LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
April 01/2019

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
I will give boys to be their princes, and children shall rule over them
Isaiah Chapter 03/04//05: 20.23/”I will give boys to be their princes, and children shall rule over them. As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. My people, those who lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths. Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe to those who are mighty to drink wine, and champions at mixing strong drink; who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice for the innocent!”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on April 01/19
Praying For Others And The Healing Miracle of the Paralyzed Miracle
Aoun at Arab Summit: Trump's Golan Decision Threatens Lebanese Sovereignty
Aoun to Guterres: Pompeo Visit Heralded Positive Developments in Refugee File
Berri Begins Official Visit to Iraq
Bassil: Lebanon, Arabs in Accord on Invalidation of U.S. Decision over Ghajar
Guidanian Expects Large Numbers of Arab Tourists in Summer
Mustaqbal, Rifi Rally Voters for Tripoli By-election
Jabaq Inspects Tripoli Hospital Accompanied by Karami
Lebanon Counts On a Promising Summer Season
World Bank: Developments in Lebanon Have Not Reached Expected Level
As US pressure mounts on Iran, Lebanon finds itself in jam

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 01/19
Pope urges Catholics in Morocco to dialogue, not proselytize
Pope, Moroccan King Declare Jerusalem ‘Common Patrimony’ of Three Religions
Arab Summit Shows Unity against Trump's Israel Policy, Qatar Emir Leaves Early
Tunis Declaration Counts on Arab Solidarity Against Interventions
Qatari Emir leaves Arab League summit abruptly
Israelis to Speak at Bahrain Conference in April
Another burst of Hamas rocket fire, yet Israel reopens Gaza crossings, releases $300m payout
Five rockets fired at Israel from Gaza Strip, Israeli tanks respond
Fourth Palestinian killed in Israel border clashes: Gaza ministry
Israel reopens Gaza crossings after week of hostilities
Hamas Awaits Results of Egyptian-Led Negotiations With Israel
Netanyahu Welcomes Brazil's Bolsonaro, Embassy Decision Pending
Sweida Fears Another Attack by ISIS
In Syria's Al-Hol Camp, Ultra-Extremists Fuel Fear
Algerian Army Chiefs Repeat Call for Proposed Presidential Vacuum
Halbousi to Asharq AL-Awsat: US Forces in Iraq Provide Political Umbrella Facing Foreign Interventions
African Union to host Libya ‘reconciliation’ conference
US ending aid to El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras over migrants
Turks vote in critical municipal elections as Erdogan’s popularity is tested
Comic Leads as Ukraine Votes for President

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 01/19
Praying For Others And The Healing Miracle of the Paralyzed Miracle/Elias Bejjani/March 31/19
As US pressure mounts on Iran, Lebanon finds itself in jam/Rami Rayees/The Arab Weekly/March 31/19
Pope urges Catholics in Morocco to dialogue, not proselytize/AP/March 31/31/19
Tunis Declaration Counts on Arab Solidarity Against Interventions/Tunis- Sawsan Abu Hussein and Thaer Abbas/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 31/19
Another burst of Hamas rocket fire, yet Israel reopens Gaza crossings, releases $300m payout/DEBKAfile/March 31/19
The Foreign Policy Fiasco That Wasn’t/Withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal has paid dividends/Bret Stephens/The New York Times/March 31/19
Trump Is Right about the Golan Heights/Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/March 31/ 2019
UK: Radical Muslims Welcome, Persecuted Christians Need Not Apply/Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/March 31/ 2019
Proposed changes to Iraq’s citizenship law stir controversy/Nazli Tarzi/The Arab Weekly/March 31/19
Will Trump’s Golan Heights decision affect Palestine deal/Yasar Yakis/Arab News/March 31/19
Iranian proxies turn to crime to dodge sanctions/Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/March 31/19
Defiant Khamenei emphasizes Iranian regime’s aggressive policies/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/March 31/19

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on April 01/19
Praying For Others And The Healing Miracle of the Paralyzed Miracle
Elias Bejjani/March 31/19
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/73457/elias-bejjani-praying-for-others-and-the-healing-miracle-of-the-paralyzed-miracle/
On the fifth Lenten Sunday the Catholic Maronites cite and recall with great reverence the Gospel of Saint Mark ( 02/1-12): “The Healing Miracle of the Paralytic”: “When he entered again into Capernaum after some days, it was heard that he was in the house. Immediately many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even around the door; and he spoke the word to them. Four people came, carrying a paralytic to him. When they could not come near to him for the crowd, they removed the roof where he was. When they had broken it up, they let down the mat that the paralytic was lying on. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” But there were some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you reason these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”— He said to the paralytic— “I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house.” He arose, and immediately took up the mat, and went out in front of them all; so that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
This great miracle in its theological essence and core demonstrates beyond doubt that intercessions, prayers and supplications for the benefit of others are acceptable faith rituals that Almighty God attentively hears and definitely answers.
It is interesting to learn that the paralytic man as stated in the Gospel of St. Mark, didn’t personally call on Jesus to cure him, nor he asked Him for forgiveness, mercy or help, although as many theologians believe Jesus used to visit Capernaum, where the man lives, and preach in its Synagogue frequently. Apparently this crippled man was lacking faith, hope, distancing himself from God and total ignoring the Gospel’s teaching. He did not believe that the Lord can cure him.
What also makes this miracle remarkable and distinguishable lies in the fact that the paralytic’s relatives and friends, or perhaps some of Jesus’ disciples were adamant that the Lord is able to heal this sick man who has been totally crippled for 38 years if He just touches him. This strong faith and hope made four of them carry the paralytic on his mat and rush to the house where Jesus was preaching. When they could not break through the crowd to inter the house they climbed with the paralytic to the roof, made a hole in it and let down the mat that the paralytic was lying on in front of Jesus and begged for his cure. Jesus was taken by their strong faith and fulfilled their request.
Jesus forgave the paralytic his sins first (“Son, your sins are forgiven you) and after that cured his body: “Arise, and take up your bed, and walk”. Like the scribes many nowadays still question the reason and rationale that made Jesus give priority to the man’s sins. Jesus’ wisdom illustrates that sin is the actual death and the cause for eternal anguish in Hell. He absolved his sins first because sin cripples those who fall in its traps, annihilates their hopes, faith, morals and values, kills their human feelings, inflicts numbness on their consciences and keeps them far away from Almighty God. Jesus wanted to save the man’s soul before He cures his earthy body. “For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life?” (Mark 08:/36 & 37).
Our Gracious God does not disappoint any person when he seek His help with faith and confidence. With great interest and parental love, He listens to worshipers’ prayers and requests and definitely respond to them in His own way, wisdom, time and manner. “Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened”. (Matthew 07/07 &08)
Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praises. Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up”. (James 05:15)
In this loving and forgiving context, prayers for others, alive or dead, loved ones or enemies, relatives or strangers, are religiously desirable. God hears and responds because He never abandons His children no matter what they do or say, provided that they turn to Him with faith and repentance and ask for His mercy and forgiveness either for themselves or for others. “
There are numerous biblical parables and miracles in which Almighty God shows clearly that He accepts and responds to prayers for the sake of others.
Jesus cured the centurion’s servant on the request of the Centurion and not the servant himself. (Matthew 08/05-33 )
Jesus revived and brought back to life Lazarus on the request of his sisters Mary and Martha. (John 11/01-44)
Praying for others whether they are parents, relatives, strangers, acquaintances, enemies, or friends, and for countries, is an act that exhibits the faith, caring, love, and hope of those who offer the prayers. Almighty God, Who is a loving, forgiving, passionate, and merciful Father listens to these prayers and always answers them in His own wisdom and mercy that mostly we are unable to grasp because of our limited human understanding. “All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (Matthew 21/22)
In conclusion: Almighty God is always waiting for us, we, His Children to come to Him and ask for His help and mercy either for ourselves or for others. He never leaves us alone. Meanwhile it is a Godly faith obligation to extend our hand and pull up those who are falling and unable to pray for themselves especially the mentally sick, the unconscious, and the paralyzed. In this realm of faith, love and care for others comes our prayers to Virgin Mary and to all Saints whom we do not worship, but ask for their intercessions and blessings.
O, Lord, endow us with graces of faith, hope, wisdom, and patience. Help us to be loving, caring, humble and meek. Show us the just paths. Help us to be on your right with the righteous on the Judgment Day.
God sees and hears us all the time, let us all fear Him in all what we think, do and say.

Aoun at Arab Summit: Trump's Golan Decision Threatens Lebanese Sovereignty
Naharnet/March 31/19/President Michel Aoun on Sunday described U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Syria’s occupied Golan Heights as part of Israel as a “threat” to Lebanon’s sovereignty. “Trump’s decision does not only threaten the sovereignty of a brotherly country, but also the sovereignty of the Lebanese state, especially in the Shebaa Farms and the Kfarshouba Hills,” Aoun warned in his speech before the 30th Arab Summit in Tunisia. Israel had argued that the Shebaa Farms and the Kfarshouba Hills are part of the Golan whereas Lebanon has insisted that they belong to Lebanon, amid a dispute over the demarcation of the border in that area. Separately, Aoun wondered whether the international community is seeking to turn the Syrian refugees into “hostages” in order to “use them as a tool of pressure against Syria and Lebanon.” “We’re worried over the insistence to link the refugee return to the political solution and over the ‘voluntary return’ expression,” the president added. He also emphasized that Lebanon “will not accept any form of naturalization” on its soil.

Aoun to Guterres: Pompeo Visit Heralded Positive Developments in Refugee File
Naharnet/March 31/19/President Michel Aoun has told U.N. chief Antonio Guterres that the latest visit to Lebanon by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has ushered in “positive developments” regarding the Syrian refugee file. Aoun met Guterres on the sidelines of the Arab Summit in Tunisia. The National News Agency said Aoun told the U.N. chief that Lebanon’s priority is “the return of Syrian refugees to their country.”This would “alleviate the heavy burden that it is shouldering as well as the repercussions of the refugee crisis on all sectors,” the president told Guterres. “Lebanon will continue to organize Syrian refugee convoys to safe Syrian regions,” Aoun went on to say, noting that 171,000 refugees have so far returned home from Lebanon in this manner. The president also noted that Pompeo’s visit “heralded positive developments in this regard” and that “he reflected in his testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives a change in the U.S. stance regarding the necessity for the return of the refugees to Syria.”As for the situation on the border with Israel, Aoun underscored “Lebanon’s respect for (U.N. Security Council) Resolution 1701 and its stipulations,” noting that “Israel is continuing its land, sea and air violations” and “violating Lebanese airspace to carry out airstrikes on Syria.”The president also called on the U.N. to “help it demarcate its maritime border and to convince Israel of responding to this desire.”Guterres for his part expressed the U.N.’s inclination to “continue to work on achieving stability in Lebanon, in cooperation with the new government, the U.N. organizations and the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),” adding that the U.N. wants to “preserve the border’s security and stability.”He also stressed “the importance of boosting cooperation between the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL to implement Resolution 1701 as part of preserving Lebanese sovereignty.”

Berri Begins Official Visit to Iraq
Naharnet/March 31/19/Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri arrived Sunday in Baghdad on an official visit, at the invitation of his Iraqi counterpart Mohammed al-Halbousi, who cut short a foreign trip in order to receive him, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported. Berri is scheduled to meet with the country’s top officials and with Shiite spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Sistani. Speaking to reporters upon his arrival, the Speaker said he was very pleased to return to Iraq on another visit, wishing prosperity for the country “after the expulsion of Daesh and the victory over terrorism.” Iraqi Deputy Speaker Hassan al-Kaabi later threw a lunch banquet in honor of Berri and the accompanying delegation in the presence of a number of Iraqi MPs and officials.

Bassil: Lebanon, Arabs in Accord on Invalidation of U.S. Decision over Ghajar
Naharnet/March 31/19/Following the US decision recognizing the sovereignty of Israel over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil reiterated on Saturday that Lebanon rejects the US decision and “the Arab states agree” with him. “Lebanon proposes and the Arabs agree: reject the US decision over Golan Heights and consider it null and void,” said Bassil in a Tweet, adding that the decision “violates the UN Charter by forcibly taking over the territory of others.”Bassil also said that “Arabs support Syria’s right to restore occupied Golan, and support the “Lebanism” of Shebaa Farms, Kfarshouba Hills and the northern part of the town of Ghajar,” stressing Lebanon’s right to recover it. On Friday and during a visit to Bulgaria, Bassil also stressed that the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms and Kfarshouba Hills are “Lebanese land.”

