LCCC NEWS BULLETIN
JULY 1/2006
Below News From miscellaneous
sources for 01/07/06
Card. Sfeir: only regular army should undertake Lebanon's protection-AsiaNews.it
Hezbollah Member Captured by Nevsehir Police-Zaman Online
''Intelligence Brief: Russia's Moves in Syria''PINR - USA
Syria vows to defend itself after Israeli overflight-Zee News -
'Lebanon should be ashamed:' Child labor refuses to go away-Daily Star
The Big Show-Media Monitors Network
The government is losing its reason-Ha'aretz
Review of the Arab press-United Press International
Sfeir chastises Franjieh for going after bishop-Daily Star
Cabinet unites around call for end to Israeli attack in Gaza-Daily Star
Abduction As A Weapon-New York Jewish Week
Palestinians should seize more Israeli troops: Hamas official-Zee News
Ministers warned of terrorism threat from Iran-Guardian Unlimited
Lebanese leaders fail to resolve domestic disputes
but agree on need for intervention in Gaza Strip-Daily Star
Cabinet unites around call for end to Israeli attack
in Gaza-Daily Star
Aoun, Nasrallah hold talks on need to maintain
national dialogue-Daily Star
Israel braces for Hizbullah riposte along border-Daily
Star
Aoude sets lofty goals for Balamand graduates-Daily
Star
Attack on composer may have been attempted kidnapping
- report-Daily Star
Development boom heads for Beirut-Daily Star
Judge hands down 3-year sentence for Al-Madina
fugitive Qoleilat-Daily Star
Iraqis try not to lose cool amid summer blackouts-Reuters.uk
With Terrorists, Let Israel Succeed Where America Has Failed-New York Sun
Mubarak Demands Syria Expel Mashaal-Arutz Sheva
Mubarak demands Hamas be expelled from Syria-Journal of Turkish Weekly
Analysis/An operation with two goals-Ha'aretz
Iran rejects speedy response to incentives-People's Daily Online
Leaders Seek Arab and International Action to Stop Israeli Aggression on Gaza-Naharnet
Judge Sentences Rana Koleilat to Three Years in Jail for Jumping Bail-Naharnet
For Immediate Release
Committee on International Relations
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington D.C. 20515-0128
Congressman Henry J. Hyde, Chairman
Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations
Congressman Christopher H. Smith, Chairman
WASHINGTON D.C. On Friday, June 30, 2006 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Rosie Malek-
Yonan, author of The Crimson Field, will be testifying on Capitol Hill before a
congressional committee of the 109th Congress on religious freedom regarding
genocide, massacres and persecution of Assyrians in Iraq by Kurds and Islamists.
She will also be comparing the
Assyrian Genocide of 1914-1918, as depicted in her epic and historical novel The
Crimson Field, to the current plight of the indigenous Assyrian Christians in
Iraq. For more information please log on to:
http://wwwc.house.gov/international_relations/109/af063006.htm
The hearing will likely be televised live on CSPAN and will also be webcast
live. The webcast
can be viewed from
http://wwwc.house.gov/international_relations/
The transcript of Rosie Malek-Yonan’s testimony will be available on the
website of the U.S.
House of Representatives, and will be made a part of public records.
Media Contact:
Monica Malek-Yonan
818-249-2242
Card. Sfeir: only
regular army should undertake Lebanon’s defence
The patriarch is in the USA to pay a visit to the Maronite community. He is set
to meet President George W. Bush and the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Beirut (AsiaNews) – Only the regular army should be responsible for Lebanon’s
defence, according to the Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir. In making this
statement, he expressed his views about one of the burning issues of Lebanese
political dialogue – the weapons of resistance movements, especially Hezbollah.
Cardinal Sfeir was speaking shortly before his departure for a pastoral trip to
the United States, during which he will meet President George W. Bush and the UN
Secretary General, Kofi Annan.
Yesterday, at the airport, he talked about the “inter-Lebanese dialogue”,
describing it as “indispensable”, saying he hoped it would be successful.
However, he added, the Lebanese people would not need this dialogue if the
country’s constitutional institutions were working as they should. Responding to
a question, he emphasised that “the regular forces defending the country and the
resistance are, right now, an accomplished fact. But the dialogue needs to be
oriented in such a way that only the army will be responsible for the country’s
defence.”
During the 20 days of his stay in the United States, Cardinal Sfeir will visit
the American Maronite community to present – nearly a month after deliberations
closed – the conclusions of the Maronite Patriarchal Synod, the first since the
19th century and since the latest political and religious developments. In
Beirut, however, observers have underlined a political side to the trip;
although this is not the Patriarch’s first visit to the US, it is of particular
significance because it is his first since Lebanon’s liberation from the Syrian
army. This was an event which, according to diplomatic sources in Lebanon, was
the fruit of moves by Cardinal Sfeir and promises made to him by President Bush
during a visit to the US in 2003, when the patriarch insisted on the role
Washington could play in restoring full sovereignty to Lebanon.
The patriarch will be accompanied for the present trip by his “political right
hand”, the Maronite archbishop of Antelias, Mgr Youssef Bechara, who was the
moderator of meetings with Kornet Chehwan, which contributed in no small way to
developments in the political situation, seeing that it was born after a famous
statement issued by the Maronite bishops in 2002. This statement maintained “the
necessity of freeing Lebanon of Syrian occupation, because the presence of the
Syrian army has destroyed the social peace and financial stability that Lebanon
used to enjoy.” Mgr Youssef Bechara was also appointed by Patriarch Sfeir to be
the general secretary of the last sitting of the synod, and he is also
considered by many to be Sfeir’s most likely successor.
The patriarch’s schedule in the US includes meetings with the Maronite community
in the United States, where the Maronite hierarchy is represented by two
bishops, one in New York and the other in Los Angeles (Mgr Robert Chahine and
Mgr Gregori Mansour), to present the works of the Synod, especially the chapter
dedicated to the importance of the Maronite diaspora. There has also been
mention of the patriarch’s desire to create a lobby capable of helping Maronites
in Lebanon to remain in the land of their fathers.
Mubarak demands Hamas be expelled from Syria
Friday , 30 June 2006
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak demanded from his Syrian counterpart Bashar
Assad to deport the Syrian-based Hamas leadership unless it agrees to release
kidnapped IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit, Palestinian sources said on Friday. The
demand was made in the context of a compromise that Egypt was attempting to
draft between the Israel and Hamas, whose Damascus leader, Khaled Mashaal was
demanding that thousands of Palestinian detainees, held in Israeli prisons, be
released. Mubarak warned Mashaal that his position was leading the Palestinians
to disaster, Israel Radio reported.
According to the Palestinians, the Egyptian compromise calls for the withdrawal
of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, as well as the release of prisoners who
were already scheduled to be released within the next year.
