LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
August 27/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5/21-30: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe to those who are mighty to drink wine, and champions at mixing strong drink; who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice for the innocent! Therefore as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as the dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have rejected the law of Yahweh of Armies, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore Yahweh’s anger burns against his people, and he has stretched out his hand against them, and has struck them. The mountains tremble, and their dead bodies are as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this, his anger is not turned away, but his hand is still stretched out. He will lift up a banner to the nations from far, and he will whistle for them from the end of the earth. Behold, they will come speedily and swiftly. None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the belt of their waist be untied, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent. Their horses’ hoofs will be like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind. Their roaring will be like a lioness. They will roar like young lions. Yes, they shall roar, and seize their prey and carry it off, and there will be no one to deliver. They will roar against them in that day like the roaring of the sea. If one looks to the land behold, darkness and distress.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on August 26-27/2019
Tehran will have to back down or attack.
Aoun Calls Israeli Attacks on Dahiyeh, Qusaya a 'Declaration of War'
Hariri to Ambassadors: Israel Must be Held Responsible for Its Blatant Attack
Hariri to UNSC ambassadors: Israel must be held responsible for its blatant attack
Aoun, Hariri Decide to Convene Higher Defense Council
U.N. Urges 'Maximum Restraint' after Israeli Drone Attacks in Lebanon
Netanyahu Says Israel to Use 'All Means Necessary' to Defend against Iran
Israel Fires Flares over Shebaa Farms Sparking Blaze
Israel Mobilizes Armored Vehicles in Kfar Shouba, Flies Drone over Baalbek
Syria Extradites to Lebanon Travel Agency Owner who Scammed Thousands
Kheir Inspects Damaged Dahiyeh Buildings, Vows Compensations
Kuwait Deplores Israeli Aggression against Lebanon
The Power Of Israeli Intelligence In Its Recent Attack On Iran-Analysis
IDF Reveals Information On Two Lebanese Terrorists Killed In Syria Strike
Quds Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Qasem Soleimani: Israel's Insane Operations Will Be Its Last Attempts
Lebanon: Israel struck PFLP-GC base in Bekaa Valley

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 26-27/2019
Trump would meet Iran's President Rouhani if 'circumstances' were correct
Trump Says Not Seeking Regime Change in Iran
Vice President Pence says US supports Israel’s right to defend itself
Iran Imposes Sanctions on US-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Sisi Asks G7 for Solutions to Africa’s Security, Terrorism Challenges
Turkish Forces to Enter Syria Safe Zone ‘Very Soon’, Russia Defends Idlib Campaign
More Than 17,000 Palestinian Women Jailed by Israel Since 1967
Jubeir: Solid Saudi, UAE Relations Crucial for Region’s Future
Grandson of Muslim Brotherhood Founder Faces New Rape Complaint
Iraq Govt. chiefs, Hashed Top Brass Discuss Drone Attacks
Trump Says India's Modi Feels He Has 'It under Control' in Kashmir
Iraqi leaders condemn airstrikes targeting paramilitary groups
Trump says he may present Middle East peace plan in next three weeks
Soldiers from US, Arabian Gulf countries participate in military drill in Jordan
Erdogan says Turkish troops will enter planned Syria safe zone ‘soon

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on August 26-27/2019
Tehran will have to back down or attack/Dr.Walid Phares /Face Book/August 26/2019
The Power Of Israeli Intelligence In Its Recent Attack On Iran-Analysis/Jerusalem Post/August 26/2019
Quds Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Qasem Soleimani: Israel's Insane Operations Will Be Its Last Attempts/Jerusalem Post/August 26/2019
Lebanon: Israel struck PFLP-GC base in Bekaa Valley/Jerusalem Post/August 26/2019
The Many Faces of Jihad/Raymond Ibrahim/FrontPage Magazine/August 26/2019
The Amazon Disaster and Environmental Guarantees/Leonid Bershidsky/Bloomberg View/August, 26/2019
Limits of Roles are Drawn by Fire/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/August 26/2019
Analysis/Israel Broke the Rules of the Game With Hezbollah, and Now the Ball Is in Nasrallah’s Court/Amos Harel/Haaretz/August 26/2019
Analysis/Why Iran Is Risking a Major Escalation With Israel/Anshel Pfeffer/Haaretz/August 26/2019
Arab nations ready to talk should Iran end its hostility/Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami /Arab News/August 26/2019
Analysis/Israel Fears Trump Might Sit Down With the Iranians – and Be Outmaneuvered/Anshel Pfeffer/Haretz/August 26/2019

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on August 26-27/2019
Tehran will have to back down or attack.
Dr.Walid Phares /Face Book/August 26/2019
It looks like Israel is monitoring & striking at Iranian controlled missiles sites in Iraq, Syria & Lebanon as a preemptive move to weaken an apparatus being built by Iran for potential rockets, drones and missiles blitzes on Israeli targets. Will it force Tehran to respond?
From what we can assess, the US gave Israel a "green light" to use airpower & unmanned force to "contain" strategic build up of missiles & drones between Iraq and Lebanon. The Syro-Iraqi air fronts will be disputed between Iran and Israel. Tehran will have to back down or attack.

Aoun Calls Israeli Attacks on Dahiyeh, Qusaya a 'Declaration of War'
Naharnet/August 26/2019
President Michel Aoun on Monday described the weekend Israeli attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs and the eastern border region of Qusaya as a “declaration of war.”“The attacks on Dahiyeh and the Qusaya region violate (U.N. Security Council) Resolution 1701, and its stipulations that bind Lebanon should also be binding for Israel,” Aoun told U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis during a meeting in Beiteddine. “What happened resembles a declaration of war that entitles us to resort to our right to defend our sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity,” Aoun added. “We are people who seek peace, not war, but we do not accept to be threatened by anyone in any manner,” the president underlined. "I have repeatedly said before that Lebanon will not fire a single shot from its border unless it is in self-defense," said Aoun. "What happened yesterday allows us to exercise this right," he added. One drone came down and another exploded early Sunday in a Hizbullah stronghold in the southern Beirut suburb of Mouawad, damaging a Hizbullah media center and lightly injuring three people who were in the building. And on Monday, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command said an Israeli drone had bombed its base in the Lebanese eastern border region of Qusaya overnight. Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had on Sunday vowed to "do everything" to thwart future drone attacks in Lebanon. He also pledged to retaliate from Lebanon against any Israeli attack that kills Hizbullah members in Syria.

Hariri to Ambassadors: Israel Must be Held Responsible for Its Blatant Attack
Naharnet/August 26/2019
Prime Minister Saad Hariri met Monday afternoon at the Grand Serail with the ambassadors and deputy heads of mission of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council: U.S. Ambassador Elizabeth Richard, Russian Ambassador Alexander Zasypkin, Chinese Ambassador Wang Kejian, British Chargé d'Affaires Benjamin Wastnage and French Chargé d'Affaires Salina Grenet-Catalano. He discussed with them the latest developments and the situation in Lebanon and the region, his office said. During the meeting, Hariri informed the attendees that he called for the meeting “because of the gravity of the situation after the clear Israeli violation of Lebanese sovereignty and UNSCR 1701, and the targeting of a populated civilian area, without any consideration for the international law or civilian lives,” the office said in a statement. He added: “The Lebanese government finds an interest in avoiding any slide towards a serious escalation, but this requires the international community to prove its rejection of this flagrant violation of our sovereignty and of Resolution 1701.”
Hariri also informed the envoys that Lebanon will file an official complaint to the U.N. Security Council about the violations, saying: “It is very important that your countries maintain the existing consensus among them to preserve security and stability in Lebanon and the region, because any escalation may turn into a regional cycle of violence, the scope of which no one can predict.” He added: “Israel must be held responsible for its continued violations of Resolution 1701 since 2006. It must also be held responsible for the blatant attack on Beirut’s suburbs, seeing as it knew in advance that this would threaten the existing balance that preserved the security of the international border for 13 years.” Hariri also announced that the Higher Defense Council will hold a meeting tomorrow afternoon to discuss the developments, and hoped that the ambassadors would remain in contact to follow up on the situation. Earlier, Hariri met with the U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis in the presence of former minister Ghattas Khoury. One drone came down and another exploded early Sunday in a Hizbullah stronghold in the southern Beirut suburb of Mouawad, damaging a Hizbullah media center and lightly injuring three people who were in the building. Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah described the incident as an Israeli “suicide drone attack,” threatening to down any Israeli drone flying over Lebanon from now on. Shortly after Nasrallah’s remarks, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command said an Israeli drone had bombed its base in the Lebanese eastern border region of Qusaya.

Hariri to UNSC ambassadors: Israel must be held responsible for its blatant attack
NNA/Mon 26 Aug 2019
The President of the Council of Ministers Saad Hariri met this afternoon at the Grand Serail with the Ambassadors and deputy heads of mission of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council: US Ambassador Elizabeth Richard, Russian Ambassador Alexander Zasypkin, Chinese Ambassador Wang Kejian, British Chargé d'Affaires Benjamin Wastnage and French Chargé d'Affaires Salina Grenet-Catalano, and discussed with them the latest developments and the situation in Lebanon and the region. During the meeting, Hariri informed the attendees that he called for this meeting because of the gravity of the situation after the clear Israeli violation of the Lebanese sovereignty and UNSCR 1701, and the targeting of a populated civilian area, without any consideration for the international law or the civilian lives. He said: “The Lebanese Government finds an interest in avoiding any slide towards a serious escalation, but this requires the international community to prove its rejection of this flagrant violation of our sovereignty and of resolution 1701.” Hariri also informed them that Lebanon will file an official complaint to the UN Security Council about what happened, saying: “It is very important that your countries maintain the existing consensus among them to preserve security and stability in Lebanon and the region, because any escalation may turn into a regional round of violence, the scope of which no one can predict.” He added: “Israel must be held responsible for its continued violations of resolution 1701 since 2006. It must also be held responsible for the blatant attack on Beirut suburbs, while knowing in advance that this would threaten the existing balance that preserved the security of the international border for 13 years.” Hariri announced that the Higher Defense Council will hold a meeting tomorrow afternoonto discuss the developments, and hoped that the attendees would remain in contact to follow up things.  Earlier, Hariri received the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis in the presence of former Minister Ghattas Khoury. Discussions focused on the situation, particularly the latest developments in Lebanon.

Aoun, Hariri Decide to Convene Higher Defense Council
Naharnet/August 26/2019
Lebanon’s Higher Defense Council will convene Tuesday to discuss the latest Israeli attacks, the Presidency said. “President Michel Aoun consulted with Prime Minister Saad Hariri and it was decided to convene the Higher Defense Council in an emergency meeting at the Beiteddine Palace on Tuesday afternoon,” the Presidency said in a statement issued Monday. The meeting will tackle “the ramifications of the two Israeli attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs and the Bekaa area of Qusaya,” the statement added. One drone came down and another exploded early Sunday in a Hizbullah stronghold in the southern Beirut suburb of Mouawad, damaging a Hizbullah media center and lightly injuring three people who were in the building. And on Monday, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command said an Israeli drone had bombed its base in the Lebanese eastern border region of Qusaya overnight. Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had on Sunday vowed to "do everything" to thwart future drone attacks in Lebanon. He also pledged to retaliate from Lebanon against any Israeli attack that kills Hizbullah members in Syria.