Guidanian Expects Large Numbers of Arab Tourists in Summer
Naharnet/March 31/19/Lebanon is readying for a promising summer tourism season after Saudi Arabia announced the lifting of a ban on the travel of its citizens to the country. “There is an inclination in the UAE to lift the ban on the travel of its citizens to Lebanon,” Tourism Minister Avedis Guidanian told the Saudi Asharq al-Awsat newspaper in remarks published Sunday. Emirati Ambassador to Lebanon Hamad al-Shamesi had recently announced that he would seek a lifting of the UAE ban with the relevant authorities. And as Guidanian told the daily that he does not know the exact date of the expected Emirati decision, he told the newspaper that “the preparations indicate that Gulf and Arab tourists will flock to Lebanon in large numbers this year.”“The season is expected to begin on Eid al-Fitr and continue throughout the summer,” the minister added. Guidanian also hoped the numbers of tourists will reach those seen in 2010, when tourism revenues represented 20% of the national income after 2.2 million tourists visited Lebanon that year among them over 40% from Arab countries.

Mustaqbal, Rifi Rally Voters for Tripoli By-election
Naharnet/March 31/19/Al-Mustaqbal Movement Secretary-General Ahmed Hariri, ex-minister Ashraf Rifi and Mustaqbal’s candidate Dima Jamali have called on voters to turn out heavily in Tripoli’s upcoming parliamentary by-election. The joint call was voiced during a tour of the city by Hariri and Jamali during which they met with Rifi. Hariri called on voters to confront those “who want the turnout to be weak after their withdrawal from the by-election,” in reference to MP Faisal Karami, al-Ahbash and their March 8 allies. “The current consensus in Tripoli has foiled the plans of those who wanted to fish in troubled waters and pushed them to refrain from taking part in the race,” Hariri added, referring to the agreement with Rifi on backing Jamali. Hariri however said that they respect the remaining candidates, noting that al-Mustaqbal will engage in a “serious electoral battle.”And as Jamali said that “Tripoli is loyal to martyr premier Rafik Hariri and will not allow that he be targeted,” Rifi said “the page has been turned on the disputes because the objectives are unified.”“We must stand shoulder-by-shoulder to achieve them,” Rifi added, reiterating his call for a heavy turnout. And calling for voting for “the choice of sovereignty in the face of the choice of the statelet,” Rifi vowed to exert efforts to “develop the city and end its deprivation in cooperation with Prime Minister Saad Hariri.”

Jabaq Inspects Tripoli Hospital Accompanied by Karami
Naharnet/March 31/19/Health Minister Jamil Jabaq has inspected the Islamic Charitable Hospital in Tripoli, accompanied by Dignity Movement chief MP Faisal Karami. After inspecting the hospital and its sections and visiting the patients, Jabaq, who was named to the new cabinet by Hizbullah, said “this hospital means a lot to Tripoli’s people.”“The personal effort to develop this hospital by the brother Faisal Karami is a very huge effort,” Jabaq added. He also reassured that he will continue to boost the budgets earmarked to improve the situations at some hospitals, including the Islamic Charitable Hospital

Lebanon Counts On a Promising Summer Season
Beirut- Caroline Akoum/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 31 March, 2019/
Lebanon is preparing for a promising summer tourism season, the indicators of which have begun to appear in recent weeks, especially after Saudi Arabia announced the lifting of its travel ban of the Middle Eastern country. Tourism institutions are awaiting a similar decision from the United Arab Emirates, which would make this year’s summer the most rewarding since 2011. As the UAE ambassador to Beirut, Hamad Al-Shamsi, announced earlier that he would work with the concerned authorities to lift the travel ban, Lebanese Tourism Minister Owadis Kidianian and president of the Syndicate of Hotel Owners Pierre Achkar said that the UAE was considering allowing its citizens to travel to Lebanon. The current preparations indicate that Gulf and Arab tourists will come to Lebanon in large numbers, starting from Eid al-Fitr to continue throughout the summer, said Kidianian, in remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat. He hoped that the numbers would reach those of 2010, when tourism accounted for 20 percent of the national income and the number of tourists reached 2.2 million, 40 percent of whom were Arabs. At a time when programs of summer festivals have started to be announced successively, Achkar said the country was likely to receive a large number of tourists in Eid al-Fitr, adding that the projection of the summer season will be clearer next month. “The Lebanese are counting on this summer season to be the best since 2011, based on the political and security factors in the country,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat. “The rate of bookings is expected to appear in May, and - in addition to Saudi tourists, thousands of whom have homes in Lebanon and are the backbone of tourism – we hope that the UAE would make a decision similar to that of Saudi Arabia,” he added. In the same context, the director of Rafik Hariri International Airport, Fadi Hassan, noted that in recent weeks there has been a remarkable rise in flight traffic compared to last year, specifically after the Saudi decision. He told Asharq Al-Awsat: “We see through the meetings we hold with tourism companies that there are signs of a promising season.”

World Bank: Developments in Lebanon Have Not Reached Expected Level
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 30 March, 2019/World Bank Vice President for Middle East and North Africa Ferid Belhaj described the economic situation in Lebanon as "very crucial." Belhaj who met Friday with Lebanon's Finance Minister, Ali Hassan Khalil, to discuss the recent economic developments, said: "What matters today most is the way the Lebanese government proves to be up to the expectations and aspirations of the Lebanese people, especially on the level of reforms because they are important and essential." "Reforms should be implemented by Lebanon to be able to communicate with the donors that support the country, not to mention their importance on the economic and social level," he added. "The World Bank is one of the sides supporting Lebanon, and we are dealing positively with the country -- with a high level of exchange of viewpoints, transparency, clarity, and accuracy," Belhaj said. He further confirmed that Lebanon should do more to reach the aspired level. "The Lebanese government's reforms are very important; however, they have not reached the expected level, and this is what we said frankly to the Lebanese government.”Belhaj expressed confidence in Lebanon's ability to brace the required reforms, reaffirming the World Bank's support to the country. “We have reached a stage where time is very precious," he noted.

As US pressure mounts on Iran, Lebanon finds itself in jam
Rami Rayees/The Arab Weekly/March 31/19
Any form of political manoeuvring that seeks to draw a distinction between Lebanon the state and Hezbollah the party is no longer an option.
Mike Pompeo was not the first US secretary of state to visit Lebanon and he will probably not be the last. His recent visit, however, unleashed a wave of criticism from Hezbollah and its allies, which are under increasing pressure from the United States.
Lebanon has traditionally sought good relations with Washington and ties between the two countries run deep. Lebanese veterans remember when 14,000 US Marines descended on the Lebanese coast in 1958 as US President Dwight Eisenhower worked to counter the rising wave of Nasserism. During the 1975-76 war in Lebanon, Washington quietly gave Syria President Hafez Assad the green light to send troops into Lebanon to end the fighting. War, however, continued until 1990 and the Syrian tutelage remained until 2005, after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
During the Reagan era, the US Embassy in Beirut was attacked, killing 63 employees and leading to its military withdrawal. Today, US President Donald Trump is pursuing a hard-line policy against Tehran and its allies, chief among them Hezbollah.
“Our pressure on Iran is simple. It’s aimed at cutting off the funding for terrorists and it is working,” Pompeo said in Beirut, adding that Iran had given as much as $700 million to Hezbollah in a year. “We believe that our work is already constraining Hezbollah.”
In Lebanon, Hezbollah is acknowledged as a legitimate political party with representatives in parliament and the cabinet. However, there has always been a demarcating line between the state’s official stance and that of the party, which raises eyebrows over the question of political legitimacy. Former Lebanese President Michel Suleiman (2008-16) worked to develop a unified defence strategy that would give the Lebanese state an upper hand on war and peace issues vis-a-vis Hezbollah. The Baabda Declaration, approved unanimously — including by Hezbollah — in June 2012, called on the state to respect all international resolutions, including UN Resolution 1701, which called for “the cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel.” The resolution continues to be respected.
Now, however, Lebanese President Michel Aoun, whose success is largely due to Hezbollah support, has publicly backed Hezbollah’s position on the issue of armed resistance. Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, who is also Aoun’s son-in-law, has taken the same line, telling Pompeo that Lebanon has “the natural right to defend itself and to resist any occupation of its land. This is a holy right.” Aoun, meanwhile, has not fulfilled his pledge to re-examine the country’s defence strategy after the creation of a new cabinet. He has also defended Hezbollah’s access to weapons as necessary to ensure national security. His words put Lebanon fully in line with Hezbollah. Any form of political manoeuvring that seeks to draw a distinction between Lebanon the state and Hezbollah the party is no longer an option.
And, with the United States ramping up pressure on Iran and Hezbollah, Lebanon seems to be putting itself in a jam.
*Rami Rayess is editor-in-chief of Lebanese Al Anbaa Electronic Newspaper (anbaaonline.com) and spokesman for the Progressive Socialist Party in Lebanon.

Latest LCCC English Miscellaneous Reports & News published on April 01/19
Pope urges Catholics in Morocco to dialogue, not proselytize
AP/March 31/31/19
Francis has stressed a message of Christian-Muslim fraternity during his first trip to Morocco.Proselytism is a prominent issue in religious discourse in the north African country, even though Christians, Muslims and Jews have coexisted peacefully here for centuries
RABAT: Pope Francis sought to encourage greater Christian-Muslim dialogue on Sunday, telling his flock that showing the country’s Muslim majority they are part of the same human family will help stamp out extremism.
On his second and final day in Morocco, Francis told Catholic priests and sisters that even though they are few in number, they shouldn’t seek to convert others but rather engage in dialogue and charity.
“In this way, you will unmask and lay bare every attempt to exploit differences and ignorance in order to sow fear, hatred and conflict,” he said. “For we know that fear and hatred, nurtured and manipulated, destabilize our communities and leave them spiritually defenseless.”Francis has stressed a message of Christian-Muslim fraternity during his first trip to Morocco, a majority Muslim nation of 36 million. Proselytism is a prominent issue in religious discourse in the north African country, even though Christians, Muslims and Jews have coexisted peacefully here for centuries.
After reaching out to the Sunni majority and Morocco’s ever growing community of migrants from countries in sub-Saharan Africa on Saturday, Francis turned his attention Sunday to Christian minorities. His aim was to highlight their constructive presence in Moroccan life. Francis visited a social center run by Catholic religious sisters that serves a poor Muslim community south of the capital, Rabat, with medical, educational and vocational services. The Temara center operates a pre-school, treats burn victims, trains women in tailoring and provides meals for 150 children a day. Catholic catechism isn’t taught at the pre-school. “Their teachers are all Muslims and speak in Arabic and they prepare them on Muslim religion,” said sister Gloria Carrillero. “We did not come here with the purpose of doing proselytism. We came here just to help.” Catholics represent less than 1 percent of Morocco’s population and most are foreign-born migrants. Morocco also has between 2,000 and 6,000 homegrown converts to Christianity who are obliged to practice their faith privately because Morocco prohibits Muslim conversions. These Moroccan converts often celebrate Masses in their homes and hide their religious affiliations for fear of prosecution and arrest. Yet many flocked to Francis’ afternoon Mass in a Rabat sports stadium with the hope the pope’s visit would compel Moroccan authorities to be more tolerant of religious diversity. “With this visit, we want to tell the pope and the Moroccan society that we are proud to be Christians,” said Moroccan Christian Adam Rbati, who was attending the Mass with his Christian wife and newborn son. “It might not change much, but it will certainly create the space for future positive change.” Francis touched on the issue of religious freedom in his opening speech to King Mohammed VI on Saturday, urging Morocco to move beyond just freedom of worship to true respect for an individual’s faith. “That is why freedom of conscience and religious freedom — which is not limited to freedom of worship alone, but allows all to live in accordance with their religious convictions — are inseparably linked to human dignity,” he said. In a speech to Catholic priests in the city cathedral Sunday, Francis drew applause when he told them they should not proselytize. The church grows, he said, when people are attracted to its message, witness its charity and engage in dialogue as part of a human family. He called for prayer “in the name of this fraternity, torn apart by the policies of extremism and division, by systems of unrestrained profit or by hateful ideological tendencies, that manipulate the actions and the future of men and women.”

