LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 26/2007Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 4,1-13. Filled with the holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry.
The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'" Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The devil said to him, "I shall give to you all this power and their glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me." Jesus said to him in reply, "It is written: 'You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.'"
Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,' and: 'With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'" Jesus said to him in reply, "It also says, 'You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.'"
When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.Latest News Reports From miscellaneous sources For 26/02/07
Hizbullah's 'Jihad al-Bina' Defies U.S. Sanctions-Naharnet
Iraqi Deaths Mount, Many Americans Unaware-CBS News
Ahmadinejad: No Reverse to Iran's Nuclear Program-Voice of America
Israeli Army Enforces Tight Curfew in West Bank City-New York Times
Hezbollah construction firm sparks controversy-Middle East Online
Hezbollah blinks; Britain leaves Iraq; NATO expansion and Russia-International Herald Tribune
Iran Denies Syria is Hampering Reconciliation Efforts in Lebanon
Geagea Duels Hizbullah
Lebanese journos fined-Business Portal 24 (press release
Prominent Lebanese Journalist Dies in London
Jordan's Queen Urges Muslims to Act Against Terrorists
Israeli Army Storms Nablus
Muslim Foreign Ministers Want Diplomatic Solution to Iran's Nuclear Issue
Abdullah II Launches Peace Offensive in Foreign Tour
Foreign Ministers of Seven Sunni States Discuss Middle East Peace in PakistanRice vows talks if Iran halts nuke plans
© 2007 The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the U.S. would hold direct talks with Iran if Tehran suspended its nuclear program. Iran's president, however, pledged to move ahead with enrichment activity that Washington contends masks weapons development.
"I am prepared to meet my counterpart or an Iranian representative at any time if Iran will suspend its enrichment and reprocessing activities. That should be a clear signal," Rice said in Washington.
Earlier Sunday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad comparing his nation's nuclear drive to a train without a reverse gear or brakes. "We dismantled the rear gear and brakes of the train and threw them away sometime ago," he was quoted on the radio as telling Islamic clerics.
Iran says its energy program is peaceful.
Vice President Dick Cheney said last week on his trip to Australia that the United States believes "it would be a serious mistake if a nation such as Iran became a nuclear power." He reaffirmed the Bush administration's policy that "all options are on the table" to deter Tehran.
Rice said the Iranians "don't need a reverse gear. They need to stop and then we can come to the table and we can talk about how to move forward." She contended Ahmadinejad's stands are isolating his country.
"I have no doubt that the Iranian people want to be like other people, capable of carrying out their freedom of having greater pluralism in their politics. All of that is important."
President Bush, she said, "has made very clear that around the world we're going to continue to advocate for democracy. We are. However, with Iran, in a situation in which they are in defiance of the international community and they need to change that behavior, then we can talk about everything.
"And we'll talk about it with this regime. I've said that I am prepared to meet my counterpart or an Iranian representative at any time if Iran will suspend its enrichment and reprocessing activities. That should be a clear signal," Rice said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said Thursday that Iran had ignored a U.N. Security Council ultimatum to freeze its uranium enrichment program and had expanded the program by setting up hundreds of centrifuges.
A council resolution adopted Dec. 23 penalized Tehran and warned of further punishment if Iran did not comply.
Diplomats from the five permanent Security Council members and Germany planned to meet in London on Monday to begin discussing what steps to take to increase international pressure on Tehran to cooperate.
"People in Iran are concerned about the fact that financial institutions are moving out of Iran and refusing to deal with Iran," Rice said. "They're concerned that their oil and gas fields need investment that they're probably not going to be able to get at the high end because people are not going to take the reputational and investment risk of dealing with a country that has gotten itself into a very bad club."
But, she added, "I just want to repeat, Iran has another course that it can take. If it stops its enrichment and reprocessing activities, as demanded by the international community, we're all prepared to have full-scale negotiations any time and any place."
