LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
DECEMBER 29/2006
Bible Reading of
the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 2,13-18.
When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a
dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay
there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy
him."Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for
Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said
through the prophet might be fulfilled, "Out of Egypt I called my son."When
Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi, he became furious. He
ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old
and under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then
was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet: A voice was heard
in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for her children, and she
would not be consoled, since they were no more.
Free Opinions
The Great White North Stands Firm-By
Elias Bejjani- Front Page Magazine 29.12.06
Erdogan's visit offers a chance to
defuse tensions in Lebanon-Daily Star 29.12.06
Latest news from
the Daily Star for December 29/06
Country reels in wake severe snowstorm
Self-appointed 'intellectual elite' calls for nationwide cultural dialogue
Pellegrini denies reports of early command transfer to Italy
Siddiq files complaint against journalists over break-in
E-mail fraudsters still find gullible targets to scam
Hizbullah, Hamadeh trade accusations of incitement
Berri plans new initiative to end political standoff
Suleiman lauds army's faith in 'unified country'
Sfeir warns street protests can easily turn into mayhem
Lebanon offers open field for Islamic financing
Latest budget numbers still reflect damage from war and infighting
Untreated waste fouls Lebanese waterways, and solutions are - at best - years
away
Lebanon's music scene had to roll with the punches
Israel says it allowed Egyptian arms shipment to Abbas
Somali Army troops, Ethiopian allies march into Mogadishu after expelling
Islamists
Bush claims 'good progress' on new Iraq strategy
Former Iranian officials lash out at Ahmadinejad
Latest news from Miscellaneous sources for December 29/06
Bush 'making progress' on Iraq strategy-NEWS.com.au
Hamadeh to Sue Hizbullah on Charges of 'Inciting' his Assassination
French Official to spend New Year's with
Troops in Lebanon
Hariri Entrusted to Pursue International
Tribunal File; Report
Pellegrini: No Handover of UNIFIL Command
Ahead of Schedule
Malaysia Offers More Troops To UNIFIL
Rival Legislators Locked in 'War of Petitions'
Turkish PM to Visit Lebanon January 3
Italy Possibly to Assume Early Command of UNIFIL; Report
Saniora: 'Door Open' to Changes in Hariri Tribunal
Hezbollah Paying Terrorists for Kassam Attacks
Syria: The mullahs' plan B?American Thinker
Islamic Militias 'On Run' Near Mogadishu-By
Associated Press
Iran's President Sends Pope Letter
Israel to Renew Attacks Against Palestinians
Opposition MPs call for Siniora's impeachment-The
Muslim News
Lebanon conflict overlaps with Mideast turmoil-San
Diego Union Tribune
Turkish PM to visit Lebanon-NTV
MSNBC
Advert Campaigns Rage On Between Rival Factions In Beirut-Playfuls.com
The Legitimate Government of Somalia-Bits
of News
2006 The Year In Review - The Lows-Now
Toronto, Canada
The Great White North Stands Firm
By Elias Bejjani
FrontPageMagazine.com | December 28, 2006
Thanks to our honest and courageous Prime Minister, His Excellency Mr. Stephen
Harper. Thank you, Mr. Harper, for standing tall like the Holy Cedars of our
homeland Lebanon. Thank you for declaring loudly and strongly Canada's firm
stance against terrorist organizations and the states of the axis of evil. Thank
you for saying a big no to any dialogue with the terrorist Hezbollah
organization, which is Iran's army in Lebanon and which, through force and
against the will of the majority of the Lebanese people, has erected a state
inside the state. This fundamentalist organization is fully run, financed and
controlled by Iran and Syria, and has dragged Lebanon and its people into a
devastating and crippling war last July. Its leadership, and in response to
military instructions from Iran and Syria, has been for the last three weeks
resorting to scare tactics to topple Lebanon's legitimate elected Government.
