Aoun: Hezbollah-Future dialogue not my business

BEIRUT: Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun said the long-awaited dialogue between the leaders of Hezbollah and the Future Movement was of no concern to him.

“I’m not interested in the dialogue between the Future Movement and Hezbollah as long as I’m not invited,” Aoun said in remarks published Thursday by local newspaper Al-Akhbar.

“I will watch and observe,” he said of the dialogue which is expected to take place this month.

Aoun said the Hezbollah-Future dialogue aims to defuse Sunni-Shiite tension and not designed to tackle key issues facing Lebanon, such as the presidential election or a new electoral law.

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Lebanon declares open-ended war with jihadi militants

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi has declared an open-ended war with Islamist militants on the Syria border after seven soldiers were killed in recent attacks.

“Our battle with terrorism and terrorists is an open-ended war, and we expect it to be a war of attrition, especially after we penetrated deep into the outskirts and remote zones,” Kahwagi said in comments published Thursday by local daily An-Nahar.

Kahwagi indicated that Islamist extremist groups – ISIS and Nusra Front – had been shaken up by the Army’s “pre-emptive strikes.”

“It the terrorists are now responding to the Army’s pre-emptive strikes against them, these strikes were many and there will be more and consistent pre-emptive strikes,” Kahwagi warned the jihadists.

Kahwagi, however, evaded a direct response when asked whether the militants’ recent deadly attacks against the Lebanese Army were linked to the arrest of Saja Dulaimi, the ex-wife of ISIS leader Abu Bakr Baghdadi.

"The woman was arrested 15 days ago after intense monitoring that began two months ago; and our goal was to confirm her identity."

Kahwagi also would not link recent attacks against the Army in northeast Lebanon to Dulaimi’s detention.

"Terrorist organizations are not a classical army and we except everything from this enemy,” he said, adding that the Army had dealt several hard blows to jihadists.

Kahwagi vowed that the Army strikes against extremist militants will continue “until they are defeated no matter how long.”

“We are not weak at all. We are strong. We are troopers. For each blow we receive we respond with 100 blows. We will defeat them no matter the sacrifices.”

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Future-Hezbollah dialogue on front burner, expected this month

BEIRUT: Preparations have been stepped up to launch a long-awaited dialogue between the Future Movement and Hezbollah deemed essential for easing Sunni-Shiite tensions and facilitating the election of a consensus president.

Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk Wednesday joined Speaker Nabih Berri and lawmakers from the two rival parties in voicing optimism about the outcome of the talks between the Future Movement and Hezbollah, whose strained ties have heightened political and sectarian tensions and sometimes put the country on edge.

Berri was quoted by MPs who saw him during his weekly meeting with lawmakers in Ain al-Tineh as saying that the dialogue he has been seeking between Hezbollah and the Future Movement was on the right path.

“Matters are headed toward preparatory steps to start it [dialogue],” Berri said.

Machnouk, a key figure in the Future Movement, said he was optimistic about the outcome of the dialogue, adding that this dialogue should be given “a real chance.”

“The dialogue with Hezbollah will produce results. This dialogue can protect a minimum of national unity,” Machnouk said in an interview with MTV station Wednesday night. He said national unity was needed to face challenges of the next stage.

Machnouk said the first topics on the dialogue agenda are the prevention of sectarian strife in Lebanon and the possibility of reaching an understanding on “a consensus president.” He said he was hopeful about the election of a new president in the first six months of next year.

Hezbollah MP Nawar Saheli told MTV after meeting Berri: “I am optimistic [about the dialogue]. We have always extended our hand for dialogue and we are not setting any preconditions.” He said he expected talks between the two parties to begin soon.

MP Qassem Hashem from Berri’s parliamentary bloc also voiced optimism about the results of the planned Future-Hezbollah dialogue which he expected to begin in the first half of this month.

“The dialogue will have a positive impact, reduce tensions and open the door to a serious national debate over all divisive issues,” Hashem told the Voice of Lebanon radio station.

Future MP Ammar Houri said the dialogue with Hezbollah has entered “the phase of technical preparations in order to ensure its success.”

“The results of the dialogue depended on the conviction of everyone of the need to ensure its success by approaching it with objective and logical expectations,” he told the Voice of Lebanon radio station.

Houri said the proposed dialogue stood a good chance of success if the two parties agreed that the situation in Lebanon was serious due to the turmoil in the region and that the vacancy in the presidency seat was a grave development. In a development signaling a speeding up of the dialogue process, Nader Hariri, chief of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s staff, met Tuesday with Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil, a political aide to Berri, to discuss agenda proposals for the Future-Hezbollah talks.

Nader Hariri and Future MP Jamal Jarrah will represent their party in the dialogue, while Hezbollah will be represented by Hussein Khalil, a political aide to Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, and a party lawmaker.

Meanwhile, the Council of Maronite Bishops slammed lawmakers for failing to elect a president over the past six months while they showed up in Parliament on Nov. 5 to extend their mandate for two years and seven months.

