LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
July 30/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 16/25-28:”‘I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but will tell you plainly of the Father. On that day you will ask in my name. I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and am going to the Father.’”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on July 29-30/2019
Bishop Elias Aoudi Courageously Condemns The Mashrou Lyla Band Heretics & Rebukes Those who Support the Anti-Church Stances
Lebanon to Attend ‘Astana’ Talks in Search for Solution to Syrian Refugee Crisis
Berri tackles overall situation with Hariri, Jarrah, Chidiac, Kubis
Hariri tackles developments with Mikati, Siniora, Salam
Hariri chairs meeting for Litani River, meets former Prime Ministers
Army chief meets Kubis, Bahia Hariri, US Congressional Finance Committee delegation
Murad meets Iraqi President in Baghdad: Keen on bolstering bilateral economic relations
Wedding Song’ Leaves 3 Dead in Lebanon

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 29-30/2019
Second Israeli attack on Iranian targets in E. Iraq reported by Iraqi sources
VP: Iran’s policy is to protect multilateralism, confront American hegemony
Iran’s IRGC releases footage of purported radio exchange with British warship
South Korea to Join US-Led Maritime Force in Strait of Hormuz
Britain Urges Iran to ‘Come out of the Dark’, Respect Int’l Law
'Slow War of Attrition' on Syria's Idlib Frontline
Syrian media: Troops advance in north, breaking stalemate
Russia says it helped thwart extremist attacks on Syrian army positions
Five shot dead during protest in Sudan’s North Kordofan: Doctors committee
Egypt: Brotherhood Defends Members Accused of Embezzlement
Egypt President Receives Deputy Chief of Sudan Military Council
Israel's Arab Parties Unite to Make Gains in Elections
Hamas Uses Parcels as New Weapon of War
Turkey Imposes Curfew in 16 Villages to Carry out Operations against PKK
Largest ISIS Plot in Baghdad, Kurdistan Region Thwarted
Libya: Sarraj Conveys Macron's Calls for Halting Fighting
Sudan: SPLM Dismisses Peace Negotiations before Government Formation

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 29-30/2019
Bishop Elias Aoudi Courageously Condemns The Mashrou Lyla Band Heretics & Rebukes Those who Support the Anti-Church Stances/Elias Bejjani/July 28/2019
Second Israeli attack on Iranian targets in E. Iraq reported by Iraqi sources/DEBKAfile/July 29/2019
An Increasingly Dangerous Stand-off between Civilizations/Denis MacEoin/Gatestone Institute/July 28, 2019
How Palestinian Leaders 'Guarantee' Freedom of Expression
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/July 29, 2019
Why U.S. Special Forces Need to Remain Abroad/Lawrence A. Franklin/Gatestone Institute/July 29, 2019
Today’s World Leaders Are Walking Cliches/Leonid Bershidsky/Bloomberg View/July 29/2019
Will the US Interfere to Stop the Atrocities in Idlib/Robert Ford/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 29/2019
What the US-China Trade War Is Really About/Tyler Cowen/Bloomberg View/July 29/2019
Iran’s harsh treatment of ethnic minorities/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/July 29/2019
 US’ cold feet on Iran tarnishing nation’s prestige/Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/July 29, 2019

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on July 28-29/2019
Bishop Elias Aoudi Courageously Condemns The Mashrou Lyla Band Heretics & Rebukes Those who Support the Anti-Church Stances
المطران عودة يدين هرطقات فرقة مشروع ليلى ويؤنب المدافعين والمسوقين لها
Elias Bejjani/July 28/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/77083/elias-bejjani-bishop-elias-audi-courageously-condemns-the-masrhou-lyla-band-heretics-rebukes-those-who-support-this-anti-church-stance-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b7%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%b9%d9%88%d8%af/
Yesterday, His eminence, Bishop Elias Aoudi in his Sunday sermon at Saint courageous Church in Beirut witnessed for the mere Christian truth and for the Christian Saints and figures.
Aoudi straightforwardly and without any cajoling or appeasing stance called things in their actual names and staunchly condemned the heretic conduct and advocacy that the bizarre Mashrou Lyla Band is endeavouring to spread in Lebanon in general and in the Byblos holy region in particular.
Aoudi strongly stressed the solid fact and truth in regards to our holy relation and affiliation to Virgin Mary, our mother and Jesus’ mother.
Aoudi loudly and strongly said that under no circumstances it will be okay with those who insult our mother, virgin Mary and portray her pictures and icons in a humiliating and sarcastic manner.
Aoudi asked, why all those who advocate against our church and insult our saints must have freedom to do so, while we are not entitled to defend ourselves and our faith.
Aoudi stated and confirmed that freedom is not in its essence and core a means to insult, humiliate and blemish our church and our Christian saints.
Aoudi called on all those who are in authority to implement the law and put an end to such unacceptable and condemned heretics.
In conclusion, His eminence, Bishop Aoudi said bravely and loudly what the majority of Lebanon’s Christian officials, leaders, and politicians were as always afraid to say and witness for their religion and church because of their selfishness, shameful Dhimmitude mentality, cowardice approaches, lack of hope and poor faith.
In conclusion, All those Lebanese Christian leaders, officials, head of political parties, journalists, media men and politicians who dhimmitudely swallowed their tongues and did not witness for the truth and backed from defending their church and religion should be ashamed of themselves and the least that they MUST urgently do is to repent, offer the due penances and apologize publicly for their cowardice and
narcissism.
Or otherwise they are not capable, qualified or entrusted to be in any position to speak for the Lebanese Christians and represent them by any means.
Faith and conscious, wise they are required to resign from what ever official or political positions they are now holding.
N.B: Penance: A sacrament, as in the Roman Catholic Church, consisting in a confession of sin, made with sorrow and with the intention of amendment, followed by the forgiveness of the sin.
Click Here To Read In Arabic Bishop Audi's Sermon

Lebanon to Attend ‘Astana’ Talks in Search for Solution to Syrian Refugee Crisis
Beirut - Khalil Fleihan/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 29 July, 2019
Lebanon has accepted Russia’s invitation to attend, for the first time, the 13th round of the so-called Astana Syrian peace talks scheduled on Aug. 1-2 in the Kazakh capital, Nur Sultan. Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentiev conveyed the invitation to Lebanese President Michel Aoun during a visit to Beirut on June 18.Lavrentiev informed Aoun that the Russian President believes the participation of Lebanon and Iraq as observers is necessary to discuss the Syrian crisis. The Lebanese President has set the target of his country’s participation in the talks by saying that “Lebanon is interested in attending the Astana conference because it facilitates efforts to find a political solution that would contribute to the return of refugees to their country.”A diplomatic source at the Lebanese Foreign Ministry told Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday that concerned parties have started preparing for the official position which Lebanon’s delegation would announce in Nur Sultan. “Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil tasked director of political affairs at the Lebanese Foreign Ministry Ambassador Ghadi Khoury to represent Lebanon as an observer at the peace talks,” the source said, adding that the Syrian refugee crisis is listed as an item on the conference’s agenda.The source revealed that Russia had promised Lebanon to support Beirut’s position during the meetings in the Kazakh capital.

Berri tackles overall situation with Hariri, Jarrah, Chidiac, Kubis
NNA - Mon 29 Jul 2019
House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Monday met at his Ain Tineh residence with Prime Minister Saad Hariri, with whom he discussed most recent developments and the government situation. Following the one-hour meeting, Premier Hariri gave no statement to media representatives.
Earlier, Speaker Berri received Minister of State for Administrative Affairs, Dr, May Chidiac, with talks reportedly touching on the general situation and relevant ministerial affairs. "This is my first visit to Ain Tineh since my assumption of my ministerial portfolio," Minister Chidiac said, adding that they held a tour d'horizon over hour issues and ministerial affairs. Chidiac said Speaker Berri voiced his absolute support for all the issues and tasks entrusted upon the Ministry with regard to the anti-corruption strategy and the digital transformation strategy. The Minister also confirmed support for the implementation of the ministerial mechanism approved in 2010 on appointments in key first-grade public posts. Chidiac stressed that Speaker Berri always offers positive solutions to standing issues, anticipating a near end to the current deadlock. On the other hand, Berri met with Information Minister, Jamal Al Jarrah, with whom he discussed the Country's most recent developments and issues pertaining to the Ministry. Earlier, Berri met with the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jan Kubis. Among Speaker Berri's itinerant visitors for today had been Dr. Nayla Kmeir Obeid, on top of a delegation from the International Chamber of Commerce. Berri congratulated Obeid on her election as member of the Executive Board of the International Chamber of Commerce, saying "her election is an honor for all Lebanon and underscores the substantial national need to engage women in all aspects of the state and society's life, especially at the economic level."

Hariri tackles developments with Mikati, Siniora, Salam
NNA - Mon 29 Jul 2019
Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, met this evening at the Grand Serail with former Prime Ministers, Nejib Mikati, Fouad Siniora and Tammam Salam. Discussions reportedly touched on most recent political developments and the general situation in the country.