Mr. Harper, you have proved again that you are a great leader and that your
dedication to worldwide peace and to the fight against terrorism in all its
forms is genuine and committed. Yes it’s impossible to negotiate with groups
that advocate violence and want to wipe out other countries and other peoples.
Yes, Mr. Harper, you are right when you say that under previous governments
Canada has been “completely absent” from Mideast peace efforts, rather than
playing the role as a neutral, honest broker. Yes. Mr. Harper, we share with you
our full conviction in a strong, neutral and honest Canadian broker role in the
Middle East in general and in Lebanon in particular.
Mr. Harper, we take this occasion to wish you, your government and our Canadian
people a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year, and share with you the following
concerns and facts:
1. Hezbollah is leading an open-ended sit-in in downtown Beirut aimed at
toppling the government of Premier Fouad Siniora. This militant group and its
subservient accessories and allies have rejected repeated calls by
pro-government groups to go back to the dialogue table. They are adamant at
taking over the whole country under the threat of their 30,000 missiles and
heavy weapons that they refuse to surrender to the State. Hezbollah's General
Secretary had made his scheme so clear when he said: "We will lead two million
Lebanese citizens to starvation, and instead of bread we will give them swords
to cut the politicians' necks and thus bring the condition of jihad to
maturity."
2. The entire free world should understand without a shred of doubt: as goes
Lebanon, so goes the Middle East. That's why Lebanon's democracy must not be
allowed to succumb to Syrian-Iranian dominance and, more ominously, to the
growing influence of Iran's theocracy through Hezbollah. Yet many don't
recognize just how serious the situation is. The 2005 Cedars Revolution, which
restored democracy to the only Middle East country that has ever truly
experienced it, is in great jeopardy.
3. To the public eye, Lebanon's democratically elected leaders are merely locked
in a contest of wills with mass demonstrations. But these protests are fueled by
Hezbollah, the Shi'ite militia group sponsored by Iran. This fact makes the
situation nothing short of a Tehran-backed coup attempt - a counterrevolution
with grave consequences for the region.
4. To help prevent this course of events, Canada, the US and all the Free World
countries have an obligation in not compromising on Lebanon's democracy by
considering talks with Syria and Iran, as recommended by the US Iraq Study Group
(ISG). It's also imperative that the Free World countries stop making
"fact-finding" trips to Syria and talking with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The only language that the Syrian Ba'athist regime understands is firmness and
deterrence.
5. Lebanon as well as the entire Middle East will know neither tranquility nor
peace before UN Resolutions 1559 and 1701 are fully implemented and Hezbollah is
disarmed with the rest of the Syrian sponsored Palestinian and Lebanese
militias. Meanwhile, with enormous financial and military support from oil-rich
Iran, Hezbollah is said to have restored its military capabilities after
suffering major losses this past July. Iran's riches are also helping Hezbollah
win additional loyalty from Lebanon's Shi'ite underclass. With it, Hezbollah
mobilizes the masses to call for increasing the opposition's share in the
cabinet. Such a move would give opposition members the power to dissolve the
cabinet and block the institution of UN tribunals that would try those who
assassinated former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and other democracy advocates.
It would also enable them to block cabinet efforts to disarm Hezbollah, as
required by two UN resolutions. If this expansion isn't granted,
counterrevolutionaries threaten to demand Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's
resignation or create their own shadow cabinet.
6. Hezbollah and its cronies have misrepresented Mr. Siniora's attempts to
govern by consensus as weakness. They have also misinterpreted the ISG report,
which calls for talks with Iran and Syria, as a sign of the Western "need" for
those countries' cooperation. They see a Western "deal" in the offing that would
allow them to control Lebanon. All these misconceptions need to be clarified.
7. Changing the government in Lebanon is a legitimate and constitutional
democratic issue, but not by force and threats and by striking at the
institutions of the State and casting the free and the pro-sovereignty activists
among our people as traitors. It is by the same token certainly illogical to
change the government by way of Hezbollah which has erected a
state-within-the-state, which possesses power that is greater than that of the
state in money, weapons, and institutions, and which has organic and ideological
ties to each of Syria and Iran.
Sfeir warns street protests can easily turn into mayhem
'Lebanon cannot bear new crises'
By Maroun Khoury -Daily Star correspondent
Friday, December 29, 2006
BKIRKI: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir said Thursday that the
protests currently taking place in Lebanon can very easily engender chaos.
Speaking during a meeting with a delegation of residents from the Bekaa regions
of Baalbek and Deir al-Ahmar, Sfeir said that "protests like these are
unfortunately allowed in Lebanon and if we look around us, we can see none of
the countries allow their citizens to do what the Lebanese are doing these
days."
"Protests sometimes turn into mayhem, which we do not want," he added. The
prelate said he hoped "Lebanon recovers its prosperity, security and peace."
The prelate also met with Reform and Change bloc MP Ibrahim Kenaan, who
discussed with him the latest developments in the country.
"The current crisis needs a solution rather than political disputes," Kenaan
said. "The opposition, our parliamentary bloc and the Free Patriotic Movement
(FPM) stress the need to promote partnership and balance in the country through
a true participation in authority," he added.
The FPM member said that "this will be the starting point to a solution [to the
current political deadlock]."Praising the "declaration of principles" issued by
the Council of Maronite Bishops earlier in the month, Kenaan said that "we
should shift from an oral support for the declaration to a practical one."
"All the Lebanese, especially the Christians, should put that declaration into
effect," he said.
Headed by Sfeir, the council issued a conciliatory statement earlier in December
in which it provided for the divided Lebanese groups to follow to end the
political crisis.The bishops' declaration included the implementation of "a code
of honor" that would apply to all parties, the creation of an international
tribunal to try former Premier Rafik Hariri's assassins, a new electoral law,
and the formation of a "reconciliation" government that would hold early
presidential elections.
Later in the day, Sfeir met with Education Minister Khaled Qabbani.
After the meeting, Qabbani said "the patriarch's voice is the voice of love and
conscience, which unites all the Lebanese."
Sfeir also met with Future Movement MP Hadi Hobeish. "We support all the
political stands taken up by Sfeir," Hobeish said.
Several high-profile figures continued to flock to Bkirki on the occasion of
Christmas. Internal Security Forces chief Major General Ashraf Rifi and Reform
and Change bloc MP Ghassan Mokheiber held separate meetings with Sfeir. No
comments were released after the meeting. Addressing popular delegations that
also came to Bkirki from several Lebanese regions to extend their greetings,
Sfeir said he hoped the coming days would bring "security and stability to this
country."
"Lebanon cannot bear new crises in addition to the one it is living in," Sfeir
said. "Every Lebanese has a role to play in the construction of the country."
Meanwhile, Future Movement MP Atef Majdalani said Thursday he expected
"political storms" to continue, urging the Lebanese to avoid resorting to the
streets and to "return home.""Will the current crisis continue to plague the
country, especially with Hizbullah and its allies sticking to their stubbornness
and demands?" Majdalani asked Voice of Lebanon radio. Stressing that the
parliamentary majority has already asked the opposition to hold discussions
about its demands, Majdalani said that "our hand is extended [to any
initiative]."
Erdogan's visit offers a chance to defuse tensions in
Lebanon
Friday, December 29, 2006
Editorial-Daily Star
Turkish Prime Minister Reccep Tayyip Erdogan will arrive in Lebanon on January 3
to meet with top Lebanese officials and pay a visit to Turkish peacekeeping
troops in South Lebanon. The Turkish premier will discuss with local leaders his
country's contribution to UNIFIL and the reconstruction of Lebanon, as well as
what Turkey can do to help overcome the current government crisis. Thus,
Erdogan's visit represents a valuable opportunity for which local leaders ought
to prepare themselves.
It is easy to see how Turkey can play a constructive role in helping Lebanon
navigate its way out of its current crisis. Erdogan is one of few international
leaders who has managed to maintain good relations with a wide range of
international players in what has become an increasingly polarized world. This
past year alone, Erdogan himself and/or senior members of his ruling Justice and
Development Party have held talks with everyone from US President George W. Bush
to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Syrian President Bashar Assad, Israeli
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal.
Erdogan has defended his decision to maintain contacts with officials whom other
countries have blacklisted as "terrorists" - a move that has drawn criticism
from both outside and inside Turkey. Erdogan rightly points out out that his
country has long utilized its wide range of ties in order to facilitate dialogue
and promote regional peace and stability. It is precisely Ankara's adeptness at
using soft power and diplomatic muscle to resolve conflicts that makes Turkey a
mediator and problem solver in the region. And it is this trait that makes
Erdogan's visit to Lebanon both timely and welcome.
Of course, Erdogan will not come to Lebanon with a ready-made initiative that
will instantly resolve all of the country's problems. But he will no doubt
arrive prepared to listen to the bickering parties, to facilitate dialogue and
to identify creative ways out of the current deadlock. He will also come with
valuable insights, having recently traveled to both Iran and Syria for talks on
the situation in Lebanon, among other key issues. Lebanese leaders ought to
prepare themselves ahead of Erdogan's arrival by starting to identify ways that
Turkey can assist Lebanon - both politically and economically - during this
extremely crucial time.
Country reels in wake severe snowstorm
Weather experts predict more bad weather over weekend
By Mohammed Zaatari and Maher Zeineddine
Daily Star correspondent
Friday, December 29, 2006
SIDON/CHOUF: The severe storm that struck Lebanon on Wednesday inflicted heavy
damages, as a number of roads were blocked, areas flooded, and landslides
occurred, due to the heavy snowfall and torrential rain. Although Thursday
brought some sunshine and warm conditions, weather experts are predicting that
another hailstorm will hit Lebanon by Saturday afternoon.
Sources from the Civil Aviation Department at the Rafik Hariri International
Airport told The Daily Star that Lebanon will not witness anything similar to
the storm it saw over the past few days. One of the source added that the
freezing air currents that hit Lebanon will not reoccur, as temperatures will be
on the rise starting Friday morning."The storm [which is predicted to hit
Lebanon on Saturday] will not be as severe as that of Wednesday; it will be like
any normal storm Lebanon has long witnessed during the winter season," the
Aviation Department said.
The Aviation Department also said that the storm will not last for more than 24
hours, and snow will only fall at an altitude of 1,300 to 1,400 meters.
In the mountainous Chouf area, black ice forced many people to stay at home on
Wednesday. Traffic was completely paralyzed, due to landslides caused by heavy
rain. By Thursday morning the ice on the roads began to melt. But the
Maaser-al-Chouf Kefraya road is still completely blocked, after the level of
snow reached 30 centimeters. Bulldozers from the Civil Defense and the Lebanese
Army worked around the clock to make the Dahr al-Baidar accessible to motorists.
The town of Jezzine in South Lebanon is still covered in a thick coat of white
snow, causing the Jezzine- Western Bekaa road to remain closed.
Many of Jezzine residents stayed at home on Wednesday.
In the coming days, temperatures in Lebanon are expected to vary between 5 and
13 degrees Celsius along the coast, between -3 and 5 degrees in the mountains,
and between -3 and 5 in the Bekaa Valley. Weather forecasts also predict that
northwesterly winds will blow at speeds varying between 10 and 30 kilometers per
hour, with poor visibility in the highlands.
Self-appointed 'intellectual elite' calls for nationwide
cultural dialogue
Daily Star staff-Friday, December 29, 2006
BEIRUT: Around 40 representatives from Lebanese civil society, among them a
number of religious figures, intellectuals and artists, issued a statement
Thursday calling for a nationwide cultural dialogue "to discuss the true values
and principles of political life in Lebanon, and the establishment of an
independent and free Lebanese state." During their first meeting at the Press
Federation, the representatives decided to create a special committee
responsible for coming up with the "Intellectual Elite Declaration," in addition
to another sub-committee to ensure that all Lebanese intellectual and cultural
spheres are integrated in the motion.
"So that we all partake in the building of a new Lebanon free from any sectarian
conflicts," the statement said.
Professor Antoine Messara, a member of the committee and a representative of the
Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS), said numerous factors, including
military occupation, economic pressures, intelligence services, and political
assassinations "have all contributed to the downfall of Lebanon over the past 30
years."
Messara added that Lebanon's cultural and political identities "must not be
redefined according to prevalent political moods and trends in the world at
differing periods.""The Constitution is a sacred text, and the rule of law ought
to triumph," Messara said.
The head of the Antelias Cultural Movement, professor Issam Khalifeh, who
presented a paper on national pacts at the meeting, said that when societies
face decisive crises similar to the one Lebanon is currently facing, they
"should return to their Constitution and look back on national pacts to learn
from previous experiences and mistakes, and try to avoid them." Khalifeh added
that Lebanon was faced with "a challenge for survival."
"The Lebanese should have learned by now from mistakes made during the Civil War
and should therefore strive to preserve the existence of their country," he
said. - The Daily Star
Hizbullah, Hamadeh trade accusations of incitement
By Rym Ghazal -Daily Star staff
Friday, December 29, 2006
BEIRUT: Hizbullah accused Lebanon's telecommunications minister of inciting
hatred against the group, a day after the government official made the same
accusation against them. Marwan Hamadeh accused Hizbullah on Thursday of
"inciting" his assassination after Al-Manar, the party's television channel,
accused him of revealing the whereabouts of Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah to a US official during the July-August war with Israel.
Hizbullah and Al-Manar TV fired back at Hamadeh, accusing him of "inciting
violence" against Hizbullah.
"[Hamadeh's] reaction was uncalled for and not objective," said Mohammad Afif,
the manager of Al-Manar TV, who said the news report by his station was
objective and had covered all sides. Addressing Hamadeh, Afif said: "Go ahead.
If you want to send in the report to the Information Ministry, we are ready to
do the same." Hamadeh had said that he had contacted Information Minister Ghazi
Aridi, and had asked lawyers to file an official complaint against what he
called the "Syrian-televised bulletin."Hamadeh also said he will be sending a
copy of the report to the UN commission investigating the assassination of
former Premier Rafik Hariri and Hamadeh's own assassination attempt, among
others. Afif expressed surprise over Hamadeh's move to send the TV report to the
UN probe, asking: "Are we turning the international court into a tool for
settling scores between the government and its opposition now?"
Hamadeh said in a statement released by his office Thursday that "Hizbullah and
its leaders are inciting my assassination and are trying to terrorize me
politically and psychologically." Hamadeh said that Al-Manar had accused him,
during a news report on Wednesday night, of "revealing" Nasrallah's location to
US Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman during the summer war. "This party, which is
working today to destroy Lebanon, covered for those who tried to assassinate me
[in 2004]," said Hamadeh. "The car that targeted me was booby-trapped in an area
controlled by Hizbullah."
Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc MPs Akram Chehayeb and Wael Bou Faour
expressed solidarity with Hamadeh and accused Hizbullah of using Al-Manar to
"finish off" Hamadeh's assassination.
But Hizbullah MP Hussein Hajj Hassan said Hamadeh's accusations "are dangerous."
"It is almost like he is trying to terrorize the opposition forces and its media
stations by the sword of the international tribunal, when he mentions that he
will drag us to the international commission," said Hassan. Hassan accused
Hamadeh of "over-reacting" to a report that had been circulating in the media
since the summer war. "The Al-Manar report was an investigative piece that
included quotes from the families of those killed in the [Dahiyeh] and figures
from the Syrian opposition and also included Hamadeh's side and his denial of
any relation to report," said Hassan. "We understand [Hamadeh] has gone through
a lot with the attempted assassination and so we refrained from reacting to his
various accusations and insults against Hizbullah," said Hassan, adding that
"this time, we decided not to remain silent."Hassan also accused MP Walid
Jumblatt of "contradicting himself with every statement."He called on both
Hamadeh and Jumblatt, to refrain from what he called "dangerous incitement and
accusations."
Jumblatt also made headlines Thursday, with Al-Hayat newspaper saying that the
Syrian military court had "officially sent a warrant to Interpol" for him to
stand trial for accusatory statements against Syrian President Bashar Assad.
This is the fourth case against Jumblatt in Syria. In April, the Syrian penal
tribunal issued several subpoenas against Jumblatt and Hamadeh for "threatening
Syria's security, stability and sovereignty" through their various public
declarations. Security sources said the cases had been "dropped" by the Lebanese
judiciary, as both Jumblatt and Hamadeh enjoy parliamentary immunity and the
cases against them can only be prosecuted via Parliament. A lawyer, Walid
Ghandour, had also filed a complaint against Jumblatt in the Lebanese judiciary,
"for personal reasons." When contacted by The Daily Star, a spokesperson said
Jumblatt was not available for comment. - With agencies
Berri plans new initiative to end political standoff
By Nada Bakri -Daily Star staff
Friday, December 29, 2006
BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri will launch a new initiative in the near future
aimed at ending the political standoff between the government and the Hizbullah-led
opposition after a recent Arab League effort failed to resolve the crisis.
Sources close to Berri told The Daily Star Thursday that the speaker - an ally
of Hizbullah - and some of his senior aides are holding undisclosed meetings
with various leaders from both camps to come up with an agreeable proposal.
"This fine string still linking the speaker to the majority forces makes him the
only internal party who can propose a consensual initiative that can lead to the
resumption of dialogue," said the source, who wished to remain anonymous.
Berri's initiative will coincide with a visit by Turkish Premier Recep Tayyep
Erdogan to Beirut on January 3, and another by Iranian Foreign Minister
Manouchehr Mottaki. As-Safir newspaper quoted Berri, who heads the Amal
Movement, as saying he is keen "on finding a solution to this major and
worrisome crisis," and will probably announce his initiative in the next 10
days.
Amal member and resigned Agriculture Minister Talal Sahili said that in the
initiative's first stage, Berri is trying to propose ideas that can pave way for
the resumption of talks. "We are proposing ideas and following up on them with
the different leaders ... Things require talks to lift the crisis from the
street and put it back on the dialogue table," Sahili told Voice of Lebanon
radio.The March 14 Forces welcomed Thursday any initiative that can resolve the
political stalemate and expressed readiness to resume national talks. "Our hands
are extended to dialogue but we have been greeted with stubbornness
and escalation," Future Movement MP Atef Majdalani told Voice of Lebanon. "[Berri's]
initiative is not clear yet, but the speaker is known for his moderate stance,"
he added. But the Central News Agency quoted Thursday sources from the March 14
Forces saying they are ready to resume dialogue that excludes from its agenda
the international tribunal to try suspects in the assassination of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri.
"The international tribunal is a priority and will not be traded or exchanged
for anything because it is the basic entrance for the solution," one source were
quoted as saying.Saad Hariri, the slain premier's son and Parliament majority
leader, said in a statement he issued for the holidays that the international
court will be set up "very soon.""We are confident the international court will
see light very soon and will be a deterrent force that will prevent future
assassinations and killings against Lebanon and the Lebanese," Hariri said. As-Safir
reported Thursday that the March 14 Forces have entrusted Hariri to follow up
the international tribunal file.
The report was quickly dismissed by the anti-Syrian forces. "This is all in
their imagination," Sports and Youth Minister Ahmad Fatfat told The Daily Star.
As-Safir, citing what it said were Cabinet sources, said Hariri was authorized
to pursue "exits" that will resolve differences over the formation of the
tribunal and takes into consideration the opposition's remarks on its statutes.
The paper said the new draft which would call on the government to "withdraw the
time and monetary articles, and to postpone amendments on the criminal law,"
would be submitted to the United Nations Security Council after approval by the
Lebanese Cabinet "and without having to be endorsed by Parliament."
The international tribunal's draft was already published in the official gazette
earlier this month after the Cabinet reaffirmed its approval.
The document was forwarded to Lahoud for ratification, but he returned it
unsigned to the government, maintaining that the Cabinet was no longer
legitimate after the resignation of six ministers. The Constitution says the
government can submit a draft law to Parliament even if it is not signed by the
head of state, or it can issue it in a decree through publishing it in the
official gazette.
Suleiman lauds army's faith in 'unified country'
Daily Star staff
Friday, December 29, 2006
SOUTH LEBANON: Lebanese Army commander General Michel Suleiman said the true
celebration for Lebanon "cannot be achieved without the unity of its people, the
release of detainees in Israeli prisons and the liberation of the remaining
occupied territories in the border region of Ghajar, the Shebaa Farms and the
Kfar Shouba hills."Suleiman made his comments late Wednesday during a meeting
with Lebanese Army officers in the South at their headquarters in Bint Jbeil.
Suleiman had earlier visited Lebanese soldiers deployed along the border.
Addressing the army, Suleiman said "the Lebanese Army Command is deploying all
efforts to promote your fighting-power and raise it to the level of your huge
sacrifices." "Lebanon has achieved a dual victory over the Israeli enemy; first,
when it prevented it from partitioning the country and second, when you
[soldiers] completed your deployment along the border," he said.
Suleiman also said the army's keenness on executing its duties "is the result of
its belief in a unified country.""Lebanon is a unique example for the practice
of democracy and meeting of [different] cultures," Suleiman said. "It is an
example to be followed in this East." The army commander extended his greetings
to soldiers on the occasion of Christmas and Eid al-Adha.Suleiman also met in
Naqoura with Major General Alain Pellegrini the commander of the United Nations
Interim Force in the South. No comments were released after the meeting. - The
Daily Star
Counterterrorism Blog
Additional info on Syria's nuclear program
By Olivier Guitta
I just wrote a piece for The Examiner expanding on my recent post on the state
of Syria's nuclear program.
Here's an excerpt; you can read the whole article here.:
WASHINGTON - The Iraq Survey Group is calling for open negotiations with Syria,
but new reports show that Damascus is up to no good. Indeed, while world
attention is rightly focused on the nuclear capabilities of Iran and North
Korea, Syria has been quietly — but quickly — advancing its own secret nuclear
program.
The first signs appeared in 2003 when the Russian Foreign Ministry inadvertently
revealed that a Russian-Syrian agreement for the delivery of a nuclear power
plant in an undisclosed Syrian location had been signed.
In 2004, Syrian President Bashar Assad made a point to say that Syria would not
dispose of its WMD program until Israel did the same. “Since some of my country
is occupied,” Assad added, “Syria can legitimately use all the necessary means
to liberate its territories.”
German magazine Der Spiegel revealed in March 2004 that Swedish authorities and
the CIA were investigating a very likely Syrian nuclear program secretly
developed in Homs in the northern part of the country. That July, investigators
looking into the Pakistani nuclear network of A.Q. Khan pointed out that Syria
may have procured centrifuges capable of enriching uranium to produce a bomb.
This fact was confirmed in May 2006 in a declassified report to the U.S.
Congress on the acquisition of technology relating to weapons of mass
destruction. Before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Syria also got help from Saddam
Hussein’s regime.