President Assad once told Jihad el-Khazen of al-Hayat, that he chose to support extending the mandate of president Lahoud because he expected “exceptionally difficult days were ahead”.
Has he bet on the winning horse?
How would it have been like had Lahoud not extended his presidency term?

I personally believe that he made the correct choice, because I don’t think the Administration improvised and planned from the moment Lahoud had an extended term to pressure Syria, obtain regional concessions, and reshape its strategic weight.
Put differently, perhaps 1559 led to the extension of Lahoud, and not vice versa!

[…] White House Link to Article iraq Gambill on US Policy in Lebanon and Fatah al-Islam » Posted at SyriaComment on Sunday, July 01, 2007 The Middle East Monitor has a series of excellent articles by Gary Gambill, who is sympathetic to General Aoun … liberation of Iraq, however, the emancipation of Lebanon has been overshadowed by chronic instability View Entire Article » […]

According to the link above which describes the growing wealth gap in Syria, “Privatization is unavoidable”. Let us hope that the author is right

Gary Gambill says there is a ” collapse of Syrian diplomatic isolation” – does he mean the same Syria in the Middle East – you know the one adjacent to Lebanon, Iraq and Isreal? Or Syria in Texas or some other place or something.

Or maybe this blog employs some kind of raeality distortion field?

US, Israel plotting to kill Nasrallah – report

Syrian newspaper says Saudi Arabia, Israel, and US seeking intelligence on whereabouts of Shiite leader

An attempt on the life of Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah was foiled by the Shiite organization, a Syrian weekly magazine reported on Saturday.
 
According to al-Madar, the intelligence services of Saudi Arabia, the United States and Israel sought to track secret Hizbullah bunkers in Lebanon as part of a plot to assassinate Nasrallah. …
Ynetnews

” Last summer, it was reported that Israel was trying to kill Nasrallah, but th extraordinary precautions were not due only to that threat. Nasrallah’s aides tol me that they believe he is a prime target of fellow-Arabs, primarily Jordania intelligence operatives, as well as Sunni jihadists who they believe are affiliate with Al Qaeda. (The government consultant and a retired four-star general sai that Jordanian intelligence, with support from the U.S. and Israel, had been tryin to infiltrate Shiite groups, to work against Hezbollah …).”
Seymour Hersh, The Redirection

I thought that it would be nice to have the follwing quotes all in one place:

“This time, the U.S. government consultant told me, Bandar and other Saudis have assured the White House that “they will keep a very close eye on the religious fundamentalists. Their message to us was ‘We’ve created this movement, and we can control it.’ It’s not that we don’t want the Salafis to throw bombs; it’s who they throw them at—Hezbollah, Moqtada al-Sadr, Iran, and at the Syrians, if they continue to work with Hezbollah and Iran.”
…

The United States has also given clandestine support to the Siniora government, according to the former senior intelligence official and the U.S. government consultant. “We are in a program to enhance the Sunni capability to resist Shiite influence, and we’re spreading the money around as much as we can,” the former senior intelligence official said. The problem was that such money “always gets in more pockets than you think it will,” he said. “In this process, we’re financing a lot of bad guys with some serious potential unintended consequences. We don’t have the ability to determine and get pay vouchers signed by the people we like and avoid the people we don’t like. It’s a very high-risk venture.”

American, European, and Arab officials I spoke to told me that the Siniora government and its allies had allowed some aid to end up in the hands of emerging Sunni radical groups in northern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and around Palestinian refugee camps in the south. These groups, though small, are seen as a buffer to Hezbollah; at the same time, their ideological ties are with Al Qaeda.”
Seymour Hersh, The Redirection

“Meanwhile, Al-Jazeera aired a statement by Ghassan Ben Jeddou, the network’s bureau chief in Beirut, Lebanon, who had interviewed Prince Hassan bin Talal in Amman and who said the tape contained remarks by the Jordanian royal claiming that a national security adviser in Saudi Arabia was financing Sunni militants to fight the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

The network identified the Saudi official as Prince Bandar bin Sultan, a former Saudi ambassador to Washington.”
AP, 22/04/2007

“Ed Schultz: What about arming Sunni insurgents to fight Al Qaeda? Is that a good idea?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, that’s one of the issues, and certainly if we can strengthen localities inside Iraq, and if we can be sure they’re actually fighting Al Qaeda, that’s a good thing. But what if, in doing that, they’re bringing Al Qaeda in and not simply strengthening the resistance to Al Qaeda? That’s what we don’t know about. Apparently, some of the weapons that were-, I’m told that some of the weapons that ended up in the refugee camps in Lebanon, that the Lebanese Army’s been fighting against, because the weapons were being used by Al Qaeda in Lebanon, those weapons were paid for as part of the Saudi initiative to arm the Sunnis to fight against Iran.”
General Wesley Clark on The Ed Schultz Show – 18/06/07

T Desco ,what is said in the media is not important ,but what is happening on the ground is…the reality says that Israel and the USA are working with the Iranian regime even before the Contra Scandal…the Israeli Iranian cooperation never ended and the sole country in the region which had weapons deals with the israelis are the iranians…(followed by the turks after the 1990’s ,but here it was not secret or under table deal).
Iraq is an another proof of the american-iranian regime cooperation….no need to speak a lot about it…the things are clear in front of all.
As for the qaidas(in the plural)…yes they are infiltrated by the CIA,the syrian regime moukhabarat,iranian vevak,the saudis,the jordanian intelligences….but the question is,are the young brainwashed people in al qaida groups are aware of the plot..????

Josh,

Check out the latest post of that dimwitted neocon pitbull Tony Badran.

It is hilarious. Now he is so desperate that he quotes from the Falungong cult newspapers ! I guess the lunatic right wing fringes are not lunatic enough for him.

FEATURE-Traffic plan threatens ancient quarter of Damascus
11 Jun 2007 18:04:23 GMT
Source: Reuters
Alert Me | Printable view | Email this article | RSS XML [-] Text [+]

By Alistair Lyon, Special Correspondent

DAMASCUS, June 11 (Reuters) – Pilgrim buses clog a road just outside the Old City of Damascus. Partly to solve that nuisance, municipal planners want to carve a highway through a historic but neglected quarter of the Syrian capital.

“They want to knock down 1,200 shops like mine,” said Bassam al-Ayoubi, sitting among the piled shelves of his hardware store in the labyrinth of alleys known as Souq al-Manakhliyeh.

In these crumbling, crowded streets outside the Old City, which UNESCO lists as a World Heritage site, artisans and merchants make and sell anything from farm tools to copper ornaments, brassware and carpets, just as in generations past.

The governorate of Damascus envisages expanding the busy King Faisal Street, which runs parallel to the northern wall of the Old City, into a highway up to 40 metres (130 feet) wide.

Traffic in the street is often held up by the parked buses of Iranian and Lebanese Shi’ite Muslim pilgrims thronging the modern Saida Ruqqiya Mosque just inside the Old City.

But critics question whether the plan to widen the 1.5-km (one-mile) road, built in the late 19th century, is the answer to the congestion problems in the city centre.

“In the rest of the world, they now stop traffic passing near historic cities because of the environmental effects of pollution and vibration,” said Mouaffak Doughman, a former director of the governorate’s office that deals with preservation and development of the Old City.

PROTESTS FORCE DELAY

The project would demolish swathes of workshops, homes and markets spilling out from the Old City since medieval times. Residents fear that tower blocks, hotels and restaurants will rise in their place, irreversibly altering the area’s character.

“If they do this, the history goes, the culture goes,” said Ayoubi. “It’s a disaster,” he said, adding that thousands of people would be displaced or lose their livelihoods.

Protests from residents, archaeologists and conservationists have forced the authorities to put the project on hold until a committee has reported on its impact and the value of the area. The culture minister is due to receive the report on July 15.