“The bishops are surprised that Parliament had been able to renew its mandate in violation of the Constitution and the democratic system, and at the same time failed to elect a president contrary to what is stipulated by the Constitution,” said a statement issued at the end of the bishops’ monthly meeting, chaired by Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai in Bkirki.

“Is the danger of the vacancy in the presidency seat less serious than that of a Parliament vacuum?” the bishops asked.

They reiterated their call on lawmakers to respect the Constitution and elect a president rather than wait for “regional and international signals or a Christian consensus.”

Machnouk says girl in custody is Baghdadi’s daughter

BEIRUT: Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk said Wednesday that DNA samples of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had been matched with one of the three children who are currently being held by Lebanese authorities, suspected of being related to the jihadi chief.

Machnouk said DNA samples, which were sent over by Iraqi authorities earlier this week, matched samples taken from three children who were detained alongside Saja Hamid al-Dulaimi, Baghdadi’s ex-wife.

Machnouk revealed that Dulaimi had married Baghdadi for three months six years ago and they had a daughter together. The ISIS leader’s DNA matched with that of Dulaimi’s daughter, Machnouk said.

The DNA tests taken from Dulaimi also proved that she was the mother of the three children – one girl and two boys, a source in the investigation told The Daily Star.

Machnouk said the two boys and the girl were not incarcerated but were rather staying at a specialized care center. Dulaimi was detained as she has links with jihadi groups.

Dulaimi is currently married to a Palestinian, according to Machnouk.

However, Iraq’s Interior Ministry said that the woman detained by Lebanese authorities was not the wife of ISIS leader Baghdadi, but the sister of a man convicted of bombings in southern Iraq.“The one detained by Lebanese authorities was Saja Abdul Hamid al-Dulaimi, sister of Omar Abdul Hamid al-Dulaimi, who has been detained by authorities and sentenced to death for his participation in ... explosions,” ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Saad Maan said.

“The wives of the terrorist Baghdadi are Asmaa Fawzi Mohammad al-Dulaimi and Esraa Rajab Mahel al-Qaisi, and there is no wife in the name of Saja al-Dulaimi,” he said.

According to The Daily Star’s source, the Iraqi statement was based on the fact that official records did not list Dulaimi as one of Baghdadi’s wives

Dulami was detained in north Lebanon after she was found to have a fake passport, officials said. Investigators are questioning her at the Lebanese Defense Ministry.

Army ready to confront militants

BAALBEK, Lebanon: The Lebanese Army is in “good situation” and ready to confront terrorist groups on the frontier with Syria, a senior military source told The Daily Star Wednesday, one day after six soldiers were slain in an ambush by Islamist militants on the northeastern border.

The source’s remarks also came hours after a seventh soldier was killed and two others wounded while trying to dismantle a bomb on the outskirts of Arsal.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said that the Army had its own plan to confront the militants holed up in the northeastern mountainous region, describing the military’s situation as “good.”

“We are ready, but you know it is difficult to know of an ambush ahead of time,” the source said.

The six soldiers were killed when their vehicle was ambushed on the outskirts of Ras Baalbek, northeast Lebanon. The affiliations of the militants were not immediately known. But the Army has routinely clashed with jihadi militants from both the Nusra Front and ISIS on the eastern and northeastern border.

Security sources told The Daily Star that the Army raided the site of Tuesday’s attack and arrested more than 10 militants who were said to be of Lebanese and Syrian nationalities. But the source denied that the military had made any arrests.

Earlier Wednesday, the Army, backed by airborne forces, fired artillery shells at militant hideouts along the Syrian border near the area.

Also Wednesday, the Army said that Adjutant Mahmoud Noureddine was killed and two other soldiers wounded as they approached a bomb to dismantle it on the outskirts of Arsal. A military statement said that the wounds of the two soldiers were not serious.

Meanwhile, grief and pain gripped residents in the north and the Bekaa Valley, where the six slain soldiers were laid to rest in their respective villages.

Mourners opened fire in the air in an expression of sorrow as they received the body of Mohammad Sleiman in his Tripoli neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen.

“Welcome martyr! I am celebrating his wedding day today,” Sleiman’s bereaved mother said, as she kissed his military uniform and boots.

Thousands also took part in the funeral of Ali Mohammad, who was buried in the Akkar village of Hadsheet. Rabih Hoda was laid to rest in his village of Ayyat in the same qada.

Similar feelings were evident in the Bekaa Valley, where residents of the Zahle village of Ali al-Nahri buried soldier Mashhad Sharafeddine.

The funeral of soldier Ali Yazbek was held in the village of Hosh al-Rafqa, while Mohammad Sleem was laid to rest in Boudai.

Politicians from across the political spectrum condemned Tuesday’s attack and expressed their full solidarity with the Army.

MPs attending the weekly meeting of Speaker Nabih Berri with lawmakers quoted him as strongly denouncing the ambush, highlighting the need to equip the Army with everything it needed. Berri called on the Lebanese to embrace the Army in its battle against terrorism, stressing that the military was protecting the country and preserving its stability. Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri telephoned Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi to extend his condolences and express his firm support for the Lebanese Army in its bid to crush the terrorists.