Hariri chairs meeting for Litani River, meets former Prime Ministers
NNA - Mon 29 Jul 2019
The President of the Council of Ministers Saad Hariri chaired this afternoon at the Grand Serail a meeting that was attended by Information Minister Jamal al-Jarrah, Minister of Industry Wael abu Faour, Minister of Energy and Water Nada Boustani, Minister of Environment Fadi Jreissati, Regional Director of the Mashreq Department at the World Bank Group Saroj Kumar Jha on the head of a delegation from the bank, President of the Council for Development and Reconstruction Nabil Jisr, President and General Director of the Litani River Authority Sami Alawieh and a number of advisers. The meeting discussed the issue of cleaning the Litani River. After the meeting, Minister Jarrah said: "Discussions focused on following up the issue of lifting pollution from the Litani Basin, with the participation of all concerned ministers, the World Bank Group and the National Authority of the Litani River, in order to develop a quick roadmap to start serious work to get rid of this pollution." He added: "We discussed in today's meeting the main issues that must be addressed, along with the issue of funding and the measures that should be taken to prevent the pollution of Ain Zarqa water, and the importance of starting these steps immediately to gain time and get rid of the pollution in the Litani River, whose sources are now known." He concluded: "Prime Minister Hariri formed a follow-up committee to this end, stressing that this file is a priority for the government and for him. It has the same priority as that of the electricity file. He asked the World Bank Group and all ministers to refer to him personally if they face any obstacles or problems."Later, Premier Hariri met with former Prime Ministers Najib Mikati, Fouad Siniora, and Tammam Salam, with whom he discussed the latest political developments and the general situation in the country.

Army chief meets Kubis, Bahia Hariri, US Congressional Finance Committee delegation
NNA - Mon 29 Jul 2019
Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, received this Monday at his Yarzeh office MP Bahia Hariri, with whom he discussed the general situation in the country. Maj. Gen. Aoun also met with the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jan Kubis.
The Army Commander also met with an administration delegation from the US Congressional Finance Committee, in the presence of the US Ambassador to Lebanon, Elizabeth Richard. Talks reportedly touched on the current situation in Lebanon and the broad region.
The army chief also received the President of the Arab University of Beirut.

Murad meets Iraqi President in Baghdad: Keen on bolstering bilateral economic relations
NNA - Mon 29 Jul 2019
Minister of State for Foreign Trade Hassan Mrad, currently on a visit to Baghdad, met with Iraqi President, Barham Saleh, with talks reportedly touching on means of bolstering bilateral economic relations. Minister Mrad stressed in front of the Iraqi President Lebanon's keenness on bolstering trade and economic relations between the two countries. Mrad also conveyed to President Saleh Lebanon's wish to contribute to Iraq's investment and reconstruction of newly-liberated areas. For his part, the Iraqi president stressed the need to expand the horizons of bilateral economic cooperation and increase trade exchange.
He also stressed the importance of activating the work of the joint Lebanese-Iraqi committee. On the other hand, Mrad met with the Iraqi Minister of Commerce, on means of bolstering bilateral trade and economic relations in the interest of both countries.

Wedding Song’ Leaves 3 Dead in Lebanon
Asharq Al-Awsat/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 29 July, 2019
Three people were killed on Sunday after a brawl turned into an exchange of gunfire during a wedding near the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) said. The singer who performed during the wedding in the town of Younin was among those killed in the deadly brawl after midnight that also injured four people, according to several local news stations. The stations said the clash between members of the Zoaiter and Amhaz clans erupted when a man opened fire at the singer and his brother, killing them on the spot, before being shot dead. The man was reportedly infuriated by a song's lyrics.Gunshots were heard in the area after news spread in the locality, with the army and security forces stepping up their presence to preempt any backlash, NNA said.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 29-30/2019
Second Israeli attack on Iranian targets in E. Iraq reported by Iraqi sources
DEBKAfile/July 29/2019
A second Israeli attack in 10 days on Iranian Guards’ and Iraqi militia forces in eastern Iraq was claimed on Sunday, July 28 by Iraqi military sources. They described one or more Israeli Air Force jets striking Camp Ashraf in Diyala Governorate, some 80km from the Iranian border and 40km north of Baghdad. The Iraqi sources reported that the Israeli aircraft struck a consignment of ballistic missile launchers transferred a short time ago from Iran to Iraq. as well as the missiles themselves and the living quarters of Guards officers and personnel of the pro-Iranian Iraqi Badr Brigades militia. Some sources reported up to 40 dead in the attack. Camp Ashraf is described by DEBKAfile’s military sources as one of the largest military compounds in eastern Iraq, with room to house more than 4,000 troops and their weapons systems. It also holds a big complex of subterranean facilities storing missiles, tanks and heavy artillery. Camp Ashraf is the address of the main base and command headquarters of the Badr Brigades, the largest pro-Iranian militia in Iraq, This militia has become heavily engaged in Tehran’s new drive to transform Iraq into a frontline base of operations. Israel’s first purported target in Iraq on July 19 was another Badr Brigades facility in eastern Iraq, outside the town of Amerli in the province of Salahudin. That one housed the 52nd Brigade of the Hash Shaab militia. On July 24, Israel was reported by the Syrian military to have conducted a surface missile attack – this one to demolish an intelligence station just constructed by the Iranians at Tal al-Harara in southern Syria for a broad overview of northern Israel and parts of the eastern Mediterranean. If all three Israel attacks are confirmed, it would indicate a radical escalation of its operations against Iran’s new, ongoing initiatives to set up a new front-line military presence in Iraq and southern Syria. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu responded to the successful Arrow 3 tests in Alaska against exo-atmosphere ballistic targets at the Sunday cabinet meeting by saying: “They were successful beyond imagination, Each a perfect hit. This means that Israel could send ballistic missiles into Iran.”Netanyahu, who also serves as defense minister, did not elaborate on this comment, but it evidently carried a message, that while Israel has the capacity to intercept and destroy the ballistic missiles that Tehran has begun transferring to Iraq and Syria, it has no defense against Israel’s long arm and its ballistic missiles.

VP: Iran’s policy is to protect multilateralism, confront American hegemony
Reuters, Geneva/Monday, 29 July 2019
Iran’s foreign policy is to confront American hegemony and protect multilateralism, Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri said on Monday, adding that its reduction of commitments under a nuclear deal could be reversed if other parties upheld their side of the agreement.
Iran and the United States came to the brink of war last month after the Islamic Republic shot down a US drone, nearly prompting a retaliatory attack, which US President Donald Trump called off at the last minute. “The foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to protect multilateralism and confront American hegemony,” Jahangiri said, according to the IRIB news agency. Iran’s relations with Washington have taken a sharp turn for the worse since Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers, and reimposed sanctions on Iran. Jahangiri said Iran’s reduction of commitments under the deal could be reversed if the remaining signatories to the agreement uphold their commitments. Iran said in May it would decrease its commitments under the pact, under which most international sanctions on Tehran were lifted in exchange for Iran curbing its nuclear work. Iran believes the remaining signatories could do more to counter the fallout from the US withdrawal.

Iran’s IRGC releases footage of purported radio exchange with British warship
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Monday, 29 July 2019
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards published footage on Monday purportedly showing the Guards warning off a British warship during their July 19 seizure of a British-flagged oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian commandos seized British-flagged tanker Stena Impero in the world's most important waterway for oil shipments, two weeks after British forces captured an Iranian oil tanker near Gibraltar, accused of violating sanctions on Syria. The video, published by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, contains footage of the capture of the tanker, showing Guards abseiling onto the deck from a helicopter, with the audio recording superimposed. “You are required not to interfere in these issues,” the Guards' navy representative says. “This is British warship foxtrot two three six. I am in the vicinity of an internationally recognized strait with a merchant vessel in my vicinity conducting transit passage,” a voice with a British accent replies. The video also contains an exchange between the Guards and the same British warship during a standoff in mid-July involving the British Heritage oil tanker, according to Tasnim. Three Iranian vessels attempted to block the passage of a ship, the British Heritage, through the Strait of Hormuz, but withdrew after warnings from a British warship, the British government said on July 11. Britain last week started sending a warship to accompany all British-flagged vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a change in policy announced on Thursday after the government previously said it did not have resources to do so.

South Korea to Join US-Led Maritime Force in Strait of Hormuz
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 29 July, 2019
South Korea plans to join a US-led maritime force in the Middle East by sending a naval unit, which includes a destroyer, to help guard oil tankers sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, a South Korean newspaper reported on Monday. Tensions between Iran and the United States have increased since Washington pulled out of the Iranian nuclear deal last year and reimposed sanctions on Tehran. Attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran in recent months further soured ties, prompting US officials to call for allies to join a planned maritime security mission. The Maekyung business newspaper, citing an unidentified senior government official, said South Korea had decided to send the anti-piracy Cheonghae unit operating in waters off Somalia, possibly along with helicopters. Seoul's defense ministry said the government was exploring measures to protect its ships in the area but no decision had been made.
"It is obvious that we have to protect our ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, isn't it? So we're considering various possibilities," deputy ministry spokesman Ro Jae-cheon told a regular news briefing on Monday.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last week Washington had asked South Korea, Japan, France, Germany, Australia, and others to take part. US national security adviser John Bolton visited Seoul last week and discussed the issue with senior officials, including the defense minister, but Ro said there was no official request made during that meeting. The Cheonghae unit has been stationed in the Gulf of Aden since 2009, working to tackle piracy in partnership with African countries as well as the United States and the European Union. The 302-strong unit operates a 4,500-ton destroyer, a Lynx anti-submarine helicopter, and three speed boats, according to South Korea's 2018 defense white paper.

