LCCC ENGLISH
DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
September 20/07
Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 7,31-35. Then to what
shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like
children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, 'We played the
flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.'
For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said,
'He is possessed by a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you
said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and
sinners.' But wisdom is vindicated by all her children."
Opinions.
Veils, votes & values. By: Beryl Wajsman.Canada Free Press. September 19/07
Crossfire War - Diplomatic Storm After France FM Statment
Prepare ...NewsBlaze. September
19/07
Lebanon's next
options are mostly bad.By
Sarkis Naoum. September 19/07
An Unholy Alliance Denied.By: Mark D. Tooley.September
19/07
Israeli Attack on Syria Could Presage Strike on Iran.By: NewsMax.com.September
19/07
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for September 19/07-Naharnet
March 14th Antoine Ghanem
Bombed Out Of Presidential Elections-Naharnet
Ghanem's Assassination
Blamed on Syria's Assad-Naharnet
Maronite Bishops Against
Boycotting Presidential Elections-Naharnet
Saudi King Abdullah
Supports Consensus on Lebanese President-Naharnet
DON'T SELL OUT LEBANON'S HOPES.New
York Post
Lebanon seen failing to choose president next week.Reuters
Syria takes credit for Speaker Berri's initiative.Ya Libnan
Official: US tracking North Korea shipments bound for Syria.CNN
International
Syria Set Up 'Cell' to Pursue Lebanon Presidential Elections.Naharnet
Lebanon on tenterhooks for presidential vote.Khaleej
Times
Lebanon PM Siniora met Saudi King Abdullah in Jeddah.Ya
Libnan
Ban Urges Reconciliation in Lebanon.The
Associated Press
Peres: Tension with Syria receding.Jerusalem
Post
Syria voted co-chairman of UN watchdog.Jerusalem
Post
Israeli Attack on Syria Could Presage Strike on Iran.NewsMax.com
Koleitat Accused
Husband of Embezzlement-Naharnet
17 Fatah al-Islam Wives to Depart to Syria-Naharnet
China, Russia
and Hizbullah are America's Most Serious Threats-Naharnet
Russia, China warn against war with Iran.
Gulf Times
League wants serious talks, not ‘gimmicks’.Gulf
Times
Saniora for Talks with Saudi Monarch.Naharnet
Will Syria's response to Israel come via Lebanon?Ya
Libnan,
Feltman: US will not recognize renegade head of state.Daily
Star
Hezbollah slams rejection of Berri's proposal.PRESS
TV, Iran
Israeli warplanes violate Lebanese airspace.Xinhua
Ban urges Berri, Siniora to find 'mutually acceptable
solution-Daily
Star
Israelis step up airspace violations-Daily
Star
'Terror leader escaped notice for over two years-Daily
Star
Blast in Hermel kills one, wounds four-Daily
Star
Graziano decorates peacekeepers-Daily
Star
Lawmakers hesitant about committing to election-Daily
Star
Haddad says plans for privatization and reform have not
been shelved-Daily
Star
Teachers from refugee camps attend workshop-Daily
Star
Aid agencies gain access to Nahr al-Bared-Daily
Star
Word on the street: Achrafieh residents expect more
political trouble ahead-Daily
Star
Abbas under pressure to stay away from peace conference-Daily
Star
Study finds 50,000 more Iraqis displaced since July.AFP-Daily
Star
Tehran, Cairo to hold talks aimed at restoring ties.AFP-Daily
Star
Most Israelis back mystery strike on Syria - survey.AFP-Daily
Star
Phares: MP Ghanem was killed
by the "axis"
Written by CRNews
Wednesday, 19 September 2007
Walid Phares
Chapter 7 is a must
Commenting on the Terrorist act that killed Lebanese MP Antoine Ghanem and a
number of civilians today, Professor Walid Phares, director of the Future
Terrorism Project in Washington said: "As projected, this is another
assassination conducted within the campaign launched by the Syro-Iranian axis to
reduce the majority in Parliament and obstruct the election of a new President
who would represent the views of the democratic majority. Eliminating MP Ghanem
is a terror act and a war crime identical to the assassination of other Lebanese
leaders such as former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and MPS Gebran Tueni, Pierre
Gemayel and Walid Eido. This is a massacre of democracy in Lebanon, happening in
front of the eyes of the international community and should be met with
determination. For the Syrian-Iranian axis and their extensions in Lebanon
including Hezbollah, its allies, other militias and the Jihadist cells, are
directly responsible for this Terror."
Phares, who worked on UNSCR 1559 in 2004, said "it is incumbent on the Security
Council of the UN to vote a resolution to put the Presidential election under
Chapter 7 of the charter. Lebanon's borders and most areas in the country are
now unsafe and have been infiltrated by the Terrorist networks. Clearly the UN
has the obligation to intervene directly to save Lebanon's democratic process
and its citizens and elected officials from further acts of terror. UN forces
should protect the legislators, the meeting place and deploy along the Syrian
Lebanese borders. Nothing else would stop the bloodshed."
