Lebanon's Arabic press digest – Aug. 7, 2014

The following are a selection of stories from Lebanese newspapers that may be of interest to Daily Star readers. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports.

Al-Akhbar

Aoun rejected compromise presidential candidate: Jumblatt sources

Free Patriotic Movement sources said MP Walid Jumblatt requested a meeting with Gen. Michel after talks with Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah.

For its parts, sources close to Jumblatt said the meeting meant to find out what Aoun thinks about a consensus presidential candidate.

The sources said Jumblatt presented his point of view concerning the possibility of reversing his candidacy for the sake of a consensus runner, but Aoun rejected.

Aoun, according to the sources, hinted that he should go ahead with his nomination to become president of Lebanon.

Separately, “terrorist” sources warned the Lebanese Army against cease-fire violations in Arsal.

The sources told Al-Akhbar that next time the cease-fire is breached “we will detonate car bombs at Army bases.”

Al-Joumhouria

Saudi grant will be ready in next few hours

Ministerial sources told Al-Joumhouria that the $1 billion Saudi grant allocated for Lebanese security forces for fighting terrorism will be ready in the next few hours.

The sources said the money, which is now at the disposal of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, will be spent in parallel among Lebanese Army Intelligence, International Security Forces’ Information Branch, General Security and State Security.

An-Nahar

More than 30 trucks carrying Nusra Front militants left Arsal

Sources told An-Nahar that more than 30 trucks carrying heavily armed men brandishing Nusra Front banners left Arsal toward the barren terrain.

Obama: 'I Have No Green Light' To Act Without Congress

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At a news conference Wednesday, President Obama spoke mostly about foreign policy but also answered questions about his actions in the U.S. Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

At a news conference Wednesday, President Obama spoke mostly about foreign policy but also answered questions about his actions in the U.S.

Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

In a news conference Wednesday that was largely about international relations and trade, President Obama also addressed the limits of his own authority at home.

"I never have a green light," Obama said. "I'm bound by the Constitution; I'm bound by the separation of powers."

The question of whether Obama has overstepped the bounds of his executive authority has been much in the news of late, with the House voting last week to authorize a lawsuit challenging the president on this issue.

Obama's own approval ratings hit a new low in an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Wednesday.

Obama said he would much prefer to work with Congress on issues such as job creation and infrastructure spending, noting that laws make for solutions that are more ambitious and longer-lasting.

But he said he would continue to do what he can to help middle-class Americans, particularly when Congress cannot act.

"What the American people expect is that despite the differences between the parties, there should at least be the capacity to move forward on things that we agree on, and that's not what we're seeing right now," Obama said.

He said his administration is revisiting statutes that govern multinational corporations with extensive operations in the U.S. that move their headquarters abroad to reduce their tax bill.

Obama said that for companies that are clearly American with extensive domestic operations, it's not right or fair that they skip out on paying taxes through a loophole.

The president said that the issue concerns only a small number of companies — Walgreens on Wednesday announced it would not move its headquarters overseas — but that "we don't want to see this thing grow."

Obama spoke at the State Department, at the end of a three-day summit with African leaders. He said he had spoken with them about a wide range of issues, including press freedom, security issues and the need to address corruption issues.

The U.S. will continue support efforts to build trade among African nations and with partners beyond the continent, he said.

"This summit reflects the reality that even as Africa continues to face great challenges, we're also seeing the emergence of a more prosperous Africa," Obama said. "This summit has helped to mobilize some $37 billion for Africa's progress."

In response to a question about whether it was fair or ethical for two Americans to have received treatment with an experimental Ebola drug while hundreds of Africans have died from the disease in recent weeks, the president said, "We've got to let the science guide us. I don't think all the information is in as to whether this drug is helpful."

He noted that Ebola is not an airborne disease and can be contained if proper protocols are followed.

"The countries that are involved would be the first to admit, what's happened here is their public health systems have been overwhelmed," Obama said.

The president also addressed a pair of the major foreign policy crises of the moment. With regard to Russia gathering additional troops on its border with Ukraine, Obama repeated his assertion that Russian President Vladimir Putin has a "choice" as to whether he will respect Ukrainian sovereignty, or watch his own country suffer as it becomes more isolated economically.