Rice appeared on "Fox News Sunday" and "This Week" on ABC.
US open to military option against Tehran, Cheney says
Israel denies talk of it attacking Iran nuclear sites
By Rohan Sullivan, Associated Press | February 25, 2007
SYDNEY -- US Vice President Dick Cheney yesterday warned that "all options" are on the table if Iran continues to defy UN-led efforts to end Tehran's nuclear ambitions, leaving the door open to military action. Sign up for: Globe Headlines e-mail | Breaking News Alerts Cheney criticized Iran's defiance of a UN deadline for freezing its uranium enrichment programs. The White House is seeking a peaceful resolution, Cheney said, but he did not rule out force.
In Jerusalem yesterday, Ephraim Sneh, Israel's deputy defense minister, denied a news report that Israel was talking with the United States about possibly using Iraqi airspace if Israel decides to attack Iranian nuclear sites. Britain's Daily Telegraph, citing an unnamed Israeli defense official, said Israel had sought use of the air corridor from the Pentagon. Cheney, in a series of blunt and sometimes biting statements during a visit to Asia and Australia, defended the Iraq war, attacked administration critics at home, and warned that the United States would confront potential adversaries abroad.
His visit was meant to thank Australia and Japan for their support in Iraq. But a series of public appearances and media interviews, Cheney's tone was typically feisty. Answering growing criticism in the United States and Australia, he defended the Iraq war as a "remarkable achievement" in one speech and dismissed suggestions that his influence in Washington is waning.
Cheney's support for the Iraq war -- he is considered one of the key proponents of the 2003 invasion -- drew protesters into Sydney's streets for two days. But the crowds were small and the clashes brief, and Cheney enjoyed a generally warm welcome, including lunch at Prime Minister John Howard's harborside mansion and a cruise past the Sydney Opera House. Yesterday he held talks with Howard -- who at one point felt compelled to defend his friendly relations with the White House.In Japan, Cheney asserted that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's opposition to President Bush's troop buildup in Iraq would "validate the Al Qaeda strategy."
A furious Pelosi complained to the White House that Cheney was impugning the patriotism of critics of the war. Cheney refused to back down: "I said it and I meant it," he told ABC News. "I didn't question her patriotism, I questioned her judgment."Cheney also spoke bluntly on Friday when he discussed North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons and China's rapid modernization of its 2.3 million-strong military forces. Noting that China -- an emerging economic power -- had hit a defunct weather satellite with a missile last month, Cheney said some of the country's actions were at odds with its pledge to develop peacefully.
In the same speech, though, he praised China for its help in persuading North Korea to seal its main nuclear reactor in exchange for oil. But Cheney added that North Korea had "much to prove," namely that it would honor the deal. Michael McKinley, an analyst of Australia-US relations at Australian National University, said Cheney's association with an Iraq policy that many see as a failure has made him unpopular, but it is too soon to write off the vice president's influence. Cheney is still a force in the White House, McKinley said, and "in the area of foreign and defense policy, he is the power."
During Cheney's visit to Australia -- one of the United States' staunchest allies in Iraq -- he said history would ultimately judge the war a success, pointing to the end of Saddam Hussein's dictatorship and Iraq's democratic elections. The United States, he said, has put Iraq "well on the road to establishing a viable democracy." Cheney told ABC News that media speculation that he had lost influence within the Bush administration was inaccurate, just as earlier speculation that he was the all-powerful was wrong.
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
IDF raids explosives lab in Nablus
VIDEO - IDF forces exposed an explosives laboratory in the West Bank city of Nablus Sunday afternoon, the second in two days.
The raid was part of a large-scale military operation launched Sunday in Nablus, which continues to be a major hub of terror activity. The army defined the operation as "activity against terror infrastructure."The operation was unlimited in time and scope and would be ongoing until its objectives were achieved, an IDF spokesperson said. The laboratory discovered Sunday contained an intact LAW guided missile, five pipe bombs, a large explosive device, two bottles of TNT, magazines and four sacs of fertilizer to be used in bomb manufacture. Defense officials told Ynet that they were not surprised to find a working LAW missile in Nablus. “The IDF is aware that the Palestinians are in possession of such missiles in the West Bank area,” an official said.
