LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
January 07/19

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
Who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit.
John 10/01-06: “‘Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.’Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on January 06-07/19
Lebanon: Efforts to Activate Caretaker Government Amid Struggle to Form New Cabinet
Lebanon’s Hosting of Arab Economic Summit Guarantees Continuous Arab, International Support
Jumblat: Syrian Regime Mouthpieces Blocking Govt.
6 Rescued in Hermel as Storm Begins to Cause Damage in Lebanon
Jumblat: Syrian Regime Mouthpieces Obstructing Government
Maronite Patriarch: Government of Specialists Is the Only Way Out of Political Crisis
Aram I calls for accelerating cabinet formation to avoid critical, negative consequences
Khreiss: No economic summit in Beirut without Syria and without a government
Finance Minister stresses severe penal measures against customs evasion
Lebanese Ski Federation hosts international championship under Army Commander's patronage
Ghosn to 'Vigorously' Defend Himself in Court, Son Says
Lebanon Among Countries That Own Most of the World's Gold

Litles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on January 06-07/19
Netanyahu to Bolton: we'll never leave the Golan Heights
Arab League to Readmit Syria, Preparation Procedures Underway
US-backed SDF captures five ISIS fighters among them two Americans
US Links Syria Withdrawal to ISIS Defeat, Kurds's Protection
Egyptian, Palestinian Presidents Discuss Intra-Palestinian Reconciliation
Egypt beefs up security around churches ahead of Coptic Christmas
Egypt’s Sisi opens mega-mosque and Mideast’s largest cathedral in New Capital
Syria’s opposition calls for reviewing decisions dealing with Assad regime
Arab League to meet on Wednesday to discuss Syria’s return to bloc
ISIS missile attack injures two British soldiers in Syria
Official: Canadian tourist held in Syria
Palestinian Authority pulls employees from Egypt-Gaza crossing
Iran MPs to investigate protester torture claims
Iran Approves Anti-money Laundering Bill
Bashir to those calling for his resignation: Prepare for Sudan 2020 elections
Iraqi FM in hot water after remarks on two-state solution

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on January 06-07/19
Lebanon Among Countries That Own Most of the World's Gold/Lovemoney.com/January 06/19
Netanyahu to Bolton: we'll never leave the Golan Heights/Ynetnews/January 06/19
India Needs More Effective Solutions Than Loan Waivers/Shamika Ravi/Bloomberg/January 06/19
First anniversary of protests in Iran/Reza Shafiee/Al Arabiya/January 06/19
The Houthis must be dealt with forcefully/Hamoud Abu Taleb/Al Arabiya/January 06/19
A farewell to Al Arabiya/Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/January 06/19
France in Free Fall/Guy Millière/Gatestone Institute/January 06/19
Iranian opposition needs widespread support in 2019/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/January 06/19

Latest LCCC English Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on January 06-07/19
Lebanon: Efforts to Activate Caretaker Government Amid Struggle to Form New Cabinet
Beirut - Nazeer Rida, /Asharq Al Awsat/Sunday, 6 January, 2019/Efforts are underway to activate the caretaker government in order to approve the budget law of 2019 - upon a call by Speaker Nabih Berri - in parallel with ongoing negotiations over the formation of a new government. Berri has called upon the caretaker ministers to convene to approve the 2019 budget law, underlining the necessity of such a move in light of the country’s economic situation. The call was welcomed by the Lebanese Forces and Amal Movement, while the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) emphasized its rejection to any attempt to revive the caretaker government. Caretaker Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil had warned on Thursday that ministries would run out of finances if Lebanon failed to approve the budget law in January. “The adoption of the budget in the caretaker government will not entail any political damage on Hariri, being the head of the caretaker government, the person in charge of forming the next government,” political sources told Asharq Al-Awsat. On the other hand, Strong Lebanon Bloc MP Salim Aoun stressed that activating the caretaker government was “out of question”. It is based on an idea put forward in 1969 to adopt the budget law, he said. A deputy in the LF-backed Strong Republic Bloc expressed “pessimism” towards the imminent formation of a new government. MP Majed Eddy Abi Lamaa said: “We are with the activation of the caretaker government because some things cannot wait.” For his part, member of Amal-backed Development and Liberation bloc, MP Fadi Alama, noted that Berri’s call “to activate the caretaker government has important objectives to accelerate the approval of the budget, as it turned out that the government file is taking time.”

Lebanon’s Hosting of Arab Economic Summit Guarantees Continuous Arab, International Support
Beirut - Youssef Diab/Asharq Al Awsat/Sunday, 6 January, 2019/The Arab Economic Summit, to be held in Beirut on January 19-20, is an important event that would strengthen political and economic relations between Lebanon and Arab countries, despite the political deadlock in forming a new government. Politicians and experts have agreed that the Summit would help Lebanon attract the needed investments to revive its economy. “The importance of the summit lies in the Arab presence in Beirut, which reflects the stability of the security situation in the country. It also represents an Arab, regional and international umbrella for Lebanon, despite the current political crisis,” said Minister of State for Planning Affairs in the caretaker government Michel Pharaon. In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Pharaon noted that the Lebanese “crisis, resulting from the political parties’ inability to form a new government, cannot be compared to other crises experienced by the region, and this means that Lebanon is still under the umbrella of Arab and international protection.” The Lebanese State has completed its preparations to host the summit, and has sent invitations to all leaders of Arab countries except for the Syrian regime, which is still outside the Arab League system. It is also preparing to present its economic vision for the coming years, based on the working paper submitted at the Cedar conference and adopted by the donor countries and institutions that have pledged to support the country, provided that reforms are launched in parallel with efforts to fight corruption and reduce the budget deficit. Economic and Financial Expert Dr. Ghazi Wazneh told Asharq Al-Awsat that the convening of the Arab Economic Summit in Beirut “suggests the presence of Arab interest in this country, gives a strong dose of support to the Lebanese economy and will be a catalyst for changing the indicators that are economically and financially discouraging.”He emphasized that the summit “is an important factor to strengthen economic and financial relations between Lebanon and the Arab countries, especially the Gulf, after the waning of these relations significantly in terms of trade exchange and the decline of tourism due to the political conditions.”

Jumblat: Syrian Regime Mouthpieces Blocking Govt.
Naharnet/January 06/19/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat on Sunday accused allies of Damascus of obstructing the formation of the new Lebanese government. "Things have become obvious to everyone. There is a systematic campaign by the mouthpieces of the Syrian regime to block the formation of the government, once through consultation and another through the invention of adding two ministers and other feeble excuses," Jumblat tweeted, in an apparent jab at the Consultative Gathering -- a grouping of six Sunni MPs who are close to Damascus and Hizbullah. Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil has meanwhile suggested adding two ministerial seats in order to form a 32-member cabinet, a proposal reportedly endorsed by Hizbullah. "This is all aimed at obstructing the (Arab) economic summit and destroying the immunity of the Lebanese entity for the sake of further hegemony," Jumblat added. He also called on the camp led by Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri to "shelve the file of privatization."

6 Rescued in Hermel as Storm Begins to Cause Damage in Lebanon
Naharnet/January 06/19/Six people stranded in snow were rescued Sunday by members of the Hermel police station in the Jbab al-Humur area, as a powerful storm started to wreak havoc across Lebanon. In Batroun, heavy rains turned roads into ponds as flash floods swept soil into the streets and pushed a huge rock onto the Bahderfel-Ajdabra road in central Batroun, the National News Agency said. A wall and several trees meanwhile crashed onto the Miyeh Miyeh road in the Kfarshouba neighborhood in the Eastern Sidon region. The collapse blocked roads and damaged a number of cars and power cables in the area. Crews from the Civil Defense, the Sidon Fire Brigade and the Miyeh Miyeh Municipality reopened the road according to NNA. The storm meanwhile forced the suspension of maritime navigation and fishing activities at the Port of Sidon. The Traffic Management Center has also reported a "partial landslide" on the highway between the Chekka Tunnel and Beirut and that crews from the Public Works Ministry were working on removing the debris.The storm, nicknamed 'Norma', is expected to end on Thursday.

Jumblat: Syrian Regime Mouthpieces Obstructing Government
Kataeb.org/ Sunday 06th January 2019/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat on Sunday accused pro-Syria politicians of obstructing the formation of a new government in Lebanon, saying that those are seeking to hinder the Arab economic summit that is set to be hosted in Beirut later this month. “There is a systematic campaign launched by the mouthpieces of the Syrian regime to impede the government formation, sometimes through the Consultative Gathering, sometimes through the heresy of adding two ministerial seats and other false pretenses,” Jumblat wrote on Twitter. “All of this is aimed at obstructing the economic summit and undermine the immunity of the Lebanese system to achieve more hegemony,” he added.

Maronite Patriarch: Government of Specialists Is the Only Way Out of Political Crisis
Kataeb.org/ Sunday 06th January 2019/Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi said that the Lebanese are witnessing the death of their country while politicians are bickering over its body, adding that all of this is happening under the pretext and slogan of "national unity".
"There is no way out of this crisis other than by forming a small-scale government of specialists," Al-Rahi said in his Sunday sermon. “How is it acceptable to disrupt the government formation for eight months just to serve the interests of those in power and the people standing behind them?"
“Politicians are turning a deaf ear to the people's suffering and to protests that we support because they are right and fair,” he stressed.

Aram I calls for accelerating cabinet formation to avoid critical, negative consequences
Sun 06 Jan 2019/NNA - Catholicos Aram I presided Sunday over Christmas Mass for the Armenian Community in Lebanon at the Armenian Orthodox Cathedral in Antelias, in the presence of Armenian Ambassador Samuel Makredjian and a large number of believers who came to celebrate the holy occasion. In his religious sermon, Aram I called for a speedy government formation to avoid any negative and serious repercussions in wake of its absence. "We rarely see a country in the Universe unable to form a government for six months," he said, "as if the budget deficit and the political will to elect a president or to form a government or to elect a parliamentary council have become normal for the Lebanese." His Holiness stressed that citizens' interests must remain above all other considerations. "The people must uphold their rights and dignity, refusing any repetition of such acts," he added. "Lebanon's distinction lies in the coexistence of its people, a coexistence based on mutual trust and respect," he went on. "It is true that various sects have their own differences and characteristics, but what brings the Lebanese together is our country and its supreme interests. Lebanon is a small country and therefore under the influence of others, but its cooperation with others should not turn into subordination that harms its interests, prosperity, development and internal unity," Aram I asserted.

Khreiss: No economic summit in Beirut without Syria and without a government
Sun 06 Jan 2019/NNA - "Liberation and Development" Parliamentary Bloc Member, MP Ali Khreiss, said Sunday that there will be no economic summit in Beirut without Syria's participation and without having a new government in Lebanon. "There is no summit in Beirut without Syria and without a government, and they must initiate reconciliation with Syria and invite it to attend the summit," Khreis said during a memorial ceremony in the Southern town of Burj Rahhal earlier today. "Lebanon needs Syria more than Syria needs Lebanon," he underlined. Concerning the stalled cabinet formation, Khreiss called for "giving up the quota for the sake of the nation.""The fate of Lebanon will not be in the hands of people or groups," he emphasized, questioning about the responsible side for the economic and social tragedy and corruption currently witnessed in the country. Khreiss noted that any move must be at the national level with a clear program, voicing herein Amal Movement's support for the people's rights and demands.

