LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
August 07/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 12/35-44:”‘Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. ‘But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.’ Peter said, ‘Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone? ’And the Lord said, ‘Who then is the faithful and prudent manager whom his master will put in charge of his slaves, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions.”

’Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on August 06-07/2019
USA Dept Of Treasury Puts Lebanese Citizen Serhan Fadi Hussien On The Sanction List
Aoun: Have no fear for Lebanon for we are always able to rise
Berri meets Aridi
Higher Judicial Council: Press conference by some minister lacking truth
PSP: Bassil’s Provocative Rhetoric Sparked Qabrshmoun Incident
Strong Lebanon to PSP: Press Conferences Won't Change Facts
Future bloc rejects judiciary implication in political conflicts
Bassil meets young expats, relatives of Lebanese detained in Uganda
Army Commander: Military assuming its role in border control despite difficulties
Al-Rahi Hits Out at Othman over 'Fabrication of Files, Torture in Cellars'
Jumblat Says 'Party and Friends' to Persevere against 'Elimination Wars'
Report: CEDRE Funding Set to Stay ‘Locked’ Until Govt. Activity Resumes
Report: EU Officials Postpone Lebanon Visit against Govt. Deadlock
Bassil: Everyone in Lebanon is Hizbullah Partner
Lebanon: Several Urgent Issues Suspended Due to Cabinet Disruption
Lebanese Kick up Stink over Smell Fix for Garbage Woes
Lebanese Academic: Muslims Should Not Intermarry; We Don't Want To See Churches In The Squares Of The Islamic State We Call For

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 06-07/2019
Rouhani: US Must Lift Sanctions if it Seeks Dialogue
Iran 'Favors' Talks despite Trump Snub
US, Turkey Hold Talks in Ankara over Safe Zone in North Syria
US Says Will Prevent Turkish Incursion against Kurds in Syria
AP Explains: Turkish Military Move into Syria is High Risk
Asharq Al-Awsat Tours Daraa 1 Year after its Return to Syrian Regime Control
Russia to Cooperate with Turkey in Oil Exploration in E. Mediterranean
Shtayyeh Rejects Talks About Palestinians’ Autonomous Rule
Trump Orders Freeze on All Venezuelan Govt Assets in US

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on August 06-07/2019
Lebanese Kick up Stink over Smell Fix for Garbage Woes/Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 6 August, 2019
Lebanese Academic: Muslims Should Not Intermarry; We Don't Want To See Churches In The Squares Of The Islamic State We Call For/MEMRI/August 06/2019
Hamas, Islamic Jihad: "The Circle of Fire is Expanding"/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/August 06/2019
India: Caste Discrimination Remains, Despite Liberal Laws/Jagdish N. Singh//Gatestone Institute/August 06/2019
Britain Must Back US Not EU Over Iranian Crisis/Daniel Kawczynski/Asharq Al Awsat/August 06/2019
Growing Anti-Syrian Sentiment in Turkey/Soner Cagaptay and Deniz Yuksel/The Washington Institute/August 06/2019
Between two wars: Yemen and Afghanistan/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Arab Ne ws/August 06, 2019
Squaring the Iranians' Hormuz circle/Howard Leedham/Arab Ne ws/August 06, 2019

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on August 06-07/2019
USA Dept Of Treasury Puts Lebanese Citizen Serhan Fadi Hussien On The Sanction List
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Counter Terrorism Designation Update
8/6/2019
OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL
Specially Designated Nationals List Update
The following changes have been made to OFAC's SDN List:
SERHAN, Fadi Hussein (a.k.a. SARHAN, Fadi Husayn; a.k.a. SIRHAN, Fadi), Own Building, Kanisat Marmkhael, Saliba Street, Corniche, Al-Mazraa, Beirut, Lebanon; Jaafar Building, Mazraa Street, Beirut, Lebanon; Jaafar Building, Mseytbi Street, Beirut, Lebanon; Jaafar Building, Salim Slam Street, Beirut, Lebanon; Jishi Building, Salim Slam Street, Beirut, Lebanon; Own Building, Main Street, Kfar Kila, Lebanon; DOB 01 Apr 1961; POB Kafr Kila, Lebanon; nationality Lebanon; Additional Sanctions Information - Subject to Secondary Sanctions Pursuant to the Hizballah Financial Sanctions Regulations; Gender Male; Passport RL0962973 (Lebanon) (individual) [SDGT] (Linked To: HIZBALLAH). -to- SERHAN, Fadi Hussein (a.k.a. SARHAN, Fadi Husayn; a.k.a. SIRHAN, Fadi), Own Building, Kanisat Marmkhael, Saliba Street, Corniche, Al-Mazraa, Beirut, Lebanon; Jaafar Building, Mazraa Street, Beirut, Lebanon; Jaafar Building, Mseytbi Street, Beirut, Lebanon; Jaafar Building, Salim Slam Street, Beirut, Lebanon; Jishi Building, Salim Slam Street, Beirut, Lebanon; Own Building, Main Street, Kfar Kila, Lebanon; Mazraa, Salim Slam St., Borj Al Salam Bldg., Beirut, Lebanon; DOB 01 Apr 1961; POB Kafr Kila, Lebanon; alt. POB Kfarkela, Lebanon; nationality Lebanon; Gender Male; Passport RL 0962973 (Lebanon) expires 08 Feb 2012; alt. Passport RL 3203273 expires 20 May 2020; VisaNumberID 87810564 (United States); alt. VisaNumberID F0962973 (individual) [SDGT] [HIFPAA].​
https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20190806_33.aspx

Aoun: Have no fear for Lebanon for we are always able to rise
NNA -Tue 06 Aug 2019
President Michel Aoun on Tuesday called the Lebanese not to fear for their country, expressing belief in Lebanon's capacity to rise again after setbacks. "History has shown that we are always able to rise after regression," the President stressed. "Our country may be going through a difficult time, but this also the case in many other countries," he indicated. Aoun made these remarks during his meeting at Baabda palace with a delegation of the Maronite Diaspora Foundation.
The President later met with a delegation of the President of the National Council of the Argentine-Lebanese Cultural Association, in the company of a number of young people who are visiting Lebanon to participate in the LEBolution Youth Conference. He also received former MP Amal Abu Zaid, with talks touching on the latest political developments. On a different note, Aoun cabled his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, to whom he offered condolences on the victims of the terrorist attack that his Cairo yesterday.

Berri meets Aridi
NNA - Tue 06 Aug 2019
Speaker of the House, Nabih Berri, met Tuesday at his Ain-el-Tineh residence with former minister Ghazi Aridi, with whom he discussed the current general situation. Berri later met with Head of the Physicians Order in Tripoli and the north, Salim Abi Saleh, and an accompanying delegation. He also received Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, Judge Mohammad Makkieh.

Higher Judicial Council: Press conference by some minister lacking truth
NNA - Tue 06 Aug 2019
The Higher Judicial Council on Tuesday commented on the press conference held earlier today by Industry Minister, Wael Abu Faour, without naming him, saying that his claims lacked truth.The Council added that the content of some segments of the news conference constituted an unlawful interference in the judicial work.

PSP: Bassil’s Provocative Rhetoric Sparked Qabrshmoun Incident
Naharnet/August 06/2019
The Progressive Socialist Party on Tuesday said the Free Patriotic Movement and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil was fully responsible for sparking the Qabrshmoun incident and accused the Movement of interfering in the course of judicial investigation to involve the PSP. PSP official Nashaat Hasanieh, who handles the party's legal affairs, was first to speak at a press conference, he said: “The prosecution had bypassed the investigation and the judicial course had been diverted elsewhere. “The PSP filed yesterday before the military investigative judge a complaint on the incompetence of the military judiciary to consider the case. We are waiting for the decision to complete the procedures as provided by law.” For his part, PSP Industry Minister Wael Abu Faour said: “Bassil is the head of the FPM and because his political rhetoric was provoking sectarian tension it sparked the Qabrshmoun incident. His rhetoric has been provoking sectarian, hostile tension. If it was not for Bassil’s rhetoric the incident would not have happened.”Addressing President Michel Aoun, Bassil’s father-in-law, Abou Faour said: “Do you appreciate the magnitude of risks to Lebanon and its civil peace and stability derived as the result of sectarian and devastating discourse adopted by your political heir?” “We are perplexed. One moment the group close to the (presidential) term (of Aoun) says (state minister for refugee affairs Saleh) al-Gharib was the target of the assassination and another they say the target was Bassil. Why don't they make up your minds?” asked Abou Faour. “According to investigations run by the Information Branch, the ambush theory against al-Gharib was dropped,” he added. The Minister concluded by saying: “We accuse a group close to the president of the republic of fabricating a case against the PSP. We urge the justice minister to assume his responsibility and take a brave decision.”The June 30 incident in the Aley town of Qabrshmoun left two guards of Lebanese Democratic Party minster al-Gharib dead, and several others injured when his convoy was passing through the area. On the day of the incident, Bassil an ally of the LDP, was touring the area where he made a speech that Abou Faour described as “provocative.”

Strong Lebanon to PSP: Press Conferences Won't Change Facts
Naharnet/August 06/2019
The Free Patriotic Movement-led Strong Lebanon bloc on Tuesday stressed that “press conferences” cannot change facts, in response to a conference held by the Progressive Socialist Party to discuss the judicial developments in the case of the Qabrshmoun incident. “Press conferences and debates won’t change the facts, which have become in the judiciary’s hands,” MP Ibrahim Kanaan said after the bloc’s weekly meeting. “We reject any interference in the judiciary, wherever it comes from, and we call on the judicial authority not to pay attention to any political bickering. It should only focus on achieving justice so that we can win our state and society,” Kanaan added. Turning to the issue of the suspended cabinet sessions, the MP said “the political conflict and the ongoing bickering should be separated from the government’s meetings because its work is a national duty.” “The government’s failure to convene is not good for the country at the economic, financial and social levels,” Kanaan warned. Responding to a question, the lawmaker said the bloc wants to resort to the judiciary because it “respects institutions.”“Those like us who suffered repression, exile and imprisonment during the era of occupation and tutelage know the importance of freedom and we cannot practice things that are against our beliefs,” Kanaan added, denying the presence of a political campaign to frame and isolate the PSP. In a press conference held earlier in the day, PSP officials had accused ministers and judges close to President Michel Aoun and the FPM of seeking to frame their party in the case of the deadly Qabrshmoun incident. The incident has been described by the Lebanese Democratic Party as an ambush against State Minister for Refugee Affairs Saleh al-Gharib, but Aoun has been recently quoted as saying -- in remarks published in An Nahar daily -- that the incident was an ambush against Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil and not against al-Gharib. The PSP has meanwhile accused Gharib’s bodyguards of forcing their way and firing on protesters gathered in the area.