Pope, Moroccan King Declare Jerusalem ‘Common Patrimony’ of Three Religions
Rabat-/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 31 March, 2019/Pope Francis on Saturday joined Morocco's King Mohammed VI in saying Jerusalem should be a "symbol of peaceful coexistence" for Christians, Jews, and Muslims, on the first day of a visit to the North African country. The spiritual leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics was invited by King Mohammed VI for the sake of "interreligious dialogue", according to Moroccan authorities. In a joint statement, the two leaders said Jerusalem was "common patrimony of humanity and especially the followers of the three monotheistic religions." "The specific multi-religious character, the spiritual dimension and the particular cultural identity of Jerusalem... must be protected and promoted," they said in the declaration released by the Vatican as the pontiff visited Rabat. The Moroccan king chairs a committee created by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to safeguard and restore Jerusalem's religious, cultural, and architectural heritage. The joint statement came after US President Donald Trump's landmark recognition of the disputed city as capital of Israel, which sparked anger across the world, especially from Palestinians who see Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. Improving relations with other religions has been a priority for the Argentine pontiff, whose papacy has been marred by clergy facing a wave of child sex abuse allegations. Addressing thousands of Moroccans who had braved the rain to attend the welcome ceremony, Francis said it was "essential to oppose fanaticism". He stressed the need for "appropriate preparation of future religious guides", ahead of meeting trainee imams later on Saturday. Catholics are a tiny minority Morocco, where 99 percent of the population is Muslim. The king is revered across West Africa as "commander of the faithful". Speaking at the ceremony at the Tour (or tower) Hassan mosque and nearby mausoleum in Rabat, the monarch also voiced opposition to radicalism. "That which terrorists have in common is not religion, it's precisely the ignorance of religion. It's time that religion is no longer an alibi... for this ignorance, for this intolerance," he said. Francis rode to the ceremony in his Popemobile, passing rows of Moroccan and Vatican City flags and an estimated 12,000 well-wishers who packed the esplanade. Buildings had been repainted, lawns manicured, and security stepped up ahead of the first papal visit to Morocco since John Paul II in 1985.
A 17-year-old was arrested after trying to throw himself onto the king's limousine to seek the monarch's help, the police said. Some 130,000 people across Rabat watched the first stage of the pope's visit, which was beamed onto giant screens, officials said. After stopping by the royal palace, Francis and Mohammed visited an institute where around 1,300 students are studying to become imams and preachers. There they heard from a French and a Nigerian student of the institute, which teaches "moderate Islam" and is backed by the king.
In Morocco, where Islam is the state religion, authorities are keen to stress the country's "religious tolerance" which allows Christians and Jews to worship freely. But Moroccans are automatically considered Muslim, apart from a minority who are born Jewish. Apostasy is socially frowned upon, and proselytizing is a criminal offense. The Pope finished his Saturday schedule by meeting migrants -- including children dressed in colorful hats -- at a center run by Catholic humanitarian organization Caritas. "Everyone has the right to a future," said Francis, who has throughout his papacy highlighted the plight of migrants and refugees. He criticized "collective expulsions" and said ways for migrants to regularize their status should be encouraged. Caritas centers in Rabat, Casablanca, and Tangiers welcomed 7,551 new arrivals in 2017, according to the charity, helping migrants access services. The number of people taking the sea route from Morocco to Spain has recently surged as it has become harder for them to pass through Libya. On Sunday, the pope will celebrate mass at a Rabat stadium with an estimated 10,000 people attending.

Arab Summit Shows Unity against Trump's Israel Policy, Qatar Emir Leaves Early
Associated Press/Naharnet/March 31/19/Leaders meeting in Tunisia for the annual Arab League summit on Sunday were united in their condemnation of Trump administration policies seen as unfairly biased toward Israel but divided on a host of other issues, including whether to readmit founding member Syria. This year's summit comes against a backdrop of ongoing wars in Syria and Yemen, rival authorities in Libya and a lingering boycott of Qatar by four fellow League members. Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir skipped the meeting as they contend with mass protests against their long reigns. Representatives from the 22-member league — minus Syria — aim to jointly condemn President Donald Trump's recognition of Israeli control over the Golan Heights, which Israel seized from Syria in the 1967 war, and Trump's decision last year to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. At the opening of the summit, King Salman said Saudi Arabia "absolutely rejects any measures undermining Syria's sovereignty over the Golan Heights" and supports the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with east Jerusalem as its capital.
He added that Iran's meddling was to blame for instability in the region.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Abul Gheit said that interferences regional rivals Iran and Turkey have "worsened some crises and created new problems."One of the few things that have united the Arab League over the last 50 years is the rejection of Israel's occupation of the Golan Heights as well as east Jerusalem and the West Bank, territories seized in the 1967 war that the Palestinians want for their future state. The international community, including the United States, largely shared that position until Trump upended decades of U.S. policy by moving the American Embassy to Jerusalem last year and recognizing Israel's 1981 annexation of the strategic Golan plateau earlier this month. The Arab leaders meeting in Tunisia are expected to issue a statement condemning those moves. Mahmoud Khemiri spokesman of the summit, said there will be a "strong resolution" on Golan. But the leaders are unlikely to take any further action. That's in part because regional powerhouses Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have cultivated close ties with the Trump administration, viewing it as a key ally against their main rival, Iran. Both face Western pressure over their devastating three-year war with Yemen's Houthi rebels, and Riyadh is still grappling with the fallout from the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents last year.
Lebanon's Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil said Saturday that Arab ministers had voiced support in a preparatory meeting for a declaration that Trump's Golan move violates the U.N. Charter, which prohibits acquiring territories by force.
In Syria, small protests against Trump's Golan move were held in different parts of the country and state media criticized the Arab summit. "The Golan is not awaiting support from the Arabs, and not a statement to condemn what Trump has done," the Thawra newspaper said in an editorial that accused Arab leaders of taking their orders from the U.S. and Israel.
The Arab League is expected to consider readmitting Syria, a founding member that was expelled in the early days of the 2011 uprising against President Bashar Assad. But officials speaking ahead of the meeting said it was unlikely Syria would be welcomed back anytime soon.
The United Arab Emirates reopened its embassy in Damascus last year, and other Arab states have expressed support for restoring relations. But Saudi Arabia and Qatar have actively supported the rebels trying to overthrow Assad, and many other states view his government as an Iranian proxy that should continue to be shunned. Some countries were represented by their heads of state on Sunday, while others sent lower-level delegations. The UAE sent the lesser-known Fujairah ruler Hamad bin Mohammed al-Sharqi rather than the powerful Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed or Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid. In a rare sign of easing tensions, King Salman and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sat at the same sprawling table at Sunday's opening session. It was the first time the two leaders have appeared in the same room since Saudi Arabia led the boycott of Qatar nearly two years ago over Doha's ties to Iran and its support for regional Islamist groups. But Qatar's emir left the summit after the opening session and did not attend the closed-door meeting later in the day, according to Qatar's state-run news agency. It did not give a reason for his early departure.

Tunis Declaration Counts on Arab Solidarity Against Interventions
Tunis- Sawsan Abu Hussein and Thaer Abbas/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 31/19
The 30th Arab League Summit, slated for Sunday in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, will be under the title "Summit of Unification of Vision and Speech", with the need to address the US recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem and the Syrian Golan occupied territory figuring high on the meeting’s agenda. Other Arab world hot topics, such as Syria, the Iranian expansionist agenda, and Turkish interventions in Iraq will also be tackled. Tunisia, which takes over this year from Saudi Arabia in hosting the summit, will coordinate with the leaders of 12 Arab countries in responding to some of the most pressing challenges facing the Arab world today. Among the attending leaders are Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, in addition to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Arab leaders will also seek to ratify the draft "Tunis Declaration", presented to them by the Arab foreign ministers, which reaffirms the importance of promoting joint Arab action. At their preparatory meeting earlier on Friday, Arab foreign ministers approved draft resolutions prepared by permanent delegates and senior officials, together with decisions of the Economic and Social Council, which will be presented in the Arab League meeting tomorrow at the Summit Level. The draft resolutions contain about 21 items, which focus on the latest political developments of the Palestinian issue and the Arab-Israeli conflict, activating the Arab peace initiative and developments in the Syrian crisis, the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, the situation in Libya, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, and Lebanon. The draft resolutions dealt with supporting the Arab ecosystem to counter terrorism and developing the League of Arab States—it is worth noting that draft resolutions were referred from the preparatory Economic and Social Council for the 30th Arab Summit. The Arab League Summit will stress the importance of a comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East as a strategy embodied by the Arab peace initiative, which was adopted by all Arab countries at the Beirut summit in 2002.

Qatari Emir leaves Arab League summit abruptly
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Sunday, 31 March 2019/The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, left the Arab League summit on Sunday as soon as Tunisian President Baji Caid Essibsi concluded his speech. Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit was beginning his speech when the Qatari Emir was seen leaving the hall abruptly, without giving a speech. Sources said that Sheikh Tamim headed directly to the airport. The Qatari Emir left the North African country without announcing his next destination, Qatar’s Ambassador to Tunisia Saad bin Nasser Hamidi told Tunis Afrique Presse agency. This is the first summit that brings together the Emir of Qatar, Saudi King Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi since Cairo, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Manama decided to boycott Doha. In his speech, Aboul Gheit thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and denounced the armed militias that caused the destruction of Arab countries. He said that the interventions of Iran and Turkey in the affairs of a number of Arab countries exacerbated the crises and kept them away from the solution.

Israelis to Speak at Bahrain Conference in April
Naharnet/March 31/19/Several Israeli speakers are to appear at a business conference in Bahrain next month, a move condemned by MPs in the tiny Gulf state Sunday. At least three Israeli speakers, including the Israel Innovation Authority's deputy chief Anya Eldan, are scheduled to speak at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Manama, according to the forum's website. Members of parliament said Sunday they were against hosting Israeli speakers in Bahrain, which -- like most Arab states -- does not recognize Israel. "Parliament stresses its support for the just cause of the brotherly Palestinian people, and it will remain a priority for the Bahraini and Arab people," it said in a statement published on its official Facebook page. "The end of the Israeli occupation and the withdrawal from all Arab land is an absolute necessity for the stability and security of the region and for a fair and comprehensive peace."Officially, Israel only has diplomatic relations with two Arab states, neighboring Egypt and Jordan. The Jewish state has long faced resistance to its efforts to improve ties with Arab nations because of its 50-year occupation of Arab territories. It has, however, recently seen increased behind-the-scenes cooperation with some Arab countries, particularly in tackling their shared enemy, Iran.in Bahrain's foreign minister, Sheikh Khalid al-Khalifa, last year backed Israel's right to "defend itself" after its military said it struck dozens of Iranian military targets in Syria. He said Iran had "breached the status quo in the region and invaded countries with its forces and missiles"."Any state in the region, including Israel, is entitled to defend itself by destroying sources of danger," he wrote on Twitter Also in 2018, Bahrain hosted a UNESCO conference attended by an Israeli delegation.

Another burst of Hamas rocket fire, yet Israel reopens Gaza crossings, releases $300m payout
DEBKAfile/March 31/19
Israel reopened the Gaza border crossings early Sunday March 31, although five Palestinian rockets were aimed at the Eshkol district. IDF tanks hit back at Hamas positions in northern and central Gaza. There were no casualties but damage on the Israeli side.
Although the usual terrorist and IDF tit-for-tat show goes on – and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar pledged more of the same, only worse – Israel appears to be going forward nevertheless with lavish concessions for Gaza – rewards for what Israel officials are commending as Hamas’ “self-restraint” in keeping the March of the Million on Saturday within bounds. DEBKAfile reports exclusively that the Netanyahu government has consented to the UN beginning to draw on the $300m fund for Gaza Strip’s economic development accumulated from donations by different countries. Expenditure on projects will be overseen by Nickolay Mladenov, UN Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace Process. Generous Israeli benefits and Hamas promises make up a new understanding for which the Egyptian mediators are now working on a timetable. They are listed here by DEBKAfile: Expansion of the flow of food supplies crossing into the Gaza Strip as well as building materials, which Israel restricted in the past as they were used for terror tunnels.
Discussions on a maritime line linking Gaza to a port in Cyprus or Egypt.
Hamas will halt its attacks on IDF forces defending the border fence.
Palestinian rocket fire against Israel will cease.
No more explosive balloon assaults.
The IDF will exercise restraint against Palestinian “demonstrators” pushing against the border fence. This is taken to mean and end to live fire.
Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia will twist the arm of Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas to release the funds he has been holding back from the Hamas regime for covering its payroll and Gaza’s electricity bills.
A permanent Egyptian mission will be established in Gaza City to monitor the new accord’s implementation. Its members, high-ranking Egyptian intelligence officers, were present on the ground during the Saturday demonstration.
No truce will be announced between Israel and Hamas. At a later date, they will announce that they are reverting to the understandings reached after Defensive Shield, Israel’s last major counter-terror operation in Gaza in 2006.

