LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 12/2019

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
Metthew 07/01-12: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on March 11-12/2019
Lebanon to rehash refugee aid plan at Brussels conference
Controversy on Exclusion of Lebanese Minister from Brussels III Conference
Lebanon’s Battle Against Corruption Will Get Its Day in Court
Washington, Beirut Preparing for Pompeo's Visit
European 'Veto' on Jabaq and Gharib Stirs Governmental Tension
Hariri Holds Talks with King Salman in Riyadh
STL Says Rulings Timing Depends on 'Complexity' of Issues Mulled by Trial Chamber
Salam Meets Saniora: Some Trying to Seize Control of Judiciary
Samer Kabbara to Run in Tripoli Polls, Says Jamali 'Doesn't Know City'
Court Bans Carlos Ghosn From Attending Nissan Board Meeting
Hezbollah’s Plea for Donations Shows Sanctions Are Working
UK’s Hezbollah Ban May Signal Tougher Stance on Iran
Access to information law: A weapon to fight corruption in Lebanon
Hezbollah's latest attempt to consolidate its influence

Litles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 11-12/2019
Algeria's Embattled President Announces He Will Not Run for Fifth Term
Rouhani Visits Baghdad in Attempt to Limit Tehran’s Isolation
Rouhani Seeks to Counter U.S. Pressure on First Iraq Visit
Iraq Investigates 14 ISIS French Nationals
Experts to Asharq Al-Awsat: Iran Will Not Drag Iraq in its Battle against US
SDF Pounds Last ISIS Enclave in Eastern Syria
Bolton: Washington Optimistic London, Paris to Participate in Residual Syria Force
Former Israeli Defense Minister: Netanyahu Rejected Proposal to Assassinate Hamas Leaders
Abbas: We Extend our Hand to any Israeli Government Believing in 2-State Solution
Trump Ally Says Golan Should Stay in Israeli Hands
Sisi Warns Against Return of 2011 Scenario
Egypt Security Forces Kill Dozens of Militants in Northern Sinai
Canada's Parliamentary Secretary Goldsmith-Jones to attend international conference on supporting future of Syria and the region

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 11-12/2019
Lebanon to rehash refugee aid plan at Brussels conference/Arab News/March 11/19
Hezbollah’s Plea for Donations Shows Sanctions Are Working/The National/Editorial/March 11/19
UK’s Hezbollah Ban May Signal Tougher Stance on Iran/David Daoud/Atlantic Council/March 11/19
Access to information law: A weapon to fight corruption in Lebanon/Maria Matar and Zeina Nasser/Annahar/March 11/19
Hezbollah's latest attempt to consolidate its influence/Bassem Ajami/Annahar/March 11/19
A Month of Multiculturalism in Britain: February 2019/Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/March 11/19
"Is It Really Human Beings Doing This?"/Persecution of Christians, January 2019/Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/March 11/19
A King in a Changing World/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/March 11/19
What Is Mark Zuckerberg Really Saying About Facebook’s Future?/Shira Ovide/Bloomberg View/March 11/19
8 Years of War in 9 Minutes How Assad Won in Syria, What Israel Gained and What's Next for Iran/Amos Harel/Haaretz/March 11/19
Analysis/MBS Has a BDS Problem: Khashoggi’s Shadow Haunts the Saudi Crown Prince/Zvi Bar'el/Haaretz/March 11/19
Strenuous Israeli diplomacy with Egypt and Jordan defuses escalating disputes over Gaza, Temple Mount/DEBKAfile/March 11/19

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on March 11-12/2019
Lebanon to rehash refugee aid plan at Brussels conference
Arab News/March 11/19
Lebanon asks for $1 billion to help the Syrian refugees on its territory. Syrian refugees in Lebanon, even those with an official residence, are experiencing discrimination amid political divisions surrounding their return.BEIRUT: At a conference in Brussels on Tuesday and Wednesday, Lebanon will present the same plan it presented two years ago to alleviate its refugee burden.
The plan aims to help 1.5 million Lebanese, 1.5 million Syrian refugees and more than 208,000 Palestinian refugees. “After eight years of war, Syrian refugees have become increasingly exhausted, and 70 percent of them are in poverty,” Nasser Yassin, director of research at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs, told Arab News. “This conference comes at a time of political clashes in Lebanon between a party that wants a rapid return of the refugees, and a party that insists on respecting refugee rights and the right to a safe return.”Lebanese authorities are concerned by “a trend among European donor countries of merging funds allocated to Lebanon for the refugee crisis and those pledged … to support Lebanon,” Yassin said. Nadim Munla, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s adviser on refugees, said the country “can no longer bear the burden of the crisis. It’s no longer a humanitarian crisis. It’s now threatening Lebanon’s growth and stability.” Hariri had previously said: “In view of the increasing talk about refugees’ return, it’s dangerous to consider that it actually happened or will happen very soon, and thus overlook the increasing needs of Syrian refugees and host communities in Lebanon.”
Joelle Bassoul, the representative in Lebanon of Save the Children, said the country “is asking for $1.2 billion to assist host communities, $1 billion to help Syrian refugees on its territory, in addition to assisting Palestinian refugees in light of the decline in UNRWA’s (the UN Relief and Works Agency) contributions.”She added that “93 percent of Syrian refugees (in Lebanon) are living in cities, which means they’re paying expenses without receiving any help.”She said: “A total of 1 million births (among Syrian refugees) were registered in host countries since the start of the crisis, including 178,000 in Lebanon.”
George Ghali, executive director of the ALEF human rights organization in Lebanon, said: “The resettlement program for Syrian refugees in Western countries lost some momentum in recent years … This clearly reflects the international community’s attempt to evade its responsibilities toward host countries.”
Syrian refugees in Lebanon, even those with an official residence, are experiencing discrimination amid political divisions surrounding their return. This situation is mainly reflected through the closure of Syrian-owned shops, and arrests of Syrians for lacking an official residency or other documents.
Some Syrian refugees say they have been offered tourist visas to France, where — they have been told — they can request asylum, in exchange for them selling their land and property in Syria. Some have accepted the offer, and have been transported in containers from the port of Tripoli in northern Lebanon. “The Syrian regime’s allies and the international community must pressure it to facilitate the return process through a number of measures to reflect its good intentions,” said Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs Richard Kouyoumjian. He added that “90 percent of the refugees in Lebanon want to go back. We’d agreed on technical coordination with Syria to facilitate the journey of those wishing to return.”The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said: “The refugees need to be assured that they’ll have a safe, secure and decent return. They’ve voiced concerns about five main areas, including safety, housing, access to services, legal issues and job opportunities.” He added: “The commission is working in Syria to remove obstacles hampering refugees’ return, through a number of measures such as reconstructing schools and providing basic humanitarian assistance to allow reintegration.”
Grandi said: “The return has to be progressive, and the Syrian government has a significant role in ensuring suitable conditions.” He added that “165,000 refugees have already returned to their country.”

Controversy on Exclusion of Lebanese Minister from Brussels III Conference
Beirut - Caroline Akoum and Khalil Fleihan/ Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 March, 2019/Growing differences among Lebanese parties on the fate of Syrian refugees were reflected this week on the delegation representing Lebanon at the Brussels III Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region.
A dispute arose on Sunday over the failure to invite Minister of the Displaced Saleh Al-Gharib to Brussels to take part in the conference that is set to start Tuesday. Lebanon’s delegation is headed by Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who will be traveling to the Belgian capital with Education Minister Akram Chehayeb and Social Affairs Minister Richard Kouyoumjian. Gharib, who is close to the pro-Syria Lebanese Democratic Gathering party, regretted in a statement efforts made by some politicians to deal with the displaced Syrians in an unfavorable way. The Minister of the Displaced, who believes that Beirut should coordinate with the Syrian regime to resolve the refugee crisis, visited Damascus last month. Justice Minister Salim Jraissati rushed on Sunday to Gharib’s defense, saying, “We did not understand why the Minister of the Displaced was excluded from the official delegation heading to Brussels.”However, Kouyoumjian told Asharq Al-Awsat that the invitations were sent by the European Union and the United Nations. “Lebanon is not involved in this process,” he said. Informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that European delegates have informed Lebanese politicians about the need to unify their ranks on the Syrian refugee crisis in order to pressure the international community into meeting Lebanon’s demands at the conference. The event seeks to garner financial support for states that host large numbers of Syrian refugees.

Lebanon’s Battle Against Corruption Will Get Its Day in Court
Beirut - Youssef Diab/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 March, 2019/Lebanon’s newly-formed government has started taking executive action to drain the swamp, taking the fight against corruption a step beyond political and administrative planning. With the number of high-profile defendants beginning to bulge in detention centers—insofar, corruption scandals have managed to expose many of the country’s security officers and public sector employees—Lebanon’s judiciary, investigative bodies and attorneys are hustling to clear through the mounting casefiles, most of which are related to drug crimes. Justice Minister Albert Sarhan has drafted a roadmap for accelerating the processing of corruption-linked lawsuits and overcoming impediments facing the country’s judiciary, such as impunity enjoyed by public sector employees that require search warrants before state investigators can act. Insider sources said that Sarhan held in-depth discussions with high-profile judiciary officials behind closed doors, where they agreed to restrict immunity enjoyed during “preliminary investigations in cases of crooked prosecutors.” More so, the country’s justice system will also be keeping a close eye and looking into corruption exposés circulated by the media. Local media has been recently riding the wave of anti-corruption popular sentiment, releasing investigative reports and scoops on judges, legal assistants, lawyers, officers and members of different state security systems being complicit in corruption cases. “The war against corruption is an all-out one,” a judiciary source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Asharq Al-Awsat. “The country’s justice system, which is entrusted with exercising authority to prosecute criminals and corrupt individuals, is responsible for holding corrupt officials in their midst, whether they are judges or employees, accountable,” the source said. No accomplice must be spared, whether it be a “lawyer, security agent, doctor or any specialized professional whose reports and testimonies could affect the course of investigations.”In a similar pursuit mounted against corruption, Mount Lebanon Attorney General Ghada Aoun called on bar associations and doctors to lift immunity off a number of lawyers and physicians involved in falsifying medical reports in order to prosecute them. In one of the instances of corruption, the justice minister authorized the prosecution of six judicial aides suspected of receiving bribes in return for manipulating judicial files and criminal charges. Ashraq Al-Awsat learned that a detained infamous drug smuggler offered authorities $600,000 in exchange for fabricating medical reports that claimed he was suffering from a fatal disease. The report led to his release, while the actual medical tests revealed he did not suffer from any sickness.

Washington, Beirut Preparing for Pompeo's Visit
Naharnet/March 11/19/Preparations and contacts between Beirut and Washington got underway ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's upcoming visit to Lebanon that is scheduled for mid-March, media reports said. “No agreement has been reached on the final date of the visit,” al-Joumhouria newspaper reported. “The date is swinging between March 15 and 21, the dates when Pompeo will begin and end his tour of the region, and the issue will crystallize over the coming days,” the daily added. According to informed sources, the visit's agenda involves the “broad and comprehensive relations between Beirut and Washington and the developments in Lebanon and the region.”

European 'Veto' on Jabaq and Gharib Stirs Governmental Tension
Naharnet/March 11/19/A European Union “veto” on the attendance of two Lebanese ministers of the upcoming Brussels conference on refugees has stirred tensions among the components of the Lebanese government. The conference is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. Excluding Health Minister Jamil Jabaq and State Minister for Refugee Affairs Saleh al-Gharib from its invitations list, the EU has only invited Prime Minister Saad Hariri and the education and social affairs ministers to the conference, media reports said. The Union had invited the ministers of health, education, refugees and social affairs to last year's conference. A ministerial source told al-Joumhouria newspaper that the prime minister has the jurisdiction to include the refugees minister in his delegation, “but this has not happened, which highlights the lukewarm relation between the two men.”
Al-Akhbar newspaper meanwhile reported that “Hariri at first gave the excuse that the invitations are addressed by the EU” before “it turned out that two invitations had been addressed to Hariri and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil and that the inviting party leaves it to the premier to form the delegation as he wishes.”“Following contacts, Hariri agreed to add Gharib to the delegation and the latter is supposed to be informed of this today,” the daily added. Gharib had on Sunday issued a stern statement, lamenting that “some political parties are acting against the desired patriotic approach and there is insistence on returning to the policies of the previous government on the refugee file.”“All norms have been breached in the issue of the Brussels conference invitations,” the minister said. “Overlooking the role of the State Ministry for Refugee Affairs regarding the Brussels conference is not disregard for me as a person but rather for the alternative way of thinking and serious approach that we have adopted in addressing this file in order to secure the return” of the refugees to their country, Gharib added. “We will not tolerate this at all,” the minister warned.
Prominent ministerial sources criticized the way the delegation was formed, telling al-Akhbar that “as if it is required to send to Brussels those who do not want the refugees to return and those who are aligned with the Western agenda.”Other official sources told the daily that “there are no two viewpoints in Lebanon, seeing as everyone agrees on the need to return refugees to Syria.”“The disagreement is over the way in which the issue should be resolved,” the sources added. “The March 8 camp believes that this could be achieved through communicating with the Syrian state, whereas the premiership's camp believes that the only solution is the Russian initiative and that Russia can press Syria to secure the needed guarantees for the return of the refugees,” the sources went on to say. Informed sources meanwhile told al-Joumhouria that Bassil may decide to boycott the conference and that he “has said this to local and international officials.”

Hariri Holds Talks with King Salman in Riyadh
Naharnet/March 11/19/Prime Minister Saad Hariri held talks Monday with Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz at the al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, Hariri's office said. “The meeting focused on the bilateral cooperation between the two countries and the latest developments in the region, especially in Lebanon," the office added in a statement. The meeting was also attended by Saudi Minister of State Musaad bin Mohammed al-Aiban, Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf, the Advisor to the Royal Court Nizar Al-Aloula, Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari and Lebanese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Fawzi Kabbara.