U.N. Urges 'Maximum Restraint' after Israeli Drone Attacks in Lebanon
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 26/2019
The United Nations called Monday for "maximum restraint" by all parties after a reported drone attack in a Hizbullah stronghold south of Beirut that was blamed on Israel. Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the U.N. was unable to confirm the reports about Sunday's incident, the latest in a series of attacks reported in the region in recent days. "The United Nations calls on the parties to exercise maximum restraint both in action and rhetoric," he said. "It is imperative for all to avoid an escalation and abide by relevant Security Council resolutions."He said the U.N. had "taken note" of statements by President Michel Aoun, who denounced the reported drone attack as a "declaration of war."U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres also received a letter from the Lebanese government on the same subject, Dujarric said. Before dawn Sunday, a reconnaissance drone crashed in a Hizbullah bastion south of Beirut and a second exploded in the air, the Lebanese Army said. Hizbullah and the army pointed the finger at Israel, which has not commented. And on Monday, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command said an Israeli drone had bombed its base in the Lebanese eastern border region of Qusaya overnight.

Netanyahu Says Israel to Use 'All Means Necessary' to Defend against Iran
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 26/2019
Israel is ready to use "all means necessary" to defend itself against Iranian threats "on several fronts,", Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday. The warning comes after the Israeli army launched strikes late Saturday in Syria to thwart what it said was an impending Iranian attack against Israel. Just hours later, Lebanon's army said two Israeli drones had violated Lebanese airspace over Beirut's southern suburbs, and the Iran-backed Hizbullah movement said one damaged a media center it runs. "Iran is working on several fronts to carry out deadly attacks against the state of Israel," Netanyahu said in a Hebrew video statement. "Israel will continue to defend its security by all means necessary," he said, calling on the international community to "act immediately to stop Iran's attacks." Hizullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the attack in Beirut's suburbs marked the first such "hostile action" in Lebanon since a 2006 war between his group and Israel. Lebanese President Michel Aoun called it a "declaration of war."Netanyahu is gearing up for September 17 parliamentary polls after failing to form a coalition following an April general election.

Israel Fires Flares over Shebaa Farms Sparking Blaze
Naharnet/August 26/2019
Israeli forces fired several flares Monday evening over the occupied Shebaa Farms, media reports said. The National News Agency said the flares were fired over Tallet Seddaneh, Birkat al-Naqqar and al-Bayader in the outskirts of the town of Shebaa as several blasts were heard inside the occupied farms. Al-Jadeed TV said the flares sparked a blaze in the al-Shahel-al-Bayader area south of the town of Shebaa. TV networks meanwhile reported that an Israeli drone was flying at low altitude over the eastern city of Baalbek. Al-Mayadeen television for its part quoted Israeli media outlets as saying that Israel had boosted its Iron Dome missile interception system in an area of northern Israel. The developments come amid heightened tensions in the border region after Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah threatened to retaliate to the death of two Hizbullah members in an Israeli strike in Syria and to down any Israeli drone that violates Lebanon’s airspace after a drone exploded over a Hizbullah stronghold in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Israel Mobilizes Armored Vehicles in Kfar Shouba, Flies Drone over Baalbek
Naharnet/August 26/2019
Israel mobilized armored vehicles on Monday in the vicinity of al-Summaka post facing the southern town of Kfar Shouba, the National News Agency reported. NNA said no enemy patrols were meanwhile seen along the military line extending from Wazzani heights to Shebaa and Kfar Shouba's off the Blue Line. Later during the day, NNA said an Israeli reconnaissance airplane hovered over the town of Baalbek and its vicinity. The activity came hours after Israel hit the Popular Front of the Liberation of Palestine-General Command in Lebanon's eastern mountains near Qusaya town; and one day after two Israeli drones fell in the southern suburbs of Beirut, one of them exploding and causing material damages. The PFLP-GC has close ties to Hizbullah and the Syria's government. Qusaya is only about five kilometers (three miles) from the Syrian border.

Syria Extradites to Lebanon Travel Agency Owner who Scammed Thousands
Agence France PresseظNaharnet/August 26/2019
Lebanese authorities on Monday detained the owner of a travel agency accused of having left thousands of travelers stranded with fake flight and hotel reservations. Fawaz Fawaz, the Lebanese owner of New Plaza Tours, was captured in Syria and transferred to Lebanon, the General Security agency said in a statement, without elaborating. The security agency accused Fawaz of committing "fraud and embezzlement" through a travel agency, by selling fake flight tickets and hotel reservations. This left "thousands of Lebanese" stranded in Turkey, Georgia and other countries without accommodation or return flights, it said. Local media was rife with stories last week of Lebanese travelers forced to sleep on airport and hotel floors because of the scandal. New Plaza Tours is reportedly not licensed by the tourism ministry. On Friday, Lebanon's Middle East Airlines said it had filed a lawsuit against Fawaz in 2015 over outstanding debts owed by one of his several travel agencies.

Kheir Inspects Damaged Dahiyeh Buildings, Vows Compensations
Naharnet/August 26/2019
Higher Relief Council chief Maj. Gen. Mohammed Kheir on Monday inspected the Dahiyeh buildings damaged by the Israeli drone explosion. “This is a different and veiled type of terrorism that the people of Dahiyeh have come under and the Lebanese citizen is always resilient,” Kheir said after his tour. “We stand by all citizens and there will be instant compensations,” Kheir added. Hizbullah spokesman Mohammed Afif for his part said that Kheir also “inspected the damages at the Hizbullah media center and tasked relevant authorities to follow up on the issue.”One drone came down and another exploded early Sunday outside the building housing Hizbullah’s media center in the southern Beirut suburb of Mouawad, causing material damage and lightly injuring three people. Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah described the incident as an attack by a “suicide Israeli done.”

Kuwait Deplores Israeli Aggression against Lebanon
Naharnet/August 26/2019
Kuwait on Monday condemned Sunday’s Israeli aggression against Lebanon, the National News Agency reported on Monday. Speaker Nabih Berri received a telephone call from Kuwait’s National Assembly chief Marzouq al-Ghanem, NNA said. Al-Ghanem said the Kuwaiti parliament and people condemn the Israeli aggression against Lebanon, expressing "readiness to provide all support to Lebanon in the face of Israeli aggression." A Lebanese army statement said Sunday that “two drones belonging to the Israeli enemy violated Lebanese airspace (at dawn)... over the southern suburbs of Beirut. The first fell while the second exploded in the air causing material damage.”A Lebanese army statement said Sunday that “two drones belonging to the Israeli enemy violated Lebanese airspace (at dawn)... over the southern suburbs of Beirut. The first fell while the second exploded in the air causing material damage.”Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah threatened Israel after the "drone attack" on the movement's Beirut stronghold, vowing to "do everything" to thwart future attacks.

The Power Of Israeli Intelligence In Its Recent Attack On Iran-Analysis
Jerusalem Post/August 26/2019
Stunningly, the IDF even published pictures of the two onboard a flight and near an airplane to Iran to take part in some of the training sessions.
With Monday morning’s jaw-dropping sharing of a wealth of intelligence by the IDF about the Iranian drone crew it struck in Lebanon, the power of Israeli intelligence became ever clearer. The key to the IDF thwarting the planned attack by Iran on Israel was not merely that it identified the Lebanese operatives working with the Iranians who were en route to carry out their attack, but that it traced the presence of particular operatives involved in using drones on their way to the area before they got there.  Let’s analyze the information put out by the IDF. First, there were three casualties from the strike, two of whom were Hezbollah operatives being trained by Iran’s external intelligence Quds Force: Hassem Yussuf Zabib from Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, born in 1996, and Yasser Ahmed Tzahr from Beleide village, born in 1997. According to the IDF, the two visited Iran several times this year and went through training targeted at operation of unmanned aerial vehicles and explosive drones at the Quds Force base.
Stunningly, the IDF even published pictures of the two onboard a flight and near an airplane to Iran to take part in some of the training sessions. According to IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Ronen Manelis, the IDF was ordered specifically to strike Aqraba early Sunday morning after they received intelligence that the attack would happen on Sunday. He said that the drones were like the kind used by the Houthis in Yemen against Saudi Arabia. Each of the drones could carry several kilograms of explosives and was supposed to be operated in conjunction with a group of Iranian pilots who arrived in Syria several days before, especially for this mission. The IDF has not identified the name of an additional Iranian it said was killed in the strike.
From the above released intelligence, which is likely still only part of the full picture, part of the key is that the IDF has been watching these two individuals. Even nearly 20 years ago, when Israeli intelligence pulled off one of its best coups of all time, tracking and capturing the Palestinian terror Karine A massive weapons boat through the Indian Ocean and deep into the Red Sea, a huge key was tracking the movements of four or five individuals who it knew were part of the Palestinians’ smuggling network. Tracing those individuals, and likely tracing these two Hezbollah operatives, invariably includes old-school intelligence like HUMINT, or human spying provided by the Mossad. Israel has confirmed through various leaks that dozens of Mossad agents penetrated Iran to pull off its appropriation of Tehran’s secret nuclear file in January 2018. So, even as the CIA’s network in Iran was purged at least once in the 2010 to 2013 period due to security breaches, and the Iranians recently claimed to have purged a newer CIA network trying to track its illicit oil shipments, the Mossad likely still has found a way to have physical agents deep in the Islamic Republic. These agents could be responsible for the footage of the Hezbollah agents traveling on the airplane to Iran, but more likely is that one of Israel’s many cyber arms hacked a phone or video camera on or near the various airplanes. The photos appear like they were taken by the Hezbollah operatives to show off. Other tracing of these operatives, including video footage of some Quds Force operatives taking what appears to be an Iranian drone out to prepare it for a strike, could have been accomplished by Israeli drones, the IDF’s F-35, Mossad or IDF special forces in the field or again by hacking some kind of Hezbollah video feed nearby.
The intelligence also makes it clear that Israel’s network for tracking these Hezbollah agents was spread out over multiple countries. All of this highlights that often a key to preventing disastrous attacks on Israel is not merely having an answer once the attack is in motion, but having unmatched intelligence prior to the attack so that the rug can be pulled out from beneath the feet of the attackers before they have been able to “hit the on-button” for their attack. There are some good questions to ask about what information security Israel may have compromised by sharing this information with the public and what the motivations for sharing it really was, which could be anything from psychologically beating Iran in public to politics. But Monday morning’s information showed unmistakably once again that in the arena of Middle East intelligence, Israel is second to none.

