noted that the installation of the network is “part of Hizbullah's security grip on the Lebanese society and its tapping of phone calls.” “Out of our faith in the state and its sovereignty and in the army and all security forces, we urge President Michel Suleiman and caretaker PM Najib Miqati to enforce the law immediately and ask Hizbullah to dismantle the grid. We stress that we won't allow Hizbullah's network to go through Zahle,” they added. “After crossing all the red lines in Syria, Hizbullah is pressing on with its violations” in Lebanon, the lawmakers went on to say. “We must all close ranks if there is a threat from the Israeli enemy, but Zahle is not (the southern bordert town of) Maroun al-Ras,” said the statement. It added: “Legitimacy is our weapon, that's why we're calling for the implementation of laws and we can't contain the public opinion's reactions all the time.” But the MPs pointed out that they do not intend to “escalate the situation,” adding that they want to turn Zahle into “the bastion of legitimacy.”For his part, Phalange bloc MP Elie Marouni, another Zahle representative, told reporters: “We did not aggrieve anyone and we didn't stir a clash. Huge cables were brought and a maintenance operation does not require all those cables. The cables were extended before we were elected as MPs and the telecom minister provided them with political cover." "The same as they are keen on the resistance's telecommunications, we are also keen on our privacy, and the same as some parties are installing cables, other parties might remove them," Marouni threatened. "Where are those who had signed MOUs with Hizbullah? This is an assault on Zahle and we won't remain silent," he warned. "We are fed up with the insults and we also have 'black shirts.' We can dismantle cables and install other cables," Marouni went on to say.
Tensions were running high in Zahle after members of Hizbullah attempted to expand the party's telecommunications network in the area on Sunday evening. Residents of the city protested the move and temporarily blocked the road in the area. The army soon intervened and set up checkpoints in the industrial zone and security forces deployed patrols in the city, which led to Hizbullah's withdrawal from the area. Soon after however, some 15 party gunmen in a white van returned to the vicinity of the Mar Charbel church, according to media reports. The locals staged a sit-in in front of the church and were joined by MPs Abou Khater, Marouni and Joseph al-Maalouf. There was an uproar in October 2011 when Hizbullah allegedly attempted to expand its telecommunications network in the Tarshish region on the outskirts of Zahle. The residents thwarted the attempts and Telecommunications Ministry at the time denied any party actions in the region.

Tensions High in Zahle after Hizbullah Attempts to Expand its Telecom Network
Naharnet /Tensions were high in the Bekaa city of Zahle on Sunday after members of Hizbullah attempted to expand the party's telecommunications network in the area, reported various media outlets on Monday.
On Sunday, armed members of the party deployed along the highway extending between the city's industrial zone to the Mar Charbel church in an attempt to expand the network. Residents of the city protested against its actions and temporarily blocked the road in the area. The army soon intervened and set up checkpoints in the industrial zone and security forces deployed patrols in the city, which led to Hizbullah's withdrawal from the area. Soon after however, some 15 party gunmen in a white van returned to the vicinity of the Mar Charbel church. The locals were aware of the actions and promptly staged a sit-in in front of the church.
They were joined by the head of the Zahle parliamentary bloc MP Tony Abou Khater and lawmakers Joseph al-Maalouf and Elie Marouni. The residents then blocked a lane of the highway leading to the industrial zone in the city. Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) reported on Monday that four Hizbullah members were arrested for their actions in Zahle. Marouni later told al-Joumhouria daily Monday that the situation in the city could have escalated had the security forces not intervened. He revealed that six Hizbullah members were arrested over the incident. “Along with the residents, we will not lay this matter to rest because the statelet of Hizbullah will not be allowed to pass through Zahle,” he remarked. “The party will not be allowed to impose its ways and schemes on us,” he declared.
Moreover, he revealed: “We will develop the manner in which we will confront any suspicious action the party takes in Zahle.”He credited the security forces for the decisive manner in which they contained the situation and prevented the party from carrying out its actions. A security source later denied to al-Joumhouria that members of Hizbullah were arrested over the Zahle incident, explaining that a dispute broke out between them and security forces as the former were repairing a malfunction in the party's telecommunications network in the area. Uproar was created in October 2011 when Hizbullah allegedly attempted to expand its telecommunications network in the Tarshish region on the outskirts of Zahle. The residents thwarted the attempts and Telecommunications Ministry at the time denied any party actions in the region, adding: “No side, whether it is official or unofficial, has the right to use the ministry’s network for its personal use without first receiving legal permission from the ministry to do so.” The party attempted to expand the network as internet fiber optic cables belonging to the Telecommunications Ministry were being installed in the town.

Saniora Says Berri's Initiative is Waste of Time, Dialogue Should Discuss Strategic Issues
Naharnet /Al-Mustaqbal bloc leader Fouad Saniora said Monday that an initiative made by Speaker Nabih Berri to resolve the country's political crisis is a waste of time, stressing his rejection to discuss the shape of the government at the all-party talks. In remarks to Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5), Saniora said the political foes should only discuss controversial strategic issues at the national dialogue table. He said Berri's so-called roadmap is a “waste of time.” The speaker has called for the resumption of national dialogue at Baabda palace under President Michel Suleiman for a period of at least five consecutive days to discuss the form and policy statement of the future cabinet in the presence of Premier-designate Tammam Salam. He has also called for the revival of talks on a new electoral law, and supporting the military to deal with arms proliferated in several regions, in addition to addressing a national defense strategy, a reference to Hizbullah's arms. In additional remarks to As Safir daily, Saniora said that al-Mustaqbal “totally rejected the discussion of the shape of the government at the national dialogue.”The all-party talks are only aimed at discussing the issue of arms. The dialogue sessions are not constitutional institutions that have certain authorities, he said. Saniora's comments came a few hours before a delegation from Berri's parliamentary bloc met with him to brief him on the initiative. The Development and Liberation bloc MPs have already met with Suleiman, Caretaker Premier Najib Miqati and Salam.
“Let's not make illusions and speed up the formation of a political cabinet … and leave the national dialogue to discuss complicated strategic issues,” Saniora said. “We all know that the dialogue participants will not be able to reach an agreement on the controversial issues in five days” as implied by Berri, he told As Safir. Saniora suggested to separate the discussions on the government and the arms. “We can take our time in discussing (Hizbullah's) involvement in Syria and the issue of arms at the dialogue table,” he said.