Anti-Syrian lawmaker killed in Lebanon
By SCHEHEREZADE FARAMARZI and ZEINA KARAM, Associated Press Writers
An anti-Syrian lawmaker who had just returned to Lebanon two days ago from
refuge abroad was killed Wednesday along with six other people by a bomb that
rocked a Christian neighborhood of the capital, security officials said.Antoine
Ghanem is the eighth prominent anti-Syrian figure to be assassinated since 2005.
The bombing, which the security officials said also wounded 22 people,
heightened tensions ahead of a presidential vote that already threatened to
throw the country into turmoil. Many Lebanese fear divisions over the presidency
could lead to the creation of two rival governments, a grim reminder of the last
two years of the 1975-90 civil war when army units loyal to competing
administrations battled it out. Ghanem, 64, a member of the right-wing Christian
Phalange Party, was the target of the bomb, said the officials, speaking on
condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
The Voice of Lebanon radio station, which is owned by the Phalange party,
confirmed Ghanem's death. The identities of the others killed were not
immediately known.
The bombing on a main street in the Sin el-Fil district severely damaged nearby
buildings and set several cars on fire. Blood and debris covered nearby streets.
The attack came six days before parliament was scheduled to meet to elect a new
president in a vote expected to be deeply divisive. Four of the slain lawmakers
have been from the U.S.-backed majority coalition, reducing its margin in
parliament.
"It is clear lawmakers from the (anti-Syrian) majority are being liquidated,"
Cabinet Minister Ahmed Fatfat told The Associated Press.
He blamed the Syrian regime for the assassination, adding: "It is the only
regime that does not want presidential elections in Lebanon to be held."
White House press secretary Dana Perino said it was "no coincidence" that the
attack came as Lebanon prepared to elect a new president.
"Since October 2004, there has been a pattern of political assassinations and
attempted assassinations designed to intimidate those working courageously
toward a sovereign and democratic Lebanon," said White House press secretary
Dana Perino.
"The victims of these cowardly attacks have consistently been those who publicly
sought to end Syria's interference in Lebanon's internal affairs," she said.
When pressed, Perino said she was not directly blaming Syria, but added, "As
I've said, there's been a pattern, and this would seem to fit into the pattern."
Syria condemned the attack, which it said was meant to sabotage efforts by the
Lebanese people to reach agreement.
"This criminal act aims at undermining efforts made by Syria and others to
achieve a Lebanese national accord," Syria's state-run news agency SANA quoted
an anonymous Syrian official as saying.
Former Lebanese President Amin Gemayel, who heads the Phalange Party, said
Lebanon's democracy was at stake.
"It's not anymore a question of presidential elections. It's a question of the
survival of this country and democracy in the country that's at stake for the
time being," Gemayel told CNN. The former president's son, Cabinet minister and
lawmaker Pierre Gemayel, was slain in November.
The assassinations of anti-Syrian figures began with former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri, who was killed in a massive car bombing in February 2005. Syria's
opponents in Lebanon have accused Damascus of being behind the killings, a claim
Syria denies.
His death sparked massive protests that helped bring an end to Syria's nearly
30-year domination of Lebanon. Damascus was forced to withdraw its troops from
Lebanon in 2005, and a government led by anti-Syrian politicians was elected.
Since then, the government of U.S.-backed Prime Minister Fuad Saniora has been
locked in a power struggle with the opposition, led by Syria's ally Hezbollah.
Government supporters have accused Syria of seeking to end Saniora's slim
majority in parliament by killing off lawmakers in his coalition.
After the assassination of Parliament member Walid Eido in June, many majority
legislators spent the summer abroad for security reasons. Others who stayed took
extra precautions. Explosives experts examined the engine of Ghanem's car, which
was hurled at least 50 yards away by the blast. Bystanders, looking shocked,
watched as ambulances and civil defense workers searched for more victims.
Ghanem was traveling Wednesday in a car with regular license plates, his blue
plate hidden in the trunk, apparently as a security measure. Fatfat told AP that
Ghanem returned Monday from abroad where he had been taking refuge for the past
two months. According to local newspapers, a landmark hotel near the parliament
building in downtown Beirut has been rented for majority members to protect them
during the 60-day presidential election process, which begins Sept. 25.
Pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud is due to step down by Nov. 23, and government
supporters see the vote as the opportunity to put one of their own in the post.
Hezbollah and its allies have vowed to block any candidate they don't approve of
— and they can do so by boycotting the vote, preventing the necessary two-thirds
quota. If there is no agreement on a candidate by the time Lahoud steps down,
Saniora and his Cabinet would automatically take on executive powers. If that
happens, opposition supporters have said Lahoud might appoint a second
government, a step many fear would break up the country. With Ghanem's death,
Saniora supporters hold 68 of parliament's 128 seats, compared with the
opposition's 59.
Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information
contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Beirut car bomb kills anti-Syrian MP
Wed Sep 19, 2007 2:26pm EDT
By Yara Bayoumy
BEIRUT (Reuters) - A car bomb killed an anti-Syrian lawmaker and at least seven
other people in Beirut on Wednesday, less than a week before Lebanon's
parliament was due to elect a new president. Antoine Ghanem of the Christian
Phalange party died in a Christian district of the capital in an attack his
allies blamed on Damascus. Syria condemned the killing. Ghanem was the seventh
anti-Syrian figure to be killed in Lebanon since the February 14, 2005,
assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri. "Every two or three
months we are being targeted," Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh, a
leading member of the governing coalition who survived an assassination attempt
in 2004, told Reuters. At least 19 other people were wounded by the bomb in the
commercial and residential area of Sin el-Fil. Several cars were set ablaze and
rescue workers carried bodies from the scene. Ghanem, 64, was a member of the
anti-Syrian governing coalition which has been locked in a power struggle since
November with factions backed by Damascus, including Shi'ite Muslim group
Hezbollah. "The killer is one, the criminal is one and the butcher is one," said
Saad al-Hariri, son and political heir of the former prime minister, blaming
Syria for killing Ghanem, his father and other allies. Damascus has consistently
denied involvement. The United States strongly condemned the attack.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said there had been a pattern of killings in
the past few years of people who "sought to end Syria's interference in
Lebanon's internal affairs".
"DESTABILISATION CAMPAIGN"
Ghanem's death reduced the coalition to 68 seats in the 128-seat parliament,
which is due to convene on September 25 to elect a successor to pro-Syrian
President Emile Lahoud. "The Syrian regime is exerting its terrorist skills at
the expense of the Lebanese majority," said Hamadeh.
The opposition wants a compromise candidate to be agreed before the presidential
vote goes ahead and anti-Syrian leader Hariri has also stressed the need for a
compromise. The majority's main candidate is former MP Nassib Lahoud while the
opposition's favorite is the leader of the largest Christian bloc in parliament,
Michel Aoun. Possible compromise candidates include Army Commander Michel
Suleiman and Central Bank governor Riad Salameh.
Rival leaders have recently resumed contacts but political sources have said
they are unlikely to bear fruit in time for the presidential vote to go ahead
next week.
Some anti-Syrian leaders have said the governing coalition could call its
legislators to elect a president using their simple majority, bypassing the
requirement for a two-thirds quorum for the parliamentary vote. Lebanese
political analyst Oussama Safa said the car bomb was "a strong message to the
majority against any plans to elect a president with a simple majority or to go
ahead against the wishes of the opposition". "I think this is the beginning of
destabilization campaign the closer we get to an election date," he said. Pierre
Gemayel, the industry member and lawmaker who was assassinated in November last
year, was a member of the same party as Ghanem, who had returned from a
two-month stay abroad this week. He had moved abroad out of security fears.In
June this year, anti-Syrian lawmaker Walid Eido and nine other people were
killed by a car bomb in Beirut. The U.N. Security Council moved unilaterally in
May to approve the establishment of a special tribunal to prosecute suspects in
the killing of Hariri and others. (Additional reporting by Nadim Ladki and Laila
Bassam)
Anti-Syrian lawmaker killed in
Lebanon
By SCHEHEREZADE FARAMARZI
and ZEINA KARAM, Associated Press Writers
BEIRUT, Lebanon - An anti-Syrian lawmaker who had just returned to Lebanon two
days ago from refuge abroad was killed Wednesday along with six other people by
a bomb that rocked a Christian neighborhood of the capital, security officials
said.
Antoine Ghanem is the eighth prominent anti-Syrian figure to be assassinated
since 2005.
The bombing, which the security officials said also wounded 22 people,
heightened tensions ahead of a presidential vote that already threatened to
throw the country into turmoil.
Many Lebanese fear divisions over the presidency could lead to the creation of
two rival governments, a grim reminder of the last two years of the 1975-90
civil war when army units loyal to competing administrations battled it out.
Ghanem, 64, a member of the right-wing Christian Phalange Party, was the target
of the bomb, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they
were not authorized to talk to the media.
The Voice of Lebanon radio station, which is owned by the Phalange party,
confirmed Ghanem's death. The identities of the others killed were not
immediately known.
The bombing on a main street in the Sin el-Fil district severely damaged nearby
buildings and set several cars on fire. Blood and debris covered nearby streets.
The attack came six days before parliament was scheduled to meet to elect a new
president in a vote expected to be deeply divisive. Four of the slain lawmakers
have been from the U.S.-backed majority coalition, reducing its margin in
parliament.
"It is clear lawmakers from the (anti-Syrian) majority are being liquidated,"
Cabinet Minister Ahmed Fatfat told The Associated Press.
He blamed the Syrian regime for the assassination, adding: "It is the only
regime that does not want presidential elections in Lebanon to be held."
White House press secretary Dana Perino said it was "no coincidence" that the
attack came as Lebanon prepared to elect a new president.
"Since October 2004, there has been a pattern of political assassinations and
attempted assassinations designed to intimidate those working courageously
toward a sovereign and democratic Lebanon," said White House press secretary
Dana Perino.
"The victims of these cowardly attacks have consistently been those who publicly
sought to end Syria's interference in Lebanon's internal affairs," she said.
When pressed, Perino said she was not directly blaming Syria, but added, "As
I've said, there's been a pattern, and this would seem to fit into the pattern."
