English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For July 28/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews19/english.july28.20.htm
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2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006
Bible Quotations For today
Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the
cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.
Luke 11/37-41: “While he was speaking, a Pharisee
invited him to dine with him; so he went in and took his place at the table.The
Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not first wash before dinner. Then the
Lord said to him, ‘Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the
dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not the
one who made the outside make the inside also? So give for alms those things
that are within; and see, everything will be clean for you.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 27-28/2020
132 New Coronavirus Cases in Lebanon
Lebanon Reimposes COVID-19 Restrictions as Infections Spike
Lebanon: Rise in Virus Cases Sparks Lockdown Discussions
Govt. Declares New Lockdown Measures to Face Resurgent Virus
Authorities Advise Two-week Lockdown over Virus Surge
Lebanon now rated as low as Venezuela after Moody’s rating cut to lowest grade
Patriarch Rai: Neutrality Would Strengthen Unity
Lebanon Ex-PM Hariri to Attend Verdict Hearing in his Father’s Assassination
Lebanese Forces MP Says PCR Test was ‘Erroneous’
Iranian Ambassador Meets Grand Mufti: Iran Will Not Hesitate to Help Lebanon
Jumblat Urges ‘Media Alert’ over Increase in Virus Cases
Israel Deploys Anti-Missile Artillery on Border with Lebanon
Hizbullah Denies Involvement in Israel Border 'Clash'
UNIFIL Urges 'Maximum Restraint' after Lebanon-Israel Border 'Clashes'
Israel, Hezbollah Trade Fire Across Lebanese Border
Netanyahu: Hezbollah is playing with fire/The Jerusalem Post/July 27/2020
Was this the long-awaited Hezbollah retaliation?/The Jerusalem Post/July 27/2020
IDF thwarts Hezbollah terror cell infiltration along border with Lebanon/The
Jerusalem Post/July 27/2020
Israeli Army Says Thwarted Hezbollah Infiltration Attempt Along Lebanon Border/Haaretz/July
27/2020
Fighting breaks out on Israel-Lebanon border/Rina Bassist/AL-MONITOR/July
27/2020
A week ago, when Hezbollah indicated one of its fighters, Ali Mohsen, was killed
in Syria, the group immediately had its social media fans calling for attacks on
Israel./The Jerusalem Post/July 27/2020
Netanyahu warns Hezbollah against 'playing with fire' after border attack/Bassam
Zaazaa/The National/July 27/2020
Hezbollah says all-out war with Israel unlikely in coming months/Reuters/July
27/2020
Hezbollah Deputy Chief: All-out War with Israel Unlikely in Coming Months
In North, Gantz warns that Israel will meet tests with strong response/Jerusalem
Post/July 27/2020
The Struggle over Beirut’s History/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al Awsat/July, 27/2020
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 27-28/2020
Turkish magazine calls for founding Islamic caliphate after Hagia Sophia
conversion
Spain sees thaw in Europe-Turkey tensions on energy drilling in Mediterranean
Hook: Lifting Arms Embargo On Iran Will Intensify Conflicts In Syria And
Elsewhere
Two Baghdad Protesters Dead after Clashes with Police
Iraq Army Launches Fourth Phase of Anti-ISIS Operation in Diyala
Egypt’s army chief of staff checks combat readiness of forces near Libya border
African Union to hold disputed Ethiopia dam meeting on August 3: Sudan
Iran Moves Mock Aircraft Carrier to Strait of Hormuz
Full Ceasefire Takes Effect in Eastern Ukraine
Woman Accused of Joining ISIS Arrested on Return to Germany
LNA: Turkey Delivering Military Gear to Militias through Commercial Vessels
Ukraine’s FM says Iranians to discuss crash compensation in Kiev
Titles For The Latest LCCC English
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 27-28/2020
Iran-Syria Air Defense Pact Could Disrupt Allied Operations/Farzin Nadimi/The
Washington Institute/July 27/2020
Unraveling the mystery of US F-15s intercepting Iran’s Mahan air/Seth J.
Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/July 27/2020
Turkish Government’s Hagia Sophia Rhetoric Adds Insult to Injury/Aykan Erdemir/Tuğba
Tanyeri-Erdemir/Providence/July 27/2020
With a Potential Iran-China Deal, Time for Israel to Reassess Its Policy/Jacob
Nagel/Mark Dubowitz/Newsweek/July 27/2020
To stop China’s crimes against humanity, hit its pride and pocketbook/Craig
Singleton/Washington Examiner/July 27/2020
Palestinians: The Priorities of Muslim 'Scholars' During COVID-19/ Khaled Abu
Toameh/Gatestone Institute./July 27, 2020
Turkey on the Warpath/Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/July 27/2020
The Islamist Takeover of George Floyd/A.J. Caschetta/JNS/July 27/2020
Raymond Ibrahim/Burned Alive”: Persecution of Christians, June 2020/Gatstone
Institute/July 26/2020
The Virus Will Make Everything You Hate About Flying Worse/David Fickling/Bloomberg/July
27/2020
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 27-28/2020
132 New Coronavirus Cases in Lebanon
Naharnet/July 27/2020
Lebanon on Monday confirmed 132 more coronavirus cases, which raises the
country's overall tally since February 21 to 3,882. The Health Ministry said 120
of the cases were recorded among residents and 12 among expats.
Twenty-nine of the local cases were recorded in Northern Metn, 19 in Jbeil
district, 16 in Baabda district and 12 in Beirut while the locations of 25 cases
remain under investigation.
Lebanon Reimposes COVID-19 Restrictions as
Infections Spike
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 July, 2020
Lebanon reimposed severe COVID-19 restrictions on Monday for the next two weeks,
shutting places of worship, cinemas, bars, nightclubs, sports events and popular
markets, after a sharp rise in infections. Shops, private companies, banks and
educational institutions would be permitted to open, but only on Tuesdays and
Wednesdays, with a near total lockdown in place Thursday through Monday until
Aug 10. This week’s lockdown coincides with the Eid al-Adha holiday when Muslims
normally hold large gatherings. Officials said they were alarmed by a spike in
cases in recent days, with at least 132 new infections and eight deaths
confirmed in the last 24 hours. Lebanon has recorded just 51 deaths from the
coronavirus since February. “We have to go back a step back and work with
determination as though the pandemic has now begun,” Minister of Health Hamad
Hassan was quoted in state media as saying. “We have to work more seriously to
avoid a medical humanitarian catastrophe.”Beirut’s airport, land border
crossings with Syria and sea ports would be kept open, as well as medical
institutions, industrial and agricultural firms and critical government
functions. Those arriving from high risk countries would be held in quarantine
for 48 hours until they receive the results of a coronavirus test. Those
arriving from other areas would be expected to quarantine at home.
Lebanon: Rise in Virus Cases Sparks Lockdown Discussions
Beirut - Caroline Akoum/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 July, 2020
An unprecedented rise in the number of coronavirus cases in Lebanon has stoked
fears that hospitals will be overwhelmed. “This critical situation is prompting
talks about a possible return to a full lockdown as of this week,” Lebanese MP
Issam Araji, who heads the parliament's public health committee, told Asharq
Al-Awsat.On Sunday, the Ministry of Public Health announced that 168 new
COVID-19 cases were registered in the country, raising the total to 3,746. Among
them is "Strong Republic" MP George Okais, whose infection has stocked concerns
that he could have transmitted the disease to members of parliament. Several
politicians, who have recently met the MP, including Lebanese Forces Leader
Samir Geagea and Speaker Nabih Berri, carried out tests and their results came
back negative. “If numbers continue to rise in the next couple of days, we must
take a decision to return to a total lockdown, except for some sectors,” Araji
said. He explained that such decision would not have a big effect on the economy
because Lebanon is closing for two days this week on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha.
The deputy is particularly concerned about the inability of the health sector to
cope with rising cases. He said private hospitals are not well equipped to face
a larger outbreak. “The head of Private Hospitals Syndicate informed us that in
case COVID-19 spreads across Lebanon, hospitals will be overwhelmed,” Araji
said. The outbreak would also put a strain on the public health sector, which
has no more than 1,900 hospital beds, in addition to 350 beds for intensive care
and 170 for patients who need ventilators. On Sunday, several municipalities
announced clusters of COVID-19 cases, urging residents to respect preventive
measures. The Lebanese Red Cross also revealed in a statement that 17 of its
paramedics in Zahle have been infected, and are now observing home quarantine.
Also, the Beirut Bar Association announced the closure of its offices for four
days starting on Monday after a lawyer contracted the virus.
Govt. Declares New Lockdown Measures to Face Resurgent
Virus
Naharnet/July 27/2020
The government on Monday announced new lockdowns in a bid to rein in a new wave
of coronavirus cases in the country. Non-essential sectors will be closed from
Tuesday until August 10, Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi said after a meeting
for the government’s anti-COVID ministerial panel. Those sectors include bars,
nightclubs, sporting races, event halls and gardens, internal gaming centers,
popular souks, indoor and outdoor children parks, public parks, seaside
promenades, public beaches, religious ceremonies, indoor pools, group training
sessions at gyms, concerts, places of worship, theaters and cinemas.
Restaurants, cafes and public transportation vehicles will meanwhile be obliged
to operate with 50% of their customer capacity. The government also asked those
who age 65 years and older to stay home and avoid mixing. A general lockdown
involving all private institutions and companies, markets and the educational
and banking sectors will meanwhile be imposed from July 30 to August 3 and from
August 6 to August 10. “All gatherings will be banned,” Fahmi said.He added that
the health, food, security, military, pharmaceutical, industrial, agricultural
and media sectors in addition to public institutions and municipalities and the
sea, land and air ports of entry will be exempt from the lockdown measures.
Authorities Advise Two-week Lockdown over Virus Surge
Naharnet/July 27/2020
Health Minister Hamad Hassan said on Monday the scientific committee at the
ministry recommended a two-week lockdown over the recent surge in COVID-19 cases
in Lebanon with the exception of the airport. At a press conference, Hassan said
the committee has also recommended banning visits to hospital patients.“We can
not surrender now and will continue to raise our voices. We must tighten
preventive measures against the virus,” said the Minister. “The Disaster
Management Center affiliated with the Ministry of Health will be activated at
the Rafik Hariri University Hospital to operate 24/24 hours. It will soon be
announced due to the failure of a number of hospitals to receive people infected
with the virus,” he added. After the opening of its airport and lifting lockdown
restrictions, Lebanon witnessed a remarkable uptick in coronavirus cases. The
country is poised to take strict and mandatory measures as of Monday in a bid to
contain a resurgence of the virus.On Sunday, Lebanon recorded 168 COVID-19 cases
raising the country’s overall tally to 3,747 cases -- among them 933 Lebanese
expats, according to official data.
The tally includes 51 deaths and 1,692 recoveries.
Lebanon now rated as low as Venezuela after Moody’s rating
cut to lowest grade
Bloomberg/Tuesday 28 July 2020
Lebanon had its rating cut to the lowest grade by Moody’s Investors Service,
which said that bond investors will likely suffer major losses on their holdings
as the government struggles to secure aid to ease a crippling financial crisis.
Moody’s lowered Lebanon’s credit score to C from Ca, the same level as
crisis-ravaged Venezuela. It reflects Moody’s “assessment that the losses
incurred by bondholders through Lebanon’s current default are likely to exceed
65 percent,” the agency said in a statement. Lebanon, which has already
defaulted on billions of dollars in debt this year, is struggling to secure an
International Monetary Fund loan deal amid sharp domestic divisions over how to
tally losses in the financial system. “The collapse of the currency in the
parallel market and the concomitant surge in inflation fuel a highly unstable
environment,” Moody’s said. “In the absence of key steps toward plausible
economic and fiscal policy reform, official external funding support to
accompany a government debt restructuring is not forthcoming.”
Patriarch Rai: Neutrality Would Strengthen Unity
Beirut- Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 July, 2020
Lebanon’s Maronite Patriarch Beshara Boutros Rai said Sunday that the first and
main target from a neutral system is to strengthen unity, safeguard Lebanon’s
“entity, sovereignty, and independence,” and enhance “national partnership,
stability, and good governance.”Rai said neutrality helps in preserving
Lebanon's sovereignty, distancing it from foreign conflicts, and achieving
stability and economic growth, which would allow for Lebanon's return to its
historical role as a bridge linking the East and West. In his religious sermon
during Sunday Mass service, the Patriarch said that at the national level,
neutrality aims to enhance unity in a state that would be able to defend itself
through the power of the constitution, National Pact, law, and institutions.
Internationally, Rai said neutrality helps separate Lebanon from regional and
international alliances, conflicts, and wars, especially those that would have
direct negative repercussions on stability inside the State. The Patriarch
called for working together to revitalize Lebanon by fighting corruption and
carrying out reforms, starting with the electricity file. “Reforms should begin
with the electricity sector and should include a judicial fight against the
rampant corruption which is increasing without any conscience check or fear,” he
said, referring to the latest confiscation of huge quantities of spoiled
foodstuffs. Thus, Rai urged politicians to proceed with necessary reforms away
from political disputes. He called on the political class in Lebanon to "rise
above their personal interests and narrow calculations for the sake of the
country and its people."
Lebanon Ex-PM Hariri to Attend Verdict Hearing in his
Father’s Assassination
Beirut - Mohamed Choucair/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 July, 2020
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri will attend the long-awaited verdict of the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon in the case of his father’s Feb. 2005
assassination, Asharq Al-Awsat has learned. MP Marwan Hamadeh, who has survived
an attempted murder in October 2004, and family members of victims of the attack
on ex-PM Rafik Hariri’s convoy on Beirut’s seafront will also attend the verdict
at The Hague on Aug. 7. Hamadeh’s presence will be highly significant because
the STL determined that his attempted assassination, in addition to two separate
attacks on Lebanese politicians George Hawi and Elias el-Murr are legally
connected to Hariri’s murder. The three cases are currently under investigation.
Four suspects are on trial in absentia over Hariri’s murder in a huge suicide
bombing. They are Hezbollah members Salim Ayyash, Assad Sabra, Hussein Oneissi
and Hassan Habib Merhi.
Asharq Al-Awsat learned that Saad Hariri will not make any statement on the case
before the verdict is issued. The court has heard evidence from more than 300
witnesses and amassed 144,000 pages of evidence.
After the verdict is issued, Hariri “will not resort to vengeance” because he
differentiates between those who have committed the crime and the confession
that they belong to. Hariri is keen on preserving civil peace and on
consolidating the national partnership.
Lebanese Forces MP Says PCR Test was ‘Erroneous’
Naharnet/July 27/2020
Strong Republic bloc MP of the Lebanese Forces George Okais clarified on Monday
that a PCR test he had taken over the weekend showing he had contracted COVID-19
turned out “false.”“The Health Minister has just informed me that my PCR test
that showed me positive for coronavirus on Friday proved to be false. I repeated
the test today and it showed a negative result,” said Okais in a tweet. The MP
said he was “sorry to make anxious all individuals he met over the week before
he ra the test.LF chief Samir Geagea and several MPs and parliament employees
started undergoing PCR tests as of Saturday afternoon after Okais announced he
had contracted the virus. Okais had announced Saturday that he tested himself
for the virus upon learning that his friend Hadi al-Hashem, the director of the
Foreign Minister’s office, was infected with coronavirus.
Iranian Ambassador Meets Grand Mufti: Iran Will Not
Hesitate to Help Lebanon
Naharnet/July 27/2020
Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammed Jalal Firouznia confirmed on Monday that
his visit to Dar el-Fatwa and his meeting with Grand Mufti of the Republic,
Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan “is to confirm Iran’s support for Lebanon as a people
and a country.”“I have stressed several times that any country capable of
helping Lebanon must not hesitate to do so. Iran stands by Lebanon’s side in
this sensitive ordeal, and we will not hesitate to provide assistance to the
entire Lebanese,” said Firouznia from Dar el-Fatwa where he held talks with
Daryan. The Iranian ambassador pointed out that “Lebanon is in urgent need to
adhere to national unity. We need to reveal Islamic unity in the Arab world as a
whole. In Iran, we are open for the sake of reinstating Islamic unity." In
response to a question about a possible Israeli strike on Lebanon, he said: “The
Israeli enemy has not forgotten its defeat in the July war (2006). If it does
such foolishness, there is no doubt that a stronger strike will be waiting for
it. The axis of the resistance is stronger than ever.” On the calls to
neutralize Lebanon from regional conflicts, he said: “This issue is a private
Lebanese matter. All initiatives and ideas at this stage must be taken within
the framework of unifying and consolidating national unity."
Jumblat Urges ‘Media Alert’ over Increase in Virus Cases
Naharnet/July 27/2020
Progressive Socialist Party leader ex-MP Walid Jumblat said on Monday that
Lebanon must declare an "emergency and media alert" because the majority of
Lebanese seem to undermine the threat of COVID-19 coronavirus. “A strict
emergency and media alert must declared about coronavirus because the majority
of citizens have either forgotten or disregard the presence of coronavirus,”
said Jumblat in a tweet. He also said the focus must entirely be on equipping
the country’s public hospitals, and referred to hundreds of laid-off hospital
personnel from major medical facilities without naming any. “Let the focus be
entirely on equipping government hospitals above all else, and taking advantage
of the medical personnel that were laid off and employed before they migrate,”
urged Jumblat. After the opening of its airport and lifting lockdown
restrictions, Lebanon witnessed a remarkable uptick in coronavirus cases. The
country is poised to take strict and mandatory measures as of Monday in a bid to
contain a resurgence of the virus.On Sunday, Lebanon recorded 168 COVID-19 cases
raising the country’s overall tally to 3,747 cases -- among them 933 Lebanese
expats, according to official data.
The tally includes 51 deaths and 1,692 recoveries.
Israel Deploys Anti-Missile Artillery on Border with
Lebanon
Naharnet/July 27/2020
The Israeli army reportedly deployed anti-missile artillery and batteries on the
borders of Lebanon, Sky News Arabia reported on Monday. The move comes amid
heightened tensions on Israel’s borders with Lebanon and Syria. On Sunday, an
Israeli reconnaissance drone “on a mission over the border area” crashed evening
into Lebanese territory, the Israeli army said. The tensions surged after an
Israeli airstrike in Syria killed five Iran-backed fighters including a member
of Lebanon’s Hizbullah.
Hizbullah Denies Involvement in Israel Border 'Clash'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 27/2020
Hizbullah denied involvement in combat Monday at the Lebanon-Israel border after
Israel said it had repelled an attempt by "terrorists" to penetrate its
territory. Hizbullah "confirms that it did not take part in any clash and did
not open fire in today's events until now," it said in a statement. "All that
the enemy's media is claiming about thwarting an infiltration operation from
Lebanon into occupied Palestine... is completely false," it added. The group
also denied Israeli media reports about Hizbullah casualties in the incident,
describing the claims as “an attempt to fabricate fictional and false
victories.”The gunfire was “from one side only, the side of the scared, nervous
and tense enemy,” Hizbullah added. Moreover, it stressed that its response to
the death of its fighter Ali Kamel Mohsen in an Israeli raid in Syria “will
certainly come.”“The Zionists will only have to keep waiting for the punishment
to their crimes,” Hizbullah said. It also warned that the Israeli shelling that
hit a civilian house in the southern town of al-Hibbariyeh will not go without a
response. Israel had earlier said that it repelled an attempt by "terrorists" to
penetrate its territory, opening fire on the gunmen just after they crossed the
frontier with Lebanon. Israel's army said a group of three to five men armed
with assault rifles crossed the Blue Line that divides Israel and Lebanon in the
occupied Shebaa Farms. Israeli army spokesman Jonathan Conricus said that
despite the area being forested, spotters had tracked the group as they
approached the Blue Line."Once they crossed the border, we engaged," he said.
There was an exchange of fire between the gunmen and Israeli forces, which did
not result in any Israeli casualties, Conricus said. "We confirmed visually that
the terrorists fled back to Lebanon," he added. Conricus said Israeli forces had
fired artillery into Lebanon "for defensive purposes." An AFP correspondent
reported Israeli artillery bombardment on the hills of Kfarshouba in the Shebaa
Farms area near the Israeli position of Roueysaat al-Alam, and reported plumes
of smoke rising above the area. Israel's army had initially ordered civilians on
its side of the Blue Line to stay indoors, but later lifted those restrictions.
The firing has stopped, according to the United Nations peacekeeping force
UNIFIL, which called for "maximum restraint." The border developments come a
week after an alleged Israeli missile attack hit positions of Syrian regime
forces and their allies south of Damascus on July 20, killing five. Hizbullah
said one of its own died in the raid. Hizbullah number two Sheikh Naim Qassem
said in a televised interview on Sunday that "if the Israelis decide to launch a
war, we will confront it and we will respond."