Geagea: Autonomous Security Phenomenon Greatest Danger Facing Lebanon
Naharnet/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea slammed the phenomenon of autonomous security in Lebanon, saying that it undermines the authority of the state, reported An Nahar daily on Monday. He told the daily: “This is the greatest danger facing Lebanon.”“The danger lies in Hizbullah's checkpoints in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahieh and other areas where it wields power,” he added. “The party's took these measures in spite of the state through the force of arms and against the will of the majority of the Lebanese people under the excuse that the official security forces are incapable of protecting the party and its areas of influence,” he continued. Geagea noted that members of the March 14 alliance were victims of several assassinations and assassination attempts, “but they never once resorted to the same measures that Hizbullah has taken.” “Had we followed the party's example, autonomous security would have been adopted throughout Lebanon,” he said. “The security instability that Hizbullah's areas of influence are experiencing are a product of the party's adventures and the state's overlooking of these endeavors,” he lamented. He therefore urged the party to end its military involvement in Syria and disarm. Hizbullah had set up checkpoints in and around its stronghold of Dahieh in light of a bombing in the Ruwais area. Twenty-seven people were killed and 280 wounded in the bombing that took place on August 15. A number of politicians have since criticized the party for its security measures, but Hizbullah officials have denied that they have adopted autonomous security measures.

Berri Expects Majority of Political Blocs to Advocate his Initiative
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri voiced his satisfaction with the discussions his Development and Liberation bloc has so far held with political powers and that are aimed at tackling his initiative to resume dialogue, reported As Safir newspaper on Monday. He predicted to the daily that the majority of the political blocs will endorse his initiative. He added that the Development and Liberation parliamentary bloc had held “satisfactory” meetings so far with President Michel Suleiman, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati, and Premier-designate Tammam Salam. He told the daily An Nahar Monday that he will relay to Suleiman “the culmination of the bloc's talks with parties and only then will he take the decision to resume dialogue or not.” He expected that the political blocs will advocate the call to return to the all-party talks despite reservations expressed by the Musatqbal and Lebanese Forces blocs. Commenting on the initiative, Salam told As Safir: “Berri always seeks dialogue and this is not the first proposal of its kind.”“I am still convinced however that the formation of the government should be limited to the prime minister-designate and president,” he remarked. Head of the Musatqbal bloc MP Fouad Saniora meanwhile described to As Safir the initiative as “a waste of time.” Berri had proposed the resumption of national dialogue at the Baabda Palace for a period of at least five consecutive days to discuss the form and policy statement of the future cabinet. He said Salam should attend the all-party talks that bring together the rival March 8 and 14 alliances.
He also called for reviving talks on a new electoral law, supporting the military to deal with arms proliferated in several regions and addressing a national defense strategy, a reference to Hizbullah's arms.
Berri tasked lawmakers of his Development and Liberation bloc to meet with top officials and parliamentary blocs to explain to them his initiative, which he said is aimed at bringing the country's political deadlock to an end.
The bloc is expected to conclude its tour of officials later this week.

Hizbullah Says It Asked State to Protect Dahieh before Taking Own Measures
Naharnet /Hizbullah on Sunday noted that it had asked state authorities to protect its Dahieh stronghold and other areas following the deadly Rweiss blast, rejecting accusations that it was seeking “autonomous security.”
“Hizbullah is not with autonomous security, but with all due honesty, we openly asked security forces and the highest-ranking officials to shoulder their responsibilities regrading security and no one responded,” Sheikh Mohammed Yazbek, head of Hizbullah's Juristic Committee, said. “What do you want us to do while you are saying that there are booby-trapped cars? Have you ever learned of a state that abandons the security of its people?” Yazbek told mourners during a commemoration ceremony in the Bekaa town of Ansar. Addressing “those who keep mentioning self-dissociation,” the top Hizbullah official said: “Does self-dissociation involve turning Lebanon into a corridor for sending gunmen and arms to Syria?” Meanwhile, Hizbullah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem said: “We believe that security is the responsibility of Lebanese security authorities and we also believe that the law is the responsibility of the Lebanese judiciary.” But Qassem revealed: "We communicated with the Lebanese security agencies and tasked a Hizbullah official to meet with the chiefs of security agencies, and we openly asked them to perform their duties and role.” “But they declared their impotence and said they could not provide the needed personnel or protect Dahieh and some other areas,” Qassem added.
"We said that we do not accept such an answer and that authorities cannot say that they are powerless and that they must seek a solution. If the solution lies in increasing the number of personnel, then beef up the numbers. If the solution lies in boosting the budget, request the needed budget, and if the solution lies in a political decision, let us discuss how to take that political decision,” Hizbullah's number two went on to say.
He stressed that security agencies “are exclusively responsible for people's security and they must find the solution.” “But until that happens, what should we do? Should we keep our regions vulnerable? Should we give a chance to criminals and Takfiris to stage hostile acts against people?” Qassem asked rhetorically. “To those saying that the state is the answer – while it is admitting its incapacity – we say: Should we keep the streets open to booby-trapped cars … and allow them to cause casualties? What kind of logic is this?” he added. Hizbullah had beefed up its security measures in and around Beirut's southern suburbs in the wake of bomb attacks that targeted the Bir al-Abed and Rweiss areas and left dozens of people dead and scores others wounded.