Future bloc rejects judiciary implication in political conflicts
NNA - Tue 06 Aug 2019
"Future" parliamentary bloc on Tuesday rejected the implication of the justice system in the ongoing political tension, and deprecated trade of barbs and accusatory rhetoric.
"The voice of reason must prevail over that of bickering," the bloc said in a statement issued following its weekly meeting under the chairmanship of MP Bahiya Hariri, at the Center House.
"It is absolutely inadmissible to implicate the judiciary in the political conflicts," the bloc added. "The echoes of leaked escalatory stances and news reports are jeopardizing the components of civil peace and coexistence," the bloc warned. Moreover, the MPs warned against any attempt to cast doubt over the results of investigations carried out by the Internal Security Forces. Conferees also upped calls to give a serious chance to reconciliation efforts exerted by House Speaker Nabih Berri and followed up by Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

Bassil meets young expats, relatives of Lebanese detained in Uganda
NNA -Tue 06 Aug 2019
Foreign Minister, Gebran Bassil, met Tuesday with a hundred of young expatriates of Lebanese roots from at least 20 countries, who are visiting Lebanon upon the invitation of the Maronite Diaspora Foundation, in collaboration with Holy Spirit University (USEK).
"Our nationality is our identity," Bassil told his visitors, stressing that the Lebanese citizenship recovery is a crucial part of his job in that respect. The Minister later met with a delegation of families and relatives of the Lebanese detained in Uganda.

Army Commander: Military assuming its role in border control despite difficulties
NNA - Tue 06 Aug 2019 at 14:26 Politics
Commander of the Lebanese military, General Joseph Aoun, on Tuesday maintained that the army was fully assuming its role in controlling Lebanon's borders despite all difficulties and geographical complications. "The military institution is bound to defend Lebanon and make sacrifices for the country," General Aoun said. "The army is indeed assuming its role in border control despite difficulties and geographical complications," he stressed. His remarks came during the inauguration of the Lebanese Army Square and Terrorism Martyrs Road in Qaa.

Al-Rahi Hits Out at Othman over 'Fabrication of Files, Torture in Cellars'
Naharnet/August 06/2019
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Tuesday hit out at Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Imad Othman, drawing a swift response from the ISF director general. “Have we become in a state of farms, sects and influential figures in which the judiciary runs according to desires?... Should we manipulate people if we occupy a judicial, security or administrative post? Is it acceptable for the strong to eat the weak? How can we accept what’s happening in the security sector?” al-Rahi asked during a meeting with a delegation from the press editors syndicate. “An urgent appeal to Maj. Gen. Imad Othman: how can he accept the fabrication of files for individuals who belong to the same religion and sect? We are with the law but is the torture of people in the cellars of the ISF and the Intelligence Branch during interrogation acceptable? This has become unbearable because we have become distance from the concept of the state,” al-Rahi decried. Othman responded in a statement, denying the allegations and calling on the patriarch to “meet in person the detainees who were allegedly tortured or dispatch anyone he wants, in order to unveil the truth and put things in the right perspective.”

Jumblat Says 'Party and Friends' to Persevere against 'Elimination Wars'
Naharnet/August 06/2019
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat on Tuesday vowed that the PSP and its “friends” will persevere against what he called “elimination wars.”“Egypt will remain steadfast, despite all the terrorism attempts,” Jumblat tweeted. “And we in the party, together with a lot of friends, will persevere against the systematic terror practiced by some of the ruling authorities,” he added. They “live in the dark past, which is based upon the approach of elimination wars,” Jumblat tweeted, in an apparent jab at President Michel Aoun and his Free Patriotic Movement. Jumblat’s tweet coincided with a press conference in which PSP officials accused ministers and judges close to Aoun and the FPM of seeking to frame the party in the case of the deadly Qabrshmoun incident.

Report: CEDRE Funding Set to Stay ‘Locked’ Until Govt. Activity Resumes
Naharnet/August 06/2019
The loans and grants pledged for Lebanon at the Paris CEDRE conference last year are set to stay “locked” until the Lebanese government resumes normal activity and “serious” work, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Tuesday. According to diplomatic sources, the donor countries at the Conference for Economic Development and Reform through Enterprises (CEDRE) are “dismayed” by the “indifference and irresponsibility” of Lebanese authorities regarding the conditions set at the conference in order for Lebanon to benefit from the funding, said the daily. Several EU ambassadors have met with senior Lebanese officials last week, at the request of their governments, informing them that the CEDRE agreement was in “danger,” and that the donor countries were “not satisfied” with the measures taken by the Lebanese state. They said donors are still waiting for the reforms that Lebanon has pledged to. Donors at the CEDRE conference last year in Paris pledged $11 billion in aid and soft loans to Lebanon which are conditional upon the implementation of reforms that Lebanon committed to.

Report: EU Officials Postpone Lebanon Visit against Govt. Deadlock
Naharnet/August 06/2019
Several EU officials have reportedly postponed scheduled visits to Lebanon until “Lebanon’s government resumes its normal activity,” al-Joumhouria daily reported on Tuesday. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has postponed a scheduled visit two weeks ago until early in the autumn, said the daily.
Moreover, French President Emanuel Macron had several visits scheduled to Lebanon in the past year, the last was to be set before July, but they were all postponed,: added al-Joumhouria. Only when the French Ambassador returns to Beirut in mid September will he discuss the matter, it said. Before leaving Lebanon, the French ambassador reportedly tried to convince Lebanese authorities to respond positively to reform conditions set during the Paris aid CEDRE conference "because it would help France persuade donor countries to invest in Lebanon and make the promised loans," he said.
Donors at the CEDRE conference last year in Paris pledged $11 billion in aid and soft loans to Lebanon which are conditional upon the implementation of reforms that Lebanon committed to.The Cabinet has not convened for several weeks now in connection with the political standoff over the deadly Qabrshmoun incident. Several initiatives to resolve the crisis have been rejected by the feuding parties.

Bassil: Everyone in Lebanon is Hizbullah Partner
Naharnet/August 06/2019
Free Patriotic Movement chief and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil has noted that “everyone in Lebanon is a partner of Hizbullah,” not only the FPM. Admitting that his movement’s alliance with the Iran-backed party has been “costly,” Bassil told Euronews: “Our partnership with Hizbullah has been costly at the popular and diplomatic levels, but we have gained Lebanon’s stability and unity, because Hizbullah is a part of a people and not an armed group.”“This partnership is not limited to the FPM, seeing as everyone in Lebanon is a partner of Hizbullah, as proved by the presence of a national unity government,” Bassil added, pointing out that “we have no other choice but civil war.”“We can’t accept the classification of Hizbullah as a terrorist organization, as designated by Washington and one can’t compare between Hizbullah and the other groups that entered into the conflict arena in Syria,” the FPM chief went on to say.
Bassil also said that the U.S. sanctions on Hizbullah are harmful to Lebanon and that the Lebanese government is exerting efforts to have them lifted. Separately, Bassil acknowledged that Lebanon is reeling from a “severe” economic crisis but reassured that “the country is not on the brink of bankruptcy and collapse thanks to an adopted economic plan that has started to yield results through the decrease in the treasury’s deficit.”

Lebanon: Several Urgent Issues Suspended Due to Cabinet Disruption
Beirut - Paula AstihAsharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 6 August, 2019
 In light of the government’s failure to convene for over a month because of internal disagreement over a bloody clash in Aley, several urgent cases, which had to be studied by the Cabinet immediately after the adoption of the 2019 budget, are now facing the unknown. All parties recognize the seriousness of the current stage and the need to find an appropriate solution amid the failure of all efforts in this direction. This situation has prompted Prime Minister Saad Hariri to wait before the holding of a ministerial session, to avoid further bickering over the June 30 incident, which resulted in the deaths of two of a minister’s bodyguards. Sources close to President Michel Aoun said the priority should be given to the economic file and the implementation of the CEDRE conference recommendations. In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, the sources underlined the importance of completing several appointments, especially in the Ministry of Justice and the Constitutional Council. According to the available information, French presidential envoy Pierre Dukan will visit Beirut, early September, to check the progress made in the preparations for the implementation of the CEDRE decisions. There is no doubt that the continued disruption of the government's work will not give positive signals to the French diplomat. As for the reform commitments made at CEDRE, which the government should undertake, the Lebanese Center for Studies refers to 73 measures distributed in five areas: 32 sectoral measures covering electricity, solid waste, telecommunications, transport and water; 23 tax measures related to improving tax collection, reducing gaps, improving budget transparency and managing public debt and electronic services of the Ministry of Finance; 11 governance measures covering public sector procurement and government’s digital transformation; and 4 developments in the private sector that deal with the modernization of the legal status of companies, the adoption of a law on electronic transactions and the protection of personal data, and the conversion of the Beirut Stock Exchange into a joint-stock company.
Moreover, the CEDRE recommendations emphasized the necessity to implement three judicial reforms focused exclusively on automating operations and judicial proceedings and strengthening the capacity of judicial institutions. Another urgent problem that needs a government solution is the waste crisis. The Ministry of Environment is waiting for the government's approval of its plan in this regard, which is based on the adoption of decentralization, the reduction of waste quantities and the sorting from the source.