Finance Minister stresses severe penal measures against customs evasion
Sun 06 Jan 2019/NNA - Caretaker Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil stressed via Twitter on Sunday that strict punitive measures will be taken against any customs evasion act. This came in wake of the forgery recently discovered at Beirut Port, whereby Khalil disclosed that a letter was addressed to the Public Prosecutor's Office to expand its investigations into the incident. The Caretaker Finance Minister also indicated that the Customs Department was strictly commissioned to complete the necessary procedures to determine responsibilities and to apply the most severe penalties against any violators.Khalil stressed that no perpetrator will be covered in this respect, regardless of rank or affiliation.

Lebanese Ski Federation hosts international championship under Army Commander's patronage
Sun 06 Jan 2019/NNA - The Lebanese Ski Federation is organizing the "Small States Championship" within the International Ski Federation for Men, Women and Junior Athletes in the Cedars region between January 10 & 13, 2018, under the auspices of Army Chief, General Joseph Aoun. Skiers from seven Asian, European and American countries will be partaking in the Championship, namely from Hungary, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Chile, Argentina and Lebanon. The distances of the three racing tracks will be Sprint 1.2 km, 5 km and 10 km. The official opening ceremony will take place at noon on Wednesday, January 9, at the Military Officers Club in the Cedars, in presence of various sports, military, municipal and media figures. The International Federation includes more than 100 countries, among which are more than 25 states that make up the Union of Small Countries, including Lebanon. The Lebanese Ski Federation's Secretary-General, Mayor of Bcharre Freddy Keyrouz, has occupied the position of the Union's Treasurer for several years.

Ghosn to 'Vigorously' Defend Himself in Court, Son Says
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/January 06/19/Former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn will "vigorously" defend himself in a Japanese court this week after refusing to sign a confession in return for being released from custody, his son has told a French Sunday newspaper. The auto tycoon who has been held since his shock arrest in November on allegations of financial misconduct is due to appear in a Japanese court on Tuesday to hear the reasons for his detention. He will give his version of events for the first time, his son Anthony told the French weekly newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD). The father-of-four has gone from heading a powerful international auto alliance to languishing in a Tokyo detention centre, where his stay has been repeatedly extended. Anthony told the JDD that his father would be released if he signed a confession. He can "tell the prosecutor that he is contesting the charges or instead he could confess and be released. For seven weeks his decision has been quite clear," he said. "The paradox is that the confession he has been asked to sign is written only in Japanese," adding that his father does not understand it. He added that the defence do not yet have a complete file on the case. Authorities are pursuing three separate lines of enquiry against the 64-year-old Franco-Lebanese-Brazilian executive, involving alleged financial wrongdoing during his tenure as Nissan chief. They suspect he conspired with his right-hand man, U.S. executive Greg Kelly, to hide away around half of his income (some five billion yen or $44 million) over five fiscal years from 2010. They also allege he under-reported his salary to the tune of four billion yen over the next three fiscal years -- apparently to avoid criticism that his pay was too high.The growing case against the auto tycoon represents a stunning reversal of fortune for a man once revered in Japan and beyond for his ability to turn around automakers, including Nissan. "He is ready to defend himself vigorously and is very focused on the goal of responding to the accusations against him. He is particularly calm," said Anthony, who has not spoken directly with his father. "For the first time he will be able to explain all the charges against him and give his version and I think everyone will be quite surprised to hear his version of the story." Ghosn will appear handcuffed in prison clothes and will have 10 minutes to speak, his son said. He has lost ten kilos since his detention began due to a prison diet of three bowls of rice a day, and spends his time reading books. "He takes all this as a challenge," Anthony added. Prosecutors have pressed formal charges over the first allegation -- that Ghosn under-reported his salary between 2010-2015 -- but not yet over the other accusations.

Lebanon Among Countries That Own Most of the World's Gold
Lovemoney.com/January 06/19
The value of global currencies used to be directly linked to the value of gold. The so-called Gold Standard is no longer in use, but many countries and institutions still hold large reserves of this most precious of metals.
Below are the top 30 countries that are stockpiling the most gold:
1) United States of America: 8,133.5 tons
The United States of America is the country with the most gold in the world with 8,133.5 tons of gold bullion. That's nearly as much as Germany, the IMF and Italy combined. The majority of this gold is thought to be held in depositories across America, such as the famous Fort Knox.
2) Germany: 3,373 tons
Germany is the second largest hoarder of gold in the world with 3,373 tons of it. Concern over Its gold falling under Soviet control during the Cold War led to the stockpile being spread around the world. It was thought it was divided between the Federal Reserve Bank in New York, the Bank of England and the Banque de France. Recently at least half of this bounty has been bought back home to Frankfurt.
3) International Monetary Fund: 2,814 tons
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a group of 189 countries that work to foster global monetary co-operation. When it was founded in 1944 it was decided that 25% of initial quota subscriptions and subsequent quota increases were to be paid in gold. That remains the main source of the 2,814 tons of gold it holds.
4) Italy: 2,451 tons
Italy holds just a little bit more gold than France with 2,451 tons. Unlike most countries, where the gold reserves are owned by the state and managed by its central bank, Italy’s gold is actually owned by the Banca d’Italia. This gold is held in vaults in Rome and on foreign soil at the Swiss National Bank, the Federal Reserve Bank in New York and the Bank of England.
5) France: 2,435.9 tons
France has stockpiled 2,435.9 tons of gold, much of this reportedly acquired during the 1950s and 1960s. Although some is held abroad, most of this gold is said to be held in vaults under the Banque de France in Paris. A few hundred tons of French gold was sold off in the early part of this century, but its stocks have remained stable since about 2009.
6) China: 1,842.6 tons
China has 1,842.6 tons of gold in its reserves. It is also the world's biggest gold producer, ahead of Australia and Russia, and the local demand for gold has been boosted by the burgeoning wealth of its middle class.
7) Russia: 1,778.9 tons
Russia holds over a third more gold than Switzerland, with 1,778.9 tons of the stuff. The country can't get enough of this precious metal and has been busy expanding its reserves over recent years. It doesn't need to import to add to its stockpile either, as it has a billion-dollar gold mining industry.
8) Switzerland: 1,040 tons
The gold stocks move into four figures now with Switzerland holding 1,040 tons. The majority of this gold is held on home soil, but some of it is stored at the Bank of England and Bank of Canada. In 2014 there was a referendum to decide whether all the gold should be stored in Switzerland, whether the Swiss National Bank (SNB) should have the right to sell its gold reserves and whether the SNB should hold at least 20% of its assets in gold. The status quo prevailed
9) Japan: 765.2 tons
Japan holds 765.2 tons of gold in stock, more than 150 tons more than the Netherlands. It also has its own veins of gold running through its land, which have been mined on a small scale for centuries. Recent exploratory gold searches have proved positive and Japan is now looking to exploit those reserves further.
10) The Netherlands: 612.5 tons
The Netherlands takes the number 10 spot on the World Official Gold Holding Chart with 612.5 tons of gold in its stocks. Plans are currently being put in place to move its gold bullion from its current vaults in central Amsterdam to a new purpose-built facility near Zeist. Some Dutch gold is also said to be held at the Bank of England, the Bank of Canada and the Federal Reserve Bank in America.
11) India: 557.8 tons
Indian households are known to hold more gold than most other nations, largely in the form of jewelry, and the country itself also places a high value on gold storage. India holds 50 tons more gold than the European Central Bank, with 557.8 tons. Although India does have a small gold mining industry it can't support the national demand and most of its yellow metal is bought in from abroad.
12) European Central Bank: 504.8 tons
It's not a country but the European Central Bank (ECB) is the central bank of all the European Union countries that have adopted the euro as their currency. It holds 504.8 tons of gold in their name, largely as a result of transfers made to the bank by Euro member national central banks at the launch of the euro. This gold is said to be stored across five locations around the world.
13) Turkey: 495.6 tons
Turkey has over 70 tons more gold than Taiwan with 495.6 tons. The country is thought to see gold as the best way to stabilize its fragile banking system. Turkey is also pushing to exploit its own gold resources. Gold is thought to have been discovered in Turkey as early as 9000 BC, but it is only quite recently that it has become of international commercial interest.
14) Taiwan: 423.6 tons
Despite being a small island off the coast of China, Taiwan is sitting on 423.6 tons of gold and has held this amount of the precious metal for several years. Gold is always seen as a strong investment in uncertain times and with Brexit, the unpredictable Trump presidency and threats from North Korea, the world is certainly going through a period of instability. This has pushed the price of gold up, making Taiwan's gold assets a sound investment for the near term.
15) Portugal: 382.5 tons
Portugal has 382.5 tons of gold, nearly 60 tons more than Saudi Arabia. However, the country has battled with economic instability and there have been calls for it to sell off some of its gold reserves to reduce its national debt. Regulations make this easier said than done though and for now Portugal is holding on to its precious asset.
16) Saudi Arabia: 322.9 tons
The oil rich country of Saudi Arabia has the highest gold reserves in the Middle East, with 322.9 tons of the precious metal. As part of plans to diversify its economic base and place less of a reliance on oil, Saudi Arabia is also committed to boosting its gold mining industry. Although overshadowed by oil, this is not a new endeavor. Archaeological studies show that gold began being mined in the country up to 5,000 years ago.
17) United Kingdom: 310.3 tons
Many countries choose to store their gold in the heavily fortified Bank of England vault in London, the second largest in the world after the vault at the New York Federal Reserve. The UK has its fair share of gold reserves too, with 310.3 tons of the precious metal held in its name. Despite there being no gold mines currently.
18) Kazakhstan: 289.3 tons
The world's largest land-locked country Kazakhstan is currently working on developing its gold mining industry. With the help of foreign investors, attracted by its government's limited regulations, it hopes to become one of the world's largest gold-producing nations within 10 years. Perhaps it will use this to add to its own gold stocks, which currently amount to an impressive 289.3 tons.
19) Lebanon: 286.8 tons
It's definitely not the most stable country in the world, but this small Middle Eastern land is rich in gold. Lebanon is currently holding on to 286.8 tons of gold and it has the second largest gold reserves in the Middle East, after Saudi Arabia. Although Lebanon has a mining industry, gold is not one of its abundant natural resources.
20) Spain: 281.6 tons
Just making the top 20 is Spain, which holds just over a ton more of gold than Austria with 281.6 tons in its stocks. Gold mining has been going on in Spain since before pre-Christian times and it was the Romans who turned it into a flourishing industry. There is now a renewed interest in Spanish gold with a lot of prospector activity being carried out in the hope of being able to strike it lucky. It's unlikely to impact heavily on the country's gold reserves, however.
21) Austria: 280 tons
There is another big leap between 22nd and 21st place with Austria recorded as holding 280 tons of gold, more than 50 tons more than Belgium. Much of its stock was held in the Bank of England, but the Austrian National Bank is said to be working on repatriating much of this back to Vienna so that at least half of its gold is held at home.
22) Belgium: 227.4 tons
Belgium is holding on to 227.4 tons of gold. Most of this is thought to be held abroad, some in the Bank of England and some in the Bank of Canada. There had been talk of the country looking into repatriating its stocks back to Belgium, but it's thought that the transport and security costs involved in the move were prohibitive and that Belgium was unsure where to store it if it did return to home soil.
23) Philippines: 196.4 tons
The Philippines is one of Asia's largest gold producers. Although mining is big business here, it's thought that much of its gold is still untapped. Desperately poor locals hoping to get lucky and literally strike gold even undertake dangerous dives in mud-filled swamp mines in search of the precious metal. The country has large reserves of gold already, however, with 196.4 tons recorded as being under its ownership.
24) Venezuela: 187.6 tons
Venezuela was in the top 20 gold owners until a few years ago, but in a bid to reduce its vast debts and fend off an economic crisis it sold off about $1.7 billion (£1.2 billion) of gold in early 2016 and it's now down to 187.6 tons. There is an established gold mining business in Venezuela but as its economic situation worsens an increasing number of unlicensed illegal mines are springing up.
25) Algeria: 173.6 tons
The north African country of Algeria has 20 tons of gold more than Thailand, with 173.6 tons of the stuff. It also has a strong gold mining tradition with gold thought to have been mined here on a small scale since pre-Roman times. The government has only recently taken steps to encourage commercial gold mining on a large scale as it's thought that there is a great deal of wealth hidden beneath its soil.
26) Thailand: 152.4 tons
Thailand is stockpiling 152.4 tons of gold, over 20 tons more than Singapore. Thailand mines its own gold and the Thai people place a high value on the precious metal. In fact, south-east Asians as a whole are much keener on gold, for jewelry in particular, than people anywhere else in the world.
27) Singapore: 127.4 tons
Those looking for a secure place to store their gold often settle on Singapore, because the country has not been tarnished by any major corruption scandals, crime is low and so are taxes, plus the cost of gold storage here is incredibly competitive. The country itself has also got a substantial reserve of gold: 127.4 tons of the stuff to be precise.
28) Sweden: 125.7 tons
Sweden isn't an obvious choice for being a major player in the gold market, but this Scandinavian country actually owns 125.7 tons of gold bars. It doesn't keep all of its stocks on home ground, however. As well as Sweden's central bank, the Riksbank, the country's gold is also reportedly held within the Bank of England, the Bank of Canada, the Federal Reserve Bank in America and the Swiss National Bank.
29) South Africa: 125.3 tons
Once one of the world's largest gold producers, gold production has dropped significantly in South Africa in recent years and as a result of this the numbers working in the gold mining industry have fallen too. The country still has large piles of gold in its stores, however, with 125.3 tons of the precious metal being held.
30) Mexico: 120.5 tons
Not only does Mexico keep its gold reserves high, with 120.5 tons in its stores, it is also a major producer of gold. The Central American country is one of the 10 largest gold miners in the world. Many countries store gold abroad, often simply because the logistics of transporting it home are too complicated, and Mexico is reported to hold a proportion of its gold in the Bank of England gold vaults in London.

Latest LCCC English Miscellaneous Reports & News published on January 06-07/19
Netanyahu to Bolton: we'll never leave the Golan Heights
Ynetnews/January 06/19
Prime Minister Netanyahu holds joint press conference with U.S. National Security Advisor Bolton; as Bolton hails US-Israeli relations, Netanyahu asks for Washington's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton for Washington's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights Sunday. Netanyahu stressed Israel's right over the Golan Heights at a joint press conference with Bolton, a day after the latter arrived in Israel. The Golan Heights is the area captured from Syria and occupied by Israel during the Six-Day War, territory which Israel effectively annexed in 1981. "Tomorrow, if whether permits, we will go up to the Golan Heights, it is tremendously important for our security. When you are there, you'll be able to understand perfectly why we will never leave the Golan Heights and why it is important that all countries recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights...Welcome friend," the prime minister said. Netanyahu turned to Bolton, and thanked Washington for its unequivocal support of Israel.
"Your visit has given us an opportunity to do two things," Netanyahu said. "First, it has given us an opportunity to thank the Trump administration for their extraordinary support. Secondly, the president decided to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moved the embassy to Jerusalem—a historic decision which we welcome.""Third, you've unequivocally backed Israel at the United Nations, which is deeply appreciated by Israelis around the world. You have backed both in words and deeds Israel's right to defend itself," he added. According to a Washington official, Bolton arrived in Israel to allay Israel's concerns about U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. As expected, Bolton conveyed the message that the United States has strong ties with Israel, claiming it's "the best US-Israel relationship in our history.”"We've got the continuing threat of Iran's quest for deliverable nuclear deal, and despite getting out of the Iranian nuclear deal and despite the sanctions, we have little doubt that Iran is strategically committed to achieving deliverable nuclear weapons, United States and Israel are strategically committed to making sure that doesn’t happen."
As for Washington's decision to pull all its troops from Syria, Bolton said he intends to discuss this issue further, but was confident that the U.S. administration will continue to protect Israel in the process. "We will be discussing the president's decision to withdraw and but make sure IS is defeated and…. make sure the defense of Israel and our other friends in the regions is assured," he said. "Trump backs Israel's right to self defense; he says it publicly and unequivocally. Any nation...that has any doubt about American support for Israel's self defense— it better think about it again," he added.
The pullout announced before Christmas was initially expected to be completed within weeks, but the timetable has slowed as the president acceded to requests from aides, allies and members of Congress for a more orderly drawdown.
Israeli officials have expressed alarm that a swift withdrawal of the roughly 2,000 troops could enable Iran to expand its influence and presence in Syria, wracked by a yearslong civil war and the Islamic State militancy.
In addition, Trump's move has raised fears about clearing the way for a Turkish assault on Kurdish fighters in Syria who have fought alongside American troops against IS extremists. Turkey considers the Kurdish People's Protection Units, or YPG, a terrorist group linked to an insurgency within its own borders.
Bolton warned Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, not to use the U.S. drawdown as a pretext to use chemical weapons against Syrians, saying there is "no change" to the U.S. position that their use is a "red line." Trump has twice carried out airstrikes in Syria in response to apparent chemical attacks, with the intention of deterring Assad. Trump's announcement about the intended troop withdrawal was greeted by surprise and condemnation from many U.S. lawmakers and allies, and prompted the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and the U.S. special envoy for the anti-IS coalition in protest.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is following Bolton to the Mideast this coming week for an eight-country tour of Arab allies to shore up support for the administration's partners in the region. Before leaving for the Mideast, Pompeo said that them the administration has cultivated a relationship between Arab states and Israel in order to ensure a coalition to secure American security."The previous administration decided that the biggest terror supporter in the world, Iran, would be its partner in the Middle East. We have categorically changed that... You heard the president’s declaration about the withdrawal from Syria, but with the help of our partners we will still be able to effectively combat the ISIS threat in the region and do it without the presence of 2,000 troops on the ground,” he said.

Arab League to Readmit Syria, Preparation Procedures Underway
Agencies/Sunday 06th January 2019/The Arab League is preparing a resolution that will readmit Syria to the regional bloc and could begin discussions as early as this month, a diplomatic source from an Arab member state told Russia's Sputnik news agency. "The Arab League is working on a draft resolution to restore Syria’s membership. It might be put up for debate at the Economic and Social Summit in Beirut," the source said. "The Arab League is working on a draft resolution to restore Syria’s membership. It might be put up for debate at the Economic and Social Summit in Beirut," another source also told Russia Today. The Arab League will convene on Wednesday to discuss Syria’s readmission to the bloc. Syria’s membership of the League was suspended in 2011, in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings. Saudi Arabia, reportedly seen as Syria’s rival in the group, said last week it did not mind the return of Damascus, following the UAE’s reopening of its embassy in the capital city after a six-year break.

US-backed SDF captures five ISIS fighters among them two Americans
Jiwan Soz, Al Arabiya English/Sunday, 6 January 2019/The US-backed force known as the Syrian Democratic Forces announced that it captured five ISIS members in the extremist group last stronghold in Deir Ezzor province, east of the Euphrates river, bordering Iraq. Among the five two from the United States and others from Ireland and Pakistan, according to SDF. In a press release on Sunday, SDF confirmed capturing the five ISIS members, saying that “They were preparing to launch attacks against the fleeing civilians from that areas” pointing out that the capture happened on December 30. According to field sources, the SDF only announced the news after it finished interrogation with the five elements. The five are American Warren Christopher Clark (34 year) from Huston, who goes by the name “American Abu Mohammad” and American from Arab origin Zaid Abed al-Hamed known by “American Abu Zaid”.In addition to the two Americans, there are an Irish citizen called Alexandr Ruzmanovich Bekmirzaev from Dublin, in addition to two Pakistanis Fadel al-Rahman Jad from Lahore and Abed al-Azem Rajbout. The Syrian Democratic Forces have arrested around 1,000 foreign fighters of ISIS during its control of vast areas in Syria. Among those captured, militants who were part of a notorious kidnapping cell dubbed “The Beatles” known for torturing hostages and executing foreign journalists in Syria and Iraq, in addition to another fighter from al-Qaeda, known to have met with the terrorist group’s leader Osama bin Laden, before he was killed. Most of the foreign governments refuse to repatriate their citizens who were fighting with ISIS, while Kurdish officials say “they cannot detain them (ISIS fighters) forever, calling the international community to “find a solution.”In contrast to what is happening in Iraq, where the Iraqi judicial authorities sentenced more than 300 members of the extremist group, including 100 foreigners to life imprisonment or death, the Kurdish authorities and their local allies in Syria refuse to prosecute captured ISIS fighters while they only prosecute the extremist group local members without carrying out the death penalty. The Syrian Democratic Forces, the armed wing of the Kurdish-dominated Democratic Council of Syria, fought its last battles against ISIS in Deir al-Zour, ending its long-standing rule in several Syrian regions.

US Links Syria Withdrawal to ISIS Defeat, Kurds's Protection
Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 6 January, 2019/White House national security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday that the US withdrawal from Syria is now linked with Turkey's agreement to protect the Kurds. Bolton added that the US also wants measures to protect withdrawing US forces. He told reporters during a visit to Israel, that Trump "wants the ISIS caliphate destroyed," a reference to ISIS militants in Syria. Bolton, who will travel to Turkey on Monday, said the United States will talk to Turkey to find out what its objectives and capabilities were, Reuters reported. He stressed that the US doesn't wish Ankara to make any move that’s not fully coordinated with Washington. “We don’t think the Turks ought to undertake military action that’s not fully coordinated with and agreed to by the United States," Bolton told reporters.

Egyptian, Palestinian Presidents Discuss Intra-Palestinian Reconciliation
Cairo - Sawsan Abu Hussein//Asharq Al Awsat/Sunday, 6 January, 2019/Egyptian President Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi received on Saturday his Palestinian counterpart, President Mahmoud Abbas, in Cairo where they discussed the latest developments in the Middle East and Palestine, particularly the intra-Palestinian reconciliation. President Abbas praised Egypt’s efforts and the importance of continuing coordination and contact between both countries. The two leaders also discussed ways to reinforce mutual relations between Palestine and Egypt and their peoples. In an official statement, Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said Sisi stressed to Abbas Egypt’s continued efforts in retrieving Palestinians’ legitimate rights within international accords. He affirmed Egypt’s efforts with Palestinian sides to achieve national reconciliation, as well as working on overcoming all obstacles which might obstruct achieving the unity of the Palestinians. Abbas stressed his appreciation of Egyptian efforts in achieving reconciliation between Palestinian factions, adding his keenness to continue consultations and coordination with Egypt on different issues of common interest. Earlier, President Abbas met with Egyptian journalists and writers at his official residence in Cairo and reviewed recent developments in the region, especially the United State’s recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel and moving its embassy to the city. Abbas stressed that this “will not undermine our right in Jerusalem, nor will it make us give up on any of our national constants and rights or accept the deal of the century,” adding that it will not change the fact that East Jerusalem is the capital of the Palestinian state. “All doors are closed in the face of the US, unless it goes back on the punitive measures it took against us,” Abbas was quoted by Wafa News Agency-, “and therefore no Palestinian, regardless of his status, is allowed to meet with them.”The President also indicated that the state is up against three “unbearable situations” referring to the US stance, Israeli positions, and the Muslim Brotherhood. “What is coming is very dangerous and I will not end my life as a traitor. I do not have weapons to fight with, but I can say no and I have a people who also can say no.” President Abbas praised the Constitutional Court ruling to dissolve the Legislative Council, whose members received huge salaries every month without doing anything since its functions were suspended following the Hamas split and takeover of power in Gaza in July 2007. He said the Court has ruled as well to hold elections within six months, warning that if the elections were “not allowed in Jerusalem, I will not agree to any elections.”
President Mahmoud Abbas and his accompanying delegation arrived in Cairo on Friday for an official visit, during which met with his Egyptian counterpart and several officials.

Egypt beefs up security around churches ahead of Coptic Christmas
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Sunday, 6 January 2019/Egyptian security forces reinforced their presence around churches in the capital and surrounding cities, in preparation of the Coptic Christmas celebrations scheduled to take place on Sunday eve. The security reinforcement comes as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated the largest cathedral in the Middle East in the new administrative capital, where the Christmas mass will be held later on Sunday. The reinforcements come in the heels of the recent death of an Egyptian officer, who passed while attempting to defuse a bomb near a church in the city of Nasr on Saturday. Two other policemen were injured. In late December, Sisi ordered the creation of a committee to tackle “sectarian incidents,” through “developing a general strategy to prevent and confront sectarian incidents.”The new committee is currently being headed by Sisi’s security and counterterrorism advisor, and previous interior minister, Magdy Abdel Ghaffar, while also including representatives from security and intelligence agencies.

Egypt’s Sisi opens mega-mosque and Mideast’s largest cathedral in New Capital
Reuters, Cairo/Sunday, 6 January 2019/President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated Egypt’s largest church and mosque in the New Administrative Capital on Sunday, the eve of Coptic Christmas, in a symbolic message of tolerance in the predominantly Muslim nation. Copts, the largest Christian minority in the Middle East, were due hold a midnight mass in the Cathedral of the Nativity, billed by the government as the Middle East’s largest church, a few hours after the inauguration. Coptic Christians make up an estimated 10 percent of Egypt’s nearly 100 million people. They have also increasingly been targeted in recent years by militants including ISIS, which is waging an insurgency in the north of the remote Sinai Peninsula. Foreign dignitaries and officials including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Arab League Chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit flanked Sisi at the opening, state television showed. Angham, a prominent local singer, sang for Muslim-Christian coexistence as a display of fireworks lit the skies over the two houses of worship. “On this day we see you have fulfilled this promise and here we are witnessing a great opening on this grand occasion,” the head of the Coptic church Pope Tawadros II said. He will preside over midnight mass later in the evening with Sisi in attendance. US President Donald Trump also praised the opening of the church and the mosque. A worker cleans the interior of the new Coptic Cathedral of the Nativity in the New Administrative Capital (NAC) east of Cairo. “Excited to see our friends in Egypt opening the biggest Cathedral in the Middle East. President Al-Sisi is moving his country to a more inclusive future,” Trump tweeted on Sunday. The Cathedral of the Nativity, adorned with Coptic icons, can accommodate more than 8,000 worshippers while the al-Fattah al-Aleem Mosque can hold nearly double the number. Both are located in the new administrative capital, a major development located some 45 km (28 miles) east of Cairo. Contractors have been clearing debris from the perimeter of the cathedral in the last two weeks in preparation for its grand opening, a Reuters witness said. The new Egyptian capital, announced in March 2015, is intended partly to reduce crowding in Cairo but will also be home to government ministries and an airport. The government is expecting to begin moving to the new premises later this year.

Syria’s opposition calls for reviewing decisions dealing with Assad regime
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Sunday, 6 January 2019/The head of the Syrian Negotiation Commission of opposition and revolution forces, Nasr al-Hariri expressed hope that the countries which announced restoring relations with the Syrian regime, will reconsider their decisions.
In a press conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Hariri who represent the Syrian opposition, said on Sunday that: “Iran aims to isolate Syria from its natural Arab surrounding.”The president of the official Syrian opposition added: “We are in front of a historic stage, either we leave the field to the Syrian regime or not.”Nasr al-Hariri said: “We hope the Arab leaders won’t give up on the Syrian people,” warning of the “entry of the Iranian militias to fill the vaccum of the American dangerous pullout.”He pointed out that the “Constitution’s Committee should be under a UN sponsor” pointing to “attempts by international parties to overcome the problematic points in the Constitution’s Committee.”

Arab League to meet on Wednesday to discuss Syria’s return to bloc
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Sunday, 6 January 2019/The Arab League will postpone an upcoming meeting to Wednesday to discuss Syria’s readmission to the bloc, a source told Russia Today on Sunday. The meeting of permanent representatives will consider a number of issues, among them the restoration of Syria's membership in the Arab League, which has been frozen since November 2011. "The Arab League is working on a draft resolution to restore Syria’s membership. It might be put up for debate at the Economic and Social Summit in Beirut," the source said. This follows the UAE’s reopening of its embassy in the capital city after a six-year break, with Bahrain soon to follow. For Syria to be reinstated, the Arab League must reach a consensus.

ISIS missile attack injures two British soldiers in Syria
AFP, Beirut/Sunday, 6 January 2019/Two British soldiers were wounded Saturday in eastern Syria by a missile fired by ISIS extremist group, an NGO said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the pair were part of the international anti-extremist coalition, led by the United States. “The two British soldiers were transported by helicopter to receive medical care,” the Observatory’s director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. A Kurdish fighter from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) died in the attack in the village of Al-Shaafa in Deir Ezzor province, one of the last pockets of territory still controlled by IS in the Euphrates River valley. The SDF, a coalition dominated by Kurdish fighters, has spearheaded the fight against ISIS, supported by several Western countries including the United Kingdom. The international alliance seized the key ISIS holdout of Hajin in December after months of fighting that has seen the extremists launch vicious counter-attacks. ISIS, which once controlled swathes of Syria and Iraq, has been pounded by multiple offensives. Since September, more than 1,000 extremists have been killed in the fighting compared with just under 600 SDF members while 15,000 people have fled Hajin, according to the Observatory. Last month US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of around 2,000 soldiers from Syria, deployed to support the SDF, claiming ISIS had been defeated. The Syrian war, which began in 2011, has caused more than 370,000 deaths and forced millions of people to flee their homes. On Friday, a senior State Department official said that the United States has no timeline to withdraw troops from Syria but does not plan to stay indefinitely, a strong signal that forces could stay until the fight against ISIS militants ends.

Official: Canadian tourist held in Syria
AFP, Ottawa/Sunday, 6 January 2019/A Canadian tourist is being held in Syria, Ottawa said Saturday, after local media reported the man had traveled to a village close to the Lebanese border in areas controlled by President Bashar al-Assad. Canadian media say there have been no signs of British Columbia native Kristian Lee Baxter, 44, since December 1. Described as an “adventure” traveler by his loved ones, Baxter has made no contact since arriving at a Syrian village where his brother-in-law was born. He had traveled there despite the brutal war raging in Syria since 2011. A Global Affairs Canada spokesman told AFP “a Canadian citizen has been detained in Syria,” without providing any further details for confidentiality reasons. Since the Syrian war broke out, Ottawa has urged Canadians to avoid traveling to the country. The conflict has killed over 360,000 people and displaced millions more. “The security situation across Syria significantly restrains the Canadian government's ability to provide consular assistance,” Global Affairs said in response to a query, while noting that consular services were provided to relatives and the individual concerned “as much as possible.”Canada has cut diplomatic ties with Damascus since the conflict began.

Palestinian Authority pulls employees from Egypt-Gaza crossing
Reuters/Monday, 7 January 2019/The Palestinian Authority said on Sunday it had ordered its employees to pull out from the Gaza-Egypt border crossing, effectively closing the main exit point from the impoverished Gaza Strip. The dispute over the border stems from a rift between the PA, based in the occupied West Bank and headed by Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and the Islamist militant group Hamas, which took control of Gaza more than a decade ago in a civil war. Re-opening the Rafah crossing, which according to human rights groups is the sole exit point from Gaza for an estimated 95 percent of its 2 million population, will require Egypt to agree on a new operator. It is unclear whether it will allow Hamas to run the passage. Cairo has not so far commented on the situation. PA employees were deployed to Gaza’s border crossings with Israel and Egypt in 2017 under Egyptian mediation in what was seen as the first concrete step towards ending the dispute. The PA said Sunday’s decision to pull out from the crossing was a response to Hamas undermining its operations and detaining some of its workers. “After Hamas’s insistence on bolstering division ... and the questioning, detention and suppression of our employees, we have become convinced it is useless to maintain our presence there,” it said. The decision takes effect on Monday, though the crossing was already scheduled to be closed until Tuesday due to a holiday. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told Reuters the closure of the border amounted to “additional sanctions by Abbas against the people of Gaza”. “This is a blow to... Egypt, which had overseen the handover of the crossings as part of the implementation of the reconciliation deal that Abbas has destroyed,” he said. Poverty is rampant in Gaza due to an Israeli-Egyptian blockade and three armed confrontations with Israel since 2008, as well as the internal rivalry. Israel says its restrictions are to stop weapons entering the territory. The two Palestinian groups have tried and failed numerous times to end their dispute. Officials from Abbas’s Fatah movement said Hamas-led security forces have detained nearly 400 of their supporters and activists in Gaza in recent days, while Hamas said dozens of their men were detained by the PA in the West Bank.

Iran MPs to investigate protester torture claims
AFP, Tehran/Sunday, 6 January 2019/Iran’s parliament will investigate claims by a labor protest leader that he was tortured in prison following strikes at a sugar factory, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported on Sunday. Alireza Rahimi, a member of parliament’s presiding board, said his request for an investigation had been accepted by speaker Ali Larijani, according to ISNA. It followed claims by Esmail Bakhshi, written on his Instagram account and reported by the reformist Etemad newspaper, that he was tortured during 25 days in detention in southwestern Khuzestan province late last year. Bakhshi was one of the organizers of weeks-long protests at the Haft Tapeh sugar factory in Shush over unpaid wages and alleged criminal activity by new private owners. Ali Motahari, an outspoken member of parliament, wrote a column in Etemad on Sunday titled “Source of shame”, demanding answers from the intelligence ministry. The governor of Khuzestan, Gholamreza Shariati, denied Bakhshi’s claims. “I checked with the relevant bodies and the claim of torture was strongly denied,” he told the Jamaran news site. Rahimi said Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi will attend the commission hearings in parliament, according to ISNA. Earlier, Bakhshi sent a letter to Iran’s Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi, calling him for a challenge in a live TV debate. Bakhshi wrote: “They used to curse me and Mrs. Kulian all kind of dirty curses and they beat me up.”He added that: “The blows that have been inflicted on me during torture have made me take psychiatric medication and tranquilizers, and in some cases I have suffered severe neurological and psychological attacks.”He also said all his phone conversations with his wife during his detention, were tapped. The strike at Haft Tapeh, which has around 4,000 workers, largely ended in December after the workers received their wages. Iran has been hit by strikes over working conditions in several key sectors this year, including education, mines, transport and the steel industry, mainly outside Tehran. In November the head of Iran’s judiciary warned restive workers against creating “disorder”. “Workers should not allow their demands to become an excuse and an instrument for the enemy,” Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani said, quoted by the judiciary’s news agency Mizan Online.

Iran Approves Anti-money Laundering Bill
London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Sunday, 6 January, 2019/Iran's Expediency Discernment Council (EDC) approved Saturday an anti-money laundering bill, during the first meeting chaired by Sadeq Larijani who was appointed last week as the head of the Council. The new bill will allow the government to execute several reforms in order to implement standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). "The bill on amending the law to counter money laundering was approved with certain changes and will be sent to the parliament speaker to be communicated to the government," Expediency Council member Gholamreza Mesbahi told IRNA. The amendment is one of four proposed by the government in March to facilitate joining FATF, and the three regulations are: amending the anti-terrorism act, signing Combating the Financing of Terrorism(CFT), and signing the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.
The parliament also passed two other bills allowing Iran to join to international treaties on the financing of terrorism and organized crime, but their approval was delayed by higher authorities, including the Guardian Council. In mid-December, the secretary of the Expediency Council, Mohsen Rezaee, said CFT, FATF, and other conventions on organized crime and money laundry opposes the constitution and general policies. The anti-money laundering bill is one of four of legislation put forward by the government to that end. A previous bill on the mechanics of monitoring and preventing terrorist financing was signed into law in August. The EDC is an assembly that resolves disputes between the parliament and the high legislative body of the Guardian Council of the Constitution. It currently has 44 members, all appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Iranian government has only one month to implement the criteria set by FATF, an international body to combat money laundering and terrorism financing. The list of FATF includes Iran and North Korea, although the Paris-based organization has temporarily suspended its measures against the country since June 2017, while Tehran is working on reforms. Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, told parliament in October that the remaining countries in the nuclear deal, including China and Russia, will require Iran to join FATF to facilitate banking transactions, denying it will falter activities of domestic bodies if Tehran agreed to FATF standards.
European countries say Iran's commitment to the FATF standards and its removal from the organization's black list are necessary to increase its investment, especially after the re-imposition of US sanctions on Tehran. Iranian hardliners pointed that the legislation toward compliance with the FATF, will grant the Western powers influence on the Iranian economy and could hamper Iranian financial support for allies such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Parliament last year passed the anti-money laundering bill, one of four amendments Iran needs to implement to meet FATF requirements, but the Guardian Council rejected it, saying it was against Islam and the constitution. Seven months after his harsh dismissal of parliamentary efforts to adapt FATF and other international conventions on money laundering, Supreme Leader Khamenei seems to have warmed to the reforms, which experts believe is aimed at preventing Iran’s economic collapse. In recent months, several protests swept the country against economic hardship. The sanctions have depressed the value of Iran’s rial currency and aggravated annual inflation fourfold to nearly 40 percent in November. US President Donald Trump withdrew from a nuclear deal with Iran last year and reimposed the sanctions on its banking and energy sectors, hoping to curb its missile and nuclear programs and counter its growing influence in the Middle East. European signatories are still committed to the nuclear deal and seek to launch the mechanism, special purpose vehicle (SPV), aiming to sidestep the US financial system by using an EU intermediary to handle trade with Iran. The director general of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, an advisory body set up by Khamenei, voiced his support for the FATF-related bills on Friday, according to Reuters. Semi-official ISNA new agency quoted Abdolreza Faraji as saying: “It is better to finalize the FATF and CFT in the earliest time, so the Europeans have no excuse not to implement SPV mechanism.”

Bashir to those calling for his resignation: Prepare for Sudan 2020 elections
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Sunday, 6 January 2019/Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir called upon those who are demanding him to step down to prepare for the 2020 elections to reach power. In a televised interview, al-Bashir added that his government had a popular mandate and came to power through elections supervised by a commission recognized by all political powers. He pointed out that the current constitution is approved by all political powers, accusing those whom he described as saboteurs by trying to invest in protests to implement political agendas. The Sudanese president remarks come after he fired the minister of health Mohamed Abuzaid Mustafa for the high prices of medicine and for what the medical sector is going through. For his part, Sudanese prime minister and minister of finance Motazz Moussa described the protests by the Sudanese youth as “a clear demands.”He clarified that his government is working on providing solutions to resolve the economic crisis. Sudan’s PM considered the political interference in the protests in Sudan now as “indecent and condemned.”Moussa stressed that “the only way out of the Sudanese political crisis is to hold free and fair elections in 2020,” pledging to accept “the people’s choice.”Moussa also announced that the problem of cash flow will be resolved at the end of February, and will be completed in March for good, saying that “the policies adopted by the government led to a decline in the dollar in the parallel market.”
Sudan security forces arrest Khartoum University lecturers
But despite the Sudanese officials assurances, Sudanese security authorities arrested several faculty members from Khartoum University on Sunday, two professors said, after they joined anti-government protests that have posed the most serious challenge to President al-Bashir’s rule.
The arrests came amid fresh demonstrations in Khartoum and Wad Madani in response to a call by a coalition of professional unions to push for Bashir to step down. Witnesses said security forces blocked professors and lecturers from coming out to protest outside the university, arresting at least eight. It was the first time the faculty of the country’s oldest and most prestigious educational institution has joined the protests since they began last month. The rest were forced to return into the faculty club house, where security forces surrounded the building trapping about 100 professors and lecturers inside for nearly three hours. “We demand the president of the republic to step down,” one placard read carried by the lecturers inside the club house, according to pictures posted on social media. A police spokesman could not immediately be reached to comment. Intermittent protests have rocked Sudan since anger over food shortages and rising bread prices erupted into demonstrations in the city of Atbara in the north on Dec. 19. Security forces have used tear gas on occasions, live ammunition against demonstrators and rounded up more than 2,000 people. The Sudanese government has said that 19 people were killed in the protests, including at two members of the security forces. Amnesty International has put the death toll at 37.
Fresh protests
In Sunday’s protests, witnesses said hundreds of men and women marched from three separate locations in the capital trying to reach the presidential palace in central Khartoum but were dispersed by security forces using tear gas and stun grenades. A separate protest in Wad Madani, Sudan’s second largest city, was also dispersed by security forces using tear gas, according to witnesses. The protests were smaller than previous demonstrations. They are the most persistent opposition Bashir has faced since he took power in an Islamist-backed coup nearly 30 years ago. Sudan’s economy has struggled to recover from the loss of three quarters of its oil output - its main source of foreign currency - since South Sudan seceded in 2011, keeping most of the oilfields. The United States lifted 20-year-old trade sanctions on Sudan in October 2017. But many investors have continued to shun a country still listed by Washington as a state sponsor of terrorism, whose president is wanted by the International Criminal Court over charges of masterminding genocide in Darfur - charges he dismisses.(With Reuters)

Iraqi FM in hot water after remarks on two-state solution
Hassan al-Saidy, Al Arabiya English – BaghdadSunday, 6 January 2019/Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Ali al-Hakim angered his cabinet peers this week after expressing support for the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. “Iraq believes in a two-state solution to end the Palestinian crisis with Israel,” Hakim said, prompting some members of the Iraqi parliament to demand that he not to take such sensitive stances without consulting the cabinet and the parliament. MP Hassan Shaker of the Construction Alliance said that it was not the minister’s place to make the statement. “This does not represent Iraq officially, but represents his individual viewpoint,” Shaker said. Meanwhile, a parliamentary bloc named “the coalition of state law,” led by former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, called on the House of Representatives to take strict measures against the foreign minister. Following the uproar, the ministry released another statement reiterating Iraq’s support for the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. The Iraqi ministry “confirms Iraq’s historic and fundamental stance on the Palestinian cause and supporting the rights of the Palestinian people to liberate their land and their people and to establish an independent state with al-Quds as its capital,” the media office of the ministry said in a statement. The ministry also said that “Iraq supports Arab and international peace initiatives, including the Arab Peace Initiative, which was presented at the Beirut summit in 2002 and has become a permanent item on the agenda of subsequent Arab summits,” it added.

Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on January 06-07/19
India Needs More Effective Solutions Than Loan Waivers
Shamika Ravi/Bloomberg/January 06/19
It’s election season in India and the money is flowing. Governments in many states have begun waiving tens of millions of dollars’ worth of loans to poor farmers in an effort to buy their loyalty. The argument – widely accepted by politicians and journalists, the demographic groups with the least fiscal instinct – is that India’s farmers are buckling under the weight of their debts and rural suicides are spiking dangerously. Rural households are desperate for relief.
The numbers tell a different story. And, given the detrimental impact on credit discipline, not to mention the hole such waivers are going to blow in state budgets, politicians would be wise to rethink their plans.
According to India’s National Crime Records Bureau, the number of farmers committing suicide has actually been falling in recent years; fewer such deaths were recorded in 2016 than at any time in the previous 16 years. Nearly twice as many Indian housewives commit suicide as farmers do.
Nor does there seem to be a clear link between farmer suicides and poverty. Suicide mortality rates are higher in the relatively wealthy states of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh than in poorer Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. If one examines the incidence of indebtedness – the percentage of households that owe money to banks or moneylenders – it’s true that poorer farmers tend to owe more. They have a much higher debt-to-asset ratio and hold more formal and informal loans than richer households do.
But they’re not the ones killing themselves: According to data from the National Sample Survey Office, nearly 90 per cent of the farmers who committed suicide in Maharashtra owned more than two acres of land. Six out of 10 owned more than four acres.
This defies the centuries-old stereotype of rail-thin farmers laboring to pay back fat, greedy and unscrupulous moneylenders – a trope that can be found everywhere from the 1957 Bollywood hit “Mother India” to the dry pages of Reserve Bank of India reports. The overriding objective behind most of the government’s subsidized credit schemes since the 1950s has been to provide alternatives to these usurers. States such as Bihar where moneylenders hold more sway, though, tend to see fewer suicides. In high-suicide Maharashtra, formal loans account for 87 percent of total outstanding debt – far above the national average of 57 percent.
Overall, too, India’s farmers are doing far better than many realise. One way to gauge the well-being of rural households is to look at how much they’re buying: They now account for 45 per cent of the fast-moving consumer goods sector in India. This is remarkable given the vast disparity in disposable incomes between urban and rural households, and it implies that improvements in rural infrastructure, connectivity and digitization are translating into higher demand. Over the last three years, rural sales grew significantly faster than urban sales in both volume and value; consumption growth currently stands at a robust 9.7 per cent.
What policymakers need to realize, first, is that India has no single rural economy. It’s always possible to find distressed households somewhere. But they may fall in the bottom quintiles, or perhaps in specific states of the country or perhaps even among the rich farmers of Mehrauli, near Delhi. More targeted programs would address the problem more effectively and far more cheaply than blanket loan waivers.
Second, loans are clearly not the only source of farmer distress. While “indebtedness” has been rising as a cause of farmer suicides since the government began measuring them separately in 2014, the most commonly cited causes of suicide in India historically have been “family problems” or “illness.” The latter especially has seldom received enough policy attention in the past decades. Access to healthcare, as well as to rural infrastructure, obviously plays a role in determining how optimistic and secure farmers feel.
Each of these issues requires a different prescription. As agricultural productivity and output improve, for instance, and India grows more food-secure, farmers are inevitably going to face lower prices. The most effective and least distortionary way to support them would be through direct benefit transfers. The new National Health Protection Mission (“Ayushman Bharat”) should improve rural healthcare. Free LPG connections for poor households should lower their energy burdens while improving the respiratory health of women (smoke from cooking fires is a leading cause of death in many parts of India).
What is abundantly clear is that loan waivers aren’t the panacea they’re made out to be politically. Those who want to help India’s farmers should be working much harder to figure out what they really need.

First anniversary of protests in Iran
Reza Shafiee/Al Arabiya/January 06/19
January is the first anniversary of Iran's protests. Massive demonstrations shock Iran to the core. A year passed and the Iranian regime's officials are celebrating their survival. Although supreme leader Ali Khamenei told his followers not to go overboard with joy because in his words" The enemy may have big plans for next year." He is right since the year has been a very difficult one for the regime. It is safe to say that not a day passed without some kind of protest here and there. Khamenei and his accomplices foresaw a quick end to last year protests like all other uprisings in past 40 years.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guards top brass predicted that this round of protests which initially were a natural reaction to economic ruin of the country soon would blow off. But Iranian citizens surprise the rulers with successive demonstrations, protests and sit-ins. Simply by not giving in, they decided this time to wear the regime down.
The protests in Iran last January began with demands for food on the tables but they quickly turned into political demands. Because soon the people realized that this regime neither want nor is able to give them what they wanted.
It is not at all far from truth to think that events of last year in Iran draw serious resemblance to that of Arab Spring. The difference is that Iran's protests have not stopped because unlike previous ones which were brutally crushed by the regime, the new rounds have involved all Iranians
Shortly after the initial sparks, the protests mushroomed into 140 cities across Iran. An estimated 8000 protesters were arrested and over 50 were killed by the security forces. A fairly new scheme used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Intelligence Unit for wiping out the most vocal prisoners while in custody was to kill them under torture and then claim they "committed suicide." No one bought it. It is hard to guess exactly how many prisoners were killed in custody but it is safe to say at least 12.
In August, more than 1,000 people were arrested during protests in Tehran and other provinces over deteriorating economic conditions and corruption. A protester was murdered in Karaj, during the week-long protests.
The fifth round of truckers strikes has just begun. In the third round, At least 264 of striking drivers were arrested for allegedly blocking roads and trying to pressure colleagues to join the strike. Since January 2018, 7442 months prison sentences were handed down by the regime's judiciary while giving 2694 lashes for protesters. 263 death sentences were carried out by the security forces last year. All numbers show a sharp upward spike since the previous year.
“Iran spring” underway
It is not at all far from truth to think that events of last year in Iran draw serious resemblance to that of Arab Spring. The difference is that Iran's protests have not stopped because unlike previous ones which were brutally crushed by the regime, the new rounds have involved all Iranians and they are not isolated and limited geographically. What makes it more frightening for the regime, as many of its top officials keep reminding, is that US sanctions are biting hard and this is a recipe for disaster. No matter how hard President Hassan Rouhani tries to imply in his hope therapies sessions, now often given across the country, saying that it is business as usual and the theocratic regime is in complete control, a look into their empty pockets tell them otherwise.
A few days ago, Khomeini's grandson Hassan rose the curtain when he said that we may not be around for long.
“There is no guarantee we will remain and others will go. If we don’t follow the rules, they will take your place,” he said. “We must beware of the day that our posts are changed and roles are completely transformed.”
Keep in mind that Hassan Khomeini still has enough clout in the regime's circles especially among that of so called "reformists." Hassan is the custodian of his grandfather's multi-billion dollar shrine outside Tehran.
Faezeh Hashemi, the daughter of former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, said in an interview with a Tehran daily published on December 27 that "intimidation" and "fear" were the main things propping up the Islamic establishment.
"In my view, a breakdown [of principles] has already happened, there hasn't been a physical collapse, but I see that as very likely," Hashemi told Mostaghel newspaper.
Faezeh and his father belong to so-called "reformists" camp.
“Presently, if you look at any domain, some of the activists of that domain are in prison, including workers, teachers, truck drivers, women’s rights activists and environmental activists, students, and economic activists,” Rafsanjani said. “But in content, the collapse has already happened because wherever you look, the system is not working,” Hashemi said.
Ahmad Salak, a member of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (parliament), is another insider voicing similar concerns in a recent interview.
“The enemy intends to increase our economic dilemmas and turn them into public protests… We cannot be certain there is not a new sedition in the making. The enemy seeks to constantly claim the country is not functioning correctly and there are vast problems and corruption, all to encourage the public to stop supporting the [mullahs’ regime] and for [them] to come and resolve the people’s dilemmas,” Salak told the paper.
Although it seems that the ruling clerics are still in control but scratching the surface tells us an entirely different story. Iranian people yearn for a democratic change in Iran and that will not happen unless they rid themselves of this regime; something that should have happened a long time ago.

The Houthis must be dealt with forcefully
Hamoud Abu Taleb/Al Arabiya/January 06/19
We said it before and we say it again, we should never assume good intentions from the outlaw Houthi militias who are occupying Yemen with the full support of the Iranian National Guard and the Lebanese gang of Hezbollah. All previous attempts to reach a peaceful solution to the Yemeni problem have failed because the Houthis do not want any political solution. To be more specific, they do not have the power to make a decision because they only do what they are told by Tehran. They are only Yemeni in name; their allegiance is to Iran. This is the worst betrayal of the Yemeni people in its long Arab history.
Yes, no one wants a military solution and bloodshed, but it seems that the Houthis will not accept anything else.
Breaching the agreement
Before the talks in Sweden, the Houthi militias showed signs of stalling, which was an indication that these talks would end like previous ones. The United Nations insisted on these talks and we wanted to be optimistic. But the Houthis breached the Hodeidah agreement the moment they returned to Yemen. They handed over the seaport to a group of 400 Houthi members wearing police and Yemeni coast guard uniforms.
The head of the UN observers saw what was being done and the delegation of the legitimate government of Yemen protested officially to the UN and now we are back at square one as if the Sweden talks never took place.
Frankly speaking, Yemen is turning into a difficult problem that cannot be solved because the UN is pampering the Houthi militias. The UN has not enforced resolution number 2216 and has allowed the Houthis to put forth their conditions and further complicate the situation with lame excuses.
Yes, no one wants a military solution and bloodshed, but it seems that the Houthis will not accept anything else. We cannot allow them to destroy Yemen and threaten regional countries. The Houthis must be dealt with forcefully.

A farewell to Al Arabiya
Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/January 06/19
Those who credit themselves for every favorable opportunity are completely wrong. You did not learn how to walk as a child alone, and then move forward in the stages of life bit by bit.
When you look back, to kick start a new experience, in any direction, you will see your mother’s loving face, your father’s giving hand, your wife’s kind love and prayers, and your children’s excitement at your return. You will also find your siblings checking up on you and your friends’ worry about you. But if it weren’t for those of you who sift through these pages, and sit in front of the television, I would have felt very lonely, writing to myself on long winter nights.
I became passionate about reading since I was little, therefore I loved writing and travel. I’ve long lived with autobiographical books, so I had friends whom I could be left alone with, when I was alone.
With love alone, I came to you a few years ago, and with love for the truth and being victorious for it, we woke up and were joined by libraries, and long hours of work.
As for today, with love, friendship and memories of learning from each other, I bid you a farewell that knows that paths cross
I was lucky to have the ability to start a conversation about an idea that intrigued me with the first person I meet, even if that person hadn’t been up with me the night before reading the same book. I am very grateful to the colleagues and managers who have given me the opportunity as a young man, who was believed in by someone his father’s age, and who sent him to cover an event in a city he has never visited before.
My voice
I met with the most prominent presidents, ministers, politicians, CEOs, successful entrepreneurs, and intellectuals. I insist that I was lucky, and very attached to the opportunity and hope, as I stayed up nights to prepare journalistic content, and then prepare for my program ‘Ida’at’ which made me appear in picture and sound in every home in the Arab world. I still admit that getting flattered for the rasp in my voice by a young man or woman that I meet by coincidence takes me back to my childhood, and I do not hesitate to return the love, and take a picture or bend down to sign an autograph on a book.
I admit that I did not know the worth of my voice, if it even had value or was valuable, until after I entered the world of journalism by more than a decade, after I had been working in radio.
I learned by watching, listening and learning to know about critical things from others, at the start of every new job which is something that neither books nor training courses could teach me.
Early on, I learned that change is the law of life, even if continuity is what a successful manager seeks. With it, he could agree without hesitation, and reject without justification.
Naturally, continuity does not come with the owner of an idea who is loyal, persuasive, ready who will fight the world with love for his idea.
Leadership
When you find an employee or colleague insisting on an idea, all you can do is sit, listen and make observations, and then enable, not interfere, in the work of those who are good at their job.
He who interferes in minor details after having placed confidence in the person before him is also completely wrong. Many may be angered by my belief in delegating, but they may be forgetting that I have the right to comment, give my opinion and jump in before what we agreed upon goes out of context. Place your trust in those who deserve it, then you won’t need to make an annoying phone call in the middle of the night.
There are no previous impressions or prejudgments on any proposal. We meet, and I sincerely listen to you. If you are not able to wow me or convince me in five minutes, it will be hard to convince others in the little time that is available.
Spread yourself out as much as possible, and assume that whomever you meet is intelligent enough. Never fear criticism as honesty and openness always expose you to criticism, but be sure that I am nearby to defend you as long as we are on the same page that we agreed upon in the first place.
Remember, dear reader, that time inevitably passes. Time has taught people before us, but engaging the viewer and considering anyone who owns a phone with a camera as a potential reporter was not an easy idea to grasp in our Arab world.
We’ve reported a lot of news, which resonated greatly with those watching. A ‘reporter’ who decided to share a certain event with his friends and followers, may in the meantime catch a child with a great voice singing in the backyard of his home south of the kingdom, or a cleaner in Holy Mecca who will be met by a Pakistani visitor who will kiss his forehead after seeing the cleaner’s sincerity and dedication toward his job. Material like this cannot be neglected, and cannot be followed up on without getting in contact with the reporter who had no idea while documenting whatever it is that he was documenting, that he was playing the role of a successful journalist in shedding the light on a scene that not many can grasp its importance under normal circumstances.
Media is always looking for a story, and when you involve the viewer in the task of searching for that worthy story, the game becomes collective, and the screen becomes a target waiting to be directly shot from an obscure reporter!
I do not flatter, nor take lightly anything that has to do with my country, and defending its just causes past, present and future. For my sons and I, like many loyalists, are soldiers of this country from its north to its south. And I will not rest until I see it as my King and Crown Prince see it among the ranks of other nations, not just states.
Sleep does not tempt me, nor exhaustion from travel, or long hours in the night will give my country quarter of what it deserves even if each of us is loyal in his position, we would have shortened a long road and not everyone will praise you.
There is a lot of truth in the words of Imam Shafi’I’: People’s satisfaction is a subconscious purpose.
But I was always keen for people not to all agree on my faults. I am not saying I count my faults, but I know very well that I will not save any effort to anger those who deserve, if I am convinced of their mistake, to doubt themselves or others.
Love and tolerance
I am always greedy for God’s mercy, thankful for the love of my colleagues whom I learn from, from the youngest to the oldest. If I were to admit something, it is that I never went to bed a day with anger in my heart toward anyone hateful. And I still say what I believe, that I do not get angry except with those who deserve this anger, and those are very little.
Reprimanding is not one of my traits, but I hold the hand of those individuals, and tell them not to take away a few hours of sleep from me again by repeating the same mistake. This is all in love, as we are a people who are only good at love and tolerance even at the highest hours of anger.
With love alone, I came to you a few years ago, and with love for the truth and being victorious for it, we woke up and were joined by libraries, and long hours of work.
As for today, with love, friendship and memories of learning from each other, I bid you a farewell that knows that paths cross, and meet again, and that life brings people back together. I am filled with nostalgia, and I am still close, and will remain close to each one of you.
But this moment, the moment of a harsh farewell, is the lightest burden on me today, for one reason: Whenever I remember my oldest and only loss, her face appears to me. The one whom without her, I would not have been here, I would not have been praised by anyone, nor my name be known by the envious. The kind woman, whom I represent some of her traces on this earth, I will remain her child even if I pass 40 years of age. I will write her my letters, which I do not share with anyone, and I only say this when moving on to any new stage, the saying of al-Mutanabi: When the world blocks me because of its narrowness, there is not a part of me that is blind to you.
Thanks to you, my comrades of this path. My sincere prayer for you is: Protect the old Al Arabiya era, in the right of the people “To Know More” every second. Protect people’s attachment to it, a radiant idea, a sense of belonging and a stream of balance yet open, successful and dreams of more in our Arab world, from the oceans to the Gulf. Al Arabiya is more than just a leading news channel, and a reliable source of information for millions, knowing how important that is. My promise to you is that we meet in the maze of life. With love I came to you, and with love I will see you… even if after a while!

France in Free Fall
Guy Millière/Gatestone Institute/January 06/19
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13500/france-in-free-fall
French officials evidently understand that the terrorists are engaged in a long war and that it will be difficult to stop them; so they seem to have given in. These officials are no doubt aware that young French Muslims are being radicalized in increasing numbers. The response, however, has been to strengthen Muslim institutions in France.
At the time President Macron was speaking, one of his emissaries was in Morocco to sign the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, which defines immigration as "beneficial" for the host countries. Under it, signatory states pledge to "strengthen migrant-inclusive service delivery systems."
A group of retired generals published an open letter, saying that signing the Global Compact was a further step towards "the abandonment of national sovereignty" and noted that "80% of the French population think that immigration must be halted or regulated drastically".
The author Éric Zemmour described the "yellow vests" revolt as the result of the "despair of people who feel humiliated, forgotten, dispossessed of their own country by the decisions of a contemptuous caste".
French President Emmanuel Macron seems to hope that weariness will lead the "yellow vests" protestors to give up, but there seems no sign of it yet. On the contrary, the "yellow vests" seem dedicated to bringing him down. Pictured: "Yellow vests" protesters on December 15, 2018 in Paris, France.
Strasbourg, France. Christmas market. December 11th, 8pm. A man shouting, "Allahu Akbar" ("Allah is the greatest") shoots at passersby, then wounds several with a knife. He murders three people on the spot and wounds a dozen others, some severely. Two will later die of their wounds. The murderer escapes. Two days later, the police shoot him dead.
He was known to the police. When members of the General Directorate of Internal Security and some gendarmes came to his home a few hours earlier, he had escaped. Although they knew he was an armed and dangerous Islamist ready to act, and that Christmas markets had been, and could be, likely targets, no surveillance was in place.
The murderer, Cherif Chekatt, should, in fact, have been kept off the streets. He was 29 years old, his name was on the list of people reported for terrorist radicalization (FSPRT), and he and had already been sentenced for crimes 27 times. He was nevertheless roaming around free, with no police oversight.
His case is similar to that of many jihadi terrorists in France in the last decade. Others include Mohamed Merah, who murdered Jewish children in Toulouse in 2012; Cherif and Said Kouachi, who murdered most of the staff at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in 2015, and Amedy Coulibaly, who murdered people at a kosher supermarket few days later.
Successive governments have done exactly nothing to remedy the situation. Instead, they delivered speeches and stationed soldiers about the streets. "Young French people must get used to living with the threat of attacks", then-Prime Minister Manuel Valls said in 2015. Two years later, just before the first round of the presidential elections, Emmanuel Macron, still a candidate, used almost the same words. Terrorism, he said, is "imponderable" and will constitute a "threat that will be part of the daily life of the French for the years to come".
French laws are extremely lax. Even serial killers and terrorists are not sentenced to long prison terms. Most prisons have become jihadist recruiting stations. Currently, more than 600 no-go zones are under the control of imams and Muslim gangs. Islamists, apparently "ready to act", number in the thousands. The police simply do not have the personnel or material resources to monitor all of them
The only political leaders who have proposed tougher laws against terrorism, or who have said that exceptional measures were needed -- such as a wider use of electronic ankle-bracelets -- to counter increasing threats, come from parties considered "right-wing". The mainstream media immediately branded these leaders as "extremists" and their proposals were dismissed.
Macron and his government continue their unfortunate tradition of submitting to political correctness. It seems they prefer to appease extremists rather than confront them.
These politicians are undoubtedly aware that more riots could take place. In 2016, the head of the French General Directorate for internal Security, Patrick Calvar, spoke of a high risk of "clashes between communities", perhaps even civil war.
These officials evidently understand that the terrorists are engaged in a long war and that it will be difficult to stop them; so they seem to have given in. These officials are no doubt aware that young French Muslims are being radicalized in increasing numbers. The response, however, has been to strengthen Muslim institutions in France.
Although these officials also presumably see that Muslim immigration into France continues, and that hundreds of thousands of illegal Muslim migrants are creating increased security concerns, they do nothing to reverse the trend. The number of deportations is rising, but are still rare: slightly more than 26,000 persons were deported in 2017. Meanwhile, more than 150,000 illegal immigrants live in Seine Saint Denis, near Paris. Macron, since becoming President, has repeatedly said that those who call on him to expel illegal immigrants are "xenophobic".
Macron and the current government, in fact, have been encouraging more migration: all illegal immigrants in France receive financial assistance if they ask for it, as well as free health care; and they run almost no risk of being deported.
Each year, more than 200,000 residence permits are issued (262,000 in 2017), including to illegal immigrants. Many have no marketable skills, some receive for decades the minimum income paid to anyone in difficulty.
Social support for migrants, legal or not, adds to the cost of an increasingly expensive welfare system. France today is the most highly taxed country in the developed world: compulsory levies correspond to more than 45% of GDP. Unemployment is high at 9.1%. Typical salaries are both low and stagnant. A public school teacher starting out earns 1,794 euros per month ($2,052). A police officer after a year of service earns even less: 1,666 euros per month ($1,906).
Macron, when elected president, promised to boost growth and improve purchasing power. To encourage large and multinational companies to invest in France, he lowered their taxes and eliminated a tax on wealth. As he apparently did not wish to increase the French budget deficit (2.6% in 2017), he created new taxes and increased a few of the taxes paid by the entire population, including fuel taxes.
It was in this context that the "yellow vest" ("gilets jaunes") protestors – who have been rioting throughout France for the eight weekends, came into being. They have vowed to keep on demonstrating.
The new taxes, plus the increase in existing taxes, have led many people into real financial straits. Many also saw the reduction of taxes on large companies coupled with the removal of the wealth tax for the rich as outrageously unfair. They see perfectly well that a lack of security is spreading, that immigration is exploding and that the government is not providing sufficient law and order.
Macron's remarks, such as a comparing "those who are successful and those who are nothing" -- or his assertion that "the life of an entrepreneur is much harder than that of an employee" -- gave him the image of an arrogant upstart who despises the poor and knows nothing about the problems they face. Some of his utterances -- such as, "there is not a French culture" or the French are Gauls "resistant to change" -- led many to believe that he did not even have respect for the French or for France.
The proliferation of speed radars on the roads, and the lowering of the speed limit to 80km/h, apart from freeways, as well as a noticeable increase in speeding tickets as a result, also did nothing to help his approval ratings.
Finally, an additional increase in fuel taxes sparked a revolt that has not stopped to this day.
The first protest by the "yellow vests", which took place on November 17, spontaneously gathered hundreds of thousands of people across the country and had the support of more than 80% of the population.
Rather than react quickly and say that he understood the difficulties of millions of French, Macron waited 10 days until a second demonstration, bigger than the first, to respond. He then delivered a speech focusing on the environment and emphasizing that fuel taxes were necessary to fight "climate change".
His words appeared totally out of touch with the economic distress felt by the public.
Four days later, on December 1, a third demonstration drew even more people than the second. Protestors waved French flags and sang the national anthem. People who spoke on television said that Macron had made fun of them and reminded him of his promises. They demanded his resignation, new elections, and a return of sovereignty to the people.
Gangs from the suburbs looted stores and destroyed property. The police were particularly brutal to the protesters, but could not stop the looting or destruction.
Macron said nothing.
On December 8, the day of the fourth demonstration, Paris was effectively set under siege. Armored vehicles were deployed along the main avenues. Thousands of police officers sealed off access to the neighborhood of the presidential residence, the Élysée Palace. A helicopter waited in the courtyard of the Élysée Palace, in case Macron needed to be evacuated. Looting and destruction began again.
When Macron finally decided to say something, on December 10, he announced a slight increase in the minimum wage and the removal of some taxes. He promised to open a "national debate" and announced the need to review the rules for immigration. However, at the time Macron was speaking, one of his emissaries was in Morocco on behalf of France to sign the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, which defines immigration as "beneficial" for the host countries. Under it, signatory states pledge to "strengthen migrant-inclusive service delivery systems." The next day, the terrorist attack near a Christmas market in Strasbourg took place, in which five people were murdered.
The public's anger did not subside. The "yellow vest" protestors who spoke on television the following days said that Macron had evidently not taken the measure of what they were saying. They stated that talking about reviewing the rules for immigration while signing the Global Compact -- without taking into account the opinion of the population -- showed that Macron was a liar.
A group of retired generals published an open letter, saying that signing the Global Compact was a further step towards "the abandonment of national sovereignty" and noted that "80% of the French population think that immigration must be halted or regulated drastically".
"In deciding alone to sign this pact," the generals wrote, "... You are guilty of a denial of democracy, even treason, with respect the nation".
The Minister of Defense, Florence Parly, said that the generals' letter was "inadmissible and unworthy", but did not dispute the arguments it set forth. Again, Macron said nothing.
On December 22, when the fifth demonstration of the "yellow vests" took place, even though the protestors were fewer, their anger seemed more intense. Calls for Macron's resignation came from everywhere. A puppet representing Macron was symbolically beheaded by an imitation guillotine. A sculpture representing a yellow hand, resembling the logo of SOS Racism, the oldest organization fighting "racism" and "Islamophobia" in France, was burned.
Anti-Semites took the opportunity to offer their usual opinions, but were marginal. Benjamin Griveaux, the government spokesman, however, used their comments to attack the "yellow vest" protestors. He sent a tweet saying that the "yellow vests" were "coward[s], racist[s], anti-Semitic", and of the type that stages coups. Earlier, he had said that whatever happens, Macron would not "change course".
Macron seems to hope that weariness will lead the "yellow vests" to give up, but there seems no sign of it yet. On the contrary, the "yellow vests" seem dedicated to bringing him down. Those on television say they are determined to fight "to the end". The economic damage is considerable; the first estimates numbered hundreds of millions of euros.
"Macron and his team," wrote Ivan Rioufol, an editorial writer at Le Figaro, recently, "would be wrong to believe that if the mobilization weakens during the Christmas truce, it means they are out of the woods".
The author Éric Zemmour described the revolt as the result of the "despair of people who feel humiliated, forgotten, dispossessed of their own country by the decisions of a contemptuous caste". He concluded that he thinks that Macron has lost all legitimacy and that his presidency is over.
Radio commentator Jean-Michel Aphatie, said that the presidency and the government "hang on by a thread", and that the letter published by the generals is a strong sign that the French institutions are deeply shaken. "If the police falter," he stressed, "France could quickly slide towards chaos".
On December 20, two days before the fifth demonstration of the "yellow vests," police officers organized a protest in front of the Élysée Palace. The vice-president of an organization made up of police officers said that many members are exhausted, feel sympathetic to the revolt and are ready to join it.
The next day, the government increased police officers' salaries and paid them millions for overtime -- payments that had been overdue for months.
"The authorities are really afraid that the police could turn on them," commented the journalist Jean-Michel Aphatie. "It is hard to imagine. It is where we are in France, today".
The Macron's popularity is in free fall; it has dropped to 18%. No French president's popularity has dropped so low, so quickly. Flore Santisteban, a professor at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, quoted surveys showing that Macron now crystallizes "an intense hatred, and maybe more than hatred: rage".
Many commentators are wondering how Macron will still be able to govern in the coming weeks, and ask if he could be forced to resign and call for early presidential elections.
Several news analysts have said that this time, Marine Le Pen, the leader of the right-wing, populist National Rally party, could be elected president. The themes of her presidential campaign in 2017 resembled the claims of the "yellow vest" movement.
Macron still says nothing. He is nowhere in sight. His only recent public statements were made in foreign countries: Belgium and Chad. His last public appearance in France was on December 4, in the Massif Central, late in the evening. He went to see the damage done to an official building partly burned by vandals. Although his visit was unannounced, dozens of "yellow vests" arrived, insulted him, and he quickly left.
Polls show that Le Pen's National Rally could win the European Parliament elections in May 2019 with 24%-25% of the vote. Another right-wing, nationalist party, Debout la France! (France, Stand Up!) headed by MP Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, and allied to the National Rally party , could get 8%. The total would amount to 32%-33% percent of the vote. Macron's La République En Marche ! party, created two years ago, is expected to get only 18% of the vote.
Election to the European Parliament has no direct impact on French political life. Such a result, however, would be a scathing disavowal of Macron -- if he manages to stay in power until then.
A few months ago, Macron introduced himself as the champion of an open, "progressive" and multicultural Europe and described the defenders of national sovereignty and all those hostile to immigration and multiculturalism, as "lepers" and supporters of "bellicose nationalism" extolling "the rejection of the other". He pretended easily to triumph over them.
In July 2017, he hinted that he would rule like the Roman god Jupiter. It did not take long for him to fall from his pedestal.
On the evening of December 31, Macron offered the French people his wishes for the year 2019. He did not apologize. He ignored the grievances of the "yellow vest" protesters and their supporters. He merely said that "anger broke out" and that "order will be maintained without indulgence". He described in positive terms all that he had done since becoming President. He added that he would "go forward" in the same direction without changing a thing: "I intend to continue to follow the line that I traced since the first day of my mandate". He described his political opponents as "extremists", "demagogues" and "megaphones of a crowd full of hatred". He again said that the "fight against global warming" is an absolute priority.
Many of the "yellow vest" protestors, interviewed on television, appeared upset; some said they had decided not even to listen to the speech. Macron's political opponents criticized him harshly. Nicolas Dupont-Aignan wrote:
"Tonight the French had the confirmation that Emmanuel Macron learned nothing from the events of 2018. While his politics brought together more than 75% of the French against him, he appeared determined to continue, in defiance of democracy."
Laurence Saillet, of the moderate right party, The Republicans, said:
"I feel that while the 'yellow vests' were protesting, he was on another planet... He has not taken the measure of the country's anger. He makes no mea culpa, he even assessed his actions positively, precisely what is rejected by the French."
Marine Le Pen tweeted, "This president is an impostor. And a pyromaniac."
On January 3, Eric Drouet, one of the main faces of the "yellow vests" movement was arrested by a dozen policeman on his way to the Place de la Concorde in central Paris to light candles to pay tribute to the "yellow vests" wounded or killed since the beginning of the demonstrations. He was peacefully walking on the sidewalk with 15 to 20 of his friends. None of them was shouting or wearing banners, or even a yellow vest. Drouet was indicted for organizing an illegal protest. Macron's political opponents said that Macron was adding more fuel to the fire.
On January 4, after the first cabinet meeting of the year, Macron asked government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux to say that "those who continue to protest... are agitators who promote insurrection", and that the government must "go further, in a stronger way".
On Saturday January 5, thousands of "yellow vests" protested again, calling for Macron's resignation. They broke down the doors of Griveaux's office building as he fled. By evening, the streets of Paris and other cities looked like battlefields once more.
*Dr. Guy Millière, a professor at the University of Paris, is the author of 27 books on France and Europe.
© 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.

Iranian opposition needs widespread support in 2019
د. ماجد ربيزاده : المعارضة الإيرانية تحتاج إلى دعم واسع النطاق في عام 2019
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/January 06/19
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/70814/dr-majid-rafizadeh-iranian-opposition-needs-widespread-support-in-2019-%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%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b9%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%b6%d8%a9/
For most of us, the New Year may mean going to a party and perhaps committing to a ridiculous diet or unsustainable workout plan. For the Iranian people, it marks an entire year of sustained protests, not just against the dismal economic situation but also against the regime itself, with widespread calls for its overthrow.
The initial uprisings that sparked civil unrest in some 142 Iranian towns and cities across all 31 provinces were met by the regime with brutality and a harsh crackdown, leading to questions about how long the public outcry could be sustained.
Despite the skepticism of many Western media outlets, strikes and demonstrations continued, with notable flare-ups, throughout 2018. In July, a major five-day anti-government protest spread across dozens of cities, while, in August, Tehran and 26 other cities saw large demonstrations.
It is important to point out that, over the past few months, eruptions of dissent have intensified and become more frequent. The Islamic Republic’s response has been anchored in playing the blame card. The regime has time and again blamed its enemies or the opposition, namely the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) coalition, as the major instigators. Indeed, it was the opposition that predicted the unrest would be ongoing and unstoppable.
It seems that the NCRI’s crucial organizational role has made the opposition a primary target for a spate of attempted terror attacks in Europe. For example, in France, Iranian diplomats hatched a plot to bomb the opposition’s annual gathering, targeting its leader Maryam Rajavi, thousands of her supporters, and numerous American and European dignitaries in the audience. That attack and others have thankfully been foiled, but the message from Tehran is clear — as is the extent to which the mullahs feel threatened by the opposition.
The regime’s willingness to accept the potential political and economic consequences of wreaking such havoc, despite Iran’s dire economic straits and political isolation, pretty much says it all.
The fact that such protests are widespread, enduring and involve nearly every stratum of Iranian society is a historic development, unprecedented since the 1979 revolution.
In October and December, nationwide teachers’ strikes took place across 100 cities, while truck drivers have been on strike for the past few months, a grave development considering that many Iranian exports are transported using trucks.
The fact that such protests are widespread, enduring and involve nearly every stratum of Iranian society is a historic development, unprecedented since the 1979 revolution. These appear to be public calls not only for an end to the people’s miserable living conditions, but also for the downfall of the regime responsible for them. Every protest is an act of defiance, with each protester literally putting life and limb on the line.
The previous US administration’s “sanctions relief,” which even saw massive shipments of billions of dollars to a cash-starved regime on its last legs, hasn’t been a saving grace for the ordinary Iranian people. Most of the money went to one of two places: Either funding expensive military campaigns in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Gaza and elsewhere, or to businesses run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its ilk. In addition, the Iranian regime intensified its ballistic missile activities, which includes the illicit transfer of such weapons to Shiite proxies in other countries in the region, such as Iraq and Lebanon. According to UN chief Antonio Guterres, parts of missiles fired at Saudi Arabia by the Houthis in Yemen also came from Iran.
Almost all major businesses in the country, including those presently dealing with European nations, are directly or indirectly controlled by elements within the political and military apparatus and either line the pockets of the elite or fund terror attacks in Europe and beyond. So, when European countries help increase the regime’s revenues, they are indirectly funding terror attacks on their own soil, while ordinary Iranians continue to suffer.
This year, Iranians and all those who have suffered for so long under the regime have plenty to celebrate, but there is much still to be done. The next few months appear to have a bleak outlook for the ruling regime and decidedly hopeful prospects for the resistance, the Iranian opposition and leading opponents. While 2018 was the most significant to date for the Iranian resistance, this year promises to be even more vital in the struggle for freedom and human rights in Iran.
Let us hope that European governments resolve to change their policies instead of looking the other way. Likewise, we should make this year the year that Western governments come out in support of the Iranian resistance, the people and their right to self-governance and a democratic system of governance. That means reaching out to the Iranian people and the opposition, which continues to be a thorn in the regime’s side and advocates for a democratic Iran.
These changes aren’t just the right thing to do, they are good policies. And, this year, they are possible as long as advocates for a free and democratic Iran continue to make their voices heard.
*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