IDF Reveals Information On Two Lebanese Terrorists Killed In Syria Strike
Jerusalem Post/August 26/2019
The two casualties were Hassem Yussuf Zabib from Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, born in 1996, and Yasser Ahmed Tzahr from Beleide village, born in 1997. The IDF Spokesperson's Unit released detailed information on Monday morning on the two Lebanese militants who were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Syria on Sunday. The two casualties were Hassem Yussuf Zabib from Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, born in 1996, and Yasser Ahmed Tzahr from Beleide village, born in 1997.The IDF reports that the two visited Iran several times this year and went through training targeted at operation of unmanned aerial vehicles and explosive drones at the Quds Force base. The IDF even published pictures of the two on board a flight to Iran to take part in one of the training sessions. On Sunday, the IDF released a video of Iranian forces preparing a drone launch in Syria on Thursday. The video shows the Iranian forces carrying a drone and preparing it for its planned launch point located in the village of Arneh, Syria, an attempt which was foiled by the IDF strike, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Sunday.

Quds Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Qasem Soleimani: Israel's Insane Operations Will Be Its Last Attempts
Jerusalem Post/August 26/2019
Quds Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Qasem Soleimani responded to Saturday night’s Israeli air strike on Syria to avert a planned drone attack by Iranian-backed forces. These insane operations are absolutely the last tries of the Zionist regime," wrote Quds Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Qasem Soleimani on his Twitter page on Sunday, responding to an Israeli airstrike on Syria that averted a planned drone attack by Iranian-backed forces. Soleimani personally oversaw the training, funding and preparation for the drone attack, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi said on Sunday.
According to IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Ronen Manelis, the IDF was able to stop the cell and was ordered to strike Aqraba early Sunday morning after they received intelligence that the attack would happen on Sunday. The drones, he said, were similar to the kind used by the Houthis in Yemen against Saudi Arabia. Each of the drones was capable of carrying several kilograms of explosives and was supposed to be operated by a group of Iranian pilots who arrived especially in Syria several days ago for the mission. Manelis added that the airstrikes struck several targets in Aqraba, where there was the presence of Quds Force and Shi'ite militia troops, equipment and Iranian missiles.  The IDF was placed on high alert ahead of a possible retaliation after IDF aircraft struck Iranian targets in Syria overnight Saturday thwarting an imminent attack by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, killing two Hezbollah militants and one Iranian.

Lebanon: Israel struck PFLP-GC base in Bekaa Valley
Jerusalem Post/August 26/2019
Israeli drones struck a base belonging to a Palestinian terrorist group in Lebanon’s Bekaa near the border with Syria early Monday, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said. "Three hostile strikes" hit Lebanon's eastern mountains near Qusaya after midnight "where the PFLP-GC has military posts,” NNA said, adding that "they responded with a barrage of anti-aircraft fire." According to the report, the strikes caused material damage and no casualties. Videos posted on social media showed explosions as well as heavy anti-aircraft fire by militants. The PFLP-GC split from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in 1968, claiming it wanted to focus more on resistance and less on politics. Led by Ahmad Jibril, a former captain in the Syrian Army, the PFLP-GC is closely tied to both Syria and Iran. While its political leadership is headquartered in Damascus, it has bases in southern Lebanon, in Palestinian refugee camps and a small presence in the Gaza Strip. It has carried out dozens of deadly attacks since its split. The most recent was in December 2015, when the group fired three rockets from Lebanon toward northern Israel. The alleged Israeli airstrike came amid heightened tensions on Israel’s northern borders. The reported strikes came just hours after Israel struck an Iranian drone team in Syria, killing two Hezbollah militants and one Iranian, and after two alleged Israeli drones crashed in Lebanon’s capital of Beirut, drawing threats by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah that the organization would retaliate. “What happened in Syria and Lebanon last night is very, very dangerous,” Nasrallah said in a speech Sunday night, adding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “would be mistaken if he thinks that this issue can go unnoticed." “The time at which Israeli war jets used to strike targets in Lebanon while the usurping entity in Palestine kept safe has ended,” Nasrallah continued. “From tonight, I tell the Israeli army on the border, wait for our response, which may take place at any time on the border and beyond the border. Be prepared and wait for us.”Netanyahu, meanwhile, warned neighboring countries that they would be responsible for any attack targeting Israel from their territory. “We won’t tolerate attacks on Israel from any country in the area. Any country that allows its territory to be used for attacks against Israel will bear the consequences. I stress: The state will bear the consequences,” he said during a tour of the Golan Heights with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi.
*Alon Einhorn contributed to this report.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 26-27/2019
Trump would meet Iran's President Rouhani if 'circumstances' were correct
Agencies/Arab News/August 26/2019
BIARRITZ, France: US President Donald Trump said he was prepared to meet his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani in the next few weeks after talks over Tehran’s nuclear program at a G7 summit in France. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made a surprise appearance on the sidelines of the summit in Biarritz on Sunday at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron said that the “conditions for a meeting” between Trump and Rouhani to take place “in the next few weeks” had been created through intensive diplomacy and consultations. “If the circumstances were correct, I would certainly agree to that,” Trump said at a joint press conference with Macron. Macron also said that both he and Trump believed Iran should not have a nuclear weapon and should not destabilize the Gulf region. Asked by reporters if he thought the timeline proposed by his French counterpart sounded realistic, Trump replied: “It does,” adding he thought Rouhani would also be in favor. “I think he’s going to want to meet. I think Iran wants to get this situation straightened out,” Trump added. Trump has put in place a policy of “maximum pressure” on Tehran over its disputed nuclear program via crippling sanctions that are seen as raising the risk of conflict in the Middle East. The US president last year unilaterally pulled out of a landmark 2015 international deal that placed limits on Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for trade, investment and sanctions relief. Rouhani defended Zarif’s Biarritz visit in a speech aired live on state television on Monday. “I believe that for our country’s national interests we must use any tool,” he said. But hard-liners have criticized the initiative, with the ultra-conservative Kayhan newspaper saying the trip was “improper” and sent “a message of weakness and desperation.” Macron has urged the US administration to offer some sort of sanctions relief to Iran, such as lifting sanctions on oil sales to China and India, or a new credit line to enable exports. In return, Iran would return to complying with the 2015 deal. Commenting on the talks about Iran at the G7, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: “It’s a big step forward. Now there is an atmosphere in which talks are welcomed.”

Trump Says Not Seeking Regime Change in Iran
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 26 August, 2019
US President Donald Trump said on Monday he wanted to see a strong Iran and was not seeking a change of leadership in Tehran, adding that the standard of living for ordinary Iranians was unacceptable. "I'm looking at a really good Iran, really strong, we’re not looking for regime change. You’ve seen how that works over the last 20 years, that hasn't been too good," Trump told reporters during a summit of wealthy nation leaders, according to Reuters. He said he had not been surprised that France had invited Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for talks on Sunday on the sidelines of the G7 gathering, which were aimed at trying to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran. However, he said he had not wanted to see Zarif himself, adding that it was too soon for such an encounter. "I knew he was coming in and I respected the fact that he was coming in. And we’re looking to make Iran rich again, let them be rich, let them do well, if they want," he said. "Or they can be poor as can be. And I tell you what, I don’t think it’s acceptable the way they are being forced to live in Iran," he said. Tensions between Tehran and Washington that have risen sharply since Trump pulled out of Iran's internationally-brokered 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on the Iranian economy. "What we want is very simple. It's got to be non-nuclear. We’re going to talk about ballistic missiles, we’re going to talk about the timing," he said, adding: "But they have to stop terrorism. I think they are going to change, I really do. I think they have a chance."

Vice President Pence says US supports Israel’s right to defend itself
Reuters, Washington/Monday, 26 August 2019
US Vice President Mike Pence said he spoke on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and reiterated US support for its Middle East ally. “Had a great conversation with Prime Minister @netanyahu this morning. The United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself from imminent threats. Under President @realDonaldTrump, America will always stand with Israel!” Pence wrote on Twitter, without specifying the imminent threats. Israel said it conducted an airstrike on Sunday against an arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in Syria and on Thursday Netanyahu hinted at possible Israeli involvement in a series of blasts in the past few weeks in Iraq.

Iran Imposes Sanctions on US-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 26 August, 2019
The Iranian Foreign Ministry and the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) exchanged accusations, following an official Iranian announcement of sanctions imposed on the Washington-based center and its director on charges of inciting and spreading negative propaganda against Tehran. The Foundation defines itself as a non-profit, non-partisan research institute focusing on foreign policy and national security.  FDD responded to the Iranian move saying it considers its inclusion on any list put out by the regime as “a badge of honor and looks forward to the day when Americans and others can visit a free and democratic Iran.”  In its statement, the Foundation asserted that it conducts independent research and analysis on national security issues, adding that Iran prohibits such freedoms at home, and would like to do so abroad as well. In another tweet, the institute accused the Iranian regime of occupying the “great nation of Iran for four decades,” saying it continues to repress Iranians, stealing their wealth and creating destruction and chaos in the Middle East.
The announcement comes less than a month after the United States imposed sanctions on Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, following the escalation of tension between Tehran and Washington. State Department Spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus described the regime in Iran as an “outlaw regime,” asserting that US takes the threats against FDD and its CEO seriously. “We intend to hold Iran responsible for directly or indirectly compromising the safety of any American.” FDD reports, which strongly opposed the nuclear agreement, discussed the effect of the US sanctions on the Iranian economy and the Iranians. For their part, Iranian authorities strongly condemned the reports. The institute is against US circles with good ties to the Iranian foreign ministry, such as the Iranian lobby known as National Iranian American Council (NIAC). The Iranian Foreign Ministry said it had imposed sanctions on the Foundation and its director, Mark Dubowitz, on charges of “economic terrorism” against Tehran, reported IRNA. The Ministry said in a statement that the Foundation and its CEO have been and “are effectively involved in a conscious and intentional manner in designing, imposing and intensifying the impacts of economic terrorism against Iran.”It described the name of the Foundation as “deceitful” saying it has been seriously and actively trying to harm the Iranian people’s security and vital interests through measures such as fabricating and spreading lies, encouraging, providing consultations, lobbying, and launching a smear campaign. The statement concluded by saying the Foundation and its CEO will face legal consequences, asserting it will be “without prejudice to any further legal measures" that other institutions and organizations may take in order to counter, prosecute or punish the persons or "other Iranian and non-Iranian collaborators and accomplices for their actions and measures against the Iranian government and people’s national security and interests.”