The governor of Damascus has invited UNESCO, which had voiced alarm over the scheme, to join the consultations. He and the culture minister have also told UNESCO that no project will be implemented without the U.N. body’s agreement.

“This is good. It is not a guarantee for us, but it is good enough for the moment,” Nada Al Hassan, programme specialist at the Paris headquarters of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, said in a telephone interview.

“For UNESCO, this area is part of a buffer zone around the World Heritage property,” she said. “The urban fabric itself is valuable, not just the individual buildings. You can’t just erase a neighbourhood without affecting the site nearby.”

Some Syrian officials query the value of a buffer zone. “The work is outside the wall. Anyway, it doesn’t harm the Old City,” Tourism Minister Saadallah Agha al-Qalaa told Reuters.

Ayoubi and many other traders and artisans rent their premises and would get no recompense if the urban renewal plan goes ahead. Only owners are entitled to limited compensation.

“We have whole souqs here. If you wipe out the souqs and open up the gates, leaving a few stones, the city will have no meaning. And this is the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city,” Ayoubi said, reiterating a Damascene boast.

HISTORIC LEGACY

Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and other empires have left their mark on Damascus, founded more than 4,000 years ago, but the pace of change in this rapidly growing city of 3.5 million has quickened since Syria gained independence 61 years ago.

New roads and buildings have devoured several venerable neighbourhoods — Syrian law protects only the walled city.

Conservationists advocate restoring rather than razing buildings near the city wall, whose Roman foundations are overlaid by Arab defences dating from the 11th century onward.

The threatened district, which contains architectural jewels such as the Ottoman-era Muallaq Mosque, is undeniably run down.

Shop hoardings, steel shutters, chaotic cables and centuries of grime hide many of its weathered stone arches and brickwork.

But much of the Old City itself is dilapidated. Decay is not a criterion for demolition, UNESCO’s Al Hassan argued.

“There are voids from things that were done in the past,” she acknowledged. “But other parts are really urban ensembles whose origins date from the 12th or 13th century. So there is this very valuable heritage outside the city wall.

“The city inside the walls cannot be dissociated from the city outside the walls, not only from a historical point of view but also socially and economically,” Al Hassan said.

Some Syrian officials query the value of a buffer zone. “The work is outside the wall. Anyway, it doesn’t harm the Old City,” Tourism Minister Saadallah Agha al-Qalaa told Reuters.

How can this prostitute had said such lie,70 % of the urban fabric of old Damascus is located outside the wall,as educated person,he knows very well that this area is as rich in old buildings than inside the wall Damascus.Al Manakhliyeh,Saroujah and Salhiyeh concentrate many of the Pre Ottoman architecural jewels,if this plan is confirmed ,an important part of the damascene cultural inheritance will be erased for ever and this without mentioning the negative repercussion on the architectural harmony and the conviviality in the old city,it seem it’ is the next step after the 1970’s and 1980’s cultural massacres in Syria.