Syria condemned the attack, which it said was meant to sabotage efforts by the
Lebanese people to reach agreement.
"This criminal act aims at undermining efforts made by Syria and others to
achieve a Lebanese national accord," Syria's state-run news agency SANA quoted
an anonymous Syrian official as saying.
Former Lebanese President Amin Gemayel, who heads the Phalange Party, said
Lebanon's democracy was at stake.
"It's not anymore a question of presidential elections. It's a question of the
survival of this country and democracy in the country that's at stake for the
time being," Gemayel told CNN. The former president's son, Cabinet minister and
lawmaker Pierre Gemayel, was slain in November.
The assassinations of anti-Syrian figures began with former Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri, who was killed in a massive car bombing in February 2005. Syria's
opponents in Lebanon have accused Damascus of being behind the killings, a claim
Syria denies.
His death sparked massive protests that helped bring an end to Syria's nearly
30-year domination of Lebanon. Damascus was forced to withdraw its troops from
Lebanon in 2005, and a government led by anti-Syrian politicians was elected.
Since then, the government of U.S.-backed Prime Minister Fuad Saniora has been
locked in a power struggle with the opposition, led by Syria's ally Hezbollah.
Government supporters have accused Syria of seeking to end Saniora's slim
majority in parliament by killing off lawmakers in his coalition.
After the assassination of Parliament member Walid Eido in June, many majority
legislators spent the summer abroad for security reasons. Others who stayed took
extra precautions.
Explosives experts examined the engine of Ghanem's car, which was hurled at
least 50 yards away by the blast. Bystanders, looking shocked, watched as
ambulances and civil defense workers searched for more victims.
Ghanem was traveling Wednesday in a car with regular license plates, his blue
plate hidden in the trunk, apparently as a security measure. Fatfat told AP that
Ghanem returned Monday from abroad where he had been taking refuge for the past
two months.
According to local newspapers, a landmark hotel near the parliament building in
downtown Beirut has been rented for majority members to protect them during the
60-day presidential election process, which begins Sept. 25.
Pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud is due to step down by Nov. 23, and government
supporters see the vote as the opportunity to put one of their own in the post.
Hezbollah and its allies have vowed to block any candidate they don't approve of
— and they can do so by boycotting the vote, preventing the necessary two-thirds
quota.
If there is no agreement on a candidate by the time Lahoud steps down, Saniora
and his Cabinet would automatically take on executive powers. If that happens,
opposition supporters have said Lahoud might appoint a second government, a step
many fear would break up the country.
With Ghanem's death, Saniora supporters hold 68 of parliament's 128 seats,
compared with the opposition's 59.
Crossfire War - Diplomatic Storm After France FM Statment Prepare for the Worst
By Willard Payne
Crossfire War - RAPID FIRE NEWS - PARIS - AMSTERDAM - BERLIN WATCH - Eurasia
Theatre: Paris - London - Amsterdam - Washington - Berlin - Cairo -
Jerusalem/Beirut - Gaza - Ramallah - Damascus - Riyadh - Baghdad - Ankara -
Beijing - Tehran; Diplomatic Storm Follows France Fm Kocuhner's Statement - Iran
Parliament (majis) Responds - Economic Warfare Between Western Europe/iran About
to Begin; Israel Fighter Planes Stage Mock Attack Over Hezbollah Base in South
Lebanon - Israel Raid Nablus West Bank; Tehran/Cairo Make Diplomatic Overtures
of Mutual Suspicion
Night Watch: PARIS - AFP reports an enormous, worldwide diplomatic storm has
followed in the wake of France Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner's statement
that France and the world should prepare for the worst, war with Iran. Though
his statement has been dismissed as "hype" by Mohamad ElBaradei, head of the
United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), based in Vienna and by
Austria Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik as "martial rhetoric" some West
European capitals indicate they support Kouchner's position that Europe should
impose sanctions on Iran. This is not a proposal Kouchner thought of on the spur
of the moment, sanctions had been considered for years as the last resort before
war. He added more detail today, "These will be European sanctions that each
country, individually, must put in place with its own banking, commercial and
industrial system. The English and the Germans are interested in talking about
this. We will try to find a common European position." [GULFTIMES]
It is significant there is already serious consideration from London-Berlin
because both governments, along with Paris, took the lead in the European Union
negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear weapons grade enrichment program. The
negotiations in effect ended last year after nearly three years as it became
more obvious Tehran used them just to deceive the West into believing perhaps a
deal could be made and (f)allout war could be avoided. One article actually
admitted, as the negotiations began, both sides were actually talking past each
other. As crossfirewar.com stated constantly Tehran never intended to end its
preparations for full-scale war with the West and India (in support of Pakistan
and the Muslims in Kashmir). Tehran has made enough preparations for one year of
offensive warfare and Iran knows if successful U. S.-Europe will have little
influence left within Islamic governments.
There is also serious support for Kouchner's sanction proposal by Netherlands
Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen, who said if the Security Council did not agree
the Dutch government would be willing "to apply European Union Sanctions in
common with US sanctions."
Tehran - The response from Tehran's government was predictable. Xinhua quoted
Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying contemptuously, "We do not take
these statements seriously. Comments to the media are different from real
statements." Ahmadinejad may have been hinting, comments are one thing but real
action is another and despite any economic sanctions Europe imposes that is no
real threat due to the enormous amount of business Iran does with other regions.
And in terms of military action, Tehran knows the West's role in this war is
almost entirely defensive. [XINHUA]
Tehran - The reaction, however, from Iran's Parlimanent-Majlis was one of
extreme anger, especially since Kouchner's statement came not long after France
President Nicolas Sarkozy had made some critical observations on Iran's
government and its regional-international policy, which the Majlis described as
"hasty and unbalanced." Concerning Kouchner's sanctions statement Alaeddin
Boroujerdi, head of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said
Kouchner's accusations were "unfounded". He added, "If Kouchner's stance is that
of the new French government, naturally it will affect economic cooperation
between the two countries." Yesterday there were even indications Iran's Foreign
Ministry had begun to initiate steps to sever diplomatic relations and based on
Paris' support from other European capitals; it will not just be with Paris. [IRNA]
Bandar Abbas - Tehran released some specific detail as to their military
response if attacked first by either the West or Israel. Israel National News
(INN) reported and Iranian website, Assar Iran, which is close to Iran's
government, stated Iran has 600 Shihab-3 missiles already "locked-on" targets in
Israel and especially on Washington's bases in Iraq and I would guess the latter
is the main target since the West is Iran's and the Islamic world's main
international rival. Not all of the missiles will hit the designated targets
since guidance systems are noted for malfunctioning but some of the missiles
will be accurate, but then there is still the risk of a dud warhead. I suspect
the missiles could be fired before Iran is attacked. A few years ago, as
President George W. Bush discussed attacking Iran as "an option on the table",
an official from Iran's Defense Ministry indicated Tehran would not let
Washington attack first. Iran has occasionally indicated one of their responses
to sanctions imposed by the West would be military. Tehran could also launch the
missiles when there are more attacks against Syria in support of the Syria-Iran
Defense Agreement signed in June 2006, or when Iran believes it is time to
destroy the Pentagon's bases in Iraq using the regional war and instability as
their reason, stating the bases are the cause of the instability and Iran knows
every Islamic government will agree. [INN]
Beirut - The missile launchings could happen at almost any moment since Xinhua
is reporting six fighters of the Israel Air Force (IAF) again penetrated Lebanon
air space in several areas of south Lebanon and even engaged in mock attacks.
Israel has maintained consistent surveillance flights over Lebanon since the end
of the war with Hezbollah last year, as Jerusalem closely monitored the
military-political unit's rearming by Tehran-Damascus. But this is the first
time I have heard of mock attacks on specific targets and this is just two days
after the IAF penetrated Lebanon's air space Sunday. [XINHUA]
This time low altitude passes were conducted over the cities of Sidon and Tyre
where the aircraft generated sonic booms, as if making a warning to the
population. Yaliban news website reported the planes also flew over the town of
Bint Jbeil where Hezbollah has a major base and support. The town is less than
five miles from the Lebanon/Israel border. There are 12,000 European units in
south Lebanon serving with the United Nations Interim Force for Lebanon
(UNIFIL). When war becomes more obvious, they will be caught in the crossfire
and targeted by at least al-Qaeda units Tehran has stationed there. As soon as
UNIFIL began to arrive, after last year's war between Israel/Hezbollah, Tehran
had al-Qaeda declare them an enemy of Islam.
Nablus - In other action Israeli forces engaged in heavy fighting in the West
Bank city of Nablus where an Israeli soldier and one Palestinian fighter were
killed. The fighter was a member of the PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation
of Palestine), one of the oldest Palestinian militant groups. Israel was raiding
a building, targeting militant gunmen, based in the Palestinian camp Ein Bet
Ilmeh, pop. 5,000. Gunfire was exchanged with members of the Izz al-Din
al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed
wing of Fatah and the Al-Quds Brigades. [ALJAZEERA]
Cairo - "There has been an agreement to continue dialogue between both sides in
particular over bilateral relations at the level of Senior Officials and then
Foreign Minister." That terse statement is from Egypt Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Hassan Zaki on the prospects of restoration of diplomatic relations
between Cairo/Tehran. Iran severed relations in 1980 as the Shah of Iran arrived
in Cairo not long before he died in Egypt on July 27, 1980. The Shah arrived in
exile having been overthrown by Iran's Islamic Revolution led by the Ayatollah
Khomeini the previous year. And in 1981 Egypt's head of state, Anwar al-Sadat,
who had received the Shah was assassinated by Islamic radicals citing Khomeini
as their inspiration. Tehran named a street after the assassin, an Egyptian army
artillery Lieutenant. Sadat's successor, the current President Hosni Mubarak,
has maintained a policy of suspicion and hatred of the Tehran government but
occasionally expresses some interest in discussing regional-international
affairs. [IRNA]
This deceptive diplomatic dialogue will soon be cut off as the war in the region
reaches greater intensity this year, which will inflame more Islamic radicalism
within Egypt. Any radical element will not only be supported by Tehran but also
by every other Islamic government in the region, including Tripoli-Khartoum, but
some of Egypt's military will remain loyal to Mubarak. With those units support
Mubarak will declare war on Iran.
