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U.S. donates $25M worth of military aid to Lebanon

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — The United States donated $25 million worth of weapons and ammunition to the Lebanese Army on Sunday, marking the latest American assistance to Lebanon as it fights extremists along the border with Syria.

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon David Hale said the shipment included 70 U.S. made towed field artillery M198 Howitzers and 26 million rounds of ammunition.

“Recent attacks against Lebanon’s Army only strengthen America’s resolve to stand in solidarity with the people of Lebanon to confront these threats,” a statement by the U.S. Embassy said.

Lebanon is fifth largest recipient of U.S. foreign military funding for 2014, according to Hale. He added that $100 million were given to Lebanon last year and over a $1 billion worth since 2006.

The latest military donation to Lebanon comes just one month after the U.S. delivered dozens of armored Humvees to the Lebanese Army. (Photo © U.S. Embassy Beirut)
The latest military donation to Lebanon comes just one month after the U.S. delivered dozens of armored Humvees to the Lebanese Army. (Photo © U.S. Embassy Beirut)

“We are fighting the same enemy, so our support for you has been swift and continuous,” Hale said from Beirut’s port. “We are very proud of this and this is top-of-the-line equipment. This is the best that there is in the marketplace. It’s what our soldiers use.”

Lebanese and American officials attended a handover ceremony Sunday at Beirut’s port, including Lebanese Brigadier General Manuel Kerejian, who oversaw the delivery alongside Hale.

Hale says U.S. help to Lebanon will continue “until the job is done.”

“I know that in a matter of days it’s going to be what your brave soldiers are using in the battle to defeat terrorism and extremism that is pouring across the border from Syria.”

This is the latest aid promised to Lebanon. In November, France and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement for Paris to provide the Lebanese army with $3 billion worth of weapons, but those weapons are not expected to arrive until April.

VIDEO: Lebanon gets massive weapons shipment from the United States:

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Lebanese doctors angry with Abu Faour; filing complaint

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — The Lebanese Order of Physicians announced it was filing a complaint against Health Minister Wael Abu Faour, after the minister called for investigations into medical errors committed at Lebanese hospitals and medical clinics.

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Boustany is the head of the Order of Physicians. (Photo © MTV)

Antoine Boustany, head of the Lebanese Order of Physicians, said they would file an “urgent complaint” with the Shura council.

“Our intention is to disrupt the implementation of the minister’s decision,” he said.

Abu Faour criticized the Order of Physicians for failing to take disciplinary actions against doctors who committed medical mistakes. He called on the prosecutor general to investigate medical complaints, after the Order of Physicians failed to take action.

But Boustany says Abu Faour’s criticism is a deliberate attack on doctors and his actions are that of “arbitrary injustice.”

Boustany added that the latest complaint would be a “first step” and called on other doctors to “resort to more escalatory measures.”

Abu Faour has been called a ‘reformist’ after launching strict and comprehensive investigations into restaurants, hospitals, butcheries, factories, supermarkets, medical clinics, and other establishments.

On Wednesday, the minister warned that if food shops or factories that are ordered to shut down don’t comply with health ministry standards, security forces would raid their shop and force a shut down.

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Lebanese professor killed in South Carolina university shooting

(RICHMOND, SC) — A Lebanese professor from the University of South Carolina was shot to death by his ex-wife in a murder-suicide on the fourth floor of a campus building, according to Richland County Coroner Gary Watts.

Dr. Raja Fayad, 45, died of multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body inflicted by his ex-wife Sunghee Kwon, 46, whom he continued to live with after their divorce.

Fayad, a graduate of the Aleppo University School of Medicine in Syria, was the head of applied physiology at the University of South Carolina. Media reports say Fayad traveled to Lebanon each summer to visit his mother.

Fayad and Kwon reportedly moved to South Carolina from Illinois in 2008, after USC hired him from the University of Illinois-Chicago.

According to students, he was a highly regarded and well-liked professor and an expert in colon cancer at the Arnold School of Public Health.

“He was an excellent teacher and highly respected by his university colleagues,” said Harris Pastides, president of the university. “I would like to thank the university’s extended family from around the country who have been in touch with us to express their sympathy.”

