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Lebanese Related News
Suleiman to Hold Talks with Obama on Sidelines of U.N. Meeting
US and allies target Hezbollah financing, ties in Africa
Berri: Absolute Majority of Political Leaders Welcomed Dialogue Initiative
Parliament to Convene Monday Despite Continuous Boycott
Ekab Saqr Reveals Mustaqbal Does Not Possess Means to Arm Syria Rebels, Says Resistance 'Is Over'
Relatives of Aazaz Pilgrims Hold Anew Sit-In, Quarrel with ISF
Palestinian, 2 Syrians Held for 'Possessing Powerful Explosives, Plotting Act of Sabotage'
Charbel: Army, ISF Will Start Deploying in Dahieh Starting Monday
Government forces plan to deploy in Hezbollah areas
Turkey Tells Ibrahim Aazaz Abductees Doing Well
Jreissati: Lebanese Pilgrims Held in Syria are in Safe Location outside of Aazaz
Army Continues Taking Precautionary Measures in Beirut to Avert Bomb Attacks
Armed Clashes Renewed between Al-Laylaki's Zoaiter, Hjoula Famlies
STL Registrar Concludes Lebanon Visit, Reminds Officials of their Financial Duties to Tribunal
Salameh Expresses Relief over Lebanon's Economy, Says Job Crisis Growing
Salam Says Cabinet Can't be Formed at National Dialogue Table
Murr, SSNP Laud Berri's Initiative amid Call for 'Real' Debate on Baabda Declaration
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Kerry, Lavrov Talk of 'Strong' U.N. Syria Resolution
Syria sends OPCW chemical weapons inventory
Syria Rebels Agree Border Town Truce with Jihadists
Syria's deputy PM denies call for cease-fire
Syria Deputy PM Says Regime to Call for Ceasefire at Geneva Talks
Christian Hostel has Own View of Syria Rebels
Ruling Islamists Accept Plan to Resolve Tunisia Crisis
Putin: Syria's arms – answer to Israel nukes
Rowhani Offers to Broker Syria Talks, Doesn't Rule Out Meeting with Obama
Rohani: We will never seek nuclear bomb
Peres expresses hope that new voices emerging from Iran
UN nuclear assembly votes down Arab push targeting Israel
Israel, allies fend off international censure
Shin Bet warns: Arab Israelis joining al-Qaeda
Egypt Forces Hunt Down Militants in Islamist Bastion

What's hiding behind Rohani's smile
By: Ron Ben-Yishai/Ynetnews
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4431551,00.html
Analysis: Iran can afford to make concessions to West now that it is so close to achieving nuclear capability
Published: 09.20.13/Ynetnews
Iran's supreme leader surprised the world and the Iranian public on Tuesday when he declared that he was interested in diplomatic talks on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. "Heroic flexibility is very useful and necessary sometimes," said Khamenei, who until then hadn’t given any indication that he was on board with President Rohani's moderate line. His statement is a clear signal that Iran intends to present a new position in the negotiations with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany (P5+1) and perhaps even conduct direct negotiations with Washington.
It appears that this about-face is genuine. Israel believes there are two main reasons behind this change:
The devastating effect of the economic sanctions imposed by the West on Iran's economy, which severely hurt the standard of living in Iran. Its leaders want the West to ease the sanctions.
Iran is close to achieving nuclear capability, so it can show even more flexibility and maintain its achievements. Iran is not yet "on the brink" of nuclear capability, which would allow it to build an atomic bomb within eight to 10 weeks, but by the end of the year – or spring 2014 at the latest – it will be, should the current pace of uranium enrichment and installation of centrifuges continue.
While Iran has technically not crossed the red line set by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the UN General Assembly a year ago, it has surpassed it with elegance and sophistication. Instead of accumulating 250 kilograms of uranium enriched to 20% purity (Netanyahu's line), the Iranians have increased the pace of the installation of centrifuges which are used to enrich uranium to any purity level – including highly-enriched natural uranium containing +90% U-235 (the fissile isotope of uranium), which is used to make nuclear weapons. Iran currently has some 17,000 centrifuges, of which 10,000 are already operational.
A few thousand of the centrifuges are of an advanced model that enriches uranium at three or four times the pace of the older ones. But when Iran will activate all the systems it has installed in the Natanz and Fordo facilities – probably at the end of the year – it will no longer have to play hide and seek with Netanyahu over the amount of uranium enriched to 20% purity. The moment Khamenei and his advisors decide, the nuclear experts will simply be able to activate all the centrifuges and within about eight weeks they will have enough weapons-grade material to build the first nuclear bomb; Iran will then be able to build another five or six nuclear warheads.
Iran has another way to circumvent the red line. The current pace of uranium enrichment to 20% purity level is 15 kilos a month. If more than 200 kilos of this uranium are accumulated, the leftover material is used to make nuclear fuel rods. At least some of these rods will be used to activate the heavy water reactor in Arak. After about a year or two, when these rods will be worn out, Iran will be able to produce plutonium from them, through a chemical process. Plutonium, like enriched uranium, can also be used as fissile material to produce an atomic bomb.
In this way, Iran is not crossing Netanyahu's red line, but at the same time it is creating an infrastructure for the production of nuclear weapons with plutonium, alongside the uranium enrichment process, where most of Tehran's efforts are concentrated.
A third reason for Iran's new flexibility is the lessons it learned from the Syrian chemical weapons crisis. Obama blinked at first, but he did display enough seriousness in his intention to use force against Assad and prompted Putin to propose a diplomatic solution. Apparently, now that they are so close to their nuclear goal and are suffering from the sanctions, the Iranians do not want to put the American president to another test, particularly when there is a consensus in Congress regarding Iran's nuclear program.
Due to all of these reasons, the regime in Tehran is indicating that is willing to make concessions on a number of issues.
1. Rohani is hinting that he is willing to increase "transparency," a code word for increasing the supervision of the IAEA on Iran's nuclear program, including unscheduled visits to the uranium enrichment facilities in Qom and Natanz, the reactor in Arak, and perhaps even to sites where Iran is developing nuclear weapons, such as the Parchin military complex. While such a concession would not take away Iran's achievements in the nuclear field, it is enough to prevent a quick "breakout" towards an atomic bomb without the West's knowledge. The problem: Iran can decide at any moment to expel the inspectors and announce within weeks that it is in possession of nuclear weapons. Such a development would force the West to decide quickly on military action, but the Syrian crisis has shown us that this is highly unlikely. Once they have a bomb, the Iranians will be much more protected from an attack. The US is hesitant to attack North Korea for exactly the same reason.
2. Stop or limit the enrichment of uranium to 20% and transfer the material that has already been enriched to this level outside the country. Seemingly, such a move should be sufficient for Netanyahu, but there is an obstacle here as well: With the amount of centrifuges that will soon become operational, Iran should have no problem taking the low-enriched uranium (3.5%-5% concentration of U-235) it has accumulated, enrich it all at once to the necessary purity level, and build a nuclear weapon within two months.
3. The Iranians leaked the German weekly Der Spiegel that they are willing to shut down the facility in Fordo. But even if they do, this would not seriously hurt the uranium enrichment program. Only 3,000 of Iran's 17,000 centrifuges are installed in Fordo. Even if they are deactivated, the remaining 14,000 centrifuges, including highly advanced ones, will continue to spin in Natanz.
When examining the signals that Iran is willing to make concessions, it is easier to understand Khamenei's important remark to the Revolutionary Guard commanders: "Sometimes a wrestler shows flexibility for technical reasons but he doesn't forget who his opponent is and what his real goal is." No wonder Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ya'alon saw all the warning lights flash.
Of course, Jerusalem prefers a diplomatic solution, but it fears that the Europeans, Russia and China, as well as the US, will compromise on the outline Rohani is currently alluding to. Not because the Americans and Europeans are naïve or wicked, but because of the basic difference in the approach to the nuclear threat:
Israel is against allowing Iran to reach the point where it is on the brink of nuclear capability, so that it will not be able to threaten and extort its neighbors and will not be able to break out whenever it wants to a bomb (Israel believes it is very possible that our intelligence and the West's intelligence will not be able to detect such a "breakout" when it occurs. And when they do, they will have to prove it to the politicians. By that time, Iran will have a nuclear bomb). Therefore, according to Netanyahu, action is needed - even military action - to prevent Iran from reaching the point where it is on the brink of nuclear weapons capability.
On the other hand, Washington's official position is that the US is committed to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Following Obama's visit to Israel last March, the trust between the Israeli and American leaders was restored and they reached understandings. It is safe to assume that in any case there will be cooperation – even if Israel attacks – including a diplomatic umbrella on the day after. But the fundamental gap remains.
The fear that sanctions will be eased in light of Iran's conciliatory statements has prompted Netanyahu to outline four conditions which he said must be met "to stop Iran’s nuclear program." Netanyahu specified them as "Halting all uranium enrichment; removing all enriched uranium; closing (the uranium enrichment facility at) Qom; and stopping the plutonium track," which is being pursued at the Arak reactor. Netanyahu said that "until all four of these measures are achieved, the pressure on Iran must be increased and not relaxed."
Netanyahu's words were most likely meant for the ears of the members of Congress, so they will not let Obama get carried away by Rohani's overtures and urge the president to increase the economic pressure on Iran and impose additional, more severe sanctions. The Israelis are also telling their American counterparts that just like in the case of the Syrian crisis, a credible military threat is needed in order to get results on the diplomatic track.
Israel knows how close Iran is to a nuclear bomb, and this is causing a significant amount of nervousness. However, Israel still hopes the negotiations will bear fruit and has pledged not to sabotage the Obama administration's efforts to exhaust the diplomatic option.  At the same time, Israel's leaders haven't said that the military option has been taken off the table, so everything is still open, but not for long.