Lebanese Kick up Stink over Smell Fix for Garbage Woes
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 6 August, 2019
Sitting at a plastic table outside her flatbread sandwich shop in the Lebanese capital, Nadime Yazbeck says she wishes the government would deal with the stench from the local trash dump. "They really need to find a solution to these smells," said the 66-year-old Beirut resident, in a spotless white t-shirt and hair net. Four years after a garbage crisis sparked political protests in Lebanon, the stench of trash is back and government plans to quell the smell have only triggered demands for better waste management, said AFP. In Yazbeck's neighborhood of Bourj Hammoud, a seaside landfill that reopened to solve the 2015 crisis will be full by the end of the summer. Near the airport, another overwhelmed landfill is to start refusing waste from neighboring areas in protest. On and off for more than a year, the acrid smell of decomposing refuse has wafted into homes and businesses in the capital. Even kilometers away from landfills, residents have raced to close windows to keep out the stink. Visitors to the tiny Mediterranean nation have been welcomed off flights by unpleasant odors drifting over the airport. In June, Lebanon's environment ministry said it had asked an expert to look into the matter and help neutralize the smells. Lebanese-French agronomy engineer Aime Menassa determined causes of the stench to include household waste, "badly stabilized compost", and sewage. His report unleashed a wave of sarcasm online over a perceived outsider stating the obvious."Isn't there a Lebanese who can smell it?" one person asked on Twitter.
Odor suppression
Beyond being unpleasant, the smells also present potential health hazards. This winter, researchers at the American University of Beirut measured the rate of hydrogen sulphide, a smelly gas produced by landfills, in the air in Bourj Hammoud. Michele Citton, a waste and water expert at AUB, said the levels of the gas -- which has been correlated with possible negative health effects -- were higher than expected. A 2018 study in northern China found children living near a landfill were more likely to have deficient immunity and impaired lung function, the latter strongly related to hydrogen sulphide.
But odor suppression is not a sustainable solution, Citton said. "What these smells are saying to the world and to the community in Beirut is basically that there is a deep need to find alternative methods to solid waste management in Lebanon." Multi-confessional Lebanon has been rocked by political crises in recent years, especially since the 2011 outbreak of war in neighboring Syria. In 2015, a landfill closure caused trash to pile up in the streets, sparking protests against political leaders, including under the cry "You Stink".The demonstrations have since died down, but mistrust in the ruling class -- that includes former warlords during the 1975-1990 civil conflict -- still runs high. Menassa insists his offer to treat the smell is only meant to be a temporary solution, said AFP. Under his plan, a "biodegradable" solution would be sprayed onto the surface or spread through mist into the air at three sites across the capital, he said . Transforming smelly gas into minerals, the solution would clean garbage trucks traveling in and out of two sorting stations, and lessen the stench from the composting site near Bourj Hammoud.
Temporary solution?
But "the idea is not to mist forever", he said, of the odor-tackling practice that needs to be maintained 24/7 to be effective. "The solution is selective rubbish collection... to avoid having to have to bury these huge volumes in the final landfill." Experts say half of Lebanon's waste is organic, and could be better composted if separated out from recyclables at the household level. Environment Minister Fady Jreissati, who came into office in January, says only eight percent of Lebanon's rubbish is recycled. His plan for the next two years includes trying to encourage better rubbish sorting, and building a new composting plant near the airport by next spring, he told July's edition of economic magazine Le Commerce du Levant. He also said a "credible option" would be to widen the Bourj Hammoud landfill -- but that would mean destroying an adjacent fishing port. Activists, meanwhile, have protested plans to open incinerators in Beirut, which they fear will be badly managed and further pollute the atmosphere. And as grey smog clings to the skyline, others have questioned the ministry halting air quality monitors due to budget cuts. Claude Jabre, a You Stink activist who lives in Bourj Hammoud, denounced what he saw as vested business interests and a lack of political will to find alternative solutions. We have the energy and the expertise to create what's called a circular economy" aimed at minimizing waste, he said. "Why can't we make profit in a way that doesn't damage the environment?"

Lebanese Academic: Muslims Should Not Intermarry; We Don't Want To See Churches In The Squares Of The Islamic State We Call For
MEMRI/August 06/2019
Lebanese academic and Islamic thinker Dr. Khaled Abdul Fattah said in a July 10, 2019 interview on Al-Araby TV (U.K.) that Muslims should avoid marrying non-Muslims and people from a different social background. He said that the Islamic state he calls for would give Islam and its symbols the highest status and that it would allow people of other faiths to worship in their own spaces. Saying that this is how it is in the West, Dr. Abdul Fattah explained that religions would not be equal in the Islamic state. He pointed out that even though the West claims people have freedom of religion, many Western countries prohibit the Muslim call to prayer and the construction of minarets.
Click here to view this clip on MEMRI TV
https://www.memri.org/tv/lebanese-professor-khaled-fattah-against-intermarriage-islamic-state-freedom-religion-islam-highest
Dr. Khaled Abdul Fattah: "I advise [Muslim] men not to marry non-Muslim women, but that's not all. I advise them not to marry Muslim women who are not from the same social level."
Interviewer: "So you are looking for compatibility..."
Dr. Khaled Abdul Fattah: "Precisely. Sometimes a Sunni wants to marry a Shiite woman, or the other way around. I'm not saying that Shiites are infidels. Of course note. We are all Muslims, thank God...
"I advise Bedouins not to marry city folks, and vice versa. Likewise, a rich man should not marry a poor girl, or vice versa, and an illiterate man should not marry and educated girl, or vice versa. This is because birds of a feather flock together. When people are similar, they get along, but they get into trouble when they are different.
"In the Islamic state that we call to establish, the rites of Islam will be held supreme, and non-Muslims would be allowed to worship in their churches. They would be allowed to renovate their churches as needed, so that they don't have to worship in the streets. This is what happened in Muslim countries throughout history. In Alexandria and elsewhere in Egypt, they rebuilt churches as early as the first hijri century. In this matter, we say: If they do not want to rebuild, then this is all the better, because we want Allah's word to be held supreme. This is what we want. We want there to be mosques in the town squares. We do not want to see churches in the squares in the Muslim state that we call to establish, but in their own places, they can build churches and display their crosses – just not in the big squares in the Muslim state, because this state will be based on Islam and will bear the symbols of Islam."
Interviewer: "So there will not be religious equality in the state you aspire to establish."
Dr. Khaled Abdul Fattah: "Correct. By the way, this is how it is in the West. I have visited Western countries. For example, many of them prohibit Muslims from making the call to prayer. We cannot build minarets. Those who speak about freedom, secular people..."
Interviewer: "And this is unjust, in your eyes."
Dr. Khaled Abdul Fattah: "They say that they have freedom. Had they said that these were Christian countries, I would have understood. But they say that all religions are equal, and that everybody has freedom of religion and equality, and then they talk about having the first black President in America...

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 06-07/2019
Rouhani: US Must Lift Sanctions if it Seeks Dialogue
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 6 August, 2019
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that the United States must lift sanctions against Tehran if it wants it to return to dialogue. Rouhani said that "peace with Iran is the mother of all peace" and "war with Iran is the mother of all wars" as he defended the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. “Iran favors talks and negotiations and, if the US really wants to talk, before anything else it should lift all sanctions," he added in remarks aired live on state television. Rouhani, speaking at the foreign ministry after meeting with his top diplomat, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said Tehran was ready for talks regardless of whether or not the US was party to a nuclear deal. "Whether they want to come into the JCPOA or not, it's up to them," said Rouhani, referring to the 2015 deal known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. "All sanctions should be lifted so that there will be no criminals facing us," he said, accusing the US of committing acts of "economic terrorism" for blocking imports of food and medicine. "So if it wants talks, it must prepare the path for it. The path to it is repent. There is no other way." Tensions between Iran and the US have been rising since Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the nuclear deal in May 2018 and began imposing sanctions on it as part of a campaign of "maximum pressure". Twelve months on, Iran hit back by suspending some of its commitments under the deal. The situation threatened to spiral out of control with ships attacked, drones downed and oil tankers seized.
At the height of the crisis, US President Donald Trump called off air strikes against Iran at the last minute in June after Iranian forces shot down a US drone. Rouhani said in any talks the Americans should be ready to negotiate fairly. "If you want security, if your soldiers want security in the region, (then agree to) security for security," he said. "You cannot harm our security and then expect your own security. "Peace for peace and oil for oil," he added. "You cannot say that you won't allow our oil to be exported. The US administration last week also announced financial sanctions on Zarif, after Trump last month imposed similar measures on Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran 'Favors' Talks despite Trump Snub
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 06/2019
President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that Iran favours talks with the US if it lifts sanctions against the Islamic republic, despite his top diplomat turning down a meeting with US President Donald Trump. Rouhani said that "peace with Iran is the mother of all peace" and "war with Iran is the mother of all wars" as he defended a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. "Iran favours talks and negotiations and, if the US really wants to talk, before anything else it should lift all sanctions," Rouhani said in remarks aired live on state television. Rouhani, speaking after meeting with his top diplomat, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said Iran was ready for talks regardless of whether or not the US was party to the nuclear deal. "Whether they want to come into the JCPOA or not, it's up to them," said Rouhani, referring to the deal known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. "All sanctions should be lifted so that there will be no criminals facing us," he said, accusing the US of committing acts of "economic terrorism" for blocking food and medicine imports. Tensions between Iran and the US have been rising since Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the nuclear deal in May 2018 and began imposing sanctions on it as part of a campaign of "maximum pressure". Twelve months on, Iran hit back by suspending some of its commitments under the deal. The situation threatened to spiral out of control with ships attacked, drones downed and oil tankers seized.
'Warmongers' deceived Trump
At the height of the crisis, Trump called off air strikes against Iran at the last minute in June after the Islamic republic's forces shot down a US drone. Rouhani, with Zarif sitting beside him, defended the minister who has faced criticism from hardliners over his role in the deal that the Americans ultimately abandoned. "We had so many economic victories (in the wake of the deal) that it enraged some people," he said, stressing the benefits the agreement had on Iran's transportation and banking. Rouhani said the US made a mistake when it thought "everything will be over" for Iran after "some planned a street riot" in December 2017. At that time, Iran was rocked by days of deadly protests reportedly sparked by austerity measures. "This caused Americans to be trapped. They thought Iran's system is weakened," he said. "They said, 'One more push. Iran has reached a stage where if we give it another push, everything will be over'. This push by "warmongers" deceived Trump and led to his decision to leave the JCPOA, he said.
- 'Oil for oil' -
Rouhani said in any talks the Americans should be ready to negotiate fairly. "If you want security, if your soldiers want security in the region, (then agree to) security for security," he said. "You cannot harm our security and then expect your own security. "Peace for peace and oil for oil," he added. "You cannot say that you won't allow our oil to be exported." "It cannot be that the Strait of Hormuz is free for you and the Strait of Gibraltar is not free for us". Iran has also been locked in a high-seas standoff with US ally Britain since Royal Marines helped to seize a tanker carrying Iranian oil off the British overseas territory of Gibraltar on July 4. Weeks later, its Revolutionary Guards impounded a British-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz -- the conduit for much of the world's crude. Zarif on Monday confirmed reports he declined an offer from a US senator to meet Trump at the White House last month.The foreign minister said he turned it down  despite a threat of being hit with sanctions within two weeks. "I was told in New York I would be sanctioned in two weeks unless I accepted that offer, which fortunately I did not," he said. The New Yorker magazine reported on Friday that Senator Rand Paul met Zarif in the US on July 15 and had Trump's blessing when he extended the invitation to the Iranian minister. The United States imposed sanctions against Zarif on Wednesday, targeting any assets he has in America and squeezing his ability to function as a globe-trotting diplomat. Separately on Tuesday, Iran's military unveiled three precision-guided missiles, with Defence Minister Brigadier-General Amir Hatami saying they showed the country was ready to defend itself in the face of US "viciousness and conspiracies".