Hezbollah MP Hussein Musawi slammed the attack, saying that it targeted all the Lebanese.

In a statement, Musawi called for the Army to be given full backing while it pursued militants violating the sovereignty of Lebanese border villages and committing massacres.

He said that rejecting military aid for the Army from friendly states was an unforgivable crime against the nation, a reference to a controversial offer of Iranian assistance that the Lebanese government has not yet accepted.

Defense Minister Samir Moqbel also mourned the loss of the seven soldiers.

According to Moqbel, the militants resorted to “this dishonorable and cowardly method after experiencing the strength, toughness and determination of the Army.”

Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian stressed that the attack against the Army was an aggression against all of Lebanon.

In comments made in Cairo, where he is attending a conference, Derian said: “The Lebanese Army is the country’s security valve, and any targeting of its members is a criminal and terrorist act that is not approved by any religion.”

U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly joined in the condemnations of the attack.

According to a statement released by his press office, Plumbly paid tribute to the determination and dedication shown by the Lebanese Army in its efforts to maintain security and stability, and underlined the commitment of the U.N. and the international community to support the Army.

The French Foreign Ministry also condemned the attack, repeating its support for Lebanon and its institutions.

Lebanese Forces MP Fadi Karam said that terrorists would fail to prove that the Lebanese Army was unable to protect Lebanon’s borders and MP Talal Arslan also said the Army should receive unconditional support from all the Lebanese.

Separately, Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk said that winning the freedom of at least 26 servicemen captured by ISIS and the Nusra Front was not happening anytime soon.

“This is an issue that will require a lot of time and will not be resolved soon,” Machnouk said during an interview with MTV television station.

The minister said that Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, the head of the General Security, was officially handling negotiations to release the security personnel.

“There are also negotiations carried out by Health Minister Wael Abu Faour. Nobody else [other than these two] is involved in the negotiations and this issue is being followed upon closely,” he said.

Machnouk said that security services were coordinating on a daily basis over the case, adding that a Syrian mediator appointed by Qatar was still carrying out his job.

Machnouk confirmed that fugitive Shadi Mawlawi, an Islamist who fought deadly battles against the Army in Tripoli in October, had fled to the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh in Sidon.

Army ready to confront militants

BAALBEK, Lebanon: The Lebanese Army is in “good situation” and ready to confront terrorist groups on the frontier with Syria, a senior military source told The Daily Star Wednesday, one day after six soldiers were slain in an ambush by Islamist militants on the northeastern border.

The source’s remarks also came hours after a seventh soldier was killed and two others wounded while trying to dismantle a bomb on the outskirts of Arsal.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said that the Army had its own plan to confront the militants holed up in the northeastern mountainous region, describing the military’s situation as “good.”

“We are ready, but you know it is difficult to know of an ambush ahead of time,” the source said.

The six soldiers were killed when their vehicle was ambushed on the outskirts of Ras Baalbek, northeast Lebanon. The affiliations of the militants were not immediately known. But the Army has routinely clashed with jihadi militants from both the Nusra Front and ISIS on the eastern and northeastern border.

Security sources told The Daily Star that the Army raided the site of Tuesday’s attack and arrested more than 10 militants who were said to be of Lebanese and Syrian nationalities. But the source denied that the military had made any arrests.

Earlier Wednesday, the Army, backed by airborne forces, fired artillery shells at militant hideouts along the Syrian border near the area.

Also Wednesday, the Army said that Adjutant Mahmoud Noureddine was killed and two other soldiers wounded as they approached a bomb to dismantle it on the outskirts of Arsal. A military statement said that the wounds of the two soldiers were not serious.

Meanwhile, grief and pain gripped residents in the north and the Bekaa Valley, where the six slain soldiers were laid to rest in their respective villages.

Mourners opened fire in the air in an expression of sorrow as they received the body of Mohammad Sleiman in his Tripoli neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen.

“Welcome martyr! I am celebrating his wedding day today,” Sleiman’s bereaved mother said, as she kissed his military uniform and boots.

Thousands also took part in the funeral of Ali Mohammad, who was buried in the Akkar village of Hadsheet. Rabih Hoda was laid to rest in his village of Ayyat in the same qada.

Similar feelings were evident in the Bekaa Valley, where residents of the Zahle village of Ali al-Nahri buried soldier Mashhad Sharafeddine.

The funeral of soldier Ali Yazbek was held in the village of Hosh al-Rafqa, while Mohammad Sleem was laid to rest in Boudai.

Politicians from across the political spectrum condemned Tuesday’s attack and expressed their full solidarity with the Army.

MPs attending the weekly meeting of Speaker Nabih Berri with lawmakers quoted him as strongly denouncing the ambush, highlighting the need to equip the Army with everything it needed. Berri called on the Lebanese to embrace the Army in its battle against terrorism, stressing that the military was protecting the country and preserving its stability. Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri telephoned Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi to extend his condolences and express his firm support for the Lebanese Army in its bid to crush the terrorists.