STL Says Rulings Timing Depends on 'Complexity' of Issues Mulled by Trial Chamber
Naharnet/March 11/19/The Special Tribunal for Lebanon has submitted its tenth annual report to the United Nations Secretary-General and to the Government of Lebanon, the STL said on Monday. The annual report details the activities of the Tribunal from 1 March 2018 to 28 February 2019, its objectives for the coming year and “highlights the achievements of the four organs: Chambers, Office of the Prosecutor (OTP), Defense Office and Registry,” the court said in a statement. Chambers report that the trial proceedings in the Ayyash et al. case constituted their main public judicial activities. During the reporting period, the Oneissi Defense presented their case, the Trial Chamber ordered the attendance of one witness under Rule 165 of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence and most notably the Trial hearings concluded with closing arguments being heard by the Trial Chamber between 11 and 21 September 2018.
The report stresses that “the closing arguments affirmed the important and incomparable role the Tribunal plays in ensuring the perpetrators of the 14 February 2005 attack are not shielded by impunity.”
The Trial Chamber is now reviewing the evidence before it and deliberating as to whether the Prosecution had proven its case against the four Accused beyond reasonable doubt. It also mentions that the precise timing of the judgment will depend upon “the complexity of the legal and factual issues subject to the Trial Chamber’s confidential deliberations.”The Prosecutor meanwhile highlights “the significant achievements by his Office during this period,” the STL statement said. Following the conclusion of the evidence, the Prosecution filed a Final Trial Brief and presented its closing arguments in the Ayyash et al. case against the individuals accused of criminal responsibility for the attack against former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The report also gives account of “the additional achievements and progress in meeting the broader mandate of the Office of the Prosecutor,” which continue far beyond the end of closing submissions. It describes the continued investigations and extensive other work, much of it “behind the scenes” in relation to all cases within the OTP's jurisdiction, the three connected cases, the assessment of potentially related cases as well as the preparations for potential appellate response to the judgment in the Ayyash et al. case. At the same time, the Office of the Prosecutor is “prepared to move forward quickly when the updated confidential indictment is refiled,” the STL statement said. The Defense Office reports on its continued operational, financial support as well as legal assistance to the Defense teams in the Ayyash et al. case. In line with its mandate, the Defense Office enables the Defense Counsel and their teams to effectively represent the rights and interests of the accused in ongoing proceedings.
Further, The Defense Office in all its sections aims to prepare for any difficulties that might arise from the deliberation phase onwards, for the potential sentencing and appeal phases as well as possible opening of potential new cases.The report notes that on On 8 June 2018, Dorothée Le Fraper du Hellen was appointed to the post of Head of Defense Office of the Tribunal by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Le Fraper du Hellen thereby succeeded François Roux, who held the post of Head of Defense Office from March 2009 to February 2018. The Registry meanwhile reports on its ongoing overarching responsibility to provide “effective support” to the judicial proceedings through providing “efficient and customer-oriented administration of the Tribunal, raising awareness on the Tribunal’s work and engaging the public, securing continued political, financial and operational support for its work, as well as ensuring a safe and secure work environment and safeguarding the welfare of staff.”STL President Judge Ivana Hrdličková meanwhile concludes that the STL's focus for the next year is on the judicial deliberations and the preparation of the judgment awaited by the victims of the 14 February 2005 attack, the Lebanese public and the wider international community. The report is now available on the tribunal’s website: https://www.stl-tsl.org/en/documents/president-s-reports-and-memoranda/6305-tenth-annual-report-2018-2019

Salam Meets Saniora: Some Trying to Seize Control of Judiciary
Naharnet/March 11/19/Former premier and Beirut MP Tammam Salam held talks Monday with ex-PM Fouad Saniora and defended him in the face of the latest controversy over the state's financial accounts. “Everyone has been annoyed by the targeting of a grand patriotic figure, ex-PM Fouad Saniora,” Salam said after visiting Saniora's residence in Beirut's Bliss area. “Saniora does not need a parliamentary, sectarian or political immunity from any side, seeing as he has national immunity,” the ex-PM added. “He has always been a role model for professionalism, ethics and transparent and disciplined performance, especially in financial issues,” Salam went on to say. He also stressed the need to “keep politics away from justice in this country,” warning that “some political sides are trying to control and influence this judiciary.”Saniora for his part said his objective had always been to “reform and work against the spread of corruption” throughout “30 years of work in state institutions and as head of the commission overseeing banks.”“I'm very confident of what I did and I know that what I did was in the interest of the state and the treasury... If time goes back thirty years, I would do the same work I did when I was finance minister and premier,” Saniora added.

Samer Kabbara to Run in Tripoli Polls, Says Jamali 'Doesn't Know City'
Naharnet/March 11/19/MP Mohammed Kabbara, has officially announced his nomination for Tripoli's fifth Sunni seat, which became vacant after the Constitutional Council revoked Dima Jamali's parliamentary membership. “The way in which Dima Jamali was imposed” on the city in the 2018 elections was “wrong,” Kabbara said in an interview with al-Akhbar newspaper published Monday. “She does not know Tripoli. If she wants to legislate, shouldn't she be familiar with its environment?” Kabbara added. “In May, an electoral battle at the level of the country was held and (Prime Minister Saad) Hariri secured for her the votes that she received. Today the battle is different and is not political but rather reflects keenness on Tripoli,” the young candidate explained. He added: “There are hundreds of Tripolitan women who are qualified for running in the elections, so why the rush in picking Jamali?”
Jamali has nominated herself for the by-elections that will be held on April 14. Ex-minister Ashraf Rifi is expected to also announce his nomination in a press conference on Thursday.

Court Bans Carlos Ghosn From Attending Nissan Board Meeting
Kataeb.org/ Monday 11th March 2019/A Japanese court on Monday rejected a request made by Carlos Ghosn to attend a Nissan board meeting set to be held tomorrow in Yokohama. Although Ghosn has been discharged from his position as Nissan chairman after being charged with financial misconduct, he is still a member of the company's board. His removal requires a decision by the shareholders who are set to meet on April 8. “Ghosn requested to attend the board meeting but the court did not approve his attendance," the Tokyo District Court noted in a statement.
Ghosn's lawyer Junichiro Hironaka defended his client, noting that he “had a duty” and was intending on keeping it by attending the meeting. The famous automaker was released last week on a bail of nearly $9 million, under conditions barring him from contacting anyone involved in his case, including Nissan executives. His lawyer confirmed meeting his client on Tuesday to discuss whether Ghosn should hold a much-anticipated news conference. "He wants to hold it at the best time and when he is in the best health," Hironaka said.

Hezbollah’s Plea for Donations Shows Sanctions Are Working
The National/Editorial/March 11/19
On Friday, Hassan Nasrallah made a direct appeal to Hezbollah supporters. Speaking on the Lebanese militant group’s TV station Al Manar, he urged them to wage “jihad with money”. It appears to be no coincidence that this plea for donations comes just a few months after the latest wave of US sanctions against Iran. Clearly, both the nation and its proxies are feeling the pinch. It also coincides with increased international efforts to isolate Hezbollah. Just last month, the British Home Secretary Sajid Javid made the decision to ban all membership of Hezbollah in the UK as part of an amendment to the 2000 Terrorism Act, ending a previously established distinction between the group’s political and military wings.
However, sanctions are not the only factor eroding Hezbollah’s finances. Although Tehran’s financial support of the Lebanese group has tripled since the beginning of its involvement in the Syrian war – reaching $700 million in 2018, according to Sigal Mandelker, the US Treasury under-secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence – it still is not enough to keep the organisation afloat. Hezbollah deployed an estimated 7,000 fighters to prop up the regime in Syria. It also had to build a costly arsenal. This whole enterprise has been a tremendous drain on the group’s budget. However, as the war draws to a close, that burden will eventually be lifted, making strict sanctions all the more essential.
In addition to its lavish funding by Iran, Hezbollah has long pursued lucrative sidelines in money laundering and drug trafficking. These activities led to it being designated a “transnational crime organisation” by the US in October 2018, in addition to its status as an international terrorist group. Ironically, after holding up the formation of a government for nine months, key Hezbollah figures are now pushing for anti-corruption measures in Lebanese politics.
As the UK has recognised, Hezbollah’s political and military wings are inseparable. It is unfathomable that donations to the political party will not easily find their way into Hezbollah’s military coffers. Unfortunately, few other countries have acknowledged this fact. For example, the EU still insists on treating the two sections of Hezbollah as separate entities, viewing only the party’s military wing as a terrorist organisation. Economic sanctions are proving an effective way to impede Iran’s influence and weaken its proxies. The international community must wake up to Hezbollah’s true nature and take further action to undermine its incursions into Lebanese politics and its adventurism in the wider region.

UK’s Hezbollah Ban May Signal Tougher Stance on Iran
David Daoud/Atlantic Council/March 11/19
Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah once dubbed dividing his group into distinct political and military wings an “English innovation.” Yet, last week, the United Kingdom decided to end this mainstay of British policy. Shortly after Home Secretary Sajid Javid announced a total ban on Hezbollah, Parliament amended the UK’s Terrorism Act 2000 to proscribe the group “in its entirety.” London’s acknowledgment of Hezbollah’s unity aligns British law and policy with the United States. In doing so, the UK is signaling a partial departure from Europe’s approach to the group’s patron, Iran, but more importantly, a third way between American confrontation and European conciliation.
The UK’s new anti-Hezbollah policy appears more aggressive than the analogous American material support laws. In the United States, 18 U.S.C. §2339B prohibits knowingly either providing, or attempting or conspiring to provide a Foreign Terrorist Organization—in this case Hezbollah—with any of four, narrowly defined, categories of material support: services, expert advice or assistance, training, and personnel. Like US law, the UK ban will prohibit Hezbollah from recruiting or fundraising on UK soil. But British law goes further, prohibiting other activities that the US Supreme Court explained (Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project) did not run afoul of material support prohibitions. These include mere membership in Hezbollah, independently advocating for the group or voicing support for its positions, accessing its online content, or publicly displaying its flags or insignia.
The UK is not implementing this blanket ban on Hezbollah due to any recent internal changes that occurred within the group. Hezbollah has been a unified, symbiotic body since its inception, realizing early on that its military strength depended upon social and political power. Its internal divisions have therefore never been neatly compartmentalized into any number of separate wings, let alone two distinct bodies: one military and the other political. Rather, it is comprised of five sub-councils—the Judiciary, Executive, Political, Parliamentary, and Jihadi Councils—which all answer to a single supreme body, the Shura Council.
These five councils, which control all of Hezbollah’s military and political as well as social apparatuses, operate in a mutually reinforcing manner. Though not their only purpose, these sub-bodies all bolster Hezbollah’s fighting capabilities. The Executive Council controls social, charitable, and media entities providing the group with a steady stream of funds, fighters, and popular support. The Political Council translates this popular support into, inter alia, domestic political alliances. These alliances, in turn, strengthen the Parliamentary Council, comprised of Hezbollah’s parliamentarians, which protects the group’s interests within the Lebanese government, including preventing its disarmament.
In the past, London simply chose to ignore this symbiosis, making its earlier bans on Hezbollah’s External Security Organization (ESO) in 2001 and Jihad Council in 2008 largely symbolic. The UK was not alone in doing so. With the exception of the Netherlands—which banned Hezbollah in its entirety in 2004—all other European powers distinguish between Hezbollah’s wings, including the European Union (EU), France, and Germany.
Like the UK, they maintained this dichotomy, hoping their recognition of Hezbollah’s political apparatus as a legitimate non-state actor would help moderate the group. This reasoning motivated London itself to re-engage the group’s political wing in 2009, after suspending ties four years prior. Given Hezbollah’s participation in Lebanon’s parliament and government, the Europeans also feared that banning the group in its entirety would hinder bilateral relations with Lebanon, undermining the country’s fragile stability as a result.
Because of this dynamic, no other European country is following the British example. Responding to the ban, French President Emmanuel Macron stressed France would maintain contact with Hezbollah’s political wing, “which is represented in the Lebanese parliament,” and denied that any foreign power—including France—has the right to criminalize “a Lebanese political movement.” Germany—which has traditionally acted as intermediary between Hezbollah and Israel, particularly on prisoner-swaps—likewise rebuffed calls to emulate London.
However, the UK may be diverging with Europe on more than just its approach to Hezbollah. More significantly, given the timing of the ban, targeting the group may be London’s way of indirectly adopting a tougher posture on Iran, midway between American “maximum pressure” and European conciliation.
The ban directly followed British participation—at the level of foreign secretary in contrast to other European countries—in the recent US-led Warsaw conference, which ultimately focused on Tehran’s regional expansionism. It also coincided with reports of increased British-Israeli intelligence cooperation to counter Iran’s nuclear program, and reports of a new round of anti-Hezbollah sanctions being prepared by the Trump administration.
The UK acknowledges the need to confront Iran’s regional expansionism. However, despite American pressure, it insists on dealing with what it has called Iran’s “problematic” behavior separately from the nuclear file. London thus remains committed to upholding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), believing it is the only way to deny Iran a nuclear weapon. To keep the deal alive, the UK even helped create the recently-implemented Special Purpose Vehicle, to circumvent renewed US sanctions on Tehran.
By banning Hezbollah, the vanguard of Iran’s regional expansionism, London can satisfy the United States’ desire to counter Tehran’s destabilization of the Middle East. At the same time, since the ban does not target Iran directly, London avoids giving Tehran further excuses to abandon the JCPOA. This allows the UK to adopt a more aggressive approach to countering Iran, but without undermining the EU’s goal of preventing the Islamic Republic from abandoning the deal.
Hezbollah has alternated between condemning the ban and dismissing its impact. But the UK’s proscription of the group and recognition of unity is significant, particularly from a major European power. In addition to sealing off Hezbollah from an important European economy, it is also another step toward international condemnation of the group. As significant, it signals the UK’s adoption of a more robust approach to confronting Iran, as London charts a broader course away from the EU.

Access to information law: A weapon to fight corruption in Lebanon
Maria Matar and Zeina Nasser/Annahar/March 11/19
The law was officially passed on January 19, 2017, yet only a few people recognize the amount of rights it provides.
BEIRUT: Democracy Reporting International in collaboration with Gherbal initiative organized a workshop, funded by the German Foreign Office Saturday to raise awareness about the access to information law and its benefits for journalists and media platforms in particular, in the presence of the former member of the parliament Ghassan Moukheiber.
The law was officially passed on February 10, 2017, yet only a few people recognize the number of rights it provides.
In brief, it allows any person, whether Lebanese or a foreigner, a natural person or a legal entity, to request access to information from all public entities and a small number of private entities as well.In his opening speech, Assaad Thebian, founder and CEO of Gherbal initiative noted the purpose behind the workshop.“We discovered that few journalists are using this law for many reasons. Some aren’t aware of it, some haven’t been trained by their institutions, and some need technical and practical help,” he said. The aim of the event was to inform journalists about that law and clear the misconceptions around it.
Assad also mentioned: “We want to let them know that we are ready to help journalists in the future to gather data, to follow up on their requests and to lobby with them for better access to information.”Founded in 2017, Gherbal [means sift in Arabic] Initiative (GI) is a non-profit civil company whose mission is to push for transparency and accountability based on the idea that the democratization of data can act as an antidote to corruption. GI collects and converts complex datasets into accessible and engaging visualizations that frame public discourse and propel political action.
Gherbal is a pioneer in this field and is now providing capacity building for media personnel.
Thebian continued to explain the articles of the law and their details; attendees engaged in the discussion, asking questions and taking notes. Most of them were shocked and saw in the law a solution for many of the problems they faced. “I was really interested to learn about this law because I have faced several obstacles when requesting information from public entities. Today, after knowing that it is a legal right of mine, I will be more confident in my pursuit of public data,” said Mohammad Darwish, one of the present journalists. During the day, Andre Sleiman, country representative of DRI in Lebanon demonstrated the organization’s statistics about the work of the municipalities in Lebanon, within the framework of its project "Setting an Agenda for Decentralization in Lebanon".
Democracy Reporting international is a non-partisan, independent, non-profit organization registered in Berlin. It promotes political participation of citizens, accountability of state bodies and the development of democratic institutions worldwide and it supports local ways of promoting the universal right of citizens to participate in the political life of their country. The workshop ended with a word from a former member of the parliament Ghassan Moukheiber who was the MP who presented the law to the parliament as a member of the Lebanese Parliamentarians Against Corruption (LebPAC) coalition and on behalf of the National Network for the Right of Access to Information. Moukhaiber, however, said that “the law is not a tool that can protect Lebanon’s corruption alone, yet it’s one of the tools”. He continued to say that the law of access to information should be used properly, and should be combined with other tools.
“Even if a political will was present regarding fighting corruption, accountability remains so weak in Lebanon,” he said. Information, however, should not only be found but also analyzed. After that, monitoring will be much more effective.

Hezbollah's latest attempt to consolidate its influence
بسام عجمي: محاولة حزب الله الأخيرة لتعزيز نفوذه
Bassem Ajami/Annahar/March 11/19
In line with its self-appointed role as the one that defines national issues, the party will categorize yet another issue.
In embracing the fight against corruption, Hezbollah is following a tradition in radical Arab politics. It is to champion a popular cause in order to camouflage a not so popular agenda.
Since their inception in the early 1950s, radical regimes in Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Libya fervently championed two popular causes. The first was the Palestinian issue, while the second was combating corruption at home. This gained them legitimacy and enough support to hide their true aims: To consolidate their tyrannical rule domestically, and to spread their hegemony throughout the region.
In Lebanon, Hezbollah followed a similar example in embracing the fight against Israel, and now, by posing as the country's "corruption Czar." But its ultimate objective differs from that of the radical regimes.
No doubt Hezbollah earned praise for defeating the Israeli occupation of parts of south Lebanon. Unlike some radical Arab regimes, which lost territories to the Jewish state, Hezbollah regained such territories.
Such popularity, however, soon started to wither. It became apparent that the Iranian backed party began to utilize its acquired bright image to serve a scheme to spread Iranian hegemony into Lebanon and other Arab countries.
But in Lebanon, given the sectarian mosaic of the country, it was necessary for Hezbollah to seek to consolidate its influence by a dubious mix. This involved creating a network of hesitant alliances, on the one hand, and the employment of sheer bullying and intimidation, on the other. Posing as Lebanon's "corruption Czar," is part of a pattern in Hezbollah's behavior. The aim of such pattern is not to polish its image at home in as much as strengthening its influence within the state organs. It achieves this by appointing itself as the one that defines, and thus manipulates, national issues to its advantage.
It began by defining the issue of war and peace with Israel, which came at a huge cost to the country. Following that, it reinforced its position further by forging an alliance with General Michel Aoun, and later with Saad Hariri. In between, the series of assassinations that, since 2005, targeted only the party's rivals, resumed.
Through such alliances, it installed the former as president, and the latter as prime minister, thus defining the questions of the presidency and premiership, and where their priorities should be.
In his speech last week, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah equated Hezbollah's crusade against corruption with the party's fight against the Israeli occupation in south Lebanon. He dismissed those who doubted its motives as "thieves and robbers."
But sorting out the thieves and the robbers from those who are falsely accused is a matter for the judiciary to decide, not for the politicians. And even here, Nasrallah seemed doubtful of the ultimate verdict. "It must be convincing", he warned.
And what if Hezbollah is not "convinced" by the verdict of the judiciary? What then?
In line with its self-appointed role as the one that defines national issues, the party will categorize yet another issue. This time it will raise the banner of shortcomings in the judicial system, and demand its "renovation," in order to tailor it to fit its own fashion.
In his speech, Sayyed Hassan said that Hezbollah's fight against corruption is a long one. "Expect everything and anything" he threatened. He spoke the truth. But the party's fight against corruption is only the catalyst to achieve a larger objective. It is to gradually consolidate its influence within the organs of the state in a preamble to subdue it, and bring it under the complete influence of Iran. Not a very appealing objective to the Lebanese, even when wrapped by the cover of fighting corruption.

Latest LCCC English Miscellaneous Reports & News published on March 11-12/2019
Algeria's Embattled President Announces He Will Not Run for Fifth Term
Reuters/March 11/19/Protesters have demanded longtime leader Bouteflika, supported by army and elite, step down due to his health and old age. Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika will not run for a fifth term, the presidency said in a statement. Bouteflika, who returned to Algeria on Sunday after medical treatment in Switzerland, has watched one long-time ally after another join mass demonstrations calling on him to step down. Now in their third week, the protests have seen Algerians desperate for jobs and angry about unemployment and corruption demonstrate in towns across the vast North African country against Bouteflika’s bid for a fifth term in office. The marches have shattered years of political inertia and unsettled Algeria’s opaque but powerful security establishment. In a statement, the judges added their voice to the protests by announcing the formation of a new association “to restore the gift of justice”.

Rouhani Visits Baghdad in Attempt to Limit Tehran’s Isolation
Baghdad - Hamza Mustafa/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 March, 2019/Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrived in Baghdad on Monday on an official visit that will mainly tackle the repercussions of US sanctions on his country.
This is Rouhani’s first trip to Iraq since his assumption to power in 2013 and the third for an Iranian President. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif arrived Sunday in Iraq where he held talks with his counterpart Mohammed Ali al-Hakim to set the stage for Rouhani’s trip. Iraqi politicians and experts told Asharq Al-Awsat it would be difficult for Baghdad to abide by the demands of Tehran that seeks to push Iraq towards a battle with the United States. “The vision of Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi towards such issues asserts that Baghdad would not be drawn into policies that contradict the Iraqi interest,” MP Abdullah al-Kharbit told Asharq Al-Awsat. He said that during Rouhani’s trip to Baghdad Iraq and Iran could sign a large number of agreements. Ihsan al-Shammari, head of the Iraqi Center for Political Thought said, “The visit constitutes a turning point in the nature of Iraqi-Iranian relations, particularly that it comes amid an international mobilization against Iran.”He said that Tehran could benefit from Baghdad to restore its relations with Washington. “Baghdad might become the scene of a new round of upcoming talks between the US and Iran concerning the nuclear crisis,” he said. For his part, economic expert Abdul Rahman Al-Shamari said Iraq was not ready to become part of the economic war between the US and Iran, because Baghdad is still practically in need of Washington. Zarif said that during Rouhani’s three-day visit to Iraq, the President would meet with chief Shiite cleric Ali Sistani. However, the religious body in the city of Najaf neither confirmed nor denied Zarif’s statement. Sistani had refused to hold talks with political figures since 2015, except for UN representatives responsible for humanitarian works. The last political figure that Sistani refused to meet was French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who visited Baghdad in January.

Rouhani Seeks to Counter U.S. Pressure on First Iraq Visit
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 11/19/Iran's President Hassan Rouhani hit back Monday against pressure from the "aggressor" United States on Iraq to limit ties with its neighbor, during his first official visit to Baghdad. Shiite-majority Iraq is walking a fine line to maintain good relations with its key partners Iran and the United States which themselves are arch-foes. It has been under pressure from Washington not to get too close to the Islamic republic next door, particularly after the United States last year withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and hit Tehran with sanctions.
Baghdad was given limited waivers to continue buying electricity and natural gas from Iran, but Washington has urged Iraq to partner with U.S. companies to become energy independent. Rouhani, who is on his first trip to Iraq since becoming president in 2013, hailed his country's "special" ties with its neighbor.
These relations could not be compared to Iraq's ties "with an aggressor country like America", he said before flying Monday to Baghdad for the three-day visit. "America is despised in the region. The bombs that the Americans dropped on Iraqis, Syrian people and other countries cannot be forgotten," he added. Iran is always ready to help its neighbors, he said, in a nod to the role Tehran played to help Iraq battle the Islamic State group (IS). Iraq's President Barham Saleh, at a joint news conference with Rouhani in Baghdad, thanked Iran for its "support" and said he was "lucky" to have it as a neighbor, without making any reference to the U.S. Rouhani, who is heading a large political and economic delegation, said relations between the two countries should be further "reinforced and developed."The Iranian president later had a meeting with Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi, during which he highlighted the political, trade and energy links between the two neighbors. After Turkey, Iran is the top supplier of imported goods to Iraq, including cars, gas, home appliances and vegetables.
Shiite bonds
Iran was the first country to respond to Iraqi calls for help after IS jihadists in June 2014 captured the main northern city of Mosul as they threatened to overrun the capital Baghdad and the oil-rich region of Kirkuk. It dispatched "military advisers" and equipment along with the famous Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force commander General Qassem Soleimani. Rouhani on Monday said Iran has supported the Iraqi people "during difficult times" and would continue to back them "through times of peace and security."Relations between the two countries were not always close -- they fought a bloody war from 1980 to 1988. Tehran's influence in Baghdad grew after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq toppled the government of Saddam Hussein. Iran now has significant leverage over Iraq's Shiite political groups. Rouhani is also set to meet Iraq's chief Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, who is revered by many Iranians. The meeting in the Shiite shrine city of Najaf will be the first between the top cleric and an Iranian president. In 2013 the grand ayatollah refused to receive Rouhani's controversial predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Warming Saudi ties
Analysts say talks between Sistani and Rouhani are aimed at bolstering the ranks of Shiite Muslims in the face of Iraq's warming ties with Iran's Sunni-ruled rival Saudi Arabia. The meeting could "prevent Saudi Arabia and its allies from sowing discord" between Iran and Iraq, a Shiite cleric from the Iranian holy city of Qom was recently quoted as saying in Iran's Ebtekar newspaper. Saudi Arabia is keen to develop relations with Baghdad to counter the influence of Iran in Iraq, which is seeking economic benefits to rebuild after the defeat of IS. Iraqi political analyst Hisham al-Hashemi said Rouhani is seeking to bolster trade with Baghdad and discuss ways "to circumvent U.S. sanctions." "In addition, there are electricity, water and other files," he said. Trade between Iran and Iraq now stands at around $12 billion a year -- tilted toward Iran with gas and energy exports -- and Rouhani has said he would like to see it rise to $20 billion.

Iraq Investigates 14 ISIS French Nationals
Baghdad – Hamza Mustafa/ Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 March, 2019/Iraqi judicial authorities announced that they have begun investigating 14 Frenchmen belonging to the ISIS organization and who were in Syria where they received military training. A special bulletin for the judiciary published Sunday reported that the Karkh Investigation Court on Terrorism investigated the suspects based on the Iraqi anti-terrorism law, noting that “among them is a French army soldier, who served in Afghanistan in 2009.”The Court stated that the terrorists, some of whom have Arab origin, received military training and Sharia education in Syria when they joined ISIS, according to their confessions. The announcement came a day after President Barham Salih said that terror suspects “will be tried in accordance to Iraqi law and may be sentenced to death if found guilty”, clarifying that the law allows for capital punishment. Iraqi legal expert Ahmad al-Abadi told Asharq Al-Awsat that the law stipulates that if an act is committed inside Iraq, has repercussions inside or intended to be inside Iraq, or planned abroad, then it will be tried according to Iraqi law. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) recently handed about 280 ISIS terrorists, including more than 500 wanted by Iraq. Among them are foreigners who committed or planned to commit criminal acts inside Iraq. Separately, member of the Iraq High Commission for Human Rights Ali al-Bayati asserted that the number of ISIS foreign children held in the shelters amounted to about 1,000. The majority of these children are from Turkey and Azerbaijan, with some Arabs, Europeans and Asians. He indicated that in order to hand over the children to their countries of origin, Iraqi authorities require having DNA testing to match their genetic information with their parents to prove their ancestry, if countries wish to receive them. In other news, the military intelligence directorate arrested a seven-member terrorist cell in the northern Nineveh province that had infiltrated the country from Syria. “The militants were arrested in the Rabia district, west of Mosul, with fake IDs in their possession as they just returned from Syria,” it said in a statement."Four of the detainees were senior members of ISIS’ so-called Jund (soldiers) Diwan," it added. The arrest came amid a rise in ISIS terrorist attacks in various parts of Iraq. This has caused alarm among political and military authorities, two years after former Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced the military victory against the terror group. ISIS activities in Iraq are currently concentrated in the areas between the Hawran Valley in the Anbar province and in southern Kirkuk.