Sisi Asks G7 for Solutions to Africa’s Security, Terrorism Challenges
Cairo/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 26 August, 2019
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi called on the G7 countries to work towards finding solutions to Africa’s challenges, including terrorism, and to maintain security and stability in the Dark Continent. Speaking at the G7-Africa Partnership Session, held in the French seaside town of Biarritz, Sisi emphasized the aspirations of the peoples of the continent for peace and sustainable development, and to establish a just and sustained partnership based on common interests. “We don’t need to review the challenges facing Africa in detail, but we need to work together to find solutions, according to the priorities of the countries of the continent, and based on the organic relationship between achieving development in all its dimensions on the one hand, and maintaining security and stability on the other,” Sisi told the participants. The Egyptian president focused on the situation in Libya, saying that it was “serious and dangerous” and should be given particular attention. In this regard, he called for concerted international efforts to guarantee the safety of the Libyan people and preserve the country’s capabilities and resources. He stressed that the way out of the crisis in Libya was known, and required “political will and sincere intentions in order to begin a comprehensive political settlement process that addresses all aspects of the crisis, mainly restoring stability, eradicating terrorism, and ending foreign interference.” Sisi, on the other hand, underlined the tremendous opportunities that the Dark Continent could offer to the world. “If these challenges impose a responsibility on us to cooperate to confront them, our African countries have equally promising opportunities and diverse potentials to qualify as a reliable partner for the international community,” he said. “We have a large market and rich human resources, and other attractive factors, notably projects to develop the African infrastructure… with the aim to achieve regional and continental integration and efforts to liberalize intra-trade, through the activation of the African free trade zone, and steps to strengthen the economic role of the private sector,” the president remarked. Egypt is participating in the G7 summit as chairman of the African Union in 2019. Sisi on Monday held separate talks with US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the sidelines of the G7 meetings.

Turkish Forces to Enter Syria Safe Zone ‘Very Soon’, Russia Defends Idlib Campaign
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 26 August, 2019
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Monday that his country’s ground forces will enter a planned safe zone in northern Syria “very soon.”The move was preceded by the opening over the weekend of a joint operation center with the United States. Ankara and Washington agreed earlier this month to set up the joint center for the planned safe zone along Syria's northeastern border, but gave few details on the size of the zone or the command structure of the forces to operate there. “We are slowly making progress in our efforts to establish a safe zone,” Erdogan said. “Just like many other issues some saw as untouchable, we are putting the east of the Euphrates issue on track.” Turkey has repeatedly said that it would not tolerate any delays to the agreement by US officials, warning that it will mount a cross-border offensive on its own to clear its borders from the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) if necessary. On Monday, Erdogan said progress was being made on plans to establish the safe zone, but added that Turkey had made all preparations to carry out its own plans if its expectations are not met. "Our priority is dialogue and cooperation. If we are pushed to a road that we don't want or face stalling, our preparations are ready and we will implement our own plans," he said. "Our UAVs and helicopters have entered the region. Very soon, our ground troops will also enter the region." The comments come two days after Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said the joint US-Turkey center became fully operational. Akar also said some YPG positions in the region had been destroyed by US troops as part of the deal. Speaking on Monday, Akar said that talks were underway for Turkish and US soldiers to begin joint patrols in the planned safe zone area "soon."
Ankara and Washington have been at loggerheads over a host of issues including conflicting policies in Syria. US support for the YPG has enraged Turkey, which views the militia as a terrorist organization linked to Kurdish insurgents inside the country. On the ground, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov defended the Syrian regime’s offensive against the northwestern region of Idlib. He said the Moscow-backed operation did not violate any agreements with Turkey, the RIA news agency reported.
Erdogan told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday that regime attacks in Idlib were causing a humanitarian crisis and threatening Turkey’s national security, the Turkish presidency said. The Kremlin said on Monday that President Vladimir Putin understood Erdogan’s concerns, but that he was equally concerned about attacks by factions from Idlib that needed to be stamped out. “Putin has repeatedly said he understands the concerns of our Turkish colleagues ... but at the same time the president remains ... concerned about the activisation of action by terrorist elements from Idlib that cannot be (left) without being stamped out and destroyed,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call. A new push by regime and Russian forces to take the area has seen heavy strikes and advances last week in the south of Idlib province and nearby Hama, prompting a new civilian exodus. Hundreds of people have been killed in the campaign since late April, the United Nations says. On Friday, regime forces reclaimed a cluster of towns they had lost early in the eight-year-old war, driving out the last opposition fighters from the Hama countryside.Idlib city itself has largely been spared airstrikes since a major bombing campaign on the territory began in late April, but on Saturday its outskirts were hit from the air. Heavy strikes continued to hit the south of Idlib province, including around Maarat al-Numan, a city that has been a sanctuary for families fleeing former opposition areas around the country. This week tens of thousands fled to Syria’s border with Turkey as the fighting advanced.

More Than 17,000 Palestinian Women Jailed by Israel Since 1967
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 26 August, 2019
The PLO’s Palestinian prisoners committee has announced that 17,000 women have been held in Israeli jails since 1967, including 36 women who are still in prison and another 47 awaiting trial. In its latest report published on Sunday, the committee said it has monitored one million arrests of Palestinians since 1967, including 17,000 women. It added that the largest number of arrests occurred in the first ‘Intifada’ (1987-1993), during which 3,000 women were arrested, and the second uprising of 2000-2005, when around 1,000 women were detained. The report noted that the arrest of women intensified over the past two years, especially at the Aqsa Mosque compound. The number of child prisoners in Israeli jails currently stands at 250, including 41 children from Jerusalem (36 of whom are in house arrest and 5 are minors held in “shelters”). The number of administrative prisoners is about 500, including men and women, while there are 700 prisoners who are suffering from illnesses, including 30 cancer patients. In addition, 570 Palestinian prisoners are sentenced to life in prison, including nine prisoners who were released in swap deals and returned to detention on the grounds of re-engaging in armed activities. According to the committee, 218 prisoners have died in Israeli jails since 1967: 73 succumbed to torture; 63 died due to medical negligence; seven people in direct liquidation and 78 others were murdered or executed immediately after their arrest. According to this year’s data, the Israeli occupation authorities arrested about 1,600 Palestinians, the majority from Jerusalem, including about 230 children and 40 women.

Jubeir: Solid Saudi, UAE Relations Crucial for Region’s Future
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 26 August, 2019
Saudi State Minister for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir stressed Monday that the “solid” relations between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are crucial for the future of the region. In a series of tweets, he remarked: “The Kingdom is leading the drive to achieve security and stability in the region against the efforts of the Iranian regime and extremist forces to spread chaos and instability.” “The Arab coalition, led by the Kingdom, and with our brothers in the UAE, is working on restoring security and calm in Aden, Shabwa and Abyan,” he continued. “We will not spare an effort until stability and security are restored throughout Yemen,” he vowed. Moreover, Jubeir said that the only way for the Yemeni people to overcome their internal differences lies in the dialogue that was called for by Saudi Arabia and in uniting ranks to confront Iran’s malicious agenda.

Grandson of Muslim Brotherhood Founder Faces New Rape Complaint
London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 26 August, 2019
Tariq Ramadan, the grandchild of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood founder, who was charged in France with raping two women, has also been accused of taking part in the gang rape of a journalist, French judicial sources said Sunday. According to AFP, the sources confirmed reports on Europe 1 radio and in Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper that a woman in her 50s had accused Ramadan, 56, of raping her along with a member of his staff when she went to interview the academic at a hotel in Lyon in May 2014. The woman said in her complaint that Ramadan contacted her through Facebook Messenger on January 28, 2019 to give her a "professional offer," but she never responded. Three women in France have filed complaints that included rape charges against the Egyptian scholar. Another charge of the kind faces Ramadan in Switzerland. Mid-November 2018, Ramadan was released nine months after his arrest, but was placed under judicial parole. Swiss investigators will question the grandson of the founder of the Brotherhood in France later this year, French and Swiss reports confirmed on Sunday. Reports did not give a specific date; however, they stated that coordination was underway between the judicial authorities in France and Switzerland to pick one. The date is likely to be after courts and judicial bodies return to work following the summer leave.

Iraq Govt. chiefs, Hashed Top Brass Discuss Drone Attacks
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 26/2019
Iraq's top government officials met with leading members of the Hashed al-Shaabi on Monday after a purported Israeli strike on the paramilitary force that risks throwing the country into a proxy war. Sunday's attack struck a position held by Brigade 45, a Hashed al-Shaabi unit based near Iraq's desertic western border with Syria, killing one fighter and severely wounding a second. A string of suspicious incidents at Hashed bases over the last month have sparked concern of a possible confrontation between Iran, the U.S., and Israel on Iraqi soil -- or in its airspace. On Monday, Iraq's president Barham Saleh hosted the prime minister, speaker of parliament and Hashed top brass to discuss the instability. "These attacks are a blatant, hostile act that target Iraq," the presidency said in a statement, adding: "Iraqi sovereignty and the well-being of its people are a red line." It stressed the government would take all necessary steps to "deter aggressors and defend Iraq," but did not threaten a military response. Among the attendees were Hashed chief and national security adviser Faleh Fayyadh, the head of the powerful Badr Corps Hadi al-Ameri and the premier's chief of staff Mohammed al-Hashimi. On Monday evening, the Hashed said it spotted another drone flying over one of its bases in the northern province of Nineveh. "It was immediately dealt with using anti-aircraft weaponry. The drone left the area," the group said in a statement. The incident is the seventh in a barrage of blasts and drone sightings at Hashed bases across Iraq since mid-July, for which no one has claimed responsibility. The Iraqi government has investigated some of the incidents, blaming an unidentified drone for one and saying another was a "premeditated" act without accusing any side or publishing the probes' full results.
'Declaration of war'
Iraq's military spokesman Yehya Rasool told AFP on Monday the government had launched a new investigation into Sunday's attack. Asked what diplomatic action Iraq could take, the foreign ministry told AFP it would wait for official conclusions before resorting to the United Nations. "If it was proven that a foreign entity was involved in these operations, we will take all steps -- first among them, going to the Security Council and the United Nations," spokesman Ahmad Sahhaf said Monday. The Hashed has already blamed the US and Israel for the spate of attacks, with deputy chief Abu Mehdi al-Muhandis unequivocally pointing the finger at Washington last week.
Sunday's attack was the first time the Hashed directly accused Israel, saying two Israeli drones targeted the Brigade 45 position near Al-Qaim with U.S. air cover. The attack killed Kazem Mohsen, Brigade 45's "logistical support chief" who was mourned at a funeral procession in Baghdad on Monday.
At the memorial, Ahmad al-Assadi, a lawmaker and spokesman for the Hashed's parliamentary bloc "Fatah", said parliament could hold an emergency meeting to discuss the issue in the coming days. Fatah had earlier condemned the attack, calling it "a declaration of war on Iraq, its people and its national sovereignty."
'Seen as weak'
The Hashed was established in 2014 from disparate armed groups and volunteers to fight the Islamic State group, which had swept through a third of Iraqi territory. It operates officially under Iraq's armed forces, but the U.S. and Israel fear some units are an extension of their arch-foe Iran.
The U.S. has been implementing a "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran since withdrawing from the landmark nuclear deal last year. That has squeezed Baghdad, which has sought to balance between its political ally Washington and its eastern neighbor Tehran. A government source told AFP that attacks against the Hashed put Baghdad in an ever more difficult position. "If we stay quiet, we will be seen as weak. If we speak up, some elements of the Hashed will interpret it as a green light to start a war," the source said. The Pentagon has denied involvement in the attacks, but Israel has neither confirmed nor denied. Among Israel's top fears is that Iran could transfer missiles to allies in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. It has admitted conducting several hundred bombing raids against Iranian forces and their allies in war-torn Syria, including this weekend near Damascus to prevent an alleged drone attack. But it also stands accused of expanding its bombing campaign to Lebanon, where Hizbullah said a pair of drones targeted the movement's southern Beirut stronghold early Sunday. And on Monday, a pro-Syrian Palestinian group accused Israel of carrying out a drone attack on one of its positions in east Lebanon.