UNIFIL Urges 'Maximum Restraint' after Lebanon-Israel
Border 'Clashes'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 27/2020
United Nations peacekeeping force UNIFIL called for "maximum restraint" after
clashes were reported Monday on the border between Lebanon and Israel, adding
the firing had stopped. An AFP correspondent reported Israeli artillery
bombardment on the hills of Kfarshouba in the Shebaa Farms area near the Israeli
position of Roueysaat al-Alam, and reported plumes of smoke rising above the
area. Lebanon and Israel are still technically at war and UNIFIL usually patrols
the border between the two. "Major General (Stefano) Del Col has been in contact
with both parties to assess the situation and decrease tension while urging
maximum restraint," UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti said. "The firing has now
stopped," he added. Hizbullah, which has a large presence in the area, issued no
immediate statement on Monday's incident. But its Al-Manar television channel
said calm had returned to the area. Media reports meanwhile said that Hizbullah
is expected to issue a statement on the developments. Israel said it repelled an
attempt by "terrorists" to penetrate its territory, opening fire on the gunmen
just after they crossed the frontier with Lebanon. It said a group of three to
five men armed with rifles crossed the Blue Line in the Shebaa Farms area.
Israeli army spokesman Jonathan Conricus said spotters had tracked the group as
they approached the border."Once they crossed the border, we engaged," he said.
"We confirmed visually that the terrorists fled back to Lebanon," he added.
There were no reported casualties among Israeli forces, Conricus said. Details
on any casualties from the Lebanese side were not immediately available. While
Conricus did not blame the alleged infiltration attempt on Hizbullah, Israeli
army Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said the suspected operation was
carried out by a "Hizbullah cell."Monday's reported border exchange comes a week
after an Israeli missile attack hit positions of Syrian regime forces and their
allies south of Damascus on July 20, killing five. Hizbullah said one of its own
died in the raid. Hizbullah number two Sheikh Naim Qassem said in a televised
interview on Sunday that "if the Israelis decide to launch a war, we will
confront it and we will respond.""What happened in Syria is an aggression, which
led to the death of Ali Kamil Mohsen," he said of last weeks' strikes. Israel
has launched hundreds of strikes in Syria since the start of the country's civil
war in 2011. Israel and Hizbullah last fought a 33-day war in Lebanon in the
summer of 2006.
Israel, Hezbollah Trade Fire Across Lebanese Border
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 July, 2020
Israeli forces on Monday exchanged fire with Hezbollah militants along the
volatile Israeli-Lebanese frontier, as Israeli civilians living in the area were
ordered to remain indoors amid the heaviest fighting between the bitter enemies
in nearly a year. The fighting occurred in an area known as Chebaa Farms, which
was captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war and is claimed by Lebanon.
Residents of southern Lebanon near the border reported Israeli shelling was
continuing for more than an hour. The fighting came as Israel was on heightened
alert for a possible attack by Iran-backed Hezbollah, after an Israeli airstrike
in Syria killed a Hezbollah militant last week. A Lebanese source familiar with
the operation told Reuters the operation was made in response to last week's
attack. In a statement, the Israeli army said a "security incident" had taken
place and civilians near the border were to remain in their homes. It also
blocked roads and told people to avoid "non-essential" travel. The army declined
to give further details, saying the incident was "ongoing." But Israel´s public
broadcast channel Kan said there had been an exchange of fire. Israel and
Hezbollah fought to a stalemate in a month-long war in Lebanon in 2006. Israel
has carried out dozens of airstrikes in Syria in recent years targeting what it
says are Iranian weapons shipments bound for Hezbollah in Lebanon. There was no
immediate statement by Hezbollah. The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, known as
UNFIL, said its commander Maj. Gen. Stefano Del Col was in contact with both
parties to assess the situation and decrease tensions. "He urges maximum
restraint," the UNIFIL statement said. Speaking in parliament, Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the government was closely following
developments in the north. "The military is prepared for every scenario," he
said. "We operate in all the arenas for Israel´s defense - close to our borders
and far from our borders."Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz cut short
meetings in parliament to meet military commanders at army headquarters in Tel
Aviv.
Netanyahu: Hezbollah is playing with fire
The Jerusalem Post/July 27/2020
Netanyahu warned that Israel will hold Hezbollah and Lebanon responsible for any
attacks from Lebanon into Israel. Any attack from Hezbollah will have a strong
response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said hours after the IDF thwarted an
attack on northern Israel by the Lebanese terrorist organization.
“Hezbollah has to know it’s playing with fire,” Netanyahu warned in a statement
to the press. “Any attack will be met with great force. [Hezbollah leader Hasan]
Nasrallah is greatly mistaken about Israel’s determination to defend itself, and
Lebanon has paid a heavy price for this mistake.”
Netanyahu warned that Israel will hold Hezbollah and Lebanon responsible for any
attacks from Lebanon into Israel. The prime minister also said Hezbollah is
doing Iran’s bidding and harming Lebanon. Alternate Prime Minister and Defense
Minister Benny Gantz commended IDF soldiers for preventing “a serious event that
could have cost human lives.”“Israel is determined as ever to protect the lives
of its soldiers and its civilians…Whoever dares test the force of the IDF is
putting himself and the state he comes from in danger,” Gantz warned.
Attacks on Israel will bring a “powerful, sharp and painful” response, the
defense minister stated.
Was this the long-awaited Hezbollah retaliation?
The Jerusalem Post/July 27/2020
Hezbollah said nothing happened, the IDF is still on alert... so what's going
on?
Late on Monday afternoon, plumes of smoke rose near Har Dov, and residents of
Israeli communities all along the borders from the Mediterranean to the Hermon
were ordered to remain at home. The long-awaited Hezbollah response was
unfolding. Was this the long-awaited Hezbollah retaliation?
The long-awaited Hezbollah response was unfolding. Or was it? According to the
IDF, a terrorist attack by a cell of three to five Hezbollah operatives was
thwarted after they crossed the Blue Line, several meters into sovereign Israeli
territory, and soldiers opened fire on them.
The cell fled back into Lebanon without firing at the soldiers, and both sides
claimed there were no casualties.While IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Hidai
Zilberman said civilians could return to their normal routines, the military
remains on high alert for future attacks.
If this was Hezbollah’s retaliation for the death of one of their operatives in
an alleged Israeli airstrike in Syria, why hasn’t the IDF also returned to
“normal?” Why are military vehicles still not allowed to travel on roads
adjacent to the border, and why haven’t troops returned to their posts?
Is it possible that this was just Hezbollah testing the IDF?
The narrative pushed by the Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen news channel is
that Israel made up the whole incident. That troops are so on edge about an
attack by the Lebanese terrorist army that they fired at what they thought were
infiltrators – but in reality were just empty fields.
Hezbollah later released a statement saying that there had been no clash along
the border and that the soldiers had fired on empty fields, making up the entire
incident due to their “extreme fear” over a Hezbollah retaliation. That’s a nice
version if the group does not want an escalation with the Israeli military.
But if what the IDF says is correct, that a cell of Hezbollah operatives tried
to attack soldiers on Mount Dov – an area where due to terrain there is no fence
separating Israel and Lebanon – then maybe the group is trying to cover up a
massive operational failure.
Let’s lay the cards on the table for a minute. Hezbollah lost an operative in an
alleged Israeli airstrike and has vowed to avenge the death of any member killed
by “Zionist aggression.” It has done so in the past – most notoriously last
September, when the group fired three anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) toward
IDF targets in northern Israel near the community of Avivim in retaliation for
the killing of two operatives in Syria. The IDF was preparing for a repeat of
such a scenario this time. But instead of firing ATGMs, Hezbollah reportedly
sent a cell to infiltrate into Israeli territory.
Who sends a cell to climb into Israeli territory during a heat wave unless it
expects it to carry out a deadly attack? And Mount Dov, as mentioned earlier, is
a tense playground for Hezbollah and the IDF. Just yesterday, UNIFIL soldiers
shot in the air after shepherds refused to stop their truck, as requested. The
incident, which allegedly occurred near the Lebanese village of al-Wazzani near
the contested Shaba Farms, was caught on camera. In May, a Syrian shepherd
identified as Mohammed Noureddine Abdul Azim was shot by soldiers after he
infiltrated into Israeli territory near Mount Dov. Azim was flown to Rambam
Health Care Campus in Haifa, where he was treated for multiple gunshot wounds
before being repatriated to Lebanon. Just days before the May incident on Mount
Dov, a senior IDF officer stationed in the area told The Jerusalem Post that
many shepherds in the area are known to collect intelligence on troop movements.
Hezbollah denied there was a clash on the border on Monday. It released a
statement saying that the retaliation for Syria was yet to come, as would
retaliation for the homes in Lebanon that were damaged by IDF shells.
While the IDF said it had successfully thwarted the attack, the military and
defense establishment are still on alert. Hezbollah is saying one thing, the IDF
the other. But the IDF must have the footage of the infiltrators crossing into
Israeli territory. So release the tapes and the IDF can show this failed attack
by Hezbollah, and it can close the chapter on this latest round.
IDF thwarts Hezbollah terror cell infiltration along border with Lebanon
The Jerusalem Post/July 27/2020
Hezbollah cell infiltrated several meters into Israel before being engaged by
soldiers • Netanyahu: Hezbollah is playing with fire, Lebanon will be held
responsible. Tensions remain high in the North after the IDF thwarted a
Hezbollah terrorist attack Monday afternoon near Mount Dov along the border with
Lebanon. The defense establishment is concerned Hezbollah might still carry out
an attack against the military. A Hezbollah cell, which numbered between three
and five operatives, crossed the border, also known as the Blue Line, several
meters into sovereign Israeli territory and was identified by the IDF, which
opened fire on them with machine guns and tank shells. The cell fled back into
Lebanon without firing at the soldiers, IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Hidai
Zilberman said, denying reports that anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) were
fired during the incident.
“We have some tense days ahead,” he said.
While the condition of the Hezbollah cell members was unclear, the
Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen news outlet reported that no Hezbollah fighters
were killed during the failed attack. The soldiers were unharmed, the IDF said.
Hezbollah later released a statement saying there had been no clash along the
border, and soldiers had fired on empty fields, making up the entire incident
due to their “extreme fear” over a Hezbollah retaliation.
“The Islamic Resistance confirms no clash or exchange of fire occurred on its
end during today’s incidents until this moment,” Hezbollah said in a statement.
“Instead, all came from one side, that of the fearful, worried and nervous
Israeli enemy.”
Hezbollah said its response to the death of its member in Syria was “definitely
coming” and that the damage of one of the houses in the village of Al-Habariyah
“will not pass quietly.”In a press conference Monday evening, Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu said any attack from Hezbollah would be met with a strong
response by the Israeli military.
“Hezbollah has to know it’s playing with fire,” he said. “Any attack will be met
with great force. [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah is greatly mistaken about
Israel’s determination to defend itself, and Lebanon has paid a heavy price for
this mistake.” Israel will hold Hezbollah and Lebanon responsible for any
attacks from Lebanon into Israel, Netanyahu said. Hezbollah is doing Iran’s
bidding and harming Lebanon, he said. Sitting next to him, Alternate Prime
Minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz said the soldiers prevented a more
serious attack that could have claimed lives.
“Lebanon and Syria are sovereign states and will bear the painful responsibility
for any terrorist act that takes place from their territory,” he said. “Anyone
who dares to test the power of the IDF will endanger himself and the country
from which he operates. Any action against the State of Israel will lead to a
powerful, sharp and painful response.”
Earlier in the afternoon, there had been unconfirmed reports of an exchange of
fire along the border. Photos released by Hezbollah-affiliated reporters on
Twitter showed plumes of smoke near Kfarchouba in southern Lebanon near the
Mount Dov area after reports of the IDF firing shells toward the area.
UN Interim Force in Lebanon Maj.-Gen. Stefano Del Col contacted Israeli and
Lebanese forces during the incident in an attempt to restore calm. According to
various Lebanese media reports, a Hezbollah cell fired ATGMs toward an IDF
vehicle near the southern Shaba Farms area, and the IDF responded by shelling
Lebanese territory. During the incident, residents of northern Israeli
communities bordering the Lebanese border were instructed by the IDF to remain
in their homes and that nonessential car travel “should be avoided.” But after
about an hour of clashes, Home Front Command said residents could “return to
normal.”
Lebanese media also reported that residents close to the Israeli border could
return to their daily routine as the smoke cleared. Nevertheless, Zilberman said
the military considers the event to be ongoing, with the possibility of
additional attacks.
More than a dozen communities, including Avivim, Hagoshrim, Zarit, Hanit, Yiftah,
Kfar Giladi, Misgav Am, Metulla, Neveh Ativ, Kiryat Shmona, Rosh Hanikra, Shlomi
and Shetula, were affected after the security incident in the area of Mount Dov
was reported.
Netanyahu and Gantz left the Knesset, where they had been holding faction
meetings, and headed to the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv to oversee the
operations.
MOMENTS BEFORE the incident began, Netanyahu warned that Lebanon and Hezbollah
would be responsible for any attack against Israel.
“Our policy is clear,” he said during the Likud faction meeting. “First, we will
not allow Iran to entrench militarily on our border with Syria. This is the
policy that I set years ago; we uphold it consistently. Second, Lebanon and
Hezbollah will bear the responsibility for any attack against us emanating from
Lebanese territory.”Netanyahu made the comments as tensions remain high along
Israel’s northern border, with the IDF concerned of a potential Hezbollah attack
against military targets, either by sniper or anti-tank guided missiles.
“The IDF is prepared for any scenario,” he said. “We are active in all arenas
for the security of Israel – both close to our borders and far from them. We are
constantly monitoring what is happening on our northern border. When I say ‘we,’
that means myself, the defense minister, the IDF chief of staff – all of us
together.”Netanyahu cut short the Likud faction meeting and left Jerusalem for
the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv to hold a security assessment.
“We are in the midst of a serious security event,” he said.
Gantz, who also left the Knesset for the security assessment with Netanyahu and
other senior defense officials, warned before the incident that “no enemy test
us.”Speaking at the beginning of the Blue and White faction meeting, he said:
“Whoever does so will discover a determined and alert military that is ready to
protect the citizens of Israel and its sovereignty.”“I reiterate: The
responsibility lies with the State of Syria and the State of Lebanon for any
action that is taken from their territory,” he added. Iran and its proxies
continue to “try to establish an Iranian choke hold” along Israel’s northern
border, but the IDF and security forces will “continue to act against Iran, the
smuggling of weaponry and against the precision-missile project,” Gantz said. He
spoke with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi – who has been in Safed at
Northern Command headquarters for the past three days – regarding the incident
in the North and was updated on the situation. Gantz also spoke with the heads
of communities on the Israeli-Lebanon confrontation line, led by Mateh Asher
Regional Council chairman Moshe Davidovich. The IDF has been on high alert since
an alleged Israeli airstrike in Syria last week killed a Hezbollah fighter.
Following a situational assessment on Friday, and in accordance with Northern
Command’s defense plan, the military said it deployed additional soldiers to
Division 91 and the 210 Bashan Division, along with artillery and field
intelligence troops “with the goal of strengthening defenses along the northern
border.”
Iron Dome missile-defense batteries were also on alert, as well as IAF jets.
الهاررتس الإسرائيلية: الجيش الإسرائيلي أحبط محاولة تسلل لحزب الله عبر الحدود في
منطقة شبعا
Israeli Army Says Thwarted Hezbollah Infiltration Attempt Along Lebanon Border
Haaretz/July 27/2020
Lebanese sources say Hezbollah carried out an operation in a disputed border
area, allegedly in response to the death of a fighter last week in an airstrike
attributed to Israel ■ No casualties reported
The army said Monday it had thwarted an attempt by Hezbollah to infiltrate into
Israel, adding that all Israelis in the border area had been ordered to remain
indoors after an exchange of artillery fire between the two sides.
Monday's clash comes after the Iran-backed Lebanese Shi'ite group vowed to
avenge one of its fighters, who was reportedly killed in an airstrike on
pro-Iranian militants in Syria that was attributed to Israel.
Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Brig. Gen. Hidai Zilberman said a group of about
five Hezbollah operatives crossed several meters into Israel, but fled back to
Lebanon after Israeli forces opened fire at them.
Zilberman said their condition is unknown, and confirmed no Israeli soldiers
were hurt.Earlier, the IDF spokesman said there had been an incident on the border with
Lebanon, in the Har Dov area.
Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen reportred that Hezbollah targeted an Israeli
vehicle with a guided Kornet missile.
Lebanese sources confirmed to Reuters that Hezbollah carried out an operation
against the Israeli army in the disputed Shebaa Farms. One of the sources said
it was in response to last week's killing of a Hezbollah fighter.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in Jerusalem that "we are in the midst of
a complicated event." He then made his way to military headquarters in Tel Aviv,
where he was joined by Defense Minister Benny Gantz.
A reporter for the Hezbollah-affiliated Al Manar network later reported that
Israel was attacking in the area of Kfarchouba, on the Lebanese side of the
border, north of Har Dov.
For just over an hour, the IDF ordered residents of the border region to remain
indoors, refrain from going out into open areas, including for farming. The army
closed major roads, and asked residents to avoid unnecessary trips.
Things eventually returned to normal less than two hours after the beginning of
the incident, with Lebanese media also reporting that the situation was calm in
villages in southern Lebanon.
Israeli airstrikes that hit military posts south of Damascus last week killed
five foreign fighters and wounded several others, a Syrian war monitor reported.
The airstrikes came in response to an earlier attack on the Golan Heights which
it attributed to Syrian forces.
On Sunday, Hezbollah said it has no intention of divulging “precise details”
about how it will respond to “Israel’s aggression,” the organization’s deputy
secretary general, Naim Qassem, said.
“There’s no change in the rules of the game and the formula for our response,”
he told Al Mayadeen, a pro-Hezbollah Lebanese television station. “A balance of
deterrence against Israel exists, and we don’t intend to change this balance.”
Qassem also confirmed that Israel had sent Hezbollah a message via the United
Nations. On Saturday, Al Mayadeen reported that Israel told Hezbollah it hadn’t
intended to kill the operative in last week’s airstrike, which was aimed at
combating Iran’s presence in Syria.
Israel’s military has taken a number of steps to increase preparedness after
Hezbollah said in a statement this week that one of its fighters was killed in a
Monday night strike blamed on Israel near Damascus International Airport, south
of the Syrian capital.
Did Hezbollah paint itself into a corner over 'retaliation policy?'
Fighting breaks out on Israel-Lebanon border
Rina Bassist/AL-MONITOR/July 27/2020
Tensions keep escalating on the Israel-Lebanon border, with IDF and Hezbollah
exchanging heavy fire.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Brig. Gen. Hidai Zilberman said this
afternoon that Israeli troops thwarted a Hezbollah attack near the border with
Lebanon. According to reports, a Hezbollah cell of three to five operatives
crossed the Blue Line border a few meters into sovereign Israeli territory. The
troops then opened fire at the group with machine guns and tank shells. It was
reported earlier in the day that IDF and Hezbollah exchanged heavy fire today in
that area. According to reports, Hezbollah launched an attack on Israeli troops
on the frontier, apparently in retaliation for the death of Hezbollah operative
Ali Kamel Mohsen Jawad, who was killed in a July 20 airstrike south of Damascus.
Israel did not take responsibility for that strike, but Hezbollah was quick to
blame Israel and promised to react. The IDF has in recent days increased
deployment of forces in the north and has also increased the deployment of Iron
Dome anti-missile batteries in the region. It was published this morning that
the IDF now estimates Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah won’t settle
for anything less than hurting Israeli soldiers as retaliation for the killing
of Jawad.
Today’s exchange of fire took place in the contested Mount Dov, also known as
Shebaa Farms — an area Israel, Lebanon and Syria each claim as its own.
Residents in the region reported sounds of gunfire and explosion and huge clouds
of smoke rising in the air. According to Hezbollah-affiliated media outlet al-Mayadeen,
Hezbollah militants fired a Kornet anti-tank guided missile at an IDF tank.
Hezbollah-affiliated TV station Al-Manar reported on Israeli artillery fire in
the region.
Following reports on the escalation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short
the weekly Likud faction meeting and is set to meet now with Defense Minister
Benny Gantz and senior security officials for an emergency meeting.
This afternoon, IDF instructed residents in localities near the border,
including the towns of Kiryat Shmona and Metula, to stay home, and blocked the
access to some of the main transportation axes in the north. Already this
weekend, the army has blocked some of the roads near the border for passage of
civilian vehicles, and farmers were prevented from reaching fields close to the
border fence. On July 24, shrapnel hit a building and a vehicle in the Druze
village of Majd al-Shams, but no injuries were reported. IDF fired at some
Syrian military targets in the southern Quneitra region after the shrapnel
incident.