Five rockets fired at Israel from Gaza Strip, Israeli tanks respond
The Associated Press, Gaza City/Sunday, 31 March 2019/Five rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel early Sunday while Israeli tanks targeted Hamas military posts in response, the Israeli military announced, following a day of mass protests that saw Israeli troops kill four Palestinians near the territory's border. No casualties were reported and no Palestinian group claimed responsibility for the rockets, though they appeared to be in retaliation for the deaths of the protesters. Tens of thousands of Palestinians rallied in the Gaza Strip on Saturday to mark the anniversary of their mass protests along the Israeli border. Most demonstrators kept their distance from the border, though small crowds of activists approached the perimeter fence. The forces responded with tear gas and opened fire, killing four Palestinians and wounding 64. Hamas officials say that Israel is offering a package of economic incentives in exchange for calm along the volatile border. Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, said the group had received "positive signs" from the Egyptians. He added that the Egyptian team was to return to Israel on Sunday to continue the talks. "We will continue our marches until all our goals are achieved," he said.

Fourth Palestinian killed in Israel border clashes: Gaza ministry
AFP, Gaza/Sunday, 31 March 2019/A fourth Palestinian died from Israeli fire in clashes sparked by mass demonstrations along the Israel-Gaza border on Saturday, the health ministry in the enclave said. Billal al-Najjar, 17, was shot by Israeli forces east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, it said in a statement. Two others aged 17 and a 20-year-old man were killed, according to ministry statements, as tens of thousands gathered to mark the first anniversary of weekly protests along the frontier.

Israel reopens Gaza crossings after week of hostilities
The Associated Press, Jerusalem/Sunday, 31 March 2019/Israeli authorities have reopened the two crossings with the Gaza Strip after days of hostilities in a sign that cease-fire talks may be advancing. Israeli and Hamas officials confirmed Sunday that the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings were opened for the first time since Monday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity. Sunday’s reopening comes hours after Palestinian militants launched rockets into Israel overnight and the military responded with tank fire. Four Palestinians, including three teens, had died a day earlier from Israeli fire as tens of thousands took part in mass protests along the Israel-Gaza perimeter fence. Egyptian mediators have tried to reach a cease-fire agreement to end six days of hostilities, which began when a rocket fired by Palestinian militants struck a home near Tel Aviv Monday.

Hamas Awaits Results of Egyptian-Led Negotiations With Israel
Ramallah- Kifah Zboun/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 31 March, 2019/As Hamas waits for the handing over of Israeli implementation roadmaps for the latest Egyptian-sponsored understandings reached with Tel Aviv, three Palestinians were killed and more than 300 were wounded by Israeli fire near the Gaza Strip border. Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official said that an Egyptian security delegation, headed by General Ahmed Abdel Khaliq, and that is conducting shuttle diplomacy between Gaza and Tel Aviv, will receive on Sunday an Israeli roadmap for implementing the understandings. Hamas officials say that Israel is offering a package of economic incentives in exchange for calm along the volatile border. Hamas-Israeli understandings mainly focus on expanding area of sea fishing, lift the ban on dozens of "dual-use" products, establish industrial zones and infrastructure projects, and transfer funds without delay into the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have killed four Palestinian protesters as demonstrations take place on the Gaza border, the health ministry has said. Israeli soldiers had killed the four Palestinians and injured 316 others, including 14 who suffered life-threatening wounds, during protests across the perimeter fence, in the eastern parts of the Gaza Strip. Most demonstrators kept their distance from the border, though small crowds of activists approached the fence and threw stones and explosives toward Israeli troops on the other side. The forces fired tear gas and opened fire against protesters. The Egyptian delegation had asked Hamas to maintain a peaceful "march of return" and restraint its protesters as to prevent Israeli withdrawal from the ongoing talks.
Hamas had pledged to keep the crowds at a safe distance from the fence to avoid inflaming the political atmosphere during negotiations of a possible easing of the blockade.

Netanyahu Welcomes Brazil's Bolsonaro, Embassy Decision Pending
Jerusalem/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 31 March, 2019/Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro began a visit to Israel on Sunday with a decision pending on fulfilling a promise to move his country’s embassy to Jerusalem, a policy change opposed by military officers in his cabinet. Bolsonaro touched down Sunday and received red carpet treatment from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Brazilian leader opened his speech after landing with the words "I love Israel" in Hebrew at Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion airport. The four-day visit by the far-right leader comes a week before Israel’s closely contested election in which the right-wing Netanyahu is battling a popular centrist candidate and corruption allegations, which he denies. Netanyahu called Bolsonaro a "good friend" and says Israel and Brazil have entered "a new era" of relations. He said he and Bolsonaro would sign “many agreements”, including security deals, and that the Brazilian leader would visit Judaism’s holy Western Wall, “in Jerusalem, our eternal capital”. A leading Israeli financial news website, Calcalist, reported on Sunday that Brazilian state-run oil firm Petrobras was considering bidding in a new tender to explore for oil and gas offshore Israel and a final decision would be announced during Bolsonaro’s visit. Earlier this month, a Brazilian government official told Reuters no decision had been made on the embassy move, but “something will have to be said about the embassy during the trip”. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that a formal announcement might not come during the visit. Visiting Brazil for the Jan. 1 presidential inauguration, Netanyahu said Bolsonaro had told him that moving the Brazilian embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv was a matter of “when, not if”. Like Netanyahu, Bolsonaro is an outspoken admirer of US President Donald Trump, who moved the US embassy to Jerusalem last May, five months after breaking with international consensus and recognizing the city as Israel’s capital. Bolsonaro also enjoys strong evangelical support at home. Netanyahu has courted US evangelical leaders during his current decade in power. But in an interview in February, Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourao, a retired army general, told Reuters that moving the embassy was a bad idea because it would hurt Brazil’s exports to Arab countries, including an estimated $5 billion in sales of halal food that comply with Muslim dietary laws. Bolsonaro’s economic team and the country’s powerful farm lobby have advised against relocating the embassy to Jerusalem. Israel captured East Jerusalem along with the West Bank and Gaza in the 1967 Middle East war. Palestinians seek to establish a state in the two territories, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Sweida Fears Another Attack by ISIS
Daraa (South Syria)- Riyad Al-Zein/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 31 March, 2019/People living in villages and towns located in the eastern countryside of Sweida still feel threatened by ISIS since its latest attack on July 25, 2018, on the province. This concern comes after news on the presence of sleeper cells and a large number of ISIS militants, who have withdrawn from areas east Syria and headed towards Sweida. Local sources from the province confirmed the displacement of large numbers of families from villages and towns in Sweida’s countryside towards the province. Meanwhile, news spread on the redeployment of the terrorist organization in Sweida’s eastern desert. Fears of people living in the eastern countryside grew after elements from the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) found missiles and mines in Diyatha, east of Sweida, hidden inside one of the organization’s hideouts. A leader in the province said ISIS militants were able to escape from their headquarters before the arrival of SSNP fighters, who were combing the area. He warned from the return of ISIS sleeper cells’ activity near villages in Sweida’s eastern countryside. Local factions have boosted their readiness and deployed elements and patrols in the eastern countryside, a source close to local factions in Sweida told Asharq Al-Awsat, adding that they have finally conducted combing operations deep in the plains adjacent to the villages of the eastern countryside. He explained that these operations were meant to target any movement in the depth of the desert and deal with any suspected mobile target. Local factions didn’t leave their observatories in the eastern areas and were continuing their monitoring operations along the eastern line of the province, especially after reported ISIS movements in some desert areas, the source added. He also noted that the Syrian army was scattered over a wide area in the desert and controlled 70 percent of the area of Tulul al-Safa, near the eastern countryside and overlooking Sweida’s desert.

In Syria's Al-Hol Camp, Ultra-Extremists Fuel Fear
Beirut/Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 31 March, 2019/Clashes with guards, violent factional quarrels and a new strain of ultra-extremism -- the ISIS group's territorial "caliphate" may be defeated, but a camp in eastern Syria is emerging as a fresh militant powder keg. Dislodged in a final offensive by a Kurdish-led ground force and coalition air strikes, thousands of wives and children of ISIS fighters have flooded in from a string of Syrian villages south of the camp in recent months. Among the hordes of Syrians and Iraqis, some 9,000 foreigners are held in a fenced section of the encampment, under the watch of Kurdish forces. When they want to go to the camp's market or receive aid rations, these high-risk prisoners are escorted by armed guards. But tensions are rife among the foreigners themselves. "We don't have the same mentality -- they (the extremists) want to impose their vision of Islam," said Vanessa, who came to Syria from her native Guyana as a convert in 2013 with her husband and children. "They say that we are infidels," the gangly 36-year-old said, singling out the camp's Tunisians as especially "extreme". The semi-autonomous Kurdish administration that rules much of northeastern Syria is urging countries of origin to take back their citizens. The women and children need to be "re-educated and reintegrated by their home countries," said Kurdish official Abdel Karm Omar. Otherwise, he warned, they will become "the terrorists of the future".
Under ISIS' so-called caliphate -- declared in 2014 over large swaths of Syria and neighboring Iraq -- minors were systematically indoctrinated and even exposed to public executions. In a gesture of continued loyalty to ISIS, some children at the camp -- a few grinning, others staring coldly -- pointed their index finger to the sky in front of AFP reporters. One woman threatened to hit a cameraman, but others -- anxious to return home and declaring they regret joining ISIS -- were keen to talk. Some of the Tunisians and Russians interned at Al-Hol have adopted "very extreme beliefs", confided a Belgian woman who came to Syria in 2013. "These people scare me", she said. Even just "talking to the guards, or requesting to go to the market, can make us infidels" in their eyes, she added. Once someone is labeled a non-believer, these women decree it lawful to strip the person of their belongings, the Belgian said."They can burn our tents and do whatever they want to us." But tensions are not limited to the foreigners' section. A few days ago, a confrontation escalated in the main area, populated by Iraqis and Syrians. Kurdish police were forced to intervene. Some of the residents "threw stones" at their fellow residents, a policeman told AFP, without giving his name. Nabil al-Hassan, who heads the camp's communications, insisted the "security situation is under control". But, he admitted, major logistical challenges give rise to "problems", including tensions over access to tents and aid.
Heavily pregnant Lamia, 21, told AFP she is steadfast in her loyalty to the ISIS cause. "We remain with the (ISIS) State," said the former resident of Manbij, a northern Syrian town that was occupied by the militants until the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces prevailed.
Lamia wants to go back to her hometown and has been at the camp for a month; her first husband was killed in combat, the second is in prison. Back at the entrance to the foreigners' area, several women including Algerians and Ukrainians gathered at the gate, insisting it was their turn to go to market. Blonde children and those from central Asia mingled in the dust. The women returned from the market hauling trolleys full of eggs, potatoes, nappies, and gas cylinders. Everything is meticulously searched by the guards, who are instructed to confiscate, log and store unusually valuable items and mobile phones. These "security measures" are needed to stop residents stealing from each other -- and from smuggling goods or cultivating contacts in the outside world -- Hassan said. Delving through a black handbag, the guards retrieved a phone and small piece of paper with a contact number scrawled on it. "It's not mine, it belongs to my friend," the Tunisian owner insisted. A little later, in another bag, the guards dug out a ring and a hefty gold chain, carefully hidden in a tiny plastic bag. The dismayed owner gripped the sentinel's hands in an attempt to prise back the items, to no avail. "She's not coming back inside. Take her to the cell," the guard said. The woman clung to the wire fence and wailed.

Algerian Army Chiefs Repeat Call for Proposed Presidential Vacuum
Algiers- Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 31 March, 2019/Algeria’s National Defense Ministry announced that military chiefs held a meeting Saturday in which they discussed developments vis a vis the Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaed Salah’s proposal for the constitutional council to declare President Abdelaziz Bouteflika unfit for office. Salah’s proposal for removing Bouteflika from the presidency is provided for under article 102 of the national charter. In a statement issued by the Defense Ministry on Saturday, Salah said that most people supported the army’s plan but some were resisting, without naming those opposed to the move. He said these opponents had met on Saturday to start a media campaign against the army, claiming people were against the proposal. He said trying to undermine the military, a revered institution in Algeria whose support has long been seen as vital to keeping Bouteflika and the ruling elite in power, was a “red line” that should not be crossed. He did not elaborate. “All that emerges from these suspicious meetings of proposals that do not conform to constitutional legitimacy or undermine the national army, which is a red line, is totally unacceptable,” he said in the statement. Salah underlined that activating article 102 proposal is the only guarantee for maintaining political stability in the African state, adding that any alternative “developments” will not be tolerated.
“In order to protect our country from any hazardous situation, everybody needs to show selflessness and take into consideration the higher interests of our home country in order to find an immediate solution to this crisis,” he said. “A solution in accordance with the constitution, that is the only guarantee of a stable situation,” he added in his statement earlier Tuesday. “This solution ensures the respect of the constitution and the rule of law. It will also guarantee consensus among all parties. Such a solution is stipulated by article 102 of the constitution." In parallel, members of Algeria's ruling National Liberation Front (FLN) backed Salah’s proposal and called for the ailing president to step down, following similar calls from its coalition partner the National Rally for Democracy (RND). In a party statement released the following day, Wednesday, the FLN announced their support for the army's call for the invocation of Article 102 of Algeria's constitution, which will essentially remove Bouteflika from power. "We announce our support for the initiative as a start to a constitutional plan that will allow us to protect our country from dangers," the statement read.

Halbousi to Asharq AL-Awsat: US Forces in Iraq Provide Political Umbrella Facing Foreign Interventions
Washington- Elie Youssef /Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 31 March, 2019/Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi said that proposals declared by some parliamentary blocs to submit a bill calling for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq have become from the past. In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat from Washington, he stressed that the subject had been agreed upon between the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, and the Speaker, as well as with all the political blocs and parties, and that it was withdrawn from the table of discussions.
He added that calling for the withdrawal of the US-led coalition forces from Iraq at this stage was “in the interest of terrorism”, emphasizing that the presence of the forces was “a guarantee for Iraq and provided political cover in the face of foreign interventions.”Halbousi, who visited the US capital heading a parliamentary delegation, met with Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan. “The war on terror is not over. This is what I discussed with American officials. We agreed that we have entered a new phase of this war, which aims at drying up [terrorists’] intellectual and financial resources and depriving this extremist ideology of its ability to attract new followers,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat. The Iraqi speaker noted that he discussed with US officials the sanctions imposed on Iran and that he asked for more time for Iraq to develop its capabilities and investments, which would enable it to abandon any other sources of energy needed by the Iraqi people at the current time. He added that Iraq was using Iranian gas and electric power and that he reviewed with the US officials projects between the Iraqi Ministry of Oil with ExxonMobil to invest in these sectors in order to help Iraq to become self-sufficient. Halbousi stressed that Iraq did not defend any side, but the current circumstances did not allow it to meet its energy needs, adding that it was no secret he was dissatisfied with the Iranian intervention in his country and the region.

African Union to host Libya ‘reconciliation’ conference
AFP Sunday, 31 March 2019/The African Union will host a “reconciliation” conference in July aimed at uniting Libya’s political rivals, AU commission chief Moussa Faki said late Saturday. “It’s an opportunity for the Libyans,” Faki said during a press conference in Tunis, on the sidelines of an Arab League summit in the Tunisian capital. The announcement of the July talks in Addis Ababa followed a meeting on Libya which included Faki, UN chief Antonio Guterres and the EU’s top diplomat Federica Mogherini. “It’s high time that the (political) actors discuss the fate of their country,” Faki said. Libya has been mired in chaos since the 2011 ouster of dictator Muammar Qaddafi and a series of international efforts have so far failed to unite the country. The United Nations is due to hold another conference next month in the central Libyan city of Ghadames, which is aimed at drawing up a “roadmap” to lead to elections. Between 120 and 150 delegates are expected to attend the forum from April 14-16, UN envoy Ghassan Salame said earlier this month. The UN backs a Government of National Accord in the capital Tripoli, while a rival administration in the east is supported by Khalifa Haftar and his self-styled Libyan National Army. Reaching a lasting accord is seen as vital for creating stability in the country, as well as getting the economy back on track.

US ending aid to El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras over migrants
Reuters, Washington/ Sunday, 31 March 2019/The US is cutting off aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, known collectively as the “Northern Triangle,” the State Department said on Saturday, a day after President Donald Trump blasted the Central American countries for sending migrants to the US. “We are carrying out the President’s direction and ending FY (fiscal year) 2017 and FY 2018 foreign assistance programs for the Northern Triangle,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement. The department declined to provide further details. The State Department said it would “engage Congress in the process,” an apparent acknowledgement that it will need lawmakers’ approval to end the funding. A US House Appropriations Committee aide estimated that around $700 million of aid was affected. Trump claimed on Friday during a trip to Florida that the countries had “set up” caravans of migrants in order to export them into the United States. A surge of asylum seekers from the three countries have sought to enter the United States across its southern border in recent days. “We were giving them $500 million. We were paying them tremendous amounts of money, and we’re not paying them anymore because they haven’t done a thing for us,” Trump said. Trump also threatened on Friday to close the US border with Mexico next week if Mexico does not stop immigrants from reaching the United States, a move that could disrupt millions of legal border crossings and billions of dollars in trade.

Turks vote in critical municipal elections as Erdogan’s popularity is tested
Reuters, Ankara/Sunday, 31 March 2019/Voters in Turkey began casting ballots in Sunday’s municipal elections, which are seen as a barometer of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s popularity amid a sharp economic downturn in the nation that straddles Europe and Asia. More than 57 million eligible voters are making choices in 200,000 polling stations across the country to elect the mayors for 30 large metropolitan cities, 51 provincial capitals and 922 districts. They are also voting to elect local assembly representatives as well as tens of thousands of neighborhood or village administrators. With the economy contracting following a currency crisis last year in which the lira lost more than 30 percent of its value, some voters appeared ready to punish Erdogan, who has ruled with an increasingly uncompromising stance. “I was actually not going to vote today, but when I saw how much they (AKP) were flailing, I thought this might be time to land them a blow. Everyone is unhappy. Everyone is struggling,” said 47-year-old Hakan after voting in Ankara. Voting started at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) in eastern Turkey and an hour later in the rest of the country. Polling stations close at 4 p.m. in the east and 5 p.m. in the west. Erdogan’s past electoral successes have been based on economic prosperity, but with a weakening currency, inflation at double-digit figures and food prices soaring, his conservative ruling party could lose control of key mayoral seats. The municipal elections are also a first test for Erdogan since he won elections last year that ushered in a new system that gave him wide powers. Opposition parties are mostly coordinating strategies and running under alliances in an effort to maximize the chances to unseat ruling party officials. The main battleground appears to be for Ankara, the capital, where opinion polls have suggested that Mansur Yavas, an opposition alliance candidate, could upset a quarter of a century rule by Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party and its predecessor. Mehmet Ozhaseki, former minister of environment and urban planning, who is running on the ticket for Erdogan and his nationalist allies.
In Istanbul, Erdogan named former Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, who also served previously as transport minister, to run against Ekrem Imamoglu from the opposition. “Whoever wins Istanbul, wins Turkey,” Erdogan has said in election rallies. His rise to power began as Istanbul mayor in 1994.
Erdogan has campaigned tirelessly for his party’s candidates, portraying the country’s economic woes as an attack by enemies at home and abroad, and has framed the race a matter of “national survival.” On Saturday, he spoke at six rallies in Istanbul, which Turkish television stations broadcast live.
Erdogan has been using fiercely polarizing rhetoric against opposition candidates. The ruling party has accused Ankara mayoral candidate Yavas of forgery and tax evasion while also threatening to depose mayors from a pro-Kurdish party -the second largest opposition in parliament- if they win seats in the country’s predominantly Kurdish southeast. Since 2016, Erdogan’s government has replaced elected mayors in about 100 municipalities held by the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party, replacing them with government-appointed trustees and claiming the ousted officials had alleged links to outlawed Kurdish militants. The pro-Kurdish party aims to win back those seats. It is also strategically sitting out critical races in Turkey’s major cities, including Istanbul and Ankara, with the aim of sending votes to their secular opposition rival to help challenge Erdogan’s party. Since the previous local elections in 2014, Turkish citizens have gone to the polls in five different elections. In last year’s presidential and parliamentary elections, Erdogan garnered 52.6 percent of the votes and his party and its nationalist ally won 53.7 percent of the parliamentary vote.
Symbolic blow
Defeat in Ankara or Istanbul would end nearly a quarter of a century of rule by Erdogan’s AKP or its predecessors in those cities and deal a symbolic blow to Turkey’s leader. The pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), which Erdogan has accused of links to Kurdish militants, has not made an official alliance and is not fielding candidates for mayor in Istanbul or Ankara, which is likely to benefit the CHP. The HDP denies links to the outlawed militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party. Two years ago, the state took control of some 100 municipalities from the pro-Kurdish party and some voters in the main southeastern city of Diyarbakir said services there had improved as a result. “Before, this city did not have the services I have now seen. I gave my vote to the AK Party for services to continue,” said tradesman Haci Ahmet Beyaz, 43. In the days leading up to the vote, Erdogan held around 100 rallies across the country, speaking 14 times in different districts of Istanbul over the past two days alone and more than four times in Ankara throughout his campaign. He has described the elections as an existential choice for Turkey, blasting his rivals as terrorist supporters aiming to topple the country. He has warned that if the opposition candidate wins in Ankara, residents would “pay a price”.His opponents have denied the accusations and challenged his characterization of the elections as a matter of survival, saying Erdogan had led the country to its current state. “What matter of survival? We’re electing mayors. What does this have to do with the country’s survival?” Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the CHP, told a rally in Eskisehir. With reference to Erdogan, Kilicdaroglu said: “If there is a survival issue in Turkey, it’s because of you.”

Comic Leads as Ukraine Votes for President
A comedian whose political experience is limited to playing the president on TV is likely to top the first round of voting as Ukrainians go to the polls Sunday. Actor Volodymyr Zelensky's bid started as a long shot but he has leapfrogged establishment politicians amid public frustration over corruption and stagnating living standards. The 41-year-old star of the political comedy "Servant of the People," which returned for its third season this week, is polling above 25 percent, well ahead of his nearest rivals. If Zelensky wins the presidency he will lead a country of 45 million people that in recent years has known war, loss of territory and uprisings, and remains one of the poorest nations in Europe. The main question now is whether incumbent Petro Poroshenko or ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko will meet Zelensky in a run-off next month.
One recent survey put them neck and neck at around 17 percent, though another showed Poroshenko pulling ahead of ally-turned-foe Tymoshenko to make the second round. Zelensky, who has a young support base, acknowledges that he has "no experience" but nonetheless insists he has the strength to lead Ukraine. "I don't have all the knowledge but I'm learning this now," he told AFP in an interview this month. "I don't want to look like an idiot." Even in the final days of campaigning he has eschewed rallies and interviews in favour of playing gigs with his comedy troupe. Critics point to the vagueness of his manifesto, the key pledges of which were chosen following a public vote on social media. But supporters say only a brand new face can clean up Ukraine's murky politics. Some accuse Zelensky of acting as a front for the interests of oligarch Igor Kolomoysky, who owns the channel that broadcasts the entertainer's shows, but he denies any political links. Polls opened at 8:00 am (0500 GMT) with exit poll results expected around 8:00 pm, and first preliminary results several hours later.
Standing up to Russia
Poroshenko was elected president in 2014 after a revolution forced Kremlin-backed predecessor Viktor Yanukovych from office. The pro-Western uprising was followed by Russia's annexation of Crimea and a conflict in eastern Ukraine between Kiev's forces and Moscow-backed separatists. Poroshenko came in on promises to tackle graft, align Ukraine with the West and shut down the fighting in the east. But five years on, corruption is widespread and the simmering separatist conflict has cost 13,000 lives. "I am absolutely confident that despite all of Russia's attempts... the Kremlin will not block the European or Euro-Atlantic integration of my country," Poroshenko said after his final campaign rally. The 53-year-old president has positioned himself as the only person able to stand up to the Kremlin and has promised to return Crimea to Ukraine if he is re-elected.The pledge has been widely dismissed as unrealistic.
Record number of candidates
Tymoshenko -- who was once known for her traditional plaited hairstyle but now opts for a more conventional pony tail -- has focused on the cost of living. She has promised to cut consumer gas prices in half and boost pensions as she appeals to an older base during her third bid for the presidency. With a record 39 candidates on the first-round ballot, analysts say the race remains open despite Zelensky's dominance in the polls. Barring a shock result in which one candidate crosses the 50 percent threshold in the first round, a two-person run-off is to be held on April 21.

Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 01/19
The Foreign Policy Fiasco That Wasn’t/Withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal has paid dividends.
Bret Stephens/The New York Times/March 31/19
It’s been nearly a year since Donald Trump made the decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, to loud cries that it would bring nothing but woe to the United States and our interests in the Middle East.
So far, the result has been closer to the opposite.
That much was further made clear thanks to excellent reporting this week by The Times’s Ben Hubbard. “Iran’s financial crisis, exacerbated by American sanctions,” he writes from Lebanon, “appears to be undermining its support for militant groups and political allies who bolster Iranian influence in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and elsewhere.”Well, heavens to Betsy. When the Obama administration negotiated the nuclear deal, the president acknowledged that sanctions relief for Tehran would inevitably mean more money for groups like Hezbollah. But he also insisted it wouldn’t make much of a difference in terms of Iran’s capacity to make mischief in the Middle East. Hubbard’s reporting suggests otherwise. Iran can no longer finance civilian projects or credit lines in Syria. Hezbollah fighters and Palestinian militants aren’t being paid, and their families are losing subsidized housing. Even Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has complained publicly about the effects of U.S. sanctions.
Nor are those the only benefits of withdrawal. The U.S. is no longer looking the other way at Hezbollah’s criminal enterprises, including drug smuggling and money laundering, the way it did during the Obama administration in order to engage Iran diplomatically. Iran’s protest movement, quashed in 2009, has shown signs of renewed life, not least because of public fury that the regime spends money on foreign adventures while economic conditions worsen at home.
Most importantly, Iran has not used the U.S. withdrawal from the deal to restart its nuclear programs, despite its threats to do so. Part of this has to do with Tehran’s belief that it can wait Trump out, especially since Democrats like Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris have promised to re-enter the deal if elected.
But it also suggests an edge of fear in Tehran’s calculations. The U.S. can still impose a great deal more pain on the Islamic Republic if it chooses to do so.
How so? Mark Dubowitz of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told me earlier this week that the sanctions needle now stands at around a 6. With a nod to Spin̈al Tap’s Nigel Tufnel, he says, “We need to get to 11.”
Iran still exports about a million barrels of oil a day; the administration could bring it to zero by refusing to hand out sanctions waivers. The State Department could also designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a foreign terrorist organization, on a par with Al Qaeda or the Islamic State. Such a designation, Dubowitz says, would “make the entire Iranian economy radioactive” to foreign investment, since the I.R.G.C. is heavily involved in scores of Iranian businesses.
Even here Dubowitz is merely warming to his theme. Freeze Iran’s foreign exchange reserves? Doable. Expose the immense wealth of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and sanction the companies he and other leading regime figures control? Ditto. Unleash lawsuits against companies still doing business with Iran to recover billions of dollars in outstanding terrorism judgments against the country? That, too.
The point isn’t to punish Iran for punishment’s sake. It’s to create leverage for a better nuclear deal. Last May, Mike Pompeo set a dozen parameters for an agreement, including “unqualified access” to U.N. nuclear inspectors, permanent cessation of uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing, the end of Iran’s ballistic-missile program, withdrawal of its forces from Syria, and the release of U.S. nationals held in its prisons.
Pompeo’s demands have been alternatively dismissed as silly or reckless by most of Washington’s foreign policy establishment. But it says something about the debasement of diplomatic expectations — both of what we have a right to demand and what we think we can achieve — that any of it should be controversial.
Non-nuclear states that sponsor terrorism and subscribe to millenarian ideologies should never have access to any part of the nuclear fuel cycle, ever. Any U.S. administration that abdicates the responsibility to do everything it can to prevent such access effectively renounces America’s status as a superpower as well. Iran’s G.D.P. is roughly equivalent to that of the greater Boston area, with 17 times the population. The regime may be a force to be reckoned with in the Middle East. But it is hardly a giant on the world stage, immune to any form of economic pressure.
The Trump administration has succeeded in dramatically raising the costs to Iran for its sinister behavior, at no cost to the United States or our allies. That’s the definition of a foreign-policy achievement. It’s time to move the needle up again. The longer Hezbollah fighters go unpaid, or the Assad regime unaided, the better off the people of the Middle East will be.
The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And here’s our email: letters@nytimes.com.
*Bret L. Stephens has been an Opinion columnist with The Times since April 2017. He won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary at The Wall Street Journal in 2013 and was previously editor in chief of The Jerusalem Post. @BretStephensNYT • Facebook
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/29/opinion/iran-us-foreign-policy.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

Trump Is Right about the Golan Heights
Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/March 31/ 2019
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13976/trump-is-right-about-the-golan-heights
No country in history has ever given back to a sworn enemy militarily essential territory that has been captured in a defensive war.
Predictably, the European Union opposed the U.S. recognition of the annexation. But it provided no compelling argument, beyond its usual demand that the status quo not be changed.
Has any European country ever handed over high ground, captured in a defensive war, to a sworn enemy? Recall that at the end of the first and second world wars, European countries made territorial adjustments to help preserve the peace. Why should the European Union subject Israel to a double standard it has never demanded of itself? The answer is clear: The European Union has always acted hypocritically when it comes to Israel, and this is no exception.
No reasonable person would ask the Israelis to give the Golan Heights to the Syrian mass murderer Assad. It would be suicidal to hand the high ground overlooking Israeli towns and villages to a madman who would use it to target Israelis civilians with chemical barrel bombs, as Assad has done to his own citizens. No country has ever returned a battleship captured in a defensive war to an enemy sworn to its destruction. In addition, the Golan Heights is a big battleship that would be used to attack Israel.
The Golan Heights. Israel's control over the area has been the status quo for more than half a century, and its legitimate need for this control has only increased over time. Photo: Wikipedia.
The Golan Heights is not like the West Bank, which has a large population of civilians who regard themselves as occupied or displaced. The civilians who lived in the Golan Heights before Israel entered it on the last day of the Six-Day War were largely Druze. Whoever remained there are far better off living in Israel than in Syria. Since Assad began his campaign of murder, many Golan Druze have already become Israeli citizens. As one of the 25,000 Arab Druze stated in a recent LA Times article, "No doubt that Druze and Israelis in the Golan enjoy a level of safety and security that can't be compared to life on the other side... Each night at dinner, he says he reminds his children that while they are well fed, there are children in Syria with nothing to eat."
So, Israel's control of the Golan Heights is not about people; it is largely about military advantage. No country in history has ever given back to a sworn enemy, militarily essential territory that has been captured in a defensive war.
The issue is not whether Israel should give back the Golan Heights now. Virtually everyone agrees it should not. Moreover, it will not. No Prime Minister of Israel, no matter how far to the left, would ever think of ceding the Golan Heights to Assad. The area is high ground that the Syrians used to shoot down onto the Israeli farmers laboring in the valley: it was a shooting gallery.
Israel will remain in control of the Golan Heights for the foreseeable future. The only issue is whether Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights should be recognized by the United States and other countries. It should, for several important reasons.
The reality on the ground is that Israel will never give up the Golan Heights to Syria, unless it is part of a negotiated resolution with a peaceful, democratic Syria that has agreed to end all belligerency and recognize Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people. This is unlikely to happen anytime in the foreseeable future. If it were to happen, there would be nothing to stop Israel from ceding the annexed Golan Heights to Syria as part of an enduring peace deal. There is therefore no real harm in Israel's decision to annex it and the United States' decision to recognize that annexation. Furthermore, the decision to annex and recognize the annexation removes the Golan Heights from the status of occupied territory and recognizes the status quo as both de facto and de jure realities.
I had the opportunity to discuss this issue with U.S. President Donald J. Trump two weeks before he announced his decision. I provided him with the battleship analogy, which he seemed to appreciate. I told him that I thought the Sunni Arab world might complain, but that they really do not care about the Golan, which has no religious significance to Islam. There were in fact, some minor protests, but nothing of significance.
Predictably, the European Union opposed the U.S. recognition of the annexation. But it provided no compelling argument, beyond its usual demand that the status quo not be changed. Israel's control over the Golan Heights has been the status quo for more than half a century; and Israel's legitimate need to control the heights has only increased over time, with war in Syria, and the presence of Iranian and Hezbollah military in close proximity. Would the European Union demand that Israel now hand over the Golan Heights to Assad? Has any European country ever handed over high ground, captured in a defensive war, to a sworn enemy?
Recall that at the end of the first and second world wars, European countries made territorial adjustments to help preserve the peace. Why should the European Union subject Israel to a double standard it has never demanded of itself? The answer is clear: The European Union has always acted hypocritically when it comes to Israel, and this is no exception.
So three cheers for President Trump for doing the right thing. I will continue to criticize him if and when he does the wrong thing -- such as separating families at the U.S.'s southern border.
That is what bipartisan means: praising the President I voted against when he does the right thing, and criticizing presidents I voted for (such as Barack Obama) when they do the wrong thing (such as abstaining on the Security Council Resolution declaring Jewish holy places to be occupied territory).
Israel's continuing control over the Golan Heights increases the chance for peace and decreases the chances that Syria, Iran and/or Hezbollah will be able to use this high ground as a launching pad against Israelis. That is good news for the world, for the United States and for Israel.
Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law Emeritus at Harvard Law School and author of The Case against the Democratic House Impeaching Trump (Hot Books, January 2, 2019), and a Distinguished Senior Fellow of Gatestone Institute.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

UK: Radical Muslims Welcome, Persecuted Christians Need Not Apply
ريموند إبراهيم: بريطانيا ترحب بالمسلمين المتطرفين الذين يضطهدون المسيحيين وترفض طلبات لجؤ المسيحيين
Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/March 31/ 2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/73464/raymond-ibrahim-gatestone-institute%d8%b1%d9%8a%d9%85%d9%88%d9%86%d8%af-%d8%a5%d8%a8%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%87%d9%8a%d9%85-%d8%a8%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%b7%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%8a%d8%a7-%d8%aa%d8%b1%d8%ad%d8%a8-%d8%a8/
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13975/uk-unwelcome-christians
In rejecting the claim for asylum of a man who converted from Islam to Christianity, and presumably compelling his return to Iran, the British government is effectively sentencing him to death.
"[O]ut of 4,850 Syrian refugees accepted for resettlement by the Home Office in 2017, only eleven were Christian, representing just 0.2% of all Syrian refugees accepted by the UK." — Barnabas Fund.
At the same time, the Home Office allowed a Pakistani cleric, Syed Muzaffar Shah Qadri, considered so extreme that he is banned even from his native Pakistan, to come and lecture in UK mosques.
"It's unbelievable that these persecuted Christians who come from the cradle of Christianity are being told there is no room at the inn, when the UK is offering a welcome to Islamists who persecute Christians.... There is a serious systemic problem when Islamist leaders who advocate persecution of Christians are given the green light telling them that their applications for UK visas will be looked on favourably, while visas for short pastoral visits to the UK are denied to Christian leaders whose churches are facing genocide. That is an urgent issue that Home Office ministers need to grasp and correct." — Dr. Martin Parsons, Barnabas Fund.
In rejecting the claim for asylum of a man who converted from Islam to Christianity, and presumably compelling his return to Iran, the British government is effectively sentencing him to death. (Image source: iStock)
In two unrelated cases, the United Kingdom denied asylum to persecuted Christians by bizarrely citing the Bible and Jesus. Both Christians, a man and a woman, are former Muslims who were separately seeking asylum from the Islamic Republic of Iran, the ninth-worst persecutor of Christians -- particularly of those who were Muslims and converted to Christianity.
UK asylum worker Nathan Stevens recently shared their stories. In his rejection letter from the UK's Home Office, which is in charge of immigration, the Iranian man was told that biblical passages were "inconsistent" with his claim to have converted to Christianity after discovering it was a "peaceful" faith. The letter cited several biblical excerpts, including from Exodus, Leviticus, and Matthew, presumably to show that the Bible is violent; it said Revelation was "filled with imagery of revenge, destruction, death and violence." The governmental letter then concluded:
"These examples are inconsistent with your claim that you converted to Christianity after discovering it is a 'peaceful' religion, as opposed to Islam which contains violence, rage and revenge."
In response, Nathan Stevens, the asylum seeker's caseworker, tweeted:
"... I've seen a lot over the years, but even I was genuinely shocked to read this unbelievably offensive diatribe being used to justify a refusal of asylum.
Stevens added: "Whatever your views on faith, how can a government official arbitrarily pick bits out of a holy book and then use them to trash someone's heartfelt reason for coming to a personal decision to follow another faith?
There seemed no awareness that, despite occasional verses of violence in the Bible, its main message, in both the Old and New Testaments, is to be found in Leviticus 19:18: "Love thy neighbor as thyself."
In rejecting the claim for asylum of this man who converted from Islam to Christianity, and presumably compelling his return to Iran, the British government is effectively sentencing him to death.
In the second case, an Iranian female asylum seeker was informed in her rejection letter:
"You affirmed in your AIR [Asylum Interview Record] that Jesus is your saviour, but then claimed that He would not be able to save you from the Iranian regime. It is therefore considered that you have no conviction in your faith and your belief in Jesus is half-hearted."
Recently interviewed on BBC Radio 4, the woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said:
"When I was in Iran I converted to Christianity and the situation changed and the government were [sic] looking for me and I had to flee from Iran.... In my country if someone converts to Christianity their punishment is death or execution."
Concerning the asylum process, she said that whenever she responded to her Home Office interviewer, "he was either chuckling or maybe just kind of mocking when he was talking to me.... [H]e asked me why Jesus didn't help you from the Iranian regime or Iranian authorities."
These two recently exposed cases appear to be symptomatic not only of a breathtaking lack of logic that flies in the face of history -- God obviously did not always save those who believed in Him -- but also what increasing appears to be a venomous Home Office bias against Christians. For instance, when Sister Ban Madleen, a Christian nun in Iraq who had fled the Islamic State, applied to the Home Office to visit her sick sister in Britain, she was denied a visa -- twice. Another report cites a number of other Christian orderlies who were denied visas, including another nun with a PhD in Biblical Theology from Oxford; a nun denied for not having a personal bank account, and a Catholic priest denied for not being married.
In another case, the Home Office not only denied entry to three heroic Christian leaders -- archbishops celebrated for their efforts to aid persecuted Christians in Syria and Iraq who had been invited to attend the consecration of the UK's first Syriac Cathedral, an event attended by Prince Charles -- but also mockingly told them there was "no room at the inn."
Even longtime Christian residents are being deported. Earlier this year, Asher Samson, 41, a Christian man who had been residing in the UK for 15 years and undergoing theological studies, was deported back to Pakistan -- where he had earlier been "beaten and threatened by Islamic extremists." (Such treatment is normative for Christians in Pakistan, the world's fifth-worst persecutor of Christians.) Samson's former UK pastor said:
"I've received some messages from him. He's very scared, he's fearful for his life.... He's in hiding in Pakistan and his family are terribly worried for him.... At the moment he has no funds to live on — he can't work .... [T]he UK is sending people back to these countries where their lives are in danger."
By contrast, a report from the Barnabas Fund found that in offering asylum, the UK "appears to discriminate in favour of Muslims" instead of Christians. Statistics confirm this allegation:
"Figures obtained by Barnabas Fund under a Freedom of Information request show that out of 4,850 Syrian refugees accepted for resettlement by the Home Office in 2017, only eleven were Christian, representing just 0.2% of all Syrian refugees accepted by the UK."
Statistics from earlier years have shown the same disparity. Although Christians accounted for approximately 10% of Syria's prewar population, the overwhelming majority of Syrians granted asylum by the Home Office were Sunni Muslims. Such an imbalance appears even more bizarre when one realizes that the Islamic State (ISIS) is itself a Sunni organization that targets non-Sunnis, primarily Yazidis, Christians and Shiite Muslims, all minority groups that the U.S. government acknowledges have been targets of genocide.
As Lord David Alton of Liverpool, a life peer in the House of Lords, wrote to Home Secretary Sajid Javid, who heads the Home Office:
"It is widely accepted that Christians, who constituted around 10 per cent of Syria's pre-war population, were specifically targeted by jihadi rebels and continue to be at risk.... As last year's statistics more than amply demonstrate, this [ratio imbalance between Muslim and Christian refugees taken in] is not a statistical blip. It shows a pattern of discrimination that the Government has a legal duty to take concrete steps to address."
Considering that persecuted Christian minorities -- including priests and nuns -- are denied visas, one might conclude that perhaps the Home Office just has extremely stringent asylum requirements. This notion is quickly dispelled, however, when one sees that the Home Office regularly grants visas and refugee status to extremist Muslims. One has yet to hear about Muslim asylum seekers being denied visas because the Koran is too violent, or because they do "not have enough faith" in Muhammad.
Ahmed Hassan, despite having no papers -- and despite telling the Home Office that "he had been trained as an ISIS soldier" -- was still granted asylum two years before he launched a terrorist attack in a London train station that left 30 injured in September 2017.
The Home Office also allowed a foreign Muslim cleric, Hamza Sodagar, to enter and lecture in London, even though he advocates beheading, burning, or throwing homosexuals from cliffs.
In addition, according to another report, "British teenagers are being forced to marry abroad and are raped and impregnated while the Home Office 'turns a blind eye' by handing visas to their [mostly Muslim] husbands."
The case of Asia Bibi -- a Christian mother of five who has spent the last decade of her life on death row in Pakistan for challenging the authority of Muhammad -- is perhaps emblematic of the immigration situation in the UK. After she was finally acquitted last November, Muslims rioted throughout Pakistan; in one march, more than 11,000 Muslims demanded her instant and public hanging.
As Pakistanis make up the majority of all Muslims in the UK -- Sajid Javid the head of the Home Office is himself Pakistani -- when they got wind that the UK might offer Asia Bibi asylum, they too rioted. As a result, Prime Minister Theresa May personally blocked Bibi's asylum application -- "despite UK playing host to [Muslim] hijackers, extremists and rapists," one headline read. The UK, in other words, was openly allowing "asylum policy to be dictated to by a Pakistan mob," reported the Guardian, "after it was confirmed it urged the Home Office not to grant Asia Bibi political asylum in the UK..."
At the same time, the Home Office allowed a Pakistani cleric, Syed Muzaffar Shah Qadri, considered so extreme that he is banned even from his native Pakistan, to come and lecture in UK mosques. Qadri celebrated the slaughter of a politician because he had defended Asia Bibi.
In short, local Muslim opinion apparently plays a major role in the UK's immigration policy: radical Muslims are welcomed with open arms; Christian "infidels" need not apply.
Commenting on the difficulties Christian minority asylum seekers have with the Home Office, Dr. Martin Parsons, the head of research at the Barnabas Fund, remarking that "visas were granted in July to two Pakistani Islamic leaders who have called for the killing of Christians accused of blasphemy," summarized the situation:
"It's unbelievable that these persecuted Christians who come from the cradle of Christianity are being told there is no room at the inn, when the UK is offering a welcome to Islamists who persecute Christians.... There is a serious systemic problem when Islamist leaders who advocate persecution of Christians are given the green light telling them that their applications for UK visas will be looked on favourably, while visas for short pastoral visits to the UK are denied to Christian leaders whose churches are facing genocide. That is an urgent issue that Home Office ministers need to grasp and correct."
Raymond Ibrahim, author of the new book, Sword and Scimitar, Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and a Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Proposed changes to Iraq’s citizenship law stir controversy
Nazli Tarzi/The Arab Weekly/March 31/19
Iraqi lawmakers chose to unsettle the historical foundations of the country’s citizenship law in absence of public consultation, consent and a referendum of citizenship and nationality rights.
Iraq’s capital is divided once more over a draft law that would drastically transform the country’s citizenship law.
The litany of amendments in the document blurs legal distinctions between those who have the right to lawfully enter and reside in Iraq freely and those entitled to citizenship. The proposed law extends to those born in Iraq to foreign parents regardless of legal status. Foreigners who reside in Iraq for up to 12 months would be entitled to rights equal to those enjoyed by Iraqis, including a monthly social welfare allowance of 500,000 Iraqi dinars (about $420).
The draft law has proven wildly unpopular but the concern that weighs most heavily in the minds of citizens is the reduction of the period foreigners must wait before they are eligible for naturalisation.
Iraq’s Citizenship Law of 2006 stipulates a 10-year waiting period but the draft measure proposes to shrink it to 1 year, which analysts cited as the main reason the draft failed to pass on an early vote.
The extent to which the changes represent a strategic risk has been hotly debated in local media, reactivating discussions about citizenship, statehood and what it means to be Iraqi in the post-2003 political order.
Failure to change Iraq’s citizenship law, however, has not stopped those steering the proposals. They are likely to try again but the government will struggle to convince the populace of the need to amend the law.
“Whether in Iraqi embassies abroad or in civil affairs centres at home, bureaucratic hurdles are endless for Iraqis looking to renew their papers or have a passport issued for the children born abroad,” said former Baghdad resident Nabil, who resides in London. “The priority for the government
should be relaxing complicated procedures for Iraqi before relaxing naturalisation rules for foreigners.”
Publicly voiced criticism bloomed on social media, indicting the level of distrust Iraqis, suspicious of those guiding the changes, feel.
The move has led to renewed attacks on the administration of Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, who is accused of weaponising the law to further political agendas. The official justification, provided by the Directorate of Residence, is to right the wrongs of the Saddam Hussein government and rectify unspecified episodes of forced expulsions and the banishment of certain segments of Iraqi society.
Iraqis have been loud in condemning the demographic implications. Some have accused those behind the draft — whose identities remain anonymous — of overriding the notion of sovereignty and disfiguring rules that traditionally and fairly determined how citizenship was granted.
Existing mechanisms are in doubt considering the repeated failures by the Iraqi government to introduce strict controls during religious tourism season to ensure that foreign pilgrims return to their home countries after they visit shrines.
While religious tourism attracts millions of people annually, largely from neighbouring Iran, it provides cover for the illegal entry of migrants during holy months on the Islamic calendar.
The anger Iraqis displayed is expected in a context that the public is sidelined from decisions the government takes. Iraqi lawmakers chose to unsettle the historical foundations of the country’s citizenship law in absence of public consultation, consent and a referendum of citizenship and nationality rights.
*Nazli Tarzi, is an independent journalist, whose writings and films focus on Iraq’s ancient history and contemporary political scene.