US, Turkey Hold Talks in Ankara over Safe Zone in North Syria
Ankara – Saeed Abdulrazekt/Tuesday, 6 August, 2019
The second round of Turkish-US talks was launched in Ankara on Monday to discuss the establishment of a safe zone in northern Syria. The first round of talks between US and Turkish officials was held on July 23 when James Jeffrey, the US envoy for Syria, met in Ankara with Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and other officials. He had discussed the zone and other issues, including progress on a roadmap agreed last year for the northern town of Manbij to be cleared of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). During the first round of talks, the two sides failed to reach an agreement on the issue. Turkey is demanding that the depth of the safe zone be around 32 kilometers and stressed that it wants the YPG cleared in the region. However, the US insisted on a 5-14 kilometer-deep safe zone with no permanent deployment of Turkish troops, with only the presence of a coalition power under its leadership.
Sources close to Monday’s talks said that the US delegation carried a new proposal stipulating that the safe zone be 15 kilometers deep and 140 kilometers long with the withdrawal of YPG fighters and the removal of their fortifications in this area. The proposal also suggests that Turkish-US militaries would jointly patrol the area, located in the middle third of the northeastern border, stretching between the Euphrates River and Iraq. The other two thirds would be cleared later, according to the same sources. The YPG has been the main US ally on the ground in Syria during Washington’s fight against ISIS.
However, Turkey has been infuriated by US support for the group, which Ankara considers a terrorist organization, and has repeatedly demanded that Washington cut its ties. Turkey will carry out a military operation in a Kurdish-controlled area east of the Euphrates in northern Syria, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday, its third offensive to dislodge Kurdish fighters close to its border. Turkey had in the past warned of carrying out military operations east of the river, but put them on hold after agreeing with the United States to create a safe zone inside Syria’s northeastern border with Turkey that would be cleared of the YPG. Ankara has accused Washington of stalling progress on setting up the safe zone and has demanded it sever its relations with the YPG. The group was Washington’s main ally on the ground in Syria during the battle against ISIS, but Turkey sees it as a terrorist organization.
“We entered Afrin, Jarablus, and Al-Bab. Now we will enter the east of the Euphrates,” Erdogan said on Sunday during a motorway-opening ceremony.

US Says Will Prevent Turkish Incursion against Kurds in Syria
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 6 August, 2019
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper warned Turkey on Tuesday that Washington would prevent unilateral incursions into northern Syria against Kurdish forces. On Sunday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey, which already has a foothold in northwest Syria, will carry out a military operation in a Kurdish-controlled area east of the Euphrates in northern Syria. “Clearly we believe any unilateral action by them (Turkey) would be unacceptable,” Esper told reporters traveling with him to Japan. “What we’re going to do is prevent unilateral incursions that would upset, again, these mutual interests... the United States, Turkey and the SDF share with regard to northern Syria,” Esper said. The SDF stands for the Syrian Democratic Forces. With US backing, the SDF, which includes the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), have taken control over the last four years of much of northeastern Syria from ISIS. Ankara sees the YPG as a terrorist organization. Esper said the United States did not have any “ambition” to abandon the SDF, but stopped short of guaranteeing that the United States would protect them in case of a Turkish operation. He said the US is trying to work out an arrangement that addresses Turkey's concerns, adding: "I'm hopeful we'll get there."He did not provide details on where progress is being made. A team from the Pentagon was in Turkey to speak with Turkish officials about the issue. Esper suggested that a Turkish operation into northern Syria could affect the SDF’s focus on ensuring ISIS did not retake the territory it once held in Syria and the ability of the US-backed forces to hold the thousands of alleged ISIS fighters in detention. Esper said the US will not abandon its SDF allies. The Turkish-led campaign, which has for months been delayed due to resistance from Washington, is aimed at evicting YPG forces from a string of border town in Raqqa and Hasaka provinces. Ankara has accused Washington of stalling progress on setting up a safe zone inside Syria’s northeastern border with Turkey that would be cleared of the YPG. This week, Erdogan said both Russia and the United States had been told of the planned operation, but did not say when it would begin. It would mark the third Turkish incursion into Syria in as many years. Hundreds of US troops are stationed east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria working with the SDF, and an incursion by Turkey could put them in the middle of any firefight between Turkish and Kurdish forces. Turkey and the US have been negotiating for months over the establishment of a safe zone along the Syrian border that would extend east of the Euphrates to Iraq. Turkey wants to establish a 25-mile-deep zone. But so far the two sides have failed to reach an agreement.
Ties between the two NATO allies have been strained over a host of issues, including the United States’ removal of Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program after Ankara bought and took delivery of Russian S-400 missile defenses that Washington sees as a threat.

AP Explains: Turkish Military Move into Syria is High Risk
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 6 August, 2019
Turkey's combative president is threatening to launch a military operation in northeastern Syria that is designed to push back US-allied Syrian Kurdish forces — an invasion that carries major risks for a highly combustible region in war-devastated Syria. An operation would mark the third Turkish incursion into Syria in the past four years — all seeking to limit the growing influence of Syrian Kurdish fighters, which Turkey views as terrorist along its border. Turkish and American military officials were meeting Monday and Tuesday in Ankara for last-ditch negotiations amid warnings from Turkish officials about a military buildup. The Associated Press takes a look at what Turkey wants and what could happen if it invades northern Syria:
What does Turkey want?
Turkey wants to establish a safe zone 19 to 25 miles (30 to 40 kilometers) deep east of the Euphrates River in Syria, all the way to the Iraqi border. That effectively amounts to almost all the territory in northeastern Syria that is currently controlled by Syrian Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG).
The YPG forms the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), America's only partners on the ground in Syria. This has deeply infuriated Turkey and been a major source of tensions between Washington and Ankara in the past few years. With US backing, the SDF has spearheaded the fight against the ISIS group on the ground, announcing the territorial defeat of the extremist group in March.
Turkey considers the YPG an existential threat and as terrorists with close links to a decades-long insurgency within its own border led by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
How will this be different to previous Turkish invasions?
This time the purported Turkish operation would target areas east of the Euphrates River where hundreds of US troops are stationed, raising the possibility of an unintended confrontation between two NATO members playing out in the area.
Months-long talks between the US and Turkey over the creation of a so-called safe zone in northern Syria that addresses Ankara's concerns have failed to reach an agreement, with Turkey's foreign minister calling the US proposals unsatisfactory last month.
What are top issues in the talks?
After inconclusive talks last month with James Jeffrey, the US Special Envoy to Syria, Turkey's defense minister told his American counterpart that the YPG must give up their arms and leave the proposed safe zone.
The sides have been unable to agree on the size of the zone, how it would be patrolled and who would control it. Turkey demands that its military run the proposed safe zone, while coordinating with the US.
"If we cannot meet at a common point with the US, we will have to set up the safe zone alone," Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar told US Defense Secretary Mark Esper, the Turkish ministry said.
Esper told reporters Tuesday the US would "prevent unilateral incursions that would upset, again, these mutual interests that the United States, Turkey and the SDF share with regard to northern Syria." He said Washington wanted to work with Ankara to address Turkey's "legitimate security concerns" on the PKK.
Is a Turkish military operation imminent?
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been threatening an offensive into northeastern Syria since at least September, aiming to prevent a "terror corridor" along Turkey's southern border and wanting to create safe zones. In December, he said the operation would happen "within a few days" but shelved the plan after a call with US President Donald Trump, who was then looking for a way out of Syria.
On Sunday, Erdogan upped the ante. "We've entered Afrin, Jarablus, al-Bab. Now we will enter the east of the Euphrates," he said.
Erdogan was referring to two cross-border operations into northern Syria in 2016 and 2018 along with allied Syrian opposition fighters. Turkey ousted ISIS and YPG from these areas and established two Turkey-controlled zones in northern Syria.
"We can be patient up to a point and that patience has a limit," Erdogan said, arguing Turkey would protect itself from YPG "harassment." Last month, five people were lightly wounded in the Turkish border town of Ceylanpinar after a rocket thought to have been fired from YPG-held territory exploded.
While both Turkey and the Syrian Kurds say they have completed preparations for a military confrontation, there are no large-scale military movements suggesting an imminent kick off.
What are the major risks of a Turkish invasion?
A Turkish operation east of the Euphrates, where American troops are stationed alongside the Kurdish fighters, heightens risks of a confrontation between two NATO members.
The Syrian Kurdish fighters have vowed to fight a Turkish incursion, increasing the risk of drawing retaliatory fire that could threaten US forces. There are hundreds of American military personnel in the area, including troops manning US observation posts in towns and cities along the border.
Considering the high level of risk, Turkey may opt for a limited operation to take control of the mostly-Arab border town of Tal Abyad, just east of Manbij. But even that risks igniting battles in which American personnel find themselves caught between two hostile parties.
How would a Turkish military operation affect Syrians?
A wide-scale Turkish operation is likely to cause new waves of displacement for those in northern Syria, sending thousands, if not tens of thousands, of people fleeing to safer ground — likely to SF-controlled areas further south.
Ankara hopes that some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees it is already hosting would go back if Turkey can secure these areas. The government says some 337,000 people have already returned to the two Turkey-controlled zones west of the Euphrates.
What about the fight against ISIS?
An offensive against the Kurdish fighters will likely also undermine the war against ISIS, giving the group's sleeper cells the chance to regroup and re-surge. SDF forces have also suggested that in case of a Turkish assault, they would not be able to guarantee that thousands of ISIS prisoners now in SDF-run detention centers would remain under control.