Speaking at the weekly Cabinet meeting July 26, Prime Minister Netanyahu warned
that Israel “won’t allow Iran to entrench militarily on our northern border.
Lebanon and Syria are responsible for any attack from its territory against
Israel. We will not allow anyone to upend our security or threaten our citizens.
We won’t tolerate any attack on our forces.”Visiting the north of Israel on
Sunday, Defense Minister Gantz issued a clear threat to Hezbollah, saying Israel
was prepared to take harsh action against “anyone who tests us.” Gantz added,
"We acted against the entrenchment of Iran in Syria. If someone involved in
Iran’s activities in Syria — which we will continue to act against — this is
liable to happen. We take that into account."Also on Sunday, IDF said one of its
drones had crashed in southern Lebanon. The army said the drone went down over
Lebanese territory during operational activities along the border, stating there
was no concern that any information was leaked.
A week ago, when Hezbollah indicated one of its fighters,
Ali Mohsen, was killed in Syria, the group immediately had its social media fans
calling for attacks on Israel.
The Jerusalem Post/July 27/2020
Hezbollah has been telegraphing its policy of retaliation for months, trying to
build up some kind of deterrence that it thinks will help it save face in case
of potential casualties in Syria.
The idea has come about over the last years, in which Hezbollah has often
followed through on claims it will retaliate against Israel if its members are
targeted or killed. In this it tried to create a balance of terror. On July 27,
it seems to have put that process into action in a limited way at first.
Many are scratching their heads after a small Hezbollah squad apparently
approached Israel through the Mount Dov area. This is a disputed area that has
long been targeted by Hezbollah. The group claims it is “resisting” Israel and
trying to “liberate” the area, which it claims for Lebanon from the “Zionists.”
But Hezbollah has hinted over the years that the battle with Israel will spread
beyond Mount Dov to the whole border, as well as the Syrian side of the Golan
Heights.
A week ago, when Hezbollah indicated one of its fighters, Ali Mohsen, was killed
in Syria, the group immediately had its social-media fans calling for attacks on
Israel. It took a week for Hezbollah to do something. Pro-Hezbollah media linked
to Iran and the Syrian regime all sought to praise and highlight the group’s
July 27 raid into Mount Dov. Al Mayadeen claimed the group targeted a tank.
Iran’s Fars News also said there were “unconfirmed reports” of an attack on a
“Zionist tank.”
All these programs claimed they relied on Israeli media for their information.
Clearly, the Hezbollah information machine was in the bunker with Hezbollah
leader Hassan Nasrallah. These channels also pointed out an Israeli drone had
crashed a day ago, as if to link it to Hezbollah’s “success.”
Overall, the perception in the afternoon was that Israel had thwarted a daylight
attack. It bore some commonalities with the September 1, 2019, retaliation
Hezbollah carried out after it claimed an Israeli drone crashed in Beirut and
after two of its members were killed in Syria. Both attacks took place in
daylight.
In the 2019 incident, anti-tank missiles were fired. Israel evacuated mannequins
placed in the vehicle that was hit. This ability to avoid casualties and have
Hezbollah “retaliate” was unique last year. This year, it appears Hezbollah sent
a small team to actually infiltrate into an area where Israeli forces are
located.
Russia’s Sputnik in Arabic had another interpretation. Relying on a “source,” it
claimed Hezbollah tried to infiltrate the border village of Ghajar, and it was
exposed in the process of targeting an “Israeli military convoy.” In Lebanon,
initial reports implied there were no Hezbollah casualties. Israel said in the
afternoon there were no casualties. Some wondered if the incident was conjured
up for Hezbollah to pretend it had done something, while doing nothing.
But the pro-Hezbollah narrative will be that they succeeded in crossing the Blue
Line, just as they claim to have cut three holes in the border fence earlier
this year as a “success.” They showed they could attack at a time and place of
their choosing and keep Israel waiting. Nasrallah thus did what he said he would
do. He “retaliated.”Hezbollah’s narrative is that Israel is worried about
Hezbollah and that it fears Hezbollah’s retaliation. This narrative works on
several levels. It enables Hezbollah to pretend it is doing something and allows
it to save face by carrying out smaller retaliations.
Over the last number of days, reports indicated that both Israel and Hezbollah
did not want an escalation. Hezbollah seemed to play down talk of wider
conflict. But Hezbollah is facing other problems, such as an economic crisis.
This means it might need a distraction. However, it also knows that any incident
could spiral out of control.
The question for Hezbollah is whether it painted itself into a corner with its
balance of deterrence. There are now several incidents to look toward as a kind
of model for Israel-Hezbollah relations. The problem is that complacency and
expectation of de-escalation could lead to false beliefs that there will not one
day be a false move, or miscalculation, by one side that leads to wider
conflict. Hezbollah continues to import precision-guided munitions from Iran and
build up its arsenal, and it continues to slowly digest Lebanon’s government and
economy. That is Iran’s real goal – to present an increased military threat
along the Lebanese and Syrian border. It is not that Iran wants de-escalation;
it wants a long-term threat close to Israel.
In this respect, Hezbollah initially showed it could decide when and where to
strike in retaliation. It also showed that it somehow has a “right” to have its
fighters in Syria and that if they are wounded, then it can “retaliate” as it
chooses.
This presents a balance in which it has effectively extended its “right” to be
present in Syria, much as it slowly became a norm to have Hezbollah run southern
Lebanon. In this sense, what was once a question mark becomes reality.
On the larger playing field of the Middle East, therefore, Hezbollah acquiring
this “right” to retaliate may be the larger story, even if its actual act
appears to be a failure or an Israeli success in thwarting Nasrallah’s moves.
That also leads to Nasrallah adopting a view that he can continue to hold Israel
in waiting as to when he might next need to carry out an operation.
Netanyahu warns Hezbollah against 'playing with fire' after
border attack
Bassam Zaazaa/The National/July 27/2020
Israeli military says there was exchange of gunfire but Lebanese group denies
involvement
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday evening warned Hezbollah
against aggression, after the two sides exchanged fire along their border in the
heaviest fighting between the bitter enemies in almost a year. "Hezbollah should
know it is playing with fire," Mr Netanyahu said in a televised address from
Israel's Defence Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv. He said that any attacks
from Lebanese territory would draw a powerful response. The Israel army earlier
said it foiled a Hezbollah attempt to infiltrate its territory after a cell of
four fighters crossed the Lebanese borders and exchanged fire with Israeli
forces. The military said it had ordered residents along the border to remain
indoors as local media reported an exchange of artillery fire near Shebaa Farms,
where explosions were heard. Hezbollah dismissed the Israeli claims about
"purported skirmishes". But the attack by the Iran-backed militia was in
response to the killing of one of its fighters in an Israeli strike on the edge
of Damascus last Monday, a Lebanese source told Reuters. The Israeli army said a
“security incident” had taken place. It said it blocked roads and told people to
avoid “non-essential” travel.
Israel’s public broadcast channel Kan said there had been an exchange of fire.
Israeli army spokesman Lt Col Jonathan Conricus said the military thwarted "an
attempt to infiltrate into Israel” by a group of armed militants. “We know for
certain that they were armed and that they crossed the Blue Line into Israel,”
Lt Col Conricus said. The militia rejected the accusations. Hezbollah "confirms
that it did not take part in any clash and did not open fire in today's events
until now", it said. "All that the enemy's media is claiming about thwarting an
infiltration operation from Lebanon into occupied Palestine is completely
false."
Andrea Tenenti, spokesman for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, said the head of
mission and force commander, Maj Gen Stefano Del Col, contacted both sides to
assess the situation and ease tension. Gen Del Col urged both parties to
exercise "maximum restraint".
Former Lebanese environment minister Wiam Wahhab tweeted: “I doubt that what
happened in south Lebanon today was an operation by the resistance but it seems
that the Israelis are petrified from an operation. Briefly, that is what
happened.”
After the incident, a resident’s house was hit by Israeli shelling in Al
Hbareyye, a border village in southern Lebanon's Al Arqoub region.
Abou Hassan Daher, a resident of Al Kheyam, another border village, told The
National that clashes were heard and smoke could be seen from the Israeli
shelling. “Shortly after lunch we were napping when we heard several explosions
and gunfire coming from the other side of the border line," Mr Daher said.
"We stepped out to the balcony and saw thick smoke rising up near Haramoun
Mountain."Israel has carried out dozens of air strikes in Syria in recent years,
aiming for what it says are Iranian weapons shipments bound for Hezbollah in
Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Parliament that the
government was closely following developments in the north.“The military is
prepared for every scenario,” Mr Netanyahu said. “We operate in all the arenas
for Israel’s defence, close to our borders and far from our borders.”Tension
rose along Israel’s northern frontiers with Lebanon and Syria, including the
occupied Golan Heights, after last week’s attack. “We maintain the policy that I
set years ago: we will not allow Iran to establish itself on our border," Mr
Netanyahu said earlier on Monday, the Jerusalem Post reported.
"Lebanon and Hezbollah will be responsible for any attack against us that comes
out of Lebanon."
Hezbollah says all-out war with Israel unlikely in coming months
Reuters/July 27/2020
Tensions rose along Israel's frontier with Syria and Lebanon after Lebanon's
Hezbollah militia said a fighter was killed in an apparent Israeli strike on the
edge of Damascus last week. The deputy leader of Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah
movement on Sunday dismissed the prospect of an escalation of violence between
the Iran-backed movement and Israel despite increased tensions in the last week.
"The atmosphere does not indicate a war ... It's unlikely, the atmosphere of war
in the next few months," Sheikh Naim Qassem said in an interview with
pro-Damascus television station al Mayadeen. Tensions rose along Israel's
frontier with Syria and Lebanon after Lebanon's Hezbollah militia said a fighter
was killed in an apparent Israeli strike on the edge of Damascus last week.
After two Hezbollah members were killed in Damascus in August 2019, Hezbollah
leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah vowed the group would respond if Israel killed
any more of its fighters inside Syria.The Israeli military has since boosted its
forces on its northern front. An Israeli drone crashed inside Lebanon during
operational activity along the border, an Israeli military spokeswoman said on
Sunday.
Israel has stepped up strikes on Syria in recent months in what Western
intelligence sources say is a shadow war approved by Washington that has
undermined Iran's military power in the region without triggering a major
increase in hostilities. Hezbollah has deployed fighters in Syria as part of
Iranian-backed efforts to support President Bashar al-Assad in a conflict that
spiraled out of protests against his rule in 2011. The bases in eastern, central
and southern Syria which Israel has hit in recent months are believed to have a
strong presence of Iranian-backed militias, according to intelligence sources
and military defectors familiar with the locations. Analysts say Hezbollah and
Israel want to avoid an all-out conflict at a time of regional tensions and keep
rules of engagement drawn up since the Iran-backed movement fought a one-month
war with Israel in 2006. "There is no change of rules of engagement and the
deterrent equation with Israel exists and we are not planning to change it,"
Qassem said.
Hezbollah Deputy Chief: All-out War with Israel Unlikely in
Coming Months
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 July, 2020
The deputy leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, has dismissed the
prospect of an escalation of violence between the Iran-backed party and Israel
despite increased tensions in the last week. "The atmosphere does not indicate a
war ... It's unlikely, the atmosphere of war in the next few months," Qassem
said in an interview on Sunday. Tensions rose along Israel's frontier with Syria
and Lebanon after Hezbollah said a fighter was killed in an apparent Israeli
strike on the edge of Damascus last week. After two Hezbollah members were
killed in Damascus in August 2019, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed the
group would respond if Israel killed any more of its fighters inside Syria. The
Israeli military has since boosted its forces on its northern front. An Israeli
drone crashed inside Lebanon during operational activity along the border, an
Israeli military spokeswoman said on Sunday.
Analysts say Hezbollah and Israel want to avoid an all-out conflict at a time of
regional tensions and keep rules of engagement drawn up since the party fought a
one-month war with Israel in 2006. "There is no change of rules of engagement
and the deterrent equation with Israel exists and we are not planning to change
it," Qassem said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the
Lebanese state was responsible for any attack on Israel from within its
territory.
In North, Gantz warns that Israel will meet tests with
strong response
Jerusalem Post/July 27/2020
‘We are not looking for unnecessary escalations,’ says defense minister
As tensions remain high between Israel and Hezbollah, Alternate Prime Minister
and Defense Minister Benny Gantz visited IDF Northern Command Sunday afternoon,
warning that Israel will continue to protect its security interests.
In the North, Gantz held a situational assessment with IDF Chief of Staff
Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi, OC Northern Command Maj.-Gen. Amir Baram, OC Operations
Directorate Maj.-Gen. Aaron Haliva and lower-ranking commanders in the field.
According to a statement released by his office, he “took a closer look at the
IDF’s preparations in the face of tensions” and was impressed by the way troops
are preparing throughout the North. “We believe there can be [security] events
on the border. We are prepared for all possibilities,” Gantz said.
“The State of Israel has no interests in Syria or Lebanon, except for security
interests,” he said, adding that Israel will “continue to ensure our security
interests,” which include the prevention of entrenchment by Iranian forces, the
blocking of the transfer of advanced weapons and preventing the development of
precision missiles in Syria or Lebanon.
“The situation in Lebanon and Syria is not good, not economically, not in terms
of the coronavirus and not in terms of their infrastructure,” Gantz said. “I
remind both Lebanon and Syria that they are responsible for what is happening in
their territory. The State of Israel will demand this responsibility. We are not
looking for unnecessary escalations, but whoever tests us will meet a very
strong response. I hope we will not have to use it.”Earlier in the day, Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Syria and Lebanon would bear full
responsibility for any attack against Israel coming from their territory.
Speaking at the weekly cabinet meeting, he said Israel “won’t allow Iran to
entrench militarily on our northern border. Lebanon and Syria are responsible
for any attack from its territory against Israel. We will not allow anyone to
upend our security or threaten our citizens. We won’t tolerate any attack on our
forces.”Netanyahu said he, Gantz and Kochavi were conducting ongoing situational
assessments, and “the IDF is prepared to respond to any threat.”Following the
alleged Israeli strikes last Monday, the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar reported that
Hezbollah had raised its alert level “to monitor activities” of IDF soldiers
along the border between the two countries, and statements attributed to
Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah suggested that Israel be wary of an
attack.
The strike targeted several sites around the capital, including a major
ammunition depot, and killed several Iranian and Syrian personnel as well as
Hezbollah terrorist Ali Kamel Mohsen. “We acted against the entrenchment of Iran
in Syria,” Gantz said. “If someone is involved in Iran’s activities in Syria,
which we will continue to act against, this is liable to happen.”Following a
situational assessment on Friday and in accordance with Northern Command’s
defensive plan, the IDF said it would be reinforcing troops, artillery batteries
and enhanced field intelligence in the area “with the goal of strengthening
defenses along the northern border.”The military deployed troops to Division 91
and 210 Bashan Division along with artillery and intelligence troops. Iron Dome
missile-defense batteries were also on alert, as were IAF jets. Following
threats by Nasrallah that the entire northern front is open for retaliation, the
military has also moved some soldiers deeper into Israel out of their positions
directly along the border so that they would not be a target for Hezbollah. The
moves are part of the military’s strengthening of power and readiness in
anticipation of any retaliation by the Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist group, which
it expects against soldiers or a military installation along the border, but not
against civilians.
On Sunday evening, the IDF said a drone crashed in Lebanon during a routine
operation along the border, but there was no risk of any intelligence being
compromised. Also on Sunday evening, Lebanese media reported that the United
Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers fired in the air after
two shepherds failed to stop their truck as requested. The incident, which
allegedly occurred near the Lebanese village of al-Wazzani near the contested
Sheeba Farms, was caught on camera. In a statement carried by L’Orient-le-Jour
newspaper, the Wazzani Municipality “strongly condemned the assault, the
blocking of the roads and shooting that was experienced by the residents who
work in the pastures.” The municipality accused the “UNIFIL forces operating in
the south, and specifically the Spanish battalion,” and asked that the agency
look into the incident.
In May, a Syrian shepherd identified as Mohammed Noureddine Abdul Azim was shot
by IDF forces after he infiltrated into Israeli territory near Mount Dov. Azim
was flown to Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa, where he was treated for
multiple gunshot wounds before being repatriated to Lebanon.
Just days before the incident on Mount Dov, a senior IDF officer stationed in
the area told The Jerusalem Post many shepherds in the area were known to
collect intelligence on troop movements. The IDF has identified several
locations along the Golan Heights where Hezbollah collects intelligence on
Israel, the officer said, adding that “whoever crosses the demilitarized zone
into Israel is considered a threat, and the IDF will respond accordingly.”
The Struggle over Beirut’s History
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al Awsat/July, 27/2020
Some Lebanese are taking refuge in nostalgia today, as usually happens when one
feels that a phase is ending and a way of life is waning. Their current
nostalgia revolves around Beirut, their capital. The period they are feeling
nostalgic for, their belle époque, is the 1960s in particular.
This decade, while it is appealing universally, is emphatically appealing to the
Lebanese. It extends from the settlement reached by the United States and Egypt
that made Fouad Chehab president in 1958 until the 1967 war and the subsequent
tensions at the border with Israel after the Palestinian resistance was
established. The subsequent 1969 Cairo Agreement that announced the state's
duality was the climax and the end. This decade witnessed the flourishing of
Lebanese capitalism and its expansion to the peripheries of the country, but it
was also characterized by a relatively large degree of stability, an expansion
of the middle class and Beirut’s presence, at the same time, at the heart of the
world. In that decade, the city seemed simultaneously charming and enchanted.
However, in the Lebanese’ divergent interpretations of their “belle époque”, we
find yet another manifestation of their sectarian and cultural contentions. For
each of them chooses reasons and meanings different to those of the others.
Among the various interpretations, today, two have a strong and somewhat
clamorous presence.
We have a touristic folkloric tale that presents Beirut as a city for foreign
visitors, providing them with hotels, cafes, banks and entertainment. Beirut, in
this story, is not the capital of every region, including the miserable ones in
the south, north and Bekaa, nor is it walled with poor people who were its belt
of misery. It is only the capital of a few archaeological sites in Baalbek,
Jbeil and Sidon, as well as a few ski resorts in Faqra and Laqlouq. As for the
city's makers, they are but a mere handful of the patrons of the tourism and
hospitality industries who host musicians and foreign actors and organize
folkloric festivals, theater performances and concerts. Bankers and businessmen
are the most prominent among them, accompanied by their “velvet salon madams",
the crème de la crème.
The counter-narrative to the tourist tale is one of arms; Beirut had become what
it became because it welcomed fighters, wrote about fighters, or held
demonstrations that called for one sort of conflict or another. According to
this story, Beirut is the city that adored Gamal Abdel Nasser and in which the
novelist who was assassinated by Israel, Ghassan Kanafani, resided. George
Habash and Wadih Haddad, the founders of the Arab Nationalist Movement and the
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine graduated from its American
university, where an Arab Nationalist ideologue, Constantine Zuriek, gave
classes.
The tourism narrative is traditionally a Christian one. It was inherited, during
the Rafik Hariri era, by the Sunnis, who added an emphasis on construction and
reconstruction. The arms narrative, traditionally Sunni, was inherited by the
Shiites during the Hezbollah era. They changed its figures and events without
altering the centrality of struggle and resistance. Some of its eloquent
narrators were brought up in Arab Nationalist and Palestinian parties.
In fact, the Beirut of the 1960s is bigger than either narrative makes it out to
be. Each of them only tells of fragments of its many parts. The city was not
made by businessmen and notables, even with the benevolent efforts on the part
of some among them. Their role is dwarfed by the role of those among its sons
and immigrants from the peripheries and the outside who worked and toiled,
becoming its sons themselves.
Moreover, one of the reasons for Beirut's importance and uniqueness was its role
in creating a welcoming society, receiving and embracing strangers and making
them feel that they had become part of its fabric. Of course, Beirut is not a
demonstration or two or 20 demonstrations, though these mobilizations sometimes
manifested the city's vitality and democratic opposition, or the desire of those
who felt alienated from it to integrate into it. As for the idea that Beirut
could be summed up in one or two plays calling for "arming the masses" (who,
fortunately, were not armed at the time), this does not even summarize its
theater, let alone the city itself. The city was, at the same time, its cafés,
hotels, restaurants, banks, hospitals, newspapers, publishing houses,
universities, cinemas and theaters, those who supported the authorities and
those who opposed them, resistance and defeatism and right and left. The Arab
intellectuals enthusiastic about fighting a certain enemy flocked to it as did
Arab capitalists smuggling their capital out of the countries ruled by militant
nationalist regimes with a certain love for arms. Arab and Western tourists came
as well. Its Lebanese university produced a new elite that broke the sectarian
and territorial centrality of Christian Mount Lebanon, and its American, Jesuit
and Arab universities opened it up to the various sources of education from the
region and the world, and consequently to the world's many markets, allowing its
students to meet each of these markets’ requisites and demands. If we were to
sum it up in one word, it would be freedom. This exactly what creates our
nostalgia revolves around Beirut, regardless of the parties’ different
interpretations of it.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published on July 27-28/2020
Turkish magazine calls for founding
Islamic caliphate after Hagia Sophia conversion
Emily Judd, Al Arabiya English/Monday 27 July 2020
A Turkish magazine called for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate on
Monday following the conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. The latest
cover of the magazine “Gercek-Hayat,” translated as “True Life” in English,
reads “Now Hagia Sophia and Turkey are independent…Get together for
Caliphate.”“If not now, when? If not you, who?” it goes on to say, in both
Turkish, English, and Arabic. Some have interpreted this as a call for Erdogan
to establish Islamic rule that transcends Turkey’s borders. The cover displays
the Arabic words of the Islamic declaration of faith known as the shahada.
Earlier this month Erdogan announced the conversion of the ancient Hagia Sophia
- originally built as a church in the sixth century – from a museum into a
mosque. It officially opened as a mosque on Friday with Erdogan in attendance
for prayers and Turkey’s top government imam delivering a sermon holding an
Ottoman sword.
Erdogan as ‘caliph’
Turkish journalist Abdurrahman Dilipak, who shared the magazine cover on his
Twitter account, said last year that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
earned the title of “Caliph.” “The Caliphate now rests with President Erdogan,”
Dilipak said during an interview last March, according to Ahval news outlet.
Erdogan has styled himself to be a global Islamic leader in line with Turkey’s
Ottoman history, whose rulers used the title caliphs to perpetuate a claim that
they are the true rulers of the Islamic world. The term caliph has been used by
terrorist organizations like ISIS to symbolize their desire to control the
Muslim world and bring it under an extremist Islamic rule. Magazine links to the
Turkish government. Gercek Hayat is an Islamist weekly magazine that has links
to the Turkish government, according to former Turkish parliament member Aykan
Erdemir. The publishers of Gercek Hayat own one of the leading pro-Erdogan daily
newspapers in Turkey, which has received “significant economic support from
government and pro-government entities over the years,” said Erdemir who is now
senior director of the Turkey Program at the US thinktank Foundation for Defense
of Democracies. The magazine has a history of making comments against religious
minorities in Turkey including Christians and Jewish people, according to
Erdemir. In May, religious minorities in Turkey condemned the magazine for
linking three religious minority leaders – the Chief Rabbi, the Armenian
patriarch, and the Greek Orthodox ecumenical patriarch – to terrorism. The
anti-Christian and anti-Semitic incitement in Gercek Hayat is “in-part
government-funded and hence government-sanctioned,” according to Erdemir. “If
Erdogan’s government was truly concerned about Gercek Hayat’s targeting of
religious minorities, they could have stopped providing economic support to its
publishers,” he said.
Spain sees thaw in Europe-Turkey tensions on energy
drilling in Mediterranean
Reuters/Monday 27 July 2020
Spain’s foreign minister said that talks in Turkey on Monday had helped to
reduce tensions between some European Union members and Ankara over Turkish
energy exploration in the Mediterranean, adding that a one-month pause in
drilling was possible. Foreign minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya, at a news
conference in Ankara with Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, said an
“inflexion point” had been reached on the dispute over drilling for oil and gas
in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Turkey is at loggerheads with Greece and
Cyprus over overlapping claims for offshore reserves and the two EU members,
along with France, have rejected Turkey’s plan to explore between Cyprus and
Crete. Paris and Athens have called for sanctions against Turkey for what they
view as an encroachment on Greek and Cypriot waters, while Berlin has warned
Ankara to cease “provocations”. Turkey has rejected the criticism and said it is
abiding by international law. The Turkish lira has, meanwhile, slipped to near a
record low versus the euro. “We have reached some inflexion point mainly on the
drilling in the eastern Mediterranean and this was a useful dialogue with Mevlut
to deescalate tensions that exist,” Gonzalez Laya said. “I think his will to
pause exploration for at least a month to give space to dialogue between parties
is a signal of confidence,” she said. Cavusoglu did not mention any plans to
pause, and Turkey’s foreign ministry was not immediately available to comment.
Last week Turkey’s navy issued an advisory for seismic surveys at sea in a move
Greece said was an attempt to encroach on its continental shelf. The Turkish
research ship is still anchored outside Antalya. Ibrahim Kalin, chief adviser to
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said last week that threatening
sanctions “will never fly here and will have no impact on Turkey’s sovereignty
or determination in pursuing the national interest.” Last week, French President
Emmanuel Macron said the EU should also take action against Turkey over its role
in Libya’s conflict.
Hook: Lifting Arms Embargo On Iran Will Intensify Conflicts
In Syria And Elsewhere
Radio Farda/July 27/2020
The United States Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook says conflicts in
Syria and elsewhere will escalate if the United Nations arms embargo on Iran is
lifted. Meanwhile, Hook added that the Islamic Republic of Iran has constantly
continued to violate the terms of the arms embargo. Based on the 2015 nuclear
deal with Iran the UN Security Council will lift the arms embargo imposed on
Iran more than a decade ago by October 18. However, the United States has
started an initiative to extend the embargo beyond the deadline, what seems to
be part of its maximum pressure campaign.
The United States believes lifting the arms embargo against Iran would be
dangerous. Washington has prepared a draft resolution it has submitted to the
UNSC members. Hook said that ending the embargo will seriously compromise peace
and security of the Middle East. “No one believes Iran should be able to buy and
sell conventional weapons,” he said, adding that “Conflicts in Syria and
elsewhere will intensify if arms embargo on Iran is lifted.”Russia and China
have opposed the idea of extending the embargo, but the United States is still
trying to convince the two countries to vote for an extension.U.S. President
Donald Trump has earlier discussed the matter in a conversation with his Russian
counterpart Vladimir Putin, but Russian officials appear to be adamant not to
change their position.
Two Baghdad Protesters Dead after Clashes with Police
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 27/2020
Two demonstrators died in Baghdad early on Monday after being shot with tear gas
canisters in confrontations with security forces, medics said, the first victims
of protest-related violence under Iraq's new premier. The deaths threaten to
reignite a country-wide protest movement that erupted in October over government
graft and incompetence but had died down in recent months. On Sunday,
demonstrators staged angry rallies over power outages in the capital and several
southern cities, where temperatures topping 50 degrees Celsius have overwhelmed
electricity generators. In Baghdad, dozens gathered at the protest hub of Tahrir
Square, clashing with police and other security forces stationed there. An AFP
correspondent saw the burnt remains of tent structures in the square on Monday
morning. "Two protesters died this morning. One was shot with a tear gas
canister in the head, and another in the neck," a medical source told AFP on
Monday. The two victims are the first since Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi,
who had promised a dialogue with protesters, took office in May. In a statement
overnight, his office acknowledged "unfortunate events" in protest squares, but
insisted security forces had been instructed not to use violence unless
absolutely necessary. It said the government would carry out an investigation
into Sunday's events to hold those responsible to account. But online, activists
were already comparing Kadhemi to his predecessor Adel Abdel Mahdi, who stepped
down last year following months of protest-related violence. Around 550 people
were killed in that wave of rallies and another 30,000 wounded, many of them by
military-grade tear gas canisters that can pierce human skulls if fired directly
rather than lobbed at an arc to disperse crowds. There was virtually no
accountability for those deaths under Abdel Mahdi; Kadhemi had pledged to
publish a list of all the victims, carry out investigations and open a dialogue
with protesters. But a cartoon shared online on Monday morning showed a
caricature of Abdel Mahdi handing over tear gas canisters to his successor.
Iraq Army Launches Fourth Phase of Anti-ISIS Operation in
Diyala
Baghdad – Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 July, 2020
The Iraqi armed forces, backed by the anti-ISIS coalition, continued to crack
down against ISIS cells in various regions of the country to destroy the
terrorist organization’s military and logistic capabilities. The Joint
Operations Command launched the fourth phase of “Heroes of Iraq” offensive in
Diyala, one of the organization’s strongholds. The international coalition,
which began handing over many of its positions to the Iraqi army, announced that
it would continue to assist the country’s efforts to eliminate the group. Such
statements often spark political disputes due to the ongoing heated debate
between those demanding the unconditional withdrawal of American forces from
Iraq and those who believe that the coalition was still necessary because of the
ongoing ISIS attacks. The last of these operations was the assassination of a
top military official. The Joint Operations Command (JOC) issued a statement
announcing that the forces found explosive belts and devices, rockets and
launchers in one of the ISIS hideouts, as well as various kinds of military
devices. JOC deputy commander Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah said
the operation aims to create a safe environment for the return of the internally
displaced persons (IDPs). The spokesperson for the Iraqi Commander-in-Chief,
Yehia Rasool, announced on his twitter that operations were kicked off in al-Mgaisa,
Tawakkul, Diyala Basin, south Khanaqin, Zur Umm al-Hinta and al-Abara in Diyala.”The
Diyala operation was launched earlier in July in conjunction with the procedures
to implement the orders of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to control border
crossings with Iran. The former head of the security and defense parliamentary
committee, Hakim al-Zamili, called for comprehensive operations against ISIS,
noting that a number of terrorist cells and remnants are active in some
liberated areas and in the Baghdad belt. He told Asharq al-Awsat that the
terrorists are capable of hiding in their locations and predicting military
preparations, adding that are located in the Hamrin mountains, Diyala, western
Anbar, the Baghdad belt and south of Mosul.
The military operations have limited impact because plans are often leaked
before they are implemented, allowing the terrorists to move to different areas
and return once the operation is over, he remarked. Zamili, who is a prominent
member of the Sadrist movement of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, suggested that the
forces launch surprise operations against their targets for them to be
effective.
Egypt’s army chief of staff checks combat readiness of
forces near Libya border
Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya English/Monday 27 July 2020
Egyptian armed forces chief of staff Mohamed Farid inspected on Monday the
combat readiness of the forces in the western region near the border with Libya.
The inspection was “within the framework of the General Command’s plan for
following up the strict measures to safeguard state borders and national
security in all strategic directions, whether on land, sea or air,” according to
a statement by the Ministry of Defense. The top commander’s visit comes a week
after the Egyptian parliament authorized the deployment of troops outside the
country. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had threatened military action against
Turkish-backed forces in Libya and said on June 20 that his country has a
legitimate right to intervene in Libya and ordered the army to be prepared to
carry out missions if necessary. Libya has plunged into chaos since the 2011
toppling of dictator Moammar Gaddafi. Clashes between the two main warring
parties in the North African country, the Libyan National Army (LNA), commanded
by Khalifa Haftar and the Government of National Accord (GNA), led by Fayez al-Serraj,
have intensified recently. Many foreign powers have backed different sides of
the conflict with varying degrees of support, with the most prominent countries
being Turkey backing the GNA and Egypt backing the LNA. Turkish media reported a
few days ago that Ankara put in place a military plan in anticipation of a
possible Egyptian intervention in Libya. “Turkey is ready to respond to any
attack on its forces in Libya, whomever the attacker maybe,” Turkish Zaman
newspaper reported on Thursday citing unnamed government officials.It added: “If
Egypt send military forces to Libya, Turkey has a plan to increase its forces
and military equipment in Libya to confront the Egyptian forces.”
African Union to hold disputed Ethiopia dam meeting on August 3: Sudan
AFP, Khartoum/Monday 27 July 2020
The African Union is to hold a three-way meeting on Ethiopia’s controversial
Nile dam project on August 3 with Sudan and Egypt, the Sudanese irrigation
minister said onMonday. The talks between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan held under
the AU’s South African presidency will cover “outstanding issues,” Yasser Abbas
told reporters, without elaborating. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)
has been a source of tension in the Nile River basin ever since Ethiopia broke
ground on it in 2011. Egypt and Sudan view the dam as a threat to vital water
supplies, while Ethiopia considers it crucial for its electrification and
development. Ethiopia, in several rounds of talks overseen by the AU, has
resisted the two Arab countries’ calls for a legally binding dispute resolution
process.
Iran Moves Mock Aircraft Carrier to Strait of Hormuz
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 July, 2020 - 10:30
Iran has moved a mock aircraft carrier to the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid
heightened tensions between Tehran and the US, satellite photographs released
Monday show, likely signaling the Islamic Republic soon plans to use it for
live-fire drills. An image from Maxar Technologies taken Sunday shows an Iranian
fast boat speed toward the carrier, sending waves up in its wake, after a
tugboat pulled her out into the strait from the Iranian port city of Bandar
Abbas. Iranian state media and officials have yet to acknowledge bringing the
replica out to the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's oil
passes. However, its appearance there suggests Iran´s paramilitary Revolutionary
Guard is preparing an encore of a similar mock-sinking it conducted in 2015. The
US Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, which patrols Mideast waterways, remains
"confident in our naval forces´ ability to defend themselves against any
maritime threat," said spokeswoman Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich when asked about the
faux carrier's movements. "We cannot speak to what Iran hopes to gain by
building this mockup, or what tactical value they would hope to gain by using
such a mock-up in a training or exercise scenario," Rebarich told The Associated
Press. "We do not seek conflict, but remain ready to defend US forces and
interests from maritime threats in the region." The replica resembles the
Nimitz-class carriers that the US Navy routinely sails into the Persian Gulf
from the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the waterway. The USS Nimitz, the
namesake of the class, just entered Mideast waters late last week from the
Indian Ocean, likely to replace the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Arabian Sea.
The replica carries 16 mock-ups of fighter jets on its deck, according to the
satellite photos taken by Maxar Technologies. The vessel appears to be some 200
meters (650 feet) long and 50 meters (160 feet) wide. A real Nimitz is over 300
meters (980 feet) long and 75 meters (245 feet) wide. Last summer saw a series
of attacks and incidents further ramp up tensions between Iran and the US. They
reached a crescendo with the Jan. 3 US drone strike near Baghdad International
Airport that killed Qassem Soleimani, head of the Guard´s expeditionary Quds, or
Jerusalem, Force. Iran retaliated with a ballistic missile attack that injured
dozens of American troops stationed in neighboring Iraq. Also, last week a US
F-15 fighter jet approached a Mahan Air flight over Syria, which led to
passengers on the Iranian jetliner getting injured.
Full Ceasefire Takes Effect in Eastern Ukraine
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 July, 2020
A full and comprehensive ceasefire between Ukrainian government forces and
pro-Russian separatists has entered into force in eastern Ukraine, opening the
prospect of an end to military and civilian casualties, the two sides said on
Monday.
Ukrainian, Russian and OSCE negotiators last week agreed on a full ceasefire in
eastern Ukraine from Monday, putting on hold the military conflict that has
claimed more than 13,000 lives since 2014. The deal was backed by the presidents
of Russia and Ukraine, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who agreed "the
need for an urgent implementation of extra measures to support the ceasefire
regime in Donbass". Zelenskiy has sought to resolve the conflict since his
election last year, arranging a number of prisoner swaps. "We are talking about
the possibility of a real ceasefire on both sides," the head of Ukraine's joint
forces operation Volodymyr Kravchenko told a televised briefing. "The situation
is stable and controlled," he added.On Sunday, Ukraine's defense ministry said
in a statement that its forces "stand ready to give a proper rebuff to the enemy
in case of violation of the agreements".
The separatists' DNA news agency said on Monday observers "did not record any
violations of the ceasefire by the security forces of Kiev, starting from 00:01
on July 27 this year."Ukraine and Russia have been foes since 2014, when Moscow
seized Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and backed the rebellion in the east. Major
combat ended with a ceasefire agreed in the Belarus capital Minsk in 2015, but
sporadic clashes still regularly kill civilians, Ukrainian soldiers and
separatists.
Woman Accused of Joining ISIS Arrested on Return to Germany
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 July, 2020
German prosecutors said Monday a German woman who allegedly joined the ISIS
group in Syria was arrested upon her return to the country. She is accused of
membership in a foreign terrorist group, war crimes against property and other
crimes.
Federal prosecutors said in a written statement that the woman, identified only
as Nurten J. in line with local privacy laws, was arrested Friday at Frankfurt
Airport. Prosecutors allege she traveled with her then 4-year-old daughter to
Syria in 2015 to join ISIS. There, she married a man who had also come from
Germany and they started a family. The woman allegedly raised her children
according to ISIS ideology and in return she received a monthly payment from the
extremist group and lived successively in five different apartments whose former
tenants were either killed or evicted. After ISIS lost its territories in Syria,
J. and her family were captured by Kurds and were eventually taken into
deportation custody in Turkey. It was not clear if she was returned to Germany
in custody and the fate of her children was not known. The federal prosecutor's
office could not immediately be reached for further details.
LNA: Turkey Delivering Military Gear to Militias through
Commercial Vessels
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 27 July, 2020
Libyan National Army (LNA) spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari accused on Monday Turkey
of delivering military equipment through commercial vessels to militias loyal to
the Government of National Accord (GNA). In televised remarks, he added that
Turkey was using American-made tanks and the Hawk missile system on Libyan
territories. The first condition for reaching a ceasefire in Libya is Turkey’s
complete withdrawal from the country, he added. Moreover, Ankara is exploiting
the current lull in fighting to bring in more mercenaries to the country, he
continued.
Ukraine’s FM says Iranians to discuss crash compensation in
Kiev
Reuters/Tuesday 28 July 2020
An Iranian delegation will visit Ukraine on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss
compensation for a Ukrainian jet shot down by Iran on January 8, the Ukrainian
foreign minister said on Monday. Iranian forces say they downed the Ukraine
International Airlines Boeing 737 jet on January 8 after mistaking it for a
missile amid heightened tensions with the United States. All 176 people on board
- including 57 Canadians - were killed. “Given the circumstance of what
happened, there are all reasons to ask from Iran to pay the highest price for
what it did,” Dmytro Kuleba, speaking in English, told a news conference during
a visit to the Polish capital Warsaw. Kuleba said Ukraine would represent all
countries and groups affected during the talks. “I cannot disclose final numbers
of the compensation ... numbers will be the result of the consultations,” he
said.
The Latest LCCC English analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 27-28/2020
Iran-Syria Air Defense Pact Could Disrupt Allied Operations
Farzin Nadimi/The Washington Institute/July 27/2020
Despite domestic challenges, major technical hurdles, and ongoing Israeli
military interdiction, Iran still aims to transfer potent air defense systems to
fellow ‘axis of resistance’ members and interconnect them.
On July 8, Syrian defense minister Ali Abdullah Ayoub and Maj. Gen. Mohammad
Bagheri, chairman of Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff, signed an agreement in
Damascus to significantly expand bilateral military cooperation, especially in
the field of air defense. Seeing a dual need to counter aerial threats against
Iran and its allies while also undermining the coalition military presence in
the Middle East, Tehran has developed a strategic vision that requires effective
protection and (in time) denial of airspace. Toward that end, it has repeatedly
proposed to augment Iraqi, Lebanese, and now Syrian air defense systems and
integrate them with its own network.
In 2019, for example, Bagheri offered to link up with Iraq’s air defense network
and form a joint shell against “common enemies.” More recently, during a July 16
meeting with Lebanese president Michel Aoun, Iranian ambassador Mohammad Jalal
Firouznia expressed interest in supplying the country with defensive weapons,
including antiaircraft missiles. The meeting came just days after Bagheri
described the new air defense agreement with Syria as another step toward
pushing the United States out of the region. He has also made numerous other
visits to Syria since being appointed to Iran’s top military job in 2016,
seeking closer long-term military cooperation with Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Indeed, Iran has had a significant military presence in Syria since the
country’s civil war began in 2011. Most of its personnel are there in an
advisory and command-and-control capacity, though some were involved in combat
alongside proxy militia groups. Iran also uses Syria as a transfer hub to supply
Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon. To support this effort and rotate manpower, it
uses an “air bridge”—Iranian military and civilian aircraft frequently transport
personnel and materiel to Damascus International Airport, Qamishli, Latakia, and
T-4 (Tiyas) air base, while Syrian flights return from Iran with weapons and
ammunition for regime and militia forces.
ISRAEL IS A WRENCH IN IRAN’S PLANS
The growing scope of certain Iranian and proxy operations in Syria makes them
vulnerable to Israeli air and missile strikes, which have become a regular
occurrence and are seemingly unbothered by Syria’s haphazard air defenses. The
defensive systems that Russia has deployed to Syria during its intervention are
more formidable, but they are there to protect Russian bases, not to target
Israeli aircraft.