US and allies target Hezbollah financing, ties in Africa
By REUTERS 09/20/2013/
http://www.jpost.com/International/US-and-allies-target-Hezbollah-financing-ties-in-Africa-326615
DAKAR- The United States and its allies are clamping down on suspected Hezbollah activity in West Africa, which Washington says is a major source of cash for the Lebanese group as its patron Iran feels the pinch of sanctions. The push coincides with Hezbollah's deepening role in Syria, where it has dispatched thousands of fighters to back President Bashar Assad. It also comes in the wake of attacks outside Lebanon linked to Hezbollah that Western experts say are part of global campaign that could soon include Africa. Analysis: The rise of Hezbollah in AfricaCritics, however, argue that Washington and its allies may be exaggerating the threat and failing to distinguish between different forms of support for various elements of the Shi'ite Islamist guerrilla and political movement, which was founded with Iran's help after Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982.
US officials say that while most Lebanese in West Africa have few links to the group, Washington's financial sanctions have reduced an annual flow of millions of dollars which Hezbollah receives from people and businesses in the region. Iran remains the main sponsor and armorer of a group which fought Israel with missiles in a month-long war in 2006. But Western sanctions imposed on Tehran over its nuclear plans add significance to Hezbollah's other income, US officials say. "(West Africa) is more important in the sense that what they're getting from Iran is squeezed. Iran's capacity to fund Hezbollah has been impaired," said David Cohen, US treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
"There's reason to think Hezbollah is not just collecting money but it is also using these outposts as places where they can plan and conduct activities," he added.
Nigeria, with support from Israel, says it has uncovered a Hezbollah cell and arms cache and arrested has locals it accuses of spying for Iran. A resource-rich but poorly policed part of the world, which already sees al-Qaida-linked activity, could see future Hezbollah attacks, some Western experts say.
While there are disputes over the scale of the support Hezbollah receives from West Africa, there is little doubt over how important Lebanese businesses are to the region.
With interests ranging from mobile phones, import-export and heavy industry to street stalls and fast-food joints, Lebanese-owned businesses are present at every level of the economy.
But Western security officials and Lebanese businessmen say common use of cash and informal transfers by such enterprises makes it hard to detect whether any engage in money laundering. Businesses move money across borders through friends and family rather than banks. Some may even send cash by the suitcase load. Individuals targeted in the most recent wave of US sanctions have denied the accusations and complain Washington is penalizing charity and family ties with Shi'ite areas of Lebanon where Hezbollah plays a major social and political role. Rudy Atallah, a former Africa Counter-terrorism Director in the US Defense Department said the United States viewed Hezbollah as "the linchpin in all sort of activities - money laundering, drug trafficking and weapons". "They feel if they can clamp down on them in West Africa it would have some sort of impact on them back home," added Atallah, who now is now a private security consultant. Representatives of Hezbollah in Beirut did not respond to requests for comment. The group gives no detail on its financial arrangements. It has elected members in parliament but its leadership, facing a permanent threat of Israeli attack, generally stays undercover and limits public comment.
MONEY TRAIL
West Africa has for a century or more been home to Lebanese communities built around trade. Many also retain close ties to Lebanon and especially to the Shi'ite heartlands of the south.
Senegal alone has some 30,000 Lebanese. Their businesses account for 70 percent of domestic industry, according Abdul Monem El Zein, the senior figure in the Shi'ite community, which he says make up around 90 percent of all Lebanese in Senegal. Washington fears that some funds generated in these weak and often unregulated economies are channeled back to Hezbollah. Magnus Ranstorp, a Hezbollah expert at the Swedish National Defence College, said West Africa's lack of regulations had offered the group a "free run", but Washington was catching up. "There is a greater activity in listing individuals and getting at the financial assets," he said of US efforts to clamp down on those it saw as organizing funding for Hezbollah. US investigations led to a 2011 criminal case in New York accusing Hezbollah of involvement in a money laundering network that funneled hundreds of millions of dollars to Lebanon through a web of banks, used car businesses and drug traffickers in the United States, Latin America, West Africa and Lebanon.
Cohen said the network was not run by Hezbollah but was a web that the group was able to tap into. He declined to say how much Hezbollah received but called it "not insubstantial".
In June this year, the Beirut-based Lebanese Canadian Bank agreed to pay $102 million to settle the case. Hezbollah members in Lebanon have said the movement does not promote activities contrary to Islamic teaching, like drugs and money laundering. Some observers say the movement may not run such crime gangs but may use its power within Lebanon to help enable some activities and it may accept payments from criminals. The US Treasury accuses some African Lebanese of actively raising funds for Hezbollah. It imposed sanctions in June this year on four Lebanese citizens, living in Senegal, Gambia, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast, accusing them of being involved in operations to raise money and recruit members in the region. The main thrust of such sanctions is to deny their targets access to US banks, effectively blacklisting them throughout much of the global financial system due to the central role the US dollar plays in all international banking transactions. Money that is found can also be frozen or seized. While some effects can be mitigated - for example, by having transactions handled by associates - financial sanctions have hit income and trade for governments including Hezbollah allies Iran and Syria. Also in June, Gambia expelled Husayn Tajideen, one of three Lebanese brothers who control large stakes in the local economy and, through interests reaching as far as Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo, were accused in a previous US investigation of being among Hezbollah's top financiers in Africa.
Gambia accused Husayn, a major food importer, of profiteering. But Cohen said he believed the expulsion of Tajideen was linked to U.S. sanctions. The governments of Angola and Nigeria have also investigated the brothers, he added.
The Tajideens could not be reached for comment.
Cohen said pressure on the network had reduced their annual contributions to Hezbollah to below $10 million, down from tens of millions of dollars before.
DENIALS
The European Union put Hezbollah's "military wing" on its terrorism blacklist in July due to concerns over its involvement in Syria, where EU governments back rebels against Assad, and a bus bombing in Bulgaria last year that killed Israeli tourists. Other elements of the movement are not under EU sanctions. The United States and Israel make no such distinction between parts of Hezbollah, arguing that its welfare services and elected political role in the government of Lebanon are part and parcel of a project to destroy the Jewish state. Ranstorp in Stockholm said such divisions were artificial. "The terrorism unit is controlled entirely by the top," he said. "All these three dimensions are pistons in an engine." Individuals complain this means they are wrongly targeted. Ali Ibrahim al-Watfa, one of the four Lebanese in West Africa barred by Washington in June from access to US dollars and the US banking system, denied having any role for the group in Sierra Leone, where the United States accused him of being a permanent liaison and coordinator of cash transfers.
"This is a big surprise to me," he told Reuters at his home on a busy market street in the capital, Freetown. Ibrahim, secretary general of the local Lebanese community organization, suggested that he had been set up: "Maybe there is someone who doesn't like me, who put this on me?" In Senegal, El Zein, for 30 years the leading Shi'ite figure in the country, said the US charges had no foundation: "I have never heard of there being a Hezbollah group here in Senegal," he said at his Islamic Social Institution, which runs a mosque, health clinics and a network of religious schools. A retired Israeli intelligence official who has access to current assessments also played down the importance of African cash to Hezbollah, calling diaspora contributions "negligible". The official estimated Iran accounted for 70-90 percent of an annual Hezbollah income of $800 million to $1 billion.
The US approach is questioned by academics like Augustus Richard Norton. He says that the reality is muddied by those raising cash for Hezbollah and many Lebanese sending money to communities at home using the same informal money networks. "If a person is found to have given one dollar to a designated terrorist, the entire sum is poisoned," Norton, a professor at Boston University who has written extensively on Hezbollah, said of the US legal view of sanctioned funds.
NEW FRONT?
Along with dispatching fighters to the front line in Syria, Hezbollah has been linked to plots to attack Israelis in Thailand and Cyprus as well as in the Bulgarian city of Burgas. Matthew Levitt, a former US counter-terrorism official who has written a book on Hezbollah, says this is a sign that Hezbollah and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) are embarking on a new wave of violence targeting the interests of Israel, the United States and other Western states. US attacks on Syria, or on Iran's nuclear sites, could trigger further Hezbollah action abroad, Levitt believes. Other security experts question the extent of a threat in Africa, though Nigeria this year said it uncovered a Hezbollah cell in the northern city of Kano and charged two Nigerians with helping Iranians plan attacks on Israeli targets. Western governments fear their enemies have found a haven and security sources say Israel is countering efforts by Hezbollah to build contacts with impoverished West African governments by offering its own security training and equipment. "It is very easy to operate in Africa. Money can buy anything," said a diplomat in the region, adding that the Kano seizure indicated that Hezbollah was in a position to carry out attacks in Nigeria. "They will wait for the right moment." Few Lebanese discuss openly with outsiders any support for Hezbollah. A quick glance at Facebook profiles of some living in the region reveals many images of its yellow, Kalashnikov-emblazoned flag and of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, its leader. But El Zein said Lebanese in Senegal see Hezbollah, as it portrays itself, as a humanitarian organization and opponent of US and Israeli policy; they do not consider that charitable giving to the movement is funding aggressive guerrilla warfare. "There may be ten, a hundred, even a thousand people in these communities who support orphanages in Lebanon - orphanages for children whose parents were killed by weapons the West gave Israel," El Zein said. "But to think that the community in Senegal can buy weapons and send money back to Hezbollah is crazy."

Suleiman to Hold Talks with Obama on Sidelines of U.N. Meeting
Naharnet /A meeting will be held on the sidelines of next week's U.N. General Assembly in New York between President Michel Suleiman and his U.S. counterpart President Barack Obama. The meeting will address the latest developments in the region and the negative repercussions caused by the Syrian turmoil on Lebanon, informed sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper published on Friday. According to the daily, Suleiman will also hold talks with French President Francois Hollande and several other official delegations. The General Assembly will convene from September 23 to 27. A meeting of the International Group to Support Lebanon at France's initiative will be held on September 25 to help Lebanon cope with the large influx of refugee. The meeting will include the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, and will be attended by Suleiman. The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR has registered more than 746,000 Syrians in Lebanon, though many others remain unregistered. The Lebanese government puts the number of Syrians in the country at 1.3 million, though that figure includes Syrians who were already in the country when the conflict began 30 months ago. The crisis in Syria has placed enormous strain on Lebanon, politically and economically. Lebanon has struggled to absorb ever-growing numbers of refugees, who have placed additional burdens on already scare resources including water. The conflict in Syria has also exacerbated tensions in Lebanon, where Hizbullah backs the Syrian regime, while Lebanon's Sunni support the Sunni-dominated opposition. The World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim, said earlier this month that the World Bank is helping Lebanon prepare the ground to request an influx of international aid to offset the high costs of the spillover from the Syrian conflict. Kim told the Associated Press that the Lebanese government asked the World Bank to take the lead in preparing a quick assessment of the social and economic impacts of the war in neighboring Syria, which will be presented during the meeting of the international support group for Lebanon. Kim said the bank made a "very intensive effort" to finish the assessment in a few weeks, something that normally would take six to nine months.”The World Bank is already providing aid to Jordan, another Syrian neighbor, to help offset the costs of caring for hundreds of thousands more Syrian refugees. The bank provides loans and other assistance to developing countries with the goal of alleviating poverty.