Experts to Asharq Al-Awsat: Iran Will Not Drag Iraq in its Battle against US
Baghdad – Hamza Mustafa/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 March, 2019/Iranian President Hassan Rouhani kicked off on Monday an official visit to Iraq in what Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif had described as a “historic” trip, while Iraqi President Barham Salih deemed it as “very important.”Zarif had held talks with his Iraqi counterpart Mohammed al-Hakim in Baghdad on Sunday to prepare for Rouhani’s visit. He announced that Rouhani will hold talks with Shiite authority Ali al-Sistani, even though the top cleric has since 2015 been refusing to meet with politicians, Iraqi or otherwise. The only officials he is willing to meet are United Nations humanitarian representatives. Meanwhile, Iraqi experts noted to Asharq Al-Awsat that Baghdad is unlikely to be dragged into Tehran’s standoff with the United States. MP Abdullah al-Khraybit said that Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi’s stances reveal that he refuses to become part of any development that contradicts with Iraq’s interests. “No harm can therefore come from Iraq signing as many agreements as possible with Iran without having to fear that it will be harmed by the sanctions imposed on Tehran,” he added. “Abdul Mahdi is driven by politics, not emotions, knowing that Iraq needs Iran’s gas and electricity. There is no substitute for these resources in the near future,” he remarked. “Regardless of the conflict between the US and Iran, all sides in the region must realize that Iraq is beginning to recover” and it can stand on its own two feet without having to be affiliated to any power, he stressed. “Rouhani will therefore not be able to drag us with him” even though he will address the US sanctions during his talks with Iraqi officials, he continued. In fact, Iraq can take advantage of the standoff to achieve its interests, remarked Khraybit. Head of the “Political Thinking Center”, Dr. Ihsan al-Shammari said that Rouhani’s visit was a “turning point” in Iraqi-Iranian relations, noting that it was taking place amid escalating international tensions against Tehran. “This is why Iran is throwing is weight on the Iraqi internal scene on all levels, as demonstrated in the frequent visits by its officials to the country,” he said. “Iraq is no longer Iran’s economic window, but its political one. It has become a meeting point for several of Iran’s opponents,” he stated. “Tehran is thinking about using this window to normalize ties with the US. Baghdad may become the destination for negotiations between Washington and Tehran over the latter’s nuclear program.”Iraqi economic expert Dr. Abdulrahman al-Shammari remarked that Baghdad was not qualified to become part of the economic war between the US and Iran because it needs Washington. He explained that despite the active trade between Iran and Iran, these relations yield no more than $7 billion. Some $2.9 billion go in Iraq’s purchases of gas and electricity and the rest is limited to private sector trade. The situation is completely different with the US, he noted. Washington grants Iraq more than $2 billion in for its Defense Ministry in the form of training and equipment. Iraqi oil also makes up 16 percent of oil imported by American companies, he revealed.

SDF Pounds Last ISIS Enclave in Eastern Syria
Beirut- Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 March, 2019/Kurdish-led forces pounded the last scrap of land held by the ISIS group Monday, a scattering of tents and destroyed buildings in a remote eastern Syrian hamlet. The militants once ruled over millions in a swathe of Syria and Iraq, but they have since lost all that territory except for a riverside bastion near the Iraqi border. The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces paused their months-old offensive against the shrinking holdout multiple times for thousands of dust-covered women, children, and men to flee, including suspected militants. But after that human flow slowed to a trickle, the Kurdish-led force late Sunday told remaining ISIS fighters time was up for any surrenders and they were moving in. By Monday morning, the SDF had seized several positions from holdout militants, an official with the US-backed forces said.
"Daesh is fighting back with heavy weapons and attempted to carry out suicide bombing a couple of times," he said, using an Arabic acronym for ISIS. The warplanes of a US-led coalition and mortar fire overnight pounded weapons caches, and tank fire targeted ISIS positions, he and a spokesman said. It was unclear how many people remained inside the pocket in the village of Baghouz on the banks of the Euphrates River, SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali said late Sunday. "We expect there to be from 1,000 to 1,500 terrorists inside Baghouz," he said.
The SDF launched the renewed assault on Sunday after no civilians were observed to remain in the riverside encampment. "During the advance, if our forces notice the presence of civilians our special units will do the necessary to bring them away from the clashes or even work to evacuate them from the battle" zone, he said. "The operation will continue until Baghouz is liberated and until the end of the terrorist military presence in that area," he added. Since December, nearly 59,000 people have left the last ISIS redoubt, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, around a tenth of them suspected militants.
The last ISIS fighters are hunkering down in an area that includes a dismal camp of pickup trucks and cloth-covered trenches by the reedy banks of the Euphrates. The SDF pushed into the ISIS encampment some 10 days ago, discovering spent ammunition, pots, and pans lying between hastily-dug trenches and berms. At the height of its brutal rule, ISIS controlled a stretch of land in Syria and Iraq the size of the United Kingdom. The militants had their own courts, currency and school curriculum, and meted out bloody punishment to anyone who disobeyed their rule.
The total capture of the Baghouz camp by the SDF would be a symbolic blow to ISIS, and mark the end of the cross-border "caliphate" it proclaimed in 2014. But beyond Baghouz, ISIS retains a presence in Syria's vast Badia desert and sleeper cells in the northeast.
They have continued to claim deadly attacks in SDF-held territory in recent months, and the US military has warned of the need to maintain a "vigilant offensive". The United States is expected to keep 200 "peace-keeping" troops in Syria after the end of the offensive, despite President Donald Trump's shock announcement in December that all 2,000 American soldiers would leave. The exodus out of Baghouz in recent months has sparked a humanitarian crisis, leaving aid organizations struggling to cope. Those fleeing Baghouz have emerged exhausted and hungry after a prolonged siege, with many children suffering from malnutrition. After fleeing the pocket, SDF members screen the crowds to weed out suspected militants and detain them. Vetted civilians, including foreign women and children related to ISIS, are trucked to Kurdish-run camps for the displaced in the northeast of the country. More than 100 people -- mostly young children -- have died on the way to the camp of Al-Hol or shortly after arriving, according to the International Rescue Committee aid group. Syria's Kurds hold hundreds of foreigners accused of fighting for ISIS as well as members of their families. But their home countries have mostly been reluctant to take them back, with Britain stripping several women who have joined ISIS of their nationalities. Morocco said it had repatriated eight of its nationals from Syria on Sunday, who will be investigated for "suspected involvement in acts linked to terrorism".'

Bolton: Washington Optimistic London, Paris to Participate in Residual Syria Force
Washington - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 March, 2019/National Security Adviser John Bolton said that the United States is ‘very optimistic’ that France and Britain will participate in a residual force that US President Donald Trump wants to leave in Syria. "Certainly in conversations this past week with my British and French counterparts, I'm very optimistic that they're going to participate," Bolton said in an interview with ABC. "It hasn't happened formally yet, but they're looking at it," he added. Bolton insisted there was no contradiction between Trump's assertion that the so-called ‘caliphate’ declared by ISIS has been eliminated 100 percent, and the assessment of the top US commander in the Middle East, Joseph Votel, who has told Congress the fight is "far from over.""The president has never said that the elimination of the territorial caliphate means the end of ISIS in total. We know that's not the case," AFP quoted Bolton as saying. "The ISIS threat will remain," he added. "But one reason that the President has committed to keeping an American presence in Iraq and a small part of an observer force in Syria, is against the possibility that there would be a real resurgence of ISIS." Trump abruptly announced in December the immediate and complete withdrawal of the 2,000 US troops deployed in northeastern Syria, declaring victory against ISIS. Then, under pressure from Congress and the Pentagon, he agreed to leave a residual force of some 200 US troops. An objective of the international force is to guarantee the security of its Syrian Kurd allies. Turkey, a NATO member, views the Kurdish combatants as ‘terrorists’, and the Europeans fear they would be vulnerable if Ankara launched an offensive.

Former Israeli Defense Minister: Netanyahu Rejected Proposal to Assassinate Hamas Leaders
Tel Aviv – Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 March, 2019/Former Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman revealed that he had repeatedly suggested a plan to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to assassinate senior members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza, however, he rejected them all. Speaking before a group of his supporters on Saturday, Lieberman recalled that in July of last year he presented his offer to the prime minister, but the he refused once again. He accused Netanyahu of neglecting the real security issue, saying the PM must explain his insistence “on strengthening Hamas and neglecting the security situation on the northern front.”He predicted that within two years, the situation on the northern and southern fronts would be “very complex and more dangerous” than the October 1973, warning of the security chaos on both fronts. He went on to say that Hamas is developing hundreds of missiles that will hit Tel Aviv and that the Palestinian movement was still producing precision rockets. The government is meanwhile allowing Qataris to pump in more funds into Gaza to Hamas, Lieberman said. It will deliver a “few million” this week.
“Whoever says he knows where their money is going is speaking nonsense,” he added. The electricity supply has increased and fishing zone has been expanded by 12 miles and “we have not accomplished a thing. No Israeli soldier or detainee has been released,” he went on to say. Lieberman’s opponents in the far-right had previously accused him of reneging on his electoral promises when he was in the opposition. He had vowed to assassinate Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh within the first 48 hour of his term as defense minister, but when he took office he succumbed to the army's will and no longer discussed the issue. Netanyahu addressed this issue during his weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday. He said: “We have recently seen provocations and heads being raised from the direction of the Gaza Strip.”“This has been done by dissidents, but this does not absolve Hamas. Hamas is responsible for everything that comes out of the Gaza Strip and we respond accordingly, with assaults by air force planes against Hamas targets.”The prime minister also indicated that some people in Gaza are saying that a wide-range operation will probably not happen since Israel is preparing for elections. “I suggest to Hamas – don’t count on it. We will do everything necessary to restore security and calm to the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip and to the south in general.”

Abbas: We Extend our Hand to any Israeli Government Believing in 2-State Solution
Ramallah - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 March, 2019/Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has told a delegation from the Israeli left-wing Meretz party that he would extend his hand to any Israeli government that “believes in a two-state solution.”“As you know, we have turned to peace and we have no other option," Abbas told Meretz leader Tamar Zandberg during a meeting with her and her accompanying delegation in Ramallah on Sunday. “This position has been adopted since 1988 and we adhere to it to this day,” he stressed. “Our demand is to discuss the 1967 borders, and we extend our hand to any Israeli government that adopts these positions. This is our stance, and we will not change it.”The meeting between Abbas and Zandberg took place as Israeli parties campaign for the elections scheduled for April 9. Zandberg said her party agrees with the idea of a two-state solution, adding that she will support any Israeli government that believes in this solution to reach peace. Any government must start negotiations with the Palestinians in line with the vision of a two-state solution, she said. Abbas reiterated his position on peace and rejection of violence. He said everyone knows that Palestine has signed agreements with 83 countries to fight terrorism. “The United States tops these countries, followed by Israel,” he noted, accusing the Israeli government of causing a financial crisis for the Palestinians. Abbas was referring to Israel's occupation of the West Bank and its recent decision to withhold tax transfers to the Palestinian Authority. Israel collects taxes on behalf of Ramallah every month, and usually transfers them to the PA. “Despite the fact that there are different and extreme positions, we will continue to adhere to this path, and we have protocols and agreements that we are committed to fighting terrorism,” Abbas explained. “But our political position has not changed: the two-state solution, the fight against terrorism and the return of our money," he told Zandberg.

Trump Ally Says Golan Should Stay in Israeli Hands
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 11/19/An influential U.S. senator allied to President Donald Trump toured the occupied Golan Heights on Monday and vowed to work to have Washington recognize Israeli sovereignty over the strategic plateau.
Lindsey Graham's pledge was a boost to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who toured the Golan with him, ahead of April 9 Israeli elections. Netanyahu has been pushing for the United States and other countries to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, which it seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel later annexed the 1,200 square kilometers (460 square miles) it seized, in a move never recognized by the international community. "Strategically, I am standing on one of the most important pieces of ground in the state of Israel, and who would you give it back to?" Graham asked, standing alongside Netanyahu and the U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman. "You're going to give it to Assad? I think not. You might as well give it to Iran," Graham said, referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is backed by Iran and Russia. "You're going to give it to Russia? I think not. So, the idea of this territory going to somebody else is off the table."Graham is a Washington ally of Trump, who has given strong backing to Netanyahu, and said he would work to have the United States recognize the Golan as part of Israel "now and forever."In November, the United States voted for the first time against an annual U.N. resolution condemning Israel's occupation of the Golan. Netanyahu has argued in his re-election campaign that his close relationship with Trump is a major benefit to Israel. Trump handed a huge victory to Israel in 2017 when he recognized Jerusalem as its capital and decided to move the U.S. embassy to the disputed city despite Palestinian anger.

Sisi Warns Against Return of 2011 Scenario
Cairo- Mohamed Nabil Helmy/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 March, 2019/Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi reiterated his commitment to his government’s policies in managing the country and solving various problems, such as electricity and gas, stressing the importance of implementing “economic reform and bearing its consequences.”Sisi was speaking during a celebration held by the Egyptian Armed Forces at Al Manara International Conference Center on the occasion of the ‘Martyr Day’. He recalled the events of November 11, 2011, when clashes erupted in Mohamed Mahmoud St. in Cairo’s downtown near Tahrir square between protesters and security forces. He said that during those events he was responsible for military intelligence and security services. “With confidence, honesty, and honor, we did not touch one Egyptian, while there were casualties every day,” he said.
Emphasizing increasing awareness among Egyptians who have lived that period, Sisi stated: “New generations that have emerged. They do not know what happened. It is our responsibility and the responsibility of every father and mother to tell their children: ‘Don’t mess with the country’s security and destroy it again.’”On a different note, the president commented on criticism over building an infrastructure in the New Administrative Capital (NAC) at a cost of LE200 billion by naming the other new cities which are being constructed all over the country.
He explained that the new roads network gives value to the lands so that the money paid by developers are used to fund infrastructure construction projects in all new cities including NAC. Commenting on the Cairo Railway station blaze last month, Sisi said: “Everyone involved will be held accountable by law.”

Egypt Security Forces Kill Dozens of Militants in Northern Sinai
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 11 March, 2019/Egyptian security forces have killed dozens of “very dangerous” militants in operations in the northern Sinai region, the military said on Monday. Several hundred militants have been killed since the armed forces launched a major campaign in February 2018 aimed at vanquishing terrorists in Sinai. Over the last period the campaign had resulted in “the elimination of 46 very dangerous members of terrorist elements during exchanges of fire in the north and central Sinai...,” the forces said in a video recording. The military also said that forces destroyed 15 hideouts, and dismantled 204 explosive devices. Troops found weapons caches, including explosives, in Sinai, the Western Desert and southern Egypt.The statement did not give the identity of suspects or their affiliation.