"What you're seeing is that the [Russian] economy has ground to a halt," Obama said, referring to sanctions imposed recently by the U.S. and the European Union. "You're not seeing a lot of investors coming in new to start businesses inside of Russia."

He dismissed the idea of providing arms to Ukraine, noting that its army is already better equipped than the separatists it's been fighting, but is a much smaller force than the Russian military, should that country invade.

With regard to Israel and the situation in Gaza, Obama applauded the current cease-fire and said the administration is supporting efforts to make it sustainable.

He repeated his support for Israel to defend itself and said it couldn't tolerate rockets being fired at its population.

"I've also expressed my distress at what's happened to innocent civilians, including women and children, during the course of this process," Obama said.

In addition to expressing concern about Israeli security, Obama noted that the people of Gaza must have a chance to rebuild and have some sense of hope going forward.

"I have no sympathy for Hamas," Obama said. "I have great sympathy for ordinary people struggling within Gaza."

Hariri announces $1B Saudi grant to fight terrorism

BEIRUT: Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri said Wednesday that Lebanon was being subject to an unprecedented terrorist attack, adding that the $1 billion Saudi grant was meant to help the country’s security apparatuses crush terrorism.

Addressing a news conference at his residence in the Saudi port city of Jiddah, Hariri gave details about the grant, which he earlier announced had been provided by King Abdullah.

“The assistance that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques has decided is clear and specific, and concerns the Lebanese Army and security institutions that fight terrorism and hunt armed men and extremism everywhere,” Hariri said.

The former prime minister praised Saudi Arabia for standing by Lebanon’s side and providing the assistance to help Lebanon and its Army to confront terrorists, “who have tarnished the image of true Islam,” he said.

Hariri said that by providing the grant, the Saudi monarch behaved in accordance with the speech he made last week, in which he warned against the rise of terrorism and the failure of the international community to fight it.

The assistance comes eight months after King Abdullah granted $3 billion to the Army, allowing it to buy weapons it needs from France.

Syrian militants took over the northeastern town of Arsal Saturday, storming Army posts and taking Army and Internal Security Forces (ISF) personnel hostage. Ongoing clashes with the military have killed 17 soldiers and wounded scores of others. The battles have also claimed the lives of at least 50 militants.

Asked when the weapons would be actually delivered to the Army, Hariri said: “When the Lebanese Army, the Internal Security Forces, or any other legitimate security institutions have immediate requests to fight terrorism, these amounts will be available to buy all the weapons. Our mission is to be clear and transparent and to do it as soon as possible,” Hariri said.

“There is no doubt that this amount is supposed to greatly enhance the potential of the Lebanese Army and the Internal Security Forces and all security agencies to fight terrorism. We have a very large shortage, the Internal Security Forces severely lack equipment and the Lebanese Army is suffering from a shortage of ammunition and important equipment to fight terrorism,” Hariri said.

Following the news conference, Hariri telephoned Prime Minister Tammam Salam, Defense Minister Samir Moqbel, Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk and Army Commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi to identify the urgent needs of the military and security services, and enable them to carry out their tasks in the fight against terrorism.

Hariri said that the takeover of Arsal by Syrian militants was an “unprecedented terrorist attack” that captured the town, taking Army and ISF personnel hostage.

“This is not a brief security event like the events that have taken place in other Lebanese areas. It is a curse inflicted on Lebanon ... terrorism is a cancer threatening not only the very existence of Lebanon but also the whole region with chaos and strife,” the Future Movement leader said.

Hariri said that only national unity could protect Lebanon, adding that it could not be sacrificed for the benefit of foreign projects that aimed to bring chaos into Lebanon or link it to external conflicts.

“Our unity is the sharpest weapon,” he said.

Commenting on events in Arsal, Hariri stressed that negotiating with militants was necessary to secure the release of captured Army soldiers and ISF officers, stressing that the militants should pull out from the town. “This negotiation is necessary because there are missing soldiers in the hands of the terrorists. We want to save the town of Arsal and return the military captives to their families. Therefore, it is necessary to negotiate, knowing that negotiations took place for a number of journalists who were held by ISIS, and there are Christian men of religion and other persons abducted by this terrorist organization,” he said.