Trump Says India's Modi Feels He Has 'It under Control' in Kashmir
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 26/2019
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he had no need to help mediate between Pakistan and India over tensions in disputed Kashmir because Prime Minister Narendra Modi feels he has it "under control". On August 5 Modi's Hindu-nationalist government revoked the autonomy of the Muslim-majority territory where tens of thousands of people have been killed in an uprising against Indian rule since 1989, most of them civilians. Earlier this month, Trump said he was ready to step in, but at a meeting with Modi at the G7 in France, Trump said "the prime minister really feels he has it under control".
Trump added he and Modi spoke about Kashmir "at great length" on Sunday. New Delhi's contentious decision angered Pakistan, which has fought two wars with India over the region, and Prime Minister Imran Khan said Monday he would continue fighting for the rights of Kashmiris. Khan said he planned to embark on a diplomatic tour soon to raise the issue in international forums including the UN General Assembly in September. "I will tour the world and tell them what is happening... the Modi government is pursuing a policy which brought havoc globally in the past," Khan said in a televised broadcast.
"Many Muslim governments, which are not openly supporting us due to their business interests, will sooner or later support our position... It is imperative that we should stand by Kashmiris. We should give a message to Kashmiris that we are with them."
Truck driver killed
The Trump-Modi talks came as police said stone-throwing protesters in Kashmir killed a driver of what they thought was a military truck, amid a crippling security lockdown imposed just hours before the autonomy announcement. New Delhi sent reinforcements to the estimated half-a-million troops already stationed in Kashmir, cut phone lines and the internet, placed severe restrictions on movement and arrested thousands, according to multiple sources. The turning of the former Himalayan kingdom of seven million people into a fortress of barricades and barbed wire has not prevented protests and clashes with security forces taking place however. In the latest demonstration on Sunday in Anantnag district protesters hurled stones at a truck that they believed to be a military vehicle. The 42-year-old driver was struck on the head and died, police said. The Press Trust of India news agency said two men had been arrested over the incident. India says no civilian has died from police action since August 5. But residents have said three people have been killed, including a young mother who choked after police fired tear-gas canisters into her home. Multiple hospital sources have told AFP at least 100 people had been hurt during the lockdown, some with firearm injuries. Authorities say they have been easing restrictions gradually but a delegation led by key opposition figure Rahul Gandhi was turned away at Srinagar airport on Saturday after flying in from New Delhi to assess the situation.
Regional police chief Dilbagh Singh told AFP Gandhi was turned back because in a situation "getting to normalcy" they wanted to avoid any "controversial statement". Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Sunday defended the restrictions, echoing the government which says the curbs are meant to maintain peace in the disputed region also claimed by arch-rival Pakistan.
Trump offer
Ahead of his latest remarks, Trump last Tuesday after phone calls with both Modi and Khan offered to mediate in what he called an "explosive" situation in Kashmir. "Kashmir is a very complicated place. You have Hindus and you have the Muslims and I wouldn't say they get along so great," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I will do the best I can to mediate," he added. India has insisted Kashmir is purely an internal matter and that it does not want outside mediation. "Any discussion on Kashmir, if at all warranted, will only be with Pakistan and only bilaterally," Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was quoted as saying on Friday.

Iraqi leaders condemn airstrikes targeting paramilitary groups
Reuters, Baghdad/Monday, 26 August 2019
Iraq’s President Barham Saleh and Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi on Monday condemned airstrikes on Sunday that hit bases and weapons depots belonging to Iraqi paramilitary groups, which the factions had blamed on Israel. The two leaders called the strikes an “attack on Iraqi sovereignty” and called for national unity, according to a statement cited by Iraq’s state news agency.Earlier on Monday, Iraq’s military said it has launched an investigation into a purported Israeli strike that killed one paramilitary fighter and severely wounded another near the country’s western border with Syria. The attack on Sunday hit a position near the border town of al-Qaim held by Brigade 45, a unit belonging to the powerful Popular Mobilization Forces, also known as the Hashed al-Shaabi. The Hashed had been quick to blame Israel on Sunday, saying Israeli drones targeted the position with US air cover.

Trump says he may present Middle East peace plan in next three weeks
Emily Judd, Al Arabiya English/Monday, 26 August 2019
President Donald Trump said Monday that his administration may release the much-anticipated full Middle East peace plan within the next three weeks. The first portion of the plan was publicized in June and unveiled the economic component. Trump previously said last week that the plan would not be revealed before Israel’s election, scheduled for September 17th. The election is unprecedented as it is a repeat of April’s election when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an ally and personal friend of Trump, won but failed to form a coalition government. The US proposal, which Trump has named the “Deal of the Century,” aims to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is said to be the main architect of the plan. Kushner publicized the economic aspect of the proposal, a $50 billion economic plan for Palestine, Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon, to the world at a two-day conference in Bahrain in June. Speaking to Al Arabiya English at the time, Kushner called his economic plan for the Palestinian people “very ambitious.” He said the amount of money required to implement it would be less money on an annual basis than the annual donor aid Palestinians receive.
“We think we can double the GDP for the Palestinian people, improve their standard of life, create over a million new jobs, reduce the unemployment rate to below 10%, and reduce the poverty rate by about 50%,” Kushner told Al Arabiya’s Nadine Khammash in an exclusive interview at the workshop in Manama. Palestinian officials did not participate in the conference and rejected the economic part of the proposal. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in June that the US administration’s Middle East peace plan will “go to hell”.

Soldiers from US, Arabian Gulf countries participate in military drill in Jordan
Emily Judd, Al Arabiya English/Monday, 26 August 2019
Amid the airstrikes in surrounding countries like Syria and Lebanon, soldiers from the United States and Gulf countries traveled to Jordan on Sunday to participate in an annual military drill known as “Eager Lion.”Jordanian Brigadier General Mohammad Thalji said the drills intend to enhance cooperation and preparedness in anti-terrorism efforts against regional and global threats. 8,000 personnel from 29 countries are involved, according to The Jordan Times. 3,700 American troops are participating, as well as troops from the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) countries including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, and the UAE. Marking its ninth anniversary, the “Eager Lion” exercise has added significance this year given heightened tensions with Iran and its proxies in the region. Countries close to Iran such as Turkey did not participate. US Major General Brad Swanson said the event will combine air and land drills in order to “outsmart and outmaneuver” adversaries, according to the US Department of Defense. The drill is scheduled to continue until September 5.

Erdogan says Turkish troops will enter planned Syria safe zone ‘soon’
Reuters, Ankara/Monday, 26 August 2019
Turkish ground troops will enter a planned safe zone in northern Syria “very soon,” President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday, after a joint operation center with the United States opened at the weekend. Turkey and the United States agreed earlier this month to set up the joint center for the planned safe zone along Syria’s northeastern border but gave few details on the size of the zone or the command structure of the forces to operate there. “We are slowly making progress in our efforts to establish a safe zone,” Erdogan said. “Just like many other issues some saw as untouchable, we are putting the east of the Euphrates issue on track,” Erdogan said. Turkey has repeatedly said that it would not tolerate any delays to the agreement by US officials, warning that it will mount a cross-border offensive on its own to clear its borders from the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia if necessary. On Monday, Erdogan said progress was being made on plans to establish the safe zone, but added that Turkey had made all preparations to carry out its own plans if its expectations are not met. “Our priority is dialogue and cooperation. If we are pushed to a road that we don’t want or face stalling, our preparations are ready and we will implement our own plans,” he said. “Our UAVs and helicopters have entered the region. Very soon, our ground troops will also enter the region.”The comments come two days after Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said the joint US-Turkey center became fully operational. Akar also said some YPG positions in the region had been destroyed by US troops as part of the deal. Speaking on Monday, Akar said that talks were underway for Turkish and US soldiers to begin joint patrols in the planned safe zone area “soon.”Ankara and Washington have been at loggerheads over a host of issues including conflicting policies in Syria. US support for the YPG has enraged Turkey, which views the militia as a terrorist organization linked to Kurdish insurgents inside the country.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on August 26-27/2019
The Many Faces of Jihad
Raymond Ibrahim/FrontPage Magazine/August 26/2019
One of the longest standing apologias for Islam is that the Arabic word jihad does not mean “holy war,” as earlier scholars (mostly Orientalists) often translated it. Rather, we are repeatedly reminded—especially by those notorious for whitewashing Islam—that jihad simply means to “strive” for something, with no necessary connotation of violence.
While this is absolutely true, rather ironically, it also only underscores just how dangerous, multifaceted, and subversive the jihad truly is.
Let us go to the beginning, etymology. Here is how the authoritative Hans-Wehr’s Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic translates the triconsonantal root j-h-d (from which the word jihad is derived): “to strive, endeavor, labor, take pains, and exhaust on behalf or for the sake of something [namely Islam].”
Published in 1961—that is, before the age of political correctness—the academically rigorous dictionary also makes it a point to place under j-h-d and translate the proper word jihad as “fight, battle; jihad, holy war against the infidels, as a religious duty.”
There is a very good reason for this subcategorized entry. Historically, jihad certainly manifested itself as a “holy war against infidels”; it revolved around expanding (occasionally, as during the Crusades, defending) the borders of Islam.
Century after century, the only way for Muslim empires to expand into non-Muslim territory was through offensive warfare. Non-Muslims, zealous over their faith and heritage, were not about to submit to Islam without a struggle; force—Islamic invasion and conquest—was the only way.
Times have changed. With the modern, meteoric rise of the West—economically, militarily, and scientifically—a lax if not gullible attitude has come to prevail, allowing some Muslims to exercise the root meaning of jihad. If they can no longer subjugate the infidel through conventional war, they can at least, to quote from the aforementioned definition, “strive, endeavor, labor, take pains, and exhaust on behalf or for the sake of something”—namely, empowering Islam over the West.
One of the most obvious ways, recommended both in the Koran and Hadith, is known as jihad al-mal—the “money jihad.” Instead of physically participating in jihad, a Muslim supports it financially or materially. This used to be the caliphate’s responsibility; nowadays and in its absence, every day Muslims—including those living in the West—finance the jihad with their zakat, or “alms.” For example, in 2001, the U.S. government designated the Holy Land Foundation—once the largest Islamic charity group in the United States—as a terrorist organization dedicated to financing Hamas’s jihad/terrorism against Israel.
Two other “endeavors” are more subtle. Once useless against premodern Europeans, they are today both highly effective against—and widely ignored by—their Western descendants.
The first is the demographic jihad—also known as the “baby-jihad” (jihad al-wilada). Muslim men “strive” to breed with as many women as possible—Muslim or non-Muslim—in order to increase the ranks of Islam vis-à-vis increasingly sterile infidels. This is not just a lusty rationalization for illicit sex; Islamic clerics laud this “endeavor” as a legitimate jihad. Its success can be seen in Western Europe, some regions of which now have more newborn babies named Muhammad than traditional, local names. Such is the true impetus behind the mantra, “Islam is the fasted growing religion in the world.”
The other especially effective form of “striving” goes by many Arabic names, jihad al-kalam, jihad al-lissan, jihad al-qalam—jihad of words, tongues, and pens, respectively—and can be understood with one word: propaganda. Whether in speaking or writing, here the Muslim’s chief purpose is to empower Islam and/or demoralize the West. This jihad usually appears as apologetics for Islam and polemics against the West—many of which consist of out-and-out lies; it emanates from Muslim academics, activists, journalists, politicians, and others.
For example, when writer Qasim Rashid used his “pen” to deceive the Washington Post’s infidel readership about the word jihad—saying it only pertains to defensive, never offensive, war—he himself was performing jihad. Another recent example concerns the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a “co-conspirator” of the aforementioned terrorist Holy Land Foundation that masquerades as a “civil rights” group. In order to cripple the US Army War College’s knowledge on how to combat Islamic terrorism successfully, CAIR cried “racism,” prompting the college to appease.
In short, yes,the word “jihad” does not simply mean “holy war” to empower Islam over infidels; it means any “endeavor,” any kind of “striving” or “labor,” that empowers Islam over infidels. Citing this fact, as the apologists often do, should not create less but more apprehension concerning the jihad.
Reflecting on the similarities and differences between the past and present offers a final lesson: Historically, no amount of words—lies, propaganda, even cajolery—ever sufficed to empower Islam over the West. Accusing Europeans before the twentieth century of being “Islamophobic,” “racist,” or in dire need of “multiculturalism,” was, as might be imagined, useless. Old fashioned warfare—invasions and conquests (as copiously documented in Sword and Scimitar)—was necessary.
Today, many Muslims remain committed to the jihad against and subjugation of the West. But whereas they can not—they also need not—resort to conventional war. Words, words, and more words—twisted and false and yet still manipulating the West—are sufficient.

The Amazon Disaster and Environmental Guarantees
Leonid Bershidsky/Bloomberg View/August, 26/2019
French President Emmanuel Macron dropped a bombshell on Friday: His office said France is opposed to the ratification of the European Union’s latest big trade deal, with the Mercosur group of South American countries, because one of the group’s members, Brazil, has shown a lack of commitment to preserving the Amazon rain forest.
The deal, reached in June by the European Commission after 20 years of negotiations, still needs to be approved by each EU member state and the European Parliament. It’s a key part of the legacy of the outgoing commission, headed by Jean-Claude Juncker, the biggest deal the EU has ever struck in terms of tariffs eliminated (4 billion euros, or $4.4 billion, a year), the first major trade agreement struck by Mercosur since it was formed in 1991. It also sends a political message to a world rocked by US President Donald Trump’s trade war with China: That the EU is still the major force behind free trade. But, if all of this is weighed against out-of-control deforestation in the Amazon, Macron is right and the agreement needs to be revised in a few specific ways that would make it work for, not against, climate goals.
Macron is outraged about Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s contemptuous attitude toward rain forest conservation, thrust into focus by reports of wildfires raging in the Amazon as deforestation has accelerated under Bolsonaro and the country’s environmental agencies have become markedly less active in trying to safeguard the jungle from illegal logging. The far-right Brazilian leader has made no secret of prioritizing agriculture over forest protection. His policies have led Germany to suspend the funding of conservation projects in Brazil; in response, Bolsonaro told German Chancellor Angela Merkel to “take your dough and reforest Germany, OK?”
That makes Merkel Macron’s potential ally in blocking the Mercosur deal as it stands. The increasingly powerful Greens are the strongest rivals of Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party (and also potential coalition partners), and though the chancellor is strongly pro-trade, the optics of pushing for the deal’s approval now would be politically unfavorable.
The deal has other potential opponents, too. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has threatened to nix it because of Bolsonaro’s attitude – and in any case, he’d rather not allow cheap Brazilian beef on the European market, where it’ll be a threat to Irish farmers.
Even though European officials have defended the deal, saying it already imposed a commitment on the South Americans to follow their climate goals laid out in the 2016 Paris agreement and to avoid deforestation, it has been shown that more openness to trade increases deforestation rates in Brazil. So it’s appropriate for Macron and other European leaders to reconsider the Mercosur trade agreement in response to Bolsonaro’s behavior.
There’s no need, however, to bury the deal altogether. There is a way to revise it so that it’s still beneficial for the parties without hurting the Amazon.
In 2017, the US Department of Agriculture put out a report on international trade and deforestation. The main idea of the study behind it was to figure out which products are the most deleterious to forests in different countries. In Mercosur members Brazil and Argentina, according to the report, beef and soybeans contribute the most to deforestation. As things stand, the deal’s sustainability chapter relies on private initiatives to limit these commodities’ impact; it mentions the so-called soy moratorium in Brazil – a voluntary pledge not to buy soy grown on recently deforested land in the Amazon (which led to increased deforestation in Brazil’s savanna, not covered by the moratorium). But under Bolsonaro, such initiatives aren’t likely to be effective.
The final edition of the trade deal should explicitly link trade quotas on forest-risk commodities, such as beef and soybeans, to keeping the forested area constant or even increasing it. It also should set up a reliable monitoring mechanism: Earlier this month, the head of the Brazilian institute that tracks deforestation was fired after Bolsonara called the institute’s data “lies.”
“You have to understand that the Amazon is Brazil’s, not yours," Bolsonaro told European journalists last month. Well, he needs to understand that the European market is the EU’s to regulate as it sees fit. Increased sales to this lucrative market should only be possible against firm environmental guarantees. And if the Mercosur deal could wait for 20 years, it can certain wait some more while this matter is cleared up.

Limits of Roles are Drawn by Fire
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/August 26/2019
In recent weeks, the world became preoccupied by the eruption of crises in Asia. In a world ruled by social media, it is no longer possible to sweep crises under the carpet of diplomatic civilities. The regular citizen is aware of the crises from the moment they happen. He quickly expresses his opinion and seeks to dig up sensitive issues. In the new world, the primary parts of battles are fought on Twitter, Facebook and other platforms.
This applies to the renewed crisis between South Korea and Japan that has led to the opening up of old wounds and they are many. This also applies to the new chapter of the Indian-Pakistani crisis linked to India’s recent measures in Kashmir. These developments are added to the ongoing duel between the world’s top two economies. The streets of Hong Kong have also become a ticking time-bomb and a strong test to the strongest Chinese president since Mao Zedong.
The crises in the Middle East have not dropped from the world’s attention. The crisis over the Iran nuclear deal is still present at all meetings, especially after the impounding of oil tankers was reminiscent of hostage crises and the hefty prices that need to be paid to resolve them. The world has, however, succeeded in holding its breath after concerned parties said they did not want to be dragged into a war, which would be costly and difficult to contain. Moreover, there has been a growing conviction that Iran, which can resort to destabilizing the situation in the Hormuz Strait, would not go so far as to close it. It knows that such a move will lead to the establishment of a broad international front against it that would include the European powers that are keen on salvaging its nuclear deal.
The Middle East returned to the forefront of international concern when Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that Israel struck Iranian military bases in Iraq. He said that he had ordered his military to act freely to thwart Iran’s hostile plans. He went even further by saying: “I don’t grant Iran immunity anywhere. It is trying to establish bases against us everywhere. In Iran itself, in Lebanon, in Syria, in Iraq, in Yemen.”
Netanyahu’s frank comments about targeting Iranian military infrastructure and Popular Mobilization Forces targets in Iraq surprised many observers. They had expected Israel to remain vague over its role in the “mysterious blasts” that took place in Iraq. Furthermore, the acknowledgment could embarrass the United States, whose forces stationed in Iraq control the country’s airspace.
The PMF had held the US responsible for the blasts. A day after Netanyahu’s comments, Iraqi Shiite religious authority and resident of Iran’s Qom, Kazem al-Haeri issued a fatwa that bars the continued deployment of American forces in Iraq. The edict renewed debate in Iraq that Iran may opt to retaliate to harsh American sanctions against it by attempting to expel US forces in Iraq, either through a parliamentary order, if possible, or through attacks carried out by “unknown” groups.
On the ground, Netanyahu’s declaration means that Iraq is officially a legitimate target of Israeli strikes that are aimed at countering Iran’s military entrenchment in the region, and which were originally limited to Syria. In reality, the Russian military presence in Syria has led to the containment of the war Israel was waging against Iran’s entrenchment because it has led to the containment of Tehran’s response to the strikes and which were being fired from Syria. The launching of Israeli strikes on Iranian targets in Iraq has supported the claims of American-Russian consensus over Israel’s right to defend its security against what it believes to be threats from Syria and Iraq.
The developments have gone beyond that with Israel launching new strikes against Syria and that led to the death of Lebanese Hezbollah members. It followed this up by sending drones that crashed in Beirut’s southern suburbs. The battlefield has therefore been expanded from Syria to Lebanon after it was expanded from Syria to Iraq.
Israel’s actions raise many questions: Does Netanyahu believe that now is the appropriate time to a wage wide-scale confrontation with Iran and its allies in countries where it is seeking to set up a permanent military presence? Does he believe that the period separating us from American elections is the appropriate time to wage such a confrontation? Does he believe that roles in the region are drawn by fire, not negotiations? Does he fear that the US will pull out its troops from Iraq and Syria and therefore, prefers to widen the confrontation before this happens?
Other questions have also been raised: How long will Iran continue to receive blows in Syria without retaliating through its allies? What about Hezbollah? How long will the party tolerate strikes in Syria and challenges in Lebanon without responding? What if this response led to a wide-scale war? What about Russia’s stance? The Trump administration? What if all the wars became mixed together and swallowed up the region?
It is clear that the sanctity of borders in the Middle East has fallen. They are being violated by policies, rockets and drones in total disregard of international law.
Another development has also taken place, this time it concerns the Syrians, Americans, Turks and Kurds. The birth of the “safe zone” in Syrian regions bordering Turkey was officially announced. This Turkish-American cooperation defused some of the tensions that erupted by Ankara’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 missile defense system. Some believe that the Syrian regime’s recapturing of regions are part of a Russian punishment against Turkey for its renewed close cooperation with Washington. These insecurities will emerge on Tuesday when Putin receives Erdogan, whose Syria policy has been nothing short of conflicted and arrogant.
It is clear that Washington believes that returning eastern Syria to Damascus is tantamount to handing it over to Iran. The Americans are justifying their ongoing deployment by saying it is aimed at ensuring that ISIS does not reemerge and at weakening Iran. Western security reports have also said that it will not be long before ISIS rears its head again.
Many crises are raging in the region we call the Middle East and some believe that even greater challenges are in store.

Analysis/Israel Broke the Rules of the Game With Hezbollah, and Now the Ball Is in Nasrallah’s Court
عاموس هاريل/هآرتس: إسرائيل اسقطت قواعد اللعبة مع حزب الله والكرة الآن هي في ملعب نصرالله
Amos Harel/Haaretz/August 26/2019
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The strike in Syria, the mysterious incident in Lebanon and reports on attacks on Iraqi border: In 24 hours a serious escalation between Israel and Iran got underway. But in the short term, the real threat may actually not come from Tehran.
The series of incidents that occurred across the Middle East over the last 24 hours represents a significant escalation in Israel’s battle with Iran. Judging by media reports, this conflict – most of which is still being waged covertly – now encompasses three other countries: Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.
Over the past day, three attacks in these three countries have been attributed to Israel, all against targets connected to Iran. In two of them, in Syria and Iraq, casualties were reported. And since Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah has explicitly threatened vengeance for the death of his people in the Syrian incident, the unusually high alert in Israel is expected to continue for some time.
At about midnight Saturday night, the Israel Defense Forces announced that it had thwarted an Iranian plan that included launching attack drones at military targets and civilian infrastructure in northern Israel. The first attempt by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force was thwarted on Thursday, when the Iranians, accompanied by Shi’ite militiamen, approached the Israeli border in the Golan Heights. The IDF hasn’t elaborated on how this plan was thwarted, but it did publish photos that showed the operatives near the border.
Yet the Iranians evidently didn’t give up. Saturday night, Israel’s air force struck a building in Aqraba, southeast of Damascus, from which the drone attack was slated to be launched, apparently a few hours later. The IDF says the building served the Quds Force and Shi’ite militiamen and housed drones and explosives that had been sent from Iran via the Damascus airport.
IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi accused the Quds Force commander, Gen. Qassem Soleimani, of having financed and planned the operation. Syrian reports said two Hezbollah members were killed in the Israeli strike.
Israel provided unusual detail about the attack. Both the IDF spokesman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued statements. Netanyahu’s office even said he spent the night at air force headquarters together with Kochavi.
Israel thereby broke with the policy of ambiguity it has employed toward most incidents in Syria in recent years, albeit not for the first time. Perhaps it did so because this was a preemptive strike, moments before an Iranian attack. But obviously, electoral considerations may have played a role as well.
Less than three hours later, there was an incident in Beirut. Nasrallah said in his speech that residents of Dahiyyeh, Beirut’s Shi’ite quarter, spotted Israeli drones flying above the neighborhood at low altitude. One was downed by youths throwing stones, he said. Another apparently hit a Hezbollah office in the neighborhood, causing minor damage.
If Israel was behind this attack, it’s not clear what it hoped to achieve, aside from sending Hezbollah a warning. The damage seen in the photos from Dahiyyeh doesn’t justify such an unusual strike. But it’s very possible there are aspects to this incident that we don’t yet know about.
The third incident took place Sunday afternoon, near the Abu Kamal border crossing between Iraq and Syria. A drone reportedly struck a convoy on the Iraqi side of the border that included Shi’ite militia commanders. Iraqi reports said nine people were killed, including a relatively senior local commander.
Earlier on Sunday, Netanyahu and Kochavi toured the Golan Heights and assessed the situation with senior IDF officers. Netanyahu said during this visit that the thwarted attack from Syria was “an Iranian initiative, under Iranian command, in Iran’s service.” He added that Israel won’t tolerate attacks on its territory, and that any country which lets its territory be used to attack Israel will bear the consequences. “If someone rises up to kill you, kill him first,” he said.
Nasrallah responded with a long, aggressive speech in Beirut. He denied Israel’s claim that the strike in Syria targeted Iranian Revolutionary Guards personnel, saying the bombed building actually served Hezbollah operatives. He accused Israel of violating “the rules of the game” and threatened a harsh, immediate response, presumably from Lebanon. “I say to the Israeli soldiers on the border, you should fear our response, starting tonight,” he said.
The defense establishment takes Hezbollah’s threats seriously. Alert levels were raised at Iron Dome batteries in the north and at outposts along the Lebanese and Syrian borders.
Hezbollah has attacked soldiers following similar threats in the past. In 2015, for instance, it fired an antitank missile that killed an officer and a soldier on Har Dov in response to a strike attributed to Israel that killed senior Hezbollah official Jihad Mughniyeh and an Iranian general in the Syrian Golan.
Iran has also tried repeatedly – in April and May 2018 and January 2019 – to retaliate for Israeli attacks on its bases in Syria with missile launches from Syria. But those attempts were thwarted by the air force.
Hezbollah has previously termed Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon a red line, even as it refrained from responding to dozens of attacks attributed to Israel in Syria that targeted convoys ferrying weapons for the organization. Consequently, Israel chose to reveal Hezbollah’s efforts to build factories in Beirut to upgrade the accuracy of its missiles through a public speech at the United Nations rather than airstrikes.
Iranian revenge attempt
The weekend’s thwarted Iranian attack was apparently revenge for a July 19 attack in Iraq. That attack, which was attributed to Israel, targeted arms stockpiled by Iranian-supported Shi’ite militias. Tehran saw this as an Israeli attempt to widen the theater of battle.
America also objected to that strike, fearing it would disrupt its relations with the Iraqi government. Last weekend, U.S. officials leaked details of the operation and criticism of Israel to the New York Times.
Last Thursday, in a sharp deviation from normal information security practices, Tehran even hinted at its expected response. An analyst close to the Revolutionary Guards wrote in the Iranian newspaper Kayhan that Israel’s actions in Iraq and Syria would be answered with surprises such as drone strikes on sensitive military targets, ports and nuclear facilities. The attack the IDF said it thwarted is identical to the one this analyst forecast.
The repeated strikes on Iranian targets in Syria show the advantage the IDF enjoys when its conflict with Iran takes place close to the Israeli border. Israeli intelligence agencies monitor events in Syria closely, and this has so far enabled the air force to hit Iranian targets and thwart Iranian plans without much difficulty.
Nevertheless, Iran hasn’t abandoned its ambitions in Syria. After suffering repeated attacks last year, it altered its deployment (for instance, moving its center of operations from the Damascus airport to the T4 base near Homs, which is farther from Israel). But it didn’t stop trying to entrench itself militarily in Syria, nor did it ends its arms smuggling to Hezbollah.
All this is happening against the background of the tensions between America and Iran in the Persian Gulf and the advancing crisis over America’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal. The Trump administration has made clear that it isn’t interested in war with Iran, but the bilateral friction continues. And Iran can continue attacking oil industry targets in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, just as it works against Israel from Syria.
On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif unexpectedly visited Biarritz, France where the G7 was meeting. This might be an effort to facilitate negotiations with Washington via European mediators. U.S. President Donald Trump, uncharacteristically, said he had “no comment” when asked about this.
Straw that broke Iranian camel’s back?
The attack in Syria and the incident in Lebanon cast a different light on criticism of Netanyahu over his inaction against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. As proved true last December, with the discovery and destruction of Hezbollah’s cross-border tunnels from Lebanon, it has belatedly emerged that there are other considerations behind Israel’s policy of restraint in Gaza that aren’t always known to the public in real time.
The tension in the north is rising as the election campaign enters the home stretch leading to September 17. Netanyahu is going into the election against the background of a rise in the number of deadly attacks in the West Bank and increasing friction with Hamas in Gaza that could lead to another round of fighting there.
But in the north, unlike in Gaza, Netanyahu currently feels comfortable from a political standpoint. He looks like someone who’s in control of the situation and is employing force relatively cautiously.
For now, residents of northern Israel aren’t feeling threatened or being hurt. Therefore, Netanyahu will presumably try to leverage the military strikes in Syria for electoral purposes, even as he tries insofar as possible to limit discussion of what Israelis living near the Gaza border are suffering.
Regarding the north, Netanyahu’s rivals don’t have a lot to say, aside from somewhat forced expressions of support for the government’s policy and the IDF’s actions. Nevertheless, the unavoidable question is whether the decision to expand Israel’s airstrikes to Iraq (according to media reports) didn’t entail excessive risk, and if this wasn’t the straw that broke the Iranian camel’s back and provoked its attempt to retaliate Saturday night.
When Israel began its airstrikes in Syria several years ago, in the midst of Syria’s civil war, senior defense officials discussed the question of when Syrian President Bashar Assad would get fed up and decide to retaliate for those strikes. Assad restrained himself for a long time, but in 2017, Syrian forces began responding with anti-aircraft fire against Israeli planes. That happened after the regime had regained its confidence by gradually regaining control (with Russian and Iranian help) over most of the country.
The metaphor used at the time was a multi-ride bus ticket: When would enough holes be punched in the ticket for Assad’s patience to wear out? But judging by media reports in recent weeks, Israel has switched from sporadic hole-punching to an unlimited monthly pass. This was presumably unacceptable to Iran, and it will exact a price, even if it won’t necessarily lead to all-out war between the countries.

Analysis/Why Iran Is Risking a Major Escalation With Israel
انشيل فايفر/هآرتس: لماذا تخاطر إيران بتصعيد كبير مع إسرائيل
Anshel Pfeffer/Haaretz/August 26/2019
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Israel prevented the Iranians from building bases from which to launch attacks against it. But it failed to dislodge them from Syria – and Putin plans to keep it that way.
The Iranian plan to launch a swarm of “killer drones” toward Israeli targets from Syria, which was foiled by the Israel Defense Forces on Saturday night, was not exactly unprecedented.
In the last nineteen months, there have been at least four attempts by Iran, or militias working on its behalf, to launch either attack drones or missiles towards Israel, starting with the UAV shot down by an Israeli Apache helicopter moments after it crossed the border in February 2018.
What is different in this latest escalation is that the level of preparation by the Iranians seems higher than in the past. The decision taken by the high command of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards to launch the attack can be directly linked to its desire to retaliate reported airstrikes by Israel against Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.
What is also new is the swiftness of Israel’s acknowledgement of these particular strikes, both in detailed briefings by the IDF Spokesperson's Unit and in simultaneous statements from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While most unclaimed attacks were targeted at future threats, the IDF said that the latest strike prevented an immediate attack on Israel.
And of course, there is also the perhaps coincidental fact Netanyahu is facing a crucial election in three weeks (before the April election, he displayed similar willingness to claim strikes in Syria).
Despite its sworn enmity of the Jewish state for nearly four decades, the Islamic revolutionary leadership of Iran avoided direct military confrontation with Israel; instead, it used its various proxies.
The strategic shift from February 2018, toward active participation of IRGC’s al-Quds Force in the attacks, is a result of several factors, some springing from internal Iranian politics and the desire to score propaganda victories. Had some of the drones succeeded in targeting Israel, the damage would have been relatively minor, as they can only carry a few kilograms of explosives. But the effect on both Israeli and Iranian public consciousness would have been enormous.
Another reason for the IRGC’s willingness to take higher risk and commit to a major escalation with Israel is their frustration at Israel’s successful interdiction of their plan to establish permanent military presence in Syria, including the threat posed by such presence to Israel’s heartland. Israel has achieved considerable success – both on an intelligence level in detecting Iran’s attempts and operationally in attacking and destroying Iranian assets in Syria in hundreds of strikes, most of which have remained unacknowledged. But it should remain in perspective as well.
Israel has succeeded in foiling Iranian attack plans and preventing the establishment of long-term bases on Syrian soil, but it has fallen short on the overarching goal of ending all Iranian military presence in the country. This was to be achieved partly through pressure from Russia (and the United States), but as Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown, he is playing a much more complicated game in Syria.
Since Russia’s deployment to Syria, it has partnered with Iran in propping up the regime of Bashar al-Assad. At the same time, it hasn't acted to block Israel from attacking Iranian assets there. The undeclared pact between Netanyahu and Putin is that Israel can go after Iran’s offensive capacities when these threaten Israel.
But the forces amassed by Iran in Syria – mainly Hezbollah fighters and Shi'ite Afghan, Iraqi and Pakistani militia-members, trained in Iran – have remained untouched. Russia wants Shi'ite boots on the ground, so that it doesn’t have to risk too many of its own soldiers. In other words, Iran has produced the cannon-fodder.
At various points during the war in Syria, since the original uprising broke out in 2011, there have been those within the Israeli security establishment who called for attacks on the Assad regime forces who killed hundreds of thousands and uprooted millions of Syrian civilians. Netanyahu intentionally limited the scope of Israel’s operations in Syria, striking only targets which could potentially pose a direct threat to Israel. This policy became even more rigid once Russian forces arrived in Syria.
Essentially, Israel and Iran are at a stalemate in Syria. Iran has kept Assad in power, but its plans to turn Syria into another base for its proxy operations – as it has done in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen – have been foiled so far. And yet, there are tens of thousands of Shi'ite fighters in Syria, under Iran's direct control. As proven by the events of Saturday night, they will continue trying to use Syria as a launching pad for attacks on Israel.