Canada's Parliamentary Secretary Goldsmith-Jones to attend international conference on supporting future of Syria and the region
March 11, 2019 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
Canada is deeply committed to supporting the people of Syria and working with the international community to find a political solution to the conflict.
The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will represent Canada at the third conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region, to be held in Brussels, Belgium, from March 12 to 14, 2019.
Parliamentary Secretary Goldsmith-Jones will use the conference as an opportunity to reaffirm Canada’s support for people affected by this conflict across the region, to call on all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, and to engage with partners on efforts to hold perpetrators accountable.
She will also call for protection and access for humanitarian workers within Syria and the need for women to be included in peace negotiations and accountability efforts.
Quotes
“This conference is an opportunity for the international community to work together to help address the needs of the Syrian people. I look forward to meeting with Syrian women to discuss their ongoing contributions to ending the crisis. Canada will continue to press for the integration of women and their contributions in all matters of governance, security and stabilization, at all levels.”
- Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Consular Affairs)
Quick facts
Since 2016, Canada has invested $2.1 billion in its Middle East strategy, our largest foreign political and military commitment.
This will be the third Brussels conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region and the third attended by Canada. This meeting is the largest one on the crisis in Syria.
The conference will reaffirm the international community’s solidarity with countries and communities hosting Syrian refugees, and the challenges that they are facing, with particular attention to the perspectives of Syrian women.

Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 11-12/2019
A Month of Multiculturalism in Britain: February 2019
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/March 11/19
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13862/multiculturalism-britain-february
There is "a lot of anecdotal data" which shows that female genital mutilation (FGM) is increasingly being performed on babies and infants in the UK, according to FGM expert and attorney Dr. Charlotte Proudman. She added that it was "almost impossible to detect" as the girls were not yet in school or at nursery, thus making it difficult for any public authority to become aware of it. Proudman added that the lack of prosecutions for FGM is due in part to concerns by doctors and police over being accused of racism.
Oluwole Ilesanmi, a 64-year-old Christian street preacher also known as Preacher Olu, was arrested at Southgate Station in north London after complaints that his message about Jesus was "Islamophobic."
Education Secretary Damian Hinds announced a plan to make anti-FGM lessons compulsory in British schools. As of September 2020, all teenagers in secondary school will be taught about the illegal practice, which may affect up to 60,000 girls in the UK. "I want to make sure there isn't another generation of children at risk of this happening," Hinds said.
February 1. A 37-year-old Ugandan mother-of-three became the first person to be found guilty of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Britain, where FGM has been a criminal offense since 1985. The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, known as the Old Bailey, heard how the woman performed FGM on her three-year-old girl. The woman claimed the girl "fell on metal and it ripped her private parts" after she had climbed to get a biscuit. Prosecutor Caroline Carberry QC told the court that investigators found evidence in the woman's home in East London of spells and curses apparently aimed at "silencing" police officers, social workers and lawyers:
"Two cow tongues were bound in wire with nails and a small blunt knife also embedded in them, 40 limes were found and other fruit which when opened contained pieces of paper with names on them.
"The names embedded included both police officers involved in the investigation of the case, the social worker, her own son and the director of public prosecutions at the time.
There are an estimated 137,000 women and girls living with FGM in England and Wales, according to City University. Most are from Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
February 2. Kasim Khuram, 23, from Aston, was sentenced to six years in prison for breaking into a funeral home in Birmingham and having sex with a female corpse. Khuram lifted the lids of nine coffins during what police described as a drug-induced psychosis. Police arrived after the burglar alarm had been activated and Khuram was arrested at the scene. While handing out the sentence at Birmingham Crown Court, Judge Melbourne Inman said the crimes "offend all human sensitivity." He added: "I am not aware of, and nor have I been able to find, any similar case. It would be difficult to think of a greater depravation of the dignity of the dead."
February 3. Hewad Shivzad, an Afghan asylum seeker living in Oxbridge, Stockton, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping a child. Teesside Crown Court heard how Shivzad isolated the primary school-age girl and lured her away to subject her to a sexual attack lasting more than half an hour. Judge Howard Crowson said:
"You maintain that you are a 19-year-old man. I've seen no documents to support that claim and to my eyes you appear substantially older. It's my view that your claim to be so young is a lie told when you entered the UK in March 2017 to claim asylum."
February 4. FGM expert and attorney Dr. Charlotte Proudman, appearing on BBC Two's Victoria Derbyshire Show, said that there is "a lot of anecdotal data" which shows that FGM is increasingly being performed on babies and infants in the UK. She added that it was "almost impossible to detect" as the girls were not yet in school or at nursery, thus making it difficult for any public authority to become aware of it. "By performing it at such a young age, they're evading the law," she said. Proudman added that the lack of prosecutions for FGM is due in part to concerns by doctors and police over being accused of racism: "People are concerned about cultural sensitivities, worried about being branded racist, and it's being performed on a very private area."
February 4. Muslim gangs are helping foreign nationals cheat on their UK citizenship application test, according to a BBC investigation. For a fee of up to £2,000 (€2,300; $2,600), criminals secretly listen in and, via a hidden earpiece, give the answers to those taking the Life in the UK test. Such an operation was secretly filmed by a BBC journalist, who was given help to pass. The test is failed by about one in five would-be British citizens.
February 5. Ali Al-Hindawi, 23, from London, was sentenced to four years in prison for a series of attacks on Christians. In one attack, al-Hindawi spat at Christian preacher Claudio Boggi, who is in a wheelchair, as he handed out leaflets. He shouted: "Allah is god, Jesus was only a prophet. You're in a wheelchair, you're lucky I don't hit you." Several hours later he attacked Christian volunteer Kayode Ogunleye who was helping the homeless in Westminster. Al-Hindawi bit Ogunleye's fingers before attacking him with a metal bar. Two weeks later he was ordered to leave St. Vincent's homeless hostel after being accused of dealing drugs. He threatened to cut people's throats and tried to burn the charity to the ground. Judge Loraine-Smith said: "Most of these offenses were committed against people trying to help you. Eleven very serious offenses committed on three separate occasions."
February 6. Half of all knife crime offenders in London are teenagers or even younger children, according to new data from the Metropolitan Police. The statistics showed that 41% of those being caught for knife crimes across London's boroughs are now aged between 15 and 19. Another 8% are younger still, ranging in age from 10 to 14. Chief Superintendent Ade Adelekan, the head of the Met's Violent Crime Task Force, warned that attacks in the capital were becoming "more ferocious" as offenders who were "more and more young" tried to kill or injure by "getting up close and stabbing someone several times." He also said that officers were having to "re-educate" themselves on stop-and-search tactics after losing "the art and skill" during recent years when, under pressure from the government, their use of the tactic had declined to "negligible" levels.
February 7. Mohammed Saghir, a Nottingham taxi driver, had his license revoked after he refused to pick up a blind man and his guide dog. The Islamic legal tradition has developed injunctions that warn Muslims against contact with dogs, which are viewed by some as unclean animals. Councillor Toby Neal said: "Under the Equality Act, guide dog and other assistance dog owners have the right to enter the majority of services, premises and vehicles with their dog. This includes taxis."
February 8. Saied Hussini, a 40-year-old Afghan national, told a jury at Worcester Crown Court that he was "never" involved in a plot to spray acid on his three-year-old son. He and six other co-conspirators were charged with "conspiring to unlawfully or maliciously cast or throw sulfuric acid on or at the boy with intent to burn, maim, disfigure or disable the minor, or do grievous bodily harm." The boy suffered burns to his arm and face during the attack, which occurred inside a Home Bargains discount store on July 21, 2018. Prosecutors said the attack was organized by the boy's father to show that his estranged wife was "unable to properly care" for their three children.
February 9. Al-Hijrah school in Birmingham is still segregating boys and girls despite a Court of Appeal ruling in 2017 that found it was unlawful, according to Luke Tryl, director of corporate strategy at Ofsted, the government agency responsible for inspecting schools. Addressing the Women and Equalities Committee, a select committee of the House of Commons, Tryl said that Ofsted inspectors are trying to hold schools to account for discriminating against girls but feel "isolated" when their stance is not backed up by government ministers:
"Our inspectors are going out and having to make some quite tricky judgements where there are those potential clashes [between equalities laws and religious freedoms]. We perhaps don't always feel we get the support we need from the rest of government in pushing that forward."
Tryl said that Al-Hijrah school was enforcing a "very strict gender segregation" which included "denying the girls to have their lunch until the boys had had theirs." He added that inspectors found "some very discriminatory texts for instance, encouraging violence against women."
February 10. Rangzieb Ahmed, a 43-year-old Rochdale-born jihadi who was sentenced to life in prison in 2008 for plotting attacks in the UK, has received nearly £800,000 (€925,000; $1 million) in taxpayer-funded legal aid to appeal his conviction, according to a Sun on Sunday freedom of information request. Ahmed, the most senior al-Qaeda boss ever jailed in Britain, has already received £782,407 in hand-outs, including £589,667 to pay for a barrister and lawyers in court, £121,892 for a failed appeal against conviction in 2011, £60,435 for a civil action against police and £306 for "legal help."
February 11. Brunel University in London launched a sports hijab to encourage more Muslim women to play sports. A 2017 study by Sports England found just 18% of Muslim women participate in regular sports, against 30% of the UK's female population as a whole. The Independent noted:
"Traditionally the hijab, which covers the wearer's hair and neck, is made from cotton which can quickly become hot, sodden with sweat and uncomfortable when used for sport. But Brunel's has been made from materials specifically designed to keep the wearer cool while also respecting their religious beliefs."
February 12. Imtiaz Patel, a 42-year-old man of Indian origin from Leicester, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for a robbing a jewelry store at knifepoint while wearing a burqa. Patel, who made off with a Rolex watch valued at £7,000, was arrested five minutes after the robbery. He was charged the same day with robbery and possession of a bladed article. He pled guilty to both charges.
February 13. Langley Academy, a primary school in Slough, terminated its contract with the Al-Miftah Institute, which provided "IslamHood" Sunday school classes from its campus. The termination took place after the madrassa gave a lesson suggesting that Muslim girls should have children rather than careers. The move was prompted by complaints that IslamHood had hosted speakers who warned about women in hijabs making social media videos and described non-Muslims as "pigs." The complainants also raised concerns that IslamHood was segregating children by gender after images in its prospectus showed girls inside the Langley Academy standing at the back of the class behind boys.
February 14. Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, convicted in 2016 of inviting support for the Islamic State, was barred by the Department for Education from holding management positions in private or public schools. Rahman, an associate of Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary, was previously a proprietor of an unregistered school, Siddeeq Academy in East London, which closed in 2015. Rahman was released on bail in 2018 after serving approximately half of his sentence. He is believed to be the third person ever to banned from being a school governor.
February 16. A British family from Didsbury, Manchester, claimed that they accidentally joined the Islamic State while on holiday and begged for permission to return to the UK. Safiya Zaynab, 51, and her daughters Shabina Aslam, 29, and Alireza Sabar, 17, said that they left Britain for a family vacation in Turkey five years ago and never knew they were travelling to Syria. Aslam told Channel 4:
"I don't regret anything because we came on holiday, which then turned into this. I don't know how, it's never been explained to me. We all miss our life before, we miss freedom, independence, no fear. We want to go back to England, back to my family, I want my children to have a normal life."
Zaynab's husband, Sabar Aslam, who is still living in Didsbury, said:
"They left me four years ago and that's the end of the story. She wasn't happy with me.... I thought she had gone to Saudi Arabia as all the time Safiya was talking about it. I thought she went there."
February 19. Shamima Begum, a 19-year-old jihadi from East London who joined the Islamic State was stripped of her British citizenship. She and two school friends from Bethnal Green fled Britain via Turkey in 2015, where they made their way to Syria and were married off to Islamic State fighters. A letter from the Home Office, obtained by ITV News, was received by Begum's mother: "Please find enclosed papers that relate to a decision taken by the Home Secretary, to deprive your daughter, Shamima Begum, of her British citizenship." Speaking to ITV News from al-Hawl, a Syrian refugee camp, she said she did not understand why Home Secretary Sajid Javid would see her as a threat:
"I'm a 19-year-old girl with a newborn baby. I don't have any weapons; I don't want to hurt anyone even if I did have weapons.
"He [Sajid Javid] has no proof that I'm a threat other than that I was in ISIS but that's it. I don't know how I would be seen as a danger. I'm not going to go back and provoke people to go to ISIS or anything."
Begum prompted a public backlash in Britain when, in an interview with the BBC, she appeared unrepentant about ISIS beheadings and claimed that the 2017 Manchester jihadi attack — in which 22 people were killed — was justified. She added: "I actually do support some British values and I am willing to go back to the UK and settle back again and rehabilitate and that stuff."
February 20. Fatah Mohammed Abdullah, a 33-year-old British-Iranian from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, was charged with inciting two people to commit a jihadi attack in Germany. Abdullah is said to have aided and encouraged the pair in messages using the encrypted Telegram app. The charge, under Section 59 of the Terrorism Act 2000, states that he incited another person to drive a car into crowds, attack people with a meat cleaver, and, between April and December 2018, to set off bombs outside the UK. Abdullah also searched online for guides on how to make explosives and for the components of an improvised explosive device (IED).
February 21. Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (TPIMs), the security orders used to keep the public safe from former jihadis, are so expensive that most of those returning from Syria are being allowed to roam free, according to The Times. Under the Freedom of Information Act, the Home Office disclosed that it has spent nearly £5 million (€6 million; $6.6 million) keeping 23 suspects under restrictions. Annual legal bills have been as high as £1 million (€1.2 million; $1.3 million) while accommodation has cost as much as £70,000 (€81,000; $92,000) a year per person. That figure excludes the cost of tagging and police work. More than 400 British jihadis have returned to Britain from the Middle Eastern battlefields of the Islamic State.
February 22. An employment tribunal in Liverpool found that Cheshire Police discriminated against a potential star recruit on the grounds of sexual orientation, race and sex because he was a white heterosexual male. Matthew Furlong, 25, whose father is a serving detective inspector in Cheshire Police, had hoped to follow in his footsteps when he applied to join the force in 2017. After making it through to the interview stage, he said he was told "it was refreshing to meet someone as well prepared as yourself" and that he "could not have done any more." He was later told he had lost out to other candidates, leading his father to lodge a complaint. His lawyers say it is the first reported case of its kind in the UK, after the employment tribunal ruled that Cheshire Constabulary used positive action — where employers take steps to recruit certain groups of people with different characteristics — but in a discriminatory way. Jennifer Ainscough, an employment lawyer at Slater and Gordon, said:
"Matthew was denied his dream job simply because he was a white, heterosexual male. This is the first reported case of its kind in the UK where positive action has been used in a discriminatory way.
"Matthew's courage in speaking out will hopefully ensure it is the last. Had he not been such an exceptional candidate he may not even have suspected anything was wrong and this unlawful and unacceptable selection process may have been allowed to continue.
"Positive action is an important tool to support a diverse workforce that reflects the community in which we live. However, it must be applied lawfully to ensure the highest caliber of candidates are recruited regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation and to ensure standards in police forces are maintained to properly protect our society."
February 22. Sebastian Walsh, 19, was suspended from the University of Central Lancashire after he expressed his opinion during a class seminar that migrants should not be entitled to free healthcare and that halal meat is "barbaric" and "inhumane." He also lamented the "Islamization" of Britain. University officials told Walsh that he could return to his studies in September if he signed a good conduct agreement and agreed to undertake a diversity training course. The first-year student from Wigan, Lancashire, refused:
"All I did was voice my opinions during debates about immigration.... These are views held by many people in the public and I believe I should be able to express them freely. I feel completely victimized by my university.
"Freedom of speech is a human right and I am determined to stand by this. I will be fighting the university's decision on this to make sure others aren't punished for their opinions in future."
February 22. A 23-year-old Briton known as Jihadi Jack told ITV News that he is homesick and wants to return to Britain after being held for two years in a Kurdish prison, but that doubts the UK will allow him back. Oxford-born Jack Letts, who was nicknamed Jihadi Jack by media after running away to Syria in 2014, said that he was missing his mother and the home comforts of British life, including pasties and episodes of "Doctor Who." Letts, who holds dual nationality through his Canadian father John Letts and British mother Sally Lane, said that he had not spoken to his parents in two years and doubted officials from either nation will "come and help me" because "no one really cares."
February 22. Hamza Siddiq, a 37-year-old convert to Islam, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for encouraging terrorism. In a Facebook post, Siddiq, a computer programmer born in Scotland as Andrew Calladine, blamed Britain for the 2017 Manchester jihadi attack, in which 22 people died. He also posted support for the Islamic State and expressed glee at the 2015 attack on the offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo which left 12 dead. Siddiq told the court: "I have committed no crime under Sharia, the only law acceptable to Allah. I believe and accept Sharia and do not accept man made law. However, I accept that according to English and Welsh law I have committed this charge." Judge Melbourne Inman said:
"You made it clear that you reject the laws of this country and you consider that you live outside the law. Given your support for terrorism that makes you a very dangerous individual. You clearly believe that you are above the law."
February 23. Oluwole Ilesanmi, a 64-year-old Christian street preacher also known as Preacher Olu, was arrested at Southgate Station in north London after complaints that his message about Jesus was "Islamophobic." A video of the arrest, viewed more than 2 million times, shows two police officers ordering the man to stop preaching and then arresting him for "a breach of peace." A blogger known as Archbishop Cranmer tweeted:
"Street Preacher: 'Don't take my Bible away. Don't take my Bible away.' Police officer: 'You should have thought about that before being racist.' Dear @metpoliceuk, Setting aside the appalling ignorance of these two officers, would you handle a copy of the Qur'an like that?"
February 24. Up to 100 British children may have been born to Islamic State brides in Syria, according to the Telegraph. Around 150 British girls and women are thought to have travelled to Syria to join Islamic State, with almost all marrying and giving birth in the self-declared caliphate. An additional 50 older children were taken to Syria by their parents, but around a quarter of those are thought to have been killed. The paper noted: "The large number of British children born in Islamic State territory could also complicate matters for the government which has signaled that any Islamic State sympathizers with dual nationality will be stripped of their British citizenship."
February 25. Fifteen Iranian men were discovered in two boats in the English Channel, a day after a family of seven was found in the same area. The Home Office said 11 men were being interviewed by immigration officials and another four had been arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal entry to the UK. Some 857 Iranians sought asylum in the UK in the third quarter of 2018, compared to 643 in the same period of 2017.
February 25. Education Secretary Damian Hinds announced a plan to make anti-FGM lessons compulsory in British schools. As of September 2020, all teenagers in secondary school will be taught about the illegal practice, which may affect up to 60,000 girls in the UK. The objective is to increase the number of convictions. In an interview with the Evening Standard, Hinds said:
"It's about making sure the whole of our society is engaged in stamping out what is a barbaric and disgusting practice made all the worse and harder because it's perpetrated on some of the youngest and most vulnerable children by people very close to them, in their families, in their communities.
"I want to make sure there isn't another generation of children at risk of this happening."
February 26. Nine members of a Muslim rape gang in Bradford were sentenced to more than 130 years for 22 offenses including rape and inciting child prostitution. The girls were aged 14 when the men first began to use alcohol, drugs and violence to groom and sexually exploit them. The abuse came to light when one of the victims was interviewed by police in connection with another investigation into child sexual exploitation. Sentencing the men to jail terms ranging from 20 years to 18 months, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC said: "No major city in England and Wales seems to have been spared this problem of grooming by older men acting together or alone."
February 27. Naser Mahmood, 37, of Shipley, was sentenced to 16 years in prison for raping two girls when he was a teenager. After he sexually assaulted one of the girls, he asked her to pick up a Qur'an and told her, "Promise you won't tell anyone or I will kill you." Judge Davey said: "When you made her swear on the holy book you knew perfectly well that what you were doing was wrong."
February 28. Mohammed Amin, 37, of Walthamstow was found guilty of trying to impose Sharia dress codes on female medical staff at St. Andrew's Health Centre in Tower Hamlets. In one instance, Amin gave a handwritten note to a female staff member stating that the woman should be aware that she was not following the Islamic dress code. The staff member confronted Amin and he threatened her. Amin also hurled abuse at a doctor he believed was a Christian and threatened him with violence if he reported Amin to the police. Snaresbrook Crown Court sentenced Amin to 18 months of community service.
**Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based 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.