The former premier reiterated that Hezbollah’s military role in the Syrian civil war resulted in the retaliatory action taken by the militants in Arsal along with car bomb attacks which targeted the Beirut southern suburbs and other parts of the country over the past year.

“As for what happened in Arsal, there is no doubt that the entry of Hezbollah into the Syrian arena and its participation in the fighting in Syria led to very bad reactions from the Lebanese and the rebels in Syria,” Hariri said. “We always said that the repercussions will be on the Lebanese, and we witnessed explosions in Tripoli, Beirut’s suburbs and all across Lebanese territories.”

“It was a crime for Hezbollah to go and fight in Syria, and when terrorists came to Arsal and attacked the Lebanese Army, this was a crime as well,” he said.

Tripoli explosion near Army post kills civilian

At least 11 wounded in Tripoli attack

At least 10 civilians were wounded Thursday after a homemade bomb was tossed under the al-Khanaq bridge in Lebanon's...

Militants begin withdrawal from Arsal

ARSAL, Lebanon: The conflagration in Arsal appeared close to a conclusion Wednesday as militants began their withdrawal under a cease-fire agreement with the Lebanese Army that came after a four-day siege aimed at liberating the northeastern border town.

Fighters who pledge allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria, an Al-Qaeda splinter group, agreed to leave Arsal and head back into the mountainous outskirts near the Syrian frontier by 7 p.m. Thursday, in a deal brokered by mediators from the Committee of Muslim Scholars, a security source told The Daily Star.

But angry protesters blocked roads in the Bekaa Valley, the north and Beirut Wednesday evening on the call of the committee, accusing the Army of violating the agreement by shelling militants in Arsal.

The protests also came after residents of the village of Labweh prevented an aid convoy from entering Arsal under the pretext that it would fall in the hands of ISIS militants.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Sheikh Adnan Amama, a member of the committee, said that roads would only be opened when aid was delivered to Arsal, the wounded civilians evacuated and the Army stopped shelling the town. The Army stresses that it is adhering to the agreement and only responding to fire targeting its positions.

Maj. Gen. Mohammad Kheir, the secretary-general of the Higher Relief Committee, said the group was ready to deliver aid to Arsal as of Thursday morning. He said that the process would take place under the instructions of Prime Minister Tammam Salam and in coordination with the Army.

A military source confirmed that some militants withdrew from Arsal Wednesday evening.

In return, the armed groups demanded assurances by the Army that Syrian refugees in Arsal would be safe from any “revenge” attacks after their withdrawal, according to the source.

“Today we began resolving the issue,” the committee announced at a news conference in the town of Ras Baalbek, a few kilometers away from Arsal. “We can reach happy conclusions if things continue as they are.”

At the news conference, committee sheikhs confirmed the terms of the agreement, announcing that the militants had pledged not to harm captured soldiers and promised to turn them over, adding that Syrian and Lebanese civilians were a “red line” that would not be harmed after the withdrawal.

The announcement came as the Army appeared to tighten the noose further on the militants, who launched a surprise, coordinated offensive Saturday to occupy the town, which supports the Syrian opposition fighting the regime of President Bashar Assad.

It also came as former Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced a $1 billion pledge from Saudi Arabia to improve the capabilities of the Lebanese military in the battle against terrorism.

After reaching the agreement, the sheikhs who negotiated it left the town with three released Army soldiers. The men were identified as Bilal Ezzeddine, Wassim al-Hujeiri and a man from the Obeid family from Sir Dinnieh.

There are now 17 ISF personnel and 10 Army soldiers held by the militants in Arsal, according to the Committee of Muslim Scholars.

A security source told The Daily Star that three additional Army soldiers were released Tuesday, but no announcement was made at the time.

A cautious calm prevailed in Arsal during the day despite heavy battles between the Lebanese Army and ISIS militants Wednesday before the truce was announced.

Militants fired on cars and lightly wounded a woman as she attempted to flee with her family from the besieged town.

Footage released by Al-Jadeed TV showed veiled militants in Arsal taking part in the battles and chanting Islamist slogans.

Some families left their homes to find food and other necessities at the few shops that opened their doors during the day.

Sources said the gunbattles pitted Lebanese troops against jihadists, particularly those groups loyal to Imad Jomaa, the Syrian national whose arrest by the Lebanese Army over the weekend triggered the battle in Arsal.

Jomaa had been a member of the Nusra Front until he recently pledged allegiance to ISIS, the sources said.

Several local officials as well as security sources confirmed that the majority of Islamist militants from the Nusra Front withdrew from the Bekaa Valley hamlet overnight.

The armed groups were split over attempts to end the fighting. While Nusra Front wanted to leave Arsal and move to the outskirts, ISIS insisted on staying to continue fighting the Army, the sources said.

The conflict between the militant factions is a new development that threw a wrench into cease-fire negotiations, since jihadist factions in the area had generally cooperated in recent weeks as they sought to fight what they saw as a common enemy in the Lebanese Army and Hezbollah. The two were reportedly planning a coordinated offensive against militants based in the hills surrounding Arsal.

A delegation from the committee had negotiated an ill-fated cease-fire Tuesday, which was breached by an attack on an Army base in the evening.

“It is important to keep working on this [cease-fire] initiative because it is the only solution that could end the bloodshed, particularly of innocent civilians,” said head of the committee Sheikh Malek Jdeideh.

The death toll from the Arsal clashes stands at 17 soldiers, 50 militants and 12 civilians, according to a security source.

Salam: Lebanon not alone in fight against terror

BEIRUT: Prime Minister Tammam Salam released a statement Wednesday, condemning the loss of Lebanese lives during clashes in Arsal, lauding local and regional efforts to stand by Lebanon during the critical phase.

Salam made reassurances that “ Lebanon is not alone... in its struggle against terrorist attacks that have taken valuable Lebanese blood and kept a dear area hostage in the hands of militants.”

The prime minister said that fighting terrorism, which he added is not tolerated by Islam, was a means to support religious coexistence and commit to moderation.

Salam lauded former Prime Minister Saad Hariri for his “brave national stand” since the crisis started, hailing his attempts to achieve national consensus during the critical phase.

Salam, on behalf of the Lebanese government and the Lebanese people, thanked Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah for his generous donation of $1 billion to the Lebanese Army earlier today.

“We consider that this generous donation... is further evidence of the king’s full support for the Lebanese state and his desire to strengthen its institutions” said the statement.

A clash emerged Saturday in Arsal, an eastern town bordering Syria, after militants from groups fighting in Syria attacked Army bases attempting to take over the mostly Sunni-village.

Confrontations have continued despite truce attempts, killing 17 Army soldiers and at least 12 civilians.

A preliminary cease-fire was breached by an assault on the Army Wednesday, prompting the latter to resume its military campaign against the extremist jihadists.

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Arsal refugees demonstrate demanding an end to violence

BEIRUT: Dozens residents who fled devastated Arsal held a demonstration Wednesday in Beirut to express solidarity with their relatives who couldn't flee, and called for a political solution to end the violence and allow humanitarian aid to reach the town.

“We came to tell the friends and relatives from Arsal that we are here for you,” said one of the demonstrators, who added she had fled the town due to her pregnancy.

“We do not care if the state negotiates with what they are calling terrorists, said Salam Fleity, another participant who fled with her family Tuesday night. “What we care about is that they end the battle and save innocent civilians’ lives.”

Fleity told The Daily Star about a “humanitarian crisis” in the town, saying people were deprived of electricity and mobile networks, and that families have little to no chance of getting bread and water so long as the clashes continue.

A convoy carrying vital humanitarian supplies for thousands of needy people had left Chtaura earlier Wednesday to head to Arsal, the first aid convoy since the fighting broke out five days ago.

Another participant in the demonstration, who chose to speak anonymously, said only eight percent of Arsal’s people were able to flee. The rest, he said, are subject to continuous bombardment from “unknown sides or places.”

Many of the participants demonstrators accused Hezbollah of participating in the conflict, with one of them saying to the press that “ Hezbollah has moved the battle to Arsal in revenge for their losses in Qalamoun.”

