US to resettle more Syrian refugees in the near future
Washington is planning to increase the number of Syrian refugees allowed to resettle in the United States, mostly for...
Thursday, 2 April 2015
Machnouk: Iran nuclear deal not final
Machnouk: Iran nuclear deal not final
Prime Minister Nouhad Machnouk has played down the importance of an agreement reached Thursday between Iran and world...
Innovative Job-Training Programs Are Important. Here's Why:
Earlier today, President Obama traveled to Louisville, Kentucky to discuss how high-quality job-training programs are critical to the growth of our nation's economy, and the expansion of pathways to the middle class.
While in Louisville, the President visited a technology company called InDatus -- a place so "hip and cool," he said, that it even made him consider remodeling the White House. But in all seriousness, he visited InDatus because of its involvement in the TechHire initiative, which brings employers and local governments together to support innovative job-training programs, like online classes and coding bootcamps.
Wisconsin Sen. Johnson Reacts To Tentative Iranian Nuclear Deal
NPR's Melissa Block gets reaction from Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin on the details of the Iran nuclear deal that were announced Thursday in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Americans Support Iran Talks, But Doubt They'll Prevent A Weapon
President Obama about to walk out into the Rose Garden at the White House to announce the framework of a nuclear deal with Iran. Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
itoggle caption Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images
President Obama about to walk out into the Rose Garden at the White House to announce the framework of a nuclear deal with Iran.
Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images
Every politician likes to tout what they believe the "American People" want.
As the debate over the Iran nuclear deal inevitably heads toward the meat grinder that is Congress, President Obama tried to preemptively frame that debate. And he claimed to have the "American people" on his side.
"If Congress kills this deal, not based on expert analysis and without offering any reasonable alternative, then it's the United States that will be blamed for the failure of diplomacy," Obama said during remarks at the White House unveiling the framework for the Iran deal. "International unity will collapse, and the path to conflict will widen. The American people understand this, which is why solid majorities support a diplomatic resolution to the Iranian nuclear issue." (Bolding ours.)
Polls, though, show a mixed bag on American public opinion regarding an Iran deal.
First, to the larger picture of how Americans feel about this president's handling of foreign policy, a majority say they disapprove of the job he's doing.
At the same time, however, more Americans said they have confidence in Obama dealing with foreign policy than Republicans in Congress by a 47 to 39 percent margin, per a March CNN/ORC poll.
Support For Direct Negotiations
To whether "solid majorities support a diplomatic resolution," as Obama said, several polls seem to support what the president said.
An ABC/Washington Post poll out Thursday found people in support of a deal by a 59 to 31 percent margin.
A CNN/ORC poll from earlier this month found 68 percent in favor of direct diplomatic negotiations "in an attempt to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon." (Most also said they thought the Republican letter to Iran "went too far.")
A Pew Research poll out this week found a lower number, but still a plurality of Americans in favor of direct negotiations by a 49 to 40 percent margin. (That's down from the 63 percent who approved of them in Obama's first year in office.)
Doubts That A Deal Could Prevent Iran Getting A Nuclear Weapon
Of course, wording and context is important.
ABC/Washington Post asked:
"Would you support or oppose an agreement in which the United States and other countries would some of their economic sanctions against Iran, in exchange for Iran restricting its nuclear program in a way that makes it harder for it to produce nuclear weapons?" (Bolding again ours.)
Even though a solid majority said they would be in favor of such a deal, an almost equal number of Americans (60 percent) said they doubt a deal "would prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons."
Similarly, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll last month found more than 7-in-10 said they thought a deal would "not make a real difference in preventing Iran from producing nuclear weapons."
Opinion Ready To Be Shaped
Information about the details of the Iran deal framework are still being parsed. But even before Thursday's announcement, most people said they knew very little about the negotiations. Pew found that 73 percent said they either knew "a little" or "nothing at all" about them.
That same poll also found that a strong majority (62 percent) wants Congress to "have the final authority for approving any deal" not President Obama.
Translation: Public opinion is not yet baked in, and, like in any political campaign, public opinion is ripe to be shaped.
Let the talking points begin.
Future, Hezbollah tackle state institutions’ work, security
BEIRUT: Hezbollah and the Future Movement exhibited their commitment to shielding Lebanon from regional fires Thursday, holding their ninth round of talks despite deep rifts which emerged over the Yemen war.
During a nearly three-hour meeting held at Speaker Nabih Berri’s residence in Ain al-Tineh, the two sides discussed the paralysis of state institutions and the implementation of a security plan across Lebanon.
“The participants confirmed the continuation of the dialogue in accordance with the rules it was [based] on,” read a terse statement released after the session. “The discussion touched on a number of internal issues related to activating the work of state institutions, and completing [the government’s] security plans in order to enhance internal stability.”
The ninth round of talks held by senior Future and Hezbollah officials since December comes against the backdrop of fiery rhetoric exchanged by the two rival parties over the Saudi military operation against Houthi rebels in Yemen which began last month.
Last week, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah launched a fierce tirade against Saudi Arabia, saying its military offensive in Yemen was doomed to fail and vowing that the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels would emerge victorious from the “Saudi-U.S. aggression.” Nasrallah’s remarks drew a quick response from Future Movement leader Saad Hariri, who said the Lebanese were treated to “a storm of hatred against Saudi Arabia and Gulf states.”
As in previous sessions, Future was represented during Thursday’s meeting by the head of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s staff Nader Hariri, Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk and MP Samir Jisr.
Hezbollah was represented by Nasrallah political aide Hussein Khalil, Industry Minister Hussein Hajj Hasan and MP Hasan Fadlallah. Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil, a political aide to Berri, also attended.
Berri described negotiations between Iran and world powers over Tehran’s nuclear program as “the biggest political and diplomatic marathon in history,” after a framework deal was announced Thursday.
The speaker told his visitors that Lebanon would stand to gain from a nuclear agreement, which he described as an “important step” toward resolving the crises in the region. Berri also expressed hope that the world would increase its concern with solving Lebanon’s political crisis since it is the “least complicated” of all regional issues.
As dialogue sessions continue uninterrupted, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said national interest trumped Arab solidarity when it comes to the government’s official position on the Yemen war and Hezbollah’s intervention in the Syria.
“Our foreign policy relies on one standard and that is the interest of Lebanon and the Lebanese people,” Bassil said during a news conference delivered at the ministry.
“There are many things that concern us, primarily Arab consensus, solidarity and unity, but national unity is far more important,” he said. “When we preserve our national unity, all things become easier, and on this basis we cite [the government’s official] positions and our foreign policy.”
Clarifying Lebanon’s position on developments in Yemen, Bassil said the country backs any united Arab decision that supports legitimacy in Yemen but takes a neutral stand in topics that don’t receive unanimous backing, like military intervention.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc reiterated its condemnation of what it described as a “Saudi-American aggression against Yemen and its people,” calling for “an immediate halt to the war.” The bloc also stressed the importance of resorting to internal Yemeni dialogue as a prelude to a political solution to the conflict, according to a statement released after the bloc’s weekly meeting.
Calling on Lebanese politicians to exercise “pragmatism” when dealing with internal affairs, the bloc reiterated the call for swift presidential polls and stressed the need to hold legislative sessions despite ongoing rifts between MPs in Parliament.
Also Thursday, a presidential election session was postponed until April 22 over a lack of quorum amid a boycott by the March 8 coalition.
Parliament has now failed to elect a successor to former President Michel Sleiman 21 times since his term ended last May amid a feud between the country’s rival factions on a consensus candidate.
Lawmakers from MP Michel Aoun’s parliamentary Change and Reform bloc, Hezbollah MPs and their March 8 allies, have thwarted a quorum since April 2014 by boycotting parliamentary sessions, demanding an agreement beforehand with their March 14 rivals.
U.S. diplomat hails education for Syrians
BEIRUT: Educating Syrian refugee children is both a humanitarian and security imperative, Education Minister Elias Bou Saab and a senior U.S. diplomat said Thursday during a tour of a school in a Beirut suburb.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration Anne C. Richard met with Bou Saab at the Sadd al-Boushrieh Intermediate School for Girls to discuss the education of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
According to UNICEF statistics, there are 400,000 refugee children aged 6-14 in Lebanon, only 25 percent of whom are enrolled in school. Many of these children attend school in the afternoon after their Lebanese peers have left for the day. While a boon for Syrian refugees, the two-shift system has strained Lebanese infrastructure and resources, Richard heard from Bou Saab and administrators at the school.
Bou Saab acknowledged that the number of Syrian refugees needing access to education in Lebanon is unlikely to decrease for “three or four years or even more.”
Aside from the humanitarian impetus to educate young children, Bou Saab said that keeping Syrian youths in school is a matter of national security. While certainly not the major contributing factor to instability in Lebanon, vulnerable Syrian youths may be exploited by terrorist groups, Bou Saab said.
“We had reports before that some of the [refugee] kids left early from school and some of them went into different terrorism camps,” Bou Saab told The Daily Star.
He noted disturbing images circulating on social media sites and YouTube showing youths and young children fighting alongside terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria. “It’s a concern,” Bou Saab acknowledged.
Richard agreed. Children out of school, she said, “can get into trouble. First they can get exploited in terms of being forced to work, or recruited for military campaigns in other countries or they’re just idle ... We want them to have full lives and we want them to contribute to a future Syria.”
While investing in the future of children is an important humanitarian undertaking, it will also help maintain stability in Lebanon, explained Luciano Calestini, the acting director of UNICEF in Lebanon. “Obviously an educated child with a constructive healthy worldview is an asset to a more stable Lebanon, there’s no question about that,” he said.
While the two-shift system has been hailed as a success by many, there are still thousands of Syrian children in Lebanon without access to education. Even some of those in school say they wish there were more resources available.
“I wish we had more books, more teachers and more time [in school],” said Cherko, a young Syrian refugee from Aleppo attending classes at Sadd al-Boushrieh Intermediate School.
When asked if the United States would consider dialogue with the Bashar Assad regime if it meant the safe return of Syrian refugees and their re-enrollment in full-time schools, Richard demurred.
“I think my boss, Secretary [of State John] Kerry is a creative thinker,” she said.
“I can’t comment on how my boss is going to spend his time, but everyone knows that there is no humanitarian solution to this. It has to be a political solution,” Richard told The Daily Star.
Richard arrived in Beirut Wednesday evening after attending the Syrian crisis funding conference in Kuwait. The United States pledged $118 million to aid refugees and host communities in Lebanon.
“The U.S. government very much supports and is grateful for the work of the Lebanese government and Lebanese society to [welcome] so many refugees from Syria,” Richard said during the tour. “We feel very strongly that Lebanon is doing the right thing and should be rewarded and that we are obligated to help.”
Specialist: Lebanon’s confessional political system not working
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s current confessional system is not sustainable and a transformed political system should be considered, Heiner Bielefeldt, the United Nations’ freedom of religion specialist, said Thursday.
He said that the current quota system – in which positions in state institutions are reserved for people of certain confessions – may be a source of anxiety.
“I’m not saying giving up the infrastructure of religious diversity. It needs to be built in to the system, [but] maybe in a different way – maybe less focusing on quotas,” Bielefeldt told The Daily Star.
“It would mean transforming the current system of political confessionalism, quite in accordance with the Taif Agreement and also with the Constitution. I think it’s not sustainable in the long run.”
He stressed that Lebanon should consider moving away from quotas and instead enshrine principles of freedom of religion into law to ensure that each of Lebanon’s wide variety of sects is protected.
Bielefeldt’s comments came during a news conference in which he presented the preliminary findings of his country visit to Lebanon at the Radisson Hotel. A more detailed and in-depth report will follow, he said.
As the U.N.’s special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, he came to Lebanon on invitation from the government.
During his speech at the news conference, he said that the advantages of the confessional system are that it maintains a certain stability and predictability that fosters trust. However, it can lead to many problems, especially for people that follow unrecognized religions.
“We met people from non-registered, non-recognized religions who are still registered as Orthodox,” Bielefeldt said during his address. “It can lead to a situation where some people – people not really fitting into the system – are somehow caught between self-betrayal and self-marginalization.”
Under Lebanon’s current political system, a specific number of seats and different government posts are reserved for each sect. According to an unwritten agreement reached between the country’s main political factions when Lebanon won its independence in 1943, the president can only be a Maronite, the speaker a Shiite and the prime minister a Sunni. Besides these three main sects, Lebanon has 15 other recognized religious groups. Some minority sects are barely represented in senior posts of public institutions.
The report of preliminary findings also included a section dedicated to encouraging the recognition of civil marriage, amid its ongoing debate.
“I personally think that the availability of a civil marriage option for everyone in Lebanon would not necessarily weaken the legacy of religious diversity,” Bielefeldt wrote in the report. “At the end of the day, religion is a matter of conviction, which can best flourish in an atmosphere of freedom.”
Bielefeldt also mentioned that he “sensed much openness” from religious leaders for reform on the issue of civil marriage.
When pressed on this point by a journalist at the news conference he explained that, “Some people express [their desire for change] very clearly. They wish [for] it. I’ve met no one who really could give clear arguments for keeping the current system unchanged.”
“Among religious dignitaries, some high-ranking clerics, [I heard] a clear awareness that changes are not only inevitable but they may actually be beneficial also from the perspective of their various religions,” Bielefeldt continued.
Bielefeldt explained that the governing of all marriage-related issues in religious courts had presented problems for clerical leaders. For instance, some Catholics have been known to convert to Islam in order to perform divorce procedures as it is prohibited in many Catholic courts.
According to the report, in exceptional cases some Sunnis have converted to Shiite Islam in order to benefit from inheritance laws.
Currently in Lebanon the issue of civil marriage is still under intense debate. There is no law banning or permitting civil marriage in Lebanon, but it is difficult to have it recognized by the state.
Aside from its issues, Bielefeldt expressed that there was much evidence of coexistence that the region may learn from.
“This living together: you cannot preach it – you have to see it. The most important messages are the messages that life tells,” he said. “Lebanon, I would say, is pretty unique in the Middle East, and that’s important and I was happy to be able to see that.”
Army receives body of policeman slain by Nusra
BAALBEK, Lebanon: The Lebanese Army Thursday retrieved the body of a policeman killed by the Nusra Front while being held captive on the country’s northeastern border, hours after troops repelled an attack by jihadis on the area.
Speaking to The Daily Star, a senior Army source said the military received the body of 1st Sgt. Ali Bazzal on the outskirts of the northeastern town of Arsal.
The body was taken in an Army ambulance to the military hospital in Badaro, Beirut, for DNA testing.
Journalists attempting to reach Arsal following news of the handover were prevented access to the town. Soldiers at a Lebanese Army checkpoint at Arsal’s entrance told them they now need a special permit to visit the area.
The Nusra Front shot Bazzal dead last December. He hailed from the Bekaa Valley village of Bazzalieh, where his body will be laid to rest Friday.
The Nusra Front and ISIS still hold 25 policemen and Lebanese soldiers in captivity since a brief incursion into the northeastern border town of Arsal last August. Negotiations to free the captives, held in Arsal’s outskirts, have reportedly stalled and their families are now holding an open-ended sit-in in Downtown Beirut to pressure the Lebanese government to hasten their release.
A General Security source said he could not say that the handing over of Bazzal’s body by the Nusra Front was an indicator that a breakthrough would follow in negotiations to release the 25 servicemen.
General Security is handling talks to free the captives.
“All I can say is that negotiations are ongoing. They slow sometimes and get faster at other times,” the source told The Daily Star.
With tears rolling down his cheeks, Ramez Bazzal, Ali’s father, described his son as “the martyr of the nation.”
“We will not let the blood of our son go in vain and I hold Sheikh Mustafa Hujeiri fully responsible for the killing of my son,” Bazzal said as he received people who flocked to pay condolences at his house in Bazzalieh. A wanted preacher from Arsal, Hujeiri is accused of sympathizing with Nusra Front militants.
Bazzal said that from the first moment he heard about the kidnapping of his son, he considered him a martyr and had no hope that he would return back home alive.
Earlier Friday, the Army said it killed a jihadi militant and wounded several others when repelling an attempted “terrorist” infiltration on the outskirts of the Arsal.
An Army statement said soldiers exchanged fire late Wednesday with an “armed terrorist group” on the highlands of Wadi Hmeid-Arsal that tried to infiltrate into the town, forcing it to retreat.
The Army said among the wounded was Khaled Ahmad al-Waw, who was arrested and taken to a hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, tensions persisted in Arsal for the second day, as efforts to release a Lebanese kidnapped by Syrian militants in the town hit a dead end, security sources said.
Hussein Saifeddine, a resident of the mainly Shiite Baalbek-Hermel village of Halbata, was kidnapped by Syrian militants from the border village of Qara this week.
In a bid to pressure the captors to free Saifeddine, members of the Ezzeddine family in Arsal kidnapped five Syrians Wednesday.
The five hostages were released Thursday despite the lack of progress in negotiations.
The negotiations were disrupted Wednesday by the captors from the Warde family, who set very high demands, a figure from the Ezzeddine family told The Daily Star.
The security sources said that M. Hujeiri, who is thought to be behind the kidnapping of Saifeddine, insisted on demanding a ransom as a condition for his release.
M. Hujeiri has several arrest warrants against him.
Separately, the Army said in a statement that it would take “special security measures” near churches and places where people would gather to celebrate Good Friday.
The Army would stage patrols and erect checkpoints in these places, the statement said.
Arrest of Christian mayor in Sidon sparks outrage
SIDON, Lebanon: The brief arrest of the mayor of a predominantly Christian east Sidon village sparked outrage, with some calling it a religiously motivated act aimed at displacing members of the sect again.
Nicola Andraos, the mayor of Salhieh, was arrested Wednesday by Internal Security Forces members after he prevented a citizen from paving a road leading to land he owns in the village, despite a judicial decision permitting the work.
The move prompted a strong reaction from the local community, forcing Christian municipality heads of the Sidon and Jezzine districts to mobilize.
The officials expressed solidarity with Andraos during an urgent meeting held Thursday at the Salhieh municipality headquarters.
“The conferees denounced the way the judicial police dealt with Salhieh’s mayor, handcuffing him,” Michel Hashem, the mayor of Bramieh, said.
Hashem, who spoke after the meeting on behalf of the attendees, said that the incident was unprecedented and questioned the motive behind his arrest.
The gathered officials agreed that the mayor was acting within the boundaries of the law.
“The conferees hope that Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk and the South’s governor will take measures with security and judicial authorities to ensure the appropriate treatment of all mayors and mukhtars,” Hashem said.
Andraos told The Daily Star that he was apprehended by security forces after he prevented a construction crew from implementing a judicial verdict to open a road for a private property in Salhieh.
The mayor was then arrested and taken to a police station in the predominantly Shiite town of Haret Saida. He was handcuffed upon his own request.
“A decision was issued for my arrest,” Andraos explained. “I refused to be arrested without being handcuffed because of its symbolic significance.” The mayor revealed that he was kept in custody for five hours before being permitted to leave the police station.
“The only person allowed to issue a complaint against a mayor is the interior minister,” Andraous said. The minister, he added, can give permission to question the mayor and prosecute him if needed.
The mayor conceded to arrest in order to “prevent clashes between the ISF and the residents [of Salhieh],” he added.
Most villages to the east of Sidon are Christian and Sidon is a pre-dominantly Muslim city.
The arrest caused a backlash due to previous sensitivities that date back to Lebanon’s Civil War. In spring 1985, Salhieh residents along with tens of other Christian villages were forced into displacement shortly after the Israeli army withdrew from Sidon when clashes erupted between Christian militia, the Lebanese Forces, and leftist and Muslim groups. After the LF defeat, most Christians were forced to leave and could only return after the end of the war.
Andaros’ arrest stirred up still raw memories from the period of Christian displacement.
“In an unprecedented move, Andraos was arrested by ISF members who were following up on the paving of an internal road that did not fit the conditions [for works] set by the municipality,” an LF office statement read.
The statement also reiterated its call for Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk to take action and probe into the incident and into the road project itself.
“Citizens consider the implementation of this road as a disguised displacement project that affects them as well as their livelihoods and lands,” the statement added.
Sen. Menendez Case Revolves Around Friendship With Florida Eye Doctor
NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Jay Weaver, a reporter for the Miami Herald, for a profile on Dr. Salomon Melgen, who is at the center of Sen. Robert Menendez's indictment on corruption charges.
World Leaders Reach Tentative Deal In Iranian Nuclear Talks
Iran and six world powers announced Thursday that they have reached a framework that puts them on track for a nuclear deal within three months.
Female Parliamentarians Urge Washington To Return Attention To Libya
Women elected to Libya's parliament visited Washington, D.C., recently to talk about the political chaos in the country and the erosion of women's rights.
President Obama Praises Tentative Iranian Nuclear Deal
In a Rose Garden statement, President Obama said the tentative deal is the beginning of a historic understanding. Negotiators announced Thursday that they've reached the outlines of a nuclear deal.
Nigerian President-Elect Calls Himself A 'Converted Democract'
NPR's Melissa Block talks with Max Siollun, a Nigerian historian, about Nigeria's new president, Muhammadu Buhari. He is a former dictator who ruled Nigeria for 20 months in the 1980s.
Lebanese mixologists eyeing a global stage
BEIRUT: Sharp suits, tattoos and more than one handlebar moustache, you would have been forgiven for thinking Caprice had been invaded by hipsters Wednesday. Instead, the bar was playing host to 15 hopefuls, vying for the chance to represent Lebanon at the global final of the Diageo Reserve World Class competition in South Africa this September.
Lebanon has been participating in the global bartending competition since 2011, but had to skip last year’s contest when the security situation deterred international judges from coming to the country.
Relaunched in a calmer climate, this year’s event was judged by Lebanese Chef Maroun Chedid, along with Diageo Reserve World Class Bartender of the Year 2013, Spain’s David Rios and Diageo Reserve World Class Bartender of the Year 2010, Slovakia’s Erick Lorincz.
The 15 competitors at Wednesday’s event were each given 10 minutes to impress; asked to prepare a table service-ready cocktail that, of course, utilized one of the Diageo Reserve brands.
The first three minutes were to prepare their station and final seven to “present” their cocktail to the judges. This latter part went by with varying degrees of showmanship from the contestants; from a laid back I-am-who-I-am monologue from the opener to the final contestant setting his cocktail ablaze to the tunes of Johnny Cash.
Those who think a cocktail is mixing whiskey and cola together should take note. As the contestants mixed their drinks they walked the judges through each ingredient – its history and its effect on the overall flavor – with many having brought in their own homemade bitters and syrups.
While the idea of a mixologist competition might seem like just a bit of fun to many, it was clear the competitors were taking it seriously – several struggled to make a clean pour with violently shaking hands.
One man who understood what was at stake for these aspiring mixologists was judge Erick Lorincz.
Once you join the World Class competition you become part of the family he explained, and “if you become a global winner then you become a guru for the next generation of bartenders – my duty today is to go around the world judging the regionals and semifinals, up to the global final; giving my feedback to bartenders.”
On his third visit to Beirut, Lorincz told The Daily Star that he has seen a “massive progress” in the bars; with regard to bartenders and the quality of the drinks. As for Tuesday’s competitors he was impressed by the standard across the board.
“In every competition you have good drinks and those great drinks, outstanding drinks and today I found most of them outstanding.”
Asked what the judges are looking for, Lorincz explained that the bartenders have to promote their cocktail and themselves.
“He has only those magical five or seven minutes when he has the chance either to impress us or to show us he’s just not ready for it. And here you are looking for technique – how good are his skills working behind the bar; with the tools, with the ingredients.
“The presentation; how he carries himself behind the bar, how he looks behind the bar. ... And ultimately the final drink, that there is a nice harmony in the cocktail ... [and] ... eye-catching presentation; you look at the drink and think ‘wow I want to try this.’”
What made the final three stand out from the crowd Lorincz says, was the obvious research they had put into their drinks, the inspirations behind their stories and their use of ingredients that you wouldn’t normally find at a cocktail bar.
The three – who will go on to compete with the three finalists of the next event, along with a wildcard picked from both – were announced at the end of the four-hour event as Johnny Mansour, Ahmad al-Saghir and Refaat Ghostine.
Mansour, who bartends at Mar Mikhael’s Junkyard, impressed with his English Afternoon Tea inspired cocktail; offering the judges some chamomile-infused water to cleanse their palates before trying his drink. He was one of the competitors who made use of dry ice – with a smoking teapot – and presented the judges with his own syrup and bitter concoctions.
Saghir, who bartends at BistroBar in Hamra, delivered one of the calmest performances of the night – staying cool and collected as he presented his smoked cocktail before the judges. He received a shoutout from Chef Maroun at the end, who was impressed by how his chocolate spritzed with gold label complemented his drink.
It was Central Station’s Ghostine however, who gave one of the night’s most memorable performances.
Bartending, it seems, runs in the family, with Ghostine’s elder brother representing Lebanon at the 2012 World Class competition.
He himself has been behind the bar since age 16, and seemed to understand exactly what the judges were looking for; describing the presentation aspect of the competition as a “theater.”
“My presentation was inspired from the Japanese and the Chinese tea ceremonies. I wanted to do something that has some emotion, so the judges can feel what I am doing. In the bar business, Japan was one of the first leaders – from the tools, to the techniques and the drinks,” he told The Daily Star.
One of the main ingredients in his cocktail – called Tanoshimu, the Japanese for “enjoy” – was matcha, a Japanese green tea that he prepared in the traditional way.
Ghostine, who was accompanied by oriental music, split his cocktail into two, so he could present it in both the Japanese tradition; shared from a single bowl and the Chinese tradition; drunk from separate cups.
Telling the judges to imagine they were in a tea garden, Ghostine wafted Jasmine steam in their direction using a Japanese fan, prompting cheers from the audience usually reserved for contestants’ flair with the shaker.
The three still have hurdles to pass before it is decided who will represent Lebanon at the global final. Wednesday’s event, however, showed there is a lot more skill behind bartending than is often credited to these aspiring mixologists.
How Congress Is Reacting To The Iran Framework
"Let Diplomacy Work" was spelled out near the Capitol by liberal, anti-war group MoveOn.org earlier this week. Larry French/Getty Images hide caption
itoggle caption Larry French/Getty Images
"Let Diplomacy Work" was spelled out near the Capitol by liberal, anti-war group MoveOn.org earlier this week.
Larry French/Getty Images
As President Obama touted a nuclear framework with Iran Thursday, he emphasized that he wants Congress to get on board.
"This is not simply a deal between my administration and Iran," Obama said. "This is a deal between Iran, the United States of America and the major powers in the world."
Obama said he will speak with House and Senate leaders Thursday about how they can "play a constructive oversight role" with regard to the the framework.
The president has also instructed his negotiators to brief Congress and the public on the deal, adding: "I welcome a robust debate in the weeks and months to come."
He's already getting some of that that "robust debate" from Congress, but he also made it clear how he wants that debate to end.
"If Congress kills this deal not based on expert analysis, and without offering any reasonable alternative," he said, "then it's the United States that will be blamed for the failure of diplomacy. International unity will collapse and the path to conflict will widen. The American people understand this."
Here's how Congress reacted to Obama's statement and the deal:
Southern Baptist Minister: Religious Liberty Law Permits Denial Of Some Services
Indiana's religious freedom law is the subject of national debate, and for many its wording is a problem. Steve Inskeep talks to the Rev. Tim Overton of Muncie, who is in favor of the measure.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Let's ask what Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act really means.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
GOVERNOR MIKE PENCE: Clearly there's been misunderstanding and confusion and mischaracterization of this law.
INSKEEP: Gov. Mike Pence admits his statements added to the confusion. The governor said the law does not permit discrimination. But some supporters of the law said it would defend people refusing service to gays and lesbians who were getting married. And the governor would not answer either way. On Tuesday, Gov. Pence tried to clarify.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PENCE: The Religious Freedom Restoration Act in Indiana does not give anyone the right to deny services to anyone in this state.
INSKEEP: So why did some people want this law, which has been fiercely criticized across the country? We asked one of the measure's supporters. Tim Overton is the pastor of a small Baptist church in Muncie, Ind. People call him Pastor Tim, and he graciously took our questions. He testified in favor of the religious freedom legislation and he gave us several reasons why, including this...
PASTOR TIM OVERTON: I, as a pastor, provide a service to my parishioners, but also to the community at large in officiating weddings. I receive compensation for these services as well as the state issues a marriage license after I officiate a wedding. So if I say no to a same-sex couple or there are issues of divorce in someone's past that I will not do the wedding, some people are going to say that's discrimination. But I think most Americans would agree that a pastor like myself should not be compelled by the government to use my speech to support someone else's perspective. And I think that has parallels to the cake-maker. The cake-maker is using his or her artistic ability to make a cake, and that cake communicates something. I think that cake is speech, and it says we celebrate this union. And to force someone who doesn't believe that same-sex marriage is correct in the eyes of God, I just don't think they should be forced or compelled by government to use their speech to support someone else's perspective.
INSKEEP: I think you're helping us with some confusion here because Gov. Mike Pence has repeatedly insisted that this law does not discriminate, even as supporters of the law have said it would allow people to refuse certain services, like providing flowers for a wedding. It sounds like part of the confusion here is just a question of definition of terms. You believe that if someone refused services at a wedding for religious reasons, that just doesn't - it just isn't defined as discrimination as you see it.
OVERTON: Right. It's exercise of religion. And we're going to have to find a healthy compromise as gay rights is on the ascendancy. And as that happens, we're going to find a way to protect religious liberty. I - and this is me speaking for myself - but I would like the line to be drawn in services that involve speech, given special consideration by the court. I don't think any referendum anywhere - and there's no case law to back it up - is going to say - someone can say I'm not going to give you a hotel room or I'm not going to give you a hamburger or gasoline or groceries; that's outside the bounds of what even religious people would want. But we are saying that in - you know, all of life for the Christian is about glorifying God. We are worshiping God in the workplace. And so to ask a religious person who happens to own a business to do something that is against their conscience, I just don't think that squares with the American tradition of freedom of religion.
INSKEEP: Well, that's interesting - having read the Indiana legislation, though, I don't actually, as a layman, see that distinction about services involving speech in there. It just talks about services provided by businesses who may have a religious objection can require the government to be held to a rather high standard. It doesn't seem to have that distinction that you describe.
OVERTON: Well, I think that distinction will be played out in the courts. I mean, all the legislature can do is pass principles to guide the courts. These individual circumstances are very complicated and are very nuanced. And they're going to be decided in the courts. And so I think it's wise for the legislature of a state or the nation, as we have already done, to say if government's going to interfere in religious liberty, they need to have a very good reason to do that. They need to meet the compelling interest test. And then even if they meet it, they need to do it the least restrictive means necessary.
INSKEEP: So Gov. Pence said this law is not meant to allow anyone to deny services to anyone. You're helping us understand that what he actually means is this law does not allow anyone to deny services in most cases. But there is a limited subset of cases where you believe that it is appropriate to deny services because free speech and freedom of religion are involved.
OVERTON: Well, I don't know the mind of Mike Pence. I can't tell you exactly what he means. But I...
INSKEEP: But that's how you read the law.
OVERTON: Well, here's the question though - when I, as a Baptist pastor who believes the Bible, tell a same-sex couple I will not do your wedding, am I discriminating? What do we mean by discrimination?
INSKEEP: Go right on. Help me answer that question.
OVERTON: Well, as I've said before, I think services that involve speech need to be given special consideration by the courts. But I do not believe the government should compel one citizen to speak on behalf of another's perspective that they fundamentally disagree with at a religious level and in a religious conscience.
INSKEEP: I've got one other question, and it involves a story from the time of desegregation of the United States - racial desegregation. And I don't mean to suggest here that these two situations are exactly the same, but they were two situations of great social change. And it involves the great sportscaster Red Barber, who was broadcasting on the radio at the time and was quite upset at first at the desegregation of baseball, Jackie Robinson coming to play in the major leagues. He said once that he thought about resigning, but then realized that his job was simply to report what was happening on the field. I wonder if there are people who are uncomfortable as a matter of conscience with gay marriage who might, with reason, take that position - that their job is simply to sell flowers, that their job is to take photographs, that their job is not to judge either way, that none of us are put on Earth to judge, actually, that their job is not to judge the people in front of them necessarily.
OVERTON: Well, I think you're going to have a broad spectrum of different reactions to our changing society. I can speak for myself. As a Baptist pastor who believes the Bible, I believe God made us male and female. And embracing God's will is embracing our gender and acting accordingly. And I don't think people like myself are going to abandon the biblical view of gender and God's plan for the family. And I would hope that society would make allowances for traditional Christian theology and belief and allow us to practice our faiths in the workplace and in public as well as our houses of worship.
INSKEEP: Pastor Tim Overton of Muncie, Ind. Thanks very much.
OVERTON: Well, thank you.
Copyright © 2015 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org 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.
Southern Baptist Pastor: Religious Liberty Law Permits Denial Of Some Services
Indiana's religious freedom law is the subject of national debate, and for many its wording is a problem. Steve Inskeep talks to the Rev. Tim Overton of Muncie, who is in favor of the measure.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Let's ask what Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act really means.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
GOVERNOR MIKE PENCE: Clearly there's been misunderstanding and confusion and mischaracterization of this law.
INSKEEP: Gov. Mike Pence admits his statements added to the confusion. The governor said the law does not permit discrimination. But some supporters of the law said it would defend people refusing service to gays and lesbians who were getting married. And the governor would not answer either way. On Tuesday, Gov. Pence tried to clarify.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PENCE: The Religious Freedom Restoration Act in Indiana does not give anyone the right to deny services to anyone in this state.
INSKEEP: So why did some people want this law, which has been fiercely criticized across the country? We asked one of the measure's supporters. Tim Overton is the pastor of a small Baptist church in Muncie, Ind. People call him Pastor Tim, and he graciously took our questions. He testified in favor of the religious freedom legislation and he gave us several reasons why, including this...
PASTOR TIM OVERTON: I, as a pastor, provide a service to my parishioners, but also to the community at large in officiating weddings. I receive compensation for these services as well as the state issues a marriage license after I officiate a wedding. So if I say no to a same-sex couple or there are issues of divorce in someone's past that I will not do the wedding, some people are going to say that's discrimination. But I think most Americans would agree that a pastor like myself should not be compelled by the government to use my speech to support someone else's perspective. And I think that has parallels to the cake-maker. The cake-maker is using his or her artistic ability to make a cake, and that cake communicates something. I think that cake is speech, and it says we celebrate this union. And to force someone who doesn't believe that same-sex marriage is correct in the eyes of God, I just don't think they should be forced or compelled by government to use their speech to support someone else's perspective.
INSKEEP: I think you're helping us with some confusion here because Gov. Mike Pence has repeatedly insisted that this law does not discriminate, even as supporters of the law have said it would allow people to refuse certain services, like providing flowers for a wedding. It sounds like part of the confusion here is just a question of definition of terms. You believe that if someone refused services at a wedding for religious reasons, that just doesn't - it just isn't defined as discrimination as you see it.
OVERTON: Right. It's exercise of religion. And we're going to have to find a healthy compromise as gay rights is on the ascendancy. And as that happens, we're going to find a way to protect religious liberty. I - and this is me speaking for myself - but I would like the line to be drawn in services that involve speech, given special consideration by the court. I don't think any referendum anywhere - and there's no case law to back it up - is going to say - someone can say I'm not going to give you a hotel room or I'm not going to give you a hamburger or gasoline or groceries; that's outside the bounds of what even religious people would want. But we are saying that in - you know, all of life for the Christian is about glorifying God. We are worshiping God in the workplace. And so to ask a religious person who happens to own a business to do something that is against their conscience, I just don't think that squares with the American tradition of freedom of religion.
INSKEEP: Well, that's interesting - having read the Indiana legislation, though, I don't actually, as a layman, see that distinction about services involving speech in there. It just talks about services provided by businesses who may have a religious objection can require the government to be held to a rather high standard. It doesn't seem to have that distinction that you describe.
OVERTON: Well, I think that distinction will be played out in the courts. I mean, all the legislature can do is pass principles to guide the courts. These individual circumstances are very complicated and are very nuanced. And they're going to be decided in the courts. And so I think it's wise for the legislature of a state or the nation, as we have already done, to say if government's going to interfere in religious liberty, they need to have a very good reason to do that. They need to meet the compelling interest test. And then even if they meet it, they need to do it the least restrictive means necessary.
INSKEEP: So Gov. Pence said this law is not meant to allow anyone to deny services to anyone. You're helping us understand that what he actually means is this law does not allow anyone to deny services in most cases. But there is a limited subset of cases where you believe that it is appropriate to deny services because free speech and freedom of religion are involved.
OVERTON: Well, I don't know the mind of Mike Pence. I can't tell you exactly what he means. But I...
INSKEEP: But that's how you read the law.
OVERTON: Well, here's the question though - when I, as a Baptist pastor who believes the Bible, tell a same-sex couple I will not do your wedding, am I discriminating? What do we mean by discrimination?
INSKEEP: Go right on. Help me answer that question.
OVERTON: Well, as I've said before, I think services that involve speech need to be given special consideration by the courts. But I do not believe the government should compel one citizen to speak on behalf of another's perspective that they fundamentally disagree with at a religious level and in a religious conscience.
INSKEEP: I've got one other question, and it involves a story from the time of desegregation of the United States - racial desegregation. And I don't mean to suggest here that these two situations are exactly the same, but they were two situations of great social change. And it involves the great sportscaster Red Barber, who was broadcasting on the radio at the time and was quite upset at first at the desegregation of baseball, Jackie Robinson coming to play in the major leagues. He said once that he thought about resigning, but then realized that his job was simply to report what was happening on the field. I wonder if there are people who are uncomfortable as a matter of conscience with gay marriage who might, with reason, take that position - that their job is simply to sell flowers, that their job is to take photographs, that their job is not to judge either way, that none of us are put on Earth to judge, actually, that their job is not to judge the people in front of them necessarily.
OVERTON: Well, I think you're going to have a broad spectrum of different reactions to our changing society. I can speak for myself. As a Baptist pastor who believes the Bible, I believe God made us male and female. And embracing God's will is embracing our gender and acting accordingly. And I don't think people like myself are going to abandon the biblical view of gender and God's plan for the family. And I would hope that society would make allowances for traditional Christian theology and belief and allow us to practice our faiths in the workplace and in public as well as our houses of worship.
INSKEEP: Pastor Tim Overton of Muncie, Ind. Thanks very much.
OVERTON: Well, thank you.
Copyright © 2015 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org 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 Menendez Paradox
Sen. Robert Menendez on his way to the Senate floor for a series of votes last week. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption
itoggle caption Win McNamee/Getty Images
Sen. Robert Menendez on his way to the Senate floor for a series of votes last week.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
Sen. Bob Menendez, who came up in the sharp-edged politics of Hudson County, N.J., has been under varying levels of ethics scrutiny in seven of his nine-plus years as a senator.
He'd never been indicted — until yesterday.
The indictment landed like a chunk of loose concrete from Hudson County's Pulaski Skyway: 14 counts alleging travel, vacations and contributions in exchange for the kind of clout a senator can wield in Washington.
Justice Department prosecutors called it a bribery scheme. The indictment says Salomon Melgen, an ophthalmologist in West Palm Beach, Fla., gave Menendez free travel on a private jet, vacations and hefty political contributions, they allege. In return, the indictment says, Menendez did favors for the doctor, and in four instances, for the doctor's girlfriends. That is plural — girlfriends.
Melgen was also charged with 13 counts of his own.
Menendez insists Melgen is an old friend, not an operator who extracted favors from an obliging lawmaker. That's an important legal defense on the gifts he received. Menendez is also likely to invoke the Constitution's Speech or Debate clause, which bars the prosecution of representatives and senators in their official business.
He said he'll fight — words that he's used before in his political career — and vowed, "I'm not going anywhere."
The indictment lists gifts and contributions totaling nearly $1 million. The largest slice is $600,000 to a Democratic Super PAC, which spent it to help Menendez win re-election. Melgen also gave $40,000 to the Robert Menendez Legal Expense Trust — a certain irony there — plus contributions to his campaign committee. Melgen flew Menendez on his private jet, and they vacationed together in Paris and Melgen's villa in the Dominican Republic.
Menendez fought to get Melgen off the hook for overbilling Medicare by $9 million. In 2012, Menendez arranged a meeting with then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Kathleen Sebelius, then secretary of Health and Human Services. In January 2013, just as he was assuming chairmanship of the Foreign Relations Committee, the FBI conducted a document raid on Melgen's office.
That ended a calendar year in which it appears Menendez was not being investigated.
The indictment also says Menendez pushed for tourist and student visas for three girlfriends of Melgen, and the sister of one of them.
And on a third matter, Menendez went to administration officials — and in July 2012 called them to testify at a Foreign Relations subcommittee — over the Dominican Republic government's refusal to do business with a port security company co-owned by Melgen.
The Dominican Republic angle developed from a scandal that didn't happen – allegations that Melgen and Menendez had had prostitutes at the villa. One of the women recanted the story, and it died. But, like the raid on Melgen's office, it created the trail leading to yesterday's indictment.
Previously, various federal prosecutors looked at Menendez for five years, in connection with a nonprofit organization and a hospital in Hudson County. Chris Christie, then the Bush-appointed federal prosecutor for New Jersey, issued the first subpoena in September 2006, less than two months before Election Day. The case quickly dominated the Senate contest, in which Menendez was seeking to keep the seat he'd been appointed to earlier in the year. He won, and Christie went on to be elected governor.
Neither of the cases ultimately touched Menendez. He was informed that the probe was over in October 2011.
But here's the Menendez paradox: None of these investigations fit with his first time dealing with federal prosecutors. Thirty years ago, Menendez was a protégé of Union City Mayor Billy Musto, a power in Hudson County and New Jersey politics. The feds went after Musto for racketeering, extortion and fraud, and put him on trial in 1982.
Menendez, the son of Cuban immigrants, wore a bullet-proof vest as he testified against Musto. The mayor went to prison. The former protégé later became Union City mayor, a power in local and state politics, a congressman and a senator.
And now, he is the first sitting senator charged with bribery since 1980.
Arsal family releases 5 Syrian hostages in 'goodwill gesture'
BEIRUT: The Ezzeddine family in Arsal released five Syrian hostages Thursday, one day after they were kidnapped as part of a series of tit-for-tat abductions in northeast Lebanon.
Negotiations for the release of Hussein Saifeddine, an Arsal resident who was kidnapped by Syrian militants from the border village of Qara, have failed to reach a happy ending, security sources said.
The negotiations were disrupted on Wednesday by the captors from the Warde family, who set very high demands, a figure from the Ezzeddine family told The Daily Star.
The security sources said that M. Hujeiri, who is thought to be behind the kidnapping of Seifeddine, insisted on demanding a ransom as a condition for his release.
Hujeiri has several arrest warrants against him.
But despite the failure of the negotiations for the release of Hussein Seifeddine, the Arsalis released the five hostages as a goodwill gesture.
Negotiations had succeeded to give birth to an agreement Thursday morning. The deal states that the captives would be swapped either at the Arsal municipality or at the house of Mayor Ali Hujeiri.
However, this agreement failed to manifest.
Tensions remained simmering in the border town of Arsal as residents await a solution.
After Arsal residents called on officials in the border town to tighten up security measures, Mayor Hujeiri Thursday issued a decision to ban all tinted-window cars, especially those carrying Syrian license plates, from roaming in the town.
Those who do not abide by the new measures will be detained by the municipality and their cars will be seized, he said.
Armed Arsal residents had attempted to free Saifeddine on Wednesday from the Baalbek-Hermel village of Halbata after he was abducted by Syrian assailants there two days earlier.
When rescue attempts failed Wednesday, members of the Ezzeddine family kidnapped five Syrians from the Warde family suspecting their involvement in the abduction, a security source said. The Syrian captives come from the town of Qara, near the Lebanese border.
Kerry over Twitter: 'EU, P5+1, and Iran have parameters to resolve major issues on nuclear program'
Any Iran deal must 'significantly roll back' nuclear capacity: Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that any deal to emerge from talks on Iran's nuclear...
Could Chris Christie Appoint Himself To The U.S. Senate? Yes, He Can
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie: "I would rather die than be in the United States Senate." Julio Cortez/AP hide caption
itoggle caption Julio Cortez/AP
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie: "I would rather die than be in the United States Senate."
Julio Cortez/AP
Thought exercise: What if the indictment of Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez... could once again potentially place an appointment of a U.S. senator in the hands of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
To trigger this scenario, Menendez, who was indicted Wednesday on corruption charges, would first have to step down or be convicted. Menendez has given no indication he's going anywhere. Then again, stranger things have happened.
Consider why Christie might want to think about appointing himself IF a Senate seat were to be vacated:
- He's term-limited as governor. He can't run again after serving two consecutive terms; and
- His presidential hopes seem bleak at the moment.
Christie trails in all the 2016 polls, and he's not viewed very positively. An ABC/Washington Post poll out Thursday found that, among registered Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, Christie is in seventh place with just 7 percent. He trails Jeb Bush (21 percent), Scott Walker (13 percent), Ted Cruz (12 percent), Mike Huckabee and Marco Rubio (8 percent). The story is much of the same in early states.
What's more, a majority of Americans have a negative view (51 percent) of Christie, while just more than quarter (26 percent) have a positive one.
Making matters worse for Christie, he's viewed the worst of the candidates polled – among Republicans. Republicans give him just a 38 percent positive rating and a 41 percent negative one. That's a net-negative of minus-3. Bush, Rubio, Walker, Cruz, and Rand Paul all are net-positive by double digits.
Christie's favorability rating lags behind other potential 2016 rivals. Langer Research/ABC News/Washington Post poll hide caption
itoggle caption Langer Research/ABC News/Washington Post poll
None of this, of course, matters to Christie.
"Is the election next week?" Christie retorted in February at the Conservative Political Action Committee, or CPAC. "If I decide to run for president, I'm not worried about what polls say 21 months before we're going to elect the president of the United States. I'll take my chances on me. I've done pretty well so far."
But, what if Menendez winds up stepping down or is convicted in the next year, and Christie is still far behind in the presidential primary race? Christie, in that case, would not have many more political options — other than the Senate. Might he reconsider?
"Believe me: When I say I am never running for public office in New Jersey again? I mean I am never running for public office in New Jersey again," Christie said last October. "The only job left for me to run for is United States Senate, and let me just say this: I would rather die than be in the United States Senate. Okay? I would be bored to death. Can you imagine me bangin' around that chamber with 99 other people? Asking for a motion on the amendment in the subcommittee? Forget it. It would be over, everybody. You'd watch me just walk out and walk right into the Potomac River and drown. That'd be it."
In other words, fuhgeddaboudit.
Happy 5th Birthday, West Wing Week!
For five straight years, West Wing Week has produced more than 250 episodes covering the Presidency in a way that's never been done before. This week, we're throwing it a 5th birthday party. Enjoy a special, 5th-anniversary edition of West Wing Week!
Abu Faour finalizes unified prescription form
Jumblatt reveals arsenal of 'hashish missiles'
With a series of tweets announcing his new party’s new ‘fruity’ nuclear arsenal, Progressive Socialist Party chief...
Jumblatt reveals arsenal of 'hashish missiles'
BEIRUT: Forces loyal to PSP chief Walid Jumblatt will attack U.S. and Iranian negotiators in Lausanne with grape missiles after they stole the party's nuclear secrets, the often whimsical politician wrote in a series of particularly lucid tweets marking April Fools Day Wednesday and Thursday.
Jumblatt revealed that his party's scientists have been hard at work on a "fruity" nuclear arsenal which will soon be unveiled.
“The secret laboratories of the Progressive Socialist Party located between Jisr al-Qadi and as-Shawi will soon produce a weapon of mass destruction outside the framework of the Nuclear Energy Agency and its affiliates,” Jumblatt wrote Wednesday.
He said the weapons were in form of mortars made of sweet carob molasses mixed with snake poison.
“At first glance, the enemy will taste the sweetness of the molasses, and then gets fully paralyzed and eliminated,” he said.
“The technical teams have long worked on [developing] this weapon, and today I urge maintaining absolute secrecy. It has been tested somewhere.”
The Druze leader said the weapons would allow his party to eliminate its enemies and raise its banners in every corner of the world.
Shortly after, the politician who has become a Twitter celebrity and semi-satirist with more than 85,000 followers since he joined the social media site in October, announced that a modification would be made to his WMDs.
“I just received a protest message from the civil society from Jisr al-Qadi and its surroundings saying that petting snakes would be dangerous as they might spread between homes,” he posted in tweets decorated with sarcastic emoticons.
“So I immediately called the technical team in Andraos Farm, and they told me they were ready to replace snake poison with hashish.”
Grape molasses would also be used in the mortars when necessary, he said, and always rigged with marijuana.
He said by using these ingredients, he made sure the mortars “meet food safety standards,” in reference to an expression often used by Health Minister Wael Abu Faour who has carried out a nation-wide food safety crackdown.
Jumblatt said his invention would not only cause nausea and dizziness for the enemy, but would also support local production of all types of molasses, and would boost the country's hashish growers.
The PSP leader is known for his support to legalize the cultivation of hashish in Lebanon.
“Long live the Progressive Socialist Party, a party that possesses this enormous military advancement while serving agricultural production,” he posted.
After posting his usual good-night message, Jumblatt came back on Thursday to continue his series of jokes, this time involving the ongoing U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in Lausanne, Switzerland.
“It seems the news about PSP’s weapons of mass destruction has arrived at the coasts of the Lac Léman (Lake Geneva), at Lausanne," he said. “[This] shocked and fascinated John Kerry and Mohammad Jawad Zarif, and they therefore decided to quickly set the final draft for the [nuclear] agreement.”
Jumblatt even described how the "secret" military news reached the negotiators.
“The imperialist Iranian axis has committed a seamy act by hacking the email of the Mortars and Rockets unit of the party’s leadership,” he wrote, saying that his party would from now on rely on homing pigeons instead of emails for secret messages.
“But the Central Observation unit of the PSP revealed the malicious plot, and orders were given to shell Lausanne with Carob 3 missiles, and Grape 5 when necessary.”
Continuing on with his imaginary offensive, he added: “Later on, the popular mobilization units of the PSP’s Geneva branch will surround Lausanne and eventually liberate it."
“We will not use Hashish 4 mortars to respect the laws of Lausanne district.”
Mikati cousins charged with belonging to ISIS, murdering soldiers
Lebanon receives body of policeman killed by Nusra
The Lebanese Army Thursday received the body of a policeman killed by the Nusra Front while in captivity, a senior...
Wanted Baalbek mukhtar breaks out of local hospital
BAALBEK, Lebanon: A Baalbek mukhtar escaped from a hospital in the eastern city Thursday after finding out that he was wanted by the authorities, security sources said.
Mohammad Awada, who was shot in Baalbek last month, escaped from Dar al-Amal Hospital where he had been receiving treatment after he found out that an arrest warrant had been issued against him.
Media reports said Thursday that Awada was kidnapped from the hospital by gunmen, but the source explained that the mukhtar used outside help to break out and evade authorities.
Awada was wounded in mid-March when gunmen shot his legs in the Ras al-Ain neighborhood of Baalbek.
The shooting was a result of a personal dispute with members of the Ismail family, the sources said.
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