"Is It Really Human Beings Doing This?"/Persecution of Christians, January 2019
Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/March 11/19
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13851/christians-persecution-january
Police "behaved with the priests as they would with killers." — Human rights lawyer, Minya, Egypt.
"The common factor among all [church] closures, however, is that they were done to appease fundamentalists and extremists to the detriment of the Copts. It appears to indicate that extremists now hold the upper hand, and appeasing them is the easy way out of problems..." — The local Christian bishopric, Minya, Egypt.
When it comes to offering asylum, the UK "appears to discriminate in favour of Muslims" instead of Christian minorities from Muslim nations. Statistics confirm this allegation: "out of 4,850 Syrian refugees accepted for resettlement by the Home Office in 2017, only eleven were Christian, representing just 0.2% of all Syrian refugees accepted by the UK." — Nicholas Hellen, Barnabas Fund, January 20, 2019, United Kingdom.
A New Zealand government spokesman said that refugees were considered for resettlement on the basis of "their protection needs and not religious affiliation." However, considering that the Islamic State regularly targets people based on their "religious affiliation" suggests that Christians, Yazidis, and other minorities have more "protection needs" than Muslims.
On Sunday, January 27, terrorists set off two bombs during Mass at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Jolo, Philippines. At least 20 people were killed and 111 wounded. Pictured: Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte inspects the damaged cathedral on January 28, 2019. (Image source: Albert Alcain/ Philippines Presidential Communications Operations Office/Wikimedia Commons)
Massacres Inside Churches and Attacks on Them
Philippines: On Sunday, January 27, Islamic militants bombed a Roman Catholic cathedral during Mass. At least 20 people were killed and 111 wounded. Two explosives were detonated about a minute apart in the vicinity of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Jolo at around 8:45 a.m. According to one report, "The initial explosion scattered the wooden pews inside the main hall and blasted window glass panels, and the second bomb hurled human remains and debris across a town square fronting the cathedral."
Photos on social media showed human bodies and remains strewn on the street just outside the building. The officiating priest, Fr. Ricky Bacolcol, "was still in shock and could not speak about what happened," to quote a colleague. After the first bomb detonated, army troops and police posted outside the cathedral rushed in, then a second bomb went off. Fifteen of the slain were civilians; five military men; 90 of the wounded were civilians. The cathedral, located in a Muslim-majority area, was heavily guarded: it had been hit before. In 2010, grenades had been hurled at it twice, damaging the building; and in 1997, Bishop Benjamin de Jesus had been gunned down just outside the cathedral. The Islamic State claimed the attack, and adding that the massacre had been carried out by "two knights of martyrdom" against a "crusader temple."
Egypt: An Islamic terror plot to bomb a packed Christian church on the evening of January 6, when Coptic Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas, was foiled by police. According to one report,
[F]our explosive devices were planted around the Church of the Virgin Mary and St Mercurius in ... Nasr City. Three were removed safely but the fourth, concealed in a bag, exploded when police bomb disposal technicians attempted to deactivate it. Police Major Mostafa Ebeid was killed in the blast, which wounded two other officers and a bystander. The explosion was the latest in a series of incidents apparently targeting Egypt's Coptic Christian population, occurring the day before Orthodox Christmas eve....
More generally, between late December and early January, authorities forcibly shut down four more churches in Egypt after angry Muslim mobs rioted to protest their existence. In one instance, on Friday, January 11, more than one thousand Muslims surrounded the St George Church in Minya and demanded its immediate closure. Not only did authorities comply, they evicted the two priests who were holed up inside the church and hauled them off in a vehicle used for garbage. The move prompted "an elated response from a jubilating, gloating mob," along with triumphant cries of "Allahu Akbar!" ("Allah is greater!")
Police "behaved with the priests as they would with killers," one human rights lawyer said. "What happened frightened us," added another clergyman. "I am a priest and it is possible for the police to cuff me if the extremist neighboring Muslims protest or gathered in front of my church. Things are getting worse, but let us pray to make God keep us in peace."
The local Coptic Christian bishopric said in a statement:
This is not the first time a place used for worship by Copts in Minya is closed. The common factor among all closures, however, is that they were done to appease fundamentalists and extremists to the detriment of the Copts. It appears to indicate that extremists now hold the upper hand, and appeasing them is the easy way out of problems.... This comes in the wake of declarations by the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmad al-Tayyeb in favour of churches, also positive talk and actions by President Abdel-Fattah a-Sisi that every Egyptian has the right to practise his or her religion of choice, and to Pope Tawadros's efforts on that front.
A January 15 report discussing this attack comments that, "In total, Egyptian authorities have closed four churches within the last four and a half weeks. No formal procedures against the attackers of these churches have begun."
Cameroon: Muslim militants invaded and ransacked two Christian villages the night of January 24. They destroyed 190 homes, plundered and desecrated four churches, set a Christian hospital on fire, and killed livestock. "Is it really human beings who are doing this?" a local eyewitness was quoted as saying. According to the report,
The attack on Gochi and Toufou [the Christian villages] is the fourth by militants in two weeks. In the previous attacks three people were killed and churches and homes were damaged or destroyed.... Christian villages in the far north of Cameroon are subject to attacks by Boko Haram Islamist militias [as] they attempt to establish an Islamic caliphate from north-eastern Nigeria all the way to northern Cameroon, which is where most Cameroonian Muslims live in what is a predominantly Christian country.
Nigeria: Militant Muslims have destroyed a total of 1,125 churches belonging to one Christian denomination alone, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria, based in the Muslim-majority northeast of the country, a January 23 report found. The president of the denomination, Rev. Joel Billi, continues making appeals for the government to expedite the rebuilding of these places of worship:
"Why are we flagrantly neglected as if we deserve to be punished? If not for the inadequacy of our security forces and political undertone, Boko Haram would not have overrun us. So, why do we pay for the sin that was not committed by us?"
Ghana: Irate and machete-wielding Muslim youths vandalized a church after its pastor predicted that Chief Imam Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharunutu would die this year. Afterwards, they made a video giving the pastor an ultimatum to withdraw his prophecy "or else": "We're warning you," said the group leader. "You have only 24 hours to capture yourself in a video to apologise to all Muslims. Don't bring your fake prophecies on the Muslims or our Chief Imam. If you don't apologise, we'll drink your blood."
Indonesia: A Muslim mob stormed a house-church meeting on Sunday, January 13, in the North Sumatran capital of Medan. Video footage shows a loud and angry throng led by men wearing Muslim skullcaps and women in hijabs surrounding a pastor's residence. It had allegedly been converted into a place of worship for use by the Bethel Indonesia Church congregation. The mob shouted at the Christians in attendance shoved them before forcing the service to halt. "We didn't do things that were prohibited," wrote one church member on Instagram. "We only wanted to pray, but why was our church attacked this morning? Where is justice in this country? Where is our religious tolerance? God is with us." Due to this and similar incidents, Christians are increasingly "feel[ing] intimidated to worship in their own country," the report notes. It adds that
"members of the congregation claim that they have obtained some permits for the building to function as a house of worship but are still missing some documents, which they say have been difficult to obtain from government officials, especially during the recent holiday period. In September, authorities in the East Sumatran city of Jambi sealed three churches, which had been used as places of worship for over a decade, because they lacked official permits. An administrator at one of the churches said they were given no warning prior to the closure and that he suspected the churches were shut due to pressure from certain groups who threatened to protest if they remained open. Officials from one of the churches said their attempts to obtain the proper permits had proven difficult as government officials [in the Muslim majority nation] always denied them."
Algeria: After authorities shut down their church, a 300-strong Christian congregation began to meet and worship in a tent — only to be forced out of it and ordered to dismantle it, on January 28. The tent was erected on the grounds of Azaghar Church, a site that allowed the congregation to continue worshipping after the forced closure of their church on spurious "health and safety" reasons. According to one report:
:The church ... lost the use of its building in October 2018, despite the congregation responding to requests to install fire exits and fire extinguishers. While conversion from Islam is not a criminal offence in Algeria, those who witness to Muslims potentially face a five-year jail sentence. The officially recognised church had been open for five years and is a powerful ministry to local Muslims. .... A number of churches have been shut down since the start of 2018, either for alleged breaches of health and safety, or because authorities claim they are not properly registered."
Violence against Christians and Pressure to Convert
Uganda: Muslims beat a Christian woman for praying to Christ in her home "Today we have come to warn you that you should avoid noisy prayers and the use of Issa [Jesus] in your prayers," one of the four assailants informed Deborah Gimbo after bursting into her home. They added that a local cleric had said, "people who pray in Jesus' name should be fought and pressured until they accept only worship of Allah, or else be killed." She responded:
"I cannot stop praying, and more so, Issa [Jesus] is my Lord and Savior, and I will continue praying in His name.... Immediately two of the intruders left the house, and in no time entered the room again with sticks and started beating me. I was hit on my face, and blood started flowing down my face as I started shouting for help."
Neighbors came to her rescue; she was hospitalized for two days.
Iran: During their final appeal hearing on January 15, two Christians "were asked by presiding judges Hassan Babaee and Ahmad Zargar to renounce their faith, but refused to do so," according to a report. Earlier, on September 22, 2018 both Saheb Fadaie and Fatemeh Bakhteri had been sentenced to prison on the charge of "spreading propaganda against the regime," and "promoting Zionist Christianity." The January 15 verdict also "claimed that discussions of Christian doctrine held in house churches were considered attacks on Islam." A human rights activist familiar with the case elaborated:
"The conviction of Mr Fadaie and Ms Bakhteri for asserting Christian doctrine is not only a grave violation of their right to espouse a religious belief of their choosing, but also criminalises the Christian faith, which the Iranian constitution purports to recognise.... We call for the verdict against Mr Fadaie and Ms Bakhteri to be overturned, and urge the Iranian authorities to ensure due process in cases involving religious minorities. We also continue to urge the Iranian government to cease all forms of harassment and intimidation of peaceable religious communities, and to release all those detained in connection with their religion or belief."
Somalia: "It's very dangerous for anyone to identify you as a Christian in this country," an underground pastor going by the pseudonym of John explained in a January 7 report concerning the dangers of being outed as a Christian in the Islamic Horn of Africa. "You will, in fact, be counting your days on Earth. So we are always silent as long as we meet and share the word of God in private." The report elaborates:
"Hundreds of Christians in Somalia, typically foreigners from nearby countries who work across the East African nation, fear [that] Muslim extremists — both jihadists in al-Shabab, a group linked to al-Qaida, and rogue elements among their otherwise peaceful neighbors — would kill them if they knew they held Christian services. Around 99.8 percent of Somalis are Muslim.... In recent years, the situation for Christians in the Horn of Africa has worsened, as illustrated by killings shared on social media. In the region under the control of al-Shabab, the militants hunt for Christians."
Attacks on Muslim Converts to Christianity
Kenya: "Muslim policemen on Saturday (Jan. 19) beat and arrested a Christian man on the outskirts of Nairobi, in retaliation for refusing to recant Christianity," states one report.
"Accompanied by two Muslims of Somali descent who had attacked him previously, the policemen arrived at the home where Hassan (surname withheld for security reasons) lives with his widowed mother, and the officers along with the two others punched, kicked, trampled and struck him with blunt objects..."
According to his mother:
"The police arrived and carried Hassan away with blood flowing from his body. My son's leg is bruised, he has serious chest and back pain, he is unable to walk and some of his teeth were removed. My family is in danger, where are we going to hide ourselves? I cannot go back to Islam. I am better dying with my family than going back to Islam....I have suffered several persecutions from the Muslims for converting to Christianity.... My stomach is ailing from the attack I suffered few years ago. I cannot stand in an upright position. I and my family have chosen the cause of Christ. No turning back."
Sudan/Egypt: A January 31 report recounted the persecution experienced by a former Muslim woman turned Christian. Ebtehaj Alsanosi, 42, "had fled to Egypt in 2005 after being jailed five times for her faith in Sudan." She eventually married another convert who had also fled Sudan and birthed a daughter. Her persecutors eventually tracked her down and kidnapped her on the way to market in Egypt.
"They called her name, grabbed her, covered her nose and mouth, twisted her hands and sprayed some chemical on her that left her unconscious...They took her to the windowless room in an unknown house where they poured water on her, pulled her hair and tied her hands and legs to a chair, all the while shouting her name. Covering her eyes, they reminded her of her Islamic upbringing in Sudan, and how after her school years she moved with her family to Saudi Arabia. Her Sudanese father, they reminded her, is a sheikh (Islamic teacher) in Saudi Arabia."
"You are disgrace to your Muslim family, you brought shame to the family," they yelled at her as they beat her. "You are 'kafira' [infidel]." They ordered her to return to her Sudanese family in Saudi Arabia, otherwise, she, her husband, and daughter aged 11 would all be slaughtered. "I will not go back to Islam—I hate Islam," she shot back, prompting them to beat her even harder. One of her abductors then brought "a copy of the Koran and began reciting verses that call for the killing of those who leave Islam"—even as they all shouted "Allahu Akbar" in between readings. "The extremists then untied her, forced her to lie on the floor and ripped her clothes. In spite of her pleas to stop, they raped her in turns." One of the men said, "This is lesson number one." They continued abusing and beating her, asking after each torture session if she was ready to renounce Christ and resubmit to Muhammad, only for her to refuse. She was eventually struck unconscious, and when she came to, was lying in the middle of a busy street.
A separate January 21 report revealed the sufferings of a Muslim man who also fled from Sudan to Egypt after converting to Christianity. Osman "left Khartoum in April 2014 after police from Sudan's Criminal Investigation Department accused him of apostasy, punishable by death in Sudan."
"National police arrested him from the streets of Khartoum, covered his eyes with a cloth and took him into secret detention, where they tortured him for three weeks... He was suspended from the ceiling while agents poured cold water on him, leaving his left hand permanently damaged..."
"[T]hey told me they were going to kill me if I do not return back to Islam," he explained. "I fled Sudan for my life after I learned that my life was in danger." Before long, however, unknown persons in Cairo began sending him death threats via phone texts. Most recently, his apartment was raided and his passport stolen, prompting him to go into hiding. "My life is in great danger as Egypt is becoming an insecure place for me," Osman was last reported as saying.
Uganda: The story of a mother and daughter who were driven out of their home by their Muslim husband/father after they converted to Christianity appeared in a January 7 report. According to the mother, Adijah:
"All the years that I was a Muslim, I found nothing wrong with it. But last year, when I was listening to a radio program about Jesus, I started thinking about Christianity and why there was so much enmity between Muslims and Christians. I did not know [it then, but it] started my journey to Christianity. My husband learned that I had accepted Christ when he found a Bible in the house. I pleaded with him to allow me to try out my new faith and see how far I would go, but he was reluctant. Within days, he became hostile towards me and Nuriah [the daughter] who had also started reading the Bible. I was given a one-week ultimatum to decide if I wanted to become a non-Muslim and follow the lost religion of Christianity."
Knowledge of her apostasy from Islam eventually spread throughout the region and extended family and others urged the husband to drive her out: "You are an infidel," he eventually burst out. "I do not want to see you here. Pick your clothes and leave with Nuriah because she has also started reading the Bible and singing Christian hymns. See the shame and destruction you have brought to us. Nuriah used to be a good Muslim, but now she hides and goes with you to church." Adijah recounts:
"The following day before we left, he had uprooted all the cassava crops I had planted. Shouting at the top of his voice, he threatened to take back everything that he had put under my name so that I will not inherit any property from him. He said these were the dire consequences of forsaking Allah and his prophet and following after other gods."
According to his daughter, Nuriah:
"I am ready to become a Christian, but my father might look for me and beat me. I still love my father but he doesn't want us to worship the way we want. He should not force us into Islam. One of our relatives has informed us that my father is looking for ways to kill us."
He has since remarried. "I hear that he has looked for a Muslim lady and they are staying together in the same house we used to live," said his ex-wife. "We live in fear because we don't know what he is planning to do to us." The destitute mother and daughter have experienced much poverty and turmoil since, and were last reported as taking refuge with a Christian family in another part of the nation.
Separately in Uganda, a former Muslim turned Christian lives in fear for his life after local Muslims razed the church he led to the ground and threatened him with death for apostatizing and causing other Muslims to apostatize from Islam. "A gang of radical Muslims entered the church compound," Simon Mustafa Waseke, who became Christian in 2017, recalled, "and pulled down the church building while shouting 'Allah Akbar [Allah is greater], away with this church and Pastor Mustafa Waseke. No more prayers in this place, or else you will all lose your lives,' and in no time the church was on its ground." A clandestine Christian in touch with the Muslim community informed him that they are plotting his murder:
"Even if am given police protection, I am not sure of the security of my members of the church, who are now very fearful. I am at a crossroads of not knowing what to do. My church members are scattered like sheep without a shepherd. Soon their faith in Christ will diminish, and they will possibly return to Islam.... The Muslims are now out to kill me and my family—we are having sleepless nights. How long are we going to hide ourselves from our enemies of Christianity? Please pray for us."
Pro-Muslim, Anti-Christian Bias in the West
United Kingdom: A Christian man who had been residing in the UK for 15 years was in early January deported back to Pakistan, even though he had been persecuted there. Asher Samson, 41, "first arrived in the UK in 2004 to carry out his theology training in order to become a pastor, but later applied for asylum after receiving threats from Islamic extremists during visits home," notes a report. His former pastor, Rev Lorraine Shorton from Hall Green United Community Church, described his current situation:
"I've received some messages from him. He's very scared, he's fearful for his life.... He's in hiding in Pakistan and his family are terribly worried for him.... At the moment he has no funds to live on—he can't work .... [T]he UK is sending people back to these countries where their lives are in danger. Pakistan is number five on the World Watch List for extremism against Christians and it's just disgraceful really that we're sending people potentially to their death.... Pray that the government will see sense."
Another separate report from January 20 asserts that, when it comes to offering asylum, the UK "appears to discriminate in favour of Muslims" instead of Christian minorities from Muslim nations. Statistics confirm this allegation: "out of 4,850 Syrian refugees accepted for resettlement by the Home Office in 2017, only eleven were Christian, representing just 0.2% of all Syrian refugees accepted by the UK."
New Zealand: Of those foreign nationals offered asylum between October 31, 2017 and October 31, 2018, seven were from Iraq, 105 from Afghanistan, and 277 from Syria—yet all were Muslims a report found:
"Figures for previous years ... are equally bleak. In 2016, only six Christians were among the 377 Syrians granted sanctuary, and in the five weeks up to 10 February 2017 no Christians were among the 45 Syrians, all Muslims, who were allowed to settle. Christians made up 10% of the population of Syria before the war."
Responding to this disparity, a government spokesman said that refugees were considered for resettlement on the basis of "their protection needs and not religious affiliation." However, considering that the Islamic State regularly targets people based on their "religious affiliation" suggests that Christians, Yazidis, and other minorities have more "protection needs" than Muslims.
Raymond Ibrahim, author of the new book, Sword and Scimitar, Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and a Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
About this Series
While not all, or even most, Muslims are involved, persecution of Christians by extremists is growing. The report posits that such persecution is not random but rather systematic, and takes place irrespective of language, ethnicity, or location.
© 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.