He said that rockets from nearby Hezbollah-controlled villages have been falling on Arsal, specifying the towns of Labweh, Nabi Osman, Al-Zeereh and Harbata.

While most demonstrators said the Islamist militants were not assaulting civilians - blaming Hezbollah for the civilian deaths - a voice among the crowd raised her voice in dissent.

Carrying her two-year-old grandson in her right hand, a woman in her fifties said she was shocked to find out that her shop in Arsal, which she had rented to a Syrian national, was used during the recent clashes as an arms stock for the militants.

“Yes it’s true that they are robbing homes and attacking people,” she added talking to The Daily Star. “But what can we do to them? If you say anything wrong you’ll receive a bullet.”

The battle in Arsal between the Army and militants entered its fifth day Wednesday, after the failure of a cease-fire that was negotiated by the Muslim Scholars Committee. The ill-fated 24-hour truce lasted for 3 hours only, and was reportedly breached by an armed attack on soldiers Tuesday night.

Several local officials, as well as security sources, confirmed that the majority of Islamist militants from the Nusra Front withdrew from Arsal overnight. However, according to the sources, fighters belonging to the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria insisted on staying to continue fighting the Army.

The sources said that Imad Jomaa, the arrest of whom prompted the armed attacks on the Army, was a Nusra Front leader until recently pledging allegiance to ISIS.

A total of 38 security forces - 22 soldiers and 19 policemen from the Internal Security Forces - were missing after jihadists from Syria overran Arsal on Saturday. Three members of the Internal Security Forces were handed over Tuesday.

Asia stocks fall on Russia-Ukraine concerns

MUMBAI, India -- Worries over Russian troops amassing near the Ukraine border sent most Asian stock markets lower Wednesday.

KEEPING SCORE: Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 1.1 percent to 15,159.79 and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong lost 0.5 percent to 24,533.84. The Kospi in Seoul shed 0.3 percent to 2,060.73 and China's Shanghai Composite gave up 0.1 percent to 2,217.24. Markets in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Australia and India also lost ground.

UKRAINE JITTERS: Asian traders were following the lead of Wall Street, which dropped after news reports of a buildup of Russian troops on the Ukraine border and comments from a Polish politician who said Russia is poised to invade or militarily pressure Ukraine's eastern border. The developments come after the most recent round of sanctions imposed on Russia by the U.S. and Europe. Russia has reportedly called for a meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

ANALYST TAKE: Evan Lucas, market strategist at IG in Melbourne, Australia said if Russia increases its presence in eastern Ukraine, then "buyers of all things risk will disappear fast as this is an undefinable event with an undefinable outcome for markets." Energy stocks in particular have been hard hit and this will be the industry to "watch over the next few days as more information flows out of Europe around Russian military positioning."

EYES ON OIL: Benchmark U.S. crude for September delivery was up 15 cents to $97.54 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. With winter a few months away, Europe's recovering economy remains dependent on Russian natural gas for heat and electricity. Germany imports nearly all its natural gas from Russia, and France also gets a significant amount of its energy needs from Russia. "Europe's economy is far more exposed to Russia than the U.S.," said Randy Frederick, a managing director at Charles Schwab.

WALL STREET: The Dow lost 139.81 points, or 0.8 percent, to 16,429.47, the lowest level for the index since mid-May. The Standard & Poor's 500 lost 18.78 points, or 1 percent, to 1,920.21 and the Nasdaq composite fell 31.05 points, or 0.7 percent, to 4,352.84.

CURRENCIES: The dollar fell to 102.51 Japanese yen from 102.61 late Tuesday. The euro dipped to $1.3368 from $1.3371.

$19.5M Calcasieu River dredging contract awarded

WESTLAKE, La. -- The Pentagon says a Westlake company has won a $19.5 million contract for maintenance dredging in Calcasieu and Cameron parishes.

According to a list of contracts awarded Tuesday, Mike Hooks Inc. made one of three bids to the Army Corps of Engineers in New Orleans.

The dredging includes the Calcasieu River and pass from mile 5 to mile 15, Sabine Unit 1A, and Devil's Elbow.

