LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 01/2019

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews19/english.march01.19.htm

News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006

Bible Quotations For today
Those with Faith are to be the heirs, So the inheritance is a grace From God
Letter to the Romans 04/13-25: “If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’) in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ Now the words, ‘it was reckoned to him’, were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on March 01/2019
Berri: Parliament Will Fully Assume Monitoring Role
Aoun Calls For Confronting Extremism, Protecting Spiritual Wealth in the Region
UK Parliament Approves Proscription of Hezbollah
KSA Hails UK Move on Hizbullah, Urges World to Follow Suit
Report: Opening Corruption Files Could Trigger New Political Conflict
Hariri Urges 'Governmental Solidarity', Dismisses Claims of Rift with Aoun
Fadlallah Submits Documents on ‘Missing’ State Funds to Public Prosecutor
Geagea Slams Ruling on LBCI Ownership as 'Unjust, Political'
Report: Refugee Repatriation File 'Ground to a Halt'
Samy Gemayel: Lebanese Republic Witnessing Most Difficult and Critical Phase
Saba Blames Lebanon's Political System for Absence of Accountability
2019 Bank Deposits Seen Growing a `Conservative' $7-$8 Billion
Ex-Nissan Chief Carlos Ghosn Makes Fresh Bail Request

Litles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 01/2019
Iran's Zarif Returns to His Post, Receives Invitation to Visit Damascus
UN Says Israel Committed War Crimes While Responding to Gaza Protests, Israel Rejects Report
Israel Arrests Leaders in Jerusalem, West Bank
Netanyahu Meets Putin, Vows to Prevent Iran's Entrenchment in Syria
Israel Lost Between Targeting Hamas, Striking a Deal
Facing bribery charges, Netanyahu decries 'political plot' to topple him from power
Netanyahu Says Graft Allegations a 'Witch Hunt' to Topple Him
Syria Force Poised for Final Assault on IS
U.N. Envoy Proposes New International Forum for Syria
Damascus Calls on Syrians to Leave Camp near Jordan Border
Trump 'Walks' as North Korea Talks End Abruptly without Deal
Guaido Vows to Return to Venezuela Soon 'despite Threats'
Dozen Journalists Arrested at Algiers Censorship Protest
Libya Rivals Agree to Hold Polls, Says UN

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 01/2019
Trump 'Walks' as North Korea Talks End Abruptly without Deal/Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 28/19
Analysis: Trump Walking Away From N.Korea Increases Pressure On Iran/Yonah Jeremy Bob/Jerusalem Post/February 28/19
Iran's Diligent Investment In Empire/Alberto M. Fernandez/MEMRI/February 28/19
The Hodeida Redeployment Plan: A Slow Start in Yemen/Elana DeLozier/The Washington Institute/February 28/2019
Assad Needs the United States and Its Allies for Reconstruction/Jomana Qaddour/The Washington Institute/February 28/2019

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on March 01/2019
Berri: Parliament Will Fully Assume Monitoring Role
Beirut- Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 28 February, 2019/Speaker Nabih Berri said the Parliament would exercise its monitoring role in full. Berri will call for two parliamentary sessions in the first half of March, one to elect the Supreme Council for the trial of presidents and ministers, and another legislative session to ratify stringent laws, MPs, who met with the speaker on Wednesday, quoted him as saying.They said that his decision came after consulting Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri. Berri added that he would hold a “monitoring session” in the second half of March as part of monthly monitoring sessions. “There is no insult at all in summoning any minister for accountability or investigation into any file,” the speaker said, according to the deputies.On the issue of arbitrary appointments in public authorities, Berri stressed that the government must adopt the mechanisms followed in the past, highlighting the need for law enforcement in this

Aoun Calls For Confronting Extremism, Protecting Spiritual Wealth in the Region
Beirut- Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 28 February, 2019/Lebanese President Michel Aoun said that the Levant was a “unique example that embodies Lebanon’s spiritual and cultural richness, stressing that it must not be emptied of its components.”Speaking at the inauguration of the Caritas Middle East and North Africa Conference on Wednesday, the president said: “There is no doubt that one of the major objectives of all the incidents that have unfolded over the past years is to make the societies of our Levant racist, unilateral, conflicting, and belligerent.”
He warned that the forced migration of some components, the attempts to change the demographics, the partition of Palestine and the displacement of its people… “all pave the way for a new Levant that is different from the religious, social and cultural diversity that characterizes it.”
“This is what we should reject and resist, with all our determination and tenacity,” he stressed. “The land of the Levant must not be emptied of its people; the cradle of the Christ, the Road to Calvary and the Holy Sepulcher cannot be without Christians, just as Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and Al-Aqsa Mosque cannot be without Muslims, for no water can flow if its springs dry out,” he added. Addressing the same event, Maronite Patriarch Beshara Boutros Rai urged the international community to dissociate the political solution in Syria from the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland. “The international community must separate the political solution from the refugees’ repatriation. There is a pressing necessity that the displaced Syrians return to their country,” Rai said. “We should not forget the economic, social, developmental, cultural and, security impact created by 1.5 million displaced people from Syria, as well as half a million Palestinian refugees... This constitutes half the Lebanese population,” he stressed. Rai said Lebanon must be protected from the dangers of “this exhausting presence, with one-third of its population below the poverty level and 40 percent of its youth facing unemployment.”

UK Parliament Approves Proscription of Hezbollah
Kataeb.org/Thursday 28th February 2019/The United Kingdom's Parliament has officially approved the government's decision to proscribe Hezbollah's political wing and add the party in its entirety to its terror list, after its two main chambers have endorsed this move, Al-Hurra news channel reported on Thursday. The decision, now passed by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, has officially become a law. Once in force, membership of Hezbollah will be a criminal offense carrying a maximum sentence of up to 10 years.

KSA Hails UK Move on Hizbullah, Urges World to Follow Suit
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 28/19/The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Thursday lauded Britain's decision to outlaw Hizbullah's political wing under its anti-terror laws. In a statement, the official spokesman of Saudi Arabia's State Security agency welcomed “the UK's intention to label the so-called Hizbullah militia as a terrorist group with its political and military wings.”“In partnership with its allies, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will continue working on curbing Hizbullah and Iran's destabilizing influence in the region in order to preserve international peace and security,” the statement said. Saudi Arabia also urged the international community and organizations to take a similar step and to “intensify joint cooperation and coordination to eradicate all forms of terrorism.”Britain said Monday it will ban the political wing of Hizbullah, making membership of the movement or inviting support for it a crime.
The European Union put the armed wing of Hizbullah on its terrorism blacklist in 2013, due to Hizbullah's alleged role in blowing up an Israeli tour bus in Bulgaria. But unlike the United States, the EU differentiates between the group's military and political wings.

Report: Opening Corruption Files Could Trigger New Political Conflict
Naharnet/February 28/19/The course of political events in the past few days and the campaign launched against corruption, illegal employment in state institutions and financial spending over the last ten years could bring new political clashes to Lebanon’s political arena, media reports said Thursday. Hizbullah parliamentary bloc MP Hassan Fadlallah, tasked with following on the file of corruption and government spending, has called for a probe in missing state funds between 1993 and 2013. Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora (of al-Mustaqbal Movement), who was previously accused of spending $11 billion in extra budgetary spending during his premiership between 2005 and 2009, has called for a press conference on Friday to detail the “facts.”Moreover, Speaker Nabih Berri has called for electing members of the Higher Council to try presidents and ministers, a move that al-Mustaqbal Movement circles and other political parties said aims at embarrassing mainly Mustaqbal officials in governance then. Berri and Hizbullah circles say by raising these issues they have no ill intention to trigger political conflict, but more aim to “stop the financial and administrative collapse.”Al-Mustabql sources however have questioned the “timing and the ends,” particularly the funds spent during the premiership of Siniora which he affirms were legal in their entirety and registered at the finance ministry. Siniora said he will detail all the facts and figures during his press conference. Unnamed parliamentary sources assured that opening financial records does not target any political party. They said the files were raised currently simply because the Finance Ministry has completed study of the financial accounts between 1993 and 2017 and has raised the report to Berri. "The file is simply taking its legal course," they said. Also on Wednesday, Head of the Budget and Finance parliamentary committee MP Ibrahim Kanaan, emphasized that the follow-up on the file of illegal hiring in the state’s administrations and institutions was serious and that the results will be colossal. Lebanon’s government has imposed a freeze to hiring since the adoption of a wage scale law in 2017 that raised the wages of the public sector. Kanaan said the committee has found that 15,200 public sector employees and contract workers were hired for “unexplained, superfluous positions.”In October, the committee kicked off investigation after accusations that illegal state hiring had taken place in line with the May 2018 parliamentary elections as a method of buying votes.