Full closure imposed on Nablus
Israeli troops entered Nablus in the early morning hours aiming to arrest terror suspects and raid explosives laboratories. Forces imposed a closure on the West Bank city and took up a number of lookout points around the city, witnesses said. A Palestinian source told Ynet that for the first time in years, soldiers set up concrete barriers and sealed off entrances to Nablus from all directions. Witnesses said the operation was being carried out with aerial cover. Dozens of Israeli jeeps, armored vehicles raid West Bank city, place Palestinians under curfew; two soldiers, seven Palestinian youths lightly injured. Army says operation not limited in time, aimed at uncovering explosives laboratories and arresting wanted terror suspects The IDF also reportedly seized a school in the city center and brought dozens of male suspects to the schoolyard for interrogation. Palestinian sources reported that the forces besieged eight members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades members, Fatah's military wing, and that at least 10 Palestinian were arrested in the city. IDF officials said that the forces siezed a number of buildings in which wanted suspects were hiding. The operation infuriated the Palestinian leadership, which accused Israel of violating agreements aimed at building confidence between the sides. A spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued an official statement saying, “This is a violation of the agreements of the three-way summit . Israel is trying to sabotage efforts to mend confidences and to threaten the implementation of the Mecca deal . Israel must stop its aggression against the Palestinians.”
Iran Denies Syria is Hampering Reconciliation Efforts in Lebanon
Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammed Reza Shebani was quoted Sunday as saying "serious consultations" between Tehran and Riyadh have helped in decreasing regional tension. Shebani told the official Iranian news agency (IRNA) that the Saudi-Iranian consultations have "helped in decreasing the intensity of the regional crisis … Its results started emerging in Lebanon and led to curbing propaganda campaigns between the two basic Lebanese parties, the government and the opposition." He declined accusations made by pro-government Lebanese factions that Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime is "hampering Saudi-Iranian efforts and blocking implementation of whatever the two states agree on." "All regional and domestic parties agree on the need to disclose the truth" in the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri," the Iranian diplomat said. The "differences," however, focus on "the formation of the international tribunal and its powers," Shebani said. Meanwhile, ex-Premier Salim Hoss, who had visited Saudi Arabia and Syria, leaves for Tehran later in the day Sunday at the invitation of the Iranian authorities. Hoss, who does not support Premier Fouad Saniora's majority government and does openly side with the Hizbullah-led opposition, would focus in his Tehran talks on "what he has started in Saudi Arabia and Syria," Shebani said. He did not disclose further details.(AFP photo shows Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad shaking hands with Assad during a welcoming ceremony in Tehran last week. Both leaders accused the United States of meddling in Lebanon and Iraq, and urged the region's Muslims to stay united in the face of U.S. attempts to divide them.) Beirut, 25 Feb 07, 10:02
Hezbollah construction firm sparks controversy
Middle East On Line: US blacklists ‘Jihad al-Bina’ firm, says construction company controlled by Hezbollah, funded by Iran.
By Jihad Siqlawi - SRIFA, Lebanon For Hajj Hussein Lahham, whose house was destroyed by Israeli rockets last summer, the Jihad al-Bina construction company has been a blessing, giving him money and help to build anew. But to the United States government, this charitable arm of the Lebanese Shiite party Hezbollah is part of a terrorist group, and has been blacklisted. "Jihad al-Bina's workers are completing the reconstruction of my house, which was leveled by Israeli planes," Hajj Hussein said. "The members of Jihad al-Bina are working day and night in southern Lebanon to help people get back on their feet," he added, standing in front of the worksite in the town of Srifa, where 37 people were killed and 250 homes were destroyed during the fierce 34-day Israeli war against Hezbollah. It was a cross-border raid last July by militants from Hezbollah, in which two Israeli soldiers were captured, that sparked the war, which ended on August 14 with a UN-brokered ceasefire. Hajj Hussein said Jihad al-Bina ("Struggle for Rebuilding") gave him 10,000 dollars to rent accommodation while his house and first-floor tailor's shop could be rebuilt.
