LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
July 14/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
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Bible Quotations For today
Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who
believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, "Out of the believer’s heart
shall flow rivers of living water
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 07/37-39:"On the last day of
the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, ‘Let
anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As
the scripture has said, "Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living
water." ’Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to
receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified."
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese
& Lebanese Related News published on July 13-14/2019
Report: Venezuela Denies One of Its Ministers is Linked to Hizbullah
Raad Says Hizbullah Pushing for Conciliation in Qabrshmoun Incident
Kanaan Submits Final Draft Budget Report to Berri
Lebanese Man Killed in Colombia
Hariri meets with Jumblatt at Center House
Hariri tackles with Douste Blazy Tripoli's sustainable treatment of waste
Jabak pursues his visit to Iraq by meeting with Iraqi PM, Interior Minister
Bazzi says Speaker Berri is keen on ending crises
Geagea: No one can confront Israel except the Lebanese State, failure to convene
the cabinet is a crime against Lebanon and the Lebanese
Spiteri addressing the Lebanese from Akkar: I hope that you always show a great
testimony of brotherhood between communities
Lakkis: Enough disputes and tension, current difficult phase necessitates more
internal cohesion, abstaining from sectarian discourse
Same old, same old from tired old Hassan Nasrallah
Netanyahu warns Iran & Syria; Nasrallah, Saudi Arabia. Iran redeploys big
Saegheh-2 drones at T-4
Obama let Hezb’allah off the hook to funnel drugs into the USA, but MSM don’t
care/Jack Hellner/The American Thinker/July 13/2019
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports
And News published on July 13-14/2019
Kuwaiti authorities arrest militant cell linked to Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood cell in Kuwait involved in murder of Egypt public prosecutor
Iranian FM Zarif heading to New York for UN conference
Iran wants resolution, not escalation: UK’s Jeremy Hunt
Gibraltar Police Say Four Crew Of Seized Iranian Tanker Freed On Bail
Report: 2-Month Idlib Campaign Nets Little for Syria's Assad
26 Killed in Deadly Somalia Hotel Siege
Activists Say Russian, Syrian Strikes Kill 11 in Rebel Area
Iraq's Former Prime Minister Abadi Hints at Comeback
At Least Three Killed in Afghan Hotel Attack
Turkey Ignores US Warnings over Russian S-400 Missile Deployment
UK police identify suspect behind leaked envoy memos: Sunday Times
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on July 13-14/2019
Same old, same old from tired old Hassan Nasrallah/Theodore Karasik/Arab
News/July 14, 2019
Netanyahu warns Iran & Syria; Nasrallah, Saudi Arabia. Iran redeploys big
Saegheh-2 drones at T-4/DEBKAfile/July 13/2019
Obama let Hezb’allah off the hook to funnel drugs into the USA, but MSM don’t
care/Jack Hellner/The American Thinker/July 13/2019
Iraqi Kurdistan’s New Government/Bilal Wahab/The Washington Institute/July
13/2019
If Iran wants Europe’s help, this isn’t how to get it/Cornelia Meyer/Arab
News/July 14, 2019
Light at the end of Sudan’s tunnel/Hafed Al-Ghwell//Arab News/July 14/2019
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News published on July 13-14/2019
Report: Venezuela Denies One of Its Ministers is Linked to Hizbullah
Naharnet/July 13/2019
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro denied the US accusations that one of his
ministers is linked to Hizbullah party, media reports said on Saturday. Maduro
came out Friday in defense of his minister Tareck el-Aissami, targeted by
Washington and "traitors" of his government, who link him to Hizbullah, reports
said. In a reported public address attended by el-Aissami, Maduro assured that
the US government "spent its time attacking" his Minister of Industry "because
he is the son of an Arab couple ( ...), (and that he is) from a family partly
from Syria and partly from Lebanon.”“They want to bind him to Hizbullah, I know
Tareck very well, I know him very well, never in his life has he had contact
with anyone in Hizbullah," said the head of the socialist state. Washington
considers Hizbullah a “terrorist organization” and on Tuesday has announced
fresh sanctions against elected Hizbullah officials for the first time.
Raad Says Hizbullah Pushing for Conciliation in Qabrshmoun Incident
Naharnet/July 13/2019
Hizbullah MP Mohammed Raad said on Saturday that his party was drumming up
support for a legal conciliation to resolve the deadly Qabrshmoun incident that
ignited sectarian tension between the Progressive Socialist Party and the
Lebanese Democratic Party and the latter’s ally the Free Patriotic Movement. “We
are pushing for a legal reconciliation process, the Lebanese way, in the
Qabrshmoun incident,” said Raad. Raad said the incident has “disrupted civil
peace in a region of Lebanon dear to our hearts.” Two bodyguards of State
Minister for Refugee Affairs Saleh al-Gharib were killed and a third was wounded
in a clash with Progressive Socialist Party supporters in the Aley district town
of Qabrshmoun. The minister escaped unharmed as a PSP supporter was injured. The
two parties have traded blame over the incident, with Gharib and his Lebanese
Democratic Party describing it as an ambush and an assassination attempt and the
PSP accusing the minister's bodyguards of forcing their way and opening fire on
protesters. The LDP has insisted that the case should be referred to the
Judicial Council, a top Lebanese court that looks into national security crimes,
a demand opposed by the PSP and other forces.
Kanaan Submits Final Draft Budget Report to Berri
Naharnet/July 13/2019
Head of the Parliament's Finance and Budget Committee, MP Ibrahim Kanaan
submitted to Speaker Nabih Berri the final report on the draft 2019 state budget
as approved by the committee, the National News Agency reported on Saturday. NNA
said the MP submitted the report late on Friday after ending the eighth
Committee meeting devoted to studying the draft budget. In May, the cabinet
approved a budget expected to trim Lebanon's deficit to 7.59 percent of gross
domestic product -- a nearly 4-point drop from the previous year. The draft
budget still needs to be approved by parliament. Growth in Lebanon has plummeted
in the wake of endless political deadlocks in recent years, compounded by the
2011 breakout of civil war in neighboring Syria. The country has been racking up
public debt since the end of its own 1975-1990 civil war, which now stands at
more than 150 percent of GDP, according to the finance ministry.
Lebanese Man Killed in Colombia
Naharnet/July 13/2019
Lebanese citizen Khaled Jamal al-Saghir has been killed in the Colombian city of
Santa Maria, media reports said on Saturday.
According to information provided by Colombian newspapers, Saghir, who ran a
hotel that belonged to his Colombian mother, was killed after engaging in a
dispute with gang members. The dispute between Saghir, who hails from the Bekaa
region of Jeb Jennine, and the gang because they tried to force him to sell the
hotel, said the newspapers.
Hariri meets with Jumblatt at Center House
NNA - Sat 13 Jul 2019
Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri is currently meeting at the "House of Center" with
Progressive Socialist Party Chief, Walid Jumblatt, accompanied by Democratic
Gathering Head, MP Taymour Jumblatt, and Cabinet Ministers Akram Shehayeb, Wael
Abu Faour and former Minister Ghazi Aridi, in the presence of the former
Minister Ghattas Khoury.
Hariri tackles with Douste Blazy Tripoli's sustainable
treatment of waste
NNA - Sat 13 Jul 2019
Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri conferred this afternoon at Center House with
United Nations Under -Secretary-General for Innovative Resources, Philippe
Douste-Blazy, over the issue of sustainable waste treatment in Tripoli.
Attending the meeting was MP Dima Jamali, Tripoli's Mayor Ahmad Kamareddine,
Laboratory of Water and Environmental Sciences Director Jalal Halawani, and
internationally renowned musician of Lebanese origin, Omar Harfoush.
Jabak pursues his visit to Iraq by meeting with Iraqi PM, Interior Minister
NNA -Sat 13 Jul 2019
Public Health Minister, Jamil Jabak, pursued Saturday the third day of his visit
to Baghdad by meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, in the
presence of his accompanying delegation members, Iraqi Health Minister Alaa al-Alwan
and Lebanese Ambassador to Iraq, Ali Habhab. Talks centered on bilateral
relations and cooperation in the public health domain. The Lebanese delegation
described the meeting as "fruitful and constructive" and served "to confirm what
was agreed upon in the memorandum of understanding signed between Ministers
Jabak and al-Alwan on Friday."The Iraqi Prime Minister expressed his gratitude
for the Lebanese people's support to their fellow Iraqis during their times of
difficulty, and the initiative by Minister Jabak that lays the foundation for a
practical and firm understanding. He also valued the Lebanese expertise in
various fields, especially in the medicine and health domain, promising to
provide all needed facilities to promote the best of relations between Lebanon
and Iraq at different levels. Jabak, in turn, thanked the Iraqi Prime Minister
for his words of appreciation, confirming that all capabilities of the Lebanese
Health Ministry will be placed at the disposal of Iraqi citizens to help in
their medical and hospitalization treatments. He added that medicine supplies
will be extended to Iraq, along with the necessary medical kits for training and
operating hospital sections. In this context, Jabak disclosed that an execution
plan will be put into action to translate the various components of the
memorandum of understanding that has been initialed by both sides. The Health
Minister and his accompanying delegation then held a meeting with Iraqi Interior
Minister Yassin al-Yassiri, with whom they also discussed the signed memorandum
and ways of ensuring its successful implementation.
Bazzi says Speaker Berri is keen on ending crises
NNA - Sat 13 Jul 2019
"The pressing situation in Lebanon from all economic, financial, political and
daily-living perspectives necessitates the encouragement of an atmosphere of
national responsibility to rectify its effects, and reassure the Lebanese of
their present and future," said MP Ali Bazzi during a meeting with municipal and
popular delegations who visited him at his Bint Jbeil office earlier today.
Bazzi stressed, herein, on the keenness of House Speaker Nabih Berri to form a
besiege around the various crises arising in different parts of the country,
thus ensuring that the concept of the state and citizens remains victorious
above all.
Geagea: No one can confront Israel except the Lebanese
State, failure to convene the cabinet is a crime against Lebanon and the
Lebanese
NNA - Sat 13 Jul 2019
Lebanese Forces Party Chief, Samir Geagea, deemed Saturday that the Lebanese
State is the sole side capable of facing the Israeli enemy, adding that "the
State is stronger than all military forces." "The confrontation is not only
military-wise, but also diplomatic, political, Arab and international, all of
which are only available through the Lebanese State," he underscored, commenting
on Hezbollah Secretary-General, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah's recent speech.
Speaking in an interview with "Radio Free Lebanon" earlier, Geagea considered
that the prolonged absence of a cabinet meeting at this stage is "a crime
against Lebanon and the Lebanese." Over the annual budget issue, the LF Chief
indicated that "smaller committees are discussing some of the budget items that
have been amended within the Finance and Budget Parliamentary Committee,"
adding, "Deputy Prime Minister Ghassan Hasbani represents the LF Party within
said committee with a clear position, namely that the improvements are not
sufficient since we are in need of a very different approach." On the invitation
of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to a meeting to discuss the budget items,
Geagea said: "The budget will be endorsed as approved by the Finance and Budget
Committee presented by MP Ibrahim Kanaan to Speaker Berri." He called herein on
the House Speaker "to study the budget and turn it to the Parliament Council
Secretariat to be distributed to MPs before Tuesday."
Spiteri addressing the Lebanese from Akkar: I hope that you
always show a great testimony of brotherhood between communities
NNA - Sat 13 Jul 2019
Papal Ambassdor to Lebanon, Joseph Spiteri, pursued on Saturday his tour in the
governorate of Akkar, North Lebanon, at the invitation of the Maronite
Archbishop of Tripoli, Mgr Georges Abou Jaoude. In this context, Spiteri
participated in a spiritual meeting that took place at the Maronite Patriarchate
of Qobeiyat, in the presence of different religious figures from different
sects. Speaking at the meeting, he wished that "the Lebanese would continue to
offer a great testimony of fraternity among communities and sects in all
Lebanese regions." "It is true that the politicians have a political agenda, but
as clerics we have to work continuously for peace, love and brotherhood," he
went on. Finally, Spiteri conveyed the greetings of Pope Francis to the Lebanese
people.
Lakkis: Enough disputes and tension, current difficult
phase necessitates more internal cohesion, abstaining from sectarian discourse
NNA - Sat 13 Jul 2019
Agriculture Minister, Hassan al-Lakkis, called Saturday for putting an end to
the ongoing tension and crises in the country, especially in wake of "the
current challenging circumstances which entail more internal cohesion and
staying away from sectarian discourse."
"The problems are many and huge and the solutions are not available anytime we
wish," he added. "Therefore, we emphasize the need to respect peculiarities and
accord special consideration to concerns under the rooftop of building the
state...a country that must be fair and capable, equitable in the implementation
of laws and the employment of opportunities and able to face difficulties,
protect borders and extract wealth resources," Lakkis underscored. The Minister
highlighted the "Liberation and Resistance" Parliamentary Bloc's prominent role
within the cabinet, in particular, "which is to push the government's action
towards execution steps in the cultural, scientific and educational fields, in
addition to its keenness on adopting a policy of transparency in all files and
fighting against personal projects." "We do not have anything more important
than the right of people to live with dignity and honor," said Lakkis, adding
that the Party he represents has always been an advocate of correcting any
imbalance in the country and confronting any deviation at the level of public
work. The Agriculture Minister's words came during his patronage of an honoring
ceremony of top-ranking students enrolled in Amal Movement's educational
institution held earlier in the town of Baisarieh. Lakkis wished the excelling
students all success in their educational and higher learning journey, hoping
for the possibility to create job opportunities for graduates so that they do
not lose their determination and ambition. "Hence, the responsibility of the
state is to develop appropriate plans and proper guidance, especially in terms
of university specialties," he maintained.
Same old, same old from tired old Hassan Nasrallah
تيودور كراسيك/نفس حسن نصرالله القديم والمتعب
Theodore Karasik/Arab News/July 14, 2019
Hassan Nasrallah is nothing if not predictable. In an interview broadcast on
Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television on Friday, the group’s leader trotted out many
of the same old themes and anecdotes that he has for years about the US and the
threat from Israel. His arguments are old, tired and repetitive.
Nasrallah now says it is time for Hezbollah, after 13 years, to re-evaluate its
lack of action against Israeli warplanes in Lebanese airspace “since the
government hasn’t done anything.” These threats are more for the internal
audience then the external. Hezbollah is running out of money and retreating
from Syria, not only because of the White House’s “maximum pressure” campaign
against Iran, but also because of the tremendous financial squeeze on the
Iranian networks that support Hezbollah.
The Hezbollah leader knows his financial base will be further squeezed by US
financial sanctions against two of its Lebanese MPs, Amin Sherri and Muhammad
Hasan Raad, and security official Wafiq Safa. The sanctions helped to provoke
Nasrallah’s comments because of the internal ramifications in the Lebanese
political space, especially surrounding the Druze but also the rest of the
Lebanese fiefdom.
When Nasrallah hands out the begging bowl and pleads for donations, that is a
significant marker for the status of finances between Iran and Hezbollah. It is
also why the terror group puts so much effort into money laundering and drug
smuggling to make up for lost revenue.
Hezbollah’s fighters are being pulled out of Syria, where they played an
instrumental role in ensuring Bashar Assad’s survival. Large numbers of its
forces have been withdrawn from regions in Damascus and the countryside, as well
as southern Syria, which explains why its fighters and Iranian militias have
been limiting their operations in “de-escalation” zones in Syria. Hezbollah’s
contract soldiers have already been decommissioned and sent back to Lebanon.
Hezbollah’s whole structure is under severe stress. Financially, it has nowhere
to go. Employees of its media, education, medical and military systems have
complained of deep pay cuts, with some receiving only 60 percent of their
salaries. They believe further pay cuts may be imminent. More surprisingly, even
fighters and their families are beginning to complain about lost wages as well —
a largely unprecedented development. Married fighters are receiving only half of
their salaries, which normally range from $600 to $1,200 per month, and single
fighters are receiving only $200 per month. This is not sustainable, and is
testimony to the financial squeeze. Payments to Hezbollah’s religious
institutions are behind by months too.
When Nasrallah hands out the begging bowl and pleads for donations, that is a
significant marker for the status of finances between Iran and Hezbollah. It is
also why the terror group puts so much effort into money laundering and drug
smuggling to make up for lost revenue. Although this illicit behavior is not
new, stretching all the way to Latin America through the Lebanese diaspora, the
US and its allies have a growing ability to chip away at, and ultimately shut
down, these financial flows. The success of measures to date is notable.
We should note, too, that Nasrallah’s plea for donations is also aimed at the
larger pro-Iranian Shiite community in Lebanon. For the many Shiites who do not
support Iran, this is a moment to take notice.