Judge issues summons for Syrians over Tripoli bombing

By Youssef Diab/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Military Investigative Judge Riyad Abu Ghayda issued summons Monday for two Syrians, including an intelligence officer, for their alleged involvement in the Tripoli bombings last month. Abu Ghayda sent the requests to the suspects through the Higher Lebanese Syrian Council, informing them that they needed to appear before the judge. Capt. Mohammad Ali Ali, a Syrian intelligence officer, and Khodr Lutfi al-Airouni were charged with rigging two cars with explosives and placing them outside Al-Taqwa and Al-Salam Mosques in the northern city of Tripoli last month. On Aug. 23, twin car bombings exploded outside two mosques during Friday prayers in Tripoli killing at least 47 people and wounding some 500. Military Prosecutor Saqr Saqr filed charges against the two Syrians and three other Lebanese, including sheikhs Ahmad Gharib and Hashem Minqara as well as informant Mustafa Houri. Saqr charged Gharib and Houri in his court documents with tasking the two Syrians to set up a “monitoring and planning cell to carry out terrorist acts in Lebanon, particularly in the north, by preparing bombs and booby trapping cars and putting them in specific areas, including religious institutions, with the aim of killing and assassinating political and religious figures.”
Abu Ghayda released Minqara on bail last month

Serra to Berri: UNIFIL Remains Focused on its Mandate
Naharnet /UNIFIL Commander Maj. Gen. Paolo Serra reassured Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday that the peacekeeping mission's mandate has not changed, a UNIFIL statement said. “Berri has always been highly appreciative of our mission and his support and encouragement defines the essence of the strong relationship UNIFIL peacekeepers share with the people of south Lebanon,” said Serra following talks with Berri. “This is also the spirit that characterizes our partnership with the Lebanese Armed Forces over the last seven years,” he said. The UNIFIL chief stressed he assured Berri that the mission “remains resolved to stand by the people of south Lebanon in these challenging times just as UNIFIL has done through the years and decades before.” The force commander also emphasized that UNIFIL remains focused on its mandated tasks under U.N. Security Council resolution 1701.The statement said that Serra briefed Berri on the situation in UNIFIL’s area of operations south of the Litani river and discussed with him issues related to the implementation of its mandate.

Masked Gunmen Open Fire at Tripoli Cafe, 4 Hurt
Naharnet /Four people were wounded on Monday when unknown gunmen opened fire on a cafe in the northern city of Tripoli, state-run National News Agency reported.“Masked gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on a cafe owned by Hatem al-Ward in the Tripoli neighborhood of al-Qobbeh, leaving the owner and three people wounded,” NNA said. It identified the three other men who were injured as Khaled al-Jaaydi, Ziad al-Jaaydi and Abou Nazir Kaakouz. “The wounded were rushed to al-Monla Hospital for treatment as Lebanese army troops arrived on the scene, imposed a security cordon and launched a probe into the incident,” the agency added.
On Sunday, four people were wounded when a family dispute erupted into an armed clash in the Tripoli neighborhood of Bab al-Tabbaneh.

Phalange Party Says Overlooking Baabda Declaration 'Blow' to Lebanon's Credibility
Naharnet /The Phalange Party warned on Monday that continuing to overlook the Baabda Declaration “undermines Lebanon's credibility” as the accord was supported by the Arab League and the United Nations, and was adopted as a basis for Lebanon's interaction with the international community. "We consider that the presidency's statement over the Baabda Declaration is a reminder that we must respect and fully commit to the agreement's articles,” the party said in a released statement after the political bureau's weekly meeting. Baabda Palace said in a released statement on Thursday that the Declaration did not deal with the resistance's arms but should have paved way for the discussion of the national defense strategy. In the Baabda Declaration, the rival leaders from the March 8 and March 14 alliances affirmed on June 11, 2012 commitment to the Taef Accord and agreed to keep Lebanon away from the policy of regional and international conflicts to spare it the negative repercussions of the regional crises.
The Phalange's statement elaborated: “We must especially disassociate Lebanon from regional and international conflicts and remove all kinds of links we have with the Syrian crisis to protect the country and its stability.”The politburo also called for supporting the army and for adopting a “calm” approach in politics and in the media. The party urged facing the critical situation in the region with “internal consensus.”
"This would be achieved through forming a capable cabinet that would protect Lebanon from the repercussions of the region's developments,” it said.
“We also demand reviving the national dialogue and reaching an atmosphere that is suitable for holding the presidential elections on time. We urge discussing a new electoral law that assures true representation and national partnership, and this would shorten the parliament’s extended mandate.”
The political bureau condemned autonomous security measures adopted by Hizbullah, pointing out to the “obscure climate” that surrounded Lebanon's reputation following these procedures.
"The Phalange Party also strongly rejects Hizbullah's efforts in continuing to build up its military infrastructure and we call on the state's bodies to deal firmly with this trend that could create clashes between the people.”
The statement was pointing out to the latest incident in the Bekaa city of Zahle where armed Hizbullah members deployed on Sunday along the highway extending between the city's industrial zone to the Mar Charbel church in an attempt to expand party's telecommunications network.
Residents of the city protested against its actions and temporarily blocked the road in the area.
The army soon intervened and set up checkpoints in the industrial zone and security forces deployed patrols in the city, which led to Hizbullah's withdrawal from the area. The conferees remarked: “Procedures of autonomous security and attacks on diplomatic figures signal the absence of the state's authority and have driven some neighboring countries to issue statements regarding their nationals' presence in Lebanon.”
"We are following up with concern on Saudi Arabia's decision to prevent Saudis from traveling to the country.” Hizbullah had set up checkpoints in and around its stronghold of Dahieh in light of a bombing in the Ruwais area. Twenty-seven people were killed and 280 wounded in the bombing that took place on August 15. A number of politicians have since criticized the party for its security measures, but Hizbullah officials have denied that they have adopted autonomous security measures.
In a separate matter, the Phalange Party expressed its concern over the reduction of the amount of food supplies provided to Syrian refugees present in the country, noting that this is an additional burden on Lebanon. "It comes at a time when medical and educational support must have been increased.”
The statement noted that the party's leader former president Amin Gemayel is in contact with concerned international authorities to “stop the strategic targeting” of the Syrian famed Christian town of Maalula and to assume their responsibilities in this regard."We renew our warning over the dangers Christians in the region are subjected to,” it said. Agence France Presse.

