Excerpts: Capital punishment in Saudi.Corrupt Lebanes politics.28 October
2007

+++SAUDI GAZETTE 28 Oct.'07:"Three Asians Beheaded",Crime Watch. Saudi Press
Agency
EXCERPTS:
RIYADH - Three Bangladeshis were beheaded for robbery and sexual assault on
Friday, said the Interior Ministry. . .statement. Friday's executions
brought to 116 the number of people beheaded in the Kingdom this year,
according to a count by The Associated Press

+++THE DAILY STAR (Lebanon) 28 Oct.'07:"Lebanon and the Lebanese need a lot
more than just a new president"

QUOTE:"the cultures of corruption and
impunity will remain intact"
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EXCERPTS:Editorial
Negotiations to end the political impasse in Lebanon are taking place on
several levels both inside the country and abroad, but the principal players
seem not to recognize the urgency of the situation.... In the end, the deal
that saves the Lebanese will have to be agreed - and respected - by
Lebanese. ... in many instances officials from other countries seem more
concerned about the welfare of the Lebanese than do their own leaders. The
latter ... collectively fiddle while Lebanon burns. Nonetheless, both the
government and the opposition continue to claim that their positions are
rooted in a desire to serve the best interests of the public. If that were
true, the pace of the current contacts would be nothing short of
relentless - and they would have begun long ago.
No, the priority of the political elite remains what it has always been in
this country: to protect itself. Beirut's "authority" is an unfunny joke at
the best of times, and with the power struggle having paralyzed what few
functioning arms the state ever had, those in positions in influence are
fostering their own interests by arranging and/or renewing sweetheart deals
for their relatives and cronies. This can only ensure that however the
political crisis plays out, the cultures of corruption and impunity will
remain intact - and that the unscrupulous crooks who have always benefited
from them will find a way to keep riding the gravy train.
... The real challenge, therefore, is not to pick a president: It is to
fundamentally change the way Lebanon is governed.
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Sue Lerner - Associate, IMRA