LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
January 18/2007Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 3,1-6. Again he entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched him closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him. He said to the man with the withered hand, "Come up here before us." Then he said to them, "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.The LCCC Letter to Canada's Foreign Minister in the Media
*Free Dominion *Canada Free Press * World Forum *Judeoscope.ca *American ChronicleLatest News Reports miscellaneous sources For 18/01/07
Labor Unions Stage their Fourth Anti-Government Protest This Year-Naharnet
Rice Lashes Out at Syria, Lahoud and Iran-Naharnet
Rice, Arab Counterparts Pledge Financial Aid for Lebanon Ahead of Donors' Conference-Naharnet
March 14 Alliance Accuses Syria of Smuggling Weapons to Lebanon-Naharnet
More Victims from Unexploded Israeli Ordnance-Naharnet
Saniora Wins assurances of Continued UAE Support-Naharnet
Siniora hails UAE support for Lebanon-Ya Libnan
Lebanon's Hezbollah threatens to escalate anti-government campaign-People's Daily Online
UAE supports steps to stabilise Lebanon-Khaleej Times
Lebanon's Cardinal Again Criticises Foreign Meddling-AINA
Analysis: Lebanon II - The Fallout-Jerusalem Post
Livni Arrives in Japan-Naharnet
Bush Chides Iraq Over Execution of Saddam, Aides-Naharnet
Second U.S. Aircraft Carrier Arrives in Mideast in a Month-Naharnet
Israel Concerned about Nuclear Link between Iran, N. Korea-Naharnet
Saudi Cautiously Supports Washington's Iraq Plan-Naharnet
U.N.: 34,452 Iraqis Killed in 2006-Naharnet
Even the 'I Love Life' campaign divides Lebanon-Ya Libnan - Beirut,LebanonRice Lashes Out at Syria, Lahoud and Iran
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has accused Syria of involvement in activities to destabilize Lebanon's government and warned of "bad reaction" if President Emile Lahoud decided to dismiss the majority administration.
In an interview with the Kuwaiti daily Al Rai, Rice said: "We want a change in Syria's behavior. And we've made very clear that Syria, if it can find a way to be a stabilizing force in the region, rather than a destabilizing force, of course, then there would be much to talk about."
She accused Syria of "allowing its territory to be used for the transit of terrorists from Syria to Iraq."
"They're killing innocent Iraqis. Syria is engaging in activities that are destabilizing to the democratic government of Lebanon and resisting efforts there to deal with Lebanon's past, the assassination of (Former Premier) Rafik Hariri," Rice added.
In another interview with Israel's Channel 10 about the possibility of Israeli engagement with Syria, Rice said the United States "would like to see at some point a resolution on the Syrian matter," but noted that Syria currently continues to try to "undermine the government of Lebanon" and "play a negative role in the Palestinian conflict."
"There's no indication that the Syrian government has anything but disruptive plans right now," Rice said. "(The U.S. continues) to look for evidence that Syria's behavior is changing, that Syria is going to stop supporting the destabilization of Iraq, that Syria will stop supporting the destabilization of Lebanon."
In response to a question by Al Rai on what would the U.S. reaction be if Lahoud decided to dismiss the Saniora government, Rice said: "I think there'd be a very, very bad international reaction to that because people support the government of Prime Minister Saniora."
She reiterated that Saniora formed his government after "free and fair parliamentary elections."
"He has governed through a very difficult war for the Lebanese people, a tragic war for the Lebanese people."
"He has international support. There's going to be a Paris donor's conference to try to help the Lebanese government," she added.
Rice, in her interview with Fox News, said the Iranians are "making life very difficult for a lot of our friends in the region through Hizbullah and Hamas and support for extremists." "They threaten to really destabilize the region," she said.
The United States will combat Iranian efforts at destabilization, especially in Iraq, Rice said, adding that the U.S. military aims at carrying out these efforts from within Iraq. "We're going to continue to reach out to the Iranian people, a great people, a people that shouldn't be isolated," Rice said. "But we have to be very tough with Iran and make life difficult for them if they're not going to adhere to international norms."Beirut, 17 Jan 07, 15:12
Rice, Arab Counterparts Pledge Financial Aid for Lebanon Ahead of Donors' Conference
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and eight Arab counterparts have vowed to provide financial aid for Lebanon ahead of an international donors' conference and called for noninterference in Lebanese affairs. "The participants pledged their political and financial support to Lebanon," said a joint statement issued after Rice's meeting with the foreign ministers of the "GCC+2" group of U.S. allies in Kuwait on Tuesday.