Hariri Urges 'Governmental Solidarity', Dismisses Claims of Rift with Aoun
Naharnet/February 28/19/Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Thursday stressed the importance of “solidarity” among the government's components as he dismissed reports about a dispute between him and President Michel Aoun. “PM Hariri called for refraining from betting on a dispute between him and President Aoun,” acting information minister Wael Abu Faour said after a cabinet session at the Grand Serail that was chaired by Hariri. “We are partners with the president and with parliament at the beginning of our mission and this is the spirit that will govern our work,” Abu Faour quoted Hariri as saying. The premier also called for focusing on the decisions of the CEDRE Lebanon support conference. Separately, the Cabinet approved a request from the Finance Ministry to issue treasury bonds in foreign currencies, as Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil stressed the need to “finalize the budget law as soon as possible and conduct a drastic debate over the financial situations.”The Council of Ministers meanwhile opted not to discuss the issue of appointments due to the absence of a full agreement in this regard, Abu Faour said. An agenda of 52 items was meanwhile approved. Before the meeting, Defense Minister Elias Bou Saab said he intended to raise the detention of former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn in Japan. “It is not normal that he stays in prison without trial,” said Bou Saab.Abu Faour said the issue was briefly discussed at the end of the session. Social Affairs Minister Richard Kouyoumjian said he would put forward an initiative on the repatriation of Syrian refugees.

Fadlallah Submits Documents on ‘Missing’ State Funds to Public Prosecutor
Naharnet/February 28/19/Hizbullah MP Hassan Fadlallah of the Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc said he submitted documents to the Public Prosecution Judge Ali Ibrahim that he claims showing missing government funds. “I hope the judiciary takes up its role to unveil the truth about this matter,” he told reporters. On remarks made by ex-PM Fouad Siniora in that regard, Fadlallah said: “I am not concerned with that nor with any remarks made here and there. We did not accuse anyone, the party authorized for accusation is the judiciary.”Judge Ibrahim for his part told LBCI in remarks that “investigations into the case have begun,” and that an employee at the Finance Ministry was summoned for interrogation. Siniora (of al-Mustaqbal Movement) who served as Premier between 2005 and 2009 has called for a press conference on Friday to “detail the facts” during his tenure.Siniora was previously accused of spending $11 billion in extra budgetary spending during his premiership.

Geagea Slams Ruling on LBCI Ownership as 'Unjust, Political'
Naharnet/February 28/19/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Thursday slammed a judge's ruling on the ownership of LBCI television as “unjust” and “political.”Earlier in the day, Judge Fatima Jouni ruled in favor of LBCI and its chairman Pierre Daher in the lawsuit filed against them by the LF and Geagea.
In her ruling, Jouni said the TV network had been initially funded by a “disbanded militia” and consequently by “revenues and bank loans granted to a company whose stakes are largely owned by Pierre Daher.”“It has not been proved that Dr. Geagea and the LF had contributed any of their money in the establishment of that firm, seeing as they are not the owners of the money of disbanded militias,” Jouni said, noting that Geagea and the LF also did not play a role in obtaining the license that the TV network was granted after civil war. “Only the Lebanese state has the right to share Daher in his stakes,” Jouni added, arguing that the state is the owner of any funds belonging to civil war militias. Geagea hit back in an interview on MTV, calling on the Higher Judicial Council to "take this case into consideration in light of the contradictions that have marred it.”“A large number of political parties do not prefer that we win the case, but I don't believe that a certain political party has interfered in the case but rather the judge's personal political orientation,” the LF leader added. “The judge gave us our right under the law before stealing it from us in politics, when she said that a militia does not have ownership rights whereas this militia had a president (Bashir Gemayel) elected and was among the main supporters of the Taef Accord,” Geagea said. He added: “I don't know where the judge was living between the years 1975 and 1990 and she does not acknowledge everything that happened during that period. Had my comrades and I refrained from doing what we did during that period, we would have been living today under an alternative state and the judge would not have been able to become a judge paid by the state.”“If the LF had established the TV network and no selling process eventually occurred, then to whom does this television belong?” Geagea wondered, noting that “the answer is clear.”Geagea also argued that “a lot of the current media outlets had been owned by military organizations during the war and are still like this until the moment,” lamenting that “only the LF is being deprived of this right.”And pointing out that “political and not legal reasons” are behind Jouni's verdict, the LF leader announced that his party will appeal the ruling.

Report: Refugee Repatriation File 'Ground to a Halt'
Naharnet/February 28/19/Despite a Russian initiative that vowed to help repatriate the Syrian refugees to their homeland, genuine efforts to ease that return are “disrupted,” al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday. Official sources who spoke on condition of anonymity told the daily the file is currently “totally disrupted,” and that Lebanese officials have no signs of any Arab or international efforts in that direction. Although “Moscow confirms it has not stopped to secure the return of Syrian refugees, but nothing tangible has yet emerged,” added the sources. Moreover, the “shy” voluntary return of some of the refugees that is being coordinated with Lebanon’s General Security apparatus is “not compatible with the magnitude of this file,” said the daily. Last year, Russia has put forward plans to the United States to cooperate for the safe return of refugees to Syria. It proposed the establishment of working groups in Lebanon and Jordan, to where many refugees have fled. Seven years into Syria's war, Lebanon hosts around 1.5 million Syrian refugees, compared with a local population of 4.5 million. Several hundred Syrians have willingly returned to their hometowns in Syria in the past few months.

Samy Gemayel: Lebanese Republic Witnessing Most Difficult and Critical Phase
Kataeb.org/Thursday 28th February 2019/Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel warned that the Lebanese Republic is going through "the most difficult and critical" phase in its history, adding that leaders and officials keep proving their failure in managing the State's affairs. In an article he wrote on the 8th foundation anniversary of Al-Joumhouria newspaper, Gemayel praised the role that the daily is playing at a time when the political life in Lebanon is lacking democracy, sovereignty is incomplete, correctitude is lost, transparency has only become about mere words, and pluralism is being dashed by sectarian unilateralism and bipartite alliances. The Kataeb chief hailed the newspaper for serving as platform for a futuristic vision for a people who in part is still stuck in the past while the rest of it is tampering with the present and destroying the future of the next generations.The newspaper, Gemayel added, serves as a daily call for hope amid a world prevailed by personal interests and selfishness, and a rescue project which the Lebanese need today more than ever.

Saba Blames Lebanon's Political System for Absence of Accountability
Kataeb.org/Thursday 28th February 2019/Kataeb politburo member Charles Saba on Thursday criticized political factions for claiming that they want to fight corruption and trading the blame while they are the same ones that have been involved in dubious practices over the past years. In an interview on MTV channel, Saba deplored the absence of accountability in Lebanon, noting that the political system protects officials and prevents the enforcement of said concept. "Financial Prosecutor Ali Ibrahim himself admitted that politicians and officials are protected by the law and the Constitution," he said. Saba voiced support of the recent questioning that has been launched over allegedly missing State funds, casting doubt, however, on the real motives behind bringing up these issues. "The main problem in Lebanon is that issues are brought to the forefront only to be used as a card in the political bickering, and then would be dropped again without holding anyone to account," he said. “People must know if there is really a sum of $11 billion in public funds that has disappeared. Those responsible for this should be held accountable, be it former PM Fouad Saniora or anyone else. If this allegation turns out to be false, then let those who spread it also be put to account for defamation," he noted. "No State budgets were set out between 2005 and 2017; and when we finally managed to approve one, the audit of previous years' accounts was not finalized as stipulated by the Constitution."Saba also shed the light on the rampant corruption that is plaguing the Beirut Port, adding that the funds being squandered at said facility can easily cover the pay hike for civil servants. "Why is the monthly salary of the Port's director higher than that received by the president of the Republic, the prime minister and the Central Bank governor?" he asked.

2019 Bank Deposits Seen Growing a `Conservative' $7-$8 Billion
Reuters/Thursday 28th February 2019/Lebanon’s domestic bank deposits are forecast to grow by a “conservative” $7 billion to $8 billion in 2019 compared with $5.6 billion in 2018, a senior Lebanese banker said on Wednesday. Freddie Baz, a top executive at Bank Audi, said sentiment had improved in Lebanon since Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri formed a new national unity government in January, saying this “by itself triggers increased inflows”.“So we assumed a conservative $8 billion increase in the deposit base is reasonable (for 2019) - around $7 billion to $8 billion,” Baz told Reuters. Lebanon’s private-sector deposit growth is closely watched. The country, which has one of the largest public-debt burdens in the world, depends on financial transfers from its diaspora to finance its budget and current account deficits. “The forecasted growth in deposits is beyond what is needed to cope with the additional financing needs of the domestic economy,” Baz said. Those needs were around $6 billion in total for both the public and private sectors, he said. Baz, who is Bank Audi’s vice-chairman of the board of directors and group strategy director, said inflows would increase further if the government follows through on promised economic reforms. Implementation of long-stalled reforms, including in Lebanon’s power sector, would “definitely translate into increased private inflows towards Lebanon”, he said. “We are in a wait-and-see mode. We believe in (giving the new government) the grace period of the first 100 days.”The government’s policy statement has committed to fast and effective reforms needed to put the public finances on a sustainable path. International donor institutions and foreign governments want to see reforms before releasing some $11 billion in financial assistance pledged at a Paris conference last year. Net profits at Bank Audi, which has subsidiaries in countries including Egypt, Turkey and Jordan, climbed by 8 percent in 2018 to $501 million. Baz attributed that to factors including a de-risking strategy that had limited credit costs and significant savings from rationalisation measures including a recruitment freeze. “In 2019, we will follow suit on the same principles,” he said. Bank Audi is targeting higher profits for this year, he said, but added “it is going to be a difficult year because there is still persisting volatility”.

Ex-Nissan Chief Carlos Ghosn Makes Fresh Bail Request
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 28/19/Lawyers for former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn on Thursday filed a fresh bail request for the auto titan after more than three months of detention, the Tokyo District Court said. It is the first bail request filed by the 64-year-old since he shook up his legal team as he crafts his defence on three charges of financial misconduct. The former high-flying executive has been in detention since his shock November 19 arrest, and has tried repeatedly without success to secure bail. Ghosn's legal team was not immediately available for comment on the new bail request. His previous legal team deployed a rarely-used article of the Japanese constitution to force the court to explain why the Franco-Lebanese-Brazilian remained in detention. A judge said Ghosn's continued detention was justified because he posed a flight risk and there was a possibility he would conceal evidence.
Ghosn and his lawyers have argued that neither of those is the case, and he even offered to wear a tracking bracelet and hire guards to monitor his whereabouts, pledging to stay in Japan. But so far the courts have shown no inclination to end his lengthy pre-trial detention, which has drawn some criticism internationally and from rights groups. Prosecutors have defended his detention while they investigate three charges of financial misconduct, two involving alleged under-reporting of his salary and a third over a complex scheme in which Ghosn allegedly sought to transfer his losses to Nissan's books. Ghosn has denied all the allegations against him, and in an interview with AFP from his Tokyo detention he slammed his continued detention. "Why am I being punished before being found guilty?" Ghosn asked, speaking to AFP and the Les Echos daily in January. The refusal to grant him bail "would not be normal in any other democracy," he said. Ghosn earlier this month shook up his legal team, replacing his previous lead lawyer -- a former prosecutor -- with hot-shot lawyer Junichiro Hironaka, who has a history of taking on high-profile cases.

Latest LCCC English Miscellaneous Reports & News published on March 01/2019
Iran's Zarif Returns to His Post, Receives Invitation to Visit Damascus
Tehran - Asharq Al-Awsat /Thursday, 28 February, 2019/Iranian President Hassan Rouhani officially rejected the resignation of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, which he submitted earlier this week. “Accepting your resignation would be against the benefit of the country, so I reject it,” Rouhani said in a letter to Zarif published on the government’s website. Zarif spoke on the phone on Wednesday with his Syrian counterpart, Walid al-Moualem, Fars news agency reported. He also received an invitation from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to visit Damascus.
The Iranian minister also held a phone discussion with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi and offered mediation between India and Pakistan after the tension between the two countries intensified. He took part in the reception of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who arrived in the Iranian capital on Wednesday morning.In response to Rouhani’s rejection of his resignation, Zarif said: “I have had no concern other than elevating [our] foreign policy and the credibility of the Foreign Ministry as the person in charge of advancing foreign policy and protecting national interests and people's rights in the international arena.” His comments appeared on his Instagram page, as reported by Mehr news agency. A senior commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday that Zarif was the main figure responsible for Iran’s foreign policy, adding that he enjoyed the support of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Although Zarif did not give specific reasons for his sudden resignation two days ago, Iranian media reports indicated that he took this step as he was not invited to a meeting between Rouhani and Assad in Tehran on Monday.
“The absence of Zarif was the result of a bureaucratic error,” said Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. “There is evidence that there was no intention to exclude Mr. Zarif from this meeting, and I should emphasize that he is the main official of the country's foreign policy as the foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he remarked.

UN Says Israel Committed War Crimes While Responding to Gaza Protests, Israel Rejects Report
Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 28 February, 2019/United Nations investigators said on Thursday Israeli security forces may have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in killing 189 Palestinians and wounding more than 6,100 at weekly protests in Gaza last year, Reuters reported. The independent panel said it had confidential information about those it believes to be responsible for the killings, including snipers and commanders. “The Israeli security forces killed and maimed Palestinian demonstrators who did not pose an imminent threat of death or serious injury to others when they were shot, nor were they directly participating in hostilities,” it said in its report. For its part, Israel rejected what the report stated, as acting Foreign Minister Israel Katz described it “another hostile, mendacious and slanted report against the State of Israel ... No one can deny Israel the right of self-defense and the obligation to defend its citizens and borders from violent attacks.” According to Reuters, the panel, led by Argentine legal expert Santiago Canton, said individual members of the Israeli security forces killed and gravely injured civilians who were “neither directly participating in hostilities nor posing an imminent threat”. “Some of these violations may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity and must be immediately investigated by Israel,” Canton said. Thirty-five children, two journalists and three “clearly-marked” paramedics were among those killed by Israeli forces, in violation of international humanitarian law, it said. In the ongoing border protests dubbed ‘The Great March of Return’, Gazans are calling for the right to return to lands from which their ancestors fled or were forced to flee.

Israel Arrests Leaders in Jerusalem, West Bank
Ramallah- Kifah Zboun/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 28 February, 2019/Israel arrested the governor of Jerusalem, Adnan Ghaith, as part of a large campaign in the city and the West Bank, which also targeted members of the Revolutionary Council of Fatah movement, in addition to cadres and activists.
Occupation forces and intelligence members stormed the house of the governor, arrested him, and took him to the police station for investigations. Israel accuses Ghaith of “threatening state security and carrying out illegal activities,” referring to his role as the representative of the Palestinian president in Jerusalem. The occupation forces prohibit the authority to work in the city. Ghaith was detained along with 21 Palestinians in the city. Israel arrested about 100 Palestinians before it decided to remove religious figures from Al-Aqsa Mosque, including the head of the Awqaf Council, Sheikh Abdelazim Salhab.
Palestinians said the arrests came in the wake of events in the Old City of Jerusalem after Palestinians managed to open the Gate of Mercy prayer hall on Friday after a 16-year closure. The Islamic Awqaf Council held an emergency meeting on Wednesday at Al-Aqsa Mosque to discuss the latest developments concerning the Gate of Mercy, after members of the special unit of the Israeli occupation police stormed the prayer hall and began filming the worshippers inside it. The Israeli occupation police chief and intelligence officers took part in the raid. Recent developments at the Gate of Mercy caused tension between Israel and Jordan. Israeli sources said the events in the Al-Aqsa Mosque could lead to a diplomatic crisis with Jordan.

Netanyahu Meets Putin, Vows to Prevent Iran's Entrenchment in Syria

Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 27 February, 2019/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Wednesday to prevent Iran from entrenching itself in Syria as he visited Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin focusing on regional security. For Netanyahu, it's the first trip to Moscow since September's downing of a Russian warplane by Syrian forces that were responding to an Israeli air strike. The incident left 15 Russian crew dead and threatened to derail close security ties between Russia and Israel, reported the Associated Press. Putin said at the start of Wednesday's talks that "it's very important to discuss the situation in the region and security issues." He added that the high-level consultations are essential in view of the evolving situation. Netanyahu began the talks by reaffirming Israel's strong determination to block attempts by Iran to establish a foothold in Syria. "The greatest threat to stability and security in the region comes from Iran and its satellites," he said. "We are determined to continue with our aggressive action against the efforts of Iran, which calls for our destruction, and against its attempts to entrench militarily in Syria." Moscow has played a delicate diplomatic game of maintaining friendly ties with both Israel and Iran. Last summer, Moscow struck a deal with Tehran to keep its fighters away from the Golan Heights to accommodate Israeli concerns about the Iranian presence in Syria. Netanyahu noted that he and Putin have had 11 meetings since September 2015 and hailed "the direct, open and true way in which we maintain the relationship between Russia and Israel." "The direct connection between us has been an essential element that has prevented risks and conflicts between our militaries, and that has contributed to regional security and stability," the Israeli leader said.

Israel Lost Between Targeting Hamas, Striking a Deal
Tel Aviv – Nazir Magally/Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 28 February, 2019/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his aides can’t decide whether to conduct a harsh military strike against Hamas movement in Gaza Strip or reach a comprehensive deal with the movement, including a prisoner swap and a long-term truce, according to political sources in Tel Aviv. Netanyahu's aides went on to examine which option would be most effective for him in the general elections scheduled for April 9. Sources said that Netanyahu is facing strong criticism from his opponents in Israel, the West, and the Arab world, because he agreed to transfer funds to Hamas and at the same time cut funds from the Palestinian Authority (PA). Opposition groups in Israel accuse him of supporting and encouraging Hamas, while running a campaign to incite Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who declared his willingness to negotiate unconditionally for a peace settlement, as well as a crackdown on Fatah in Jerusalem and the West Bank. Others are pressuring Netanyahu to wage a war against Hamas or at least a limited strike hard to dispel and refute charges of collusion with hardline forces against moderates. While some parties believe a deal with Hamas serves Netanyahu more, given that it will include bringing back the remains of two Israeli soldiers and the release of two Israeli prisoners with Hamas, which will bring him great electoral gains.
Hamas announced that the prisoners' lists, which they intend to request for release in a new exchange deal, were "ready" stressing the issue is determined by approving its conditions. Israeli right-wing circles uncovered that the two sides are “secretly holding talks” brokered by Egypt, and Netanyahu began to soften his opposition to a number of Hamas conditions, such as the release of the captives of the Gilad Shalit deal that Israel re-arrested. Israeli Channel 7, pro-extremist settlers, reported that a new exchange deal may be held soon, and specifically ahead of the upcoming Knesset elections. Journalist Yoni Ben-Menachem, known for his close links to the ruling right, quoted sources, including Hamas sources, that Israel is seeking a new exchange deal, and Netanyahu wants to use this deal in his electoral campaign. Menachem pointed out that Shin Bet officials met 30 prisoners of the executors of Shalit deal in order to arrange for their release. “Hamas demanded the release of 1500 prisoners, including 500 sentenced to life imprisonment in exchange for the release of soldiers held in their custody.”Observers do not rule out that Netanyahu is using “carrot and stick policy” with Hamas only within the framework of his electoral calculations. On one hand, Netanyahu urges Hamas to achieve a deal and on the other threatens to wage a war. In both cases, the decision will only be based on the development of his electoral campaign and the interests of his position in the government and defeating his opponents from the party of generals led by Benny Gantz.

Facing bribery charges, Netanyahu decries 'political plot' to topple him from power
Ynetnews/Ynet, News Agencies/February 28/19/Prime minister lashes out at 'unprecedented witch hunt' in national TV address, says he is victim of 'blood libel' in campaign whose sole purpose is to replace him with Gantz and Lapid; vows to refute all charges. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out Thursday after Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit called for him to be indicted on multiple corruption charges, accusing the country's most senior judicial and law enforcement officials of being part of a witch hunt designed to bring him down.
In an appearance on national television, shortly after Mandelblit's recommendations were released, Netanyahu called the timing of the announcement, six weeks ahead of elections, "outrageous" and accused his political opponents of carrying out an "unprecedented witch hunt." "The pressure of the left worked," Netanyahu said, saying the attorney general's recommendations threatened the country's democracy. He called the accusations lies and a "blood libel" and said he would debunk all charges against him. "There is nothing, because there was nothing," Netanyahu said, invoking a mantra he frequently uses to proclaim his innocence. Mandelblit, who was once Netanyahu's cabinet secretary, recommended bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges in Case 4000, in which Netanyahu is suspected of receiving favorable coverage on the Walla! News website in return for regulatory benefits to telecommunications giant Bezeq, which owns the site.
The attorney general also called for charges of fraud and breach of trust in both Case 1000, in which Netanyahu and his family are suspected of receiving illicit gifts from wealthy donors, and Case 2000, in which Netanyahu allegedly tried to negotiate favorable coverage in the Yedioth Ahronoth daily (Ynetnews' sister publication) in return for promoting legislation against rival paper Israel Hayom. "For three years they have been engaged in political persecution against us, an unprecedented witch hunt with the sole purpose of overthrowing the right-wing government under my leadership and bringing (Yair) Lapid and (Benny) Gantz's left-wing party to power," said Netanyahu, referring to the leaders of the party that poses the greatest threat to his political survival on April 9. "They exerted constant, inhumane pressure on the attorney general to say that he was considering filing an indictment against me, subject to a hearing, even when it was clear that there is nothing (there). "The main thing is to influence the elections, even when we know that this house of cards will collapse completely afterwards. And given that the attorney general is only flesh and blood, the pressure of the left worked. Today happened something of the utmost seriousness to harm Israeli democracy," he said."Every citizen understands that the timing is scandalous and is meant to topple the right from power and bring in the left. There is no other explanation for the insistence on this timing, so close to the elections. And this is their goal - to inundate the public with ridiculous and vicious plots against me, so that I will not have the opportunity to refute these claims now, but rather only after the elections. But be in no doubt - I will refute them all, from start to finish.

Netanyahu Says Graft Allegations a 'Witch Hunt' to Topple Him
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 28/19/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday called corruption allegations a "witch hunt" meant to topple him after the attorney general announced plans to indict him. Speaking in a televised statement a couple of hours after the attorney general's announcement, Netanyahu said he planned on being prime minister for a long time to come despite the allegations.
The announcement comes ahead of April 9 elections.

Syria Force Poised for Final Assault on IS
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 28/19/Kurdish-led fighters readied Thursday for a final onslaught against jihadist fighters who have been defending the last patch of their "caliphate" in eastern Syria. The Syrian Democratic Forces were still struggling however to cope with the influx of families pouring out of Baghouz, the Islamic State group's last bastion. The thousands of famished and often wounded women and children filling the Al-Hol camp, a six-hour drive to the north, has raised fears of an outbreak of dysentery. "We want the evacuation operations to finish as soon as possible so we can move to the next phase: an assault or the surrender" of the jihadists still inside, SDF spokesman Adnan Afrin told AFP. The SDF estimates the number of people inside the last IS redoubt, a patch of half a square kilometre on the banks of the Euphrates river, at anything from a few hundred to several thousand. "We're not sure about the number of civilians still inside but everyday we're astonished by the number of people coming out. We didn't expect that," Afrin said. The SDF also announced Thursday its forces had secured the release of 24 of their comrades who had been captured by the jihadists but did not specify how.
Foreigners
There has been little fighting recently, with the use of human shields by the jihadists preventing major air raids to prepare for a ground assault. The US-backed SDF is ready to move from the west and north of Baghouz while the Syrian regime fighters and Iraqi paramilitaries sealing the siege are stationed across the river and border. Accounts from women who have left the enclave in recent days suggest IS is allowing many families to go, sending them to a hill from which they can walk to an assembly point and hand themselves over. "We have been waiting here a long time for the vehicles that will take us out," said Nadia al-Hamid, a woman from the nearby city of Mayadin. "Some of the Islamic State fighters say they want to die there," she said, claiming only foreign jihadists are left inside. Thousands of women like Nadia, usually veiled in black from head to toe and their arms loaded with scruffy infants and bulging bags, have been trucked to the camp of Al-Hol in recent days. The wave of arrivals has overwhelmed the Kurdish authorities, who have urged the world to step up the aid effort.
Sleeping rough
Many of the civilians who spent months holed up in the last dreg of the "caliphate" proclaimed almost five years ago, are in bad physical and mental health. "There have been more than 100 cases of diarrhoea among new arrivals and efforts are ongoing to prevent an outbreak of dysentery," the International Rescue Committee said. "We are now seeing thousands of people sleeping rough in the arrivals area at the camp, where they are exposed to the cold, wind and rain," said Misty Buswell, the IRC's Middle East advocacy director. "Many of the children are having to cope without shoes or coats," she added. Save the Children has also said much more should be done to treat the trauma suffered by the hundreds of children emerging from the ruins of the IS "caliphate". Many of them have witnessed atrocities such as beheadings and stonings, experienced hunger and lived through daily bombardment, the British charity said. Among the men suspected of being IS fighters, some are sent to different camps in the northeastern region of Syria administered by the Kurds. Detained jihadists' countries of origin are reluctant to repatriate them, fearing a public backlash and security threats.

U.N. Envoy Proposes New International Forum for Syria
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 28/19/The new United Nations envoy for Syria proposed Thursday that major powers create a common international forum to move the war-battered country toward peace. Geir Pedersen, who took up his post in January, made the proposal during his first appearance before the U.N. Security Council, which remains deeply divided over the way forward in Syria. "There is a shared sense that battlefield developments might be winding down," Pedersen told the council. "Nevertheless, the conflict is far from over." "If we are to see how issues can be unblocked and how to help the parties move in a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned process, a common forum where key states engage seriously on those issues may be needed," he said. Russia, a veto-wielding council power whose backing for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been a decisive factor in the war, has taken a lead role in diplomatic efforts through the Astana group with Iran and Turkey. U.N. diplomacy on Syria has been largely sidelined by the Astana group, while the United States has shifted its attention away from the Syria conflict. President Donald Trump has announced that he is pulling out the bulk of U.S. forces sent to battle Islamic State jihadists.Pedersen noted that five international armies operate across Syria's land and air space, creating daily risks for escalation and pledged to focus on improving international dialogue and cooperation. Addressing the council, Russia appeared to welcome the proposal, even if it questioned the West's motives in Syria. "We are open to cooperation with all interested parties that want sincerely -- and I underscore that word sincerely -- to facilitate stabilization and progress on a political settlement in Syria," said Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia. Pedersen, a Norwegian diplomat who took over the Syria file from Swedish-Italian envoy Staffan de Mistura, has traveled to Damascus for talks and worked hard to establish good relations over the past few weeks. The envoy said a much-discussed constitutional committee to pave the way to elections in Syria should be convened as soon as possible, although disputes continue over lists of participants. "I am conscious of the need to end this conflict for the sake of Syria, the region and the world," Pedersen told the council. "I know you all understand the scale and the difficulty of my task."The war in Syria will enter its ninth year in March, with more than 360,000 people dead and half of the country's pre-war population displaced.