Meanwhile, Mubarak stated in an interview to Egypt's leading pro-government
newspaper, Al-Ahram that Shalit's kidnappers have agreed to his conditional
release, but Israel has not yet accepted their terms.
Mubarak said, "Egyptian contacts with several Hamas leaders resulted in
preliminary, positive results in the form of a conditional agreement to hand
over the Israeli soldier as soon as possible to avoid an escalation.
The president said he had asked Prime Minister Ehud Olmert "not to hurry" the
military offensive in Gaza, but to "give additional time to find a peaceful
solution to the problem of the kidnapped soldier."
Egyptian Intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, was expected to go to Gaza on Friday,
as Mubarak's representative, to advance the compromise. He was also scheduled to
travel to Syria to meet Mashaal.
MK Ephraim Sneh (Labor) dismissed the Egyptian initiative, saying "a diplomatic
option is when someone brings about the unilateral, unconditional release of the
kidnapped [soldier], not when someone serves as a mediator between us and the
Hamas head in Gaza," Army Radio reported.
Sources in Jerusalem stated that they had not yet received the details of the
compromise. Moreover, the Prime Minister's Office insisted that it was not
negotiating for Shalit's release.
Israel suspended on Thursday a planned ground invasion of northern Gaza, giving
diplomacy another chance to free Shalit, whom terrorists linked to Hamas
kidnapped Sunday from an Israeli camp near Gaza.
Mubarak's remark implied he was claiming a role in Israel's decision.
In Jerusalem, a senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official, Gideon Meir, said
Israel did not know of such an offer.
Reached just after midnight on Friday morning, Meir told The Associated Press
that Israel would have no comment until daybreak. "In general Israel's stance
is, as the prime minister said earlier, that the soldier will only be released
unconditionally and there will be no negotiations with a gang of terrorists and
criminals who abducted a soldier from Israeli territory," Meir said.Jerusalem
Post
Attack on composer may have been attempted kidnapping
- report
Friday, June 30, 2006 -Daily Star
BEIRUT: An attack on Osama Rahbani, a prominent Lebanese music composer, that
was initially reported on Wednesday as auto-theft may have been intended as a
kidnapping, according to An-Nahar newspaper. An-Nahar said Thursday that gunmen
posed as police investigators and attempted to abduct Rahbani while stealing his
car in a residential suburb north of Beirut on Wednesday. Rahbani said that as
he was parking his car near his home in Antelias on Wednesday at dawn, a vehicle
pulled up behind him and the driver flashed his lights at him. "I thought it was
a car from the neighborhood," said Rahbani, adding that he then pulled into his
parking space.He said the car appeared to be driving away when a man carrying an
AK-47 assault rifle jumped out of the vehicle and shouted: "We're intelligence
and investigation [officers]. Come with us." Another man carrying a handgun also
stepped out of the car, Rahbani added.When he resisted, Rahbani was told: "Keep
you mouth shut and come with us. We are investigators." As the assailants were
dragging the composer into their car, a loud argument broke out between them.
"One of them was more agitated than the other," said Rahbani, who then saw one
of the men jump into his Nissan Infinity four-wheeler and drive off. The other
assailant followed him in the vehicle they were driving, he added.
Rahbani said he did not know whether the gunmen, who had Lebanese accents,
intended to rob him, kidnap him or simply threaten him. Rahbani said he decided
to hire his own bodyguard to protect him as security forces seem unable to do
their job. - With Naharnet
Sfeir chastises Franjieh for going after bishop
By Maroun Khoury -Daily Star correspondent
Friday, June 30, 2006
BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir responded on Thursday to what
he described as former Minister Suleiman Franjieh's "misplaced" verbal attack on
a bishop. Sfeir said he regretted Franjieh's comments and wished the former MP
had not made them. "We know that ... Franjieh is the son of the Maronite Church
and a citizen of Zghorta, and that he is concerned about the Maronite Church,
its children and its respect, so when he attacks a bishop I believe the attack
is misplaced," Sfeir said. The prelate's response came ahead of his departure on
a visit to the United States expected to last at least 20 days. During his visit
Sfeir is expected to participate in a commemoration of the Maronite Church's
founding in the US 40 years ago.
While the patriarch noted the importance of resolving the issue before it
escalated, he stated unequivocally that "a bishop must be respected."On
Wednesday, Franjieh accused Bishop Youssef Beshara of having sided with MP Saad
Hariri, the leader of the parliamentary majority. The staunchly pro-Syrian
Franjieh alleged that Beshara, the secretary general of the Maronite Bishops
Council, had caused many of the Christian community's woes.
"Bishop Youssef Beshara is a big problem in Bkirki," Franjieh said, accusing the
bishop of having misled Sfeir.
Franjieh took pains to assert his respect for the patriarch despite their
political differences.
Franjieh's attack was triggered by comments Beshara made Saturday during an
interview with Voice of Lebanon radio station. During the interview, Beshara
suggested support for the French government's reported role in arranging a
boycott of President Emile Lahoud at September's Francophone Summit in Romania.
Nassib Lahoud, leader of the Democratic Renewal Movement, was outraged by
Franjieh's comments. He slammed the criticism of Beshara as "totally
unacceptable because it sought to defame one of the stalwarts of the Maronite
Church and a leading national figure." "Although former Minister Franjieh is
free to change his options and political alliances, he does not have the right
to attack symbols of the Maronite Church or the right to address Patriarch Sfeir
with such words," he added. "Patriarch Sfeir - who enjoys ... wisdom, pride and
is the national conscience - leads but is not led, and orders but is not ordered
around, and all Lebanese and Arab and international leaders are unanimous on
that."
Former MP Camille Ziade was equally inspired in his defense of Beshara.
"In addition to his responsibilities and pastoral achievements in the Antelias
Bishopric and his responsibilities in the Qornet Shehwan Gathering ... Beshara
led the patriarchal community to safety's shores and laid the foundations of the
Antiochian Maronite Church's spiritual renewal track, all with the approval of
the patriarch, children of the church, Lebanese and observers," he said.
Franjieh's Marada Party released a statement denying that he had attacked Sfeir.
"All Lebanese heard Franjieh's statement, which was reported accurately and
objectively by all media, except those owned by Hariri," the statement said.
"Therefore we do not find the confused response made by MP Nassib Lahoud odd
because he only reads, listens and is influenced by these media."
Hezbollah Member Captured by Nevsehir Police
By Cihan News Agency -Published: Thursday, June 29, 2006 -zaman.com
The Nevsehir police carried out the operation after they received intelligence
that wanted Hizbullah member Mahmut Tunc had arrived in the city looking for
work. Tunc was detained at a construction site at the Municipal Cultural Center.