On Tuesday, the US government blacklisted the company, saying it was controlled by Hezbollah and funded by Iran -- neither of which is disputed in Lebanon. Stuart Levey, the Treasury's under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said Hezbollah operates Jihad al-Bina "for its own construction needs as well as to attract popular support through the provision of civilian construction services. "We will take action against all facets of this deadly terror group," he said in a statement. Under a presidential order, the Treasury froze any US assets held by Jihad al-Bina and forbade Americans from doing business with it. "Jihad al-Bina receives direct funding from Iran, is run by Hezbollah members, and is overseen by Hezbollah's Shura Council, at the head of which sits Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah," the Treasury said. Following its conflict with Israel last summer, Hezbollah used Jihad al-Bina "to raise funds for the terrorist organisation and to bolster the group's standing by providing construction services in southern Lebanon," it added. No one in Lebanon disputes the Hezbollah link, which is a matter of common knowledge, as is Iran's financial support.
But Abu Mahmoud, operations director of Jihad al-Bina, disputes the "terrorist" monicker."Is it terrorism to help people rebuild their homes, destroyed by American-made Israeli bombs in the course of a war sponsored by the United States?" he asked. The company has been around a long time, pointed out a company engineer named Abbas, who declined to give his last name. It was created amid the destruction caused during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and "its members have been mobilised to rebuild after the end of each Israeli aggression" since then. He said that in the case of Srifa, five million dollars had been earmarked for returning the town to its pre-war state. Hezbollah has a solid popular power base because of its social involvement in Lebanese society, and by its own admission it receives financial backing from Iran. Created in 1982 to resist the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon, Hezbollah's social activities include running 14 schools teaching some 14,000 pupils in several areas of the country.
It also has two hospitals -- one in the south and the other in the Bekaa Valley -- and 36 clinics where medical treatment is practically free for party members. On Wednesday, Hezbollah condemned the US blacklisting, calling it "a new attack on Lebanon and its people."
"We also consider it a badge of honour for this institution, which plays a vital and honourable role in cleaning up the consequences of (Israel's) aggression."
Mahmoud said Jihad al-Bina is "more determined than ever to oversee the work after the decision of the American treasury." He ended on an ironic note: "We are a humanitarian organisation, and are ready to make our know-how available to the American people in case of a natural disaster."Hizbullah's 'Jihad al-Bina' Defies U.S. Sanctions
For Hajj Hussein Lahham, whose house was destroyed by Israeli rockets last summer, the Jihad al-Bina construction company has been a blessing, giving him money and help to build anew. But to the United States government, this arm of the Lebanese Shiite party Hizbullah is part of a terrorist group, and has been blacklisted. "Jihad al-Bina's workers are completing the reconstruction of my house, which was leveled by Israeli planes," Hajj Hussein said in the southern village of Srifa. "The members of Jihad al-Bina are working day and night in south Lebanon to help people get back on their feet," he added, standing in front of the worksite in Srifa, where 37 people were killed and 250 homes were destroyed during the fierce 34-day Israeli war against Hizbullah.It was a cross-border raid last July by militants from Hizbullah, in which two Israeli soldiers were captured, that sparked the war, which ended on August 14 with a U.N.-brokered ceasefire. Hajj Hussein said Jihad al-Bina ("Struggle for Rebuilding") gave him 10,000 dollars to rent accommodation while his house and first-floor tailor's shop could be rebuilt. On Tuesday, the U.S. government blacklisted the company, saying it was controlled by Hizbullah and funded by Iran -- neither of which is disputed in Lebanon. Stuart Levey, the U.S. Treasury's under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said Hizbullah operates Jihad al-Bina "for its own construction needs as well as to attract popular support through the provision of civilian construction services.
"We will take action against all facets of this deadly terror group," he said in a statement. Under a presidential order, the Treasury froze any U.S. assets held by Jihad al-Bina and banned Americans from doing business with it. "Jihad al-Bina receives direct funding from Iran, is run by Hizbullah members, and is overseen by Hizbullah Shura Council, at the head of which sits Hizbullah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah," the Treasury said. Following its conflict with Israel last summer, Hizbullah used Jihad al-Bina "to raise funds for the terrorist organization and to bolster the group's standing by providing construction services in south Lebanon," it added. No one in Lebanon disputes the Hizbullah link, which is a matter of common knowledge, as is Iran's financial support. But Abu Mahmoud, operations manager of Jihad al-Bina, disputes the "terrorist" charge.
"Is it terrorism to help people rebuild their homes, destroyed by American-made Israeli bombs in the course of a war sponsored by the United States?" he asked. The company has been around a long time, pointed out a company engineer named Abbas, who declined to give his last name. It was created amid the destruction caused during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and "its members have been mobilized to rebuild after the end of each Israeli aggression" ever since. He said that in the case of Srifa, five million dollars had been earmarked for rebuilding the town to its pre-war state.
Hizbullah has a solid popular power base because of its social involvement in Lebanese society, and by its own admission it receives financial backing from Iran. Created in 1982 to resist the Israeli occupation of south Lebanon, Hizbullah's social activities include running 14 schools teaching some 14,000 pupils in several areas of the country.It also has two hospitals -- one in the south and the other in the Bekaa Valley -- and 36 clinics where medical treatment is practically free for party members. On Wednesday, Hizbullah condemned the U.S. blacklisting, calling it "a new attack on Lebanon and its people."
"We also consider it a badge of honor for this institution, which plays a vital and honorable role in cleaning up the consequences of (Israel's) aggression."
Mahmoud said Jihad al-Bina is "more determined than ever to oversee the work after the decision of the American treasury." He concluded by an ironic approach: "We are a humanitarian organization, and we are ready to make our know-how available to the American people in case of a natural disaster."(AFP) Beirut, 25 Feb 07, 13:01
Prominent Lebanese Journalist Dies in London
The syndicate of Lebanese journalists announced the death of al-Akhbar daily chief editor Joseph Samaha in a heart attack Sunday.
Samaha, according to the statement, passed away in London earlier in the day. Samaha had co-founded the daily as-Safir in the early 1970s as well as the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat later. He was appointed editor in chief of the newly published al-Akhbar newspaper last year. Samaha was a famous columnist, reputed for his leftist-secular views. His body will be flown to Lebanon for Burial. No date was set for the funeral. Samaha, under the headline "Tuning of moves and slogans" criticized Saturday both factions of the Lebanese crisis, urging them to review their action plans. Beirut, 25 Feb 07, 17:35
Ahmadinejad: No Reverse to Iran's Nuclear Program
By VOA News -25 February 2007
Iranian state media quote President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying Iran will not reverse its controversial nuclear program despite international pressure.
Mr. Ahmadinejad said Sunday Iran's development of technology for producing nuclear fuel is like a train with "no brakes and no reverse gear."
Iran ignored a U.N. Security Council deadline to suspend uranium enrichment by February 21 or face the risk of further U.N. sanctions.
Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful energy use. The United States and other Western powers suspect Tehran is trying to develop nuclear weapons.Speaking on U.S. television (Fox News) Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Iran needs to stop enriching uranium.
She repeated earlier offers to meet with Iranian officials if Iran stops its controversial nuclear activities.In another development, Iranian media quote a deputy foreign minister, Manouchehr Mohammadi, as saying Sunday Iran is prepared for any situation in its nuclear dispute with the West, even a war.
On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said the U.S. is not in a position to take military action against Tehran. Mottaki was responding to a warning by U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney that Washington would consider "all options" to stop Tehran acquiring nuclear weapons.
Hezbollah blinks; Britain leaves Iraq; NATO expansion and Russia
Published: February 25, 2007
The circumstances of Hezbollah's recent change of rhetoric hold three important clues about political activism and emerging regional dynamics in the Middle East. First, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, reminds us that old-fashioned Arab nationalism and anti-imperialism play a fundamental role in coagulating the complex ideology of what we have defined as "Islamism." For Hezbollah, as for Hamas, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and even Al Qaeda, religion is the vehicle for a restatement of the old Arab nationalist discourse, which carries an extremely potent message to activate Arab masses. Islamism was born out of this restatement, and there are serious questions about whether it can survive without nationalism. But where Hamas or the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood seem able to articulate this classic nationalist discourse to a "struggle for liberation," Hezbollah seems unable to settle the contradictions between its Shiite nature, its foreign sponsors and its national aspirations. To successfully accumulate power, the movement needs to reach across the sectarian divide and resolve the fundamental contradiction between what it is (a divider) and what it wants (a unifier), in a regional context increasingly defined by the Sunni-Shiite divide, and Arab hostility to Iran's regional ambitions. Nevertheless, Nasrallah's recent turnaround has given away important clues about Hezbollah's ultimate hierarchy of allegiances. Confronted with a crucial decision between relevance and identity, the movement chose to amend what it wants, and sacrifice its sectarian credentials or international allegiances to reclaim the nationalist high ground. Hezbollah is already reaching out to other constituencies, and getting in increasingly frequent arm twisting with both Iran and Syria. The Saudis were key in defusing the crisis in Lebanon. The Saudis are also hard at work in Iraq and, as we have seen recently, in Palestine. In this process, the Bush administration should be careful to remain safely in King Abdullah's back seat.
Geagea Duels Hizbullah
Despite claims by Iran that its consultations with Saudi Arabia have led to decreasing tension in Lebanon, Hizbullah continued to trade accusations with the March 14 majority alliance that backs Premier Fouad Saniora's government. Mohammed Raad, leader of Hizbullah's parliamentary bloc, has launched a vehement attack on Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and head of the Progressive Socialist Party Walid Jumblatt. Raad was quoted by the daily an-Nahar as saying Geagea and Jumblat were against the "principles set by (Ex-Premier) Rafik Hariri and Kamal Jumblat."Hariri, father of parliamentary majority leader Saad Hariri, was killed by a powerful blast that targeted his motorcade in Beirut on Feb. 14 2005. Kamal Jumblat, father of Walid and founder of the PSP, was killed in an ambush on March 16 1977. Both crimes have been blamed on the Syrian regime, which is one of Hizbullah's mail supporters. Jumblat left for Washington Saturday to discuss the Lebanon situation with U.S. officials.
However, Geaea responded quickly to Raad's rhetoric saying the Hizbullah-led opposition has launched a "counter revolution against the Cedars' Revolution in an effort to push the situation back to where it was during the past 15 years," when Syria's army and intelligence ruled Lebanon.
Geagea also escalated his counter attack, stressing that pro-government factions "reject" a compromise cabinet that gives the majority 19 seats, the opposition 10 seats and allocates one seat for a neutral minister. "The problem is going to be a long one, Lebanon's fate will be decided during this crisis, but this does not prevent reaching provisional settlements," Geagea said. He stressed that the "real solution (will be achieved) when Lebanon sets course. The Cedar Revolution Course is going ahead," Geagea stressed. Observers say Raad's remarks reflect an effort by Hizbullah and Iran to drive a wedge in the alliance between Hariri , Geagea and Jumblat, an attempt that the parliamentary majority leader has been aware of and keen on foiling. Beirut, 25 Feb 07, 10:51