Hale, Aoun Agree that Baabda Declaration Acts as Basis for All Lebanese to Deal with Challenges
Naharnet/U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon David Hale stressed on Monday the importance of adhering to the Baabda Declaration that calls for Lebanon to distance itself from regional conflicts.
He said after holding talks with Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun: “We also discussed the Baabda Declaration, and agreed that it provides a foundation for all Lebanese to deal with the challenges that we face today.”“I think it would be natural for me to say that our dialogue certainly revealed areas of common agreement, as well as areas where we may differ,” he added after the meeting. “One important area of agreement today with Aoun was our shared emphasis on supporting Lebanon’s constitutional practices, institutions, and traditions,” he stated. They also discussed the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 1701.
Hale remarked: “Certainly we in the United States believe that Lebanon will only achieve lasting stability with the full implementation of all outstanding U.N. Security resolutions and with all parties abiding by those provisions as well as those of the Baabda Declaration.” “That is not the case today, but it can and must be in the future if the Lebanese are to achieve their goals of a normal, stable, secure, and prosperous country,” noted the ambassador. “I am personally optimistic that the Lebanese have the resilience and capacity to fulfill that vision, and I look forward to continuing this dialogue with Aoun and others on these important issues,” he added.

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel Says Armed Forces Can Impose Security Despite Huge Strain
Naharnet/Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel rejected the so-called self-security for leading to divisions in the country, while stressing that the Lebanese Armed Forces were capable of carrying out their duties.
In remarks to An Nahar newspaper published on Monday, Charbel said: “Private security measures are rejected because they divide the nation.”“No one should take advantage of the security situation to impose his own security,” he said in a veiled reference to Hizbullah which has set up checkpoints in and around the Beirut's southern suburbs. The Hizbullah move came after two deadly bombings rocked neighborhoods in its stronghold in the suburbs. “The state is not incapable of carrying out its duties despite the huge burden on the Army, Internal Security Forces and General Security whether inside (Lebanon) or on the border,” Charbel told An Nahar.
The caretaker minister stressed that his initiative to seek help from municipal police aims at “confronting the strain on the security” forces. This step has led to positive results, he said. The security forces have arrested 6,070 people for committing different crimes in an unprecedented move, Charbel said, without giving details as to when the arrests were made. The minister's remarks came against the backdrop of claims by top Hizbullah officials that their calls for bolstering security in Beirut's southern suburbs went unanswered.

UN Secretary General on Syria: Worst chemical attack since Saddam Hussein
By REUTERS 09/16/2013
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Britain-France-US-UN-report-leaves-no-doubt-that-Assad-regime-used-chemical-weapons-326297
Britain, France and the United States moved quickly Monday to repeat their accusations against the Syria regime Monday, after a United Nations investigation found that chemical weapons had definitely been used in the country in an August 21 attack on the outskirts of Damascus. UN chief Ban Ki-Moon declined to identify those responsible for the attack, which the US says killed more than 1,400 people, including women and children, but said that the attack constituted a war crime. This is the most significant confirmed use of chemical weapons against civilians since Saddam Hussein used them in Halabja (Iraq) in 1988," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. "The international community has pledged to prevent any such horror from recurring, yet it has happened again."British, French and US envoys told reporters that the UN report left no doubt that Syria President Bashar Assad's government was responsible for the chemical attack, while Russian UN envoy Vitaly Churkin countered that there was no scientific proof government forces were responsible for the sarin attack.
Syria and Russia have blamed the August 21 attack on the rebels. The rebels, the United States and other Western powers blame forces loyal to Assad for the Ghouta attack.
It is not immediately clear whether any of the details in the report suggested culpability.
"We need to not jump to any conclusions," Churkin said. British UN Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said the rocket samples examined had a payload of 350 liters, which was 35 times the amount used in the Tokyo subway attack in 1995. "In response to a question Mr Sellstrom confirmed that the quality of the sarin was superior both to that used in the Tokyo subway but also to that used by Iraq during the Iraq-Iran war," he told reporters.
"This does not point to a cottage industry chemical," said Lyall Grant, taking a swipe at earlier comments by Churkin. Churkin said in July that a Moscow analysis found "cottage industry" quality sarin gas was used in an alleged March 19 attack, which he blamed on the rebels. The investigators studied five impact sites and were able to determine the likely trajectory of the projectiles at two sites: Moadamiyah and Ein Tarma.
Eliot Higgins, who blogs under the name of Brown Moses and has been tracking videos of weapons used in the Syria conflict, wrote that he has not seen the opposition using the munitions identified in the report: a variant of the M14 artillery rocket and a 330 mm caliber artillery rocket. Rebels have seized all kinds of weapons from military depots across the country in the 2 1/2-year civil war that has killed over 100,000 people, according to the United Nations. But Amy Smithson, a chemical weapons expert at Monterey Institute, said the Aug. 21 attack bore "so many hallmarks of a military trained in chemical warfare doctrine" and not an untrained force.
"The Assad government has been in the business of chemical weapons since the 1970s. They are trained in military doctrine. They also have chemical delivery systems that the rebels don't," she said.
The UN confirmation of sarin gas use on August 21 comes as France, Britain and the United States agreed in Paris to seek a "strong and robust" UN resolution that sets binding deadlines on removal of chemical weapons.
Crisis in Syria - full JPost.com coverage Those talks followed a weekend deal on Syria's chemical weapons reached by the United States and Russia that could avert US military action.
Ban urged the Security Council consider ways to ensure enforcement and compliance with the US-Russia plan. "I agree there should be consequences for non-compliance. Any use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere, is a crime," he said.