Hezbollah MP Hussein Musawi slammed the attack, saying that it targeted all the Lebanese.

In a statement, Musawi called for the Army to be given full backing while it pursued militants violating the sovereignty of Lebanese border villages and committing massacres.

He said that rejecting military aid for the Army from friendly states was an unforgivable crime against the nation, a reference to a controversial offer of Iranian assistance that the Lebanese government has not yet accepted.

Defense Minister Samir Moqbel also mourned the loss of the seven soldiers.

According to Moqbel, the militants resorted to “this dishonorable and cowardly method after experiencing the strength, toughness and determination of the Army.”

Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian stressed that the attack against the Army was an aggression against all of Lebanon.

In comments made in Cairo, where he is attending a conference, Derian said: “The Lebanese Army is the country’s security valve, and any targeting of its members is a criminal and terrorist act that is not approved by any religion.”

U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly joined in the condemnations of the attack.

According to a statement released by his press office, Plumbly paid tribute to the determination and dedication shown by the Lebanese Army in its efforts to maintain security and stability, and underlined the commitment of the U.N. and the international community to support the Army.

The French Foreign Ministry also condemned the attack, repeating its support for Lebanon and its institutions.

Lebanese Forces MP Fadi Karam said that terrorists would fail to prove that the Lebanese Army was unable to protect Lebanon’s borders and MP Talal Arslan also said the Army should receive unconditional support from all the Lebanese.

Separately, Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk said that winning the freedom of at least 26 servicemen captured by ISIS and the Nusra Front was not happening anytime soon.

“This is an issue that will require a lot of time and will not be resolved soon,” Machnouk said during an interview with MTV television station.

The minister said that Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, the head of the General Security, was officially handling negotiations to release the security personnel.

“There are also negotiations carried out by Health Minister Wael Abu Faour. Nobody else [other than these two] is involved in the negotiations and this issue is being followed upon closely,” he said.

Machnouk said that security services were coordinating on a daily basis over the case, adding that a Syrian mediator appointed by Qatar was still carrying out his job.

Machnouk confirmed that fugitive Shadi Mawlawi, an Islamist who fought deadly battles against the Army in Tripoli in October, had fled to the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh in Sidon.

Panel agrees on how to address vote law, but rift lingers on two proposals

BEIRUT: A parliamentary subcommittee tasked with examining a raft of draft electoral laws agreed Wednesday on a mechanism to address the issue on the basis of proportional representation and a winner-takes-all system.

Wednesday’s was the fifth meeting held by the 11-member subcommittee, made up of March 8 and March 14 lawmakers, since MPs from rival blocs extended Parliament’s mandate for two years and seven months on Nov. 5.

Despite five rounds of deliberations, the members remain split over two key electoral proposals.

A proposal presented by MP Ali Bazzi from Speaker Nabih Berri’s parliamentary bloc that calls for electing half of Parliament’s 128 members on the basis of proportional representation and the other half according to the winner-takes-all system.

A counterproposal was put forward by the Future Movement and supported by its Christian ally, the Lebanese Forces, which calls for electing 68 lawmakers on the basis of proportional representation and 60 lawmakers according to the winner-takes-all system.

MP Marwan Hamade, who missed the last two meetings because he was out of Lebanon, attended Wednesday’s session, while Kataeb MP Sami Gemayel did not attend because he was on a trip abroad.

The panel was given a one-month deadline that expires at the end of December to agree on a unified electoral draft law to replace the 1960 system deemed unfair by the Christian community.

“Committee members have agreed on a mechanism to address the electoral issue on the basis of proportional [representation] and a winner-takes-all system,” MP Robert Ghanem, who chaired the subcommittee’s talks, told reporters after the meeting held in Parliament.

Ghanem, the head of the Parliamentary Justice and Administration Committee, said the panel’s talks were based on Berri’s electoral proposal presented by Bazzi which, he said, did not differ much from the draft law submitted by other parliamentary blocs, which calls for electing 68 lawmakers on the basis of proportional representation and 60 lawmakers according to the winner-takes-all system.

According to Ghanem, Hamadeh, who represents MP Walid Jumblatt’s Progressive Socialist Party in the subcommittee, upheld his support for the Future-LF proposal.

“After it has been studied, it turned out that there are no big differences between this [Future-LF] proposal and Speaker Berri’s proposal,” Ghanem said. “Therefore, we said we have made two steps forward pending the next session.”

He added that the subcommittee would meet at 10 a.m. next Wednesday to continue its discussions on a new electoral law.

Ghanem has said the subcommittee was not a decision-making body because the final decision would be made by Parliament’s General Assembly by the end of December.

Hamade told the subcommittee that the PSP supported the Future-LF electoral proposal, which makes the Chouf mountain and the town of Aley one electoral district while retaining Baabda, the Metn, Kesrouan and Jbeil as one district.

However, Berri’s proposal divides Mount Lebanon into two electoral districts: One that includes the Chouf, Aley and Baabda, and the other that includes the Metn, Kesrouan and Jbeil.

When Hamade highlighted the special stature of the Druze community in the Chouf mountain, the Free Patriotic Movement, the Marada Movement and the Tashnag Party raised the special stature of Armenians in Beirut by demanding that the Al-Mudawar area be separated from Bashoura and joined with Ashrafieh, Rmeil and Saifi.

LF MP George Adwan voiced fears that some lawmakers might use the objection of other lawmakers to a new electoral law in order to retain the 1960 system.

MP Alain Aoun from MP Michel Aoun’s FPM linked his party’s agreement to a new electoral law to an interpretation of Article 24 in the Constitution pertaining to equality in parliamentary representation between Muslims and Christians.

Michel Aoun has asked Berri for a Parliament session to interpret Article 24 before discussing any electoral law.

Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad, a subcommittee member, said his party was dealing seriously with attempts to agree on a new electoral law. But he warned against “selectivity” in addressing the special stature of sects “because it would be difficult then to reach an agreement.”

Western diplomats expected to push for presidency vote

Western diplomats are expected to begin a renewed push urging Lebanese political leaders to elect a president, in light of new reports that warn of dramatic developments in Lebanon that could strike at the heart of Lebanese coexistence.

Lebanese political leaders will be urged to prioritize the election of a new president and to decide for themselves on a president without foreign interference.

Diplomats have so far focused on urging Lebanese parties to find a consensus choice for the presidency beyond the current Christian leaders who have declared their candidacy, as well as the importance of “Lebanonizing” the presidential election.

Diplomats say that continuing to link the issue to foreign powers will keep it unresolved amid ongoing changes in the regional scene, prolonging the presidential vacuum and its negative effects on Lebanon.

The Western diplomatic push is linked to French efforts to resolve the presidential crisis. France is seen as being in a good position to handle the crisis, given that other Western powers are engaged in the negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, as well as other crises like Syria and Ukraine.

The upcoming dialogue between the Future Movement and Hezbollah is also expected to open the door to a new opportunity to agree on a consensus president, and there are hopes that such a dialogue could open the door to broader political agreements in conjunction with the resolution of various regional crises.

The diplomatic initiative comes with the understanding that electing a president is necessary to strengthen Lebanon’s political security and stability, since it will allow Lebanese constitutional and political institutions to operate normally once again, allowing the country to face or at least mitigate the impact of regional crises.

Diplomatic sources said that, for the dialogue to occur, Lebanon must avoid the dangers posed by Sunni-Shiite sectarian tension, which has long been exacerbated by regional developments. Diplomats hope that Lebanon will remain stable amid the changes in the regional power balance.

The sources also said that the dialogue between the Future Movement and Hezbollah, and their announcement of a joint vision on the presidential election would put an end to the claim that sectarian tensions are responsible for the failure to elect a president.

Several Western and political sources confirmed that a number of the candidates for the presidency had been visiting Paris, Doha and Riyadh, seeking support for their own bids to become the Lebanese head of state. One of the serious candidates dispatched a former minister to Washington to gauge from leaders in the American administration the possibility of their supporting his candidacy.

It was made clear to the minister that the U.S. did not prefer a specific candidate, and that it would not support one over the other. Senior State Department and National Security officials in the U.S. urged political factions to quickly elect a president, as Washington is primarily interested in retaining Lebanese stability and strengthening the Lebanese Army in its war on terrorism.

The Daily Star learned that Jean-Francois Giroux, the director of the French Foreign Ministry’s Middle East department, held preliminary meetings in Paris with Lebanese politicians ahead of his Tuesday visit to Lebanon, to inform Lebanese officials of France’s intention to push for the presidential election.

Giroux wants a list of candidate names ahead of his visit to Beirut, in which he will seek the opinions of the leaders of Lebanon’s various political blocs.

President Obama Speaks with the Business Roundtable

President Barack Obama delivers remarks and participates in a Q&A during the quarterly meeting of the Business Roundtable at the Business Roundtable Headquarters in Washington, D.C., Dec. 3, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Earlier today, President Obama spoke with Business Roundtable, a group of CEOs of some of the country's leading companies, at an event in Washington, D.C.

The President discussed where our economy and our country stand, as well as the challenges and opportunities ahead:

Around this time six years ago, America’s businesses were shedding about 800,000 jobs per month. Today, our businesses, including some of the most important businesses in the world that are represented here today, have created over 10.6 million new jobs; 56 months of uninterrupted job growth, which is the longest private sector job growth in our history. We just saw the best six-month period of economic growth in over a decade. For the first time in six years, the unemployment rate is under 6 percent.

All told, the United States of America, over the last six years, has put more people back to work than Europe, Japan, and the rest of the advanced world combined. And that's a record for us to build on.