Will Trump’s Golan Heights decision affect Palestine deal?
Yasar Yakis/Arab News/March 31/19
Donald Trump’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights raises the question of whether this move is part of the US president’s “deal of the century,” which is being promoted by his chief adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner. The deal basically aims to solve the Palestinian conflict on the basis of the two-state solution.
Could Washington’s recognition of the Golan’s annexation be another goodwill gesture extended to Israel by the US before asking it to be forthcoming in favor of the Palestinians when the time comes for the implementation of the “deal of the century?”
In December 2017, talking to Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, Trump described himself as committed to getting the best possible deal for the Palestinians and said “Israel would make real concessions” (in exchange for what the US has done for it). He repeated this when he decided to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
At the signing session of the Golan proclamation, he did not make any reference to the concessions to be made by Israel. So it is unclear whether Trump will also ask Israel to make concessions this time but, looking at the relieved attitude of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one may speculate that he was not expecting any pressure from the US.
The “deal of the century” is still vague and its main components are yet to be disclosed. We only know the speculation on the possible results of Kushner’s visits to various Middle East capitals, including seeing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In this visit, Kushner probably asked Erdogan to use his leverage on Hamas to agree to his undisclosed plan. It is unlikely for Erdogan to have promised anything that Hamas would refuse.
If the rumors on this subject prove to be right, Trump’s decisions to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights are part of this deal.
Many skillful diplomats have tried hard in the past to strike a deal, but to no avail. It remains to be seen whether the Trump team will be any more successful.
As a successful businessman, Kushner may have thought that, if financial incentives are offered to Palestinians, they could be persuaded to make concessions on the subject of land. This assumption disregards the importance that many Palestinians attribute to land. The easiest way to guess the answer to this question is to reverse it and ask whether the Israelis could be persuaded to give up part of their land in exchange for financial incentives. Oil-rich Gulf countries would be ready to produce considerable amounts of money to persuade Israel to back such a solution should it ever come on to the agenda.
Various unrealistic ideas were proposed with a view to circumventing Palestinians’ attachment to land. These were going to be in the form of a series of land exchanges: Palestinians would give the West Bank to Israel in exchange for land of equal value that they would receive from Jordan; Jordan would take comparable land from Saudi Arabia, which would be compensated by receiving from Egypt two islands in the Red Sea; and Egypt would receive Gaza from Palestine. But who can guarantee that such a chain would go unbroken?
Michael Wolff gave some inside information about the early months of the Trump administration in his book “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” published in May last year. He wrote that many in the president’s close entourage did not expect Jordan or Egypt to be interested in taking the West Bank and Gaza, respectively. Jordan’s late King Hussein is on the record as saying in 1988 that he was not interested in taking the West Bank and that — unlike what late Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin used to say — Jordan was not Palestine. As for Egypt, it is more interested in sealing its border with Gaza than adding it to its territory.
Many Arab countries regard any concession to be made on the Palestinian territories as a betrayal of the Palestinian cause and that they will not be able to explain this attitude to their domestic audience. Furthermore, this scenario does not explain what will be the quid pro quo for detaching the Golan Heights from Syria. It also ignores other major actors in the region, such as Russia and Iran.
What is known so far is that Trump’s initiative is far from being a done deal. Many skillful diplomats have tried hard in the past to strike a deal, but to no avail. It remains to be seen whether the Trump team will be any more successful. The deal is due to be disclosed after the Israeli elections of April 9. One can only hope that it will not look like an attempt to reinvent the wheel.
*Yasar Yakis is a former foreign minister of Turkey and founding member of the ruling AK Party. Twitter: @yakis_yasar

Iranian proxies turn to crime to dodge sanctions
بارعة علم الدين: الأذرع الإيرانية تلجأ إلى الممارسات الإجرامي لتفادي العقوبات على النظام الإيراني
Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/March 31/19
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/73467/baria-alamuddin-iranian-proxies-turn-to-crime-to-dodge-sanctions-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B9%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%B0%D8%B1%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D9%84/
US forces still have not departed from eastern Syria, yet Tehran is already rushing to fill the void. Iranian agents have been offering cash, food, ID cards, public services and free education to war-weary Syrians, particularly in localities near the Iraq-Syria border like Al-Bukamal. In areas freshly liberated from Daesh’s pernicious ideology, these Iranian schemes include offers to join proxy militia forces and convert to Khomeinist theological principals. “From every family you find one or two people who have become Shiite,” a local observer told the Wall Street Journal. “Just like (Daesh) gave religious lessons to children after prayers, they are doing the same thing,” commented another local, who said that his village was now controlled by Iranian militias.
This has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with consolidating Tehran’s hegemony. Iran previously abused its relationship with states like Morocco, Algeria, Bahrain, Sudan and Senegal by sponsoring Shiite evangelical activity, with a view to establishing a fifth column of loyalists. Meanwhile, in western Syria, Tehran and the Assad regime have been engineering demographically loyal communities in strategically vital areas. This included handing out visas to the families of foreign militants, while populations perceived as sympathetic to the rebels were either terrorized into exile or evacuated as part of cease-fire deals.
Such sectarian strategies are gradually converting Iraq, Syria and Lebanon into vassal states, affording Tehran strategic depth in its efforts to neutralize American economic pressures and attain regional supremacy. Iran’s transnational militia assets dominate foreign territories, while engaging in money laundering, commercial activities, smuggling and exporting Iran’s theocratic model. Although Iran’s Iraqi assets are paid directly from Baghdad’s state purse, Hezbollah and Syrian militants have been experiencing wage cuts as sanctions bite. They are thus resorting to creative methods of revenue generation.
Certain Iraqi and Lebanese financial institutions have reportedly been embarking on money laundering schemes for syphoning hard currency toward Tehran. Iran’s Central Bank governor was recently in Baghdad seeking to consolidate Iranian influence over Iraq’s banking system and create a “financial apparatus” for circumventing sanctions. Iraqi militant Shibl Al-Zaidi has been using a diplomatic passport for laundering dollars via Beirut airport. Mosul residents complain about illegal paramilitary checkpoints for taxing passers-by, just as Daesh extorted money from the local populace.
President Hassan Rouhani’s recent Iraq visit produced deals in the fields of oil, trade, health and bilateral rail infrastructure. Both China and Iran are keen for this rail network to run through to Latakia, and there are discussions about an Iranian-Iraqi-Syrian “free trade area.” Iran and Iraq pledged to boost bilateral trade from $12 billion to around $20 billion, despite the Trump administration giving Iraq nine additional months to wean itself off trade with Iran. Although Iran is Iraq’s third-biggest trading partner, the $9 billion trade imbalance in Tehran’s favor means that Iraqi markets are flooded with Iranian goods.
Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi was mocked for blaming Argentina for epidemic quantities of drugs flooding into Iraq, despite his officials acknowledging that around 80 percent of narcotics arrive via Iran. Some observers estimate that Hezbollah’s worldwide narcotics and crime revenues dwarf the estimated $700 million it had been receiving annually from Tehran. Iran’s leaders have been pressuring the heavily indebted Assad regime to repay massive loans, while securing lucrative reconstruction and commercial opportunities.
Like a game of whack-a-mole, if Iran’s proxies are forced out of one economic sector, they pop up and thrive in a dozen others
Hezbollah’s control of the Lebanese Health Ministry grants it the fourth-largest ministerial budget of $338 million annually. Hezbollah could exploit this to offload onerous expenditure on wounded war veterans, while facilitating its position in the medical goods trade. Hezbollah’s monopolization of swathes of the economy is enmeshing Lebanon in a plethora of criminal activities. One wonders how the “Party of God” rationalizes its exploitation of Syrian refugees via people smuggling and prostitution.
The recent designation of Hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist organization will complicate the UK’s relations with Lebanon. However, such measures must compel Lebanon to acknowledge the dangers of Hezbollah’s increasing stranglehold. With the US, Britain and others finally getting serious about isolating Iran-linked entities, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria risk being cut off from global financial and political institutions.
With US forces poised to withdraw from Syria, Iran’s allies are now resolved to pushing the Americans out of Iraq. President Donald Trump’s comments about using troops in Iraq to “do something” in Syria and “watch” Tehran have acted as a lightning rod for anti-US sentiments. Evicting Americans from Iraq is one of the few things that the Sadrists and Hashd politicians, who dominate the government, agree on.
Iran routinely evades sanctions by using Iraqi documentation for ships carrying its oil. The plethora of options for oil smuggling and sanctions circumvention — including bartering oil in exchange for goods with Far Eastern recipients reluctant to implement US measures — means that not only is Iran still able to derive oil income, but the rewards from this trade go disproportionately to state and paramilitary entities overseeing these black-market activities. Poorly implemented containment efforts may paradoxically encourage the regime to become even more reliant on its transnational assets.
Like a game of whack-a-mole, if Iran’s proxies are forced out of one economic sector, they pop up and thrive in a dozen others. The US and its European counterparts must stop working to undermine each other over Iran policy and begin cooperating to develop a more sophisticated and holistic approach if they are to eradicate these parasitic entities from the Middle East. Such a multi-faceted strategy should address money laundering, narcotics smuggling, propaganda, militancy, and sectarian incitement, while ensuring that Iran doesn’t rapidly become the dominant force in eastern Syria too.
After years of international efforts in support of stability and national unity in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, Iran’s activities are fanning the flames of conflict and sectarianism, with catastrophic global implications. It is long past time that the international community began treating the Iranian menace with the seriousness it deserves.
• Baria Alamuddin is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster in the Middle East and the UK. She is editor of the Media Services Syndicate and has interviewed numerous heads of state.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1475401

Defiant Khamenei emphasizes Iranian regime’s aggressive policies
د. ماجد رافي زاده: الخامنئي المتمرد يؤكد على سياسات إيران العدوانية
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/March 31/19
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/73469/dr-majid-rafizadeh-defiant-khamenei-emphasizes-iranian-regimes-aggressive-policies-%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%AF-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE/
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addresses crowds of Iranians in the northeastern holy city of Mashhad for a celebration of Nowraz. (AFP)
Every year, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei delivers a few speeches, with the annual address in Mashhad, a city in northeast Iran, considered to be the most important.
It is imperative to meticulously examine the points made by Khamenei in this speech, which is delivered after the Persian New Year. The comments by the most powerful man in Iran outline the path the Islamic Republic will take in the next year.
Iran’s lawmakers in the Majlis (parliament) and military generals view Khamenei’s annual speech as direct instructions to be followed. Policymakers should also search for the important issues that Khamenei deliberately and shrewdly evades.
In his most recent annual speech, which he gave on March 21, Iran’s supreme leader highlighted several important issues. First of all, he went on at length to explain that the Islamic Republic ought to maintain its core revolutionary principle of opposing Western countries.
Intriguingly, Khamenei did not make any distinction between the US and European countries in this year’s speech. After the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, was reached between six world powers and the Islamic Republic, Iran’s supreme leader employed a softer tone toward the European nations in his annual speeches.
The main reason behind Khamenei’s shift this year is the fact that European countries have been incapable of assisting Tehran in bypassing the renewed US sanctions. After the Trump administration reimposed the primary and secondary sanctions that had been lifted or waived under the nuclear deal, both American individuals and companies and non-American entities could be punished for continuing to trade and have business dealings with the Iranian government. Many European firms and corporations, including French energy giant Total, subsequently abandoned their plans to invest in Iran.
As a result of this move, Khamenei’s main military institutions, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, its elite Quds Force branch, and Iran’s militia and terror groups, which were the main beneficiaries of the increased cash flow following the nuclear deal, witnessed a significant drop in their income.
The supreme leader was initially hoping that the EU would come to his aid. However, as Hassan Rouhani’s government searched for assistance from European governments in helping Tehran increase its revenues and trades, the Islamic Republic soon realized that the EU’s projects and mechanisms, such as INSTEX — the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges — were totally ineffective.
This is why Khamenei ridiculed the EU, stating: “This financial channel they recently set up resembles a joke, a bitter joke... Europeans should have stood up to the US after it left the JCPOA and should have lifted all sanctions against Iran.” But European companies will not risk their business with the US or access to the US financial systems by dealing with Iran.
Khamenei demonstrated escalating antagonism toward those state or non-state actors that his regime views as enemies.
The second critical comment that Khamenei made was linked to deploying more hard power, rather than diplomacy and soft power, for carrying out domestic and foreign policies. He emphasized that the country’s military infrastructure ought to be advanced.
His move is in clear defiance of the international community’s pressure on Tehran’s military adventurism and advancement of its ballistic missile program. Khamenei pointed out that: “We shall continue to strengthen our military power in spite of the enemies and will not relent under pressure.”
In addition, Khamenei demonstrated escalating antagonism toward those state or non-state actors that his regime views as enemies and rivals. For example, he lashed out at Saudi Arabia and further incited anti-Western sentiments. He referred to Western politicians as savages. “Deep inside, Western politicians are savage individuals in the true sense of the word. You should not be surprised at this. They wear a suit, they wear a tie, they put on perfume and they carry a Samsonite briefcase, but they are savages and they act in a bestial manner in practice,” he said.
Iran’s supreme leader did not take responsibility for the most important issue in Iran: The economic difficulties and challenges that many Iranians are facing on a daily basis. He blamed the West for the nation’s economic crisis and labeled the coming year as one “of opportunities, possibilities and openness” and a year for “boosting production.”
How can the Iranian people regard the new year as a “year of opportunities” and “boost production” when the country’s leaders have not taken any concrete steps to address the regime’s financial corruption, misuse of public funds and the widespread banking crisis, which are among the major reasons behind the present currency and economic crises? In fact, these problems are systemic and exist deep in Tehran’s economic infrastructure.
Khamenei made it clear in his important speech that he is determined to defy international norms and standards, continue to expand the stranglehold of his military institutions, further destabilize the region, and evade responsibility and accountability for Iran’s economic crisis.
• Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. He is a leading expert on Iran and US foreign policy, a businessman and president of the International American Council. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh