Phalange will challenge article 6 before the Constitutional Council

Phalange Party leader and former Lebanese president Amin Gemayel said at a press conference at Safi headquarters that the Phalange parliamentary bloc will challenge article six of the ministerial Policy Statement related to Hezbollah’s arms before the Constitutional Council.

1 Filipino seaman dead 7 missing off Lebanon coast after ship sinks

One Filipino seaman has been confirmed dead while seven others were reported missing after their cargo ship sank off the coast of Lebanon last week, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday said.
The Filipino seafarers were on board the Panamanian cargo ship Dany F II when it sank off the coast of Tripoli, Lebanon, last Dec. 17 due to stormy weather conditions.
The Filipino fatality was identified as 3rd Engineer Alex Crisostomo while the seven missing Filipinos are: Manuel Calaor, Leonardo Tiongson, Fuller Edgar, Manuel Bordas Jr., Benedicto Cruz, Enrico Librada and Vilter Amit.
According to the DFA, the relatives of the seaman who died in the accident and those of the missing seafarers have already been notified by their manning agency of the incident.
Thirteen Filipino seafarers on board the same ship, meanwhile, were rescued, with 12 safely housed in Tripoli and one in Tartus. They are Danilo Policarpio, Wilson Vicente , Lezer Gepulgani, Michel Olivia, Edgardo Pucan, Jonathan Rada, Rafael Tarroza, Erasmo Galanza, Leolen Babao, Rogelio Dequina, Joebert Benoman, Jowey Quinto and Jason Magsino. Daily Tribune

Restrictions lifted, Filipinos can now work in Lebanon

A Lebanese-Filipino community on Tuesday welcomed a decision by the Philippine government to lift in February 2010 a four-year deployment restriction of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Lebanon.
The Filipino-Lebanese Friendship Community headed by Abdul Kader Al Jadid said the decision of the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DoLE) to resume deployment of workers is very timely as Lebanon “is experiencing a period of economic boom.’’
“Lebanese businessmen are looking forward to helping unemployed Filipinos to working in Lebanon,’’ Jadid said in a statement received at the DoLE office.
“Lebanon is anticipating a tremendous growth in tourism with the rise of hotels and restaurants everywhere,’’ he added. Manila Bulletin

73 Saudis killed since fighting broke out with Yemen rebels

73 Saudis have been killed and 26 are missing since fighting broke out in November between Saudi forces and Yemeni rebels, a Saudi minister told reporters on Tuesday.
“The confrontation on the southern border” has resulted in “73 martyrs and 26 missing,” said Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khaled bin Sultan in comments broadcast on television from a media conference in Al-Khoba in southern Jizan province.
He did not specify how many of the dead and missing were soldiers.
Last month, Saudi Arabia launched a military offensive against the Shi’ite rebels, known as Houthis after their leader’s clan name, after a rebel cross-border incursion.

Bickering took place at last cabinet meeting

Lebanese media on Tuesday said bickering took place at the cabinet meeting yesterday:

First between PM Saad Hariri and Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi over the powers of the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) and the extension given to a contractor charged with projects at Rafik Hariri International Airport. Aridi reportedly presented documents that proved CDR neglect, demanding the Council’s hands off .Hariri, according to Al-Akhbar daily, rejected Aridi’s criticism or clipping CDR powers.”I will not accept to relinquish the powers of the Council,” al-Akhbar quoted Hariri as telling ministers.The argument, ended with an extension of the contract with MEAS, provider of operational and maintenance services for facilities and systems of Beirut airport.

The second bickering , according to Al-Akhbar, took place between Energy Minister Jebran Bassil and Telecommunications Minister Sharbel Nahhas over giving Finance Minister Raya al-Hasan power to extend a loan deal with the French government since it was not approved by Parliament and was not even discussed by Cabinet. Hariri argued that this agreement “being a donation” does not need Parliament approval.The ministers responded by saying that the French grants are loans with an annual interest rate of 5 percent.

An-Nahar newspaper has also reported that Minister Mohammed Fneish raised the issue of privatization “We cannot accept privatization of the two telecommunications companies nor selling them,” he said.

Information Minister Mitri briefed the press on cabinet meeting

Lebanon’s Information Minister Tarek Mitri briefed the press on the cabinet meeting that took place Monday at the Baabda palace

US Senator McCain on Iran: Time is running out!

During an interview on Iran with George Stephanopoulos anchor of ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. told him that time is running out and that the Obama administration needs to stand up for the Iranian people on the streets who are opposed to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government.
“We’ve been through nearly a year delay while the Iranians have steadily progressed, and we have announced deadline after deadline that we would act,” Sen. McCain told ABC. “But if we stand up for the Iranian people who are chanting in the streets, ‘Obama Obama are you with us or are you with him,’ if we stand up for their human rights and stand up for their rights to freedom, I think you’ll see continued big divisions within the Iranian ruling click and I think over time that they will be overthrown by the Iranian people.”
Stephanopoulos asked Sen. McCain if the military option is inevitable.
“I don’t know,” Sen. McCain said. “Time is running out. We’ve wasted just about a year but I really believe that sanctions have to be tried before we explore the last option, and the worst option is a military action.

Opposition turns Ayatollah’s funeral into another anti-government rally

The Iranian regime hit back viciously last night after the opposition turned the funeral of their spiritual leader, Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, into another huge anti-government demonstration in the holy city of Qom.
Men on motorbikes attacked the car carrying Mir Hossein Mousavi, the opposition leader, back from Qom to Tehran. They smashed the back window and injured one of his aides, a reformist website reported. Hundreds of government agents halted the memorial service for Montazeri, according to a conservative website. Times

The Iranian opposition turned the funeral ceremony of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri in the holy city of Qom, 120 km (75 miles) south of Tehran, December 21, 2009 into another anti-government rally

Jumblatt: Hariri’s visit to Syria helps in overcoming the black period

As al Manar TV has predicted yesterday, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt did comment about PM Saad Hariri’s weekend visit to Syria in his Al Anbaa weekly article to be published Tuesday.

Syria called for the dismissal of UN envoy Terje Roed-Larsen

Syria has reportedly called for the dismissal of Terje Roed-Larsen, U.N. secretary-general’s envoy responsible implementation of Security Council resolution 1559, for allegedly making secret visits to Israel to incite the Jewish state against Damascus and for opposing the withdrawal from the northern part of the village of Ghajar by Israel.
Yasar Diab, the Syrian UN mission’s third secretary in New York,told the General Assembly’s fifth committee on administrative and budgetary affairs that Roed-Larsen has written two reports this year on the implementation of 1559 without making any visits to Beirut, As Safir has reported
Diab accused Roed-Larsen of violating the U.N. Charter by interfering in Lebanese-Syrian affairs such as border demarcation.
Diab stressed that Damascus has implemented 1559’s provisions by withdrawing its troops and intelligence agents from Lebanese territories.
According to the UN Roed-Larsen is also responsible for implementation of UNSC resolution 1680 and 1701
According to Lebanese observers , UNSCR 1559 also calls for disarming Hezbollah and the Palestinian factions that are loyal to Syria. Since both groups continue to be armed and since Syria is reportedly smuggling the arms to them , the UN does not consider that Syria up till now has implemented this resolution
The Norwegian diplomat who is well experienced in Mideast politics was instrumental in reaching the Oslo Accords between the PLO and Israel back in 1993