Britain Urges Iran to ‘Come out of the Dark’, Respect Int’l Law
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 29 July, 2019
Britain declared on Monday that if Iran wanted to be accepted in the international community, then it needed to “come out of the dark” and release a British-flagged vessel it had seized in the Arabian Gulf. "If the Iranians want to come out of the dark and be accepted as a responsible member of the intentional community they need to adhere to rules-based system of the international community," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told Sky News. "You cannot go about detaining unlawfully foreign vessels."Iranian commandos seized the tanker in the Hormuz Strait, the world's most important waterway for oil shipments, two weeks after British forces captured an Iranian oil tanker near Gibraltar, accused of violating sanctions on Syria. Raab rejected the idea that London could release the Iranian tanker in exchange for the Stena Impero. "There is no quid pro quo," he told BBC radio. "This is not about some kind of barter. This is about the international law and the rules of the international legal system being upheld and that is what we will insist on." His remarks coincided with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards releasing on Monday of footage purportedly showing the Guards warning off a British warship during their July 19 seizure of the Stena Impero. The video, published by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, contains footage of the capture of the tanker, showing Guards abseiling onto the deck from a helicopter, with the audio recording superimposed. "You are required not to interfere in these issues," the Guards' navy representative says. "This is British warship foxtrot two three six. I am in the vicinity of an internationally recognized strait with a merchant vessel in my vicinity conducting transit passage," a voice with a British accent replies. "Don't put your life in danger," the Guards navy representative says. The video also contains an exchange between the Guards and the same British warship during a stand-off in mid-July involving the British Heritage oil tanker, according to Tasnim. Three Iranian vessels attempted to block the passage of a ship, the British Heritage, through the Strait of Hormuz, but withdrew after warnings from a British warship, the British government said on July 11. Britain last week started sending a warship to accompany all British-flagged vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a change in policy announced on Thursday after the government previously said it did not have resources to do so.

'Slow War of Attrition' on Syria's Idlib Frontline
Beirut- Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 29 July, 2019
For three months Damascus and its ally Russia have been pummelling hospitals, markets and schools in Idlib unleashing a deadly, ferocious campaign aimed at retaking Syria's last militant-run stronghold, analysts say. Opponents to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have denounced what they say call a bid to "exterminate" the region, while the UN has condemned the world's "collective shrug" at the mounting casualties, many of them women and children. Located in northwest Syria, Idlib, as well as parts of the neighboring provinces of Aleppo, Hama, and Latakia, remain under the control of a militant alliance Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate. The aim of the air raids is to "put pressure on the factions and their popular base," said Nawar Oliver, an analyst at the Turkey-based Omran Center. It is also a prelude to retaking the region -- where "all the Syrian opposition and the families of fighters are based" -- a move "temporarily delayed" by a September truce deal between Syria, Russia, and Turkey. It's a "terrifying war of attrition with civilians, health institutions and other infrastructure all being targeted," said Oliver. The region is now home to about three million people, most of whom have been displaced from other areas during Syria's grueling war, now in its ninth year, which has so far claimed some 370,000 lives. Launched in late April, the campaign has yet to secure major regime gains. But it aims to sap morale and erode support for those running Idlib, analysts said. The airstrikes have claimed more than 740 lives since late April, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The UN says more than 400,000 people have been displaced.
Idlib was meant to be protected from any regime assault by the September 2018 buffer zone deal, signed by Russia and rebel backer Turkey. But the United Nations' humanitarian coordination office OCHA has documented 39 attacks against health facilities or medical workers in the area in three months. At least 50 schools have been damaged by the airstrikes and shelling over the same period, it reported. "These are civilian objects, and it seems highly unlikely, given the persistent pattern of such attacks, that they are all being hit by accident," UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said Friday. She condemned "international indifference" over a mounting civilian death toll, adding she was concerned the continued carnage in Syria "is no longer on the international radar". "Airstrikes kill and maim significant numbers of civilians several times a week, and the response seems to be a collective shrug," she said.
Regime air raids have mostly targeted southern Idlib as well as nearby territory in northern Hama, where clashes between Syrian government forces and militants have emptied entire villages of their inhabitants. "Russia is now pushing more concertedly than ever for a complete reintegration of Syria under Assad's rule," Samuel Ramani, a Syria researcher, told AFP. Both Damascus and Moscow are presenting Idlib as the "final battle; the last terrorist holdout," seeking to lend legitimacy to the bombing campaign, Oliver said. Damascus commands around 60 percent of the country, with the Idlib region and Kurdish-held territory in Syria's northeast both remaining outside its control.
Turkey's sway
Analysts attribute the regime's failure to advance deeper into Idlib to efforts by rebel backer Turkey, which has deployed forces in northwest Syria in agreement with Russia and Iran. Ankara's military assistance to rebels, including "logistical cooperation through observation points, as well as direct arms and munitions transfers" is impeding Assad's progress, Ramani said. Moscow wants Turkey to cease such support, but whether Ankara will compromise is unclear, the expert said. Instead, "it seems as if Ankara is supporting the rebels with greater enthusiasm than it has in a long time," Ramani added. Turkey, which hosts around 3.5 million Syrians, fears an all-out regime assault on Idlib will trigger a massive wave of displacement towards its southern border. Thousands of Syrians have already streamed into camps and open-air settlements near the frontier in recent weeks to escape bombardment. According to Nick Heras of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Idlib will only make the local population more dependent on Turkish support. Concern over the flare-up in Idlib will likely take center stage during next week's round of Syria peace talks between Russia, Turkey, and Iran in the Kazakh capital. Turkey wants "to stabilize Idlib so refugees can start returning there, which means greater Turkish control and influence," Heras said. "Moscow can live with increased Turkish influence in Idlib, for the short term, but Damascus wants Turkey out of Syria now," he added.

Syrian media: Troops advance in north, breaking stalemate
The Associated Press, Beirut/Monday, 29 July 2019
Syria’s state-run media says troops have scored advances on the ground in the north, seizing a hilltop village and a nearby town from insurgents. The advances in the northern Hama countryside just south of Idlib province are the first in weeks, breaking a stalemate in the government forces’ offensive against the country’s last rebel stronghold. Syria’s Central Military Media say troops captured the Tal Malah village and the nearby town of Jibeen on Monday after fierce confrontations with militants entrenched in the area. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the advances, saying the troops were able to seize the territory after militant groups withdrew, following intense air and ground shelling. The area has changed hands several times in the past weeks in the offensive which began late April.

Russia says it helped thwart extremist attacks on Syrian army positions
Reuters/Monday, 29 July 2019
The Russian defense ministry says the Russian air force helped thwart extremist attacks on Syrian army positions on July 28, according to RIA. On Sunday, ISIS claimed responsibility for an attack that killed six soldiers in Syria’s southern province of Daraa, the cradle of the 2011 uprising against the government. The extremist group said it was responsible for a “suicide operation” Saturday during which one of its fighters sprayed soldiers with machine-gun fire before detonating an “explosive vest.”

Five shot dead during protest in Sudan’s North Kordofan: Doctors committee
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Monday, 29 July 2019
Five people were shot dead at a protest in the Sudanese city of El-Obeid, capital of North Kordofan state, the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors said on Monday. The committee said several people had been injured but did not give details.

Egypt: Brotherhood Defends Members Accused of Embezzlement
Cairo - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 29 July, 2019
A number of Muslim Brotherhood figures have rushed to the defense of members of the group's Shura Council who have been accused of embezzlement, describing the accusations as false fabrications. The Council, whose members reside in Turkey, issued a statement saying a group of its members had been wrongly accused of embezzlement and called upon the group’s institutions to take suitable measures that could prevent the recurrence of such an event. Last week, Council member Amir Bassam, in a leaked audio circulated online, accused a number of leaders of embezzling the group’s funds.
He added that recent leaks show the extent of financial misappropriations among the organization's leaders abroad. Bassam accused Shura members of purchasing “real estate and luxury cars” with the group’s money. Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta considered the statement a confirmation of the Brotherhood’s false claims of “working for the interest of the religion.” In a statement responding to Bassam’s accusations, the Brotherhood’s Shura Council renewed its confidence in the group’s members and leadership. According to the statement, the group has formed a committee of Shura members to study all the allegations and fabrications and issue a verdict. The Council, which manages the Brotherhood’s international affairs, accused Bassam of making baseless accusations that lack credibility. It also urged members to corroborate accounts before presenting them as facts. In recent months, differences between the organization's leaders abroad and young members have grown following a series of deportations of Muslim Brotherhood youth from Turkey and Malaysia to Egypt. The young members have launched online campaigns against the expulsions. In December, Clarion Project reported that the Muslim Brotherhood is trying to raise funds in a number of European countries claiming they support youth. The Project warned that the organization has been working on employing some of its cells there, in order to recruit refugees in Europe.

Egypt President Receives Deputy Chief of Sudan Military Council
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 29 July, 2019
Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi received in Cairo on Monday deputy head of the ruling Sudanese military council, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. Discussions with Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti, tackled the developments in Sudan, said presidential spokesman Bassam Radi according to the MENA news agency. Sisi underscored Egypt’s firm strategic stance in supporting the stability and security of Sudan and its people. They also discussed bilateral relations and projects, most notably energy plans between the two neighbors. The meeting took place a day before the military council and coalition of opposition groups are set to resume negotiations to finalize an agreement for a three-year transition to elections. The two sides signed a deal on July 17 determining the transition's institutions. The deal would establish a joint civilian-military sovereign council that would rule Sudan for a little over three years while elections are organized.

Israel's Arab Parties Unite to Make Gains in Elections
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 29 July, 2019
Israel's four Arab political parties have announced a merger ahead of September elections, hoping to boost turnout among Palestinians, which make up a fifth of Israel's population. Ayman Odeh, head of the Hadash party, said Monday that now that the parties have reunited as Joint List, they can address the "great challenge" facing the Palestinians of 1948. The four factions first united in 2015, earning 13 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. But infighting later split the Joint List into two parties, which only won a combined 10 seats amid low Palestinian turnout in April's election. Israel faces an unprecedented repeat election in September after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a majority coalition government.