A King in a Changing World
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/March 11/19
In 1999, the profession took me to two young Arab men for an interview. The first had his future already sketched, while the second was still preparing for it.
The name of the first one is Abdullah II and the second is Bashar al-Assad. They belong to the same generation. When Bashar was born in 1965, Abdullah II was three years old.
I entered the office of the young Jordanian in Amman shortly after he took over the Jordanian destiny, and entered the office of the young Syrian in Qassion a year before he took over the Syrian fate. I was happy to have the opportunity to follow up on a new generation of Arab rulers. The arrival of the new generation was considered an occasion to launch new approaches to governance that would provide a degree of modernization in politics and economy.
As a journalist, I was thinking about the size of the tasks assigned to each of the two men. Since journalists usually like to compare, I was telling myself how hard it was to be the heir of an exceptional player who has established and strengthened his leadership and methods.
King Hussein Bin Talal was good at practicing his difficult career as a king. He learned the art of windsurfing to later develop the ability to detect approaching storms and provide umbrellas of survival. He realized that his small country had a difficult nature that needed maintenance at home and abroad: maintenance of stability, the role that protects it, and the ability to demonstrate that the last guarantee was present no matter how strong the wind.
President Hafez al-Assad was a skilled player who soon mastered swimming in troubled waters. He forged alliances with Moscow without forgetting Washington. He forbade any foreign player from having a say on the Syrian land, while he played his cards in neighboring countries, such as Lebanon.
The two men had to always think of a difficult third player, named Saddam Hussein. The latter considered himself to be equal to Jamal Abdel Nasser, but wealthier in oil. Iraq – strong or weak - is a difficult neighbor. Saddam and Hafez, both coming from the party of Michel Aflaq, differed in everything but in their admiration to Salaheddine Al-Ayoubi. “The Kurds have an exceptional historical leader named Salaheddine, but the Baath took over him,” President Jalal Talabani used to say while laughing.
Let’s leave comparisons aside. I entered the office of King Abdullah II a few days ago. I found him in his military uniform. I understood that he was just returning from a surprise visit to a military contingent.
We are in the Middle East, the land of surprises and dangers. If the ruler has to constantly monitor his country's economy, he must always make sure his army is ready. One of the constants in Jordan's army is that it cannot abandon the Palestinian fate, nor the Iraqi and Syrian destinies. In the past two decades, the three files have been very complex and difficult.
Neighboring crises leave their marks in the heart of the Jordanian house. In addition to the Palestinians, who were displaced by the Israeli occupation, Jordan has received waves of Iraqis, and about 400,000 of them still reside in its territory. The country has also hosted about 1,400,000 Syrians, and no more than 12,000 have already returned to their homeland. These burdens have exhausted the Jordanian economy and exposed the infrastructure to severe pressure, while international aid has been far below the needs.
The thunderous emergence of ISIS was not simple at all. Jordan had to remain on constant alert so that its borders would not be breached as happened in Iraq and Syria. It was necessary to prepare for any ISIS attacks and to face its attempts to attract the angry youth suffering from unemployment and to make them fall into the trap of militancy in a region that was witnessing a climate of inflammatory doctrine.
Tranquility is a plant that does not live in the soil of the Middle East. The dangers did not begin with ISIS and will not end with the movement’s collapse. But who said that the presence of ISIS has ended? The “Caliphate State” lost its presence on the land of Iraq and Syria, but it moved completely to a “virtual Caliphate state.” Through social networks and applications such as Telegram, WhatsApp, and others, ISIS is recruiting, training and directing operations.
Jordanian investigations revealed that the members of the “Fuheis terrorist cell”, who have a criminal background, mediated through the Internet over a month and moved on to the execution of their plan. Jordanian security forces killed three of them and arrested the others in less than 24 hours.
The fall of ISIS came in parallel with a new emergence of Al-Qaeda, especially the organization of Hurras el-Din (‘the protectors of religion’), which was born in the Syrian arena in February 2018 and was formed of Al-Qaeda members, who were close to Abu Mesaab Al-Zarqawi. It is said that Ayman al-Zawahiri's instructions are conveyed to them through Saif al-Adl, who resides in Iran.
Two decades after assuming his duties, Abdullah II realized that he was king in a changing world and in a changing region. Iraq today is not like the one that existed on the eve of this century. The same is true for Syria. Iranian militias are located near the Jordanian border through the Iraqi and Syrian maps. The peace horizon is locked and the "deal of the century" will not find a Palestinian approval.
In these difficult situations, Abdullah II continues to maintain his country’s stability, entity, and role. His close relationship with America, under the consecutive administrations, is firm, especially with his ability to address the Congress and his knowledge of the rules of the game there.
His strong relationship with Vladimir Putin has helped him deal with the Syrian crisis, especially with regard to the situation in the Syrian south.
Internally, where the tweeters hunt every shortcoming or corruption, the king maintains dialogue with politicians, parties, trade unions, media professionals, and activists. The best evidence is that the tweeters were among those who participated in open-ended dialogue sessions in a country that, despite its limited economic potential, has maintained its stability and hasn't hesitated to make painful decisions to save its economy.

What Is Mark Zuckerberg Really Saying About Facebook’s Future?
Shira Ovide/Bloomberg View/March 11/19
First, a confession: I’m getting bored with Mark Zuckerberg’s manifestos.
As the public spotlight on Facebook Inc. has illuminated the company’s many ugly corners, Zuckerberg has put pen to paper multiple times to declare mission statements for his company. On Wednesday, the CEO declared that the future of Facebook is … well, it’s more like Snapchat. He said Facebook would emphasize communications among smaller groups, temporary posts and technology that keeps outsiders and Facebook itself from peering into what people are sending through its social network and company-owned Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger apps.
Zuckerberg has been talking for some time about what he says are people’s growing preferences for more intimate online interactions rather than the public, permanent broadcasts that made Facebook one of the most widely used digital tools in history. His 3,200 words on Wednesday were more urgent and thoughtful than what he’s said before, and Facebook made sure that his post sparked conversation about the company’s new, privacy-focused direction.
The trouble is, I’m not sure whether Facebook is truly changing its stripes. I give Zuckerberg credit for recognizing — although maybe two to five years too late — that there are downsides to a medium that’s intended to connect the world, and by nature tends to spread the most provocative and outlandish voices far and wide. But let’s press pause on reading too much into Zuckerberg’s mission statement until we see how Facebook changes, if at all. A call to arms from the CEO can spark real change, or it might just be words.
It’s not clear how Zuckerberg’s statement will change how the company functions, or whether the company will end up collecting more or less personal data that fuels its advertising system. There are also potential downsides to making Facebook less public, including limiting the company’s responsibility to police its digital hangouts for hate speech, attempted social manipulation or other abuses.
The context is key here. Facebook right now is working on a complex project that aims to combine the technology foundations of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. One goal of this project, as Zuckerberg wrote in his post, is to permit someone using Instagram, for example, to send a digital message to someone using WhatsApp.
If I strain my mind, I can imagine some circumstances where this would be useful. What Zuckerberg didn’t mention is what this long-term “interoperability” project will do for what I think is the original sin behind every Facebook scandal: its hoarding of data on just about every internet user.
If the company shifts to a common foundation for its apps, in theory that could give Facebook an even larger and cleaner database of people’s online and real-world behavior with which to target advertising. It’s also possible that Facebook’s move to combine its internet hangouts, and make them encrypted so the information moving among them is scrambled, may limit the data Facebook collects. Zuckerberg doesn’t really address either possibility.
I can’t help thinking that Zuckerberg’s high-minded talk about more private and scrambled communications through Facebook and its other apps is simply putting a shiny gloss on what is otherwise a power play by Facebook to consolidate power and data about internet users by merging its multiple services.

8 Years of War in 9 Minutes How Assad Won in Syria, What Israel Gained and What's Next for Iran
Amos Harel/Haaretz/March 11/19
في فيديو من 3 اجزاء للمحل العسكري للهآرتس شرح لماذا الأسد هو غير مهتم بمواجهة إسرائيل أو حتى في مهتم في وقف الغارات الإسرائيلية
https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/syria/how-assad-won-in-syria-what-israel-gained-and-what-s-next-for-iran-1.7006296
In a 3 part video analysis, Haaretz's military correspondent explains why Assad is not interested in a direct confrontation with Israel, even to stop Israeli airstrikes.
As the Syrian civil war enters its 9th year, with up to 500,000 dead and 11 million displaced, Haaretz’s Military Correspondent Amos Harel explains how Bashar Assad came out on top and what his victory means for Israel and the wider Middle East.
How did Assad win the war?
"Assad has already declared victory in the civil war. The United Arab Emirates have decided that they're going to send their ambassador back to Damascus and the fact that Russia and in some ways even Turkey now recognize him as the winner in this war is a great victory."
What does Assad's survival mean for Israel, Iran and Hezbollah?
"Israel never said it publicly, but secretly Israel actually wished success for both sides.The Syrian Civil War was not a bad development for Israel. The fact that two sides were fighting each other and both camps deeply hated Israel. The fact that they were so busy fighting each other meant that Israel had more space to do what it needed to do."
Will Assad seek a military conflict with Israel to stop the airstrikes?
"Assad right now is mostly concerned with regaining his hold over Syria. He's not interested in a direct confrontation with Israel. He would only lose if something like this happens. If it does, if things escalate on the Israeli-Lebanese border, I would assume that both Iran and Hezbollah would expect Assad to help but this is not something that Assad is interested in happening and he would rather avoid any kind of direct confrontation with Israel whether on the Syrian border or on the Lebanese border."

Analysis/MBS Has a BDS Problem: Khashoggi’s Shadow Haunts the Saudi Crown Prince
Zvi Bar'el/Haaretz/March 11/19
October’s murder of Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul is still tripping up Prince Mohammed bin Salman's ties to the West.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been facing tough times lately. Lurking around every corner is the shadow of slain exiled Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi last October at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
The most recent blow came in a report last week in the New York Times that revealed that the prestigious talent agency William Morris Endeavor had decided to return the crown prince’s investment of $400 million. The funding would have expanded the agency considerably and would have created a new source of income for the Saudi kingdom in its efforts to diversify its sources of income.
It’s only been a year since a Hollywood bash organized by Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel in honor of Prince Mohammed, the guest list for which included Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Disney CEO Robert Iger, an event that drew a large number of celebrities who came to shake the prince’s hand. Emanuel is the brother of Rahm Emanuel, President Barack Obama’s White House chief of staff, who is also the outgoing mayor of Chicago.
Ari Emanuel has a reputation as an unsentimental executive who is all business. When a man like him decides to return such an enormous investment, he likely has a thorough understanding of the damage that a relationship with the Saudi crown prince might inflict. Emanuel, who represents Michael Douglas, Sasha Baron Cohen, Conan O’Brien, Mark Wahlberg and many other high-profile celebrities, is also not the first to relate to Crown Prince Mohammed as the BDS movement does to Israel.
The pioneer when it comes to avoidance of Mohammed bin Salman was Richard Branson, the founder and CEO of the Virgin Group, who suspended his plan to invest in the historic Saudi city of Al-Ula, where the crown prince was planning to opening an Arab civilization museum and a number of other cultural sites. And last week, 36 countries, including 28 member states of the European Union, signed a declaration condemning the kingdom for its human rights abuses and the arrest of human rights activists. The statement called on the Saudi leadership to cooperate with the U.N. committee investigating the Khashoggi murder.
The board of directors of Milan’s La Scala Opera overturned its CEO’s decision to appoint Saudi Culture Minister Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud to the board. The CEO, Alexander Pereira, explained that he had invited the Saudi minister to join the board because the latter had pledged a “contribution” of $15 million over five years. Pereira called it a “great opportunity,” adding that such opportunities “don’t come by every day.”
But the explanation did not persuade the board. It was that same culture minister who purchased the Leonard da Vinci painting “Salvator Mundi” for the fantastic sum of $450 million, apparently for Crown Prince Mohammed, although publicly the purchase was said to be made for the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum.
The insult is not only personal to the crown prince. His persona non grata status also has an impact on his kingdom, which is facing possible passage of American federal legislation that could restrict U.S. weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, on the grounds that they are being used in the fighting in Yemen. This follows Germany’s announcement that it is extending its ban on weapons sales to Saudi Arabia through the end of the month.
Crown Prince Mohammed is also considered a threat at home, and according to the British Guardian newspaper, there is a rift between him and his father, King Salman. The schism follows suspicions that the crown prince is planning to depose his father.
The Guardian said that the son intended to move against his father during the king’s visit to Egypt last month, which is said to have led King Salman to have a special security force to accompany him on the visit, along with the replacement of Egyptian bodyguards. When Salman returned to Saudi Arabia, his son was not part of the welcome party, another indication that relations within the royal court are not ideal.
The king has also been angered by Crown Prince Mohammed’s decision to appoint Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan as Saudi ambassador to the United States and Mohammed’s own younger brother Khalid as deputy defense minister. Khalid was ambassador to Washington when the Khashoggi affair blew up and according to U.S. intelligence agencies, he was the one who advised the murdered journalist to go to the consulate in Istanbul, allegedly meaning that he played a part in the killing.
While the king was away
Crown Prince Mohammed made the appointments in the absence of the king, who found out about them through the media. Officially, the crown prince has the authority to make appointments in his capacity as the king’s deputy, but such high-level appointments are usually made by royal decree and certainly with the king’s knowledge.
Mohammed is also facing traps set by members of Congress for President Donald Trump, who continues to evade the demand for a serious investigation of the Khashoggi killing. This is even though Florida Republican Senator Mario Rubio has said Crown Prince Mohammed has “gone full gangster” and though South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham deemed “worthless” the confidential White House briefing to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the killing.
Trump caved into political pressure and in November finally decided to appoint an ambassador to Riyadh, the first American ambassador to serve there since Trump took office. But at a confirmation for the nominee, retired General John Abizaid, who is a veteran of the first war in Iraq and an outstanding military talent, the nominee made it clear that his goal would be to maintain ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia. It will be interesting to see how he fulfills his mission when de facto control of the kingdom is in the hands of a murder suspect.

Strenuous Israeli diplomacy with Egypt and Jordan defuses escalating disputes over Gaza, Temple Mount
DEBKAfile/March 11/19
Israel’s Mossad Director Yossie Cohen and National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabat were able to avert violent blow-ups around the Gaza Strip and Temple Mount’s Golden Gate by intense negotiations with Cairo and Amman over week’s end.
DEBKAfile’s Exclusive sources disclose the content of the agreements and understandings procured by the two Israeli officials for cooling the two flashpoints:
Golden Gate:
Jordan, which owns a custodial role for Temple Mount’s Muslim sites, accepted Israel’s position against converting the Golden Gate (Gate of Mercy) into a mosque or place of Muslim prayer. At the same time, Israel agreed to keep archeologists from researching the ancient double-arched gate, which is believed to stand on the same site since the days of the First Jewish Temple. This met the demands of Israeli Arabs and the Tanzim-Fatah faction of the Palestinian Authority.
If Jordan wanted to push the Palestinians of Jerusalem into a clash with Israel over Temple Mount, Israel was ready and would resist any attempt to change the status quo which governs Jerusalem’s shrines.
Israel, for its part, agreed to open the Golden Gate, which was blocked up and shuttered off and on for centuries, to visitors. At length, Amman accepted Israel’s position, Therefore, Al Aqsa worship last Friday, although expected to be chaotic and violent, passed without incident, after Jordanian government and security officials took a hand in keeping the peace.
Gaza Strip:
The Palestinian Hamas terrorist movement, which governs the Gaza Strip, gave in to the demands put before them by three Egyptian intelligence generals who had been shuttling between Tel Aviv and Gaza City to broker a halt in the escalating violence. Hamas agreed to deconflict the Gaza-Israeli border in five stages, after more than a year that was consumed with one form of terror after another.
An unfamiliar calm descended on the border on Saturday night, March 9, after the rampaging mobs were absent for the first time in weeks.
Hamas undertook in the second stage to halt the explosive balloon assault on Israel civilian areas. This harassment would die out day by day, said its authors, until it disappeared.
The gangs responsible for burning tires to throw up clouds of choking black smoke over the border has been disbanded.
Hamas guaranteed to halt rocket and mortar attacks on Israel from Gaza and also prevent other organizations from conducting these attacks.
Mohammed Al-Amadi, Qatar’s ambassador to Gaza, is due to arrive in the territory. But he won’t deliver the $15m remittance he has paid out in recent months, but instead, present Hamas rulers with a plan for creating jobs for the distressed population. The program was compiled in cooperation with Nickolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, and is financed by the oil emirate.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu quickly added his signature to the two accords that were negotiated by Cohen and Ben-Shabat. They are already being implemented.