Asharq Al-Awsat Tours Daraa 1 Year after its Return to Syrian Regime Control
Daraa (Southern Syria) Tuesday, 6 August, 2019
Despite the return of the Syrian regime to southern parts of the country, travelers heading to Daraa cannot hide their fear and concern as they head to the birthplace of the 2011 revolt. Even though the area has been living in relative peace under regime control for the past year, it still holds the scars of war and crime has become rampant. Travelers from Damascus to Daraa, which is located near the Syrian-Jordanian border, can take one of two roads: the first is called the “old road” and is located east of the capital. It passes through al-Kiswa in the Damascus countryside, reaches the administrative borders of the Daraa countryside and ends at the Nassib border crossing with Jordan. Access to the road was blocked throughout the years it was under the control of armed factions.
The second road is known as the “Damascus - Daraa international highway”. It runs in parallel to the old road. It begins in the Nahr Aisha area, passes through the al-Qadam neighborhood, then Sahnaya, reaches al-Kiswa in the Damascus countryside and reaches the administrative borders of the Daraa countryside. Most cars headed to Daraa and Jordan opt for the highway given that it is in good condition compared to the old road. Asharq Al-Awsat noted heavy traffic along the stretch from Nahr Aisha until al-Deir Ali in the Daraa countryside after the removal of army and security checkpoints.
Only one checkpoint remains, the “town center”, on the outskirts of Sahnaya. Security members carry out swift inspections of the IDs of travelers in order to arrest fugitives or draft dodgers.
After crossing the checkpoint and entering Sahnaya, traffic tends to dwindle all the way to Deir al-Ali. Another military checkpoint welcomes travelers as they enter the administrative borders of Daraa province. The military has set up checkpoints at the entrances of every city, town and village.
Given the almost non-existent traffic, drivers tend to drive at very high speeds out of their fear that they may be victims of kidnappings, murder or car theft. These crimes were common before the return of the regime to the province. In total, the journey from Damascus to Daraa would take around an hour. Before the war, such a journey would have taken up to four hours given the heavy security. The scenery along the highway has also changed. The landscape along the highway that used to be lined with fruit trees during the pre-war years, is now a wasteland with barren trees and ruined cities and towns, whose residents sided with the revolt. Daraa city is divided into a western section, called Daraa al-Mahatta, and an eastern section, or the old city, called Daraa al-Balad, where the revolt was born in March 2011. The area fell under the control of armed factions in 2012 and later returned to Damascus’ control after a “settlement agreement” that was forced by a regime offensive. In a cautious and wary tone, a resident of Daraa al-Mahatta told Asharq Al-Awsat that the situation was “stable”, but he added that people were living in fear over the rising number of murders by unknown assailants. He recounted how a gunman on motorbike shot dead in broad daylight a man standing in front of his house and fled the scene. People suspect that such murders are driven by revenge over incidents that took place during the war. Contrary to the lax security measures at checkpoints for those headed to Daraa, the journey back to Damascus is littered with heavy inspections of vehicles and passengers IDs.

Russia to Cooperate with Turkey in Oil Exploration in E. Mediterranean
Ankara – Saeed Abdulrazek/Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 6 August, 2019
Russia expressed its readiness to cooperate with Turkey in its oil and gas explorations in the eastern Mediterranean. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told Anadolu Agency (AA) that Russian companies are considering cooperating with Turkey if energy projects in the region are deemed commercially viable. This is a sudden change in Moscow’s position, which has expressed concern about Turkey's oil and gas activities off the coast of Cyprus, in an area Nicosia says falls within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The exclusive interview, published Monday, was conducted ahead of 16th term meeting of the Turkey-Russia Joint Economic Commission last month in Antalya. The drilling is fiercely opposed by Cyprus, the EU, Greece, Egypt, the United States and Israel. In July, EU foreign ministers approved a set of “symbolic” sanctions in retaliation for Turkey’s exploration activities, including suspension of talks on an air transport agreement, a call for the European Investment Bank to review its lending to Ankara and a commitment not to hold further high-level dialogue between the EU and Turkey “for the time being”. Moscow is opposed to restrictive measures against Ankara. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko announced that unilateral sanctions are at odds both with international law and the procedures of the UN Security Council, adding that such measures, “lead to a radicalization of the positions” of opposing sides and “fail to achieve their goals.”Moscow insists that the Security Council address the problem. Russian Ambassador to Cyprus Stanislav Osadchy indicated that the Security Council’s permanent members, Russia, China, France, Great Britain and the US, could act as guarantors for a settlement. Since May, Turkey has sent two drilling ships, the Fatih and Yavuz, along with a logistical support vessel off the Cypriot coast. Ankara was planning to send a fourth ship to conduct seismic research for oil and gas around Cyprus, but it scrapped the move after the EU decisions. Under the sanctions, European companies operating in the eastern Mediterranean must refrain from cooperating with Turkish vessels. Meanwhile, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday that Ankara never ignores any solutions on Cyprus as it is a "national cause for us". “The equality and security of the Turkish Cypriot people are indispensable. On this basis, we do not exclude any solution," Cavusoglu said in his keynote speech at the 11th Ambassadors' Conference. He added: "Our message to everyone interested in the [eastern Mediterranean] region is the same. If you cooperate with us, everyone wins." He stressed that Turkey backs a common solution in which the resources are equally shared. Cyprus was divided in 1974 after a Turkish invasion triggered by a brief, Greek-inspired coup. Several peacemaking efforts have failed and the discovery of offshore resources in the eastern Mediterranean has complicated the negotiations.Turkey, which has no diplomatic relations with Cyprus, is the only country  which recognizes the breakaway state in the north of the island. Cyprus says Turkey’s drilling operations are contrary to international law and that decisions on hydrocarbons are its sovereign right.
Ankara says that Greek Cypriot authorities cannot make agreements about maritime economic zones or energy exploration on behalf of the whole island. It also says that the seas around Cyprus lie on its own continental shelf.

Shtayyeh Rejects Talks About Palestinians’ Autonomous Rule
Ramallah - Kifah Ziboun/Asharq Al Awsat/August 06/2019
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said any US plans or proposals on Palestinian autonomy were unacceptable. “All the statements made by the US administration regarding the American plan to deal with the two-state solution and the talk of self-rule to ensure the security of Israel are rejected by President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian leadership,” Shtayyeh said at the start of the Palestinian cabinet meeting on Monday. He was responding to statements by US officials that their plan was based on Palestinian self-rule, instead of the two-state solution. US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said last week that the administration of US President Donald Trump was not working for a peaceful solution based on a two-state solution, but would offer a plan based on “Palestinian self-rule,” when Palestinians are capable of assuming such responsibility. So far, the United States has not made its plan public, fearing its failure amid a Palestinian and Arab rejection. The US peace team, led by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, ended a tour of the region a few days ago to rally support to the plan. But the delegation only heard Arab support for the Palestinians' right to have an independent state. The Palestinians say they will not even listen to the US plan as long as the United States does not back down from decisions about recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and the issues of refugees and Palestinian support.