Hamas Uses Parcels as New Weapon of War
Tel Aviv/ Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 29 July, 2019
Hamas movement continues to develop its military capabilities despite negotiations with Israel for a long-term truce, security sources in Tel Aviv have revealed. The Israeli army and other security services have recently been dealing with new and innovative ways by the movement to smuggle arms and ammunition to the Gaza Strip. The sources noted that Hamas' military wing, Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, is relying on the post office to obtain materials used in the manufacturing of explosives. Israel confiscated more than 1,600 “dual-use” items sent to the enclave, meaning the products are not originally intended for military use but may be used for attack or intelligence operations. The packages sent by post sometimes contain drones, which can photograph strategic facilities on the Israeli side of the border from the air, and even hurl grenades at Israeli troops. Sources explained that the decision to use the post office to smuggle items into Gaza indicates a change in the Brigades. An Israeli official admitted that these materials could create more damage than live ammunition, even if the smuggled items are not weapons or RPG. Israeli sources reported that the packages sent by post also contain mini hidden cameras that can be placed on the border fence during protests in order to provide intelligence to Gazan snipers or those planning to cross the border. In addition, they contain encrypted radios and advanced diving equipment, some of which are the best in the world. They were meant to be distributed to hundreds of Hamas naval commandos who have made massive advances since their mission on Zikim Beach in 2014. A security report noted that in 2018, postal parcels sent to Palestinian territories in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip amounted to approximately 1.7 million packages compared with 1.4 million in 2017, 20 percent of which were sent to the enclave. During the first half of 2019, the quantity seemed to have maintained the same pace, meaning about 800 “dual-use items” destined for Gaza. Most of these packages come from the most popular e-commerce networks in the world, such as AliExpress and eBay. These packages are sent for initial inspection at the Israel Postal Service's main sorting centers before being transferred to the Palestinian Authority. Security monitoring can then sort out postal parcels containing products that can be used for military purposes.

Turkey Imposes Curfew in 16 Villages to Carry out Operations against PKK
Ankara – Saeed Abdulrazek/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 29 July, 2019
Turkish authorities imposed a one-day curfew in 16 villages of Tatvan in the southeastern Bitlis region to carry out operations against the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Curfews have been imposed on various occasions in the Kurdish-dominated southeast over the past four years after the collapse of peace negotiations between Turkish authorities and the Kurds. The Turkish army constantly carries out operations in northern and eastern states, such as Van, Sirnak, Mardin, Hakkari, Diyarbakir, Batman and Bingol. In early July, authorities imposed a complete curfew on five regions in the southeastern Hakkari province. In a statement, the office of Hakkari Governor Idris Akbiyik justified the curfew, saying the state was falling victim to “acts of sabotage by terrorist separatist organizations and other groups, which has negatively affected its economic and social development.”Ankara deems the PKK a terrorist organization. According to a 2018 Turkish rights report, Diyarbakır witnessed the largest amounts of curfews, with 190, followed by Mardin with 53, Hakkari with 23 and Sirnak with 13. The report added that around 1,809,000 citizens were negatively affected by the collapse of peace negotiations, which kicked off in 2012 and came to a halt in 2015. Eleven Kurdish cities witnessed 332 curfews between August 2015 and October 3, 2018. The curfew forced more than 250,000 people to flee their homes in 2016 due to the military and security operations against the PKK. The PKK launched an insurgency in mainly Kurdish southeast Turkey in 1984 and more than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict. It is designated a terrorist group by Ankara, the European Union and United States. Turkey regularly carries out airstrikes against Kurdish positions in border regions in Syria and Iraq.

Largest ISIS Plot in Baghdad, Kurdistan Region Thwarted
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 29 July, 2019
Iraq’s intelligence agency, known as Falcons Cell, said Sunday that it has thwarted the “largest terrorist plot” to target the capital, Baghdad, some provinces in the south and the Kurdistan region. Abu Ali al-Basri, head of the intelligence office in Iraq’s Interior Ministry, revealed in a press statement “major details of the long-running intelligence war led by the cell and other security and intelligence agencies in Iraq against ISIS.”“The agency has foiled a plot prepared by ISIS elements,” Basri explained, saying they were planning an attack during the holy month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr to target locations in Baghdad, a number of provinces and the Kurdistan region, in a desperate attempt to prove their ongoing presence in the country. He said the intelligence agency was able to thwart the terrorist attacks in coordination with intelligence directorates in several provinces by carrying out air strikes and raids to arrest ISIS supporters. “The recent pre-emptive operations resulted in the arrest of around 160 terrorists in Nineveh and more than 40 others in Baghdad.”Four terrorists, who were mobilized and trained to carry out suicide bombings using explosive belts and other devices in Baghdad, Erbil, Basra and some governorates liberated from ISIS, were also arrested in Basra.Basri hailed the cooperation of “security services in the Kurdistan region during the operation to arrest ISIS militants in Ramadan.”Security expert Fadel Abu Raghif told Asharq Al-Awsat that the intelligence operation started around 48 days ago.
Abu Raghif said that many national security apparatuses, including the Iraqi intelligence service, the Falcons cell, military intelligence and others, have taken part in the operation to thwart the attacks. It has resulted in the arrest of ISIS leaders, he added, noting that it isn’t the first operation of its kind and won’t be the last as long as the terrorist organization remains active in Iraq. Meanwhile, an official from Rutba town, western Iraq, announced that security forces have launched an offensive to hunt down ISIS elements in desert areas. “The operation is aimed at chasing ISIS elements in southern Rutba’s desert (310 kilometers west of Ramadi) under the command of the first Infantry Division and with the support of the army and tribes,” the official explained. He said several ISIS bases and hideouts have been destroyed.
Sinjar’s governor, for his part, has warned against transferring more than 32,000 people from al-Hol camp, in northeastern Syria, to camps in Iraq’s Nineveh province. He said most of these people transferred are families of ISIS militants, which indicates a great threat to the area’s stability.

Libya: Sarraj Conveys Macron's Calls for Halting Fighting
Cairo- Khalid Mahmoud/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 29 July, 2019
Head of the Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj conveyed the French President Emmanuel Macron's total rejection of attacking the capital Tripoli and threatening the life of civilians. According to a statement issued by Sarraj, Macron affirmed the importance of coming backing to the political process and halting the fighting. Sarraj and Macron met on the sidelines of the funeral of Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi. Furthermore, during his meeting with UN Special Envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame on Saturday in Tunisia, Sarraj stressed that the resumption of the political process in Libya “depends on the withdrawal of the aggressor forces and their return from where they came.”He reiterated the “need for new rules for this process, taking into account the outcomes of the aggression, and insisted that "there is no military solution to the Libyan crisis and that there is no alternative to a political solution.”Further, Salame stressed the UN’s condemnation of all attacks targeting civilians and civilian installations, which violate the International Humanitarian Law and the International Human Rights Law. The meeting tackled ongoing talks in preparation for a Security Council session on the conditions in Libya. In another development, Tripoli authorities announced that the field hospital located on the airport road [20 km southern Tripoli] was hit by an air raid. Four doctors were killed and eight other people were wounded. The airport road is one of seven axes witnessing clashes between the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the pro-Sarraj forces since Haftar launched in April the operation to liberate Tripoli. Moreover, Italy admitted on Sunday to have a military base in Misrata, in the west of Libya, in addition to a vessel in Tripoli, conducting technical and logistic tasks for the interest of the Libyan navy.

Sudan: SPLM Dismisses Peace Negotiations before Government Formation
Khartoum - Ahmed Younis/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 29 July, 2019
The Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) dismissed peace negotiations with the country’s ruling generals before forming a transitional government. This took place during discussions in South Sudan’s capital Juba with delegations from the Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the Alliance for Freedom and Change (FFC). TMC’s Deputy Head General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo and his delegation returned Sunday from Juba without reaching a peace agreement with the main group of Sudan People's Liberation Movement/North. Rebel groups led by SPLM had demanded that a document signed between the ruling generals and the FFC, which is the main protest movement that led to the ouster of Omar al-Bashir, call on the new government to make peace negotiations a top priority. Once a peace deal is finalized, the rebel groups say they want their representatives to be part of the transitional government. The Juba discussions witnessed for the first time since Bashir’s ouster joint negotiations between the TMC, the FFC and armed groups. Commander Jagoud Mikwar stated that SPLM insists on peace talks with the transitional civil governments after its formation. Mikwar, however, renewed the forces' commitment to a three-month ceasefire. The commander stressed keenness to negotiate with a civil government composed of the FFC and the TMC. TMC spokesman Shams El Din Kabbashi said in press statements on Sunday that his delegation held talks with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit, who affirmed his interest in peace and stability in Sudan. Kabbashi revealed a meeting gathered the Sudanese delegation with the SPLM/North. Further, an FFC leader told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the African mediator informed them that the meetings of the joint technical committee entrusted to draft the constitutional document began Monday and the two parties would engage in negotiations regarding the document Tuesday. Immunity – mentioned in the draft – is a matter of dispute between the parties. While the first draft stipulates absolute immunity for the president and members of the transitional Sovereign Council, the FCF stresses partial immunity that can be abolished by the approval of one-third of the council members. Another controversial matter is the level of representation with the FCF insisting on representing 67 percent of the council.

The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 29-30/2019
An Increasingly Dangerous Stand-off between Civilizations
Denis MacEoin/Gatestone Institute/July 28, 2019
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14360/standoff-between-civilizations
Not all people who worry about a replacement of civilizations are necessarily violent or even incorrect. They appear to be frightened folk, sent over the edge by matters they may feel beyond control. In Europe and the United States, they have witnessed wave upon wave of attacks by individuals and groups openly espousing violence in the name of religion. They seem to fear that their own governments are doing too little to protect them and their families from future attacks.
"What unites these groups ideologically is a belief that Europe is facing a 'great replacement' by Muslim and African immigrants. And they want something done about it." — Marion MacGregor, "The push from Europe's young new right", Infomigrants.net; May 5, 2018.
Political correctness, often an extreme form of denial of reality, has made it increasingly hard for even the most reasonable and careful of thinkers to say anything critical about Islam...efforts to block fair criticism of aspects of Islam can become unjust forms of censorship.
On Easter Sunday, 21 April 2019, around 253 innocent people, including many children, were slaughtered during attacks on churches and three hotels in Sri Lanka, the largest death toll in an attack since the nearly 3,000 on September 11, 2001. Pictured: The wreckage of St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo, Sri Lanka, on 21 April 2019, following a bomb attack earlier that day. (Photo by Stringer/Getty Images)
The number of deaths is not always a guide to the impact of a tragedy. One of the most recent tragedies had a high, but far from record-making, toll of fatalities. First, and as a basis for comparison, it is worth noting that the November 2015 Islamic State attacks in Paris slaughtered 90 people in the Bataclan Theatre and more elsewhere in the city, for a total of 130 deaths. The Islamist truck attack on a single stretch of road in Nice on 14 July 2016 took no fewer than 86 lives. On Easter Sunday, 21 April 2019, around 253 innocent people, including many children, were slaughtered during radical Muslim attacks on churches and three hotels in Sri Lanka, the largest death toll since the nearly 3,000 on September 11, 2001.
These all took their toll and will not soon be forgotten. Another attack recently took place that may have left a lasting impression, already changing how people think and act about our responses to these attacks and the people who perpetrate them, as we move more forcefully into a state of concerns on both sides of an increasingly dangerous stand-off between civilizations.
Most recently, 50 people were killed and another 50 were injured during an armed attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand on March 15, 2019.
The alleged killer was a 28-year-old Australian man, apparently a far-right activist named Brenton Harrison Tarrant. He was arrested while driving away from the second attack, possibly headed for another Islamic centre. Police Commissioner Mike Bush said that authorities "absolutely" believe they stopped the suspect "on the way to a further attack." One target may have been the Ashburton Mosque, about an hour's drive away. According to New Zealand's News Hub:
There are several other targets within Christchurch that Tarrant may have considered while plotting his alleged crime. There are two Halal food outlets - a butchery and a supermarket - in the vicinity of the immobilised car. The most chilling possible target en route to Ashburton is the An-Nur Child Care Centre on Springs Road in Hornby in the city's far west. The Centre is described as "the only Islamic early learning service in Christchurch".
The same source said that Tarrant, in his written manifesto, identified the Ashburton Mosque as the next outlet for his hatred. He called the place a "desecration" because it had been converted from a church.
We must all be grateful that Tarrant was found and arrested before he could carry out further killings. But, as it stands, what he did in Christchurch will go down in history as the second -- but largest -- major attack in the West on Muslims peacefully at prayer in their house of worship.
When Baruch Goldstein, a far-right American-Israeli, killed 29 Muslim worshippers and wounded 125 in a 1994 massacre in the Ibrahimi Mosque inside the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, Israel, he was condemned outright by the Israeli government, the Israeli population, and Jews across the diaspora.
According to the New York Times, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin "declared murderous settlers to be outcasts, alien to Israel and to Judaism." Rabin even called Goldstein a "villainous Jew," and a "Jewish Hamas member."
"I am shamed over the disgrace imposed upon us by a degenerate murderer," Rabin continued. "You are a shame on Zionism and an embarrassment to Judaism."
As for Australia's Brenton Tarrant, in early April, reports appeared concerning his close ties to some European anti-Muslim groups. According to the Washington Post:
The probes currently concentrate on any money trails leading back to the suspect...
But it also reflects wider examinations into a new crop of far-right groups whose rise has paralleled the increasing use of anti-immigrant fears to buoy right-wing political parties in the West.
Among the groups most adept at stitching together the various strands of nativist anger and suspicion is the French-rooted Identitarian Movement, which promotes an alarmist message that Muslim migrants will one day overrun Western culture...
The Identitarian Movement apparently echoed Tarrant's anger toward Muslim migrants, and is now at the center of international investigations as authorities try to piece together the elements that shaped Tarrant's views.
The Identitarian Movement may have seemed to many a minor and obscure political trend that came to public attention only after the revelation of Tarrant's links to its French and Austrian branches.
Jason Wilson describes it as follows, starting with its Austrian movement:
Identitäre Bewegung Österreichs (IBÖ) is part of a larger far-right Identitarian movement, with branches in most western European countries, North America and New Zealand...
Organisations that affiliate themselves with Identitarianism include Génération Identitaire in France and Generazione Identitaria in Italy. The American Identity Movement in the United States (recently renamed from Identity Evropa and banned from Facebook on Thursday) participated in the Charlottesville rally, and recently leaked chat logs showed that their ranks include serving members of the US military. Identity Australia appears little more than a grouplet for now and the Dominion Movement in New Zealand claimed on its website to have disbanded in the wake of the mass murder at Christchurch.
The Charlottesville reference draws attention to another disturbing feature of Identitarianism: it is not just anti-Muslim, but anti-Jewish. White supremacists in the Charlottesville rally chanted "Jews will not replace us":
The demonstration was suffused with anti-black racism, but also with anti-Semitism. Marchers displayed swastikas on banners and shouted slogans like "blood and soil," a phrase drawn from Nazi ideology...."
It gets more complex: In Europe, antisemitism is most often found within socialist and Muslim groups, but while Identitarians and their affiliates hold that as part of their philosophy, their attention is mainly focussed on Muslims, in particular on refugees and immigrants: "What unites these groups ideologically is a belief that Europe is facing a 'great replacement' by Muslim and African immigrants. And they want something done about it."
These movements are mainly made up of young white men, like Tarrant. With regard to Muslims, they see themselves as modern heirs to the Christians who fought wars against Muslim invaders such as the Ottoman Turks. In 2012, French Génération Identitaire members briefly occupied a mosque in Poitiers. They did so on the anniversary of the famous 732 Battle of Poitiers (better known as the Battle of Tours), the game-changing occasion when the Frankish Prince Charles Martel, the grandfather of Charlemagne, defeated a raiding force of Arab Muslims sent north from the Umayyad Caliphate that controlled the Iberian Peninsula. That battle has come to be regarded as the event that blocked the entry of Muslim invaders into the rest of Europe.
Tarrant clearly took concerns about Muslims to a pathological extreme, and was ordered to undergo testing for mental illness. According to the Associated Press, however:
Tarrant's rifles contained the names of legendary Serbs and Montenegrins who fought against the 500-year-rule of the Muslim Ottomans in the Balkans, written in the Cyrillic alphabet used by the two Orthodox Christian nations.
Elsewhere, it is noted that: In photographs from a now deleted Twitter account associated with the suspect that match the weaponry seen in his live-streamed video, there is a reference to "Vienna 1683", the year the Ottoman Empire suffered a defeat in its siege of the city at the Battle of Kahlenberg. "Acre 1189", a reference to the Crusades, is also written on the guns.
Four names of legendary Serbs who fought against the 500-year-rule of the Muslim Ottomans in the Balkans, written in the Cyrillic alphabet, are also seen on the gunman's rifles....
The name Charles Martel, who white supremacists are said to credit with saving Europe from invading Muslims in 734, was also on the weapons.
These are not the only names or references on the rifles and ammunition; what is striking is that Tarrant had obviously done his homework. He knew where to visit, whom to celebrate, and the historical context into which to situate his own attacks.
Not all people who worry about a replacement of civilizations are necessarily violent or even incorrect. They appear to be frightened folk, sent over the edge by matters they may feel beyond control. In Europe and the United States, they have witnessed wave upon wave of attacks by individuals and groups openly espousing violence in the name of religion. They seem to fear that their own governments are doing too little to protect them and their families from future attacks.
Political correctness, often an extreme form of denial of reality, has made it increasingly hard for even the most reasonable and careful of thinkers to say anything critical about Islam. While it is reasonable to call out overt racism or brutal hate for Muslims -- or anyone else -- efforts to block fair criticism of aspects of Islam can become unjust forms of censorship.
Many members of society might well see this censorship as a denial of their concerns on topics such as Islamist terrorism, unintegrated newcomers entering what they consider "their" territory, and their anxieties about what seems to be uncontrolled mass immigration into their native countries.
When governments dismiss these fears and do not seem to offer positive solutions to manifest problems, many people might understandably feel helpless. While many Muslims protest the violence in Islam, when presidents and priests say, "Islam is a religion of peace", events that people see around them (such as here, here, here and here), combined with indisputable facts about fundamentalist doctrine and political demands, seem to have convinced increasing members of the public that such a statement is simply not true.
Freedom of speech, the most readily available alternative to violence, is, in many places, being ruled illegal. When it is, social dislocation is likely to follow.
Many immigrants who do make efforts to fit in play vital roles to the point where many are indispensable. If, however, as some may claim, there has been failure to work hard for the full integration of Muslims, what should be done if many seem to want not to be integrated?
In 2015, on behalf of the British government, Dame Louise Casey produced a report on integration in the UK, in which she concluded that Muslims were the hardest ethnic and religious community to integrate. By 2017, she openly declared that government ministers had done absolutely nothing to advance social cohesion and integration.
Both extremist Muslims and all agitators seem to suffer from the same issue in their communities and personal lives: an unwillingness to change or to want to change.
Values considered Western -- such as democracy, which is rejected as man-made rather than divinely made; adherence to human rights, unless they align with sharia; and equal justice under the law -- simply do not seem to be among the highest priorities of many newcomers. Those who might disagree often seem unable to speak out.
Until extremists on all sides wish to adjust to life as it has developed in the past century, it seems as if both the hatred and violence will continue.
Our security services, already strained by Islamic terrorism, now face growing threats at a time when many former fighters from Islamic State, bitter from their defeat, have returned, or are trying to return, to several countries in Europe. Is it necessary to say how far this convergence of opposing views threatens Western civilization?
As Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who has lived in both worlds, states:
"These efforts are well meaning, but they arise from a misguided conviction, held by many Western liberals, that retaliation against Muslims is more to be feared than Islamist violence itself.... In the process, we... marginalized dissident Muslims who were attempting to pursue real reform."
*Dr. Denis MacEoin lectured in Islamic Studies at Newcastle University in the U.K. He is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

How Palestinian Leaders 'Guarantee' Freedom of Expression
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/July 29, 2019
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14620/palestinians-freedom-of-expression
The [Palestinian Committee for Supporting Journalists] revealed that there has been a "marked increase in violations against journalists by the Palestinian security forces in recent months" and said that it has documented more than 104 trespasses since the beginning of 2019.
Thus far, however, the new Palestinian government has dashed these hopes for basic journalistic freedom.
The continued crackdown on public freedoms under the Palestinian Authority means one of two things -- both of which are bad news: either the prime minister has no real control over the Palestinian security forces, or he truly cares nothing about freedom of expression and unimpeded journalistic jurisdiction. Neither scenario bodes well for the future of human rights for Palestinians.
The continued crackdown on public freedoms under the Palestinian Authority has dashed hopes for basic journalistic freedom. Palestinian security forces continue, almost every day, to arrest Palestinians for their purported affiliation with rival political groups. (Image source: iStock)
During a meeting with a Human Rights Watch (HRW) delegation last week, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh promised that no Palestinian will be arrested or prosecuted for exercising his or her freedom of expression.
"Freedom of expression is a sacred right for every citizen," Shtayyeh was quoted as saying. "The government has guaranteed citizens the right to express their opinion through constructive criticism, whether in terms of social media or websites."
Only one day before Shtayyeh assured the HRW delegation that his government would not crack down on Palestinians for expressing their views, however, Palestinian security forces in the West Bank arrested journalist and political activist Thaer al-Fakhoury, 30, for allegedly "vilifying the public authority."
Fakhoury's lawyer, Hijazi Obeido, said that his client had gone on a hunger strike after his incarceration. "The Palestinian Preventive Security Force summoned the journalist for an interview and arrested him immediately after his arrival," Obeido said. "Last Wednesday, he his detention was extended for four days, and not 15 days as requested by the prosecutor-general, due to his health condition."
The lawyer continued that al-Fakhoury, a resident of the West Bank city of Hebron, had remarked during a court hearing that he was being interrogated about a video he allegedly posted on social media. The video reportedly mentions the names of Palestinians who work with the Palestinian security forces, the lawyer added. The journalist has denied any connection to the video.
"The arrest of Thaer al-Fakhoury is a clear violation of the freedom of press work and the Palestinian law that protects the freedom of opinion and expression," Skyline International, a Sweden-based human rights organization that focuses on social media and free speech, tweeted in a statement. "The arrest is a violation of promises made by [Palestinian Authority] Prime Minister Dr. Mohammed Shtayyeh not to arrest any journalist in his region. Skyline International calls for the immediate release of Fakhoury."
The Palestinian Committee for Supporting Journalists also called for the immediate release of al-Fakhoury. The committee said it rejects the arrest of Palestinian journalists because of their work and appealed to Shtayyeh to instruct the judicial authorities to refrain from issuing orders to arrest Palestinians for expressing their opinion or because of their journalistic work.
The Committee revealed that there has been a "marked increase in violations against journalists by the Palestinian security forces in recent months" and said that it has documented more than 104 trespasses by the Palestinian security forces since the beginning of 2019.
The Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHRP) said that its representatives visited al-Fakhoury on July 27 to check on the circumstances of his arrest and the legal measures taken against him.
According to ICHRP, al-Fakhoury called off his hunger strike ahead of the visit. "We hope he will be released as soon as his detention expires on Monday," the group added. "The Hebron Magistrate's Court decided on Thursday 25/7/2019 to extend his detention until next Monday, on charges that the Commission considers related to his journalistic work. The Commission calls upon the security services to stop summoning or arresting journalists for their journalistic work or because of it. We also call on the prosecution and Palestinian courts not to issue arrest warrants against citizens for freedom of expression or press work."
The Palestinian Preventive Security Service, whose officers arrested al-Fakhoury, claimed that he was taken into custody on suspicion that he committed "acts outside the framework of freedom of expression, and not because of his journalistic work."
The security service did not provide details about the alleged "acts" the journalist is said to have committed, but insisted that the proceedings against him were "in accordance with the provisions of the law."
The arrest of al-Fakhoury exemplifies what a promise by the Palestinian prime minister is worth. After the meeting with the HRW delegation in his office in Ramallah, Shtayyeh posted a statement on Twitter in which he said that he "confirmed my government's commitment to/ guarantee of the right of Palestinian citizens to free speech through constructive criticism. In this regard I emphasised that no arrests or persecution will happen."
Palestinian lawyer and human rights activist Muhanad Karajah said that freedom of expression under the Palestinian Authority is not consistent with the minimum of what is guaranteed by Palestinian law. He also accused the Palestinian security forces of failing to carry out court orders to release detainees.
He and other legal experts and human rights activists urged the Palestinian security forces to stop "politically-motivated" arrests and to honor court orders. The "politically motivated" arrests refers to Palestinians who are detained because of their political affiliations or for expressing views deemed critical of the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank.
Palestinian sources said that despite Shtayyeh's promise, the Palestinian security forces continue, almost every day, to arrest Palestinians for their purported affiliation with rival political groups.
As Shtayyeh was meeting with the HRW delegation, the Palestinian security forces released Yasser Mana', a researcher and expert on Israeli affairs, after 45 days in detention. Mana's family said that the Palestinian security forces had ignored a court order to release their son a week ago. The Palestinian security forces did not say why they arrested the researcher.
A committee representing families of Palestinian political detainees said that at least 118 Palestinians were arrested by various Palestinian security services during June.
The committee pointed out that dozens others have been summoned for interrogation by Shtayyeh's security forces.
Among those targeted by the Palestinian security forces are four journalists, 28 university students, 24 political activists, eight merchants, seven teachers, six engineers, four mosque preachers, 99 former security prisoners (held by Israel) and 91 former "political detainees."
Palestinian journalists and human rights activists were hoping that the Shtayyeh government, which took office only a few months ago, would take a fresh direction regarding human rights and freedom of expression and the media -- turning away from the brutal censorship that has for so long characterized the Palestinian regimes.
Thus far, however, the new Palestinian government has dashed these hopes for basic journalistic freedom.
The continued crackdown on public freedoms under the Palestinian Authority means one of two things – both of which are bad news: either the prime minister has no real control over the Palestinian security forces, or he truly cares nothing about freedom of expression and unimpeded journalistic jurisdiction. Neither scenario bodes well for the future of human rights for Palestinians.
*Khaled Abu Toameh, an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem, is a Shillman Journalism Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Why U.S. Special Forces Need to Remain Abroad
Lawrence A. Franklin/Gatestone Institute/July 29, 2019
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14559/us-special-forces-abroad
What skeptics need to understand is that the Green Berets in Africa -- as all U.S. troops are doing in other places and other contexts -- are performing a crucial service to U.S. interests. They are helping America maintain a small footprint in states at peril of losing the battle against jihad and its totalitarian ideology, or other threats, while often assisting local militaries transform from corrupt, domestic bullies to national protectors of the people.
The number of American soldiers deployed in Africa has grown to approximately 6,000, a quarter of which belong to Special Forces units. About two-thirds are stationed at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. Their mission is to support the Organization of African Union's mission to suppress the al Qaeda affiliate, al-Shabaab. Pictured: American soldiers, deployed from Camp Lemonnier, with Ugandan soldiers in the Bududa District, Uganda on March 2, 2010. (U.S. Army photo by Specialist Peter Neser/Released)
American Green Berets are currently gripped in helping dozens of African countries in a low-key but desperate struggle to prevent a vast swath of the world's poorly governed spaces from falling to Islamist terrorists. The U.S. Special Operations Africa Command's 3rd Special Forces Group (3rd SFG) has been operating in 33 such countries, training and equipping their local armies to enable them to combat threats to state sovereignty posed by al Qaeda and ISIS. The same goal was the impetus behind the establishment of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) in 2007.
Since then, the number of American soldiers deployed in Africa has grown to approximately 6,000, a quarter of which belong to Special Forces units. About two-thirds are stationed at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. Their mission is to support the Organization of African Union's mission to suppress the al Qaeda affiliate, al-Shabaab, in its effort to challenge state sovereignty in Somalia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and to combat piracy operations in international shipping lanes along the East African coast.
Since 2015, the 3rd SFG has borne the brunt of the burden, returning to an earlier "Area of Responsibility," following a lengthy deployment in Afghanistan. These Green Beret troops serve as a force multiplier to African counter-terrorist units, by providing needed intelligence and supplying logistical resources.
The key area of focus, due its vulnerability, is the Sahel region, flanked by the southern Sahara Desert in the north to the savanna grasslands in the south, and stretching from the Atlantic Coast to the Red Sea. Sahel includes parts or all of Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Burkina Faso and Eritrea. Green Berets are serving in an advisory position and/or combat role in each.
Jihadists, however, have been expanding their scope to include countries south of Sahel, necessitating the deployment of Green Berets to Cameroon, and occasionally to nearby Benin.
In early June, the Pentagon completed its investigation into the October 2017 terrorist ambush in Niger -- where some 800 U.S. troops were deployed -- and that resulted in the deaths of four Green Berets and four African soldiers. The group responsible for the killing was the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa, an affiliate of al Qaeda in the Maghreb. The incident reportedly came as a surprise to many Americans, who had been unaware of the presence and necessity of U.S. soldiers in Niger and elsewhere in Africa.
What skeptics need to understand is that the Green Berets in Africa -- as all U.S. troops are doing in other places and other contexts throughout the world -- are performing a crucial service to U.S. interests. They are helping America maintain a small footprint in states at peril of losing the battle against jihad and its totalitarian ideology, or other threats, while often assisting local militaries transform from corrupt, domestic bullies to national protectors of the people.
*Dr. Lawrence A. Franklin was the Iran Desk Officer for Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. He also served on active duty with the U.S. Army and as a Colonel in the Air Force Reserve.
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Today’s World Leaders Are Walking Cliches
Leonid Bershidsky/Bloomberg View/July 29/2019
One of the most striking things about Boris Johnson, who became UK prime minister this week, is how precisely he fits the stereotype of the eccentric upper-class Brit. With his elevation, Britain joins several other major nations led by people who embody their national stereotypes, and not the best of them at that; it could be argued, however, that it’s leaders defying such cliches who take their countries forward.
In a paean to Johnson published on Quillette, his onetime Oxford schoolmate Toby Young recalled meeting the future prime minister: “It was as if I’d finally encountered the ‘real’ Oxford, the Platonic ideal. While the rest of us were works-in-progress, vainly trying on different personae, Boris was the finished article. In a similar way, Donald Trump fits an American, even a specifically New York stereotype: “the brash, vulgar-yet-successful businessman that so many imagine they might someday become,” as Anne Applebaum put it in a Washington Post column.
Obviously, there’s a flip side to that stereotype, too. I once asked Milton Glaser, the designer of the “I heart NY” logo, if he considered Trump a New York symbol. “His is a certain kind of personality that thrives in New York, which is narcissistic and self-absorbed, very aggressive, determined to exploit every opportunity, take advantage of every situation, and profoundly uninterested in other people,” replied Glaser, who once designed a vodka bottle for Trump. “Everybody is there to be taken, at their expense and to his benefit.”
Then there’s Vladimir Putin, who at times appears consciously to play to the cliche of the close-fisted, calculating KGB man – and at other times to the Russian macho mythology, fishing and riding horses naked to the waist, romping with his dog in the snow. Both these stereotypes have their negative sides, too: The KGB man is a double-crosser, who only understands superior force.
Angela Merkel, for her part, is the epitome of German moderation, caution and precision. (The flip side? Humorlessness, lack of charisma, an aversion to leading.)
Significant numbers of Britons, Americans, Russians and Germans (this is not a complete list, of course) appear to buy the stereotypes whole, with the positives and the negatives. It’s as if they’re comfortable with a cartoon image of their supposed national character at the top. The mechanism behind this is perhaps the same one that makes us instinctively trust a pizzeria where waiters speak with an Italian accent. Who better to defend the national interest than a typical [fill in the nationality blank]?
The opposite may be true, though. It’s worth recalling the same countries’ most recent transformative leaders; they didn’t fit any national stereotype at all. Tony Blair has few fans in today’s UK, but he did bring the country into the 21st century, establishing it as a creative hub and --- after two decades of fustiness – a fashionable place again. He also contributed significantly to making the UK a country of immigration, a country that, for a while, wasn’t institutionally hostile to foreigners. Regardless of what has followed, this was nevertheless a lasting change. The man who brought it about was a surprising character for the UK’s top echelons of power, a middle-class upstart and former rebellious youth who didn’t really fit any of the traditional political, social or behavioral molds.

Will the US Interfere to Stop the Atrocities in Idlib?
Robert Ford/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 29/2019
The picture of a young Syrian father trying to reach his daughter and infant son in Idlib province’s Ariha on July 24 after another Syrian and Russian airstrike was terrible and made a big impression on me and thousands of people around the world. On July 23 I saw a video of an American citizen in Maaret Numaan. She was standing in the ruins after an airstrike and she was pleading with President Trump to intervene to stop the Syrian government bombing. The State Department quickly condemned the airstrikes.
Many Syrians have told me that they expected the American military to intervene and stop the Syrian government’s atrocities. It is important that from America we be completely honest with the Syrians now. The United States will not intervene to stop the bombing in Idlib. It is fair for Syrians to ask why. I am retired from the government and I can speak frankly.
First, there is the question of international legitimacy. Normally, for a country to intervene militarily against another country, it needs either to be responding to a direct attack or it needs approval from the United Nations Security Council. Syria has not attacked the United States. And Russia and China will veto any Security Council resolution that gives the Americans permission to use American forces against the Syrian aircraft bombing in Idlib. Even American airstrikes after Syrian government chemical attacks are open to questions of legitimacy. (Of course, I have to ask those who demand an international system based only on international law and legitimacy this question: do countries that massacre their own citizens deserve to have their sovereignty fully respected?)
Second, Washington and Moscow have divided Syrian airspaces. The Russians control all the airspaces west of the river Euphrates and the Americans control all the airspaces east of the river. If the American air force begin to fly over Idlib, there is the real possibility of combat between Russian and American warplanes. No one in the United States is willing to risk World War 3 because of Syria.
Now I must also admit that when I was working on the Syria file at the State Department before the Russian intervention I did not make pressure for an American no-fly zone over Syria. We knew we would have the question about legitimacy. In addition, we remembered the experience from Iraq. The United States air force imposed no fly zones over Saddam’s Iraq from 1991 until 2003. Those air missions only ended when the American army entered Baghdad and overthrew Saddam. In 2012 and 2013 the American military in Washington during our discussions said a no-fly zone over Syria would require a huge number of aircraft and many combat missions. No one could say when the no-fly zone mission would end. We had finished withdrawing the last American soldiers from Iraq in December 2011. None of the top American officials responsible for Syria, including me, wanted to start a new, unlimited military operation in Syria.
But in 2015 American policy changed. In order to fight ISIS, the United States imposed a no-fly zone over Syrian lands east of the Euphrates river. This operation is much easier than what the American military had told us to expect in 2012; the operation is smaller but successful. Those northeastern Syrian cities do not fear airstrikes and enjoy relative security that the people in Idlib can only imagine.
Therefore, we can ask if the Americans really care about the lives of Syrian civilians or not. Emotionally, of course they do. Working with the United Nations, the Americans have spent more than nine billion dollars to help displaced Syrians and Syrian refugees outside of Syria. And there is the no-fly zone in eastern Syria. But that no-fly zone is to help the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that fight ISIS. There is a sentiment in the administration, in the Congress and in much of the American media that the Americans must help SDF fighters and towns because they helped us against ISIS. No one knows how long this no-fly zone or this special relationship with the SDF will last. Experience tells me surely that it will end one day.
From Obama’s time until today the Americans keep their involvement in Syria limited. It is notable that President Trump insisted that the US would not provide much financing for the rebuilding of Raqqah after American and Syrian Kurdish forces recaptured it from ISIS. At the same time, the Americans send no aid to ease the terrible suffering of the displaced people at Rukban camp near an American base at Tanf in southern Syria. The Americans are there to block Iran from using a road there; they are not there to help Rukban. Even though the American army occupies the Tanf region and is responsible for Rukban according to international law, Washington claims Rukban is a problem for Damascus and Moscow only.
And it is also notable that Washington has banned most Syrian citizens from obtaining American visas. The Trump administration recently proposed to the Congress banning entry of any new refugees, including Syrians. So if you are a Syrian I have to tell you honestly not to expect something big and new from the United States.

What the US-China Trade War Is Really About
Tyler Cowen/Bloomberg View/July 29/2019
During my recent travels in Taiwan and China, I was asked repeatedly: What does America really want out of the trade war with China? In the interests of mutual understanding, here is my brief guide to America’s conflicting and complicated motives. Spoiler alert: The tariffs may get more attention, but the critical issues are Huawei and Taiwan.
Start with President Donald Trump, who himself has mixed motives. He has favored tariffs and protectionism since the 1980s, when he focused on Japan. For better or worse, protectionism seems to be one of Trump’s most sincere views. Yet Trump also fancies himself a deal-maker, and he would like to strike a deal with China to cement his legacy and boost his re-election chances in 2020.
Those two motives are in tension with each other. More and higher tariffs limit the chances of making trade deals.
Then consider the US ruling elite, namely the policy community, business leaders, media and the establishment wings of the two major political parties. All of these groups are likely to favor free trade and trade agreements, although they are willing to make exceptions for national security reasons (this exception, as we shall see, turns out to be important for the prospects of a China deal). There is also a subset of the Democratic Party that identifies closely with labor unions and does not favor free trade.
The new player in the trade game is the national security establishment. It is very worried about the rise of China and the spread of Huawei equipment around the world, and it does not have much of a stake in free trade or the stock market. Furthermore, the national security establishment is used to getting its way; when bargaining with other US political agents, compromise is not its natural inclination.
Finally, there is the US electorate. American voters are not treating the trade war as a major electoral issue, at least so far, thereby giving additional leeway to the other parties involved.
One conclusion from all this is that the trade wars really aren’t about tariffs. Regardless of whether you approve of any particular bargain, tariff disagreements are relatively easy to solve.
So that means the trade war is really all about Huawei and Taiwan. If the US persists in trying to eliminate Huawei as a major company, by cutting off its American-supplied inputs and intimidating foreign customers and suppliers for Huawei equipment, it will be difficult for the Chinese to accept. In this case, the reluctance to make a deal will be on the Chinese side, and the structure and relative power of the various American interest groups are not essential to understanding the outcome.
The question, then, is whether the US national security establishment, and in turn Congress (which has been heavily influenced on this question), will accept a compromise on Huawei. Maybe that means no Huawei communications technologies for the US and its closest intelligence-sharing allies, but otherwise no war against the company. That is the first critical question to watch in the unfolding of this trade war. The answer is not yet known, though it seems Trump is willing to deal.
The second major question, equally important but less commented upon, is Taiwan. China has long professed a desire to reunite Taiwan with the mainland, using force if necessary. If you belong to the US national security establishment, and you think a confrontation with China is necessary sooner or later, if only because of Taiwan, you would prefer sooner, before China gains in relative strength. And that militates in favor of the trade war continuing and possibly even escalating, as the US continues to push against China and there is simply no bargain to be had.
If the Huawei and Taiwan questions can be resolved, then the trade war should be eminently manageable. Now, does that make you optimistic or pessimistic?

Iran’s harsh treatment of ethnic minorities
د.مجيد رافيزادا: إيران تعامل الأقليات الإثنية بقساوة
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/July 29/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/77107/%d8%af-%d9%85%d8%ac%d9%8a%d8%af-%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%81%d9%8a%d8%b2%d8%a7%d8%af%d8%a7-%d8%a5%d9%8a%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%aa%d8%b9%d8%a7%d9%85%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%82%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%a7/
When it comes to Iran, several important developments — such as the tanker crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s violations of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, aka the nuclear deal, and the shooting down of a US drone by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — have recently taken the spotlight among national and international news outlets.
This means that less attention has been paid to the latest developments inside Iran, particularly how ethnic minorities are being treated during Hassan Rouhani’s second term as president.
Iran’s ethnic minorities include Arabs, about 3 million of whom live near the Iraqi border in southwest Iran; nearly 7 million Kurds, who live in the northwest in what is known as Iranian Kurdistan; the Azeris, Iran’s largest ethnic minority with a population of about 18 million, who reside in several provinces including Tehran, Hamadan and East Azerbaijan; and the Baluchis, with an approximate population of 1.5 million, mostly residing in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan near the border with Pakistan.
While the current sociopolitical and socioeconomic situations are difficult for the wider Iranian population, the nation’s ethnic minorities are suffering the worst social, economic and political deprivation. According to a report from last year, a third of Iran’s prisoners are ethnic minorities, who are sidelined from basic necessities such as education and health care.
This is despite the ethnic minorities living in provinces filled with natural resources. An example is Ahvaz, the capital of Khuzestan, which is one of Iran’s wealthiest provinces when it comes to oil and natural gas. Khuzestan reportedly produces 85 to 90 percent of Iran’s oil and is the main pillar of the country’s economy and the government’s revenues.
Although Khuzestan is rich in natural resources, most of its Arab population live in poverty and suffer from malnutrition. The rate of unemployment among Arabs is reportedly much higher than the national unemployment rate. In addition, despite the resources and wealth that Khuzestan has, the province still suffers from water shortages, electricity problems and sanitation issues. The Arabs are also plagued by high levels of water and air pollution, as the oil facilities surround and suffocate Ahvaz, releasing toxic materials and pollutants into the air.
A third of Iran’s prisoners are ethnic minorities, who are sidelined from basic necessities such as education and health care
In addition, while many Iranians are subjected to persecution for exercising their basic rights, such as freedom of expression, the persecution of ethnic minorities appears to be proportionally much greater. As Joe Stork, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa Division, has said: “Iranian authorities show little tolerance of political dissent anywhere in the country, but they are particularly hostile to dissent in minority areas where there has been any history of separatist activities.”
The Iranian authorities falsely claim that they are protecting the nation’s national security. The reality is that the regime’s objective is to silence the journalists, newspapers and political and human rights activists among the ethnic minorities who dare to criticize the policies of the Islamic Republic.
An increasing number of Arabs are being arbitrarily arrested, tortured and found dead in prisons in suspicious circumstances. For example, a 28-year-old detainee from the Ahwazi Arab minority was found dead in a detention center in Ahvaz last month. In response, Amnesty International called for an impartial investigation, stating: “Given the systematic use of torture in Iranian detention facilities, the death of a young man, from a widely persecuted ethnic minority group and with no known health conditions, so soon after his arrest raises serious concerns that he was subjected to torture or other ill treatment and that this may have caused or contributed to his death.”
Hundreds of people from the Arab ethnic minority are also being held incommunicado without access to their family or lawyers, according to Amnesty International.
Meanwhile, at least 69 Kurdish citizens, including a minor child and women, were executed in prisons in Iran in 2018, mostly on charges based on political or religious activities.
The Iranian regime has routinely disregarded calls from international organizations and human rights groups to halt its executions of Kurds. For instance, when Iran’s judiciary system sentenced three young Kurds to death last year, UN special rapporteurs Agnes Callamard and Javaid Rehman urged “the government of Iran to immediately halt their executions and to annul the death sentences against them in compliance with its international obligations.” But the Iranian regime went ahead and executed all three.
Baluchis also face the same dire situation, as they are treated as second-class citizens, repressed and sidelined from basic needs such as education and health care.
Despite the president’s promises, ethnic minorities are among the most subjugated, dehumanized and repressed groups in Iran. It is incumbent on the UN to pressure Tehran and hold the Iranian leaders accountable for the ongoing and heightened suppression of these vulnerable groups.
**Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. He is a leading expert on Iran and US foreign policy, a businessman and president of the International American Council. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh

 US’ cold feet on Iran tarnishing nation’s prestige
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/July 29, 2019
Iran last week successfully tested a missile, Shahab-3, which flew 1,100 kilometers from the southern part of the country and landed in an area near Tehran, the capital. The test increases tensions in the region. More importantly, it is an act of defiance and a show of power. Iran has been emboldened by what we can call “American cold feet syndrome.”Initially, on May 5, John Bolton announced the mobilization of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group to the Gulf, citing “troubling and escalatory indications and warnings.” The administration did not provide details or state what its objectives were. It just promised “unrelenting force” if ever attacked, without giving any specifications about those hypothetical attacks.
However, when Iran shot down a US drone, President Donald Trump tried to find an excuse for his foe and for himself to avoid a retaliatory strike by saying that Iran could have shot it down by mistake. However, the Iranians declared they did it knowingly and on purpose. Facing Iran’s assertiveness, the US prepared a strike, only for Trump to get cold feet 30 minutes before the launch. This showed Iran that it can push the limits with the US. What started as an action to rein in Iran and limit its activities ended up emboldening the Islamic Republic.
Trump is not the only one who talks big and does not follow through — his predecessor Barack Obama did the same on several occasions. In 2009, when the Green Movement erupted in Iran, Obama encouraged the protesters verbally but left them to be crushed brutally by the police and the Basij. In fact, Obama’s lip service helped the regime label them as traitors and collaborators. Obama did the same when the Syrian people rose up against their ruthless dictator. The American president said it was time for Bashar Assad to leave as he was standing in the way of the Syrian people’s march toward freedom. This encouraged members of the army to defect, only to be left high and dry by the Obama administration. Betrayed by the US and having no resources, the rebels were easy recruits for the well-funded extremists. Similarly, Obama put red lines on the use of chemical weapons. Shortly after, Assad used them on civilians in Ghouta; the red line became pink and Obama retracted in front of Vladimir Putin.
What started as an action to rein in Iran and limit its activities ended up emboldening the Islamic Republic
The problem with the current situation is that it might result in a clash and there is no clear policy on how to handle it. The US might find itself in a situation where it has to strike back and this will lead the region to war. The worst part is that it will be an uncalculated war. To start with, Trump did not outline clear goals for his build-up in the Gulf and this ambiguity and indecisiveness have emboldened Iran. Tehran also has experience with offering rhetoric that has no policy behind it. In the current case, there is no clear strategy, game plan or objectives.
The US also does not have the right alliances to go after Iran. Trump is exerting a lot of pressure on his allies and putting demands forward while taking a hands-off approach. Facing the skirmishes in the Gulf that are threatening the safety of the maritime routes, Trump showed no interest in getting involved. His attitude does not inspire confidence among allies. He said he has limited interest in what he called a “dangerous” region. Trump said his aims regarding Iran are: “No nuclear weapons and no further sponsoring of terror .” He did not explain what he meant by “sponsoring of terror” or how this aim would be met. One gets the impression that Trump is using vague terms in order to be able to talk his way out of the crisis.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reiterated that the UK should protect its own ships following the seizure of a British vessel by the Iranians. Pompeo once promised that he would restore the US State Department’s “swagger.” However, what we see is no swagger at all; we only see an irresponsible and inconsistent superpower scrambling to save face.
The US seems reassured by its weight in world affairs and its influence. It thinks it can threaten whenever it wants and walk away whenever it wants and nothing will happen because the US is too big and too important. However, this is not the case. The strong rhetoric and aggressive threats that only end up with cold feet do not advance the US’ interests in the region. On the contrary, they tarnish its prestige, erode its allies’ confidence and trust, and embolden its foes; and, most importantly, this attitude is behind much of the chaos we see today.
• Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on lobbying. She holds a PhD in politics from the University of Exeter and is an affiliated scholar with the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut.