LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 27/19

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God
“Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 01/01-18: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being. in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” ’) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on February 26-27/19
UK must justify Hezbollah ban expansion, opposition Labour says
Lebanon tells EU it will encourage Syrians to return
Aoun to EU Chief: Ailing Conditions Drive Our Calls for Refugees’ Return
Future bloc convenes at Center House to discuss political developments
Kanaan after bloc meeting: We insist on any initiative that could bear fruits in displaced file, British government's decision does not concern Lebanon
LAF: Large quantity of drugs seized at a Bekaa farm belonging to Nuh Zeaiter
Sayegh: Lebanon Subject to Sanctions Due to Hezbollah's Growing Role in
Saba: Large Opposition Force Is Key to Enforcing Accountability
Tawile Stresses Need to Approve State Budget after Deadlines Missed
Berri Says Maritime Demarcation, Refugees Return are Crucial for Lebanon
Lebanon: Mustaqbal Slams Hezbollah Accusations Against Siniora’s Government
Lebanon: Investigations Launched Into Thousands of Public Sector Employments
France Will Not Follow Britain’s Lead in Blacklisting Hezbollah
Lebanon Sympathizes with Nadine Labaki after Losing Best Foreign Film Oscar
Lebanese Cabinet to Convene on Thursday
Pompeo Lashes Out at Hizbullah, Lauds British Move
Jumblat Says Resigned Zarif ‘Victim' of Compromise Theory
Civil Defense Website Hacked, Displays Note to Hariri, Lebanese

Litles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 26-27/19
Canada announces new humanitarian funding and remains committed to supporting people of Yemen in achieving long-lasting peace
Zarif bows out amid desperate regime bid to save Iran’s economy from meltdown
Reuters withdraws report on Rouhani rejecting Zarif’s resignation
Iran FM Submits Resignation, Cites Infighting Undermining his Work
Pompeo on Iranian foreign minister’s resignation: We’ll see if it sticks
U.S. Officials Discuss Mideast Peace with Gulf Leaders
Air strikes up sharply in rebel-held northwest Syria - monitors
Hundreds More Leave Syria IS Holdout
UK Witnessed More Than 2,400 Drone Incidents in 2018
Israel Ex-Minister Sentenced to 11 Years for Spying for Iran
Tunisia: Over 100 Terrorists Sent to Prison for Fighting in 'Conflict Zones'
50 Severed Heads Found in Baghouz
Cairo Downplays Turkish-Qatari Criticism on Summit Day
Egyptian-European Debate on Human Rights
‘Jihad’ Announces Development of Precision Rockets with Iran’s Help
MI6 Chief in Israel to Discuss Iran
EU urges ‘maximum restraint’ from India, Pakistan after air strike
Germany Financially Assisted 437 Syrian Refugees to Return Home
Kim Hits the Road in Hanoi ahead of Trump Nuclear Summit
US, Taliban talk troop withdrawal, counter-terrorism at peace talks

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 26-27/19
UK must justify Hezbollah ban expansion, opposition Labour says/Ynetnews/News Agencies/February 26/19
Zarif bows out amid desperate regime bid to save Iran’s economy from meltdown/DEBKAfile/February 26/19
Palestinians: "No Place for the Zionist Entity in Palestine"Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/February 26/19
Ireland's Raw Bigotry/Peter Baum/Gatestone Institute/February 26/19
How the Trump Administration Should Counter Putin's Policies in Ukraine and Venezuela/Jiri Valenta/Gatestone Institute/February 26/19
Iran's Zarif, Public Face of Detente with West, Resigns/Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 26/19
Zarif’s resignation highlights Iranian regime’s fragility/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/February 26/19
Malek’s Oscar triumph a moment of pride for Arabs in America/Ray Hanania/Arab News/February 26/19
Venezuela’s sound of music could soon be replaced by gunfire/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/February 26/19
Saudi Ambassador Switch Overshadows Important Defense Appointment/Simon Henderson/The Washington Institute/February 26/19
Analysis/Zarif’s Exit Is Good News for Iran’s Radicals, Bad News for the West/Zvi Bar'el/Haaretz/February 26/19

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on February 26-27/19
UK must justify Hezbollah ban expansion, opposition Labour says
حزب العمارل المعارض في بريطانيا يطالب الحكومة بتبرير وضعها حزب الله كتنظيم متكامل على قوائم الإرهاب
Ynetnews/News Agencies/February 26/19
Party leader Jeremy Corbyn previously under fire for terming members of the terror group 'friends,' failure to combat anti-Semitism; British government says it is up to Labour to explain the decision. Britain's opposition Labour Party said on Tuesday that Home Secretary Sajid Javid had to provide evidence to justify his decision to widen a ban on the Lebanon-based Shiite terror movement Hezbollah. Britain said on Monday it plans to ban all wings of Hezbollah due to its destabilizing influence in the Middle East, classing the movement as a terrorist organization. "The Home Secretary must therefore now demonstrate that this decision was taken in an objective and impartial way, and driven by clear and new evidence, not by his leadership ambitions," a Labour spokesman said. Asked about the comments, British Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said it was for Labour to explain their decision.
"Hezbollah itself has publicly denied a distinction between its military and political wings. The group in its entirety is assessed to be concerned in terrorism," the spokesman said. "The links between the senior leaders of Hezbollah's political and military wings as well as the group's destabilizing role in the region mean that the distinction between the two wings is now untenable."
The British ban, which will come into force on Friday subject to parliament's approval, means anyone who is a member of Hezbollah or invites support will be committing a criminal offense with a potential sentence of up to 10 years in jail. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has previously been criticized for his approach to Hezbollah, whose members he once termed "friends." The remark is regularly seized upon by opponents for criticism. "What do we see from his Labour Party? Hamas and Hezbollah friends, Israel and the United States enemies," May said just last week.
Labour under Corbyn's leadership has also been plagued with accusations of anti-Semitism, both by leading members of the party and by its failure to tackle the growing phenomenon. Last week, seven Labour members of parliament broke away from the party to form an independent bloc, with many of them citing anti-Semitism as factor in their decision.
Hezbollah was already considered a terrorist organization by multiple countries, including Israel, the US and members of the Arab League.
In 2013, the European Union placed the military wing of Lebanese party Hezbollah on its terror list, and London had proscribed the group's external security unit and its military wing in 2001 and 2008 respectively. Now, the UK plans to add the political arm to that list too.
"Hezbollah is continuing in its attempts to destabilize the fragile situation in the Middle East, and we are no longer able to distinguish between their already banned military wing and the political party," Javid said Monday. "Because of this, I have taken the decision to proscribe the group in its entirety."
The ban is a response to an Israeli request to the UN Security Council, filed earlier this month. Israeli representatives voiced their concerns over Hezbollah's growing power within Lebanon and the establishment of extensive terror infrastructures, and also raised the need to prevent further Iranian entrenchment in Syria. Late last year, Israel launched a military operation to locate and destroy attack tunnels dug by Hezbollah across the Israel-Lebanon border.

Lebanon tells EU it will encourage Syrians to return
The Associated Press, Beirut/Tuesday, 26 February 2019/Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun has told EU Foreign Policy Chief Frederica Mogherini that Beirut will continue to work for the return of Syrian refugees to safe areas in their war-torn country without waiting for a political solution. The President added that Lebanon will try to ensure that Syrian returnees are not in danger. Thousands of Syrian refugees returned home from Lebanon last year after government forces captured wide parts of the country. Syria’s nearly eight-year conflict has led to the displacement of half the country’s population and created more than five million refugees, who fled mostly to neighboring Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey. Lebanon is home to some one million Syrian refugees, a quarter of the country’s population. An estimated 70 percent of them live in poverty.

Aoun to EU Chief: Ailing Conditions Drive Our Calls for Refugees’ Return
Naharnet/February 26/19/President Michel Aoun on Tuesday has stressed that Lebanon’s ailing economic and social conditions are the drive behind the country's insistence that Syrian refugees return home, the Presidency’s media office said on Twitter. “There are two contradictory approaches to the issue of displaced Syrians, and the European Union takes political-related decisions while Lebanon’s decisions stem from economic and social reasons,” Aoun told visiting EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. Aoun reiterated that Lebanon will carry on the efforts to ensure a safe return of Syrian refugees "without having to waiting for a political solution" in the war torn country because it could be a “lengthy” procedure. However, he affirmed Lebanon’s “keenness not to endanger Syrians returning to their homeland,” noting that the European Union is “able to confirm that on the ground.” For her part, Mogherini emphasized the willingness of the EU to continue providing assistance for Lebanon.

Future bloc convenes at Center House to discuss political developments
Tue 26 Feb 2019/NNA - Future bloc on Tuesday convened at the Center House under the chairmanship of MP Bahia Hariri, to discuss most recent political developments on the local arena. In a statement issued in the wake of the meeting and read out by MP Tarek El Merhebi, the bloc regretted the polemic witnessed during the first Cabinet's session and the post media analysis which shed light on the negative elements rather than highlighting the significant content of the Cabinet agenda, which included important items for investment and advancement. The bloc underlined that cooperation between the Presidency and the Premiership is not a question that can be subject to any doubt or controversy, warning against returning to exploiting this matter and its implication on the management of state affairs. The bloc also considered that there is no national interest in invoking any form of battles on constitutional powers, stressing the clarity of the constitutional texts in this regard. On the other hand, the bloc stressed that the issue of the return of the displaced Syrians to their country must be a national priority not subject to outbidding.

Kanaan after bloc meeting: We insist on any initiative that could bear fruits in displaced file, British government's decision does not concern Lebanon
Tue 26 Feb 2019/NNA - Secretary of the Strong Lebanon bloc, MP Ibrahim Kanaan, said after the bloc's weekly meeting under the chairmanship of Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil: "It is not necessary to reiterate how top priority the file of the displaced is for us. We are determined and we insist on any action or initiative that could bear fruits in that context. The matter is linked to the sovereignty of Lebanon, the Lebanese laws and national interest. We do not agree with any policy that conflicts with this endeavor."Tackling the British government's decision to deem Hezbollah as terrorist, Kanaan said "this decision does not concern us as a country but concerns Britain. As a bloc, we regard Hezbollah as one of the components of the government and the parliament. We consider that the decision does not concern us or tamper with our interests as Lebanese."The MP stressed that "a plan has been set for our ministerial priorities, to be announced later. Next week we will announce a program of parliamentary priorities for reform."

LAF: Large quantity of drugs seized at a Bekaa farm belonging to Nuh Zeaiter
Tue 26 Feb 2019 /NNA - The Army Command - Orientation Directorate - issued on Tuesday the following statement: "At 1:00 pm today, a patrol of the Intelligence Directorate, supported by an army troop, raided a farm belonging to the wanted Nuh Zeaiter and his brother Zuhair in the town of Reeha - Merah el-Meer in the Bekaa area. A drug manufacturing plant was thus discovered and a large quantity of hashish estimated at about 20 trucks was confiscated. Investigations were launched under the supervision of the competent judiciary."

Sayegh: Lebanon Subject to Sanctions Due to Hezbollah's Growing Role in
Kataeb.org/Tuesday 26th February 2019/Kataeb's Deputy-President Salim Sayegh on Tuesday stressed that Lebanon has become exposed to sanctions due to Hezbollah's larger role and influence in the new government, saying that it is difficult to not see that the party is controlling the political life in Lebanon. "It is therefore expected to face challenges. For instance, the U.S. might refrain from cooperating with the Health Ministry because the minister is in charge belongs to Hezbollah,” Sayegh said in an interview on al-Hurra TV channel. "There is also a pro-Hezbollah Defense minister who keeps fiercely defending the Syrian-Iranian axis," he added.

Saba: Large Opposition Force Is Key to Enforcing Accountability
Kataeb.org/Tuesday 26th February 2019/Coordinator of the Lebanese Corruption Monitor, Charles Saba, on Tuesday said that the officials who are now speaking up against random and superfluous recruitment in the public sector are the same people responsible for it, accusing the ruling authority of intentionally seeking to weaken audit and supervisory bodies in a bid to keep the corruption rampant. "The State and the political authority don’t want to employ new inspectors in a bid to undermine the control authority,” Saba said in an interview on Voice of Lebanon radio station. According to Saba, 2500 part-time school teachers have been recruited, and an unidentified, yet estimated to be very large, number of people have been employed at public hospitals lately. He also noted that 453 Ogero employees have joined OGERO since August 2017, adding that their number might even have reached 1,000. "Accountability is hard to enforce in a country where officials have set custom-made laws to protect themselves,” he said, adding that anti-corruption promises fail to turn into actions given that the executive authority is the one that appoints the members of the judicial system. "In Lebanon, the government is a miniature replica of the Parliament. Therefore, accountability cannot be enforced unless a real, large opposition force was established," he stressed.