Trump Orders Freeze on All Venezuelan Govt Assets in US
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 06/2019
President Donald Trump on Monday ordered a freeze on all Venezuelan government assets in the United States and barred transactions with its authorities, in Washington's latest move against President Nicolas Maduro. Trump took the step "in light of the continued usurpation of power by Nicolas Maduro and persons affiliated with him, as well as human rights abuses," according to the order. The Wall Street Journal said the move was the first against a Western Hemisphere government in over 30 years, and imposes restrictions on Caracas similar to those faced by North Korea, Iran, Syria and Cuba. Asked last week if he was considering a "blockade or quarantine" of Venezuela, Trump responded: "Yes, I am." The order affects "all property and interests in property of the Government of Venezuela that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person." These assets "are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in," the order said. The measure also bars transactions with Venezuelan authorities whose assets are blocked. It prohibits "the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order," as well as "the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person." Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is recognized as interim president by the US and dozens of other countries, tweeted his approval of the move, saying it "seeks to protect Venezuelans" from Maduro's "dictatorship." "Those who support it, benefiting from the hunger and pain of Venezuelans, should know that it has consequences," Guaido said.
Stalled efforts
Guaido earlier this year declared himself interim president in a bid to oust Maduro. But the socialist leader has refused to yield, and in the executive order Trump blamed Maduro's government for "ongoing attempts to undermine" Guaido and the opposition-controlled National Assembly, which he leads. Guaido's efforts have meanwhile stalled despite the international support and widespread discontent with Maduro, who has been able to cling to power with the backing of the country's security forces. The two sides began negotiating in Norway in May, with the most recent round of talks opening last week in Barbados.
Both Guaido and Maduro have "reiterated their willingness" to resolve the political crisis, mediator Norway has said, but the talks have produced no resolution yet. The parties have in the past laid out starkly opposing positions, with Guaido and the opposition calling Maduro a "usurper" and accusing him of having rigged the 2018 poll that saw him re-elected. They want him to stand down so new elections can be held. Maduro has refused to resign and says the negotiations must lead to "democratic coexistence" and an end to what he describes as an attempted "coup" orchestrated by the United States.
Despite the loss of momentum, Guaido remains the greatest threat to Maduro, even though the National Assembly has been effectively rendered powerless by Caracas. The oil-rich, cash-poor country has been in a deep recession for five years. Shortages of food and medicine are frequent, and public services are progressively failing. Around a quarter of Venezuela's 30 million-strong population needs aid, according to the United Nations, while 3.3 million people have left the country since the start of 2016. The International Monetary Fund says inflation will hit a staggering one million percent this year while the economy -- already in recession for five years -- will shrink by 35 percent.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on August 06-07/2019
Hamas, Islamic Jihad: "The Circle of Fire is Expanding"
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/August 06/2019
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14666/hamas-islamic-jihad-missiles
It seems, then, that for Islamic Jihad and Hamas, the ceasefire understandings, reached under the auspices of Egypt and the UN, are meant to give the Gaza-based groups a chance to continue building their military capabilities without having to worry about Israeli retaliatory measures.
Iranian media quoted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as expressing satisfaction over the "progress" the Palestinians have made in the past few years. The "progress" Khamenei is talking about is not related to the building of a new hospital or school or a medical breakthrough in the Gaza Strip. Instead, the "progress" the Palestinians have achieved -- according to Iran's Supreme Leader -- is that "while the Palestinians used to fight [Israel] with rocks, today they possess precise rockets."
The Egyptian and UN mediators, in failing to call out the leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad for their deception and conflicting messages, are permitting the two groups to deploy the ceasefire with Israel as a cover to prepare for the next war.
The leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad and their patrons in Tehran... are dead-set on inflicting as much damage on Israel as possible. As per standard operating procedure, the biggest losers of all in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip will be the Palestinians.
A senior Hamas delegation, headed by military leader Saleh Arouri, visited Iran and met with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on July 22. Arouri was quoted as saying that the "Palestinian resistance and Iran are in one front in facing Israel." Khamenei was quoted as expressing satisfaction over the "progress" the Palestinians have made in the past few years: "while the Palestinians used to fight [Israel] with rocks, today they possess precise rockets."
As Egypt, the United Nations and other parties are pursuing their efforts to prevent an all-out military confrontation in the Gaza Strip, Hamas and its allies are forging ahead in their development of various types of weapons with which to attack Israel.
The Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad, the second largest armed group in the Gaza Strip after Hamas, recently revealed how it has managed to upgrade the rocket launchers that are being used to attack Israel.
According to the Islamic Jihad's military wing, Al-Quds Brigades, it began developing its rocket launchers in 2007, when Hamas violently seized control of the Gaza Strip after overthrowing the regime of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Twelve years seems like a good time to take stock. What are the achievements of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip? They boast about three: improving military capabilities, smuggling weapons and investing millions of dollars in constructing terror tunnels. Iran's money goes to the Hamas and Islamic Jihad war machine -- nothing else. Not hospitals, not schools, and not jobs for unemployed Palestinians.
Take, for example, a report released this week by Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigades, which presents the development of rocket launchers as one of the group's major achievements in the past 12 years. "The rocket launchers of the Al-Quds Brigades will remain one of the most important elements of the power we possess," the report boasts. "The rockets will continue to serve as a nightmare haunting the leaders of the [Israeli] enemy."
The report says that since the inception of the Islamic Jihad, it "has used many weapons and missiles, including knives, bombs, submachine guns, explosive belts and homemade rockets."
The report adds that the group has over the years made significant achievements in the field of manufacturing and developing missiles to a point where it is now capable of using modern rocket launchers to attack "Zionist cities and settlements."
According to the report, the Al-Quds Brigades conducted its first test on the rocket launchers in January 2007, six months before the Gaza Strip fell into the hands of Hamas. "The engineers of the Al-Quds Brigades have since been introducing improvements on this weapon," it said.
Four years later, the report reveals, the group introduced its advanced truck-mounted rocket launchers. Then, it used the trucks to launch five Grad missiles at Israel.
In 2012, the Islamic Jihad says it upgraded the missiles to include C8K rockets that were fired at Israeli towns and cities near the border with the Gaza Strip. Two years later, the group managed to increase the range of its rockets, and for the first time targeted the city of Netanya, north of Tel Aviv, according to the report.
Islamic Jihad says that its rockets are today capable of striking Ben Gurion Airport, the Nuclear Research Center in Dimona, the Haifa Oil Refineries and Ashdod Port. The group's message to Israel: "The circle of fire is expanding."
Islamic Jihad's latest threats coincide with statements by the group's leaders that Israel had better abide by the terms of ceasefire understandings reached earlier this year with the Gaza-based factions. This is interesting. On the one hand, Islamic Jihad wants Israel to commit to these understandings. On the other hand, the group is saying that it is continuing to manufacture and upgrade new types of weapons that will be used to attack Israel.
It seems, then, that for Islamic Jihad and Hamas, the ceasefire understandings, reached under the auspices of Egypt and the UN, are meant to give the Gaza-based groups a chance to continue building their military capabilities without having to worry about Israeli retaliatory measures.
Apparently, Islamic Jihad and Hamas do not perceive the ceasefire as an opportunity to improve the living conditions of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. From all accounts, they are not planning to seize the lull in the fighting to brainstorm on ways to lower the crippling unemployment rate or raise the abysmal standard of living.
Such features of basic decent governance have not found their way onto the agenda of these two groups for the past 12 years. And evidently, they are not making it onto the agenda in the foreseeable future. No time for that: the leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad are otherwise occupied -- with the destruction of Israel; the Palestinian people be damned.
While Hamas and Islamic Jihad are talking to Egyptians and UN envoys about a ceasefire with Israel, the leaders of the two groups are also continuing to seek financial and military support from Iran to prepare for war against Israel.
Last month, a senior Hamas delegation, headed by military leader Saleh Arouri, visited Tehran and met with Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iranian media quoted Khamenei as expressing satisfaction over the "progress" the Palestinians have made in the past few years. The "progress" Khamenei is talking about is not related to the building of a new hospital or school or a medical breakthrough in the Gaza Strip. Instead, the "progress" the Palestinians have achieved – according to Iran's Supreme Leader – is that "while the Palestinians used to fight [Israel] with rocks, today they possess precise rockets."
Arouri, for his part, was quoted as saying during his visit to Tehran that the "Palestinian resistance and Iran are in one front in facing Israel."
Obviously, Hamas and Islamic Jihad believe that they can have it both ways and continue to play everyone for fools. The same Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders who are telling the Egyptians and UN envoys that they are keen on maintaining the ceasefire understandings with Israel are also begging Iran for the resources to step up their attacks on Israel. Yet the Egyptians and UN envoys prefer not to see the double-dealing.
The Egyptian and UN mediators, in failing to call out the leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad for their deception and conflicting messages, are permitting the two groups to deploy the ceasefire with Israel as a cover to prepare for the next war.
If and when the next war erupts in the Gaza Strip, the mediators will not be able to say that they were surprised. All these mediators have to do is turn half an ear to what the leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad and their patrons in Tehran are saying to understand that the Gaza-based groups are dead-set on inflicting as much damage on Israel as possible. As per standard operating procedure, the biggest losers of all in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip will be the Palestinians.
*Khaled Abu Toameh, an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem, is a Shillman Journalism Fellow at 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.

India: Caste Discrimination Remains, Despite Liberal Laws
Jagdish N. Singh//Gatestone Institute/August 06/2019
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14630/india-caste-discrimination
In spite of these laws, the more than 160 million so-called "ex-untouchables" continue to be subjected to discrimination, oppression and violence.
"...this history of religious freedom has come under attack in recent years with the growth of exclusionary extremist narratives—including, at times, the government's allowing and encouraging mob violence against religious minorities. Those have facilitated a pervasive and ongoing campaign of violence, intimidation, and harassment against non-Hindu and lower-caste Hindu minorities." — United States Commission on International Religious Freedom: Annual Report, 2019
Prime Minister Narendra Modi must take effective steps to eliminate the discriminatory caste system not only in word, but in deed. He also needs to provide proper education and empowerment programs for the many impoverished and illiterate "untouchables." Otherwise, India's affirmative action policies, geared towards reserving slots for lower castes in government jobs, are of little practical significance.
As part of his mantra of "everyone's support, everyone's development and everyone's trust," India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi must take effective steps to eliminate the discriminatory caste system not only in word, but in deed. Pictured: Modi (left) on April 3, 2019 in Kolkata, India. (Photo by Atul Loke/Getty Images)
To combat the evils of an age-old caste system -- a form of hierarchical oppression enabling people born to upper-caste groups to discriminate against members of lower castes, particularly "untouchables" (Dalits) -- the founding fathers of the democratic Republic of India, established in 1950, adopted a Constitution that guarantees all citizens equality before the law.
Articles 15 and 16 of the Indian Constitution forbid discrimination "against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them... No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition..."
Article 17 is even more specific: "'Untouchability' is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden. The enforcement of any disability arising out of 'Untouchability' shall be an offense punishable in accordance with law."
India's Constitution also directs the state to promote the educational and economic interests of weaker sectors, and protect them from all forms of exploitation (Article 46). As a result, New Delhi has instituted a policy resembling American "affirmative action," reserving 15% of government jobs for members of scheduled castes.
In spite of these laws, the more than 160 million so-called "ex-untouchables" continue to be subjected to discrimination, oppression and violence.
A recent case, involving a parliamentarian from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's own ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, illustrates just how serious the stigmatization of Dalits still is, and how prevalent the prejudice against them remains.
Legislative Assembly Member Rajesh Mishra reportedly has been threatening his daughter's life for marrying a Dalit. The wedding took place on July 4. On July 10, the bride -- 23-year-old Sakshi Mishra -- released two videos on social media, appealing to her father and his "goons" to stop harassing her groom and her.
"Please accept [the marriage] and let us live in peace," she said. "I want to be happy. I want to be free."
She also asked that her father change his "mentality," and reminded him that her husband and his parents -- who have also received threats -- are "human beings and not animals."
Mishra is a Brahmin, the highest Hindu caste, members of which have reacted angrily to a popular new movie -- titled "Article 15" -- directed by Anubhav Sinha and based on the true story of a controversy in India surrounding the facts of a 2014 case of rape and murder of two girls from a low caste.
That the film's "social message" is the focus of wide debate is in itself an indication that India has a long way to go to live up to its Constitution and its laws. Two crucial pieces of legislation -- the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989 (and its 2015 amendment), and the 2013 Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act -- are rarely invoked. Furthermore, the conviction rate for violators is low.
This situation was described in the latest annual report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom:
"In 2018, religious freedom conditions in India continued a downward trend. India has a long history as a secular democracy where religious communities of every faith have thrived. The constitution guarantees the right to religious freedom, and the nation's independent judiciary has often provided essential protections to religious minority communities through its jurisprudence. Yet, this history of religious freedom has come under attack in recent years with the growth of exclusionary extremist narratives—including, at times, the government's allowing and encouraging mob violence against religious minorities. Those have facilitated a pervasive and ongoing campaign of violence, intimidation, and harassment against non-Hindu and lower-caste Hindu minorities."
The government in New Delhi needs to rectify this situation immediately. As part of his mantra of "everyone's support, everyone's development and everyone's trust," Prime Minister Modi must take effective steps to eliminate the discriminatory caste system not only in word, but in deed. He also needs to provide proper education and empowerment programs for the many impoverished and illiterate "untouchables." Otherwise, India's affirmative action policies, geared towards reserving slots for lower castes in government jobs, are of little practical significance.
*Jagdish N. Singh is a senior journalist based in New Delhi.
© 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.

Britain Must Back US Not EU Over Iranian Crisis
Daniel Kawczynski/Asharq Al Awsat/August 06/2019
The crisis in the Arabian Gulf with Iran seizing a British registered tanker stems not from a tit for tat measure of us impounding an Iranian ship off the coast of Gibraltar, rather it goes back much further than that. We have turned a blind eye to Iran’s malign actions throughout the Middle East for so many years that it has given them the green light to completely ignore international laws and the world-based order and do as they please.
Five or six years ago when discussions of a nuclear deal with Iran were first mooted, our key allies in the Gulf visited us in London to warn us of the consequences if the deal was to be purely focussed on nuclear weapons and failed to take into account the highly dangerous and destabilising actions that Iran has been inflicting on her neighbours.
The European Union and President Obama in their rush to secure a deal with the Iranians chose to ignore these concerns and indeed to brush them under the carpet. Concerns were raised by the likes of Benjamin Netanyahu that a strengthened (and financially bolstered) Iran would simply support other extremist countries in their quests for nuclear weapons. Sure enough, in recent years we have seen Iran attempting to destabilise the government of Bahrain, a key Gulf ally of the UK and where we have a permanent naval base.
We have seen Iran sending troops and weapons to top up the Assad regime of Syria which has brutalised its own population. Iran continues to fund and equip Hezbollah which is perched on the Lebanese/Israeli border and threatening one of our most strategic important partners - Israel. This aggressive behaviour has contributed to the area of Lebanon becoming highly unstable and increasingly dangerous, particularly for the numerous minorities who live there. We have also seen how Iran funding and supplying Houthi rebels in Yemen has led to huge human misery and suffering as well as bloodshed and a drawing out of the conflict there.
If these examples weren’t sufficient, last year it was revealed that Morocco had decided to break off diplomatic relations with Iran following the alleged Iranian backing of the Polisario in Western Sahara.
These are the actions of a country completely out of control and blindly indifferent to the suffering caused by her actions. As we leave the EU and regain our independence and sovereignty we will play a pivotal role in influencing how the international community deals with serious problems such as this. If we follow the EU line which seeks to ignore these issues, then the seizure of our ship is just the start of further problems down the line. If we instead seek the support of our American partners in a more robust approach through sanctions, we will finally make the Mullahs in Tehran realise that this behaviour is unacceptable. Given that President Trump withdrew from the Iran Nuclear Deal over the aforementioned concerns surrounding Iran’s behaviour, it is highly likely that the United States will support us in this endeavour.
As the sole European country with a naval base in the Gulf, we have a responsibility to ensure that the naval base is protected and expanded and that we help create the right circumstances in the region to foster stability and peace. By ignoring Iran’s conduct for too long we now need a major rethink of our strategy, much has been made in recent years of ‘red lines’ but, when it comes to Iran, we must make sure that our red lines are never crossed.

Growing Anti-Syrian Sentiment in Turkey
Soner Cagaptay and Deniz Yuksel/The Washington Institute/August 06/2019
Refugees are being blamed for the country’s economic and social troubles, resulting in online hate speech, vigilante violence, and further pressure on the government to change the status quo in north Syria.
On June 22, the office of provincial governor Ali Yerlikaya announced that Syrian nationals who are not registered in Istanbul would have to leave the city by August 20. The area is now closed to further registration of such nationals, half a million of whom reside in Istanbul city alone. Coming from the office of an official appointed by the central government, the announcement highlights the country’s growing political tensions over the refugee issue.
MAJORITY OPPOSITION TO SYRIAN PRESENCE
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Turkey currently hosts 3,614,108 Syrians. This figure constitutes nearly two-thirds of the entire Syrian refugee community worldwide, and a 4.4% addition to Turkey’s population of 82 million citizens as of 2018. For the most part, the government has cared for these refugees using its own resources, with some assistance from the European Union.
The Istanbul governor’s decision comes at a time of increasing public resentment toward these Syrians, whom the central government does not formally recognize as refugees, classifying them as “under temporary protection status” instead. In a poll conducted earlier this year, 68% of Turkish respondents expressed discontent with the Syrian presence, compared to 58% in 2016.
Turks are sharply divided on many issues, with one bloc tending to oppose President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s policies and an equal-size bloc ardently supporting him. Yet dissatisfaction with the decision to welcome Syrian refugees since 2011 is a rare exception to that rule, garnering majority criticism across party lines. Around 60% of those who back Erdogan’s governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) express discontent with the Syrian presence, together with 64% from the AKP-allied Nationalist Action Party (MHP); on the opposition side, the figures are 62% from the IYI Party, 71% from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), and 83% from the Republican People’s Party (CHP).
DEMOGRAPHIC IMPACT
The arrival of Syrian refugees is Turkey’s most significant demographic shift since its “population exchange” with Greece in the 1920s. According to official Turkish figures, only around 100,000 of them remain sheltered in camps; the vast majority have settled in cities and towns among the broader population. Most of them (3.2 million, or 88%) are concentrated in fourteen of Turkey’s eighty-one provinces: namely, the Syrian border provinces of Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Mardin, and Sanliurfa; the nearby southern provinces of Adana, Mersin, and Kahramanmaras; and the demographically and economically larger provinces of Ankara, Bursa, Istanbul, Izmir, Kayseri, and Konya.
Istanbul has the largest number—547,479, or nearly 4% of the province’s 2018 population. Yet the demographic impact on the country’s smaller southern provinces is even more significant. Syrians equal 27% of the population in Hatay, 22% in Gaziantep, 21% in Sanliurfa, and a whopping 81% in Kilis.
ECONOMIC CHALLENGES TO INTEGRATION
Although these “protected” Syrians enjoy basic public services like healthcare and education, their temporary status does not allow them to work legally in Turkey. Ankara has long hoped that they will one day go back to Syria and has therefore shied away from taking steps that might help them become permanent residents. Syrians are encouraged to apply for residency permits to obtain legal employment, but the accompanying bureaucratic requirements and restrictions make this very difficult. So far, only around 200,000 refugees have been granted citizenship, residency, or work permits allowing them legal employment.
Consequently, many of the 2.1 million working-age refugees have resorted to informal and irregular employment, usually for scant pay far below Turkey’s minimum wage. According to a July study by the Brookings Institution, between 500,000 and one million Syrians continue to provide informal labor despite poor working conditions and rampant exploitation, mostly in the textile, services, construction, and education sectors.
Last year, the Germany-based Institute of Labor Economics found that this influx of Syrian workers did not drive down wages outside Turkey’s informal and part-time labor sectors. Nevertheless, many citizens believe that Syrians are to blame for rising unemployment and low wages across all sectors. Unemployment was at 14% as of March, up from 9% in 2011. Put another way, the number of jobless Turks has nearly doubled to 4.5 million since the government first began admitting Syrian refugees.
Meanwhile, sharp increases in consumer prices have dramatically increased the cost of living for the average citizen. Inflation held just under 20% in March after reaching a record 25% last year, and wage boosts have not compensated for the price spike. For at least some citizens whose earnings have been hit hard, the meager 120 lira ($20) per month in aid given to registered Syrian families looks increasingly like unfair treatment, especially for those who wrongly believe that this and other EU-financed programs are funded by Turkish taxpayers. According to a July report by Al-Monitor, some locals also claim that Syrians have unfair economic advantages because they can open unlicensed businesses, and because they are not subject to the tax requirements imposed on citizens.
RISING TENSIONS
The Syrian presence is also being blamed for many of Turkey’s social troubles. Emerging opinion leaders with large online followings have been especially important in normalizing anti-Syrian attitudes. Dismissed MHP parliamentarian Sinan Ogan, who boasts over a million Twitter followers, attracted thousands of interactions with a July post claiming that Syrian and Afghan refugees rape women and boys, and that “chopping heads” is a part of Syrian culture. Similarly, a recent article by popular opposition journalist Yilmaz Ozdil alleged that Syrians are “invading” Istanbul “street by street,” causing disturbances and forcing Turks to move out of their neighborhoods. He also accused them of setting up illegal businesses, forming gangs, and stockpiling prescription drugs, claiming that “Syrians are free to commit crimes.”
Yet official statistics cited by Euronews indicate that Syrians were involved in only 853 of 32,553 criminal incidents in Istanbul last year. In other words, the city suffered 153 incidents per 100,000 Syrians, significantly less than the 210 incidents that occurred per 100,000 Turks.
Despite these numbers, widespread incitement has produced a dangerous cycle of online hate leading to violence offline. Popular accounts often disseminate such statements with the hashtag “#SuriyelilerDefoluyor” (“Syrians get out”). And accounts owned by public figures or anonymous individuals frequently spread false stories about Syrians harassing, raping, and even murdering Turkish citizens.
Some consumers of this content have used social media to organize and carry out violence against Syrians, with attacks against individual refugees increasingly erupting into mass violence. This February, for example, an argument between residents and refugees in Istanbul transformed into large-scale clashes. And on June 29, dozens of vigilantes attacked Syrian businesses in Istanbul’s Kucukcekmece district after a Syrian man was falsely accused of molesting a young girl.
CONCLUSION
Turkey’s growing anti-Syrian sentiment appears to be one of several factors eroding public support for President Erdogan, even to the point of bringing the pro- and anti-Erdogan blocs together. Well aware of this trend, Erdogan is doing whatever he can to repatriate as many refugees as possible back to Syria. The government has already transferred hundreds of thousands of refugees to Turkish-controlled enclaves in northwest Syria. Attempting to further this model, Erdogan has been pushing Washington to create a joint “safe zone” in northeast Syria and repatriate more refugees there. He may even be willing to strike a grand bargain with the Assad regime, recognizing it as Syria’s legitimate government in return for Damascus allowing refugees to return to their homes. At the very least, he would likely demand that Turkey retain control over its enclaves in north Syria in order to facilitate the return of more refugees.
Soner Cagaptay is the Beyer Family Fellow at The Washington Institute and author of the forthcoming book Erdogan’s Empire: Turkey and the Politics of the Middle East. Deniz Yuksel is a research assistant at the Institute. They would like to thank Institute intern Yagiz Sullu for his help in researching this PolicyWatch.