Murr, SSNP Laud Berri's Initiative amid Call for 'Real' Debate on Baabda Declaration
Naharnet Newsdesk 19 September 2013/Speaker Nabih Berri's call for dialogue was welcomed Thursday by the Syrian Social National Party and MP Michel al-Murr, as the SSNP noted that “the issue of implementing the Baabda Declaration needs a real debate and a real interpretation.” “Dialogue is a permanent national need, especially in a country witnessing dilemmas and crises,” SSNP's leadership said in a statement, after Berri's envoys met party chief MP Asaad Hardan. Asked by a reporter about the Baabda Declaration, Hardan said: “Speaker Berri's initiative covers everything, and maybe the issue of implementing the Baabda Declaration needs a real debate and a real interpretation.”.He pointed out that the Declaration stipulated that Lebanon must not be turned into “a corridor or base for (Syrian) gunmen and weapons.” “Has this been achieved? Is this the scene that we're witnessing today or the scene that we have we've been witnessing since more than two years?” Hardan asked rhetorically. For his part, Murr said: “We support the initiative launched by Speaker Berri and the (Development and Liberation) parliamentary committee told me that the outcome of consultations will be conveyed by Speaker Berri to President Michel Suleiman.” “The Lebanese people are fed up with the wars of others on Lebanon's soil and they want a solution,” Murr added. "To be honest with myself and the public opinion, I don't think that the new cabinet will be formed tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or next week, and when the president says he wants an inclusive cabinet, that means that Hizbullah must be represented in it, and if there is consensus, the presidents can form a cabinet and relaunch dialogue simultaneously,” Murr went on to say. The talks are part of the meetings Berri's envoys are holding with top leaders and heads of parliamentary blocs to brief them on the speaker's initiative that is aimed at ending the country's political crisis.
Berri has called for a five-day conclave under Suleiman at Baabda palace to discuss the form and policy statement of the future cabinet, revive talks on a new electoral law, and support the military to deal with arms proliferated in several regions, in addition to addressing a national defense strategy, a reference to Hizbullah's controversial weapons.

Parliament to Convene Monday Despite Continuous Boycott
Naharnet /The parliament is expected to hold another session on Monday despite being boycotted previously four times by the several parliamentary blocs over it's agenda. Speaker Nabih Berri has called on the parliament to convene on September 23 at 10.30 a.m. without changing the agenda of the session. The session was postponed for a fourth time on August 20 over a lack of quorum. Several parliamentary blocks boycotted the parliamentary session over a dispute with the speaker over its agenda, which included 45 articles. Berri insists on keeping the 45 draft-laws on the agenda intact and had previously vowed to continue to call on MPs to a General Assembly meeting until the agenda is discussed. Caretaker Premier Najib Miqati argues that there is no balance between the powers of the legislative and executive branches amid a resigned government.

Armed Clashes Renewed between Al-Laylaki's Zoaiter, Hjoula Famlies
Naharnet /Armed clashes were renewed on Friday afternoon between the Zoaiter and the Hjoula families in the al-Laylaki area in Beirut's southern suburbs. "Machinguns were used in the clashes as gunshots were heard in the area,” the state-run National News Agency reported. MTV remarked that army patrols are roaming the area following the armed fighting's eruption. But later radio Voice of Lebanon (93.3) said the security forces were able to contain the family clashes. The local committees had called earlier on Friday for setting up “friendship checkpoints” at 4:00 pm in the area, but later announced canceling these plans following the renewed clashes.
On Sunday, Hasan Hjoula was critically wounded in an armed ambush in the Beirut southern suburb of al-Kafaat when fighting erupted between the two families. “Against the backdrop of old family disputes, gunmen in an SUV opened fire from light assault weapons on a citizen in the al-Kafaat area, wounding him critically,” an Army Command statement said. And in August, two men were wounded in renewed clashes between the Hjoula and Zoaiter families also in al-Laylaki.During a previous round of clashes in June, the army explained that the unrest erupted over non-political reasons.

Berri: Absolute Majority of Political Leaders Welcomed Dialogue Initiative
Naharnet/Speaker Nabih Berri said Friday he will start making contacts to assess the results of the meetings that the members of his parliamentary bloc held with top officials to explain to them his initiative aimed at ending the country's political crisis. In remarks to al-Joumhouria newspaper published Friday, Berri expressed relief that the “absolute majority of the political forces that the committee has met with has backed the initiative and the return to the (national) dialogue table.” Berri's so-called roadmap focuses on a five-day dialogue conclave held by the rival March 8 and March 14 camps at Baabda Palace under President Michel Suleiman and with the participation of Premier-designate Tammam Salam.His proposal lies in discussing the form and policy statement of the future cabinet, reviving talks on a new electoral law, supporting the military to deal with arms proliferated in several regions, in addition to addressing a national defense strategy, a reference to Hizbullah's arms.Berri said he would meet with Suleiman soon to inform him about the results of the meetings that members of his Development and Liberation bloc held with the country's top leaders and the heads of blocs.
“Everyone backed the initiative and returning to the dialogue table except for Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea who has informed the parliamentary delegation that such a dialogue does not lead to any result as previous experience has shown,” Berri told al-Joumhouria. The speaker stressed that al-Mustaqbal movement did not reject the invitation for all-party talks but proposed holding meetings between the two sides to discuss certain items on the agenda of the dialogue.  “I welcome dialogue and will meet with (al-Mustaqbal bloc leader) MP Fouad Saniora before I hold talks with the president,” Berri said. But Geagea snapped back, telling the Central News Agency that “as long as everyone backed the initiative for national dialogue, then let it convene and we'll approve anything that (the Lebanese officials) agree to on condition they be constitutional and abide by the laws."

Palestinian, 2 Syrians Held for 'Possessing Powerful Explosives, Plotting Act of Sabotage'
Naharnet /Three people were arrested on Friday in the Western Bekaa in possession of weapons and extermely explosive material, a media report said. "A Palestinian and two Syrians were arrested in Western Bekaa in possession of arms, RPGs, 80 kilos of extremely explosive material and a quantity of fuses and hand grenades," Voice of Lebanon radio station (100.5) reported. Security forces also seized "electronic and visual spying and surveillance devices and a number of advanced wireless receivers and transmission devices," the radio station added. "A probe was has been launched and security forces are pursuing the rest of the culprits," VDL said.
Later on Friday, al-Manar television said the arrests occurred “following previous investigations and they were busted while plotting a certain act of sabotage." The suspects "confessed to coordinating with a number of Syrians and other culprits whose identities they do not know," al-Manar added. It noted that the probe was trying to unveil the nature of the alleged plot.

Relatives of Aazaz Pilgrims Hold Anew Sit-In, Quarrel with ISF
Naharnet/The families of the Lebanese pilgrims kidnapped in Syria's Aazaz staged a sit-in on Friday near al-Azariyeh building in downtown Beirut, preventing employees of the Turkish Cultural Center and Turkish Airlines from entering their offices. Several relatives quarreled with the policemen deployed near the Turkish Airlines office after breaking the windows of the office. In May 2012, eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped in Syria's Aleppo region as they were making their way back to Lebanon by land from pilgrimage from Iran. Two of them have since been released, while the rest remain held in Aazaz. Two Turkish Airlines pilots were kidnapped on August 9 after gunmen ambushed a bus carrying the national airliner's crew from Beirut's international airport to a hotel in the city. A previously unknown group calling itself Zuwwar Imam al-Rida has claimed the kidnapping, demanding Turkey use its influence with Syria's rebels to secure the release of nine Lebanese Shiites kidnapped in Syria in May 2012. Lebanese authorities have arrested three suspects and charged them in connection with the abduction. Following the Turkish pilots' kidnapping, the relatives of Lebanese pilgrims held in Aazaz were quick to deny having any links to the abduction although they have repeatedly accused Turkey of being responsible for the release of their loved ones, warning that they will target Turkish interests in Lebanon in order to pressure Ankara to resolve the case.