Damascus Calls on Syrians to Leave Camp near Jordan Border

Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 28/19/Syria's government on Thursday called on thousands of displaced Syrians stranded near their country's southern border with Jordan to return to their homes, as the U.N. appealed for protection guarantees. Nearly 50,000 Syrians are living in squalid conditions in Rukban, an isolated desert camp located near the Al-Tanf base used by the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group. The Syrian government and regime-ally Russia said on February 19 that they have opened corridors from Rukban, calling on residents to leave the settlement. Damascus renewed the call on Thursday, SANA state news agency said, citing an unnamed foreign ministry source. "Out of concern for the interest of its citizens, Syria renews its call to our people in the Rukban camp to leave this settlement and return to their cities and villages," the source said. "The Syrian government will do everything it can to facilitate the transfer of these citizens from the camp to their place of residence," he added. No civilians are believed to have left Rukban in the two weeks since Russia and Syria announced the opening of corridors, Panos Moumtzis, the U.N. regional coordinator for Syria told AFP on Thursday. "So far, as far as we know, there has not been any movement of civilians outside of Rukban," he said. The official said the U.N. is not involved in the opening of the corridors but noted that most Syrians are seeking protection guarantees before deciding to leave. "Most of the people from Rukban, more than 95 percent, want to leave and most of them actually want to go back to government-held areas," Moumtzis said. "But they have expressed concerns on issues related to protection... basically they want to know that they will be safe," he added. Conditions inside the settlement are dire, with many surviving on just one simple meal a day, often bread and olive oil or yoghurt, according to one resident. Severe weather has hit the region in recent weeks, including heavy and sustained rainfall that flooded the settlement. Earlier this month, a humanitarian convoy of 133 trucks delivered food, clothes, healthcare items and medical supplies to the camp's residents. The February 6 delivery was the second delivery in three months. Syria's civil war has killed more than 360,000 people and displaced millions since it started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011.

Trump 'Walks' as North Korea Talks End Abruptly without Deal
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 28/19
The U.S.-North Korea nuclear summit in Hanoi ended abruptly without a deal Thursday, with President Donald Trump saying he had decided to "walk" in the face of Kim Jong Un's demands to drop sanctions. The much-anticipated second meeting between the two leaders was supposed to build on their historic first summit in Singapore, but they failed to sign a joint statement as initially scheduled and the talks ended in deadlock. "Sometimes you have to walk and this was just one of those times," an unusually downbeat Trump told reporters. "Basically they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn't do that," Trump said before leaving Vietnam aboard Air Force One to head back to Washington. In an exceptionally rare midnight press conference in Hanoi, North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho hit back, saying Pyongyang had made a "realistic proposal" at the summit and that the North was seeking partial, not total, sanctions relief. Pyongyang had offered to "permanently and completely dismantle all the nuclear production facilities" at its Yongbyon nuclear complex if the U.S. dropped sanctions "that hamper the civilian economy and the livelihood of our people," he said.The North Koreans appeared to be looking to make their case to the world after Trump held a press conference to insist that progress had been made and boded well for the future, despite the failure to reach an agreement in Hanoi. "I'd much rather do it right than do it fast," the U.S. president said, reiterating his "close relationship" with Kim. "We just like each other... there's a warmth that we have and I hope that stays, I think it will," he said.
'Major failure'
The outcome in Hanoi fell far short of the pre-meeting expectations and hopes, after critics said their initial historic meeting in Singapore was more style over substance. The leaders walked away with no set plans for a third meeting, though Trump said he hopes to see Kim again soon. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who accompanied Trump to Vietnam, said both sides "need to regroup" before agreeing to another meeting, adding: "My sense is it will take a little while." Pompeo, who flew to the Philippines after leaving Vietnam, said there was much goodwill between Trump and Kim, and "there's still a basis for believing that we can move forward" even though the Hanoi talks had fallen short. Ankit Panda, from the Federation of American Scientists, warned on Twitter that "Kim may have left irate, for all we know. He may have no intention of continuing this."In the original White House program, a "Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony" had been scheduled with a working lunch. Instead both men left the summit venue without signing anything and Trump moved up his news conference by two hours. "This is a major failure," tweeted Joe Cirincione, president of the Ploughshares Fund peace foundation, saying it showed the limit of summitry, with "not enough time or staff" to work out a deal. Trump flew around the world for the meeting and Kim undertook a mammoth two-and-a-half-day trek through China in his olive green train, traveling 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles). Kim will stay on in Vietnam for a state visit, which will include a wreath-laying ceremony at the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, before his expected departure Saturday. The U.S. president, who touted his "special relationship" with Kim, frequently dangled the prospect of a brighter economic future for a nuclear-free North Korea, at one point saying there was "AWESOME" potential. But Harry Kazianis, Director of Korean Studies at the Center for the National Interest, said that no agreement was better than a bad one. "The challenge is North Korea's nuclear weapons are already a reality," he said. "Getting a deal that does little to nothing to remove that threat would be far worse than a flawed deal."In a phone call to South Korean President Moon Jae-in soon after the meeting ended, Trump "expressed regret" at not striking a deal with Kim, Seoul's presidential office said.
'Rocket man'
In Singapore Kim and Trump signed a vague document in which Kim pledged to "work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula."Progress subsequently stalled, with the two sides disagreeing on what that means, as the North sought relief from sanctions and Washington pressed for concrete steps towards it giving up its weapons. As in Singapore, the two men put on a show of bonhomie in Vietnam, appearing to share jokes in front of reporters. Looking relaxed but appearing to say little, they indulged in a poolside stroll Thursday around the gardens of the luxury Metropole Hotel. It was a far cry from the height of missile-testing tensions in 2017 when Trump slammed Kim as "rocket man" and the younger man branded the American president a "mentally deranged U.S. dotard."In apparently unprecedented scenes, Kim answered unscripted questions from foreign reporters, saying he would welcome the establishment of a U.S. liaison office in Pyongyang, which would be a step on the way to diplomatic normalization. Before the summit, there was talk that there could be a political declaration ending the 1950-53 Korean War which finished technically with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. There were also hopes Kim could pledge to destroy North Korea's decades-old Yongbyon nuclear complex, which has long been at the heart of Pyongyang's atomic development but remains shrouded in secrecy.

Guaido Vows to Return to Venezuela Soon 'despite Threats'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 28/19/Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido said on Thursday he will return home "in the coming days... despite the threats," as Paraguay's president Mario Abdo announced the pair would meet in Asuncion on Friday. Guaido, recognized as Venezuela's interim leader by around 50 countries, was speaking after a meeting with Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro in Brasilia as he attempts to shore up regional support for his bid to oust socialist leader Nicolas Maduro. Maduro has said Guaido will face charges upon his return for having flouted a travel ban when he left for Colombia on Friday.

Dozen Journalists Arrested at Algiers Censorship Protest

Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 28/19/Algerian police arrested Thursday a dozen journalists protesting "censorship" of coverage of demonstrations against a fifth term for President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, as the prime minister compared the rallies to those that sparked Syria's war. A police official later said the journalists had been released. Around 100 print and broadcast journalists, working for both state-owned and private outlets, joined the demonstration in central Algiers against reporting restrictions they say have been imposed by media bosses on the protests that broke out last Friday. They shouted "No to censorship" and "Fourth estate, not a press that follows orders."As the demonstration got underway police arrested a dozen journalists, an AFP reporter said, sparking angry reactions from their colleagues who banged on the police vans that drove them away.
"Free our colleagues," the remaining demonstrators shouted. Motorists who witnessed the arrests honked their horns in solidarity and shouted "Free press". Two hours later police, including some in anti-riot gear, broke up the protest which had gathered at the "Place de la liberte de la presse" (Press Freedom Square) in central Algiers. The demonstrators tried to regroup at the Tahar Djaout Press House where several private newspapers have their offices, but they were again dispersed by the police. Hakim Belouar, spokesman for the Directorate General for National Security (DGSN) later told AFP that "no journalists" remained in police custody. Algeria has been hit by a wave of protests over 81-year-old Bouteflika's announcement he will seek a fifth term at an April 18 election.The veteran leader, who took power in 1999, has used a wheelchair since suffering a stroke in 2013 and is rarely seen in public. Tens of thousands took part in the first protests last Friday, and there have further demonstrations daily since, both in the provinces and in the capital, where the rallies are illegal. On Thursday Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia compared the growing protest movement to the peaceful demonstrations that erupted in Syria and sparked a war which is now nearing its ninth year.
Syria 'began with roses'
Speaking in parliament Ouyahia said some "demonstrators offered roses to the policemen. But we should recall that in Syria it also began with roses," he said. His remarks sparked ire from a number of lawmakers who stormed out of parliament, while others applauded the prime minister. "I am not trying to scare the people," Ouyahia said in his defense. Syria's war broke out in March 2011 after the brutal repression of nationwide anti-regime protests that demanded civil liberties and the release of political prisoners. It has since evolved into a complex conflict involving world powers, regional factions and jihadists that has left more than 360,000 people dead, according to a war monitor, and millions displaced. Ouyahia told parliament peaceful protests are among the rights enshrined in the Algerian constitution but he warned against the possibility that outside forces he did not name could "manipulate" demonstrators.
The scale of the protests have taken many by surprise and since last Friday students and lawyers have also demonstrated against Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term. At the same time both the state broadcaster and private channels owned by media magnates close to the government have kept silent about the protests.
State radio journalists said they had been ordered by management not to cover them. Press watchdog Reporters Without Borders -- which ranks Algeria 136th out of 180 in its World Press Freedom Index -- earlier accused the authorities of seeking to "muzzle" the media. On Thursday the group called for the immediate release of "all the journalists who were violently arrested." Bouteflika flew to Switzerland on Sunday for what the presidency called "routine medical checks" ahead of the election.

Libya Rivals Agree to Hold Polls, Says UN

Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 28/19/The head of Libya's internationally recognised government and a military strongman who backs a rival administration in the country's east have met and agreed to hold elections, the United Nations said Thursday. Unity government leader Fayez al-Sarraj met Khalifa Haftar on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, where they agreed "on the need to end the transitional phase through general elections and on ways to preserve the stability of #Libya and unify its institutions," the UN's Libya mission UNSMIL tweeted. Libya has been torn between rival administrations and a myriad of militias since the NATO-backed overthrow and killing of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. Chief among them are Sarraj's Government of National Accord, based in Tripoli, and an administration based in the east and backed by Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army. The leaders had agreed to a Paris-brokered deal in May 2018 to hold a nationwide election by the end of the year. But instability, territorial disputes and divisions in the oil-rich country delayed those plans. Talks in Italy in November laid bare deep divisions between the key power brokers, with some delegates refusing to sit side by side and Haftar snubbing the main conference to organise separate talks with international leaders. United Nations envoy Ghassan Salame told the UN Security Council last month that he was planning to organise a national conference inside Libya within weeks to pave the way for elections. But analysts have warned that the UN's efforts could be threatened after Haftar's forces launched an offensive into the south in mid-January, aimed at rooting out "terrorists" and foreign fighters. The LNA already controls vital oil installations in Libya's east. Powerful Tripoli-based militias have condemned Haftar's operation as a power grab, although the GNA itself has not been as explicit in its opposition.

Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 01/2019
Analysis: Trump Walking Away From N.Korea Increases Pressure On Iran

Yonah Jeremy Bob/Jerusalem Post/February 28/19
From Trump’s press conference, it appears that even with no deal, the two sides are still talking and there is no immediate danger of deterioration or escalation into a conflict. Everyone would have been thrilled if US President Donald Trump had reached a historic deal getting North Korea to denuclearize.
But in the absence of that, the result could turn out to be very positive from the Israeli perspective, since it could put more pressure on Iran. From Trump’s press conference, it appears that even with no deal, the two sides are still talking and there is no immediate danger of a deterioration or escalation into a conflict. Just as importantly, Trump said that one always needs to be ready to walk away from a half deal which will not solve the overall problem. Many thought going into the summit that Trump was so desperate for a deal that he would sign almost anything and make major concessions to North Korea in exchange for only partial denuclearization. That was clearly what North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wanted. From Trump’s press conference, it appears clear that part of the sticking point was North Korea was offering to dismantle its YongByon nuclear facility and possibly others in exchange for a full removal of US sanctions. But as Trump and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pointed out, signing that deal would have left the North without a declaration that it will give up all of its nuclear weapons stock and a large number of other facilities. If Trump had cut such a deal, Iran could have pushed back against US sanctions and asked why it needs to make more concessions when Pyongyang got a deal without even giving up its nuclear weapons. Israel has strong hopes that the current US pressure campaign will lead to Iran rolling back its ballistic missile testing and reducing its footprint in Syria. All of that might have been put into question by a premature deal with chairman Kim. Just wait out Trump and eventually he will crack for a face-saving partial deal, they may have thought in Tehran. None of this means that the final result of US-North Korea negotiations will have a good impact on the nuclear standoff with the Islamic Republic. Either blown negotiations, which leads to a conflict, or a premature deal could still be negative. But it does mean a win for Israel since, at this particular stage, the Trump administration and those forces looking to send a message to Tehran that it cannot wear down the US pressure, are holding their ground.

Iran's Diligent Investment In Empire
البرتو م. فرنانديز/ميمري: الاستثمار الإيراني الدؤوب في الإمبراطورية
Alberto M. Fernandez/MEMRI/February 28/19

http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/72588/alberto-m-fernandez-memri-irans-diligent-investment-in-empire-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%AA%D9%88-%D9%85-%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%B2-%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%A7/
The Iranian revolutionary regime, that just celebrated its 40th anniversary is undergoing a deep, continuing domestic crisis. Demonstrations that began in December 2017 in the city of Mashhad over economic conditions and corruption spread across the country and continued into 2018. In some cities, protests centered on the lack of potable water. Iranian Sufis and members of the country's restive Arab minority have also staged demonstrations. This unrest has continued even into 2019.
This turmoil preceded the Trump administration's withdrawal in May 2018 from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) and the imposition of new American sanctions in November 2018 targeting Iranian regional adventurism and development of ballistic missiles.
By most standards, the Iranian regime inside Iran is in trouble, although the mullahs have faced similar challenges in the past 40 years. But while domestically Iran is struggling, regionally it is pursuing an ambitious generational agenda, which seeks to reshape much of the region in its own image.
Much has been written about Iranian subversion and expeditionary militarism in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen, and indeed, about Iranian terrorism throughout the world. The ties with groups like Hamas and its full partner Hizbullah are historic, and pro-Iran militias in Syria and Iraq are an ongoing years-long story. The military-security-intelligence relationship between Iran and its regional proxies is the heart of its power projection.
Somewhat less known are Iranian "soft-power," political, or non-military efforts from Iraq to Beirut, which seek to create facts on the ground and extend Iran's influence. Indeed, as Iranian power seems shaky at home, it is working to establish deep and permanent roots in the region outside of its own political borders.
As the great Shia Muslim power in a mostly Sunni region, Iran has, of course, often worked through non-Iranian co-religionists who serve as foot soldiers ensuring the supremacy of Iranian proxies. These populations are rewarded with land and housing in a wide swath of territory stretching from Lebanon to Mesopotamia. While Sunnis are the losers in population exchanges and demographic shifts in places like Southern Syria and Damascus, in Northern Iraq's Nineveh Plains it is the country's ancient Christian population that is slowly but surely being pushed out by Shabak militia armed and supported by Iran. Iran also brazenly seeks to divide Iraqi provinces like Salahiddin on a sectarian basis.
However, the IRGC is nothing if not pragmatic. Iran does not just rely on pro-Iran Shi'ites but seeks to forge ties with non-Shia and even non-Muslims who are amenable to different types of persuasion. Iran's support for various Palestinian groups is nothing new, and, in fact, the relationship between the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Iranian revolutionaries predated the fall of the Shah. Iranian support for Sunni Islamist Hamas is nothing new, as is its "tactical cooperation" with the supposedly anti-Iran Salafi-jihadis of Al-Qaeda, which has found safe haven among the Iranian national security apparatus for almost two decades.
Far from pursuing a solely Shi'a policy, in Lebanon Iran has its own pro-Hizbullah Maronites or Druze, and the introduction of pro-Hizbullah (and anti-Sa'ad Hariri) Sunni Muslims was a major sticking point in the 2018 formation of the new Lebanese cabinet.
In the key future battlefield bordering Israel that is Southern Syria, Iran and Hizbullah are steadily at work in cultivating productive ties with Sunni Arab rebels who had actually been fighting the Assad regime.
In the field of media, Iran can count on a wide variety of proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq, which can be used to promote Iranian talking points and used in influence operations. And pro-Iranian media proxies are not limited to the Arabic language.
Iran also seeks to promote greater influence through cultural and educational ties in the Arab Middle East. These are generally similar to the work done by diplomatic cultural centers belonging to other countries, including Western ones. Iranian universities outside Iran, seen as important centers of educational influence for the regime, are now found in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates. A key figure in Iran's university outreach (as well as in diplomacy and religious propaganda) is former foreign minister Ali Akbar Velayati. Of course, this Arab university outreach effort by Iran is rich in irony, given the role that Iranian university students play in confronting the regime back home.
Iran and its allies today seek to promote Twelver Shi'ism among Sunni Eastern Syrian tribes and even among heterodox religious groups like Druze and Alawites. Of course, treating syncretic Alawites as mainstream Shia goes back to at least the 1970s and has always been more motivated by the politics of convenience rather than actual religious faith. Iranian missionaries have been working with some success to convert Syrian Alawites and Ismailis to Twelver Shi'ism for years well before the Syrian Civil War but the religious ambitions go much further.
Perhaps even more important than the success to date Iran has had in its "soft-power" non-military mode is the way it works. If Americans are the global masters at an "air game," reaching out from afar to effect change either by a drone strike or a presidential phone call, Iran in the Arab Middle East has worked diligently on a "ground game" of patient and gradual work. By building relationships, cultivating proxies and allies, Iran embeds itself in the fabric of local societies and excels in the retail politics of diplomacy.
Of course, taking over non-military parts of governments that can be monetized and directed towards building those relationships, as Iran's principal surrogate in Lebanon did recently by acquiring the Health Ministry, makes retail diplomacy and empire building more cost effective.
In contrast with those ponderous motorcades of senior American diplomats, IRGC Qods Force commander Qassem Suleimani and other senior Iranian leaders travel simply and modestly, building local networks, diligently working multiple channels of influence, whether it comes through visiting Jalal Talabani's tomb or sitting and drinking tea with local Iraqi tribes.
Neither the U.S. nor any Western state can match Iran's imperial ground game in the Fertile Crescent states. Only the U.S. has the ability to do so, but such an expansive and intrusive footprint is now beyond American aspirations.
But certainly a new American policy that seeks to seriously challenge Iranian hegemony in this region must factor in not only Iran's nuclear and missile ambitions, and its substantial military proxies on the ground, but also the full range of Iranian power projection throughout society as a whole. Such a policy would point out how Iran is building a regional empire while its people at home struggle to find water and electricity.
*Alberto M. Fernandez is President of Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN). The views expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. Government.
https://www.memri.org/reports/irans-diligent-investment-empire