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17 States Sue Obama Over Immigration Actions

Seventeen states, led by Texas, are suing the Obama administration over its recent executive actions on immigration.

"The Constitution prescribes immigration policy be fixed by Congress — not by presidential fiat," Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, the state's governor-elect, said at a news conference in Austin.

Abbott filed a lawsuit today in federal court in the Southern District of Texas. His state is joined in the lawsuit by Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

President Obama's Nov. 20 announcement would shield from deportation up to 5 million people who are in the country illegally. Congressional Republicans said the move essentially killed any prospect of passing comprehensive immigration reform.

In a separate statement, Abbott said that Obama's action "

The Associated Press has more on the lawsuit:

"The lawsuit raises three objections: that Obama violated the 'Take Care Clause' of the U.S. Constitution that limits the scope of presidential power; that the federal government violated rule-making procedures; and that the order will 'exacerbate the humanitarian crisis along the southern border, which will affect increased state investment in law enforcement, health care and education.' "

Potential Presidential Candidates Give Speeches On Foreign Policy

Audio for this story from All Things Considered will be available at approximately 7:00 p.m. ET.

On Wednesday in Washington, D.C., three of many men and women who are talked about as presidential contenders gave foreign policy speeches.

Copyright © 2014 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

Copyright © 2014 NPR. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to NPR. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.

Obama Talks Gas Tax And Visas With Business Leaders

Audio for this story from All Things Considered will be available at approximately 7:00 p.m. ET.

President Obama talked to business leaders about tax reform, clashes on immigration and the potential for a government shutdown on Wednesday.

Copyright © 2014 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

Copyright © 2014 NPR. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to NPR. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.

The White House College Opportunity Day of Action

President Barack Obama, with First Lady Michelle Obama and Bard College student Troy Simon, delivers remarks during the College Opportunity Summit in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building South Court Auditorium, Jan. 16, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

At the beginning of his administration, President Obama set a goal that the U.S. would once again lead the world in college graduates. The President believes that expanding opportunity for more students to enroll and succeed in college is vital to building a strong economy and a strong middle class.

The President has already taken important steps to increase college access, including:

• Increasing Pell scholarships by $1,000 a year


• Creating the American Opportunity Tax Credit, worth up to $10,000 over four years of college


• Limiting student loan payments to 10 percent of income


• Laying out an ambitious agenda to reduce college costs and promote innovation and competition

In January, 140 college presidents and other leaders made commitments to support student success at the first White House College Opportunity Summit. To build upon the success of that summit, on Thursday, December 4, President Obama and the First Lady will join college presidents and other leaders making new commitments to improve degree completion, sustain community collaborations that encourage college-going, train high school counselors as part of the First Lady’s Reach Higher initiative, and produce more STEM graduates with diverse backgrounds.

Here’s how you can participate in the College Opportunity Summit on Thursday, December 4th:

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Following Through After Ferguson

Yesterday, Attorney General Eric Holder sent the following message to the White House email list, giving an update on the Administration's next steps following the events in Ferguson, Missouri.

Didn't get the email? Sign up for email updates here.

Following Michael Brown's tragic death, millions of people across the nation and around the world have focused their attention on unfolding events in Ferguson, both grieving together and making their voices heard.

In recent days, many have been captivated by ongoing developments, anguished emotions, peaceful protests -- and, too often, deeply unfortunate images of unnecessary destruction. And this tragic incident has sparked a necessary, national conversation about the need to ensure trust and build strong relationships between law enforcement officials and the communities they serve.

Events in Ferguson have revealed a deep distrust between a community and its police force. But this reality is not limited to one location. Other communities around this country know this struggle all too well. And it's abundantly clear that every single one of us has a role to play in tackling this problem together, as a nation -- to identify those things that bind us, and to be honest with one another about the things that continue to divide us.

In August, President Obama ordered a review of federal funding and programs that provide equipment to state and local law enforcement agencies. On Monday, the Administration released that review's findings -- and announced key next steps to strengthen the trust in and effectiveness of the policing of our communities.

Learn more about Monday's announcements, and the findings of the Administration's review.

Here are the next steps we're taking:

1. Creating a new task force to promote the expansion of 21st century community-oriented policing.


2. Reforming how the federal government equips local law enforcement, particularly with military-style equipment.


3. Advancing the use of body-worn cameras and promoting proven community policing initiatives.

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President Obama And The Courts: A Shift In Balance

Journalist Jeffrey Toobin notes how Obama's appointees are a new mix of racial minorities, women and gay judges. But some of these courts are hearing suits that could undo some of Obama's priorities.

Announcing the First Class of Climate Action Champions

Deep, persistent drought. Longer, fiercer wildfire seasons. High tides flooding downtowns. Severe storms wreaking havoc. This is the picture from the front lines of climate change — in communities across America.

And as they face these immediate climate crises, cities, towns, counties, and tribes of every size and in every region of the country have stepped up to be part of the solution: identifying their vulnerabilities, cutting carbon pollution, creating jobs by investing in clean energy and energy efficiency, and finding innovative solutions to make their communities and infrastructure more resilient to climate extremes.