Rice and the ministers from Gulf Cooperation Council members Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as well as Egypt and Jordan, said they "look forward to a successful Paris III meeting which will support Lebanon's long-term development and fiscal stabilization."
The statement coincided with an Arab tour by Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Saniora to drum up support for his government and for the aid conference to be held in Paris January 25. The conference is expected to be attended by Western countries and oil-rich Arab states which back Saniora's government and the parliamentary majority. The government has been locked in a standoff with the Hizbullah-led opposition demanding the formation of a national unity cabinet so as to have a veto-wielding power. The joint statement said Rice and the eight Arab foreign ministers "called for the respect of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of Lebanon and for noninterference in its internal affairs."
Earlier, Rice and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal reiterated their support for Saniora.
"We agreed on the importance of calming down the situation and defusing the existing tension and paving the way to the success of Paris III conference with support and interest for our two countries," Prince Saud said at a joint conference with Rice in Riyadh. Asked whether Saudi Arabia has agreed to take specific steps to solve the Lebanese crisis in coordination with the Bush administration, Prince Saud said: "Both of us suggest and welcome the endeavor of the Secretary General of the Arab League to find a solution. We are looking forward to the response of the Lebanese factions to this solution."(Naharnet-AFP) Beirut, 17 Jan 07, 08:25
More Victims from Unexploded Israeli Ordnance
A Palestinian man was gravely wounded on Wednesday when a cluster bomblet fired by Israeli forces during the July-August war with Hizbullah exploded, security sources said. Kamaleddine Mohammed, 44, was gathering wood near the Rashidiyeh Palestinian refugee camp close to the southern port city of Tyre when he stepped on a bomblet, they said. He was hospitalized with severe wounds to his head and legs.
On Tuesday, a Palestinian refugee was killed near the same area as he tried to extract scrap metal from an unexploded Israeli bomb, police said.
Ahmed Houeidi, 30, was trying to cut the tip of the bomb when it blew up. The munitions dropped by Israel during its devastating bombardment of Lebanon included more than a million cluster bomblets, some 40 percent of which failed to detonate on impact, according to the United Nations.
Unexploded ordnance has killed at least 27 people and wounded more than 143 since the 34-day war ended on August 14, 2006, according to an AFP tally.(AFP-Naharnet) Beirut, 17 Jan 07, 12:28
March 14 Alliance Accuses Syria of Smuggling Weapons to Lebanon
The March 14 majority alliance on Tuesday accused factions affiliated with Syrian intelligence of smuggling weapons into Lebanon and distributing them to followers in several areas with the aim of destabilizing the country. The alliance, which backs the government of Premier Fouad Saniora, said in a statement after a meeting of its follow up committee that such an alleged smuggling of weapons from Syria, which is banned by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, was aimed at "destabilizing" Lebanon. "We draw the attention of the Arab League and the United Nations to such non-stop practices by the Syrian regime in Lebanon," the statement added. It said "forces directly affiliated with Syrian intelligence are bringing in new shipments of weapons and distributing them in sensitive areas of Lebanon, especially in the western Bekaa and Rashaya and some areas of Mount Lebanon."