Arab nations ready to talk should Iran end its hostility
Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami /Arab News/August 26/2019
During his Scandinavian tour last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif renewed his call for constructive dialogue between Iran’s regime and the Arabian Gulf nations, Saudi Arabia in particular. During a dialogue session held in the Swedish capital Stockholm, Zarif said: “When I was in Kuwait, I told the Kuwaitis that we are ready to start a dialogue with Saudi Arabia as of tomorrow if they are ready.”
He continued by claiming: “They (Saudi Arabia’s leaders) say strange things. The Saudis say that ‘Zarif is not
influential, and our problem is with Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani.’ When I first became foreign minister, we proposed to (former Saudi Foreign Minister) Saud Al-Faisal that we’re ready to hold talks on Yemen,
Bahrain, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. I sent a message with the same proposal that, if you believe your allegation that I am the top propagandist for the regime, Soleimani will speak with you.”
As to Zarif's proposal that Saudi Arabia’s leadership engages in dialogue with Soleimani — this is incredibly ridiculous.
During his foreign trips, especially to European countries, Zarif always repeats such comments to give the erroneous impression to the publics there that the Iranians are not the ones who are hindering dialogue with their neighboring states, but it is the Arabs who are a problem, especially Saudi Arabia.
Tehran makes many attempts to prove its allegation. Sometimes it says that Saudi Arabia is still unprepared for dialogue due to unspecified domestic political reasons. At other times, it says that Saudi Arabia cannot take a step that runs counter to US policy, as well as claiming that Riyadh wants tensions with Iran to continue and that it encourages sanctions against Tehran. Therefore, according to these arguments, Saudi Arabia has no desire to engage in dialogue or negotiations with Iran for the time being
By weaving the aforementioned arguments into a narrative, Iran’s regime is able to exert significant influence over European and other Western audiences. However, the reality, of which Iran is well aware despite its media overtures and abrasive diplomatic comments, is that all the Arabian Gulf states, headed by Saudi Arabia, are ready for dialogue with Iran and they seek to achieve peace and stability for the entire region. At the same time, however, they realize that, given their historical experiences and Iran’s current behavior, the remarks made by the Iranian government, and especially by Iran’s Foreign Ministry, are not influential in Iran’s decision-making process, nor do they carry political messages that should be treated seriously.
Foremost among all the problematic issues is the lack of confidence that Arabs have in the Iranian side due to the “revolutionary state’s” duplicity and the routine contradictions in its positions, especially when it speaks of its relations with its Arab neighbors. This behavior leads Arab nations to ignore the words and instead look at the actions on the ground in order to understand the real aims of the Iranian regime’s policy toward the region, along with its objectives and orientations.
At one recent conference in Europe, a well-known former Iranian diplomat, who is close to the current Iranian government, said that: “There are multiple political orientations in Iran; therefore, it is quite normal to witness some contradictions. However, in any period of actual decision-making, the whole matter lies in the hands of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in person, who has sole and absolute authority.”
He added: “As to the comments and threats made by the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) or extremist figures within the regime, they should also not be taken seriously. These are strictly for domestic consumption.”
I directly mentioned to the aforementioned diplomat that, in 2018, IRGC commander Nasser Shabani said in an interview with the Fars news agency: “We told the Yemenis (the Houthis) to open fire on the two Saudi oil tankers. They did it.” By mentioning this, I wished to find out whether the diplomat was attempting to suggest that the step of firing on the Saudi tankers was taken by the IRGC of its own free will and without any intervention from Iran’s central decision-making circles, or was it, as is a great deal more probable, taken following the endorsement and orders of Khamenei?
If this action of firing on Saudi tankers was taken independently of state authority, with the IRGC acting as an autonomous entity, this would prove definitively that the IRGC acts as a sovereign co-ruler of a two-winged state in tandem with Khamenei. If the decision was taken by Iran’s central administration, however, this is more dangerous as it proves the regime’s hostile intentions toward its neighboring states, especially Saudi Arabia. In addition, whichever of these two possibilities is true, it would provide conclusive evidence that the Houthis have received orders from Iran. The Iranian diplomat gave no answer, claiming that the Yemeni case is different from other situations and has its own special circumstances.
This example, along with many other indications, proves yet again that Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states are affected by Iran’s hostile behavior and they have more than enough justifications not to take Zarif’s calls for dialogue seriously. Al-Faisal told Zarif this six years ago. Since then, there has been no significant change in the situation and what changes have occurred have certainly not been for the better. Not only has there been no decline in the Iranian regime’s hostile and antagonistic policies on the ground, but they have intensified and become more aggressive, certainly compared to the situation in 2013.
As to Zarif's proposal that Saudi Arabia’s leadership engages in dialogue with Soleimani — this is incredibly ridiculous. Soleimani’s hands are drenched with the blood of the innocent, and he has rightly been placed on the terrorism watch list. Proposing to the leaders of the region’s countries that they hold dialogue with Soleimani is like suggesting that they hold talks with Daesh leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi or the leader of Al-Qaeda, Ayman Al-Zawahri. This proposal deserves the same rejection as the hypothetical proposals suggested.
In light of all these facts, it is clear that Tehran must return to a pragmatic position of political realism and reconsider the hostile approach it is pursuing toward its Arab neighbors if it wants to establish normal relations and mutual trust, which can lead to political stability, economic prosperity and joint commercial interests in the Arabian Gulf.
* Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami is Head of the International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah). Twitter: @mohalsulami

Analysis/Israel Fears Trump Might Sit Down With the Iranians – and Be Outmaneuvered
انشيل فايفر/هآرتس: مخاوف إسرائيلية من تراجعات في المواقف في حال قام ترامب بمفاوضات مع الإيرانيين
Anshel Pfeffer/Haretz/August 26/2019
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Intelligence community doesn’t trust that Trump won’t sign an agreement that will leave everyone worse off, but are even less sure that Khamenei will play along.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s surprise arrival on Sunday to the G-7 summit in Biarritz, France, played into the fears of some analysts in the Israeli intelligence community of a sudden move by U.S. President Donald Trump to resurrect the Iran deal. Zarif did not end up meeting with Trump – only with the G-7 host, French President Emmanuel Macron. But Trump’s subsequent remarks that he had been in on the secret invitation to Zarif, that he “respects” his arrival, and that he was not interested in regime change but rather a “strong Iran” hardly helped to allay concerns in Israel.
Trump did withdraw from the nuclear agreement last May, and his administration has imposed new sanctions on Iran since then. But he also went from threatening North Korea with nuclear annihilation to hobnobbing with its leader. And after Macron suggested at the summit that the United States and Iran should meet in the coming weeks, Trump said the timeline sounded realistic. The U.S. president told reporters that there was “a really good chance” the meeting would happen.
The fears in Israel, which for now are only being expressed in completely off-the-record conversations, are that Trump, eager to make his mark on world affairs and prove he can achieve a better deal than his predecessor, will find himself in a room with negotiators much wilier and more knowledgeable on the issues than he is. Convinced that he is the grand master of the art of the deal, Trump could swiftly come to an agreement with the Iranians that may sound preferable to him, but in reality will be much worse.
An additional fear is that once Trump embarks on a new deal with the Iranians, Israel will have no room for pushback, since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers have repeatedly praised him as being the most pro-Israel president ever. They have boxed themselves in. At least when President Barack Obama’s team was negotiating their Iran deal, Israel could exert pressure in every way possible, if not attempting to prevent the deal, then at least to influence its terms.
Contrary to what some Obama administration officials have said in the past, the leaders of Israel’s defense community were not enamored with the Iran deal. That was a gross exaggeration. They were far from ecstatic about it. But unlike Netanyahu, who spoke of it in apocalyptic terms, they also saw advantages in an arms-control agreement that gave Israel a ten-year period during which it could focus on other threats besides the Iranian nuclear one.
Another advantage was that they had relayed many of their concerns to the American and other Western negotiating teams in real time, and the deal contained emphases they had suggested, ensuring that Iran would be in compliance. But Trump, they fear now, could agree to a deal with the Iranians without consulting his own security people, as he did in his first meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. In such a situation, Trump’s Iran deal could be much worse for Israel than the Obama one was.
However, there is also a different school of thought in the Israeli security establishment. These people are pretty certain that nothing will come out of these “proximity talks” between Washington and Tehran.
This view isn’t based on a more charitable view of Trump, who continues to baffle analysts with his erratic foreign policy. Their skepticism regarding Trump achieving a new nuclear deal is that of seasoned Israeli Iran-watchers, whose assessment is that the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will not allow his representatives to sign such an agreement.
Khamenei, so the thinking goes, allowed Zarif and Iranian President Hassan Rohani to sign the Iran deal against his ideology and instincts, in hopes of gaining major economic benefits. Now that those have failed to materialize and the U.S. has unilaterally withdrawn from the agreement, he has reverted to his base within the Iranian establishment, which was against the deal to begin with and saw it as a national humiliation. Khamenei will not permit another deal with the U.S.
According to this school of thought, Khamenei is merely humoring Zarif’s diplomatic maneuvers and is counting down the clock until the next presidential election in May 2021 (or perhaps earlier), when Rohani will no longer be eligible to run. The next Iranian president, so they predict, will be a lot less interested in diplomacy. Meanwhile, no matter how much Trump desires his own Iran deal, he won’t be getting one.