Iran has largely been silent about these human and material losses, indicating
both its frustration and its inability to prevent them. On July 16, however,
General Staff spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi warned Israel against any further
strikes, then repeated Tehran’s commitment to upgrade Syria’s air defenses and
strengthen the “axis of resistance” against Israeli attacks. Indeed, Iranian
military leaders appear to have great confidence in the versatility and
effectiveness of their domestically developed air defense systems, especially
after one such unit succeeded in shooting down an American RQ-4 reconnaissance
drone over the Strait of Hormuz in June 2019.
As things currently stand, however, Israel’s air force has been able to conduct
a large number of successful strikes, sometimes operating inside Syria, and
other times firing standoff weapons while flying over the Mediterranean Sea,
Lebanon, or the Golan Heights. The Israeli army has potent strike options as
well, including tactical ballistic missiles capable of reaching deep inside
Syria.
AXIS OF AIR DEFENSE?
Bagheri used his latest visit to Damascus to excoriate the U.S. military
presence in the Middle East, promising that Iran would continue to resist
“American extortion” in the region using its new bilateral defense pact as a
tool. For example, the agreement could be used to cover a wide spectrum of air
defense cooperation, such as providing complete systems to Syria, upgrading its
existing systems, or integrating the two countries’ air defense networks (though
the latter would be difficult to achieve without Iraq’s cooperation).
More specifically, Iran can offer Syria low- and high-altitude surface-to-air
missile systems capable of intercepting targets as far away as 200 km and at
altitudes up to 30 km (see table). It can also offer to send some of the data
fusion/management capabilities and passive detection systems it has unveiled in
recent years.
Syria’s current air defense forces are mostly limited to older Russian systems
such as the S-125 (SA-3), 2K12 (SA-6), S-75 (SA-2), and S-200 (SA-5), along with
more modern SA-11 Buk and SA-17 Buk-M batteries augmented by Pantsir-S1 point
defense systems (the latter paid for by Iran). In late 2018, Moscow completed
delivery of the S-300 (SA-20) system to Damascus. At the time, U.S. officials
were concerned the delivery would embolden Iran, but the system is reportedly
still under Russian control and not operational.
Iran has a number of S-200, S-75/HQ-2, and 2K12 systems in service back home and
has upgraded them over the years, so it could offer to upgrade Syria’s batteries
as well. In addition, it could send Assad indigenously developed systems such as
the Raad, Tabas, 15th of Khordad, Talash, and 3rd of Khordad (the type used to
shoot down the U.S. drone). Tehran might also intend to help Syria set up local
production/assembly lines for such systems, most likely in underground
facilities (similar production capabilities could conceivably be offered to Iraq
or even Hezbollah).
Iran’s longest-range and supposedly most-advanced air defense system, the
Bavar-373, is still under development and has yet to enter full-scale
production. Iran claims that the system is comparable to an American Patriot
missile battery and superior to Russia’s S-300PMU-2, but for now all it can
offer Syria is to deploy an unproven example there for testing and evaluation
purposes under operational conditions. Of course, such exposure would also give
adversaries a chance to observe the system in action and hone their tactics
against it.
As for which of these theoretical transfers will actually happen, that depends
on how well Tehran can cope with formidable challenges at home and inside Syria.
Iranian leaders clearly want to expand their deterrence and strategic depth
beyond the limits set by their ballistic missile arsenal, and fielding
more-advanced, longer-range air defense systems would be their method of choice.
At the same time, however, they seem increasingly threatened by a host of
foreign and domestic perils, including what looks like a campaign of sabotage
against their nuclear program and industrial infrastructure. Adding to their
concerns is a sobering military reality: Israel is determined to prevent them
from transferring any new systems to Syria, and sending them now would only
widen the considerable gaps in Iran’s own air defense coverage.
Under these circumstances, it is doubtful that Tehran will be able to transfer
substantial amounts of this equipment to Syria in the near term. The best they
can hope for (if anything) is a pair of air defense bubbles: one at Imam Ali
base near the Abu Kamal border crossing, and another at T-4 air base or in the
Damascus area.
This is a far cry from their ideal scenario: establishing at least a dozen
mobile medium-to-long-range missile batteries and radars around Syria to protect
joint bases and storage hubs from Israeli raids.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
Per paragraph 6b, Annex B of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, Iran is not
allowed to transfer air defense systems to any country without the council’s
permission; therefore, as long as this ban is in place, all states should take
the necessary measures to enforce it. Unfortunately, the ban is scheduled to
expire on October 18, but the United States has stepped up its diplomatic
efforts to make sure that arms sanctions remain in place indefinitely.
The international community also has other grounds for stopping the
proliferation of antiaircraft systems from Iran. On July 16, the European Union
Aviation Safety Agency extended its ban on all commercial overflights of
Iranian-controlled airspace below 25,000 feet (7,620 meters) for another six
months due to concerns about “hazardous security” there. The EU move—which
reemphasized a directive originally issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation
Administration—came just as an increasingly tense Iran put parts of its air
defense system on high alert, and mere months after one of its SAM batteries
accidentally shot down a Ukrainian airliner. Going forward, Washington should
reassert its commitment to aviation safety in the region under Annex 17 to the
Chicago Convention (“Safeguarding International Civil Aviation Against Acts of
Unlawful Interference”), using the standards therein as justification to prevent
Iran from exporting and controlling air defense systems that have already proven
a threat to civil aviation.
*Farzin Nadimi is an associate fellow with The Washington Institute,
specializing in the security and defense affairs of Iran and the Gulf region.
Unraveling the mystery of US F-15s intercepting Iran’s
Mahan air
Seth J. Frantzman/Jerusalem Post/July 27/2020
Iran is angry about the interception of the airliner. It has sought to highlight
the incident in order to condemn the US.
At just after four in the afternoon on Thursday, July 23 Iranian Mahan Air
flight 1152 was crossing into Syrian air space. Passengers were shocked to see
out their oval-shaped windows what appeared to be a fighter jet approaching the
plane. Panic ensued.
The pilot rapidly descended and then climbed, causing the plane to careen down
125 feet and then up 500 feet. It was a bumpy ride for less than a minute, made
worse by passengers shouting about the warplane just outside their window.
The warplane was an American F-15 conducting a visual surveillance of the
flight. Mahan Air was flying close to a US base called the Tanf Garrison that is
in Syria near the Jordanian border. The airline had flown this route before. The
pilots did not expect to have to take any evasive maneuvers and the crew and
passengers had not been warned to expect anything.
When Mahan Air 1152 landed in Beirut one of the passengers sent video of the
incident to Iran’s IRIB News. The passenger was apparently an IRIB journalist.
He said Israeli jets had intercepted them. It was now nightfall. Videos began to
circulate online around ten in the evening. The flight soon departed back to
Iran. This time it flew a slightly different route. It flew north of Damascus,
over the Syrian desert and then near Tanf to Iraqi airspace. The flight was
scheduled for 2 hours and 20 minutes each way, around 1,445 km.
Media reports about the panic aboard flight 1152 began after reports circulated
online around 9:45 p.m. Various social media accounts such as @Intel_Sky, @AuroraIntel,
@Avischarf and @Gerjon_ helped track the flight and unravel part of the story.
Regional media, such as Al-Mayadeen, reported that Israeli jets had threatened
the civilian airliner and others spread rumors online that Israeli F-15s had
used the civilian airliner as cover, claiming Israel had used this maneuver
before over Syria.
First of all, it is clear that while the flight conduct a rapid descent and
ascent, it leveled off to 34,000 feet quite quickly and then descended to
Beirut. About half an hour later it was on the tarmac.
Iran is angry about the interception of the airliner. It has sought to highlight
the incident in order to condemn the US. It appears Iran’s regime media and
pro-regime accounts didn’t know whether to blame Israel of the US for the
incident. Press TV and others blamed Israel initially. The confusion was not
helped by IRIB, which changed its account from blaming Israel to the US.
The pilot of the Mahan Air flight appears to have known the jets were American.
By around 11 in the evening Israeli media were quick to clarify that these were
not Israeli aircraft. While Iranian media spread rumors of “injured and killed”
aboard the flight, the reality appears to be that few were badly injured from
the rapid descent and ascent. Authorities at Rafik Hariri International Airport
in Beirut said passengers disembarked safely with only minor injuries.
Syria’s regime apparently knew the jets were American as well, as was clear from
Syrian regime media sources on the evening of July 23. Syria has complained in
the past about US warplanes harassing civilian airliners near Al-Tanf. They also
claim US planes fly there with “warning systems off” and have almost caused
accidents with civilian airliners.
On the ground the US maintains a 55km security zone around the base. US F-15s
have shot down drones approaching Tanf in the past. In June 2017 An F-15E Strike
Eagle shot down two drones, one of which was an Iranian-made Shahed 129 near
Tanf. There were at least four incidents in which US forces struck Syrian regime
elements, including on May 18, June 6, June 8 and June 20, 2017.
According to an article in The Drive by Tyler Rogoway, in May 2020 there were a
group of F-15E Strike Eagles in Jordan with the US 389th Fighter Squadron. Known
as the Thunderbolts they are based in Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.
They were based at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. This base, near Azraq in
Jordan, has been expanded to accommodate more US forces and new hangars and
sunshades for F-15s and other aircraft in the last year.
These are the “go-to multi-role fighter with quick access to southern Syria,”
Rogoway wrote. They have carried out sorties over Tanf and may also have been
involved in the mission to strike at ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in October
2019. Air Force Times wrote in February that the F-15E Strike Eagles with the
389th were deployed to an “undisclosed location” in Jordan. They call under the
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing. There are other F-15Es from RAF Lakenheath in the
UK deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia from the US 494th
Expeditionary Fighter Squadron. The Jordanian airbase the F-15s likely flew from
is 250km from Tanf.
F-15s flying at 700 km/h would reach the area in around twenty minutes, more
than enough time to intercept the Mahan Air which had been crossing Iraq for an
hour of its flying time heading toward the intercept point just beyond the
border. Whatever raised used suspicions likely would have led to an alert to US
after Mahan left Tehran and made its destination clear. The US Treasury had
sanctioned Mahan Air in December 2019 for ties to the Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps.
The US Central Command says that the F-15 was on a routine air mission near Tanf
and that is conducted a “standard visual inspection of a Mahan Air passenger
airliner at a safe distance of approximately 1,000 meters.” The US did the
inspection to ensure the safety of Coalition personnel at Tanf garrison. The US
took almost twelve hours after the incident to release the statement.
The incident happened in Syria when it was nine in the morning in Washington, DC
Iranian media reported it several hours later, so it was already in the
afternoon when the US would have been asked to react to the reports. Only in the
late afternoon did CENTCOM release its statement. Correspondents in Washington
began hearing about the US reaction between seven in the evening and nine in the
evening, which is twelve hours after the fighter jets first encountered the
Mahan air flight.
While Iran has now denounced the US “harassment” of Flight 1152 as “unlawful”
and a “terrorist” act, the US says that it conducted the inspection as a
professional intercept in accordance with international standards. Iran
disagrees and says the passenger plane was moving in a normal flight corridor
and the US fighters conducted an unlawful maneuver.
The US says its aircraft, apparently one that came close to the plane and a
second that hung back, opened distance when they confirmed it was just a Mahan
Air passenger aircraft. Iran wants Lebanon and Syria to file a complaint with
the International Civil Aviation Organization. It is not clear by what law the
US operates fighter aircraft over Tanf and the Syrian regime as well as Russia
have both complained about the US presence in Syria.
The Tanf air corridor is regularly used by Iranian aircraft. In fact, 1152 seems
to have used this route often between January and February. There is also
apparently a radio beacon that uses VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) and
directional measuring equipment (DME) near the Tanf base across from route 2 in
Syria. Social media user @RedIntelPanda notes that the beacon enables pilots to
use it to cross the area.
The incident over Tanf is only in its early days of being explained and answer
sought. Iran will want to show that the US harasses civilian airliners, at a
time when Iran is being critiqued for having shot down a Ukrainian civilian
airliner in January after Iran carried out ballistic missile attacks on US
forces in Iraq. Iranians point out that the US has also shot down an Iranian
passenger plane in the past. In 1988 The USS Vincennes guided-missile cruiser
mistakenly shot down Iran Air flight 655, killing 290 people. Iran-US tensions
are already high in the region. Now they are worse.
Turkish Government’s Hagia Sophia Rhetoric Adds Insult to
Injury
Aykan Erdemir/Tuğba Tanyeri-Erdemir/Providence/July 27/2020
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan converted the Hagia Sophia into a mosque
on July 10, drawing criticism from foreign governments ranging from the United
States to Russia, including a joint condemnation by 27 European Union foreign
ministers. Ankara’s fait accompli has raised legitimate concerns about the
potential damage to this sixth-century world heritage site, revered by
Christians and Muslims alike. While Hagia Sophia’s conversion poses a
significant risk to the monument’s sacred heritage, the Turkish government’s
accompanying rhetoric will be equally damaging to interfaith relations.
In his televised address to the nation regarding Hagia Sophia, Erdoğan said its
conversion into a mosque would gratify “the spirit of conquest” of Mehmet II,
the Ottoman sultan who captured Constantinople from the Byzantines in 1453. The
next day, Erdoğan’s ultranationalist coalition partner Devlet Bahçeli echoed the
Turkish president by proclaiming that the course of the Turco-Muslim conquest,
“which has been going on for 567 years, has entered a new phase.”
Such belligerent rhetoric from the highest levels of the Turkish government not
only threatens Turkey’s neighbors, which have been increasingly wary of
Erdoğan’s irredentist ambitions, but also targets the country’s very own
citizens. Elpidophoros, the archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of
America—and a native of Istanbul—warned that “a mentality of the conqueror, and
claiming conqueror’s rights… changes the relationship of the state to its
citizens.” He added, “I am a Turkish citizen myself, and I don’t want the state
to have the mindset of the conqueror, because I am not a conquered minority. I
want to feel in my own country as an equal citizen.”
The archbishop’s concern is justified. The conquest mentality of which he
complains permeates Turkey’s official rhetoric and public discourse, relegating
religious minorities to the status of subjects of a Muslim-dominated polity.
Even Turkey’s foreign ministry, which once had the reputation of being the
country’s most secular and pro-Western bureaucracy, fell victim to the Erdoğan
government’s conquest mentality in its rebuttal to US Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo’s criticism. When the ministry’s spokesperson bragged that Turkey has
been “delicately cherishing the historical, cultural, and spiritual value of
Hagia Sophia since its conquest,” he effectively blurred the distinction between
the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish Republic, embracing a fifteenth-century
conquest on behalf of a republic of equal citizens established through the
overthrow of that empire in the twentieth century.
What is more alarming than the Turkish ruling elite’s conquest mentality is
their frequent and proud use of a violent trope, “the right of the sword,” to
claim legitimacy. Erdoğan’s ultranationalist partner Bahçeli argued that the
legal basis for converting Hagia Sophia rests on “the right of the sword” that
Mehmet II claimed in 1453. Turkey’s pro-government news site A Haber went as far
as to publish a guide, entitled “What does the right of the sword mean?” which
it presented as the justification for Erdoğan’s move.
Such prejudicial language not only targets Turkey’s religious minorities, but
also intimidates members of the country’s Muslim majority who oppose the
government’s supremacist policies. The deputy leader of Erdoğan’s Justice and
Development Party accused Turkish citizens who oppose Hagia Sophia’s conversion
of acting like “the Byzantines among us,” insinuating they are traitors.
Similarly, Bahçeli referred to the move’s critics as “remnants of the
Byzantines” and the “clandestine Byzantine lobby’s Westophile native
collaborators.” Smearing the opposition—Muslims and non-Muslims alike—as fifth
columnists is a frequently-deployed trope that aims to silence Turkey’s
dissident voices, making the country’s minorities feel even more abandoned.
The ruling coalition’s attempts to silence citizens who oppose Hagia Sophia’s
conversion into a mosque is intended to conjure the illusion of a unanimous
popular will behind their policy. In Bahçeli’s words, Hagia Sophia’s conversion
has fulfilled the “the will of our nation.” Ironically, the Turkish government
took no steps to promote deliberation of their policy. It did not consult any of
the stakeholders in parliament or another platform, including the ecumenical
patriarchate, and presented their fait accompli as reflecting the desires of a
monolithic populace, where disagreement is evidence of treason and foreignness.
It is not surprising that the Turkish government’s Hagia Sophia policy and toxic
rhetoric received praise from other extremists around the world. Gaza’s ruling
militant group Hamas was the first to declare its support. The Muslim
Brotherhood followed, congratulating Turkey for this “historic step,” which they
celebrated for restoring Hagia Sophia’s right to “its owners.”
The conquest mentality that has shaped the Turkish government’s Hagia Sophia
policy and rhetoric not only puts the sacred heritage of Turkey’s religious
minorities at risk, but also threatens their lives, making them potential
targets of hate crimes. Given the appeal of Erdoğan’s pan-Islamist policies in
the Middle East and beyond, such explosive rhetoric has the potential to
embolden and incite other supremacists. This is a sad turn of events for a
country that for decades remained a beacon of secular democracy for the world’s
Muslim-majority nations.
*Aykan Erdemir is a former member of the Turkish parliament and senior director
of the Turkey Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). He
serves on the Anti-Defamation League’s Task Force on Middle East Minorities and
the steering committee of the International Panel of Parliamentarians for
Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB).
*Tuğba Tanyeri-Erdemir is the coordinator of the Anti-Defamation League’s Task
Force on Middle East Minorities. Follow Aykan and Tuğba on Twitter @aykan_erdemir
and @TurkishFacade.
With a Potential Iran-China Deal, Time for Israel to Reassess Its Policy
Jacob Nagel/Mark Dubowitz/Newsweek/July 27/2020
A recent emerging agreement between China and Iran promises the embattled
Islamic Republic a potentially regime-saving economic and security partnership.
The Chinese reportedly will invest $400 billion over 25 years in the Iranian
economy in exchange for heavily discounted Iranian oil, thereby undercutting
U.S. efforts to sanction and isolate Tehran. For Israel, this deal between an
economic partner and a mortal enemy should be an alarming wake-up call: Beijing
is not a friend, and is certainly no substitute for American support.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani initiated the Sino-Iranian agreement in 2016 in
the wake of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action,
which lifted American economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Approved
by the Iranian cabinet last June, the agreement promises an expansion of the
Chinese presence in banking and telecommunications as well as in railways, ports
and other infrastructure projects in Iran. The agreement includes deeper
Sino-Iranian military, cyber, intelligence and technology cooperation.
The reaction inside Iran has been caustic. Rouhani’s critics, from former
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to regime opponents, have denounced the
agreement. They understand that a weakened and isolated Iran will end up on the
losing end of any deal with the Chinese Communist Party. They have seen how
China traps countries with massive debt, which ultimately gives China leverage
to assume control of their critical infrastructure and resources. This is all
part of the strategy behind Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative—a trillion-dollar
global land, sea and communications program spanning more than 100 countries.
The Iranian regime, however, seeks to lean on China for its high-tech,
authoritarian surveillance state model. Chinese tools can enable greater regime
repression and increase the likelihood that the mullahs will remain in power.
The Sino-Iranian agreement is still not sealed. Both sides may wait until
America’s November elections, hoping that Joe Biden will abandon President
Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign against the mullahs. Should Biden
repeal the powerful secondary sanctions that have deterred Chinese banks and
energy companies from significant business in Iran, Beijing and Tehran will have
great opportunities.
For Israel, this is a clear sign that it is time to pivot from Beijing. Iran is
Israel’s most dangerous enemy; its leaders repeatedly vow to destroy the Jewish
state and are developing nuclear and missiles programs to that end. Tehran funds
and arms Hezbollah, which has amassed 150,000 missiles on Israel’s northern
border and is acquiring Iranian precision-guided munition capabilities that
could devastate Israeli critical military installations, key infrastructure and
civilian centers.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is also the most dangerous adversary of the
United States—Israel’s most valuable ally. The Chinese Communists are serial
proliferators of nuclear and missile technology to rogue regimes like Iran,
North Korea and Pakistan. They threaten Hong Kong and Taiwan. They are
militarizing the South China Sea, weaponizing data, stealing intellectual
property on a massive scale and committing shocking human rights abuses,
including forcing more than one million Uyghur Muslims into concentration camps.
The CCP also lied about the COVID-19 virus, suppressing vital information that
could have contained a devastating global human and economic disaster.
But for Israel, decoupling won’t be simple. China is one of Israel’s largest
trading partners and sources of foreign investment, alongside the United States
and Europe. Sino-Israeli trade stood at $15.3 billion in 2018, an almost 4,400
percent increase in real dollar terms since 1995. Beijing sees Israeli critical
infrastructure as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. This includes the Haifa
port (where the U.S. Sixth Fleet docks), the port of Ashdod, underground tunnels
and control systems in the northern Carmel mountains, and Tel Aviv’s subway
system. The strategic importance of this infrastructure is clear, given that
some of it runs alongside key military installations, major businesses, food
suppliers and other essential Israeli military and civilian services.