US Senate bldg shut down. Navy Yard death toll rises to 12. Dead gunman identified
DEBKAfile Special Report September 16, 2013/The US Senate building was shut down as the FB I took over the investigation of the shooting rampage which left 12 people dead and many injured at the Navy Yard, Washington, Monday, Sept. 16. The gunman who was killed by police was identified as Aaron Alexis, 34, from Forth Worth Texas, who recently began work as a civilian contractor. There is no known motive for the attack, according to Washington police chief Cathy Lancer. Of the two wanted shooters on the run one was cleared. As the third is hunted, parts of Washington went into lockdown and partial curfew. Employees were allowed to leave the Navy building. The “potential” shooter on the loose was described earlier as a black male, 40-50, wearing drab military style uniform and carrying a long gun. debkafile: The participation of more than one gunman points to a coordinated attack on the US Naval Sea System Command HQ in Washington which caught security authorities unawares.
The building is home to some 3,000 personnel and located 5 km from the Capitol. At least a dozen fire trucks, armored vehicles, ambulances and police cars converged on the scene. Police snipers are being moved into place, as helicopters flew low over the building. Police from local and federal agencies responded along with Swat teams.
This command center focused in recent weeks on planning fleet preparations in the east Mediterranean for a US cruise missile strike on the Syrian chemical weapons that was later called off.
Two days ago, Al Qaeda leader Ayman Zawahiri issued a videotaped call for an adherent to carry out a “lone wolf attack” inside the United States.

Obama says Iran can learn from Syria chemical crisis
Washington and London, Asharq Al-Awsat—US president Barack Obama has revealed that he has exchanged letters with Iranian president Hassan Rouhani in what could be a first step towards an improvement in relations between the two countries. Obama, however, warned his Iranian counterpart that Washington’s delay of a strike on Syria did not mean that the US would drop the threats to use of force to stop Iran manufacturing nuclear weapons. Obama made the revelation in an interview with the American ABC television network on Sunday, when he answered a question on whether he had talked to Rouhani. He said: “I have, and and he’s reached out to me. We haven’t spoken directly.” Obama was eager to differentiate between the United States’ handling of the Syrian chemical weapons issue and the Iran’s nuclear issue. He said: “I think the Iranians understand that the nuclear issue is a far larger issue for us than the chemical weapons issue,” adding that “the threat . . . against Israel that a nuclear Iran poses is much closer to our core interests,” and that “a nuclear arms race in the region is something that would be profoundly destabilizing.” Obama added: “My suspicion is that the Iranians recognize they shouldn’t . . . think we won’t strike Iran” because there has not yet been a US military strike on Syria. He said the lesson from the Syrian chemical weapons crisis should be that “there is the potential of resolving these issues diplomatically.”Obama rejected Russian president Vladimir Putin’s allegations that the opposition were responsible for the lethal chemical attack in Damascus on August 21, which the US maintains was the work of the Syrian government. He added, however, that he welcomed Putin’s diplomatic efforts in this crisis and the role he played in reaching agreement to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons. Obama again welcomed the progress achieved in the Syrian chemical weapons crisis, saying, “It sounds to me like we did something right.” He added that he aimed to ensure that neither the Assad regime nor Al-Qaeda-linked parts of the opposition would never again possess chemical weapons.
The American president said that the fact that Putin was protecting Assad and that the Russian president did not share the same values as the United States on the Syrian issue. However, Obama added that this did not mean a confrontation between the US and Russia, because “this is not the Cold War.”
Washington had repeatedly refused to rule out military action against Iran if negotiations over it nuclear program fail. Iran maintains that its program is entirely peaceful, and that it does not intend to develop nuclear weapons.
In Tehran, international affairs expert Murtadha Fairouzi said: “The exchange of letters between Rouhani and Obama is not surprising and was expected from Rouhani’s pledges.”
Fairouzi told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the Syrian crisis was a very good reason to start this dialogue, and diplomacy will continue because Rouhani is looking for a policy that would achieve a breakthrough, even if actual normalization is not possible at this time.” He pointed out that the time was suitable for the American administration and the new Iranian president to improve relations, because Obama was in his second and final presidential term and is hoping to make a breakthrough, and because the Iranian people have voted for Rouhani in order to improve international relations and end the crises facing Iran.

UN chemical experts confirm sarin gas used in Syria attack
United Nations, Reuters—UN chemical investigators on Monday confirmed the use of sarin gas in an August 21 poison gas attack in the suburbs of Damascus, noting that weather conditions at the time ensured the maximum number of people were killed. As expected, the report does not say who launched the attack in the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Ghouta. “On the basis of the evidence obtained during the investigation of the Ghouta incident, the conclusion is that chemical weapons have been used in the ongoing conflict between the parties in the Syrian Arab Republic, also against civilians, including children, on a relatively large scale,” said the report by chief UN investigator Ake Sellstrom of Sweden.
“In particular, the environmental, chemical and medical samples we have collected provide clear and convincing evidence that surface-to-surface rockets containing the nerve agent sarin were used,” it said.
The report said the weather conditions on August 21 ensured that as many people as possible were injured or killed. Temperatures were falling between 2 am and 5 am, it said, which meant that air was not moving upwards but downwards toward the ground. “Chemical weapons use in such meteorological conditions maximizes their potential impact as the heavy gas can stay close to the ground and penetrate into lower levels of buildings and constructions where many people were seeking shelter,” it said. The results of Sellstrom’s investigation are not surprising. Several weeks ago U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced that sarin had been used in the chemical attack on the Ghouta region. The United States said 1,400 people were killed, including more than 400 children.
“The United Nations Mission has now confirmed, unequivocally and objectively, that chemical weapons have been used in Syria,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council.
Ban said on Friday that Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad “has committed many crimes against humanity,” though he did not say whether it was Assad’s forces or rebels who were behind the Ghouta attack. He added that Assad would be held to account for his crimes. Syria and Russia have blamed the August 21 attack on the rebels. The rebels, the United States and other Western powers blame forces loyal to Assad for the Ghouta attack.
It is not immediately clear whether any of the details in the report suggested culpability. Sellstrom’s mandate is limited to investigating the facts, not assigning blame.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, however, said the UN report showed there was “no doubt” the Assad government was responsible for the chemical attack.
Ban told the council on Monday that 85 percent of the blood samples taken by investigators tested positive for sarin, while almost all the biomedical samples taken tested positive for exposure to sarin.
“Survivors reported that following an attack with shelling, they quickly experienced a range of symptoms, including shortness of breath, disorientation, eye irritation, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting and general weakness,” Ban said. “Many eventually lost consciousness,” he added. “First responders described seeing a large number of individuals lying on the ground, many of them dead or unconscious.”
The UN confirmation of the use of sarin gas on August 21 comes as France, Britain and the United States agreed at three-way Paris talks on Monday to seek a “strong and robust” UN resolution that sets precise and binding deadlines on removal of chemical weapons. Those talks followed a weekend deal on Syria’s chemical weapons reached by the United States and Russia that could avert US military action.
Ban urged the Security Council consider ways to ensure enforcement and compliance with the US-Russia plan. “I agree there should be consequences for non-compliance. Any use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere, is a crime,” he said. Some Western diplomats have said on condition of anonymity that information about the type of weapons and other details Sellstrom might possess could hint at government responsibility for the attack. But rebels have seized all kinds of weapons from military depots across the country in the 2 1/2-year civil war. The United Nations says more than 100,000 people have died in Syria since March 2011.

Syria and the Unenforceable Agreement
By: Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Alawsat
The Americans and the Russians have agreed to destroy the Assad regime’s arsenal of chemical weapons after three days of negotiations in Geneva. The agreement could be described as akin to buying fish in the sea, and it is difficult to believe it would succeed, or that it would be taken seriously by Assad. I say this agreement is like buying fish in the sea for a number of reasons. The first is because US secretary of state John Kerry says that according to the agreement, Assad must provide a complete list of his stockpile of chemical weapons within a week, and that inspectors would be on the ground no later than November. Kerry says that the aim is to completely destroy Assad’s chemical weapons by mid-2014, which is the date of the presidential elections in Syria, in which Assad has announced he intends to run.
Kerry then adds—and this is important—that if Assad does not comply with the agreement, his regime will face punishment under Article VII of the United Nations Charter, which means sanctions and military action could be used. However, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said very clearly that the agreement “did not mention anything about the use of force or automatic sanctions.”
Therefore, the question is: What does the agreement guarantee? And what are the repercussions of non-compliance?
What is more dangerous is that Lavrov says the agreement’s success requires cooperation from the opposition. So, is it the opposition that possesses chemical weapons, or even controls the areas where these weapons are kept?  What is even more dangerous is that the Americans and the Russians have not reached a clear agreement on the number of chemical weapons storage facilities. The reason is clear: if Russia declared the numbers of chemical weapons stockpiles and their sites, this would automatically attribute responsibility for the chemical massacre on August 21 in Eastern Gouta to Assad. That would make it easier to take him to the International Criminal Court should the international community decide to–especially after the secretary-general of the UN said Assad had committed crimes against humanity throughout the revolution—which the Russians want to avoid. Since there are no clear repercussions for non-compliance by Assad, especially with the failure to agree clearly on the use of force under Chapter VII, and since the agreement was left to Assad’s good intentions with Russia as the sponsor, Moscow has become Assad’s legal guardian. And since the deadline announced by the US secretary of state for destroying the chemical weapons is mid-2014, the same date as the Syrian presidential elections, Assad can now use them as bargaining tool.  All this means we face an agreement that is difficult to enforce. It is akin to buying fish in the sea, an agreement through which the Russians have yet again succeeded in protecting Assad.
The irony here is that they protected him not by the use of the veto at the Security Council, but with the agreement of the Obama Administration itself.

Syria and the Road to Geneva II
By: Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Alawsat
The road to Geneva II has become far less precarious than it was before, however we are still facing a number of difficult battles. A series of important events over the coming days are set to address the Syrian crisis, including the G20 summit that will be held on Thursday in Russia’s Saint Petersburg. The UN General Assembly will also begin its deliberations on Syria in one weeks’ time, while the Saudi delegation has already begun its campaign to push for a decision against the Assad regime. In addition to this, the US Congress will also vote on a possible military strike to punish the Assad regime for its alleged use of chemical weapons next week.
The Syrian crisis is worsening as time goes by, on the ground as well as in the international arena. It is no longer easy to ignore what is happening in Syria. The UN continues to repeat its warnings that the crisis is spiraling out of control as one third of the Syrian people have been displaced, while more than five million have become homeless. Refugee camps in neighboring countries are overflowing while relief organizations, which have been providing vital aid to millions of destitute Syrians, have run dangerously low of supplies. In addition to the humanitarian crisis, the political risks from the fighting in Syria continue to rise as time goes on. Lebanon has become embroiled in a sectarian and partisan conflict as a result of what is happening in Syria. These clashes represent the first of their kind since the Lebanese civil war ended more than twenty years ago. As for the Turks, they are trying to keep control of their border areas which are under the threat of further destabilization. For its part, Iraq has deployed the majority of its forces along its border with Syria after terrorists returned to the region, resulting in greater incidents of violence. Luckily, the Syrian opposition, including its military-wing—the Free Syrian Army (FSA)—has been able to achieve military progress on the ground, in addition to strengthening political unity and securing qualitative and quantitative support. This success can be traced back to the efforts of the Syrian and Arab political opposition. However, the question that must be asked here is: What does all of this progress and development actually mean? Syria has become an international issue; it is no longer about the Syrians’ alone. This responsibility is preventing international governments and regimes from resorting to war, or imposing whatever solution they want. The proposed Geneva II peace conference has now become an excellent option following the latest political and military developments in Syria. It is probable that Geneva II will be held sometime this autumn—so long as reasonable conditions are met—ending Assad’s rule and handing over power to the opposition. It is no longer possible to countenance the political solutions that were proposed previously, based on joint rule between the Assad regime and the opposition during a transitional phase in Syrian politics. The Russians and the Americans have realized the impossibility of this poisonous proposal being accepted, particularly as even if it did come to pass, it would only lead to more fighting. A number of Syrian forces and Arab governments have made sure that this solution is no longer viable. As this juncture, the only possible and reasonable solution is Assad’s exit from power, the maintenance of the state’s vital institutions—including the army—and authority being handed over to the opposition. Only following this can Syria achieve national reconciliation. There is no place for Assad and his regime in the new Syria. Both the political and military wings of the Syrian opposition can no longer be ignored, and it is not possible to carry out any national reconciliation without the participation of the opposition. The Arab governments that are supporting the Syrian people now have the upper hand, when compared to the Assad regime’s own allies. Therefore, Geneva II will certainly enjoy favorable political and military conditions.

The Assad Regime’s Final Demise
Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed /Asharq Alawsat
Despite frustrations, a light shining at the end of the tunnel suggests that the end of the Assad regime is nigh. The 1,400 Syrians who suffocated to death in the suburbs of Damascus sped up the regime’s decline. The plan to rid the regime of its strategic weapons practically rids it of the ability to govern under an expanded slogan dubbed “the peaceful solution.” Since approximately two weeks ago, there have been talks of a peaceful solution stipulating that Bashar Al-Assad leaves power at the end of the current year, five months before the date of the presidential elections. It has been said that eliminating Assad was a decision made by the Russians following the chemical weapons crime which pushed the Americans to threaten punitive measures for the first time. It is due to this crime that there is an international front currently willing to participate in a military solution.
The Syrian crisis is getting more complicated, and as it is said, it must get worse before it gets better. The situation in Syria is complicated on several levels. It is complicated on the level of relations between politicians and the diplomats with several roles, Russian and American, and the American president and Congress. There is also the problematic public opinion in Europe, particularly in Britain, rejecting any military operation. There are also Arab pressures. A third Arab effective front has been born out of Saudi, Jordan and the UAE and its officials have been back and forth from Moscow to Paris to London. Let us not forget that Obama has seemingly “woken up” and promised to resort to using his power for the first time since he assumed the presidency. Then Russia surprised us with its proposal that Assad give up his massive stores of chemicals—the same arsenal Assad has denied possessing. Several political developments happened as a result of what happened in Syria. They were not only a result of the massacre of chemical weapons: I think they were also a result of Bashar Al-Assad’s failure in winning the war despite the massive military support he has received for more than nine months from Russia, Iran, Hezbollah and Iraqi factions. All that Assad has achieved is to regain a few towns, like Al-Qusayr, while most of Syria remains outside of his troops’ control. At the same time, the Arab, French and British alliance politically and militarily supporting the opposition has increased.
We tell the opposition what soccer coaches usually say—“stay focused on the ball”—because everything happening on the field may distract the player from the main target. That target is toppling Assad, not punishing him, and this possibility has come closer. As a result, Assad will try to distract the world with several tricks, because he now stands at the edge of the abyss, pushed by the FSA. It has now become possible to topple him using the weapon of the “peaceful solution.” The opposition is angry because the Assad regime will not be targeted with a punitive strike, but it should not be angry because the target is bigger than that. The opposition must demand that Assad be ousted, not that 100 Tomahawk missiles be fired against him. If the Russians accept Assad’s departure, then this means victory for the Syrian revolution.
What is expected is that the “Yemeni solution” will be suggested and that Assad and his comrades will be ousted. In this case, current institutions—particularly the army, along with the political and military opposition leaderships—will be assigned to manage the country. This is a good option that ends with gradually toppling the regime without destroying the country. The worst option is that Assad escapes during the next few months. In this case, fighting will continue among the FSA, independent revolutionary parties, Al-Qaeda affiliated groups, sectarian militias supported by Iran, and other parties. Maintaining institutions means maintaining the state, not the regime. It means maintaining the country’s unity and guaranteeing international, political, military and legal support.
In order for the armed opposition not to lose its case during the negotiations of superpowers in Geneva, its major task remains in winning the war because its victories are what will force all parties to accept it as a major player. It is only through battlefield gains that it can direct the path of the political solution.

Syrian opposition say strike delay negatively affected progress
Nazeer Rida /Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—Members of the Syrian opposition say waiting for an American military strike on government forces has hindered their planning in the fighting around Damascus. However, they also said that despite waiting for a strike that never materialized, the armed opposition was planning a series of organizational changes that would make it a more effective fighting force. Sources from the Syrian National Coalition of Revolution and Opposition Forces told Asharq Al-Awsat that moves to transfer funds requested by the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) to establish a national army under the umbrella of the coalition were going ahead and would result in substantial changes on the ground in favor of the opposition. The chairman of the FSA Joint Chiefs of Staff, Salim Idris, promised on Friday “important developments on the ground very soon” and presented a “plan to the Joint Chiefs of Staff to establish a military institution at an estimated cost of USD 10 million.” The sources added that Idris received assurances that this money would be made available within a short time. The spokesman for the FSA Higher Command, Qasim Saadeddin, told Asharq Al-Awsat that “if we had sophisticated weapons, the air force would not have able to fly over us and attack our positions,” adding that “the regular army is advancing in the Ghouta area by killing civilians by aircraft and chemical weapons, which it has resorted to in order to cover its failure on the ground.” Meanwhile, Syrian state news agency SANA has been reporting advances by the regular army in Homs and Damascus. This has been denied by activists on the ground. Isma’il Al-Darani, a member of the Revolution Command Council, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the FSA has made some great advances towards northern Damascus in the direction of the Qalamoun mountains, which are strategically placed between Damascus and Homs. He added that “the opposition controlled many areas in that region, including the town of Maaloula, which the FSA withdrew from after two days, because of the sensitivity of the town and its historic and religious location, and in order to preserve its sites from bombardment by the air force.”
Darani said the opposition aimed to take the battle to the capital Damascus next, as it was currently fighting on three fronts near Damascus, as well as the Abbaseen area inside Damascus. He added that “the next target would be to topple the regime militarily . . . which would need new tactics and new weapons suitable to the nature of the new battle.”Darani added that the opposition “were laying plans to take control of the government positions after the strikes and were preparing to exploit them to reach the surrounds of the presidential palace three hours after the strike on Mazzah Military Airport, as well as taking total control of the northern entrances to the city from the Ghouta side once the Damir Military Airport was hit.”

Egypt: Mubarak’s lawyer threatens legal action against newspaper
Ahmad Al-Ghamrawi /London, Asharq Al-Awsat—A storm has erupted in Egypt following the publication of the transcript of a secret recording of a conversation between former President Hosni Mubarak and a doctor treating him at Turrah Prison in Cairo. The transcript was published by Al-Yawm Al-Saba’a newspaper, which also included a link to an online copy of the recording. Mubarak’s lawyer, Farid Al-Dib, has expressed his dismay at the publication of the transcript and the recording. He told Asharq Al-Awsat that he intended to sue the newspaper, accusing it of crossing professional boundaries by publishing a private conversation between Mubarak and his doctor. Dib added that the recording took place without Mubarak’s knowledge and that he was going to take legal action against the newspaper and its editor if they did not stop the “dangerous transgression.”Al-Yawm Al-Saba’a aired the recording on Sunday after publishing the transcript in its print edition. Mubarak talked about the situation in Egypt in a private conversation recorded by a doctor and a prison guard during his detention at Turrah Prison. The conversation included questions and comments from the doctor and the guard, who seemed to attempt to encourage Mubarak to talk about the political and security situation in the country. The conversations were recorded during the months of June and July this year. Dib said the recording was carried out by a doctor treating Mubarak’s hearing while he was in Turrah Prison, saying he needed to check Mubarak’s responses to determine the accuracy of his hearing over a number of sessions. Mubarak’s legal team has accused the newspaper of “bribing” the doctor to obtain the recordings.
The former president’s lawyer said recording a conversation in secret was a crime punishable by 12 months in prison, especially as prison rules dictate that no audio or video recording equipment or mobile phones are allowed. He added that “airing these recordings—even if it was not in public—was also a crime punishable by three years in prison.” Dib said: “If the editor did not stop the broadcast in person, I will report him to the prosecutor-general, because this action is a violation in which a doctor cheated a patient he was treating.” He added that what was published had many discrepancies from the actual recording, including, for example, when the website quoted Mubarak as saying: “I thought [Gen. Abdel-Fattah] El-Sisi was a Brotherhood [member] . . . but he turned out to be smart,” while the actual wording showed that it was the doctor who had said “people thought Sisi was a Brotherhood [member],” and Mubarak replied, “He is a smart guy.” Dib ridiculed this point, saying, “Could it be possible at all that Mubarak would appoint Sisi as military intelligence director without knowing if he was a Brotherhood member?” The recording also included comments by Mubarak saying that the United States had been working on his removal from power since 2005. He was also quoted as saying Egypt’s borders were a red line that nobody could tamper with, and that it was possible to have another president from the armed forces, but that he needed to be firm. He also reportedly said the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Sami Annan, was “not able to rule the country.”

Step into unknown
September 16, 2013/The Daily Star
This weekend’s Geneva agreement, brokered by the U.S. and Russia, calls for Syria to outline its chemical weapons stocks within a week and to destroy its stocks by the middle of next year, both of which are great steps in theory. But the agreement, already hailed by the Syrian government as a “victory,” will not affect the outcome of the war nor will it halt the killings by conventional weapons or improve the quality of life for those millions of refugees currently living in appalling conditions.The agreement appears to have, for now at least, postponed any Western military action against Syria. But with at least 110,000 people already dead in the country, it is hard to see how this agreement will slow down the rate of killings. If not by sarin or VX, the regime can continue to slaughter with mortar bombs and sniper fire.
And alongside the Syrian government itself, the other victors from this agreement appear to be Israel and the two Cold War enemies that created the deal themselves. Putin himself has possibly never enjoyed such a standing in parts of the Middle East, or such prominence on the global stage. Israel is quietly satisfied in the knowledge that it is very unlikely that it should be forced to ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention, while its northern neighbor has to do so. The details of the agreement are vague enough to leave plenty of room for maneuvering, rather reminiscent of all preceding deals struck with the Syrian regime over the last two years of war. What details do exist are astoundingly ambitious. Over 30 years after the U.S. began destroying its own stockpiles it has been unable to complete the task, and that is a country living at peace, domestically, and with a strong infrastructure and central government. Instead of using the threat of military action against Damascus to create a meaningful initiative – a promise from the regime to ensure humanitarian access to those suffering, to usher in an interim government or the promise of free elections – the U.S. has stumbled and stuttered, treating diplomacy as a game to play for its own ends, and protecting what it can of its own image.
Thus the Syrian people have once again been ignored, with hundreds dying each day, while Kerry and Lavrov laugh and shake hands in a peaceful European capital. This does not bode well for the Arab region as a whole, which is once again being used as a proxy battleground for other powers and their commercial and military ambitions, due in part to deep-seated Middle Eastern divisions and weaknesses in the face of what should be a common enemy. The Syrian people, it appears, will have to plough on, despite the increasing obstacles they face, and the renewed vigor with which the regime has been emboldened. Relying on external powers now will likely only prolong the war even further.