Neighbors were shocked of the news and described Fayad as a “great person.”

“Every time I saw him he had a pleasant look on his face,” neighbor Carl Council said.

Larry Durstine, department chair in exercise science at the university, helped recruit Fayad to USC.

“He always raised spirits of those around him,” Durstine told South Carolina-based newspaper, The State. “As department chair, you’re not supposed to let them know when your spirits are down. But Raj could tell when I was down, and he’s say ‘Let’s go for a walk.'”

Durstine said Fayad often organized birthday parties and award celebrations for co-workers.

“He was one of the nicest guys I’ve ever known,” Durstine said.

Police say Fayad was shot with a Hi-Point 9 mm semi-automatic.

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 News, Success Stories

Meet the First Woman to join the Lebanese Security Forces

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Major Suzanne El-Hajj is one tough woman.

El-Hajj is a pioneering Lebanese security officer and the first female police officer in Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces (ISF), the national police and security force of Lebanon.

A graduate of Balamand University, El-Hajj was born in the Koura District of Lebanon. She majored in communications engineering and earned a master’s degree in computer science, making her equipped for combating cyber crime.

In 2001, her father spotted a recruitment notice for a communications position in Internal Security Forces, which did not specify a gender requirement. He encouraged her to apply.

“Until recently, workplace inequality existed in Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces (ISF), the country’s national police and security force,” El-Hajj said. “Very few women worked within the ISF: out of 25,000 members, only two were female. I was one of them.”

The second woman, Captain Dyala Mohtar, joined the ISF as a lieutenant in the computing section in 2003.

El-Hajj is known as one of the ISF’s toughest officers, fighting for cyber safety and minority rights, especially among women.

“When people see and accept a woman as mayor and understand that she was truly elected, the scope for seeing more women in Parliament will no longer be a far-fetched idea,” she once suggested.

During her tenure at the ISF communications bureau, Hajj created the ‘Rights, Equality and Diversity Bureau’ to ensure that minority workers, particularly women, were addressed and facilitated.

In 2009, El-Hajj helped coordinate a Civilian Police Training Program Partnership between the United States and Lebanon, where she worked with ISF officials to expand the ranks to include Lebanese women.

In 2012, 610 Lebanese women were accepted by ISF.

El-Hajj recently created a new unit called RED (Rights, Equality, Diversity) Police, with an objective to mainstream diversity within the police in all regions of Lebanon.

“The ISF is recognized as the first institution in the Middle East and North Africa region that enforces gender equity and democracy, and of this, I’m very proud,” she said.

In October 2012, El-Hajj was appointed as the head of the Cyber Crime and Intellectual Property Bureau in Lebanon, becoming the first woman in this position in Lebanon and the Middle East.

“There are female sergeants in this bureau who have been assigned to the same missions as the male sergeants, and they are doing very well,” she said.

WATCH an English interview with Suzanne El-Hajj:

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Lebanon orders the removal of political banners

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — The Future Movement and Hezbollah have mutually agreed to remove political posters and banners in Beirut, Sidon, and Tripoli, as dialogue sessions between the two groups are calling to defuse sectarian tensions.

Beirut Governor Ziad Chebib and North Lebanon Governor Ramzi Nohra along with party officials supervised the campaign to remove all signs and posters from the three regions.

“There were no objections, people were welcoming to us and about the campaign,” Chebib told Beirut-based newspaper, The Daily Star. “This is a visual pollution that every citizen needs to fight in order to have a clean environment.”

Nohra echoed Chebib’s remarks, adding that he also didn’t receive any objection.

“The campaign has begun and will not stop until all party banners and flags are removed, except for the Lebanese flag which will remain fluttering in all Lebanese areas,” Nohra said.

This decision comes after Hezbollah and the Future Movement continue to host talks meant to defuse sectarian tension and facilitate the election of a new president.

Future MP Ammar Houri says this is only the “first step” in negotiations.

“We hope it is one step in the right direction, since political banners contribute to fueling tensions, and we had agreed with Hezbollah to defuse tensions as part of the dialogue,” Future MP Ammar Houri told a Beirut radio station.

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LAU team of students, staff climb Mount Kilimanjaro

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — A team of staff and students from the Lebanese American University (LAU) climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in January to raise funds for the Exoskeleton Project, which aims to research and develop the ability for a paralyzed person to stand-up, walk, and climb stairs.

The exoskeleton was first tested on Michael Haddad, a 33-year-old activist with a spinal injury who lost control of over 75 percent of his body.

Dr. Barbar Akle and a group of engineering students at LAU teamed up with the university ‘Surivial Team,’ which hosts intense training programs that promote survival, first aid, navigation, climbing, shelter building, among other projects.

The team of students and staff, ranging from ages 20 to 60, organized a 5,895 meter hike up Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

The 7-day hike from January 23 to January 29 was accomplished by six students and two staff members, including Dr. Elise Salem, Vice President of Student Development and Enrollment Management at LAU.

LAU’s engineering students are continuing research on the exoskeleton to further develop an innovative system that helps paralyzed individuals climb stairs and walk longer distances.

If you’re interested in donating to the LAU Exoskeleton Project, click here.

WATCH the LAU team climb Mount Kilimanjaro:

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Former Lebanese-Australian politican faces criminal charges

(NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA) — Former Lebanese-Australian politician Eddie Obeid has been ordered to surrender his Australian and Lebanese passports following fears that Obeid could flee to Lebanon amid criminal charges for misconduct while in public office.

Obeid, 71, is accused of corruption and misusing his position as Member of Parliament to benefit family financial interests in Australia.

In June 2014, a commission recommended the Director of Public Prosecutions to prosecute Obeid for misconduct in public office over his attempts to influence bureaucrats and labor colleagues to benefit his family.

Obeid’s family have property in Lebanon and five regions of Australia, including coastline cafes in New South Wales and Namibia. They also own a company that exports live sheep to Syria and Iraq.

Obeid was charged with misconduct after the Independent Commission Against Corruption found he corruptly lobbied former Maritime NSW boss Steve Dunn over cafe leases his family secretly owned in Australia.

The former lawmaker is a dual Australian and Lebanese citizen with business and property ties to Lebanon. Media reports say he was building a sandstone mansion in his ancestral hometown of Matrit, Lebanon, last year.

Eddie Obeid's house in Matrit, Lebanon. (Photo © Rami Aysha)
Eddie Obeid’s house in Matrit, Lebanon. (Photo © Rami Aysha)

Australian Prosecutor Daniel Noll told the court that Obeid had a “large personal fortune” and “substantial property” in Lebanon.

He believed Obeid posed an “unacceptable risk” of fleeing which would require him to be held in custody.

Australian media reports that Obeid faces serious charges that are likely to result in a jail term if found guilty.

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 Business, News, Success Stories

Lebanese family become billionaires by opening Zara stores

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — The Lebanese Daher family have become billionaires by opening 55 fashion and lifestyle brands in 14 countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

The Daher brothers — Wassim, Said, and Hasan — own Azadea Group, a Beirut-based company that own and manage 600 retail outlets, including Max Mara, Sunglass Hut, Massimo Dutti, and Zara, among others.

Azadea’s largest collection of stores are in mega malls in the United Arab Emirates, which is the company’s most profitable country, according to a former Azadea senior executive.

The company employs 11,000 people and the brothers are estimated to have a fortune of at least $1.4 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Wassim Daher founded the company in 1978 as a multi-brand clothing store in Hamra Beirut. His brother Hasan and Said later joined the company as managing director and chief executive, respectively.

Said Daher says the company grew rapidly when it began exclusively purchasing and opening “already-successful” franchises in the Middle East.

“You can grow much faster as a franchise than if you’re operating your own brand. With a franchise, you’re implementing already-successful business models,” he told Beirut-based Executive Magazine in a 2005 interview. “Why bother establishing a vertically integrated business model which will take you years and years to perfect when you can get involved at the end of the supply chain and start opening outlets in promising markets in a matter of months?”

Lebanese businessman Said Daher, the CEO of Azadea Group, signs with Mall of Arabia to open series of fashion outlets. (Photo © Rana Moghabghab)
Lebanese businessman Said Daher, the CEO of Azadea Group, signs with Mall of Arabia to open series of fashion outlets. (Photo © Rana Moghabghab)

In 2011, the Daher brothers opened the Azadea Foundation, an environmental NGO in Lebanon, which is financed exclusively by Azadea board members and employees.

The Azadea Foundation is credited with the restoration of the 107-year-old René Mouawad Sanayeh Garden, the city’s biggest 22,000 square meter public garden, which underwent a $2.5 million makeover.

Azadea Foundation also planted over 8,500 trees in three plantation projects in the woodlands of Lebanon. The group plans to spread environmental awareness in school workshops and “Green Booths” in Beirut malls.

Meanwhile, the Azadea Group continues to grow, and the brothers say they will remain committed to Lebanon.

In January, Bloomberg reported that two Dubai-based companies were reportedly set to bid for a 25 percent stake in Azadea Group. The bids by KKR & Co, Fajr Capital, and Majid Al Futtaim Holdings are currently in the second round of bidding for the Lebanese company.

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 City Beat, Detroit, News

Muslim passenger claims harassment on Delta Airlines flight

(DETROIT, MI) — A Muslim woman from Dearborn says Delta Airlines mishandled a harassment case on a flight from Florida to Detroit.

Darlene Hider, 32, said she was with her four kids and husband when another woman yelled, “This is America!” and insulted her because of her Islamic faith.

Instead of asking the woman to stop, Delta flight attendants told Hider to “get your kids and change seats.” She was later moved to the rear of the plane.

“I felt as if I wanted to defend myself but I couldn’t because of the Islamophobia going on,” Hider told BuzzFeed News. “It’s enough that I wear a scarf. We have to prove ourselves every day to people and it gets tiring. I’m not a terrorist. I’m American.”

According to Hider, the flight attendant said: “You are at my wit’s end. You better be quiet before I kick you off this plane!”

Hider’s brother, Abed Ayoub, is the legal and policy director at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

“Everyday Muslims and Arabs are discriminated against in America,” Ayoub posted on Twitter. “They are sisters, wives, mothers and don’t deserve this.”

“As a civil rights attorney I work with victims of discrimination all the time. Corporations like Delta need to respond better,” he said.

Brian Kruse, a spokesman for Delta Airlines, say they’re reviewing the situation.

“Delta does not condone discrimination of any kind,” he told the Detroit Free Press on Tuesday.

The president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Samer Khalaf, is now calling on Delta to better train their flight attendants.

“We encourage Delta to take immediate steps to rectify this matter and ensure that their agents are better equipped to address instances of harassment,” he said.

The ADC released a video that they say shows part of the incident. A flight attendant is heard saying: “You want to get off the plane? I’m fixing the problem. If you want, we will take you out.”

WATCH video footage of Hider moving seats:

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 News

Islamic State burn Jordanian pilot alive; Lebanese officials react

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanese officials are reacting to the Islamic State’s most recent video, which purportedly shows a Jordanian pilot being burned alive in a cage.

The 22-minute video allegedly shows images of 26-year-old First Lieutenant Maaz al-Kassabeh engulfed in flames.

King Abdullah II cut short his visit to Washington DC and flew back to Jordan where he vowed an “earth-shattering response.”

U.S. President Barack Obama denounced the apparent killing and pledged to “redouble the vigilance” to make sure the Islamic State is “ultimately defeated.”

“It’s just one more indication of the viciousness and barbarity of this organization,” Obama said.

Meanwhile, Jordan hung two Iraqi jihadists, one a woman, on Wednesday in response to the video. The Islamic State demanded the release of the woman, Sajida al-Rishawi, in exchange for a Japanese hostage it later beheaded.

Former Prime Minister of Lebanon Najib Mikati contacted Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Jouda and offered his condolences.

“This has nothing to do with the Islamic religion’s principles,” Mikati said, in a statement published by the Lebanese National News Agency.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri also reacted to al-Kassabeh’s apparent death.

“Neither mind not heart believe the barbaric crime committed against Jordanian pilot Maath Kassasbeh,” he posted on Twitter. “Obscurantism in the name of religion! Sincere condolences to King Abdallah, to the people of Jordan and to the Kassasbeh family.”

Editor’s Note: Lebanese Examiner is still awaiting formal statements from other Lebanese political groups regarding this developing story.

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