• Dr. Theodore Karasik is a senior adviser to Gulf State Analytics in
Washington, DC. Twitter: @tkarasik
Netanyahu warns Iran & Syria; Nasrallah, Saudi Arabia. Iran
redeploys big Saegheh-2 drones at T-4
تقرير من موقع دبيكا تعقيباً على مقابلة نصرالله: نيتنياهو يحذر إيران وسوريا عقب
نشر إيران لطائرات درون في سوريا قد تكون لضرب السعودية
DEBKAfile/July 13/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/76638/%d8%aa%d9%82%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%b1-%d9%85%d9%86-%d9%85%d9%88%d9%82%d8%b9-%d8%af%d8%a8%d9%8a%d9%83%d8%a7-%d8%aa%d8%b9%d9%82%d9%8a%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%8b-%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%89-%d9%85%d9%82%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%84%d8%a9/
Hizballah’s Hassan Nasrallah was implicitly threatening Saudi Arabia as well as
Israel when he said on Friday, July 12, that his precise missiles’ range
extended south of Israel’s southernmost town of Eilat. He was answering Prime
Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s pointed reference to Syria as well as Iran when on
Thursday he spoke of the range of Israel’s F-35 stealth fighters.
Nasrallah’s hinted threat to Saudi Arabia ties in with the latest US
intelligence updates, reported by DEBKAfile’s sources, that the Yemeni Houthi
insurgents have become reluctant to continue shooting Iranian rockets at Saudi
towns.
The Hizballah leader sounded as though he is ready to take over the
Iranian-orchestrated campaign against Saudi Arabia from Yemen by setting up
missiles launches from Syria or Iraq.
This shift would bite deep into the US-Israeli strategy for lining up a
Western-Arab-Israeli defense pact for combating Iran. Both would be shown as
incapable of protecting their ally.
At the same time, Nasrallah and PM Netanyahu are canny strategists who know the
exact limits of their strength and freedom of operation.
The Hizballah leader, pinching a page from Netanyahu’s book and displayed a map
of Israel to show the range of his precise missiles, including Ben Gurion
airport and the power stations along its shores, and how they wold bring Israel
“to the brink of extinction.” But he wound up by saying, “Hizballah is not the
leader of the battle in Syria and neither is Iran.”
This was taken to mean that Israel was free to carry on striking Iranian and
Hizballah targets in Syria, but, just as his neither Nasrallah nor his Iranian
bosses will determine Syria’s ultimate destiny, neither will Netanyahu’s
bombardments.
He knows whereof he speaks. DEBKAfile’s military and intelligence sources note
that for two months, the Russians have been quietly curtailing the areas of
operation available in Syria to the Iranians and their allies. They have chased
them out of the Syrian-Israeli border districts and the Qalamoun mountains
straddling the Syrian-Lebanese order, except for a the narrow corridor for the
Damascus-Beirut highway and an outpost at Zabadani.
With the winding down of the Syrian war in most sectors, Nasrallah has been able
to pull two-thirds of his fighting force back to Lebanon, Whereas, as many as
10,000 men were fighting for Bashar Assad at the conflict’s peak, 2,000-3,000
remain in Syria at present.
Nasrallah therefore commented in his speech on Friday, “We have redeployed and
downsized our forces in Syria due to the improved security situation.”
Nasrallah takes care not to criticize Russian military actions in Syria, just as
Israel’s prime minister never says a word against US military movements in that
country.
Both take into account that the big powers are guided by concerns and
considerations that transcend those of Beirut, Tehran and Jerusalem.
Sometimes there are apparent contradictions in their policies. For instance, the
Russians, after cutting deep into Iranian forces’ holdings in Syria, including
kicking them out of the air bases used by the Russian Air Force, have recently
given them permission to return to the big T-4 air base near Homs.
Tehran did not waste a minute before shipping back to the base a fleet of its
big Saegheh-2 stealth UAVs.
They were no sooner back in position and installed at T-4 when the Israeli air
strike of July 1 destroyed them.
Moscow, Tehran and Jerusalem have kept a tight lid on information about this
Israeli operation. And so Nasrallah could assert without fear of denial on
Friday, “The latest Israeli strike on Syria was not against important targets.”
However, another of his comments is important to note: “Who said that we don’t
have anti-aircraft missiles and who said that we do? We follow the policy of
constructive ambiguity in this regard.”
https://www.debka.com/netanyahu-warns-iran-nasrallah-saudi-arabia-iran-redeploys-big-saegheh-2-drones-at-t-4/
Obama let Hezb’allah off the hook to funnel
drugs into the USA, but MSM don’t care
تقرير من موقع “اميركن ثنكر” يفضح تواطؤ أوباما في تعاميه المتعمد عن أعمال اجرامية
وإرهابية لحزب الله كشفتها المخابرات الأميركية وذلك بهدف استرضاء إيران للتوصل
معها لتوقيع الإتفاق النووي
By Jack Hellner/The American Thinker/July 13/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/76634/%d8%aa%d9%82%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%b1-%d9%85%d9%86-%d9%85%d9%88%d9%82%d8%b9-%d8%a7%d9%85%d9%8a%d8%b1%d9%83%d9%86-%d8%ab%d9%86%d9%83%d8%b1-%d9%8a%d9%81%d8%b6%d8%ad-%d8%aa%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%b7%d8%a6-%d8%a3/
In 2016, President Obama dictatorially stopped an eight-year investigation into
a billion-dollar-per-year drug-running operation by the terrorist Hezb’allah
organization to appease Iran because Obama thought an Iran deal would enhance
his legacy.
The secret backstory of how Obama let Hezbollah off the hook
An ambitious U.S. task force targeting Hezbollah’s billion-dollar criminal
enterprise ran headlong into the White House’s desire for a nuclear deal with
Iran.
In its determination to secure a nuclear deal with Iran, the Obama
administration derailed an ambitious law enforcement campaign targeting drug
trafficking by the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah, even as it was
funneling cocaine into the United States, according to a POLITICO investigation.
The campaign, dubbed Project Cassandra, was launched in 2008 after the Drug
Enforcement Administration amassed evidence that Hezbollah had transformed
itself from a Middle East-focused military and political organization into an
international crime syndicate that some investigators believed was collecting $1
billion a year from drug and weapons trafficking, money laundering and other
criminal activities.
Over the next eight years, agents working out of a top-secret DEA facility in
Chantilly, Virginia, used wiretaps, undercover operations and informants to map
Hezbollah’s illicit networks, with the help of 30 U.S. and foreign security
agencies.
This story has had little to no coverage, even though many elements of the story
have great current relevance. These elements include:
The rule of law and special treatment under the law,
Obstruction of justice, sweetheart deals at the Justice Department,
The independence of the Justice Department,
Morale at the FBI,
Separation of powers,
Border security,
Revenue for the government,
Drug-running,
Drug abuse,
Drug overdoses and suicides,
Lawsuits against drug companies,
Homelessness,
Terrorism,
The Iran deal.
The rule of law and special treatment under the law: The Obama/Biden
administration gave the terrorists a free pass despite obvious serious
violations of the law. Other people given a pass during the Obama years:
Hillary, her aides, Lois Lerner, Eric Holder, James Clapper, Susan Rice, and
John Brennan, despite serious criminal violations. While these people were given
a pass, people around Trump were targeted when there was no underlying crime.
What would minorities think when they see so many free passes given by Obama? It
should be noted that criminal justice reform was passed and signed in Trump’s
first term, not during the Obama/Biden years.
Obstruction of Justice: It is clearly obstruction when a president intentionally
ends an eight-year investigation by thirty government agencies from around the
world. Hillary and her aides also obstructed justice, and so did the IRS. The
media and other Democrats didn’t care about clear obstruction cases, but they
endlessly report and investigate when Trump truthfully says the Justice
Department and Democrats are conducting a witch hunt when there was no
underlying crime.
Sweetheart Deals: The Justice Department let off terrorists, Hillary, and
perjurers, but the media and other Democrats are focused on getting rid of Alex
Acosta, who got a conviction.
Independence at the Justice Department: We are continuously told that under
Obama the Justice Department operated independently. What a joke. He
dictatorially stops an eight-year investigation, and they are independent? Is
anyone naïve or stupid enough to believe he wasn’t involved in exonerating
Hillary and the perjurers? Does anyone really believe he wasn’t involved in the
illegal unmasking of people surrounding Trump and the targeting of Trump?
Morale at the Justice Department: What would the morale be at the thirty
agencies that conducted this investigation and then were told that all their
work made no difference because the president needed to let a killing
organization off the hook to seal a deal with a country that pledged death to
America? What incentive would they have to do other serious investigations if a
dictatorial president could just flush all their work down the toilet? Where are
the whistleblowers?
Separation of Powers: President Obama also decided he was the arbitrator of the
law and the judge and jury when he let the drug-runners off.
Border Security: Drug-running organizations must love when a president is more
concerned about his legacy than the rule of law. They would appreciate all the
Democrats, with media support, who don’t want to secure the border and who
support sanctuary cities and states. Democrats are even advising illegal aliens
who have deportation orders how to evade the law.
What should minorities, who are arrested for violating laws, think when they see
Democrats focus so hard on letting illegal aliens off?
Why don’t the media tell the public that Obama also had deportation raids,
including on women and children? The answer is that they don’t report for the
same reason they don’t tell the public that Obama built the cages and separated
the children. The truth is inconvenient.
The Obama administration kicks off family deportation raids
“This past weekend, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) engaged in
concerted, nationwide enforcement operations to take into custody and return at
a greater rate adults who entered this country illegally with children,” Johnson
said. “This should come as no surprise. I have said publicly for months that
individuals who constitute enforcement priorities, including families and
unaccompanied children, will be removed.”
Revenue for the government: The Obama administration and other Democrats like
high taxes and massive regulations. Under Obama/Biden, the Justice Department,
CFPB and EPA shook down corporations and set up slush funds to be used for
political purposes and political supporters. But they let Hezb’allah ignore the
law, keep selling drugs and keep their billions to appease Iran and help Obama’s
legacy
Drug running, drug abuse, drug overdoses and suicide: How many people have died
from drugs because Obama wanted the Iran deal? How many other drug running
organizations have been encouraged because of the intentional lack of security
at the border?
Lawsuits against drug companies: Drug companies are properly being sued for
facilitating the drug crisis. Why aren’t the federal government and Obama being
sued for allowing a drug running operation to continue and for not securing the
border?
Homelessness: How many people are on the street and not able to work because
Obama allowed drug running?
Terrorism: How many people, including children, have died because Hezb’allah was
let off and allowed to keep billions and keep running drugs to fund its
operation? Think how much Iran saved because Obama allowed Hezbollah to keep
another source of funds.
The Iran Deal: What should we think of a President, and all those surrounding
him, who lied through the media to get the non-signed deal done, who gave the
terrorist sponsoring country that pledged death to America and death to Israel,
access to hundreds of billions of dollars, paid the tyrants $1.8 billion of
taxpayer money in unmarked bills as a bribe and allowed a terrorists
organization that ran drugs throughout the world to go free and keep billions of
dollars?
Why aren’t Biden and other Democrats asked what they think of the $1.8 billion
and allowing the drug running terrorists to go free when they are asked about
the Iran deal? My guess is they would be flummoxed.
The media, in collusion with other Democrats, report endlessly on fictional
Russian collusion, chase down obstruction of justice when there is no underlying
crime, report on quarter of a century-old tax records, try to take out a Supreme
Court nominee with no evidence, try to destroy white Christian boys for wearing
MAGA hats, continue to lie about what Trump said in Charlottesville and will
report a story about a fake hate crime in Chicago with no evidence.
But they don’t have time to report on a president allowing thousands to die by
granting amnesty to a terrorist drug running organization. The narcissistic
dictatorial president is the one who dictatorially stopped an eight-year
investigation, who protected from prosecution his hand-picked successor because
she would continue his policies and who facilitated the unmasking and spying to
target a political opponent.
It is truly a shame that most media outlets supported Obama/Biden no matter what
they said or did while they target Trump no matter how successful his policies
have been.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/07/obama_let_hezballah_off_the_hook_to_funnel_drugs_into_the_usa_but_msm_dont_care.html
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
July 13-14/2019
Kuwaiti authorities arrest militant cell linked to Muslim Brotherhood
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Friday, 12 July 2019
Members of a militant cell linked to the banned Muslim Brotherhood group have
been arrested in Kuwait, the interior ministry there said on Friday. Those
arrested were wanted by Egyptian authorities and some of them had been sentenced
to 15 years behind bars in their home country, the ministry added in its
statement. Members of the group had fled from Egypt to Kuwait, but were arrested
in different places in the country. During interrogations, they admitted to
carrying out terrorist operations in Egypt, the ministry said, according to the
official Kuwaiti news agency KUNA. The interior ministry further said that
investigations were proceeding to determine their accomplices, and warned that
it would “crack down ruthlessly against saboteurs.”
Muslim Brotherhood cell in Kuwait involved in murder of Egypt public prosecutor
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Saturday, 13 July 2019
Arrested members of a militant cell linked to the banned Muslim Brotherhood
group in Kuwait were involved in the assassination of Egypt’s former Public
Prosecutor Hisham Barakat in 2015, local Kuwaiti al-Rai newspaper said in a
report. The newspaper also said that wanted suspects of the cell who were not
captured had fled Kuwait to Doha and Turkey. According to the report, Kuwait has
so far extradited the eight arrested suspects to Egypt in accordance with the
bilateral agreements between the two countries. They were handed over in two
batches. The newspaper reported that the cell had held meetings in Turkey,
Qatar, and Kuwait and are suspected of raising funds for the Muslim Brotherhood
in Egypt. The report released late on Saturday said that several Kuwaiti members
of parliament had lobbied unsuccessfully for the release of the arrested
suspects and attempted to prevent their extradition to Egypt.
Iranian FM Zarif heading to New York for UN conference
Reuters, Geneva/Saturday, 13 July 2019
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was on his way to New York on
Saturday to attend a United Nations conference, the official Islamic Republic
News Agency (IRNA) said. Zarif’s trip comes at a time of spiraling US-Iranian
tensions. The United States blames Iran for several recent attacks on oil
tankers and the two foes came close to direct military conflict last month when
Iran shot down a US drone and President Donald Trump ordered retaliatory air
strikes, only to call them off minutes before impact. Trump withdrew the United
States last year from big powers’ 2015 deal with Iran to curb its nuclear
program. Washington has sharply tightened sanctions on Iran, which has responded
by stepping up uranium enrichment beyond limits set by the deal.
Iran wants resolution, not escalation: UK’s Jeremy Hunt
Reuters/July 13/2019
LONDON: Iran wants to resolve the ongoing crisis involving the UK seizure of an
Iranian tanker and was "not seeking to escalate tensions," UK's Foreign Minister
Jeremy Hunt said after a conversation with his Iranian counterpart. Speaking on
Saturday, Hunt said Mohammad Javad Zarif had told him during their telephone
conversation that Iran was seeking a resolution to the issue involving detained
tanker Grace 1. The UK's foreign minister said he told Zarif that Britain would
facilitate the release of the detained oil tanker if there were "guarantees" it
would not go to Syria. After what he called a "constructive call" with Zarif,
Hunt tweeted that the UK would "facilitate release" if the British government
received guarantees that the tanker would not dock in Syria, "following due
process in Gibraltar courts." US officials believed the tanker was destined for
Syria to deliver oil, in violation of separate sets of EU and US sanctions.
Tehran had reacted angrily to the seizure, and Britain this week said Iranian
military vessels had tried to "impede the passage" of a British oil tanker in
the Strait of Hormuz. Hunt said Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo was
doing an "excellent job co-ordinating issue and shares UK perspective on the way
forward". Hunt also said he raised with Zarif the imprisonment of
British-Iranian national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, and Zarif "said he would
continue to seek to find a solution".
Gibraltar Police Say Four Crew Of Seized Iranian Tanker Freed On Bail
Reuters, dpa, and AFP/NNA /Sat 13 Jul 2019
- Police in Gibraltar say all four arrested crew members of the Iranian oil
tanker seized on suspicion of carrying oil to Syria in violation of European
Union sanctions have been freed on bail. The police said the crew members were
released under unspecified conditions but that no charges had been filed, adding
that an investigation was ongoing and that the tanker, the Grace 1, continues to
be impounded. All four of the detained crew members were Indian citizens,
officials said. The Panamanian-registered tanker carried 28 personnel, mainly
Indian, Pakistani, and Ukrainian nationals. Earlier in the day, police in the
British territory said that two of the tanker's second mates had been detained
following the arrest of the captain and chief officer on July 11. British Royal
Marines on July 4 boarded the Grace 1 off the coast of Gibraltar and seized it
over suspicions it was breaking sanctions by taking oil to Syria. Tehran warned
of reciprocal measures if the tanker was not released, with a commander of
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC) threatening on July 5 to seize a
British ship in retaliation. On July 11, Britain said three Iranian vessels
“attempted to impede” a British oil tanker in the strategic Strait of Hormuz,
which connects the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea, but backed off when
confronted by a British warship. Iran denied trying to stop the British tanker.
Tehran on July 12 again called on Britain to immediately release the oil tanker.
"This is a dangerous game and has consequences...the legal pretexts for the
capture are not valid ... the release of the tanker is in all countries'
interest," Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Musavi said, according to state news
agency IRNA.
Musavi also said "foreign powers should leave the region because Iran and other
regional actors are capable of ensuring the regional security." "Should Britain
let itself be influenced and drawn into dangerous games by the U.S., we would
advise them to rather not do that," Musavi said. Fabian Picardo, the chief
minister of Gibraltar, told the territory’s parliament that his government
decided to seize the tanker "totally independently, based on breaches of
existing [EU sanctions] law and not at all based on extraneous political
considerations." "There has been no political request at any time from any
government that the Gibraltar government should act or not act, on one basis or
another," Picardo said.
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Britain did not want a conflict with
Iran, adding that "we are being clear to Iran that we are not seeking to
escalate this situation." Meanwhile, Britain said on July 12 that it was sending
a second warship to the Persian Gulf and raising the alert level in the region
amid the rising tensions. Officials said deployment of the HMS Duncan was part
of a planned rotation and was designed to ensure a continued British naval
presence in the vitally important oil-shipment route. However, sources told news
agencies that the action was brought forward by several days in light of recent
actions in the region. It came as U.S. President Donald Trump stepped up his war
of words with Iran, telling Tehran it “better be careful." "They're treading on
very dangerous territory. Iran, if you're listening, you better be careful," he
added, speaking to reporters at the White House.
Report: 2-Month Idlib Campaign Nets Little for Syria's
Assad
Associated Press/Naharnet/July 13/2019
Two months of intensive airstrikes by Syrian government forces and their Russian
allies, coupled with a fierce ground assault on rebel-controlled Idlib province,
have killed hundreds of people and caused massive displacement while achieving
little to no gain for President Bashar Assad.
Despite the heavy bombardment, Assad's troops have been unable to make any
significant advances against al-Qaida-linked militants and other jihadi groups
who dominate Idlib province, the last significant area held by opposition
forces. Militant attacks have killed an average of more than a dozen soldiers
and allied militiamen a day in recent weeks. The struggling campaign underscores
the limits of Syria's and Russia's airpower and inability to achieve a
definitive victory in the country's long-running civil war, now in its eighth
year. With crucial military assistance from Russia and Iran, Syrian troops have
in the past few years recovered most other opposition-held parts of the country
with crushing offensives and long-running sieges. In each of those places,
rebels either surrendered or were forcibly exiled to Idlib, where they are now
cornered with nowhere left to go. Bitter and desperate, they can only fight to
the end. Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the main al-Qaida-linked group in
the region, has called on every able person to "perform his religious duty" and
join the fight.
Sam Heller, a Syria expert with the International Crisis Group who closely
follows the situation in the rebel-controlled area, said, "Idlib's armed
opposition may not be able to win an open battle for the northwest, but they can
make a Syrian military victory terribly costly, maybe intolerably so."
Politically, Idlib reflects the tug of war among international players
supporting opposing sides of Syria's conflict. A cease-fire brokered last
September by Russia, a key ally of Assad, and Turkey, which supports the rebels,
collapsed on April 30 when the government began its offensive following months
of violations by both sides. Turkey, which hosts 3 million Syrian refugees,
fears a full-blown government offensive would cause a new wave of displaced
people heading toward its border, but it has been unable — or some say,
unwilling — to control the rebels in Idlib that it supports.
Crucially, Iran-backed fighters, including members of Lebanon's Hezbollah group
whose participation has been key in previous battles, have not joined fight for
Idlib, deeming the region a low priority, unlike more strategic areas bordering
Iraq and Lebanon. Even Russia hasn't thrown all its weight into the fray and has
continued to talk to Turkey about ways to reinstate the cease-fire.
Rather than a full-blown offensive to recover the province, which is packed with
3 million people, Assad's government has for now restricted its assault to the
edges of the province with the aim of reopening key highways crossing through
rebel-held areas. But even that has proved futile as the rebels fight back
aggressively. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an
opposition war monitor, 2,443 people have been killed since April 30. They
include 629 civilians, among them 159 children. The dead also include 869
pro-government fighters and troops as well as 945 insurgents, according to the
Observatory. Many more have been wounded and many villages destroyed, with the
United Nations saying the fighting has displaced more than 330,000 from their
homes. Many of them now live in overcrowded tents near the border with Turkey.
Spearheading the offensive on Idlib and northern parts of the central province
of Hama is the government's elite Tiger Force led by Brig. Gen. Suheil
al-Hassan, a Russian-backed Syrian officer who took credit for some of the
biggest government victories in the eight-year conflict.
But he has not succeeded in breaking Idlib's defenses and remains deadlocked.
According to opposition activists, elite forces from the Republican Guards and
the Fourth Division led by Assad's younger brother, Maher, have recently started
taking part in the offensive.
Opposition activists say government forces and their Russian allies have been
targeting schools and medical centers, reportedly killing 10 medical staff since
the offensive began, to make it difficult for the local population to stay. The
tactic has been used by government troops elsewhere in Syria. Airstrikes have
also targeted paramedics, killing four ambulance workers in recent weeks,
activists say.
The Idlib offensive began with government forces capturing more than a dozen
villages, including Qalaat al-Madiq and Kfar Nabudah, which are considered the
militants' first line of defense of Idlib. Since then, Kfar Nabudah has changed
hands several times. Insurgents later took government forces by surprise by
launching an offensive and opening another front, in which they succeeded in
capturing the villages of Madraset al-Dahra, Tel Milh and Jubain. Repeated
government attacks to retake the area were unsuccessful.
Mohammed al-Ali, a journalist based in Idlib province, said that two months into
the offensive the government now only controls the village of Qassabiyeh in
Idlib as well as some dozen villages in northern Hama province and the town of
Qalaat al-Madiq.
Al-Ali said one of the insurgents' biggest successes was opening the new front,
in which they cut a main road linking the central city of Hama with
government-held villages on the edge of Idlib.
"The rebels' steadfastness and regime's heavy losses made them fail to achieve
advances similar to those they did at the start," he said of the government
offensive. He said anti-tank missiles were key in slowing the regime's
offensive. The battle could last for months and claim more lives unless Turkey,
Iran and Russia reach a new deal for the region similar to last year's
cease-fire. The faltering offensive could encourage Russia to reach such a deal
with Turkey. Turkey's presidential spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, said Ankara is
planning to host a summit between the leaders of the three nations in August to
discuss Syria, mainly Idlib. "The Syrian military's inability so far to make
more headway in Idlib does not mean it cannot ultimately achieve victory
nationwide," Heller, of Crisis Group, said. "It does show, however, that its
military victory is contingent on politics that -are bigger than just Syria."
26 Killed in Deadly Somalia Hotel Siege
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 13/2019
At least 26 people, including several foreigners, were killed and 56 injured in
a suicide bomb and gun attack claimed by Al-Shabaab militants on a popular hotel
in southern Somalia, a top regional official said Saturday. A suicide bomber
rammed a vehicle loaded with explosives into the Medina hotel in the port town
of Kismayo on Friday before several heavily armed gunmen forced their way
inside, shooting as they went, authorities said. The siege lasted for almost 12
hours and only ended on Saturday morning after clashes with security forces.
Three Kenyans, three Tanzanians, two Americans, one British and one Canadian
were among the 26 people killed in the attack, president Ahmed Mohamed Islam of
the semi-autonomous Jubaland region told a news conference. "There are also two
wounded Chinese citizens," he added. AFP confirmed with family members that at
least four of the dead had dual nationality. "The security forces are in control
now and the last terrorist was shot and killed", Mohamed Abdiweli, a security
official, said. "There are dead bodies and wounded people strewn inside the
hotel," Abdiweli said. He said authorities believed four gunmen, who one witness
described as wearing Somali police uniforms, were involved in the attack.
Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked group, claimed responsibility for the siege
describing it as "a martyrdom attack""There is chaos inside, I saw several dead
bodies carried from the scene and people are fleeing from the nearby buildings,"
witness Hussein Muktar said during the assault. "The blast was very big," he
added. The attack is the latest in a long line of bombing and assaults claimed
by Al-Shabaab. Witnesses said among those killed were a well-known social media
activist and a local journalist. "The relatives of local journalist Mohamed
Sahal confirmed his death and I'm getting that social media activist Hodan
Naleyeh and her husband also died in the blast," witness Ahmed Farhan said. The
Somali journalists' union SJS confirmed the reporters' deaths. "It is a very sad
day for Somalian journalists," the union's secretary-general Ahmed Mumin said in
a statement. According to several sources, most of those staying in the
hotel were politicians and traders ahead of upcoming regional elections. "The
whole building is in ruins, there are dead bodies and wounded who have been
recovered from inside. The security forces have cordoned off the whole area,"
said witness Muna Abdirahman. Shabaab fighters have fought for more than a
decade to topple the Somali government. The militant group emerged from Islamic
Courts that once controlled central and southern Somalia and are variously
estimated to number between 5,000 and 9,000 men. In 2010, the Shabaab declared
their allegiance to Al-Qaeda. In 2011, they fled positions they once held in
Mogadishu, and have since lost many strongholds. But they retain control of
large rural swathes of the country and continue to wage a guerrilla war against
the authorities.
Activists Say Russian, Syrian Strikes Kill 11 in Rebel Area
Associated Press/Naharnet/July 13/2019
Syrian rescuers and activists say 11 civilians, including two families of four,
have been killed in government and Russian airstrikes inside Syria's last rebel
stronghold. First responders known as White Helmets said airstrikes in Kfarya
village Saturday killed a mother, her baby and another man, leaving 11 injured,
including one of their volunteers. The rescuers and the Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said other airstrikes in the town of
Khan Sheikhoun hit a farm, killing two families— four children and four parents.
The Observatory said Russian aircraft were suspected of launching the strike.
Moscow is backing the Syrian government in a stalled offensive against the
northwestern Syria rebel enclave, now in its 11th week. Russia said it foiled an
attack on its coastal military base Friday.
Iraq's Former Prime Minister Abadi Hints at Comeback
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 13/2019
Iraqi ex-prime minister Haider al-Abadi is eyeing a sequel to his turbulent
single term, he hinted to AFP, warning a failure to tackle sectarianism and
corruption risks seeing his country "fall apart". As the government of incumbent
Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi faces growing criticism over poor services,
Abadi has been working in the wings to secure a second term, according to
multiple sources. "We have good intentions," he said coyly, when asked about his
ambitions in a wide-ranging AFP interview at his home in Baghdad's "Green Zone".
The 67-year-old, who came to office in 2014 without an election as Iraq reeled
from the Islamic State group grabbing a third of the country, has sent out
feelers to major political blocs who may help him win allies in parliament, a
government source said. "He may take advantage of a wave of summertime protests
if they happen," said the source. Soaring summer temperatures -- paired with
crippling electricity shortages, which restrict refrigeration and air
conditioning -- often provoke significant unrest in Iraq. Abadi has even reached
out to Iraq's powerful Shiite clerics, who can make or break a politician's
career, said intermediaries close to the religious establishment. The rumours of
his return have gained so much traction that Abdel Mahdi has repeatedly had to
deny allegations he was preparing to resign. Abadi oversaw both the fight
against the Islamic State group and a tough response by Baghdad to an
independence referendum by the country's Kurds, but his bloc fared poorly in
national elections last year.
Everything will 'fall apart'
Abadi painted himself as an opposition figure who could help "guide" the current
government. The chief priority should be tackling corruption, he said, in a
country ranked by Transparency International as the world's 12th most corrupt.
"There is a new kind of state corruption now -- selling positions, which
happened secretly in the past but now goes on in the open," Abadi told AFP.
"Everything has a price."
Graft is endemic across Iraq, where parliament estimates that $228 billion has
vanished into the pockets of shady politicians and businessmen over the last 15
years. Abadi himself was accused of failing to curb corruption during his term.
The ex-premier said the government should also tackle the spectre of sectarian
violence, which ravaged Iraq's diverse communities over a decade ago. "In the
past, sectarianism was used as a weapon in the conflict between factions to
divide up the spoils of war," he said. "If Daesh (IS) or another terrorist group
returns, or if a cocktail of terrorists and politicians is formed, it'll be so
dangerous that everything will completely fall apart." Abadi himself declared IS
defeated in December 2017 after a draining three-year military campaign, a
moment that will likely define his legacy. Several months earlier, he had
ordered federal troops to retake disputed territories and adjacent oil fields
from Kurdish forces after an independence referendum in the autonomous region
that saw an overwhelming vote in favour of secession.
'Where are the revenues?'
Abadi remains largely disliked by the autonomous Kurdish regional government (KRG),
led by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which he indirectly criticised. "I
have no problems with Kurdish citizens," he said. "But there is a problem with
some of the parties which control the region, its wealth and its oil," Abadi
said. He accused the KRG of exporting nearly double the agreed amount from their
northern pipeline without federal authorisation, asking: "Where are the
revenues?"
Abadi's poor ratings in the north notwithstanding, he is one of the rare figures
in Iraq widely respected by both the country's Shiite majority -- from which he
hails -- and its Sunni minority. And in the regional tug-of-war between the US
and Iran, both allies of Iraq, Abadi has been seen as closer to Washington's
camp. Tensions between the two countries have skyrocketed since the US reimposed
tough sanctions on Iran last year, which Abadi had pledged to implement as prime
minister. That stance cost him his premiership, observers say, and parliament
voted in Abdel Mahdi to replace him. This month, Abdel Mahdi ordered the Hashed
al-Shaabi, a collection of mostly-Shiite, pro-Iran paramilitary units, to
integrate into the state's security forces by July 31. Abadi, who issued a
similar decision in 2017, told AFP the decision was too little, too late. "I
believe we lost a year and a half," he said.
At Least Three Killed in Afghan Hotel Attack
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 13/2019
Attackers entered a hotel in western Afghanistan on Saturday and killed at least
three security forces in an ongoing incident, an official told AFP. The attack
was underway in Qala-e-Naw, the capital of Badghis province, having started
around 12:40 pm (08:10 GMT) when a group of men, some wearing suicide vests,
entered the hotel. "The attackers have entered a hotel, they are exchanging fire
with the security forces," Aziz Bek, the head of the Badghis provincial council,
told AFP. "So far, three security forces have been killed, two wounded." He
added that children had been evacuated from nearby schools, and that explosions
could be heard in the city. Nasrat Rahimi, an interior ministry spokesman, said
a group of suicide bombers had entered a hotel and were shooting civilians.
Police had surrounded the building, he added. Haroon Amir, a witness, said the
attackers first hit a police checkpoint and then entered the hotel. "The hotel
is near the police headquarters and they are exchanging fire with the police,"
Amir told AFP. "Two big explosions have been heard in the city so far."No group
immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes amid daily
carnage in Afghanistan despite a US-led push for a deal to try to end the war.
Turkey Ignores US Warnings over Russian S-400 Missile
Deployment
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 13/2019
Turkey ignored US warnings as it continued Saturday to take delivery of Russia's
S-400 missile defence system near Ankara, a defence minstry statement indicated.
"Delivery of S-400 Long Range Air and Missile Defence Systems resumed today,"
the statement said. "The fourth Russian plane carrying S-400 parts landed at
Murted Airport outside Ankara," it added. The US fears that if Ankara integrates
the S-400 into its defences, data about the US-built F-35 fighter jet could leak
back to the Russians, and Washington has threatened to deny Turkey access to the
stealth aircraft. The western defence alliance NATO, which counts Turkey as one
of its members, is also "concerned about the potential consequences" of the
S-400 purchase, an official told AFP. Members of the US Congress have repeatedly
voiced opposition to the move and threatened sanctions. "President Erdogan was
given a very clear choice. Unfortunately, he has clearly made the wrong one,"
said Eliot Engel and Michael McFaul, the top Democrat and Republican
respectively on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Ankara rejects the US
warnings, and on Friday, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters: "We
say this each time. This is a done deal. The process continues."
UK police identify suspect behind leaked envoy memos: Sunday Times
Reuters Sunday, 14 July 2019
The suspect behind the leak of confidential memos from Britain’s Washington
ambassador, which sparked a major diplomatic rift with the United States, has
been identified, the Sunday Times newspaper reported. Last week, Britain’s Mail
on Sunday newspaper published memos from Kim Darroch in which he described
Donald Trump’s administration as “inept” and “dysfunctional”, prompting an angry
response from the US president and causing the envoy to announce his
resignation.British officials have launched an inquiry to find the person
responsible for the leak and counter-terrorism police said on Friday they had
launched a criminal investigation. According to the Sunday Times, which cited
unnamed government sources, a suspect had been identified and suggestions that
it could be the result of a computer hack by a foreign state had been ruled out.
“They think they know who did the leaking,” an unnamed government source told
the paper. “It’s now a case of building a case that will stand up in court. It
was someone with access to historical files. They went in and grabbed a range of
material. It was quite crude.”Both the Sunday Times and the Mail on Sunday
reported that intelligence officials from the GCHQ eavesdropping spy agency were
about to join the investigation to find the suspect by scouring email and phone
records. The Mail also published further memos from Darroch, defying a police
warning that media which did so could be committing a criminal act. The paper
said Darroch had written to the British government in May 2018 that Trump had
decided to unilaterally withdraw from Iran’s nuclear deal with major powers for
“personality reasons” because it had been agreed by his predecessor Barack
Obama. Darroch had said in the cable that the Trump administration was “set upon
an act of diplomatic vandalism”, the paper said.
Britain’s most senior counter-terrorism police officer had warned the media not
to print any more leaked documents, saying it could breach the Official Secrets
Act. However, he was widely criticized by editors and politicians including the
foreign minister Jeremy Hunt and ex-London Mayor Boris Johnson, the two men
battling to replace Theresa May as prime minister when she steps down in just
over a week’s time. “It cannot be conceivably right that newspapers or any other
media organization publishing such material should face prosecution,” Johnson,
the frontrunner, said.
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials
from miscellaneous sources published
on July 13-14/2019
Iraqi Kurdistan’s New Government
Bilal Wahab/The Washington Institute/July 13/2019
https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/iraqi-kurdistans-new-government
After months of delay, the new cabinet must get up to speed quickly in order to
put KRG-federal relations on solid legal ground, curtail Iranian influence, and
unify the Peshmerga.
On July 10, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s parliament voted in a new
cabinet led by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, eldest son of former president
Masoud Barzani. Masrour succeeds his cousin Nechirvan Barzani, the long-serving
KRG premier who was sworn in last month as president. The cabinet now comprises
twenty-one ministers, including three without portfolio. Two seats were
earmarked for Christian and Turkmen representatives; three women won seats as
well, the largest number to date.
NEW FACES, LINGERING CHALLENGES
It took nine months to form the new cabinet following last September’s
parliamentary elections. The delay was caused by deep divisions between and
within the KRG’s main political parties. The Kurdistan Democratic Party, which
won 45 of the parliament’s 111 seats, could not form a government without the
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (21 seats); the two factions have long vacillated
between partnership and rivalry depending on political circumstances. The Gorran
Party, the KRG’s largest opposition faction, came in third with 12 seats.
Geographically, Sulaymaniyah province is a contested Gorran and PUK stronghold,
while the KDP holds the reins in Erbil and Dahuk provinces. Before, during, and
after the election campaign, the three parties took turns blaming each other for
the ill-fated independence referendum of 2017, which cost the KRG dearly in
political, economic, and territorial capital. Forming the new cabinet has
seemingly given them some common ground for conciliation.
The PUK and Gorran have also suffered from internal fractures since the passing
of their leaders in 2017 (Jalal Talabani and Nawshirwan Mustafa, respectively).
The KDP enjoys greater unity thanks to its leader Masoud Barzani, who
spearheaded the push to select Nechirvan as president and Masrour as prime
minister, ushering in the transition to the family’s next generation of leaders.
Masrour has picked his priorities well so far. He has pledged that his
government will focus on streamlining KRG relations with Baghdad over issues of
revenue and territory while fighting corruption and improving governance and
economic diversification at home. But he faces two key challenges.
The first lies in the partisan nature of his cabinet. After a politically
fraught selection process, technocrats have generally been sidelined in favor of
loyalists to various rival parties, which could delay or derail implementation
of his agenda.
Second, all of Masrour’s past posts have been in the security sector, and he has
never served on a cabinet. His previous post was chancellor of the Kurdistan
Region Security Council, an important role in which he oversaw the KRG’s
security apparatus and proved his strong military credentials. In that capacity,
however, he was surrounded by confidantes and reported only to his father.
Coming out into the public spotlight and leading a multiparty cabinet, most of
whose members are first-timers, will be a different feat. The veteran guidance
of Nechirvan and PUK deputy prime minister Qubad Talabani may help ease his
transition.
Currently, however, Masrour is striking a tone of change over continuity,
declaring in a July 10 tweet that his cabinet “marks a new era for Kurdistan.”
This could indicate emerging competition between the two cousins. Missing from
the cabinet is Ashti Hawrami, a Nechirvan confidante who has served as the
powerful minister of natural resources. Also, the KRG website now has a new
domain name and does not include links to previous cabinets. In light of such
developments, the role that Barzani family dynamics will play in the transition
has become a subject of much discussion in the Kurdish press and social media
platforms.
RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES
Washington supports a strong KRG within a unified Iraq. A number of steps would
help facilitate this goal:
Improve KRG relations with Baghdad. To advance this already declared priority,
Prime Minister Barzani would need to base relations between the federal and
regional governments on solid legal and formal ground rather than short-lived
political handshakes. Baghdad and Erbil have longstanding disputes over oil and
gas management rights, budget and revenue sharing, and territory. These
disagreements have fed instability and uncertainty, hindering the U.S. and Iraqi
goal of fostering a sovereign, unified, and prosperous nation. KRG-federal
relations have enjoyed a honeymoon of sorts in 2019, but the detente is
precarious. Therefore, Washington would welcome any substantive commitments
Barzani can make to a law-based, mutually beneficial, and fair relationship with
Baghdad.
Keep Iran at arm’s length. The transactional nature of KRG-federal politics
often invites Tehran to intervene as a mediator and enforcer. The risk of such
influence has only increased since 2017, when Washington opposed the KRG
independence referendum and U.S.-Kurdish relations took a sour turn. At the
time, Masrour Barzani was the referendum’s chief lobbyist in Washington.
Disappointed at the U.S. decision, the KDP mended its ties with Iran, among
other steps. Going forward, the KRG would win favors in Washington if it pursues
policies that contribute to Iraq’s independence from undue Iranian manipulation.
Unify the Peshmerga. Institutionalizing and uniting the Kurdish security forces
would not only help safeguard Kurdistan from Islamic State remnants, but also
bolster the KRG’s political standing at home and abroad. Much like what has
happened in other parts of Iraq, unruly armed groups that report directly to
political parties have dented the legitimacy of the KRG. With his security
background and fresh perspective, Prime Minister Barzani has an opportunity to
ensure that the Peshmerga are accountable to his government, not to the PUK and
KDP. Peshmerga unity is a longstanding public demand, especially since divisions
within the security forces exacerbated the losses that followed the referendum.
Barzani has foreign support on this issue as well, given the mounting
international pressure on Iraq to rein in militias.
**Bilal Wahab is the Nathan and Esther K. Wagner Fellow at The Washington
Institute.
If Iran wants Europe’s help, this isn’t how to get it
Cornelia Meyer/Arab News/July 14, 2019
In his meeting with French presidential envoy Emmanuel Bonne, left, in Tehran on
July 10, 2019, President Hassan Rouhani, right, said that Tehran has left the
door open for diplomacy on the 2015 nuclear deal. (Iranian Presidency Office via
AP)
Tension in the region has been rising since US President Donald Trump withdrew
from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 deal to curb
Iran’s nuclear program, and reimposed sanctions.
The European signatories to the JCPOA — the UK, France, Germany and the EU —
have been trying to keep it alive. They understand the deal’s flaws; it is time
limited, and addresses neither Iran’s ballistic missile program nor its regional
meddling through proxies such as Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi in Iraq, Hezbollah in
Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. Nevertheless, they believe the JCPOA offers
leverage over Iran’s nuclear capabilities, especially when there are no
alternatives.
In an effort to persuade Iran to keep to the deal despite its economy being
crippled by US sanctions, the Europeans came up with Instex — a payment
mechanism for European companies to trade with Iran while avoiding use of the US
dollar. It was doomed from the start. The US has made it clear that any company
doing business with Tehran (whatever the currency mechanism) will be frozen out
of the world’s largest economy, leaving them with a stark choice: Trade with
Iran or trade with the US, you can’t do both.
The vice further tightened on Tehran in May, when the US ended waivers that
allowed a few countries to import Iranian oil; the stated aim of this “maximum
pressure” campaign being to reduce Iran’s oil exports (and main source of
income) to zero.
Iran threatened to respond within 60 days by breaking its commitments under the
JCPOA, and this month it duly did so —stockpiling enriched uranium beyond the
deal’s 300kg limit, and enriching uranium to greater than 3.67 percent purity.
And that is not the only Iranian action that frustrates the Europeans, calling
into question their efforts to save the JCPOA.
First there were sabotage attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman, and drone
attacks on two oil-pumping stations on Saudi Arabia’s east-west pipeline from
the Gulf to the Red Sea. Iran denied the tanker sabotage and their Houthi
proxies in Yemen claimed the pipeline attacks, but there is no doubt who was
responsible for the most recent incident in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Europeans would like to save the JCPOA and defuse tension in the Gulf, but
Iran’s conduct does little to encourage them. Blocking a British tanker will
have infuriated not just the Foreign Office, but also the Royal Navy and the
Ministry of Defence.
Fast gunboats operated by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps tried to disrupt
the passage of the BP-owned tanker British Heritage, and were driven off when
the British frigate HMS Montrose trained its guns on them. That followed the
seizure by British Royal Marines of the Grace 1, an Iranian tanker carrying 1
million barrels of oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions, and detained off the
coast of Gibraltar.
The US has already dispatched the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the
Gulf, along with a naval strike force, but Trump insists that the task of
keeping the Strait of Hormuz open should be shared because most of the cargo
that passes through it is bound for Asia. India has dispatched two vessels,
which is not sufficient. Japan will be reluctant to contribute naval assets
because of constitutional constraints. The US is unlikely to welcome the
deployment of the Chinese navy in the region, since Washington is skeptical of
China’s geopolitical ambitions. Those most likely to heed the president’s call,
therefore, are the Europeans — primarily the British.
This crisis is both geopolitical and geo-economic. Europe will look at things
differently from the US, because Iran and the region at large are their near
neighbors and they worry about yet another armed conflict in their neighborhood;
the conflicts in Syria and Iraq have already resulted in millions of refugees
fleeing to Europe.
Nevertheless, while the European states value the rule of international maritime
law and the right of secure passage for their commercial shipping vessels, they
also value adherence to international treaties.
France twice sent Emmanuel Bonne, one of its most senior diplomats, to Tehran
for talks with President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javed
Zarif. His mandate was to impress on Iran that it would be more constructive if
Iran adhered to the terms of the JCPOA, the French view being that if they did
nothing there would be a grave international crisis to contend with in the next
few weeks.
Bonne’s second visit coincided with the British Heritage incident, just as a
Japanese tanker was sabotaged in the Gulf of Oman last month while Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe was in Tehran on a state visit.
The Europeans would like to save the JCPOA and defuse tension in the Gulf, but
Iran’s conduct does little to encourage them. Blocking a British tanker will
have infuriated not just the Foreign Office, but also the Royal Navy and the
Ministry of Defence.
Norbert Roettgen, the influential chairman of the Bundestag’s foreign affairs
committee, has argued that the Germans, the French and the British should
co-ordinate their foreign policies, especially on Iran and potential conflict in
the Middle East. Between Brexit and Franco-German tensions over EU policy, this
is a tall order. Nevertheless, Iran’s maritime aggression and its breach of the
JCPOA may well be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back and ends
constructive European engagement with Iran.
• Cornelia Meyer is a business consultant, macro-economist and energy expert.
Twitter: @MeyerResources
Light at the end of Sudan’s tunnel
Hafed Al-Ghwell//Arab News/July 14/2019
The latest developments in Sudan appear to promise a successful transition from
the unchecked rule of the military junta to a civilian-led government.
Presently, the Transitional Military Council (TMC) led by Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan
has at least verbally agreed to a power-sharing deal that appears favorable to
the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), a coalition of civilian organizations
and associations representing civilians led by the Sudanese Professionals
Association (SPA).
In this deal, the TMC will be replaced by an 11-member sovereign council
composed of 5 individuals chosen by the military and the FFC each and a civilian
agreed upon by both sides. However, some reports allege that this sixth
"civilian" will actually be a retired military officer. Both sides have also
agreed to rotating leadership in the 39-month transition period with the
military leading in the first 21 months and a civilian for the remaining 18
months.
The FFC will also appoint Cabinet Ministers who will jointly oversee the
creation of a legislative council with the sovereign council. After the
transition period, it is expected that the Sudanese will hold their first
democratic elections since the ouster of Omar al-Bashir after 3 decades of
authoritarian rule.
After the agreement was announced last week, many Sudanese took to the streets
to celebrate what will hopefully be a new era in the country's quest for
democracy. After all, this new phase did not come without its costs.
Ever since the fall of the Bashir regime, intensifying demonstrations and
heavy-handed responses to them by security forces have resulted in multiple
deaths and injuries.
The worst of these incidents will eventually come to be known as the Khartoum
Massacre where more than a hundred civilians perished and many more were injured
after security used live ammunition against protesters. Civilians have also had
to endure harassment and assault, which disproportionately targets women and
girls. In fact, even though women were major contributors and leaders in the
uprisings, both the TMC and FFC have largely shut them out of their protracted
negotiations betraying hopes of unprecedented inclusivity.
Despite the agreement, tensions in Sudan still remain markedly high given that
some of the protesters' demands have not been met and the power-sharing deal
failed to address them.
Despite the agreement, tensions still remain markedly high given that some of
the protesters' demands have not been met and the power-sharing deal failed to
address them. For instance, many of the worst atrocities committed against
protesters as well as the arrest of political dissidents aligned with the FFC
and SPA, have been blamed on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Protesters have vowed to intensify demonstrations calling for those forces to be
withdrawn from the cities alongside helping the unarmed civilians that were
targeted. There are also demands for the release of political prisoners and
ending the shutdown of the Internet orchestrated by Huawei and the National
Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), Sudan's secret police which also
operates the RSF under the leadership of Lt. General Abu Bakr Mustafa.
If a recent accounting of the protests is anything to go by, the FFC and SPA
have consistently shown that they do not issue idle threats. Just last month, a
3-day general strike and campaign of non-violent civil disobedience shutdown
significant parts of the education, transportation, finance, legal, retail,
utilities and medical sectors. Furthermore, protesters have consistently turned
up in force regardless of the heavy-handed response from security forces, which
has lent organizations representing them considerable leverage in negotiations
as well as indirectly forcing changes in the leadership and composition of the
TMC.
The new agreement brokered by Ethiopia and the African Union is likely to be
accepted by both sides, which would establish transitional institutions and lay
out the roadmap to the first democratic elections in October 2022. It must
therefore be asked, can the military be trusted to honor its end of this grand
bargain and phase itself out of government within the agreed upon timeline?
If precedent is anything to go by, there is no simple answer to that question.
Firstly, the military was part of the insulation that the Bashir regime relied
on to stay in power. Many of the military's senior leadership, including those
who have filtered through to the present-day TMC, rose through the ranks in the
Bashir era, which was far-removed from any notions of a truly accountable,
inclusive and transparent democratic government. As a result, faced with stiff
opposition as well as intensifying protests organized by an FFC resistant to
coercion and threats, the military responded by arresting political opponents
and unleashing the RSF on protesters.
Additionally, the TMC has failed to demonstrate a willingness to part with
power, rejecting any proposals to place the military under civilian control. The
military junta also initially desired control of the Interior Ministry, which
would be responsible for Sudan's public security forces, law enforcement
agencies and intelligence services.
By that design, there would be titular civilian government with actual authority
vested in the military far from civilian oversight and control, much like in
Egypt and Algeria, which have also undergone similar uprisings.
However, the subsequent arrest of those that were responsible the Khartoum
Massacre in early June along with reports of a failed coup targeting the TMC's
leadership points to the existence of rogue elements within the military. It
also dashes any hopes that Lt. General Abdel Fattah Burhan, the head of the TMC
and Sudan's de facto Head of State, has complete control of the military and can
effectively check its propensity for violence or untoward outcomes. Without such
assurances, simply imprisoning nefarious actors will do little to assuage
civilian leadership of the TMC's willingness to honor its commitment through the
transition phase.
It would be a little too naive to hope that the military will act according to
agreed principles. As a result, it falls onto the FFC to carefully examine
through written drafts of the power sharing deal with a fine tooth comb before
putting pen to paper in the presence of regional leaders. Evidence points to a
military that desires to exist outside the scope of democratic principles and
maintain unchecked power, which necessitates their negotiating in bad faith or
leaving loopholes in any agreement, written or verbal, between the two sides to
exploit at opportune moments.
For now, civilian leadership has considerable leverage, which has been relied
upon to effect outcomes favorable to their demands for a democratic government.
However, "resistance fatigue" is likely to set in during the 39-month transition
phase should the military continue giving lip service to democratic ideals while
working to undercut them.
Thus, the FFC should tread carefully and maintain its ability to effect change
at least until democratic elections are held instead of unilaterally disbanding
or whittling down its bargaining power. If the TMC wishes to be "trusted", more
must be done to earn that trust, and so far, their record has been dismal with
too few assurances of being good faith partners in securing Sudan's democracy,
long-term stability and a hopefully prosperous future.
*Hafed Al-Ghwell is a non-resident senior fellow with the Foreign Policy
Institute at the John Hopkins University School of Advanced International
Studies. He is also senior adviser at the international economic consultancy
Maxwell Stamp and at the geopolitical risk advisory firm Oxford Analytica, a
member of the Strategic Advisory Solutions International Group in Washington DC
and a former adviser to the board of the World Bank Group.