Jreissati: Lebanese Pilgrims Held in Syria are in Safe Location outside of Aazaz
Naharnet /Caretaker Labor Minister Salim Jreissati announced on Friday that the nine Lebanese pilgrims abducted in Syria have been moved to a safe location in the country after they were held in the region of Aazaz for the majority of their period of captivity. He said: “They are in a safe location away from the clashes taking place between the Free Syrian Army and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS).” He made the announcement during a press conference after meeting with the committee tasked with following up on case of kidnapped Lebanese pilgrims held in Syria. “The nine pilgrims are doing well and they are in good health,” he added. Jreissati said that the meeting agreed to intensify efforts to release the captives, stressing: “We condemn the targeting of Turkish nationals and interests in Lebanon.” Moreover, the minister stated that no new developments were made over the release of female prisoners held in Syrian jails that the pilgrims' abductors had demanded as a condition to release the Lebanese captives. “The developments in Aazaz have not affected the negotiations,” he continued.
Asked if MP Oqab Saqr was helping in the negotiations, he replied: “The committee formed by the cabinet alone is tasked with following up on this case and I have no knowledge of any other negotiator.” Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, who was at the meeting, later revealed that the pilgrims were not being held in Turkey, but are still in Syria. Eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped in Syria 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 remain in Syria. The relatives of the pilgrims have repeatedly held Turkey responsible for the ongoing abduction, staging sit-ins and protests near Turkish interests in Lebanon in order to pressure Ankara to exert more efforts to release their loved ones.

Charbel: Army, ISF Will Start Deploying in Dahieh Starting Monday
Naharnet/Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel renewed on Friday his rejection of “autonomous” security measures in Lebanon, saying that the state's security forces alone should be tasked with such missions.
He revealed: “Starting Monday, the army, Internal Security Forces, and General Security forces will start deploying in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahieh.”He made his remarks during a press conference after meeting with the committee tasked with following up on case of kidnapped Lebanese pilgrims held in Syria. Al-Akhbar newspaper had reported on Friday that Lebanese authorities are mulling to form a 2,000-member security unit to keep security throughout Lebanese territories and mainly Beirut's southern suburbs. The daily said that the move aims at replacing the Hizbullah members who have set up checkpoints near and inside their stronghold in the suburbs after two separate bombings there left hundreds of casualties. But the issue is still being discussed by the involved officials and Hizbullah, it said. Al-Akhbar quoted Charbel as saying that Hizbullah is speeding up the process to hand over the security of the suburbs to the new unit. According to the newspaper, the plan aims at replacing security officers who carry out office work with reservists who have gone into retirement not more than five years ago. The officers will in their turn patrol the areas that have mostly witnessed security incidents lately, it said. Another option lies in opening a new round of enrollment to recruit and train new police and army members, it added.

Turkey Tells Ibrahim Aazaz Abductees Doing Well
Naharnet/Lebanon's General Security directorate was informed Thursday by Turkish officials that the Lebanese pilgrims who were abducted in Syria's Aazaz are “doing well,” amid reports that the Wednesday takeover of the town by al-Qaida-linked fighters has sparked fierce clashes with the mainstream rebel Free Syrian Army. “General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim has been informed by Turkish officials that the Lebanese abductees in Aazaz are doing well,” LBCI reported. Earlier, Awad Ibrahim -- who was freed in Sep. 2012 after being abducted with 10 other pilgrims in May 2012 -- told LBCI that he telephoned one of the kidnappers, who reassured him that the nine pilgrims “are in good health and were not affected by the ongoing battles in Aazaz.” Ibrahim quoted the kidnapper as saying that three Lebanese hostages will be released very soon.
On Thursday, the FSA sent reinforcements to Aazaz after it was seized by fighters from the al-Qaida-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant following a swift battle with the Northern Storm Brigade, which is allied with the FSA. In May 2012, eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped in Syria's Aleppo region as they were making their way back to Lebanon by land from pilgrimage from Iran. Two of them have since been released, while the rest remain held in Aazaz.

Salameh Expresses Relief over Lebanon's Economy, Says Job Crisis Growing
Naharnet /Central Bank Governor Riyad Salameh said on Friday that the Central Bank was able to maintain a stable growth rate despite the turmoil in the region. He told As Safir newspaper in an interview that the growth rate is expected to increase by 2 percent in 2013. Salameh stressed that the main problem facing the Lebanese economy is employment. The Central Bank Governor said that the inflation rate in 2013 is estimated at about 4 percent
Salameh didn't expect further negative impacts on the Lebanese banking sector caused by the international sanctions imposed on Syria, Iran and Hizbullah. Lebanon has come under international pressure to abide by international sanctions on neighboring Syria, which include freezing government assets and suspending cooperation with Syria's central bank and some other banks. These measures include strict control over the transactions of Syrian clients and close monitoring of Syrians who wish to open new accounts. “The banking sector has absorbed these crises and complied with the standards,” Salameh pointed out.He expressed relief over the currency stability in the country, saying that the salaries of public employees will not be suspended. “The Central Bank is coordinating with the Finance Ministry to fund the salaries,” Salameh said. The official pointed out that the state's account at the Central Bank is “full.” Salameh pointed out that the role of the Central Bank is to maintain stability and insure that the salaries are paid. Lebanon's ratio of debt to GDP is one of the highest in the world. According to the IMF's latest estimate, debt stood at 134 percent of GDP last year, down from 137 percent in 2010 and 146 percent in 2009.

Saqr Reveals Mustaqbal Does Not Possess Means to Arm Syria Rebels, Says Resistance 'Is Over'
Naharnet /Al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Oqab Saqr announced on Thursday that the movement does not possess the means to arm the Syrian opposition, stressing also that the “resistance is over.”"We do not have the means to arm the opposition's fighters in Syria,” Saqr stressed in an interview on LBCI television. He added: “If we did, we would have created an equilibrium of force in Lebanon.” Saqr was answering questions regarding the previously released tapes of a phone conversation between him and Syrian opposition members, after which, al-Mustaqbal Movement was accused of being involved in arming the rebels in Syria. Regarding the following-up on the lawsuits he filed against media outlets that made the arming accusations, he said he was asked “not to pressure the judges as they so not have armored cars to protect them against possible attacks.” "But the silence of the accusers today is a proof that they do not have anything to argue about, after they had asked previously for death penalty and for lifting our parliamentary immunity,” he remarked. The al-Mustaqbal MP stated that the resistance “has ended when fighters were exported to Syria, Egypt and Bahrain.” "This is not a resistance anymore, it has transformed into a contractor.” "We have agreed to the army-people-resistance formula but we did not give our approval to a resistance that destroys the army and inspects troops at the entrance of Dahieh (neighborhood in southern Beirut),” he said. On the Syrian crisis, Saqr revealed that a deal that will be tackled at the Geneva II summit involves the stepping down of President Bashar Assad. "The Damascus regime has submitted files on Hamas and the Islamic Jihad movement to western powers with Iran's acceptance to reach a ceasefire in the country,” he also announced.  Meanwhile, Saqr considered the American-Russian agreement to destroy the chemical weapons possessed by Damascus to be a “submission” of Assad's regime. The Zahle MP explained during the interview why he has been residing outside Lebanon for the past two year, reiterating that he has been subjected to death threats.
Saqr detailed: “I was under threat even before leaving Lebanon and before the eruption of the Syrian revolution. Plans and maps were set up to invade my house and my car. Members of my family have received threats. My phone lines and my emails were supervised." He continued: “I was also informed that I was watched in Istanbul, and that an attack was planned against me in coordination with an Arab group. And thus, the level of alert was increased. ” Saqr considered that he is under a security threat because it “is forbidden to reject a dominant project in the region, that of the Syrian regime and its allies.”“But we will keep doing what we have started, although security reasons prevent me from acting from Lebanon.”