State touts college savings program tutorial

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- State Treasurer David H. Lillard Jr. has presented the Anderson County school system with a $2,000 check for getting parents to complete an online tutorial about the importance of saving for college.

School officials received the money in exchange for getting parents of children who attend their schools to participate in the tutorial.

The tutorial provides information about the TNStars 529 College Savings Program.

People who open accounts with TNStars can choose from different investment options ranging from conservative to aggressive. Taxes are not paid on investment earnings as long as that money is used for qualified higher education expenses.

The promotion with Anderson County schools was part of a pilot project that the state Treasury Department plans to offer at other school systems across the state.

German factory orders decrease in June

BERLIN -- German factory orders were down in June compared to the previous month due to a decrease of large orders.

The Federal Statistics Office said Wednesday that industrial orders were 3.2 percent lower than in May, when they also fell by 1.6 percent.

Orders from inside Germany dropped 1.9 percent and those from countries outside the euro zone fell by 4.1 percent.

New orders from other countries in the 18-nation Eurozone fell by 10.4 percent.

The Federal Statistics Office said that geopolitical developments and risks were a likely cause for the decrease in new orders and that they expected only moderate development in the coming months.

Omega Protein Corp adding equipment in Abbeville

ABBEVILLE, La. -- Omega Protein Corp. says it's adding a new steam dryer and cooling tower to increase peak processing ability at its plant in Abbeville.

The plant's general manager, Al Vidrine, says the Abbeville plant has been the company's most productive facility along the Gulf of Mexico, with big catches and excellent yields of oil.

The plant has been open for nearly 50 years and employs about 300 people.

Company president and CEO Bret Scholtes says the project will modernize the plant and shows commitment to Omega's Gulf Coast fishing operations and employees.

The Houston-based company's news release Tuesday did not say how much it's spending on the equipment.

The project is expected to be completed in time for the start of the 2015 fishing season.

US companies falling behind as Africa surges

WASHINGTON -- As Africa's economy rises, American businesses are at risk of being left behind.

"We are missing the boat" was the sour warning former President Bill Clinton issued Tuesday at an otherwise upbeat U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit here.

Sub-Saharan Africa has enjoyed nearly 6 percent annual economic growth for the past decade. And the robust expansion is expected to endure through the decade. Ernst & Young calls Africa the world's second-most attractive market for investment behind North America.

Yet as Africa gains momentum, American business activity there has all but stalled. U.S. direct investment in Africa essentially flat-lined between 2010 and 2012, according to United Nations numbers crunched by the Brookings Institution.

Over the same period, China (with investment up 68 percent) and the European Union (up 8 percent) poured money into a region they see as rich with natural resources and economic potential. U.S. corporate profits in Africa fell in 2013 for a second straight year.

"We have some catching up to do," former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday. "We are letting Europe and China go faster than us."

Africa specialists complain that many American individuals and companies hold an outdated view of the region as a war-ridden disaster zone.

"It perhaps collects more eyeballs and sells more newspapers to talk about conflicts and war and famine," said Paul Sullivan, director of international business development at Acrow Bridge, a New Jersey firm that builds bridges in Africa. "There's a real perception deficit on the part of Western thinkers, particularly in the United States."

Jennifer Cooke, director of the Africa program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, argues: "Generally, the U.S. private sector has been risk-averse. There's easier territory than Africa."

Chinese companies, by contrast, seem to be everywhere in Africa. The off-shore oil company CNOOC has invested $2 billion in a Ugandan oil field. Chinese operate supermarkets and mines. A Chinese construction company is building Uganda's first expressway with a loan from Chinese bank.

Some African leaders say the Chinese are more attuned than Americans to the region's norms and sensibilities. Critics counter that a more decisive factor is that Chinese companies aren't put off by bribes and kickbacks, while American firms must comply with a U.S. anti-corruption law.

"Chinese companies are thus beating out U.S. firms, contributing to the rapid ascendancy of China on the African continent," says Andy Spalding, who studies corruption at the University of Richmond School of Law. China's growing influence, he says, is "exacerbating Africa's corruption problem."

In what sounded like a dig at China, Vice President Joe Biden noted at the summit that it's hard to compete for business fairly "when others cut corners."

U.S. businesses also complain that they don't get much help from Washington when they need advice, contacts and financing to crack the African market. European and Chinese diplomats put a priority on helping their country's businesses gain access to Africa. By contrast, the U.S. Commerce Department has a mere 35 overwhelmed commercial trade officers scattered across Africa.

"The U.S. has not been there in the commercial, economic way China has been there." Cooke says. "We've lost leverage."

And commercial officers can make a difference, business executives say.

"We don't walk into a room like GE or Boeing and are automatically known; we depend on economic diplomacy," says Acrow's Sullivan. "These are extremely sophisticated public servants who are sensitive to local conditions. They know how to guide U.S. companies."

Sullivan says a commercial officer in Ghana helped Acrow break into the market there.

On Tuesday, Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker announced plans to open commercial offices in Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Tanzania and to expand existing offices in Ghana, Kenya, Libya and Morocco.

"The time to do business in Africa is no longer five years away," Pritzker said. "The time to do business there is now."

AP Writer Rodney Muhumuza contributed to this report from Kampala, Uganda.

Large numbers of militants withdraw from Arsal: official

ARSAL, Lebanon: A large number of Islamist militants withdrew overnight from the embattled northeastern town of Arsal as mediation efforts continued to end the fighting with the Lebanese Army, a Future Movement official said Wednesday.

“About 50 percent of the gunmen had pulled out,” Arsal’s Future Movement official Bakr Hujeiri told The Daily Star.

He said negotiations were ongoing toward a complete withdrawal and the handover of Lebanese soldiers held captive by the militants.

A total of 22 soldiers were reportedly missing after jihadists from Syrian overran Arsal on Saturday. Three were handed over Tuesday.

According to a security source, there is a decent chance that some abducted soldiers will be released Wednesday.

The Committee of Muslim Scholars, who are continuing their mediation efforts, underlined the need for a negotiated truce.

"It is important to keep working on this [cease-fire] initiative because it is the only solution that could end the bloodshed, particularly of innocent civilians,” head of the Muslim Scholars Committee Sheikh Salem Jdeideh said after visiting fellow member Sheikh Salem Rafei at hospital.

Rafei and two other members of the Scholars Committee were wounded when their vehicle came under attack as they entered Arsal Monday night to negotiate a truce.

Rafei, however, was taken to hospital in the northern city of Tripoli Tuesday after the wound in his leg became infected.

Other members of the scholars committee will reportedly join Sheikh Nabih al-Halabi in Arsal Wednesday to resume mediation efforts.

Clashes between jihadists and Lebanese troops raged until the early morning hours in the border Bekaa Valley town after militants targeted several military posts, shattering a temporary cease-fire mediated by the Muslim Scholars.

Security sources said machine gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades were used in the fighting which dwindled at daybreak.

Lebanese Army fired artillery shells to repel militant attacks, the sources told The Daily Star.

The Muslim Scholars informed the government that gunmen would withdraw from Arsal at dawn Wednesday.

However, the armed groups were split over attempts to end the fighting. While some groups wanted to leave Arsal and move to the outskirts, others insisted on staying to continue fighting the Army, the source said.

Sheikh Mohammad Hujeiri, who is following up on mediation efforts, accused Hezbollah of hindering the militants’ withdrawal.

“Gunmen were preparing to pull out, but their mission was obstructed when Hezbollah, backed the Lebanese Army, shelled the town,” Hujeiri told The Daily Star.

He said the jihadists expressed willingness to withdraw once a cease-fire goes into effect.

The Lebanese Army agreed to a 24-hour humanitarian cease-fire to allow the evacuation of wounded civilians from Arsal and support ongoing efforts to release kidnapped soldiers held by Islamist militants.

The cease-fire, which lasted nearly three hours, allowed Lebanese Red Cross ambulances to enter the town and transport wounded civilians to nearby hospitals, sources in Arsal told The Daily Star.

The death toll from five days of fighting in and around Arsal stood at 17 soldiers killed, 50 militants and 12 civilians according to a security source.