From THE WALL STREET JOURNAL)
By Jay Solomon
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration, fearing a rupturing of Lebanon’s
political system, is ratcheting up pressure on Syria and its Lebanese allies
ahead of what the U.S. believes could be a bid by opponents of Prime Minister
Fuad Siniora to set up a parallel government in Beirut by the fall.
On Friday, President Bush signed a proclamation blacklisting from U.S. travel
any Syrian or Lebanese individuals seen as threatening Beirut’s democratically
elected government. It also listed 10 people who the U.S. believes are playing
central roles in seeking to overthrow the current government.
The U.S. moves come as the United Nations reports an unimpeded flow of
weapons into Lebanon from Syria, part of an apparent campaign by Damascus and
Iran to rearm the Shiite militia Hezbollah after last summer’s war with Israel.
U.S. and Lebanese officials say these arms are also reaching a growing number
of Palestinian and Sunni militant groups in Lebanon challenging Mr. Siniora’s
control in the north and south of the country.
This mix of arms and political polarization is infecting Lebanon with rising
sectarian tensions and the threat of a return to all-out civil war, said U.N.
and Lebanese officials. It is also stoking concern in Washington and Tel Aviv
of another major conflict erupting between Lebanon-based militants and Israel
in the months ahead.
“I am deeply concerned that Lebanon remains in the midst of a debilitating
political crisis and faces ongoing attacks aimed at destabilizing and
undermining its sovereignty,” U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wrote in a
report released Friday. Mr. Ban said he was particularly alarmed by last
month’s bombing in southern Lebanon that killed six Spanish U.N. peacekeepers,
as well as the firing of three Katyusha rockets into Israel from the same
region.
Among the 10 individuals who the U.S. believes are playing central roles in
seeking to overthrow the current Beirut government are Assef Shawkat, who is
the brother-in-law of Syrian President Bashar Assad as well as the country’s
and intelligence chief; Hisham Ikhtiyar, one of the Syrian leader’s top
advisers; and Rustum Ghazali, former head of Syrian intelligence inside
Lebanon. Six former Lebanese ministers who are viewed as working as proxies for
Damascus inside Lebanon are also on the list.
U.S. officials acknowledged that the U.S. travel bans are unlikely to have
much direct impact on Syrian leaders. But they say they are more focused on
dissuading Lebanese politicians from siding with the Syrians against Mr.
Siniora.
Of particular focus are Christian politicians who have joined into a formal
political alliance with Hezbollah in a bid to unseat Mr. Siniora. Some of them,
such as retired Gen. Michel Aoun, have in the past coordinated closely with the
U.S. on Lebanon policy, particularly on the need to reduce Syrian influence.
They also have presented themselves as potential allies to Washington if any
new government is formed in Beirut.
“A lot of people are opposed to Siniora, and might try to bring him down but
still want to present themselves as friends with the U.S,” said a senior Bush
administration official working on the Middle East. “We want to convey to them
that there’s a price to pay” for their actions.
Some of the Lebanese politicians on the White House’s watch list called it an
example of the U.S. interfering in their country’s domestic politics. They also
called Mr. Siniora a lackey of the U.S. “The decision is a dictatorial measure
[by the U.S.] targeting democracy in Lebanon,” said Assad Hardan, a former
Lebanese labor minister.
Beirut is scheduled to hold elections in September to replace President Emile
Lahoud, who was installed by President Assad before Syria’s military withdrawal
in early 2005. Lebanon’s president is elected through a parliamentary vote, and
Mr. Lahoud is constitutionally barred from serving another term. But Beirut’s
legislative body has been shuttered for more than six months as Hezbollah and
its political allies have taken to street protests to try to unseat Mr.
Siniora.
Many Lebanese and U.S. officials fear that Mr. Lahoud, with Hezbollah’s and
Gen. Aoun’s backing, is preparing to unilaterally establish a rival, pro-Syrian
government in Beirut, arguing Mr. Siniora’s mandate has expired. Lebanon was
similarly split between competing governments in east and west Beirut during
the height of the country’s civil war in the 1980s.
“The two-state government is a real concern for us,” said the senior Bush
administration official. Mr. Lahoud is “trying to create an alternate
government that’s going to challenge Siniora.”
In addition to trying to stabilize Mr. Siniora politically, the Bush
administration is increasingly seeking ways to help Lebanon’s security forces
seal its eastern and northern borders with Syria. A U.N. report released last
week said arms and militiamen were transiting into Lebanon from Syria virtually
uninterrupted.
These porous borders have allowed Hezbollah to restock much of the rockets
and artillery spent during last summer’s war with Israel, particularly in
Lebanon’s central Bekaa Valley, according to the U.N. And the weapons flows
have allowed Damascus-based militias, like Fatah-Intifada and the Liberation of
Palestine-General Command, to refortify their military posts inside Lebanon.
These militias, as well as an al Qaeda-linked Sunni army, Fatah Islam, have
clashed with Lebanon’s armed forces near the cities of Tripoli and Sidon over
the past month, killing hundreds.
The Katyusha missile attack on Israel last month was also believed linked to
one of these private armies, according to Lebanese officials. And members of
Mr. Siniora’s government fear even greater confrontation between the state’s
security apparatus and these pro-Damascus militias if Lebanon’s political
crisis intensifies.
The U.N. is calling for improved intelligence-sharing and military equipment
to aid Lebanon’s policing of its borders. But many U.S. and U.N. officials
working on Lebanon say much more drastic measures are being considered
privately to head off a potential escalation of violence in Lebanon. One would
seek to redeploy some of the U.N.’s peacekeeping contingent to the Syrian
border from its current base in Lebanon’s south. Another would be for Mr.
Siniora to seek troops from neighboring Arab countries to assist Lebanon’s
policing of the Syrian border.
Both actions, however, are likely to meet stiff resistance inside the U.N.
Security Council. And President Assad has already said he would view any
deployment of foreign troops on Syria’s border as a hostile act.