Army Continues Taking Precautionary Measures in Beirut to Avert Bomb Attacks
Naharnet/The Army Command announced on Friday that it is continuing its precautionary measures in and around Beirut and throughout Lebanon in order to combat the threat of bomb attacks that had recently plagued the country. It said in a statement that it will deploy patrols and checkpoints and set up surveillance stations in Beirut. The same measures will later be implemented throughout Lebanon. The Beirut measures include the distribution of identity cards for vehicle owners by various city mayors. Private security companies tasked with protecting malls have been granted permission to inspect vehicles parked in the commercial facility. Coordination has been ongoing with clergymen and concerned committees at places of worship to prevent people from parking their cars near these areas, especially on Fridays and Sundays, added the army statement. In addition, the army called on the people to cooperate with the Internal Security Forces and Beirut municipal police to prevent people from parking their cars in illegal spots. The people are also advised to keep a vigilant eye open to any suspicious activity and report it to the concerned authorities. In August, the Beirut Municipality decided to install CCTV security cameras across the capital due to the "extraordinary" security situation and to stage joint patrols with the Internal Security Forces. The measures come in the wake of twin bombings that targeted the al-Salam and al-Taqwa mosques in the northern city of Tripoli on August 23 and which left 45 people dead and more than 800 injured.
The bomb attacks followed two blasts that rocked Beirut's southern suburbs, the last of which was the August 15 Ruwais bombing, which left 27 people dead and more than 280 wounded. The series of bombings sparked panic across the country, with citizens reporting the presence of suspicious cars in their neighborhoods everyday.

STL Registrar Concludes Lebanon Visit, Reminds Officials of their Financial Duties to Tribunal
Naharnet/Registrar of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Daryl Mundis, concluded on Friday his official visit to Lebanon, announced the STL press office in a statement. "I expressed my appreciation to the Lebanese officials I met with for their ongoing cooperation particularly through this challenging time. I also reminded them of their outstanding financial responsibilities to the Tribunal," said Mundis. During his mission in Beirut, the registrar met with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati and Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam and other government officials, as well as with various representatives of the diplomatic community in Lebanon. The Registrar also met with STL staff in Beirut. This is Mundis's first visit in his capacity as registrar of the STL, a post to which he was appointed in July this year.  This mission was part of a routine and periodic trip required by the registrar in fulfilling his responsibilities. The registrar is responsible for all aspects of the Tribunal's administration including court management, relations with states, budget and fundraising.  His responsibilities also include oversight of victims' participation, witness protection and detention facilities.

Syria Rebels Agree Border Town Truce with Jihadists
Naharnet/Syrian rebels have agreed a ceasefire with Al-Qaida loyalists after bitter fighting for a key border town, a monitoring group said on Friday, as the opposition condemned the jihadist assault.
The National Coalition accused Al-Qaida front group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) of violating the principles of the revolution by turning its guns on fighters of the mainstream Free Syrian Army (FSA) in Azaz.
ISIS seized the town on the border with Turkey in hours-long fighting on Wednesday, in the latest in a growing spate of clashes between jihadists and mainstream rebel units.
The Northern Storm brigade, which is loyal to the FSA and was based in Azaz, agreed to the truce with ISIS under which both sides pledged to observe a ceasefire, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The deal was brokered by Liwa al-Tawhid, a powerful rebel brigade loyal to the FSA, which sent fighters to the town on Thursday who have deployed between the two sides, the Observatory said.
The rival groups also undertook to free detainees captured in Wednesday's fighting and to immediately return any goods looted from the other side.
They agreed that any future problems that might emerge be dealt with by an arbitration committee, the Britain-based watchdog added.
Azaz has symbolic as well as strategic value as it was one of the first towns to be captured from government troops, in July 2012, by FSA fighters, who set up their own administration.
Tensions have spiraled between some mainstream rebel groups and ISIS in recent months, especially in northern Syria, where the opposition controls vast swathes of territory.
Several local groups resent ISIS's growing territorial control, its steady supply of arms, as well as its brutality, which opponents often compare to that of the regime.
ISIS, on the other hand, has accused some rebels affiliated with the FSA's Supreme Military Command of collaborating with the West and of being "heretics".
The opposition National Coalition issued a rare condemnation of ISIS on Friday, accusing the group of violating the principles of the revolution by turning its guns on FSA fighters.
"The Coalition condemns the aggressions against the forces of the Syrian revolution and the repeated disregard for the lives of Syrians, and considers that this behavior runs contrary to the Syrian revolution and the principles it is striving to achieve," a statement said.
It accused ISIS of "repeated repressive practices against the freedom of civilians, doctors, journalists and political activists in recent months".
It also accused it of having "links to foreign agendas" and of seeking to create a "new state inside the Syrian state entity in violation of national sovereignty".
ISIS and fellow jihadist group Al-Nusra Front have long posed a dilemma for the opposition and FSA commanders.
The two groups have proved themselves effective fighting machines against the forces of President Bashar Assad, and FSA commanders have been ready to cooperate with them tactically.
But their presence on the battlefield has deterred Western governments from providing the rebels with more than non-lethal assistance for fear that any weapons supplied might fall into jihadist hands.
President Francois Hollande said on Thursday that France was in favor of sending weapons to the FSA, but only "in a controlled environment" and "with a number of countries".
"The Russians regularly send (weapons) but we will do it in a broader context, with a number of countries and a framework which can be controlled, because we cannot have a situation where weapons end up with Islamists," Hollande said. "We always said we wanted to control the supply of weapons if we did this, so that they go to the FSA," he added.
Washington too has repeatedly expressed concern about the risks of weaponry ending up in the hands of groups loyal to Al-Qaida.
On the diplomatic front, meanwhile, U.N. envoys were set to resume talks on a draft Security Council resolution that would enshrine a joint U.S.-Russian plan to secure and neutralise Assad's banned chemical weapons.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday that a U.N. report has proved the Syrian regime was behind a deadly chemical weapons attack in August that killed hundreds of civilians.
And Iranian President Hassan Rowhani, writing in The Washington Post, announced Tehran's "readiness" to facilitate dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition.
SourceAgence France Presse.

Syria Deputy PM Says Regime to Call for Ceasefire at Geneva Talks
Naharnet/The Syrian government believes the civil war ravaging the country has reached a stalemate and would call for a ceasefire if long-stalled peace talks in Geneva were to take place, the deputy prime minister told Britain's Guardian on Thursday. "Neither the armed opposition nor the regime is capable of defeating the other side," Qadri Jamil told the newspaper. When asked what his government would propose at the stalled Geneva-2 summit, he replied: "An end to external intervention, a ceasefire and the launching of a peaceful political process in a way that the Syrian people can enjoy self-determination without outside intervention and in a democratic way." Jamil stressed that his comments represented the government's position. The United States and Russia have been trying to bring together members of President Bashar Assad's government and rebel representatives for a Geneva conference following the failure of a first round of talks in June. The rebels boycotted the initial summit and are refusing to attend Geneva-2 unless Assad resigns. Jamil insisted that Assad was not about to quit, saying: "Let nobody have any fear that the regime in its present form will continue." He called on the international community to "get off our shoulders" and allow the government to implement "progressive reforms." The deputy prime minister also revealed that the war had so far cost the Syrian economy around $100 billion (74 billion euros). Jamil, who is a member of a small secular party, was recruited to the government last year in order to break the Ba'ath party monopoly. Source/Agence France Presse.
 

Syria sends OPCW chemical weapons inventory
Declaration part of initial stages of US–Russian deal on Syria announced last Saturday. The Hague, AP—Syria has sent the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons an “initial declaration” outlining its weapons program, the organization said Friday. Spokesman Michael Luhan told the Associated Press that the declaration is “being reviewed by our verification division.” The organization will not release details of what is in the declaration. The OPCW, which polices the treaty outlawing chemical weapons, is looking at ways to fast-track moves to secure and destroy Syria’s arsenal of poison gas and nerve agents as well as its production facilities. However, diplomatic efforts to speed up the process are moving slowly. A meeting initially scheduled for Sunday at which the organization’s 41-nation executive council was to have discussed a US–Russian plan to swiftly rid Syria of chemical weapons was postponed Friday and no new date was immediately set. No reason was given for the postponement. Under a US–Russia agreement brokered last weekend in Geneva, inspectors are to be on the ground in Syria by November. During that month, they are to complete their initial assessment and all mixing and filling equipment for chemical weapons is to be destroyed. All components of the chemical weapons program are to be removed from the country or destroyed by mid-2014.

Chemical Weapons Watchdog Postpones Syria Meeting
Naharnet/The world's chemical weapons watchdog has postponed Sunday's meeting to discuss a Russia-U.S. plan to destroy Syria's arsenal. "The meeting of the Executive Council of the OPCW in regard to Syria, scheduled for Sunday has been postponed," the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said in a statement Friday. "We will announce the new date and time in this space as soon as possible," the Hague-based organisation added. Diplomatic sources said that a draft text to be discussed at the meeting had not yet been agreed upon by the United States and Russia. The OPCW has already postponed the meeting several times this week. The Hague-based OPCW's 41-member Executive Council is due to discuss the plan agreed last weekend in Geneva in a bid to avert U.S.-led military strikes on Syria, blamed by the West for a deadly chemical weapons attack in August. The OPCW also announced on Friday that it has received details on Syria's program and arsenal, which it has been tasked with dismantling. "The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has received an initial disclosure from the Syrian government of its chemical weapons program," the organization said in a statement. The OPCW's Technical Secretariat is now examining the details, it said. The OPCW is charged with implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention, which Syria asked to join amid growing calls for military action against Damascus. Its Executive Council is made up of ambassadors from different nations with diplomatic representations in The Hague. Russia backs the Damascus government in blaming opposition rebels for the August 21 poison gas attack near the Syrian capital in which hundreds of people died.
The plan says that President Bashar Assad's regime will hand over a list of its chemical weapons and facilities by Saturday, and that all will be destroyed by mid-2014. However, a defiant Assad said in an interview on Wednesday that the task would take at least a year and cost a billion dollars.Source/Agence France Presse.
 

Question: "Who is Satan?"
GotQuestions.org
Answer: People's beliefs concerning Satan range from the silly to the abstract—from a little red guy with horns who sits on your shoulder urging you to sin, to an expression used to describe the personification of evil. The Bible, however, gives us a clear portrait of who Satan is and how he affects our lives. Put simply, the Bible defines Satan as an angelic being who fell from his position in heaven due to sin and is now completely opposed to God, doing all in his power to thwart God's purposes. Satan was created as a holy angel. Isaiah 14:12 possibly gives Satan’s pre-fall name as Lucifer. Ezekiel 28:12-14 describes Satan as having been created a cherubim, apparently the highest created angel. He became arrogant in his beauty and status and decided he wanted to sit on a throne above that of God (Isaiah 14:13-14; Ezekiel 28:15; 1 Timothy 3:6). Satan’s pride led to his fall. Notice the many “I will” statements in Isaiah 14:12-15. Because of his sin, God barred Satan from heaven. Satan became the ruler of this world and the prince of the power of the air (John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2). He is an accuser (Revelation 12:10), a tempter (Matthew 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5), and a deceiver (Genesis 3; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:3). His very name means “adversary” or “one who opposes.” Another of his titles, the devil, means “slanderer.”Even though he was cast out of heaven, he still seeks to elevate his throne above God. He counterfeits all that God does, hoping to gain the worship of the world and encourage opposition to God's kingdom. Satan is the ultimate source behind every false cult and world religion. Satan will do anything and everything in his power to oppose God and those who follow God. However, Satan’s destiny is sealed—an eternity in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10).

Killing the future
September 20, 2013/The Daily Star
When it comes to Syria, the main headlines inevitably focus on two things: chemical weapons and Islamist extremists. The bitter irony is that when people talk about these two items, there are loud debates over the basic facts, and huge political efforts are being made to come to grips with both of these issues.
However, when it comes to the children of Syria, there is much less disagreement about the situation on the ground and much less in the way of efforts to tackle the problem.
The beginning of the school year is a time to highlight the massive challenges and tragedies faced by Syria’s children. According to UNICEF, almost 2 million school-age Syrians have left school because of either violence or displacement since the 2012-2013 academic year. Also, around 20 percent of Syria’s schools have been affected because of the brutal war raging in that country – they have either been destroyed or damaged, or are sheltering displaced people. Thousands of Syrian children inside the country have had to change schools because of the crisis, and the lucky institutions are those able to use psychologists to help ease the related trauma for youngsters. Outside Syria, refugee camps are filled with thousands and thousands of youths who are hoping to attend this school year, with only a small percentage lucky enough to receive any kind of regular instruction.
The problems faced by Syrian children go beyond school – many have suffered from horrific levels of trauma, or worse, personal injury. If they have not directly experienced such things, they are likely surrounded by relatives, friends and acquaintances who have. And despite all of these problems, which are as plain as day, the international community has been unable to make a dent in the problem.
Syria’s civil war is in danger of turning one of the Arab world’s bright spots in the area of primary-level education into something similar to its war-torn neighbor, Iraq. People should also remember that as children miss out on schooling this year, a large number of them will be forced to compensate for the situation by engaging in underage work – sometimes under brutal conditions – and, unfortunately, crime and other types of ways to make a “living.”
Throughout the world, there are undoubtedly many individuals and organizations that deserve thanks and appreciation for the work they are doing to help as many Syrian children as they can. But the most resounding achievement will go to anyone who can actually help end the horror that continues to unfold in Syria.
With every passing day, Syrian children are being unfairly forced to pay the price of the war raging in their country, and their physical, emotional and educational problems won’t go away when the guns finally fall silent. If Syria’s children and its educational system – the backbone of any country – aren’t healed, this tragedy will play itself out for several decades to come..lb)