The detainee, who had previously received a 3-year sentence for "aiding and
abetting a terrorist organization," was brought before the court on Thursday
after being interrogated by police. Last Friday an Istanbul court ordered the
arrests of seven detainees due to their suspected ties to the Hezbollah terror
organization. In March of this year, Turkey's Higher Board for Anti-Terrorism
warned the country's security forces that the radical terrorist organization
Hezbollah was again gaining strength, following a period when it had been
seriously weakened by state counter-terrorism action. Turkish security
authorities tackled and dismantled the Hezbollah - no relation to the Lebanese
organization - in the late 1990s after its involvement in a series of
assassinations, horrific tortures and killings came to light. For further
information please visit
http://www.cihannews.com
Aoun, Nasrallah hold talks on need to maintain
national dialogue
Daily Star staff-Friday, June 30, 2006
BEIRUT: MP Michel Aoun and Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah held a closed
meeting after the dialogue session during which they discussed a political
gathering to be held Friday at UNESCO.
The Free Patriotic Movement has invited former Premier Salim Hoss and Nasrallah
to the gathering scheduled to be held Friday at the UNESCO Palace and described
by FPM official Gebran Bassil as an attempt to "unite all reformist forces
facing the prevailing corruption.""No Lebanese party should monopolize the
reform process and no Lebanese party can break the monopoly of the process
alone," Bassil said after talks later in the day with Nasrallah.
"This is an opportunity for all reformists who believe in true change and in the
project of a state of law to unite and face all projects of corruption and
hegemony which led us this year to a deadlock," he added.
According to sources close to the issue, the meeting between Aoun and Nasrallah
focused on the dialogue and the need to maintain it. They said Aoun stressed his
dedication to the dialogue, but also added he doesn't believe it should continue
in this manner because it "is causing serious stagnation in the country,
especially on the economic front."
The sources added Nasrallah advised "the formation of a new, national unity
government."
Aoun said after the meeting he would only visit Damascus if entrusted by
Parliament or the dialogue conference to do so.
Asked whether he still believed the national dialogue had reached an impasse,
Aoun said he believed so, because the dialogue agreements have not been
implemented yet. Asked about claims that he defended Syria in some of his
statements, The FPM leader said: "Let them bring forward one statement proving
that I did so." - The Daily Star
Israel braces for Hizbullah riposte along border
Offensive in gaza has drawn scorn, but not shells - yet
By Leila Hatoum -Daily Star staff
Friday, June 30, 2006
BEIRUT: Israel mobilized its troops along the UN demarcated Blue Line with
Lebanon early Thursday after having gone on high alert the night before over
fears of a potential attack from Hizbullah. A Hizbullah official speaking on
condition of anonymity told The Daily Star it was "not the first time" Israel
took such measures after launching attacks against the Palestinians or an Arab
state.An Israeli Army spokesperson said the state was "bracing for any strikes"
by Hizbullah amid international concerns that any escalation in violence in the
Gaza Strip could spread throughout the region.
Unconfirmed reports said Thursday that gunfire was heard in Israeli waters near
the border late Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a wave of disgust engulfed Lebanon on Thursday as news spread of
Israel's increasing military offensive in the Gaza Strip.Israeli forces widened
their assault on Thursday, seizing eight Cabinet members and 23 MPs and
destroying civilian infrastructure in a search for a soldier abducted by
Palestinian militants during a raid on Sunday.
Hamas' military wing said it had carried out the raid in cooperation with two
other groups.
Speaker Nabih Berri, the head of the Arab Parliamentary Committee, sent letters
denouncing Israel's actions to the International Parliament League and the
Francophone Parliamentary Committee.
Berri called upon the international bodies "to move fast and pressure the
Israeli government to cease its open war against the Palestinian people and to
free the Palestinian speaker, MPs and ministers."
"The continuous Israeli aggressions represent the highest level of state
terrorism, which extended to breaching Syria's aerial sovereignty with the
Israeli overflights," he added, calling upon the international community "to
take responsibility for what is taking place."Four Israeli warplanes buzzed
Syrian President Bashar Assad's Latakkia home early Wednesday, in what was seen
as a warning to the president to exercise its influence over the Damascus-based
Hamas leadership.
Osama Hamdan, the Hamas representative in Lebanon, said Wednesday that his group
and Syria "will not be intimidated by Israeli warplanes."
Sultan Abu al-Aynain, the Fatah representative in Lebanon, warned Israel
Thursday against further "fire and rockets," saying that "millions of
Palestinians around the globe will not stand still while Israel carries out its
aggression against our people."
"Let everyone know that Fatah, Hamas and all the Palestinian factions stand
united against our common enemy, Israel," he added. Foreign Minister Fawzi
Salloukh called on the international community to "take immediate action to stop
the massacre being committed by Israel" against the Palestinians.
There have been no reported deaths from Israel's military incursions, but many
fear the worst may still be yet to come.
"The whole world becomes enraged over one abducted Israeli soldier who probably
would have killed Palestinian children and the elderly," said Palestinian
refugee Fawziya Ali. "Meanwhile the international community stands still when
9,000 Palestinians are detained in Israel's prisons. Where is the justice in
that?" - With agencies
Syria vows to defend itself after Israeli overflight
Jerusalem, June 30: Syria vowed yesterday to defend itself after Israel
threatened to kill Hamas militants based in Damascus and flew warplanes over a
Syrian Presidential palace. Israel, meanwhile, was on high alert for possible
retaliation.
Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Naji Otri said his country was ready to defend
itself against the Jewish state.
"Syria is capable of defending itself against any aggression," Otri told
reporters, slamming yesterday's overflight during which Damascus said its
anti-aircraft gunners opened fire as an "act of piracy". He expressed "surprise
at the silence of the international community toward all these Israeli acts and
daily aggressions ... This is the result of the weakness of the Arabs." The
Israeli Army said it was bracing for any strikes Bythe Syrian-backed Hezbollah,
amid international concerns that the escalating crisis between Israel and the
Palestinians could spread across the region.
"This measure has been taken due to concerns that the Lebanese Shiite militia
Hezbollah or other organisations will try to trigger an escalation of
hostilities by launching border attacks," an Army spokeswoman said.
Israel Army units were placed on alert along the northern border to "be prepared
to face any likely scenario", she said.