CNN: Officials: Captured Hezbollah agent helped plan deadly Karbala raid

….The U.S. military declined official comment on Daqduq’s arrest, as did the Iraqi government. But documents and forensic evidence, seen by members of the Iraqi government and shown to CNN, support the claims…..

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/07/01/iraq.hezbollah/index.html

More accusations and pressure on Hezbollah…

Noting the article about the economic reform in Syria and the widening gap between rich and poor makes me concern not for the reform but for the resentment that it will create from the poor against the rich of Syria therefore the Syrian rich should move through taxation to decrease the gap of inequality that the new economy will create , Syria will risk another socialist revolution Syria can not afford to have.

This is for Alex and Ehsani2 and all the people from Syria,

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GMT 21:00:00 2007 ????? 1 ?????
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???? ???? ??????? ???????? ???? ??????? ??????? ???????? ??????? ?????? ???????? ???????? ??????? ????? ?? ???????, ??? ??? ?? ??? ?? (??? ??????) ??? ??? ???? ???(??? ???????) ?? ?????? ????? ?????? ??? ????????? ???? (??? ??????) ??????? ???? ??? ??????? ??????? ????? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? ?????????? ??? ??????? ???????? ?? ??? ?????? (??? ????????) ? (??? ????????) ? (??? ????????) ? (??? ???????) ?(??? ??????).

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?????? ?????? ???? ????????????? ?????????? ?????? ????? ??????? ?? ??????????? ?????????? ?????? ??????? ???? ???? ?? 800 ??? ??? ??????: ????????? ??????????????? ?????????? ?????? ????????? ????????? ??????? ?????????????? ??????? ??????? ??? ?????? ????????? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????? ??????????? ???????? ?????????.

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??? ?????? ?????? ?? ????? ??????? ???????? ?? ???? ????? , ??? ????? ?????? ??????? ????? ?? ????? ?????? ??? ? . ? ???? ?? ?? ??? , ??? ???? ???????? ?? ?????? ??? ??????? ???????? ????????? , ??? ?????? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ??????? ?? ?????? ??? , ???????? ??? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ????????? ???? ?? ???? ????????.

(????? ??????????? ????????????)…

??? ???? ?? ??? ??????? ?????? ????? ?????? ???? ???? 1757 ? ??? ???????? ??????? ???????????? ????????????? ????????? ?????? ??????? ???? ????? ?????? ????? ?? ???? ????? ?? ?????????? ???????????? ??????????? ??????? ????? ???????? ???? ???? ?? ???? ????.

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??? ??????? ????? ????????? ????????? ????????? ??? ?????? ????? ??????? ??????????? ?? ??????? ?????? ?????????? ?????????? ??????????? ??????? ???????? ?????? ????? ?????????? ?????? ??? ???????? ??????? ?????????? ?????????????? ???????? ?? ???????? ??????????? ????????? ??????????????? ???? ?????? ????? ????? ????? ?? ????? ????????????? ????????.

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???? ???? ????? ????? ????? ?????? ???: ??? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ??????? ??? ??????? ??? ?????? ?? ??????? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ?? ?????? ? ??? ???????.