In Israeli high-tech, China has recognized the “Start-up Nation” as an essential
source of technology to build next-generation weapons. Israeli startups raised
$325 million from Chinese investors in the first three quarters of 2018, up from
$76 million in 2013. The numbers are increasing, though China remains far behind
the U.S. in venture capital investments. Still, Beijing’s smaller investments
are strategic and designed to leverage Israel’s prominence in artificial
intelligence, edge computing, autonomous vehicles, robotics and big data. These
are all technologies recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense as essential
to its own military modernization efforts, even if they are officially civilian
in their current application. Israel must therefore reassess these ties, as it
is a core strategic interest for Israel to ensure that American military
leadership does not erode.
Israeli strategic planners may be tempted by the idea that China-Israel economic
ties could offset Beijing’s growing partnership with Tehran. That is a delusion.
The CCP will acquire everything it can from both Israel and Iran without fear or
favor. And, if forced to choose, it will choose the Islamic Republic. Iran
provides critical energy supplies to China that Israel cannot match. Its
population is eight times larger. Its land mass is 75 times greater. It occupies
a much more strategic territory for Belt and Road. And the Islamic Republic is
an American enemy, which Beijing can leverage in its global contest with the
U.S.
That puts the United States and Israel on one side in the emerging cold war
between Washington and Beijing, with China and Iran on the other. Israelis have
no choice but to side with America, and this must be reflected in official
policy. Israeli decision-makers do not need to pass laws or regulations that
will suffocate the private sector. They simply must ensure that strategic
investments cannot be decided upon by bureaucrats with a narrow domestic agenda.
This is a security issue. The Israeli government must help the country’s
high-tech entrepreneurs by leveraging strategic partnerships with India, Japan,
Australia, Canada and other Indo-Pacific allies, as well as emerging ties with
Gulf countries, to identify alternative capital to displace Chinese investment.
These decisions must be handled directly by those who are responsible for the
national defense and security aspects of Israel, and who can therefore see the
bigger picture.
The U.S. can help, too. Congress should earmark investment funds similar to
those that jumpstarted U.S.-Israel high-tech cooperation. The U.S. government
also can facilitate the visa process for Israeli entrepreneurs looking to set up
their corporate headquarters in America while also maintaining R&D in Israel.
That’s been a successful business model that should be encouraged, but is
currently encumbered by American immigration practices.
In the meantime, continued U.S.-Israel military and intelligence cooperation is
needed. Iran’s deal with China will indubitably challenge Israeli and American
efforts to thwart Iran’s nuclear, and broader military, ambitions. A deal with
China, especially if Washington fails to respond with secondary sanctions
against Chinese banks and companies, would certainly erode the U.S. “maximum
pressure” campaign that has constrained those ambitions to date. It also will
send a signal of weakness to those observing U.S. restrictions.
As Israel demonstrates to Washington that it is committed to decoupling from
China, there will be even greater opportunities for the two countries to
cooperate. Technology, military, intelligence and political cooperation will
only deepen. American and Israeli free market ingenuity will outpace anything
that China’s state-run authoritarian model can produce. With the Chinese joining
hands with Israel’s most dangerous enemies in Iran, Israel has no choice other
than to draw closer to its best friend and to keep a distance from its best
friend’s biggest rival.
*Brigadier General (res.) Jacob Nagel is a visiting professor at the Technion
aerospace faculty and a senior visiting fellow at Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD). He previously served as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s
acting national security advisor and head of the National Security Council.
*Mark Dubowitz is a former venture capitalist and high-tech executive and
currently serves as FDD’s chief executive, where he focuses on Iran and China.
To stop China’s crimes against humanity, hit its pride and
pocketbook
Craig Singleton/Washington Examiner/July 27/2020
As the world endures the ravages of COVID-19, it also finds itself confronting
an increasingly hostile China bent on warping established human rights norms to
advance its malign ambitions. These efforts have taken the form of forced mass
sterilization of ethnic minorities at concentration camps in the Xinjiang
province, as well as the arrests of hundreds of peaceful protesters in Hong Kong
for violating a newly imposed national security law.
Western democracies, several of which find themselves confronting civil unrest,
are the only thing standing in China’s way as it seeks to rewrite the
rules-based order and redefine what it means to be a responsible member of the
international community. To that end, the United States and its allies have a
responsibility to confront Beijing over its rampant human rights abuses and, to
the extent possible, undermine China’s ability to leverage its economic might to
silence would-be critics.
What’s more, as consumers demand a greater focus on corporate social
responsibility, the private sector faces a stark choice of its own: Cut ties
with any factories involved in perpetuating human rights abuses in China or
maintain the status quo and risk complicity in Beijing’s atrocities.
New evidence from Xinjiang shows that Beijing is seeking to exterminate Uighur
Muslims. Ground-breaking research by the Associated Press and German expert
Adrian Zenz revealed disturbing details last week about forced abortions, birth
control, and sterilizations. The research further documented a nearly 84% drop
in natural birthrates over a three-year period in Xinjiang, suggesting that
China’s methodical attempt to eliminate this “undesirable” population has been
shockingly effective.
As events in Xinjiang have taken a dark turn, so, too, has the situation in Hong
Kong, where Chinese authorities wasted little time arresting hundreds of
peaceful protesters, including a 15-year-old girl whose only crime was to wave a
Hong Kong independence flag. Libraries in Hong Kong have now prohibited patrons
from accessing books written by human rights activists, and various
pro-democracy groups have also been forced to disband and relocate overseas,
much to Beijing’s delight.
While the U.S., United Kingdom, European Union, Japan, Australia, and Taiwan all
decried Beijing’s power grab, China leveraged its position at the United Nations
Human Rights Council to rally support from 53 nations, almost all of which are
dictatorships and human rights abusers themselves. In doing so, Beijing secured
a veneer of legitimacy for its crackdown while underscoring the impotence of
what should be the most influential, global human rights body.
What’s more, China maintained its tier-three status in the State Department’s
Trafficking in Persons Report for 2020, a designation reserved for the world’s
worst offenders. This means that China fails to meet even the most basic
standards of trafficking enforcement. Beyond documenting atrocities in Xinjiang,
the report revealed that China has expanded its campaign of terror into other
provinces, often targeting other minorities, and “sought the coerced
repatriation and internment of religious and ethnic minorities living abroad.”
Since Beijing seeks impunity by flexing its geoeconomic muscles, the West’s
response should focus on harnessing its economic might, which far exceeds that
of China and its UNHRC accomplices. These efforts should include a more-robust
sanctions regime, continued efforts to investigate Chinese abuses, incentivizing
supply-chain diversification, and undermining China’s debt-trap diplomacy.
U.S. plans to sanction Chinese officials perpetrating abuses in Xinjiang have
frustrated Beijing, as has the Senate’s passage of the Hong Kong Autonomy Act,
which targets people who violate the territory’s autonomy. The U.S. should go
further in ratcheting up sanctions pressure on any Chinese government entities
involved in directing these human rights atrocities, as well as companies whose
equipment enables such misdeeds. If the U.S. can coordinate these efforts with
partners, Beijing may find itself facing disputes with all of its major trading
partners, which could damage China’s economy. Such moves could also push
previously neutral countries into our orbit, many of which likely harbor private
concerns about China’s actions but have been wary of aligning themselves with
the West.
Congress can also raise the temperature by holding China publicly accountable
for its abuses, directing U.S. agencies to work with foreign counterparts to
undercut China’s debt-trap coercion, and holding high-profile, bipartisan,
public meetings with Hong Kongers and Uighur dissidents. Congress should also
consider symbolic gestures such as renaming the street outside of the Chinese
Embassy in Washington, D.C., after Chinese activists and granting asylum to
Uighurs who have fled Xinjiang.
Lastly, the private sector must do its part, particularly in the face of reports
that Uighurs were transferred from concentration camps to factories that produce
goods for dozens of global brands, including Apple and Nike. At a time when the
U.S. government, shareholders, and customers are monitoring corporations’
willingness to align their practices with social-justice concerns, CEOs must
seriously consider transitioning their supply chains out of China. To that end,
the administration and its partners in Southeast Asia should devise creative
ways to incentivize such transitions. In the aftermath of last year’s NBA
fiasco, responsible CEOs should also avoid kowtowing to Beijing, which will be
all too eager to use their businesses as proverbial shields against U.S. action
on human rights.
The West has finally caught a glimpse of a future world with China at the helm.
At this point, it is clear that preventing such a reality will require hitting
Beijing’s pride, as well as its pocketbook.
*Craig Singleton, a former U.S. diplomat and national security expert, is an
adjunct fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He contributes to
FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power.
Palestinians: The Priorities of Muslim 'Scholars' During COVID-19
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute./July 27, 2020
These religious leaders say they are also worried about other "epidemics" that
post a threat to Arabs and Muslims, such as peace with Israel and women's
rights.
The Muslim "scholars" also seem concerned about the possibility that Palestinian
women may be coming closer to being given rights that are now accorded only to
men. For these religious figures, the prospect of women being treated equally
and with respect appears to be more of a threat than the coronavirus.
Across the globe, people are preoccupied with preventing the spread of the
coronavirus and rescuing the global economy. The world's best minds are racing
against time to invent a vaccine that will save the lives of millions of people
threatened by COVID-19. The pandemic has caused panic about basic living
conditions, health and livelihood.
Palestinian Islamic leaders, meanwhile, are busying themselves with the
religious implications of menstruation. For these leaders, it is peace with
Israel, not the virus, that is imperiling the health of Arabs and Muslims.
These Muslim leaders appear to be more interested in preventing women from
working under unbiased conditions than about those individuals suffering from
the pandemic. They also seem to be more interested in demonizing Israel than in
dealing with the demon called COVID-19.
As Palestinians are facing a sharp increase in the number of coronavirus cases
detected in Palestinian cities, villages and refugee camps in the West Bank,
their Islamic religious leaders are responding in their usual way: inciting
against Israel and Jews. Pictured: Palestinian Authority policemen man a
checkpoint in Bethlehem on June 29, 2020, to enforce a 48-hour closure of the
city, aimed at containing the spread of coronavirus. (Photo by Hazem Bader/AFP
via Getty Images)
As Palestinians are facing a sharp increase in the number of coronavirus cases
detected in Palestinian cities, villages and refugee camps in the West Bank,
their Islamic religious leaders are responding in their usual way: inciting
against Israel and Jews.
These religious leaders say they are also worried about other "epidemics" that
post a threat to Arabs and Muslims, such as peace with Israel and women's
rights.
By July 23, the number of Palestinians diagnosed with the coronavirus since last
March reached 8,411, according to the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health.
Seventy-one Palestinians have died after contracting the disease, the ministry
said.
Such disturbing statistics, however, do not seem to worry the so-called
Association of Palestinian Scholars. These self-proclaimed religious scholars,
who proudly describe themselves as "inheritors of the prophets," say that they
see no difference between the dangers of the coronavirus and peace with Israel.
The Islamic group, in a recent statement, issued a prayer to the "Almighty God
to protect our nation from this [coronavirus] epidemic and to protect it from
the epidemic of normalization" with Israel. The statement came in response to
claims by Palestinians and Arabs that some Arab television networks had aired
programs allegedly promoting normalization between Arab countries and Israel.
The "scholars" ruled that it is haram (forbidden by Islamic law) for Muslims to
watch such programs. "We affirm," they said, "that boycotting these channels is
a religious duty, and we would like to remind our nation that the boycott
campaign against this [Israeli] enemy is increasing in Muslim and non-Muslim
countries."
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the Association of Palestinian
Scholars has been offering Palestinians nothing but anti-Israel incitement and
calls for jihad (holy war) against Israel and Jews. This is the sole "remedy"
these "scholars" have extended to their followers as they grapple with the
rising number of coronavirus infections and economic hardship resulting from
lockdowns and other restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the disease.
In a more recent statement, the Association of Palestinian Scholars completely
ignored Palestinians' fears concerning the alarming increase in confirmed
coronavirus cases. Instead, the group embarked on yet another bellicose campaign
against Israel and Jews, echoing the old anti-Semitic libel that Jews are
"desecrating with their filthy feet our blessed holy sites."
Accusing Jews of "cowardice and turning mosques into places of entertainment,"
the Muslim "scholars" said that Jews will remain in a state of fear "because
they have cut off their relationship with God."
Needless to say, the "scholars" also did not forget to send another warning to
all Arabs and Muslims against engaging in any form of normalization with Israel.
The "scholars" said they will be "afflicted with God's curse in this life and
hereafter" if they do not heed the warning. They then sent yet another warning
to Jews: "Do not be tempted by those who support normalization [with Israel] and
remember that the Quran descended from Heaven to prevail and triumph."
The Muslim "scholars" also seem concerned about the possibility that Palestinian
women may be coming closer to being accorded the rights that are now accorded
only to men. For these religious figures, the prospect of women being treated
equally and with respect appears to be more of a threat than the coronavirus.
The Palestinian Authority's decision to join the Convention of the Elimination
of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), an international treaty
adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly, has enraged the
Association of Palestinian Scholars and many other extremist Islamist groups,
tribal leaders and religious figures in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In
December 2019, the heads of several Palestinian clans criticized the PA for
committing to CEDAW and called for banning feminist groups operating in the West
Bank and Gaza Strip.
The Association of Palestinian Scholars recently joined the campaign against the
treaty, notwithstanding the Palestinian people's preoccupation with the
coronavirus outbreak.
"The CEDAW treaty claims that it wants to protect women and the family," the
Association said in another statement. "In fact, it wants to destroy the human
structure by spreading vice and plunging societies into the swamps of
disintegration and loss."
The Muslim "scholars" are saying, in effect, that they do not care about
Palestinian women who have been affected by the coronavirus, directly or
indirectly, as much as they care about ensuring that these women are not given
the rights enjoyed by Palestinian men.
These "scholars" have no advice to offer Palestinian women during the
coronavirus outbreak other than issuing fatwas (Islamic opinions) on
menstruation during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. In Islam, Muslim women
are required to take a break from fasting during their menses.
One of the questions that seems to be preoccupying the "scholars" is what
happens when a Muslim gets her period during the fast.
Across the globe, people are preoccupied with preventing the spread of the
coronavirus and rescuing the global economy. The world's best minds are racing
against time to invent a vaccine that will save the lives of millions of people
threatened by COVID-19. The pandemic has caused panic about basic living
conditions, health and livelihood.
Palestinian Islamic leaders, meanwhile, are busying themselves with the
religious implications of menstruation. For these leaders, it is peace with
Israel, not the virus, that is imperiling the health of Arabs and Muslims.
These Muslim leaders appear to be more interested in preventing women from
working under unbiased conditions than about those individuals suffering from
the pandemic. They also seem to be more interested in demonizing Israel than in
dealing with the demon called COVID-19.
*Khaled Abu Toameh, an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem, is a
Shillman Journalism Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2020 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.
Turkey on the Warpath
Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/July 27/2020
The Erdogan regime has been militarily targeting Syria and Iraq, sending its
Syrian mercenaries to Libya to seize Libya's oil, and continuing to bully
Greece. It is now provoking ongoing violence between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
"Until the Syrian people are free, peaceful and safe, we will remain in this
country." — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Reuters, July 21, 2020.
"Crimes committed against Yazidis [in Syria] include forced conversion to Islam,
rape of women and girls, humiliation and torture, arbitrary incarceration, and
forced displacement." — Yazda.org, May 29, 2020.
One of Turkey's main targets also seems to be Greece.... If such an attack took
place, would the West abandon Greece?
Turkey is currently involved in quite a few international military conflicts --
both against its own neighbors such as Greece, Armenia, Iraq, Syria and Cyprus,
and against other nations such as Libya and Yemen. Pictured: Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) meets with Fayez al-Sarraj, the leader of one the
two rival governments that control Libya, on June 4, 2020 in Ankara, Turkey.
Turkey is currently involved in quite a few international military conflicts --
both against its own neighbors such as Greece, Armenia, Iraq, Syria and Cyprus,
and against other nations such as Libya and Yemen. These actions by Turkey
suggest that Turkey's foreign policy is increasingly destabilizing not only
several nations, but the region as well.
In addition, the Erdogan regime has been militarily targeting Syria and Iraq,
sending its Syrian mercenaries to Libya to seize Libyan oil and continuing, as
usual, to bully Greece. Turkey's regime is also now provoking ongoing violence
between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Since July 12, Azerbaijan has launched a series of cross-border attacks against
Armenia's northern Tavush region in skirmishes that have resulted in the deaths
of at least four Armenian soldiers and 12 Azerbaijani ones. After Azerbaijan
threatened to launch missile attacks on Armenia's Metsamor nuclear plant on July
16, Turkey offered military assistance to Azerbaijan.
"Our armed unmanned aerial vehicles, ammunition and missiles with our
experience, technology and capabilities are at Azerbaijan's service," said
İsmail Demir, the head of Presidency of Defense Industries, an affiliate of the
Turkish Presidency.
One of Turkey's main targets also seems to be Greece. The Turkish military is
targeting Greek territorial waters yet again. The Greek newspaper Kathimerini
reported:
"There have been concerns over a possible Turkish intervention in the East Med
in a bid to prevent an agreement on the delineation of an exclusive economic
zone (EEZ) between Greece and Egypt which is currently being discussed between
officials of the two countries."
Turkey's choice of names for its gas exploration ships are also a giveaway. The
name of the main ship that Turkey is using for seismic "surveys" of the Greek
continental shelf is Oruç Reis, (1474-1518), an admiral of the Ottoman Empire
who often raided the coasts of Italy and the islands of the Mediterranean that
were still controlled by Christian powers. Other exploration and drilling
vessels Turkey uses or is planning to use in Greece's territorial waters are
named after Ottoman sultans who targeted Cyprus and Greece in bloody military
invasions. These include the drilling ship Fatih "the conqueror" or Ottoman
Sultan Mehmed II, who invaded Constantinople in 1453; the drilling ship Yavuz,
"the resolute", or Sultan Selim I, who headed the Ottoman Empire during the
invasion of Cyprus in 1571; and Kanuni, "the lawgiver" or Sultan Suleiman, who
invaded parts of eastern Europe as well as the Greek island of Rhodes.
Turkey's move in the Eastern Mediterranean came in early July, shortly after the
country had turned Hagia Sophia, once the world's greatest Greek Cathedral, into
a mosque. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan then linked Hagia Sophia's
conversion to a pledge to "liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque" in Jerusalem.
On July 21, the tensions arose again following Turkey's announcement that it
plans to conduct seismic research in parts of the Greek continental shelf in an
area of sea between Cyprus and Crete in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
"Turkey's plan is seen in Athens as a dangerous escalation in the Eastern
Mediterranean, prompting Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to warn that
European Union sanctions could follow if Ankara continues to challenge Greek
sovereignty," Kathimerini reported on July 21.
Here is a short list of other countries where Turkey is also militarily
involved:
In Libya, Turkey has been increasingly involved in the country's civil war.
Associated Press reported on July 18:
"Turkey sent between 3,500 and 3,800 paid Syrian fighters to Libya over the
first three months of the year, the U.S. Defense Department's inspector general
concluded in a new report, its first to detail Turkish deployments that helped
change the course of Libya's war.
"The report comes as the conflict in oil-rich Libya has escalated into a
regional proxy war fueled by foreign powers pouring weapons and mercenaries into
the country."
Libya has been in turmoil since 2011, when an armed revolt during the "Arab
Spring" led to the ouster and murder of dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Political
power in the country, the current population of which is around 6.5 million, has
been split between two rival governments. The UN-backed Government of National
Accord (GNA), has been led by Prime Minister Fayez al Sarraj. Its rival, the
Libyan National Army (LNA), has been led by Libyan military officer, Khalifa
Haftar.
Backed by Turkey, the GNA said on July 18 that it would recapture Sirte, a
gateway to Libya's main oil terminals, as well as an LNA airbase at Jufra.
Egypt, which backs the LNA, announced, however, that if the GNA and Turkish
forces tried to seize Sirte, it would send troops into Libya. On July 20, the
Egyptian parliament gave approval to a possible deployment of troops beyond its
borders "to defend Egyptian national security against criminal armed militias
and foreign terrorist elements."
Yemen is another country on which Turkey has apparently set its sights. In a
recent video, Turkey-backed Syrian mercenaries fighting on behalf of the GNA in
Libya, and aided by local Islamist groups, are seen saying, "We are just getting
started. The target is going to be Gaza." They also state that they want to take
on Egyptian President Sisi and to go to Yemen.
"Turkey's growing presence in Yemen," The Arab Weekly reported on May 9,
"especially in the restive southern region, is fuelling concern across the
region over security in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandeb.
"These concerns are further heightened by reports indicating that Turkey's
agenda in Yemen is being financed and supported by Qatar via some Yemeni
political and tribal figures affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood."
In Syria, Turkey-backed jihadists continue occupying the northern parts of the
country. On July 21, Erdogan announced that Turkey's military presence in Syria
would continue. "Nowadays they are holding an election, a so-called election,"
Erdogan said of a parliamentary election on July 19 in Syria's
government-controlled regions, after nearly a decade of civil war. "Until the
Syrian people are free, peaceful and safe, we will remain in this country."
Additionally, Turkey's incursion into the Syrian city of Afrin, created a
particularly grim situation for the local Yazidi population:
"As a result of the Turkish incursion to Afrin," the Yazda organization reported
on May 29, "thousands of Yazidis have fled from 22 villages they inhabited prior
to the conflict into other parts of Syria, or have migrated to Lebanon, Europe,
or the Kurdistan Region of Iraq... "
"Due to their religious identity, Yazidis in Afrin are suffering from targeted
harassment and persecution by Turkish-backed militant groups. Crimes committed
against Yazidis include forced conversion to Islam, rape of women and girls,
humiliation and torture, arbitrary incarceration, and forced displacement. The
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in its 2020
annual report confirmed that Yazidis and Christians face persecution and
marginalization in Afrin.
"Additionally, nearly 80 percent of Yazidi religious sites in Syria have been
looted, desecrated, or destroyed, and Yazidi cemeteries have been defiled and
bulldozed."
In Iraq, Turkey has been carrying out military operations for years. The last
one was started in mid-June. Turkey's Defense Ministry announced on June 17 that
the country had "launched a military operation against the PKK" (Kurdistan
Workers' Party) in northern Iraq after carrying out a series of airstrikes.
Turkey has named its assaults "Operation Claw-Eagle" and "Operation Claw-Tiger".
The Yazidi, Assyrian Christian and Kurdish civilians have been terrorized by the
bombings. At least five civilians have been killed in the air raids, according
to media reports. Human Rights Watch has also issued a report, noting that a
Turkish airstrike in Iraq "disregards civilian loss."
Given Turkey's military aggression in Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Armenia, among
others, and its continued occupation of northern Cyprus, further aggression,
especially against Greece, would not be unrealistic. Turkey's desire to invade
Greece is not exactly a secret. Since at least 2018, both the Turkish government
and opposition parties have openly been calling for capturing the Greek islands
in the Aegean, which they falsely claim belong to Turkey.
If such an attack took place, would the West abandon Greece?
*Uzay Bulut, a Turkish journalist, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the
Gatestone Institute.
© 2020 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.
The Islamist Takeover of George Floyd
A.J. Caschetta/JNS/July 27/2020
The Islamic Republic of Iran has depicted the late George Floyd as a Muslim
martyr.
We Americans seem quite capable of separating ourselves into fractious groups
without the help of our enemies, but that hasn't stopped many, especially the
Islamists of the world, from using the death of George Floyd to fuel our
divides.
Attorney General William Barr warned on June 4, that "hackers ... associated
with foreign governments" have been using Floyd's death, "playing all sides to
exacerbate the violence." Later that day, something alarmed the New Jersey
Office of Homeland Security enough for it to Tweet a warning about "fake social
media accounts ... post[ing] content in order to instill fear and panic." But
for all the covert activity going on, a great deal of it is out in the open for
all to see.
Like the looters in Minneapolis, New York, and Los Angeles, who didn't care
about George Floyd beyond the opportunity his death provided for their personal
enrichment, many Islamists in the U.S. and abroad have hypocritically and
brazenly seized Floyd's death as a stone to throw at American society from
within their own glass houses.
The most respected Sunni Islamist intellectual of the twentieth century, Sayyid
Qutb, accused African Americans of creating jazz music "to satisfy their
primitive instincts — their love of noise and their appetite for sexual
arousal."
Islamists, of course, are not immune to racist ideas. The most respected
Islamist intellectual among the Al-Qaeda-ISIS set, is Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966),
who was also the Muslim Brotherhood's most influential ideologue. Qutb spent
almost four years (1948-1951) in the U.S., and in his letters to friends back in
Egypt, he often complained about anti-Arab and anti-Muslim sentiments in
America. But, as many have noted, those letters also show Qutb's own racial
bigotry, as when he explains that, "Jazz is the American music, created by
Negroes to satisfy their primitive instincts — their love of noise and their
appetite for sexual arousal."
When Sudanese Al-Qaeda member Dr. Jamal al-Fadl walked into the U.S. embassy in
Eritrea in June 1996 to turn himself in and give evidence against the terrorist
group, one of his chief complaints against bin Laden and the Al-Qaeda leadership
was rampant discrimination against black African members who received lower
salaries and less comprehensive health care benefits than the Arabs in the
group.
Nevertheless, sensing an opportunity to propagandize after the outbreak of
rioting in America this year, Al-Qaeda released a letter on June 29 addressed to
"the oppressed, the vulnerable, and the revolutionaries of the American people."
The letter applauds protesters and rioters for rising up "against racists and
the arrogant White House" and encourages them to "establish justice with their
own hands."
Echoing bin Laden's frequent peace offerings to America, the Al-Qaeda missive
offers Islam as the cure for America's racial strife, "because it is a religion
which ensures that people live in freedom, dignity, and peace, and doesn't allow
discrimination of any sort between white and black."
Pro-Palestinian activists are exploiting the Black Lives Matter movement to
bring attention to their anti-Israel agenda, yet many have long ignored or
contributed to a culture of casual anti-black racism.
In the U.S., Islamists have also incorporated George Floyd into their messaging.
Hesham Shehab and Benjamin Baird have documented how numerous Islamists in one
city, Chicago, "have minimized and excused th[eir own] abhorrent behavior while
exploiting Floyd's death." Shebab's and Baird's research focuses on the ways
that pro-Palestinian activists and groups (American Muslims for Palestine,
Chicago's Students for Justice in Palestine, Chicago's Mosque Foundation)
"whitewash the normalization of anti-black hate within their own communities,
while simultaneously paying lip service to the cause of racial justice and
equality."
From the moment that video of Floyd's death went viral, Palestinian activists
throughout the U.S. and abroad tried to turn the subsequent protests against
police brutality into an American Intifada and Floyd himself into a shaheed
(martyr). Some "protesters" in American cities have displayed Palestinian flags,
worn Palestinian keffiyehs and even adopted Palestinian tactics, like the
Molotov cocktail-throwing Palestinian activist lawyer Urooj Rahman. Likewise,
Floyd's image has been photographed throughout Palestinian territories, and his
name has become a regular component of anti-Israel protests.
Gaza Islamic scholar Dr. Taher Al-Lulu hopes the "flames" of racial unrest in
the U.S. "will burn the sons of Zion."
In a Friday, June 12, 2020 sermon that aired on Palestine Today TV, Gaza Islamic
scholar Dr. Taher Al-Lulu lectured his audience about "racial discrimination
imposed by Trump and the whites." He could barely contain his glee that "for 10
days, America has been engulfed in flames ... We pray to Allah that these flames
will burn the sons of Zion, America."
Turkey's Islamist president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, always looking for an
opportunity to detract attention from the millions of Christians killed by the
Ottoman Empire he hopes to resurrect as well as from the brutalities committed
by his own regime, denounced in English "the racist and fascist approach that
led to the death of George Floyd in the US city of Minneapolis as a result of
torture," adding "We will be monitoring the issue." This is rich, coming from
the leader of a country that openly discriminates against Kurds. As Pinar
Tremblay put it in Al-Monitor, listening to music in Kurdish or attempting to
speak Kurdish in the wrong neighborhood can get one killed in Turkey." What
would happen in Turkey to a "Kurdish Lives Matter" movement?
American hostage Lordell Maples at a press conference staged by his Iranian
captors, November 18, 1979.
At the outset of its Islamic revolution, Iran used race to divide Americans.
Among the hostages seized at the U.S. embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979,
were nine African-Americans, all of whom were released on November 20, except
for Charles Jones who was captured in the communications vault and therefore
considered an important spy. But first they were subjected to an entire day of
lectures on the evils of American imperialism and then paraded before reporters
to read statements and answer questions, sitting under a banner that read
"Oppressed blacks!! The United States Government is our common enemy." One of
the men, USMC Sgt. William Quarles, was manipulated into saying things he later
regretted.
Iran jumped hard on the George Floyd bandwagon, so it comes as no surprise that
it held a tasteless cartoon contest (the "I can't breathe exhibit") and gave
Floyd (who was not a Muslim) the Soleimani treatment by portraying him as a
Shi'ite saint.
In a June 19 sermon in Iran's Fars province, Ayatollah Lotfollah Dezhkam boasted
that the "shout of the Iranian nation [is now] being heard from the mouths of
the Americans themselves: Death to America!"
Unlike those who live in Islamist societies ruled by dictators and theocrats,
Americans can settle our disputes rationally.
What country will lecture us next about America's "systemic racism"? Perhaps,
from its seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, it will be Mauritania,
the last country on earth to abolish slavery, but where slavery still persists.
Unlike those who live in Iran, Turkey, the Palestinian territories and other
places ruled by dictators and theocrats, Americans can settle our disputes
rationally, in discussions, even arguments, and ultimately in elections, rather
than in the streets. In spite of its flaws, our system is the envy of the world.
Just ask any anti-Khamenei protester, or any independent journalist in Turkey,
or any Palestinian who dares to cross Hamas or the PLO.
*A.J. Caschetta is a Ginsburg-Milstein fellow at Campus Watch, a project of the
Middle East Forum, and a principal lecturer at the Rochester Institute of
Technology.
Raymond Ibrahim/Burned Alive”: Persecution of Christians,
June 2020
Gatstone Institute/July 26/2020
ريموند إبراهيم/معهد كايتستون: جردة في أعمال اضطهاد المسيحيين خلال شهر حزيران/2020..يحرقون
وهم أحياء
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/88897/raymond-ibrahim-burned-alive-persecution-of-christians-june-2020-gatstone-institute%d8%b1%d9%8a%d9%85%d9%88%d9%86%d8%af-%d8%a5%d8%a8%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%87%d9%8a%d9%85-%d9%85%d8%b9%d9%87%d8%af/
A Christian teenager was sexually assaulted by his Muslim
employer in early June. The boy’s father and brother were then beaten for trying
to seek justice for him. — Persecution.org, June 19, 2020, Pakistan.
“These Muslim Fulani herdsmen have been attacking our communities because we are
Christians. Their desire is to take over our lands, force us to become Muslims,
and if we decline, they kill us….” — Ibrahim Agu Iliya, Morning Star News, June
3, 2020, Nigeria.
Police killed a man after he cited his Christian faith as reason not to falsify
his testimony, as police were urging him to do….Police were trying to get Younas
to recant his eyewitness testimony against a Muslim family accused of murder….
When beating him did not yield results, they tried to bribe him…. “During the
attack, one of the officers shouted, ‘We will teach him a lesson for insulting
us!’” — Persecution.org.; June 25, 2020, Pakistan.
“Is it wrong to have another religion? Is Christianity wrong?” — Fitri Handayani,
a woman who converted from Islam to Christianity, describing her ordeals at the
hands of her family, YouTube; June 17, 2020, Indonesia.
“These are our houses. In ten years, none of you will be left here and then your
homes will be ours anyway.” — Kurdish representative in Qamishli to Christian
family; World Council of Arameans (Syriacs); June 17, 2020, Syria.
In June 2019, at least 100 Christian men, women and children were murdered by
Fulani gunmen in Sobame Da, a village in the Mopti region of central Mali.
Pictured: The village of Sobame Da. (Image source: United Nations/MINUSMA/Flickr)
The Slaughter of Christians
Nigeria: The jihad on Christians continued in the West Africa nation without
letup. In what police described as a “brutal assault,” suspected Muslims raped
and slaughtered Uwaila Vera Omozuwa, a 22-year-old Christian girl studying
inside Redeemed Christian Church of God in Benin City. “We are all devastated by
her death,” a spokesman of the church said, before explaining: “She [had]
decided to do some private studies during the lockdown because the church was
peaceful. She’s been taking the key from the parish pastor and returning it
after her studies.” The slain girl’s mother described what happened after she
heard of the attack:
“I RAN [TO THE CHURCH] BUT BEFORE I GOT THERE, THEY TOOK HER TO A PRIVATE
HOSPITAL AND WHEN I SAW MY DAUGHTER, I CRIED. THEY RAPED HER; THE DRESS SHE WAS
WEARING THAT MORNING WAS WHITE. THE WHITE HAD TURNED TO RED; ALL HER BODY WAS
FULL OF BLOOD…. MY DAUGHTER WAS VERY KIND AND VERY INTELLIGENT AND DISCIPLINED.
WE HAD JUST CELEBRATED HER ADMISSION TO UNIVERSITY.”
In a separate incident, Muslim Fulani herdsmen entered a Christian-owned store
and shot to death its owner and four other Christians. They did not steal
anything from the store or from the victims’ bodies. Despite the presence of
armed security, the terrorists were able to fire their weapons for a full ten
minutes, before leaving without a trace. In response, Ibrahim Agu Iliya, a
Christian, assembled and led a team of unarmed civilians to apprehend them. He
said,
“THESE MUSLIM FULANI HERDSMEN HAVE BEEN ATTACKING OUR COMMUNITIES BECAUSE WE ARE
CHRISTIANS. THEIR DESIRE IS TO TAKE OVER OUR LANDS, FORCE US TO BECOME MUSLIMS,
AND IF WE DECLINE, THEY KILL US… THE GOVERNMENT’S INABILITY TO STOP THESE MUSLIM
FULANI HERDSMEN IS BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT IS BEING CONTROLLED BY FULANI
POLITICAL LEADERS HEADED BY MUHAMMADU BUHARI, NIGERIA’S PRESIDENT, WHO’S ALSO A
FULANI MAN.”
Sunday Samuel — who witnessed and survived the attack, and whose 42-year-old
slain sister Asabe Samuel owned the store — agreed:
“I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THESE SECURITY PERSONNEL WHO ARE MUSLIMS ARE
CONNIVING WITH THESE ARMED MEN TO ATTACK OUR PEOPLE. THESE KILLINGS OF
CHRISTIANS HERE ARE JUST TOO MUCH OF A PRESSURE ON US, AND THE SAD REALITY IS
THAT OUR PEOPLE HAVE MADE REPRESENTATIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT AT BOTH THE STATE
AND FEDERAL LEVELS AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE.”
In another massacre on June 3 — just after a May terror attack in the same
region, where “more than 30 corpses of slain Christians still lay in nearby
villages” — Muslim Fulani herdsmen shot or hacked to death with machetes nine
Christians, most of them church-attending women and children; a three-year-old
was seriously wounded. Seven other Christians were kidnapped at gun point.
Burkina Faso: “Christians were among those targeted and killed,” a June 5 report
found, after “armed jihadists launched three separate attacks … that left at
least 58 dead,” including children. Dozens were also injured. A “contact
reported that it was clear from the testimony of a survivor that the militants
were targeting Christians and humanitarians taking food to an internally
displaced people camp, where many mainly-Christian villagers had taken refuge
after fleeing prior jihadi violence.” Intended victims who the terrorists
discovered were Muslim were spared. A survivor recalled how the driver of his
truck had cried “forgive, forgive, we are also followers of the prophet
Muhammad!” That call had caused one of the terrorists to turn to the others and
say, “They have the same religion with us,” prompting an end to the attack on
the vehicle. “Jihadi attacks on Christians in the African nation have been on
the rise,” the report added; “Last December, at least 14 people were killed when
gunmen stormed a Protestant church service… Last April, gunmen killed a
Protestant pastor and five other Christians who were leaving a worship service.”
Mali: During near simultaneous raids on three Christian majority villages,
“suspected Islamic radicals killed at least 27 people, some of whom were burned
alive,” according to a June 4 report:
“MALI HAS BEEN IN CHAOS SINCE 2012, WHEN AL QAEDA-LINKED JIHADISTS SEIZED THE
NORTHERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE COUNTRY. FRENCH FORCES INTERVENED THE FOLLOWING YEAR
TO DRIVE THEM BACK, BUT THE MILITANTS HAVE SINCE REGROUPED AND EXPANDED THEIR
OPERATIONS INTO NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES SUCH AS BURKINA FASO AND NIGER.”
A separate report elaborated:
“MALI SUFFERED ITS WORST YEAR OF EXTREMIST VIOLENCE IN SEVEN YEARS IN 2019.
JIHADI MILITANTS CARRIED OUT MURDEROUS ATTACKS IN THE NORTH AND CENTRAL AREA,
LAYING WASTE TO CHRISTIAN VILLAGES AND CAUSING HUNDREDS TO FLEE WITH ONLY THE
CLOTHES ON THEIR BACKS. IN ONE OF THE WORST ATTACKS, IN JUNE 2019, AT LEAST 100
MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN WERE SLAUGHTERED IN SOBAME DA, A MAINLY-CHRISTIAN
VILLAGE IN THE MOPTI REGION OF CENTRAL MALI.”
Pakistan: On June 4, Muslim neighbors attacked a Christian family for purchasing
a home in what they claimed was a “Muslim neighborhood.” Despite five medical
operations, the father, Nadeem Joseph — who along with his mother-in-law was
shot — succumbed to his wounds and died in a hospital on June 29. Prior to the
attack, the Christian family’s Muslim neighbors had regularly harassed them —
including by damaging their home, riding loud motorcycles in front of it, and
calling them “chooras,” a derogatory term meaning “unclean Christians.” Before
he died, Joseph had made a video from his hospital bed:
“I AM FEELING SCARED EVEN IN THE HOSPITAL,” HE SAID. “I FEAR [FOR] MY LIFE AND
MY FAMILY[‘S]…. A MONTH AGO, I PURCHASED A HOUSE IN TV COLONY. I STILL HAVE TO
MAKE THE FINAL PAYMENTS TO THE SELLER, BUT SALMAN KHAN, A MUSLIM IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD, HAS STARTED HARASSING MY FAMILY.”
After asking him to leave the neighborhood, because it was “meant for Muslim
residents only,” Khan exclaimed: “How dare a Christian family live amid
Muslims?… Christians and Jews are the opponents of Muslims. Therefore, you
cannot stay in this house.” It was then that Khan opened fire on Joseph and his
family; he was shot twice in the stomach, and his mother-in-law in the shoulder.
In a separate incident, police killed a man after he cited his Christian faith
as reason not to falsify his testimony, as they were urging him to do. On June
22, police broke into the home of Waqar Masih. According to the Christian:
“ARIF JUTT, A POLICEMAN, ALONG WITH HIS OTHERS ILLEGALLY BARGED INTO MY HOUSE.
THEY SEARCHED FOR MY FATHER [YOUNIS] AND THREW HIM DOWN FROM HIS BED. THEY BEAT
MY FATHER WITH THEIR GUNS AND CONTINUOUSLY KICKED HIM IN STOMACH. MY FATHER
COULD NOT SURVIVE THE TORTURE AND BREATHED HIS LAST IMMEDIATELY.”
Police were trying to get Younas to recant his eyewitness testimony against a
Muslim family accused of murder. When beating him did not yield results, they
tried to bribe him. “I am a Christian and I will never cheat and get bribed,”
Younis had responded. “My father’s deep commitment to his faith made the
policemen aggressive,” Waqar continued. “During the attack, one of the officers
shouted, ‘We will teach him a lesson for insulting us!’”
Sudan: On June 6 in Omdurman, a number of mosque leaders called on the faithful
to rid their “Muslim area” of South Sudanese Christians, prompting Muslims to
rise up against and beat — and in one instance, kill — Christians. According to
the report, “The mosque leaders told those at the evening prayer that the South
Sudanese were infidels, criminals and brewers of alcohol, which is forbidden in
Islam.” In one of the attacks to follow, “three young Muslim men with rods,
sticks and rifles subsequently beat two Christians.” According to a source,
“THE ATTACK LEFT ONE OF THE TWO CHRISTIANS [AN 18-YEAR-OLD] IN CRITICAL
CONDITION AFTER SUSTAINING INJURIES ON HIS HEAD. THE MUSLIMS WHO CONSIDER THE
AREA MUSLIM TERRITORY WERE SHOUTING, ‘THEY [SOUTH SUDANESE CHRISTIANS] MUST
LEAVE THIS PLACE BY FORCE.’”
Later, “mobs of young Muslim men” set fire to 16 makeshift shelters of plastic
sheeting that had sheltered South Sudanese Christians. The Christians fled but
only after 10, including one woman, were injured in the assault. Afterwards, she
said, “Muslim men have long harassed Christian women… This issue is disturbing
us, and it is not acceptable — but what can we do, oh God?”
Later, on June 20, near the capital of Khartoum, “young Muslim men shouting the
jihadist slogan ‘Allah Akbar [‘Allah is the greatest’]’ stabbed a [35-year-old]
Christian to death in a street assault on him… Mariel Bang is survived by his
wife and four children ranging in age from 1 to 4 years old.” Four other
Christians — three of whom were women — traveling with Bang were also beaten;
one was left in critical condition. “We will burn this place,” one of the
assailants was heard to say.
Mozambique: “It was fierce, cruel and lasted three days,” a nun said of a jihadi
raid on the town of Macomia that began on May 28 and lasted for three days. She
and the other Teresian Carmelite Sisters of Saint Joseph, who have served
Macomia for 16 years, had temporarily fled their school and boarding house.
“Even though the danger had by no means receded,” they returned on June 4, said
Sister Blanca Nubia Castaño, because they were hoping, “at the very least to be
able to visit (our) employees and their families and help them and give them new
courage”:
“AS A RESULT OF THIS BARBARISM, THE TOWN CENTER WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED, THE
MAJORITY OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE WAS DAMAGED AND THE COMMERCIAL AND
SHOPPING CENTER WAS REDUCED TO ASHES…. WE STILL DON’T KNOW THE NUMBER OF
CIVILIAN VICTIMS OR THOSE OF THE SECURITY FORCES. ON JUNE 3, PEOPLE SLOWLY BEGAN
TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES, SOME OF WHICH HAD BEEN BURNED, WHILE OTHERS HAD BEEN
LOOTED…. OUR MISSION WAS SAVED BECAUSE IT IS SITUATED IN THE HILLS, CLOSE TO A
MILITARY BASE.”
“Since the end of 2017,” according to the report, “violence in the region has
claimed the more than 1100 lives” and “caused the displacement of some 200,000
people.”
Attacks on Apostates
Indonesia: On June 17, Cutfitri (or Zulfitri) Handayani, a woman who converted
from Islam to Christianity, uploaded an impassioned video recording (with
English subtitles) describing her ordeals at the hands of her family, while
regularly asking, “Is it wrong to have another religion? Is Christianity wrong?”
Her Muslim family and that of her ex-husband, among other abuses, took custody
of her two young sons, and falsely claimed that she had been kidnapped. During
her pleas, which were interrupted by uncontrollable weeping, she begged her
sister to “please leave [at least] one of my children, don’t take them both….
How can you, my own family, seize my own children—are you happy at my condition,
suffering without my children?” She said that her sister would eventually
surrender the young children to their father, who, Handayani hinted, is engaged
in illegal activities. “I beg you sister, reveal the truth, don’t slander
[innocent] people.” She revealed that she was told that for her children to be
returned to her, she would first have to “return to Islam.” She replied, “even
if it means I be murdered, I will never return there, because my faith belongs
here, in Christianity!”
Uganda: Muslims beat a Muslim convert to Christianity and his wife for refusing
to recant, and torched their home. Marijan Olupot, formerly an Islamic sheikh,
had secretly embraced Christianity on Christmas Day 2019. Soon after, in May, he
confessed his conversion to his two wives. One joined him, the other refused.
When she reported the matter to a local Muslim leader, he publicized the
apostasy among the local Muslim population. Accordingly, on June 8, around 11:30
pm, Muslim villagers surrounded and the convert’s home and torched it. He, his
wife, and three children — 10, 12, and 14 — barely managed to escape from the
rear door. “Unfortunately as we were fleeing in the night, the attackers managed
to get hold of my wife and beat her with sticks, injuring her left hand and back
and the right leg, but thank God my Christian neighbors rescued her, ” he said:
“AS WE WERE FLEEING, I HEARD ONE OF THE MUSLIMS, NAMED HAMUZA, CALLING OUT THAT
THE HOUSE SHOULD BE COMPLETED DESTROYED [AT WHICH POINT THE HOUSE WAS SET ON
FIRE]…. WE NEED PRAYERS AT THIS TRYING MOMENT, AS THE MUSLIMS ARE OUT TO KILL
ME. MY OTHER WIFE IS SCHEMING FOR MY DEATH.”
In a separate incident, Muslims “beat a Christian convert with sticks and burned
his home for refusing to renounce Christ,” a June 22 report noted. According to
the 27-year-old apostate from Islam, he refused to open his door after Muslims
in the area came knocking at night. “They destroyed the door and made entry, but
I escaped through the rear door. They followed me and got hold of me and began
beating me up. Neighbors came when I screamed for help.” After a neighbor took
him to a hospital, while he was being treated, the same Muslims “returned to his
house and set it on fire,” he said.
General Abuse of Christians
Pakistan: A Christian man and his family were enslaved and abused “for their
Christian faith,” a human rights activist disclosed in a June 24 report.
Earlier, in 2015, Bashir Masih, a Christian man, had agreed to be Ali Babar
Waraich’s servant for an advance sum equivalent to $2,397 USD. After five years
of labor, not only did his Muslim “master” refuse to release Bashir and his
family from their indentured servitude, but it was revealed that he had been
abusing them. According to Dr. Riaz Aasi, who is closely acquainted with this
case,
“DURING WARAICH’S CUSTODY, BASHIR AND HIS WIFE WERE BEATEN AND ABUSED FOR THEIR
CHRISTIAN FAITH. HOWEVER, BASHIR [WAS] NEVER HESITANT TO PROCLAIM AND PRACTICE
HIS FAITH…. AS A RESULT OF CONTINUOUS YEARS OF ABUSE, BASHIR’S LEGS HAVE
TWISTED, AND HE CAN’T WALK WITHOUT SUPPORT. BASHIR HAS NEVER BEEN PROVIDED WITH
MEDICAL AID FOR HIS LEGS…. CHRISTIAN VICTIMS OF BOUNDED [SIC] LABOR ARE
VOICELESS. THEY ARE EXTREMELY PRESSURIZED AND THREATENED IN THE VILLAGES BY
LANDLORDS, RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF THEIR COURAGE TO SPEAK AGAINST INJUSTICE.
THEY PREFER TO SUFFER RATHER THAN RAISING THEIR VOICES FOR JUSTICE. THEREFORE,
VICTIMS IN MOST CASES KEEP SILENT TO PROTECT THEIR FAMILIES. BASHIR WENT THROUGH
THE SAME EXPERIENCE.”
In another incident, a Christian teenager was sexually assaulted by his Muslim
employer in early June. The boy’s father and brother were then beaten for trying
to seek justice for him. Saim Masih, 13, began working for Muhammad Tauseef to
pay off his father’s loan from the Muslim (equivalent to $2,128 USD). After a
year’s worth of work, Saim’s father argued that the debt had been paid and that
his son’s salary would need to be raised if Muhammad wanted the youth to
continue working for him. The Muslim “got irritated and rejected the demand,” a
human rights activist said. He beat the father while calling him “a ‘choora,’ a
term used to denote Pakistani Christians as untouchable.” He then, to quote his
older brother, Saqar, “began beating and sexually assaulting” the 13-year-old
boy. When Saqar went to police to register a complaint against Muhammad,
however, the “police refused the application and abused Saqar.” He “was then
pressurized to withdraw the application, but he refused.” As a result, on June
5, the older brother went “missing for about 30 hours. When he was found, his
body was covered with multiple injuries.” Masked men also threatened the father
and other family members to drop the complaint. “To date,” concluded the June 19
report, “local police have done little to protect Saim or his family. This is
likely due to the religious bias faced by Christians in Pakistan.”
Finally, in a June 14 report, Hannah Chowdhry, a Pakistani human rights
activist, offered more details concerning a church attack that occurred on May
9, when a Muslim mob, trying “to take advantage “of the coronavirus lockdown …
attempted to break into the church in a bid to illegally wrestle the property
from its rightful owners.” She continued:
“THERE WERE TWO MAFIA GANG MEMBERS WHO BROUGHT FIVE OR SIX OTHER MEN WITH THEM
WITH GUNS AND PISTOLS…. THEY BROKE DOWN THE OUTER WALL OF THE CHURCH. THERE WAS
A CEMENTED CROSS AS WELL THAT THEY BROKE DOWN AND THREW ON THE FLOOR AND THEY
TRIED TO BREAK INTO THE CHURCH…. ALTHOUGH THE PEOPLE ARE TERRIFIED ABOUT WHAT
HAS HAPPENED, THEY HAVE STARTED UP SERVICES IN THE CHURCH AGAIN …. THIS HAPPENS
ON A REGULAR BASIS AND WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING
AROUND THE WORLD…. IT’S DEVASTATING THAT THIS IS STILL HAPPENING EVEN DURING THE
PANDEMIC.”
Another rights activist added that authorities should — but rarely do — take
action against people grabbing land; this “creates fear in local congregations
and takes away their freedom to practice their faith.”
Iraq: On June 2, “suspicious fires” consumed more than 240 acres of mostly
Christian land in the Nineveh district. The fires severely damaged “the
livelihoods of those who are attempting to rebuild their lives following
displacement from the Islamic State (ISIS).” The report states:
“THIS IS NOT THE FIRST INSTANCE OF CROP FIRES BEING SET IN NINEVEH. MANY
RESIDENTS ARE QUICK TO BLAME EITHER ISIS OR THE PMF (POPULAR MOBILIZATION
FORCES), AN IRANIAN-BACKED MILITIA WHICH CONTROLS THE TERRITORY. THE PMF IS ALSO
A STRONG SUPPORTER OF THE SHABAK, AN ETHNIC [BUT MUSLIM] MINORITY WHO ALSO
SUFFERED PERSECUTION UNDER ISIS BUT EMERGED FROM THE GENOCIDE IN A POSITION OF
STRENGTH. THERE ARE OFTEN TENSIONS BETWEEN THE SHABAK AND CHRISTIANS, ESPECIALLY
AS THE SHABAK HAVE MOVED INTO CHRISTIAN AREAS IN A SOMETIMES FORCEFUL MANNER.”
In addition, according to a report, Turkish airstrikes ostensibly targeting
members of the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) “impacted [several] villages” which
are “home to Christian communities”:
“HUNDREDS OF CHRISTIAN FAMILIES WHO FLED MOSUL AND THE NINEVEH PLAINS DURING THE
2014 ISIS ATTACKS NOW LIVE IN ZAKHO, ONE OF THE AREAS TARGETED BY TURKEY’S
RAIDS. MANY OF THESE CHRISTIANS HAVE BEEN DISPLACED ONCE AGAIN.”
Syria: According to a June 17 report, an Aramean Christian woman “became
terrified” when she discovered that two Kurdish militiamen had dug a tunnel that
ended up in the backyard of her house. “Aramean Christians across Northeast
Syria have been complaining more than once about this military strategy that is
being employed by the PYD/YPG [People’s Kurdish Protection Unit’s] Kurds.” The
brothers of the woman, “a respected deaconess in one of the local churches in
Qamishli,” met with local Kurdish leaders in an effort to “get them to close the
hole and find another tunnel exit.”
“AFTER THE REQUEST WAS APPROVED, ONE OF THE KURDISH REPRESENTATIVES IN QAMISHLI
FRIGHTENED THE FAMILY, TELLING THEM: ‘THESE ARE OUR HOUSES. IN TEN YEARS, NONE
OF YOU WILL BE LEFT HERE AND THEN YOUR HOMES WILL BE OURS ANYWAY.’ THIS LATEST
CASE HAS SHOCKED THE VULNERABLE ARAMEAN WOMAN WHO IS AFRAID TO STAY AT HOME
ALONE AND CAN’T SLEEP PEACEFULLY. THE ARAMEANS, WHO IN THE LAST YEARS HAVE BEEN
LIVING UNDER THE KURDISH YOKE IN OCCUPIED NORTHEAST SYRIA, HAVE FREQUENTLY BEEN
VICTIMS OF THE YPG’S SCARE TACTICS, INTIMIDATIONS, THREATS, OPPRESSION AND
(LETHAL) VIOLENCE.”
Commenting on these Kurdish tunnels that often presage the confiscation of
Christian properties, a representative of the World Council of Arameans, said,
“EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT IT, BUT NOBODY KNOWS WHETHER OR NOT A TUNNEL HAS BEEN DUG
UNDER THEIR OWN HOUSE…. YPG KURDS TARGET THE NATIVE ARAMEANS AND THEIR ANCESTRAL
LANDS SO THAT THE LATTER WILL BE TURNED INTO WAR ZONES FROM WHICH THE
DEFENSELESS CHRISTIANS WILL INEVITABLY WANT TO FLEE.”
*Raymond Ibrahim, author of the recent book, Sword and Scimitar, Fourteen
Centuries of War between Islam and the West, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at
the Gatestone Institute, a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center,
and a Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
Picture Enclosed: In June 2019, at least 100 Christian men, women and children
were murdered by Fulani gunmen in Sobame Da, a village in the Mopti region of
central Mali. Pictured: The village of Sobame Da. (Image source: United Nations/MINUSMA/Flickr)
The Virus Will Make Everything You Hate About Flying Worse
David Fickling/Bloomberg/July 27/2020
Last month, my wife and I planned our first holiday in six months. It was a
hectic experience. Borders between most Australian states had been closed since
the start of the coronavirus lockdown. We’d been hoping to fly three hours to
the tropical resort town of Cairns in northeastern Queensland state, to escape
the Sydney winter and holiday with friends.
Within hours of the announcement that Queensland’s border would open, tickets on
the handful of flights north started selling out. With so few seats available,
yield management — the practice by which airlines monitor minute-by-minute
demand for their seats, and raise prices accordingly — was in overdrive. By the
time we finally booked, we’d spent about A$1,000, or 40%, more than if we’d been
quicker off the mark.
That’s a glimpse of what awaits travelers as the world comes out of Covid-induced
hibernation over the next two years. Global air traffic is projected to decline
by at least half in 2020. Most airlines believe business won’t return to
pre-pandemic levels until 2023, at the earliest. Even then, it will still feel
like a depression for an industry that had expected to be as much as a fifth
larger by that point.
The financial consequences for large carriers and their employees will be
wrenching — and those passengers who do start flying again will have to bear the
costs. The drawn-out recovery will accentuate all the aspects of flying that
travelers bemoan. Did you think travel in 2019 was costly, crowded, mean and
lacking in glamour? Get used to it.
The decline of business travel poses the biggest threat to the industry.
Premium-class travelers account for about 5% of traffic but 30% of airline
revenue, allowing carriers to offer economy seats at cheaper fares. Tight
corporate budgets and the boom in videoconferencing under lockdown may have
killed off a sizeable share of that industry. Some 60% of travel managers
surveyed by BCD Travel in April expect the frequency of business travel to be
lower even after the pandemic subsides.
Of all economy and premium-class tickets bought by businesses, “10%-15% will
never return," Ben Baldanza, former chief executive officer of budget carrier
Spirit Airlines Inc., said by email. “Video was available before Covid, but now
businesses have both experience and confidence in using it.”
Recessions typically lead to a three-year slump in air travel — and the one
we’re seeing is likely to be unprecedented in its depth and length. Long-haul
operations could still be struggling five years from now, according to Baldanza.
The early days of recovery may bring bargains as carriers attempt to coax
passengers back on board — though we certainly didn’t get one for our holiday.
Sooner or later, though, the industry will have to reckon with the mountain of
debt it’s taken on.
There's simply no flight-map for this. Companies with net debts more than about
four or five times the size of their Ebitda are conventionally considered at
high risk of missing payments. That ratio will hit 16 for the global airline
industry in 2021, according to the International Air Transport Association. Such
levels are rarely seen for any businesses outside the financial and real estate
sector, unless they’re on the brink of bankruptcy. For an entire industry, it’s
unheard of.
Some carriers will be able to withstand the crisis better than others. Those
with strong positions in large domestic markets that have been spared the worst
of the virus, such as Australia, Japan and China, should do better, as will
regional Asian carriers and budget airlines in the European Union. Because of
their low-cost bases, short-haul discount carriers are likely to be more
resilient than their full-service rivals.
Airlines based in large domestic markets hit hardest by Covid-19 — the US,
India, Brazil, Russia — will find the going harder. The worst affected are
likely to be the handful of airlines that spent the past two decades aspiring to
connect the world as global hub carriers.
The state’s role will be impossible to escape in the decade ahead. Already,
governments have extended some $123 billion of aid — equivalent to the last four
years’ worth of industry profits. The damage that coronavirus is doing to
traffic and the centrality of quarantine measures mean that only a handful of
mainly budget carriers are likely to survive on their own feet. Lufthansa AG is
likely to pay down debt rather than buy new planes over the next few years,
Bloomberg News reported last week, while IAG SA's British Airways will retire
its fleet of 747s. Many airlines will need ongoing state support, on top of the
bailouts that have already taken place.
In either scenario, the future for those companies looks grim. Carriers that
don’t receive government backing will head toward bankruptcy. Those that do
receive help still risk ending up in the position of sclerotic state-owned
flag-carriers like Alitalia SpA, Malaysian Airline System Bhd. and Air India
Ltd., lurching from crisis to crisis under the weight of government loans.
That will translate into unpleasant experiences for passengers. You’re unlikely
to find yourself surrounded by socially-distanced empty seats — even easyJet
Plc, which proposed that measure in April, subsequently dropped it. Airlines at
the best of times can’t make money unless they fill 80% of the plane. On the
first leg of my flight from Sydney to Brisbane every one of the 174 seats on
board was occupied, and the second leg from Brisbane to Cairns was about 90%
full. Your best hope of avoiding infection will be either to wear a mask, to
count on the reliability of in-cabin air filtration or to avoid flying
altogether.
Carriers will also amplify the existing trend towards making money where
passengers seem insensitive to price — in other words, everything but the
tickets themselves. Ancillary revenues from things like baggage fees, extra
legroom, on-board meals, frequent-flier points and hotel and car rental bookings
have risen five-fold over the past decade to hit $109.5 billion last year,
according to consultants IdeaWorks Company. That’s more than 12% of overall
airline revenues and at some discount carriers it amounts to as much as a third
of the total. The aftermath of the pandemic will provide carriers a reason to
stop handing out free food and drink that could be seen as carrying infection.
They’ll come attached with a stiff price tag in future.
Baggage fees will also soar. The brightest spot in the aviation industry at the
moment is freight. Because of the shortage of passenger flights, cargo holds are
fuller than they’ve ever been, allowing carriers to push up prices. Luggage fees
are a way of both earning extra revenue in the passenger cabin and discouraging
people from bringing bags, freeing up more space below decks for profitable
commercial shipments.
As for seats, passenger groups believe a review of seat size due to be released
this summer by the US Federal Aviation Administration will give carriers the
green light to pack people even closer together. On a typical Airbus SE A320 or
Boeing Co. 737, each inch taken off legroom could open up space for an extra row
of passengers, up to maximum levels determined by evacuation protocols. Seat
designers these days offer products with as little as 28 inches between each
row, compared with levels of 31 inches to 33 inches at most full-service
carriers. Those who are too tall to cram into such spaces may find paying an
extra fee for decent legroom is the only way to stretch out. The truth is,
consumers are willing to overlook all manner of indignities in the name of cheap
fares, as demonstrated by the success of gleefully spartan, bare-bones airlines
like Ryanair Holdings Plc. Everything is relative in ticket pricing, however; in
the post-pandemic era of flying, tickets may only look cheap. The carriers that
survive will have more market power thanks to the collapse or takeover of their
rivals, putting them in a good position to squeeze out the higher fares they’ll
need to pay off their debts. Witness the recent history of the US aviation
industry, when nearly 200 bankruptcies over three decades left the sector so
concentrated that even a long-standing skeptic like Warren Buffett saw fit to
take equity stakes, while customer complaints soared.
Will regulators come to the rescue of consumers, by preventing further
consolidation? Don’t count on it. But that largess that governments are giving
away shouldn’t come for free, either. In particular, they should use their
newfound influence to push carriers to do more on reducing emissions, one of the
fastest-growing areas for climate pollution. Nearly three-quarters of the
world’s air traffic touches down in either North America, the European Union or
China. Given that concentration, it’s only political will that’s preventing
governments from imposing a global price on carbon emissions — something that in
any case would get passed on to ticket surcharges in much the same way that
costly jet fuel was in the early 2010s.
Two types of airline businesses are likely to prosper in the decade ahead: Lean
budget carriers and government-controlled, bailed-out long-haul national
champions. For most of us, that means a future with fewer cross-continental
flights being pampered on the upper deck of a jumbo jet, and more time crammed
into narrow seats eating dry sandwiches. The industry that emerges from
coronavirus will be nasty, brutish and short-haul.