Hezbollah, also backed by Syria's main regional ally Iran, has carried out
several deadly attacks along the Israeli-Lebanese border since Israel withdrew
its troops from southern Lebanon in 2000. Bureau Report
'Lebanon should be ashamed:' Child labor refuses to go
away
Conference hears details of disturbing survey
By Iman Azzi -Special to The Daily Star
Friday, June 30, 2006
BEIRUT: Child labor is on the rise in Lebanon, and the government's enforcement
of compulsory education until the age of 12 is almost never enforced,
participants at a conference in Beirut were told Thursday. "Lebanon should be
ashamed," said Liesbeth Zonneveld, director of Alternatives to Combat
Exploitative Child Labor through Education and Sustainable Service in the Middle
East and North Africa (ACCESS-MENA). "I am shocked that this is such a diverse
society and this is something they tolerate." Although Lebanon mandates free and
compulsory education until the age of 12, Zonneveld said it was rarely enforced
or even checked. Zonneveld made the remarks during a conference held by
ACCESS-MENA and the Rene Mouawad Foundation at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
"We want to raise awareness ... so the Lebanese people will say: 'We will not
tolerate this,'" Zonneveld explained.
As declared by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a child is any
person under the age of 18. Lebanon ratified the convention in 1991.
According to a 2000 survey, 11.35 percent of Lebanese children age 10-18 work.
In Lebanon, most child labor is within the agricultural sector. Girls often end
up in domestic work and a small minority are forced into prostitution.
ACCESS-MENA works in five of the poorest regions of Lebanon: Nabatieh, Bourj
Hammoud, Sin al-Fil, Akkar and Tripoli - specifically Bab al-Tebbaneh, where
over 2,000 children work. The group tries to encourage children to stay in or
return to school, and also educates parents and trains teachers.
"Nobody says: 'It's OK that my child is working,'" said Fady Yarak, executive
director of the Rene Mouawad Foundation. "They say: 'He's not successful in
school, so this is the alternative.'
"Many parents of working children are under-educated or illiterate themselves,"
he explained. He added, however, that "there is no excuse. The idea is
education. Education is the solution."
Established in 2004, ACCESS-MENA works to eradicate exploitative child labor in
the MENA region. Community, Habitat and Finance International heads the team and
is partnered with the Rene Mouawad Foundation in Lebanon, the Charitable Society
for Social Welfare in Yemen, AMIDEAST and KidzOnline. The four-year project is
funded by the United States Department of Labor.
Although ACCESS-MENA puts the focus on education, it also believes that a
sustainable solution depends on a successful advocacy campaign that leads to
state intervention. With the launch of its detailed Web site,
www.accessmena.net, ACCESS-MENA hopes to spread its cause throughout Lebanon and
the region.
The Big Show
by Anisa Abd el Fattah
(Thursday June 29 2006)
"Are we only worried about Muslim terrorism, or are we only out to persecute
Muslims? Is only Islamic terrorism to be feared, or is it that we were only out
to vilify Islam? Is the war on terrorism against terrorism, or only against
Islam? The world is a witness." In Islam we have a story about Satan and the day
that God revealed to all the other created beings and entities the real content
of Satan’s deceiving heart, and his plan to ruin Adam, and God’s creation. God
convened the created beings in heaven, and commanded the angels to bow down to
Adam, yet Satan refused. When God asked Satan, “Why did you refuse the command?”
Satan answered, “Because I am better than him. You created him from mud, yet I
was created from fire.” In other words, Satan felt that he was better than Adam
because he believed that God had created him from superior stuff. Satan was the
first racist, an inferior entity that thought he was superior to all others
because he had decided arbitrarily, that fire was better than clay, much like
many people today, those who have decided that Israel is better than Palestine,
and that what ever Israel does is right, and what ever the Palestinians do is
wrong, even if Israel is breaking the law, and Palestine is not. It didn’t take
God very long to disabuse Satan of his wrong ideas. God granted him a period of
respite until the day of Judgment, a period wherein he, Satan is allowed to test
Adam’s progeny, God allowing each individual to determine upon his or her own,
whether or not to obey God, or to follow Satan in his rebellion, and to disobey
God, and there is no middle ground. According to the Qur’an, once Satan had
disobeyed God, and pronounced his delusional supremacy over all other creation,
God condemned Satan to hell with no hope of redemption. When asked why God went
through all the trouble to convene this audience, to stage a big show, to issue
the command, and to allow Satan to disobey, to be questioned and allowed to
answer, most scholars have offered this simple explanation, “there must be
witnessing before there can be judgment.” God introduced us to the idea of a due
process before anyone can be convicted of a crime and sentenced to a penalty.
Satan was condemned to hell based upon his own voluntary behavior. He was
allowed to act out the content of his heart before all of heaven, witnesses to
his disobedience, and his arrogance and racism, and his testimony. There was no
longer anyway for Satan to hide his real intent, his disdain for God’s creation,
including God’s laws, his hatred of mankind, and his desire to dominate, and to
usurp God’s authority.
Of course God knew all along what was in Satan’s heart. The created entities did
not know previous to the big show. God knew that Satan was a supremacist, that
he hated and envied Adam, and that Satan had hoped to subvert all of heaven,
misleading them to worship him instead of God. God knew that Satan had decided
that he would seek to institute his own standards of justice, his own law, and
his own rules, all counter to what God had already created, and instituted and
deemed “good,” and “blessed.” God knew that Satan is a renegade and a liar, and
most importantly, God knew that Satan was not capable of doing any of these
things he plotted, yet God also knew that if Satan was left unchallenged and
unexposed, Satan would destroy the world in his arrogant attempt to be God. If
God had simply said these things, Satan, who is an arrogant liar, and
propagandist, would have cried in heaven, that he only wanted peace, and that he
could find no partner, and so instead he must break the law, kill, and plunder
and spoil. Satan would have said, that whatever went wrong in heaven was all
Adam’s fault, perhaps hoping to turn God and all of heaven against Adam, while
secretly he was working, not only to destroy Adam, but to dominate all of the
creation, because in his diseased mind and heart, he believed that because he
was made of fire, that he could be God.
Today, we are all witnesses, and part of God’s due process. God has convened the
world, and turned all of our eyes towards Palestine, and allowed each side to
act out the content of its heart. We witnessed the US, EU and Israeli demands
that Palestine embroil itself in a democratic process while yet suffering under
the oppression of a brutal and illegal Israeli military occupation. They claimed
that they wanted an election, that the Palestinian people should choose their
own representatives, yet when the desired party wasn’t elected, they all
conspired to undermine the election result, and to throw Palestine into chaos,
because Israel did not get the “peace partner” it wanted. One that would pick up
where the intifada had started, with the failed Oslo plan that had given Israel
every advantage, and that had left the Palestinians with a series of isolated
Bantustans to call Palestine, surrounded and separated, one from the other by
roads that can only be used by Israelis, a plan that denied Palestinians a right
to return to Palestine, even though they claimed that Palestine would become a
sovereign state, managing its own internal affairs. The Palestinian people
didn’t choose to continue with the failed processes of the past, the greed and
the corruption of the past. Did we naively imagine that Hamas, which is
described as the Islamic party in Palestine would be welcomed by the US, EU and
Israel, to govern Palestine while these same parties, have undertaken an
international war against Islam? Or was God setting the stage for the big show?