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???? ??? ??????? ???? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??? ???? ???????. ??? ??? ???? ??? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ??????? ????????? . ??? ??????? ??????? ??? ?????? ?????? ?? ???? ??????? ??????? . ???? ??????? ??????? ?? ???? ??? ????? ????? ??? ??????.

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?? ??????? ????????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ????????? ????? ?????? ?? ?? ??????? ? ????? ??????? ? ????? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ???? . ??? ??? ???? ????? ?? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ??????? ?????????? .

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???? ???? ????? ????? ?????? ???? ? ??????? ???? ??? ??? ??? ?? ??????? ???????? ??? ???? ??? ???? ???????? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ????? ??? ??????? ????????? ??? ?????? ?????? ??????? ????? ????????? ????? ????? ????? ?????? ????? ????????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ???? ???? .??? ?????? ???????? ??? ???? ???? ????? ? ??? ???? ?????? ??????? ??????????. ????? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ???????? ????? ?????? ????? ????? ??????? ??????? . ???? ??? 100? ?? ??? ????? ??? ???? ????? .

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???? ??? ?????? ?? ?? ??????? ????? ???? ???? ??? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ??????? ???????? ???????? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ???????? ???????? ????? ?????? ??????? ??? ?????? ?????? ?? ??????? ??????????? ????? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ???? ????? ???.

??????? ?? ??????? ???????? ??? ???? ????? ??? ???? ????? ???? ???? ????????.??? ???? ???????? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ???????. ??? ???? ???? ??????? ???? ???? ??????? ??? ?????? ??? ??? ????? ??? ??? ???? ?????? ????? ?????? ????.

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???? ??? ??? 1420 ??? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ????????? ??????? ???? ?????? ??? ??????? ??????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ????? ??????? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? ??????. ???? ????? ?? ??? ???? ?? ????? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ?????. ????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ????? ??????? ?? ????? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ??????. ??? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ??????? ????? ??????? ???? ??????? ??????? ????? ?????? ???????? ???????. ??????? ????? ??????? ???? ????? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ????? 1653?.

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??? ?? ?????? ??? ???? ???????? ?????? ??????? ???????. ???? ????? ????? ?????? ???????????? ?????? ? ???? ????? ??????? ???????? ???? ???????? ?? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ???? 127 ?????? ?? ??????? ????? ?????? ?? ???? ??????? ?? ?? ?????? ???????? ?????. ??? ???? ?????? ??? ??????? ???????? ??? ???? ????

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Thanks Norman : )

And this is for Alex,so i hope it will help him to abandon his minority complex for good.
(from the leb Magazine hebdo)

Les chrétiens d’Alep aux XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles
Pionniers de la renaissance nationale et ecclésiale
Dans le cadre du septième mois de l’Orient chrétien, organisé par le Centre de documentation et de recherches arabes chrétiennes de l’USJ et abordant, cette année, l’apport des chrétiens dans la modernisation du monde arabe, l’archimandrite Ignace Dick, vicaire général d’Alep, a donné une conférence portant sur les chrétiens d’Alep et comment ils ont permis la renaissance nationale et ecclésiale. Magazine a participé à cette conférence.

M onseigneur Ignace Dick a commencé par expliquer quelles sont les diverses raisons qui ont amené la communauté chrétienne d’Alep à se développer et à jouer un rôle de premier rang dans la vie de l’Eglise en Orient. Cette communauté est devenue, d’ailleurs, le ferment de la renaissance culturelle et nationale arabe.
Le rôle central d’Alep

Historiquement, en 1516, Alep est la ville arabe la plus proche de la capitale Istanbul. Elle est en contact avec, d’un côté, l’Irak et, de l’autre, l’Anatolie et, au-delà, le monde grec. Les ports méditerranéens, Tripoli puis Alexandrette, qui desservaient Alep, sont ouverts aussi au grand trafic avec l’Occident et les ports. Cette nouvelle situation d’Alep la place au centre des transactions commerciales internationales. Avec l’opulence économique, elle s’ouvre à l’Occident et au monde grec oriental. Elle suscite, alors, l’éclosion culturelle spirituelle et artistique, dont les principaux agents sont les Alépins eux-mêmes.
A part cette ouverture et l’influence extérieure, Alep eut la chance, à cette époque, de profiter de l’influence de plusieurs personnalités de valeur, telles que des évêques éminents, des théologiens, des poètes, des artistes, ainsi qu’une élite bourgeoise qui soutenait les arts et les œuvres.
Aussi, la renaissance d’Alep se manifeste-t-elle dans divers domaines, tels que le développement démographique, puisque les chrétiens d’Alep ont quadruplé en trois siècles; ainsi que par le développement urbain. En effet, les chrétiens habitent, surtout, en dehors des murailles. Le noyau est le quartier Jedaïdé, faubourg à l’angle nord-ouest de la vieille ville, attesté par Ibn Chihna au début du XVe siècle. Là, sont groupées plusieurs cathédrales, l’Arménienne datant de 1455, la maronite, la melkite et la Syrienne.
Parallèlement, d’autres facteurs permettent à la ville d’Alep de se développer, tels que le commerce et l’artisanat. Les chrétiens ont une grande part dans ces activités et sont plus aisés que la masse des musulmans. Les domaines fonciers étant réservés aux musulmans, ils s’adonnent au commerce et à l’artisanat. Cette ville a profité, aussi, des missionnaires qui lui ont assuré une véritable renaissance culturelle. Ces derniers ouvrent des écoles, encouragés par la hiérarchie orientale. Ils enseignent les langues étrangères et les rudiments du calcul.
Plusieurs missionnaires ont appris assez d’arabe pour traduire ou composer des ouvrages utiles à la piété. Des cours approfondis de religion sont donnés aux candidats au sacerdoce par des prêtres orientaux, tels Mikhaïl Baja et Boutros Toulawi, qui est maronite et disciple de Rome.
Les communautés orientales ouvrent aussi des écoles qui initient à la lecture et à la comptabilité, telle que l’Ecole maronite, fondée par le futur patriarche Douaïhi et le père Boutros Toulawi. Aussi, divers Alépins suivent-ils leurs cours de philosophie et de théologie au Collège urbanien à Rome et reviennent à Alep. Les chrétiens alépins furent, au XIXe siècle et jusqu’au milieu
du XXe siècle, les principaux agents de la modernisation de leur cité et aspirent
à continuer leur rôle dans la Syrie moderne et dans l’ensemble du Proche-Orient
arabe.

The U.S. moves come as the United Nations reports an unimpeded flow of weapons into Lebanon from Syria, part of an apparent campaign by Damascus and Iran to rearm the Shiite militia Hezbollah after last summer’s war with Israel.

Well, it is good to know that the UN admits that UNSC Resolution 1701 was another worthless, toothless UN exercise.

If the UN was smart, they’d put into place a series of UNSC resolutions similar to the ones that helped initiate regime change in Iraq and put it squarely at the doorstep of our Chinless Boy Wonder. But as all despots know, the UN isn’t smart and isn’t coherent. Oh well. Looks like the US will have take the role (again) as the world’s policeman.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_1701

Oh well. Looks like the US will have take the role (again) as the world’s policeman.

Akbar do you have enough policemen in your police station? Seems that the “criminals” are beating badly your policemen in Afghanistan and especially in Iraq. Already a couple of divisions in graves, hospitals and on pension. Also the local people seem not to be very happy with the presence of your policemen and with their behaviour. Can you imagine US soldiers having a same kind of beating like in Iraq on the same time in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria. Not even you Neocons are so stupid to think USA could manage to do that. Or are you?

By the way why do you Akbar demand UN to make more resolutions about Lebanon, Syria and Iran, when you are strongly against the numerous (toothless) resolutions about Israel? Oh well, I forgot, Israel is above UN and Israelis have not to follow the same rules they demand others to follow, because USA, Tuvalu, Nauru, Marshal Islands and Micronesia support Israel.