Tawile Stresses Need to Approve State Budget after Deadlines Missed
Kataeb.org/Tuesday 26th February 2019/Head of the Kataeb's Economic and Social Council, Jean Tawile, said that the formation of a new government is not enough to solve Lebanon's problems, noting that the Cabinet needs to apply a series of measures to pull the country out of the economic and financial bottleneck it is facing. "We have entered a vicious cycle as the budget deficit is expected to exceed $6 billion in 2018 compared to $2 billion in 2011, i.e. that it rose by 60% in just seven years," Tawile explained in an interview on Voice of Lebanon radio station. "The State's expenditures have also increased by 27% due to many reasons, notably the pay hike granted to civil servants through the Salary Scale law.""All of this outlines the political authority's mismanagement of the State's funds," he stressed, deeming it as totally unreasonable that 40% of the treasury's spending is aimed to cover the salaries of public employees. Tawile called for cutting superfluous recruitment in the public sector, finding a solution to the chronic problem of the power sector, and ending tax evasion which reached $4.9 billion in 2017 in order to start fixing things. He also stressed the need to set out a clear vision according to which the Lebanese economy would be turned into a productive one in a bid to boost the State's revenues. Tawile warned that constitutional deadlines pertaining to the approval of a new State budget have been crossed, deemed the endorsement of a budget as the "salvation" for the Lebanese economy.

Berri Says Maritime Demarcation, Refugees Return are Crucial for Lebanon
Naharnet/February 26/19/Speaker Nabih Berri held talks on Tuesday with the EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and the accompanying delegation in the presence of U.S. Ambassador Christina Lassen, the National News Agency reported. Discussions focused on mutual cooperation between Lebanon and the EU in addition to the latest developments.Mogherini expressed the EU’s readiness for continued cooperation with Lebanon especially after the formation of the government, said NNA. Berri raised the issue of Lebanon’s maritime borders and the excavation of its oil and gas wealth, saying “exploration and exploitation of its wealth is the most viable hope for Lebanon's economic recovery and the payment of its debt," he said. He called on the European Union "to play an active role in this regard to determine the maritime border, and the need to understand the Lebanese position regarding the return of brethren Syrians.”

Lebanon: Mustaqbal Slams Hezbollah Accusations Against Siniora’s Government
Beirut - Nazeer Rida/Asharq Al-Awsat/February 26/19/ Hezbollah has turned its campaign to investigate the disappearance of public funds to al-Mustaqbal movement’s former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, who was in office between 2005 and 2009. The party said that between 2006 and 2007, when Hezbollah ministers had boycotted cabinet sessions, top figures were responsible for “a premeditated organized chaos” aimed to waste public funds. Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah alleged in a press conference he held at the Parliament Monday that there were manipulated and missing financial documents that could incriminate top figures, who still practice politics. Fadlallah, who is in charge of Hezbollah’s anti-corruption bureau, called on ministers, MPs and members of the judiciary to “shoulder their responsibility” to put a stop to corruption. At the time, Hezbollah and its allies boycotted government sessions to protest the UN sponsored tribunal to try those accused of assassinating the former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri, in 2005. Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Monday that money spent during Siniora’s premiership is documented and registered in state records. Fadlallah also said millions of dollars donated to Lebanon following the 2006 July war between Hezbollah and Israel had not been duly reported but transferred to the Higher Relief Committee instead. "The money that came was enough to cover the war damages and restore the infrastructure. I am responsible for what I am saying; where did the money go?" he asked. However, Mustaqbal movement sources denied the accusations saying, the donations were spent only after receiving the green light from the donor states. “It is not up to the Lebanese state to determine where those funds would be spent.”The movement does not mind taking the file to the Judiciary. Mustaqbal MP Sami Fatfat told Asharq Al-Awsat that anyone who has documents implicating the government in wrong doing should head to the judiciary rather than making random accusations.

Lebanon: Investigations Launched Into Thousands of Public Sector Employments
Beirut- Paula Astih/Asharq Al-Awsat/February 26/19/Parliament’s Finance and Budget Committee started discussing two reports by the Central Inspection Authority and the Civil Service Council on employment cases in public administrations and institutions that came in violation to a law issued in 2017, providing for the halting of employment and the restructuring of the public sector. The head of the committee, MP Ibrahim Kenaan, said on Monday that the final report of the Central Inspection noted the hiring of 4695 employees since August 2017.
The employment rate in the Lebanese government departments is the highest compared to the rest of the world. About 36 percent of the public budget has been allocated to pay salaries, wages, and social benefits. Researcher at Beirut-based Information International Mohammed Shamseddine expressed his surprise at the recent uproar by the political forces regarding the recruitment of around 5000 persons in 2018. In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he stressed that the majority of these employments were done with the knowledge of all the political forces because they received the government’s approval. Shamseddine added that around 3000 people, out of the declared number of new employees, were recruited in security bodies. He warned of the attempt by the political authority to distract the Lebanese with the employment subject in order to hide the main squandering streams, which are concentrated in the sectors of electricity, oil, telecommunications, and others. During a news conference held at the end of the parliamentary committee’s meeting, Kenaan pledged to resolve the issue of employment until the full application of the relevant law. “We will go through the recruitment file until the end and we will apply all measures permitted by the law. Political blocs should assume their responsibility; we cannot raise the slogan of reform and cover at the same time those who disagree with it,” he said.

France Will Not Follow Britain’s Lead in Blacklisting Hezbollah
Beirut, Paris – Caroline Akoum and Michel Abou Najem/Asharq Al-Awsat/February 26/19/France will not blacklist Lebanon’s Hezbollah as terrorist, announced President Emmanuel Macron Monday. He stressed that Paris will continue to distinguish between Hezbollah’s military and political wings because this allows Lebanon to maintain its policy of disassociation, which will steer it clear from regional conflicts. “France and no other power has the right to decide what Lebanese political parties are good and which are not. This is up to the Lebanese people,” he told a joint press conference in Paris with Iraqi President Barham Salih. Paris’ decision stems from its decades-long commitment to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). It also believes that dialogue with Hezbollah could lead the party to “alter” its positions and policies. He made his remarks hours after the UK said it was completely banning the group. "Hezbollah is continuing in its attempts to destabilize the fragile situation in the Middle East – and we are no longer able to distinguish between their already banned military wing and the political party," Home Secretary (interior minister) Sajid Javid said. "Because of this, I have taken the decision to proscribe the group in its entirety," he added in a statement. Bahrain welcomed the development, describing it as an “important step” in regional and international counter-terrorism efforts. In Lebanon, presidential sources said the country will wait to see what the repercussions the move will incur. Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil said that London’s move “will not have a negative impact on Lebanon.”
“We have grown accustomed to such measures from other countries,” he added, while revealing that Britain had expressed to Lebanon its keenness on bilateral ties. He made his remarks after holding talks in Beirut with European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. She said that the British position on Hezbollah is its own sovereign decision and it will not affect the EU’s stance on the party. Lebanese deputy Prime Minister Ghassan Hasbani hoped that London would not change its policy towards Lebanon and that its decision would not affect the government. “Hezbollah is part of the government through the policy statement that stresses Lebanon’s policy of disassociation,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat. “We refuse for the government to be taken away from this policy.” Moreover, he hoped that European and American powers would distinguish between the Lebanese government and Hezbollah. Director of the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs, Dr. Sami Nader warned that London’s decision could pave the way for a similar move by the EU, which still distinguishes between Hezbollah’s political and military wings.
“This distinction has long given the Europeans a margin to maneuver and this has always bothered the Americans,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
He predicted that London’s decision would negatively impact its policy towards the Lebanese government and the implementation of the CEDRE conference pledges. “The legal groundwork is now open to all political and economic punitive measures, not just on the party and its ministers, but the entire government,” Nader warned. The British ban, which will come into force on Friday subject to parliament's approval, means anyone who is a member of Hezbollah or invites support will be committing a criminal offense with a potential sentence of up to 10 years in jail.
Explaining its decision, the British government said the organization continued to amass weapons in contravention of UN Security Council resolutions, while its support for the head of the Syrian regime, Bashar Assad, had prolonged the conflict and the "brutal and violent repression of the Syrian people".

Lebanon Sympathizes with Nadine Labaki after Losing Best Foreign Film Oscar
Beirut - Vivian Haddad/ Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 26 February, 2019/Nadine Labaki’s big screen sensation Capernaum’s loss to Roma for Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards wasn’t the only disappointment hopeful Lebanese people experienced on Sunday. They suffered the letdown of their national basketball team failing to qualify for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.Despite not bagging the award, the film is still very much celebrated by the Lebanese public with Culture Minister Mohammed Daoud saying that it helped the small Levantine country back on the world’s map for talent. The nomination in and of itself is cited as a source of pride. The director, who achieved her childhood dream of walking down the red carpet, did not shy from admitting that the competition was fierce. Labaki shared that she was happy to have just made it to the ceremony after directing her fourth feature film: "I just can't believe I'm actually here, after all this time." Before Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma’s win, Labaki said: “If we win or not, we still won in your hearts, we love you Lebanon!”Speaking about Roma, she noted it presented a strong competition especially that, at heart, it worked on delivering a message similar to that of Capernaum’s.  More so, she added that Roma gained a popularity boost from Netflix sponsorship. Capernaum sheds light on the plight of Syrian refugees, with much of the cast made up of amateur actors who are refugees themselves. But the loss did not stave off Lebanese excitement and support for Labaki’s motion picture with many taking to social media in support of the local production. “All the Lebanese are proud of Nadine Labaki, whether she took home an Oscar or not. We have the honor of her being the first Lebanese and Arab woman to nominated for this award,” a Lebanon-based twitter user posted. With the Oscars all wrapped up, Labaki is expected to return to Lebanon in the next few days. She is signed up for multiple Capernaum regional screenings and promotions for the production which are scheduled for mid-March.

Lebanese Cabinet to Convene on Thursday
Naharnet/February 26/19/The Council of Ministers will convene in a Cabinet session at 11:30 am on Thursday at the Grand Serail, the National News Agency said on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri will chair the meeting and will discuss 52 items on its agenda in addition to several urgent files, said NNA.

Pompeo Lashes Out at Hizbullah, Lauds British Move
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 26/19/U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday commended London's move to outlaw Hizbullah's political wing, saying it showed that "international unity to confront Iran's regime continues to grow.""This Iran-sponsored terrorist group has American blood on its hands & continues to plot & carry out attacks in the Mideast, Europe & around the world," he tweeted. Earlier in the day, Britain said it will ban the political wing of Hizbullah, making membership of the movement or inviting support for it a crime. The European Union put the armed wing of Hizbullah on its terrorism blacklist in 2013, due to Hizbullah's alleged role in blowing up an Israeli tour bus in Bulgaria. But unlike the United States, the EU differentiates between the group's military and political wings.

Jumblat Says Resigned Zarif ‘Victim' of Compromise Theory
Naharnet/February 26/19/Progressive Socialist Party leader ex-MP Walid Jumblat on Tuesday commented on the surprise resignation of Iran’s foreign minister saying "Iranian diplomacy will lose its most prominent symbols.” “Iranian diplomacy is going to lose its most prominent symbols, Mohammed Javad Zarif, who was the lead negotiator of the (2015) nuclear agreement between Iran and the West,” said Jumblat on Twitter. The PSP leader added that Zarif “is the victim of hardliners in the Islamic Republic who mainly oppose the principle of settlement and control decisions, and the hawks in the United States and Israel who reject the principle of settlement.”On Monday, Zarif has abruptly tendered his resignation on Instagram, although there was no sign President Hassan Rouhani had yet accepted his decision. Zarif offered an apology for his "shortcomings" in the unexpected message on Monday, with prominent members of parliament immediately calling for Rouhani not to accept the resignation. Zarif, 59, has served as Rouhani's foreign minister since August 2013 and has been under constant pressure and criticism by hardliners who opposed his policy of detente with the West.

Civil Defense Website Hacked, Displays Note to Hariri, Lebanese
Naharnet/February 26/19/The website of the General Directorate of the Lebanese Civil Defense was hacked by a Syrian group on Tuesday, where hackers displayed a message they said addressed to the Lebanese and Prime Minister Saad Hariri. The message, condemning what the hackers claimed was “ill-treatment” of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, read: “Lebanon and Syria are one country. We have lovingly welcomed you in Syria as brothers back in 2006, so we call upon some of the great Lebanese people to treat the Syrians well, as well as those who come to you across the border.”Addressing Lebanon’s Prime Minister, it added: “To Hariri we say that Syrians love your country and its leader but has never asked you to visit Damascus, and we don’t honor that. This is only a friendly message from a simple electronic team in Syria.”
The hackers, who called themselves "Wolf Tartous and Nightmare" said the “contents of the server has not been deleted or destroyed.”Later in the day, the website resumed normalcy, announced the Civil Defense.

Latest LCCC English Miscellaneous Reports & News published on February 26-27/19
Canada announces new humanitarian funding and remains committed to supporting people of Yemen in achieving long-lasting peace
February 26, 2019 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
On the occasion of the third High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development, today released the following statement:
“Canada’s support in Yemen is driven by our desire to end a terrible situation that has caused the suffering of so many people—especially women and children who bear the brunt of the crisis.
“The human cost of the ongoing conflict in Yemen is dire. That is why today, Canada is announcing $46.7 million to respond to the humanitarian needs of people in Yemen, building on the $130 million that Canada has provided since 2015.
“This new funding, which will be allocated to United Nations agencies, the Red Cross Movement and non-governmental organizations, will go toward urgent assistance, such as food, medicine and clean water, for the most vulnerable communities in Yemen. In line with its Feminist International Assistance Policy, Canada will also focus on the urgent needs of women and girls, including the provision of sexual and reproductive health services.
“Canada strongly supports efforts to achieve long-lasting peace for the people of Yemen and remains committed to the UN-sponsored peace talks on Yemen. This will include direct support to the office of Martin Griffiths, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy.
“We are supporting the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement of December 2018. This includes funding for the deployment of an early warning system to Yemen that will monitor violations of the ceasefire.
“We are also funding efforts to ensure accountability for sexual and gender-based crimes.
“All parties to the conflict must commit to the peace process and fully implement their obligations, including respect for international humanitarian laws and ensuring the full, safe and unhindered access of aid into the country.”