Night Watch Information Service
http://www.crossfirewar.com
Canadian controversy over Islamic law and tradition
Veils, votes & values
By Beryl Wajsman
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
It is ironic that the latest Canadian controversy over Islamic law and tradition
conflicting with western values occured in the same week as we commemorated the
sixth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The attack was not just a physical one,
but a challenge to western values. That is why the controversy over veiled
voting matters. Western liberal values matter.
The bedrock of a free society is the acceptance by its citizens of participation
in the free and transparent battleground of ideas. Any abridgment or compromise
of this principle must be rejected.
Much ink has been spent this week examining how the federal Election Act is
faulty for not directly addressing the issue of veiled voting. The ink has been
badly spent. The real question is why Elections Canada chief Marc Mayrand did
not respond in a different manner to the question that began this controversy.
The Elections Act demands photo ID. It is obvious that in order for that ID to
be effective you need to have facial recognition. It was disingenuous at best
for Mayrand to state that veiled voting is permissible because the Act does not
specifically forbid it. Indeed, legislators should have made it specific. But
the photo ID requirement surely makes it clear to any reasonable mind that
facial recognition is a prerequisite to casting a ballot.
Our ready acceptance to descend into any debate diminishing our values, as long
as we seem politically correct, has led to some ludicrous suggestions on this
issue over the past week. Two commentators actually put forward the idea that we
allow identification by fingerprint as they do in Muslim countries. It is
debasing that we should even consider lowering our mature, pluralistic,
political traditions to those of nations still ruled by state faith and Sharia
law.
We pride ourselves on being an open and accessible society. We think that we can
reason with anyone and that our pluralism will be greeted with like-minded
tolerance. Yet we often tolerate the intolerant and end up mired in
self-censorship and floundering in naiveté.
In the midst of this latest veil debate, British Islamist apologist Yvonne
Ridley, who is the London correspondent of Ahmadinejad's Press TV, spoke in
Montreal for the Canadian Islamic Congress. This is the same Congress whose
President, Mohammed Elmasry, said two years ago that all Israelis were
legitimate targets for homicide bombers because Israel had a civilian army.
Despite this, the evening was attended by leaders from civil society. Too many
in our public life have forgotten what Elmasry, and the Congress he leads, stand
for.
The Montreal Gazette reported on Ridley's remarks criticizing the veil debate as
putting up a roadblock to Muslim participation in the democratic process. What
The Gazette did not report were several other comments she made, including one
where Ridley stated that Canada could be called truly multicultural when there
were thousands of women wearing veils. And herein is the heart of a great deal
of our problems as we continue to be hoisted on our own petard.
It has been proposed by some this past week that Canada should accommodate the
veil because we are "a multicultural democracy" They are wrong. Multiculturalism
is not a club that can beat a democracy into different shapes pleasing to
different groups. A democracy can be many things. It can be constitutional; it
can be parliamentary; it can be republican; but there is no such political
construct as a "multicultural" democracy. The phrase is in and of itself
oxymoronic because it implies that allegiance to particularistic prejudices is
morally equivalent to loyalty to universal principles of justice and equity.
Freedom of religion has never implied, and should never imply, the elevation of
any aspect of religious sacrament to the level of secular right. It is simply
not appropriate for the state to validate, encourage or finance faith-based
demands in the public arena.
That every individual has a natural, moral, right to submit to canonical
doctrine, undertake religious education or indulge in religious lifestyles is
not in question. But on no account should we allow their demands for support,
whether legal or financial, to prevail upon the patrimony of civil society by
forcing that society to legitimize separateness and exclusivity in any area of
its public law.
State submission to special interests will do nothing more than heighten
irrational feelings of superiority and strengthen unreasonable commitments to
particularity. Rather than encouraging social peace, it will incite further
irritation between religious and secular as our legal system struggles to
accommodate the inevitable explosions of legislation, regulation and exception.
Prime Minister Harper was right to call on Marc Mayrand to reverse his
interpretation of the Elections Act. A democracy can accommodate many demands,
but if it does not have the bold resolve to separate state and faith it will
very quickly see the undoing of the freedoms which form the foundation upon
which it stands.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beryl Wajsman is president of theInstitute for Public Affairs of Montreal;
publisher of BARRICADES Magazine; and host of 940AM’s "The Last Angry Man".
Beryl can be reached at: letters@canadafreepress.com
Israeli Attack on Syria Could Presage Strike on Iran
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 8:30 PM
By: NewsMax.com Staff Article Font Size
Israel's air force attacked a site in Syria believed to be a nuclear-related
facility containing material delivered by North Korea.
Reports surfaced this week that Israel had launched an air attack against a site
in Syria believed to be a nuclear-related facility containing material delivered
by North Korea.
The Sept. 6 air strike generated surprisingly little outcry from the rest of the
world, and not as much press as might be expected.