Today, in recognition of their strong commitment to the fight against climate change, the Obama administration is naming 16 of these communities as the first class of Climate Action Champions.

Click here for the full list of Climate Action Champions.

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Lebanon marks international day for the disabled

BEIRUT: Lebanon is seeking to improve services provided for people with special needs and physical handicaps as part of a strategy aimed at facilitating their integration in the society and the workforce, officials told a conference marking International Day for Persons with Disabilities Wednesday.

Nawaf Kabbara, representing Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas, said Lebanon introduced legislation on the rights of people with disabilities back in 2000, several years before the U.N. General Assembly approved the international convention for the disabled in 2007.

“Although Lebanon did not ratify the treaty which it had signed then, the government is almost totally bound by its provisions, which are largely reflected in the national legislation,” Kabbara said.

Kabbara unveiled plans to upgrade services offered to the disabled, including increasing availability of “assistance equipment” and improving programs to help integrate them in the society.

The representative of the Union of Lebanese NGOs assisting people with disabilities, Musa Sharafeddine, deplored inadequate services that deprive the disabled from a proper education and freedom of movement.

“There are shortcomings in facilitating the movement of the physically disabled, such as the absence of adequate transportation, infrastructure, roads and sidewalks,” Sharafeddine said.

He also called for a bigger involvement by the Education Ministry in helping disabled students integrate in public schools at a young age through the creation of in-house facilities.

The international day for the disabled was also marked by U.N. agencies, under the theme of Persons with Disabilities in Emergencies.

ESCWA’s Deputy Executive Secretary Nadim Khouri underlined that persons with disabilities were disproportionately affected by man-made conflicts or natural disasters, due to lack of preparedness and difficulties in evacuating.

Khouri noted that the disabled face a mortality rate that is two to four times higher than for the total population in times of crises.

Officials condemn attack as Lebanese soldiers laid to rest

BEIRUT: Politicians from across the political spectrum Wednesday condemned a military ambush that killed six soldiers and wounded one in Ras Baalbek the day before, as the families of the deceased received their loved ones' remains.

A military ceremony was held at Dar al-Salam University Hospital in Baalbek for the martyred soldiers as their bodies were taken out of the hospital ahead of funeral services of three of them in their respective hometowns in east Lebanon.

“We offer our condolences to the Lebanese Army and its leadership, and we stress our rejection of any assault on the military institution and we confirm the need to protect Lebanon,” Justice Minster Ashraf Rifi said, while calling for international support to reinforce the Army’s ability to confront terrorism.

Defense Minister Samir Moqbel also mourned the loss of the six soldiers as well as a military expert, who was killed Wednesday while attempting to dismantle a bomb in the outskirts of Arsal.

According to Moqbel, the militants resorted to “this dishonorable and cowardly method after experiencing the strength, toughness and determination of the Army,” he said.

U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly joined in condemning the attack on the Lebanese Army in Ras Baalbek and expressed his condolences to the families.

According to a statement released by his press office, Plumbly paid tribute to the determination and dedication shown by the Lebanese Army in their efforts to maintain security and stability, and underlined the commitment of the U.N. and the international community to support the Army.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri also stood firm in his support for the Lebanese Army in its war against jihadi militants.

A statement from his office said Hariri “stressed his steadfast support for the Army and legitimate security forces in their missions to confront terrorism no matter the sacrifice.”

For his part, Sheikh Naim Hasan, spiritual leader of the Druze sect, said that “the blood of the martyrs that have fallen proved once again that the military institution has paid and continues to pay substantial sacrifices in protection of the country and its people.”

The Amal Movement’s political bureau also saluted the martyred “heroes” who fell in Tuesday’s attack.

The party called on the Lebanese government to speed up the process of securing the necessary military aid and called on Lebanese political forces to stand in sympathy with the Army.

Earlier Wednesday, a Lebanese soldier was killed and two others were wounded as they approached a bomb to dismantle it on the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal, the military said in a statement.

According to an Army statement released after Tuesday's attack, a military unit was ambushed by a “terrorist group” around 5:10 p.m. during a routine patrol. The ensuing clashes between the Army and militants killed six soldiers and wounded one, the statement added. Militant casualties were not known.

Lebanon's environment minister raises alarm over hazardous medical waste

BEIRUT: Environment Minister Mohammad Machnouk served a firm warning Wednesday to medical institutions over unsafe disposal of their hazardous medical waste after dangerous medical litter were discovered on the coast and mountainous areas.

“The minister urged all facilities that produce medical waste, including hospitals, medical labs and beauty centers, to inform the ministry about any violation of safety rules for the disposal of medical waste,” a ministry statement said.

Machnouk discussed the matter with the head of the Syndicate of Private Hospital Owners, Suleiman Haroun, asking him for the group’s cooperation in ensuring that hospitals abide by the rules of disposing their medical waste in a safe way that does not harm the environment, the statement said.

Machnouk stressed that the ministry would closely monitor how medical facilities and beauty centers were getting rid of their waste, vowing to prosecute any violators.

The statement quoted Haroun as assuring Machnouk that private hospitals were abiding fully by the rules and safety regulations of medical waste disposal, charging, instead, that medical labs and beauty institutes were the ones dumping their waste in the sea and the wild.

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Obama Appoints Too Many Big Donors To Ambassadorships, Critics Say

Audio for this story from Morning Edition will be available at approximately 9:00 a.m. ET.

A couple of big Obama campaign donors were confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday. But this year, there have been some bad performances in confirmation hearings that raise questions about the practice.

Copyright © 2014 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

Copyright © 2014 NPR. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to NPR. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.

Sports Commissioners Absent From Senate Hearing On Domestic Abuse

Audio for this story from Morning Edition will be available at approximately 9:00 a.m. ET.

With domestic violence by sports figures in the news, members of the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on the issue. But not one commissioner — from the NFL, MLB, NBA or NHL — showed up.

Copyright © 2014 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

Copyright © 2014 NPR. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to NPR. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.

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Lebanon drops in annual corruption index

BERUT: Lebanon ranked 136th in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2014, out of 175 countries on the list.

Lebanon scored 27 points in the index, compared with 28 last year. The minor drop in score resulted in the country falling from 127th place in 2013 to 136th in 2014, however. This placed Lebanon alongside Russia, Iran, Cameroon, Kyrgyzstan and Nigeria, and just ahead of Comoros, Uganda and Ukraine.

Based on expert opinions from around the world, the CPI measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption worldwide, and paints an alarming picture, according to Transparency International.

The group said a poor score was likely a “sign of widespread bribery, lack of punishment for corruption and public institutions that don’t respond to citizens’ needs.”

It urged leading financial centers in the EU and U.S. to join with fast-growing economies to stop the corrupt from getting away with it. The G-20, too, needs to prove its global leadership role and prevent money laundering and stop secret companies from masking corruption.

The Middle East and North Africa region had an average score of 38, led by the United Arab Emirates at 70. Europe was the highest scoring region, at 66, followed by the Americas (45) and Asia Pacific (43). The Eastern Europe and Central Asia region and Sub-Saharan Africa both averaged 33.

Within MENA, South Sudan was the lowest ranked at 171, followed by Iraq at 170. Syria's score of 20 placed it at 159th in the ranking.

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Hezbollah-Future dialogue on a hot burner

BEIRUT: Preparations for the proposed dialogue between Future Movement and Hezbollah are almost complete as representatives from the two sides are fine-tuning the agenda of the talks, which might kick off next week at Speaker Nabih Berri’s residence in Ain al-Tineh, daily As-Safir said Wednesday.

The paper quoted Hussein Khalil, the political adviser of Hezbollah’s chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, as saying that “preparatory meetings were almost completed, pending agreement on certain broad headlines and fixing the date of the first session.”

Khalil said he was closely coordinating the preparatory steps with Berri’s aide, Finance Minister Ali Hussein Khalil.

The later has been setting the ground for the dialogue on behalf of Hezbollah with Nader Hariri, the director of the office of Future chief Saad Hariri.

Commenting on the contents of the agenda, Khalil stressed that “Hezbollah supports an unconditional dialogue and is willing to discuss any matter that would reinforce the country’s political stability and security and reactivate its institutions.”

Khalil will be representing Hezbollah in the dialogue, which will be conducted in a first phase through advisers and senior aides. It is not known if Nader Hariri or a Future MP will represent the Sunni movement.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri outlined the main points for the projected dialogue in a TV interview last week, including easing sectarian and political tensions and electing a president of the republic.

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Lebanese Army expert killed as he dismantles bomb

BAALBEK, Lebanon: A Lebanese soldier was killed and three others were wounded Wednesday as they approached to dismantle a bomb in northeast Lebanon, a security source said.

The source said the bomb exploded just as the military bomb disposal squad came within reach of the explosion on a side road in the village of Wadi Ata near the Arsal.

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Salam: Lebanon reconsidering anti-ISIS coalition

BEIRUT: Lebanon will reconsider its decision to join the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS in the light of the outcome of Wednesday’s coalition meeting, according to Prime Minister Tammam Salam.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Wednesday hosts the first high-level meeting of the 60-member coalition in Brussels in an effort to crush ISIS in Iraq and in Syria.

“Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil will examine outcomes of the Brussels meeting in order to take a decision [whether] to participate [or not],” Salam said in remarks published Wednesday by local daily An-Nahar.

Salam, nevertheless, acknowledged that Lebanon’s military capabilities were limited.

"Lebanon, which participated in the launch of the coalition in Jeddah, was clear in its position that its military power is limited and therefore cannot join [the coalition] at this level," Salam said before winding up his two-day official visit to Belgium.

He said the new administration of the European Union “is currently focusing its efforts on finding a solution to the crisis in the region through an end to the Syrian war.”

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