Moscow pulls away from Kerry-Lavrov deal on Syrian chemical disarmament. Assad gets to keep his WMD

DEBKAfile Special Report September 20, 2013,/Russian leaders finally picked apart the Kerry-Lavrov understanding for Syria’s chemical disarmament - less than a week after it was unveiled in Geneva last Saturday. Thursday, Sept. 19, they slapped down a string of coordinated obstructions. One knockout blow came from President Vladimir Putin, who commented dryly that he could not be 100 percent certain that the plan for the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons would succeed. “But everything we have seen so far in recent days gives us confidence that this will happen. I hope so,” he said.
To dispel that hope, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu followed up with a denial of any plans to destroy the Syrian chemical stocks on Russian soil.
Then, in an interview to Fox News, Syrian President Bashar Assad, in sync with Moscow, asked mockingly: “It [the destruction of poison chemicals] is very detrimental to the environment. If the American administration is ready to pay this money and take the responsibility of bringing toxic materials to the United States, why don’t they do it?”
Since Russia and the US are the only countries with the industrial-scale capacity to destroy chemical munitions, and their import is banned under US law, Assad’s chemical arsenal is safe. In fact, Germany alone has offered to send a small number of chemical experts to Syria, No one else is ready to oversee the complicated dismantling and removal of an estimated 10,000 tonnes of dangerously poisonous materials, pay for the operation or accept the materials on its soil. US Secretary of State John Kerry, seeing his understanding with Sergey Lavrov slipping away, made a desperate attempt to save it. He called a news conference at the State Department Thursday to declare that it was essential the deal be enforced with a binding resolution and that the UN Security Council act on it next week, when the UN General Assembly holds its annual meeting in New York.
Kerry did not indicate how the US administration would react if the deal fell through or whether the US military option would be revived. But it was already clear that his deal with Lavrov was going nowhere, even to the few Obama sympathizers who had hailed the president for finally managing to get Moscow on board for a solution of the Syrian war and the removal of Assad’s chemical arsenal.
The Syrian ruler calmly told Fox meanwhile that his government was willing to get rid of its chemical weapons but it would be a very complicated operation that would take about a year or more and cost around $1 billion.
After analyzing his comments, Western intelligence experts told debkafile they had reached two conclusions:
1. That Assad drew a distinction between his operational chemical arsenal and the stockpiles of those weapons. He is apparently willing to let the first category go, but determined to keep the stocks.
2. His manner was confident verging on cocky, showing he felt certain that he would not be deprived of his chemical capabilities for coming out on top of the Syrian civil war.
He had no qualms about denying his forces were responsible for the Aug. 21 attack on districts east of Damascus, fully backed by the perseverance of Russian officials in pinning the blame on the rebels.
As excerpts of his Fox interview were aired, Assad received Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov in Damascus at the head of a large Russian delegation of military and intelligence officers. He used the occasion to complain that he was caught in a cruel vice between al Qaeda and US pressure and expressed the hope that Moscow would be able to “draw a new map of global balance.”
As the Kerry-Lavrov deal falls apart, it turns out to have been less an agreement and more a loose compilation of limited understandings on the Syrian chemical question, which left unresolved sharp, fundamental disagreements between Washington on Moscow on how it should be handled, particularly at the UN Security Council.
None of this has stopped President Obama from selling the proposition to the American public and the world that the US-Russian accord for the disposal of Syria’s chemical weapons was a triumphant breakthrough for his administration’s diplomacy, which opened the door to an agreement for resolving the Iranian nuclear issue as well.

Opinion: Obama Tests Iran
By: Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Alawsat
Following last week’s revelations of the exchange of messages between the American and Iranian presidents, Obama came out on Tuesday to say that there are “indications” that new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani “is looking to open dialogue with the West and with the United States, in a way that we haven’t seen in the past. And so we should test it.”
The diplomatic exchange being discussed by President Obama is nothing new, particularly as he has been pursuing a diplomatic policy of extending his hand to Iran since he first came to office, exchanging messages with previous leaders, including the Supreme Guide. Additionally, Obama turned a blind eye to the 2009 Green Revolution in the hope that this would open “a window of opportunity” for negotiating with Iran. However nothing of the sort came to pass and Obama did not succeed in convincing Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. It is true that the Obama administration continues to exert pressure on Tehran through economic sanctions; however, pursuing this diplomatic approach of openness and the policy of “testing” intentions will ultimately do no good.
Iranian policy, since the Khomeinist revolution, is clear and consistent. Even with the historic succession of leaders, from Hashemi Rafsanjani, the cunning fox, to “peace-seeker” Khatami, and the impulsive Ahmadinejad, Iran has continually demonstrated an aggressive and expansionist foreign policy towards the region in order to promote its interests. Iran has demonstrated endurance in its quest to expand its influence and borders. Its latest expansionist project is evidenced in Iraq and is a consequence of Obama’s decision to withdraw US troops from the country. And today, the US President is allowing Iran to throw a lifeline to the drowning Assad regime! Obama’s statement regarding “testing” Iran’s intentions demonstrates that Washington has yet to learn any lessons from its past experiences with Tehran, for rather than intensifying the pressure, the US is granting Rouhani an opportunity that he desperately needs, politically and economically. This is particularly the case given that Rouhani has inherited Ahmadinejad’s bitter legacy, both internationally and domestically. Regionally, Rouhani is facing a number of difficult challenges to Iranian interests, particularly if the Assad regime is toppled. This is not to mention that the Assad regime today is no longer playing the crucial role that it once did for Iran in terms of spearheading Tehran’s interests in the region, not to mention the interests of its allies, such as Hezbollah. For all these reasons, it is Rouhani who is desperately in need of a chance at diplomacy, not Obama.
The fact of the matter is that the history of the region and the West’s relationship with Iran means that it is impossible to count on Tehran. After all, actions speak louder than words. What the US administration is doing now only serves to confirm the image of Obama as a leader with a weak and hesitant foreign policy, particularly towards the Middle East. It also confirms the image of a devious Iran. If Iran was serious about improving relations with the Middle East and the West then why did it agree with the Russian initiative that is designed to save Assad? It could have taken the initiative by stopping its assistance to the Assad killing machine and instead seeking a political solution. While if Obama was serious about renewing relations with Iran then why has he appeared so determined to pursue the strategic opportunity to weaken Iran by toppling Assad. Consequently we are facing a new chapter in the chronicles of Obama’s diplomatic approach of extending his hand to Iran, which will only serve to grant Iran more opportunities.