But it could have major implications: Some see the attack as a warning to Iran
that Israel will not allow a nuclear-armed adversary in the region.
The strike was carried out several days after a ship with North Korean cargo
docked in a Syrian port, according to current and former American and Israeli
officials. The cargo was transferred to the site Israel later attacked, the
officials told the New York Times.
North Korea has previously sold weapons and missile technology to Syria as well
as Iran, but it has never been caught exporting nuclear-related material to
either country.
Details about the raid remain elusive. But as the officials spoke anonymously,
China abruptly canceled plans to host diplomatic discussions in Beijing on North
Korea’s intentions to disband its nuclear facilities. China’s move was seen as
an attempt to avoid a possible confrontation between the U.S. and North Korea
over its alleged nuclear support for Syria.
The officials disclosed that the Israeli government notified Washington about
the air attack before it was launched, but it is unclear whether the U.S.
supported the strike or advised against it.
It is also unclear if the U.S. agrees with Israeli intelligence’s assessment
that the targeted site was nuclear-related.
But American and Israeli officials “who have received briefings from Israeli
sources said Monday that the raid was an attempt by Israel to destroy a site
that Israel believed to be associated with a rudimentary Syrian nuclear
program,” the Times reported.
North Korea strongly denied that it has provided Syria with secret nuclear
cooperation, claiming on Tuesday that the charge was fabricated to block
progress in the North's relations with the U.S.
In any case, the Israeli attack is bound to send a message to Iran about its
nuclear ambitions. An analysis in the Jerusalem Post indicated that Israel “will
be seen in a few key capitals as the force that will not allow nuclear
proliferation in the region.”
The Post also noted “the resounding lack of condemnation – either in Europe or
even in the Arab world – to Israel’s alleged attack…
“The world, for the most part, dislikes the idea of a nuclear Middle East.
Witness French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner’s recent comment that France
should prepare for the possibility of war over Iran’s nuclear program.”
Kouchner said in an interview on Sunday: “We must prepare for the worst … The
worst, sir, is war."
Iran insists it only wants to master nuclear technology to produce electricity,
but it has yet to comply with United Nations demands that it halt uranium
enrichment and other work that could lead to weapons production.
Regarding Israel’s motives for the strike in Syria, the Post observed: “It’s one
thing to harbor terrorists who want to destroy Israel … but it is something
different entirely to get into the same nuclear bed with North Korea.”
© 2007 NewsMax. All rights reserved.
Syria Set Up 'Cell' to Pursue Lebanon Presidential Elections
Syria on Wednesday has reportedly set up a "cell" to follow up Lebanon
presidential elections.
According to information obtained by the daily An Nahar, Ibrahim Bayram wrote
that the cell is headed by Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa.
Bayram said the cell comprises experts on the Lebanon situation. Some are even
veterans, he added, while a few were new.
He said Hizbullah-led opposition circles have cited this as one reason why the
majority anti-Syrian March 14 Forces fear that the impending presidential
elections would not take place.
Meanwhile, a delegation from what is known as the pro-Syrian National Parties'
Alliance visited Damascus on Tuesday and met with Sharaa.
The delegation included head of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party Ali Qanso,
Lebanon's former Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Mrad, who is also leader of
al-Ittihad or, United Party, chief of the Arab-Lebanese Struggle Movement Faisal
Daoud and Regional Secretary of the Baath Arab Socialist Party in Lebanon Fayez
Shukr.
Among the issues discussed were the situation in the region, Qanso told
reporters, stressing that Syria "is capable of thwarting all hostile attempts."
Beirut, 19 Sep 07, 08:12
Ban Urges Reconciliation, Warns Against Bids to Divide Lebanon
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday warned against hampering the
election of a new president, saying that failure could lead to two governments
and two presidents which is "unacceptable."
Ban urged Prime Minister Fouad Saniora and Parliament Speaker Nabih berri to
reconcile and put an end to the fierce power struggle between pro-Syrian,
pro-Iranian opposition, led by the military group Hizbullah and the anti-Syrian
parliamentary majority.
It is the most serious political crisis since the end of the 1975-90 civil war.
Berri has set Sept. 25 for parliament to meet to start voting on a new head of
state to replace Emile Lahoud, whose term ends Nov. 24, but the dispute could
throw the country into chaos and even result in two parallel, competing
administrations.
"I am concerned, very deeply concerned, about the lack of progress in the
political situation, particularly concerning the election of a new president,"
Ban said.
The two sides are at odds over whether the president is elected by a two-thirds
of the parliament or a simple majority in the 128-seat house.
If no agreement is reached, the opposition has threatened to boycott the vote,
which would deny parliament a two-third quorum and deadlock the process. The
majority controls 69 seats and has, in turn, threatened to simply go ahead and
choose a president from its own ranks.
This in turn fueled fears the opposition could do the same -- resulting in each
side electing its own president and possibly leading to two rival governments.
Ban expressed hope that a new president can be elected according to the
constitution.
"I have spoken to both Speaker Berri and Prime Minister Saniora recently, and I
have urged them to reconcile and try to select a new president in accordance
with their own constitutional procedures," he said.
Ban said he is concerned that "the inability of electing a new president" could
lead to two governments and two presidents.
"That will be very much unacceptable, a very worrisome situation for the peace
and security of not only Lebanon, but also peace and security in the region," he
said.
The Sept. 25 session would be the first time parliament has met since October
2006. Berri refused to convene parliament after his opposition allies resigned
from the government.
Along with the political dispute, electing a president also has a sensitive
sectarian element.
Under a power-sharing arrangement, the president is a Maronite Catholic -- the
only non-Muslim leader of an Arab country -- the prime minister a Sunni Muslim
and the parliament speaker a Shiite Muslim. The Cabinet and parliament are split
equally between Christians and Muslims, while the army is led by a Christian and
the police is headed by a Muslim.(Naharnet-AP)
Beirut, 19 Sep 07, 12:01
Koleitat Accused Husband of Embezzlement
Lebanon's Al-Madina Bank scandal heroin Rana Koleilat accused the bank's
fugitive chairman Adnan Abu Ayash, whom she claimed to be his wife, of
embezzlement.
"I feel I was a victim in this case," Koleilat said in an interview published by
the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper on Wednesday.
"If I had stolen money … I wouldn't have paid depositors from the properties and
real estates registered under my name," Koleilat said from her prison in Sao
Paulo, Brazil.
Koleilat said Abu Ayash "stole the money from the bank and caused its collapse,"
denying allegations that she was transferring money from the bank to accounts in
the names of "Lebanese or Syrians."
She accused Abu Ayash's family and relatives of "supervising these transfers."
Koleilat's case highlights the corruption that has ravaged Lebanon for decades.
Paying off Syrian intelligence officers and providing gifts to influential
politicians and business people was common during the period when Syria
influenced everything in Lebanon, from picking a president to harassing a
political foe, and even cutting a business deal or finding a stolen car.
Koleilat was freed on bail less than two months before the February 2005
assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri, allegedly under pressure from
Syria's intelligence chief in Lebanon, Maj. Gen. Rustum Ghazale. She was whisked
out of the country before the Syrian army withdrew in April and reportedly spent
time in Egypt before going to Brazil..
Abu Ayash later filed a lawsuit accusing Koleilat, Ghazale and three of the
Syrian's brothers of laundering and theft of more than $70 million in
depositors' money. Lawyer Jean Azzi claimed Koleilat would withdraw money from
the bank and transfer it to accounts she opened in the names of Ghazale and his
brothers.
Now once again in prison -- this time in Brazil -- Koleilat may be connected to
something more sinister: Hariri's assassination.
U.N. investigators have told police they want to question her in the
assassination. Brazilian police said investigators want to know whether money
allegedly diverted from Al-Madina Bank, where Koleilat once worked, was used to
finance the slaying.
"It's vital that Miss Koleilat submit herself before the U.N. commission for
questioning," Joseph Sayah, Lebanon's consul general in Sao Paulo had told
investigators.
Koleilat spent time in prison in Lebanon in 2004, but then jumped bail on fraud
charges in a banking scandal and fled the country, allegedly with Syrian help.
She was arrested by Brazilian police in March 2006.
Brazilian authorities said they arrested the 39-year-old Koleilat after an
anonymous tip.
Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Brazil, where Koleilat also faces charges
of trying to bribe police officers to release her. Prosecutor General Saeed
Mirza reportedly was trying to find a legal basis to demand that she be handed
over, and Lebanese judicial officials told the AP authorities will seek to focus
on the bank fraud charges.
Koleilat's Brazilian lawyer said she told him she knows nothing about Hariri's
assassination or the bank's missing money, and that she offered no bribe to
police.
During 12 years at the private Al-Madina bank, Koleilat rose from a clerk to an
executive, and she quickly became the center of the scandal after it broke in
July 2003. After detecting a cash deficit of more than $300 million, along with
other irregularities, the Central Bank stepped in and took control of Al-Madina.
A lawsuit accused Koleilat of issuing a bad check for $3 million and of forging
bank documents with the aim of embezzling. Several depositors also have filed
suit against her and the bank's owners.
Koleilat was interrogated and jailed for several months in 2004.
She became a celebrity at the height of the banking scandal, with the media
scrutinizing her lifestyle, purchases and gifts. Koleilat reportedly handed out
expensive cars, apartments and houses to powerful people in Lebanon and in
Syria. Beirut, 19 Sep 07, 09:53
17 Fatah al-Islam Wives to Depart to Syria
The wives and children of Fatah al-Islam terrorist leaders will soon leave
Lebanon for Syria, the daily An Nahar reported on Wednesday.
An Nahar said most wives and their husbands are Syrians or Syrians of
Palestinian origin, except for Fatah al-Islam chief Shaker Abssi who is a
Palestinian-Jordanian. His wife is Jordanian.Lebanon's Surete General will take care of transporting Fatah al-Islam's
families from the southern port city of Sidon to the Legbanon-Syria border, An
Nahar said. Beirut, 19 Sep 07, 10:48