The proof of this is also ever more obvious. The big show in Florida was proof
of this. Five men were arrested for plotting acts of terrorism similar to 9/11
against the US. When it was believed that these men were Muslims, the media was
giving us the big show. When it was discovered that in fact they were Zionists,
no more media show. What does it imply? Are we only worried about Muslim
terrorism, or are we only out to persecute Muslims? Is only Islamic terrorism to
be feared, or is it that we were only out to vilify Islam? Is the war on
terrorism against terrorism, or only against Islam? The world is a witness.
Now Israel has illegally re-entered Gaza militarily. They have cut off the
electricity, and the water. This after months of denying the Palestinians
humanitarian aide, and food and health care, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis
as punishment because the Palestinian people elected Hamas to lead and to
govern, and not Fatah. This is exactly the same thing that Israel did to Lebanon
when it withdrew unilaterally without a peace treaty with Lebanon following
years of illegal Israeli occupation in South Lebanon, and Israel has continued
its illegal military attacks on South Lebanon, and the world says nothing. Even
though the Western media sought to portray Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza as an
act of benevolence on the part of Israel, and an act that was necessary due to
the fact that Israel had no “peace partner” in Palestine with which to negotiate
an equitable peace, we all knew that Israel was merely moving its Jewish
population out of the line of fire, and that it had planned all along to
re-enter Gaza under any pretense it could find to finish its destruction, begun
shortly after the inception of the second intifada, which was provoked by Ariel
Sharon, and the West Bank massacre in Jenin. The world is a witness. We are
witnesses to the actions of Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah movement that splintered
the Palestinian people, and that created an opening and justification for
Israel’s reentry. The world is a witness.
Now God is asking each one of us to choose, whom to follow. Will we uphold God’s
laws? Will we continue to allow Israel to kill at will, to violate every
relevant international law and UN resolution without being called to account?
How long will we continue to justify Israel’s illegal occupation, its wanton
murder and destruction and its lies, and claims that it is only seeking peace as
it works relentlessly to throw the Muslim world into utter chaos and to
instigate a world war? Will we allow Israel to obliterate all the standards of
humanitarianism, to undermine all the international laws and institutions, to
diminish the United States and our standing in the world as a just society, and
a society that is ruled by law, and that upholds the truth that all of mankind
is equal and endowed by God with unalienable rights, which include life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness?
We are all a part of God’s due process, and if the Holy Scripture is right,
God’s judgment, and relief cannot be far behind.
Source:by courtesy & © 2006 Anisa Abd el Fattah
The government is losing its reason
By Haaretz Editorial
Bombing bridges that can be circumvented both by car and on foot; seizing an
airport that has been in ruins for years; destroying a power station, plunging
large parts of the Gaza Strip into darkness; distributing flyers suggesting that
people be concerned about their fate; a menacing flight over Bashar Assad's
palace; and arresting elected Hamas officials: The government wishes to convince
us that all these actions are intended only to release the soldier Gilad Shalit.
But the greater the government's creativity in inventing tactics, the more it
seems to reflect a loss of direction rather than an overall conception based on
reason and common sense. On the face of it, Israel wishes to exert increasing
pressure both on Hamas' political leadership and on the Palestinian public, in
order to induce it to pressure its leadership to release the soldier. At the
same time, the government claims that Syria - or at least Khaled Meshal, who is
living in Syria - holds the key. If so, what is the point of pressuring the
local Palestinian leadership, which did not know of the planned attack and
which, when it found out, demanded that the kidnappers take good care of their
victim and return him?
The tactic of pressuring civilians has been tried before, and more than once.
The Lebanese, for example, are very familiar with the Israeli tactic of
destroying power stations and infrastructure. Entire villages in south Lebanon
have been terrorized, with the inhabitants fleeing in their thousands for
Beirut. But what also happens under such extreme stress is that local divisions
evaporate and a strong, united leadership is forged.
In the end, Israel was forced both to negotiate with Hezbollah and to withdraw
from Lebanon. Now, the government appears to be airing out its Lebanon catalogue
of tactics and implementing it, as though nothing has been learned since then.
One may assume that the results will be similar this time around as well.
Israel also kidnapped people from Lebanon to serve as bargaining chips in
dealings with the kidnappers of Israeli soldiers. Now, it is trying out this
tactic on Hamas politicians. As the prime minister said in a closed meeting:
"They want prisoners released? We'll release these detainees in exchange for
Shalit." By "these detainees," he was referring to elected Hamas officials. The
prime minister is a graduate of a movement whose leaders were once exiled, only
to return with their heads held high and in a stronger position than when they
were deported. But he believes that with the Palestinians, things work
differently.
As one who knows that all the Hamas activists deported by Yitzhak Rabin returned
to leadership and command positions in the organization, Olmert should know that
arresting leaders only strengthens them and their supporters. But this is not
merely faulty reasoning; arresting people to use as bargaining chips is the act
of a gang, not of a state.
The government was caught up too quickly in a whirlwind of prestige mixed with
fatigue. It must return to its senses at once, be satisfied with the threats it
has made, free the detained Hamas politicians and open negotiations. The issue
is a soldier who must be brought home, not changing the face of the Middle East.
Review of the Arab press
AMMAN, Jordan, June 29 (UPI) -- Arab press roundup for June 29:
The London-based al-Quds al-Arabi said in a front-page commentary Thursday that
Israel was expected to carry out new massacres against the Palestinians in Gaza
when the White House says Israel has the right to defend itself and when Israeli
war planes fly above the Syrian president's palace. The independent
Palestinian-owned daily complained the U.S. administration has clearly set aside
international laws and deviated from the morals of the American founding fathers
by supporting Israel's aggression. It asked whether it was worth destroying the
only electric power plant in Gaza and massing thousands of military equipment
and personnel to launch an attack to save a kidnapped Israeli soldier. "Israel
would have the right to defend itself if it was a tame lamb that is really
facing aggression from a powerful nation," the paper said, "but it kills,
kidnaps, starves and endlessly humiliates the Palestinians without a single word
of protest for fear of upsetting the Americans." It complained that many
American, British and French troops and civilians were kidnapped in Iraq and
Afghanistan and other places, "but we did not see such a commotion as this one
over the Israeli soldier."
Jordan's ad-Dustour warned in its editorial against a new Israeli raid of Gaza
and more killing and destruction under the pretext of rescuing an Israeli
soldier kidnapped by Palestinian fighters this week. The mass-circulation daily
said if the Israeli military assault is brutal and fierce against the
Palestinian people, the political aggression by the international community, led
by the United States, is even worse when thousands of Palestinians are held
prisoners in Israel. It added the international political and media campaigns
over the kidnapping of the Israeli soldier gave Israel the political cover to
wage a war against the Palestinians. The paper, which describes itself as
independent but is partially owned by the government, said the international
position that asked the Palestinians to exercise self-restraint after the
"filthy crime committed by the Israeli army in killing an entire peaceful
family" is pushing Israel to retaliate relentlessly to the kidnapping of its
soldier. "Israel's aggression and crimes don't take place out of a vacuum," the
paper insisted, "but are an imminent result of a global public opinion that is
biased and gives an official cover for killing and destruction under the pretext
of self-defense."
Oman's al-Watan commented that Israel will not stop its aggression on the
Palestinians even if they handed over the soldier unharmed because "this has
been its approach since the establishment of this (Jewish) state." The
pro-government daily speculated the kidnapping of the soldier brought to the
minds of Israeli leaders the methods used by Lebanon's Hezbollah guerilla group
during its resistance against Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon. It assumed
that Hezbollah's "infections" is the problem and guessed Israel might target the
Lebanese Shiite group to stop its influence. "Some Palestinian leaders in
Lebanon expect that Israel will launch a surprise attack against a Hezbollah
base," it said, adding the repercussions of such a move would be devastating for
Israel. It opined that if the Jewish state used all its military might against
the Palestinian people in search of its soldier, it will only be disappointed.
Lebanon's as-Safir said the developments in Gaza are indirectly linked to the
Lebanese national dialogue, which resumes Thursday to discuss the so-called
"defense strategy," or the fate of Hezbollah's weapons. The independent daily
said the Palestinian fighters' resistance and success in kidnapping an Israeli
soldier from inside his tank was a Hezbollah ambition and "substance of its plan
in retrieving Lebanese prisoners from Israeli jails." It predicted the debate
over the "defense strategy" might not be discussed Thursday by Lebanese
political leaders because of the similarity between the Lebanese and Palestinian
situations, although both are separate issues despite the same enemy. "Hezbollah
has the right and duty to regard the confrontation in Gaza as consolidating its
credibility" on its strategic defense position and to adopt it (resistance) as
its only national option to protect Lebanon, it argued. The mass-circulation
daily said the organization also has the right to express solidarity with the
Palestinian resistance "and even join the open Palestinian front that requires
mobilization on the southern Lebanese borders" with Israel. It said other
Lebanese politicians, on the other hand, have the right to ask Hezbollah if this
strategy is indeed the only option to defend Lebanon, or if there are other
choices that would be less costly and dangerous than the price the Palestinians
are paying.
Kuwait's al-Rai al-Aam commented on the legislative elections being held in
Kuwait Thursday, saying it was not enough to seek a strong parliament, but also
a strong government. "By strong, we don't mean the ability to create political
crises or a spirit of challenges between the two authorities," the
pro-government paper said, "but on a government with clear plans and working
agenda" to draw up the future of Kuwait. It said that election day is the "day
to draw up the future of Kuwait and its political face for the next four years."
The daily insisted that despite everything that has happened in the campaign
battles and the political crisis that led to the early elections, "we must be
optimistic and to give positive lessons to the rest of the world on the meaning
of nationalism."
Cabinet unites around call for end to Israeli attack in
Gaza
Lahoud asks moussa, solana to help increase pressure
By Nafez Qawas -Daily Star correspondent
Friday, June 30, 2006
BEIRUT: President Emile Lahoud said Thursday that Lebanon should ask the United
Nations Security Council to meet before Israel's assault on Gaza Strip spiraled
out of control. "The most important event in the political arena is what is
going on in the Gaza Strip," Lahoud said. Speaking during the Cabinet's weekly
session, which was held at the Social and Economic Council in Downtown Beirut,
Lahoud described the Israeli invasion of Gaza as "a violation of humanitarian
values."
"The government should have taken an initiative along with the Arab countries to
halt Israel's attacks," he added.
Lahoud also said that he has contacted Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa,
who will return "soon" to Cairo from the United States to prepare for a meeting
of Arab foreign ministers to discuss ways to have the Security Council tackle
the situation in Gaza.
"I also contacted [European Union foreign policy chief] Javier Solana and
discussed the issue with him," Lahoud said. "I intend to call UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan as well."
Lahoud also addressed the issue of solid waste, stressing the need to implement
the decisions reached by Wednesday's extraordinary Cabinet session "as soon as
possible."Cabinet called for an "international, Arab and Islamic move" to
support the Palestinian people and reject "Israel's terrorist strategy."
The session was held in the absence of Defense Minister Elias Murr,
Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamade, Justice Minister Charles Rizk,
Economy Minister Sami Haddad and Tourism Minister Joe Sarkis.
Following the session, Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said Cabinet decided to
assign a delegation including Health Minister Mohammad Khalifeh and Finance
Minister Jihad Azour to determine the debts owed to hospitals from 2001 to 2004.
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora told reporters that "the session, like Wednesday's
meeting, was very productive."
Siniora also said that he supported Arab and international calls to discuss the
situation in the Gaza Strip, denouncing the Israeli attacks.Regarding relations
with Syria, the premier denied that Speaker Nabih Berri had returned from a trip
to Damascus on Wednesday with an invitation for Siniora. "An official invitation
is required," he said. "Getting a summons from Damascus, or vice-versa, are
words that should not be used between two brotherly peoples." Asked about Syrian
demands that Lebanese politicians apologize for accusations leveled against
Damascus, Siniora was unequivocal.
"We do not have to apologize for anything," he said. "Let us get rid of this
nonsense." Speaking to reporters upon his arrival, Lahoud was asked his opinion
about the resumption of the national dialogue and the participants' commitment
to the code of honor.
"Did they abide by the code of honor?" he asked.
"Read today's newspapers," he added.
Abduction As A Weapon -A timeline of kidnappings.
Steve Lipman
As far back as the Munich Olympics of 1972, Palestinian terrorists and their
supporters have used kidnapping as a political tool, abducting Israeli civilians
and soldiers to be used in potential prisoner swaps and to obtain other
concessions from Israel. Following is a chronology of prominent Israeli
kidnappings and MIA cases:
1972: Members of the Black September terrorist group sneak into the Olympic
Village in Munich and take 11 members of the Israeli delegation hostage. All 11
are killed.
1979: An Israeli soldier who was captured the previous year when he accidentally
entered an area of southern Lebanon controlled by the PLO is exchanged for 76
terrorists.
1982: Three Israeli soldiers disappear in the Battle of Sultan Yakoub at the
start of the War in Lebanon. Despite decades of rumors about their fate and
alleged behind-the-scenes negotiations, Zvi Feldman, Zachary Baumel and Yehuda
Katz are still considered missing in action.
1985: Israel trades 1,150 Palestinian prisoners for three soldiers captured in
Lebanon and held by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General
Command.
1986: Ron Arad, a navigator in the Israeli air force, is shot down over Lebanon
and captured. Frequent reports – but no definitive evidence that he is still
alive – about his subsequent fate surface. He is believed in the hands of the
Lebanese Shi’ite organization Amal.
1989: Hamas kidnaps and murders two Israeli soldiers, Avi Sasportas and Ilan
Sa’adon
1994: Nachshon Wachsman, an Israeli soldier, is kidnapped by Hamas terrorists.
He is killed during an unsuccessful IDF rescue mission.
1992: A hitchhiking Israeli soldier is kidnapped and murdered by members of the
Izz al-Din al-Qassam squad.
1996: Hamas kidnaps and murders a hitchhiking Israeli soldier, Sharon Edri.
2001: A 16-year-old high school student is lured to the Ramallah area by a woman
in Fatah, who had met the Israeli on the Internet and lured him to the West
Bank. The teen is kidnapped and killed.
Two Tel Aviv restaurant owners are abducted and killed near Tulkarem, a West
Bank city under Israeli control.
2002: Israel reveals a Hezbollah plot to kidnap Israelis in Europe or at the
Lebanese border.
Two Israeli reservists accidentally drive into Ramallah, where they are captured
and lynched. A camera crew captures images of the murderers holding up bloody
hands.
2002: Hezbollah gunmen kidnap three Israeli soldiers, Benny Avraham, Adi Avitan
and Omar Souad from the area on the Lebanese border known as Shabaa Farms. The
IDF determines that the three soldiers were killed during or immediately after
their abduction.
2002: Elhanan Tannenbaum, an Israeli businessman is taken hostage under
mysterious circumstances – either in Europe or the Middle East – by Hezbollah.
He is part of an exchange in 2004, along with the bodies of three Israeli
soldiers, for 435 Arab prisoners.
2004: Hamas announces it will seize Israeli soldiers to use as bargaining chips
for the release of Palestinians in Israeli jails.
2005: A Hamas cell in Ramallah kidnaps and murders Sasson Nuriel, a worker in a
West Bank candy factory.
June 2006: Benjamin Bright-Fishbein, a Brown University student, is kidnapped by
the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade while visiting Nablus, a major West Bank city. He is
released with the intervention of the Palestinian Authority. Visiting Nablus
alone “was a mistake – a really big mistake,” Bright-Fishbein says.
Ministers warned of terrorism threat from Iran
Press Association
Thursday June 29, 2006
The intelligence agencies have warned ministers that Iran could launch terrorist
attacks against British targets if the row over its controversial nuclear
programme escalates, it was disclosed today.
The parliamentary intelligence and security committee - which oversees the work
of the agencies - said the possibility of Iranian state-sponsored terrorism was
now considered one of the main threats facing the UK.
"There is increasing international tension over Iran's nuclear programme and
backing of groups such as Lebanese Hezbollah," the committee said in its annual
report. "There is a possibility of an increased threat to UK interests from
Iranian state-sponsored terrorism should the diplomatic situation deteriorate."
Ministers have previously claimed that sophisticated roadside bombs used in a
series of deadly attacks on British troops in Iraq have been supplied through
Iran, although they have not blamed the regime directly.
The committee - which is made up of senior MPs and peers - took evidence from
the heads of MI6, MI5, GCHQ and the defence intelligence staff in drawing up its
report. It said that Britain continued to face a "serious and sustained threat"
from international terrorism - most significantly from al Qaida and associated
networks.
Other security threats included the activities of dissident groups in Northern
Ireland - which continued to pose a threat in the province and on the British
mainland - and the international spread of weapons of mass destruction.
Asked about the perceived threat from Iran, Tony Blair's official spokesman
said: "I don't want to give a piecemeal response to the ISC report. I think it's
better we respond in terms of the government as a whole."
He said the cabinet this morning, at its regular weekly meeting, "reviewed the
whole counter-terrorism strategy and approach but, in terms of the particular
aspects of the ISC report, I think it's better we give our collective response".
That would probably be in about six months' time, added the spokesman. He went
on: "The terrorism threat remains very active and very real. Our commitment is
that, if there is a specific threat the public need to know about, then we will
tell them."
The report also revealed that MI5, the security service, was expanding so
rapidly in order to meet the threat of terrorism in the UK that it had outgrown
its London headquarters building. Thames House at Westminster is expected to
have exhausted its capacity by October. The committee said another building had
been found to provide additional accommodation - but its identity was censored
out on security grounds. MI5 staff numbers are now expected to grow by over 50%
over the next three years, with over half its resources now devoted to
counter-terrorism.
The committee welcomed the expansion but warned that the risks involved in
taking on large numbers of inexperienced staff would have to be carefully
managed.
"This growth carries a series of risks that the service will need to manage over
the next few years, including the need to maintain standards in operational
capability and service to customers in spite of the increased proportion of new
and inexperienced staff," it said. It said that the expansion had been
accompanied by an acceleration of MI5's regionalisation programme in the wake of
the July 7 bombings, with the opening of a number of regional stations around
the country.
The committee said that with the overall budget for the intelligence agencies
due to rise to more than Ł1.5bn, it was essential to have proper financial
controls in place. "The significant additional funding made available since 9/11
has generally been accepted as essential for building capacity across the
intelligence community to counter threats from international terrorism and to
provide an enhanced standard of coverage and assurance," it said. "Given that
this represents an unprecedented level of new funding for the agencies, it is
important, the committees view, that mechanisms are in place and functioning to
ensure that money is well spent, appropriately controlled and monitored, and
serves as a driver for increased efficiency."
''Intelligence Brief: Russia's Moves in Syria''
n early June, the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported
Moscow's decision to establish naval bases in the Syrian ports of Tartus and
Latakia. The Russian Defense Ministry officially denied the report, even though
more than one source confirmed it.
As part of the plan, the port of Tartus would be transformed into a naval base
for Russia's Black Sea Fleet when it is away from the Ukrainian port of
Sevastopol. The Russian plan involves the installation of an air defense system
with S-300PMU-2 Favorit ballistic missiles. The missiles have a range of 200
kilometers (124 miles), allow a larger warhead and are equipped with a better
guidance system than the previous version. The air defense system would be
operated by Russia for the defense of the Tartus base and would provide
potential protection for a large part of Syria. Through these initiatives, it is
clear that Russia wants to strengthen its position in the Middle East.
Russia is searching for a new role in the diplomatic balance in the Middle East
and a decision to move into Syria is a step on the path toward increasing its
influence in the region. Syria seems to be the best target for this approach
because of Damascus' heightened weakness as a result of its international
isolation that was reinforced after the U.S. intervention in Iraq and Syria's
withdrawal from Lebanon. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is searching for
allies to move the country out of isolation. This increases its incentive to
turn to Moscow, even if this relationship will not be as strong as it was during
the Cold War era. For Russia, its increasing ties with Syria provide Moscow with
added leverage in the region. [See: "Russia's Future Foreign Policy: Pragmatism
in Motion"]
During the first five years of Putin's presidency, Moscow and Damascus did not
share close relations; since the beginning of 2005, however, that situation
changed. In the last two years, Russia has built a closer relationship with
Syria. The country is an important cash-buyer of Russian arms and an interesting
partner for Russia's energy industries. Moreover, Putin is searching for a
stronger role in the Israeli-Arab peace process; Russia's February 2006 meeting
with Hamas is a clear example of this policy. Through that meeting, Russia tried
to seize the initiative from the United States and the European Union, with the
latter two's decision-making about the future of the peace process paralyzed by
Hamas' election victory. [See: "Intelligence Brief: Recognizing Hamas, Iran
Welcomes Shi'a Control in Iraq"]
The increase of Syrian strategic dependence on Russia will strengthen Moscow's
political role in the region, even if Russian arms sales to Syria risk damaging
the good relations built with Israel in recent years. Of course, stronger
Russian influence in Syria could be used by Putin in a dual way. For example, if
Russia needs to improve relations with Israel and the United States, it could
possibly compel Syria to take a softer approach toward these countries. On the
flip side, if Russia needs to increase pressure on these countries, it can use
Syria as its arm for this purpose.
When connecting these latest initiatives in Syria to Russia's good ties with
Iran, it is clear that Moscow is planning on playing a stronger role in the
political and diplomatic dynamics of the Middle East.
Another reason why Moscow wishes to preserve the Bashar government's stability
is to guarantee Russian economic contracts in the country. For example, in
December 2005 Russia and Syria signed an important agreement worth US$370
million in the gas sector. This agreement presupposes the construction of a
section of pipeline that ends in the Syrian city of Ar Rayyan, and of a gas
processing plan next to Palmyra, built by Stroitransgaz -- Russia's most
important engineering company in the oil and gas industry. The gas industry is
one of the economic sectors in which the relationship between the two countries
is growing. Commercial ties are also increasingly strong in the military and oil
sectors.
Moreover, from Russia's point of view, Bashar's good relationship with
pro-Russian Chechen groups is an important guarantee for Russian homeland
security. A Sunni fundamentalist regime in Damascus is seen as a threat for
Moscow because it will probably give financial and logistical support to
terrorist groups operating in the Chechen conflict. The need for a stable,
Bashar-led regime is also shared by Israel and the United States because the
Syrian regime could be replaced by one that is more radical and more of a threat
to U.S. and Israeli interests.
Moscow is in search of a new role in the Middle East. Russia is trying to
moderate U.S. dominance of the international system, and the Middle East is a
focal point of this strategy. Putin knows that modern-day Russia does not have
the same assets as the former Soviet Union to influence the diplomatic dynamics
of the Middle East, but he wishes to use every window of opportunity to increase
Russian power. Decisions such as helping Syria, having a more decisive role in
the Israeli-Arab peace process and playing a primary role in the Iranian nuclear
affair are steps on the path to strengthen Russia's position in the Middle East
and to increase Moscow's power to better serve its national interests.
The Power and Interest News Report (PINR) is an independent organization that
utilizes open source intelligence to provide conflict analysis services in the
context of international relations. PINR approaches a subject based upon the
powers and interests involved, leaving the moral judgments to the reader. This
report may not be reproduced, reprinted or broadcast without the written
permission of inquiries@pinr.com. All comments should be directed to content@pinr.com.
B’nai Brith calls on member states to reject
anti-Israel resolution at Human Rights Council
TORONTO, June 29, 2006 – B'nai Brith International (BBI) and B’nai Brith Canada
today jointly called on all state members of the United Nations Human Rights
Council to reject the proposed Organization of Islamic Conference resolution
singling out Israel for alleged human rights violations. The first session of
the Council is scheduled to end tomorrow, June 30. So far, Israel is the only
country singled out in a proposed resolution. The resolution calls on U.N. human
rights experts to report on "Israeli human rights violations in occupied
Palestine" and asks the Council to incorporate consideration of these
"violations" into all future Council sessions.
David Matas, Senior Legal Counsel to B'nai Brith Canada and a delegate to the
Human Rights Council session in Geneva said, "Predictably, the Jewish State is
so far the only country to be the subject of a proposed resolution whose wording
is a gratuitous attack on Israel. The authors pre-judge that Israeli violations
exist and will continue into the indefinite future, without even hearing from
the experts who are asked to report. The deficiencies of the former Commission
are again being played out, with anti-Israel rhetoric topping the agenda.”
Sybil Kessler, Director of United Nations Affairs for BBI added, “By singling
out Israel, the proposed resolution reverts to the intrinsic problems that
existed with the old Commission on Human Rights. While there has been some
indication of the Council’s potential for positive change, this prejudicial
resolution would discredit any advancement and suggest that the Council is, in
fact, different in name, but not in substance.”
-30-
French weekly Courrier International censored
Lebanon | 29.06.2006
Reporters Without Borders protested to the Lebanese government today after the
authorities tore an article about the Prophet Mohammed out of 280 copies of the
paper on arrival in Lebanon on 26 June.
“We thought these practices of censorship were a thing of the past in Lebanon,
but we were obviously wrong,” the worldwide press freedom organisation said. “We
hope the authorities will find an honourable solution to the dispute. An apology
to the paper would be welcome.”
The article, headed “Iran: the disturbing beauty of the Prophet,” was torn out
of the 24-28 June issue and said Iranian Shiites, unlike Sunni Muslims, allowed
depiction of Mohammed. It was accompanied by a photo of a young man, taken by a
Tunisian in 1905 and presented in Iran as a picture of the Prophet.
The Lebanese distributors of the paper, with interior ministry approval, tore
out the pages so as to avoid destruction of the whole issue. The ministry said
on 28 June that it had been done because the article “offended the dignity of
Islam and was likely to provoke religious tension between Muslims.”
Several journalists protested against the decision. Ziyad Makhoul, of the daily
L’Orient-Le Jour, who wrote an article about it, told Reporters Without Borders
that “if Lebanon is to progress, old habits must change.”
A violent demonstration took place in Beirut in February again the publication
of cartoons of Mohammed in the Danish paper Jyllands Posten the previous
September.
Reporters Without Borders defends imprisoned journalists and press freedom
throughout the world. It has nine national sections (Austria, Belgium, Canada,
France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland). It has representatives
in Abidjan, Bangkok, London, Moscow, New York, Tokyo and Washington. And it has
more than 120 correspondents worldwide.
© Reporters Without Borders 2006