Between two wars: Yemen and Afghanistan
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Arab Ne ws/August 06, 2019
There are no beautiful wars in the world; all are ugly. But there are wars of necessity, and the war in Yemen is one of them, both for Yemenis and Saudis. The war there is not one of choice. Militants on the Saudi border, armed with ballistic missiles, are capable of reaching the Kingdom’s main cities and beyond the capital Riyadh.
But why the comparison between Yemen and Afghanistan? Well, the two wars, though different in historical roots and political motives, are similar in geography, circumstances and ongoing challenges.
Has the war in Yemen been going on for too long? Yes, but wars do not have a specific duration. The US entered Afghanistan in 2001 and has been fighting there ever since. Saudi Arabia has been in Yemen since 2015. Taliban militants in Afghanistan are like the Houthis of Yemen. The Taliban are Sunni extremists and the Houthis are Shiite extremists. Both have a political agenda with an extremist religious discourse.
The battlefields in both countries are also similar, given their rugged mountainous terrain, and the tough lives and poverty of their peoples.
The alternative options for both wars are very limited too. A withdrawal from Afghanistan will lead to the seizure of the entire country by the Taliban and other armed groups. This is why Washington fears that if it withdraws, the situation in Afghanistan will go back to how it was before American troops arrived.
For Saudi Arabia, withdrawal is dangerous because Yemen may become a satellite state loyal to Iran on the Kingdom’s southern border.
These troops were deployed in the course of the US war against Al-Qaeda and its ally the Taliban after the Sept. 11 attacks. Still, the US — as a superpower in the western hemisphere, 11,000 km from Afghanistan — is capable of waging war on its enemy in Afghanistan from afar.
But for Saudi Arabia, withdrawal is dangerous because Yemen may become a satellite state loyal to Iran on the Kingdom’s southern border, which would pose a direct threat. A Saudi withdrawal may also lead to the destruction of what remains of Yemen, and drive the country into a wider tribal civil war, causing greater hardships for the Yemeni people.
US forces leading the coalition in Afghanistan have 16,000 troops, twice the number of Saudi forces in Yemen. The cost of the war in Afghanistan is $45 billion, four times that of the conflict in Yemen. The war in Afghanistan has been ongoing for 18 years, compared to four years in Yemen.
The US has conducted rounds of direct and indirect talks with the Taliban, but has failed to find acceptable solutions. Attempts to resolve the conflict in Yemen have not fared much better, although the door was and remains open to the Houthis to participate in a national government and have seats in Parliament.
But the Houthis are in a more difficult position than the Taliban because the former are an Iran-affiliated extremist militant group, similar to the Lebanese Hezbollah, and Tehran is the real decision-maker.
The war in Yemen is not an exceptional case. Like all conflicts, its dynamics may change for internal or external reasons.
*Abdulrahman Al-Rashed is a veteran columnist. He is the former general manager of Al Arabiya news channel, and former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat. Twitter: @aalrashed

Squaring the Iranians' Hormuz circle
Howard Leedham/Arab Ne ws/August 06, 2019
In response to Iran’s seizure of the UK flagged merchant vessel Stena Bulk, the Royal Navy deployed a destroyer, HMS Duncan, to the Arabian Gulf to protect UK-flagged ships against further boarding by the Iranian military. The world breathed a sigh of relief, but should it?
The Royal Navy was for centuries the envy of the world. In the early 1800s Admiral Lord Nelson (his statue overlooks London’s Trafalgar Square) decimated a French and Spanish fleet, making Napoleon’s defeat inevitable. Nelson achieved his victory by using asymmetric tactics in a symmetrical war. Unlike his contemporaries, Nelson did not choose to slug it out broadside to broadside. Rather he would “break the line” by sailing directly between his enemy’s fleet, and in doing so he brought to bear the full might of his own ship’s firepower, while denying his enemy the same capability.
For the next 150 years the Royal Navy used its size and ability to defeat adversaries in symmetrical battle by outnumbering or outgunning the opposition. At the time of the second world war, only the US Navy was larger.
By the 1980s the Royal Navy had shrunk considerably, but it fought and won what was in all likelihood the last war ever to be fought by the British when it is not part of a multi-national coalition. A significant factor in the Falklands campaign was the UK’s use of its submarines that forced an asymmetric conflict by denying Argentina’s ability to put its navy to sea for fear of being torpedoed.
However, even with a fleet of 70 warships, including four aircraft carriers, it had been a very close call. Had the Argentinians waited another year to invade, the UK’s carriers would have already been sold off and the result would have been different.
Fast forward to the current threats of Iranian piracy against British merchant ships: The Royal Navy is a shadow of what it once was.
Devastating defence cuts of successive UK governments have reduced it to an alarming state, further exacerbated by naval planners who persist in building and equipping to fight symmetrical adversaries, though none of similar size or shape exist.
Iran takes the view that large ocean-going warships represent a priority sinking opportunity for its adversaries. It therefore utilizes a low-tech fleet of nearly 400 “green water” vessels as fast, missile and gun-boats.
Operating in swarms of craft, the Iranians seek to harass, confuse and out-maneuver the likes of singular British guard-ships by forcing them to be in more than one place at a time. Their continued aggression has forced UK merchant vessels to adopt inconvenient and commercially costly convoy protocols.
Operating in swarms of multiple craft, the Iranians seek to harass, confuse and out-maneuver the likes of singular British guard-ships by forcing them to be in more than one place at a time.
The swarms of Iranian fast craft have had global repercussions in terms of conflict tension and price volatility in oil and financial markets.
Such pressures now reverberate into the UK’s Cabinet Office Briefing Room (COBRA) and must surely pose some searching questions in terms of the Royal Navy’s fleet planning and cost effectiveness.
Today’s Royal Navy has just one aircraft carrier (with no aircraft), two seaworthy destroyers, seven operational frigates and ten submarines. It has just two high speed patrol vessels in the form of Scimitar class patrol boats with a top speed of 59 kilometers per hour. These vessels are seldom given a thought as the smallest commissioned vessels.
However, if such vessels were commissioned in numbers, they would arguably represent future doctrine against a marauding threat — from illegal immigration or smugglers in post-Brexit UK waters to Iranian gunboats in the Straits of Hormuz.
The introduction of autonomous and armed Pacific 950 rigid inflatable boats (RIBs), currently developed by British Aerospace, brings an additional and inevitable modern dynamic for planners to consider. Working with each other, the combination of manned and autonomous vessels will utilize high speed response capability to confuse and deter the attacks of any “green water” adversary.
This utilization may not reflect the might of the Royal Navy’s past, but it does point to a clear, rapid and economical way to contain threats that can cause havoc by not adhering to traditional fleet composition.
Were the Iranians faced with this competing and technically superior adversary, the asymmetries of Iranian tactics become irrelevant. Such style of containment would cost a fraction of the tens of millions of dollars it costs to build and deploy just two complex warships.
To quote Sun Tzu: “He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.”
Because of its heritage, the Royal Navy sees warfare in terms of defeating superior forces and man-for-man, ship-for-ship it will likely achieve just that. However, such symmetric adversaries have become rare and now, in facing low-tech fleets of hundreds of vessels, the Royal Navy must surely be considering a fleet structure that would break the line of Iran’s asymmetric forces, much like Nelson did before them.
Other naval forces in the Gulf might also study this as a serious policy option.
• Howard Leedham MBE is a former Royal Navy Commander and British Special Forces Officer. Twitter: @howardleedham