The Hodeida Redeployment Plan: A Slow Start in Yemen
Elana DeLozier/The Washington Institute/February 28/2019
Even as it nudges the parties to make good on their initial withdrawal agreements, Washington should counsel patience on what will likely be a long, bumpy road toward full peace talks.
Nearly two months after signing the Stockholm Agreement, the internationally recognized government of Yemen and the Houthi rebel group agreed to terms for implementing a narrow but critical part of that accord: the “redeployment” of their forces in certain parts of Hodeida province. The terms were agreed after talks on February 16-17 led by Lt. Gen. Michael Lollesgaard, the newly appointed head of the UN Mission in Support of the Hodeida Agreement and chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee. Although these steps represent only a piece of an already-narrow agreement, the UN is cautiously hopeful that they will be the first in a series of confidence-building measures ultimately leading to full peace talks.
SLOW START
Signed on December 13, the Stockholm Agreement focused on three issues: (1) redeploying forces in Hodeida, (2) creating a mechanism for prisoner exchanges, and (3) beginning discussions on implementing a ceasefire and opening humanitarian corridors in Taizz province. Despite its limited focus, the document was significant because it was the first agreement between the parties in two-and-a-half years. At the same time, its deliberately vague language bred little confidence that the parties had actually agreed to anything of substance. Nevertheless, the UN framed it as a positive statement of intent and indicated the parties would continue discussing its three areas of focus via committees.
As the weeks passed and the parties met, the UN continued its hopeful narrative that the Hodeida ceasefire was holding and talks were progressing. Yet media outlets on all sides were painting a different picture. Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam blamed the government for evading its obligations. Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition fighting on the government’s side released data on Houthi ceasefire violations—numbering 1,400 by February 14—and suggested that the rebels were “intentionally hindering the implementation to gain time to build their military capabilities.”
As a result, talks have been fraught, deadlines have repeatedly passed with no agreement, and even finding secure meeting locations acceptable to both parties has been difficult. On one occasion, after the Houthis refused to cross into government-controlled territory for a meeting, the UN creatively found neutral territory: a boat. Such examples underscore the severe lack of trust between the parties, though UN special envoy Martin Griffiths insists that both Yemeni parties have the “political will” to reach agreements.
WHAT THEY AGREED TO
Despite the delays, the parties managed to come to a narrow agreement on what the UN is calling “Phase 1” of the Hodeida withdrawal. This latest agreement does not cover the second phase of the withdrawal, prisoner exchange mechanisms, or Taizz.
In a recent interview on Al-Arabiya, Griffiths explained the two steps involved in Phase 1. First, the Houthis will redeploy from the ports of al-Salif and Ras Issa, which are north of Hodeida port, and remove the large number of landmines they have laid. Second, the Houthis will redeploy from Hodeida port itself, and both parties will move to agreed locations north and south to facilitate access to Red Sea Mills and other critical sites. Red Sea Mills is the World Food Programme’s main distribution facility for wheat and flour; according to Griffiths, it has enough storage to provide subsistence provisions for 3.7 million Yemenis for a month. This week, as part of the latest agreement, UN personnel were able to access the site for the first time since September, amid concerns that its wheat stocks might rot.
Under Phase 2, the terms of which have yet to be agreed, another set of redeployments will take place. Griffiths has indicated they will lead to the “demilitarization” of Hodeida city and allow for a humanitarian corridor.
Several issues remain unresolved. First, no one has specified the “local forces” that are supposed to assume responsibility for security in Hodeida port and city as the parties withdraw. The government worries that that Houthis will leave behind “local” personnel that are secretly loyal to them, as they have done in the past.
Second, the exact timing of the redeployments remains unclear. Initial reports suggested they should begin early this week. Access to Red Sea Mills is a start, but the port withdrawals appear delayed. Predictably, both sides are blaming each other. Some of the holdup may be logistical; for example, it is unclear how quickly the Houthis can clear the heavily mined al-Salif peninsula even if they put forth maximal effort toward that end. Other delays may be more political.
Whenever implementation finally occurs, the UN will be in charge of verifying compliance. If the Houthis do not comply in a reasonable amount of time, the patience of the Yemeni government, its coalition backers, and conceivably other international actors will wear thin, and the already fragile UN process may need U.S. intercession to ensure it survives. Toward that end, Washington should urge the coalition to remain patient and avoid publicly lambasting the UN process or undertaking further military campaigns.
WHAT’S NEXT?
If the UN deems Phase 1 of the Hodeida agreement a success, then negotiating Phase 2 will become the priority. If implementation fails, however, Phase 1 talks will reconvene with further erosion of trust.
Griffiths and his team are simultaneously focused on the two other major aspects of the Stockholm Agreement: prisoner releases and a Taizz humanitarian corridor. On the former, the Supervisory Committee on the Implementation of the Prisoner Exchange Agreement—made up of Houthi and Yemeni government representatives with participation by the International Committee of the Red Cross—has met several times in Amman, Jordan. The plan is to release prisoners in batches, with a large first batch to breed confidence in the process. Separately, the parties may conduct humanitarian releases, as occurred a few weeks ago when the Houthis freed an ill Saudi prisoner and Riyadh released seven Houthis in return.
Progress on the Taizz corridor has been slower. Since Stockholm, the parties have nominated members for a committee on the issue, but Griffiths stated that it has not met because the parties have not determined a safe location to do so. Once the committee convenes, its main goals will be opening humanitarian corridors through Taizz city (which has been under a crippling siege for much of the war) and implementing a local ceasefire. Such arrangements would also allow the key road between Sana and Aden to be used more freely, including by humanitarian agencies.
In the meantime, the UN convened its third High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen this week in Geneva. The organization asked for $4.2 billion—its largest appeal ever—for the 24 million people suffering there, and initial reports suggest it raised at least $2.6 billion. Yet money is only part of what is needed. Humanitarian corridors, port access, safe passage on key roads, and significant demining efforts are necessary to actually get aid to the people who need it, and each of these measures hinges on the parties reaching and implementing agreements regarding Hodeida and Taizz.
More broadly, all of the players need to keep in mind that the narrowly focused Stockholm process is only the opening act to full peace negotiations. Griffiths has purposefully referred to any discussions between the parties as “consultations” rather than “peace talks,” likely hoping that these confidence-building measures will enable the parties to address the war itself in a future round of discussions. When asked by Al-Arabiya if he believes another set of major talks can convene by this summer, he responded enthusiastically, implying that they may be possible even sooner.
The United States should back the special envoy’s efforts, but with a dash of caution. If the latest Hodeida agreement is implemented satisfactorily, progress toward wider talks should of course accelerate. Yet if the fraught efforts thus far are any indicator, genuine peace talks are still a long way off. What is needed above all from the United States, Britain, and other like-minded international partners is political will, unrelenting engagement, and an emphasis on patience, including within the Saudi-led coalition. These ingredients are crucial to sustaining what will inevitably be a slow, uncertain, and difficult process to end this complex conflict.
*Elana DeLozier is a research fellow in The Washington Institute’s Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy.

Assad Needs the United States and Its Allies for Reconstruction
جمانا قدور/معهد واشنطن/الأسد بحاجة إلى الولايات المتحدة وحلفائها لإعادة الإعمار
Jomana Qaddour/The Washington Institute/February 28/2019

http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/72600/jomana-qaddour-the-washington-institute-assad-needs-the-united-states-and-its-allies-for-reconstruction-%d8%ac%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%86%d8%a7-%d9%82%d8%af%d9%88%d8%b1-%d9%85%d8%b9%d9%87%d8%af-%d9%88%d8%a7/
Damascus and its partners can’t rebuild the country by themselves amid their growing budget crunch, so Washington has leverage on key transition issues even if Assad keeps stalling.
Since December, several Arab states have reopened their embassies in Syria, generating speculation about whether the Assad regime will participate in the Arab League’s upcoming summit after being excluded from the organization for more than seven years. As Damascus continues making incremental progress toward full regional integration, its biggest challenge will be securing the hundreds of billions of dollars required for postwar reconstruction. The Trump administration should therefore work with regional allies to decelerate this reintegration and leverage reconstruction funding to press U.S. interests.
SYRIA CANNOT FUND ITS RECONSTRUCTION ALONE
After years of destructive war, the Syrian economy is a shadow of what it once was. According to the country’s Central Bureau of Statistics, the GDP shrunk by four-fifths between 2010 and 2016. The World Bank determined that public revenue dropped from 23 percent of GDP in 2010 to less than 3 percent in 2015, and the lira depreciated by 459 percent during that same period due to lost oil revenues, a trade collapse fueled by sanctions, the emergence of a robust informal economy, a lack of local capacity to collect taxes, and other factors. The UN’s Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia estimates the cost of reconstruction to be almost $400 billion, 65 percent of it in the housing sector according to IMF data.
Meanwhile, much of Syria’s business community has fled, with the World Bank reporting that private investors’ share of GDP dropped from 12 percent in 2010 to 4 percent in 2015. The remaining business community is largely affiliated with Bashar al-Assad’s oligarchy: at least 270 individuals and 72 regime-connected businesses have been placed on U.S. Treasury lists, EU sanctions lists, or both, including prominent pro-regime figures Rami Makhlouf, Samer Foz, and Muhammad Hamsho.
LEGALIZING DISPOSSESSION
In short, Syria’s public and private sectors are not prepared to take on the challenge of nationwide reconstruction. Instead, they seem more focused on rewarding elites in the capital and other metropolitan areas while redrawing the country’s communal map. For example, rather than addressing the crucial task of providing housing to the nearly five million refugees still stuck abroad, current construction efforts center on pro-regime businessmen launching major luxury housing and entertainment projects in Damascus-area municipalities such as Marota City, Jobar, and al-Qabun, with more to come in Aleppo and Homs. According to local contractors, apartments in such developments will list at $3,500 per square meter ($300 per square foot), or nearly $500,000 for a three-bedroom unit, well beyond the reach of returning refugees.
At the same time, the government has been steadily appropriating as much property as it can, in part by issuing over twenty new property laws during the war. The controversial Law No. 10 (2018) created redevelopment zones across Syria and gave existing owners of property therein only one year to register their claims in person to government officials—an impossible condition to meet for many political dissidents, refugees, and other owners. This policy is also deeply problematic because only 50 percent of Syrian property was officially registered before the war, according to Human Rights Watch. Similarly, Law No. 3 (2018) permits governors to demolish private buildings on certain lands, while Legislative Decree No. 63 (2012) allows the government to seize property from “terrorists”—meaning any of the regime’s political opponents—without due process. Anecdotal reporting tells the same story, with some owners complaining that they have been dispossessed of lucrative property and paid as little as 10 percent of its value in return.
LIMITED FUNDING OPTIONS ABROAD
Despite the allure of lucrative new projects in a financially stagnant region, investors are not biting—not even Assad’s closest allies. Iran has signed several memorandums of understanding with Damascus on issues such as combatting money laundering and encouraging joint investment, but these agreements are more symbolic than financially significant. The uptick in sanctions since Washington withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal last year have limited the Islamic Republic’s spending power in Syria—though Tehran remains an important source of credit for Damascus, lending it $6-7 billion worth of crude oil since 2013.
Another ally, Moscow, has publicly insisted on being the primary broker of reconstruction after spending around $1.2 billion per year on military operations in Syria, according to the Russian newspaper Vedomosti. Yet the Kremlin faces its own financial challenges and cannot afford to subsidize such large-scale redevelopment. Instead, Russian firms have signed numerous contracts focused on extracting Syria’s resources, including a fifty-year deal by Stroytransgaz to monopolize phosphate production and various deals to liberate, defend, and/or develop oil and gas fields (e.g., with the company Evro Polis).
In contrast, EU member states have insisted that they will not commit reconstruction funds to Syria without tangible political progress. Indeed, they have gone further than the United States in sanctioning many of the corrupt Syrian businessmen on whom the regime is counting to secure foreign funding. In late January, the EU added 11 such businessmen and 5 entities to its burgeoning sanctions list, which now includes 270 Syrians and 70 entities total.
The prospect of securing funds from international financial institutions is currently unrealistic as well. In addition to the fact that Washington and Europe oppose such measures, the Assad regime has bitterly resisted making even modest economic reforms of the type that these institutions typically require, in terms of minimizing corruption and increasing transparency and accountability.
As for Arab states, their views on reconstruction are not monolithic. Egypt is in no position to invest, but it hosted Assad’s security advisor Ali Mamlouk in December and aspires to capitalize on new projects in Syria by sending laborers and state-owned companies to work there.
In Jordan and Lebanon, statistics are not yet available on the impact of reopening the Nasib border crossing, but any macroeconomic benefits would be marginal—according to the World Bank, trade with Syria constituted only 4 percent or less of each country’s overall foreign trade even before the war. To be sure, the crossing remains economically significant as part of a longtime transport route for Jordanian goods. Yet the Assad regime is exploiting the situation by charging massive customs fees—Jordanian and Lebanese trucks are now charged around $800 and $700, respectively, just to cross the frontier, according to the Jordan Truck Owners Association.
Among the Gulf states, Saudi Arabia remains hostile to the Assad regime and is therefore uninterested in reconstruction investment. Yet Riyadh’s close allies Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates are exploring the possibility of rehabilitating their relations with Damascus. In late January, the UAE hosted a high-profile meeting between a Syrian trade delegation and the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce regarding private-sector cooperation. Since that meeting, however, any ambitious plans have been put on hold, apparently due to U.S. pressure.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
The Trump administration’s stated policy objectives in Syria were reaffirmed at the February 6 meeting of the “Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS”: namely, to push back against Iranian hegemony, destroy the Islamic State, and condition reconstruction on real political progress outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2254. Now that the administration intends to relinquish most of its military leverage inside Syria, however, it will need to strategically coordinate with regional allies even more to achieve these objectives. Its last, best leverage in this regard is reconstruction.
Therefore, Washington should firmly condition the unlocking of financial and reconstruction assistance on Syrian political progress. Among other measures, it should require Damascus to take the following steps:
End forced conscription.
Acquiesce to the provisions of Resolution 2254, including national elections by 2021.
Distance all sanctioned regime figures from reconstruction projects.
Refrain from interfering with registered humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations.
Release the estimated 100,000 Syrian political prisoners it is holding.
Free all American prisoners, including Austin Tice and Majd Kamalmaz.
While Russia and Iran may have won the military phase of the war, they cannot win the peace so long as they are unable to rebuild Syria. More than ever, Assad and his allies desperately need international assistance. Yet even this glaring need may not be enough to compel regime action on any of the above steps. As Assad’s conduct during the war suggests, he cares little about the plight of the Syrian people and is unlikely to prioritize reconstruction over his own political survival. In the short term, he will likely try to wait out Washington and the EU while consolidating his grip on the country.
To make progress, then, Washington should not only leverage reconstruction dollars, but also increase Assad’s budgetary costs—for example, keeping oil and gas beyond his reach, which would create an acute necessity to make concessions. By bringing regional allies on board and further pressuring the regime, the United States may yet be able to achieve some of its objectives in Syria.
*Jomana Qaddour is a Syrian American analyst and doctoral student at Georgetown University Law Center, where she is focusing on Syrian constitutional issues.
https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/assad-needs-the-united-states-and-its-allies-for-reconstruction?fbclid=IwAR1uy0YJdEvknP5jrcsf7ZhHUNkLjIwPgGU2dKOqTaKeDxmyq_clKHGYluw