Zarif bows out amid desperate regime bid to save Iran’s economy from meltdown
DEBKAfile/February 26/19
Mohammad Javad Zarif, the driving force behind Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with Barack Obama, quits amid the regime’s struggle to survive the Trump era, DEBKAfile reports. In six years, this polished, articulate diplomat, esteemed in Washington and Brussels, typically “apologized for his “shortcomings… during his time as foreign minister…” when he announced his resignation on Instagram on Monday, Feb. 25.His exit marks the onset of large-scale dismissals of high regime officials amid the desperate deliberations that DEBKAfile’s Iranian and intelligence sources report are ongoing in Tehran for the past fortnight, on how to save the tottering economy from meltdown, under the crippling weight of the sanctions that US President Donald Trump imposed on Iran’s oil exports after he tore up the nuclear deal last May.
President Hassan Rouhani’s head may also be on the block now that his ally Zarif is gone. Our sources find evidence that Iran’s leaders have accepted that they have no choice but to engage the Trump administration and bring Tehran back to the negotiating table. They are looking for a diplomat on the lines of North Korea’s Kim Jong-un who they see as the right man to deal with Donald Trump. That the regime in Tehran is in the throes of a major policy overhaul for its next steps was also signaled by the surprise visit of Syrian President Bashar Assad on the same Monday. Our sources report that he was invited to meet supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for the first time for a briefing on the Islamic regime’s next steps as they pertain to Syria. He was accompanied by Iran’s supreme Middle East commander, the Al Qods chief Brig. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, which should set off alarm bells in Israel. It indicates strongly that the ayatollahs intend to come to the table with the US from a position of strength – not weakness.

Reuters withdraws report on Rouhani rejecting Zarif’s resignation
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Tuesday, 26 February 2019/Reuters initially published and then withdrew its report on the Iranian President’s rejection of his Foreign Minister’s resignation, which was based on an Instagram post by a fan account. "Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has rejected the resignation of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, according to a post on Rouhani’s Instagram account on Tuesday," Reuters reported.A screenshot of the Instagram account which Reuters used for its initial report. Reuters later issued a withdrawal of its report. “The story on Iranian President Hassan Rouhani rejecting his foreign minister's resignation is wrong and is withdrawn. The Instagram account cited is run by his supporters and is not his official account,” Reuters said in a statement.

Iran FM Submits Resignation, Cites Infighting Undermining his Work
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 26 February, 2019/Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif submitted on Monday his resignation, making the surprise announcement on Instagram. A Foreign Ministry spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, confirmed to the state-run IRNA news agency minutes later that Zarif had resigned but gave no reason for his departure. There was no immediate word, however, on whether President Hassan Rouhani would accept it. On Tuesday, Zarif said fighting between parties and factions in Iran is a “deadly poison” undermining foreign policy. “We first have to remove our foreign policy from the issue of party and factional fighting,” Zarif told the Jomhuri Eslami newspaper. “The deadly poison for foreign policy is for foreign policy to become an issue of party and factional fighting.”His comments suggest he may have quit over pressure from hardline elements who have long criticized his role in negotiating the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. The Fars news agency reported that the interview had taken place last week, before the resignation. Unconfirmed media reports indicated he resigned over Syrian regime chief Bashar Assad’s visit to Tehran on Monday. Noting that Zarif was not pictured in any of the coverage of the visit, one online website said “the foreign minister was not informed”. “Many thanks for the generosity of the dear and brave people of Iran and its authorities over the past 67 months. I sincerely apologize for the inability to continue serving and for all the shortcomings during my service. Be happy and worthy”, he wrote on his Instagram page jzarif_ir. On Sunday, Zarif criticized Iranian hardliners in a speech in Tehran, saying: "We cannot hide behind imperialism's plot and blame them for our own incapability.""Independence does not mean isolation from the world," he said. Several lawmakers and politicians took to social media calling on the pragmatist Rouhani to reject the resignation, saying it would not serve national interests and would empower hardliners in Iran’s faction-ridden clerical establishment. A prominent reformist lawmaker, Mostafa Kavakebian, wrote on Twitter that Rouhani should reject Zarif's resignation as his departure would only "make enemies of Iran's dignity happy." A majority of Iran’s lawmakers signed a letter to Rouhani on Tuesday, asking for Zarif to continue his job, Ali Najafi Khoshroodi, the spokesman for the parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy commission told IRNA.
Zarif urged diplomats and other employees at the foreign ministry not to quit on Tuesday, according to IRNA. Hassan Mohammadi, a Tehran-based political analyst close to Rouhani, said he understood it was Zarif's third time submitting his resignation in the last year. "It is part of plan for changing the track in foreign policy in Iran. A negotiation-seeking foreign minister is not a favored person anymore," Mohammadi told The Associated Press. "Iran needs a tough foreign minister from now on. Someone who does not offer smile towards the West." US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in a post on Twitter, dismissed Zarif and Rouhani as “front men for a corrupt religious mafia.”“Our policy is unchanged - the regime must behave like a normal country and respect its people”, Pompeo said. Born in 1960, Zarif lived in the United States from the age of 17 as a student in San Francisco and Denver, and subsequently as a diplomat to the United Nations in New York, where he served as Iranian ambassador from 2002-07. He was appointed minister of foreign affairs in August 2013 after Rouhani won the presidency in a landslide on a promise to open up Iran to the outside world. Since taking charge of Iran’s nuclear talks with major powers in late 2013, Zarif has been summoned to parliament several times by hardline lawmakers to explain the negotiations. Some hardliners even threatened Zarif with bodily harm after the nuclear deal was signed. Supreme leader Ali Khamenei guardedly backed the deal, under which Iran agreed to curb its nuclear work.

Pompeo on Iranian foreign minister’s resignation: We’ll see if it sticks
AFP, Washington/Tuesday, 26 February 2019/Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is one of the “front men for a corrupt religious mafia,” top US diplomat Mike Pompeo said Monday following his surprise resignation. “We note @JZarif’s resignation. We’ll see if it sticks,” Pompeo wrote on Twitter. “Either way, he and @HassanRouhani are just front men for a corrupt religious mafia,” Pompeo wrote, referring to the country’s president. “We know @khamenei_ir makes all final decisions. Our policy is unchanged -- the regime must behave like a normal country and respect its people,” he said of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Zarif, 59, announced his resignation on Instagram, but it can only take effect once Rouhani accepts it. He has served as Rouhani’s foreign minister since August 2013 and has been under constant pressure and criticism by hardliners who opposed his policy of detente with the West. His standing within Iran’s political establishment took a hit when the US withdrew last year from a deal aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear program, and the deal’s achievements became less and less clear as Iran’s economy nosedived. Zarif was blamed by ultra-conservatives for negotiating a bad deal that had not gained anything meaningful for Iran in exchange for all the concessions it had made in its nuclear program. The faceoff between the minister and his critics only intensified as time passed, with Zarif saying his main worry throughout the nuclear talks had been from pressure inside Iran.

U.S. Officials Discuss Mideast Peace with Gulf Leaders
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 26/19/US officials Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt have met with leaders in the United Arab Emirates and Oman as part of a regional tour to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Kushner, US President Donald Trump's adviser and son-in-law, and Greenblatt, the US Middle East peace envoy, met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan on Monday, the US embassy in the UAE said. "They discussed increasing cooperation between the United States and the United Arab Emirates, and the Trump administration's efforts to facilitate peace between the Israelis and Palestinians," said a statement. "Additionally, they discussed ways to improve the entire region through economic investment." The US officials addressed the same issues in talks with Oman's Sultan Qaboos on Monday. Brian Hook, the US special representative for Iran, also attended the meetings. Earlier this month Kushner briefed countries at a conference in Warsaw on Washington's plans for a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinian to be formally presented after Israeli elections in April. Kushner said on Monday that the US has tried to figure out a "realistic... and fair solution" to the issue. "We've focused on the following four principles that we've used in which to create the plan," he said in an interview aired on UAE-based Sky News Arabia. "First principle is to have freedom. We want people to be able to have the freedom of opportunity, the freedom of religion, the freedom of worship, regardless of your faith."Respect. We want all people to have dignity and to respect each other. Opportunity. We want people to be able to better their lives and not allow their grandfather's conflict to hijack their children's future. And the final one is security." Top officials of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain -- none of whom recognise Israel -- attended the Warsaw conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who called the talks a "turning point".But the Palestinians rejected the meeting as an "American conspiracy" with aims to "normalise" the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. The Palestinians have refused to talk to the Trump administration since the US president recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December 2017. They see the eastern part of the disputed city as the capital of their future state and have said Washington's pro-Israel bias meant the US could no longer be the main mediator in stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace talks. The Trump administration has since dealt a series of blows to the Palestinian Authority, including cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in aid for the Palestinians.

Air strikes up sharply in rebel-held northwest Syria - monitors
Reuters, Beirut/Tuesday, 26 February 2019/War monitors said on Tuesday there had been a marked escalation in air strikes in rebel-held northwestern Syria, the last major bastion of opponents of President Bashar al-Assad, prompting thousands of civilians to flee the town of Khan Sheikhoun. Rami Abdulrahman, the director of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said government forces had intensified artillery shelling and air strikes that have been ramping up over the past 10 days. “The bombing is focused mainly on towns along the Damascus-Aleppo international road,” he said. “Khan Sheikhoun has turned into a ghost town.”According to a senior data analyst at Hala Systems, which operates an early warning system for aerial bombardment called Sentry, 13 strikes had been observed in Idlib and northern Hama on Tuesday. “This is the third straight day in which a significant increase in air strikes has been observed. The pace of attacks seems high — and certainly unusual compared to the last few months,” the analyst, who declined to be named, told Reuters. Syrian state media said insurgents had fired rockets at several towns in the northern part of Hama province, killing one civilian and wounding seven others in what it said was a violation of a de-escalation agreement. Russia and Turkey brokered a deal in September to create a demilitarized zone in the northwest Idlib region that would be free of all heavy weapons and extremist fighters. The agreement helped avert an assault on the region by government forces. However, Moscow has complained about escalating violence in Idlib and said that militants who used to belong to the Nusra Front group are in control of large swathes of territory. Syria’s conflict began in 2011 after Assad’s security forces used force to crush mass demonstrations against his rule. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced in the conflict, which has drawn in world powers.

Hundreds More Leave Syria IS Holdout
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 26/19/Hundreds of suspected jihadists and their relatives exited the last Islamic State group holdout in eastern Syria aboard 11 trucks on Tuesday, an AFP reporter said. The huge double-trailer trucks snaked towards a screening point manned by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces across the plain from Baghouz, the last hamlet still held by IS. Women could be seen spilling out of the trucks as SDF fighters prepared to screen yet another batch of survivors from the last speck of the jihadist "caliphate". On Monday alone, 46 such trucks left the IS pocket, bringing to around 50,000 the number of people who quit jihadist-held territory since December. Among them were thousands of suspected jihadists who tried to blend in with civilians in a desperate attempt to save their lives before a final assault by the Kurdish-led SDF.

UK Witnessed More Than 2,400 Drone Incidents in 2018
London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 26 February, 2019/British police revealed that drones are being used for stalking and vandalizing people's homes. Reports highlight a significant increase in the usage of these devices. According to recent figures, criminal incidents involving drones jumped 40 percent in two years. Information requests filed by Sky News revealed that across 20 of the 45 UK police forces, there had been more than 2,400 reports of incidents involving drones last year, much higher than the 1,700 reports in 2016. In Cambridgeshire, there were reports of drones being used to drop paintballs into people's gardens, and in Northern Ireland, around 30 cases involved anti-social behavior. Under existing laws in the UK, pilots must avoid flying their drones within 50 meters of a person, vessel, vehicle or structure not under the control of the pilot, and any pictures taken with a drone camera are subject to privacy laws. The findings come just days after the Home Office unveiled new legislation which would give police new stop and search powers for drone pilots near airports, and would widen existing no-fly zones around runways to five kilometers. Although the review centered around preventing "widespread disruption" at airports in future, like that seen at Gatwick and Heathrow airports over the Christmas holidays, the bill also revealed that the government would be keeping "the operational requirements and needs of the police in relation to other drone offenses" under careful review. For his part, the National Police Chiefs' Council said it was working with the government and the aviation regulator Civil Aviation Authority "on future legislation to meet the challenges and risks posed by drones."

Israel Ex-Minister Sentenced to 11 Years for Spying for Iran
Tel Aviv- Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 26 February, 2019/An Israeli ex-minister was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Tuesday for spying for his country's main enemy Iran after a plea bargain in the case, the prosecutor said. Gonen Segev, who served as energy and infrastructure minister from 1995 to 1996, had previously agreed to a plea bargain on charges of serious espionage and transfer of information to the enemy. Court hearings were held in secret due to the nature of the case. Prosecutor Geula Cohen confirmed to journalists outside the Jerusalem court that the judge had accepted the plea bargain and issued the sentence. Segev met with his Iranian handlers in a number of countries, including Iran, and gave them information about Israeli security that he had learned while serving as a minister, the prosecution charged. The Shin Bet security service has assessed that Segev did not have access to up-to-date information because more than two decades had passed since his service in cabinet. According to the Shin Bet, however, Segev had tried to obtain more information through his contacts in Israel. Segev served in the Labor government of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin after defecting from the far right to cast the decisive vote in favor of the Oslo II peace agreement with the Palestinians. He has previously served prison time on criminal charges. In 2004, he was charged with trying to smuggle 30,000 ecstasy pills into Israel from the Netherlands using a diplomatic passport with a falsified expiry date. The following year, he admitted the charges as part of a plea bargain. He has also been convicted of attempted credit card fraud.

Tunisia: Over 100 Terrorists Sent to Prison for Fighting in 'Conflict Zones'
Tunis - Mongi Saidani/ Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 26 February, 2019/A thousand Tunisians have returned home from conflict zones in Syria, Iraq and Libya, between 2011 and October 2018, announced Tunisia’s National Counter-terrorism Commission President Mokhtar Ben Nasr. He confirmed that about 10 percent of them were held in Tunisian prisons, after being found guilty of terrorist acts, or were wanted by the Tunisian judiciary and sentenced in absentia. Ben Nasr said in a media statement that the Tunisian authorities dealt with the cases of the returnees from conflict zones in a "case by case" manner, and confirmed the release of some of them for not proving their involvement in terrorist acts or belonging to any terrorist group. He also noted that some of the returnees went to those countries to work, namely Libya. Previously, various international and local human rights organizations pointed out that about 135 Tunisians were under house arrest after being found guilty of terrorist acts. Official figures suggest that about 3,000 Tunisians had left the country to join the conflict zones, and many of these fighters died in hotbed zones while some fled to various regions. Authorities fear terrorists returning from the hotbeds of tension, and had prepared a local strategy to rehabilitate and integrate them into Tunisian society. The government’s strategy is to submit the returnees cases to the Tunisian judiciary to determine charges against them, develop programs within Tunisian prisons to prevent terrorists from spreading their ideas among the rest of the prisoners, provide care for former terrorists and prevent their potential threat from affecting Tunisian society. Meanwhile, the Committee revealed the names of eight terrorists involved in the assassination of the leftist leader Chokri Belaid on February 6, 2013, and decided accordingly to freeze their bank accounts in the context of drying up financial resources of those terrorist organizations. In November and December, the National Committee released names of 63 terrorists and Tunisian terrorist elements and organizations. It confirmed a decision to freeze their assets and bank accounts as part of the strategy to combat terrorist activities.

50 Severed Heads Found in Baghouz
London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 26 February, 2019/US-led coalition troops have found the severed heads of 50 women, murdered by ISIS militants, as they led the assault on the terror group's last stronghold in Syria, Britain’s The Daily Mail reported. The militants had beheaded dozens of Yazidi “sex slaves” before dumping their heads in dustbins, it said. British Special Forces made the grisly discovery when they entered the town of Baghouz on the banks of the Euphrates in eastern Syria where the extremist organization is making its last desperate stand. “It followed a fierce close-quarter battle earlier this month during which SAS soldiers fired 600 mortar bombs and tens of thousands of machine-gun rounds, forcing the enemy into a network of tunnels beneath the rubble-strewn town,” said the report. A source told The Mail that in their hour of defeat, the militants' “cruelty knew no bounds. They conducted a cowardly slaughter of these desperately unfortunate women as a final act of depravity and left their severed heads behind for us to find.” “The motivation for such a sickening act is beyond comprehension for any remotely normal human being,” the source said.

Cairo Downplays Turkish-Qatari Criticism on Summit Day
Sharm el-Sheikh - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 26 February, 2019/Cairo has ignored statements made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the Arab-European summit, which was held on Feb. 24-25 in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, describing them as mere “attempts to attract attention.” In an interview with Turkish media on Sunday, Erdogan criticized the regime of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and its recent decision to execute nine persons found guilty in the 2015 assassination of Attorney General Hisham Barakat. “Unfortunately, Western countries continue to insist on supporting Sisi,” Erdogan was quoted as saying. In response, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri said in a televised statement to MBC Egypt TV: “We try to avoid falling to this level” of rhetoric. “We believe that those statements were intended … to target the conference of Arab and European countries … which emphasized Cairo’s pivotal role,” he said. “We look at these statements as an attempt to attract attention; we are preoccupied with what is more important than heeding such hatred,” he added. Commenting on Qatar’s criticism of the invitation it has received to attend the summit, Shoukry said the invitation conformed to the state of relations between the countries. “This is natural because ties have been severed,” he told MBC Egypt TV. Sputnik news agency has quoted a source in the Qatari Foreign Ministry as saying that the invitation was not addressed to the Qatari Emir, but sent to the Greek Embassy in Doha, instead of the Permanent Mission of Qatar to the League of Arab States.

Egyptian-European Debate on Human Rights
Sharm el-Sheikh – Sawsan Abu Hussein and Mohammed Nabil Helmi/ Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 26 February, 2019/A debate between Europe and Egypt over human rights prevailed over the last minutes of a joint news conference at the end of the first Arab-European summit in Sharm el-Sheikh Monday. Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi responded directly to comments by European Union representatives on “some problems” related to human rights in Egypt. “You are speaking about the death sentence, and we respect this… but I hope you don't impose [your vision] on us,” he said. “You will not teach us our humanity, our values and morals.” Sisi was speaking at a joint news conference with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry had earlier rejected criticism by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights against trials that led to the execution of nine convicted persons in the case of the assassination of former Attorney General Hisham Barakat. “The priority in Europe is to achieve the well-being of its people. The priority in our country is to prevent it from collapsing, as has happened in neighboring countries,” Sisi underlined. On a different note, the president said the meeting between the leaders from both sides “is an important opportunity to enhance cooperation at the bilateral level.” He also expressed his hope for more meetings between Europe and Arab countries in the coming stage. The EU-League of Arab States (LAS) Summit, which kicked off on Sunday in Sharm el-Sheikh, was held under the title of “Investing in Stability.” A joint statement said “both sides agreed to boost cooperation towards security, conflict resolution and socio-economic development throughout the region.”“Leaders committed to working more closely together to address the root causes of terrorism and to continue joint efforts to combat foreign terrorist fighters,” it added.

‘Jihad’ Announces Development of Precision Rockets with Iran’s Help
Ramallah - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 26 February, 2019/Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, has announced the development of a new accurate missile, which said it is capable of reaching Tel Aviv and Netanya in the center of Israel, threatening to turn Israeli cities into "hell" in any future confrontation. In a documentary broadcast on Iranian television, the Brigades’ military spokesman said that the missile was made with the help of Iran, adding that the first missile to be launched by the movement towards Tel Aviv “will be Iranian-made.”The group had fired Iranian-made missiles at Tel Aviv more than six years ago during the war that erupted in 2012. In the new documentary, Islamic Jihad said its engineers succeeded in redeveloping its rocket arsenal, which was destroyed in previous military confrontations. The movement warned that it would surprise Israel and respond to any future attack. The Islamic Jihad has been publicly supported by Iran for years. It is the second military force in the Gaza Strip after Hamas, which also enjoys Iranian support. But Iran's relation with Jihad is more developed, and is not distorted by differences over Tehran’s most sensitive issues, such as the Syrian crisis. “The actions of the stupid enemy against the Gaza Strip and its inhabitants will turn the occupied cities and towns into hell,” the spokesman said in the documentary. “The occupation has no place on the land of Palestine. Either withdraw from it, or suffer painful blows.”

MI6 Chief in Israel to Discuss Iran
Tel Aviv - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 26 February, 2019/British intelligence MI6’s chief Alex Younger made a secret visit to Israel last week to discuss possible Iranian violations of the 2015 nuclear deal, The Jerusalem Post reported. Younger met with Mossad director Yossi Cohen in Israel to coordinate intelligence efforts over concerns that Iran may be gearing up to race toward developing a nuclear weapon, it said. The meeting took place at the beginning of last week, and signaled a new level of seriousness in Western intelligence concerns regarding Iran, it added.
Although Tel Aviv has been warning the world that Tehran would find ways to circumvent the 2015 nuclear deal, the UK and other EU countries have continued to support the agreement even actively opposing new US sanctions imposed in August and November after President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the deal, said the report.

EU urges ‘maximum restraint’ from India, Pakistan after air strike
AFP, Brussels, Belgium/Tuesday, 26 February 2019/The EU on Tuesday called on New Delhi and Islamabad to exercise “maximum restraint” after Indian warplanes attacked a militant camp in Pakistan, sending tensions soaring between the nuclear-armed arch-rivals. “We remain in contact with both countries and what we believe is essential is that all exercise maximum restraint and avoid further escalation of tensions,” EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told reporters. India said its warplanes attacked a militant camp where Pakistan-backed fighters were preparing suicide attacks on its cities, killing a “very large number” of militants from the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) group. Pakistani officials have confirmed that Indian planes breached its airspace and dropped a payload over Balakot in the country’s northwest, condemning it as “uncalled for aggression” but insisting there was no damage or casualties. The escalation came after a February 14 suicide bombing claimed by JeM that killed 40 troops in Indian Kashmir, setting off a chain of threats and counter-warnings between the neighbors, who have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947.

Germany Financially Assisted 437 Syrian Refugees to Return Home
Berlin, London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 26 February, 2019/Last year, some 437 Syrian refugees in Germany received financial support from government authorities to facilitate their return home. The German authorities do not encourage Syrian citizens in any way to leave voluntarily, however, will present returnees with financial support whence they decide to return, an official statement revealed, adding that Germany will maintain this approach. The response came upon a request from the left-wing parliamentary bloc that, according to the decision of the Interior Ministers Conference held on November 30, Syrians won't be sent home against their will. Two weeks ago, US magazine Foreign Policy reported about the persecution of Syrian returnees. In one case, a Palestinian refugee from Syria who was living in Germany returned to Syria with financial support after his attempts to reunite with his fiancé had failed. Family reunification is only possible for refugee couples who were married before flight. According to reports by a relative, the Palestinian was summoned by secret service agents upon his arrival in Damascus and has not been seen since. In another case, a Palestinian on his way to reunite with his wife in Syria disappeared at the Lebanese-Syrian border. Left parliamentarian Ulla Jelpke slammed German policies on family reunification as restrictive, saying that refugees were driven into despair. "Many of them have only two options: to continue being separated from their loved ones or to return to their families, and therefore to return to conflict and persecution, risking their lives."The Green party called for a profound return counseling for every Syrian who wishes to return. "If it turns out the person only wants to go back because family reunification is stalling, the case has to be examined more closely," said Green parliamentarian Franziska Brantner. The International Organization for Migration IOM currently does not support a voluntary return to Syria. Civilians in Syria continue to face severe threats, the IOM said in a statement. The following notice is given on the platform "Returning from Germany", a service website run by Germany's BAMF: "Due to the present difficult security situation in Syria, Arab Republic, voluntary return through IOM's return assistance programs REAG/GARP and StarthilfePlus are all currently not possible. The IOM has a duty of ensuring the safe return of migrants to their country of origin. Currently, this cannot be guaranteed in the case of a return to Syria, Arab Republic." As of 2019, the German government offers financial assistance to nationals who want to return to Eritrea, Libya or Yemen. So far no requests have been submitted DPA reports.

Kim Hits the Road in Hanoi ahead of Trump Nuclear Summit
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 26/19/Kim Jong Un arrived in Hanoi to throngs of cheering crowds and curious onlookers Tuesday, on the eve of a second summit with Donald Trump the world is closely watching for tangible progress over North Korea's nuclear programme. After an initial historic meeting in Singapore in June that produced only a vague statement about denuclearisation, analysts say the second date must deliver more concrete steps towards dismantling Pyongyang's arsenal. The normally sleepy Vietnamese border station of Dong Dang spruced itself up for Kim's arrival after the young leader's 4,000-kilometre (2,500-mile), two-and-a-half-day odyssey through China aboard his olive green train. A military guard of honour in pristine white uniforms presented arms as Kim strolled down the red carpet waving and grinning, surrounded by a phalanx of aides and security personnel.
Local official Hoang Thi Thuy said she had waited in the cold rain since before dawn for a glimpse of Kim, the first North Korean leader to visit fellow one-party state Vietnam since his grandfather Kim Il Sung in 1964. "I was so excited when we were told to stand in place for the arrival of the train," she told AFP. "We saw the leader from afar. I felt so happy, it's hard to describe."
Wearing his trademark Mao-style black suit and flanked by his troops of bodyguards, Kim was ushered into a waiting Mercedes-Benz and his motorcade rolled off towards Hanoi, where armoured personnel carriers patrolled the roads amid ultra-tight security.
He was greeted in Hanoi by cheering crowds behind barriers near the colonial-era pastel yellow Hanoi Opera House before arriving at the Melia hotel where he was expected to stay this week. After a few hours' rest, he then departed his hotel for the North Korean embassy in Hanoi, echoing the summit in Singapore where he took in the sights on an unscheduled sortie.
Trump was taking a more conventional route on Air Force One to the meeting and was expected to arrive in Hanoi late Tuesday. He tweeted he was looking forward to a "very productive" second summit. The US president again dangled the carrot of economic progress for North Korea if it gives up its nuclear programme. "With complete Denuclearization, North Korea will rapidly become an Economic Powerhouse," tweeted Trump. "Without it, just more of the same.""Chairman Kim will make a wise decision!"Relations between the two mercurial leaders have undergone a dramatic turnaround, from flinging personal insults and threats of destruction to Trump declaring he had fallen "in love" with Kim through an exchange of letters. But many North Korea watchers dismissed the Singapore summit as political theatre that failed to produce a concrete roadmap to denuclearisation and stressed the Hanoi meeting must deliver more. "The window for diplomatic progress with North Korea will not remain open indefinitely. The second summit... must emphasise substance over pageantry," said Kelsey Davenport from the Arms Control Association.
Concrete details about the summit have been thin but White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters aboard Air Force One the two leaders would dine together Wednesday along with close advisors.
- 'No testing, we're happy' -
Diplomatic progress since Singapore has stalled over the definition of denuclearisation, with Stephen Biegun, the US special representative for North Korea, admitting there was no "shared agreement" of what that means. The United States has repeatedly demanded the North give up its nuclear arsenal in a final, fully verifiable way. But Pyongyang sees denuclearisation more broadly, seeking an end to sanctions and what it sees as US threats -- usually taken to include the American military presence in the South, and sometimes in the wider region. In the run-up to the summit, Trump appeared to lower US demands for Pyongyang, repeatedly saying there was no rush to rid the North of its arsenal as long as missile and nuclear tests stopped.
"I don't want to rush anybody. I just don't want testing. As long as there's no testing, we're happy," said Trump. He also hinted more summits could follow the Hanoi meeting, reducing expectations of a dramatic breakthrough in the Vietnamese capital.
Pyongyang insists it has already taken major steps, by not testing ballistic missiles or nuclear weapons for more than a year, and blowing up the entrances to its atomic test site. The North also wants increased security guarantees, which could come in the form of a declaration of an end to the 1950-53 Korean War -- that culminated with an armistice instead of a full peace treaty -- or opening liaison offices.
Opening liaison offices would signal the first stage of normalising US-North Korean relations, said Go Myong-hyun of the Asan Institute of Policy Studies, and would be an ideal "politically symbolic step" rather than prematurely agreeing to sanctions relief.
Harry Kazianis of the Center for the National Interest said: "Nothing would be worse than for either side to come out of the meeting as if it was a waste of time."

US, Taliban talk troop withdrawal, counter-terrorism at peace talks
Reuters/Tuesday, 26 February 2019/American and Taliban officials looking to end a 17-year war in Afghanistan began their most detailed and high-level discussions yet on foreign troop withdrawals and counter-terrorism on Tuesday, officials close to the peace negotiations said. The talks, which kicked off in Doha on Monday with a meet-and-greet lunch, are seen as the most promising yet between the warring parties after the Taliban’s newly-appointed political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar joined for the first time, flying in from Pakistan. The two sides are looking to hammer out a timeline and logistics for a potential troop withdrawal, as well as guarantees that the Taliban will not host militant groups as the US winds down its presence, sources close to the talks said. “The Taliban knows foreign forces are committed to withdrawal, but we have the responsibility to ensure that Afghanistan does not get used as a base to launch terror attacks on foreign nations,” one of the officials said. Some 14,000 US troops are based in Afghanistan as part of a US-led NATO mission to train, assist and advise Afghan forces. Some US forces also carry out counter-terrorism operations. US military officials have been brought in to join this week’s talks in Doha, a second official said, raising hopes for progress after the last round in January secured a broad framework agreement but few details on critical aspects of a ceasefire and withdrawal. “We have all the right people in the room on both sides,” the second official said. US President Donald Trump told Congress this month he intended to reduce US forces from Afghanistan as negotiators make progress in talks with Taliban insurgents, saying: “Great nations do not fight endless wars.”The US team, led by special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, is also pushing for the Taliban to meet with the Afghan government, which the group has so far snubbed, and to agree on a ceasefire ahead of its annual spring offensive, sources said. The hardline Islamist movement considers the Afghan government a puppet regime of the US and has refused direct talks.

Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 26-27/19
Palestinians: "No Place for the Zionist Entity in Palestine"
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/February 26/19
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13796/palestinians-zionist-entity
Hamas and Islamic Jihad should be given credit for their clarity and honesty regarding their ambitions. The two groups are clearly saying that their ultimate goal is to see Israel removed from the region and replaced with an Islamic state. As far as they are concerned, the conflict with Israel is not about a settlement, a checkpoint or even Jerusalem. Instead, it is about the presence of Jews in what they regard as their own state and homeland.
What will happen the day after a Palestinian state is established? The answer, according to Hamas and Islamic Jihad (and other Palestinians) is that they will use it to continue the "armed struggle" until the liberation of the supposedly occupied cities of Tel Aviv, Nazareth, Tiberias, Haifa and Ashdod. Under these current circumstances, a Palestinian state will pose an immediate existential danger to Israel.
The Islamic Jihad threat to turn Israeli cities into "hell" by firing missiles at them needs to be taken seriously by those who are working on the upcoming US peace plan. Any land that is given to Abbas and his Palestinian Authority in the West Bank will be used in the future by Hamas and Islamic Jihad as a base for launching rockets and missiles at Israeli cities. Then, the terror groups will not need accurate, long-range rockets to achieve their plan to destroy Israel's population centers: they will be sitting right across the street from them.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad control nearly two million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. Each group has its own political leadership , as well as militias that possess various types of weapons, including rockets and missiles. Pictured: Hamas militiamen parade their weapons in Gaza City, on July 20, 2017. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
A Palestinian terror group says that its engineers have developed "accurate and destructive" missiles that can reach the "occupied" cities of Tel Aviv, Netanya and Jerusalem. Abu Hamza, spokesman for the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Iranian-funded Islamic Jihad organization in the Gaza Strip, threatened that his group's "rocket unit" would turn Israeli cities into "hell."
"There is no place for the Zionist enemy on the land of Palestine," Abu Hamza said. "Either they leave this blessed land, or they will be dealt one painful strike after the other."
Islamic Jihad is the second-largest Palestinian terror group in the Gaza Strip, after Hamas. Neither group recognizes Israel's right to exist. Both say they are committed to the "armed struggle until the liberation of all Palestine, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River."
The leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad see Israel as one big settlement to be uprooted from the Middle East.
For them, there is no difference between a Jewish settlement in the West Bank and any other city inside Israel. As far as they are concerned, Tel Aviv, Ashdod, Haifa and Nazareth are all "occupied" cities. Palestinian weather forecast bulletins often publish names of cities inside Israel on a map that does not mention the word Israel.
The Palestinian leaders say that the conflict with Israel will end only when Israel is annihilated.
"We won't give upon one inch of the land of Palestine," said Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. "We will continue to fight until all the refugees return to their homes" -- meaning areas in Israel within the "green line" 1949 armistice borders.
In 2017, Hamas published a document of "General Principles and Policies," in which it claimed that it was ready to accept a Palestinian state on the pre-1967 lines (West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem) -- but without Hamas recognizing Israel's right to exist or Hamas "giving up all of Palestine."
In other words, Hamas is saying that it would not oppose the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem; it would use these territories as a launching pad to "liberate the rest of Palestine."
The Hamas document clearly states that "no part of the land of Palestine shall be compromised or conceded, irrespective of the causes, the circumstances, and the pressures, and no matter how long the occupation lasts." It affirms that Hamas "rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea." The document also states that Hamas will never recognize the "Zionist entity" or relinquish any Palestinian rights.
Although Hamas says in the document that it is ready, for now, to accept a Palestinian state alongside Israel, it nevertheless considers "Palestine, which extends from the River Jordan in the east to the Mediterranean in the west, and from Ras Al-Naqurah in the north to Umm Al-Rashrash [Eilat] in the south, an integral territorial unit. It is the land and the home of the Palestinian people."
The Hamas document has been misinterpreted by some Westerners as a sign of moderation and pragmatism on the part of the terrorist group. Reuters, for example, claimed in a May 1, 2017 dispatch that Hamas has "dropped its long-standing call for Israel's destruction."
This claim is completely false. Reuters, like several other Western media outlets, ignored those parts of the Hamas document that mentions the need to eliminate Israel. Here are other parts of the document that reveal Hamas's true intentions:
"The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas is a Palestinian national liberation resistance movement. Its goal is to liberate Palestine and confront the Zionist project. Palestine is an Arab Islamic land. It is a blessed sacred land that has a special place in the heart of every Arab and every Muslim. There shall be no recognition of the legitimacy of the Zionist entity. Whatever has befallen the land of Palestine in terms of occupation, settlement building, Judaization or changes to its features or falsification of facts is illegitimate. Rights never lapse."
Worse, some Westerners have gone so far as describing the document as the "new Hamas charter." Again, that claim is false. The Hamas charter, which was published in 1988, continues to exist; it has never been changed or amended. This charter states :
"... the land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Muslim generations until Judgement Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up. Neither a single Arab country nor all Arab countries, neither any king or president, nor all the kings and presidents, neither any organization nor all of them, be they Palestinian or Arab, possess the right to do that...
"Our struggle against the Jews is very great and very serious. It needs all sincere efforts. It is a step that inevitably should be followed by other steps. The Movement is but one squadron that should be supported by more and more squadrons from this vast Arab and Islamic world, until the enemy is vanquished and Allah's victory is realised."
For the past three decades, Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been major players in the Palestinian arena. They are not splinter factions than can be dismissed as irrelevant. The two groups control nearly two million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. Each group has its own political leadership , as well as militias that possess various types of weapons, including rockets and missiles. The two groups also have thousands of militiamen in the Gaza Strip who consider themselves "soldiers" and "freedom fighters" in the war to eliminate Israel and kill Jews.
Those who think that Hamas and Islamic Jihad will vanish one day are living in an illusion. The two groups continue to pose a real threat, not only to Israel, but also to Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank. Were it not for Israel's security presence in the West Bank, Hamas and Islamic Jihad would have toppled Abbas's regime long ago. Hamas and Islamic Jihad despise Abbas and consider him a traitor because of his purported support for a two-state solution.
Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar was recently quoted as saying that when his movement "liberates Palestine," it will bring Abbas to trial for betraying the Palestinians.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad should be given credit for their clarity and honesty regarding their ambitions. The two groups are clearly saying that their ultimate goal is to see Israel removed from the region and replaced with an Islamic state. As far as they are concerned, the conflict with Israel is not about a settlement or a checkpoint or even Jerusalem. Instead, it is about the presence of Jews in what they regard as their own homeland and State.
Any Middle East peace plan that ignores what Hamas and Islamic Jihad are saying is doomed to fail. Moreover, ignoring the two groups will pose a massive threat to security and stability in the region. The US administration, which says it will unveil its plan for peace in the Middle East after the Israeli elections in April, ought to think and think again about the plan's possible repercussions.
This is what members of the US administration needs to ask themselves: What will happen the day after a Palestinian state is established? The answer, according to Hamas and Islamic Jihad (and other Palestinians) is that the Palestinians will use this state to continue the "armed struggle" until the liberation of the occupied cities of Tel Aviv, Nazareth, Tiberias, Jaffa and Haifa. Under the current circumstances, a Palestinian state will pose a clear and present existential danger to Israel.
The Islamic Jihad threat of turning Israeli cities into "hell" by firing missiles at them needs to be taken seriously by those who are working on the upcoming US peace plan. Any land that is given to Abbas and his Palestinian Authority in the West Bank will be used in the future by Hamas and Islamic Jihad as a base for launching rockets and missiles into Israeli cities. Then, the terror groups will not need accurate, long-range rockets to achieve their plan to destroy Israel's population centers: they will be sitting right across the street from them.
*Bassam Tawil is an Arab Muslim based in the Middle East.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Ireland's Raw Bigotry
Peter Baum/Gatestone Institute/February 26/19
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13786/ireland-raw-bigotry
The Irish legislation, banning the import of goods from Israeli communities located beyond the 1949 armistice lines, not only coincides ironically with the U.S. Senate passage of a motion to prevent anti-Israel boycotts, but also constitutes a breach of European trade law.
These Irish "humanitarians" also do not seem to care about the suffering of the inhabitants of the Palestinian Authority and the Gaza Strip, who continue to suffer from large-scale abuse and persecution at the hands of their own despotic leaders.
Meanwhile, other nations actually guilty of serious human rights abuses, war crimes and ethnic cleansing -- such as Syria, Iran, China, North Korea, Turkey and Russia, to name a few -- are spared Irish indignation and legislation.
Ireland's legislation appears to be less about actually helping Palestinians to have better lives than an effort to eradicate Israel.
Parliamentarians in the Republic of Ireland are displaying an unprecedented level of hostility towards Israel, unparalleled by that of any other member state of the European Union -- inviting the question about Ireland's long, distasteful history of anti-Semitism. Pictured: Leinster House, seat of the Irish Houses of Parliament.
Parliamentarians in the Republic of Ireland are displaying an unprecedented level of hostility towards Israel, unparalleled by that of any other member state of the European Union -- inviting the question about Ireland's long, distasteful history of anti-Semitism, which clearly predates the frequently used pretext of hating the State of Israel.
The "Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018" -- supported by the Republican and Nationalist political parties of Fianna Fáil, Sinn Fein and Independents -- would ban the import of goods from Israeli communities located beyond the 1949 armistice lines (the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Golan Heights). The Irish legislation not only coincides ironically with the U.S. Senate passage of a motion to prevent anti-Israel boycotts, but also constitutes a breach of European trade law.
More disturbing is the combination of ignorance and anti-Semitism displayed by the purveyors of the bill, and evident in their view of the Palestinian-Israeli dispute cause as well as conflicts around the world.
While devoting their wrath and bigotry to Israel – in which all religions and races are treated equally under the law – these Irish self-touted human-rights seekers ignore the Palestinian National Charter and Hamas Covenant. The Charter calls for the liquidation of Israel and the Covenant for the extermination of all Jews, not just Israelis. These Irish "humanitarians" also do not seem to care about the suffering of the inhabitants of the Palestinian Authority and the Gaza Strip, who continue to suffer from large-scale abuse and persecution at the hands of their own despotic leaders.
Meanwhile, other nations actually guilty of serious human rights abuses, war crimes and ethnic cleansing -- such as Syria, Iran, China, North Korea, Turkey, Russia and Iran, to name a few -- are spared Irish indignation and legislation. If Ireland's anti-Israel bill were really about concern for human rights, those other states would surely be subjected to the same proposed legislation, especially considering the Palestinians who have been killed, jailed without trial or tortured by Syrian President Bashar Assad's enforcers in the course of the Syrian civil war.
Historically, anti-Semitism has always hovered just beneath the surface in Ireland. Unfortunately, it sometimes rises above the surface. Take, for example, its memorials to two Nazi collaborators, Sean Russell in Dublin and Tom Barry in Limerick.
How is it acceptable for such memorials to be on display? Why does the European Union remain silent?
A mere 74 years after the Holocaust, the Irish government and citizenry should be thoroughly ashamed of supporting Islamists and political parties whose manifestos have at their core the extermination of Jews, and -- in parallel -- attempting to delegitimize the only democracy in the Middle East.
Ireland's legislation, therefore, appears to be less about actually helping Palestinians to lead better lives than an effort to eradicate Israel.
*Peter Baum, Vice Chair at New Fair reporting, is based in Great Britain.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

How the Trump Administration Should Counter Putin's Policies in Ukraine and Venezuela
Jiri Valenta/Gatestone Institute/February 26/19
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13795/trump-putin-ukraine-venezuela
If Nicolás Maduro is removed from office in Venezuela, Putin might act as he did when a popular revolution overthrew Yanukovych in Ukraine, in 2014: with a surprise invasion of the Crimea. This time, Putin may launch a surprise naval and land attack on Mariupol, set up a land bridge from Crimea to Russia and continue intensifying his attempt to strangle Ukraine's economy in order to subjugate Ukraine to Russia. Trump needs to take immediate preemptive measures to prevent Putin from doing that by increasing naval aid to Kiev.
So far, Putin seems to have been counting on a lack of American resolve regarding Venezuela, and has just succeeded in getting China to support him.
If America abdicates its role in Venezuela, you can bet Russia will eventually build intelligence facilities there. Russia has also been providing Nicaragua with "sophisticated weaponry," including "T-72 tanks, war boats, warplanes, and powerful bombs."
Above all, President Trump must continue as he is doing now, to work towards liberating the Venezuelan people. Any hesitation will be counterproductive.
America is facing two dangerous crises. In Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, the illegitimate winner of a reportedly sham election, has, with his socialist policies, created a catastrophic situation. The struggle in Venezuela between his challenger, Juan Guaidó, and him is reaching a crescendo. Millions of Venezuelans, suffering under his radical regime, have been flooding neighboring Brazil and Colombia. Yet, with the help of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Maduro is clinging to power, as Fidel Castro did in the early 1960s with the aid of Nikita Khrushchev.
Putin, seeking to rescue his beleaguered client, Maduro, as well as his considerable investments in Venezuelan oil and gold, recently deployed two nuclear-capable bombers to Venezuela. In addition, hundreds of "private military contractors who do secret missions for Russia" are reportedly deployed in Venezuela.
The Venezuelan crisis is also linked to a second dangerous crisis in eastern Ukraine. There, even as U.S. ships recently sailed through the Black Sea, Putin is undertaking a new destabilization policy directed at the eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol.
Why Mariupol? Putin's main objective seems be to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and the EU. His strategy is also likely designed to weaken Ukraine, which depends on the export of coal, steel and grain through Mariupol, which is the key export port for the whole Donbas region.
Putin seems to have become militarily involved in Venezuela partly to assure that Ukraine, the most geopolitically significant country on its western borders, will not follow the path of the Baltic NATO countries. He apparently desires Ukraine to become a weak nation that will eventually reach some sort of economic cooperation with Russia. A believer in warfare by proxies on land -- separatists, "volunteers," Chechens and Special Forces -- Putin is now using the Russian Navy and special forces by sea, economically to strangle the prominent, strategically important industrial city of Mariupol. A railroad hub and the key port on the Azov Sea, Mariupol could also serve as a land bridge to the Crimea.
Even if Russia may not have a master plan, it does appear to have strategic objectives: building a network of naval and air force facilities as in Syria, or renewing them as in Crimea and in occupied Abkhazia. Russia would love again to possess the port in Mariupol to dominate the Azov Sea.
Facing both crises -- in Venezuela and Ukraine -- what does Trump need to know and what can he do?
Putin's Evolving Strategy and Venezuelan and Ukrainian Crises
First, the Russian president has never desired to recover the whole Soviet or Czarist empires. Rather, for more than a decade, he has concentrated on some strategically important slices of countries that were part of the former empire, primarily those with a sizable population of Russian-speakers, Orthodox believers or Shiite supporters of Christians. More importantly, as opposed to expensive full occupations of landlocked countries by former Russian Premiers Nikita Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev, including Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Afghanistan, Putin's aims seem different. He appears to be seeking littoral slices of countries with assets he considers strategically important for Russia. The slices Putin seems to favor are those linked to the South by strategic waterways and endowed with energy resources. Now, with ISIS helpfully cleaned out of Syria by the United States, Russia has a warm water port on the Mediterranean, gas fields, and, ever since President Obama effectively abandoned Syria, the opportunity for Russia to displace or control any leaders there, such as Bashar al-Assad.
Putin also appears to wish to re-acquire ports, coastlines, waterways and littoral lands lost to Russia during the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Examples include Georgia's Abkhazia, in 2008, with its Black Sea coastline, and in 2014, Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, the site of his Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol. Putin has also been enlarging naval facilities in Syria's port of Tartus, in the eastern Mediterranean, and has settled comfortably in an airbase in the Syrian province of Latakia.
How can Russia, a country with a GNP roughly equaling that of the Netherlands -- but that has been called a large "gas station" producing oil and transfers of energy and arms -- engage effectively in strategic competition with the United States, the largest technological and economic powerhouse?
The answer is that, as Russia, along with China, might have the nuclear capability seriously to damage the U.S., Putin appears to assume that America will not want to engage in a large, nuclear confrontation with it.
Putin's military strategists, given his lean circumstances since he came to power, seem to have pushed forward with the only military program that made sense: building a lethal, non-carrier-oriented naval fleet and killer special forces in each armed service with the objective of threatening -- and prevailing in -- local conflicts. They have also focused on the evolution of hybrid war scenarios to obtain land in countries that are not NATO members. Ukraine, Georgia, Syria and perhaps, in the future, Venezuela, are all examples. The key vital national-security focus for Russia, however, is still Ukraine, with its crucial geopolitical position and technological and agricultural potential.
Building a new U.S. base in Poland is critical for the U.S. to ensure the security of NATO countries, Poland and the Baltics. Meanwhile, the vulnerability of Mariupol on the Azov Sea and in the east was exposed by the Russian navy's attack on three Ukrainian ships on November 25, 2018, in which some Ukrainian sailors were wounded and 24 captured and imprisoned. Russia claims they infringed on internal waters that others claim are international.
Putin's Unsurprising Aversion to Regime Change
Putin has, learned a few lessons from the overthrow of two of his clients. The first was Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Persuaded at the time by then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Russia abstained at the UN rather than veto a NATO "humanitarian" intervention against the Libyan dictator. Putin, however, not only lost valuable contracts; he was also possibly shaken by the humiliating and feckless murder in Tripoli of Gaddafi by U.S.- armed "moderate" rebels, after Gaddafi had complied with all US requests.
The second lesson came when the corrupt pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, was ousted in 2014 by a popular uprising in Kiev. Putin responded with a quick invasion of Crimea. To him, retaking Crimea with Sevastopol, the traditional home base of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, must have seemed essential for linking his naval deployment between the Black Sea and Syria in the eastern Mediterranean.
Putin then -- after first organizing a multilateral defense against former U.S. President Barack Obama's 2013 planned "red line" intervention in Syria -- went for direct intervention by military force from 2015 to 2018. The reason was purportedly to preserve the rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but undoubtedly to expand even further Russian influence in the region -- the traditional goal of Russian rulers.
Putin's Strategy of Linkages
What has not been understood in the West is that Putin has linked the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, by taking advantage of Russia's peculiar geography. A canal between the rivers of the Volga and Don allows Putin to move elements of his Black Sea Fleet to the Caspian Sea and his Caspian Sea Flotilla to the Black Sea, when necessary, to be used in either conflict -- Syria or Ukraine.
ongoing disputes in both Syria and Ukraine -- combined with the negotiations Minsk I and Minsk II in which he came out the winner -- have enabled Putin to manage both conflicts to America's disadvantage. Forays into the city of Mariupol by Russian proxies had already begun in 2014, as in other east Ukrainian cities, such as Donetsk, Lugansk and Kramatorsk.
Most Western observers and residents of Mariupol had apparently anticipated at that time, that the siege of this strategically important city would take place in 2015. (However, Andrey Kortunov, the President of the Russian International Affairs Council [RIAC] of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in 2015, put in doubt any ongoing offensive in Mariupol. He said, "So far the chances are that we can only expect that there will be no escalation at the beginning of the fall, which many are talking about.") . Instead, to everyone's surprise, Putin froze the Mariupol conflict and redeployed some of his forces to intervene in Syria. His objective there was ostensibly to defend his client, Assad, from a U.S.-supported, rebel uprising, but possibly more to defend Russia's newfound interests there -- Russia's upgraded navy and air force facilities in Tartus and Latakia, as well as future energy investment and energy transfer (pipelines) in Syria. Putin's intervention helped to consolidate Assad's victory in late 2018 and Russia's entrenchment in Syria. With President Trump's announcement of a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, however, Putin quickly defrosted the conflict in eastern Ukraine and returned with his new strategy: seemingly the economic strangulation of Mariupol to weaken Ukraine by means of his navy on the Azov Sea.
How?
Since 2015, even while engaged in Syria, Putin had ordered building a bridge over the Kerch Strait, the bottleneck passage from the Black Sea into its tributary, the Azov Sea. The 18-kilometer-long bridge links Russia to the Crimean Peninsula. The bridge is so low, however -- 115 feet from the water -- that tall Ukrainian commercial ships cannot pass under it to the Black Sea. Many analysts (here, here and here) view the construction of the too low bridge as not a result of poor engineering or stupidity. (The bridge, however, might be short-lived, due to seismic movements in the Kerch Strait.)
For years, during Obama's tenure and ever since Trump took office, Putin has skillfully fielded all U.S. attempts to arm Ukraine with Javelin anti-tank missiles. Initially, it appeared that Trump was persuaded by Putin that Ukraine was not an area important enough for U.S. engagement. After negotiating with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, however, Trump, in an about-face approved the sale to Ukraine of 210 Javelin missiles and 37 launchers.
Ukraine's possession of the U.S.-made missiles has had a tremendous psychological impact on the Russian tank crews in Donbas, who reportedly now refuse to deploy and shell Ukrainian positions.
How Should the U.S. Proceed?
Prior to the Cuban missile crisis, U.S. President John F. Kennedy was viewed by Russia's Khrushchev as weak. Today, the Kremlin views Trump as weakened by "Russiagate" and the possibility -- lustily reported by the media for two years -- of his either resigning or facing impeachment, as President Richard Nixon did in 1974.
There is little Putin can do to save Maduro's regime in Venezuela; the cards are stacked in America's favor.
In Venezuela, there is a legitimate leader, Juan Guaidó, while Maduro's policies have alienated not only most of his people, but evidently most of his neighbors as well. Maduro is reportedly thought little of by leftists in South America and Europe.
The large amounts of humanitarian aid that Maduro is refusing to the Venezuelan people, should, of course, be allowed into Venezuela.
The U.S. should try to avoid bloodshed by continuing to offer Maduro and his key supporters safe passage out of the country.
So far, Putin seems to have been counting on a lack of American resolve regarding Venezuela; he has just succeeded in getting China to support him.
If Maduro is removed from office, Putin might act as he did when a popular revolution overthrew Yanukovych in Ukraine, in 2014: with a surprise invasion of the Crimea. This time, Putin may launch a surprise naval and land attack on Mariupol, set up a land bridge from Crimea to Russia and continue intensifying his attempt to strangle Ukraine's economy, in order to subjugate Ukraine to Russia. Trump needs to take immediate preemptive measures to prevent Putin from doing that, by increasing naval aid to Kiev.
Although the U.S. and Britain have recently conducted naval drills in the Black Sea, that action alone is insufficient. While strictly following the international convention on deployment of foreign ships through the Turkish Straits in the Black Sea, more naval power needs to be brought into play. The Ukrainian Navy could be allowed to borrow dozens of small vessels from NATO countries, while the U.S. undertakes a rapid program of helping to rebuild and enlarge the minuscule Ukrainian Navy.
If America abdicates its role in Venezuela, you can bet Russia will eventually build intelligence facilities there. Russia has also been providing Nicaragua with "sophisticated weaponry," including "T-72 tanks, war boats, warplanes, and powerful bombs."
Above all, President Trump must continue as he is doing now, to work towards liberating the Venezuelan people. Any hesitation will be counterproductive.
*Dr. Jiri Valenta is a non-resident member of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations in New York, and formerly served at the Brookings Institution and the Wilson Center for International Scholars in Washington, D.C. He is also a senior research associate at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University in Israel.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Iran's Zarif, Public Face of Detente with West, Resigns
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 26/19
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was the lead negotiator in a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with major powers, has abruptly tendered his resignation, although there was no sign on Tuesday President Hassan Rouhani had accepted it. Zarif offered an apology for his "shortcomings" in the unexpected message on Instagram on Monday, with prominent members of parliament immediately calling for Rouhani not to accept the resignation. Zarif, 59, has served as Rouhani's foreign minister since August 2013 and has been under constant pressure from hardliners who opposed his policy of detente with the West. "I apologise for my inability to continue serving and for all the shortcomings during my term in office," Zarif said in the message posted on his verified Instagram account. On Tuesday, he urged Iranian diplomats not to follow his lead as rumours spread of mass resignations. "I hope my resignation will act as a spur for the foreign ministry to regain its proper statutory role in the conduct of foreign affairs," the official IRNA news agency quoted him as saying.
'Good riddance' -
The prospect of Zarif's departure was swiftly welcomed by Iran's foes. The 59-year-old's ready smile and mastery of both the English language and social media has made him a formidable player on the diplomatic stage. "Zarif is gone. Good riddance," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netahyahu was a bitter opponent of the 2015 nuclear deal Zarif negotiated with Barack Obama's administration and threw his own formibable lobbying powers into an ultimately successful campaign to persuade Donald Trump to abandon it last May.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted that it made no difference to Washington whether Zarif stays or goes. "Either way, he and @HassanRouhani are just front men for a corrupt religious mafia," he said. "We know @khamenei_ir makes all final decisions," he added, referring to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
- 'No trust' -
Zarif's announcement came hours after a surprise visit to Tehran by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has been a major recipient of Iranian aid during his country's nearly eight-year civil war. According to the semi-official ISNA news agency, Zarif was not present at any of Assad's meetings with Khamenei and Rouhani. The Entekhab news agency said it tried to reach Zarif and received the following message: "After the photos of today's meetings, Javad Zarif no longer has any credibility in the world as the foreign minister!"Rouhani insisted on Tuesday that Assad had thanked the Iranian foreign ministry during his visit, one of his very few abroad since the start of the civil war in 2011. "He said he has come to thank the nation and the leader of Iran. He also thanked the foreign ministry," Rouhani said. In an interview with the conservative Jomhoori Eslami newspaper published on Tuesday, Zarif said "everything will be lost, when there is no trust in the manager of foreign policy."Mostafa Kavakebian, a reformist MP, was among those urging Rouhani not to accept Zarif's resignation. "A great majority of MPs demand that the president never accept this resignation," he said in a tweet.
Hardliners were not as supportive. "Mr. Zarif resigned to avoid the hardships of confronting America and having to answer for the faulty path he took during his tenure," said Alireza Zakani, a former MP. The head of parliament's national security and foreign policy committee, Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, told ISNA that it was not the first time Zarif had tendered his resignation. "That he has done so publicly this time means that he wants the president to accept it."
- 'Deadly poison' -
The faceoff between Zarif and the hardliners has intensifed as time has passed, and an attempt to impeach him in parliament was dropped only in December. Zarif has publicly acknowledged that his main concern during the nuclear deal negoaitions had been about opposition from inside Iran. "We were more worried by the daggers that were struck from behind than the negotiations," he told Jomhoori Eslami. "The other side never managed to wear me down during the negotiations... but internal pressure wore me down both during and after the talks."
The latest point of contention between Zarif and the hardliners has been the implementation of the requirements of the Financial Action Task Force regarding money laundering in Iran. The rift on the issue, which has complicated Zarif's efforts to maintain European trade and investment despite the renewed US sanctions on Iran, has pitched the government against parliament and a key arbitration body. Zarif told Jomhoori Eslami that such partisan disputes over foreign policy were "a deadly poison."

Zarif’s resignation highlights Iranian regime’s fragility
د. ماجد ربيزاده: استقالة ظريف تلقي الضوء على هشاشة النظام الإيراني
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/February 26/19
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/72501/dr-majid-rafizadeh-zarifs-resignation-highlights-iranian-regimes-fragility-%d8%af-%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%ac%d8%af-%d8%b1%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%b2%d8%a7%d8%af%d9%87-%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%aa%d9%82/
In a sudden move, Iran’s top diplomat Mohammed Javad Zarif on Tuesday made the surprise announcement that he has offered his resignation from his post as foreign minister. He revealed the news on his Instagram page, stating: “I am apologizing to you for all the shortcomings... in the past years during my time as foreign minister... I thank the Iranian nation and officials.”
As an ambitious politician and academic, Zarif should not be regarded as a renegade, but rather as a regime insider. During the Iranian revolution of 1979, he became infatuated with the revolutionary principles of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He was capable of proving his loyalty to the Islamic Republic, and he was appointed as a member of the Iranian delegation to the UN in 1982. By continuing to show his determination to serve the Islamic Republic, Zarif rapidly climbed the political ladder and served as Iran’s Permanent Representative to the UN from 2002 to 2007. In 2013, President Hassan Rouhani chose Zarif as his minister for foreign affairs.
The 59-year-old was, and continues to be, a great asset for the Islamic Republic. He is considered one of the few technocrats and insiders who is deeply familiar with Western diplomacy. He is fluent in English and is cognizant of the intricacies of the cultural, social and political landscapes in the West. He attended Drew College Preparatory School in San Francisco, gained a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in international relations at San Francisco State University, and a doctorate in international law and policy from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver.
It is important to point out that the position of foreign minister in Iran is mainly ceremonial due to the fact that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has the final say on the country’s major domestic and foreign policy issues. Nevertheless, it does not follow that Iran’s foreign minister does not play any role in advancing the interests of the Islamic Republic. In fact, in order to achieve the regime’s foreign policy objectives, the foreign minister sets the tone on the regional and international stage.
For example, in 2013, the Iranian government desperately needed to reach an agreement with the West because the UN’s four rounds of sanctions had economically weakened the regime to such an extent that the power of the ruling clerics was under threat. As a result, Zarif, the Western-educated politician who was familiar with Western diplomacy, was appointed as foreign minister to strike a deal and lift the crippling sanctions. Without the blessing of the supreme leader, Zarif would not have pursued the nuclear negotiations with the West. He ultimately succeeded at rescuing the Islamic Republic for a short period of time and advancing the parochial interests of the theocratic establishment by having the UN lift the sanctions and by reaching an agreement with the West, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or the Iran nuclear deal.
When Iran’s foreign minister offers his resignation, it is the president who must either accept or reject it. Nevertheless, it is difficult to believe that Zarif offered his resignation without the knowledge and blessing of the supreme leader. The major question to address is: What does Zarif’s resignation mean?
Zarif is considered one of the few technocrats who is deeply familiar with Western diplomacy
First of all, Zarif’s offer to resign is considered a victory for Iran’s hardliners, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the judiciary system. It is also a message from the Islamic Republic, particularly the hardliners, to the international community that Tehran will be pursuing more aggressive policies. Secondly, Zarif’s resignation is a tactical game by the regime to ostensibly appease and placate the disaffected, frustrated and disenchanted public in Iran, rather than adequately address the underlying issues and problems. The Iranian government promised people that the nuclear deal would improve the economy and their living standards. However, Iran is now facing its worst economic crisis in four decades and the flow of funds and revenues has not trickled down to the ordinary people. Instead, the increasing revenues have been channeled into the pockets of the IRGC and Iran’s militia and terror groups across the Middle East.
Third, the supreme leader and the senior cadre of the IRGC frequently use the so-called moderate politicians as scapegoats. Khamenei often attempts to evade accountability by blaming the moderates, who have accepted this role because the objective of Iran’s politicians across the political spectrum is to strengthen the power of the supreme leader and the revolutionary ideals of the Islamic Republic.
In a nutshell, Zarif’s resignation indicates that the regime is intending to pursue more aggressive policies domestically, regionally and globally. It is also a tactical move by the Islamic Republic to ostensibly placate the Iranian people over their economic grievances.
• Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. He is a leading expert on Iran and US foreign policy, a businessman and president of the International American Council. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh

Malek’s Oscar triumph a moment of pride for Arabs in America
Ray Hanania/Arab News/February 26/19
When you are an Arab in America, there is a good chance you will face several hurdles in your life. Many politicians exclude us; sections of the news media stereotype us, mostly covering us only in negative stories; and the entertainment industry generally demonizes us in many Hollywood movies and published books. So, when an Arab-American manages to rise above all of that, it is worth celebrating. That’s how I felt when Rami Malek won one of the most prized Oscars at the Academy Awards, as he was named “Best Actor” on Sunday. He is the first Arab to win the Oscar in that category.
Malek, the son of Egyptian immigrants, was honored for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury, the outlandish singer for the British rock group Queen, in the movie “Bohemian Rhapsody.” In receiving his Oscar, Malek didn’t hold back about his heritage. “I am the son of immigrants from Egypt, I’m a first generation American,” Malek said in his acceptance speech, adding: “This is something I will treasure for the rest of my life.”
You need to understand what the Oscars are all about to really appreciate the hurdle that Malek has overcome. The Academy Awards are decided by more than 6,000 “film professionals,” people who work in the movie industry and are recognized by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, from producers to journalists. All 6,000 members vote for the best film, but the individual categories, like best actor, are decided by members who have a direct involvement in that aspect of the filmmaking process.
It all sounds pretty democratic, but it’s not. The Hollywood movie industry is like much of the American media, in that it is lacking Arab voices or any real diversity — it is like a club for people who share a lot of the same interests. Members have to be invited by the Academy or nominated by existing members. A 2012 study of the Academy’s membership concluded it was not very diverse and was dominated by rich, old, white men.
Hollywood has produced hundreds of movies with Arab characters or themes. The late author Jack Shaheen documented the anti-Arab nature of Hollywood films in his book "Reel Bad Arabs,” concluding that “Arabs are the most maligned group in Hollywood history.” This might help to understand why Arabs don’t get a fair chance at the Oscars.
You need to understand what the Oscars are all about to really appreciate the hurdle that Malek has overcome.
Malek didn’t win the best actor Oscar because he is Arab, even though everyone knows he is Arab. He won it for his performance in the movie “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which is also the name of one of Queen’s most popular songs. The song has been used in a lot of movies, too, usually as a theme for overcoming great odds, which makes Malek’s win even more superlative.
Not many Arabs have won Academy Awards over the years. In fact, not many Arabs have been hired to act in American movies. During the Oscars this past week, two other Arabs were nominated for awards but did not win. They were Lebanese director Nadine Labaki, whose movie “Capernaum” was nominated for best foreign language film, and Syrian director Talal Derki, whose “Of Father and Sons,” was up for best documentary.
Movies made in the Arab world and the actors who performed in them have been nominated in the past, but in lesser categories than best actor, and only a few have walked away with Oscars. The most famous Arab name in Hollywood remains Omar Sharif, who was nominated for his role in the 1962 classic “Lawrence of Arabia,” but even he did not take home a statuette.
There have been a few rare “Arab moments” at the Academy Awards, such as when Vanessa Redgrave won the Oscar for best supporting actress in 1978 for her role in “Julia,” which was about the Holocaust. During her acceptance speech, Redgrave applauded her colleagues, vowed to fight against fascism and anti-Semitism, and denounced the “bunch of Zionist hoodlums” who were protesting outside the auditorium that evening because of her work in producing a documentary detailing the suffering of the Palestinians at the hands of Israel.
She was cheered as she spoke until that point and, later on during the ceremony, she was denounced by American playwright Paddy Chayefsky. I remember cheering at the TV screen as Redgrave accepted her award, while the audience nearly choked as she denounced those “Zionist hoodlums.”
She wasn’t the first to denounce injustice, but she was the first to denounce injustice against Arabs and Palestinians on the Oscars stage. Redgrave was ostracized by the Hollywood filmmaking industry for her brief comment, and suffered severe consequences for defending the cause of Arabs, Palestinians and human rights.
So I would like to salute Malek, and I think we all should. What he did was not easy to achieve in a Hollywood industry that lacks diversity and is often an anti-Arab environment. And maybe one day, Malek will use his platform, as Redgrave once did, to similarly denounce the injustices that continue to take place against Arabs. That would really make him a superhero Arab in my eyes.
*Ray Hanania is an award-winning former Chicago City Hall political reporter and columnist. Twitter: @RayHanania

Venezuela’s sound of music could soon be replaced by gunfire
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/February 26/19
Nothing could have better symbolized the profound divisions Venezuela is currently enduring than having each side of the current deep political rupture holding their own music concerts 300 meters apart on either side of a bridge linking Venezuela and Colombia. On the border between the two countries, a convoy of humanitarian aid has become another pawn in the struggle for power between the largely discredited president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, and the self-proclaimed, though widely internationally recognized, Juan Guaido. It seems that the observation of Khalil Gibran, the Lebanese-American writer and poet, that “music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife,” is falling on deaf ears right now in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
After all, the most damning verdict on the situation in Venezuela has been passed not by the rigged ballot box that brought back to power the current corrupt and incompetent president Maduro, and not even by the mass demonstrations against him — but by the 3 million-plus citizens who have voted with their feet and left the country in the last couple of years. This amounts to around 10 percent of the population who have just given up on the country and opted to look for refuge in neighboring states.
What is striking about the current crisis in Venezuela is how a country with endless economic potential — one in possession of natural resources almost second to none, including the biggest known oil reserves in the world — has nevertheless seen millions of people flee, while those who stayed behind are suffering from poverty and even hunger. During a government-organized demonstration in support of Maduro, one of the demonstrators told the BBC World Service that the only reason she was there was to enjoy a free meal that was promised by the organizers. How tragic for a country that exports $45 billion of crude and refined petroleum annually.
Any close look at the situation would lead to the inevitable conclusion that the current deprivations suffered by the Venezuelan people can be attributed not only to the country’s failing, utterly incompetent and corrupt dictatorial government, but also, to a considerable extent, its toxic relations with the US. The latter is a close neighbor that regards Venezuela as belonging to its sphere of influence and as a major source of its oil, and has never shied away from intervening in Venezuela’s domestic affairs.
To a large extent, the sorry state of Venezuela is not that different from the situation that other countries in Latin America have endured over the last 200 years, since the Bolivarian struggle to bring an end to colonial rule swept through the continent. That movement managed to achieve self-determination across Latin America, but has not necessarily ensured stability, good governance and the wellbeing of its people. The region has suffered from constant swings between corrupt old nobility dictatorships, coups, military juntas, and left-leaning revolutions that also ended in dictatorships. Though the alleged Bolivarian revolution of Hugo Chavez claimed to be a Marxist one, Marx himself was very critical of Simon Bolivar — a native of Caracas and a leader of the Venezuelan independence movement — as representing the interests of the Creole nobility, not of the masses. While many historians might dispute this, it is doubtful whether either Marx or Bolivar would have volunteered to serve as advocates for Chavez, and definitely not for his successor Maduro, in the court of history.
The sorry state of Venezuela is not that different from the situation that other countries in Latin America have endured over the last 200 years
Chavez’s socialist ticket, which won him power in the elections 20 years ago, was as critical of the imposition of the Washington Consensus and the role of the International Monetary Fund, whose reforms hurt mainly the poor and the lower middle classes, as it was of the Venezuelan government of the time. He might have been well-intentioned to begin with, but his lack of any organized and coherent plan to move the country toward a more equal, fair and just society ended in amassing a huge external debt, reliance on the military to secure his regime, and widespread unchecked corruption. All of this was accompanied by an anti-American rhetoric that played into the hands of the hawks in Washington, who aimed to get rid of such a leader with Marxist-socialist inclinations.
Yet, Venezuela’s fast deteriorating living conditions, followed by a complete loss of direction and a significant increase in human rights violations, have only worsened since Chavez’s demise. A major contributory factor was no doubt the 2016 slump in oil prices, compounded by earlier heavy borrowing, which sent the economy into freefall and resulted in 2018’s inflation rate of 1.3 million percent, the collapse of the local currency, and a prospering black market.
Last May’s elections were marred by vote rigging, and the Organization of American States (OAS) declared the results illegitimate. Hence the US and many other countries refused to recognize Maduro’s presidency when he was sworn in last month. That contributed to the emergence of Guaido, the leader of Venezuela’s National Assembly, who declared himself interim president. This would not have taken place without the active encouragement of Washington and some other neighboring countries, including Colombia and Brazil. But, disastrous as Maduro’s leadership is, this intervention would have been more credible had it enjoyed wider international support, including UN backing. UN special rapporteur Idriss Jazairy warned the world that: “Sanctions which can lead to starvation and medical shortages are not the answer to the crisis in Venezuela.” In other words, he fears that, once again, political forces, domestic and external, are battling with one another on the backs of the Venezuelan people.
The current situation of two presidents and two governments is unsustainable and, unless a wider coalition can be formed to initiate a transition period, there is a real danger that civil war will break out; one that may well see foreign forces involved. If this happens, we will hear no music playing on either side of the border, just the sound of gunfire.
• Yossi Mekelberg is professor of international relations at Regent’s University London, where he is head of the International Relations and Social Sciences Program. He is also an associate fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House. He is a regular contributor to the international written and electronic media. Twitter: @YMekelberg

Saudi Ambassador Switch Overshadows Important Defense Appointment
تغيير سفير السعودية يلقي بظلاله على تعيين هام في وزارة الدفاع
سايمون هندرسون/ معهد واشنطن/26 شباط/19
Simon Henderson/The Washington Institute/February 26/19
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/72504/simon-henderson-saudi-ambassador-switch-overshadows-important-defense-appointment-%d8%b3%d8%a7%d9%8a%d9%85%d9%88%d9%86-%d9%87%d9%86%d8%af%d8%b1%d8%b3%d9%88%d9%86-%d8%aa%d8%ba%d9%8a%d9%8a%d8%b1/
Sending a princess to head the embassy in Washington has grabbed the headlines, but her predecessor’s elevation to deputy defense minister may have greater policy and political implications.
On February 23, Riyadh announced that it had named Princess Reema bint Bandar al-Saud as its new ambassador to the United States, bringing the previous envoy, Prince Khalid bin Salman (aka KbS), back home to serve in the Defense Ministry. Although the princess brings a very different background to the post, the prince’s promotion may prove to be the more significant change in the end.
Reema is daughter to Prince Bandar bin Sultan, who himself served as ambassador in Washington from 1983 to 2005. Her previous post was with the General Sports Authority, where she encouraged physical education for Saudi girls; she has business experience as well, running the Riyadh outpost of an upmarket London fashion store.
In Washington, she may be able to make progress on repairing diplomatic rifts and advancing other issues by plugging into some of her father’s networks. Yet she may also have to deal with the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), the U.S. law that allows plaintiffs to pursue legal action against the kingdom or its officials for alleged involvement in the September 11 attacks—a plot that unfolded during her father’s tenure. Proceedings in one such case are currently at the discovery stage.
Meanwhile, in his new role as deputy defense minister, KbS will serve directly under his full brother Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman (aka MbS), who remains defense minister. His resume is a sharp contrast to Princess Reema’s, including time as an F-15 pilot who bombed Islamic State targets in Syria. During his tenure in Washington, he developed close links with the Trump administration.
One likely reason behind the switch is Riyadh’s desire to restore amicable links with Congress, where sentiment toward the kingdom’s leadership has deteriorated drastically since the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi last October. Several lobbyist firms have since canceled their contracts with the Saudi embassy, while legislators have sponsored numerous resolutions and bills aiming to hold Riyadh and even MbS himself accountable for the incident.
KbS already appears quite committed to his new role in support of his older brother. Two days after his appointment, he visited Saudi forces on the frontlines with Yemen, where the kingdom is trying to restore the internationally recognized government overthrown by Iranian-supported Houthi rebels in 2015. After the tour, he met with civil and military personnel at ministry headquarters in Riyadh. In a related development, the kingdom has just announced that it will award an extra month’s pay to forces stationed on the border, apparently intending to boost morale in an area still subject to rebel rocket attacks. Yet it remains unclear whether elevating KbS signals a policy shift toward more diplomacy in Yemen or a doubling down on military pressure—an approach that has so failed to defeat the Houthis.
For its part, Congress is increasingly encouraging UN-mediated peace talks out of concern for Yemen’s growing humanitarian crisis and the civilian casualties caused by American-supplied munitions. European officials are doing the same, in part because they are disturbed by the crown prince’s growing dominance over Saudi decisionmaking. According to the Financial Times, EU leaders warned Egypt that they would not attend the February 25 Arab League dialogue in Sharm al-Sheikh unless King Salman led the Saudi delegation rather than MbS. Germany is especially concerned about the Yemen situation and the Khashoggi incident—in response, it has already refused to supply spare parts for Saudi Arabia’s existing fleet of Typhoon fighter-bombers, potentially jeopardizing the multi-billion-dollar sale of additional jets.
Although the king wound up attending the dialogue in the end, the embassy and defense announcements were made while he was in Egypt, creating speculation that he may not have known about the decisions despite their being issued under his name. The eighty-three-year-old monarch is increasingly seen as a mere figurehead, while MbS was welcomed as a de facto head of state during recent visits to Pakistan, India, and China.
Going forward, KbS is theoretically disqualified from becoming deputy crown prince and entering the line of succession directly behind MbS, at least according to Saudi law. But his return to Riyadh may signal that a new double act has emerged, whether to fortify his brother against ongoing international furor or pave the way for future succession maneuvers.
*Simon Henderson is the Baker Fellow and director of the Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy at The Washington Institute.
https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/saudi-ambassador-switch-overshadows-important-defense-appointment

Analysis/Zarif’s Exit Is Good News for Iran’s Radicals, Bad News for the West
زفي برئيل/هآرتس: خروج ظريف خبر جيد للراديكاليين في إيران وسيء للغرب
Zvi Bar'el/Haaretz/February 26/19
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/72508/zvi-barel-haaretz-zarifs-exit-is-good-news-for-irans-radicals-bad-news-for-the-west-%D8%B2%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84-%D9%87%D8%A2%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%B3-%D8%AE%D8%B1/
The Iranian foreign minister’s resignation could take pressure off President Rohani to step down, or it might intensify it.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s terse resignation statement ends a six-year tenure for a man considered the moderate face of Iranian foreign policy.
Zarif, who was appointed shortly after Iran’s president, Hassan Rohani, took office in 2013, headed Iran’s nuclear negotiating team with the major powers and managed to get an agreement signed despite strong and unrestrained opposition from conservative and radical movements in his country.
Until recently, Zarif also managed the talks with countries from the European Union about establishing a mechanism to circumvent American economic sanctions against Tehran. He had also hinted at a desire at reconciliation with the Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia.
Zarif, who had the full backing of Rohani and the conservative speaker of the Iranian parliament, Ali Larijani, was on the front lines when it came to attacks by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards against Rohani’s government, and served as a lightning rod that blunted direct criticism of the president himself.
Recently, however, pressure has increased on Rohani to resign due what critics said was his responsibility for the serious economic crisis prevailing in Iran, a crisis that conservatives attribute to the nuclear agreement and what they have characterized as groveling to the West, particularly the United States.
Members of the Iranian parliament signed a petition calling either on Rohani to resign or for the elimination of the post of president, to be replaced by a parliamentary system in which the legislature rather than members of the public chooses the president. It could be that Zarif’s resignation was meant to throw a bone to the radicals and the Revolutionary Guards to allow Rohani to serve out the rest of his term, which ends in 2021.
Zarif had considered resigning last month as a result of the confrontation with the Revolutionary Guards and their terrorist activity in Europe, which led to the imposition of additional sanctions on Iran and made it difficult to advance a mechanism to bypass the sanctions. Recently Zarif spoke of a limit to the economic difficulties that the people can endure. That followed a statement by Rohani that Iran was facing its worst economic crisis since the revolution.
The statements created a storm in the court of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and among the conservatives and Revolutionary Guards, who viewed the remarks as an accusation against the senior leadership and a call for new negotiations with the Western powers.
It will soon be clear whether Zarif’s resignation has actually rescued Rohani from the pressure to resign or intensifies it, and it remains to be seen who will replace him and whether his replacement will be approved by parliament.
The assessment is that, as has happened in the past, Khamenei will dictate the appointment to Rohani, thereby deepening the supreme leader’s control over the Iranian government and his ability to direct its foreign policy.
That is certainly not good news for the EU, which is trying to preserve the nuclear agreement, but not just for the Europeans. The departure of an important minister who was trying to counterbalance the policies of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards could also spell changes for the worse when it comes to Iranian activity in Syria and the Gulf.