Resolution 1701, which ended 34 days of war between Hizbullah and Israel last summer, banned the illegal shipment of weapons to Lebanon, especially across the nation's loose borders with Syria. U.N. peacekeepers have also been assigned to patrol Lebanese territorial waters to intercept ships suspected of smuggling weapons sent by Iran, or any other source, to Hizbullah. Hizbullah is the only armed political group in Lebanon. It refuses to disarm saying the weapons are needed for resistance activity against Israel should it invade Lebanon. Beirut, 16 Jan 07, 19:48
Saniora Wins assurances of Continued UAE Support
Prime Minister Fouad Saniora won assurances of support from the oil-rich United Arab Emirates on Tuesday on the latest leg of a regional tour ahead of a key Paris donors' meeting. President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan stressed during a meeting that the UAE backs initiatives aimed at stabilizing Lebanon and is keen on assisting the country's reconstruction, the state WAM news agency reported. Saniora said Monday that he had received Kuwaiti assurances of continued support and a pledge of new assistance at the January 25 donors' conference. The UAE pledged in August to rebuild a number of schools and hospitals in south Lebanon after earmarking 20 million dollars in relief aid following the devastating summer war between Israel and Hizbullah. The UAE is also involved in clearing mines and unexploded ordnance in south Lebanon. Saniora has also visited Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain to seek support ahead of the donors' meeting.(AFP)Labor Unions Stage their Fourth Anti-Government Protest This Year
Naharnet: Hundreds of demonstrators chanted anti-government slogans near offices of the industry ministry in Beirut Wednesday protesting against a socio-economic recovery and reform plan based on privatization. The demonstration, the fourth by the General Federation of Labor Unions (GFLU) this year was rather symbolic due to the limited number of protestors who participated in it. Police threw a security dragnet around the ministry offices in Ras Beirut neighborhood as GFLU President Ghassan Ghoson addressed the demonstrators. He called on the majority government of Premier Fouad Saniora to "withdraw this so-called reform plan" which would be presented to the Paris III conference of Donors on Jan. 25.Ghoson demanded a pay raise for the Labor force and rejected the imposing of additional taxes included in the five-year recovery and reform plan. Police said no acts of violence were reported during the nearly two-hour protest. The Saniora government hopes that the donors' conference would provide Lebanon with badly needed financial aid to compensate for losses inflicted during the 34-day war between Hizbullah and Israel last summer and to help in settling part of the nation's foreign debt estimated at 40.5 billion dollars. Beirut, 17 Jan 07, 16:49
Even the 'I Love Life' campaign divides Lebanon
Wednesday, 17 January, 2007 @ 5:55 PM
By Andrew Lee Butters
Beirut - The Lebanese have a seemingly natural talent for marketing, advertising, and sloganeering which gets applied to politics when the situation demands. After the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005, stark black billboard posters appeared demanding "The Truth" about who killed him, though Hariri's supporters had already decided that Syria was responsible. The anti-Syrian demonstrations that followed the assassination brought with them posters declaring "Independence '05" and soon after the Syrian army did in fact leave Lebanon.
Now the country is awash in dueling "I Love Life" campaigns, as I mentioned in a previous post. The slogan was created by pro-government groups supposedly to raise awareness about the risks of sectarianism in Lebanon. But the Hizballah-led opposition interpreted the campaign as blaming them for the destruction caused by the past summer's war with Israel. (The implication being that Hizballah loves death and martyrdom.) So the opposition copied the theme and launched its own version, this time with a rainbow of colors representing the opposition groups, and slogans like "I Love Life Undictated."
That's a reference to the opposition claims that the Lebanese government takes its marching orders from the United States. Here's a poster with a favorite Hizballah target -- US Secretary of State Condoleeze Rice -- giving lessons to an apt pupil, Lebanon's pro-Western Prime Minister Fouad Siniora -- at the School of the New Middle East. Among the special courses are: spreading sectarian chaos, embezzlement, setting up security states, and trampling sovereignty.
Interestingly, I've never seen a satirical poster in public that links the Hizballah-led opposition with Iran and Syria, even though members of the Siniora government have often claimed that their rivals are the pawns of Teheran and Damascus. This photoshopped picture -- of Iran's President Ahmadinejad and Syria's President Assad as the proud parents of Lebanon's President Emile Lahoud and and Christian leader Michel Aoun (both of whom are part of the opposition to Siniora) -- made rounds on the Internet only.
Perhaps that's because it's worse to be called an American stooge than a Syrian or Iranian stooge in Lebanon these days? I'm not sure. The country seems pretty evenly split between pro-Western and pro-Eastern camps. Or perhaps the Siniora camp is just too afraid to get personal. Notice that there's no image of Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah in the Proud Parents picture, even though he is far and away the most important opposition leader. Hizballah supporters brook no disrespect for their Sheik, and have rioted at least two times in the past year when they thought Nasrallah was being insulted. Such thin skin takes the fun out of politics.
So with the the country divided between Tehran and Washington, between loving life, and loving life with colors, I've got an idea for a Third Way: Supermodel Mila Janovic. She doesn't love life. She doesn't love death. She just loves Mango. I vote for her.